Don’t you just love Tiffany’s? – Page 4

How About a Little Contest?

My friend and colleague is bringing a group of students from our University to Nicaragua to build a much-needed classroom. The group has $3,500 to raise before they go, and I thought I'd share the opportunity to help them with you.

To thank you for your generosity (any donation is generous in my book!), I'm running a little contest. Donate between now and December 26, and leave a comment here that you donated (again, any amount, and you don't have to tell me how much), and I'll enter your name for a glamorous prize. If you're a fiber-y person, I'll send you a skein of hand-dyed yarn. If not, I'll make you a cushy cowl.

Ready to donate? Click here to learn more about the program and to make your generous donation.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Miracle of the Wedding Ring

Earlier this fall, while playing catch with the dogs, Neal felt his wedding ring slip from his finger. We couldn't find it. My pleas to St. Anthony* did no good. We had no access to a metal detector. This was the third time his ring has been lost.

This weekend, while raking, he found it.

*I don't post my pleas online. And, yes, despite no longer being a Roman Catholic, I do still practice some of my old habits!

Rhinebeck 2010

Last weekend was close to peak for leaf peeping, which made the drive to Rhinebeck beautiful. Sara and I wended our way along Rt. 44 until we got into New York. There were some ominous clouds above us, but (knock wood), it has never rained on our Rhinebeck trips.

I had no shopping goals for the trip, although I did manage to find some nice things to bring home…a hat from Robin's Hoods ; a woven alpaca stole to replace my worn-out pashmina (I'm saving both for post-Project 333; they are great additions to help me create my well-appointed minimalist wardrobe); a big orange basket; three skeins of cormo/nylon yarn to use for the Macro Lace cardi I'm eager to make (and, hey, Laura was in the Foxhill Farm [no website] booth sporting her BBCs while I was shopping! I saw the boots before I realized who was in them. She is super nice.); a skein of creme puff from Decadent Fibers (where I also had a movie-star sighting! Uma! I Kinneared, but the photo is so bad. Do you want to see it?). I picked up a button at Jennie the Potter's booth, and some vintage millenary trims at another booth (sorry, can't find a card).

I loved the cutie patootie characters at the 425 Square Foot Art booth. Aren't they adorable:

There was plenty of gorgeous yarn to pet and dream about:

These precious 2 oz. skeins of cashmere were all gone when I went back on Sunday to consider buying one. Oh, how happy the knitters that bought them!

Best of all, though, was meeting friends, new and old. I had dinner with my NM SnB girly Cari, met up with my dear friend Cheryl–not a knitter, but converted on Saturday night–and saw tons of my Ravelry, Twitter, and blog peeps (too many to link, but I loved seeing you all). I had my picture taken by Gale and was given an adorable book by Manise as a reminder to pick my strawberries before any little thieves do. I drank warm cider, tasted cheese, and petted puppies.

And critters. Alpaca and llamas. Goats and sheep. There were plenty of them.

Next year, I'm planning on some big doings for Rhinebeck. It's one of my favorite outings of the year. Hope to see you there some time!

Free Pattern: Holcomb Farm Scarf

I'm excited to share with you the Holcomb Farm Scarf, a pattern I created for a Hairpin Lace class I'm teaching at my LYS. The pattern calls for two skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino, which is so dreamy to use. You can download the pattern for free on Ravelry.

I first learned Hairpin Lace from my mother; it was my gateway craft. I started by helping her with fringing the afghans she made, then learned to connect the strips, and finally, to make the strips. I want to bring back this delicate little craft, so I've been designing a few patterns that I'm looking forward to sharing with you.

Enjoy!

P.S. Isn't my model gorgeous? Spring graciously tromped all over Holcomb Farm earlier this summer and allowed me to take tons of pictures. She's a photographer, and I was lucky enough to get a few tips from her during our shoot!

ETA Please note that I fixed a type on 7/24, so you may want to re-download!

Tea for Two

High tea at the Brown Palace was a satisfying delight. Melanie, I savored my scone with Devonshire cream just for you!

Tonight, dinner with UNM peeps. Tomorrow, my first pro baseball game.

Baby Got Boots

My Fluevog Chinoas make me walk like I’ve got oil wells in my back yard.

Tomorrow, high tea at the Brown Palace.

Crockpot Brigade

Blogless Sara reported that her sister had great success with making crockpot yogurt, then Norma posted about it, and the Crockpot Brigade marched. I can only imagine that Norma's post has struck fear in the hearts of everyone at Stonyfield! Boy oh boy, did I ever want to join the Brigade, but alas, no crockpot (silly me, thinking they were only useful to meat eaters! I know better now!). A trip to Target remedied that problem, and on Saturday, I set to making yogurt.

Could it be easier? No. I used organic 1% milk and plain Stonyfield non-fat yogurt. This batch is a bit thin, despite adding powdered milk. Next time, I'll strain it to get a texture closer to Greek yogurt. The only trick is to get your timing right. I started mine late in the morning, which meant that I had to stay up until midnight to get the finished yogurt into the fridge. Next time, I'll start it at about 4:30 p.m., and it will be ready for the fridge when I get up in the morning.

Oh. You want the recipe? Sure thing.

Pardon? Oh, a picture? Of course I took one, with a dollop of summer (also known as strawberry freezer jam).

Hook

Hook
Originally uploaded by theflightchick

How nice when a friend from SnB becomes simply, a friend. That's the case with lovely Spring, who happens to be a fabulous photographer, too. Monday night she brought her camera instead of knitting, and I'm wowed by the results.

We've had a run of humid heat after a more temperate, if rainy, summer. Suddenly I feel like I'm moving through molasses, and the list of what I actually accomplish is much shorter than the one of what I want to accomplish. For once, though, I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Summer break should mean a more laid back attitude, and that's what I intend to have.

There is a little pressure on me, however. My mom is turning 70 in two weeks, and the Golden Swallowtail I began nearly a year ago will make the perfect gift. After a stop in at my LYS, I'm back on track. I missed a row, tried to make up for it in the successive rows, and finally had to admit that I needed to rip back. Oh, the hubris! I had no lifeline. Laura helped me to gently pull out the stitches and get everything back on the needle in an orderly way. I'm excited to finish and present my mom with something wonderful (just like she is) to celebrate.

How are you managing to stay cool as summer progresses? We've got fans, but no a/c. Today my plan is to visit a museum with my nephew. The car and the museum will both be air conditioned, which will help a lot! I'd love to hear your strategies, too.

P.S. There is a new writing prompt at Open Road Writing. Let me know if you find it useful!

…nor no man ever loved

Today is generally agreed to be the birth date of William Shakespeare, the writer whose work I hold more dear than any other's. I agree with Harold Bloom's assessment (I own two copies of the book; one autographed by Bloom and treasured, one marked up with my notes) that Shakespeare taught us how to be human.

The summer between my two years of graduate school (the first time around), I lived and studied at St. John's College, Oxford. My time in Oxford was among the happiest of my life. I liked being alone, and I loved the city; I should have been born there and never left, but so it goes.

More than anything, I adored my proximity to so many performances of my beloved's work. That summer, I saw: A Midsummer Night's Dream (twice at New College), Antony and Cleopatra (once at Stratford, once at the Globe–that performance changed my life), The Tempest (at Magdelen College), Comedy of Errors (the Globe), Othello (Stratford–soooo creepy),and MacBeth at Wadham College. I fit in a few other plays, but not Shakespeare's.

I wrote my MA thesis throughout the following two semesters, and because of Mark Rylance's performace as Cleopatra, I focused on her as a female hero. I won't bore you with the details, but what fun!

So, on this anniversary of your life, dearest Will, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

“April hath put the spirit of youth in everything”*

Meet Lily,** one of my Friendly Birds from the delightful Alicia of Posy Gets Cosy. Want to see more of my flock as well as some other papier mache birds? Take a look.

* Williams Shakespeare
**Neal painted Lily and sculpted and painted Charlie the blue bird. He's gone from confirmed bachelor to crafty husband in under two years!

Category: Don’t you just love Tiffany’s?