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Friday, June 04, 2010

Almost Summer

I can tell it's almost summer as the pikake and gardenias are blooming like crazy.

The plover are all gone, but the Fairy tern are coming up the river. They are beautiful acrobatic fliers. They lay one egg without building a nest. Although they are sea birds and eat the little fish that have hatched along the shore, they still fly up our valley to raise the chick in the trees.

The litchi tree across the stream had a lot of fruit. None of it was picked so the fruit eating birds have had their fill.

My mom has been trained by a lovely red cardinal couple to feed them shelled sunflower seeds on command. They chirp and whistle and she comes a-running. It's pretty funny, really. When I daddy watch, they chirp at me too, and darn if I'm not trained now, too! (Kiko, the cat, is sure interested in them too!)

I finally finished a couple knits!


Pattern: One Row Scarf, by the Yarn Harlot
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, in a nice cranberry red (the photo does not do the colorway justice)
Needles: size 9
Mods: I cast on 36 stitches, including two for the end stitches.
Comments: 4 skeins ended up being 64 inches long and 5.5 inches wide, unblocked. The yarn is a real please to knit with and feels very plush against the skin. I've read it is quite fragile, but it held up well while knitting. This one is for the Red Scarf Project. I'm a little concerned that it is not an easy care fabric. I love the color!



Pattern: Topsy Turvey doll
Bernat has another version of it.
Mods: I was thinking about a project for Ponyo. She has two forms, a goldfish and a little girl. I ended up not having enough yarn so Sonja was born. I used some of Opal's hand spun left over from a project and I really like the color of her hair. She's sitting on one of this years 3 pineapples.

The summer project of weeding the patio and transplanting the pot-bound plants has stalled about 3/4 of the way through. The weather dried up making the weeds hard to get out. Then, I was sidetracked by the aphids attacking my Rangpur lime and bay laurel. I love the Rangpur lime I grew up with. It made the best tabbouleh, imo. The nursery I got it from grows the lime for rook stock and I've nursed the plant along in a pot. It finally got planted in the yard but it still hasn't taking off. It's fighting for root room with the privet, grass and Asparagus densiflorus One thing I've discovered, is that staring at the tree twice a day does not make it grow faster. I will have to ask Totoro to help!



The last of my card play days with blogless Melody was all about cupcakes. She brought her Sizzix cupcake die.


I used the following references:
Beverly's Sizzix Cupcake and
Valita's yummy cupcake card.

Melody will be returning to Camano Island until November, so no more card buddy. It was so much fun having a partner in crime!

In the meantime, I am organizing the sewing room in hopes of getting my sewing mojo back. If anyone sees my sewing mojo, please send it back. The fabric stash is waiting!!!

6 comments:

fuzziekit said...

Well Totoro is the best person to ask to make things grow... that moment in the film is precious. I love Sonja as well. Such fun warm colors to knit with. Makes summer all the better.

kbrow said...

I love that movie. Thanks for the reminder that I also love the music to it.

I guess the Kolea birds are all gone, now, eh?

Zonda said...

I like how your mom has been "trained" by the bird! Nice scarf, may have to try that pattern. The doll is adorable :)

Sending your sewing mojo....then you can send me some too, I have curtains and a few bags and needlecases to make :)

sandy said...

I see you have been very busy--- nice stuff! Sending mucho mojo!

Opal said...

those cupcake cards are adorable! (yes i'm a year late and several dollars short. forgive me.)

judy said...

Lovely pictures...enjoyed the cartoon. We battle against privet, too...you must be in the south or China. I don't love the stuff...do love your doll. So cute.