A Bit of Random
First, a Bunny update.
Maxine, the bunny, has gone to a foster home. I found her owners, which is how I learned her name was Maxine. The owner had seen our sign, but she wasn’t planning on contacting us. She was moving her family that night, and they were moving to a rental that did not allow pets. She claimed Maxine had dug her way out from their enclosed patio. I decided not to go see if that were true, or if she had simply released her. She did give us Maxine’s better cage, which was nice. In any event the rabbit coordinator at the local SPCA found a very nice young woman to foster Maxine, and she left on Thursday evening.
Second, I am trying to finish a couple of old projects. One of these is a counted cross stitch picture of an autumn harvest scene done in an American Primitive style from The Prairie Schooler. I’ve been “working” on it for three years. My goal is to get it finished by mid-October for autumn hanging. I’m not much into this style of art, except for things like Thanksgiving/Christmas holiday decorations. I’ve done the central three of five buildings, and there will be a horse and wagon and a whole lot of pumpkins and more trees in the foreground. We’ll see if I can hang in there and get it done. Yes, the “evergreens” do turn autumn colors in the design.
Third, I’ve started Christmas knitting in a pre-emptive strike against relatives “placing orders” as they put it last year, which made me unseasonably crabby. My goal is to have all orders done with the yarn I want to use before anyone thinks of telling me what to knit them for a gift. My friend LC thinks my plan is the way to go. So here is the start of a 4×4 rib sock in Fleece Artist Merino in Lily Pond. The recipient does wear a lot of light colored clothing and open backed shoes, so I think this is a good choice that she would not think to ask for but would like receiving.
Fourth, I finished the first Stanfield 27 sock using a star toe of three points which takes 3-inches to complete, so I could end the basketweave pattern where it would be symmetrical with the beginning. I’ve even got half the leg of the second sock done. I had my camera set wrong, so the colors are wonky (this is a “corrected” copy); but I show it anyway to prove my progress.
Fifth, our local U-pick farm has started to get ripe berries, and M and I went on Saturday morning to pick some early Marion berries. Very tasty.
Finally, a reading update. It’s all orange-covered books here at Molecular Knitting. I’ve finished the latest Dick Francis thriller, Dead Heat, which he co-wrote with his son Felix. Not bad, but not vintage-quality Francis either. Too much exposition.
I’m really enjoying The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman. If you’ve ever thought you’ve taken the worst exam on the planet, and it wasn’t the Certified Master Chef exam at the Culinary Institute of America, you should check out the first section of this book. Less than one third of the chefs who take the exam pass it, and it is 10 days long, and each day is 12-16 hours long, and each section of the exam gets critiqued and graded in front of the chef, and the chefs pay over five grand to take the exam. Now don’t those qualifying/board exams seem easy peasy?
For serious reading, I’m pleased to report that I am making good progress on my goal to re-read all my Calvin and Hobbes books this year. Weirdos from Another Planet is my current endeavor. I think it’s important to re-read the classics from time to time to gain new insights on the human condition.
That’s all the random for now. I’d better go cross-stitch a red evergreen tree. Hope all is well with you!
I agree about the preemptive holiday knitting entirely – I’ve got three pair of fingerless gloves and three pair of socks happily biding their time in a bag upstairs.
And I can’t wait for the berries to come. Those look great. It’s been so chilly in Portland this spring that strawberries just started to turn red!
Good plan with the holiday knitting! Hmph about Maxine’s former owners. How convenient the timing… Glad she’s now at a foster home!
Wow. It was beginning to look a lot like autumn on your blog and then you stealthily posted that Fleece Artist springy colorway!
(I’m drooling…)
(((hugs)))
Brenda- I used to do alot of holiday knitting for other people, then I realized I wasn’t getting the things done that were important to me, so I don’t knit for ANYONE any more.
I have a number of x-stitches, most are an autumn theme, I love yours.
Wow, I hope that Maxine ends up in a home that’s better for her than her first owners.
Maybe you’re depicting dead pine trees in your cross stitch? They sometimes turn red then….
Bravo for getting a jump on Christmas knitting. I’ve been considering that recently myself 🙂
Oh yeah, I get the cross-stitch bug every couple of years too! Usually when it’s too hot to hold wool in my lap. 😉
And I for one think that your multi-colored “evergreens” are completely charming. Call it artistic license. 😉
I love your Bit of Random!
Here’s hoping Maxine gets a better deal (like a loving home) out of her foster situation. Dig out from an enclosed patio. As The Church Lady used to say, “How convenient!”
Good on you for getting a jump on the holiday knitting “orders.” I have lily pond and will be keeping an eye on how yours knits up.
I’m so glad to read that everything has worked out better for Maxine. There have been a couple of news articles on how the mortgage crisis is really hurting the domestic animal population…. Of course, I don’t know if this was Maxine’s former owner’s issue or if she was just a bad pet parent.
I don’t comment often on your blog but I just want to say that I think you do beautiful work.
I’m really glad that the bunny found a good home.
Good news about Maxine. Despite the fall-colored pines, the cross-stitch is lovely. I used to do lots of cross-stitch and am planning to have one framed very soon for RJ’s room.
I really like the light-colored sock yarn. It seems more unusual compared to other sock yarns. Beautiful Stanfield 27 socks, too.
I am jealous that you are reading. I hope to get some fun reading in this summer too. I just got “Cheaper by the Dozen” from the library (the Gilbreth’s lived in Rhode Island for a time and my good friend studied Lillian as an important female historical figure).
Oh, that’s good, starting your Christmas knitting already.
OK, now I have to go and google “star toe of three points”. Heh, I can’t even properly graft a toe… Oh, and Marion berries. They look yummy…
Wow, the socks look great, but OMG blackberries!
I must make my favorite blackberry cake today. It is settled. 🙂
Those berries look absolutely delicious! I really had to watch that I didn’t start drooling on the keyboard. 🙂
I think you have a great plan for your holiday knitting! I have in-laws that do the same thing.