Carolynn Sets a Good Example (and has fun doing it!)

Look carefully:
Carolynn returns from riding her bike to school with her granddaughter

Cathy's Blanket

Blanket detail

Carol's Blanket (and Beautiful Necklace)

Kathy Reports in on the Bridge Collapse in Washington

10:50 AM

5/24/13

Was there anything in your news about the bridge collapsing on I-5 between Mount Vernon and Burlington? No one was killed, only 3 people injured. 

Mike had driven over it less than an hour before it happened and was stranded at his model RR club between here and Bellingham. However, being a local he knew alternative routes and made it home in 40 minutes (usually 25-30 via I-5). 

Apparently an oversized load hit some overhead beam. The truck went on across and the span collapsed behind it! This will make a mess of traffic for months. 

On the news they said 70,000 to 80,000 cars cross the bridge daily. How can that be possible in a little corner of the world like this? It IS the main route between Seattle and Vancouver BC but that sounds like a huge number. 

We are already seeing many more trucks on Hwy 9 that runs past the bottom of our driveway.

Kathy

Mary-Claire Gets Ready for the New Grandbaby

Becky Suffers in Hawaii

Knitting by the pool

Kathy Wins Big in Washington

From Kathy D., May 18, 2013:

I would love to have dragged our whole knit group along these past few days. I visited 9 yarn shops and barely scratched the surface. I had broken my self-imposed budget by the second shop... This was the annual Local Yarn Shop tour ("Destination Yarn") of 24 shops from the Canadian border to south Seattle. 

Next year my friend, Nylah, who came to the knit group with me, and I have planned to hit the Seattle shops. Her daughter is now living there so she has an excuse to come up from Oregon. Each shop has a free pattern for a one skein project and gives a 10% discount on the yarn they are featuring for that pattern. Most of the places I went had both a crochet and knit version, or two different patterns. Shawl patterns were a big thing this year in the places I went and a couple had mittens or fingerless gloves. If one visited 8, 16 or all 24 shops, you could get in on a drawing at the end of the four day event. Wouldn't that be fun to win? (I don't even know what the prize is but it is YARN.) 

Once again I was struck by how different the ambiance is in each shop, how friendly knitters are, and how many different yarns are out there. That should be some comfort to those who buy yarn in case one day there is a shortage! Whew! all this and I get to hear the Skagit Valley Symphony tonight. 

On another subject, I found, among the tall grass, 3 more little hollyhocks looking for sun, so I transplanted them out of the vegetable garden before Mike rototilled and they look quite happy. Not blooming but leafy. I have gorgeous iris this year and some years there are very few. Who knows why?

*****

May 19, 2013:

P.S.: I had a call this morning from a shop in Bellingham called Apple Yarns to say I won yesterday's raffle! Me, who never wins anything! She told me it is a knitting bag with a set of sock needles (several sizes), some special Crafters Cream, and something else I've forgotten. 

I am taking pictures of some of my flowers. I haven't taken the iris yet because the weather has been so overcast and/or rainy since they started blooming.

Valerie and Rita Work on Blankets

Apology from the photographer:
I'm so sorry about the blurred photo. I was excited by the beautiful colors! 

Donna Trims Blankets

Karen's Blanket

Baby Checkerboard Blanket

Finished size: Approximately 28” x 34” slightly stretched

Materials: Worsted Weight Yarn:  Sample is Red Heart Super Saver Multi;  Ocean (5 oz./244 yds.); 
                         3 skeins

                 Circular knitting needle; size 10

                   Markers

Directions:  Cast on 116 stitches (Pattern is multiples of 12 stitches plus 8)

Rows 1-6: Knit each row for border.

Row 7: (right side): K4 border; place marker; *K12; place marker; P12; place marker*; repeat from *to* until 16 stitches remain.  Knit 12; place marker; K4 border.

Row 8: K4; *P12; K12*; repeat *to* until border marker; K4.

Rows 9-22: Repeat rows 7 and 8.

Row 23: K4; *P12; K12*; repeat *to* until border marker; K4

Row 24: K4; *K12; P12*; repeat *to* until border marker; K4

Rows 25-38: Repeat rows 23 and 24.

Repeat rows 7-38 five times ending by working Row 38 (Blanket will be 9 squares by 12 squares.)

Rows 39-44: knit each row for border.

Bind of all stitches in knit.  

Finishing: Weave in ends.

NOTE: To make blanket larger, increase cast on by multiples of 12 (for squares) + 8 (4 border stitches) on each side.  Make as wide and as long as you desire being sure that you have an uneven number of squares on the width.  Works with solid or variegated yarn; but my personal preference is variegated because of the way the colors pool. 

If you have problems or questions contact me at katz4k@aol.com and I’ll try to help.  

This pattern is based on “Patchwork Pleaser” design by John Fedderson; Jr.,

printed in Our Best Knit Baby Afghans; Leisure Arts; Inc.; 2000.

Maggie's Sweater

Cozy red sweater, perfect for the Pacific Northwest
and for that one nippy morning here

We're so glad that Maggie is back from her trip to Washington State and that her sister is feeling better. As you can see, she never stopped knitting while she was gone!

Becky Sends Greetings From Hawaii

News from Mary-Claire

May 6, 2013:

Hi to Everyone:

Don, I and all the kitties arrived home yesterday afternoon, one day later than planned.  We left Thursday morning earlier than usual but the day didn't go as well as we had hoped.  The weather was a problem.  We had heavy head winds for two days.  Bad on the gas mileage.  

We stopped at a gas station to fill up in northern NM but the station was out of gas.  We sat and waited for the tanker to come.  We were lucky it only took about an hour.  Who would think a station would be out of gas?  There were three of us waiting there to fill up. Only in NM.

The second day (Friday) we had to stop west of Springfield, Missouri.  It was SNOWING  so hard it was difficult to see. Saturday was much better, only a little snow then rain.  Sunday was beautiful.  We got home about 1:00pm our time.  Everything is blooming here. The flowering trees are gorgeous and the spring flowers are in their prime.

Today is laundry, running around to pick up the mail and a little shopping  We leave Wednesday morning to go to D.C.  We then go to Philadelphia on Saturday to visit Lindy and Vince. Then back here to Michigan on Monday.  Then I am done.  It is to the garden. Surprisingly, things are in pretty good shape. I will send some pictures when I get a minute.

Hope your life is a little less hectic.
Talk to you soon.

Love
M-C

Diane's Two-Minute Hawaiian Pie

Diane's beautiful pie
You can see that the Knitting Fairy has been rearranging the cherries!

This recipes can be found on Just in a Pinch.com.

1 can crushed pineapples, undrained (20oz)

1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (6 serving )

8 oz sour cream

1 9 inch graham cracker crust

1 can pineapple slices (8oz)

8 maraschino cherries

1/2 c sweetened flaked, coconut

1 small container of Cool Whip for piping

Directions

In a large bowl, combine crushed pineapple with its syrup, dry pudding mix, and sour cream; mix until well combined. 

Spoon pudding mixture into pie crust and decorate top with pineapple slices and cherries; sprinkle with coconut. 

Pipe with Cool Whip if so desired. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

In Memory of Our Friend, Esther

From Esther's obituary: Esther was born November 27, 1914, in Banner, Oklahoma to Adolph and Emma (Freese) Lechtenberger and was the youngest of eight children.

Esther graduated from Classen High School in the Class of 1933 and continued her education at Blackwood Davis Business College and New Mexico State University.

During her lifetime, Esther had been employed by the Daily Oklahoman newspaper, Letzisizers Manufacturing Jewelers, Black and Decker, The Murray Corporation, Social Security Administration, U.S. Army Signal Corps and Fox Photo. She also sold Avon and Stanley Home Products for many years and found this a great way to meet new friends. 

Esther married Richard C. (Dick) Webb on May 28, 1938, in Oklahoma City, and together they moved to Baltimore and Dayton, Ohio, before arriving at Holloman Air Force Base in 1952. Dick retired from his Air Force Civil Service career as an electronics engineer in 1970. 

Esther was a talented seamstress, having graduated from The National School of Dress Design. She also was a certified Master Knitter, an avid quilter, and organized a quilting group that made numerous quilts for COPE, the local domestic violence shelter. Through the years, she won a number of awards for sewing projects. 

She was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church, where she had served as a Sunday School teacher, founder of the church's bookstore and chairman of the Christmas Bazaar for many years. Esther also was a member of Rebekah's Lodge, Otero County Extension Club and Alamogordo Woman's club, where she served as club president and was named their very first "Woman of the Year." In 2003, she was named one of the Alamogordo Boys and Girls Club "Mothers of the Year." 

The complete obituary may be seen here.

Mary-Claire's Michigan Garden

We're always sorry to see Mary-Claire leave us to go back to her Michigan home. These pictures show just some of the reasons why she loves it so. 

The gazebo in summer

The Oriental Garden