Socks,Socks and more socks

I just love socks! Although in the summer I don't wear them, our cold winters warrant my need for lots of hand knit rainbow coloured socks. I have set aside my punch needle and rug hooking and have brought out the bamboo needles. I get into these passionate forays for different crafts that may last a week or a month or several months. Right now it is knitting socks.

I love the Fleece Artist hand painted wools out of Nova Scotia. I think if I had lots of disposable income a large portion would be devoted to shelves of wool yarn just so that I could feast my eyes on them. As it is I have to do with a couple of skeins and pictures :) This site Grand River Yarns has a great selection of their wools.

Oops my show is starting and I don't have a VCR anymore so this will be it for tonight and will talk some more about socks in the next couple of days.

goodnite...Joni

A Moment in History

I am glued to the TV watching the inauguration. I have been waiting for years for this and never thought to see it. I hope that the new President and his government can make some headway through this mire of muck that we see ourselves in. I say we, because as a Canadian it has affected us here too. His speech, I felt was powerful in its realism of the situation. I hope that the resolve of this 44th president will inspire the confidence and hope in all peoples. Such a momentous day that even now I have to pinch myself to say " Yes it has and by the will of the people who said Yes we can".. change is in the air and it is powerful!

The amount of people watching the event was unbelievable. I started watching it at 6:00am and the crowds just grew and overflowed. Now watching the parade and I think this is a first for me too. The day I hear he is coming to Ottawa will definitely be a road trip. Another first. Maybe the upcoming year will be a list of many firsts...That will make for an exciting and challenging time.

Goodnite..Joni

A New Year - New Projects

These are some of the projects I have been preparing. I love making pincushions. They are small, made quickly and very precious in their smallness. With punch needle you can get a lot of detail in just a few punches of the needle. These boxed pincushions shown here are two of a set of six. I have a 20 year background of quilting so often quilting designs inspire me. This project is based on old quilt patterns that had meaning in every day life. They were a lot of fun to make and I am sure will eventually end up as a pattern booklet sometime this year - hmmm patterns of punch needle pincushions - that's an idea. I love smalls!

These are available on Pfatt Marketplace - a wonderful place where you can find all kinds of talented artists. Some more of these pincushions will be popping up on Etsy and some on TDIPT this month.

The bottom pincushion is available as a complete kit for those punch needle enthusiasts out there. Contact me if you are interested. I plan on making a couple for the mothers in my life - come Mother's Day.

The Christmas holidays are over and now it seems we talk about summer holidays. I hope to make it to my favourite spot - PEI - in September with Peter and the hairy beastie - the pooch. Before that Mom and I make our annual pilgrimage to Maine in May. We have been doing it for years and all we do is eat, relax, soak in some sun if we are lucky and just gaze at the ocean. We rent a lovely place right on the beach. Can't say enough about the ocean. For me it just is not a holiday without it.

Roby got his first professional grooming last Saturday. OK he is 5 years old but I could not stand leaving him with anyone even for a couple of hours. So I found a groomer that comes to the house and Roby got pampered. I was so nervous as to how he would be - he does not like me brushing him and it is always a tug of war - have you seen that dog - he earns the name hairy beastie. He was good as gold and I sighed a big sigh of relief. Got a big kiss from his Mommy and even better a cookie treat!

Update on Noogs... our little orange boy came home last night after being at the vet's for a week. He is eating again and they have stabilized him. We hope for the best and have done all we can to help him to good health. Now it is up to him and we'll just play it day by day. What a sweet baby. They said he was well behaved - had a wonderful temperament and even when sick, purred. He was so glad to be home last night and reacquainted himself with all his favourite spots in the house...

Everyone is safe and sound in our humble abode. Snow is lightly falling and it is going to be very cold tomorrow but we are all snug and warm. Goodnite.. Joni

Noogs

We are having some up and down days lately. Our little orange buddy took off for 6 days over Christmas and came back just before New Years - terribly sick. He has been at the vets since Saturday undergoing tests and we went to see him tonight. He is seriously ill and they have not pinpointed exactly what is wrong but I have seen the X-rays and I keep hoping and thinking I am prepared but you never are. So we will know over the next couple of days after some more tests what kind of decision we need to make. I wish our furry beasts lived longer. How many do we part with during our lifetime? I guess the most we can do is love them as much and as best as we can while we have them. Such unconditional love we get from them.

Good nite ..Joni

Happy New Year

I have been very busy with the holiday season and have not not been very diligent about posting to my blog.

Had a lovely Christmas! Santa was very good to me and went shopping at Deanne Fitzpatrick's website bringing me all kinds of rug hooking goodies. Got this new hook that I am very anxious to try out. It will get a lot of use finishing up the cat rug I have promised myself to finish by the end of January. Mine is the wood grain one on the far left - cool!!

photo copyright Deanne Fitzpatrick

This is a print I got from her which is one of my favourite rugs of hers. It is called "Standing by the Monument" and is based on a photograph taken by Ted Pritchard of women in their later years that were babies during the Halifax Explosion. The border reads - "Unlike the poet, my life has most often taken the road that is well travelled and I have made it whole with gifts of bread to neighbours."

copyright Deanne Fitzpatrick

I don't make NY resolutions. I know what I have to do and I try my best to do it and if it does not happen I don't stress out. Life happens. Sure there are goals I would like to achieve and hopefully by the end of 2009 it will happen - if not - oh well!

Did lots of baking and had lots of big family dinner parties = 19 for a sit down dinner (my sister loves to host them..thank you for that). I even made some confectionery which I never do. Get some pictures of those posted on the weekend. We had lots of family fun which I think is important. Soon it will be time to take down the tree and put the decorations away and settle down for the winter and some punch needle and rug hooking.

Have taken up knitting again. I love the new hand painted yarns out there. My preference is for small quick projects so i stick to socks, mittens, scarves and shawls. May try my hand at felting purses. Found a great website with some very creative knitting - Cat Bordhi and of course that led to all kinds of surfing. These have to be the cutest place markers I have seen. I usually keep track of stitches on paper but then thought place markers and where could I find some really creative ones - on Etsy of course. These are wonderful from Crimson Orchid.

copyright photo Crimson Orchid

So as I said it has been a busy month and I am already into knitting socks for next year's gift. 2008 I was so behind that that stressed me out. 2009 goal is to make sure I get more hand made gifts done.

All the best for 2009 - good health, much happiness and may you be successful in all your endeavours!

Good night - Joni