Smart Knitting

Who could resist a perfectly good 60 year old booklet titled "Smart Knitting? Especially, when in your head, you say it something like this, "Smhart Knitting" and then inhale a fake cigarette and trip over a tree trunk. All the while, searching the yard sale for some other reason to not purchase this item and then have to blog about it. Oh dear me, here I go again. Meanwhile a perfectly flaming man wearing a fur collar and sandals who's running the show (yard sale) and who noticed you inhaling the fake cigarette, slides over to you and whispers in your ear, "darling, it's only a dollar" entices you further. Like I said, "Who could resist?

Okay, I am feeling a little fresh today and  wonder if this is why Mr. fur collar and sandals had this in the first place. Maybe I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was his Great Aunt Hilda's knitting magazine.

Do you think Mr. Megaphone is teaching these two how to be Jr. Gay birds?
Okay enough fun already.
Looks like some real brotherly love.

Giddy-Up there Herman
 
Poor Walter, he always was a little wide in the waddle. Sorry mom, the snowman sweater does nothing to distract from the large hips. Nice try though. We'll give you an A for effort!!!


Walters little brother Winthrop.
 
And their Wild and Crazy sister Willamina
 

Frankly I would not knit any of these. How about you? There might be one or two that I could knit. I'll show you those at another time. For now I am off to work. See you soon.

Zelma's PJ Patterns

This past Saturday I went to an estate sale. They were selling the contents of an entire home and I knew as I stepped into it that I was going to like it.  After talking with the family I found out it was the contents of the home of a woman named Zelma who lived to be 95 years young. God bless her. She was born in 1905 and was a real hands on gal. When I walked into the home my eyes first laid eyes on yarn and fabric and cookbooks. I did not take any of that home, instead decided to go for jammies. Lots and lots of jammies. I want to make each and every one of these one day for my grandchildren. They were 10 cents each. How could I not take them home. More on Zelma another day.

Okay this is a Romper

Is this the sweetest illustration?

I think I already had this one...polka dot yoyo boy and puppet boy

Weird Nose Illustration

Paging Dr. Jones

Precious. MollDoll?

Love this one!!!!!!!!!

. What more do you want from a gal?

Which one is your favorite? Do you think you can have too many? Maybe I should start sewing them now? 

Lassie Stays Home

I feel as though I am sitting down on my sofa with a cup of warm tea and sharing news with friends I have not seen in such a long time. Come join me. First off, hubby just came home from a 3 week adventure driving, yes driving from California to Alaska with his youngest brother. I have been here alone, and having watched too many Alfred Hitchcock movies did not want to broadcast it over the WWW so have not mentioned it. My protector is home again.

While in California he was able to stop in and see his bird-son Veedor. He worked with Vee for 10 years as one of his handlers. Veedor is an Andean Condor and until 8 years ago when we had to give him to another handler he was the only free-flying captive condor in the world. You can read more about him here. Hubby drove him twice out to California and did programs with him all over the east coast. They were quite a pair. I would have given anything to see this reunion. It brings tears just seeing this photo. It had been almost 8 years since they had seen each other, but Veedor clearly remembered who Scott was. Vee is now around 25 years old and hubby was thrilled to see how he is thriving, although he no longer flies as hubby and John had him do. To stand beneath him and hear him take off was truly a breathtaking experience.

An up close and personal look at the big fellow.  His head turns shades of pink, red and yellow depending on his mood. Some may find him unattractive, but to this gals sensibilities he is one handsome guy. One day, if you twist my arm I may tell you about the day he bit me and I ended up in the ER with a doctor who thought hubby was an abuser. The joke was on him when we brought him out to the car to meet the one and only and I mean one and only Veedor!!!

Onto sewing. I finished this dress: scroll down the page. It came out so darn adorable, I even got my first wow out of hubby!!!. I am going to a wedding this weekend and hope to wear it so will take photos there. It actually looks much better on a human than on the dress form. 

 

 

I am off to go study the tissues of the body and put together some outfits for a wedding in the Adirondacks, I have a feeling this polka dot number may make only a very brief appearance. Toodles.

Jammin with Miss MollDoll

 These bushes covered in tobacco netting are blueberry bushes. Our blueberry bushes. We have seven of them. We moved into our house 2 years ago and right about now and there were no blueberries (sad face).

Last year we had blueberries, but each morning the birds were up earlier than we were and they ate all of them. No kidding we had about a hand full. THIS year, we got smart and covered them. Holy blueberries Batman. Did we have blueberries. I mean thousands, upon thousands from our seven bushes.

This is what four quarts looks like. The photo is deceiving. This is a large Pyrex bowl filled to overflowing. With this we made two batches of jam and a huge 1.75 liter bottle of blueberry vodka.

 

Molldoll mashing the blueberries.

 

Can we get every last bit of this?

 We made both Blueberry-Lemon-Ginger Jam and Blueberry Lavender Jam. 

It is a bit sweet. Next time I will try the no-sugar recipe.

 Here is the blueberry Vodka. It is not looking quite so pretty anymore. Two weeks later and the vodka has sucked the color out of the blueberries. The green is lavender. I sure do hope it tastes good.

I have been so busy..not blogging much, but I do hope to time manage my life and blog more. Today was my first day of school and I think I am going to love it. My professor is a MD. If you know me, you will know that I love that. Learning A&P from a doctor...does not get much better than that. I am so excited and can't stand it. I love to learn, whether it is sewing, fishing, whatever....learning to me is fun.

I also finished a new dress yesterday. I can't wait to show it to you....AND to tell you about my adventure to NYC to finally meet Peter. I was so star struck! I have lots to tell you about. So stay tuned.

Back To School Daze

Who Me? Yup! I am going back to school. What can I say. Sassy is a bit of a late bloomer. It has taken her a few years to figure things out. But she believes she finally has. She thinks her daddy is directing her from the other side and yes she likes writing in the third person.

The plan is this. I begin class next Tuesday bright and early.... Anatomy & Physiology 1 and then in the Spring onto A & P 2 and maybe another science class. Then starts the real fun. A masters degree in Occupational Therapy.

I am over the top with excitement. I hope to find some time to still me able to sew and knit and cook and do the things I love. I have spent the last week getting organized AND making lavender blueberry jam, ginger/lemon blueberry jam and lavender blueberry vodka with Miss MollDoll. We had so much fun. I am going to do my best to sew this week and get some pictures up here.

The Whole Family...Aren't we Just Adorable?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Dressing For My Age

The problem with all the patterns in my stash is that they have a waist! I used to have one too!!!! But not anymore. The whole belly fat, no waist effect of age has hit me. If I lose weight, will I gain it right back? Am I going to have to start watching everything I eat so I can fit into my vintage clothes? Or do I just change decades and go for the loose fitting clothes of the 60's and 70's? But then I run the risk of even gaining more weight.

I am not 25 anymore. Have you ever seen a model on a pattern envelope whose hairdresser really does know for sure that she is all grey? That she is what the media would call 'past her prime'? Whose skin on her knees is starting to do things she never knew skin could do? I can't wear the above patterns and get away with it! I can't wear most patterns and get away with it! In my mind I am still 25...maybe 30. Much wiser, so much happier, but want to feel less aged. I am not one who would ever go for injections or false aging products. I don't spend any money on skin care. I think water is the best thing for skin. What do I do about the clothes?