Look what I got in the mail!!!!

I am soooo exited, I got a parcel in the mail today...

It all started with a simple inquiry in Ravelry, my much used and abused I-cord machine packed it in.

Quick second of silence for the dearly departed...

However I knew where to get a new one from the states, but I wanted one from Canada, I had my personal reasons.

Posted in forums on Ravelry, got great feedback and responses, (Don't you just love Ravelry) even offers of trade which I really appreciated, but the one that got to me the fastest was Robyn, of Robyn's nest. What a great person to have met, and after a few emails look at what the snail mail brought to my lap!!!

Yessss

You have guessed it

A beautiful, wonderful, helpful, brilliant tool to replace the now retired purple one!!!
This really turns my crank!!!

Look at what the storm blew in...

We had a crazy storm last Friday, and I was trying to stay calm. Since the 2006 storm every time the wind picks up my body starts to shake. I have gone from heavy drugs to knitting. I discovered that in those cases the best anti anxiety I know is small concentrated fiddling work and ear plugs... If I don't hear it am okay!!!

I had just finished the main part of a hat, was glancing sideways at my button stash, so here is:

"A Case of Too many Buttons"

The patience and concentration of sewing soo many buttons did the trick, I stayed calm through howling winds...

and got another crazy hat to boot.

Besides being in love with the colors and the noise the hat makes when I shake my head I love the reactions of people when I ware it. Goes from bursting out laughing to "all that sewing, are you insane!!!"

What a wonderful way to lighten up our lives...

Night time knitting

I just finished this and could not wait for day time!!!

Lately I get up around 4 am, get a lot of knitting done, that's way better than to toss and turn.

"Red Cabbage and Dandelions Hat"

A while back, a dear friend gave me 2 pompom makers for my birthday, does she know me or what? I can see a lot of those creeping up in my work in the future...

Anyway, this was made from a shawl I started 3 days ago, wasn't too sure about the overall feeling of it, casted it off as a scarf, still not too sure, then plonked it on my hat stand and took it from there.
Gathered the scarf in a "Cabbage shape, picked up stitches around the crown, knitted a hat top down.

The "dandelions" and "fiddle heads" tied the whole thing together, the scarf fringe fell naturally in place.

I wonder if my fascination for volume on top of my head, my hair is so thin now, has anything to do with the increasing largeness of my hats...

Dandelions are Hats

I have been sick this winter and spent a lot of time healing and knitting. Part of the "cure" was to eat a lot of bitters to help filter my system. So I started to eat the lawn... I grazed...Dandelions, I love them, they are so fresh and crisp and meaty and healthy for me. It rubbed off in knitting ways too, so I designed a

Dandelion Hat

Now because I had grazed soooo much in February and March, and you have to eat them before they flower, when I decided to take the picture, all I could find in bloom was this lonely one by the shed...Lucky you, you could have been in my tummy!!!

Anyway, it was fun to make the pompoms/dandelions in a fluo yellow/green silk/mohair, and I can see myself wearing that one for awhile...

New Year, New Knitting

Well it's a new year and new inspirations hit me. I became a Great-aunt, my other niece turned me on to this wonderful baby hat, which I made for my brand sparkling new great nephew, Aviatrix Baby hat by Justine Turner, and it got me flying with ideas...

As usual, constructing in all directions gets me going and after a few tries here is the latest.

In honor of the original design that sent me roaring, I present:

Amelia's leaves

Fun to knit

I love the colors, Noro Yes!!!

The multi directions are so defined....

So be prepared, I am flying with this one!!!

Holidays, tourism...

We have not stopped going from one end of the country side to the other. Last weekend little "virée" in the Loire county for a family visit and on the way back touristic stops in "Brioude" for a marvelous visit to the basilica.

Sarcophagous outside

Gorgeous entrance around the corner

The light inside the red stones was even stronger with the noonday sun through the stained glass windows.

Of course the prerequisite virgin with child, except that it is a "Black virgin" made of lava rock, quite rare, we are after all in volcano country.

The floor made with stones from the "Allier" river made me slightly homesick.

Moved on to the "Musée de la dentelle" famous in this region

And even got invited in the Lace school were the best 4 lace makers of France work and teach.

We heard then about a little village on the way home, "Blesdel" and decided to check it out...Around the corner from a very well preserved and renovated monastery we found this church.

Too many pictures to show, just a small sample of Roman art...

Kept driving home, escorted by etherial wind mills...

It is good to be here especially since the weather has been nothing but sunny and hot.

holidays, Aubrac...

Aubrac is where my family is from. It is a vast plateau somewhere in the south west center of France. It is ravaged by the weather, gorgeous, harduous, 1000 meters high, it is on the way to Santiago's pilgrimage, a rude shortcut through the mountains. In the summer you can hardly breathe through the heat, in the winter it is closed often due to the snow. Here you can see forever.

Pictures with my little camera can hardly describe it...

The pilgrims on their way in the summer can find shelter in this barn.

And the 12th century "Domerie" is still a refuge for the weary.

Our village is 20km from here, this is the top of the plateau, no trains, no buses, the only access is by road and walkways, somehow my Canadian home seem less remote when I stand here...