Look Who Came to Town!

William Wegman and three of his Weimaraners, Penny, Candy and Bobbin (he's the daddy).... were in Rockport today for a day-long event, all Wegman all the time. I went to the morning show with 2 friends, one of whom is seven, to see two films, Alphabet Soup and Fay's Twelve Days of Christmas, while the dogs roamed the opera house sniffing out stray fallen popcorn.

Low key Bill, talked a bit about his work and when asked , explained that working with dogs as movie stars, has taught him to avoid really getting mad or exasperated, because the dogs will think he's mad at them, which affects their performance. The other key element is to design the production around the personalities of the dogs themselves, feature them in a role they would like and feel comfortable doing.... both lessons we might all do well to include in our daily lives, go with the flow and be comfortable.

From a knitters point of view, Fay's Twelve Days of Christmas, is a must see. It feature sweaters prominently, at least one of them hand knitted and many of them irresistibly awful examples of the horrifying Christmas genre. Pictured below are Crooky and Batty. Check out Crooky's mittens, and is Batty's sweater handknit with Maine Wool?
























You can see a video from today's NY Times, with Mr. Wegman himself describing his work, being shown in a retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum.

Today in Rockport, Bobbin, Penny and Candy and Bill of course.

cherry blossom tea

My friend went to Japan and this was a gift. The blossoms are preserved with salt...and make a delicate brew all on their own.

Happy Birthday Kri!

It's her Birthday! Give her a visit at her Blog and her Studio!
She gave me the nickname Midge: how you pronounce MJ,
we've had many crafty and wild times.
Long live Myrtle Bean
and her stylish
size 6
shoe.
Happy Birthday Dear One!

the game and the game again

The method:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Another game, played like the last, the same only different:

1. name of birth place
2.country where you live
3. favorite kind of house to live in
4. one word to describe your style of decorating
5. favorite town for a city-trip
6. favorite country for a holiday
7. favorite piece of furniture
8. favorite kind of garden
9. favorite flower
10. a historic place you visited and liked very much
11. where would you move to if you had to?
12. favorite room in your house

If you click on the mosaics, you can see who all the photographers are and read the notes which reveal the answers.

Winners!

I pulled three from the hat! (Drumroll)

christina of phila*craft
alison of in a nutshell
gudrun of shetland trader


I was never good at exclusivity, so Jen at Crafty Ninja and Kyle from the seven year sock will get consolation prizes!

Kindly email me your contact info and let the 365 day countdown begin!
Don't forget to follow the directions in the previous post, for Pay It Forward.

Hey! Pay it Forward!

It has taken me since October to even post about an enticing blog-world goody-out-of-the-goodness-of-your-heart, gifting game; Pay it Forward (or pass-it-on in American). Knitter, spinner, chef, photographer and person owned by the never-a-dull-moment cat Magnus....Jeni of Magnusmog kindly allowed me to Pay-it-Forward waaaaaay back in the fall. Only now am I playing along. But it will be fun, for sure!

Here is the blurb for the PIF.

"I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Only I'm changing it a bit to allow for time zone differences, I'll give it 3 days and pull the names out of a hat. K?



Be warned! I may take the entire 365 days, it has taken me nearly that long to play.


I was so tardy posting, I've already received my gifts. It is like Christmas in June! Jeni spun the most delicious Wensleydale, in bright rich blue, brown and green. I can't wait to start knitting with them. Soft! Also included was a sweet felted pin, and a tiny little book with chrysanthemum pattern all over. I am over the moon! Such generosity. I aim to please, and I hope to do as well for 3 of you as Jeni did for me.

The Future Cardigan and a Rescue

Leftovers often make the nicest things, be it a tasty meal or a comforting cardigan. I'm not exactly sure if I'll end up liking this combination of odds and ends, but I am having fun in the making of it. Dale of Norway Heilo, is a sturdy old fashioned yarn that says, not surprisingly, "Norway" to me! I'm going with the old familiar feeling of a hand-me-down sweater, but with a little shaping. I love the almost too bright, retro red, love the sensible blue and wish the yellow were a bit less gold, but hey, thats what you get with leftovers.

Now what do you think, should I throw in the green, like I always do, or surprise myself and leave it out?

Below please find a follow up to the adventures of last weekend.

Snapshots and an Award

It is taking me a bit to return to my stride, since my Western Adventure. Maybe, it is because although my trip was action-packed, I got what a vacation is for, a relaxed daily rhythm. I find it a struggle to resume my usual pace, it seems too frantic, and with all that doing, I feel as though I'm missing so much. I so enjoy doing nothing! And doing non-work (my own work that is) things:
I went to Ducktrap at low tide with my friends, and sloshed around. I went to a funeral and got lost on dirt roads with names like Rabbit Run, with my brothers-in-law and sister-in-law . I saw Blade Runner * on the big screen. I participated in the Stiletto Run, to benefit New Hope for Women, and then just hung out in town with my friend and her kids, where we went to friend Phil's Restaurant, Boyton McKay, for brunch, and read the New York Times. I knit, just to please myself. I didn't take any pictures of it. I neglected this blog.

I offer some last shots of Idaho, and I'm pleased to accept an award bestowed upon me by a blogger much more worthy of the honor than me, the eloquent Jackie, of
nearby the sea



once nominated:

1. You have to nominate 5 blogs, which haven't had this award before

2. Each of the blogs must have a purpose

3.The nominated blogs should make a link back to this page

4. The logo from the award should be put on their blog and should link
back to this blog

I nominate:

The gal who got me started, and always keeps me entertained, the always and forever Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, Miss Petula Darling.

Lisa of Jungle Dream Pagoda, mistress of the stage and screen, frequent flights of fancy, Doppelganger Barbie Slumber Parties, and a wardrobe you won't believe!

Fellow knitting sister, Kat Coyle at Coiled. An amazing painter as well as designer of some of my favorite knitted things. When I was the stylist for Interweave Knits I couldn't wait to see what Kat would send in, always brilliant!

Flickr Mosaic Monday expert, yummy photographer, witty wry observer of life, Shula of Poppalina, kindred spirit in cyberspace.

Nina of Ninainvorm, a simply stupendous Dutch student who creates and creates and creates, like a busy bee, everything imaginable with uplifting energy, give yourself a boost and visit!

I suppose I do have a purpose for this blog, keeping you all busy following links!