Limberlost Luna

That turned out to the name of this gorgeous shawl that was the MMario MMystery knit. You may recall I posted earlier that I was working on this, and shared a few pictures. Now you may see it in all its glory:



I will say this was a bit trickier than many MMario designs. I could almost hear the single brain cell he claims to possess firing off repeatedly.


The yarn was Blue Moon's Laci yarn in the colorway "Bleck." I have no idea where the name generates, but it does not, in my so-not-at-all-humble opinion, suit the lovely grayed lavender that it is.


Many have said they wished it were a bit bigger, and I admit, I had to block it very hard to get it as large as I did. The edge points were my own doing...if anyone did it, and they may have, I just haven't seen it. It simply felt right as I was blocking.

A really lovely, challenging knit. Many thanks to the DH for his wonderful photography.

If my mother ever appreciated anything I knit for her, this would be her mother's day gift. As my ex used to refer to her collection, she is "infested" with butterfly items. I don't know. Maybe I'll take it up at Easter and if she seems covetous, she may have it. We'll see, but don't hold your breath. :-)

Gone to the Birds

I'm reminded of those essays we had to write as kids: "Here Is How I Spent My Summer." This blog is How I Spent My Blizzard.

Knowing that the bad...okay, intense, since I don't consider snow bad...weather was coming, I decided to get prepared. We got bird seed, and I took home a camera with a very long - and heavy! - lens.

Then I went semi-insane. We've had a bird feeder in one of the trees in our back yard pretty much since we moved in 16 years ago, and I've gotten a few good pictures over the years, but hey, nothing like a blizzard to drive the birds to your feeder! I perched myself in an open (!) window in our dining room, and began shooting. For hours. And hours. And days. And I've never been happier. Half-frozen, fingers stiff, DH bringing me the occasional hot beverage, bless him, and me with no idea of the amount of time going by.

Obsession? Check the dictionary. I think my picture is there.

But oh, gentle readers, how I think it was worth it. I culled literally hundreds of images down, then sorted out some more, and I was still thrilled with the number of images I felt were good. Then I showed them to DH, and got his opinion, pulling out a few more. The rest he felt were good enough to offer for sale, and I put a few in my Etsy store.

But he did me one better than that, opening a gallery with all the images. We sorted them by type of bird (mostly cardinals - at one point I had over 20 in one tree!). If you visit the gallery, there is a drop-down menu on the bottom right you can use to view different birds. If you're interested in ordering...and I hope you will be!...click on the cart button under any image to view options and pricing. We can do standard luster prints, fine art linen paper and even canvas wraps. The prints are mounted on strong art board, and the canvas wraps are ready to go on the wall. Of course, we can frame and mat them for you, either separately, or with multiple images in one mat. I have one up in the studio that I love that is a male and female seated together in the center, flanked by the facing male and female you see above. Just ask, and we'll work with you. And soon, we plan to have note cards and other items available.

Then the DH blew me away. He has a blog for his work at our studio, and he featured me. To quote a bit, and stroke my ego more:

"I’m going to go out on a limb here (pun intended), and tell you about Diana’s nature photography. (snip) The results, quite honestly, are stunning. Diana’s eye at capturing wildlife has always been spot on. But the nuance she shows in this gallery is pretty much the eye of a years-experienced professional."

Can you imagine how moved I was? Understand, I don't just adore this man, I truly respect his opinion and admire his work. His words meant the world to me.

I hope to get several more types of birds up too, so keep the site bookmarked. These make great gifts. That's a subtle hint.

Comments are most welcome, but remember, your Goddess is sensitive. ;-}

Livid

I know I haven't posted for awhile. Yes, we were socked in by multiple snow storms, and you'd think I'd have written something then, wouldn't you? But I was actually very busy with something else, about which I'll share more presently. We're also thankfully busier at the studio than usual.

I knew you all were simply panting for a PAI (People Are Idiots) rant and since a prime example came up today, I thought I'd share.

We have six local high schools, and a few private schools, in this area. Many of the seniors, whether the school has a contract photographer or not, choose to come to us. Without bragging, we have the best facility in the locale, and with bragging, the best photographer in my DH. The kids come here knowing that we go the extra mile for them. We even take care of digitally submitting their yearbook photo to the various advisers, usually via email attachment.

Today we were told by one senior that her adviser, whom I'll call Ms. Lint Licker (LL for short), informed said senior that her photo would not be in the yearbook. Naturally upset, she posted on DH's Facebook page, asking why. He immediately emailed LL.

She responded by saying she'd never received the 13 senior photos we'd sent....btw, well before the deadline. Now, doodoo happens. Other yearbook advisers have not received or lost an image. You know what they do? They ask the kids, "Where is your picture?" They call the local photographers and ask if we have any to submit. They are conscientious, knowing the importance of their senior yearbook to these students.

Not LL. When the DH called her, she informed him - yelling so loudly I could hear her from about 10 feet away - that it was "Not her job" to call photographers. Even after she admitted to him that she sometimes has email difficulties at her school account! I guess it's not her job to talk to students, either, because she didn't trouble herself to ask them about their images. The DH got her to finally admit that the pages could still be changed, but essentially, it would take too much effort for her. Thirteen seniors won't be in their yearbook, and she can't be BOTHERED?!? What could BE more important when you're taking money to be the yearbook adviser?

DH offered to take his time to help with the layout to get it done. No, LL responded, that would violate state law about privacy. Really? For images that are being published in a public forum like a yearbook?

Two minutes. That's all it would have taken for her to call or email the area's top photographer. She knew she had email issues, she knew we would have images for her, she knew she had at least 13 seniors for whom she had no pictures...and she did nothing. I cannot fathom that level of irresponsibility. We are, of course, taking this to the principal, and failing resolution from that source, we'll be contacting the parents of the students. One has been a client for years, and a friend, and saints preserve LL if we sic this lady on her!

As a last note, I'm the daughter, niece and the sister of teachers, and proud of it. The DH has taught at the local university. Teachers are some of the best of people doing a job that should pay a helluva lot more than it does given the importance of it. If my kids got in trouble with a teacher, I took the teacher's point until I knew any differently. Bottom line, I admire teachers. A lot.

I hate having found a teacher that doesn't hold to the high standard I grew up with.

And the Knit Goes On.

First, a quickie little project from Through the Loops by Kirsten Kapur. It's called Laurie's Beret and is in a lovely honeycomb pattern. There's also a pattern for matching mittens. I used Noro Kureyon from my stash, the first time I've used this yarn. It overshadows the pattern a hair in this photo, less in real life. The plum is actually a bit deeper, otherwise the colors are pretty true. It's fresh off blocking, so I expect a bit more drape as the yarn relaxes.



Now for the MMKKMMystery on Yahoo. This is a spin-off from the MMarioKKnits group, set up just to host the mystery shawl. I'm not working mine with beads. I like beads, I just wasn't in the mood.
I'm using Blue Moon Laci in Bleck, which is a much more grayed lavender than this quick snapshot shows. I didn't try to block it out or anything, just laid it on the chair. I've thought the same thing as my dear friend Olivia-Lee since clue 1...it's a luna moth. Especially since MMario gave us a suggested color list and at the top was a green with hints of yellow. NOT a good color for your Goddess; my greens are forest-y to match my eyes. (batting same) I dove in the stash and pulled up this extravagance that I allowed myself a year and a half ago at MD Sheep and Wool. It's just gorgeous.

Anyway, this is up to clue 3. I'm love the results, knit on a size 5 Knitpick Zephyr circular. I'm using the circular to hold the anticipated weight; the shawl is worked flat, with lace and cables. I'm in heaven.

At least as far as knitting goes. Business is good for this time of year, but I'm worried about my daughter and grandson. Her soon-to-be-ex, aka Dorkey, is doing nothing to help provide for his son, and lied about paying some bills, leaving her stuck with them. He's shacking up with someone else, and driving on his rescinded license. Such a peach, hmmm? Then DD's home was broken into (IMHO Dorkey did it, but that's only an opinion) and several items stolen - camera, computer, jewelry, and worst of all, my grandson's saving jar. Photographer friends of the DH have been sending him amounts from $1 to $50 to replace it, and it's all going into a child's saving account at the bank for safety. Bless them all.

And now, my daughter just lost her job. She's an incredibly resilient young woman, and I KNOW she'll come out on top. But I'm a big one for doing my duty, and right now, my duty seems to be to try to help as much as I can...and to fret. I'm way too good at it.To end on a happier note...this will be a Valentine's gift for her hubby. I just love this image. The DH did a fantastic job (as always) with the lighting, and it just cried out for spot color. These Days of Beauty we do are so much fun - hair, makeup and photography, then my touch afterward. And it doesn't hurt when friends are there to egg one another on and bring their own champagne!

Glad THAT'S Over!

By which I mean 2009. One of the lousiest, if not the worst, I've ever had. Not all of it, of course, but more than enough for me. More sick days than I've ever spent. More deaths touching me, worst of all being Witt's. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him, usually when I'm knitting, but sometimes just when I am finding something ridiculous, and wishing I could share it. And almost everyone struggling to make ends meet.

The year finished up carrying on the theme.

My eldest DD and her creep husband are divorcing, and one of the attorneys for whom she works is helping her, which is a blessing. The not-so-dear SIL’s done nothing to find work, she’s struggling to pay off bills that he was supposed to have paid and didn’t, and he’s sponging off mutual friends. He’s not giving her any money to help, but he’s paying them rent. I know she’s very hurt that her best girlfriend is basically taking food out of Cameron’s mouth. Oh, and he's driving the car of a girl he's apparently fooling around with AT the friend's house, but his license has been revoked. He's already been jailed once for that. What an ass.

Then DD’s trailer was broken into on Monday, and her laptop, camera and some jewelry stolen. Sadder still my grandson’s money jug was stolen, with all his birthday and allowance savings...over $50 just from this last birthday, and she doesn’t know how much more than that. Poor little boy was bawling his eyes out. And to tell the truth, I suspect the soon-to-be-ex. He knows her work schedule, and conveniently returned the key to the place that evening. Hmmm. Another place in the neighborhood was burgled a couple days later - he having not worked in a year and a half knows all the daytime patterns. He's also allegedly out of unemployment insurance, although I'm not sure if that's true.

Then worse. She told us that the jerk had promised to pay the electricity bill so she could buy gifts for Cameron for Christmas. The bill was due the 21st, and she just found out it wasn't paid. This time of year, it's all we can do to pay our own bills. BUT...my MIL heard about it, and sent DD a check to cover it. And DH told his photographer’s forum about Camo, and they set up a Cameron’s Jar fund to give him money...which they’re sending to us, since the dweeb has access to their PO box. My DH had mentioned $1 each, but some are sending more. We got five envelopes just today. So this year's already started out better. Thank God, and I say that most fervently.

Another happy bit...I finished the Verdigris gauntlets I was making for the younger DD. I made them out of Louet Gems yarn Witt gave me, and one skein on size 2 dpns was enough to do the shorter set with about a 2" diameter ball to spare. She's thrilled with them, and I've actually had someone offer to pay me to make her a pair! Given that I'm pretty sure I spent about 80 hours making them...well, she understands the time involved, but I really couldn't begin to charge her fairly for that much time. The cost would be astronomical. She's left the offer open if I want to quote her...any suggestions?

Here's hoping 2010 will be a banner year for us all. If it isn't...well, you know I'll have something to say about it!

Warm Fuzzies

I'm at work, and just got a phone call from my uncle, Harry. My dad has only one brother, his elder by four years, which makes Harry 72. A very spry, healthy and hearty man, thank God.

Harry is a Vietnam vet, who flew for the Navy. Therefore, I barely knew him growing up. When I was very young, I remember hearing his voice on cassette tapes he would send from Hawaii. I remember there being a collision when he was stationed on the John F. Kennedy, and my dad calling everywhere trying to find out if Harry was okay. And I remember one visit to Virginia Beach after Harry and his wife Darlene settled there with my five cousins, for each whose births Harry was absent. You bet I admire Darlene!

So, other than family reunions, I didn't know Harry well. Until. A few years ago, at a reunion being held at his home, we got to talking, mostly about my dad. You see, Dad suffered a stroke when he was a bit younger than I am now. He's physically well, but the stroke affected his speech recall, putting paid to his teaching career. Thus this man who was always the center of conversation, with a biting wit, now sits on the sidelines listening, fighting occasionally to find the right word to interject.

What this meant to me was pretty profound. Dad and I had a very rocky relationship growing up. I never felt good enough for him, and he repeated behaviors he disliked in his own father. But right about the time I felt grown-up enough to tell him how I felt, I no longer could. It would have been fighting an unarmed opponent, and think what you will of me, Gentle Reader, I have a bit more honor than that.

At the reunion, I told this to Harry, following by saying that I felt I'd effectively lost my father. And he startled me by saying he knew just how I felt, because he'd lost his only sibling, the brother that was the only one who would know what their youth was like. It was a huge bonding moment for us, and to a small extent, Harry stepped into the shoes my Dad never filled for me.

Now, the men in my family are traditionally very good hobby carpenters. When my younger daughter was graduating from university, I asked Harry to make her a cedar chest for her gift from us. He did a lovely job, only allowing me to pay for some of the wood. The same when he made an incredible display cabinet for me, and then he surprised us with a gorgeous swiveling double frame as a studio-warming gift.

Not too surprisingly, then, I wanted to make something for him. I settled on a scarf, the beginning of which you can see here. I fell for the yarn, and it reminded me of Harry's lovely blue eyes. The man was killer handsome in his youth, and is still a stunner, as you can see in this picture of him with my late grandmother from four years ago!

The scarf was my car knitting, even with the cables, since they were relatively big and easy, even with slippery yarn. I kept it in my "Emergency Knitting" bag, and worked on it sporadically. Then I realized it was getting close to being long enough, and Christmas was coming, and I did a full-court press (whatever THAT is) to finish it. It was shipped on Friday, with a note telling him what he means to me.

He called the studio today, confessing he couldn't wait to open it. Hey, I'm from this family, and I never expected him to! He repeated several times how beautiful the scarf was, and that he was very moved. He said it was one of the most thoughtful gifts he'd ever received, because he knew a part of me was in it.

It's so wonderful to have one's efforts appreciated like that! Granted, it was a small thing to make, but I did put love into every stitch. I wish we'd gotten to be close earlier in life. I'm sure it would have helped me grow into a better person...not much better, of course, because I'll be snarky till the day I die, but better.

Harry remarked how warm the scarf was. Funny, but I think it's keeping me warm too.

And There's More

I had another unexpected client come in and ask for a restoration and tinting job. The image is his late mother, and it's over 60 years old. As you can see, it's yellowed badly, but there wasn't much overall damage.


I got information from him about her coloring. He said her hair was black, and her eyes brown, but he had no idea what color her dress would have been. I suggested a red, so both flatter her coloring, and because the only lip color you could really get back then was, you guessed it, red.

Here's the resulting image, sent off to the lab for EIGHT 11x14s!





















As promised, a picture of the stocking that will be a Christmas present for the DH's niece, whose name I drew for the gift exchange. This was a Knitpicks kit, and I'm very pleased with how it turned out, save one teeny tiny little detail I screwed up. I put the afterthought heel on the wrong flippin' side of the stocking! I missed a critical few words in the pattern. But she'll never know the difference and it's still cute, so oh, well. Yet again I remind myself of the Persian rug makers, who deliberately make an error in every rug they make, because "only Allah is perfect." So, I wouldn't want to mess with THAT.


Lastly for today, when my hands get tired of knitting with tiny needles working on DD's gauntlets, I'm working on a bit of spinning. With gift knitting I've hardly spun at all lately. Although the last thing I needed was more fiber, thankfully, need didn't enter into it. :-D I fell in love.

The roving is from the Copperpot Etsy store. She shares my love for purple, and I couldn't resist this beautifully prepared mix of merino, tussah, bamboo and a bit of silvery shimmery Firestar. It wants to spin pretty thin, so maybe a shawl will come from the 7+ ounces I got. Drafting is almost effortless with this stuff. The picture leans a hint more magenta than it really is, and it's a bit darker than this too, but I had to use flash or you wouldn't see how finely it's spinning up. It's yummy! I'll do my usual two-ply with it and see what I get. Good thing is, I know it'll be purple.