made a decision about knitting

I have been exhausted after work this week.  I get home and it has been all I can do not to take a nap straight off.  Yesterday, I caved.  I could probably slept from 3:00 pm until morning except for a few simple needs.  When I woke, my Beloved made sure I got some ginger tea in me for inflammation and food so I would not wake up starving.  I still think I should have just crawled back into bed after changing into my shift.

Today, on errands I stopped for fabric. I had nice coupons.  I picked up another piece of linen so I can make another shift when it is needed.  You will recognize the plaid.  The dress I made from that one got gifted to my best friend on our way to the mountain last time.  She was complaining about clothes and how she wished she had more dresses.  I had her try it one.  Once she had it on and loved it, I gifted it to her.  I will probably be making more for her but with a different neckline so it works better on film sets.

Last winter, I purchased this knitting kit for myself.  I know I have enough knitting skills to make this sweater dress, but I do not have the patience.  After Meg's (from NW Handspun Yarns) compliments about my crocheting, I decided why not.  I pulled the crochet hook that is the same size as the knitting needles that the pattern called for and I am going to go for it.  I saw a cool crochet technique that gives the fabric a definite front and back and does not give it so much thickness.  I am going to try that.

I have noticed I am really enjoying the spinning in the evening.  I have a sweater for Small Mister I need to finish before Christmas.  I know it will be but I have to admit I like making the yarn for his hat and mittens too!  There are just not enough hours in most days.

simple shift

I had found a shift all cut out on my worktable that had not been worn about the time that I made the brown silk dress.  I tried to have it done for adventuring.  I wear shifts under long dresses or sleep in them.  I actually need to dye about four currently.  They start out white and never seem to remain that way.  Between tea and mud.  But I now have a new white one and I could not be more pleased.

I had a lovely dinner with family and friends.  Watched surfing and ate seafood enchiladas with a blackberry ginger margarita.  I tried surfing on Sunday.  The waves were small and more like a washing machine the sets.  My left shoulder gave out early but after not having surf in Florida, I was happy.  Maybe I should have thought about the 11 foot board instead of my favorite 9 foot 6 inch one.  But that is life on the Gulf coast.

clearing

We cleared more this time on the mountain.  I tease my Beloved that at times he mows with the chain saw.

I watch the fire.  Put small limbs that are not good for much else on it so we are cleaning as we go.

Sit in a chair and spin.  Soon a tree is down and logs are cut.  Logs that need to go into a wood pile.

So I stack logs.

If the trees are not too big, I can get the logs into the wheel barrow and get them up to the pile.  But there are times that I need help with that.  I am told that I am the champion log stacker.  But I do not think we have enough for February yet.  Preparing for February is a Dar Williams song.

We have more clearing.

But we have so many limbs and trees still to clean up.  Those are not bushes.  Those are limbs from the trees.  More work for next time.

my adventuring

I went off adventuring this weekend.  I took a friend with me for the ten hour drive one way because my Beloved had track time.  He has not stopped talking about it since I got back.  He is still processing.  My adventure was to a wedding.  At a beach.  I have never been to this part of Florida and it was beautiful.

We did get into our campsite until very late.  Or maybe very early is the right way to say it.  I put up my yellow tent in the dark by myself for the first time.  The two of us did help each other a tad, mostly because we were either not quite tall enough (me) or a klutz (her).  We had a lot of tent square footage for two ladies.  We were both very proud of the accomplishment.

I would say the only "problem" was that there was no surf.  But my friend and I took a 7.5 mile walk.  Just meandering.  Miss A took all these pictures because she is adventurous with her phone like that.  Me, I am lucky to bring a phone or camera on a walk.  We both got burned from all this lovely white sand, clear water, and sun.  Even with the 30 spf sunscreen. 

We were there for a wedding on the beach.  A young lady from our skating family got married.  It was lovely and they were both so happy.

On this beautiful beach, at sunset.  We did not know if we were going to get stormed on or not.  We did not but there was a double rainbow after the wedding. 

The sunset was just gorgeous.

The rest of the evening was celebration.  Good food.  Good conversation.  Much laughter.  Bits of drama here and there but nothing got ruined.  Celebration is the right word.

There was surfable waves as we were leaving to come back yesterday.  Sigh . . .  I really wanted to wake up in the tent again today and go for a walk on the beach instead of going to work.  But that is not what life dished up. 

just life on the mountain

I just had to share this picture of our life on the mountain.  A breakfast of sourdough pancakes, "black sugar" (mixed berries), and copious amounts of tea.  We like the glow of our camping candle.  The trailer was awfully dark for a few days.  We had rain.  We have not had rain on the mountain while we have been there for a while.  Our neighbors keep commenting that we seem to pick good weeks to be there.

I could use a breakfast like this this week.  But I am off adventuring again.  There is a wedding to go to and supposedly no surf.  I have to decide if I am taking a surfboard or not.  Decisions.  Decisions.