Monday, July 26, 2010

Bad Weather Equals Dillydally Time

Living on the Alaska coast has taught me many things ... one being, when and if the sun shines stop what you're doing and get out there and enjoy it ... you never know when you'll have blue skies again!  Yep ... remember Q/KBee Barb and I on the deck ... well within 8 hours we received a very cold, windy, and rainy storm ... and it is still blowing and raining ... great knitting and quilting weather!
I'm not sure ... but either Teacup or the storm woke me especially early Saturday morning.  We did our usual morning routine ... leg rubs ... coffee ... "wet" food ... sudoku ... Teacup must have been especially anxious to begin our day.  When I finally wandered into my sewing room to turn on the lights, she had already taken her supervisory post.  It was pretty darn cute, finding her there ... sitting in the dark ... waiting for me to get busy.  Even after I turned on the lights and radio ... plugged in the iron ... ran to find the camera ... took this picture ... she remained in the "ready" position.  How fortunate I am to work under such resolve ... she often reminds me ... without her, I would accomplish very little!
We finished the second summer skirt for Sister DillyDally!  Even though it feels like October here, it felt good knowing that she would be wearing these in the summer heat of Minnesota. 
Next ... we laid out a quilt ... of course it is another Terry Atkinson pattern! ;-)  This is from her California Cruisin' book, I used the instructions for the Fat Quarter Stars quilt.  For the stars and chain I used a fat quarter pack that I received as a birthday gift from QBee Valerie ... they are a pastel, embossed floral print with a high sheen.  I pulled the floral prints from my stash ... I really tried to use Bonnie Hunter's theory and scrapped it up!  I've had the blocks done for several months and Saturday seemed like the perfect day to lay them out.  When I make scrap quilts I like to lay them out to do some tweaking and rearranging.  I usually leave them out for at least 24 hours ... the tweaking process is a lengthy one.  Poor Mr. DilllyDally ... he had to walk around this all weekend!  
Nordic knitting is my favorite style ... it provides me with the most flexibility as a knitter ... I usually design my own charts and patterns ... which results in everything fitting and an immense sense of satisfaction.  I finished this pair of mittens for myself on Sunday.  You wouldn't believe how many people say, "Why are you knitting mittens in the summer?"  I usually respond with a smile and shrug ... but the truth is ... summer is when you should be knitting mittens!  We wouldn't dream of waiting until winter to start cutting firewood for our wood stoves ... why should we wait until it snows to knit mittens?  Honestly, we humans are too funny sometimes! ;-)
Finished the 007 project as well ... can't show a picture yet ...but will in the near future.  Gosh, it always feels so good to make 007 projects, but even better to give them to the recipient!
Here is a hint of the next 007 project ... polar fleece ... an old friend I haven't sewn with in a long time ... stay tuned! ;-)

Aside from all this dillydallying, we also attended two weddings this weekend.  They were both lovely ... former students ... neighbors ... parents are family friends ... how I love living in a community where I witness life as it travels full circle.

I really want to complain ... no ... whine about the weather!  The long term forecast looks like we won't see blue skies for quite sometime.  Oh well ... miserable weather results in more time to dillydally!  

1 comment:

  1. I've been waiting to see the Atkinson quilt...are you sure the blocks have been done for ONLY a month? I seem to remember viewing the first ones in home ec :) Let's set an independent study dilly dally date!

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