Day 5 dawned bright and sunny.  It has come to my attention that people who live in sunny areas seem to enjoy  E-X-E-R-C-I-S-E !!  Amazing!  They ride bikes, walk, hike, water ski, swim…..I’m worn out just watching them.  Surely I have lost weight just watching all this activity! Our quest today was to find the most elusive yarn shop and we dedicated the whole day to just that task…no matter how far we had to go. After a little over an hour of breathtaking scenery we came upon a little…

Dawn comes early when you are on vacation but we hit the road with a little “Mickey D’s” food and coffee… we had 500 miles to cover. Yosemite here we come.  When I say I am going on a road trip with John I literally mean we are on the road most of the days.  I love the scenery and time to reconnect with him.  Our busy schedules keep us going in different directions most of the time. Three days looking for a yarn shop and no luck.  We made…

This the view we wake to each morning and look – people here actually exercise and seem to enjoy it…amazing. We drove over the mountains through Carson, Virginia City and Gold Hill.  Seeing the old mining towns was interesting and the museums fun to wander through. The scenic drive today  didn’t let us down in the ooh and ahh category.  The lake is so huge it can be seen from the top of the mountain ridge. The old mining towns that create so much of the history of this area…

Driving through the Sisque Mountains this morning was a feast for the senses.   How beautiful Mt Shasta might have been had the clouds lifted long enough to see it.  In size alone it was magnificent so I have no complaints.  Washington’s Mt Rainier has been known to hide from time to time. Further down the road Mt Lassen was more than happy to pose for all the tourists.  I learned yesterday to put down the lace knitting when beautiful sights were coming and today had only 4 rows that had…

I had my usual bit of confusion about packing enough projects but managed to get in the car with 4 before John started threatening.  I am making a lace patterned shawl with lace weight yarn….my first attempt at serious lace.  My Grandmother’s Flower Garden yo yo quilt top is snuggled safely in my bag to work on along with the table cloth I am crocheting for my Granddaughter’s wedding gift AND a pair of socks knit from the toe up.  I am looking forward to learning this technique as many…

This was the picture outside my front door this morning. Oh My Gosh! Here it is the first of June and I just built a fire in my office … well … in the fireplace in my office. I’m in sweats and a sweater and still not so warm. It amazes me that someone out there is holding summer hostage from the Northwest – I am willing to trade yarn and fabric for its release. The garden plants are asking for rain coats and water wings, and the slugs are…

As we move into spring I see the new leaves budding out on the trees and remember a phrase my Mom uses this time of year — “The sap is rising,” which means the trees are waking up and their creative juices are working to produce the beautiful leaves we will enjoy until the winter temps send them away to rest through the cold months. I wonder if they go to Florida or Arizona like people do.   It seems the trees aren’t the only ones with their creative juices…

One of the things I most enjoy about my job is helping people with problems they are having.  I have a deep love for the needle arts and want everyone to enjoy them as much as I do.  I will share some of the questions I receive in hopes that they might be of help to some of you all.  If something isn’t working the way you think it should or the way you want it to send me a note and I will gladly help you solve the problem.…

Recently I showed the jojoland scarf I knit. A sweet friend is making this pattern and is having a devil of a time keeping in pattern. I believe at last count she was on her 6th try and she yet to make one complete block.  Does anyone have tips for following a lace pattern and not losing their way? We would love to hear from you. Meanwhile, let’s take a break and talk about one of my other hobbies … gardening. I’m sure you all take time away from knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, and…