Long scarfs....Hawks in need....Irish feelings

First off......A good friend and coworker asked me to do her a very special favor - knit her a very long scarf that is soft and squishy, using the colors brown/tan/cream, and it had to have fringe!  She was very specific about her needs and even told me I could take my time if needed.....she still wears scarfs in the middle of summer!! YIKES!  Mostly, I think, when she takes long motorcycle rides with her husband - she wears them under everything - kinda like a long skinny portable blanket :)  Well, I finished it and presented it to her at work earlier this week - she was very pleased!

Next.....later in the week (yesterday) we had a client bring in his hawk....a very beautiful hawk with sore feet. This particular hawk was very gentle and nice - well.....it probably didn't appreciate what the doctor was doing to his feet and would have pretty much liked to have bitten her! ....but other than that - very gentle and nice.  He had very ouchy sores on his feet that needed debriding and cleansing - he should be better in a short little while....I'm always amazed at the wondrous creatures we are allowed to protect and care for!

And finally.....today I believe I feel a bit Irish!  I woke to a misty chilled morning.  The trees have blossomed and are filling out with beautiful green and purple leaves - the lawn is emerald green (at the beginnings of emerald green!) and I have a big bag of potatoes and onions. It's all  so perfect - the chilly morn with new colorful trees and lawn.....potatoes and onions! So I made me some Irish Potato Soup and Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread (a recipe so generously shared by the girls at Our Best Bites) Oh so yummy! And the house smells so warm and cozy - a great day to knit knit knit!!! I will be making some doggy sweaters today - Sometimes a little extra warmth is needed for our little surgery patients - the woolen sweaters are perfect for their recovery.  I will post pictures when they are finished :)   Please go to www.ourbestbites.com to find the wonderful Irish Soda Bread recipe (and a whole lot more!!!)

320,000 stitches later....

I finished my brother's sweater today- what a crazy long project!!! Not a difficult one - quite easy in fact! But, when I did the math I discovered that to complete this sweater it would take approx. 320,000 stitches! WHAT?!? I know most knitters don't bother to figure things like that out.  They are content in the fact that they are creating something beautiful, or perhaps useful.  Knitters usually revel in the fiber they so adore - seeing their intricate patterns take form as they knit across each row.  Me? I find it difficult to stay on task with projects that take more than a day or two - yes....I love the feel of fiber - the loft of it, the weight of it.....I even love creating beautiful stitch patterns within my knitting.....it just needs to be completed in a day or two!!!! But, alas, I love my brother so I knit this "Man Sweater" for him.  And yes, I counted the stitches because that made me happy :) It is finished now and I'm rejoicing!!! (Did I mention that last year I knit this very same sweater for his grown son? In the very same color no less!! )

You can do it!!!! You can do it!!!!

This morning I woke a bit anxious.....I had a early morning double dental appointment - which, without going into long and dreary details, basically means a bad start to my morning :(  To top it off, the appointment is across town - not a bad thing usually, but definitely difficult when the weather decides to throw an early Spring blizzard at you!!! I left this morning feeling sour and defeated - but then I glanced over at my little flowers that had been such a joy to watch blossoming earlier in the week - they were getting hammered and still they hung in there - I felt ashamed to have left the house in such a gloomy mood - here is an example of "smiling at adversity" times ten!!! I whispered quietly to the the little flowers....."You can do it... You can do it...." And I thought, if they can do it with a smile, then absolutely, I can too!! I went off to my dental appointment and discovered it was only a difficult trip in my own mind.....I got wonderful news and the bit of work they did today didn't hurt at all :) By the time I returned home the sun had come out and the snow had melted - the little flowers were happy and fine!!!! I think I may have heard them cheering very quietly........

Easter Fun!

So.....winter is trying to hold on for dear life - Spring one day then winter the next!  But you can't fool Mother Nature!!! When it's time to send forth her bounty she wastes no time.  Even the crazy winds that have blown in this week can't shake the delicate purple flowers - we WILL have Spring!!!


Tomorrow will be Easter - so many preparations for the morning......a special treat of dying eggs in a very magical way......have never done this before but looking forward to some gorgeous eggs!!!
To see full instructions for the silk tie eggs please visit the girls at Our Best Bites - really great site - oodles of fun!!!!www.ourbestbites.com

First step is to find some crazy silk ties......the local thrift store took care of that.....then they needed to be disassembled so that all that remained was the silk material....I had no idea how a tie was constructed - very interesting!!!  Next step.....cut pieces large enough to wrap around an egg - then an outer layer is wrapped around the egg.  Once all the eggs are wrapped they are placed in a pot with water and vinegar and brought to a boil - finished product? Some of the coolest abstract colored eggs I have ever laid my eyes on!!!!  Usually I would hide the hard boiled eggs - but for some reason these particular eggs have a really potent odor!!!! May be due to the length of time they were boiled - 20 minutes!!!! In any case - don't want the house smelling of stinky eggs - YUCK!  So a dozen "filled" eggs are hidden around the house - I don't know about you, but just the thought of spying a hidden Easter egg gives me goosebumps and thrills :)   I still delight in the custom and will hold on to it as long as I have willing hunters!!!!

Alaskan Purl: 100th Post...and a giveaway, of course!

Alaskan Purl: 100th Post...and a giveaway, of course!

Alaskan Purl

Just a quick note - will blog a bit more later.......Alaskan Purl is having a yarn giveaway over at her blog in honor of her 100th post - get over there quick!! The sock yarn is yummy yummy yummy :)  She is a delight to read and a delight to share her celebration with all of us! http://www.alaskanpurl.com/2010/03/100th-postand-giveaway-of-course.html