outlines

exploring outlines in photographs...

Huge flocks of birds descended upon the berry trees in my neighborhood.

phone gazing in front of snowy window

Arizona sunset (a drive-by shooting!)

found while exploring the banks along the Salt River in Arizona

car wash windshield

near the bike path

nest in Hawthorn tree in my front yard

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "O."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!
 


photos by me © 2012  all rights reserved

along the Icefields Parkway

in Canada

 photo by me © 2012  all rights reserved

narrow

somewhere in Utah...

 in a slot canyon looking up

A stream runs through it.  

 

Yes, we did climb up here. (But this is not us.)  a short, but tricky ascent.  We are wearing hiking sandals and the water is oh so cold!


 

Here we are, the four of us.  (I'm on the right.)

beautiful Kanarra Creek just before arriving at the slot canyon

NOTE:  Kanarra Creek runs through a beautiful canyon west of the northern part of Zion National Park.

LINKS:
hike details and a couple photos 
information with links to photos and a topo map

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "N."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!
 


photos by me © 2010

sunny window

Oliver and Earnest share a sunny window.
Of course I am disturbing them from their window viewing entertainment!


PS:  Earnest especially loves this window-- sleeping
PPS:  This photo was taken a little over a week ago.
 

I am linking up with Cats on Tuesday by Gattina.  Love kitties?  Come on over HERE to see fun kitty photos and read great kitty stories!

photo by me © 2013

Mansion

a few vignettes from Winter Wine Weekend 2013...

 arriving!

side and front

the theme

 

deviled egg with garnish (paired with wine, of course!)

 

back close up

mmmm....
(Annie, not me!)

back

The Plan:  a wonderful weekend of wine tasting with 12 couples
Subplots:  lots of food
                games
                relaxing by the fireside 
                more wine!

The Venue:  Richwood Plantation Inn, a beautiful historic bed and breakfast on 117 acres in Milton Kentucky, across the street from the Ohio River.  It's on the Indiana border near Madison, not too far from Clifty Falls State Park.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "M."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!
 


photos by me © 2013

Seriously Sleeping

Bathed in sunlight, Oliver is seriously sleeping.

Wordless Wednesday--where I linked up:

The Art and Tree Chatter of Aquariann

Create With Joy

 

photo by me © 2013  all rights reserved

serenity

Lake Agnes, Banff, Alberta, Canada

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "L."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!
 




photo by me © 2012

Ruffle Scarf: a Challenge!

My Blogging Business Artisans team loves Challenges!  That's why we post one every month--to stretch and grow us, to discover new territory.   


January's Challenge is posed to us by Deb of storybeader:
"Set aside time to work on and complete a new technique that you admire. It can be within your field of expertise, but doesn't have to be. Blog about your project at least once during the month or make a video, if you want."  

 a pile of 3 separate scarves I've made

I've been interested in knitting the new, popular ruffled scarves.  I do knit--but just barely.  So the process of basic knitting is not new to me.  This new material is however.  I also had to discover the best techniques.  My friend Virginia got me started.  I searched online and then made my own directions.  

The material is a yarn made of netting that is about 4 inches wide.  So far, I've used only Sashay brand yarn.  It comes in varigated shades of one color or several coordinating colors.

MATERIALS:
1 skein of fishnet type yarn
knitting needles  (The holes are large so a range of sizes work.  I used US size 7.) 

PROCESS:
1.  The yarn needs to be stretched for easier handling.  In my opinion, the knitting goes more smoothly when this is done ahead of time.  Virginia suggested wrapping the yarn around a book.  I did this at first, but found it less cumbersome to wrap around a towel or another skein of yarn.

This opens up the yarn and makes finding the holes to be knitted in easier.
   
2.  Fold back about 1 inch of the fishnet yarn.  (The fold faces away from you, although I'm not sure this matters.) 
 
3.  Stick needle in a loop very close to thick edge through the front of the loop.

4.  Stick needle in a loop very close to thin edge through the front of the loop.  

5.  These loops (#3 and #4 above) become the first ONE cast on.

the first loop

6.  Cast on as many loops as you like—8 is a good number.  Virginia likes to cast on 6 since it makes a longer scarf.  I like the greater fullness of 8.  You could cast on more for a shorter, fuller scarf.
Cast on by sticking the needle through the back of each consecutive loop.

This video shows you how!

7.  Knit.  
   a.  Put the needle through the next loop and yarn over with a loop from the feeding yarn.
   b.  Skip a loop and knit the next loop.  

See how the large loops are connected by a "ladder"--2 parallel threads close together?  The loop marked "this loop" is the one to use in yarning over.  The loop before it is skipped.

   c.  Knit till you come to that "mess" that was the first loop.  Knit it altogether as ONE loop.

beginning to knit the "mess"

ready to push the "mess" off after knitting it

   d.  Turn the work to begin knitting the next row.  There should be some raw edge that needs tidying.  Stick the needle with all the loops on it into one or two loops on that raw edge.  That new "mess" along with the first loop on the needle becomes the first loop to knit.  Knit it yarning over with a loop from the feeding yarn.
   e.  Skip a loop and knit into the next loop to the end of the row.
   f.  Turn and knit.  You can skip a loop or not when knitting the first loop of each row (I generally did not skip a loop.).  

8.  Cast off, leaving a tail long enough to weave through the scarf--at least 4 inches.  Pull the tail through the last loop.  When weaving the tail, use a large hole tapestry needle and pull the yarn through loops as close to the inside as possible.  

The tail has been fed through the loop but not yet pulled more snugly.

The tail has been pulled snugly.

LINKS:
1.  knitting a ruffle scarf (video). casting off at 2.0 minutes in.  I don't recommend finishing off with a knot at the end of the scarf.
2.  different method of casting on (video).  can see hands well.  However, he skips a loop when starting a new row.  You can skip or not skip, doesn't matter.  AND he says to knit in every loop without skipping.  I did this and the scarf does NOT ruffle.  I've added this link because his hands are very clear to watch.
3. a variation (video).  very wide and long with 2 skeins of fishnet and one of regular yarn.  Intersperse 2 rows of regular yarn in between each fishnet row.  When knitting with fishnet, be sure to skip every other loop to get the ruffle effect.

I've made 5 scarves now in various colors and am currently working on a 6th.  They're all gifts!

NOTE:  This yarn and this pattern are very forgiving!  Don't worry about mistakes such as not skipping a loop here and there or even dropping a stitch (simply make a new one!)  or having too many stitches (simply knit 2 together!).


Visit our BBA team blog to see more completed Challenges!

photos by me © 2012 and 2013