The Human Web

I am still surprised the six degrees of separation theory among humans actually occurs.

Sunday morning I was breakfasting with a woman whom I had never before met.  We were both in Phoenix for a few days but, coincidentally, were both living in Colorado.

Not five minutes into chit chat, she mentioned she was from Castine, Maine but was staying in Colorado for a few months.  Hmm...I knew of that small town of Castine, Maine.  Why, ten years ago while on a cooking class vacation in Italy for a week, I had met a couple who were from Castine.

Hmm... the man's name was Harry and I had a recipe book he had compiled and sold in 2000.  And by golly, that cookbook was still on my kitchen counter. In fact, the book and Harry are mentioned in this post from almost year ago, along with one of my favorite recipes from his cookbook:

The woman across from me gasped.  Harry and his wife were her very good friends.

She wrote down the names of the recipes that were my favorites from the book and said she would be sure to tell Harry that we had met.

Six degrees of separation

(picture from Wikipedia)

It is a small world.

Crochet Sue and Ophrah

Do you crochet?

(from Craftzine)
Sue would be cool at my play station.

Meltdown at the end of Day One

Those 5 days (3 in tournament play) in Phoenix went quickly while playing the 23rd (?) annual Phoenix Scrabble tournament with co-directors Larry Rand and Barbara Van Alen.  Eighty opponents played one another in mostly good humored competition.

One quick story:

At the end of the first day of tournament play, a Division One player (top division) was frustrated when his opponent played a seven letter word and bingoed out, leaving him with a rack of tiles counting against him.  He slammed down his tile rack and stormed out of the tournament room and did not return to play the remainder of the tournament.

The word his opponent played against him was
 " M E L T D O W N " .

"Good News and Ah-Choos" by NPR - Health

The podcast showcased here is important to me because it deals with breast cancer and spina bifida, two health conditions with which I am much too well versed.

If either breast cancer and lymph node removal and/or spina bifida has touched your life, please go to this site and do a quick download and listen to the first ten minutes of  THIS PODCAST.

(photo shown at referenced NPR Health site)

You will be happy to know there is some good progress with research and surgeries going on with both conditions.

Make Custom Buttons the Easy Way

That clay you buy in hobby stores has so many uses that I completely forgot that it could be used to make buttons!!

It is an amazingly easy tool for creating beads.  A couple of years ago, I did a post on making beads for earrings, thusly:

(layering colored clay with gold leaf)

(rolled into a tube, cut into pieces, and then rolled again in the palm of hand for a bead)

There was a stash of clay still in my craft closet that had not seen the light of day since 2008.

Thanks to KnitDragonFlies and her recent blog post on making custom polymer clay buttons, she brought to light using polymer clay for making buttons.  So out came the Fimo from the box: a bit dry, but still pliable after exercising my hands with the stiff polymer.

It would be just the ticket to make one inch buttons to match my newly sewn Knitting Workshop Tribeca Shirt.

I mixed some blues and green Fimo together to create an aqua-ish color that matched the blouse fabric, then streaked it with purple straight from the package, layering them together and rolling this mixture into a tube.  Then the tube was cut into 1/4 inch circles and further rolled down to make a flatter circle.  The top of a pill bottle was used to cut out button circles, similar to cutting out biscuits from dough.

I also made some matching beads for earrings from the striped purple and aqua clay mixture.  Then the cookie sheet came out and the beads and buttons were baked for 30 minutes at 230 degrees F.

After cooling, I applied clear nail polish for a lacquer finish.   Here are the buttons pinned onto the fabric:

The aqua is not a perfect match to the fabric, but they will do.  And it was fun to create a one-of-a-kind accessory.

Friends Forever

First aired in 2009, with over 2 million hits, you might not have seen this...

77,777 visits to my corner of the world

After almost three years of blogging on this site:


Compared to The Huffington Post with 28 million visits a month, my blog readership is definitely small potatoes. 

But that number will all the sevens in it just struck me as somehow significant.

Take the 10 Minute Art Challenge

Ninety-one entries as of 2-9-11 came into The Daily PaintWorks Challenge found here.  This is a fun experiential art challenge.  More information from the same site says:

The rules: Get a timer. Divide your canvas or canvases (I used 2 - 6x6in Raymar canvases) into 8 or so small squares (or rectangles). They should be smallish – a couple or 3 inches square or thereabouts – they don’t have to be perfect. Now choose ONE object. Just one. Set your timer for 10 minutes. Paint your object in the first square. When the timer goes off – stop! I mean it. Repeat until you are done. You can rotate your object and/or change the light for each new square.

The objective: You want to get a feel for your object in terms of brush strokes. Make sure you SQUINT and SIMPLIFY! Whatever you do, DON’T get bogged down by the details or you’ll never finish. Try to think of it NOT as an apple (or whatever you’ve chosen) but rather just shapes and colors and values. Paint what you see – not what you THINK you see. If you find yourself doing the same thing every time – experiment! You won’t learn unless you try something different. Expect the first one to be bad – you are getting a feel for just how long 10 minutes is. They will only get better.

Carol Marine of Austin posted the above challenge on the Daily PaintWorks website.

Here are some of the entries for Carol's challenge:

Now YOU try it.

Here is an owl I chose to view, and then paint:

Looking for shapes?  I think not...still too focused on detail!

The fourth attempt was the better one.  But it still had too much detail.  However, it did look a bit less like a cat and a bit more like an owl.  Back to the drawing board.

The 10 Minute Challenge was a great exercise. IMHO.

Norwegian Shawl (Sivia Harding)

Four months later, the Sivia Harding Norwegian Shawl found here on Ravelry is finished.  Dimensions are 74" x 33" from  2-ply, Cascade lace weight yarn, hand dyed in Cherry Creek, NC.

(blocked and drying)

Here is the couch wearing the shawl:

Of all the shawls in all the towns I've ever knit, this one was the most difficult (for me) to finish.  But I'm glad I did, and ya can't say it will ever be too small at over six feet in width.

Sivia Harding has a wonderful line of knit patterns found here at Sivia Harding Knit Design.

Half-Time at Super Bowl

Were you underwhelmed with Super Bowl entertainment?

The Black Eyed Peas brought the youth, but little else. "I Gotta Feeling" the NFL will be looking to try and find a better balance in time for Indianapolis next year.

picture: Dave Martin/AP

Hope your snacks and friends made it more enjoyable.

Thursday's Thought

Thanks, Dottie.

Hospice and Knitting: The Beat Goes On

A new group is starting up tonight at our local hospice (Hospice & Palliative Care of Western Colorado) where I volunteer.  The group is "Knit & Chat" for both staff and volunteers.  It will be a chance to socialize, knit and gain information to help with patient care.

In 2010, the Education Department at hospice offered Online Education.  I completed a course in one day entitled "Because You Never Died Before".  Great information, excellent speakers, and a quick test at the end.  I'll be taking more online courses this year.  We will likely chat about some of the new online offerings while we knit.

This is my current knitting project, still on the needles, and found here on Ravelry.  It is the Norwegian Scarf found at Silvia Harding Knit Design.  The yarn is laceweight, 100% silk, hand dyed, purchased in London in October.  About another month of intermittent knitting, and it should be finished. This Norwegian Scarf is what I'll be working on tonight at the Knit & Chat group.

This  is the Bandito scarf I finished on Sunday.  It was an easy pattern with good stitch definition, and I'll definitely be making more scarves from the Bandito pattern (free).

And back to hospice: if you have ever thought about volunteering at your hospice, now is the time.  It is truly a rewarding experience.

Modge Podge is Genius

A great idea for creating artwork on canvas by scanning color pictures and using Modge Podge can be found here.

That useful product Mod Podge is a favorite medium when decoupaging. It is fast drying, and tough as nails. A little goes a long way with this finish, and sanding between coats of the varnish is not necessary.

A couple of examples from Charlie Harper Wall Decor:

On another note, here are a couple of picture frames I finished in a few hours using photographs and Modge Podge:

More information about how to decoupage picture frames with photographs and Modge Podge can be found here.

An inexpensive, fun, and quick art project for both adults and kids. Genius.

Grace

Grace

is the force that infuses our lives and keeps letting us off the hook.

It is unearned love - the love that goes before, that greets us on the way.

It's the help you receive when you have no bright ideas left, when you are empty and desperate and have discovered that your best thinking and most charming charm have failed you.

Grace is the light or electricity of juice or breeze that takes you from that isolated place and puts you with others who are as startled and embarrassed and eventually grateful as you are to be there.

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace -- only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.

by Anne Lamott

Sewing Notions: Necklace You Don't Want to be Without!

When knitting or sewing, it seems like embroidery scissors, a measuring device, pins, knitting bead markers, etc. never seem to be quite within easy reach. While browsing craft ideas, I came across a clever sewing caddy which could be made fairly quickly and inexpensively. When I saw the picture of this sewing caddy, along with a supply list and directions, I decided to make a similar one.

Here is what I found at the website Sewing:

Neck Ribbon Caddy Supplies:
1 1/8 yard (103cm), 1½” (3.8cm) wide blue plaid ribbon
1 1/8 yard (103cm), 1½” (3.8cm) wide blue grosgrain ribbon
½ yard (45.5cm) 3/8” (1cm) wide blue grosgrain ribbon
1 tape measure, 1 handful polyester stuffing, red felt scraps, embroidery scissors, thimble, sewing gauge

Directions:
1.Cut: Make a heart pattern. Cut one 1 1/8” x 4½” (2.8 x 11.5cm) pocket strip and 2 hearts from felt scraps. Cut 3/8” (1cm) wide grosgrain ribbon in 2 equal lengths. Cut tape measure off at 39½” (100.5 cm).

2. Assemble: Center and pin felt pocket strip to one end of plaid ribbon. Zigzag or use a decorative stitch along sides of felt pocket. Loop one narrow ribbon through scissors. Pin ribbon ends at raw edge of plaid ribbon and machine baste. Layer heart motifs together. Edge stitch, leaving 1¼” (3.2cm) top opening. Fold other narrow ribbon in half; center and tack fold to inside heart pocket. Center and machine baste ends to other plaid ribbon raw edge. Center tape measure on wide grosgrain ribbon. Edge stitch tape on all sides. With right sides together, stitch wide grosgrain to plaid ribbon with ¼” (6mm) seam across “heart” pocket end. Turn and press. With wrong sides together. Edge stitch ribbon sides.

3.Pin Cushion: Measure 4¼” (11cm) from open end, stitch across. Stuff tightly. Turn ¼” (6mm) raw edges inside and stitch closed.

I already had a small pincushion, so I did not need to make one. And instead of felt for the pocket, I had stashed pink flannel which I sewed on for a reading glasses pocket. The pink valentine heart bows were previously bought for my doggy, but she does NOT like to wear head ornaments. So I incorporated the bows as extra bling on the neck caddy.

The picture below shows supplies purchased for the project, and my resulting caddy is the bottom photo.

Now how neat is that?!

What Are Your Favorite Apps?

Here are mine, many that were free:

What are YOUR favorite apps?  Word-of-mouth is sometimes the best way to find new apps, so I'd appreciate your telling me which ones you find useful.

craigslist Flow Chart for Finding What You Need

For a while now, I've been meaning to check out craigslist.  There are a few household items I'd like to see up cycled or recycled or just plain old GET RID OF.

In comes a great little ditty about how to find that special item you've always wanted by using craigslist.

This handy chart, found on the blog Dude Craft, is an easy way to navigate what you are looking for:

(the design is from lunchbreath)

I'm off to check out listing my 20 year old green bamboo armoire, which is apparently Zen.

Chintz: Table Ware, Fabrics, Interior Decoration

Chintz has always held a slight fascination for me from the time I was a little girl.  I remember chintz wallpaper (cabbage roses) on our Texas farm bathroom walls.  Maybe my chintz (as opposed to "chintzy" as in "frugality") interest started there.

From Collecting Chintz:

Over the last few years, the price and popularity of this china have experienced unprecedented growth. Collectors worldwide seek this charming floral tableware which seems to attract more and more devotees with each passing day.

The term "chintz" has its origins in India (the Indian word was chintes) where colorful patterns including richly-hued flowers and brightly plumed birds were printed on cotton fabric and imported into England from the late seventeenth century.

Amazon has this book, Antiques Roadshow Collectibles, which gives this brief explanation of chintz ware (click to enlarge):

This is a cream and saucer chintz ware set my mother was given years ago, and which I sometimes use now:

Those tiny flowers have detail in their blooms and petals, and I love the contrasting colors and depths of shading in the chintz.  Just darn pretty!

But, wait.  Chintz is not only for the table.  It was very popular in fabric a while back.  Designer Laura Ashley brought back chintz fabric in the 80's.  Do you remember your Laura Ashley dresses for both children and ladies?  They were the cat's meow then.

Examples of some chintz fabrics from Schindler's Fabrics:

More about chintz from this post by Martha B. at Nibs:

(30 years ago)

Chintz is a cotton fabric that can be either a solid color or a beautifully printed floral or stripe. But what makes it desirable is the finish which allows it to be wiped clean. In the 1980’s everyone wanted the English Country look with rooms filled with it. Laura Ashley sold millions of dollars worth of the fabric! But like many good things, its appeal came to an end until now. It’s back... with restraint.

(now...updated with less fabric in the room)

Martha B. has a blog here and you can see lots of information about interior design there; nice pictures, too.

Now that the sewing machine is dusted off, maybe I'll make a few chintz blouses for the spring.

KKCO 11 News and Libby's Entre into Fame on Local TV

My husband is clever. Really.  He is clever.

A local television station here in Grand Junction, KKCO 11 News is having a contest that is all about barks.  Dog barks.  The station needs a spokesdog for their coupon advertisement with a dog as their mascot.

Our younger dog Libby (yeah, that same one that has so many links on both our blogs) gives Gene the WHAT FOR each time she comes in from a walk.  She barks for her treat after doing a good walk.

The husband recorded that bark for the contest of barking dogs on 11 News.  Wish Libby luck on being selected for the News11 Dog Bark.

Scrabble and Tournament Scrabble and the WPGO

Yesterday was the regular Wednesday Scrabble® :Day with friend Allen at my dining room table.  We have been playing and competing against one another since 2003, generally on a weekly basis.  That is a lot of games.  I have a book containing all of our games including the date played, scores against each other, and number of bingos per game per person per game for over seven years.  Really.

To further gild the lily, I have a spreadsheet on the computer compiling all those statistics.  And you think that is odd?  Scrabble® players are very strange, generally speaking, so it should not be a surprise about our keeping obsessive/complusive track of our games.

Allen showed me a game he had recently played with a different opponent, told me all about his word plays, and then showed me his high score on his score sheet.  This will be considered his pictoral history of his 635 point "high game:"

(Allen)

Of those four games we played yesterday, we each won two.  That is pretty typical (although Allen would say he generally wins most of our games, and reluctantly, I would have to agree).

When one of us has a "bad" Scrabble day and the tile gods have not been fair, this is how you might see the outcome:

photo from Calvin & Hobbs

My next Scrabble tournament will be in February in Phoenix.  It will be the 11th tournament I have attended in Phoenix at the Barbara VanAlen and Larry Rand Directors' tournament.  It will be about their 17th annual Phoenix Winter Tournament to host.

A list of upcoming Scrabble® tournaments can be accessed here.   More information about the new Word Players Game Organization can be accessed here. Scrabble Resources can be found here at the bottom of the listing.

Try competitive word play. You might like it.

Dang! It Didn't Fit

Using vintage pillowcases and old lace pieces, I tried out a shirt pattern to ensure the fit for The Tribeca Shirt from Sewing Workshop.

It made up well, but did not fit.

So what was next?  I gave up and went to bed.

(picture from One Yarn After Another)

Just a Pair of Socks

How easy is this from Instructables?