". Arranged Words: June 2015

30 Jun 2015

A Quick and Easy Project

Hair Bands
A few years ago, I saw knitted hair bands some where, so I thought I’d try and whip up a few of my own; they look great with a matching sweater, shawl, etc.

Since my supply has dwindled, (the seem to disappear ~ a bit like socks in a washing machine) I am knitting a few more, so I thought I'd share the pattern.  All you need is a set of 4mm/U.S. 6 and some left over fingering weight yarn.

 (You can also cast on a few more stitches for a larger version.)

Here's a free pattern in exchange for a random act of kindness. (Sharing a smile will do.) 
Using long tail cast on, cast on 36 sts. Transfer to three 4mm/U.S.6 double-pointed needles; 12 sts each needle and join in the round and knit 14-18 rows, depending on how thick you would like the band.
Bind off loosely using a stretchy bind off. Weave in ends. Roll right side ends towards each other to meet in the middle.

For Jeny’s Stretchy Bind Off
video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abBhe-JYmgI OR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGHItYwr1us

Enjoy!

Happy Canada Day! 


And A Happy 4th to my friends in the U.S.!

24 Jun 2015

Beautiful Days

I took this picture at the Parson's house at Upper Canada Village last year. I hope to visit again in July so that I can, among other things, enjoy the fresh garden produce, buy a loaf of  fresh bread made from wheat grown and ground on the property and, of course, buy some freshly made cheese.

I believe this room was a part of the Parson's office. Notice the picture of Confucius on the wall.

For me, curtailing my curiosity isn't always easy. I wanted to jump the rope so that I could look at the books and peer inside the box on the table. Well, not just look but sit down in the rocking chair and read a few pages from different books. I'm still itching to know the titles.


Lovely summer days have me dreaming of a picnic along the St. Lawrence. It's time!
A glimpse of the 19th century village. Although you can take a train, a wagon, or a boat ride, it's also a wonderful place to stroll through on a lovely day. It awakens the senses and leaves you  appreciating what was.





I hope all of you are enjoying summer. We've had a lot of rain, so it's lush and wonderful outside.

Enjoy...

15 Jun 2015

Seascape/Starlight Converging (Blue Star) Swap

It was so much fun to create a seascape painting for a recent swap. Soma, my lovely new friend and swapping partner, requested something from the sea because she knows I love it. 

As an east coast maritimer, my mind immediately jumped to lobster traps, rocky sea bottoms, wharfs, seaweed, crabs, jelly fish, etc. However, almost before I knew it, I was off on a Google search of the tropical seas.  And let me tell you, you can lose yourself for hours looking at all the fascination creatures: tropical fish, anemones, corals -- so many types, including my depiction of brain coral on the right. ( I love the texture.)  And, of course, I had to add coral that looks like fingers and toes, and also a wee bit of red coral that obviously blew into the scene because of a  recent storm. And who knew about sea feathers? (Absent)

Watercolour/ Ink ~ 7 x 10 on an Archers watercolour block.
The painting curled a bit, but will frame easily. (A water wash on the back and a tape down for a few days would flatten it as well.) I enjoyed painting this seascape so much that I'd like to paint a much larger one ~ perhaps this winter.

***

Awhile ago, I wrote to Soma and ask her about her cross body coffee bag and she wrote back and suggested a swap. I immediately agreed! Although I could have chosen any one of her wonderful quilting designs, I decided to leave the choice to Soma because that way we would both be surprised.  And, I'm so glad that I did!
Along with designing beautiful quilt patterns, Soma has many other talents and interests; she blogs beautifully at Whims and Fancies.


My wonderful Blue Star cross body bag.  It's fully lined with an inside pocket and a side, or back pocket that holds my large ipad/ keyboard arrangement. 
And a bonus pencil case that I've been using for a light run about appointment purse. I love the starfish on the cross body bag and the wee seahorse embellishment on this case.

It's been a bit hectic here lately, so I'm a little behind on my blog visits. I am looking forward to seeing what you all have been up to!

Thanks for visiting. Enjoy the week!

2 Jun 2015

Unusual Encounters


On one of my walks, I ran into this Mallard who kept an eye on me as I walked passed. As you can see, I was very close but he held his ground because he was bravely protecting his lady.

I certainly didn't expect to see a beaver on the river; they are generally skittish and slap their tails on the water at the first sign of danger and dive, but I easily followed this carefree Charlie upstream to see where he was going.

     He stopped for a snack. I watched for awhile and then it was time to go. I hope to cross paths with
     him again.
11 ducklings, plus Momma duck, 2 snow geese, and a beaver. Amazing! The Momma duck chased off a Mallard and another duck while I looked on. Apparently, the geese and the beaver didn't pose a threat.

Although I've been painting, I don't have any pictures to share because the paintings  are in the mail, so I'll wait until they arrive.
    
I did, however, find a frame for my Marsh Wren. Since I don't know how to frame and didn't want to pay a king's ransom, it will do for now.
                             
 Unfortunately, my monitor quit working, so I've been using an old one. It's difficult to tell if the  pictures are too bright/dark, so I've left them as they are; I hope they are okay.

Enjoy the week. Thanks for reading...