Month: April 2008

Small Hills to Scale

Marie Haigh3 Comments

I had no idea that 7 yards of mulch would look like a small hill.

It seems like it is way too much for our 1/3 acre yard. It’s true that we do have a huge amount of our yard dedicated to flowers, shrubs, and trees. We have one garden that wraps around the entire house. Then, we have two side gardens that hug the property line between us and our neighbors to the left of us. Not satisfied with the amount of gardening that needs to get done each Spring, I have been planting more. Ground cover, a male Holly (to pollinate with my female Holly), Columbine flowers, Blue fescue, lilies, and one annual plant have already been put in the ground. I am still waiting for three more plants to arrive. Plus, I still have my wild flower garden to seed. This small hill of mulch should not only make sure these plants succeed by keeping the ground moist longer, it should also cut my summer weeding job in half. Here’s hoping!

The smaller mound, protected by the blue tarp, is 1 yard of topsoil. I’ll be planting my vegetable garden this weekend! I have only planted tomatoes and herbs in the past. I’m shaking things up this year. I’ll be planting onions, eggplant, anise, mint, and strawberries. Of course, I’ll also plant tomatoes. Maybe this year, I’ll yield enough of a crop to make homemade tomato sauce and tomato soup.

Though my plan was to take today off and work in my garden, the weather had other plans. Instead, I’ll read your blogs, knit on my Christmas tie, and make lemon bars for dessert. Despite the fact that my plans were skunked, Jake’s were not. He still got his walk this morning. Even after drying and brushing him for 15 minutes after we got home, he still smells like a wet dog.

On a more sobering note, there is another reason I titled this post “Small Hills to Scale”. You may have already noticed the new button on my blog in the left side bar.

My husband’s Aunt Kathy (my MIL’s sister) was recently informed that she would need a kidney transplant. The process to find a donor has already begun. It is almost certain that a donor will be located, since Dan comes from a large family. To help cover the many expenses associated with transplantation, fund raising efforts have begun. The family will be hosting a Beef -N- Beer event. My contribution was to create Aunt Kathy her own website on WordPress: http://KathysKidneyFund.com. Dan helped me activate the Paypal button, since it wasn’t a simple copy and paste of the code. He actually had to edit the HTML code. I know a little HTML code, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to my computer engineer husband.

Slipping into Happiness

Marie Haigh14 Comments

I swore I wouldn’t do again. I had even considered giving it all away to somebody who would put it to good use. My knitting, sewing, quilting and gardening hobbies keep me busy. I don’t have time for another hobby. I explained all of this before.

On Wednesday when I was deciding between the gorgeous yarn my MIL gave me and the true-red, practical yarn, I saw the Corriedale roving. Instantly, I remembered where I was when I bought it and how excited I was to bring it home. Master K, my nephew, was newly born. (He will be 5 in August). I was visiting my sister in Texas to help with keeping Miss K, the proud big-sister, out of the way. I purchased it in a small shop in McKinney, Texas on the one day my sister and I escaped the confines of her house. I was terribly excited to bring it home. Inside the package of roving was a drop spindle. Once I got back home to Pennsylvania, I immediately took it out of its packaging and tried to spin it up. It was a disaster. At first, I was spinning too loose. Then, I was spinning too tight. So, I bought a book. Then, I bought another book. I purchased a Turkish spindle. I bought a batt of gorgeous merino wool. I took a spinning class at Stitches East. Nothing worked. The harder I tried, the more frustrated I became. So, I packed it all up and put it away. I gradually accepted the fact that I would never spin my own wool. It was nothing to be upset about. The world is full of commercial-spun and hand-spun wool. Naturally, I just bought more wool to make up for the lack of handmade wool.

Looking at the Corriedale roving, I was inspired. I walked into the office/craft room and took down my Turkish spindle. All these years, it had been hanging from a hook. Waiting. I sat down and I started to spin. My first try was once again too loose. Then, everything I had been taught just clicked into place. I was spinning! And I was smitten.

The rationalization has already started. If I finish knitting 10 more rows, I can go spin for a half an hour. If I finish making four more quilt squares, I can spin for a full hour. It’s going to rain tonight, so the gardening doesn’t need watering. I can spin a bit more during the time I would have been watering. It’s a slippery slope.

I don’t need another hobby. Yet, I just can’t stop myself!

Speaking of my garden, I leave you with a picture of a Flowering Dogwood. Though last summer’s drought took a toll on my other four dogwoods, this one was left unscathed. It is protected in the backyard from the afternoon sun.

Bees and Yarn

Marie Haigh4 Comments

Yesterday was Earth Day. So, of course, I had to plant something … anything. I chose to plant my new Columbine flower seeds. My original plan was to plant them underneath Henry’s tree (an Eastern Red bud tree given to the woman who used to live here by her son Henry).

 

While uprooting the few weeds, I noticed that there were several holes in the ground. My first thought was that a mole had taken refuge underneath the tree.

Miffed with his/her real estate choices, I started to fill a hole in next to the hosta plant, since the tunnel was causing it to lean over. That is when I realized it wasn’t a mole’s tunnel. Instead of frantic digging, I heard buzzing. Then, I saw a bee enter one of the other tunnels. I admit, I started to get a bit nervous. Normally, if you tamper with a bee’s hive, it gets a bit irritable. Yet, these bees did not.

It seems poignant that on Earth Day I learned something new about Mother Nature. Ground bees or mining bees are solitary. They are harmless to humans and extremely beneficial to the environment (my garden). So, I plan to do absolutely nothing about them. Even Dan, who is deathly allergic to bees, asked me if I knew how to invite them back next year. Alas, I don’t.

Rather than spend the day eradicating bees from my yard, I finished a new lace design instead.

The design is based upon the picture. I translated the Chinese symbol, which means ‘happy marriage’ to the best of my knowledge, into yarnovers and decreases.

My only problem is that I can’t decide what yarn to use to try out my new design. I have pulled out almost everything from my stash. I narrowed it down to the two skeins you see sitting on the red table. The vibrant red is sheep’s wool by Briggs n Little. This truly reflects the color used in the picture. My devil’s advocate would note that the feel of the red yarn is a bit course. The other skein was given to me by my wonderful MIL. She purchased the yarn at a fair in Maine. It is hand dyed and hand spun. It’s softer than Jake’s lovely fur. So, naturally, I am leaning toward using the sumptuous yarn. I hesitate because my MIL instructed me to use the yarn to make something wonderful. A lace pattern that I will probably never use, except as a centerpiece for our dining room, doesn’t constitute as “something wonderful”.

Fine, you talked me out of it. I’ll cast on with the true-red.

PS. Doesn’t everybody keep a Tigger on their work desk?

Green with Envy and Poison Ivy

Marie Haigh9 Comments

I finished my Green with Envy scarf. This scarf was fun and quick to knit! It was simple enough that I could watch my Phillies play baseball without having to look down too often. Yet, the yarns were fun to knit together. They played well off one another. I should admit that two weeks ago, I had no plans to knit a scarf. While digging through my yarn stash, I came across three yarns that begged to be knit together. Since I was in need of a simple baseball project, I cast on. This scarf is what came to be.

 

The specs: No design
Stitch pattern: Quadruple Moss Stitch (basically an elongated Double Moss Stitch)
Yarns used:

From Left to Right: First, 100% rayon in purples, blues and greens. Tag lost on this yarn, but assume it is from A Touch of Twist where I have purchased all of my rayon yarn. Second, Sinflex by London yarns in green. Third, Clip (100% cotton) by Klaus Koch in Lime Green.
Needles used: 10.5 USA

I honestly have no aspirations for this scarf. I will probably just throw it into my Christmas cabinet and stow it there until the holidays. The most likely recipient is my cousin, since green is her favorite color. Plus, she looks fantastic in green (I suppose the two have something to do with one another). I gravitate towards blue for the very same reasons.

To explain my title of this post, the season for poison ivy has begun. Ask me how I know.

Well, since you asked, I was grooming Jake last night and not but five minutes later, my left elbow was itching like crazy and had broken out in the tell-tale bumps associated with poison ivy. I should be grateful for the fact that I only break out on my left elbow. And I am. Around mid-June, the gratitude starts to falter and the bitterness creeps in. I know I won’t get relief until late-September when the leaves have fallen off the plants and they have slipped into dormancy.

I have tried everything to avoid it. I can spot the plant several yards out and detour around it. I have tried using a lotion that is supposed to reduce or eliminate an outbreak before I even come in contact with the plant. I use Caladryl lotion to keep me from scratching and in turn reduce the spreading. Yet, the problem isn’t me coming in contact with the plant. The problem is my darling Jake. He gets the plant oils on him and during normal petting or grooming, he lovingly transfers the oils to me. Short of training Jake to avoid poison ivy (and I wouldn’t even know how to go about that), I don’t know what to do.

Well, I will leave you on a happier note. Another picture of my green scarf:

An Apron for Miss C.

Marie Haigh15 Comments

I love aprons. I wear them while cooking, painting and gardening. I own two vintage aprons and 2 ordinary aprons. Approximately two weeks ago, I decided that I needed yet another apron. In my desire to support the indie artist whenever feasible, I chose this pattern.

So, here I was about to embark on a fifth apron for myself, when it occurred to me that my niece’s 5th birthday was fast approaching. Last I knew, my niece, Miss C., did not have an apron. All little girls should own aprons. One is necessary to properly host a tea party and to partake in bake-a-thons with grandmothers. Plus, Miss C. will be entering kindergarten in September and an apron might save a handle full of shirts from all the messy arts and crafts projects. It’s impossible to save all of them.

With only a week to spare, I biked down to my nearby fabric store and picked out the most bright and vivacious fabric I could find. Three rows away, I found an equally bright pink fabric to use as binding.

I am very pleased with how the apron came out.

The specs for those who are interested:
Simplicity #4692
Size 5-7
100% cotton used
Binding was handmade
Minor alterations: V-neck made higher and area from neck to waist widened

The back side:

I’ll let Miss C. show off the front side.

Miss C. looks darling in just about everything so I can’t take much credit for the apron looking good on her.

Dan and I attended her birthday party on Saturday. Though I have no pictures to show you of the party (our family photographer has not uploaded them yet), I wanted to share with you a story about the day. Miss C.’s parents, my BIL and his wife, have gently reminded Miss C. that she needs to open the accompanying card to each present before she can move onto the next present. They have been reminding her since she was young enough to understand. On her birthday, when given a present, Miss C. would first go in search of the card. Then, she would open the card and hand it to her father to read. She would sit quietly and listen while he read the card to her. At the end of his reading, he would mention who had signed it. Miss C. would look up at the person who sent it and smile at him/her. THEN, she would open up the present. Or sometimes, she would forget to open up the present, and instead go in search of the next card. It was such a delightful and endearing sight to see.

Photo of Miss C. taken by Matt H. Thank you!

Jake’s Announcement

Marie Haigh4 Comments

Parental guidance: One animal was harmed during the making of this post. Though the pictures are not graphic, they are suggestive coupled with the text.

If you are still reading, Jake has an announcement to make.

“Yesterday was a WONDERFUL day! I crossed one more animal off my “Things to Catch Before I Die” list”, says Jake.

The List:
Squirrels were crossed off the list twice over (earlier this year and last year).
Yesterday, Jake crossed ‘rabbit’ off the list.

Let me start from the beginning of the story. After dinner was had by all (Jake and the humans), I let Jake out to take care of any business. As we were walking outside, Jake took off towards the left side our our yard. He came back towards me moving very slowly and with something in his mouth. I think I gasped and backed up a step or two away in horror. Thankfully, Jake didn’t see my reaction or he might not have done what he did next.

He laid this animal down in front of me, inches from my feet. I could see now that it was a very young rabbit. For reasons I will not state, I knew instantly that this rabbit was dead. Jake, certain that the rabbit was safe in my possession, ran back to the scene of the crime to see if there were any more rabbits to bring to me.

The scene of the crime:

At this time, my neighbors to the left of me called me over to explain the whole story. Before I relay the information to you, I feel I need to remind you where I live.

We live in a suburb about an hour north and west of Philadelphia. It is a small town (technically a borough) that has been a town for over 200 years. When Jake and I go walking every morning, every single block is lined with sidewalks. I’m trying to stress that we don’t live in the country. We live in a town minutes away from two major thoroughfares.

So, you can imagine my shock when my neighbor, Mr. B, goes on to explain to me that the poor rabbit had been killed by a hawk. Mr. and Mrs. B had been sitting on their back porch watching the hawk enjoy his prize. Jake interrupted the meal. The hawk couldn’t fly to safety and carry the rabbit away. Mr. B stated that it tried, but failed.

Jake is not a killer; he’s a retriever. And as you can see, he is a very good retriever. The squirrels crossed off the list above were not harmed. Both scurried away once Jake laid them down in front of me. Though the baby squirrel he caught did require a bit of training. It didn’t know how fast it should scurry away. The first time, it was a bit too slow. The second time around, it did much better.

A very proud Jake:

Jake wanted me to let you know that he received two treats for his good work and lots of praise.

Today, I am still whirling over Jake’s act of loyalty and generosity. Nobody else has given me a dead rabbit.

Dan said he didn’t know I wanted one.

Easter Pictures and a New Project

Marie Haigh3 Comments

I know I mentioned that I would be posting pictures of my niece’s 5th birthday party and the apron I made her. Unfortunately, I failed for the 3rd day in a row to retrieve the apron pictures off of Dan’s camera. In an effort to remember tonight, I have informed Dan about my need to borrow his camera. Hopefully, one of us will remember.

Today, we will have to muddle through without cute niece pictures. Instead, I will woo you with other pictures.

Thanks to my SIL, I have Easter pictures to show you.


Dyeing Easter eggs with my godson Finn.


Finn getting tickled by his mother and I.

Pictures taken by my SIL (Michelle H.).

I have to admit that I rely on my SIL, perhaps too heavily, to provide me with pictures of the family get-togethers. I never remember to pull my camera out and she is never without hers.

In knitting news, I started a new project. It’s a simple scarf that uses up some of my odds and ends: leftover cotton Clip yarn, rayon yarn by A Touch of Twist and Sinflex by London yarns. The pattern is what I would call a Quadruple Moss Stitch, a double moss stitch elongated by four more rows.


 

My New Toy

Marie Haigh7 Comments

The last time I bought a new gadget (my treo) was approximately 5 years ago. Truth be told, I didn’t even buy that toy. Dan bought it for me. I’ve had the same cell phone since we signed onto Verizon’s family plan. I don’t even know how long ago that was. It’s older than the Treo. Let’s just say that my cell phone isn’t slim – at all. Plus, it doesn’t flip open and it doesn’t have a camera in it. So, you see the pattern, right? I don’t buy the latest gadget toys. I don’t even know what half of them are for. I spend my mad money on fabric and yarn.

Yet, today I have a new toy to show off to you.

OK. I admit it. I didn’t buy this toy either. Dan did. But, isn’t it pretty?

It’s a Kodak EasyShare digital camera (model Z1275). Dan found it on Woot.com for $100, refurbished.

As you can see, I’m still trying to figure out how to work the camera. (That picture was a bit blurry).

I did a better job taking a picture of my first completed star block for the Americana quilt.

One might think since I’ve had a whole week to work on this quilt, I might be further along. I would be if I hadn’t detoured. =)

It was my youngest niece’s 5th birthday last week. I tossed all my obligations out the window so I could make her an apron. Pictures of the apron and details of the birthday party will have to wait until Wednesday. In my excitement over the new camera, I forgot to transfer the pictures I took on the old camera. Oops.

Jake, The Protector

Marie Haigh7 Comments



Bear and Fish

Originally uploaded by RecycledAiir

On our daily walk, Jake and I cut through the park next to the Borough Hall. Within the park is a lovely statue of a black bear holding a trout.

Once Jake caught site of the bear, he began to growl and hunch down (attack mode). At first I wasn’t sure what Jake was growling for; I was busy searching around for what was bothering him. Not finding any danger, I commanded Jake to cease with his growling and continued on through the park, advancing towards the statue. Jake stopped in his tracks and started growling again. Looking back at him, I realized he was growling at the bear statue.

Of course, I giggled at him. Determined not to have a dog scared of inanimate objects, I advanced to the bear without Jake. I knocked on the statue, proving to Jake that the bear was hollow and not real. Jake advanced cautiously, but soon agreed with me; it didn’t smell like a bear.

Though I tried to get a picture of Jake with the bear, Jake proved unwilling. It still looked like a bear. One can never be too sure. Apparently, when meeting a bear, you are supposed to growl at it, letting him know you are voracious hunter. Then, you walk briskly away.

I’ve never felt so safe in my life.

PS. This picture was taken by a fellow Flickr user.

Taking a Break in my Garden

Marie Haigh2 Comments

First, I want to thank everybody who offered advice on how to correct my quilting woes. It was excellent advice! Goodness knows, I didn’t want to have to recut all those squares. So, I will continue on with the original plan. My nephew will be the proud owner of a too-big quilt for his twin bed. Yet, like all little boys, he will grow up and eventually grow into the quilt.

Rather than stay cooped up inside yesterday afternoon, I dediced to go play in my garden. True, there isn’t much that can be done at this time of the year. The soil is still very damp barring me from planting anything, trees and shrubs that flower in the spring should be left alone until after their blooming season, and I already trimmed the hedge row. So, I opted to move some rocks around.

Many people strategically place rocks and boulders in their gardens for asthetic purposes. I use them as guardians against the evil lawn mower.

The list of plants injured or killed by the mower grew longer last year: 3 day lillies, 1 hosta and 1 japanese maple. The lilies and hosta have sprouted already and will bloom soon. So, Dan’s mantra that the plant will grow back stronger if trimmed holds sway. However, the maple died. So, to protect all plants that aren’t big enough to fight back, I use large rocks or bricks. (The rose bushes and fire thorn bush require no such protection. They have mawled the man behind the mower a few times.)

I can take virtually no credit for our gardens. The majority of plants were planted by the original owners, specifically the husband. I have only planted trees: 2 japanese maples and one eastern redbud. I also planted these flowers last year.

Hopefully, they will grow up to be purple coneflowers.

This year, if the ground ever dries out a bit, I will be planting 2 shrubs, 1 tree, ground cover, and a plethora of wildflowers. The main goal is to reduce the amount of grass Dan has to mow. Thereby, reducing the amount of damage to my plants. Additionally, a little bit of my personality should start to shine through.