My Sewing Mojo Has Returned!

Click! on the picture to enlarge...

Hurrah, I finally finished this dress that I had started early in February!  I've made this model twice before already and I find myself wearing them quite often, so I thought, why not make a third one?!

The flowery fabric was a remnant that I've kept through all my stash purging, and I had just enough for these two side panels.  The other fabric I bought last year when my mom was here. I remember it was Robert Kaufman fabric in a blueish grey and the material is a little rough but very pretty and neutral looking.

It is a bit difficult to see on the middle photo but I added some free flowing stitching on the one side front panel, just underneath the big pocket. I also quite liked the little x's on the back seam for re-reinforcement.

I like it so much, maybe I should see if I have any more fabric in my stash for another one, now that this one is still fresh in my mind... <wink>

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Stepping Out...

(Yes, A Joe Jackson reference...)

The road is long...

It has been a month seen I last went running. Things were going quite well, but then at my last run, I quit. Just like that. I ran to the end of the street and just could not push myself to continue on. I turned around and went back home. That was such an all time low... 

Of course the death of my friend (which came quite sudden although she had been sick as long as I've known her), her memorial service and then another bad cold didn't help either.

But... I went out again today and I was so happy. Granted, I walked more than I ran, but I was actually Outside!

The forecast for the next few days is so very hopeful: dry (so-much-rain) and a bit warmer temperatures. I'm planning some gardening and maybe even some terrace knitting. And some more running of course...

Stirrings...

Finally I'm starting to feel some 'stirrings of creativity' floating back to me. Nothing concrete yet, but it is coming, I just know it!

A little bit of Cat Stevens in the morning...

I'm starting to see colors and textures and light, always a good sign...

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A Day Out...

From on top of the Space Needle. Very Seattle-like weather indeed!

Sea plane in passing...

The Space Needle right where the arrow points to...

Pike Place market right where the arrow points to...

Roof top terrace. You can see the storms moving away...

After all the sadness of the past two weeks and especially this past Saturday morning when the memorial service for my friend was held, it was extra wonderful to see our children again. They both arrived (plus a room mate) in the same afternoon, since they both have the week off for spring break.
Hugs all around!  {smile}

We spent yesterday exploring Seattle. We went up on the Space Needle (something that Master C. and I had actually never done before), then took the Monorail downtown and then first walked up to a friends' apartment (where we had brilliant views from their building's rooftop) and then walked all the way down to Pike Place Market.

The weather at the Space Needle was absolutely atrocious with several storms coming through, but by the time we made it to our friends' roof top terrace, the sun had come out and we had a lovely rest of the afternoon. Beecher's Mac & Cheese for lunch, hurray!

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Dark & Stormy...

The title refers both to the dark & stormy weather we're having today and to my recent knitting project: the Dark & Stormy cardigan designed by Thea Colman, which is getting close to being finished.

On the day that I heard about the passing of my friend, I also got hit by yet another cold. I'm taking this time to sit quietly with my knitting to sort out all the emotions of the past week. 

This coming Saturday is the memorial service and after that we will first drive to the airport to pick up Miss M. and her room mate and then we will continue on to drive to a bus stop to pick up Master C.  Both will be home for a week and I will cherish this time together even more so than before...

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Life & Love...

This morning I received the call from my friend's husband that she had passed away in the early hours... I am so sad, especially for him and their children, but at the same time I am so relieved that this final stretch of her life was a relatively short one. There are so many outpourings of love and funny stories about her on Facebook, it is just wonderful. That is how we will remember her...

After all the sad news of this past week, I wanted to add some color and life to our lives. It is still extremely early in the season for outdoor flowers, but hopefully these ones will last for a few weeks and give us hope and strength...

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Smiling Through The Tears...

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A lovely friend of mine went into hospice care earlier this week. I visited her there and said my goodbyes. I just cannot believe it.

I'm 'smiling through my tears' as I know she would want it that way.

Find peace dearest friend...

Picture taken a little over three years ago, 
when we drove to Seattle in this fabulous car.
We had so much fun!


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Ramblings...

Over a week and half ago now, Mr. G. and myself went for a four and half mile walk, right here in the valley. We had never walked this sort of hidden road before. (it is a dead end)

The weather was very quiet and it was a bit murky, but a lovely afternoon nevertheless with the promise of nicer weather for the next few days.

We met this mama cow and her two babies and that was about it. Well, maybe two bicyclists and one more walker, but that was it. Oh no, a couple of dogs came running up towards us and were super friendly. We also saw two horses in the field, but that really was about it... <wink>

Check out the cow weather-vane on top of the barn,
 there were two of them!

Yep, a nice walk indeed! {smile}

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The nice weather did arrive the next day, just look at all that sunshine!

But then the rain returned again and now our valley is flooded once again and most of the roads are closed, the sixth time since October if I remember correctly. Not to worry: we have lots of websites we can check and our house is never in danger...

Taken from the car yesterday...

Trees stuck underneath the bridge, Tolt River.

Tolt River, doubled in size...
(and it was loud too!)

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This week Mr. G. is enjoying his winter break and it is nice to have some company at home. Today was a dry day and we did quite a bit of yard work. This time of year all that yard work looks so daunting, but I know that a little bit at a time will do the trick!

Here Comes The Sun...

This is the same picture as my new blog header above, just not edited. Click! to enlarge.
The Cascade Mountain Range is in the background...

...and I say: it's alright! (Twice today I heard this song, so I took that as a sign and used it for my blog opener...)

So yes, what a simply glorious day it was: so much sunshine! I started the day out quietly, checking out what everybody else was up to on Facebook and Instagram and some newspapers etc. 

After I spent some time reading on the couch and enjoying seeing the Daffodils basking in the sun, I took my knitting bag and spent an hour at Tolt Yarn & Wool for some very pleasant chitchatting, oohing & aahing over all the different projects and the Downton Abbey shocker from this past Sunday. (!)

At noon it was time for me to drive to Little Bit for my weekly volunteering. Everybody was just so happy to be outside and realizing that the sun is actually starting to give off some warmth! 

We had the cutest rider today, a little four year old guy who was working so hard at pronouncing things right. You should have seen his face when he got to brush the horse afterwards and even have her eat some carrots of a plate that he was holding!  {smile}

Afterwards I always have lunch with the other ladies that volunteer there every Tuesday and it was just fun to chat with everyone...

On the way home I stopped a few times to take pictures of the mountains that were out in all their glory. Unfortunately my big camera would have been way better for this of course, but who would have thought it would become such a glorious day?!

The light caught my eye again once I was home, so I took these following pics with the big camera (Canon Rebel T1i)...

PS: Forecast for tomorrow: 100% rain...

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Zuzu!

Yay, I finished this little cowl/ shawlette in only a few days and it was so much fun to make! An easy pattern with enough interest to.... well, keep things interesting! {smile} 

My yarn choice was solely based on the comfy factor (Cascade Yarns Eco Duo in Zebra) and it probably wasn't the best for this particular lace pattern (which is now sort of hidden in the shawl), but I love it! The lace pattern will probably become more apparent once I've washed and blocked it, but for now I never want to take it off again...

Capturing my inner 'Dandy Highway (Wo)Man'!

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After that fabulous 'Perhaps, Perhaps' shawl from last week, I started a 'grandpa' cardigan called 'Dark & Stormy' which is designed by Thea Colman. It has a beautiful cable pattern on the back and will feature an impressive shawl collar in the end, but oh boy, this is already a very difficult project for me. Now that I've finished the little Zuzu's Petals shawl that has now given me a bit more confidence, I will tackle the rest of that cardigan again. This is what I've got so far...

The yarn is Madeline Tosh Pashmina Worsted in 'Worn Denim'...

Perhaps, Perhaps...

Click! to enlarge...

Just a quick post today: I finished the Perhaps, Perhaps shawl designed by Melanie Berg! It measures almost 95 inches / 2,5 meters in length, quite a feat...

Sorry, not quite focused right, but it is soooo dark here today...

I used Madeline Tosh DK in Nutmeg for the yellow / orange parts, Madeline Tosh Sport in Earl Grey for the lighter stripes and YOTH yarns in a dark grey for three of the stripes and a lighter grey for the one stripe. I wanted to use yarns from my stash and I did.

I think I'll be wearing this all the time! {smile}