Life

I knew it had been awhile since I had done my last blog, but I didn't realize that it had been the day before my mother passed away. I have noticed some changes in my life these past 6 weeks, which may be unnoticeable to most everyone else -- a new sense of life and living and loving. I find myself reading about spiritual things, considering learning to meditate, and wanting to find ways to fit some quiet, alone time in to the beginning/ending of my day.
There was a baby layette, just about finished, that she had been crocheting for someone's baby. I somehow knew that I was supposed to finish this project and send it to the intended family. Tonight I finally finished crocheting the little afghan -- the only item in the set that wasn't finished . Tomorrow I'll finish off the ends and sew on the ribbons and buttons and send it all off to my cousin in Canada -- it was meant for her grandson's baby who is now over 2 months old. But there will be more babies, and just maybe this little set will still fit the intended recipient -- at least the afghan can keep him warm in his stroller or crib. My mother taught me to crochet when I was little and as I worked away at the little blanket I could no longer tell where my mother's work ended and mine began -- she had stopped when the blanket was about a quarter finished. It seems so appropriate that my mother would have been making something for a brand new life when her life ended -- and that she made sure that someone (me) would be able to finish it for her by having taught me when I was a child how to crochet like her. I think it was just meant to be this way -- such a beautiful, meaningful message in such a simple aha moment today :). My mother travelled around the sun 79 times in this life and blessed many people with gifts from her hands and heart. I am grateful to have learned from her also about giving and living and loving, besides crocheting.

Farm Boxes

I came across a brochure at our county fair for one of those services where you can have locally grown organic farm produce delivered to your home and although I had heard of CSA programs before, this one really got my attention. It was very customizable and there were lots of price choices/combinations to choose from as well as delivery schedules. I reviewed their website thoroughly and even read all the archived farm e-newsletters! The more I studied on this particular service the more I wanted to be a part of their program. So I signed up and the first week in September we received our first box. I was thrilled with the contents -- just what they had said would be in the box. Now, there was one item in there that we had never tasted before - Candystripe Figs. OMG! They were gorgeous and sweet as candy! I was definitely a happy farm box girl :). Yes, all the other fruits and veggies were good too. I ate the figs so quickly though (well I let a couple of other people have some too, and even my parrot got some), I didn't get a photo of them.

Fridays, the list of what will be in next week's boxes comes out so I eagerly looked to see what would be in the next box. Hmmm, mission figs the next time. None of the other boxes were scheduled for Candystripe figs either. So the next week's box arrives and it was a new variety of goodness -- a mix of fruit and veggies and greens and a bunch of fresh thyme -- all of this, except the thyme, grown on the same farm. I eagerly looked forward to the announcement of the next box's contents -- mission figs again, but wait -- if I change my order to the next larger box -- it would come with CANDYSTRIPE FIGS :). So I happily upgraded to a larger order. And now I have a photo for you.

The inside looks like raspberry jam :)

I already know that this week's box won't contain Candystripe figs, but I'm still a happy farm box girl -- I know that I'm enjoying all the food that comes in the box, and as it changes weekly due to what is in season and being harvested I can continue to look for new things to come in my box. This week there will be a Galia melon! And now lettuce is in season so there will be more greens to make green smoothies and salads too.

If you live in Northern California, and want more information on Farm Fresh To You, please visit their website at http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php. Wherever you live, please do support your local organic farmers by buying from local farmers markets or searching for a CSA program in your area.

Sunset picnic

We had one of the unusually warm days here where it even felt muggy and so we headed for the coast. We stopped at the market to pick up items for an improptu picnic on the beach and we couldn't resist staying to watch the sunset. Then right at dusk, the shorebirds appeared and added to the magic of the evening. The colorful sunset is no doubt due to the large fires raging around California. The picnic was simple -- a selection of gourmet olives from the olive bar, some flax crackers, some fresh raspberries and some Gone Nuts! snack nuts. The music was provided by the waves breaking on the shore :)

New beginnings

Finally released today is my new set of tools for hand spinners. I have been making the WPI (wraps per inch) tool since the beginning of KaratStix, but the diz and the plying templates are finally in production after having been tested and approved of by a very nice supporter of KaratStix - Destiknit - since I am not yet a spinner myself, although I desperately want to be :). She also has an excellent podcast where she shares lots of great information for knitters and spinners and reviews lots of good stuff. You can find her podcasts here: http://destiknit.com/destiknit-the-podcast/

Another item, which is still in R&D is a stand to hold interchangeable knitting needles. And, I'll be working on ideas I have to do something similar for DPNs and straights as well. I personally have a few glass vases that I store my non-circular needles in (OK, I confess, there is a couple circular needles stuck in one of them too) and it is annoyingly untidy to look at, and I'm always trying to dig around to find just the one I need (I use them all the time to test my needle gauges). It would be so much easier if they stayed organized with their mates and looked nice and neat too, and would be so much more efficient for selecting the right size. I have been wanting to work on this idea for years, but now a couple of interested people has suggested that it would be great if I would try to do this so I have finally begun.

This one is a team effort with my brother -- I did the disk layouts and gathered the materials together (the bottom is cork and the pillars are bamboo chopsticks) and Tom, my brother modified the layouts to incorporate the chopstick pillars and cut everything out and glued it all together. This one is sized for the Hiya-Hiya interchangeable needles (so it fits size 2 up to size 15 needles). The diameter of the disk (not counting the protrusions that support the pillars) is just 3" and the height is approximately 3.75". It's a needle gauge and a stand :). The cork bottom ensures that your tips are cushioned should you point them down, and protects your furniture. The top layer has the US size markings on it and the bottom layer has the metric size markings on it. Of course there is room in the center for a sheep :).

Favorite Takeout Place

Que seRaw seRaw in Burlingame is our favorite little takeout place. Everything here is made from whole, fresh organic plant foods (vegan) and prepared in tasty, creative ways to preserve nutrients and enzymes (nothing is heated above 118 degrees). The owner Alicia and her staff are welcoming and eager to let you have taste samples if you want. Everything we have tried we have liked and friends that I have brought here are pleasantly surprised how much they like the food. They serve take away only, so plan to bring a sack (bring your own) or do as we do and enjoy your meal outside just a few steps away from their shop where there are tables and chairs and benches to choose from.

We had lunch here yesterday and ordered Beet Salad, Ceasar Garden Burger Salad, Lemon Cheesecake, Key Lime Strawberry Shortcake and Peach Sorbet. The beet salad was bursting with flavors from beets, apples, ginger and mint tossed in a little oil and vinegar. I had this and it was so refreshing. I couldn't resist trying the Key Lime Strawberry Shortcake which had a crust that I can't remember all the ingredients of but did include zucchini, the Key Lime cream was made with avocado and vanilla and agave nectar and lime (so delicious!) and it really worked -- the flavors and textures were just like strawberry shortcake but with the twist of lime! Was I eating dessert or my veggies? -- both :) so delicious and so good for me too. The peach sorbet was made (they make it themselves) from only fresh peaches! So sweet naturally you don't need the sugar that store bought sorbets add. My husband had the Ceasar Garden Burger Salad and the Lemon Cheesecake and enjoyed them as usual -- he usually can't resist the Chocolate Cheesecake, but yesterday went for the lemon -- it was such a warm day the lemon was perfect. We always come away feeling satisfied and refreshed.

A Garden Studio

It is too gorgeous outside to work indoors so I moved my work out to the garden today. I have everything I need at my fingertips: a nice large order that needs to be colored, some colored pencils, my pencil sharpener, and my netbook -- the wireless network helps me stay connected to my Etsy shop when I am in the garden. I use the containers left after eating organic spinach and lettuce for storage baskets and coloring trays. They are clear and stackable and don't end up in the landfill this way :).
And I even have someone to talk to while I work.

He is pretty quiet for the most part, and if it is warm out, he'll just go back to his cage which is on the other side of the window.

My Typical Day

My day begins with my friendly little alarm clock :)

He usually wakes up around 6:30am and will give a low chortle, and if I am not there within a minute he starts to chirp twice, loudly and sharply, to make sure I wake up. He's a Congo African Grey and he'll be 6 on November 2nd.

I am usually checking and replying to emails while having breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I like to have a bowl with a banana, blueberries, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and a little raw chocolate granola on top, with brazil nut milk I make myself. Hmmm, except for the chocolate, my little friendly alarm clock likes most of that too (he doesn't like seeds and chocolate is not allowed) :).

There are always orders to color and varnish and so I'll spend a couple of hours varnishing and/or coloring right after breakfast. Most days I have something that needs to be shipped so right after lunch I'll start getting things ready to ship. The post office is a short walk from my house just around the corner. If there isn't a lot of shipping to do, I'll stay in my studio after lunch and continue what I was working on in the morning.

I like to also color in the evening and work on new designs. I have a new design in the works at the moment that some of my customers have suggested. As the prototype comes far enough along I'll share more photos here.

After dinner my husband and I will sometimes go to the local bookstore and hang out for a couple of hours -- since I can't color or varnish there, I take along my knitting. Here's a photo of what I'm currently working on. It is the Heart to Heart beaded scarf designed by Sivia Harding and is from the "Embrace the Lace" club that I ordered through Woolgirl. Her kits are awesome! The yarn is Mama Llama Cashmere (100%!). It's a very pretty aqua color. I am now halfway done and the next kit in the series already arrived a week ago, so I'm eager to finish this one and start on the next one -- also lush!

After I get back from the bookstore, it's time to put the little alarm clock to bed. He usually is telling me "It's dark!" just around 9pm and "Want to go night night?" so it's easy to know when he's ready :). Then it's back to the studio until time for bed for me. If there are Etsy orders finished I try to post them before I go to bed -- which is usually about 11:30pm. I have to really pull myself away to end the day -- I love what I do so it doesn't feel like work and I know someone is waiting patiently for their stuff so I am eager to get it to them as well.