Differences

Its always in the evening when the flesh is weak.  I can not resist something sweet to eat with my cup of tea, once the hard work is done and the children are in bed, I can relax and have a treat (without having to answer questions about it, or share it, or give it to someone else) and my husband has brought home from Trader Joes some Joe Joes......  oo they are dangerously morish.

They are just like the custard creams we would have had back home, with a lovely sweet creamy sandwich filling.  All totally bad for you.  And Trader Joes has this sort of aura about it, so you feel anything you buy from TJs is healthy.  Of course it isn't (chocolate covered cherries for eg) but its a lovely store to shop in.  It epitomises the America I have become familiar with, very helpful cheery staff (Vs grumpy unhelpful UK versions), fun environment and lovely food.  They make it fun for the kids (acknowledging that parents have to shop with kids they don't just do it for a laugh) by hiding an animal (monkey in one store, frog in another) for the children to find on each visit, they get a small treat if they spot the toy.  Its just a great shop.  If I could just avoid the Joe Joes.......

Noo crochet project

After the joy of choosing my next project (what to do what to do!) I always seem to deliberate for a day or so whilst I parse the actual AMOUNT of squares or lines or what ever I will need to do.  It always seems endless.  Then I get stuck in.  After counting about 119 squares to be done for my new project I started with small targets 4 a day, and with the occasional increase/decrease of this amount I seem to be making headway, which always spurs me on a bit.  As it a baby blanket for the new baby (girl) and not being a girly girl myself I have gone for a blue pink mix, but am joining with pink, and will end up with a pink border of some sort.

 I am thinking of a cream heart for the middle with a pink surround to it.  So last night I was designing (yes me!) a pattern for that using XL on the computer.  Fingers crossed.  I am going to give that a go today.

I am not sure how to make it from a square into an oblong, probably with a build up of rows at either end or something.

Country Lane Afghan

 I have used a combination of two pattern designs for my blanket.  I couldn't decide between the blanket above and this one....... so I have merged them.  I prefer the idea of a border rather than the uneven edge of the Country Lane Afghan (btw how do you define an Afghan?  I thought Afghan was a stitch, but it seems over here - the US - anyway, it seems any kind of crocheted blanket.

Granny Square Afghan
from 10-20-30 Minutes to Learn to Crochet (Leisure Arts)

Movements

At 6 months the days are now taking their toll.  Not to mention the crazy temperatures we have been having with no air con to help ease the day on....The boys were playing football in 100degrees earlier this week. Anyhow, beginning to notice the swollen feet and the aching joints at the end of the day. And last night, even the soon to be new addition started to add her 'voice' to the chorus and gave me a few almighty jabs from the inside out.  Ouch!

Today an opportunity arose that has really peaked my interest (I don't know if I have spelt that correctly, I think it might 'piqued').  Someone from the boys school has put forward a suggestion of a Holiday (ie Christmas) craft fair.  And I think I might just go for it.  Between crocheting and ceramics I think I might be able to cobble some kind of stock together.  And the slab building course has helped with my confidence in the ceramics department, I actually feel like I made some things I actually like, the stuff I throw it a bit amateur.  I have 2 months to get on with things......

Slab building

I have just come into the garden and after a few moments noticed a woodpecker in the tree above me!  When I called out the family for a look it turned out Mr Woodpecker was there too - with a lovely red cap on his head.  Sadly my camera doesn't have the ability to take good photos at that distance so I didnt bother but it was lovely to see them.....

Middle spotted woodpecker.  I don't know if this is the right species but Mr Woodpecker looked like this!

Yesterday I did a 6 hour class on slab building.  I have done this sort of thing before but have been admiring the work of the teacher, Elaine Pinkernell, and for a while been thinking I need to move off the wheel (not to mention with my ever increasing belly size I wont be able to reach the wheel soon!) as I keep making useless bowls and crap mugs.  I like the freestyle, randomness of Pink's work and I had a ball yesterday with stamps!  Whilst, like most things it takes practice, it was a relatively easy process as there was such freedom in coming up the designs on the pieces we built.  And Pink very kindly supplied us with a range of templates that helped the process a lot!  Obviously mistakes were made, but slab building is much more forgiving than wheel work, and as I was making patch work mugs anyway any problem areas could soon be patched.  Whilst the 2 mugs I built were rather large and may be more suitable for beer than coffee, at the end of the day I wasn't cringing at my work, which is a definite plus.  Usually, I sneak my work away from the pottery and more recent attempts could be bettered by a high schooler I am sure.....

Elaine Pinkernell's wall plaque.
I love the amazing contrasting colours.

A couple of Elaine's mugs.
I'll post my versions when they get fired and glazed!

'Frisco & Labor day

Here's something different to home, instead of August bank holiday they have Labor day - which is the first Monday in September. It is supposed to mark the social and economic contribution of The Workers but more commonly known as the end of summer.  For us, it was a much needed extra weekend day as, after two weeks of school the boys were very tired (and grumpy and disagreeable) and an extra days rest seems to have put them back on track.  Especially son #2 who is not really used to the new, longer days now he is at Kinder.

I have to admit, I prefer the cooler temps of the San Francisco, but on Labor day itself it was quite sunny and we enjoyed a lovely walk down from Presido park to the touristy wharf and back again for some kite flying on the windy bay shore :-)  The weather was even clear enough so you can see Golden Gate bridge in the background :-)

Any other name

Since before the birth of my last child (a son) I had decided my daughter was going to be called Rose.  I had always like the flower names - daisy, lily, Iris but the only one that didnt seem too frilly and twee or really old-lady-ish was Rose.  Now I know I am having a girl. I am keeping this to myself (well, husband knows) but looking forward to delighting everyone when she comes along, as we are an all boy family - well, all boy grandchildren and no more likely.....But a few things have happened lately that have made me wobble on the name.  People I know keep calling their pets Rose or Rosy (a likely pet name should we have a Rose) and then, just the other day someone mentioned Rose West.  That has really put the wobble on, why would I want to name a child after such a horrendous person?  But the other options, well I like Maura and Ellen, but husband does not, which kinda nixes them.  So is it back to the drawing board?  Eva, Evie, Edie, Isabella - none of these really jump out at me.  Am I going to have to start reading baby name books for girls???? Yeuch.  Oh, well we have another 4 months so lets just see.....