Foothills Folly

I wasn’t sure about putting my paintings in this show, but I did submit three. At the opening, someone asked to meet me, and she told me my larger landscape was the best piece in the entire show. She is not a buyer, but her critique was welcome ( she had had a painter husband)—how could it not be? When I left, only one little painting had sold, a watercolor of an iris—yes, it was nice for the $50.00 price tag. I will go back and try to photograph my efforts; meanwhile, of course, I await more sales. The economy is not encouraging.

The cold and snow make me hunker down, glad to be in the not-so-warm (unless one is quite near the wood stove) house . We’re burning wood from the second pile; it’s punkier and wouldn’t last ’til next year, but it’s also wet and slow to burn. So far the chimney is staying clean—haven’t had to send Sam up on the roof. I managed to get three paintings done for the art league show at Noble Horizons. Did I say ‘done’? I at least put them in frames and gave them titles and prices, but they are more like the idea of paintings than like real, authentic, finished items. Especially when I got them out in the sunlight—-I must say they looked so much better in a dark corner of my living room! Last year I sold two little ones; this year I expect I will be bringing these back home in February.

I’m loading up the palette with fresh paint, as I need to practice getting to ‘finished’ with my work. Ditto for my knitting. Have not yet begun the promised Koolhaus hat. Haven’t added a stitch to the maze hat, also promised although it seems a bit small for this large-headed family:

This is an easy way to do two-color knitting, knitting with one color on a round and slipping the other; but somehow I am off on my last round second to the last round and not sure whether to tink or push on. The maze is a bit wonky and I don’t think errors will be too noticeable. Yarn is two colors of Knitpicks Swish Superwash.

The next rumpled-hat looking project is the Hemlock Ring Blanket, through corrected row 35, now ready for longer cables. It is the next WEBS knitalong but I need a head start in order to keep up— The yarn is a thick 2 ply from Bartlett Mills, Fisherman tweed, in Dark Heather. I’m anxious for it to get large enough to keep me warm as I knit!

And lastly I swatched the Secret of the Stole ii, in knitpicks Shadow, the color of which I think is sunset heather, but maybe redwood heather, and which will become apparent as I knit on and need to find the remaining skeins. The clues will begin to be posted tomorrow a.m., so I imagine I am already behind on this, unless tomorrow is a snow day—possible, but not likely.

Watched a PBS show last night on the plasticity of the neuro-matter in our brains; I think all this knitting helps with the new synapses IF we get it right. Not so likely, either.

I love the new beginning feeling that comes with the 1/1 date. I have made some sweeping resolutions; one of which is to get outside more: (starting tomorrow!) (I am nothing if not a procrastinator!) I am up for changes in five categories: Health, Wealth, Art, Life, and Permaculture.  I think that about covers the essentials. I would have put in a spinning and/or a knitting goal, but they seem to be my default activities and don’t need any encouraging.

This is the storm of yesterday; I didn’t get a photo of today’s; kind of looked the same. I would miss this season if I ever went south for the winter. Especially that cozy feeling of a ’snow day’ with food in the house and no where one needs to go.

Mitzy has taken over the tree; I know she thinks we brought it in the house just for her. To her credit she has been a huge help at undecorating it, though I’m not yet ready to take it down.

 The amaryllis opened yesterday; the picture does not capture how red it really is. Kind of the red of this yarn:

The Fleece Artist sock yarn was part of a raffle prize from the fall Spin-Out. I wasn’t able to go, but made a donation to the Heifer Society—and was delighted with the prize package that arrived yesterday—Thanks, Cara, and all your sponsors!

I have been spinning, this fuzzy fiber I carded a few months ago—is it the alpaca mixed with wool?  Or the moorit locks from RHLindsay? Inquiring minds want to know, and I have forgotten.  Lesson learned: always label!

Lastly, Sam, and girl friend Kath, dressed for a dinner out at Bizen’s, everyone’s favorite Japanese restaurant.  I stayed home and made my own sushi!