Nothing but sadness today

My heart is heavy for the loss of so many today. Although the crash site of Flight 3407 is about 15 miles from my home, for some reason, I feel as if it could have been on my street. I don't know how that neighborhood will recover. My heart goes out not only to those on board, but for the family whose home was destroyed in addition to their father/husband taken. How do you get beyond that? One minute its just another Thursday evening and then --- how do you process the loss of your husband and the home you made, the memories of everything in that home just gone in an instant. Your life completely turned upside down and inside out. It makes my head hurt and my heart cry.

Jeanette's Necklace

A big thank you HUG to Deb for providing the inspiration for Jeanette's chain! I'm really happy with the results. I've been holding it hostage for awhile until I could get some pics, but will zip down to her office right after my work day and return it to her.

OH, and I'll be 'zipping' down there in my new ride! After many months of searching (by my husband), we have finally purchased a different vehicle - not the VW Bug (lucky Tabby) or the Mini Cooper that I wanted, but a nice 2004 GMC Envoy. Now I just have to pay attention to what it looks like so when I come out of the grocery store I know my car! It's pretty funny I park next to an Envoy everyday in the lot at work and it wasn't until after we decided to get mine, that I even realized what it was. All those SUV things look the same to me!

My friend Paula continues to clean out her yarn collection and has now given me even more goodies!

Self -striping yarn - more socks !!

A hat kit all the way from New Zealand (Paula takes fabulous trips every year)

And a beautiful beaded purse kit - even with the first tube of beads already strung :) I've never knitted with beads before, so I am really looking forward to tackling this project.

Speaking of new things, here's my cable scarf I'm working on, also using yarn from Paula. I'm making it extra long so I can wrap it around my neck. I've got about 28 inches so far, and am thinking I want it about 60 inches long - almost half way done :)

And if I don't feel like I have enough to keep me out of trouble, I just jumped into my first beading contest sponsored by The Beader's Muse. I couldn't resist when I saw the beads in the kit - they are so pretty. Not quite sure if I will actually enter my finished piece, but I thought it was a fun idea, plus those beads.....yum!

My wish for green has been granted. Our temps have 'soared' into the 50s and today they are predicting 62! Its very ugly outside now with the decaying snowbanks, but the grass is showing and the birds seem to be singing a bit more. I do love the snow, don't get me wrong, but it has been so nice to go outside and not have to scrape the ice or brush the snow from the car and I actually didn't wear gloves yesterday-no gloves in February?? that's unheard of! The moon on Monday night was so amazing. It had this pink halo around it - I took a picture, but of course it was much more spectacular in person.

Making a Commitment

For years, I have been in on and off again contact with a bead studio in Rochester, NY, which is about an hour or so away from where I live. Various times I have been asked to teach a class, but could never commit to take on the challenge. Me teach? I don't feel like I have the level of expertise to classify myself as a teacher. Plus everything I make is very time consuming and with it being quite a commute to the studio, I would need to come up with a project that could be accomplished in about 2 hours, limiting the project options.

Well I got another email from the studio asking me to consider teaching a class this spring. I took a leap of faith (or blind stupidity) and said yes. I've decided to teach 5 basic bead embroidery stitches to demonstrate how you can add texture and 'movement' with just these few techniques. I worked up a sample (see the pink pin above) and realized it was too large at just 2" x 3" to finish in a 2-hour time frame. But I got the basic idea of keeping with the few stitches. I am in the middle of making another smaller piece (about 2" x 2") and I think that will be the size for the class.

And here is a necklace that I had made for my friend Jeanette a few years ago that broke. I could just restring it, but I really would like to do something different. I tried a peyote stitch tube, but that didn't look right, so I'm waiting for inspiration to strike. The single bead strand just looks too whimpy to me.

I just learned how to knit a cable pattern! I am so fascinated with it. It's the coolest thing. My friend Elrene showed me how to do it and my other friend Paula just happened to be cleaning out her overflowing yarn stash, and gave me a bag of 7 (!) skeins of hand-dyed wool in the creamiest vanilla colors with just subtle hints of beige and rose - scrumptious! So I have knitted myself into a frenzy and feel like my right arm and hand are about to fall off. I'm assuming this is a full-blown addiction when I continue to do something even when it hurts!!! My plan is to make a cable scarf with a matching pair of socks and fingerless gloves (which will be a new challenge for me). Better start popping the ibuprofen!!

My Hearts to You Bracelet is off to its new home in Seattle Washington. I will miss it. Isn't that ridiculous??? I make it to sell, and yet when it does sell, my heart is a little sad :(