April catch-up and May is already here!

I am going to try and catch you up with the things that I have finished in April, then you will understand why I have been silent for a while. These will not necessarily be in the order that they happened.

I made a crocheted Lovie for Julie Ann Kay. This is a free pattern on the Lion Brand website. 

Caught up on wedding gifts at church. Made potholders and dishcloths. There will always be dishes to wash. 

 On the weekend of the 21st of April, we celebrated our son turning 24. We celebrated in the usual way with a day trip, taking in the beauty of our lovely state. Now you will know why it is called "The Natural State".
I was trying to use some techniques that I learned in my photography class at DFW Fiber Fest at the beginning of the month, more on that trip later.

This is Falling Water Falls. Kind of redundant, isn't it? If it is a waterfall, isn't there water falling?

Michael and I posing for the camera. 

I just adore waterfalls.

Ben and Grace at the top of the falls. 

Butterflies getting some of the salt from the dirt. 

 Then we went to Lost Valley at Ponca.

The throne!

Lots of lovely wildflowers at Lost Valley. 

 

A hollowed out tree that makes the perfect frame for a picture. 

Ben in the hollowed out tree at 24 years.

Ben at the hollowed out tree at 9 years. I found this one while looking for a picture of the tree that we planted when Ben was 14 years old. My how he has changed. Little did I know that he would grow into the young man that he is today. Notice that he has a backpack on in both photos. 

More beautiful wildflowers.

This is what we thought was Eden Falls, but we did not go back along the trail far enough. Anyway, this was a lovely waterfall. 

There was a way to get to it along the side. 

Our little mountain goat!

Monkey see, monkey do!

The cave opened up at the back of the falls. I was so jealous to not be able to climb up there with them. Grace and I just watched and took pictures. 

Then we discovered the back entrance of the waterfall. See how blue the water is?

This is the opening to the waterfall from the back. 

Grace and I could get to it from this end. 

This plant reminded me of Shrek's ear. I don't know why, it just does. 

On the way to the Glory Hole Waterfall, we spotted an elk. 

Lovely old cabin/barn. 

The Glory Hole waterfall. It was magnificent!

 We really should have done this one first. It was the longest trek and at the end of the day, it required more energy than I had remaining. I struggled to make it back to the car.

April and May have been wonderful months for my flowers and plants. 

My roses that Ben got me for Mother's Day 2009 are glorious!

This variety is called Hot Cocoa Kiss. 

My kale is doing great! Can't wait to eat this stuff.

My spanish lavender is brilliant!

My Oak Leaf Hydrangea that Ben bought me for Mother's Day last year is looking lovely. 

This is my favorite azalea. It takes my breath away with its beauty. 

Our Greg's Mist flower is spreading like crazy! The butterflies love this.

And here is the Red Oak that we planted when Ben was 14 years old.  It has doubled in height and width. 

Here is Ben and his dad digging the hole for it. 

Here Ben and I am posing in front of the newly planted tree in 2003. 

It looks so small, but we knew it would grow tall and strong like our son. 

I found a pattern for little baby cowboy boots and made a couple of pairs for babies at church. 

 Got a couple more pairs to make for some more little girls.

 Okay, now for the DFW Fiber Fest that took place on April 7-9th! I look forward to this event every year. There are so many reasons, too. One is time away with my sweetheart, two--my bff Cindy comes to it, too. She has a sister that lives close, so she combines the trip with the pleasure of sister time. It is so much better to have another knitter/fiber/craft friend to share the experience with. Three--I get to see Bubba and Patti, our cousins, and go out to dinner with them. Four-- I get to visit with students that I had taught last year, hey Faith, loved our talk!
I took 3 classes -- Photograph Your Fiber with Franklin Habit, Entrelac Shift with Gwen Bortner, and Steeking with Franklin Habit.

Bought some lovely Brown Sheep yarn for the redo of my Odd Ball Shawl. 

This is my sample from my steeking class. Our homework was to knit a tube in colorwork. We worked a row of single crochet along the center of these stitches, then cut it down the middle.

We folded the steek back, pinned it in place.

I wish that I had done my swatch in black and white and then worked my single crochet in red. My first steeked sweater may have those color combinations!

Ready to add the zipper.

This was probably the hardest part, putting in the zipper by hand. I am not sure that doing it on a sewing machine would be any easier. Have several other places on the tube swatch to experiment.

This is the neck cowl that was part of the homework for the Entrelac class. I don't like the colors of this one and will probably rip it and make it in a color that is more pleasing. 

This is the Fiber Lady booth, where I spend 90% of my money. I had used the bamboo lace weight yarn that I had bought last year and knew that I had to have some more of this. 

Me and Cindy! I am wearing my Intrigued With Beads Shawl using a double strand of bamboo lace weight and Cindy in wearing her Malabrigo lace weight Stripe Study Shawl. 

This was a gorgeous shawl design that we saw at DFW. It is called House of the Rising Sun. 

This was another shawl that I just drooled over! I can't remember the name of it. 

I took 3 projects with me to DFW, a remake of my Two Color Shrug, a remake of my Wyvern Shawl, and an Intrigued with Beads that I was making for a lady at church. I came home with all 3 almost completed.
I made a pact with myself that I would not break out the new yarn until I finished all 3 and finished my Flaming June that I had 16 rows remaining on. While I am finished with all 4 projects, I still have not broken out the new yarn. I think the thought of winding all of those 1000 yards of bamboo lace weight is something I will have to get help on from Michael or Ben.
Right now, I have a Christening dress on needles, a remake of an obsession that I have been working on for 3 years now! and a shawl with some yarn that I spun earlier this year. Working on getting some designs publish.
By the way, I did FINALLY publish my Seasons of Life Shawl.

This shawl can be made in lace weight yarn for the largerversion, sock weight yarn is used for the smaller version. 
I give the option of two versions for the edging- 
The Leaf Edging version features leaves, of course. How can a celebration shawl designed in honor of my 50th birthday have anything else? It shows my love of Autumn. 
The Diamond Edging version features diamonds. This one uses more beads and who can resist adding a few extra beads.
Both shawls are knit the same until you come to the edging. Both have charts and written instructions. 
Celebrate with me and enjoy knitting them both.

Finished Size: Unblocked 48” tip to tip -- 18” deep, blocked 64” from tip to tip --23 1/2” deep 
Smaller version, unblocked 39” tip to tip -- 14” deep, blocked 52” from tip to tip -- 18 1/2” deep

MATERIALS 
Lace weight yarn, approximately 550 yards (smaller version -- sock weight yarn, approximately 470 yards) 
29” Circular needle, for lace weight yarn, size 6 (4.00 mm) or size needed for gauge 
for sock weight yarn, size 7 (4.50 mm) or size needed for gauge

Beads are optional 
If you are using lace weight yarn, you will need size 8 seed beads. 
You will need size 6 seed beads for sock weight yarn. 
150 size 8 seed beads for Leaf Edging Version, 
approximately 10 grams (smaller version -- 140 size 6 seed beads) 
300 size 8 seed beads for Diamond Edging Version, 
approximately 20 grams (smaller version -- 260 size 6 seed beads) 
Size 13 steel crochet hook for placing size 8 seed beads 
Size 11 or 12 steel crochet hook for placing size 6 seed beads 
Pins for blocking

GAUGE: In Stockinette Stitch, for lace weight yarn, 20 sts and 26 rows = 4” 
For sock weight yarn, 18 sts and 24 rows = 4”

That's all for now. I am going to try and be more diligent with posting so that I do not feel overwhelmed with the prospect of having to post about so much at one time. It takes me days to finally get it all remembered.