MUSINGS IN MAY

May has come and gone - well it's gone at midnight tonight and my long time blog followers know what that means - CAMP LOOPY starts June 1st - This will be the 8th or 9th consecutive year I've participated in Camp Loopy with The Loopy Ewe which started out some years ago as an online shop.  They have grown, moved to Colorado and now have a brick and mortar as well and added quilting fabric.  They run this virtual camp every summer and it's a great way to get 3 projects completed - get a discount on yarn and maybe have a few Christmas or birthday gifts set

.  aside.  For some reason I failed to take a photo when the yarn arrived so I am swiping a photo of my June yarn off the Loopy website.  This is Shellbeach - A Qing Fibres yarn dyed in London.  I always try and use "new to me" yarns for camp projects.  The requirement for June's challenge was to use a pattern published in 2019 so I went for one of my favorite designers Janina of Woolenberry's new design Drops of Joy.  Yarns this busy can be tricky to work with but it looked so summery to me, I couldn't resist !

I mentioned in my last post I was on my way to the Sun Region EGA seminar in Orlando the first weekend in May.  I was so busy - I was Facilities Chair - I didn't have much time for photo taking.  I also didn't take a class because of this reason.  I also had very little stitching time but I did have fun with friends.  The other big surprise was my roomy and DF Carol R and I won BIG !  our chapter duClay EGA donated not one but TWO big boxes of stitched items for the opportunity drawings.  I was so proud of our members who planned and stitched so many special "travel" related pieces to donate for our travel boxes.  I never win anything but for Carol and I both to win duClay's boxes it was just so special.  An amazing array of items in my box, a project bag and a whole bunch of stitched smalls made by some awesome ladies.

Next on the travel log was a trip to "heavenly Hiawassee" - in mountains of North Ga. just a few miles from the NC border.  We rented the same condo on Lake Chatuge that we shared last year with my folks.  On the way up  - we love to visit the Coleman House B&B  They serve a wonderful lunch buffet 6 days a week, closed Saturdays. 

Here is my DH and my dad exiting the big wraparound porch into the side garden.

that brick structure behind me was their smokehouse - every country plantation home had a smokehouse of their own.  Also surrounding the house are wonderful gardens.  I particularly love the oak leaf hydrangea. Theirs were just stunning and that is the blossom behind my head.

Here is a side view of the smokehouse -the lovely Queen Ann in the background and that huge Oak Leaf Hydrangea that was almost bigger than the smokehouse.  I always wish we had time to sit on the big porch and take a few stitches.  Many many years ago - some of our sampler guild (now defunct) and our rug hooking friends had a retreat at this B&B and I have such fond memories every time I step on that porch of lovely days gone by.

Here is my wonderful step dad who is more like a father to me.  We were pleased to celebrate his 81st birthday while on this trip.  Never without a smile on his face, he is an awesome stitcher too.  He has been working on Scarlet Letters Eleanor Parr for many months and is closing in on a finish.  He's done many Mirabilias too, those are his favorites to work - he's not particularly crazy about samplers.

here is the view of the lakefront from the lower deck.  Lake Chatuge spreads for miles around the Hiawassee and Young Harris area.  There are many fingers and coves and this condo is on the eastern most portion of the lake.  It's right in the middle of town but seems so quiet back on this cove.

A lovely sunset shot, we sure hated to say goodbye.

 

Coming home to hateful HOT NE FL was not fun.  record highs all week near or over 100 degrees. WAY too early in the summer to be this hot.  However - I sure send prayers for all those who have been devastated by tornados and floods in the Midwest and Texas.  I am also very apprehensive about an active hurricane season predicted for 2019.  So much sickness and sadness on this earth, I guess that's why we all find such solace and peace in our hand work.  whether it be knitting, needlework, hooking, quilting or whatever keeps your hands busy and your prayers going for us all - keep at it - we definitely ALL need prayers.  I love to hear from you all - please do leave a comment for me.

Until we meet again - I hope June is joyous for you and yours.

MAY DAY AND APRIL IS A WRAP

Happy May Day everyone !   For the past week I kept thinking every day I needed to do a blog post or I wouldn't have an entry for April.  I wanted to do a post for April - it's been a great month !  My birthday is in April, Easter is in April this year, Spring has sprung !  A delightful time of the year in the deep south.

Here are some beautiful flowers to share for your May Day.  These were a lovely surprise gift from a DF for my birthday.  They lasted well into the second week and looked lovely for Easter.

 This is a gorgeous shawl kit my DH ordered all the way from Stephen and Penelope shop in Amsterdam.  This is a photo from their website - NO - I have not already cranked out the shawl in the photo but that is the shawl which is so apropos for me !  Café Knitting is the pattern and was included with the kit.  I fell in love with the colors and the  yarn is the lovely La Bien Aimee from France.  Not readily available in the US - all the  more reason I wanted it.  It came with a pretty little S&P bag too.  The yarn is still tucked in there.  I'm trying to finish up another big Westknits (Stephen West) pattern called Fading Waves.  Camp Loopy is looming on the horizon and in 1 month - I will be embroiled in knitting for that challenge.  If I don't finish Fading Waves - it will be fall before I finish and likely fall before I start Café Knitting.  oh well - what is life without our next project !

my mom's beautiful table scape for Easter dessert.  She did that creative centerpiece herself.  She's such a sweetie - she had those plastic eggs all around the house and my DH , dad and myself all got to pick 3 eggs each.  She had stashed money in each egg, not a lot mind you but it was fun and so thoughtful of her.  That's my dear mom, always thinking of others especially her family.

 Here is my contribution to the Easter dessert table - a lovely and delish carrot cake from a new bakery near my office.  They did a birthday cake for me too but I failed to get a photo of that.  This was one of the best carrot cakes I've ever had.

Just so my friends and faithful blog readers don't think I have completely abandoned my stitching - here is a finish.  He leapt across the finish line last night just before bunny season was over at midnight.  I will be sending him to Faye/Carolina Stitcher in he near future for her to work her magic and make him into something pretty.  She did the model finishing for the designer - I believe it was Heart in Hand but not positive.  I refined his head some - I thought it was too retriever looking for my taste and I added some silk ribbon carrot tops and a turkey tufted tail with wool.

I hope those of you who have been experiencing the endless winter have been seeing some signs of Spring.  It's already shot up to the upper 80's here in the deep south - fortunately it's still cooling down into the 60's at night and there are gentle breezes and low humidity.  I'll take it while I can.

Going to the Sun Region EGA seminar this weekend.  I'm not taking a class but will be working on several projects in the stitching lounge with friends.  Hope to be back soon with a report on that and another exciting trip in May.  Until then - happy handwork to you !