AWAITING IRMA

The Wicked Witch of the East Atlantic is coming our way.  I've lived in NE FL all my life - the older I get - the more afraid of these storms I get.  Even though you have plenty of notice of their coming - they zig and zag and they change directions, change intensity.  Many things factor into their path.  The news media starts hammering us days in advance - rightly so - after seeing the devastation of Harvey on Houston and surrounding areas - it's enough to scare anyone to death.  My thoughts and prayers and all the money I could afford have gone to donations for Harvey victims.  I hope you will see it in your heart to donate too.  We like CBN Operation Blessing, they are already on site in FL even though Irma has not even made landfall.  They were on site in Texas - set up before the Red Cross or National Guard.  Oh I gave to the Red Cross too but I still like the Christian organization CBN.

I let another whole month go by before I have done a blog post.  I usually change up my blog face to Autumn themes along with  the vignettes and collections in my house.  However I was too depressed on Labor day about our unwanted guest to even bother to take down patriotic.  I may do a little of that tomorrow once I finish storm prepping outside.

I spent the whole summer knitting on the Camp Loopy challenge with The Loopy Ewe.  This is my 5th year.  This is Camp Loopy 2 for July - finished easily at least a week before the end of July.  For my knitting friends and fans - this yarn is Blue Moon Socks that Rock Med. weight is the Sea Spots colorway and I don't remember the name of the pretty blue green teal semi solid.  It turned out quite heavy.

This is Camp Loopy 3 in it's present state of incompletion.  YEP !  for the 2nd time in my CL history - I didn't finish the final August challenge.  It's a big jacket 1100 yards which is over the required 800yrds - the Janeville Jacket by Blue Sky Fibers out of two colors of their Woolstok - hand dyed and sourced in Peru.  it's very very dark blue called Midnight Sun with a stripe of very dark maroon.  In seed/moss stitch - I love it and I will finish it eventually but it is SOOO stinkin' hot or was when I was working on it in August. 

Something fun we did in August at our duClay EGA chapter was to try punch needle.  I have always been drawn to punch needle but I have resisted trying it.  I didn't need another addiction or distraction after all I do traditional wool rug hooking so why do I need to do punch needle???  well here is my first attempt - this patriotic tin topper which was a design from the Punch Needle and Prim stitching magazine.  We had permission from the designer to teach it in our chapter.  Thank you Erin and thanks to Suzy S for teaching us.  So what did I do - when I went on vacation in Tenn. I went to the Pattern Hutch in Pigeon Forge Tenn.  They have relocated several times and are now in a wonderful old cabin up in the hills above PF near our condo actually.  So I went all in and bought a Morgan hoop frame/stand thingy, a new pattern for Halloween and a new Ultra punch needle. So we'll see where this leads.

Meet Cappuchino - he came to live with me in late July.  He was made by Heather , Mohair Bears and Friends on Etsy.  I think he's just darling.  I put him in his little wooden pedestal and gave him some pretty fabric to play with.  He was ready to sew with his spool and needle.  I just couldn't resist him.  Heather's creations are so awesome, she is as talented and creative as her mom Gloria Parsons and her twin sister Vickie of Olde Green Cupboard fame.  They owned the most awesome quilt, prim, antique shop in Jacksonville for a number of years.  Now they do designing, teaching, retreats etc.

August also brought the usual adventures while in Tenn.   Alien spotting by my DH,  running from raptors, never a dull moment !

We never tire of the magnificent views in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  It was sad to see what burned in Gatlinburg and surrounding areas but all in all they were in good shape.

 DH and I were relaxing on this second floor balcony in the late afternoon sun, I with my stitching in hand.  All the sudden - a HUGE bear came meandering right thru the parking lot where our vehicle was parked right under us.  By the time I ran inside and got my phone - he had walked around the back side of the pool fencing.

 You can still see the big black shape between those two pool chairs - that was poppa bear !  Sure glad I wasn't downstairs fumbling around in the Murano when he walked by.  This was just up the hill from downtown Gatlinburg but we are just about 1/2 a mile from the park entrance.

Maybe next time I'll have some stitching progress to show. Summer is always a slow time for stitching progress since I devote so much time to knitting.  Well I better shove off and close this up and batten down the hatches.  For all my Florida/Georgia friends and all who might be in Irma's path - be safe and my prayers are with us all.