IN THE MERRY MONTH OF MAY

May has been a wonderfully busy month for me.  April was a good month too - my birth month!

The first weekend in May was a wonderful retreat weekend with the Sun Region EGA group.  We had about 68 attend the retreat held in Safety Harbor FL.  I was Facilities chair so I was busy all thru the weekend and exhausted when we left to come home but it was a really great retreat. My mom went with me again, she attended her first Sun Region retreat last April in Mt Dora and we had a great time so we thought it would be fun to do it again.  This was the wonderful view from our 2nd story balcony where we spent a few moments in the late afternoons relaxing.  In the distance is the west side of Tampa Bay.  Espiritu Springs is on the grounds of this resort - purported to be the "fountain of youth" by Spanish explorers. 

We also celebrated Mothers Day with my dear mom.  She and my DH at Blue

 Bamboo - one of our favorite restaurants in town did a lovely MD brunch.

These photos got a little out of order but this is our most recent trip to Hiawassee Ga.  We always try to catch lunch at the Coleman House - this beautiful Queen Anne style Victorian home is in Swainsboro Ga. and they do a wonderful lunch buffet.  I don't know if they still do B&B here but it's a great lunch stop 5 or 6 days a week, closed on Saturdays.  Just one shot of their beautiful gardens.  I had more photos of this stop but it was getting photo heavy.  We were on our way to Hiawassee so I could attend a rug hooking workshop at the Hookery with Linda Bell.  Her studio has been featured before in my blog.  It is just stunning, such a relaxing camp.  This year she had teacher Laura Pierce from California.  Check out her Flying Dog website .  She specializes in faces and she was amazing.  I learned so much from her in this 3 day workshop.  I'll show you my project.

 

me

 If you've been reading my blog for a while you know what time it is ???  It's Camp Loopy time.  Every summer I spend June, July and Aug knitting with a group of friends and attending a "virtual" camp put on by the Loopy Ewe.  Sheri does a great job with this virtual camp and has worldwide attendance.  Check out her website/blog for details - it's not too late to join the fun.  This years theme is "cowboys or western theme"  This is my June yarn and it's one I've never tried Hedgehog Fibres from England.  Color called Cereal for some odd reason.  Not a great photo but you'll be seeing the project I picked out in June.  Not sure but I have several shawl patterns I'm pondering.  This is my 7th year participating in camp.

 While in Safety Harbor a few weeks ago - we visited Roxy's Yarns - a great little shop across the bay in Tampa.  My mom fell in love with this crocheted Noro jacket which they had on display made out of this exact colorway of Malabrigo Rios - a worsted weight yarn.  I'm rusty on crochet but I ordered a new Furls hook (have you seen them???)  and I'm off on the jacket !  it's been fun.  So far so good

Next knitting project getting attention is Neridah by an Australian designer Ambah.  It's in 3 colors but the 3rd color hasn't made an appearance yet.  I found the perfect shade of dusty aqua to coordinate with these greens.  the solid bright green is Shibui Staccato and the overdyed is Blue Moon Socks that Rock in the Bubble Guppie colorway.  It's been so great for spring knitting.

 I needed an easy project for the trip so I started Alchemy by one of my favorite designers Woolenberry.  Janina the designer lives in Finland.  Her designs are usually light and airy and perfect for Florida climate.  This one is two colors but you only see the Shalimar Enzo Sport weight so far in a pretty shade of bluish gray.  Seed stitch is a nice diversion from garter for me so this is easy to pick up and put down and perfect for travel or knit night with the girls.

A bit out of order but here is my St Nicholas project that I did in my Hiawassee rug workshop.  Here is the progression of work I did in 3 days of class.  Bear in mind that this was only class time - no hooking at night on this trip.

 This is probably the end of day 2 of hooking - ONLY on the face - I just had to get the face in.  Laura had great advice and really got me out of my box.  I had never done a human face before.

 Day 3 of class - I worked only on the cardinal and pulled wool from Linda Bell's beautiful selection of hand dyed wools for the staff and background.  This rug is designed by Tish Murphy - sorry I didn't give her credit for the design.  It's not a big rug only 18" x 18".  but in a 3 cut - it moves very
 

 

S L O W - but worth it for the effect.  I am doing the same sort of color plan but with different wools of course - I didn't buy the kit from Tish. 

A close up of the cardinal - I am very pleased with how the rug is coming out.  I hope to continue hooking on him but I have OH SO many rug WIP's and I just don't hook much in the summer months but this is a nice small rug unlike my other rugs which are larger and heavy and hot to work on in the humid summers way down south.

 

Well my blog friends - hope you have also had a merry May and things are going your way.  I always appreciate your comments - love hearing from you and what you've been up to.  See  you in June!