Having a What If sort of day

“Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin.”
― Robert Collier
Today has been a day filled with trials and retrials. Working out the edging for my latest doily and still haven't got it quite the way I want it. So again I will try another combination, and if that isn't it I will try another.
There is a lot of this type of work when I am designing. Why because what sometimes looks good on paper doesn't look so good in real life.
I actually love this sort of challenge. Getting everything to work together to make a whole is so satisfying.

One of the keys to this is never feeling like a failure because the piece isn't right the first, second or even the third time. If the idea is good it is just a matter of getting things in the best configuration to show the piece off to it's best.

Today I am going to share with you wild flower pictures. Must admit me and my camera have been going a bit nuts on the flower pictures. But I am always thrilled to see the beauty of a flower conquer the harshness of  it's environment.

We only saw one of these on our hike on Friday. But oh it was so lovely. I was thrilled to get this shot as the wind kept moving it around and making it hard to capture.

Love the delicate looking Fairy Dusters. One of the first flowers I had to find out the name of when we first moved down here. Still love them.

These little beauties are so tiny.

These are small but vivid.

These make me think of a campanula. Don't know their names yet. Give me time I will learn them.

I was photographing another flower when Marv told me to turn around when I had finished as something was waiting to have their picture taken. I was stunned when I did turn around by the delicate beauty of these.

The colors and the Lacy look of these are truly inspiring.

I am really proud of this shot of these delicate flowers.

More little blue bell type flowers.

This guy just sort of popped up and said take my picture.

Again haven't a clue what they are called, But I do know they called to me.

They make me think of snap dragons or lady slippers.

I am always amazed by the simple beauty of nature.

Another bright yellow flower.

and again the flowers that make me think of snapdragons or lady slippers.

And my last, another little white bouquet nature prepared for us.

Vacation over

“It's never too late to be who you might have been.”
― George Eliot

 

Well our week of vacation is over. Must admit we enjoyed ourselves. It will take me days to get all the pictures edited and posted.

Friday we went hiking and I got lots of pictures of the flowers. The desert is beginning to bloom and me and my camera are trying to capture the beauty to tide me over this summer. We found a great loop. Lots of variety of terrain and great views. I promise I will get pictures up some time this week. Of course I will not be running all over the place this week so I should have a good chance of getting them done.

Saturday we played tourist and went and did the Renaissance Festival they put on here every year in Gold canyon. It's quite the Festival. They have been doing if for 24 years. It runs February through April. We had a wonderful day and plan on doing it again as we didn't see everything we would like to have seen. Again I took a ton of pictures and again be patient.

Yesterday was our last day of Vacation so we decided on a final hike. We did a loop we have done before. But I still ended up with lots and lots of pictures. A lot of the flowers. And again my plea for patience on the pictures. 

 

Today I spent most of my day getting things organized and catching up around here. Even though we were home I sort of let things slide while on vacation. Tomorrow I will get back to work seriously on my designing.

I did get my latest design blocked this morning. Very happy with it. Will get the pattern written up this week. 

Still trying to decide what to do about the bleeding on the other project. I would redo it if I could figure out how to keep it from bleeding again. I did email the company that makes the yarn and asked for advice. I did love the colors before the it bled. They truly aren't bad now just not not quite as pretty as before.

I also have a doily that is close to being done. So as you can tell, I did keep working even though we were on vacation. Just at a more relaxed pace. But I can't  imagine a day without a a hook in my hand at least part of the day.

 

This is a view looking down into the Salt River Canyon. This canyon is awesome. I never realized we had anything quite so awesome as near to our home as this. We plan on going an exploring it more at a later date.

In Holbrook they had a wonderful rest stop with a fenced in pet yard we could turn pip loose in. He did try and defend us from the big brown dog. It was comical watching him warn the setter off.

We only did the lower end of the petrified forest and the Painted desert. But it was pretty awesome.  Another trip up there later this year when the wind doesn't cut right through you and your teeth instantly begin to chatter.

More of the Painted desert.

One of the buildings on the park. Couldn't resist the colors appealed to me so much.

This log is sticking out of the bank right beside the road.

A closer shot of the same log.

Looking down into what is called the Jasper Forest.

The Jasper Forest again. You can see the petrified logs sticking out of the cliffs.

This is a Panorama view of the Painted desert

One of the petrified hunks of logs

More petrified logs. Everywhere you looked there was more.

The colors in some of them were pretty spectacular.

Another view looking down the Salt River Canyon.

Looking up the Salt river canyon. You can see the road we were on on the other side on the left side of  the picture. There were plenty of hairpin turns going through that canyon. 

 

spring is in the air

«What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.» — Joseph Addison

AHHH! a great day spent hiking! Did a great loop off of the 2nd water trail in the Superstitions. The weather was ideal, Not too hot, nor too cold. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. I took lots and lots of pictures since the flowers were beginning to show their faces. I will have lots to share with you as the week unfolds.

I did get the project done that I had going before our trip. Though I was disappointed when I blocked it as the color bled a little. Not bad but my soft white is now more of a soft pink. It gets frustrating when you follow the laundry instructions and it still bleeds.  The piece is still a good piece. But I will have to add a warning about the yarn in my pattern.
I think the design is good. Well I did get some good feed back the other day when we went out to dinner and I was working on the piece while waiting for our dinner to arrive. The waitress was inquiring whether I would be making them to sell. So it must have some appeal.
I also finished the design I took with me, though I still have to write up the pattern. May have to make it one more time to get the pattern right. But I won't mind too much as I think I want a couple different colors in this one for myself.  I am that pleased with the design.
Well I promised more pictures from out trip to Winslow. Today I will post the pictures from the meteor crater. Tomorrow the pictures from the petrified park and the painted desert.

Rim of the meteor crater.

Apollo test capsule

Marv in front of the capsule

Sandstone rocks by crater

More sandstone rocks. Love the shapes and colors.

A Panoramic view of the crater

Love my camera

View of the crater

Me shivering and taking pictures. It was so cold with the wind blowing.

We couldn't stay outside too long it was so cold.

Anniversary trip

“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

 

We celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary yesterday. We tried to take a trip up to Winslow for a special trip, but the weather decided we needed to cut it short. We did spend one day dinking around up there. But when they were predicting snow we hightailed it back home.

So our anniversary we spent here in town. Went bowling and then antiquing. I did score though and found 2 Antique crochet books I actually didn't have in my collection for a bargain price. Been a while since I have found any that I don't already have in my collection.

We didn't bother trying to go out for dinner as having a romantic dinner on Valentines day is a joke. We settled for lunch out and then a special desert here at home.

I have been working on a project off and on all week. Coming along nicely. Though I am going to set it aside and finish the project I was working on before we left. I only have a little bit more to go before it's done. So I will get it finished and blocked. Then it will be pictures and find testers for it and the other 2 piece that go with it. But I only wanted to do one photo shoot for the three projects.

 

I will be posting pictures of our trip through out the week. I was having a great time playing with my new camera so have lots to show even though it was a short trip. We will be going back up though when the weather is a little more stable.

 

We were heading up to see the meteor crater and saw this ruin and decided we had to check it out.

Love how they used the natural stone in the area as building material.

A closer view of the remaining walls.

I was so thrilled to drive through forest to get to Winslow from here.

Trees, Beautiful trees.

My heart was over joyed to see these majestic trees within a days drive

More trees.

These tiny flowers were shining faces at one of our pit stops. Of course they posed for a picture for me.......

This plant was in the painted desert.

I will post more pictures from there later this week.

 

and still going...

“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”
― May Sarton

 

Yep I am still working on this project. My time estimation is just a bit off. Well let's say I would be done already, except I keep thinking of ways to make this better. So of course they have to be done. But I do believe the end is coming into sight. I won't say when I will be done as we know that is subject to change.

I am going to post a teaser picture though that shows the colors I am using.

I am loving my new camera. Even I can take a  halfway decent picture with it.

I am loving the colors on this

I have been playing and testing what the new camera can do. So when last nights sunset was a thing of beauty. I quickly grabbed my camera and took some pictures.  

So here is the sunset from my front yard. Well actually I had to stand in the street to get the best shot. Thankfully we don't have much traffic on our road.

 

Just another day......

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
― Albert Einstein

 

Just  another day.......

A day like any other around here. Nothing special, Nothing awful. Just a day spent in the company of my hook. Can't ask for much more than that really.

I did take the time to finish up writing the design I am working on. Some patterns it's easier to write the pattern then to crochet it and some patterns it's easier to crochet it than write it. This is one of those patterns that it is actually easy to write the pattern for, but taking me a bit of time to get the crocheting done.  I still have hours of work ahead of me to complete the design.  Then I have the idea for a companion piece to go with it. Which I will most likely do. So my idea of being done by tomorrow night might be pushing it. I should have the main piece done. But it will probably take a few days to do the companion design.

 I have been having a great time exploring what I can do with sock yarns. I like how much more delicate the pieces are with it than with worsted weight yarns. I am trying to find the right medium to make light and airy shawls with good drape and a better range of color than what my threads offer me. This seems to be a good option as they are readily available and there is a fair range of colors.

Don't get me wrong. My true love is thread. But not everyone is comfortable working with it and I want to offer some designs for those people that incorporates the look and feel of lace without having to venture into the world of thread. So I will be playing around with different lace weight yarns.

 

Well I promised the last of the pictures we took this weekend.

I so enjoy when we go hike down by the river. It soothes my soul to see and hear the water.

My new camera has this great panorama feature that makes taking this type of picture so easy even I can't mess it up.

Marv being silly. He should have know better when I had a new camera in my hand.

Another shot of our Pip. Shame he hates these hikes.

Pip leading the way as usual.

I am always fascinated by trees. This time of year they are natures lace edging. 

Just one of the views we enjoyed on our hike

These are birds nests on the cliff. I took these pictures across the river  from them. Love the range of zoom this camera has.

Not bad for the money I paid.

Fly catcher out on the river.

Playing with how my camera can capture moving water.

Still playing with water shots.

And one more view of the river and mountains in the distance.

It was a glorious day for a hike.