Equinox?

According to Time and Date.com, March Equinox will arrive tonight at 18h45.
This is exciting.
Except for one detail.
Did someone tell Mother Nature?
Is she still traipsing around the world on holidays?

It reminds of the film Dogma, where God has a thing for Skee-ball.

I've been busy test knitting a pattern for someone that I am really enjoying.
The artist has incorporated the Fish Lips Kiss heel by the Sox Therapist.
This really is an interesting way to look at how the heels of socks are constructed. The instructions were also simple to understand.
.
I wish I could show more of the project but I am pretty sure the designer would not be happy.

When I go on these knitting binges, I always have company.

Napoleon takes his supervisory role very seriously.

What is this on your computer? This does not look instructional!

Reno and Jackie fell asleep playing a rather breath taking game of hide and seek.

I'd move, but someone's nails are stuck in my fur.

Rebel is almost 20 now, just likes to chill and watch from a distance.

It is hard working babysitting these sharp toothed children.

I am off to finish my project and watch the last few remaining episodes of How to Get Away with Murder.
Have a good day everyone.
Happy Spring Equinox!

Happy Belated Pi Day

To celebrate such a coincidental occasion, I made pie with the last of the berries we picked during the summer.
This one is all strawberry with my rendition of stars, planets and a moon:

This is a blueberry, strawberry mix that we devoured that night:

I cheated with the pie crust and bought it previously made. The pie crust I make does not come out as a crust so much as a means to protect from shell fire and rapid animals.

I've also been knitting a fair bit.
I volunteered to test a pair of socks which I am thoroughly enjoying.
I'll show the back,


I've also made some progress on my sweater:


Not too shabby for a week end eh?

I hope you all have a good start to this week. Temperatures are bound to get a bit higher. We might even see some of that elusive grass that has been MIA since Halloween.

Have a good day!

In Which Reno Tries to Order a Pizza

You want to hear something funny and slightly horrifying?
Last night, about 22h30, I am finishing my coffee in the upstairs office while Jo is doing whatever he does on his computer.
I'm almost ready for work.
We hear a bunch of noise in the kitchen.
It sounds as if the cats are trying to get into the cupboards and do all sorts of very odd cat things.
We are not terribly worried because we had installed our new super cool security system.
I'm like, well I hope it is not too big a mess down there.
We finally survived the Cornflake situation.
So it goes quiet.
Then we hear the phone go on speaker.
Crap. I hate when they do that. They tend to leave the phone off the hook for long periods of time.
Then we hear, boop.
Then we hear a number being dialed.
OMFG!!!
I never seen Jo move so fast. I don't think he touched a single step on the way down.
As Jo was flying down the stairs, we hear the phone ring.
This is not good. This is really not good.
It only rang twice.
I'm laughing hysterically at this point, because who knew the cat knew how to use the telephone? I'm at a loss for words. That scary high pitch laugh is the only sound I'm able to make at this point.
Jo checks last number called.
It was his ex wife! Of all the people the cat could have called, why the ex wife. Of all the people.
So I'm looking at the phone when I get home from work.
That is some fancy foot work.
Those buttons he pushed, are no where near each other.


Don't be too mad Mom. I was just trying to order pizza.

Free Dishcloth Pattern

I have quite a few skeins of kitchen cotton which have been asking for me to use them.
I decided to tinker around with an idea that has been in my mind for a dishcloth.


This is my pattern that I created:
Materials
Size 4.00mm needles
50g of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton, pattern above shown in Hot Green
Stitches used are stockinette, seed, purl and knit.
Cast on 44 stitches and begin working 3 rows in seed stitch.
Seed stitch is worked all around the dishcloth to keep a nice border, 3 stitches on the sides and 3 rows at the top and bottom.
The first row of brick is worked as follows:
The first 3 stitches in seed stitch, knit 7, turn work, purl back across 5 stitches, turn work, knit across these 5 stitches. Repeat these rows for an additional 7 rows. On final round, wrong side facing, purl back across 6 stitches. Turn work, slip 1, knit 12. Repeat this section until the end of the row, with 3 stitches at the end left for the seed stitch border.
The second row of the brick section is started after knitting across 10 stitches, turn work, purl back across 5 stitches, turn work, knit across these 5 stitches. Then do exactly what you did on the previous row to repeat the brick pattern.
Continue repeating these 2 rows until you have your desired size or you run out of cotton.
I was able to complete 9 rows of bricks for my dishcloth.
After ending with 3 rows of seed stitch, cast off and weave in the loose ends.
I hope you have enjoyed my little pattern.

painting: February

Titled February
Oil on canvas
30" x 40"
Completed February 16 2015

This is a painting I have been working off an on since February of 2010.
I had started a new phase of my life. It is based on a photo I had taken on my first night in my new apartment.

I might go in and tweak it a little bit, but for now I am happy to say it is complete.

February

That is the title of what I have been painting on and off for quite some time.



I like how it is progressing. I am not sure if it will be changed any further.

Jackie approves.

Note the chewy. I cannot leave her unsupervised for extended periods of time. Recall the cornflake incident? She seems quite content to hang out while I paint for a bit. We both win.

New Security System

When Hubs arrived home the other day, he walked in on a huge party between the cats, dog and a lot of Cornflakes.
Apparently, Jackie has developed a thing for grain cereals.
Several days later, we are still finding those corny flakes in everything. I do mean everything! The sheets on the bed, the bag I take with me to work, tangled in the cat fur, everywhere!
That was way too much cleaning for one person to handle. This sent Hubs to his workshop to create some sort of system to keep the four legged children out of our kitchen cupboards.

It may not be pretty, but it is effective, much to the disdain of Jackie.


When she is angry, Jackie likes to grab that squeaky toy (which no longer squeaks) and shake it for all it's worth. Since the new security system was installed, she has been been trying to shake it off!

While all the commotion has been going on, I've been knitting my Simple Skype socks.


I have also been listening to a lot of Hozier. I love this song with Annie Lennox!


So begins another week. I hope you all have a good one!