Camera Fun

I have been having a great time taking photos with my new big-girl camera.  It is a huge learning curve so I'm taking a beginners' DSLR course at the local college.   I went to a fascinating lecture on low-light photography given by Boomer Jerritt the other evening.  Who knew that stars have "trails" and that they orbit (I don't know if that's the right word) around the North Star aka Polaris. If you Google 'star trail photos' you can see a lot of amazing pictures that I can't show you here due to copyright laws.


I can, however, show off a few of my own photos, all taken in Comox, B.C. where I am lucky enough to live ~

 ~ Mount Washington ~

 

~ Hornby Island as seen from Point Holmes ~

 

~ Rhododendron ~

 

 

~ Lady's Mantle ~

I love how the raindrops sit on the leaves (skirt) like little glass beads

 

~ gorgeous wool/mohair blend yarn by Leola ~

 ~ Pogona ~

 

~ Her Royal Cuteness ~

(enough already with the camera, Gramma)

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

THE GRASS IS RIZ!

I WONDER WHERE THE BIRDIES IZ!

We have three baby towhees nesting in a clematis bush right at eye level.  The parents are very attentive (who could ignore those open mouths?!!?) and I zipped out for photos when I noticed they were away from the nest.  The babies hatched two days after I took the egg photos.  When I took the baby pics the parents were perched on the apple tree nearby.  They were chattering but not in an agitated way (I don't really understand bird language but they seemed pretty calm) and flew to the nest as soon as I left.  We had a robins' nest last year in the same bush.  It is so lovely to watch the activity and see the babies grow.  I love spring!

The Royal Wedding

  ~ at Wickerminster Abbey ~

Knit Your Own Royal Wedding

by Fiona Goble

Happy Easter!

 Twins!!

I haven't seen a double yolked egg in ages and this morning I got three in a row ~

The bunny cake (containing the afore-mentioned mutant eggs) will be travelling to the mainland this weekend.  It's an odd looking creature but I don't think my grandsons are too fussy as long as it tastes good.  I'm wondering how you cut a cake shaped like this.  Just whack off a hunk, I guess.

 
My Christmas cactus is confused ~

  

and the jelly beans are calling out to me ~

 

I feel a sugar high coming on!

All It Took Was A Peruvian Carver, A Friend, And A Stitch Or Two.

Last summer I made the Lotus Blossom Tank by Sharon Shoji from the summer 2006 issue of Interweave Knits.  It is such a pretty pattern and it knit up nicely in South West Trading Company Terra.  The yarn is 50% bamboo and 50% cotton, has a nice drape and great stitch definition, and is a lovely nutmeg brown.  I was so disappointed when I tried it on as the neck gaped open so much that it wasn't wearable.  Bra straps were exposed and bending forward was an absolute no-no.  It even gaped out over a tee and just plain looked sloppy.  I tried to steam block it in a bit with no success.  Then I ran a line of yarn around the neck and pulled that up.  It looked exactly like I ran a line of yarn around the neck and pulled it up, not good.  So, since then it has languished in a basket waiting for, I don't know, something.  

My friend, Peg, went to Victoria a couple of weeks ago and visited the Button Boutique, an awesome shop in Trounce Alley (take a virtual tour here ).  She brought me back this great button, carved in Peru from a gourd.

It is one of those buttons that just has to have the right home.  I dug out the Lotus Blossom tank, tucked a little pleat in the middle of the front and sewed the button in place.  

I am so happy to be able to wear this top now and be comfortable with the way it looks and fits.  I'm not sure if I'll be wearing it without something underneath (besides a bra, of course) as it would probably show a bit more skin than I like to, but who knows? 

Spot the Bumblebee

My take on Where's Waldo ~

(click on pics to embiggen)

It's THAT Day Again!

Check out this link and be sure to click on the Buy Now button too:

Wingham Wool Work

P.S. - Hubby just came to kiss me goodbye and said "I left some money for you on the kitchen counter".  He never does that - I'm afraid, deeply afraid.  Then again, he's not one to pull April Fools pranks either.  Hmmmm.  Maybe I'm just being paranoid.