Train Week

For her fourth grade California history project, Naia decided to do a scrapbook on how trains brought - and still bring - people and goods to the state. Since she's on spring break this week, hubby and I are taking her to several train museums and for a ride on Amtrak (hopefully) Thursday to get the project underway.

We got off to a rocky start today. When Naia decided on her project, my first thought was Filmore & Western Railway! It's a great place, with lots of trains, both old and new, and even a functioning roundhouse for turning trains around. Yeah. Closed on Tuesdays. Even the museum, which was supposed to be open today, was closed. We walked around and saw trains from the outside, but it wasn't what I'd hoped for. We need to go back when they're open so we can get photos of the inside of some rail cars and locomotives. Our second stop was the Santa Susana Depot and Museum. I knew from their website that they were only open on weekends, but I thought they'd have some trains parked nearby that we could view. Wrong. It's a cool depot, what we could see through the windows, and they had some great photo props outside.

Tomorrow's excursion is to the Nethercutt Museum in Sylmar to see their locomotive and private rail car. Sure hope they're open . . . .

Growing

Hey, look at me - I'm getting big! And I'm definitely a grandpa's girl.

Oopsies

Back in March, I put the new warp on the loom (here) and started weaving. I was so excited to finish the not-very-exciting threading part and get down to the fun of actually tossing the shuttle back and forth. Riiiiiiiight. That lasted about 2".

Fortunately, I had planned to weave a short sample to make sure I had done the threading correctly. Unfortunately, I found three errors - the same *#&%$ mistake in three separate places.

Naia fell in love with the blue pattern and literally begged (with hugs and kisses and 'pretty pleeeeeeeeeeses') to have it as a blanket for her American Girl doll. So I wove a slightly longer sample - about 17" - then cut it off the loom and set about fixing my boo boos.

Hubby cut a thin slit in the top and bottom of some leftover metal heddles so I could slide them on the harnesses in the correct locations. Then I slowly and carefully pulled the errant threads out, re-threaded them though the heddles and reed, and tied them back onto the front warp beam. It would have gotten done much faster if I hadn't had to stop and move the cat from my chair every time I got up. Even if I stood up just long enough to look at the threads, by the time I tried to sit back down, Lily had jumped up into "her" spot.

Finally, with fingers firmly crossed, I started weaving again. . . .Success! Love this pattern (4-shaft Twill Towels from Webs).

Bobbin Lace

Finished another piece of bobbin lace. This was supposed to be a long v-shaped strip so I could learn how to work around curves and corners. It turned out to be a lesson in how I don't like these colors together (too much contrast; I think it detracts from the pattern of the lace) and how to unweave spiders. On the plus side, I'm getting better at spotting mistakes as I make them (that's a nice way of saying I made lots in this piece.)

Tomorrow - tales from the loom. Finally.

Difference

What a difference a week makes. Last week, hubby had one little girl spending her afternoons in his lap. This week, he's surrounded by a sea of pink. Can you tell he loves it?

Date Day

It's been awhile, but hubby and I got away today for what used to be a weekly occurrence*. Our original date day plan was to get up early and head for Cayucos, our favorite antique shopping town just outside Morro Bay. The getting up early thing? Yeah, that didn't happen.

Going with Plan B, we headed for Los Alamos, a small town about an hour north of us, just past Buellton. We've driven past it often on the way to or from somewhere else, always vowing that we'd stop and see what was there. Turns out there's a lot there of interest to us.

Like the 1880 Union Hotel, where we stopped for brunch. It's a beautifully restored bed and breakfast, with lots of period furniture and decorations. Hubby asked if we could have see one of the bedrooms and the staff was happy to provide a tour of all 18 of them - including the Governor's and Presidential suites (pictures here; scroll down).

Another room was used in the 1982 Michael Jackson - Paul McCartney video "Say, Say, Say" - and the room is still decorated exactly the same as it was then. The hotel is gorgeous and we'll definitely be coming back for a weekend visit, hopefully in one of the suites.

We also found several great antique stores - hubby added to his collection of Stanley wood planes - art galleries, and wineries. The road north through the Los Alamos Valley led us past ranches with Brahma bulls, a large herd of buffalo and lots of vineyards.

All in all, a great, relaxing trip. We should do this more often.

*With the baby grands living here, and having to deliver them to and from school each weekday, it's been hard to find time to go anywhere. And tomorrow it will get even trickier - we'll be watching 7-week-old Leanne at least two days a week while her mama is at work.

Finished and Finished

Finished the second basket tonight - I wanted it to be different from the first (got my wish) but I don't like it as well. For my second-ever twined basket, it's not bad though. Also finished another pair of crocheted socks. I found these partially done when I started reorganizing my stash and worked on them during the sock class I taught earlier this year. Finally got the ends woven in yesterday and photos taken today. And plan to wear them tomorrow.

3 Hours, 40 Minutes

That's how long it took me to wash, condition, comb, straighten and braid Naia's hair for the first time tonight. I think I* did a darn good job. And I bet I can shave 5 whole minutes off that next time.


*Ok, Marie and I did a darn good job. I'd never done a French braid before so Marie had to show me how it's done. The braid on Naia's left is Marie's; the right one is mine.

Basket Weaving

A friend and guild-mate is teaching a series of basketry classes, so I had to sign up, right? It's not like I need another hobby or craft. Several of my buddies also signed up, so a good time was guaranteed.

Finished baskets, from left - mine, Cherie's, and Colleen's

Today's class was a twined garlic basket - and I.Am.Hooked. The baskets are named for their shape, which resembles a clove of garlic, not for their materials or smell. We used fiber rush (aka paper cording) for the ribs and thin reeds for the sides. Once the main basket was done, we added a handle and unrolled the top of the paper cording in the ribs to make 'leaves'. Loved making this so much that I started a second one in class - and brought it home to finish. With a little help from the baby grands, of course.

Finally - An FO!

I'm teaching a class in crocheting 2- and 3-color spirals next week and I finally got the class sample done (which may explain why only 1 person is signed up for the class. sigh.)
I love these spirals. The beginning is a little tricky, but after that it's smooth sailing. I based my project on an article in the Spring 2008 edition of Interweave Crochet (you can see the 3-color how-to article here - scroll down.) This one's made with Classic Elite's 'Liberty Wool', which I'd never used before and now love, and one of my favorite superwash wools, Nashua's 'Creative Focus'. I'm putting the finishing touches on a 3-color spiral beret, one I hope Naia will like. Told you I love this spiral thing.

Medieval Times

Took the entire clan, plus Breanne and Garrett, to the matinee show at Medieval Times in Buena Park.

Naia's got a thing for goofy faces lately.

We thought the three little girls would like the horses and the chance to dress up in their Rapunzel dresses (the younger two, anyway). Boy, were we right.

I let each girl pick her own crown.
Love the flower bands the littlest girls chose.

Naia and Addy were rapt for the entire show; Leia got bored about half way through and decided to play 'who's lap should I sit in now?' With seven to choose from (Marie's was occupied with baby Leanne), she happily spent the rest of the show investigating all the possibilities.

Scenes From My Day

For me, heaven is having all my baby grands together and getting pictures to remember it by.

Meeting Cousin Addy

Leanne and Auntie Rachel

What's the best way to hold the interest of three little girls?
Disney's Tangled!

Getting ready for their photo shoot.

How many people does it take to hold a baby?

The official Cousin Photo.
LOVE Leanne's arched eyebrow. Definitely got that from her mother.

My very favorite shot from the photo shoot.
Makes me laugh every time I see it. And for the record, Leanne was NOT stinky.

Watching the rest of Tangled with two very tired little girls.
Absolute gramma heaven.