Rambling Warps

Am I A Nerd?

I don't THINK I am... but I guess I just KNOW some of this nerdy stuff... doesn't make me a nerd... (I didn't build my computer... I know some of the chemical elements because my son studied them (HIS choice, no one made him do it)...

Now Gary is 97% nerd... (and he builds our computers, takes parts out, puts them in, fiddles with this that & the other...and tries out every version of Linux he can get his hands on...) And he remembers just about everything....he's a walking encyclopedia, LOL...

And this is how Evan scored:

He had help from Micah on 3 questions: the ones about chemical elements & the one about Isaac Newton...

On to some KNITTERLY things

I've gotten totally interested in lace at the moment... I am going to try the Mystery Stole 2006 knit along but Melanie won't be sending the 1st clue until July 7th, so in the meantime I'd like to knit some lace...

I did start a feather and fan stole with a DK weight yarn that I've had for over 10 years... it's light dark & medium turquoise... and I'm using the ends as fringe (read: no ends to tuck in)...

I'm also probably going to do the Mountain Stream scarf.. probably will use linen yarn for this: it's Lea 8 linen, not sure what that means, but it looks like it is either a lace or cobweb lace weight yarn... will have to check the WPI on it...

Swimming

Progress is being made on the swimming front for the younger two: He is finally able to swim... his form is terrible, but that's okay, that will come! He has the basic idea & is keeping his feet off the bottom of the pool some of the time now, YAY!!

E&M have been regular dolphins, have been swimming, jumping & diving off the diving board & Micah has been experimenting with doing somersaults off the diving board but has yet to do a graceful one...usually does something akin to a back flop (as opposed to a belly flop)...

Reuven still needs his air tube... I signed all the boys up for swimming lessons which will start in July...

As before, if you wish to write, write to patchworkgirl_at_weavingrainbow)dot(com and maybe one of these days I will have a new comment system...

Bird identified & other stuff (lots of links!)

I found out a few days ago that the bird I saw is a Western Kingbird... thanks to Jane for letting me know about these links:

http://www.birdfriends.com/BrdPage.php?name=Western%20Kingbird

http://kaweahoaks.com/html/kingbird.html

That definitely looks like "my" bird and since that first sighting I have seen a few more flying around the vicinity of the swimming pool.. who knows, I may get to post more pictures of this beautiful Western Kingbird!

Water Nonsense

Well I figured we would end up being put on a mandatory water restriction because we're under a drought & 2 weeks ago, the water company asked for voluntary restrictions and since I got the letter about that, I saw that our neighbor across the street had the lawn sprinkler going for SEVERAL HOURS!! Argh! So I'm not surprised that we are undera water restriction.

On top of that, the water company said that we need to be boiling our water: last Saturday evening the power went out for over 2 hours and apparently some contamination got in... the sad thing is that they SNAIL MAILED us the information, which arrived in our mailbox yesterday (this is what, 2 or 3 days after the power went out??) and meanwhile we're cooking with this water & drinking it straight from the tap...yipes! Yesterday we bought 3 gallons of spring water from Walmart and I also got each of the kids a 32 oz bottle of Gatorade which they will use for water bottles in the meantime...each one is a different color!

I need to replace my water bottle: apparently boiling the water may not have been good enough because I had cramps last night...

PROJECTS!! (Isn't that what this blog is SUPPOSED to be about??)

I'm still working on the Spring Fling socks... a little at a time... getting closer to being able to start a HEEL!! No pix yet... maybe next time.

I think I am going to do the Mystery Stole 2... read more about it here and to join click here

I will be doing my swatch in a dusty purple merino (called "cashwool") laceweight yarn... we'll see how the swatch goes: one step at a time!

Also am doing some sketches for tapestry projects...

I also got a neat new bookbinding kit here so that I can make my own sketchbooks with whatever paper I choose... also would like to eventually make a few writing journals: anyone know where I can get some good quality lined paper? Not that thin wimpy looseleaf stuff....

When I sit down to try the kit, I'll post a report!

yellow breasted bird

About a week ago, I saw a bird at the swimming pool parking lot while waiting in the car for Gary to look up (and write down) the pool hours... I took 2 photos of it & would love to have a positive identification of it... I THINK it is a yellow breasted chat (a type of warbler) but it didn't appear to have the markings around the eyes that I've seen in other photos of yellow breasted chats:

I included the blurrier photo for more information about shape, etc. I figured I ought to take these 2 photos right away because I figured that if I got out of the car, it would spook & fly of... I was right! Sure glad I got a photo of this bird!

If anyone knows what kind of bird it is, let me know! Email me at patchworkgirl_at-sign_weavingrainbow_dot_com. (I turned the comments off because I was tired of dealing with spammers. I'd LIKE to put in the typekey commenter, but am not sure how.

I did a couple of colored pencil renderings of this bird. I may include it in a tapestry weaving experiment... don't know if I'm up to something that realistic, but I did try to break the image up into simple sections, but am not sure how to do the bird feet as they don't really show in the photo... I would like to try weaving it in 2 directions: horizontally & vertically. If I actually try this, I will post photos.

Projects

Still working on the spring fling socks, during movie watching & whenever Gary drives...no photo yet, I'll take some after I turn the heel! I should be ready to turn the heel soon and then I will decide if I want these to be full sized socks or ankle socks. I wonder if it is possible to make identical socks using Cascade FIxation? When I started the spring fling socks, they were coming out identical and then as soon as the toe was done, the colors were landing in different places for each sock. I do two socks on a long circular, so it's easy to see that this is happening. These will be fun to wear!

Swimming

3 of the boys & I went swimming for the first time yesterday... it was nice in the water! I had to stay with Reuven because he was kind of scared...I put a life jacket on him & he went from wanting to stay close to the steps in the shallowest water to letting me take him into the deep water... he's afraid to get his face wet, but I'll keep trying to get him to "blow bubbles"... I know he will get it, just have to let him take each step at his own pace!

The twins were being regular dolphins & jumped off the diving board a few times!

Hopefully this year will be the year that Harrison groks swimming. He took swimming lessons 2 years ago & did not pass the first level... He did okay with a life jacket. He stayed home with Gary yesterday because I wasn't comfortable having 2 non swimmers in the water, at least not the first time out... maybe I'll also try water wings with him. I wonder if he has trouble floating because he's so slender?

After swimming, we went to Wal-Mart and picked up a few swimming toys since this pool allows it. The pool we used to go to did not. Gotta air some of them up before the next time we go...