Museum of Natural History

On Sunday we ventured out in the snow (almost a foot fell overnight - I guess we brought it with us?) to the American Museum of Natural History.


I love the dioramas...especially the African animals....




...and of course there are the famous dinosaurs....


I really enjoyed the selection and the display methods in the Biodiveristy hall (at least I think this is what it was called....) I would love to have a job arranging such things....





The area devoted to minerals was very interesting, too. This geode was probably about a foot in diameter (if my memory serves....)


A favourite was definitely the opals. So pretty - and so large!



Native North American exhibit....(quite dark rooms made flash-less photos a challenge)

(taken especially for AJ -- she made a hooked version of a Chilkat dancing blanket)

A very cool place.

The Met

On Saturday we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I cannot tell you how much I loved being allowed to take photos (without flash, of course) in most of the NYC museums.

At the Met, Hannah and I spent quite a bit of time - and particularly enjoyed - seeing the Egyptian Art. Here is a sampling of my pics....











While it was amazing to see so many artifacts, I also found it more than a little troubling that these graves and tombs were disturbed (and essentially robbed). From what I saw, most of the pieces were collected over 100 years ago.....I can only hope that the same would not happen today.

On a brighter note, we also saw more than a couple of pictures I would never grow tired of seeing on my wall, including this one....



The Met is so large that it's impossible to see everything in a single visit. We did have a quick walk-though the African Art wing and I fell in love with these images hanging from the ceiling...


Some of the Met's collection is featured in their on-line collection database, where you can see pictures and learn more about individual works. Be careful - you can get lost in there....and easily lose all track of time! ;-)

Saved for another visit: European Masters and The Cloisters (and consequently The Unicorn Tapestries).

More on MOMA

....a continuation of the pictures previously posted here....



See all of the pretty colours....and check out the green moustache....



Christina's World is amazing....and one of the few paintings I saw that I would really love to have hanging on my wall. I've included the person in the photo above to give you some idea of the size of the picture. What amazed me the most about this piece was the amazing detail -- check out this close-up of the house....


...and the story behind the painting. As with hooked rugs, knowing the inspiration for the work really adds to your appreciation of it.


There is also a fascinating Tim Burton exhibit at MOMA right now. No (forbidden) pictures to share, sadly....but I can tell you that it's worthwhile going if you're a fan of his movies (including Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Corpse Bride, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, etc., etc.) There are sketches and journal pages going back to high school, descriptions of characters (in his own writing), costumes and props (including Edward), lots of funny sketches (take the time to read the written notes - you won't regret it!).....and more on display. The exhibit runs through April 26th, 2010.

all caught up

I'm home for a quick day of playing catch-up. I've been taking it easy for the last few days....eating, drinking, reading, playing games and just hanging out with family. It's been great!

Despite my neglect in the e-mail department, I'm happy to say that I'm all caught up now. My inbox is empty (and not because I declared e-mail bankruptcy! ha ha!)....so if you're still patiently awaiting a response, I didn't receive your message, so please try again.

Although I'm still on holidays through this week, I am heading back up to my folks tomorrow to finish off the last few days of 2009 with more R&Rs (reading, resting, relaxing, repasting, reclining, rejuvenating...etc.). I will be posting a few more pictures from my trip now and some more later...and I'm looking to starting some fun new projects in the new year ahead.

Upcoming Event...Fibre Friendship Day

I've always wanted to attend the Fibre Friendship Day at the Bruce County Museum, but it's always conflicted with my real job. Here are all of the details, in case you're able to go....

FIBRE FRIENDSHIP DAY
Wednesday June 2, 2010
Bruce County Museum,Southampton
Lunch,Speakers,Prizes
Advance tickets only • $20.00
1-519-797-2080 1-866-318-8889
Visa - PayPal - Mastercard

Ho! Ho! Ho!

....back from a wonderful week in NYC. Today has been busy re-entering
my normal life and getting ready for the big day tomorrow.

Merry Christmas...and wishes for joy, peace and love to you all.

a hint...

Our destination required my niece and I to take a short flight....and since we arrived on Friday, we've been busy taking in all of the sights (and blogging has obviously taken a back-seat). Here are some pictures from one of our stops on Friday afternoon....







Pictures are all I have time for today - we've got a long list of things to see and do...

Brrr...but not for long!

This was the temperature this morning on my way to work -- by the time
I was out at the highway, it was minus 28!

Right now I'm sitting in a hotel room in Toronto, waiting anxiously to
head off on an adventure tomorrow...and although I plan to try and
post the odd picture while I'm gone, things might be a little quiet
for a few days. In the meantime, any guesses as to where I am going?

Hints: It's a wonderful place to visit at Christmas time...even though
there won't be too much snow (if any). It's not too far away. And,
the forecast ranges between +2 and -2C.

If I've already told you, your guess doesn't count... ;-)

a quick comment about comments...

Apart from the fact that I love them....and I want them to continue, I do have a couple of other quick things to say. I've been getting hit with spam lately, particularly on the older posts....so I've enabled comment moderation for all posts more than 10 days old. You are still welcome to comment on any and all of my posts, but if you leave a comment on an older post, it won't appear right away (until I've had a chance to approve it). I really don't want to bother moderating all comments - not do I want you to have to decipher code in order to leave a comment...so I'm crossing my fingers this resolves the issue quickly and painlessly.

Oh, one other quick thing....if you ask a question in the comments and you don't click the box "email follow-up comments to" and leave your e-mail address, the answer will just be left in the comments - so you will have to check back later. If you do click the box and provide an address (only visible to me - not the whole wide world), I will e-mail you directly, as soon as I'm able ;-)

P.S. I'm pretty sure I've deleted all of of the spam comments, but please let me know if you run across any strays. Thanks!

P.P.S. It's snowing again! The snow chicks are finished, my presents are wrapped....and today I'm going to hunker down at home, busy clearing out my inbox, writing my Christmas cards, drawing a couple of patterns and (hopefully) making a last-minute hooked gift. Wow, that sounds pretty ambitious - wish me luck!

Still snowy...

Yeah, it's looking pretty wintery and Christmasey outside...but I think the roads will be okay later in the day, so I will venture out to get the necessary supplies to finish off these guys.

In the meantime I'll be stitching away, sewing the backs on these chicks....

Keep warm.

Snowed In

We were the recipients of about a foot and a half of snow last night...and everyone continues to be advised to stay home and off of the roads to let the snow plows do their work. I don't remember EVER seeing so much snow fall in such a short amount of time. It is really crazy. Even crazier is that they are saying that we could receive another 50cm again before morning. Yikes! I was already planning to take the day off work today, but now I've been able to do it free from guilt! ;-)

So Santa's workshop is back in full swing...and so far today I've finished a hat for Sienna, Leah's stocking, and zigged around the snow chicks. This evening I will start sewing them together....while I cross my fingers I'm able to got out tomorrow - I desperately need to buy some much needed filling for the ladies, in order to finish them....

I've had some questions about the stockings of late....so thought I would give some background. The Christmas stockings were designed by my Auntie Jean (Jean Armstrong) and they are the reason I started rug hooking in the first place. AJ made stockings for my sisters and I in 1977...and continued to make them for our entire family, including husbands and wives, and babies and more babies. We were afraid that the tradition would be lost....and so I was nominated to learn how to make them, and took over as the "official stocking maker" about 10 years ago. To date, I've made 22.


A year or so ago, with AJ's permission, I taught a one-day workshop on our family's stockings...and in the process created an instruction booklet and paper patterns. A supply kit soon followed.


Both are available for purchase. The instruction booklet is $18 and the kit is $50. Pattern includes all the tools needed to create your own similar stockings...detailed instruction booklet with colour illustrations, charts for hooking a variety of decorative bands, full-size paper sewing patterns. Supply Kit includes pattern on burlap, pre-cut wool in 15 colours and pre-cut lining/backing fabric (enough to make two stockings....with leftover wool for more). Please note: the instruction booklet is not included with the kit.

This stocking I made earlier in the year for Evan was hooked with the kit colours....

My new Lite

A couple of weeks ago, Tony mentioned this on his blog.....and instantly I wanted one. It was such a bargain - what hooker could resist? Luckily I was going to be driving through Barrie just a few days later, and I figured that I would stop at Costco and pick one up. I went to Costco in Barrie, I cruised all the aisles, I asked several employees, and I even went to customer service to have them check the computer....but still, I came home Lite-less - and more than a little disappointed.

I contemplated putting out a call for these cheap Lites, in case it was just a Montreal thing....but figured I would give it another shot first, since I knew I was going to Toronto this past weekend. Success! They had a whole skid full of them at the Costco at highways 400 and 7, and somehow we found room in our already packed car for four of them! (only one is for me - and I bought one for Wendie. My mum bought the other two -- she claims one is for my Dad...) As with most other things at Costco, I doubt this will be a regular item....so if you want one, you should really try to go soon.

They not only plug in, they also work off of an internal battery (which is said to last for 3 hours)....which is perfect for days when your hooking is portable. I don't think that anything will replace the fancy OTT Lite I have at home, but I'm really loving the idea of this portable Lite. And, at just $26.99, you can hardly go wrong. Can you?

Lazy Sunday

After a busy couple of days in Toronto, I've been enjoying a day of
hooking today. The Snow Chicks are hooked, pressed (and laying to
dry), and now I'm hooking a stocking. With any luck, it will be
hooked before bed...and the assembly of both can start tomorrow.
Fingers crossed!

little shawls...

Progress on my Snow Chicks has been a little slow the last few days - I've been distracted by setting up my new computer (Ho, ho, ho - Merry Christmas to me!) Everything is ready to go now....so I should be back at Santa's Workshop tonight.

In the meantime, here is a quick picture of the shawls I've been knitting. They are getting easier - and looking better - the more that I do. Here's what I've learned...

• Always slip the first stitch (I really wish I had learned this early on, so that it was a habit for me - it makes a world of difference and the top edge straight)
• Cast off on the wrong side, using the knit stitch - it stops the edge from rolling up (the one in the centre bottom needs some serious blocking - can you tell it was one of the first ones?)
  
• 3.5mm needles and leftover bits of Noro Kureyon Sock work well together for these shawls

The pattern is very simple....

1. Cast on 3 stitches
2. Slip 1, YF, K1, YF, K1 (= 5 stitches)
   
3. Slip 1, Knit or Purl row (WS)
   
4. Slip 1, YF, K1, YF, Place Marker K1, YF, K1, YF, K1 (=9 stitches)
   
5. Slip 1, Knit or Purl row (WS)
6. Slip 1, YF, knit to marker YF, place Marker, K1, YF, knit to last stitch, YF, K1 (=13 stitches)
   
7. Repeat last two rows until desired size is reached

If you alternate between two balls (or both ends of the same ball) every 2-4 rows, you can achieve some great transitional stripes (with Noro). You can also play around with varying between garter stitch and stocking stitch. Just experiment....and have fun! :-)

Martina's finished...

....and she did a lovely job.
I just love it when people use different colours - it's so fun for me! ;-)

Is it here to stay?

Well, the forecast of flurries for four of the next five days would indicate "yes"....but we will just have to wait and see. All of this snow is definitely helping me get in the Christmas spirit....

I've been working away on my Snow Chicks. I'm on my 6th mini-shawl and almost have 4 bodies hooked. With any luck, they will be ready to go early next week - and I can start work on something new. The prospect of having a little play is motivation enough for me to get these girls done....and there'll be no last-minute Lucy this year. Hurray for that! ;-)

Taken on my drive to work this morning....Hello Winter Wonderland!