Quilt #1

     I am pleased to say that I have finally finished my first quilt! This is a bigger accomplishment that it first seems because most of the quilt top was hand-pieced and I have been working on it over the course of the last decade.

     It all began when I found a pile of 3.5" X 3.5" squares in upper elementary. These squares, I thought, would be just perfect for making a patchwork quilt! And so, I set out on making the quilt. After a while I began to notice that my pile of squares was slowly being depleted. To infuse my stash with fresh fabric I dug through my mother's fabric scraps in search of fabric to cut more squares.

Here is the quilt top in its early years.

     After a bit I would grow bored and set the quilt down as a new hobby caught my interest. However, I would return to work on it occasionally. And so the quilt grew. This last year I decided it had grown big enough and set out to finish the project.

     After selecting a bag of batting and some backing (salvaged, ironically from another one of my childhood projects). I was ready to start tying my quilt -> A much simpler method to actual quilting, though not as professional looking.

My mother helped me out.

     After tying came trimming. And then I was finally ready to sew on the binding and be done with the whole thing. I am pleased that it is finally finished!

Letters of Love

     I like getting  mail. A lot. It's the best feeling when you discover an envelope in your mailbox assigned to you (discounting junk mail that is).

     When I was little I discovered a magical thing: if you write a letter to some one, then they will write back! The only problem is, people in today's world aren't as accustomed to regular correspondence as they used to be. Even when I write to someone, they don't always write back. In fact, that is often the case.

     Still, I remember the wonderful feeling I get when I receive a letter, so I try to pass it on to others, even if I don't get a response. I love getting letters, but I also love sending letters.

     If you get a letter from me this summer, I hope you appreciate it! Also, if you can, please take the time to write me back and let me know how you are doing. Let's start the train of handwritten missives once again!

Warning: You may or may not be getting a pair of these for Christmas

      After a few trial and error prototypes I decided on a one-size-fits-all pattern for my fingerless gloves. In case I forget how to make them, or if you want to know my process, here is my pattern.

Cast on 32 stitches.

K2, P2 until the end of the row

Continue until you have approx 1” of ribbing

Knit one row

Purl one row

Increase 1, knit the rest of the row

Increase 1, purl the rest of the row

Knit one row

Purl one row

Increase 1, knit the rest of the row

Increase 1, purl the rest of the row (you should now have 36 stitches)

Knit one row

Purl one row

K16, place stitch marker (m), increase 1, K4, increase 1, place stitch marker (m), K16

Purl one row

Repeat the above two steps until there are 12 total stitches between the markers, ending on a purl row.

K16, bind off 12, K16

Purl row -> at gap crisscross the bookending stitches over each other before purling.

Increase 1, rib row

Increase 1, rib row

Continue until you reach desired length

Bind off loosely. Leave a long tail with which to stitch the edges together.

Stitch the seam along the side of the glove and cut off the excess. Turn right side out.

Done!

Family Vacation 2017 Part 4: San Fransisco

     We started on the road to San Fransisco and arrived at our destination a little before supper. After being reunited with the family members we would be staying with we set out on a short walk to stretch our legs. For supper we had tacos. After supper we enjoyed catching up with our relatives.
    

     The next morning began with crepes for breakfast and a trip to the farmer's market - a new experience for me! We picked up lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and some other items to supplement our meals.

 

     After we returned and ate an early lunch we headed out on a sightseeing trip to Filoli, a grand estate and with fine gardens turned into a museum. Filoli was built in the early 1900's and had two owners before it was open to the public. The gardens were impressive and the estate as a whole was elegant.

     Sunday morning we went to church. It was good to worship together in the body of believers, even so far away from home. After lunch we drove to a nearby park to play laser tag. In the evening we roasted s'mores over their new fire pit.

     Memorial Day morning we woke up early to go to the tide pools. It was cold, but we bundled up. The tide was out, leaving pools of water containing creatures like sea urchins, anemones, and crabs.

    

Family Vacation 2017 Part 3: Yosemite

     The park has become busier in previous years, so after breakfast we left the house to ensure we got a parking spot. After securing our parking we set out on a hike for Bridal Veil Falls. The river was especially high from increased snow melt and the mist from the falls was refreshing. After viewing the falls we decided to take a bit of a longer hike back to our car to closer view El Capitan. In total, the roundtrip was about 5 miles.

     For lunch we had a picnic in the shade under some pine trees, which was very relaxing. After lunch a second impromptu hike was decided upon to catch a glimpse of Yosemite Falls from afar. This one was about two miles. Supper that night was very delicious spaghetti.

     Our second day in Yosemite started out at Glacier Point. We got a different view of the park and even saw some snow!

     For lunch we hiked up Sentinel Dome where we shared our picnic with a stupendous 360 degree view! The park was starting to fill up with visitors, so after slipping and sliding down the snow banks we decided to head back to home base and rest for a bit before embarking on more locally sourced adventures.

     This included walking down to see the swollen river, exploring an old train engine and eating pizza for supper. The next morning we slept in and relaxed. Then we left the Yosemite Valley area and headed south.

Family Vacation 2017 Part 2: Las Vegas + more traveling

     Before leaving the Grand Canyon we stopped by the Geology Museum and had one last look at the rim. Then it was off to Las Vegas to visit family! We ate lunch in Williams at Rod's Steakhouse. That was fun because it was a establishment that has been visited by previous generations of my mom's family in the past.

     After that Mom very much enjoyed driving on historic Route 66. We arrived in Las Vegas in the late afternoon and dropped off our stuff at my uncle's house. He then took us to Red Rock National Park where we got to stretch our legs and see more of God's glorious creation!

    After spending the night in Las Vegas we hit the road again. This time our goal was Yosemite National Park! On the way there we stopped to see more relatives, which was a blessing because we hadn't seen them in a while. We arrived at our destination just in time for supper with my aunt and uncle. The next morning we planned to explore the park.

Family Vacation 2017 Part 1: Meteor Crater and the Grand Canyon

     This was our first full-blown vacation as a family in two years. It started out an early Friday morning. We left the house at 7:30 in the morning and started driving. Of course there was the obligatory stop at McDonalds, but this day was all business - driving business. So with a serious mission to make some miles we set out on the road. For supper that night we ate at a Denny's and stayed in a hotel just outside Arizona.

     Saturday morning we crossed the border into Arizona and made a point to stop and see Meteor Crater. Long before human record a meteor from outer space crashed into what is now the state of Arizona. The meteor mostly disintegrated upon impact, but it left a giant crater a mile wide that is boasted as the best preserved meteor crater on earth today.

     After being tourists for a while we ate lunch and headed on to the Grand Canyon. And boy was it grand! Before this trip I don't think I fully understood the true scale of its size! The air was very clear and the views were spectacular.

     For supper that night we ate at the Bright Angel Lodge. Early the next morning we hit the trial - the hiking trail! We made it to Cedar Ridge on the South Kaibab trail before heading back up. The going up the trail was more difficult than when we were going down. It was also more crowded. Once we cleared the rim we had lunch and then rested in our room for an hour before venturing out on the shuttle bus system to see more of the rim. Mom especially enjoyed the view from Pima Point.