Pumpkins Wish You a Happy Halloween! (Ha ha!)

Mystery Flower for Eye Candy Friday

I was in Madison, Wisconsin, for a meeting earlier this week. It was one of the last nice days of the fall, I suspect. At lunchtime, I went for a walk by Lake Mendota and found this flower which I’m not familiar with, which was still braving the end-of-October chilly weather.

Whatever it is, it’s lovely!  And very purple-pink.

O Girasole Mio!

Yes!  It is finito!  After the edging that seemed to go on forever.

Girasole is a lovely pattern, and the Malabrigo Sock yarn in Ochre was a good fit, I think.

I had neither a daughter-model handy, nor a photographer available, so I enlisted the services of another model, who graciously acceded.

Mrs. Helga did a wonderful job.

Helga models Girasole

Even bronze statues get cold

I think she might have liked it.

Though this is a pattern that doesn’t need as much blocking as some, definitely the edging needs it.  What a difference a couple hours on my knees, and 214 or so points pinned out (but who’s counting?), makes!

This first Sunflower was just given to my mother.  I likely would have saved it to give to her at the holidays, but she’s recovering from another foot surgery and could use it now, at home.  A little bit of Sun(flower) for her lap or her shoulders, I hope.

Last Rose of the Year

Right before our 8 degrees below freezing night, a couple weeks ago.

Last Rose of Fall

Sigh.  It’s a long time before the earliest late March or early April bulbs bloom…

Illustrated Book Report: The Odyssey

You saw the RockStar’s work when she was five in the ground-breaking illustrated Shell Report.

I just thought you might want to know what she was up to now, at age fourteen.

Illustrating The Odyssey, of course….

My personal favorites are the Cyclops, seen again below (also a favorite of my daughter’s, apparently) and Penelope with arm akimbo.

Just where have you been all this time, Mister?  This story better be good!

I wanted the RockStar to draw Charybdis, because Scylla and Charybdis just go together like bread and butter, like mmm and Malabrigo.  But she seems to think it’s rather a challenge to draw a whirlpool as a stick figure.

Apple of My Eye (Candy Friday)

Photo taken last Saturday.  After an intervening week of gloom and rain and snow,  it looks like this again today, with a sunny October-blue sky.

Mmmm, fresh crisp apples!  One of the best things about autumn here.

I Got a Sunflower on a Cloudy Day

The current state of my (first) Girasole:

Not too bad for a picture taken on my car hood in the parking lot at the end of work tonight…

Also, can you say ‘dye lot‘??

And ‘hand-dyed‘?

(I knew you could!)

Ah, well, the color shift’ll look fine in this pattern!  Over half done with the edging, but it’s definitely a process.  Onward and . . . aroundward!