Photo-a-Day - August 2013 - Day 14: Original

This is my latest project, shown with my handsome T.S. Elliot, for Stitches from the Heart, a charity which donates baby items to over 1,400 NICU centers and hospitals around the country.  There is a story behind this blanket.

I don't know when I first learned about Hudson's Bay points blankets.  [from Wikipedia] "A Hudson's Bay point blanket is a type of wool blanket traded by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in British North America (now Canada) and the United States during the 18th century and 19th century. The blankets were typically traded to First Nations and Native Americans in exchange for beaver pelts."  Being one who loves history and the Northeast US and Canada, they always appealed to me but they are expensive, so I've never had one.

When I started looking for my next blanket pattern, I thought of the Hudson's Bay blanket and decided I'd base mine on that.  Off I went.  I didn't have quite the right green, but thought it would do.  I worked relentlessly for two days and finished the traditional four stripes.

And then I went back and looked at a photo of the actual blankets:

Do you see the problem?  It took me a minute to realize I had reversed the navy and green stripes.  I nearly cried.  Then I took a deep breath and weighed my options.

1.  Frog (take out) all the stripes I'd stitched.
2.  Ignore it and assume that whomever received it wouldn't know about Hudson Bay blankets.

Neither of those options really appealed to me.  Then, the light went one and, once again, I believed that there are no problems without solutions waiting to be found.  

Thus, I have created the Oakland Bay Blanket!  It's my own original design of reversing the stripes back out from the center navy stripe.  It's not quite half done, but I have to say, I really do like it.  

Problem solved.

Photo-a-Day - July 2013 - Day 31: Swing

I don't know who this prompt was such a challenge for me, but it was.  Finally, I decided on:

"Caution! Men Swinging"; an album I rather permanently "borrowed" from my parents when I moved out at age 18.  It was the first jazz album I really liked.  I'm happy to say, it wasn't, by any means, the last one I loved.

How could I have forgoten my wonderful swinging fairie.  She's from the Myth and Magic collection by Tudor Mint.  I have about 100 pieces, if anyone might be interested in buying some of them  I really could stand to divest.

Photo-a-Day - July 2013 - Day 28: Perspective

The perspective in this wonderful trompe l'oeil mural, created by artist Andrew Johnston , in the Woodminster District of Oakland California, makes it appear as though we can walk down the path into a redwood forest.  However, since it is a flat wall, I don't recommend trying it. 

Photo-a-Day - July 2013 - Day 27: This Is New

Crocheting for charity is such an important aspect of my life.  It keeps me mindful that no matter now hard my life may be, there are millions of people whose problems are much worse then mine.

This is my newest blanket for Stitches from the Heart, a charity that donates baby items to over 1,400 NICU centers and hospitals around the country.  The items are given to family who often have nothing else nice for their baby beyond what they receive from us. 

I loved this pattern.  It's easy, quick, fluffy and completely reversible.  I'll even make a hat, or two, to go with it.  And then I'll make another in little boy colors. 

Photo-a-Day - July 2013 - Day 25: Ground

Looking down to the ground and the turtle pond, from the tower of the new DeYoung Museum in San Francisco.

The pond, statue and vase are the only things left from the original DeYoung.  I must admit, I liked the old museum better, but then, I'm an old-fashioned girl.

 

Photo-a-Day - July 2013 - Day 24: D is for.....

Dawn dishwashing liquid and, most importantly, my Doctor Who T.A.R.D.I.S. dishcloth.

Yes, I am a major fan of the BBC show Doctor Who.  I didn't grow up with it, although I'd seen the random episode or two over the years.  However.....

December 31, 2009, I was finishing up a needlepoint project and had no interest in watching the usual New Year's Eve shows.  I had seen the ads that the SciFi channel, before it became SyFy, was doing a Doctor Who marathon starting with the first Chris Eccleston episode from 2005 and ending with "The End of Time" episode at midnight.

I had long known of the show and thought I'd give it a try.  By the end of the fourth episode, "World War Three", I was hooked.  I am sorry Russell T. Davis is no longer writing for the show as he wrote some brilliant episodes but Steven Moffat has served as a worthy successor with Mark Gattis and Neil Gaiman also providing excellent episodes.  Some of the other writers, not so much.

Doctor Who is a remarkable show in that it is beloved by both children and adults, men and women.  It is funny, scary, moving and fantastic.  Doctor Who definitely made my 2009 New Year's Eve unforgettable. 

Photo-a-Day - July 2013 - Day 16: Bottle

Growing up, I always aspired to afford real perfume.  The day finally came.  I bought this lovely, small bottle of Opium perfume.  However, be careful for what you wish.  It turns out, there's something in my body chemistry that neutralized the fragrance.

Still in all, I fulfilled the dream, bought my perfume, and can now be very happy with eau de cologne.  There's a lesson there.