That's a blast from my past. A wooden escalator inside Macy's downtown store. I remember riding on this escalator; when I was a little kid and this store was Kaufmann's, they had the Santa village on the 12th floor and those escalators were in use. They aren't any more-as far as I know, the 12th floor is all storage and stuff now. Still, kinda cool, kinda creepy. And beautiful, in a way.
(the other direction)
Those are phone pictures, by the way.
It's been a rather boring week. I've been knitting on the sweater, spinning flax, and making small progress on the green socks.
It's starting to look like something! I can also illustrate the yarn I'm using and how it makes the piece a bit more unique. The yarn is Ironstone Flake Cotton, and I think it's discontinued so I damn well better have enough. (According to the pattern, I have about 200 yards more than enough, but I still worry.) It's a cotton yarn with a slub feature to it, which makes it more forgiving and a bit more interesting, IMO anyway.
See the slubs? And now, see the slubs in the knitted fabric?
It's an effect I like.
I'm part of an online spinning guild that is pretty informal. Knowing me if it were more organized, I'd not be in it because I just don't have patience for doing group projects etc. any more. The current project is spinning flax. For those who don't know, flax is where linen fabric comes from. I've been wanting to grow some flax and see if I can manage to process it, but that's going to be a couple of years off. Still something interesting to look forward to doing. I ended up buying some flax roving and line flax from an online vendor (paradise fibers) and have been spinning the roving. It's VERY different from wool and cotton. Nothing like anything I've spun before. It's much easier than cotton to spin. The "tow" flax, or roving, is shorter fibers arranged in a roving format, and the line or "strick" flax is continuous fibers up to 3 feet long arranged in a smooth "ponytail" that will spin very fine, but that I am not ready for yet. I'm enjoying getting the feel of the fiber, though, using the roving, and I'm anxious to see how the finished yarn comes out. Pictures next week, probably, as I don't have enough to show on it and it doesn't look like much anyway.
Yesterday, Bob and I worked in the yard a lot. The past two years of neglect are being reversed, slowly slowly but progress none the less. I decided to "de-debris" the side and back flower beds around the house and here is what I found.
Pretty blue flowers. I can't remember what they're called.
Hostas peeking up above the surface. "Is it safe to come out yet?" These are the "Grandiflora" type. Spectacular in bloom.
The rose of sharon, while pretty, was getting invasive along the side and I had to pull or dig up or cut down a lot of it. I lost a lot of my plantings, too, but not everything.
That's a view of the shady garden area along the back of the house. The yarrow and daffodils and star of bethlehem are doing very well. Too well, I think. But I'm not going to worry too much about it right now.
And the peonies are of course fine.
Beds I didn't get to yet also had surprises in store.
Hooray for Crocuses.
Daylilies coming up already!
These tulips were hiding under a dormant yarrow.
And my favorite-
the first daffodils of the year. It's hard to be pessimistic in the face of that much sunny goodwill.
1 comment:
I remember those escalators! Crazy. I wish it was still Kaufmann's. :(
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