Texture And A Pop Of Color

There is pattern writing to be done.  But the notes exist, the knitting went well, and the final result pleases me.

You, dear reader, get a preview of the next pattern to come from the sometimes fertile mind of this old Cajun.

Enjoy.

Pop Of Color

We all hear the advice.  Add a pop of color to make your knitting or crochet have that extra something.  Perhaps this is why we are encouraged to step out of our own personal color box and add something special or unexpected.  Even I am wowed by red & orange right next to each other.  Even pink can have a purpose when used sparingly.

A field of one color - even a field filled with texture seems monotonous after a while.  I'm trying to take my cues from Mother Nature and add in  a pop amid the texture.

Greens & browns with texture.
















More texture courtesy of nature and man.


















And then Mother Nature pops forth and says Bonjour Y'all!

Shh. Stealth Yarn Work In Progress

A whole passel of knitters and crocheters are busy working on a grand stealth project.  One of "us" needs a little love and we are determined to wrap the individual with love.

Word went out that six inch squares were needed.  Knit or crochet and in certain colors.  Thankfully, there is even a volunteer who will put all the squares into a pleasing whole lot of love.

This pattern works up great.  I love the texture of the post stitches and the way that the final square looks like a fan.

The pattern is free and listed on Ravelry.

6" Box Fan Pattern by Donna Kay Lacey.

SHHH.  It's stealthy crochet.

No Stitches For Me

The only stitching that occurred over the long holiday weekend was not for me. 

First, up was adding to the washcloth contribution.  Why give three when one more just requires watching a movie.  That blue & white knit one is new.  And it fits in with my determination to make more masculine looking washcloths for this endeavor.

Yeah, yeah, I know.  The white circle with scallops is very feminine.  But so fast to make, it had to be part of the total contribution.

And I finished another hat for donating.  Again, this was left over acrylics (machine washable) and made using a variation of my basic 80 stitches on a US #8.  This one has a rolled stockinette edge before the ribbing.  After the ribbing it is just stockinette, stripes toward the top and a slouchy top.  The flower embellishment breaks up all the blue and the green adds a nice pop.

 No stitches FOR me.  Just some stitching by me for others.  Ain't life grand?!

Doing Our Part

The drought situation in California is in my thoughts a lot lately.  Moving from a rather large lot (with associated single family home & pool & lots of landscaping) into a condo helps greatly.  The need for exterior watering of plants is spread amongst all the neighbors.  And the whole community of Playa Vista has just a few pools for all of the residents.  When I look at my monthly water consumption, it is way, way down from the "old days" of suburbia and lawns and pools.

Yes, I often miss the privacy of a private home set away from neighbors.  We've been talking about how even if we still owned a piece of the pie, we would need to invest in a new landscape plan during these times.

While we do not have any exterior land here at the Westside abode, we do have a little bit at the other condo out in Palm Desert.  And there, we had the opportunity to do our part to cut down on the water sucking grass and non-native plants.  The HOA is offering to split costs with condo owners who convert their exterior walkway area into desert appropriate landscape that cuts way down on water requirements.  This helps offset the need to keep the golf course up to par.  [And that's all I have to say about that great debate.]

Well - half price landscape is too good to pass up!  Because we are not experts in selecting plants and designing a long narrow space, we left the design up to "the crew doing it." 

All we wanted was to fit in with the drought bandwagon and encourage our neighbors to join the beauty of a more natural look.

I love the result!  He loves the result!  We are happy.

So happy, that we've started sprucing up the courtyard area.  The most recent addition is a little decorative fence that sorta hides the water valves.  And we picked up two new succulents to add to this entry area.

OK - can't take it.  Back to the golf course debate that I promised not to discuss.

I love the golf course views and the evening sunsets.  Grass and all.