When we bought our house, the previous owner told us that someone from the Smithsonian came out once to photograph the old thresher in the backyard. We took that as a sign that we should be proud of it, so we are. Jonny has spent the past ten years hauling away sinks, toilets, and other random junk, but that giant thresher stays. We’ve cleaned up most of the major piles of old metal and wood on our property, so these days my boys take expeditions off into the woods and drag home metal from old abandoned homesites. How they got that sink home, I have no idea. It looks heavy. Jonny will load up all this metal in the back of his little old truck and the boys will make some money selling it at the metal recycling center. It’s great for the boys to have this resourceful way of making money, but it’s not great for the curb appeal of our house. My friends are used to me having a different excuse for the mess out front every time they visit.
I finished knitting my Clothilde shawl a couple of weeks ago. I found the last chart to be very challenging. Not the stitches themselves, but making my brain hold onto the pattern as I knit along. I couldn’t work on it at night, because being the least bit sleepy could be disastrous. I knit the last few rows locked in my bedroom on a Saturday morning, sweating nails. Just the memory of it hurts my brain. I may take a nice long break from knitting lace. My mind isn’t up for the challenge, and it’s a small miracle that this shawl turned out at all. My Ravelry notes are HERE.
p.s. For posterity’s sake, Jonny was kind enough to model for an “I’m too sexy for my shawl,” photo.
Janet says
It is nice to see your pictures. I am used to only seeing the children, yarn, outside shots and books so it is nice to see who writes these beautiful posts 🙂
OMSH says
Go Jonny, go. 🙂 Cute shot.
Jennifer @ Little Blog in the Big Woods says
LOL Johnny!
Judy says
very impressive
Susan says
I don’t even wear shawls, but seeing the one you made makes me want to wear one . . . well, to wear at least *that* one:-).
Helly says
…. that last pic made me snort chilli tuna up my nose. Hee hee hee…
Cathy says
This shawl is just lovely. I am impressed with your ability. I am so glad I found this blog for I reading it every day. I too live in Virginia but not on the eastern seaboard which makes me especially enjoy your pictures.
Claudia says
I admire your perseverance with the shawl; I started one last summer with some lovely yarn a friend had given me but ended up frogging it entirely. There’s something about a lace chart that I have yet to give in to. I also like seeing a shawl worn as an everyday object rather than a stuffy or futzy thing worn by the aged (something I hope to be one day but am not ready to be identified as yet). Finally, I’m sure Jonny’s photo is someone’s wallpaper by now. Work it, boy!