#101 of 365 - Watch Tower or A Day Spent Rallying Around the Town.

The first thing we did this morning was to head south to pick up Rebecca and the BOM pattern for guild. Then far out to the east of town for the guild meeting. Met our Cheryl's lovely mother, Violet whilst there. Then after, a quick trip back to Rebecca's for some packages she needed to mail. Then we headed back to the west and downtown Colorado Springs for a sushi lunch at Yoo Mae and then a wander along Cascade heading north to look at the sculptures all along the streets as we went. We saw 34 thousand plus Helios, a snowman with rocks in it's head, giant metal koosh balls scattered across a lawn next to the giant Spanish dancers on the lawn by the Money Museum.

Also there were stone plinths, metal and glass figures, stone carvings, bronze sculptures and Patrick Dougherty's woven wood sculpture on the Colorado College campus.

During the wander, we saw bulbs about to spring into bloom, checked out an herb garden behind the McAllister House and found out that I qualify as a senior citizen at the Money Museum. Le sigh... I showed Rebecca the climbing roses we, the Grace Gardeners planted yesterday along the ugly chain link fence on the south side of the church. Then it was back down Tejon to Poor Richard's Book Emporium to meet up with Erin again. We also noodled through the goodies in the front part of the store. Rebecca and I felt up some kewl journals, no, really we did. We talked yarn with one of the clerks after she admired my Summer with Ishbel. I also saw the coolest pair of half chaps that would so work as part of a Steampunk outfit.

We walked east back to the parking garage which is over the bus depot. Which is when we got a closer look at the Watch Tower, which I am looking through in the above photo. There were black Suburbans and dark sunglasses abounding when we got there. The exit to the depot was blocked off by a bus and there were ARMED TSA agents littering the sidewalks. We still don't know what was up with that. Erin could only say, Mother, you would leave a baggie of bay leaves on the front seat of the car, hah, hah, hah...


In the end, Rebecca and I had a loverly day of art for art's sake...and by the way, Rebecca, I was right, it was a hawthorn.

Erin and I hit the Sunflower and saw a red fox just chillin' on a neighbor's lawn on the way there. Spooked the USPS guy right out...

#100 of 365 - Big Weekend and a Big Kilt

You all, dear readers will just have to forgive me for not posting since last week.

It all started on Friday afternoon with finding the shoes for both the bride-to-be and the MotBtb for the wedding in October. Whoo-hoo, another task off the wedding to-do list (a really big one, as shoes are difficult for the both of us).



Then the last regular season Avs game at the Can (the Pepsi Center, thus the nick-name). This was the last opportunity for Erin to see an NHL hockey game in an arena before she leaves for the UK this summer. After the game, we went and spent the night at Castle Judd and heard some really hopeful news on the home front.

From there, I segued to the Colorado Tartan Day celebration in Arvada all the long day on Saturday. Curtis, Boo and I were dressed in our garb as Ren Scots and out the door by 7:00 am. The village was up and operational by 9:00 am. Sadly, as my camera is now officially dead and not replaced as yet and I am the only one that is remotely regular about taking photos, there are no photos of the event for me to share with you.

Then it was back home to the Springs and the item referenced in the title of this blog. I made a big kilt and I made it all by myself without Judy's help and I think I did a pretty great job on it, all in all. I just came up for air today as the kilt is FINISHED and going into the mail overnight tomorrow to the Carolinas.



This is a picture of the kilt I made for my Da, but you get the idea...

#99 of 365 - Big Shawl to Be

So, yesterday I frogged a shawl that wasn't growing to my satisfaction. It was a simple triangle in Stocking Stitch, made be increasing at the beginning and end of every row, but I could see that it would be dragging the floor before it was a wide as I wanted it to be. I had been more and more getting to the point of decision, press on or frog. Frogging won, sigh! No pictures of what it looked like as I neglected that part. Oh well.

After my daily perusal of the blogs I read on a regular basis, I discovered the Mini Weaver's shawl on my friend, Judy's most recent blog post. I cast on for the new one yesterday. Here was the beginning of it as of last night.



Here I am as of today.

It's all scraps and skeins of these two yarns with some mystery yarns thrown in. The two yarns are Reynold's Lopi and Brown Sheep's LambSpun. They are blending together quite nicely. The weight and the shape of this shawl will make me very happy next winter.

This is a replacement big warm shawl for me, as Erin is taking the fringed triangle shawl (which is currently living with Rebecca) with her when she moves to England. It was made from the remainders of some Manos from projects of my dear departed Mum and therefore is sort of a family heirloom now.

#98 of 365 - Big Pizza

Tonight was Pizza Night.






I made a fresh tomato and Brussels sprout pie for me. I used fresh herbs from my "garden" which lives in pots in the bathroom as it gets the most sun. It's still too cold for them to go out. Nevermind the fact, that there was 5 inches of snow on the ground when I woke up this morning. It was yummy tho, nom!

#97 of 365 - National and State Tartan Day

For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.

From The Declaration of Arbroath 1320.


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April 6th is the national and state designated celebration of the contributions of persons of Scottish descent to the founding and settling of America. This date was chosen, as it was the date the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. Some of the wording of this document was used in creating our own Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Arbroath was sent to the Pope in Avignon to tell him that the Scots were tired of being oppressed by the English. Obviously, that is a problem that still hasn't been fully resolved, even today.

I have been involved with the Colorado State Tartan Council for many years and this morning I attended the State House of Representative's reading of the State Proclamation. Lovely to see John Wallin, the Sargeant at Arms of the House of Representatives decked out in a Colorado kilt and carrying a two-handed Scottish Claymore. Most of the attending Representatives also were wearing either a Colorado State Tartan tie or sash. Even if you have no Scottish or Celtic heritage, as a citizen of the United States you are entitled to wear the Saint Andrew's or American Bicentennial Tartan as your national tartan. If your state also has one, you are entitled to wear it as a resident of your state.

Here I am helping out visitors to one of the State's celebrations, decked out in my Scottish attire which includes and arasaig (shawl) of Old Blair tartan.

As an aside: Scotland has co-opted our National Tartan Day and as of 2003 has started to celebrate Tartan Day.

#96 of 385 - Challenge of Pictures

It's a challenge to find pictures to use when I am out of town and my camera is not cooperating. Ah well, here tis today's. Red again.

#95 of 365 - Happy Easter

Today I learned why eggs are dyed red in orthodox tradition. I also got a red egg whilst at church. The red egg is based on the story of Mary Magdalene telling Tiberius Ceasar about Jesus' resurrection and he scoffingly saying it was about as true as the chances of the egg in her hand turning red. Well the egg did turn red in her hand, thus the tradition of dying eggs red was born.

I wore Summer with Ishbel and got many compliments on it. I discovered however, that I won't ever make it in a micro-fiber again as the points aren't holding. Synthetic fiber has it's own mind. I may try wet blocking and steam to see if I can get this yarn to hold the points. Still looks lovely and drapes on the shoulders nicely.

#92 of 365 - No Photos of SnB Today

No photographs were taken today as certain persons got cranky about having their picture taken. So here is one of me taken the other day... I am wearing my Spring green Saint Patrick's Day handspun 198 Yards of Heaven shawl made from the yarn I got in the swap and a green tee shirt. How did that happen?

#91 of 365 - Big Sky or Big Pile O'Yarn

April's Blog theme is big. How about that big sky? Or how about that big pile of yarn that is just a week's worth of projects for me to work on whilst sitting for the Labradors?

#90 of 365 - April Fool's Day

HAH HAH! Fooled you, no picture of me today!