MSI again

I grabbed a free ride to the Museum of Science and Industry again yesterday (Thanks M!) and enjoyed myself a lot! I checked out a bunch of the exhibits I didn't get to last time:

Baby chicks:

11 AM:

2 PM:

By 3:30 there were 13 chicks hatched, but they were all still damp looking. The other incubator had the cute, fluffy, peeping ones.

I checked out the chemistry exhibits, and the You! exhibits about the body (quite good!) and the plumbing exhibit, and the energy exhibit, and of course the Fairy Castle, but I tried to make as many of the shows and demonstrations that I could fit in. I saw a demonstration/science project on the digestive system (so much fun I want to make sure to take P there next month... right up a 9-year-old boy's alley!); a balcony toss (throwing balls off the balcony... I wished they had talked about gravity instead of about elasticity); I caught the bang! demonstration again from the balcony; and there was a demonstration about chemistry bonds. Pretty difficult to explain in a 15 minute activity. While I was resting (knitting) waiting for another exhibit they demonstrated the Tesla Coil right overhead:

Pretty impressive! Then I went to a demonstration of a medical school teaching robot:

First we checked his vitals on a normal baseline, and then the demonstrator fiddled with the controls, and he showed all the signs of asthma, which we diagnosed with no trouble. Finally I went to a Brrr-day party (for H.G. Wells... he wasn't there) and we "played" with liquid nitrogen, frozen balloons, boiling liquid nitrogen that tooted party noisemakers, and ice cream that was made by mixing room temperature ice cream mix with liquid nitrogen. I just had so much fun!

Then I walked back to M's office, about a mile, on a lovely September afternoon, sunny and breezy. What a wonderful day!

The Knitting on the small purse is done

I finished on Saturday, and took care of all the loose ends this morning. It was so much fun to knit! It was like a puzzle. When I read the instructions, I sort of understood what I was to do, but didn't see the point of it until I did it.

I was knitting fast, so I could finish before I ran out of yarn. There were just a couple of yards of cream left, and two little balls of blue. The pattern called for 500 yards, , I bought 660 yards, so at least it worked out.

This close-up shows some of the detail. You won't really be able to see the shaping until it is felted, and I want to wait to do that until my big bag is knit, so I can do both at the same time.

The pattern for the big bag calls for 1600 yards of yarn, and I bought 1760. I hope I have enough!

I used some of my left-over yarn to wrap maris. I really don't want a lot of little bits of yarn left over... I am glad I have a good way to use them.

I didn't start on the big bag yet, because I over-did it on Saturday. When I knit for too long, I think I stress the tendon that attaches to my shoulder blade, and I get a sharp pain. I didn't knit anything yesterday, and my back feels a lot better today. Maybe that's a hint to finish a temari?

Another Ruffle Scarf

Here is another ruffled scarf. This is not a very good picture, but then sparkly yarns never show up good. The colors are brighter too.

For this scarf I cast on 8 stitches, and it is 48 inches long. The white/gray one I cast on 10 stitches, and it turned out about 40 inches long... but it was a different brand of yarn. I am working on another one in blues, and I was going to have 8 stitches in it, but it turned out to have 9 stitches. I thing I am going to "knit two together" and go down to 8 stitches though, because I do like the length to be a little longer.

Summer Projects

On Monday night we had our Homewood Embroiderer's Guild Dinner meeting. We always have such a good time! I have been a member of the guild close to 20 years, and have known many of these stitchers for that long. We do not meet over the summer, so this is a chance to get caught up and see what everyone has been stitching. This year Marj, Marge and I are in charge of programs, so I have been working on that, and not able to show what I have been doing until the members get to see it.

The summer project this year was inspired by a playing card; my card was the 3 of diamonds. There are 3 red diamonds, 3 black diamonds, and 3 red crystal "diamonds" in the tassel at the bottom. A lot was done on the machine, but there is some kumihimo braid, and hand-made loops the braid goes through.

The material is silk, and the diamonds are velvet. It feels very rich to hold this in your hand. It is from a pattern by Jackie who blogs at Dog-Daisy Chains. I have been stressing over this project for most of the summer. I have another pouch almost done; an afternoon of work will finish it, so I hope to show that to you soon.

One of the classes we are planning for the coming year is this temari (representing the game "Hearts"). Our theme this year is "fun and games" so we have poker chips, hearts, Artist Trading Cards, and etc. I have made this temari before, but I still really like it, and I think it is a good introduction to a C8.

This project was originally going to be a book-mark, but since most of the time I don't read books but read from my Nook I decided to make a Nook pouch instead. The lining is quilted by machine; the extra fabric is from Moonsilk Stitches, and I think it adds just the right touch.

This is where the black-work pattern I talked about a couple of days ago was used.

Speaking of books, I finally finished the Diana Gabaldon series. I was shocked by how much I had forgotten of the last book. Several things surprised me all over again. I think it is going to be another year before the next book comes out, but at least there is a title: Written in my Own Heart's Blood. That's not necessarily the last one of the series yet, either! Oh My!

Museum Pictures

Each year, when we do our Chicago outing, we get a souvenir picture from the attraction we are visiting. This year we got separated into two groups when we reached the picture area, so only some of the participants got in the picture: Back row: DD2, DD1SO, DD1, DH, front row: P & C.

(I am getting a real kick out of C: her expression looks like she really has been captured! LOL)

When we got home DD2 found this picture from 2005:

(There were more people in our group that year, but we had gotten separated as well. I think my folks and DD1 were there.)

P had a wonderful time at the museum that time: he and I spent a lot of time in the kids room where they had a river with waterworks and balls floating down stream. You could throw and pour and splash, and it was all very interesting. Everyone had fun this time as well, and P & C did not want to leave when it was supper time, because they had not seen everything. I don't think it is ever possible to see everything in one day, but we sure had fun trying.

Concert on Friday night

Last Friday night we went to a concert in Chicago (at the Chicago theater) with good friends. DH and I picked up the tickets, but did not have to drive or do any of the additional planning. We had a wonderful time! We got to the area with plenty of time, enough time to enjoy a beverage at a restaurant across the street, and then crossed to the theater.

It was a rainy evening, but it just dampened the streets, not our spirits.

(Can you see the Joffry Ballet next door to the theater? You could see people practicing their dancing through the windows.)

The artist was Alison Krause and her band Union Station, with guest artist Jerry Douglas on the dobro. The music was amazing! out of this world. The band consisted of Alison on the fiddle, upright base, guitars and/or banjos and/or mandolin, and the dobro, with occasional help with keyboards and drums. It is Bluegrass, and I loved it! Much of the music was from the Brother, Where Art Thou? movie, and one of the singers was the singing voice of Clooney in the movie.

Here is a very overexposed cellphone picture. I forgot my camera at home!

You wouldn't think a solo on the dobro would be very interesting, but we were mesmerized for the entire intermission. The concert was 2 hours long, and it went by in a flash. I would definitely be interested in seeing Alison again.

Thank you, friends, for your company at the concert, and on the trip up and back. (DH is shopping for an upright base!)

Ruffle Scarf

On Thursday, in my knitting group, I worked on my ruffle. It was really a nice project to work on in a group, because it was very slow knitting, but did not need a lot of concentration.

While I was knitting, I tried it on a couple of times, to make sure it was going to be long enough, and when people asked what I was going to do with it, I mentioned I had not decided. The general opinion was, though, that I should keep it for myself, because it matched my hair. What do you think?

The scarf does has more white than my hair does... but the colors are almost exact! Friends are the best mirrors.