Four doors

Seen in Villa Rica, Georgia.

When I grow up

When I grow up, I want to travel around the country with really old cameras and take portraits of anyone who will let me.

For now I'll settle for V with a new camera.

There's nothing finer than having someone's permission to capture their essence in a photo.

She doesn't let me photograph her so much these days, but occasionally she can be talked into it. 

I can't wait to see what she thinks of these when she's older. They are so her.

New camera!

Just playing with my new camera today. I got this bobbin at my favorite local antique mart. 

And here's my halfway spun Lai Grai batt - slowly making a 2-ply.

Here's some Moultrie Sock that will be in my next update, which should be next week.

And Moultrie again - left to right that's Lingonberry Jam, Kohl, Tanis, Shiraz, and Olivine. So soft and lovely.

I'm trying to think of someplace fun to go this weekend to shoot some pictures. Hmmm...

LOVE U

Happy Valentine's Day!

SX-70

I found a gorgeous Polaroid SX-70 at an antique store a few months ago for just about the best price imaginable. And a lovely blog reader was way too kind to send me some 600 film to go with it. You have to modify it a bit to use that film with that camera and so I finally, finally got around to doing that yesterday.

It's not really going so well. Too light, too dark, blurry, bright spots, dark spots.

But I shall keep trying until I either get it or run out of film. I might ask someone more knowledgeable if they know what else I can try.

I have an idea for a project for 2011. A photography project. I have a few film cameras and I think I'm going to use them. I wanted to learn to develop my own film, but I might have another little project going that could keep me from that for at least the next year. But we'll see. No promises.

Good Luck, Pt. 2

Good Luck Cowl, in progress.

Part 1 here.

The colors, they make me happy

Love these colors.

Only time for a photo today; more next time.

Camera shy

Bees & giveaway(s)!!

I think we had the best day ever today! We took a day trip to Chattanooga. We saw some bees along the way. I'm going to share a few more photos once I go through all (629) of them.

And Tonya is holding a giveaway on her blog, Plain and Joyful Living. She knitted an adorable baby vest from the yarn she won in my last giveaway and now she's giving the vest away - how gracious and lovely she is! So if you're having a baby soon or know someone who is, head on over to enter!

So I think I'll have another contest. I'm looking for someone who has a blog where you talk at least occasionally about the things you're knitting/crocheting. You must be willing to knit/crochet something from my yarn using a pattern that can be found on the Internet (free or not) and blog about it within a month's time. If that sounds just like you, leave me a comment and I'll pick a winner to get a free skein of yarn. I know which one I'd pick (my new favorite)!

Sound good? Just leave me a comment. I'll close comments sometime on Friday, July 16th (both my anniversary and my Etsyversary!) and announce the winner as soon as possible after. International contestants are welcome!

Happy Caturday!

Internet troubles are getting me down yesterday/today, but I've got cats sitting in windows - how bad can it be?

Happy Caturday!

Things I saw this weekend, part 2

China House

When I was a kid, this is where we ate a lot of Chinese food. It's closed now. It was one of those things I took for granted would always be there. Not that it was that great - I really don't remember either way. It just was there for a long time.

And now it's not.

I'm pretty sure that there was a restaurant there before China House, but I can't remember what it was.

Things I saw this weekend, part 1

A tree stump.

A rock wall with moss and lichen growing on it.

Fat and sassy bales of hay.

A barbed wire fence.

What'd you see this weekend?

Since it's Caturday...

...I though I might as well share.

And now it's time to...

S T R E T C H ! ! !

Happy Caturday!

V is for...

I saw this great photo yesterday and wanted to do one like it, so I asked V to lay on the floor of the foyer and let me take a few pictures. Before I even laid down I realized that it wasn't going to work because I had my 50mm lens on the camera and I couldn't back up far enough to get the shot. I also quickly realized that she would not be patient enough for me to go get the best lens for the job and switch them out, so I just went with what I had.

I shot these in color, but b&w white really works best. Normally I might think a shot I take is decent or pretty good. Rarely do I think, oh yeah, I totally nailed that one. And if I do, I even more rarely say it out loud. But for me, this one is one of those perfect shots. Wall worthy.

J'adore...

If you look at the large size, you might be able to see that she has Topaz written on her arm and the remnants of a kitty nose and whiskers on her face. She was pretending to be a cat I used to have named Topaz. Such a sweet girl. Today she's off with her daddy to ride the merry-go-round while I get some yarnie stuff done. Gosh, at the love!

From Supergirl

Happy Mother's Day from Supergirl!

Found flowers

Here are some flowers I found today while looking for excess photos to delete.

This one has a broken flower in it. I like that.

Also, Lime & Violet were kind enough to mention my wee yarn shop in their latest podcast. So thank you, Lime & Violet. I most certainly appreciate it!

Outdoor Specialty

Seen today in Watkinsville, Georgia.

On the way to the vet

V and I took Grace to the vet this morning to see if she's healthy enough to get her teeth cleaned. All is well and I'll be happy for her to have her teeth cleaned in a couple of weeks. Poor old kitty.

Anyway, on the way to the vet we pass these interesting buildings and house. I've been wanting to photograph them for a while.

I had the hardest time figuring out what this building is used for. I don't know why I was so daft - it's a barber shop! See this little barber shop pole over on the left? Silly me. The shape of this building gets me every time. Who built it? What was it for? It looks like someone lopped off the top of some old house somewhere and set it down here.

I have no idea what this building is, but I needed to turn my car around so I used its parking lot to do so. There weren't any cars parked  there. I didn't see any signs. Will need to check it out next time I go past. But someone took the time to tape up all those small pieces of paper in the windows, instead of using sheets of paper or something. Interesting.

I love this house. I don't know if anyone lives there - I never see a car there. But maybe they're just at work when I pass. I love that it's missing its porch roof.  I love how it needs to be painted. I want to know more about this house.

It took me forever to get my license and car tag taken care of - just did that this month. Took me from, what? October? until now. Sounds impossible, I know, but every time I thought I had all the correct papers, I found out there was one more document I had to order. But now I'm legal and I'm looking forward to exploring this area of the state. I need a good map...

No. 1A Kodak Jr.

A couple of weeks ago I stopped into an antique store to look around. I found lots of fun things - like a little red plastic spinning wheel about 12 inches tall. It was a toy for kids and the box said that it really works. It was funny, quite the novelty item, but I didn't buy it.

I also found some old bobbins and a set of hand carders that had once been used in spinning cotton, but I didn't get those either.

There were some old wooden spools of thread. I always think they're so pretty. They were very inexpensive, but I left them there for someone else to find.

They also had a red glass vase that would match the one I have from my grandmother. I thought I might get that so I'd have a matching set, but then I saw this:

It's a No. 1A Autographic Kodak Jr. camera - for sale for $2.

They don't make the film for it anymore. I'll have to modify another kind of film to see if it works. But I don't care. Because even if it doesn't work or I never get around to it - look at it! It's glorious.

Inside, the last date for patents it has printed is 1921. This little fold-down part on the back is where the "autographic" comes in. The film that was made for the camera had a layer of carbon paper and after you took a shot, you could just open this window, take out the little stylus, and write notes onto the film. Handy, yes?

Mine still has its stylus - a very stylish piece of metal!

I need to clean her up and read all about how to modify the film. I'm so excited!

Do you have any old cameras around your house? Do you use them? I'd love to see photos!

I found a second camera at the shop that I also bought. I'll tell you about that one another day.

Have a great week!

Love her

I just came across this - it was taken at the end of October. I was shooting pictures for the banner for November in B&W.

I love this picture. She's holding in her hand these little nuts from one of the trees in our backyard, giving them kisses. Sometimes she'll pick one or two up off the ground and bring them in the house to take care of them - she calls them her Nutbabies. She'll give them a bath in the sink and some felt food and then tuck them into a little blanket she has so they can sleep.

Better On Black

How I love her.

Sometimes the sky feels lonely

An average morning

Garden hose

Taken with my Diana camera.

Happy weekend!

I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Tree

The animals

If you could go anywhere and do anything right now, where would you go? What would you do?

Right now - at this moment - I would go to NYC and take lots of pictures in b&w.

Street scenes, buildings, bridges, shops, food, potholes.

I'd summon the courage to ask people if I could take their photographs. I'd pay them if I had to.

I'd look for light and shadows, for joy and sorrow, for good and evil. And I would photograph it.

But ask me tomorrow and you'll likely hear a completely different answer.

Business opportunity

A hot dog stand for sale in a parking lot in Cartersville, GA.

Lazy Sunday

V played with stamps and ink pads while I was spinning. R brought us a flower after mowing the lawn.

Hope your day is blessed!

Glow in the dark bracelets

We're ready for the 4th!

Let freedom ring!

I love bales of hay

I really, really do.

Here's a glimpse of how they make the big round bales of hay.

Yoked

Oxen at the William Harris Homestead. I'm sure they have a temper, but they were very sweet to me.

I wanted to take them home with me, but where would they sleep? They're giant!

Until next time

Bye-bye Atlantic Ocean.

We'll miss you.

Happy weekend! I'll be back on Tuesday.