Country Loft is a picture of Fall

                                                                I love this time of year!

                                                               I see something over there to buy!


Tuesday was rug hooking at the County Loft and it was a nice time as usual. I signed up for Hobo Quilt class in October I really need to get my hobo quilt done before Christmas. It seems the only way I can get a project done is to keep going to classes to keep up my  interest. I am so tired of unfinished projects!

Wednesday was a busy day I had knit class which was a relaxing learning experience with such a great teacher. All the ladies are interesting and what a nice way to spend an afternoon learning to knit in air conditioning. I am so glad California has a vibrant Adult education system to be part of . There are all sorts of classes to take and I believe that being a lifetime learner keeps you happy and healthy.It seems there are a abundance of teachers in retirement that enjoy these classes.I noticed quite a few retired teachers in quilt classes too.

 Later in the afternoon I got a call from my lifelong surfer neighbor who doesn't have a computer and needed to contact a Tortoise Society to have them  pick up a Tortoise he had rescued from a busy street in El Cajon. Jeff had stopped traffic when he saw people driving around this poor tortoise who was booking across the street as fast as he could. What a good Samaritan!Well the tortoise has been returned to a organization that knows what they're doing and Jeff is minus a tortoise. The volunteer explained to Jeff it was a Russian tortoise. I wonder if someone lost him and hopefully will get returned to its home.

 Enjoy the pictures of the Country Loft

                                                             This looks like a Cheri Payne pattern
                                                             So perfect for Fall

                                                             

A quilt class

                                                                        

                                                      I love the color Orange this time of year

                                                             JoAnn patterns are the best
                                                                  Happy Fall

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A humble little knitted Dishcloth

                                      Well I finished my first project in knit class a humble little cotton dishcloth!
I am so happy I feel like I made a sweater or something.Lol. I worked on my hooked rug last night it's coming along real well. Hubby was proud of me he commented he didn't know that I ever worked on  anything besides wool. The week ahead will be busy I have my rug hooking group and knit class.The next lesson ribbing and who knows what else.I am not sure if I was suppose to block  my little dishcloth but I'll find out next week. The cotton seems to stretch really easily.All I can say is this little dishcloth will remain unused.It shall be put in a place of honor where no one will dare to think of using it.Next one will be a different story but this one is special. To create this dishcloth I had to Cast on, Knit, purl,Yarn over knit two together increases and decreases and follow the directions.Have a good happy week , Hugs Cheri

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Friday at a Meditation garden in Encinitas

My favorite Picture of a Koi

 No I haven't fallen off the side of a mountain! I haven't blogged because I was just really busy being a student again and doing my homework. Since I throw when I Knit I am slow but I am happy to say I do learn something new every time I go to my knit class.

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 Today Linda and I were off to a day at the Beach cities of Southern California. I wanted to go to a knit shop in Encinitas called Common threads to get more cotton yarn for my dish or face cloths I am making in Knit class. I love my knit class and have been knitting like a crazy woman with a new hobby.  I also have been enjoying trips to the library and reading crazy mystery writers.My Rug Hooking is going well and I am so relieved next week the weather is suppose to cool down. This summer it's been a humid mess in Southern California.

Encinitas,Leucadia Cardiff and Solana Beach are all towns that are filled with artistic types of people . One of the prominent buildings in Encinitas is this huge building called the Self Realization Hermitage and Retreat . It's dome like buildings has a great view of the Pacific Ocean.Were talking prime property which was donated to the Yogi by one of his followers.  This huge center was  started by Yogi Paramahansa Yogananda.. I have always been curious what the place was like which has been there since I was a kid .The local hospital uses the stairs leading to the meditation garden as a great place to have some physical therapy and then relax walking around the gardens.When my daughter was in the hospital they would also have trips to the beach for physical therapy.  I heard about the garden from Megan and she felt Linda and I  would like it since we had never seen it before. The gardens were restful with benches tucked away in little corners all over the garden. Some of the  buildings are closed to the public but the meditation garden is open to all. My favorite experience was seeing the colorful Koi eating.One of the men who was sweeping the paths told us that some of the Koi are over thirty years old and boy were they huge!   We walked up the stairs along with seniors and all sorts of people who were enjoying the meditation garden.
The beach below is called Swami's where the Yogi when he was alive would sit cross legged meditating from his home overlooking the Pacific.I would have liked to have seen that the Yogi and the surfers both in their own worlds.I would definitely go back again to take pictures and maybe sit on the many benches and smell the salt air and meditate.After a morning of taking pictures Linda and I went to the knit shop and then had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant across from the ocean.Finally we stopped at the library and I picked up some books on knitting.So now your caught up and I almost forgot Hubby and I baby sat Little Jack and he was a hoot. For some reason he likes to stand on his head with his behind in the air.I think he gets that from the other side of the family.  Just teasing

                                                     paddle boarders and surfers

                                                        There are a bunch of Koi ponds

                                              
                                                               Check out the big spider
     

                                                  See the surfer on the left

                                                                   Dome in the distance

                                                              Surfers at Swami's

                                                                      nice and quiet

                                                                      munching on his food

                                           

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Putting Life in perspective

Life is a series of examples of people who show quiet courage in small acts to us but major steps forward. If you have dealt with anyone with a disability you realize how things you take for granted are mountains for them. Yesterday at my knit class I met a woman who showed a quiet courage that gave me a kick in the behind of what's real. This young woman had a book full of beautiful knitting stitches. As I turned the pages of the book I was so impressed. They were perfect exact examples of great knitting so I wonder why she was sitting next to me a beginner knitter. As she talked in a carefully crisp enunciation of her words she explained she had a brain injury and now had to relearn how to knit. All had been lost her memory her ability to knit and so as she struggled to learn to cast on to make a slip knit and finally her knit stitches.These were not the stitches I saw in her notebook perfect and examples of a wonderful knitter.Instead they were  crooked tight bunched up stitches and you know what I saw the best knitting I have ever seen. A knitter whose life is an example of trying to keep going ahead using what God has still given you and instead of giving up walking thru those school doors sitting down and beginning again.As I saw her explain to our teacher about her injury I saw a kind teacher who was going to encourage her on her knitting journey.There was no frustration or annoyance as she repeated to us over and over how to begin to knit.We all sat helping each other yes none of us were perfect but one thing I have learned none of us knows whats going on behind our front doors. What courage were showing in our personal life what hidden sorrows we mask but know this don't take away anyones joy of creating maybe it's not perfect but you know what you might be sitting next to someone that shows a courage you may never have to use and know lucky you.Have a nice weekend and yes one of my pumpkins is going to be blue.Hugs Cheri

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Fall pumpkins

Well Wednesday was my first day of knit class. I was happy to say it's going to be fun and I met some friendly gals and the teacher is excellent.I went today and got some supplies. It's going to be series of learning stitches and then making a hat in the round. Maybe little Jack will get a hat from his Nana.

Here are some more pictures of the loft and I how I am doing on my next rug. That's a bear on the side of the cabin.It's a story rug in my imagination it's about a bear looking for pumpkins to eat.Or maybe it's a bear searching for Nancy in Montana's cabin. I love her wildlife photo's of Montana.All the animals are so close to her home.

 There are lots of patterns at the loft

doll

                                                         This is from the Hobo quilt book

                                                                          This plate is sweet

                                                                    bags

                                                                 Here I go again Thanks Deb


                                                 Oh I just had to include last years pumpkins

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Primitive Rug Hooking and Fall at the Country Loft

                                                                   My week begins
 I went to the Loft for a nice day with the ladies of Hooking.  All of the ladies were showing what they all have been working on. Stephanie has been busy getting ready for a show which is so so much fun in the fall.Janice picked up a log cabin rug and started working on it again.I start knitting class tomorrow and can hardly wait.Were still having the heat wave in California so knitting seems crazy right now.  The knitting class has beginners and advanced students so this is the group for me. I know I will learn something in three months and possibly get some more of my sock done.Enjoy the pictures and Happy Hooking!  

                                                                Jo Ann pattern of a Cat

                                               So cute the puzzled expressions on these dolls

                                                            Janice log cabin

                                                                           Stephanie's

                                                            Cute crow

                                                                            Donna pumpkin

                                                  Stephanie's cross stitch and Hooking 

                                                                     Michele's star

                                                                    One of the classes

                                                           Love the colors of fall

                                                                   and fall decorating begins

                                             Marjorie covered this round box with wall paper

                                                                             now I am done.

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