tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71695199972967760882012-02-16T17:05:48.688-06:00The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.comBlogger3371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-69562283608585920242010-05-13T17:29:00.001-05:002010-05-13T17:37:49.009-05:00

I always wear pantyhose with short shorts and sandals! Hey! We're carting our old coke bottles over to tumblr! It's the easy, breezy way to post! See ya there!

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-19229526195663512902010-04-28T16:29:00.001-05:002010-04-28T16:34:30.583-05:00

Tadpoles!Pollywogs!Slimy green things!I haven't blogged here for ages! I've been too busy buying 3000 pounds (= 1.5 tons) of weathered fieldstone for our new patio. Rocks are cheap! The price comes from the haulage. In any case, I think this new shawl (in Elvincraft, of course) will be good for patio sitting, and for hugging to my sore back muscles once I'm done setting stones. Pictures galore to

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-3010321487938459482010-04-18T16:55:00.003-05:002010-04-18T16:59:17.359-05:00

After my thrilling score last week, I had to go back into the Goodwill today, and so found this! Superbingo.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-2076093862277067552010-04-11T14:46:00.003-05:002010-04-11T14:57:52.985-05:00

I hadn't been in a thrift store for months. But today I broke my junk diet and gave into temptation. I needed some broccoli sprouts from Shop 'n' Save, and Goodwill is right next door to Shop 'n' Save. How could I help myself! Lucky thing I went in, I don't know how I ever lived without this book. The author doesn't believe in patterns, and thinks that every mistake is a new design! My kind of

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-84308467583713535462010-04-06T12:26:00.011-05:002010-04-06T21:06:38.237-05:00

No dust!A purty box to hold double-pointed knitting needles.More tools of the craft.Buttons and Lucky Charms, in clean jars!The Happy Chair is where I dream up ways to make a mess.I pulled this unused chair out of another room; it's the comfiest.Shelves with actual Space!I can't claim to have ADD, because anyone who knits lace shawls is by definition able to stick to the task at hand for a long

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-32261302895519524822010-04-04T13:01:00.004-05:002010-04-04T20:55:54.015-05:00

I've come to the conclusion that if I'm ever going to organize the craft room annex to the Junk Dungeon, it's going to have to be done blindfolded. How can I possibly sort and discard if I keep running across cool old magazines like this one???? Because then of course I have to sit down for a while and admire great graphics and helpful hints. "A while" meaning about an hour. And then something

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-47590560696063769762010-04-02T16:56:00.009-05:002010-04-03T10:49:29.520-05:00

Since she's providing the lamb chops and asparagus on Sunday, the person I embroidered this for gets an extra special hostess gift. Her three favorite things are the color pink, hankies, and my chihuahua Bridget. I think this covers that. I bought the linen fabric, then hemmed it, then added a simple crochet edging, then embroidered it. Whew! The image is from Sublime Stitching, which offers

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-7662907628264839462010-03-29T16:33:00.003-05:002010-03-29T16:48:54.601-05:00

See how versatile Catfood Cardboard can be? I bet you never knew! I'd have to charge thousands of dollars for this Tool Kit on etsy to make a penny of my time back, but it was fun to make. The darling cotton dandelion print served as inspiration for the embroidery. I just can't resist darling fabric. I even bought some Liberty of London for Target kiddie clothes just to get my hands on those

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-38255198435803035212010-03-28T12:14:00.005-05:002010-03-28T12:25:31.384-05:00

I talk about my Elvincraft yarn a lot in this blog. That's because it's magical! Kate Duncan has fairy helpers in her dyepots on the Isle of Skye, and they help me, too, by inspiring new designs. This is a bedjacket that was knit in one piece from the top down in custom dyed Orchid colors. Top-down is the most fun way to knit. No !@#$%^& seaming! I love to sew, but not when I'm knitting. Weird

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-9515640784196973432010-03-19T12:23:00.009-05:002010-03-19T16:33:00.865-05:00

Images to Embroider Catfood Cardboard At night now I'm dreaming about embroidery and textiles instead of knitting lace. A sure sign I'm in for a long craze. Now when I see some cool old vintage whatever I think, "I wonder what that would look like embroidered?" Wouldn't the old German Cigarette Cards shown on top be the bomb in stitches? I'm going to try someday, after I finish my current

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-18146779360442047232010-03-18T18:24:00.006-05:002010-03-19T12:47:05.509-05:00

Front Cover, with Ugly BeltGraphed Moleskine, Stork Scissors, Stylus and Pin FeltSilk Ribbon and Carbon Transfer PaperMore Needle Felt and Transfer PatternsHere's my latest Catfood Cardboard Craft Organizer. I found the elastic ribbon belt that holds it together at the Salvation Army, cut it to size and sewed the suede and clasp back on by hand. That seemed like a good idea while I was doing it,

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-25643607228048683532010-03-18T01:53:00.004-05:002010-03-19T08:38:06.557-05:00

This has snaps, but that doesn't make it cute! This has pockets, but they're not cute either. Even tie-dyed felt can't make this cute, darn it! It always amazes me how different an actual creation can be from a conception. This needle book was inspired by one I saw in the book Sew Darn Cute, but since I am congentially incapable of following directions, I had to come up with my own

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-45771584197652979372010-03-17T14:03:00.001-05:002010-03-18T21:05:03.385-05:00

3 pink scissors, 2 pink workbaskets, and 1 pink cutting mat! Daisies and blue skies will be here soon. Crazy spattered wool felt ties these 3 fabrics together. The yellow fabric is new, but the others are vintage. Pink roses, with stains. My new venture into embroidery has brought my passion for sewing in general back with a smash. Time to oil up the machine and get going! I have

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-21734663820677340452010-03-10T09:28:00.003-06:002010-03-18T21:06:59.988-05:00

Every girl needs a Pink Workbasket! I felt like a dork winding all these bobbins, but now all my floss fits on cup hooks! The interior is lined with pockets for every purpose. Yeah, staple guns! These pink scissors from Sublime Stitching were my unconscious color motivation. Needle book made of cat food cardboard and scrap fabric. Inside the book. Because you can never be too

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-3988420129597941872010-03-08T08:47:00.004-06:002010-03-18T21:07:38.854-05:00

After I lost my mind over all the color choices offered by DMC embroidery floss at the craft store, I picked up a can of spray paint there in ballet slipper pink. I need bushels of storage space for my new mania, and my mind flashed to an ugly dented old picnic basket holding bits of broken Junk in the Dungeon. It would look mighty cute painted pink, I thought, and it does! Pink is an instant

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-81274912197482845742010-03-03T14:13:00.003-06:002010-03-18T21:08:18.187-05:00

Well, this was a time-consuming little bit of fun! I think I may be shedding a crafty skin — all of a sudden I only want to embroider. Knitting seems to be relegated to mere relaxation right now as my enthusiasm for this new old craft takes hold. I have a plan for a series of embroidered masterpieces, which I love so much I don't even want to talk about it, in case "someone" steals the idea.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-5491788513457830212010-03-02T08:50:00.001-06:002010-03-18T21:09:17.286-05:00

I'd rather have Roseville on the shelf than junk in the trunk. Sales in my etsy shop have come to a thudding halt. But I had a damn good run for a while there! I seriously don't understand why anything that did sell sold. It was all a bunch of junk, in the junkiest sense of the word. My profit, including fees and a few shipping burns, was about 1000%. (Exception: yarn destash, but that was

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-59917628585992421152010-03-01T09:52:00.002-06:002010-03-18T21:10:25.979-05:00

What started as a sampler is now becoming a make-up bag. Can you see the fingernails? Color! Embroidery was the first craft I ever learned, way back a zillion years ago as a tween. I grew up in the 70s, when it was de rigueur to embroider all over your jeans, and boy howdy did I! Wish I'd kept them, they were a total period piece, lots of rainbows and mushrooms and owls and tree huggy

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-46617585740406397162010-02-23T09:04:00.003-06:002010-03-19T00:08:29.106-05:00

I love the way yarn inspires design. Love, love, love, love love. I bought this curly mohair bouclé from Elvincraft a few months after I got the fingering weight turquoise Desert Dreams there and knew before the curly even got here what a perfect match they would be. Bouclé is my least favorite yarn to knit with, because I'm always snagging the wrong loop, but this stuff was worth the extra

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-62204006014116562012010-02-18T10:42:00.008-06:002010-03-19T16:03:32.591-05:00

Two hours of sorting and chaos prevails.I found this spirally thing in the parking lot of an auto body shop.Faery Orchid yarn from ElvincraftI drank two cups of Jet Brew coffee this morning and so had the nerve to start sorting all of my fabric. All's I can say is, yes, I belong on Hoarders. Not shown are 3 sorted bins of my best stuff, back in the Dungeon. Tropical Barkcloth and 40s Feathers &

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-46030940650496893352010-02-16T17:22:00.005-06:002010-03-19T00:07:59.423-05:00

This morning I grabbed my cup of coffee and headed to the computer as per usual to check my etsy sales. Overnight I sold all the yarn in the destash section, which was as it should be, because I was virtually giving it away. But I know I'm never going to knit with Kauni: even though I love the colors, it's too dang scratchy, and sweaters are so freaking boring to knit I vowed never again after

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-65366499555750266312010-02-13T13:51:00.006-06:002010-03-18T21:14:20.137-05:00

Dang, I have a lot of junk! Depending on my mood, that makes me either gloat or droop. It takes about 5 minutes to pull this much treasure out of the troves, and then another 55 minutes to snap, describe, and upload it onto etsy. I could easily list about 500 hundred items, but I don't think shoppers ever go much beyond the second page of merchandise, so I think I'll keep the shelves

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-68364905186820344812010-02-10T08:56:00.007-06:002010-03-18T21:15:04.771-05:00

Just finished my third ever pair of socks, this time in Strong Arm Sock yarn from Dyeabolical. I made these from the toe up, 2-at-a-time-on-1-Magic-Loop, and that method was a zillion times easier this time. I used a 9" Hiya Hiya circular needle for the provisional cast-on "waste yarn" and so saved a ton of time and headache. I love short row toes and heels! The stitch pattern is from my

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-48081632198329143992010-02-09T08:46:00.004-06:002010-03-18T23:14:34.397-05:00

I hate snow until it gets here. It's a control thing. Who can control the unknown, or the weather? Only a much mightier sorceress than I! Once it's here, the power is still on, and the road has been plowed, it's beautiful. I'm even looking forward to seeing more of it at the Winter Olympics! The first image is of my favorite picture, found ages ago at the Gardenville Senior Center in South St

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0Godfrey, IL 62035, USA38.9665543 -90.243230738.899819799999996 -90.3599602 39.0332888 -90.12650119999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-34402777651939984972010-02-05T12:03:00.004-06:002010-02-05T12:34:55.839-06:00

I'm sorry for the eye pain the new blog colors may be causing any of you, but I need to see green right now. Because I Hate Winter. Every winter makes me wonder about why any of us end up where we are: for me, that's at the top of a hill that is a pain in the nasty mess to navigate in bad weather. Why didn't I end up in a Paris Apartment with a door man, a haute wardrobe, and a canary, the place

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-73350513482771093642010-02-03T18:26:00.001-06:002010-03-18T23:13:11.547-05:00

In the last shot she's saying, "Please, no more pictures today!"

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-18820132011798505572010-02-01T17:25:00.010-06:002010-03-18T23:12:18.437-05:00

Today we went to the Orchid Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden for a shot of mid-winter frivolity and verve. Orchids are like false eyelashes and satin opera gloves: gorgeous, but not for everyday! I guess that's why I go to this show at least six times in the course of its two month run — the everyday plus winter is just not a winning combo. The last photo is of one of my prize

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1St Louis, MO, USA38.61257832462118 -90.2568054199218838.478444824621185 -90.49026491992187 38.74671182462118 -90.02334591992188tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-57861292145601430002010-01-29T18:57:00.012-06:002010-01-30T09:17:25.393-06:00

This past week has been really weird. Last Thursday I joined etsy, and ever since then it's been controlling all of my thoughts and actions! I am possessed. I'm either taking pictures, writing junk copy, looking through the dungeon, or driving to the Post Office. I thought ravelry was bad, but getting a heart for your knitting project or design is absolutely nothing compared to getting cash money

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-87417850958193959902010-01-25T16:31:00.005-06:002010-01-25T16:46:09.225-06:00

The only time I crave chocolate is now, when Spring seems far away. This really is a pretty chocolate box, that phrase makes sense. I just listed it on my etsy shop, but now I'm torn. One the one hand, it's been an incredible greedy high getting paid for the 9 things I've sold already. On the other hand, I really like this box. But I figure nobody will buy anything unless I list stuff I might

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-90757140642848317152010-01-24T10:57:00.008-06:002010-01-24T11:29:08.128-06:00

"Junk in the Trunk" is a vulgarism that I've been thinking a lot about, lately. I just opened an etsy shop, Lucky Find Salvage CO, for the purpose of getting rid of all my junk, but, like a big butt, junk is really hard to get rid of. The photos are of some "for sale" items. You can use all sorts of weight loss analogies on the decluttering process. Diet = not buying any more new junk. Exercise (

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-51349732849140128992010-01-19T08:35:00.002-06:002010-01-19T08:43:31.207-06:00

Oh, packaging from the 60s! Just love it. You don't see dress shields anymore. Is that because we now have cooler air conditioning or stronger anti-perspirants? Once again, a box full of sewing notions yielded up treasure. Never pass by a pile of tangled zippers and thread without thoroughly pawing through it, is my constant advice to Junkers. The "Gay Abandon" one looks more like "BO Petrified

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-4367847898790483712010-01-12T08:35:00.013-06:002010-01-16T20:36:29.631-06:00

I love to make things, even more than I love to hoard things. Knit, embroider, sew, paste, write, there's just not enough sitting-down time in a day to get it all done. Here's a glimpse into my overflowing workbasket, as signified by the first two photos of chalkware baskets in my workroom. (Gorilla Glue is the best way I've found to restore broken wire hangers on the back of these lovely pieces

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-56423061808530754942010-01-05T23:38:00.028-06:002010-01-07T07:07:41.358-06:00

If I could figure out how to add a gadget to this blog for the playlist to my 14 year old self, which this chalk figure somehow reminds me of, despite her smushed-in face (it's more about the attitude), it would be here in this post. The Young Victoria got me thinking about my own Young Queenliness and so I began to remember the music I loved best at my Most Royal age of 14 — which was old enough

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-44374910564448751492010-01-01T02:20:00.007-06:002010-01-01T03:05:20.494-06:00

The New Year may be just another cold day, or maybe this year it will be the beginning of the Tale of Transformation everyone wishes for. "Transformation" always implies a positive change; no one is transformed from a hard-working standup person into a no-good slob — one simply degenerates to that lower state by forgetting to brush teeth or knitting too much. The past year, in retrospect, is one

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-77786780579401083232009-12-26T10:04:00.009-06:002010-01-07T07:09:15.466-06:00

Two women who work with my husband bought this pink hoodie as a Chistmas present for our darling Bridget. She prefers to be naked, since clothes make her feel fat. Because she is? Maybe a little pleasantly plump... Last picture is of the Citron shawlette I cranked out in 2 days for MIL. She looks adorable in it. This is one adorable pattern, in fact. Usually I knit my own patterns, because I like

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-51590938417415571592009-12-21T16:20:00.007-06:002009-12-22T14:25:30.525-06:00

Well, the notebook I thought was a blank canvas actually had a few hidden pages of hieroglyphics on it, but I'm going to go ahead and fill it up anyway. Just because it's not perfectly untouched doesn't mean it's not functional. Here's the first of the daily Solstice to Solstice entries: "Today I jumped out of bed and right into a squishy pile of cat gak. In bare feet." I like the idea of

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-89051365571906703762009-12-13T07:52:00.007-06:002009-12-13T08:48:41.293-06:00

Unbelievably, I just found a notebook in which I have not yet scrawled one single word! This denim gem is from the 70s. I found it at the Salvation Army a few years ago along with its twin, which does have a bunch of scribbling on the first four pages, and some dates from 2004, 2005, and 2006. The last entry is a list of Thrift Store Scores and Prices Paid: Embroidered Czech Pic $1.25, Burled

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-83703399870248025572009-12-10T11:20:00.009-06:002009-12-10T14:25:02.131-06:00

Our office in Alton is looking mighty cosy. How could it not with panelling? I'll post pictures soon, but in the meantime, here's some secretarial images from days gone by. I've been rooting through office supply surplus at home to load the new desk with, and started leafing through old notebooks trying to find some empties. Now there's a good way to waste a few hours. I have a strange habit of

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-27277149998873528072009-12-03T15:59:00.007-06:002009-12-03T16:24:56.500-06:00

My birthday post on November 30th was the 300th post of this blog. A good omen. I like the number 3. As anyone who has knit with double-pointed needles will tell you, 3 is a dynamic number: each end of the triangle's intersections wants to pull away from the other. (With 4 needles, the intersections just stay put. Squares are stable.) What on Earth am I babbling about? Who knows. But starting

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-46468698193441410352009-11-30T12:43:00.009-06:002009-11-30T15:00:25.259-06:00

Today is my birthday, which I share with Mark Twain. He is the best and funniest writer ever, and in keeping with an annual tradition of this blog, I'd like to share with you all my favorite chapters of my favorite of his books: Chapters 31, 32, & 33 of Roughing It. Just type in 213 in the Google Books page box and keep reading until you either reach page 233, or your eyes are blinded with tears

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-66837964383670559742009-11-27T21:28:00.010-06:002009-11-28T10:22:30.450-06:00

Tonight we went out and had a few drinks, then came home, lit a fire, and turned on the music. Who's better, the Doors, or José Feliciano when it comes down to Light My Fire? We vote for José. Señor Feliciano makes the song reveberate with our memories of 1969, a very strange year.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-47087401029128633312009-11-23T12:53:00.004-06:002009-11-23T16:46:46.656-06:00

My brother found this giant pile of The Workbasket at a book fair recently, and graciously bought the whole lot for me. Now I have the promise of countless hours of happy perusing through hideous 70s craftiness to bolster my spirits. The only thing better than free junk is uncovering a box full of buttons you forgot you even had.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-2569798376483299352009-11-15T21:09:00.006-06:002009-11-16T19:03:11.881-06:00

It's a rotten, rainy, gloomy day and here are a few of the things I've Googled in between knitting like a fiend, eating potato chips, and watching The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: Lady Jane Grey (The Nine Day Queen), Ariat Storm Stopper Jodhpur Boots, Anthropologie switchplates, & Louis Sullivan. Too lazy to warm up the scanner, so I'm posting this back cover of Romantic Range, which I had stored

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-11095306296212257922009-11-12T08:31:00.006-06:002009-11-12T13:08:00.378-06:00

The self portrait I took with my Mac was the only shot of eleven that didn't show blotchy skin, eye bags, or a myriad of other sags. Note the careful positioning of the hands, and the use of lighting to smooth away wrinkles. Usually I could care less about getting old and dumpy, but that's only because I don't go out in public much anymore! This shot shows me in my workroom thinking about my next

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-43569878494505028042009-11-06T08:44:00.016-06:002009-11-06T11:23:47.223-06:00

Last night my husband Buster and I went to the City Museum for a party sponsored by The Riverfront Times in celebration of their 2009 Best of St. Louis issue. Since I wrote a few blurbs for this, we got to go to the VIP area and taste some marvelous 17th Street Grill Barbeque without waiting in line. The City Museum qualifies as one of the coolest places on earth, and an opportunity to go there

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-14495851982786994222009-11-02T15:50:00.011-06:002009-11-02T17:57:18.626-06:00

I went to Nautilus today to try and get back into some semblance of a shape after weeks and weeks of inactivity. My fingers are super fit from knitting, but those are practically the only muscles in my body I've been using since the summer! It felt great to use other parts of the physique again — I even did 20 minutes on the tread-climber, an exercise in mind-numbing boredom unalleviated by music

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-18260461764586445652009-10-31T16:39:00.006-05:002009-11-02T16:16:39.703-06:00

Went to Alton's world famous Fast Eddie's Bon-Air for a Big Elwood on a Stick this morning. Now that the smoking ban is in effect in Illinois the air really is bon there; no need for a shower after lunch. Then it was time for a browse through local antiquaries. In one shop I saw the most amazing vintage clothing: beautiful silks, satins, crêpes, and laces fashioned into 30s couture gowns. The

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-65415493590920699182009-10-30T11:05:00.005-05:002009-10-30T22:52:44.461-05:00

It's very spooky out, almost as wet and miserable as the Pacific Northwest at its worst. Just the sort of Swamp Thing weather to get one in the mood for Halloween. Here are two spooky images in celebration of my favorite holiday: a scared girl, and a stag breathing some weird mist, with bats hovering eerily above the field.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-36713231066147989652009-10-29T19:14:00.006-05:002009-10-29T19:24:55.523-05:00

I realized today that I could just wander around taking pictures of the things I have lying out on view and have enough to blog about for 365 days without ever leaving the house. So that means, if I cracked open the trunks in the junk dungeon, I could stay inside blogging for thirty years or so, if someone would just bring me enough sausage to live on. I may be turning into something of a recluse

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-54053371211261657002009-10-28T16:46:00.004-05:002009-10-28T16:52:24.631-05:00

Certain years have certain colors in my mind. I was alive in 1969 and it was the metallic green of this box and car. I remember: it had the sunny brightness of an ice cream parlor parking lot, the sweet hiss of a chain-link fence, and permanent pebble marks in its grazed knees.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-37066450027900231662009-10-27T08:41:00.008-05:002009-10-27T09:06:08.011-05:00

Shelves are crucial when you have as much junk as I do. My dream place to live, instead of being the standard nice house with a nice view, is a studio apartment on a noisy street with three walls of floor-to-ceiling shelves. Couldn't fit many husbands or other creatures into that set up though. So for now I'll make do with what I have! Here's a grouping arranged by color, starting at the back: a

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-43208838826406099742009-10-26T15:38:00.007-05:002009-10-26T21:06:47.066-05:00

Here we have an illustration of the adjective:"(of silk) having a rippled, lustrous finish. Denoting or showing a pattern of irregular wavy lines like that of such silk, produced by the superposition at a slight angle of two sets of closely spaced lines."I don't know where I found this wonderful scrap of silk, stamped with an image of a Crinoline Lady and her swain. There's another just like

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-77238340385207516442009-10-25T06:53:00.004-05:002009-10-25T07:03:33.513-05:00

After a long drive looking at pretty leaves yesterday, Bridget kept on driving, and had a sleepover in St. Louis with her grandparents last night. The house feels so different without her! I'm glad she's enjoying city life: she likes sidewalks better than gravel roads, and my mom always spoils her with a blue plate chihuahua special of liver no onions. But we miss her dreadfully. She's our baby,

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-5308519846819585682009-10-24T14:46:00.009-05:002009-10-25T06:53:30.404-05:00

Persimmon trees are the first to lose their leaves in the Fall, and their fruit is quickly gobbled up by critters. Can you see the last persimmon in our backyard tree? (Look upper left...) One sunset last year my husband and I noticed the silhouette of a huge raccoon climbing out on one of those skinny branches to grab a goodie, it was an amazing gravity-defying sight. Persimmons may have lost

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-30631804715216515302009-10-23T02:00:00.009-05:002009-10-23T07:27:51.474-05:00

No one, not even I, believed for one second this blog would stop showing off my knitting. I knitted like a fiend while listening to all that Georgette Heyer and here's a gallery of the outcome. This fall is all about capelets! Top to bottom photos: The Woods Out Back (i.e. Fall itself), Elderberry Capelet, Ladies' Swamp Mist Capelet, Lichen Capelet, and Ladies' Gothic Capelet. Here's what I

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-5410948863495926082009-10-22T10:09:00.005-05:002009-11-02T15:49:41.428-06:00

Here's three cute pictures of three of my cute pets: Bridget the chihuahua, Brother the cat, and Buster the husband. I'm going to blog more often to see if I can get my words back. And if you want to leave a note about how cute Bridget is, please do, she reads all her fan mail. I screwed up the comment section when changing the blog colors but everything's back to normal now.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-89068840217586621902009-10-21T18:51:00.017-05:002009-10-27T22:36:56.862-05:00

I think the anesthesia must have affected my ability to write. I just can't seem to marshall my thoughts into any coherent order anymore, and when I finally do, the words are all wrong, pompous and arch and full of too many syllables. Maybe that has nothing to do with the anesthesia still congealed in my already overtaxed liver and everything to do with the last 5 weeks spent listening to

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-66003115878548179552009-10-20T13:11:00.017-05:002009-10-20T17:47:47.113-05:00

One day this last July I found out I had both a suspicious mammogram and a soccer ball-sized pelvic mass. As I drove down the River Road for further CT testing, I thought I was a goner, and examined the worthiness of both my life and this blog. I vowed (as those about to meet their Maker are wont to do) to make both more worthy, should I escape imminent death. I would rub my chihuahua Bridget's

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-60414344527007328952009-10-13T08:16:00.003-05:002009-10-14T08:39:52.986-05:00

I made it out of the hospital for my wholly benign but surgical procedure and through recuperation, no problems. I don't mind working in hospitals, but I sure hate being in one on the other side of the bedrail. Shudder. Maybe the experience will make me a more compassionate nurse when I go back next spring. Doubt creeps in... But maybe! In that vein we have here a bulletin board crammed with

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-15036643527074459422009-09-12T11:07:00.008-05:002009-09-12T13:21:57.511-05:00

As I await my fate, I've been thinking about this blog, and where I want it to go when I come back to life. Here's where: somewhere else! I will always love junk, and will still post about amazing finds, like the one shown here. I almost swallowed my tongue when I pulled this book off the shelf at Feed My People. No doubt I could get buckets of money for such a gem on eBay. Too bad I'm a buyer,

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-37520538384119492652009-08-16T12:18:00.006-05:002009-08-16T12:28:46.835-05:00

This little blog is going to take a nap until Mid-October while I prepare for Major Abdominal Surgery. I'll do anything to get out of working an actual job! The next two weeks will be spent stocking the freezer with soup, cleaning, and carting all my yarn and knitting supplies upstairs to The Recuperation Room. Then the six weeks after that will be spent moaning and groaning! But this blog will

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-90763676718479530022009-08-08T11:23:00.008-05:002009-08-08T14:24:49.500-05:00

Last year, on this very day, which happens to be my dear friend Shana's birthday, I began winding this fabulous Brite Green laceweight yarn from Dyeabolical. Then I started knitting a shawl a few days later. I was new to laceweight, however, and not quite into the rhythm of skinny yarn. But a year, to the day, has passed, and I now love to knit with barely there fiber. My fingers have grown

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-60793873489924876112009-08-01T14:03:00.005-05:002009-08-01T14:14:07.412-05:00

Just finished the third piece of my Summer Moon Shawl Challenge, the Mooncloud Shawl. I just can't think of anything more fun than finishing a new shawl. Because then I get to wear it! Done in the magical Moonbow colorway from Elvincraft. This is what I'll have over my shoulders on my next broomstick ride!

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-24568640907635497522009-07-26T10:51:00.002-05:002009-07-26T10:58:36.363-05:00

If there's one thing I like, it's a good old buckle. I've got lots! I'd love to figure out some way to turn these vintage gems into shawl closures. Something lightweight that doesn't hurt the lace. That rules out the big moky brass buckle in the upper left corner of the second photo!

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-44363218290248190202009-07-19T14:05:00.007-05:002009-07-20T13:44:45.801-05:00

I'm always surprised by how cheap pieces of old paper are. I found these pricelessly cute stereoscope cards in an antique store for a dollar each. They are all © 1925 A. C. Company, and their captions read, from top to bottom: "Have some Tandy?"; All dressed up and no place to go.; and Ready! One, Two —. I want to make a ruff like the dawg is wearing for my chihuahua Bridget. Stay tuned for a

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-78583977087490621812009-07-12T12:34:00.007-05:002009-08-01T14:15:44.532-05:00

One of my favorite sources of cool old images is from single playing cards. You can get a whole wad of them for cheap on eBay or in junk stores, and they take up zilch space. Here are three in the summer colors of red, blue, and yellow. The shawl shown is my wip Moonrockets Shawl, using the Garden of Alla chart in the fabulous half-hex shape. It's knit in Elvincraft merino laceweight and Rowan

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-20260513206974381912009-07-01T10:37:00.008-05:002009-07-02T07:28:35.965-05:00

The beanstalk is actually a sunflower which I didn't plant. It just shot up from the seed head that spent the winter as bird food next to our house. My garden is so magical right now in this cool (for a St. Louis summer!) weather that I can hardly bear it. The insects really love this oasis of unsprayed weeds, and I love everything about them: their sounds and looks and values, one of which is

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-31444912031587427012009-06-28T11:10:00.009-05:002009-06-28T13:02:53.253-05:00

The other day I answered the phone and got the call I thought I wanted: I've been hired at the hospital where I first worked as an RN, lo those many years ago. I applied way the hell back in March, but given the sucky economy and the resultant influx of "retired" nurses back into the workplace, they couldn't hire me right away, despite the favorable interview. But now for some reason they can. On

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Here's Part V of the Summer Moon Shawl Challenge: The Moonlightning Shawl. I aim to finish six shawls by the Harvest Moon on October 4th. I've finished one, three are 1/3 done, this one's just 20% there, and I have one yet to cast on. I already have a name and yarn in mind for this last one: The Moondust Shawl in some Elvincraft Wensleydale laceweight that's flying to me from the Isle of Skye

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-23478652574441613362009-06-21T13:54:00.006-05:002009-06-21T19:41:50.429-05:00

Every year I cover the junk and yarn beat for the local weekly's Best Of. The deadline is soon though this very special issue won't be published till September. There's enough pea-sized pay in the blurb writing to buy some Happy Meals, but this pittance is more than offset by how much I spend in the junk, antique, thrift, flea, and yarn emporiums I write up! Found these adorable note cards in a

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-25022618904802367052009-06-19T09:18:00.004-05:002009-06-19T09:27:31.566-05:00

This Prairie Moonshine Shawl, part IV of the Summer Moon Shawl Challenge, is made with Elvincraft Wensleydale 4-ply yarn, which is super lightweight and curly, and looks great knit on bigger needles (in this case 5.5mms). I made up the graduated ziggle zag lace by altering Flaming Chevron. Can you see my cat Brother in the outdoor art shot?

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-69217154226991256332009-06-15T09:48:00.003-05:002009-06-15T10:00:19.662-05:00

Just take pictures of your garden in the pouring rain. Now my Kodak won't shoot when I pull the trigger. I have to turn it off first, and then when I turn it back on it snaps whatever it feels like snapping! Maybe if it dries out for a day or two it will start obeying again? Next you have my friend Mary on our back porch wearing this year's birthday Sea Drift Shawl, and after that come images of

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-50280077147468660122009-06-07T12:05:00.008-05:002009-06-07T22:22:09.124-05:00

The first image, captioned She Loved The Golden Rays Of The Sun As They Shone Upon Her Garden is from one of my Thrfit Store Scores, an old kiddie book published by the fabulous Platt & Munk Co. in 1932. It's called The Road In Storyland and was illustrated by Lucille and H.C. Holling. Super-saturated colors, like the wonderful Elvincraft yarn I'm making a Moonrockets Shawl out of using that old

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-30318190143943576352009-06-01T13:02:00.012-05:002009-06-01T21:39:52.959-05:00

This summer I'm only going to knit super lightweight shawls with yarn where blue is the predominant color, and the titles of these design masterpieces are all going to feature the word "Moon." So here you see the two currently on my needles — the No Moon At All Shawl featuring Dyeabolical's Laceweight Edition in Midnight Blue, and the multicolored Moonbow Shawl done in Elvincraft's Green Moonbow.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-6420364399314466342009-05-24T11:54:00.005-05:002009-05-24T21:07:02.182-05:00

This picture book is one of the best items I've ever scored in a thrift store. Published in 1952, its images are just as super-saturated as they appear here in this blog. (My ancient scanner finally went kaput, so pardon the wobbly pix.) Looking through it again inspired me to go try to find some bugs in my own yard. But aside from gnats, I didn't see many. The orange bud about to pop is

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-91055140620436914362009-05-20T09:55:00.003-05:002009-05-20T10:00:31.920-05:00

I am a bad blogger in this weather. I just don't feel like sifting through the mountains in The Junk Dungeon when the magic green lights are dancing outside. This is The Anti-Winter, and I'm basking....

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-39490086479419053632009-05-13T15:25:00.006-05:002009-05-14T15:18:31.460-05:00

I knit this Greenleaves Shawl for my friend Annie, who has made both sides of the Mississippi a much better place for flora and fauna, through the Great RIvers Land Trust she founded back when. You'll never hear her bragging about how her car runs on French Fry grease, because it doesn't, but she's quietly done more real good than most people who (loudly) tout themselves as "Green." So she gets

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I found these in an Illinois junk store a while back, and couldn't resist the cheesy novelettes inside — which all have the tone of the line illustration shown — or the two thrilling columns featured every month: "The Lariat of Love" (romantic astrological advice for the 4-H set), and especially "Let's Play Checkers," a strategy piece written by Millard Hopper, who was at the time World Checker

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Here's another classy image from my 1948 Wish Catalogue, Wards Midsummer Book. This is a good era for design, clean and bold with cool color combos. Radio was still king. I've just discovered books on tape, and listening to them is like listening to an old radio program, only without the annoying soap commercials. It's fun to knit and hear my favorite Agatha Christie stories. Though I've read

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If my sofa looked as cheerful and vibrant as any of these upholstery fabric options from the Wards Midsummer Book of 1948 I would never, ever get off it.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-71574155013400898632009-04-24T09:53:00.009-05:002009-04-24T10:23:09.361-05:00

As I prepare to go back to work, I look back at my year plus of housewifery and really wonder why I hated it so much. I got to do whatever I wanted to do, whenever I wanted to. I think it was that lurking feeling that I should be doing something about this. The giant dust bunnies, the mountain of laundry, the sinkful of dirty dishes, the crusty bits on the refrigerator shelf, that pile of wrinkly

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I've always known that I'm smart, but I never suspected I was in the genius class until yesterday. Yes, it's true. I invented a new knitting decrease. It’s a single decrease which makes 2 stitches out of 3. I was trying to find a symmetrical way of going from an odd to an even number of stitches as I charted “Corona” (See Barbara Walker #2 ). I crave symmetry, and so my brain responded to that

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-19081763258668004742009-04-16T13:05:00.006-05:002009-04-16T15:06:29.312-05:00

I love to knit lace shawls for a number of reasons, the chief being that you can't buy them. Plus they are so much fun to knit, especially when you make up your own design. (Like I did for this Sea Drift Shawl.) The only sweaters I wear are super-fine gauge cotton ones that would take about ten long boring years to knit in my least favorite fiber to handle. What's the point of knitting a thicker

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These postcards were all in the 25¢ bin at a recent postcard show. Easter isn't nearly as popular as Halloween, at least amongst postcard collectors. I saw a Halloween postcard for $125!!! I also saw a linen Curt Teich from the 40s advertising tires, for $95. The postcard cost $95, not the tires. Dang! I love the first card shown here, with its floating Crown of Thorns and cyclamens. Spooky! Then

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-48884657058353757512009-04-07T11:17:00.005-05:002009-04-07T11:51:38.865-05:00

Nope, not me. I'm just sitting out here on the balcony in my bentwood rocker knitting. It's a little chilly yet for the bikini, but a girl likes to look good while she's being crafty. Why don't I like to crochet anymore? These are the questions that keep me up nights. I suppose it must be its lack of rhythm. Knitting really does seem to have the power to shape all one's tangly cares and woes

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-31906635819077747162009-04-02T09:09:00.003-05:002009-04-02T09:18:08.866-05:00

Remember the Scorched Earth of three weeks ago? It's turning green! The middle photo is of my favorite flower, the Pale Purple Coneflower, Echinacea pallida. The spiky leaves belong to the best-named plant in my garden, Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium. I don't have any idea what all the wee little teensy leaves are going to sprout into. Stay tuned!

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-28186014939973726342009-03-27T17:25:00.012-05:002009-03-27T18:03:04.312-05:00

My friend Mary is the type of gal who sends Christmas presents four months later — but they're always worth the wait. I feel more like getting presents in the Spring, anyway. This wonderful old book illustration is from a volume in my Christmas box, which arrived today: Willy Pogany's Mother Goose, ©1928 Thomas Nelson & Sons. (I think the vast age of this out of print book means I can show this

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-55917736138898581562009-03-24T10:03:00.007-05:002009-03-25T12:16:21.070-05:00

Here's a list of food I miss most on my gluten-free diet: pizza, egg rolls, and White Castle cheeseburgers. Gluten is the 'glue" that holds breadstuffs together. 1% of the population, mostly those of Irish and Northern European stock (of which I'm both), can't handle the gluten glycoprotein gliadin in wheat, barley, or rye — it scars their innards and causes all sorts of problems. The only option

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-80529043344057308272009-03-19T12:39:00.005-05:002009-03-19T12:51:39.898-05:00

Here are some springtime textures for your eyes to chew. Spring is in the air. I finished my Spring Shower Shawl just in time for the vernal equinox tomorrow. I love it, even though I should have ended it 32 rows sooner to make the edging sync better with the stitch pattern. Design and learn! The Elvincraft yarn used is perfect for shawls: light and fluffy yet full of body.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-22192983244858777712009-03-15T11:07:00.012-05:002009-03-15T12:36:06.532-05:00

Spring is on the wing, and this is the time of year when I make big plans for my garden. I am, however, one of the world's laziest gardeners. Somehow "gardening" gardening feels like outdoor housework. And my feelings about housework are decidedly negative. I keep my house livable, but am not at all an enthusiastic housekeeper. The only domestic arts I get really excited about are knitting,

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-42788306985910860342009-03-13T07:15:00.012-05:002009-03-14T04:59:07.830-05:00

It's hard to believe this blackened, frosty patch of prairie will ever be full of flowers and grasses as beautiful as the ones shown here and here and here, but it will, and soon! (The last photo is blurry because I had just picked up my shivering chihuahua before snapping.) Hurry Spring! The kind folks at The Nature Institute, this side of the river's best kept beauty secret, fired up all my

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-55686736965733123652009-03-10T08:57:00.006-05:002009-03-10T10:26:59.689-05:00

Bridget goes to the beauty parlor at least once a month to have her hair and nails done. The doggie spa shot was definitely her favorite scene in Beverly Hills Chihuahua. She likes to look good, and prefers having her shampoo done by professionals. We've tried it at home, but she just wasn't satisfied with my technique. No, they do it much better at the Jersey-Calhoun Veterinary hospital, and

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-54515242447858269892009-03-05T10:30:00.006-06:002009-03-05T10:58:24.459-06:00

I'm just finishing up with a miserable cold, and today I have the time for full recuperation: lemony tea, soup, and browsing through comfort junk. The ultimate in comfort junk for me is The Workbasket, a magazine that was published during all the fun decades of yore. I have a huge stash of these, because people don't seem to value them as much as I do, and they rarely go for more than the

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-31516260215859947452009-03-01T23:21:00.007-06:002009-03-01T23:36:38.981-06:00

My darling blue chihuahua Bridget is looking so forward to Tuesday, March 3, when she can finally watch Beverly Hills Chihuahua on DVD. She needs extra belly rubs to stay calm. The anticipation is palpable!

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-38562032521062369242009-02-26T16:59:00.005-06:002009-02-26T17:08:38.277-06:00

The yarn candy from Elvincraft is being transformed into the lightest of pretty Spring Shower Shawls. This stitch pattern is the one I have a chart picture of here, Shower Stitch from Barbara Walker's first Treasury, turned from an 8 row into a 16 row repeat by adding straight purl rows. It's one of those perfect matches of yarn to pattern. I love it.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-8544270576616627062009-02-22T14:49:00.004-06:002009-02-22T14:59:09.181-06:00

I just got this Spring Garden yarn from Elvincraft Homegrown Yarns on the Isle of Skye, which is not buying local, but so what. I love the soft colors and the wonderful texture. Kate Duncan is an inspired artist. Time to cast on a Spring Shower Shawl.

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-12188650438333911792009-02-19T09:32:00.005-06:002009-02-19T09:45:26.889-06:00

Here are some colors that make me think happy thoughts of Spring, though I would never dream of wearing them. The fabric is on a box I use to "organize" my junk, and this flyer from the 60s was in this box. So I guess I do have an organizational system after all: color coding. I don't know where I got this piece of paper. Inside a thrift store book? (Thrift store books are treasure troves of

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-75025152650780062602009-02-13T11:27:00.006-06:002009-03-12T04:06:45.747-05:00

The main item I've had a lot of people try to buy off my junkzine site is The Vinegar Valentine, as illustrated above in A BOARDING HOUSE COOK:You slobbering thing you, your hash is full of hairs,And your tough old steak tastes if it were a bear’s.The hungriest cannibal that ever wore a clout,Would not eat the cooking of such a filthy lout.A fitting trade for such a slovenly old dunce,Is to try

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-53455293513396597132009-02-11T17:56:00.009-06:002009-02-11T18:33:40.415-06:00

I love James A. Beard. He had the right attitude about Life: enjoy it. I bought the paperback of this great cookbook, How To Eat Better for Less Money, years ago at the Best (But Alas No More) Flea Market that ever was, held monthly at the Carondelet Saturday Morning Athletic Club (now torn down for that Lowes at the corner of Loughborough and I-55.) The paperback had initially been given away as

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7169519997296776088.post-77236341902468947202009-02-09T17:12:00.009-06:002009-02-13T21:44:02.268-06:00

I am beginning to consider this a power outage blog. Yes, today our electricity went out again for the nth time in a month. It was out for only an hour — the Hail Marys might have helped — and the mild weather made it more of a nuisance than serious annoyance, but it interrupted a fascinating TV show on contemporary Mongolian horse nomads. Their horses are small, almost pony sized, but boy can

The Masked Junk Fiendhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04279233945568063249noreply@blogger.com0