Vacation time....

 

We finally got a week to get away the beginning of August so we headed out to the Midwest on a road trip.

 

 

Stopped at Hill International to check out the inventory...

And this dealer we like to visit in London, OH with all kinds of old equipment

 



 

Across the road from that was JD Equipment

 

and not far from that was the Eby trailer place.

 

We came across this dealership where we spent the night in Crawfordsville, IN.

 This truck dealer was right beside it

 

We also stopped at Antique Archaeology to check on the Picker's new building. 

 

 Then a few miles on west we ate at The Machine Shed we have been to a few times before. 

 

Across I-80 from that we checked out the Peterbilt and International dealers.

 

and on west my favorite windmills!!

This little tractor was in Avoca, IA at Titan Machinery

This cute little bug was in the same town.  

Lots of beautiful crops even tho it was rainy in the area and we couldn't see far.

 



 

In Western Iowa on I-29 north, lots of the fields had water standing in them or were drowned out from earlier rains. 

On into South Dakota we noticed they make hay off the sides of the interstate.

 

Very long straight stretches of the highway.

 

On I-90 in the very southern part of Minnesota we came across an oilseed plant and ethanol plant together.  The trailers were lined up to unload.

Then we got into the Wisconsin Dells area.  

Lots of irrigation in Indiana.

Cute little round barn.

 

Spent the night in a Hampton Inn and some very talented person had shaped a towel or maybe more than one into an elephant!!  We didn't take it apart it was very cute!!

 

Back into Van Wert, Ohio we came across another John Deere dealer.  This 40' head would make soybean harvest go really quickly!!

Just east of there in Delphos we went to H G Violet again, a place with very nice used equipment we have been to before.  

 

The crops look beautiful everywhere. 

 

Then it was back home to Maryland and thru Sidling Mountain. 

 

 

As always it went way too fast!! 

CGOA 2014 Design Competition

 

The end of July was the Knit and Crochet Show and every year they have a design competition.  I sent in my Pretty Pathways doily and much to my surprise when the list of winners came out it had gotten 2nd place!!!!  I am over-the-moon thrilled!!!  What an honor it is to have it chosen out of all the beautiful entries in the thread category.  A big thanks to the Boye company for sponsoring the thread category and offering the prize.  Also a big thank you to the judges and the CGOA.  It is such an honor and I really appreciate it !!!

Sea of Shells Shawl

Inside the latest issue of Crochet 1-2-3, you will find a pattern I designed for them called Sea of Shells Shawl.

 

(photos Crochet 1-2-3)

 

They always do such a great job with the photography!! 

 

This shawl actually started out as a table runner pattern....

 

 

 

the first one in green with yellow trim

 

The second I did in all white.

 

Then it hit me to try it as a scarf.  Can't tell it too well in this picture but it's Sage Green size 10 Aunt Lydia's crochet thread with Cream trim.

Crochet 1-2-3 suggested it as a shawl and sent me this pretty Vanna's Choice Chocolate Brown yarn to make it in.  It really does work up quickly and is easy to make!!  With longer or shorter rows, any solid color or combination of colors it's a very versatile pattern.  You can see more photos at Ravelry.com or go to Crochet 1-2-3's website. 



Day trip

 Yesterday Barb, Addie, Charlie & I took a little day trip down to Baltimore.  We took the kids to a really fun place called Port Discovery.  They enjoyed running thru the 3 floors of activities for them

 

They enjoyed playing in the Sesame Street section and doing a little puppet show.

 

 

 

Of course Charlie liked the car in the convenience store section

 

This had to be my favorite thing in the whole place.  The giant soap bubble ring!!

 

Addie liked seeing which objects would float...



....and running thru the big play area

 After all of that we walked a few blocks to the Inner Harbor where we had lunch on the patio of the Cheesecake Factory on such a beautiful day.

 

After lunch we took a water taxi ride around the harbor

 

Before we got back to the dock it had put Charlie to sleep :)

 

A very enjoyable day for all!!

Axis Tote

A few months ago I had the honor of Interweave Crochet choosing my purse pattern for their special issue called Crochetscene 2014

 

 

They chose the beautiful colors of teal, tan and pink to be worked into a plaid pattern

(photos by Harper Point)

The issue is out now and is available at the Interweave store or click on the link under Joyce's Links. You can go to the Ravelry link also to see more details of the purse and also more pictures.  I love how it turned out with the colors they chose and the great photography it looks awesome!!  

Wheat Harvest

Busy day yesterday finishing up cutting wheat here. 

 

 

And unloading at a local farm that buys wheat for seed.

 

 

At least I got some crocheting in between loads.....

 

 



New Projects

 

There's nothing more fun than receiving a box of thread in the mail to do two Christmas projects for an upcoming issue of a crochet magazine. 

 

Figures it would arrive the same week the wheat was ready to cut.....

 

There's always time to fit in some crocheting while waiting on the first truck load to get cut.

 

 

It worked out we got everything loaded and in the dry just as the rain drops started to fall last night. 

 

 

Only half a tenth but the corn and beans look refreshed this morning after the heat and humidity of the last few days.