STRONG WINDS; Quartzsite-AZ

Strong winds were blowing across the region all week.

Yesterday wildfire warning signs went up.

Today, high wind traveling alerts were posted.

Strong winds advisory, this morning: between gusts, Holland would go outside and secure the plastic bins needed for life on the road. 

Areas affected by strong winds advisory … projected 12 to 18 mph winds along our route, tomorrow afternoon.

Winds picking up around 10.45 AM; The Pit Stop, Quartzsite-AZ

Alerts were blowing up the phone as gritty dust devils blew across The Pit Stop RV Park lot; Independence rocked steady … and Betsy's bright red color has become a muted shade under of at least a half inch of desert sand.

Tomorrow afternoon, we will disengage Independence: pull in the slide-outs, hook up to Betsy, take one last look around Quartzsite - and make for Kingman before Suppertime. We are hoping the strong winds will be much calmer while we are enroute.

Tomorrow afternoon will be the end of the line for Quartzsite-AZ; we usually park Independence here as we move between States … but this winter, strong winds slamming us from every corner of the State we hunkered down in, convinced us that we can't come this way again.

Strong winds have sucked the fun out of our days, here.

The Traveling Wilburys - 'End Of The Line' song:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6vqKXLjSmg)

When we started this road gypsy venture, we always had hopes of settling in AZ at some point: and this winter, we literally traveled the length and width of the lower end of this State, enjoying what AZ has to offer & scouting for a hopeful place to roost & enjoy the warming sunrays AZ is famous for  - but no matter what corner we were in, it was always the same: devil winds kicking up dust storms that made our chests ache as our lungs struggled to breathe without feeling that familiar and unwelcome compromise burn, bloody noses (Holland, more than me) from the dry and arid dust; and migraine headaches from piggybacking hijackers catching a free ride on the breezes.

Holland has done righteous in providing exciting, exploratory, adventures for me while learning to enjoy his retirement in a State he loves - but never had the time to enjoy before he married his gypsy woman 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

He has things planned for our Kingman stop, too, and we hope and pray the strong winds die down enough that we can enjoy those things 👌🙏❤️

We'll be there for a month (if the devil winds don't kick up a fuss there, too) before moving on, as we take our time moving northward. We know we want to be in WA somewhere around June of this year.

Tomorrow will be the end of the line for Quartzsite-AZ

The end of March, will be the end of the line completely, as we leave AZ behind for good … following the strong winds that push us ever northward, toward the PNW Coastlines.

Strong winds that carry a hope and promise with them.

MOD PINK MUSHROOM KITCHEN TOWEL SET; Fortuna-AZ

MOD Mushroom Kitchen Towel Set

Thinking of the PNW, led to thinking of mushrooms - the climate is perfect for perfect mushrooms 😉

I cook with a lot of mushrooms; so, I designed my kitchen towel, based around a mushroom towel I had seen online:

Online mushroom patterned kitchen towel.

This towel is worked using bobbins - and a couple textured sts.; but it is not as complicated as it appears to be. Your work will go smoother and quicker is you take the time to prepare the bobbins before they will be needed 👌

Yarn Bobbins.

Materials: cotton yarn in following colors: MC = Pink, CC = Purple; Scrap Yarn to wrap around Yarn Bobbins = 10 ct./5 ct.  wrapped with white & remaining 5 ct. bobbins wrapped individually with White, Beige, Maize, Gold, Red; #9 knitting needles; scissors; crochet hook #J; tapestry needle; large button

##MOD Mushroom Design Graph: 

MOD Mushroom Graph

Terms used:

g st = knit every row

st. st. = stockinette stitch (1 K row = RS - 1 P row = WS)

k = knit

p = purl

MC = main color

CC = contrast color

EO = end off yarn

CO = cast on stitches

EA = each

inc = increase 1 st (make 2 sts in same st)

dec = decrease 1 st (work 2 sts together)

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

sl st = slip stitch

With CC & knitting needles, CO 71 sts & work 3 rows g st for hemline foundation.

Rows 4 thru 8: Work these rows in st. st.; drop CC & attach MC

Row 5: K

Row 6: P

Row 7: K 2, P next st, *K 3 sts, P 1* across row; end row with K 1.

Hemline.

Row 8: P; drop MC & attach CC

Rows 9 thru 12: Work these rows in st. st.

Row 13: K 4 sts in CC; then attach MC and knit across row to last 4 sts - work these sts in CC

Row 14 thru 16: Work these rows in st. st. … being sure to keep the end 4 sts EA towel side edge, purple.

Rows 17 thru 32 = Mushroom Pattern: Refer to mushroom pattern graph above, and work the pattern design in jacquard st. st.; you may also outline the mushrooms when the mushroom rows are completed - or outline them before you begin towel topper (whichever way is easier for you, do that 😊).

Bobbin work on the backside of design.

Mushroom detail.

Rows 33 thru 60: Work these rows in st. st. - being sure to keep the end 4 sts EA towel side edge, purple.

Row 61 = Towel Topper Dec R:  K 4 sts in CC; then begin decreases with MC as follows - *K 2 tog, K 3 tog* to last 4 sts; work these sts in CC & EO CC both towel end edges, slipping sts off knitting needle as they are worked . DO NOT CUT MC.

Begin Towel Topper work …

Row 62 (WS): Change from knitting needles to crochet hook and work in sc as follows: dec 1 st EA end until 7 sts remain.

Alternately work 1 row sc & 1 row dc, for 13 rows.

Sl st x3 sc; ch 6 and sl st in same sp; sl st to end. Turn.

Dc x12 in chain loop; EO.

Add a decorative loop edging of your choice (or leave plain).

Sew button in place and weave in loose ends.

MOD GARTER ST SQUARE DISHRAG:

Cast on 2 stitches.

Row 1: Knit 1-Inc 1 st in next st.

Row 2: Knit 1-Inc-knit across the row.

Row 3: Knit 2-Inc-knit across row.

Row 4: Repeat Row 3 until you have 50 stitches on the needle.

Row 5: Knit 1, Knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row. Repeat Row 5 until you have 3 stitches left on the needle; K 3 sts tog - EO off and weave in loose ends.

MOD DENIM & SAND KITCHEN TOWEL SET

MOD Denim & Sand Beach Theme Kitchen Towel Set.

When my husband said to me in Fortuna-AZ this winter, that we'd be summering along the PNW coastlines, I bought some new cotton skeins - and got busy designing and working up kitchen towel sets with a beach theme: clearly, a desert landscape would no longer work, location-wise 😉

My husband loves the beach - he's a water baby, born and raised (born, raised, and lived a surfing boy lifestyle in Santa Cruz-CA); and this mountain loving December born snowbaby, is beginning to appreciate beach days 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Beach days are laid-back days.

Denim, and sand 😊

Imagine Dragons - 'Take Me to the Beach' song:  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umNELWiCYpk)

There are only 2 colors used in this design; and the pattern design is very simplistic - it makes up very quickly. I used contrast details on the towel hemline, and dishcloth edges - this is optional. They both will look fine without the added detail.

Materials: cotton yarn in following colors: MC = Striped denim, CC = Royal; #9 knitting needles; scissors; crochet hook #J; tapestry needle; large button

Terms used:

g st = knit every row

st. st. = stockinette stitch (1 K row = RS - 1 P row = WS)

k = knit

p = purl

MC = main color

CC = contrast color

EO = end off yarn

CO = cast on stitches

EA = each

inc = increase 1 st (make 2 sts in same st)

dec = decrease 1 st (work 2 sts together)

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

sl st = slip stitch

With CC & knitting needles, CO 71 sts & work 3 rows g st for hemline foundation.

Row 4: *K 7, p 1*; rpt across row - end K 7

Row 5: P

Rows 6 thru 11: Rpt rows 4 & 5

Hemline pattern.

Row 12 thru 15: K; EO CC & attach MC

Row 16 thru 61: Knit these rows in st. st. EO MC

Row 62 (WS): Using CC, P 3 tog across row to last 2 sts: end P 2 sts. There should be 29 sts on needle. DO NOT CUT YARN.

Change from knitting needles to crochet hook and work in sc as follows, slipping sts off knitting needle as they are worked: continuing with CC, dec 1 st EA end until 7 sts remain.

Alternately work 1 row sc & 1 row dc, for 13 rows.

Sl st x3 sc; ch 6 and sl st in same sp; sl st to end. Turn.

Dc x12 in chain loop; EO.

Add a decorative loop edging of your choice (or leave plain).

Sew button in place and weave in loose ends.

##This yarn did not need a strengthening sl st along the backside of the hemline … but, I did it anyway for a nice frontal contrast: this is optional.

Hemline detail.

MOD GARTER ST SQUARE DISHRAG:

Cast on 2 stitches.

Row 1: Knit 1-Inc 1 st in next st.

Row 2: Knit 1-Inc-knit across the row.

Row 3: Knit 2-Inc-knit across row.

Row 4: Repeat Row 3 until you have 50 stitches on the needle.

Row 5: Knit 1, Knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row. Repeat Row 5 until you have 3 stitches left on the needle; K 3 sts tog - EO off and weave in loose ends.

##OPTIONAL TRIM: If you wish, simply do a contrast color sl st along the frontside of the dishrag.

Dishrag trim.

SUNDAY THOUGHT

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN

I like to hear original singers of songs - 

1979, Robert Hazard wrote "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" in 15 minutes.

Robert Hazard - 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' song: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aLNwOxPsjg)

The lyrics that stand out to me are …

"Some guys take a beautiful girl

They try to hide her away from the rest of the world

All my girls have got to walk in the sun

'Cause girls just wanna have fun

Yeah, girls just wanna have fun"

& ...

"Come here, boy

You are the fortunate one

Girls just wanna have fun"

Cyndi Lauper changed the words to fit a feminist bent - and that's okay. But I like the original singer with the original lyrics written with original intent 😉

Holland always teases me about my "old school tunes" … BUT … he downloads them for me while I'm sleeping, and uploads them to Betsy's stereo system as a surprise for me ❤️ while we're doing Daytrip drives, "because my girl just wants to have fun" 😘