Green Woman Comes Knocking

For Cathy

2012-01-24T14:00:00.001-06:00

Way back in the early days of the blog I spoke a few times about my desire to learn how to draw. For some reason, it's always seemed to be a skill that was beyond me. I certainly knew several classmates who were considerably more gifted than I...and as this was one thing that didn't come naturally I think I allowed myself to be well and truly scared off.

Perhaps we should discuss someday the fact that unless it comes easily I don't do it...it's a topic worth exploring for many, many reasons.

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot lately about my friend Cathy Johnson, who is a gifted artist and a very magical human being, and decided today to post something to make her smile.

SO, I present, two of my sketches from my short-lived attempt to learn how to draw back in 2008. I'm actually quite fond of the first...and still have no idea how I managed to accurately reproduce the pattern from my knitting bag. The second has always made me laugh because the source material was a picture of a sweet, happy bird and mine wound up looking rather p'd off.

Enjoy!

More Warm Hands

2012-01-23T12:18:00.004-06:00

Look at that face...could you say no?

Lola Flip Top Mittens

by Laura Nelkin

my copy from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders

(another version of the pattern is available through Ravelry with more options)

Knit Picks Harmony DPN's...3.00mm

Knit Picks Palette - extra from Andean Chullo Kit - held double

January 19 - 22, 2012

Thoughts On A Sunday

2012-01-22T12:38:00.000-06:00

We stayed home from church this morning. The girls needed to work on their rooms, and I wasn't feeling my best. I think that God understands that we sometimes need to rest and nest.
Our bird feeders are at long last welcoming flocks of our feathered friends....and I am once again spending long stretches of time at our back door watching them play and eat out on our porch.
Parenting sometimes stinks. Now is one of those times.
I really need to work at becoming multi-craftual. I have lots I want to do and try, and yet I seem to stick only to the things I know and am best at. It feels like it could become a dangerous rut....or it could just be who I am.
This week will be the week I go back to the gym. I am nervous, excited, frightened, annoyed, hopeful and resigned all in one.
Today I'm going to do some finish work. It will be a good thing.
Another good thing will be the nap I'm going to take as soon as I finish this post.
I have started to spend a lot of time in my little corner of the basement when working on projects. I would spend more time there...but it's really cold down there...especially the floor.
There are rather inexplicable holes in the heels of two pair of relatively new socks....one of which is only six months old. It's quite annoying.

Melissa

2012-01-20T13:12:00.001-06:00

Melissa started out as my Mom's friend. Truth be told, I have no idea how or when they met...just that one day my mother was always talking about Melissa.

I know I met her for the first time when she came out to my parents' (disastrous) sheep shearing day last spring. At the time, I was annoyed with my parents for inviting so many people to witness their second - and last - attempt at shearing sheep by themselves (They've hired a pro for this spring.), and so I'm quite sure I came across as surly. Fortunately, she didn't hold this against me.

Since then, I've gotten to know Melissa better and have come to admire her incredibly creative sense of exploration in all things fiber related. She really lives the type of creative lifestyle that I aspire to...on the sort of farm that lives in my dreams. Also, she has a fiber studio/cottage that is to die for! I love going to visit for an afternoon or evening of fibery goodness. At our last such visit, she finished the toe off of her very first pair of fingering weight socks...and I snagged the leftovers for my blanket!

You can find Melissa on Etsy, where she makes the most fabulous things! For the knitters among you, I can highly recommend her double point stitch holders. Santa brought her headbands to my girls for Christmas, and they've been worn almost every day since.

In fact...I need to go email her about a birthday present....

The Christmas Playhouse - Part 2, As Promised!

2012-01-18T14:10:00.002-06:00

About three weeks before Christmas I sat down with the girls to write out their Christmas lists for the grandparents. (Normally, this is done around the time of Thanksgiving as I start getting pressure from all parties by early November for it...but what can I say, we were late this year.) As scribe, I dutifully recorded requests from each of them as well as the items they both wanted with as much detail as they gave me. When I transferred the list to email so that I could send it, I made sure to write it exactly as it had been dictated to me...good, bad and just plain nutty.

One of the things that had surprised me was that both girls requested a playhouse, tree house or fort. This had NEVER come up in conversation before, although it was something I had long wished for both of them. After all, I had a playhouse when I was a child, and I had loved it beyond measure. It never occurred to me that either set of grands would have any interest in providing it. Christmas lists are supposed to range from practical to fanciful dreams....it's fun to make them and it helps to teach kids that they don't always get what they ask for.

Anyway, you can imagine my surprise when I came home from an evening meeting a few days later to the news that my dad had called Sean because he had decided a Christmas Playhouse was exactly the project he wanted. I was THRILLED! and EXCITED! and AMAZED! (You would have thought he was building it for me. Ahem.)

Dad called me himself the next morning to discuss the plan. He was frustrated because he had initially wanted to build the girls a duplicate of the playhouse he and my grandfather had built me...but after an exhaustive search he had not been able to come up with the plans. (Honestly, mine was built about 30 years ago...and there's absolutely no reason why he should have found them.) Poor man was pretty upset.

Which is where my own magic comes into place.

I interrupted Dad's ramblings.... Dad, I found plans online six months ago for a playhouse that looks exactly like mine. I can't be sure, of course, that they are identical, but the similarity is eerie and according to the ebay listing they were initially drawn up well before you would have used them.

Remember when I said that I had loved my playhouse? and that I wanted one for the girls? Well, that had led me to do some poking about online way back when. I knew Sean and I couldn't justify the expense - not with flooring that needs to be replaced and a dream vacation that was already planned - but it was fun to periodically look at the plans and dream. My playhouse had been a very unique structure - an a-frame with a deck on the side, and with a real door (that locked!) and window. Little did I know...

Dad asked me to order the plans and have them sent to my house, which I did immediately. They took almost a week to arrive, putting us at that point less than two weeks from Christmas. To Dad's surprise, and my satisfaction, they did prove to be the same plans he'd used 30 years ago.

At which point the big hurdle had to be faced. We live in a neighborhood with a Homeowners Association and a set of draconian Covenants and Restrictions. According to that document, outbuildings of any sort are forbidden. Also, our HOA board is known for being rather hateful. I won't bore you with the details - which in any case are rather ridiculous - but I will tell you that Sean didn't think they would approve the playhouse while I maintained hope that they would have no reason not to, both of us using past history to prove our points.

Then...our Christmas Miracle...about four or five days before Christmas Sean got news that the playhouse had been APPROVED! Yay!

The game was on, and I plotted with Dad. All previous plans for Christmas were scrapped so that Dad could surprise the girls by Christmas.

On Christmas Eve my parents and my brother drove to Columbia with a cattle trailer full of building supplies. Dad had done as much as he could at home so much of the framework and base were already done and just needed to be assembled. Mom called when they were 20 minutes out and I hustled the girls out the door for a day of fun around town. (Which by the way, even when doing fun things it is very difficult to keep two small girls away from home for five hours on Christmas Eve.) Less than 5 minutes after we left my parents arrived and construction began. Fortunately, they finished about the time my patience and the girls ability to play along with my crazy plans wore out.

We arrived home in the late afternoon to find my family all inside enjoying coffee with Sean. After greetings and general chatter we sat down to exchange gifts. Dad put the girls on either side of them and gave them a card to read. On the card were instructions to follow the string to their Christmas gift. (Those of you who've been with me for a while know this is a time-honored tradition in my family. The BEST gifts ALWAYS come at the end of a string, and there is always at least one string under the tree.) Down the stairs, through the basement and out the back door they went...

To find their very own playhouse!

You've seen the pictures and probably can imagine how excited the girls were. By the time we came inside, they had planned years worth of play. It was an amazing end to an amazing couple of weeks. In fact, it may have been the best Christmas surprise EVER. (There is some debate as to who was more excited...the girls or me. We shall leave that for others to decide.)

The unseasonably warm weather really helped us out over the next couple of weeks. Dad was able to come down a few days after Christmas and over the course of three days he and Sean were able to get almost all of the work done. (Sean was on vacation from Christmas to New Years.) A few days after New Years, Dad brought the window and door down and finished the work. If we had had a traditional Missouri Winter, he probably wouldn't have had a chance. As is, not only was he able to finish in record time but the girls have been able to play out there almost every day since. In fact, I was rather hard pressed to prevent them from literally moving in as soon as it was done, and I had to explain to Gillian that No, she could not have a slumber party in there for her January birthday!

In the spring I will paint the exterior and will put down some sort of flooring inside. (I'm leaning towards peel and stick linoleum tiles...cheap and easy to clean.) I might also do the interior...but I'm waffling on that a bit. Sean and I are going to then put a path in our backyard leading from our sliding glass doors to the front of the playhouse. We're hoping this will do double duty, helping to keep the inside a bit cleaner and also assisting with an erosion problem we have. The girls have also requested a flower bed on the side opposite the deck, which we're happy to provide. There will be, of course, more pictures to come as all of that comes to pass.
So there you have it...the story of the Christmas Playhouse!

Letting In Her Very Own Green Girl

2012-01-16T22:19:00.001-06:00

Last summer my girl told me about an idea she had.

Mom, I want to make my own quilt. It will have a flower for spring, an ice cream cone for summer, a pumpkin for fall and a snowflake for winter.

That's a tall order, I said, you'd better ask Grandma to help you with that.

And so she did.

The quilt has been a wonderful project for the two of them to share. The Princess looked through all of Mom's books and patterns to find just the perfect design for each season. (She drew the flower template for spring herself!) Mom let her raid her fabric stash to pick the colors she wanted, and then they cut and pieced together. I believe a few field trips to the quilt shop were required - certainly for backing, and possibly for some of the blocks as well. Once the blocks were finished they decided together how best to organize the top so that Mom could finish putting it together. This last weekend they quilted it on Mom's long-arm quilting machine....with Mom letting my girl do much of that work by herself. Mom stayed up late last night to finish the binding, and we were able to bring it home with us today!

Amazing, isn't it?!

Personally, I love the fact that the colors go so well together with absolutely no forethought or planning whatsoever. I also love that it's so perfectly my girl.

At 9 she's already learned to let her muse in....to follow her artistic ideas and to make them into a reality. She takes each and every step and challenge in stride and enjoys the entire process. Her vision is clear and focused...but she also rolls with it and can shift her plans to make it work.

Because of all of that, she's tucked in bed underneath her very first design project. It's a very big accomplishment indeed for a girl who's only 9.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the help of my Mom. Thanks Mom for everything you did to make this possible!

The Christmas Playhouse - Part 1

2012-01-13T11:53:00.003-06:00

Today the pictures...tomorrow the story!

Interlude

2012-01-11T06:45:00.000-06:00

Having just completed two (slightly more complicated) knitted requests - and with at least five more knitted gifts in the immediate queue - I'm taking a wee break to work on the blanket.

It's relaxing.

It's soothing.

It's fun to play with color.

It's all sorts of good.

I decided to add in one square from each of the skeins of sock yarn that I have in my stash (with the exception of a few skeins that haven't been wound down yet) just because it sounded like fun. Also, some of the colors are phenomenal and I wanted to make sure they were immortalized in this particular blanket even though I'm likely to be done with it before I turn that yarn into socks.

I've given it two days so far this week, and probably will stay with it for a few more.

Then back to that queue! I have girls who need more hats, mittens and scarves. My dad wants his sweater asap, and there is a set of twins on the way who need something special.

I've lots to do...and it feels great!

9

2012-01-10T12:28:00.003-06:00

Her second ever picture.

Two days ago!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

One Very Happy Girl

2012-01-08T15:01:00.000-06:00

Look at that beautiful face!

That's a girl who just got EXACTLY what she wanted.

A couple of months ago my Princess went through the KnitPicks catalog as if it were her own private knitting list. I swear she had circled half of the patterns in the catalog by the time she finished...much to my great chagrin. As I literaly didn't knit anything for my girls in 2011, I was happy to make something....just not the entire catalog. Ultimately she decided that the one thing she really wanted was the Andean Chullo, which was perfect because she had outgrown the last hat I knit for her.

Originally I had intended to use the Palette I already owned to make the hat, and so I purchased the downloadable format of the pattern. After Christmas when I sat down to put the colors together I realized I had one big problem. Although I had a LOT of Palette, I had NO blue...and blue was the one color I knew that she wanted more than any other.

So back to KnitPicks' website where the kits were now on sale.

I bought two.

Andean Chullo by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence

Grey kit by KnitPicks

US 2.5 mm needles - 24" and 16" addi turbo circulars and Knit Picks Harmony DPN's

January 4-8, 2011

I only made two very minor alterations to the pattern. The first is that I replaced the grey color meant for the very top of the crown pattern with the Princess's favorite blue. The second is that I worked the i-cord edging from the bottom tip of the ear flap on both sides (rather than going the same direction....it makes sense if you know the pattern), doing the Kitchner stitch at the base of each ear flap to join the i-cords. It simply made more sense to do it that way as I knew the appearance of the i-cord would thus be identical.

There is a LOT of leftover yarn from just a single kit.

So why two bags?

Simple enough...she wants a matching scarf and mittens.

PS. We are calling them llamas, not alpacas, and have thus dedicated this hat to JoJo...the most amazing, most hilarious, sweetest llama in the world!

My BKB

2012-01-07T09:57:00.000-06:00

My BKB (Best Knitting Buddy for those of you who haven't heard me use the term before), Jenn, surprised me this morning with this little collection of yarn for my Scrapbook Blankie! These aren't actually leftovers....rather, Jenn measured out lengths of some of her stash yarn so that I could go ahead and add them in now. There's enough of the green for a large square, which is right and proper as my best friend deserves a very big square of her own in my blanket.

Jenn is one of the two knitters who I desperately wanted to include in my blanket. (Shelda is the other, and she is well represented in my blanket already.) I can't tell you what it means to me to be able to add these little bits of her into a project which represents so much of my life.

A bit about Jenn:

I met Jenn while I was pregnant with the Pixie. Truth be told, we were hooked up by one of the local yarn shop owners, Bex Oliger, who has a talent for matching up friends. We were both pregnant, though, so nothing happened until we met again after both babies were born. At that point, we started to compare notes, realized how much we had in common, started setting play/knitting dates and began calling each other almost every day.

The rest is a magical, knitterly history.

I cannot possibly say enough wonderful things about Jenn to ever truly describe her, so I'm not going to try. Instead, I'll simply say that she's the best friend I had spent my entire life looking for and I'm lucky to have found her.

Wee Warm Things

2012-01-06T12:24:00.001-06:00

Just like that, I needed a break from the Princess Shawl.

Also, both of my girls needed some warm things, and I'm in a mitten sort of mood.

The Pixie made off with a lace scarf of mine two years ago, and loves it still.

She wanted mittens and a hat that kind-of match.

I'm trying my best to make do with what I have, and fortunately I have a drawer full of Knit Picks Palette yarn, courtesy of a friend of mine in the guild. (I only paid $1/ball for her destash, and the money went to support Access Arts.) After spending an evening carefully reading through all of my mitten books, I settled on a traditional Shetland pattern and gave it a go.

Butterflies for Bairns by Carol Rasmussen Noble

in Knitting Fair Isle Mittens & Gloves

Knit Picks Palette - 5 colors (sorry, tags gone)

Knit Picks Harmony DPNs, 2.25 mm

Dec. 30, 2011 - Jan. 3, 2012

Changes: I dropped three colors from the main bands, which not only simplified the knitting but also made the butterflies really pop. I also cheated on the interior finishing, choosing to tie the ends and clip them short rather than weave them all in. I've read enough fair isle technique books to know that I picked a valid option...especially given that after one wearing the mittens were starting to felt a bit. (The kid was so excited she tried making off with them before I could weave in the ends anyway....)

One wee project down, and a few more to go. Mom loaned me Knitted Tams by Mary Rowe, and so there will hopefully soon be a matching hat!

Two Things

2012-01-04T16:59:00.001-06:00

I actually have a lot of knitting to blog about....but I'm having an argument with my camera. Until said argument is resolved, I thought I would bring you this wee post.

In my 2011 Reading Round Up post I mentioned the fact that I now read most of my books in electronic form on my iPad. Most people who know me in person are still quite surprised by this as I'm an old-fashioned girl at heart, and have always placed great value on real books. However, I do have two really good reasons for loving to read ebooks, and I thought I would take a moment to share those with you.

My eyes have taken a serious downturn in the last year, and now they are easily tired out. I'm sure part of this is due to my age. I'm also sure most of it is my own fault given how much close work I do with my eyes. (handwork, reading, journaling, computer, etc.) Being able to adjust the font, the font size, and the lighting on my iPad has significantly reduced the amount of eyestrain I feel when reading. Reading more comfortably means that I am able to read more and also that I enjoy it more in the process.
I can't cheat with ebooks, or I chose not to. I don't remember a time when I didn't flip through books..reading random passages and the last two to three pages to get an idea of what's to come. At the very least I've recognized since college that when I started to do that at night it was time to put the book down and go to bed. Ebooks have brought that habit to a crashing halt...and have thus made the endings of my books a lot more surprising. Please believe me when I say that I've tried to stop that particular bad habit many times before...it just never took until now.

Other things I love: the ability to highlight passages (a complete no-no in real books for this OCD perfectionist), the dictionary function, links to notes at the end of the book for quick and easy reading, free classics, free samples to download (which I use in a file as my book wish list) and quick and easy purchases.

Yep, my iPad has been a revelation.

2012 - Start As You Mean To Go On

2012-01-02T08:50:00.002-06:00

I greatly dislike the term 'New Year's Resolutions.'

Why? The fact of the matter is that in our modern-day culture that term is generally considered a joke. Grand promises for sweeping change are thought up as we say good-bye to the old year and hello to the new...only to be broken within days or weeks. Certainly by the end of February (and that's charitable) all of our good intentions are out the window. The joke is that everyone knows going into it exactly what's going to happen. So really, are any of those resolutions truly meant?

Ridiculous.

So instead of making resolutions, I propose to follow the advice of the lovely Breda Dayne of Cast On and:

"Start As You Mean To Go On."

I love that phrase. It's an action, not a wish. It gives forward movement while also helping to set into stone the ideas you may have for the way you want to live. In big ways or small, it says that you just have to get moving.

This is a bit of how I began 2012 as I mean to go on:

I spent an hour writing in my journal....something I haven't done in probably six months. That hour included a conversation between my somewhat difficult muse and myself. (The Green Woman thinks I was boring last year.)
I went to church.
The girls and I worked on puzzles together....focused time they don't always get from me.
I cleaned up after myself, and spent some time organizing my stuff.
During a surprise block of free time in the afternoon, I went to Starbucks with handspun yarn, a pile of books and a notebook and I started to design a shawl all by myself.
I forgave myself for something.
I spent time with my husband.
I set up a space in the house for some yoga, digging my props out of storage.
I fixed a mistake in my knitting.
I refused to start something new until I could finish several old projects.

So there you have it, 10 small steps to help create the life that I want for myself. 10 small ways to start as I truly mean to go on in 2012.

2011 Crafting Year In Review

2011-12-31T09:49:00.002-06:00

Finished Knitting Projects:

1 kid's vest
2 baby surprise jackets
1 matching baby surprise bonnet
3 mini hearts
6 shawls
12 pair of socks and matching minis (not surprising given this was the year of socks for my friend Shelda and I!)

My list of completed knitting projects is rather shorter than usual because of...

Ongoing BIG projects:

Princess
The Scrapbook Blanket

And I love these two projects more than you can possibly imagine.

Spinning:

completed 2 1/2 Jacob fleeces
the odd combo of Shetland and silk in greens

I'm not real happy with my spinning list for the year. I have a bunch of wonderful fibers that I didn't go near because I was working on the Jacob fleeces. I do love and appreciate them, but the fact of the matter is that since my parents did all of the shearing and processing themselves this year they weren't in the best of shape and spinning wasn't a lot of fun. I'm sure that will improve next year as they have chosen to have it all professionally done. It was also incredibly hot this summer, and I don't normally like to spin when it's that hot.

The IMPORTANT part is that I'm actually USING my handspun now. Three of the knitting projects listed above are knit with handspun.

Stepping outside of my comfort zone:

embroidery (LOVE!)
sewing (Enjoy, but never going to be a priority)
drop spinning (ditto sewing)

2011 Reading Round Up

2011-12-30T09:26:00.002-06:00

First, let's do my December Reading List:

Harry Potter Books 5, 6, and 7 in audio. To quote my FB status update, "Note to self: Listening to the final chapters of the last Harry Potter book while knitting in a public place (Starbucks in case there was any question) is not perhaps the best of ideas for a woman who is prone to crying."
Grave Sight and An Ice Cold Grave, Charlain Harris (library, ebook), I needed some light, junk-food books after HP. These did the trick. I feel no need to read the other two books in this series. I also checked out the first books in Harris's other two series, and deleted them after a few pages. I think the Sookie Stackhouse books are wonderful, but Harris's other series fall flat.
The Leopard, Jo Nesbo (library, ebook) Crazy how much I enjoy down and dirty Norwegian crime/mystery books. They really are a bit repulsive if you think about it, but Nesbo is such a great writer that he really sucks you in. Think Steig Larson lite.
The Family Fang, Kevin Wilson (ebook) I'm reading this one right now, and will probably finish it up this evening. It's amazing, and I highly recommend it. The Fang family is wholly unique and Wilson's writing style is funny and heartbreaking and completely engrossing. LOVE it!

Second, here are my top 5 books of the year:

The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
A Thread of Grace, Mary Doria Russel
The Passage, Justin Cronin
Mr. Chartwell, Rebecca Hunt
Blackout & All Clear, Connie Willis
(honorable mention) Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter

Finally, 4 Ways in Which My Reading Habits Changed in 2011:

The biggest change is that I got an iPad and started reading most of my books in ebook format, which surprisingly enough I enjoy thoroughly.
Thanks to my iPad I read a lot more books from the library. In fact, I've probably recouped 2/3 the cost of the iPad in books that I probably would have just purchased before.
Also thanks to my iPad AND my monthly reading lists here on the blog I've started to finally purge the crates and crates of books in storage. Some I'm replacing in ebook format, others (mostly big, silly series) I'm just doing away with and checking out from the library now. Part of it is a larger household simplification that we're going through, part of it is that with my lists I don't feel a need to hold on so tightly anymore, and part is simply that I like to carry around my library of really good books in my iPad so that they are easily accessible should I want/need them.
Thanks to Books On The NightStand my reading has expanded to include many more genres than it had previously. I still love my fairy tales, fantasy and mythic fiction best....but with good recommendations I've discovered that there's a lot more out there than I had expected. (Four of my best of 2011 books are BOTNS recommendations)

Thank you for indulging me in all of my book posts, and Happy Reading in 2012!

A Holiday Round-Up

2011-12-29T11:00:00.000-06:00

I - ahem - appropriated this picture from Mom's camera. Believe it or not, this was the picture my parents used on their Christmas cards this year. Too funny!

Thank you all for understanding why I needed to take a bit of a break for the holidays. It was very much needed this year!
Having said that, the fastest way to cure any sort of writer's block on my part is to apparently put a restriction on my public writing outlet. I found that the day after I put up that post I had so many ideas of things to write about that I almost broke my own rules.
Christmas this year was a fabulous success.
Why?
We had a major Christmas Miracle when our (horribly inept, nasty, etc) HOA approved the plans for the playhouse my dad wanted to build the girls in time for work to be done on Christmas Eve.
There will be more about the playhouse when it's done. I can't wait to share its full story with you!
Dad and Sean are working on it right now.....
Because of the playhouse approval, our holiday schedule changed at the last minute. To my delight, it wound up giving us the most relaxed, enjoyable Christmas we've had since the girls were born.
We spent Christmas Eve with my parents and my brother here at the house after a secret day of construction. (I had to keep the girls away from the house all afternoon, which was neither easy or fun.) We were unable to go to church because of the playhouse (truly a shame, as I LOVE Christmas Eve services), but we did have our traditional Chinese take-out meal.
Best of all...Unkie Erin wore the girls out so that they actually went to bed at a decent time!
The four of us then had all of Christmas morning to ourselves, which was a blessing.
After church,which I insisted on as we hadn't been able to go the night before, my in-laws came over for a while. It was so nice to have them here by themselves.
Normally we end up with most or all of the grandparents here at once, but this way the girls were able to really focus on one set at a time.
Also, the two sets of grandparents do gifts in a very different way. Separating the visits this year took any and all crazy (and unnecessary) competition out of the equation. It's not that it's ever been an obvious problem...but there has been a weird undercurrent during some Christmases past.
The afternoon was devoted to reading, playing with toys, and fixing a very low-key fried chicken and faux tators meal. The girls were delighted to be able to stay home and play with the fun things Santa brought, and Sean and I were so worn out that we appreciated the quiet!
Then on Monday I took the girls to Independence to spend the afternoon with my grandmother. (She's 85, and the four hour round trip is now out of the question for her.) Again, the girls were able to focus on their Grammy-Great, and because she wasn't stressed out by having to drive anywhere she had a lot more fun than she normally does as well.
After that the girls went to my parents' home for 48 hours, and I drove back to Columbia to relax and reflect.
Food was thankfully not an issue for me at all. While I couldn't eat either the Chinese or the cinnamon rolls (from scratch!) I made for breakfast, I did buy myself a gorgeous piece of salmon that more than made up for it. We didn't make desserts or cookies this year, and our non-traditional Christmas dinner was fun and took the focus off of the food.
I did eat a Patrick 70% dark chocolate bar, which was my one concession to the holidays...and was worth the tummy ache it gave me.
I will need to do perhaps two more posts on Christmas, but I think this is enough for now!

In the next two days, look for my December reading list as well as a review of 2011 reading and crafting.

Merry And Bright

2011-12-19T17:21:00.002-06:00

The Magic Tree in it's original location, photo 2009.

Miss Pixie just came over and saw the picture and asked,

"Are Magic Trees really magic?"

Yes, my dear, they are.

Friends, I absolutely adore Christmas.

And yet....due to a second round of flu this weekend, I am horribly behind in my preparations. In trying to figure out how to go about making sure everything gets done and I don't go crazy in the process (because really, I'm too worn out from being sick to even contemplate the crazy plan) I've decided I'm going to have to put the blog on hold until after the holidays. I'm hoping I'll have time to write a bit between Christmas and New Years, but there is no guarantee at this point.

So for now...thank you very much for reading and sharing comments with me in 2011.

May Your Holidays be VERY Merry and Bright!

And I'll see you again in 2012.

Love,

Kristin

Uh Oh....

2011-12-14T12:30:00.001-06:00

So I spent yesterday afternoon knitting swatches from my handspun Jacob yarn. When Dad gave us the sheep last year for Christmas there was an understanding that he got the first sweater from the wool, and I wanted to make that happen this winter.

The problem: The yarn smells so bad to me that I can barely stand to work with it.

No, it's not dirty.

Yes, it was washed both during processing and again after I finished the yarn.

The stink was so bad when I washed the swatches that I could barely stand to go into the room where they were drying.

But....

When I asked my family about the smell, none of them noticed anything. My husband put the swatches right up to the face and told me that I was nuts because they didn't really have a smell.

So why is this a problem?

This is a major problem because this was the first step in the development of my alpaca allergy. Years before I judged that show - resulting in the overexposure that's left me unable to handle alpaca fiber without significant discomfort - I thought it smelled really, really bad...when no one else noticed anything.

Sigh.

Right now it's just the Jacob. I don't know if a wool allergy can be breed specific or if there is something else going on. I'll be calling my allergist asap.

What I Eat

2011-12-12T12:29:00.001-06:00

It's been 13 1/2 months since I received my food allergy diagnosis....a long bit of time that's had many, MANY ups and downs. I've tried to steer clear of discussing my allergies on the blog very much because the topic has generated some rather ugly comments. I've been accused of making things up, have been told that I'm wallowing in drama, and have often had my allergies brushed aside as not being all that important. The fact that I've truly struggled with the diet - which is considerably more difficult than I initially thought it would be - has only compounded the problem.

I'm quite happy to report, though, that my diet has been clean for 42 days now...a record...and it looks as if this time it's truly going to stick. (Trust me, there will be a party when I hit 100 days and 1 full year!)

For the time being, I've postponed the idea of doing a separate blog because it's honestly a bit more than I can handle right now. Having said that, there are a few issues I'd like to discuss publicly, so the topic will occasionally come up. How I feel does have a huge influence on my creative life, so I feel that it is an appropriate addition.

The first thing I want to talk about is what I actually can eat! (Reminder: I am allergic to dairy and to yeast. The first is straightforward, but the yeast allergy is very complex, requiring me to cut out all sugars/sweeteners, obvious sources of yeast like bread and pastry, grains, vinegars, fermented anything, and foods that may carry mold. Easier to say what I CAN have: meats, most whole fruits (no juice or dried), veggies, eggs, beans.)

Typically, when I first tell people about my allergies there is a rather shocked, "Well what on earth DO you eat?" response. So I thought that I'd go ahead and answer that post.

It's pretty simple:

Breakfast: is usually leftovers from the night before - a ground turkey or beef burger, chicken breast or bowl of soup. Sometimes I have eggs, which I always enjoy. My new favorite is a big bowl of mixed greens with a couple of soft cooked eggs on top with a pinch of salt. The eggs slightly wilt the greens, and the yolks stand in for salad dressing. Sometimes I add a piece of fruit, but it's usually just the protein because I'm normally in a huge hurry. I've found that I MUST have a fairly large protein breakfast to make sure the rest of the day goes well.

Lunch: Same as breakfast!

Dinner: Roast or steamed veggies with a meat source. I can spice up whatever it is IF I have the fresh spices growing in my wee spice garden. I try to alternate the meats - turkey, beef, chicken and seafood - as much as possible so as to not create any new allergies. Likewise, the veggies are rotated, but are frequently dependent on what has come for the week in our fabulous Bounty Box. I figure the more we can stick to local/seasonal food the nutritionally better off we are anyway. I try to make sure there is a root veggie - potatoes, parsnips, etc - in the meal because that helps prevent late night munchies, which have been a problem for years. I'm very fond of making vegetable soups with either beef or turkey thrown in for both flavor and protein. Soups also are the easiest thing to get down for breakfast, so sometimes I make them a couple of times/week. As you can imagine, I do fix separate meals for myself sometimes so that I can feed my family the things they love but I can no longer enjoy. That is happily getting easier to do.

Snacks: Potato chips are my real 'sinful' treat. So long as they are only potatoes, salt and oil I can have them. The Terro root veggie chips are my favorite, but our grocery store carries a cheap brand of organic chips that I also enjoy. I make fresh humus often, which I eat with either a small protein source (tastes great on top of turkey or chicken!) or raw veggies. Oddly, I've come to love celery with hummus...and I hadn't eaten it for years before this. Roasted garbanzo beans are a great take-along treat. Leftover meats and hard boiled eggs do when I feel the need for something that will stick with me for a while.

The BIG Treat: seasonal fruit! This summer it was local peaches from the farmer's market, then we had honeycrisp apples - so big they were a meal unto themselves, and now I'm enjoying Clementines by the bag full. In the spring I imagine the strawberries will be my new favorite!

And a few last comments:

Sometimes I have a meatless day - which for me means eggs for breakfast and a steady source of beans for the rest of the day to get in the protein. I don't do it often, but it does give me a break once in a while.

The big benefit is that it's pretty darn hard to eat too many calories/day on this sort of diet, so I can eat as much as I want of anything that I'm allowed. Bonus!

Yep, it's a bit boring at times. I just have to deal with that. It's still also VERY difficult around holidays and when at parties/gatherings. Packing my own meal/food to take with helps. I tend to eat by myself for a lot of those occasions sometimes. It's not ideal, but it's what I have to do.

Planning ahead is an absolute must. I get in trouble if I don't have allergy-friendly food easily available.

It's also not as bad as people think. After the first few weeks your taste buds do adjust. You'd be surprised at just how amazing that seasonal fruit tastes now!

The best part is that once I hit the one month milestone any cravings I have are about what I need nutritionally. I'll find myself really wanting an oily piece of salmon if I've not been getting enough fat or Clementines if I need some vitamin C. I finally understand what all those experts talk about when they tell you to listen to your body for what it really needs.

So that's that! If you have any questions, I invite you to ask me in the comments and I'll answer them at a later date!

One Thing

2011-12-10T08:36:00.001-06:00

I never have to worry about is cold feet.

Although...three pair are facing immediate retirement...

Where I've Been This Week

2011-12-09T07:42:00.001-06:00

I've spent all of my spare moments in the last week or so working on finishing up the feathered border on my Princess Shawl....and it has been amazing.

The last 40 or so rows have been tricky because of the mirror imaging. Not only have I had to memorize the pattern in two directions, but I also found myself having to correct quite a few mistakes on the chart. (The already corrected chart, I might add. I'll be contacting the designer.)

Totally worth the mental gymnastics.

I threw the pattern (8.5 x 11.75 inches) on so that you could get an idea of the size. Also, if you look at the pattern picture, that lighter section at the top of the border( 24 more rows) is all I have left to do before beginning the triangular portion.

If I'm smart, I'll set the whole thing aside for a while so that my hands can get a bit of a rest. I've not been so careful in the last few days, and I know better.

A few notes:

1. There are two joins in the section I photographed, and I'm quite happy to say that you cant really see them unless you go looking....and look hard. (There is a visible pull on the bottom that does need a bit of TLC.)

2. I have discovered that audio books are my best friends while working on this project. TV is completely out because I HAVE to look at my hands on this one. It's also too jumpy, and disjointed because of commercials. Music fights to take over my logic brain...asking me to knit along to the beat and making it considerably more difficult for me to memorize the repeat. Audio...well it's just enough of a distraction to shut off the overly analytical portion of my mind so that I can relax into the patterns and repeats.

3. I've estimated about 160 hours in the work that I've done so far. Worth EVERY minute!

Five Things I'm Doing This Week

2011-12-02T15:44:00.001-06:00

Decorating (albeit slowly) for Christmas.
Organizing my wee corner of the basement so that it can be more serviceable this winter. With the decorations up in our living room, there really just isn't the space for my spinning/knitting/misc. stuff anymore. Plus, I'm tired of moving things around all the time.
Sleeping a lot because I came down with the flu late Tuesday. Not going to lie. It was short lived, but ugly and it's going to take some time for things to go back to normal.
Spinning Jacob fleece like CRAZY! If I'm going to fulfill my obligation to produce a sweater for my father by the end of the year I have to work on it as much as possible.
Focusing on keeping my kitchen clean. Not going to lie on this one, either. I'm not at all a good housekeeper, and it tends to be messy. I believe I've found my limit, though.

November Reading Report

2011-11-29T07:10:00.001-06:00

Dracula, Bram Stoker (CraftLit podcast) I've decided this is my most read book ever. This is the second time I've listened to an audio version, and I have no idea how many times I've read it. One day I should sit down and think about what this means in terms of why I read the way I do. Irregardless...it never dissapoints. Having the extra commentary was interesting, even if it didn't provide much in the way of information I wasn't already aware of.
The Magician, Lev Grossman (Ebook) For the record, I don't believe that Harry Potter or the Narnia books are oh so precious that they can't be lampooned a bit. (Although the Narnia movies make my blood boil.....) I enjoyed it, but I didn't find it as fabulous as so many of the reviewers/other readers have. It's often described as what happens when normal kids discover they have magic and go to school. Perhaps my problem is that I was never a 'normal' kid, and so I had a lot of trouble relating to the characters. I also thought the ending was a bit of a cop out. I have the second book, and am having trouble getting excited about reading it.
Thursday's Child, Sonya Hartnett (print) This is an Endicott selection, and it is fabulous. In fact, I may have to track down Hartnett's other books. I also may have to go back to the Endicott book list on Goodreads, which I've sadly been ignoring as of late. I believe Thurday's Child is a YA or child's book....which reinforces the notion that often the very best books are not written for adults.
Zone One, Colson Whitehead (ebook, library) It's pretty bad when you fall asleep repeatedly trying to read a zombie book. I didn't even bother finishing it - even though I found some of the ideas interesting. This book is getting a LOT of press right now, mostly because Whitehead is not a genre writer. My problem is that I believe he's incapable of telling a story clearly because he's so caught up in his literary conventions. I consider myself to be a good reader, and I love it when writers create beautiful non-linear stories. BUT, I detest fancy or clever just for fancy or clever's sake...and that's what I feel Whitehead has done.
The first four Harry Potter books, JK Rowling (library CD, copied to my computer!) I checked them out this summer and then spent hours putting them on my computer so that I could enjoy them this fall. Soooo much fun! And a perfect background for handwork and holiday preperations. I must say that the audio by Jim Dale adds a very great deal to the stories. Also, it's been so long since I read them that it's honestly like I'm discovering them for the first time. I do find myself crying quite a bit over them....which is silly, but it happens. A good story is a good story. (And incidentally, while I detest the Narnia movies, the Potter movies are among my favorites. Go figure.)

Blankie Love

2011-11-28T06:59:00.000-06:00

I am quite happy to report that my blanket is officially at the 30% mark.*

The bag you see in the picture is the Amy Butler bag I made this summer, and it has solved the problem of the thieving cat. For now. She hasn't been able to figure out how to remove the yarn balls yet....although I've caught her giving the bag a serious look, so it may not take long.

Under the table you can see my beloved Kiera dog. I adopted her in 1997, and near as we can tell she's about 15 1/2. (For her size, this is indeed quite ancient.) Though she has many old age issues, she's still happy and none of her problems are causing any pain. However, she is moping because she prefers being on the farm with my parents - where she can run through the fields to her heart's content.

*When I strip my bed this week I'm going to measure the blanket against the mattress...which is how I determined how wide I wanted it to be. Until then, I'm really just estimating how many squares long the blanket will be. Ergo, it's entirely possible that I'm well PAST the 30% mark. That would be exciting!

News From The Farm

2011-11-26T12:25:00.001-06:00

1. The sheep are all now coated, which means that we will have nicer wool next spring.
2. It also means they are considerably less photogenic.
3. It wouldn't be a family holiday without a bit of cow herding in bad weather.
4. Cows aren't very smart.
5. The girls have spent almost all of their time outdoors, despite the chill. Reason #946 why we need a farm of our own.
6. I'm learning farm management for Mom's family farm.
7. Corn and bean prices can be interesting.
8. Dad is going to start making buttons from the Jacobs' horns.

For These Things I Am Thankful

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

This is the third year in a row that I've shared my grandfather's beautiful words of Thankgiving. May you all have a wonderful holiday filled with love and laughter, and may you recognize your many, many blessings.

The following poem was presented to the Woods Chapel congregation of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now known as the Community of Christ) by my grandfather, Stanley E. Curtis, on February 27, 1994, two months before he passed away.

"I am a farmer and a minister, and I see all these things that God has made and they are good.

To know that out under the ice and cold of winter, there are tender shoots of wheat that will emerge in the warmth of spring and produce a golden harvest next summer
To watch a baby calf being born, struggle to its feet and find nourishment at its mother's side
To ride the crest of the Missouri River in an aluminum canoe and sense the power of millions of gallons of water searching its way to the gulf 1000 miles away
To ice skate to school when the roads were to slick for cars or school buses
To wade waist deep in the Little Blue River searching by hand for fish hiding under snags of tree root - and finding them
To watch very fragile soybean plants push up huge clods of dirt as they emerge in the spring
To see a buck deer with a three-foot wide rack standing in my pasture looking exactly like a Hartford Insurance ad
To watch a doe raise a pair of twins later on in the spring and summer in that same pasture
To ride a sled down a half-mile long hill with family and friends after a new-fallen snow
To be up early enough for most of my life to watch the sunrise
To watch rivers overflow their banks covering thousands of acres of land causing millions of dollars of damage; yet realizing this has created some of the richest farm land in the world
To watch a nest of baby rabbits grow up less than 20 feet from the back door
To stand in a corn field on a warm summer afternoon and hear the corn grow
To watch my border collie bring a herd of cows from the pasture, up the road and into the barn to be milked
To smell the warm fresh milk on a cold winter morning
To hear the howl of a coyote on a moonlit night, and to see his shadow out the bedroom window
To have seen the Canadian Rockies, the Norwegian Fjords, the Hawaiian Islands, the Finger Lakes of New York, the Coast of Maine, the canals of Holland, and so many other places of breathtaking beauty
To see a wild tom turkey strut in the spring
To stand on a hillside and watch a summer thunderstorm move across the valley below
To taste fresh, tender sweet corn roasted in its husk over an open campfire
To stand in our storm cellar doorway and watch an approaching tornado pass harmlessly overhead after it had created a path of destruction ten miles long and a quarter mile wide
To smell a field of new-mown alfalfa hay
To sit under the hands of two very fine elders in administration and receive strength and healing
To feel the pain and yet the privilege of officiating at the funeral of a neighbor I had known and worked with for 45 years
To hear the scream of a mountain lion and see just ahead two huge eyes in the beam of my flashlight
To come home from seeing the fall colors in New England and see our own countryside ablaze with spectacular beauty
To see forty young friends show up to help move property out of harm's way as floods threatened
To watch our 12-year old daughter lead her 2000 pound Holstein into the winner's circle at the state fair
To stand before you this morning to testify of the overwhelming power of God's presence in my life, in you my friends, and in all of nature

From these and a Host of other experiences, I can truly say, I see all these things that God has made and they are beautiful."
Happy Thanksgiving, and God Bless.

Blessings

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-06:00

Lifelong friends

Laughter With Family

Learning New Skills

Quiet Time Together

Dreams Coming True

True Love

From My Family To Yours

Have A Happy, and Blessed, Thanksgiving.

My Workbasket

2011-11-21T06:44:00.001-06:00

On the needles now:

My Princess shawl is receiving the lion's share of my time right now. I have about 60 rows left (30 hours) on the feathered border, and then I imagine it will go away for a nice rest for a while. Maybe. I'm enjoying it an awful lot....and it would be nice to finish it by the end of the year....although I do recognize that's a bit nuts as a goal.
Handspun Baby Surprise: I have a ball of merino/tencel handspun in gorgeous soft blues, greens and browns that has just been screaming "BABY!" Fortunately, the one friend of mine who would truly appreciate a handspun, handknit gift decided to oblige my knitting needs by becoming pregnant with her second child. Remember when I said a few days ago that I needed to start using my handspun? Mission accomplished.
Basic Socks: I needed a mindless knitting project, so I started a pair. They are living in my purse for the rare moments when I don't carry the ginormous knitting bag. Typically this is the type of project that takes forever to finish...and that's fine with me.
Bug Out Socks: Soooo much fun! Colorwork socks with big, fat bugs running up the feet and legs.
December Socks: I honestly can't remember the name of the pattern right now. I've done the start for the toes because it required a you tube video to accomplish. (This is the only reason why it's on this list and not the planned list.) They'll be pretty easy.
Not so secret socks for my husband: He's been hinting. Poor guy needs another pair!
The Scrapbook Blankie: Which still is a joy to work on.
Tibetan Clouds: I'm not sure what's up with me and this shawl. Typically if a shawl languishes this long than I frog it. I'm not quite willing to do that yet....but something needs to be done.

Planned:

Handspun shawl. I've picked out the yarn and pattern, and just need to cast on. I might keep it as a reward for finishing the Princess border.
Baby gifts for a pair of magical twins. They aren't due until the spring, and I'm helping with the shower as this is one of my oldest friends from church. I am planning BSJ's with matching hats, and the yarn is already in my stash.
Dad's Jacob sweater. I wish I could get excited about this, but I still have a lot of spinning to do, and as I've complained before...our fiber processing this first year left a lot to desire. My parents are fixing that next year by hiring someone to shear and having it professionally processed, thank God.
My eldest needs a new pair of slippers. If I can find the pattern I do have enough yarn in the scrap box to make them.

Sorry there aren't any pictures this time!

Out Of The Mouths Of Babes

2011-11-17T20:31:00.001-06:00

After dinner this evening my Princess pulled out her wheel and got to work on some beautiful merino fiber which I had bought for her this summer.

"Mom, can you teach me how to make a hat with my handspun this weekend?"

"Sure"

"Because I LOVE to knit with my handspun. It's the best!"

This conversation brought me back to something I shared on Tuesday night with the Columbia Weavers and Spinners Guild. My friend Shelda and I had given the program for the monthly meeting (more about that later) and during the Q & A session at the end I was asked about my handspun. I had rather sheepishly admitted that although I love to spin and do it often I almost never actually USE the yarn I make...thinking it too precious for actual knitting. I told the crowd that I have lots and lots of pretty yarn pets.

You betcha that's a ridiculous way to be. Even my 8 year old daughter realizes that handspun is far superior to store bought yarn.

And so, with my daughter's words in my mind, I'm going to sit down this evening and cast something on....

with handspun.

Some Long-Suffering But Soon To Be Happy Handspun

2011-11-14T13:11:00.001-06:00

It was really too hot to do much spinning this summer,

but in rare moments I did manage to spin up this fine yarn:

The fiber is a 70% Shetland Wool / 30% silk combo...and yes that is a very strange blend.

I purchased it on Etsy from The Thylacine as two 100g braids.

The color is called Weilangta Forest. I am a sucker for greens...as you know.

It was not actually the most pleasant yarn to spin...again it was a very odd blend, one which I will never buy again. I adore both fibers, and wool/silk blends, and so I thought this would be fun to try. Shetland is just far to sticky and textured to blend with silk, though, and that made it difficult to work with. The end result is interesting - matte with a subtle sheen. As you would expect, it has the 'scratchier' feel of Shetland.

The fun is that I already know what I want to make from it! Stay tuned this week...I have a feeling I will cast on very, very soon as part of a greater plan to begin working with my handspun more often!

What I'm Thinking About Today

2011-11-09T13:56:00.001-06:00

Yesterday my BKB calmly stopped me midstream during one of my rambles about all of the things I really should be doing and why I'm failing to do them and why that makes me a bad person by reminding me that I get into trouble when I am not gentle with myself. Thank You, Jenn.
I've found a place of peace in my Princess shawl. It's a beautiful place to be.
I've also found the balance between how much time I want to be putting into said Princess and what my hands are capable of. I've not always been good about finding that balance.
My girls seem to have finally - and fully - recovered from their pneumonia, and I'm grateful for that.
For the last few days our family has quietly - and without plan or discussion - shifted our evening routine towards spending more quite time together around the kitchen table. I'm really enjoying it.
The depression which has been hanging over me since my surgery a year and a half ago seems to have lifted on its own. I feel happy - a fragile, crisp sort of happiness, but also a hopeful happiness. It's been a very long while.
I'm working on allowing that feeling to grow and develop on its own...without pushing, without striving, without fighting.
The weather has been glorious lately. I am such an autumn girl.
An idea that I've had for a very, very long time shifted a wee bit this morning to show me how it could be accomplished. That was neat!
A friend is in need today, and I wish I could be there to give him a hug. I hope he knows how much I care.
Finally...and for fun...we have some holiday possibilities which are making my heart sing.

A Story In Two Pictures

2011-11-08T13:33:00.000-06:00

Lady Tryamour

2011-11-07T13:34:00.000-06:00

Lady Tryamour by Sivia Harding

for The Knitter's Book of Socks by Clara Parks

The Sanguin Gryphon, Skinny Bugga! - 1 skein in Lord of the Flies

KnitPicks Harmony DPN's - 2.25 mm
Hill Tribe Leaf Charms from Artbeads

Oct. 15 - Nov 6, 2011

Alterations - skipped the last repeat of the instep chart because I knew that the socks would wind up too long if I added it. As is, the length is absolutely perfect!

In fact, these may be my favorite pair of socks from this year of experimentation. The yarn is wonderfully cushy, the fit is perfect, and they have just enough decoration to make them beautiful and interesting to knit. It is important to note, that interesting to knit for me means that the pattern is easily memorizable so that I don't have to tote the pattern around with me at all times!

Also, I would like to add that these are a very rare dip into the toe-up sock pond, all of my previous attempts having turned out to be less than stellar fits. I'm getting ready, though, to do toe-up colorwork socks, and thought I would practice a tad with the technique before I dove in with the added difficulty of stranded knitting. It was a happy experiment within an experiment, and I'm ready to move on!

50%

2011-11-04T12:12:00.003-05:00

Two more rows (which I should be able to do this afternoon) and I will be half way through the feather border!

I'm showing you this picture so that you can get an idea of the scale of my Princess shawl. I blocked out roughly two of 11 feathers, and am only half way through what is essentially the edging....an a shawl knit with 2.0 mm needles and a yarn that looks like sewing thread.

I may be taking a break from the Princess soon. There are other things I want to make!

Kitten V. Kristin's Knitting Basket

2011-11-03T12:18:00.000-05:00

I've woken up every day for the last week to the following scenes of destruction and cat happiness....resulting in hours of patiently untangling yarn.

You would think I would have learned after the first time.....

To my credit, I did try several different methods of covering and/or hiding the yarn. The kitten is just that darn smart.

However, learn I finally did, or rather the cat finally won, and the yarn is now safely tucked back away in my corner of the basement.

My October Reading List

2011-11-02T12:06:00.001-05:00

The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss (ebook) * A breath of life into the fantasy genre.
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern (ebook) * Weeks later, I can't stop thinking about this book...and I desperately want to knit myself a crimson scarf. If you only pick one book from this list to try, it should be this one.
Girls In White Dresses, Jennifer Close (ebook, library) I'm glad I checked this one out from the library. After The Night Circus I needed a bit of froth to allow my brain to settle ... and that's exactly what this book is. Kind of surprised it was a BOTNS recommendation. This is the closest I ever get to "chick lit" and having read it I'm more than happy to stay away from that genre. Not much else to say.
The Passage, Justin Cronin (ebook) * Literary horror...vampiric viruses....post-apocalyptic society...and a girl who will save the world. Bravo. I have to wait until next year for the follow-up book, The Twelve, and that's going to be very, very hard to do.

*I find myself at a bit of a loss as to what to say this month about these three books. Every time I try to write more in-depth blurbs I wind up with a mess of superlatives which say nothing at all. Instead, I'll simply say that these are the best books I've read since I began tracking my reading habits through my blog.

A very good month, indeed.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:01:00.000-05:00

One Dozen

2011-10-30T11:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

Listening To My Hands

2011-10-27T12:08:00.001-05:00

My hands are most certainly speaking to me today, and this is what they want:

A break from wee needles and tiny yarns.
To knit something with big, fat (for me) needles and wool.
Lots of stretching...perhaps some work with Chinese therapy balls.
Some TLC...including a good soak in some nice, warm water and a bit of a massage.
Wristers...for the warmth on my wrists would be welcome.

It's hard, because my heart and mind are screaming for more lace and more socks....but I'm smart enough to know that when my hands speak like this I'd best listen.

Needles, Needles, Needles

2011-10-26T13:36:00.000-05:00

I quite firmly believe that if you are going to invest a large amount of time and energy into something you feel passionately about than you should invest in the best possible tools that you can afford. Much as we would sometimes like to believe otherwise, the end results DO depend on the materials that you use.

I was also raised to believe that it was better to have one really nice (fill in the blank) that would last than to have multiple cheap (fill in the blank) that would fall apart with little use. It's all connected...quality matters.

Where am I going with this? Well, to state the obvious, my knitting needles are a very important part of my life. Back in 2003, when knitting became my primary hobby/craft/art form, I spent some time testing out the various types of needles on the market to see which worked best for me. Ultimately, I decided to invest some serious money into building a complete set of Addi Turbo original circulars, and I have never regretted that decision.

Then Came The Princess.

I did the border with a standard 2.0 mm, 24 inch addi circular. At only 20-30 stitches wide, this wasn't a problem at all. The stitches stayed on the needle tip and I never had to worry about moving them back and forth over the join.

This changed when I picked up the 865 stitches along one side of the edging to do the feather border. It quickly became apparent that the joins on my needles were not at all smooth enough to handle that quantity of wee tiny stitches made from wee tiny yarn.

I did two things. First, I ordered a set of 2.0 mm needles from The Gossamer Web on Etsy. Then I went to a local yarn shop and bought a set of 2.0 mm addi turbo lace needles. What followed was mostly chronicled in this blog post about facing my worst possible with the Princess.

What I should also add is that after I fixed the mistake I continued to work with the addi lace needles until it became blaringly obvious that the metal in the needles was reacting to my hands and was blackening both the knitting and my hands. This was not entirely unexpected. When the addi lace needles were first released I tried them...and had the exact same thing happen. At the time there were reports that this wasn't that uncommon, that there had perhaps been a manufacturing problem with the first few batches. Problem or not, I returned all of the lace needles I had purchased. I had been completely grossed out by the tarnishing needles, and couldn't imagine what horrors that tarnish could cause in the yarn. I noticed 'grunge' showing up on the Princess right before the break happen, but thought maybe I had just not washed my hands well. When the problem didn't go away but got worse, and when I had black streaks show up on my hands where they came into contact with the needles I knew it wasn't a fluke. Lucky me, my body chemistry hates the addi lace needles.

So I transferred the needles to the Gossamer Web needles. Let me say first of all that the joins are beautiful. I was STUNNED when the needles slid back and forth from cable to needle tip with absolutely no problem at all. The bamboo was smoother than I expected, which was very nice, and the tips were very pointy indeed. It lasted only a few rows, though. The big problem was the actual cable. I think perhaps it was a tad wider than the 2.0 mm needles, and it was most certainly made of a very 'sticky' plastic. While I had no problems sliding the yarn over the joins getting them there was a nightmare. (My guess is that on the bigger needle sizes this isn't a problem at all.) Quite literally the stitches were getting very stuck on those cables...to the point that I was actually worried that they were going to break. Also, I couldn't get past the fragility of the needletips. I felt like I was doing some fairly drastic compensating with my normal movements to make sure I didn't break a needle...and eventually that would have effected gauge.

Fortuantely, the wonderful Bonnie of Blue Penninsula had made a suggestion in the comments of my last post on the subject. She suggested Hiya Hiya stainless steel circulars. I admit that at this point I was becoming a bit desperate and was also sceptical as h***. However, I ordered a set from The Loopy Ewe, and waited patiently for them to arrive.

Dear friends and family, I am in love. The pointiness of the tips falls somewhere between the Gossamer Web bamboos and the addi lace needles. The stainless steel is ever so slightly roughed up so that it's not quite as slick as the original addis, but it's nowhere near the annoying gripiness of the addi lace coating. The important part, though, is that the joins are absolutely perfect. I've literally cut 10-15 minutes of knitting time off of each and every row because I no longer have to stop and coax the stitches over the joins. This has made me a very, very happy knitter. I've now done about 20 rows on the new needles, and so far the joins are holding up just fine. While there isn't a lifetime guarantee on the Hiya Hiyas (and God Bless Addi Turbos for that guarantee!), they are about half the cost of my addis...so if I do have to occasionally replace them (which I'm starting to think I won't) than it's not going to be tragic.

So I'm back to happily working away on my Princess shawl....problem solved. Now that the needle problem is fixed I'm cruising along at a really nice pace and am now about half way through the feather border. (Which is 200 or so rows...at 865 stitches/row) Pictures will come soon....promise!

I thought seriously about taking some comparison photos for this post....but given my camera it's really tough to get detail shots sometimes and we are talking about needles that are practically the size of toothpicks. I know my own limitations!

Monday, Monday...Again!

2011-10-24T12:14:00.003-05:00

No, I did crawl under a rock or fall down a rabbit hole last week.
I did, however, have a bit of a relapse with the pneumonia....and spent much of the week as a coughing mess.
Yuck.
Some good news! My personal trainer did an evaluation at our last appointment, and I made considerable progress with overall strength. I love having muscles.
More good news! My Princess ran for the student senate last week and won! She wrote a pretty amazing speech (all by herself) and created a poster for her campaign. We are very proud. I'm not entirely sure what an elementary student senate does....but I'm not at all surprised she wanted to be a part of it. My girl is a natural-born leader.
Even more good news! The Pixie and I read a book together for the first time over the weekend. She managed most of the words on her own! I LOVE this stage. It's so much fun to watch your children discover they can read all by themselves....and to see the whole world open up to them in a brand new way.
The Boy and I are in a bit of a stand-off over food. I refuse to let him live on a diet of all-brown and white. He refuses almost all fruits, veggies and meats. Project sneaky babysitter begins this week. What he doesn't know about what I sneak into his food....His mom and I are plotting. Love him like crazy, and I want to make sure he has the best nutrition possible.
Meanwhile, the Cupcake has discovered she can climb...and boy is she proud of herself. Keeps me hopping!
Oh, and last week I discovered the Cupcake standing in the dog water bowl, soaking wet up to her knees and laughing with great joy. It was pretty funny, and we've been laughing about it since.
My husband's Halloween decorations have gone to completely new places this year.
Wow.
Come Christmas there won't be anything out front...but you should see our entryway now. He's planning on taking the girls to look for MORE decorations this week. I just smile and nod, happy that they are so happy.
We had mild frost last week! Two days of weirdly high temps, and the colder weather should set in. Yay! Death to all ragweed! Hello to warm woolies!
I know...I'm nuts when it comes to the cold weather. It's just so much easier to warm up than it is to cool off.

Have a great week everyone!

Monday, Monday

2011-10-17T11:42:00.000-05:00

Herc checking out the wethers through the fence.

They are jealous of his spiffy, wool-protecting coat.

The weather is cooling off, and frost is predicted for this week! I am a happy, happy girl!
I want wool, coffee, pumpkin muffins and more wool. I will get wool, tea, whatever fruit I can find and more wool. It's all good.
I got a new sock book in the mail last week, and immediately started working on one of it's patterns. More on that later this week...for now, just know that I am in love with the project.
I did order new needles for my Princess, and until they arrive it's on hold.
Today I had my last appointment with my trainer. Sean has said I should hire her for more training since my time with her was made less effective by the pneumonia that rampaged through our house - forcing me to stay home for most of last month. We'll see. With the holidays coming, and having just been on vacation I don't know that I can justify the expense.
Ditto for the hair. I really, REALLY want red hair again...but the upkeep is prohibitive. (Red fades considerably faster than any other color, and I would need to go in monthly.)
My eldest child had a big disappointment this weekend, and I'm in full mama-bear mode.
My littlest is proving to be a night-owl just like Daddy. Big sigh.
My husband shaved for the last time yesterday until January. Yay! I love beard season!
Last night I had a dream that was so obvious in it's symbolism that I almost have to laugh. Normally my dreams aren't quite so blunt. However, it is rather unusual for a new motif to show up in my dreams, so it will get some thought this week.

Have a great week everyone!

Now That The Worst Has Happened,

2011-10-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

My biggest fear with the Princess shawl has been that a stitch would catch on the join between needle and cable and snap. I knew this wasn't a hypothetical, that it was just a matter of time. Sure enough, yesterday morning I found a broken stitch as I was working my way across a row.

Drat.

Now that it's happened, however, I can move on knowing it's not the end of the world.

Yes, it takes lots and lots of time to carefully backtrack - undoing all of the stitches until you come to the break, and then going back even further so that you can add the new yarn. Yes, joining new yarn when you are dealing with such fragile work is a pain in the you know what. Yes, I would far rather be happily adding new stitches than fixing this type of problem. Yes, there is the stress of making sure you didn't drop any stitches, and/or of having to fix any runs that have happened.

But it happens, you deal with it, and you move on.

Knitting problems have never bothered me all that much.

The bigger issue is what to do about those joins.

I quickly abandoned my original addi turbos after finishing the edging because the joins had become loose after an earlier project. They were thus ok for the edging, but once I had to move stitches over the join they had to go. The current needle is an addi lace needle...and while the (very, very slightly) more pointed needle is nice I hated whatever they coated the needles with to give them more grip. I, quite perversely, like my needles to be as slick as possible, and it took a good 20+ rows to wear most of that junk off of the needles! Besides, as with the plain addis, the joins obviously loosen after time making them a problem. Addis do come with a lifetime guarantee, but if I have to go through the roughly 6-12 sets it would take at this rate I think I would seriously test the patience of the local yarn shop owners.

I did buy a bamboo circular from The Gossamer Web, and while the joins look superb they are bamboo...and are thus both fragile and too 'sticky' for my taste. I am debating whether or not to try them...and leaning towards not.

I had hoped to finish the first of the three charts for the feather border this week, but instead I think I'll set it aside and figure out what I want to do about this perplexing problem! As always, suggestions are welcome.

Things I DIDN'T Do On Our Vacation

2011-10-13T11:08:00.000-05:00

Freak out on the airplane. My acting skills are obviously improving. I still hate airplanes, but I can tolerate them now...and as with the tornadoes, I'm proud of the fact that my girls have no idea of exactly how much they terrify me.
Knit a single stitch. Seriously. I took two projects, and didn't touch either all week long. I keep telling you all that while I enjoy knitting I don't necessarily knit for fun. Lest you think I was just too busy...there would have been plenty of time.
Worry about my food/allergies/health/appearance in general. Rather nice to not think about all of that stuff for a week, actually.
Avoid pictures. This is rather new for me. In fact, I jumped in front of every Disney photo pass photographer I found! LOVE those people!
Plan too much. We had basic dinner reservations for our dining plan, but other than that we went where we wanted, when we wanted. It works for us. Over scheduling a vacation seems counterintuitive.
Get upset over losing my (rather pricey and sentimentally important) troll bead bracelet on our last day in the parks. Gram always said you shouldn't cry over things that money can replace - and while we can't afford to replace it just now, it's loss in no way diminishes how wonderful the rest of the trip was. I'm just not upset about it at all.

The View From My Knitting

2011-10-11T12:18:00.000-05:00

Every afternoon my daughter's cat, Shamrock, joins me on the couch for some snuggle time while the extra kids are asleep. If I'm lucky, the view from my knitting looks like this.

She is a kitten, though, and so normally it looks like this....

and then this...

Getting a bit nutty...

kittens....

what can you do?

Introducing...

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hercules

The four-horned, lilac spotted Jacob Ram.

Crazy, isn't he?!!!

Thank You Walt!

2011-10-09T16:36:00.000-05:00

Better Things To Do

2011-10-03T11:13:00.001-05:00

We will be back in a week! Right now we have a little magic to make.

A More Normal Month - September Books

2011-09-30T15:10:00.000-05:00

1. The Man In The Rockefeller Suit, Mark Seal (library, audio) - Surprise, surprise! A Books on the Nightstand recommendation! This one is non-fiction, and I must say I was rather appaled with the events of this massive - and rather nutso - con. Can't believe what people will do, can't believe what people will believe. It got a bit old, though, as most of it was built on repititious fictional stories built by "Clark" for his various audiences. Must have been fascinating to research!

2. The Devil In The White City, Erik Larson (library,ebook) - felt like I should read it as everyone else has. Not so enamoured. I understand what Larson was trying to do with the juxtaposition of the World's Fair and the first serial killer...but I personally would have enjoyed it best as two separate books. Again, Larson's storytelling style is not my favorite.

3. The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh (library, ebook) I'm grateful that I read this book (Books on the Nightstand recommendation again), and while I did check it out from the library I will be buying my own copy. Diffenbaugh has created a very realistic story of a girl aging out of the foster care system...but she also brings in a healthy dose of hope. Once upon a time I worked as a fundraiser for a group home, and while I was insulated from the actual horrors of the girls' lives I know enough to see the truth in this book. I also must say that I admire Diffenbaugh for using the book to raise awareness of the difficulties kids face when they age out, and would recommend that you all look into The Camellia Network, the nonprofit she's created to help. Besides all of that, it's a beautifully written book.

4. Dreams of Joy, Lisa See (library, ebook) Confession: I didn't make it all the way through the book. I didn't even make it through part. Joy was my least favorite character in Shanghai Girls, and I found her downright detestable as a lead.

5. The Mask of Zorro, Johnston McCulley (Classic Tales Podcast) Another confession: after several years of the Classic Tales, I'm getting rather tired of B.J. Harrison. He's a phenomenal reader, but after a while his characters and voices are becoming tiresome and repetitive. Nevertheless, it's a great book.

6. The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss (ebook) - Man oh man, am I ever enjoying this book! I'm not done yet....but it is the first time in a very long time that I've found a new fantasy author to love. I'll tell you more when I finish!

7. Love Over Scotland, The World According to Bertie, Unbearable Lightness of Scones, Alexander McCall Smith (library, CD) This concludes all of the current books in the 44 Scotland St. series. Good lighthearted reading...BUT for a few things. 1. My Bertie I was starting to notice serious inconsistencies. (A room that was painted was back to original color, another character claims to not have received a gift when she did in the book before....) Also, while I appreciate the serialization I have to admit that I'm growing tired of the fact that there's so little movement and resolution. And I really can't stomach much more of Irene.

8. Bellwether, Connie Willis (audio, library) I actually read this book years ago, but to be honest I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. It was even more fun in audio with a fantastic narrator. Willis is - in my humble opinion - a genius. I love the details in her book, and I love the way in which every single word is relevant and every single idea is connected to every other idea. Extra bonus, there are sheep in this book!

Some Thoughts.

2011-09-29T13:27:00.002-05:00

It occurred to me yesterday that the difficulty of the lace I am working on is directly proportional to the amount of stress I am experiencing at any given time.

Thus...with almost five weeks of illness in our home along with several other issues that I'm dealing with right now...my Princess shawl is getting a LOT of attention. It takes 30-45 min to complete a row, but I've managed almost 40 rows this week alone by carving out little bits of focused time when I can.

78 stitch pattern repeats? yarn that is literally threadlike? 2.0 mm needles? Yes please! You would be surprised at how natural and easy it all feels when I allow myself to relax into the flow.

People always seem a bit shocked when I tell them that no, in fact I don't knit 'for fun.'

I knit to help put order into life. I knit to forget my troubles...even if just for a little while. I knit to sooth myself with the combination of math and beauty. I knit to release pressure so that I don't blow up in other areas of my life. I knit to create, which counterbalances all of the negative.

The fact that it is intensely satisfying is a bonus.

And this particular project is more satisfying than most.

In Which We Are All Finally On The Mend...I Hope

2011-09-26T12:08:00.000-05:00

My parents have lovely trees, and the color of this particular fir called to me during our last visit.

Both children are in school today!
That's not a guarantee that they are both finally well...but it's a definite step up over the last week.
The last month has been a lesson in "Man Plans, God Laughs." The type of flexibility this lesson requires is not something that comes naturally to me...but I'm trying.
Probably I needed the lesson!
I also needed the 5 hours in Starbucks with a cup of tea and my knitting yesterday to decompress. I'm still a bit wound, but feel considerably better.
So what is going on around here?
I took the Pixie to see The Lion King yesterday - and managed to completely traumatize her. With tickets so expensive, I felt we couldn't leave just after opening credits, which is what she wanted to do....so we stayed for the whole thing, and she hated it.
I failed to take into account two things. 1. My kids HATE 3D, mostly because of the uncomfortable glasses. 2. In 3D the scary parts are considerably more intense...and they were scary enough before. She's loved the movie at home...but it's a very different experience when you are in the safety of your own home and the visuals are contained by a much smaller screen.
Sigh.
Interestingly enough, I feel like I needed the movie's rather big life lessons. I was stunned to realize exactly how much they fitted in with some work I'm doing right now on figuring out my own path.
The Princess went on her first-ever camping trip with her best friend this weekend. Total win! She loved every minute of it!
We're trying to arrange for her to spend as much time as possible with friends to balance out her academics. She's awfully bright, but I don't want her entire life to be centered around school.
Mom and Dad have bought a new ram, which they are going to pick up sometime in the next couple of weeks. He's a four-horned, lilac Jacob named Hercules, and I can't wait to share pictures with you because he is the craziest looking sheep I've ever seen.
My running days may be over, and so I'm looking for a new cardio activity to take over. Why? Well the foot that I (most likely) broke back in April of last year protested loudly after I ran last week. I had been so excited because it was an awesome run, in which everything felt great! But then I limped for three days.
I love, love, love strength training. Cardio...not so much. That's why this feels like a highly annoying chore.
Compounding the problem - my hands and feet tend to fall asleep on all cardio machines but the treadmill. Ditto for my bike, which stinks because I would love to be able to do distance riding. There isn't anything wrong with my circulatory system...it's just bad luck of the draw.
What to do...what to do... Ideas are welcome!
Actually, this might not be so much of a bad thing. I'm working on being more gentle/kinder towards myself and let's face it - running is not a gentle/kind activity.
My craft habits seem to be changing...more on that tomorrow as it's going to affect the blog a bit.
MO peaches are done for the summer, and I am in mourning.
I've been looking online at real estate - specifically property around here. Is that odd?
Reading is back to normal this month, thank God. Last month was weird.

And that's about it for now. Have a great week!

Tree Of Life

2011-09-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

At long last!

Tree Of Life

Pattern by Janelle Laidman

in The Enchanted Sole

Malabrigo Sock - 1 skein Primavera, 1 skein Chocolate Amargo

Knit Picks 2.25 mm Harmony DPN's

August 2 - September 25, 2011

Mods: I dumped the patterned heel in favor of a standard heel flap for a better fit. Also did a checkerboard on sole for what looks and feels like a more stable fabric than the stripes on the top created.

Comments: Apparently I am an abnormal knitter. For most, the color carried on top on the backside will be the dominant color, but for me it's the opposite. Thus the primavera stands out more than the chocolate. In person, the gauge is too loosey-goosey for me, but that's just the way it is. Malabrigo sock has a horrid reputation for wear, but I doubt these will get worn all that often anyway as the leg is a bit too long for my liking! I do love, love, love the color...as evidenced by the fact that this is the second time I've used this color combination for a project.

While I was at it, I caught up on my mini-socks. I've decided that for most colorwork socks, I'll do a simple sock like the one on the left (goes with Classic Kilim) with the body of the sock worked in the main color and cuff, heels and toes worked in the contrast. Makes it quick and easy!

Now...I need to figure out what to do with my collection of mini-socks, which is now somewhere between 60 and 65....

In The Meantime....

2011-09-23T08:03:00.000-05:00

How about some more fun farm pictures?!

Second Verse, Same As The First

2011-09-22T11:39:00.003-05:00

Monday evening my wee Pixie spiked a fever, and has been home with me every since. We're fairly certain it's the same pneumonia that big sis has had as there is a near match in symptoms.

This makes almost a full three weeks of yuckiness in our house....and the problem has been compounded by a fair amount of ugly behavior by girls who are just so exhausted that they have no better way to respond to life right now.

As for me, I'm worn to the bone. Honestly, a case of mommy burn-out was kicking in before all of this started, and after three weeks of being stuck at home and/or canceling plans I'm getting a smidge cranky myself.

Poor kids, poor mama.

Here's hoping that life - and my girls - will soon be back to normal.

I do have some fun things to share...which I will do just as soon as the girls are both back to their normal, energetic selves.

Hot Off The Needles

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's supposed to have sleeves. I also don't know that I'll be able to pry it away from her to put buttons on it. She stood next to me as I bound off the sleeve stitches, snatched it away from me as the last end was tucked into place, and has been wearing it every since. Who am I to get in the way of true love?

February Princess (Sweater) Vest

Original by Elizabeth Zimmermann, adult version by Pamela Wynne

Adjustments to make child size by me.

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, 3 skeins

Addi Turbo, 24 inch US 6

June 1 - September 18, 2011

My, How They've Grown

2011-09-18T12:14:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I shared some pictures of our sheepy friends. Enjoy!

Quietly Resting

2011-09-13T11:26:00.002-05:00

The quality of the pictures on my phone is dubious (very low pixels)...but I love being able to capture images like this one on the spur of a moment!

It's been a long couple of weeks, culminating in a diagnosis of pneumonia for my eldest last night in a pediatric Urgent Care.

She's not on death's door by any means, but she's exhausted all of the time, and feels weak and out of sorts....all of that with a persistent low-grade fever and a really bad cough and a crazy weight-loss for a little girl.

The knife's blade I found myself balanced on last night was the antibiotic question. She just completed her first-ever course of antibiotics for what we thought (and could have been) was a sinus infection. That's right...8 and a half years old when she had her first antibiotics. I firmly believe they are over-perscribed for things they don't help, and I think it's best to let the body heal itself most of the time. Anyway, without any way to tell whether or not the pneumonia is viral or bacterial the doc put her on a second round of antibiotics 'to be on the safe side.'

What to do....what to do....

She's taking the meds.

Normally, I'm very relaxed about my kids' illnesses. This is literally the first time I've EVER taken a child to the doctor for anything other than a routine check-up.

This one has been different, and from day one I've been worried. My gut says give her the meds this time, and so I am.

In the meantime, I'm keeping her home today and tomorrow to rest. I sent her to school last week, and now regret the decision given how exhausted she was in the evenings and the fact that this hasn't cleared up yet. (She stayed home the Thurs. and Fri. of the week before when this all started.)

And I will be honest....I am enjoying all of the one-on-one time with her.

I'm also enjoying the "Mommy, I need you" calls and the extra snuggles from my independent kid who normally is a daddy's girl.

I'm selfish that way.

So this is part of why the posts have been rather impersonal as of late.

Good news:

My youngest has happily adjusted to school at long last.

Just this morning she said, "Mom, I'm used to school now."

She plays school in her room all of the time, and reads to her Guinea Pig constantly.

I am greatly relieved, and VERY happy about this development!

I've only 30 minutes left until my extra kids get here, so I need to get moving.

Love to you all!

Herringbone Socks

2011-09-12T07:45:00.000-05:00

Herringbone Rib Socks

by Kristi Scheuler in Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarns

Claudia Handpaint Sock, 2 skeins

Knit Picks Harmony DPN's - 2.5 mm

August 24 - Sept 11, 2011

The only change I made to the pattern was to shorten the leg to four inches so that I would be able to finish both socks with enough left over for a wee matching sock and a couple of squares on the blanket. If you think you are getting two socks with 6-7 inch legs out of only two skeins (as the pattern indicates) you are delusional.

It's a good thing this pattern called for a thicker fingering weight yarn, because otherwise I would have had to rewrite it to accomadate a happier-for-me gauge. As is, I wouldn't at all want to work the Herringbone pattern (which I adore!) with a smaller needle, but the bottom of the foot is boarderline too lose.

Having said that, I love the fit, and I love these socks!

I have a bit left on the Tree Of Life socks, and then another pair to do this month (already cast on) and I'll be completely caught up for the sock project!

* The only downer about this entire project is that I don't at all trust Claudia yarns to be colorfast. Those of you who have been reading the blog for a while might recall that in the past I've had a horrendous time with Claudia sock yarns bleeding to nothing within just a wash or two...which is horribly dissapointing as the colors are so wonderful. This is why the wee sock and the squares were so importnat....I love the color so much that I want a record of it as I expect these socks to look like garbage after only a few wearings. Sigh.

It Is Time

2011-09-08T07:05:00.002-05:00

Last night I began working on the feathered border of my Princess Shawl.

At almost 900 stitches, that first patterned row took almost an hour.

But it's a start!

Learning To Slow Down

2011-09-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

This summer I discovered that I do truly enjoy embroidery. The lack of rules, the freedom in selecting stitches and colors....it's all a good foil to the often precise structure of my knitting.
And let's face it....much as I enjoy the knitting I also recognize the fact that I use it as a tool to focus some of my less-desirable personality traits in a positive manner so that they don't affect my family or muck with my life too much. (OCD anyone?)

Plus, there is just so much that I want to accomplish with my knitting that I find I speed through each project as quickly as I am able.

Embroidery is free of all of that.

And because it is free, it allows me to take a breath and slow down. I do a little bit here, and another little bit there, and then I can let the whole project just sit for a while.

It's a very good thing.

My Knitting Basket

2011-09-06T12:25:00.006-05:00

As the Princess is entering day six of a nasty sinus infection (and yes, I sent her to school today anyway...judge as you will), I find myself playing catch-up today. It's been a long week, and much has been neglected in favor of snuggles, pampering and sympathy.

We shall discuss later how much I've enjoyed most of this last week....she so rarely needs me....

Which is why I, quite naturally, thought that the best post for today would be a good, old-fashioned look into the knitting basket to see what I'm working on.

First up, my August socks. They will likely be finished in the next day or two, so I won't provide too many details yet.

I will, however, give you two pictures to show what lighting and a flash can do with color. The second picture is color-accurate with the flash, but the first (I think) is prettier. Go figure. Until I get a better camera....

The Green Woman would like you all to know that she thinks it's fabulous that you all chose to leave the first Tree of Life sock in her hand. After watching her caper about the house with it on her head for a week or so, I reclaimed it, tried it on again, and decided to make the second sock exactly as the first. I just want them done. They are going to be a bit loose in the foot...but that's more about the yarn selection than the pattern, and I will just live with it.

I have a wee start on September. I bought the yarn during our Loopy Ewe field trip, and laughed when I put it in the project bag. It's no wonder I liked those two colors together....I've used that combo before. More details to come!

I have about 3/4 of the body on a February Lady/child sized sweater. I don't know about you, but I find it hilarious that I'm once again altering an adult pattern - originally designed for a baby - back to a child-sized pattern.

There is also a small bag of yarn for mini-socks. Obsessed, yes...no doubt.

My long-suffering, desperately-needs-attention Tibetan Clouds shawl has been sitting so long that it's a wonder it didn't pick itself up and stomp off in disgust over my neglect.

(again- true color in second picture) It's beaded silk...I don't know what's wrong with me!

I've let the Princess shawl sit long enough, and am ready to start the feather chart. Yay! I'm quite excited about this!

As always, the scrapbook blanket is there and waiting. I have actually put quite a bit into it in the last couple of weeks, and have a feeling that with the recent drop in temperature I'm going to be spending more and more time with it.

So there you have it! Yes, there are fewer projects than usual, especially considering that at least two should be finished soon. However, I love each and every project right now...and as you shall see this week there is more going on here than just knitting!

Well Fudge.

2011-09-01T19:41:00.002-05:00

No one said the crazy year of socks was going to be easy. In fact, that was the point...to knit something that wasn't easy. However, when you are happily cruising along on a sock that you really like, only to realize that the two skeins you've had in your stash forever aren't enough to actually complete said pair of socks....well fudge.

We are barely two weeks into the school year, and already I have a sick kid. The Princess has been a bit off all week, and last night she finally spiked a fever. While it was technically not high enough to require her to stay home by school policy, I followed my gut and kept her home anyway. Good thing, because it's higher this evening. Even more worrisome, she has had a nasty headache this entire time that she can't seem to shake....well fudge.

Normally, staying home like this wouldn't be a problem...but I had already missed one and a half workouts this week because of my own headache issues and I'm barely back in the habit....well fudge.

The squirrels are digging up my hens and chicks every night. I wake to find them turned upside down in the pot or strewn about on the porch or table where my strawberry pot sits. I have wanted that strawberry pot full of hens and chicks for years, and thanks to the squirrel issue I don't think they are going to make it through....well fudge.

It's September, and the heat is back....well fudge.

Ah well, the beauty of the thing is that none of this matters in the long run. I'll figure out something to do with the socks this evening, my daughter will bounce back in a day or two, there isn't a rush on the gym and next week the temps are supposed to be in the 70's.

The squirrels, on the other hand....

What The?! ... August Reading

2011-08-30T06:41:00.003-05:00

This should tell you just how off my entire month was.

I only read three books.

You read that right....three. I think my average is somewhere around 8-10, with half of those being audio and the other half being print.

1. Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West, Dorothy Wickenden (ebook) This book came with multiple recommendations - from Books on the Nightstand and NPR. It is a nonfiction book, based upon the authress's family history and the letters written by our two society girls, Dorothy and Ros. I absolutely adored this book, which tells the story of two well-educated society girls who just decided to go teach school in Colorado in the early part of the last century. Wickenden is a great storyteller, and you can tell that she loves her subjects dearly. Along the way, she also talks about many of the characters that Dorothy and Ros met along the way, discusses historical events important to the story and to the character of her two main subjects, and introduces the reader to a place and time that perhaps aren't all that well known in the larger subject of American History. Really, if you love reading about women who have more than their share of gumption, you'll love this book.

2. 44 Scotland Street and 3. Espresso Tales - (CD audio, library) by Alexander McCall Smith. Light and fun, these books are exactly the sort of non-taxing audio that I needed this month. I actually checked out all five books in the series, and the next three are already loaded into my computer, waiting for me to find the time to listen to them. (I am catching up on my podcasts right now.) The Scotland Street novels were originally published in serialized form in a daily newspaper, and there is a bit of information from the author on the first book that explains what special requirements that created for both his writing process and the story itself. These are quiet books about everyday life with people you are very likely to meet and know in a city, so if you are looking for big action they aren't for you. If you love great characters, though.... By the way, Smith has created a villianess so vile in Irene that if I knew someone named Irene I'd be tempted to call her and yell at her just because of the unfortunate circumstances of her name. That's how much I loathe the character!

It's probably that I'll finish a fourth book before tomorrow, so I'm going to go ahead and include it here:

4. Silver Sparrow, Tayari Jones (library e-book) Add an NPR author interview to the same list of recommendations that Nothing Daunted received, and you have a book I couldn't pass up - especially when it showed up on the library's ebook list. It's not a spoiler to tell you that this book is about the two separate families of a man who commits bigamy. The first half is the story of the daughter in the second, illegal family - who actually knows about the first family. The second half (which I just started last night) is told from the perspective of the daughter in the first family, which knows nothing at all of the father's duplicity. I'm enjoying it, but I'm glad that I checked it out of the library, and I don't think it's going to stay with me for very long.

Monday

2011-08-29T07:09:00.005-05:00

The Pixie in my Jr. Prom dress

A Princess and her cat

My focus really has been on the girls for the last couple of weeks...

Which is part of why there haven't been as many posts as I had hoped for.

The Princess is ecstatic to be back at school, and is loving every minute of it!

The Pixie...not so much.

The Princess started EEE - our gifted program - last Wed., and is hoping she made it into her top selections for her major and minor classes.

She's a chip off the old block. Her top choice for her major is on animals and extinction - which was my major class in Missouri Scholars Academy back when I was 16. Her first choice for her minor? A writing class.

The Pixie spends a lot of time daily trying to convince me to let her stay home with me. She likes school - but she doesn't ever want to go back.

For the first time ever, she's being confronted with a strict teacher (not necessarily a bad thing), and so her first full week wasn't so smooth.

I can tell that she feels as if she has no control over her life anymore - she spends her days doing what other people want her to - and for now that is dimming her light a bit.

Sigh.

It hurts to see my baby so stressed out.

Double sigh.

Also, I'm working in the afternoons to help my two wee extras readjust to the schedule at my house. The Boy is taking it fairly well, although he misses the Pixie. Cupcake is still mad because she'd rather spend her afternoons with her Mom. (Can't blame her! Her mom is super-fun!)

In some ways, babysitting the two of them without either of my girls home is easier...I hadn't realized just how loud The Boy and the Pixie could be, or just how much they were behaving like squabbling siblings towards the end of the last school year. My afternoons are definitely quieter, and The Boy now spends his time talking to me....which is always a hoot! (He's 3...and talkative....and as cute as a button!)

Then again, the half hour they all have here to play after we pick the girls up in the afternoon is insane! May have to figure out a plan to get them to all calm down.

The other big schedule change is that I am now back in the gym again.

I have a new trainer, who I am going to be seeing twice/week through September to help me really get back into the swing of things. She is great at pushing me in just the way I like to be pushed.

I was very sore all of last week, which I rather bizarrely loved!

I also got one of my full speed interval treadmill workouts in - being good and walking so as not to damage the hip flexor again. (It's healed, but still a bit tender after lengthy workouts.)

My BKB and I started walking the trail last week, and have scheduled one workout together/ week. (Literally, we sat down with our calendars on Saturday.) For now we may stick to trail walking - which is great. I don't feel a need to push as hard as I was, and I don't remember the last time I walked the trail with a friend just to walk.

The plan: two strength training sessions/week, two strong cardio sessions (most likely walking/running...but I may try a spinning class soon) and one or two 'fun' workouts (walk or bike the trail).

There is also a distinct possibility that I'll switch it up a bit more and add some yoga into the mix. I'll be honest...I need the relaxation part.

And on that note, I need to get my day started.

Have a great week everyone!

More On The Blanket

2011-08-28T21:48:00.002-05:00

My creative life has been centered around the Scrapbook Blanket for the last week....good for my heart and soul, bad for the blog.

I love to look at all of the yarn!

Some stats: The blanket will be about 20 x 30 squares, which will make it big enough to cover my queen-sized bed, draping over the edges just a smidge. As of last night I had 307 squares done, or 27%. All in all, there will be 1,151 squares...meaning I have 844 to go.

I haven't hit the point yet where I'm fussing too much and need to put the blanket away.

I *might* add in single squares of the sock yarns in my stash.

Actually, that's a *probably*

While technically I have enough yarn to do the entire blanket now, variety is still a concern, so I am going to continue to collect and add yarn.

To explain - I have roughly 100 different yarn balls in the basket, and many of the smaller ones will only yield another 1 - 3 squares, leaving me to rely more heavily on the larger balls as we go. I don't want to get to the top 1/3 of the blanket and find that I have considerably fewer options up there than I did at the bottom of the blanket.

Given that, I have started to edit my palette a bit. I pulled solid colors which were over represented, and may pull the few yarns that I just don't like.

The odd thing about that is that even if I don't like the yarn, it may look fabulous in the blanket...so maybe I won't.

I've found that it's really important to be able to lay the blanket out on the kitchen table so that I can step back and make sure the color/large block placement is remaining random. The blanket is rapidly nearing a time when that won't be possible, though, and I'm a bit concerned about what I'm going to do when that happens!

Speaking of the large squares - sort of - I'm shooting for 15-20 of them, many of them representing people in my life.

I do have about 1/5 skeins of the yarn I'm going to use for the i-cord edging. I might go ahead and start adding that on soon. I dread i-cord, and the edging is thus a daunting task. I don't want to leave it all to the end...because honestly if I do the blanket might never be finished!

The Rules

2011-08-23T07:22:00.000-05:00

This is the most recent picture of the blanket. It's actually grown since it was taken.

There are no hard and fast rules for the scrapbook blanket.

The blanket is only to be worked on when the mood hits, and there are no deadlines or timetables. (In other words, it is not to be forced!)

Collect as many scrap yarns from friends as possible.

Each and every person who contributes to the blanket is to be acknowledged in the blog.

New yarns jump to the front of the line and are immediately added into the blanket.

Attempt to work through each yarn in the basket once before reusing a yarn. (This is admittedly becoming more difficult as the number of different yarns grows.)

Use every color available/given except for white and black.

Be open to using white and black if the mood hits.

Color placement is to be as random as possible.

Larger squares are also to be as random as possible

When I find myself fussing a bit too much over color placement and/or the placement of the larger squares, it's time to put the blanket away for a while.

The process of knitting this blanket is to be savoured...as are the memories and friends present in each and every square.

By its nature, this is a slow project, and that slowness is a gift to be enjoyed and appreciated.

Monday

2011-08-22T20:55:00.003-05:00

Today I:

Woke early after the first good night of sleep I've had in months.

Celebrated that good night by actually writing in my journal for a bit.

Wished that I had packed my camera along when I saw my girls walk into the school together, hand in hand.

Met my new personal trainer, who is exactly the sort of trainer I wanted.

Remembered how wonderful those tough workouts could be...as evidenced by the fact that I got the giggles half way through when the endorphins kicked in.

Left the gym feeling all shaky and weak....and very, very happy.

Bought a whole cart full of 'fun' foods to jazz up my girls' lunches.

Laughed at the dogs' failed attempt to get into the new trashcan.

Made a little boy very happy by fixing his favorite lunch.

Made a baby laugh by changing her poopy diapers. Who knew that could be so funny?!

Snuggled both of my borrowed children, appreciating them greatly.

Caught up on a few of my favorite podcasts.

Was proud of my eldest daughter when I heard her own up to one of her shortcomings.

Worried about my youngest's adjustment to school.

Tried out my new mandolin kitchen slicer. How, oh how?! did I ever live without one?!

Made Remy's Ratatouille. It was quite possibly the most beautiful food I've ever made.

Took pictures of said dish. I am so not a food photographer.

Laughed over the fact that I made cartoon food because the idea of cartoon food has been a running joke in our household for YEARS.

Worked on my scrapbook blanket quite a bit. Good for the soul.

Snuggled two little girls as they got ready for bed....adding some extra love to help ease them through the transition.

It was a very ordinary and very good day.

When It Just Isn't Fun

2011-08-21T20:08:00.003-05:00

I've been rather dissatisfied with my knitting lately.

My Tree Of Life socks (as you know) have annoyed me, none of the other projects currently on the needles have been appealing, and I haven't wanted to start anything new. The end of summer lethargy and back to school stress haven't helped as both have left me with little desire to actually sit down and knit.

The last time I felt this way, I wound up crying on my BKB's shoulder about the fact that I felt my knitting life was coming to an end. As it would turn out, my heart and soul at the time was rebelling against my crazy knitting lists and plans. (I seriously had enough projects listed to keep me busy for probably five years.) I tore up the lists, separated any yarns and patterns that had been paired already, and got back to the business of knitting whatever seemed interesting in the moment. Within less than a week my knitting mojo was back.

I'm not entirely sure if I have figured out what's going on this time....or if I simply need a break from my needles for a while. Perhaps having so few WIPs at a time isn't as good for me as I had thought it would be? Who knows.

At any rate, I did figure out one wee problem this morning. I had a fairly decent block of time to sit and knit before some planned activities, and I wanted to work on something other than socks. As there were only two other projects in my knitting bag, I chose the lace shawl pictured above...mostly because I adore working silk.

So I pulled out pattern and project, set myself up in my bedroom,

and then just stared at it for a few minutes.

I hated the portion of the pattern I was working on. It had taken me weeks to get through a mere five rows because it was so dull....five rows of a 20 row chart which needed to be repeated three times in the size I had selected. I didn't want to do it. I was trying because I had loved that pattern for so long, but I really, really didn't want to knit that pattern. I've been here before....and ultimately there was only one decision.

Off the needles it came!

I knew I had made the right decision when my only thought as the last stitches slid off the needles was, 'huh...this thing would have been pretty big.'

A little while later the entire thing was frogged, the copy of the pattern was in the recycling bin and the needles and yarn were tucked back into their homes in my craft corner. I didn't exactly feel happy...but I was satisfied with my decision.

I know my non-knitting friends have trouble understanding why it is so easy for me to take apart a project that may have hours and hours invested in it. If it's not right, though, it's just not right. There's no sense in continuing to bang my head on a brick wall..and I think that's what this project was starting to feel like.

Besides, as my wonderful friends at the guild always say, knitting is supposed to be fun.

Opinions?

2011-08-18T12:15:00.004-05:00

I finished the foot of my first Tree Of Life sock yesterday, and, well.... I'm not crazy about the foot or toe. The fit is fine, but the yarn is a bit finer than other yarns I've used for colorwork, so the gauge is looser. We all know how I feel about that! Plus, the striped pattern seems to have made the gauge even looser on the top of the foot - to the point where the knitting looks sloppy. (No such problem on the bottom with a checkerboard pattern.)
I adore the pattern on the leg, though!

Which is why I'm so annoyed that I don't love the entire sock. (Also, the pattern on the top of the foot doesn't show well - especially around the edges - because of the loose gauge.)

So here are some options. Please feel free to leave comments as to what you think I should or should not do. As always, I promise nothing.

Option 1: Leave as is, do second sock. Pro: One sock is already completely done. Con: don't like the gauge or the sloppy look to the top, will have to a second foot.

Option 2: Rip back to heel flap and do a plain foot in one or the other color. Pro: will get a much better gauge for the foot, which will help it wear better. Con: Won't be as warm since it's one layer only. Will have to redo half of a sock.

Option 3: Forget making a second sock and use this one for a variety of cozys and/or wall art. Pro: DONE! Con: I wouldn't have a pair.

Option 4: Leave it in the knitting basket for a few months and hope the Green Woman decides to finish it for me. Pro: DONE! Con: Obvious.

So what do you think?

Kindergarten and Third Grade, Here We Come!

2011-08-18T11:57:00.004-05:00

Playing Catch Up

2011-08-16T10:17:00.004-05:00

My Rosy Opal socks!

My basic sock pattern - a la Ann Budd

2.0 mm Knit Picks Harmony needles

Opal something or another

March 21-August 10, 2011

OK...so I'm being a bit ridiculous, but how annoying is it that the stripes managed to match themselves up all on their own?!!! I prefer my socks to be off-kilter, which I think is infinitely more fun than going to the great lengths some knitters do to make sure their self-striping sock yarns match in a pair of socks. This is the second pair that has matched, and I find I'm a bit put-off by it.

That, however, didn't stop me from putting them on just as soon as sock #2 came off of the needles. I was at Starbucks for the day, and it was cold. (The gentleman sitting next to me thought this was hilarious for some reason...) They are nice and toasty, which is as it should be.

Last week at my monthly Knitting Study group (through CWSG) I received this fun leftover ball of sock yarn from our other Janet. Janet has a heart of gold - as evidenced by the fact that much of her knitting seems to be gifts for family and friends. She has a tendency to like fun yarn and color, often coming up with color combinations that I love. Thank you Janet for adding a bit to my blanket!

Before I sign off for the day, I did want to address a comment from yesterday's post. Regarding the Columbia Star Dinner Train, someone questioned our trip because at one point I had sworn off of eating out because of my food allergies. Whoever you were, you were absolutely right. My knee-jerk reaction to my food allergies was that I was never, ever going to go eat out again because it just wasn't worth it.

Time, however, has made me rethink that particular decision with the following conclusions:

I am not an island, and my family members - husband included - deserve to have normal experiences like eating out.

Most of the time it is NOT worth eating out, and in fact our excursions (which weren't that frequent anyway) are very rare indeed now.

Chain restaurants of any variety are no longer an option for me. When we do go out, I need to go to privately owned places with chefs who are able to adjust to my dietary restrictions. The benefit to this is that the atmosphere/experience portion of the meal is infinitely better at those places which more than makes up for the things I can't actually eat.

I have to be my own best advocate, communicating my needs as clearly as possible to my wait staff. People are friendly, and they want your experience to be as good as possible!

I am in an unmasking phase where the true nature of my allergies is really revealing itself. It's been an education, and it's been a bit scary at times. (I talked to my allergist this weekend about my reactions...she confirmed all of this is normal.) One thing I've learned is that when my allergens are cooked and of better quality the reactions tend to be much smaller. Therefor if I do go out and something sneaks onto my plate, so long as I'm in one of those better restaurants I'm not likely to have more than a bad tummy ache with some of the more annoying (but considerably less frightening) accompanying reactions.

Having said that, my EpiPen and Bendryl now accompany me everywhere.

Hope this explains a bit!

Hello Fall!

2011-08-15T07:09:00.003-05:00

You all know how much I love to organize and sort my yarn. Last Friday I pulled all of my sock yarn from the dresser - partially so that I could look at my Loopy Ewe purchases in the greater context of what I already had. Believe it or not, I don't have nearly as much of a yarn stash as some of my friends do!

I have always enjoyed writing my random(ish) posts, and so as we celebrate the return of school, of a more regular schedule, and of my extra kiddos this week I thought I would also return to my random Monday posts.

For Father's Day I made arrangements with a lovely young woman at church for her to babysit the girls once/month so that Sean and I could have a regular date night.

You all should be so lucky. Not only is our sitter completely trustworthy, but she is exactly the sort of teenager that you want as a roll model for little girls.

Sean was so excited about the whole plan that he made special arrangements for our first date night - which was this last Saturday. He treated me with an evening trip on the Columbia Star Dinner Train.

I actually guessed where we were going a couple of weeks in advance - but I didn't tell him that until we were almost there. Irregardless, it was a wonderful surprise to find out that I was right, and then to discover that the actual trip and dinner was every bit as special as I'd hoped it would be.

I really love riding on trains!

The running joke is that we spent the evening "Going to Hogwarts" which MY NEW IPHONE auto corrected to "Hogweeds" when I texted my BKB to tell her I had been right.

You have no idea of how happy I am to have an iPhone. Hallelujah!

I am very glad my children are home.

Ordinarily I really enjoy my time when the girls go spend a week with my parents. This last week, though, I was oddly off. Very little was accomplished all week, as I was overwhelmed by an odd sense of lethargy.

In talking to friends, I've decided that maybe I was just that worn out by this summer.

Frustrating.

Speaking (sort of) of Harry Potter, we finally watched HP 7.1 at home last week (I'm still not sure how or why we missed that one in the theater.) and then went to see HP 7.2.

A couple of thoughts. 1. I am not exactly new to fantasy violence in movies. 2. Nor am I new to fantasy violence/evil directed at children given my love for young adult/children's literature - much of which falls squarely into the fantasy genres.

Where am I going? HP 7.2 bothered me. It bothered me a lot. I wanted to scream at the screen, "THEY ARE CHILDREN! STOP!" I absolutely loved the book, but apparently when the action steps out of my mind into actual visuals I freak out....for all that they didn't dwell on it as they could have.

I'm going to reread the books....I have the audio versions checked out from the library. I think that will restore HP to my good graces.

I need to do a post on the follow-up from the family reunion. For now suffice it to say that the language of craft is a wonderful thing and I"m delighted to discover as an adult that I have a lot in common with some of my distant cousins.

I have a few sessions with a new trainer over the next few weeks to help me jump start my exercise routine again. Yeah!

Just to be perfectly clear...my food allergies are REAL, and YES I WAS tested for them, and YES I do have noticable and sometimes severe reactions to my allergens...especially as I've now been clear of them for quite some time. Sad that I have to say it, but there you go. If you are one of those people who find this to be incredulous, please contact me. I would love to have a conversation with you about my allergies.

JoJo the llama is safely out of danger now that the heat wave has broken. Mom and Dad will continue with their cooling efforts until the weather drops down to the 70's for good...but for now it's safe to say that he's going to be just fine.

The wee sheepies are not so wee anymore. You can barely tell the difference between them and the mamas.

I must get going. The girls still need back to school outfits and shoes, and as my extra little ones will be here in a few hours we need to go asap!

Have a great week everyone!

Take Two

2011-08-14T19:09:00.002-05:00

After the debacle that was Christmas of 2010, we decided to let the girls decide how they wanted to handle replacing their Guinea Pigs. (May the little souls RIP)

The Princess was so traumatized by the whole thing that she decided never again....and that's how we wound up with Shamrock the wonder cat.

My Pixie, on the other hand.....

She was clear from the get-go that she wanted to try a Guinea Pig again.

Before the girls came home this weekend, I went to a local pet store (no more big box stores and potentially contaminated breeding sources for us!) - which gets their G Pigs from local pet owners who randomly have babies - and I brought home Piggie and supplies for the Pixie.

She was ecstatic!

So far his name has been Henry, Humphrey and Fireball. We're still not sure which she's going to settle on...but any way you go he's pretty sweet!

Already (fill in name here) is better socialized than the Christmas Pigs ever were. The manager's kids were in the store the day I picked him out, and they helped me pick the friendliest of the two little males they had on hand. The manager told me single pigs tend to be better pets as they bond better with their owners. This goes against everything I've ever been told about Guinea Pigs because they are herd animals....but already seems to be proving true. (Nameless) doesn't hide when you walk in the room, he doesn't run when you open the cage and pet him, and already the Pixie can pick him up and play with him on her own. None of that ever happened with the Christmas bunch - and they were in the house for well over a month.

We did have two conditions for getting the new G Pig. One, Pixie had to clean her room and then keep it clean for at least a week - a tough, tough chore for my little tornado. Two, we had to wait until the heat broke because transporting a small rodent in such horrendous weather could have been disastrous. I'm glad both of those things happened before school started. My Pixie is more than a bit anxious about starting kindergarten, and it is my hope that her new friend will help ease the transition.

And my oh my...I am such a sucker. I do love having a Guinea Pig in the house!

Tidbits

2011-08-12T08:49:00.002-05:00

In case you thought I'd fallen off of the earth....

While it is true that for the most part I've spent the week in an odd state of lethargy, recovering perhaps from the summer, I have done some fun things. My friend Shelda and I went to visit The Loopy Ewe in St. Louis yesterday....and I must say I'm feeling VERY fortunate to have been able to visit before they move to Colorado.
I spun 4 oz. of singles earlier this week...which will make a two ply fingering yarn. Hopefully I'll have time to ply it this evening.

I've put in steady work on my Tree of Life socks.

I also did finish a pair of basic socks, attended my monthly guild meeting, and that's about it.

In a few minutes I'm off to visit with my BKB...and tomorrow the girls will come home!

Regular posting will resume this weekend.

An Old, Comforting Friend

2011-08-05T12:21:00.003-05:00

It is a simple truth.

I am a shy person who doesn't do well in large, social gatherings. Small groups are fabulous. One on one situations are even better. More than that, I get nervous and all goes downhill. In fact, the more people there are, the higher my anxiety level is. We won't discuss the details of how I tend to behave in such situations...but it's not pretty. As a result, I avoid parties like the plague, refused a head table at my own wedding so as not to be so prominently on display and get so stressed out at the idea of a reunion that I want to go to bed for a week.

In my own defense, I come by it naturally and can point to any number of family members who feel the same way (though not my own parents). I don't tend to look at it as a character flaw....it's just part of who I am, and most people who know and love me understand that.

You can thus imagine how I felt when my parents were placed in charge of Dad's family reunion this year....and decided to turn it into a day-long, full-blown extravaganza.

The good news is that I am gifted with a fairly hefty dose of self-confidence when it comes to performing for the public. All of my jobs have required either some form of public speaking or demonstration, and I've found that once I slip on the persona of 'resident expert' I become considerably more comfortable in those large social situations. It's even better when I'm doing some sort of working demonstration because then I'm not only 'on' for the performance, but I'm also distracted by and focused on whatever it is that I'm demonstrating. (And yes, I know that all of this creates a somewhat disingenuous portrayal of myself as I am basically acting instead of just being me. If you don't like it, too bad, it's a good survival tactic.)

I'm not at all sure if my parents were actually considering any of this when they asked me to do a sheep to shawl demo for the reunion, but God Bless them anyway. I started doing spinning demonstrations when I was 14, and can easily escape into the comfort of that old friend. I've gathered wheel, spindles, fiber, handspun yarn and finished projects to show off. It's my armor, and it's all good. I just might survive the family reunion with my sanity intact!

PS. My dear family - I do love you all.....I just would rather see you in smaller groups!

(Not-So) Lazy Days of Summer

2011-08-04T08:38:00.001-05:00

This is what I wish I could have been doing this week!

I have spent most of the week working to get the kids and the house in order for the 2011-12 school year, which for us will begin on August 18th. It's going to be a big year for us. The Pixie will start kindergarten, my Princess enters the gifted program, my lovely borrowed kiddos will be back in the afternoons, and I will start working with a trainer again. Also, we are in the process of rescheduling our missed vacation sometime in the next few months. I'm sure you can imagine the type of prep work all of this requires!

Plus, and I'm ashamed to admit this, the heat finally got to all of us about a week ago, which has created a rather odd lethargic state for all of us. You know it's bad when the girls would rather stay home and clean their rooms rather than go to the pool!

Which is why the Green Woman and I have been silent. My apologies for not putting up a quick note to warn you of our absence earlier in the week. (I know that we have family members who read my blog regularly and worry when they don't hear from me a few times every week.) Posts are likely to be spotty until we settle into the routine of the school year.

Too Hot For Much Else....Reading in July

2011-07-31T08:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome again to my monthly book round-up! I wanted to first let you all know that I love your comments on these posts, and I do have a list of books started from your recommendations to me!

1. The Help, Kathryn Stockett (lib, ebook) - To be honest, I wanted to hate it. Anything that becomes as popular as this book probably has something wrong with it....goes my typical thinking. To my great surprise and delight, it was a lot more fun and a lot more thought provoking than I expected it to be.

2. Wicked Bugs, Amy Stewart (lib, ebook) - Talk about fun! Stewart was interviewed on NPR's Fresh Air, and when I saw this pop up in my library's online selections I knew I had to read it. Deliciously creepy and frightening...don't read this nonfiction book if you have a serious bug phobia in any way.

3. Await Your Reply, Dan Chaon (lib, audio) - I believe this book was either a finalist or the actual Columbia One Read book last year. I've not been involved with the project (although this year they are reading the truly excellent Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks), but I had picked the book up a few times to read the cover. Audio was a good compromise...but truth be told I almost gave up on it a few times. I'm glad I stuck with it to the end, though, because it did at long last deliver some true surprises.

4. Townie, Andre Dubus III (lib, audio) - A Books On the Nightstand memoir recommendation. I didn't finish it. I found after a while that my horror and sympathy at the type of hardscrabble life Dubus grew up with only went so far.

5. Bright's Passage, Josh Ritter (ebook) - Go buy it and read it immediately. Please. You will love it! Harry Bright comes home from WWI with an angel. That's all I'm saying. (And thank you very much BOTNS!)

6. Naamah's Blessing, Jacqueline Carey (print) - Carey's books are among my guilty pleasures. Adventure, romance, mysticism and magic...they kind of have it all. I love them so much so that I still buy them all in hardback. Excellent summer reading.

7. Color of Love, Gene Cheek (lib, audio) - This was a shattering memoir of a boy who grew up in the Jim Crowe south and who eventually had to make a heartbreaking decision. It's not available in print anymore, but it's worth it if you can track it down.

8. The Double Comfort Safari Club, Alexander McCall Smith (lib, ebook) - and after that, I needed some comfort reading. I love the #1 Ladies Detective Agency books.

9. Robinson Crusoe, Daneil Defoe (lib, audio) - I've just about exhausted all of the downloadable classics available through my library, but this was one I had never read. (And it turned out to be one of my favorite male readers for Blackstone Audio.) I don't know if laughter is the appropriate response....I kept imagining our poor hero banging his head on a rock saying, 'stupid, stupid, stupid.....'

10. A Thread of Grace, Mary Doria Russell (lib, CD) - My second must read recommendation for the month.....go get it now! Russell wrote one of my all-time favorite books, The Sparrow, but I hadn't tried her other books because she chose to change her genres, and I was nervous about that. A Thread of Grace tells the story of the Italian front during WWII, which is honestly a topic I knew little to nothing about. In that respect, I would compare it to The Invisible Bridge, which is also a WWII novel about a little known area. Books such as Bridge, though, tend to feel a bit dishonest because sometimes the main characters come out better than you suspect they really would have during the Holocaust. It's as if they are too precious to the writer, and having created them he or she feels like they must protect them even if it doesn't make sense. Russell has absolutely no qualms about fully exploring tragedy, and days later, I'm honestly still feeling a bit traumatized. I also feel like I've found truth. Apparently five years of research went into this book, and you can tell. For the record...I am also a sucker for a good frame for a story, and Russell's beginning and ending were pitch perfect.

11. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding, Alexander McCall Smith (lib, CD) - yep, definitely needed after A Thread of Grace. This was my first foray into audio for McCall's books....and I'm not sure I like it that much. (Ok, and part of this is because I have my own pronunciation for all of the African names and was largely disabused of my correctness in that matter.) Audio just doesn't seem to be a good fit for these books...which are quick to read but slow in plot and development.

12. The Last Werewolf, Glen Duncan (ebook) - literary horror, a BOTNS recommendation. (Almost done...should finish in the next day or so.) Now, I like a scary book as much as anyone else, and I love books that delve into character and philosophic debates. I'm just not sure I like them all tucked into one book so much. Having said that, I found myself highlighting a LOT of passages and phrases (Gotta love being able to do that on the iPad!) Also, because it needs to be said, I am glad the monsters aren't cuddly. They owe a huge debt to the masters and originators of the genre - Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, Gaston Leroux - which made my heart sing.

13. Little Red In The City, Ysolda Teague (print) - This is actually a knitting book...but I found I had to read it cover to cover because Teague has some FANTASTIC information in there about working with patterns in order to make the garment fit the individual. There have been books before which were written with a fuller figure in mind...but this book takes one pattern, shows it on two radically different (and blessedly real) body types and then tells you how to muck around with it so that it fits you. Once my year of socks is over I intend to delve into sweaters, and I imagine this book will be heavily used.

Whoops! Forgot one!

14. Mr. Peanut, Adam Ross (ebook) - Ok, so this is the THIRD must read book of the month. Yes, it is a BOTNS recommendation. Goodness bless them, they've done well by me this month. I don't want to ruin the fun, so all I will tell you is that this book is more than I really expected it to be. Sooo, sooo much more!

Single No More!

2011-07-30T09:44:00.003-05:00

Fiesta Feet by Lucy Neatby

Fiesta Feet Bright Kit from Tradewind

(kit included 2 skeins Koigu in cream and 1 skein in bright rainbow)

2.25 mm Knit Picks Harmony DPNs

Dec. 7, 2010 - July 30, 2011

One wee mod...I picked up an extra stitch at the base of each side of the heel flap to make a tighter corner.

Other than that, I followed the directions exactly as written...which is kind of new for me!

The heel flap stitch was fun.
I did not care so much for the bobbles and the leg pattern. They were both really, really slow and were hard on my needles.

My favorite part was the crazy birdtrack pattern!

(And for the record, this is the best picture of the color I managed....they are much more vibrant in person than they appear in most of these photos.)

Would you believe it only took me one day to do the entire bird track/foot section of the second sock?! Really! That's how much I liked that part!

I bought the kit after taking a workshop with Lucy through my guild, the Columbia Weavers and Spinners Guild, back in late 2003. I had fallen in love with her sample pair...really with almost ALL of her samples...and decided that I needed something fun to knit. When I received the kit I took an initial dislike to the rainbow skein, which is probably why the kit was then shoved to the back of my stash. As you know, though, part of the reason why my friend Shelda and I took on our sock project, though, was to tackle this exact sort of problem....sock projects that have been haunting us for one reason or another.

To my great surprise, when knit up the rainbow yarn transformed into something magical. Once I saw that it was just a matter of getting it done.....and some of the stitch patterns slowed that down quite a bit as they just weren't my favorites.

To be honest, I don't love them. I like them a great deal, and I'm looking forward to wearing warm and toasty socks this winter. (My husband rightly says they look awfully warn. Colorwork socks have an extra layer, which is part of why I love them.) However, they are rather over the top for me, and in the end I find I prefer my colorwork to be more of the traditional variety. Fiesta Feet are, in my opinion, a case of too much is too much.

But I'm still glad I made them!

Lost & Found Friday

2011-07-29T11:25:00.005-05:00

I've spent a lot of time this summer contemplating the idea of a second blog devoted to living and thriving with food allergies. If it happens, the official launch is going to have to wait until the first of September as this summer has been simply too busy for me to do either the research or the planning that I would like to do.

There has also been the wee issue of my attitude. I'll confess, until fairly recently I've been really angry about the whole thing...and no one wants to read a blog written by a bitter, angry woman. It's taken some time to find acceptance and to be able to let go of the negativity, but after an incident this week I think it's safe to say that I'm past the tipping point. Everything is going to be ok....and hey, the fact that I've started to feel really good is definitely a plus!

For now, I thought I would give you a taste of the type of content I'm considering. My plan would be to actually expand on some of these ideas as they are great jumping off points for essays. I think they show the good and bad side of food allergies....but in hopefully in a way that shows that the long-term effects of my diagnosis will only be for the good.

Without further ado.... Lost and Found Friday!

Lost: coffee
Found: green tea

Lost: yogurt
Found: I don't ever have to force myself to eat yogurt again!

Lost: chocolate chip cookies
Found: compassion for the Amy Winehouses of the world

Lost: warm oatmeal
Found: a pain-free tummy...who knew?!

Lost: convenience food
Found: the Farmer's Market and Bounty Boxes

Lost: bread
Found: greater body awareness

Lost: Dried spices and condiments
Found: A beautiful, fresh herb garden on my porch

Lost: cheese
Found: energy

Lost: eating out
Found: answers

Believe me...I could go on and on and on with dozens of these. What do you think?

Thank you for indulging me today. The Green Woman and I have more crafty/artsy goodness coming for you soon!

Our New Favorite Thing

2011-07-28T14:04:00.001-05:00

The squeals of delight you heard coming from my house this afternoon were from two little girls opening this week's Bounty Box from the Root Cellar. This is only our second box, and already we look forward to it with great excitement.

This week our box included: corn, onions, beets, peppers, jalepenos, cherry tomatoes, regular tomatoes, Asian greens, zucchini, and locally made whole wheat pasta. One of the things we really love about our Bounty Box is that it includes a newsletter which lists where all of our produce comes from (multiple independent farmers - all within about a two hour drive from Columbia - whatever is fresh and available), as well as recipes for what's in the box.

One of the benefits of having a subscription to the Bounty Box is that you also get a discount on other products and produce in the store on pick up day. We also came home yesterday with a fabulous watermellon for Sean and the girls and a few fresh peaches for myself.

And of course....our wonderful Farmer's Market is on Saturday, so if we need anything else I can pick it up then!

A VERY big thank you to my BKB, Jenn, who first told us about this magnificent program!

Speedy Gonzoles

2011-07-26T15:00:00.002-05:00

Classic Kilim

pattern by Stephanie van der Linden

in Around the World in Knitted Socks

1 skein Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberbal

1 skein Regia stretch in white

2.25 mm Knit Picks Harmony DPNs

July 18 - 26, 2011

I love everything about them....except for the fit. This classic Turkish style sock has a pointy toe and heel which are quite annoying. However, they are beautiful, so I will give them a pass!

Sock #2 took less than two days because I was so excited about them.

Colorwork is definitely my cup of tea.

Notes will be forthcoming on my colorwork obsession.

Can't Post...Must Knit....

2011-07-21T20:37:00.002-05:00

This fabulous yarn is creating
A sock that I could possibly love more than the sheepy socks.

I don't know what it is about colorwork, but my pretty sock is flying off of the needles!

And I'm crazy enough to have started a second pair of colorwork socks....although there is proving to be less contrast in the color than I need. I'll finish the entire toe before I decide. (It's supposed to be a bright purple/green combo...and I didn't realize how much green was in the purple yarn.)

Believe it or not, I cast on a new silk shawl as soon as the last was done. In this weather, silk is the only thing that is bearable to work with when outdoors...which means this is my pool knitting.

More details on all to come.....

Right now I'm anxious to get back to the needles!

I've Got A Horse Right Here,

2011-07-20T12:29:00.002-05:00

If you would have asked me a couple of years ago what I do for fun, I would probably have gone blank and been unable to answer.

Literally.

It happened multiple times...with my acupuncturist, my trainer, my doctor....

Sad.

SO, I have been trying to change all of that.

You might not know this about me, but I adore musical theater. In fact, since high school the only music I've purchased (with a very few exceptions) has been soundtracks to Broadway shows. My wedding? The music was all from musicals and movies. It's just me. Too bad I can't sing worth a lick!

My husband has indulged me by going to see a few guy-friendly productions, but by and large it just isn't his thing.

Enter Frankie Pooh...the friend I babysit for. Half way through this last school year she asked me if I would like to get season tickets to Starlight with her. (For those of you not from the KC, MO area, Starlight is one of the last two outdoor theaters left in the country.) Would I?!!!!! Heck yes! After some debate we settled on a three-pack of tickets, and last Saturday night we attended our first show.

And that show was the fabulous classic, Guys And Dolls.

Guys and Dolls holds a special place in my heart because my high school performed it during my senior year. The drama club had become my special haven by that point, a respit to the stress of my academic life. Given my spectacular lack of vocal talent, I helped out as much as possible behind the stage. My primary job was to choreograph everything but the Hot Box dancers. This job landed me right in the middle of helping choreograph the fight scene in Havana (which was spectacularly fun!)....which led me to a small roll as the Cuban Dance Girl.

Oh yes, you can laugh.

The running joke for the last 20 years has been, "Because you look REAL Cuban!"

In fact, that's the first thing my husband said when I told him the story Saturday night.

Nevertheless, I had an infinitesimal career on the stage as part of the dancing couple in this and one other local production since I and my best friend, Mel, knew how to at least fake it and no one else did.

So that's me in that picture - the palest, blondest Cuban dance girl in the world - with Mel as Sky Masterson. He always played the lead because he was just that good. It was my one and only performance in a musical, and is a memory that I will always treasure.

And by the way...Starlight's Guys & Dolls was phenomenal, I had forgotten how much I love the music, and I can't wait for our next two shows!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am having fun again.

Thanks Mel for letting me use that picture!

PS. I think I perhaps might have been the finest Cuban Dance Girl there ever was.

Le Tour De Not

2011-07-19T08:05:00.000-05:00

The picture you see in this post is of exactly how much I have spun in the last month or so.

(Imagine chirping crickets here.....)

I had planned on joining the Tour De Fleece once again this summer. I was even going to join the Ennea Collective Team. While I hadn't officially set in stone my Tour goals, I was leaning towards something involving color and/or my drop spindles.

And then I got distracted by other projects.

And I don't regret it.

Much.

It's just too hot to spin right now - even though I would be spinning in my nice, cool basement. I know that doesn't make much sense, but there you have it. I also have the weight of a 'must spin' project on my shoulders, and am consequently avoiding the whole shebang.

Now back to the happy socks, the silk lace and the pretty embroidery!

The Perils Of Embroidery

2011-07-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

L'Etoile Chocolate

2011-07-15T08:04:00.005-05:00

Evenstar, by Susan Pandorf

Unique Sheep Marici (100% silk)

Gradiance Colorway - Cafe Au Lait

Size 8/0 triangle seed beads - Earth Faire

5 tubes, slate blue lined topaz

Addi Turbo, US 5, 3.75 mm

April 20 - July 12, 2011

Modifications:

1. Instead of following the recommendations of the Unique Sheep as to how to calculate the color changes, I determined how much yarn I would need to do the transition, measured that amount from the end of the yarn and worked until I was close to that point. I have roughly 10 yards left of each of the first three colors.

2. Because I wanted to use as much yarn as possible from all of the colors, I added an extra lace band - 6 stitches wide - to the border. Could have made it even wider, but I needed to be done.

Comments:

1. Because I am frequently asked how much time is involved in the knitting of a shawl, I did keep track of this one. There are roughly 30 hours invested in the center and 24 in the edging. Ordinarily, the edging would not eat up so much time, but as there are six beads every other row which must be added individually via crochet hook I was considerably slower than normal.

2. The ONLY thing I dislike about the yarn was the way the fourth color striped in the border. I tried to figure out how to avoid that, but it striped with every single thing I tried.

3. I've done many circular shawls. This is the first time I've ever put the border on counter-clockwise as per instructions. It was a bit odd to adjust to. Then again, most circular shawls use a garter border, and this one was in stockinette.

While Patiently Waiting

2011-07-14T08:18:00.003-05:00

I know, I know....I promised a new shawl today. It is still drying on the floor, though, and I am trying to figure out how best to photograph it. It's going to be a tricky one due to the color, and let's face it...I'm not the world's best photographer.

In the meantime, I have some random to share.

I am starting to feel really good again. It seems like the magic formula is: allergy diet+thyroid meds=good health+feeling great.

I am glad that my doctor let me test my thyroid by dumping the medication for a while because I know I would always have resented that pill had I not known for sure that I need it. (We initially thought my TSH bump might have been a reaction to the surgery.)

Having said that, WOW....it does make a huge difference. But it only makes a huge difference when combined with the allergy diet.

I feel like I'm starting to 'sparkle' a bit.

I haven't felt this way since I was a teenager! Which is odd to say, because even when I was a teen I felt like an old woman much of the time. Hmmm....

Over the last few weeks I've returned to the gym.

Yesterday I ran for the first time in months, and I am quite happy to say that I found my happy running place. It was divine.

I also pulled something in my hip badly enough to make me limp all afternoon in pain. It's much better this morning, and I promise I'll be careful. As I said to a friend last night, I don't want to cause an injury bad enough to derail my return to my gym rat ways. I need those exercise endorphins too much for that!

I am thinking about hiring a trainer to help me start again. We'll see.

I really miss Meghan, the most fabulous trainer in the world.

She had me spoiled.

I reward the girls for going to the playroom with pool time afterwords. Now that they are big enough to play on their own in the water I can park myself under a tree with my knitting for a happy hour.

Good times.

We've had a bit of a crisis on Mom and Dad's farm this week. JoJo, our favorite llama (the male, spotty one) almost succumbed to heat exhaustion. We had a miracle, though, and he pulled through.

There have been a lot of tears and prayers for this silly llama. As it would turn out, we're all ridiculously fond of him.

Dad has worked with heat exhaustion and heat stroke in animals during his entire career, but llamas behave very differently and because of that he missed some critical early warning signs.

We've all been doing research because the miserably hot, humid weather isn't supposed to end anytime soon, and now we have an action plan in place to help JoJo.

Llamas just aren't made for Missouri weather.

The other llama, Josie, hasn't been affected at all. Weird.

Meanwhile, the sheep are also fine. Wool is a magical fiber, and as it would turn out they have just the right amount of it right now to insulate them from the heat.

Have you tried banana soft serve? Freeze a couple of ripe - but not brown - bananas, throw them in the blender or food processor, blend until the consistency of soft serve ice cream. It is FABULOUS!

I added frozen berries as well, and honestly can't tell the difference between it and soft serve ice cream. I threw in a tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa for the girls last night, and it might as well have been chocolate soft serve....no sugar or sweeteners necessary at all.

I promised the young ones donuts for breakfast, and so I'd best get moving before they begin to protest!

Have a great day everyone, and be sure to check back tomorrow for the promised shawl post.

Someone Else's Brilliance

2011-07-13T20:54:00.004-05:00

As I wait for my latest shawl to dry out on my living room floor, I have to fess up a certain amount of ambivalence towards this entire project. As I have no intentions of saying anything negative about it when I present the finished project to you, I thought I would go ahead and get it off of my chest this evening.

If I am honest, there are two main problems.

One.

I never, ever should have done this project as part of a knit along. I know myself, and I know that I am the sort of person who loses interest as soon as something (books, knitting patterns, movies...you name it) becomes popular. There are a lot of really nice knitters involved in this KAL, but I'm just not someone who enjoys or benefits from working closely with a large group on a single project. I'm also not into classes at the gym, preferring to work on my own. That's just the way I roll.

The more I've heard about the KAL, the less I've wanted to actually knit this shawl, and the less value I've placed in the final project. It is, after all, just one of many being made here in town right now, and each will be beautiful. There's nothing special about my version at all.

Why did I do it? Well, I had been planning on knitting up this pattern for quite some time. When I discovered they were using a yarn I was interested in it seemed like the perfect opportunity. The LYSO caught me on a good day, and I didn't stop to think about the full ramifications of my decision.

Lesson learned.

Two.

The phrase 'someone else's brilliance' has been playing over and over in my head over the last few days as I've worked to finish up the edging.

Yes, it's pretty...but it's someone else's design.

You could argue that I picked the color and the beads.....but again, it was someone else's design and someone else's idea to use the gradiance colorways.

I've thought about putting it up on the wall in my living room, but do I really want to put someone else's brilliance on my wall?

It just doesn't feel like it's mine at all.

Yes, I put the work into it, and yes I'm an excellent technical knitter. However, I think what this is telling me is that I want more and perhaps it's time to start pushing the envelope a bit.

It is most definitely something to think about.

Christmas In July

2011-07-12T17:22:00.003-05:00

I had no sooner found my place at our table when my friends from the guild began to present me with leftover sock yarn for my blanket. I squealed in delight...what fun! It really was just like Christmas in July. This jem came from Jenny. Jenny is one sister in a tremendously talented family. (Her sister Bonnie has already sent me some scrap yarn.) Jennie is soft spoken and kind. She's probably forgotten more about fiber arts than most people will ever know, and just so happens to have been the Princess's weaving teacher. I simply can't imagine our group without her!

Colleen had an entire bag full of goodies. Of all of the wonderful things I could tell you about Colleen, I think I will stick to one sweet memory. When the Pixie was a wee three weeks old I took her to a guild meeting so that she could meet my favorite knitters. Colleen quickly claimed my Pixie, and held her for the entire evening. I will never forget the look on her face...she's a woman with a lot of love to give.

As always, my friend Shelda - she of the yearlong sockathon - also had a few little balls of yarn for me. Almost every month now I get the leftovers from one or two pair, and I think it's wonderful that my partner in crime will be so strongly represented in my blanket!

5 Things That Make Me Laugh

2011-07-11T13:07:00.002-05:00

I've been working feverishly for the last few days to finish up my silk shawl so that I can show it off at my Knitting Study group tomorrow night. Don't get me wrong...it has been loads of fun...but it has also eaten up just about all of my free time.

As that also means I don't have much to blog about, I thought I would give you a list of the five things that have been making me laugh lately.

My girls have been going through a bun phase lately. They both ask almost every day for a pretty bun, and it makes them look so much like the teen-aged me that I have to laugh. Where did they get the idea? Believe it or not...Star Wars.

My husband's dog - a papillon - lost a toenail last Tuesday evening. This in and of itself isn't funny at all as I'm sure it hurt. However, her reaction was so typically her that one has to grin. She has spent almost every day since limping around the house in high drama, convinced she was going to lose a paw. When she thinks we're not watching she walks just fine. Silly girl.

I no longer have to wear a swimsuit or get in the water when I take the girls to the pool.

My cat has a 'tickle spot' just like dogs do. Instead of thumping her back leg, though, when you pet her tickle spot, located at the base of her tail, she starts spasmodically licking. She'll go through the motions if there is nothing close by, but she prefers to lean over a bit and start licking the nearest human. You would think this would annoy her, but apparently she loves it and is now about a million times friendlier.

The cat thing has started a new game. So far I'm winning, having made the cat lick my husband right between the eyes because he got a bit too close.

I know that is all VERY random. Tune in tomorrow for hopefully a finished shawl and some knitting news!

The Sheep Run At Twilight

2011-07-08T07:03:00.004-05:00

Sheep Run Socks by Liesa Bach

Available through Ravelry at the link above
Yarn is Koigu KPPPM
3 Skeins I obtained through a Ravelry swap
Sorry, I didn't keep the bands for the numbers.

Knit Picks Harmony DPN's - 2.25 mm

June 23 - July 7, 2011

The only modification I made was to add 12 stitches around the circumference of the sock for a total of 76 stitches. There is no way it would have fit otherwise (standard 64 st. sock pattern - which I always think is too crazy lose of a gauge for normal wear).

It was a lucky, lucky guess that 76 stitches would give me the fit I wanted. I still haven't figured out why that worked out so well given all of the redo's I've had to do in this crazy sock project...but I'm not going to complain.

There is one modification I would make if I had to do it all over again, and that is that I would change the heel from stockinette to one of the more standard heel flaps with slip stitches on alternate rows. It does concern me that durability was sacrificed for cute (and those two wee sheep looking back are cute). Also, the fit is a bit wonky because the flap is looser than it would have been with a standard stitch pattern.

Of all of the socks that I've ever knit, these are now my favorites....and I can't wait until the weather is cool again so that I can wear them!

Smitten

2011-07-07T16:29:00.004-05:00

I am most definitely in love.

Not So Little Anymore

2011-07-05T09:03:00.001-05:00

What To Do On A Hot Summer Day

2011-07-01T14:29:00.001-05:00

June Book Reports

2011-06-30T08:40:00.002-05:00

1. Shutter Island, Dennis LeHane (library ebook) - I actually snuck this one in during the last couple of days of May. I found it while browsling the library's ebook options and thought, 'what the hell!' I'd seen the movie previews, but had had little interest in the movie. Honestly, I have no idea why I decided to read it, but I'm glad I did. It was quick and fun, and the ending honestly surprised me. (Trust me, I'm not often surprised!)

2. The Snowman, Jo Nesbo (library ebook) - Books on the Nightstand has mentioned this book several times, so of course I had to download it when I found it at the library. Norwegian crime fiction is apparently (thank you Steig Larson) on an upswing, and Nesbo's book is one of the beneficiaries. The only downside is that the translation occasionally seemed off - especially in the first half of the book. There was literally one chapter ending that stated something to the effect of "insert dramatic pause" and you just knew it was a mistake because it fit so oddly into the rest of the narrative. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book a great deal, and I can only hope that US publishers continue to release Nesbo's work.

3. Caleb's Crossing, Geraldine Brooks (library audio) - I absolutely LOVED People of the Book, so I had high hopes for this one. It was good...but also disappointing. I love that Brooks once again tried to bring to life a slice of history. I was dissatisfied with the story and found the female protagonist to be (while likable) entirely too modern and self-aware for reality. Ah well.

4. The Bells, Richard Harvell (library ebook) The Bells is a great favorite of one of the cohosts of Books On The Nightstand. In fact, he mentions it OFTEN, and so of course I had to try it. It's now one of my favorite books, too. Historical fiction, fairy tale, love story, feast for the senses (especially your ears), adventure...The Bells has it all!

5. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, Alison Arngrin (library ebook) My oh my, Nellie Olson wrote a memoir and I LOVED every minute of it! While yes, there was all sorts of fun backstage info about my beloved Little House (which is now beloved by my girls) the best part of this book is in the story of a child actor who grew up in a crazy household, had some really bad things happen to her, but was able to find healing before it destroyed her and then went on to use it as a catalyst for good. Argrin is funny, open and to the point, and I wish I knew her in person as she just seems like she would be someone great to know. (There are two other Little House memoirs, and I may have to hunt them down at the library as well.)

6. Dragon Keeper, Robin Hobb. Let me start by saying that I love Robin Hobb. Her fantasy novels have been among some of my favorites, and this one looked promising enough that I accidentally bought it twice. Now I can't get through it. Weird.

7. A Room With A View, E.M. Forster (Classic Tales Podcast) I think perhaps I've hit a B.J. Harrison threshold of some sort. I love him, and I love his podcast and all the great literary works that he's performed. But. I had trouble with this one. It seemed dull, and I don't think that was Forster's fault. It could be simply that Harrison does better with more masculine works and/or points of view?

8. In The Garden Of Beasts, Erik Larson (library ebook) Fascinating! I heard about this from several sources, and I am glad I read it. I think I would have liked Ambassador Dodd, although his daughter annoys and vexes me. My only complaint is that Larson spends too much time on the atmosphere of pre-WWII Germany. More historic details would have been a better way to convey how tense it was than constantly telling us it was tense.

9. Stardust, Neil Gaiman (my audio, performed by the author) I snuck this in before the end of the month. It's my idea of comfort reading, and I have no idea of how many times I have both read my copy of the graphic novel and/or listened to the audio. Quite simply one of the most perfect stories ever constructed, and Gaiman could read a phone book and make it sound fun.

A Few Answers

2011-06-29T16:57:00.004-05:00

1. You can find the Sheep Run pattern at Ravelry, which is where I stumbled upon it while browsing any and all patterns that involve sheep shortly after our flock entered my life last fall. My apologies for not including that info yesterday! Typically I've started to leave out the links until my Finished Object post on each project...mostly because my blogging time has become very limited. I'm glad you all enjoyed the pattern so much, and I hope some of you decide to knit some sheepy socks as well!

2. A quick perusal of my Ravelry queue shows more than a few colorwork socks in line. I'm going to have fun making some decisions! Even better, colorwork sucks up more yarn so that I'll have more leftovers for my blanket.....

3. I thought I would take a moment to expand upon how I hold my yarns in colorwork. As I said yesterday, until now I've always picked up the yarn, knit the stitches, dropped it and picked up the next yarn, and so on through the row. As you might imagine, this is a slow process. It did, however, allow me to learn to get a nice, even gauge with pretty floats in the back.

Again, I've always held the yarn in my right hand, tensioning it by weaving it over the index and ring fingers and under my middle and little fingers. When I knit my middle and index finger tend to squeeze together lightly to further stabilize the yarn.

What I'm doing now is that I tension both yarns as usual, but only place the working yarn over my index finger. The other yarn hangs loose to the back. When it's time to switch colors I bend the index finger, lower my middle finger, and then when the yarn drops off of my index finger I do a little scoop to pick up the other yarn. (Are all of you non-knitters thoroughly bored now?) It's a little bit faster and is helping me to adjust to the idea of holding both yarns at once. As of now I'm pleased with it as an intermediary step, but there are better techniques out there that I would like to learn.

In the past, I have tried to hold one color over my index finger and one over my middle finger...but that doesn't work because of the way I tension the yarn. Inevitably the yarn that goes over my middle finger isn't tensioned at all and goes all wonky. Also, my ring finger feels strangely untethered and starts to feel tight. Ideally, this would be my perfect solution, so I will be trying to figure out a better way to do this.

One fix is to hold both yarns continuously over the index finger and just shift a bit so that you use whichever you need without having to drop them....but this fix has eluded me. When I try it the yarns end up so close together that it's near impossible for me to separate out one from the other. There are gadgets to help facilitate this project, but I think they are silly and most likely am not going to waste my time on this technique.

The other fix is to hold one yarn in each hand. I'm not at all so good at holding the yarn in my left hand, though, and when you add DPN's into the equation my attempts have been largely bungled by not-so-unexplainable clumsiness. Ahem.

I would like to point out that the one thing working against me in all three cases is that I have 20ish years of knitting experience, and my hands long, long ago found positions that were comfortable and easy for them. I don't honestly remember the last time I had to think about what my hands were doing when knitting a project!

However, none of that means anything. The beauty of all of this is that there is a chance to change, old habits can be readjusted, new tricks can be learned and I intend to have found my perfect fix by the end of the summer!

I will definitely keep you updated.

Thanks to Kelley and Shelda for the conversation topics!