tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-202387132024-03-05T22:59:25.949-05:00Fates' ThreadWe are all connected . . . by a thread, by a cord, by and by.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-27584517626240631042012-09-27T11:15:00.000-04:002012-09-27T11:15:54.742-04:00The end of an era . . .
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Well, this is it. Tomorrow is my last day at work. I am retiring. Yes, you heard me, retiring. I've been working since I was 11; full time since I was 15. I put myself through college with babysitting and a part-time job. I worked summers to buy my first car. I've been working for 40 years with only a 2-week break between jobs (when I was 22).
"What will I be doing?", you ask. Hmmmm....it's more of a question of "what won't I be doing." I won't be getting up, in the morning, before I am ready. I won't be wondering when I'll have time to weave, knit, spin, garden, visit museums, etc. Also, I won't be putting off things as much as I am prone to doing now.
In the last month, things have been tumultuous. We've been house-hunting, starting to pack to move, making changes and making plans. I don't expect any of it to stop any time soon. We are moving in late October. We are going to a new place with a slower pace.
For now, suffice it to say that I will be doing what I want to do - to further our dreams and I won't be getting up to go to work 'for the man' every morning. That's enough for me right now. CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-9336123021299836782012-08-07T14:07:00.000-04:002012-08-07T14:09:23.125-04:00Crash Into Me . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alright, yes, I stole the line from a Dave Mathews Band song - one which I love, by the way. The only reason that I reference it is because of the name of my new project - <i>Crashing Waves
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I know, I know. . . I said that I wasn't going to start anything else until I finished some UFOs. I admit it, I said it (hangs head and shuffles right foot). I tried, I really did. I spent some time looking through the UFO bin. I examined the patterns and looked at the colors. Nothing appealed to me. Really. Nothing! There - I said it, the projects looked boring. Of course, they didn't when I started them but they do now. I still haven't decided whether to frog or to continue with them - but, I also didn't take action on them. Mea culpa.
So, while I was doing that, diving into the UFO bin, I had a niggling thought in the back of my head. It took a few days for that thought to take shape. What? What's that color? The thought had a beautiful deep coral tone to it. What? It is lightweight; it's laceweight. Hmmm.... I went to stash and found them. The skeins that had been percolating up through my subconscious. I have two skeins of Manos del Uruguay Lace in <i>Banshee</i>. <i>Banshee</i> is a deep coral of Alpaca, Silk and Cashmere origination. After I grabbed it, I skulked around looking for a pattern. I kept the lights low so that I wouldn't be spotted starting something new. My breathing was shallow as I held the yarn looking through the stored patterns - and there it was! It is a lovely shawletter by Grace Akhrem. <i>Crashing Waves</i> is a simple pattern trimmed in a lovely, wide lace panel. I could hear the angels sing when I saw the pattern. That was it! I decided then and there that I would knit for myself.
After all that, I set aside my guilt at not working on UFOs and I could feel the waves of calm come crashing (alright, it isn't the best analogy but go with me on this) around me. I felt a sense of peace that I could work on something lovely for myself. No polyester like the last socks. No difficult fibers like the mohair and rayon in my last spinning. Just lovely, soft and lustrous yarn.
So, there it is. No UFOs, just new knitting. What peace!
Carry on.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-58653608836005413152012-07-31T14:58:00.000-04:002012-07-31T15:04:04.126-04:00To compete or not to compete, that is the question!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I really want to be knitting and spinning right now. “Why are you not doing what you want to do right now?” you might ask. Well, I’ve got to work and they don’t like it when I knit or spin during work hours. Don’t get me wrong, I like my work; I just would rather be creating something other than Microsoft Word documents that create more work. I want color and fiber in my hands – not the mouse and the keyboard. So . . . instead of actually feeling the yarn or creating it, I am at work. I am thinking of knitting and spinning but I am not doing it.
This desire to be doing more spinning and knitting isn’t just because it is heading towards autumn (and the time to create warmth). It isn’t because I submitted my retirement papers and don’t have much longer to work (although that is a part of it). It is, though, as if I’ve got the sports bug and cannot get enough. I am not a sports person. I can take or leave sporting events; I usually watch people and not the game. But this is different; more compelling somehow. First, it was the Tour de Fleece (TDF) and now it is the Ravellenic games (this is Ravelry’s (www.ravelry.com) answer to Olympic fiber crafting). Those folks can do the diving, the gymnastics and the archery; I am doing the spinning, the knitting and the sewing.
The Tour de Fleece is a spinning event that occurs at the same time as the Tour de France. The concept is that spinners process fiber during every day of the Tour de France. During the Tour de Fleece, my goal was to spin every day. I didn’t have a productivity goal in mind; it was more of a process goal. I’ve learned to spin several times and it never ‘took’. I recently tried again and I wanted spinning to be easier, to be less frightening, and to be productive. The Tour de France riders were in it for the long haul and so was I. While I didn’t spin every day, I did for ¾ of the TDF and it was good. I felt as if I was climbing the hills with the cyclists. They were straining against the steep mountain angles; I was straining against my body’s balking at new muscle use. Okay, okay . . . they were climbing the Pyrenees and the Alps and I was just climbing on to my spinning chair but you get the point. The riders were staying hydrated as they rode in the crowded pelotons while I was staying hydrated and sitting in the crowded living room where I had to move furniture to find room to spin while watching the TDF. It seems that, finally, I am a spinner. I can create yarn from the luscious wools, silks and other unspun fibers that are available.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDi9ZYXKYS03axZJ0QPFC40hXv3ECRhmumc_b1gvJv9NB-gNkY35svyFjMP4WwKlfL6swxTZjEDsdw5y0R82h1hwd8PtfvCqU8HvjxgjOnC4UaUfU5UTQQeShdRbryT833vOx/s1600/TDF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="200" width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDi9ZYXKYS03axZJ0QPFC40hXv3ECRhmumc_b1gvJv9NB-gNkY35svyFjMP4WwKlfL6swxTZjEDsdw5y0R82h1hwd8PtfvCqU8HvjxgjOnC4UaUfU5UTQQeShdRbryT833vOx/s200/TDF.jpg" /></a></div>
Next, Sweetpea and I have been watching the Olympics. Years ago, someone suggested a Ravelympics event during which fiber artists set goals and participated in crafting events associated with the sports Olympics. The event name has been changed to “Ravellenics” but the concept remains the same. I am not aligned with a team, hopefully, I will be next time. Instead, I am an independent who just wants to compete. Another note is that I am not competing in an formal or specific events. Instead, whenever I can, I’ve been knitting or spinning. My goal again isn’t lofty; it is to finish some unfinished projects (UFOs) so that I can move on, guilt-free, to start new and fresh projects. To be clear, finishing might include knitting and assembling and item. It may also include ripping the project back and abandoning all ideas of that project. Training can be heartless, after all; and it takes dedication.
Yesterday, I was working on a pair of socks for our niece. It was a race to finish the second sock before second sock syndrome kicked in. I thought I would beat it. I was whipping through it and then, then I fumbled. I looked back. I was distracted. I was stopped. I compared sock #2 to sock #1 and they weren’t the same. All of this training, all of the work has honed my skills, it affected my tension. Sock #2 is smaller and tighter – just as an athlete’s muscles become with regular training. Sigh. This was unexpected. This is disillusioning. I set the project down thinking that I was out of the competition.
That was yesterday. Today, I am in a different place. I’ve decided that a roadblock in 1 event doesn’t prevent me from continuing in others. So, today, I am at work considering what project to pick up next. Which one will I be able to finish (or frog) as I move toward the goal line? I don’t have an answer yet but I am inspired by those athletes in London and their dedication. I will continue to work on UFOs and continue to strive for my goals. (Cue the “Chariots of Fire” music)
Carry on . . .CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-77993171732378180552012-03-12T16:58:00.004-04:002012-03-12T17:13:27.744-04:00The Year of Finishing Dangerously . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKcAghhNycYzEuEB7CWQ5ENEkDrFbYVJh8Tu98Hnx5u4jQ-x9W_k2mF3Flz1zF37MmgXIR_aXsdT2nvs6OGEOwmvjg3oQcrQH2D4qMpaiNFYYm_jBPcSDBAX_fE90XIoHh4Wc/s1600/llama+laughing.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKcAghhNycYzEuEB7CWQ5ENEkDrFbYVJh8Tu98Hnx5u4jQ-x9W_k2mF3Flz1zF37MmgXIR_aXsdT2nvs6OGEOwmvjg3oQcrQH2D4qMpaiNFYYm_jBPcSDBAX_fE90XIoHh4Wc/s200/llama+laughing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719118984611575778" /></a><br /><br /><br />So, we are nearly 1/4 into the year and it is still going. If you believe some, we are headed to mass destruction in December. Personally, I don't believe it is happening that way. Instead, life as we know it will end, rather . . . is ending. <br />With time, we'll become more in tune with our own energy and that of others. We are beginning to understand how we are all connected and that our actions affect those of others. But wait, that conversation is much too deep for today - a Monday.<br /><br />I laugh at all this talk of the end of the world (hence the image above). I am not truly laughing - I am just not taking it all that seriously. Instead of waiting for the world to finish, I am finishing a load of UFOs (unfinished objects) and I do have a load of them. This is the year to clean out the UFO bin. Finishing might mean that I actually complete the work but it might not. It may mean that I frog (undo) the item and reuse the materials. It might also mean that I just dump the whole thing by giving it away or tossing it in the bin.<br /><br />I don't know why I don't finish items. Sure, I get bored. Yes, I see something I like better (ooohhhh, shiny) and move on to that project. Okay, I get grandiose ideas as to my mad skills; and trust me when I say I am more mad than my skills are mad.<br /><br />Ah, but you ask "why dangerously?" and that is a great question. Well, undoing all of these projects requires scissors and other sharp tools. Tossing them requires going to the garbage bin, lifting the lid and risking life and limb (or, at least, finger and nose (smell)) to get rid of them. Finding the projects in the first place can be dangerous as they are hidden throughout the house. This was done to take them from my sight - out of sight, out of mind, so to speak. Also, I've got to find them and make the painful decision (sometimes) as to their fate. On a more esoteric level, some of the projects have emotional ties that I've got to face in order to deal with the project (and there is another deep non-Monday discussion) See, this path that I am walking can be dangerous. <br /><br />So, raise your glass and toast the year. Better yet, raise your face and laugh as we move through it. Enjoy it and finish those projects along with me.<br />Carry on. . .CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-31914053971002060822012-01-09T13:03:00.005-05:002012-01-09T13:11:27.323-05:00Renewal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7a5z1MhEwjSI0gTxwX7Nn2V-1RisHklICZVXx2aoAmK7MTol78hI9dqP7Mulu0mpXwBFLvbU6pYQyOZuE6VfkjSAMHIaNhEEdQKpBk0IR9-WyqASNy2084uzcTtBlYO4PYkS/s1600/curly+tree.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7a5z1MhEwjSI0gTxwX7Nn2V-1RisHklICZVXx2aoAmK7MTol78hI9dqP7Mulu0mpXwBFLvbU6pYQyOZuE6VfkjSAMHIaNhEEdQKpBk0IR9-WyqASNy2084uzcTtBlYO4PYkS/s200/curly+tree.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695694894486297458" /></a><br />Well, I actually did it! I made it an entire year (and then some) without a single blog post. That would be quite an accomplishment if that had been my goal. <br /><br />It isn't that I wasn't well-intentioned. I have a stack of notes, a few emails to self and even a couple of calendar reminders made to spur me in to posted. I just didn't seem to be able to sit down to write a few lines. Oh well.<br /><br />It isn't that 2011 wasn't eventful. It was. Maybe, though, it was too eventful - I was too busy in it to comment upon it. Having said that - know that I do not mean that folks who blog are not busy or aren't 'in their moments' or anything. It seems that I was just more consumed than usual. <br /><br />Anywho . . . I am clearing more clutter in 2012. This is for a couple of reasons . . . if it is truly the end of the world, I don't want a mess around me when it happens. If it isn't the end, I want a neater space. It is, really, the end of the world as we know it (as each day is anyway) and I want clarity and clean-flowing energy. I won't get that with pockets of clutter and piles of things around me. The energy will eddy and pool and, in some cases grow stagnant. No good!!<br /><br />For a moment, during the paragraph above, I caught a whiff of perfume of violets or lily of the valley (I am not sure which). It was lovely. I shall write of decluttering more often if the aroma is associated with my thought patterns. :-)<br /><br />Carry on . . .CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-23913236724214917032012-01-09T13:03:00.001-05:002012-07-31T14:58:53.776-04:00RenewalWell, I actually did it! I made it an entire year (and then some) without a single blog post. That would be quite an accomplishment if that had been my goal. CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-3506999348164053692010-10-01T13:53:00.004-04:002010-10-05T09:51:19.951-04:00The one in which there are clouds . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxujUbZGzid6QWTvR524zQWMBah_8vrG5GqV0kHwI_UI2k3BK_GBX0TycMHsD5bFxSMmwLpL0vUUKwg-Ibp5AyabmmyDgVQ68mW1vBh1hawf6Y2aD4hX_kjOjBX805pta5j-V/s1600/clouds.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxujUbZGzid6QWTvR524zQWMBah_8vrG5GqV0kHwI_UI2k3BK_GBX0TycMHsD5bFxSMmwLpL0vUUKwg-Ibp5AyabmmyDgVQ68mW1vBh1hawf6Y2aD4hX_kjOjBX805pta5j-V/s200/clouds.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523137557473136482" /></a><br />Today is the kind of day where you don't know if you'd rather be at home or out and about. It is a beautiful day . . . it started sunny with few clouds. Now, though, the clouds look like an illustration from "The Simpsons" cartoon show. The colors are brilliant - almost unreal. The whites are perfect. I am smiling at the image of the coulds as them drift across the sky. I can, unfortunately, hear "The Simspons" theme song in my head . . . Yikes, what an ear worm!<br /><br />There are a myriad of manners in which to describe sky and clouds. I've got two specific references. The first is like the clouds described above. These are lofty and bright and seem, somehow, unreal. Sometimes, though, there is a depth of field and a richness of hues and texture that is much like the Dutch skies that I associate with the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn and artists of his era. These pieces have such richness that it seems a if I could reach out and touch the clouds. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyC0QMsa0vm_XQDdCSbwdDAA-V6sJZ9RsTeHTQsW6qQ31XgGAUCEGVUjADMfGBpKl4Pr5F-Xac_ujyZuSKl1RDu1P24sOobU71eH1uTrHTlmz2HI_r_Roe-8Y16R6vfeqeURh/s1600/dutch+sky.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyC0QMsa0vm_XQDdCSbwdDAA-V6sJZ9RsTeHTQsW6qQ31XgGAUCEGVUjADMfGBpKl4Pr5F-Xac_ujyZuSKl1RDu1P24sOobU71eH1uTrHTlmz2HI_r_Roe-8Y16R6vfeqeURh/s200/dutch+sky.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523139556238608066" /></a><br /><br />I often wonder at the possibility of recreating these images in fiber. To be able to weave, knit or quilt them would be amazing. Of course, the fiber medium and my talent are so lacking that any attempt would only pale in comparison. Somehow, though, I don't mind that. I like looking up and marvelling at the beauty and the possibilities (will it rain?, is it cold?, are the winds coming?) <br /><br />Instead, I think I want to be able to evoke the emotions that arise when I gaze upon the skies and the clouds. I am humbled by the vastness, amazed at the flexibility and constant change, and amused by the ever-forming shapes. Sure, sometimes I see cartoon skies and other times, I see the work of artistic masters. It makes me wonder of the artists who work in paint, those who we revere; did they doubt their talent in trying to recreate those visions.<br /><br />Hmmm... now I ponder.<br /><br />Carry On.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-25894476062399999032010-09-20T12:32:00.003-04:002010-09-20T12:48:52.094-04:00The one in which I find myself . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdlXCKJC0pv1gDrfYLxO_A825YmepstrpCCfKZtQKEAO80f5xXwK7x8G9DaZbEXUNCT4i6I7J4_bJKhAvRcBULGR7G5zhUpeG5zc4d6TBxyU45pKibYEA5mTqK4JVTStRjJH0/s1600/trail_lg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdlXCKJC0pv1gDrfYLxO_A825YmepstrpCCfKZtQKEAO80f5xXwK7x8G9DaZbEXUNCT4i6I7J4_bJKhAvRcBULGR7G5zhUpeG5zc4d6TBxyU45pKibYEA5mTqK4JVTStRjJH0/s200/trail_lg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519034945769114738" /></a>This last week has been extremely busy. I spent the week doing mundane stuff and getting ready for a magickal weekend. The mundane stuff included a regular monthly Royal Oak Animal Shelter Committee meeting. That is good work. <br /><br />Sweetpea and I went to our first knitting guild meeting. It was the Black Sheep Knitting Guild in Berkely, Michigan. It was fun and a bit intimidating. There was so much wonderful talented energy. It was a room full of what seemed like 75 knitters all chatting and knitting and enjoying each others company. I got a load of knitting finished and I'll be excited to go back.<br /><br />Mostly, I spent the week getting ready for the weekend. House Shadow Veil held a rite of passage called the Warrior Ritual or the Hunt. It was about finding and 'killing' those things about yourself that you want to eliminate. It can also be about finding and regaining a part of oneself but for me, it was identifying and eliminating. <br /><br />There was a load of preparation work for the 'hunters' and for the Hunt Mistress and the Community. Sweetpea and Bunny were involved in it so the week, at our house, was a little frantic. My time was spent trying to complete my preliminary tasks and figure out what I needed to focus upon during the hunt. The latter was the most difficult. I know I have issues - we all have issues. I am not so arrogant as to think I don't need the work; I just wasn't sure where to start.<br /><br />It took until the actual event to understand where I needed to go and what I needed to do. So much of life and my path is about patterns. My watch words are to live by balance, context and priorities. Within these concepts are patterns that change over time. Balance amongst the various elements of life changes as well. How I fit into life and into what I must do this time around and what is important also changes. Trying to be aware of the changes, to let go of the old stuff and to acknowledge and accept the new route can be hard. That's what the weekend was about.<br /><br />I returned home dead tired and amazingly renewed. I have a much better idea of how to implement my mission here. I am so grateful to those who organized the event, those who hunted with me and to those who made it possible. I am, too, grateful that I was willing to swallow my pride and understand that I needed to do this work. I am not finished, I've just started this path. This weekend was turn on the path.<br />Thank you.<br /><br />Carry on.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-52156211259319943682010-09-07T16:31:00.007-04:002010-09-07T17:04:14.639-04:00Sisterhood of the Travelling Socks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxy6L9tag4HkT0w5x21PehdE2kM54lNgscTIKbx_YeZue1h1U0N7Ms986dDMnJsGA2Chp541B8G1Yc5EpLdzhOXCF9bBrlBcqX-ZdoQwwbUTwdW1IDrd9Jlf4NeH4IUQHWzi0/s1600/zen-classes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxy6L9tag4HkT0w5x21PehdE2kM54lNgscTIKbx_YeZue1h1U0N7Ms986dDMnJsGA2Chp541B8G1Yc5EpLdzhOXCF9bBrlBcqX-ZdoQwwbUTwdW1IDrd9Jlf4NeH4IUQHWzi0/s200/zen-classes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514275230501649762" /></a><br />Okay, I didn't go to Sock Summit 2009. I was sad; I felt the loss. I knew that sock knitters from all over the world (okay, maybe not - I don't know) were gathering in Portland, Oregon and I couldn't join them. Some of the most famous, creative and amazing knitting personas were in Portland without me. Me, I was working hard having just acquired a new job and having recently seperated from Yorble. I was knitting socks but I was doing it in Michigan. There was a load of change in my life in 2009 and it took a bit getting used to all of the changes.<br /><br />Fast forward to 2010 - life is a bit more settled. Sweetpea lives here and we both knit. Me, I knit socks. Her - not so much; at least, not yet. There is no Sock Summit this year. I suffer no loss, no stress or worries knowing it is happening without me. Whew!<br /><br />Now, there will be one in 2011. It'll be at the same time as the First Harvest (Lammas) sabbat. Maybe next year will be time for me learn more about knitting socks. Maybe it'll be time to head back to the west coast; it has been so long since I've been out that way. I believe that is the case. 2011 will be the year of socks for me.<br /><br />Okay, some of this enthusiasm and desire for travel a year from now is fueled by the discussion threads on Ravelry. I saw some folks' entries about hotels and restaurants and how amazing the classes were in 2009. I got to thinking about hotels and started to panic when I noted that many people were already making reservations. Oh No! It's only 11 months away! What if no rooms are left!!?!?!?!<br /><br />I know that sounds crazy and doesn't sound a bit like the calm and cool person that you know me to be - but, there you go. Anyway, I checked a couple of hotels in the area and then just made a reservation. Some of the nearby hotels (near the Oregon Convention Center) were unable to give me a room for the entire stay. Oh no!!! I found one place that had rooms like I wanted and had them available. Also, their rate was reasonable. The reasonableness might be scary because I don't know the quality of the place but my wallet likes the idea. Whew, once again!<br /><br />Now I've got to figure out how to get there. I checked into the train. Wouldn't that be amazing?!? I'd love to sit and knit as the country sped by. It is a reasonalbe cost to take the Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland. It means, though, 45 hours in a seat. I could get a room on the train but that adds a hefty $600 per ticket (and, hopefully, Sweetpea will want to go). I thought about driving. All told, it is a 35 hour drive. There are two of us to drive and we could see some family along the way. Hmmmmmm.... we could share the driving and each have some time to knit. If gas prices remain stable, it would cost around $600 in fuel plus wear and tear on the car plus hotels (if we stop). All that gets to near the cost of a flight. Right now, some of the airlines have deals on flights. I am hoping that that'll keep up for a while. Fingers crossed!<br /><br />Anyway, I have a room and I have the motivation to be able to get to Sock Summit 2011. What's next? I've got to convince Sweetpea that we should go, that we can afford it, that it is a good idea and that there are other wonderful things in Portland. <br /><br />Hmmmm.....maybe I can lure her there with the promise of attending Fairieworlds. I hope it'll work.<br /><br />Carry on.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-53594592921181680582010-09-03T11:06:00.004-04:002010-09-03T12:05:51.453-04:00Tea and Company<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dpEpKe1XiPQ6HnRvVIhsMTMHJcvywfi2Ij0db_RRpwRfE1oQJkCRVfuvzkvjT2n6cEHrPRNtytPtq1D_mnAffPMs_iwPYG0qIbKWK08cfCQXFpZOzBdrpiPAZ-QVWSmk1iBq/s1600/tea+set.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dpEpKe1XiPQ6HnRvVIhsMTMHJcvywfi2Ij0db_RRpwRfE1oQJkCRVfuvzkvjT2n6cEHrPRNtytPtq1D_mnAffPMs_iwPYG0qIbKWK08cfCQXFpZOzBdrpiPAZ-QVWSmk1iBq/s200/tea+set.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512704516800298866" /></a><br />Tonight, once again, Sweetpea, Bunny and I are going to the tea shop after dinner. We'll go and listen to the musical artists because it is an open microphone night. Last week was fun and we had a great time. I also got a load of knitting done. In fact, I finished the first of the pair of mittens that I am knitting (more on that later).<br /><br />We tasted a new kind of tea; it was a black tea called "First Love". While I enjoyed it, there were undertones to it that were unusual to me and I am not sure I liked it. The name of the tea was what drew me to it. Isn't first love just grand? Somehow, it doesn't matter if that love is a new person or place or a new activity. It might even be a new yarn, a new food dish or a new tv show. There is wonder in the promise of something new. We marvel at the potential of it. We admire the new thing or person and just take in the beauty of it all. That feeling is amazing.<br /><br />So, last Friday was the first night at the tea shop and the first time that I had the "First Love" tea. It was the first time that the three of us have done a knitting gathering outside of one of our homes. We had fun watching the people, listening to the music and making note of the night life. We shared the joy of creating together even though we were working on different items. We had each others' support if something went wrong or we needed help. <br /><br />It was a joy to share that creative energy - there was the energy of the night life, of the musicians trying out their new songs and voices and our energy in creating knitted items. Tonight, we'll have someone new with us. Bunny and Panda just started dating. Tonight we'll have the energy of their new relationship merging with our creative energy. What joy!<br /><br />As with the "First Love" tea, all of life has undertones. Sometimes we miss them and sometimes we become caught up in them like the undertow of a body of water. I am sure that there was drama at the tea house last week. There were probably some relationship issues amongst the patrons. I'd bet that some of the musicians were nervous about performing. A lovey aspect of last week is that I didn't sense any of those undertones (except in the tea). I skated on the superficial and joyful energy of creativity and just went with the flow. <br /><br />First love is about potential, about the unknown and about being in the moment. Creativity is about those as well. Ahhh, I am excited to experience aspects of it again. <br /><br />Carry on. . . <br /><br />P.S. The lovely picture, above, is from Mellow Monk Tea company (www.mellowmonk.com). It is a Japanese green tea company. <br /><br />P.P.S. We've been going to a lovely shop called Goldfish Tea. You can find info at www.goldfishtea.com.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-12439176748821735902010-09-01T15:54:00.008-04:002010-09-01T16:36:07.659-04:00Dirty, Sexy, Knitting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTxvi5-zLKRs4KiGpOxblZ6g5mXb_8t-2amd37nxvjV_A5KQfzJZAnkuNFrzF_FaKl0eqVMEKeKrjkhygJf7dGnChbl89KmC8wpXbp0KyL9DH2Tgo9ner-ORaKuag02vjab-r/s1600/Rachel_5_little.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTxvi5-zLKRs4KiGpOxblZ6g5mXb_8t-2amd37nxvjV_A5KQfzJZAnkuNFrzF_FaKl0eqVMEKeKrjkhygJf7dGnChbl89KmC8wpXbp0KyL9DH2Tgo9ner-ORaKuag02vjab-r/s200/Rachel_5_little.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512036484198973490" /></a><br />Knitters are sexy! Yep! I said it and I meant it. Anyone who can take an item that looks like rolled up spaghetti or worms (I mean the yarn) and make it into a garment or a blanket or some other lovely, useful item is dead sexy! I am so tired of the 'my grandmother knits' line of discussion that I realized that it is time to represent. Finding this photo (and the associated calendar project) made me realize that I'd heard it again recently and I didn't react to it. I usually react and respond to such generalizations with polite, though often pointed, comment but I didn't that time. Shame on me! <br /><br />I simply cannot tell you the number of times that someone has approached me when I am knitting in public and said those 3 dreaded words "<em>my grandmother knits</em>." I know that they are trying to relate and that seeing me knit might be taking them back to a lovely memory but really folks! What do these folks think? Every woman learns to knit when they become a grandmother?? Some might say that this is just to make conversation but I don't really think so. Do these same people go up to groups of older knitters and say "my cousin knits", "my teacher knits", or "my little brother knits"? No, they do not. This happened the other night when I was knitting with Sweetpea and Bunny (two young knitters) at the local tea house. <br /><br />There is a renewed movement to knit lingerie - as was done decades ago. There are wonderful books out there with some great patterns. Just have a quick look at this book. There are some beautiful pieces in there.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkESB0rxWajsanuPjQhe5Fajpikoul42AZOeDTsNpM3Rk2zx0FLwfl_3yQ4zLFXFz7I-R_Pd1AFbdZ5t3qH_DVjAVA3POoEbAooIUspvu9NXZalYDiirGoBQmY0OOh7kRQxy7_/s1600/knittinglingerestyle.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkESB0rxWajsanuPjQhe5Fajpikoul42AZOeDTsNpM3Rk2zx0FLwfl_3yQ4zLFXFz7I-R_Pd1AFbdZ5t3qH_DVjAVA3POoEbAooIUspvu9NXZalYDiirGoBQmY0OOh7kRQxy7_/s200/knittinglingerestyle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512037598450907666" /></a> <br />Like creating in general, this is sexy to me; making sweaters is sexy and knitting lingerie is sexy. Gardening and sculpting and welding are sexy. Anything where one uses their imagination to create is sexy. Cripes, making furniture is sexy to me. <br /><br />There isn't time or space to go into the arguments that we are all sexy regardless of age, size, etc., etc. We can be knitters (spinners, weavers, stitchers, quilters, etc.) regardless of age. When did the link between knitting and maturity set in? There was a time, not so long ago, when women had to master (mistress?) these skills before they wed in order to keep their families clothed and warm. There was also a time when knitting was a man's business. When did this change? Why do we need to categorize?<br /><br />The photograph of the beautiful, sexy knitter at the top of this post came from a knitting-related calendar project you can find at Kickstarter.com<br />(<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1583990304/off-the-needles-a-knitting-pinup-calendar?pos=1&ref=search">http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1583990304/off-the-needles-a-knitting-pinup-calendar?pos=1&ref=search</a>)<br /><br />Go and give a dollar or two in support of this calendar. It is fun and seems like a great idea. Also, the concept of Kickstarter is great. Post a concept to get funding. Wow!<br /><br />So, remember . . . knitters are whatever they want to be.<br /><br />Carry on.<br /><br /><br />(P.S. I am not saying that grandmothers aren't sexy. I am simply merging a few concepts and attempting to increase awareness for the calendar project and the website.)CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-86810351667248663012010-08-27T15:29:00.006-04:002010-08-27T15:42:52.688-04:00Thinking about the harvest. . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj014iW9kVNHLWkalZR2FREbGc_8INSLGfv0zFkYR7AmrFYHFDhGH37HIzXzZfXDod75KJjGSkhI4MX8EaHleNwQwaqlG7EW6tz9_QR7nelyK2U9eQCPd8Oarx4zTnsXYg4B-40/s1600/Harvest.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj014iW9kVNHLWkalZR2FREbGc_8INSLGfv0zFkYR7AmrFYHFDhGH37HIzXzZfXDod75KJjGSkhI4MX8EaHleNwQwaqlG7EW6tz9_QR7nelyK2U9eQCPd8Oarx4zTnsXYg4B-40/s200/Harvest.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510174538086331698" /></a><br />Today, amidst all of the hubbub of work, I've been contemplating life. No, I haven't figured out the deeper meaning of life (well, I have, but am not ready to share it just yet). I mean that I've been considering hard work and friends and life and basic concepts like that.<br /><br />This has been a long week. It has been a tough week. Work has been like a roller coaster - one moment it is calm and quiet and the next moment all hell is breaking loose. Home has been my haven and for that I am grateful. Sweetpea and I are living together now and it is wonderful. We've had a week with some bumps but, overall, it has been good. We have been able to spend some time together talking and creating.<br /><br />With that feeling of sharing and enjoying the fruit of our week's work, we are going out tonight. Bunny is joining us at a local tea house. Bunny is learning to knit and is doing a great job. Sweet Pea has been knitting for a year and a half and is great at it. We are going to enjoy the ambiance of the tea house, each other's company and the tea.<br /><br />I know that there will be periods of time where we are just listening to the music and are caught up in our creative pursuits. We will be breathing more easily, relaxing in the energy of the space and having a great time being calm and quiet. <br /><br />Part of the meaning of life is to know that while we work for and with others, it is important to also do some of what we want. Tonight, we will be doing just that. We will be, mostly, enjoying the fruits of our harvests this week. We've been working hard and are going to relax. We've been working for other and tonight we'll be doing what we want to do. It will be good.<br /><br />Happy Harvest.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-80411185649884016762010-08-26T12:21:00.005-04:002010-08-26T13:28:44.537-04:00The one in which I consider world domination . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7_NGbBhXZYOb6G1Yw8ANs1gPT90bgqySVSLBRqmewpEI5QcSwPPe8zX1r3NNRtziyayzdWJs4k3MDcNCp0EBS6jWtvOx1A2irQjUbDPITkvitJJSeLGsL3jEd0Ji5YfjvFKV/s1600/knittingsoldier.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7_NGbBhXZYOb6G1Yw8ANs1gPT90bgqySVSLBRqmewpEI5QcSwPPe8zX1r3NNRtziyayzdWJs4k3MDcNCp0EBS6jWtvOx1A2irQjUbDPITkvitJJSeLGsL3jEd0Ji5YfjvFKV/s200/knittingsoldier.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509755223207757842" /></a><br /><br />I think by now we all know that global change happens incrementally and slowly. Just think about it . . . aspects of our 'green' movement began in the '70s with awareness of the ecology and the inception of Earth Day. Creation of workers rights began slowly with protests and then unions and then the creation of laws to support our workers. Civil rights was the same way. People fought their individual battles and then they started talking with each other and sharing their struggles. The media took it up, people organized and laws changed. Even with the legal foundation, there are still folks struggling for fair application of the the rights that we all deserve.<br /><br />Please understand that I am not equating knitting with the struggle for racial or gender equality or for pay equity or for any of those things that I consider consider struggles for basic human rights. I recognize that I am over-simplifying those intense struggles. Instead, I use them as examples as I propose a more subtle point of view.<br /><br />We live in a world that is harsh and intense. Our world is fast-paced; it is hard. In order to manage our existance and to get through life with poise, grace and joy, I believe that we each need to find space, time and activities that brings us peace, that make us happy and that help us to be calm and joyous. I believe that this is an important aspect to where we are going as a global society. People are talking about all of these changes that will happen in 2012 - well, I believe those changes to be about an end to a way of life. It would be an end to the erratic, fast-paced, economy-centric world as we know it. I believe that we are moving toward a calmer, more creative way of living. <br /><br />For many, creative pursuits help us manage stress. They often allow us to slow down and be more calm. Creative pursuits help us to access parts of our brain (right) that we don't use as often as we could. They can help us express ourselves and work through issues. Creative outlets can help us manage our pain and express our joy.<br /><br />Okay - that's the foundation for what I am proposing. My proposal - well, basically, I believe we should take over the world one knitter at a time. Yep, that's it. Let's aim for world domination!!!<br /><br />I don't really think that we all need to be knitters or even that we have to work with fiber (although I am partial to fiber work). I chose knitting because I love it and it is an example of a creative outlet. To say "Let's take over the world, one creator at a time." sounds a bit strange so I choose to use "knitter". I submit that that we must (MUST!!) make time for creative outlets and actually pursue them. They must become a priority. Our priorities should be food, shelter, clothing and creation. Of course, good health and family are in there. <br /><br />I am just saying that I am tired of folks saying "I don't have time for knitting because . . . (insert excuse)." Those of us who knit (or crochet or needlepoint or draw or write) know that it can find its way into the oddest times and spaces. Some of us knit when we are standing in line or are stopped in traffic. Some of us knit when we are waiting for the film to start at the theater. Others knit in bed or at lunch at work or school. Many of us create when we cannot sleep or first thing inthe morning in order to wake up. Drawing or writing or crochet or whatever can be the same way. If you cannot lug around your loom or your easel then plan your projects when you are away from your tools. You don't have to carry around your clay or the chisel you use to sculpt those behemoth statues; you can, instead, carry around your sketch book. You can plan the jewelry that you'll make when you get home. It can be done. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIwDpsyN4SiZfVzW_QQJtoMdIlN_1hotxfuf6kiyvg9DztMieQ8iU9gcoQ8-hqo0wg00zL0JkztQCFO6EfnWyRbQ0A2GF6myZVf_wBji6m8QWczslNWCGH0SQZic8UTPUsObf/s1600/Knitting+soldiers.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 149px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIwDpsyN4SiZfVzW_QQJtoMdIlN_1hotxfuf6kiyvg9DztMieQ8iU9gcoQ8-hqo0wg00zL0JkztQCFO6EfnWyRbQ0A2GF6myZVf_wBji6m8QWczslNWCGH0SQZic8UTPUsObf/s200/Knitting+soldiers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509755118738282754" /></a> Okay, that's it. That's what I propose. We should take over. Train other knitters! Wear the uniform (which will be handmade and fabulous, of course)! It is time for us to talk and walk the talk. Let's take over the world. It's time.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-30637792953147880742010-08-25T16:29:00.003-04:002010-08-25T16:47:02.190-04:00The one in which I buy (or windowshop) local . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5Bb-54jptgO51HqucKFZyPbeFv4o9PfQJf6s2NPN76x7j9r8ZhBwkhcNyVxFXmbJUBGRt4Fm9s4rAapyFyILjJvCncY4Y6ChyphenhyphenH_dMxygGLALQ6AMejMXK7F-xL6YWALOknU9/s1600/yarn.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 51px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5Bb-54jptgO51HqucKFZyPbeFv4o9PfQJf6s2NPN76x7j9r8ZhBwkhcNyVxFXmbJUBGRt4Fm9s4rAapyFyILjJvCncY4Y6ChyphenhyphenH_dMxygGLALQ6AMejMXK7F-xL6YWALOknU9/s200/yarn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509451593322356098" /></a><br />You know . . . there is a movement to "buy local". I think this is a great idea and I am examining my shopping and spending (yes, they are different) patterns to see where I can increase my support of the local economy.<br /><br />I think the movement is called "3/50", although my memory might be lapsed. The concept is to shop at 3 (or more) local stores and spend at least $50. That is at least $50 total, not at each store. That's not too hard to do, really.<br /><br />We've taken to shopping a bit more at local markets. Sure, we still go to some of the warehouse stores, but we are trying to buy produce and other items more locally. I'd love to buy all organic but right not, it won't work in the budget so we do it where we can.<br /><br />I am looking for a local, independent book store. There used to be one in Royal Oak but it is long gone. I can (and do) buy used at John King books. I love that place (both locations). Although I love books also, I buy more than that.<br /><br />That gets me to my real idea of shopping, yarn stores! I buy little, if anything, at the big chain stores. Firstly, they have very little that I want. Unless I am making something for someone who won't appreciate finer fibers or something that needs to be indestructable (acrylic and hard-wearing), I shop at the independent stores. I go to Ewe-Nique Knits in Royal Oak, MI as much as possible. If I am unable to make it there, I go to . . . have you any wool? in Berkley, MI. When I am working at the local base, I shop at Crafty Lady Trio in Sterling Heights/Utica area. I do my best to spread my money around to other shops as well.<br /><br />Lo and behold, I find out that I am going to be spreading my money a little thinner. There is a new (or newer) yarn shop in Clawson, MI and it isn't that far from me. It is PK Yarn Over Knit and is close by. I am hoping to get there soon. Who knows what I'll find that I 'need'? Okay, maybe I won't 'need' anything, but I can look, can't I? <br /><br />Don't judge my shopping habits (or my yarn stash)!! Just buy local!CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-59725622984158688402010-08-20T12:11:00.002-04:002010-08-20T12:24:11.686-04:00The one in which I'd like to party like it's 1599!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyl7c68eVRFrpvrIkLrS9g5iYGW77Jj1Y5AyfeoGksPYFIJov44dVjdoF11DiXN-rnUjzcrlfmoWY1cJRWy2ENgSwmY0TvwOmVtBIJJsAuGbZp04NsCBrOZs3O0FEXBn3mTPB/s1600/merenn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 100px; height: 75px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyl7c68eVRFrpvrIkLrS9g5iYGW77Jj1Y5AyfeoGksPYFIJov44dVjdoF11DiXN-rnUjzcrlfmoWY1cJRWy2ENgSwmY0TvwOmVtBIJJsAuGbZp04NsCBrOZs3O0FEXBn3mTPB/s200/merenn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507528612686758706" /></a><br />Hail all!<br /><br />I am headed to the Bristol Rennaissance Festival today. Yep, it's a bit of a drive but we are going to see some wonderful friends and have a great time.<br /><br />I've spent the last few days wondering what to wear. Every year I have this vague idea (or plan or concept) that I will make new festival garb outside of the festival season. Does it happen? Of course not! Do I do things at the last minute? Of course I do! I suppose that the vendors count on people like me, don't they?<br /><br />I did get some mending completed. It wasn't my mending but I got it done. I also threw together a pair of upper arm cuffs. If they work, I'll post photos. If they don't, then forget this was ever mentioned and we'll never see the photos. I spent some time last night trying to put an outfit together and therein lies another issue. <br /><br />I've got to get my festival clothing organized. I was running amongst the various closets, dressers and storage bins. I still cannot find everything but I've got enough for a decent faire outfit. Of course, I've been chanting the resolution about getting organized for days. We'll see what happens for next year.<br /><br />I am, also, getting together a couple of knitting projects to take along. I've got a few hours in the car with my girl and plenty of time to knit. Also, we are meeting up with some dear friends tomorrow. One is a knitter so we'll have some time to revel in the various completed projects. <br /><br />I do plan on looking for some neat hand-made goodies at the Faire. We'll see what I can find.<br /><br />Until then . . .CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-26751202369790546202010-08-18T19:08:00.003-04:002010-08-18T19:14:16.772-04:00The one in which I try to see the future. . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGu5MnLFcODz1VwptqyGgQu8J-NCuQ4icLQ5SGEWkyitCfbx1eAJftNe-SekUCQYDq_iP6hgXMmi_lEKyWinq3rf2-1dh3KpT7BI46N6YxNZL7Kd3566j2rDsTie9OFLypMbxt/s1600/crystal+ball+waterhouse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 86px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGu5MnLFcODz1VwptqyGgQu8J-NCuQ4icLQ5SGEWkyitCfbx1eAJftNe-SekUCQYDq_iP6hgXMmi_lEKyWinq3rf2-1dh3KpT7BI46N6YxNZL7Kd3566j2rDsTie9OFLypMbxt/s200/crystal+ball+waterhouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506891841278481154" /></a><br />Yep, it's that time again . . . it seems that I update annually now. Cripes, time does fly. Who knew? Well, I sure should have.<br /><br />Loads of stuff has changed and much of it has stayed the same. I've divorced, I've moved, I've found love again. I've sewn, I've knitted, I've done nothing. <br /><br />Right now, I am trying to work on unfinished objects (UFOs). It's like other aspects of my life. I'm trying to bring some old issues to closure before I being new parts of of my life. Anyway, last week, while I was sick, I finished a triangular shawl for myself. It is a simple shawl with random eyelet rows amidst the garter stitch. It is knit from Yarn Hollow (www.yarnhollow.com) yarns and it is the yarns that are fascinating about the project.<br /><br />For my lightweight knitting (something I can carry around outside the house), I am working on my Frog socks. These are a generic pair of socks made from SWTC's soy-based chitin yarn. They are in green with a bit of gray and white. The green runs from a soft spring green to poisoned apple green. They are a 2x2 rib on the leg and a rib/stocking stitch combo on the foot.<br /><br />For the heavyweight knitting (something that stays home and required concentration), I am knitting or rather trying to knit on Betty's afghan. This is a project for my BFF's mother. Betty is 92 this year and I need to get it done. I may have written of it before (there aren't so many entries - I suppose I could look). Betty has done an afghan for all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. This is the last and she cannot do it anymore. I received 1 (of an eventual 9) panel, partially finished. The pattern was typed on a manual typewriter on a slip of a piece of paper. It had a name akin go to "Marquise Afghan". Of course, I've lost the pattern. I've got to try to 'read' my knitting to figure it out. I think it is the Feather and Fan stitch - at least, that looks good so far. I made all the panels and when I was piecing it for final assembly, I realized that the original panel was too short. Even though I'd added to it, it was still too short. Sigh. So, I only need to add to that (without the pattern) and assemble it. <br /><br />I am not sure what I'll do after this; who knows what the future brings. I am itching to start something new but I am so enjoying cleaning up projects. I do believe the next UFO-to-FO stop on this journey will be the sweater for Thomas. Thomas was born in March; I've still got time.<br /><br />Blessings to all.<br /><br /><br /><br />DianneCosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-76574350980011558582009-06-07T03:12:00.006-04:002009-06-07T03:28:20.941-04:00The One in which I must decide<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey5xJlRLkSAblnusAvaniossmYn2IoCuLbLH3ENMda6SZnUFwKllcb_KTzxSrzqe2LqV_pSpihksr0Vw7KDdVkrq0KF876IurolhaKN8w2zZBnpiIDw_fI990-p1cfGapMG4w/s1600-h/2007_0916Image0073.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey5xJlRLkSAblnusAvaniossmYn2IoCuLbLH3ENMda6SZnUFwKllcb_KTzxSrzqe2LqV_pSpihksr0Vw7KDdVkrq0KF876IurolhaKN8w2zZBnpiIDw_fI990-p1cfGapMG4w/s200/2007_0916Image0073.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344480858737483378" /></a><br /><br />Well, I am off camping in a few days. Yepper, the city girl goes country for a bit every year. I head off into the great wild woods or vally or hills or wherever and get my nature groove on. I will spend 12 days enjoying the sounds, smells and sweet air of our Earth.<br /><br />This year I am headed to the Pagan Spirit Gathering again. For years, it has been in Ohio but, this year it moves to Camp Zoe, MO. I will be enjoying the space with friends. Bunny, Sweetpea and I are camping together. It is the first year in quite a while that I've camped with others. That will sure be fun.<br /><br />We've got loads of coordinating and packing to do. Who brings what for whom is a big set of questions. Mostly, we are working it out, though. My toughest decision isn't about my clothing or the books but, you guessed it, about my knitting. What projects do I bring??? Yep - projects, not project! I realize that it is a plural reference. <br /><br />In years past, I haven't done much knitting. One year, I took a lovely skein of sock yarnn to knit. I even worked on the socks but I didn't get far. The yarn, you see, wasn't superwash and it was felting as I knit it in the 90 degree weather. Another year, I had the good sense to bring different yarn but it was fuzzy. Fuzzy and humidity/heat don't mix well. Sigh.<br /><br />This year I have a multiple-pronged plan. I am taking a sock project. It is a simple set (I am an optimist) of socks in Tofutsies yarn. That might be good to knit. The second project is the Victoria parasol project. No wool or animal fiber to be found in that project. But, I worry it is too complex for those lazy hot days. The last project is going to be some wash cloths from Lily Sugar'n'Cream. One cannot go wrong with basic cotton. That'll be for the days when the sun or the heat addle my brain but my hands must still create.<br /><br />So, here's to the great outdoors and to knitting in nature!!!CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-70350569993451070842009-06-04T22:44:00.003-04:002009-06-04T23:00:00.962-04:00The one in which I am content . . .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyQyaoGgqI6BGhwruuCHHKUu13tonzLGqfUFC14SqeYQdBmIubhSkl1QrI1hq9dIGBIIUiJxmX0H2ZRIt2z_jhxacA1f7P69kKAA5VzMnjZbGoYehHrWmbnRNd_SEgIdlu7t5/s1600-h/May+09+148.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyQyaoGgqI6BGhwruuCHHKUu13tonzLGqfUFC14SqeYQdBmIubhSkl1QrI1hq9dIGBIIUiJxmX0H2ZRIt2z_jhxacA1f7P69kKAA5VzMnjZbGoYehHrWmbnRNd_SEgIdlu7t5/s200/May+09+148.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343670787304643010" /></a><br /><br /> Life is going well. I’ve got a plan and I am working that plan. Sure, there are glitches but, mostly, it is all working out. On Sunday, I expected to spend time mending and packing (for camping) and sputtering around the house. Instead, I spent yesterday in the ER with my friend, Gardenia. “They” thought she might have the H1N1 virus so our visit there was spent in isolation from the madding crowd and wearing masks to prevent contamination (or further exposure). <br /><br /> It was an interesting visit to the hospital. We would watch as administrators and health care professionals would walk up to the door, look in, look down at their records and then walk away only to show up a few minutes later, masked, and ready to work. This was bad for said friend because she felt like something the cat dragged in (and if you’d seen her cat, you’d know that wasn’t a good thing). Poor Gardenia was feeling miserable and isolated and just wanted to be home in her own bed. I felt bad for her. But ... <br /><br /> The visit was good for me because I’d had the presence of mind to take along some knitting. There I sat for 6+ hours as they poked and prodded Gardenia. Poor woman, she was coughing, she looked tired and drawn, she was dehydrated, etc. But, there I sat being the good and stoic friend just a knitting away! It was a joy to be knitting and so relaxed . . . well that was me anyway – not so for poor Gardenia. After all of that, they release her with the diagnosis of a ‘cough’. Saying that they’d run out of Swine Flu testing kits and weren’t likely to get more. They advised her to watch her symptoms and advised the rest of us to stay masked when around her. Go figure!!!<br /><br /> The photo above is an early photo of the socks I started on may 29th. They are in Tofutsies in a green/gray combo colorway (I think it is called Four Leaf Toever). It is a simple 2x2 rib on the leg of the sock. I don't know yet what the foot will look like as I am doing this from memory. No, I am not being innovative - I just cannot find the pattern in my craft room. Sigh.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-90359635726385870582009-05-30T13:56:00.005-04:002009-05-30T14:55:37.598-04:00It's been forever!!!Cripes! It HAS been forever, or very nearly, since I've written anything here. A dear friend, Sweetpea, nudged me today and, albeit slowly, I got the hint. My excuse . . . sure, I've got plenty of them! I've been in school; I've been busy; yada, yada, yada. None of them are any good though. It just has been a long time since I've even considered writing. I haven't even been to Ravelry.com in a great while. It took teaching Sweetpea to knit to get me back to this place and to this mindset.<br /><br />See, Sweetpea has picked up knitting very, very quickly. In fact, she is a sponge for it. Remember when you were there??? I sure remember that time! She's discovering fibers and patterns and techniques. It is such a joy to see it, to experience it, through her eyes - or, through her hands, if you will. Her enthusiasm for the craft has reignited my creativity. I just love it when that happens!!!<br /><br />Another friend, my BFF - Amethyst, and I were chatting last night about Sweetpea and her knitting. A few years ago, I taught Amethyst to knit and she really took to it. She was patient with my teaching and practiced like crazy. She had a handicap with me as her teacher. She is a lefty and I am a righty ... that made the process very interesting. Anyway, since then, Amethyst knits alot and she knits lace. She loves it and she is good at it. When she needs a break from other knitting, she knits lace. Me - I am a sock knitter. I knit loads of stuff but always go back to socks. I've got 2 pair of socks on the needles right now. One is a simple pair and the other takes concentration. Gotta have different projects for different moods, right?<br /><br />But, I digress, back to Sweetpea. Amethyst and I were wondering what Sweetpea's main knitting will be. Will she knit sweaters? Will she knit household items? It will be such fun watching her grow into her knitting-hood.<br /><br />Not only is this craft of knitting productive and useful, it is joyful. It brings people together. It is expressive and satisfying and, it was missed while I was in school. Today, a group of friends in Chicago are gathering to knit and enjoy each other's company. I wish I were there. It has been forever since I've really sat and knit. I will go do that now. I will think of my friends and I will knit.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-15320800942845154202009-01-04T22:48:00.003-05:002009-01-04T22:56:55.334-05:00The one in which I am back on track<div> So, here I am - working on this sock and trying to avoid SSS (Second Sock Syndrome). We know that SSS can be fatal (to a pair of socks) as it prematurely splits the socks so that a matched pair (such as they are) is unattainable. So, so sad. . .</div><br /><div></div><div> Anyway, I thought I'd be there on the Bellatrix pair. When we last visited the pair, the 2nd sock had progressed to the heel flap only to be stymied by a mistake in the pattern (well, really, in the pattern reading by the knitter). Undaunted and unstoppable (after a only a day or two pause in the knitting), the 2nd sock is on its way again. I've made the decision to go with the same heel flap stitch pattern as on the 1st sock (it is nice to have a pair that matches anyhow). The heel flap will be this lovely sl1, k across configuration. </div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287652848095494402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYLCHsNhDleb9B1uULON-1H5NZujQAd-hcDVZl0zOMGmg8iUpKnXK79HG9-hmayh622kRkbH6QEVNs4XkCWpCDgU0yTGUCCB0LQ6UjLeeDI_AQziU7Ksxlcsz8POVw2QFSKnJ/s200/IMGP0128+(1).JPG" border="0" /></div><br /> As of a few minutes ago, the heel flap is finished, the edge stitches picked up, the gusset knit and decreased and the body of the foot has been started. We (me and the sock) are in to the stockinette (appropriate, no?) stitches on the sole of the foot and the pattern stitches on the instep. Now, it we are inches away (okay, many inches away as I wear size 9.5 shoes) from having a pair (yes, a PAIR) of socks!!! Now, what to knit next?CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-20911630053661593902009-01-03T01:11:00.008-05:002009-01-03T01:28:18.769-05:00The one in which I slept<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO7rXnzt19i3_RzaA7WCXlIBjo1CL2M6SXFBoeVq2yD7mmXCvG3Q98O2p4IhhdwpTE0we5IBMzixLMzgPjUR2Lkwd_NPOQ6PrMlFR3Qwjk8c6NpodNE-XYmFBzyD1qA2OXjWY/s1600-h/crystal+ball+waterhouse.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286948386816758498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 86px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 145px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO7rXnzt19i3_RzaA7WCXlIBjo1CL2M6SXFBoeVq2yD7mmXCvG3Q98O2p4IhhdwpTE0we5IBMzixLMzgPjUR2Lkwd_NPOQ6PrMlFR3Qwjk8c6NpodNE-XYmFBzyD1qA2OXjWY/s200/crystal+ball+waterhouse.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I have been having such trouble with my body clock. My original night owl has been spreading her wings and staying up until all hours of the night. I go back to school on Monday, January 5th, 2009 and I am worried about how I am going to make it through the days staying awake. Hopefully, once I am back in the swing of things, I'll keep more regular hours.</div><div>Today, I got up earlier than usual (9 a.m.) and rushed to lunch with a friend and then to Circle. Today is Twelveth Night and we were celebrating. This is the time to divine into the future; to use oracles and tarot cards and whatever other divination tools are useful to gain, hopefully, insights into the near future path. We were fortunate enough to be able to use a spirit board and tarot cards to garner some insights and advice for 2009.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Anyhow, I got home and just collapsed. I went upstairs to check email around 6:30 p.m. and change clothing. I remember crawling into bed to get warm and then I woke up at 11:30 p.m. It is 1:30 a.m. and I am headed back to bed. Must be that I need the rest. Maybe the looking into the future took the steam out of me in the present. Well, it is off to snooze land. Dreams await.</div><div></div>CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-67419550315684678392009-01-01T23:57:00.006-05:002009-01-02T00:33:33.134-05:00The one in which I learn humilityOkay, okay. . . I'll admit it. I was getting a bit smug. I'd started the 2nd Bellatrix sock and was just speeding through them. Once memorized (and that's easy) the pattern was a breeze. It was time to start the heel flap and I was feeling good. The 1st sock had been sitting for a few months and I wanted to get them finished. After all, what is more comfy than handknit socks? And, in a Michigan winter, what is warmer? Also, I've been studying like crazy and it was high time that the right side of my brain gave the left side a break and did a little creating.<br /><br /><br /> So, anyway, the knitting is feeling great and the leg of the sock was finished. It was late in the evening but I was on a roll and didn't feel like putting the needles down in favor of sleep so I began the heel flap. I readied the sock and dove right in. That night, I did 22 rows of the 24 required. I was feeling good. The heel flap was tight but it looked good and I thought it would be good and strong. See?<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286559564423599618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkoalrig9mKIA8qq1Gx_ZKp5ys74IhL7XOLsJKnw0fy1YH2WLvOELNoHaAGdQwL0Xy1s8KaZ0M6BL092Z6_4KcXijNP4eMXNnWbkaHwmKVa5YYy_UTVJV822367dQN32wLMT_/s200/IMGP0127+(1).JPG" border="0" /> Not too bad, right? Well, that's what I thought until I sat down to knit again tonight. I thought I'd just breeze through it and turn the heel. First, though, I wanted to see the pair of socks together so I pulled out sock #1 in order to see the beauty of my work. There I was, being all smug again. I sat for a few moments and just stared at sock #1. Doggone it!!! The heel flaps didn't match. See? Here is heel flap #1. It is pretty but they just aren't the same.<br /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286560566357347586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqKJDdpKj8VrCqLhVKA28shPXqvuvfvNcOo1aPl-MCGi6J7gAw3l5fjbjHrMxM95SjlQbjOR7nvZbJau2MGIDqppAPDR_2TsV3SuTjy8WZsz6Ba7mDldikV0C94s1KFqeqseYo/s200/IMGP0128+(1).JPG" border="0" /> Heel flap #2 (the first one shown) looks ribbed whereas #1 does not. What the heck??!?!?!? So, what did I do (other than get a little cocky)? I picked up the pattern and there it was, in the instructions. "Rw 1: Sl 1 purlwise, k1 to end. Rw 2: Sl1 purlwise, p to end." I read them and reread them. Cripes! I'd done the heel flaps differently. On #1, I sl1 and then knit to the end, turned, sl1 and purled to the end. Sock #2 was sl1, k1 then sl1, p1 - alternating stitches throughout each row. Double cripes!!!</p><p> It was time to figure this out, obviously. I didn't want to frog all 22 rows but I couldn't wear socks with different heel flaps. Well, I could and no one would notice - but I would know. I wasn't sure what to do so, I went to Ravelry (of course!). I searched under "Bellatrix socks" and found more than 400 offerings to view. I began to look and felt comfortable that heel flap #1 was correct. That felt good, although it meant ripping back 22 rows (albeit short rows). Then, after several examples of Bellatrixes (Bellatrixi?), I began to see alternative heel flaps. Some folks used the sock #1 method and others had used sock #2 method. Triple cripes!!! Now what? It was time for a decision. Of course, I wasn't going to change sock #1 so that meant that I could rip back or mismatch. Cripes again!!! It was time to go afroggin'. :-(</p><p> I spent a good hour or more (interrupted with dinner, Dexter episodes and doggie/kitty petting) to get back to the beginning of the heel flap on sock #2. I want to knit more now but just don't have the energy or the confidence. Tomorrow evening, I'll get back to it. My lesson here is to be more humble, to remember to read the pattern through (and ask questions) before going off with my needles half-cocked. Now, on to rest for heel flap version 2.5. </p><p>Bright blessings to all.</p><p> </p><p> </p>CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-1528587095427186162008-12-21T16:12:00.003-05:002008-12-21T16:19:00.000-05:00Boy does time fly!!!Cripes, time just blows by. Like so many, I never believed adults (when I wasn't one) that time races as one ages. I cannot believe that I haven't posted since March but, it must be true. I wonder if I just post during the darker times of year - when I tend to be closer to the computer. Or, i just get lazy. Chances are it is the latter of those options.<br /><br />I am in a master's program now and have and excuse, sort of. Even so, I am on winter break and am supposed to be working on my master's thesis and, instead, I am doing this. I am listening to the Limenviolet podcast and knitting on Bellatrix sock #2 (finally!!!) and felt the urge to document some of this. Go figure!<br /><br />I actually should be gathering up Yule gifts to mail out tomorrow. I've got to run to the post office or to UPS to get them into the transport system. But, first, I've got to wrap the gifts. Then I have to make the decision about USPS or UPS. Husband (the mail carrier) or brother (the UPS exec) both appreciate the business. Maybe I'll split up the packages when I post them. Tomorrow will tell.<br /><br />We've got 10 or so inches of snow in the metro Detroit area. It is beautiful and so, so cold!!! We are s'posed to get more snow tonight. I guess that means more knitting time (to stay warm and all!!).<br /><br />Okay - I am off to help a friend move homes (yes, it is December and icy and still, life goes on!).<br /><br />Happy Winter Solstice to all!!CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-77106851692673421072008-03-18T18:45:00.006-04:002008-11-13T01:51:52.496-05:00To FO or to UFOCripes, time sure flies. There are a few aspects of winter that I love and one that I really don't like. It is the general lack of light that gets to me. I have to watch myself and make sure that I don't fall into a pit (or THE pit) of lethargy.<br /><br />In order to combat the winter doldrums, this year I vowed to work on my UFOs. Since the beginning of the calendar year, I've done pretty well. I've finished the Marquise Gauntlets in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Raven series Ravenscroft mediumweight yarn. I love these and loved working on them.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM7LnEEHyHDRhCJ7NmFCFTmYj-E9NXHvc9d-Mpj9FnRxz750piBqyWYk6jSI-gOJ_zqZT6fbnS-TUEkwm-RSKfiWHn_N_Vo3hWNc0RCSGOxQ3o7vvMNWJA3yD_Fp4WlBPhG6d/s1600-h/2008_0308Image0078.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179217825463622066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZM7LnEEHyHDRhCJ7NmFCFTmYj-E9NXHvc9d-Mpj9FnRxz750piBqyWYk6jSI-gOJ_zqZT6fbnS-TUEkwm-RSKfiWHn_N_Vo3hWNc0RCSGOxQ3o7vvMNWJA3yD_Fp4WlBPhG6d/s200/2008_0308Image0078.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Additionally, I knit away on these "Gwen" socks. They are a Momma Monkey pattern from Gigi Silva. They were heartwarming to knit as Gigi passed away earlier this year and I was able to meditate on her and her generosity as I knit them. Also, they are for my sister who has had some health issues. I added prayers for her as I knit them.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx30C8BRN9oiXClWmiOxBD1kj0Hu7eRcOkD6vqhzTkLXMEO6YFO5QVtwBuOkWXpRqOs2o3AJ2h7wu0N95AMf0njeB2nBIjGwAf5m5h87rHJtAxf8JIF7Js_c36TpGzUBSl8sf/s1600-h/2004_0101(028).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179217829758589378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSx30C8BRN9oiXClWmiOxBD1kj0Hu7eRcOkD6vqhzTkLXMEO6YFO5QVtwBuOkWXpRqOs2o3AJ2h7wu0N95AMf0njeB2nBIjGwAf5m5h87rHJtAxf8JIF7Js_c36TpGzUBSl8sf/s200/2004_0101(028).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now, I am working on finishing an afghan that a former knitter asked me to complete. Normally, I wouldn't so such a thing but, it is for Mary's mom, Betty. Betty turns 90 this year. She's knit one of these afghans for each of her children, grandchildren and, all but one of her great-grandchildren. She started this one and her arthritis got the best of her. She asked Mary to ask me to finish it. Last July, I received a box o'yarn in the mail. It was loaded with skeins of dark plum Red Heart acrylic, the instructions (typewritten) and the panel that Betty had started. I've been stalling on working on it because I had trouble getting a gauge to match Betty's piece and because I am not fond of the yarn. Now that I am working on cleaning up the UFO pile, it is being worked. We'll see how long it lasts.<br /><br />On to better things . . . it is 'trash night' after all.CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20238713.post-65388053867816960892008-02-03T21:37:00.000-05:002008-02-03T21:49:37.918-05:00Frog SundayWell, today is Superbowl Sunday . . . okay - the game is on somewhere in the house but I am sure not watching it. Even if I did watch it, I'd be watching for the commercials and not so much for the game itself. Instead, I had a lie in today and a lovely day of puttering.<br /><br />I've done a couple of loads of laundry and I began straightening and cleaning my Atelier (I think this means studio). In the studio room I had piles of clothing for mending, yarn, patterns, sweaters for recycling, etc. etc. Now, I can see the floor and find yarns and such! Woohoo!!! Now, it is 9:45 p.m. and I haven't knit a stitch - but, there is still a little time for that.<br /><br />A while back, I found some lovely natural fiber sweaters at various thrift shops. My plan was to deconstruct them and reuse the yarn. There were about 10 or 12 pieces of angora and a few of lambs wool, others were all wool of varying colors and qualities. the sweaters were good brands - Talbots, Abercrombie and Fitch, and others. I still like the idea but changed my mine for this batch of sweaters. These will go to the local homeless shelter. It has been in the single digits at night and in teens during the day. Yorble gathers up things the shelter needs and in watching this - I decided the sweaters would be going there as well. I can afford yarn. Although the idea of recycling is great - the reuse is more important here. They are going to a good home.<br /><br />Okay - after that decision was made and those sweaters were set aside, I found several UFOs that needed attending to soon. One was the start of a pet cosie for the Royal Oak Animal Shelter. It was knitted of 2 yarns combined - one eyelash and another poly worsted, both in shade of red. I'd run out of the eyelash and was debating finishing the blanket just inthe worsted so I tried it. It just didn't look right. I even tried rationalizing that it was just for some kitty or puppy who'd be adopted and the animal wouldn't care what it looked like. But, the sensibilities took over and helped me realize it did matter and I frogged the darn thing. The yarn is now destined for a hat and scarf for the homeless shelter. I have and will make other pet cosies - but, not with the red yarn.<br /><br />Another frog incident was with some elann.com Peruvian Highland Wool. I had been knitting fingerless gloves for my sister. These were simple with a single large cable up the arm. In looking at them - I realized the gauge was off and they were just too long and chunky (from my knitting, not the yarn). Sister wouldn't wear them. She is always cold and deserves something lovely and wearable - so, they got frogged. The yarn is a coppery color and will probably be reknit into fingerless mitts for her but in proper gauge!<br /><br />So, there it is. I am now headed to knit on another UFO - the Gwen socks from Simply Shetland - also for Sister. Yea!!!CosmicWebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11879881120122387356noreply@blogger.com0