Bon Appetit, Italy!

The new issue of Bon Appetit arrived yesterday and I flipped through it while eating my supper last night.  Usually it does not pique my interest but this one is different; it's just really cool with lots of Italian things including espresso, pasta and tiramisu.  Hoo Rah.  (By the way, I made a couple of killer pizzas Monday night!)

Here's a gift I received a few weeks ago from some people I work for.  Two award winning wines.  Hoo Rah again.  Gratitude comes in all kinds of shapes! I like it when people choose to show appreciation rather than say it!!!

The little Cocoa Bear Sweater is almost done.  I've completed all the parts except for the front which I started tonight.

what's left of yarn

back, arms, hood

front left

I will block it when finished and then wash and block again after piecing it together.  It will need to full and shrink a bit since it's looking a little large right now.

Yesterday I spent the entire day cleaning the garage.  Yes it looks like a million dallahs! I listened to an audio book and did not stop cleaning till the job was finished.  And I couldn't wait to make a place for this stuff.  More of what I got from my friend Saturday morning!  (Carded Wool)

I feel so blessed lately, in spite of the vivid reality that there are things I cannot change about this world or the people in it.   I have a bookmark my father in law made years ago that says simply this, "Be still and know that I am God." Ps. 46:10
Life is always a challenge, and many times we have to hold our noses and take the plunge, so to speak.  Dive in and do what we know we have to do, regardless of the repercussions and/or consequences.  Sometimes it's scary, and sometimes we just don't know what to expect.  Then when we've done it, all that's left is to be still and wait.   That's almost as hard as the 'doing' part.

Apples and Oranges

Last year I got my first batch of apples from this apple tree and if the blooms are any indication, I should have more this year as well.  Yahoo!

And now that Spring has fooled us into thinking it would be warm (said with annoyed inflection), we are having another round with cold winds and rain.  So my Snowball Tree is looking right at home in this cold weather.  I'm glad I snapped this picture last weekend when it was sunny! Such a lovely tree when it blooms, even though it desperately needs pruning.

check out the bird's nest!

Today I paid a visit to a friend who's having several rounds of chemo and some radiation.   She patiently explained to me what exactly is going on with her body and the treatments, as I have very little firsthand knowledge of cancer and how it's treated these days.  Both my grandfathers died of something akin to lung cancer and my grandmother died of ovarian cancer, while I had a cousin die at a very young age of a rare form of cancer.   All these happened at least 25 years ago or more and research has come a long, long way since then.   Treatment is so much more effective and doctors are able to diagnose cancer at a much earlier rate than ever before.  So my friend has a much brighter future than anyone I ever knew as a young person.
Thank God for doctors and researchers!

While we visited, my friend allowed me to peruse her stash of carded wool, and I came away with some very nice goodies for my spinning wheel.   One was this box of carded camel down.

It's as soft as it looks and I am so anxious to spend some time with it; maybe later tonight or Monday night. And here's a whole pound of carded mohair - very shiny and sturdy.

I have to take a moment this week to pay a special tribute to another lovely lady, my mother in law.  She passed from this earth April 19, 1997 quite suddenly and her loss is still felt.

                                                                   Tom & Betty 11/95

She was another classy person who was dealt her fair share of grief for one lifetime, yet she maintained a strong faith in Jesus and saw to it that we all knew how much she loved her family.  I was very intimidated when I met her, and I'm sure she had now idea how nervous I was.  I was very aware that I would be taking away one of her boys and she had run a tight ship, so I had a lot to live up to.  Over the years she taught me lots of things about cooking and keeping house and raising kids. Her advice was always wise and straight up, but only when we asked her for it.  She was careful not to interfere.  She did a great job of raising her boys, and I will always be grateful for her example.  And if that weren't enough, she could knit as well!  Holy cow, what a lady!!

Euripides, please

Some people are born with class, others learn it, and still others earn it.  I have met an older woman this year who is very classy, and you might miss this if you met her at the grocery store.  She is genteel, kind and soft spoken.  Her personal tragedies have led her to re-evaluate what's important in life.  Though her home has bookcases lined with books like Euripides and Walden, her home is also filled with a sweet fragrance. Love, kindness and respect.  She leads a low-key life (keepin' it on the DL!) but has taken great pains to ensure that all of her family feels loved.  Its amazing how loudly some people's quiet works speak to us.  And it's important that we remember those who are the loudest are not always the most worthy of our attention.  Sometimes we overlook those who are moving mountains one shovelful at a time! 

Now for some fiber, after I've waxed philosophical.  My lovely spinning wheel has been under the influence lately.  I am sure that I have raved about yarns and wool before, but the key to all good spinning is keeping your wheel oiled.

Every time I change out a bobbin, I am making sure I put a few drops of oil on the shaft of the flyer; and it really makes all the difference.

Every spinning wheel deserves a little oil and a good wheel is made all the better with some TLC.   I now keep a bottle of oil on the table next to my spinning wheel chair so that I never, ever forget.

Here's my new sock form modeling the first of the Uncle Albert socks.   The form looks so big without anything on it - much better wearing a soft wool sock!

 I'm a bit under the weather this evening.  I think I caught a bug from work.  A few folks I know went to Las Vegas last week and came back sick; apparently not everything stays in Vegas!  Last night I felt funny, but got through the day okay.  My friend at work today said she felt yukky and I think even my husband has caught it.  Vague nausea, chills and sore joints.  Maybe I need to go find the spinning wheel oil. Or maybe I'm just not looking forward to my annual doctor's appt. tomorrow.  Oh me.

Hello Sunshine!

What a beautiful day!  Sunshine, breeze, and low humidity. Perfect weekend weather after such a long, damp winter.  I saw some little vegetable plants at a fruit stand, as well as marigolds and even herbs.  I am sooo excited about starting my garden.  I saw an episode of a reality show where a couple of fellows bought a place in upstate NY and began to be gentlemen farmers.  You can tell, it takes some skill and strength to run a farm.  I personally have always dreamed of a life like that, but many friends have warned me that it's not as romantic as it looks.   So I'll stick with a  vegetable garden for now!  No livestock allowed in my subdivision.  LOL!

The little Coco Bear sweater is such a sweet thing to knit.  It's small and very easy knitting.  Stockinette with a few shaping details.

I've seen some projects using this pattern on Ravelry and I think I'll do some decreases on the hood.  That's probably my next segment.  I cast off the back today.

I visited Yarniverse yarn shop in Memphis this morning and bought these.

I've wanted a pair of these sock forms for a while and frankly they cost more than I thought they would, but I'll only have one pair and they should last a long time!  Thank goodness. I'm not gonna fool myself and imagine that I could make a pair of them myself.  Let the pro's do it who have a blow torch and know how to use it.  I'll stick to peeling potatoes and planting lettuce.  (BTW, my lettuce is doing really well now that the sun is shining!)

                                                   (Mississippi River)
My daughter's husband is about to finish graduate school this next month.  As a couple, they have sacrificed and worked hard to maintain a decent lifestyle while reaching a goal.  Life takes balance and not everyone can achieve that.  Lots of people get multiple degrees, some addicted to academia.

                                               (Mud Island, Memphis, TN)
Lots of people jump into to making money hand over fist.  But few people have the ability to keep normal, realistic lifestyles while achieving a worthy goal.  I am so proud of these kids for keeping their sense of humor and perspective when the pressure has been beyond reasonable.  They will receive their reward soon enough and there is not a greater reward for hard work and endurance than fruit from your own labor! Congratulations to Adam C. Davis, JD and the little missus!

Coco Bear reigns supreme

It's not hard to make progress on a little bitty sweater.  I love it!

I am knitting on the back, having already completed the arms of the little hoodie.  It's so cute.

It's light weight and portable - perfect for travel. 

I unexpectedly got the day off today which worked out well.  Heading out of town for the weekend, I was glad to have a day to do some things around the house and yard without being too 'under the gun'.

Since its so terribly lovely, I thought I'd grab the hedge trimmer and clean up the bushes in the back yard.  The pampas grass, maiden and zebra grasses all needed a hair cut and so did the forsythia.  I got a hair cut the other day, so why shouldn't they, right?  Out to the garage to find the extension cord and trimmer.  So far so good.  Unwind the cord, all the way, as I hear my mom say in my subconscious, "Do it right, Brenda".  Now to make the little loop on the end of the handle so the cord doesn't come out while trimming.  But where's the plug-in part?? Only little tracks.  Then it hits me this is a re-chargeable trimmer that I had not used.  Looking for the charger, all I find is the battery pack for the electric drill, and lots of dust bunnies that I remind myself to vacuum later.  Finally I find it.  The battery pack for the trimmer.

And in much less time than it took me to get it all set up, I've got all the stuff trimmed in the back yard;  I'm now a fan of cordless hedge trimmers!  No callouses or blisters from those over sized scissors (loppers), and no nicked orange electric extension cords.

Progress is good!  And I got some sun on my legs and shoulders.  I've got a month to get a tan before my son and son-in-law's graduations.  Hadn't even thought about a new dress till yesterday, and hubby said I should get two; one for each ceremony. Special occasions are worth celebrating!  Woo hoo! And I'm so proud of my kids.  My son came by yesterday afternoon to work with his dad and we all took a moment to go to Sonic for a chili dog.  It was a perfect afternoon outside and I treasured those precious moments with my son.  He is all grown up, married and out of the house, so these times are few and far between.  There's not a sweeter, kinder boy that God could have given me for a son back in 1987.  He is leap years beyond his age  in character and integrity.  He is loving and thoughtful, not to mention talented and smart!  He chose well when picking a wife and they are  perfect for each other. (She's just like him!)   Like the Bible says, children are a blessing!

Vanity of Vanities

I knew once I turned 40 that things would probably begin to change.  I began to realize a couple of years ago that I really needed reading glasses and now I can't read printed materials without them.  Other physical symptoms of aging are more and more evident, like the increased time it takes me to recover from heavy physical activity.  And in the last couple of years I've begun to see more gray hairs.  I wear a pony tail to work pretty often, and one day a girl asked me if I'd ever thought of coloring my hair.  Subtle, huh?  (She's 23.) But today the brutal truth looked me straight in the eye and spoke through my hair stylist.  She carefully mentioned that she saw a few gray hairs and that sometime in the future I might begin to consider a 'stain'.  Honestly, I'd never heard of anything like that, but it sure sounded better to me than the dreaded, "look who just dyed her hair" thing.  My stylist assured me that a stain wouldn't change the color of my hair, just cover the gray.  AKA, Miss Clairol? Anyway, the cat's out of the bag, so to speak.  Or at least the reality of turning 46 this year has come home to roost. (Now I'm really mixing metaphors!)  I am not going to color my hair right now, but I shook hands with the idea today.  Nice to meet you (not)!

I do love to dye wool, though and I think throwing in a little this and that color-wise makes spinning yarn a lot of fun.  A long time ago I took several different colored skeins of home-dyed wool, knitted this bag and felted it.   It's called a Booga Bag and it's one of the first things I blogged about when I started back in the fall of 2004.

The knitting world has changed a lot in the last several years, and people are much more sophisticated in their blog posts and projects.  People are really being innovative in their use of audio and video recording and posting.  Social marketing is keeping us all updated on an hourly basis when someone buys a zipper, returns a zipper, and then gets another zipper.  This may be more than I need to know, but at least it's up to me to decide what information I want to see/hear about.  I love the way women (and men) are connecting and sharing their love of crafts and fibers.  People are way too dependent on chemicals to cheer them up, and I honestly feel that this new world of communication is a real shot in the arm to our mental state.  It's nice to know when people are interested in your project and glad to see the thing finished.  I love to have people say, "Yes, I know, I saw it in your blog!"  How cool.

Coco Bear

 Nice needles plus nice yarn plus nice pattern equals nice knitting.   NN + NY + NP = NK
Sounds like an algebra formula but it's true here as well.  With all the right ingredients, you can almost guarantee a good time.  One bad ingredient can make for a less pleasant experience.  Two bad ingredients, well, you get the idea.

I like the whole package with this little hoodie sweater that I'm going to call Coco Bear.  I just think the color reminds me of Coco Puffs, and the sweater looks like a teddy bear sweater pattern.  Easy. The pattern is published by Bernat and is from a flyer in the store, so it's tried and true.  Also, it's on Ravelry and I don't see any major errata.  The needles are the new Harmony needles from Knit Picks.  So far, everything's good.

 I finished a heel finally on one Uncle Albert sock, and it turned out pretty thick.

That may not be all bad, given the wear and tear on socks in general.  My socks tend to give out in the toe before the heel, but whatever.  It is what it is.  The socks are slowly but surely getting knitted, and I'm about to lose interest - they may soon end up in the WIP pile till next fall!
I don't ever want to take for granted all the good things in my life, but there's a time for everything.  Some things really work well given certain circumstances and seasons, but sometimes the season's change and it's time to move on to something different.

                                           (Time for a new To-Go coffee mug!)

I've begun to do more and more carding and spinning, now that the garage and back porch are suitable weather-wise.  I really am enjoying my drum carder and all the wool I have collected.  Making good use of them is truly fun.  Mixing colors and fibers has turned into more of a creative process than I'd expected!  Who knew?

Well, it's Tuesday, you know.

If it's Tuesday, this must be (not Belgium) the night I catch up on my Tivo shows.  And the night I knit like a fiend.  I do not deny that I love to knit; it's like a pacifier that I can get away with.  And it's very legal, so no one can fuss.  And to make it holy, God was a knitter!  Oh you didn't know?  Yes, it says in the Bible that God knit me in my mother's womb. So if He was knitting way back when, it MUST be okay!

The opportunity to remake an old sweater has been hanging over my head for a while (all winter).  So on Monday night I ripped out the stitches in the neck of the purple sweater, and re-knit several rows of ribbing.  The cast off had been too tight, so much so that I couldn't get it over my head.  Now all I have to do is block it.  Yippee!

I designated Monday as a play day, since I happened to get the day off at the last minute.  I took advantage of not having any scheduled chores and made a trip to Hobby Lobby and got this yarn.

I started a little hoodie for a baby with this washable cotton from Bernat.  Very soft and a sweet cocoa color.  I'm knitting on size 6 needles as the pattern calls for. 

I haven't forgotten the red wrap, in case you're wondering.  It's coming along just fine.  I worked on it some Monday evening.
I haven't watched any basketball this week.  All my teams are out and the fun is just gone.  Pooh. Instead I have downloaded some more knitting podcasts and listened to one on my way to work this morning.  An hour commute in heavy traffic was made nearly delightful  bearable because I was listening to the Knitmore girls talk about yarn!

I worked for about 8 hours straight, my only break being a 10 minute drive from one place to another.  Came home famished and could not resist the comfort that only a cheeseburger can bring.  It was good, really good, but I ate too fast.  Anyway, it was worth it!! I felt I deserved a treat after a long day at work and a bad week last week.  My friend's husband had a heart attack, my brother in law lost his job, I endured a personal humiliation at work that I'd rather forget,  found out that our quarterly paycheck that's a month late will now be two months late, and some folks I love are being investigated. (Don't ask!)   I am not complaining about my life, just sharing why I thought it necessary to get a cheeseburger this afternoon.  Like I said, it was worth it!

Uncle Albert

Twice this week I heard the song Uncle Albert and thought of the gray socks.  I figure that they really do deserve a name and even though I haven't had time to knit this week, I could at least pick up some heel stitches and name the little guys.

It seems like, if I had an uncle with a British accent, he would probably be called Uncle Albert and would be the kind of man who wears gray wool socks.

The weather has been pretty gray the latter part of the week, and once again, it feels like England must feel every day.  Wet, cool, damp, moist....but green.  It's sooooo green outside, and that is my favorite color.

On a sad note, my spinning group buddy, Marty, is going through chemo and about to start radiation.  All this time we've spent together, I never thought I'd be typing about her cancer.  I hate it.  She is such a lovely person and is such a talented spinner and knitter.  I got my knitting machine from her and don't know how much carded roving I've gotten from her, as well as stash-reduction sock yarn. She's a talented sock designer and  cookbook author.   I am praying for her healing and that she would be back to her old self soon, long shiny hair and all!

On a happier note, I will be participating in a community garden this year.  Woo Hoo!  My friend Marlene invited me to be her partner this spring and I couldn't be more thrilled.  She plants the usual stuff and I am excited to try them and a few new things as well.

 My lettuce in the back yard is doing very well, although the lack of sunshine and warm weather has kept them from flourishing.  I saved about half a packet of seeds from each variety so hopefully I'll be able to plant them in my new country garden!

Jaded

As of this moment, my bones are disagreeing with my work schedule. While I am committed to doing lots of things that require flexibility, agility and movement in keeping with the stamina and body of a 20 year old, my bones are objecting, rejecting and calling the authorities whenever I push the issue.  Point taken.  Will look into it, I promise.

My hands seem to be able to keep up pretty well with my knitting and spinning goals, and since these remain "old lady activities" I should be good for a while.

Since it was sunny and warm on Saturday, I did a little housework (to satisfy my conscience) and made my way to the garage to clean up my yarn-stash-area.  It's all contained on a large oriental rug that I've used as an imaginary boundary line for all my gear, yarn and fiber processing equipment.  I think I did a really good job and realized as the day went on that I couldn't stop.  I kept doing one more thing until the day was gone.
I dyed some wool and yarn with this Jade green dye from Cushing.

I determined to make the next swatch from my YOTM club.  It is called Angel by Debbie Bliss (queen of yarn in my little world!)  and is made of Super Kid Mohair and Silk. 

Later I finished the gray wool socks all the way to the toes.

Sadly I don't recall giving them a name.  Kind of like naming your new  black cat, "Kitty"  or "Blackie".  I am out of yarn for the heels so they will be knit with this ball of yarn, all of which is homespun wool.  You can barely see the thread where the afterthought heel will go.  

Today I spent my time helping move someone out of their 'corporate' office and to their home.  Home offices are becoming more and more popular, mostly for cost cutting measures.  In reality, home offices just mean you never stop working.  Home offices mean you start when you wake up, break for lunch or coffee, keep working in the afternoon, and pick up where you left off after dinner.  Just ask my hubby.   :-)

March Madness

  (this photo is not color enhanced in any way - just turned out that way at dusk on Sunday!)

Today is St. Patrick's Day and I've got a good idea what lots of you are doing tonight. (You've already told me!)  I, on the other hand, am having coffee.  I'm sure St. Patrick would get start at how we celebrate his life today! (LOL)

Anywho....this is where I change the subject back to knitting and spinning, avoiding altogether the serious loss I suffered last year with my brackets (NCAA).  This year I am just having fun with them. :-0


It seems reasonable to say that I am a novice at most everything I do, but I enjoy the learning curve - it's exciting to learn something new, and the joy of discovery is what makes life fun, don't you think?  I have made some choices about my life for the next year and I'm looking forward to a little sabbatical.  My kids (all four now) will be in town this coming year, as far as I know, and I can't wait to spend some really quality time with them before they move on to 'greener' (think $$) pastures.

            (This is my wisteria in full bud.  Can't wait for the blooms.)

It has been a long, cold winter and the thoughts of spring are a welcome change!!

We kind of dodged a bullet this past week.  A car accident on a busy, major interstate left us with the potential of having to buy a new car which we DO NOT have the money for.  Instead we got the stellar news today that the car can be fixed and I am eternally grateful to the mechanic and the lady at our insurance office for working together for our common good!  Hallelujah!

Not what you'd expect

Friday morning I woke up to the news of the earthquake and tsunami.  Frightening things in a place where there's no where to run - the island of Japan.  Today they are watching for and trying to prevent a nuclear meltdown.  Life is not always what we'd expect and sometimes there's just no way to be prepared for the unexpected.
My weekend in NC did not include a trip to the LYS after all.  Plans change and the unexpected happens.  (We had a car accident.) But I still had a wonderful visit with my FIL and got to see a dear friend who I've known for years.  She and I made plans to take a trip together later this spring, just us girls; something I never, ever do.   But I made a vow to renew my social life this year and this seemed like a great way to keep my promise!

While away this weekend, I caught up on some knitting, including of course the red wrap which is about to see the start of a new ball of yarn.

I wound the last hank into two balls and have the next to last ball ready to tie on!

I also knit a swatch with yarn from my YOTM collection on the drive there.  This is definitely a yarn I would pay money for.  Being a spinner, it's hard to say that about any yarn, but this one is knitter friendly and looks good, too.  I randomly took a size 5 needle that I thought would be appropriate for any of the yarns in the pack.

Last night I couldn't sleep and grabbed my lap top to look at YouTube videos of carding wool.  I found this one that demonstrates how to make roving through a diz, straight from the drum carder.  It was the kind of thing you'd enjoy dreaming about.  Sad to say I still didn't get much sleep last night.  High hopes for this evening, cause I gotta go to work tomorrow (Monday).

Look what came in the mail!

In spite of the fact that I haven't felt good for several days now, I am well enough to post a quick blog with my new yarn selections from YOTM Club.  These are the prettiest purples I've ever seen! (the photos don't do justice on this dreary day)
I had just said to my hubby as I opened the bag today that I may just switch to another club, since the selections hadn't quite resurrected the dead for me.  Or even charged my battery.  They really haven't inspired me much at all , up until now, that is.

Oh boy are they beautiful.  Purples that are pretty, not Barney-ish. And fibers that look so lovely and soft!  What a treat!

I will be taking a quick trip Friday and Saturday  with my husband to go check on my FIL, and I am anxious to try these yarns out on the drive over there.

If I play my cards right, I'll get to ......go to, .........wait for it.........Earth Guild in Asheville!  Crescendo, cymbals crashing, bass violins making all kinds of racket!  Do I love that store or what? I hope to get a new bobbin or two for my Kromski Symphony.  I only have three and it's impossible to make a three play onto a bobbin when all three are taken up with singles, ready to be plied. 

If there are two things that can cheer me up quickly, they would be yarn and yarn stores.  Oh baby, and I really need a little lift.  Just what the doctor ordered. And while we're at it, here is the set of Clover Bamboo  4s I finally picked up at Bliss Yarns last week.  Isn't She Lovely? Isn't She Wonderful?