Shower the People

Watching a James Taylor concert video with my husband, and listening to the gentle music, beautiful melodies and charming jokes, it reminded me of years ago when my husband worked for a music company that would send us on retreats every year with the other songwriters. There was such mutual respect and admiration. Never a selfish word was uttered, and everyone always deferred to the others' judgment; lots and lots of laughs, friendly chatter and encouragement. There were people from all over the world and you've never met a more talented group of people. Any little kicking around of a tune led to the most beautiful music, effortlessly.

You can see that James Taylor is like that. Comfortable in his own skin, never belittling or demeaning others. He just is. The world really, really needs more people like that.

Well, anyway, I promised to share my progress on the DYFLWD* socks so here you go!
The cuff portion is about as long as the foot portion, unfolded of course. The heel has some silk and angora and is knit on needles two sizes smaller, for sturdiness.

I did some dyeing over the weekend and will post those pictures soon. The colors are really bright and vivid; just the thing to cheer you up if you need it. They're almost kool-aid colors, though I bought them from Cushing.

And I got the new Spin Off recently, and its got a great article on spinning wool with a Tahkli spindle.

When I get home in the afternoons now, I am free to spend a little time knitting, spinning or working in the garden. What a welcome change from before! And now that the weather is cooling off a bit, I am even more inspired to do some weeding and re-planting (that means moving plants that just didn't work in their current location).
P.S. I have a random acorn squash plant that's got two squashes on it right now!

* DYFLWD - do you feel like we do?

Last days of summer

My sister emailed me the other day and she said she would love to have some socks for Christmas. I will tell you there was only a slight puff of smoke left in the room as I broke land speed records getting to the garage to start picking out yarn. Making a decision on what color and type of yarn to knit proved more difficult than my mad dash to the yarn bins.

I have spent days trying to find inspiration for this pair of socks and I finally found it this morning. I woke up early and decided to have one more try at it. I looked at an old Mary Englebreit calendar that was on the shelf and knew that was it. I had all the right colors to start the socks and only needed to make a swatch to determine the stitches per inch (SPI).

I wound the hanks into center pull balls and began to do the calculations once I'd made the swatch.

I have a great sock calculator that takes all the numerical information and formulates your cast on, distances, etc. (When I lived near Asheville, I took a sock knitting class that has paid for itself countless times! )

So, I want these socks to turn out right and my sister and I have about the same size foot; her's is a 6 1/2 and I wear a 7, but it's close enough. So I measured my ankle, foot and the swatch, plugged in the numbers and filled in the blanks.

I've started with a 2x2 rib and will continue all the way to the heel flap. Then I'll switch to plain stockinette. Hopefully by Tuesday night I'll have some decent progress photos to share. I'm so excited!!!

History lesson

My son got the photographs from his wedding a little over a week ago and I've looked them over a few times; there are so many that it takes a while to really look at them closely. His bride is absolutely lovely and there are a few precious photos of our family, all together. I realized how spread out and extended our family has become and how much things change over the years.

I was just looking at the photos from my original Smitten with Knittin blog; I thought I'd share them - they are from October 2004.
The top photo is a pair of fair isle mittens that didn't quite turn out the way I'd planned, but they were used that winter! The second is a felted purse (my first try) from the Booga Bag fame.

I found a couple of photos of my Two Year Old's Sunday school class from around that time and realized that these kids are now in elementary school and I probably wouldn't recognize them.



I had my favorites and the little blond in the back was one of them. She was such a cutie! My daughter took these photos; she was helping me teach the class in those days and will be a wonderful mom someday, I'm sure. I think that little girl reminded me of my daughter when she was two. Hair like peach fuzz and skin so white it was almost translucent. My daughter is all grown up and married now. She's had a pretty tough week and its been really hard to listen to her cry over the phone and not be able to hug her and dry her tears like I used to.
I'm thankful she has a wonderful husband who loves her dearly and can hug her for me.
I also found some pictures of a trip she and I took to Boston the year she graduated.

We had a blast and experienced an adventure I'll never forget - subways and trains and US history out the wazoo! Like I said in the last post, I'm very rich indeed.

Dragonfly Summer

If you didn't do much this summer, I'll bet its not because you didn't have the chance. It seemed like there was more going on in the last few months than I can recall in many recent years.
I was sitting at the LAX airport on Thursday and thinking of my connecting flight, and the previous connection I had made on Monday, and then counted all the cities I've been in or through in the last few months. I realized how blessed I am to have been so many places. I live a rich life, that's sure. I am not rich with earthly wealth, though. I've never once flown first class on a plane, I only today, for the first time have had a fridge with ice/water in the door. I've never paid $100 for a pair of shoes and have never owned a laptop computer. But I feel rich all the same. I want for nothing, and am rich with family who love me and I love them. Now there is true wealth.

My husband's aunt lost her mother to cancer this month and asked if he would be willing to do the funeral, since he is an ordained minister and, of course, family.
They took care of the details and we arrived on Monday afternoon to see family members preparing to say goodbye to Grandma Ina. She was loved by many and left a great hole in her absence. Her husband's family was wealthy by earthly standards, but she was a very wealthy woman by another standard. She cared deeply for all those around her. She was a joyous, mischievous person who lived life fully, to the very end. What a legacy; I hope to do the same.

I enjoyed myself while in CA, and without delay, I found a Starbucks more than once.




My husband took me to IKEA, and I got the famous dish towels.

I enjoyed the warm weather and got reacquainted with lots of relatives while there. The flowers are always beautiful and the people are always genuine. My husband remarked that he hated to leave, and I believe him.

There is a special place in our hearts for family out west.

Beginning and the End

They used to say all good things must come to an end. We are all trying desperately to make all those good things keep on working well past their prime. Our bodies can only do so much and can only look young for so long. At some point the Bible says to give up for lost that which is lost.
I can testify to that, with last night being a great example. When we get a little older, our bodies want to turn in a little earlier than they used to. Staying up till eleven o'clock might have been an option as a teenager, but for me today, there's no way.
Many of our knitting projects must also come to an end , no matter how we feel about them. I put the Stoney River socks away when it was time to do the kitchener stitch closing of the second toe. I was tired of doing it and kept putting off the inevitable.
Well, today I did it. I picked up those socks, grabbed a darning needle and 'closed the book' so to speak. They're done!


And I picked up an almost identical ball of yarn that I had in my stash that just seemed to be perfect for knitting with those size 2 DPNs! I had a request several weeks ago so I just may get a head start on those tomorrow.

Still working on the gray throw, but I'm in the homestretch. The rows are so long now, it's like running around the football field in P.E. - you feel like it will never end! But I know better. All good things must come to an end.
I plan to make some kind of crochet edging that resembles a scallop, just to brighten it up. I could also do a fringe, which I haven't done in years. What do you think? Too seventies?
Then it might look like a dull poncho.....but at least it would be done sooner, right?

My husband and I will be going to a funeral this week. A close relative of my husband's aunt's has gone to be with the Lord. I know that this person's life was very special and they were loved by many, many people. A passing such as this is never easy, but when a life was lived to the fullest, and there seem to be no regrets, you can't help but exhale, knowing they are in a truly better place.

Upstairs Downstairs

We recently repainted the kids’ old bedrooms upstairs and I want to finish the Macy’s Gray throw to go on one of those beds upstairs.
The colors are misleading (the top is cream and the bottom is military blue).

I keep adding more yarn and keep knitting like Madame Defarge, but I have no executions in mind while I knit. There are two balls of yarn on the floor now, and I’ve got one more hank to ‘ball up’ before I have to start re-spinning the rest. It’s got to be big, cause no one likes a too small blanket.
I know, I know! I'm as tired of posting pictures of it, as you are tired of seeing it. Are we there yet?

I did ply the Lavender Sparkle and it's divine! Okay, it's just cute, but this post needs help.

Evidence that demands a verdict

When my daughter in law moved into her new apartment, a little chair looked at me with the saddest eyes, trying to get my attention to save it. A large lion (or kitty) had clawed the arms of this little chair and I feared the chair would be put down, so I suggested that I could make a slipcover for this sweet little critter. My mom brought me some fabric last month and I grabbed my sewing machine from the closet today to make this cloak of invisibility.

Leftovers from surgery.


The surgeon.

The patient in recovery.

Can you tell I watched a few episodes of House while I sewed today? All these references to medicine?

But I don't take the opportunity to sew much anymore, mostly because making my own clothes is not any cheaper than buying them at the store.

I used to though - make my own clothes. Especially when I was single. I was making all kinds of skirts and jumpers, blouses and even covered belts and buttons. I was quite the seamstress. And I worked for a while in a medical office so my sewing became little white 'nurse' dresses and skirts. One time I made a skirt out of a pillowcase and no one was the wiser. (Please don't tell!)

When the kids were born, I sewed a lot and also made things for the home, but eventually I put the machine back in the closet and now I only get it out every once in a while. Sewing comes right back to you though, like driving a stick shift. Funny how that stuff stays with you, for years and years, even when you're sure you could never pull it off again, from out of nowhere, you just know what to do!

Coup de Grace

There's a lot of talk lately about the future of book stores and libraries. I have long been a fan of both, and as a reader, I will always be a fan. But nothing lasts forever. Mowers no longer use a scythe but a John Deere. Shopping isn't done from the Sears catalog anymore. I would much rather take a car or plane than horse and buggy on vacation. And a lot of books are bought online or downloaded to eReaders. That's just the way it is. I've read a book that makes an argument that our brains are re-routed nowadays, because of all the time we spend on the internet and on our cell phone apps. I can't agree with this guy's argument 100%. It may be true to a degree, but life goes on and things change. Some call it progress.
But I wanted to test my theory. I decided today that I would go to the library and get a really long book to read, just to test my attention span. I wanted a book that had a good reputation but was also not known to be difficult to read. This book is over 30 years old and was NYT bestseller (over 20 million copies sold) and is considered a modern classic. ** Neither of my local library systems had the book. One library only kept one copy and it was out. The other library didn't even have a copy. ** It is becoming nearly impossible for all libraries and bookstores to keep copies of all books ever made on their shelves at all times. Period. So I went home and downloaded a copy to my Kindle. And as for my attention span, I'm totally into the book. Can't wait to go to bed and get back to my nearly 700 page novel.
OK, soapbox rant is over!

This throw is beginning to look like a hoop skirt.
My friend came over last night and asked me what I was knitting. I told her what it was, but I know what she thought. It looks like a gunny sack or a duffel bag!
Then I took her outside to show her what was growing in the garden and to ask if she could identify the second picture below. She gave me her best guess but the jury is still out!

Lavender Sparkle (not the Barbie)

Spinning this lavender would have been a drag, except for the terrific angelina fiber that I was able to incorporate when I carded the wool. As I spin, I'm pulling lots of 'bits & pieces' out that would certainly make the yarn not very smooth. I've kept a large paper cup on the floor because there are just too many little bits to vacuum up later. Whaddya think?
Pretty nifty, huh? There's not a lot of it, but I'm excited to think of the possibilities! Maybe a cute pair of gloves in the winter, or trim for a hat....

I've also worked a bit more on the chair slipcover. First some diagrams with measurements, and then the first cut of the fabric donated by my beautiful mother.
I know the fabric is sideways, so don't worry. I realized it right before I went to cutting on it! I've cut and pinned on the front/seat section and the back. I'm always nervous about that first cut.

When my kids were little, my sister was often around with her really nice camera taking really nice pictures of the kids in the most natural, un-contrived settings. The photos were just adorable, and I cherished them. As the babies became toddlers, and learned how to use scissors, they became aware that cutting those photos was a lot of fun, till mom found out. Fun over.

But the sad part to me was that the precious photos were ruined. Lots of chops and cuts all over, that made the photos impossible to scan or really salvage in any way. I kept them, but always remembered the cuts.
Our reputation is a lot like those photographs. We make sure that we look the right way and drive the right car and live in the right place and do the right things, but then we open our mouths and make little cuts all over the photograph of our reputation. There's a quote that says something to this effect, "Your actions speak so loudly, I can't hear what you're saying."
I pray that somebody will grab me and shake me the next time I start to open my mouth and ruin the reputation I'm trying so hard to preserve! We have so few chances to make an impression on someone, and the lasting effects of even one or two thoughtless words can last forever.

Modern Man

I have had a terrific week. I've recently left the white collar world of business and stepped into a flip flop, t-shirt world. The work is invigorating, but tiring. My muscles are sore at night but I feel great when I wake up; good hard work is just plain good. And I don't need to get on the treadmill anymore!

I'm learning something about our society these days, that I was not really paying attention to before. Some people are really, truly spoiled. Some people would rather criticize than look for ways to fix a problem. Personally I think it's just lazy. And the part that is unsettling for me is that the more 'religious' or 'moral' the person is, the more entitled they feel about nitpicking. Too bad.

So last night I dragged my old self home, showered, ate supper and parked on the couch with a really big cup of coffee and my knitting. My husband was upstairs working so I turned on a BBC murder mystery which nearly made me give back the spaghetti I'd just eaten. (They are way, further down the road of non-censorship in their programming! Very graphic.) I kept on knitting but had to change the channel.

This Macy's Gray throw is one of the all-time-easiest projects I've done. BIG needles, BIG yarn and rows that get longer and longer as you go around the circle.

I'm using three long circular needles like DPNs. Work stays on two circs and the third is the working needle.

It looks like a rastafari hat for an elephant!

Before I go, I have to show you my little friend here in my home office. The girl who replaced me at my last job highly recommended this and as odd as it looks, it's a great idea.

You use all your core muscles while watching tv or sitting at the computer. My friend had previously worked at an office that manufactured athletic products. She said everyone in the office had them and it's apparently the newest ergonomically beneficial thing!

I try

I love that song by Macy Gray, "I try" and I think I'm naming this little thing Macy's Gray. Okay?
It's become the project lying on the ottoman in the living room. I don't take knitting with me much anymore, although I did take it to church a couple of weeks ago and made some pret-ty good progress!

The yarn will run out soon but lo and behold, look what I found in the garage! (But wait, there's more/ I heard someone say)

The yarn is cabled but I've got some un-cabled yarn that could be plied together to make more, and I'm sure I'm gonna need it.
What can I say? I try.

Today I had to learn some new tricks and am ever aware that I'm old as dirt. In every sense of the word. My body doesn't do the things it used to do, or at least as easily. I feel like I'm in really good physical shape, for my age. Emphasis on the word age.
Fourteen year old girls can eat candy, stay up late, get up early and run around a school gym and not really complain at all. I know cause I used to be that girl. I cheered in high school and junior high, rode in buses with stinky ball players to opposing schools full of our enemies to play ball games at 7 o'clock at night. Then leave the game sweaty, go out to a steak place with all those same kids, eat awful food, pile back into the bus and head back to our hometown. I could make it home, do homework and get up and do it all again the next day. And do really well on a test.

Today is a WHOLE other ball game, so to speak. I am grouchy without coffee, complain if I can't get to bed on time, and gripe when I have to do anything taxing two days in a row. How's that for being 'fit for my age'??
Like I said, I try!

Weaving with Patti

Some people don't like Patti LaBelle but that's okay. I don't like everything she's done, but it's easy to listen to, especially when you're weaving. (keepin' it on the DL)

I spun some lovely lavender with other leftover bits of carded wool and came up with this yarn.

The loom still has lots of warp left on it, and I have found I need to use weft yarn that has a similar thread as the warp, in this case white. So the leftover yarn is plied with white.


When you weave, as I have learned, there is an up and down to every pass. When I pass from left to right, the reed is in the 'up' position.

From right to left, the reed is 'down'.

In order to be consistent with tension, I make a small concave shape with the yarn before beating it with the reed. To pull it tight draws in the outside warp threads.

I've enjoyed being inside during the hot part of the day today, since the temps are hitting 100 degrees or so. I watered the garden this morning and am proud of my produce. Here are some brag photos, including a cantaloupe I didn't even plant. It just came up, probably from my composted soil from last year.




I had my first deep fried Twinkie last night. Oh my. It's what you'd imagine; very rich and surely regrettable calorie wise. But very tasty anyway!
We brought homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream to the 'company picnic' last night and I never got to taste it. I'm assuming it was good, since the container was empty when I went to retrieve it before we left. I will have to make some more tomorrow after church!