pandemic shift

 Having the opportunity to knit more and spin more can only be good.  I love finishing a project and recent quiet evenings and lunch hours (no extra curricular activities due to the epidemic) means I have finished another pair of socks this fall.  

The yarn was purchased in Las Vegas (Henderson I think); called Wool Pop from Universal Yarn - colorway 606 Marmalade.  So very soft and squishy and stretchy!  

The pink yarn used in the previous post is made by indie dyer Shirley Lou of Berry Patch Yarns. 

 My new spinning toy is this lovely tahkli spindle and spinning bowl (bowl is from Dancing Goats). 

 I really like supported spindles now and I am finally mastering cotton. I bought the cotton ages ago and finally got some cotton carders at Earth Guild this past year.  I made lots of puni rolags and that goes a long way with spinning cotton. Much better than roving! You can see I'm a recycler of all things. 

Now, where was I?

 

In the last several weeks I finished these Merino gloves.  They're made with handspun yarn - made from roving that came in my Paradise Fibers club shipment a few years ago.  The two colors are Cyan and Dresden. Wow, fancy huh?  

This is a simple two-ply sport weight yarn and the pattern is from an old issue of Interweave Knits; my go-to glove pattern.  Hands down (no pun intended).  

I am almost finished with some lovely egg-yolk yellow socks with a pattern that I've scrapped together.  More later! 

I am really getting the sweater mo-jo again, now that's its cold here in the deep south.  We only have about 2 months of winter so about the time I'm ready to make sweaters, it's time to put them up in the closet. But I frogged a black cardigan I made with lion-brand acrylic. Just enough to test knit a pullover raglan from my favorite sweater pattern.  That will also be in an upcoming post.  

SPINNING

I finished this spinning project a couple of weeks ago.  This picture does not do it justice!  

It's sparkly and deep and rich.  Perfect Purple. 

FINISHING UP A VERY GOOD YEAR

I have been doing a lot more knitting than spinning this year; it always settles me when I need to unwind. I take my little knitting bag in the car every day to work, drive to the park on lunch hour and begin to knit after finishing my lunch.  You see, I started a diet last November after having put on about 15 lbs.  There was a lot of talk at work about all of us losing weight during the fall of 2019 and I felt like everyone was looking at me.  I know that's not true, but you know how it is. Anyway, I began to eat more fruits and veg and less snacks and sandwiches.  Little by little the weight came off and then the pandemic hit.  

My goal for losing weight had been to fit into some cargo pants I planned to wear on a trip to the Holy Land with our church.  The trip was cancelled due to the epidemic, so instead we flew to Las Vegas and visited the Grand Canyon and some other nearby sites in the West. 

I took my knitting on the trip and visited several local yarn shops, making purchases along the way.  It was so much fun, and the year would have nearly been a bust if not for the trip. God knew how much we would need it. We also visited family while in California and got some real perspective while out there. Truly.

Since returning from the trip, I've been knitting with the yarn I purchased as well as using yarn from our local yarn store.  Thank you JESUS for knitting. :-) 

Here is the current pair of finished socks made with purchased yarn. 

Autumn Dawn Socks

I have a great appreciation for yarn shop owners.  I really try my best to give them my business, whether on Etsy or at a brick & mortar store.  

POINTS OF INTEREST

 So here we are, September is half over; so much water under the bridge....or in the yard.  Hurricane Sally just left town and while our city did not take a direct hit, we were all left without power for various lengths of time. Our power was restored last night and what a glorious time we had!  AC was running, fridge was cooling, lights were on everywhere, and the coffee maker was ready to get back to work.  I don't want to relive the hades we had.  All I will say is that sleeping at night was like sleeping in the trunk of a car, and getting ready for work with a cell phone flashlight and a candle left me looking pretty rough. I'm using a hotspot to write this blog since our internet is still not fixed. :-( 

Onward and upward! 

KNITTING

I finished a pair of socks during the Labor Day weekend that I had determined to finish. They have a lovely color combination and the pattern was pretty much made up as I went.  I used a 2x2 rib for the cuff, moss stitch for the leg, slip stitch short row heels, and basic Kitchener stitch toe close.  

SPINNING

I haven't done much weaving since a doctor visit revealed that I have a bad back and the start of scoliosis. Spinning however has been more successful.  I'd been spinning a pound of green wool (can't remember where I got it!) on the jumbo flyer of my Kromski Symphony.  This week I started plying Navaho style on a regular bobbin after switching out the flyer back to normal.  Green is a great color to spin.  It always brings me to a better mood.  

BOOKS

I finished an audio book by Simon Brett. He has started a new series about a lady who cleans up for and helps hoarders with their mess.  Its a cozy mystery with all the fun of a Murder She Wrote episode.  Its a compelling read that's pretty believable; definitely recommend. 

HOME & GARDEN

We trimmed trees last weekend before the storm and had no idea how fortuitous that would be. The day after the hurricane had passed, our lawn guy came and removed all the branches, leaves and cut the grass perfectly as usual.  He's a great guy, a homeschool dad who brings his son to help whenever he can.  We homeschooled our kids so I have a soft spot for families who walk a different path. God bless them. 

A New Phase of Life

  What a year this has been!  We are all reeling from the drastic changes to everyday life and have begun to embrace some very basic practices that we'd forgotten.  Things like bread baking, bicycling, raising chickens, home improvement, family time and faith. Our journals reflect that we are forever changed.  Even though 2020 has gotten a bad reputation, we have to stop for a minute and give thanks that we may just be better for having been through all this. 

  Fall is here.  Its time for pumpkin spice drinks and autumn leaves. This is pretty much my favorite time of year & I find more inspiration in these months than any other time.  This week I've cleaned out my planner and decided to brush off my old blog.  We'll see how long I stick with it.  The last post was in 2018.  Since then I've added 2 more grandchildren, lost my father in law who lived with us for nearly 10 years and started weaving.  

  Knitting has long been my favorite pastime, and it ranks first every time, but spinning is a close second.  I hardly ever sew anymore and rarely cook or bake. So when a friend of mine from my spinning guild introduced me to a woman back in January who wanted to give away a floor loom, I couldn't resist. Why not?  Weaving was never something I was very good at, but this floor loom has been a game changer.

  

  Picking up the loom and meeting my new friend and benefactor made for a perfect birthday present.  We loaded the thing into Jamie's (my husband) truck and brought it to the house on January 20, 2020.  I brought each box into the house, and hour by hour, day by day cleaned it and put it together.  It had been stored in my friend's garage since she moved here 20 years ago.  Life just didn't allow for her to use it anymore and since she was downsizing, she needed to find a new home for her beloved loom.  

Assembling the pieces without guidance was so hard, and if it weren't for a set of Youtube videos, I could never have done it.  This is a Union Loom from 1930 and was used by housewives to make money from scraps of fabric.  I ordered string for the warp and started scouring the house for any bits of fabric, which were mostly vintage aprons and table cloths from an old trunk.  While waiting for my warp to come in the mail, I set up the loom with some old string in one of the boxes. It seemed likely that the warp would break but at least I would be learning.  Surprise, surprise!  It made a lovely rag rug! Who knew? 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

    MERRY CHRISTMAS!  

 I spent the better part of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day knitting a pair of fingerless gloves.  My knitting goal for the new year is to knit at 12 pairs of these using various techniques that would be intimidating to try on socks.  The plan is to sort of use these as wearable swatches and use up my stash of yarn at the same time.  I have a lot of single skeins that really aren't enough to make anything much with.

Here is the start. 

 And here is the finish!  I used size 6 DPNs and the pattern is a very simple fingerless mitts pattern from Ravelry.  The yarn is a leftover bit from a friend I used to be in knitting group with.

Getting into some new things...

Audio books have always been a favorite resource for me, and podcasts as well.  Both have pushed me to new experiences and inspired me to be better and go further.  When life feels a bit stale, or without color, I use these two avenues for fresh perspective.

  The Julia Child biography by Laura Shapiro is very enlightening and has details I'd not heard before.  I loved the book, My Life In France, and it definitely inspired me during the time of my daughter's high school graduation.  That summer, she and I took a trip to Boston, stayed with my cousin and toured the city, including Cambridge, where Julia taped many, many television shows.  I love the cluttered usefulness of her kitchen.  It seems to be designed for using, not for looking at.  For once, that matters more to me.  Cozy, inviting, and functional.

I love crime podcasts and have listened to pretty much everything that's out that's worth listening to. I renewed my audible subscription from ages ago and have jumped in with a cozy mystery, a Lisa Scottoline non-fiction book, some free exercise picks and a free short story about a girl who lived above a NYC library while her dad was the custodian.  I am anxious to get my next credit, so in the meantime I use my Hoopla app from the library (Cyanide Canary and Corrupted by Lisa S.).  I also finished a paperback by Harlan Coben who never disappoints.

I realize that knitting and spinning can be an escape as well as a hobby meant to relax.

I finally finished the lavender sweater and made a few adjustments once it was done.  The sleeves were a bit long and the neck a bit wide, but otherwise it fit pretty well.

I also made these socks using two colors from my stash. Both colors are handspun and the pattern was a basic toe up pattern from Wendy Knits.

I gave up my fiber of the month subscription when I switched to part time at work.  It has really been a good decision, since I only spin on Saturday mornings.  I have plenty of fiber to spin, and its all so beautiful, that I'm savoring it very slowly now.
I spun three small bags of fiber from my January fiber of the month shipment and made this lovely tonal feather and fan blanket for my new granddaughter. I did not make her a blanket when she was born, so I'm a little late, but better late than never!

(I need to get a finished picture of my granddaughter with the blanket.)

June 2018

At the end of each year, I have made resolutions for the coming year.  Not everybody likes to do this, but for me, its a matter of goal setting in hopes of self improvement.  I think I'm just that kind of person.  I like things neat but not too neat. I'm not a clean freak, just orderly, as it brings peace of mind mostly.
Setting goals helps me to keep the end in mind. This sweater WILL be finished by the end of June.

I wanted to knit a sweater for each of the grandkids but have taken a little detour to knit myself a sweater. Supposedly an easy raglan sleeve, top down, *seamless* (so far) summer-ish sweater.  This lovely Coastal thingy has been straightforward, but way more of a commitment than I really wanted.  Its knit on size 4 needs, so there's red flag number 1. It got me the gauge and look I wanted, with lovely drape.  Not too loosey goosey, just good solid fabric, that's not dense either.
All I can say is, I'll be glad when I'm done.  I haven't even started the sleeves....maybe I should move on to those now, and it will feel like I'm going faster.

I've just about kicked the regular TV habit.  I love Britbox and Netflix and some Amazon video.  I love audio books and classical music while knitting.  As for books, I'm reading Stormie Omartian's biography, relating to childhood abuse, a later relationship with Steve Martin, and finally her marriage to music producer Michael Omartian.  Very good book, notably, she was a regular cast member on the Glen Campbell show back in the 70's.

I have loved getting my fiber of the month shipments from Paradise Fibers.  Each box is a little (okay, a lot) different from what I would normally order, but like many other subscribers, it gets me out of my comfort zone and helps me work my creative muscles.

I have so many spinning works-in-progress aka WIPs but only one knitting project. Why is that?  I need to get to the bottom of this. Note to self. 😊

Work has been good, steady and pretty peaceful.  Like I said, I like things orderly.  Summer is pretty quiet at the office and we work on projects that get us ahead of the game.
Family is always good, and in the last month, we gained a two new family members.  My niece married a very dashing young man from Australia.  Beautiful bride.
My son and his wife had a new baby girl, who has lovely dark hair.  A first for all the grandbabies, since all the rest are blonde, or close to it.

Church is always inspiring.  We are growing and changing all the time, yet this congregation remains faithful and very traditional.  I love the physical aspects of the sanctuary, the wood beams and beautiful mid-century light fixtures.  The activities are all very people oriented and the deep southern roots mean there's always a pot luck around the corner.

Just pulling in to the station

KNITTING
Last month I posted about knitting sweaters for the grandkids, namely my oldest granddaughter and my youngest grandson. This month I have knit a little pink sweater for my soon to be born granddaughter.

I am getting excited about blogging again.  This month I permanently deleted my facebook account and feel like I'm starting to get back some control of my life. I have Instagram for now and Snapchat but never post there. Blogging helps me feel connected to the inter-webs, without all the drama.

Work keeps me busy, and church, but in my spare time I'm finding moments to knit a few rows on this.

I love this Sunshine Coast sweater. I purchased the yarn from LOVE KNITTING and got a sweet deal on this soft DK weight cotton blend.  This is such an easy pattern, even though I had to learn a new technique.  I am familiar with short rows but had not done a yarn over at the end of the row.  It seems like there must be a better way to do it, but the sweater is coming along just fine after the hiccup/learning curve.  I am just about ready to move on to the sleeve separation. The sweater is knit in the round from the neck down, so the sleeves have to be separated at some point.  The only "details" in the sweater are 1) neck yarn overs to create little holes at the yoke and 2) extra panels in front of and behind the sleeves to add fullness, I guess.  It makes for a loose fitting look and keeps it sort of swingy.  I like that, because my hips need all the room I can get.
Back to the little holes in the front yoke section. I must say that this the one thing I changed from the original pattern.  It says on the row after the yarn overs to knit them together, but in my opinion, it pretty much closed up the holes and took away the five extra stitches that appear in the rest of the pattern for the front section. I'll post close up pictures next time so you can see what I mean.
SPINNING
I love getting a fiber box each month from Paradise Fibers.  Their club shipments help me think a bit differently and try going in some new directions. Its always a highlight to track the thing and finally open the box!  Alas, I will be dropping the club next month as my work hours are about to change.
FAMILY
We are going to Nashville in a few weeks for the birth of our new little Julianna, whose sweater I mentioned before.   It seems like our family is in a growth spurt and that's super fine with me. We will also be attending my niece's wedding that same weekend.  She's marrying a young man from Australia, who's moving to the US.  We are all so happy for both of these big events that add to our family's numbers.

Sock knitting and sweater knitting

Last year, sock knitting became my obsession.  Lurking on Ravelry, pillaging my stash of yarns, and even spinning beautiful rovings I'd purchased online, in order to make a beautiful sock yarn. All of this played into my addiction.

I had made a couple of New Year goals with a particular theme in mind. Seize Opportunities.  Not so much, 'seize the day' but rather seize or take hold of chances to do something I might usually have declined .  Often I talk myself out of a whole lot of good ideas.
I read a great quote online that convinced me to take advantage of every opportunity. Especially ones that I was inclined to pass on.  As a result, we made a good start with a trip to the Woolery in Frankfort, KY.  We were often making trips to see our kids in Nashville, (we now live in Mobile, AL) so this was a good opportunity to branch out and take a little side trip.  I have a friend who lives about an hour from Frankfort, so we decided to make the trip, see my friend, visit the Woolery, and even visit the birthplace of Lincoln, which is in KY, not Illinois. The cabin has been preserved at a National Park.
On the trip I purchased several bags of wool roving to spin in hopes of making socks, etc. (Why does one really need a reason to make purchases while on vacation?)
I also bought a new Jenkins spindle, some unspun cotton and a few acid dyes. A truly great haul for me!

SOCK KNITTING
Lots of sock knitting groups on Ravely inspire me with free patterns.  I finally learned to do a toe-up sock, giving me no excuse not to seize the opportunity.  Last year I knitted a whole drawer-full of socks. Some were given away as gifts but many are still in the drawer; a sort of 'collection' if you will. I have found however, that living as far south in the United States as we do (an hour from Florida) that I hardly ever wear wool socks.  All those beloved socks just sit in the drawer like a stamp collection, waiting to be admired but never used.

SWEATER KNITTING
This year I determined to knit sweaters.  Inspired by Barkingknitter on Ravelry, who also has a blog showcasing her lovely handmade sweaters, I decided to start small and make sweaters for the grandkids.  Its March already and I've almost completed three.  The one for my new grandson was mailed a while ago and the Post Office lost it.

  They are doing a search, but I am doubtful about ever seeing it again.  I will knit another one. The one for my first grandchild is done and in a box waiting to be delivered, but I will not mail it. No way.

The third is for my soon to be granddaughter, and its almost finished.  So is she.

I made a sweater last year for my other granddaughter, and it fit perfectly and I believe she wears it a good bit. I will soon start a sweater for my other grandson.  I made him a hat earlier this year, with blue and white Egyptian cotton, with a little wave design.  So cute.
And for me, well, I've purchased a pattern and some yarn to make a pullover summer sweater, perfect for the office.
SPINNING
In November, I signed up for a fiber-of-the-month club with Paradise Fibers.  It never disappoints.  I look forward to that box with lots of anticipation and it always has more fiber than I can spin in a month.  I'm changing to part-time on June 1, and maybe I'll be able to spin a little more when the time comes.

Don't be such a slouch, Louboutin!

In the dead of winter, I find myself going to great unusual lengths to brighten up the day.  While social media of the day is fine, I'm doing more lurking on Ravelry than ever before.
If you're not a knitter, I'm sure it sounds like a great big yawn.  Maybe.  But I'll tell you that when I logged on with my morning coffee today, there were thousands of "Ravelers" online at that moment, all over the world! From the northern Europe and Canada to Australia and South America, and from middle east and the far east to the mid west of the United States.  I am always amazed, and its one of the most customized websites I've ever seen.  Truly a place I like to visit all the time.  I'm in!

KNITTING
I found a group on Ravelry whose goal is to spin wool/yarn to knit socks. That really fits one of my main goals for the year, as I have knit more socks than any other item.  I'd like to be able to reproduce the sock yarn sold in the yarn shops, but have never been very successful.  I'm better at getting the plies and finished yarn fine enough, but there's definitely no spring to it.  And socks need spring, or else they're just slouchy.
And even though no one ever really sees the socks I wear, I feel better if they stay UP around my calf, at least.

Which brings me to a funny story I'm sure I've never told anyone but my husband in my adult life. When I was growing up I attended a small private school that required us to wear uniforms.  Mine was the typical plaid skirt with button up blouse, oxford shoes and dark blue socks.  Knee socks.  And let me tell you, while we had no say over style, seeing as we all wore the self-same-outfit-every-cotton-picking-day-of-our-lives, we DID have the opportunity to flex our individuality in the way our outfits looked.  Some wore wrinkled shirts (rebels), some wore pocket protectors (won't go there), some girls wore their skirts short (hussies) and girls like me spent their days pulling up their slouching socks.  Until, that is, I learned that some girls had overcome this dilemma by keeping a rubber band around their calf and turning the cuff of the sock over it.  This may sound insignificant to you, but to me, it was revolutionary.  And even though the rubber band cut off all circulation to my toes, it was worth it. And it wouldn't be the first time a female sacrificed their feet for the sake of style. Just ask Christian Louboutin.  

I started a little hat from some acrylic.  Cast on 90 stitches and used a size 6 for the ribbing and 8 for the crown. Easy knitting while dear husband made dinner last night!

SPINNING
Lovely things will be knit from this springy, bouncy yarn.  The color is cream or ecru.

I should be able to get another bobbin at least so that should make about 4 or 5 skeins. 

PERSONAL
This past week I celebrated my 49th birthday.  It just gets better and better.

My daughter and DIL made dinner and cake and hosted a little game-time for me.  I LOVE playing board games and had told my husband the day before that what I really wanted for my birthday was to light a fire in the fireplace and play some board games. I got a much needed new Starbucks drink cup and an adorable charm for my new bracelet.  My birthday dinner party was actually the night before my birthday so the evening of my actual birthday, my father in law took me and my husband out to eat, and DH and I spent the rest of the evening in front of the fireplace playing Battleship and Bingo. 

Cozy birthday fire

Husband won at Battleship, and I won Bingo!

So here we are!

The month is progressing as they usually do, this time of year.  Weather is a bit gray, cool, cloudy.  Holidays are basically over and the house is returned to normal.  I'm getting word on a recurring basis from friends and family that big things are happening to them. Houses being sold, career changes, job promotions, etc.  Big changes that affect their entire family. Most are good.  At this point, for me, maintaining is a good thing.  Staying the course.  You understand what I'm saying, don't you?  I'm happy for those whose lives are a bit topsy-turvy, but not envious. Not right now.

SPINNING
I did a great amount of stash-work last fall, and packed up a lot of fleece and un-spun wool.  I recently found this black wool that I'd dyed and put away before the cold weather arrived.  Now I'm completely inspired to card/comb and spin it.  Here is the sample on my Bosworth Midi spindle.  I just love it!

Its so refined, so classic. So elegant and understated.

And I've started the plying of the great white roving on my Kromski.  Love-lee!

KNITTING
This lovely white scarf is nearly done, and has been a joy to knit.  Rarely does a knitter find that perfect combination of yarn, needle and pattern that are still yummy even after eleventy-hundred rows.  Three cheers for me and my stumbling upon this project!  I raise my glass coffee cup to you, and hope that both of us are so lucky the next time!

GARDENING
I feel like I need to mention gardening, even though there is exactly zero gardening happening right now.   My seed and flower catalogs are within arm's reach most of the time, but I'm holding steady.  I did find a packet of kale seeds from last year and would like nothing more than to have one sunny day in which to plant them.  My fingers are crossed, but that is all.

READING
Still enjoying my Hamish Macbeth novel, and have no plans to change anything at this time.  Bravo to British mystery writers!  You rock.

PERSONAL
Last week I had strep, and this week I had a call-ralph-on-the-big-white-phone-headache.  As I was leaving my weekly prayer meeting at church on Tuesday, I suddenly felt such pain in my head that I felt ill.  By the time I got home, I informed my DH that I had a terrible migraine.  Within 30 minutes I was you-know-where making an unpleasant phone call to you-know-who. Ralph. Oh my goodness that came out of left field.  I was useless for the rest of the day, although the pain was gone in an hour.  I still don't know what happened.  Gee!

I've been leaning heavily on the FlyLady detailed cleaning lists as we transition into full blown winter.  If I can't be outside working in the garden, I'll have to be satisfied with cleaning out closets and bathtubs.  Not that I mind.  I actually enjoy cleaning house, so long as its my house.

In Search Of...Entrelac

KNITTING
If you're a baby boomer or a little younger, you will remember a TV show with Leonard Nemoy called In Search Of .  He was always on a quest for some unknown thing.

 This week I'm in search of all things Entrelac. I am looking for the most beginner friendly project, and I'm thinking maybe a potholder.  That's what they usually recommend to kids learning to knit.  Or a scarf.

Entrelac Sample

Here goes:
Ravelry came up with 1,207 matches and very few patterns look enticing.  The prettiest seem to be the ones done with all one color, or very little variation.  Maybe that defeats the purpose, but it seems like the color should be the thing that makes the technique stand out.
 (I do like all the hats.)  Still thinking about this one.  And still knitting on the little scarf.  I got sick this week and am just now feeling like myself again. 

SPINNING
My shoulder has been giving me fits lately so I've completely sworn off spindle spinning and stuck to the very basic wool spinning project on my Kromski.

Love spinning this wool roving

Two bobbins FULL of singles - ready to be plied!

READING 
Loving M.C. Beaton and Hamish Macbeth at the moment, I've just started "Death of a Chimney Sweep".  To make the experience more realistic, I've looked up the location online and using Flickr search tools, found great pics of County Sutherland, Scotland.  If only I could actually go there.....

PERSONAL
Pinterest is a whole other universe when it comes to getting ideas for things.  Recently someone posted a photography challenge for the next 52 weeks. Week 1 was black and white, and week 2 is food.  I have attached my flicker feed to the sidebar so you can go directly to the current photos.  Week 1's photo challenge: Black and White.
The picture I took when I walked into the kitchen - it looked like a crime scene and all that was missing was the chalk body-outline.
If you click on my Flickr page to the right, you'll see the body of poor old "Bananas" just like I saw him!
Week 2 - photo challenge: Food
Today I'm making couscous and lentils - and here's the shot.

Very simple Mediterranean lunch! Lentil and couscous - YUM.

Now for the actual list of resolutions for the new year, 2014.
 Well, all I have to say is that its different from all other years past.  This year I have a lot of "Things to do and try" and a whole lot of "experience" this and that.  I am still using my planner, so that's a good start (see previous post). Life is as challenging as its ever been, more so than I really remember.  But I'm handling things so much better than I did when I was in my twenties.  I'm more resolved, as a matter of fact.  I'm more subdued in my reactions to things that used to tick me off.  I'm more determined not to let things get to me. I'm more at peace with life and have a little more understanding that life is just what you make of it. Plain and simple.  It does no good to resolve to lose 10 lbs, because statistically it will just come back.  It does no good to resolve to save more money when you can hardly pay the bills as it is.  Rather, I'm just giving myself a bit of breathing room this year, and I hope I won't be too difficult to be around.  I hope I'm kind and generous, thoughtful but firm when I need to be.  I hope this year I'll be happy even when life sucks all the air out of the room.  And I hope you and I will get to talk face to face sometime.  That would really be great!