knitorious

Wordless Wednesday

 

Oh, baby

How many times can I say that I've knit The Most Adorable Thing ever before it's like crying wolf?

• Project: Aviatrix (I) by Justine Turner/Just Jussi)
• Yarn: Make.Do / REALIZE Sport
• Needle: US 2 and US 3 (straights)
• Start to Finish: May 27-29, 2012

The pattern is a free download, and is written for a few different weights of yarn and for a wide range of sizes. Fun to knit, I've been practicing and perfecting both my cable cast on and my short row technique. I tried different short rows in the hat above, and have settled on one I like best for this project.

It was a quick knit, too, and used only 25g of yarn. Granted, it's the smallest size (and so wee), but I've more than enough yarn left in the hank to knit the largest size for comparison -- and, someday, for a baby's head -- and I'm about 1/3 finished with the second hat already!

I need to hunt for a button, but may wait until the second hat is finished. It seems more daunting a task than it should, and perhaps that's a sign that I should cull the button collection.

So. It's a bonus day off today! It's been a nice, relaxing weekend with just enough activity and even some productivity.

On Saturday morning, I woke up to this:

...and I can't stop watching it -- just LOVE IT!! Also, instant eye cleanser and mood changer.

I also learned about Annie Modesitt's new project, History on Two Needles: Exploring Art History Through Modern Hand Knits on Kickstarter. SO interesting!! And now fully funded! :)

On Sunday, Maddy & Rusty headed toward the lakeshore for some kayaking and I made a big stab at cleaning out my workroom. I did a pretty good job of it, too. There's still more to do, but I'm happy with the start. I have been contemplating whether I have "too many" tote bags. One thing is certain: I have too many tote bags that contain unfinished (and even forgotten) knitting projects!! It's SCARY!

It was hot and muggy yesterday, but Kate & I loaded up bikes early-ish and headed to High Cliff State Park for a ride. I avoided it for as long as I could, but eventually had to climb the hill -- 200' and steepest at the top. There's a triathlon there in a couple of weeks and lots of people training -- going up and down that hill numerous times! I rode, then walked; rode, then walked -- probably half-and-half. I let it get to me -- part intimidation -- and realize that I also need to work on controlling my breathing. Whatever, I made it up the hill and walking it would be no picnic, either!

I have to say, cyclists are some of the nicest and most encouraging people -- almost everyone who passed me (in all my endeavors/events, not just this one), whether I was pedaling or hoofing, said something nice -- "You're almost there," "You're doing great," "You can do it." I was so out of breath I could barely grunt in response at times. It's dorky, but it really did help to hear something nice.

And, by the way, it was a blast on the way down! I had no problem with that, braking a little, but not a lot, and hitting a top speed of about 34 mph -- nine miles over the posted speed limit! We rode a little more than 10.5 miles, all told.

I'm enjoying the day today -- cooler, breezier. The kids are all coming over tonight for a cook-out/feast, which means that I'd better get to the grocery store soon!

 

Painter's progress

Rusty's been painting the east (and least visible) side of the garage this week. I thought I'd go down on the path and take some photos from that angle. Our oldest boy cat, Scamp, is stalking off and just rounding the corner after squawking up a storm when Rusty (just visible "under" the ladder -- he wasn't really under it) wouldn't let him play in the paint. Or something. Who knows? That cat gets goofier and more vocal everyday. He's also getting old. Always a bit burlier than his sister, Roxie, he has really lost all finesse and "stealthy" is not a word that comes quickly to mind. But we sure do love him and all of his quirks.

Due to the lay of the land, the SE corner (where that window is being pointed out by Scamp's tail) is actually cut off at about a 20-degree angle. Luckily, my cars have fit, though the Altima is a little bigger than the Saturn and I've actually had to re-do my entry into the garage in order to get the back door open. And I've only kissed the wall with my bumper a few times. Little love taps.

We designed the south gable to match the adjacent east gable on the house (which also needs some paint). The north-side gables are similar but different! That should all be finished today, I think, and then that back door will get painted!

The south side of the house awaits!

Floral interlude...

Irises at the back porch.

Do you have any plans for the upcoming holiday weekend? I've suddenly realized that I've four days off and no pressing demands. It's kind of a nice feeling!

 

A ghost in the attic?

Over the past several weeks, the kids have all changed their living arrangements. Whether downsizing or upsizing or doing a sideways shift, they've all moved to one degree or another.

And until school starts, there are still a couple of kids under our roof. They mostly occupy the upstairs apartment, so I hardly see anyone!

Even weirder is the fact that we've gained one. Maddy's childhood (and current) BFF, former (and future) college roommate Katy will be working at the Girl Scout camp with Maddy, et al, this summer and she is living here.

Thing is, she's like a ghost in the attic. She moved in on Saturday and I've yet to lay eyes on her!! I hear her and her car's parked outside, but I've not even caught a glimpse. Heh.

That's the ceiling in my workroom, by the way, a room of many uses over the years, including a bedroom! I love it when I turn out the light and catch a glimpse of the glow-in-the-dark sky.

* * * * *

I rode my bike to knitting last night! A 16.9-mile round trip, the time spent traveling to knitting vs. actually sitting and knitting was about 3:2.

One reason I did that is because I won't be going to the group power class at the fitness center tonight. My power partner, Ali, is currently laid up/drugged up on my couch with an ice pack on her face following extraction of wisdom teeth this morning!

* * * * *

72!! I finished one while waiting at the oral surgeon's this morning, making 72 Hexagons in The Big Parade!! It currently measures approx. 24" x 16". I started in early-ish January, so my rate is somewhere around 18 per month right now.

 

So.

I took last Thursday & Friday off for a big rummage sale at my mom's -- Thursday to prep, Friday & Saturday for the sale. We did good. It was tiring, but we were all relieved of many items and had some jingle in our pockets at the end... about $1100, all told! There's a big haul for the thrift shop, too!

The only photos I took all weekend were of my garden phlox/wild sweet william:

The stuff spreads like a weed... I guess that's why it's now pretty much considered a weed by some! There's also some columbine and dianthus blooming; still some bleeding hearts; the irises are about at peak; my japanese and ostrich/fiddlehead ferns are so lush and gorgeous!

Yesterday, my one big chore was to help lift a new gutter into place.

It was hardly strenuous.

There's still no rain barrel, though, and finding one locally is more difficult than I'd have imagined. I've several more places to try, though, so have not given up.

Paint progress: maroon and blue-green are just about finished; off-white has been started; it looks like the gold door will be last. I can't wait!

I puttered at home for most of yesterday, actually making small progress on a few different fronts, and today it was back to work!

Someone was busy today while I was away! I suspect it's Maddy's work, though could also be Al's, or maybe Kate. Heh. Obviously, I have no clue -- no one's recently mentioned that there's a mosaic project on their mind!

I'm just about finished with my Highland romance reading, and anxious to hold a real book and sink my teeth into...

The Wilder Life! It's my Mother's Day gift from Katie and has finally arrived!

I have been knitting -- even went to knit night on Thursday -- it all seems like black hole knitting right now, but I keep at it and I'll have something to show one day!

I'm planning and prepping a new round of dyeing. I'm still aiming to get some of it listed online, but I'll also be helping Ali out at our local farmer's market and hawking my wares there, too.

The next several weekends are busy with family -- especially my sister and her boys. In two months, they will be transplanted to Rio and it will be a long while before I'm able to kiss smudged & dirty cheeks and snag hugs! Gotta get 'em while I can!!

 

Peach-Pear-Apricot

Smoothie. With kale.

It is the most delightful green! And a little "crunchier" than when made with spinach. And SO delicious.

Oh, right... SHHHHH! It's (barely still) Wordless Wednesday!

 

Ten on Tuesday: To Do II

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Items On My Spring To-Do List

1. In the ongoing quest for simplification and decrapification, we're having a rummage sale this weekend at my mom's. I've actually found it much easier to put things in the donation box (or, as the case may be, to sell them en masse at Half-Price Books), so I'm not selling much, and neither is my mom... the girls are, though, and so is my sister... that happens when you move or prepare to move. I'll be happy when that's over. We'll see, maybe I'll slap some prices on a few things. One happy result of this recent focus is that I've cleaned off the top of my washer and dryer!

2. Sort of related to #1 (and, also, Clarity), I have antiques that I'm not longer interested in looking at or dusting... mostly green Depression Glass, but also some furniture... maybe. I had a great time collecting the glass over the years, but I could wipe out half of it and still have a nice display of pieces that have meaning -- or usefulness. I'd actually keep all of the above -- I've a thing for the more utilitarian pieces.

3. Windows. I'd like to say, "I don't do windows," but I must do windows. With the painting that happening this year, I'll likely be doing some that haven't been touched in a while!

4. Vacuum. The power head on my vac isn't working, though, so I need to take it in. It's a good thing that we've mostly hardwood floors in our house!

5. Continue to focus on cleaning/cleaning out my bedroom, closet and studio!

6. Clear the deck of lingering obligations! Be diligent and selective when taking on new projects. Know Thyself!

7. Garden & planter maintenance -- trim the espalier tree, thin out the ferns, dig out dandelions, plant stuff, etc.

8. Buy a rain barrel.

9. Ride my bike... haven't done that much yet this year. I have been going to a "power" fitness class at least once a week, though.

10. Take a few days off... with no particular place to go... or thing to do.

 Haha. I guess that would be #10 Thing To Do: Nothing!

Return

v. to put, bring, take, give, or send back to the original place, position, etc.

With my sister preparing to move out of the country in less than two months, more of the knits are returning home.

Sweet memories!

Remind me never to knit a black-white combo like that again on a washable kid sweater. Except for some less-than-vivid colors in that motif, though, there's is a lot of wear left in all of these sweaters! The Wonderful Wallaby sweaters were both knit in the lovely and discontinued Mission Falls 1824 Cotton.

 

Happy Mother's Day!

Mine started in a tubular manner:

Casting on the first of two sleeves. I haven't yet memorized the tubular cast on, so I have to call up my favorite online tutorial every time...

...which I don't mind, because I love listening to Ysolda!

In the middle of the day, I worked a few hours "helping" Ali at the coffee shop. I think I'm helping... I hope I'm helping... at the very least, I'm pretty sure I'm not hindering. She's a good multitasker, thankfully, so is able to answer my questions about the salads and sandwich I'm making while concocting an entirely separate order of lattes, smoothies, and espressos.

Later, my mom and the girls will all be here for dinner... until then, I think I'm going to knit a little more on that sleeve.

Oh! It isn't Mother's Day without some flowers...

And a fern (my Japanese fern is looking as good as ever!).

And an ant. ;)

Heh. Happy Mother's Day -- to you or yours.  ;)

 

And it goes like this...

Watching... It's May! There's so much to watch!! Currently cheering for Donald Driver on Dancing With The Stars.

Reading... A romance novel, Child of the Mist, set in 16th Century Scottish Highlands and a free Kindle download... I could not resist and it's just perfect for me right now.

Knitting... A hexagon here, a sleeve cap there, also working on a short-sleeve warm-weather pullover in a recycled cotton. I just need to finish sewing up Hemphora and I can get back to the pullover -- I found a mistake in decreases, so am set to rip back a bit.

Listening to... Young Homie by Chris Rene. I really like him and this old homie thinks the song is catchy as hell.

Thinking about... What I should do today. Maybe some dyeing -- could use some color!! Definitely some more cleaning out... Oh! I need to find the little slip of paper where I wrote the password to our fairly new wireless home network. Damn, I thought I made it simple and easy to remember... Will probably get together with Mom for coffee. Going to Group Power Fitness class later today with Al.

Dreading... Happily, I don't think I'm dreading anything right now.  ;)

Planning... To go get paint for the garage today -- as close as I can get to the original "Velvet Maroon" for the windows and shingles, and to choose a golden ochre color for the door. Yay!

Excited about... I think I'm just trying to keep an even keel, so I'm trying to keep things in check... nothing to dread and not getting too excited about anything, either.

Drinking... Trying to up my water intake.

Needing to... Throw some prices on rummage sale stuff. It's a lot easier to just give it away...

Organizing... Everything.

Inspired by... My photography group. We had a great get-together last night -- nothing to do with nature photography, but we were outside and I took a sec to snap my Macro May photo for the day.