knitorious

Flowers (and Foliage) on Friday

It's a picture-heavy post, for which I do apologize, but the hostas were calling for attention last night.  First up, though, is promise.  I get positively giddy every year in anticipation of the balloon flowers.  They truly do look at lot like this (oh, that's on my list of things to do*), except not so big and all purple.  They've been spreading and my love only grows.  They are utterly fascinating.

Weekend plans?  Up in the air.  (Heh.)  It's possible that I'll be spending many hours in the car, which means that I ought to have a finished pair of Celtic Braid Socks, and possibly that Fixation + Bikini Top (= Fixini).  (I can't help it -- it's like an affliction or a disease, a compulsion -- I have to give these things a catchy name!)  The hold-up is locating free needles of the correct size and type.

The flowers:  Campanula and Coral Bells.  The Coral Bells always draw me in at the nursery, second only to hostas!

Blue Angel in the back, I'm not sure of the variety in the foreground (it sure is pretty, though!); Golden Tiara on the right.

Elegans; Francis Williams.

Sum and Substance.

Guacamole; and that same one I'm not sure of again.

Hosta Library is a fantastic resource.  I think I link to them every time I post about hostas!

*My book club is reading The Next Thing On My List and we're all coming up with our own (shorter) lists to share at the meeting.

One small step

Maddy did indeed use the car last night!  She made a special mix CD to play for the occasion, too.  I don't recognize the names of most of the songs, but have heard them all.  I'm listening to "Thriller" right now (damn, he sure had it once, didn't he?), and I see that the affinity for "New Shoes" runs in the family.  ; )

In Wisconsin, the first nine months as a licensed driver is a probationary period and there are restrictions.  Maddy will only be able to drive alone between 5 a.m. and 12 a.m. unless it's to home, school or work; she can only have one* of her peers as a passenger; and if she has two or more moving violations, points lost are doubled.

*This is the one I can really get behind -- there are too many In Memoriam names in my high school yearbooks, most of them victims of car accidents, often multiple fatalities from one crash -- three, five at a time.  Can you imagine?  It's been 30+ years since those losses occurred and I still get choked up -- now, with the added perspective of a mother.

I have been grappling with my feelings about cleaning out the closet and what it means and my adult children and newly licensed driver child and their growing independence -- sometimes effervescent -- Katie's off to Madison today to meet the property manager and her future roommate to sign a rental agreement -- it's all good, but man, sometimes it makes my head spin.

The watched peonies are opening ever-so-slowly.  So worth the wait!  And both varieties of sugar snap peas are now sporting flowers.  That reminds me... I'm going to have to string up some supports for the beans soon.

This weekend, during my breaks from reconstructing my Quicken files from the pitiful last backup in October, I'll be working on a couple of projects I have in mind for the "Special Swap" masterminded by Lynne.  This is my first time as a Special Swap participant and it couldn't be more fun.  The theme this time is "In The Garden" and my swap partner is Lynne, herself!  I'll admit that I was first very excited about that, then a little nervous (it's Lynne), but I'm back on track and having a blast bringing all my ideas and things together.

I also plan a trip to one or more hobby/craft/fabric/yarn emporiums for, among other things, the necessary bits and bobs to finish my Larger Than Life Bag!

And there's been knitting!!  It's been hot here this past week -- too hot to knit -- and if it hasn't been hot, then it's been sticky and/or damp -- too sticky and/or damp to knit!!

What in the world is WITH me, though, that I haven't awakened in the middle of the night BECAUSE I was HOT ever since it GOT HOT?

I also was totally swept away by Craft in America a few nights ago -- what a great series -- and it was especially interesting to see Wisconsin artists, Dona Look and Ken Loeber, featured.

Anyway, a while back, I brought home some Berroco Ultra Silk and Rowan Summer Tweed to swatch for my Vintage 1959 Vogue #33-inspired project.  I started out with the Ultra Silk, trying to do the "pebble stitch" described in the pattern and a) I didn't get it and b) it seemed kind of fiddly.  I pulled out my Barbara G. Walker "A Treasury of Knitting Patterns" book (a wonderful find that DH bought at the library for no more than $1 one day after it had been "withdrawn" from said institution) and didn't find a "pebble stitch" listed, so paged through with my little sticky notes, flagging possibilites -- none of which resemble pebbles at all.

On the left is a "Vine Lace" swatch underway.  It's a very simple 9-stitch, 4-row repeat.  The two on the right are "Double Wing, Openwork Version" -- it's the same pattern used for Monkey (minus the last knit round/row), which is so funny because I've begun to sense that "monkey on my back," even printing out the pattern the other day, yet I haven't pulled out the sock needles (probably feeling guilty about the three -- at least -- WIP pairs of socks somewhere around here).

I need to finish, then block; knit something with the Summer Tweed and do the same; then consider the possibilites -- which may end up looking nothing like the original #33, but I guess that's where the "inspired by" part comes in.  I love working with the Ultra Silk -- it actually reminds me a lot of Rowan Calmer, but even softer and without Calmer's tendency to sometimes split.

Ready to sew

We probably have a half-dozen different varieties of iris -- most came with the house and some we were given.  I don't think we've ever purchased any, at least not from a nursery.  I can't pick a favorite -- there are things I like about each one -- it's the daintiness of the blue flag, the veined maroon and golden yellow color combo of the other.

Except for weaving in some ends, I've finished the crocheting/knitting portion of the Larger Than Life Bag!

I made the garter stitch gusset just over three inches wide -- the squares are roughly six inches each and I liked that proportion; I thought that four would be too wide.

Because of the way I picked up the stitches on the first side -- from the wrong side so that the single crochet stitch made a little ridge (or corner) -- the only way I could think to join the two and have the same ridge stitch/corner was to also pick up stitches along the second side, and then three-needle it all together.  I did one side at a time, as I was flyin' a little bit blind, but it was worth the fiddlin' (and a little bit of rippin') because I love how it turned out.

I'll be able to fire up the sewing machine!  My goal for this four-day weekend, at minimum, is to have this bag all finished!!

Peas, please

Madeleine is a big fan of the edible pod and I finally remembered -- in March -- that March is the time to plant peas!  I planted two of the three pergola planters with peas and I'm thinking of clematis in the third -- the way it's situated, the plant would get plenty of sun and its "feet" would be naturally cool (they way they like it) because of the orientation.  I originally thought I'd plant tomatoes in these planters, but it's not working out that way.  Sometime in the next two months, DH and I will make some kind of raised planter thingy on the back side of the southern-most pergola bench, and I'll plant beans -- eventually, it will make a leafy bean curtain behind the bench.

We broke records yesterday with a high temperature just shy of 80 -- both the temp and the humidity rose very quickly in a short period of time yesterday afternoon.  There were tornado watches all over our area and even a few warnings.  It's too nice a day today to be stuck behind a desk, but here I am.

I've only just posted the ninth installment of my 100 Little Things project -- there should be about twice that number at this point -- but I have some things in queue and I'll be doing a little catch-up over there.

I washed and blocked the Baby Cashmerino V-neck sweater, wove in all the ends, did a tiny bit of seaming (remaining shoulder, one side of each pocket flap).  I guess my heart wasn't really in it.  Again, I am reminded, there is as much finishing in a baby sweater as there is in an adult's -- you'd think it would go quicker because the seams aren't so long, but it doesn't.  Once the mattress stitch gets set up, the length of the seam doesn't really matter.  It must be the threading of the needle that takes so much time.  ; )

The tattoo jury is still in deliberations.  Thank you so much for all your advice!  You'll be among the first to know when a verdict is reached.

H is for...

Holly-HOOEY!  Dang, we've already done H!  My hydrangeas are doing so nicely this year, too!

I think I was ripped off in the hollyhock department last year, but am very pleased with this year's display.  I know they're biennial...  I need to synchronize so I have a good year every year, you know?

So far, I've got a pale pink and a white blooming, and this one (coming up right in the middle of some other plant) looks promising, a darker pink.  Mom complained that she's got nothing but the very, very dark ones blooming this year and she doesn't like it.  I just bought a packet of seeds in that color because I do!  Go figure.

Who'd have guessed that nighties would get such a reaction?!  It's not like I was airin' my dirty laundry!!

Have I mentioned lately how much I love the ABC-Along?  The minute Anne suggested it, I was in.  I might be tardy with a post on occasion, and I might put up a little complaint about how the difficulty of a particular letter, but I have taken the ABCs to heart this year and, truly, try to make each post/letter a reflection of me.  Hence, nightgowns -- on the clothesline, no less.  When it finally occurred to me that nightgown was going to be my N, I was giddy with excitement -- how to shoot, when, where...  It was a labor of love to gather them all together from drawers, baskets and hooks, haul them all downstairs, pin each one on the line...  I renewed acquaintance with some old forgotten ones, some that need mending, some that I just can't part with (even if they might not fit at the moment).  I think I overlooked only one altogether.  My delight in the project even allowed me to momentarily overcome my fear of heights as I crawled out of the sleeping porch window onto the back porch roof in order to take the "aerial" shots.  And then, because I was already there -- and I could (it might have been the rarefied air) -- I walked around to the other end of the porch and took a couple of pictures of the garden from there -- it's a walk-out basement on that side, so another story up (or down, depending on whether you're a cup half-full or -empty type of person), but I did it!  Believe me, I never got too close to the edge and was even down on hands and knees at times.  I get so lightheaded and woozy even at the thought of being up high sometimes that I feel like I'll just lose all function and control and just collapse.  Thankfully, not the case that day -- way back in May!  I've been so excited, waiting patiently for N's time to come.  I'm so pleased.  The comments (Ann, yours is going to tickle my funny bone for a long time to come!) are priceless.  Thanks for taking the time to share them with me.

At right, a preview of what's on tap tomorrow... KNITTING!

Flora and fauna

If I didn't blog, I wouldn't have much of a reason to take a picture of my first tomato-on-the-vine in years!  Katie spotted it and my first reaction was to grab the camera.  Duncan was taking a catnap on the glider right beside me -- he was so soundly asleep and so still, that I didn't even notice him at first.  He's still such a delightful kitty.

The knitting will return one of these days.  I have been doing some, but it's mindless or stealthy and not much to blog about -- not like big spiders, little tomatoes, cute cats and wonderful kids!  The spider is still there, by the way, I check everyday; DH returns home tomorrow after a nearly three-week absence and transporting that little bugger and all her offspring may be Job #1 for him.  Welcome home, honey.

I have been cleaning and organizing, and cleaning and organizing, and cleaning and organizing.  I've also been dealing with what I can only describe as a cosmic shift in my life -- making the cleaning and organizing even more productive!  I have decided that this is the Year of Cosmic Shift for my family -- first, the miracle that is my brother and, now, events that are right up there with hell freezing over and pigs flying.  It's all good, I think, but takes some getting used to -- when everything you've known to be true for 35 years is suddenly different.  Sorry to be vague, I'm still cleaning and organizing...

The not-so-itsy-bitsy spider in my garden

I can't really explain why she's smiling so big -- I think we were both a little delirious over this spider -- this spider and the million billion trillion little ones that must be in that humongous egg sac.  OMG!  O!M!G!  Eeeeewwwwwww.

We both took a bunch of pictures.  ; )  At one point, I was squatting right behind her and a leaf from a too-tall plant (okay, a weed) brushed the inside of my thigh and I jumped and she jumped and we were laughing and yelling and shaking in our Birkies and she was very glad that she didn't fall INTO the spider.

I don't know if this is a brown recluse or not -- we seem to be a little north of its normal area and, from what I've read (yeah, you really want to be googling "recluse spider" and looking at all THOSE pictures before bed...), it's very often confused with other spiders.  That just didn't seem to be the kind of information to put me at ease, you know... that there are THAT many spiders BIG enough and UGLY enough and SCARY enough to be easily mistaken for each other.

This is on one of my gigantic Blue Angel hostas that flank the front walkway.  Yeah, the mailman and everyone walk right down this walk everyday.  I'm not sure what, if anything, to do.  I don't want all those baby spiders around my house -- or IN my house -- sure, they're cute when they're little, but look at what happens when they GROW UP!!

Hostas on parade

The weather forecast for much of the past week called for rain, and we've had some, but it's been a lot like Camelot, raining only at night.  I don't mind.  I love Camelot (the 1982 HBO musical, not available for purchase)... Richard Harris... oh, I miss him.

I attended the opening of Living on the Edge of Our Common Ground, Celebrating the Niagara Escarpment on Friday night, an interesting show -- something for everyone in the way of art and science -- with lots of events to look forward to.  At the show, I picked up a couple of Wisconsin Wildcards in the "Alien Invaders" series, a series of DNR "trading cards" for identifying invasive plant species in our state.  I didn't really need the card for Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), as I am all too familiar, having been engaged for years in an ongoing battle in my gardens, but I am completely enamored with the cleverness of these cards.

Oh, the hostas make me happy.  After pulling all the garlic mustard I could find yesterday (made easier by the midnight rain) the hostas could shine.  On the left is Sum and Substance, in the middle is Golden Tiara, and I'm not really sure at the moment which variety is on the right.  I've had a flyer for Foxfire Gardens tacked on the 'fridge for years -- it's only a couple of hours away -- and this is the year I'm going to visit!  Just reading the names on the list is exciting!  Can you imagine?  Hostas called Black Hills, Medusa, Veronica Lake, Spinning Wheel?

Today:  Plan B for "G," "H," and maybe even "I"... aye, aye, aye.

And laundry.

Thanks for birthday wishes for Katie -- I can't wait to share them with her in person.  I'm getting pretty excited about welcoming her home, as you might imagine.

Sweet Slumber

I shall never become less enchanted by this unfurling, nor tire of watching.  Sanguinaria Candensis, commonly known as Bloodroot, but also known as Indian Paint, Tetterwort, Red Root, Snakebite and, my person favorite, Sweet Slumber.  It's poisonous!  It's growing everywhere in my garden -- the original patch has grown quite a bit, but also the seeds have spread into the path, across the path, from one end of the path and garden to the other!  I couldn't be happier.

They rather remind me of cloaked women or monks in a procession -- or maybe, in photo at right, a woman and her children.  I've attended a couple of classes at a local gardening center and the woman in charge passed along a bit of wisdom from her grandfather about when it's okay to plant:  If you can stand to sit on the ground for two minutes with your pants pulled down, you can plant.  Well, I was on the ground to take this pictures -- with my pants on, thank you very much -- and I can tell you that it's still too soon in my back yard!

I skipped out of work early on a gorgeous Friday afternoon and took Maddy to do a little shopping for spring.  She found a few things, but as the shopping thing sometimes goes, I actually found a little bit more -- even though it wasn't about me.  ; )  If the jeans fit (especially if they're on sale), buy 'em!

Saturday was even more beautiful (that's the day I was "checking the ground temperature" in the garden) and I actually washed the kitchen windows and the front door glass.  Yeah, I actually did housework -- it nearly makes me faint, too.  I went to the local home center with DH to buy what we needed to fix the rotted back porch stair treads and, as the home repair sometimes usually goes, it took quite a bit longer than anticipated to fix, but it's fixed!  I also picked up some literature on roofing material, as the back porch roof will need replacing soon.  It's always something, don't you know...

We had a good, short visit with my brother yesterday.  He is doing so amazingly well with his recovery.  My SIL is having a hard time keeping up with him -- she puts the gait belt on him and tries to hold on, but he's pretty hard to keep up with.  He still spends a lot of time in bed -- only a few more weeks, hopefully, until he can start weaning from the body brace.  That'll be a huge step for him in so many ways.  Oh!  I wrote down the name and number of the llama farm that's right on the last corner before my brother's house, too, so the next time I go visit (probably quite soon), I hope to be up close and personal with some llamas, or at least some of their fiber.

You know, with all the reasons for celebration this month, I feel like throwing confetti around, too!  I haven't worked out the details, but I feel a contest coming on... stay tuned for details!

I'm Fibbing!

On Thursday morning, I kissed my hubby on my way out the door and told him that I thought I'd be home right after work -- for the first time in six weeks!  A little later, I called him and told him that the only thing that really remains the same is that There Will Be Change...  I'd learned that the greenhouse right down the street from work was having a series of gardening classes and the first one, mainly about perennials, was that night!

I can't say that I learned a whole lot, but it was good to get the gardening mojo going.  One idea that I will put into use this year is to work more annuals in with the perennials.  In exchange for my $10 class fee, I got a $10 coupon and was eligible for door prizes -- they gave away four Dramm professional watering tool sets.  I didn't win one (my companion did!), but there were a half-dozen available for $10 and I made sure I snagged one.  I wasn't rude or pushy, I don't think I was even aggressive... I was determined to have one of the six.  (It thrills me that the Dramm company is right over on the lakeshore, in Manitowoc.)  I also brought home a few primroses, which are blooming and brightening the area around the kitchen sink and will eventually get planted outside, and a pot full of ruffly pansies.  I didn't find them at first, and then asked a lady where she got them, and then thought, "Oh, I'll just stop on my way home from work one of these days," but when I said that I especially loved the ruffly ones and she said that there weren't very many of those left -- well, bee-line to the pansy department!!

Madeleine had a bunch of girls over last night -- enough to cover the living room floor and the couch -- so while they took over my regular spot, I brought my knitting into the computer room and listened to podcasts while I worked on...

The Fib!  I love it!  I am using a combination of Alexandra's pattern with (I think) a very basic, modified drop shoulder cardi pattern.  I did some calculating based on my swatch, also determining that I think I'll have enough yarn, and I played with the (very limited) color feature of Excel!  I love it!  The print-out of the stripes represents the entire length, the width of the stripes, and the order of color.  I love it!  I stayed up past my bedtime, even for a Friday night, to complete one color repeat (seven colors) in the Fibonacci sequence (2, 2, 4, 6, 10).  I love it!!!

Have I said that I love it?

Several weeks ago, one of my sisters called and told me that she'd just taken every single thing out of one of her bathrooms and cleaned it and then put back only what she really wanted and she said that it felt so good!  I think I'm going to try it today.  ; )

I found it!

We've got your hostas -- some of these sprouts are as big as your thumb!

Bleeding hearts are shooting up all over (oh, be still my very own heart).

There's color in the garden if you know where to look -- bloodroot and red, waxy-looking sedum.

Rebirth.  Oh, how I love the spring.

Last night, while at the auction, I finished the sock I started six weeks ago in the ICU waiting room, except for the kitchener toe.  Well, I thought I finished.  It could be just a wee bit longer, and I could have lived with it if I hadn't dropped a stitch -- I knew my stitch count was off at one point, but I couldn't find anything wrong and thought I just forgot a decrease, so I fudged.  The dropped stitch made itself known as soon as I tried it on, though.  I ripped out the toe, but have yet to get it back on the needles.  No patience for that last night.  How weird that I started that sock with Michael went into the hospital, and finish as he goes out.

The auction was okay, but there wasn't anything I had to have.  There was an Austrian bone dish with painted pansies, but it wasn't enough to keep me there all night.  They will have another auction in June.  I do like the noise and atmosphere of an auction and sock-knitting is a perfect auction activity, especially when they've got lots of coins or beer steins or something that I'm not particularly interested in.

I stopped at Yarns by Design to get pink yarn for Warming Grace (those 5" squares go FAST -- I'm on #2 already!), and also made my regrets for the upcoming Spring Midwest Masters Seminar -- it was there, last year, that I met Amy Lu for the first time, and spent my fabulous, fun-filled, unforgettable weekend with Lizzie, Joycie and Lily.  Amy Lu's been tempting me and there are some great classes, but I finally realized that it's on Katie's first of very few weekends home before heading to Maine to work for the summer.  Maybe there'll be something on the fall schedule that catches my eye, and I did get a fiber frolic fix yesterday (even though I have to wait), so no complaining.

This is one view of our "Garden Room." The plants are all very anxious to get back outside! This room has SE exposure and is painted a nice, light, sunny yellow -- there is natural wood on the floor and ceiling, a big utility cupboard, huge windows, two doors and a doorway all in this tiny little room, so the yellow doesn't even have a chance at seeming too-too. This room is off the kitchen and in full view from my spot at the kitchen table. Yay! Even on the dreariest of days (and these past few are right up there), it can soothe and brighten my mood.

It will certainly be a while before the breeze will be blowing through any of those leaves, but in outdoor garden news, I saw sedum sprouts, and the snowdrops on the hillside will soon be blooming.

My husband and I went to see our second-born, Ali, perform in a regional vocal competition; she was part of a triple trio (minus one, or is that a double trio plus two?). I love hearing kids sing, and this was no exception. Our high school vocal director is amazing and it shows in competitions such as these (the judge couldn't think of anything the jazz choir could improve on!) and in the school concerts and musicals.

On Friday, Katie went to Milwaukee with a friend to attend a concert, and then drove to Madison to stay the night at my sister's before visiting with friends at UW. She was pooped when she got home! She's working today and then she and Al will be going to another concert tonight!

I have managed to do a bit more knitting on Sonnet over the weekend. I'm on the last stretch of garter stitch for the body. Take a look at some pictures in the WIP folder. The yarn situation is tense...

When the weather was supposed to be sunny, it was not; and right now, we're supposed to be experiencing rain, but the sun is definitely winning out. It's spring!

Blazing sun

There's just nothing like a bright, sunny, very early spring day. I keep traipsing around the yard, even though I know it's just a bit early to expect anything fun. Two of my favorite things to watch for are the bleeding heart and the hostas. Once the bleeding heart starts to emerge, it practically explodes; it's a big ol' thing, and its vigor astonishes me every single year. I have quite a few different varieties of hosta and they grow pretty fast, also, but I especially love to catch them when they just begin to poke through.

I watched "crime time" TV (CSI Miami) by myself last night; my eldest daughter is usually my cohort, but she had other things to do. Too bad because her favorite character (Speed) had more of a featured role last night than usual.

Tomorrow is my day off and, hopefully, between having the oil changed, grocery shopping, laundry and other errands, I'll be able to take some pics and get them posted -- and do some knitting.