knitorious

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear

In other words: It's a random bullet-y type of day!

• We're heading to Door County tomorrow evening to participate in Saturday's Ride For Nature for the second year in a row.
• We'll also participate in the inaugural Door County Beer Festival, and I'm really looking forward to it!
• Having learned our lesson last year, we are staying overnight on Saturday instead of trying to drive home.
• Annie's riding with us this year, and Mom & Joe are coming up on Saturday!
• Last year, besides the New Belgium sticker for my bike (that I'm still extraordinarily giddy over) and some other goodies in our welcome packet, there was a coupon from Nor Door Sport & Cyclery.
• I ended up with a rack and saddlebags for my bike! I didn't really use them much last year and was beginning to wonder if I'd made yet another dumb purchase.

• Guess what fits beautifully in one of those saddlebags?
• Knitting!
• For the second time in a few weeks, I rode my bike to Tuesday Knit Night!
• It's 8.5 miles one way.
• I took a slightly different jog at the end this week that took me past a wonderful little garden at a local high school.
• I was surprised to see the purple coneflowers so prolific already!
• It was an easier ride on Tuesday than any other I've done so far this year -- little wind, no cliffs to climb.
• I'm still feeling it in my legs and butt.
• It's not painful, just a reminder... I guess that's good.
• Due to daylight, knitting out time is limited and... I hate to say it, but the days will be getting shorter again soon.
• I guess I'll just keep doing it for as long as I can!
• I love killing two birds with one stone -- something that I should do combined with something that I want to do.

 

Ten on Tuesday: Strawberry Fields Forever

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Favorite Ways to Eat Strawberries

1. In the field, right off the vine.

2. In the car, right out of the flat.

3. In the kitchen, right out of the colander.

4. By the slice, right off the knife.

4. In a bowl with a little bit of cream.

5. Sliced, in cereal (Cheerios, Chex).

6. In strawberry shortcake, of course; sometimes with other berries. I like my shortcake less sweet and more biscuit-y than cake-y.

7. In a fruit salad. I made a simple one on Sunday with organic strawberries from my farmers' market neighbor, blueberries from another vendor, and fresh basil from my own yard -- all with the slightest drizzle of honey. So good. I saved a little for yesterday's lunch.

8. Slightly mashed, over ice cream (I guess you'd call that a sundae) or cheesecake.

9. In almost any dessert, actually.

10. The fresher the better, but I do love good homemade strawberry jam!

I meant to take a photo of my fruit salad, but it disappeared before I had a chance. Mom recently brought over this cute gebera daisy -- it goes nicely with the back door of the garage! I've been watering it every evening, but in the heat the other day it was completely wilted and I thought that perhaps a drink in the morning would be better. So far, so good.

 

Weekend doings: Busy

Farmers' Market! The season opener was Saturday and here we are -- well, there's my co-worker Abbey -- having arrived just a wee bit later than we'd have liked, but whipping thing into shape. She is pulling apart "puff balls" which we hung inside the tent with the red Japanese lanterns and it was all quite festive. It was very, very warm and, thankfully, also breezy, so we sold a lot of iced tea and lemonade!

I'm so happy with how our little local market has grown. Not too big, not too small, it's Just Right! Everyone is so friendly, and, welp, that's no surprise because we do live in "The Friendly City"!

My personal favorite part of the day, besides actually selling some yarn (some to a non-knitter, even, who fell in love with yarns/colors and purchased for her sister) was when a young girl (maybe 11) walked straight up to admire yarn. When I asked her if she knit, she proceeded to open her very stylish bag to show me that she had her yarn, needles and hooks right with her! I gave her my card. I'm looking forward to seeing her again!

I was so tired by the time we tore down and unloaded back at the coffee shop. I came home and typed a few words onto FB and then stared at the computer for 10 minutes trying to decide whether I should take a shower and then a nap, or a nap and then a shower. I'm not sure it was the right decision, but I figured that if I needed 10 minutes to contemplate such a question, then I pretty much needed a nap first.

Zzzzzzzzz. Shhhhhhhh!

I had some yarn soaking that I knew I wouldn't get to on Sunday and wouldn't wait for next opportunity on Wednesday, so I made some more lavender yarn, and also one that's more "lilac." (Photos, etc., soon.)

On Saturday night, I managed to knit through all of Clue #2 on Kirsten's TTL Mystery Shawl... and I'm so anxious for #3!

Today, we went to Mack's house to celebrate his 7th birthday! It's hard to believe he's gone from this:

( t i n y  t i g e r )  to this:

in seven short years -- toothless, to a varying degree, in both! (Bad auntie, I didn't take any photos and nabbed this from the party invitation.)

There was cake! And a good time was had by all.  ;)

 

Day off doings: Inspired

I had a dentist appointment yesterday morning, which went okay except for the reminder (again) that I should start working on having a few teeth crowned while I still *want* to do it. You know, rather than having a tooth crumble at... oh I don't know, 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon would probably be about the most inconvenient of time, wouldn't it?

Yeah, so after a dentist appointment I usually treat myself with a trip to my LYS (local yarn store), just a half-mile or so to the north. This time, though, I went to my favorite LSS (local shoe store) a few blocks south.** I was on a quest for new sandals, having admired a neighbor's lovely pair a few weeks ago. They were so comfy looking, a perfect style for my feet which sometimes swell, and I haven't been able to get them off my mind. I found them, ordered them in a different color, and also found an adjustable pair with velcro closures. Shoe shopping is not a regular occurrence around here, and there are plenty of times that I leave empty handed, so I'm actually quite happy that I found two pair! It's been a while since I've worn thong-style sandals, though -- I used to wear them all summer, every summer -- so there'll be a period of getting used to that again.

I met Rusty at the home improvement store to find a replacement for the air conditioner for our bedroom -- looks like we're going to need it this weekend -- and then we grabbed a quick lunch before heading home.

He went out to continue painting the house. I fired up a kettle of water and mixed up some dye -- inspired by the lavender blooming outside the garage door! I had just enough time to do a test hank before riding my bike over to Mom's to consult on a few things. What color to paint the outdoor furniture? When shall we leave for Mack's 7th birthday party on Sunday?

I can't believe he's going to be SEVEN!!

Then it was time to head off to book club. It was another in a string of gorgeous days and we met at a place with a lakeside patio. The service wasn't too great, but the relaxing was very, very good.

Meanwhile, having always been a fan of lavender "the flower" and lavender "the scent," I was never too crazy about lavender "the color" for anything other than lavender flowers. Until now.

I'm inspired and in love!

**I was actually hoping that I'd have time to treat myself with a trip to the LSS and the LYS!

 

I voted

It's a big election day in Wisconsin and, just from random things I've seen throughout the day, voter turn-out seems pretty high. I haven't actually been closely following, so it'll be interesting to see how the numbers really compare to other recent elections... not to mention how it all turns out in the end!

* * * * *

So, has anyone currently reading this blog been around long enough to remember KNIT LIKE A LATVIAN?

One of my "holy grails" of knitting has been -- and continues to be -- Latvian mittens. About five years ago, I was caught up in a) the excitement of trying to knit a pair, b) the newness of Ravelry, and c) the newness of GROUPS on Ravelry (which were populating at an incredible rate -- dozens every day, maybe even every hour for a while there) -- it was crazy and I got caught up in it.

Even though I've always said that "I'm not a forums girl" and creating a group on Ravelry is pretty much the opposite of that ("Let me be the LEADER of a forum!), I opened Microsoft Picture It and put some (not even Latvian) mittens on the hands of a clip art Egyptian, humming and riffing on The Bangles all the while, uploaded it, and started a group called Knit Like A Latvian.

It lives!! Not only that, it's grown to over 860 members while I, for the most part, have been an absentee mother. I love it so and it's flourished despite my neglect! Isn't that crazy? It just blows me away. There are and have been some knowledgeable and exceptionally talented people who knit and discuss and share their work there, and keep it all going. Some of the members have, literally, "written the book" on knitting from Latvia, Estonia, and the Baltic region. I am indebted to them and the dedicated members who contacted me about becoming moderators. (Thank you so very much!)

There have been some KALs organized by members, and new one has just been announced! The start of Knit Like A Latvian: Sock KAL 2012 is set for July 1st! And I'm actually considering it. Colorwork being my nemesis, I've found a pattern that is about half texture and half color -- considerably lowering the frustration factor. There will be random prizes for completion (by the end of August), for which I won't be eligible, of course, but for which Make.Do will be donating along with (so far) two other moderators, The Needle Gnome, and everyone's favorite Miss Babs!

I'm really trying NOT to get carried away and join in a bunch of stuff, but the timing for this is good.

I could take it to another level by also doing it for Knitting Olympics -- July 27th to August 12th.

Hm. I shall ponder that...

* * * * *

Meanwhile, World Wide Knit in Public Day/Week kicks off this weekend, which just happens to coincide with the opening of our local farmers' market, and my manning of the KC&T/Make.Do tent where I'll be dispensing beverages and hawking wool. It's official (on the website and everything!), we (I, as much as possible) will be WWKiPing at the farmer's market on Saturday morning -- read all about it and join us if you can!

* * * * *

Ten on Tuesday this week is 10 Favorite Work Out Songs, and I pretty much covered that here. I haven't been riding a stationary bike lately, though, and for safety reasons I don't listen to music when I'm actually biking on the road, so I have nothing new! I've linked to Carole's post, though, because it's a great topic!

 

June

It was a mighty fine weekend and it ended like this. A little late in the day to be hanging yarn outside to dry -- I'd already taken down the laundry and retracted the line -- I just had to hang it out for a little while. Then I took my knitting out to the pergola and enjoyed the bright, cheerful view.

Rusty was there when I pulled those two fiery hanks out of the pot. He couldn't get over it. "It GLOWS!"

That it does.  ;)

 

Knitting a mystery

The color's still not quite right, but it's closer. It's Clue #1, all 15 rows, for Kirsten's Through The Loops Mystery Shawl 2012. I started when I got home last night and finished just after dinner. So far, so good!

It's pictured atop my Aviatrix hats; here are both, so far:

This is the smallest size and the largest size; a third (and final) is underway! I think it's pretty cool to get three of these spectacular hats out of one hank of yarn.

You should see my Ravelry project page right now -- that's a lot of red!!

I went on a great bike ride today with Katie and then went out and bought all my plants -- AND PLANTED THEM! That is practically unheard of around here. I usually let them sit for at least a day. Often a week. Even Rusty was surprised. Heh. New tricks.

 

Try, try again

I've done very few Knit-Alongs (KALs) in my years of "online" knitting. Audrey was the first -- and came so early in my blogging career that I didn't even know how to hyperlink!

I never finished that sweater*, but I've rarely learned so much from a single project! My first encounter with in-depth discussions of increases and decreases -- and that there were so many ways to do them -- came via that KAL. There were in-depth discussions about every aspect of that sweater and pattern and it was fascinating to be a part of it!

It's a safe bet to say I'd never have worn that sweater even if I'd finished. Ever. Adorable sweater, but completely wrong for my body shape and type. (The Vespa made me do it, I'm sure!) It was the throwing in of the towel by the venerable Bonne Marie Burns that "gave me permission" to admit the same and the confidence to frog it all.

It was so liberating! I've frogged a few projects since then, too. It certainly hurts, but it feels so good to reclaim good materials and try again!

St. Brigid was a success, as was Williamsro for the first Knitting Olympics**.

My first mystery KAL was a bit of a bust, but I'm ready to try again. And I'm starting today!

This is some Knit Picks Bare Lace Weight that I've had around for a while. I'd dyed it a while ago and it turned out a shade of magenta -- that seems to be my default color. I decided to overdye it to give it a richer red feel -- and, being red, it's next to impossible to photograph so the photo has been manipulated and the color is not true... but believe me that it's a nice deep red and I do love it.

Trying again. Katie will have to... She learned yesterday that she wasn't awarded the scholarship that was the make-or-break deal for school in Scotland this fall... this fall. There's always next fall...

Happy weekend! Trying anything?

*Nor have I finished Cromarty, the successor sweater.

**I'm pondering possibilities for the summer games.

Ten on Thursday: Hot Fun in The Summertime

Ten on Tuesday Thursday: 10 Goals for This Summer

1. Continue exploring and sharing my interests and passions, and having fun.

2. Re-formulating, clarifying, and implementing my plan to recoup costs and try to make some of it pay me back a little bit.

3. To that end, vending my Make.Do wares with KC&T at our local farmers' market -- opening day is a week from Saturday! I just ordered some MOO MiniCards for the occasion and love them more than I can say!!

Follow this Refer A Friend link for 10% off some of your own!

4. Riding my bike! While I prefer to ride on 75F days when the humidity is low and the sun is joined in the sky by big puffy white clouds and when there's not much wind and no bugs and on roads with few hills and no stop signs... I need to stop making excuses and just get on the damn thing. Ride like the wind!

5. It's not an unreasonable expectation to lose 10 pounds by the end of summer. Minimum. I'm not buying any jeans in the next size up come fall. Period.

6. I've been thinking about it for months, so finally signing up for a 3-session package with a personal trainer at my fitness center -- whether anyone else wants to join me or not! And take it from there.

7. A very early summer goal -- like, THIS WEEKEND -- is to PLANT! I believe my front porch planter was bare naked all last year. There's a solitary weed growing in it now. It needs some pretty flowers. Also, tomatoes and basil. The planters are there. Even if the harvest is small, it's still a harvest and quite enjoyable.

8. Knit with laceweight. Kirsten's Through The Loops Mystery Shawl 2012 begins tomorrow and I'm ready... as soon as I decide on color (light green, dark green, or deep red). I've never knit with laceweight yarn before and I'm ready!

9. Go to Bay Beach and ride the rollercoaster! It's been there for a year already!!

10. Go with the flow -- that's my mantra this summer. Just keep on keepin' on and goin' with the flow... let it all just wash over me and feel the cleanse.

Something like that.

 

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.

Clarity

Saturday was busy and exhausting, so I stayed home on Sunday -- a wet and gloomy day -- and got a few things done. With all the "movement" around here, the upcoming credit union-sponsored "shred fest" next weekend and the city-wide rummage sale the following weekend are timely and welcome.

It's rather overwhelming, dealing with all the stuff, but quite satisfying when I'm able to stay focused on one specific task or in one area and see results. I was all over the place yesterday -- the living room, my office, kitchen, bedroom, laundry room...

While I'm not selling everything and moving to South America (or, hopefully, Scotland) (fingers crossed, people, this is the month she'll find out about scholarships!!) (please & thank you!), I've definitely caught the fever to some degree. I loaded five boxes/bags of books to sell -- mostly from only one bookcase, with contributions from my stash of knitting and photography books.

Getting stuff ready to sell at a rummage sale is EXHAUSTING, so my donation pile is at least as big as my sale pile, not to mention trash and recycling...

Rusty started it, yesterday, switching out an old cardboard file in the garden room for a nicer (smaller, brighter, sturdier) model from Habitat ReStore. He made quick work of it, having to head off to a show opening, and I got busy with the rest. I didn't quite get to sweeping down the cobwebs from the ceiling, but all the cat food is swept up off the floor, and everything that remains in that room has been wiped down... and has meaning.

Other things... curious and interesting, that were kept in the past, did not make the cut this time around. This is a broken bit from an old planter that Maddy dug up during her summer of archeaology in the ravine behind our house. His big eyes and sad face, the cross-hatch decoration, and even the crazed and chipped glaze have been so appealing to me... but it's over now. It has to be... the photo will serve to remind me of that summer's many memories.

It's a start... an ongoing process...

Meanwhile, I fixed my left (your right) sleeve cap and, WOW, what a difference, eh? Last night, I dismantled the entire right (your left) side and will reknit the sleeve cap tonight. The sewing up works best in daylight... it'll be finished soon. I was so sorry that it wasn't ready on Saturday night to wear to a gallery party... I want it ready for next time!

 

Weekend update

Painting the house: It rained much of the week, so there's been no progress; however, the color situation has been decided. The colors will all remain the same -- siding : blue-green, trim : off-white, shingles & windows : maroon -- but the door will be a gold-ochre! We chose these colors for our house years ago and were quite pleased and surprised to have found that they're quite similar to colors she sported in the past, but there was also a gold in the mix and I'm delighted to add it back into the mix. I might paint a part of the front storm door gold, too.

It wouldn't be Macro May without lilacs... but they're usually later in the month.

Fixing the sweater: One sleeve has been removed, the cap re-knit, and I've sewn it back in. It fits and looks MUCH better. I've still to do the second one.

There's so much happening around me right now -- people and changes in jobs, school, moving, relationships -- it's sometimes overwhelming. I've taken to picturing -- even feeling -- myself as being in a stream and letting it all wash over me, back and forth, going with the flow... but sometimes it's not like that at all. Sometimes I feel like I'm riding rapids and getting banged up against rocks.

This morning, I went on a 4-mile group walk to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and it felt good to just walk, follow the pack, and not have to think about where I was going. I walked and talked with Kate (she mostly talked, I mostly listened), and we caught up about half-way with Mom, Annie and Mack.

 

Shoulder to shoulder

Clickity, clack... this is still a knitting blog!

This is Hemphora, a test knit I've been working on and my latest almost FO. It looks like an FO in this photo that I took yesterday, but then I met with Kassie, the local and talented designer of this sweater. We talked it over, I tried it on, and we talked over some more... almost there!

I really enjoyed knitting with the Allhemp6, but it is a little different -- the fabric skews just a bit and is also something of a shape-shifter! I "tried it on" several times during the making up and thought NO WAY is this going to fit me -- and if it did "fit," it was going to "just" fit... every bump and bulge of my torso like a glove. I had to trust that it would be okay. Of course, I'd rather be a size or three smaller, but it fits just fine; the drape is terrific!

This is the SE corner of the back porch, not far from the pergola from which Hemphora is hanging. There was a lot of busy-ness there yesterday -- robins building a nest. It didn't look complete even this morning and I thought that perhaps I'd scared them off, but a bird flew off when I walked over to check today before leaving for work.

The cats are going to go nuts. This is impossibly close and yet impossible to reach without risking life... and I'm not sure how many are left amongst our three.

Bird brain... ha!

Also, it's MACRO MAY!

 

Ten on Tuesday: Pin me!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Items Pinned to Your Bulletin Board

I could ask which one...

This one... two... are at work. There are two just like them on the adjacent wall. These two are the most interesting...

1. A print out of my three favorite entries from a "Typesetter Haiku" contest on a long-gone blog. Even after all this time, they never fail to crack me up. Here's one:

i shot the serif

left him there full of leading

yearning for kerning

Hysterical, right? Heh. Maybe only if you were once a geeky typesetter... and an Eric Clapton fan.

2. Confirmation(s) of registration(s) with the National Do Not Call Registry.

3. Photos of the girls, the boys, other family members, some of my friends, friends' babies.

4. Some various postcard-type artwork and photos of artwork... classin' up the joint.

5. A mmmmenu from Noodles & Company; once in a while, someone brings me lunch and it's usually from there.

6. A small sheet of smiley-face stickers.

7. Various lists of phone numbers and log-ins.

8. A print-out of postage rates and an envelope of odd stamps.

9. The memorial card I made for Sharon.

10. Reminders, such as:

Time only seems to matter when it's running out.

and

It's the time you have, not the time you want.

and an Important list of "I" words:

• Intensity : Say yes
• Inclusion : Be generous
• Integrity : Speak up
• Intimacy : Love more
• Intuition : Trust yourself
• Intention : Slow down

 

Painter's progress

Saturday, April 21st. A long overdue start on repainting the garage.

Sunday, April 29th. A bunch of rotten boards had to be replaced... and, because of that, there will finally be a gutter and downspout installed. I'd like the water to fill a rain barrel, and have even offered to pick one out for Mother's Day! Some people are skeptical about the need for a rain barrel; I think if it was installed, he would tap it. Loose paint has been scraped, sanding has occurred, priming has been done... and it's going to be pretty rainy this week, so there is reprieve and he can do other things for a while.

There has been a fair bit of muttering on the job this week. I say, Quit yer complaining... this is your job right now, there's a light at the end of the tunnel, and it will eventually be finished; your grandfather taught you well, just do it.

Currently up for debate is whether to paint the windows maroon (please to note, "maroon" as in the clothesline post, not "fade-to-purple" as in the shingles), as they were originally painted (and as is the house, which the garage was designed and built to match), or off-white to match the trim. The argument for "all off-white" is that it "looks cleaner."

Cleaner schmeaner.

Y'all can guess what I think!

OK, now I'll quit complaining! How about some breakfast?

I've been eating oatmeal most mornings -- especially at work. I mix it up myself, riffing on a recipe shared with me by Elizabeth. It has slivered almonds and walnut bits, and I put in LOTS of cinnamon -- almost 10 times more than originally suggested! I add just a drip of honey, to sweeten, along with hot water in the morning. So yum and good for me, too!

What's sticking to your ribs at breakfast these days?

 

Baked eggs

It's what's for dinner... yesterday... and lunch today! I've made them before, and here is the recipe I've been using.

At this point in the process, all of a sudden, I realized that the light wasn't too bad and I could take pictures! I'd already cooked the prosciutto and steeped it in half & half. I'd also realized that I didn't have any spinach, but found some left-over peas in the fridge. Hey, why not?

So there's a tiny bit of butter at the bottom of each dish, prosciutto, peas, a spoonful of half & half, an egg, another spoonful of half & half, a smidge of sea salt, and some pepper.

Last time, I'm sure I used a whole lotta butter and the heavy cream. Next time, I will probably cut the butter even further, perhaps just "greasing" the dish, or possibly using olive oil; I think I'll still use half & half, because I like the richness, but maybe only half... of the half & half.

I love a recipe I can play around with.

Last time, while not overcooked, they were cooked very well. This time, I baked them for just a little less time and they were perfect -- the whites thoroughly cooked, the yolk still soft.

I have to say that I love love love the Pampered Chef 1-cup Prep Bowl Set that I bought from my cousin's wife, Jane. I don't remember if my sister Karen was a one-time consultant, or just hosted now and then, but I've purchased a few PC items over the years. I have some favorites, and these bowls shot right up to the top -- not only are they are PERFECT for this recipe, they also have COVERS, so I've been using them for leftovers and for packing my lunch. Love.

Do I need to say that I'm not getting paid to say that? I'm not. Jane doesn't even know that I'm talking about/linking her!

Happy weekend, ever'body!

3 of 3

Last, both in order of birth and in order of birth day, is Madeleine!

***

Give me an M!

Twenty-one years ago at this very moment, we were sitting in the kitchen having dinner and I was in labor. My mom and Joe stopped in, having just returned from a few days away, and I told Mum that when we finished up with dinner, I'd be packing my bags. She couldn't believe that I was so calm and cool about it all. I was probably eating potato salad (with egg) from the Piggly Wiggly, one of the only things that appealed to me at all during this pregnancy. We won't even talk about the first trimester... well, okay, we will... I remember going to the grocery store at lunchtime and just wandering the aisles, hoping that something, ANYthing would look good enough to eat; I'd usually return with a bag of ginger snaps.

***

Give me an A!

This morning, when I posted about Maddy's birthday on Facebook, she wrote: Thanks for fightin' for me 21 years ago. ;)  More than her birth story, I believe Maddy likes to hear more about conception... that I really wanted to have a third child (I'd have gone up to six or so) but her dad (10 years my senior) wasn't as excited.

***

Give me a D!

And he is correct when he says that I didn't have to fight TOO hard. Naturally, had we known it was MADELEINE we'd get, all along, there'd have been no fight at all!  (XOXOX) Here she is with one of our "original" cats -- Daisy or Cutie (probably Daisy).

***

Give me a D!

While Katie made me a mom for the first time, it was with Madeleine that I finally became a stay-at-home mom -- something I'd always wanted. I "stayed home" for about five years and they were surely some of the best. Maddy was probably the most maternal of the girls and, obviously, liked her baby dolls. Katie didn't want a thing to do with them, ever; Ali played with "big" dolls -- a little with Barbie, a lot with American Girls; Maddy always had babies.

***

Give me a Y!

My animal lover. I believe there's been a total of a half-day in the last 27 or so years that we've been pet-free. If Maddy had her way, we'd have something resembling the contents of the ark.

What does it spell? MADDY!

Happy Birthday to my lovely "baby"!

I can't believe she's 21!!

* * * *

And that's a wrap!! Same time, next year.  ; )

Ten on Tuesday: Honey, I'm home!

Ten on Tuesday: 10 Good Things About Coming Home After Vacation

No one hits the home chord for me more than John Denver.

1. Knowing the landscape. It's great to explore -- I love planning trips, reading maps, listening to directions from Garmin -- but it's great to be home and just know how to get from Point A to Point B without thinking.

2. My car. The next time I rent a car in the UK, remind me that driving on the other side of the car is enough -- adding manual transmission to the mix just makes things more difficult and stressful than they need be.

3. My own bed.

4. My own pillow. If I'm not traveling far, and even if I'm checking into a nice hotel, I bring my own pillow. It's not my own bed, but it helps!

5. My closet. Efficient packing continues to elude me... perhaps if I traveled more frequently?

6. My washer & clothesline/dryer! I really don't mind doing laundry, and I really like being able to do it when needed.

7. My kitchen! Even if we're someplace with a kitchen and I can do my own cooking, it's just not the same... and a person can only eat out so many times.

8. Mail! I love going through my mail after being away -- it's very satisfying to sort (and toss) and then catch up on the news via our twice-weekly very local newspaper.

9. Kitties! While not quite as demonstrative as their canine counterparts, our cats definitely let us know that they're happy we're home!

10. Friends and family, the coffee shop, knit night, photography group, the library -- all the places I hang out and feel "at home."

 

2 of 3

The second of our April birthdays is today -- Earth Day! Twenty-seven years ago, Katie made me a mom for the first time. As established a few days ago, I will try to fit a completely random selection of photographs to a spur-of-the-moment idea for a post. (Because the well-planned blog this is mostly not.)

***

Give me a K!

I remember snapping a series of photos this day -- all of them goofy and engaging, it was the day she decided she liked the camera! This was out on the enclosed patio in our house at Cape Meares. After spending the first week of her life at a motel, this was her first home.

***

Give me an A!

We were only a couple of blocks from the beach -- closer than we would have been had a bunch of streets not been swallowed up by the ocean over the years. I used to work on Saturdays, so Kate and her dad spent a lot of Saturdays looking like this.

***

Give me a T!

Really, could she be any cuter?

***

Give me an I!

Well, yes, I guess she could!  ;)

***

Give me an E!

What does it spell? KATIE!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful first-born!

***

We'll be celebrating all the birthdays tonight -- there will be cake!

 

In my drawers

Orchid *

I may have mentioned that cleaning/clean-out has been on my mind. Time has been short, so I've been using the "What can I do in the next 10 minutes?" plan. By breaking big jobs into smaller tasks, there's a sense of accomplishment along the way -- which both inspires and motivates further action.

There's a big cupboard in the kitchen that we use as a sort of pantry. It has two large doors topped by two big drawers. I cleaned out one of the drawers -- the one we never used much -- earlier this week and found two TV antennas, a bunch of candles (including a random "1" and "8"), a rolled up remnant of old wallpaper, a tangle of plate hangers, a couple of broken p&s film cameras, and some other miscellaneous junk!

The other night, I opened the other drawer. I pulled it out, in fact, and dumped a third of the contents on the floor before bringing it to rest on the counter -- no turning back. A few years ago, when I didn't carry a purse, that drawer was where I'd keep my wallet, keys, sunglasses, gloves, all the day-to-day stuff... and other stuff, stuff I didn't know what to do with, and more stuff... holy cow. I found things like a coupon for tampons (um, yeah) that expired in 2004; all of my receipts from Christmas... 2006; Weight Watchers stuff -- folders, calculators, booklets; my folder and time cards from when I worked for the temp service; a bunch of cards I bought but never sent.

I also found a favorite pair of earrings (that I thought I lost), all my vintage watches & watch pins (that I thought I lost), some rings (that I thought I lost) and, best of all, MY GRANDMOTHER'S ENGAGEMENT RING (WHICH, OF COURSE, I THOUGHT I LOST)!! I'm so happy and relieved.

Happy weekend, ever'body! We'll be celebrating birthdays and eating cake.

*From MY birthday! STILL going strong.

Wednesday... now Thursday

The test knitting is done, washed, dried, and awaiting seaming -- which will probably happen over the weekend. I wonder what the chances are that the mood'll stick for a bit and I could have a few more new sweaters yet this spring. Heh.

Meanwhile, unable to settle on anything else, hexies are very satisfying right now! The blues-greens are from some uncategorized and, I think undocumented, extra-curricular Project Spectrum dyeing. I'm lovin' that darker shade! Also, the two-tone hexagons are some of my favorites right now.

I should get a group shot... and count. I'm not sure how many I have finished. Maybe tonight. My friend Kate is bringing her Color Affections (one finished, one in-progress) to Knit Night tonight so I can take some photos, so the camera will be out.

Yesterday was the last official day of events for the 5th Annual Fox Cities Book Festival. Last week, my book club went to hear Kris Radish talk mostly about her latest (her 10th) book, Tuesday Night Miracles. She lives in Florida now, but was born and raised in Wisconsin -- not too far from me -- and, wow, we've sure raised up some great writers and I'm so happy I've been able to hear people like Kris, Lesley Kagen and Michael Perry read from own work and talk about their books. I also went to hear Bill Strickland speak about his book, Make the Impossible Possible; soft-spoken and humble, he is full of great ideas!

Next year, my husband may be in the book festival line-up! That's all I can say about that right now, so just nudge the thought way back in your head and I'll let you know when it's time to get excited again.

Don't forget... Knit Night tonight!

 

RIP Dick & Davy

Davy Jones died at the end of February, of course, and today we lost Dick Clark.

Davy Jones. The Monkees.

Dick Clark. American Bandstand. New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Big chunk o' my teenage entertainment and enlightenment right there.

And let's not forget the $25,000 Pyramid! God, I loved that show  -- even more than Let's Make A Deal, The Dating Game, and The Newlyweds, though perhaps not quite as much as Password... maybe I'd call it a tie.