Saturday, December 29, 2007

My new housemate


I have a new resident in my condo. Her name - as delivered to me is Angel Eyes. This is a temporary name as to me, Angel Eyes was the bad in Good, Bad and Ugly. This lady is too pretty for that.

Her eyes are an awesome green - more emerald than is showing here. This photo is the one which made me very interested in meeting her. It was taken by feralcatfriend and I want her to have the credit for the photo. I'll post more when Angel is more settled and less shy.

I've always said I'm a sucker for green eyes - and C always thought it was him......... that'll learn him!

I finished the felted bag for DDIL and one for DGD too. I forgot to get the photos first.

Mystic Waters is still on the needles and I'm almost finished with chart C. Five more charts and I'll be finished with that beauty.

So, from my home to yours - Have a very Happy New Year!
This is the 2nd time I've gotten these orchids to bloom - and I've had them almost 8 years. There are now a total of 7 blooms. I'm on week 2 of the blooming.

They are dendrobium orchids from Lowe's. Apparently they need to be outside during the summer and until the temp drops to around 40 at night. Then they can come in and will make buds.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Tis the season

So why has it been in the 70's for the past 3 days? Oh well, I can be jolly in spite of the warm weather. I went to the main Library today to get a library card and start browsing and loved the lights in the city as I was going home.

Knitting has been interesting. I've started the fuscia blossoms for the Market Tote. They are hard on my hands so I still have 2 inside petals on the first one. Then two more flowers, felt and done. Hopefully done by Christmas.

Mystic Waters has released the final clue - and I'm on the second. Should finish clue 2 and start clue 3 tomorrow.

Celtic Tote is on the sidelines for a bit. Since it is for me, I guess I can wait a bit for it. Also on the sidelines are Autumn Rose, Fair Isle Pullover, and the silver shawl for the daughter.

Next is to find gifties for granddaughter 1 who has a birthday the 22nd with Christmas right after. Grandson 1 is all set. Grandkiddles 3-5 will probably have late gifts from me as I'm making them. They are the only grandkids on their Dad's side so won't be short of presents.

So wishing you and yours all the joy of the season. Enjoy!

Monday, December 3, 2007

Oops and other words

Well, I had my Mystic Waters in a bag while I was going out of town. I had stopped in the middle of a row - first mistake. Then I started to take the knitting out of the bag - without looking -- second mistake. Tugging was the final mistake. All sorts of stitches fell off needles and unzipped themselves. After saying oops and other words not to be mentioned here, I ended up finishing the oops and unraveling the whole thing and starting again.

Almost done with chart A. I seriously doubt I'll be ready for the next installment (6?) when it comes out on Wednesday. I'm so glad I'm enjoying this knitting!

Friday, November 30, 2007

No, I Didn't...

...fall off the face of the earth, tho' I may have teetered on the edge a bit. : )

A quick summary of knitting follows:
1. Frogged Secret of the Stole as I wasn't enjoying the knit very much. This isn't really my style of knitting. I can and do admire the work others have done on the Stole.
2. Started Mystic Waters. I'm still slogging through Clue 2 (Clue 5 was released this week) but things may perk up a bit on the knitting front with this one.














Please note the color isn't quite as turquoise-y

3. Began the Celtic tote from Interweave Knits Winter 2007.
This shows one of the two cables on the front and back of the purse/tote. It will be outlined by a reddish brown yarn and then felted slightly. This curls a lot and I couldn't find pins to pin it out. If you can keep your wits about, it is a fairly quick knit.









I've also been doing a bit of work on Autumn Rose by Eunny Jang. I'm still working on the ribbing so won't post photos until I get into the pattern work. This is a fair isle style pullover with a beautiful deep scooped neckline. I've seen others finished work, including one on a woman shaped like I am (fluffy), and it looked wonderful on her - so I'm hopeful!

Last week was Thanksgiving here in the US. Thursday was quiet but on Friday DS and his family arrived - along with the two newest members, a Maltese puppy and a Shi Tsu puppy. They were very well behaved. The two grandkiddles went to the TN Aquarium with DH and myself and had a good time.

Saturday DH and I drove around, including going up Lookout Mountain. Folks, if you like windy, curvy, narrow roads with awesome views, the drive up the mountain is for you. I'm "nervous" about heights and only held the car on the road twice. I didn't look off the edge much, but didn't freak out. Yeah for me!

It was cloudy and had a few sprinkles but still a wonderful view from the Point (a National Park). I love the sign on the edge of the cliff. For those who are not students of the Civil War, the Battle of Chattanooga was basically won by default. The Confederacy had left the mountain so no one was there when a few Union soldiers climbed the bluff to the top. There was a fight and about 900 soldiers died and 3,000 were injured or missing, mostly from NY and IL. That isn't much if you look at other battles, such as Battle of Stones River about 100 miles NW of here where between 23,000 and 26,000 died and the river ran red with blood.















I grew up in New England where Fife and Drum Corps and the Revolutionary War were important to residents. Here in the south, the Civil War is much more a part of life with re-enactments being fairly common. I still love listening to Fife and Drum units!

I'm trying once again to post more often. Hopefully I can save enough time in my life to fit this in. Otherwise I'll have to post daily goals and whether they are met or not.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Update


Well it's time for me to post another photo of Secret of the Stole. I'm part way through hint two but hint 3 came out today.

This is a more accurate photo showing the pewter color. It's softer in feel than the photo indicates - that silk really makes this wonderful. I'm not putting beads on this although it was designed to add beads. I wanted to see what it was like first - maybe I can add beads to another version later on.

My circular needle is rather coiled and I've read that some people either steam it or dip it in boiling water to remove the memory so it can be more accommodating. May try that this weekend.

I've got to catch up on this as Mystic Waters starts Wednesday and I've volunteered to translate the chart over to written directions for the participants.

The weather is finally nicer as it is 78 F right now at 5 pm. Maybe I can sit outside and spin a bit this weekend too. I need to do a third bobbin and ply a real 3-ply yarn. This is still Blue Suede Shoes from Crown Mountain Farm. I have a lot of this left to spin too. Actually my fiber stash is larger than my yarn stash right now. I've got a lot to do to catch up a bit. I see so many beautiful fibers on line that I want to buy, but I really have to reduce the 5 bags (those super large ziploc bags) full plus another tote bin full... and more.

Back to my knitting for a while.

Enjoy!

Saturday, October 6, 2007

I' ve been Tagged

I was told today that I'm tagged. There are rules that go with this so I'm going to cut and paste from FugueStateKnits to get the rules right:

Here are the rules: Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged.

This shall be interesting (for me anyway):

1. I was born in Wisconsin, lived in Kansas, Missouri and Connecticut before my 8th birthday.

2. DH and I met in Florida, married in Texas and our kids were born in Washington (state).

3. I was in one of the experimental classes for the "new math" in elementary school along with regular math classes.

4. My mother, my DH and I each have a younger sister named Cynthia.

5. I have two grandchildren with autism. I also have another grandchild who is ADD and yet is brilliant enough for a school for accelerated students. Finding ways to help them and their parents is a passion of mine.

6. I love to cook and bake. As such, I'm addicted to Iron Chef America and Good Eats with Alton Brown. The third show I love is Everyday Italian.

7. I enjoy almost all types of music but my DS would frisbee or break the CD's he didn't like of mine - so I must have purchased 10 copies of Phantom of the Opera before he left home. I'm still looking for another CD of Starlight Express.

8. I've had laser surgery called SLT on my eyes to help control glaucoma. It's a really different experience and repeatable if my eye pressures climb up again. Glaucoma is silent 99% of the time - no symptoms until it's very late. Please get your eye pressures checked per your doctor's recommendations. You can't be cured but you can be treated - and the treatment is painless and easy (I put drops in my eyes a few times a day).


Now the hard part for me - who to tag: Let's try Peg, Tammy, Claire, Dani, and I'll have to come up with 4 more tomorrow... my brain isn't working right now.

Monday, September 24, 2007

First Peek

Here's the first progress shot of Mediterranean Lace from A Gathering of Lace. DD will have to choose between this and Secret of the Stole as it progresses. This one is in Jaggerspun Zephyr, a blend of 80% merino and 20% lace.

Secret of the Stole starts around October 5th and there seem to be hundreds in the group for this mystery stole. I know they are all over the world and there seems to be a large German representation. That is so neat to me... what the world needs are more knitters and fewer warriors.

This is posted primarily as a bribe so that DD will finally look at this blog and see her birthday wishes from back in mid-July...as she said today - oops...

Friday, September 21, 2007

As Snoopy says: Bleh

Well I didn't get the job. I'll be calling next week to see if they will tell me why as they are still running ads in the paper.

So while I'm sitting here eating dirt (hard to do when you're on the 2nd floor), I'll console myself with knitting. I finally found stitch holders so can finish DIL's tote bag.

I've also started Mediterranean Lace from A Gathering of Lace. I'm doing it in Jaggerspun Zephyr. It's on size 2 needles and the other lace I'm knitting is on size 1. The Market Bag is on 11's so it's hard to get used to in switching back and forth.

I've been spinning a bit and playing with settings on the wheel. It's trial and error but I'm determined to finish spinning this stuff called Blue Suede Shoes. I have two other rovings from Crown Mountain Farms to spin but I'm going to play with some other stuff first.

Ravelry has been wonderful at enabling - and not just for knitting. There is a group for tea lovers and someone mentioned a masala chai from a store so I ordered some. WOW, this stuff is wonderful. Lots of spice and very soothing. It smells so very good and the house carries the smell all over - and I love, love, love it.

My DD is working at losing some weight and I am too. We are both at the same point of loss. She has a slight advantage as 3 kiddles keep her moving. I'm not going to adopt any to keep me moving - just go up and down stairs and walk around the complex. I was going to go out tonight but it really looks like the skies are about to open up. Hope so - it's been too dry around here and I want a pretty fall. Where I live, I can see Signal Mountain rising above me like a huge wall. It's all wooded and I am looking forward to seeing some color on that hill. I promise to take photos when the colors change.

I have a sister in NH who talks about all the New England colors - as if I don't remember. My response is her area's colors last about 1-2 weeks where ours last about 3 months.

I'm off to knit in my corner now and dream nice dreams.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Finally

Finally I've had a job interview - well actually three today - one after the other. There were three individuals at the same company who interviewed me. Now I get to wait 7-10 days to hear something. Did I ever mention I hate to wait for ... well almost anything. I have patience with people - not with events.

I remember seeing a tee shirt years ago with one of the Peanuts gang saying Give Me Patience...NOW I loved that saying. I didn't realize at the time that it really related to me. I learned that much later. The first major time is when a due date came... and went and went and went. DD was about 3 weeks late. DS did a bit better - but labor was induced there.

Scheduled surgery - give me a break - do you know how many scary stories you can be told in the one to three week wait before surgery???

Now I have to wait for a job decision. Will I do well during the wait? Durned if I know but I'll give it a try.

Finally I took some photos of knitting projects in process and will post them here.
This is the center panel on the Unst Bridal Shawl from Heirloom Knitting in the UK. I tried to pull it out a bit to show the pattern.




Next is the Purple Russian Stole from Piecework Magazine. This is on hold right now because my stitch count is off somewhere and I can't find the boo-boo. This is majorly infuriating right now so it goes out of sight for a while.


This one starts with you knitting that bottom border. Then you pick up stitches and start up. You end up doing your side borders at the same time the center panel is knitted. At the far side, you again knit a border and graft it back onto the completed panel . We'll see how that goes.





Finally my Noni Market Bag with Fuschias. I'm finishing up the handles as soon as I find some stitch holders. I found the needle to graft the handles together so that's part of the battle. After that, I knit the flowers and stems and then comes the felting.
Pretty dull looking, right? I believe this is some of the most boring knitting I've ever done. It's not really mindless in that you are knitting with two strands of yarn so have to pay some attention to what you are doing. Still, I can't wait to get to the flowers.

And finally (but without photos) I received two lace patterns I ordered from The Alpaca Yarn Company. The first is Misty Morning Shawl and the second is called Forest Path Stole. I believe I have stash to knit both of these - maybe. If not, I have some beautiful blue merino with tussah silk that I purchased from Halcyon Yarn waiting to meet my spinning wheel. Photos later when I recharge the camera battery. I saw the charger, just have to remember where I hid/put it.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

New Project (Thanks to Ravelry)

I've been enjoying myself on Ravelry - it is addictive for sure. Seeing all the projects and all the completed projects and all the prospective projects is a bit daunting and exciting at the same time. There are some very interesting groups there as well and I've joined several.

I'm still unpacking -- very slowly as I run out of room to put some things and try to rearrange to make more room. If the maintenance needed on this place would be completed by the management, it might be easier - I'd have half a room available. It's a structural problem so it is up to the management to fix it. Meanwhile, I wait.

My next stunt will be to move half a dozen boxes to the dumpster. Since it isn't household trash (or maybe I can call it that and make things easier) I'm supposed to arrange for them to meet me at the other dumpster so they can open it for me... Or I can be like others who dump the non-household trash outside the gate to the second dumpster so staff can do the cleanup. I've seen dishwashers and mattresses most of the time - but wood and old furniture have appeared at times.

So the new project will be a gifty for my DIL and she's seen a photo from the website already. I'm doing the Noni Cascading Fuschias Market Bag. Bought the pattern and the yarn at the LYS on my first visit. The store is called Genuine Purl and it is a gem! Also bought a skein (1100 yds) of Claudia Handpainted Yarn in a color called Oops. This is a 2/20 silk and luscious. I'll probably knit the Swallowtail stole from Interweave Knits from it - actually can probably make two of them with that yardage.

I'm about half-way through the knitting of the bag - then I need to do the handles and the flowers. Then I felt it and block and dry it and then it will be done. There are three sizes and this one is the biggest. I'll do another for me later - maybe with a dark blue background color.

So off to clean up after my dinner and then some knitting time for me. I'll see how many rows I can get done tonight.
Enjoy your evening and I'll be back - hopefully with the finished photos of the bag.










Tuesday, August 14, 2007

I'm In

I received my invite to Ravelry last night so I've been spending time getting some beginning stuff entered. I was on the waiting list just over a month. I love the potential that I see on this site - and I think it will be an additional help in prodding me to finish some projects and become a bit more discriminating in my choices for future projects.

It would be wonderful if someone would set up a similar project for stitching stuff too. I can hear someone saying "Well, do it" and my response is I don't have the computer language coding knowledge to do that - nor the desire to be that involved in one project. I think that it would be difficult to maintain a site and still have time for other life events.

I need to take another photo of the purple Russian Lace Scarf - may try outside if the camera doesn't melt in the heat. On second thought - I'll wait until tomorrow morning. I think the light will be better - and it will be cooler.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Happy Birthday to DS


Two years and 3 weeks after DD, DS arrived. So here is wishing him a happy b-day!




I'll add more knitting photos and maybe some stitching ones in a few days. I've got to get some way figured out so that the colors are more 'real'.

So happy birthday again son, and may you have many more.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Tired of White

There has been too much white in my life recently. White knitting, stitching on white, white wrapping paper used by the movers - just way too much.

I decided to change colors - at least the ones I can control so I bought some beautiful Jagger Spun Zephyr, 50% merino, 50% Tussah silk and started knitting...

The background is the July/August issue of Piecework. The pattern is Russian Lace Scarf.











Here is a closeup of my knitting:
The left side may look loopy and it is as each row starting on that side has a yo before the first stitches. They will be picked up later and become the base of the scarf's main pattern. If this is confusing, it will make more sense in the next entry. Four more pattern repeats (IF I counted correctly) and then the pick-up of stitches begins.

Off I go to finish lunch and knit a bit before taking on more unpacking and moving things around.

















Friday, July 20, 2007

The times they are changing

I'm here and still unpacking - but my DS and his family bought a new home. So I have custody of their two children. Yesterday was spent here - the oldest can play video games endlessly. Younger one too but not continuously - wants encouragement in what is going on. Today I had the brilliant idea to wear them down a bit so we wouldn't be up until midnight tonight. Good idea but bad reality. We went to the Children's Discovery Museum - which they really loved. Hint: baths and shampoos after if children dig for dinosaur bones with others. The chances of sand all over them is 100%. The sand they have is the finest, softest I've ever felt so it goes places sand has no business being. Then to TGI Fridays for lunch. After that we went to the TN Aquarium as these kids hadn't seen the penguin exhibit yet. So off we went and had a good time seeing all of it. Younger child had a butterfly on the hand for a bit and loved it. One got on me and every time I moved it to a shrub, it came back. Finally moved it onto a gentleman's hand and it stayed there. We also got to see a newly emerged butterfly just starting to fill its wings. That was a hit as well.

Penguins are a joy and the display is set up so that you can see the above-water activities as well as the underwater ones too. The penguins seem to like coming up to the glass and observe us watching them. Then on to the invertebrates - my favorites - and the big tank with all its levels. The sharks were staying near the windows as well as the sea turtle. The big rays were in hiding today.

Anyway I'm wiped out and the kids both are wide awake and full of energy.

Now for my rant: Why do some 'disabled' people feel that everyone, including a six-year old, has to be run over or shoved aside? I tried my darndest to make sure that wheelchair (for a 30-something amputee) had room to move around and have access to all the exhibits. The one time the six-year old tried to move up, his chair spun a bit to push her away. He looked straight at me when he did it too.

Of course older (late teens) kids and 'adults' are guilty of this too. It can sour me on the human race quickly and I need to return home to restore my equilibrium.

My nature is to help out when I can. Most of the time it takes little effort on my part to allow others space to move or operate their canes, chairs, medical equipment, etc. I have family members with disabilities - a blind nephew, a deaf DH and DSIL. I have two grandkiddles with autism and one with attention deficit. My DS is ADHD - and we believe his father is too. I have some loss of vision due to glaucoma. None of us have ever asked for extra special treatment - just the normal things that may allow them to function in this life.

To those who object to my saying blind nephew - I asked him what term is politically correct and he said he's blind - so that's what I say. The biggest pet peeve that he, my DH and DSIL have is that those who see that one is blind speak more slowly and louder. He's blind, not deaf. The ones who have electronic assistance in hearing - well people talk louder and enunciate too much. If someone reads lips, this does not help much.

Back to my corner to knit tonight.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Happy Birthday to DD


My daughter's birthday is today - so I'm wishing her a happy one. I tried to call last night but had to leave a message. When I called today all her in-laws were there getting her cake ready so I'll try again tomorrow.

Meanwhile I am in the condo now and dealing with unpacking and sorting and unpacking and waiting for a repair to be made. My inspector had found that water was running under the vinyl corner piece of the unit and some structural damage has happened as a result. Now I can see daylight out the corner of the living room - where the baseboard has separated in the corner. It took 3 days for the property manager to get someone over here - and they tell me it is an urgent repair - but nothing yet. Granted we've had rain showers almost daily - and it's booming now but there is still work they can do. I've had a huge Wood Roach come in the corner hole and he moves faster than I do when I try to smack him.

There is a weight limit on pets - and this one may exceed the limit - and I DO NOT consider him a pet.

I've also realized that in my very tiny kitchen, I'll have to do something with all my herbs and spices. I do believe I'll borrow Alton Brown's idea of the metal cans with the magnets. For starters they can go on the frig, but after painting, I may install some strips on the wall to hold the cans. I can get some labels to fit the printer and make up labels for all of them. There are a bunch as I love using all of them. I can figure out a way to make the strips look good I think.

In fact, tonight I finished making gazpacho (from Victory Garden Cookbook by Marion Morash) with my variations based on what I'd unpacked. I'd read or seen something where someone made some style of gazpacho and added horseradish and shrimp for a fancy shrimp cocktail. Well, I did that - putting it in a margarita glass - for dinner and it was terrific! It looked pretty too.

That's my healthy eating for the day.

Nothing going on with the knitting, spinning or stitching right now as I won't do much of that until more is unpacked and set up in my "crafts" room - including a chair or two.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Moving Checklist

Well the packers showed up today - and the realtor had to let them in to pack. I think everything is now packed and will be picked up in the morning. Then it will be here sometime between the 3rd and 12th. It's about a 10-hour drive in a car - so double for a truck - 3 days is perfectly reasonable - why give them up to 9 days???

My daughter and her family will be here Saturday night. My SO(DH) arrives tomorrow night and my son and his family will drive down on Sunday. This is going to be fun - at least I'll be sure to have fun. Haven't seen DD and her crew since Thanksgiving. DS and family live about 1 1/2 hours away so we can visit back and forth as mutual schedules allow.

As for the SO/DH comment - well we've been living separately for 37 months now - but spend a lot of time together too. Kind of a very mixed up and complicated story - even for the participants - but it involved mental illness on my part - depression and anxiety disorders as well as other things.

We (the doctors and myself) have discovered I've spent most of my life with depression problems - and discovered the reasons as well. So now, thanks to modern medications, I'm doing very well. This blog is part of my healing process as are the other changes I've made. I feel pretty good about this - and yet I still have problems at times. One of the things I have to watch is that I may have a tendency to pull into my hidey hole (home) and stay there - not taking myself out to make friends and see new things.

Now I've hung my laundry (dirty and clean) out - I will force myself to not retreat to my shelter as much.

Thank you for allowing me to do this.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

The Countdown begins

Well, it's started - the countdown to closing on the condo. I've set up for the electric to be in my name and purchased a frig and dishwasher - the dishwasher there does have some problems. My address has been changed with the postal service. The movers are coordinated with someone to be at the old address - and insurance is in place.
Now both my kids and their families will be down here for vacation at that time too. Oh I'm looking forward to that soooooo much. Hearing about the changes and events in their lives is great - but seeing them is so much better. My DSIL is exploring the internet looking for things to see in the area. His idea of area is a bit more expanded than mine - but that's ok too. That's a difference between someone from a smaller state and someone from a larger state. He's traveled a lot but sometimes doesn't realize that the middle of a state may be a long drive from here. It will be an opportunity to visit some places I've not been before too. That's a good thing.

One of my goals on this new adventure is to explore new things and stretch my comfort zone. I've become a creature of habit and I don't think all those habits are good. That's why the condo will be good for me - I have to climb a flight of steps just to get to my front door. After that, my bedroom will be upstairs so that's another flight of stairs. Down stairs for laundry kitchen, dining and living rooms. Up stairs are three bedrooms and bath. There is also a bedroom downstairs but that will be storage of someone else's things until they can be moved to a more permanent location.

I'll post a few more phot0s I took at the TN Aquarium. I'll start with another jellyfish.
And some frogs. They also had an exhibit with tree frogs, stuck to the glass and everywhere - I'll get a photo of that sometime - there were too many people around it for a clear shot.
These were some rays - and the color patterns are really neat. The beige one is marbled and the other two have yellow spots on their black skin. You should be able to click on these and get a bigger view.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Settling In - Almost

Well, I'm here and learning my way about - slowly but surely. I am buying a place to live and dreaming up decorating schemes for the spaces I will have. I'm still looking for a job but new opportunities happen almost daily. I'm not yet at the point of flipping burgers yet - but just because the job won't pay what I need to live. However, if push comes to shove, flip them I will. Meanwhile a trip to the TN Aquarium was taken and I fell in love - it is just wonderful to travel through slowly, to savor each level, each exhibit, each resident.

Sea Dragons, a type of sea horse that look more like plant materials drifting with the water movement.






















I do love seahorses.

The jelly fish in the invertebrate display could cause one to be hypnotized by their floating within cylinders of changing colors.











The river display was even more entrancing because of the details. Just harder for me to take a good photograph. Even more fascinating is the lighting. Tubes of neon on the ceiling create ribbons of color and below you is a pool of water with a host of vibrant turtle paintings on the floor.

A ribbon of water outside invites people to wiggle their toes in the water and feel cooler in the heat we've been having. All of this reflects the Tennessee River flowing just outside the aquarium buildings.

This day's travelogue is now completed. I'll do more later, I'm sure.

Meanwhile knitting goes along slowly on the Bridal Shawl. I believe I have 9 more repeats before I start picking up stitches for the first of the borders. After I move in and find where some things are, I can pin this out a bit and get a better photo of the progress.

Meanwhile I'll go back to my making plans for the changes to the residence. It has been owned by a young man and two of his friends (both male I think) so the colors are darker and more masculine than I would like. I don't dislike the colors, I just prefer lighter and brighter.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Learning where I am

I arrived almost a week ago and am starting to learn my way around. It actually seems to be a fairly easy town to move around in. I may have to eat those words, but so far, so good.

I've been house hunting and found a place to put an offer on. Hopefully that offer will be accepted and I can have a place to live that is mine (well, mine and the bank). Excited is a good description. The area I've selected is beautiful - kinda in the hills a bit. Hills/mountains are a necessity for me as I've discovered - "I shall look to the hills..." has always meant something special to me. The east coast mountains are more comfortable for me. The Rockies, Olympics and Cascades are beautiful but make me feel very insignificant and an intruder. They seem to hold their distance. East coast - Smokies, Appalachians, Adirondacks and Ozarks seem to enfold me and comfort me. Awe is good but comfort is better. The Smokies seem to be most comforting so that's why I'm here.

More adventures to come - and photos when I remember to stop and take them.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Slight change of pace


I'll be changing directions again for a bit. Next week I'm heading to Chattanooga TN to explore job and housing possibilities. I'm excited and scared and nervous as this represents a big change for me. There will probably be photo ops.

The most important part for me will be visiting the younger child, the spouse-in-law, and my older two grandchildren. I should be there just as school gets out for them so we can have some fun, I hope.

Did some planting and I love this flower. Looks like a daisy but the middle is a purpley-blue. I think it's a perennial too. Behind it are petunias. Also put in some delphiniums, yellow dahlias and one hydrangea. If they don't drown in the rain, they will do well.

Monday, April 23, 2007

A rough week

This has been a very rough week for many. The Virginia Tech story has captured the attention of many of us and our thoughts and prayers are with those families, biological and other, that are dealing with the loss of friends and family members.

My nephew's best friend was a student at Va Tech but transferred to another school. He knew some of the victims and is having his own problems dealing with this. Special thoughts to him.

I believe part of it is having one's own mortality hit you in the face. At that young age you believe you are going to live forever. Yeah, some lose friends from car wrecks (well they were drunk, high, etc) or suicide (they were sick) or even disease. Very few of us lose friends from something that was no fault of their own - and the numbers involved created shock.

My awakening was a progressive one. Two friends committed suicide while I was in HS. To this day there is no firm reason why. Lots of rumors and ideas - but nothing for sure. Then my second child was born and died three weeks later. He had been born with some problems caused by a virus I had during the first trimester. That event was my biggie - that I wasn't guaranteed a perfect child, that death does happen no matter your age.

Since then I've lost others close to me and seen friends and family go through rough times - in addition to my own rough times. The one thing that has helped me through things is that I have come to believe that everything happens for a reason and is for the best. Now I won't say I will or do know what that reason is or what could have been - but I have to believe.

Maybe the loss of my son and the sharing of the story that I've done in the past will help someone survive the loss of their child. Maybe my oldest grandson, who carries the name of my son as a middle name, will do something in his life to prevent this virus from hurting others. He's only 10 but a very intelligent being with an interest in so many things - it's amazing. Or maybe his sister will. She's something else too - in a beautiful, special way.

Healing thoughts to all, no matter the cause.

Monday, April 2, 2007

I just couldn't wait
















So I didn't wash the Navajo-plied Blue Suede Shoes. It's only about 50 yds or so - but I've split the rest for a standard two-ply. I have two other colorways, Ain't No Mountain and another I can't think of at this moment so I may do one of them first. There is also some merino/silk blend in an Opal colorway that I may play with. All these are from Crown Mountain Farms.

In addition, I have some plain old superwash merino, some soy silk, ingeo, and the rest of the Falklands fleece to finish with. The Falklands fleece is from Dunrose Head Farm.

Dunrose Head Farm sells through Crafty Notions in the UK, but I bought mine before Rosemary was doing that. Her website is terrific to wander through.

Today is Monday so it's my knitting day - and I get to spend a few hours doing nothing but knitting - again the bridal shawl is on the agenda.

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Yarn of a yarn

I've finished the Navajo ply of the first bit of Blue Suede Shoes. I'll leave it on the bobbin for a day or so then wash it and let it dry. Then I can post a photo for all to see.

The weather continues to be beautiful but the oaks have started shedding their pollen - along with a choke cherry in the backyard. Unfortunately that pollen makes me itchy and sneezy. I can't enjoy the outside as much as I'd like. Frustrating!

Back to knitting on the Unst Bridal Shawl.

Friday, March 30, 2007

It's Spring, It's Spring


It is so beautiful out - and the air smells so good. The lilacs are starting to bloom. And I had a visitor this morning. Just here for a rest, but good to see anyway.

The flowers are periwinkle or myrtle - depending on your location. They are blooming on the variegated leafed version and the older dark green leaf version. I think the blooms on the first are larger. I think the swallowtail thinks so too.



On the knitting front, here's a photo of Unst Bridal Shawl from Heirloom Knitting. I couldn't think of a way to pull it out more but I've finished four of 19 repeats for the center square.















From that point, I'll pick up stitches all around and work the first set of borders. The final set is worked perpendicular to the outside edge. Hard to describe, but I'll show photos as I go.

No stitching work to show - I'm still unpacking and sorting my "junk room" and have purchased a 4-drawer file cabinet to keep the projects in. I have some colored expanding pocket folders to hold the projects. I think this will be the easiest way to track what I have and what I need to finish. It might get a bit scary before I'm done.

Final photo from about a week ago - the neighbor's Bradford Pear in full bloom. Sorry there is so much garage door.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

If at first...

I am trying again to become a more frequent blogger. I just keep forgetting.

Little progress on the knitting front. I've received the needles ordered from Halcyon Yarn, but haven't moved my fair isle to the new needles.

BUT I did start the Unst Bridal Shawl pattern from England. I've almost completed the 2nd repeat of the center panel (out of 10 or 11). Lace knitted in cobweb does not look like anything other than a wad of string that the cat finished with - until it's blocked. I'll see if I can pin it out so you can see the pattern - then post it.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the warm weather and the neighbors... who delight in standing in the road, making noise at any car attempting to pass them. Yesterday, there was a large fluffy cat by that clump of grass on the right side. It was in stalk mode for a short time. I think I got a photo of that too - but have to download that one and check it out. The geese were moving so they may not be in the photo - and you won't see the distances involved.






I've also decided to stop on the current bobbin of Crown Mountain's Blue Suede Shoes and Navajo ply it. Then I'll split the rest of the roving and spin each for plying to a 2-ply yarn. Should help reduce the barber-pole look.

Job hunting starts in earnest this week - as there were no responses to my e-mailed resumes.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

ACKKK

Wow, it's been a long time between my posts - that's horrible. So tomorrow, I'll try to take at least 3 photos - one of the fair isle, one of Dragon's eye (my design) and my spinning. Those are the items I'm working on now.

Along with that, I'm trying to move, unpack and help get my house ready to sell - hopefully quickly. Then I have to start job hunting - but I've really enjoyed this break.

With a bit of luck, I can find a job I can leave at work and it's not too far from the house. The new house will need outside attention when we are unpacked and settled. DH is thinking of things already. The daffodils are already blooming over there - north side of the house - BUT it is a south slope and lots of rocks to soak up the solar heat.

In the meantime, have a happy Valentine's day!