The Club Nobody Wants to Belong To...

Do you know what I'd want for my birthday? What would be the absolute best gift? It would be for the doctors to say to my sister, "This is treatable, and you'll be fine."

I'm not sure that's going to happen. We were supposed to get together last weekend, and we were told, "Nope." She hasn't answered a single text of mine. 

Don't they look pretty? Pretty evil...cancer cells under an electron microscope. Makes them look almost like works of art. I'm not sure if these are what's in my sister's body. 

All we know right now is that her cancer is "rare" and "aggressive." BIL wants to take her for a second opinion. A relative has offered to fly them to Mayo Clinic (about a 45-minute flight as opposed to a 10-hour drive). My sister is said to be considering it, and I would agree, if she was asking me. Even if the news is the same, a second opinion in this kind of situation is something that I think is valid. 

The plan is to visit at some point, but I'm not sure when. She's scuttled a few visits already, and what's troubling is that I'm not sure we have a lot of time. 

It's not a situation I've ever wanted to manage, but in several instances in my adulthood, I've had to be the "Angel of Death" and tell people the absolute worst news. I don't like being in that situation, and I'm hoping that I don't have to. I just don't know. 

The Kitchen...

So, one of the best tools to have in your kitchen? A ruler. A standard, plastic ruler. I've used it when I've made Japanese Milk Bread. I've used it time and again to re-measure a pan. I've used it for tons of things. It's so helpful, and we don't often think of it. 

I've seen fancy measuring devices like silicone sheets you roll dough on, the board scrapers (only about 6" of length there, and I don't often feel like adding!), those strips you put on either side of our rolling pin... Nothing beats a 50-cent plastic ruler. 

Easy to clean, easy to use. Comes in lots of colors! So technically, you could have a green one for pastries, and a red one for meats? Why not? 

Made chicken soup the other night; and I added some dried seaweed to it. Aside from the mineral benefits and a bit of salt, it added a nice crunch to the top of the soup. It also adds a nice green bit to a soup that can be kind of "beige." 

I used a standard recipe: dice up a chicken breast and saute till lightly browned, and remove it from the pan. Then saute some chopped carrot, stir around on med-hi heat for about 5 minutes, add chopped celery, stir another 5 minutes. Cover your pan and lower your heat. Stir occasionally for another 6-7 minutes. Then, remove lid, add chopped leeks and a couple cloves of garlic (diced) and stir that around for a few minutes, just so the garlic gets golden. (NOTE: Nothing worse than burned garlic!).

In the meantime, have a soup pot ready, with about 6 cups of water in it. Add a Knorr Veggie cube for every 2 cups of water, and start it boiling. Add your meat & veg. Add some fresh ground pepper, add a bit of thyme, maybe some marjoram if you have it. Parsley, for sure, either fresh or dried. Let it come to a gentle boil, then add half a package of No-Yolks egg noodles, bring back to a boil and let it cook for however long the noodle bag says - about 6-9 minutes. 

There you go. Easy soup. 

The Knitting...

Still working on the blue striped sock. Told my yoga class that I had to rip the other one, and there was one student who said, "Wow, that would fit MY foot!" We all laughed. I think she might've been serious. 

I guess if I was ambitious enough, I'd have them all trace their feet and measure their shins. But I'm not that ambitious. Washcloths, maybe. Not socks. 

As you can see from the picture here, I'm using a silicone blister bandage. It lasts for about 3-4 days, and keeps me from puncturing my index finger, which is my "pusher" finger. It works better than just about anything I've found. And it's not obnoxious-looking! So I can wear it for a few days, and it doesn't get grimy. 

And as I pulled out my knitting to settle in with episodes of "A Place to Call Home," I did...just about what I do every couple times I knit socks. I pulled out the WRONG needle. 

No picture of the ACTUAL incident -- I was busy stuffing the live stitches back on the needle. Thankfully, the wool was "grippy" enough to not drop down a bunch of rows! It happens regularly enough that I don't freak out (as much) but I still react kind of quickly so as to not lose the stitches. 

As you can see, the top needle was the one I planned to pull out to start knitting. But...I pulled out the bottom one. 

I can tell you the first time it happened. I was working on a sock in a gorgeous fall-like colorway, from Lorna's Laces. That yarn? Stunningly smooth. Not grippy. And thus the downfall. As the NEEDLE slipped out of the stitches (this time, I didn't pull the needle out - it FELL out!), the little buggers droped as I was watching them. PLINK, PLINK, PLINK...(at least that's the sound that they make in my head, rather a gleeful sound, as as my heart makes a sound like THUNK, THUNK, THUNK...while it drops faster than those stitches do) By the way, I frogged that entire sock, stuffed the yarn into a bag and put it in time-out for a while. 

Funny thing happened at the oral surgeon's office. I had to go get some paperwork to drop off to my dentist, and it was a bit of a wait. Apparently, they couldn't find something...so I sat there knitting. After a while, one of the techs said, "Oh, look, knitting!" and I commented that I was also wearing hand-knitted socks. This tech literally lifted my pant leg (I was in the chair already), and petted my sock... I was a tad taken aback. Nobody has ever asked to pet my socks. 

All the girls at the front desk then wanted to see the socks I was wearing, as well as the ones I was knitting. That was probably the most fun trip to the oral surgeon ever!  The picture to the right is the pair I was wearing and the ones I'm knitting. 

Incidentally, the pair I'm wearing in this picture to the right? They're about 5 - 7 years old. Opal yarn. Wears like iron. Now, I just wish they'd come out with some variegated, like they used to. I love the self-patterning, but I'd like to get back to the variegated like these pink + green ones. Sometimes, you don't want a lot going on. You just want a plain sock that's sort of mindless. I mean, obviously, the blue stripe is mindless - I'm just knitting and letting the yarn do the work. But with a variegated yarn that changes colors every so often, it just seems simpler. 

I bought myself a birthday gift... Yarn. Of course. I bought Expression Fiber Arts North DK and I'm making the Gofleidio shrug/sweater/cardigan pattern. I'm not sure what you'd call it, but I know that I can knit it, and that I'll enjoy wearing it. It's been years since I've knit a sweater. 

So I changed up the colorway a bit. I kept the grey tones: Penguin, Midnight Snowfall, Peaceful Hush... But I changed out the pinks. Instead, I did Enchanted North (dark blue), Wintering North (medium blue) and Solstice North (yellow). Yeah, I don't normally wear yellow, but that as a "pop" with the greys and blues? I thought it would spark it a bit. I've always liked grey with yellow, and blue with yellow. So hopefully, that will work out in this garment. 

Random Picture...

Well, it's January. And strangely enough, we've had an insane amount of ice. Including sub-zero temperatures, so that the icy-melt stuff doesn't work. 

We live where there are alleys. You drive up the alley to get to your respective parking area and then you drive down the alley to get out to the street. Very few houses have front-loaded driveways in our neighborhood. It's older, the streets are narrower, and there's just not a lot of front-yard space. The houses are long, rather than wide. 

So it was pretty nasty getting into and out of the alleys for a few days. Mind you, the sparkly layer of ice on the snow, the glassy finish on the sidewalks -- beautiful. And so incredibly dangerous. Even trying to use Yak-Trax, people were sliding all funny. Folks walking their dogs cut straight through yards, because it was safer than trying to walk on either the sidewalk or the road. Nobody minded; it's easier to pick someone up off your lawn than off a sidewalk so slick that you'd never gain footing. 

Finally, after almost a week, it began to melt. Thankfully. I'm a big fan of winter, but ice? I don't bounce like I used to. 

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Christmas Knitting

 Yes, you read that right. 

Christmas knitting. We'll get to that. 

COVID-19 Recap...

Well, I got my 2 shots (Team Pfizer) and had, aside from a sore arm, NO side effects. I'm not sure what that means, if anything. Everyone who'd had COVID was telling me that if you had it, then your first shot acted like the "second" one -- which is where most got side-effects. 

Me? Bupkus. Well, a sore arm. But other than a couple hours after Shot #1 of feeling "meh," I really didn't have anything go wrong. It could also be that I built myself into that "meh" as well...anticipation of feeling like crap generally makes you feel like crap. 

So it's been time enough: I'm immune-ish. As immune as one gets with a vaccine. I'm still wearing a mask and washing hands. I don't trust other people; maybe that's the casualty of this whole thing. We've lost the ability to trust humans because they're either crazy conspiracy theorists or they just ignore the over 500,000 dead people because it hasn't directly affected them. 

Political Recap...

I was a judge at our municipal elections. Municipal elections are where it starts, people. Get involved nationally, too -- by all means, VOTE. But don't forget the place you live. Elections really count at a local level: your school board, library board, city council...all those offices are where the Tea Party (remember them?) started. That's where they got in and where they began to move up the ranks. 

I wanted to talk about the Chauvin verdict, the censure of Liz Cheney and the continued killing of black and brown people. But I can't. 

It's not that I'm not informed. I just don't want to have the conversation while I have some other things on my mind. 

Christmas & Regular Knitting Recap...

Well, not actually a recap but an organizational post plus an update on a "mostly" finished object. I finally -- FINALLY -- got down to see my friend Kelly at Le Mouton Rouge Knittery. It's a solid 2 hour drive one way. But it's worth it. I've gotten a few things at a closer shop, but for the stuff I was planning, I needed to get down there and poke around. 

I got more yarn than I planned -- but I have 3, no 4 - yes, 4 projects for Xmas. And I need to get skippy and get them done. 

At the top, you see purple (looks blue) and grey hanks. The colors are much more rich; the grey is speckled with purple and lime green, surprisingly. This will be my next Breathe and Hope shawl, for a special person. 

Well, not to brag, but you're special if I knit for you. I'm picky about who's "knitworthy" or not. 

In the middle are the round "cakes" of Mandala yarn; it's something I picked up on clearance. My friend got me a Caron cake, and I did that purple sawtooth shawl. Well, these are going to be for friends; not sure who's getting what. The pastel one will be either a sawtooth shawl or a "bamboo" pattern cowl - a long one that can be wrapped a couple times for maximum warmth. 

The darker one (on the right) is described below...and it needs discussing. 

The bottom is a deep blue with a grey and COPPER SPARKLES!! That is, technically, for me. I'm sending my first Breathe & Hope to a friend (they don't know it yet) -- the bright blue + flamingo pink one. This one is for me, so it's kind of last on my list, but still, I'm anxious for my friend to get the first one, and for me to make this one for myself. 

Breathe & Hope moves along quickly, so I'm not too worried about getting the one at the top done... 

Here's my plan: I'm making some stuff for Christmas. Seriously, my first project is the Baxter Street Cowl. Now, it's a "beginner" pattern, but it uses 590 yards of that Mandala yarn, and it's mind-numbing stockinette stitch (K on right side, P on wrong side). For miles. Miles. 

The thing is, even though it's "basic," in my opinion, this is where your skill as a knitter shows. I'm actually pretty good with tension, and eleventy-billion yards of stockinette stitch is a kicker. It's not only TV knitting but it's also a screaming advertisement for your ability to keep your tension even. 

This is a long cowl as well - it can be worn by a tall person as one big loop or by us shorties as a double (maybe triple?) loop. It's almost 5 feet long. Maybe this is as close as I get to a Time Traveler scarf? 

Anyway, you knit for the length of a trip from the earth to the moon, then you sew the short ends together. I can't make a moebius because there's a "wrong" side. But that's ok. 

I was hoping to find something specific on Ravelry with regard to cowls, but nothing fit the Mandala yarn and I'm not even sure the "bamboo" one will. I may end up doing something similar with the pastel one. Who knows? 

Oh, I finished a sock! So I did the Strong Heel, and I remembered why I liked it. It really fits better than the heel flap. I should tink the one blue sock, which I won't, because the heel flap is too short (this is the OTHER blue sock...not pictured). 

I realized that I have wayyyyyyyyy too much Opal in blue colorways. Nothing in purple. Which is weird. I love purple. Why can't I find purple Opal? 

This is that leg design that's super-simple -- it doesn't show a lot in the picture, but I do think it looks pretty good. I have to cast on the 2nd one. I was going to do it right off, but I made the trip to Bloomington....and there you go: started on Christmas stuff. 

Yoga Training Recap...

So I finished the modules for the 500-hour teacher training. I have to do some ancillary workshops and start on my thesis project, but I'm essentially done. Which means that, aside from the workshops, I'm actually in a period of relative slack. Which relates to the knitting above. I feel like I'm going to have time this year to do this stuff. 

That, coupled with the reduced work schedule, and my own commitment to not think about guilt when I'm sitting on my butt knitting...I've got a crap-ton of projects that I want to do, and I'm going to do them. Or at least make a dent in the pile. 

Random Picture...

I've found a new place to meditate. Or at least to catch my breath. Yes, it's a car wash. For about 3 minutes, I can just sit and detach. 

There's no cell reception. The radio won't pick up. The car is getting clean. Nobody can contact me. I have nothing to do but breathe for the length of the car wash. 

I try to wash my car at least every 2 weeks. More in the winter, if it's not freezing, because we still use salt on our roads. 

I used to wash by hand, but with the SUV, I can't reach the top easily, so it's cheaper and more eco-friendly, honestly, to use a car wash. 

Sometimes, you've got to grab the calm when and where you can. All in all, I could use less of the "strobe" light effects, but I can just close my eyes and turn my head. 

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Cheaters Never Prosper

 As in yoga, as in knitting... Let me explain.

I've just finished B.K.S. Iyengar's "Light on Life," and I'm re-reading it to a student (we read during Yin class). And we were on the chapter about consistent practice, where he said, in essence, "Cheaters never prosper." 

In other words, just do it right the first time. 

The Knitting...

Which brings me to my latest project. Socks, finally. Opal yarn, of course, Kfz-Mechatroniker, in color 7125, a lovely grey & blue self-striping yarn with a hint of cream. No idea what it means, but there's a crescent wrench on the label. I'm doing my own pattern - I call it "North, South, East, West." It's on 68 stitches, which should fit me to a tee. The normal 64 is slightly too tight. And 72 is too loose. So I figured 68 would do it. I was going to do plain vanilla, because I honestly have a problem with ribbed socks. The problem is ribbing bores me to distraction. And this yarn has enough of a stripe where if you do something too busy, it's going to look wrong. 

As you can see, this looks like "blue jeans with grey in the middle." Which is perfect for me. It'll be my second Opal colorway with blues and greys, which is great - I wear a lot of grey. 

So the pattern. As you might be able to see in the circles, I took the 4 DPNs and made the center parts purls. So there will be 4 columns of purl: North, South, East, West - going down the leg of the sock. At least that's what I'm planning - we shall see if it all works out the way it looks in my head. It's no huge shakes, but I figured it was something I haven't seen, so I can just try it. It's just yarn. It's just socks.  And I'm going to do the Strong Heel. Which has nothing to do with the actual strength of the heel. It has to do with the woman who invented it - Gerdine Crawford-Strong. Here is a YouTube on its construction, which is one of the more sensible ones I've seen on it. It's also outlined very nicely in "The Sock Knitter's Handbook," by Charlene Schurch & Beth Parrott. 

I did this heel in a pair of socks in a Roman Rib pattern, and it took me a minute or two to figure out how to finagle it. But it turns out they fit pretty nicely and there's no actual gusset to pick up.

So the "cheater" part? Well. I'm sort of anxious to start the heel. I've got almost 5" on the leg, and my usual instructions say to go to 7" -- and I always get "itchy" around 5... Which is technically a bit too short, even for my stubby shanks... So I really, really need to go to 7" on this. I could cheat. 

Of course I could. It's MY sock. 

But I need to just do these right and have some patience. Socks will happen...

Next up will probably be a WIP. Maybe this will be the year that I'll alternate a new thing with a WIP. And maybe I'll get side-tracked like I do each and every time...

I've Been Shot...

Well, vaccinated. Got my first shot a week ago. The side effects weren't bad. I was worried because I'd been told that folks who've had COVID tend to have issues - their bodies see the "first" shot as the "second." Which is where (the second shot, I mean) most folks feel the worst. 

Well. I'm doing ok. A bit of "urgh" on the first day, but otherwise, fine. Had to schedule the second one for a few days after its actual due date. Because that due date is our local election day, and I'm an election judge again. 

The Clerk's Office says we'll have all the appropriate precautions. But this time I think I'll actually use my own face shield. I'll have the maximum immunity from the first shot, but unfortunately, there are mask-holes. I'm not sure what the turnout will be for this election, but I want to be prepared. 

I've lost a friend to COVID and it hurts. She was someone I know - or had known - online. For over 15 years, so it's not just "some new BFF" -- but a person with whom I've had a long acquaintance. She went "radio silent" two months ago, and I'm sure her family thought that our group was a bunch of stalker-weirdos...we kept stalking her timeline, leaving voicemails and emails...checking on her. 

I guess the upshot of that is that we - our group, I mean - have gathered all our "contacts" -- we're putting together a list of emergency contacts just in case. You never know; and while our group has been together a long time, things change - we've had widowhood, divorce, etc. And it's nice to have a way of contacting someone in case you need to. 

How Does My Garden Grow...

We have a baby!!! Actually, it's my 30+ year old Bleeding Heart coming back again. She's a traditional pink one and she's a monster. Anyone who's followed this blog knows that occasionally, her picture turns up, and her name is The Monster Bleeding Heart. She's tucked into the northwest corner garden. Next to her is a miniature white bleeding heart, and on the absolute north side of the house are a variety of hostas and lily of the valley. All of which need to be thinned out this year. 

Technically, we should have done it last year, but 2020 was a mess in the whole, so why would you assume I'd have my garden under control? 

I bought seeds, too. Two kinds of leaf lettuce, carrots, and kale. As well as a packet of "butterfly and bee flowers" - which is a 4-pack. So 2 of the packets will be used at the studio in the flower pots in the front of the building, and two packets will be scattered in the wildflower garden. Hubby has promised to tame the milkweed. I mean, I want it there, just that last year (go figure) it was a total mess. They just took over everything, and I had more red beetles on them than caterpillars. So I'm hoping this year will be better. 

I'd like to have at least a monarch or two. I get a lot of swallowtails due to the parsley and dill in that bed. We shall see, though. 

Random Picture...

Where I got my shot was a clinic held in our local junior college (elsewhere, they're called community colleges) -- Joliet Junior College, which happens to be the nation's oldest junior college... I went to college there, back in the days when tuition wasn't even $25/credit hour. Yeah, it was in the good old days when you didn't need tons of money to get a 2-year degree. 

Anyway, that started my college career. And I hadn't been in there in years. It was weird going back. This is the staircase down to the cafeteria (which is where I got my shot). It's been a long, long time, and it brought back some great memories. 

Have you ever been back to your college? How long was it? And how did it feel?

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Technology Bites!!

Well. It took me a literal month to get my phone and my laptop to talk to each other. I was going through this cumbersome "attach this widgety thing to your phone, download, then upload the widgety thing to your computer so that you can share pictures" thing. See, my Windows phone just kind of automatically uploaded stuff. The OnePlus? Not so much. 

But...My pics are back! And Hubby had to order me a new hard drive - a larger one. My good old ThinkPad is still chugging along, but for a birthday gift, he got me a Surface Laptop that I can travel with...which is slightly ironic because I'm not really going anywhere lately! One of these days, when I can travel again, I can take this Surface, which is MUCH lighter than my "Old Reliable." 

Speaking of which, I've got UPDATES for you! I've missed blogging and I need to get on the stick - especially now that I actually have time. 

Vintage Sewing Machine...

Who knew I had a "vintage" sewing machine? I just thought it was old. It's a Brother Charger 661 and it was made in the late 60s to mid-70s. And it's mostly metal...which is saying something! It sews forward, backward and zig-zag. And it does buttonholes, but I can do those by hand. The only fiddly bit is the bobbin - not a drop-in, but a "pick it out of the hole sideways and put it back in the same way" thingie. 

These are the first batch of masks. I reckon I did about 58 of 'em and I have a large --- and I do mean LARGE pile of fabric for Masks, Phase II. I'm on pace to do about 150-175 of them before I run out of thread, patience and fabric. Two quilting friends of mine, K and D, donated. The "ugly" fabric turned into ties. The masks are two-pleat, except for the "family" masks, which are more fitted. 

The first batch were 3-pleat, but honestly, my hand mobility isn't what it used to be. I was really messing up not only the topstitching but the 3 pleats. Consistently. And it was frustrating me. I mean, my sewing skills can "kindly" be called "basic." But I wanted to do a decent job. These certainly aren't meant to be heirlooms - they're meant to be washed in hot water and kind of scalded...and I don't expect them to last for any more than a few months, with luck. But I'd like them to look half-way decent. So the next batch are all 2-pleat. and they fit the same - the basic size is the same; just easier for me to manipulate. 

The fitted masks are all the "male" sized ones, though. I found that the "women/teen" size shrunk and wasn't as comfortable. So we're all guys...

Kid #1's partner, J, asked me, "Can you make me some snowflake masks?" I wasn't quite sure what she wanted, and we had a discussion...turns out that folks in CO think she's a "snowflake" because she's wearing the one mask I made her. This is what I came up with -- I've ordered some snowflake material, but as you can imagine, it's more likely to be out at Christmas rather than spring! Anyway, the patch is making a point: "Kiss my snowflake keister, bub!" And besides, she's a welder - you really wanna poke a woman who wields a torch? 

The fitted masks are meant to have elastic - but I don't like elastic because I wear glasses; and because it's uncomfortable. So I've been making my own ties. Thankfully, Hubby is my "cutter." He can really maximize a piece of fabric! 

I'll be donating the masks to the local hospital, and then anyone who wants one. Since the fabric is all donated, I'm not keen on charging for them. A few folks have wanted to donate, so I've given them 2 charities to donate to: a local food bank and our local free clinic. 

The dogs think it's a "clacky machine." Of course, on a laminate floor, being a heavy-duty sewing machine, it IS loud. For the amount of hours I've been putting on it, it's gonna need a "spa day" after this is all done. And things are opened back up. 

As a matter of course, I cleaned out the drawer of the sewing machine cabinet. I found this vintage (there's that word again) magazine that I used to subscribe to in the Way Back Times. 

Boy, have things changed. Sizes, for one. Most of the knitting has "XL" as a size 12 with a bust size of 38"...
Yikes... There are a few patterns I'd be interested in doing, but let's just say I'd have to size them up a bit more. 

It's fun to see the recipes too. Jeeze - "cream of something" soup in just about everything, and lots of stuff in cans. I have to laugh too at the Bran Flakes recipes...this was 1984, when bran was The New Super Food. 

The article on Companion Gardening is still relevant; and a thing about creeping Thyme as a ground cover is kind of cool. But mostly, it's a real throw-back. 

The Knitting...




Tons o' stuff to catch up with in regard to The Knitting. So, all this time on my hands in quarantine has resulted in several FOs (finished objects) and a couple new ones started. One frogged, twice...which is my limit. 

First is a shawlette that ended up being for my friend M. I had purchased this organic cotton from Le Mouton Rouge with the intent to do more face cloths. But it wasn't looking like it would work. So I found this pattern on Ravelry, and it fit the yardage. M likes orange (which is the main color) and the rose was a nice accent. I have blue and gold for one for me. I will knit a pattern several times (see Close to You Shawl, which I've knitted at least 3 times) if it's an easy knit and fun. This fit the bill for both things. And with it being cotton, it's kind of a 3-season item of clothing: you can keep the AC off your neck (which is what M is doing), and it's still light enough for when it gets warm.

Here's the pattern: Two Color Seedlings Scarf -- not the yarn called for, but it worked out just fine. And I may still use the leftovers for facecloths. This yarn I used is Mika, a 100% organic cotton. 

Being as we had snow in March and frost in May? "Warm" is a ways off yet. 

The green Traveling Socks are now done. I had to steek --- (cut my knitting!!) because I did a really screwy job on the one sock, and it was like 4" long in the foot. Seeing as I'm a size 9? Yeah... So I tried to unpick, but it didn't work. So I cut. Held my breath, grabbed scissors, and snip, snip, snip. As you can see by the right sock, it was only a few inches that I had to lengthen, but it made all the difference. So Sock #2 got done first! 

I'm going to start knitting my socks at 68 stitches. 64 is too small and 72 is too big. So I started another one. And it's too small in the foot, too... What the heck. I think it's the star toe. I have to add at least an inch to the foot length for the star toe. And I need to increase my heel flap to a full 3 inches. 

I'm plowing through the Opal stash like crazy. But I'm having an issue with finishing. So this blue one is still a tad tight at the toe - and I will do Sock #2 and see if I can make the improvements and then fix the toe of Sock #1. Why do them in order??? This pic here is all of my Opal socks. Yes, I finally got "enough socks to wear them all week long" because I'm not including the Sweet Georgia and MadTosh. Kid #2 wants me to make him some "scrappy short socks" which will be ok, except he's got huge feet.... 

Here are the rest of the socks. I'm rather chuffed.... I've got lots of socks! I'm aiming to clean out my sock drawer and basically get rid of anything I'm not wearing anymore. Replacing them all with hand-knits where I can. I do still wear compression socks when I need to, but the "novelty socks" I have by the dozens can be given away; they're still in good shape, but I don't wear them. I wear these and short socks when I wear socks at all. Two pair of Fluromania...and I'm using the other 2 balls of Fluromania for the Breathe & Hope shawl - I've got blue yarn as the "base" and the pop of the bright color will be just what I want. It'll be a fun knit - twice...

And here, left to right: the hiking sock out of 100% wool (Cascade 220) - I have yarn to do a second pair; these are cozy and great for winter boots. Center is the Trekking sock in "Ovarian Cancer Teal" -- and these have the honor of being "5-year socks" because it was 5 years between Sock #1 and Sock #2... and to the right is my Sweet Georgia pair. These are on 72 stitches and are wayyyy too loose; but the yarn is squishy so it's still comfortable. 

And then there's shawl #2. It was supposed to be Reyna. Except my pattern was wrong (my printer cut off a few rows and I didn't realize it). And then I mis-read KTBL as KFB and I was increasing by FOUR stitches every other row. This was my "frogged twice" project. And it's using yarn that doesn't take kindly to frogging. Expression Fiber Arts Pearlescent Fingering is 50% merino wool and 50% silk. It's got the most gorgeous depth of color and "squish factor" and it splits like a bugger... The bloom of the yarn is lovely. I can't wait for it to be finished. 


But it ain't gonna be Reyna...This was just before Frogging #2...

I've got a few projects "in my sights" to work on while we're under shelter-in-place. But I started Simple and I like to stick with it. I also still have to finish Kid #2's afghan, which is thankfully at 50%. That's going to be my next rotation project. I'm shifting between sock needles (size 1), this shawl (size 5) and the afghan (size 7) -- because I find if there's too drastic a needle switch, my tension goes all wonky. 

I'm doing Simple Shawl with the silk + merino - a Ravelry freebie. Which is dead boring right now because there's about eighty bazillion yards of plain knitting...and then a gorgeous lace edge with a picot bind-off. So it's a patience-pay off thing... I can mindlessly knit this after I've sat at the sewing machine or taught virtual yoga classes or worked at home with the church stuff...and it works for me. 

It's 550 yards, so it'll be bigger than what the pattern calls for. I weighed the yarn, because she says to start the lace section when you have 25 grams of yarn left. I bumped it to 30 grams - to give myself wiggle room. Maybe I can add a few more rounds of lace before I do the bind off. Which will be a test of my math as well as my patience!! 

Here's the Pearlescent Fingering in the hank. I thought it would be a bit brighter, but the sheen of the silk more than makes up for the long runs of the burgundy tones. It's primarily purple-to-burgundy and the white really pops in there. The whole thing is just an exercise in amazing color work. 

I just wish it was less splitty. That's frustrating; I'm using Chiagoo lace circulars which I think helps. I didn't want to use dull points, because I think I can keep it from splitting more with the sharper points. 

I'll work on this shawl till I get sick of it, and then I'll rotate to the afghan. The socks will wait a bit. As Hubby reminded me, "you have time." 

I also bought some Quince & Co. Sparrow yarn and have a beautiful t-shirt to knit. It's definitely summer wear, since Sparrow is linen, but I wanted to challenge myself with something with shaping. So that's got to be wound. 


Oh, I have a new swift and ball winder!! And the set was on sale!!! My swift bit the dust a while back and Hubby was my stand-in. He got tired of that quickly! We'd been researching them anyway; and we came to the conclusion that this table-top model was my best bet. I don't have to clamp it to anything, and then I got the extra-large ball winder. My other ball winder works just fine; so I can wind regular hanks; just the larger ones (like the 550 yards above) were a stretch for the smaller winder. 

This works a treat and I don't have too many moving parts to fiddle with. The ball winder is a tad more complex to put together and storing it isn't fun, but it's also incentive to get my yarn room/yoga room/office in shape. I'd love to have space to keep the ball winder "handy." 

Elder Ladies...

Well, I'm lumping myself with Tippi.... COVID-19 has wreaked havoc and there's lots of drama and tragedy around. Tragedy in that this virus will kill you --- or severely impact your life if you manage to survive. And drama with the queens wailing about wanting to go out for dinner and get haircuts.... Queens of both male and female persuasion because I think all of 'em are whiny babies. 

For some reason, my stylist cut my hair shorter this last time....and thankfully!! So far, it's behaving; but it's starting to curl at the back, which is my clue that it's getting to be "a mess" sooner rather than later. I've got a good blow dryer, and I've got hair combs that I can use. But heavens.... So. Much. Hairspray.... I'm putting the hole back in the ozone layer. This is today, just before my yoga class. Believe me, if I slipped on my mat and landed on my head, my hair would protect me. And not be moved! 

Tippi has regained 90% of her coat since chemo; frankly, it's doubtful she'll ever regain her ruff, even though it's "tufting" somewhat. Her 6-month post-chemo check-up was great. Numbers are where they should be; and I got the 'she's a bit fluffy' chat...but I did deliberately let her eat a lot when she was having chemo. I felt like she needed to have that extra "beef" to carry her when she wasn't feeling well. And that also carried her thru a subsequent bout of pneumonia. Yeah, this dog doesn't do anything the easy way... This was just the other day; she's almost back to her sassy self. She spends a lot of time resting. We're easing her back into walks; the vet said to take our time but definitely have her move more. She likes to have "selective hearing" when she's doing her 'snoring meditations' on the couch. 

She's officially retired as a therapy dog. When we go back to Lewis University, it's going to just be Raisa. I'll probably take her back for one "final" visit, just so everyone can say goodbye, but at age 13.5, her back end is a little wobbly, and I want her to enjoy just being Queen of the Household. She and I will be taking more walks and just hanging out together. 

Random Picture...

This is my favorite time of year. In spite of the freeze that slightly burned my parsley and almost killed off my tomato plants. 

It's lilac time. Pro-tip: If you have allergies, try not to put a big honking vase of lilacs next to you; you'll cough and everyone will think you have COVID-19. Our bushes are 5 years old and this is the best year yet. We keep them at about 7-feet tall, and prune pretty strongly, taking all the suckers off too. 

Funny, we thought we bought 2 identical bushes - the same variety. But nope. Looks like we have two different varieties. Similar - but just slightly different. The right one (at the end of the front sidewalk) is an early bloomer, bigger blossoms, and a lighter French Lilac scent. Lighter, but still quite strong. 

The left one is blooming a bit later, smaller blossoms and a slightly sharper scent. Again, still a French Lilac, and believe me -- you can see these bushes from the end of the block and smell them 4 houses away. When I have my kitchen window open, I can smell them all the way to the back of the house. I love it. 

I know they'll "last longer" if I leave them on the bush, but I'm cutting with abandon, and letting them scent my house. I'm happy to have them and I'm happy to have neighbors walking by and taking deep, deep breaths!

I Have Not Died...

Good Lord. October. Thinking back, if I can remember that far back, I believe that was the time when I was hunkering down with The Neverending Wedding Afghan.

Which--- ta-da! is FINISHED. A week before the wedding, Jesus, Mary & Joseph! It's huge. And I think that future brides/grooms are getting a "throw" rather than a nearly-6-foot afghan.

It's partially my fault; I started it then set it aside. I foolishly thought, around October, that I could complete THIS (February wedding) with a Christmas shawl and Kid #2's afghan. Ha.

The shawl got set aside for Christmas 2020. And the Kid afghan? Well, it's at 50%.

So there's that.

Anyway, since it's been forever-and-a-day, here's the 411 on that afghan (411 = information for those who may not know... used to be you could dial 411 for information and the operator would give it to you.)... The yarn is Caron Simply Soft. Colors are (from the bottom): taupe, ivory, ocean. I don't think the "taupe" is very taupe, if you ask. I think it's brown. Looks like coffee in real life. But there you go. Ocean has a tad more green in it than this picture shows. It's lovely and I'd use that color again. Ivory is ivory, and all in all, the colors work well.

The pattern is "Stepping Waves" from Bernat. And I did a WHOPPER of a boo-boo. I used their yarn calculations. By that, I mean, they said "4 balls of this, 4 balls of this and 3 balls of that." And that's what I bought.

ROOKIE MISTAKE because now I have a literal crap-load of the ocean and ivory. Maybe that's ok. I have babies to knit for and this might be an advantage. The hand of the yarn is lovely and it seems to wear ok. Maybe a baby blanket. I like super-wash wool for the hats and sweaters.

I used a size 7 (24") circular needle. Sonda, my knitting guru (RIP dear friend) always said that a 24" needle could handle just about anything larger than a hat.

I got a basket from the local craft store, used some clear wrapping paper, and bought a pew bow. I know - I should've gotten something more "bow" and less "pew" -- and I'd have paid a lot less for it, for sure! But the ivory goes with the afghan and it's my nephew, so there you go.

Other knitting includes crochet (a scarf that can go with me to appointments) and socks. I found a great hack for the sock needles. My hands have been horribly dry, and so I grabbed a "finger" from the office, and I tried that. Voila! $3.45 for a dozen of them...

You can get them in "nude" but I don't really care. I ended up pushing this one inside-out and it was even easier to knit with. I've tried the leather thimbles, tried metal ones. Ran through BOXES of bandages.

So far, this works.

The sock is Plain Vanilla, Opal as usual. Colorway is Klangwelten, color 9044, lot 1302. I want this pair done. Just to get a pair done, because I'm tired of afghan knitting. I know I need to pick Kid's afghan up again soon, but I want to work on something that's just for me. For the First Socks of 2020, I'm committed to getting these done in record time.

Record time for me, that is.

The scarf is some little piffle...I got the yarn for one thing, that didn't work out and it was just sitting there. It's a Lion Brand skein where you do a one-skein scarf and it's ombre.

It's not great yarn. I'm sure I'll find a home for this scarf. But it won't be for me. Do I sound like a terrible snob?

I am. BUT - in this case, I don't want another scarf. I really do have plenty of them. And I have nothing red that goes with it. Not that that ever stopped me, but I don't need another one and I'm sure someone will adore this.

Simple double crochet. Easy and I can do this till the cows come home. Which, with the size of the skein, I'll be doing. But again - no rush.

I'm tempting the Knitting Fairies, but I'm a bit ahead on the baby knitting. I have one afghan all ready to go. Just need to whack together a hat and sweater for a boy (I know it's a boy, not sure when it's coming though). Hopefully, my friend will give me a head's up when her grandson is coming.

One final knitting thing... Prayer Patches. This is the bottom layer of a bag full that I'm hoping to complete. These are, quite literally, swatches. About 3-4" square, they're great stash-busters. I'm working through a bunch of hat yarn. We take them to church, they're blessed and put in a basket. If you don't want a whole prayer shawl, this fits in your purse or pocket, or heck -- use it as a luggage tie for all we care. It's just a nice thing for those of us who don't have a ton of time to knit entire prayer shawls.

Not Knitting, But a Craft...

This is a silk shawl my boss gave me for Christmas. The beauty of this is that it really IS a one-of-a-kind design. Because she made it. There's a woman locally who runs this studio where you can go paint these. Actually, one of my oldest friends did one for me, in tones of orange and cream, which is lovely. This one is more in the tones I wear.

I wore it to the OTHER job and people kept asking me to pet it. The silk is really, really luscious. I need to research how to tie them better. This is kind of plain, but it still shows off the scarf.

We're looking at hosting a sort of fundraiser for this project. I think it should be easy to do; might be expensive, but that's not a big issue. If it's a fundraiser, that's the point.

TIPPI Update...

Well, good news & bad here. In November, she finished her chemo treatments. She actually retired as a TDI therapy dog, because they require vaccinations and with her recovery from Lymphoma, she's not going to be vaccinated anymore. Vaccines "excite" the lymph system, which is just what you do NOT want with a lymphoma survivor. So. TWO kinds of cancer this dog survived (Thyroid,which I found around Treatment #2 for Lymphoma, and she had surgically removed). We are - or were - still visiting.

But. Today, honest to God. I thought "this is it." I thought she'd be at the Rainbow Bridge by dinnertime.

She was up most of the night "yarking" up bile periodically. Now she'd been doing this every so often, but I was told it was "doggie reflux" from the chemo & cancer. But this was different, because she also had accidents in the house, and wasn't moving. Hubby said she couldn't make it up the steps after her morning "toddle"... And she looked absolutely rotten. She was panting and snorting and breathing heavily.

At the vet's office, they took an x-ray (There went $650, but after we've spent what we spent on the chemo and thyroid surgery? We almost didn't notice it...) and said her right lung was "cloudy." Dr. Katie said it looked to her like pneumonia, given her other symptoms of the bile and the breathing. She couldn't address the weak legs, but suggested it was because of the pneumonia doing a number on her breathing in general. In good conscience, she reported also that it could be "diffused cancer" - we won't know till the radiologist renders a verdict.

Pneumonia is treatable in a 13-year-old dog. Lung cancer, not so much. I'll keep you posted. Pray, if you're inclined. Just that she catches a break and gets to live to her natural lifespan.

Speaking of Therapy Dogs...

We can't call her a "therapy dog" because she's nowhere NEAR being certified. But Raisa had her first visit last month. The folks at the university don't really care if she's TDI or not. Which is good, because she's a long way off from that!

That being said, she had her first visit and she didn't do too badly. She's a lot "kissier" than Tippi, but she didn't get the idea that she'd get belly rubs. Which is also ok. She'll figure it out.

They were kind of fascinated at her. And she was a goofball.

The original schedule was Tippi the first week and Raisa the 3rd, but now with Tippi's diagnosis of pneumonia, visiting is out till she's better. Or till we have an alternative diagnosis, which will kind of tell us what we have to do.

So, what with the Democratic Primary coming up March 17th, Tippi won't be visiting anyway. I'll be Election Judging...

The Weather Outside...

WAS frightful. We had a mini-polar-vortex and then it snowed. And now it's thawing and we're set to have higher temperatures. Welcome to February. So this is me outside the church on a sub-zero day. See that cowl? That's one other reason I don't need another scarf.

That's a TEN dollar cowl from Walgreen's. Seriously. And it's toasty-warm and washable. Can't beat that bargain...

And then there are the orchids. We're up to 2 cattleya and a bunch of mini-phals. One big phalenopsis, because the others died off. But the mini ones are blooming again, so maybe that's what our house does best??

Anyway, Hubby got some "real" orchid lights. They look a little weird, and I had to adjust one because it was hitting me right in the eyeballs as I was in my knitting chair.

But they're automatic, which is helpful, since neither of us could ever remember to turn the light off in a timely fashion. And they're LED bulbs, which last a long time and are energy efficient.

As long as they're growing, we're both happy. We're avoiding the orchid house's big sale. We just can't! Well....we COULD...

Random Picture...

The other day I was going to the cardiologist. It's not great news, but it could be a lot worse. It appears I'm in A-fib again but for now we're just watching it. I kind of figured. But I didn't want to think about it.

This and having to get a tooth replaced with an implant? I'm kinda wishing 2020 started over...

Anyway -- I was really early so I stopped off at the local greenhouse. It's a great place to sit quietly and contemplate when it's "butt-freezing cold" outside.

There are two water features and this one had koi with a turtle...I didn't catch the shot with the turtle, but these guys were pretty feisty.

It's late; I have more to tell you but I want to go to sleep. It was a long night; and I'm not sure what tonight will bring.

Post-Easter Crap...

Well, that's technically true. Like clockwork, I have a post-Holy Week cold. It's a doozy. I have a solo this Sunday. As in TOMORROW. Will I be able to sing? Will I be a baritone? Will I get through the service and still have a voice?

Hmmmmm. All good questions. All unable to be answered until tomorrow, to see where my voice ends up. 

It is snowing outside. Yes, I'm not crazy. Yes, it's April 27, 2019. Yes, this actually happened a long, long time ago -- 1967, to be exact. And I don't think we've recovered from THAT. 

I've spent the past 4 days (Yeah. Started Monday night, to be exact.) drinking tea and water, and eating soup. Tonight was the first time I've had something solid to eat. No worries; I like soup, but I figured I needed to get rid of the leftover meatloaf. 


Oh, and because I have great timing - today was my "Spring Pedicure." Lucky me, I may have acquired a yoga student. But I was in flip-flops in the wet, cold rain. Not a brilliant move. But I have lovely blue toes. 

I wasn't planning on this color; but when I saw it, I was in love. It's one of the shades of blue in my yoga studio's logo, so I bought it, too. It's OPI, called "Dreams Need Clara-fication." It's technically from their Nutcracker series, but I thought of Dr. Who, of course! 

Originally, I was going with "My Dogsled is a Hybrid" which is an older color. Check it out on their website; it's a nice "1960's looking" green-blue.

Now, though, that pedicure is stuffed into fuzzy "house socks" because my feet are freezing. 

Did I tell you that I'm kinda over this weather? 

On the bright side, here's a shot of my neighbor's "fish flags." He hasn't been able to fly them for a few years; the top flag had a line break and he said it took him a while to find the replacement part. 

They're lovely, large koi fish, representing his family. They were very striking against the recent grey skies. 

Let's catch up a bit on stuff...

Easter...

Well, I could make a million baking lamb cakes. At least mine wouldn't have plastic faces. And they wouldn't taste like cardboard. 

I didn't do one this year. We have done them before, and the kids love them, but nobody in the family is eating many sweets lately, so it's just easier to make the potica and keep it simple. 


There's the requisite "Peep Art." This is a great one, actually... Yes, in case you're asking, I really don't have any idea how to share that stuff with my phone so I do it really old-school and take a picture of my laptop screen.

It gives my kids something to roll their eyes over. 

Don't judge. 

It was nice to have Easter Sunday "off." But speaking of "off" -- Hubby and I went on a bike ride that day. It was a glorious day, my first on the bike in over a year because of all the tummy troubles. 


Ten miles. I felt so good. But I fell on my bike. 

You read that right. 

I got off my bike to take a picture of a "carpet" of violets. And as I was getting back on, the bike slipped out from under me and my right knee hit the sprocket. It's a lovely greenish color; the gal doing my pedicure was quite stunned at the coloration. 

And it hurts like crazy. The trail was that crushed limestone stuff. It's easy to lose control; funny thing was, I was trying to get ON the bike and the whole thing just went over sideways. 

Could've been worse. 

But then, I haven't fallen off my bike since my age was in the single digits. 

I don't bounce the way I did then...

Mother Nature...

At first I thought that this cold might be allergies. Since my car was literally covered in pollen the other day. Seriously had a "golden" tone to the green paint. 

I went to the car wash on Thursday at lunch, just to scrape a layer of it off. 

One of my students insists that that's all my trouble is: "It's sinuses related to allergies."

Respectfully, no it's not. I know the difference. 

I did take a walk, even though I felt kind of crappy. It was nice to be out in nature, even with the coughing and sneezing. Watched this guy try to catch his lunch. He was remarkably calm for how close I was. 

I also found another little friend. Luckily, I wasn't getting dive-bombed. This one is roosting outside of the front door on our church hall. 

ON the door. 

This is a shot from inside. 

Robins are not the cheerful harbingers of spring when it's nesting season. 

They're mean. And they'll dive bomb you without a second of hesitation. One of them used to roost on our front porch light. Then it moved to a bird feeder. 

The mailman was afraid to deliver our mail. 

Small but fierce. 

So far, this one has stayed in his nest and has only given us a stink-eye. The Vicar hasn't disturbed him; she's a live-and-let-live kind of person. Nesting season will be over soon.

The Knitting Dilemma...

Well. I have a dilemma. The Multnomah Shawl is giving me some problems. There's some weird crap about the stitch markers, and it's just strange. I thought it was straightforward, but her directions are kind of not cool. 

My problem is 10 rows of Feather and Fan. I love Feather and Fan and I've been dying to make a shawl with it. 

This is gorgeous; MadTosh HT (high twist) merino, for a very special, knit-worthy person. And the way this is constructed, the drape over the shoulders will be phenomenal. 

But the Feather & Fan is driving me nuts. 

It doesn't appear to line up in successive rows. So I fudged it and now I'm frustrated. 

I've temporarily set it aside, till my snot-addled brain can think. It's only April; I have time for this. 

I even added a second set of markers, to delineate the K5 middle section. I wish she'd have just done that YO, K5, YO thing without a zillion remarks about stitch markers. 

It sounds like it would be easier. 

Maybe not. And maybe I'm misinterpreting the whole thing. 

I'll go back to Ravelry and see what others have said. I love the Spectrum colorway. And I love the heft and drape of this. It'll keep the eventual wearer nice and toasty. 

I just have to get my head together to figure out how to keep each part in line. 


So I pulled out The Book. When I'm bored at work (shhhhhhhh, don't tell), I'll troll blogs and pick up notes on items I may want to knit. 

I've found a hat for both of the kids; I try to make a hat every other year. I know last year I made hats, but this is a nice double-layer one that I think they'd like. 

I also have several pages of shawls. So I could check those out. Lord knows I have stash. 

And in the meantime, I pulled out the Traveling Scarf -- a/k/a The Before-and-After Scarf. I will be getting something to replace that lime green for the second half. And I briefly thought about doing another one for the recipient of the shawl above; but this is honestly MILES of garter stitch; and I don't know if I could do TWO of them (it's a 2-part item) by December. 

If I can get to my LYS to see if she even carries this lace alpaca, I might give it a shot. If nothing else, it's totally mindless and easy enough. Just kinda boring. 

Even with the prospect of beads along each end to hold it down. Blocking might actually be a nightmare -- it's going to take an entire floor, which I don't have empty at this point. The finished length is about 5-6 feet. 

But it's alpaca and laceweight, so it'll be warm but light. A totally different feel than the Multnomah, which kind of reminds me of those British dramas I watch where the mom of the family wraps herself in a shawl and braves the British winter weather...

Anyway; I started another pair of traveling socks, because the green ones are close to the heel. That makes 3 pairs in progress; I just need to buckle down and deal with finishing them. It's another Opal yarn. Self-patterning, so it's vanilla and great lunchtime/outside knitting. 

What's on your needles? Are you starting to think about Christmas yet?

Anyone got wisdom for me on Multnomah?

Random Picture...

I was going to take a picture of the snow on our neighbor's roof, but I decided against it. 

I was running late for the pedicure, but it turned out ok, because the person doing it was running behind. This was one of the things that held me up. The annual Walk A Mile in Her Shoes Walk that was done by our local domestic violence shelter group. 

Men walk a mile in high heels. The high heels are donated. And these guys did it. 

In the pouring rain/snow mix, down one of our main streets. 

It was inspiring and sad at the same time. 

Domestic violence is a scourge. People still victim-shame, and perpetrators still get off fairly easily in many jurisdictions. And often, the victim isn't believed -- till she's dead. 

I know - domestic violence can happen to anyone. Male or female. 

Either way, it's a crime, it's a shame, and we're better than this. We need to crack down on the availability of guns, legal and illegal. And the illegal ones are the hardest nuts to crack. 

I don't have answers. But I know we have the brains in this country to do it. We just have to have the will.