It's the Year of FO...

No, not THAT "FO." (though..... just sayin...)

I mean "Finished Objects." I'm tellin ya - I'm on a ROLL. The Amy's Scarf was the first FO of 2026. Next was the Sophie Shawl, and right behind that was the Cold Snap hat. And I've got my (nearly) year-old Be Simple plain shawl on the needles and I'm chugging away at that. 

I also have an Emotional Support Chicken to repair...though depending on how that looks, I may just re-knit it. Dog got it. Not mine, but someone else's. Note to everyone: Emotional Support Chickens ARE NOT DOG TOYS!!! 

I have another Chicken to do (including one for myself that I never started...), and my mom has "ordered" another Sophie Hood. She loves her red one, but she says, "I need one in a neutral color for church." So I ordered more Friday Harbor (Cascade) in a lovely color called Macadamia, which is a silvery-grey (not sparkly) and I'll see how that looks. I hate ordering online, but my friend Kelly's shop is currently online only so we'll see. 

And then there's all the single socks that need mates. Maybe instead of starting new projects, I grab a project bag, figure out what I was doing and finish that? What a thought! 

The Knitting...

Sophie Shawl -- I'm addicted to the Sophie patterns. They're way more simple than they look and you look like such a boss when you're knitting them. This one is done with Cascade Friday Harbor in color 18, pumpkin. You can't tell from the pictures, but it's really a soft orange, with flecks of cream in it. And it's a Merino + silk blend that's just lovely on the hands. It really pops the stitch definition. 

I think it's bigger yarn - it's Aran-weight, and while the pattern calls for that, it also called for 2 hanks and I used just over 2... So either my gauge was off, or the yarn was bulkier than I thought. Either way, it was cozy this morning with our temps at 1 degree and windchill at -16 degrees.  

Yes, it is somewhat large. And it's not remotely "shawl" -ish. In the traditional sense, this is more a large scarf. You don't drape it round your shoulders like you'd think. You bundle it up much like a large cowl or ... large scarf! It was toasty without being heavy - to look at it you might think, "Good God, that's cumbersome." (or maybe it's just me...) But it's really not, and it was comfortable to wear for most of the morning, till the house warmed up. 

Our heat's fine. But my perch for the Zoom call was by my big picture window, which is old, and it's not the best at keeping out cold bitter enough to freeze a well-digger's belt buckle. 

Nerdy Nuggets: 2 and a bit hanks of Cascade Friday Harbor yarn. Size Large. Size 8 (24") Circular needles. Start date 11/5/25, finished 1/12/26. 

So that's FO #2. I recommend that you try this pattern, or if it's too much for you, start with the Sophie Scarf. It's easier to manage. 

The hat? I had the Bison Blend from Windy Valley Musk Ox to make the hat as a companion of the Amy's Scarf (also known as the Miss Marple Scarf), but it has a bit of a tricky crown configuration and I kinda wanted something simple. 

I did look for "simple cable hats" and seriously, people... What IS simple? I'm thinking one cable up one side and down the other, but I wasn't able to find anything that suited me. 

I did find the Cold Snap on Ravelry, and it was ok. I did try searching Ravelry and then I just did a general Google search. I don't know -maybe it's me. I ended up with this one because it was simple and I kind of wanted something brainless to knit, but with enough detail to keep my attention. 

The world is a scary place. Knitting is one refuge. I didn't want to over-complicate it because most of my stitching time is at night. But I did want something useful, and I have a hard time fitting hats to my head. 

Nerdy Nuggets: Remainder of the 3rd hank of Friday Harbor. Size 2 (there are 3 sizes to this hat), Size 4 (16") circulars for the ribbing and size 7 (16") circulars for the body -- same size DPNs for the crown. Start date 1/14/26, finished 1/18/26. 

The pattern called for DK weight, and Friday Harbor IS an Aran weight. Yes, I am RECLAIMING ORANGE.  I actually look good in it, and I refuse to allow a demented stooge to deny me a color I enjoy. Ahem. As I'm knitting I'm thinking, "What am I doing, this is a BARBIE hat???" But it turned out fine. I even got a little wild and made a small pom-pom for the top. It's a bit slouchy at the top, and I figured I had the yarn. Hubby told me to fold the brim; it's going to take a minute for me to -not- pull it down tight to my head, as I'm used to doing. I need to leave the slouch in there. It's going to be a barn hat. 

The Be Simple is an Opal project. It's got a ways yet, but I started that one on February 9, 2025, and I need to get it finished -- if only to reclaim my size 7 circulars for other projects. Not sure if I'm going to do the picot edge or just a plain one. The colorway is something that will go with most of what I wear, though now that I've lost a bunch of weight, I need to restock my basic t-shirts. 

I had gotten this yarn from my friend Kelly at Le Mouton Rouge and when I looked in my sock tote, I found that I had a bunch of blue-toned socks, so I figured I'd do this non-lace version of the Be Simple. Last year I did the orange version, using yarn that was custom-dyed for me. 

As much as you can, patronize your Local Yarn Shop. Mind you, Kelly is still 2+ hours from my house, but still - this is as good as it gets where I live, so do what you can to help them out! Kelly ships in the US, so go for it! 

Maybe I need a 2025 Retrospective of Knitting, since I didn't blog at all last year. 

Anyway, I really enjoy the asymmetrical shawls for office wear, so I'm not fighting the thing being around my shoulders, and yet it's warm enough. And these in sock yarn are perfect: they wash up like a dream and I have a nice stash of shawl pins to keep them in place, or I can just tie them. 

The Other FO... 

OK, still NOT that one. Found Objects. You know how, when you're decorating for Christmas or whatever holiday you're celebrating, you put things away, you bring things out, you shuffle stuff around? Well, in my house that's how that happens. 

I found a bag with fabric for a quilted table runner that I was going to make (which I didn't). I also found THREE circular needles. I think that I bought this when JoAnn's was closing. I also found in the bag the second of my pom-pom makers. I know I have another set - in a project bag somewhere. 

I had ordered small binders for my circulars. It makes it easier for me to have them handy, when they're not all stuck into unfinished objects (we won't go into that and I'm not feeling guilty). So these are size 8 bamboo needles, which are fine. They're 24" cables and my friend Sonda always said that 24" are all you really need to do anything from a scarf to a sweater. 

I also have become fond of Zings DPNs. They're color-coded which makes it nice. I use them for socks, but also for the tops of hats. The markings on the needles last nicely. That's the one complaint I have about the Karbonz - after a use or two, the numbers wear off the carbon part. Kind of annoying, really. 

I'm also still working on the Long Dog Samplers Pecadillo. I'm on the second quadrant of the one I'm doing, and it's coming along nicely. I do need to get the knitting out of the way first, so it'll be a while. I hope to finish this project in time for Christmas 2026, so that I can get it framed for its recipient. 

I think I need to do another one. We had a surprise at Christmas. Kid #1 eloped. So I also have an afghan to work on once I figure out what colors I need to get. 

THAT FO... 

Good Lord. I'm not really sure where to start. There are folks who are now in the "Find Out" stage and it's starting to get crazy. It was crazy at first, but now? 

So we have the Emperor with No Clothes posting crap at all hours, signing things he can't read, making stuff up and pulling "facts" out of his keister, and calling everything "fake" if it doesn't show him at the center of "The Last Supper" pushing Jesus to the side. (Sorry, God, but really...)

Since I last blogged about this, the Kennedy Center has been desecrated, there's no more East Wing of the historic White House, and the Oval Office is not only named like the wing of a dementia-care ward, but it's tatted up like a bordello the likes of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," just to name a few things. 

And we have the delusion about Greenland, the invasion of Venezuela, the bombing of fishing boats, the caving in of a Nobel Prize winner who - I don't care what she did for her country - debased herself for a fool. 

What am I missing? Oh, election fraud (well in front of the midterms), the ICE goons, the destruction of Tim Walz's political career. SCOTUS is bought and paid for - Mitch McConnell, on his way out, has grown one ball. Thom Tillis too. 

And a pox on Merrick Garland, who could've fixed this. A double pox on Glitchy Mitch, who prevented Garland from being safely ensconced in the Supreme Court and out of the way. 

But the cherry on top is the response of Bill and Hillary Clinton to the subpoena for the Epstein files debacle. I mean, you have Stephen Miller as a deputy Chief of Staff who thinks he's running things, and for all I know, he DOES have his hand up Mango Mussolini's diaper-clad butt, trying to demand that Minneapolis "withdraw" and stand down. And you have JD Maybelline trying to act "presidential." What a waste of an Ivy League education. And for what it's worth, Usha, girl - you need a good lawyer! 

And they think they can pull an end-run around Bill? Really. Notwithstanding the fact that he's a Rhodes Scholar and a lawyer. You have Hillary. Who's brilliant in her own right. Both of them are Yale Law School graduates. Both of them, very kindly, and very specifically and pointedly, said to James Comer, "show me yours before I show you mine." 

They pointed out that they don't HAVE to comply with that subpoena. My contention is, when Gym Jordan complies with the Congressional subpoena he received, then Bill and Hill can respond. 

The situation in Minneapolis is insane. The Black Panthers are coming out. And if the ICE goons think Chicago was rough? Minneapolis is no push-over. And they want to go to Philly? I mean... Philadelphia burned its own city down more than once. Their police chief already said, "We don't play." 

I have no idea what will happen. I do know this is not the world I wanted to age in, nor have my kids grow up in. 

Random Picture...

We have a tradition now. We make a Snow Folk Choir. This year, Hubby went above and beyond and I think we're done adding to the group. He's talking about using wine corks to make "choir risers." I think it's becoming an obsession. 

I must say, I added the rice lights and battery-operated candles. And I did make arms for our "conductor," the only salt-and-pepper shaker who's a singleton. All of these have been part of a collection I've had for years. 

Of all your holiday decorations, which is your tradition? Which is a must-have for the holidays? Share with me! 

Just. So. Much...

There's just so much. Too much. Where to begin??

At first, I thought I'd blog when the "leak-that's-not-a-leak" broke with Justice Alito's "triumph" -- a decision which would render Roe v. Wade deader than Marley's ghost. 

Then, I thought I'd blog after the Brooklyn shooting. 

Then, Uvalde happened. 

With all that, stuff like the latest book I'm reading, my knitting and my garden seem so...quaint. Provincial, even. Stuff of fluff and nonsense. 

But maybe we need fluff and nonsense right now because the weight is there and it's getting heavier. 

So let's get to it, kids. What shall we tackle first? 

Let's go with Amy Coathanger Barrett's comment about the "domestic supply of infants," because it correlates pretty closely with school shootings. I guess we need a "domestic supply of infants," so that, if they manage to grow up and get to school, they'll be targets. 

Yes, I said what I said. Kids these days (and their teachers) are targets. Every parent, lately, especially in the Bible Belt (an irony that's almost laughable because there's nothing Biblical about them or their attitudes), seems to think that they can teach better than teachers. They know more than librarians, and they're more heavily armed than the cops. 

And still, kids die. 

And our government has neither the will nor the inclination to change any of that. 

I almost hesitate to say it, but this time, it feels a little different. I can't put my finger on it, but the reactions are different, in places where it just might finally matter. 

We can only hope. I wish I could provide you with a Grade-A, Twitter-worthy rant, but you know what? It's too heavy a load and I just can't right now. 

The Knitting...

The Long Sands Tee goes on. I had to decrease after the lace pattern to get to the correct amount of stitches, once I went down a needle size. And then it turns out I'm going to be doing dolman shaping, with some increases! Yikes. 

The linen yarn is interesting. I'm not sure how this thing is supposed to block out; it's the first "one piece" sweater I've ever knit, and I can see how it's going to be quite "draggy" -- I mean, as you wear it, the weight of the linen will make it hang differently. I saw one picture where it looked quite like a crop top, which isn't the effect I'm going for. I'm hoping it's like on the model, where it hits around the hips. 

I'm sort of -- well, not "sort of," but actually QUITE annoyed at the lack of support for this pattern. I've reached out to the Ravelry page, and I've put things out on social media and...crickets. Now, either I'm just being a dunce, or it's not a pattern that a lot of people have done. So I have no questions answered, and just a few pictures are on the pattern's Ravelry page. 

I've managed to place the markers for each side, and I'm doing the 1 1/2" of stockinette before the dolman increases. Then, the front and back get separated and we don't worry about them till later on. 

I try to read a pattern all the way through at least once, and then I start it. I used to just plow into the project, but that didn't work out so well. So I figured that I should probably do what everyone suggests: Read the blasted thing through first, so at least I have some idea of what I'm getting myself into!

Honestly, I thought I'd be farther along on this, but some things have been happening, so I haven't had the needles flying like they ought to be. 

The Yoga...

Yeah, I went ahead and signed up for an online Prenatal Yoga class. Yeah, I'm the oldest student in the class...we talk about birthing and thankfully, THAT hasn't changed. But some things I experienced in "the 'way back times" as we say? That's changed a bit. 

My hip, by the way, has NOT been cooperating. I am sorely tried by this hip. It's a balance between "moving to keep moving," and then "paying for moving." I may have to have a second cortisone shot, which I'm not looking forward to. 

And as long as we're here, I have to tell you that I'm having an ICM implanted. We joke that it's my "pet finder chip." It's an internal cardiac monitor - not a pacemaker or the like. It just monitors. I'm going to be laid up just temporarily - a few days. But then I'll be back to "normal" - whatever that is!

Anyway, the prenatal stuff should be completed by August, and we do move at quite a clip. It's an 85-hour program: weekend intensives, and lectures every Wednesday from now till July. 

I'm looking forward to teaching this population. It's something I've wanted to do for a long, long time. And it's about time - I don't want to regret not ever trying. 

The Garden...

The twirly-birds are INSANE this year. I'm not quite sure what's going on, and they're just nuts. The garden is quite a bit smaller. We're not doing carrots this year; it's the first year for asparagus, and we've got romaine, radishes, cucumbers and tomatoes. I've put in some parsley and some dill, but we have a ton of basil and rosemary in the freezer. 

This is the first year in about a decade that I haven't had a Rosemary plant. But I do have a new experiment: The Great Compost Project. Yes, kids, finally...my own compost bin. We shall see. 

A student gave me a small compost bin that she was no longer using. I thought about it for a while, and figured out where to put it. Let's just say there was a bit of a discussion about it, but my main thing is this: It's small enough for me to manage, and while I can't do the garden as easily as I would normally do, I can manage to fork over a bit of food scraps with the "brown matter" (shredded newspaper, coffee filters, some lawn clippings...). The bin isn't huge, and I'm not compelled to fill it. 

I know it will be at least a year, but it's something I can try. If it flops (draws critters or starts to stink), then I can just trash the whole thing. This is a nice netting contraption with a lid. I've staked it to the ground, which enables the worms and the "good bugs" to start working on the contents. 

I keep it moist, and flip it every couple of days. We'll see how this all works out. 

Maybe I'm totally naive, but I think at least it's my small bit to recycle and do my bit for the planet. Crazy? Yeah. But if it all works, then we get free fertilizer and we can help the ecosystem just a tiny bit. It's up to us to do what we can, right?

The bird feeders are back up; the hummingbird feeders are stocked, and the bird bath is back in action. We were on a "Do not" request from the state because of a strain of Avian Flu. It was mainy going after aquatic birds, but they weren't certain that it would affect songbirds, so they asked folks to not fill feeders for a while. The birds were grumpy. But everyone seems happy now. 

Random Picture...

Husky On Patrol. Raisa has decided that she's a part of the Neighborhood Watch. She rarely barks at anyone unless Quinn starts it first, and then it's her signature "song of her people." 

The neighbors across the street had a big "First Birthday" celebration yesterday so she was watching the cars park along the street. 

I promise I have more. I have at least one recipe to share with you, a post card project that you too can commit to do, and some more pictures. 

Just for now, though, I'm headed off to bed. My latest bedtime reading is "Wednesday The Rabbi Got Wet," by Harry Kemelman. I got it off a pile that my friend was "culling," and of course I decided to order the rest of the series on Kindle. My poor Kindle -- when I first got it, I thought, "I'll never fill this thing up" and now? I think I'm near capacity on it. 

More tomorrow. Rest well, everyone!

History -- (HERstory)

History was made twice yesterday: once locally and once nationally. 

Yesterday, Fermilab here in IL appointed its 7th director: the first woman to run the lab. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is located in Batavia, and it's the leading particle physics lab in the US. It was established in 1967. Lia Merminga is a physicist and will assume her duties this month. 

And yesterday, women all across the United States celebrated the confirmation of the newest Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. She will be sworn in this summer. She is the first black female justice on the court. She is incredibly qualified, which means the GQP had a stroke during her confirmation hearings and acted like a squad of petulant two-year-olds who were constipated and deprived of naps for several days. 

I didn't watch the hearings (I've got to watch my blood pressure), but I followed things in the Chicago Tribune, hardly the bastion of the liberal press (if such a thing actually exists anymore, anyway, what with all the news congolmerates). That was enough to keep me sleepless, if I wasn't already suffering from insomnia. 

Ted (Cancun) Cruz is living proof, by the way, of "the bottom of the class." He and Justice Brown Jackson were classmates at Harvard. And Ted, being...Ted... asked some of the most incredibly stupid questions ever. The entire process, to quote Susan Collins (yeah, I know, right?) "is broken." It was all about scoring points and demeaning her, waiting for her to break, kind of like Frat Boy "I Like Beer" Brett K... Of course, if she'd have shown one scintilla of emotion, they'd have all crowed, "Oh, look, such a snowflake - she has NO JUDICIAL TEMPERAMENT."

And yet, Frat Boy, literally screamed during his hearings. Hmmmm. I wonder what's different about THIS nominee? Any guesses?

And I was thinking about this last night... I read somewhere where someone called her "Notorious KBJ" and while that's perhaps a nice tribute to "Notorious RBG" and it's almost as alliterative, I would suggest to NOT call her that. 

Allow her the dignity of her own tenure, and her own moniker. She will be forging a path that Justices O'Connor and Ginsburg started to pave, and Justice Brown Jackson will put her own spin on it. So let her acquire her own appellation on her own merit. 

The Knitting...

The Secret Project proceeds apace. Zooming along (as much as one can zoom along) with Seed Stitch, on the final bit of this piece. 

I can't remember if I showed you this one, so if I did, I'm sorry... This is a cowl, crocheted in Urchin Stitch (I've also seen it called "Star," but my book called it the other name). I love that stitch; it's easy to memorize, and has a lovely rhythm to it. You can truly buzz along with this. I did crochet this flat, and wove the ends in. It's a Lion Brand Mandala cake, the color called "Sprite." 

I like this cowl; it can be worn several ways, and it's washable acrylic - but cozy. It makes a fairly drapey fabric for crochet (which to me is usually always a bit stiffer than knitting). 

I could be wrong on that; I haven't done any fine crochet. I know my grandma did doilies with what was called "crochet cotton," and she must have crocheted them because she didn't knit much. She could -- she taught me. But I always remember her crocheting. She did knit some booties in very fine yarn, but they were never completed. For all I know, she was playing with a pattern. She never knitted or crocheted to a written pattern. I remember asking her about one once, and she said, "I have no idea - I can't read those..." She was taught visually and orally. I still can't figure out her waffle stitch, no matter how much I've researched and tried to "read" her crochet. 

I have a close-up of the stitch so you can see it. I seriously think this is such a cool one to use in just about anything: baby stuff to adult
accessories. I haven't used it with a really busy yarn, though. I suppose it would obscure the detail a bit, depending on the yarn. 

This colorway is a pastel rainbow and I normally prefer a softer blend from one color to the other, but in this case, the straight line demarcation works. One could wear each color in the front as the color fits the outfit. Or it wouldn't matter -- either way. 

I probably would do another one. This is a DK weight yarn, and it worked up super-quick. I have plenty of it in stash, too. It's a nice, mindless project that can be put in the gift-stash for a person who's worth it. 

Knit-Worthy...

Let's discuss "knit-worthy." We all know what that means, and I've heard non-knitting friends use it too. One of my quilter friends uses the term to decide who gets one of her works of art. 

I have a few friends who are knit-worthy. Others, even though they admire the knitting, I can tell that they would be all, "Oh, isn't this nice?" with that tone of voice which suggested "how can I get rid of this and never wear it?" 

Those of us who craft a lot know that tone. I learned the hard way. I spent a lot of time on a wedding announcement that I had cross-stitched for a couple. They opened it up at the shower, and the bride looked at me, blinked a couple times, and said, "Oh. That's nice." 

Now, I didn't expect a brass band, or a parade, but even my MOTHER leaned over and said, "Well, that's not exactly a ringing thank you, is it?" 

I've become picky in who gets my knitting or my needlework. It's a lot of time and a lot of money, quite frankly. Especially the needlework, which is often framed. Framing isn't cheap. 

But so far, now that I'm more discerning, my heart gets broken a little less. 

Random Picture...

We got new awnings! After about 8 years, the awnings on our building were looking a bit shabby. So the landlord decided to replace all of them. In December, we had some pretty horrid wind storms and the few awnings which were intact ended up being torn. Then February and March -- sideways winds of 60 mph+ - it was pretty scary! 

One morning, the parking lot was filled with trucks, and there was a flatbed rumbling next to the rear exit. Guys on ladders took down all the awnings...which was kind of funny - had to tell my students to "tune in to your breathing and draw your attention inward" while workmen were clambering up and down ladders with power wrenches taking down the metal awning frames!

A few weeks later, these beauties were installed. The whole plaza looks so neat and spiffy. 

It's so nice to have a great landlord! 

Looking for yoga but not ready to come into a studio? 

We have Zoom options. 

Contact us at info@just-breatheyoga.com or text/call (815) 546-2770 to find the class that best suits you. 

If you're in the Will County, IL area, we're starting workshops again! Keep an eye on the website for the Chakra workshop, FACE YOGA (Yes, it's a thing!) and Upper Back Health workshop, as well as the Ocean of Devotion coming back soon. 

Private sessions (in-person or Zoom), small group classes (in-person or Zoom) and all our classes are open for drop-ins. 

Kava-Nope...

There comes a time in the life of a country in which the average person has to stand up for what he or she believes in. A time when the "leadership" needs to take stock of what "the people" really want. 

Unfortunately, in our country, we've reached the first part. But we're likely to not ever reach the second, since our government has been bought and paid for not only by lobbyists and corporations, but by Russia... Our democracy is in peril. 

We're on the verge of having a Supreme Court Justice who's temperamentally unqualified, appears to be a high-functioning alcoholic, and has been groomed, over the years, to do this very thing: irrevocably change the highest court in the land for generations to come.

I've been calling the 4 or 5 senators who might flip the vote. I'm reaching out to democrats who're in primarily red districts to tell them to keep the faith and vote for what's right. My problem is, I'm not sure it'll work. 

I'm not sure that this isn't all pre-ordained somehow. My rage and disgust are palpable. I can't sleep, I've got an upset stomach, and I'm very, very touchy. And that's not good. 

We have been divided as a nation. We have divided families. We have divided friends. It's scary what's happening and I'm afraid it might indeed be beyond repair. Not only the damage this administration(?) is doing by taking back all the regulations that are keeping our forests pristine, our water clear and our skies clean -- but the damage done to families where they're so divided by politics as to be unable to be in the same room. 

Honestly? I don't know what to say. Women I know are curled in balls, reliving memories they've tried to "live around." Women I know are criticizing those same women and telling them that they should have "done something when it mattered." 

We all got a "presidential text message" that we're not allowed to opt out of. I'm not happy about that. It's very 1984 to me, and I hope that's the last one I'll ever get. I don't need that on my phone. 

I have no words. All I can do are the actions I am doing. And to hope others are doing the same. I can hope that I don't lose a friendship (or more) in this. But I have no sure way of knowing. 

Knitting, Knitting, Knitting...

The hat is on the DPNs. I took off the Fun Fur (not fun) and in the process of getting the stitches on the DPNs, I dropped one. I found it...before it had gone too far. I'm not happy with the catywampus way the stitches are arranged, but there are so many markers that the beginning of the row (with the yellow triangular marker) is kind of in the wrong place. I have to wriggle things around a bit. The markers indicate the decreases, and I'm about to do a whole whack of 'em as I decrease the last few rows toward finishing this up. 

I've taken the mitts to work and I'm doing those at lunch. I need them for November, so I've gotta get skippy on them. 

After that, it's a polka-dot bag - have to see what's in that one and get it moving. And do another prayer shawl. And do the "prayer patches" that we're doing for church. Lots to do. Not enough time to do it in. 

Canning, Canning, Canning...

So this is the demented Pepper Pizza Sauce. This is the one that's two-thirds sweet peppers and one-third tomatoes. I suppose it'll be good; just too much pepper for me. 

I think we have at least one more batch in the fridge - and this one is mostly tomatoes! It's super-easy to do this. As a matter of fact, I could probably use this sauce here for Pasta Fagioli (a bean and tomato-based soup). That would be interesting, wouldn't it? 

Anyway, this recipe is nowhere near Blue Book standards; it's my own. But I do use the Blue Book when I'm timing it. And the Blue Book tells me to put lemon juice in the sauce to keep it acid enough to last. 

The kids will get this. I think maybe I'll bring some to work, and I'll give my mom some. It would be a good sauce for pigs-in-a-blanket (cabbage rolls) or stuffed peppers. 

But I'm not eating it. 

Quinn poses in her crown...

I got Halloween costumes for the dogs. And of course, even the "large" wasn't big enough... But I did find a cute crown. Of course, Quinn looks adorable in it. 

We entered the 2018 Howl-O-Ween contest; not in the costumes I want, but stuff I kind of threw together. Sometimes it's best this way. 

I don't like what they've done in regard to allowing people to PhotoShop stuff. It used to be that people got really creative with their costumes and the dogs played along grudgingly (or with treats!). But now people can add stuff electronically. To me, that's kind of lazy. But I'm not running it. 

We shall see. Entries are down, and that's sad. I know people are busy and distracted, but it's a great event to raise money for rescue. 

Random Picture...

Speaking of which. This was the first one we entered. And we won. We raised over $800 for the rescue with this one. We titled it, "They'll never know I'm on the couch." 

This, by the way, was Tippi. It was the first Halloween after we got her, and I literally "tossed" this one together. We'd just gotten the couch and that grey blanket was their signal that it was ok to get up there. I jokingly tossed the cover around her, her tail was exposed, and I snapped the shot. 

Everyone loved it. 

We came close a couple of other years, but this was my very proudest moment because she was such a good sport. This year, she's entered as well, but I'm not sure how she'll do. You never know. It's any dog's game. 

Do you dress up your dogs for Halloween? Share some pics! I'd love to see them! 

Knitting My Way to Calm...

Watching a particularly odd Peter Cushing/Christopher Lee "Hound of the Baskervilles" and knitting. Kind of a great way to spend a Friday night. 

The knitting is calming my mind, since I'm in a bit of a turmoil about the SCOTUS hearings. I've been reading and listening...and I really, really need to knit to settle my mind.

So let's show what's started, since you've seen what's done. This is the Terribly Simple shawl, by Caitlin ffrench - on Ravelry, so if you're not on there yet and you're an avid knitter or crochet fiend, get on there! You won't regret it. It's more addictive than Pinterest, though (I just tried to make a post on Pinterest, hope that went ok...never sure on some of these platforms). 

This is a yarn I'd had stashed for a long, long time, so I feel particularly virtuous about using it. I think I've had this since Sonda had her shop - so we'll just say it's been in stash "a while." Initially, it was destined for socks, but I changed my mind a while back. Wasn't sure about the silk content; this is Indulgence 6-ply with Silk. Its content is: 55% Merino, 25% Polyamide, 20% silk. Just not sure it would work for socks - it's very drapey. 

Maybe, though, it should've been a scarf. The black in it pools oddly; I don't know if I like it. But the other colors work well together. I'm not sure why they stuck that black in there, to be honest. 

Anyway, this is a super-simple shawl - or maybe a shawlette? Not sure yet. It's on 10.75 needles (or 7mm if you prefer), circular, 24" cable. Honestly, the cable should've been longer, but it is what it is. I'm really liking the Cubics, and they're wood, so they're very soft on the hands. The stitch definition of the yarn is great; I think that it should block out nicely. There's a KFB at either end for the increases, and I'm thinking that the band it's creating will be nice, too. 

It's totally mindless knitting, which I need right now. I need to process the hearings. I need to process what's going on in our country. 

The Day Democracy Died...

I was talking to Kid #2 about the hearings; he asked if I was watching them, and I was unable to, but I was catching up with the news. He said he watched, figuring he'd last about 10 minutes before he'd be screaming at the TV. 

"But I got caught up, and an hour later, I thought that it was kind of interesting in a way to watch democracy die." That's what he said. 

He's not an hysteric. He doesn't do hyperbole. He's a teacher; he's very level-headed - though I'll admit he's cynical as the day is long. He lost whatever innocence he had very early. 

And as a mother, this was heartbreaking. I don't want my kids to live in the kind of country we're shaping up to be. I mean, really - I told my parents that their generation really screwed up the country. 


But I think we took the cake. I mean by letting the Teabagging crackpots loose and then the corruption of the GOP? 

The whole charade of the hearings - and I'm including Corey Booker in this too, because of that bit of showmanship he pulled, "releasing the records." Technically, they were already going to be released. 

But I see his point. And I raise the point that at least he claims to have the courage of his convictions. 

I'm scared witless for the generations coming after us if this all goes through and Mueller doesn't get off his duff soon. I'm not sure how much more our democracy (or democratic republic if you want to get picky) can take. 

We cannot allow a judge to sit on the Supreme Court who has pretty much indicated that he believes the president is above the law. That's not how it works. I don't know what those folks at Yale Law School teach, but there are, to my knowledge, and still -- three branches of government. Three EQUAL branches that do checks and balances on each other so that no one branch supersedes the other. 

In other words, we don't have a monarchy or a dictatorship. In spite of Agent Orange's desires. 

It's In the Cards...

I was given a card deck. They're kind of a "thing" now... Goddess cards, spirit animal cards, yoga cards, astrology cards...You name it, there's a deck for it. Anyway, the ones I got as a gift are called "On & Off the Mat," and they have to do with yoga and breathing. 

So many people have rituals where they pull the cards. I actually have 3 decks of my own and I try to fiddle with them off and on. I have a "spirit animal" one, I have this one, and I have a set made by my friend Lulu Trevena - visit her here. We met  -- or I should say, we "met" while doing the elephant journal apprenticeship. 

I've pulled a couple of the cards from the Yoga deck, and the one I just pulled today says, "Stay open about your practice."

There's a whole discussion going on about functional yoga. Functional as in "making the pose adjust to the body rather than the other way around." When I was in training, we spent a lot of time learning to adjust students - making sure their alignment is correct in a certain pose. 

Well, I still do that - there are some basic alignments that you need to keep yourself safe. But with "functional yoga" it's also about incorporating more than yoga into your practice. I'm doing quite a bit of that with Yoga for Healthy Aging, and being more creative in getting my students to move in ways that will keep them healthier longer. 

So - "open" about my practice? Yep. I do a lot of resistance band work along with the yoga. I work with my little arm hula hoops to keep my upper body strong. I make sure I incorporate movement into my life every day, as often as I can. 

How do you stay open to new things? How do you make sure that your body and mind will be active throughout your life? Let's chat about that...

Random Picture...

This starts Tippi's 6th year at Lewis University - I think. I've kind of lost track of time. We go spring and fall semesters, twice a month. She still loves the work. Of course, more often than not, now that she's 10, I have to lift her in and out of the truck. It's not that she won't try - just that I don't want her to hurt herself. She's a little chunky - and for her to jump down onto a hard surface could eventually hurt her joints, so we give her a "lift." 

It took a while for the students to realize she was there, and unfortunately, they all came when she needed to pee!! Poor girl!! 

Anyway, she loves it. They love it. It's all good. 
 

Reading About Knitting...

...makes me want to KNIT!!

So I'm at a temp gig - strangely enough, at another location for the place I used to work before they laid me off... And they said, since it's a position answering the switchboard, "bring your laptop for the downtimes." 

I figured this would be a perfect way to get caught up on my knitting blogs. My favorites will be listed alongside the blog, but for now, I'm caught up with Jean Miles (Oh, my - I hope her hubby doesn't have any more major health issues); The Knitting Curmudgeon (which I'm not listing as a favorite because she blogs less than I do!); Queer Joe (too many pics of the Men's Knitfest, but some beautiful projects he's been working on)... and all I have to do is catch up on The Yarn Harlot.

Pi Shawl

The kicker, of course, was Knitting to Stay Sane. Glenna does some PHENOMENAL knitting. I swear, her designs are gorgeous. Although some folks have commented that her Jaywalker sock pattern is a tad too tight, her sweaters are "to knit for." I've - of course - written a bunch of her pattern names down, and we'll see how that goes. 

I'm also on a mission. I've gotta do a Pi Shawl... Of course the pattern is on Ravelry, but here's a picture of its "un-venter" Elizabeth Zimmerman, wearing her creation. It's in her book. 

And if you don't have her book(s) -- what are you waiting for? She's the Goddess of Knitting with Your Brain. Her instructions aren't so much "instructions" as they are "indicators pointing you toward using your common sense." 

It's a little scary trying to do her patterns. Because they're not specific in many of the respects that we expect a pattern to be. But I'm going to try. I've had a suggestion from my friend M. to try the Baby Surprise Jacket first. 

And since I have a car-load of stash, I'm going to do that. THEN, the Pi Shawl. In sock yarn. Lord help me!

Knitting...

So the first "Bowties are Cool" sock is done. I have actually started the second sock. It's just that this temp gig got in the way. They told me the one thing I could NOT do was knit. 

Sock side view

Apparently, I can cruise Ravelry, look at my blogs, etc. but knitting is a no-no. Oh well. I had to catch up on the blogs at some point. 

So - the sock. Lorna's Laces "Bigger on the Inside" is basically navy blue with black tucked in here and there. It doesn't photograph well with my phone and honestly looks better in person. 

I didn't get this from their site; I got it on clearance at Jimmy Bean's, so I'd suggest starting there. This is, for me, my "luxe" yarn. It's a bit pricey. And I'm hoping, since this is the first pair of socks I've knitted with this yarn, that it's worth it. 

Otherwise, the remaining yarn gets put to use with shawlettes. 

Bowties are Cool

I apologize in advance for my whiter-than-white leg. What can I say? I never tan. I go straight to burn. I took the above shot so you could kind of see the pattern. In the diagram for the pattern, the "bowtie" effect looked to be achieved by the ktbl that you did. But honestly? I think the bow tie image comes when that ktbl pulls together and you get the "shape" of the bow tie, with the two "wings" and the center roll of the knot. Here's a Pinterest page showing the original picture. The red looks darling, but really - it had to be TARDIS blue. 

Hopefully, the other picture gives you an idea. If you click on it and blow it up a bit, you'll see what I mean. 

The sock is snug. More than I would like, and I made a Large. I did my usual 6-row knit at the top of the cuff to make it go over my foot more easily. But the whole thing could use more ease, in my opinion. 

The yarn is certainly squishably lovely. And the color is stunning. But I'm worried about the wear. How will this work over the long-term? Will it pill like the Madelaine Tosh that I did up? Well, the MadTosh I used, in honesty, was 100% superwash, so perhaps that ramps up the pill-factor. 

Stitch definition

The stitches in this yarn pop. I mean they absolutely shine! As you can see, I used the black Karbonz and I did start the first sock using my Ott lite + magnifier, because it was the darkest yarn I've used at that size. But as time went on, it did just perk along nicely. I didn't have any trouble casting on the second sock. I could seriously see this as a vanilla sock with a cable up the leg. 

As is usual, I did NOT take the pattern down onto the foot. I learned from Roman Rib that I don't like it. So I'm not doing it. No Sock Police!! 

So tonight, I'm knitting. I really need to get cracking on that sock, because I want to wear the pair!

I also need to start on a Plain Vanilla pair for not only the stash-busting, but also for "carry-along" knitting. Something I can do relatively mindlessly, where I almost have the pattern memorized. 

Oh, and on one pair, I want to do the Fish Lips Kiss heel. I bought the pattern. This link takes you to an image. Everyone who's done it says it's a better fit than the usual heel flap. And it's worth at least one pair of socks to try. 

Heck, I did a Strong heel just to try it. (See Roman Rib sock at the left) I don't think I'll do that again, unless I feel strongly (ha) compelled. It wasn't horrible. Just not something I think will wear well in the long run. 

And I don't like that string of "lacy" look along the gusset. It annoys me. And life's too short to be annoyed at silly things when there are better alternatives. 

So Then This Happened...

Wow. In a span of about 10 days, the Pope issues an encyclical on climate change; the Affordable Care Act is (finally, please??) declared constitutional, AND we get gay marriage in all 50 states. 

That sound you hear is the sound of multiple conservatives and "Christians" whose heads are exploding. 

Though I do wish that the Pope had done a little more in exploring the idea that PEOPLE -- creating MORE people, that is -- may perhaps be a bigger contributing factor. C'mon Catholic Church - please. Birth control. Now.

So of course, there are people in a certain (Southern) section of the US who will try with all their might to delay the gay marriage issue. 

And the House and Senate can, maybe, please, please, PLEASE get past the whole kerfuffle on the ACA and get something else done...  Is it too much to ask for immigration reform and proper funding for schools, and maybe doing something about student loans rather than kowtowing to banks? 

A girl can dream. And while I'm dreaming, I'll think that maybe with this slew of good news, the overturning of Citizens United might be nearer than it has been. 

Like I said... I can dream. 

And this meme was floating around the "face-space" (that's what the kids & I call it...). 

No, sadly. He didn't say that. But the truth is still there. 

Oh, the other thing, Congress? Jobs for the rest of us. Stop worrying about getting your lazy selves re-elected and do something for us voting slobs who actually may still believe that YOU work for US. (Sorry - again with "a girl can dream.")

I'm sitting here, with two master's degrees, answering phones. And don't get me wrong: I'm HAPPY for the gig. But when I'm talking to my brother and he says, "I need to teach you to drive a forklift" -- then I have to wonder. Jobs for folks like me aren't in vast supply. Not even "medium-reasonable supply." But there are apparently jobs aplenty for forklift drivers, material handlers and welders. 

Kid #1 said he'd teach me to weld, but then he figured that, given several factors (including raging hot flashes and lack of sleep), putting a torch in my hand was perhaps unreasonable. 

I actually may take my brother up on that forklift thing. I've always been handy with my hands, and as a woman, perhaps there's a hiring preference. Yes, I'll use my gender. Thanks. I've lived with it, so I may as well use the few advantages we DO have!

The Garden Grows...

We've had rain. LOTS of rain. To the point where we haven't done anything except mow the lawn, and that barely between showers. My carefully plotted flower garden is a mess. And the veggie garden is nuts. Totally nuts. 

Tonight, we're having cod, with dill from the garden and snap peas, if we have enough. And a salad. LETTUCE we have a-plenty! 

This is the sage I took from the garden the other day. I should have put my hand there for a reference. It's HUGE. Freakishly huge. 

There's Rosemary there, too. I was cooking something - can't remember what - and I figured I'd use the herbs we had. 

I've already done a batch of pesto from the basil. And I found, sadly, that you CANNOT use common garden sage for smudging. Which is what I had intended, but apparently, it's not the right variety. Now I have to find something to do with an enormous quantity of sage. I didn't plant a lot of it. One plant, and with the monsoons we've been having, this is what I get. 

Any ideas?? I'm open! 

The Dogs...

Quinn surveys her domain

I'm not happy to report that Quinn and Raisa got into a tangle. Luckily, Hubby was home. I don't even know what started it, but it had been brewing. If I had to guess, I'd say that as Raisa enters her "adolescent" phase (she's just about 2 years old), she's been trying on the "who's top dog" thing. 

So they started in, and I grabbed Tippi - who was going to join in the "fun." I got her into her pen, Hubby got between the two, and we did sadly discover that there was blood. 

However, it wasn't as bad as we initially thought. He whisked her off to the Emergency Vet (of course, it was an hour AFTER our vet closed) and what we thought was a really bad thing turns out to be just a nip on the nose. 

I'm not saying that lightly...there are behavioral studies examining just how and WHERE a dog bites another one, and apparently, the bite on the nose is indicative of a much milder case of aggression. 

I think we need to contact a behaviorist, and so does the vet. Hubby doesn't think so. I've got to work on that because this really scared me. They're all big dogs. Raisa will not mess with Tippi after their last tangle (no injuries, but Tippi made her point). But she and Quinn? I'm not sure and I want strategies. 

Random Picture...

This was taken the other night, as I was leaving a yoga class. It was a much larger view of a beautiful cloud, but I was struck by the little sliver of moon here. 

Luckily, we are in an area that's still semi-rural. We have, for Illinois, a lot of sky in a lot of places. I've been going nuts with the sky pics. So we don't get the Northern Lights, but we do get some quite interesting sunsets and beautiful cloud formations with the storms we've had. 

Not that I want more storms! I'm feeling a little moldy!! But Mother Nature has provided some lovely sights while we're in between the storms.