That Didn't Go As Planned...

Well. Merry Christmas. And Happy New Year. 

Christmas wasn't exactly Christmas. Or, it didn't go as I expected. I was honestly dreading it, since it was a reminder of the last day I saw my sister alive. 

But...almost simultaneously, Mother Nature threw a hissy fit and a couple of the immediate family came down with Covid, so we cancelled it. Initially, we put it off till New Year's Day - but with the fam having Covid, we had too many of us say, "You know, so far, we've been lucky and we feel like a cat on its 8-and-a-halfth life." 

So my mom pulled the plug, and we'll be doing a porch-drop of the various gifts. We even cancelled our Christmas Eve church service - winds howling over 50 mph, icy roads... I know there were churches in the area who did in-person services, but our own supply priest would have to have come in from north of Chicago. Maybe that was a knee-jerk reaction, but sometimes, you have to take that risk. 

All things considered, I'm somewhat relieved. Kid #2 came down for dinner today, which was fun. I ate some vegan cookies, and they were pretty good! In the larger tub on the left are variations on the ones I've made, and in the bowl on the right are things the Kid came up with. All are vegan, and the Snickerdoodles (a specialty) are delicious - you can't tell the difference between the ones I make (with egg) and the ones here, without egg. 

For some reason, Hubby won't touch them, so I have a whole batch of lovely cookies to myself! Fine with me. 

It's funny - you know when your oldest friend "gets" you. Check out this wrapping paper! She also is a person who can shop for me. I have a new, lovely, burgundy sweater that looks like it's a cowl neck, with a pair of gorgeous hoop earrings. She also gave me some lovely lotion and yoga-themed items. Hubby always rags me about the number of water bottles I have. So of course, in this year's box, was a yoga-themed water bottle. This one wasn't MY fault!

We've been exchanging gifts for a long time. This year, I found a vintage Mickey Mouse cookie jar, and at our church auction, I got a hand-quilted table runner (tones of green and ivory, just like her kitchen) and a set of cream/ivory soapstone candlesticks. I also got her a cosmetic bag, just for fun. She's a "fancy purse" kind of gal, and I found a glittery rose-gold one from the Kate Spade outlet website. It looks like much more than I paid for it! She loved all of it, thankfully. I'm particularly happy that she didn't have the cookie jar - she's got so much Disney stuff that I'm never sure what's what. And I'm not a Disney person, so I can only guess at this stuff. 

New Year's Eve...

In typical fashion, I'm watching "The Twilight Zone" marathon and will be knitting. I'm bummed - I had to change balls for the afghan in the final third of the row. Not cool. I was hoping to get the change done at the end of the row. 

I've prepped Quinn for the upcoming fireworks - which have already started. The diffuser in the bathroom where she sleeps has lavender in it and she got a round of hemp chews. I'll check on her in a bit (fingers and paws crossed, it's been quiet so far) and see if she needs a lavender butt rub. If it gets worse, I'll have to give her a shot of Sileo (vet prescribes it).  I'll have to be up with Quinn till she settles down and I don't have to worry about dragging her out from behind the toilet anyway, so I may as well relax and get comfy. I'm about to go change into my jammies and get situated in my chair. I know that while it's quiet now, around midnight it's likely to go nuts. 

Can you see how thrilled she is in her hat? Honestly, she does like wearing these things, but for some reason, this picture doesn't show her true feelings. Or maybe it does? All I know is that Raisa always looks like she's gonna crap in my shoes when I make her (rarely) wear a headband. 

Thankfully, Raisa isn't bothered by the noise, so she's conked out in the kitchen. 

I'm also praying for rain. Lots of it. So that the fireworks are kaput. It would make my new year nicer. There's church tomorrow, and I'd like to be fresh, since I'm playing a couple of the carols. 

We shall see what happens.

The Knitting...

The afghan, as I noted, is just coming along. It's at that weird spot where it looks like I haven't done anything much. I'm about 17.5" into it, and I've got to get to 35" before I can do the last 20 rows of the final border. 

I found that the turquoise and the taupe yarn balls are slightly off. It's not unusual, because in the factory they have wiggle room for that "5 oz" measurement of yarn. It can be plus or minus a couple of feet of actual yarn. In my world, I'd make sure that they're all even. Heck, I'm happy there wasn't a knot mid-hank - that's happened to me before. 

I have a small ball of turquoise left; and I might go really wild and put a little fringe on each corner. That would be very weird - I'm not normally a fringe gal. But in this case, maybe just a little one at the corners might not be too bad. 

I'm a bit annoyed... I'm not sure how I'm going to make these ends disappear into the afghan. If I could've made it to the end, I could've woven them up the sides. But I was literally 2/3 of the way across the row. Maybe I should've just frogged it back, but it's done now. 

I'm getting nervous about the Baby Surprise Jacket. I think I'm more concerned about getting the gauge right - I'm not usually a gauge person. My "typical" sweater is a knit-and-go because I always use the same yarn and the same pattern. But this branching out is a bit different for me. 

I keep telling myself, "How bad can it be?" So I guess I'll give it a go. It's only yarn. 

I have to get skippy though - the shower looks to be in March, so I suppose I'd better move it along!

The Baking...

Merry Christmas to me... Our old white Kitchen Aid is on its last legs. Hubby already opened her up and re-greased, and re-tuned her motor. And she was still struggling through some basic cookie batters. However, the nice thing about those gazillion pre-Christmas sales is that you can get your mixer replaced at a decent price so you may as well do so. One of our friends has christened her "Big Red." She's a commercial grade Kitchen Aid and I'm still getting used to her. She's a lot quieter than Snow White, but she's got a bigger bowl. Hubby also got me the scraper/beater, which I haven't used yet. 

I did try her out on some casserole bread, and the fact that it was screwed up is entirely my fault. Anyhow, I was surprised at how deep her bowl was. The dough did rise nicely, but I have to adjust my eyes to the depth and realize what's in there.

Honestly, it was the same with Snow White. Her bowl was bigger (went from a 3-qt. to a 5-qt.) and it took a minute to figure out what I could do with her and what she was capable of. 

And Big Red is an 8-qt. She's got some girth on her. 

So we didn't bake a couple of the batches of cookies that we planned. We didn't do the M & M cookies or the date balls. Not to worry - we have plenty of cookies to go around anyway. So I guess the ambitious list was just not going to happen this year. All I can say is that, were we to do those cookies, Big Red can handle them with ease. Snow White was, frankly, struggling with the almond crescents. 

I'm dropping a platter off to my mom. She gives my cookies to her friends, which works for me because then I'm not tempted to pick at them. 

Today, though - not a baking thing, but still... I made my first curry. I have to get more fresh ginger; I had a stash in the freezer, but somehow, it's not there, so I had to use powdered ginger. It was a sweet potato curry with red paste, and served over a rice blend. It wasn't too bad. We roasted Brussels Sprouts and I added some to my dish. They gave it a surprising amount of "crunch." Oh, and it also had garlic, chickpeas, and spinach in it. It kind of made me wish I could taste and smell. 

The original recipe called for a bag of fresh baby spinach, but I used a bag of frozen chopped spinach. That actually worked better because you weren't having to wrangle full-sized wilted spinach leaves. The Kid approved, and Hubby made chili-roasted spud slices, which they enjoyed. 

My commitment this year is to try to eat more veggies & fruit and less meat. I'm not a huge meat-eater anyway. But also I do need to de-junk my habits. I got into a rut with eating after yoga class: a ham sandwich or a grilled cheese... maybe a yogurt. 

It wasn't cool, and my stomach (and blood pressure) can tell. 

It's not necessarily a "resolution," but a plan. I'm setting a goal for myself, and I want to introduce more vegetarian options. I'm told that curries are addictive because they're super easy. Well, ok. Lucky for me, I don't get bored of the same meal over and over. 

The Hip...

So I'm still rehabbing. I'm not sure when I'll be bringing prenatal yoga to our studio, because you can't just teach that from a chair. 

But not to worry; I'm still positive that things are getting better. I have one more shot to do, and I'm going to talk to the doctor about a PT program. 

At first, he said, "all I could do for you for therapy, you can do with yoga." But -- I'm not always motivated. I need a nudge. If I'm tired or hurting, I'll sit my butt in a chair. That's fine, in one respect because it is important to listen to what your body is telling you. But to the point, I do need someone (other than Hubby) to nudge me to do stuff. If I know I have to be responsible to a therapist who's set goals, then I'm more likely to actually get off my butt and push myself a bit more. I would like to get more steps in, and one way to do that is to have a plan to get up out of my chair (at work it's worse!) and walk the hall a couple of times. If I can tour the office, or (weather permitting) take a tool around the building, it'll be good for me both mentally and physically. 

Once I can ditch the cane, I can get back to my yoga therapist. I can feel that it's a lot of muscle rather than bone pain. It's just getting my strength back in the muscles. 

I've taken to talking to myself. "It's just lifting your leg, you can do that." Or "One step at a time." Or all that positive stuff. If I do that regularly, I do see that I'm moving better and feel more motivated. 

Who knew? 

I'm not sure whether I should be bummed or pleased. Hubby got me a quad-foot for my cane and a spike for when Mother Nature gets back to her winter mode. After nearly killing us the week of Christmas, we've had that weird week "in-between" where it's almost been spring. 

No wonder everyone's sick. 

Random Picture...

I rearranged my table. I was given some lovely Lake Superior rocks and I wanted to display them. I also moved my Mary Magdalene icon. Of course, in my opinion, Mary Magdalene was robbed. Her entire story was created by the patriarchy in the church who couldn't stand a powerful, spiritual woman. And so they made her pay for it. 

But I digress. 

Today, after a long while, I decided to fire up the diffuser in the living room. I normally use the one in the bedroom every night, but I'm careful about the one in the living room because Raisa doesn't like it. I've heard about dogs who don't like the oils, even at the most mild, and that's fine. My friend's dog hated lavender, and when she'd diffuse it, the dog would go to the farthest reaches of the house to get away from it. 

Much like people - they don't have to like everything! So anyhow, she was in the kitchen, so I fired it up, using Young Living's "Celebration" blend. I hadn't pulled that one out in a while, because frankly, I wasn't feeling celebratory after this year. But I thought I should maybe try adjusting my own attitude. 

As you can see, I set my rocks out. The round one at the right, Kid #2 used for meditation, so it should be full of good juju. Now I just have to layer my own on top of it. I like to hold a palm stone when I meditate sometimes. Sometimes it's Labradorite, sometimes Shungite or Black Tourmaline or sometimes...it's just a rock. I have some Lake Michigan rocks that I picked up last time I was on the beach and they're just lovely smooth stones with stories to tell. 

I'm also hoping to get back to a regular meditation practice in 2023. Last Thursday, I held a free Metta Meditation class and one of my students said, "My heart feels so light." 

I want that feeling in 2023. What is your desire for 2023? What are your goals? And you know what? It's ok if you don't have any right now. 

350

Three hundred fifty. 

Three. Hundred. Fifty...  Stitches. In the project I frogged and re-started. 

First off, the Secret Project is on the blocking boards, and tomorrow, I'll have Hubby help me with the linings. He also helps block for me sometimes, and is a great hand-winder accessory when I don't want to drag out my swift and ballwinder. There's a benefit to growing up with sisters who knit. 

And then I had to decide what would be next. I found my socks - which will be my "carry along and knit while you wait" project. It's amazing how many socks you can knit using this method. They're my 8x8 pair: it's a very wide rib and it looks pretty interesting with this yarn, which is a Lorna's Laces that's quite old. I started a pair with these and frogged them for some reason. 

It was interesting switching from size 3 needles to the 1.5 - you'd think I went from timbers to toothpicks, and both are kind of small, aren't they? 

I'm enjoying working with Lorna's Laces. I love the feel of the yarn. Though the socks are a bit smallish for me at 64 stitches. I've been liking 68 stitches; 72 is really too big. But maybe with the ribbing, the 64 won't be too small. We shall see. I'm going to do the regular heel flap on these. 

My next pair will be a broken rib, with a Strong heel. I've done one like that already, in grey variegated, but I want to use some of my stash - I might have a solid blue that would look good with that pattern. 

The Knitting...

The secret of casting on 350 stitches with neither too little or too much yarn on the left-hand? 

I wish I knew. 

I always end up either having to re-do the cast on (oh, that's fun!) or doing the opposite and having a lot more yarn (like a couple feet more) but I'm so relieved at not running out that I don't want to do it a 3rd time!

So I ended up choosing the "Long Sands" Tee that I had started last summer - I think. Because I lost my notes and I had no idea where I'd put them. So I wasn't sure which row I was on, but I knew I was in the middle of the lace bit. 

I frogged it. I wasn't happy, but I really wanted to finish this the first time around. It got set aside for a couple other projects, and my notes, which I thought I had clipped to the board, were nowhere to be found. 

This time, I jotted the details in my knitting notebook. I need to remember to do that, or put stuff in a binder so that it doesn't get separated from the project. 

The yarn is Quince & Co. linen and it's a beautiful silvery-grey color called "Moon." 

I didn't realize that there were dropped stitches in the lace pattern. I'm not a fan of dropped stitches, but there you have it, and I'm just going to have to suck that up, right? 

Linen, as my friend Sonda used to say, can be a bit rough on the hands; there's no give and it's not easy to maintain a decent tension on the fabric. And once you get it done, you have to wash your project at least 3 times. That gets the stiffness out of it and makes the fabric easier to wear. 

If you think about it, linen is the oldest and most sturdy fabric. Found in the ancient tombs. So if I can ever get that thing done, it will certainly outlive me!

The lace pattern required a bit of fiddling and I think I may have done something one-stitch-off, but I will live with it. I'm not pulling that out. I put simple yarn stitch markers between each pattern repeat, just so I could keep track. It's a 12-row repeat, so we'll see if I mucked it up too much. It reminds me of when I used to get permanent waves: the "papers" that they used! Here's what I ended up doing, and I must say it was pretty colorful! I'll take them out on the odd rows where there's no lace going on. 

So, knitting hack: If you don't have stitch markers (or you don't have enough), then use some lighter weight yarn. Just make a loop and tie a knot. That works a treat for markers and if you have yarn leftover from other projects, that's a great way to use it up. 

There are reports out there that say you shouldn't put your yarn scraps out for birds, because they get tangled in the material, and often, the yarn doesn't biodegrade, so it just sticks around, much like soda straws and other things we don't need hanging around in nature. 

Vax'd Again...

So today I got my 4th Covid shot (a/k/a the second booster). I spoke to my primary care doctor and she said that if I was going to get any vaccines, I should keep up with the Covid ones and get the shingles shot (actually 2 jabs), which I am doing. 

I don't even have a sore arm, but one never knows. Several folks have reported "sick as a dog," to "just kind of tired," to "what was the license plate of that bus that hit me." 

I haven't had a reaction to ANY of the shots, except for a bit of a headache from one. Fingers crossed that I can embark tomorrow on the finishing of the Secret Project, and continuing round and round with the Long Sands. 

The folks at the pharmacy consolidated all my vax records onto one card, so it makes it easier. And I like the bandages: they shoot right through this thing, and it's one of the few that doesn't make me itch. 

Random Picture...

When one makes drop biscuits with vegan butter, they're automatically rendered non-vegan when you add smoked Provolone. Along with some herbs to add a bit more zing. 

Kid #2, the vegan, gave me vegan butter, which was supposed to an addition to potatoes which I'd already made. Slight miscommunication there... So I decided to use it for drop biscuits. But then I considered that they needed cheese. Just because. So they're vegan-non-vegan... 

It's a simple recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, just flour, salt, a bit of sugar, baking powder, butter, and milk. So I guess they weren't anywhere near vegan in the first place. You put the dry ingredients in a bowl, then cut in the butter. Add the milk all at once and stir just to combine and then drop 'em on a baking sheet (or two...). Of course, you can Google the recipe. It's worth a shot for a quick treat to add to dinner. They bake up in about 12 minutes. 

Looking for yoga but there's no studio near you? Don't want to be in a studio? We can help. 

Call/text us at (815) 546-2770 or email at info@just-breatheyoga.com for more information.

Just Breathe Yoga Studio is a boutique yoga studio specializing in small classes with personalized adjustments for each student. While yoga is for every body, we know that every body is different. Each person gets their own specific recommendations, based on their needs. 

The studio follows Illinois Covid-19 policies and mandates. We practice mask-optional; teachers use hands-on adjustments at their discretion. 

Zoom classes and hybrid (both Zoom and in-person) classes available. Check our website. Private sessions and small group classes available in-person and online. Special events like birthday yoga, bridal yoga, etc. are also available at reasonable rates. 

Resurrection...

There's a part in the Episcopal funeral rite which says "in sure and certain hope of the resurrection..." and the words themselves are beautiful and give much comfort to those who have lost a loved one. 

Well, Sunday? No resurrection in sight. 

I'm not talking about Jesus. I'm not talking about funerals, and I'm not talking about church. 

I'm talking about our nearly 30-year old upright freezer. In the basement. The one that "grew up" with the kids. Old Faithful. 

Hubby said to me, "I think the freezer door didn't close completely..." which isn't just a silly excuse; sometimes the door just doesn't close unless you really pay attention to it. 

Nope.

It was dying. No, there are no pictures of us in action; this one of the coolers is all you get... 

This was an "all hands" emergency, on Easter Sunday, to gather up our embarassingly large stash of coolers, and get it empty and unplugged. No hope of leaving it all till the morning, because we weren't sure it would even still be running and it was better to be safe with the food. 

We did keep putting off the "inventory" of what was in there, so I guess this was the freezer's hint that it was time. We'll do another purge (ugh - a package of beef liver from 2010??) when we get the new one. 

We found 3 turkey carcasses, several bags of buttercream frosting that I'd stashed in hopes of using them again (fat chance), and two large bags of chopped up tomatoes that I was looking for the last time we made sauce. I knew they were somewhere!

I guess it was decent timing, just wish that the "No Appliances Croaking on a Holiday" thing was in place. Isn't there a rule?

The Knitting...

So in order to liberate a few coolers, I did a little stash-arranging. As you might remember, my friend D gave me a large portion of her stash, as she's drifted away from knitting. When I brought the yarn home, I stashed it in coolers, in case there were "visitors." 

Not that D is prone to "visitors," but the yarn did live in her garage for a bit, so one never knows. It's a sensible precaution. Normally, I'd have bagged it all and tossed it in a freezer, but our freezers are all in use. Hubby sort of "assumed" the cookie freezer (which is a small one that we had only dedicated to cookies, just out of convenience). He promises that he'll relinquish that one and once again we can have a cookie freezer -- or maybe a "yarn freezer," just in case. 

I found some beautiful Liberty Wool, which was a project she started. That may be frogged. It's a bit hard for me to get my hands on Liberty Wool lately. I've done two pair of mitts with it, and I really liked them. Toasty, but not overbearing. So maybe a shawl? Yeah, I know - it seems that all I knit are shawls. OK, maybe, if there's enough there, a bolero? I have a nice pattern for one that fits well, and I can use one of my "crazy" buttons on it. Maybe it's a cross between a bolero and a vest? I don't know, but I did just wear it the other day over a light mock-neck long-sleeved t-shirt, and since I knitted it in cotton, I can carry it over to several seasons. 

And I found a DK-weight partial sweater front. I'll have to see what's what on that one. Luckily, it's a self-patterning "Icelandic" kind of thing. I'd never have courage to try one of those. What's interesting is that it's in a lovely colorway of dusty pink, grey and ivory - one of my favorite combos. D and I often have similar tastes in colorways. 

And speaking of this stash, I'm gonna have to finish up that Secret Project (I have about 2" to go and then I can block it). There's enough yarn in D's stash to keep me busy for several years. That doesn't even begin to dent MY stash. 

I will admit to being intimidated by the amount of yarn that's available to me in my own house. That sounds awfully "first world problem," doesn't it? So it's time to buckle down and knit it up. I can stash several baby blankets, and I'd really like to do a BSJ (baby surprise jacket) and perhaps use some of D's gift stash on an adult Surprise jacket. 

The Secret Project...

Like I said, I'm within sight of the finish line on this one. I'm thinking that perhaps the one side will be a bit longer after blocking. It's quite true about tension; I've gotten to this part of the project after my sister's death, having to deal with some other health problems and lots of stress...it all shows up in the knitting. I bought the fabric for the lining of the stockinette parts; I did end up with fleece. It just seems easier to assemble, the fleece is washable and won't need ironing, but will be thick enough to hold its shape. But not too thick. 

I promise I will show you when it's done. I'm actually getting more and more excited as I get closer to the finish. I'm thinking it'll be blocked by Monday and finished sometime next week, with the linings in place and all. 

Mostly, I'm going to be happy to have it done. It seems like, because of the advanced deadline, this is the only thing I've been working on. Seems like? Actually, it HAS been the only thing. And I'm kind of itching to dive into my newly acquired stash and see what it entails. 

The picture above is some lovely alpaca + silk. It's almost 1,500 yards, so there's a sweater or pullover in there somewhere. And there may be more of it in one of the bags. Heaven knows what was on D's mind.

The Yoga...

I did it. I finally jumped in on a prenatal training. The full thing: 85 hours. I've taken a few "what do do when a pregnant person walks into your class" workshops, but I do get a lot of calls for prenatal classes. (Hey, maybe there's yarn in D's stash that I could use to whip up baby hats for my soon-to-be students??)

So I'd been eyeballing a training, but it was up past Chicago. I wasn't interested in hiking up there weekly (or the weekend versions) 15 years ago, and I haven't changed my mind. It's also too costly now, because gas prices are up. It's too far to commute, so I'd have to get a hotel, there's meals... just too much cash. 

They ended up, in The Plague Times, expanding it to a hybrid model, so I don't have to go up there. All I have to do is park my butt in my own studio and attend virtually. Thank goodness!

I think this will help; I'm not kidding you when I tell you that The Plague did a number on our studio and it's going to be a hard slog to get ourselves back to where we were, and hopefully beyond. 

My goal is ongoing prenatal classes, workshops at least bi-monthly, if not monthly, a rope wall, and hopefully two more: a vinyasa class on Saturdays, and a class in Spanish. I do get that request, as well, and we don't have anyone who can do that right now. 

The Reading...

I'm on an Elizabeth George kick, and am continuing with the Inspector Lynley series. I know that people have issues regarding the casting of the characters in the TV series. I personally like Nathaniel Parker and Sharon Small in the roles. I didn't like the "dumpy" portrayal of Barbara in the books; Barbara is smart and a good cop. Yes temperamental, but that's part of the character that I like. I guess I identify with being a bit of a grump occasionally. 

I'm also reading "The Complete Surprise" by Cully Swansen, EZ's granddaughter. It's a dissection of the Baby Surprise and the multiple variations. 

What's scary is that "use your brain" wasn't just some catch-phrase. EZ's instructions are "scant," to be generous. I'm going to have to YouTube a few things. I like to read my knitting, but I'll admit: I like instructions. I admire the fact that she says that knitters have brains and can do it. I have brains. Just not sure I have the courage required! 

Random Picture...

I bought two small rolling pins from a Polish business, where they're donating proceeds to Ukraine refugee organizations. As you know, the Poles, having been in the position of being invaded many times in their own history, have stepped up to help Ukranians who are fleeing their country in the wake of the invasion by that absolute maniac. 

I can't wait to make butter cookies and shortbread with these. Of course, you use your regular rolling pin to roll out your dough, but you only make the batches about 7" wide. Then, one pass of one of these "patterning" rolling pins, lightly, and you're good to go with a cookie cutter. I mean, there's a little pressure, but not a lot. The mushroom-shaped brush is to clean it off after use. I have to look up whether I need to oil them before use. I know flouring won't be particularly useful, because you want as much of the detail as possible. 

I love to support small business operations, so here's a link for you, if you want to give a very unique gift: PastryMade - for what you're buying, it's really a cool idea for the baker in your life. 

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. 

Numb...

 Seriously, I sat here and said, "Self, you have to write a blog about your sister's death."

And....I already did. My mind is numb. My heart is closed tighter than usual. My brother is also having the same problem. Yes, it's grief, but it's also shock and for me a bit of despair. 

I had gotten my sister a "twin" piece of jewelry; one for me and one for her. We share a birthstone. Hers is a bracelet and mine is a ring (because delicate bracelets on me are a lost cause...). She wore hers in her casket. I had my BIL take it off and will give it to her granddaughter. Or my mom can wear it for a while; she's got a small wrist. I have my dad's bones - man-hands and large wrists. 

They're garnets, set in rose gold. Hers are marquise-cut, and mine are oval cut. I was hoping we would share the joy in these pieces, but they are, now, what I would call "mourning jewelry." 

Mourning jewelry often has connotations of brooches, hair braids, lockets, etc. And there's a whole subset of jewelers who specialize in this, as well as antique dealers who have the Victorian market cornered. In our family, this is not a tradition. Or at least it hasn't been. I guess it is now. 

So at her wake, I didn't spent a lot of time near her coffin. Frankly, I wasn't impressed with the "job" the mortician did. She didn't look like herself. Of course, there's a flattening of features, a lifeless quality to the person, because, of course, they're dead. But I have to say, my dad looked more alive than my sister did. And he died over 25 years ago. Techniques should've improved in that time. Anyway, there were tons of flowers. We had the wake from 1 - 4, and thankfully, my BIL didn't want a funeral "luncheon." How would one time that? For the hours BEFORE the viewing? Certainly not after. And in their small town, there wasn't a restaurant capable of holding everyone without the event becoming a late-pandemic super-spreader, which is the last thing my sister would've wanted. 

I baked her favorite cookies. My mom said, "What if you can't bring them in? There may be health department issues." Not if you walk in assuming you own the place and don't give them the option of refusing...and not in a small town with lax mask requirements. If, in the midst of a global pandemic, their attitude toward masks is "meh," then they're not going to turn their noses up at homemade cookies. My dear friend also made triple-fudge brownies. My sister actually disliked chocolate, but the brownies were scarfed down...The funeral home staff was showing me around and said, "Here is our little snack area, and some snacks (consisting of maybe 4 granola bars and some saltines...) -- as the ladies who where there were unboxing my cookies. 

There were her ABSOLUTE FAVORITES, M & M cookies (and I realize the irony of her not liking chocolate, but loving these cookies), vanilla spice cookies, no-bake oatmeal cookies and my version of CPS Butter Cookies, using two very large vanilla beans, scraped into the batter. All that beautiful bean caviar...Yummy, if I do say so myself. 

I had to laugh (one of the few I've had, honestly) because her funeral baking threw a wrench into my vanilla production. I have some of the "old" double-fold vanilla, but my "new" stuff is only from July, 2021, so it's nowhere near being done. That's the Mother Jar where I fished out those 2 beans. So technically, I had to use some Penzey's vanilla. A decent vanilla, to be sure, but my "old" stash is getting slim, so I had to be careful to hoard it a bit till the "new" triple-fold is ready. So baking outside of the "Christmas Rotation" has tossed my carefully-planned system into a bit of disarray. 

But it was worth it. 

The Knitting...

I finally drew a template of my right foot (the larger of my 2 feet - check, because yours aren't the same size, either!). I marked it up for socks, so that I'd have the measurements and not have to keep referring to obscure notes or re-measuring every single time I knitted a sock. 

The blue sock is just about at the toe, probably another 12 rows? I have to get to 7.75" or 8 -- close enough either way. I'm going to do a rounded toe, even though the one I have to frog back has an absolutely perfect star toe. It's coming along in fits and starts. I was plugging away at it for a while, but I just stalled. It happens. This is a bit of an older picture; it's closer to the ball of my foot now. 

I have to remember to not do socks at 64 stitches...I need 68 or 70. When I do 72 stitches, that's like a men's medium, and they're a bit slouchy, even for me. But 64 is snug. Of course, I started this one when my sister got sick, so I'm pretty sure the tension is crazy-tight. 

I have FINALLY found a way to SSK and K2TOG that makes both sides look decent. Usually, my SSK (slip, slip, knit) side was a bit raggedy, while the K2TOG decreases were just beautiful. I came up on a video that confirmed what I was doing in the first place... I slip the first stitch knit-wise and the second one purl-wise. That makes the SSK lay nice and pretty. 

It was so good that I wrote it in my Sock Knitter's Handbook, for posterity. Long after I'm gone, if the kids haven't tossed all my knitting books, someone will benefit from that bit of annotation. 

It's a little hard to see the way these lay unless you increase the size of the picture. But I'm tickled. Seeing the other sock, it's a 100% better method. I'm jazzed and I'm looking forward to doing more socks, just so I can do this again. 

I have to find my notes on Petty Harbor; I have a partial of one sock, and I can't quite lay my hands on the directions. I think I need to finish those next. They're a plain tan sock. I have to find more plain yarn. 

While I love some self-patterning, and I have a bunch of socks that need mates (Petty Harbor being one of them), I need to maybe make some plain ones; that way I can use some lace on the leg, or maybe even a cable -- I don't need the yarn to fight the pattern. And I'm sick of ribbing.  

"Ribbing is like February: it's not really that long, but it takes forever." I modified that quote from something else comparing February to something that seems to have taken forever -- but I can't remember what it was!

Random Picture...

The tradition in the family had been to make rosaries out of the roses from funerals. The
Mantellate Sisters close to our town do this ministry, and there are a bunch of other places that have taken that over. I mean the "keepsake" business. 

Hubby asked if I wanted a diamond made from a bit of my sister, but...no. Sorry. Ick. 

I'm drying the flowers; even though I don't pray a lot of rosaries lately, I have options. So Hubby and I laid these out on newspapers on my office floor. He really wasn't aiming at a design; this just happened as I handed him roses. 

I think it's beautiful. 

It's Groundhog Day All Over Again...

So the rodent saw his shadow. Or he didn't. Either way, y'all know it means "6 weeks till spring" or "6 more weeks of winter." Six weeks, either way you cut it. 

We survived the Polar Vortex. And I got knitting done... 

All the Knitting...

So. Here's a picture of my "sock drawer." It's not really a drawer. It's a plastic "lock and load" tote (which isn't its real name, but that's what I call it). 

There are 11 pairs of socks in there. I'm hoping to get to an even dozen in the next month or so. 

Pairs 1 and 3 are Regia Fluromania. I'm not sure that's even "a thing" nowadays. I tried to give a skein of it away but nobody wanted it. I may just knit that one up. They're fun socks and they seem to wear ok. The colors run a bit, particularly the reds and pinks, but they're socks. Not too troubled by that. 

Pair #2 is my only pair, so far, with worsted weight. They're done in Cascade 220, 100% pure wool. They're done on size 3 DPNs, which makes them the sturdiest, warmest, and cushiest hiking socks I have. The only thing I'd have done differently was to do my now habitual 6-row curl on the cuff. They can be a bit snug on my "biker calves." 

Pair # 4 (blue & grey) are OnLine sock yarn; that yarn was a gift in a random sock yarn exchange, and I wasn't too sure about it, but it's very much like Opal and I'd use it again.

Pairs 5, 6, 9 and 10 are all Opal, mostly self-patterning, with the pink being a stripey sort of pinkish -- and the oldest next to the hiking socks. 

Pair 7, tucked in there, are the DREADED TEAL SOCKS. Trekking XL, which I have more of in stash and I'm regretting buying it. I won't use it again. It's thin and a pain to work with. I like the Ovarian Cancer Teal, but I don't like the feel of the socks. Could be I've still got a grudge that I lost the pattern and it took me FIVE YEARS to complete those things... 

Pair #8 is a Madeline Tosh discontinued shade called Robin's Nest. I like the colorway, and the softness, but I don't like the pilling. And I should've made the legs longer...

Pair #11 is my only (so far) Sweet Georgia. Very cushy, slightly droopy (cast on 72, and they're kinda big), and comfy. Chai Tea, I think is the colorway. 

I have 3 sets of singletons: Bigger on the Inside, Sole to Sole, and Green Traveling. And I'm on the heel flap of Petty Harbour, which I don't consider a singleton, since the first one isn't even done yet. That and Green Traveler are coming along nicely. 

And I have a FINISHED OBJECT. Though it's not blocked. Yes, it's Diamond Smackdown. From December 24, 2018 to tonight - except for a blip where I ran out of yarn (yeah, I lost yarn chicken on a "weigh the yarn to know when to decrease" pattern... I'm still trying to figure that one out). I think I didn't get gauge, but then the pattern said, "gauge doesn't matter." Howsomuchever... it's done. Not blocked, but done. 

On the left is Skein #2, which I had to order, in the middle of the Polar Vortex, because I wasn't driving to Bloomington (a 2-hour, almost 200-mile round trip) in a driving blizzard... Above is a picture that Hubby took trying to show up the glitter, and it isn't working. But suffice to say, it's lovely yarn. MadTosh (as it's now called, see the sock section above) and it's Light Merino Glitter, in Copper Pink. The color is more rose-gold and it's got a lovely halo that doesn't show up in the pictures. 

It's not blocked yet, so you don't really see the diamond pattern. It'll show up nicely in a day or so; I'm hoping to block it tomorrow. 

It should block out a wee bit bigger than the original pattern, since there's about 450 yards of yarn in there. I haven't weighed the remainder of Skein #2, but I suppose I can get a shortie pair of socks, or a nice pair of wristlets out of it. Or a hat. Won't likely be terribly warm, but it would look nice. 

I like the drape and I like the feel of this yarn. I have to aggressively block out the diamonds, so I'm hoping it doesn't flatten, like the Grapevine Lace scarf did. 

Overall, I liked the pattern too. It was a nice knit and it obviously went pretty fast. I'm not the speediest knitter, and it was very quick for me. And I wasn't terribly bored. I would knit the pattern again, but I'd make sure I had 2 skeins of whatever I was using. Or I'd have sense enough to split the skein in the first place. You'd have to do a yarn that wasn't self-striping, I think, because it does get pretty wide at the apex of the triangle; stripes wouldn't work, if you were using sock yarn in particular. I'm sure I've got some hand-painted in the stash if I felt like repeating this. 

And --- drumroll here... We had Wednesday off because of the extreme temps. So I pulled out Kid #2's afghan!! 

I got the burgundy stripe done and I'm on the second of the grey stripes. I thought I'd gotten some black to stick in there, but I can't find it, and I do want to get this thing done. It's 5 years overdue and I just need to get on with it. It's a simple chevron pattern, which is kind of nice for a guy. 

It's in Caron Simplicity, which has a nice sheen to it and it's washable. Yes, it's acrylic, and yes, I'm a huge yarn snob. But I'd rather make it easy to take care of for right now. 

That's ginger tea in the snowman mug. It was so cold that even the mug was wearing "knitted" items!!

Seriously, I can zip along with this, and it's relatively mindless after a few rows, so it's going to be my main project for a bit, interspersed with the socks. 

My goals are to finish this afghan, finish the singletons and then concentrate on the February Lady Sweater and diving into the stashed projects to move along on them. I seem to be in a "finishing" mood, so I'm gonna "get skippy" and plow onward. 

The 2019 Polar Vortex...

Well, for a while there, the Chicago area was colder than Antarctica. Nevermind that it's actually summer down there...The point is, we were at "hold my beer" cold temps. We were actually the epicenter of the cold front. Lake Michigan froze. 

My car's thermometer read -21* when I went to go walk my mom's dog. Yes, we went out. We weren't going to let my mother outside; she doesn't have the coat for it, and she's old. (Sorry, mom...truth)


Her dog, a small one, did a double-fast run each of the 3 times we took him out, and actually didn't want to go out 2 of the 3 times. He's no dummy... 

My selfie skills still stink, but here I am, mostly bundled up. The sun is deceiving. It was stinkin' cold out and my fingers tingled just taking that picture. 

We had tracks in the yard, and I tossed out birdseed, but remarkably, everyone and everything was holed up for the most part. 

The snow was beautiful. The sunshine made everything sparkle. I could wax poetic, but suffice to say that the beauty was certainly there, and if you didn't gripe about the cold, you could see the force of Mother Nature and see the artistry as well. 

So Thursday, we were all "back to normal." At the office the lot wasn't plowed, which didn't make anyone happy. Dragging yourself through 6" of snow on top of ice was fun. 

And then there were the "killer icicles" hanging off the awnings. I took a broom to them. 

All the parks were closed on Wednesday (I know I'm jumping around here, but I've got the pics stashed here and I didn't want to joggle too much around). I tried to take some photos, but (a) I didn't bring out the big camera because of the weather; and (b) I couldn't get very far because of all the gates up... I had to settle for some parking lot shots, which were impressive enough. Again - look at how blue the sky is! It was gorgeous and after being cooped up in the house? The air was bracing. Freezing, yeah. But it felt good to be out and in the weather. 

Mind you, that coat you see me wearing is old - almost 25 years, to be exact, and it's rated for -40* so I was warm enough from my head to mid-thigh. My boots were also "sub-zero" boots, so from toes to mid-calf I was fine. Mittens, and the "Russian Hat" that I borrowed from Hubby completed the ensemble, as well as a pretty good-sized scarf under there. The jacket has a hood with a "face flap" that I could have used too. 

Yesterday, I took some pics out the other office building (working 3 jobs, I get a lot of variety in my photos!). This was off the back steps. I was singing at a funeral, so I was dressed for that - otherwise, I was itching to get out and stomp around in all that untouched snow. 

And...today it's all starting to melt. So you saw my thermometer reading -21*...and today I was out at the grocery store in a light jacket with the thing unzipped. 

Seriously. It was 39* and it felt like spring. 

The weather is going to get up into the 50s. So almost a total temperature switch in the next several days. I hate that. I mean, I get it - the planet is going crazy. But it's a sure bet that lots of us will be sick with the switching temps. Almost every municipality here has flood warnings out, too. We're surrounded by rivers, and the ice break-up and snow melt will be causing some problems. 

It's February, so I'm not saying winter is over. Right now, it's just having a moment. 

The Bread that Cost me a Finger...

Well, not really, but almost. I was making some stuff for a meeting we have coming up, and I thought, "I'll do casserole bread." It's super simple and versatile. And yummy. So I dug out some Jarlsberg cheese and some dill. And my old Corning Ware casseroles that you can't find anymore unless you haunt thrift stores. 

I needed to grease them more liberally, actually. Hubby and I managed to snarf down that loaf on the right (as you can see, it's got a crack in it). The one on the left is going to the meeting. We have some folks (I'm one of them) who don't do a lot of sweet stuff - I mean, I've got an awful sweet tooth, but for morning meetings? I'm not a "danish and donut" fan. 

I was slicing off the waxy label on the cheese when I managed to jab myself in the left index finger with the paring knife. As I ran to the sink to flood my finger, I hollered to Hubby to check that I didn't bleed on the cheese. He was fussing at me, and said, "You should've used a larger knife." 

Why? So I could REALLY take off the finger??? Thankfully, since the colonoscopy, I hadn't been taking my blood thinner... I've got a bandage on it and it's put a little crimp in my guitar playing, but at least I still have a finger. 

The other thing I made for the meeting are Panko Parmesan Sausage Balls... Super simple, and they look pretty good. 

Panko Parmesan Sausage Balls

Makes 24-25

Oven at 350*, line a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick foil.

1 roll breakfast sausage
1 c. leeks
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. oil
1 c. Panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
3/4 c. shredded Parmesan
Salt, pepper, Italian Seasoning
3 T. chopped pimiento

Saute the leeks in the oil till they're translucent, then add garlic for about 2 minutes - don't burn it! 

Place everything else in a bowl. Add the leeks + oil. Mix well (use your hands). Form into balls about 1 1/2" around and place kind of close together on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 350* and then turn them with a pair of tongs. Bake for another 15 minutes. Drain. Serve warm. 

When I get to the meeting, I'll warm these up. 

Random Picture...

Tippi has been awfully cuddly lately. And she's taken to getting up on the couch when we're around for a snuggle. That's one relaxed dog there... 

Usually what happens is that the two of them, Tippi & Quinn, stare at one or the other of us, and we go sit in the middle of the couch... then miraculously, we have an elkhound on either side of us. 

Today, I had to hand over my studio keys to one of my teachers, and she said, "Oh, I hear your dogs." No. You only heard Quinn...Yeah, she can sound like 2 or 3 dogs all by herself. 

Hopefully, you're enjoying your Groundhog Day and you've got lots of fun stuff planned for the next few weeks! Let's chat!