Pictures! We Got Pictures!!

I still have to clean off the 2 memory cards, one of which is full (which is really weird because it's a big honkin' memory card). But here are some pictures.

Baby afghans are done. D.O.N.E.  It'll be a while, I hope, before I have to knit another one. I have one ball each of the yarns left, so I can make hats with the remainder when I give K her sweaters around Christmas -- or more likely, we'll give them to her at Thanksgiving so that she can have them for the kiddies.

Here's the both of them - the afghans, I mean, though the babies are apparently ready any time now:  As you can see, the blankets are very different in texture, but about the same size. I don't know which kid will get which one, but since I made Kid #1's larger blanket in yellow, I'm thinking his little brother will get orange and his little sister will get the yellow one.

I have to say, I tried a new soap: Indigo Wild's ZumBaby soap. And it didn't work out so well. I mean, it got them nice and fresh, but we ended up washing them THREE times, finally using All Free 'N Clear to get some of the soap scum off. I wonder whether it's because the blankets are 75% wool and we did them in cold water? Because we did some silk stuff with the same soap and those came out fine.

Anyway, this is Encore Worsted, 2 strands held together for both, so they're plenty warm.  Here's a closer shot so you can see the patterns. It's not my greatest shot, but I'm short!! The pattern on the orange one is actually a 'pinwheel' and the other is what Encore's 8-Hour Afghan book calls 'Textured.' That one almost looks like a broken rib or a variation on baskeweave. I like both of them. But I would NEVER have been able to do either one in "8 hours."

Now...........FINALLY. I can do something different. So my mom and I are taking a bus trip (God help me) -- I will need knitting. But something mindless. So I am doing the "Before And After Bias Scarf" from Churchmouse Classics. Find it on Ravelry or here. My colorways are Silky Alpaca Lace 2481 and 2446. You can find those here. Nuts. I don't have the beads with me. However, they're a "peacock" color and a "peridot" color. I left them at home.

So, the yarn: It's 70% baby alpaca and 30% silk. This is a gorgeous, GORGEOUS yarn. I'm using Addis to knit it because the birch needles I started with (a) were straights; and (b) had too much "stick" and the yarn wasn't moving nicely. The Addi needles, a circular, are much speedier than I would normally like, but hey - you use what you've got!

The pattern says "...it's so ugly (truly!) before it's blocked and so beautiful after." Well, they're right. Here's the peacock colorway. It's lovely and it's knitting up with a nice yellow-green "swirl" thing happening. But it's really one of those "Is this going to HAPPEN?" kind of projects. You can't really see the bias till you've knitted a ways. And you have to knit 97" of this. NINETY SEVEN INCHES. Make one at the beginning and K2tog at the end...the provisional cast on is because you'll be able to bind off with beads, which I wasn't going to do but after thinking about it, the beads (size 6) will add a little "drape" to this already drapey scarf. 

I am doing 2 of them - the pattern shows the model wearing a variegated one and a solid; my freezer -- oops, OFFICE -- is cold most of the summer, so I thought that I would at least have the option of wearing 2 of them if I wanted to. I thought that starting with the variegated one would keep me happy on the bus. That, and a fully-charged Kindle! So far, I have about 7" done (yay - only 90 to go!) and it is finally starting to "look like something." You can see the bias and while Hubby thought it was socks, it's clearly not. It's somewhat fiddly on the Addi needles, but that's ok. This picture is obviously not a 7" chunk of fabric, but it gives you an idea of the lacy feel of this project.

Now I get to decide what to do with the Five Dog Yarn, and perhaps that will be my next project. Or better, maybe, restarting the washcloth stuff or a cotton tee. I have lots of "passed over" yarn from my friend Doris, who's "cleaning house." She's got great taste. I also bought the "Shawls from Sock Yarns" book (that's so not the title, but I don't have the book handy....). Doris gave me some TOTALLY SCRUMPTIOUS Madelaine Tosh yarn in forest green color tones. That is the perfect weight for one of those shawls. I also have some silk/merino in a pretty lavender which I could use for a cardigan since it's DK weight.

While I truly do enjoy knitting for the family, it's nice to have "me knitting" instead of "obligation knitting" to do.

Before and After...

For your info, I'm typing this with Quinn squidged under my desk between me in my chair and my hands on the laptop. She's freaked out about something, and I can't figure it out.

So. "Before and After." (insert drumroll here....) The dog yarn is DONE. Well, it's spun. This is what it looked like when I dropped it off: 5 grocery bags in the  back of my truck. I have to find the picture; it's somewhere - either on my phone or one of 2 cameras...

5-dog-yarn

This is what it looks like now:

You can see the tans, a bit of red and the grey more than you can see any black. Though one husky was black/silver (my Topaz) and the Elkhounds have black on their guard hairs. This is lots and LOTS of undercoat, which is mainly tan and white.  And while River was red, as she grew older and as Cushing's took away almost 100% of her guard hair, the undercoat got more tan.

I'm going to make this into a shawl at least; perhaps a scarf or cowl, too. There's over 1,000 yards of this. And yes, it's the most expensive yarn I've ever purchased. It's a "rare" fiber - nobody's likely to have this mix! It's a little rough, but I have a paper that says it'll "halo" after I wash it. I love the colors.

This is 100% dog hair. No wool mixed in, which does concern me a bit,  because I'm not sure that this is something I'd make up into say an afghan. There's a question in my mind about durability, particularly since my friend Diana over in England has done a coat in Elkhound + wool. She suggested adding the wool, because it's a long-staple fiber, where dog hair is pretty short in length. We'll see, though. If it's a shawl, at least it's more likely to be something that, while  I use it, I'm not slinging it over the couch on a daily basis.

"This smells like MEEEEEEEEE!"

This is Tippi, going NUTS as she's sniffing and snorting her way through one of the hanks. It was as if she couldn't figure out why "this stuff smells like ME!!!"...

And yep, this is now "off my life list." I wish I would have had more of the husky hair, but for some reason, particularly with Topaz, since I had had her from a pup, I always thought there was "more time."

And as any dog person will tell you - Nope, there is NEVER more time. You want it, but it never quite works out that way.

My friends all want to pet the yarn, and one of them suggested that I go to the LYS (which is currently on a tear about "don't talk about yarn you didn't buy here") and tell them, "No, I didn't buy this here.  I grew it at home!"

So, wet husky doesn't really smell, but wet Elkhound does. Does that mean I'll smell MORE like a dog if this gets wet?? 

Been A While...

I know - I had resolved to post more often. Then stuff just got nuts. I mean, overwhelmingly nuts, so much that Hubby seems to be in fear of my normal level of crazy-busy getting even worse. And he's probably right.

Nevertheless. I'm still standing, even if a bit more than on overload. So, let's see. Howzabout some Ruby Slippers?? Here's the scoop. We were at the mall...amazingly. We actually went to get my yoga teacher a birthday gift at Teavana, which is a dangerous place for me. Even more dangerous, however, was Walking Company. I stopped and said, "Oh, they have Dansko clogs. Now I know where to go." And lo and behold, Hubby says, "Let's go in." I got sized, which was a good thing, because my knitty clogs (no, no picture - I forgot!!) which I bought as my treat for losing the 30 lbs. were a bit tight across my very high instep, and that was after I had bought them one size larger. Turns out that it depends...each pair is hand-stapled, so they're all slightly different. We looked at all the nice styles, and Hubby says, "Don't you need a pair of plain black ones?"

Does that answer only one small part of why I married him????

We tried on the black ones with the no-skid sole, and about 4 other ones. He picked these red ones out, and said, "Now all you have to do is click your heels and ask to go home!" I think that was a rather pointed reference to the fact that for a few weeks there, I was not at home ONE. SINGLE. EVENING. Too much going on, I'm tellin' ya. And for good measure, he found a gorgeous pair of heels that might make it to the shoe closet; yes, there are even times I have to crawl into pantyhose and wear heels. I think he feels sorry for me - or perhaps himself because I can be cranky when my back and feet hurt! We didn't buy them, but we do know we can get them if we choose.

 
I finished the orange afghan, and I will take a picture once I've woven in the ends and blocked it. I've started Yellow, and for the life of me, it seems like it's taking forever. Could be because I frogged the original Fan-and-Feather, in favor of "Textured." I actually like this, because it reminds me of a basketweave stitch my Granny used to do in crochet, that I never quite learned to do.  Here's what it looks like, as is and close-up. I think it'll be much warmer for little Harper (the girl)... and no, I'm not certain that's her name. I'm just plucking one out of thin air because they want to use "literary" names, so Kid #2 and I came up with "Hunter" for the boy -- Hunter S. Thompson, but with none of elder Hunter's bad habits! And "Harper" for the girl - Harper Lee... All my nephew said was "I don't hate those names." LOL

I was seriously debating doing the afghan as a border with this basketweave and zipping along with a straight knit section, but my better sense prevails. I should not stint...even though it's taking for-stinkin'-ever!!!

It's kind of my own fault. The babies are due "anytime between March 15 - April 15" because they look to be pretty hefty little buggers. K has to wear a sling from now till delivery. Anyway, my mom is moving the Easter Feast up a week. Not only are we NOT doing breakfast ("At 75 years old, I'm not getting up at 4:30 a.m. to fix breakfast") but we're doing it all for a dinner on Palm Sunday. Once again, accommodates those who have in-law issues. But also, for me - gives me a reprieve from having to do much of anything for Easter. The menu includes: Cuban-marinated pork loin, "funeral potatoes," salad, broccoli salad, deviled eggs, nodif (a polenta-based sausage. DELICIOUS and a requirement.), and potica with perhaps a strudel or apple tart for dessert. I'm also commanded to make home-made ranch dressing and a vinaigrette out of this SPECTACULAR olive oil that Kid #1's girlfriend got me.

I'm telling you, the olive oil is scary...it's got a cork, it's in a dark bottle... I'm intimidated by a bottle. I'll have to look up some exotic dressing to use this stuff.

The point is, I want to give them the afghans at Easter (Palm Sunday) so that they can have them when the babies arrive. I can save the sweaters for Christmas because they're sized for 12-month and can wait a bit. So I'm knitting madly trying to finish this one.

So we also recently had my women's group fundraiser. I also had to accept a proclamation from the City for the Free Clinic. But I have to show you the picture of my friend Debbie. The theme for the fundraiser was "A Night in New Orleans" - which I am totally stealing for the Clinic's fundraiser next year!! We, Deb and I, have been through the mill with sickness, busy schedules and trying to "herd cats" with this group.  And through it all, we have found a lovely friendship. So here we are... I was really happy that we had such a great turn-out and that people got in the spirit by wearing their Mardi Gras duds.

The yoga training is going well. I'm actually teaching tonight to sub for my teacher at my local studio. We survived a touch of "snowpocalypse" yesterday, though it's snowing now. The farmers will appreciate this. We in IL have just forgotten how to use our "snow-legs" and we got all hysterical last night.

I haven't moved to Phase 3 of the new eating plan. I'm kind of stuck at 31 lbs. and frankly, have been having "I'm starving" cravings. I'm not starving. I'm at a plateau, and if this is it, then that's fine. I need to start exercising more, and I think that will help.

Oh, and I killed our Cuisinart blender. I was making my last smoothie, when something smelled horribly "burned." I thought I needed to add something to the smoothie, when Hubby said, "hang on, I think the motor's burning out." So we ended up with a new Vita-Mix. My yoga teacher says, "This will change your life." Well, I don't know about that. But it replaces a 10-year-old blender that did its duty.

The Vita-Mix is HUGE. I'll probably scare the dogs all the way to Lockport with the noise it's likely to make. But it's a lot more sturdy than what you can get otherwise, so it's well worth the investment.

I hope to get back here more often. Life gets in the way at times.

And So I Begin...

So this past weekend, I started my teacher training - the 200-hour certification for teaching Yoga, at Prairie Yoga in Lisle.

And it was a doozy of a weekend! There are about 20 of us in this class - their largest so far. We're crammed cheek-to-jowl into a fairly spacious studio, and I kind of say that in jest because my local teacher tells me that in India, you're lucky if there's a whole 3" between mats. This weekend, we had nearly a foot between mats! That being said, I also learned what to pack: a light lunch, but not just a granola bar, thank you. And bring your own tea mug. I settled on a green smoothie and some almonds. Just enough because you can't -- or at least *I* can't - practice yoga on a full tummy.

It was a very intense weekend, but not without its humor and lots and LOTS of Yoga and learning. I'm up to my eyeballs in homework, and waiting on login instructions so I can submit it.

I've been subbing for my regular studio and it's been fun. I'll be assisting my teacher, as we have to assist & observe for training.

The training is fairly tough. This isn't one of those "learn to teach yoga in a weekend" seminars. It's a 10-month program. On top of the cost, there's just the sheer amount of work. We are there from 11:30 - 6 p.m Saturday and Sunday of the trainings, and then we have extra "master classes" we have to attend. A textbook about 2" thick and a number of other books, including those on theory and anatomy.

Oh, and we get to learn Sanskrit. And I did more downward dogs (excuse me: Adho Mukha Svasana) than I'd done in a long, long time. I guess it's a good thing I grew up speaking Polish and we use Latin every week in church!

I really do enjoy the teaching aspect, and I love the fact that we can make Yoga accessible to all who are willing to try it.

On to the Dark Side...

OK, so you all know that I kind of like DPNs. I learned socks on them; I've finished hats on them. I did EIGHTEEN small Easter Eggs and 3 "chocolate" bunnies on DPNs.

And let's face it -- how cool is it to have FIVE needles in your hands and actually look like you know what you're doing, while not dropping stitches or stabbing yourself? Really, I work in higher ed. I'm surrounded by PhDs who are humbled. HUMBLED, I tell you - when they see me weilding my 5 DPNs on a sock or a hat.

It's really hard to humble your average PhD. Trust me on this.

So. Today, at my friend Joan's house, I was dragged, kicking and screaming, to the Dark Side. To the land of the Magic Loop. (sigh)

I was just minding my own business, sitting there with Spikette, the MinPin who was determined that since I smelled of Elkhound and dog treats, I was probably an "ok human" -- and I was ambushed!! I had directions coming from both of the knitters there, simultaneously, with one of them saying, "OK, take that yarn off those DPNs and put it on this circular." Wow -- mental overload. I started out with a size 3 (32" circular) bamboo, but when I got home, I transferred everything (and didn't drop a stitch, by the way!) onto the Kollage 40" - it does give me more room to manipulate.

I know it's just another notch in my needles as a knitter to be able to do this. And I know that 2/3 of my knitterly friends do Magic Loop for everything up to and probably including hats, sweaters, scarves and gloves. But I was the one who liked "old school." I was (and frankly - still am) the one who liked the challenge of doing a sock or the top of a hat without any "runners" (which are those "holes" or spaces you can get if you don't tighten up the first 2 stitches as you transition from needle to needle.

Behold. My sock on Magic Loop. It's done on size 3 Kollage square needle (40" circular) and in Cascade 200 Heathers, which is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool. The yarn band says "needle size 7 - 8" (US size, sorry).

But the book I'm using is "Knit Socks!" by Betsy Lee McCarthy (publisher is Storey Publishing), and it's the Starter Stockinette. Her theory is that if you go down several needle sizes, the sock is heftier and wears better. These little stinkers will be lovely! The yarn's hand is gorgeous, and the weight of the sock will do well since I wear a lot of shoes that can kindly be called "hiking boots." She states in her book, "I generally need a needle 3 to 5 sizes smaller than the size recommended ... for general knitting" and states that this provides a "long-lasting sock fabric." I'm cool with that.

Oh, and the colorway is 9454, which is a nice purple-y tweed with hints of tan, yellow and blue in it. Here's a close-up of what the yarn looks like. Double-click on the picture to see a detailed photo.  It's coming along great.

As for turning the heel, I also have "Sonda's Basic Sock on Magic Loop," a pattern copyrighted by my friend Sonda Lee, who died this past May of melanoma. She taught me the "Sonda's Basic Sock" on size 7 DPNs with the theory being that if you started out on "fairly large" DPNs, you could (a) manipulate them better; and (b) see more clearly the construction so that you made "3 pairs right away" - on a size 7, they do move along quickly - and you put all the pieces together in your head and hands. Muscle memory and brain memory. It works. And as she often said: "You're only knitting on 2 needles at a time, one stitch at a time -- and that's what you're doing whether it's a sock, a shawl or an afghan."

I would tell you where to get Sonda's pattern, except that you can't anymore. But if you want to see some of her designs, take a peek at the One Skein Wonders books, both "Luxury Yarns" and "Sock Yarns." Her designs are in there.

So I'll tell you how it goes.

If nothing else, because I'll be stretching my body in yoga teacher training, perhaps it's good that I'm also stretching my mind trying to anticipate turning a heel on a circular needle!

Entanglements, Afghans, and Socks...

Yeah, I know - One of these days my titles may make sense. But I think you'll follow...

So, the entaglements part: I have to think about doing something I don't really want to do. One of the members of our women's group is being a royal pain in the kiester. I mean, really bad, and it's bad enough that some folks are quitting the group. I spoke to one of our long-time members and she suggests that, even though I know Gal A will "deny, deny, deny," it's probably better for the 2 of us to have a sit-down.

Now, given the fact that Gal A has been a witch to me in the past and is somewhat of a bully, I'm truly inclined to let this pass on to the next leader of the group, who is this gal's friend and has no history that I know of with her.

Chicken? Maybe. I'm truly not afraid of confrontation. It's just that I have a lot going on: working on a workshop, starting yoga training, dealing with simultaneous fundraisers from 2 different organizations. It comes down to: What do you want to spend your energy doing?

And I really don't want to spend my energy on someone who has issues about taking responsibility when I know what the conversation will end up being. I have 5 more months to deal with this gal and then I can just be a member of our group. I do think that after this recent issue, the peer pressure will get to her. So many people were appalled at her behavior that even though she's dense, she's gotta see it. I hope. Many of us are doing "damage control" and if it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. We can't keep people if they're determined to leave, and honestly, if asked, I'd be perfectly fine saying, "So-and-So gave too many members a hard time and they didn't want to be around her." We pay hefty dues, and we don't want to have to deal with that kind of crap.

So, let's move on to something else...Maybe by now Blogger has the pictures working. Whoopeee!!! They work!! So this handsome dude to the right is the hawk that was perched on the power line in my back yard. Hubby caught it with my new camera... He's got a bunch of shots of him, and I'm hoping that the poor fella found his lunch.

And this to the left is a long-ish shot of the orange afghan. No, it's not done yet, but I'm nearly there. I actually put it aside for some socks. I just needed a break from size 13 needles and double-stranded worsted.

Also, please don't give me credit for mitred squares. This is a pinwheel pattern from Encore's "8-hour afghan" series. And I'm here to tell ya - I can't do this in 8 hours. First off, I can't sit and knit for that long - they'd be prying me out of my chair. Second, size 13 needles ('nuf said - knitting with tree trunks). Third, somehow I don't have the attention span. I need to be watching a movie or something and then something distracts me or Tippi wants petting, or the mail's come... (sigh)

I don't have a picture of the socks yet. I will take one tonight. They're a purple heather and I'm knitting them on size 4s, I think. I have to check. It's a tighter stitch than the yarn calls for, but I'm trusting the pattern-maker, who says this means you get sturdier socks. The Van Gogh are now resting, having been frogged because I screwed up the lace. And I figured I should ease into the toothpick-sized needles. FYI, I still love Kollage square needles, but I put the socks back onto wooden needles because the 7" Kollages were giving me fits with their super-sharp tips - I had to wear a bandage on my left index finger as I use it to manipulate the right-hand needle and blood on hand-painted yarn? Not cool.

I can't remember if I posted this already, so if I did, forgive me. This is the headband and the SOAK for Kid #1's girlfriend. She liked it; but was a bit confused; thought it was a hat. But that's ok. Of course, I made it thinking she was blonde - which she was. She's let her hair go back to its normal color, which is kind of caramel. It should still be fine. It's a young girl's item and I think she'll wear it. If only one time, showing me she's using it!

The smoothie thing is going well. It's like a salad in a jar, and I'm honestly full and don't snack. Here's my latest:

GREEN SMOOTHIE:

3 large leaves romaine                  1 cucumber, peeled                      3/4 c. almond milk
1 handful baby spinach                 1 pear, cored and quartered       2 T. flax seed

Put all that in a blender and whiz up till it's the consistency you like. Oh, and I added about 1/2 t. fresh ground cinnamon.

You don't need any extra sweetener, no other spices...this whipped up and was my lunch the other day. It makes about 20 oz. I store it in a large mason jar and just drink it for lunch or dinner. Cool.  :)

Anyway, that's about all from here. We may have finally gotten "winter" but it's going to fluctuate again. Where's the snow????

I'm trying....

...to keep up here. We all got sick over Christmas, one by one. Started with The Kid, then came to me, and now Hubby is the last one standing. Or coughing, actually. He had a flu test, and it was negative. But he's got all the symptoms. So, high-test cough medicine, a stronger antibiotic, and he's sleeping on the couch, poor thing. I'm not forcing him - the cough is just that bad.

I attended a fantastic Raw Food seminar at Just Breathe Yoga, and learned that smoothies can fit into my overall plan of increasing fiber and the "good stuff" and getting all the "processed stuff" out of my diet. Or as much of it as one can in this day and age. So here's my lunch smoothie:

1 apple, quartered and cored
1 large handful baby spinach
1 c. unsweetened almond milk
1 little knob of ginger, peeled
1 handful almonds
1 cucumber
4 leaves of romaine
3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

Peel the cucumber if it's waxy. Wash all the produce. Put all this in a fairly sturdy blender and whiz up till it's smooth-ish.

This makes A LOT of smoothie, but it's easy to eat. The other day, I made one with everything there except the ginger and I added a whole avocado (peeled and pitted, obviously). The gal doing the seminar is a certified instructor for raw foods, and she uses a honkin' VitaMix blender. Thanks, but until I blow it up, my Cuisinart will do ok! Can't quite spend $500+ on a blender. Here's her info, if you want; she's at dishonraw and will help you get a bit healthier in 2013.

I'd have put a picture up, but Blogger isn't cooperating! Well, maybe next time.

I started on the lace portion of the Monkey Socks (located at Ravelry), and I managed to mess up one section; so I have to take it to the LYS for a little help. I can already see the pattern develop and it's gorgeous!

I have to finish the baby blanket so I can start on the yellow one.... I set it aside and had committed to having a "Sock Sunday" where I work on anything BUT the baby stuff ("sock" only because I like the sound of "Sock Sunday" - it can be any of my WIPs, but I'm NOT starting anything new. Go ahead. Laugh.). And my week got busy what with the semester starting at work. Haven't picked it up all week, and I'm feeling guilty.

We still have no snow. Nothing. "Maybe" forecast for Saturday, but if it does, I hope it lasts. I have to work, of course, but I'll still be able to enjoy it out my window.

I can't believe I start my teacher training at Prairie Yoga next month! I have already started on the homework, and I realize that I've forgotten everything (or most everything) I knew about anatomy!! I mean, yeah, we haven't grown new bones, so I'm kind of familiar with the main ones, but this training includes some fairly intense sessions on musculature and bone stuff. It's good to stretch my brain - so I'm plugging away.

As far as the health issues are concerned, first off, I don't have to see the cardiologist for a year!! Huzzah!!! Second, I'm kind of hovering at the "lost 30 lbs." mark. I would like to lose about 8 more, but I'm taking it as it comes. I am a H-U-G-E carb fanatic, and I have to say that switching up to include more fiber and more protein has helped me tremendously. I've pretty much conquered my sweet tooth, and that was a big issue for me.

We had our first Tuesdays with Tippi for the semester. The pictures are still on my camera, and again - if Blogger can get its act together, perhaps the next post will be a pictorial.

So how about the NRA? Holy-moley - I'm almost using up my "Shakespeare Insult Kit" on comments about these folks. Between the claims that the whole Newtown shooting was "a set-up by the government and a hoax" to the commercial taking aim (yeah, I did that deliberately) at President Obama's children -- these folks are just poisonous milk-livered boar-pigs. (Shakespeare works!)

We need sensible solutions to the multi-pronged problem of gun violence. And you know what? MORE GUNS is truly NOT the answer. As this unfolds, we'll have to see what the government says and does. Of course, the red states, and even parts of IL are having trouble with what he's already proposed, but the President made an excellent argument:

"We have the right to worship freely and safely - that right was denied to Sikhs in Wisconsin; the right to assemble peacefully - that right was denied in Oregan and Colorado."  This was in this morning's Chicago Tribune. Obama turned on the "professor" mode and pointed out, quite rightly, that "that most fundamental set of rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness [were] denied to college students at Virginia Tech and high school students at Columbine, and elementary school students in Newtown, and kids on street corners in Chicago on too frequent a basis to tolerate."

Which is kind of what I've been saying: When does YOUR right to carry a gun interfere with MY right to go about my business without fear of being collateral damage when the bullets start flying?

Of course, Republicans insist that "Second Amendment rights were non-negotiable."  You know what? So are the others. So what kind of country do you really want to live in? I'm not cool with the "live in fear" thing.

Honestly, call it crazy, but my friend and I went to see Les Miz (the movie) and I got jumpy when some folks moved around down in front. I'm not living my life that way. It also appears that even reasonable NRA members are embarassed by the current web commercial (I think it was already taken down but you can surely find it on YouTube), and many folks who are prominent conservatives are backing away slowly (seeing as the NRA is armed) -- because they jumped the shark by not only having a new "app" which is "suitable for 4 years and up" whereby kids can shoot at coffins... Yeah, I'm not kidding ... but also, that commercial asking "are the President's kids more important than yours" and ...wait for it... The NRA says that ad "wasn't aimed at Obama's children." Really?

I don't think I could belong to an organization which thought I was that stupid.

This is all HUBBY'S fault...

Ok. You read it here first. I was NEVER going to put games on my phone because my phone is my phone, though I do love the calendar feature. And I got it because I was tired of coordinating three or four calendars (work, volunteer, personal, family) -- it didn't work, no matter what system I used and I always missed something. I have a Nokia Lumia running Windows and I couldn't be happier. Or at least that's what I thought. Both kids and Hubby have games on their phones, but me?????? Noooooooooooo - not for me. Ha.

But Hubby knows how much I love Scrabble. Love it. LOVE it. So he finds me a free (!) Scrabble knock-off. And loads it on my phone. Oyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!  I'm now addicted to "Table Tiles." Addicted. Yeesh. His fault. Entirely.

"Table Tiles" has different rules than Scrabble. You can use slang. You can use some foreign language words, though it seems to be fickle. The phone gets to use them, but I am told "not a valid word." Hmpfh.

So that was my big nit to pick was that Hubby now has me stuck on this game.

Other news: 

1.  Both sweaters are done. Just need to be seamed. Will do that and photograph it.
2.  I started the orange afghan. I bought the Encore 8-hour afghan books. Yes, it's size 13 needles with doubled yarn, so I feel like I'm knitting with tree trunks, but the patterns are lovely and I'm looking forward to getting through them quickly. No, it won't be 8 hours!
3.  I'll intersperse this afghan stuff with smaller stuff - like socks.
4.  I got a gorgeous Siberian Husky calendar for Christmas. Yes, I still miss River.
5.  I also got a phenomenal camera, a Canon EOS Rebel. It's way more whiz-bang than my small Canon "pocket-shooter," which has begun to eat batteries at an alarming rate. And it's tons lighter than the Canon 5D that Hubby uses.

Since Hubby is a professional photographer, he's very comfy with using The Big Camera. I have always been a little skittish of it, though I'm competent with it. Now, though, I have a "mini-me" which, even though a Rebel is idiot-proof, has enough stuff on it whereby I can actually learn to take better pics.

Male cardinals in maple tree

So Hubby had to play with it (of course). Here are some of his shots of the birds who came to visit us this New Year's. As you can see, we have a decently diverse batch of birds, but we are missing some of our "usual suspects." No Blue Jays in a while. Also, we didn't get any shots of the Nuthaches, because they flew away. No doves, either, but some folks actually consider them an annoyance.

And we missed the biggest, fattest brown squirrel you ever saw! We have greys, and we've seen the browns, but seriously - this guy was the size of the back-door neighbor's Chihuahua!!


Small Woodpecker



Large woodpecker

We did get both kinds of woodpeckers. Now, I just have to take Whiz-Bang Camera to Starved Rock so that my friend Susan and I can get the Pileated Woodpeckers that live there! He had to sneak up on the little stinkers, because the bigger one is more shy than the smaller one. The smaller one? Doesn't care. He's eating. Leave him alone. Here's the little guy, on the right. Isn't he cute? He's got lots of personality, too. I've seen him chase off the "scavenger" birds like the grackles. He's fearless when it comes to his suet.

Our New Year's Day? Well, we got a lot done. I finally have an office where I can lay out my yoga mat! I didn't take pictures, though I should have, right? And yesterday, I did my "First Practice." I intend to do one a day, even if it's 10 minutes. Oh, and I'd better figure out my yoga timer! It did time, but it didn't chime.

Most of the stash is organized. The desk has been configured a little differently, and I'm hoping it's more efficient. The Catholic music has been moved downstairs. I don't want to pitch it - there's a ton of it. But I don't use it anymore since we are attending an Episcopal Church across the river. But I also needed the room, so downstairs to the basement it went.

The floor is swept up, the corners are vacuumed, the guitars are put away, and my meditation altar is changed up a bit. I just need to reinflate my balance ball chair, and I'm good to go. Out of the 12 things I had on my to-do list for vacation, I got all but 2 of them done. Success!!!

Hubby baked bread. He does know how to bake, and he's good at it. But he did need a little help because this recipe was a little garbled when it came to the second rise and putting the dough in the pans. Unfortunately, I'm off bread for a while, but I can tell you the smells and visuals were extremely tantalizing! Enjoy, but please don't drool on your keyboard or tablet. You've been warned....



Final rise

Yes, that's a cast-iron loaf pan. It bakes up the most wonderful bread. We use it for everything from sweet nut breads to these whole-grain breads -- and even meatloaf. And yes, it weighs a ton.



Fresh out of the oven

This recipe was one he found online. Our outlet bakery closed, as part of the Hostess fiasco, and he's having "sticker shock" at the cost of bread from the supermarket. This isn't our first go-round with baking bread; I actually enjoy baking it anyway, but usually it's during the colder months. This recipe uses Bob's 7-grain hot cereal, so it's a little heavier than I'm used to working with. It gave the Big Mixer a workout, that's for sure! I thought he was going to blow it up. Wouldn't have been happy about that, for sure! 

Out of the pans


The directions did say to roll the entire loaf in oatmeal, but I prefer it just on the top. With the cast-iron pans, there may be a tendency to scorch, and that would've been nasty. On top looks pretty enough anyway.

And now comes my "artsy-fartsy" shot. I love this. Even Kid #2 said, "Oh, it looks like something out of a Panera display." I guess that's good.   :)

"Glamour shot"

I had to kind of shoot it blind, since I'm short, but this is one thing the Rebel does - it makes you look lots more arty than you may actually be! Hubby has already sliced the loaf and toasted it. He said it held up well. Sometimes, the homemade breads can be a little wonky when you try to toast them or use them in sandwiches. I like a hearty loaf like a potato bread because it holds up well. Maybe one day when I get to eat bread again.

I'm not griping. Yes, I put on about 4 lbs. over Christmas, having lost nearly thirty this summer/fall. I need to get those pounds back off, and I will. And I'm not crying about "never" having [insert food here] ever again. It'll come. It's like anything - a work in progress.

Speaking of which, I do have a few resolutions: daily yoga, blogging here at least once a week, and reintroducing myself to my "elliptiKILL" machine in the basement. Barring any weird health things, I should be ready to get back into the regular routine.

My yoga teacher training starts in February, and that's a year-long process. That will help me with one of my goals, and I'm actually looking forward to it. Always the perpetual student, I guess. Ha - that means I have to put down "Word Tiles" to practice! 

Happy New Year from Quinn

In the meantime, here are the girls, enjoying New Year's Eve with a Himalayan Chew, available at Fun Time Dog Shop. Don't forget, this is an online store that donates all its profits to rescues, and you get to pick the agency on their list. It's a great place to get really good stuff for your dogs. The treats, toys, etc. are all tested by those monsters, the Elkhounds, and if they can't destroy it, you can bet it's sturdy!

Yes, I do dress my dogs. And yes, they usually tolerate it much more when they have a yummy chew. Tippi was savoring hers. Quinn was destroying hers! I did take them away after a while, but that's just so they last a bit longer.

All the best in 2013, from Tippi!

My wish for you and yours: Peace and all good for 2013.

Do something to challenge yourself. Even a small step is a big thing.

Namaste.







Lots to Talk About...

Yeah, I know. It's been another "while." I promised I would keep this up more regularly, but stuff happened.

I got a dose of that vile bronchitis going around, and it slowed me down a bit. I'm done with the antibiotic - this followed a sinus infection about 2 weeks prior. I swear, global warming sucks: we need about 2 weeks of a good, hard freeze to wipe out all the crud.

However, all that being said, I'm better; I just get a little croaky and my vocals aren't where they should be yet. And I could do without the massive post-nasal drip. Sorry for TMI...

But. I've been knitting. And I've got everything baked, wrapped, purchased for dinner, and practiced for. I'm done. Ready for Santa. Two days ahead of time. Wowza.

Here's the headband for K, the girlfriend (Kid #1's girlfriend). She's a lovely blonde, so this should look great on her. Alongside it is a small bottle of "Soak" for her to use. "Soak" is the equivalent of Eucalan - a rinseless product for use on knitting, fine lingerie, etc. I like using it for my stuff that needs to be blocked. It also smells nice.

In case you're curious, the wide part goes on the top of your head, and the I-cords go under, then back over the wide part, to be tied into a bow or fancy knot at the top of your head. She's also got long hair - I'd never be able to pull this one off, because I'm frankly in the same pixie cut I've had for a century and a half!

She's also getting a tote (small one) of Bath and Body products. She's been around a while, so the gifts are a little more plenteous this time.

Yellow Sweater

Also, Orange Sweater is done. Not assembled, but done. We know, though: a BOY and a GIRL. My mom is beside herself with being able to buy "pink." We all run to boys, so it's been a long, LONG time for her! Yellow Sweater is still in the works (I should be knitting on it now...) and it should be done before I go back to work. Here's what they look like, so far.

Orange with buttons

I've put the buttons "on" the orange one, just so you can see. I'm not interested in "twinning" the babies to death, so the only things that match will be the buttons. And of course, the basic structure of the sweater, but that's kind of secondary. I could truly whip out a couple more of these for "baby stash" because they're just about mindless, but they look really cute. They only go up to 6-month size, and since I refuse to make "newborn" patterns, this is it. I love the off-center front, and the fact that this is a basic construction. This pattern is rated "easy" and for good reason. But still - there's a ton of knitting in here. I'm sure a faster knitter than I would say "oh, a weekend sweater" but I'm not going to fuss. This was enough to enable me to make 2 sweaters. The crib afghans are going to be a haul, but these are almost an "instant gratification" project.

Flat knit

Here's the basic format before you fold and stitch, and a close-up of the buttons. The buttons look very different on each sweater.  I suppose a more talented knitter could make this bigger - for say a 12-month size. But by that time, I'd just give in and make a poncho!

Buttons.... The buttons are plastic, washable. Obvious, right? You might be surprised!! I remember my friend Mary Ellen made a whole layette out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino - and her DIL washed it. Washed. It.

This is, as I said, Cascade 220 superwash. I don't mess around.

And this may be a repeat, but I'm going to post it again. Here's a shot of our 2012 crop of ornaments. The only thing I need to do is find 36 more - for the upcoming twins!! I haven't done that yet, but if nothing else, I'm sure I can find them on The Google somewhere. I finished one kid...and next year, there'll be one  more off to college, so she'll be done, too.

And of course, my kids got theirs, too - even though Kid #1 is 29 and Kid #2 is 24... Kid #1 has the blue Santa in the middle. And Kid #2 has the bright green ornament to the right. He's a high school teacher and the colors of his school are green and white.

So on to the rest of the stuff going on. I've done the intro to the yoga teacher training already and I signed up. Wish me luck! I'm excited, and I'm hoping that all goes well. I think it will. I'm training at Prairie Yoga, doing the weekend intensives. It's a 9-month program, and I have a year to finish - I have to put off one seminar because of a Zonta Club event... I have all my books; I've read 2 of them (well, 3, but I have to re-read #3). I have my calendar all set up already. It's all good.

And finally, I can't help myself. I'm beyond sorrow about Sandy Hook Elementary. And I'm beyond mad at the NRA - in the person of Wayne LaPierre. I think he and his organization need a rectal-cranial enema. Because maybe then that will dislodge where his (and his members') heads are. "Arm the teachers." Right. Not. He is, apparently, ignorant. Well, obviously. But ignorant about basic facts of history. Columbine High School had an armed security guard. That worked well... So did Virginia Tech (a whole campus security department), and Northern Illinois University. And the Gabby Giffords shooting? The one guy with a gun couldn't get a clean shot, so instead of taking out MORE people, he chose (wisely) not to shoot.

We need common sense gun regulation. We need to parse the Second Amendment and realize that it does NOT give us the right to military-style assault weapons. It may give us the right to have a gun, but I can't see the Founders reacting well to this situation. The Second Amendment says we can arm ourselves to protect ourselves from an oppressive government - which isn't the country we live in.

And we need to become a kinder society. Caring for the least of these, caring about individuals and making sure that people are given what they need to function in society. Unfortunately, we're not there. I'm afraid that we won't be, for some time yet.

Oh, CRAP....

The worst has happened. I was hoping to avoid it, but it happened. Man, this could get ugly...

Hubby has finally discerned the entire quantity of "The Stash." I'm screwed. And on an immediate "yarn diet."

I had said, over this long weekend, that I would like to "clean out the corner" of my office because we'd stuffed a lot of stuff into the office/yoga space/voiceover studio/guitar room/sewing room. You get the idea: the "multi-purpose room" gone amok.

Toiletry bags for rape kits

So we didn't get it done, but I actually DID finish up the rape kit bags. I'm just finishing up stringing ribbon in the last 2 of them. I did 25 and my mom did another 25. My friend Deanna is going to do some for me, too. Our women's group is doing larger kits with clothing, etc. These bags go in those kits for the shampoo, toothbrush, etc. We're doing this project through the year, so we will be able to not only deplete our stash of fabric, but we'll be able to give these women something a little more attractive than a zipper bag filled with stuff.

Realistically (as I go off on a small tangent), we know they're likely to pitch everything that would remind them of the incident, but at least for a moment, they have something that isn't "institutional" feeling. 

But, back to The Stash...

I did get a few other things done: we bought a "mini-me" truck for me (traded in the sedan) and I started on the lace pattern for the sock. Knitted a bit on the Yellow Sweater. Pulled out Silent Night to get working on it for Midnight Mass (yes, I do know it, but it'll take that long to build up the calluses I filed off to knit).

And today, Hubby pings me and says, (in tones I can *tell* are ominous) "You have an INSANE AMOUNT OF YARN!!!" He went out to buy totes, and no, I'm not telling you how many. But apparently The Stash exceeds the amount of totes he purchased.

The good news is that it was all in bags (specific tote bags) and those bags are now in totes. And I have a floor.

But...but... He KNOWS the extent of The Stash. This is bad. I don't knit for a living, but according to his note to me, I may as well, because I certainly have the yarn to do that.

Oh man. This is bad. I was hoping to only gradually introduce these projects as I was knitting on them. And as soon as I finish the knitting for the babies coming this spring, I was going to start doing these other projects. (sigh)

He'll get over it, because he has a similar stash of electronic stuff and tools. And I tell him that yarn is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cheaper than therapy.

I don't think he believes me...

In a Fog...

Yes, I do mean that. The weather alert popped up last night, talking about a "dense fog warning."

They weren't kidding. Here are some pictures from my drive in. PLEASE NOTICE, I WAS NOT DRIVING!! These are all at stop lights. Just wanted to make that clear.  :)



Driving at about 30 mph here.

My normal "zip up the road" to work was reduced to quite a scary crawl, as everyone was finally driving cautiously. Surprisingly, though it probably shouldn't have been, about 60% of the drivers did NOT have their headlights on.

Really??? Helloooooooooooooooo.... Especially you folks driving pearly grey or silver cars and trucks. Do you know that visibility is about 1/2 a block and we can't really see you?  Talk about in a fog. One guy was actually on his phone and doodling along with no lights, no wipers, nothing. Wake up, sunshine!



Behind that stoplight is the library.

See the rest of them... Can you believe it? It's supposed to be burning off by noon-ish but I'm not sure if that'll happen. It was interesting to see that people were actually obeying most of the traffic laws. It was about the only time that I drove at or slightly below the speed limit on my way to work. It took me about 15 minutes more than my normal commute.



Northbound Rt. 55 is behind the bushes.

Below we have some shots of the very busy Route 55 - normally a hotbed of traffic at this time. But you can't see it! And I can't see the bank across the lot from me.



My campus is behind here.

Hubby took the dogs for a walk this morning. He probably didn't see many deer, since they're all hidden in the fog at this point; I had to drive past several forest preserves and it's also rutting season - I was on high alert for any Bambis crossing the road.

On another note, I finished Baby Sweater Orange. Yay! I have to seam up the sides and get the buttons on. I've already cast on for Baby Sweater Yellow. It took 2 months, but remember, I work full time! Now, all I have to do is the two striped ones, and two crib-sized afghans. I talked with mommy and she says that they'll induce labor in late March. They won't let her go full term, even though she's very healthy. Since she's in her early 30s, they're treating this as a moderately high risk pregnancy. She looks adorable, and we don't know what the babies are yet; she says in a few weeks we should know.

I did get (finally) the backordered square Kollage needles and will transfer the Monkey socks onto those - it should make it easier to knit them, since the needles will now be aluminum and not wood which matches the yarn!

Speaking of "In a fog," let's chat about Social Security and Medicare. President Obama wants this "fiscal cliff" (a/k/a fiscal speed bump) taken care of, and he's signaled a willingness to "compromise." I maintain that cutting into SS and Medicare is NOT a compromise. WE paid into these programs, and they don't count as part of the deficit. Here's a handy-dandy chart on who exactly pays Social Security. I don't know about you, but I doubt in my lifetime that I'll reach a wage of $110,000 per year...

Initially, if I remember what I was taught in school, it was considered that anyone making over $100,000 or so was "rich." Remember, FDR instituted Social Security, so back in the day, that was a lot of money! Of course, that's when a decent-sized house cost about $20,000 or so, too...but I digress. So, if President Obama wants to make the rich pay more, how about they contribute to Social Security? Even at the "millionaire" level, it would help.

Please contact your legislators and tell them to leave Social Security and Medicare alone. I maintain they are NOT entitlements in the sense that they're "welfare" or a "hand-out." Remember, we paid for that!! So in the strictest interpretation of "entitled" -- yes we ARE entitled to get back what we paid in.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday! We had ours on the Sunday before, which is tremendous! No in-law problems to deal with, and I have four whole days off! What am I going to do with myself???