The Knitting Goes On...

So the "secret project" is coming along nicely. I'm over 50% done, which is a good thing. No picture yet; perhaps when it's done? Definitely when it's been given to the recipient. 

And I (or Hubby, actually) went into The Box of Sox...and pulled this out. It's Baby Regia, which is technically sock yarn. BUT... I'm wondering if I should instead make a shawl out of it from the Ukranian patterns? I'm thinking the Water Glare (pattern here). It would be pretty. I don't have a shawl with that much blue. Well, technically, I do, the Sally Melville "Wings" in the alpaca laceweight, but this colorway might be a good addition. "Wings" is a very pale blue, sort of like that sky with the ivory clouds in a bit of a haze. I love it because it's just enough to wrap around my neck and tie it. 

I just think that if the yarn says "for babies" and "socks," they're not thinking someone like me should walk around in them. I'm hard on my socks. And, I have lots of yarn left in The Box of Sox. 

As I'm knitting this Secret Project, I'm altering the design as I go. Maybe that's the reason I should have done a test run, but this is going to be a one-off and done. The nice thing is, even though Hubby doesn't knit, I can ask questions, and he's got a good enough idea of garment structure, etc., that he can give good suggestions. 

I know that I probably shouldn't have had him pull the yarn. I've got 3 singletons that I know of off the top of my head that really need mates. And I have some yarn sitting right here next to me that I frogged and re-started for another pair of socks. And I have a shrug/sweater thing from Expression Fibre Arts that I really need to get going on. And the linen t-shirt I had started. Long Sands, (pattern here) that's working up in a beautiful pewter linen yarn. That can be a 3-season thing, because I'd wear a t-shirt under it; it's a loose enough knit that it's more of an over-the-top kind of item to wear. And I do have long-sleeved t-shirts that I wear in the fall. 

It's a Stretch...

So yesterday, I did something rather out of my comfort zone: I took a workshop on integrating Qigong into yoga sequences. Qigong, as you may know, is similar to Tai Chi, except that Qigong can be an isolated movement or movements to affect a certain part of the body, such as "gathering the sun" or "combing the body." Tai Chi would be a whole sequence, like yoga but...not. 

Anyway, I'm intrigued and I want to learn more. And somehow, something happened to my hip. It's crazy, because we did a 20 minute flow of moves, and none of them were extraordinary. We stood in one place. OK, we did bounce a bit, and I could've landed wrong. But I don't think I did. 

And that evening? I was walking with a cane; my hip felt like it was going to collapse out from under me, which for me is extremely odd. 

What I found interesting about it was the intersection of some Yin principles with Qigong, in terms of energy meridians and how they affect the body. 

And something definitely affected my leg...I ended up using the cane in the house, which didn't thrill Raisa at all: she looked at it as if it was going to bite her. And Quinn? She just walked around me! 

Luckily, I'm heading to the doctor on Monday to see if I qualify for an experimental treatment. Of course, it's not covered by insurance, but it should prevent an eventual hip replacement. I cancelled my regular Yin class tonight; I wanted to do a whole "Spring Yin" thing, but not if I can't get up and down off the floor. 

Last night I used my far-infrared pad to "cook" the area. Today I used ice. I'm not using the cane today, but stepping out laterally is still a bit tricky. We shall see how Monday plays out. 

Orchids in Bloom...

Well, the 8th orchid has bloomed. We have only one which is just shooting up a flower stalk. It'll be a month or so till that one does anything. 

We've never had eight of them in bloom. Heck, we've never had eight of them SURVIVE... Hubby's got a dab hand at growing them. 

He said today, "No more!" (Which is like me and yarn...if there's a unique enough orchid he finds, it'll probably make its way home!) Our shelf is a bit crowded. Two of them need re-potting and one needs splitting, so I may have to find the split part a new home. 

The whole table is just beautiful and one of the pink ones has a scent. I can't smell it unless I'm on top of it, but it's just a nice thing to look at when I'm "cooking" my hip. 

The Reading...

So far, I'm taking a trip down Memory Lane with my reading: Elizabeth George's "Inspector Lynley" mysteries. And the description in the book is about 180 degrees from the guy who stars in the series. I think the guy in the series fits the character better. And Havers is different, too, in the series, at least physically. I'm also still working every day with the book of meditations on grief, which I referenced a few entries ago: "Healing After Loss," by Martha W. Hickman. 

The Lynley books are typical English mysteries, and I really like how they're written. I've seen most of the series, and I've enjoyed it. Picturing it in my head while reading the books is maybe a bit of a cheat, but that's ok. They're fun to wind down with at bedtime. 

The Garden...

Well, we still haven't planned much in the garden. Hubby took the top layer of dead leaves off today; which I think is a bit early, but I'm only reading it in the garden section of the paper...

We've still got the native plants in the front gardens; I do want to add some sunflowers along the south side of the house. The dirt there needs augmentation, though, and I'd love to put a border or something like that along that side of the house. I have to get to the local museum because they have seeds for local plants. I think I might have room for a few more plants; you never know!

Random Picture...

When I was out with my friend J the other day, I picked up some beads. I've dabbled, I confess. But she's an expert and does some beautiful work. So I got these, and made two bracelets. My original thought was one blue, one yellow, but I alternated the beads. 

Yeah, it does jack diddly for Ukraine, but it's a measure of solidarity in a very minor way. 

We're planning a day where she can help me fix some bracelets that, over the years, have broken. It's something to do over a cup of tea, so why not use it as a way to get together and spend some time? She doesn't knit or do yoga, and I don't arrange flowers or make jewelry -- so it's something we can do together till I can walk well enough to get back to taking strolls around the neighborhood. 

Need a tax deduction? How about the Elizabeth A. Morman Memorial Scholarship? It's in honor of my sister, for non-traditional women who are coming back to Joliet Junior College to study nursing. Non-traditional students are those who are older, often coming back while working or in other situations. We're giving one scholarship ($1,000) per year to a student who meets specific criteria which is on the website. 

Looking for yoga? We're open! Masks are optional. Check our schedule here at Just Breathe Yoga Studio for drop-in classes, series classes, workshops and more. 

Zoom classes are available if you're not quite ready to come into the studio. Private sessions aer available, as are small group classes. Many classes are available both on Zoom and in-studio. Call or text at (815) 546-2770 for more info, or email at info@just-breatheyoga.com if you have questions about whether a class is appropriate for you. 

Hold My Beer...

As if doping in the Olympics wasn't enough? Vlad decides to take back Ukraine as if he actually owns it. And then has the blazing balls to say, "There will be trouble if they try to stop me." 

Looks like Vlad is getting the trouble... And also, my personal opinion is TFG needs to be OFF the airwaves. He needs to shut the pie hole and the press should be, I dunno -- over him? I know it's all clicks now. It's not even "if it bleeds, it leads," but "if the GQP says more outrageous crap, we get more clicks" rather than, perhaps noting that the jobs are up in January. And the pandemic, while not over, is getting to a point where the death counts aren't so high anymore. Though there's another variant, so we shall see if we get to have our masks off for a red hot minute before all the chickens come home to roost. 

I went to Ravelry (yeah, I know all the stuff about access and all that, and I should've done something different, but there you are). Sought out a Ukranian designer, picked 3 shawl patterns, and ordered them. I know it's not a ton of money; there are folks signing up for Air BnB in Ukraine, and donating that money to the owners of the houses. You have to pick houses owned by real people, not a real estate company or the like. And the owners of the homes are grateful -- and in many cases, can probably get the money to where it's needed quicker than my shawl pattern designer will get her money. Especially if the internet gets locked down. 

It's something. I've got an event coming at the studio which will raise funds for refugee organizations. 

I'm honestly glad to see that we're not using Russian oil and gas now. It was only a few percentages of our entire dependence on everyone else's oil, but it makes a point. 

Today, I gassed up my car and it was $4.29/gallon. I bet by tonight, it's closer to $5.00. But then again, we're not getting shelled, and we have intact homes and functioning hospitals. So. Complain about the gas prices at your peril. 

And no, Biden DIDN'T raise fuel prices. No president in the history of this country, no matter which party, can affect gas prices. It's a commodity. It rises and falls according to the market. And the market is susceptible to the whims of forces beyond a mere president. 

The Knitting...

Well, one down... I finished the blue striped socks. Last night. Wearing them today. I'm glad they're finished, even though for some reason, the toes don't quite match. But I'm fine with that, because the toes on my feet don't match...

They're on 64 stitches, and I should have done them larger. I have to find a sweet spot. 72 stitches is too large, even with my biker calves. And 64 is, let's say, a tad snug. 

At least now the toes mostly match, the foot length matches, and the heels not only MATCH, but are a decent length in the heel flap. I know most heel flaps are around 2.5" but I like mine a bit longer. I also pick up way too many stitches in the gusset, but that's ok. You can see how the edge of the heel is a bit longer, and the decreases are many. That also fits higher arches. So I just keep doing what I'm doing. 

That's the best thing about socks -- you can totally customize them. One of these pairs, I'm going to try an arch support at the underside. I'm going to go back to the Box in the Closet, and have Hubby pick another bag.

What's the "Box in the Closet?" you ask... Well. Many years ago (yeah, MANY), I set myself a challenge, which got sidetracked by baby knitting. The twins I was knitting for are now 8 years old. Ahem. 

Anyway. 

I put 12 brown paper bags into a tote. In those brown paper bags were 12 balls of sock yarn, one per bag. The idea was to knit a pair of socks a month. 

Normally, this is do-able if you buckle down a bit more than I was doing. Did you know that if you carry your socks around with you all the time, you generally get a lot more knitting done? Well, I wasn't doing that for a number of reasons, one of which was the knitting for said TWINS... 

I know I have several singletons, but I also have kind of a case of start-itis, brought on by a number of things, and I know that deadlines will be pressing upon me. But that being said, I'm looking forward to diving back in to the Box of Sox. 

Next up is my "secret project," which has had its deadline moved up a bit closer than I thought it would be! 

I am quite literally keeping this one hidden till it's done. It's a design I worked out myself, so I'm not sure how it's going to work. We shall see... But for now, I'm just going to beaver away at this and get it done, hopefully, by the deadline imposed upon me by circumstance. 

I'm also hoping to finish at least one more pair of socks, by making the mate, and maybe finish up the Copland shawl I started 2 years ago. Especially since the colorway is now, apparently, in fashion, being black and brown. The brown is hand-painted, and it's glorious. The black is also hand-painted so while it's black, there are layers of black, if you can imagine that. That shawl got set aside for Kid #2's afghan to finish. I'm not sure when I'll have more baby knitting to do. 

This will be my year to learn cables, too. I keep telling myself this. I keep procrastinating. This is the year. I'm going to do it. Honest. 

Gardening in General...

We're not quite sure what we're going to do for the veggie garden. I do want to plant sunflowers (not

solely because of Ukraine -- I've wanted sunflowers for a while now). At the local museum, they're selling native plant seeds, and I may pick some up to add to the wildflower garden in the front. 

I think our "old favorites" will return: radishes, romaine, carrots. Rosemary is a standard. I think I'd like to do celery this year. Last year, we got a taste of it, and -- much like carrots, it was good!

Inside, Hubby's orchids are going nuts. NUMBER SEVEN has bloomed. We seriously have SEVEN plants in bloom right now. We have nine total, and it looks like two will need re-potting, which means we have to figure out where to put two more plants. Our space is compact, to be kind. One more is budding, and ready to pop in a week or so. 

One of the cattleyas is blooming, the pink one with a scent. The one big phal is blooming and the other is the one ready to pop. And all the mini phals are in bloom. It's crazy. And beautiful. 

And we need that beauty right now. 

I have to remember what that little plant is behind this pink-and-white mini-phal. It's kind of like a succulent, and its purpose is to attract the little midgies which like to congregate around the orchids - like a Venus Fly Trap, it draws them in and ... eats them? Anyway, the flowers remind me somewhat of violets, and the greens are like hens-and-chicks but not as rigid. I had the paper that the orchid place gave me. I just don't know where I put it. 

Random Picture...

My studio is located in an old plaza and recently, we've had some pretty vile winds. The awnings over the suites were looking pretty care-worn, and two wind storms later? They were just trashed. Our landlord is very good at keeping the property up. He had all the awnings taken down and a week or two ago, they were returned, brand-new. 

He also put LED lights around the roof parapet, which is nice - the parking lot is well-lit anyway, but this adds more light. I teach night classes, and a little more brightness in the lot isn't going to be anything I'm going to complain about. 

Actually, we're talking about lighting at our house. A week ago, a neighbor's garage got tagged. We all realized that the area around 2 blocks was kind of dark. So we're all chatting, figuring out who has cameras, talking about whether we need to talk to the power company about the utility poles in the alleys, fixing lights atop them to light up where we park. 

I've lived here a long, long time. It feels weird to have this problem. 

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