Picking Up... Stitches & Pieces

On Monday, it'll be a month since my sister's passing. I must've gotten over 50 cards, and I truly feel the care and thoughts of everyone. 

I can't tell you how many times in the past few weeks I've picked up the phone to call or text her. I saw a mug with a nursing theme, and thought, "Oh, Betty's Christmas gift!" Well, no. 

I feel like I'm not 'grieving' enough. I have no idea how to grieve; logically, I know there's no "right" or "wrong" way to do it. I just feel inadequate.

Some days I can go a while without ruminating about everything. I can't help but think that, when I saw her in September, and we went antiquing, while my hip was giving me fits, I noticed that she was hacking and her breathing was a little rough. She passed it off by saying, "I'm trying to stop smoking." I thought that made sense because other people I knew who'd tried or succeeded in quitting told me that the first few weeks, it feels like "you're hacking up a lung."

If only I'd pressed a bit. I did tell her that I was proud of her quitting. To me, though, that's small consolation, because I believe in my heart that she had the cancer then. And she did tell me about the "bug bite" that wouldn't go away (which turned out to be one of the tumors). She was always afraid to worry me; she was concerned that my heart would act up, but honestly, I'm not a shrinking violet and my heart is as strong as that of a mule. She could also be prickly about her own health issues. 

Hindsight is indeed 20/20.

All of the rose petals are dried. In the next few weeks, we'll send them off. And my nephews are reviewing the scholarship documents this weekend, which is exciting. It's coming together. 

But I still wish she was here. 

I think this weekend, I'll be taking the cards off the table and packing them away. They'll go in my drawer where I can pull them out when I need them. 

The Knitting...

I finished the second sock, and frogged the first one. It was weird clipping that toe and ripping yarn. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and I finished the heel flap last night. 

Turning the heel is still magic, thanks... and I am now working on the gusset. In order to start the gusset, you have to pick up the stitches along each side of the flap. I have kind of a unique way to do it. 

When I first learned, Sonda told me, "You can use a crochet hook, but you won't need to." Well, I need to. I always have, since she showed me. It's just that now, my crochet hook is smaller. 

Normally, you'd use your needle to pull through each stitch, and you'd do about 16 or so stitches on the heel flap. I do a 3" heel flap, just because I like it. And so I'll also often pick up 20 or more stitches, regardless. 

Sonda told me that, too. "There are no knitting police, and if you think it's a little "holey" then pick up a few more stitches!" Also, I pick up two extra when I get to the instep, so that there's no hole in that area. 

With a crochet hook, since I'm "bi-craftual," I'm pretty comfortable picking up those stitches and putting them on the needle. Of course, sometimes they're twisted, but that takes about two seconds to switch while you're knitting it up. So this also means that my gussets are kind of long, but that also works in my favor because I have a high arch. The longer gusset seems to fit my foot better. It can get a little odd looking, like a foreshortened foot, but honestly, nobody but me sees the foot anyhow. 

So who cares? Sonda was actually pretty fascinated at how quickly I could pick up using the hook. It just made sense to me. The other way, with the needle, was a little harder for me and I kept either dropping the stitches or splitting the yarn. 

I will admit it's a little cumbersome on the 4th needle (the SSK side), because you have to pick up the stitches along the heel flap before you get to the stitches left from the heel turn. 

I'm zipping around this part of the sock and it should go quickly. 

I have to figure out a project for an airplane... In June, it looks like I'm going to Baltimore for a conference. Of course, I'll have to check the TSA regulations, and I'm assuming that I'll be able to go -- Lord knows what with Covid and the newest variant. 

The airline folks get twitchy with socks using double-pointed needles, in spite of what I've read in the Yarn Harlot's blog...and I don't want to take a shawl because that can be too bulky. I usually try to take something that can be done on circular needles, because so far, they've allowed those. I have a bias scarf that I could probably take; it's been my "forever" travel knitting project just because it's mindless. It's from Churchmouse, and called "Before and After" because it looks like heck till you block it! It's lace-weight on a size 7 circular needle and there's beading on either end. It's quite long, and mine is done in a "peacock" colorway for the first one, and a yellow-green (which is odd, but it does go nicely with the peacock) for the second one. I haven't quite finished the first one, but I hope to be done with that one by the time I get on a plane. 

If you think about it, it's the perfect project to wear when you're on a plane, or in a conference room where you never know what the AC is going to be like...

I've been considering what to do for the next thing after these socks. I have several WIPs to finish, as well as...more socks. Several singletons still need mates done. 

I'm leaning toward finishing "Copland" from Expression Fiber Arts, or finishing my February Lady Sweater, which is top-down in a luxurious silk/alpaca blend. I also have the most adorable pewter buttons for that. 

I wore my sawtooth shawl to church the other day. It's an asymmetrical one, and Hubby had to help me style it. Asymmetrical shawls are fun to knit, but a pain to wear. I don't have a lot of panache and so I don't "randomly toss it over the shoulder." I want the thing to stay in place. 

We decided to drape it like a cowl, and stick a shawl pin on the right side, catching both ends underneath. It worked. This is one of those Lion cakes and I didn't want another 6-foot garter stitch scarf. I don't even remember this pattern. The yarn, acrylic, is actually surprisingly warm. I believe the pattern was in a website that had patterns suggested for these cakes. 

I bought "The Complete Surprise" book by Cully Swansen. It's a compilation of the variations of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Surprise Jacket. I could maybe also take a "Baby Surprise" along on the plane...it's a masterful piece where you just knit and make this "blob." Then you fold the blob and voila! A baby jacket! I can always use a baby jacket in stash. 

I think that's half the fun: figuring out what to do next. But I have to start wearing the things I'm knitting (aside from socks; I do wear the socks!). My jobs now are more casual, so I don't have to "get fancy." I have a couple shawls that are out of sock yarn, so they may go into my suitcase for the trip in June. 

The Olympics...

Doping. Seriously. Russia was banned from competing, so they "re-brand" and call themselves "Russian Olympic Committee" -- big deal... Banned = banned. Period. 

For the skaters to even be there is ridiculous. And for a 15-year-old to be abused by her coaches is just cruel. The doping by the Russians is legend. It's just that now they're getting caught. 

And let's talk about the skating. From the few routines I saw, it's all about the quad jumps. There's very little artistry anymore. It's just "skate to the next jump." Which is pretty boring, to me. I saw Nathan Chen's routine, and he was amazing. I don't mind that the guys are more "athletic" in that they're all doing quad jumps, but he still managed to bring artistry and a sense of joy to his skating. But it seemed like the only woman skater who enjoyed herself was the young woman from Japan. 

Speaking of young women, I believe there should be a minimum age of 18 to compete. Much like the gymnastics teams, when they say "women" and the kids -- actual kids -- are the ones competing? It's not only harmful to the kids physically, but also emotionally. Imagine a young woman being "washed up" once she starts developing, if she hasn't screwed up her system. Many of the young women don't even have periods because of the rigorous training. 

I was pleased this summer to see the gymnasts on the US team because they LOOKED like women. They had muscles. They weren't just barely teenagers. 

I hope the IOC grows a spine. But I'm not holding my breath. 

Random Picture...

I bought some blueberries the other day - they were ENORMOUS! And of course Quinn was there. Blueberries are her favorite. She doesn't care if they're fresh or frozen. She kind of likes the crunch of the frozen ones, if I'm honest. But she won't turn her nose up at a fresh berry. Or apple. Or orange. Or banana. She loves her fruit. 

Raisa likes to try to "kill" them, but I didn't feel like cleaning up that mess. So Quinn and I shared a few blueberries. 

It took me several tries to get the picture; she can be kind of a "snatcher," but she's working on her "easy" command. I didn't want to toss them, because they were fresh and quite juicy. 

I guess I was lucky to keep my fingers! 

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! Yoga 101 is in-person, starting Wednesdays in March for 5 weeks. This series will give you the basics and you'll be ready to step into a basic class with confidence; 6-7:15 p.m. 

Yoga Nidra is a Karma class. We're collecting donations for the Elizabeth Morman Nursing Scholarship being established at Joliet Junior College. 

Friday, March 25, in-studio, check our website at www.just-breatheyoga.com to register. 

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

 

Note to Self...

ALWAYS carry a crochet hook. It almost doesn't matter what size. You never know when you might have to rig one up with a paperclip and while that's very "Girl Scout," it's not always ideal.

Knitting...

I finally got on Ravelry and entered the hats. I got a nice compliment on the Kauri hat. That always feels good!

I feel like all I've been doing is double-stranded knitting. 

Oh wait. I have. Between the Nephew Afghan, the Basic Hat, and my (gasp! FINISHED!) cup cozy, I've done that for -- like -- EVER now. Though Friday I did cast on Teal Sock #2 and I have about 4 rows of the cuff ribbing done. I can't wait to finish that. I am going to try to make a pair of socks every quarter. That's about all I can do.

The Yarn Harlot says she's doing a pair a month, but we all know she rocks and is a super-knitter. I don't think I could commit to that, what with the WIPs I have in my mind to clear out. 

So - yeah - finished something. It's a cup cozy. No, it's not horribly big, but I like this reusable Starbucks cup and I was annoyed at myself for using the corrugated cup cozies. This is again the Patons Classic Wool. It seems like I'm drowning in this Wedgewood colorway, but I do have 4 hanks of it. I think that the last thing I'm going to do with this is another pair of hiking socks. It's about what? Somewhere near 425 yards for 2 socks, and I have enough full hanks and 2 partial hanks. If nothing else, they'll be warm. I'll do the same as I did on the purple hiking socks: worsted weight yarn on size 3 DPNs. 

Cup Cozy

If I have more of the Wedgewood left over (sigh), I will either do wristers or, since I have a LOT of grey Patons, I will do the hiking socks using the variegated at cuff, heel and toe. Or I hit up Joann's and buy a couple of hanks of beige Patons - there's beige, blue, brown - lots of ways I can go, and I think that either way, it'll work. 

Here's the cup cozy: I think I posted a partial pic earlier, but either way. It's only 3" long, so it's not like a monumental project.

But what with the monumental projects I've been knitting lately? I needed a down-and-dirty easy and small one to just talk me off the ledge here. 

I suppose some of my Etsy friends might say, "Hey, you could sell those." Well, yeah, I probably could. But knitting endless cup cozies is not my idea of fun. Ever. This is stupid-simple: just cast on your desired stitches (in this case, about 42) and knit in a K1, P1 rib for 3" and bind off. So the bind off is where I used my paper-clip-crochet-hook device. Not ideal, and I do have an end to weave in, but I can do that at home. And remember to stick a spare hook in my bag. 

You can use any stretchy stitch: K2, P1 or any of those variations, or a moss stitch, maybe? Grab your stitch dictionary and go for it. I guess if I screw up and wash the cup with this on, it'll felt. But it won't kill me. 

Olympics...

I'm not watching. Putin is a dictator. Plain and simple. There are too many stories of Russian dysfunction and his ruthlessness - from shooting stray dogs to displacing people because they're "in the way." This dude has really reignited the Cold War. And for what?

Gotta love the whole speech about "inclusion" in the Olympics. Check out Russia's human rights record. You probably won't sleep at night, if you have a conscience. 

I'm going to be exposed to it, of course, because you can't get on the Internet without seeing it and I have 2 sports nuts at home, so it'll be on. 

I'll be knitting or reading. Or maybe THIS is my Olympic moment: to finish cleaning out my office at home!! Yep, there's a thought. 

Yoga...

I'm in a rut. My own personal practice is kind of in the toilet (which happens to teachers) and I've got a couple other things going on. So the reason I'm bringing this up is because I went to a therapeutic workshop last night.

I almost didn't go. But I'm glad I did. Workshops tend to reinvigorate you, especially if they're not particularly long. This was a one-hour thing dealing with ankles, knees, hips, low back. I felt jazzed in the lower body, but sore this a.m. I hope to be able to use some of this in my own sequences. 

And I'm really hoping that this makes me roll out my mat. Which, actually, could be done if (see paragraph above) I make room on my office floor on which to roll the mat!


Really...

OK, so I wonder sometimes what people think when naming their kids. My kids have conventional names because they have an unconventional last name. Neither name can be mangled into a cutesy nickname, and both are, in my opinion, classic names.

My friends, for the most part, have named their kids along the same lines. But there are some folks who do choose to go "unique." Kid #2, the teacher, says that he sees a lot of "odd" names, and Sis (a nurse) often has to have people spell what you'd think was a simple name because they want to be "different." 

Now seriously. Take "Christopher." Very common in the early 80s. So I once saw it spelled thusly: Khristopfer.

Yep. So you say "Christopher" but you make your kid forevermore have to spell it out. 

Nice. 

So the reason for this segment is this story. A couple named their child Messiah. A judge in TN - the home of the Bible Belt, apparently, changed the name over the objections of the parents, and she stated in court that "Messiah is a title and only to be used by one person, Jesus Christ."

Nice. Well, not so much. She's been fired. Apparently, she's let her bias slip more than once and this set the judicial commission in her area over the edge.

Do I agree with the parents? Well, not so much. And it's not because of some overwhelming religious fervor. I just think that sometimes in their desire to see their child as unique, parents saddle their kids with names which are quite burdensome. 

The judge should have been fired, if indeed she was bringing her Bible to the bench. There's no place for that, because so far, we're not a theocracy. Though there are plenty of Republicans and Tea Party folks trying to make us so. 

Anyway, you really can't tell a parent what to name a kid - at least within reason. Of course there are naming conventions, and your local clerk's office will outline those. But please - recall that at some point, your kid may not thank you for that "different" name. 

Random Picture...

Peace is slowly coming to the house. Hubby still feels (and is) "tied" to Raisa while they all work out who's where. But it's coming along. 

Everyone napping

Our biggest hurdle is the relationship between Tippi & Quinn. We've had 3 females before and after one or two "dominance displays" everyone calms down. I really feel that the mother-daughter thing is overwhelming sometimes. If Tippi and Quinn were not related, I think Raisa's integration would be easier. I've talked to folks who've had mother-daughter combos and they all seemed to think it was really easy. Well, maybe for them. But it has certainly proved to be a challenge with us. It doesn't help that there are 3 adults in the house with three DISTINCTLY different styles of interaction with the dogs. 

This week is Raisa's first training, but since I have a wedding shower where my attendance is required (and for which I'm baking the cupcakes), Kid #2 will be Raisa's handler. He's also got to sub for me one more time. After that, I'm clearing my calendar to get her trained. 

This morning, Raisa said "hello" and I have a scratch on my face very much in line with Boris Karloff. We're working on "off" pretty regularly! She took a chunk out of Hubby while going after a treat, so that's another thing: "EASY!" 

But overall, things are mostly positive and we understand that this will be an interesting group of dogs. Raisa will be our last puppy. And we're hoping it all smooths out sooner rather than later.

By the way, in case you're curious, that rectangular patch on Quinn's flank is the hair growing back after the removal of a pretty nasty cyst. She's got the undercoat just fine; now we're waiting for the guard hairs to come back. It takes a while. 

Chinese "women" Olympians??

It can't be just me. The bloggers out there have found that the "women" on the Chinese gymnastics team are really no older than about 14. Why do they feel compelled to cheat? They apparently altered passports to show that the girls (because that's what they are) were the minimum age of 16, but others found that, through records of regional competitions, the girls were actually about 14. Bela Karolyi pointed it out. He should know from "massaging the system" because of his work in Romania. I'm not casting stones; just pointing out that sometimes socialist systems have different versions of "acceptable truth" than some other systems. Think about it. Shawn Johnson was so thrilled because she "just" made the minimum age requirement. So what makes the Chinese immune from the rules? Because they're the host country? Or because economically they may own half the world with various countries having received loans from them? Whatever it is, it's not fair. And it's not only not fair to us the viewers, but it's not fair to the Olympians who ARE following the rules - and above all, not fair to the girls themselves. What are they teaching them? That it's ok to not obey the rules - in a country that has, for ages, thrived on obedience and conformity, this is somewhat laughable. Except it's not funny to push young bodies to do the things they're doing. It's not true to the Olympian spirit. And it's just not a good example to set for the team members who are, in all likelihood, just girls.