Adjusting to the Silence...

So it's been a couple months. And I'm still waiting to be greeted when I walk in the door. I still listen for the turn, turn, turn on the dog bed and the PLOP as Quinn drops into her comfy spot. And I still reach for the stick blender and turn, wanting to see Raisa ready to sing. I look at the leashes every first and third Tuesdays, figuring it's time to suit up to go out to the university. 

People wonder when the grief goes away, and on our "loss of pet" group, the constant question is, "When will I feel normal?" The answer is: Never. You never really do get over the loss of a companion animal, whether you refer to it as your furry child, or your soul animal. They leave a void in your heart and a mark on your soul. 

Which is why it's so freaking abominable that Governor Noem (my hands want to type out MORON) in South Dakota is bragging about killing - executing - a puppy and a goat. The puppy (14 months old) "didn't hunt" and the goat "smelled." Well, doofus --- TRAIN the puppy, and bathe the goat. Executing them in a gravel pit doesn't make you "able to make the hard decisions." It makes you an utter psychopath. Who shouldn't be allowed near ANY living thing, much less allowed in politics. And don't come at anyone with that "farmers/ranchers" BS. Every farmer I know (and I'm living in the nation's Bread Basket) would've rehomed the dog and hosed down the goat. But guess what? GOATS SMELL. So do pigs and horses and sheep. And most ranchers who've been shredding her on social media said the same thing: if the dog doesn't hunt, you train it -- and for God's sake, it's a PUPPY. They can't even process. They have instincts, yes, but they need focus and training. And if the dog still has no instinct for hunting, you rehome it or it's a pet. 

My uncle, a dedicated hunter, had a Springer Spaniel, Rags. That dog was nuts. He hated gunfire, he hated wet. He was allergic to grass and weeds. He was as useless as a 2-legged milking stool as a hunting dog. But he could bark. He could play with the kids. He was essentially a pet. I have no idea of his bloodlines, but my uncle was persnickety about his dogs. He tossed his hands up in the air and said, "I guess I've gotta get another dog that'll hunt." He didn't take him out to the quarry and shoot him. He kept him his entire life (the dog's - my uncle is still around). 

As I sit here contemplating what my next adventure with animals will be, this woman who thinks she's going to be the VP for that orange excrescense at the top of the MAGA party, is being flayed, as she should be. Karma is a bugger, you miserable excuse for a human. 

The Knitting...

I got my replacement Baby Camel yarn (exchanged for the Eco Cashmere that was defective) from Purl Soho. It's lovely! And it perfectly matches my vintage camel coat. So I think I'm knitting cuffs for the coat. I've wanted to for a long time, and I couldn't find a good match. Well, this could've been made for the coat! I'll do a 2x2 rib, and they'll be lovely! The sleeves on the coat are just a tad too short, so the cuffs will be a welcome addition. 

I'm still knitting on the Eco Cashmere Simplicity Scarf, but I set it aside. I have news....

No. No grandbabies...

I have yarn. (yeah, I know, I have STASH). My friend D gave me TWO "medium" sized moving boxes and a 35-gallon tote full of yarn. She's doing her Swedish Death Cleaning, and has moved away from knitting (yes, I know - seems impossible), though she's still knitting socks. And she asked me to help her get rid of her stash. I can keep whatever I want, sell whatever I want, but just get rid of it. There are some partially completed projects, which I will likely frog. She doesn't have the patterns -- and half the balls don't have ball-bands. There are also needles and some books. 

Anyway, I'm going to keep a bunch of it. There's some beautiful CoBaSi which looks like it was headed for a fade shawl, and a lot of sock yarn. 

I'm also working on another pair of socks. She has Opal, and the Love Story colorway just makes me smile. So I've started on a plain pair. There's enough for several pairs of socks, and I can add the partial balls to my "franken-sock" stash. Or make a shawl. The All Used Up Shawl (and the cardigan) could be a great way to stash bust all my odds and ends. 

I still haven't fixed the dropped stitch on the baby blanket, but I'm going to get to it. I have time. I also need to whip out a little hat, so there's that to finish and then the fleece throw which is going to go with this gift. Or maybe I'm not doing the fleece throw - that's still up in the air. 

The one thing that's been occupying my time with the boxes of yarn from D is the untangling.

I'm one of those weird folks who really enjoys untangling yarn. Some of the balls are better than others, but this cotton blend needed to be untangled and washed then re-wound. It took me a while, and after I got it untangled, I tied it in a couple places and used some Eucalan to soak it. Hung it on the shower and let it dry for a few days. I just need to re-wind it at some point. I know what this is, but I can't recall the name - so I want to do another shawlette, because I think that's all I have enough yarn for. Maybe I'll use a bit of a larger needle and just stockinette stitch. 

The Injury...

OK, so. The hand isn't fixed yet. But I did end up going back to the doctor. And I got TWO steroid shots in the left hand. It was as amazing as it seems. Not. Though she is good - I was really numb and didn't feel a thing. At least till the numbing spray wore off. Then, it was as if my hand was on fire! It's eased up somewhat and I'm feeling the effects of the steroids. 

I also made an appointment with the surgeon who fixed it in the first place - thankfully, he hasn't retired! The doctor said that she thinks the tendon that was wedged into my wrist has "broken free of the capsule" and that the swelling may be permanent, which affects my range of motion. I can put more weight on it, so that's good...but again, the biggest reason I dislike steroid shots is that they allow me to do stupid stuff. I did buy some blocks that had shapes cut out so that I can use more of my palm. Because that left thumb is fused at a 2-degree angle (for function), I can't flatten the hand. And sometimes, I don't get quite the right placement on a block, but with these blocks I ordered, the weight is more in my palm, which is a bit safer for my thumb. The screw is exactly where it's always been, but I don't want to risk it. 

So I figured that I should see the surgeon and figure out what we can do. Or not do. But it's worth the visit. Hubby wants to ask about the "lifetime warranty" on the surgery! 

The Garden...

The potatoes are in. I'm getting some repellant for the tree-rats (squirrels)...the stinkers are digging up my potted plants. I tried cayenne and red pepper flakes. They just scurry over to the bird bath, drink up and do it again. 

I have celery rooting in a bowl - we'll see if that comes to anything. I have grown celery before, out of starts from the greenhouse, and it's amazing the flavor you get from home-grown celery!! 

I have a couple baskets of petunias out front, and they've survived at least one mild frost; they're magenta with lime green edges, so I can't wait to see what the hummingbirds think. I have lantana in 2 pots, cosmos + Dusty Miller in one pot and a big pot of dianthus. Waiting to see what else I can pick up; I need at least 2 more hanging pots - maybe 4. 

We're looking at a tiny veggie garden this year, as I may have mentioned. Romaine, a couple tomatoes, a pot or two of parsley (at least one for the butterflies!). Very simple. 

It was a busy morning today; out in the compost area twice already, and I made some ham and bean soup with our own herbs. My mom wanted some, so I made it; she and I are the only ones who'd eat it, so I got half and she got half. Good deal all the way around. 

The Reading...

Aside from a current addiction to Lord Peter Wimsey, I've started "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD. 

It's pretty deep. Very technical but also readable. I've heard from folks that it's a book you can't really plow through, and I can see that. It takes me a couple chapters, maybe, and then I have to put it aside. 

I'm also still working through 1Q84, about 50% through that one. It's fascinating and reads smoothly, even with the time jumps. 

When I need to rest my hand, I turn to my books. 

A Bittersweet Birthday...

So we recently celebrated my newest grand-niece's birthday. She's one. And it's bittersweet. She's the granddaughter of my late sister. One of the relatives hugged me and said, "It's so nice that you're the fill-in." I know they meant well, but boy, that cut. I don't WANT to be the fill-in. I want my sister here. And she's not. And there's still a huge hole in my heart. 

The little one is in the "daddy's girl" phase and it was so funny to see all of us turning ourselves inside-out to make her smile, only for her to rebuff all of us pretty consistently. 

Eventually, she'll come around. Babies do that. 

Unfortunately, I ate some things that didn't agree with me. Well, I take that back. The cheese sticks VERY much agreed with me....to the point that I should have just walked away. I adore a good fried mozzarella stick, and these were wonderful! Oh, I did have salad, so there's that! I think Hubby and I were definitely in a carb-coma in the evening. 

Miscellaneous...

Randomly...

1. I need to step up my fitness. My BF has offered to teach me to swim, and I may have to take her up on that. It's good for my hip and I should have learned a long time ago. 
2. I have to catch up with my remaining sibling; it's time for another adventure, and I don't want to let too much time pass. Life can get in the way for sure, but it's also what we prioritize. 
3. I really need to get into my home office and clear some crap out. Swedish Death Cleaning for me, too!
4. I've actually started Christmas shopping. It's better to get an idea of your list and chip at it all year long, I think. 
5. I've got to get out of the habit of going down the YouTube hole... I tend to do that when it's time to go to bed, and I need to cultivate a different habit. 

Random Picture...

The last of the lilacs of 2024. The bushes have been extremely prolific this year. This is the third cutting I've gotten and while they're a little beat up, it's still something I felt like I wanted to do. 

People have been walking past the yard and stopping to smell them for the past several weeks. They're at the end of the sidewalk, so it's easy for people to enjoy them.  

We're actually debating taking them out, because honestly they're planted too close to the sidewalk. They seemed fine when we put them in, but now they've gotten a bit loose. Hubby trims them so that they're never much taller than 7 feet, but one of the bushes has a ton of suckers, and the other seems to have sprouted a bit taller than its mate. I'd swear they're two different varieties, because the one on the right always blooms a few days before the other one. 

I got a hit of the smell, thankfully -- but the ability to smell is now gone again. But it was worth it. 

Pro-Tips...

I just about had a heart attack.... Today was Mask Sewing Day, and my old machine has been chugging along as right as rain. 

But I did a stupid thing. See that bobbin up there? Well, I'd been stashing the full bobbin up there to keep it handy. 

It was a stupid thing to do. Better I should have stashed it on that pin next to the thread that I'm using. Because all of a sudden, my machine seized up. 

It would go neither forward nor back. I couldn't figure it out. I tugged at the wheel, I checked the needle, checked the bobbin....nothing. 

But then something made me look at the bobbin stashed up there on the winder. And at the string trailing down. And more closely at the wheel. Where, if you look closely, you'll see THREAD...wound AROUND the inside of the wheel. See that little bit of blue? It's deceiving because there was a lot of thread caught in the mechanism behind the belt. 

I took three deep breaths. 

Then I took four or five more. 

All I could think about was, "Nobody can repair this because they're all closed!"

Breathe. Think. Invoke Grandpa, who could fix anything. Invoke the memory of the US Army telling you in Junior College, that you'd make a pretty good mechanic based on the skills test they were giving students. 

And breathe again. And grab pliers, a good light, a crochet hook, and a screwdriver. I took the top off my machine. Got the crochet hook to pull out some of the thread, unwound, unwound, unwound, under and over the belt, tugging to keep it coming. Then I got to "ground zero" where I couldn't grab any more. 

I'd built up quite a pile of "thread barf" and it was just coming and coming... I think it was almost a quarter of that bobbin.

By that point, the limited mobility of my hands was telling and I had to call for Hubby, who removed the wheel assembly and squirted a bit of WD-40 into the assembly behind the wheel, where the last bit of thread was caught. 

It all came out. And it all went back together again just like it was supposed to. 


And I'm back in the mask-making business. Whew.... 

This is the pile of thread barf. And the bobbins are now stashed appropriately, AWAY from my machine. I would never have imagined that (a) thread could get there; and (b) it would wind so tightly as to be almost impossible to be removed. 

But that's what I get for "stepping on the gas" when I sew. I hit my goal of a dozen masks today. I did an inventory, and Hubby began to cut more ties and body parts. 

This is the Basket 'O Masks that I have for myself. I made 2 more for Kid #2 and finished 2 more for Hubby. It's a small basket; there are only 3 masks in there; one is in the wash. 

We're working not only with nice large swaths of fabric, but with the bits and bobs left over. You can piece together some of the parts to make the front/back pieces, but you do need to have straight pieces for the ties, just for the strength you need to be sure they're sturdy enough to stand up to daily use and washing. 

As you can see, I just tie a knot in the one end. I've seen so many sewists (sorry, not sure I like that word, but I'm going to try to use it) and they've done a great job finishing and making sure that every end is trimmed and folded... I'm not that kind of "sewist." 

The light in my sewing room (yoga/office/yarn/music room) isn't the greatest. We put in new halogen light fixtures with a nice ceiling lamp but it's just not enough some days. So I asked Hubby if we had a spare task lamp that I could use. Turns out, the answer was "yes." 

You can see the lovely little lamp to the right there. When the machine is closed, I can still use that lamp as a regular light in the room. It reflects nicely across the space so that when I'm doing Zoom calls, it's a balance to the lamp on the desk. 

It feels like I've got something accomplished even though part of the room is still quite a mess. I have to buckle down and really get moving in there. I put a yoga mat down, and now Quinn and Tippi like to trade "guarding" me when I work in there! Which means, though, that I can't do yoga...

Not Knitting Or Sewing...

So I also did this...It's a blanket for my grand-dog, Feleena. It's a bit small - she grew a lot since I last saw her! She lives in Colorado with Kid #1. She's a snuggle-bug and likes to wrap up in blankets; being a short-haired dog, that's probably a good habit to have in a state where it's snowing more than any other kind of weather. 

I got the color selections from Feleena's "mom" and did what I could to find the fleece. I think I should have made the fringe a little deeper, but then I should have done 60" fleece, not 45" ... it's cushy, and Feleena loves it but I wish it was a bit bigger. 

I like doing these blankets; our church's Youth Group did a bunch of them for the local animal shelter, so maybe the size was ok anyway. 

Mother Nature...

This is what I found in a basket of raspberries. They were yummy and sweet; the blackberries I got were bitter - I don't recall blackberries being bitter... but anyway, I noticed this heart among the bright, luscious berries. 

I miss having our own raspberry bushes; but in all honesty, they mainly provided berries for the birds and squirrels! We never got a lot of berries from them in the first place, but truly what we got were delicious. Much smaller, of course, than these. But our own. 

The other day, after teaching another virtual yoga class (I can't wait to tell y'all about our ZOOM classes coming -- and check out the PS below!), I was pulling out of the parking lot at the studio. It's really nicely landscaped; our landlords are wonderful people. And I noticed this: a little nest. I'm not sure what species. I'm not sure it's current but it looks like it's from this year. I know it's not a hummingbird nest because those things are the size of a thimble. But it's a tiny bird. 

Right now, it's bucketing rain and thundering; I feel for any wild thing out there that doesn't have shelter. I know in the last storm, the wind was so strong it blew over our hummingbird feeders; and I didn't get a chance to fill them today. With the rain and storms all day, it didn't seem like anyone was going to be feeding anyhow. 


I have to get the pictures of the orioles off the camera... but in the meantime, here are the lilacs. 

We thought we bought two of the same bush - the tags said "French Lilac" which is what we wanted. But somehow, there are slight differences between the two of them. As you can see, the far bush is already in full bloom. And up close, the flowers are bigger, and the scent is a little sweeter. 

The near bush, identical in size, same look of the leaves, has smaller flowers, isn't quite in full bloom yet, and has a sharper scent. It's still that "lilac" smell, but it's got a bit of a lemony overtone to it. 

Granted, they're both lovely; you can see and smell them for quite a bit of distance, and I'm not complaining. It's just weird that as they get older you can see the differences so much more clearly.

Random Picture... 

So someone posted, "Show me the oldest thing you have in your house." I could probably have put up a picture of Tippi, though she would have been offended. But instead, I thought about it for a bit, and realized that it was this. 

My great-grandmother's wedding ring. 

I asked my mom, and we reckon it's about 120 years old... It's thin; and the edges are a tad sharp. When I inherited it, Hubby said, "Let's get it polished up." And I said, "Not on your life."

I wanted the patina on it that I remembered all my youth...My great-granny taught me to cook, and taught me to crochet. She taught me a lot about persevering even when you thought you couldn't do something. She spoke 4 languages. English was the last language she learned. She was dismayed at the "dumb immigrant" comments - yeah, even back then... And I had her in my life till I was 14 years old. 

This ring is the oldest thing I own. And it's the most treasured thing. 

P.S.: If you want to take online yoga classes during the COVID-19 crisis, please join me and all my teachers at www.just-breatheyoga.com and go to the upper left, under the "Livestream Yoga" tab. Classes are there; we ask a $10 donation so we can pay our teachers while the studio is closed to students. 

Technology Bites!!

Well. It took me a literal month to get my phone and my laptop to talk to each other. I was going through this cumbersome "attach this widgety thing to your phone, download, then upload the widgety thing to your computer so that you can share pictures" thing. See, my Windows phone just kind of automatically uploaded stuff. The OnePlus? Not so much. 

But...My pics are back! And Hubby had to order me a new hard drive - a larger one. My good old ThinkPad is still chugging along, but for a birthday gift, he got me a Surface Laptop that I can travel with...which is slightly ironic because I'm not really going anywhere lately! One of these days, when I can travel again, I can take this Surface, which is MUCH lighter than my "Old Reliable." 

Speaking of which, I've got UPDATES for you! I've missed blogging and I need to get on the stick - especially now that I actually have time. 

Vintage Sewing Machine...

Who knew I had a "vintage" sewing machine? I just thought it was old. It's a Brother Charger 661 and it was made in the late 60s to mid-70s. And it's mostly metal...which is saying something! It sews forward, backward and zig-zag. And it does buttonholes, but I can do those by hand. The only fiddly bit is the bobbin - not a drop-in, but a "pick it out of the hole sideways and put it back in the same way" thingie. 

These are the first batch of masks. I reckon I did about 58 of 'em and I have a large --- and I do mean LARGE pile of fabric for Masks, Phase II. I'm on pace to do about 150-175 of them before I run out of thread, patience and fabric. Two quilting friends of mine, K and D, donated. The "ugly" fabric turned into ties. The masks are two-pleat, except for the "family" masks, which are more fitted. 

The first batch were 3-pleat, but honestly, my hand mobility isn't what it used to be. I was really messing up not only the topstitching but the 3 pleats. Consistently. And it was frustrating me. I mean, my sewing skills can "kindly" be called "basic." But I wanted to do a decent job. These certainly aren't meant to be heirlooms - they're meant to be washed in hot water and kind of scalded...and I don't expect them to last for any more than a few months, with luck. But I'd like them to look half-way decent. So the next batch are all 2-pleat. and they fit the same - the basic size is the same; just easier for me to manipulate. 

The fitted masks are all the "male" sized ones, though. I found that the "women/teen" size shrunk and wasn't as comfortable. So we're all guys...

Kid #1's partner, J, asked me, "Can you make me some snowflake masks?" I wasn't quite sure what she wanted, and we had a discussion...turns out that folks in CO think she's a "snowflake" because she's wearing the one mask I made her. This is what I came up with -- I've ordered some snowflake material, but as you can imagine, it's more likely to be out at Christmas rather than spring! Anyway, the patch is making a point: "Kiss my snowflake keister, bub!" And besides, she's a welder - you really wanna poke a woman who wields a torch? 

The fitted masks are meant to have elastic - but I don't like elastic because I wear glasses; and because it's uncomfortable. So I've been making my own ties. Thankfully, Hubby is my "cutter." He can really maximize a piece of fabric! 

I'll be donating the masks to the local hospital, and then anyone who wants one. Since the fabric is all donated, I'm not keen on charging for them. A few folks have wanted to donate, so I've given them 2 charities to donate to: a local food bank and our local free clinic. 

The dogs think it's a "clacky machine." Of course, on a laminate floor, being a heavy-duty sewing machine, it IS loud. For the amount of hours I've been putting on it, it's gonna need a "spa day" after this is all done. And things are opened back up. 

As a matter of course, I cleaned out the drawer of the sewing machine cabinet. I found this vintage (there's that word again) magazine that I used to subscribe to in the Way Back Times. 

Boy, have things changed. Sizes, for one. Most of the knitting has "XL" as a size 12 with a bust size of 38"...
Yikes... There are a few patterns I'd be interested in doing, but let's just say I'd have to size them up a bit more. 

It's fun to see the recipes too. Jeeze - "cream of something" soup in just about everything, and lots of stuff in cans. I have to laugh too at the Bran Flakes recipes...this was 1984, when bran was The New Super Food. 

The article on Companion Gardening is still relevant; and a thing about creeping Thyme as a ground cover is kind of cool. But mostly, it's a real throw-back. 

The Knitting...




Tons o' stuff to catch up with in regard to The Knitting. So, all this time on my hands in quarantine has resulted in several FOs (finished objects) and a couple new ones started. One frogged, twice...which is my limit. 

First is a shawlette that ended up being for my friend M. I had purchased this organic cotton from Le Mouton Rouge with the intent to do more face cloths. But it wasn't looking like it would work. So I found this pattern on Ravelry, and it fit the yardage. M likes orange (which is the main color) and the rose was a nice accent. I have blue and gold for one for me. I will knit a pattern several times (see Close to You Shawl, which I've knitted at least 3 times) if it's an easy knit and fun. This fit the bill for both things. And with it being cotton, it's kind of a 3-season item of clothing: you can keep the AC off your neck (which is what M is doing), and it's still light enough for when it gets warm.

Here's the pattern: Two Color Seedlings Scarf -- not the yarn called for, but it worked out just fine. And I may still use the leftovers for facecloths. This yarn I used is Mika, a 100% organic cotton. 

Being as we had snow in March and frost in May? "Warm" is a ways off yet. 

The green Traveling Socks are now done. I had to steek --- (cut my knitting!!) because I did a really screwy job on the one sock, and it was like 4" long in the foot. Seeing as I'm a size 9? Yeah... So I tried to unpick, but it didn't work. So I cut. Held my breath, grabbed scissors, and snip, snip, snip. As you can see by the right sock, it was only a few inches that I had to lengthen, but it made all the difference. So Sock #2 got done first! 

I'm going to start knitting my socks at 68 stitches. 64 is too small and 72 is too big. So I started another one. And it's too small in the foot, too... What the heck. I think it's the star toe. I have to add at least an inch to the foot length for the star toe. And I need to increase my heel flap to a full 3 inches. 

I'm plowing through the Opal stash like crazy. But I'm having an issue with finishing. So this blue one is still a tad tight at the toe - and I will do Sock #2 and see if I can make the improvements and then fix the toe of Sock #1. Why do them in order??? This pic here is all of my Opal socks. Yes, I finally got "enough socks to wear them all week long" because I'm not including the Sweet Georgia and MadTosh. Kid #2 wants me to make him some "scrappy short socks" which will be ok, except he's got huge feet.... 

Here are the rest of the socks. I'm rather chuffed.... I've got lots of socks! I'm aiming to clean out my sock drawer and basically get rid of anything I'm not wearing anymore. Replacing them all with hand-knits where I can. I do still wear compression socks when I need to, but the "novelty socks" I have by the dozens can be given away; they're still in good shape, but I don't wear them. I wear these and short socks when I wear socks at all. Two pair of Fluromania...and I'm using the other 2 balls of Fluromania for the Breathe & Hope shawl - I've got blue yarn as the "base" and the pop of the bright color will be just what I want. It'll be a fun knit - twice...

And here, left to right: the hiking sock out of 100% wool (Cascade 220) - I have yarn to do a second pair; these are cozy and great for winter boots. Center is the Trekking sock in "Ovarian Cancer Teal" -- and these have the honor of being "5-year socks" because it was 5 years between Sock #1 and Sock #2... and to the right is my Sweet Georgia pair. These are on 72 stitches and are wayyyy too loose; but the yarn is squishy so it's still comfortable. 

And then there's shawl #2. It was supposed to be Reyna. Except my pattern was wrong (my printer cut off a few rows and I didn't realize it). And then I mis-read KTBL as KFB and I was increasing by FOUR stitches every other row. This was my "frogged twice" project. And it's using yarn that doesn't take kindly to frogging. Expression Fiber Arts Pearlescent Fingering is 50% merino wool and 50% silk. It's got the most gorgeous depth of color and "squish factor" and it splits like a bugger... The bloom of the yarn is lovely. I can't wait for it to be finished. 


But it ain't gonna be Reyna...This was just before Frogging #2...

I've got a few projects "in my sights" to work on while we're under shelter-in-place. But I started Simple and I like to stick with it. I also still have to finish Kid #2's afghan, which is thankfully at 50%. That's going to be my next rotation project. I'm shifting between sock needles (size 1), this shawl (size 5) and the afghan (size 7) -- because I find if there's too drastic a needle switch, my tension goes all wonky. 

I'm doing Simple Shawl with the silk + merino - a Ravelry freebie. Which is dead boring right now because there's about eighty bazillion yards of plain knitting...and then a gorgeous lace edge with a picot bind-off. So it's a patience-pay off thing... I can mindlessly knit this after I've sat at the sewing machine or taught virtual yoga classes or worked at home with the church stuff...and it works for me. 

It's 550 yards, so it'll be bigger than what the pattern calls for. I weighed the yarn, because she says to start the lace section when you have 25 grams of yarn left. I bumped it to 30 grams - to give myself wiggle room. Maybe I can add a few more rounds of lace before I do the bind off. Which will be a test of my math as well as my patience!! 

Here's the Pearlescent Fingering in the hank. I thought it would be a bit brighter, but the sheen of the silk more than makes up for the long runs of the burgundy tones. It's primarily purple-to-burgundy and the white really pops in there. The whole thing is just an exercise in amazing color work. 

I just wish it was less splitty. That's frustrating; I'm using Chiagoo lace circulars which I think helps. I didn't want to use dull points, because I think I can keep it from splitting more with the sharper points. 

I'll work on this shawl till I get sick of it, and then I'll rotate to the afghan. The socks will wait a bit. As Hubby reminded me, "you have time." 

I also bought some Quince & Co. Sparrow yarn and have a beautiful t-shirt to knit. It's definitely summer wear, since Sparrow is linen, but I wanted to challenge myself with something with shaping. So that's got to be wound. 


Oh, I have a new swift and ball winder!! And the set was on sale!!! My swift bit the dust a while back and Hubby was my stand-in. He got tired of that quickly! We'd been researching them anyway; and we came to the conclusion that this table-top model was my best bet. I don't have to clamp it to anything, and then I got the extra-large ball winder. My other ball winder works just fine; so I can wind regular hanks; just the larger ones (like the 550 yards above) were a stretch for the smaller winder. 

This works a treat and I don't have too many moving parts to fiddle with. The ball winder is a tad more complex to put together and storing it isn't fun, but it's also incentive to get my yarn room/yoga room/office in shape. I'd love to have space to keep the ball winder "handy." 

Elder Ladies...

Well, I'm lumping myself with Tippi.... COVID-19 has wreaked havoc and there's lots of drama and tragedy around. Tragedy in that this virus will kill you --- or severely impact your life if you manage to survive. And drama with the queens wailing about wanting to go out for dinner and get haircuts.... Queens of both male and female persuasion because I think all of 'em are whiny babies. 

For some reason, my stylist cut my hair shorter this last time....and thankfully!! So far, it's behaving; but it's starting to curl at the back, which is my clue that it's getting to be "a mess" sooner rather than later. I've got a good blow dryer, and I've got hair combs that I can use. But heavens.... So. Much. Hairspray.... I'm putting the hole back in the ozone layer. This is today, just before my yoga class. Believe me, if I slipped on my mat and landed on my head, my hair would protect me. And not be moved! 

Tippi has regained 90% of her coat since chemo; frankly, it's doubtful she'll ever regain her ruff, even though it's "tufting" somewhat. Her 6-month post-chemo check-up was great. Numbers are where they should be; and I got the 'she's a bit fluffy' chat...but I did deliberately let her eat a lot when she was having chemo. I felt like she needed to have that extra "beef" to carry her when she wasn't feeling well. And that also carried her thru a subsequent bout of pneumonia. Yeah, this dog doesn't do anything the easy way... This was just the other day; she's almost back to her sassy self. She spends a lot of time resting. We're easing her back into walks; the vet said to take our time but definitely have her move more. She likes to have "selective hearing" when she's doing her 'snoring meditations' on the couch. 

She's officially retired as a therapy dog. When we go back to Lewis University, it's going to just be Raisa. I'll probably take her back for one "final" visit, just so everyone can say goodbye, but at age 13.5, her back end is a little wobbly, and I want her to enjoy just being Queen of the Household. She and I will be taking more walks and just hanging out together. 

Random Picture...

This is my favorite time of year. In spite of the freeze that slightly burned my parsley and almost killed off my tomato plants. 

It's lilac time. Pro-tip: If you have allergies, try not to put a big honking vase of lilacs next to you; you'll cough and everyone will think you have COVID-19. Our bushes are 5 years old and this is the best year yet. We keep them at about 7-feet tall, and prune pretty strongly, taking all the suckers off too. 

Funny, we thought we bought 2 identical bushes - the same variety. But nope. Looks like we have two different varieties. Similar - but just slightly different. The right one (at the end of the front sidewalk) is an early bloomer, bigger blossoms, and a lighter French Lilac scent. Lighter, but still quite strong. 

The left one is blooming a bit later, smaller blossoms and a slightly sharper scent. Again, still a French Lilac, and believe me -- you can see these bushes from the end of the block and smell them 4 houses away. When I have my kitchen window open, I can smell them all the way to the back of the house. I love it. 

I know they'll "last longer" if I leave them on the bush, but I'm cutting with abandon, and letting them scent my house. I'm happy to have them and I'm happy to have neighbors walking by and taking deep, deep breaths!

At Least She Waved...

...with her WHOLE hand. 

The lady who actually used her signal, I mean, as I let her get between me and a school bus on the ride home today. 

That courtesy, which my grandfather taught me 'lo those many moons ago when he was teaching me to drive (wave a "thank you" when someone lets you in) has gone by the wayside. 

Usually, the wave consists of one particular finger. 

I drive a good 40 minutes to GET to my part-time gig with the chiropractor and going home can be nearly an hour due to traffic. It behooves us all to be nice to each other. 

That "full-hand" wave was the first I've gotten in a long, long while. It helped that she also used her turn signal to let me know she wanted in... 

That's another thing: the stick on the left-hand side of your steering wheel is an important thing. It's a TURN signal and lets people know what you're doing. Try it. It helps. 

Summer Toes...

Finally, after almost 3 years, I broke down and got a pedicure. It's an OPI color, something about the Seventh Hill. All I know is that it's a rose gold and I wanted to do that rather than the jade-ish turquoise I had brought from home. Ended up at Diva's Salon because the place about 3 miles from my house is STILL "working on the remodel" of their pedicure section. I wonder how much business that has cost them... They started this remodel about 5 years ago, gutting the shop and putting in a new hair styling area, removing a "spa" area that was really not a nice area, and renovating the front entrance. Then they began working on the pedicure area. And working on it. And working on it. I'd call a couple times a year, and they're "still not ready."

Wow. 

Anyway, being a yoga teacher, I like to have my feet looking decent. I was kind of dreading the "sanding" but according to the pedicure lady, I have the equivalent of "baby feet." I guess she's worked on some real hard-core feet. 

The Garden Grows...

It's spring. Finally. Our garden is blooming. The Monster Bleeding Heart is back for the 31st year. Yes, thirty-one years with the same plant. It takes over the northwest corner of the porch. I have to have Hubby put down more pea gravel in the front bed there. It's remarkably shallow, and aside from The Monster, nothing else grows there. There's a hanging hook (double) and a couple of solar lights. And a cement Virgin Mary. Oh, and a garden flag. Otherwise, I've never had any luck at anything growing around The Monster. 

To the left of The Monster are our hostas and a plethora of Lily of the Valley. I mean a super-plethora. Hubby pulled two of them out of the crack in the sidewalk! I should actually say the seam in the sidewalk, but it is slightly cracked. Not sure how everyone manages to get along, but this year, we do need to thin out the lilies. 

He took up some of our day lilies out front and put them in "pineapple" planters in front of the yoga studio.  I mean, the planters are large ceramic planters, deep red, and they have a pattern embossed on them where, with the tops of the lilies, it looks as if they're large red pineapples! At least that's what the students are saying. If we have spares, we'll put more at the Vicarage for a maintenance-free garden spot for whenever we get our permanent priest.


The Icelandic Poppy has again migrated. I swear. I planted it in the tip of the triangular garden and every year, it comes up in a different spot. I have no idea how or why. This year, it's looking particularly lush and I'm looking forward to those fuzzy heads popping up. The flowers are a delicate ivory-blush and they last for about a minute. But it's a glorious minute!

I'd like to find another one, but so far, I've been unsuccessful in finding a decent-looking plant to add to that spot in the garden. I have to check on my butterfly bush - to see if it survived the winter. That was a late addition last year, so hopefully, it stuck. 

One minute, the lilacs were just turning green. The next, there were buds. 

And then, WHOOOOOOOOOOOF -- we have lilacs! And the smell?? Wow, I can smell it in my kitchen. I love that. Hubby keeps them to about 6' high, and the pair of them flank the front sidewalk. To either side of them are the day lilies, and right under the left-hand one, the bee balm is coming up gangbusters. I don't know why it never took on the right side, but I'm willing to wager it's because of the lack of sunlight when the afternoon hits. 

The Prairie Blazing star is back. The cone-flowers (purple, of course) are back. The dill is back, teeny little sprouts. I think the lavender is back. And all the stuff in the front flower bed is also back. Just have to figure out what's what. 

I want to get to Eastside Greenhouse this weekend, if I can, for the veggies. They're selling singles of heirloom tomatoes. Unfortunately, the seedlings didn't do well...so I have to get the plants. 

Reading...

Oh my. I picked up a couple of books, ostensibly for the trip to see Kid #1 in Colorado, but I started one. It's called "The Couple Next Door," and it's by Shari Lapena. It's got enough twists and turns for anyone, and I'm gobbling it up. 

There's also an Anne Perry that I'm re-reading, and I have a few Louise Penney books in my Kindle. Likely, the Kindle comes with. Not the "real" books...

There's nothing to report knitting-wise. I haven't done any. I'm scoping out music to play on the guitar for services when our organist isn't around - I need 4 hymns and service music - about 7 pieces in all, that I have to have down cold (with the music in front of me, thankfully) and ready to go at a moment's notice. So the hymns likely won't match the readings, which is the usual procedure. But it'll be music, and that's what the congregation wants. 

Yoga...

Thank you, Universe! The private sessions have been popping lately, and I love that. I love teaching my open classes and I've had several students since the first day I'd stepped in front of a class. That makes me happy. 

But private sessions are great for folks with issues, or who don't know a lot about yoga, or who want a refresher before they step into an open class. And I've had a string of bookings, which is a nice thing. If I can get several steady private clients, I'd feel like I'm doing well. 

Here's a little inside scoop on the yoga biz. About 99% of the time, your yoga teacher isn't making a whole lot of money. And no, honestly, we're not in it to give away yoga. We ARE doing our jobs. We are putting a lot of money into training so that we can give you the best we have. And we do deserve to make a decent wage for our services. So private sessions are where most yoga teachers can get to the point of making a living teaching. That and workshops. Or teacher trainings. And I need my own 500-hour certification before I can feel like I can reliably teach people who want to teach. 

I'm happy with the private sessions; I know the business waxes and wanes. And while it's waxing, I'm going to give my best to my students and enjoy it. 

Random Picture...

This greeted us after tonight's class. Can you see what's in the picture aside from the gorgeous Midwestern sunset?

A couple of the students were out in the parking lot before class looking at it, and then after class, as I was closing up, I saw it, and ran to grab my phone (which was in the bottom of my purse, as it usually is). I managed to get about 6 shots off, and Hubby was kind of astounded at this. 

He was also complimentary on the fact that I really did get a nice picture of the sunset, light poles and stop signs notwithstanding. That's the nice thing about living in the country-burbs. We're close enough to the Big City, but we have space. And sunsets. 

Mea Culpa. Mea Culpa. Mea Maxima Culpa...

So for those of you who don't know "Church Latin," that means roughly "My fault, my fault, very much my fault."

Why? Well, there's more weather coming in. Yep, WINTER weather. And today, I washed my truck. I couldn't quite remember what color it was, and since it's a balmy 49* here, I thought I'd scrape off some of the crud.

Lest you get mad at ME -- let me assure you, my MOM also washed hers. But she's older, so we don't want to be bashing the senior citizens...

See? My truck is now back to its lovely color. And by Wednesday, there's going to be more snow. 

I'm sorry. But I couldn't stand it anymore. My day lilies are pushing up in the melting icky snow, and I just had to do it. 

Mea culpa. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa. I guess that's fitting since it's also Lent. 

Primary Elections...

I don't know if it's national or in my area only, but March 18 is a primary election. Unfortunately, in IL we don't have "open primaries." That means you have to declare a party. If you go with "Independent," then you only get any referendum issues that are up for vote. 

Since I'm an Election Judge again this year, Hubby and I went out Saturday to vote early.

Have you voted?  You know - no matter WHICH party you belong to, our country is being taken over (or they're trying to) by rich, mega-rich, ultra-mega-rich folks. Thanks, Supreme Court, (not) for declaring corporations as "people." The Citizens United decision opened the floodgates for corporations to pour buckets and buckets and TROUGHS full of money into our election process.

The point is - so far, at least locally, YOUR VOTE COUNTS. So if you are having a primary election, get your butt to the polls and VOTE. 

Women in the US have had the right to vote since 1920, with the ratification of the 19th Amendment. 

Exercise that right. Vote. And hey - share the graphic above on your FB page or wherever. It's time to raise a ruckus. 

Knitting...

So I finally got back to Le Mouton Rouge Knittery. And of course I got some yarn. This is from a company in Corvallis, MT. It's hand dyed. It could be socks. It will likely be socks. 

But it could be a one-skein shawl if I wanted.  Anyway, I've added to Sock Stash with this purchase. I don't know - I think I'm bored with the Teal Sock and the Pink Sock. I'm sort of being unfaithful to both of them. I just felt like this colorway called to me. It's been a long winter, I guess. 

But maybe it also means I'm a little sick of knitting with toothpicks and I needed something between the logs I used to knit the afghan, and the teeny tiny size 1.5 needles for the socks. 

Oh, I also downloaded Kelly's "Ewe Love Red" one-skein shawl - it's on Ravelry - go find it. She's got lots of lovely patterns, and that shawl? 

I've seen it up-close and it is wonderful. She used Madelaine Tosh sock yarn, but I expect anything you have in sock-weight that you can't bear to knit "for your feet" will do just nicely with the pattern.

Hey - it's $5.00. Well worth it for a lovely pattern. Now to find the ball-winder. The swift is there. The ball-winder is somewhere. In my office. In a plastic tote. 

Unknown Blue Acrylic

So - I did a little ramble through the stash and I was thinking of my friends D and J - they're doing the baby stuff, remember? Well, D gave me a car-load (about 1,300 yards) of yarn in a blue variegated and a purple variegated. About 1,300 yards of EACH color. I'm grateful that she's passing it on, but she has the notorious habit of removing ball bands. So....... Augggggggggggh... I had to do the burn test to see what it was. First, I did the "spit-felt" test. You take the yarn, cut it, split the fibers, wet them and "felt" between your hands. If they felt together and you can't pull it apart, the fiber at least has a decent wool content. If it doesn't felt, it's not wool. I did the burn test, and to me and Hubby both, it smelled slightly "plastic" and it melted. It's likely acrylic. 

So here's what I started. A stash-busting baby jacket. It's the same one I did for The Twins. Just basically a rectangle with an asymmetrical front, basic buttonholes (no placket) and sleeves that you cast-on for when you reach about 8" of back. It's a pattern I got when I subscribed to a magazine, so I really don't think I can pass it on without angering the Copyright Gods. Anyway, The Google likely has a zillion "simple baby jacket" patterns. And there's always Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. 

Simple Baby Jacket

I've been on an EZ kick. I now have all her books and I've bookmarked Schoolhouse Press. On my list is the BSJ. Also, the Sally Melville Einstein Jacket - for which I have both the yarn and buttons. I am making that one for myself, but there's a kiddie-version as well. 

At any rate, there's enough of both the blue and purple to do at least 2 jackets each, or a jacket and booties, or in a crazy moment, perhaps a mitered-square afghan. I'm not keen on baby mitts - they don't like 'em anyway. I do love baby hats. And with this yarn, I suppose I could do cuffs and bottom in the alternate color. Or mix it up. The variegation keeps you occupied. Or at least it keeps me occupied. I don't necessarily need a fiddly pattern. Just an interesting yarn. It's very soft, too, which is nice. Very baby-friendly.

Honestly, just about any combination, as long as it's hand knitted with love - it looks great on a baby! I dove into the button-bin and I have some buttons set aside. This pattern calls for 2 buttons (3/4") but I don't see any reason why I can't just put ONE in the thing. The baby won't know the difference. And neither will the parents, actually. The buttons I have picked out are very simple white round ones. They're not exactly "vintage" but they've been in the bin a long while. 

Anyway, I got cracking on it yesterday and I'm just plugging along. I did a bunch while watching "Cosmos" last night. It's a fantastic show, so if you can, watch it. I don't normally watch Fox Television. But this is worth the watch. 

Raisa...

Well, I have found the secret to getting a 5-month-old husky puppy to follow you on a loose leash, instead of trying to "Iditarod" around the store. 

Hold a small piece of buttered wheat toast in your opposite-the-leash hand. Seriously. I thought our trainer Bobbie was going to bust a gut laughing...but it worked. 

That got her through "sit-stay" and them "come" yesterday in training. It also helped her ignore the HUGE brindle Mastiff-mix who came 'round the corner dragging his owner. I'm afraid that Raisa is thisclose to heat. Boscoe the French Bulldog was very excited to see her. 

I'm hoping that she holds off long enough to "graduate" from Basic Obedience next Sunday. But if she's in heat, she ain't goin' out in public!

On Sunday morning Tippi &  Quinn got into a bad fight over her. At least we think it was over her. Tippi was doing some fairly intense sniffing the night before. Tippi & Quinn have had a few bad fights, ever since Quinn was spayed. But the consensus is that Raisa's blooming hormones have made the other 2 very PMS-y. Lovely. 

We did spay Quinn before her first heat. Had I a chance to do it over, I'd have let her have the heat cycle. Here's a link that provides some good information. Basically, most people have had their dogs spayed before they've gone into heat. We've all been told that's "good puppy parenting" and helps keep the number of unintended litters down. And that's great. I'm all for that. But c'mon... If you have a female, you can't just leave her outside unattended. "Good puppy parenting" also means paying attention to your dog.

Anyway, the newer science says let them have one heat (more if you can) and then spay around age 3 or so. Well, we can't do that. Raisa will have her first heat and then she'll be spayed. The consequences for early spaying not only include stunting physical growth. It also seems that there's an emotional growth that doesn't happen, making the dogs skittish, snappy and nervous. Which would be Quinn. 

Shhhhhhhh...

FYI, no question about it - NOBODY is going to be re-homed. Tippi's an adult dog, and I wouldn't do that to her. We are her FOURTH home, and she was 2.5 years old when we got her. We've had Quinn since she was 3 months old...she was intended for my sister, but instead became a "foster failure" -- we were a bit concerned in the beginning because she was Tippi's baby, and Tippi had rejected that litter. But River (RIP) took over the mothering and Quinn bonded tightly with her. There was NEVER a hint of this kind of thing with River.

And I think that if Raisa had been the age she was advertised with the rescue (12 weeks), it would've been a bit easier. As it is, and it's totally our fault for not asking, she was at least 5 months old -- wayyyyyyy too close to going into heat, what with the additional stress of being introduced into a family. 

It'll all work out. If we need to consult a behaviorist, we will. Each of them seems to get along well with Raisa. It's just each other. 

So anyway...after training, Raisa was pooped. So she decided that she needed a nap. And that box wasn't going to get in her way. Yes, it's a goofy picture. But Siberian Huskies can be goof-balls. 

Random Picture...


Yes, spring will be here. In spite of the last blast of winter. When I went to the grocery store this morning, it was breezy (wind out of the west) and just lovely. 

Like I said, the day lilies are coming up. And the lilacs will be budding. 

And spring will return. I haven't seen the robins yet, but I can't help but believe they're there. 

I'm getting that itch to plan the veggie garden. Likely, there'll be no tomatoes this year. After 4 bad years in a row, we're not certain we want to deal with them. But you never know. At least one tomato plant??

And an expanded herb garden. And flowers. I can see it in my head, and I can smell the lilacs now. Can't you?