Life is too full at the moment to concentrate on any single topic. Here are some random thoughts.
1) Birthdays aren't so bad when you don't pay a lot of attention to them. 53 doesn't feel much older than the 52 I was several days ago. I figure the next "big" birthday will be 60 -- and if all goes well I'll be celebrating my retirement and that will way overshadow the age anxt. 7 years to go!
2) The "porch project" is now in our own hands. It will be done as soon as we can find time to paint it and install the flooring. It seemed like it took forever for the contractors to get it done, but now the pressure is on us. Two educators. At one of the busiest parts of the school year. Sigh.
3) Of course, finishing the painting and flooring is only the first part. Then we need to sort out all the stuff in piles in the living room, move furniture all around, buy shades (otherwise we'd be sitting in a fishbowl at the front of the house now that it is dark outside so early in the evenings).
4) I've arranged my schedule so that I could commit to attending a yoga class every Thursday right after work. I'm loving it! And, I've attended 4 of the 5 past weeks (skipped the week when I pulled a muscle in my back during a wardrobe malfunction -- but that's a longer story). It feels good.
5) I almost talked myself out of going to yoga this week, but made myself do it. When I got there, it turned out that several people I know who I haven't seen in some time were there -- and just confirmed that I need to keep making myself do this because there may be unexpected benefits.
6) Holiday knitting is on my mind. I'm half-way up the body of a sweater for one son, with a pattern picked out for the other. I'm also thinking about knitting a shawl for my brother's fiancee for their wedding. But, first I need to knit a tea cozy for the tea pot Don is now using for his morning tea. Function first.
7) Seems like we have a reprieve from Mom's dementia. After a rough spot that included two hospitalizations, she seems quite healthy, mentally.
8) I love my cats and they love me. It is well worth the allergy meds on a daily basis to enjoy their company.
9) And, last but not least, I'm blessed with a great husband. Don remembered my birthday with a lovely arrangement of flowers waiting on the table when I got up yesterday. We're happily coming up on our 25th anniversary next May - hard to believe it has been 25 years! But, I think we'll keep each other.
ON MY NEEDLES
Still working on my Maplewing in Woolen Rabbit lace weight in grey/purple. I love how this pattern starts from the bottom and goes up, so the rows get shorter as you go along instead of getting longer.
Sweater for a son. 'nuff said
That's it, at the moment (aside from UFO's put aside), but I'm going to cast on for a tea cozy today!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Top Ten Technology Faves
In some ways I have definite Luddite tendencies. Switching to new e-mail and calendar software at work this summer was a setback I am still recovering from, two months later. When I hear that I'm up for a computer upgrade at work, I inwardly groan. Luckily, at work, I have lots of support and know the tech support staff by first name.
But, I do recognize that there are technology products that absolutely make my life much better. Here's my top ten:
1. Electric mattress pad warmer. I have a distinct tendency for night chills and this has made all the difference. We like sleeping under a down comforter, so using an electric blanket wasn't an option. I especially like that our queen sized one has separate controls for each side of the bed so I can be toasty without overheating my DH.
2. Electric tea kettle. These had just gotten popular in Scotland when I was living there in the early 80's, but didn't really show up here until not too many years ago. I think we've had ours for about 5 years. This one was such a hit with my family that both sons had it near the top of their list of must-haves when they went off to college. Some people have talked about using them to make macaroni and cheese, but we wouldn't dream of doing that -- it would make our tea taste funny!
3. Cars that automatically turn off your headlights when you turn off the car. At this point, it could be a dealmaker for me when buying a car because our Toyotas and VW Golf have this feature so I'd be hopeless about remembering to do it myself.
4. EZ Pass. Although I liked the early version, Transpass, better because you could push a button on top and see how much money you had left on it, the EZ Pass is a must-have. Not only is it nice when going places in Maine, it makes travel in other states even easier -- very short waits, if any, at toll booths in NH, MA, and PA on recent trips.
5. iPods. I don't even have the new iPod Touch, but still love my mp3 player. I'm particularly enamored with podcasts and audiobooks.
6. Cell phones with QWERTY (that is so much fun to type) keyboards. A very bright young woman told a group of parents at UNH Orientation that we must, must, must have unlimited texting on our phone plans if we were sending a son or daughter off to college. She was absolutely right. But, it is the QWERTY keyboard that makes it possible for me to use it.
7. eCards. I've got a subscription to an eCard site offered by a lovely artist, Jacquie Lawson. It makes it much easier to send someone a card at the last minute (not that I always remember to do it even though it is easy to do).
8. On-line banking. I've not converted to on-line bill paying yet, but do appreciate being able to monitor our bank accounts in real time instead of waiting for the monthly statement. I was never good at using those statements to update my register (I remember a couple of years when I would take a whole day to do a whole year at a time) but am now able to do it at least weekly. It also makes it much more convenient to set up fund transfers for our sons at college -- weekly food allowances are key.
9. Social networks for knitters. Ravelry, for example. Although they can become a black hole of browsing and take way too much time, they also can be incredibly handy when contemplating a new pattern or deciding whether the yarn you already have can work in the pattern you are considering. The knitting world online is wonderfully accessible and generous. While I'm also a quilter and basket weaver, I haven't found a home in those online worlds the way I have in knitting. And I'm not even as engaged as some people I know!
10. Windows that fold in so you can wash the outside from inside the house. Yes, this last one returns me to the Luddite category because you're probably not really thinking it is "technology" as many would define it. But, it is something that makes my life much sunnier and my vision much clearer on a daily basis. It is well worth the extra money we've spent on replacing our old, rattling, weight-balanced (old window technology) double-hung windows.
ON MY NEEDLES
Speaking of needles, I could add #11: bamboo and wooden knitting needles. I grew up using aluminum and plastic needles -- either too inflexible or too flexible. Bamboo and wooden needles are the easiest on my hands and wrists, making it possible to knit more and longer when I get the chance.
TECHNOLOGY I'M CONSIDERING
I'm very intrigued by the eReaders -- especially since reading about a movement to create borrowing libraries for eBooks (check out WorldLibrary). I'm trained as a librarian and can't be parted from my extensive, and growing, collection of physical books, but still am interested in seeing whether an eReader might fit into my life. But, I'll probably stick to my non-early adopter status and wait a while to see where they go.
But, I do recognize that there are technology products that absolutely make my life much better. Here's my top ten:
1. Electric mattress pad warmer. I have a distinct tendency for night chills and this has made all the difference. We like sleeping under a down comforter, so using an electric blanket wasn't an option. I especially like that our queen sized one has separate controls for each side of the bed so I can be toasty without overheating my DH.
2. Electric tea kettle. These had just gotten popular in Scotland when I was living there in the early 80's, but didn't really show up here until not too many years ago. I think we've had ours for about 5 years. This one was such a hit with my family that both sons had it near the top of their list of must-haves when they went off to college. Some people have talked about using them to make macaroni and cheese, but we wouldn't dream of doing that -- it would make our tea taste funny!
3. Cars that automatically turn off your headlights when you turn off the car. At this point, it could be a dealmaker for me when buying a car because our Toyotas and VW Golf have this feature so I'd be hopeless about remembering to do it myself.
4. EZ Pass. Although I liked the early version, Transpass, better because you could push a button on top and see how much money you had left on it, the EZ Pass is a must-have. Not only is it nice when going places in Maine, it makes travel in other states even easier -- very short waits, if any, at toll booths in NH, MA, and PA on recent trips.
5. iPods. I don't even have the new iPod Touch, but still love my mp3 player. I'm particularly enamored with podcasts and audiobooks.
6. Cell phones with QWERTY (that is so much fun to type) keyboards. A very bright young woman told a group of parents at UNH Orientation that we must, must, must have unlimited texting on our phone plans if we were sending a son or daughter off to college. She was absolutely right. But, it is the QWERTY keyboard that makes it possible for me to use it.
7. eCards. I've got a subscription to an eCard site offered by a lovely artist, Jacquie Lawson. It makes it much easier to send someone a card at the last minute (not that I always remember to do it even though it is easy to do).
8. On-line banking. I've not converted to on-line bill paying yet, but do appreciate being able to monitor our bank accounts in real time instead of waiting for the monthly statement. I was never good at using those statements to update my register (I remember a couple of years when I would take a whole day to do a whole year at a time) but am now able to do it at least weekly. It also makes it much more convenient to set up fund transfers for our sons at college -- weekly food allowances are key.
9. Social networks for knitters. Ravelry, for example. Although they can become a black hole of browsing and take way too much time, they also can be incredibly handy when contemplating a new pattern or deciding whether the yarn you already have can work in the pattern you are considering. The knitting world online is wonderfully accessible and generous. While I'm also a quilter and basket weaver, I haven't found a home in those online worlds the way I have in knitting. And I'm not even as engaged as some people I know!
10. Windows that fold in so you can wash the outside from inside the house. Yes, this last one returns me to the Luddite category because you're probably not really thinking it is "technology" as many would define it. But, it is something that makes my life much sunnier and my vision much clearer on a daily basis. It is well worth the extra money we've spent on replacing our old, rattling, weight-balanced (old window technology) double-hung windows.
ON MY NEEDLES
Speaking of needles, I could add #11: bamboo and wooden knitting needles. I grew up using aluminum and plastic needles -- either too inflexible or too flexible. Bamboo and wooden needles are the easiest on my hands and wrists, making it possible to knit more and longer when I get the chance.
TECHNOLOGY I'M CONSIDERING
I'm very intrigued by the eReaders -- especially since reading about a movement to create borrowing libraries for eBooks (check out WorldLibrary). I'm trained as a librarian and can't be parted from my extensive, and growing, collection of physical books, but still am interested in seeing whether an eReader might fit into my life. But, I'll probably stick to my non-early adopter status and wait a while to see where they go.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Summer winds down
The end-of-summer blues have hit. I'm enjoying a week off, with just one more half-time week to go before students return to the college where I work and life gets very busy very fast. The blues manifest themselves in my being cranky (just ask my husband) and in my clinging to every minute of at home time.
But, I can look back on this as a very productive summer (give the empty nest some credit). I'm about to sew the binding on one quilt and am close to finishing up the top on another. I even got the sewing room cleaned up enough that I've been able to spread the quilts out to work on them on the floor -- now, THAT is an accomplishment (having the sewing room cleaned up somewhat, that is). I've done a lot of sorting out of my knitting stuff. Gathered materials for other random projects all in one place -- needlepunching in one basket, applique in another bag.
The porch is emptied out (with stuff stacked in the living room, I admit) in preparation for our contractor to replace the windows and insulate the porch so we'll be able to use it very nearly all year around. It will be lovely to have the sunshine pouring in!
We did a fair amount of work on the flower beds in July and finally topped up the mulch so they look quite nice again. The mulch has also helped keep the moisture in the ground as the summer has gotten dryer and keeps the plants "perked up."
I peeled wallpaper off 3 of the 4 walls in one son's room, primed over the ugliness and hope to wallpaper later this fall. First I need to paint the ceiling and the window woodwork (which got primed to-- just several years after they were installed).
And, we've spent significant quality time with both sides of the family, including getting the not-to-be-missed beach day with my sister in this past week.
The only thing really left on our list is to camp in our new tent. Don is anxious to get to that item, so he set the tent up in the back yard today and plans to sleep in it tonight. Even better, we have reservations at a state park the weekend after Labor Day -- for a little R&R after the first week of school.
All in all, really quite a lovely summer with no regrets going back to the full-time world of work.
ON MY NEEDLES
I'm about half-way through the latest Maplewings Shawl. It has been a good travel companion and I love the way it gets smaller as you go along instead of going the other direction. I feel rewarded for my efforts by having the rows go faster and faster as I go along!
I just started a February Lady's Sweater from some blue heather dk yarn I've had in my stash for a couple of years. It is mostly acrylic, with some wool, but I just wanted to be working on something that took a little less attention and brainpower than my lace projects.
Other than the new sweater, I've actually been very monogamous in my knitting this summer.
OTHER PROJECTS
I'm putting the binding on a star quilt for my sister. I made her a quilt with big stars on it when I was in college and she loved it. Unfortunately, that was when it was very hard to get good cotton quilting fabric and was poly/cotton with polyester thread and over the years it just shredded away to nothing. A few years ago I spotted an interesting star quilt in a vendor booth at MaineQuilts and bought the pattern. Basically, you build a stack of large squares, cut the star out of the center, move the top star to the bottom of the pile and then have a set of contrasting blocks with stars in the centers. I love the color combinations I ended up with and finally got it machine quilted last winter. I squared it up today and sewed the binding on the front. All that is left to do is hand-sew the binding down on the back -- a task that is perfect for television time which will make my husband very happy.
More than a year ago now I offered to make my mother a sweater. She was a prolific knitter who was always making something for someone else and I thought she might like to have someone knit for her. But, she said she'd rather have a quilt. A pastel quilt. Queen bed size.
Now, I love to quilt. I love choosing and adapting a pattern, searching for color combinations in my stash and in quilt shops, and the chance for precision in my work. But, starting a quilt for my mother involved quite a bit of up-front work in cleaning out my sewing room so I could actually work in there. In the winter, it is one of the coldest rooms in the house and my hanging out up there means I basically abandon my family for the evening. Well, this spring I had an opportunity to do some cleaning/organizing in my sewing room. It was helped along by our installing a gate across the door so the cats can't get in but the air flows better and keeps the room from being so cold. And, there was the possibility we were going to replace the windows in there and I would have to really clear the way for that (that project is on hold for another year - we decided the porch project was more important).
So, I've made wonderful progress on the quilt for my mother. It has 72 pinwheel blocks -- each with a different pastel or bright pastel fabric. I'm in the process of putting the 6" border on the pinwheel block center and will then applique vines and leaves on those borders (which is fine -- I can can do that in front of the TV and after taking another applique class at the quilt show this summer I realize that I actually really love doing applique). With any luck, I'll have a quilt top to show Mom for her birthday in mid-September and could have it quilted by Christmas!
Then, I can get to my youngest son's quilt - yes, Nate, I'm getting ready to start your quilt!
But, I can look back on this as a very productive summer (give the empty nest some credit). I'm about to sew the binding on one quilt and am close to finishing up the top on another. I even got the sewing room cleaned up enough that I've been able to spread the quilts out to work on them on the floor -- now, THAT is an accomplishment (having the sewing room cleaned up somewhat, that is). I've done a lot of sorting out of my knitting stuff. Gathered materials for other random projects all in one place -- needlepunching in one basket, applique in another bag.
The porch is emptied out (with stuff stacked in the living room, I admit) in preparation for our contractor to replace the windows and insulate the porch so we'll be able to use it very nearly all year around. It will be lovely to have the sunshine pouring in!
We did a fair amount of work on the flower beds in July and finally topped up the mulch so they look quite nice again. The mulch has also helped keep the moisture in the ground as the summer has gotten dryer and keeps the plants "perked up."
I peeled wallpaper off 3 of the 4 walls in one son's room, primed over the ugliness and hope to wallpaper later this fall. First I need to paint the ceiling and the window woodwork (which got primed to-- just several years after they were installed).
And, we've spent significant quality time with both sides of the family, including getting the not-to-be-missed beach day with my sister in this past week.
The only thing really left on our list is to camp in our new tent. Don is anxious to get to that item, so he set the tent up in the back yard today and plans to sleep in it tonight. Even better, we have reservations at a state park the weekend after Labor Day -- for a little R&R after the first week of school.
All in all, really quite a lovely summer with no regrets going back to the full-time world of work.
ON MY NEEDLES
I'm about half-way through the latest Maplewings Shawl. It has been a good travel companion and I love the way it gets smaller as you go along instead of going the other direction. I feel rewarded for my efforts by having the rows go faster and faster as I go along!
I just started a February Lady's Sweater from some blue heather dk yarn I've had in my stash for a couple of years. It is mostly acrylic, with some wool, but I just wanted to be working on something that took a little less attention and brainpower than my lace projects.
Other than the new sweater, I've actually been very monogamous in my knitting this summer.
OTHER PROJECTS
I'm putting the binding on a star quilt for my sister. I made her a quilt with big stars on it when I was in college and she loved it. Unfortunately, that was when it was very hard to get good cotton quilting fabric and was poly/cotton with polyester thread and over the years it just shredded away to nothing. A few years ago I spotted an interesting star quilt in a vendor booth at MaineQuilts and bought the pattern. Basically, you build a stack of large squares, cut the star out of the center, move the top star to the bottom of the pile and then have a set of contrasting blocks with stars in the centers. I love the color combinations I ended up with and finally got it machine quilted last winter. I squared it up today and sewed the binding on the front. All that is left to do is hand-sew the binding down on the back -- a task that is perfect for television time which will make my husband very happy.
More than a year ago now I offered to make my mother a sweater. She was a prolific knitter who was always making something for someone else and I thought she might like to have someone knit for her. But, she said she'd rather have a quilt. A pastel quilt. Queen bed size.
Now, I love to quilt. I love choosing and adapting a pattern, searching for color combinations in my stash and in quilt shops, and the chance for precision in my work. But, starting a quilt for my mother involved quite a bit of up-front work in cleaning out my sewing room so I could actually work in there. In the winter, it is one of the coldest rooms in the house and my hanging out up there means I basically abandon my family for the evening. Well, this spring I had an opportunity to do some cleaning/organizing in my sewing room. It was helped along by our installing a gate across the door so the cats can't get in but the air flows better and keeps the room from being so cold. And, there was the possibility we were going to replace the windows in there and I would have to really clear the way for that (that project is on hold for another year - we decided the porch project was more important).
So, I've made wonderful progress on the quilt for my mother. It has 72 pinwheel blocks -- each with a different pastel or bright pastel fabric. I'm in the process of putting the 6" border on the pinwheel block center and will then applique vines and leaves on those borders (which is fine -- I can can do that in front of the TV and after taking another applique class at the quilt show this summer I realize that I actually really love doing applique). With any luck, I'll have a quilt top to show Mom for her birthday in mid-September and could have it quilted by Christmas!
Then, I can get to my youngest son's quilt - yes, Nate, I'm getting ready to start your quilt!
Friday, July 9, 2010
Summer!
I am incredibly fortunate to be able to reduce my work schedule to half-time in the summer. I used to have two months off completely, and miss that, but actually like the reduced schedule better as the shock of going back in September isn't so ... shocking. Either way, I LOVE having the time -- the trade-off in pay is so worth it to me.
This doesn't sound exciting, but the time allows me to get things done that I've been putting off for months -- like calling to see about getting the number display panel on the microwave fixed, getting our new-last-fall fence straightened up, cleaning out the linen closet (which I did last summer and is actually in pretty good shape a year later -- the blessings of an empty nest), and taking the cats to the vet for their annual check up.
More exciting is the chance to visit with friends and relatives. I had dinner with a friend last night who is doing an internship of sorts in Portland. We had a relaxed saunter through the Old Port, a two-hour dinner and conversation in a quiet restaurant, and an ice cream dessert. It was lovely. Next week I hope I'll be able to take my bike down for a ride with my sister. You get the idea -- slow, relaxed, and not dictated by the 8-5 schedule.
Even the steamy hot weather hasn't got me down the way it often does. We've got an air conditioner in the sewing room/our bedroom so I have a retreat where there is plenty to do, and we can sleep in reasonable comfort. Again, I'm so fortunate.
Don says I have good karma. I prefer to call it an abundance of blessings. Whatever you call it, I'm basking in it for now.
ON MY NEEDLES
Same as last time -- it has been too hot and sticky to knit. Instead, I'm working on finishing one quilt for one of my sisters. I cut out the binding pieces yesterday and hope to make headway this afternoon when it is too hot to be anywhere else in the house. I'm also working on a pinwheel quilt for my Mom in various pastel florals on a white background. It is coming along quite nicely. I'll upload pictures later -- now it is time for lunch!
This doesn't sound exciting, but the time allows me to get things done that I've been putting off for months -- like calling to see about getting the number display panel on the microwave fixed, getting our new-last-fall fence straightened up, cleaning out the linen closet (which I did last summer and is actually in pretty good shape a year later -- the blessings of an empty nest), and taking the cats to the vet for their annual check up.
More exciting is the chance to visit with friends and relatives. I had dinner with a friend last night who is doing an internship of sorts in Portland. We had a relaxed saunter through the Old Port, a two-hour dinner and conversation in a quiet restaurant, and an ice cream dessert. It was lovely. Next week I hope I'll be able to take my bike down for a ride with my sister. You get the idea -- slow, relaxed, and not dictated by the 8-5 schedule.
Even the steamy hot weather hasn't got me down the way it often does. We've got an air conditioner in the sewing room/our bedroom so I have a retreat where there is plenty to do, and we can sleep in reasonable comfort. Again, I'm so fortunate.
Don says I have good karma. I prefer to call it an abundance of blessings. Whatever you call it, I'm basking in it for now.
ON MY NEEDLES
Same as last time -- it has been too hot and sticky to knit. Instead, I'm working on finishing one quilt for one of my sisters. I cut out the binding pieces yesterday and hope to make headway this afternoon when it is too hot to be anywhere else in the house. I'm also working on a pinwheel quilt for my Mom in various pastel florals on a white background. It is coming along quite nicely. I'll upload pictures later -- now it is time for lunch!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Back Home - With a New Tent
We just returned from what, at times, felt like a marathon road trip vacation. The first five nights were spent camping. First we camped with all of my siblings and their partners, spouses, children, and some friends in a group site at a nice little campground in West Granville, Massachusetts. Aside from sharing food, campfire stories, and general good times, we also attended the annual Tanglewood appearance of Prairie Home Companion. It was a lot of fun with only a little rain -- just during the performance where we sat on the lawn of the music shed, each with an umbrella (after I went and purchased a pricey but VERY nice one in the gift shop), handing around good eats and beverages. Our favorite part is going into the shed after the show goes off the air and joining in a sing-along with Garrison Keillor -- well worth the time spent in the rain!
Then we headed west to Niagara Falls, Ontario, where Don had found a lovely little private campground (selected over the other options -- KOA and a Jellystone mega-campgrounds) just off the Niagara Parkway south of the tourist areas. I had been to the American Falls some 25+ years ago, but always wanted to go back and see the Canadian falls, so Don indulged me with this side trip. We spent two nights camping there -- one with a wild storm that was so noisy, flapping our tarp wildly, that we got very little sleep the first night. We had a lovely day as tourists, doing the "Behind the Falls" and "Maid of the Mist" options, eating frozen yogurt, and visiting a greenhouse to wait out another rain storm. The second night was much more peaceful.
From there we headed to Meadville, PA to visit our son who is working at his college for this summer between sophomore and junior (hard to believe) years. Instead of camping, though, we stayed in a bed and breakfast. We met the new men's basketball coach who was in town with his wife, new baby, and mother-in-law to look for a house to rent. Also, under the category of "small world," we realized after looking at the guest book that another person staying there used to work at Colby and we knew her! She was there to interview for a job and the first interview of the day was over breakfast at the B&B so I also met the person interviewing her, who happens to know my son quite well.
We visited a couple of hot spots -- lunch at Eddie's Footlongs (Don loved the "sauce"), wine-tasting at Conneaut Winery (bought a few bottles to bring home), and bread from Creative Crust. Then we enjoyed having our son and his friends cook a lovely dinner for us, followed by a visit to Hank's frozen custard stand on peanut-butter night. The nicest part of the trip was seeing how happy he is with his summer job and to meet his very interesting and pleasant friends.
Then, off to Rhode Island where we intended to spend a night or so before heading home. The drive, however, took several hours longer than anticipated due to traffic in Connecticut (note to self: avoid Connecticut) and we were truly exhausted when we got there so stayed for two lovely full days of lounging on the deck and around the pool before driving home today. The traffic was a breeze (either yesterday or tomorrow it would have been a beast), and the trip went really fast due to our coming to the climax of the book on tape we were listening to: The Water Room (a Bryant and May mystery - also known as the Peculiar Crimes Unit).
We stopped in Freeport and replaced the tent we've been very happy using the past ten years or so. We'd started having problems with the zipper at the bottom of the door last year, but this year the problem spread to the side zipper. We were able to finangle it throughout the trip, but it was clear that something needed to be done before our next camping trip. We were given the choice of trying to fix it (not clear whether it could be fixed or not) or taking a credit to be used for a replacement tent. My first inclination was to fix it -- we had a lot of great memories tied up in that tent -- but elected to go see what would be the replacement tent (the model we had was discontinued several years ago). The dome tent that would be equivalent had some significant design drawbacks. Looking around the camping department, we found ourselves looking at a tent with a screen "porch." Long story short, we decided to take the credit, put it toward the new tent along with a couple of Bean coupons and some more money. All in all, we calculate that, if this tent lasts at least 10 years (like the last one), it costs us less than $20/year (between the two tents) to own a tent -- and if we further amortized it over the number of times we camp it is even more cost-effective (yes, we justified the cost and got the roomiest tent we could find!). Let's just say that we will be looking at the calendar to see how soon we can go camping in it!
Oh, and the queen size AeroBed mattress I bought for the trip was another good investment. I've been fine for years on the thin self-inflating camp mattresses (we had the thick version but they are really designed for backpackers), but in the past few years have found them less and less comfortable and wasn't looking forward to 5 nights on one. Even Don ended up thinking it had been a good purchase :)
All in all it was a lovely trip. And the nice touch at the end was stopping to visit my parents and discovering that my Dad had just whipped up the ingredients for strawberry shortcake! I was afraid that I was going to miss strawberry season entirely while away on this trip. But, we did get back just in time to start harvesting tart cherries off our 2-year old tree. I've got about 10 cups picked tonight and there are plenty left on the tree to ripen a bit more for picking over the next few days. I'll be bagging most up for freezing, but plan at least one pie first!
Nice to travel -- nice to be home.
ON MY NEEDLES
Of course, traveling provides a wonderful opportunity for knitting and this one was especially good.
I started the MapleWing Shawl in the purple/grey laceweight from Woolen Rabbit that I purchased at Spa Knit & Spin in the spring. I've made this pattern once, but didn't end up loving the color that friends encouraged me to choose, so I'm making it again and this time I'm making the larger version of the pattern (more repeats of each section). I got through section A and am almost half-way through section B of the pattern. The really nice thing about this pattern is that you start at the bottom, so the rows get shorter as you go along, instead of the other way around.
I also brought the green lace shawl I had started two summers ago and knit on when we were taking the boys to start college. I had a number of problems with this project (see very early blog posts for more on that) and ended up putting that shawl in "time out." It was really my first attempt at a lace shawl, so, having completed a number of other lace projects since then I shouldn't have any problems with it now. But, it is a pattern that requires concentration, so can only be worked on without distractions. And, it gets bigger and the rows get longer as you go along -- it will be a slow project to work on.
I brought my Skew socks, but didn't touch them -- I was too enticed by the lace, as usual.
Then we headed west to Niagara Falls, Ontario, where Don had found a lovely little private campground (selected over the other options -- KOA and a Jellystone mega-campgrounds) just off the Niagara Parkway south of the tourist areas. I had been to the American Falls some 25+ years ago, but always wanted to go back and see the Canadian falls, so Don indulged me with this side trip. We spent two nights camping there -- one with a wild storm that was so noisy, flapping our tarp wildly, that we got very little sleep the first night. We had a lovely day as tourists, doing the "Behind the Falls" and "Maid of the Mist" options, eating frozen yogurt, and visiting a greenhouse to wait out another rain storm. The second night was much more peaceful.
From there we headed to Meadville, PA to visit our son who is working at his college for this summer between sophomore and junior (hard to believe) years. Instead of camping, though, we stayed in a bed and breakfast. We met the new men's basketball coach who was in town with his wife, new baby, and mother-in-law to look for a house to rent. Also, under the category of "small world," we realized after looking at the guest book that another person staying there used to work at Colby and we knew her! She was there to interview for a job and the first interview of the day was over breakfast at the B&B so I also met the person interviewing her, who happens to know my son quite well.
We visited a couple of hot spots -- lunch at Eddie's Footlongs (Don loved the "sauce"), wine-tasting at Conneaut Winery (bought a few bottles to bring home), and bread from Creative Crust. Then we enjoyed having our son and his friends cook a lovely dinner for us, followed by a visit to Hank's frozen custard stand on peanut-butter night. The nicest part of the trip was seeing how happy he is with his summer job and to meet his very interesting and pleasant friends.
Then, off to Rhode Island where we intended to spend a night or so before heading home. The drive, however, took several hours longer than anticipated due to traffic in Connecticut (note to self: avoid Connecticut) and we were truly exhausted when we got there so stayed for two lovely full days of lounging on the deck and around the pool before driving home today. The traffic was a breeze (either yesterday or tomorrow it would have been a beast), and the trip went really fast due to our coming to the climax of the book on tape we were listening to: The Water Room (a Bryant and May mystery - also known as the Peculiar Crimes Unit).
We stopped in Freeport and replaced the tent we've been very happy using the past ten years or so. We'd started having problems with the zipper at the bottom of the door last year, but this year the problem spread to the side zipper. We were able to finangle it throughout the trip, but it was clear that something needed to be done before our next camping trip. We were given the choice of trying to fix it (not clear whether it could be fixed or not) or taking a credit to be used for a replacement tent. My first inclination was to fix it -- we had a lot of great memories tied up in that tent -- but elected to go see what would be the replacement tent (the model we had was discontinued several years ago). The dome tent that would be equivalent had some significant design drawbacks. Looking around the camping department, we found ourselves looking at a tent with a screen "porch." Long story short, we decided to take the credit, put it toward the new tent along with a couple of Bean coupons and some more money. All in all, we calculate that, if this tent lasts at least 10 years (like the last one), it costs us less than $20/year (between the two tents) to own a tent -- and if we further amortized it over the number of times we camp it is even more cost-effective (yes, we justified the cost and got the roomiest tent we could find!). Let's just say that we will be looking at the calendar to see how soon we can go camping in it!
Oh, and the queen size AeroBed mattress I bought for the trip was another good investment. I've been fine for years on the thin self-inflating camp mattresses (we had the thick version but they are really designed for backpackers), but in the past few years have found them less and less comfortable and wasn't looking forward to 5 nights on one. Even Don ended up thinking it had been a good purchase :)All in all it was a lovely trip. And the nice touch at the end was stopping to visit my parents and discovering that my Dad had just whipped up the ingredients for strawberry shortcake! I was afraid that I was going to miss strawberry season entirely while away on this trip. But, we did get back just in time to start harvesting tart cherries off our 2-year old tree. I've got about 10 cups picked tonight and there are plenty left on the tree to ripen a bit more for picking over the next few days. I'll be bagging most up for freezing, but plan at least one pie first!
Nice to travel -- nice to be home.
ON MY NEEDLES
Of course, traveling provides a wonderful opportunity for knitting and this one was especially good.
I started the MapleWing Shawl in the purple/grey laceweight from Woolen Rabbit that I purchased at Spa Knit & Spin in the spring. I've made this pattern once, but didn't end up loving the color that friends encouraged me to choose, so I'm making it again and this time I'm making the larger version of the pattern (more repeats of each section). I got through section A and am almost half-way through section B of the pattern. The really nice thing about this pattern is that you start at the bottom, so the rows get shorter as you go along, instead of the other way around.
I also brought the green lace shawl I had started two summers ago and knit on when we were taking the boys to start college. I had a number of problems with this project (see very early blog posts for more on that) and ended up putting that shawl in "time out." It was really my first attempt at a lace shawl, so, having completed a number of other lace projects since then I shouldn't have any problems with it now. But, it is a pattern that requires concentration, so can only be worked on without distractions. And, it gets bigger and the rows get longer as you go along -- it will be a slow project to work on.
I brought my Skew socks, but didn't touch them -- I was too enticed by the lace, as usual.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
FOR TODAY
Outside my window...
It is sunny and warm. We walked to church this morning and it was a bit foggy, but it has now burned off and is quite lovely, without being too humid or hot. Just right.
I am thinking...
Way too much about the next couple of very full weeks. My anxiety level is up even though I know I'll accomplish all I need to get done, but it does keep my thoughts in a spin.
I am thankful for...
My husband who is very patient with me when I get like this.
From the kitchen...
I smell the omelet that Don just made after he admired mine. This is his second breakfast -- I didn't manage to get any before church. Which may also be why I'm a bit grumpy -- I'm only halfway through my morning cup of tea.
I am wearing...
Shorts, a sleeveless top and sneakers. We're going to be loading up a rented truck with Nate's furniture and "stuff" to go to his new apartment so I'll be busy.
I am creating...
Too many projects at the moment. I've been working on a quilt for my mother, finished binding off a little curved scarf with a lacy edge from a pattern a friend shared with me, need to finish the sleeves on a top-down sweater, have another scarf on the needles as well as a pair of socks. I need to give some thought to projects to take along to a 5-day conference in Atlanta and vacation after that. For vacation I've pulled out a long-stalled hand-sewing project making paper-pieced stars for an eventual quilt.
I am going...
To pick up a big truck when Nate awakes.
I am reading...
"I am Irelaunde," a novel about St. Patrick when he came to convert Ireland. Someone just handed me, in church, a copy of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." And, we've just had a conversation about which books on tape to download for our vacation which involves a lot of driving.
I am hoping...
To get through the next two weeks with my sanity intact.
I am hearing...
The radio, with Joni Mitchell singing "Amelia" on the local public radio singer-songwriter show that I only get to hear when I go to the 8:00 service.
Around the house...
Are piles of unorganized things that need to be dealt with. But, there will be room to organize in July when we have an empty bedroom upstairs and a nearly empty living room (we're giving Nate a couch and chair but keeping the loveseat -- the cats are going to be bereft as the couch and chair are two of their favorite napping places).
One of my favorite things...
A lovely cup of tea, right at hand.
A few plans for the rest of the week:
Monday -- get two composite letters ready for med school candidates. Luckily they are re-writes, which don't take as much time. Oh, and move into my new office and try to bring some order to the chaos.
Tuesday -- attend the annual staff "retreat" on campus, which I'm usually not here for. Time to connect with colleagues. Wrap up loose ends with med candidates.
Wednesday -- leaving on a 5:30 a.m. flight to Atlanta to attend the Pre-Health Advisors national conference. 5:30 was the only way to get a direct flight and will give me some time to explore the city before the conference.
Thursday -- conference all day with dinner sponsored by the Danish study abroad program that some of my students have gone on/will be going on.
Friday -- conference all day with an afternoon/evening visit to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Georgia branch).
Saturday -- more conference, connecting with colleagues
Sunday -- home! Missing most of Father's Day.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...
This is from last weekend's college reunion -- with my friend Sue who graduated 5 years before me but whom I've gotten to know since coming back to work at Colby. Since we always have the same reunion weekend, we've made a tradition of taking a photo of us each time. This time we were color-coordinated without planning it! The thought part of this is that I really was ambivalent about attending this reunion and could easily have skipped it if given the chance. BUT, I actually really enjoyed the experience, saw some people I didn't expect to see, saw some of my former students, including one from 1990 and one from 1995 and lots from 2000 and 2005. The band on Saturday was great and I had fun dancing with Don. A lesson learned -- go to reunion and don't anxt about it!
Check out the Simple Woman's Daybook blog at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/
Friday, June 11, 2010
Stretched
I think I remember feeling this way last June, too. The month is packed with events, activities, special days, and things that need doing. I know I'm feeling stretched too thin when I have an evening like I did earlier this week. I came home wanting everyone to just do what I told them to do and not give me any argument. I was very bossy and cross. Luckily, I'm not usually like that, so it was clear to everyone that I was feeling "stretched."
My house is a mess (after all the work we did in April to get a little organized and caught up on things) and will be even more of a mess soon. Our son is moving to an apartment and we've generously :) donated all the furniture we've been wanting to get rid of for years. That will pretty much empty out his bedroom and the living room. Which is good, because we're about to tear apart our sunporch, which means we have lots of books and stuff to move out of there. We're also going to replace windows in our living room and my sewing room -- just to add a little bit more chaos to our lives.
This is conference season in my line of work. I've been to meetings at two other campuses just this week, and am off to Hotlanta (I hate hot weather - why are we meeting in Atlanta in the summer?) for 5 days next week. And, just to add a bit more chaos to my work life, my director and I are swapping offices, which has involved moving everything out of each in order to paint them. With any luck I'll have everything in my new office by Monday - but it will be weeks before I actually get it unpacked.
And, our summer vacation happens this month. It will be fun - once we get going. But, we have decided to shorten it a bit so I can have a few days at home too.
Special events? Missed my sister's birthday due to my 30th college reunion and will miss Father's Day because I'll be flying home from Atlanta that afternoon. Both of those things earned me a place in the doghouse with my mother. The annual staff retreat, which I usually miss due to a conference, is between conferences this year. High school graduation was last night (I went to yoga instead).
Anyway, the upside is that the weather has been lovely with only intermittent rain (as compared to last year's very rainy June...and July...). The garden looks great (needs weeding, but that will have to wait). I've gotten to see many of my favorite colleagues, including one from Minnesota, at meetings. I'm healthy (though out of shape). I've had both a pedicure and a manicure in the past two weeks and have an appointment for a perm in two weeks. I'm moving into a shady office. We've got new patio furniture and, as my DH says, it now looks like adults live here (the patio and furniture are right smack where our old cedar climbing tower and swing set resided for many years). I got the refrigerator cleaned out recently and have cleaned half of the shower. I've lost 6 pounds and didn't eat any cookies at lunch today at St. Joseph's.
All in all, I'm a very fortunate person. Thanks for letting me get that whining out of my system. I feel better and hope you do too.
OFF MY NEEDLES
My Evenstar myster KAL shawl is done! I'll photograph it when I block it, which will be after Nate leaves to start his camp job.
ON MY NEEDLES
Re-knitting my Daybreak Shawl. Instead of the large shawl, which I didn't really like when it was done, I've frogged the whole thing and will make two small ones. I'm going to give one of them away to someone who admired the project when I was making it the first time.
And, some other things, but I'm too disorganized to even name them at the moment.
My house is a mess (after all the work we did in April to get a little organized and caught up on things) and will be even more of a mess soon. Our son is moving to an apartment and we've generously :) donated all the furniture we've been wanting to get rid of for years. That will pretty much empty out his bedroom and the living room. Which is good, because we're about to tear apart our sunporch, which means we have lots of books and stuff to move out of there. We're also going to replace windows in our living room and my sewing room -- just to add a little bit more chaos to our lives.
This is conference season in my line of work. I've been to meetings at two other campuses just this week, and am off to Hotlanta (I hate hot weather - why are we meeting in Atlanta in the summer?) for 5 days next week. And, just to add a bit more chaos to my work life, my director and I are swapping offices, which has involved moving everything out of each in order to paint them. With any luck I'll have everything in my new office by Monday - but it will be weeks before I actually get it unpacked.
And, our summer vacation happens this month. It will be fun - once we get going. But, we have decided to shorten it a bit so I can have a few days at home too.
Special events? Missed my sister's birthday due to my 30th college reunion and will miss Father's Day because I'll be flying home from Atlanta that afternoon. Both of those things earned me a place in the doghouse with my mother. The annual staff retreat, which I usually miss due to a conference, is between conferences this year. High school graduation was last night (I went to yoga instead).
Anyway, the upside is that the weather has been lovely with only intermittent rain (as compared to last year's very rainy June...and July...). The garden looks great (needs weeding, but that will have to wait). I've gotten to see many of my favorite colleagues, including one from Minnesota, at meetings. I'm healthy (though out of shape). I've had both a pedicure and a manicure in the past two weeks and have an appointment for a perm in two weeks. I'm moving into a shady office. We've got new patio furniture and, as my DH says, it now looks like adults live here (the patio and furniture are right smack where our old cedar climbing tower and swing set resided for many years). I got the refrigerator cleaned out recently and have cleaned half of the shower. I've lost 6 pounds and didn't eat any cookies at lunch today at St. Joseph's.
All in all, I'm a very fortunate person. Thanks for letting me get that whining out of my system. I feel better and hope you do too.
OFF MY NEEDLES
My Evenstar myster KAL shawl is done! I'll photograph it when I block it, which will be after Nate leaves to start his camp job.
ON MY NEEDLES
Re-knitting my Daybreak Shawl. Instead of the large shawl, which I didn't really like when it was done, I've frogged the whole thing and will make two small ones. I'm going to give one of them away to someone who admired the project when I was making it the first time.
And, some other things, but I'm too disorganized to even name them at the moment.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Stay-cation
It has been a lovely week so far. We've had a range of weather from snow to 70 degrees and sun (currently 65 and sunny). I've been fairly productive in the basement, even though I probably won't get through the whole place as thoroughly as I need to. It is much cleaner and we've definitely cleared out a lot of stuff. And, rediscovered some treasures I'd forgotten about.
Today I've been rather unorganized and not very productive. But, Don is having a very productive day (maybe we're taking turns -- ala our boys who, as twins, always seemed to take turns with bad days, developmental changes, etc. and still seem to do that at times). He's done a dandelion patrol, mowed the lawn, and is now cleaning out our grill! I'm just puttering and making only small forays into piles of stuff.
Ah, vacation! Maybe I'll read a book.
ON MY NEEDLES
I'm caught up on the Evenstar Shawl, now just waiting for Clue 6 to be released tomorrow afternoon. I even found beads for it at Beads on the Kennebec in Augusta. Can't wait to see how it all comes together!
The top-down cardigan is down to the last few rows on the body and then I have to do the sleeves. After that there are a couple of rows to knit around the collar and front edges and then it will be done. It won't be a lovely thing, but it will be warm and comfy for weekends.
I've pulled out an old project that will be an easy one to tote along when I need something that I don't have to think too hard about. It is a scarf of boucle and mohair I picked up as a souvenir last spring when attending a conference in Philadelphia. The colors are lovely, based on a periwinkle and pale, pale pink with a little white and darker blue in the boucle. I'll photo it when there is more to show.
Socks -- just haven't had the time or energy to think about them. But, I did just find in a box in the basement the very first three pairs of socks I ever made, while living in Scotland, many years ago! Two pair are felted and too small to get on my feet anymore, while one has never been worn. Sock yarn is definitely more interesting nowadays -- and nice to have washable wool so they don't shrink so easily.
Today I've been rather unorganized and not very productive. But, Don is having a very productive day (maybe we're taking turns -- ala our boys who, as twins, always seemed to take turns with bad days, developmental changes, etc. and still seem to do that at times). He's done a dandelion patrol, mowed the lawn, and is now cleaning out our grill! I'm just puttering and making only small forays into piles of stuff.
Ah, vacation! Maybe I'll read a book.
ON MY NEEDLES
I'm caught up on the Evenstar Shawl, now just waiting for Clue 6 to be released tomorrow afternoon. I even found beads for it at Beads on the Kennebec in Augusta. Can't wait to see how it all comes together!
The top-down cardigan is down to the last few rows on the body and then I have to do the sleeves. After that there are a couple of rows to knit around the collar and front edges and then it will be done. It won't be a lovely thing, but it will be warm and comfy for weekends.
I've pulled out an old project that will be an easy one to tote along when I need something that I don't have to think too hard about. It is a scarf of boucle and mohair I picked up as a souvenir last spring when attending a conference in Philadelphia. The colors are lovely, based on a periwinkle and pale, pale pink with a little white and darker blue in the boucle. I'll photo it when there is more to show.
Socks -- just haven't had the time or energy to think about them. But, I did just find in a box in the basement the very first three pairs of socks I ever made, while living in Scotland, many years ago! Two pair are felted and too small to get on my feet anymore, while one has never been worn. Sock yarn is definitely more interesting nowadays -- and nice to have washable wool so they don't shrink so easily.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Spring Snow
Here's a snowy day picture for you. This is Lydia who stretches out on a radiator every time she hears the furnace start up!
And, a photo of both of the girls when the furnace is off :)Yes, spring has sprung -- we have daffodils, and our tulips are about to pop. The hostas and day lilies are way up and the apple tree looks like it will bloom soon. All early, all welcome. However, it has been snowing all day! But, not sticking, so I think we'll recover easily.
I haven't posted in a while, partly due to spending far to much of my "spare time" working on my Evenstar shawl. This is a "mystery" knit along (known as a KAL in the knitting community) and members of the KAL receive one "clue" or section of the pattern every so often. I got a bit of a late start, but worked hard to catch up. We're on clue 5 of 7 and it will be beautiful. I'm actually enjoying knitting blythely along without really knowing the end result. The pattern is quite challenging but fun. There are around 600 stitches per row at the moment (going in circles for a circular shawl). I see from the Ravelry discussion threads that I'm going to need around 2900 seed beads for the finish. The next clue comes out in 6 days, but I'm not quite halfway through clue 5, so will have to move along to keep up!
Luckily, I am on vacation this week. Of course, it turns out to be not the best week to be away from the office, but I'm sure I'm more dispensable than I'd like to think. It is school vacation and, being married to a teacher, we decided in the first empty nest year to take this vacation together from now on. Last year we took an actual vacation and spent several days in the Lancaster, PA area on our way to pay a visit to our son at Allegheny College. It was lovely. But, this year we're doing a staycation. Don helps coach the junior high track team and the head coach is having surgery this week, so we're staying home so he can be here for the team. SO, the plan is to work on cleaning out our basement and maybe the garage.
Today is the first day of vacation, but I haven't even been in the basement yet. I met a friend for coffee this morning and then have spent most of the rest of the day so far knitting (big surprise). Then I decided to get on Ravelry and see if there are any notes on the KAL that I should know about before I get to the really tricky part of the pattern. And then I decided to look and see how long it has been since I posted a blog entry. Hmm, what can I procrastinate on next? Maybe selecting garden seeds? I think we're going to go back to having a small raised bed for veggies and place it next to our patio so we'll keep up with it. We'll see.
So, maybe I'll allow myself to putter, knit, and procrastinate today, but I need to get to work tomorrow!
ON MY NEEDLES
My Evenstar shawl in pale pink Misti Alpaca Lace. Row 36, Clue 5.
Skew socks from Knitty in Berroco Sox with sparkles. One foot is done to where the heel should start. I'm going to start the second foot and catch it up so that I can work the two opposite directions at the same time using the Magic Loop method.
Top down cardigan from Cascade EcoWool. Using the Knitting Pure and Simple bolero pattern, but ala Ellen at Purl Diva, am continuing on to make a full cardigan sweater. It will be a great knock-around sweater and knitting top-down allows me to make the lengths of the body and sleeves exactly the way they fit me the best. And, it is great mindless knitting to work on while watching the HBO John Adams series that we're currently hooked on.
Oh, and there is one more thumb to knit to complete a pair of mittens I was knitting before Evenstar came along.
OFF MY NEEDLES - FINALLY
The Slouchy Cardi is done. I'm not as in love with it as I thought I would be, but it is done. The hood is smaller than the pattern called for, both because photos I saw on Ravelry made it look huge and because I knit it with nearly every inch of yarn I had and am not going to get more just to add a couple of inches to the hood. I'm not terribly happy with the sleeve cap that I fudged, but it will do. It was meant to be a knock-around sweater, so that will be fine.
BTW, Zeben LOVES his sweater and wore it home when he visited over his spring break in March. He's talking about knitting another one this summer.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Itching for Spring
The weather has been on the not-so-nice side lately. Lots of gray days and weather that can't make up its mind whether to snow or rain or whatever. But, we inch along the calendar to my favorite sign of spring -- the North Street Dairy Cone will open for the summer sometime around St. Patrick's Day. And that won't be long in coming!
I spent Saturday at Spa, Knit, and Spin in Freeport with 3 knitting friends. We call our trips to these events "knitting boondoggles." I did very well sticking to my budget at the vendor market, and then ended up going over a bit when we stopped at Purl Diva in Brunswick on the way home. To cap off a lovely day (despite the cold, gray weather), we had gelatto with another Spa attendee we befriended at Purl Diva. It was a nice get-away.
So, what did I spend my budget money on? A skein of Woolen Rabbit Whisper merino lace in Scottish Heather (in some light it looks more purple and in other light grey). I plan to knit another Maplewing as the color I made it in last year just isn't my favorite. At Purl Diva I got 2 coordinating Zauberballs to knit the Daybreak Shawl. And, I bought a pattern to make a quick sweater with some EcoWool I've got hanging around. Two skeins should make this top-down cardigan a quick knit in off-white.
I've also gotten hooked into the Evenstar KAL (knit-along for my non-knitting readers) based on the Lord of the Rings. I'm getting a late start, but since it is a Pi Shawl, I should be able to catch up pretty quickly.
Most importantly, I'm beginning to get my yarn stuff more organized. I had a shoe-pocket thingy to hang up and put it on the closet door. I decided to use it to organize my round and flexible bamboo needles -- I'm so excited! They've been such a pain to keep track of and now they are neatly corralled by size. And the bookcase is painted and filled with all of my fiber books and magazines. I bought one pair of curtains, but the other size I needed wasn't in stock, so I need to order the second pair. I'm still in search of a filing cabinet I won't hate looking at or using, though. But, it is feeling like one small part of my life is getting organized.
We're thinking of using April vacation to clean out our basement. What fun. But, it will be good once we're done. And even better when Nate moves into his apartment for the fall and we can donate a bunch of furniture it is time to get rid of :)
ON MY NEEDLES
STILL working on the hood for the slouchy cardi. Got quite a bit done last night while watching two episodes of Eureka.
Mittens are almost done -- just have one thumb to do and ends to tie in.
And I cast on for Skew socks this weekend and am almost up to the heel on the first one.
I spent Saturday at Spa, Knit, and Spin in Freeport with 3 knitting friends. We call our trips to these events "knitting boondoggles." I did very well sticking to my budget at the vendor market, and then ended up going over a bit when we stopped at Purl Diva in Brunswick on the way home. To cap off a lovely day (despite the cold, gray weather), we had gelatto with another Spa attendee we befriended at Purl Diva. It was a nice get-away.
So, what did I spend my budget money on? A skein of Woolen Rabbit Whisper merino lace in Scottish Heather (in some light it looks more purple and in other light grey). I plan to knit another Maplewing as the color I made it in last year just isn't my favorite. At Purl Diva I got 2 coordinating Zauberballs to knit the Daybreak Shawl. And, I bought a pattern to make a quick sweater with some EcoWool I've got hanging around. Two skeins should make this top-down cardigan a quick knit in off-white.
I've also gotten hooked into the Evenstar KAL (knit-along for my non-knitting readers) based on the Lord of the Rings. I'm getting a late start, but since it is a Pi Shawl, I should be able to catch up pretty quickly.
Most importantly, I'm beginning to get my yarn stuff more organized. I had a shoe-pocket thingy to hang up and put it on the closet door. I decided to use it to organize my round and flexible bamboo needles -- I'm so excited! They've been such a pain to keep track of and now they are neatly corralled by size. And the bookcase is painted and filled with all of my fiber books and magazines. I bought one pair of curtains, but the other size I needed wasn't in stock, so I need to order the second pair. I'm still in search of a filing cabinet I won't hate looking at or using, though. But, it is feeling like one small part of my life is getting organized.
We're thinking of using April vacation to clean out our basement. What fun. But, it will be good once we're done. And even better when Nate moves into his apartment for the fall and we can donate a bunch of furniture it is time to get rid of :)
ON MY NEEDLES
STILL working on the hood for the slouchy cardi. Got quite a bit done last night while watching two episodes of Eureka.
Mittens are almost done -- just have one thumb to do and ends to tie in.
And I cast on for Skew socks this weekend and am almost up to the heel on the first one.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Mission Accomplished
Ahhh. I just hit the "submit" button on the boys' FAFSAs! Taxes and financial aid applications done for yet one more year. As far as financial aid goes, 3 down, 1 to go! One more benefit (and likely the last time it will make a whit of difference) of having twins -- they'll both be (God willing!) done with college in 2012 and I'll be done doing their taxes and FAFSAs a year from now.
I don't actually mind doing our taxes each year. It is a reasonable mental exercise. But, doing it for multiple people in multiple states nearly drove me over the edge this year. Then, I spent a week putting off doing the FAFSAs, though when I finally, grumpily settled down to do them this afternoon, it took less than an hour to do them for both boys. Not bad.
Now, all that is left is to get all the right forms to all the right people for signatures and make sure they get them sent off in the envelopes provided. Nate's will be easy because we visited him at college yesterday and I got him to sign his forms. Last year Zeben didn't quite follow my instructions, so I'll have to be more stern this year about getting copies of all the signed forms to his financial aid office.
So nice to have this done! I think I'll go for a walk!
ON MY NEEDLES
I've actually been finishing up a couple of projects and really haven't had anything much in progress. I think as a reward for all the paper I've been pushing, I'm going to cast on for two new projects: Nora's sweater in Ultra Alpaca and these funky socks from the latest Knitty. I've got some space-dyed sparkly yarn that would be fun for these socks and they look like an interesting challenge.
I don't actually mind doing our taxes each year. It is a reasonable mental exercise. But, doing it for multiple people in multiple states nearly drove me over the edge this year. Then, I spent a week putting off doing the FAFSAs, though when I finally, grumpily settled down to do them this afternoon, it took less than an hour to do them for both boys. Not bad.
Now, all that is left is to get all the right forms to all the right people for signatures and make sure they get them sent off in the envelopes provided. Nate's will be easy because we visited him at college yesterday and I got him to sign his forms. Last year Zeben didn't quite follow my instructions, so I'll have to be more stern this year about getting copies of all the signed forms to his financial aid office.
So nice to have this done! I think I'll go for a walk!
ON MY NEEDLES
I've actually been finishing up a couple of projects and really haven't had anything much in progress. I think as a reward for all the paper I've been pushing, I'm going to cast on for two new projects: Nora's sweater in Ultra Alpaca and these funky socks from the latest Knitty. I've got some space-dyed sparkly yarn that would be fun for these socks and they look like an interesting challenge.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
People I Admire
I spent much of the past weekend on campus attending a Posse Plus Retreat. I was part of the "Plus" part as the retreat is mainly for students who attend my college through the Posse Program. They have this retreat every year and invite students, faculty, and staff to participate. I attended the retreat last year and learned a lot about these students and about myself and was pleased to be able to participate again this year. What I come away feeling is that these students are very brave people. They step way out of their comfort zone to attend a predominately white college in Maine and then work hard not to be invisible or sidelined while here. I'm proud to know them. I certainly wasn't that brave when I came to Colby!
While I joined the retreat on Friday evening and all day/evening Saturday, I had to miss Sunday morning so that I could finish the family tax returns. I completed returns for the US, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Yes, I should make the boys do their own taxes, but since I have to complete the financial aid forms for them by March 1, it is just easier to do them myself and get them done. One more year, guys, and then you'll be doing them for yourselves!!
ON MY NEEDLES
Nothing new -- didn't get a moment to knit all weekend. But, I'll make up for it this weekend (see previous post)!
While I joined the retreat on Friday evening and all day/evening Saturday, I had to miss Sunday morning so that I could finish the family tax returns. I completed returns for the US, Maine, and Pennsylvania. Yes, I should make the boys do their own taxes, but since I have to complete the financial aid forms for them by March 1, it is just easier to do them myself and get them done. One more year, guys, and then you'll be doing them for yourselves!!
ON MY NEEDLES
Nothing new -- didn't get a moment to knit all weekend. But, I'll make up for it this weekend (see previous post)!
Time Off
Ahh. It is Friday at last! Actually, it is Wednesday (and Ash Wednesday at that) but since I have the next two days off, it feels like Friday. I've had a very busy, productive, and successful 6 weeks or so at work and am reveling in having a long weekend. My sister is coming tomorrow to go view an art exhibit at a local college and I'm going to make soup and rolls for lunch tomorrow morning. On Friday Don and I have dentist appointments -- which will be interesting for me as a piece of a tooth just fell off on Monday and Tuesday. (Luckily it isn't hurting but it certainly feels like a harbinger of old age.) After the dentist we'll take a leisurely route to my sister's house (we'll be looking for Asian markets in Portland and running a couple of errands) where we'll spend the night. On Saturday we'll all be going down to UNH to take our son to lunch, possibly along with his roommate and his parents. One highlight of that trip will be driving by the house where Nate is making arrangements to live next year off campus. Then we'll likely head home as, by then, Lydia will have eaten all of the food we will have left out for both her AND Pandora and they'll both be hungry!
And, I just realized that the true beginning of summer is just one month off -- when our neighborhood ice cream shop will open for the season, usually on or around St. Patrick's Day! Can life be any better? Full of lovely things to anticipate and experience!
ON MY NEEDLES
After getting pretty far along on the hood, I realized that I was going about it all wrong -- it can't be knitted on because the knitting was going in the wrong direction if I did that. The cast on edge is the front edge of the hood, not the bottom (connected to the sweater) edge. I'm going to be very close on yarn, so I'll just have to make the hood a bit smaller. No problem. This is a "doing errands on Saturday morning" kind of sweater anyway. Done soon -- maybe this weekend!
And, I just realized that the true beginning of summer is just one month off -- when our neighborhood ice cream shop will open for the season, usually on or around St. Patrick's Day! Can life be any better? Full of lovely things to anticipate and experience!
ON MY NEEDLES
After getting pretty far along on the hood, I realized that I was going about it all wrong -- it can't be knitted on because the knitting was going in the wrong direction if I did that. The cast on edge is the front edge of the hood, not the bottom (connected to the sweater) edge. I'm going to be very close on yarn, so I'll just have to make the hood a bit smaller. No problem. This is a "doing errands on Saturday morning" kind of sweater anyway. Done soon -- maybe this weekend!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Pulling in for Lent
I recently read an interesting article about going on a financial fast and after sharing the information with Don, we've decided to give it a go for the beginning of Lent. Looking ahead, there are a couple of spending opportunities that will conflict with our goals, so we are going to handle those by setting a spending budget. For example, the annual fiber festival is two weeks away -- I usually go overboard, so am going to set a strict spending limit (including going out to lunch). We're also not beginning this with Ash Wednesday, but waiting until Sunday. This week is school vacation and Don and I plan to take a much-needed couple of fun days at the end of the week, including, possibly, taking our son and a friend out to lunch and buying curtains for Zeben's room which we just painted. Then, we'll buckle down and spend as little as possible.
Because we are really quite frugal to begin with, we're also making a commitment to use up as much of what is overflowing in our cupboards as possible. We'll certainly continue to buy fresh veggies and fruit, but are going to try to use up some of the sauces and canned goods we have way to many of, and to use things in our freezer. I have a habit of trying to take advantage of good sales, but often stick things in the freezer and never get back to them. For example, there's a turkey in there -- the thought occurs to me that it would be a good idea to get that out and thaw it over the week to cook next Sunday. I'm going to do it!!
Of course, the other way to be frugal is to work on unfinished projects instead of purchasing new. I've certainly got plenty of those hanging around.
ON MY NEEDLES
The slouchy cardi is done, all except the hood. I blocked and pieced all of the sweater, and then decided to pick up and knit the hood from the edge of the sweater instead of knitting it separately and then sewing it on. About 9 inches to go!
The neckwarmer from Malabrigo is almost done -- just need to do the grafting.
And, the only other thing on needles right now is a pair of mittens.
I need to get back to my Vivian Hoxbro cardigan, but need some significant time to figure out where the pattern goes from here as her book does not provide a complete graph. The sleeves are done and I'm at the point where I need to cast on for the backs and fronts and move toward the center.
And, I'm getting myself psyched to start Norah's sweater from the Fall IK. Just have to finish that Slouchy Cardi first!
Because we are really quite frugal to begin with, we're also making a commitment to use up as much of what is overflowing in our cupboards as possible. We'll certainly continue to buy fresh veggies and fruit, but are going to try to use up some of the sauces and canned goods we have way to many of, and to use things in our freezer. I have a habit of trying to take advantage of good sales, but often stick things in the freezer and never get back to them. For example, there's a turkey in there -- the thought occurs to me that it would be a good idea to get that out and thaw it over the week to cook next Sunday. I'm going to do it!!
Of course, the other way to be frugal is to work on unfinished projects instead of purchasing new. I've certainly got plenty of those hanging around.
ON MY NEEDLES
The slouchy cardi is done, all except the hood. I blocked and pieced all of the sweater, and then decided to pick up and knit the hood from the edge of the sweater instead of knitting it separately and then sewing it on. About 9 inches to go!
The neckwarmer from Malabrigo is almost done -- just need to do the grafting.
And, the only other thing on needles right now is a pair of mittens.
I need to get back to my Vivian Hoxbro cardigan, but need some significant time to figure out where the pattern goes from here as her book does not provide a complete graph. The sleeves are done and I'm at the point where I need to cast on for the backs and fronts and move toward the center.
And, I'm getting myself psyched to start Norah's sweater from the Fall IK. Just have to finish that Slouchy Cardi first!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Gone in a Flash
January has always been one of my favorite months, harking back to Jan Plan term in college. It always meant a slower pace, going to bed earlier than usual -- kind of a hibernation, if you will. This January, however, screamed by so fast I feel like I missed it altogether! It went by so fast, in fact, that this is still in our dining room:
We managed to get the tree down in time for it to be picked up curbside and put the ornaments away, but everything else got collected and stacked on this table and is still there. I may, if I'm lucky, get it all put away during school vacation in a couple of weeks.
So, if anyone else tells me I have plenty of time now that the boys are gone, I'm going to have to clue them in! I guess I just have the talent of being able to fill any amount of time or space I'm given :)
Speaking of filling space, I've moved all of my knitting and spinning stuff into Zeben's room. It isn't organized yet, but it is there. I did manage to clean up the desk and get the bills paid and the tax stuff organized. Now I just need a day to do the taxes and fill out the FAFSAs (after this, I only have to do FAFSAs one more time!!! - speaking of time flying by!) so that I'll be able to tackle the yarn/fiber without guilt.
OFF MY NEEDLES
We finished the sweater! Zeben started it over break. He knitted the sleeves and body up to the yoke and then I took over. I finished it last week and blocked it on Saturday.
Didn't we do a nice job? Now, of course, Nate wants one. But he wants his in black, red, green, and yellow. Hmmmmmm. Maybe for next winter -- I think I'll start on his quilt first.
And, tonight I finished the sleeves for the slouchy cardi. The next step is to block the pieces and then sew it together. I've never blocked before sewing on a sweater before -- apparently it is something I SHOULD have been doing. Who knew? Once sewn together, I'm going to pick up and knit the stitches for the hood instead of knitting it separately and sewing it on. That way I can manipulate the size somewhat -- some of the photos on Ravelry have shown the hood to look too big for my tastes.
My only other project at the moment is a Cité neckwarmer for myself in Malabrigo Sock. The color is a delicious red-purple with hints of blue throughout.
We managed to get the tree down in time for it to be picked up curbside and put the ornaments away, but everything else got collected and stacked on this table and is still there. I may, if I'm lucky, get it all put away during school vacation in a couple of weeks.
So, if anyone else tells me I have plenty of time now that the boys are gone, I'm going to have to clue them in! I guess I just have the talent of being able to fill any amount of time or space I'm given :)
Speaking of filling space, I've moved all of my knitting and spinning stuff into Zeben's room. It isn't organized yet, but it is there. I did manage to clean up the desk and get the bills paid and the tax stuff organized. Now I just need a day to do the taxes and fill out the FAFSAs (after this, I only have to do FAFSAs one more time!!! - speaking of time flying by!) so that I'll be able to tackle the yarn/fiber without guilt.
OFF MY NEEDLES
We finished the sweater! Zeben started it over break. He knitted the sleeves and body up to the yoke and then I took over. I finished it last week and blocked it on Saturday.
Didn't we do a nice job? Now, of course, Nate wants one. But he wants his in black, red, green, and yellow. Hmmmmmm. Maybe for next winter -- I think I'll start on his quilt first.
And, tonight I finished the sleeves for the slouchy cardi. The next step is to block the pieces and then sew it together. I've never blocked before sewing on a sweater before -- apparently it is something I SHOULD have been doing. Who knew? Once sewn together, I'm going to pick up and knit the stitches for the hood instead of knitting it separately and sewing it on. That way I can manipulate the size somewhat -- some of the photos on Ravelry have shown the hood to look too big for my tastes.
My only other project at the moment is a Cité neckwarmer for myself in Malabrigo Sock. The color is a delicious red-purple with hints of blue throughout.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Too Much
I, like many people, have been following the news about Haiti. Even without television, the scenes described are horrific and incredibly sad. They are brought slightly closer to home because two students from my college were there when the earthquake hit and I actually know one of them. They're safely on their way home to the US, thankfully. Another friend, a man who works at my college and is a member of our parish, grew up in Haiti and he shared with us after church today that a large portion of his family on his Mom's side are missing with no word. One aunt owned a restaurant across from the national palace which is completely flattened.
I can't even begin to think about how this would feel if it were my family, or how we would survive if it happened here. My main reaction, though, is feeling somewhat appalled at all I take for granted. I just went to the grocery store and had a brief moment of feeling virtuous about all of the fresh vegetables in my cart -- until I thought again about Haiti and how people there would welcome water and the most basic of foodstuffs, while I have an unending array of choices and the ability to pay for what I need and even some things I just want, but don't really need.
Reading the Episcopal Cafe website a few days ago, I came across a link to an article about financial fasting. The idea keeps nagging at me. Even though Don and I are really quite frugal overall, I'm sure it would be a good discipline. Check it out:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123103495.html I'm thinking about doing it during Lent, though I'll admit the thought crossed my mind that I have to take care it doesn't keep me from going to Spa, Knit, & Spin. Guess I'll have to decide how much this means to me. Maybe I'll fit it around the event, but give myself a strict budget to stick to -- which I know won't be easy.
ON MY NEEDLES
Finishing up the sweater Zeben started over break. He got the body and sleeves done up to the point where everything joins for the yoke. The yoke involves short rows, which he wouldn't have taken the time to figure out on his own, so I'll gladly finish it and send it to him. Then, I think I'll make one for his brother.
Slouchy Cardi is still at the point where I have to do the sleeve caps. Stalled.
Not on my needles, but related to my knitting, is a step toward organizing my yarn and projects. Zeben has gone back to college and already has a job lined up on campus so won't be coming home again for a while -- probably not until next Christmas break. So, I'm taking over that room. My desk is moved up there to make room in the living room. And, I'm in the process of moving all that is yarn/knitting related to one place. I plan to finally find out just what I have, and figure out what I can do without. I'm really looking forward to my version of "The Airing of the Stash" as well as some culling. Plus, I plan to try to move some of my UFOs into the finished object category.
Now to get to the rest of the house. We just have too much -- much more than we need, or even want anymore. We'll recycle as much as we can by donating to local organizations or saving things for the church yard sale. Just one tiny way to reallocate the riches of this world.
I can't even begin to think about how this would feel if it were my family, or how we would survive if it happened here. My main reaction, though, is feeling somewhat appalled at all I take for granted. I just went to the grocery store and had a brief moment of feeling virtuous about all of the fresh vegetables in my cart -- until I thought again about Haiti and how people there would welcome water and the most basic of foodstuffs, while I have an unending array of choices and the ability to pay for what I need and even some things I just want, but don't really need.
Reading the Episcopal Cafe website a few days ago, I came across a link to an article about financial fasting. The idea keeps nagging at me. Even though Don and I are really quite frugal overall, I'm sure it would be a good discipline. Check it out:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/31/AR2009123103495.html I'm thinking about doing it during Lent, though I'll admit the thought crossed my mind that I have to take care it doesn't keep me from going to Spa, Knit, & Spin. Guess I'll have to decide how much this means to me. Maybe I'll fit it around the event, but give myself a strict budget to stick to -- which I know won't be easy.
ON MY NEEDLES
Finishing up the sweater Zeben started over break. He got the body and sleeves done up to the point where everything joins for the yoke. The yoke involves short rows, which he wouldn't have taken the time to figure out on his own, so I'll gladly finish it and send it to him. Then, I think I'll make one for his brother.
Slouchy Cardi is still at the point where I have to do the sleeve caps. Stalled.
Not on my needles, but related to my knitting, is a step toward organizing my yarn and projects. Zeben has gone back to college and already has a job lined up on campus so won't be coming home again for a while -- probably not until next Christmas break. So, I'm taking over that room. My desk is moved up there to make room in the living room. And, I'm in the process of moving all that is yarn/knitting related to one place. I plan to finally find out just what I have, and figure out what I can do without. I'm really looking forward to my version of "The Airing of the Stash" as well as some culling. Plus, I plan to try to move some of my UFOs into the finished object category.
Now to get to the rest of the house. We just have too much -- much more than we need, or even want anymore. We'll recycle as much as we can by donating to local organizations or saving things for the church yard sale. Just one tiny way to reallocate the riches of this world.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Off and Running (Again)
The college where I work has a 4-week "Jan Plan" term between semesters. It was an experience I really liked as a student, and as an employee I also really like the educational value and opportunity of having Jan Plan. However, it does mean that our students return to campus on January 4, giving staff very little time to recover from the first semester and plan ahead for the second. We have to be ready to be back on our game the first work day of the year. And, as usual, I'm always shocked at how quickly the month goes -- we are already a quarter of the way through the term today! Time just goes much too quickly.
But, the fun thing about this past week is the enthusiasm of the students for our new career planning program. I led a self-assessment workshop Friday afternoon with a fun, engaged, smart group of young people. It is always a pleasure to present activities and information and not only watch the students soak it up, but to also have them reflect back to me and teach me new ways of looking at things. I guess this is what has kept me doing this job for almost 23 years!
On the home front, one of my sons had his wisdom teeth (all 4) removed on Monday, so I've been trying to be a good nurse when I've been home. The other son is at a leadership conference for his fraternity. We've taken down the Christmas decorations, though the lights are still up on the apple tree and lit up every night. I'd like to keep the tree up longer - we didn't quite make it to Epiphany - but we hate it when we miss the tree pick-up on our street and have it sitting sad and naked on our lawn for weeks, so we took it down on Monday. Everything that wasn't on the tree has been migrating to a table in the dining room. If I don't spread the un-decorating out over a week or so, I always miss something. This way I'll be able to put everything away in the right box pretty easily.
I spent and unexpected but fun afternoon/evening at my parents' house yesterday. My brother, his wife, and three children all came to visit from out of state. We were only short one sister and her husband, my husband, and one of my sons from having the whole family together. We capped the evening with a rollicking game of spoons -- always good for at least one moment that makes you laugh until tears come to your eyes and your stomach hurts.
I was sitting to the side, working on getting the binding on my son's quilt. My neice, who is in 5th grade and learning to sew, asked me how long it has taken me to make it and I realized that I started it almost exactly one year ago. Last Jan Plan, a group of people (women) at the college took the Quilting Club advisor up on the offer of doing it as a "class." We used the club room a couple of lunch hours a week. Zeben had asked me for a blue and white quilt, so that offered me the chance to actually do one. And now it will be completed later today!
And on to new projects :)
ON MY NEEDLES
I got the sleeves done for the slouchy cardi, but think I'm going to rip them back to where I started the decreases for the cap and make it a little wider. I'd rather do it now than after I've blocked and sewn it together.
I finished the Cité neckwarmer in denim blue Malabrigo sock yarn for my mother - I should have taken a photo - sorry! But I loved the yarn so much, I stopped over to Purl Diva in Brunswick to pick up two more skeins -- in a teal blue combination and a purple/maroon blend. Some of these neckwarmers will make great Christmas presents next year and will be enjoyable little projects to work on.
I started the Tibetan Clouds beaded stole in a beautiful color of Smooshy (Dream in Color is the brand), but it just isn't doing it for me. It just isn't lustrous enough. I'll have to keep looking for something lovely and affordable. With any luck I'll find something that matches my beads.
But, the fun thing about this past week is the enthusiasm of the students for our new career planning program. I led a self-assessment workshop Friday afternoon with a fun, engaged, smart group of young people. It is always a pleasure to present activities and information and not only watch the students soak it up, but to also have them reflect back to me and teach me new ways of looking at things. I guess this is what has kept me doing this job for almost 23 years!
On the home front, one of my sons had his wisdom teeth (all 4) removed on Monday, so I've been trying to be a good nurse when I've been home. The other son is at a leadership conference for his fraternity. We've taken down the Christmas decorations, though the lights are still up on the apple tree and lit up every night. I'd like to keep the tree up longer - we didn't quite make it to Epiphany - but we hate it when we miss the tree pick-up on our street and have it sitting sad and naked on our lawn for weeks, so we took it down on Monday. Everything that wasn't on the tree has been migrating to a table in the dining room. If I don't spread the un-decorating out over a week or so, I always miss something. This way I'll be able to put everything away in the right box pretty easily.
I spent and unexpected but fun afternoon/evening at my parents' house yesterday. My brother, his wife, and three children all came to visit from out of state. We were only short one sister and her husband, my husband, and one of my sons from having the whole family together. We capped the evening with a rollicking game of spoons -- always good for at least one moment that makes you laugh until tears come to your eyes and your stomach hurts.
I was sitting to the side, working on getting the binding on my son's quilt. My neice, who is in 5th grade and learning to sew, asked me how long it has taken me to make it and I realized that I started it almost exactly one year ago. Last Jan Plan, a group of people (women) at the college took the Quilting Club advisor up on the offer of doing it as a "class." We used the club room a couple of lunch hours a week. Zeben had asked me for a blue and white quilt, so that offered me the chance to actually do one. And now it will be completed later today!
And on to new projects :)
ON MY NEEDLES
I got the sleeves done for the slouchy cardi, but think I'm going to rip them back to where I started the decreases for the cap and make it a little wider. I'd rather do it now than after I've blocked and sewn it together.
I finished the Cité neckwarmer in denim blue Malabrigo sock yarn for my mother - I should have taken a photo - sorry! But I loved the yarn so much, I stopped over to Purl Diva in Brunswick to pick up two more skeins -- in a teal blue combination and a purple/maroon blend. Some of these neckwarmers will make great Christmas presents next year and will be enjoyable little projects to work on.
I started the Tibetan Clouds beaded stole in a beautiful color of Smooshy (Dream in Color is the brand), but it just isn't doing it for me. It just isn't lustrous enough. I'll have to keep looking for something lovely and affordable. With any luck I'll find something that matches my beads.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Resolution Steps
I just took one step on that financial goal and created a budget worksheet for my sons to use as they explore off-campus living options. It wouldn't be a bad idea for me to fill it out for myself!
And, on the house organization, we're looking for a piece of furniture to replace the table in our fireplace room. Just getting the stereo system (yes, we're behind the curve on technology, but as avid radio listeners, our old Sony system is still central to our lives) and all my knitting paraphernalia out of sight will make that room ever so much less messy. Does this look messy to you?
ON MY NEEDLES
To make it easier for me to blog more regularly, I'm going to only talk about one or two projects instead of trying to catalogue the whole backlog.
I made progress yesterday on my Slouchy Cardi while watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with Zeben. I'm one inch away from tackling the problematical sleeve cap shaping. I've got Ellen's notes (Purl Diva) and will review the Ravelry notes before diving in.
Zeben has also been making very good progress on his Cobblestone pullover. He may just make his goal of completing it before going back to college in two weeks!
And, on the house organization, we're looking for a piece of furniture to replace the table in our fireplace room. Just getting the stereo system (yes, we're behind the curve on technology, but as avid radio listeners, our old Sony system is still central to our lives) and all my knitting paraphernalia out of sight will make that room ever so much less messy. Does this look messy to you?
ON MY NEEDLES
To make it easier for me to blog more regularly, I'm going to only talk about one or two projects instead of trying to catalogue the whole backlog.
I made progress yesterday on my Slouchy Cardi while watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with Zeben. I'm one inch away from tackling the problematical sleeve cap shaping. I've got Ellen's notes (Purl Diva) and will review the Ravelry notes before diving in.
Zeben has also been making very good progress on his Cobblestone pullover. He may just make his goal of completing it before going back to college in two weeks!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Resolutions
Ah, the time of review and thinking about how to improve on...everything! My list of resolutions is always too long and daunting, and this year's is no different. Then I read Heloise's column in the paper this morning and she talked about setting goals instead of resolutions. Goals can be a bit broader and give you some leeway in your accomplishments, to my way of thinking. So, I'm setting goals instead of resolutions.
Knitting Goal: Work on those UFO's (unfinished objects for non-knitters). While I did request and receive yarn for Christmas (including a surprise gift of Sundara silk lace weight that thrilled me down to my toes!), my focus this year will be on finishing projects instead of starting new ones and using yarn I already own for anything new I do start.
Health Goal: Reduce anxiety. Or, at least manage it better - maybe with exercise? yoga on a regular basis?
Financial Goal: Maintain my financial sanity in the face of at least one son living off-campus next fall. Don't exactly know how this will play out, but will try not to be anxious about it (see above).
House Goal: Make real strides on reducing the "stuff" we have. More about that later, but it will involve a combination of getting rid of things and finding better ways to store what we keep.
Other Goals: Make quilts for Nate and my mother. Blog at least once a week (noting that my last blog entry was a year ago!). Make more effort to have a social life instead of hibernating when not at work or with family.
That seems like enough!
Overall, I find myself relieved to have 2009 in the past, though I hadn't been thinking that much about how true that would be. The last decade has had some significant rough spots in it for me and my family and I can see how it has all worn me down in some ways. Starting a new decade seems like an opportunity to start with a clean slate and I hope I can take advantage of that in some positive ways. And, how appropriate is it to have a blanket of fresh snow to make the world look tidy and clean.
ON/RECENTLY OFF MY NEEDLES:
I'm working on a Slouchy Cardi (from Knit Cafe) in Knit Picks Merino Style in Storm (a teal blue). The yarn was my birthday present, so I'm forcing myself to finish this before starting my Christmas yarn sweater. I've got the fronts and back done, am halfway up the sleeves (knitting both at once as there are some pattern issues and this will allow me to make them the same as I adjust the pattern), and then will have a hood to make. I'll need to seam it together, but there are no buttons or bands to add on, so it will be a quick finish.
I picked up a skein of Malabrigo Sock yarn in a denim-blue kettle dyed color at Thanksgiving and used it to make a pair of fingerless mitts (Delicato - I got the pattern from Dye Dreams at Spa Knit and Spin last spring along with some of their yarn and my aunt admired while I was knitting them) for my Aunt Alice. I actually got two pair done before Christmas and still have some left, from which I hope to get two "Cité" neckwarmers - Ann Hanson's latest KnitSpot pattern.
Cascade sock yarn in a dusky blue ended up in a prayer shawl for my friend Elisabeth using another Ann Hanson pattern "Cluaranach," and a scarf for my friend Lizzie, "Tudor Grace," another KnitSpot pattern. Ann's blog is one I follow regularly too -- that woman is an incredibly productive designer and it is an inspiration to follow her progress.
On Christmas Day I cast on for a pair of fingerless mitts for Don in the Knitty "Dashing" pattern and then knit a hat to match from the "Hurricane Hat" pattern that was one of the holiday links on Purl Diva's page. I used purple tweed Galway yarn. On New Year's Eve I knit another hat in blue tweed for Zeben from the same pattern. Maybe I'll make him a pair of mitts sometime too. But the leftovers will also make good mittens for next year's Mitten Tree at church. After knitting with sock and lace weight yarn for so much of the past year, knitting something in worsted weight goes so fast!
And, Nate requested a pair of socks last summer and I found a self-patterning sock yarn in reds, orange, maroon, and brown and finished them two days ago. I basically knit them twice as the first time through they were too big. I was working on them a lot over Thanksgiving because I had his feet readily available to test them on. I finally got the sizing worked out and finished one of them while sitting at the repair shop the other day, getting new tires on the car.
So, the only projects really on my needles at the moment are the neckwarmer and the Slouchy. I need to cast on another neckwarmer to use up some mink and cashmere yarn I got before Christmas. I managed to knit a neckwarmer for my Mom in time for Christmas but think I can get another one out of the skein. This is yarn that comes from a small company in East Orleans, MA called Great Northern Yarns. They shear the mink once a year and blend it with cashmere for a lovely soft yarn. It wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be when I took it out of the package (though I was very impressed with the hand-written thank you note the owner included!), but when I soaked it and blocked it, it "bloomed" and was just luscious!
On to a new year and decade!
Knitting Goal: Work on those UFO's (unfinished objects for non-knitters). While I did request and receive yarn for Christmas (including a surprise gift of Sundara silk lace weight that thrilled me down to my toes!), my focus this year will be on finishing projects instead of starting new ones and using yarn I already own for anything new I do start.
Health Goal: Reduce anxiety. Or, at least manage it better - maybe with exercise? yoga on a regular basis?
Financial Goal: Maintain my financial sanity in the face of at least one son living off-campus next fall. Don't exactly know how this will play out, but will try not to be anxious about it (see above).
House Goal: Make real strides on reducing the "stuff" we have. More about that later, but it will involve a combination of getting rid of things and finding better ways to store what we keep.
Other Goals: Make quilts for Nate and my mother. Blog at least once a week (noting that my last blog entry was a year ago!). Make more effort to have a social life instead of hibernating when not at work or with family.
That seems like enough!
Overall, I find myself relieved to have 2009 in the past, though I hadn't been thinking that much about how true that would be. The last decade has had some significant rough spots in it for me and my family and I can see how it has all worn me down in some ways. Starting a new decade seems like an opportunity to start with a clean slate and I hope I can take advantage of that in some positive ways. And, how appropriate is it to have a blanket of fresh snow to make the world look tidy and clean.
ON/RECENTLY OFF MY NEEDLES:
I'm working on a Slouchy Cardi (from Knit Cafe) in Knit Picks Merino Style in Storm (a teal blue). The yarn was my birthday present, so I'm forcing myself to finish this before starting my Christmas yarn sweater. I've got the fronts and back done, am halfway up the sleeves (knitting both at once as there are some pattern issues and this will allow me to make them the same as I adjust the pattern), and then will have a hood to make. I'll need to seam it together, but there are no buttons or bands to add on, so it will be a quick finish.
I picked up a skein of Malabrigo Sock yarn in a denim-blue kettle dyed color at Thanksgiving and used it to make a pair of fingerless mitts (Delicato - I got the pattern from Dye Dreams at Spa Knit and Spin last spring along with some of their yarn and my aunt admired while I was knitting them) for my Aunt Alice. I actually got two pair done before Christmas and still have some left, from which I hope to get two "Cité" neckwarmers - Ann Hanson's latest KnitSpot pattern.
Cascade sock yarn in a dusky blue ended up in a prayer shawl for my friend Elisabeth using another Ann Hanson pattern "Cluaranach," and a scarf for my friend Lizzie, "Tudor Grace," another KnitSpot pattern. Ann's blog is one I follow regularly too -- that woman is an incredibly productive designer and it is an inspiration to follow her progress.
On Christmas Day I cast on for a pair of fingerless mitts for Don in the Knitty "Dashing" pattern and then knit a hat to match from the "Hurricane Hat" pattern that was one of the holiday links on Purl Diva's page. I used purple tweed Galway yarn. On New Year's Eve I knit another hat in blue tweed for Zeben from the same pattern. Maybe I'll make him a pair of mitts sometime too. But the leftovers will also make good mittens for next year's Mitten Tree at church. After knitting with sock and lace weight yarn for so much of the past year, knitting something in worsted weight goes so fast!
And, Nate requested a pair of socks last summer and I found a self-patterning sock yarn in reds, orange, maroon, and brown and finished them two days ago. I basically knit them twice as the first time through they were too big. I was working on them a lot over Thanksgiving because I had his feet readily available to test them on. I finally got the sizing worked out and finished one of them while sitting at the repair shop the other day, getting new tires on the car.
So, the only projects really on my needles at the moment are the neckwarmer and the Slouchy. I need to cast on another neckwarmer to use up some mink and cashmere yarn I got before Christmas. I managed to knit a neckwarmer for my Mom in time for Christmas but think I can get another one out of the skein. This is yarn that comes from a small company in East Orleans, MA called Great Northern Yarns. They shear the mink once a year and blend it with cashmere for a lovely soft yarn. It wasn't as impressive as I thought it would be when I took it out of the package (though I was very impressed with the hand-written thank you note the owner included!), but when I soaked it and blocked it, it "bloomed" and was just luscious!
On to a new year and decade!
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