A Gardening Knitter - knitting, gardening and life in general

How Time Does Fly!

2009-05-28T01:21:00.005-06:00

Autumn Rose

Gosh it's been a long time since I posted. I find I don't take the time to sit down and punch in a few words and so time goes on and before I realize it, months have passed.

Life at my home is busy. DH and I just returned from the American Iris Society annual convention, held this year in Kansas City, K. It was good to see some of the people we've made friends with from all over the US and outside the US too, but Mother Nature was not cordial to us this year and we saw very few irises in bloom and of those, most were in very poor condition from the rains and winds. The following week we enjoyed the sights in the Kansas City area and ventured into Nebraska and Missouri. The most fun we had was in Kansas City at the Blue Room, a jazz club like you see in the old movies except it is smoke free and that helped make it a pleasure to be there. The music was good and there was a variety of local musicians on hand to entertain us. If I ever go back to KC I most definitely will drop in again.

I haven't done a lot of knitting recently other than the squares my TNKG is knitting for Christmas gifts. We each have 7 squares each now, 56 squares amongst us and until this week, here was no two squares alike. Actually, the two this week look very different for they were knitted with different yarns and in different colors. This has been so much fun and we each look forward to the 2nd week of each month when we normally have our exchange. This month the ladies decided to wait until I returned from vacation; we'll have just a short period to wait until the next exchange. Along with the two square we knit each month to exchange, we rotate our signature squares. Each of us knitted a solid white square to pass around for each person to work their initials in the square. At the end of the year the signature square will be a part of our afghan.

DH is getting the pool ready to open and I can't wait; I'm like a child dying to take that first dip of the season. Actually I use the pool for excerise and I'm anxious to get started and try to pull off these extra pounds I've put on this last year. I would like to start an exercise program but so far the cardologist hasn't given the okay.

The vegetable garden is doing beautifully. DS house-set for us while we were away and took care of the vegetables and strawberries. He cut, cleaned, cooked, and froze turnip greens and broccoli and he had more than two gallons of strawberries washed and capped and ready for me to put in the freezer when I got home. Today, I cut broccoli again, and collards for the freezer. Tomorrow I will pick strawberries again, this time to make jam for sweet Dariana's PB&J sandwiches.

Knitting Along and Travels

2009-01-19T07:47:00.005-06:00

I had a good laugh yesterday when I decided to ramble through an old box filled with crochet and found twenty granny squares that I had worked on more than thirty years ago for an afghan. (I had just finished knitting the first square of the twenty-four I will knit for our Christmas Square Exchange at the LYS.) The squares are all crocheted, on probably a size J needle, and all are done in acrylic yarn; still they are beautiful. Each square is crocheted in white with one other color as a filler; they really stand out. I laughed and told DH that I am going to take these squares with me to Knit Night on Tuesday and tell my fellow-knitters that I've almost completed my 24 squares. As luck would have it, the squares are 10 inches square. Actually, I won't be using them (unless there should be an emergency) as part of the twenty-four that I plan to make for our Christmas exchange. For one thing, I want to knit my twenty-four squares, although crochet is allowed, and for another, I think I will finish up that afghan with acrylic yarn and give it to Dariana to enjoy playing in with her dolls and stuffed animals.

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On this map you can see other places, outside the US and Canada, that I've traveled. When I hear people from the European and Asian countries speaking of the many countries they have traveled in it sounds as if I've never traveled anywhere and that they have traveled everywhere; but this is what makes the difference. The United States and Canada are so large that to travel them, you have actually traveled to as many different places (although not countries) as someone living in Europe or Asia traveling in the countries around them. Those countries are so much smaller (in area) than the US and Canada that several countries could be placed inside one of the larger states in the US, or Provinces of Canada. All in all, I
shouldn't be complaining that I've never been to Germany, the Netherlands, or Russia, or to India, Singapore, or China; I have traveled. None the less, I'd love to go to all these countries and more. Our son had a trip to Russia when he was in college but at the time, I thought it was to costly for me to travel along, now I wish I'd gone. I have a dear friend from Pakistan and was invited to go along and visit her family one year when she traveled back to see her mom. Now I wish I'd gone, but at the time I didn't think I should go with the upheaval in that part of the world and then two of my gardening club friends encouraged me to come along with them to China where they were going to teach English for a summer. Again, the timing wasn't right for me because my health was already becoming an issue before I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Life keeps us it check sometimes.

We're having Northern Weather here in the Mid-Atlantic these last few days. We have the gas logs burning along with the heat pump and the humidifier running to counter the dry heat. It feels like soup weather to me so today I think I'll make a big pot of beef and potato soup and maybe put a loaf of bread in the bread machine to smell good while I sit in front of the fire and knit. The neighbor just brought over a couple of DVDs of a ventriloquist they thought entertaining for us to watch however that's not my cup of tea. It shouldn't hurt me to listen along with DH while I knit though(at least I don't think it will). Good neighbors are something to treasure!

Where Have I Been In Canada?

2009-01-16T09:49:00.005-06:00

There is still so much to see and do in Canada that we could spend years of our vacation time there and still do something new and different each time we go. But, we love live theater and we keep returning to the same areas, for the Shaw Festivals and the Stratford Shakespeare Festivals, each time we go. Sometimes we go to two shows a day so we can take in as much theater as possible while on a trip. Life can be so good.

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Where Have I Been In THe US?

2009-01-15T05:50:00.008-06:00

DH and I are planning our spring vacation to Kansas City in May. Yeah, I know I have said we were traveling back to England for several weeks, but DH refuses to be gone longer than two weeks and I refuse to travel that far for just two weeks. So far he has won, and so far I have only made the 'threat' to go without him. Anyway, while we fight this issue back and forth, we can't just sit at home to see who will win. Life goes on and so does the National Iris Society Conventions which DH thinks he has to attend every couple of years. I love them too and love being able to travel to a another state that I've yet been to so, there will be no complaint from me. I just want to travel more extensively in the UK and do the barge vacations on the rivers of Germany and France. Is that asking too much? There's still lots of the US I haven't seen; you can tell from the map below. The US is such a large piece of land and there is so much for one to see. I feel lucky to be fortunate enough to have traveled to the places I've been to, so...I will not whine; at least not where anyone can hear me.

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Byer's Choice Carolers Had Tea In My Living Room

2009-01-11T20:29:00.005-06:00

I've been side trapped from my knitting for the last couple of weeks and in fact, only picked me needles up today for a little while. I've finished the decreases in the Just Enough Ruffles Scarf and if I can find a day this week for knitting, should get it finished, all 600 stitches on the ruffle. I think it is going to look smart once it's completed.

I'm working on a pair of socks too, that I think shall be mine, I love the colors and the pattern for this pair; and, I've spent some time searching for patterns to use in making squares for an exchange I've organized. The exchange is with my TNKG. Instead of exchanging names at the end of the year, we are going to knit squares all year long, two per month, for a total of twenty-four squares. Each month we will exchange squares and then at the end of the year, they will be sewn into a 'whatever' and packaged for the final exchange, a Chinese type swap. Fun, you bet! The squares are to be 10 inches square and after knitting about half a square tonight in a purled ladder stitch I've discovered I'm about 3/4 inch off. I tried to take a measure from a couple of rows and go from there, but I missed it. Too, I decided to use a ball of acrylic yarn in my stash and found it as hard to manipulate as a piece of plastic. I had already decided in the second pattern repeat that I wasn't enjoying knitting with that yarn so actually I not too disappointed over having to knit another square. Some of the ladies in our group like using acrylic and that is fine but personally, for the most part, I hate the stuff. I do have to admit that's a pretty nice looking square laying over there, half finished. Anyone with patterns for 10" squares, let me know. It would be much easier to have a tested square than it is trying to work out twenty-four patterns. Actually, I will probably use the same pattern several times just use different yarns, colors, stripes, and so on to make them all different.

DH and I went out to dinner with our neighbors this evening. They had gift certificates for Applebee's, which is not among my favorite restaurants but hey, I'm always ready for an outing if it means someone else will be cooking dinner. I remarked to DH that I'd just have a salad, but once I was there, I decided to have the ribblets that I've heard so many people rave about since Applebee's first came to the city. It was a mistake, I hated the greasy, sticky, over-sweet, to much smoked flavor, full of tiny thin bone things (they certainly didn't resemble any ribs that I've ever eater before, and I love ribs, that is, real ribs). Still, it was a nice evening out and everyone else seemed to enjoy their food. Next time (should I ever have to go there again) I'll have a salad.

DH and I finally got all the Christmas decorations down and stored and the house vacuumed and dusted and things back in place once again. Gosh, what a chore. The whole of last week was a busy with the cleaning, Dr. appointments, and having dear Dariana for a visit one day. She and I had a wonderful tea party with about two dozen of the Byer's Choice Carolers stopping by to have tea with us. My daughter had a near heart attack when she learned the Byer's were having tea on my coffee table. No one else had ever been allowed to play with my dolls before - BUT - Grand-daughters are SPECIAL.

I Loved Having Whoopie For Breakfast

2008-12-27T08:07:00.007-06:00

I had two big Wicked Whoopies for breakfast this morning; well actually, I shared them with DH since neither of us had ever partaken of Whoopie before. It was wonderful! The Wicked Whoopie were a hostess gifts from one of the ladies in my TNKG. She is originally from Main and still has family there that she visits often. WIcked Whoopies are made in Main http://www.wickedwhoopies.com/ and shipped all over America. Oprah Winfrey once featured them on her show thus stepping up their popularity. The cake is very tender and there's as much filling inside the two layers, as one side of the cake is thick however, it isn't overly sweet. The Whoopies we had were a deep dark chocolate and a banana, both delicious with me leaning toward the chocolate for a change. Normally I'm not a chocolate person and I love banana muffins and breads, but this chocolate reminds me of when I was a kid and more people baked with cocoa than with baking chocolate. I still prefer cocoa made fudge, pies, cakes, and icing over baking chocolate. Thank you, dear Glen, for this delicious treat.

Our holiday season has been full of joy, and touched by sadness. Amongst all the wonderful parties and gifts and visiting we've been a part of this year, I also lost my eldest sister (87 years old). She has been very ill for a long time and her death was not unexpected. Still, losing someone you love is always hard and I don't know that you are ever prepared for it. This now makes three of us ten siblings, no longer on this earth; each loss happening in December, near the Christmas holidays.

I've started the Just Enough Ruffles Scarf using some yarn from my stash given to me by my sister, Glyness, from her stash. It had no label on it so the yardage and fiber content are a guess. The fiber feels like a cotton and acrylic blend but that's just a guess. After winding it into balls, I think it would be over 400 yards. It is knitting up nicely and the colors are nice and bright. I'll have to make a photo for this blog next time I have it out and remember to do it.

With all the snow and cold weather throughout the US, we've had just the opposite. We had to turn the heat off completed several days recently, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day being two of them. Can you imagine having Christmas without needing the heat on? Actually we had to open a couple of windows on Christmas Eve night in order to get to sleep and again on Christmas night. It doesn't seem right, it isn't seasonal, we don't live in Florida. What's going on?

Today I plan to clear out some more boxes of 'stuff'. I've been on a 'getting rid of stuff' kick these lasts couple of weeks. Its a job I hate tackling, but a necessary one. Never again do I want all the 'stuff' to accumulate that I had to deal with when we moved here. It's not easy discarding all those memories but it doesn't make sense to me to hold on to them. My children are making, their own memories and I've already given them the items they wanted from their childhood memories and family keepsakes. It isn't fair to leave all 'my stuff' for someone else to to deal with should something happened to me and/or DH. After our move ant then having to deal with helping my sister pack up and move, then watching my niece's deal with their mother's life-time accumulation of 'stuff', I will try to keep things gone through and discarded to prevent this from happening to my loved ones.

Yarn and knitting supplies seems to be a bit of a different story. I can't seem to bring myself to throw these things away. I'm going to try and persuade myself to give at least some of the stash away. I've suggested our TNKG work on squares for one another this next year and thought some of the yarn could be used for that. I have been more careful about buying yarn this past year and am pleased that I've done as well as I have. Still, once in awhile that little something in my brain seems to go haywire and I find myself with a bag of gorgeous yarn in my hand before I have thought about what can be knit with it. I'm trying to train myself to only buy yarn when I need it for a project. Actually I'm doing pretty good with this part, the bad part is, I'm buying the yarn for each project instead of using my stash. New Years resolution this year is going to be "to cut my stash".

Mrs Santa Came To My House To Party

2008-12-19T06:11:00.011-06:00

Monday night I had all my MNKG in from the city and invited their husbands (or significant other) to come also. It was such a nice group and we really had a grand time. We had put aside one of our knitting nights earlier this year to meet for dinner bringing our husbands along to meet each other. It is surprising how a common thread of interest seems to be between us, while we wife's love to knit, our husband love to hike and camp. We all enjoy a nice glass of wine and lots of laughs, what more could one ask for? Topping off our gathering on Monday night was a couple of local ladies that use to knit with the Richmond group (remember this Monday night group is made up mostly of ladies that learned to knit when I taught a class while still working for the Commonwealth and my other knitting friends from when I worked). I invited these ladies as a surprise for the rest of the group; it really was a welcomed surprise for everyone. One of the ladies dressed as Mrs. Santa (she and her husband do this for charity each year) and brought a basketful of candies.

What a wonderful time we had.Tuesday night my LYS had our Christmas gathering. We draw names and exchange gifts around the knitting table which we fill with food and drink instead of yarn and needles on this one night each year. This extending family of knitting ladies are so dear to me. I watch as someone goes through a trying time with a husband, child, or parent and how someone in the group seems to always step up and offers help in one way or another. It is so touching to see this happen.

On Wednesday DH and I went to see our precious Dariana in her nursery school program. The children were terrific. We loved seeing how hard they have worked and how smart they are, singing in both English and Spanish. (That's Dari on the left with her polished nails.) Afterwards we took Dari to lunch at the 'fish store' (Long John Silver's) her favorite place to eat, and then brought her home with us for the afternoon. Dari loves seafood; she and I always go to the 'fish store' for fish and shrimp when we have our 'girls day' together.

My Christmas shopping is completed and the gifts are wrapped and under the tree. Stocking stuffers are ready for the stockings except for grafting the toes on three pairs of socks. I've started another pair using Opal yarn and a patterned stitch. They will probably be for DD although mom would love to keep them for herself. The Just Enough Ruffles scarf has not gotten made, just not enough time.

DS is home for the holidays (oh, joy) and today DH and I have another open house party to attend. Sometime during the next week, DS and I will find a spot of time for just the two of us to spend together and to do some baking. I always look forward to baking with my children, and now Dari too, at Christmastime. We have certain recipes that we want to make every year and we always try to add a new one or two. Tonight we will make Ding Bats, a date and nut ball filled with crisp cereal and coated in coconut. Yum!

Just Enough Ruffles

2008-12-06T14:28:00.004-06:00

I just returned from my LYS a few minutes ago and went on Ravelry to down-load the Just Enough Ruffles Scarf by Laura Chan. Today my LYS had their Christmas sale and I had intended to run in and out quickly so I could get back home and work on some of my projects. That plan went astray; I was there more like three hours instead of a few minutes. I went in I chose my yarn and a set of Bryson's Rosewood DP needles right away, then got in line to pay for them. The Universal's Classic Tapestry yarn I had in my hands led to a discussion of the Just Enough Ruffles scarf pattern. Another lady in the shop had a bag full of the scarfs knitted up to show. She is a school teacher and she is knitting each of her female students a scarf for Christmas (that's all the details I was given). Anyway she had it knitted in several different yarns and colors and Universal Tapestry was one of them. This scarf is a really pretty and it's actually wide enough to be a shoulder wrap. The yarn I bought wasn't for the scarf but I wanted the pattern right away and will use yarn from my stash to knit it with, hopefully before Christmas. I also bought some Filatura Di Crosa 127 Print Yarn in red for knitting a hat. I had paid for my purchases but friends kept coming in and another conversation would get started. Before I knew it, half the day had been spent at the shop. What a fun way to spend a cold Saturday in December.

I've finished another pair of socks and plan to take the week-end off from knitting to get some more baking taken care of. Now that hubby and I have decided on several small gatherings in place of one big blast for the holidays, I can put my plans into action and begin getting things done. My menu for the first group is complete and I have the ingredients in the house ready for the last minute preparations. Its to be a sideboard supper (soups, salads, and Christmas sweets) for a small group of eight. It will be easy, casual, and fun with the tree and lights reflecting in the sun room windows and Christmas music playing softly. I haven't entirely decided on the other two other than they too, will be easy, casual, and fun.

Today the weather has turned really cold. The forecast is for rain in our area with snow to the northwest. Actually I'd like to see a bit of snow just to make the season feel more like Christmas. So far we haven't had anything more than a light flurry. I'm still like a child in wishing for a White Christmas to cozy-up inside and watch the snow falling and the kids outside playing.

Knitting for Christmas

2008-12-01T08:27:00.004-06:00

I'm knitting away trying to get everyone a pair of socks knitted before Christmas. Actually, I'm doing quiet well providing nothing unexpected comes up to put a halt on things; I only have two pairs and one-and-a-half socks left to knit.

The next thing on my Christmas agenda is putting together gifts for my MNKG and TNKG. I like to have small, but useful gifts for these ladies just because I love each of them and its a small way to express it. I love being able to spend a couple of hours on Knit Nights talking about what is going on in our lives, laughing, and knitting together. We have a couple of young ladies (teenagers) that joins us sometimes and they too are great fun and great knitters; and, a three-generation family, teen, mother, and grandmother are a part of our Tuesday night group and on occasion are all there on the same night. How neat is that?

An update on my family - Little Dariana is not so little anymore, she turned four last month and we celebrated with a Princess Tea Party. Fifteen little girls dressed up like princesses (which they are) and having a real tea party together was delightful. What fun for the girls as well as the adults.

Son - home for Thanksgiving and we had a grand time baking and decorating the house together for Christmas. It would be wonderful if we could have him closer to home.

Daughter - working so hard and constantly traveling from one dialysis clinic to the next. She does and terrific job as administrator and won several awards last month for her work. She truly deserved each of them but I sometimes wonder, is all this hard work and travel really such a good thing. We support her 100% regardless.

Son-in-law - doing a terrific job of holding down the home-front and caring for our granddaughter while working forty hours and sometimes more each week. We appreciate him more than there are words to express it.

Hubby - happy in his retirement and being able to play in his iris beds everyday, or almost everyday, sometimes the weather prevents it. He is thinking he may register his first iris this year and hopes to find someone to introduce it for retail.

My siblings - a scary situation. Age is taking its toll on the older ones along with heart and cancer running a close race. Still, for the eight of us that remain on this earth, with me the youngest at 63, we're doing great. I still love to knit for each of them and each seems to enjoy the things I make for them.

Tonight is my MNKG gathering and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. I can't wait to see how Nora is coming along on her socks. She asked me to teach her on the short circular needles than I mentioned before. We call Nora our rectangular knitter because we haven't been able to convince her she is ready to move forward. This is her first attempt and I'm anxious for it to be a success. Meanwhile, I have a zillion little things to get done but I'm off to get a pedicure before I tackle anything else.

In A Knitting Sulk

2008-11-29T20:46:00.009-06:00

It's been almost six months since I've blogged and so much has happen; wonderful, good things, yet I've been in a sulk and couldn't get up the steam to share anything with my knitting community. I won't discuss my sulk other than to say I was put in a position to ask to re-negotiate a contract with a well know knitting author, instructor, and artists whom I had made arrangements with to present a workshop in the area. (The contract was drawn up on this end, but not by me, and had already been signed by the person teaching the workshop.) I refused to re-negotiate at this point and was so embarrassed by the idea of being asked to, that I had to 'sulk' and 'sulk' and 'sulk' some more to get past it. This person did come and present the workshop which I understand was wonderful and I would have loved to have been a part of it but, at the time I couldn't bear to be with a group that I felt wanted me to do 'dirty business'; I'm not that kind of person and I firmly believe in 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'.

That said, I'm now ready to move on.

I've been busy as a bee. In June I went to Knitter's Connection in Columbus and what a wonderful week it was. I had classes with Lucy Neatby, Cat Bordhi, and Candace Eisner Strick. Each was very good as instructors and each had a terrific sense of humor. Oh...how I would love to possess the knowledge of these talented ladies. I was extremely pleased with Lucy Neatby's grafting class, she really knows that 'stuff' and I came away overjoyed with the things I'd learned. My friend and I also did some sight-seeing while we were there and enjoyed some of the wonderful restaurants in the area.

The first week in November another friend and I was fortunate to be able attend Stitches East in Baltimore, Maryland. It was a more exhausting four days than Knitter's Connection for me, thanks in part to the many vendors at the market place. Again I had wonderful instructors and was impressed by the ideas these ladies had to share with us and how much fun they seem to have doing it. This time I had classes with Lorna Miser, Karen Alfke, and Barbara Kerr, all very knowledgeable. Although I didn't win the grand prize, I did win a great one from the Kollage Booth; a sock kit that included a pattern for Chevron Welt Socks and two skeins of Kollage Luscious Yarn in Sunset Strip color. This was a timely prize since I have just started knitting socks this last couple of months.

My New Years resolution was that I would knit a pair of socks in 2008 just to be able to say I had knitted socks. Well, I did, and I have, and I am. I'm hooked.

Speaking of knitting socks, I have been knitting them on 9 inch circular needles and love knitting them this way. I also bought some 11 inch needles and they work well also. With the 11 inch needles I have to switch to dp's a couple of rounds earlier than if I'm using the 9 inch one. Although I don't mind knitting with dp's when necessary, I find the circulars work well for me. A friend of mine knitted a pair on the 11 inch needles and hated it saying they made her hands cramp too much. Here's a photo of my first pair of socks.

Knitters Connection Coming Up Next Week

2008-06-07T11:12:00.004-06:00

I have really gotten lazy about posting, however, lazy I am not. I've been working in the gardens, putting in plants and a few trees in the landscape and tending the vegetables. I've been picking and enjoying fresh strawberries and sharing them with Dari and our neighbors. I've been harvesting and freezing fresh broccoli and turnips and greens and now I have enough in the freezer to last until fall when I'll plant those cool-weather crops again. The butter beans, Crowder peas, green beans and okra are up and growing. We've constructed a fence for them to run on and for the tomatoes to grow against. The tomatoes are full of blooms but I'm not sure we'll have a ripe one by the 4th of July. That's the date Richmonder's shoot for their first ripe tomato of the season. (Oh, I can just taste that first BLT!). The squash and cucumbers are blooming and the herbs are doing wonderful in this heat we're having now that summer is just around the corner. The potatoes are ready to scratch new one's from underneath the vine and the cabbages are huge. Early this week I cut the last of the broccoli and planted another crop of butter beans after I pulled the stalks up and deposited them in the compost pile. I freshened the soil before I planted the seeds, then watered them in good. They should be up in a few more days. I also picked all the greens left in the garden (two sink fulls to wash) and pulled up the turnips to cook in the greens and be frozen. This garden spot I also freshened and another crop of peas was planted. Cabbages will be next vegetable to come out and in that spot I will plant another crop of beans, a combination of wax, black, and green beans. I really enjoy the work that it takes to put in a garden and to harvest and preserve it and Mr. Rō is enjoying helping me.

My recent evenings have been spent knitting the swatches I need to take with me to Knitters Connection next week. A friend from my knitting guild is going with me and I understand the BonAirCat who is also a member of our guild, is going too. I'm excited and looking forward to a wonderful time. We fly on Tuesday and Saturday so that gives us the full three days at the event and a bit of extra time to see some of the city. I'll have photos when I return and hopefully I won't be returning with an additional suitcase.

The iris have finished their bloom for this spring; hopefully we will have more bloom in the fall. Let's hope there is enough rain during the summer to revitalize the re-bloomers. We enjoyed a week-end at the regional meeting in Winchester and visiting Winterberry Gardens. The iris were beautiful and DH enjoyed the additional garden training provided on Friday and Saturday.

Today is my birthday. Tonight hubby is taking me to a local neighborhood restaurant for dinner, well not local in the sense of the village but to our old stomping ground. Helen's is in the Fan District of Richmond and has been there forever. A hole-in-the-wall, not seating more than 25 at most, but with the most wonderful food. We went there for our anniversary a few weeks ago and everything was so good, including the service. We had a table by the window on Main Street allowing us to watch the neighborhood come and go all evening. Anyone familiar with this area of Richmond knows 'watching' can be lots of fun. This morning I awoke and had coffee and was dressed and ready to go outside when I received my first surprise of the day. The 'kids' were all leaving this morning going to the beach for a week and so I was totally surprised when they came in with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and an already cooked breakfast. It was such a surprise since DS had called yesterday and said he wasn't driving down until late morning today and was going directly to the beach. There was a yummy casserole made by DD and a pretty platter of fresh fruits, which she knows I adore, and toasted English muffins along with good jam and jelly. What a way to start my birthday!

Baby Maestro has had another bout with his ear and had to spend the day in the hospital having it drained once more. Poor baby looks so sweet with his one clipped ear full of staples. Maestro loves getting in the pool with me but the Vet said not to let him get his ear wet for fourteen days. Yesterday he cried until I picked him up and held him with the water just under his belly so that he felt he was swimming with me. Spoiled he is and I'd have it no other way.

This afternoon I plan to finish knitting my swatches for Lucy Neatby's class on grafting and get the supplies I'll need at Knitters Connection together. I have to decide what yarn I'm going to use for knitting the mobius scarf in Cat Bordhi's workshop. Wonder if I shouldn't wait and buy my yarn once I get to market.

I've Started Knitting on the Lace Mystery Shawl for RCK

2008-05-14T19:33:00.006-06:00

Between the garden and visiting with our visitors, I've managed to start the River City Knitter's Mystery Shawl. I don't remember if I've mentioned it before, most of the members in our guild are participating in a knit-a-long making a lace shawl that we will then model in December during our Christmas luncheon. I'm disappointed in the width of the shawl but I think it is a great project for the guild so I intend to continue with it. Only this week did I realize our May meeting is coming up and we will be given the second clue so I sat down and knitted the first 20 rows in chart 1. It will be unlikely that I'll have chart 1 and chart 2 finished by Saturday but maybe I'll catch up before the June meeting. Well, perhaps July because Knitters Connection is coming up and I'll be going to that in June .

The mitered bag turned out great and is still drying out on the deck - must remember to bring it in before going to bed, rain is predicted and I wouldn't want to dry it twice. It is a large bag, but no huge. Now that it has been shaped and is drying I'm having second thoughts about the handle/straps. I'm thinking I may way to buy leather straps for it, somehow it seems to be screaming I need leather handles. My sister will love it once its completed.

Last night I went to the village shop to knit however this was a peculiar night, no one else showed up. After about an hour I suggested they close and go home early; I'd go home and knit. Wouldn't you know it, as I was leaving I looked back in my rear view mirror and saw another one of our group going into the shop. Being tired and the time already 7:30, I decided I should keep driving.

We had our next door neighbor over for dinner tonight while his wife is visiting her daughter. We grilled steaks bought from a local farm and raised chemical free. The taste was almost as good as Costco's (where we generally buy steaks) but they required a bit more chewing. It makes one realize how adapt we are use to the chemically grown meat. I could get use to the more healthy grown meat without a much effort. For dessert, we had strawberry shortcake, strawberries fresh picked from the garden. They were so good and sweet, plump, and red, and juicy with real whipped cream and a cup of steaming hot coffee.

The vegetable garden is looking wonderful. The potatoes are blooming and the wax beans, butter beans, and peas are coming up. The broccoli is heading nicely and it is ever so good and tender, the turnip greens are producing well and little turnips are already forming underneath the greens. The strawberries are bearing abundantly and tasting wonderful, and the herbs have taken off, along with an ever new crop of weeds.

The iris garden is looking rather sad compared to a week ago. We still have lots of blooms but the old stems need to be cut and put in the compost pile to neaten up the garden. I will try to help DH with that in the morning.

DD is coming at noon to take me for an afternoon at the SPA. Its been a long time since the two of us have had a day at the SPA together so I'm looking forward to it. We use to have lots of fun doing those kinds of things before she became a mother and before I became 'old(?)' and having health problems. We use to spend a whole day shopping or get in the car and take off having a 'Come-What-May Day'. It would always be an adventure and we'd laugh together until our driving would become dangerous. We both miss those good times. Tomorrow is going to be great, just me and my girl. When Dariana is older we'll take her too, she already loves having 'Girl Days'.

Look at some of our late blooming iris.

Tall Bearded Iris 'Prague'

Tall Bearded Iris 'Burn Toffee'

Tall Bearded Iris 'English Charm'

Tall Bearded Iris 'Equestrian'

Historic Tall Bearded Iris 'Wabash" probably my most favorite of all iris new or old. See the thin white rim around the falls? This becomes fluoresce about dusk each evening, I never get tired of looking at it.

Tall Bearded Iris & Knitting - A Whopping BIG Bag!

2008-05-12T10:15:00.011-06:00

Yes I did, I knitted a whopping big bag, so big it may be useless. Its in the washing machine right now and I'm holding my breath that it will shrink enough to be usable. I forgot to take a picture before putting it in to felt because I was sidetracked by the strap. I sewed the bag together last night and attached the S-cord, that I spent several hours knitting for the strap and did I ever attach it. Once it was in place I realized it wasn't going to work. Not only did I not like the way it looked, it wasn't going to be strong enough for this whopper of a bag. I decided to put it aside for another day and so got up this morning determined I was going to either finish it today or dispose of it. I started by trying to take off the strap and spend the next couple of hours trying to take out the stitching without harming the bag (navy blue on navy blue). Once that was done I stuck the joker in a zipped pillow case cover and into the washer. Only then did I remember I hadn't made a picture. Once it has finished felting I will make some I-cords of a suitable weight and length and place them on the front and back sides rather than on the ends of the bag. I feel pretty confident that its going to work.

DS was home for Mothers Day weekend and it was so great to have him with us for a few days. On Friday night DD came out and brought beautiful Dariana; how nice to have them all here at one time. Yesterday DD and myself were taken to the village for a special Mother's Day brunch. We have a wonderful little bakery and sandwich shop in the village that is only open weekdays and Saturdays until around 3 PM. If you are there around 8:30 AM on any of these mornings, you can enjoy fresh hot-out-of-the-oven croissants and their scones are the best ever, especially the cranberry ones with white chocolate and nuts. Yesterdays brunch was beautiful and delicious. They only took 100 reservations for the entire day and everything was done to perfection. DD and I felt like special moms, but then I think the men felt special too, it was such a nice day.

Today I've shed my shorts and tank top for long pants and a sweatshirt. The temperature has finally gotten above 50 degrees and the sun keeps trying to peek out, although the wind has not let up. Needless to say, with all the rain the gardens are struggling, especially the iris gardens. We had fresh broccoli from the garden today at lunch and it was ever so tender and tasty. I've already put a few containers of turnip greens in the freezer and they should have been picked again on Sunday. Dariana was able to pick about a quart of fresh strawberries on Friday evening and she made a big dent in them before she went home. Of course she took the remaining berries home with her. She loves washing the berries and drying them, then taking the 'caps' off before popping them in her mouth and giggling. So sweet, she is. DD had to go to Washington DC for a business meeting on Thursday and 'I was so happy', not because she had to go, but because I got to take her place at the 'Mother's Day Breakfast' at Dariann's school. It was so special - I felt so special to be a part of it.

On Sat. DH and I went to a Garden Party at a friend's home and to see the irises in bloom. What a lovely afternoon with lots of wonderful friends and the delightful iris fragrance whiffing throughout the garden. Spring is such a enjoyable time of the year for me. We've had drop-in and call-before-I-come guest for the last few weeks to see our iris. Iris blooming time makes a good time to see some friends that we haven't seen since bloom-time last year.

As I mentioned in an earlier post our garden is scheduled to be open on the 17th but unfortunately it will not be because of the early bloom this year and so much rain. The garden was at peak bloom early last week and although we still have a lots of bloom, it is scruffy looking now. We have let as many people as possible know to come early for there won't be anything much to see on the 17th however, it is impossible to reach everyone and I'm afraid someone will drive a long distance to see the irises then be disappointed when they get here. Let me share a few more pictures with you.
One of our front iris beds.
Can you see the black iris in the group?
Before the Storm (Tall bearded, considered being a good black iris)
Goldkist (Tall bearded iris, reminds me of a bright sunny morn)
Dr Moody (historic tall bearded iris, I love the vivid colors) Yaquina Blue (A tall bearded iris called a Space-age iris, see the flounces on the beards and a substantial amount of ruffling on the falls)

Have A Look At DH's Iris Seedlings

2008-05-04T15:22:00.006-06:00

As I promised in my last post, here are four of the seedlings my hubby is developing to register, and hopefully introduce to the Iris world in the next couple of years. These iris were produced by him cross pollinating two different iris. They are all siblings but look how different they are in colors, beards, ruffling, and even structure. I think the second one is my favorite, I love the butter color standards and the red of the rim on the falls.

The third one, with the bright red beard has the most fragrance, makes me want to stick my nose right into it.

The fourth one may have the best structure, tall stright stems, good branching, and seven buds to a stem. Almost everything desirable in a new introduction. These iris will have to be tended, watched and records kept for another couple of years to see if they maintain all the desirable points and continue to reproduce well. If so, he may apply to have one or more of them named and registered . After that, should he decide to put them on the market he would have to find one of the larger mail order nurseries to 'introduce' the iris in their catalog.
Which one do you like best?

Knitting Mystery Shawl and Ripe Strawberries

2008-05-03T19:08:00.004-06:00

Tonight I plan to cast on for the mystery shawl that has been designed for our knitting guild. At our last meeting the first part of the pattern was passed out and it is a chart with no written instructions. Since I detest knitting from a chart I mentioned that I planned to write the pattern out before starting, it save me lots of time and keeps me from becoming frustrated over something that I can prevent. Charts are a lazy designer's way out as far as I'm concerned but I know there are many people that love working from charts. I'm not one of them. Before I had time to go to the library and have the chart blown up and then translate it, the person I was speaking with posted a plea for written instructions on our yahoo site. Needles to say that allowed others to admit their frustration over charts also and the results is someone went ahead and translated it. Now I won't have to, I can just knit – how wonderful. I'm not sure I want to knit the shawl, well that's not entirely true, I don't want to knit it (lace) but I do want to be a part of the guild's knit-along-project. The lady who designed the pattern for our guild was asked to design a shawl but what we actually got is a scarf. Most members appear to be extremely disappointed in the width of it and so instead of knitting with the size 6 needles called for in the pattern, most are using a size 9 to get a bit more width. I am disappointed; not being a tiny, petite lady to begin with I won't be able to wear it as a shawl. I love wearing shawls and wear them often but I'm not much of a scarf person. Still, it will be fun knitting along with the other members, everyone knitting the same pattern but using different colors of yarn. The yarn is Jagger Spun Maine Line 2/8. We order it as a group and by the cone saving quiet a bit on both the yarn and the postage.

Today I was out early and deadheaded the irises then planted two row of okra. That filled my vegetable plot until some of the cool weather vegetables are finished and I can pull them out and plant more summer vegetables. Yesterday I was out really early to weed and plant. I planted wax beans, purple hull peas, speckled butterbeans, and set out my tomato plants. The potatoes are up to about ten inches now and the broccoli and cauliflower are beginning to form heads. I thinned the purple-top turnip greens and picked enough to make a mess as I was thinning them. They are already developing little turnips which I love to cook in with the greens. The cabbages leaves are huge but so far they haven't begin to form heads. DGD was out yesterday afternoon and found a few ripe strawberries. I took a little glass of water and paper towel to the strawberry patch with us and as she picked the berries I washed and dried them off for her to pop in her mouth. She loved picking and eating them. Grand babies are wonderful!

After I finished in the garden this morning I decided to take a day off and run some errands. While I was out I 'just happened' to go by a couple of plant nurseries and so I came home with the back of my wagon filled with plants. Tomorrow will find me out planting and putting in some brick paths. It is really wonderful to be working on my gardens once again. At the end of the day I'm so exhausted that all I want is a bath and the bed. My energies are so slow about returning, or perhaps I'm just getting old, who knows?

I wish everyone could see our iris garden this week. It is bursting with color; orange, yellow, pink, blue, purple, black, white, brown, burgundy, puce, and in every combination. Some have yellow beards and some have white, others may have an orange or purple or even blue beard. All these little differences are what makes the flowers so beautiful and so interesting. Some are old and dog eared (floppy), but none the less still beautiful and some are ruffled, some lacey, and some are the new space-agers with protruding beards and flounces. The weather has really hurt them this year and DH and I are frequently discussing whether it was the hot/cold temperature that hit us while the blossoms were forming or if it is from the abundance of rain we've had this spring. None the less, they are beautiful as you can see here.
Alien Mist Abbey Road Concentina Autumn Apricot
Nest post I want to tell you and show you some of DH's seedlings. Iris he has crossed and hybridized making yet another color, another twist to their parents.

Knitting Bags and Blooming Irises

2008-04-29T07:06:00.009-06:00

Busy, Busy, Busy -
I took off to VA Beach last week to visit my sister. I drove down from Richmond by the scenic route keeping my eyes open for interesting things I might want to stop at on the way home. I spotted a couple of feed-and-seed stores and a hardware store that appeared to have a nice sized plant nursery at the side, and a couple of concrete places having gardening accents out front. I spent three days visiting my sister and was able to see her two daughters, a grand-daughter, and a great grand-son, Cody. The girls, Cody, and I went to pick strawberries on Thursday afternoon. There were several fields open for picking, or pre-picked strawberries and we found one field open with pre-picked fresh asparagus. The asparagus looked good enough to eat right there, long tender shoots with tight tips that were so beautiful they would make a gorgeous floral arrangement. Bet you can't guess what desert was at dinner that night…and the next, and the next and, for breakfast too.

On the way home I stopped at the places I'd sighted on the way down. I bought a large healthy looking Astilbe to go in amongst other plants so they will offer it a bit of shade. They get morning sun but only in the early morning. At the next stop I purchased a beautiful new bird-bath to replace the old one. Over the years the old one had developed a hairline crack causing the water to seep from it daily. This one has a glaze applied and providing we remember to turn the top over to prevent water from freezing in it this winter, we should be able to enjoy it for a long-long time.

The irises are really popping now so I'll share a few more pictures with you. I wish I could post one of each however that isn't practical so I'll do a random thing using some of my favorites, both historic and modern day iris. The vegetable garden is popping too, with weeds. I have to get out and weed providing the rain lets up long enough. The broccoli is getting tall and the cauliflower is already showing the signs of a head. The Purple Top turnip greens need to be thinned and picked, and potatoes need feeding.
Daughter of Stars (2000) - A modern Space-Age Iris

Rajah (1942) - Historic Iris

Dear little Dari spent most of the weekend with Papa Rō and me. We had such a good time; she's growing up so fast. On Sunday when I wanted to knit for a bit, I asked if she wanted some yarn and needles to play with while I was knitting. Certainly, I had already bought needles (for when she is five and I teach her to knit) and so I took out a pair and found a ball of heavy weight, colorful yarn for her to use. It was so much fun watching her little hands and fingers wrapping and twisting the yarn around the needle. I'm sure in her little 'three year old mind' that her project looked just as beautiful as Grand-mama's.

My niece loved the bag I made for her. I forgot to make a photo after I finished felting, lining, and adding the snap on the inside. It turned out nice and I loved the lime green and cream colors together. I liked just a bit having the mitered bag for my sister finished so I took it with me to complete while I was there. As luck would have it, I failed to pick up the additional yarn and so had to bring it back home to complete. It is ready to felt once I devise a gusset for the sides and bottom and some straps to go over the shoulder. I'm thinking once I have the gusset knitted and in place that I should be able to pick up stitches on each side and knit an S-strap using the navy yarn. I'll try to remember to snap a couple of photos of it.

Today I must work on the newsletter for our Iris Society and get it in the post tomorrow after I go for my PET scan. (Yes, its that time again, four months since the last one. I'm looking forward to having it and being given another clear report.) Garden tours are to start next week-end and the news must go out. Our garden is scheduled for the 17th this year but I'm very much afraid our bloom will be on the down-side by then. This has been an early bloom season and that along with the rain, I fear our garden will not be much to look at this year. Meanwhile just look at some that are blooming now.

Up to Snuff(1998)

Jessie's Song (1979)

What's Blooming in the Iris Gardens Today

2008-04-18T05:54:00.002-06:00

Let me show you some more irises. They are opening right now at a rate of one or two a day but the closer we get to Mother's Day, the faster they will begin to open; too many to post. The Mother's Day thing is iffy, but our garden usually peaks bloom during the first two weeks of May therefore I use that as a timeline for talking about the iris. Yesterday we had one of my favorite to open and I love the name of it, 'Let's Elope'.

Look at the beautiful colors in the blossom, doesn't it make you want to snatch it away from the garden, elope with it. This is an intermediate bearded iris and it blooms on and on in our garden; we have several clumps because I love it so. DH keeps commenting that most of it has to go, he needs the room for other irises that are in pots waiting for a place to be planted in the ground. At the time we moved here, three years ago, we moved over five-hundred. They have grown into large clumps and have to be divided but we've also added a large number of iris to the garden that have been given to us by dear friends as well as from the Presby Historical Iris Gardens in New Jersey. Here's a picture of 'Can-Can', hybridized in the 50's and reminding me very much of the modern day 'Can-Can Dancer' which will bloom later in the season and I'll try to remember and post a photo of that particular one when it blooms. 'Can-Can Dancer' is one of my favorite iris because of it's unique coloring and just enough ruffling to make it stand out. Although the two have similar names and similar colors, they are not closely related.

I knitted a few rows last night while I was making dinner on the second half of the mitered bag and again after our game of Scrabble. What a pitiful game that was, not a fun at all because we played the entire game having to make three-lettered words. It isn't too unusual for one or the other of us to have all vowels or all consonants throughout most of the game, but it was unusual for both of us to play the first half of the game with barely any vowels and the last part without any consonants; our combined score was less than 450 points (pitiful). Jazz was playing on the radio and we had a glass of wine so it was still an enjoyable evening being together.

Tencel & Cotton Fiber Yarn Ever So Soft and Bearded Iris Bloom

2008-04-16T09:35:00.010-06:00

Wo unto our garden; we had a 29° temperature last night and frost this morning. DH is fearful the iris got 'cold hurt'. The plants are just putting up bloom stalks and they are ever so tender. This, on top of the rain we've just had causing some 'rot', and the 'leaf spot' is setting in. Work, work, and more work. Worry, worry, and more worry. But just you wait, in a few weeks it will be beauty, joy, and happiness as we walk out and see an array of beautiful purples, blues, yellows, orange, pink, white, lavender, black, deep, deep red and everything in-between; about two more weeks and we should have a good showing. Right now the intermediate iris are beginning to blossom. Lilac Point and Bottled Sunshine are both beauties and are both blooming as well as Blessed Again.

Our first tall bearded historic iris, Purissima (1924), is in bloom and is ever so white against the brick of the house. Purissima is a very important specimen in the iris world for it was one of the first true white iris recognized for breeding and is still being used to breed our modern day white iris. To me, this old, somewhat dog eared iris is just as beautiful as our modern day ruffled ones.

The iris beds are weeded, some new plants have been added to the perennial beds we put in last year, and yesterday DH tilled a new bed for me. Today I will purchase edging for the bed, then we'll add some compost, top soil and fertilizer, and then add the plants. I can't wait to get it planted and know I'll have something in bloom next year when the irises are showing.

Later today I am going to visit two on my wonderful gardening club friends. They are older ladies and no longer able to drive and do the things they used to do. Both have been mentors to me over the years and I love them dearly. While I'm there I plan to dig Vinca Major to use as a ground cover on the bank in front or our house. I love Vinca Major as a ground cover; it spreads quickly, is evergreen, blooms beautiful blue flowers and will allow the lawn mower to keep it intact without becoming un-attractive.

Last night I went to 'knit night' in the village and worked on the mitered bag I'm knitting for a sister. When I got home I decided to finish up the one side and be ready to start on the other side this morning. I cast on 128 stitches for this square. It is so big, larger than I actually would like it to be. Probably 100 stitches would have been more the size I'm looking for once it has been felted. Tonight I want to pull out my patterns and find a summer shell that I can use Classic Elite Premier yarn for knitting it. Premier is a 50 % cotton and 50 % tencel yarn and is ever so soft. It was one of the yarns I tasted at the Yarn Tasting on Sunday then when I saw all the colors at Holly Springs last night I decided I had to knit a shell with it. Tencel is made from wood pulp cellulose and it said to be as soft as silk, as strong as polyester, cool as linen, warm as wool and as absorbent as cotton. That’s hitting near perfect for a fiber isn't it? I plan to choose a beautiful mocha brown color.

Yarn Tasting, Needle Flicking, & A Great Weekend At The Graves

2008-04-14T20:03:00.007-06:00

I spent a great weekend at Graves Mountain Lodge with a group ladies belonging to the River City Knitting Guild; what fun it was. We arrived at the lodge for an early breakfast on Saturday morning, followed by a few hours of free knitting time. It's only fair to say, we didn't get a lots of knitting accomplished because it was so great to be with friends sharing chatter and giggles. Our quarters for the outing were set high on the side of the mountain with a breath taking view below. PHOTO Everything was so green and lush from the recent rains and the apple trees were in full blossom, what beauty to behold. It was a warm and beautiful day and so many of us spent our time on the long front porches in our rocking chairs knitting while others chose to sit inside away from the many bumble bees that were taking flight. I actually enjoy watching the bees since there was so much nature food available and they were not interested in people. PHOTO I understand the importance of bumble bee pollination since we, the people, have more or less destroyed the honey bees with our chemicals and poisons. I love knowing I have bees and worms and even some bugs in my gardens. I also have birds, lots of them, and rabbits and an occasional deer; all are good things to my way of thinking.

Saturday noon, only four hours after our big and heavy breakfast, we were tracking down the mountain for lunch and another home-cooked meal ending with apple cobbler à la mode - yum –yum. We then had to make an effort to get back up the mountain to our lodging and work-room. I was totally exhausted and wobbled into a chair and didn't move for a couple of hours. During the afternoon many of us participated in a short workshop on Intarsia Knitting offered by Pat Kirkland from The Yarn Barn in Andersonville, VA (http://www.yarnbarn.com/about.htm). Pat brought lots and lots of goodies with her from her shop including a ton of gorgeous sweaters and jackets she has knitted. Pat designs patterns for the larger woman so anyone needing a large size like 2,3,4 X, this is a place you should be able to find something you will just love. Pat brought yarn (loads of all lines of Nora) and patterns, books, and needles and best of all, her knowledge of knitting. There was also a few other vendors with everything from wonderful lotion and skin care to handmade soaps, unusual jewelry, and stitch markers.
Again there was free time for knitting so most of us brought the rocking chairs from our rooms out on the porch and rocked, knitted and sipped a glass of wine or some other spirit until dinner time. At the bottom of the mountain flows the Rose River and up the opposite side of the mountain are beautiful farms with lots of cattle and apple orchids; I could have sat there the entire day and evening giving up lunch and dinner just to enjoy the fresh air and beauty of a warm spring day in the mountains.

DH and I have hiked the Rose River trails before in our younger days and we've hiked the Old Rag Mountain in this area several times.

After another big meal on Saturday night, all us women put on our jimmies and met in the common room reserved for us for a pajama party. We knitted as we got to know one another better. There was loads of food (I didn't touch it after all the food I'd already eaten throughout the day) and drink. I had another glass of wine and went to bed leaving my roommate at the party. DH and I had tickets for the opera on Friday night and it was near mid-night time we drove home from the city. I had everything packed and ready to go but still had to get up at five o'clock to get to the lodge in time for breakfast. Sleep was ever so good Saturday night.

After breakfast on Sunday morning the weather begin to turn cold. We went back to our building to have a Yarn Tasting. Doesn't it look yummy? The yarn was from MFYS and Sharon did a fantastic job of presenting it. There were silks, linens, and cottons, yarns made from milk products, corn, bamboo, and from shrimp and crab shells. Sharon was introducing us to Spring and Green (Organic) yarns. Isn't it amazing what things are sometimes made of?
After lunch it was time to travel home. I think everyone had a wonderful time although most of us didn't accomplish much knitting. We learned to put names and faces together and made new friends. We relaxed and enjoyed the beauty of nature's surroundings and everyone forgot about their diets. How often will you find twenty-five women together at one time and every one of them has forgotten the word 'diet'? But – I bet all twenty-five of us haven't had it to far away from our minds today, I haven't.

Airline Out Of Business...And It Rains.....I Need Something Pleasant To Happen!

2008-04-06T06:54:00.020-06:00

I finished the shoulder shawl I was knitting using the Carat yarn; just need to bind off and weave in the ends. I love the drape of the shawl and I'm going to enjoy wearing it around my shoulders. I love the golden thread that goes throughout it, just enough to make it interesting yet not flashy.

And another bag made for a niece except for adding the lining. I love this lime green don't you?

And here is the Fidget I've been enjoying.

Yesterday I woke, made coffee and turned on the TV to catch the morning news. The first item on was another airline has gone under, the third in a week. What stuck me was, it was the airline my friend and I have tickets to fly to Knitters Connection in June. It is the only non-stop flight out of Richmond and the only flight that don't go around-the-world to get you there. Now searching for a 'cheap' flight has begun and with the price of gas I don't think we are going to find a really 'cheap' fare. There is one good thing about the situation and that is, I can choose a later return flight. I have signed up to take Cat Brodhis' Magic of Moebius class on Friday and was going to have to miss most of the afternoon session in order to catch the flight back to Richmond. My traveling companion didn't realize the close time schedule when she booked our flight and made the hotel arrangements. I was really disappointed that I wasn't going to be able to attend the entire afternoon session. This is the first big knitting function I've attended and want to get as much from it as I can. I may yet decide to attend the entire Stitches East this fall.

We've had rain, rain, rain, for most of last week and its still raining. We are less than an inch catching up from last summers drought; for that we can be thankful. On the other side, if we continue to get rain our iris will begin to rot in the ground, especially in this Powhatan hard clay. We have amended the soil and amended it again and continue to amend but it takes a long time to turn poor soil into something rich and beautiful. A few years ago when the National Iris Convention was held in the Northern VA area there was a year with lots of rain in the spring. I remember driving up to take a load of home baked goodies to one of the homes to be on tour. The goodies were to be used to help feed several bus loads of people over several days. After placing the bake goods inside we were invited to see the gardens. The lady who's home we were at was sick at heart and once we walked into her beautiful gardens I could understand why. As we entered her gardens, the smell of iris rot touched your nostrils. Iris were rotting in the ground and the foliage falling over at ground level where the rot had taken its toll. It was a sad thing to see and heartbreaking for this lady who had spent two years preparing for this event.

Preparing for the National tour is not an easy task. It involves planting a few hundred iris from all over the country, some old, some new, and some seedlings that have yet to be named. The rhizomes are sent to the Iris Society Chapter hosting the convention two years prior to the event. Members who have agreed to 'Host' for the convention then plant the rhizomes in the their garden and are responsible for taking care of the plants and maintaining their beds for the next two years. Generally it takes two years for an iris to have good bloom. This lady put hour upon hour into reworking her gardens and planting the display beds. She had nursed the iris that first fall and through the first winter, through the spring rains, summer droughts, and then through another fall and winter to have the best show possible when the buses arrived. She had worried about disease, insects, too little rain, too much rain, and keeping wandering animals out of the gardens. Everything was looking beautiful until the 'ROT' struck, what a disappointment for her. But the show had to go on, and it did, and although there was lots of rot there were still hundreds of beautiful blooms to enjoy in her garden.

Today our plants are looking healthy and growing quickly. We've agreed to open our gardens for our local chapter this year and so we are already holding our breath that the weather will cooperate with us and that we will have a 'rainbow' of color to offer when the garden is opened.

Vegetables, Iris, and Lots of Knitting

2008-04-05T13:53:00.003-06:00

What a wonderful week I've had. On Monday night I met with my Monday night knit group and we actually accomplished a good bit of knitting. Donna is still working on the afghan for her niece and Nora was working on a new afghan for a granddaughter. Pat and Bonnie were each working on an intarsia bag and I begin knitting the Widget using some Lily Chin yarn that I bought especially for that pattern. On Tuesday night I knitted at my LYS and again I worked on the Widget, finishing it off while there. We had a variety of project going at this knit night. Dolores and Glen were both working on their Nicky Epstein Bags (mine is still 'in the bag'), Cindy was working on a new lace shawl pattern, Kathy was designing and knitting a hat using 'Scarlet Fleece', a line of yarn that she's launching. We had a few new ladies in the group, one a teenager. She was knitting on her first sweater and it really looked good, nice straight rows and tight neat stitches, she is going to become a good knitter I think. One of the other ladies was also knitting a sweaters and one a child's sweater, the other was working on a beautiful afghan.

I bought some Marks & Kattens Carat yarn, a gorgeous ribbon yarn with yellow and soft blue/green ribbons and a gold thread running through them. I've already started a should shawl with it that I can tuck around my neck and wear with a pair of jeans. Next weekend my Knitting Guild is having a weekend at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria, VA; a wonderful place to go for a quiet and restful weekend. I'm afraid that won't apply to our group; I'm expecting lots of talk, giggling, and knitting to be taking place. I'm not sure what I will be taking to knit on but know it has to be a no-brainer since I need to have quiet to knit anything with a detailed stitch pattern. My memory doesn't serve me as well as it use to. I have a mitered purse started for a sister and I bought some of Iris Scheriere's hand-painted silk Artyarn to knit one of her modular scarf's. She has created some of the most beautiful colors and the silk has a really nice feel to it, good for spring wear.

Our dwarf bearded iris bloom is in progress and we're busy weeding, digging, and planting in the iris and the vegetable gardens. This weeks rain has slowed us down but we've still be able to manage at least an hour or so outside each day. Look at this beautiful little iris. It's name is Pilgrims Choice and was hybridized by a wonderful man, Mr. Anthony Willott, whom we met at the National Convention a few years ago. It is one of my very favorite of the dwarf bearded iris because of its unique grey color. Next to bloom will be the intermediate iris and then the tall bearded. That’s when our gardens are alive with the 'Rainbow Flower'; all the colors of the rainbow can be found in an iris garden when it is in bloom. The tall bearded generally peak about Mother's Day then we will have some bloom on into mid-June.

In the vegetable garden the strawberries are blooming and the purple top turnips are up. Seed potatoes are in the ground and cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, and a few herbs. By mid-month I hope it will be warm enough to plant beans, green, string, or snap, what ever you choose to call them in your part of the county. To me they are green beans, having strings that should be removed, and you snap them into small pieces to cook. I can't wait to have them fresh from the garden and perhaps as early as July I'll have some new potatoes to cook on top of them and a fresh tomato too.

Freeform Knitting and Playing School

2008-03-08T17:14:00.001-06:00

The floors are finished and they are beautiful. The entire house looks so much brighter and the rooms look larger than before. I'm so glad we decided to go ahead with the expense of real wood, it has made such a difference and DH and I both are so pleased with the entire project. Of course there was lots of work to do. Once the floors were completed and all the furniture back in place I decided it was a good time to wash everything and get rid of all the left-over dust. Out comes the Murphy's Oil Soap, a bucket and clothes and everything in the house was washed inside, out, top to bottom, back and front. Lots of work but how good it is to have everything cleaned at one time

Remember a while back me joking about our local post office and it being open on Saturday mornings for only two hours? Well, yesterday I had another surprise (which shouldn't have been if I'd was as aware as I should be). I needed to mail the bi-monthly newsletter for our iris society and was rushing to get it finished, addressed and in the mail. With all I had going on with the floors and knowing my daughter and her family were coming for dinner last night, it was getting late. I thought if I rushed I could make it to the post office and be able to squeeze just before 5 o'clock, which I was but, – this little post office closes at 4:30. Can you believe it, four thirty - doors shut. That meant I had to track back home and return to the post office this morning to get the newsletter in the mail. Will I ever get use to living outside the city?

On the way back home I stopped by the LYS and bought two beautiful balls of Lily Chin's Manhattan yarn. It’s a cotton and bamboo blend than knits up to about 3 ½ stitches per inch, bulky weight, which I needed to make the widget. I chose a periwinkle blue thinking it would be nice with a pair of jeans or jean skirt. I can't wait to start it; wanted to last night but little Dari stayed the night with us and I played school instead of knitting I haven't had time to pick up my knitting needles for knitting in about two weeks. Notice I said for knitting because I did have them all in my lap last night. Dari is fascinated with the yarn and needles and the other knitting supplies I keep in my basket. I can't wait until she is old enough for me to teach to knit. I've already bought her needles and I ask her each time she visits "when is grandmamma going to teach you to knit?" She responds with "When I'm five". Last night she was the teacher and papa and I were the students. The 'sticks' were used to teach us an art class, and a music class. She wanted some yarn so I made her a little ball of red and she wore stitch markers on her fingers as rings. What fun we had!

Saturday is our knitting guild meeting and the program is going to be on machine knitting. I've never watched anyone doing machine knitting but have been interested in seeing how it works, what advantages, other than speed, it has over hand knitting, etcetera. I'm looking forward to picking up lots of information from the program. Then, Saturday afternoon, Colleen Davis http://www.wonderchannel.com/about.html is teaching her class on Introduction to Freeform Knitting for the guild members. This is going to be so much fun, I can't wait to see how she puts her gorgeous pieces together. I've seen a bit of her work first hand from her daughter who is a member of our guild. She wears some of her mother's pieces occasionally to our guild meetings and they are always vibrant and always surprisingly different. I know I'm going to enjoy the afternoon.

Where am I going to find all the time to do all the things I want to do? The fact is, I can't but it sure is fun trying to fit it all into a lifetime. When I hear people talk about being bored I wonder "how?"; I never have enough time to do all the things I want to do, and need to do, must less get bored.

Ravelry

2008-02-29T08:21:00.004-06:00

I've spent a few minutes this morning over at Ravelry signing up for our Knitting Guild's Group, River City Knitters. Richmond adopted this slogan, River City, a few years back when they decided to use the famous James River to help revitalize the city. Like most inner-cities, Richmond had slid into decay and more crime than we like to admit. I am happy to know this is changing and lots of progress to re-organize and re-build the city is being made and is continuing to be worked on.

I was so anxious to be invited to join Ravelry during its beta period and I planned to get all my knitting and other needle works into one place. Here I am seven months later and still don't have anything accomplished. Lot of my projects, tools, yarns, etc. are documented, but scattered around in different files and different places. Now I need to take the time to organize everything and move it all over to Ravelry. I know it would be easier if everything is in one place. I have to find time soon to get this done; I do, I do.

Our new floors are almost in, probably today and perhaps one day next week and they should be finished. They look beautiful and they make the rooms look so much brighter. It will take me another week to put things back together once the floors are completed and while I'm working at it, lots of more things have to go. I've accumulated so much in my lifetime that things have become a nuisance rather than a pleasure to me. I've always loved beautiful things and enjoyed having them in our home and as part of our lives but it doesn't seem very important to us anymore. Perhaps it is age, perhaps its a different outlook on life after me going through Hodgkin's disease, or perhaps it just gets to be to much for one to take care of after a while. I'm not sure, but I keep boxing it up and giving it away.

Here's a photo of the young men laying our smaller bedroom floor. I've been bribing them with M & M's. I've saved them some Chile Verde that was smelling so good when they left today. I will use it as a bribe on Monday, "lunch on me if you get the second bedroom laid by lunch today". That shouldn't be too hard.

It isn't Spring yet........

2008-02-25T11:31:00.002-06:00

The glorious days of warm weather and sunshine have gone and we are again having cloudy and colder days. According to the calendar, we only have 25 days left of winter, let's hope this is true. Even though we had a bit of sleet and ice on Friday, the crocuses are continuing to bloom and add a bright spot of color to the beds out front. DH was out this morning weeding in the iris beds. He has a case of the 'winter jitters', not helped by the fact that I've come down with a sore throat so I'm a bit grumpy today. I begin knitting a cute scarflet pattern last night called the Fidget http://www.onesheephill.com/fidget.html . I started it regardless of having other projects on the needles right now because I've been wanting to make one for myself, and because I needed something that doesn't require concentration for my Monday night knit group. Any one that participates in a weekly knitting group knows that the laughter and conversation are half the fun of knitting together. I've ripped back many-a-row after letting my mind wonder. Now I try to have something to knit on that doesn't require much concentration. The Fidget is knitted with a twisted moss stitch and bulky weight yarn. I had a couple of skeins of Twilleys of Stamford's freedom wool that I've been wanting to use so that's what I cast on with. After about three or four inches I realized it isn't going to work. The stitch doesn't show through with the color changes in this yarn and 'the stitch is the scarf'; otherwise its just another scarf. I will rip it out and find another use for this soft yarn and on my next trip to the yarn shop I'll find suitable yarn for knitting the Fidget. As it turns out, I won't be joining the knit group tonight anyway, I don't want to spread any germs.

A Gardening Knitter - Helleborus, Iris Reticulata

2008-02-20T11:05:00.013-06:00

My blogging has really suffered this last couple of months while I've been busy with family matters but my sister has at last been able to make the move to Milwaukee to live with her daughter. I hope it will work out and be as wonderful as she wants it to; and that it will be a lifetime of enjoyment for her. While my knitting has been almost none existent the last several weeks that's okay. I was able to spend time with my sister and I loved every minute of it. I lined the pink Melly bag and gave it to her while I was there (she adores anything pink and I can always make another bag for my niece). I emptied the bag she was using and placed the contents in the new pink bag and she took it with her for her last Doctor's appointment in SC. As of this morning, the bag now resides in Milwaukee.I've done a bit of knitting on the Nashua Theatre sweater but am a long way behind. It is a pretty fast knit so I hope to finish it in time to be able and wear it a few times this season. The Nicky Epstein bag is setting in a project bag with a dozen bobbins hanging from it, waiting to be picked up once more. The Chris Bylsma, Crayon Box jacket is begging to be worked on and Lily Chin's Central Park jacket still has not found gage. Maybe I will ditch it and try to find something else to use that $100.00 worth of yarn for; what a shame and a waste.

I had wonderful notes from almost every member of my Monday and my Tuesday night knitting groups while I was away with my sister. What remarkable and caring people they all are. I am so fortunate to have such fantastic friends and I dearly love each of them. I've also had notes from some of my inter-net swap partners and they too are appreciated. I've found some of my best friends to be knitters and gardeners; both wonderful worlds to be a part of.

The Helleborus have begun blooming out in the wooded area at the rear of our property. I was so pleased when DH called to tell me they were in bloom. I had checked them a few days before I left for SC and was disappointed that they were not yet in bloom. Generally, they began blooming in January and sometimes as early as December at our previous home. This is a clump of a white hybrid and in the middle of the clump is the beautiful pink. It will be interesting to see how this clump developes next season. Another pretty bloom, although with a deep turned down blossom, is this deep rose. And still another is one of the darker helleborus which is a deeper pink with a tint of purple in the blossom. For some reason I seem to have loss the foetidus (green stinking) helleborus this year, normally the easiest of all helleborus to grow and so far I've not found the 'niger' (almost black in color) ones.

In a front bed, there are snowdrops and crocus blooming and on the south side, the Iberis or Candytuft, is already started to bloom and out by the mailbox is a gorgeous clump of Purple Gem, Iris reticulata. Since this is February, I feel a bit uncomfortable with nature sprouting so early, we're still over a month away from spring, a long time where plants are concerned.

DH and neighbor have been working in the wooded areas at the back of our properties, bush hogging and cleaning up the brush; maybe I will get the garden I've wanted after all. Neighbor has decided it would be nice to have a place to sit and relax with a glass of wine in the afternoons and this, of course, appeals to DH. While I was away, a vegetable garden was build for me to grow vegetables this year. It is a large and nice, deep raised bed that we will add trellis to for beans and other running vegetables. Since our clay soil is so heavy and poor this will be a way to grow decent vegetables. I am looking forward to having a productive vegetable garden this year.

I'm Going To Knitters Connection

2008-02-01T10:59:00.000-06:00

Oh joy - I have registered for Knitters Connection 2008 to be held in Columbus, Ohio in June. It will be a birthday gift, June 7th. Nice timing isn't it? Originally I was planning to go to Stitches East in November but decided I could go to Knitters Connection in June for the entire four days and then take the day bus trip with my guild in November to Stitches East. That will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, about a three hour drive for us Richmonder's. I'm looking forward to both.

I have finished the back of the sweater from Nashua's Theatre series pattern that I started on Saturday and have cast on for the front. Sweater class will be this Sunday and I'd like to have one side finished in case I have questions about the lapel. I love the feel of the thick and thin Cocoon yarn and the way it knits up. I think I will enjoy wearing this sweater since it will be boxy and hopefully not to warm for me. I 'v always been a hot natured person so of course that means I want clothing that are cooler than most people.

The Melly bag has been completed except for the lining for a couple of weeks now. It turned out beautiful, don't you think? Now I have to buckle down and get it lined and a snap on it. The Wooten bag is also completed except for the lining and ready to ship to another sister. I've almost completed the round of bags for my seven sisters. The fabric below the bag is what I will use to line it with. I decide to change the I-cord handles from the two colors knitted together to just one color. I think they look nice on the bag and I love having that outside pocket.

Yesterday I had the port, from where I was given chemo-therpy, removed from my chest. It was somewhat a nasty procedure because the tube going into the vein of my neck had become lodged in the vein. The little port itself was also stuck and had to be pried, pulled and snipped away. There was a small tear which bled unmercifully because of me taking a blood thinner, although it has been more than a week since I last took it. The port had been in place for over eighteen months so I'm delighted to have it out and am anxiously awaiting the wound to heal and to no longer need to grab and cover it for protection when Dariana or Maestro decides to give me hugs and kisses.

We've having a wonderful rain today that is pitter-pattering outside my window. I think I will go have a restful nap so I can stay awake tonight to work on my sweater.

My Favorite Yarn Store and A New Project on the Knitting Needles

2008-01-28T07:19:00.000-06:00

Gosh, as if I didn't already have enough projects started I just had to have one more.

Actually, I am taking the Sweater Class from Lettuce Knit as a way to introduce someone from my Tuesday night knitting to MFYS. As you remember our LYS was recently sold and moved closer into the village; it has not been easy for the Tuesday night group to make the change, new owner, different ideas, different 'community of knitters' etc, etc. Our group never knows from one week until the next exactly what to expect and while each of us wants to support the shop and new owners, we don't feel comfortable. Most of the ladies in our group were taught to knit by the previous owner and felt a loyalty to her. They seldom went anyplace else to purchase yarn and knitting supplies; or to take a class offered by anyone else. I, on the other hand moved into the community having never been in this shop except once before our move. I was taught to knit by my sister many years ago and I had access to a number of yarn stores. I love visiting them all and do, but my true loyalty remains at Lettuce Knit where the ladies working there are really phenomenal. They are ever on the ready help you whether it is to select some beautiful yarn, work on a problem, teach you a new technique. or if there is time just chat with you. Most of the chatting in this shop is done while the staff is helping customers. Its a busy place and a wonderful place, that has a large group of loyal customers.

Anyway, as I was saying, I am taking their Sweater class with one of the ladies from my Tues. night knit group. I wanted to show the group what they are missing by not venturing out to the other shops within driving distance and seeing the yarns, patterns, and talent that can be had by shopping around. I must say, my friend was very impressed with Lettuce Knit.

To begin with, the sweater class started a week ago yesterday and here we were asking to begin a week later. Most shops wouldn't take the time to help two additional people choose a pattern (a choice of about ten patterns from the beginner to the experienced), choose yarn, and knit a swatch on a busy Saturday afternoon. It didn't phase these ladies although they were extremely busy all afternoon and, their 'new customer' didn't loose sight of this. In fact she was rather thunderstruck when a lady came in and saw some yarn she wanted but the shop was one skein short of what was needed. What did the proprietor do? She got on the phone and made a couple of calls. She was able to located the same color and same dye lot and arrange for it to be mailed from about a two hour drive away. Needless to say, she had a 'pleased customer', the lady buying the yarn, and an 'impressed' customer, my friend.

This wasn't the only thing that my friend didn't miss. She saw several customers come in and ask for help with something they were working on, she saw their patience taken with a new knitter struggling to learn her stitches, and another lady 'sitting to knit' just to have the relaxing atmosphere of the yarn shop. She saw them take out several rows of knitting for someone and get that person started back on the right road. These things never happened at our LYS. This is a small shop with barely room to walk down a center isle and between tables of yarn up and down the store, yet they are forever gracious to the customers who come in with 'extras' in toe and wonder around just to feel the luscious yarns and see the vivid colors. Never once was any frustration shown when a large skein of previously purchased yarn was brought in to be wound and had to be untangled numerous times during the winding. It was a typical day for my FYS but fascinating for my friend to witness.

Back to the project I chose. It is a simple sweater/coat pattern from Nashua's Theatre series. I'm knitting it in Rowan's Cocoon, color alpine. Its a gorgeous pearl grey and its ever so soft. Cocoon is a new line of yarn at Rowans and the content is 80% Merino and 20% Mohair. It is a scrumptious feeling yarn that knits up to about 3 sts per inch on size 11 needles. I love the boxy coat look of the jacket and my favorite sleeve length, three-quarters. When I was a teen-ager there were lots of three-quarter length sleeves, very popular, and I've always loved the length. They are long enough to be warm and short enough not to hang into whatever you doing. They are also attractive on people with big arms or very small arms, hiding the above elbow portion that is usually the unattractive part.
Shortly DH and I are off to shop for flooring. There is lots to think about in this arena. I hate carpeting but like wool rugs. DH loves wall-to-wall carpeting 'cause its warm on your feet. We both love real hardwood floors but it is the most expensive when installing after the house has been built; at our age I don't feel the cost of real hardwood flooring is justifiable. I can deal with the new imitation hardwood floorings, DH doesn't like them. Tiles, linoleum, and whatever else is out there is probably not a choice. Stay tuned to find out who wins this round on the flooring.

Oh, Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2008-01-17T15:32:00.000-06:00

Today is cold and wet, a day for hot drinks, fires, soup, and knitting but so far I haven't done any of it. We were expecting a bit of snow, and that's what we got, a bit, before it turned to freezing rain, and now rain. DH is under the weather so I trotted out to the shed early this morning and drug snow shovels back to the house and into the garage, just in case. I also scattered a bit of de-icer on the steps, front walk, and back deck just in case. I know....the salt is not a good thing, but neither is a broken leg and a trip to the vet. Maestro is eleven years old now and has a history of being 'fast', we have to watch him on icy areas to keep him from hurting himself.

I worked on a project for the knitting guild this morning, a bus trip to Stitches East in the fall, and I worked on the newsletter for the Iris Society. The morning just kind of slipped away and before I knew it DH was ready for lunch and needed some roughage so we had a big salad rather than soup. I have a pot of chicken and herbs simmering right now, tonight will be chicken and dumplings...yum.

In place of blogging I have a dozen (probably more) other things I should be working on; finishing the Melly bag, not much left to do, the straps are now in place (I decided to do them in solid pink) and the pocket is basted just waiting for the final sew down, and then tossing it into the hot water bath. I also have another Wotton Bag ready except for felting and attaching the handle; both bags can have a bath at once. I've worked a few more rows on the Nicky Epstein's intarsia Jacobean Bag and am finding I enjoy the work but, is it ever slow with all the bobbins hanging from the back. And of course I'm dying to start something more, another vest or sweater I think.

BTW, I forgot to post this beautiful yarn that I received from Amanda a few days ago. It is a 2 ply hand spun Corriedale wool, one from Thelma and one from Stella in beautiful shades of grey, almost browns. Grey is the color for the January yarn exchange. Thank you Amanda, I'd like to send you a note but don't know where to send it. I don't have your e-mail address and am unable to make out the label on the package other than Amanda and Millisville NJ. If you'll let me know how to contact you I will do a proper 'thank-you'.

On Sunday I received a call from a contact in SC that my sister was in the emergency room. I am so thankful that everything is alright but it was a scare in the beginning. It turns out that along with the myeloma she also has atrial fibrillation. Fortunately I was able to get in contact with another sister that is closer in distance and she and her husband went to help out and then on Monday her daughter from Milwaukee flew in to be with her for a few days. I think this was a wake-up call to the rest of our family that this sister doesn't need to be living alone. Now we have to hope the house will sell really soon and she can get moved and be near her daughter. I will worry continuously until her AFib is under control and that sometimes takes a while.

MFYS is starting a sweater class and you work on a sweater of choice to fit your level of knitting. I have a gift certificate from DH for the shop and probably should use it to tackle something that I would normally put off because 'I don't have time to concentrate on anything difficult right now'. Actually I may go by and see what patterns they are making available. The classes are to be held on Sunday afternoons starting this Sunday and this would be the perfect time of year for spending Sunday afternoons knitting and working on a new Sweater.

The spicy chicken broth is calling me. I'll whip up some of my Bisquick dumplings and we will be sitting down for dinner by six o'clock. If DH feels like it maybe we can work in a game of Scrabble after dinner.

A Knitting Christmas Around The World

2008-01-12T13:14:00.000-06:00

Gosh, do I ever have a boxful of goodies to show you today. My upstream partner in the Christmas Around the World Exchange has spoiled me this time for sure.

Karen had sent me an e-mail saying the package was going to be late that she was working on something. Christmas came and went, then another note saying she waiting on something to dry but that it would be delivered before the end of the Twelve Days Of Christmas and that she thought I'd be pleased and think it was worth the wait. Well, I AM PLEASED and it was Worth the Wait. Karen you have been so generous with your giving and that in it's self means as much as the items in the box. Thank you for both, you kind and generous heart and the wonderful goodies you chose for me. This is what I had to wait for, do you think it was worth the wait?

I certainly think so. The bag is gorgeous and big and the fabric is nice and heavyweight, knitted with double strands throughout. It has a beautiful lace design all around the top of the bag and the color is perfect too. Thank you Karen for all the time you took to make something for me that you knew I'd enjoy. I stuck some items on top of my 'stuff' (I'm already using the bag) to hold it open so you can see a bit of the lacy part. I'm sure it will get lots of wear. (That's Mr. Maestro peeping in the door.)

Before I got to the bag, which was laying flat on the very bottom of the bag, look at all the other things I pulled out. And just as dear as all the wonderful items, was a handwritten note attached to each one of them - so special. There was knitting stuff, food stuff, music and lots of other goodies. It was like having Christmas again. Thank you Karen,for making my day special.

I've been so busy this week that I haven't had time to blog. I missed my Monday and Tuesday night knitting and haven't accomplished much this week at all. I did sit down last night and added a few rows to the intarsia bag I'm knitting on and I did pick up the Lily Chin jacket I've been playing with for two years. I still don't have gauge on it and I've tried every size needled and different type needles from the 10 1/2 that it calls for, to a size 8. The needle size hasn't made much difference. I've steamed my test pieces and steamed using a wet cloth. I must be the only person in the world that can't knit this simple stockingknit pattern? Is it because of the stretchy yarn I wonder?

Anyway, I hope to get back in the swing with my blogging and knitting for the next few weeks. Spring will soon be here and we all know that means I will be spending a lot of time in the iris gardens.

Some Pictures For You - Knitted Vest & Knitted Melly Bag

2008-01-07T10:25:00.000-06:00

This is such a neat pattern, just a rectangle of yarn, how simple can it get.

I'm not sure I like the straps I've made for the Melly Bag and may re-knit them in a solid color. The figure 8 in the diamond is the front pocket and the stitches are picked up after the body of the bag has been knitted, then knitted as a separate piece and sewn on before the fulling process. This is a pretty big bag that I think I will use a lots, therefore I will be adding a lining with inside pocket that can be also be closed.

Knitted Vest and Bag Completed Last Week

2008-01-06T20:25:00.000-06:00

I'm back home and it feels good.
As I drove up the drive last night and into the garage I felt giddy just to be back home. Although I'd only been gone a week, the last few months have been so hectic driving up and down the interstate for one reason or another, home seems like a bit of heaven to me right now.

My sister seems to have a bit more strength now that she has gotten a shot to help build her red blood cells and medication to clear up the sinus infection. Now we pray she will be able to get the house sold soon and can make that move to be near her daughter. I'm also hoping she will be able to keep herself well enough and strong enough to continue living alone with her friends checking in on her daily and the family's phone calls. My older sister is still in the hospital but is able to sit up a bit now. The blood clot is still in her artery and there seems to be no change in what the doctors can do for her. It isn't a pleasant situation.

I got a good bit of knitting done last week while sitting in waiting rooms and after dinner each night. I finished knitting the Melly bag but still have to stitch the front pocket up and put the straps in place. I'm pleased with the way the knitting turned out, just hope the fulling will work out as well. I didn't add the pocket knitted to the inside because I plan to line the bag and will add a pocket or two to the lining. The outside pocket isn't quite as wide as I thought it would be once knitted, but I think it will stretch out just fine when I stitch it down. I also completed the finishing work on the vest I knitted a couple of weeks ago and wore it a couple of times last week when I drove my sister to her appointments. It is nice, warm, and light weight, just what I enjoy. I am a coat lover only in the sense of owing them because of their color, style, or material, I do not enjoy wearing coats unless it is absolutely freezing. I don't like the weight or the confinement of a coat. That is probably the reason I love shawls so much and yes, I also wore my entralac stole a couple of times last week.

Today has been a day for not doing much and just relaxing around the house. Dear Dariana came out for a while and we had a tea party with cheese, pepperonis, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on party bread. Just the right size sandwich for her tiny fingers. She has a little table cloth and apron that my sister made for her while she was here and that gets spread on grandma ma's coffee table before she sets out her teapot, cups and plates. She is so delightful to watch and listen to; so attentive to her tea guest. What a joy she is.

I still haven't gotten around to working on my Ravelry records, something that I really wanted to have done before now. There should be more time for those kinds of things now that the weather is colder. Right now. beside all the illness in our family, I have a sun room to re-decorate and plans to do something with the floors in the remainder of the house. When we bought this house it was carpeted and I'm not fan of carpeted floors in my home. Our plan is to have it pulled out and replaced with wood floors. Trying to get all this taken care of in the next couple of months may still leave me with little time for Ravelry or knitting.

I had DH make a couple of photos of the alpaca vest but they are far to dark to post so will have to make another try at it tomorrow. I do want to share but tonight I feel really sleepy and tired so plan to say good night and get ready for bed. Tomorrow is another day. I have several things on my agenda we can probably find time for a couple of photos.

Christmas, Kntting, and the New Year

2007-12-31T07:09:00.000-06:00

Christmas has come and gone and tomorrow will be a new year.

Christmas was wonderful at our house, but also with some sadness. My sister, Glyness was with us and that was wonderful and our son, Christopher was home; that too being wonderful. We did lots of shopping, wrapping gifts, baking, and running around the week before Christmas. On Christmas Eve we loaded all our gifts along with some foods into the car and drove into the city to have Christmas at our daughter's home. What grandmama could wake up on Christmas morning and not see what Santa had left for their granddaughter. We go on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, staying until after breakfast on Christmas morning.

We had such a good time during our fondue dinner on Christmas Eve. Our family being together laughing, kidding around, and enjoying wonderful food and wine. After a long evening at the table, we went across the hall and into the living room for the Christmas tree and exchanging of gifts. Dari was so precious to watch. She was so excited over each and every gift and said a thank you to each of us as she opened our gifts to her. So precious! She slept between papa and I that night and we heard Santa's reindeer on the roof before she was able to settle down enough to sleep. This was the first time I'd heard Santa on the rooftop in a long, long time.

After Santa, the stockings, and a country ham breakfast on Christmas morning we headed back to the country for a rest and to prepare for dinner. Standing rib roast, buttered new potatoes, green bean bundles and fresh salad greens.

Papa got sick on Christmas morning, then my sister and Dari. Next day was my daughter, by Friday the virus had gotten around to me and by Saturday it had gotten to my son-in-law. My sister and I also have sinus infections and are on Z-paks to clear them up. While at the Dr. I ask that my sister's blood work be done and it came back with her red count very, very low. Because I live eight hours from her and her Oncologist, I felt I needed to get her home in case she needed a blood transfusion. We left early on Sat. morning to come back to SC. I will stay with her until she sees her Oncologist and I know she is going to be alright to be left alone again. I don't like the idea of her being alone but with the distance between us it makes it difficult to be here, or her with me, all the time. During all this, our oldest sister has been in the hospital in Atlanta with a blood clot in the artery to her heart. She is 87 and they can't do surgery because of other health problems. We are expecting every phone call to bring us bad news.

I am working on a few easy projects that I can lay down on a minutes notice without causing a problem if I can't get back to it right away. One is Sharon Dreifuss's Melly bag pattern. I'm knitting the body of the bag in a shade of pink that I adore, using cream for the trims, pockets, and handles. Have you seen the Knitters the Winter issue of Knitter's yet? I love the Chalk Stripe Scarf featured on page 43. I must knit that in 2008 and I want to do a pair of socks in 2008. I am planning to do socks and a few other projects and stitches that I've never done because they aren't my thing. I'm going to knit these items so I can say I have knitted them and to venture off the roads that I usually travel. New routes often takes us to new and interesting views.

All my exchanges are completed except for the Christmas Around the World Exchange. I am still waiting for a package from my upstream partner. I have to do some thinking about participating in exchanges in 2008. I love preparing and sending my partners their packages and learning about new people. I may want to continue or I may decide to take a break. Either way, this past year has been fun and I've met some wonderful people and received some wonderful surprises. There been a couple of disappointments but that is to be expected. Not understood, but expected.

Tomorrow is the beginning of a New Year. While I won't be staying up to see the new year in, I will cook collard greens, hog jowl (bacon) and black eyed peas for my sister and I tomorrow. We need all the good luck we can get. Happy New Year To You and Good Luck!

Bag-a-holics Exchange

2007-12-21T06:23:00.000-06:00

I've received a package from Debb in California with the bag she made me for the Bag-a-holics Exchange. Debb's son was in a terrible motorcycle accident a few weeks back and is still in intensive care. I think it says a lot about Debb to get an exchange package in the mail during this horrible time for her and her family. We wish the best for Debb's son and hope he will recover and be healthy once more soon. Thank you Debb for you thoughtfulness and for the package you sent. Here's a couple of pictures of the bag Debb made for me and the other goodies she included

in the package.

I have some good news I'd like to share with everyone. I saw the Oncologist on Tuesday and he pronounced me to be in Full Remission from my Hodgkin's disease. What a wonderful Christmas present that is for me and for my family. I will continue to have a scan every four months for the next year and then if all is good, every six month thereafter for five years. There is still tissue where the largess mass (tumor) was but it appears to be just dead tissue and will probably never completely go away. As long as the Pet-scan doesn't light up indicating it has begun to grow again, I can live happily with the ugly thing being in my body. I feel wonderful, the best I've felt in about fifteen years. Could I ask for more? No, I'm thankful and happy with what I have and thank the Good Lord for giving me good health once more.

Last Saturday, dear little Dariana came out and we baked cookies. She was so helpful and the black walnut cookies are delicious, that is what was left after she ate her way through the dough. Isn't she beautiful? On Wednesday we went to see her perform in her Montessori school program. Unfortunately, she was one of the first to get in line and therefore was on the back row of her group so we wasn't able to see her or get photos of her. She is very petite for her age and many of the other children are a full head taller than she. She spent her time on stage jumping up trying to see over the other children's heads. The older children in her group (there were three groups this age) sang to us in Spanish and in German, what a delightful treat. We are very pleased with her school and the training she is receiving there.

Christmas cards are coming in daily, beautiful cards from family and old friends and from new friends too. Yesterday I received a card from from JoAnne, one of my first exchange partners, and one Marianne, all the way from England. Donna, my very first downstream partner has also sent me Holiday Wishes. Thank each of you for your kind thoughts; I truly treasure these things.

I've finished the vest I've been working on but still have not gotten it sewn under the arms. Time is just to precious right now to get it done. As soon as I do, which will most likely be after Christmas, I'll post pictures of it. I have it pinned together and love the way it looks. I had intended to take it to Knit Night on Tuesday and seam it there but walked out in a rush without it. It didn't make any difference because I never got around to knitting anyway. We exchanged names and had food and beverage, there was just too much fun taking place to get out the knitting. We did have a new member drop by and she brought the sweater she is working on and she actually knit while we played. It was a fun gathering, good friends, good food, good wine, and the exchanging of gifts. My gift is a years subscription to 'Knitting Style'. That's a good thing.

Today is appointments with the groomer, the hairdresser, and buying those last minutes gifts that have to be picked up in areas of the city that aren't on my regular trail. Most of the gifts are bought and some are wrapped. The standing rib roast is aging in the refrigerator for Christmas night and we're anxiously awaiting Christopher to get home and make the holidays merrier. I have to finish the gift wrapping tonight and tomorrow night because Dariana is going to visit us on Saturday and stay overnight. I love it when she stays overnight and I can sleep next to her and hold her precious body in my arms. I love to look at her while she is sleeping and be there when she opens her eyes the first thing in the morning. What a joy and what a pleasure she is. We're so thankful that she is ours.

Should I not find time to post again before the holiday, I wish everyone A Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years Ever.

Knitting On The Go

2007-12-15T01:14:00.000-06:00

On the go, on the go, back and forth, to and fro, is creating havoc with me and trying to keep my blogging current and my life in order. Life must slow down.

I had a wonderful package from Julie, my SP-11 partner, well over a week ago and haven't publicly thanked her. Shame on me for she has been a terrific pal with her giving. More importantly, she has been a wonderful pal in communicating with me and sharing her family life with me all through the swap. Thank you Julie for it all, you are the best. The package I received from Julie was so kind and thoughtful, she addressed the things she knows that are dear to me, my granddaughter, my lasha apso, and knitting. She sent me beautiful yarn, locally dyed and spun in Main and in colors she knows I love, browns, creams, and blue, and she sent a gift for Maestro, what a treat for him, and one for Dari. Dari should be out later today and I will give her gift to her. The wool is beautiful and enough to make 'A Bag' . Thank you and please accept my appologies for being tardy. (I did acknowledge and thank Julie personally for her kindness when I received her gift.)

The vest I've been knittig is still 'almost finished'. I got up early on Thursday morning and drove down to get my sister and bring her to spend the Christmas and New Year Holidays with us, so there hasn't been any knitting for a couple of days. We drove back up yesterday. Two days on the road and here I am at 2 AM blogging. I couldn't sleep, still a bit tired, and too much on my mind. I still have shopping for gifts to do and baking to get done (Dari is coming today to bake cookies) and I don't have a tree up or a wreath on the door yet. I do have cards in the mail with a note in the family cards and I have my knitting groups gifts ready for delivery on Monday and Tuesday nights. I picked up several things on our last trip at the yarn shop in Crossville, TN. that I mentioned a few blogs ago. The shop was jam packed full of neat things, lots and lots of stocking stuffers that relate to knitting and lots of small gifts that any knitter would love. I bought a bag full of 'stuff' and I can't wait to give it away.

For all my cat-loving friends; my sister and I brought her big, fat, cat along to spend Christmas with us. It was his first real car trip and he wasn't a happy passenger. Poor baby cried for about an hour, especially if there was a big truck (there are plenty on I-85) or a bumpy, uneven road. We finally took him out of his carrier and let him find his own spot in the car. That seamed to help hom a lots but he refused to get out of the car or use the litter box all day. We were so happy to get him home so he could potty and relax. I went in to kiss him and my sister good-night and he was curled up on his fleece in the middle of the bed just as close beside my sister as he could get. This is a big cat, a beautiful rich yellow and the most clear green eyes you could imagine; I call him Mr. Reggie. Reggie is too blah for him in my opinion, I've always thought he was much to regal looking to be addressed so casually. Mr. Reggie walks on his royal purple leash just as well as his canine friends and he never drinks water from a bowl. Instead, he politely comes and asks to have the bathtub faucet turned on where he proceeds to stick his paw under the drip and drink from his paw. Mr. Reggie expects a treat every night just before bedtime, a tiny dish of buttermilk. Now, tell me he doesn't deserve to be addressed with a Mr.

I'm chilly and will now crawl back in bed and see if I can snooz for a few hours. Lots to do tomorrow and all next week. Christmas is a coming.

Entralac Stole Now Blocked

2007-12-12T13:11:00.001-06:00

My entralac stole was finally completed and blocked before we left for the our last trip. I've worn it several times already and love it. Once completed and wet-blocked, it became soft and lost the scratchy texture that I found discouraging while I was knitting it. Although it was time consuming, I would knit another one, or some other project in entralac. In fact, my Tuesday night knit group wants me to teach them the 'how-to' in a knit-along for our group once the Jacobean bag is finished after Christmas. I'll be happy to share what I learned with the group and know they will enjoy knitting this project as much as I did. We have a couple of ladies in the group that loves and wears shawls almost as much as I do.

I have only a couple of rows left to knit before I bind off the Sara Punderson Alpaca Vest pattern project I've been knitting on. I should finish up tonight unless I find out I'm to go to SC again tomorrow and bring my sister back for Christmas with us. The trip is dreaded but having her here makes it worth the drive. I love her so dearly.

I have finished knitting another simple bag and it is ready for giving once it is felted, lined and a handle added. There are still several other projects 'setting'. waiting to be worked up. I can't wait for the holidays to be over so I can once again take to my recliner and knit the days away until spring approaches and the garden begins to call me.

Let Me Tell You About A Yarn Shop Visit

2007-12-07T18:32:00.000-06:00

Well, we're back home from visiting my sister and niece in Mississippi and Mr. Ro's brother in Tennessee. We had a really enjoyable visit with everyone. It was nice to visit my niece and her family in their big old home with a 12 foot live Christmas tree in the library and a smaller one in the living room, wreaths tied in red ribbon from all the upstairs and downstairs windows and a huge wreath on the front door and gate of the white picket fence. She still has lots of decorating to do, the stairs, front hall, and dining room, but the feeling of Christmas is already there. Actually she didn't have the trees decorated yet, but she did have the lights on them and the tall step ladder standing beside the tree waiting for the ornaments to be placed on it.

Her mother, my sister, moved there a few years back. She has a historical home too, but much, much smaller than her daughter's. To me, it reminded me of a beautiful little doll house. She had everything perfect and cleaned to shining. She too begin to decorate while we were there. Holy Springs is a small town but we always find interesting things to do when we visit. We went to church on Sat. afternoon to hear a sonata performed by a group from the University of Mississippi. On Sat. night we went to the Christmas parade, only having to walk two blocks to stand and watch it pass by. Mr. Ro went with his favorite boys and their dad Paint Ball Shooting on Sat. morning. Needless to say, it has taken its toll on this 62 year old man, out crawling on his belly with 13 and 16 year old boys - but he had a great time being with them and playing like a boy again. I brought him back home with a stiff back and will not expect anything out of him for several days while he recovers. LOL!

While there I was taken to a terrific old farm where gorgeous candles are made. I bought several, mostly the ones shaped like and with the fragrance of magnolia blossoms. They will make wonderful gifts for a few lucky people. We also went to Oxford to the yarn shop, about a thirty minute drive from Holly Springs, only to get there and find a 'Shop Closed' sign on the door. I was disappointed however on the way back to visit Mr. Ro's brother we searched out and stopped at the LYS in Crossville and I was in heaven for about an hour. I bought lots of stocking stuffers and some tools, a pattern and yarn for little Priss a sweater and yarn to make myself the Plymouth vest. In fact, I have it about half finished having knit on the way home yesterday. This photo is dark but will do until I have more light. The yarn I'm using is Andean Alpaca Regal put out by Reynolds and it feels like pure luxury. My biggest concern is I'm a warm natured person and I'm afraid it may be to warm for me to enjoy wearing. Since chemo I have had a body temperature change and seem to get cold easier than I use to to the point that I've bought several vest this winter that I can get into and out of easily and I seem to be wearing them more often than not. I have lots more to post, just have to find time.

I'm Blocking Entrelac Stole Today

2007-11-28T11:44:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm still at home; just couldn't get it together last night to hit the road this morning so we will leave tomorrow instead. It's so nice to be able to be flexible and to be able to change plans on the spur of a moment now that we're retired. So, instead of traveling, I'm blocking my entrelac stole that I finished knitting in the wee hours of Monday night-Tuesday morning. I was determined to finish it up since it had been on the near completion list for a few weeks. This morning after having coffee and chocolate dipped cookies, I decided that I would have time to add the fringe and set it to block this morning; then I'd be able to take it on our trip to wrap up in on the car ride. Here's a photo of it laying outside on the hot-tub drying in the breeze.
It's not a good photo because I had to face the sun when I was taking it, but it gives you an idea of how large it is and I'll make a better photo once it is dry and steamed down if needed. I used all but a few yards of Nora's Silk Garden Lite to knit the shawl and the 9th ball for fringe. DH ask if I'd charge $500 to knit one for someone else and my reply was 'about that since it has almost $100 of yarn in it and it has taken me almost six months to knit' LOL. Actually the actual knitting went rather quick, I'm just always working on a half-dozen projects at a time.

And here's a new picture of the pink and green knitted bowl after I place potpourri in it.

Felted Bowl, Bag, and Hats

2007-11-26T14:38:00.000-06:00

I've been busy today getting my packages ready for the post. I have one for my Bag-A-Holic partner and one for my Christmas Around The World partner and the last one for my Secret-Pal-1 pal. Each has been lots of fun putting together and I think my pals will be pleased with them.

I've also been busy making photos of some of the gifts I've been making for family and friends. There are hats, bags, and bowls. I failed to get a photo of a purple hat, it went into one of the boxes that is ready to send out but I do have one of a Christmas Red (Patons marino) felted hat that I knitted for a sister and another one in a different shade of red (Cascade 220). The purple was made from Lopi (Reynolds) and is such a fabulous shade of purple, I loved it. The bowl is made from scrap yarn and I think both pieces are Patons marino, I love Patons for felting and caught it on sale in late summer so bought up a bit of it. It doesn't let me down; that I like after having spent my time knitting a project. The bag I made in the Bag Style Knit-a-long I participated in is also made from Patons, taking almost the entire two skeins of yarn. That's another thing I love about that yarn, for most felted bags and felted hats, two skeins is about the right amount. I like to have only a tiny bit left over after a project is finished; if I have almost a full skein left over I'm aggravated.

Tonight is knit night in the city with friends. We didn't meet last week because of guest visiting for Thanksgiving and everyone busy with preparations for Thursday. Tonight will be catch up night on our lady's new love lives. It's wonderful to see them in love again in their golden years.

Tomorrow night will be knit night in the village. Last week we met at someone's home because the shop's proprietor didn't have time to keep the shop open (?). We had a really nice time away from the shop and I'm expecting that the first of the year we will decide to meet at a different person's home each week rather than this constant haggling with the new owner. It's a good group of ladies and we don't want to give up our knit group, still we don't want to have stipulations put on when we can or can't meet. I understand the new proprietor has a group that meets during the week-day and that’s fine, but some people do have to work. This is a working group except for the two of us that have now retired. She also wants to put is in a situation where we feel obligated to use this knitting time just for charity. Most of us already knit for charity with other groups and feel we want this time for our personal time. Anyway, the idea is on the burner until after Christmas. Everyone has too many other things to think about and keep us busy until then.

Pal's Knitting Going To Post Tomorrow

2007-11-24T16:26:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone so now the fuss is all about Christmas. One month from today, the 24th is really the day we have our family togetherness, our Christmas dinner, and then the exchanging of gifts around the Christmas tree. It will have come and gone before I conscious of it happening. It is true, time does move fast as you grow older. Weeks slip by as if it was only a day or two and the month seems to have gone by before I realizing it.

Thanksgiving Day in central Virginia was 'hot', not warm, but plain hot and humid. We turned the ceiling fans on in both the kitchen and the great room well before noon; still it was too warm. I think the temperature climbed to about 76 degrees, much to warm for the end of November. In mid-afternoon we had a bit of rain which allowed the temperature to begin cooling off and today its downright cold.

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful. It was wonderful having the family all together once more and a wonderful abundance of good food on the table and good friends stopping in to say hello. I am so thankful for it all. Last year I was having a rough time with chemo-treatments, this year I feel great. Such a big change in health and I am thankful for it and being able to be with my beloved family through another year.

Last night little Dariana spent the night with papa and I. It was such a good time for us all. We played pretend, her favorite game, to entertain her until bedtime. We had an imaginary birthday party with peanut butter and jelly cake and candles, and imaginary school with a story being read from one of my knitting magazines about peacocks (from an advertisements she saw inside), and we played house with 'my baby' falling and hitting her head on the hearth and mommy taking her to the Dr. to get medicine. We can see that each of these pretends are so real to little Dariana. She is so much fun and we adore her.

I do have the hats and bag I mentioned on last post, felted and ready to send out tomorrow but I've put off making photos yet; I will have to post them later. I'm pleased with the way they each turned out and hope my pals will be pleased once they are received. I have one more project to knit for a pal (plan to work on it later tonight) and I will be finished up with my current swaps. I want to knit two quick bags to have for hostess gifts while we are visiting family next week, one for a niece and one for a sister-in-law. The Nicky Epstein bag is in its first stages. I've decided I will only work on it during my Tuesday night group knitting, at least until after the first of the year when things settle down a bit.

Knitting, Iris and Hoakies Football

2007-11-16T17:55:00.001-06:00

The bag pinned together and then sewn before fulling.

The hats before fulling, two different reds, Paton's on the left and Cascade on the right.

Today I finished the triangle bag I've been working on, sewed it together and felted it. It turned out very pretty I think and although it is quiet a bit smaller than it was before being fulled, it is still a nice, roomy bag. I think I will enjoy it and am thinking of doing one for a sister-in-law in black and cream or black and gray, either would be pretty I think. This was an easy knit if you don't mind decreases and increases on almost every row all the way through the bag. You do have to keep up with the grouping of rows so that your pieces can be matcher perfectly once you start putting it together and it does take awhile to knit because it is knit with size 6 needles. I used Paton's yarn and put it though two short cycles to get it to the felted point that I wanted. Usually I get by with one cycle but today I added two hats and a long I-cord for one of the hats, perhaps that is why it needed the additional time. They all came out nicely and are on the kitchen counter drying right now.

Mr. Maestro and his friend, Sissy, the poodle from next door, went to the groomer together this morning to get all pretty and fresh for Thanksgiving. Maestro was a tiny bit un-tidy after spending Wednesday with the veterinarian getting his teeth cleaned and three of them extracted. It had only been a year in August since we had his teeth cleaned but in that period he had gotten gum disease and had three impacted teeth. I cried of course, but am glad we got it taken care of before there was a real problem. Maestro is 11 years old now, not a young age for canine.

While I was car-pooling and picking up the last items from the grocery for our Thanksgiving dinner, Mr. Rō was potting iris to be given as door prizes at our Harvest Dinner for the Iris Society tomorrow. They are waiting for me to put a foil-wrap around them so they will look festive and catch any soil that might escape the pots. I've already prepared my dish to go, a curried rice salad with artichokes, shrimp, water chestnuts, almonds and black olives. I snuck a few bites before I put it away and it taste yummy. Tomorrow is also the local knitting guild meeting so I'll get up moving in the morning to be there at 9 o'clock and then at the Iris Society by 1 o'clock. We will leave that event early so that Mr. Rō can get home in time to see part of the VA Tech football game. All Hoakies out there knows how important that is; NOTHING comes before a Hoakie Game.

I can now concentrate on the Jacobean bag and finish up the shawl. I do need to get two additional bags made before the first week in December when we go to visit family. I want everything finished up by the end of the year because come Jan 1, I hope to knit sweaters. They have been on hold and its time I got them knitted. Too, I haven't accomplished much toward the trip I wanted us to take to Great Britain late next spring. I'm beginning to think it may be put on hold for awhile, there doesn't seem to be time to work it in. A decision will have to be made soon or I won't be able to make the arrangements for us to stay the length of time I'd like to.

I have my last SP-11 package ready to go in the mail, the needles I'd ordered from Paradise Fibers finally came yesterday after I contacted them to see what the problem was. I also have the bag for my pal of the Bag-A-Holic Swap ready to go. I want to get both of these packages in the mail Monday if possible. That will leave only the Christmas Around The World Exchange for me to complete this year. Next year I must do fewer exchanges and knit-along and work more on sweaters, sweaters, sweaters. Will I be able to? I hope so, but gosh I do love a good exchange.

Busy Knitting and Thinking About the Holidays

2007-11-14T11:22:00.000-06:00

I've been really busy knitting away this last week. I have too many projects going at one time again and I'm anxious to finish off a couple of them this week. I only have a few decreasing rows left to the triangle bag and then putting it together and fulling it. I'm not sure about lining, that will depend on the density of the bag once it is felted and if the lining can be attached without a lot of work to keep it from showing once the bag has been folded into the orgamic triangle. The entralac shawl is still not finished but is so close to being that I need to find a half-day to devote to that alone and complete it; and now the Jacobean bag is on my needles. It is already growing on my and I expect I'm going to find it fun to knit once I get the hang of all that yarn hanging. For me the fun of everyone doing the same project at once is watching each other and how each person accomplishes a particular stitch or task differently, coming out with the same end results. There are seven of us knitting the bag, a couple chose not to knit along on this project, and there last night there was lots of helping and teasing going on around the table. Good knitting friends are the best.

The iris buds that Mr. Rō brought in from his garden last week has bloomed and I failed to get pictures to post. The green tomatoes on the window sills are ripening and I am expecting to still have ripe tomatoes for the Thanksgiving Holidays when DS will be home for a few days. We'll have lots of salads while he is here because he is watching his weight again. Like his mother he doesn't mind salad meals, we both love our veggies. We've always had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of the afternoon, but a few years ago we begin deep-frying the turkey in place of baking it. The turkey comes out so moist and good with the crispy skin having sealed in the juices when it was dropped into the pot of hot grease. It makes a pretty and golden brown bird for the table.

I've been thinking about Christmas and what I can give to some of my knitting friends. I've decided on a project, something that I think they will all enjoy but in case one of them is reading this, I won't say what it is. I can tell you this much, I found the perfect piece of material to use for linings, a black background with a white kitty-cat playing in a ball of twine. As soon as I finish the shawl and the triangle bag I plan to cut the linings and start sewing.

Now I'm Knitting a Nicky Epstein Bag

2007-11-08T07:06:00.000-06:00

Monday night I drove into the village for knit night at the LYS. It is only the second time I've been since the ownership changed. It took a few weeks for the new proprietors to work things out and I thought the group was going to fold; I think they thought so too and decided it would be worth their effort to accommodate the group and, in a welcoming environment. Anyway, the group was ready to start a new project with everyone making the Nicky Epstein, Jacobean Floral Felted Bag. I wasn't sure I was going to do it but then decided I should show my support for the shop and to the proprietors. I realize how fortunate we are to have a LYS here in our little rural village and I do want it to survive and prosper.

I'm not sure I like the bag (plus it means I'll have to break down and read a chart) and it was a bit costly considering that it was bagged into project-like quantities with just the amount of yarn needed to knit the bag. I'm again trying to think of it as helping the shop survive and I can always give the bag as a gift or use it in one of the bag swaps I participate in.

I'm almost finished knitting the first triangle of the Two-Tone Triangle Bag for the Bag Styles' Knit-Along. It is knitting up nicely even with all the right and left increases. I have a couple of embellishment ideas that I may try to incorporate in it when I'm ready to put the bag together.

It is wintertime here, 23 degrees this morning. This means we won't have any re-blooming iris in our garden this fall. Mr. Rō's heart is broken. He has been covering them for about a week now trying to protect the ones with buds from the nighttime elements. Yesterday he decided it would be a losing battle and so cut and brought in one that has three buds and already showing color. This particular iris is named Iceland and is a gorgeous white, big blossoms, fragrant, and performs beautifully in our garden. It amazes most people to learn there are some tall bearded iris that bloom a second time each year, in the fall. A few years back we had our Harvest Dinner for the Iris Society on the 3rd Sat. In November. We had enough bloom in our previous garden that I was able to cut and arranged a basket full of iris for the table. We now live about 20 miles northwest of our previous home but thats enought for the planting zone to change.

While Mr. Rō was in the iris garden, I was picking tomatoes. There are only two large plants remaining and bearing fruit ; they are loaded with so many green tomatoes the vines are weighted down. I picked what was left of the ripened ones and most of the largest green ones. They will ripen on the window sill and we should still have fresh tomatoes from the garden for Thanksgiving dinner.

Knitting Two-Toned Triangle Bag

2007-11-06T08:43:00.000-06:00

I've chosen the yarn I want to use for knitting the Two-Toned Triangle bag in the new book, bag STYLE. There are a lot of pretty bags in this book but the Triangle Bag caught my attention right away. I love the difference of the shape; the fabric being folded into an origami form after being knitted and felted. The bag is knitted on size 6 needles with one strain of yarn so I'm hoping the fabric will be as thick and dense as I like for my bags. I know there has already been a few people knitting this bag over on the Bag Style Knit-along and they seem to be happy with the results.

I've finished knitting the red hat and also one in a different shade of red. Both hats are for gifts and I still have to full, shape, and dry them. I'm glad to have the knitting finished so I can move on to another project because I have lots of knitting to get done before the end of this year.

Mr. Rō has been busy these last few days weeding his iris beds and planting seeds that were produced from cross-pollinating between two different iris when they bloomed in the spring. He likes to plant his seeds for iris around All Hallows Eve which is October 30th. We aren't pagan and we're not into witchcraft; this time for planting is related to the phase of the moon and 'all that kind of stuff'. Anyway, it seems to work well for him and its just a little bit of fun to mention when he is telling 'iris tales'. The seed will not germinate until spring and then it will take two to three years before they are mature enough to produce blooms. If there happens to be one beautiful flower out of the seeds planted he will be lucky. Still there will be lots of work to do and records to keep for another three or four years before he will know if the iris is worthy of introduction. Its lots of work and lots of fun for him, just as knitting is for me.

I'll leave you today with a couple of pictures from Saturdays party. Precious Dariana and her five best friends from nursery school along with family members, had a terrific time at the Children's Museum helping Dariana celebrate becoming 3 years old!

Knitting Missing At Christmas Craft Show

2007-11-03T05:35:00.000-06:00

Yesterday my neighbor and I decided we'd loaf a bit and take in the Christmas Craft Show, have a nice lunch and do a little shopping. This particular show comes to Richmond every year and it is large, taking up an entire building. I've never been to this one and I must say it doesn't compare with the Bazaar Bazaar which is even larger and hosted at the buildings at the old State Fair grounds, now the Richmond Raceways. The larger portion of this show was jewelry, some very pretty and a lot of repeats in items being displayed. The thing that struck me is there wasn't one single booth of knitting, not one. As 'hot' as the knitting world is today I was surprised. Of course the smallest booth rents for $400.00 for the event, I suppose that could have something to do with it. It would take lots of yarn and time to knit $400.00 before you could begin making a profit at all.

Later in the afternoon we stopped by 'Lettuce Knit' near my old home and were discussing why there wasn't any knitting booths. One of the ladies remarked that she thought it was because this particular craft show doesn't draw the kind of people that are willing to pay for hand knitted items. I agree to some extent, but I go a bit farther in thinking that most people aren't willing to pay for hand knitting, period. Why? well I believe that most people never go into a true yarn shop and see all the beautiful fibers and colors that are available today. I believe most people's knowledge of knitting and crochet is from the yarn they see in the local craft stores usually selling in an under $5.00 price range and of seeing their grandmother knit or crochet using that acrylic yarn. While acrylic yarn has its place, it is the natural fibers that I think of when speaking of handmade versus homemade. Handmade to me means something that you put your heart and soul into to make it special and beautiful as well as made well. Most people never think this far and only see $5.00 for a skein of yarn and not anything for the labor. Labor? Yes, to me knitting is a labor of love, but if I'm going to sell it, then it has to be a labor of my time spent making you something by hand and that ain't cheap.

For lunch we stopped by Kuba-Kuba for sandwiches and plantains. Yum. Sally had never been here before. It wasn't just the food I wanted her to experience, I wanted her to enjoy the atmosphere. Kuba-Kuba is in an old section of the city; its very, very tiny located in the ground-floor basement of a nice, big old home. It is tiny in size and larger than life in everything else. Noise, wobbly tables, extremely uncomfortable chairs, an uneven floor, and a co-ed rest room that can be a real surprise. Still, the restaurant is always packed, any day and any time of day or evening with people waiting for one of the 'under a dozen' tables for two, or one of the 'two' booths for parties of four or more, or one of the half-dozen bar stools. The food is cooked right there in the dining area, and the shelves are stocked with Cuban coffee, pasta, olive oil, and religious candles. There are Barbie doll legs only, hanging from the lights and a picture of The Last Supper on the wall behind the bar. This isn't to make light of The Last Supper, its just the opposite; religion is very dear to most of the Cuban community. The clientele is a big mix, students from VCU (an arts related university) with purple and green hair, rings in their nose, belly button or wherever else they can pierce; neighborhood families with babies in tow and dogs waiting for them at the door; as well as people dressed in business clothing, suits and high-healed shoes. Watching and listening to such a mixture is more entertaining than the chefs dancing as they cook.

I drove Sally down Monument Avenue where 'Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson' face off, and through much of the Fan District. The leaves were colorful and the autumn sun was shining bright casting longer shadows on everything; it was beautiful. A lovely day.

Today we will celebrate Dariana's third birthday along with her friends from school and a few family members. I'm sure I'll have pictures for you tomorrow. I've already given her a new dress for the party and papa has a package wrapped and ready to go. I'm looking forward to seeing how she interacts with her peers. Papa has been to some of her school functions but I've not been able to attend any so far. I'm anxious to see her in a social environment with other children her age. She can now say the 'Pledge of Allegiance', can you believe that, three years old!

Knitted Red Hat

2007-11-01T18:58:00.000-06:00

Last night I was able to finish knitting the red hat and now it is waiting to be fulled. I knitted a black I-cord to go around it and will buy a feather to stick in the cord. Sister should look snazzy wearing this one on Sunday mornings. I will take it to her when we go to visit later this month or early in December. I'll post photos after it is fulled.

When I was casting on for the hat I got out my new Knit-Pick Harmony wooden needles to use. I attached one needle and then the other, thinking it didn't feel quiet right. As I started to cast on I felt an un-even lump and stopped to check it, I had a bad needle. I was so disappointed because I've loved using these needles since I've had them. I called Knit-Pick right away and their service department personnel were so nice. The size 11 needle won't be in until Nov. 7th but they will send a replacement as soon as their needles arrive. While I was talking to them I ordered a size 13 circular needle to go with my set. It seems I use a size 13 often enough to justify buying one.

Today I placed an order with Paradise Fiber for a set of Audi Turbo DP needles in size 1. These are for my secret pal who loves to knit socks and had mentioned she would like to have a set of the Audi needles. I'm hoping they will be here next week and that I will have finished the treat I'm knitted for her so they can be sent off winding up this exchange. This has been a lot of fun and my upstream partner has been the greatest. What wonderful gifts she has spoiled me with. The word 'spoil' really fits here. That's exactly how I feel, wonderful gifts just because someone wants to make you feel special; like a child on one's birthday.

Knitting On Halloween/Fall Felted Bag Remarks

2007-10-31T16:47:00.000-06:00

Since we've moved to the 'country' we no longer have children come by to trick or treat. We've not had a single child since we've been here. I do miss the fun of opening the door and playing the surprised and scared lady on the corner. It was always fun to seen the little buggers come by so excited and so sure they could never been identified in their costumes and makeup. So, tonight I shall knit in place of handing out treats. I should be able to finish a hat I've been knitting on and have it ready to felt tomorrow. I have yarn and pattern laid out for my Bag-A-Holic partner and still have a few rows on the entralac shawl to go.
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The Fall Felted Bag Exchange has ended and the hostess are asking for feed-back. They have ask a few questions and would like answers posted on our blogs. Below is my input to the survey.

How was your experience in the exchange? Did you enjoy the folks you met? Did you just love the bag you received? Please share any thoughts, criticism, and things you loved!

This was a terrific exchange and so was the Spring Exchange. This one seemed to flow smoothly from the beginning. Our hostesses spent their valuable time really working on partner matches and mine were great, both upstream and downstream. I've met two wonderful ladies and I like each of them. In this exchange I had the most correspondence with my partners that I've ever had before and I loved it. It was great.

The bag I received is so pretty (see photo a few post back); I love the style and the colors. Katie did a wonderful job of felting and shaping it and she inserted a hard bottom also. Nice, I couldn't have asked for better.

My downstream partner, Claudia, nominated me for 'Best Spoiler' could I ask for more? I'm looking forward to the next round.

Knitting Swaps - SP-11 PKG # 2

2007-10-28T15:57:00.000-06:00

I went to our local Guild Meeting yesterday and then took myself to lunch. By the time I got back home in the mid-afternoon I was tired and need a nap but I also wanted to knit some more on the Entralac shawl (it is almost finished) so I sat down in the lounge chair, stretched out and begin knitting. It wasn't long until I gave in to a nap and slept soundly for a short while. When I awoke, there was a box setting on the coffee table screaming to be checked out. To my surprise it was a second box from my Secret Pal and I couldn't wait to get it opened. SP tapes really well, all seams and double corners, what torture! When I finally got it opened, look what a wonderful surprise I had.

The new book, Bag Styles by by Pam Allen and Ann Budd put out by Interweave Press which I really wanted and wanted to join in the knit-along. There are a number of people already knitting their bags and displaying them on the blog, http://bagstylekal.blogspot.com/ , have a look.

Also in the box was a couple of balls of Plymouth Baby Alpaca Brush in a gorgeous red colorway and some yummy smelling lavender soap. That wasn't all; also included was a Halloween greeting card as well as a box of snacks for Mr. Maestro and a stuffed pumpkin for sweet Dariana. Thank you SP for a wonderful boxful of goodies, it's a perfect spoiling package. I love everything and so does Dariana and Maestro.

The program at our guild meeting yesterday was 'Knitting and the Internet' . While it was rather elementary to me, many of the members, especially those who have never worked, found it to be really interesting and helpful. I was surprised to learn that most of the ladies didn't have any idea of what a blog is and many don't know how to do a search for a particular topic. I don't believe anyone had an inkling of the knit exchanges and swaps that are available to the 'knitting world' and only one or two knew about knit-alongs. I had taken my bag and socks from Katie (Fall Felted Bag Exchange) for show and tell so there was a lot of interest in the idea of swaps and exchanges. We have some very talented ladies in our guild with much more expertise than I will ever have. Several showed their items for ribbons won at the state fair this month. There is always lot to see and learn at our monthly meetings. Check our web-page out here: http://rivercityknitters.com/index.html .

Guess What I Had For Breakfast

2007-10-26T08:07:00.000-06:00

Guess what I had for breakfast this morning. Thank you Katie for the delicious Tim Horton coffee and I had a new coffee maker to go with it. I discovered that the old Bun machine had a small leak beginning after about ten years of use so went out to purchase a new one. Gosh, was I surprised at the price of good coffee machines, especially the Bun. $148 was the least I could find it for and although we love good coffee and have coffee daily in our home, I didn't want to pay $148 for a coffee maker. Gosh I may start boiling it on the stove again. After looking and debating, I decided to try a Kitchen Maid and hope for the best. The thing I like about a Bun is there is always hot water in the reservoir and you don't have to wait for it to heat every time you want a cup of coffee. The Bun makes good coffee too, and they last a long, long time. I think Mr. Rō would have preferred I buy the Bun and perhaps I should have, we've always had one and know they work well for an eternity, but $148 for the least expensive model. My age is telling on me, maybe I'm in a rut, or maybe I am beginning to find 'change' to be more difficult.

I haven't shared the package I sent to Claudia, my FFB partner in RI. Claudia mentioned she needed a bag to carry her knitting in and this one is certainly large enough for that. I have three skeins of yarn, plus one of sugar and cream along with other goodies in the bag and there is still more room. I hope she will enjoy using it as much as I enjoyed knitting and putting it together for her.

Also I finished another sister-bag, for the sister that is moving. The purple is to match a felted hat I helped her to make last year and she loves it. Purple is her favorite color. Five more sisters to go before I have them all one made. I ordered a couple of new bag patterns yesterday. For the most part, the bags I make for the sisters will be pretty much the same. After all what woman in her 70's and 80'w wants a jazzed up purse, this applies to four of the remaining five sisters (I'm the baby).

My entralac shawl is almost finished at last. I am on the last skein of yarn I think. I have two skeins left but have to make fringe and I usually buy an extra skein, just in case. I'm pleased with the way it is turning out and it has been a fun project to do. Once you get into the pattern I find it very relaxing but I do have to stop and think on each side triangle to be able to pick up the stitches from the right rectangle selvage to

turn an d knit in the right position for the next tier. The next project, for myself, will probably be Plymouth's Baby Alpaca Grande Vest. I bought the pattern last spring but still have to buy the yarn (I think red for this one), then I'll be ready to knit. I love the way the vest gathers in around the waist in back and I'll wear it with jeans; here in VA it should be warm enough without an additional coat except for the really cold days.

Pirates Are The Thing

2007-10-25T13:21:00.000-06:00

Beautiful 'D' chose to be a pirate this year for Halloween and here she is dressed and ready to pose for a picture. What a special little girl she is. When I was told she wanted to be a pirate I thought I had heard incorrectly or that little 'D' didn't understand what a pirate was. I was wrong on both counts and here she is modeling her costume, minus the boots, for her 'dress-up day at school'. Grandmama is proud to show her off.

Perhaps we are going to have some 'witching weather' Halloween. Yesterday we were lucky and the rains came. They are still with us today and the forecast is for more rain tomorrow. We're so thankful. We are really in a deep drought here and it will take lots and lots of rain before our water table returns to normal. Living in the country we have well water; so far the well hasn't let us down. Still, we try to be cautious and not waste any unnecessarily.

I'm trying to get back into my routine. I put everything away until my sister was more settled down. Today DH is driving her back to SC for me. I would have driven her had it not been for the heavy rain. Sister is much rested and in better shape to cope with life as she continues with preparations of selling her home and moving. I'm sure there's still going to be some rough days but hopefully she will be able to manage alone. She has her church friends which means a lot to her; to me too. They were able to pull off the second moving sale for her unloading two bedroom sets, sofa, freezer and a second refrigerator, a car, and loads of odds and ends along with tools from her late husbands shop and loads of fabric, books, and yarn. I unloaded a tremendous amount of 'things' when we moved two years ago, my intentions are to unload again as soon as I can get my routine straighten out and I've caught up with life at home again. I realize what a waste all these 'things' are and I'm anxious to get rid of them.

Our second bearing of tomatoes are at peak right now and we're have big, juicy, red tomatoes as if it were July again. DH took a bag full to our neighbors last week and I sent a bag full home with my sister this morning. I will have BLT sandwiches daily (for breakfast) trying to get my fill of homegrown tomatoes before they are all gone.

BTW, one of my previous swap partners gave me the book Truelove and Homegrown Tomatoes by Julie Cannon, which I read while I was away. Southerns who enjoy a light, good, read about the south - I recommend you reading it. The story takes place in GA and the scenes, the thought processes, and the verbiage are so real to me. It paints a good picture of Southern living, Southern Baptist and 'good folks". Even a 'Yankee' or "mid-westerner' or 'anyone else' should enjoy this humorous read.

SP-11 & FFB-1 Packages Received

2007-10-21T12:53:00.000-06:00

I've so much to tell and not much time to do it. First off, I received a package from my SP-11 partner while I was away. DH brought it to me while I was still at my sister's (I called him to come down because it was taking longer than I expected to be away). I was so thrilled when he handed it to me. I was totally exhausted after over a week of hard work and a day of physical and mental stress. Here's the contents, they did me ever so much good. This is a bag pattern that I've been intending to order, I love it's shape, and the button is a gorgeous added bonus to go along with the pattern and 'chocolate' Lamb's Pride yarn. Thank you Thelma for such a thoughtful surprise package. The card enclosed is adorable. Nine beautiful kittens playing in a basket of yarn until they have fallen asleep; I love this card. I'm anxious to know you better Pal.

When I left home for my second visit to my sisters, I expected to be gone for a few day, possibly ten if things didn't shape up as fast as I was hoping they would. Well, they didn't and I was there for seventeen days. Remember my niece and I had gone the week before so add six additional days to that and I've been away from home 23 days. I'm not complaining, I'm so glad that I can do it but I needed to get back home. I was able to help her accomplish a lots but realized I had gone my limit and that my body had worn down; it was time to call for help. At age seventy-five, DS is trying to get her home of forty years ready for the market and move to Milwaukee to be near her daughter.

As I've mentioned before, this sister loves anything that has a thread of any kind in it. She had an unbelievable amount of yarns (acrylic and cotton) but the amount of fabrics she had/has, is unreasonable. She has boxes upon boxes of beautiful silks, wools, linens, and laces and even more of cotton fabrics with unique designs and prints in it. She had already given the local high school and collage four large black plastic bags of fabric to be used in their teaching classrooms and she had given her sewing friends material. Still, there was more than I could deal with. Each piece I held up to ask which stack I should put it in,( keep, donate, sell, garbage) was like tearing a piece of her heart out. Books were the same way. She had enough 'bible study' books to start a library (she had donated to the church already). Kitchen items were the same, never one of anything.

All this has caused DS to have to ' look at herself' and of course that is never easy for any of us to do. Add her having had breast cancer, and now myeloma, to the situation and it not an easy place to be. Tears and more tears ; this is part of the reason I needed to be back home; I brought her with me. Her church friends have taken over and will work with the real estate agent to get the house sold. A second yard sale was held yesterday and was very successful in getting many pieces of furniture, as well as fabric, books, and other items out of the house. I will try to pamper her as much as possible and hope her health will soon be somewhat restored so that we can return for whatever lies ahead.

When I arrived home Thursday night, exhausted after an eight hour drive, I had another wonderful surprise waiting for me. Thank you Katie, the timing was perfect.

Katie was my Fall Felted Bag partner and did she ever spoil me. I didn't wait until the car was unpacked, I tore into the box the minute I saw it. I thought I had figured out who my partner was (and I was right) and I'd been following her blog. I already had a feel for who she was and I liked her. The bag Katie knit for me is perfect in every way, color, size, and style, and it felted beautifully. The bag was packed full of goodies, a package of Chibis', three skeins of Paton's Soy Wool Silk yarn, a purse pattern, Canadian Living magazine and also a Christmas edition (great), some Tim Horton's coffee, I can't wait to try it, three bags of Canadian candies, yum, and the thing that I will treasure most in that package, a pair of hand-knitted socks. My first! Not only are they beautiful, they feel wonderful on my feet, I mean really, really wonderful. They fit perfect and the color and pattern are perfect too. Katie used Tofutsies yarn and the Tidal Wave sock pattern. How pretty and fancy they are. My sister tried to take them but of course I couldn't allow that. This was such a special touch, hand-knitted socks! Thank you. I know I will wear them out wearing them.

So see, the sun really does come out from behind the clouds and when it does, it is really good to see it and to take a breath of fresh air before beginning another day.

What A Bright Sunshiny Day

2007-10-19T08:37:00.000-06:00

It is said, "when it rains it pours"; well we've been having a bit of rain in our family recently but it is also said "the sun will come out tomorrow", and so it has. So very bright and so warm, just what I needed.

I don't have time to blog and add photos today but I will be returning in the next day or two to share with everyone what I mean about warmth and brightness. I returned home yesterday bringing my sister with me, to find two wonderful packages from 'Pals' of my knitting world. Both were delightful and so welcome. Both are wonderful and I can't wait to share them with everyone. THANK You SP-11, Thelma and FFB, Katie. You ARE The BEST!

Stay tuned for whats coming.

Local Yarn Store Changed Management/Knit Night On It's Way Out

2007-10-01T06:09:00.000-06:00

I've been slow in posting recently because life is so busy. I've been home five days; I'm getting ready to 'Go' again.

In the meantime I've taken time to finish knitting the bag for my Fall Felted Bag partner and gather the goodies to go in it. My plans are to get it felted today and I'll ship it out from 'where-ever' late this week or early next week. I probably won't be home when the post-lady knocks at our door, but DH will be and he'll contact me to say I have a package. When that happens I'll want to fast-forward my time away to get home and tare open my surprise. I'm pretty sure I know who my FFB partner is. I like her and I'm looking forward to getting to know her better. I can't wait!

Other Swap News:

My SP-11 downstream partner has received her package according to the post receipt but she hasn't let me know and she hasn't posted about receiving it. I'll wait and see what happens before sending out anything more. Perhaps I completely missed on her 'likes and dislikes', if so I'd like to know so that I can swing in a different direction next time, I'd really like to please. I haven't heard from my upstream partner other than a couple of post on this blog but I'm sure she must be out there someplace.

Received my Christmas Around the World assignment and after viewing her blog I think I will like her; she seems to be an interesting person. I have sent an e-mail to contact her. Likewise, I had an e-mail from my upstream partner and have sent a reply to let her know that I'm looking forward to meeting Santa's cousin.

The Bag-A-Holic group over on Yahoo decided to have a bag exchange for its members that were interested. I received my partner's info and sent her an e-mail but haven't heard anything in response. I am partnered with my partner for this exchange; should I think that she isn't interested after all and I will be left hanging, or should I think, that she thinks, I automatically know she is participating and that it's not necessary to contact me?

On to other things.

Papa Rō and I took beautiful granddaughter to the Children's Museum on Sat. DD had taken a fall on Friday night and hurt her knee. It is bandaged and she is on crutches waiting for the swelling to go down enough to see what damage has taken place. Hopefully it isn't serious.

DH made me a couple of new plant beds while I was visiting my sister last week and I spent Thursday planting it. It was so nice to dig in a loose soil. The soil in our area is so compacted and the most awful clay of any I've ever tried to dig in (and I'm originally from Georgia known for its red clay). DH got a load of compost from his friend and worked that in with the pond soil we purchased earlier this year and added a bit of lime and phosphorus. Now if it would rain I'd be set and so would the plants. I planted a gorgeous bright blue salvia, Black and Blue Sage and put in some digitalis, a perennial Fox Glove and added a few geraniums that I'd moved from our previous home. We also dug and planted a few small shrubs I'd brought back and rooted from my family in GA when I visited them earlier this year. Finally, we are getting a bit of gardening work done other than for the iris.

Tonight is 'knit night' at my friend Patti's home and I'd like to go since I'll be away for the next couple of weeks. Our LYS has changed ownership and there is a bit of a ruff taking place because last week, only one person showed up on Tuesday night to knit and no one placed a courtesy call to say they wasn't coming. Now the new owner isn't sure she wants to keep the store open late if no one is going to let her know they can't make it. Does this make sense from a customer's point of view? Either you will have 'knit night' or you won't have 'knit night'. Probably those of us that are considered 'the regulars' will start our own 'knit night' and rotate between our homes. That may be more pleasing anyway leaving one free to use whatever yarn and patterns they choose rather than being tied to the shops inventory. Most of us love supporting the shop but sometimes you enjoy knitting with something other than their inventory.

Fall Felted Bag - Contest

2007-09-27T07:55:00.001-06:00

What makes Autumn feel like Autumn to you, and why?
I'd like to say the crisp, cool weather but we're having hot, sweltering days right now.

But--- the moon is one of my favorite things in the Autumn. Last night the Harvest Moon was spectacular, almost a full moon (which occurred on Wednesday night), bright, almost red, and through the sheers on my bedroom window it appeared to have a plus sign, as large as the moon itself through it, and a circle around the plus sign. Oh my, it was beautiful. Harvest Moon is the full Moon occurring nearest to the Equinox in the Autumn and is said to be the time for gathering corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice, all staples of the Indians. The next full moon should be just as showy, October 26th and is the Hunters Moon indicating time for the Fall Hunting Season to begin and gathering of food for Thanksgiving. How simple that makes life sound, if only it was true today.

Ravelry Was Waiting For Me When I Came Home

2007-09-26T08:11:00.000-06:00

While I was away I got my invitation to join Ravelry. Wouldn't you know it'd come at such a time when I didn't have computer access. I want to begin moving some of my knitting inventory over just as soon as I can. The thought of having everything in one spot at the press of a mouse-click is exciting.

I got home from my visits late yesterday, exhausted and cranky - poor hubby, but this morning I'm feeling better. I have so many things to do and things I need to check on today but my plans are to mostly rest.

I have gotten a package off to my secret pal and one to my sister and her husband so for the rest of this week I need to concentrate on the fall felted bag exchange, that is lagging a bit. Actually I thought I was going to knit the biggest part of last week and that the bag would be in the mail by now. Instead of knitting as I'd expected to do, I helped my sister throw away a lifetime of 'pack ratting' trying to leave only enough 'things' that could be packed easily for her move north, close to her daughter. I'm so glad I was there and could help her but now I have to catch up on things that got put off.

The only yarn shop I managed to get to while I was away was Yarns To Dye For located in Flat Rock near Hendersonville, and for some reason (perhaps exhaustion) there really wasn't anything in stock that really caught my eye. I did buy a couple of balls of Filatura Di Crosa's Giardino in black and white that I thought would make a pretty scarf, and so did my sister. It was a bit expensive, $11.25 for 71 yards but it is 100% cotton and should be something that can be enjoyed year around. The shop's owner suggested it be knitted on size 13 needles, we'll see how that works out. While we were in the mountains we bought fresh apples at Sky Top and stopped at the farmers market and bought fresh green, purple, red, orange and yellow peppers, fresh SC grown peaches and a jug of peach cider, some okra, fresh cream peas and fresh crowder peas, SC Plantation wild rice, hot fried pork rinds, and toasted cracked corn, and two fried peach pies. YUM - it's all Southern!

DH seems to have neglected some of the potted plants that I wasn't able to get into the ground before I left. These were plants I bought during the plant sale a couple of weeks ago at the botanical gardens. I watered them deeply when I got home yesterday, but one in particular may be beyond saving at this point. DH watered but the draught we're in drinks the water before it can hit the plant's roots and a deeper watering is needed this late in the season. DH attended the local iris society meeting on Sat. and reported that the iris sale from two weeks ago netted the club about $2,200; enough to run a non-profit club on for the next year. All our hard work of digging, dividing, washing, labeling, trimming, and hauling has paid off again this year.

I hear those SC peaches calling me. Lunch can be peaches, apples, and a pork rind.

Going South Once Again

2007-09-17T18:52:00.000-06:00

I've decided to take a few days and go visit my sister in Greenville, SC. I will leave after seeing the oncologist tomorrow and drive down to Apex, NC to my niece's home. On Wednesday she and I will drive to Greenville and visit for several days, then I'll repeat the trip back home.

I've spent some time thinking today about which knitting projects I want to take along. The sister I'm going to visit has a much harder time ignoring fibers and colors than I do. She is a certified seamstress with McCall's and she dabbles in all kinds of needlework, just as I do. We can, and do, talk on the subject for hours.

The niece that I'm picking up to go with me is 9 months older than I. We went to school together, double dated together, and had lots of wonderful overnights when we were teens. She loves to shop so I should be able to fit a few yarn shops in on the way down and back up; I-85 has a world of shopping opportunities on it.

Anyway, I will be away for several days but then I'll be back and I'll have lots to talk about. I still haven't talked about our busy week and preparation of the bearded iris rhizomes we donated for the plant sale at the botanical gardens last weekend. I always say that spring is our most busy season but I sometimes wonder if it really is; fall is running me ragged this year.

Fall Felted Bag Contest 1-2-3

2007-09-16T12:26:00.000-06:00

Here's my entry for the Fall Felted Bags 1-2-3 Contest.

1. Post on your blog, and give us SOME kind of secret "Bag in Progress" photo. You could share your yarn before you started, or a close up of your knitting, or the patterns you pondered when you began, or what you're still pondering.

Actually, I'm still pondering although I've started on the bag. I have to knit a few rows on the body to see if it what I have in my head, if not I'll have to revert to someone else's pattern.

2. Post a link to the blog of one other swapper that you 'met' and have continued to read through the 3-2-1 contact post.

http://knitmetotheendoftime.blogspot.com/ and http://capesoxknitter.blogspot.com/2007/08/lots-to-see.html

I'm posting two addresses I've been reading frequently. Capesoxknitter was my pal in the Spring swap and is using the same pattern for her pal this time around. How neat. Knitmetotheendoftime or some reason interests me.

3. Post a link here telling me you entered. I'm posting an update today on the FFB Blog that I've answered the questions .

4. Do this no later than September 23rd. Today is September 16th, I'm making progress on meeting deadlines.

Time Runs Out

2007-09-15T23:59:00.000-06:00

Christmas Around The World Questions:
1. Are you religious? I don't go to church or participate in an organized religion any longer. I feel each person has to find their own peace (which I have) and live life according to their personal beliefs, not those of someone else. I also believe the 10 Commands are a good source to frame one's life around (my personal beliefe).
2. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider yourself a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced? I've been knitting forever it seems but not on a non-stop basis until about the last four or five years. I consider myself to be an intermediate knitter, maybe a bit better.
3. Do you have any other hobbies besides knitting? Lots, I love to bake and cook, love to garden, and I do a bit of all kinds of needlework except for tatting. I have a collection of Waterford Crystal and I love good cookbooks and knitting books and, I do a lot of reading. I love all of Pearl Bucks works and Daphne Du Maurier's, too. More modern authors that I enjoy are Anne Rivers Siddons (I'm a sourhern girl), Amy Tan, Lisa See, and Rosamunde Pilcher.
4. Favorite color(s)? I truly don't know, I just love color. The jewel tones are wonderful, reds, purples, greens, blues, but I also love browns, grays, navy, and black.
5. Do you collect anything? I collect Waterford crystal, my pattern is Curraghmore.
6. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? No, not allergic but don't enjoy receiving items covered in dog or cat hair (which has happened a few times).
7. Do you have any pets? Yes, an eleven year old Lhasa Apso named Maestro; one of the loves of my life. Lhasa's do not shed hair.
8. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate? Coffee, but not flavors - just good coffee like Blue Mountain from Jamaica or Duncan Donuts, I don't like Starbucks.
9. Cookies or Sweets? I love good homemade cookies while they are still warm or candy full of nuts. I don't buy many American brand name cookies anymore; they've had all the 'good stuff' taken out of them.
10. Do you knit socks? No but I will get around to it someday just to be able to say I have knit them.
11. If not socks then what? (tell us about your favorite knits) I love felting and knit both hats and bags. I also love shawls which I wear and I like knitting sweaters but not necessarily the finishing process.
12. Do you put up a Christmas tree? If not then what do you do? I've always had some type of tree and often times several. One year when I was having lots of houseguest for Christmas, I even put them in the bathrooms. Generally though, I only have one and they have gotten smaller as I've gotten older. Now with a granddaughter I expect that is going to change.
13. Favorite holiday treats? Toasted nuts, fresh coconut cake, white chocolate, nut, and cranberry shortcake cookies, peanut brittle, Carmel corn; all homemade and fresh.
14. Favorite holiday smells? Evergreens and cinnamon.
15. Do you celebrate Christmas in a traditional or unconventional way? Please elaborate. For our family we have 'our' tradition which starts shortly after Thanksgiving with baking cookies and making candy. I try to always arrange a time when my son is home for the weekend and he, my daughter, and me all bake together; what fun we have and we get most of our baking done in a day. On Christmas Eve we have our traditional dinner, fondue. We make big pots of cheese with imported cheeses and have pots of hot oil for cooking shrimp, chicken, and steak. We make several sauces for dipping and add a good French bread for dipping in the cheese. We have a special white wine that we use in the cheese fondue and buy plenty to go with our meal. This is one meal where we sit around the table for a couple of hours enjoying the family on a special night. Once everyone has eaten the last bite they can possibly put in their stomachs, we go to the living room and share our gifts. Santa doesn't come until Christmas morning and he fills everyone's stocking, child, doggies, adult, and guest and he leaves the children toys and the adults presents under the tree. We get up early to see what Santa has brought then later have a huge breakfast of country fried ham, red-eyed gravy, and biscuits along with grits or hash browned potatoes, eggs, extra sharp Vermont cheese, and homemade jams. Normally that is about the end of Christmas at our house but last year it changed a bit. I wanted something special because I was in the middle of my chemo treatments, really sick and wanted something special for the family. My son took over my kitchen and cooked a special Christmas dinner for us. We had a standing rib roast (he cooked it perfectly) with butter roasted new potatoes, bundled green beans, and a fresh wild green salad. Yum… This was so enjoyable that we plan to do it again this year. Whereas all this use to take place at 'home' we now go to my daughters for Christmas Eve dinner and opening gifts. We all spend the night so that we can see our granddaughter when she wakes on Christmas morning and we have breakfast before we leave. It's wonderful, all of it.
16. What are your favorite holiday traditions? The most important is having our family together. Then giving each child an ornament on Thanksgiving night, our baking together, and the Christmas Eve Fondue party. There is also the special night when my husband and I gather all the gifts we have and wrap them. We have a fire and open a bottle of wine and wrap until we are exhausted.
17. Finish the sentence: “For me Christmas is all about loving one another”
18. If you were a Christmas ornament you would be? A Santa because that's what catches the children's eye?
19. What was your favorite gift you've ever received? Or given? Gosh, I really don't know if you mean material things. I always say to my children that I don't want anything (and actually mean it) except for us all to be together and love one another. Of course they never listen to me and I don't practice what I preach when it comes to giving to them.
20. When do you start your Christmas? We bake early, usually the first or second weekend in December depending on how the weeks fall in a particular year. Our tree usually goes up two weekends before Christmas. Gift buying starts earlier each year because as we get older it takes us longer to do those things and we can't enjoy the crowds like we did when we were younger.
21. Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make them or buy them? We send lots of Christmas cards because we have a large family and lots of friends that we want to share greetings with. I always buy the cards; I'd never get them made if I had to make that many.
22. What is your favorite Christmas dish? Oh, there are too many to name but some foods that always come to mind when I think of Christmas are my mother's fresh ambrosia with fresh coconut in it and her fresh coconut cake. My dad always cracked the coconuts after removing the juice through the coconut's eyes, then peeled and grated it. He also cracked all the pecans we used at our house during the holiday season and we used lots.
23. Carolers are at your door. What do you do? Smile with joy, listen to them sing then offer them whatever Christmas goodies we have in the house.
24. When do you open presents? Christmas eve or Christmas morning? The actual gift opening is on Christmas eve but Santa always leaves a couple of gifts to be opened on Christmas morning.
25. Do you celebrate with family or friends or both? Always family and usually friends too.

I Haven't Knitted For A Week!

2007-09-14T04:35:00.000-06:00

I'm not lost, just busy. Spring and fall are such busy times for gardeners and it has certainly hit me hard this year. I love it so, but a day of digging or manning a plant sale is really taking it's toll me this year. I'll tell you all about my exhausting, fun filled, working days next time I post.

NO KNITTING has taken place in the last week and am I ever behind. I'm hoping I'll be able to knit the weekend away while I am resting up then, I'm off on another round of my life. Tell you about that next time.

Eating On The Stree, Knitting Machines,and Digging Iris

2007-09-06T08:02:00.000-06:00

Busy, always busy. Yesterday DH and I drove into the city take my prescription for new lens to be put into my current frames, they should be ready the first of next week then we'll go in again to pick them up. I'm not minding the two trips because it means we get to 'eat on the street'. When we worked downtown we would join hundreds of other people during the lunch hours to buy lunch from the street carts then find an empty bench in one of the parks or someplace on the street to eat. The cart we frequented the most was 'Christopher's Run-away Gourmet' a salad cart serving wonderful pasta salads, tuna and tarragon chicken salads, and a few others along with fruit, cheese and french bread; all deliciously fresh and flavorful. Hubby's suggestion of lunch on the street was well received by DW.

Tonight we are attending a wedding reception for our longtime friend's daughter. The family is originally from Pakistan and we've been friends since shortly after their arrival in the US back in the 80's. The wedding was held week before last in Jamaica, then the honeymoon, and now we friends are joining them and their families for a Pakistani reception. I know from past experiences of attending Pakistani functions with our friends, this will be a treat to attend. We've joined one another for celebrating holidays both American and Pakistani over the years and its always been enjoyable for our family as well as theirs. How wonderful it is to be friends with this family.

DH and I are about to start our fall digging for the bearded iris rhizome sale to be held at the Botanical Gardens next weekend. It's lots of work but we enjoy it and we'll enjoy being at the Botanical Gardens for the sale along with a few hundred other plant vendors and a zillion people coming to buy. The sale starts on Thursday afternoon for members of the Botanical Gardens and is then open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I have to leave my $$ at home, there will be too much to tempt me otherwise.

We are almost through the first week of September so I've begin thinking about a gift to send my pal in SP-11. Today I will put it together and have it ready to mail when I decide on a day. I don't like to wait until the last minute to do my exchange s. I don't want my partners to feel they have been forgotten by waiting until the last minute to think about what I plan to do and then being late to follow through. If I sign up for an exchanges the least I can do is, 'do it right'. I've never send things that are laying around, or things that have already been used and shows it, or bags that have been knit so long and left in a shop window that the outside has faded a half-dozen shades lighter than the inside of the bag and is splotchy on the outsides. I recently received such a package and I'm still so hurt that this could happen to anyone, not just me. And, it wasn't as if this person couldn't have done better, she certainly knows how to knit well (she has patterns published), certainly had access to yarn and other knitting products (she owns a knitting shop), and certainly had the time, (at least the same amount that everyone else participating had). My point is I want to be kind to the person I am treating and send them the kinds of things that I would be happy to receive, not just something to put in a box. Generally I have been well treated and my partners are a treasure to me, especially those who still keep in touch. The purpose of these exchanges is to make new friends who have an interest in knitting and/or crochet. The gift part is to 'make your new friend feel special'.

I've been in the yarn stash again looking and changing my mind over the colors, or the yarn, I want to use for the Fall Felted Bag I should get started on. I'm spending too much time doing this when there are so many other projects on the needles or waiting to go on the needles. This week I've even though it might be nice to have a knitting machine to help out. I've never used one and don't know enough about them to know if I would want to use one. Is there anyone out there that can share your experience with me about "yes I love my knitting machine" and what kind it is, or "no, I hated my knitting machine" and why? I can share an e-mail address with you if you'd like me to.

Time for me to get busy with thoughts of what to wear tonight. I've not worn any of dressy clothing since before my chemo-treatments and most no longer fit. I've lived in pants, jeans, and shorts for over a year now, waiting, waiting, waiting to see whats around the corner. I don't want to buy new clothes yet and since I no longer work I'll continue wearing pants, jeans, and shorts most of the time. Still, one can't go to a party dressed this way so I must get up and pull something out of the closet that can be put with something else and come up with a suitable wardrobe for the evening. I bet I can.

Local Knitting Now That Labor Day Has Come and Gone

2007-09-04T08:49:00.000-06:00

On Sunday DH, Maestro, and I packed our bags and went to a nearby park with lots of walking trails for a out-of-the-bag lunch and a nice little hike; my first hike since the chemo. I used the bag that Jennifer http://www.whatididatschooltoday.com/ made for me during the Spring Felted Bag Swap to carry our lunch and my knitting, just in case. Surprisingly the park was empty when we arrived, a surprise but a very nice one. The trail we took carried us down a steep bank to the river and along the river, then back up. By the time we got back to the top, there were several baseball and softball games in progress, I'm glad we went early. I was afraid I'd have trouble climbing and I would have to sit it out but since most of the climbing was at the end, I made it back and almost to the car before I HAD TO sit down. Maestro and me sat flat on the grass and waited for DH to fetch the car for us. Maestro is eleven years old and the hike took its toll on him too. We had a thermos of cold water (he likes ice in his drinking water) with us all the way and we we would stop and let him drink and rest and we took his collar and leash off and let him walk with us at his desired pace. He loved it, the freedom and all the smells in the woods. When we got home he zonked out for the rest of the day until late evening when he heard those last scrabble tiles come out of the bag. Then he was up for his routine walk after a scrabble game. We haven't been able to tell how he knows when those last two or three tiles are about to be played, but he does, he never misses.

Yesterday, DD called and asked me to meet her and Dariana at Crate and Barrel to shop for some household items and then for lunch. Since I needed a wedding gift for a wonderful friend's daughter, I had already planned to go shopping on Monday anyway. This meant I could buy a wedding gift and see my tow favorite girls at the same time. Dariana said "We are having an all girls day grandmama." She is such a precocious two year old and has such a vivid imagination. She is already telling 'pretend stories', yesterday it was about her daddy falling down the stairs and her helping him up by lifting him from under his arms. This was all pretend, daddy has not fallen down the stairs.

I'm expecting my package from LittleKnits today. I can't wait to see some of the yarns I ordered with labels I haven't bought before and then there is the Nora I bought to make a bag with.

We didn't have our knit group last night since it was Labor Day and several of us had things planned with our families. Tonight will be Knit Night at Holly Springs and it will be the first time in the new shop. I do want to try and go; I know most of the regular group of ladies will try to be there and it'll be fun to be with everyone. Kathy is making a lot of changes with her shop besides the physical move and I know its all going to be a big success. Why don't you go over and visit her blog and web-site http://www.hollyspringhomespun.com/ and perhaps order some of her Scarlet Fleece http://www.scarletfleece.com/patterns.php . She is also making a big effort to promote VA grown wools which I complement her on. We have a several local alpacas farms in our county, one farm being about a mile from my home, and Kathy is giving space in her shop to introduce some of these alpaca products. It's amazing what you can find in some small villages. While many yarns shops can't make a go in a large city, Holly Springs seems to be going strong and we have some wonderful little restaurants and a nice Bed and Breakfast in our village.

It's almost noon, time to eat!

SP-11 - Contest #2

2007-09-01T16:42:00.000-06:00

# 2 Contest – SP-11

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
It would have to be needles and yarn since they are the necessary components for knitting – besides, I do love a pair of good needles and I'm always looking for a brand or material different that those I already have. I love my ball winder and swift and would hate to be without either of those but I'd have to say 'the one thing' would be the good needles.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?
Yes, I always take my knitting and the project depends on what I'm working on at the time. Generally I take more than one project as well as materials for something new just in case I get bored. I usually slip in a few knitting books and magazines and a catalog or two also (be prepared).

3. Where have you traveled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
Probably some of the smaller countryside villages in Great Britain, but then I love theater so I can't leave out Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada or Stratford, Canada for Shakespeare's theater productions. For nature and the outdoors I would have to say Costa Rica. Gosh I can't pick just one.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
Probably the one I go to most often when I'm looking for a 'how-to' is The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe and I do own it.

5. Do you listen to pod casts? Which is your favorite(s)?
I've listened to a few but I find they move to slowly and take too much of my time, I don't really enjoy listening.

6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be?
What an awful thought, one color. I'd probably choose ecru being of the conservative nature. I'd want something that I could use with other colors but would still stand on it's own if used alone. Heaven's that would be so boring, lets add greens, purples, reds, and blues for variety.

7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do?
Cry! Then run to my FYS and beg for help.

8. Where is the most unusual spot you've ever knit?
I'll have to think on this one I've knit in so many different places. I've knitted on airplanes, trains, buses cars, and on a water ferry and a cruise ship. I've knitted in doctor and dentist offices, in the hospital waiting rooms and while in a hospital bed, at the cancer center and in a chemo-chair while taking treatments. I've knitted in vacations cottages, condos, and hotel rooms and the lobby. I've knitted at work, while visiting family and friends (no it wasn't rude and never looked rude; I am very conscious about those kinds of things) in a public garden and beside the pool. To me, none of these are unusual. My favorite spot to knit is beside the hearth in my recliner.

I'm ashamed!

2007-09-01T14:23:00.000-06:00

I'm ashamed. I bought yarn again, a lot; it was on sale. I could envision what I would use it for and it was the best price I've ever seen on Paton's Merino or Cascade 220. Both were on sale for $3.99 and for once there was lots of colors in stock. I went to buy a mere two skeins of Paton's Really Red and was about to walk out of the store when I noticed a sticker on a skein of Cascade 220 for $3.99. You know that caught my attention since it usually runs $6.99. I decided I could use their red instead and would be saving almost the price of of the second skein. Then I decided that it would be a good time to buy the Cascade 220 that is used in the entrelac purse on my to-do list. For once they had the lime green and bright yellow that I want to use in stock so I put those in the basket along with the hot pink and bright aqua. About that time I noticed $3.99 on some skeins of Paton's while others had $5.99 on them. I ask the clerk and she said they hadn't gotten around to marking it all down but it was all the same price, including the new stripes. So…. I wanted to pick up something brown for one of my sisters a bag; but I've already knitted something for her, And if I knit her a bag I should probably knit the other five a bag also, or a hat, or something And then DD has ask for a new bag And I'd like to make one for myself…And, I probably won't ever find this on sale this 'cheap' again so I really should go ahead and stock-up…..And I did. I am determined I want go into a yarn shop or store and look at yarn again until I have knitted at least back to where I was on Thursday morning. To top this, I had just placed an order on-line with Little Knits on Wednesday night; Nora yarn is on sale.

I have been knitting off and on every day and night trying to catch-up and finish-up the projects I have on the needles and I cast on for the Red Hat. That will be a quick project so I will probably go ahead and get it out of the way then I can mark it off the to-do list.

This is the most beautiful day we've had in ages. It looks like fall with the sun casting longer shadows and a nice little breeze blowing. I drove into Richmond this morning so I could shop at Kroger and it was such a perfect ride in and back home. I stopped at Courtier Café on the way in to have a cup of coffee, having a second cup just so I could sit and look out the window. Courtier Café is really a coffeehouse and this one just opened this morning. I was on my way to the one a couple of miles on in when I noticed tables outside and looked to see they were now open. Generally it won't make a lot of difference which one I stop at except for mornings like today when I didn't have my coffee at home. The reason why is, someone had opened the can of coffee before I bought it and I didn't know it until I took the lid off to make coffee. I was ticked! Why would someone be so mean and inconsiderate? DH used what was left in the can we had (about ¼ cup in place of ½ that I normally use) and made what we call Georgia coffee which I couldn't drink. We call it Georgia coffee because it is so weak it has no flavor. I know this isn't a true picture of my home state's coffee making, but that's how my older sisters make coffee now that they are older. When we visit some of my sisters, it's not uncommon for us to make two pots of coffee, one for them and one for us.

Tomorrow is going to also be a beautiful day and although I don't especially like traveling on holidays, I would like for us to take advantage of the weather and go on a short hike and take a picnic along. I haven't mentioned it to DH yet but I know he'll be all for it, especially with the word 'hike' connected to it. We'll take Maestro along and he'll love running along a wooded path stopping to smell all the earthy things around. He will be in control, we'll walk when he does and stop when he does. I love grilled hotdogs in the fall so maybe I'll pick up some up and we can throw a small grill in the car and grill them late in the afternoon just before dusk. Sounds like fun doesn't it?

I posted the questions for SP-10's second contest earlier today. Hope I win.

Playing In The Yarn Stash

2007-08-29T13:39:00.000-06:00

I have to hurry and get this posted if I get everything done that needs to be today. It's late afternoon and I still haven't gotten in the pool for my exercises yet and I haven't picked up my knitting needles today either. I've spent the biggest part of this afternoon cutting grass. The downpours we had a couple of nights last week wasn't enough to allow some of the surrounding counties to have their water rationing lifted, but it was just enough to cause the grass to grow at a rapid pace. It hasn't been a full week since I rode the mower an entire afternoon cutting while DH used the hand mower and weed-whacker. I will have to cut outside the fence out back tomorrow, I gave out of steam today. The only other thing I've done today worth a toot was answer some e-mails and do a bit of straighten up around the house. I did sit awhile with my neighbor when she came over this morning.

Yesterday I pulled out a bunch of my wool yarns to see what I had on hand and if I had enough for all the projects I'm getting ready to start. Yes, I'm going to start a few more since the stole is progressing along well and the afghan has had a few more rows added to it. I played in the yarn putting colors up against each other and stacking and re-stacking to see if I could come up with a different color combination that would be exciting. I declare, it was as much fun as playing house used to be. I was surprised at how many different shades of purple, plum, grape, etc. I have. Although I like purples, I didn't realize I have more yarn in that color than any other. Next was ecru but that wasn't a surprise to me. I like the neutral ecru alone or especially in combinations with browns. After I'd played in the yarn, I pulled out a couple of books and wished awhile and I really enjoyed looking through 200 Knitted Blocks again by Jan Eaton. I've had in the back of my mind to someday make a knitted quilt using these designs as squares. It is so easy for me to while away time looking at knitting books and magazines.

I have to post my questions and answer for the contest being held by the Fall Felted Bag Exchange. Don't want to be left out; it has to be posted by Sept. 2nd. All the exercise I am getting here is in the fingers, now I must go kick my legs awhile before I make dinner. Tonight its is going to be lasagna.

Fall Felted Bag Assignment

2007-08-27T05:26:00.000-06:00

I was been busy with my family over the weekend. Christopher was home, always a treat, and Dariana and parents were out for the afternoon and evening on Saturday, another treat. I decided on Friday to do a Mexican menu for dinner on Saturday so DH and I went and purchased a pork lion after my doctor appointment on Friday morning (more on this below). Yesterday Christopher and I started early, chopping vegetables and meat, then browning them quickly to go in the crock pot. We were making Chili Verde; a chili using the vegetable tomatillos, and lots and lots of chilies, garlic, onions, cilantro, spices and pork, simmered in beer. Oh it smelled so good cooking all day and tasted even better for dinner along with Spanish rice and refried beans, tortillas, and all the garnished you would expect with a Mexican meal.

Everyone was stuffed when we left the table however, Dariana still found room for a few Jelly Bellies and another glass of milk before they left for home. Sunday morning I made an egg casserole for breakfast and used the left-over chilies, onions,cilantro, and cheeses along with some ham, cream and eggs; and I made grits for Christopher and me. All this heavy food means lite eating for the next few days for DH and I. I've already prepared for it, picked up fixings for salads and a good stick of bread to go along with them.

I've gotten my assignment for the fall felted bag exchange and I think I've already decided what bag I'm going to make for her. From reading my partner's blog, she seems to be a pleasant person and I'm looking forward to getting to know her. She lives in one of my favorite states; I'll not say which one it is, but I'd love to visit it again sometime.

I've been looking over some of the shots from previous bag swaps and as always, I'm amazed at the amount of talent out there. The needle felting on some of the bags is gorgeous and the embroidery is absolutely stunning. I'd love to own one those bags. I must work on these skills so I can make one for myself. Anyone with pointers?

My entrelac shawl is coming along nicely; the knitting is about half finished now. The fringe used on the shawl in the shop is a bit more than I like, although it was beautiful on their shawl, so I may decide to do something different. If not, I think the fringe will take the biggest part of a day to cut, weave, and tie in.

On Friday I saw the oncology-radiologist for a report on the CAT-scan I'd had on Monday, the report is both good and bad. The bad first, the mass (tumor) is still there and appears to be mostly un-changed since November of last year (we were hoping it would be gone). On the good side, it could be just scar tissue or a thicken in the lymph node and since I feel good that is the path I'm letting my mind lean into. I'll see my oncologist September 12 and he will go over the report with me again and we will discuss what, if anything, is the next step. I expect he will order another PET-scan which will show if the mass is still active (growing cancer) or if it is just residue left over from the chemo and radiation treatments. The radiologist says no more radiation since I had a high dosage and it didn't make a difference and the oncologist had said no more chemo but he did mention stem-cell transplant if it became necessary. I will cross that bridge when I come to it. Today I am thinking I'm well with a bit of garbage left in my body as a reminder that life does have some kinks and turns in it but doesn't always lead to a dead end.

Fall Felted Bag Questionnaire

2007-08-22T20:43:00.000-06:00

I'm a bit late with this but blogger didn't let me have access to my blog or the Felted Bag blog earlier. Here are the answers to the questionnaire, I think most of them were already answered in the SP-11 questions but just in case I'll post the entire questionnaire for the Felted Bag Exchange.

1. How long have you been knitting or crocheting? How did you learn? or from whom? My sister taught me to knit about 35 or 40 years ago. I knitted for a year or so and then off and on whenever someone needed new booties until about 3 years ago. When I picked up my needles this time, I kept knitting.

2. What was your first felted object, and why did you decide to try felting? The first thing I felted was a bag and it turned out wonderful. It was a class offered at Lettuce Knit, my LYS, and since I was already a bag-a-holic, I couldn't resist taking the class. I had never knitted a bag before but I had crocheted one back in the seventies, a big red and blue, granny square satchel I lined it with navy blue and used it for months, I was very proud of it at the time.

3. What are your favorite colors? Any you hate? I love jewel tone colors and I love color combination like black & white, grey & white, and navy & white put together. I also love the color chocolate. I don't hate any color but doubt that I'd ever use an orange colored bag.
What are your favorite styles\types of bags? (Long straps? Short handles? Handbags? Totes? Embellished? Plain? Include links to patterns or photos if you’d like – give your pal an idea of what you enjoy!) I generally like a strap long enough to just swing over my shoulder, but not a shoulder bag length and I don't mind short handles on dressy bags or handbags. Embellishment is nice as long as it is something like fun-fur or glitzy. I love the embroidered flowers that I've seen on some of the bags and also the hand felting that’s being done. I love dressy but not flamboyant.

4. What handbag or bag are you carrying today? Do you use a separate bag to carry your knitting? Right now I am using a gold thread chevron shaped bag with leather handles and trim. It is not a showy bag, rather casual, but smart.
Yes, I use a different bag for my knitting, actually I have a nice basket I bought at Portland's Saturday Market last year while on vacation.

5. What other things do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? I love to knit hats, shawls, and sweaters. I've been thinking about knitting some placemats to match the grape tint in my great room and kitchen.

6. What sort of needles do you enjoy working with? (straights vs circs, bamboo vs aluminum). It depends on what I'm knitting whether I want straight or circular and also what material the needles are made from. I love the circular Addi Turbo needles put out by Skacel for hats, bags and afghans and shawls, unless it is lace, I like bamboo circulars for bags and sweaters, Denise's plastic for lace or light weight yarns (they have sharp points). I have one pair (10.5 circulars) of Susanne's ebony and dearly love using them, I'd like more. And … one of my favorite and the least expensive of all my needles is Bylene needles distributed by Boyle. They are really good to knit with if you have problems with your wrist or hands and they have really sharp points that picks up well. They bend with your hand and arm movement and are warm to the touch. I generally don't use aluminum needles but I do own at least one pair in every size of the straight needles and probably most of the sizes in the circulars.

7. What’s one project you’ve not yet tried but are dying to make? Well, I can't say I'm dying to make socks but I've never made any so must get around to them someday. I've never made a Mobius scarf and I'd also like to do that and I've never felted shoes which I'd love to do. That’s probably it shoes, I must do some shoes this fall.

8. What’s one yarn you’ve not yet tried but are dying to work with? This is a hard question, there are so many wonderful yarns that I haven't used. I'd say anything out of natural fibers as long as it's soft, sturdy and is pleasing to the eye and on the skin.

9. What other hobbies do you have? Do you spin? Sew? Garden? I don't spin but I do sew and garden. I also love to bake and entertain and enjoy embroidery and reading good books. I enjoy cookbooks and knitting books and gardening and knitting magazine.

10. Besides yarn, do you collect anything? I use to collect Byers Choice Caroler Dolls, teapots and teacups & saucers, and cookbooks from all the states and countries that we visited. I had to give most of this up when we downsized two years ago. And oh yes, I still collect Waterford Crystal if anyone is interested in contributing to that collection.

11. What kind of goodies do you enjoy? Sweets? Salty? Anything you hate or are allergic to? I like salty better than sweet, but I do enjoy good cookies and candy. I'm not a real big chocolate lover but if it is filled full of nuts or coconut, yum!

12. Do you have any kiddos? (Furry kind count!) I have a beautiful four legged baby, Maestro (Lhasa Aposo), age 11 and I have a two legged baby boy, age 37 and a two legged baby girl, age 42, and a wonderful little granddaughter, age 2. Then of course there is DH, I won't tell his age but he is definitely one of my babies and requires more of my attention than all the rest. (I don't kid myself thought, I love giving it to him.)

13. What kind of project best personifies you and why? Gosh I always have so many projects going. I like big projects but tend to get bored before I finish them and so pick up something else, then something else and it might take me two or three times as long to finish a big project as it would someone else. I like something that goes quickly, but is different enough to hold my interest. I am somewhat of a perfectionist (so my family tells me) so I rip back as often as needed to get things right and I love vivid colors and/or definition in my knitting project. Why ? – My mother always taught me I didn't have to be like everyone else and if I was going to do something to work on it until I got it right. Besides, I'm a Gemini so I need to live up to my expected characteristics don't I?

14. What is your favorite part of autumn? You can also share a special autumn memory if you'd prefer! The time for re-grouping, finishing off summer's chores then taking a deep breath and starting something new; sort of like the ending and beginning of a new year. To me fall means crisp air and it's smells, and a warm kitchen with it's aromas and lots of stunning colors. It always brings to mind, that wonderful song, Autumn Leaves. I can just hear Roger Williams playing that beautiful tune; and as his fingers touches the piano's keyboard, I imagine seeing ever-so-many colorful, brilliant leaves falling and floating by the window in the autumn's sunlight.

15. Tell us 3 things you would do if you won 10 million dollars in the lottery. According to nature, I'm in the autumn of my life so I'd try to remember that and use the 10 million dollars accordingly. That said, I would (1.) enjoy the money, (2.) share it with those I love, and (3.) use it for a good deed that would benefit others that are a lot less fortunate than I. Actually this could all be covered under (1.) enjoy the money.

No Sleep For Me

2007-08-20T23:46:00.000-06:00

I'm wide awake. For some reason tonight, a zillion things seem to be going through my mind. I hate having nights like this, when the body is tired and denies sleep and the mind is continuously turning over and over, as if it is in a rush to catch up and so is working overtime. I've learned that the best thing I can do, is to DO something, to get up and get busy. Eventually I will become exhausted enough to sleep. Sometimes I just read or knit, but other times I need to do something more physical, like baking cookies or felting a hat at three o'clock in the morning. I know I'm not crazy because I hear too many other women talk about the same problem. Is it gender related or what? I don't hear men talking about being awake half the night, it does make one wonder.

This morning I was up early and at the hospital before 7:30. I had forgotten on Friday to pick up the contrast drink for the scan I was scheduled to have this morning. My appointment was for 11:30 so I knew I'd have time to drink the gunk down at home if I picked it up early; better than sitting in the waiting area for two hours while drinking the stuff. This is the scan that will tell the radiologist and oncologist if the mass from Hodgkin's disease is gone, or if it is still there and not active, or still there and still active (meaning the cancer is still alive). I believe that it is gone this time, a feeling I haven't had before. I will see the radiologist on Friday to learn the results; wish me well.

Tonight I drove into the city to knit with a knot of lady-friends and what fun we had. I worked on my entrelac shawl and enjoyed the oohs and aahs from the knitting group. One lady was knitting on a prayer shawl, one was knitting a throw for her niece to use on her bed at college, one was knitting a winter scarf, and one in the group (having hand problems) was doing Temari (Japanese thread balls). How beautiful they are and what wonderful designs she creates with this craft.

Tomorrow is to be a busy day, and I'm still awake! How will I function? There wasn't anything on the calendar for tomorrow and I'd planned to clean the pool and maybe do some gardening. Early this afternoon I decided I wanted to go to the library in the morning and check on a couple of books I'm interested. I called my neighbor, Sally, and asked if she wanted to ride into the village with me and stop at the Garden Café for coffee. She was delighted saying she has books that need to be returned to the library anyway. So, one thing is now on the calendar. A short while later I receive a phone call from the flooring contractor asking if they could come tomorrow to install the new kitchen and bathroom floors. Something else added to my calendar, then an e-mail from Kathy at the LYS saying the basement was flooded and full of mud again from the storm we had on Thursday night and she and her husband were in the middle of moving the shop from the edge of the village to a shop across from the courthouse. There will be more foot-traffic for the shop and hopefully there will be no more flooding (this is the second time in six months that she's had water damage in the shop's basement). Anyway, to celebrate the move and her introduction to a new line of yarn called Scarlet Fleece, she was invited our old Monday night knit group to her home to knit and jabber tomorrow evening. Of course I can't miss this so it will be a busy, but good, day I think. The pool and gardening are now pushed back for Wednesday.

I got my SP-11 assignment and have made contact with her. I have to get busy now and decide how to spoil her. Perhaps a felted hat would do the job. (Scroll down side bar)

SP-11 Questionnaire

2007-08-13T14:58:00.000-06:00

I haven't gotten my SP-11 assignment yet but see that some participants have; my upstream pall being one of them according to a message left on yesterday's blog. I'll go ahead and post my questionnaire although I think that most of the questions have already been answered on my blog recently. Hope everything you need is here, if not I'll try to provide it later.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I enjoy knitting with 'good quality' but not necessarily 'pricey' yarns. Elann.com carries a good selection of yarns at reasonable prices, especially if you catch their Tuesday specials. I do not care for novelty yarns except occasionally as an accent on a few items.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Most anything. Actually, I have three artist brush kits for straight needles and I use a 3 inch, 3 ring, binder for my circulars. I take zipper-lock bags, punch a couple of holes in them, label the outside with needles size, length, and manufacturer, then place the needles in the zip- lock. I also use a big pitcher to hold the larger size needles and some of the extras that I don't use often.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting off and on for about forty years but steadily for about five years. My sister taught me the knit and purl stitch and for many years anything else was self-taught. When I picked my knitting up this last time I decided it was time to take some classes and learn something besides knit and purl. I consider myself an advanced intermediate knitter.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No but I'm going to start one on Amazon today, I think it would be helpful.
5. What's your favorite scent? I'm not a fan of most perfumed fragrances. I like clean and not heavy smells. I do enjoy good soap and rose or lavender body products like body wash and shampoos.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I do enjoy sweets, but I'm not a big chocolate fan although I love chocolate with nuts and coconut in it. I generally prefer salty and cheesy treats over sweets.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I love knitting most,but I also crochet, embroidery, cross-stitch, sew, and do a bit of crewel. I love the look of appliqué and have been thinking to make a few things with appliqués on them. I do not spin.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD). I'm not very technical but I don't believe we have MP3 in our home or car, just regular CD's. I like Easy music, Blues & Jazz, and Classical.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I like chocolate, greens, aqua's, purples, blues, pinks, and ' I do like puce' (also know as magenta and/or burgundy.) I like vivid, jewel tones but also love grays, whites, blacks and reds used together.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have a husband and a four legged baby (dogie) that live with me. I have an adult son and daughter and one granddaughter.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I have worn them all sometimes, but not any of them often. I have a poncho that I knitted a few years back from a Collinette Kit and enjoy wearing it because of all the gorgeous yarns that were in the kit. I have worn hats a lot in the last year because chemo-therapy claimed my hair for several months. If I wear hats, I like them to have a brim. Since I'm retired I don't wear scarves any more and I prefer gloves over mittens.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Gosh, it depends. I enjoy knitting cardigans but they take so long that I put them off and end up taking forever to finish one. I love felted hats and bags and I enjoy knitting shawls out of nice fibers for gifts. I have never knitted socks or gloves but probably will someday just so I can say I have. I've done a bit of lace but no longer have the concentration for following a complex pattern.
13. What are you knitting right now? OTN's – Entralac shawl using Nora's Silk Garden wool. Chris Bylsma's Crayon Box Jacket using mostly wools in lots of textures and color blends. Lilly Chin's Central Park Jacket from her label yarn, and a queen-sized bed cover for my son out of various textures and colors.
4. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Love them.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? It depends on what I'm knitting and what type yarn I'm knitting with. I am not a big of fan of aluminum needles but do love Skacel's metal needles and want a set of Knit Pick's Options. I especially like the one pair of Susanne's circular ebony needles that I have my 'el cheapo' Boye's Baleen II straight needles, haven't tried them in a circular.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes, both; couldn't do without them.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? Around a year I think.
18. What is your favorite holiday? July 4th – Because that is the day our adopted granddaughter came to us. National Holidays would be first Thanksgiving, then Christmas. Our family celebrate both these holidays with lots of love and thankfulness.
19. Is there anything that you collect? Yes and no. I use to collect Byer's Choice Carolers but ran out of space and I use to buy a cookbook from every country or state that we visited. It was a remembrance that could be used and enjoyed over and over again and I still love reading cookbooks. When we downsized two years ago I tried to get rid of lots of 'things'.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I have a subscription to: ' Interweave Knits' and one to 'Creative Knitting' and buy and enjoy other knitting magazines, especially the ones from Great Britain. Books on want list are: 'Bag Styles', (Interweave) when it comes out in November, and 'The Best of Interweave Knits'. Needles I'd like to add to my supply: Susanne's ebony needles (I have one pair size 10.5 circular and love them), some 7" single point knitting needles in any sizes between 3 -9, Knit Picks new Options set. Yarns: Cornucopia, want to make a shawl I think, hand painted worsted weight wools, self-striping worsted weight wool. Patterns: 'Ruched Bag', 'Bucket Bag', and 'Lucy Bag" by Two Old bags.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Well I have to do a pair of socks someday, and I have to do cables and Fair Isle someday. I guess the reason I haven't done them so far is they aren't my favorite look. But, I'm always interested in learning new techniques even if it is just for the learning process. I'd also like to do some free-form and magic ball knitting; they're interesting I think.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? No, I don't knit socks but would like to have a hand knitted pair if they were not to short on my feet; I wear a size 9 shoe.
23. When is your birthday? June, when else? The day is the 7th.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? I'm signed up but they haven't gotten to my name yet. Hope it won't be much longer.

Entrelac Stole

2007-08-12T13:06:00.000-06:00

I'm working on the entrelac stole using Nora's

Silk Garden yarn. The colors are beautiful I think although I'm not sure if I like the yarn for something I plan to wear; it is a bit scratchy. I've only used two skeins of the nine that was called for so I still have a long way to go but it does move along rather quickly once you sit down with it. I should have it finished in plenty of time to enjoy this fall, providing I don't give it to a sister; if I do, then she can enjoy it.

I prepared tomatoes and other vegetables this morning for vegetable soupso the tomatoes wouldn't go to waste. Mr. Ro helped me ladle it into the jars and get them ready for the canner. We canned 10 pints and had a bit left over for lunch. I'll be glad we made it this fall and winter when a bowl of hot soup will be so good.

I received my dishcloth from the quarterly exchange yesterday. My partner was from Oregon state and she knitted the Fan and Feather pattern for my cloth and used the new S&C stripes yarn. There was also a magnetic photo frame and a magnet for the frig. Thank you Mary. I sent my cloth out last week so my downstream pal should be getting it on Monday or Tuesday of this week. I'll post a photo after she receives it.

Project for WhoDuKnit Finished

2007-08-06T22:07:00.000-06:00

Today I knitted my little project for the WhoDuKnit group over on Yahoo. Our July mystery read was Virgin of Small Plains and this month everyone was to devise their own project for the book. The story line is about deceitfulness and how it affects the lives of others; it was actually a very sad story. I'm glad I was able to come up with a project that I hope will add a bit of humor for this group of knitters and mystery readers. Here is a photo of what I made for two of the characters in the story. If you want to know why, you must read the book; it's by Nancy Pickard.

Although this was a bit of a 'silly little project', (a condom amulet) I learned a new knitting technique. I had never done double knitting before and this little amulet was a double knit. It was quick, and it was fun. I will use that technique again soon to make little Dari a new purse and of course this pouch will be hers to play with.

Yesterday I went shopping with my daughter and Dariana for the first time since Dariana has been a part of our family. Melody and I use to shop, shop, shop and I could usually go as long as, or longer than, she could before exhaustion hit. But, for a few years before I started chemo, I wasn't able to walk very much and as the Hodgkin's disease got worse, I could walk less and less. For the last two or three years, I haven't shopped except for necessities. Yesterday we shopped and had a nice lunch and enjoyed Dari. I was exhausted before I left to drive home but it was such an enjoyable time being with my daughter and granddaughter. Melody called tonight to tell me how much fun it was for her and how proud she was to have me to go shop with her like we use to. How sweet it is.

Tomorrow I am going to think about sewing while I knit on my entrelac stole. It has been picked up in so long I will have to find where I left off in the pattern and set my pace again. Once it gets going it is a fun project to knit but the right side triangle will probably make me stumble the first go around. I have so much I want to do, not just knitting, but I'm itching to get out my embroidery and work on something. I've been letting sewing wonder across my mind quite frequently too and even bought some lime green fleece and a jacket pattern, zipper, and thread when I was in the fabric store last week. And I've been toying with the idea of learning appliqué. I love appliqué on children's clothes and on kitchen linens. I have done a bit many years ago but would like to learn to do it well and use it on some pants and dresses for Dariana.

DH is working on his iris beds, making new beds, digging, dividing, moving, and replanting. I would like to help him more but the sun is too brutal for me right now. Tomorrow the temperature is supposed to be 100° and even now, at midnight, the humidity is unbearable outside. Tonight when I took my water exercise the pool was warm like a bath in wintertime. Maestro loved it and I must have floated him on my arm for over thirty minutes; he loves it. Look at him and Dariana. What a sweet pair of angels they make.

What I Have and Have Not Knitted

2007-08-05T05:36:00.000-06:00

Below is a little survey of what I have or have not knitted and of things I would like to knit in the future. It's been around for awhile I think, I've seen it on other blogs, so I decided to add it here. Maybe it will help some of my partners in the exchanges I participate in. Some of you other knitters that enjoy the exchanges might enjoy adding it to your blog also.

That said, let me make a couple of other comments.

I am not a sock knitter, I've never knitted a pair of socks, really; but, I plan to knit a pair at some point in the future just so I can say 'I've knitted socks'. I personally can't justify spending the amount of money or of time making a pair of socks that I can go buy three pairs for less than what the yarn cost for one pair. I DID SAY 'PERSONALLY'. On the other hand, I'd love to receive a pair of hand knitted socks, I've never worn any. Perhaps it would change my mind and I'd become addicted to hand-knitted socks.
I have knitted (tried that is) with both wire and with beads. I didn't enjoy doing either. I think beads are very pretty accents on a knitted sweater, shawl, or bag, but as far as knitting a piece of jewelry with them, it's not my cup of tea.
I do not bead - but I do appreciate all the wonderful markers that I've received (don't really need any more)
Although I have yet to knit a 'project' using the new fiber yarns that are on the market, I can hardly wait to put something on my needles.
Things I really adore knitting are brimmed hats and bags and especially fulling them. Next would be cardigans. I've only completed two. one for hubby and one for grand-daughter and there are two others currently on my needles (these are for me).
I have designed and knitted a shrug and a shawl that I think are worthy of a pattern and being published but I haven't found the necessary time to sit down and write a good pattern.
I love knitting for others, sisters, nieces, good friends and good causes.
I love learning new stitch patterns, finishing techniques, or doing something I haven't done before. For some reason I've never knitted cables and I really must try to accomplish that. I think the reason is I'm not particular fond of cables on sweaters, bags, etc . so I always look for a pattern that doesn't have them. The same goes for Fair Isle Knitting.
I'm a Gemini all the way. Impulsive, changeable, doing a dozen things at once (or trying to), and mind always working in overtime.

Mark with bold the things you have ever knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone eles's handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener
BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intrasia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Hummingbirds and Dish Rags

2007-08-03T13:55:00.000-06:00

Here he comes, faster than a speeding bullet!

A smooth landing and all looks well!

Refueling time.

Lay-over and rest.

Zoom --- off into the wild blue yonder.

This is one of the hummingbirds that visits our feeders each year; once they find their territory, they return year after year. We have three that are always on a feeder or perched in a Crepe Myrtle and there are others that visit but don't seem to use our property as their home. It is so much fun to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee early in the mornings watching them fuel up for the day. They seem to be most active early in the day and then again in the early evenings getting ready for night. Sometimes we sit with the neighbors on their porch, or they with us on ours, and share a glass of wine, catch up on the days happenings and watch the hummingbirds flirt with one another. They do flirt. It is such fun to see them buzz around one another, sometimes actually smacking the other with their long sword length beak. They seem to really like the red petunias I planted in the bed across the front of the porch and there is a potted doubled hibiscus setting on the porch that some of my gardening friends brought out to me a few weeks ago. And then this, a Swamp Hibiscus brought home from our trip to SC a couple of weeks ago. Isn't it the most gorgeous thing? The bloom here is not fully opened. Once it opens all the way, it is about 8" or so in diameter and the petals no longer touch one another. It is a herbaceous perennial but I want to save some of it's seeds to plant next spring in case it doesn't make it through our dry summer and cold winter. Probably it will re-seed itself, but I want to be sure this plant is in my garden next year. The hummingbirds love it and so does the butterflies.

I decided to participate in a knitted dishcloth swap (remember when people use to say dishrag and washrag?) so I've been knitting on that today. I had a beautiful variegated yarn in all the colors that my partner likes best. I have the dishcloth about half finished and will probably finish it off tonight if there is time. It's getting to be late afternoon and there is still to take Maestro for his swim, do my water exercises, and make dinner. Dinner may take a bit more time tonight since the new kitchen range has arrived and I'm still tinkling around with what works best. DH wound up installing the range himself - which I try to always avoid since he is not a handy man and life is much simpler to just pay for installation. The opening for the 30" slide-in that was in place, did not fit the 30" slide-in that was delivered. The delivery team let us know immediately they only do deliveries, plug ins, and take aways, nothing more. I could see DH's nerves jumping around in his body when he realized what that meant. He had to make the opening in the counter about 1/8" larger, so, he went to work with his saw and sanding paper. He really did a great job as he always does, but what stress he goes through in doing it.

Tomorrow I want to bake something good in my new oven and visit a couple of old friends who are elderly and finding life to be a bit hard for them. If I bake early I'll be able to take them some goodies which they will enjoy. I love these two ladies dearly and it is so sad to me to see them in their situation. There are no financial worries for them but they live in a neighborhood that was once prosperous and is now quite run down and no longer safe. They are totally devoted to one another having lived in houses side-by-side all their married life and having no children of their own. Both their husband's passed away a number of years ago and their closes relative is a nephew. I sometimes wonder why life seems to be so much harder for some, than for others. I know that's the way life is, I just don't understand it.

I Must Be Getting Old

2007-07-30T06:03:00.000-06:00

Perhaps I'm getting old, in looking back over my blog, I realized I've never posted a photo of the bag I sent to my Spring Felted Bag partner. I have referred to it several times thinking it was here but lo and behold, it isn't. Here is a photo of it and it's lining. It was sent out in June to my pal JoAnn. The bag isn't a true red at all, more of a deep rosy rust, I love it. I had to make two trips to the fabric shop to find the right lining. The first one I brought home didn't please me when I held it inside the bag but the second round I was pleased, the first piece of material will go in a bag for someone else.

I knitted on the blanket for Christopher yesterday and added some of Coats Moda.dea Cache in the rendezvous color scheme to give a color break for adding in a 'wild' color. It is a blue yarn with greens and oranges and a silver thread (among other colors) in it. I think I will be able to go from the blue, to the cache, to orange without it being totally off-the-wall. (Wish I could get into a more 'off-the-wall' frame of mind while knitting this project. I started adding the orange last night, got about half-a-row knitted before tiring out and putting it away for the evening.

Dariana was out yesterday to play with papa and me and we always play so hard that we're exhausted when she goes home. Yesterday I took her swimming and she wanted to jump, jump, jump. It's so much fun to play with her and watch her learning to make her little way into society. Papa had to play hide and seek with her and play with her 'baby'. He managed to get around changing Dariana's diapers, but she has him changing her 'baby's' diapers and clothes. At two she knows how to 'pretend' and use her vivid imagination. So much joy!

Our neighbor, Sally, brought over a loaf of her wonderful banana loaf bread last evening for us to have with our coffee this morning. I cut a nice, thick slice of it to have with my second cup and it is so delicious; I have to ask her for her recipe. It is a sweeter bread than I make, choked full of walnuts and it is a bit sticky and dark as if it could have molasses in it. Yum....

Tomorrow I want to tell about the hummingbirds.

About A Mile Of Knitting To Go

2007-07-28T07:35:00.000-06:00

I've been playing with this thing for over a year now, just can't get into it because it isn't really something I would knit for myself. It's a queen-sized bed blanket requested by my son. He loves colors and textures even more than I do and requested a blanket with as many colors and textures as I could put into it. Notice I started off in a somewhat (to me) sensible color scheme but then switched to a wavering scheme that pleases him. He is sure that the outcome will be pleasing and perhaps it will. Anyway, I've decided I'll work on it every time I have a few minutes to knit but don't have time to really concentrate on another project and I'll try to finish it by the end of the year. At some point I have to work in some reds, greens, orange and yellows.

Look at this, isn't it the most precious thing. It is for my granddaughter and it will stay at grand- grama's house to avoid having to bring one each time they come for a visit. When I talked to Dariana by phone a few days ago and told her I had bought her a swimsuit special for my house, she turned to her mother and said excitedly "Grand-mama bought me my own bathing suit". She is such a joy and I am so thankful for her.

Mr. Ro and I are going this morning to order the kitchen range we looked at earlier this week and he made an appointment with the flooring company to come on Monday to measure and give us a price for new kitchen and bathroom floors. I'm really looking forward to getting these things done, and more. We've been in this house for two years now and I haven't gotten anything accomplished other than going to the doctor, going for test, being sick, and on and on. Now that I'm better I have a lot to work on and I'm ready to get started.

I had my yearly physical yesterday and I am basically healthy. I have to go back on Coumadin since one of the MRI's I had on Monday revealed I had undergone a stroke previously. My Cardiologist had already told me he wanted me to be put back on it after the next Oncologist check-up. I hate this particular drug but at the same time, I am thankful we have it. It can be a life saver for stroke victims or people with heart problems. I try to remember that, 'bad is sometimes good'.

Knitting for Me

2007-07-26T05:22:00.001-06:00

With all the exchanges and swaps completed, it is now time to knit for 'me'. As much fun as I have doing these exchanges, it feels good to have them all completed for a time. I will be able to knit for myself without feeling quilty thinking I should be working on this or that other project.

Here's some photos of my last exchange. The 'mess' and the replacement for the 'mess' that I knitted mostly during our car trip south. I love the replacemnt but am still 'ticked' with the author of the pattern for 'the mess'.

Actually, the Wotton Bag (named for a wool mill town in England) is so much fun to knit (a four row repeat pattern keeps it interesting) I am ready to knit one for myself and my daughter, Melody. It's not a large bag but it does hold a lots and it's smart enough for her to use at work.

Yesterday hubby and I went shopping. We didn't buy anything, well, thats not exactly true, we didn't buy what we went shopping for, but I did buy a new bathing suit. (Needed a new one from the weight loss I took with Hodgkin's disease and the chemo treatments.) We were shopping for a new range and for kitchen and bathroom floor coverings. We were astounded at the price of the stoves - the style we have to have is double what a standard range or cooktop cost. Our current one slides into a stand alone counter and is a standard stove without back and sides and rest flat on the counter like a cooktop. We finally found an affordable one, when it goes on sale over weekend; the salesperson was nice enough to let us know if we waited, we could save about $300. We checked out floor samples from two different flooring stores and I think will be able to decide on a new floor cover using the samples.

On Monday we had a couple over to make their own batch of pickles. They brought the jars and ingredients and DH and I showed them how to whip up a batch in an afternoon. They were so proud of the colorful jars of pickles and couldn't wait to dive into them. Since they were still hot and would be for most of the night, I gave them a jar from my pantry to take home and enjoy with their dinner. Here's the recipe and don't let the word 'squash' scare you. They are wonderful, like a yellow bread and butter. I want to share the recipe with you.

SQUASH PICKLES

5 - pounds yellow squash washed thoroughly and sliced thin
3 - medium sized white onions peeled and sliced thin
1/2 - cup table salt
Ice cubes or crushed ice
1 - teaspoonfull celery seed
2 - teaspoonfull mustard seed
1 1/2 - teaspoonfull turmeric
5 - cups sugar
5 - cups cider vinegar

Wash and slice the squash. Peel and slice the onions. In a large container, layer the squash and onions sprinkling each layer with salt. Cover with a thick layer of ice cubes, mixing the ice into the squash and onions. Cover and weight down with a cutting board or other heavy object. Let stand 2 -3 hours.

While squash are resting in the brine water, wash and sterilize the jars and keep warm. (I use the dishwasher for this purpose.)

Rinse and drain the squash.
Combine remaining ingredients and heat slowly, just to a boil. Add squash mix and let the mixture return to a slow boil. Let mixture cook for just a minute, the squash should be slightly cooked, yet still crisp.

Just before adding the squash to the jars, heat t he lid flats in a shallow pan of boiling water.
When squash are ready, spoon them into hot, dry jars. Pack the squash down by running a knife around the inside edges of the jar and pushing down on the squash. Add more squash, and pack down until the jar is filled up to its shoulder. The squash should be covered with the boiling liquid. Wipe the mouth of the jars with a damp cloth and place a flat on top. Screw on a lid ring and tighten slightly. Turn the jar upside down on clean dry towel for several hours. You should hear a ping every so often, that will be a jar sealing. When cool, place in a cool dry cabinet or pantry. As long as the jars are sealed the squash will keep for a couple of years. After opening a jar be sure to refrigerate the remaining pickles.
Makes about 15 or 16 half pints, or 7 or 8 pints.

A Whizz of A Week

2007-07-20T08:40:00.001-06:00

What a busy week we've had. While visiting my sister and her husband, picked and prepared, and canned vegetables for about 135 jars to bring home with us. We bought two bushels of already shelled butter beans since their crop didn't produce a lot this year, and we bought a twenty-five pounds of tomatoes so I could make soup. Everything else came from their garden. My brother-in-law had a dozen pints of green beans on the counter cooling form me when we arrived on Thursday night and he had a dozen pints ready for me to bring back to my daughter. DH shelled almost two bushels of crowder peas by himself (oh, what sore fingers he had), while I went to the garden and cut okra and picked butter beans and green beans to make vegetable soup. We washed and sliced okra, shelled butter beans, strung and broke green beans, took the skins off tomatoes and chopped them and I cut off about five dozen ears of corn, thought I'd never get to that last ear. We canned peas, butter beans, more green beans, made and canned the vegetable soup, made and canned bread and butter pickles from cucumbers and made and canned squash pickles from yellow crook neck squash. We froze corn, okra, and some more peas, all this to come back to Virginia with me.

If this wasn't enough work for the four of us, my brother-in-law decided that we had to take off Sunday morning for a half-day of fishing. We had an early, quick breakfast and took off to the creek. He put the boat in and we all jumped in along with enough mosquitoes to start a low-country-stew. Once out on the water the mosquitoes wasn't too bad, only when we pulled in to anchor the boat and fish for a spell. We sped down the creek to the rice canals and up the canals to their favorite fishing spots. In a couple of hours we had enough red fish and cat fish in the cooler for dinner and headed back to Yemassee. The fish were cleaned, cut into filletes, then fried outside for dinner. Another day we had wild turkey deep fried for lunch and left-overs made into a wonderful turkey salad for dinner that evening. My brother-in-law is a real outdoors person who loves to hunt and fish. If he catches fish, shrimp, crabs, whatever, or hunts and kills venison, turkey, wild boar, whatever, it is cleaned and frozen and will be a meal. They (my sister and her husband) live close to the earth and have a wonderful, simple life now that they have retired and turned the plant nursery over to their son and his family. They hold family gatherings often and there is always a big turnout when something is scheduled for their home. All the nieces and nephews love to visit them because life in the low country is always an adventure.

When we returned home on Tuesday, I had a package waiting for me from Margie, my No Sheep For You exchange partner. She sent goodies along with two skeins of beautiful yarn, one a Debbie Bliss alpaca silk blend and one a stretched hand-dyed and spun merino wool from Plum Crazy Ranch and Fiber Arts. Thank you once more Margie for such a pleasing package.

I also got my downstream partners package mailed and she should be receiving it tomorrow, or at the latest, Monday. I hope she will be please with the yarn I sent her, also two skeins, and a pattern to knit one of the yarns with. Hope the other gifts will make her happy also.

I think it is nap time. I've not been sleeping well with my arms and legs going numb on me. The Dr. ordered another MRI but thinks it possibly may be coming from the chemo medicines I had to take.

Going South Today

2007-07-12T06:38:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday. while talking to my sister in SC it was decided we should come for a visit while the garden was full of fresh vegetable to can and freeze for the winter pantry. DH is not a par-taker of vegetables but I love them, much prefer them over meat or pasta. (He, being from an Italian family, would eat pasta of any kind three times a day and love every minute of it.) So, we are leaving shortly after my hairdresser's appointment going south for a few days.

I spent a great deal of time yesterday, preparing, gathering all my empty canning jars and putting them in the dishwasher for a good wash, checking on lids for the jars and finding I didn't have enough (DH went to the local feed and seed and bought them for me), catching up on the laundry, keeping my appointment with the cardiologist, and best of all, preparing dinner for Dariana and her mom and dad. I had to see Dariana before we left; of course I wanted to see my daughter and son-in-law too, but I couldn't bear to leave without seeing little Dari. It was such a treat watching as they turned into the drive and to watch her being helped out of the car, all the time watching for her grand mama through the kitchen window. Then, as she comes up the walk and up the steps, she is calling grand mama, grand mama. Grand mama opens the door and Dari jumps into her arms with a big hug and kisses. What more could one ask for? After dinner Dari and grand mama sat in the floor and played make-up. This time we had lip glosses, rings, and paste-ons that shine and glitter. The lip gloss was a Vaseline base and Dari was very generous in making up herself and her grand mama. I still have glowing, sparkling stickers on my arms and hands this morning and I still have a star and sparkles on my nails from my Fourth of July manicure by Dariana. Dariana is two.

Maestro is whining to go. We made the mistake of saying we were going to see my brother-in-law and Maestro recognized the name. Now he will beg for us to 'hurry up' until we are in the car and on our way. He loves 'going on vacation', a phrase we use to let him know the ride in the car is going to be a long one.

I have started another tote bag for my ITE-IV partner and it is packed and ready to go on the trip with me, along with material for the lining, a couple of pairs of handles and some rings in case I decide to use them, and everything I need for finishing the bag. I will work on it in the evenings after we have done our day's work in the garden and the kitchen. I don't think I mentioned the bag I originally made for my partner met with a felting disaster, totally my fault from following the pattern. "Sorry, my brain, for not listening to you." The bag is supposed to be in the mail by the 18th and I think it will be. I've let my partner (and posted on the ITE-IV blog) know what happened and that another, and different bag is in the making.

So now I'm off to can butter beans, peas, green beans (snaps to some people), and vegetable soup. I will freeze okra and corn and if there is time and squash available, will make squash pickles. We make squash pickles almost every year. They are so good on a cold chicken, turkey or roast beef sandwich and we give lots of them to friends when they drop by for a visit. We plan to make our friend Ray and his wife a 'personal batch' because they enjoy them so, and because they are such good friends and we love them.

No Sheep In This Basket

2007-07-09T11:58:00.000-06:00

Look at all this beautiful yarn and not one skein of it has any wool or acrylic in it. How wonderful that we now have a choice beside wool, acrylic, or cotton. Oh, I know there is rayon, nylon, and such to be had and many beautiful yarns made from them, but there are so many NEW Fibers out there now. For instance, the Tofutsies you see here is made from chitin, a fiber made from crab and shrimp shells. The Bamboo, the green striped yarn is made from 100% bamboo, and the Bamboozel, the blue striped is made from a combination of bamboo,cotton, and elastic nylon. It feels like heaven it is so soft. There is Banana Silk that my Knitter's Treat partner sent me a couple of months ago made from banana fibers. This yarn is luscious to look at and to feel. There is some 100 mercerized cotton in the basket also, but the most unusual is a skein of Tibet, 100% aloo (nettle) made in Tibet. It is beautiful to see, but not soft, in fact it is stiff and scratchy but is suppose to make a fabulous skin scrub. I bought it and a pattern for a washcloth or bath mitt to knit from the yarn at my LYS on Saturday.

One of these yarns and patterns is going to my No Sheep For You partner and one may find its way into the ITE-IV box, but most of it is for me, me, me.

2008 Vacation Plans Are About To Begin

2007-07-06T19:36:00.000-06:00

I still have stars and sparkles on my nails. I thought they would be gone by now, after all this was nail polish for a child.

I've completed knitting for my ITE-IV exchange except for adding the bottom (here's a peek of it as it is tonight) I plan to do this tomorrow and to also get it felted. After I share it with my Monday night knitting group I will post it for it's journey north. I plan to visit my LYS tomorrow and pick up the yarn for the last package going to my No Sheep For You partner and I will have completed all the exchanges and swaps I'm currently involved in. Next week is 'me' knitting time and planning for our 2008 vacation.

We plan to return to Great Britain and now that we are both retired, plan to stay for a couple of months and visit some of the neighboring countries while we are there. I'm reading up and DH has begun surfing the net for reduced air fares. Today I began surfing to find a short-term lease on a cottage or apartment that would give us a central location to rest in, as well as vacation from.
This trip we plan to see more of the northern part of England and probably work in a quick trip to Scotland, perhaps Ireland, but definitely plan to do a barge trip up and down one of the rivers in either France or Germany. We've just started the planning stage so things haven't come into clear focus yet but we have an idea of what we would like to do.

Today, not much was accomplished by me. I slept later than usual and was lazy getting a start this morning. My neighbor and I had planned to loaf a bit today, and we did. We drove west today, stopping at a few antique shops but mostly just going for a drive. We had a lunch of handmade burgers in a tiny little town on our way back home. Handmade burgers are not easy to come by anymore with all the Sam's Clubs and Costco's around and their frozen burgers. These were b-i-g burgers with all the trimmings and they were 'messy'; juicy and good. After that kind of lunch all I wanted was a nap and once we got home that's just what I had, a catnap. Once I was back up there was still time to vacuum the pool and take Maestro for a swim and do my water exercises. Tomorrow I have lots of things to get done. A play day is good but it sure puts me behind with other things. I won't see Dariana this weekend, they have gone to visit Uncle Chris in Northern VA. so I'll take the time that I usually spend with her and play catch-up.

4th of July - "Family Day"

2007-07-04T19:06:00.000-06:00

My 4th of July has been a wonderful day of enjoying family. Today is our family's 2nd anniversary with Dariana and it has been a wonderful two years of loving her and watching her grow from a baby that wasn't even sitting alone at the time, to a beautiful toddler full of energy and sheer joy. What a happy family we are.

Today my daughter and her husband had both sides of their family for 'Family Day'. We decided when we were on our trip to Guatemala that we would celebrate every year on the day we were given Dariana and call it 'Family Day'. Both sides of their family would be invited to come and be together and share our love with Dariana and each other. What a wonderful way it is to celebrate the Fourth-of-July, the day our beloved Dariana was given her freedom from poverty in a country where there are too many children born of un-wed mothers and into families so poor they are unable to feed or cloth their own children. And still, they have more and more babies.

People say to us what a lucky little girl Dariana is and yes, I guess she may be in some ways, but it is us, her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that are the lucky ones. She brings us such joy I can't imagine life without her. Watching her and her little cousins play today was such a thrill for me. To see how they interact with one another and to see how they take care of Dariana (she is the youngest) is so sweet. On the swing set it is "watch me Dariana, see how high I can go", and Dariana's reply "push me higher". In the pool it is "look Dari, I can swim underwater" and Dari giggles and kicks her feet and flaps her arms learning to swim with her water wings on. Both families sit on the deck or in the yard watching these beautiful children play and knowing how very lucky we are to have them. Beautiful, healthy, full of love, and having a good time.

I took 'little girl dress-up' nail polish for Dariana today. She has a vivid imagination, much like a child of 5 or 6, and it was only a few minutes after she woke from her nap that she called "Grandmama, lets go put sparkles on our nails", and so we did. She polished over my manicured nails first with pink polish, then red polish, and then topped it with sparkles and stars. I still have a star on my thumb nail, perhaps it will still be there when I go in for my next manicure. I don't mind, it makes me smile and think of Dariana. After she finished my nails she wanted to polish papa's and of course papa complied. The afternoon flew by.

Once back home, DH and I played a game of scrabble and had a glass of wine. As always after a game of scrabble Mr. Maestro ask for his walk, and again papa complied. Maestro knows when the last round of scrabble is being played; I don't know how. We try different tactics to see if we can finish a game without him knowing; so far we've not been able to. Maestro is eleven years old now and I think he knows all the tricks. He lays nearby on the floor and sleeps while the game is in progress and seldom interrupts, but when the last tile comes out of the bag, he is up and whining for his walk. Dogs are amazing too.

I settled on the porch while they were on their walk, then DH joined me once they were back. I knitted and we talked for awhile and listened to some jazz while sipping a glass of wine. A wonderful day. I am so lucky and so thankful for it all.

My Post-lady Came Bearing Gifts

2007-07-03T15:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday my post-lady delivered a package for me from my No Sheep For You exchange.

Look what was in it.
I love the Bamboo yarn; it is so soft. The color looks like a cup of hot coco, so pretty. Other goodies are a bag of rose tea, a nice bar of soap and a book of inspirational versus for women. Thank you for everything, I know I will enjoy it.

Later in the afternoon the post-lady returned with another package for me. She failed to leave it on her regular route and brought it back on her way home from work. I already had my knitting basket and purse on my arm ready to go meet with Pat's group for a few hours of knitting and fun. There was two things I could do, open the box and stay home and post a thank you like a polite person would do, or take the package with me to knitting and show-off. You know what I chose to do, I chose to show-off and how thrilled the ladies were to see what was in my package. Here's a photo of the bag sent to me from Jennifer in KC . http://www.whatididatschooltoday.com/archives/2007/07/by_george_i_thi.html

Look at the size of this bag, it is huge. Jennifer filled the bag with all kinds of goodies, two skeins of one of my favorite yarns to use for felting items (that enough to make another bag, but not one this size), there was some of the largest paper clips I have ever seen and a green stickem note pad, a memo pad, lots of yum-yums and a big box of of crayons for my precious Dariana. Look at this:

Now, let me tell you something special.

Jennifer dreamed this bag up and as she knitted, she made notes for the pattern. Isn't she smart! She plans to tweak it a bit then offer it for publication. I can tell you a bit about it. It took seven (7) skeins of cascade yarn. That's 220 yards x 7 skeins = one thousand five hundred and forty yards of yarn.

This bag will also make a beautiful basket beside my fireplace holding whatever project I'm working on at the time. The color grape is used in the window treatment in the great room and I have a green upholstered chair in that room....it will go. When I ready to go, all I'll have to do is run the long loop through the short loop and I'm ready, see:

Can't wait to start using it.

Knitting Friends Are Special

2007-07-02T08:08:00.000-06:00

On Saturday afternoon a couple of my knitting friends came for a visit. It was so good to see them again and the time just flew by. We didn't get a lot of knitting done but we did share what we were, and have been working, on and we shared lots of laughs (good for the soul). DH grilled us a burger to go along with fresh fruit, pasta salad, and dessert (some of the cheese cake I made and put away for their coming); we drank Sangria.

I'm worked on a bag, while Pat worked on a prayer shawl and here I am modeling the afghan Donna is knitting for her sister.

And here is the three of us being ourselves for a memory picture.

This became my knitting corner during the time I was taking chemo treatments and so has remained. I keep an array of yarn, needles, book and magazine, and knitting accessories beside my chair always. Life throws us many curves that we learn from and I've learned a knitting basket full of yarn is not something that has to be hidden to neaten- up a room for visitors, not for true friends.

Pat has a small knitting group that meets at her home each Monday night which I've never been to. Not that I haven't been ask to come over and over again, but because my LYS met on Monday nights and during the winter months I don't like the drive from Richmond to Powhatan on the dark, curvey roads. Anyway, now that my health is much better and the dark doesn't fall until near nine o'clock I've decided I will go tonight. Can't wait to meet the other ladies in her group, some I know, some I know of but haven't met, but I know its a good group of ladies that enjoy knitting together and having a good time.

I've had a terribly sad thing happen this weekend, my niece with leukemia passed away early Sunday morning. She was diagnosed a year before my Hodgkin's was diagnosed. We grew up together, in the same house and did all the things that children and teen-agers do when growing up, having lots of fun, and a some quarrels too . Vickie, was a year older than I; me being the youngest of 10 siblings, and her mother next-to-the-oldest of my sisters. It's very heart-breaking to me; in some ways she was more of a sister to me than some of my older sisters. It was hard for me too, with us both having cancer at the same time and knowing she wasn't going to make it through hers. I saw her in March when I went to Georgia and we said our good-bye then, knowing it would be our last time together. That was a heart-wrenching experience but I'm so glad to have been able to be with her for that little while and to be able to tell her how much I loved her and that I would miss her. I do more than ever it seems.

DH has been building another raised bed for plants. The last couple of days has been terrific weather to be outside and we both took advantage of it. I pulled a few weeds yesterday and watered the new beds we'd put in earlier this year. Today I want to add some of the dwarf and medium iris to the new bed. There is so much work to be done.

My first retirement check has arrived in my checking account. Now I can truly say, I'm retired and get on with a retiree's life so gotta go - the garden is calling.

What's In The Whoduknit Bottle?

2007-06-29T20:58:00.000-06:00

All the way from Georgia to Virginia this little bottle came.

Wonder how many postal workers turned this bottle over and over trying to figure out 'what the heck is this all about?'.

DH brought this in from the post today, delivered right on time, cut-off is June 30th. Look at all the stuff inside, there is sock yarn, a book, bath confetti, a calculator, pin and earrings, stitch markers and flip flops, one a magnet, one a key chain, a book maker and perhaps something else.

My spoiler was Cathy from the Whoduknit group on Yahoo, didn't she do a terrific job of stuffing that bottle. The object of the exchange was to stuff as much as you could into a 2 liter bottle and send it by postal mail services to your partner. This group is a knitting and mystery reading group. We read a book each month declared by poll, then the book is discussed on the given days and a monthly project decided on, usually a knitted item that goes along with a thought from the book. Lots of fun and a great group of women.

My Downstream Partner Received Her Bag Today

2007-06-28T17:21:00.000-06:00

Travel on over to http://feltedbagexchange.blogspot.com/index.html
and see the package I sent to my downstream partner in the Spring Felted Bag Exchange. She did a great layout of the package and the bag shows up well, scroll on down and she show the lining also. And since this was a two part swap, the first package is also there on the previous page. JoAnn didn't have a blog for this swap but I'm hoping she starts one for the fall swap.

Knitting, Entertaining, and Loafing

2007-06-28T05:50:00.000-06:00

I've been busy, knitting, entertaining, and loafing and knitting some more.

These packages were sent out Monday and should be reaching their destination today. I do hope they will please their recipient's.

On Tuesday I entertained a couple of my gardening club friends, it was wonderful to see them again. They came with arms full of gifts and hugs. How nice it is having friends who love you and don't forget you when you are out of circulation for awhile. We walked the property and they made me feel like the plantings have progressed farther than the way I see it. One of the ladies is head gardener at the local country club and can sympathise with my battle of the soil. She shared some of her experiences of fighting with this thick clay that seems to suck all the oxygen from the soil, smothering the roots of anything planted below the surface. We are working on raised beds for the iris and my prennials, but raised beds are expensive to build and fill with good planting material. Still the backbone of the landscape is to do, the plants that are most costly and having a root system that must be put directly into the soil, not above it. After walking the property, we sat on the porch and had a glass of the wonderful Earl Gray and Lavender tea that Cindi sent me in the Whoduknit Spring Mystery Swap. It was delicious iced and both ladies enjoyed it as much as I do. Thank you Cindi for that special blend.

After the ladies left and DH fetched a pizza for our dinner, and we played a game of Scrabble and had a glass of wine, I cast on the stitches for the ITE-IV exchange. I have the first repeat finished and the knitting is coming along rather fast. I would like to finish it along with the second part of my No Sheep For You Exchange by the end of next week. I want to begin doing some volunteer work and don't want other responsibilities hanging around until I see how it works out. I've aways wanted to do 'Meals On Wheels' when I retired. I have to check into it and also look at other possibilites that may have a greated need in this area. I know I can find something constructive to utilize a few hours of my time each week. I want to; and feel an obligation to give some of my energy and time to help someone less fortunate than I.

Yesterday my neighbor and I 'loafed'.

Isn't that a great word, I love it. My mother use to use it in her conversations and as a youngster it would always catch my attention. There were lots of wonderful words used in 'those days' that have slipped from our conversational vocabulary, sometimes being replace with a much less polite word.

Anyway, we loafed and it was a spur on the minute thing, no planning of what to do or where to go. We just hopped into my car and I started driving. I think perhaps I had a small town in the back of my mind when I called my neighbor and ask if she wanted to loaf, but if I did we never went there. Instead we drove the back roads north, to Culpepper. We spotted an antique store with a parking place (no fee or time limit) right in front of it's door, and decided to start there. It was a large store and we spend quite awhile enjoying the things inside and walking down some of our memory lanes. By the time we were ready to leave we were ready for a late lunch and decided we'd walk up the street and see what we could find. There seemed to be plenty of places to eat in this small northern town. We turned into a corner cafe but once inside decided we would rather have something lighter than their menu appeared to offer. I noticed a cafe across the street with a table on the sidewalk and said "there's one over there". My neighbor looked up and exclaimed "thats 'It's About Thyme' ". Fate must have taken us there; my neighbor just lost her son a few weeks ago and she's finding it hard to cope with the loss. This was a restaurant she had read about and suggested to her DH she would like to go to. It was so nice to see her show an interest in something and I was so glad we had found our way to this little town and found this jewel of a restaurant. I think it was everything she had expected and we indulged, including dessert and coffee. Afterwards we window shopped the shops along that street and then headed home. A full day, fun, and most of all, it was a good day for Sally.

Knitting Pals Look Out, I'm Packing Boxes Tonight!

2007-06-24T18:39:00.000-06:00

Are you wondering which pals I'm packing boxes for tonight? Well, there are two packages going out in the morning and one large envelope but I won't tell which direction they are heading.

One package is almost ready except for writing a note, one still has another major piece to be put in, and the envelope is completed, except the address for where it is going. So, if you are expecting a secret pal package, be on the look-out, one of these could be for you.

Knitted Bags, Cheesecake, And The New Puppy

2007-06-21T21:10:00.000-06:00

Here's Artie, isn't he precious? He is 8 weeks old and is already weighing 14 pounds. He seems to be saying "what are you doing to me, I want to get down.

That throw over the chair is one I crocheted for my son about 15 years ago; I noticed it on the back of a chair when we visited him two weekends ago and was pleased to see he has taken such good care of it. I'm sure Artie won't be allowed to sit on it for long.

I had my last radiation treatment on Thursday, what a lot to be thankful for. Now I have to wait about 8 weeks to find out if it worked and if the remainder of the mass is all gone. I'm praying that it will be.

My WhoDuKnit pal received the bottle I mailed her earlier this week She is pleased with what I sent and it arrived at a good time to lift her spirits. She had worked a double shift that night and was dragging when she came home close to noon the next day. The bottle was waiting for her and with yarn for making socks. She loves knitting socks on size one needles. I sent her some lace weight merino from Elanne to knit her socks with. It must take forever to knit a pair on size one needles.

Yesterday I baked a cheesecake and I can't wait to get into it. It is a huge thing, taking three pounds of cream cheese and nine eggs, and a lot of waiting. First two hours of baking, three hours of resting, and then in the refrigerator for over-night so it can really set. When I'm ready to plate it later this morning, hubby will have to help me remove it from the pan and flip it because of its size and weight. Then the good part comes, cutting and eating it. I will take some over to my neighbors and send some home with my daughter when they come out later today. That will still leave enough to serve a couple of my gardening friends when they come out on Tuesday and to freeze a bit for next weekend when my knitting friends come to visit. I can easily get twenty slices from this big and rich cake.

I finished the bag I was knitting for the Spring Felted Bag Exchange and last night it went in for its hot bath. I'm pleased with it and glad I decide not to rip out the top. I decided to add a different color yarn for interest then about three rows into the chang I through I should rip it out, it was going to come out looking awful. After sitting and dreading taking out and putting back those slip stitches with ytb, ytf I said "to heck with it, its the only way to learn and if I have to throw it in the trash and knit another one, so be it". I didn't even knit straps because I was so sure it was going to be to ugly to use, but, I love it. The slip stitches and k2tog's left an interesting pattern and now I want to buy pretty black handles rather than knitting a cord strap. I plan to go to Richmond this morning and try to find what I have in mind since I let the time creep up on me and don't have time to order. The bag needs to go in the post on Monday. The other goodies are already in place so its just the bag to contend with, thank goodness. If I can't find the handles I have in mind I will have to knit the cord. I'll post a photo later.

The coffee pot is calling me to come have a last cup and then to get busy with all there is to do; Dariana is coming today.