to live in peace

Simplify

2011-10-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

There are two guiding principles I'm following and trying to focus on for the next 30 days. They say we can create a habit by focusing on change for 30 days. These principles are:

1) Simplify

and

2) Finish what you start

My worst characteristic, I believe, is that I never finish what I start. I get distracted by the next exciting idea or task and leave behind the original. I might do this multiple times and pretty soon I have three or four projects in the works and no motivation to finish. Then I have clutter and guilt and am overwhelmed with the idea of getting back to any of them. Its time to do one thing at a time and finish what I start.

Rock and Roll

2010-03-15T21:45:00.001-07:00

I don't know why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn't the commercial success that the Grammy's or the Country Music Awards may seem to be but to me, its the Heart and Soul, its the REAL music awards show.

David Geffen was inducted this year and when you listen to the artists that he represented, its like a list of the artists that formed my young ideal of good music: Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young,

Jackson Brown, Bob Dylan, Elton John.

The Hollie's were also inducted with an amazing induction speech from Stevie Van Zant which, if you get a chance to hear it, is well worth listening to, on the historical perspective of the cultural change and musical revolution that happened in the 60s.

The Stooges, Jimmy Cliff, Genesis, so much good music.

ABBA's acceptance speech made the point of how inspired we are by the creativity of those around us.

Hearing that and all this music takes me back to my core and makes me realize how inspired I am when I listen to that music and reminds me how much more I need to listen to it.

Weekend fun

2010-03-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Making molasses cookies.

Lego building.

Animal Lover

2010-03-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

My son has started volunteering at the Humane Society. He loves spending time playing with and socializing the cats and taking the dogs for walks. Of course he wants to adopt every animal he bonds with.

He loves his job so much that when faced with the prospect of the world ending in 2012 (as has been brought up recently by a popular movie and numerous science-y shows on the Discovery channel) his only concern is how it will affect his ability to volunteer at the Humane Society, not his own personal future.

Peanut butter chips

2010-03-09T19:21:00.000-08:00

For those who don't love chocolate, and I realize there are probably very few of you, isn't it nice that there are so many other options for baking chips?

I somehow produced a daughter who isn't a fan of chocolate so tonight we made Peanut butter chip cookies. Yummy.

Oscar Party

2010-03-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

Yummy food and a nice beverage

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock

Best Movie: Hurt Locker

Carrot Soup

2010-03-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

I've gotten some of my best recipe ideas from blogs I've read and some of those recipes have become part of my permanent recipe file - those recipes that I use over and over again. They are either quick, healthy, inexpensive, my kids like them - or any combination of the four. Those are the keepers.

This recipe for carrot soup I found on-line because I got a bargain deal on a five pound bag of carrots and wanted to find a good way to use them. The most important ingredient in this is the tool that has opened my soup repetoire wide open - the hand-held blender.

Curried Carrot Soup

2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
1 T curry powder
2 pounds of carrot
4 cups broth (I used chicken)

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent. Stir in the curry powder. Add the chopped carrots and stir until the carrots are coated. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and use hand-held blender to puree soup until it is as smooth as you like it. You can re-heat and add water to thin if you like. I like it thick with some slight chunks.

It may not be Campbells, but its Mmm, Mmm good.

Girl Power

2010-03-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

Last night I was invited to play in a Mother-Daughter basketball scrimmage. It was the last official practice of my daughter's basketball season and the coach thought this would be a fun way for the girls to end the season. I thought so too until I finished my work day and didn't feel like going to run up and down the court for over an hour playing a game I haven't played in over 25 years.

Once I got there and started playing, it was fun. The other moms were there and they were all as ambivalent about it as I was at first so I felt in good company. When we started playing, we had a great time and it was a fantastic workout as well. The girls were a little frustrated by our height advantage but I think it was good for them to see us playing as seriously as we did and hopefully it will have a lasting impact on the activity level they maintain over their lives.

One more basketball season over for the year, many new friendships cemented.

In like a lamb

2010-03-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

March came in mild and lovely after a beautiful, last day of February yesterday that was sunny and actually a little warm.

I caught these geese munching while I was on my afternoon walk and break from work today. It was almost balmy and I was not a bit cold which is the first time in months I haven't been cold! I know it will get cold again, but spring is on the way - YAY March!

Its amazing how if you have an entire weekend to do your homework, you wait until Monday morning at breakfast to actually do it. But its super cute to see a 5th grader actually enjoying himself reading.

Winning a medal

2010-02-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like meeting a challenge you set for yourself, its so satisfying.

Mom's sweater is done, cast off, and all the ends are woven in. I finished tonight, even before the Closing Ceremonies started.

I used much less yarn than I expected. I guess I'll need to make a scarf to accompany the sweater because I used only half the yarn we bought almost three years ago and I was afraid I wouldn't have enough! I used about 525 yards total.

My lovely knitwear model shows off her Grandma's new sweater.

If it looks small, that's because its less of a sweater for warmth and more of an accessory sweater to be worn over a little dress.

I could put a button on the top or several all the way down the front. What do you think?

Here's what it would look like with a shawl pin for a closure.

I'm pretty proud of myself for finishing this sweater in two weeks!!

Taco Stand?

2010-02-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

Taco Stand Friday was thrown off course today - The Taco Stand was closed!

They are a local, family-owned business that can close on a whim if they choose to go watch a ski race or cook for a Mt. Bike race. They're only open for lunch hours on weekdays anyway so they don't have extended hours to maintain. But a lot of locals depend on them and it threw us way off. We didn't know what to do and we were hungry.

Somehow we decided on Super Burrito, a restaurant that neither of us have been to in its most recent carnation in the Mid-Columbia Bank building on Newport. It was not bad, had a fairly extensive menu (compared to Taco Stand) and is open for dinner as well. I tried the Torta with pork and it was pretty good but just did not have the good bread that Tortas in Mexico have. I wish now that I'd tried the nachos. Heidi stuck with her regular meal and had the bean and rice burrito.

I would eat there again and its close enough to walk to in the evening from my house. Lets just hope that next Friday we can go back to our regular schedule or I will have an unhappy, burrito-eating friend on my hand.

The end is near

2010-02-25T21:12:00.000-08:00

The sleeves are attached and I'm working the raglan decreases on the yoke. I may actually get this finished on schedule and win a medal.

Inspiration

2010-02-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

Reading other blogs makes me happy and sometimes is a huge source of inspiration.

I love it when I get new ideas about recipes or crafts or whatever else it might be. Its something that gives me energy during a busy or down day.

Some of my favorites: Crazy Aunt Purl, and Posie gets Cozy. Yarn Harlot is fun too.

They are my on-line friends.

February 23

2010-02-23T19:59:00.001-08:00

I feel I should apologize for the boring posts lately. I know I've just been slapping up a photo, writing a brief comment, and logging out to get on with the rest of my evening. I can only think of one person for whom these posts might not have been so boring and that is the person following the progress of the sweater with the most excitement.

The one thing about this Olympic challenge for me versus the actual Olympic athletes is that they get to go far away from their real lives, stay in a dormitory, and spend their time focusing on their event for the duration of the Olympics. If I could do that, I might actually be able to knit and write creatively about my knitting as well. Where in reality, I have had to keep up my real life including full time work, parental and domestic responsibilities, and more social engagements than I've had to think about since the holidays. I haven't even watched much of the Olympics since that first weekend.

But here's what I have done, I've knit not a stitch on anything other than my intended project since the Opening ceremonies and when I could, I've focused an extended period of time on that project. I really would like to get this done within the time frame of the Olympics.

The body is done up to the bottom of the armholes, one sleeve is done and the second cast on. Next step is to attach the sleeves and work the yoke and shoulders up to the neck.

Ready for sleeves

2010-02-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

The bulk of the sweater is completed and I've knit up to the armholes. Now I make two sleeves separately to sew on later.

I was a little worried that I might not have enough yarn, since we didn't have a pattern in mind when we bought it. But I think that I will have plenty of yarn left when the sweater is done.

Weekend

2010-02-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

As I said, this work week was pretty much without knitting since it was filled with basketball games, social engagements, and a rare dinner out. It was busy and fun but knitting was not part of the plan. Now that its the weekend, its time to sit down and put in some real knitting time.

The 5th graders at High Lakes had a successful fundraiser in their 'Beach Bash Dance' last night. I worked the concession stand and the money for glow sticks, cookies, candy, and pizza was coming in fast and furious. Here's a glimpse of the Conga line weaving across the dance floor.

Those boys were tired today!!

February 18

2010-02-18T07:34:00.000-08:00

Not a lot of progress is made during the work week, but little by little I'm adding to the body of this sweater. I can do about four rows during an average lunch hour along with eating and chatting. This week's evenings have been busy so not a lot of knitting has been done. I'm looking forward to the weekend where there should be plenty of knitting time.

February 15

2010-02-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

Despite a lot of ripping back, I made some good progress on mom's sweater on Sunday. Not only did the Olympics kept me company but my favorite Reality TV show, The Amazing Race.

This season two people I love are on a team, Jeff and Jordan from Big Brother. I think they are so cute, cheerful, positive, and encouraging. I love to watch them as a team.

Now its back to work but fortunately I have someone to watch my knitting while I'm gone.

Day 2

2010-02-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

Not much more progress on the sweater due to falling asleep in my chair.

The real Olympics had some short-track speed-skating, some mogul skiing, and some luge.

Opening Ceremonies

2010-02-13T10:53:00.000-08:00

I cast on and made a good start on the 151 stitches of the body of Annette, the sweater for my mom.

You'd think I could get quite a bit done with how long the Opening Ceremonies were. It was a good show but I thought it dragged on a bit in places. It definitely showed the diversity and talent of Canada.

Now that I've cast on, I'm excited to keep working on it.

Family

2010-02-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

An under-appreciated member of the family, Charlie is very patient with kids.

Olympic Challenge

2010-02-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

My Olympic challenge is the sweater I promised to make for my mom. Its a self-imposed challenge, not part of any organized group. I just think its a nice idea, to go along with the Olympics, to challenge myself to something a little out of my comfort zone.

Clearly, I haven't gotten a good start on it yet. I've been putting other projects first for months because they're ones I know I can finish quickly. So, its time to just go for it and get started.

Friday night, during opening ceremonies, I cast on.

Guess

2010-02-09T19:42:00.000-08:00

What does this basket have to do with the Olympics?

Homemade Bread

2010-02-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

This weekend I used my bread machine to make two loaves of bread - one Honey Oatmeal and one plain White bread. Although I did add some whole wheat flour to both so its not actually white bread.

This will be much better than store-bought bread for sandwiches and toast this week.

The bread machine makes it so easy to make bread, its a great tool that ranks right up there with the Crock Pot!

Friday night

2010-02-05T19:40:00.000-08:00

It was a pretty day today, sunny and too warm for a coat when I went on my afternoon walk.

The evening looked like it would be nice too but I spent it in a grocery store with my calculator. (So that I don't have to spend my Saturday there.)

January's shipment

2010-02-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

The Three Irish Girls shipment arrived today!!! YAY!!!

Its the best extra yet - the 2010 Year in Yarn calendar. I wanted to buy this calendar at the end of last year but was resigned that it was not in the budget and now I get it as a gift. That's the best kind of gift.

And this month's yarn is so pretty, a rich blue blend in shades from denim to deep navy called Serenity. Its 350 yards of 100% Superwash Merino. This is definitely made for socks but I think I'm going to make it into a cowl.

Here's a picture from the calendar for May: Miss Babs Hand Dyed Yarns from the Blue Ridge Mountains of eastern Tennessee. I was able to visit the booth she had at Sock Summit last summer and see this yarn in person. Its beautiful in person and on the calendar.

Oatmeal Cookies

2010-02-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

I had a craving for something sweet this afternoon so I came home and was able to make oatmeal cookies from ingredients I had on hand.

There's nothing like cookies for dinner!

Conner's breakfast

2010-02-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

I had a guest photographer today. This 10 year old boy thought his breakfast looked like a commercial and wanted to document it.

Sunday afternoon reading

2010-01-31T17:10:00.000-08:00

In the chair, in the sun, with a good book.

Its nice to be able to sit in the sun and soak up some of the heat through the window.

When the Sushi's over

2010-01-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

Lunch out with the work team can be nice, if not over-done.

When are chores good?

2010-01-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

When your 13 year old does them!

I love that I don't have to do all the chores anymore and even though I wish she was two years old again, I can see the bright side of her growing older sometimes.

Winter Quince Blossom

2010-01-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

December's sock club yarn was Winter Quince Blossom. With white, pink, purple and green this sock yarn depicts a snow-covered, flowering tree.

I can't wait to see how this knits up.

Homework time

2010-01-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a nice, quiet evening with kids doing homework . . .

unless its a night with no homework to do!

How long until Friday?

Sick kid

2010-01-25T16:31:00.000-08:00

Its sad when you think you're going to play your first basketball game and you get sick instead.

Moms wish they could fix these things but all we can do is make tea and be soothing.

The end of the scarf club

2010-01-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

It was a sad day when I made the decision to end the scarf club, but it was done (mostly) in the interest of finance.

Also, see this scarf that was the last club shipment I received in November? I'm not sure that I would ever wear that, it looks more like home decor.

I will use the lovely Nashua Handknits Cilantro (70% cotton/30% poly blend) in soft green for some other deserving project.

It was certainly fun while it lasted, making a new scarf each month. I've found that scarves are a great wardrobe accessory in addition to warm outerwear. Many of my scarves got outings this winter and were worn to work. Many others found new homes as they were gifted at Christmas.

The sock club is now the focus of the regular knitting until finances improve and I can buy other new yarn.

Winter day

2010-01-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

Today's snow was enough for some lucky child to make a decent-sized snowman.

Violet

2010-01-21T18:55:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness these plants decide to bloom in January! It would be an otherwise grey month without them.

Bunco

2010-01-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

It was Bunco night with the girls. Once a month, every third Tuesday, wine and friends and dice.

Club news

2010-01-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

November's sock club shipment was an interesting take on a colorway. We got four different shades of color in four mini-skeins. It may be difficult to tell in the photo but those are four shades of brown from beige to dark.

I wasn't too sure what to do with this in the beginning but I think I have an idea now. I think I will make a hat that will start at the brim with the lighter shade and have all four gradations of color up to the tip-top in the darkest shade. If there is yarn left over, a matching pair of mittens to fit a 10 year old boy would be a nice addition.

I finally finished October's yarn for November knitting and have a new pair of Monkey socks.

Rainy days and Mondays . . .

2010-01-18T17:33:00.000-08:00

. . it was both of those today.

But it could have been worse and I'm glad to be home and ready to curl up in my jammies and sit on the couch and go to bed early!!

Weekend cooking

2010-01-17T21:30:00.000-08:00

I spent a lot of time on my feet this weekend. Now my refrigerator is filled with great food, and I shouldn't have to take much time in the morning this week packing my lunch.

Thanks goodness for my crockpot and Mollie Katzen.

Bloom

2010-01-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

I'm calling it my 'January cactus'.

It kind of missed the Christmas bloom cycle but its not too late. At least it gets full attention now and doesn't have to compete with the Christmas tree.

Taco Stand Friday

2010-01-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

Every Friday for at least the last five years, if not more (I can't remember), I've had lunch at The Taco Stand with my friend Heidi. I always get the nachos, with black beans.

We started out walking from work, at noon on Fridays when we worked together back in 2004. Since then its been through the seasons, through new employers, through other friends or family that have joined us, through thick and thin, that's just Friday - nachos at Taco Stand, with Heidi.

I can always count on nachos for lunch on Friday.

Do you have a long-standing date like that?

Thank goodness for lunch breaks

2010-01-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

Day 1 - A self-portrait to start the year. Photo taken in the bathroom at work in the hospital. I can't think of a less-inspired way to begin a stimulating, new project.

The cats woke me up EARLY and by that I mean before 5:00. I guess they thought they hadn't had enough to eat and wanted me to rectify the situation. I was not prepared to do so at that hour and so I stayed in bed but slept fitfully after that (due to the cat's consistent reminders that I had not assisted them yet) consequently getting out of bed too late to wash my hair. So with no make-up on winter's pale skin, this ugly stress pimple on my forehead, and my limp hair up in a clip, I went off to a day of rigid tedium, completely without creative inspiration. The only thing to make me feel cheerful is the pretty, yellow sweater - a Christmas gift from mom and dad.

When I think about what I give to this job and what I get from it, I'm not surprised its such a struggle to be inventive and articulate on my blog.

But some days, when I take a lunch break, I leave the windowless, fluorescent-lighted office, and go sit in an easy chair in a lobby with floor to ceiling windows and knit and listen to podcasts in natural light. Its very uplifting and I feel like a different person from the person who sits in that windowless, fluorescent-lighted office. I feel like myself, actually. I'm not really sure who that other person is. Probably someone who's so worried about dress codes, HIPAA regulations, being a contractor (outsider) instead of an employee (team member), and all that other stuff that she doesn't feel free to just be herself. Its always so hard to go back to work after lunch.

A new year - a new adventure

2010-01-13T19:36:00.000-08:00

The end of the day, the beginning of a new year. This is my first post of 2010 and the first for quite a while, as a matter of fact. The holidays sort of took up the room in my brain reserved for creativity. Blogging took a back-burner as I focused on other things and I didn't have the extra brain power to be creative. Now I'm back on a (hopefully) more consistent basis. Inspiration came to me today after reading some other blogs that I enjoy.

I'm not much of a resolution-maker at New Years as I find its too much pressure to try to do something new, specific, and measurable 'from now on'. It usually backfires and I quit the new thing altogether. I prefer making small changes that can become habits over time. However, in the spirit of starting the new year on a fresh note I'm going to start a project that will consist of a small action, repeated daily, to create a body of work for my blog.

The photos I took, and posted on this blog, on Christmas day made me feel happy. They were slices of the day and help me remember that peaceful morning. That's why when I read about the Project 365 I decided to participate. This way, even if I don't have the creativity to write a full blog post, I can at least post a picture and catalog my days. At the end of the year, I can look back and remember the moments and perhaps become a better photographer at the same time. And my blog and readers will not feel neglected as they do from time to time when my brain fills up with other responsibilities.

So look for a daily photo as I attempt to chronicle moments in each day, whether ordinary or extra-ordinary, throughout 2010.

13

2009-12-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

My daughter turns 13 today.

I hear people say it makes them feel old as their children get older but that's not how I feel. It just makes me wonder what happened to all the years in between. They flew by so fast it seems like I missed them.

I want to turn back the clock and live them all again.

Christmas Morning

2009-12-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

Peace found me on Christmas morning. I felt able, finally, to take a deep breath and notice the beauty.

Peace hasn't been around here for some time, and its nice to see it.

The peace began last night with a chance to read on the couch and doze off. I can't remember when I was last able to do that!

A good night's sleep was followed by an opportunity to appreciate some of the images of Christmas morning that follow.

Merry Christmas!

Mittens

2009-11-19T06:35:00.000-08:00

Its cold here in Central Oregon and in the morning, when I get in the car, my poor hands don't want to touch the steering wheel, they want to stay warm.

Last winter I lost one half of a pair of mittens and my hands have gone bare ever since. But I am a knitter and so . . . . I made mittens. And quite by accident, the mittens I made match the Clapotis I made two winters ago. (Maybe because that was the yarn that I had leftover from making the scarf that I found to use for the mittens.) So now I have matching mittens and a scarf.

November Gratitude: I'm thankful that I have a job that's flexible enough to take time out when I need to spend time with one of my kids, taking them to the doctor or just having an afternoon to throw the football around. And I'm thankful to be able to throw the football around with my son on an autumn afternoon.

November morning

2009-11-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

October's sock yarn for November knitting continues at a good pace. The monkey pattern lends itself to this with consistent pattern repeats that can be done in a reasonable amount of time on a daily basis. Its an enjoyable knit and this yarn is lovely.

I love to take my lunch break at the hospital and sit in an easy chair in the lobby where the volunteer plays the piano and knit for an hour.

Whats not as relaxing is raising a pre-teen. Being around a tired 12 year girl old who's getting ready for school at 6:30 in the morning is an exercise in tolerance and isn't the best way to start a morning. However, that being said,

November Gratitude: Walking with my daughter to the bus stop on a pretty, chilly, autumn morning. Something about the two of us together, out in the world eliminates the crabbiness.

Leaf and Vine

2009-11-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

The new scarf: Leaf and Vine. Its four leaves hanging from a thin vine that goes around your neck. I think: Funky. Not sure I'd actually wear this but you never know until its finished as I learned from last month's scarf.

This month's yarn is Nashua Hand Knits 'Cilantro' 136 yards of 70% cotton and 30% polyester, it feels like microfiber. Color: Soft Green, to look like a vine and leaves.

Once again, this is a pattern that if seen by me flipping through a pattern book, would be passed right over without a second glance. However, in this challenge I've set for myself, I must knit whatever they send and learn something from it.

November gratitude: I'm thankful that my family is coming to my home to celebrate Thanksgiving and I get to plan a menu, shop for groceries, and prepare food, all things I love to do.

Not so bad

2009-11-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

October's scarf is finished and it actually turned out pretty nicely. It just goes to show, you can't judge a scarf by its picture.

To understand the scarf, you have to knit it up and feel the yarn in your fingers, you have to experience the pattern. This pattern was one of the easiest patterns yet to memorize which makes the knitting a little more enjoyable.

And the scarf turned out so nicely, it just might be a good gift.

Transition to November

2009-11-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, it can be November now, October's socks are done!

October's sock shipment

2009-11-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

October's sock yarn is a beautiful, mixed green with tones from forest to moss called Morgaine. The yarn is Kells Sport Merino - 100% superwash merino in 330 yards. Like all of Sharon's work, this skein's colors are deep, rich, and full. This will make such a pretty sock, I'm thinking of using the Monkey sock pattern for this month's sock.

The extra that came along with the package this month is a pattern for a knitting bag meant to hold a sock project and some yarn to make it with. The bag pattern was designed by a member of the Yarnista sock club. The yarn is 100% cotton. You can't tell from the photo due to the shadow effect (its still sunny in Central Oregon!)so I'll just say the cotton yarn is brown.

September's projects are coming along and should be completed soon so I can get to the next projects in line.

Pumpkin time

2009-10-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

The pumpkin-carvers were hard at work this weekend.

October's walk

2009-10-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

This is the scene in October:

the trees are much less lush,

the air is much more chilly,

and the time is a little later in the day than were the peaceful July walks I took.

But its the same place with a little more diversity of color.

Random views of Autumn

2009-10-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Autumn colors - blink and you'll miss them!

A great finish in Cross Country.

When given a chance

2009-10-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

September's scarf is turning out better than I expected - as just about everything does if you give it a chance.

Its a narrow scarf with a little twist to it and once you get used to the pattern repeat, its also much easier to remember and knit than last month's lace pattern.

Is it possible that things are beginning to turn around?

New Sock

2009-10-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

My next sock - basic sock pattern in stockinette in the beautiful, September colorway of Sandcastle. The picture does not do it justice, this is a rich beige-salmon w/ flecks of purple, its SO pretty!

And I'm flying on this sock, one of the benefits of stockinette in the round.

The yarn is so yummy that I can't put it down.

Finished Socks

2009-10-19T07:18:00.001-07:00

September's socks are finally finished. They turned out very nicely and fit just right - another successful Hedgerow sock and why I love this pattern.

I got a little sick of the color after awhile, Lagoon is not exactly one of my favorites. However, it does exactly match a sweater I own that I happened to be wearing while knitting it up. Should be a good wardrobe combination.

Now I've got to get busy with October's projects.

The next scarf

2009-10-14T13:34:00.001-07:00

September's scarf for October knitting arrived long before I was ready to tackle its challenge. Which is good because it gave me some time to think about it. The finished product does not look like something I'd choose to make. Its called the Squiggle Scarf and the pattern wants you to cast on and bind off every first and second row of a four row pattern repeat. It makes some squiggly things on each edge. Hmmm

As disinterested as I am about knitting this scarf, being part of this scarf club is not about knitting scarves that I will love to wear, or knitting patterns I would like to knit, its about accepting a new challenge each month and learning new techniques precisely because I am knitting something that I did not choose to knit. Its about growth in the craft. And besides, I'm sure there will be someone who likes this scarf when its finished.

The yarn provided for the scarf is Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash 100& wool in a deep red. 218 yards of your basic, work-horse, sweater yarn.

Now the challenge (self-imposed) is to try to catch back up and get this done in the half month of October that is left so I can start fresh with November's project.

Finished Scarf

2009-10-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

Finally, August's scarf for September knitting is completed. Its not a masterpiece by any means. Its not like the last two scarfs that turned out so nicely.

This scarf is a little like the month of September was for me. It goes along smoothly for a little while then there's a mistake. There are several of them along the way. Its not that I didn't try to avoid them, in fact I even ripped back at one point and started over to fix a mistake but sometimes I never even realized I made the mistake until several rows later and by that time I just did not have the energy to change it. Its just going to be the 'September' scarf and remind me that sometimes, things don't always go smoothly.

Secret Surprise Project

2009-10-06T06:54:00.001-07:00

Where's Waldo? Oh, I mean, can you tell what this is? Its the Secret Surprise Project and another reason why I'm still working on September's project in October.

This may be coming to a mailbox near you very soon.

Sock of the month

2009-10-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

September's shipment of the Three Irish Girl's Yarnista sock club yarn (for October knitting) is Finley Fingering in the Sandcastle colorway. This is a beautiful beige to light brown neutral color where the darker brown-ish color looks almost purple and lighter color looks almost pink. Its an amazing color that I think is going to need a stockinette stitch to show itself off. Finley Fingering is 100% superwash merino, 380 yards.

The special treat with this month's shipment is a little tin of Jelly Belly jellybeans with the Three Irish Girls logo printed on it. Perfect for holding small knitting accessories like stitch markers when the candy is gone.

Since September was such a rough month for me, I'm not quite finished with last month's socks but am working diligently to finish them so that I can cast on this lovely yarn.

Bittersweet September

2009-10-01T17:49:00.001-07:00

When September begins it still feels like summer, when it ends it feels and looks like autumn. This is just one of the reasons why I love the month of September so much, it spans the seasons and offers such diversity. When September begins, its still summer vacation by the time September's over, we're back to school. I also love back-to-school time, but it seems like it used to be so much easier.

Now that I'm not the one going back to school, I have to do all the planning and running and purchasing that goes along with getting to school not the actual going back to school. But I didn't used to mind that so much either. Just the last few years it seems like no matter how much I look forward to September, something always seems to go not quite right, the transition from summer to fall is not smooth.

This September was frought with complications and unexpected diagnoses and it took a toll on me and consequently the blog, as in not so many blog posts. I have just lately preferred sleeping to blogging. Hopefully that will change now that October is here and hopefully life will slow down along with the season and while I look forward to the hibernation, I will still get to enjoy a little autumn.

Welcome, October.

Interloper

2009-09-22T07:13:00.000-07:00

Bob checks out the progress of the September scarf.

When I'm sitting in my chair knitting, Bob likes to sit on the top of the chair, behind my head. But if I get up to do something, like get the camera . . .

I come back to an interloper! He acts like he's interested in the knitting but he's really just waiting for the warm spot to become vacant.

The Hedgerow

2009-09-20T20:48:00.001-07:00

Now this is a pattern that moves along at a nice pace. Despite being just one size up from 0 which is of course, 1 and still pretty small needles, look how much faster its going. This is two days worth of knitting, enjoyable knitting might I add, and I'm getting somewhere. These may be finished by month's end.

I have a pair of these that I made a few years ago and they remain the most comfortable sock I've made. Thank you Jane Cochran.

Didn't make the cut

2009-09-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, I gave it a fair shot but it just didn't make the cut. The Honeycomb pattern, that is. Yes, I liked learning the new cast on technique and working from the toe up but there were a few things that let me know this sock would not get finished by month end, maybe not even by year end if I kept it up. It was in the best interest of the yarn and my goal of a pair of socks a month to make a tough decision.

Working on size 0 needles and the fiddly cabling every three stitches just did not work for me. I wasn't enjoying myself and it was taking me forever. It took me a week to get as far as is illustrated in the photo above.

Now, you may know what the inimitable Elizabeth Zimmerman means when she says in Knitting Without Tears that knitting properly practiced means "executed in a relaxed manner, without anxiety, strain, or tension" to me she means 'if its not fun, don't do it'. I was not having fun with this pattern. It was time to make a change. The Honeycomb sock you see here was ripped out this week, I wish I could say it will be missed.

Next up for August's colorway is my most favorite and successful sock pattern yet: the Hedgerows.

Blogiversary

2009-09-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

I missed my one-year blogiversary on September 7th. My goodness how time has flown this last year. In many ways, related to my blog and crafting, it doesn't feel as though its been a year but in other ways related to my daily responsibilities, it feels like a long year.

It took me some time to settle into this blogging thing but now I feel like I've found my stride and I know why I'm doing it. And doing it day after day (most days) has helped me discover myself a little bit.

I've thought a little about blogging lately after reading this post and what she says about blogging. I think she hits the nail on the head when she talks about doing something to occupy yourself and discovering something more once you are there. Some days I've found I have lots of things I want to share and on other days when I can't think of anything worth sharing, my commitment to post helps me to discover what kind of creative ideas are going on in my otherwise task-occupied mind.

Its a creative outlet thats a little bit different than the actual knitting that first helped me begin but its one that I find really adds to my sense of self. Its a little bit different than journaling which I wrote about here because there certainly is a sense of writing for the public on the blog that you don't have when you write in your journal. In the end, all these creative pursuits help us a little further along the path to fulfillment and happiness daily.

September Scarf

2009-09-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

Progress on September's scarf is slow.

The pattern repeat is only two rows and they are not easy rows. This eyelet lace pattern is not easy to remember so I refer to the pattern constantly and that makes it slow as well. Also, I focus carefully on what stitch is next because the stitches and the yarn both make it difficult to tink back if I mess up.

But its a pretty scarf and I think it will make a nice cold weather scarf for a man.

The first week of school is coming to an end and fall is in the air. It must be time for football.

Cast on Lagoon

2009-09-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

The colorways to choose from for the Three Irish Girls August sock club were Arboretum or Lagoon. Meet Lagoon: my choice for August's yarn for September knitting. Along with the yarn we get a free pattern with the club shipment and this month I decided to knit up August's yarn into August's pattern, Honeycomb.

Once I made this decision, I had a few reservations. The pattern uses size 0 needles! Those are small needles so these socks are going to require A LOT of stitches. Also, its a toe-up pattern and I haven't done a toe-up sock before. Casting on for a toe-up sock uses an interesting technique called the Turkish cast on. Wow, this is magic! I followed the instructions and voila:

A few wraps around the needles turn into a few stitches,

and those stitches turn into a few more until,

you are knitting fabric between the needles and there is no cast-on edge - magic!

This may be a slow sock due to the extremely small needles but I am happy to have learned and accomplished a new technique. Now down to some serious knitting.

Rhubarb socks

2009-09-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

July's sock club yarn has been knit up successfully into the beautiful Rhubarb sock.

This yarn was fantastic (10% cashmere) and the socks are so squishy and comfortable, I can't wait to wear them!

The searching I did for the perfect pattern paid off, I really like this pattern and it looks so good on the socks. There was a bit of an error but I was able to overcome and only re-knit the first sock once. I'm very happy with my first Three Irish Girls sock-club yarn and ready for the next challenge.

Labor Day Knitting

2009-09-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm in the home stretch with July's sock-club sock. I'm working the toe decreases with the beautiful stitch-markers that were a gift from Sarah.

These will be done before you know it and on to the next sock!

The next scarf

2009-09-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here is August's club offering for September knitting. I think from now on I'm going to call it the September scarf. Even though I started out in June receiving the club shipment mid-month and knitting it the same month it arrived, it seems that Patternworks has decided to ship at the end of the month so that the shipment arrives on the last day of the month and knitting does not happen until the next month anyway. So, readers, we'll transition this August club offering into a 'September scarf', you with me?

This is Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Worsted. Its 75% wool and 25% Alpaca, 100g, 220 yards. The colorway is called Blue Smoke. It has a very low twist and is a smooth yarn, it should make a luscious scarf.

The pattern is an eyelet pattern with just two rows in the repeat that you alternate throughout the entire scarf.

Knitting group met last night and work on July's sock continued. Our group is being offered an opportunity to showcase our handknits at the used bookstore where we meet. The proprietor is going to display any handknits we provide (with some sort of selection process) during the Christmas season and offer them for sale in exchange for any knitting books or periodicals we want to donate to her store. Scarves, of which I will have several by then, and hats would be good offerings. Pricing will be interesting but I would love to see my handknits displayed. I may think about selecting a few to see if they will make the cut.

Not knitting . . .

2009-09-01T07:40:00.001-07:00

. . . but so appealing to me right now! Susan Branch's seasonal cookbooks are so fun and inspiring. I was give the Summer book for my birthday more than a decade ago and loved it. A few years ago I found the Autumn book and now whenever the seasons begin to change I am drawn to the book and draw inspiration for cooking and decorating for the harvest season and back to school from it.

Not only does she have wonderful recipes of the season for snacks, side dishes, main dishes, full Thanksgiving menu with recipes, desserts, and drinks but she includes sidebars on crafts, gift baskets, decorating, entertaining, family memories, gardening and more. All written in her hallmark watercolor script and each page is painted with her beautiful and colorful watercolor paintings.

These books are fun just to look through even if you don't try her wonderful recipes. They will fill you with the feeling of the season and make you want to embrace every nuance.

Another scarf finished

2009-08-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

My beautiful knit-wear model shows off Patternwork's July scarf club project which I completed last night. This is a very comfy scarf, warm and soft with the 33% angora. And such a pretty scarf, the way the yarn changes color almost every pattern repeat is in a different color. It almost shimmers with the color changes.

This added another 130 yards to my total and I'm ready to cast-on another scarf. I love that my gift stash is growing too. I know that Christmas will be here before we know it, especially now that school will be starting in a week but I'm not afraid! Creating these small projects each month is just another benefit (justification) for joining the clubs.

August mailings

2009-08-29T09:14:00.001-07:00

I received very happy mail yesterday, both my club deliveries arrived on the same day. I didn't even have time to get anxious as they arrived before the end of the month.

The clubs include the scarf club from Patternworks and the sock club from Three Irish Girls. The sock club mailing was an extra large skein of 100% superwash merino called Beckon in the colorway Lagoon. The extra goody that came along with the sock club was a group of gift tags with cute labels stating your gift is hand-made. An example, "Yes, I did make it and no, you can't return it" from kniterlla. Very cute package and I can't wait to make Lagoon colored socks but I must finish July's first!

I will detail the scarf club mailing in another post.

Today is school supply shopping day, always a fun day. Happy Saturday!

Random Friday

2009-08-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

What a mess! I don't know how this happens so quickly. The table next to my chair that holds my knitting - I clean it off and put one knitting project there that I work on in the evening when I finally get a chance to sit down. All of a sudden its a storage place for a month's worth of knitting magazine subscriptions and catalogs, swatches, three knitting projects, and a pile of books that I haven't read yet. Its a breeding ground for clutter. Its what Flylady would call a Hot Spot.

For awhile I live with it because I know I put each thing there for a reason but pretty soon its no longer each individual item that I touched for some reason but a huge, single mess that must be dealt with. This weekend I will deal with this Hot Spot and cool it down by putting stuff away.

I may even knit a little bit.

Sock on the road

2009-08-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

My sock and I drove to Portland yesterday afternoon. I went for a concert with my husband, my sock came along for the ride. I turned the heal and started working down the foot as we drove over the Government Camp pass. It was a very pretty drive, the sun was out and it was a lovely afternoon.

I got a picture of my sock with Mt. Hood in the background.

We went to see The Dead Weather, Jack White's new band, my husband is a big fan. Their opening band, at left, was called Tyvek. My phone camera does not take the best pictures, especially from a distance so you wouldn't be able to pick out the drummer who played standing up the whole set.

At left here, The Dead Weather. Again, very difficult to tell who is who but it was a good show and fortunately for me, my husband played the album several times over the last few weeks so that I recognized the songs and was able to sing along. We drove back to Bend after the show so it was a late night.

Thankfully, no work for me today unless you count taking a 12 year old to the 2nd out of three dentist appointments in the span of a week work.

Project progress

2009-08-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

Despite the week away and challenges of getting back to the routine, some progress has been made on a few knitting projects.

I finally cast on for my July sock club socks and am really enjoying working on them. After telling people at knitting group last night about joining a sock club, one woman asked if my goal was really to knit a pair of socks a month. It is my goal, I don't need 12 skeins of socks yarn just piling up to enhance my stash. I want to actually get through these shipments and make some socks. My goal is to knit up every skein of yarn that gets delivered to my door.

I washed and blocked the swatch for mom's sweater. I don't generally do this but I listened to Kelly Petkun's podcast on swatching and learned why its important to wash and block your swatch and I figure this project should be done the right way so I am going to do it step by step.

Work on the July scarf-club scarf continues a-pace and it will certainly be done before the next shipment arrives. Now that I know they don't come until the very last moment of the month, I know I have plenty of time to get this done before the next one comes. Its nice to just work one pattern repeat each night and watch it grow.

I looked far and wide at Sock Summit for the perfect pattern to use for my sock-club socks and finally found the Urban Strollers pattern by Aurora Yarns. It is looking really nice with this colorway and its just what I wanted.

July's colorway - Rhubarb, isn't it pretty?

Vacation pics

2009-08-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

This picture of the kids with Mt. Lassen behind them is one of my favorites of the trip.

We had a very geologic trip, seeing two caves - the Oregon Caves and Shasta Caverns at Lake Shasta, two volcanoes - Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta, and we threw in the Redwoods and a little bit of beach as well.

It was a great trip but its nice to be back in a routine and look out - school begins in three weeks!

We're back

2009-08-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

Had a great time and packed in a lot of fun stuff.

More later after the laundry and I get back into the routine.

On vacation, back in a week

2009-08-10T07:37:00.000-07:00

We're heading our for a road trip - three kids across the back seat, camping gear in the back and the roof of the car.

Oregon Caves, Trees of Mystery, the Redwoods, Mt. Lassen National Park, are just some of the planned destinations.

See you in a week.

Sock Summit 2009

2009-08-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

Whoa! What an overwhelming experience. I didn't attend any classes, lectures, or social functions and I won't be able to see the Luminary panel that is being held today. All I did was go to the Marketplace, but that was enough to completely over-stimulate me. But oh, the stimulation. It was yarn love!

And to start off the day, the YarnLove booth by Sharon (of Three Irish Girls fame) and her partner, whose name I unfortunately did not catch. They co-own the YarnLove company. They also had Three Irish Girls yarn in the booth and it was the most dazzling display for me as it is completely my aesthetic. There are lots and lots of booths full of yarn in the Marketplace of course, and many of them I was able to walk right by without being drawn in for one reason or another and alot of it has to do with aesthetic. The ladies of YarnLove definitley have my aesthetic. I introduced myself to Sharon and told her how happy I was to be part of her sock club and she was just the nicest Yarnista you could imagine. She cares about her club and making it happy. I also told her how much I adore the photography on her website and she said she's glad to hear that since she works very hard on it. My rock-star moment of the day was talking to Sharon.

Here is the Frog Creek Fibers booth where I also bought a skein of yarn and told the owners how much I like their yarn and how nice it was that they are local. They were very sweet!

The next happy skein I bought came from Miss Babs Hand-dyed yarn from Mountain City, TN.

The photo really does not do their booth justice. They had ALOT of yarn. I bought the sweetest green-y, light blue-y, yellow-ish color called Bluegrass, mostly for the name and in honor of Bluegrass music which I love, but it is also a beautiful colorway. Can you imagine shipping all that yarn from Tennesee to Oregon? Hope they sell most of it so the shipping home is cheaper.

Dye Dreams from the Boston area:

beautiful yarns, fun kits, and fantastic, fabric project-bags with the most fun little beaded zipper pulls. Had to have one! Also got a kit with a skein and a sock pattern from their club. (I wonder if I can get away with joining another sock club? Would I be able to knit two pair a month, or would it just be gratuitous stash enhancement?) The patterns and yarn were beautiful!

Another rock-star moment was when I spied Kathy and Steve from Webs, America's yarn store

at their booth. I listen to these two every week on their podcast and its so cool to see them in the flesh. I did not introduce myself, by that time I was pretty beat but thought I should at least take a photo. Its blurry because Steve was looking right at me and I felt a little like a hay-seed in the big city taking pictures of famous people, although they're probably used to it. I did see the Yarn Harlot walking around the place as well, but restrained myself from taking a photo of her. I bet she'd be immune to cameras by this time.

I stopped myself from buying a circular needle from a man who makes glass needles. His work was gorgeous and I had a really difficult time tearing myself away, I was this close to buying them, but I persevered and will save that purchase for another day. He's from Drain, Oregon which is almost reason in itself to make the purchase!!

I met Wendy from HazelKnits in Seattle who had deals going with her yarn and pottery from a potter here in Bend. He makes 'yarn bowls', a bowl with a little notch in the top edge. Yarn sits in the bowl and as you knit, you pull the yarn through the notch. I REALLY want one, its a decorative way to store your work in progress and functional as well. I will check out her etsy store at a later date, she was a sweet and friendly girl.

There were so many booths worth noting but I could not mention them all here. It was a full, fun, and overwhelming day and I had a lovely time. I'm so glad we, as Oregonians, got to be so close to the excitement and be able to join in. It was worth the drive and a great opportunity to buy directly from the vendors in person. I had lots of great conversations with kniterati and strangers alike and feel like part of the larger community.

I will leave you with the official yarn bootie from the day:

Three Irish Girls Devon on Finley, Frog Creek Fibers Trix are for kids on Ebullient, Miss Babs Hand Dyed Bluegrass on Yummy, and Dye Dreams Wisteria on Twinkle Toes. A pattern called Cables Undone by Dye Dreams, and a pattern called Urban Strollers by Aurora Yarn.

Thank you, Stephanie and Tina, for a fantastic show!

Finished Object

2009-08-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

The summer sweater is done and I will proudly wear it to Sock Summit this morning.

I love the construction of the sweater - in the round with sleeves that were knit along with the rest of the sweater and not added on later or picked up seperately. I wish all sweater were this easy to make with no seaming!

The only problem with this sweater is the arm holes are too large underneath and I think the problem is that I don't know how big my body actually is. Somehow when I begin a project I think I am larger than I really am and make a size too big. Every sweater I've completed has turned out too big.

I will just have to work on this by making more sweaters for me.

Tomorrow, Sock Summit pictures!

Its beginning to look a lot like Sock Summit

2009-08-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

I'm just about finished with the summer sweater, I have just three more rows of seed stitch edging around the neck and then I can bind off. I may even be able to wear it to Sock Summit tomorrow! Almost done and its still summer, imagine that!

Its beginning to look a lot like Sock Summit - everywhere I read on Ravelry and blogs people are talking about it, traveling to it, or lamenting they are not going. I am so excited to go check out the Marketplace tomorrow. I will leave from Bend early and drive to Portland for a few hours to see what I can see. I have downloaded the map of the vendor booths and highlighted the ones I can't miss: Three Irish Girls, Frog Creek Fibers, A Verb for Keeping Warm, and Lisa Souza. I will stop by to say hello to the Gossamer girls who will be there from Bend as well. And I'll check out Blue Moon Fiber Arts since I've actually never seen any 'Socks that Rock' yarn. I know it will be super stimulating and I'll come home with so many ideas and things I want to do.

Speaking of things I want to do, the fall knitting mags are out:

I like many of the patterns in this issue of IK, way more than I will ever have time to make, and there are a few in the KnitSimple issue as well that were too cute to pass up. And of course the cutest pattern in knitscene that is spreading like wildfire already and is at the top of my list: the heather hoodie vest.

Our hot weather has disappeared and its feeling a lot like fall today so I am more inspired than ever to dig in and start knitting!

New Project

2009-08-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

I've swatched for a new project that I plan on working on at the same time as the other current projects: the summer sweater, July's scarf, and shortly July's sock club socks (as soon as I can decide on a pattern.) This new project is one that has been years in my mind. Two years to be exact.

My mom bought yarn for me to make her a sweater two summers ago and its been on my mind ever since. She wants a short-sleeved, short-wasted cardigan in a 'bright' yarn. This yarn is definitely bright - I've never knit with anything quite like it. Its Aura from Trendsetter Yarns in 100% nylon and its crazy. The base yarn is pretty varigated yarn in pink, orange, red, and purple and then it has a shiny, confetti looking aura spun in. Its kind of furry.

I was afraid I would hate knitting with it, but it was actually kind of nice and a good change from the cotton of the summer sweater.

We've picked out a pattern that we're using as a template (Annette from the Summer 09 Knitty) and I think with this yarn, the pattern will work out great. Mom, the furriness of the yarn will counter-act the tight-look in the fishnet pattern that I think you weren't too excited about. Here's a look at how the pattern would look in this yarn. The fuzziness of the yarn will fill in
the holes that are so prominent in the original pattern. I think the yarn will make the sweater drape well and not feel so form fitting as it looked in the picture and turn out to be just what you were looking for.

Journaling

2009-08-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Back on July 22nd here I talked (a little bit) about the book Visual Chronicles by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino, the one that was out of print. I ordered it through Amazon from a book store in Tennessee called Smoky Mountain Books and it came last week.

The book is about journaling your real self, as the authors say 'transferring your essence to the surface' of a page, which appeals to me because I think you can get a lot of soul work done if you journal and get your thoughts and experiences from the day out of your head to a place where you can look at them, I think it helps you learn and grow. And its extra nice if you can use your creative process at the same time.

I love the titles of the chapters in this book, or I should say Fear Busters? Fear Buster #1 I have no time, Fear Buster #2 I can't write, Fear Buster #3 I'm just not Artistic, etc.

I went out and got myself a few supplies to start out with and have been writing each night. Its
much less artistic than the book encourages but I'm taking baby steps and I'm definitely being me.

Sock Club

2009-08-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

My first sock club mailing arrived on Saturday from Three Irish Girls. This is a beautiful skein of 80% Merino, 10% Nylon, and 10% Cashmere in the Rhubarb colorway, its so pretty.

This is the July offering and the pattern that comes with it was delivered via email download on Friday. I also got a little extra with the yarn and this month it was a sheep pendant on a chain - what fun!

I love my sock club!

Its August

2009-08-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe July is over already. If there is one month that flies by for me, its July. I think I'm glad its over now, maybe we'll have some peace. And by the way, did you feel like last week had two Mondays? It felt like it to me.

I did go to knitting group on Wednesday night, we were a small group but it was nice. I have been working a little bit each day on July's scarf. The yarn is revealing itself to have such color variation, its beautiful.

This scarf is going to be very cozy with the halo of mohair around it.

Everything I read in the knitting world lately is geared to the Sock Summit happening next week in Portland. Its exciting and I am making plans to go up on Saturday to check out the marketplace for a few hours.

Have you heard about Sock Summit? Are you going? Use that comment link down there and tell me about it.

Morning walk

2009-07-29T07:45:00.001-07:00

This is the scene in July heading down the street to the river trail. I am so lucky to live so close that I can walk to the river trail in just a few minutes. And the walk is so beautiful and lush this time of year.

For about the last two weeks we've had daytime temperatures in the 80s and 90s and I am loving it! I can walk out at 6:30 in the morning in short-sleeved t-shirt.

A beautiful house with lovely landscaping. The trees are full, the flowers are bright, and the roses are climbing right up the side of the house.
And heading back home through the lush, summer streets. I try to make the most of it now and go out twice a day because I know in a few short months, not only will it not look so lush, the temperature will be about 45 degrees cooler. I hope it stays in the 90s for as long as possible. It makes the evening temps in the 70s which is so lovely.

Its getting interesting

2009-07-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

The summer sweater is taking shape, the arm-holes and beginnings of sleeves have been constructed. I am so impressed by this pattern and am loving knitting it in the round without adding sleeves.

You just bind off some stitches to make the beginning of an armhole and then cast on a few more the next round to begin the sleeve cap, so easy! I can't wait to see how the collar part is constructed. I am so impressed by this design and want to hug the designer. Here is a close up of the sleeve.

Stay cool today!

A little bit

2009-07-27T07:46:00.001-07:00

I have a little bit of the scarf done.

I took this photo w/o flash so the true colors would show but its a little fuzzy so its hard to see the stitch pattern. A later photo will show that. But see how many pretty colors are in the yarn?! And can you tell how fuzzy the mohair makes it?

I forgot to set my alarm so I woke up a half hour late - thanks to Charlie the dog who groaned in his sleep at a good time. Later, I poured chunky, sour milk over my cereal even though the carton said 'use by 7/30'. Its not 7/30 yet, is it? It must be Monday.

YAY!

2009-07-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

The mail lady finally brought my July scarf club kit, it arrived yesterday. I was on my way out to walk the dog and I squealed so loud at the mailbox that I could be heard from inside the house. (I haven't been looking too forward to getting this.;-)

This month we have a skein of Nashua Handknits Geologie - 37% Acrylic, 33% Mohair, and 30% Wool - 50 g/142 yards - worsted weight.

The colorway is NGE6261 (how boring, I would call it Tidepool) which is a mix of deep purple, ocean blue, moss green, and a dark amber. The plies are mixed colors due to the fiber blend which makes a very interesting color blend.

The pattern is a variation on the feather and fan stitch using #8 needles. This one looks like it will be more of a warm, cozy scarf. And it has a nice 10 row repeat, just right for a little daily knitting in short blocks of time.

I voted

2009-07-25T10:50:00.001-07:00

In honor of the first-ever Sock Summit being held right here in our own beautiful state in Portland, August 6 - 9th, Ravelry is holding a contest for dyers of hand-dyed sock yarn. I voted for a skein in each category, including but not limited to Kettle-dyed, primary, random striping, and others. There are some gorgeous yarns in a variety of colors all skillfully hand-dyed by very talented dyers. This beautiful skein is dyed by the people at Frog Creek Fibers who can be found at http://www.frogcreekfibers.etsy.com/.

It sounds like Sock Summit is the brain child of Stephanie Pearl-McFee and Tina from another Oregon celebrity, Blue Moon Fiber Arts. This is such a huge event that registration for classes crashed the server and once it was back up and running, it sold out pretty much right away. Registration for classes has been closed for awhile but anyone can attend the Marketplace at the convention center where many yarn vendors and others from all over the world (there is a vendor from Britain) will be selling their wares. I plan on going up to Portland on Saturday morning just to check out the Marketplace. After looking at the yarns in the contest on Ravelry, I can't wait to see them in person! My other new favorite, Three Irish Girls, will be there.

The mailbox is still empty so I've been working on my summer sweater and as par for the course, I've made a pretty big error. I was supposed to begin the body increase at 7 inches up but knit all the way until 12 inches before I realized. I do not want to pull out all the tedious stockinette so I've done a quick and dirty increase at 12 and will still go ahead and begin the arm-holes just past 14 and see how it goes. Knitting in the round makes these 'design-element' changes a little more flexible, I hope.

Who is Somerset. . . ?

2009-07-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

. . . and why is she so crafty?

I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday looking for the book Visual Chronicles (it seems there is no underline feature on my toolbar - so imagine those italics are actually underlined) by Linda Woods and Karen Dinino. This is a book about creative journaling about which I heard a review by Lime and Violet (of the podcast of the same name.) This book is older, (as was the podcast I heard the review on) published in 2006 and is now out of print - I know, already?

So I did not get to look at the book but instead saw these magazines about paper-crafting, inspired living, and artful blogging. They looked very intriguing so, while I'm waiting for yarn-y goodness to be delivered to my mailbox, I will look through these magazines and get inspired.

Waiting for the mail

2009-07-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

I'm waiting, not very patiently, for my July scarf of the month. Its the 21st of the month and it will be a challenge to finish a scarf by the end of the month if I don't receive it soon.

I'm also waiting to get my first sock club shipment. That one I know won't ship until the end of the month so I don't have the expectation and that helps me be a little more patient. I'm just excited to get yarn in the mail!

I'm excited too to have a small project to work on in between the endless stockinette stitch body of the summer sweater. I think it helps it go more quickly when you can break it up into smaller chunks.

I better go check the mailbox, I think Charity Kitty left a present for the mail lady as a bribe.

10 is a magic number

2009-07-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

Conner is 10 today.

The cheerful, enthusiastic, agreeable boy who loves football, maps, cooking . . . a million different divergent things. A child that I feel I can completely understand because he seems to share my brain, the way I think.

He is a Cancer just like me, born eight days after my own birthday. Sunny and sometimes a little disorganized slow on the uptake, we make up for it by happily going along with other people's ideas, without complaint.

He loves life and is ready for anything.

Happy Birthday to my big boy.

Summer sweater

2009-07-16T07:22:00.001-07:00

I'm working (slowly) on a t-shirt style sweater for the summer made out of Knit Pick's Shine Sport (60% Pima cotton, 40% modal).

I thought this might be a quick knit but I figured that without figuring in summer itself. Every night is so full of activity, there is no time for sitting and knitting. And there is no lunch-time knitting this week as I am taxi-service for my knit-wear model's Orchestra camp.

The sweater is patterned after the Pleat-front top in Knitsimple's spring/summer 09 issue. I'm adding an edging at the bottom hem for interest and to make it a bit longer. I like this pattern since it can be knit in the round. I haven't had much luck so far with sweaters that have to be knit in pieces and seamed up. I am hoping this will go as well as the Olympic Challenge project I completed last summer - same type of knit-in-the-round t-shirt pattern and in the same yarn.

Maybe it will be done before summer is.

Charity kitty and a cup of coffee help me blog early in the morning.

June's scarf

2009-07-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

June's scarf is finished, washed, blocked, and ends woven in. My knit-wear model shows it off. Its a very nice design and a pretty color but its not a warm, soft and cozy scarf. The silk yarn is a little stiff but its perfect to show off the design.

I enjoyed knitting this scarf, it was a good project to work on a little at a time. Good summer knitting.

Now I'm ready for this month's scarf challenge, I can't wait to see what it is.

Charity Kitty relaxes in her pool. Its going to be hot today.

Lunch-time knitting

2009-07-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is warm enough to sit outside during the day, my favorite thing to do for lunch is go to the park and knit. I pick a park near the river so I can see water and people enjoying themselves, I sit on a park bench, and get out my knitting. Its peaceful and yet, I feel like I'm part of the fun that everyone is having.

I can watch the rafters walking through the park with their boats, launch them, and head down river. I can watch the little kids splashing on the edge of the water. I can usually catch a game of frisbee or watch other lunch-time people reading and eating. Its nice to be part of it all and yet seperate and doing your own thing. I get a little knitting done and I get some outside time to balance out the rest of my day inside a building.

The only bad part about it is that I wish lunch-time was longer and that I didn't have to go back to work.