In The Middle

Of the Holidays, as it were.

The Out-Of-Towners have headed back to their homesteads, and our front is quiet. And somber. And all wind out of sails.

And soon undecorated. Which is how is how it is feeling already.

It was fun and exciting and busy and going full steam there for a while, though!

Many, many blessings these holidays, notwithstanding the efforts of the sneaky ol’ Grinch.

Eldest and Friend squeaked out of Philly only 90 minutes late the day of the Fateful East Coast Blizzard. (Huzzah!)

Packages to faraway places arrived mostly intact.

There were gifts, loved ones, and food to share.

There was white for Christmas, too.

And it’s been back to work this week, in itself a fortune, of a sort.

And look what DSis gifted to me, on top of it all! ( Her story of them is here.)

Too good to use...too good not to use!  I expect her to wear the socks I knit for her.  And I think she expects me to dry dishes with these, rather than frame them. Which they are just about nice enough for.

Z is for...

...Zero, or close to it, at least.

While we have had visitors, we went up the mountain to Rocky.  Brr.  It was a chilly day, but we wore our long johns, flannel lined jeans, ski pants, hand knits, and whatever else was required.  We stayed warm, took lots of photos, saw some wildlife, and had a good time.

Z is also for the holidays Zipping by while the visitors have been here.  We have enjoyed them being around and when they leave over the next couple of days, it will be a quieter, more somber place.

Z is also for (drum roll, please) zee end!  I have finished up the ABC-along mostly on-time.  Ta-Dah!  And to finish in fine form, I leave you with a gratuitous photo of my grandbebe girls, Two (left) and Bean (right), born 10 days apart in August, and being all matchey matchey!

Lost and Found Karma

A few weeks ago, right before our last long weekend, I was wearing a hand knit scarf at work. All day. It was cold and the scarf was warm! It rose up around my neck though, and halfway through the morning, I noticed one of my earrings, by bumping against the scarf, was working its way out. I replaced it and went about my business.
On my way home from work, I realized I was missing an earring. End of day, my peeps and I were cleaning up the lab in preparation for a scheduled inspection, and I bet it worked its way out during that time.
Darn it! I haven’t lost an earring in a long long time, and these were some nice ones Wonderful Guy and I found in Sante Fe, hand made and sold by the native Americans.
I say again. Darn it.
I was hoping that one of my worker fellows would have found it and it would be at my desk upon my arrival back at work, but alas. Nothing. So sad.
Exactly a week after the fact, while in the lab, waiting for a time point to come up, I was wondering around checking for expiration dates, and old samples, and there! In the middle of the floor! It was!

Whee! It feels so good when something lost comes back to me.
When I arrived at work the next morning, one of the bitterly cold mornings of late, there on top of the snow in the parking lot lay someone’s thumb drive, all cold and frosty, but not run over. I scooped it up and brought it in. I sent out an email, and someone was oh so glad to claim it and the documentation that resided within. She assured me all was intact, frostiness not withstanding.
Whee! It feels so good when I can help something come back to someone else.

Happy Holidays

From my town...

 and my house...

to yours....

The very best, however you celebrate the season!

Plumb Amazed

Now I know what a marvel these here innernets are.

I know how my life has been made easier (on-line shopping/bill pay/banking and mapping an address).

I fully understand how much easier and how much fun I have keeping in touch with those I cherish and love. (Hello email, FB, camera phones, and Picasa webalbums! I love you all!)

I truly appreciate how my world has been expanded in reading blogs, blogging myself, and those friendships I have made through all of that. (I just love you guys!)

And to be able to ‘check the resources’ of the entire world, or at least those in the language that I read, with just a few clicks of my mouse. Well, I think that is just powerful, I must say!

Yet! I have recently still been flabbergasted by it all.

As I was casting on some socks from Charlene Schurch’s book, Sensational Socks, I picked out a 4 stitch repeat pattern that I thought suitable and reasonable and fairly, but not too, simple. But when I knit past the cuff and was ready to start the pattern, I realized what I read was not what Ms. Schurch meant. And what she meant, I could not figure out. I switched to another pattern easily enough so I could continue knitting (her book allows such derelict behavior!). But! I needed to know! What she meant!

And this is what I did to find out.  What she meant. I first checked to make sure there weren’t problems in the printing of the book, and found on the publisher’s site, that while there wasn’t a better explanation of what was stumping me, there were some errata on the pages I was going to be paying attention to. Printed off 2 fixed pages just like that! Good thing I checked.

Then I went to Ravelry.

And I searched Patterns for these particular socks. Which I found.
Then I searched for posts regarding this pattern.
And I found some posts with my same question.
And someone who had answered by posting a video of how to do it!!!

A video, people!

Come to find out, there is a whole group on Ravelry for Ms. Schurch’s books on socks! Of which I am now a member.

In less than 12 hours, dilemma resolved.

That doesn’t even talk about this video demonstrating Navajo plying. That’s on my list of goal for 2010. And this video shows how to do so clearly.

See what I mean!

I am still plumb amazed by it all.

Santa’s Coming!

And he will have some more FO’s to give out.

Only Step-Son’s hat (my own basic hat recipe) I thought to follow the London Beanie pattern, and knew I would have to make it bigger. I measured head circumference against Wonderful Guy, and swatched, and measured as I went. I truly wanted this to be wearable. He may not like it, but not because it is too small! Right off the mark, I ribbed it differently, and I was going to make it all one color, and pretty soon, it was all my own recipe. I was almost finished with the decreases and realized it needed to be longer. So back I frogged. I am very pleased with my efforts to make this one work.

Only Step-Son’s Sweet One’s scarf. Eunny’s Spectrum Scarf, but without the spectrum. Lion Brand Prints makes it colorful, and a simple but interesting knit.

Sister’s Mister doesn’t want baked goods this year, so instead I knitted/felted some can cozies. Using this pattern, and 2 skeins of Lion Brand Prints, I cranked out 4 in no time at all. Or, rather, in about one day’s time. I used a smaller needle, so adapted the pattern a bit with another row of increases, increasing every other stitch. Also, recently having purchased my First. Ever. Brand New. Washer/Dryer, and the washer being a front loader, I lost that sure fire felting method. So I hand felted these puppies. Agitation in hot hot sudsy water in a soup pot for five minutes, then into icey water in other sink, and back again, warming up the water as needed. Took about 30-40 minutes and some good arm action, but all stitch definition is gone, and they all sized down very nicely. After rinsing and squeezing out excess water, I tossed in the dryer for 20 minutes, then let air dry, shaping on water bottles…since I didn’t have one soda can in my entire house! I am very pleased with the results. I hope he is, too, and doesn’t think the gift lame.

I found the new dryer handy when I was blocking the BSJ’s, too. The dryer has a nifty rack that allows for drying without tumbling. When the blocked out baby sweaters were just almost completely dry, I unpinned them, and put them on the rack, and let the dryer finish the job. Suh-weet! In 15 minutes. All done!

Another Christmas…

Early one December, The X and the young daughters went somewhere and I was home alone.

The tree had been purchased and up since the weekend with nary a light. I thought the opportunity ripe get some decoratin’ done.

I lined up the boxes of ornamentation in the front room, pulled out the little red step-stool, poured myself a glass of wine, and began with stringing the lights.

Round I went from the outlet up and around, and around and down. Up the stool and down. Moving it around the tree, until I was on top, more or less in the center of the room.

Here is where it gets a bit fuzzy and I am not sure exactly what happened next. I remember wondering about something that cracked me on the side of the head, and looking around…

And I clearly remember seeing the ceiling fan blade backing up to take another swing, this time at my forehead!

Fortunately, it was not moving fast, and I ducked.

Otherwise there might have been blood. And unconsciousness. And bad Christmas memories when the children came home and found Mother on the floor.

No more decorating happened that evening.

No more wine drinking has ever been paired with decorating either.

And ceiling fan safety was added to my mental list.

Christmas Color

In spite of the white outside…

Which has hung around for quite a while…

There are some bright spots inside.

My holiday cactus is still blooming, having started around Thanksgiving.

I have purchased the obligatory poinsettia...which I mostly love dressed in red. (last year’s $5 poinsettia gave up the ghost in July!)

And the tree.

notice the kitty fur?

Which the Old Lady Kittie Phoebe has always believed to be her personal water dish and the tree skirt her holiday bed.

notice how the tree skirt has been moved aside to allow for easy access?

And apparently, Best Dog Ever likes the comfy place, too.

Also, the squooshy Nativity has been knocked askance once again.

To Drum Card…

Or not to drum card? Perhaps the bigger question is whether or not to spend the money on a drum carder!

Last weekend, Wonderful Guy and I made our yearly trek south to Celestial Seasonings in Boulder to stock up on tea. And shop the gift shop. But mostly to shop for tea. There they sell EVERY flavor they carry. (DSis, there’s another thing we gave the kiss of death to by loving it…CS Emperor’s Choice Red Tea…) And for less.

So one big bag of mostly herbal tea , along with a few Christmas gifts, later, we left there, and I suggested that Wonderful Guy drop me at Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins, and he could take in the local motorcycle shop. He was dubious, but I said I had some knitting to work on if he took too long. Besides, if the opportunity presented, I thought I might ask about drum carders.

Well, it didn’t seem promising. It was one busy Saturday at S3, and there really isn’t any place just to sit and knit. I saw lots of wheels and looms and supplies, but no drum carders. I wasn’t going to buy any yarn not on sale (not my nature!), but it’s a big place and largely unexplored by me, so I decided to just look around, then look at the books until the Guy returned.

Then who should come up to me and ask if I was looking for something but Maggie Casey. I swear. I have been in that store three times and she has been the one to help each time. (Read the story of her selling me Betsy the Flying Lendrum) So I tell her I am thinking about drum carders, and we chat a bit. I tell her I haven’t really seen one demonstrated. And that is all it took. She recommended to me one they do not sell at S3, but spent about 20 minutes showing/teaching/answering my questions. All the while knowing what I needed/wanted wasn’t what they sold!

She is a marvel.

And I bought some merino roving before I left there. Solely on principle.

Y is for…

Yellow.

Yellow tomatoes.

My last two.

It’s mid-December, and I have these two left from the pre-freeze harvest of mid-October.

I used the last two red in chili last Wednesday evening, when it was so so cold.

My outside air temp on the way to work that morning…

The fresh tomato smell as I cut them up brought some warmth to my kitchen, and proved to me it was worth the effort.

Now the table on which they ripened has been handed over to gift wrapping.

Vote’s In

Red buttons had it by a land slide. Too bad the little yellow ones didn’t photograph better. I don’t think they had a chance. But I will go with the decision of the masses. Or the five…as the case may be.

W/Red Buttons

 Here is how the rest turned out.

Grey/Blue

Chinese Tweedy

Ta-Dah! So festive!

And here are some other recent efforts...

A secret gift for someone who will remain nameless...out of Classic Elite Classic Silk (cotton, silk, nylon).

It's from the Multi-Directional Scarf pattern by Karen Baumer (free on Ravelry).  I really liked knitting this one.

A test ‘Pretty Thing’ cowl (Stephanie Pearl-McPhee). A test article, yes, but wearable. I ran short of the original (yet a leftover) skein, but made do with another leftover bit. So Berroco Alpaca Light, and Mountain Colors around the edge.  I was worried about the inherent big-noggins in ma famille, and made this one with an extra repeat.  The next one, the for-real one, I probably won't, I think.

This yarn doesn't really show the pattern, which is lacey, but not terribly hard, even though I made most of the decreases backwards.  Oh well.  Still decreases!  And that is what my test articles are for.

As for casting on things, I have a few on the needles of Iron.  Check out my Ravelry Progress Bars in lieu of photos for now.  A poor substitute, perhaps, but I am going to play the 'I have a cold' card.

(I know, I know...how hard can it be to snap a few shots and get them downloaded...and edited...and then uploaded?  Easier, I warrant, than getting film developed, but I'm sick!!!!)

Blockhead

That would be me.

I have no less than five FO's blocking in the room where phototaking-yarnstorage-cardmaking-sewingsometimes occurs.  Also blocking, I guess.  Photos will follow when the afore-mentioned items are all spiffy looking and neatly done up.

Time to cast around for something else to cast on.  I have a couple of more xmas projects in mind.  And if time runs scant, oh well.  Perhaps they will be MLK birthday presents.  Or President's Day presents...but not for the Presidents.

I am nothing if not flexible.

About some things.

I had the chance to help out Youngest Daughter lately, on a particularly frigid morning.  She ran some errands, and I watched the grandbebes so she didn't have to drag them out.  Grandbebe Two laughed at me...I mean, with me...

Nothing like a bebe's laugh.  Apparently, it's a fairly new development, and her big sister is the one who elicits this behavior most readily. What fun!

Best Dog Ever curled up next...well...on the 'cushy' nativity recently.  I keep it on the floor for the bebe's, being all non-breakable.  So it got all spread around and mixed up.  Wonderful Guy went to put it back together.  I think he has Mary hanging with the Wise Men...

Currently on the Needles of Iron...an xmas scarf for someone...a Spectrum Scarf pattern of Lion Brand Wool Prints

Some really fun yarn I recieved from Lynne's recent contest...I call it 'Peppermint'.  Guess why.

And I wait for photos from DSis's recent excursion to SLC where she and the Mister both picked up a new old car for him, and saw my Grandbebe Bean...and Bebe's parents, too, of course.

In other news...baby, it's cold outside.  I don't believe we cleared 10F today.  And why, whenever I share weather tidbits, do I feel like I am my mother?  I don't believe she, or Our Dear Aunt, ever began a letter without mentioning what the weather had been doing.  Nothing like a few sub-20 days to make one look forward to the upcoming warming trend later in the week when we will be in the mid-30's.  Plain crazy talk.

Christmas approaches and progress has been made, but much yet to do.  And I am off, now to do some of it!  If one was looking for some handspun yarn to give a friend, there's a fun little Etsy shop that has just the thing!

EOY Approaching

No. Seriously. It does. How about 4 weeks away?

And for me it raises more questions than beyond the obvious.

What will the horizon hold regarding the job front? When I took this job last spring, there was the possibility that it would be temp (without benefits) at least through the end of the year, and there was the carrot held out that maybe, just maybe, the budget would include a full time position for 2010.

My current conversations indicate the work will continue at least maintaining the status quo, which is not an entirely disgruntling thing. In fact, I find many pleasing aspects to that development.

• While the resume is dusted off, and updated (always crisp! always fresh!), it won’t need to be distributed.
• My commute remains local. 
• I don’t have to learn about new peeps and their idiosyncrasies (and them mine!).
• Maintaining current camaraderie. I have great peeps.
• I am really liking it here, the space, the job, the respect, the challenge, and what I offer them.

It’s win-win!

But…I want to be a reeeeaaaaal employee! There is something there, something in the back of my mind that tells me I am less than the other 'real' employees, that I don’t really count as much on some level.

What is it that I am suppose to be learning here?

Whatever it is? I wish I would hurry up and learn it…so I could be made a Real Employee!

Jealousy!

Dearest Sister scored herself a Featherweight off Craigslist! She gets all the good stuff.

She always has!

Way back when? She got the pretty shoes because her feet were easy to fit. We had to drive like FOREVER, or to Wichita, to find shoes to fit my skinny noodle feet, and if we had to do that, you can bet Mom made sure they (the shoes, certainly not US!) wound up being ‘sensible’.

What else you ask? Well, I will tell you. Clothes! Being a skinny little runt (speaking of me), nothing ever fit me as well as it fit her, and she always looked better in what ever she had, too. Way better. Just ask Glenn M., or Jim L. Whom we shared as well.... (DSis knows who...and what...I'm talkin' about...)

And then. Well then there was…loads of other things! Just loads. Lots of loads!

But really? She’s always shared. Except the shoes. Even if the clothes just hung on me. And it ended up that the fellows were sort of…well, “not winners” anyway.

We’ve shared most everything.

Our best and deepest secrets, as only sisters can.

Our kids. Why, heck, even Lovely Step-daughter takes her birthday and holiday dinners at DSis’s place. (Step-Daughter believes that DSis cooks from scratch!)

We even share our blogging now.

What would I do with another Singer anyway?

Cranking Into December

And time for a check on those goals I sort of pecked out in January. Sort of scary…but let’s take a look-see.

Quilt for Grandbebe Two  : )
Quilted ornaments for Christmas : (
Fence project for yard  : (
Knit and spin up stash (I am not sure I am exiting the year with less than I started…)
Hone photoshop skilz (Ongoing. I can certainly do some things I couldn’t at BOY)
Paper crafting efforts (I have made lots of cards. No scrapbooking to speak of. Well, no scrapbooking at all…)
Maintain serenity in spite of life's best efforts! (progress, not perfection)
Travels (Durango/Mesa Verde; Arches/Canyonlands) : )
House projects (new tankless water htr; pergola; painting/carpet; new stove, w/d) : )
Motorcycle ride : (
Start biking first of May : )
Copy music CD’s to computer : )
Organize recipes : )
Practice gratitude daily (Again with the progress not perfection!)

Well, there they are, more or less listed and /or summarized. And not as bad as I would have guessed. I didn’t completely bomb out, I guess.

I have one quilt still to go, but technically it isn’t on the list of goals, is it? Hopefully no others will go on the list this year, and I will have bit of a reprieve on the quilting front.

 

Another year passes with no quilted xmas ornamentation. Or fence project for the yard. I look at that as not having to come up with a completely new list from scratch for next year!

While I may not have any less stash than I started the year with, it has certainly rotated. I have accomplished much knitting and spinning through the year, so there hasn’t been a lot of stash growth.
I am okay with that one, and the photoshop and the papercraft efforts. As long as progress continues through next year, that is.

I am pleased with my ‘biking season’ even if my mileage was less than I hoped. I am up for the extended season in 2010 certainly.

We will plan new travels in the new year. Already one is going on the calendar for Yellowstone. (my favorite place on earth!) And it appears that we will travel there with Eldest and her ManFriend.

But! Lest I just re-hash last years list, which may have been a re-re-hash of the year before, I am putting on my thinking cap, do some out of the box brainstorming, set some blue sky goals!

Seriously. Am I just going to let this year happen? Granted, some great stuff cannot be planned/accounted for (See Atomic Sisters and tag team blogging!). But generally speaking, I love me a list that I can work toward checking some stuff off.

• Photography class (and telephoto lens)
• Learn different and varied spinning techniques.
• Knit some sweaters and some more socks. (February Lady Sweater is in the queue, and EZ "Green Sweater" pattern is going to be purchased, I promise you.)

There’s a start.
Other ideas to share in setting goals and aspirations for the upcoming year?

X is for...

X-mas!

Not making any statement about the Christmas/Christ/Xmas issue.  It's all about me here.  I am only trying to finish out my ABC-along in fair form.

I might say X-cellent form.

Not much given to X-cess, in my mind, my best decorations are the handmade and gifted ones.

The story of my little tree is here.

I made these little quilted ornaments years ago from a book that was lost in a flooded basement. They are only about 3-4 inchese square.

finger for scale (not for manicure job!)

I spent months gleaning the innerwebs trying to find an out of print copy a couple years ago when I decided I wanted to make more. I have the templates, but I needed additional…reminding.

Then at an estate sale last month, I saw a copy of the same book. I could have waited. I still haven’t made any additional ornaments.

X-traordinary!

My mother made this nativity from a preprinted panel probably purchased on sale. The hay in the manger? Cotton yarn leftovers from her dishcloth knitting! X-pedient!!

PS All photo's biggify when clicked! The details on the bitty tree are pretty awesome.

The First Ever

Way back when I first discovered the world of blogs, I was looking for resources in two areas, gardening and knitting.

Go figure.

Immediately upon finding what was ‘out there’, my other interests in stitching (as in sewing/quilting), writing with a whacked out sense of humor, family, the sciences (and arts, so to speak), hiking, spinning, and keeping up with all things current were spoken to, and I branched out in my blog stalking.

But way back when, one of the first blogs I discovered was one called High Altitude Gardening. Because, after all, what is it I try to do in my little backyard but grow a garden at high altitude? Kate gave me sage advice, she did. And some of it I even heed.

I read Kate’s blog for several weeks and then…then I commented! Hers was the first blog I ever de-lurked.

And Kate was the first ever comment on my blog. (I didn’t tell my dear loved ones about it for a few…months…)

I found ~Wunx through Kate, and this past summer, those two were the first ever bloggery people DSis and I met, besides each other, that is, but we already knew each other before we were bloggery people. So that doesn’t really count.

Now Kate has bestowed upon Dearest Sister and I an award, which we accept humbly and with gratitude, that she should think we rank among ‘the silly and savvy’. Silly, surely…savvy…well, to each their own!

Thanks, Kate. It’s been a kick getting to know you. Can’t wait for next time when we are in SLC!
According to the rulz…(and feel free to play along, or ignore any and/or all of them!)

Participators, please grab this award, post it on your blog, then pay it forward to 15 of your favorite recent blog discoveries. If you don't want to participate, please don't feel any pressure to do so.

We came up with our link list together for three reasons, the first because Kate linked us together (as we have been since the early days!), the second because our reader lists are very much the same, and thirdly, because it is easier this way, and we are all about easier.

With much fanfare and to do…we bestow our Best Blog Awards to…(in no particular order)..

Martha at Q is for Quilter (who does some really outstanding quilting/embroidery) (Really!)
Miss V at Our Growing Family (she posts pix of my grandbebe when she has time, and that rates!)
Tish at Big Well Girl (because she is our dark haired sister and BFF from way back in the hood.)
Allie at Sweet Happy Life (who is a talented and faithful follower of Sister)
Lynne at “New” Jersey Girl (follow her adventures back east! It’s not really a foreign land!) (And there are bears!)
Liz at Lizzzknits (because she is my (almost) local knitting/spinning peep that keeps me honest!)
ChaCha at Noodleroux (not only did she just send me a prize, which made her a favorite (of course!), but she has doxies!)
Mary at Snit n' Knit (I just love me my knitter/spinner talents, especially the ones that live in NYC! OMG NYC!!)
C & V at Stick Horse Cowgirls (crazy old friends finding life is full of all sorts of adventure, right where they’re at)

So we came up with a joint list of nine, but see way over there ---->
I have a list of those I subscribe to who keep me inform, entertained, and inspired. Check any or all of those out anytime, too!

Again. Thanks, Kate. It’s really swell to call you a friend!

Button, Button (and Show! And Tell!)

I need help with my button choices.

DSis has bailed me out of having to go shop (and purchase) buttons for the BSJs Three by diving into her vintage button collection. So generous a soul you have never met. And I am seriously meaning that.

The choice is clear for this one. The grey buttons tie in the yarn color change required due to lack of yardage. Looks almost…planned! And I think I like it. From Rowan Cashsoft, and afterthought Alpaca, for Grandbebe 2…

And I believe I like these with this. This is from yarn I traded for on Ravelry. It is a Chinese synthetic blend, according to my translators. I like the tweedy look, but initially I was not sure how all those ‘spots’ in the skein were going to knit up! This is Grandbebe Girl’s BSJ #2, her first having been felted. Oops.

However, it is not clear at all for the last. Wonderful Guy and I have thrown our hands up in despair, and I am turning other resources for help. From Crystal Palace Crème, for Grandbebe Bean.

Which are favorite?

These?

Or these? To be clear, these match much better than it shows, at least through my monitor.  Consider that.
Please advise. I need outside opinions. I am at a loss.
I have even considered alternating! Save me from myself!

Other goings on...
Black Alpaca (3-ply, 120 yd/skein, 2 skeins, 10-12 wpi) Going to the Shoppe.

Merino/Bamboo/Tencel (2-ply, 190 yd, a prize batt from Kathleen in Peru) Staying Home!

Jacob Wool kind of scratchy to spin! Worked up with a lot of loft. (2-ply, 8-10 wpi, 3 oz/skein, 2 skeins) This will go to market.

Also there is the already aforementioned Alpaca Clouds, also Staying Home!

The holidays are coming. Little over a month. I am working on the famous (not really) Iron Needles Xmas List Xcel Spreadsheet.

There is much knitting on the list. Much knitting on the list not knitted.

Why!?!

Because lately it’s been easier to sit and spin, and make more yarn that needs to be knit up!

Unfortunately, there is exactly one person on my list that might even be interested in handspun yarn.

Oh, the conundrum!

Must. Continue. Knitting. Christmas is coming!