Lighten Up

There is a time for sitting with unhappy feelings and thoughts as we acknowledge reality and process. However, after a while, it changes, and we are just sifting through rotting garbage. This Tuesday, we are all about lightening the mood.

1. Realize that the heavy mood is becoming too much and unhelpful.
2. Watch Cartoons: Animated silliness helps you shake off a case of super-seriousness

3. Video Games: Whether you are solving a puzzle, swinging the Wii-mote, or racing your car, focusing your concentration on a game for a bit is a great way to switch gears.
4. Soap Operas: The combination of ultra-seriousness and absurdity is agreat way to finish flushing out feelings of drama and revenge.

5. Sing: Pick something light, bright, and joyful, and sing it loudly.

6. Move: Take a walk, dance, or exercise to shake out the tension stored in your body, and your mind and heart will take the hint.
7. Bake/Cook: Whether making something for ourselves or to share, a special yummy brightens the day.
8. Sunshine: Get out and let some of that natural light do what it does for us.
9. Snuggle: Find that special someone and be close.
10. Laugh: Whether we find something to tickle the funny bone or just let loose because we could see how ridiculous we had become, laughter gets the good brain chemistry going.

Meanwhile, the needles are clicking along with the baby knits and hopes of being in the zone enough to crank out a few more.

UM...See Previous Photo

The mitten survived, and the only knitting left on it is the thumb. I started its mate, and have made it to the same point as I was with the first when you saw it last.

The time is here for me to make some decisions about baby knitting. Amongst family and friends, I think there are four babies almost ready for life on the outs, and not all of them are getting handknits from me. Then again, sometimes I get going with the baby knits, and I just want to knit more of them, and some days I think a trip to Babies 'r' Us might be fatal for me, and everyone at that store has enough going on without me dying there.

Leads :: Me to believe
Concierge :: Service
Thousand :: Points of light
Engines :: Roaring
Argument :: Starter
2006 :: Summer Spin-Off
Knot :: Tie
Fuck :: Me
Handsome :: Devil
Ridge :: Crest

Not Feeling It

The head of the puppet benefited from a rip and re-knit. Now it sits and waits. I am just not feeling it, and for finishing work on projects likes these, concentration and desire are requirements. They take much fiddling and fussing, and are totally worth the effort, but when the heart is not in it, setting the piece aside is best.

Since it was a no-go with Sini, I began a pair of mittens. I chose bright colors, and a fun, yet not terribly complicated pattern. I made it through the cuff, completed the thumb gusset plus a bit more, and now I feel like ripping out everything and tossing it back in the stash. Since I know the mitten looks fine, and that part of it is that I am off my game, I have not done anything just yet. However, it only has another day or so to go, as I do not want another thing to linger on the needles just waiting.

The upside of the meh has yet to reveal itself. Perhaps I will catch up on household chores, or maybe I will exercise more. Either of those would be fabulous. I could possibly finish reading a book or two, and that would be good, too. Ah, the options spread out before me in waves, or perhaps that is just sleepiness finally settling in on me.

UM...Check for Ear-rata

It is either time to knit the ears for my puppet, or I need to rip back and redo its head. It can be difficult to tell if it is right before blocking and stuffing. Either way, I am glad that I realized that the ear portion of the pattern in my copy of Spin Off is incomplete. The correct information is here. However, for now, none of it matters much, as a torn fingernail means knitting and spinning are temporarily on hold.

Rhythm :: Nation

Baby :: Cakes

Sanctimonious :: Hypocrite

I like :: Big Butts

Constipated :: Politician

Sleep late :: Everyday

Over easy :: Heh-heh

Erratic :: Driving

Umbrella :: Policy

You don’t :: Say

Like Watching Wool Dry

Yeah, that about sums up the excitement level and what I am doing right now. Beach Glass is blocking, but it should not take long before I can get it in the mail. Well, there is my track record of not getting packages off to where they ought to go in the timeliest fashion, but since there is no deadline or expectation of the arrival of either, I think I will be fine. Oh, and speaking of that, I received a piece of mail the other day. All that was recognizable was my return address label and the uncanceled stamp. It had gotten wet, and the mailing address washed away. It was a birthday card for a friend. To add insult to injury, it would have been on time, and I rarely ever accomplish that.

Ah, but I am getting off track a bit, or am I? Did I have a point? Oh, I did have a list for Ten on Tuesday, but I had read the topic incorrectly, and had Ten Reasons to Not Love Bacon. Once I realized my error, I had lost any enthusiasm for making a new post, but was hungry for bacon, and feeling bad about myself.

Since I like all of the Estonian Hand Puppet patterns, I decided to go with the most popular, and I am working round and round on Sini. The colorwork pattern is easy to remember, and making my way through the rounds seems faster than what my progress shows. I have begun thinking about making more of these, as they are so cute. A plan to spin and knit one out of alpaca amuses me, but I do know that I can sometimes be amused easily.

UM...Choices

New yarns are here! While I have not fallen off the wagon, I have recently felt strong urges to buy more yarn, but that might be a story for another day. The spinning of these began during the Tour de Fleece, but I needed to give my hands a rest, so there was a break between the two. I had been enjoying the spinning so much, it was a bit of a challenge to wait, but it was for the best. I spun the lighter first, and just finished the darker yesterday. Spinning three-ply yarns seemed like the obvious choice, and I do like my results. Now all that remains is choosing which to knit. So, what do you think, will it be Kriimu, Kirju, Pilve, or Sini?

Coma :: Irreversible
Aristotle :: Onassis
Pink eye :: You don't want to know
Expensive :: Mistake
Dancer :: Phoenix
Lipstick :: Collar
Buffer :: Zone
Stilettos :: Stabs
Booming :: Bass
Rap :: Murder

Growing and Shrinking

It hardly seems that I can be over 67% finished with knitting this Beach Glass Shawl, but according to Rose-Kim Knits' wonderful Shawl Progress Calculator, I am. It took me a bit to begin the shawl. I just could not cast on all 388 stitches at once, so I would add in increments of 50, place a marker, set it aside, spin, and repeat. The upside of doing it that way was that I took breaks from the wheel, I completed the cast on without losing noticeable amounts of sanity, and there was less counting involved when I needed to add the center marker for the shawl.

There are still enough stitches in each row to keep them from being spread out all the way on the needle, but the rows are noticeably shorter for me. I love the rhythm of this lace as its waves grow in a comforting rhythm. Knitting it is such a joy, made greater as I think of the friend who will receive it.

Yay, Vacay!

So, this week's Ten on Tuesday topic is: Ten Things to Bring on Vacation. A book, iPod, camera, and knitting popped into my head immediately. Then, I mulled it over some more and thought about different ways to approach the topic. I could not settle on just one, so I present you with three vacation-packing scenarios.

Budget-Minded:
Snacks
Drinks
Sandwiches
Fruit
Instant Coffee
Pillows
Sleeping Bags
List of places with free admission
Paper GPS (map)
Loyalty Card for discounts and freebies

The Unlikely:
Cruise Tickets
Passport
Resort Reservation Confirmation
Fancy Clothes
Sea/Snow/Hiking Gear
Personal Assistant/Sherpa/Staff
Airplane
Yacht
RV
Segway

and finally,

Prepared for Troubles:
Anti-diarrheal
Pain Medication
Allergy Medication
Tampons
Hand Sanitizer
Bottled Water
Sedatives
Chocolate
First Aid Kit
Bail Fund

Buh-Bye, July!

Here we are again, another month drawing to a close, and what a month it has been. In some ways, it seems like it has flown by, but with how much has happened, July 1 feels ages ago. We had the wonderful visit with grandparents and the weird Tour de Fleece. Las Vegas was filled with amazing experiences crammed into just a few days, and perhaps it was more than the flying that left my head swimming.
My mom's dog venture has entered a new phase. Construction began on the dogs' new home, and Poppy had two puppies.


Inspiration from Nora's Citron had me digging through the stash to find a missing ball of yarn to knit one of my own. I love my new shawl, and wish I could photograph it better to show it to you all. Knitting it was a perfect companion for this month, as it did not require too much attention, and the cobweb weight yarn I used (Jojoland Harmony) kept it compact for on the go knitting, and light enough so that it was comfortable to knit in the hot weather.

Speaking of the hot weather, I have been amazed at how little it has bothered me. Don't get me wrong, I do dislike the heat, but it has not hurt me the way it usually does. I was surprised by how well I held up in Vegas, even when the thermometer read 116F. Somehow, in my mind, it is nearly Fall, and time to start cold weather knits. Perhaps it is my weird working for me for now, but whatever it is, I am grateful that I am holding up so well with the hot.

We definitely have begun thinking about when it really will be almost Fall, as it is time for working out the details for probable travels in September. It will be another new-to-me experience. It looks like we will be in NYC for a few days, and we are on the verge of information overload trying to decide what we will do in the time we are there.

Whatever happens next, I have plenty of knitting and spinning to keep me company.

Instead of TV

This week, Carole asks us to write about things to do instead of watching television. Of course, many of these things can be done while the tv is going, and I am writing this list while watching a show. Still, we increase the quality of the experience of most any activity when it is the sole focus.

Knit

Spin

Walk

Bake

Read

Sleep

Garden

Bubble Bath

Card/Board Games

Deep, Meaningful Conversation

Anniversary Yarn

The 2010 Tour de Fleece has come to an end. Around the world, lint rollers are cleaning up the stray bits of fluff, and new skeins of handspun wonder whether they will become something else, or if they will continue to be valued because they are yarn.

The TdF was different this year, but I still had fun. I was a bit disappointed that it became necessary to change the way they awarded the daily prizes, but completely understand why they made the decision. I really enjoyed going through the threads and voting last year. Still, I do not think that is really what made it so odd this time, and the prizes, while very nice and generous, are beside the point. July is usually a bit of a weird(er) month for me every year.

So, what all did I make during the Tour? I spun some of the pink wool that I got earlier this month. I spun a bit of Shetland wool, and that was very nice. There is still more to come from both of those. However, a different spinning experience was star of the Tour for me. It was the one goal I set for myself, and it was a challenge, but I finished with the fiber I received for my anniversary last year.

Because it was a gift from Bruce, that made it special, and that is why I decided to take my time with it on a spindle. I did not expect to take this long, but I have many memories to go along with my new yarn. During last year's TdF, it came with us to the hospital for the isolation room experience. This year, it came along on our Vegas adventure, and I got to spin it atop the Hoover Dam. It shared plain, quiet moments, too.

When I finished with the singles, I had to decide whether I wanted to ply on the spindle or a wheel. Kiwi won, and she was right. Fitting it all back on Little Si would have probably been too much. Anyway, I loved plying. It would seem that all of the plying mojo is vacationing here. I kept watching The Gentle Art of Plying, and it is wonderful and inspiring. After that, it was time to skein, wash, dry, and re-skein, and sitting back and enjoying my new yarn. I wonder what it will become.















Cheviot/Silk/Angelina
686 yards
24 wpi
114.2 grams/4.03 ounces

Tour Dam Tour

Touring the Hoover Dam topped the list of must-do things for Bruce while we were in Las Vegas. It was a fascinating and educational adventure, but I wanted to do more with the experience. I put my drop spindle, fiber, and a yellow shirt in a bag, and hoped everything would work out something close to what I envisioned.

When I was warming up (for the spindling, that is) in line inside waiting for the guided tour to begin, I believe some people tried to sneak pictures, others stared, but there were few questions. A curious adult prodded a child to ask me about what I was doing. It seems that once most people learn what I am doing, they experience and odd combination of disappointed, bored, and confused. Bruce, however, ever enthusiastic and supportive, urged me to give more details than most people ever wanted to hear. By the time he is trying to get me to describe the Tour de Fleece, they are beginning to look for the nearest exit.

Anyway, none of that matters, as my purpose was to entertain and amuse myself, and that I did.

Camping On Tuesday

While it has been a number of years since I went camping, (we are conveniently forgetting that fiasco 2 1/2 years ago) it used to be a regular happening through my childhood, and I do remember some of the necessities.

1. Toilet Paper--You cannot leave this to chance

2. Marshmallows--Toasted over the campfire, and hopefully part of s'mores

3. Hershey Bars--Chocolate is a necessity, and s'mores cannot go on without it

4. Graham Crackers--Third component for s'mores, and a good on-the-go snack, too
5. Insect Repellent--Mosquitoes and ticks can really ruin a camping trip
6. Sense of Humor--Things will go wrong, and you need to be able to laugh
7. Wet Weather Gear--Sogginess is not fun
8. Sunscreen--Neither is a sunburn
9. Matches--Fire Good
10. Sleeping Gear--Because lack of sleep drives away a sense of humor

Felted Friday FO--Finally

I am not quite sure what the start-to-finish time is in on this, but I sure am glad it is done. My niece begged to make a felted purse a few years ago, so I bought the yarn for her and helped her with the pattern and some of the knitting. From time to time, she would knit it at our home or during family gatherings, but it has mainly been in a state of hibernation. Occasionally, she felt that the burden of knitting it was just too great, but felt great anguish over not having a finished purse. After Thanksgiving dinner last year, she tried to teach others to knit in an attempt to get someone else to finish the last twelve inches of i-cord. Everything went back in the bag and waited for her. Sometimes she would ask to come over to work on her purse, and then forget about it twenty minutes later. One day last week she asked again, and again, we told her that would be fine. You could have knocked us over with a feather when she called the following day. In short order, she finished those last stitches, I attached the handle, and it was in the washing machine felting away. She happily posed for the photo and then took her new purse home, and the next part of the journey belongs to her.

Oh, Land Legs, Where Are You?

We are back from our travels, and it was something else. Nearly everything has been put away, and most of the laundry is done (from the trip, that is), the grass is cut ( we will not mention the weeds), and beginnings of bread are in progress. While waiting for the swimmy head to stop, how about some Ten on Tuesday?This time it is the things we like about where we live, and I do not need a list of ten to describe just why I am glad to have found this place.

This is where I found my Bruce!

I will be back later with tales of spinning and knitting.

4th, 60th, 80th

It has been very busy over the past week. My grandparents were in town to visit and celebrate. We had the big gathering on the 4th of July. Food, fun, family, and fireworks made it a great day. The celebration began a bit shakily, as in an effort to be accommodating and not be bossy, we can be a bit vague about the details, but we quickly got on track and had a wonderful time.

While getting together with far-away family is already a reason to party, we had other occasions to commemorate. This year marked my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary, and my grandfather's 80th birthday.

Of course, it was not all about the big party. Quieter times spent with just a few of us at a time gave us special moments. Grandma knits and spins, so we spent more than a little time discussing those topics. We had a fiber acquisition adventure and discussed patterns and techniques. Grandpa remains perplexed as to why one would knit socks two-at-a-time, and I remain perplexed as to why he feels the need to keep questioning us about it.

It was busy, intense, fun, and occasionally stressful, but we managed to relax enough to enjoy our time together. We even got over ourselves enough to pose for a group photo without hysterics or drama.

Wednesday Whirlwind

The summer heat is in full swing, so we say goodbye to the snow peas. We had about 3/4 pound of them, and they were so tasty. Briefly, I felt like a successful gardener. Really, twelve ounces of snow peas is a big pile. They are our best harvest so far. The stray cats have also declared the end of snow peas in the garden to be tragic. They quite enjoyed spending time amongst them. Sometimes they best loved to nap under the snow peas' cool shade. Other times, they played jungle cat--hiding and then pouncing. I think we will plant more when cooler weather returns. No, not more stray cats, thankyouverymuch.

Speaking of exciting gardening news, I have seen baby watermelons! We planted many more seeds this year in hopes of increasing our success. If you recall, one softball-sized watermelon is our current record. Bruce is very pleased to have found seeds for a variety he remembers fondly from years past called Sun and Moon. I will not even ask anyone to guess the song that runs through my head when I think of this type of watermelon. It is "The Only Time" by Nine Inch Nails.

I think I might need a yellow shirt. The Tour de Fleece is almost here, and I have ideas. Some of it involves spindling. The wheels cannot follow me everywhere I might be next month. If all goes according to plan, there is a small Las Vegas adventure happening soon. One of the travel days might need some extra knitting, but I have not yet made any decisions. Probably it will not be this, though lately, I have had an inexplicable urge to knit it. Yeah, we have conditions in the nineties for temperature and humidity, and I feel the need to knit a stranded vest.

As it has been a number of years since I last flew, I have been reading a little bit about how the rules have changed. No, I am not posting a question about bringing knitting needles on the Big Six, but I would like to be aware and prepare accordingly. Once again, the innerwebs have varied information--clearly, not all of it to be trusted. What I have determined, is that perhaps the quickest, easiest way to make it through security is to have a service monkey. Of course, I did read a lot of advice, and it is possible that some bad tips filtered through with the good.

Monday's Got a Little Love Around

Maybe I did not get completely caught up, but I made progress. I weeded in the garden and the feedreader. Clearing out what needs to be gone from the garden is continual, but in some ways, easier. It is simpler to know what should be removed. The long list from the feedreader is a bit more of a challenge. This go around, I just removed those where the blogger has ceased blogging for a year or more. The next round will be more of a challenge, but it needs to be done because I cannot keep up with it all, and the weight of trying has taken its toll. I reflected and evaluated, and was sometimes surprised at what I discovered, but will wait to decide for another day, but not for too long. I suppose it just reminds me of another situation, and that is what is makes this more difficult than it might normally be.

Anyway, I have been knitting, and the knitting has been good. I am nearing completion on another Hermione Hearts Ron. It is much further along than when I was taking photos last week. I need to finish it and get it in the mail this week, as we are reaching the end of another round over at Caps for a Cure.

I also finished knitting a shawl, but more about that later. You can see it unblocked underneath this pile of love. Fabulous friends attending Estes Park Wool Market saw these amazing Pygora/Firestar batts and thought of me. The loving gift brought tears to my eyes and brightened a dark day. I get choked up thinking about it every time.

Sweetness

The gardening is coming along. Not only did the lavender plant produce its first bloom, but kept growing enough so that I could make a lavender wand. I could not find ribbon, so I used crochet cotton to weave it instead. The wonderful fragrance has filled the living room as it has dried. After cutting the stems to make the first wand, the plant shot out some more, so I think I will be able to make another this week.

Speaking of sweetness, Sara chose me for a Beautiful Blogger Award. I am humbled and speechless. Thank you, Sara. Now, I am supposed to list ten things about me that you do not know, but I am not going to because I cannot think of any. Instead, I will try to catch up on reading, commenting, and email.

Never Let Bitterness Take Root

The name, Bitterroot, has always bothered me. In fact, I almost would not knit it because of the name. Bitterness is such an unfortunate condition, and once it takes root it is even more difficult to remove. Still, it is such a pretty shawl, it did inspire me to reflect on the condition of my heart, and that is good. Also, it was an enjoyable knit, and the experience increased my confidence in my spinning. While I was a bit disappointed to run out of yarn, I was quite pleased to be able to spin more and have it match what I had done months ago.


So, I am sure you are all wondering who will get this shawl. Well, since no one guessed that planting marigolds makes either, "All I Need is a Miracle" (just substitute marigold for miracle) by Mike + the Mechanics, or "Marigolds" by Glen Phillips play in my head, I needed to find someone else. Then, on Mother's Day, I was talking to my grandma, and when I described what I had been knitting, she asked that I not give it away before she can see it when she visits next month. Clearly, this means that the shawl should be for her. If I had known that it was going to be hers, I would have knit the smaller version, as she is tiny, and this shawl is huge. Still, it will keep her warm, and I am so excited to give it to her.