Steph Sits And Knits

FO: A Single sock

2005-12-28T16:33:00.000-05:00

Made from Lion Brand magic stripe on size 0 dpns. I really like the look of this. We shall see how they wear.

FO: Mittens and scarf

2005-12-21T10:18:00.000-05:00

For someone who shall remain nameless.

Still working on the skirt for Susie. Then, I'll be done with Christmas Knitting.

Look what I got!

2005-12-20T09:59:00.000-05:00

Saturday was my S&B Holiday Gift Exchange. From my Secret Santa, I received this! It's Coronet from Knitty. I have worn it several times already. It's warm and wonderful. I also received from the same Santa a very cute stuffed bunny, hand-knitted of course, and a lovely sachet full of cinnamon and other winter spices.

Thanks, J., for being my Secret Santa.

FO: Fairly Easy Fair Isle

2005-12-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

Here are pics of the Fairly Easy Fair Isle
from Stitch and Bitch Nation. This sweater worked up very quickly. I made it for my daughter to wear Christmas Eve along with skirt still in progress. The yarn is from Plymouth Encore, I believe. Lost the labels ages ago. Pictured here are the upper back and a cuff.

The skirt has some block stripes and is about 3 inches done. This morning, I whipped up a little something for someone who reads this blog, so mums the word til after Christmas.

It has started snowing again. I guess I am glad I can cover up in whatever projects I have going to stay warm.

Page Under ReConstruction

2005-12-14T06:16:00.000-05:00

As you may notice, I am trying to snazz up the appearance of this blog. I'll be adding links and whatnots over the next few days. Stay tuned.

FOs: Mittens Galore

2005-12-07T13:43:00.000-05:00

Her is the final pair of idiot cord mittens!

And here is a whole bunch.

Now, I am back to work on the Fairly Easy Fair Isle.

Shhhh... Don't tell the kiddo

2005-12-05T11:12:00.000-05:00

I took a break from knitten making to whip up a pair of these slipper boots. Susie will receive them tomorrow filled with candy from St. Nicholas. Happy St. Nicholas day!

I have been knitting a lot lately, but not posting here much because the knitting has been pretty boring. Mittens, mittens and more mittens. I am making several pairs for several people. When they are all down, I'll post a pic. of the whole lot.

I cannot wait to get back to work on Susie's Fairly Easy Fair Isle which I hope to have ready for the Christmas tree.

Mittens with idiot cords

2005-11-18T17:19:00.000-05:00

A friend commissioned me to make mittens with idiot cords for her four youngest kids. I am having fun playing with this, as I like making mittens as much as I like making socks.

Currently, I am blocking ear warmers I made for Sus and my ruana. Pics to follow.

Daughter is sick today, so missed school and I am getting over a cold, so I have spent a lot of time knitting. It's been fun. Every now and then, a day stuck at home feels just right.

Ten Things You Should Know About Me

2005-11-16T12:30:00.000-05:00

1. Knitting is what I do for love.
2. I am tired. Always.
3. I am fat and not trying to be thin.
4. I used to do music for love, but now it's work. I want to avoid that with knitting.
5. I used to write for work and now I do it for love.
6. My dog is the person I respect most in this world. She is loyal, trustworthy and cuddly.
7. I have been married nearly ten years to a man who is almost as respectable as my dog.
8. My child is the center of the universe.
9. The way to my heart involves flowers, chocolate, and yarn.
10. I don't love to cook, but I am very good at it.

Knitting Meme from Cathy

2005-11-14T13:14:00.000-05:00

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?

I am definitely not a yarn snob. I really like Lion Brand's Pound Of Love worsted weight yarn. I also like Simply Soft. Of course, I love mohair and cashmere too.

The worst thing you've ever knit?

Hmmmm. I cannot think of anything I really hated. If I don't like it, I frog it.

Most valuable knitting technique?

Using scrap yarn markers to delineate sections in lacework, even in very simple patterns. I learned this from Delana. It really helps keep me on track.

Your most favorite knit pattern?

Again, I don't really have a favorite. Right now, I am enjoying Fairly Easy Fair Isle from STITCH AND BITCH NATION.

Best knit book or magazine?

I like Knitters' and Creative Knitting.

Favorite Book?

Knitting for Dummies.

Your favorite knitwear designer?

I don't have one.

Your favorite knit blogs?

Some are listed at right. I also like Colorado Knits, The knitting Carmudgeon, Knitting Fiend, and Cathy Knits and More.

The knit item you wear the most?

My black Lilac top from the summer '05 issue of Knitters'.

Who should I tag? Janet (from A Stitch Also In Time) and Amy (of Witty Knits), you're it!

Retreat Knitting

2005-11-14T06:14:00.000-05:00

I managed to do a couple of lace repeats on the Sunset Shawl while sitting in discussion groups on the women's retreat. I still think it shrinks as I go.

Today, I will cast on for mittens a friend has asked me to knit for her kids. I like making mittens, so really look forward to this. I will also continue work on the Fairly Easy Fair Isle and Sampler Shawl. I don't expect to get a ton done as I also have housework, laundry and grocery shopping to do. UGH. I am looking forward to knitting through a parent meeting tonight.

The women's retreat was really excellent. I made a bunch of new friends, a couple of whom I think will be close friends. I also came away with a clearer understanding of what I want to do with my professional life. We played a lot, talked a lot, prayed a lot, and worshipped together quite a bit. Pics are forthcoming.

Sampler Shawl and CAPOTE

2005-11-11T07:39:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I cast on for Cheryl Oberle's Sampler Shawl from FolkShawls. It's 401 stitches across. Good God! They barely fit on a 36" needle. I am wondering what the hell I have gotten myself into. I am using Lion Brand "Pound of Love" in Denim Blue. Its a lovely shade and very touchable.

Last night, Paul and I saw Capote, the new film about the time Truman Capote spent researching and writing In Cold Blood. This film is great. Well worth the rediculous cost of popcorn and pop. Get to it if you can.

I'll be away for the weekend attending a women's retreat at Temple Hills Camp in Belleville. I expect to have a fabulous time. You do likewise.

FO: Birdsnest Shawl; Blocking Woes

2005-11-09T07:55:00.000-05:00

I completed the Birdsnest Shawl from Oberle's FolkShawls last night at S&B. I love it and am going to miss it when I give it away. I used 4 skeins of Simply Soft in mauve. The FO is about 6 feet in width and three in depth. As always, pictures to follow when I take them.

I have cast on for the Fairly Easy Fair Isle sweater in Stitch and Bitch Nation. I am doing it for my eight-year-old in a variety of pinks. I want to have this for Christmas for her.

At S&B, my friend Chrys and I discussed blocking my ruana. I like it as is, but think I can get another 10-12 inches out of each panel by blocking. The problem is this garment is HUGE. Chrys suggested blocking it by wetting and hanging, so it is pulled down by its own weight. I think I will try this as soon as I buy some clothesline and pins for the basement.

Steph Knows...

2005-11-08T08:35:00.000-05:00

Having achieved a certain maturity through life experience, I have decided to share my wisdom with the masses. Please visit Steph Knows... by following the link at right.

Progress Report

2005-11-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

I finished the ruana earlier this week and wore it twice. Once, someone commented that it looked like I was wearing a rug on my back but this was someone who had just called me a fat bitch, so consider the source. I will post pictures as soon as I take pictures, which of course requires buying film and that requires going to the store and, in the end, the whole thing relies on me actually having the film developed. So don't hold your breath.

I am half-way through the birdsnest shawl now and making slow progress on the sunset wrap.
And I have decided to make a coat for my dog who seems to be having a much harder time with cold this year than ever before. So I am looking for a free, simple (no darn colorwork or lace) pattern. Any suggestions?

Renoir, Ruana near completion and other progress

2005-11-02T08:15:00.000-05:00

I am working on the last part of the ruana, the center borders and the collar. So far, so good. I am not 100% comfortable with the rejoin and may do something to reinforce it. We shall see.

I am on the first front panel of the Sunset Wrap. It's looking really good and I got a whole repeat done last night at Stitch and Bitch.

Sunday, Sus and I went to the Columbus Museum of Art for the traveling exhibit, Renoir's Women. The exhibit is very nicely done, though I think they could have done a bit more with Renoir bio material. Here is a link: http://www.renoirswomen.com/

We got hit hard with trick or treaters Monday night. I actually ran out of candy twice. This is the first year we have lived somewhere a lot of trick or treaters came, so I really wasn't prepared. Lesson learned for next year.

I am starting to think about Thanksgiving dinner. We'll have turkey for sure. Otherwise, I am open to suggestions. So...suggest.

Here's something I hate even more than the ten things I really hate.

2005-10-29T18:17:00.000-04:00

I spent this lovely afternoon knitting with friends. It was a great time. Good eats. Good conversation. Good knitting.

Being out all afternoon meant that husband and daughter were left to their own devices, which happens maybe twice a week. I came home from knitting to find my house trashed. I don't know who did the trashing. I'd like to think it had to be my 8-year-old daughter without assistance from my adult husband, but, being a realist, I know it could have been either or both of them. I don't even care that they trashed the place. Houses get trashed sometimes just from living in them. But why, oh why, did they go out and leave the mess for me to find when I got home? Did they think I would clean it for them? (Wrong!) Did they think, after a pleasant afternoon out with friends, I needed to be brought back to reality? Is it possible that they do this crap on purpose so that I will feel it isn't worth it to leave the house if, upon my return, I am faced with a mess? Are they, in some warped way, trying to tell me they miss me? (If so, they better find another tactic, cuz this just makes me want to go back out the door.)

Anyway, I hate coming home to a mess.

Ten Things I Really Hate...

2005-10-27T11:24:00.000-04:00

In no particualr order:

10. Knitting stores with in-crowds. Sheesh, this ain't junior high, girls.

9. Loud noises.

8. Liver. It's the texture.

7. Sales clerks at craft stores who clearly don't do crafts and know nothing about anything they sell.

6. Tangled yarn.

5. Snooty knitting designers who think we should all look like Iman.

4. Knitting designers who upscale patterns for larger sizes without taking into account that we amplistas aren't larger everywhere.

3. Housework. It interferes with my knitting and reading.

2. Snakes. (also include most reptiles and all bugs.)

1. Unsolicited phone calls. (If one more person tries to sell me a sattelite dish, I am going to lose it!)

So what do you hate?

Does Your Knitting Shrink Like a Penis When It's Cold Outside?

2005-10-26T08:51:00.000-04:00

So last night we had the weekly Stitch and Bitch at MoJoe's on the 670 cap. I spent most of the over four hours I was there working on my "sunset wrap" from Knitters'. I am pretty darned pleased with how the thing is progressing. The lace pattern is nice; the color is fabulous; the texture is going to be yummy for autumn and early winter. the only catch? I swear this sucker is getting smaller. I am now well into the last repeat on the biggest section. Last night, I did a repeat and a half and I swear it's shrinking. What the f...? It's very discouaraging to work your fingers to the bone and not see any obvious progress. Sheesh... why bother? Damn that knitting Goddess for abandoning me in my hour of need!

In happier news, the ruana is half-way done. I plan to really focus on this project now because its getting cold outside. Which means I should have it done within the next two weeks.

Book Report: the Revolution of Little Girls by Blanche McCrary Boyd

2005-10-23T15:11:00.000-04:00

This book may be just the ticket to send me back to my knitting.

The Revolution of Little Girls is far from revolutionary and has precious little to do with little girls. But I can forgive a book for not living up to its title. What I cannot forgive is bad writing and even worse editing. The Revolution of Little Girls by Blanche McCrary Boyd just doesn't hang together. In fact, the only thing that kept me reading to the end was the hope that, in the end, the author would make some cohesive sense of the many vignettes that make up the book. Unfortunately, she fails to do so. Revolution reads like a dozen or so unrelated slices of life from a southern lesbian. Think Bastard Out of Carolina without the good writing.

I'm glad I only paid fifty cents for my copy.

Book Report: The Fourth Hand by John Irving

2005-10-22T10:14:00.000-04:00

I haven't read an Irving I really liked since The World According to Garp. I loved Garp for its quirky characters and somewhat warped humor. No other Irving has lived up to that for me until this week, when, in the midst of moving and unpacking boxes, I read The Fourth Hand. This novel, published in 2001, has languished on by TBR (to-be-read) pile for at least two years. This week, whilst moving household, I came across it and reread the dust jacket. In all honesty, I have no memory of purchasing the book, but I can see why I did. The cover notes make one believe that The Fourth Hand could live up to Garp and I am happy to report that it does.

The Fourth Hand tells the story of Patrick Wallingford, not-too-sleazy reporter for an all news network. Wallingford, has the misfortune, while reporting a bizarre story in India to become the subject of an even more bizarre story, when a hungry circus lion makes a snack of his left hand. Wallingford, a previously substanceless man and opportunistic journalist, is transformed in more ways than just the physical in the weeks, months and years following his loss.

In The Fourth Hand, Irving asks deep questions. Can a leopard change its spots? Can deception lead to truth? Can true love really come and find you when you aren't looking for it at all? If these are questions that interest you or if you want a good laugh, The Fourth Hand
will be a good read.

FO and moving survival

2005-10-22T09:59:00.000-04:00

I finished the sweater for my dad. Will post a pic as soon as I take one. It cam out pretty well. I used a bernat pattern, free from their website. The yarn was bernat supervalue in rich brown and black. the collar is a little weird. Were I to do this pattern again, I would not do the collar as a separate piece that has to be joined later. I really cannot figure out why the designer did it this way.

As to the move, well, we survived. If I ever get the office stuff completely unpacked, it will be a miracle. In all honesty, I just don't know what to do with everything that has to fin into this room. I'll figure it out eventually. It took a full week to get the cable modem hooked up and they still don't have it right. Anyone else think Time Warner needs serious overhaul in the customer service area?

Other than the office, the house is pretty well organized. Still lots of pictures to be hung, but we'll get to that this next week. I really like it here. Much nicer neighborhood and a much nicer house. Guess I'll post pics of that pretty soon too.

Who Knew I Had an 80s Heartthrob?

2005-10-12T19:10:00.000-04:00

Just for fun, I took the quiz. You can take it too.

Your 80s Heartthrob Is

Kirk Cameron

Who's Your 80's Heartthrob?

Sock Knitting Fool: Another FO

2005-10-12T10:56:00.000-04:00

These are pictures of one of the tube socks I made for Paul. It took two frames to get the whole sock. The top photo is just toe to ankle. The bottom one shows just above toe to cuff. I don't think you can make it out in the picture, but I reinforced both back and bottom of the heel area with sk stitches all the way across. The cuff is in 2x2 ribbing, the rest in stockinette. The socks are made from Red Heart Sport on size 3 dpns.

I Shouldn't Have Done It...

2005-10-12T08:04:00.000-04:00

But I did. At last night's S&B, I cast on for a new project. When packing my craft and knitting supplies, I came across a remainder hank of yarn I used to knit Susie a poncho, scarf, hat and mittens last winter. Remembering that she asked if her favorite doll (who is really Dakatoh of the Our Generation dolls sold at Target, but who Susie has renamed Strawberry) could have a matching outfit, I put that hank with the knitting I didn't pack. Last night, I stated the doll's poncho. Did I need to start anything else? Nope. Does Susie need any more doll clothes? Nope. Am I marginally nuts? Youbetcha.

Anyway, the S&B ended up being very nice, with only three in attendance. Galpal, Chrys, is buying her dream house. Artsypal, Janet, is going through a hell of a lot these days, but still manages to create the most beautiful knitted art. We had a nice chat and got lots done.

Today, the Boo is home with a cold. Poor baby feels really crappy. I can so relate, since I gave her the cold. I have drugged her up, so hopefully she'll feel better later this a.m.

I hate to do it...

2005-10-11T06:29:00.000-04:00

Do to getting my blog spammed twice in two days by the same dog coat freak, I am forced to ask for word verification when anyone posts a comment to my blog. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Moving, Ethics, and a FO

2005-10-10T16:14:00.000-04:00

Moving is hell. It has always been hell and it always will be hell. We have half the house packed with 4 1/2 days to go. We'll make it, but it isn't going to be fun.

Today, I was confronted with a dilemma. Which knitting could I pack for the move and what did I need to keep out to work on between now and the move and in the few days immediately following, when I will be unable to find anything at all. I decided to pack all the big projects except for the jacket for Dad, which is almost done. I am keeping out a pair of socks, some doll accessories and some cotton for dish cloths.

What would you choose to keep out if you had to pack most of your belongings?

A question from my ethics class: If a convicted mobster offers several million dollars to build the wing of a children's hospital, should the hospital take his money? What if said mobster wants the wing named after him? Does it matter if said mobster is a reformed man or not? Talk amongst yourselves and post the transcript as a comment below. I'll tell you my answer in a day or two.

FO: This is one of the socks for a gal pal who shall remain nameless because its a surprise. I used DK weight Encore and an Ann Norling pattern on size 3 DPNs. I really like this pair of socks and plan to make more.

Should He Live Or Die?

2005-10-04T10:05:00.000-04:00

Sunday afternoon, my husband spilled a pot pie on my knitting, the jacket I am working on for my dad. Gravy, potatoes, the whole thing. And, of course, the crust split right open so the devastation was complete. (FYI, the knitting was in a basket on the coffee table.) Luckily, I was working on the current section at the time, so he was only able to attack the parts that were already off the needles and they could be washed. Luckily, the yarn in question is machine washable. It all came out in the machine. The question: does he get to live because it all came clean and the project is safe or does he die for the carelessness and lack of regard for the yarn?

Getting Back on Track

2005-09-29T14:46:00.000-04:00

For the last few days, I have done way more sitting than knitting. I don't know if its the prospect of the move distracting me or if I have just needed to veg out. Today, though, I have gotten some actual work done. The front and back panels for Dad's jacket are all done and I started a sleeve. I have to frog it and cast on a smaller cuff, but, that's okay, I hadn't gotten very far at all when I realized that cuff (done according to pattern instructions, I must add) is big enough for an elephant's trunk. So I'll rip out the couple of rows already done and be back on track in time.

The weather here is gorgeous today. Upper sixties with a slight breeze and lots of sun. I think I'll go knit on the porch.

The Date is Set!

2005-09-28T05:37:00.000-04:00

October 15 will be moving day! I have scheduled the very expensive movers to arrive at 8:00 a.m. They and I estimate the move will take about 5 hours, so, by 2 or 3 in the afternoon, we'll be in the new house. I cannot wait! I wish the packing would do itself. The person who invents self-packing boxes will be a gazillionaire overnight.

Here is the picture I promised of the art I helped with at Via Colori.

It took four adults about 4 hours to complete, with Susie helping a little here and there when she felt like it.

I had to miss last night's Stitch and Bitch. Just too much happening at home that I needed to be here for. But now I am in withdrawal. Anyone feel like knitting this Saturday? I have that whole day free.

Stuff, Stuff and More Stuff

2005-09-27T09:44:00.000-04:00

Can someone please explain to me how a day as good as yesterday (and it was really good) can lead to a day as crappy as this one?

So far this morning, I have burned the toast, yelled at my child, argued with my husband, spilled bleach on my favorite t-shirt, had a lesson cancellation, dumped an entire pitcher of iced tea on the kitchen floor I had just mopped, remopped the floor just before the dog tracked dirt across it, and hung up on two salesmen trying to get me to switch cable companies. I need a drink or to go back to bed. Aaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhh....

That all said, let me tell you about yesterday. The highlights: Susie auditioned for Opera Columbus children's chorus. She loved the audition, but won't know til the end of the week if she made it or not. I attended my first rehearsal of Columbus State's choir. It was big fun and the music is challenging. We are doing Stravinsky's Mass and Symphony of Psalms in December. In October, we'll do a lighter concert of Gilbert and Sullivan, Tom Lehrer, and Swingle Singers' settings of Bach. I am planning to audition for a solo in one of the Lehrer pieces. Wish me luck, please.

As for knitting -- I haven't accomplished much in several days. Life has a way of interfering with, well, life. I need to get some serious work done today. I plan to work on Dad's jacket and my ruana this afternoon. This evening, at Stitch and Bitch, I'll tackle some more of the sunset wrap and Paul's tube socks.

Book Report -- The Female Ancestors of Christ by Anne Belford Ulanov

2005-09-27T08:54:00.000-04:00

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/3856305793/102-1537180-2389755?v=glance

That's a link to Amazon's page about this book. I read a library copy and, while it was a good, thought-provoking read, I am glad I didn't buy it. Not a keeper, so far as I am concerned.

The Female Ancestors of Christ by Anne Belford Ulanov concerns itself with the only four women who made the "begats" of the Gospels. These women are Temar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. I chose to read this book, on recommendation from my father, who is himself a theologian and priest. The title appealed to me.

In all honesty, before this book, I had never noticed there were any women in the "begats." Truth is, I have always skipped this tedious genealogy when reading the Gospels. It never occurred to me that there might or might not be women in there and it certainly never occurred to me to ask why four women made the "begats" when so many did not.

But, in the first few paragraphs, Ulanov convinced me that these were questions I maybe should have been asking all along, questions worthy of further exploration. Truth is, it has never occurred to me to doubt that women made Jesus who he was. After all, his mother, his aunt, and at least one of his disciples were women. If we go by what the Gospels tell us, Jesus' foster father, Joseph, is absent from his life following the flight to Bethlehem. We must assume that Jesus was raised alone by a woman, his mother, Mary. Maybe Joseph died soon after the birth. Maybe he didn't stay with Mary after she bore a child not his own. Maybe he was just an absentee dad in the way so many men are absent because of their commitments to work and society. Whatever the reason, it is clear that Mary is very much an active force in her son's life while Joseph is MIA.

But Ulanov points out that there were women who made it possible for there to be a Jesus. Without the women who preceded him, Jesus could never have been born. Ulanov also insists that the Gospel writers must have had their reasons for naming only those four women as Jesus' ancestresses. Why did they not name Eve and Sarah and Rachel and Rebekah? Why not Dinah or Miriam or Jepthah's daughter? Why were so many women left uncredited and these four chosen of them all for recognition?

Ulanov believes these choices were made because these four woman brought specific traits to the line of Jesse. She believes these women were representative of the human condition in ways that men could not have been. By virtue of their subjugation in society, they bring to Jesus' lineage a part of humanity not often found in the lines of kings. Further, she points out that three of these women were gentiles, thus their inclusion in the "begats" making Jesus born of gentile as well as Jew. And, finally, she notes that all of these women defied convention and all (save Ruth) were sinners. She concludes that this inclusion of sinners in the line of Jesse is central to the Christian ideals of forgiveness, redemption and salvation.

I am thoroughly convinced of the importance of women in Judeo-Christian thought and practice. Ulanov fails, however, to convince me that Gospel writers believed what she believes. While it may be true that the women in Jesus' ancestry influenced his life and ministry, I am not convinced the Gospel writers had any interest in pointing out that fact.

The book is compelling. I finished, didn't I? But the writing is often circuitous. the reader sometimes gets the impression the writer is wondering around in a paragraph trying to find a point to make. This most likely is not the case, Ulanov being a respected theologian and professor. Chances are her thoughts were very clear. Only her writing style is cloudy.

Still, I recommend the book. But get it from the library.

Wishing I Could Have Stayed In Bed

2005-09-26T09:20:00.000-04:00

This day is off to a frantic start and I really hate that kind of start. There are just too darn many things that need to be done, several of them of front-burner importance. Ugh. Most everything important is scheduled to happen between noon and 4 o'clock, so I am trying this morning to get the tedious household tasks out of the way.

This afternoon, I have a meeting about the new house, an audition for Susie (which means picking her up early from school), a rehearsal for a choir I may join (which means dropping Susie at her dad's office ,so I can make the rehearsal on time). I was also supposed to meet with people at Ohio Dominican about going to school there in the spring. Luckily, that appointment has been postponed.

Sometimes, even a happy life can be a pain in the ass.

Yesterday

2005-09-25T17:07:00.000-04:00

I spent yesterday in the Short North with my darling Boo. We worked in Goodale Park on a street painting. The event was called Via Colori. Along with one of Susie's god-moms her god-brother and his main squeeze ( a lovely young woman I have decided he should try to hang onto despite their exceeding young ages), we created a pastel masterpiece at the corner of Park and Poplar Streets. I do not yet have a picture of the art we made, so here's a link to last year's festival. Hopefully, that will give you some idea what we were up to.

http://shortnorth.org/viacolori/gallery.php

The morning began with thunder, lightening and more than a little rain, so we got a late start. None of us knew how the dampness would affect our work, but it proved to be a positive addition to the process. Pastels on an already damp surface -- the ground, in this case -- blend very nicely and the colours are rich. God-mom Anne designed our work, which I can best describe as a round mandala with a rain forest theme. This sucker was Big
and took several hours to complete with four adults and one child helping. Susie and I were covered in pastels, having found that the best way to reach the center of a circle on the ground is to sit or lay semi-on, semi-above said circle. As Emma, aforementioned excellent girlfriend, suggested the ability to hover just above the ground like small helicopters or large humming birds would have been very useful. Humans not being hover-crafts, however, we accepted the need to become one with both pavement and paint. In the end, we were all quite satisfied with the work we did. I'll post a pic as soon as I get one.

Being covered in art goo didn't stop Sus and me from attending the Downtown Stitch and Bitch a block from the park. I really hadn't intended to go, Paul being out of town and me being the parent on duty. But, when I realized our assigned plot on Park St. was as close as it was to the S&B at MoJoe's, and realizing that I could actually see the place from where I lay on the ground working, and remembering that I had a sock project with me, and hearing that Susie really wanted to try the fries at MoJoe's --- well, I really had no choice but to join my knitting buds for an hour of stitching and bitching. It was just the break I needed.

As for Paul's trip out of town -- he was glad he went. Thousands attended the march on Washington, protesting the war in Iraq . Any chance the powers that be were paying attention?

Here are some pics he brought back from Washington:

The masses gather.

PT Phones Home

Washington Monument in Background

One Knit Forward, Several Rows Back

2005-09-24T06:08:00.000-04:00

Okay. So I sat down last night to finish the right-front of the jacket. Which I did. Problem is, when I held it up next to the jacket back, I discovered that the back is a good 3 1/2 inches shorter than the front. What to do, what to do? The answer was obvious but a bit maddening. I reopened the bound off seem on the back and have begun adding rows. Luckily, this baby is knit on huge needles with double stranded worsted, so it won't take long to add the necessary length. By tonight, I should be back on track and ready to start the left-front. What lesson have I learned here? Never assume that following pattern instructions will result in a properly sized garment.

Bubby left last night to visit the president.

Really.

He did.

Okay, so maybe he won't actually go to the White House or meet the prez face-to-face. But Bubby and about 100 of his closest friends from Columbus have headed to Washington to let W. and congress and anyone else in power know what they think of the war in Iraq.
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3091

Here's why I am wondering who the hell I will be be able to vote for in the next election.
http://www.dispatch.com/national-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/09/23/20050923-A3-02.html

Even Russ Feingold is letting us down. These guys are making Al Sharpton look better every day. At least he shows up in support of causes in which he claims to believe.

And here is a link to a UK view of the war.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article314783.ece

I hope it doesn't rain too hard in D.C. today.

Getting Out When the Getting is Good

2005-09-23T14:07:00.000-04:00

I just had lunch with my former boss. I am sooooo glad I quit my job when I did. Things at the agency have always been stressfull -- internally, I mean, in addition to the fact that the work itself is very stressful. But it sounds like the stress has built to a new all-time high. I am glad I headed for higher ground when I did.

I spent this morning on the phone with my father. While chatting, I knitted like a maniac, mostly working on the ruana, which is now 18" wide. Getting there. This afternoon, I would like to spend some time on the jacket I am making for my Dad. I have the back and half of the front done. Now, to the other front half.

2005-09-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

The Ruana is finally big enough to look like something -- nowhere near done, of course, but definitely getting there. More importantly, I love the fabric that I'm creating. It will be warm and soft and cozy. Just what a winter coat ought to be!

Got a Knit Picks catalogue in yesterday's mail. So many pretty yarns and a bunch of good patterns. I really want to order some sock yarn, but it will have to wait til after the big move. Dontcha hate having to show purchasing restraint? I don't know about the rest of you, but I want what I want when I want it! Very mature attitude, no?

I am very pleased with the sock I am currently knitting for Bubby. The yarn is really quite nice, despite its humble origins -- Red Heart Sport. Bubby said he wanted tube socks, so that's what I am knitting, but tube socks can be dull so I have made the project a tad more inspiring by doing slip/knit on the entire sole and heel. My thinking is that the bottom of the sock will be softer and more durable than it would have been in stockinette, which is what I am doing on the instep and toe. The ankle is double ribbed. I love the way this sock feels as I am working.

Today, I have an odd assortment of students to teach, a budding opera singer, a potential rock star, one very awkward pre-teenager in need of attitude adjustment, an elderly lady who wants to play Silent Night by Christmas and my own, darling Boo, who is preparing for an audition on Monday. At least the day shouldn't be dull.

It's Foggy in Old Columbus...

2005-09-21T05:57:00.000-04:00

Up again at 5 a.m. This time, I actually took a moment to look out an upstairs window before heading downstairs to begin the day's labors. I was shocked not to be able to see the field outside our south windows. Fog! Lots of fog! According to Poor Richard's Almanac a foggy autumn predicts a snowy winter. Not sure how to feel about that. We haven't had any really bad winters in Central Ohio since the year my mom dies, 1994. Or maybe that's the only really bad winter I remember because more than just the weather was bad that season.

I remember very clearly the day Mom died. I was working as a nanny at the time. The busses weren't running well on January 4, 1994, due to blizzard conditions, but I needed to get to work. The mother of my nanny family was a nurse and the father an electrical engineer with the local power company. Neither of them would get the day off for snow, so I wouldn't either. Realizing the bus wasn't going to get there on time, I walked from my campus area apartment to the Victorian Village home where I worked -- about a mile. the snow was furiously falling, the sidewalks were slick. Very few cars were out, so I walked down the middle of High Street in snow up to my ankles. It took nearly an hour to walk that long, cold mile.

When I arrived at work, the mother of my charge asked if my mother's nursing home had managed to get hold of me. They had not, probably because I had left early for work so as not to be late. My boss suggested I call the nursing home before she left for work, just in case I needed to go see Mom. I called and was informed that my mother had passed away during the night.

I spent the rest of that morning making cremation arrangements and trying to get Mom's ashes shipped to upstate New York for burial in her family's plot there. My friend, Craig/Peg -- a drag queen with weekdays free -- took me to the nursing home to fill out lots of papers. There, I astonished the staff first by refusing to see my mother's body. Do most people choose to do this? I saw no point. It's not like Mom was still in there. I shocked the staff a second time by laughing incredulously when they said what a "sweet woman" my mother I had been. The mother I knew was many, many things -- some of them even good things -- but sweet was not one of the things she was.

Getting to the nursing home and then to the funeral home to make further arrangements was a huge challenge due to the blizzard, which, by 10 a.m. was in full swing. By the time the arrangements were made and my mother's earthly remains were destined for the Allegheny mountains, the roads were impassable to all but emergency vehicles and drag queens with missions. Peg/Craig took me to his house, where I proceeded to get sloppily drunk and we sang the entire score to Dream Girls while the city around us shut down for the bad weather.

The next day, schools were closed, but I went to work. A week later, I began writing Mothers' Days, my play produced later that year. It was a good year, though the winter was rough.

So this morning, seeing the fog still clinging to the bit of yard I can see from my desk, I wonder if Poor Richard is right. Will this winter be another to remember?

Last night's Stitch and Bitch was fun and productive. We were at Emack and Bolio's in the Short North until they closed at 11 p.m. I think everyone got lots done. Personally, I managed to do a whole repeat (14 long rows) on the Sunset Wrap and 4 inches of man-sock. I was very p[leased with myself. The conversation was, as always sintillating. I do love my gal pals.

Here is Mom, sometime around 1958, standing in front of her car and looking very much like herself, definitely not sweet.

BirdsNest Progress

2005-09-20T08:41:00.000-04:00

At right is a photo of 7 inches of Birds' Nest shawl. The pattern comes from Cheryl Oberle's Folk Shawls and I am making it from Simply Soft. I love the feel and color of this fabric and the pattern is nice too, though I personally am not much into frills. I am making this for one of my daughter's godmothers (Yes, she has an assortment, lucky girl.) and the goal is to have it completed for Christmas. That should be manageable, since I have put relatively little time into the seven inches already done. This is one of those projects that has done more languishing than growing.

By the by, I am doing the Birdsnest Shawl as part of a knit-along. If you are interested in doing this project or any other of the Folk Shawls in the Oberle book, go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/folkshawls/ .
There, you can sign up and get support for any number of KALs.

Well, this morning has been another productive one. Chores are mostly done and I can begin knitting very soon. I plan to do another couple of inches on the ruana first, as it isn't very portable and I have a Stitch and Bitch tonight, so will have time there for something smallish. I did a little more than two inches on the ruana last night and am very pleased with it. In fact, I think I'll scan a portion and place it below:

What you see here is about 6 inches of the side of the ruana. It is about 7 feet long all-together and will be roughly three feet wide when completed. At the top is a bit of the fringe, which hangs 6 inches or so at either end. This is another pattern from the Oberle book. I am doing as Oberle suggests and using up bits and pieces from my stash to create this fabric. It is quite heavy, which is good, because this is to be my winter coat this year. The drape is really very nice. The big question, how will I wish it? Since there are so many different yarns involved, no one set of washing instructions will apply. Suggestions anyone?

On a whole nother note -- I need to brag. The Boo got a 100% on her very first spelling test and has been asked to help another child learn to read. She is being called a tutor and will be paid by the teacher in points she can use to buy goodies at school. I am so proud.

Productivity Report

2005-09-19T11:54:00.000-04:00

It worked! I got a lot done this morning. I have actually completed everything on the list above, except the Spa routine and four of the five knitting assignments. I have plenty of time now to enjoy the things I have still to do. I just love when the day starts out productively.

Just heard from Ohio Dominican University. I have an appointment there next Monday morning. I will meet with the head of the Liberal Studies graduate program. Wish me luck.

Early Morning Madness

2005-09-19T05:22:00.000-04:00

5:20 and I have already been up for almost an hour. Even wierder, I did it on purpose. The reason is that I am most productive in the morning and there is cleaning to be done. Honestly, if I don't do it early, it won't get done. I take the Boo to her school bus at 8:00 and am home again by 8:20. After that, I only have another good hour or so in me before I get drawn to books and knitting and DVR'd soaps from last week. So I am up now to get lots done, which totally explains why I am on the computer adding to this blog.

Sure, it does.

Anyway, my goals for today are numerous --
deep clean parlor and den
clean kitchen floor
normal kitchen upkeep
normal bathroom and bedroom upkeep
laundry
declutter my desk
Make chicken soup and biscuits for supper
Do the usual girly spa routine on myself
Go to the library to pick up reserves
One repeat on the Sunset Wrap
2 inches of the ruana
1 inch of sock for Paul
1 inch of the Birdsnest Shawl
2 inches of the jacket for Dad

Having made and posted this list, I am hoping to be more accountable for the progress of my day. I'll let you know how that works for me.

Computer Illiteracy

2005-09-18T15:37:00.000-04:00

I have been attempting to add links to this page and am having a very hard time with it. I finally have it so the links show, but they are not live. Any suggestions?

Really Good News

2005-09-18T14:01:00.000-04:00

We just learned that we will be moving to a new home on WestPark Avenue in early October. the lease isn't signed and several details need to be nailed down, but the new landlord called to say he wants to rent to us. The neighborhood is much better (safer and cleaner). Susie will still go to Fair Alternative School and take the bus. We are very, very pleased.

The coolest thing about this house is the upstairs room with a separate entrance that I can use as a music studio and office. That will be very nice come tax time. It will also be nice for my students.

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2005-09-18T06:23:00.000-04:00

I am up early because there are chores to be done. Of course, I have been tempted by the computer and its diversions, so here I am, avoiding the work I should be doing, but enjoying the quiet. Soon enough, the family will be out of bed and there will be no peace to be had. Things I need to get done today --
finish reorganizing kitchen, a job unwisely undertaken on a Saturday night
help Susie get her room clean
convince the spouse to help with cleaning our room and then actually clean it
figure out what to make for dinnerand then actually make it
Hopefully, do some knitting and reading

Speaking of knitting, at yesterday's S&B, I finished yet another pair of tube socks for the Boo. They came out very nicely and she can wear them to school tomorrow. I also did a repeat in the sunset wrap. That's looking pretty well, if I do say so myself.

And speaking of reading, I started a good book last night, The Female Ancestors of Christ, by Ann Ulanov. It concerns the inclusion of Ruth, Rahab, Bathsheba, adn Temar in the biblical begats. I have read the first 15 pages or so. Very, very interesting. This book was a recommendation from my father, who knows that I fear my brain is turning to mush. It has been a long, long time since I have felt intellectually challenged by anything.

For that reason, I have decided to go back to school in January. I am looking at the Masters in Liberal Arts program at Ohio Dominican University. Here is a link.

http://www.ohiodominican.edu/academics/catalog/graduate/liberal_studies/default.asp

In the meantime, to head off brain-rot, I have signed up for an online ethics class that will start in October.
http://educate.barnesandnoble.com/educate/bn/home/catalog/overview.jsp?productId=19345

Yeeehah!

2005-09-17T10:07:00.000-04:00

Finally! I can upload photos. Aren't I technologically advanced?

Here is a photo of one of the white tube socks I made to go with Susie's school uniforms. They are made from Red Heart Sport weight yarn on #3 needles. She likes these hand-made socks tons better than store-bought.

Good Things

2005-09-11T09:01:00.000-04:00

I am now the proud owner of an HP scanjet 3500c. It isn't hooked up yet, but, once it is, and once I figure out how to use it, I'll be able to post pics to this blog. Yippppeeeee...

Having frogged Aguave, I went looking for a new pattern and came across the sunset wrap in the summer issue of Knitters'. I am using the navy blue yarn I frogged from Aguave. So far, it is working up very nicely. I am really enjoying the lace pattern and the chart is isn't driving me nuts. Either I am getting better at reading charts or this is an easier chart than I have used before.

Frogging Aguave

2005-09-08T11:53:00.000-04:00

After finishing the front of Aguave from the summer issue of Knitters', I realized I really don't like it much and cannot imagine wearing all those cables on my quite ample chest. So its been frogged. But I loved the very inexpensive Bernat yarn I was using for it, so I am looking for a new progect for that yarn. Any ideas? Its worsted and navy blue. I have 32 oz. of it.

Btw, this was a very happy frogging experience. I have been feeling pretty crappy lately. Something about ripping the hell out of that mother really did me a world of good.

I am sooooo tired...

2005-09-06T12:03:00.000-04:00

I think its from watching to much CNN about Katrina and the deep south, but I am feeling really, really rundown. The whole thing is so terribly upsetting -- the disaster itself and our all-too-slow national response to it. I have really turned to my knitting as a way to cope with this situation. That and keeps my hands busy while I watch the news. Better than the alternative -- chocolate. Anyone else feeling zonked by veen though its hundreds of miles away?

I went to fifth and sixth grades in New Orleans. Both of the schools I attended are now under water, as is the house we lived in. I saw the top of the school on the news yesterday along with the hospital that was less than a block from our home. It really tore me up. I really have no business reacting so emotionally, as if this thing happened to me, when I am safe in my midwest home while thousands down south have no homes. Nonetheless, seeing New Orleans so harmed hurts.

The Agony, the Ecstacy and the Socks

2005-08-29T16:50:00.000-04:00

We'll start with the agony. I had to rip out 10" of the Aguave sweater from the summer issue of knitters. I had swatched it, really I had, but somehow I left the Yos out of the swatch and it seriously skewed my numbers. The front -- just the front-- of the thing was 43" across. A wee bit large and there was really no way to salvage it, so I frogged...and frogged...and...

I now have about 10 inches redone in a much smaller size. I am very pleased thus far. I'm using Bernat worsted in navy blue.

Now for the ecstasy -- I am loving my Ruana from the Folkshawls book by someone whose name I should remember but, of course, do not. I am using up lots from my stash and making good progress. So it looks like I will have a winter coat after all.

And the socks -- aren't there always socks? In the last week, I have completed 3 pair of pretty little white socks for the Boo to wear with her school uniforms and have a fourth OTN as we speak. I have been really obsessing over these socks. Better that than obsessing over the fact that my baby is going back to school on less than 48 hours and taking a school bus for the first time ever. Anyhoo -- the socks are very cute. Next? Navy blue socks, of course.

Lilac Top from KNITTERS' Done!

2005-08-09T12:50:00.000-04:00

Mine is actually black. I finished it over the weekend and am wearing it as we speak (read? type? whatever!). I upsized it a bit to accommodate my 3X top size. Using Bernat's one-pound ball of soft yarn, I cast on 175 stitches using size 7 and size 8 needles. I (accidentally) altered the arm and neck bindings, by knitting them on backwards. I was too tired to notice until one whole arm was done. At that point, I decided I liked it backwards, so we'll call it a "design choice," shall we? I am very pleased with the results, though I still don't think I'll be knitting another of these soon. It got to be a chore near the end. Who needs more chores?

I have now started the winter coat. I am making a very heavy weight version of the Ruana from the Folkshawls book. I think it will work up very quickly and be a great in-front-of-mindless-dreck-on-TV project. It will also be a great way to use up scraps.

Also on needles right now are the Birdsnest shawl from Folkshawls, a pair of white socks, a hooded jacket, and a square for an afghan that will be done many years from now.

Went to the Ohio State Fair yesterday. Susie and I had a great time riding rides all morning and early afternoon. We also enjoyed the All State Youth Choir and the Russian American Kids' Circus. Then, we met up with a pair of knitting pals to look at the artsy-crafty exhibits. I am thrilled to report that my friend, Amy Spears (of Witty Knits blog), won first place and Best of Show for her knitted afghan. She also took a third for her original design capelet. Both were lovely. I am so proud to know her. If you get the fair before it closes, be sure to see Amy's work in the DeSalle's pavilion. And don't skip the kids' circus.

Deadlines

2005-08-05T10:47:00.000-04:00

I just realized that I need to finish this blasted LilacTop from the summer Knitters' if I am to wear it while it is still warm enough for short sleeves. Have also realized I need to start my winter coat, seeing as how I threw away the old one and plan to make the new one. Then, there's the Birdsnest Shawl I am making for a friend's September birthday. Ugh... The pressure. OTOH, it often takes a deadline to get me to get things done. Why is that?

Cold Feet and Fancy Towels

2005-07-21T16:55:00.000-04:00

Bubby and I seem to have developed cold feet about the new apartment. We are really wondering if we can handle the increased rent and are seriously considering staying right where we are. Ugh. We really don't like any of our options. We can take the great place in the great neighborhood and be more than broke, or we can stay where we can afford to live. I am so very frustrated.

BUT the knitting is going well. I just finished the worlds fanciest dish towel. And I am half way done with the last half of the lilactop from Knitters'. I am really enjoying it.

The musical opened today and went very well. I have tomorrow off. Then, two more show days. Then, my job will be done. I am torn between jumping for joy and balling my eyes out.

Knitters are such smart people

2005-07-16T15:07:00.000-04:00

After reading all the responses to my post about the Tallit, I have decided to end the project where it is and turn the three-feet I have completed into a Matzoh bag. Fabulous idea! And I plan to restart the whole thing, using either the cobweb yarn shown here http://www.dimitysdrygoods.com/ or some fingering alpaca from Knitwits. The advantage to the alpaca is the colors available. But I LOVE the cobweb yarn. Has anyone out there worked with either of these? Now I need to decide on a pattern. I will wait to have the yarn in hand so that I can feel it and see what it wants to be.

Now, a couple of personal updates.

Susie has been accepted by lottery into Fair Arts Alternative Elementary in Old Towne East. She is very excited and I am very relieved. She won't be anywhere near that monster child who hurt her and she will be in a safer school. Fair is a uniform school, so I will be spending much of the next month sewing her uniforms.

We hope we have found an apartment. 3 shootings within a block of us in just over a month have convinced us that we need to move. Today, after Temple, we looked at a fabulous place that is literally next door to our Synagogue and two blocks from Susie's new school. This place is really perfect. The neighborhood is safe, clean and attractive. The house itself is a lovely
Victorian. The yard is gorgeous. It allows pets, so we could keep Catherine the Cranky Corgi and Alexandra, the Russian Blue Kitty. It is $200 more per month than we are currently paying and that scares the crap out of us, but, operating on the theory that you get what you pay for, we have decided to go for it. Wish us luck!

Tomorrow is Knitting Spa Retreat Day. I cannot wait!!!!!!!

To Frog or Not to Frog?

2005-07-15T15:15:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, my family is in the midst of converting to Judaism. Bubby's conversion will be official fairly soon. The Boo and I won't be official Jews for another year or so. (He started the process years and years ahead of us.) Several months back, Bubby asked me to knit him a Tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) and I agreed.

The project, which started out with all the loving intentions in the world has become a royal pain in the ass. It's boring, due to the boring garter stitch pattern I chose, and it is never-freeking-ending, due to the tiny crochet thread on tiny needles. It needs to be around 6 feet long and 3 feet wide, as it will some day be used as a burial shroud. I have completed around 3 feet of the thing and am having a hell of a time getting myself to work on it at all these days. I am NOT feeling the love, as they say.

So, this morning at Knitters' Mercantile's Friday S&B, I was bitching about it. Friends there suggested I frog the sucker and start over with a less time-consuming pattern with a little more interest in it. They suggested a heavier weight yarn and bigger needles. They also suggested a more complicated pattern, so that I won't die of boredom.

So, here I am, considering my options. I am certainly not enjoying the project as it goes on now. BUT I have put a lot of hours into this puppy. Frogging and restarting seems like a huge waste. OTH, 3 -6 more months of this agony seems unbearable, if I even ever pick the thing up again.

I want bobby to have his Tallit and am determined that I will knit him one.

What should I do, folks? I really, really need wisdom.

The Socks

2005-07-09T12:13:00.000-04:00

I finished the socks. They are lovely blue cotton and took only one ball of yarn (Lion Brand Cotton), so I have enough left to make another pair. Some day.

I wasn't quite as productive yesterday afternoon as I had hoped. I actually napped. I haven't done that in ages. It felt soooooooooo goooood. Maybe today I'll finish the Lilactop.

Baby Steps

2005-07-08T11:08:00.000-04:00

That's what I seem to be taking these days, especially where knitting is concerned. Haven't accomplished much this week, but I have gotten the Wool Peddler's Shawl blocked and will wear it tonight for Shabbat. I really love it!

Otherwise, life is going along at a rapid pace. I am down to 2 weeks left with my current job and am making great headway in getting my new music ed business going. That is doing wonders for lifting my spirits.

The other big pick-me-up is the fact that my house is clean. Scary, but true. Now, if we can just stick with the SHE system I am using and keep it clean and organized.

When I get off this puter, I am going to devote myself to an afternoon of knitting. I want to finish a pair of socks which are very close to done and finish the front of the lilactop from the summer issue of Knitters.

Sometimes, you just have to get through it

2005-07-03T16:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I felt pretty crappy. Today is decidedly better. Knitting was, as usual, the key to improving my mind-body-spirit balance. Also, I started reading Murphy's Zen and the Art of Knitting. Very good read if you are feeling philosophical about your craft. I am really impressed by the vast number of case studies represented in the book. And now I need to know more about Waldorf education. I am studying Charlotte Mason like crazy just now, so really didn't need yet another educational methodology to grab my attention, but it has. Guess I'll be off to the library Tuesday.

More Knitting Therapy

2005-07-02T15:29:00.000-04:00

Ugh. My psyche has picked this holiday weekend to take a dive. I feel like crap, folks. Crap. But I hate to call the shrink when its not really an emergency, so I'll wait til Tuesday when his office reopens to tell him I need something adjusted. In the meantime, I will knit and knit and knit. I have also started reading Zen and the art of Knitting. Not a bad read.

Now that I'm Too Damned Old...

2005-06-26T18:13:00.000-04:00

I really want to be a hippy and live in a commune. Truth is I am hippy, very hippy, proven everytime I try to convince myself I look good in pants. But I missed the boat on *being* a hippy in 1972. Back then, I was preppy -- or at least I tried to be because the other kids at my school were trying like hell to be preppy too. It stopped being cool to be a hippy just when I was the right age to be one. Now, hippydom is back and I am too damn old.

This comes up every year when I go to ComFest. ComFest is a big old lovefest/music fest/arts fest/political rally/outdoor market that takes place here in Columbus the last weekend in June every year. Its where all the cool people of all ages hang out. If Georgia O'Keefe were still alaive, she'd love comfest. So would Telulah Bankhead (if she brought along minions to fan her). KD Lang would fit right in and so would Joan Baez. Toni Morrison would like it, as would Cleopatra (again, with minions).

I go to ComFest because Bubby drags me there. I am never too happy about going, but I always end up glad I went. This year, we spent all day Saturday and a good chunk of Sunday communing with the people, our people, the ones with whom we really feel at home. We heard great music, saw tons of good dancing, ate good hummos and drank swell tea.

On Saturday, I spent time knitting and shopping with my gal pals from the Downtown Stitch and Bitch. We also watched the gay pride parade. Today, I spent several hours alone with my Boo, who, it turns out, has exquisite (and expensive) taste in jewelry. She came home sporting a sterling silver hand-made locket with a horse on the front. It also turns out she really digs belly dancing. I think we're gonna take a class together. Do they let 7-year-olds in belly dancing classes?

FO: I finished the wool peddler's shawl! It's pretty awesome. Thanks, Lady D., for making me stick with it.

Sometimes, A Sock Is Not Just A Sock

2005-06-18T17:45:00.000-04:00

At today's meeting of the Downtown Columbus Fiber Crafters, I finished a sock. One simple blue, cotton sock. It isn't much, but it makes me feel like I can actually accomplish a thing or two when I set my mind to it. When I finally figure out how to post a pic., I will do so.

This has been a god-awful week. I have spent a lot of time feeling like I am getting nowhere fast. But finishing the sock really helped to improve my perspective. Of course, the helpful chat with Lady D. and Red (two of my S & B pals) and the cry I inflicted on them helped a lot too. But the sock itself has gone a long way toward lifting my spirits. Maybe I can cope with life after all.

So, you see, sometimes a sock is not just a sock.

Knitting Therapy

2005-06-17T15:39:00.000-04:00

Feeling lots better, having completed the first section of lace on the Wool peddler's shawl and started the second. This may actually turn into a shawl when it grows up.

Spent the morning at Knitters Mercantile, with the Friday morning needle warriors. It was a fun time. The Beautiful Boo came along with me and completed several rows of her scarf, which looks to me to be about a third of the way to done. She, of course, has her eyes on yarn for at least five more projects. Definitely her mother's girl.

The spousal unit is hereby promoted in status from Manure to Mr. Manure. It'll be a while before he's my Bubby again. It's gonna take a lot of knitting for me, a bunch of effort on both our parts and some time for us to be back where we were, only, hopefully, better than we were for having learned a thing or two.

I have joined a web ring with this blog, but cannot for the life of me figure out how to get the little button for the webring on my blog. Ideas?

Lace Therapy, Restraining Orders and Manure.

2005-06-16T13:20:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted in several days because my family has been going through a very rough time. Some of you know the Beautiful Boo has been stalked for some time by a 7-year-old Casanova. I know this sounds funny and I am trying to keep this light, but its really pretty serious.

The little masher laid his hands on my baby a some weeks back and we have been dealing with police ever since. Unfortunately, neither he nor his parents seem to get that "no" means "no way in hell!" and "get lost" means "Stay the hell away from me forever." Over the weekend, in the midst of all the prep for my choir's Spring concert, the masher and his parents kept appearing at my agency. I had to call police again twice in one weekend.

Then, my husband, currently known as Manure, chose this particular hellish weekend to be a complete and total jerk. He absented himself from the situation by checking himself into a hospital, which may have been necessary but needed to wait a week or two.

And the agency for which I work chose this particular time to push me to the wall. They were planning to let the little perp. take part in programming at our agency, which would have effectively banned my daughter and myself from the building as we are seeking a restraining order against the kid and his parents. So I had to get an attorney-friend -- we'll call him Fang -- to have a persuasive little chat with the powers-that-be. This seems to have been effective.

So, in the midst of all this, I have been working on the satanic lace section in the wool peddler's shawl. It is a pain! In the midst of the big blow-up with Manure, I unwisely attempted to work on the lace. Stab, wrap, choke, pull, tug... Lots of mistakes, but served the purpose of keeping my hands from around Manure's neck. The frogging was very satisfying.

Anyway, Manure came home from hospital Tuesday night, so I was able to attend last night's Downtown SNB. Good thing. I needed it. I feel much more relaxed now. And Ms. D was once again able to come to my rescue with the lace. This time, I really think I've got it.

Grrrrrrr...

2005-06-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

Okay, that's it! I had to tear out the lace again. I really cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. I am going to figure this out if its the last darn thing I do.

A Tired Boo is a Grumpy Boo

2005-06-08T07:50:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Boo is back to being her adorable self, thank God. She had a major melt-down last night when I came home and found the parlor and den totaled in just the hour she had been home with Daddy before I got home from work. I expressed my extreme displeasure and she began to ball. After about 10 minutes of almost funny accusations from the Boo -- "I get blamed for everything...being the only kid stinks cuz you always get caught...You didn't miss me at all today... -- She finally wound up by admitting that she needs more sleep, cuz being tired makes her grumpy. Eureka! A Breakthrough! She picked up most of the mess, had a light supper and headed off to bed. This morning, she is much more cheerful.

I had a great knitting day yesterday! 3 rows of tallit, 3 rows of wool peddler's shawl (though I think I am still messing something up) several rows on a heavy sweater jacket I am making for my dad and turned the heel on a sock. Now, if only I had been as productive at work. Hopefully, today will be better on that front.

UFO Night and Lace Woes

2005-06-07T08:18:00.000-04:00

Last night, I spent a great deal of time on a UFO (unfinished object), the tallit I am knitting for Bubby, which may or may not be ready for him to wear for his conversion ceremony. I got twelve rows of it done, alternating work on it with work on other, easier projects.

This morning, I got up early to work on the wool peddler's shawl and realized I ha made a mistake some rows back, so frogged four rows. AAAAAAaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh. Starting to wonder if lace is my thing.

The daughter unit, the usually adorable Boo, is being anything but adorable this morning. Quite the precocious case of PMS, I'd say. Maybe its the heat getting to her. Or maybe its the last week of school. Whatever it is, she is driving me batty.

Not Knitting

2005-06-05T13:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a day spent doing very little knitting. My choir and band performed at the Gladden Community House Centennial Festival here in Columbus. It was outdoors and very, very hot. The performance went well but the kids were sweltering in their uniforms and I was absolutely miserable. Have I mentioned it was hot?

Then, I was lucky enough to see Patty Lupone in concert with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. The concert, called, Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda, was made up mostly of songs from shows Lupone was never in. It was a really great performance. She is still my fav.

This afternoon, we will look at a very small house in a nice neighborhood. Wish us luck! It is still very hot, so I will do little this afternoon but knit. Have started some blue cotton socks for a friend and am very pleased with progress on my dad's coat. The shawl has been untouched since Friday. Damn those charts. I really need to suck it up and get back to work on it.

Had a very bad experience the other night at a Cafe Apropos on E. Third Avenue. My S&B has been meeting there for several months and we have really enjoyed the place, but Friday one of the owners, Millie, monopolized the bathroom for an hour and a half of the time we were there. When we approached her partner about the fact that we needed to use the bathroom, he told us to use the men's, which, in the state of Ohio, is illegal and, in any state, gross. Sorry, guys. We love you, but we don't love your bathrooms. Apparently Millie makes a habit of using the bathroom at Cafe Apropos as an office and dressing room. Good grief! So we took our business elsewhere and suggest that anyone who sometimes has to pee to do likewise.

Finished Object: Bulky Boot Socks

2005-06-03T17:52:00.000-04:00

They are done! I made a pair of bulky boot socks for my Wisconsin-based Dad. It gets cooooold there and I thought some warm socks are called for, so I made 'em. I used Encore bulky in green (very, very green). I haven't yet figured out how to post a photo here, but you can use the link below to see a pic of the socks.

http://flickr.com/photos/12491968@N00/

At this morning's S&B at Knitters' Mercantile (the coolest LYS is Columbus), I started the lace section of my Wool Peddler's Shawl. Let me just say that I am not a great fan of reading charts, at least not yet. Hopefully, it will begin to make sense before long.

Lace, at Last!

2005-05-31T22:36:00.000-04:00

I have finished the long garter stitch section of the Wool Peddler's Shawl and am ready to begin the lace. What I really should say is that I could begin the lace if I weren't so bloody tired. Having spent the afternoon rehearsing band and choir in the hot sun, I am zonked. Doesn't seem like the best time to start my first lace project. Instead, I'll spend a couple of hours on boring old garter stitch in the tallit I am making for my Bubby.

Glad to report that marriage counseling is going well. We had an appointment today and it was more exciting than usual due to the fact that one of Bubby's former love interests called this morning after he had left for work. I have asked that this woman never call him again. In fact, I have stated rather adamantly that I would like her to fall off the face of the Earth. Its not that she reminds Bubby of easier times -- they never actually managed to get together. The problem is that she is a fantasy. Having never allowed herself to be caught, he can only imagine how wonderful catching her might have been . Its hard enough being compared to reality, but fantasies are impossible to compete with. Anyway, the counselor seemed to think the former coulda-shoulda-woulda woman should get a life of her own and stay the heck out of ours. It is so nice to have one's opinions validated.

Knitting Progress and Delusional Thinking -- Or Delusional Knitting

2005-05-31T01:15:00.000-04:00

I attended a Stitch and Bitch tonight. Attendance was a bit low due to the holiday, I suppose. But the four of us who were there sure made the most of our time. The Stitching was productive and the Bitching was divine.

I am almost done with the garter stitch section of the Victorian Peddler's Shawl from the Folkshawls book and plan to finish that section before hitting the sack tonight. I am really pleased with how this project is coming along now that I have yarn-overs straightened out. Of course, I haven't gotten to the actual lace section yet. I'll probably be pulling my hair (and yarn) out by this time tomorrow night.

Found a cute little house today while out with a friend. It had a for rent sign out front and its in a fairly decent area, so I hope to hear back from the landlord soon. Called lots of places yesterday about rentals and most were wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too pricey. Apparently, to live in some neighborhoods, we would be expected to choose between housing and food (or, God forbid, yarn!). That choice not being terribly practical, we have all but eliminated some neighborhoods from our possibilities list. I really hate that choice is so often limited by finances. I know, I know, reality bites.

Speaking of reality biting. It turns out the kid who was shot down the street was killed over a $150 loan. Another kid, who owed him the money, shot him in the head, rather than repay the loan. Good Lord! If that's reality -- and it is -- I want a dose of serious delusion.

Humbled Again By The Knitting Gods

2005-05-29T08:12:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it turned out I hadn't really solved all my wool peddler shawl problems when I thought I had. Somehow, my center stitch kept moving off-center, which sounds like an analogy for my life -- always a bit off-center, never sure how I got there. In life, I can live with being off-center, but, for a shawl, not so much.

Luckily, my personal knitting guru -- we'll call her Ms. D. -- attended yesterday's Downtown SNB meeting and was able to diagnose my shawl's problem: misplaced yarn-overs. Ms. D. whipped out a crochet hook, cracked open the spine of my shawl, and commenced surgery. A few moments later, shawl repaired, Ms. D. offered some suggestions for preventative technique. Now, with wisely placed stitch markers and extra attention paid to the shawl's spinal health, I am knitting healthily forward, realistically hoping to wear my shawl by the end of June.

While at yesterday's SNB, my phone rang. My phone never rings because I give the number to almost no one. So I figured I'd better answer. On the line was my loving Bubby, husband and friend, father to my Beautiful Boo. He was calling to tell me that, three doors down from our home, in broad daylight, a neighborhood boy had been shot in the head.

We have been hemming and hawing for some time now about moving out of our neighborhood. It isn't what you'd call a comfortable area. In fact, its not a place anybody moves because they want to. People live here because its inexpensive or because their families have always lived here or because they can't get a place anywhere else or because they work here and need to be close to their work. We are here for the first and last of that list. Recently, though, Bubby and I have been feeling that the benefits of the neighborhood no longer exceed its penalties. So we've been apartment shopping.

The mere thought of moving puts me off my feed and, for me, that's really saying something. But the time really has come. We have to go. I called about 30 places last night, getting answering machines at most. The few where a live person answered the phone were over-priced, way over-priced, so I made no appointments to look at apartments and we'll keep looking. Meantime, we will keep the Beautiful Boo safely in the house where Catherine the Cranky Corgi will protect her from harm. As soon as possible, we're outa here.

Today, I am interviewing piano and voice students for the summer term. Stressful for all involved, but has to be done. Good thing, I have my knitting to calm me. I may also get some sewing started. Would like to cut out a couple of sundresses for the Boo and a jumper for myself.

Now, I am off to begin the morning chores. Sometimes, I feel like Mama Walton. Chores every morning, knitting every night.

Random Musings of a Shabbat Morning

2005-05-28T09:13:00.000-04:00

I'm really not sure why I am awake so early but have been for hours, so here I am typing away for no good reason at all other than a need to bare a bit more of my soul than is probably healthy.

Last week was a rough one. The kids I work with were almost more trouble than they are worth. The nonprofit agency I work for was definitely more trouble than it was worth. I didn't get any real sewing done -- Well, I hemmed a sarong to cover my behind and other parts when walking into a local pool-- but, other than that, not a stitch accomplished. I knitted half a sock and frogged my Wool Peddler's Shawl (the one from the FolkShawls book) at least 8 times. My bestest and oldest friend had part of her foot amputated on Friday and is expected to need more surgery very soon.

The upside of the week: I finally figured out what was wrong with the shawl and have a good sized triangle done now; My children's choir gave their best performance ever Monday night and succeeded in raising some serious money for our summer camp program; The sarong looked great over my suit and the water was F-I-N-E, fine; There was a great Stitch and Bitch Wednesday night and another is scheduled for this afternoon. Almost nothing beats Stitching and Bitching with my knitting buddies. (See, Bubby, I said almost nothing. Doesn't that make you feel better?); Swimming with Susie on a day I let her skip school -- they don't do much of anything worthwhile there, anyway, so don't give me any crap about it -- was fantastic. We had a blast on that Mommy-Daughter day and we'll do it again soon.

Today, I plan to work some more on the shawl and the sock -- I'll probably finish the sock -- and get a few rows done on the Bernat jacket I am making for Dad. The socks are for him too. I'd like to get them in the mail in time for Fathers' Day. I ought to be able to make it. But, then, again, packages for my Secret Pals have been sitting, ready to go, on my desk for two weeks. Sometimes, I'm such a slacker.

Virgin Blogger

2005-05-28T08:21:00.000-04:00

I've never blogged before, but I've read a few blogs and decided, on this sleepless night, that the time has come to lose my virginity and blog my little knitting heart out. So, please be gentle with me. No one ever forgets their first time.