Needle Tart

Oops!!

2012-01-25T18:00:00.000-08:00

I missed reporting in yesterday, but I didn't skip the indulgence. On Tuesday I met a friend for lunch at a nice little restaurant in a small town nearby. I had some wonderful feta and spinach soup and it was delicious. I also had to go for a testin a local medical facility. One of the things I was trying to do this year is ask for help. A really have a hard time with this. I don't want to be a pain, but ya know there are times when people need to help just as much as I need to ask. I was going to drive myself to save The Husband the trouble, but he insisted. Once we got there he asked if I needed him to come in. I was trying to figure out how I would carry everything I had brought when it occurred to me that I could use some help. Hey, I actually asked. Yay, me!! (And yay to The Husband for nagging until I did.)
Today's indulgence was a nap, mostly because I had to sleep tied to a bunch of monitors last night.

Silk and Beads

2012-01-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Today's indulgence is knitting a bit of a bijoux with silk/wool hand dyed yarn and neato beads. I like it so much I am going to order the e-book of the designer's other jewelery. Pretty!

More Leftovers

2012-01-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

I made kits for the ladies in my craft circle to lean quilting. There was enough fabric and batting left to make a small wall hanging for Valentine's Day. That's today's indulgence. Marking the heart quilting and basting the quilt so I can do some sewing while I watch Downton Abby!!
Keep warm and enjoy the seasons!

Leftovers!

2012-01-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

But really good leftovers! I made some poached eggs and served them on one of the leftover scones from Wednesday night (craft circle). It was pretty good, but cream scones are really too sweet under eggs. I have also been enjoying the snow (through the front window with hot chocolate and knitting)!!

Music!!

2012-01-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to teach 4th grade today, but at 6:30 the school secretary called and asked if I would like to teach Music instead. It was a no brainer!! Love music with the littles. I had six classes from three to nine years old and we had a blast. The kids always ask me why I smile so much. I tell them that's it's because I love to be there!! Well, that and I get to knit during the free period. Heh!

Catching Up

2012-01-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

I missed a few days so here is the catching up.

January 17: Today's indulgence was shopping at the dollar store for some things to finish the terrarium. So far I've got about twenty bucks into this "inexpensive" project. I could but a finished one at Lowe's for $40, but nooooooo, I can build my own for less, just like Martha. We'll see.

January 18: Today's indulgence is meeting with the craft group from the Temple. I am teaching quilting and making an English Cream Tea for snackies. Yum! (Also staying off the net entirely to join in the strike against the pirate legislation.)

Today: I may have some afternoon tea. After all, there are some leftover scones and petit fours in the kitchen.

Decorating!

2012-01-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

Someday the ceiling in our bedroom will be replaced (The Husband says he will call next month) and we will be all set to redecorate and move back. Until then...we were at an antique store yesterday and The Husband found a copper tray with fish and dragonflies on it. It is perfect for all the crap on my bedside table. And it has dragonflies!!! Today's indulgence was polishing it up and seeing if it might really be solid copper (maybe, does anyone know of a test? It is not magnetic). Now to get the bedside carafe cleaned up and filled with fresh water.

New Yarn

2012-01-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Today's indulgence is knitting with some neat-o yarn. It is from Hobby Lobby and is called Chrysalis. It is one of those funny yarns that you have to stretch before you knit and then it sort of "blooms". Nifty! Some day I will be organized enough to post a picture.

Wait!

2012-01-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

Today's indulgence (along with making samples for the quilting intro), is knitting while listening to Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me. It's one of the best shows on NPR (thanks to Elder Son for introducing me).

Knitting Content

2012-01-13T13:30:00.001-08:00

While not really an indulgence, I have finally finished the body of Dreams in Lace. Time to put it aside while I work on some of those over due (way, way over due) projects for other people. I'll work on the left sleeve in February. But first, the Rabbi has suggested that I teach quilting to the Temple craft group. That means designing a basic (very basic) intro kit, making samples, writing directions, printing directions and making kits (shopping included!) and then teaching the class. Actually, I find this so fun I'm making it my indulgence for the next few days. Hey, it beats cleaning house!

Laugh Out Loud!!

2012-01-12T19:29:00.000-08:00

Today's indulgence is watching "Big Bang Theory" with my sweetie. I know so many people like this. I'm even related to a few!!

Smells

2012-01-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

Today's indulgence was going to the craft store and smelling the candles until I found one I liked. "Clean Linen". I bought one for the bedroom. (I also found some gingher embroidery scissors for less than half price. Bought those too!!)

Oatmeal

2012-01-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

Today's indulgence is my favorite oatmeal for breakfast. Usually I have unsweetened shredded wheat squares. You can see why this would be a treat.
1 1/4 cups water
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
sprinkle of cinnamon
freshly grated nutmeg (I like nutmeg so I probably use more that you would)
pinch of salt
a handful of raisins

Put all of this in a small saucepan and cook over a medium flame. While the oatmeal cooks coarsely chop two tablespoons (or so, like I measure) of walnuts and toast them in the toaster over for 5 minutes or until you can smell them. When the oatmeal is done (thick and bubbly) put it in your breakfast bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of really good vanilla, sprinkle the nuts on top and add some skim milk. I also put some real sugar in. Enjoy!!

A Year of Personal Indulgence

2012-01-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

Most of those who are still reading know that last year wasn't so great. We now have a brand new year and a chance to live happier (and I'm not just talking about the drugs!). Yesterday a friend gave me a calendar by Mary Englebreit called "A Year of Personal Indulgence". I also saw a post on Facebook about being as nice to yourself as you are to others. Let's get the year started! I will post something nice to do for ourselves every day. Some free, some inexpensive, probably a lot about food!
January 1: Hug your sweetie! If you don't have a sweetie, hug yourself!
January 2: Eat one piece of really good chocolate!
January 3: Drink a delicious warm drink. I had some Earl Grey Tea with sugar and cream!
January 4: Take a walk outside and enjoy the fresh air on your skin!
January 5: Get some fresh flowers and put them where you can see them. I found some white tulips at the grocery store.
January 6: Eat one really good doughnut!
January 7: Put clean sheets on your bed. And maybe put some lavender sachets in the linen closet.
January 8: Hold a small child on your lap. I found one at Sunday School.
January 9: Pet something soft. I got some cashmere yarn for the holidays and used that . Go to a yarn shop if you have to, but don't blame me if you go over budget!
See you tomorrow.

What's Up Doc?

2011-08-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

I saw the doctor today and her opinion is that I have hit the perfect storm of depression. Low thyroid (that would be the Rx the pharmacy messed up), low Vitamin D, possible anemia due to, ta-dah, menopause. The pause that depresses. Also a few situations that are not really happy: anniversary of my Mom's death (10 years, but, hey! she was my Mom), maybe surgery, and of course, the wedding and ensuing nerves. We are addressing the meds and I am talking to a therapist to manage the rest. Thanks to everyone who sent positive vibes my way. They made a tough week survivable.
Coming soon, knitting content. I am working on Daydreams in Lace. Time consuming but not too taxing. Should be pretty.

Update

2011-08-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

OK, for those who read:
I am a nutbag. Well, not really. A number of years ago (think big hair, oversized tees and leggings) I had a bad reaction to medicine. Yup the whole psychotropic bag. Depression, feelings of worthlessness and suicidal tendencies. I went to a therapist (briefly, I hope it's better developed now) and stopped taking any meds but a multi-vitamin. Tah-dah, cured. In the last few months I have been given incorrect meds (by the pharmacy) and of course, I am 56. Figure it out. Now that we all (the family) have an idea of what's really going on we are working to solve it. I owe YSS an apology and am posting it where ever I can.
There has been some mis-communication and a few letters on both sides that were better unsent but by and large I am responsible for at least half of the troubles. Keep me in your thoughts. I am seeing the medical professionals on Thursday and hope for a rapid resolution.

Help

2011-08-04T15:17:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know that YS is getting married. In the last few months he and YSS have made some plans. I have asked for some hint of what is to come and made a few assumptions (yes, I know where that leads and I'm there now) YSS is for some reason now convinced that I wanted to run the whole wedding and will never accept her until she converts. She has ceased all communication with me except to tell me what I am thinking. I can not stop crying. For those who care to listen:
1. YSS is a wonderful girl from a wonderful family. YS lucky to have someone who cares about him in his life.
2. I adore her family (well, until they started to treat me like the "Bitch Who Ruined The Wedding") They are funny, kind, and the sort of people we like to hang out with.
3. I am a deeply Religious Jew. Any questions I had about the wedding service were to protect YSS. OK, and to make sure I didn't feel like a quaint animal in a zoo ("Wow! So that's how Jesus did it!"). A Jewish Wedding is more than one service, it is part of a much larger gestalt.
4. At this point I can show up, say whatever they want me to say for the service, but I cannot promise that I will not cry from now until then. Everything I have tried to do has been thrown back in my face as trying to control the wedding. I was asked to make the chuppah, the design wasn't good enough. I asked if YSS has converted (and was going to surprise me because it's a totally Jewish wedding and she can be sweet and thoughtful that way) and was told that I couldn't accept that my little boy was marrying a non-Jew. Whoops. Guess I read that one wrong.
5. Help. I'm sick of crying over this, but I can't seem to stop. I want him to have the happy day he deserves, but maybe he'd be better off if I weren't around.

Socks of the Year

2010-10-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be gone so long, it's been a long hot summer and I didn't do much more than knit socks. Twelve socks in my own Self-Imposed Sock of the Month club. Stephanie started it and naturally I just joined in. So far I have knit (Sorry, no pictures. I'm just too lazy to set it up):
1. Back to Basic socks. Toe-up from Knitty Nice knit and the yarn has a little bamboo in it. It leaves the sock nice and silky.
2. (and 3) Scheherazade socks from Pink Lemon Twist(scroll down). I wore these to the pool just after I finished them and one of the other swimmers hired me to knit a pair for her daughter. Whee! Income.
4. A pair of vanilla socks knit at school. Space dyed cheap yarn.
5. "Ribbon Candy" socks. I named these. They are knit from "Hot Flash" from STR and the pattern is from Charlaine Schurch's sock book.
6. Baroque socks. These were a real challenge. I didn't quite finish them in one month. Beautiful socks.
7. Cotton ankle socks. Also from Charlaine Schurch. Love, love, love them.
8. Best Girlfriend socks from KnitPicks. These are the first socks I knit from the sock blanks I dyed last summer. I was surprised how tweedy they came out. I was sure there was plenty of dye in the pot. Still. Pretty.
9. Another pair of vanilla socks from the purse. My travel knitting. The yarn was some grey space dyed stuff from the stash (then again all the yarn is from my stash, and isn't that the point?).
10. Ribbons of Hope socks for a Cancer survivor at the pool. Wonderful pattern I got on Ravelry. Terrific directions. Knit from Violet's Pink Ribbon and the whole L&V thing? Just another reason to be depressed. Sigh. Had to get that yarn out of the house.
11. Hope socks (well, wouldn't you know? I met another Cancer survivor.) from Janet Laidman's book "The Eclectic Sole". I would like to say I love this book. I bought it because I liked at least four or five of the patterns in it. Seriously. I have knit three patterns from this book and all of them have corrections (at least from the first edition, I waited to buy it and got the second edition. I must say, the corrections are all up to date). That being said, each and every sock I have knit from this book calls for one of two things I really don't like to do. Wrapped stitches (Yuk! Nearly as bad as bobbles and that's saying a lot), or directions that don't add up (19 sts in the heel, pick up 9 stitches on each side of the heel flap, now you have 45 stitches. Really? I added that up and got 37 stitches. Where did the other eight stitches come from? Or go to?).
12. The chart for Hypnosis is making me nuts. I hunted all over the state for peacock looking yarn, and then. The only way to follow it is to put the sticky note below the line you are working on. Otherwise the stitches just don't line up. Quite frustrating. There are three more patterns I would like to try in this book. Maybe later when my frustration level is a little lower.

Well, there are the dozen socks I have knit since March. I packed up thirteen different socks patterns (what we call around here a "Baker's Dozen". Being a baker it seemed obvious). So far so good. I am over half way and I even knit some socks for other people. Wow! What a sweetie I am. I just re-read that and realized that I have already knit 12 socks, so how can I have five more socks to knit? Well, I didn't count the second pair of Scheherazade, the second pair of pink ribbon socks, or the two pairs of vanilla socks.

Why have I been gone so long? Mostly a combination of empty nesting, heat, not enough work and therefore not really enough money, and new Doctor who wants to take away the happy pills because I "don't really need them that often." Yeah. Looking for a new Doctor.
Nice to see you. Maybe next time I'll add some pictures.

Why I'm not Blogging

2010-04-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful post explaining one of my life's works. Sadly, blogger won't let me post the pictures that go with it. Later.

The Cookbook

2010-04-03T15:44:00.001-07:00

Sorry to be away so long, let's just say I'm in the Slough of Despond and leave it at that.

Now, on to The Cookbook. Over the last 30 or so years I have cooked a lot of meals: Seders, Break Fasts, Passover ("Please don't let me starve, Mom" Week), tea after services (called an Oneg which I think is Hebrew for sweet), and the regular day-to-day meals. Even though The Husband (he's retired, it was cook or clean something, he choose cooking) is doing the day-to-day stuff now, I still do most of the baking and all the special meals.

You may remember that we have a lot of cookbooks. A thousand or so at last count. How, you may ask, do I remember where the recipe I want is? Glad you asked. The following is an explanation of the method that has worked for me over the last 30 years, you might call it my life's work. At the side here, you can see two black binders. I used to have only one, but that one sort of fell apart and The Husband suggested that I use binders with metal corners. The thinner one has all the Jewish holiday recipes, like Passover granola, Carrot soup, Passover chocolate cake roll, Challah and so forth. The thicker one has any recipe that has been deemed "binder worthy". When the boys were young I used to tell them, "If there is a fire (spit,spit,spit) don't grab Lego, don't grab quilts, don't grab yarn, GRAB THE COOKBOOK!! Everything else is replaceable."

Now you may say to yourself, the cookbook is replaceable, too. Not so fast sparky. Here you see the original photocopy of my Passover granola recipe. It is actually taped to a new page because it has been used so much. You can see the handwritten reminders and "adjustments" I have added over the years. This year I made five (count 'em) five different types of granola based on this start. Chocolate granola (Still needs work, not chocolaty enough), Hawaiian Granola (this was the only type for many years, then I got bored), Olive oil granola (not good with milk, bu The Husband wants to try it with yogurt), Persian granola (pomegranate juice in the sauce and cherries and apricots for the fruit) and New England granola (ES's favorite and one I really like, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried pears, and Maple sugar in the sauce). Now, if I lost the cookbook, I'm not sure I could reproduce all that. Save the cookbook.

So, just how does all this work? I start with the clippings The Husband and I save and file them according to type, breads, desserts, dinners, meatless, sauces, drinks, and so on. If the recipe is in a magazine we either cut up the magazine and proceed to the file or put in a post-it flag and come back to the recipe later (same with cookbook recipes). On days when I am bored with all the recipes in the binder, I troll through the files and look for something interesting. If the recipe makes it into the cookbook, we tape in a clipped recipe or photocopy the magazine or cookbook and then add them to The Cookbook. (and sometimes I am inspired by the recipe to try to change it up a little. I just made White Chocolate Semifreddo. Not bad, but oo, oo, What if I used Chambord in place of the Amaretto and Semi sweet chocolate in place of the white chocolate? Something to try.....)

Well, I was going to add a picture to show you my files, but apparently blogger needs a nap.

I write on the copy or the page with the recipe where it came from, and any family notes, like :

"Grandma Roberts used to make these for Sam"

"Birthday cake for Bonnie"

"Grandma Esther made this for Passover"

"Reesie insists I rename these Reesie's muffins"

So this is not just some ole cookbook. It's my inspiration, my memories and really good meals ahead. What's the one thing you would save in a fire? (Assuming all people and animals were safe)

PS Mom used to say, "It's a really good cookbook if you can suck the pages and get an idea of how the recipe tastes."

Gold!

2010-03-01T07:44:00.000-08:00

Well, I finished the toe-up socks. They were sort of interesting. Hard parts - figuring out just how long to knit the foot (took me three tries and it's still a little long), knitting the heel, and wrapping the DNA sequence on the sides (we hates wrapping, we do).

You can see by the date stamp that I actually finished them on Saturday. I immediately posted on FaceBook and got some positive reinforcement. In the future: I would probably make a bull's-eye heel or a short row heel because I don't like that little poit on the heel. Also not so crazy about the color, but that's why I choose this yarn (KnitPicks Stroll, Oak color). I usually knit socks on size 0 DPNs, but as this was toe-up and I have thickish ankles I used size 2 magic loop to knit two socks at once (which also let me keep track of any changes as both socks were right there). Using the size 2 needles made these really loose, so last night I washed them in the washer and dried them for about 40 minutes in the dryer. Um, yarn not so good. It pilled and with all the wraps (three in each lozenge of the DNA) the design is sort of blurry. Oh well, I tried something new and learned a few things and got the gold. Yay me! Now where do I pick up my medal?

In the Yarn Harlot's calendar she suggests making a Sock of the Month club for oneself out of all that sock yarn we've collected.
If you are counting you will see 13 bags of yarny goodness. Why not start with a baker's dozen (especially as I bake sooo much). I also decided that with all the holiday and birthday knitting and crafting plus the Olympics that I would start my sock club in my birthday month. After finishing the Olympic socks, I said that it would be a good long while before I knit another pair of toe-up socks. Elder Son was home for the weekend and I asked him to choose a sock kit so it would be a surprise. Surprise! He picked "Back to Basics". A toe-up sock. Well, let's see if I can apply anything I learned.

Just for fun, this is the doll I made for Great Niece. If you look really closely, you will see a doll quilt, a little teddy bear, and lots and lots of clothing. It's an old McCall's pattern and kind of a blast to make. It is really expensive. The fuzzy white in the foreground is feather boa sewn around a velvet coat, and the dresses are mostly satin, but just look at all that lace! I have received a note from her mother and she is already very attached to it (or should I say "her"). Sadly the sweater I knit her brother is too small. I knit the largest Steggie and the kid is 7. I should have realized that "big" runs in the family. After all I am six feet tall and so is his Mom. There's always next year and at least he liked his book (a dinosaur puzzle book).

In cooking news I spent a lot of the last week preparing for Purim. If you are a long time reader, you will remember that this is the holiday where we are supposed to get drunk. Whee! For the last three years we have had an Adult Game Night. No, not those kind of games, shame on you. We call it "Adult" because there is liquor present and we don't want to have to watch the kiddos. I baked 200 Hamentaschen and about 75 knishes in triangle form (Hamen, the villain, is said to have had a three-cornered hat, or pockets, or pointed ears, your choice). Yummy food, fun games, getting a little squiffed, and we made a profit this year. It's all good.

Olympic Update

2010-02-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

The toes went lickety split and the increases worked out just fine. The size is great on my foot. Then we got to the gusset increase. So far I ripped it back twice. This is not easy to do when you're working from both ends of the ball, no place to wind up the pulled out yarn. I've got a fist sized tangle of yarn that I'm trying to create a heel from. Wish me luck.
I took the sewing machine to the shop yesterday. The light bulb burnt out and I discovered that aside from not having any more light bulbs, I somehow crushed the end of the screwdriver that one uses to remove the light bulb (Bernina. Fabulous design. The screwdriver that you use to put in needles has an indented handle that just fits around the light bulb.) Oh well, it was time for a check up any way. The lady said, "I have to warn you, it may take a week or two to find the parts."
I replied, "That's OK. I still have three more machines if I have a sewing emergency."
And my family thinks I'm nuts.

Why Don't I Post More Often?

2010-02-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

Why don't I? Mostly because the pictures are all loaded on The Husband's computer and he has it all crapped up with downloads so any program is three times as slow on his. If I load the pictures to my computer I can't print them out. Little advice here? Can I use my flicker account to print out stuff? If so, I can load the pictures on this computer and print from the other one. Hmmmm...Possible.
I have finally finished all the doll clothes for the Victorian Doll I made for Great Niece. I went a little overboard and also make her a doll quilt and miniature teddy bear, but, hey, I love that little stuff.
I'm all ready for the Olympics. I am knitting toe up socks. Biological Clock socks from the Eclectic Sole book. I have never done a toe up and according to the notes on Ravelry there are a few errors in the pattern. Therefore, not only am I doing toe up, I am going to knit two at once on a magic loop needle. Wow! from top down on 5 needles to toe up on one. You may need to send chocolate.

Oh, Dear!

2010-02-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

With this being Black History month, the old story of Underground Quilting is making its rounds. Barbara Brackman (a noted quilt historian, in fact if you google "quilt historian" her name is the first thing that comes up) has stated that she hoped the story would die down once she debunked it. No suck luck.
Please go to her site and read just how much she researched this topic. She was quite thorough and there in NO contemporary evidence (contemporary meaning "from the time of" the Civil War, not "modern", but that is a rant for another day).
Yes, it's a wonderful way to get kids to think about the Underground Railroad, and making quilts (even paper ones) is a great class activity, but it's bad history and if we teach bad history (seriously, I once heard a teacher tell her class that slave owners didn't want their slaves to read because they might read the Constitution and find out that all men were created equal, WTF) we will be doomed to repeat the mistakes while holding dear the nice little stories.
Please, if you are a teacher, don't teach this as fact, go ahead and teach it as a nice little story, but it ain't fact. If you are a parent, watch out for this little lie in the classroom. If you are a quilter, keep trying.
Sadly, more people won't read this post. Oh, well, we'll know.

Catching Up and Digging Out

2010-02-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

I am so far behind I will never catch up. Let's see:
Summer projects:
There was something about reading the 83 books in my box near the fireplace so we could have a fire this winter. Yeah. Now there are at least 100 books in the box. Thanks, family.
I refinished three or four pieces of furniture (you can have a picture or a post, your choice).
Yeah, yeah, lost 25 pounds (and not an ounce since, I may even have gained a pound back)
Quilts? The less said the better about those.
Holiday projects:
This was the year of Feltenschung. I made felted slippers for all the "children". The kit from Knitpicks with the high top sneakers, and spatted shoes (Elder Son made a special call to tell me how much he likes the slippers/sneakers and that it's helping with his heating bills) and French Press Cafe slippers for YSS. Two (maybe three felted hats, hmm maybe four), felted snowmen (well, those aren't finished), a felted fireman's hat for Little Guy.
Two Steggie sweaters. What can I say there was enough yarn for both.
Socks for all the men in the immediate family.
This is the month of my blogiversary. The Yarn Harlot (speaking of whom, I made up a sock of the month bag, but I'm not starting it until March. Not only will I not go berserk during February, March is my birthday month and it can be a gift to me!)got me into this four years ago. Which brings up: Olympic Knitting. I struggled for a while picking out a project that would be challenging without requiring that I stay awake for 16 days. At first I thought I would knit Sleeves in my Pi. I have the yarn, five skeins of laceweight. Sixteen days? Maybe not. I finally settled on toe-up socks. I have probably knit 30, maybe 40 pairs of socks, but never toe-up. The cast on scares me and the cast off worries me (fat ankles...bad circulation in the legs). Time to figure it out.
Digging out? Check the news (or Samurai Knitter's pictures). We got 2o" of snow last night and the cars just looked like igloos this morning. The plow still hasn't been by (7:30 pm).
What brought on the need to post?
I've been making a Victorian Doll for Great Niece (so far there is only one) and with all the snow we're sort of trapped here, so no more excuses for finishing the last dress. You'd think so anyway. I just ran out of white thread. White. Thread. I haven't run out of white since Mom gave me 10 spools of white and 10 spools of black for Hanukkah one year. She died in 2001. Today, when I can't get to JoAnn's, I run out. Sigh. Guess I'll just have to knit something. Good thing I have a little yarn around here. If only there were something to read. Oh, wait...

Thanksgiving Through the Centuries

2009-12-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

Sorry there are no pictures to post for this, you will just have to accept the words. We went to YSS's house for the holiday and we were truly traveling through the centuries.
1600s - The boys sat on a bench from about 1640 for Thanksgiving dinner. We had the traditional 20th century meal with lots and lots of mashed potatoes for YS. He even got to bring home some of the leftovers.
1700s - YSS's family lives in a log cabin from around 1740. It has been enlarged and modernized through the years, but her father restores antique buildings and when he doesn't have any other work, he tears out the "improvements" and puts things back the way they were (well, more or less. He can use old methods, but some supplies, like really old trees that make wide boards, are hard to come by). There is a nice modern bathroom, but he says there's an outhouse if we want to use it. Ha.
1800s - The Husband and I slept in a bed from 1820. Imagine my surprise when I noticed the rope "springs". The Husband found it very comfortable as he likes a firm (very firm) bed. It was a bit challenging for me, because beds in those days were only five and a half to six feet long. As we've heard before, I am six feet tall. I woke up a few times with my feet through the spindles at the foot of the bed.
1900s - Traditional meal from the last century. Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, sweet potatoes, the traditional green bean casserole. We would have had pumpkin or apple pie but we were all too full.
2000s - After dinner YSS's sister got out her laptop (with DSL connection) and made a plan for black Friday shopping.

Where's the New Post?

2009-11-12T06:59:00.000-08:00

OK, so apparently blogger takes Part 2 seriously. Really seroiusly. I posted an new update on the summer (with lots and lots of pictures) and blogger loaded it under the pictures of the trees. If you are looking for a new post from me scroll down!

I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes unto the Hills.....

2009-10-13T14:42:00.001-07:00

While I build up the posts about my summer list (many, many pictures...) I thought I might show you one of the big reasons I like where I live.

These are all views I enjoy when I take a walk around my neighborhood. Today, I share them with you. Happy October from Pennsylvania.

Summer Vacation, Part Two

2009-10-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

So I think you all got that I didn't get any re-decorating done. I didn't even get the woodwork scraped and ready to refinish, but I did get about half of the wallpaper border taken down in Elder Son's room. Yay me!

Before I get to the summer knitting report, I promised a picture of the tallis I made (yipes!) last October. Here is the Bar Mitzvah boy holding it up so you can see most of the stars. There are four large stars representing his parents and his maternal grandparents (the Jewish side), eighteen medium stars for life and thirty-six small stars for double life (c'hai in Hebrew, I could explain how each Hebrew letter has a numerical equivlent and why, but that would take a whole 'nother posting). The band across the top has the prayer he says just before he puts on the tallis. Hand embroidered

These are my roulette socks. As you can see I got a few extra things. The knit towel just matches my bathroom (that I redid eight years ago). The tiny sock blocker is hanging on my purse and the second sock has been knit. Sadly, I finished it in June and it was too warm to wear wool socks. With October here, it won't be long before I need them.

OK, on to the summer knitting list:

I finished one or two things, but not everything. Not by a long shot! I did, however, dye yarn!!! Whee!!! Early in the summer, youngest niece and I took a dying class in Nazareth PA (Kraemer Yarns). We had lots of fun and both came home with two skeins of colorful yarn. One of mine went to Amy Lane with greens (for Green), grey (for Bracken), and sunshine yellow (for Corey). She has promised to post a picture, so I won't bore you (hint, hint). These are yarns I died in the back yard at the end of summer. Youngest Niece sent me a kit and yarn blank for my birthday last year and I finally got around to using it. After I had dyed all the blanks I had, I had some dye left over and went hunting through the house for some KnitPicks' bare yarn. That's the rainbow colored stuff on the end. I think that is my favorite. It is in light worsted weight so maybe a scarf?

This is the Warm Shawl by Veronik Avery. I must have picked up that book six or seven times before I finally made the commitment. It is knit from KnitPicks Elegance (have you picked up that I use a lot of KnitPick's yarn? Good price, reasonable quality, and they have that "spend $50 and we'll ship for free" thing going). Any way, back to the shawl. I have worn it to services a few times and been so warm I needed to hang it over the pew in front of me. Youngest Great Nephew took a short (very short, he's pretty active) nap on it. So, nice and warm. Hella impressive and really soft. I can see this getting a lot of wear over the winter. Warning: There is an error in the lace edging chart check Ravelry for erratta before you knit this.

This is Elder-Great-Nephew's Steggie. Knit with Vanna White's acrylic. Shhh! I know it's not really harder to take care of wool (then again something that can be thrown in the washer seems to get washed earlier than something that has to be washed by hand, but I digress....), but I want him to wear it to death before he grows out of the dinosaur phase. Everyone at school loved it, to the tune of "can you make one for me?" Ha. It was fun to knit with no errors in the pattern. I think I switched needle sized between the body and the hood but that will just keep his ears warmer. Right?

Well, there you go. That was most of the summer yarn goodness. Next time (well, maybe) the crafty, social, other summer projects. Happy Veteran's Day.

What I Did on My Summer Vacation - Part 1

2009-10-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it's October, but I've finally got some free time and a whole lot o catching up to do.
Every spring, before school lets out, I make a list of the things I would like to accomplish with all the free time ahead of me. This year's list?
House
Re-decorate Elder Son's room and make it our bedroom
Re-decorate our room and make it the new sewing room
Re-decorate the sewing room and make it a TV/guest room

Sadly, due to the whole boom, poof (when the bedroom ceiling fell down?) we had to table the redecorating until we could get a contractor to remover the present ceiling, clean the joists (?) to be sure there is no mold growing, insert insulation, apply dry wall to new ceiling, sand floor, and repair the closet. Now that it's October, The Husband has promised to get on with it.

Knitting/Yarn
Sweater for a friend (promised who knows how many years back)
Nona Shawl (KnitPicks kit)
Steggie sweater for great nephew
Lace Shawl for me!
Warm Shawl from Knitting Classic Style
Another Fish Hat for someone....
Afghan for DIL to be
Dye yarn blanks

Sewing
Eldest niece's wedding quilt (They have a six-year-old child, I really need to get on this!)
Youngest niece's quilt (Four-year-old, and don't think I don't hear about it)
New Duvet cover for our newly decorated bedroom
Snowman embroidery I've been working on for years, years I tell you.
Cat embroidery, ditto
Doll for Great Niece
Tote bag from dragonfly materiel

Gardening
Mulch Lavender and Roses
The Husband's Zen garden
Plant annuals in the corner garden
Make Lavender Vinegar

Craft
Refinish Oak Desk
Refinish Oak Bookcase
Refinish Dressing Table
Refinish Oak Chair
Refinish armoire

Miscellaneous
Finish all the books in my book box
Take a trip
Lose twenty pounds
Swim three times a week
Digitize all my Ed Ames Albums

Well, that was this summer's list. Next time I will let you know how things worked out and even post some pictures. Now, where's that gift list for the winter holidays?

Thrown Off Lime and Violet

2009-09-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, not thrown off, just Miss Violet herself suggested that I should go listen to something less edgy if I couldn't deal with the last two episodes (and she called me "sweets" Humph.). In case you don't listen to Lime and Violet (beware: the page that pops up may not BSFW), the last two episodes were light on the whimsy and knitting and heavy on the (IMO) smut. Now, I like a dirty joke as well as the next mildly repressed person, but I always perfer content and maybe some context. Flashing the UPS man? Funny and related to the dye shipments. Excising the guest speaker's penis? Not so much. Lime's stripper pole? Interesting and related to the re-decorating. Miss Violet's Gay's pierced nipples? Ouchies. If they ever get out of the porn shop (a place I would love to visit, but hate to be seen in, giggling is so unattractive in a women of my advanced years) and back to fun and whimsey (loved the letterboxing posts) let me know. Thanks.

Later That Evening....

2009-08-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

We still have the bat with us. He is currently hiding behind one of the cupboards in the kitchen. I closed the pocket doors in the living room and we have isolated the kitchen as much as possible..... The Husband said he thinks it just flew out. Let us be truly thankful.

Is It Halloween Already?

2009-08-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last night I was hot and tired so I retired to the bedroom two hours earlier than usual. I snuggled into the cool cotton sheets and enjoyed the breezes from three different fans. I had taken my current book with me (She Shoots to Conquer a good read and fun, too). Apparently I was really tired and fell asleep with the book in my hand and my glasses still on. The Husband came up and was getting ready for his shower. He took the book and glasses and put them in a nice safe place, turned out the light and went off to shower. Some time later, I don't know how long, I was awakened by the sound of something fluttering in our bedroom. EEK! A bat. I screamed, The Husband came and did his manly duty by escorting the vermin out with a broom. Peace was restored.
I decided that I didn't want to fall asleep until he was finished with his shower and there to protect me so I went back to my book. Sure enough about twenty minutes later (little did I know The Husband was trying to finish his book (P. D. James, but I don't know which one)) I looked up and there was either the same bat or one of his little friends circling the ceiling. Screaming ensued. As did turning on all the lights in the house, taking the screen out of the window and opening it, and the front door WIDE, getting dressed (in the hall, thank you very much) and ducking. Eventually we herded the little fellow out in the hall and we hope he made it out of the open door. I really hope he didn't just find a nice dark bookshelf to hide in until tonight....

Random Sunday

2009-07-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

Someday I will have pictures of what's up with the knitting. I finished my Roulette sock and am currently waiting for some sizing info on the second Roulette sock (for Sue in Oz). I have wonderful yarn for her, all shades of purple with actual silver spun in. Whee!! Can't wait to start knitting.
Also finished the Warm Shawl by Veronik Avery. It's wonderful. Soft as a kitten and should go with a lot of my wardrobe. It's been cool enough around here to wear it.
I started an Aran cardigan for a friend's husband. She asked me to knit it a while ago and provided the yarn. It's Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Sapphire Heather. Not only is the yarn fun to knit with (all the marvelous shades of blue) but I am designing it as I go. Living on the edge......
Big News!! Younger Son proposed to his Sweetie and she accepted. I've always wanted a daughter. Hee. They came by last week and we took them out to celebrate. The wedding won't be for a few years as they both want to get advanced degrees before the wedding. Gives me more time to lose some weight. Speaking of...
My summer goal was to lose twenty pounds. I was doing really well. Had lost 12 pounds. One day The Husband comes downstairs and says, "I think we need a new scale. It shows that I've lost 15 pounds and I know that's not right."
Bought new scales. Weighed self. I had gained eight pounds. Argghhh!

Aunt Barney Rides Again

2009-06-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

As you may remember, I was headed East to take a knitting class with Youngest Niece. Her Little Guy was all excited to see me, as you can see. He's three and is still working on pronunciation. Therefore, Aunt Barney. Thank G-d I didn't wear purple (and I hate that song).
The whole reason for the trip was to take a knitting class (or three) from Annie Modisett. Now, I have been knitting since I was four. That's more that 50 years. I learned a few new tricks. Whee.
Wednesday night we knit with wire. Not something I will do a lot of, but we all learned that some 26 gauge wire is thicker than others. Naturally, I had chosen a thicker one. YN chose a thinner one and her sample was gorgeous. Annie gave each of us a spool of the kind of wire she uses and I will definitely be trying again with that one.

Thursday morning we learned a new/old way to knit. It is the way I used to knit until Aunt Grace told me I was doing it wrong. Yes, it makes a beautiful stitch. Yes, it's familiar to me. No, I won't be using that method. Julie asked some of her readers to knit an afghan square for a good cause and I tried the new/old way. It took twice as long and my hands really hurt from tightening up my knit stitches. The pattern is from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I've always wanted to knit this castle and now I had a reason.

Thursday afternoon we tried out some new decorative details. The i-cord bobble was worth the cost of all the classes. Wow, what a great way to bobble. Makes me almost not hate them. We also learned to make dreads, horizontal i-cord and some spiffy bind offs.

Before I left home I finished the Kai Mei socks from Cookie A's new book. They were really fun to knit. YN says she might not knit them because the lacy part won't show in your shoes. I don't care I just wanted to try them.
Friday, before I headed home we went to a yarn shop in Nazareth PA. I bought some yarn spun and dyed in Pa and some yarn with possum spun along with the wool. Lime and Violet were talking about it and I just had to have it. Now, if I knit a scarf from it will I have to play dead when someone scares me?

Drive-by Blogging

2009-05-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Hi! Well, the last time I posted I gave a few reasons why I might be a little busy. Have you heard that Mercury is in retrograde? Since the last post the art teacher at my school has become gravely ill (nice thoughts should be directed to Ann in Tyrone) and, as I am the one sub who gets along with her and can follow her (somewhat wandering) lesson plans, I am in charge of art for the rest of the year (which means I write the lesson plans for myself and my sub because the regular teacher is too sick, and I prepare all the supplies for classes, I organize the end of the year return of projects and get as much as possible ready for the art show). Naturally, just before this I volunteered to bake dessert for the entire congregation at the Rabbi's last service before she goes off to do her summer thing, and I signed up and paid for Annie Modisett's classes in Stroudsburg, Pa. Now, the wonderful secretary will not let me give up these two events. I stayed at school until 5pm last night to get some things ready for the annual art show. The head of the arts department went to the principal, who asked the Superintendent if I could get some over-time pay to cover all the work that needed to be done for the end of the year. Wanna guess what he said? Go on, but remember he's a member of the administration and I'm a lowly sub. Yup, no pay beyond my measly $75 a day. Therefore and hence, the other subs, the secretary and the teachers will not let me stay past three o'clock. The Husband keeps trying to get me to switch school districts (which would mean new clearances and learning all new names). The pay is just a tad higher but I like it where I am as long as I stay away from admin.
In knitting, I am working away on the shawl, I'm on row 291 out of 483 of the garter stitch center. That's all good, I'm too fried to knit complicated. That said, I finished the right sock of Cookie A's kai-mei socks and I'm at the heel of the second. Thank G-d we have a three-day weekend. I'm planning a movie, a picnic, and a whole lot of knitting. And you?

Random Saturday

2009-05-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Ohh!! This morning as I was painting a large beige swatch on Elder Son's wall (he moved out, I need a bedroom with a ceiling that stays on the ceiling) and The Husband called up the stairs as he was leaving to pick up his newspapers, "Yarny Goodness had arrived!"
Reader, I stretched out the anticipation through cleaning the paint brush, showering, dressing and styling my hair. Then I opened the box. Whee! Yarn enough for four shawls, two pairs of socks and the accents for a felted snowman, and a book, Sally Melville's Mother-Daughter Knits. Then we went to State College to shop a bit (no yarn shop for some reason but we did go to a grocery store). When we got home I made the copy of the shawl instructions ("Warm Shawl" from Knitting Classic Style ((look at the "more images" and it is on the second page at the bottom left) and swatched until I got close to the gauge (Hey it's a shawl, how close do I have to be?) and was all set to do just a few rows (I promise..honest...) and I couldn't find any crochet cotton, whose only purpose in life is to use for provisional cast ons (Wait! I think I know where it might be!!) Found it! Guess what I'll be doing this evening? Ironing. Yeah....

Elder Son was home last weekend to celebrate his 24th birthday. Favorite part of the weekend? "Son, I need your help. I tried to join a social network and they wouldn't accept my e-mail address. (So far he is kind and attentive to the old lady and the computer) Just how do you sign up for Facebook?" If only I had had my camera. Oddly enough Younger Son had the same look on his face. Heh. But, still not on Facebook.

I finished a pair of Mock Wave Cable socks for The Husband (it was our anniversary). I can't remember which book I copied the pattern from, but I think it was a Nancy Bush (and yes, I own the book). I knit them from Knitpicks essential kettle dyed sock yarn. They are the gold color. It looked a lot yellower on the site but he likes them so it's all good.

Last week we were sitting in the teacher's lounge having lunch. Does anyone remember the days when the kids took the drugs? We spent most of our measley half hour discussing the merits of Atavain versus Prosac. It must be spring.

Wednesday the secretary who schedules subs called and The Husband answered. "Your mistress wants to talk to you," said he.
"That had better be the one with the whip........Wait, that's not right........" I replied.

We are slowly clearing Elder Son's room and working on a design aesthetic The Husband and I can agree on. There's an old "oriental" rug in the attic and he wants the walls to be blue. That's as far as we've gotten. Oh yeah, and I'm not allowed to paint the furniture white. YSS had offered to take the dresser (huge with a lovely mirror, but not big enough for all The Husband's clothes), and we may have to rent a storage space for ES's stuff that will not fit in his one-bedroom apartment. If you don't hear from me for a while it's because we are scraping, sanding or re-glazing (the windows are huge, I'm a little nervous about using the heat gun to strip off all the old gunk). And then there's that new ceiling to arrange for the craft room (we've always called it the sewing room but I will have space for a desk to do all that rubber stamping that's spread over the house, and the sculpy clay projects, and .....).

Next weekend YSS will graduate from college. Next fall she heads off to graduate school. Wishing her luck and happiness and that we will get to see her once in a while.

Now, where's that crochet hook?

So That's What Happened

2009-04-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

We had a board meeting shortly after the Boom, Poof event and the president of the board asked what had caused the ceiling to fall. Perhaps I have been listening to Lime and Violet too much but the answer that sprang to mind (and lips) was, "Trapeze."

Boom! Poof!

2009-04-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

Luckily the principal canceled some meetings this week and I got two days back (the meetings are postponed to next week, but that makes the work schedule survivable). I say "luckily" because The Husband and I were chatting after dinner on Monday when we heard "Boom!" from our bedroom. As we were not in the room at the time we dashed up to see what had fallen. A piece of our ceiling (say 2 feet by 2 feet, or 70 cm by 70 cm) had fallen just about where I sleep. Now we live in an old house. Funny thing about old houses, when you start to pull off(or lose pieces of) the walls and ceilings there is a lot of black mold, dust, or something behind them. When the piece fell it hit the bedpost and broke into many pieces. The "Poof" is the only rendering I can use to describe the black powder flying all over (all over) the room. I had a pile of sweaters next to the bed waiting to be washed and stored away for the winter (it's still cold enough here for and occasional light cashmere sweater). Well, they'll be washed now.
The Husband took the bedding to the laundromat and I proceeded to wipe down and sort out the room. Our bed wasn't ready until two in the morning. Good thing I didn't have to work.

Survivor

2009-04-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

No, no. Nothing about the health (thanks for that momentary panic, though). Yesterday was the last day of Passover. It was an ....interesting holiday this year. Both of the boys and their sweeties made it to first Seder. Good people, but one of the worst meals I've cooked in a looong time. I tried to keep the asparagus warm. Did you know it will turn to green slime if you keep it in a 200 degree oven while you read through the Haggadah? And the potato kugel, well, it wasn't really crisp and brown, more just slightly charred. At least dessert was good, Chocolate ice cream roll with raspberry sauce. The granola came out well this year, too. I made bunches of the American style (since that's what the boys like, it has maple syrup, dried blueberries and dried cranberries. This year I added some dried pears since I had a lot left from the tree). Best thing I did this year was to type up the Gordon Family Haggadah*. For years we have switched around among three or four Haggadot** and it really bugged me. So Tuesday I sat down with a list and seven Haggadot and wrote down the parts we actually do in out family (no hand washing, it is assumed you did that before you sat down to eat). The second night of Passover we went to a community Seder and at the end, The Husband turned to me and said, "After hearing what he (the head of the ritual committee)did, your Haggadah isn't so bad." Seriously, he thinks it was a compliment.
On the knitting front I finished the Noro two row scarf Amy sent the yarn for, bought some Lion Brand Acrylic to knit a Steggie sweater for one of the great nephews and have been plugging along on some socks for The Husband and a pair from Cookie A's new sock book. Have you seen it? Don't just sit there, go find it. It starts with how to design socks and then give a bunch of must-knit patterns. We all knew she had it in her, I'm just glad she got it down on paper.
Next week will officially be the week from hell. We are hosting the Rabbi this weekend (driving about and making sure she is fed at appropriate times, also means we have to attend almost every event at the Temple), Sunday school (teaching 7-year-olds about the Holocaust, Yay). Subbing Monday through Friday, Monday night is Holocaust Remembrance Day, Wednesday is a board meeting, Thursday is training for Proctoring an advanced degree board test, Saturday we have to get up at 4 am (4 AM!!!!) to be at the exam and Sunday I'm back at Sunday School. In other words, I will be either working or sleeping next week. At least I should loose a few pounds as there doesn't seem to be any time for cooking.
See you in May. If I survive.

*Haggadah - The book that tells the story of Passover. It can run from 10 pages to 200 depending on the amount of Hebrew and details. The Gordon one runs 17 pages, with no illustrations (at least this year).
**Haggadot - Plural of the above.

Only For Amy...

2009-04-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

Would I post again so soon. She has a little meme and it's been bugging me all day os here goes:
1. If you could be eating anything at this very moment, what would you be stuffing your face with?
This was a tough one. Creme Brulee? Grilled three-cheese sandwich with fresh tomatoes and basil on sourdough? Wait, I know! An ATC. Avocado, turkey, and cheese on sourdough bread. Preferably in San Diego where it's swimming weather all the time.
2. If you could warp the space time continuum and start and finish a project in an hour, what would it be (and what color would it be?)
Hmmm. The aran sweater I promised to design and knit for a friend a while back. It's a beautiful (yet manly) heathery blue. I started it in 2008, but ran into some gauge and fit issues. New measurements are just waiting for some cable designing.
3. What was the weirdest thing to happen to you all day?
The Husband wanted to call the school where I work (and he sometimes helps out) and see if he was really needed tomorrow. I said no and when we got home from the Pesach shopping there was a message from the secretary telling him he could have the day off.
4. What was the funniest thing someone said to you today?
The Husband said, "Mmmmmmm, Dangly bits!"
I said, "What!?"
He explained, "The earrings, the earrings!"
5. What was today's songworm?
Ma Nishtana, Passover is getting closer.
6. What was the thing you did today you were proudest of?
Changed all four perpetual calendars and it's still the first.
7. What was the dumbest thing you did today?
Ordered iced tea at Subway. It only comes pre-sweetened and flavored. What a waste of caffeine.
8. What was the most same ol' same ol'?
The house still needs to be cleaned for Pesach and the quilts still aren't done.
9. What was the best thing about your region today?
Driving through the clouds to get to the grocery store.
10. What color was your day, and would you knit a project with it?
Weatherwise, kind of an ugly grey. And no.
Your turn.

Book Review Ahead

2009-03-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last week was PSSA week (the annual testing of the students) and the subs who help the support students spent a lot of time sitting in the secretary's office checking the tests and yakking. As a result we exchanged a bunch of books and here are two I read:
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Not the sort of book I usually choose to read, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. A young white girl in the American south (who had a traumatic baby-hood) runs away from home in 1967 and wind up living with a family of black bee keepers. I won't give you any more of the plot, but it was definitely a good read.
Twilight by Stephani Meyer
Many of you have already read this and seemed to enjoy it. Just one question. Why? I made it to page 275 out of 500 and just couldn't go on. The girl's character never developed. She's all "Why would I be special? I'm so clumsy and he's a god!!!!" and the vampire? Yecchh! All brooding beauty but no show of brains or developed character. One of the subs only made it to page 20 and gave up because it's a vampire story. I happen to lurve me some bloodsuckers so I hung in there. If you want vampires, try Vulnerable, or P.N. Elrod, Sookie Stackhouse and friends. Now those vampires have character. Whee!
On the health front, it appears I never did have asthma. I survived the heart tests and Dr. says there's no problem there. Now we're working on the theory that I am super allergic (There's something to measure in one's blood. The normal count is around 45 and mine ran 472. Hmmm) and have anxiety attacks tied to hormonal flux. What fun as I just turned 54 and you know what that means......

Who Was That Man?

2009-03-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

So last Sunday I forgot to take the fabulous lesson plan I had written. I took the four canvas bags, the box and the kitty litter (we were archaeologists at Masada) but no lesson plan. I called The Husband and he agreed to bring it over. After he had dropped off the plans and given me a peck on the cheek he went out the door. One of my seven-year-old students looked up at me and asked, "So, was that, like, your dad?" Heh.

Update

2009-03-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

I went to see the New Doctor on Tuesday. His take on the breathing problems is maybe, just maybe I was mis-diagnosed all those years ago, so let's take a look and see if there is something else causing the breathing problems. Interesting idea, no?
So far he has put me on his basic asthma regime (cause it sort of sounds like asthma, but seems I should be improving and I'm not) and also let's really treat my acid reflux. This means stronger meds than I have been on before, and no alcohol, no caffeine, no tomato products (ketchup, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup, etc) and no chocolate. Wait, what was that last one? Nooooooo........

Books and Things

2009-03-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

I had a slight relapse (the school nurse sent me home) and have spent the last week or so just sitting around knitting and reading. Since Julie posted her list of thirty books The Husband and I kicked around a few offerings.
These are the thirty books or authors we would recommend:
1. The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman
If you have ever pulled the "push" door this will help you understand why and who to curse.
2. Joan Hess
Pick a mystery. These people are nuts and that is what makes them fun.
3. Lois McMaster Boujold
The "Miles" series is mind opening and the "Sharing Knife" series is good old romance.
4. P.D. James
Mysteries for intellectual snobs (and really good reads)
5. The Last Unicorn by Peter Beagle
The Husband recommends this (I hardly remember it)
6. Connie Willis
Anything she writes is fascinating. From an explanation for the black plague to revisionist history.
7. Cresent Dragonwagon
Wonderful cookbooks. She started with a soup book and has written a huge vegetarian book that covers just about anything you want to cook.
8. Mark Bitman
How cooking works and how to get the best food from the least work.
9. Bernard Malamud The Assistant
Another of The Husband's books
10. Moosewood Collective cookbooks
One of the book groups I turn to when I want to make something "different" Lots of multi-cultural foods, mainly vegetarian.
11. Madia Heater
Any dessert you want. Her chocolate cakes are wonderful, and you will need them if you read:
12. Frank Tallis
The Vienna mysteries. All set in early 20th centuray Vienna. Lots of visiting coffee houses and having a little snack.
13. John Allen Gardner
Science Fiction centering on the disposable of society.
14. Alexandre Dumas
Drama, Lost love, Looonnnggg books.
15. Asimov
He may not have been a good example of how to live your life, but he sure could write.
16. Sandra Boynton
Sing it with me, The Cow says moo, the sheep says baa, three singing pigs say La La La.......
17. Jack Kerouac
Another of The Husband's choices (Seriously, is anything written in the 20th century literature? or is it all concept no content?)
18. Conan Doyle
Classic. Everyone should read it.
19. P. N. Elrod
Vampire mysteries set during prohabition.
20. Amy Lane
More vampires, new worlds, just read them already.
21. Sarah Paretsjy
More mysteries. Modern day.
22. Leonard Wolfe
The Husband would like to recommend his auto-biography.
23. Michael Holroyd
The Husband says Holroyd's biographies of George Bernard Shaw and Agustus John are worth reading.
24. Donna Andrews
Hysterically funny mysteries. I wish my family was like this. Then again, maybe not.
25. Lyndsey Davis
Sam Spade in ancient Rome
26. The Ethical Assassin by David Liss
27. Carl Hiaasen
Sort of mysteries set in modern Florida. Hiaasen has strong feelings about what progress has done to his home state.
28. Dorothy Dunnet
Read the Lymond chronicles and you will know a bunch about the 1500s (I got an A in world just by filling the blue book with the plots)
29. Mark Twain
30. Herman Hess
The Husband recommends.
31. Rose Levy Beranbaum
Want to bake something? Use any one of her "Bibles"
32. Patricia O'Toole
The Husband recommends her biography of Henry Adams
33. John Keegan
Military History from The Husband (this will make going to movies more challenging. "That's not the right plane.")
There you have our list. You may remember that I had a box with 65 books in it to read this year? I just counted, there are 62 left. Someone is adding books.....

Air Is Good!

2009-02-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

The lungs are working better now. I will be seeing a pulmonologist soon and we hope to go another eight years without troubles. Well, more, really, but let's not ask for too much.

While I have been waiting for air I have worked on a few things (knitting may be the new yoga, but it's not aerobic)

These are a pair of socks I started ages ago. They are from Knitpicks Essential Colorway: Blue Voilet Multi. They have a twisted stitch rib running all the way to the toes. Sadly, this demands too much attention to knit in the dark or in the car (motion sickness abounds). That means this is the first sock. I put the picture up because, Look! Look at the beautiful nails! I bit my nails until I was fourteen or so and chewed on the cuticles until a few years back. Last summer I started to get professional manicures every now and then and give myself a weekly manicure at home. Trust me, if I can do it so can you. Of course, now that I have to wash the nebulizer stuff three times a day, my cuticles are all dried out again. Back to the hand cream......

Every year I try to knit a silly hat for the great nephews (both are under 10). This year's entry is the fish hat. Naturally, Elder Son wants one, too. Younger Son is still hoping for a Viking Hat. It was an easy knit, in the round and fairly mindless. I even got to use up some left over yarns from the stash. Does this mean I can order some more?

These are a pair of legwarmers I made for my sister-in-law. She was in the yarn store while Youngest Niece and I were shopping and she picked up this yarn two or three times to say how much she liked the color. I bought it as soon as she left and took it home. Then I had to figure out what to make. YN says her mom is always cold at the office and could probably use some leg warmers. There they are. No real pattern. I just cast on the number of stitches I would have used for a sock (54?), knit a few inches in twisted rib (two or three) and knit three inches plain then increased two stitches at the center back every five or six rounds until it seemed there were enough (72 stitches?) and then knit to sixteen inches and knit another two or three inches of twisted ribbing. The hard part was measuring out the yarn so I had exactly the same weight in two balls. Good thing I have a digital gram scale. I didn't do any fancy stitching so SIL can wear them under her trousers and not look all lumpy.

Sock Roulette sock! This is New Fallen Snow (which seemed fitting for February) from Pink Lemon Twist. I have loved looking at her sock patterns for more than a year and Roulette gave me the push I needed to buy some patterns. Of course, I bought patterns for 12 socks, but you expected that. As you can see they are a little tight around the leg. A normal ankle will do just fine. With twists across the whole leg it makes it a little tighter. If I knit a pair for myself I will go up a needle size or two for the leg and switch to my usual size 0 for the heel and foot. Details: Yarn, Pattons Kroy socks in cream. Needle: Knitpicks 6" DPN in Options wood size 0. Who ever gets it, don't worry, I washed it and reblocked it so it won't be all stretched out. While I was at it, I thought a nice set of stitch markers with a sparkly winter feel would be a nice add along. What do you think?

What a Ride!

2009-02-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I was having a little trouble breathing. The kids were very sweet (a couple of girls followed me all morning saying, "You're not going to die, are you Mrs. Gordon?") and we were muddling through when we had to go outside for recess. It might have been fine, but one of the other subs was the only person with a key to the back door. Naturally she headed for the side door leaving the rest of us out back. As I was the closest, I yelled to her. The lungs, they closed. I hoped I could get the kids settled at lunch and sit down for a few minutes, then everything would be fine. I headed down the hall with my buddy Sue when she turned to me and said, "You don't look good." The wheezing really took hold and I grabbed the wall for support. Sue took charge and sent for the nurse. The nurse sent for the ambulance (school policy, or so she said), and the ambulance took me to the hospital next door. One breathing treatment and a dose of cortisone and all is OK. Not great, but the air is coming in and the wheeze on the way out isn't as bad.
The best part of the story (aside from the "I lived" part) is how sweet all the people at school were. The kids didn't make my day hard, even the worst behaved was good for me. The nurse took great care of me. The teachers made sure I got where I needed to be. The secretary went to the hospital with me until The Husband could get there. Then again, one of the administrators was only worried about where the ambulance should park so the school day wouldn't be disrupted and which staircase the students should use. And there is the reason I'm a sub. The less I have to do with administrators the happier we all are. Right?
Next post I have some pictures of the knitting I've been doing while on rest leave.

Put A File In The Yarn

2009-01-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

The police in my area recently arrested a fellow because he had a gram scale and lots of plastic bags in his house*. I have a gram scale and lots and lots of plastic bags. Big plastic bags. Eep.
*Of course those plastic bags were tiny, you could only get about a yard of yarn in each of them. Also there seemed to be some sort of residue in some of the bags.......

He Can Be Taught

2009-01-10T19:03:00.002-08:00

The Husband and I were watching the tube last night and that commercial for the weight loss product (Jennie, NutriWhatever, one of those) where the woman is knitting to "keep her hands busy" came on. Said I when the husband (on the commercial) came in with the knitted running clothes came in, "You know, if they really wanted to show a crazy knitter, they'd show the car cozy some knitter made."
Said The Husband, "Well, I hope she used some cheap acrylic yarn."
Heh.

I Won!!

2009-01-08T19:36:00.001-08:00

Yup, I won the Pa lottery. I had the powerball number. I got all of $3.00. No typo, that's 3 (three) dollars. Guess I'd better go to work tomorrow.

This Is Why I Don't Have a Diary

2009-01-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

Hi! Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. It always seemed that I had one more thing to add. The Husband says at least twice a week, "You have my permission to blog this." Not that I can remember what he did (well, except for the whole leave the house without his coupons/bills/grocery list/jacket/glasses and that's just proof that I'm the young one in this relationship).

If Blogger will co-operate there will be a lot of pictures here.

First up I should catch you up on the knitting:

These are the stitch markers I made one day when I should have been cleaning the house. Hey, I had all the materials and Cat Bordhi says I need ABC markers to make her wonderful socks.....

I got the dragonfly wings at an on-line bead shop. The rest of the beads came from bracelets I was making with my Sunday School class. The rings are the loop half of toggle findings for bracelets. Someday I will start the Coriolis socks.....

These are regular old socks (Paton's Kroy Sock yarn and KnitPicks options DPNs size 0)that I can knit while The Husband and I are at the opera. Not the "real" opera but the HD broadcast from the Met on Saturdays. They actually send out the performance to local movie theaters and you can see the opera. It's pretty cool except when they try those arty shots and you can see the audience. You know, "Wow, I can feel the heat from the desert and she looks so tired, Hey isn't that Aunt Helen in the third tier..." Sort of breaks the whole suspension of dis-belief thing. On the other hand you do get to see what's going on back stage and instead of hearing the opera quiz you get to "visit" the wardrobe section and get a close look at the costumes.

These are The Husband's Hanukkah socks (Cascade Yarns-Heritage in Cherry Be color, Knit on KnitPicks options DPNs size 0). The only thing I didn't like about this yarn is the pooling at the ankle. The color is much deeper and more interesting than my camera shows. The yarn is nice and squishy. Sadly, The Husband says he only has four or so pairs of socks. Now, how did that happen? I counted mine and I have nearly fourteen pairs. Then he reminded me of a few I knit with NON superwash yarn that made the trip through the washer and dryer and are now on the feet of smaller people.......Speaking of the washer, you may have been reading about Stephanie's sad loss of Mr. Washie. Apparently it is catching. The local washer (that would be the one downstairs) is out of commission. I swear I haven't felted anything in it(yet). The repair guy is coming tomorrow and we hope he can replace something or jiggle something to get us back in laundry. I have three days of underwear left and it's off to the laundromat.

The last time I had a pedicure, the pedicurist sent me home right away "so your feet won't freeze". It was pretty cold and rainy (and freezing rainy) that day so I scooted home ASAP. After thinking about it I realized that I don't do my own toe nails anymore and I would probably be back before spring. I needed socks! Specifics - Filatura Di Crosa yarn Maxime print in partita color, knit on KnitPicks options DPNs size 0. Yes, they are my favorite needles, why do you ask? I chose that color because that is the color I normally get my toe nails done and the yarn matches! Whee.

While we were visiting Elder Brother and his family over Thanksgiving (so it has been a while since I posted. Sigh) Youngest Niece took Younger Son's Sweetie and me to a yarn shop. I thought it would be nice to knit her a Clapotis since I have never knitted one and she spent last year in France. I had her pick out some yarn and got enough to make the Clapotis. Started same. Let's see, knit a whole lot of plain stitches with the occasional twisted stitch and eventually let about half of the stitches run down. Wait. What? Sorry, way too boring. So I knit her the Poinsettia lace neck warmer (when she unwrapped it she said,"Well, I don't know what it is, but I know what color it is." Very pretty pattern, just don't try knitting it at the opera (too dark to follow the pattern). Since that only took most of one skein and I had bought four I came home from the holiday festivities and started knitting the rest into something. These are the Spirogyra mitts from Knitty. I have also made a potato chip scarf and am looking for some kind of hat I can make with the last 850 yards.

In the spirit of the secular New Year I have done some thinking about what I would like to accomplish this year. Aside from redecorating Elder Son's room (he is now living in another city, same state but two and a half hours away) and then of course redecorating our bedroom into the new sewing room (because we'll be moving Heh!) and then redecorating the sewing room into a small (very small, 7' by8') TV and guest room, I would really like to get some of the backlog of quilting and knitting DONE! At last count I am seven quilts, one sweater and a few hats (Elder Son wants the fish hat at Knitty and Younger Son wants a viking hat) behind. Now I can work fast but some of these things are eight years late. Yecchhhh! Apparently Julie is in the same fix because she has made a button for anyone who want to make 2009 catch up year.

I also decided that I really, really need to catch up on all the books The Husband has put in my pile. To that end, I counted them and there are sixty in this box. That doesn't count the ones on the window sill shelf. In the lower left corner you can see some of the fireplace tiles. If we turn on the fireplace the box gets very warm. As this doesn't seem very safe, I need to finish enough to move this box. Trust me, there is no other space in the house for the box, I just have to finish the books (then are you going to get a box, Amy).

These are the books I will need to read in January. I figure if I read two books a week I might just have a chance to finish the box (and any library books I pick up) before next year. Wish me luck. (YS just added another book to my pile. Seems YSS got him a few books by Bill Bryson and I enjoy those, too so he's going to share them with me. Yay!)

Happy New Year to you and yours, may this year see all our plans work out (and if they don't may we get a wonderful surprise, like winning the lottery......)

Apparently, I'm Five

2008-11-16T11:17:00.000-08:00

Today in Sunday School the Rabbi was telling the children why we should celebrate Thanksgiving and she was talking about how grumpy she felt this morning when she looked out her window and saw grey skies and snow. I turned to the teacher next to me and said, "Wow! I was really excited to see the snow. I thought it was pretty!" The reply, "That's because you're five." Who knew?

But seriously, shouldn't we enjoy the earth in all its variety? Even a dark gloomy, rainy day has its up side. Sitting in a warm room and reading a good, long book next to the fire while I listen to good music on the radio? What a delight. And yes, I do think of the people who aren't warm, can't read, and don't even have a room. Luckily my religion teaches that you don't have to cure everything, just do what you can, but don't forget to look for the blessings, even in the hard times.

And why should we celebrate Thanksgiving? Because even though the weather is dark and gloomy and the snow stinks, we need the falling leaves and cold weather to prepare the world for spring and summer. At least that 's what the Rabbi said. Personally, I think we need to be looking for the wonder of a new day, whatever the weather.

Enjoy what ever weather you've got today, where ever you are.

PS I gave the Rabbi a pair of Fetchings today. If it were a warm sunnny day she wouldn't have enjoyed them nearly so much.

PPS I joined in on Julie's Spaz Along, but I can't post anything about the current knitting because it is going to someone who checks the blog, Hi!

How To Clean A House

2008-11-01T17:04:00.000-07:00

First, spend two weeks making this:

Pretend this is a picture of a prayer shawl with

a hand-embroidered prayer at the collar and

49 appliqued silver stars

(real picture to follow, once I trace down

the Bar Mitzvah boy and he isn't fresh from

a sporting event....)

Then think about at least cleaning the bathroom. Spend two more weeks making this:

A wedding canopy for some members of my Temple (yes, I got paid). It's totally original!! Look closely and you will see the word "LOVE" in the heart. Start at the upper left and go clockwise. If you go counter-clockwise (sort of) you will see the word "AHAVAH" (I have no clue how to get blogger-post-thingee to write in Hebrew) in silver. When the bride and groom came to my house we went through the fabric stash for colors and then on-line to look at other chuppot. There was one way more abstract than this, but both loved the idea of having "LOVE" on the chuppah. Tah-dah! The stenciling around the silver swirls says "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." It's the same thing, only in Hebrew at the bottom.

Ah Ha! Now you can get at that whole cleaning thing.

Wait! Work every day at school and spend the evenings catching up on paper work and reading.

Now? Sure. Start with a discussion with Elder Son's girlfriend about the mold in the bathtub. "See that pink stuff? That's mold." Luckily, the mold seems to have kept the blue hair dye Elder Son and she were using (his hair and I don't ask any more) from staining the tub. Whee! Take Sunday evening to clean the upstairs and plan to finish one room a day downstairs.

Whoops! It's almost Hallowe'en and you don't have any decorations up. Bring up box and decorate. Too late to clean this week. Wait until the weekend.

Start cleaning the living room and realize that it has now been a week since you have cleaned the bathroom and we don't want any more mold now, do we?

Figure that as long as you are waiting until the upstairs is clean to start on the downstairs, you had better finish the library book that will be due next Sunday (Stephanie Plum. The Husband laughed out loud and don't we all need a little laugh?). Finish book. Decide that you deserve a little reward and bind 12 stitches off the moibus that you are knitting (I am trying a new thing. Moibus knitting, and I-cord bind off. What fun!)

See The Husband pulling up outside and jump to work. Clean the upstairs. But, wait! I know I have Youngest Niece's Hanukkah gift here somewhere. I should probably find it before I forget. While looking discover that I have all the materials to make ABC stitch markers so I can try Cat Bordhi's sock pattern, after all the moibus thing is working sooo well.

Clean the upstairs.

Time to stop for lunch.

Start cleaning the steps, entry hall, and living room. The Husband suggests a recreational break. Shazam!

Remember that the Lia Sophia lady wants a jewelery bag (that I designed for the necklace with all the different dangles) and if I finish tonight I can get it to her tomorrow.

Time for dinner.

After dinner, start putting away the Hallowe'en decorations and decide that you should blog since it's been a while.

Next update: How to finish a project in just twelve years..

Hello, Little Blog

2008-10-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry to have been gone so long. The pears ripened in early September and days and days of preserving as many as I could followed. Then we have school. One would think a sub isn't needed all that much at the start of school, but we have a lot of new-to-us teachers and the administration scheduled a lot of meetings during the school day so I get to hang around and wait to fill in as needed. It's also time again for the Jewish holidays. I was a reader for Rosh Hashannah and I am one-half of the committee for the Break Fast dinner following Yom Kippur. We fast for 27 hours so there had better be lots of food for the starving masses. Mostly this means that my friend and I have been baking at least 2 or 3 hours a night for the last two weeks or so. As if that weren't enough I am also making a prayer shawl for my friend's son, a wedding canopy for some people in the congregation and a whole bag of alterations for one of my Sunday School students. Oh, yeah and then there was this book to edit.....
As you can see there have been a few things here and there that take up the old blogging time. I still check on my regular blogs most days (Hi, Amy, Julie, Lene, and others) and then of course I have to play a few games of Spider Solitare (you know, two or fifty). I am still knitting now and then. While I am in school and the kids are at recess, if I don't have to prepare the next lesson I can knit while I watch them. A few first graders have made their first knit stitches on one of the socks. Whoot!
School Stories? Monday I was so tired (from staying up to bake cookies) that I had to keep myself awake by being just too silly. We were playing Sight Word Bingo (the 100 or so most frequent words for First graders) and I started to make up a story for the words as they came up. "Purple. The elephant wore a purple fedora. Purple." "The. The leopard wanted one, too. The." "Over. Over at the monkey cage, the monkeys are making pants! Over" And so on . One of the kids said, "I don't care if I win, I just want to know what happens." Bless his little heart.
It's time to go work on the simcha challah for the Break Fast. May you be sealed in the book of life for a good year.

Just a Note

2008-08-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

School has started again. Now, I am a sub. You would think that means I have a few weeks before I go back to work. Not so. I am now booked for more that 40 days in the next school year, and that doesn't even count days when the teachers are sick. Yesterday I was in for meetings (that's right. On the second day of school).
Best story of the day? I was going over a questionnaire for second graders about what they would like to do in the Large Group Instruction room before and after school while waiting for the school bus routes to finish/start. One question referred them to their hobbies. "What's a hobby?", asked one kid in the back.
"It's something you like to do that you don't get paid for. It's just for fun. What's my favorite hobby?"
He looked at me (apparently he needs to get his eyes checked) and said, "Jogging?"
The whole class laughed and I asked,"Whadda you? New heah?" All the other kids chimed in with. "She KNITS!"
In knitting news: I finished the Branching Out scarf and it looks pretty much the same, just longer. I started an Aran sweater for Kermit's hubby, but it is looking a little too narrow around the chest. Luckily I have only knitted two skeins up so far and they are coming down to visit soon. We are colluding to trick him into letting us measure him without knowing why, so the sweater will be a surprise. I suppose I should mention that all the pattens I have seen are not quite right so I am designing it as I go.
Youngest Niece has finished her first socks. Go visit her and heap praise on her head. Then I won't have to knit socks for the holiday, just send her yarn. Mah ha ha.

Would you believe, fortnightly?

2008-08-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

I did manage to post every Friday in July, but it's a new month now, isn't it? Just to make up for the lost week I will give you lots of pictures (assuming blogger co-operates).

Here is an awful picture of the ribbon vest. As you may have pickup up, I swim. A lot. See those shoulders and arms. Sweetie, that's mostly muscle. Sigh. Anyway, details.
Pattern: Lots of Options vest from Sally Melville's Knit Stitch.
Ribbon: Lion Brand Incredible yarn, City Lights color way.
9 skeins
Needles: Knitpicks Harmony size 5
Buttons: 10. 5 gold and 5 blue plastic
Modifications: I did a three-needle bind off at the shoulders rather than try to seam them. I also made the v-neck a little less deep. Good thing. As it is the very edge of my bra shows under the arms. This will look great in the fall and winter over a turtleneck. It makes a nice change from the knit polo shirts I usually wear all summer and the waitress at Olive Garden was really impressed that I had made it. She knew I was a knitter because as we were waiting for our friends to arrive I was knitting on these:
Pedicure socks for my friend's birthday. I would love to put a gift certificate for a pedicure in the socks, but it's so close to the end of the summer that the exchequer is a bit thin.
Details:
Pattern: One I made up
Needles: Knitpicks Harmony Double points Size 0
Yarn: Knitpicks Essential sock yarn, Dune color 1 skein
These were the purse knitting for most of the summer. They really didn't take long to knit, we just didn't go anywhere. I had them completely finished and was checking them over before I wove in the ends and I found one lonely little stitch that wasn't really connecting so I had to rip out one whole foot and re-knit it. Sigh. Hope she likes them.
Now that I have finished two things I needed something to start. Where to begin.....
I bagged up a number of projects, Cat Bordhi's learning socks from the new book (child size to practice on), the Wrapped in Tradition Shawl for YSS, Belle Epoque socks from 2-at-a-time Socks, Sleeves in my Pi shawl, the Leaf scarf from Nicky Epstein's new book. And the ones I have started to work on:
Branching Out scarf from Knitty. The pattern calls for lace weight yarn, but I have this lovely cashmere in a chunky weight and it should be a wonderfully warn cuddly thing all winter. I have a fawn colored coat that I wear in the winter so this plum color should look good. Last winter, just after I bought the coat I knit a bee-you-ti-ful scarf from Lion Brand Moonlight. Then I found out that I can't let mohair touch my skin or redness ensues. OK, gave that scarf to a friend. Then I knit a soy/wool mix yarn in Stephanie's scarf pattern. It was soft pink, green, and tan. The yarn felt nice and soft, but still was scratchy on my neck. That scarf went to Youngest Niece (the new knitter, Whoot!) As I have been knitting this one I tuck one end into my collar and leave it there. As I knit for hours every night it should be a pretty good test for itchiness.

Last we have the beginning of the purse knitting. Monkey Socks from Knitty in a wonderful autumn color. Is it just me or do you think CookieA needs to publish a book, too? I forget the yarn but I bought it while I was visiting Youngest Niece. Yes, those are Harmony needles. I really enjoy knitting on the wood and they are so pretty! I need to get started on a few "consignment" projects:Sweater for a friend, prayer shawl for a Bar Mitzvah in October, Wedding canopy for a November wedding, and the ever-present quilt (the quilt of Damocles? or maybe the Guilt Quilt) but there are a few good reasons why I can't start them right now, so I'll just go read my book and knit on the scarf. Care to join me?

Perhaps That Should Have Read "Idiot"

2008-07-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

I sat down to write the Friday post and next thing I knew Blogger posted that odd thing below. Hmmm, maybe I hit the enter button by mistake?
Anyway...What's new? I see Amy is having cat problems (best wishes to Dennis Quaid), Julie is making winter extravaganza gifts already, Reesie has caught the pod-cast bug, Franklin is almost up to 1000 knitters, Stephanie is spinning in place (Maillot Jaune one hopes), and here I am not having done much at all this week.
YSS is visiting us for a week or so and she and I have cleaned the "water feature" out back, scrubbed down all the outside furniture with bleach, gotten our nails done (all 20 and after the scrubfest) and had a Lia Sophia party. That's about it folks. Not much on the knitting front, a little cooking (wonderful lemon cake from Kosher by Design, and chevre quiches), no travel (as I type The Husband is taking his afternoon nap on the couch), no quilting, painting, or decorating. I guess I'll have to do better next week.
Off to visit with friend Kermit, who is down from the frozen north. See you next week.

iot

2008-07-25T13:28:00.001-07:00

Felting On Purpose

2008-07-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have felted quite a few things over the years, lately three pairs of socks. People ask me how I do this, "Don't you know better than to put wool socks in the washer?" Sure, I do, but I usually knit socks with superwash. Now and then I am seduced by colorful hand dyed yarn and shrinkage ensues. Today I give you felting on purpose: a princess hat. Does this put me ahead in the holiday knitting contest? Though really this is for a January birthday, so it may not count. I will be gifting this hat with The Paper Bag Princess. Now, can anyone reccommend a book for a five-year-old boy about aliens?

In other knitting news, I am still working on the ribbon vest. I have the front and back above the armholes to finish and then 10 buttons to sew on. Maybe by next week. YSS is coming for a visit and we have some events planned for the girls. (Oh, I've gone girly in my old age!

A post or two ago I offered to share my paper organizing method. For what it is worth: Whenever I print out a pattern from the net, I hole punch it and put it in one of three binders (at least one of three knitting binders...there's more than knitting I look up....) Baby Patterns, Adult Patterns, and Information (when Julie writes about color and yarn dying, for example). Every couple of months I sit down and rip apart the general interest magazines I get and file the interesting stuff. Mostly I save things from MS Living and Family Fun. Martha is just fun and FF is great for finding new ways to teach old stuff. I have four of those accordian file holders, one for Sunday School, one for regular school, one for interesting stuff and inspiration (home decorating, "good things", family ideas, etc.) and one with the months of the year for special ideas relating to what you should be doing to keep your house in shape every month and needlework ideas for special holidays (sometimes I find a card that really relates to someone just after their birthday or anniversary and that goes in this file, too). Oh, I forgot, I also have two accordian files for recipes, one for regular cooking and one for Jewish cooking by the holidays.
Mind you, I don't often check these files because there are too many other piles of "stuff" around the house, but it does sometimes come in handy. Cygnet once asked of anyone had the knit Viking Hat becuase she had mislaid the last page in a move. I found it right away and sent it off. Yay, me! She was in luck, that probably won't happen very often.

Thanks to Youngest Niece I am signed up on Ravelry. Look for me under Needletart. I haven't done much yet because it is just to hot to spend hours on the computer. See you next week.

No More Pain!! Whee!!

2008-07-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

Warning: medical content ahead. I am not a doctor, read if you are interested, but check with your own doctor before changing meds. If you are not interested, skip to the Red line.
For the last two years or so I have been on medication for acid reflux. Recently I mentioned to my Doctor that the meds she had given me weren't working so well. Naturally, being an American trained doctor she gave me something different and stronger. After a week that hadn't worked either. During that week, however, I read the People's Pharmacy in the Sunday paper. Someone wrote in that for another stomach problem, they had tried ginger candy and it really worked. Now, I had been especially miserable for six weeks or so and the new meds weren't working. The Husband happens to enjoy the taste of ginger so he had some Ginger Chews laying around. I figured I didn't have anything to lose so I ate one. The relief was immediate!! The first day (Sunday) I ate one of the candies whenever I noticed the acid climbing my throat. That was four times. Today (what? Five days later?) I needed one. One I tell you! As I sit here at 11:00 at night there is no acid perceptible and I feel great! Apparently the ginger rebooted my stomach. BTW, I stopped the stomach meds, after calling the Doctor. Don't try to stop these meds without your doctor's advice, from the reading I have done if you are on some of these meds and you stop suddenly the acid rebounds and will make you even more miserable. Keep taking the meds, try the ginger and call your doctor.
This is for Amy, who is having some foot pain. Last week the People's Pharm recommended a natural treatment for plantar faciaitus. May it help you as much as the ginger helped me.
On the knitting front, Youngest Niece has really been hooked by the knitting universe. Last week she sent me a killer present (you'll have to wait until I get organized and use it to see pictures. 'It's awesome!!) and when I called to tell her that I had posted a thank you on her blog, she said, "I don't use that much any more, I'm on Ravelry" the student has outpaced the master. Let's see her knit lace.
I felted my first piece, well, my first on-purpose felting. As soon as I get the fabric finish attached, I will take a picture and post. Otherwise I am knitting away on the ribbon vest. I counted all the slipped stitches to figure out where the buttons will go, now there's just the knitting.
In quilting, I am still working on Eldest Niece's quilt. It has been languishing in the corner for way too long, but I think I've figured out my problem with it. The background for the applique border is just too dark. Today I bought some new background fabric and we'll see if that's the ticket.
In other venues, I organized all the clippings I have piled near the knitting chair and will let you in on my organizing methods when I can load pictures. This evening my friend's children came for dinner. The son (Let's call him Aaron shall we?)is getting ready for his Bar Mitzvah and we chose some fabrics for his prayer shawl. The daughter (hereafter known as Greta) helped me clean out the "water feature" on the back patio. Seems the fish can swim in black water. Who knew the algae would grow that quickly? Good times.
See you next week.

He's Home

2008-07-04T10:46:00.001-07:00

For those just catching up, The Husband's contract was canceled and he is home for the foreseeable future. Now, not that I don't love the man and am glad to have him home, but dude! I'm practicing the piano and he's sitting right behind me tearing out coupons. I need to sneeze and I run for the tissue box and he's moved it! And the trash can. While he was gone I spent a lot of time sitting in the quiet and reading. All day long he plays music and all night long, he snores. I'm amazed by how much I miss the silence. I guess we both have some re-adjusting to do.
Otherwise, I spent the morning doing some gardening. No matter what you have read, digging your nails into a bar of soap does not keep the dirt from under your nails. The only thing that has worked for me is a double layer of gloves. Thin plastic ones under heavy leather garden gloves. As I have lately started getting professional manicures (these are not cheap), I want to preserve my nails as long as I can.
On the knitting front, I am still working on the ribbon vest. I got one whole side knitted and the shoulders didn't line up. As long as I was ripping, I figured that I should make a swatch (yes, I made one before I started for gauge) to test the button holes and the decreases. The instructions have you K2Tog for every decrease and I wondered if SSK would look better and make paired decreases. Good I tested the button holes. If I had followed the instructions I would have to use 1/8 inch buttons. Rather that knit through the back loop on the second row of 2-row button holes I just knit plain and I can use a 3/4 inch button. Much more in keeping with the look of the vest (and more likely to stay buttoned!).
Happy Fourth!

Did You Know....

2008-07-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

that you're supposed to peel the banana before you freeze it for a smoothie? Sigh.

Update

2008-06-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! How did it get to be the end of June so fast? It seems like we just got out of school. Oh. Wait. We had so many snow days (not to mention the metal dectector days) that school wasn't out until June 13. Then a trip to visit The Brother, Youngest Niece and family, then a trip to the south with The Husband. Sheesh, catching up.

Here is the Peacock shawl.

Pattern: Osrtich plumes. The pattern is in the Knitters' Shawls and Scarves

Yarn: Knitpicks Shimmer in Turquoise Splendor

Needles: Options Wooden Size 5

Size: 24" by 85"

Notes: This was a lot of fun to knit. It looks really lacy but is a variation of the Feather and Fan stich, meaning there was really only patterning on every fourth row. Fairly mindless knitting as long as you check your stitch count after the pattern row. The yarn blocked out beautifully and is nice and warm for as lacy as it came out.

The roses are in my front and side yards. They must be some sort of antique rose because they smell delicious even from the kitchen.

Speaking of the kitchen, it's been a while since I added a recipe. This is one I worked out when I had some left over bread. It was really nice artisan french bread. After two days it had turned to styrofoam. I hated to throw it away and thought I would try bread pudding with it. I cut up the bread (well, it sort of shattered when I cut slices) into half inch or so pieces. Then I sprayed a caserole pan and added the bread. I mixed 4 eggs with 2 cups of skim milk and 2 cups of cream (that's what I had in the fridge that was about to out date), 1/3 cup sugar, about a half teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg (if you don't think there's a difference, smell the bottled stuff and then the freshly grated, go ahead, I'll wait.........see.) and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Pour that over the bread, cover the pan with saran wrap (or the glass lid that came with the casserole) and refrigerate over night. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for about an hour, or until a knife inserted in th middle comes out more or less clean. Elder Son really liked this. Especially when I said it was good for breakfast. After all it has a lot less sugar than he usualy gets from Froot Loopys.

This is a package I got from Knitpicks with a birthday gift certificate from my Out West Friend. (My birthday was in March, but I spent a loooong time choosing the yarns I wanted). As I was taking the picture of the sealed box, The Husband was eating his lunch and squinted at me, then shook his head. Later I was reading Franklin's blog (May I call you Franklin? Thanks, I feel as though we are friends.) and Franklin had a picture of some yarn he had just received in the mail. Said The Husband, "Do you all do this? I wondered why you were taking a picture of yarn, but mine is not to reason why...."

You think he'd have figured it out by now. We are all nuts, in the nicest way possible of course.

This is the yarn and just at the bottom of the picture you can see a corner of one of the books. I got: Desiging your own Aran Sweater, Knitted Critters for Kids, and Nicky Epstein's Scarf book. Now I need more yarn.

In this haul I got some sock yarn, including some for summer socks, enough lace weight for two more shawls (one for YSS, Happy Birthday sweetie!) and the Autumn lace sampler just to play around with.

I thought I might try to get a head start on the Winter knitting and work on the things that will have to be mailed. This is for Great-Niece. I bought The Paper Bag Princess and this will be one of those cone shaped hats worn in the middle ages. I have a wonderful piece of sparkly pink veiling for the very top. I think this is the first thing I have knit that is supposed to be felted. Wish me luck.

The knitting to the right is a ribbon vest from Sally Melville's The Knit Stitch. It is some Lion brand ribbon I found at the local dollar store. Whee! Name brands for cheap cost. Of course, I figured out that I would need 8 balls of yarn, so I bought 9 and half way up this side I had used 4. Which meant that I would only have one ball of ribbon left for the shoulders, front and back. Luckily while I was visiting Youngest Niece, she wanted to learn to knit and was willing to go on a yarn crawl. We found remaindered ribbon at a local craft store. It was the same dye way, but not the same lot. I figured that it would be close enough for a $13 vest.

Whew! Now we are mostly caught up. Do you think I could keep a resolution to post every Friday during the summer? We'll see.....

It's Hot!!!!

2008-06-07T07:30:00.001-07:00

I used to love summer. All that time to read, knit and swim. But that was in the great north (as we call the town where we used to live, which was often the cold spot in the continental US) and summer temperatures rarely went higher than 80 degrees (27 Celsius). Now that we have moved south (not that far) and with global warming a normal summer temperature is 85 (29 Celsius) with a heat wave every two weeks and the heat wave is easily 90-95 degrees (32-35 Celsius). Yuk! And we don't have air conditioning in any room but the sewing room.....

In gardening news, I started to mulch the roses right outside my kitchen door, but somehow I hurt my knee. It was either Pre-school (man, those kids are short!) or kneeling on cement for four hours while I cleaned out the lavender beds. At any event, there hasn't been a lot of gardening. Last year YSS and I bought a beautiful blue planter that I wanted to make into a water feature on the back patio (this is really too grand a word for the paved area behind the house, but it gives the flavor of my plans). Yesterday I finally got a water lilly and some fish for it. One of the fish was floating this morning. Maybe I should have waited for the silt from the water lilly to settle before adding fish?

On the knitting front I am headed for my brother's house next weekend and Youngest Niece wants to learn to knit. I gave her lots of info and some yarn for the Winter Excess Holidays and now I'll have a chance to sit down with her and knit in person. I have nearly finished the Turquoise Splendor shawl. The goal for today is to finish the edging and block. Whee!

As for Quilting, well I have good intentions. Eldest Niece's quilt is out and all the plans are suitably enlarged, I even cut out 150 grapes. And that is where the quilt stopped. Crud, I just remembered that one of my goals was to have her quilt ready to applique when I go south (lots of air conditioning) with The Husband. Due to some schedule changes of his, that will be in 11 days! I have to finish Little Guy's quilt (finish? Ha! Start!) so I can take it to him next weekend. It's a good thing this is the last week of school.

I Tag Me!

2008-05-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Amy and Julie both have this meme up and I haven't posted in a while so here goes:
More about me (Me, Me! It's all ME!)
What I was doing 10 years ago: Living in the same house, teaching music and piano at a Catholic school and I vividly remember thinking that life couldn't get any better, even if I won the lottery. Life now really isn't that bad, it was just nearly perfect then......

Five things on my to do list that have nothing to do with work:
1. Practice piano (I started playing again about a month ago and I'm getting better. Not good, mind you, but better).
2. Trace and cut out 200 grapes for the long over-due quilt.
3. See Indiana Jones with The Husband
4. Laundry
5. Knit (probably while at the movie)

Three snacks I enjoy:
1. Green grapes and extra sharp cheddar cheese (Cleo likes cheese too so we share some most afternoons).
2. Whatever cookie is on the counter (today that's French Macaroons and brownies, both home made).
3. Corn chips and salsa (add some cheese and you've got nachos! whee!)

Four things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Make sure that all the kids in my sons' generation and their children have trust funds. They should only get interest until they are about 40, then maybe they can access the principle.
2. Endow the Temple so we can have a full-time Rabbi.
3. Establish a scholarship fund at Younger Son's school for people who would like to go to college but fall in the cracks.
4. Hire staff so I can spend all my time doing needlework and being with my family.

Five places I have lived:
1. Bradford, PA
2. Lock Haven, PA
3. Nottingham, England
4. Escondido, CA
5. Altoona, PA

Who's up next? Reesie? Post, darling.......

The Prodigal Cat

2008-05-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons for the Slough is that our "new-to-us" cat, Cleo-cat-era, slipped out the door last week and had not been seen. We think she left at four in the morning when Elder Son was on the way to work and very tired.

Well, the people up the street called and said they had a little cat with dark fur and white hair. Now, I have only seen Cleo inside as she is an "inside" cat and I was as work when The Husband picked her up. I walked up the hill (have you ever seen the incline on "Ninja Warrior"? Yeah, that kind of hill) and lo and behold there was out kitty.

We can only hope that having someone else around the house will lighten the Slough. As mentioned earlier The Husband is once again working in the south and this year Younger Son is at school working for the school library, and Elder Son has a girlfriend and if not at school in the evening, he is out. Who knew I would be lonely?

The Slough of Despond

2008-05-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

I have almost finished up everything on the list I posted on April 11. That's kind of sad. Naturally, I didn't include some things that have been on the "to do" list for years. Years, I tell you.
Last week, or so, one of my local friends tried to sell me a raffle ticket for a sky box at the local baseball park. Eighteen of my closest friends and I could enjoy the game with snacks provided. My reply, "First of all, when have you ever had any indication that I would enjoy a sporting event? Secondly, I don't have eighteen friends."
"Sure you do," said he.
"Name "em!"
"Well, there's your family, that's four. And my family, that's eight.........um......."
Uh huh. If you don't count my virtual friends there just aren't that many hanging around.
I even tried a local knitting group. Nice ladies, but when I asked if they blogged or read any blogs they kinda sneered. Not really a fun group.
So I came home and knit. And knit. Once I get out of this slough of despond I will post again.

Who?

2008-04-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

Apparently it is time to give the New Baby a new name. Youngest Niece left a message that expresses her concern. No, there are no new babies expected in the near future. I just never changed your kid's blog name. How about Little Guy? All clear? Good.
As for the lists, I still have the alterations to do and Elder Son now has one pair of flannel pants cut out. I had to drop by the fabric shop to pick up a new pattern and think I'd better make one pair up before cutting out lots.
On the other hand, I did cut out 10 new pillow cases.

List-mania

2008-04-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time of year again. The Husband has gone South to work and I have lots of "free" time. Whatever shall I do with all this freedom? Let's go to the lists, shall we?

Thursday

Cut out Elder Son's sleep pants (only the ones made by Mom are comfortable)

Swim

Do alterations (a little side job of mine, not to worry they are not due until Sunday)

Repairs (missing button, broken strap, dress alteration)

Type minutes from board meeting

Sew above pants

Make new pillowcases for special pillows

Knit (shawl from Knitters' shawls)

Make dinner (meatloaf, yum)

Prepare kits for Sunday School craft (Mother's Day bracelets)

File Recipes that have been laying around for the last six months

Say good-bye to The Husband and make sure he has everything (oh well, there's always next week)

Visit Doctor

Iron

Clean bird feeder and birdbath

Weed/de-winter back flower border

Friday

Swim

Knit (notice it moved up the list?)

Quilt for New Baby

Clean up Rose bed by the garage and herb beds (before it rains!)

Run errands (pick up plants, beads for Sunday School, Shampoo, lunch)

Make sample bracelet

Call Dr. about blood test

Make Elder Son's pants (cut out and sew)

Alterations (still plenty of time)

Pillow cases (hey, there's one without holes)

Iron (no rush for this)

Repairs

And what are we looking forward to tomorrow?

Saturday

Swim

Knit

Shop (stupid one-day coupons)

Plant window boxes

Sweep front porch and clean rocking chairs

Elder Son's pants (I swear I was ready to start, but I couldn't find the pattern)

Re-pot parsley for Sunday School

Make Passover Granola

Alterations (Eep! Due tomorrow!)

Pillow cases

Repairs

Make baby hat and bracelet for Sister-in-Law's craft shop

Lists are supposed to help, right?

Argghh!

2008-03-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be monitoring the PSSA tests. I always have a sock in the purse for those moments when I am watching but not actually teaching. These socks need to be simple enough that I can keep an eye on the kinder but complicated enough to keep me sane (this is not as complicated as those who know me might think,then again should I use the words same and me in the same sentence?). I finished the Cable Rib Socks from Interweave's Favorite Socks yesterday and started to look for an interesting yarn for a plain sock. Easy to knit, fun to look at. Two skeins of Blue Moon in interesting colors, two different colors. No pair of socks there. Maizy from Amy. I want to knit the Flame Wave socks (same book) from that yarn and it takes too much attention. The rest of my sock yarn collection is either wonderful colors in hand wash yarn (so not future socks) or plain color superwash (begs for lots of complicated stitches). What's a knitter to do? Order more yarn of course (and get the emergency socks out of the car until the yarn arrives).
Oh! The emergency socks are kept in the drawer under the front seat for those times when I accidentally leave home without knitting. Just a basic sock in inexpensive yarn.

The Big Swim

2008-03-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Over the last few weeks I have spent more time in the pool than knitting. Today is my birthday and I conceived the idea of swimming the same number of laps as I am old. This wouldn't be all that hard as I swim pretty slowly and don't get that tired, however, the pool where I swim is only open for two hours during the day and I need to swim almost a mile and a half to reach my current age (Olympic pool. Look up the number if you want.) and doing that in two hours is the real challenge. The lifeguards were so cute. When I came in they had designated a lane just for me and every once in a while they would ask what lap I was on. I succeeded and even finished my shower before the time was up. While doing the laps, I did consider that if this turns into an annual event I will need a lot more time when I'm 72!

Tonight The Husband took me to a really nice Italian Restaurant and I wore the Purple Pesach Pullover. I thought the front looked a little plainer that I remembered and when I got home I realized that I had worn it backwards. Brain cells are apparently dying.

The Movie Queue

2008-03-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

At dinner last night Elder Son asked what movie is next from Netflix. I mentioned that the movies he is ordering are messing with our recommendations. He said, "I'll raise you a Steven Seagal."
I replied, "I'll see your Steven Seagal and raise you two romantic comedies and an English TV series."
His comeback, "Dexter!"
I had to fold. I want to see that, too.

Who?

2008-03-08T07:37:00.000-08:00

So I'm teaching Art today and the Kindergarten is making repeated rabbit patterns. In my sample I made four rabbits, a checked one, one with flowers, one with stripes and one with little hearts. One of the children came up and said, "Mrs. Gordon, your bunnies need names."
I told her she could name them if she liked and she said, "Ok. They are Huggy, Buggy, Lovey, and Earl."
Earl?
On another story, yesterday I had three out of the five second grade classes. As we are trying for diversity I told them the Purim story. At the end of the day (while I was on bus duty with the entire second grade in one hallway) one of the other teachers asked me what holiday is next and I said, "Watch this. Second grade! Mordecai!" and they threw their hands in the air and cheered. "Second Grade! Hamen!" and they booed and hissed.
Power is mine! Hee, hee.

Tales from the Trenches

2008-03-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

The Husband and Elder Son (he insisted on credit) thinks you will enjoy this story. I was in the second grade wing today and in the early afternoon I escorted the class to the rest room. The girl who was the monitor came pelting out of the girl's room, "Mrs. Gordon! Mrs. Gordon! Someone made black marks on the bathroom door!" I went in to check and the janitors had obviously greased the hinges and some of the grease got on the back of the door. I reassured the monitor and we went on our way (the boys were gasping for air due to the smell in their side so I called them all out and got some air freshener from the teacher's bathroom, see, I was in both restrooms). Later that afternoon one of the other teachers stopped me and asked if any of the girls or boys had told me there were "dirty words" on the walls. I could assure her that there were no words there when I had gone into both rooms. She said this was the second week there had been writing on the walls. I asked, " Were they, at least, spelled properly?"

"Funny thing," she replied, "they weren't last week, but they are now." Who says American education is headed for the crapper?

On another note, we are celebrating Dr. Seuss this week and today was Pajama Day. Either I have the best tailored PJs you've ever seen, or I need to start dressing better. At least three people asked why I didn't wear PJs. (But one kid liked my socks).

Pictures

2008-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

I seem to recall promising you a bunch of pictures. As I am currently in the windy south with The Husband I need something to fill a bunch of time (yes, I brought my knitting, Why do you ask?). Here we have a picture of Cleo "protecting" the knitting from the evil sun. Can you say, "Hi, Sehkmet," Cleo? I thought so.

These are the scarves I made for Younger Son's Sweetie's family. The Husband bought YSS's father some miniature soldiers and I felt that the ladies of the family needed a little something, too. Besides, when has a knitter ever passed up the opportunity to dress everyone he/she knows in wool? The sparkly one at top left is from The Knit Stitch by Sally Melville. It is the shaped scarf and is made from Lion Moonlight Mohair. It's a wonderful yarn, soft and cuddly. Unless you happen to be allergic to mohair, that is. Guess how I found that out. Go ahead, guess. Sigh. At least I have a friend who is willing to wear the allergens for me. The bottom left scarf is a lace ring from one of the one-skein books, but I forgot which one and I am away from the knitting book collection. It is knit from a Knitpicks blend. Soooo soft. I wish I had enough for a new scarf for me. The last little number in this group is YSS's scarf. It was from a kit, although I didn't like the pattern in the kit. Too easy. So I got out the collection and knit the "Monet" yarn into a lace pattern first written down by Elizabeth I's Lady-in-Waiting. Just a warning, be sure you write down which line you end on. It is almost impossible to read the lace and be sure where you stopped. I found at least six errors when I was blocking. (BTW, YSS said it is absolutely beautiful and she is afraid to wear it. Sigh.)

To your right (hey, you stop leaning out of the car, we'll get there) you can see the socks knit for Youngest Niece and the New Baby. Frankly, I have forgotten which pattern (exactly) I used for the adult socks but the yarn is Sockotta. I bought plenty of this yarn thinking it would take at least two skeins to make a pair of socks for me. I got out socks for me and socks for the Niece. Of course, she wears a size six shoe and I wear,well, larger. Much larger. The red socks are from some yarn Amy sent me and are the basic sock pattern Stephanie uses (and wrote down for all of us, thanks be).

While we are on the subject of socks, these are the Retro Rib socks from Interweave Press's Favorite Socks. Um, not so much. They are very pretty, fit well and of course I like the color, but! The pattern is a four-row repeat. It is easy enough to memorize but if I let my attention stray to, oh The Husband talking to me for instance, I would forget to knit in the back of a stitch or purl when it should be a knit. Nice pattern, but definitely not mindless. I finished the Brooklyn Bridge scarf, but The Husband left it at home because we are in Virginia and it's too warm here for scarves, he says. Yesterday it was 25 degrees.

Well, there you go. Pictures. I hope it doesn't look too messy when I post. See you later.

Mmmmm, Baklava!

2008-02-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

Every year for Valentine's Day I try to make The Husband something a little special for dinner. Last year was the Red Pepper soup (with sour cream hearts floating in it) and the year before was Spinich/Mushroom Strata. They were such big hits that we had them this year. But wait! Valentine's Day? Sweets for my sweetie? Hmmmm, he's not allowed sugar so every year I look for a low-sugar (he refuses to use Splenda, sacharrin et al) yummy. There was the apple juice sweetened cake, the mago puree cheese cake, and the low-sugar chocolate cake. All at least edible but no real wonders. If he sort of liked it, I hated it. If I liked it, he didn't. This year, friends, this year, I listened. Every time we go to the local Greek restaurant, The Husband sighs and says, "Baklava! I miss baklava!" So as I was going through the cookbook looking for something to bake for the Rabbi (we are her hosts this weekend, and it's in the notes that she must gain weight when she comes) and I found a low-sugar, mostly fruit sweetened baklava in the Moosewood Desserts (scroll down). It is truly a labor of love, but soooo yummy!

First you layer a gazillion sheets of filo pastry (a quarter pound) with melted butter and finely chopped, toasted almonds. Next you put in apricot puree made by cooking apricots in apple juice and then pureeing them with two eggs in the food processor. Finally you layer another quarter pound of filo leaves with butter and almonds. Bake for a while and then heat a quater cup of honey with some lemon juice and water and pour over your creation. Chill and serve in little pieces. Note that I am not giving you the full recipe, buy the book, there are lots of great recipes in there. The Husband had one for dessert and the next morning his sugar levels were perfectly normal. Not only that, but I liked it, too! Usually I am a sugar hog, but this is so nice and sweet without being cloying. For sure it's a keeper, though I may try rose water in place of the lemon juice.

Welcome

2008-02-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

If you just turned to the February 8, 2008 page in you Stitch-n-Bitch calendar and decided to visit, welcome. Amy seemed to be really impressed that the Valentine Socks are mine and that I hadn't mentioned selling the pattern. That's either because I was waiting until the sale was for sure or I was being modest. Your choice.
On the needles right now are:
1. Smokin' from Son of S-n-B. Well, it's not exactly on the needles. I am knitting it for Younger Son and I need to find buttons that go and sew down the second pocket. It was an easy knit, but I would have made it one size larger for anyone else. YS likes his sweaters to hug him.
2. Target Wave Mittens from Knitting from Nature. They should be on the needles, but I am working madly away on:
3. The Brooklyn Bridge scarf from Son of S-n-B. It is double knitting with a pattern. I think the last time I tried double knitting was a baby blanket for Oldest Niece who now has two children of her own. This time I am using two colors and practicing holding one color in each hand. Maybe for the next Olympics I can get that fair-isle sweater done. (I have a few years to perfect the method, right?)
4. Remember the Strikke-along? Me neither.
It just occured to me that I started this whole blog thing because Stephanie told me to, and that was during the last Olympics. Aren't they in February? That means a blogiversary must be coming (I just checked and I didn't know how to start so the first dated post is February 10, 2006. Wow! 2006!!) I know I missed it last year. Maybe this year I'll even post.

Finally, Someone to Vote For!

2008-02-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know it's been a while since I've posted. There are lots of reasons, but most of them add up to "I'm in pain and I just want to whine". Since I won't subject you to that.....I've been gone a while.
Today, though, there is just too much good news out there to ignore. Finally, the American people have a candidate that we can vote for. As opposed to Dear G-d! Not him/her!!!!!!!!!
Yes, if you are looking for the perfect candidate, check out the news over at Panopticon. Think we can't do it? Ask Stephanie how much she wanted to raise for Medicine Sans Frontier, and then how much she got. Yup, we'll have a fiber-friendly president before you know it.

Random Thursday

2007-12-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

Just a few things that have come up lately.
Thing the first: When we picked up Younger Son from college he said, "I'm in the right school. When I go to pick up the paper (note: his school gets the New York Times every day for each student) the recycling bin is full of the day's sports section." That's my boy!
Thing the second: On the day most of America was unwrapping goodies under the Tree (no, not the Solstice Tree, but Happy Solstice!) we went to the movies and out for Chinese. Seriously folks, we could have had an afternoon service in at least four of the movies and at the restaurant (note: it takes ten adult Jews to pray "officially"). Every one in the congregation seems to have had the same idea. We saw Sweeny Todd. It's very well done. Some songs were left out but, hey, it's a movie! And who wouldn't want to spend the day with Johnny Depp?
Thing the third: Wishing you all a happy winter holiday (whichever you celebrate) and lots of fun plans for the coming year.

Of Beds and Blocking

2007-12-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

I went to pick up Younger Son at school today and had to warn him that he should be prepared to sleep on the floor if necessary tonight. Why would it be necessary he asked. Because I am blocking YSS's (Younger Son's Sweetie. Thanks, Amy) lace scarf and his bed was the only one not in use last night. I would have finished it sooner, but the lace-blocking wires I ordered from KnitPicks arrived with a bend in the middle and I had to wait for the replacements to get here. I checked as soon as we got home and, luckily the lace was thin and it dried quickly. Younger Son gets to use his bed tonight (he also took a picture, since my camera has gone walk-about). After the holidays (well, sometime in January I will post some sort of picture).
Otherwise the knitting continues. I used the sleet day to finish the embroidery and then some knitting. Socks, socks, scarves, and a hat. Think I could squeeze a sweater in there?

Snow Day!

2007-12-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

Or rather, sleet and freezing rain day. Whatever you want to call it, it's a day off that I wasn't expecting. Now the question is: should I clean the house and get caught up on chores, or should I work on the embroidery project that is due on Saturday, or should I turn on the fireplace and get a nice cup of tea to go with my knitting?

Harmony?

2007-12-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

I got the knitpicks Harmony needles back in October and I loved, loved, loved the looks of them, but wanted to wait for a special project to use them. All right, I'll confess, I had to wait until I started a new project on something other than DPNs. Last week, I was knitting away on a Shape it! scarf from Sally Melville's Knit Stitch book and the gorgeous wooden tip (size 8) came out of the metal holder. The glue, epoxy, or whatever came loose. No problem. I called Knitpicks and they promise to send out a new set of tips. Wonderful customer service, the lady who answered was well informed and we had a nice chat. It's a good thing. Today I was knitting along on the Mohawk hat from Domiknitrix (for Elder Son's Hanukkah) and lo and behold the size four tip separated. Is anyone else having this problem?

Rats!

2007-11-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

I went to school this morning planning to work a full day, the secretary in charge of the subs had a different idea, however and once I cleared the metal dectectors (don't ask) I only had to wrangle first graders for 3 hours. What, you may ask, did I do with this windfall of time? Did I rush home and sit by the fire with my knitting (little socks for The Nephew)? No. Rats! The chimney sweep doesn't come until next week because somebody forgot to call him in August.
Did I put my feet up on the yarn hassock and knit away? No. Rats! I spilled cauliflower salad on the cover and it really should be washed....
Did I go up to the sewing room and settle in with a long over-due quilt? No. Rats! I never did call the handyman to repair the storm window that was broken in that thunder storm last spring...
Did I bake something delicious? No. Rats! I'm out of bread and it will take forever to get that done......
Did I put away the Thanksgiving decorations and get ready for Hanukkah? Rats! Only six days left. Argghhh? Only six days left and I haven't even started shopping............
Did I go for a walk? Well, yes, actually. That 30 pounds I was supposed to lose last January like it here. During the last visit to the Medicine Man it was strongly suggested that unless I want to add some more meds to my daily round (please, not that!!) I had better clean up my act and get moving......
So what feat of Susie Homakerish fun did I accomplish? While my neighbors are all putting up their Christmas decorations I repotted my indoor plants, took all the very dead outdoor potted flowers to the over full compost bin and washed the pots. It was 28 degrees this morning. Sigh.

Cats of Many Colors

2007-11-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

We got a new cat. Well, new to us. She comes slightly used. She was adopted as a companion for an elderly lady who was ill. After nine years she (the cat) was in need of a new home and no one in her people's family could take her. The Husband wanted an older cat (because he doesn't think he will last 20 more years. Sigh.) and Cleo fit right in with his plans. Her full name is (apparently) Cleo-cat-era. She is fitting in pretty well. After a week with us she has learned the futility of begging at table, and she loves running up and down stairs (her old home was a three-room apartment), and she will run towards us when we shake the treat bag. She is a lovely sable color, which, I told The Husband is great, he gets a cat, and if it doesn't work out, I get a lovely pair of ear muffs.

On the knitting front, I finished Pricilla's Favorite socks from the Interweave knit sock book. Eh. They are nice socks, fit well , and the seam over the toes doesn't bother me, but I'm just not all that thrilled with them. I like the padded heel flap better than a short row heel. Now I've learned that. On the other hand I just ordered Cat Bordhri's new sock book. According to The Harlot, Cat is willing to put the extra effort into making all our knitting more.......interesting. Sounds like fun.

I finally got a chance to wear the Purple Pesach Pullover. If you remember I knit it last spring when we had that final cold snap, intending to wear it to Seder at a friend's house. Suddenly, the day before Pesach the temperatures rose into the 70s and wool was out. Last Friday we went to dinner with the Rabbi and some of the other members of our congregation. Either I need to find a lighter color of blusher or it was really warm in the front hall when Elder Son took the picture (and he was the one who cut off the top of my head). I wan't so sure it looked good, looking at the picture (I loved it in the mirror) but got many compliments on how it looked so I guess it won't have to go to the frog pond. I am working on the scarf for Younger Son's girlfriend (who needs a "blog" name. Any suggestions? Keep in mind that I like this girl) but as she checks the blog, you will have to wait for pictures until sometime in January. To the commentor who said she would like to try the pattern, after 40 inches, I still don't have the pattern memorized, but it's not hard to follow and, of course, I am watching TV while knitting.

Have a happy Turkey Day. I'd better get myself to the kitchen and start making pastry. I am in charge of the pumpkin pie this year and Younger Son has requested Apple Dumplings for dessert. (I haven't stopped cooking, I just make the same things, at the same time of year, every year).

Has Anyone Seen My Snorkel?

2007-11-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

After many visits to the frog pond I am getting back on track with the holiday knitting. Of course, I need to get some more yarn. . .
I was knitting along on the Monet scarf and not liking what I was seeing. It was garter stitch in the middle and a little bit 'o lace on the edges. I finished a pair of socks and was putting the pattern back in the book when I saw a pattern called Elizabeth I. Ohhhhh!! Lacy and interesting to knit. I had finished about 20 inches and since ripping back I've re-knit 10 inches. Someday there will be a picture.
The Strikke along was going great guns and I had finished the back and the left front and put it together just to check the fit. Rats! Too small. So I ripped it all out and started a larger size. With all the holiday knitting ahead I had to put it aside for now.
Ohhhh!!! Yesterday The Husband and I were at The Big Book Store and he had a coupon for 25% off. As he couldn't find anything he wanted to read (did I tell you that 3 new cookbooks came in the mail yesterday?) he let me use it on a knitting book. Son of Stitch 'n Bitch. This is a great book for any knitter with men to knit for. Just skimming through it I saw at least 4 patterns that I need to knit now! Gotta go get some special yarn. See ya!

Rhinebeck, At Last!

2007-11-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe that it's been two weeks since Rhinebeck! I finally have a day off today, so first on the list (well, right after breakfast...) is updating.

I was planning on taking The Husband and he could go visit the Airplane museum, but alas, alack, a lad I lacked. Luckily More Yarn For Me from Harrisburg was looking for someone to go to Rhinebeck with. We met at The Brother's house and were on our way!

MYFM discovered a whole new way for knitters to travel. She called it short-rowing. It seems that every place we tried to find that weekend took at least a 20-minute detour. We got closer to finding our way and then overshot and had to go back. See? Short rows. Note to travellers: Don't just take the Google or Map Quest maps with you. Make sure you have a real road map of the state to which you travel. Once you get off the little square map the computer gives you, you are on your own. Easier with the big girls maps.

We got to the hotel, checked in and went in search of evening sustenance. Who do you think was the very first blog celebrity we met? This guy:Emerson Cygnet. Can you say, "Happy Baby!" It seemed that every where we went there was Emerson and his paparazzi. I am so glad I got to see him (and his Mom and Dad, too). A heart breaker, a cutie, and a sweet baby. Your pick as to who is who.

MYFM and I wandered around the fairgrounds (well, once we found them, there was that detour to the bowling alley.....) and did some major damage to the exchequer. Well, not really, but I did buy some Quivet (at $25 a ball, it should be capitalized!), and some STR in bright! colors. Mostly we looked and oohed and ahhhed at the wonderful stuff to be had. I even saw a fellow with a pet sheep. A lap sheep. Don't believe me? See the proof.

He sat there with this guy for at least a half an hour. Talk about devotion. As for the rest of the weekend? It was a blur of great yarn, fun busker acts, yarn, Border Collie demos, yarn, spinning, knitting, yarn, people watching, and yarn. There was a lot of yarn. Many people walked up to total strangers and said variations of the following, "Ohh! That's from Knitter's magazine, right?" I spotted at least one Rogue, several Icaruses (Icaruii?) and almost had the earrings bought off of my earlobes. I was wearing my "Los Lobe Hose". Tiny little socks knit on tiny little needles (complete with short row heels) and sewn to earring hooks. At the last minute, the lady decided that her friend didn't have pierced ears. Rats! I could have bought one more skein of yarn.

Not that I didn't get some good stuff. Besides the Quivet, and the STR I got a scarf kit for Younger Son's girlfriend (Hi! Don't check the link, you want to be surprised!), some Lorna's Laces in clown color way (I may have to make another pair of socks for Elder Son. When asked, I say that his shoe size is "Clown"), and a good drop spindle. I had one long ago, but it was really heavy and this one is pretty (ohhh, Shiny!).. Maybe it will hold my attention long enough to learn to spin.

All in all, I had a great time (special thanks to More Yarn For Me. It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun alone), saw lots of great stuff, spent a little money (really, less that a week's pay), and I think I'll wait three or four years before going back. It's a long trip and needs to be savored. (pssstt! Anyone going to the Maryland Sheep and Wool?)

Random Thursday in October

2007-10-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

The Husband and I went shopping yesterday at an outlet and I found a sweet little jacket on the 70% off rack. When I got to the check out the sales lady said, "Oh, that should have been on the 30% off rack." Now, it was a nice jacket, but I really don't need another and $50 was a little more than I wanted to spend on something not yarn, so I said thanks, but no thanks and the lady insisted (she called me back to the register twice!) on giving me the 70% off price of $17. Now for the big question, why do I feel guilty (yes, of course I bought it. I was afraid the sales lady would hurt herself when she tackled me)?

Did you see it? Last night on Pushing Daisies, Chi McBride was knitting. Not only knitting but he used one of his knitting needles to save the day! I can't wait to see if this becomes a regular part of the series (knitted gun cozies?!?)
I did receive the harmony needles but have been working on the strikke-along vest (so far I've ripped back the back after 8 inches and the left front after 6 inches. Sigh!) so no news to report. I can't even show you a picture because I left the camera's USB at home.

Tomorrow is the long schlep home with a stop to pick up Younger Son at college (it's his fall break weekend). He will be doing the last leg of the driving so Mom can knit (so long as I don't have to use my mental powers to keep us on the road).

In looking for the post where I told about my amazing mental powers while teaching Younger Son to drive (couldn't find that) I came across a few unfinished ends. So some weaving in...

This is the front of the plantation, Oatlands. It belonged to more or less the same family from before the "War of Northern Aggression" (as it is known in the south, sorry, the South!) until sometime after WWII. Lots of interesting stuff to look at and even though it was 102 degrees the day we were there it was only about 85 degrees inside with no air conditioning! We were planning to go back and wander around the gardens this week but shopping and rain intervened. This is the picture I loaded onto the laptop.

I was complaining a few posts back about how hard it was to do fine embroidery and how I am too young to have to start giving up the things I like to do because of age (says the Dr., "Well, you are getting on. You have to expect that you will lose some ......" Fill in the blank as you choose, strength, skill, sight, BTW I am in my early 50s. When did that mark the beginning of the end?). Turns out that if you are really near-sighted that as you age your eye sight will actually improve! I needed new glasses. Things are better now. Not perfect, but a lot better! The new lenses out there are a vast improvement over the last set. Lighter and more powerful.

Next week: Rhinebeck.

How Long Have You Known Me?

2007-10-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Husband went back south today and I am going to visit him later in the week. We spent some time before he left making lists of what I was to bring with me. Just before he walked out of the door he asked, "Did you write knitting on the list? Are you sure you will remember it?"
Seriously, how long has he known me? Then again, the Harmony needles aren't here yet. Maybe I'd better make some back up plans.......

Strikking Along

2007-10-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Julie has started a strikke along. As far as I can figure, if you have ever seen a Viking (including Hagar the Horrible) or are a fan on the Viking sports team (there must be one out there somewhere) or like to gaze at Vigo Mortenson you're in. Just knit something. I choose an Elsebeth Lavold vest from Knitters. She wrote the Viking pattern books. I will be knitting it out of some cotton from the stash. It works up to the same gauge and has a nice drape. The yarn, however, is grey! As you may remember this is not one of Julie's favorite colors. Good thing she's headed for the aquavit.

In other knitting news, I had been working on a pretty aqua tank top with a lacy bottom. I wasn't all that sure about fit and turns out I was right! The top looked rather nice but the lacy bottom showed my sweet little roll 'o fat and acres of soft white skin. I spent last evening ripping out. After I had neatly woven in all the ends, of course. I searched through the back issues of Knitter's I have and I found a shell that has enough challenge to be interesting and the gauge seems to work. That will have to be on the back burner for a while as I have a vest to work on and I would like to take a cardigan with me when I go south to visit The Husband next week. Also, Younger Son's girlfriend needs something special for the Winter Extravagance Days. Let's hope I get those Harmony needles before I leave for the south......

Toadle Chaos

2007-09-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

So, I'm in charge of getting mums (the plants, not the mothers) for the bima (think altar) for Simchas Torah (note that Wikipedia says there is a modest consumption of alcohol on this holiday. Whoot!). The Husband and I went to the nursery today to pick up 40 or so plants. As we were going back to the nursery after delivery number three (why did I think we could take 20 plants at a time in the PT Cruiser?) he hit a pothole and then yelped. It seems we had a little hitch hiker. A toad had jumped out of the mums and hidden in the back until we hit the pothole. Toad jumped into Husband's lap and out the window. We checked on the way back (trips number four and five, thank you very much) and he wasn't flat on the road. We hope he hopped into a nearby stream. Maybe he hopped into a passing vehicle?
On the knitting front, I have been scheduled for at least three days a week from now until the December break. I am ordering the Harmony needles!!! Whee!!

With Alcohol, If You Please.

2007-09-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

So, The Husband and I were out to dinner and, as usual, I was knitting while he finished up. The waitress came by and asked if we would like dessert. I ordered a Chocolate Amaretto Dream and the sweet young thing asked, "Would you like them to make that without alcohol? They can do that, you know." Which begs the question: Do I look like a recovering alcoholic? Or someone's sweet old grandma (knitting, see)? Just to set things straight, I had the booze. All the booze!

What?

2007-09-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Husband just got off the phone with the insurance company. Seems that they over paid the hospital where he had his surgery last summer. So to make things right they are denying our dental coverage until the amount the hospital owes them until they balance. Let's get this straight: They paid the hospital too much. The hospital should return the extra monies to the insurance company. To make this happen they won't repay us the monies we spend on health care until we spend the amount the hospital owes the insurance company. Huh??

On another note: Amy is sending out her new book for checking. Yippee!! To get into grammer police mode I've noticed the following:
1. Two grammatical errors in the local paper. "A lot of students don't really know what we are based on." On the front page, yet!(and, yes, I know that's a fragment not a sentence. Emphasis, people!)
2. A grammatical error in a canned lesson at school ("You did that good!" Arghhhh!!!! Why can't Johnny read?)
3. The Husband told me this morning that "There's two bottles (of maple syrup) on the floor."

I have once again lost my voice and drugs are on the way. Hope they help. Oops! I'd better get back to my bread baking.....It's Alive!!!!

All the News That Fits

2007-09-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry to have been gone so long. It's the High Holiday season and that means cooking. And cooking. And Cooking!! The last two Sundays I went to a friend's house to work on cookies for the Break the Fast dinner (right after 26 hours of fasting on Yom Kippur). Last Sunday, we baked for more than five hours. At the end we were so giddy, I threw a pan of prepared cookie dough at her (I swear, it was an accident) and she laughed so hard she had to leave the room. Yesterday we baked for four hours and filled her freezer. During this week, I am a second grade teacher who comes home at night and bakes another batch or two of cookies. On Friday, I will be baking challah. Lots of challah. Thank goodness Sandra (the cookie wearing friend above) talked my out of baking challah napkin rings for the tables. I will only have to bake 14 loaves.

I am going to Rhinebeck. I was kind of looking forward to taking a trip with The Husband but he has been offered an extension on his contract and will be staying in the South for an extra month. Yay! for the exchequer. Boo! for the lonely wife. Anyhow, I've got my room reserved and have already made plans to stop and visit The Brother and his family on the way. See you there (if I don't get lost.......)

On the knitting front" The Husband made another order to Daedelus and found this knitting book:

The book is Perfectly Brilliant Knits and are they ever! There is a pattern for a sweater with knitted in DNA strands. COOL! The sizing is even realistic with most sweaters running up to an extra large. The blue sweater is a shell pattern with a cardigan that sort of matches (without being all matchy matchy if you're careful about your yarns). It's knit from Knitpicks Shine, a cotton yarn. Speaking of Knitpicks....Have you seen the beautiful new wooden needles for the Options set? We wants it!! (sorry about that, I read the Harlot just before I posted and the note kind of got to me).

On the sock needles, I'm still working on the socotta yarn. Did I ever get that picture on? If not, here they are at the beginning:

I am actually on the foot by now, I just haven't got any pictures. The second graders I have this week are really impressed that anyone could make socks! Gotta get to the kitchen and make something for dinner and about 3 million more cookies. Don't worry if I don't post soon, I'm just buried in dough (the cookie kind, darn it!)

Opinions Sought

2007-09-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

I need your opinions, or maybe just an intervention. With The Husband in the south and Younger Son back at school, I find I have a lot of time to clean things out. You would not believe(well, really you would) the number of projects I have bagged up ready to start and unfinished projects. Here's the question: If I'm really dilligent and work only on the stuff I already have (can I make an exception right here for Julie's knit-along?) should I go to Rhinebeck? I'd kind of like to go and meet some of you in person, but funds are a little tight (of course, The Husband would like to see the Airfield in Rhinebeck and he could give me this trip for Hanukkah) and I'd have to miss one or two days of work. So, how many are planning to go and would you like to meet?

Random Thursday

2007-08-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Hi, Folks! Just a few catch-up notions and then I have to go clean the birdbath (a poor little bird is out there taking a bath in green water, thick green water).
The Shoes: While the shoes were definitely of the F***-me variety, The Husband said, "You can't buy those, they aren't comfortable." He worries more about my being able to walk than how things look. Seriously, I have to point out the pretty girls on campus when we deliver The Baby (hereafter referred to as Younger Son at his request) to school.
Here is a peek at Oatlands: (well, shucks! The picture of Oatlands was on the laptop and the laptop is in Virginia, never mind).
The Rant: While on our day of adventure(in 102 degree heat) we dropped in on several museums. Now, most of the displays were very well done and only two things of the hundreds we saw gave me pause. Thing the first: "A quilt described as the churn dash pattern with extensive trapunto quilting." Um, no. I'll give you the churn dash pattern, but the quilting was all cross-hatch from what I could see (from 10 feet away. Velvet rope, doorway, guards. Sigh) It looked like a standard quilt for use and I believe that most trapunto quilts would have a lot more plain areas (to show off the trapunto) and definitely not feed-sack like patterns in the fabric.
Thing the second: another display at another museum. Flapper's dress from the 20s. The receptionist was all excited to tell me that the design had been hand-painted on the dress. I've done some hand painting on fabrics and I've worked with lots (and lots) of printed fabrics. This dress sure looked like printed fabric to me.
I guess things like this just bug me because I'm just that way (there is a hyphen, darn it!) most folks wouldn't even blink and I didn't feel strongly enough about the mis-labeling and mis-information to correct it, but thanks for letting me rant.
Question: Rats! I forgot. So, how you doin'?
Knitting: I have been working on socks from Sockotta yarn. They are the welt fantastic pattern from Simply Sensational Socks. The colors are wonderful, but the yarn is a little scratchy. Maybe it will wash up softer. I am a little concerned about fit. I seem to recall someone mentioning that diagonal patterns stretch less, but we'll see. So far they fit over the heel and around the ankle.
School: I went in Tuesday for my ID picture and the secretaries were all glad to see me. I don't expect to be called before next Wednesday but hope it will be soon. The exchequer could use an infusion.

Retail Therapy

2007-08-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

I was reading a mystery last week and the main character had gone through some tough times. To help her feel better a friend took her to a day spa and then for some retail therapy. Today after my swim I gave myself a facial and a hot-oil treatment for my hair. When The Husband came home from work (after his nap) we went out to look for a book. I am down to only two more and we will be here for three more days. Obviously I need something else to read (shhh! I know there are school books waiting for me). After the bookstore (The Chocolate Jewel Case by Joanna Carl) we were wandering around the shopping area and there was a Nordstrom's Rack. The Husband said he had never been in one so we decided to take a look. As we went in there was a sign that said there was a shoe sale, especially large sizes! I went to the shoes while The Husband went.....somewhere.
In the shoe section I found 3 pairs of shoes that fit and felt really good! Name brands and less than $150 for all. There were also two ladies there who were a hoot and a half. The shoes I bought were blue pumps and black pumps (very tailored and good for professional looks) and a pair of red shoes that will look great with jeans and hand-knit socks. While I was trying on shoes the other ladies were chatting with me and there was this one pair of shoes.......four inch heels and sparkly slide front and satin ribbon ties at the ankle. The other ladies were encouraging me to get them. "Oh, girl! You need those shoes! Just take little tiny steps and swing it!" It's a good thing they were a size too small. Other wise I would need a new wardrobe (lots of glitter) and a new career (um, The Husband probably wouldn't approve), but it was a lot of fun and The Husband and I have a new story to tell. There you have it. Spa time and some new shoes!

Pictures

2007-08-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

OK, so I took most of these pictures before I left for the South and I finally got them loaded.
This is the bag I choose for the knitting. Enough to last for 12 days. On the right, see the knitting I packed. Two pairs of socks, one sweater, and two lace shawls, Lace Style, Victorian Lace Today and Options needles. I also had the embossed leaf socks in my purse.

Just before I left the house I found a box full of this stuff from Amy on the porch:

A nifty alligator pouch (which I didn't realize was upside down in the picture. Look! Feet!), some pretty blue yarn (hand-dyed), a little pink bag just the size for a sock project, some Maizy yarn (it's made from corn and I can't wait to try it out), last, but sooo not least, some stitch markers made by her very own hands!

Before we left I had ordered some KnitPicks yarn just in case all the above wasn't enough. The order came the day after we left. Oh,well. Now I'll have something to look forward to when I get home. Just in case you think this whole tote bag thing is just for the knitting here is the packing for our trip:

Whenever we get ready to go any where I feel that there should be banjos in the background playing the theme to the Beverly Hillbillies. Yes we schlep along a lot of canvas bags, but they're upscale canvas bags. Land's End, the Metropolitan Museum, Elliot Bay Books. When we travel, it's one suitcase and four hundred canvas bags. At least we can reuse them when we go shopping.

As for what I've been doing down here: the last few days were the first days The Husband had off so we planned to go into Washington, DC to sightsee. Then there was that whole thing with the bomb threat, and the heat (while looking for a link about the bomb threat, I found the anthrax story. So glad we decided against the big city in the heat). The heat! When it gets above 98 degrees I firmly believe the only sensable thing to do is sit in the air conditioning and knit or read. Wednesday the thermometer in the car read 102 degrees and what did we do? We went to Oatlands! Apparently I have passed the number of pictures Blogger feels comfortable with today. Check back for more updates, a short, mild rant, and a question.

Just For Amy

2007-08-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

Amy wants to know what we've been up to, and just before I left I got this wonderful box of stuff (corn yarn! Do you know how much I wanted to try the corn yarn? Stitch markers made by her own little hands! Whee!)so as a thank you until I can get the camera attached and add pictures here's what I'm up to:

Hi from the land 'o plastic. I'm back visiting with The Husband in the south. Most days down here we have an air quality warning, which means that even though The Husband says he should get some exercise, "it's too hard for you to breathe, darling wife, so I'll just take a nap here while you stay in the air conditioning" going out of my tiny mind! My only activity is swimming every day (3/4 of a mile. Yay me!)
Yes, well, I did make a foray into the AAA guide for the area and found two (count 'em, Two!) plantations to visit. Love to visit the stately homes of times past and figure out how they made it through the day. If you're good, I might take some pictures.
On the knitting front: I have finished the embossed socks and started the Lichen Ribbed socks from Knitting Vintage Socks. I've actually spent more time on a cross-stitch project for a friend's birthday. I think I know why I don't do a lot of embroidery lately. I need new glasses. The only way I can check on my stitches (even? Crossed the same way?) is to take my glasses off and hold the work about an inch from my face. Then the search for the glasses begins.
On the back burner? Lesson plans for September. I brought the books, really I did. I just have to open them up and make some notes. I need some chocolate. See you.

Bring Out Yer Dead

2007-07-28T09:59:00.001-07:00

It's official. Franklin and The Harlot have both posted sad, depressed, and/or frustrated posts. There's a virus out there and its target is blogland. CYS (Cover your Stash)!!

In thinking (probably over-thinking) this thing, for me personally, I used to do amazing stuff (stencil over the fireplace with computer printouts and contact paper, sweaters for the boys, quilts for the walls, intricate embroidery). Now I look at it and wonder who that woman was. The hands hurt even while knitting, the lungs can't catch enough air and I am lazy, lazy, LAZY!!! Maybe it's that The Boys are old enough to be on their own, maybe because The Husband isn't here and doesn't need upkeep (hmmm... there's a thought, feel un-needed do we? Or worse, there's no audience. How shallow.) So, how are you?

On The Husband front, I went to visit a week or so ago and this is where he is staying:

It's an amazing place and I don't necessarily mean that in a good way. Nothing in the immediate area is more than 10 years old. And this in what could arguably be called the cradle of the country. You know, our 200+-year-old country? I think this is what most Americans aspire to. Everything is clean and new and lovely and looks great. The service staff is mostly Hispanic (and what does it say about this place that when I say, "Good Morning!" with a big smile they back away slowly......) and very efficient.

See that lovely pool? Every morning I do 40 laps and I am the only person in the pool (well sometimes there's a six-year-old). The other adults dip to get wet and lay on the deck chairs to tan. See the pool, don't use the pool. I checked throughout the day and for a week I was the only person I saw swimming in the swimming pool. Amazing.

So, you ask, what was there to do besides swim? The Husband had the car (after all the whole point is that he has well-paid work to do) and the only thing within walking distance (and don't get me started on how America has become the land of the car. Walk? Why would you do that?)is a mall. A mall with no yarn store!! Good thing I packed a little yarn.

This is the Summer Lace Shawlette from Interweave Knits Summer 2006.

Yarn: KnitPicks Gloss in Dusk. I used a little more than one skein.

Needles: KnitPick Options size 8.

Changes: None.

There is one mistake (well, one I'll claim) in the lace but it's only noticeable when you are right up close to it. I also bound off too tightly so I ripped out the last three rows and did it right, after I took this picture. The faroese shaping was easy and makes it drape very nicely. Would I do it again? Probably not. As I've mentioned before, I have pretty wide shoulders (Upon meeting me for the first time, a cousin exclaimed, "Good Lord! An Amazon!!" I think he meant it kindly, but WTF?) and this little number emphasizes the whole shoulder area.
I also finished the Madder Ribbed socks from Knitting Vintage Socks. Sorry, can't find the picture assuming I took one. I would like to work my way through the "instructional" part of the patterns so I can try out different heels and toes.

I had plenty of time on my hands so I started the Embossed Leaf socks from Favorite Socks. I've almost finished the first one and will post pictures later.

Soon I'll be leaving to spend two weeks with The Husband (Now that The Baby has passed his driving test and can get himself to work). It's our last chance to get a little "vacation" time before school starts. If I stay for two weeks, we can do some sight-seeing (Ohh! Museums! Yarn Stores!) on his "week-end". So what will I be knitting you ask? I was going to try a Sthalman shawl, but in writing about the shawlette I've realized that while it may be lovely knitting, it's a bad fashion choice for me. So maybe I'll try out one of the lace scarves in Victorian Lace Today. I'll just have to save one of those faroese shawls for a normal shouldered friend. The big question is, "Should I order a little more yarn in a different weight so I can give the hands a rest?" Why, yes. Yes, I think that would be an important thing to do.........

The Doldrums

2007-07-22T18:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Samurai for saying this better than I would, but.....fun has become duty,

Quilting - at least one hand-quilted king size quilt and 3 queen/king size quilts behind.

Knitting - not behind really, but no challenge in sight. Everything has that "been there, knit that" feeling (and before you suggest it, I have never knit a full lace shawl, or entrelac)

Embroidery - Meh. working from a chart someone else made feels too much like cheating (if I'm so smart, why don't I design my own? Huh? Huh??)

Gardening - There are so many wonderful projects on the back burner, but it's hot and the rest of the gardens need to be kept up (and Elder Son watered while I was away. Should dianthus leaves be black?)

House Cleaning - Stop laughing! You there, get off of the floor! Do you know how long it's been since I washed it? (Although I did clean the freezer yesterday)

Re-Decorating - Elder Son can't find a place to move that he can afford until he does move and can work as a tutor full time. As for the rest of the house, first I would have to get rid of The Husband so I can reduce the piles. I'll keep the piles. Beside most of the summer money I saved is gone due to one emergency or another.

Baking - Sigh. I did bake up a storm yesterday, but all from tried and true recipes. The boys are convinced they will starve if I go south the The Husband for two weeks. I made four kinds of cookies yesterday. Now if I would only clean the basement freezer, I would have some place to put them.

Reading - I know. New Harry Potter!! See re-decorating. No money. Otherwise, I have read almost every cozy murder mystery in the library. Amy, write faster. I'll hock a kid.

Blogging - I read you guys every day. Really I do. Sometimes three times. And every day I think I should post more often. But 2 comments? Who's reading? Amy and The Coach. Hi, guys!

Planning for the fall classes - I don't even have the syllabus for the third grade yet. All I know for sure is that it's time we learned the Hebrew calendar. Other than that, I'm a sub, no planning needed.

Exercise - All right. I do swim three days a week (that's all the pool is open) and I have started swimming 3/4 of a mile, but it's too hard (she whines) to do anything else.

Man, where did the joie de vivre go? Where ever it is could you point it back here? Thanks.