2010 Olympics, I will miss you

I love the Olympics. I'm sad they are over, but sure did enjoy the thrills of victory, and the agony of defeat (especially that hockey game... but what an exciting nail biting game it was)

I took part in the Knitting Olympics this year, and squeaked in my last bind off stitch mere moments before the Olympic torch was extinguished. I thought I had til 10:30, so good thing I went gangbusters for that last hour or so. Here are the Skew sox that don't fit me, so Kaitlyn is modeling them, and will hopefully enjoy them. I want to make another pair, for me, once the math is figured out for my size. What a fun knit! It really boggles my mind that Lana came up with this very unusual construction!

Here are my gold-medal socks

Wow, an actual FO!

I am happy these socks are done, but none too proud of the fact that they took me 18 months to knit! I started them to take to a Stitch 'n Pitch game (in 2008!) and made quite a bit of progress on them for a while... then they got ignored for a very long time. These are the Socks of Kindness, and I used Jojoland Melody yarn.

My first FO of 2010. Now, what to put on the needles next?

ps.... Jake was the photographer for this shot.

Feels like a heat wave!

I was able to walk out the door to get the mail without turning into a popsicle today. We're having a one-day heat wave here. It's 35 degrees at the moment. Now, to some of you (Hi Maria!) who may be enjoying unseasonably warm temps, we have been below freezing, and quite often below zero, for a while now. Brrr.... We also had a bunch of snow dump on us again last weekend, but thankfully none since then.

 

It's going to get frigid again this weekend. Single digits overnight with highs in the teens. Winter has a tight grip on us this year for sure. My wool socks and felted clogs are on my feet constantly. I've even had to wear socks to bed a few times and let me tell you, it has to be mighty cold for me to go to bed with socks on. I HATE having my feet covered in bed. Most times I have them sticking out of the sheets and blankets. So yes, this little warm up today feels nice. Even if it is short-lived.

I started these socks before Stitch 'n Pitch this summer so I could knit something small at the ballpark. After the game, they got put aside so I could work on my Rhinebeck sweater. I finally decided to pick the socks back up, and I've made a good bit of progress in the past few days. Hopefully they will be done this weekend. I love the pattern and the yarn!



I have another pair of socks that have been in progress even longer than these. I need to finish them so I can dive into my sock yarn stash and start a new pair. I really want to knit up some of my sock yarn before I buy any more. Not all of it, mind you, but at least a couple more pairs of socks have to come from my stash before I buy any more (and I already know what the first purchase will be. I got to see and feel some Mini Mochi last night and it is so pretty, and SO soft. That yarn is going to make some scrumptious socks!)

I'm working on a new design right now. It's being tested, and I hope to get the pattern written up, photos taken, and have it for sale soon! Watch for details here!

Opening Day

It's Opening Day for the Detroit Tigers today. The fans have high expectations for the team this year. They've played very well the past few years (after a very long slump!) and have acquired some new talent. It's going to be a very exciting year!

Jake is really anxious for baseball to start. The Tigers season, of course, but his own baseball season as well. Hopefully practice will start this week, weather permitting. We had snow flurries yesterday, but today we're supposed to be in the 50s (FINALLY). Maybe spring will actually come to Michigan this year after all! I hope so. It's kind of miserable for the kids to be playing in nasty weather (and not much fun for the spectators either!) Jake has a short season, but he really enjoys playing.

To help us get in the baseball mood, we watched The Rookie last night. What an awesome movie. If you haven't seen it, you definitely should! It reminds you to follow your dreams, even in the face of adversity and nay-sayers.

I finished a pair of socks last night (I'm waiting to see if the sun comes out so I can get a photo) and just cast on with the spring-colors yarn I showed in my last post. I played around for a little bit to come up with a stitch pattern that will compliment this yarn. Hopefully what I decided on will work well. I am already loving knitting with these colors rather than the dark, muted colors of my last pair.

I'm going to watch the Opening Day pre-game coverage, then the game, and knit springy socks! Jake is back to school today after a 10-day spring break, Kaitlyn is still in FL, so the house is mine and that's my plan!

Go Tigers!

Time to catch up a bit

A few weeks ago, my daughter Kim invited some of her friends, aunts and coworkers, and I invited a few friends, to share in an evening of meal prep at Dinner Kitchen. None of us had done this before though many of us had wanted to try it. We selected the meals we wanted to make ahead of time, so that when we got there, our ingredients were prepped and waiting for us to assemble the dishes. Some ingredients were premeasured, and others we had the choice of how much or little to add of something (mostly spices and herbs, but a few other things too) depending on our own tastes and those of our family.

Here are some pictures from that night. I accidentally left my camera at home, so called my friend Tamara to bring hers. These are all shots she took while we were there. I haven't gotten the pix that Kim took yet, so I don't have one of Tamara in this bunch. Drat!

Easter was a lot of fun. We celebrated with Mike's side of the family on Saturday. The kids had a blast. We also celebrated our nephew Alexander's 5th birthday that day too. On Easter Sunday my brother and his family came over for dinner, and some Wii competition. Mike made a prime rib in the roaster that was TO DIE FOR! YUMMY! Andy and Karen brought a ham that was also very juicy and tasty. We had roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, homemade bread, mashed potatoes, fresh pineapple and canteloupe, etc. etc. I made Cream Puff Cake for dessert and that was a huge hit. I don't know how anyone had room for it after that huge dinner! It sure was delish.

On Tuesday Kaitlyn left for Florida with a friend and her family. She is having a great time. Today they are going parasailing. Sounds like a blast!

Since Kaitlyn got to do this, I figured it was only fair that Jake got some fun too, so we got a room at Sterling Inn for a few days. There is a waterpark at this hotel, and he was excited to get to do this. My nephew came and swam with Jake one of the days for a few hours. It was great to see the big grins on their faces every time I looked at them. Personally, I was happy to get home to my own bed and routine. I was thinking I would get a lot of knitting done while there, but that didn't happen. I did finally finish the book I was reading that was 2 weeks overdue at the library. Now to pay the fines. OOPS! (REALLY good book, BTW. Incredible true story)

I did manange to knit a few rows on my socks. I'm hoping to finish them this weekend and get on to a new pair. I've chosen the yarn (a beautiful mix of spring colors, hand-dyed by my friend Lynn. If you haven't checked out her site, go do so! She's got beautiful yarns for sale, as well as nice pattern designs! Sometimes she has polymer clay buttons for sale. Lynn and her husband are also talented musicians. You might want to pick up a CD or 2 while you're there!
Now that I know what yarn I'll use for my next socks, I just need to pick out a pattern that will compliment the yarn.



Today is the baby shower that I knit the green cardi, hat, booties and socks for. I also knit the burp cloth from the Mason Dixon book, in a blue/yellow/white cotton I found for the UM family this baby is being born into (GO BLUE). I can't wait to have pix of the bebe in the items I knit, though it will be a while. They will fit in the fall (I HOPE).



I also found out today that another nephew and his wife are expecting their second child. YAY! More baby knitting in my future!

Speaking of turning 50....

I'm really feeling my age today, after getting a look at what's going on in my body....

Last Tuesday I was innocently going about my business, about to make a pot of chicken soup. I filled the stock pot in the sink, then as I picked it up and turned to walk to the stove, I felt something not quite right in my back, and went quickly (OW OW OW OW-ing) all the way to the stove. By Friday I had decided I would make an appt. with a chiropractor because it was still pretty sore. I have never been to a chiropractor before, but I figured it was time I checked out this form of "help" with a body that seems to need more and more help these days.

I was able to get in that afternoon for X-rays and a consult, went back Saturday morning for an adjustment, and today we went over my X-rays. I could clearly see the areas where there were problems. There was some mal-alignment, but I also have a couple of bone spurs, early Phase II arthritis, and some decrease in disc space.

Phooey.

Even though arthritis is not reversable, I was assured that its progress could be slowed with exercise, and keeping my spine in line. He also suggested I change the way I sleep (that's going to be a tough one, after 49+ years). I highly doubt I can train myself to sleep on my back, but maybe my side. (I am a stomach sleeper, which apparently is hard on your neck)

So I'm going to give chiropractic care a whirl and see what it does for me. I figure, it can't hurt! Our insurance fully covers 24 visits a year, so that's cool.

Any time spent in the waiting room, or waiting in the exam room, will of course be spent knitting.

Today I took my socks to work on. I'm getting bored with this pair and really want them off the needles so I can get on to something else. But I am persevering. The reward of a really cool pair of socks will be worth it. I'm thinking I'm really getting ready for a knitting challenge. What will it be?

But first, I need to get back at spinning.

PS...look for a new mitten pattern soon

Rhinebeck on my birthday!

I've been wanting to go to Rhinebeck (the New York Sheep and Wool Festival for anyone who doesn't know) for several years. I never could quite justify it. I was thinking I would try to go this year, and then when I went to the website and saw that Rhinebeck opens on my birthday, I knew that I had to make it happen. Especially since this is a momunmental birthday....I'm hitting the big 5-0,(EEK!) and what better place to do it than in the midst of fiber and friends. Yay!

So I've started looking at flights, and have lots of time to stash away some $$$ for fiber stash! (and travel, etc.) I have a very generous friend in CT who is going to get me from the airport, put a roof over my head, and accompany me to Rhinebeck. I have "known" Christine for 10 years, but it has been an online friendship, and I am so happy to be able to finally meet her in person. I am really hoping my other friend, Jane, who I've also known for several years, online, will travel to Rhinebeck this year too, because we have been very anxious to meet each other as well!

I also hope there will be others that I will be able to put a face to a name, etc. I'm quite excited.

I have started a Rhinebeck fund, and so far, in less than 3 weeks, I have been able to add $195....all of it is winnings from family poker games! I'm on a winning streak it seems, so I'm putting it away for the trip. I'm hoping to continue to add to the fund, while I'm sure it won't be at this rate. It's a nice start! I think I'll put a running total over on my sidebar. :-)

I taught another sock class this morning. All went well. It's a really fun group of ladies, and that always helps.

I'm still working on the socks I started when Diane was here. I'm done with the heels, and heading on up the legs, using the Beaded Rib stitch. I'm anxious to get them done and on my feet! I love 'em!

Still waiting for my Knitpicks order to show up with my new goodies.

Holiday Knitting Pix and misc.

I'm finally getting around to posting pix of my holiday knitting and misc. I forgot to get a picture of Kim's Peekaboo Mittens, but here is everything else...

Socks for Mike. Double strand of Araucania Ranco...nice and thick, to keep his feet toasty warm when he goes ice fishing. (But with the whacky weather we've had recently, that might not happen for a long time, if at all this season! 65 in January? Weird...)



Here's Karen wearing her Fidget, and "Fidget Mitts" that I designed. I did the Fidget using Tahki Bunny Print. I had 2 balls in my stash, and used a little more than 1 for the Fidget, and decided that some fingerless gloves with a cuff using the same pattern and yarn would be pretty cool. I used gray Lamb's Pride for the main part of the gloves, and loved how they turned out.



Kim's Peekaboo Mittens were made from the same gray Lamb's Pride. I was supposed to knit Kaitlyn a pair of mittens too, but those didn't get done.

While Diane was here, we had quite a bit of fun. We spent a couple hours at Threadbear in Lansing after I picked her up from the airport the Saturday before Christmas. Mike had gifted us with a mini retreat, telling us to stay overnight in Lansing and have some "sister time". What a nice gesture that was! I didn't get any yarn at Threadbear, but I did get this lovely glass shawl pin, made by Moving Mud. Diane got one too, though hers is a little bigger.



After hanging out with Rob and Matt at Threadbear, we made a quick trip to Little Red Schoolhouse, where I got a few sheep themed items, then we had dinner at Los Tres Amigos in the same area. We spent the night at the Best Western down the road. It had a lodge theme, and we sat for a while in the log furniture in front of the fireplace in the lobby, knitting and chatting. Unfortunately I had no batteries in my camera at that point, cuz that would have made a nice photo to add right here!

We thought about using the hot tub and pool, but there were quite a few loud unruly children families there because it was winter break. We hid out in our room, chatting, reading, relaxing. In the morning we had breakfast at the hotel, packed up, went to Target and Macy's and then back to Threadbear for another quick visit. Diane wanted to show off the shawl she is knitting with the Targhee that I spun for her.

OMG THE SUN IS SHINING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY DAYS OF GLOOM!

Sorry for the interruption but that was worth taking note of!

Anyway, the shawl is beautiful, and I was happy to see how nice my handspun looked and felt knit up. Of course, dolt that I am, I didn't get a picture of that either, cuz it would have been nice to add right here! (I really must start using my camera more!!!!)

After leaving Threadbear Sunday morning, we went to Andy and Karen's house to wait for Mom and Dad to arrive for the surprise. That really was fun.

On Wednesday, we tried to shop at 4 different yarn shops, but only one was open, being the day after Christmas and all. I have been wanting to get to Artisan Knitworks ever since it opened, and was happy that it finally happened when I was with Diane and Mom. Diane and I got the last 2 hanks of really great sock yarn from Autumn House Farm in PA. It is the Specs sock yarn, which is hand-dyed merino (sooooo soft) and has flecks of other colors spun in (and hanging out) I'm not sure how long the specs will hang onto the yarn when the socks are worn and washed, but it's fun knitting with them. Here are my socks in progress:



This photo shows the little specks better than the ribbing side:



So the rest of the week Diane and I spent knitting and just hanging out, which we get so little time to do. She and mom both loved the Fidget when they saw the one I did for Karen. Diane went shopping in my stash and found some Araucania Nature Wool Chunky and knit one up. Mom knit one too.

Anyway, before I knew it, it was time for Diane to go back home. I am so sad that we can't spend more time together like that. But I really appreciate the fact that she was here for Christmas. It was very special.

Speaking of special, I was definitely spoiled this year in the gift department. Here are my knitting/spinning related gifts.

12 oz. of gorgeous merino top from my friend Jane.



Jane always spoils me with fibery goodness. She also sent these two hanks of sock yarn. Aren't they purdy?



Mike got me this "Happy Pastime" Hummel. I have several knitting Hummels now, added to the collection of Hummels that Mike started buying me when we were first married.



And I had this Snowbabies "Hooked on Knitting" figurine on my wish list, and Mike came through with it for me. I also bought this for Diane as one of her gifts this year. It's so cute!



Mom and Dad gave me a Knitpicks gift certificate which I have already put to use and am waiting for my order.

Kim gave me the Debbie Bliss Teddy Bear book, and Kaitlyn gave me the Knitted Icons book (which is a real hoot!)I got Complete Feltmaking too. I love adding to my knitting library!

I also got several cute knitting-themed ornaments (including a few I bought for myself on ebay before the holidays)

And the icing on the cake....I got a Woolee Winder with not one, not two, but THREE bobbins, for my Joy wheel. I've tried it, and found there is a bit of a learning curve trying to get the tension just right, but once I get it, I'm going to really love it!

I am definitely going to do more spinning in 2008.

More socks!

Don't be fooled into thinking I knit these socks since Saturday when I posted the last completed pair. They were pretty much both in progress the whole time together. I actually started this pair first, for my sock class, then got the other pair going so they could be at different stages for the class, since all of my students seemed to be on completely different knitting schedules! It's hard to convince them to do their homework so they can all be ready to do the next step at the next class. That can be very frustrating.

I used Regia Multi Effekts for this pair. I had gotten this yarn at Mary Maxim's tent sale. I believe it was 2 summers ago, and I'm not sure this color is even still available. I used the "Stem" pattern from Charlene Schurch's More Sensational Knitted Socks book

I may have made these a little too long in the foot. I guess we'll see when I wear them. I like how they turned out though!

Today I went to the foot doctor. I have either a plantar wart or blocked sweat gland...he wasn't sure, but the treatment is the same so away we went. OWWWWW.
Anyway, the gals in the office AND the doctor were all smitten with my handknit socks (the ones in the post below). The doctor picked up the socks off the chair and was examining their construction, asking questions, etc. Kind of fun.

I have to go back next week, and possibly for more weekly treatments. I'll be sure to wear a different pair each week. :-)

I was really excited to be done with both of these pairs so that I could finally start a pair from Cat Bordhi's new book. But I'm thinking now that it's too close to Christmas, and I really should get going on a little holiday knitting.

BUT...I think I might have to do some swatching with this....



It's 100% silk from Colourmart. A whole cone for $16 including shipping, from UK! And it only took 5 days to get here. Pretty amazing.

Anyway, I am completely, insanely obsessed with the Hyrna Herborgar shawl, and I think it will be quite stunning in this silvery silk. The most beautiful one I've seen, and the one that had me clicking on her blog repeatedly for several days, is the one in the July 28th post of Beth's Knitting blog. That shawl is just stunning, and I must. make. it.

I have the book (Three-cornered and Long Shawls from Schoolhouse Press) on order through Threadbear, and hopefully I will get it soon. I've browsed through my friend's copy, and see that the charts are hand drawn, so I may use the Knit Visualizer software to create charts that are easier on the eyes.

Newest socks

This is the latest pair of socks I finished. I started them to use as my class demo recently. Online Supersocke 100 yarn from the Tropic collection. (I believe color #928, though it doesn't look exactly like the one on their poster, and I misplaced the ballband) I got this yarn at Knitter's Mercantile in Columbus when Kim and I went down for TNNA this summer.

I have another pair on the needles that will hopefully be done soon. I am really itching to start my next pair, which will be from Cat Bordhi's new book New Pathways for Sock Knitters. I want to make the pair that is on the right on the cover of the book...the one with the braid-y looking cables going up. Unfortunately this means buying sock yarn since I don't have an "almost solid" in my stash. I think I will use Ranco sock yarn from Araucania (since it's on sale at Labor of Love right now). There are some really pretty colors. I'm deciding between the last 3 on the color chart. I think I've eliminated the pink though, so it's the teal or the blue.

Fun Birthday/Weekend

My birthday itself was rather a busy, errand-running day, but I did get to have some fun in the evening. I met up with my knitting buddies at Borders, and Tam brought some homemade cannolis that were to die for. Thanks Tam....they were sure delish!

I bought myself a birthday present while I was there: More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlotte Schurch.

My weekend started bright dark and early Saturday morning. I left the house about 7:15 for my 2 hour drive to Lansing. I was spending the day at Threadbear for their 3rd Annual Fall Festival. The shop was hopping the entire day....it's so fun to be in the midst of all that excitement! I brought socks to knit, and also brought my portable wheel. I was able to get both knitting and spinning done while I was there for over 8 hours. I also sold some goodies. I did a little better than last year, selling some bookmarks, orifice hooks, patterns, stitch markers, pens, etc. But no matter what, it's always great to be there.

One of the other vendors there was selling some gorgeous yarns and rovings she had dyed. I ended up getting a bag of superwash merino roving that I am going to try to spin for a pair of socks. It's from To Knit Perchance To Dream and it's appropriately called Last Leaves of Fall. Pretty, no?



I finally got a chance to meet Kristi....what a sweetie she is! And Kellie was working that day...I had originally met her in line at a Yarn Harlot book signing. It was nice chatting with her again too!

My friend Kim was there for a while, hanging out with me and one of the other vendors, Rebecca, who she's known and been friends with for a lot longer than me. Kind of fun that we were in the same place at the same time again this year. I originally met Rebecca at a similar event at Heritage Spinning and Weaving a few years back, and we both also did the Threadbear event last year.

After a fun day hanging out surrounded by tons of fibers, I drove home (in the dark, having missed out on a perfectly lovely, above average temperature, sunny fall day....but it was worth it). I was pretty exhausted when I got home just before 9pm, and was dozing at times while I did some laundry. I would have loved to just drop into my bed, but I had to get Kaitlyn and her friend from work at 11:30. They are ticket-takers at the haunted house/haunted hayride at one of the many orchards in town. What a fun job, huh? Not fun for those of us who have to pick them up at that late hour though. Oh well, it's just for this month, and she's loving it.

Sunday was my birthday celebration with my mom and dad, and Kim and Drew. Mike made dinner for all of us. Oh my, was it good. We had Beef Burgundy with homemade noodles, a loaf of bread fresh from the breadmaker, roast butternut squash, veggies and dip and mom's banana cake for dessert. Mike did all the shopping and cooking (except for the squash, which I made,and the cake, which mom made), did all the dishes during prep and after dinner, etc. It was just so nice to sit back and relax. Thanks Mike!

I got some great gifts for my birthday. Earlier in the week, my friend Jane sent me a package of goodies. I could feel there was fibery goodness in the package and I couldn't wait a few more days til my birthday to open it, so I tore in and found these goodies. A green Chibi, cute bumblebee tape measure, some great sock yarn from Lotus, and these two beautiful Zitron rovings. I can't wait to spin those rainbows! Thanks Jane!



Then on my birthday I got a Knitpicks gift certificate for my mom and dad. My plan is to put it towards a set of Options needles. I've wanted them for a long time, but was in no big hurry because I have 2 sets of Denise needles (one of which I am planning on selling, so if anyone is interested, send me an email soon, before I put them up on ebay). Thanks Mom and Dad!

Kim and Drew gave me a gift card to renew my XM subscription, which was just about to expire. And the cutest cell phone holder EVER. It cracks me up every time I look at it. I tried really hard to buy myself a pair of lime green Crocs (or knockoffs) all summer but every time I found them in lime, they didn't have my size. Maybe next year. Thanks Kim and Drew!



Diane sent my gifts home with my mom and dad when they were visiting her recently. She sent a great skein of Rio de la Plata sock yarn in a bright yellowy-green. It's got a funny story behind it. Several months ago, Rob from Threadbear had called me (knowing my fondness for all things green, and sock yarn, esp. RDLP sock yarn) telling me about this skein, and wanting to know if he should save it for me. At the time, funds were very tight, and I couldn't justify buying another skein of sock yarn. I was IM-ing with Diane, and told her about the phone call from Rob. She immediately emailed him and told him she would buy it for me for my birthday. I had completely forgotten all about the phone call until I saw the note on the yarn. Isn't she sweet? Diane also sent me a great green vase from a store called Blooms. She's always finding me something that's got "Bloom" on it, and I love that. The bag was tied with ribbon that said Blooms, and there was also a pen with their Blooms logo. So cute! Thanks Diane!





My friend Maria in California sent me a Starbucks gift card. I look forward to sipping a nice hot cup of Chai Latte while thinking of her. Thanks Maria!

Here is a picture of the felted pumpkin basket I gave to my friend/neighbor Donna on her birthday Friday. I kind of screwed up the increases but I think it still turned out ok. She loved it! I'm not sure if it was the pumpkin, or all the chocolate I packed into it. =)



All in all, it was a great few days!

Spirit Week/Homecoming

It's been a really strange week around here. Spirit Week started with the Powder Puff football game on Monday evening. That was a lot of fun. The Junior girls won the game, and of course the Senior girls all claim it was 'fixed'. There were so many girls on the team that Kaitlyn only got to play for a short time, but they all had a blast, even if it was mostly cheering from the sidelines.

Mid-week there was a bomb-threat found written on a bathroom stall so they evacuated to the football field, had the building searched, and then had heightened security the rest of the week because the threat actually pinpointed Friday as the day something would happen. Lots of security at school, the football game, etc. Kind of put a damper on things. We didn't go to the football game because Kaitlyn had to work that night. Luckily nothing came of the threat, but these days you just never know. Used to be kids would pull the fire alarm at school to get a few minutes out of class. Now they've resorted to terrorism. Most threats I'm sure are just pranks, but each one has to be taken seriously. When it is a prank, it just just a huge waste of time, resources, manpower and money. I really hope they find out who made the threat and put a black cloud over what is supposed to be a really fun week at school.

Yesterday was the Homecoming Dance. Here is a picture of Kaitlyn and her date, Bruce.



In knitting news, I'm working on another pair of socks right now. I've got 2 pairs on the needles...must be because I'm teaching sock classes these days. This pair is in OnLine Supersocke Tropic color 928. It's a strange mix of colors, but they will be cute. I'll post pix when both pairs are done.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Lots of things have been changing around here in recent months. Luckily most of the changes have been positive, if not downright wonderful!

Labor of Love Yarn and Fiber Arts opened August 1. As many of you already know, I've been working there, and teaching. I love teaching knitting classes!I'm in my second group of classes now. Monday morning and last night were the first classes of the "Toe up 2 at a time Magic Loop socks". Getting the magic cast on and the increases going, after reviewing or teaching the Magic Loop method was a little touch-and-go at times, but at the end of the class(es) I think everyone had a pretty good idea of how to head on up the foot and could execute that knowledge. I hope everyone gets their homework done. They have 2 weeks to knit 2 socks to the point of turning the heel.

Working and teaching again, surrounded by fibery things, makes me very happy :-)



One big change this week has been the weather! HOLY COW....we've had a very warm fall. Warm? Did I say warm? Let me rephrase that....it's been a freakin' blast furnace around here! On Monday it was hotter in Michigan (record breaking 90 degrees) than in was in Key West and many other parts of the south you would consider tropical paradises. But in October, in Michigan, I doubt many people want to have 90 degree weather. We've all long ago closed our swimming pools for the season. My parents had already put the cover on their a/c unit so they suffered through the heatwave. We had our air on for 3 or 4 days when it was hovering around 90 before actually getting there.

Yesterday? A most beautiful sunny and 72. (WHY can't we have a string of THIS weather, I ask?) Because now....after one short day of bliss, we are headed to the dumper. The rest of the week will be wet and/or low to mid-50s. WTH?

While I'm happy for the change from the heatwave to more seasonable weather, I'd like to see a more gradual reduction in temps...not a 35 degree drop in 2 days! Sheesh!


A HUGE and wonderful change is that hubby has been offered a new job. He's nervous about it, as is to be expected. Anytime you leave what is familiar and comfortable it's hard. I'm so proud of him for taking the steps necessary to make this happen, because it was a change that was very long overdue. This is going to make a huge difference in our lives right now, and our future, as well as our kids' futures. For several years we have been struggling in quicksand. And while this job will not put us in a castle on top of the world, we can get outselves out of the quagmire and stay afloat, and that is good enough for me. Yay Mike!



A change that has just begun is a change in my body. I know I am overweight. I have no misconceptions about that. I know I need to do something about it. Knowing it and doing it are 2 completely different things. You have to have get to that right frame of mind before you can do anything about it. I've been trying to get there for so long. I've actually gained weight over the last year, probably because of my knee injury. I've spent a lot of time just sitting around because it was too painful to do much of anything else. Now that I've had physical therapy and can get around without hobbling, I can move around more. I still think I have a tear in my meniscus, and will eventually get an MRI to confirm that and will probably need surgery. Meanwhile I am dealing with the discomfort (reduced, but still there) and will work around it to do what I can in the way of exercise. Even with some limitations on that front, what I CAN do is change the way I've been eating. A few weeks ago something finally clicked in my brain and I knew I was ready to start making the changes. Once you've gotten it right in your mind, it makes it so much easier to do. You're not fighting yourself anymore. You just do what you need to do.

I've made huge changes in my diet, and it is paying off even after a short amount of time. I have lots of weight to lose, and I hope my will stays strong. I have a great support system, and I know that will help. I will turn 49 next week, and my goal is to be a completely "new and improved" me, inside and out, by the time I hit 50 next year.

I realize it will not be easy. I have to take it one day at a time, one meal at a time, one pound at a time. I hope this time I can stick with it. I've done it before (about 12 years ago, before I was pregnant with Jake, I lost over 50 lbs). Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see how long I would keep it off because I got pregnant soon after working so hard to lose that weight. And well, you know how the story goes from there....

So think good thoughts for me...and if you have any great tips to help me, including delicious-but-healthy recipes you might want to share, please email me and help me along this journey to a better me by the half-century mark. THANKS!


Kaitlyn is 16...and so are most of her friends. That means they are off on their own, no longer needing me to chauffeur. Kaitlyn doesn't have her license yet, claiming she doesn't really like driving and doesn't care if she gets it or not. This is just like Kim...she didn't get her license til she was 18. Anyway, it's a time of newfound freedom for Kaitlyn. And a renewed sense of worry for me. She's got great friends and I know you have to let go and let them find their way, but it's still nerve wracking. It seems like she's never home any more...and many times this involves being in the car of another 16 year old. Scary stuff.

She recently has ended a relationship of about 1 year and a half, which was hard for her to let go of, no matter how little fun was being had by either one of them in the end. Why is it so hard to let go even when things have gone bad? Just because it's more comfortable to stay? Kind of sounds like Mike and his job situation all over again. Young love....

I kind of miss her old BF at times....he spent a lot of time with our family...but things change. At their age things are in a constant state of flux. I'm happy to see that she's spending more time with some of her old friends that were being somewhat ignored, and making new friends. She has been asked to the Homecoming dance which is this weekend, by a very nice, polite, considerate young man, and I hope they have a great time.

So it's a time of changes for Kaitlyn, and of course whatever mood she's in will often affect the mood of the household.....things can get rather intense around here. Anyone who has a teenaged daughter (or remembers BEING one) knows exactly what I'm talking about!


So, lots of transitions going on in our lives right now. Jake seems to be the only one in the household who seems to be immuned from changes in his life. He's blissfully unaware of the ebb and flow of a lot of this. As it should be when you're 10 years old.

Misc.

Time to catch up with a little bit of this and that. Some knitting content, and just some other "stuff".

Last week I was pretty sick. Monday started out fine, but by the time I left a physical therapy appointment around noon, I could feel that little scratchy feeling in my throat that I always get right before I get sick. By mid-afternoon I was feeling pretty bad. Tuesday I spent all day on the couch. I was able to knit, but that's about all I did. This scarf is what came of that day on the couch. I just love the pattern. I used Karaoke...just about 2 skeins.



Wednesday I couldn't even get out of bed. I laid there, unable to do anything but doze and watch a little tv. I finally dragged my butt out of bed at 5 pm because Mike had come home from work and cooked some dinner and it really smelled good. I took a shower, ate, went to the couch for the rest of the evening.

Thursday I was able to come out of the bedroom, but once again, only made it to the couch for the day. I intended to go to the clinic for some meds, but couldn't even find the energy to get dressed and drive there, so I just laid on the couch in my jammies. No energy for knitting. UGH

Friday I felt slightly better (I was supposed to work, but when I called Tina on Thursday, the first thing she said when she heard my voice was STAY HOME!). I did a quick grocery run, and quickly realized that was overdoing it and had a bit of a relapse. I started feeling better on Sunday. Every day this week I felt a little better. I'm feeling fine now, though I am still coughing a bit and probably will for a while. I sure hope I don't catch THAT bug again anytime soon!

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This past Thursday I went to (hopefully) my last physical therapy session for my knee. I've been dealing with pain, loss of mobility and strength and a few other symptoms, since February. At the end of June I finally decided it was not going to get better on its own and saw a doctor, who prescribed physical therapy. I was a little skeptical about the PT at first, but I have to say I have come a long way in the 9 weeks of therapy. My strength and mobility have come back. Unfortunately I still have some pain, and it's time to accept the fact that I may need surgery to correct what my therapists think is a small tear in the meniscus. I am going to see how I do in the next few weeks with no more therapy, and see if I can live with things the way they are, or bite the bullet and get an MRI, and see the orthopedist for a diagnosis and course of action. For now I am just glad to not have to schedule my days around 3 sessions every week. And I am so glad to be able to walk without limping, go up and down the stairs normally again, etc. Thanks to all the folks at Health Quest who helped me get my knee back in shape. It's not 100%, but they have done all they can for me for now. I will continue to do some exercises at home to keep up the strength and see how it goes.

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Thursday was also the ribbon cutting ceremony/grand opening celebration at Labor of Love. This picture is of Tina and mostly Chamber of Commerce members that came to the opening to show support for the new business venture in town.Several members of my knitting group later joined in on the fun. We had some refreshments and chatted for a while. Debbie was there and I'm not sure when she'll be joining us again because she is due to have her baby this week! I'm so excited!



Friday morning Mike and Jake left to go camping. Kaitlyn and I stayed home. I worked on Friday and was supposed to work again today but Tina told me she didn't think she'd need me after all. So I spent most of the day knitting. I really need to finish up the Garden Gate scarf that I am making for SWTC out of Bamboo and Karaoke. It's been in the works for quite a while, and I really want to finish it up and get it to them. I've had to put it aside for several other projects (mainly baby items, but also the B4 bag I made for the shop) and it's time to get it done and in the mail!!

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This weekend is the Peach Festival in our little town. I try to stay away from the madness that takes over the downtown area, but decided I needed to go to the used book sale this afternoon. I scored these 2 knitting books for a mere 50 cents each! I love Nancie Wiseman's designs, and I couldn't pass up the Jo Sharp book for that price. I'm not sure I'll do anything out of that book, so it may be offered up as part of a contest prize at some point.

This week I really REALLY want to start a pair of socks from Cat Bordhi's new book. I think the Coriolis socks are going to be the first ones I do. I just have to decide what yarn I want to use. I seriously want to knit every pair of socks in that book. It is so incredible. I find it so interesting the way her brain works.

I have more than a dozen sets of letter markers made up, and hopefully will have them on my website within the next few days. Maybe even tomorrow I"ll be able to post them. Let me know if you need some! I've already sold a couple sets.

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I can't believe that school starts the day after tomorrow. Is summer really over? WAH! I don't want it to be over! On the other hand, I am kind of looking forward to some quiet time at home on the days when I won't be working or teaching. I have a few new designs floating around in my head that I need to start playing around with. I need add to and update my website. I have work to do, and I hope to find some time to do some pleasure knitting too. The holidays are coming, and I want to knit some gifts, but I really want to find/make time to knit something for ME for a change!

Happy Anniversary to US!

Today is our 28th anniversary. Wow! Who knew, through all the trials and tribulations, we'd make it this far. Here's a photo of Mike and I on our wedding day...Oh, the 70s...weren't fashions grand? At least in this picture I am not wearing my big floppy hat! (I do, however, have my lovely parasol to block the sun)



Today is a BIG day for weddings....being 07-07-07 and all. In fact, we are going to a wedding. Oh yes, I mentioned it in my last post. At some point during the evening, I will have the DJ play our wedding song, and dedicate it to my dear hubby, Mike.

I just googled the song so I could link to it, and found something I didn't know before. Paul Stookey has donated all profit from this song to charity...almost $2 million so far! Wow! Read about it here.


Promised knitting content....


I'm working on a secret project which I am totally in love with. I can't wait to finish it and present it to its recipient. Of course it's in my favorite color which doesn't hurt. It's not the same secret project mentioned previously, (May 5), though it is for the same recipient. Unfortunately that project will be frogged. This one is better anyway, so I have no regrets. And that yarn will be used for something equally as lovely.


I'm knitting another Garden Gate Scarf (available over there on the sidebar). This one is in SWTC's Bamboo for the scarf portion, and the stems, leaves and flowers will be in Karaoke. Some of the flowers will be felted, some will not. I'm sending this to SWTC and I think Jonelle said it would be part of a Karaoke trunk show. I hope to get it in the mail to her very soon.


I also have a pair of socks on the needles, though it's slow going on those. I only pick those up occasionally. I'm about to turn the heels and then I have to decide what I'm going to do on the cuffs. It's not my favorite sock yarn, so I'm kind of anxious to have them done so I can knit with some of the wonderful Rio De La Plata sock yarn I got from Threadbear recently.


Speaking of Threadbear, I am headed there on Monday with my friend Debbie. The purpose of this visit for me is to finally pick up the Ashford Joy spinning wheel that I am buying from one of the gals who works at Threadbear. It is barely used, and I have been making payments on it for a couple of months. Unfortunately, finances on the homefront have been pretty tight, due to several recent layoffs for Mike. Thankfully they were temporary, but even still, put a halt to any frivolous spending. (Not that I consider buying a spinning wheel frivolous, by any means.....)


ANYWAY.....


I was hoping to have the Joy to take with us when we go on our camping vacation starting next Saturday. I had been picturing myself at the campsite, sitting under the awning of our camper, spinning away. It didn't look like this was going to happen. When I mentioned it to my sister the other day, my dear, sweet, wonderful, generous sister offered to loan me the money to pay it off so I could get my wheel. (THANKS DIANE!!! I LOVE YOU!) So Deb and I are going to head to Lansing. I know Deb....she's going to spend a lot of time shopping. Me? Well, remember that halt to frivolous spending I mentioned? I can't do much shopping. I do have a store credit I can possibly use. But while Deb is browsing (we spent about 6 hours in the store the first time we shopped there...to give you an indication....) I think I will spin some roving I will bring along with me, and get acquainted with Joy. I can't wait! Ever since I borrowed a Joy to spin on while I was visiting my sister in February, I have wanted my very own and in 2 days it will happen. Yeah!



I found this on Jane's blog, and thought it would be fun to play along....


Scattergories


Here are the rules:
~Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following.
~They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up!
~If you can’t think of anything, skip it.
~Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial.
~You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Have fun!

Your Name: Trish

1. Famous Singer/Band: Tim McGraw
2. 4 letter word: Tool
3. Street Name: Tienken
4. Color: Teal
5. Gifts/Presents: Toys
6. Vehicle: Train
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Trinkets
8. Boy Name: Tyler
9. Girl Name: Tina
10. Movie Title: Titanic
11. Drink: Tequila Sunrise
12. Occupation: Teller
13. Celebrity: Tom Hanks
14. Magazine: Time
15. U.S. City: Tampa
16. Pro Sports Teams: Tigers
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Tired!
19. Something You Throw Away: Trash
20. Things You Shout: Time Out!
21. Cartoon Character: Tinkerbell

FO, OTN and a Mile of Targhee

Here's a baby blanket knit for my neighbor's daughter Christie who had a baby girl earlier this month. Christie was only 16 when we moved here, and has grown into a woman, a teacher, and now a mother of 2. Her son is 3 and is the cutest little guy. Anyway, I finished this a few days ago, gave it a wash and dry, and it's sitting here ready to get delivered.

The yarn is Sirdar Spree which is a chunky cotton/acrylic blend and is really soft to the touch. Just right for a baby blankie!

On the needles is a pair of socks I started when I was going to Ann Arbor to see Stephanie (Yarn Harlot) I got as far as the heels and then the socks sat for a bit. Yesterday I decided to turn the heels so I could just go around and around at Kaitlyn's track meet later in the afternoon (which I didn't end up going to after all). I'm glad the heels are done though, because now it's almost mindless knitting to the end, and I'm hoping to make good progress on them tomorrow night. We are gathering at the home of one of the gals from my knitting group instead of at the coffee shop we normally meet at. We can get a little crazy if we want to. I'm making my famous guacamole and we'll have other snacks and drinks. I'm sure a good time will be had by all.

Yarn is Wildfoote from Brown Sheep that I got (REALLY CHEAP!) in February when I visited the factory. I love the soft pink...



I skeined the last of the plied Targhee (from the previous post) for Diane, and it came to about 250 yards. Added to the first skein which was 625 yards, I figured out that is 1750 yards of singles, which equals a mile....
a MILE!!! of singles. Oh my. No wonder it felt like I was never going to finish spinning! So I spun a mile of singles. Then I respun that same mile of singles to put more twist in them. Then I plied it into 1/2 mile of 2 ply yarn.

Diane is looking for just the right shawl pattern to knit the half mile of Targhee. (Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!)

I'm now looking forward to spinning some Merino for my friend Linda who created the logo for my business website Once In A Bloomoon Creations as well as a Bloomin' Knitiot logo (which I have unsuccessfully tried to add to the top of my blog...not being too great with HTML....so if you can help with that I'd be grateful for that too!)

April Fool's Day with Yarn Harlot

After weeks of anticipation, April 1 was finally here and it was time to go back to the Ann Arbor Library to see Stephanie again. I left the house at 10:40am, picked up Kim and headed out. We wanted to be sure to be there plenty early to make sure we had a seat in the main room. No "overflow" room for us!

After a bit of a detour, we arrived at the library around 12:30 and found many many knitters already in attendance. We grabbed our seats and settled in. Mike had packed me a lunch, so I had a bit to eat, and Kim had a couple of power bars to keep her going. Before too long, Tim from the library made an announcement (which I guess had already been made once before we got there) for any newcomers to let us know that Stephanie was not in Ann Arbor. Stephanie was not even in Michigan. Stephanie was in Chicago. She had been on a flight that was unable to land that morning because of fog. Stephanie was TRYING to get a flight, and they would keep us posted.

So, the couple hundred of us sat. We knit many stitches. We chatted. We knit some more. We snacked (even though Tim told us there was no eating in the library) Sorry Tim, but we were hungry, and we were there for the long haul. Kim is in this photo, on the far left, in lime green, 1/2 way back.



There was no complaining. There was no fidgeting. There was no uprising. We came, and we weren't leaving until we saw Yarn Harlot. There was no need to entertain us...we had all brought our own entertainment and it was in our hands. However, the library people thought it would be fun to give us a parade of kids in their April Foolery hats they had made elsewhere in the library. There were 2 of these parades. We clapped for the kids and they looked at us rather oddly. It helped pass the time.



We got several more (non)updates from Tim, then finally he told us she was on a flight that was supposed to land around 3:30 and that hopefully she would be there by 4:00. She didn't arrive until 4:30. She came running in to cheers from the crowd, walked to the podium, looked at us all for a moment, and said....

CRAP!

Roars of laughter.....

Poor Stephanie had started her day at 3:00 AM and was just walking in to the event 13.5 hours later. She explained some of how things had gone badly all day (I'm sure we'll read more details on her own blog when she wakes up and has a chance to write about it). Then she told us how the car that was to meet her at the airport OH SO MANY HOURS before was no longer there, and wondered how she was going to get to Ann Arbor, because..."it was too far to walk"...when some random dude named Brad said "I can drive you to Ann Arbor". She said she checked Brad's passport, but still.... Anyway, Brad was at this time pointed out at the back of the room and also got a standing ovation. But how crazy is that???? Well, at least she got there. And we were happy.

Unfortunately Steph cut her talk short because the library's closing time was 6pm. Well Tim had already told us that they would let us stay past 6pm due to the circumstances. But maybe they didn't tell Steph that. Or maybe she was just too exhausted to give us more. She was her usual hilarious self, looking lovely in her Bohus and we soaked in every funny word.

Just being surrounded by knitters for all those hours was fun. There was a round of applause for an FO (which I have since found out was completed by Tracey) , Dana was handing out nametags for bloggers and then taking pix of all the nametags. We met Kyle who works at Threadbear (and Kyle's mom) and talked with them quite a bit. Waiting in line to get our books signed we chatted with a few more folks. Fun fun fun. There were many more bloggers there whose names I recognized but I wasn't taking notes (DUH) so I can't list them all here.

Finally it was our turn. I got up to the table, and Stephanie looked up at me, read my shirt (which I had made with my blog logo and URL) and she said to me "Are you really the Bloomin' Knitiot?"....a recognition which thrilled me and made me feel like "someone". I had made Stephanie some personalized pens and a beaded orifice hook, all of which she seemed to love (and will soon be available on my website).




She signed my books, and when Kim was getting her book signed, I went around Stephanie's back with my camera and she laughed when I said I was going to macro her Bohus.



It was just a riot. She is so down to earth and approachable, and I am just thrilled for all her success and for sharing herself with us.....events such as the book tour, but also in letting us into her life by continuing to write her blog, no matter how tired she is, no matter how frazzled or busy...she knows we are there waiting to read more, and she comes through. (Sometimes the natives get restless waiting for updates...myself included....but it's always worth the wait.)

Thanks for a great time, Steph. We love you!

These socks DO rock!

Some of the BeeGees (my Thursday night knitting group) went to Stitches Midwest in Chicago last month. I was not able to go because it was the same weekend of the 3-Day Walk. Tamara so graciously offered to bring me back some Socks That Rock sock yarn. I went to the website, picked out some colorways that I liked, and gave her the list. When she came back, she had one of the colorways I had picked out, but she also had this one, which I fell in love with. I started these socks about 2 weeks ago and finished them up Sunday evening.



I used Queen Kahuna's method, added a slip stitch underneath the heel as well as up the back of the heel. The cuff and top of the foot are done in a 2 x 2 twisted rib. It was a little fussy, but I love how they turned out. So far this is the best fitting pair of socks I've made. I always seem to make them a little too big. I used a size 1 needle this time and they are a nice thick, warm sock. I am looking forward to wearing them a lot this winter!