Justified!

I’ve mentioned before that I like to watch the Hoarders type programs on TV, to get motivated to clean up my clutter around the house. If you’ve ever seen any of them, you know that one of the common hoarder arguments for keeping umpteen “what’s-its”, is that “someone might need it someday”.

Anyone with a yarn stash or fabric stash probably understands this completely. “Perhaps I don’t adore this yarn, but someday I might need to make something that calls for it.” “I picked this yarn up at a garage sale in a bag with some good stuff, so I’ll keep it just in case.” Those are familiar excuses for hanging on to yarn or fabric that we aren’t truly in love with. And the psychologists on the hoarder programs love to counter with “you need to realize that SOMEDAY is NEVER going to come”.

And today my answer to that it – POPPYCOCK!

Last week, a neighbor lady called up and asked if I could help her with a knitting project. She brought over a beautiful piece of knitted lace that her daughter, who passed away almost two years ago, had left unfinished. It was meant to be a christening gown, and the pattern was there, but no more yarn to make the bodice.

I was sure that I could finish the project for her, and since the bodice was mostly stockinette, and the lace portion was done, any variation between my knitting and her knitting would be unnoticeable. The live stitches were in a tangle though, as though the needles had been pulled out and then put back in. Some stitches were dropped, others were split.

I spent part of the evening liberating those stitches, carefully undoing the knitting until I got back to a place where all the stitches were present and accounted for, and then I studied the pattern to see exactly where I was and what came next. Then, I studied my stash database, and went hunting for Bin #61.

Yes, that’s right 61, and fortunately I have room to store all those bins, and no, 61 is not the end of the inventory. It’s a work in progress.

Bin #61 holds mostly acrylic baby yarns, of various brands, colors, and ages. Everything from current day yarns to 40 year old dime store yarn, gleaned mostly from thrift stores and rummage sales. And lo and behold, here were some skeins of – you guessed it – Red Heart Baby Yarn – that were a perfect match to the yarn in the gown. I picked one, joined it, knit a few rounds, and checked – you could not tell the difference at all!

Do you have any idea how satisfying that felt? To come up with the perfect yarn match to fulfill this special request? To be able to honor this kindred knitter’s spirit? It’s very special indeed , and if that doesn’t justify the need for stashes, big and small, I don’t know what does!

Here’s a photo of Peggy’s christening gown, where she left off. I’m ready to start working the bodice. Look at all that lovely lace. It would have been a terrible shame to waste all that good knitting for want of some acrylic baby yarn. Justified, indeed!

Ahh...Summer! Tuesday, June 24

If you asked me, I'd probably say that summer is my least favorite of the seasons, due mainly to the heat and humidity. However, I have a feeling that there are plenty of summer-specific items that are really special for me. I thought if I put together a little online scrapbook, I would be able to convince myself that summer's not so bad after all!

Today's entry:

Penguin Zesto in Winona, Minnesota!

Nothing better on a warm day than a chocolate soft-serve cone from this iconic Winona landmark, which is only open seasonally. It makes a hot day bearable!

Yarn Along - June 11, 2014

I really hope this is the last time I show these socks as a work in progress! 

I looked back at my notes - I started this pair on July 11, 2013, and I can't believe it's taking a whole year to finish them. I just kept setting this project aside to work on other more important knitting, I guess. I'll tell you what, when I get them done, the next pair is going to be bright and colorful! I really like this yarn, Cascade Heritage Handpaints, but I've done my fair share of knitting dark brown and black lately, so I'm ready for some fun.

My book is the latest cozy mystery from Hazel Holt, who writes the Mrs. Malory series. I love these books more for their depiction of British life than for the story sometimes. I was really worried that the series had come to an end, because there hadn't been a new book in quite a while, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this one when I checked Amazon recently. I'm trying not to gulp it down, it's a quick read, but I want it to last!

Joining with Ginny...what are you reading?

Are We Having Fun Yet?

What to do while waiting to see the vet? Take selfies, of course! Rollie is not amused, and wishes the whole ordeal was over.

Rainy Rambling

I took an extra day off this week to turn the three day weekend into four days. It was a nice rest. All weekend I looked for rain in the forecast, and it kept skirting us, until just now.

The smell of fresh rain on wet pavement is one of my all-time favorites. It conjures up the best memories so vividly. It is one of the things I love most about summer. 

The thunder that is accompanying this cloud burst is lovely too - close enough to sound powerful, but not so close that it sounds threatening. No need to head for the basement with the flashlight and saltines.

I don't know why I bother with gutters on the house. They are all overflowing - AGAIN. Even though they are seamless they leak at all the corners. On the back of the house the downspout is at the wrong end, so water is perpetually sitting at one end, making a lovely rearing pond for mosquitoes. Since I've lived here they've fallen off twice due to ice dams, and I halfway hope that happens again so I can justify replacing them with bigger gutters that slope properly and don't leak.

Still, having rain barrels is one of the best things about the downspouts. I hope to have one under each downspout eventually. Right now I enjoy the two I do have. They fill up fast, and I almost never have to use the hose to water plants anymore.

The brief rainy interlude is almost over. The thunder is fading into the distance, the downspouts are trickling rather than gushing, and I'm going to turn from daytime chores to evening relaxations. What a lovely, restful day!

April Showers

We had a doozy of a thunderstorm this morning. I slept in a bit, and was trying to convince myself to get up and get moving. I thought I'd just finish the current chapter of my book first. I barely got through a paragraph, when it got too dark to see the words on the page! Lots of close thunder and lightning. Poor kitties. I was feeding them their morning canned food, and Rollie, who is afraid of storms, had to wolf his down and then quick go hide under the blankets! We had a brief power zap, and quite a bit of pea-sized hail. Hello spring!

Which brings me to a recent finished project - the April Showers cowl. I named it that because the colors of this Malabrigo yarn remind me of the puddles you see after an April shower - all the blues and grays, and light and shadows. 

The pattern can be found here, and I used up the whole skein of yarn, coming up just a bit short in the top shaping. The fit on me is more snug than loose, but I prefer that. It makes for a nice, soft neckwarmer.

The storms are over for now, but the forecast says they might return this afternoon. I suppose I should get outside while I can, and then get busy on the endless list of indoor projects. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can get back to my knitting!

Yarn Along - March 19, 2014

This is one reason why it’s taking me so long to finish those brown socks I showed last week – I keep starting new projects!

I made this little soap sack over the weekend. It’s a little pattern I made up, and the yarn, or crochet thread really, is Katia Jaipur. I picked up an oddball at the yarn store, thinking I would use it in some catnip toys, and I have, but it works very well for this purpose too. I’m such a sucker for rainbow colors!

And although I don’t like to do this, I’m reading two books now instead of just one. I had reserved “How to Be a Woman” by Caitlin Moran through the library, so once it arrived, I had to get going on it. I’m alternating evenings with “These Rich Years” and let me tell you – two books could not be more diametrically opposed!

These Rich Years was written in the 1960s, and is a very accurate reflection of the time period and of the age of the authors writing it. How to Be a Woman is current day non-fiction, so it reflects current day morals and also the age of the author writing it. There are descriptions in both books which make me cringe a little, and that makes me wonder – if I’m not satisfied with the feminine role of 40 years ago, or the ultra-feminist role of the present, where then, do I want to be? I’m not sure I have an answer, and I probably would not even think about it had I read each of these books at different times.

In the end I just go back to my knitting, and hug a cat and try not to think about it too much. And start another project…and yarn along with Ginny...

Hope Springs Eternal

Last year, I bought a share in a CSA, and enjoyed a variety of fresh veggies, eggs, and mushrooms all summer long. Actually though, it was a little overwhelming toward the end. Part of it was not having the free time when the box arrived to plan out what to make. Some veggies were easy, others took more planning. I did get quite a bit frozen, and that’s been nice this winter. But I ended up wasting some, and that was disappointing.

This year, instead of the CSA, I’m going to try gardening again. Until recently I’ve always had a big garden. Over the years though, I’ve managed to create too much shade in my back yard for a large plot, and had a few bad years, so I cut back to just containers for a while, and last year not even those. But now, I think I’ll make a new garden bed and see what happens.

To that end, yesterday I started the first flat of seeds in the house. Now, most of these are pretty old, so if they don’t germinate I’ve got plenty of time for a plan B. First I sorted all the packets by start dates, and filled a flat with those that take the longest. I planted tomatoes, green peppers, and herbs, including parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, marjoram, and more. In another two weeks I’ll plant the faster seeds, and in the meantime I’ll sort the flower packets by the same rule, and get some of them going.

 

If all goes well, I should have nice fresh vegetables to enjoy, and maybe even enough to put some by for winter. If not, well, there’s always the farmer’s market to fall back on!

Rollie contemplating his favorite herbs

Yarn Along - March 12, 2014

Finally – back on the Yarn Along bandwagon! Joining with Ginny this week, and hoping to catch up with regular blogging after a very long, but very enjoyable winter.

And look – I’m still knitting the SAME SOCK I was knitting back in July! It’s not even the second sock – it’s still the first one! Part of the reason is that I have had numerous commissions to work on, so the personal knitting gets put on the back burner, and when you have as many projects going as I do, some really get neglected.

Another reason is that this pattern, although simple in concept, is just not laid out in a manner where I can pick it up and find my place and catch up. I know what I’m supposed to be doing, but just trying to double check the stitch count, etc. was a confusing chore, and I’d have to start reading from the beginning. Also, I’m not used to following a pattern to make socks, so I’d print out a copy, and then misplace it, and have to print another one. I’m sure I’ve filed many copies of it in with bills, recipes, and trashed it with the junk mail.

Last night I printed yet another copy, STAPLED it together, found my notes in my notebook, went to bed early, and finished the gusset shaping and started the foot. Now that I’m smooth sailing once again, I’m hoping it won’t take a whole year to get these socks finished and off the needles.

The book I started this week is These Rich Years – A Journal of Retirement by Jean and Robert Hersey. I will be eligible to retire in less than four years, and I’m hoping to have all my ducks in a row so I can do it, and start another chapter in my life. This book, written in 1969, is nothing like any of the contemporary information I’ve read about retirement. No how-to’s, or statistics or charts, or new age thinking. Just observations, good advice, simple pleasures, and even a few basic recipes. Here’s a quote from the opening pages, to give you some idea of why I like this book:

“There is no feeling in life thus far quite like those first days and weeks when we wakened to realize that Bob didn’t have to be anywhere at nine o’clock. It was October, and we reveled especially in things that happened on weekday mornings. Walking on the beach and around the marshes at low tide, contemplating snowy egrets and eider ducks, gathering armfuls of the last goldenrod, watching gulls soar over the whitecaps and blue, blue water offshore. Undeniably all this could have been equally fine on any Saturday or Sunday, but it has a very particular charm when it occurs on Monday morning at ten and when you are just retired.”

I’ve read several of Jean Hersey’s other books, and her quiet, conversational style is so gentle and unassuming. I’m looking forward to this one, another step on the path to a new adventure.

The Mayberry Philosophy of Spontaneity

"It's not a whim anymore if you put on clean underwear." - Barney Fife



Think about it....

New in the Shop - Lovely Sewing Patterns for Girls!

I added several sewing patterns to my Etsy shop, Creativemind, today. There are now several lovely patterns for girl's dresses. Aren't these sweet?

Wouldn't any little girl feel like a princess wearing one of these creations? They are perfect for special occasions. Sew one and watch your little girl twirl to her heart's delight.

There are also several patterns for children's active wear. All the sewing patterns in my shop are complete and uncut. Keep checking back, as I have more to add soon. Happy Sewing!

Yarn Along October 11, 2013

One would think that with time off from work, I could get my yarn along post added on the proper day, but apparently not this week! Joining with Ginny and all the others...

I was about to finish this pair of booties yesterday, when I stopped so that I could get an "in progress" photo for the yarn along. They are my riff on the booties in "Knitting Tips and Trade Secrets" published by Taunton. This book was updated and expanded, but I'm still working off the early edition, which, by the way, includes a tip from yours truly!

This bootie pattern knits up quickly, and I never tire of it. It's just the thing for leftover sock yarn, which this happens to be. It's Patons Kroy which might just be my favorite affordable sock yarn. This shade is called Winter Eclipse.

I am still reading the same David Sedaris book from last week, and I can't believe I haven't finished it yet. Every time I think I'm on the last essay, another one squeezes its way in.

But I also took a break from "Owls" when More Last Minute Knitted Gifts came in for me at the library. I think I saw it here in last week's knit along, and wanted to take a closer look. I was concerned that it might be full of little "who even needs a pattern for this" projects, but no! I found several patterns that I wanted to make, and more importantly, techniques I wanted to try, which were presented in projects that were small enough that learning said new technique would not be overwhelming. Two that come to mind are the Cozy Coasters and the Spiral Seat Cushion. I've done double knitting before, but what a good chance to work on tidy edges and multiple colors! I've worked applied I-cord before as well, but never applied to itself!

There just aren't enough hours in the day!

Yarn Along October 4 2013

Ok, so I'm a little behind this week joining Ginny, but hey, I completely missed the Yarn Alongs for August and September, so this is an improvement!

I've been working on this pair of Comfy Sole socks for quite a while. I got them started in July, and by the end of the month I had to set them aside for other projects. And then, the heel flap. Well.

I like to add a reinforcing yarn to the heel and toe. I have oodles of very fine gauge cone yarn to choose from for this task. This time however, I picked the wrong one, a wool boucle that was just a little too thick, so what I had was a lovely supple sock leg and then WHAM! a cast iron heel flap.

Now, that might seem like a good thing, so I spent a few weeks trying to convince myself that is was ok. I picked up and knit a few rounds of the gusset, and then I just couldn't go on. That heel would have to come out.

So that was a big deal - ripping out a dark sock. I had to wait for some calm time and bright daylight. I think I did it over Labor Day weekend. Then I found a better reinforcing yarn, and got started. The second time around was much better, but I still needed another bright day to pick up stitches and get the gusset started. That day was yesterday. It was overcast and rainy, but I could sit in the rocking chair by the window and see fairly well.

The yarn for this sock is Cascade Heritage sock yarn, a gift from a friend and it is a joy to work with. Probably the best part of having to reknit the heel flap was that it meant extended knitting time with this fantastic yarn. It just feels wonderful.

I am almost finished with David Sedaris' "Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls". There were many times that I was laughing out loud. What fun!

Nothing to See Here...

This has been a busy week, with a few late nights. I worked, I knit, I did a few chores. I don’t really have any shining accomplishments to blog about. Everything that happened this week is part of an ongoing process, more or less. The book I finished, and the knitting projects I made were good, but nothing I feel the need to write big essays about.

However, I will give you something to ponder. Take a look at this gem. Click or save to embiggen, then print it on a full sheet of paper and give it a good study. How does it make you feel? Any comments? Anyone?

In the Yard

 

 I don't have one of those neatly landscaped yards, with tidy edges and well thought out beds of perennials and annuals. Instead I have a mish-mash of plants, some doing well, others being crowded out by weeds and volunteer saplings. But when mid-summer arrives, and full-bloom settles in, it's lovely to behold. And a constant work in progress.

 

The better part of today was spent pulling trees and cutting out wild raspberry canes, and liberating a giant hosta. The temperature dropped to an almost chilly mid-60's which was perfect for doing hard labor requiring long sleeves and leather gloves. Now that the area is clear, it holds all kinds of potential. I have a long way to go, and many more trees and canes to remove, but it's so exciting to have some fresh dirt to dig in!

Yarn Along - Ribbed Cap

Joining in with Ginny again this week.

I'm still reading "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman. I put it aside for a while to look at magazines and do some word puzzles, but I'm back into it now. Looking ahead a bit, it does look like it's going to turn into more of a diet book, and that's not really what I was looking for. Also, the "Food Matters" DVD came in at the library. I don't think the book and the DVD are connected, even though they share some of the same principles. The DVD was a bit extreme. Instead of coming away with a positive attitude that I am making conscientious choices for the better, I felt that unless I became a raw food vegan who downed bottles of supplements each day, that I was doomed. I have the follow-up DVD "Hungry for Change" to watch next, so I'll see if it improves.

And on the knitting front, I cast on yesterday for a ribbed watchcap. The yarn is SR Kertzer Trenton, which the label says is a 100% Merino Wool superwash. Hmm. It doesn't feel anything like merino. I've used this yarn before, and it does soften up after the first wash.

And the yarn is wound into a round ball, because I just grabbed a skein as I was going out the door to get my car serviced. I should have wound it on the ball winder, but I didn't have time. I cast on while waiting, and had only done two rounds, when up comes a knot! So I ripped it out, undid the knot, and then wound the yarn into a ball, just to check that there weren't any more knots hiding along the way.

The cap is for one of our summer hires at work who will be leaving next week. It's funny how ribbing pulls in so much. I've been stretching it out, and I hope it will be big enough. If not, I should be able to knit another one in short order!

Who Says Safety Can't be Pretty?

The bag on the left - a safety kit for the car; a Christmas gift from a few years back. A handy thing, with jumper cables, flashlight, HELP sign, etc. I stowed it in the trunk, always meaning to add a few more bits and peices.

The bag had velcro on the bottom, which I think is meant to keep it attached to one spot in the trunk. Yes, well, that  really never worked very well. The bag still slides around, and all the velcro does is get stuck on everything else it shouldn't: the stadium blanket, the cloth carrier bags, and even yarn that fell out of a sack during a shopping trip.

I cleaned the car yesterday, and when everything came out of the trunk, I debated about whether or not I wanted to put the safety bag back. I carried it over to the Goodwill pile, and there the lightbulb went on. For on the Goodwill pile, was the gingham tote bag. It was in an auction box I recently purchased, and although it was a handy size, I didn't like the vinyl handles. So, not nice enough for knitting, but a perfect replacement for the safety bag! The jumper cables and other items fit nicely inside, and I was able to add my ice cleats and a few of the other loose items from the trunk. A much nicer bag, and the blue gingham matches my blue car. Much more cheerful!

Feline News and VIews

Rusty - 16 years old

 

 

Lily - 13 years old

 

 

Rollie - 10 years old

 

This has been a challenging year for me and my kitties. Each one of them have had health issues: some ordinary, some very serious. It started in January when Lily went blind due to hypertension. Luckily, with quick action and medication, she regained her vision, but developed other complications that pointed to renal failure. She was just about a goner in April. With lots of medications, and many vet trips, she has rebounded, but still needs daily observations for signs of another decline. She's so fragile.

 

Rusty was on the decline in May and June. Digestive issues, similar to Miss Lily, although much more pronounced. Again, medications, treatments, new diets, and constant monitoring were needed. He has also lost weight and some of his vigor. 

 

Rollie only had a little eye issue, and is by far the healthiest of the bunch, although he's probably actually a tad overweight. He's very good at cleaning the plates when the other two are in a finicky eating spell.

 

It's been a long haul, to be sure, and I have to be much more vigilant with their care. For a while, I was at the vet more than once a week, with one or another of them. Now, it's been a whole 9 days since I've needed to take someone in, and that feels great!

 

It's been stressful, and expensive, but I realize that as these cats age, it's to be expected. I have some limits as to when to make that difficult final choice for them, and luckily, it's not come to that (although Lily was pretty close). For now, every good day is a special joy, and I'm learning new animal care skills that surprise even me!

Yarn Along

Well, look at this. Two weeks in a row, joining in with Ginny and the Yarn Along! I hope it keeps me motivated to keep posting regularly.

This week I’m working on this pair of plain socks, for me, knit from Lang Aktion yarn. It’s taking me forever to finish these, because I’m always switching to something else that’s more important. I hope that I can get them done over the holiday weekend and get a different pair of socks started.

Just because they are plain socks, don’t think I didn’t learn anything. I learned that I really need to buy ONLY ONE ball of yarn if it’s one that I haven’t tried before, and then see how it goes. I have three balls of this yarn in my stash, this being one of them. While I really like the random patterning, the yarn is just a little too fine for my loose knitting style. Even on size zero needles, the socks feel thin. They might full up a bit with the first wash, but still, not my preference. I’m considering added along a strand of very fine coned yarn with the next pair I knit with this yarn, even though that’s going to affect the patterning.

The book I’m reading right now is Food Matters by Mark Bittman. A Guide to Conscious Eating. More facts about the effects of factory farms,  over processed food, and other nutritional nightmares. I’m actually waiting for the DVD of this book to arrive at the library, along with the DVD “Hungry for Change”. But I thought I’d read through the book first, as there are recipes included.

I am making an effort to eat healthier, but also just to eat more simply. And carefully. For a long time, I knew that ingredient labels were getting longer and longer and often listing more chemicals than food. But I think the tipping point was when I read about Hershey and other chocolate manufacturers pushing for a loosening of the requirement of how much cocoa and cocoa butter needs to be in a product and still be called “real chocolate” and not “chocolate flavored”. When they start messing with my chocolate, that’s serious! Not to mention all the labor issues Hershey has.

So little by little I'm making changes. I joined a CSA this year, and will write about that soon. Until I have the time and energy to have my own vegetable garden again, it seemed like a great alternative. And I really do like the community aspect of it. Plus I love surprises - this week's new food: pea shoots!

Yarn Along

This is my first time joining in with Ginny and the Yarn Along, although I’ve been following the links for a long time, and getting a few good ideas for both knitting and reading. I’m a few days late, but I jumping in just the same.

This week, I finished listening to “The Town That Food Saved” by Ben Hewitt. It’s the kind of book that if I had to READ it, I’d lose my focus and probably not enjoy it. I’m sure it has to do with all the statistics. Facts and numbers just don’t read well. But LISTENING to the audio version is another thing all together. I could work on a project, and tune in to the narrator and stay much more focused on the book.

Although I’m not sure the author completely proved his premise – that local agriculture can sustain an entire community on many levels, the basic concept is one that needs to be brought more to the forefront if we are going to survive. The book is worth a listen just for the shocking facts and figures about mass-produced agriculture. Food is really not something we should be messing with, and there are so many things done in the name of progress and profit that fly in the face of reason and are just not good common sense.

Aside from doing laundry, I spent most of my time listening to this book while I was spinning. I recently dusted off my spinning wheel after a long period of non-use, pulled out a bag of fiber, and gave it a whirl.

The fiber I tried was not the nicest for spinning. I’m not sure why I bought it – except that I’d purchased finished yarn from this vendor eons ago, and made my first pair of hand knit socks eons ago, and they were very soft and comfy. But this fiber was awful for spinning. Lots of neps, and lots of vegetable matter. I made one 50 gram skein, and then switched to some lovely hand painted Blue Faced Leicester roving, and had a much better go of it. I have one bobbin full, which is half the roving. Can’t wait to get going on the other half!