Remember Wedge Sandals?

All during my teen years, during the '70s, I often wore these really high wedge sandals that I THOUGHT made me look taller. I haven't worn anything like that in decades. Well, guess what? Today, I was feeling young at heart and bought these. Don't ask me why. Pure fun wearing them though.


Also, today I finally finished up the Scrabble Lace Vest that I have been making from the Alpaca Grande Vest pattern that I made a couple of winters ago in heavyweight alpaca. Pictured here, the red vest is the winter version, made from heavy warm Alpaca Grande yarn.

Using the lightweight Feza yarns in Iplik Fiona - it only took 1 1/2 skeins, a bit less than 2 balls, to make this cute and lightweight spring vest. The pattern is amazingly simple. You make a ribbed rectangle, seam it up in two side seams and voila!

This colorway #1456 appears mostly with browns and beige and peach in the photo, but in person, it also has a wide spectrum of other beautiful colors such as Rose and Lavendar. It’s really a pretty yarn that produces a nice garment. The yarn has sections of cream and then it has runs of peach, brown, rose. When knit in this scrabble lace method, it makes splotches of color and texture that is very freeform like in its appearance. I knit this on size 11 needles and that is what gave the scrabble lace effect and all I did was just plain garter ribbing in order to produce it.

Prom Time

Last weekend, my daughter had her prom. Here are some photos.

8 Things MEME

Bellatrina tagged me with a very fun MEME. I am going to participate in this one because the number 8 is my favorite lucky number AND the MEME sounds easy, fun and intriguing. It's a good way to learn more about people I like. So here goes:

Here's how to do this 8 THINGS thing:
Mention the person that tagged you (Trina). Complete the lists of 8's. Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends. Go tell them you tagged them!

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO

1. Having a week off between jobs (yay!)
2. Starting the Comfort Shawl from Knitter's Daily, even though I said a couple of days ago that I was "all shawled out." Yeah, right.
3. Going out to a comedy club tonight with my husband and another couple.
4. Watching Lucy Neatby DVDs I just got from Smartflix.
5. Seeing my daughter get all dressed up for prom tomorrow night.
6. Spending a day relaxing in my PJS and knitting, watching movies - I MUST do that at least one day during my days off next week.
7. Going to Sprouts (yarn shop) tomorrow with my Mom. Never been there before.
8. Going off on a weekend with my family at the lake - maybe sometime this summer. It's so hard to all be available at the same time with our busy schedules.

8 Things I'm Pretty Darned Good At:

1. Getting stains out of garments - when Emily was 3 years old, she told her preschool teacher, "My mom is a good stain remover."
2. Pulling myself and others up when I'm down or they are down.
3. Writing.
4. Looking for deeper meaning in things - and trying to see patterns in my life.
5. Being a wife - I've gotten better.
6. Cooking.
7. Finding humor in nearly everything.
8. Knitting.


8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY (in no particular order)

1. Said goodbye to the warmest group of people I've ever worked with and will truly miss several of them.
2. Finished the LaLa Prayer Shawl for an unknown recipient who became known to me today.
3. Figured out that the plant they gave me at work is a Tubular Begonia. Very pretty flowering plant!
4. Traveled through a huge rainstorm to reach my daughter's high school musical performance and arrived just in time.
5. Watched my daughter's concert choir perform several songs from Mama Mia! (which I love) - that musical makes me happy.
6. Was able to laugh instead of cry when a deceased relative gave me a good belly laugh.
7. Ate a delicious piece of Jenny Craig cheesecake.
8. Listened to Andrew Lord Webber's Diva CD. Very enjoyable.


8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO

1. Play the piano that sits lonely and largely unplayed in my livingroom.
2. Speak and understand Russian. Don't ask me why - but I want to. Spanish would be more doable and practical, but since when am I ever practical?
3. Spin a skein of yarn that is well plied, balanced, and knittable. One that I'm proud of.
4. Slow down a bit - appreciate what is going RIGHT in my life.
5. Lose the last 10 stubborn pounds~!
6. Be more patient and understanding with my teenage daughter
7. Travel to Europe with my husband and have a romantic 2 week vacation in England, Italy and Switzerland.
8. Make a living as a full-time freelance writer - my dream job in life.

8 BOOKS I LOVE

1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Maggie Smith
2. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
3. Siddhartha - Herman Hesse
4. Cat's Cradle - Kurt Vonnegut
5. This Perfect Day - Ira Levin
6. The World Below - Sue Miller
7. The Opposite of Fate - Amy Tan
8. The Eight - Catherine Neville


8 BLOGGERS TAGGED

1. Phyllis
2. Elysbeth
3. Lynn
4. Kay
5. Kim
6. Christine
7. Jennifer
8. Ellen

BTW, ANYONE who reads this blog and see this and wants to participate - please do. Come back and let me know when you've put up your reply :)

Make That Change

Quoting from an old Michael Jackson favorite of mine:

"I'm looking at the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
No message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place . . .
Better look at yourself and make that . . . CHANGE."

I've been making a lot of changes this year - mainly in the healthy eating and exercise department. And for once, I'm sticking to that change, trying to make it a permanent part of a healthier me.

But there's another major change happening - my job. I won't get TOO specific but even in this bad economy, sometimes a change is necessary and hopefully for the better. I'm moving to a different company, doing a less customer service and more sales-oriented position. I really MISSED the sales aspect. Doing business-to-business sales is a real joy to me, and so I've found hopefully a good opportunity to work with a sales team where I'll have a more active role.

What amazes me, with this change like no other, is so many people have come up to me and admitted their secret unhappiness with their jobs, but their fear of leaving and/or losing their jobs. What I'm saying is - don't let the economy freak you out to the point where you get real anxiety. We've been through tough economies before, and we will get through this one too. And even in tough times, there are opportunities out there . . . even for middle aged folks like me . . . it's all in matching your skills with companies that need your skills. I ALWAYS subscribe to Careerbuilder and Monster just to keep tabs on what is happening in industries that I am interested in. It's important to keep your finger on the pulse of your career field. Most of all believe in YOURSELF.

Instead of ringing your hands and muttering, "Gosh, I guess I'm lucky to have a job." Try substituting a new affirmation, "I am a productive, valuable worker and my job security lies not with any one company but in me." Does that sound too polyanic?

All Shawled Out?

After mentioning last week that I've been casting on new stuff - I'm happy to say that I'm ALMOST FINISHED with the first Prayer Shawl Knitalong project called the LaLa Shawl. And just in time, too, because I've knit so many shawls in a row that I'm actually getting tired of shawls. Dare I say it? Yes, bored and tired of knitting shawls. That is a FIRST. But I'm sure if I give myself a shawl reprieve for just a little while, that my love of their kind will return without fail.

So my next cast on may be socks. I've been thinking about the ever-popular Monkey Socks, which I've never made before. Having recently purchased the Cookie A Sock Innovations book, I'm in a Cookie A sock mood, but it seems only logical to first try the Monkey Socks that inspired her popularity in the knitting community. Not sure which yarn I'll use yet, but I'm thinking the lovely Socks that Rock sock yarn that Lynn (Colorjoy) gave me in her contest a few months back. The yarn that I won is the one on the far left, called County Clare. The only thing is, that sock yarn is pretty heavy weight for that pattern, so I may make just plain socks out of the yarn, not sure, but I'm in the mood for the spring greens and cheery turquoise that makes up that County Clare sock yarn.


And I've been hankering to do - BELIEVE IT OR NOT - a spring sweater. Yep, a spring sweater. Even though I'd sworn off sweaters a few months ago, after experiencing a couple of sweater disasters in the gauge department, I've nevertheless decided that I really do want to start one. Not sure which one. My top pick right now is the Cables & Lace Cardigan from the May 2009 issue of Creative Knitting.

No Choice Approach to Fitness

Several years ago, when I was at a Weight Watchers meeting, and I absolutely HATED exercise at the time, I asked a successful Lifetime member how she stayed so fit. Not surprisingly, she answered, "Exercise - it's really critical to losing weight, toning up, and increasing your metabolism."

Not wanting to hear that answer, I whined, "But how can you STAND it? I hate exercise. I don't wanna do it."

She smiled and said, "That's the thing, I don't give myself that choice. It's like brushing your teeth in the morning. A three year old will say they don't wanna do it, but a grown up will realize that it's no choice. You do it. It's something you do to take care of your body."

That was one of the biggest eye-opening moments and is what I'm finally applying the "No choice" approach to my own fitness life. I'm still not an athlete. But I do what I can do every single day, omitting the "should I?" "shouldn't I?" question. I don't give myself an option - it's a MUST DO.

Clearing the Decks - and Casting On With Abandon

You may have noticed that I got rid of the old half-finished and going nowhere fast projects that used to be listed in my side bar. Frankly, my whole life has felt dull, boring, stressful and not much fun recently. So I decided to clear the decks, figurately speaking, of all the old junk that was boring me, including in my knitting life.

When I was a younger woman, I was a total bookworm and would finish reading any book I started, no matter how boring. I'd trudge through to the end regardless. When I hit around mid-thirties my reading philosophy changed so that if I didn't love the book, I put it down, gave it away and didn't read it if it no longer interested me. Well, I'm applying the same philosophy to my knitting life. If I am not passionate and excited about the project anymore, I'm shelving it, frogging it or abandoning it with absolutely no regret.

And I'm casting on . . . several things actually. If any of these new projects take hold and interest me, then I will continue with them. If not, then release and turn my attention to something better.


There are false starts, like yesterday, when I tried to cast on for a La La Prayer Shawl and paired it with varigated yarn that is pretty, but tends to obscure and overpower the uncomplicated and basic nature of the shawl design. So I'm going to start over today with a solid color. False starts are fine too, they give us a chance to try something out, to gather information - and then to make another choice if a better idea is found.

Speaking of Casting On, have you listened to the Cast On podcast by Brenda Dayne lately? In Episode 75, called Epiphany, she talks about her new philsophy of being much more light-hearted, ready to take risks and be WRONG. To, in effect, play more, and worry less about making a mistake in her knitting and in her life in general. I'm feeling much the same thing lately. And by the way, Brenda's podcasts are really refreshing and wonderful to listen to. So if you haven't heard her ever . . . or lately, have your own little Epiphany by going over there to her website and listening to some of her latest musings. It's really doing my heart good.

Prayer Shawl Donations

My Mom, my Grandmother and I have all been inspired to make prayer shawls lately. Here are three that Grandma has made and contributed to the charity cause. Grandma is by FAR the most productive knitter of the three of us.

The almond colored one is a Deborah Bliss yarn in her Serenity yarn line. The purple ones uses yarn stash and scraps. The red multi-colored one is from a yarn line called Rainbow Classic - it's acrylic yarn that comes in a big huge skein for $9.99 at Joanne's.



My Mom made this lovely Easy Triangular shawl that is a free pattern from the Lion Brand website. Hers is made in Deborah Norville's Serenity line of yarn in the Forest Green colorway.


The one I finished last week is the Old Shale shawl made from JT Brett's Marble line in a bright spring colorway called "Wildflowers" that I mentioned previously. I LOVE this yarn because it comes in huge varigated balls of yarn - nearly 400 yards for $12 - you can't beat that. The colorways are gorgeous. This wrap uses a very simple pattern that I was given by WineDivaDesigns. Here is the stitch pattern for anyone interested.

For mine (I used a bulky yarn and size 11 or 13 needles):
Cast on 72
Purl two rows
Row 1: knit
Row 2: purl
Row 3: K2tog (3 times), YO, K1 (6 times), K2tog (6 times), YO, K1 (6 times), K2tog (6 times), YO, K1 (6 times), K2tog (6 times), YO, K1 (6 times), K2tog (3 times)
Row 4: knit
Continue until you are almost out of yarn, ending with a Row 2. Purl two more rows and cast off loosely. Weave in ends.

This makes a very easy shawl to knit up in a hurry and is fairly mindless. The pattern it produces makes a scallop design. We like to use acrylic yarn so that they are inexpensive to make, yet washable.

By the way, if you are interested in making Prayer Shawls at all, there is a very active and friendly Prayer Shawl group over on Ravelry. We all kind of keep each other inspired by stories of what we are making, sharing patterns and tips, as well as a few really moving stories about those who have received the shawls. You don't often get to actually meet the recipients of the shawls, but knowing they are going to people in crisis makes my normal life seem easier somehow.

One last thing, here is an article called "Blanketing People With God's Healing Love" that describes how prayer shawls have been used by the American Red Cross to bring comfort to those in crisis.

Inner Confusipation

Have you ever had it - a strange feeling of anticipation mixed with unease, confusion - a fussy feeling of not being able to rest and wanting to buzz around and get things ready in anticipation of a big change? But you're not quite sure what it is? And you're excited, nervous, confused and enthused all at the same time? I guess I'll call it . . . Confusipation?

That's what I'm feeling right now. It's very strange. And very exhilerating all at the same time. I'm feeling drawn to be busy on the outside, but still and waiting on the inside. I'm being drawn to prayer and meditate more - to read books like Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo.

Even in my knitting life, I feel bouncy and restless. Wanting to start a bunch of new projects, but also feeling a need to finish some stuff that have been in the works for a while. The last two days, I've felt an INTENSE need to finish this Feather and Fan prayer shawl I started nearly two months ago. It's growing (now 37" long - and the simplicity of the stitch pattern is creating a soothing rhythm that I hope will create serenity and healing for the woman whom I making it for.

And I'm making this shawl for a specific person whose husband was in a bad accident and needs many thoughts and prayers, for the whole family's physical, financial and emotional healing.

Engaging my thoughts in wishing the best for another person's healing is helping me wait with quiet confusapation for whatever is about to happen in my own life.

Thanksgiving Again?

Is it really Spring, as the calendar insists, or have we reverted back to Thanksgiving? Here in our part of the Midwest, we had a very funky weather day. It started out raining a really cold, nasty rain, then it turned to ice pellets that covered the roads and trees, then some huge feather size snowflakes that stuck, then it literally snowed slush. We stayed right at freezing temps all day long so some stuff stuck. I think we ended up with 3 inches and it's been a cold mess.

By the time my dog, Domino, went out, his little body was half covered in snow and he wasn't very happy.

We hung out at home most of the day in front of the fireplace and I had a craving for turkey. We bought a big Butterball turkey and cooked it for hours late in the afternoon and into the evening. It made the whole house smell scrumptious. I think we're going to stay home tomorrow too and have a lazy pajama day. Our lunch will be a Thanksgiving menu - turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberries and green beans. Don't worry, mine will be the low cal version - turkey with salad and just a taste of cranberries.

At any rate, it's been a fun "snug as a bug in a rug" kind of weekend, knitting, reading, cooking and nesting at home with my family. Hopefully spring is just around the corner, because we're all getting REALLY anxious for some bright cheery spring weather. Before this storm hit, the grass was green, trees budding and you could almost smell fresh cut grass in the air. Ah well, patience, Spring WILL come.

Shawl We Make One?

It's spring. Time for Shawls. And it dawned on me that of all the shawls I've made these past couple of years, I've only kept one for myself. Figured it was time for me to make a few shawls for my lacklucker spring wardrobe.

On one of my blessedly wonderful vacation days last week (did I mention the weather was sunny and PERFECT?), I wandered into Yarn Shop and More and saw a very cute casual shawlette on display designed by one of the talented employees named Carol Eddington. It was love at first sight.

I immediately bought the pattern. Bought the yarn, it's the Feza Alp Lite, in a beautiful colorway of purples, greens and navy called Forest Adventure. The yarn is a DK weight Novelty yarn, similar to the Magic Yarn balls we used to make several years ago, when novelty yarns were really hot. It got me in the mood, in fact, to make my own magic ball yarn again. There's a wonderful short article on making Magic Ball Yarn by Clara Parks over on Knitter's Review. "Tips and Tricks: Magic Ball Knitting." I may be doing that soon, who knows? It's sure a good way to use scrap yarn and would be fantastic for making prayer shawls.

I don't care what anyone else says, call me gawdy, whatever, but I still LOVE novelty yarns. Not fun fur. Yuck. But I like glitzy showy type yarn - bring on the sparkles, the glimmery and the textured yarns in amazing colors. This shawl displays those types of yarns in a darling little shawlette that is only 53 rows total from start to finish. You can get the pattern from the Yarn Shop and More store or website, or contact the designer at design55@everestkc.net.

If you've been afraid to tackle lace, this is an ideal beginner's shawl or a mindless knit for those who just want to stave off spring breezes or summer air conditioning chills.

Giving Up the Big Pants

Okay, here's a mid-week spring break report of what I've done so far.

My taxes. Check. Thank goodness those are finally out of the way.

We're working on the bathroom - making big progress there, but I'd say that accomplishment goes on Bob's list, not mine, since all I've done is standby and admire his handiwork.

Cleaning out and organizing my clothes closets (yes 2 of them). Big accomplishment. Even bigger (pun intended) is the fact that I finally had the courage to round up all of my "fat clothes" and donate them to a charitable organization.

Why is this such a BIG deal? Always in the past, I've kept a full range of clothes from size 6-14. Haven't kept many of the 6's because I long ago gave up on the idea of ever wearing those. But the larger range - especially from 12-14, I've hung onto like paste on old wallpaper. Not giving them up HUH UH!!! Why? Because no matter what diet or exercise plan I have been on, I've always feared that I getting fat again is just inevitable. So I finally had the courage to give them away. I am going to trust enough in myself that I won't regret giving up those old favorite and comfy clothes, no matter what. I'm finding replacements that fit the new size and self-image that I'm slowly building.

Changing from a "fat old frump" mentality into a "fit and attractive" mentality is a HUGE step, and one I'm still working on day by day. But this is the year where I'm changing that mindset by putting my priorities on doing whatever it takes to exercise daily, eat healthy and keep my mindset on inching toward my fitness goals.


Okay - yesterday I also took in an afternoon matinee with my husband. Gran Torino with Clint Eastwood. I'm not usually a Clint E fan, and I went to see this movie mainly to please Bob, but let me tell you, it is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, and I watch lots of movies. It is MUCH better than most of the movies that won Academy Award prizes. I absolutely loved this touching story of an old gruff Korean war vet who befriends his young Hmong neighbor after the kid tries to steal his beloved 1972 Gran Torino. Wow, what a movie. It will probably make the list of my personal top 10 all-time favorites. Seriously.

So if you haven't seen Gran Torino yet, please run not walk to the theater and take in this wonderful picture this weekend.

Yay for Spring Break!

The whole family has been working really hard lately and we've been extremely stressed. So we decided to take off Spring Break together and spend some family time at home. We aren't planning on going anywhere, just staying home and maybe doing some bathroom renovation.

It doesn't sound very restful, but my husband is the handyman and will probably do most of the work. Emily and I will maybe help paint a bit, pick out some fixtures, and stuff like that, but mainly act as cheerleaders because he's very exacting in his handyman work and we tend to get in the way more than help when we step into that small room.

We also want to get other stuff done - if the weather is nice, we may get outside and do some yardwork - cleaning away weeds and old leaves. If the weather is rainy, then hopefully we'll move inside and do some straightening and organization. Maybe not full-blown spring cleaning, but at least spring straightening and clearing out? (I hope).

See, my plans are all grandeous!!! But we also want to relax. I swear. I want to knit. To read. To veg. To sit outside on the porch. To visit the art museum.

And I'm making plans to cast on a Spring shawl for ME. I've been doing mainly prayer shawls lately for others, and it's time I have a new shawl entirely for ME.

I want Spring to arrive so darn bad I can taste it. Wonder if it's almost time to get in the storage shed and break out the hammock for the backyard? Too early to grill burgers? Not sure. Let's wish for Spring. Yay!

Taffy Pull-On (Shrug)

When I went to The Studio Retreat last month, I met a really fun, creative knitter there named Emily. I've seen her around The Studio before and she's one of those people who just LOOKS interesting, even from a distance. But I never talked to her before at length until the retreat.

Well, Emily, also known as Taffyyarn over on Ravelry, got me enthralled with her Taffy Yarn. She also has written some patterns using her t-shirt yarn - which she makes herself - she cuts, dyes and hand-ties the material to make lovely and UNIQUE garments. She has a pattern for the shrug, as well as a Taffy Wrap and some other designs as well. It's well worth going to her site and checking out her taffy.

I made this cute little shrug in less than a week, and that was with very little knitting time devoted to it. I am a slow knitter, but even I, using Size 17 needles, can whip out a finished garment pretty fast. You could probably do it even faster if you're so inclined. This would be a perfect shrug to keep the spring breezes from chilling your arms, or later in summer, to keep the air conditioning gremlins at bay.

Overcoming the Plateau

Okay, I've been on the Jenny Craig program since November 18th, that's 14 weeks. In that time, I've lost 21 pounds, and I feel much better and healthier. Yay!!!! I've made what feels like a major lifestyle change.

I would still like to lose another 10 or 15 pounds if possible. I don't want to be skinny by any means, but for my small stature (5'3") and small bones, I don't feel I'm quite finished yet.

But for the past 3-4 weeks, I've been on a "plateau" meaning that I'm just kind of stuck at one place. I'm not losing or gaining - just hanging out in the same spot. I must admit, it's a bit annoying.

I'm not cheating on the diet, I've really stuck with it rather well. I've kept a food journal, etc. So I reevaluated the three prongs of this lifestyle, 1) Food; 2) Exercise and 3) Mindset. I think it's obvious with me what is needing more attention - EXERCISE.

Since winter and long work hours have set in, I have cut back on the only form of exercise I've been doing, which is the Treadmill. I used to do it 3 times a week, but in recent weeks, I've been lucky if I get in 1 day a week and I've kind of slacked off of wearing my pedometer. I am supposed to get in 10,000 steps per day. That has fallen to around 5,300 on an average day, and that's just not enough.

So I'm kicking my own ass, strapping on the pedometer and so far this week, I've worked out every day - Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I'm also going to try some resistence work on a balance ball a couple of times a week and Emily and I are signed up for a once per week yoga class at the fitness center. I start that Thursday night.

Remember my word for the year? Priorities!!! Well, I'm determined that Exercise will be my new highest daily priority. We'll see if I can push myself over this plateau. I've worked long and hard, every day for 14 weeks to look and feel better. I'm thinner, but I also want to be TONED.

Instead of getting discouraged, I'm getting more determined. It's a good feeling. And by the way, the exercise really DOES help reduce stress. In the past 3 days of doing the exercise, I feel more energetic all day long.

Bring Out the Big Sticks

Big. Chunky. Easy. Fast. Instant Grat. That's what I'm craving right now. So for the time being, I've banished all those socks - all those small yarns and size 0 needles. Bring on the Size 13. Size 17. Size 19. How's that for the big sticks?

At the stress level I'm at right now, just PLEASE give me easy and mindless.

Now let's discuss books to inspire in this Big Knitting. Starting with Big City Knits. I know this book was out in 2007, but I didn't discover it until recently, after talking about it with a couple of people at The Studio Retreat. This is a book of 31 Chunky Yarn Weight designs by the designer Wenlan Chia, maker of Twinkle Yarns. I notice that Knitpicks has the book on sale right for now 34% off and I'm debating whether I should buy it now or wait until they have another 40% off sale. The copy I've been reviewing this week is one from the library, but I definitely think I'll try to make a couple of things from this book, as well as Loop d Loop, another great source of big chunky projects that I'm craving right now.


One thing to be forewarned about if you consider getting this book (Big City Knits) is that the bust sizes range from 22" - 35." There has been a well-discussed "sizing issue" with folks wondering why the size range doesn't expand to larger women. From what I understand, though, the patterns are made out of huge stretchy yarn, so perhaps if I make the size Large, the 35", that it might fit my 38" actual size. We'll see how that goes.

Also, the designer, Wenlan Chia, had a live discussion chat over on the Vogue website this week. You can read the transcript here.


And finally, before Vogue's Winter issue leaves the book stands, if you are drawn to these bigger knits, go out and grab a copy of the Winter issue of Vogue, which features "Bold and Beautiful" designs, including Michael Kors, Wenlan Cia and Tom Scott. The good thing about the designs featured in the mag this month is that they DO include larger sizes, not just designs for the skinny minnnies, so it's definitely worth checking out. I like these designs very much and am thinking of making one . . . or two . . . or maybe all of them. How big is my Ravelry queue getting these days?

Have a great weekend everyone. For me, it's Big Knits time. And I'm still trying to track down the jumbo needles.

A Blessed Day AT HOME

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again,

It's so far and out of sight.

Snow is cold

Rain is wet

Chills my bone right to the marrow." Carole King


One of my favorite albums of all time - Carole King's Tapestry album and in particular, her song "Home Again" rings through my mind today. I've been listening to it a lot lately for comfort, or maybe trying to draw a part of my long ago (teenage) self back into existence so that I can better understand my own teenage daughter, who knows! But that sense of quiet desolation and chill is filling me right now, and I'm knitting like mad to try to warm myself, inside and out.

We haven't had a SEVERE winter (nothing at all compared to LynnH and Kim's Michigan winter this year!!!) but it seems to be dragging on forever. We haven't had extreme snow or ice here this year, but we've had just an enduring cold/damp chill in the air, and biting winds. So even on a sunny day, like today is supposed to be, the air is just COLD and it feels too cold to do anything at all outside.

In fact, for the past two weeks, I have felt "chilled to the bone." Today I'm staying home from work for an extra day off (Yay!!!) and guess what? I'm not going anywhere. It's HOME day.

I can't remember the last time I just had a day to stay home, get warm, mess around and not do anything. Well, maybe the dishes and laundry, but that's it. I swear. I'm hunkering down and being a total homebody today. It sounds just like what my soul needs to revive. I'm knitting, reading, taking a long relaxing bath with a face mask. I'm treating myself to a total hedonistic day of relaxation in my favorite place, HOME.

Today I'm knocking on my own door, and that seems like the best place to be and the best person to see.

I'm Not Religious, But I Believe in Prayer

I've always been a little bit DIFFERENT spiritually speaking, a bit eclectic you might say. Born and raised as a member of the RLDS church, then embracing metaphysics, meditation, agnosticism, later Unity, and sojourns Zen Buddhism and eventually converting to Judaism, but then not really adhering to ANY of those schools of thought. In short, I'm a spiritual hodge-podge and tend to make things up as I go along, believing what I believe.

But at any rate, I do pray (in my own way), meditate, think good thoughts for people, the leaders, and the world in general.


And when they discussed the power of Prayer Shawls at The Studio retreat a few weeks ago, I became inspired because I've been wanting to do some charity knitting and this seemed to interest me more than any other project I've heard about in a long time.

It's good that I can give to an organization such as House of Menuha which is where The Studio prayer group's shawls are being donated. Women who receive these are usually at some crossroads in their life and can use a bit of spiritual shoring up.

After a Prayer Shawl Meeting with Deb, who coordinates The Studio's Prayer Shawl Group, I decided to set to work on one. Following the general guidelines: fast, easy, acryllic or washable yarn, size 13 needles.

I used the Easy Triangle shawl, a free pattern on the Lion Brand website. It's so easy and fast, it's amazing. I knit this whole thing up in just over a week and hardly spent much knitting time on it at all. It uses size 13 needles, and I used Deborah Norville's new Chunky line of soft acryllic yarn approprately called the "Serenity" line. Colorway: Chocolate and it took only 4 skeins, costing me $2.99 X 4 - about $12 for the whole thing. The finished shawl is a roomy 65" X 31". This yarn is amazingly soft and best of all, it's beautiful and washable. She has several gorgeous colorways to choose from.

Not being a particularly GOOD prayer, and being kind of fast and scattered by nature, I tried to get in a peaceful frame of mind when I worked on this project. It actually made me feel good myself. So making things for others has an added benefit in making me feel better, not only by giving but just the process itself. Very gratifying!

Another kind of neat thing I did was have several people who ARE good prayers and who I consider to be really good spiritual people to touch the shawl in progress and to say some prayers over it for the recipient.

So I already have started doing some charity knitting, and I'd like to do a lot more of it this year.

Sweet Valentine

Well I had a rather busy but wonderful Valentine's Day weekend. I didn't realize how much more FUN Valentine's Day can be when you have a whole weekend to celebrate it, instead of it being crammed into a busy work week as it normally happens.

Anyway, I came home from work Friday night to find this lovely bouquet on the table and a sweet note from my husband. Then we went out to a crowded but delicious dinner at Outback. Saturday we spent the morning looking for vanities for a bathroom remodel we hope to eventually do - my husband will do the work himself. He's handy that way.

I spent Saturday afternoon with the knitting group, something I haven't been able to do in recent weeks. A day of "no overtime" is a blessed one in my book!


Saturday evening we went to Paradise Playhouse - a fun little dinner theatre that is in Excelsior Springs. We've gone there for years, since 2000 when they first opened. The cost of going to this out-of-the-way theatre is only about half of what it costs to go to an upscale one here in town. Since I rarely dress up anymore, there is something so romantic about dressing up and going out together.

Also, something funny happened at the beginning of the play. The curtains opened, we were watching the first scene where an actress placed a picture of her beloved film star up on the mantle of the fireplace. She was speaking about how she loved and admired this starlet and was so proud to have the picture there in a prominent place of her home. Another relative came by moments later and snatched the photo down, burying it in the closet and saying it was tacky and she wouldn't have it there.

Suddenly from the first row of the audience, a very conservative, mousy looking man shouts out, "There you go, honey, now you know how I felt when you took down my gun!" At first I thought it was part of the show, but no, it was just a fellow audience member upset over his wife's removal of his beloved rifle from over the mantle. Somehow, Bob and I started picturing that we we couldn't stop laughing. It hit other audience members in a similar way, and there was a wave of laughter temporarily disrupting the regularly scheduled play. It was a really cute moment.

I've been married a LONG time, and it is weird, funky moments like these that we will look back on and continue to laugh at years later. Those moments of "private jokes" are a treasure.

One last note about relationships, and particularly romantic ones. A man called into my favorite radio talk show the other day. The topic was relationships and how you stay happily married etc. An older man who'd been married forever said, "Just remember, there's no joy in being right."

I thought it very sage advice. So I leave you with, "There's no joy in being right."

Invincible Summer

One of my favorite quotes of all time:

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."
Albert Camus

When I was in Junior High School, I cut that quote out of a magazine, posted it on a piece of dark blue construction paper, along with a photo of a bright summer day. Every day, I struggle to find that invincible summer and try to grab on to at least a few strands of inner sunshine.

How about you? What makes you feel sunny inside?

Getting My Knit On

Whew! I'm back. Did ya miss me?

I had one of the most physically relaxing and creatively stimulating weekends that I've had in a long time. I decided not to take any classes, but just meet knitters, sit, knit, relax and talk to people. Get inspired. Boy, did I!

The setting (Elms Resort) became the perfect setting for a bunch of fiber obsessed women (and one brave knitter man). The market was great, the people were wonderful, and the projects - amazing.

The market featured da da da DAHHHH - Kay's Dome Hill Sock Yarn:








I mingled with old friends . . .



















Met some fascinating and fun new friends . . .






Became empassioned to buy a "Trashy Bag purse" - besides being environmentally friendly, it's very cute . . . . now have a hankering for "taffy" yarn . . . and prayer shawl knitting is in my future, inspired by some very special people who have benefited from them, and whose lives have grown richer by making them for others.

Definitely a weekend to treasure.