Groovy Granny Squares

The photo is Carol at the Shep Shed, my favorite online place to buy fiber, she's bagging up a big mound of fiber that I'd love to jump into right now. In fact, I just placed an order from their Grab Bag section this morning and hopefully will have more fiber to dye and play with in a few days. If you haven't ever bought anything from there, check them out. There's even a Ravelry Group where Carol posts about her specials and people discuss what they do with her mill ends. If you order from her, you don't always have much choice in the grab bags, but I've ended up with some nice stuff and it's always a fun fiber surprise. Just what I need right now. A fiber fix. Yes!

I've been so excited about spinning, especially since getting my new wheel. I even got out my Fancy Kitty drum carder and made some batts the other day (unfortunately mine doesn't have the brush attachment yet, but I've been thinking I might get one eventually. I neeed to start dyeing while the weather is hot out and I can dry fiber outside in the hot sun. The lady who sold me my wheel is a real fiber artist - she does everything, drum carding, knitting, dyeing, crocheting, weaving. Anyway, she got me inspired to want to do all those things. Yippee!


Unfortunately I don't have much time to do the things I want to dabble in. I'd love to just take 3 days off in the middle of the week some time and play in fiber pursuits. Hey, maybe I will do that in the Fall when the weather gets cooler. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

Things are really tense at work right now. Major shakeup and changes. So coming home to spinning at night has been a real godsend! Thank goodness I meditate and spin regularly. Now I just need to do Yoga more often and I'd be even better. I've been stress eating lately and haven't been exercising enough.



Another thing I've been doing is working on Emily's Granny Square Afghan. I'm now up to 20 (6" X 6") squares. I think I need about 90-100 of them or so to make the size afghan I'm wanting. She leaves for college at the end of August, so I need to continue pumping out Granny Squares. As you can see, I am finishing the last round in green each time so that my crocheting or stitching them together will be easier and won't show the stitching as much. I'm planning on trying to knit or crochet a block in the center with her school's logo in the middle. Green and White are her school colors.

Now off to work. Sigh.

Doing the Spinning Wheel Shuffle

Well, remember a while back I said that I was THINKING ABOUT switching wheels? Well this week, I did!

I decided to just put out some feelers on Ravelry and on the Kromski group list to see if anyone might want to buy my Kromski Sonata. Unfortunately, I got no immediate local interest. But several out-of-town spinners were interested. After being offered 2 male Alpaca geldings in trade by a woman interested in my Kromski for her daughter, I decided that in my suburban neighborhood, those Alpacas just wouldn't fit in. If they peeked their cute, furry little heads over my neighbor's fence, he'd freak out. Even though my husband said he wouldn't mind a break from cutting the grass, the alpacas could eat it - I'd have to shovel the droppings. So no, that wouldn't quite work.

Luckily a lady from the Dallas area was looking for a Sonata for her birthday. Funny, I got this Sonata for MY birthday. So she ended up being the buyer who got my wheel and I mailed it off to her Friday night.

So then I went on a wheel search. I'd been thinking about several different ones, as you know. I ended up getting a really good deal on a Mach II wheel by Spinolution from a dealer here in Missouri who needs to sell hers in order to get the new Mach III when it comes out. This wheel says "Mach I" on the back, but the dealer did all the upgrades to make it a Mach II. So it's a Mach II in terms of function.

I was sorely tempted by the smaller (portable) Spinolution Bee, but decided that I need a good all-around workhouse wheel first before I get tempted by another portable.

If I like the Spinolution enough, who knows, I might eventually get the Bee also. But for now, my Mach (which weighs 22 pounds) does not fold up, but it comes with a travel strap and wheels, so it can be pulled pretty easily and effortlessly if I'm walking down the sidewalk etc.

This wheel is not nearly as PRETTY as my Sonata was, but hey, I need high functioning much more than pretty at this point. So the utilitarian nature of the Mach attracted me more than the pretty. In fact, when the huge bobbins are stored on the side, the wheel looks (to me) like a space alien, with a bobbin nose in the middle. This wheel looks like a portly but reliable man to me - or again, quirky like maybe a space alien. Various men's names are running around in my head . . . Henry, or Oscar? Any ideas will be considered.

I was able to make this trade and did it without investing extra $$$. So though I might eventually get the "dream wheel" that combines function AND appearance, right now I'm very happy with the switch. The Mach spins like a DREAM. The treadling is so easy I hardly move a toe and it spins everything from lace weight to art yarn. Yay!!!

Pardon me, but I've got to go spin now. Love, love, love.

The Big Unpack

Wow, it feels like I've been on a nonstop travel whirlwind for about two weeks. Well, that's probably because I HAVE been. Living out of a suitcase for a fortnight is enough to drive any home loving woman crazy.

During the past week, even though I absolutely LOVE Colorado and have been there many times on business, I discovered that I am capable of experiencing fairly bad Altitude Sickness. So next time, I'll be on the lookout for that ahead of time and will be a bit more prepared for it.

Between business and personal trips, I've had quite enough travel for a while and am happy to say I have a chance to rest and stay home for a while. Yay! At my age, rushing through airports and standing on hard concrete tradeshow floors while trying to look perky isn't my idea of fun. But I'm back now, and ready to sink into my own comfy bed. Whew! (Big sigh of relief).


So what have I been doing, besides working? Not much. But I did manage to knit one hat, the Amanda hat, for our Sunflower Guild's charity Christmas project. We're knitting or crocheting hats for teens, both boys and girls. If you have any really cute patterns that a teenager would love, let me know (especially if it is FREE). This one, the Amanda hat, happens to be a freebie and is very easy and fun to do. Even though I'm a slow knitter, I managed to finish it in just a few days of snatched knitting time. So I'd highly recommend this one. It would also make a good quick gift if you need to whip up something fast.

Oh, and we're still preparing in every way possible, for our daughter's launch off to college. We just returned from a college orientation weekend that left us all excited, anxious, happy, and looking forward to a new phase of life --- both ours and more importantly, hers. I keep saying it, but really, I can't believe my daughter is growing up and away from us so fast. So on the way there, I started working on her college afghan that she requested. It's a Granny Square afghan. I was instructed by her to make it "as wild, with crazy colors" as possible. She wants it soft and washable, so I'm using Berocco's DK Comfort Acyllic yarn. It is wonderful, soft stuff that washes up very well. I love this stuff! Here are the first two Granny Squares that I managed to create based on the free and well-written "Traditional Granny Square" pattern offered by Heirloom Stitches.


These little squares were VERY FUN to whip up. So I will go buy some more of the yarn, in more colors, maybe tomorrow, if I can find a shop that is open and stocks it. Crocheting or sewing them together may not be as much fun, but the project is perfect for an on-the-go crocheter like me.

Feel'n The Wheel Lust

When I was a teenager, I had no sense of fashion, and was very thrify with my hard-earned money, most of which I earned through babysitting. So when I went to buy shoes, I distinctly remember telling the shoe store clerk that I wanted to buy a pair of shoes that I could wear ANYWHERE. I didn't want a dress shoe or a casual shoe, but wanted a "do everything" shoe. Her eyes widened and she said, "But we don't have that. We have dress shoes, casual shoes, boots, party shoes, sandals. We don't have DO EVERYTHING shoes."


So now, I have a perfectly good spinning wheel, a Kromski Sonata (shown at left), which I've only had since November 2009, but I find myself lusting after other wheels, preferably, like the shoe request, one that can do EVERYTHING and be EVERYTHING - it should be able to spin everything from lace weight to Art Yarn. It should be sturdy but beautiful and traditional. It should also be affordable, not too extravagant. It shouldn't take up too much room in my house, and be at least somewhat portable. It should treadle easily and effortlessly. It should be easy - both on the eyes and the pocketbook, but not TOO easy or common. It should be all things rolled up into one.


When did these disturbing feelings arise? Well, it started with second guessing my wheel choice, maybe I SHOULD have chosen the Ashford Traveller, which I've always loved, or the Kromski Minstrel, which is about the same price but has double drive as well as single and is so much PRETTIER than mine, in the traditional wheel look that makes me swoon. I'd want mine in Mahogony.



And then, when I went to Jeff City last Spring, I sat next to a lady who had a Spinolution Bee, a very clever and cute travel wheel that treadled from side to side - a very unusual treadling motion. And it packed up like a dream, so cute and so efficient, as well as a dream to spin on.


Oh and another wheel fastasy. Just one more I REALLY like. Ahem. The Majacraft Rose. Yep. A little outside my limited budget unless I get a REALLY good deal on a used one. Possible but unlikely.

So now, I want another wheel. Don't need one. Just one one. It's wheel lust, plain and simple. What's a girl who wants everything to do?

Time Travel Weekend: A Gothic Melodrama

What did I do this weekend? I attended "The Trial of the Century" that occurred one hundred years ago, a reenactment of the trial put on by the Jackson County Historical Society.


Was it Murder? Centennial Commemorative Re-Enactment of the TRIAL OF THE CENTURY: Swope v. Hyde. Saturday, June 12, 2010. 2-4 p.m. at the Truman Memorial Building (corner of Truman and Pleasant Street). Thank you in advance for your continuing support of our organization! This event brought to you in partnership with the Independence Parks & Recreation Department

Here's the story: In October of 1909, one of Kansas City's wealthiest families, the Swope Family, was headed by a spinster uncle named Charles who was a real estate mogul who had acquired and then sold, some of Kansas City's prime real estate in the downtown area. At the age of 82, since he was a bachelor, he lived in a mansion with his widowed sister Margaret, and seven of her grown children on Pleasant Street in Independence, Missouri. One of those nieces of his, Francine, had just married a young doctor from Lexington, Missouri, a divorced man whom the family didn't like or approve. The couple had moved to a nearby mansion that Mr. Swope had bought for them in Kansas City.

One fall night in 1909, Mrs. Swope had traveled out of town, and one of the nephews, Chrisman, became deathly ill, along with a cousin. Dr. Hyde was brought in to treat the ailing relatives, but they mysteriously went into convulsions and died, along with Mr. Swope, the wealthy uncle, and both were said, by Dr. Hyde, to have had strokes. Many of the other younger nephews and neices became ill with what was believed to be Typhus, though the convulsive symptoms weren't consistent with that illness. It was noticed by the attending nurses that every time Dr. Hyde gave them pills to take, and he treated a patient, they became much worse and died. Only when Dr. Hyde was banished from the home did the patients improve and eventually everyone became well again.

It was later learned that Dr. Hyde had been buying cyanide pills from a local pharamacist and claimed he was buying the poison "to kill cockroaches and some annoying dogs." They became suspicious and he was charged with murder. It was rumored that he wanted to kill several of his wife's siblings as well as the elder Mr. Swope because he hoped to ensure and increase his wife's inheritance, when he heard rumor that Mr. Swope was about to change his will and give most of his wealth to charity and to reduce the amount willed to his relatives.

Thus the "Trial of the Century" ensued only months after the deaths, and it became a Victorian age media frenzy. Media coverage went on for 10 years as Dr. Hyde was tried and retried seven times in total.

Yesterday, the public was invited to attend the reenactment of the trial and it went on for an extra hour - from 2:00-5:00. The reenacters did a fabulous job. The whole crowd sat is rapt attention for 3 hours, with only a brief bathroom break to stir the spell.

I'd already read the book, Deaths on Pleasant Street by Giles Fowler, but the trial was still fascinating to me and so well done! My grandmother, who is 94, still remembers the old mansion, which was torn down in 1960. She remembers going inside and wishing it weren't demolished.

Though the mystery of the deaths will probably never be resolved, speculation is still buzzing.

Failed Project

Lately, I've been feeling pulled in too many directions. This is reflected perfectly in my knitting/crafting life.

I have been trying, for two months, to work on a Seraphina shawl (crochet project).

Unfortunately, I've gone wrong on it - several rows ago, and didnt' realize it. Somehow I was able to keep crocheting until this one point, along about Row 18 on Sequence 1 and I realize that I don't have the right stitches for it. Took it to the crocheters at Target on Thursday night and found out that I goofed up WAY back, many rows ago, because it seems that sometimes I included the beginning V stitch and sometimes I didn't, and I have an extra shell on one side - all of this will probably mean little to noncrocheters, but suffice to say, I royally goofed up my Seraphina. It was meant as a prayer shawl gift, but it's evidenly not meant to be (at least for now). I am just too frustrated with it. And I thought it was turning out so well.

Big squash to the overconfidence, that's for sure.

So now I'm letting it go, putting it away, at least for now.

At any rate, I'm casting on for a knitted shawl rather than a crochet, because I'm more confident in that. And I'm picking an easier pattern this time. This is a prayer shawl - so I don't need to be fretting about it, don't you agree? It should be a calm project, not a frazzled one. So I frogged the frazzled Seraphina that was not meant to be, and am turning to calm anticipation of the lilac of the new shawl.

Why do I seeem to have a string of SEVERAL projects go astray before something comes together? Gosh, this sounds like life in general, doesn't it? But sometimes, rather it's in crocheting, knitting or in LIFE, you need to recognize when it's bad and let it go.

Morning Has Broken?

Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

Morning Has Broken
As Sung by Cat Stevens
lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon


Guess what? Things may be looking up for us. Bob finally got a job!!! Yay!!!

We are thrilled to say the least.

Thanks to all who have been sending us well wishes and heartfelt prayers for him to find a job. Whew, what a relief.

Get Thee to a Nunnery

The phrase, "Get Thee to a Nunnery" was first coined by Shakespeare in Hamlet. When Hamlet laments to Ophelia that she should "get thee to a nunnery", he is expressing pent-up anger towards his mother, who he feels has been unfaithful and incestuous when she married his uncle. At the beginning of the play itself, we see a brooding Hamlet who seems almost more upset by his mother's marriage than by his father's death. He speaks of it with such bitter disgust: "She married, O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!" (I.ii.156-7) and is so upset with his mother that he pronounces a curse on ALL women, not just her: "Frailty, thy name is woman!" (I.ii.147). So, that curse includes Ophelia, and from that point on, he avoids her.

But the reason for ME using it here is the opposite - I occasionally seek OUT a monastery or "nunnery" for the purposes of filling my spiritual hunger and my longing for inner peace. Well, once again, last weekend, I had the opportunity to get myself to a nunnery and I can't recommend it enough. St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas is simply phenomenal therapy for me and repairs my soul like no other balm that exists on earth. Just spending a few hours in the rolling hills of the Benedictine Monastery reminds me of who I am, or want to be, my best self - in touch with the divine in me, and in others.

I haven't been there since September 2009, but I went there to meditate and to pray - to mostly seek out the Silence. Wow is that ever a powerful place, and not only are wonderful people already living and working there, but those who visit are very interesting inner adventurers.


At my request, I was able to lodge in my favorite Room Number 8. Ah!!! Back again. It's simple. It's stripped down of TV, radio, computer, all e-media. There's just a small bed, a small dresser, small desk, a comfy meditation chair, and that's it - a quiet room alone, with a beautiful view of the rolling hills of Missouri.

It was a strange, confusing journey there this time - because unknown to me, all the bridges leading to it on the Missouri side were disabled for repair. Ah hem. Nope I am not kidding. Symbolic, isn't it? I need repair, all the roads leading there are down - I need to forge a new route. Wow. But I did. I found it. Finally. And it meant all the more to me once I finally arrived.

Ah - peace at last, I found you. And just in time, too, because I carry this place with me, and mentally go there whenever I am feeling at my wit's end, which is all too often lately.

Thank you God for giving me a place to find you, because sometimes (like Hamlet) I really lose sight of all that is good.

The Graduate

I have been feeling wistful all last week - and now this week even more so. My only child graduated high school last night.

We've had lots of preparations and parties - and misty eyes.


Simply can't believe my baby and many of her friends who I've known so well throughout the years are graduating now. Time has passed in a flash. A big threshhold has been crossed.

I'm so filled with pride and pain and expectation - all at the same time. And anxiety. I won't lie about that. Much of everything.

Mother's Day Weekend Outing with My Mom

I've always felt my Mom was beautiful - inside and out. What's funny is, she's camera shy, so it's not easy capturing a photo of her. But at any rate, she always keeps up with the times and looks her very best. She loves beauty books, fashion magazines, and she and Emily are the Fashionistas in our family.


So when I heard that the Today show beauty expert, Charla Krupp, was coming to Kansas City to celebrate Mother's Day with her Mother-in-law and doing a public appearance through Rainy Day Books and Artichoke Gallery, I decided to take my Mom over to soak up some fashion and beauty tips as she featured her latest book called HOW TO NEVER LOOK FAT AGAIN. She has an ealier book also called, HOW NOT TO LOOK OLD.


We had a fantastic time. Let me say that Charla Krupp looks fabulous. I don't know how old she is, but she looks 10X better in person than on her book covers. She's short like me (in fact she's only 5'0" tall) - but she appears much taller because she knows how to dress to look longer and leaner with heels - in both boots and shoes. She mentioned that since writing the book, she's lost weight and does a fitness routine - so she's tiny. Whatever she's doing, it's working.

She's good at teaching women "of a certain age" how to dress to make the maximum impact and look their very best in spite of figure flaws. She brought along a rack of clothes she'd selected from a high-end boutique across the street, and she showed us what items she'd put together to counteract various body problems. Much of it is common sense stuff that we've all read in beauty and fashion magazines for years - stuff like, don't wear oversized, boxy clothes - wear dark solid colors on areas you want to minimize. Buy a good bra that holds you UP.

She's a big advocate for foundation garments - or "body shapers" I think she calls them. Spanx underwear and that kind of thing. For jeans, she suggests DARK jeans with no designs, logos or other attention-getting geegaws - she says these design features only make your butt and gut look LARGER. The pockets should be flat and plain - her favorite jeans are "Not Your Daughter's Jeans" which can be found at Dillards, Macy's, Nordstrom's.

She encourages women to wear one-piece dresses because that way, it's simplier and easier to coordinate rather than having to put together several separate pieces - especially if your problem area is your mid-section. With a dress, there is no break at all in the center to attract your eye, a dress will immediately give your shape a sleeker line through the middle. Best of all, you don't have to worry about what goes with it or what to tuck or not tuck.

If you are wearing separates, make it an a-line skirt or pant in a dark color. Wear heels for all boots and sandals. Have a pair of pretty flats to slip into in case your feet start hurting. Wear attractive jackets, but not huge, boxy ones or a matching suit.

For swimsuits - wear one piece suits that are flattering as possible - with support built into the suit. Apply self-tanning lotion and shave well so that your body looks smooth. Buy a really GREAT coverup and cute sandals, because you will be wearing the cover-up over it more than you will be swimming. Pretty accessories will boost your confidence.

Is Frugality the New "Normal"

I was reading this article today about consumer reaction to the supposedly improving recession. The upshot is that even though the U.S. economy is improving in very small measures, and consumer spending has recently gone up a bit, that the average American still is holding onto a much more guarded attitude toward consumerism.

Many researchers agree that they may continue to save more, spend less, and be more cautious about impulse purchases. They are gravitating towards smaller, more affordable houses and they say that even if their income rises again in light of a brighter economy, they will still remain careful about jumping into major purchases. They are either cutting back, or reevaluating, what they consider necessary in their budget. Things that were previously taken for granted, such as premium cable stations and so forth, are often being cut - and new clothing and other expenditures may be put off or delayed instead of being purchased impulsively.

One 60 year old lady who was quoted in the article says, "I don't think it will ever get back to where it was before," she says of her nest egg. "I won't spend money the way I used to."

For those of us at the tail end of the Baby Boom generation - those of us approaching or in our 50's - it's too early for us to retire - and yet things are changing so rapidly and permanently, that it feels as if we need to shift our whole working/lifestyle way of thinking and everything is on the table for reconsideration. Something in my mind/heart and spirit has fundamentally shifted.

I know that this particular recession has hit us here in my family. Bob has been laid off for 6 months now - and although we've been through this before, somehow this time it feels different. Once he finally gets another job - we will look at our future with more caution - less relief, and more strategizing.

I'm Coming Unraveled

This is the second sleeve of my oatmeal sweater. You know, I was nearly finished with this second sleeve but I became very unhappy with the increases on the sleeve, they looked sloppy and uneven with the other one. So I ripped and ripped and finally got so frustrated that I started CUTTING the sleeve, yes cutting with scissors. Now I've ripped way past the mistake - but my yarn is a mess from the cutting and the whole sleeve is probably going to go down and get thrown away out of my own impatience.

I started to just throw this sleeve away but decided to photograph it to remind myself that this sleeve is somehow reflective of my general frustration with my life right now. Bob is still out of work - my frustration and worry and anxiety is mounting. I'm getting a bit panicky with the economy being so bad. The bad feels like it won't lift.

I know things will turn around, but right now, I don't see it.

Maybe I'll do what my Grandma used to tell me when I became overly frustrated - put it down, Chelle, walk away, and come back when you feel better.

Faulty Assumptions

I haven't been knitting as much this week as usual - because I had a business trip that was pretty intense all week and I didn't get the usual time in between and at night to knit. Dang!

At any rate, one thing I did finish was another Storm Cloud Shawlette - this one in Dream in Color "Bold" - a very striking variegated blue. This is the least favorite one I've done so far, mainly because it is a bit too small for my liking - it was done on size 8s and I only did one single strand of sock yarn. In the future, if I were just using one strand of sock, I'd use a 9 needle rather than an 8 - because everyone I know who has used an 8 ends up saying their shawl is too small.

But one person over on Ravelry wrote to me because she was frustrated with not understanding the pattern. She thought she only increased one stitch per row. So it occurred to me that other people who aren't watching other knitters make this shawl might be a bit confused.

On the increase rows, instead of just increasing 1 stitch on each row - on that increase row, you do yarnovers between each “knit” stitch - and those STAY on the needle in the subsequent row after Rows 2, 4, 10, 20, 38 and 72. So each time you hit one of those critical rows you are DOUBLING your stitches. But you are only doing that for critical rows - otherwise you’d end up increasing and having way too many stitches on your needle before you knew it.

I think another confusing thing is that what the designer is calling the INCREASE row, is actually just where you are knitting in the stitches you actually added as yarnovers on the row before. This sounds confusing but really isn’t. It’s the simplest thing in the world once you get it.

Isn't that true with life in general, we often mess up when we have something stuck in our minds, a faulty assumption that blinds us to seeing what is really there. This knitter who wrote me assumed that you only knit one extra stitch in the whole row - and she "read" the pattern with that belief in mind. Then when I pointed out her mistaken assumption - it was like a light suddenly came on - Eureka! and the pattern became blindingly obvious and simple.

Throughout our lives, because we develop life experiences, we start lodging many perceptions and assumptions - it is what my boss calls "head trash." Much of the time, those assumptions act as a shortcut to understanding life and are helpful in streamlining our learning, but sometimes the assumptions get in our way and create a mental block that we have to jump past or clear away in order to get a true understanding.

Now I did something different on this last shawl with the border that I kind of like, instead of continuing to do elongated stitches - on the border row, I just knit 10 solid rows of plain garter stitch - it made a more solid border - and instead of creating a ruffle, it just added a more solid border, which might be good if you're wanting that look, especially when you have really stretchy yarn. Just an idea!

So sometimes we need to look at things afresh - and create new ways of doing things - sometimes NOT following the pattern or the tried and true way is a good creative change.

Here's . . . . Mac

This past weekend was really strange. We had definite plans. Really we did. We were supposed to go on a romantic weekend getaway to the lake. But we were both having a crummy week all last week. And then the weekend forecast of drenching rain, rain, rain and cold temperatures every single day. Yuck. Didn't sound very romantic. So we switched plans, deciding to cancel our reservations and stay home.

Then as we went out to dinner Friday night, we discovered there was to be a Bird Show at a hotel near the mall. I worked hard most of the day Saturday on my work project. Then in the afternoon, Bob said, "You need a break, so let's go to that bird show." Sounded good. We've been interested in birds for over ten years and I always wanted an African Gray parrot - but had decided that since they live upwards of 50-70 years, and are very demanding and costly, that we just couldn't afford to ever get one of those. I've also loved conures, because I love the little comedic antics they are apt to display.

I've been considering a Green Cheek Conure as a good breed, because they are less loud than many other parrots, and they are very affectionate and comedic. At the pet stores, though, they are priced so high. So when we visited the Bird Fair, we found a wonderful little 12 week old Green Cheek Conure that we named "Mac." We don't actually know if he's a "he" or a "she" but Mac seems to be a pretty unisex name that will work either way.

Already this bird is very sweet and friendly, and loves to get out and play around, and be petted and cuddled. It's a very engaging young bird. Since we bought him from a breeder, we got a really good price too.

One of his favorite toys so far is playing with a strand of yarn that I tied to the top of his cage. So I guess he's truly a bird after my own yarny heart!

I Need to Make a Blanket

My daughter is firming up her college plans now - thankfully, she has picked her school and we are getting her application, and all that college processing stuff done. She's going away to school, which we all agree will be a good thing for her, and something that I always longed to do.

I went to community college for my first two years and then transferred to UMKC to get the degree. But I often wished I could have gone off and lived in a dorm to have that whole dorm life and freshman on-campus experience. I think it will open up a whole new world to her. So I'm extremely excited for her.

This is a weird time for us - because we're pushing ahead to get a new phase of her life started, and I'm feeling those motherly weepy feelings, combined with the excitement - and on top of it is the uncertainty - with Bob still not having a job etc. It's like we're driving on one of those old Ozark Missouri roads where the road twists and turns, and you can't see ahead over the next hill, but you have to drive anyway, and have faith that the road will still be there to meet you and will take you in the right direction. Ya know? I call that the Road of Uncertainty. It's sometimes scary, but it leads you to new places and usually everything is clear over the horizon.



Now along with this college preparation going on, I'm realizing that the sock blanket I've had languishing for several months, needs to come out and grow FAST because she's going to be taking off with it to her new dorm in a few months, and at the pace I'm knitting and shoving it aside constantly, she may be graduated from college before I ever get it done. This blanket, by the way is Christine Long's Sock yarn blanket, and is much prettier in person than in this photo. For some reason, the blanket is just not photogenic.

Last night, I showed Emily the beginnings of this blanket and I told her I had in mind to make it just like a study lap blanket and not anything real big - just to wrap around her legs while studying. She made it clear that she wants a BIG, warm, fuzzy afghan - a full size one, and she doesn't care if it's knitted or crocheted. So I'm thinking of putting this little sock lapghan on hold until I finish a substantial afghan for her. I'm calling for suggestions, I just need something BIG, SOFT and WARM that would be FAST to get finished. Any ideas?

This sock yarn blanket, done on size 3 needles, is a fantastic way to use up sock yarn, but in the interest of instant grat, I need something really speedy and am open to ideas.

Working Vacation

I love my job, and especially during weeks like this, where I spent three days in Colorado Springs. Sure, I spent much of my time at a tradeshow, all the while wishing I could be out hiking, walking, and admiring the amazing scenary, but still just being there was pure bliss - and gave me a much-needed recharge.

Some people are refreshed by oceans - not me! Give me mountains, forests, wooded areas anytime - they just lift me up inside and give me an inner thrill, even from afar.

Now I didn't take this photo - because I really didn't have time to do the tourist-y stuff and couldn't seem to even snap decent photos while my colleague drove us from Denver to Colorado Springs and back again a few days later. So this is a photo of Pike's Peak that I found on the Internet, but you get the idea - mind numbingly gorgeous.

And the enjoyment I get from staying all by myself in a hotel room for two nights makes all the standing in the line and going through security checkpoints at the airport all worthwhile. My silly indulgences included early morning walks outside in the cool, crisp air, along with late night knitting, crocheting, reading - totally self-indulgent pleasures.

Sure, I missed my family - but this break from the routine was sorely needed and appreciated.

Crochet - Really Hooking My Interest

Here lately, even before Spring set in, my mind and attention span has been lighting from here and there all around, rather like a fickle butterfly flitting all over a beautiful field of flowers. There are just SO MANY interesting things to draw my attention. Why stick with one?

For instance, I've not only become absolutely ABSORBED with spinning, but I've also been following a slowly developing interest in Crochet. I'm starting to understand Crochet enough to actually enjoy it and find uses for it beyond just edgings and afghans. I'm seeing some really cute things that I want to make, and I'm finally getting the hang of it enough to contemplate a few projects.


A crochet teacher named Nirmal (pictured to the left) first introduced me to crochet in the Spring of 2008, I believe? She was a wonderful teacher, but I didn't get very far until I turned back to spinning and set the crochet hook temporarily aside while I picked up the drop spindle, and later the spinning wheel. But all the while I've been doing other things, the crochet has been dormant in my brain, and simmering on the back burner.


Well, the simmering finally came to a boil THIS Spring, when I decided to leap into a fulll-blown Crochet Shawl, called Seraphina. I started it just over a week ago, with the help and coaching of both Roberta and Julie in my knitting and crochet group. I'm starting to be able to read a crochet pattern too. Yay! Here's the beginning of the shawl. Once you get past the very beginning, it becomes really pretty easy. I say "easy" but I shouldn't brag until I'm totally done, right? But I'm amazed and happy at how quickly crochet builds a project, as opposed to the slowness of knitting. It's the ultimate instant gratification craft. I will never replace knitting with crochet, mind you, it just has different uses.

Two bloggers who have always made me wish I could crochet are: Ellen (Los Angeles Is My Beat) and Maryse (Bag'n Trash). If you ever have a chance, go take a look at some of their projects and you will drool too.


Now, the final straw with getting me absorbed with this Crochet thing is the Potholder Swap over on Ravelry, which I knew nothing about until after it was too late to join in. I'm not fond of swaps and don't usually do them, but I must confess that this one really had me hooked. Who WOULDN'T be attracted to a swap administered by none other than HelloYarn and Maryse? Talk about distracting, these potholders are so darn cute! They're truly amazing. Though I can't participate this year in the swap itself, it doesn't mean I can't start making potholders just for the heck of it. Why ever not?

And if I've intrigued YOU with any desire to crochet, go run out and get a copy of the March/April issue of Crochet Today because they have a whole feature on crochet potholders. The article is on page 41 and is called "Your Nana's Potholders" and the design is by Maryse Roudier. As the article says, nothing says "retro" like an over-the-top potholder. And they have the free pattern out on the web too. Here's the link.

Now where's my kitchen cotton and crochet hook?

What Went Well?

As one of those people who often has trouble keeping focus and has to manage myself to the nth degree, I've found that asking myself. "What went well today?" is a good question to ask. What did I do well that I'd like to continue doing.

So often, I get caught up in focusing on what fell apart, what ball I let drop, that I fail to see and appreciate the many things that I accomplished and techniques that actually work for me.

This isn't just one of those fake positive-thinking ideas, it's a real tool that I've found has helped me repeat the success I've experienced. Maybe one week at work I accomplished way more than usual. What did I do differently? Same thing with diet/exercise. Same thing with personal relationships. How did I manage to keep my cool and have a good day with my daughter instead of allowing a potential conflict spiraling into an argument?

My answer in short is: This week, I was really REALLY broke, and I wanted to treat myself to something fun, like a pedicure, but I didn't want to pay for it. What did I do? I did my own little pedicure at home with a kit my daughter had bought me at Christmas, including a heel pumice and then because I don't paint my toenails very well, I had my daughter paint them for in a bright obnoxious but cheerful HOT PINK.

Another thing I did well was resist the temptation to buy books at the bookstore. I am doing really well as ordering my books and even DVDs, such as old movies and such online through my library. So every few days, I have a new burst of books, music, DVDs etc. and they are free. I return them when I'm done and don't have to add to the personal clutter here at home. This week, even though my local library system didn't carry it, I was able to order Alice Starmore's Fair Isle video through the Interlibrary Loan System, and a copy is winging it's way to me from a Denver library. Isn't that nifty?

So today I ask you, as well as myself, "What went well this week for you?" and "Can you start doing it again more purposely as we face a new week?"

3 Day Relaxation Quest

Okay it's a 3 day weekend for me - yay! I was hoping to sit outside and spin, remember? Well, the beautiful sunny Spring weather we had all week turned to clouds and overcast skies, and later thunderstorms this afternoon.

But early this morning, before the rain hit, I was able to sneak a bit of outdoor relaxation by sitting on my deck and reading Sweater Quest by Adrienne Martini. It's an absorbing and really FUNNY read - only about 225 pages. I'm loving the author's dry wit and obsession with finding just the right shade of green for her sweater. What lengths will she go to to find it? The book is about one knitter's attempt to acquire Starmore's famous Tudor Roses book and to knit a Fair Isle sweater in one year. It's rather like a Julie/Julia type concept - but even better if you're an avid knitter.

Though I've never been seriously tempted to knit an entire Fair Isle sweater, this book is making me tempted to try maybe a vest. Isn't that silly? Just what I need, one MORE thing to learn. Let's see, I'm currently busy with my obsessions in spinning, knitting, drum carding, dyeing (well I'm reading about dyeing, not doing it yet on my own), as well as wanting to crochet better . . . and I'm starting to feel the pull of weaving on a rigid heddle loom. Now one thing I DON'T need is to explore one more aspect of fiber arts, right?

Right.


So then the Knitter's Daily email popped into my "inbox" on March 31st and started cajoling me into clicking on the Eunny Lang's new DVD on "Introduction to Fair Isle: the Ivy League Vest." Hmmmm. I love vests.

But first let me get back to reading that Sweater Quest book. Maybe I'll satisfy my desire to explore a new diversion by just reading about it instead of doing it.

Right.

Sunflower Guild Does It Again

This weekend I attended our local guild "Knitting in the Heartland" spring conference. I had a great time. I went to the vendor market and didn't buy yarn, yay! But I couldn't resist getting some spinning fiber. It was just too luscious to resist.


I bought shades of green such as this green alpaca:

I am normally not a "blue person" but for the past month or so I've been really CRAVING blue. Here's some blue fiber I got.

And finally my FAVORITE thing. I just LOVE the colors in this gorgeous roving. They are colors that normally wouldn't go together. I never guessed that shades of pink, blue, lavendar and teracotta would go well together - but this colorway looks AMAZING to me. Especially for spring. For some reason, the addition of that autumnal orangish/brownish color really makes this otherwise spring colorway "pop" and I love it.



So all in all, in spite of the cold/rainy weather (will we ever see sun again?) I had a fabulous time and hopefully spinning up some of this springlike roving goodness will make me feel much better. Now if I could just sit outside on my deck one SUNNY day - please PLEASE let there ever be sun and warmth again - then I will show you how it spins up.

Am I Ever Blessed

Several weeks ago, I was going through a rough time and recovering from some minor surgery. And guess what? My dear online Ravelry friend Debbie (Snookums on Rav), is also in my Prayer Shawl group. You know what she did? She decided to make me the most beautiful shawl!


It's called The Reader's Shawl - and it is a lovely cream color with pockets. It is soft as clouds and totally warm and comforting. It even has pockets. It's a rectangular stole and is one of the sweetest things I can imagine someone knitting for me.

As if that weren't enough, she sent me some other wonderful items as well:

A little Easter basket full of goodies including: Died in the Wool, a knitting mystery by Mary Kruger - how did she know I love mysteries, and especially knitting-related ones?

A wonderful alpaca/silk blend of beautiful yarn. How did she know Alpaca was my favorite?

I am just absolutely warmed by her kindness . . . and her shawl.

Oh No Snow!

Here we are, on the first day of Spring having a less than Spring-like day. What? Snow. Lots of it. Yuck. I think we can agree most of us are sick of it.

Spring. Please?

Storm Cloud Shawlette

Some of you in the Sunflower Guild or those who attended the Jefferson City Fiber Retreat have already seen my completed Storm Cloud Shawlette in person. However, for those who haven't, mainly my handful of blog readers and knitting group members, here are photos of the shawl.


If you like it, it's a free pattern on Ravelry. It's a semi-circular design. It starts with only 4 stitches and increases from there. It's based loosely on the Zimmermann Pi Shawl concept. The good news is that it's one of those mindless, truly easy projects that you can do while talking, watching TV, and the dropped garter stitch actually goes faster if you DON'T pay too much attention. It's so easy you can very quickly memorize the pattern. It only requires for the smallest version, 150 yards of yarn, so it's a good way to use up those single skeins of really pretty yarn you have stashed. It can be made in sock weight yarn, sport yarn, worsted or even bulky - of course the finer the yarn used, the airier the effect.


For mine, I used a whole skein of the glitzy yarn, Feza Festival, which is a medium green with gold thread type novelty yarn, so I used about 250 yards on mine, and carried it along with a sock yarn called Dream in Color Smooshy in "Spring Tickle" - a very light green strand. The two yarns were carried together throughout the body of the shawl, and then on the ruffle, I used 2 strands of Feza Festival. You can make the shawl with the ruffle, or end on Row 70 and leave the ruffle off entirely. If you want a larger, fuller shawl, just keep going with the increases and you can make it as large as you like.

I finished the Storm Cloud Shawlette in only 4 days and I love wearing it. When out and about in public, I've received more compliments on this shawl than any other. Goes to figure that the simplest and easiest knits often get the most credit.

So if you have a skein or two of pretty yarn that you want to put to good use as an over the shoulder wrap, I'd highly recommend this project.

And if you make one, let me know. I'd love to see it!

Back from Spinners' Nirvana

Okay I spent the weekend at a Fiber Retreat in Jefferson City, Missouri. It was my first year there - and what a fabulous experience. The scenery is idyllic. Even though the weather was COLD and rainy, it was sweater and shawl weather, which just gave the spinners, knitters and weavers a chance to wear their favorite projects. Each year, this conference focuses on a different theme. This year it was spinning. Even though I've been really tight on money, this conference was well worth every penny and wasn't expensive. It was very affordable and I felt like I got as much or more information out of it than some people get at more expensive conferences.

The first class I took was Beyond the Basics with Nancy Barnett. It was a really good chance, in a relaxed atmosphere, to ask a lot of questions about our spinning problems and figure out how to spin better in terms of technique. We learned how to use a drumcarder and hand cards, and how using each created different yarns. The teacher, Nancy, raises angora bunnies and taught us how to spin angora and to extend it by combining it with other fibers to make it more durable and go farther. The angora is a short-stapled fiber, and it can be challenging to spin, but she guided us through and when carding it with other fibers, I found I really liked the softness and warmth of it.


Patsy Zawistoski taught the next class I took on "Spinning Designer Yarns." This class was really intense - we analyzed commercial yarns by unspinning them and analyzing the plies and how the mill spun the yarns. We deconstructed yarns, basically and talked about what yarns are beneficial to try to replicate and which ones are easier to just buy at the yarn shop. She gave us a really handy tool to use to help in decoding it. This class taught me SO MUCH. By taking yarn apart, we learned how a variety of types of yarns are made. Fascinating. The time flew by.

Then I had my first ever official "Acid Dyeing" class with Gail White. It was called "All Tied Up in Knots." We learned about printer's and painter's colors. Painters are brighter in tone - jewel tones; whereas printer's are more muted and subdued. We dyed 6 different skeins of yarns using acid dyes - I've never come away from a class with so much yarn! It was so much fun playing with color and getting ideas for how I might try it at home.


The last class and probably my absolute favorite out of all of them was "Spinning Sock Yarn" with Janel Laidman, author of The Eclectic Sole and Enchanted Socks. That woman is amazing. She knows her stuff. We learned what qualities make good sock yarn and what wool or other fiber content creates that ideal. We spun a variety of structures and tensions - as well as plied different configurations. She checked to make sure we were spinning the right grist, strength and texture. We learned about how you can use different fibers, such as tencel and bamboo and nylon to stengthen socks. We learned different plying methods to get us the type of sock yarn we like best- either long-wearing or warmer and softer. The fiber she brought for us to experiment on was gorgeous. Wow! I came away really feeling confident and eager to try to make my own sock yarn - but first I have to finish spinning for Oatmeal sweater.

That's it folks, when they said, "Fiber Retreat" that's a misnomer because I was busy concentrating and learning that it was muore stimulating than relaxing. But it was a blast and I definitely will want to do it again in the future. Definitely a "two thumbs up."

Springing Into New Projects

In an effort to prepare for Spring, even though it hasn't totally "sprung" yet, I decided to cast on for not one but TWO Spring projects. Don't worry I haven't given up on my handspun cardigan (Oatmeal), it's just taking longer to spin and knit than anticipated, so I'm trying to break way into some new projects that I might actually be able to wear while the weather is warm. I'm looking ahead with "cautious optimism" as my boss at work is fond of saying.

I went over to see the Borders knitting crowd yesterday and that was really a blast! Hi Lorenia, Hi Celia, Hi Kelly, Hi Donna. They really inspired me with their projects and I enjoyed having a chance to catch up with them.

Lesson learned: whenever you are down in the dumps, as I have been lately, you feel a natural inclination to want to curl up in a ball and keep to yourself, especially when the weather is cold or nasty. But this weekend, since the weather was better, even a bit sunny, I forced myself to take a break from the errands and go see the old Borders gang, and it really gave me a lift. So what I realized is that when you feel like pulling back and turning inward, sometimes the best thing to do is the opposite, reach out and connect with others.


Back to knitting: I'm trying to use up some stash - so I've cast on for the Rufflicious spring top. It's a Kim Smith design. Plus in starting it, I learned a new technique - how to knit down a hem. Clever.

The Borders gals also inspired me to start a darling and EASY little shawl - but I'll show you that next time. Hopefully I'll have it finished in short order. It always feels good to get some things on and OFF your needles . . . and in this case, onto the shoulders.

Hang in There - We're About to Turn a Corner

Back around 1973, when I was a turbulent teenager and going through a really ROUGH time, my best friend at the time, Ginny, gave me a poster of a kitten hanging from a tree and it said, "Hang in There" - you can see it here. That poster, sappy as it was, really kept me going on some hard, emotional days. I kept it up on my wall as a reminder for a couple of years, until it became curled, torn and too ratty to keep.

Though I no longer have that poster, my memory of it lingers on. It seems appropos right now. I know so many people who have hung on and hung on through adversity this winter until their paws . . . err make that FINGERS are bloody.

All I can do is urge you (and if you are one of those bloody-fingered folks YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). Hang on. With everything in you, hang on just a little bit longer. Know that you aren't alone. Know that times are really tough right now. Know that it's okay. Know that it really WILL get better. Know that there are others out there who love and support you. Know that spring is either already springing, or really TRULY not far around the corner. Though we haven't had a really warm day yet, the sun has been out all week and I've been soaking it up with every sun-deprived fiber of my being.

What you can do to give encouragement to others? To yourself? What gives you hope?