Month: April 2019

It’s a tea kind of day. My friend, Ali, from “Little Drops of Wonderful” podcast, sent the tea when she sent the pin from her podcast to me last week. It was a wonderful lift to the week. I loved the tea and ordered a box on Amazon. Lately tea has been giving me heartburn, but not this tea.

I did a really what could have been a wonderful Youtube moment if someone had filmed it …..falling over the cat, over the foot stool, crashing into my knitting table and finally ending up halfway onto the couch and the floor. This was last Monday. Have been wearing a brace all week on my arm, but really think I whip-lashed my whole body…at least on my right side.

Have not been able to knit or type until yesterday. Was able to finish my BFF’s socks and work a little on my Knitweave scarf…..amazing how much I missed being able to knit. My cat is such a toddler. She was racing around and then laid down just behind my feet when I was not paying attention. Sometimes I think they are little psychopaths, plotting our demise.

Now I want to cast on a pair of Jelly Roll socks…..shorties with two curling rims…..something new to try.

This is Ali’s little pin. It says ‘You are a Little Drop of Wonderful”. I have been watching her April vlog…..video log of her everyday life in Kent, UK., and went back to watch some of her early podcasts. She really is a delightful person with a lovely little family. You should check her out, if for nothing more than English life.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXWQfl7WmeumzOYfKZwhT0g

I have used my hand and arm enough today and can hold a book with my left hand. Going to go finish reading the story.

oh, look………shiny

Sitting with a cuppa……spoke with my children and favorite people (they are my favorite people). I am looking out my porch windows at the traffic down the road. Hustle and bustle…Food Lion trucks, utility trucks, an ambulance and a fire truck just blew by. It is Easter Sunday….a day of reflection for some, a day of family get togethers for some, just a day of rest….and yet not for others who carry on the process of life behind the scenes….until we need them.

I remember having such a bad ear infection that Dr Marks made a house call (yep, in the 50’s they did that). It was a Sunday, and still he came and gave my mother a script for me. My dad had to call the pharmacist at home to open up the Rexall Drug Store and fill the prescription, and he did it without blinking. Partly because he knew my dad well and because he was a good man who took his job seriously and hated to see a five year old in pain. Yep….stores closed at 5 PM and on Sundays and holidays.

Finished another bib. They are so cute. I changed this one up to be a garter stitch. I think babies are pretty tactile and may like that.

I really wanted to cast on the Knitweave cowl that I picked up at Cheers To Ewe last week, but when I downloaded the pattern…wowzer….could not make sense of it. So, I made a one-on-one appointment with the lovely Sarah, who is an amazing and prolific knitter and crocheter to walk me through the setting up. Ohmygouda….I LOVE this pattern. …..well, so far…..

I think I would even like to make the reverse of this…..just to see. …the speckled white in the garter stitch. Couldn’t sleep last night, so I knitted until I got tired. My daughter made me laugh today saying I could have fallen asleep and hurt myself on the needles. Self-inflicted knitting injury…..gives a whole new meaning to ‘needle junkie’.

I really think I am afraid to finish the socks for my BFF….because they are for her. Not that she is judgmental….I just want them to be perfect. Gonna jump on them this afternoon.

I think that is true for a lot of things and a lot of people…..are we afraid of failure….or are we afraid of success ?

Oh, look………….shiny

Been a casting on frenzy around here. Finally broke the spell and went to lunch at a new to me Vietnamese restaurant in Salisbury….Pho Uy, with Holly and Lizz. The food was fantastic, as was the company. Holly brought Oliver along and later we walked down to Koco Java’s for a coffee and sat in the sun outside. Oliver was a good boy.

I cannot remember when I have had vegetables prepared this well.

Back to casting and stalking. The Grocery Girls have been away for about a month and finally put up a video. I have been enjoying other podcasters that they introduced me to, but have missed their snappy, naughty patter and laughs. I recast the Agleam shawl from their first podcast and started it over because I could not figure out where I was. Thankfully, recently, I bought the worksheets from Joyce on 3 Ply Podcast called “After This Row”, which keeps track (if you are diligent in writing down what you are doing as you are doing it) of your projects and which rows you are doing and what you have done so far. Also, it keeps track of the recipe, the yarn, needles, etc. It is worth its weight in gold. You can buy them on Etsy. I have them all (socks, shawls, sweaters, small items) and miscellaneous info (yarn, needles, shops, recipes, etc). I have a master file and then make copies when I cast on a new item. It beats having a ton of papers with hash marks and no info all over.

This is the Derecho sweater. Other than baby sweaters, this is the first ‘garment’ sweater I have knitted since I made myself a pullover when I was in the Navy stationed at Quonset Point, RI. I loved that sweater and wore it to death. It will be nice to see if I can do garments.

The Dryads shawlette, on Ravelry…….I love this pattern and those little leaves that show up. Can’t wait to block it and see how it looks in these greens and spots of rust. I think it was the perfect match.

The recast of the Agleam shawl, by Lisa Mutch, on Ravelry. I think this will be gorgeous when it’s blocked. That “Phoenix” yarn, by Yoshi & Lucy, is perfect.

And a take-along…..a bib for Audrey or Leah. I decided to do garter stitch on this one. They work up so quickly in cotton….and wash so well.

There’s more that I want to cast on…..and I still have my BFF’s socks to finish…..I am actually thinking of frogging them because they might be too small….that’s the trouble with over 700 miles between friends, you can’t just grab up a foot to measure with.

I know it’s getting late, but I sooooooooo want a cuppa…….

oh, look……….shiny

It’s really weird how panic and anxiety can raise their Medusa heads out of the clear blue. Woke up with dread and snapped my ‘bracelet’ just to get out of bed. It is a rubber band I wear on my wrist that my VA therapist gave me almost three years ago (not the same band…gone through a bunch), and still use periodically. Just a little tool to keep me in the present moment and realize I am okay. That and my rings are pretty much my only ‘jewelry’.

I also woke up wearing my crocheted moebius from a pattern by The Secret Yarnery podcast (a lively woman who lives in South Africa and owns a yarn shop there). I don’t know if it was a comfort thing or a cold thing.

So, usually, the thing that moves me out of panic mode is action….even the tiniest bit of action…..so I got up and fed the cat and realized she was totally out of water (bad, bad mommy) and filled the dispenser up for that. Then I threw in a wash, tidied up the kitchen from last night, ran the cleaner, and made coffee. My niece called and we chatted for awhile and laughed (that is always good). Then I downloaded a bunch of knitting patterns I want to do and decided I am going to cast them ALL on and do an eeny-meeny spin the bottle type of picker-outer and work on something and immerse myself in podcasts and not people or FB today. I also fixed the problem with my BFF’s shorty socks last night.

I watch the Quirky Monday podcasts. She is very open about her emotions and a couple weeks ago talked about ‘treading water’. That is how it feels some days. I commented in a post that when I find myself doing that, I have to remember to turn over and float and look up and the view is much better from there. Well, that went out into the Universe and people have commented to her about our conversation. It is really odd but nice to know that your words have power….for good and bad. Today I had to remember to turn over and float and give it up to my higher power and trust the light at the end of the tunnel is not another train.

Now I will go have a cast on party with the following items and play ……these are all paid for recipes on Ravelry.

1. Derecho, a top down little sweater designed by Alison Green
2. Knitweave, a little scarf (you get three items in this packet) by Susan Ashcroft
3. Jelly Rolls, a shorty sock pattern by Mara Catherine Bryner
4. Dryads, by iknit2purl2

oh, look…………shiny

A Yarney kind of day. Drove with my friends to Cheers to Ewe. Whilst they were taking a sock knitting class, I sat and knitted with another lady, talked with fellow knitters, talked with the resident expert, Sarah, and shopped.

At times throughout the drive the weather felt apocalyptic…..it was horrendous across the South all morning. We even had to pull over at one point, and all along the highways and byways were signs of floodings.

I got a fun, new sheepy coffee cup and some pins for my jacket. I used to just put them on my knitting bags, but my denim jacket took on a sparkly new life as a canvas. I know some people look at me and ask ‘just when are you going to grow up and/or act your age ?’…..the answers being ‘never, I hope’ and ‘ this is the only age I am and act accordingly’.

Met new people (a lady from Texas, a lady from New Jersey, the lovely, young Marlene whom I knitted with from NC), and a few more. I had lunch with my friends, a peaceful, uneventful drive home……coffee…….all in all a lovely day of knitting and chatting with new friends.

I seem to have dropped a stitch on my socks whilst watching ‘Equalizer 2’ and will have to Tink back a few rows (to ‘tink’ is to knit backwards…better than ‘frogging…..rip it, rip it), but then I get to knit them over …..how fun is that ?

oh, look……….shiny

Wow……….high pollen count……silver car is now golden……..Day of collecting goodies to take to beginner knitting class tonight. Packed it all up, unpacked it and displayed it at the museum, re-packed it all up and loaded the car and it’s gonna sit there all night, cause it is too late to unpack and bring in the house in the dark.

It was a fun night. I had two absolute newbies, never knitted….and a few who have. It was interesting. I wish I could have had longer than two and a half hours with them. They all seemed to enjoy each other’s company and the projects.

It was a good night……..

oh, look………..shiny

Twenty-four hour bug…good friends who bring you broth and Imodium……lots of down time.

Once I began to feel better, got some samples and swatches done for my Thursday knitting class. Started a hat and do not….NOT …..like the directions or the way it is turning out. I didn’t think they were that hard to follow…….and came home today and found that my cat apparently did not like the project, either…….the yarn ball was on the floor and the hat was dragged down the hallway by the circular needles into the bathroom. Was she thinking of burying it ? Was it payback for leaving her to have coffee with friends and go to the library ? Who knows with cats……

It was a quiet day to do a little knitting and watch podcasts. I lived the Edinburgh Yarn Festival (EYF) vicariously through the cameras of many lucky people who went and enjoyed all the yarney goodness. The photography of Edinburgh alone was beautiful and amazing. Listening to their delight just added another layer to them. One of my favorites was Dunderknits EYF podcast.

Today I ran some errands, went to the library, knitted with friends at Starbucks and then lunched in a Mexican restaurant I had not been to previously (delicious food) that did not care how long you sat and chatted, visited the museum, and home to my cat and the hat…..she NEVER bothers my knitting……and now I cannot say that.

Whilst I was out, I cast on one of the shortie socks for my BFF. I’m excited to start them. All my supplies are ready for tomorrow, so I can just enjoy an evening at home knitting. Maybe listen to a book on CD that I picked up at the library.

oh, look………….shiny

Holy Hannah, I just realized (HELLO, Janet) that the knitting class I am teaching at the museum is this Thursday, April 11th. The idea was to have a completed project in one evening so a bulky yarn and size 11 needles and an infinity scarf was on the program.

I made two samples and last week thought I wanted to offer a bigger selection of scarves. They are a good thing to start with and move quickly. I’m that ‘instant gratification’ kid. I also want swatches of different stitches and have just had it way ahead on my head calendar, when the wall calendar is screaming at me. So, I won’t be casting on those socks this morning. THIS is probably the reason I woke up so early…..

I better get cranking……….

oh, look…………shiny

Insomnia or not insomnia ? I went to bed fairly early for me….11:30 PM….and was wide awake and ready to go at 4 AM. I only woke up twice in between. I do have bouts of insomnia….I guess fifty years could be considered a long bout….but today was different. I am just excited about casting on knitting. Actually, I think my sleep habits are just a series of naps.

Finished off this little cutie. It is by Debbie Haymark of ipurl. A baby bib with a stretchy neckband, no ties, no Velcro. A really quick knit up in 100 % cotton. I’m thinking of doing one in garter stitch. I’m also thinking I should stop by my grandson’s and try this on his baby daughter before doing a bunch of them. So cute, so quick.

So whilst I’m up, might as well keep going. Casting on those shorty socks for my BFF today. My cat’s acting like a toddler and we’re supposed to have thunderstorms. A good day for coffee and yarn.

oh, look………shiny

What a difference a few hours make. Cloudy, damp….a ‘meh’ day…..good thing it is a Sunday and I can just sit and knit…oh, wait, I’m retired….I can do that any day….

Look at this yarney goodness. I had never heard of Barnyard Knits or Old Rusted Chair yarns……..they are really beautiful and squishy. I looked them up today. I couldn’t find out where Barnyard Knits is located, but Old Rusted Chair is in Nashville. I love small hand-dyed yarn companies.Their products are just gorgeous.

So, a casting on day. ….a little coffee…..and a settling on a project kind of day. A visit with family is on the agenda this morning………

oh, look………..shiny