How I Spent My Wednesday Night

Why, Camping with the Girl Scouts, of course. Where else would I be, unless I were at Late Night-- and one of the few things (other than work) that could keep me away from Knit Happens on Wednesday nights.

It was a very nice evening, spent with a bunch of 10-and-11 year olds, and their unit leaders who are a couple of neat ladies-- one's a lawyer and the other is a scientist who's done some fascinating work. The girls were all working with their Knitty-Noddies-- making yards and yards of i-cord with those little spool things, and "finger-knitting". I hauled out Spring Fling, and several were very interested. I got an inch or so done, and although it probably smells like campfire right now, it was nice to get a bit of progress.

The awesome thunderstorms held off until the kiddies were safely ensconsed in their platform tents. It was a very powerful storm with lots of thunder and lightening-- and after the fireworks ended a long and drenching rain. It was a good storm. And I luckily did not need to go to the latrine in the middle of the night.

This morning we fixed something I've never had before-- eggs in a bag. They were really neat. You take a freezer zipper bag, crack a couple of eggs into the bag, add some shredded cheese, salt & pepper, and then get all the air out, zip up the bag and squish it all together to mix it up. Then you drop it into rapidly boiling water and let it cook until it's done. It makes these omelet-like things, with no clean-up required. For those who are not carbophobes, you can roll it up into a tortilla. Give it a try next time you're camping.

This made me think of my most favorite camping food-- one that I don't eat these days, but it's really the best. It's called Bags of Gold, and I first had it when I was at day camp in Illinois as a Brownie. Back in those days we got government food for scout camp, and this yummy concoction could be made with all "free" food. You mix biscuit mix with some water or milk until it's doughy. Wrap bits around 1" chunks of velveeta and drop into boiling tomato soup. It makes really wonderful cheezy dumplings and is the ultimate in comfort food. It's really good on a cold evening. I don't recommend it for weight loss.

Back to knitting.... I had to frog a couple of inches on Spring Fling-- (luckily I keep a couple of lifelines in)-- because I suddenly noticed that one of the ribs zigged a bit. It looked like the lanes on the GW Parkway just south of Old Town before they straightened it out last week. It did not pass Carol's "would you notice it from the back of a galloping horse" test, so down to the previous lifeline I frogged. I'm now caught back up to where I was before I started ripping, so there we are.

I'll have to miss Knit'n'Nosh because I'll be working. That's a whole 'nother story that I won't go in to. Suffice to say, I started out with a 4-day weekend that ended up not being that way. It's my own damn fault (to quote Jimmy Buffett). I gotta learn to say NO!!!!!!

I have so many things I want to do-- why are there only 24 hours in a day, and why do we have to sleep????

Onward. To bed.

It's been a WEEK???

Holy moley!!! I can't believe it's been a week since blogging. It's been a busy one, and it caused me to miss Late Night, and used up my Saturday, to boot. It's been a really productive week at work, and yesterday and today I went to a course that will be really useful.

I did get a bit of knitting done on Spring Fling. I'm shaping the back right now, and should get the back finished tonight. Maybe. It's technically lace, so I figure it counts for "the summer of". I'd really like to do a shawl, and I'm itching to get back to Klaralund, and there are a couple of other things on the needles right now.

I'll have some concentrated knitting time coming up, so I should make some substantial progress. It's about 3-1/2 weeks til vacation, which will include a looooooong (probably 10-12 hours per day) two-day drive to Missouri (knitknitknit), where we'll spend a week with my mom and dad and my 4 brothers and 4 sisters and their 7 spouses/significant others and most of the collective 26 kids.

My parents rent a resort that has enough room for all of us in houses, and it has a pool and is on Lake of the Ozarks. It's really nice-- a most laid-back week with time to catch up with the family, have some brews around the pool (or whatever novelty beverages my-sister-the-accountant-and-her-husband-the-lawyer come up with.) (They're really good.) There will be fishing, day trips, and lots of un-laxing. None of the events or activities are mandatory. A bunch of the kids are in college now, and another group is in high school, followed by the grade school crew. The maintenance is fairly minor with them, so we can really relax pretty much.

We have a great time. We "sign up" to fix dinner. The dinners are lots of fun, and growing up in such a sizeable family prepared us to cook for 40+ people. Whoever doesn't cook that night cleans up, which gives an opportunity to concurrently quaff a few more brews. There's nothing like it. One fun thing is that my-sister-the-doctor-who-has-six-kids buys all the tabloids and we read them out loud to each other. Other than standing in line at the grocery store, I don't usually indulge in the rags. The men have a cigar evening, during which the women-folk (haha)have a puff or two and then leave the men-folk (haha) to their cigars.

So, I'm really looking forward to this, although it will mean that I'll only have another week or so with The Son and The Daughter before they go back to school.

Meanwhile, I need to call in to see if I have to work tomorrow. (j'espere que non.)

And a very nice Sunday, to boot!

Well, I really needed this weekend, and today was pretty fine. The Son and I hit church this morning (8 am express service) and saw a couple of friends we hadn't seen for awhile. Then, it being Fathers' Day and all, there was yummy brunch and such, complements of the aforementioned Son.

The Daughter and I went to see Star Wars III, which I hadn't seen and she had seen but missed part of, thanks to the super sized diet colas. She and I stopped by the KH where there was sale-age going on. The Daughter made out pretty well, as I am booked for a pair of snuggle socks and a ribbon T on her behalf. She got to meet Kristine and Erin and Cindy and Brittany and Aimee, and see firsthand the Happy Place.

She had to go to work, but the previously aforementioned Son (repetitively redundant, aren't we?) took on his role as "Grilling Boy" and did the steak thing for dinner. And I knit. And I tinked. And I knit some more.

And tomorrow I go back to work.

A Very Nice Weekend, So Far

Well, Friday found me with another trip to The Son's University to speak with incoming Freshman parents about the experience. The Son accompanied me, taking the opportunity to take care of some paperwork in preparation for his return in August. On the way home I got so tired that he needed to finish the drive. I snoozed for much of the afternoon. I think that the busy, busy week just caught up with me.
I was very happy that I'd put in lifelines, since I needed to go back again on Spring Fling. I'm baffled at my clumsiness-- that's really all it is. And I wonder what will ever happen if I try to do complicated lace. I think if/WHEN I try, it'll have to be a very small project.

So tonight we ALL had dinner together. Yep. We went to Tutto Bene in the Ballston area, and it was lovely. The Husband was astute enough to realize that we were all present concurrently on a Saturday night, and decided that he wanted to return to this very nice restaurant that he'd been to for lunch awhile back. The food was great, the wine was tasty, and we even did dessert (cannoli and tiramisu-- luckily I'm happy with just a taste.)

I've been loading up the iPod, with The Son and Daughter's help. No, it's not rocket science, but...

I'd hoped to hit the sale at KH today, but decided to catch a nap, instead. I think I realize the need to sleep while the sleeping's good, to get ready for the coming week. But tomorrow is another day-- another busy day, with early church, Star Wars III, a trip to The Daughter's sorority sister to pick up some stuff, and then a stop by the shop.

So I think I'll go knit for awhile.

Ah yes-- That's Better

It's been a busy week for the Nurse. Very little knitting has been accomplished, but many, many hours in the chosen profession. I was going through serious Knitter-Friend withdrawal, since I was not able to even catch up on the blogworld. So what's a woman to do? Why, hit LateNight at Knit Happens, of course. I was so very thrilled and happy to see Erika who is finally vertical. I was further thrilled that she brought the most amazing chocolate-covered strawberries and raspberries and blackberries, and a yummy looking banana pudding. I hadn't seen Liz for awhile, and she ALSO brought a wonderful surprise-- Sophie and her new shoes!!! Sophie is the cutest thing-- and lucky, too, to have a mom who can knit such wonderful kiddie clothes for her. Shanti was there! Shanti was there!-- oh yes, we remember her-- (Ravenna's making great progress). Holly and Brittany were holding down the KnitHappens fort, and Carolina and Maeve and Carol and Ann and Erin and Rosanna and--- oh yes, there was knitting, too.

There was sockage, and Martha-ing and various forms of lace-age, and bulletproof mittens as well as the obligatory stockinettestockinettestockinette. I worked on Spring Fling, as I needed something other than stockinettestockinettestockinette. I did, however, tinktinktink. I think it is my destiny. Did I mention that I really heart the purple Cathay?

It was just what I needed. (Not the tinking.) The sittin' and knittin' and talking and catching up with everyone just calmed me right down. It's really energizing, and life is good. (The chocolate covered berries help a lot, too.) I'm ready for tomorrow.

When is Late Night Not?

Why, when you get there at 3 and leave at 5. But as short and sweet as it was, it gave me the Knit Happens"Irregular" fix I needed. Holly and Maeve and Brittany were there, and Kel arrived just before I needed to leave. I got to see what Holly's Spring Fling looks like all done, and it inspired me to keep on keepin' on with lifelines in place. Maeve's in-re-construction sweater is just lovely, and Brittany's version of Spring Fling is making great progress. Kel's lovely red locks are, well, lovely, and she continues Clapotizing.

So I needed to leave to go to a meeting of an organization I belong to. I've been the recording secretary for many moons, and now I'm not. :) I actually got to just sit there and listen to what went on. I've never done that before. So I got home late, driving past KH at about 8:30, and lamenting that I couldn't even knit at the meeting. They would have freaked.

I'm going to do a row or two, but need to hit the sack fairly soon, since we are most busy at work. I've learned from experience that sleep is most necessary when a string of shifts is coming up. Now here's a question-- How did I survive on so little sleep in my wild and crazy days?

That brings to mind The Son and The Daughter. It takes me back a bit to see how they can go on and on, and then when they sack out, they sleep and sleep and sleep. My problem is that I need to do the going on and on part, and never seem to get to the sleep and sleep part.

Well now, I can either knit, or write about it... So I guess I'll knit.

Random Thoughts

Let me be perfectly clear-- I find detangling yarn barf blobs to be calming, and I could do it for hours, and I enjoy helping others. (It's that Girl Scout thing). This being said, I was wowed when Jenn sent me a "thank you for helping me with the black dental floss" e-gift cert to the best online lys in the nation, Knit Happens. The Samoa/Mouline are on sale at the online store, and I need some more for Fibonacci. The timing couldn't be better, so Thank You, Jenn.

(oh-boy-oh-boy-oh-boy-- I think I got the link thing to work!!!!!!! Thanks Liz.)

By the way-- I love knitting with the Samoa/Mouline. It's a cotton blend. The Samoa is solid colored, and the Mouline is its variegated sister. I mentioned previously that I had a tension problem with my purl rows, so changed my knitting style for this project. As a result, I inadvertently knit more tightly, so it's making a tighter, thicker fabric. The next time I use it, (and I definitely will), I'll not be knitting something that's all stockinette, but rather something with some texture to make the tension issue less obvious. So I'll stick to my normal way of knitting, and consciously be a little looser. (no comments about loose women, please. thank you.) I think that it would do nicely with cables, and ribbed items, like the top on the KH blog.

So, today is "off work" for which I am truly grateful, although I will be working a shift on Saturday. I sometimes prefer weekdays off, even at the expense of working weekends, because I seem to get more done. This morning I re-redded (quoth LauraRN: "The Lord giveth, and The Lord taketh away.... Clairol Restoreth.") and will go to see my pal Gail this afternoon for some hair cuttage. Then to KH for a bit, although with tears in my eyes, I'll need to leave before Late Night really gets rolling, because I need to be somewhere at 6. (It's important that I be there, because very little could voluntarily keep me from a Late Night fix.)

Now, to the issue of Spring Fling. It's not complicated knitting, but I have now gone back to the ribbing THREE times. It absolutely cannot be successfully frogged, at least by me. So what is my problem? Attention(you know the rest). The first time, I allowed stitches to drop, probably while waving my hands around while I was talking. The next time, I think the same thing happened. Yesterday I picked it up, and did 2 rows backwards. (knit on purl row or vice versa or something. And I had the right side MARKED. There is absolutely no rational excuse for this.) I debated whether just to leave it, but then decided that wasn't an option. So I tried for quite awhile to tink, (through the entire episode of Six Feet Under) but-- it ended up being easier to just go back to the ribbing. The decision has been made. Lifelines (training wheels?)are necessary for me, at least until I can focus!!! I feel like I'm back in kindergarten. This is not a difficult project-- I've done things much more complicated-- if I could just keep the yarn on the needles!!!! (yes, Carol-- I'll get more point protectors, but they really don't help when I'm in the middle of actually knitting.)

And forward to the rest of this very hot day. (I think I'm already wishing for Fall).

Yarn Barf Blobs

Well, that's how I spent a chunk of the day at Knit Happens. It seems that today was Yarn Barf Blob day at KH. One blob involved what was probably thousands of yards of black "dental floss". We gave it our best shot, but only managed to detangle about a third of it. Cindy was detangling some errant King Tut, and had similar progress. Suggestion (of which I have precious few...): Yarn hanks? Swift! Ball winder! It's a Good Thing. Use 'em.

I had a laid-back afternoon. Did a few rows on The Daughter's Spring Fling, and chatted with the folks at the shop. Got some sage advice on matters sock from Carol, saw Liz for a couple of minutes as she blew through for some Lorna's Lace sock yarn, and saw Kristine's finished-but-not-yet-constructed Harriet, and pondered guage.

Went home, and detangled more yarn. barf. blobs.

Hardly Knittin' These Past Coupla Days

So-- It's been a busy working week for this RN. Nothing like last Friday, though. I've had a bunch of interesting cases, and one that is a diagnostic puzzle that has everyone (at least everyone immediately involved in her case) fascinated.

But busy at work interferes with the rest of the life. Made me miss late night :{.
Didn't have dinner with The Husband and The Kids even once (2X :{.) And too tired to trust myself with the Turbos (or the Denises, or the Lantern Moons, for that matter) for fear of imminent frog-dom. I WAS awake enough to catch up on everyone's blogs, and hooked up with a few more.

I discovered another Laura whose blog is Knitting for Sanity. Small world, huh? Yes, I know--- I still haven't cracked the code on putting in links,so I can't send you there. And I still don't have any pictures posted. I hope to catch up with YarnGeek Liz this weekend at the shop so she can set me straight. It'll happen. Stay tuned.

First knitting priority-- chip away some more at Fibonacci. Really-- this is just taking too long. And then some inching on Spring Fling for The Daughter. I'm really enjoying the Cathay, although the lace is a bit slippery with the Addi Turbo's, and I ended up ripping out a couple of inches a couple of times because of dropped stitches on "pass yarn overs" that I couldn't pick up properly. I discovered that I do have a hole in one place, but I am NOT going to frog it again. I think I can sew a couple of strategic stitches in when I'm finished that will disguise the problem.

Next week should be a bit calmer, so I can hope for some more productive knitting time. And maybe some more productive housecleaning time. This is getting grim.

Well-- on a totally different topic, I was thinking about how we put together ideas for license plates, and blog names, and userids and things like that. One that I've used in the past for various things is HoyaRN (as in Georgetown-the school that used to have the most bang-up basketball team in the nation, and still might get back there, where, by the way, I went to Nursing School.) in all small letters it is hoyarn. Thinkaboutit. ho-yarn, not to be confused with yarn-ho which may be more on the mark.

So that's about it for now.

Hopping on the Bandwagon

OK--it's happened. I'm officially a member of the "I Heart Cathay" club. I started "Spring Fling" from Knitty using a rich purple Debbie Bliss Cathay. Spring Fling is a lacy short-sleeved cardi that I'm knitting for The Daughter to go with a lavender flowered dress she loves. The purple matches the centers of the flowers, and I think it will look quite nice. Holly paved the way for me by carefully reading the pattern before she started, noting that the larger sizes are written to go to the hip rather than cropped. Well, thankyouverymuch, Holly, because cropped is what we want, and I'll know to pay attention to length. (She's so handy.)

I cast it on at Knit Happens this afternoon. Casting on is such a dreary task-- but it is much easier when in the company of friends, and the task feels so good when it's over. I've finished most of the bottom ribbing tonight while watching TCM Memorial Day Movies and the Concert at the Capital.

It's a nice break from Fibonacci. We drove to Pennsylvania yesterday to see The Husband's parents. I made great progress, and actually closed the neck hole. The end is in sight. I need to charge ahead, and determine whether I need to make a visit to the online store to pick up another ball of the darker color. We shall see.

I have, I think, evidentiary proof that knitting is therapeutic. Here's why:

I had the day from-- well, let's say the day I don't ever want to repeat-- on Friday. (It had very little to do with being a nurse, and nothing to do with my coworkers, in case any of you are reading-- and if you are, you know exactly what I'm talking about, and my sympathies are with any of you who have found yourselves facing what I did. Suffice to say, I'm not well trained or experienced in psychiatry, which might have helped.) Anyway, I met The Husband for dinner which was preceded by a vodka on the rocks. When I got home I knit for awhile before falling asleep, and I was able to calm down a bit. We left fairly early on Saturday. I knit all the way, and while we were chatting with The Parents-In-Law. We had a nice dinner out, and then The Husband and I proceeded home. It was dark, and I didn't want to goof up my Fibonacci progress, so I wasn't knitting. And I began to obsess and stress over the Friday situation. I wish I'd been able to take my blood pressure, because I'm sure it would have been sky high. When I returned to home and reliable light, I started knitting again, and calmed right down. I'll have to keep the bp cuff with me.

This afternoon was most pleasant at the shop. I was greatly honored to be allowed to actually try on Inishmore, which we discovered looks pretty marvelous on just about anyone. Here's today's progress report on everybody else: Maeve was back from her travels with an amazing fairisle creation that took my breath away. Katie's dewdrop-in-the-grass Martha just seems more gorgeous each time I see it. Aimee's Harriet in blue-and-ice Cathay (which I'm sure she "hearts" as well) is beautiful. Kristine's cute, cute baby sweater continues to grow, and Wendy is working her magic on an awesome shawl. And Kelly continues Clapotizing. It's lovely. And big. And I met Stephanie who's working on a blanket.

The Son and The Daughter went to Blacksburg to celebrate the holiday with their friends, as well they should. I, compulsive mother that I am, will, of course, not sleep well until they are back. How is it that they can be gone for months at school, or out of the country paddling around islands or playing concerts all over Europe, and I don't worry a bit. But give them a long weekend away when they've been under the wing, and I stress? It's probably normal. I'll have to ask my mom. And knit some more.

Feelin' Good at the Happy Place

First of all, I think I fixed what I needed to so that people can comment. If not, I'll try again.

What an awesome Latenight at Knit Happens. I got off work in plenty of time to spend plenty of time, which is a most good and wonderful thing. And what to my wondering eyes should appear as I walked in, but The Astounding Wendy-who-Knits and the Amazing Innishmore. I doubt there will be a picture taken that does it justice, though many pictures were taken. But not by me. (Remember-- still trying to catch up with the 21st century). Simply beautiful.

And simply beautiful people, several of whom I've not seen for quite awhile-- including the hostess with the mostest yarn- Kristine who's gettin' back to Harriet, Miss Cindy who finished knittin' on her lovely lime Emily and showed us Lucy (the top, not the cat), The Fair Phyl who was charging through a fancy schmancy orange (of course) scarf on log-sized needles, and Liz with her sweet sockies (and sweet Godivas). We were joined by Jon-from-New-York who had an amazing baby blanket in 1" intarsia squares (Kristine went almost apoplectic). And many more friends I've seen in the more recent past.

Holly's working on a nice little lace short-sleeved cardi. I have the pattern, and she inspires me. I picked up some pretty purple Cathay to make one for The Daughter.

Now I must say that many people are making much progress on numerous projects (there's definite Martha progress going on), and I just keep hackin' away and hackin' away at Fibonacci. This Must End. Soon. (Sound of loud lamenting Irish Sighs). I'm almost to the end of the neck, and then I start counting rows again, so it'll go faster. Or at least it will hopefully seem so. Good thing I really like the colors. And the yarn.

Last night I just. couldn't. take. any. more, and with elements of my stash beckoning, I started Klaralund using Lorna's Lace Grace (a mohair boucle') in the Somerset colorway. It's beautiful-- a seafoam green and a lovely pink and a muted blue. There's just one problem. I reeeeeeally want to use it for Klaralund, and I have 5 skeins. I think I need 9. So, I decided to try interspersing Classic Elite La Gran Mohair that I got at KH.

I found a color that exactly matches the seafoam green. Exactly. I knit about 8", and noticed that I got some wicked pooling of the green. Darndest thing-- sections of lovely green and blue and pink striping interspersed with large splotchy chunks of nothin' but green. It's a beautiful green, but the effect looked disturbing, and I realized that I couldn't be happy with it. So I picked up a pink that works well with the colors, and I'm going to use another skein of the Grace, and alternate every row. (Grace, Green, Grace, Pink).(omigosh-- it didn't occur to me that the green and pink thing is going on. I really didn't realize it. I hope I'm not considered a pink and green groupie....not that there's anything wrong with that...) I haven't done this kind of thing much in the past, but using the circular needle will allow me to start from either side. Now if I can just keep track of where I am... There is some room for error, and I'll just hope that it works out. It'll be interesting if nothing else. Note to self-- frogging boucle' is not something I want to do a lot of.

The Son is Back
Yep. Got back from Mexico at midnight-thirty on Saturday night. He'd been taking a field ecology course, kayaking and studying the ecosystems on the islands in and around the Sea of Cortez. (I, alternatively, spent my college summers working as a camp counselor and swimming teacher and taking Shakespeare.) (!) He had the good sense to bring home presents. Coffee, seashells,rocks and tequila and some other kind of booze that we haven't figured out yet. The KH gang pointed out the interesting turn that life takes when one's offspring becomes an expert on the finest nuances of the beverage of choice. It's good stuff. Except for getting chopped up while rock climbing, and burning his face to a crisp, he survived well. I'm glad to see him. Tomorrow is dvds and maybe Star Wars. And maybe some housework.

Rainy Days and Fridays.. Not Gettin' Me Down

So this morning it was pouring, and I had to drive to Winchester. The Son's University was having orientation, and since I'm on the Parents' Council (I only THOUGHT PTA would be over when they graduated from High School), I was asked to come and speak to parents about the trials and tribulations of sending your first-or-subsequently born off to college. And speak I did. I saw some drippy eyes, and remembered how stressed I was-- not that he'd be away, since we'd done summer camp forever, and I'd been working since before he was born. My biggest concern was that I hoped and prayed with all my heart that I'd raised him right, and prepared him--given him what he needed in life to make the right decisions. And as I see my friends who are expecting and those who have newborns, I remember how I loved every stage of their lives, and wished that the kids could stay just like that... but then they'd grow to another stage, and I'd think the same thing. I realized that what I'd been doing for his whole life was getting him-- and me-- ready for this transition.

So, a couple of years ago The Son called me, and said "Mom, I want to tell you something, and I don't know how you're going to take it." Hooo boy. I took a deep breath and braced myself. OK, said I--- Let's hear it. "Well," said he, "I started going back to church and I'm in the choir." Much relief.

The Daughter and I decided to take in a movie this afternoon. I don't get out to movies very often, because we have 3000 (or so it seems) cable channels, and The Husband doesn't enjoy the movie-going experience. So I usually try to hit a few when the kids are home. In deference to The Son who will arrive home at midnight tomorrow from a field research class in Mexico (kayaking in Baja-- you may all say "aaaaawwwww") we are holding off on seeing the latest Star Wars. We saw Crash--what a great movie-- but be warned: It's not a feel-good flick. It's heavy, so be prepared. The story line is intertwining and disturbing, and really, really well done. I will see it again and probably buy it on DVD when it comes out.

And then we decided to see another film. So Monster In Law it was. I had Fibonacci with me, and did a couple of rows during the interminable junk prior to the movie. We enjoyed it. Jane Fonda, whatever you may think of her, was very funny, and Jennifer Lopez did a pretty good job imho. Wanda Sykes plays Jane Fonda's assistant, and she is terrific. It's not history-making cinema, but as a nice little diversion, it fits the bill.

And that's how I spent my day.

...Where Everybody Knows Your Name, or at Least Your Blog

Can there be a better place than Knit Happens Late Night? Sitting around the table, sharing stories and jokes and technology tips and, oh yes, of course, knitting. I just love seeing the progress on everyone's wips. Knitters know what we mean when we say Ravenna (not the one in Italy) and Martha (not the one who just got sprung) and Clapotis (not an infection) and Rebecca (not of Sunnybrook Farm) and Innishmore (not looking for Guinness after having a few). And even Fibonacci. And all are growing by leaps and bounds. Koigu is not a kind of fish that lives in little ponds, and Lucy doesn't have some "splennin' to do"--- well, I could go on and on, and probably would --but this has been quite enough.

Now I know that everyone is really excited about the Innishmore knit-off, but I gotta tell you.... There's nothing like walking into the shop and seeing Wendy with this HUGE--as in the front is mere rows from being done-- piece of beautiful aran knitting. And the reaction of everyone who walked in was the same. "Omigosh!!" When you go to her site and see the pictures, you can't help but be most impressed. And as lovely as the pictures are, they really can't capture the depth and texture and rich color of this project. I am in awe.

A very nice lady came to the back table and asked everyone what they were working on. It was very sweet, and reminded me a little of show and tell. And I realized that the projects were as diverse and interesting as the people knitting them. Did I mention how much I love this environment?

I was touched that people wanted to know where my blog was. And I thank you all for the shout-outs. I will actually get some links in, and add some pictures to this, as soon as my kids are available to help me. I know I could figure it out myself, but it's such a bonding thing to do-- having them teach me. Now I'm not computer illiterate-- I've been using them for many many many moons (omigosh I just realized that we got our first pc when The Son was a couple of months old-- what a concept! and we have 8 functioning computers in the house) but I've been preoccupied with other things, so haven't gotten up to speed with the rest of the digital nuances. But these things will come. Soon. You can hold me to it.

So Holly, and Erin, and Ann, and Kelly, and Shelley, and Brittany, and Rosanna, and Wendy, and anyone who I have inadvertently missed, it was a lovely time. (and for those who weren't there-- and you know who you are... Maybe next week?)

Home again, home again

How on earth can one person accumulate not only enough stuff to pretty much fill a 5X10 storage space, but also the back of the Explorer plus the 2-seat fold-down? The Daughter is home, and we got her moved out and checked out of East Ambler Johnston at VT with about 10 minutes to spare. Some of us do well with deadlines. And we have almost 3 months before we get to do it all again!

But it was beautiful in Blacksburg-- the mountains never fail to inspire me, and the weather was great. And I had plenty time to knit on the road.

I'm almost 1/2 done with the top. That means I have more than 1/2 to go. In stockinette. Just stockinette. Rows and Rows and Rows of it. I know-- who was the one who chose this project? and who loves the colors? and who gets to wear it when it's done?

I had a discussion with Holly about being a project knitter or a process knitter. My problem is that by nature I fly from one thing to the other, and without a huge amount of discipline (meaning looking at my stash and dreaming instead of starting something new) I would NEVER finish ANYTHING. So I moan. But it feels so good when it's over.

And if that ain't motivation to keep on keepin' on, I don't know what is.

Time Flies By...

DH and I travelled to Blacksburg today to pack out The Daughter who has most successfully completed her first year of college. Can it possibly be 10 months since we brought her here as a brand new Freshman? It's been quite a year. She joined the Marching Virginians, played at most of the Hokie football games, went to the Sugar Bowl, joined the band sorority, and survived a pretty darn heavy schedule with some pretty darn good grades. I can still remember her first day of pre-school. It just seems so impossible some times. I try not to get weepy thinking about it, because it would just embarrass her beyond words. So we look forward to the summer and having some time with her and The Son before it all starts over again.

The really good thing about riding to Blacksburg with DH driving is time to knit with zero guilt. The frustrating thing this time was that I'm still trying to recover from what has been a very busy week and a half, and I kept falling asleep. Nonetheless, I made some progress on the top-- but I swear that the next project will not have an appreciable amount of stockinette. My lord, it's boring. But I am successfully keeping track of the stripes and haven't goofed yet.

So, we packed stuff, and 0rganized stuff, and now I'm at the hotel washing stuff, so we can put it in vacuum bags in the storage unit. The plan is to take home as little as possible, and to schlep back even less in August. However, from the look of things today, the back of the Explorer will be packed, nonetheless for the trek home. It's nice to be able to spend a couple of days, instead of killing ourselves. We plan a leisurely trip back, travelling some of the back roads rather than I-81- land of semi's and my least favorite interstate.

And back to the dryer I go.

Minion or Sycophant????

Well, it appears that I've really done it now. On Wednesday (I know it's Sunday, and I'm on a break at work- but ...) I was sitting at the back table of Nirvana-land, and was graced to be in the presence of not only Wendy-who-knits but also Carol-The-Knitting-Wizard (who is definitely not going to knit me a black lace shawl to use as a mantilla if I ever get to go see the new pope-- but gives me great advice on socks), both of whom I hold in great esteem for their immense talent. And, they are kind enough to give helpful hints in a very generous and gentle manner. And, they are each in their own way, very funny people. And they are fun to be around. And no, I don't consider myself to be a groupie. Although there are definitely those who fall into the category, I'm told. So Wendy was describing something she collects, and I of the short attention span, felt the urge to imitate said object, and so now I have been officially dubbed a sycophant. I don't know if that's good or bad, or just sad. I'll try to figure it out.

Meanwhile, coming off nights resulted in a day of intermittent consciousness. I did a few rows, but mostly snoozed. Since both my offspring are away, DH took me to dinner last night in Old Town. What a lovely evening-- haven't walked around there for awhile (except from parking meter to Knit Happens). I need to get out more. So today is supposed to be beautiful, and I hope that those who have the opportunity to be outside (or those who have windows to look out) can enjoy this Mothers' Day. And so-- back to the lil' ones....

Making Progress in So Many Ways

Life's a little upside down right this minute. I worked a couple of night shifts, forgetting in a burst of altruism on Tuesday about Maryland Sheep and Wool today. I decided it would be perilous to my life and to that of others to drive up there on minimal sleep, and I need to get turned around to work a day shift tomorrow morning. Oh well, I'll live vicariously through the descriptions I get from my KH friends, and try not to moan too loudly . I can't imagine a nicer day for it-- the sun is shining and it's warm-but-not-too-warm, and I just think that those sheep and dogs and shoppers and spinners and yarn-sellers must just be having the best time--- (Reminder to self--- put this on the calendar for next year and let NOTHING stand in its way.)

I guess I'll go work on Fibonacci. I got quite a chunk done on Wednesday-- most of the first sleeve. During a lull last night, I made a little chart to track the stripes. Hopefully it will help, and I won't have to do too much ripping. It's a short-sleeved top that is knit across from the sleeve, and I 've just done the cable cast-ons to form the length for the body. I'ts going nicely. I have to keep stopping myself though, because I usually knit continental, but I have to "throw" for this project because for some reason the tension on my purl rows is way off with this yarn. It's got some spring to it, but I guess less than the wools I've been using. Never had a problem before. The back table crowd had many guffaws when they saw my swatch with the wonky purl rows. I keep going into auto-pilot and setting up the yarn with my left hand. Then I gently reprimand myself, and go back to the throw. Despite the minimal additional effort and minor hassle, I have to say, it is TOTALLY worth it. I really really like the way it's knitting up, and I LOVE the colors. I am definitely going to get more of this type for future projects.--- (typical a.d.d.-- I'm not even 1/4 of the way through this, and I have at least 5 projects in the wings and 2 others on needles, and so on, and I'm talking about buying more yarn.) (Down, girl-- it's ok.) But hey-- I'm not spending anything at MSW because I can't go!!!. (I say again-- Down, girl).

Beginning again

I started on the Fibonacci sequence top-- but only barely. I actually did swatch the yarn, and discovered that I need to knit it tightly, because my purl rows were visibly looser than the knit rows. Good thing I discovered it while swatching. Other than the sequence, this is basic mindless knitting-- stockinette stitch, but I need to pay close attention to the row counts. I wondered why I decided to do this next, rather than something a bit more challenging, but I think that it boils down to wanting another short-sleeved top. We shall see how this goes. It's not difficult, but it's all done in one piece, starting at the sleeve edge, so I'll end up with a couple hundred stitches. I think I like the yarn-- it's a cotton blend with some spring to it, so it won't get sloggy or too heavy.

In the rest of life, it's Nurses' week, and many activities-- ceremonies, luncheons, gifts-- very nice. I work with a great group of people. Being a nurse and working in the area I do means long, wacky hours, stress, emotional drain, and the most fulfilling experience I can imagine, even when things are going badly. I am blessed. And tired.

...finishing is fun

It feels so great to finish a project. Part of the thrill is completing the thing, and seeing it go from a hunk of yarn to reality. The other part is thinking about what to start next.

I completed the Unbiased Bag (from Knitty) today, done in recycled Himalayan silk. I can't wait to wash it, because the first skein was spun full of hay, leaves, little dirt clods, and unidentified things too fierce to think about. It turned out pretty well, although I did the handle straight rather than biased. As a project, it's super easy, and since it's done in 4 pieces, it's quite portable. Knitting with the recycled silk is an interesting experience. Since the spinning is very irregular, the yarn ranges from very tightly spun-- (to the extent that it has to be unkinked by the "hanging project" method) to very loose and soft. Watching the colors change keeps the simple knitting interesting, and I noticed some color combinations that looked pretty cool, even though I wouldn't have probably put those colors together. I may try another purse in Noro Kuryon and then felt it, if I don't decide to do something else with that stash.

I am finishing the side seams of Garden Party-- a short-sleeved top from the Ultimate KnittedTee by Bryant and Klein. All that remains is finishing the neckline-- an easy crochet with Seville. I knit it in Zitron Incanto's blue colorway(from InStitches), with accent stripes in Katia Seville (from KnitHappens shop) bronze and bronze/silver on 10-1/2's (Denise). I plan to wear it on Monday night to the Sigma Theta Tau dinner for the 100 outstanding nurses in Washington. (Honored! Excited!) The Incanto is a cotton/linen/acrylic/viscose blend that works up pretty nicely. I love the muted blue/grey/tan colors and the shiny wrap thread around the fiber. The Katia Seville is shiny and slippery/slippery/slippery and can ONLY be managed in zipper bags. Many thanks to Holly for that handy tip-- it worked halfway across the shop the first time I used it. It's so slippery, that the ends needed to be tied off in surgeon knots (thanks, Dad), and the ends sealed with fiberchek. I always knit in ends, because my least favorite thing is weaving them in at the end of a project. But the little suckers made it apparent that if I didn't take more assertive action, I'd be in danger of the whole thing unravelling at a most inconvenient time. That being said, I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.

I still have the "From the Top" sweater on needles (pattern by Cabin Fever in a pale maroon heather Princess worsted)-- one of these days... and the second of the "sherbet socks" to finish (Wendy's toe-Up socks from the 2005 calendar in KnitPicks simple stripes. On #2s). Maybe soon. Not now.

But I'll probably start on Made in the Shade-the Fibonacci sequence top from the Ultimate Tee book in GGH Samoa/Samoa Mouline (yummy coral/melon colors) from KnitHappens Online. And when my copy of Interweave arrives, I'll start on the bolero for Julianna in black Debbie Bliss Cathay.

Speaking of Knit Happens Online-- omigosh!!! One of the things that saved me from total credit card wipeout was the fact that the shop is closed for a few hours each day (like when normal people are sleeping.) The yarns are incredible, nearly every needle size that exists is right there, most of the patterns that are hot can be had--- must exercise CONTROL, I tell you-- CONTROL!!!! The site is awesome. Kristine has done an incredible job, and the pictures almost make you feel like you could squoonch the yarn in your hands (yarn pics done by her lovely and charming husband-- and dare I add patient? I only met him once so can't say for sure -but greater love hath no man... than to take hundreds-- nay, thousands (and possibly tens of thousands) of pictures of yarn balls and skeins.) But even shopping my little heart out in my jammies can't substitute for sittin' and knittin' with the great people at the shop who I now count as friends.

Moving on then, the son wants a stocking cap with his frat logo on it (I'll design it, using Shepherd Color4Me in black, red and dark yellow-from KH online) , and the daughter wants fingerless glove/mittens (white Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmarino-from the shop).

I have a few more things in mind, and many more balls and skeins ready to go, but this should keep me occupied for awhile.

Meanwhile-- in the rest of my life, my husband and kids are gathering in Blacksburg to pack up the first of the daughter's stuff for the summer. Her loft has to be down by next week, so DH will get the storage space earlier than planned. We'll still go down in a couple of weeks to do the final pack-out. We're storing most of her things down there-- we'll try the vacuum bag thing, so I'll spend most of my time doing laundry while she finishes exams, so her linens and winter clothes will be ready to go for the fall. Thinking ahead. What a concept. Doesn't happen often.

I needed to stay here-- and a good thing I planned to, because I was exhausted last night after work. That leaves me here to knit, catch up on the tivo'd shows and get ready for a couple of weekend events at work. So Sunday will be a bit of a wash in terms of relaxing, but that's the way it goes.

Getting Started

I've been absolutely wowed by reading the thoughts, insights, knitting progress, and inspiring comments of fellow knitters over the past several months. And I think that there may be some who are interested in what I may have to say. If nothing else, my high school English teacher, Tim, would encourage me to continue journaling, and the structure will encourage me to do just that.

Knitting people-- primarily women-- are awesome. The skills aren't just knitting and purling-- although the bulk of what we do is based on those two simple processes. Knitters use math, physics, art, design, color theory, and display the drive to create, to spend time focusing, make decisions, and transform long strings of fiber into functional works of art. The women I've met inspire me daily.

There's joy we share when someone finishes a project. There's true appreciation when someone uses a fiber in an unusual way. And there's the fellowship of being with like-minded people.

My LYS, Knit Happens, has been described as "the Happy Place," and I must say that's how I see it, too. Kristine has given us a place to meet, share, knit, and of course, buy incredible yarn.

We shall see how this goes. Please be kind.