April showers

It is one of those "to be endured" days, with promises of things to come.  Crocus has peaked it head out...but grey skys today, sleet yesterday, drizzle pending.  Walked about yesterday, and the daffodils on the south side of the house are up and will bloom soon.  Although we still have a little snow in the shade, spring is definitely on the way.  This has been an unusually snowy winter, and we are all ready to be done with it.

Wound yarn this morning for three pair of socks, a sweater for the grandsons.  Realized that it has been some time since I blogged anything.  I should be better at this.  Ravelry however is my knitting blog of sorts, so I do update that regularly.

Packed a box to GS2 yesterday--and remember GS1 in the sweaters and outfits.  Growing so fast!  GS1 has outgrown all of the Christmas gifts already.  Keep thinking it will slow down.    GS1 is a" boy" now--no longer a baby!  Almost not a toddler--racing toward preschooler.  Time seems to be flying right past me, but as a Grandma, you are not "in the trenches", so perhaps it is not warp speed for the parents!

GS2 is 15 lbs, 27 inches at 4 months--so, just must resign myself to larger sizes from the get go.  He is harder to envision,  not as geographically proximal.  Pictures are deceiving--For knitters anyway.   But I knit mostly for GS1 with hand me down knit in.  Two boys 16 months apart works for now.  Someday I know it will not, as they will be closer to the same size.   But by then I will have retired, and knitting may become my primary pastime, instead of just my "Zen" moments at the end of the day.  And by then they may have opinions about wearing their grandmothers knitted sweaters.

So the promise of spring is here---like a bag of new yarn, ready to be wound and knit up, spring is on the cusp of turning our lives back to warm and green--which is as pleasant to look forward to as the promise of a new bag of yarn!

A community of knitters

I have a lot of "kitting friends"--people who speak a sub-language known only to those who enjoy the craft. Some, I have never met face to face. Others are my coffee house acquaintances. Still others, share my love of turning yarn into something warm and wonderful.

They are all ages, these knitting friends. A young mom, the retired, degreed and not, from near and far. We share a love of the fiber, and appreciation for finely balanced needles, and the challenge of figuring out cryptic directions. We knit for others, for charity, for ourselves. We admire the work of others and share tips and techniques.

Knitting---who knew it would lead to "social networking" !!!!

Wolle nervana!

Ulm, DE 2008/12/06
It is the Weihnachtsmarkt here in Ulm, but of greater interest to a knitter like me is the price of yarn at the Woole stores. Sock reinforcement yarn- USA $3.50, DE-.5 Euro!!!! Sock yarn: 6 Euros--$12-13 at home for the same stuff. I could live here...decent prices on yarn, good beer, and without study, my terrible, but adequate to engage in commerce, German is serving me well.

You know how we love bargains!!! ...and one of the bargains here is sock yarn! Interestingly though, no size "0" needles--and you would think that here people would need very tightly knit socks--as it is cold, and they spend a lot of time outside (you have to walk everywhere from the parkhaus in the sleet). But I have two more cities to look!!!

Ulm, the first stop on the great sock yarn acquisition mission of 2008!!!

P.S- Nice museum of bread (honest) and the tallest church spire in Europe too!!

Turning over a new leaf

There is nothing worth watching on television. I have decided that there are several books I want to read, so will be spending my time with a reading lamp. Only problem is that it is hard to knit and read at the same time. But two of the books are about knitting....almost as good!

The basket is full!

I only acquired one project through purchase at Knit Michigan--a yummy purple and blue wool/mohair combo for mittens, that might become something else.....

Then there was the free stuff!!! I won a door prize--2 balls of cotton sock yarn in a pale pastel--complete with bag, pattern, needles and yarn. E wanted the bag, and since she did not get the door prize, she got the totally cool bag!! (I need more bags like.....)

Commercial: Check out pattern tamers..tame the wandering eye. They are these markers that are magnatized to themselves--so you do not have to tote around a board--great for pattern grids. Cross stitchers would love these! Available from Kelly Black...kellyblack1970@hotmail.com. Check them out at .

So back to the yummy yarn....I got out the swift and ball winder--wound both, then started on the sock yarn I picked up on my last out of town trip---and now the basket is full.. "I need no more yarn"! Have some socks almost done! Want to practice the new techniques I learned in my class, so have two balls of cotton for some dishcloths--just to get the technique down.......

The basket is FULL!

Knitters Paradise!

I am recovering from Knit Michigan- Hands for the Cure! 16 hours of non-stop knitting fun! I showed MR. CP the pictures--he grunted disinterstingly! Apparently, knitting fun is only fun for knitters!! Understandable!

I arrived early, set up camp and did some sock knitting and networking with an intersting fellow knitter (and camp security guard for the neighboring camp), discussing yarn, yarn stores, favorite things to knit, unemployment, the Mayor of Detroit (at length--turns out she actually knew things!) Ohio, knit shops, knit shop owners, and good places to find yarn, etc.

I went to the market--cool stuff. Had to keep chanting--"I need no yarn, I need no yarn"... and picture the piles of ufo's at home. I managed to admire a lot, "experience" some great textiles, gather some new ideas, and resist the urge to acquire--"I need no more yarn, I need no more yarn"!!

I turned in my chemo caps--early in the pile of what was to eventually become 900 or so, with more on the way! Amazing! I took a picture of the booth where you could turn in pre knit or crochet squares for lap blankets for chemo patients. Who knew? Not well publicized....

I returned to our knitting camp, and knit for awhile, admired the item E. had created in her early morning class (we decided that we would schedule more wisely next time), and munched my lunch--grilled veggie sandwich, bulgar salad, etc. from Holiday Market--Yummy, but messy to eat! But they thought of knitters, and included a wet nap!!!

I bid on some things in the silent action (not enough to get anything, but did not care--figured I did my part to drive up the prices!) I took some pictures of my knitting group doing blindfolded knitting and knitting in garden gloves (silly knitting contests.) Not my idea of fun, but they were having a blast. Looked through the vendors again---"I need no more yarn."

My class was knitting a beaded bracelet--fun, but I did not need the class. It was more of a crafting session, but got two bracelets for my $12. that are cute, and would be nice gifts. Looked great with the day's outfit too!

Dinner was a disorganized affair with a speaker who talked for almost an hour when 15 minutes would do...on depression in cancer patients---really, did we need all this? Just tell us what to ask, hug them , and move on. Clinical nurse--nice, but totally did not know the audience. Was also complicated by the arrival of pizza that was late, and running out of food. Knitters were all nice.....but it was probably the worst part of the day---downer!!

Next class was continential knitting--couldn't make my fingers do what my brain had grasped. Will work on it.

Over all it was great fun to be with kindred spirits--those that understand my addiction to knitting socks, people who wrinkle their nose knowingly at the mention of acrylic, people who are more obsessed (possessed?) than me!

So, I "Danced with Wool", did buy a yummy mohair and wool mitten kit from the market, got some good discount coupons for future pruchases, found a yarn shop to visit in Holland, MI, won a doorprize (!)--guess what? Bamboo sock yarn!! and had a good time. Met some wonderful people. Saw some great stuff. Admired other's fiber-craft skills. Introduced my local group to an intersting world they had not known about, helped E find someone knowledgable about looms....and helped a little those who are facing cancer's uncertainties. Hope they are a little more comfortable...and that the contribution to the research fund helps!

All in all, it was a feel good day all around!

Snow Day!

Snow days are the best!! There was much dancing at the office yesterday--and with the help of all the little children it worked!!!

It is beautiful, relaxing--a good day to knit! Have assembled by "things" for the knit-a-thon tomorrow---more time to knit! And techniques classes! And vendors!

Can life get any better!! Nervana!

How I "felt"

It was a very felty Christmas. Now to move on to more socks!!! Of course I had to buy more sock yarn---we were snowed in!!! and it creates "what if I couldn't shop for yarn" panic....three new projects, plus one I got as a Christmas gift (doesn't count, as is almost done already). It will be a good cold snowy January to knit in!!

Swift

Quick, rapid, fast, speedy

–adjective
1. moving or capable of moving with great speed or velocity; fleet; rapid: a swift ship.
2. coming, happening, or performed quickly or without delay: a swift decision.
3. quick or prompt to act or respond: swift to jump to conclusions.
4. Slang. quick to perceive or understand; smart; clever: You can't cheat him, he's too swift.
–adverb swiftly.
–noun
any of numerous long-winged, swallowlike birds of the family Apodidae, related to the hummingbirds and noted for their rapid flight.
an adjustable device upon which a hank of yarn is placed in order to wind off skeins or balls.
the main cylinder on a machine for carding flax.

Further information:
The swifts are birds superficially similar to swallows but are actually not closely related to those passerine species at all; swifts are in the separate order Apodiformes, which they formerly shared with the hummingbirds. They move into hollow trees and chimneys--and live and breed there year after year--they are very loyal (and noisy) birds. It is expensive to have them removed!

Fast Patrol Craft (PCF), also known as Swift Boats, were all aluminum, 50 foot long, shallow-draft vessels operated by the United States Navy for counterinsurgency (COIN) operations during the Vietnam War. Events realted to them can undo presidential candidates years later.

Jonathan Swift (November 30, 1667 – October 19, 1745) was an Irish cleric, Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin, satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for Whigs then for Tories), and poet, famous for works like Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, A Journal to Stella, The Drapier's Letters, The Battle of the Books, and A Tale of a Tub. Swift is probably the foremost prose satirist in the English language, and is less well known for his poetry. Who hasn't had to read Gulliver's Travels--or at least the cliff notes?



Umbrella swift: Hold your hanks on this wooden swift while you wind them into balls. Clamps onto table and counter tops. Easy loading is possible if you start with the umbrella in the down position. Put the open loop of the hank over the swift and pull it lightly so the far side of the hank is against the center of the umbrella section and you are holding the hank out perpendicular to the swift. Then, use your free hand to slide up the umbrella clamp, opening the umbrella to the circumference of the hank. Secure the clamp in place and wind away. Best when used in tandem with the Ball Winder. Measures approx. 26½" in diameter and 26" tall when open.

Had the birds in the chimney, know about the boats, read the book, and now have this nifty accessory to use with my ball winder. Life is good.

Swift, to swift, swifting, swifted, etc.

(Thanks to wikipedia and dictionary on line for the enlightenment!)

Probably a bad idea

I am planning to dye yarn for some socks with koolaide...have read all about the techniques, done the math, searched the web. Hard to find the "right" colors--now I am ready---is probably more trouble than it will be worth. Stay tuned!

Sock Goddess

I managed to drop in at my favorite yarn store today. Fortunately I do not have this opportunity often--it is expensive! They had re-arranged the store--so it took longer to take it all in! I left with yarn for only 5 (!) pair of new socks and a book. (Note: tremendous restraint here--that only knitters can appreciate)

I have recently had a compulsion to add to my sock knitters reference collection--and have added several previously dismissed books to the "must have " list. I was searching for reference material, but what the heck--luscious purple, shockingly pink, a lovely aloe yarn in the colorway I thought I was getting last time(but got the peach instead), another aloe because I like to knit with it, and a SALE opal--not that I needed any of this, but retirement will come someday, and/or there could possibly be a shortage of yarn shops/sock yarn in the future due to some unforeseen circumstance. (My former favorite yarn manufacturer did have their factory burn down, and have not rebuilt!) I will have socks to knit for me to occupy the foreseeable future! And there is the occassional "gift sock" for those truly special people.

One must have a stash--you never know what mood you will be in. It all has to work together...yarn, needles, pattern, interest, color, mood...... It is an addiction--a 12 step program my be needed! I found myself rationalizing to the shop clerk that I have daughters who knit, so if I have any left at the end, they will inherit the coveted yarn (and realized how stupid this sounds as soon as it is out of my mouth--neither of them knits socks---yet!)

In looking through the patterns in the new book, there are new techniques to try! Experience levels are indicated--and a particularly intriguing toe/heel indicates it is for "sock goddesses"---so my new goal! Not just a sock princess or queen of sock knitting--but to be a sock goddess!

I guess my knit group would agree--as they already think I am a obsessed with knitting socks--and am their sock "expert". I even have the sock icon in the membership list!! I have, however, noticed that one by one, they are falling in to line and are knitting socks--or trying to....and some have become "converts" to the two at once circular method. Just like a disease, this sock obsession! (Not to mention that hand knit, wool blend socks are wonderful!! to wear).

So, I have declared myself a sock goddess, and will continue to embrace new techniques in search of even more sock nirvana!!! Traveling again tomorrow--new frontiers (and yarn shops) to conquer!

Then and Now

I was in high school. In the girls locker room after swimming class (UGH!) to be exact. As first it was a murmur through the locker room, and then it got quiet. The radio was on in Mrs. Pringle's office---and we heard it---the president had been shot. We stood there, staring at the radio in various stages of dress, not knowing what to do or think. The president had been shot.

I think we got out of school early. No one knew what to do. We walked home, and it was strangely quieter in the streets. At the 14th street party store, where we always stopped, the radio was on...the president was dead. He had been shot in Dallas. Even the store clerk just stared at the radio. No one knew what to do.

I am not sure how long it was. There were only 4 channels on the T.V. All of them only had "news" about the president being shot, and being dead. It seemed like forever, but I am sure it was only a couple of days that we watched, and watched, and watched....

I learned to knit that weekend. There was nothing else to do, and all four channels had the same "news" , and I think everything was closed, as no one knew what to do. There was yarn, needles , and a book in the basement, and I taught myself how to knit while the whole country sat and watched TV, not knowing what to do.

On Sunday (I am sure it was Sunday) there was more news--some one else shot a suspect. It was "live" and we were watching.....and no one knew what to do then either, as they could not take it back...it was "live" on all three American stations.

The funeral was on all day. Flags, motorcades, John-John's salute. Jackie in a black veil. Very sad. All day. All three stations. Then replayed.

This weekend I was knitting too, and I am a much better knitter now. TV is better too. 100's of channels--so there is always something on--well maybe--that someone would like to watch.

Today it was part of Gerald Ford's multiple day funeral--former President. Not shot. Just died a natural death at 93. He seemed to be a good man--everyone says so. An Eagle Scout. From Michigan. A 32- degree Mason, a dad, husband, veteran, former President of the United States.

Betty Ford looks much like Nancy Regan did when Ronald Regan, former President died, and his funeral was on TV. Hard to share this loss with a country. Hard to put on your public face at 80 something, and be televised while burying your husband--except they really aren't theirs to bury, as former Presidents still belong to the country watching on TV--even when they are former Presidents. Hard for the "children" , who are now adults with lives not usually televised.

My generation was the first to watch this--the funerals of Presidents--on television. It is part of who we are. It is part of what we expect. Every detail. Film at 11. Instant replays. Commentary. The visual images that define our generation. Walk on the Moon, dinner with the latest news from Nam, watch the space shuttle explode, see assassins live, see the plane hit the building, watch "shock and awe" "live".

Life was simpler before we could watch everything detail on TV.

Condolences to the Family of Gerald Ford. I am glad they had the chance to say goodbye before the televising began.

Royal wool winder!

Today I had a chance to play with my newest toy--a "Royal Wool Winder" that I bought myself--ostensibly for Christmas. It is wonderful! It makes your skeins into these amazing, pretty flat balls that pull from the center without (I hope) tangling. It is one of those soothing, repetative activities, where you can view your accomplishments!

I go so carried away, that I wound all the wool that I had in my socks-to-knit basket!! The tricky part is dividing the balls exactly into two equal smaller balls to knit the socks with. Got better at it after the first few skeins. Only problem is the pending carpal tunnel problem, as much wrist action goes into the wool winding....but now I have lovely wound wool waiting.....such fun!

The self striping yarn looks completely different in these balls--pretty geometric patterns! (It doesn't take much to amuse me, obviously). Unfortunately, being slightly ADD, I want to knit it all right now right now! Of course this is not possible, so have tried to calm this urge with arranging them in the baskets again!

I also started a new pair of cotton socks--did all the calculations, and got one toe done. Also finished a pair earlier today. Pictures to follow!