Not an Epic Fail

Dear Mom,
I am not sure what to call this, but it turned out exactly as I imagined. A shawl-cardigan hybrid.
A shawl with set in sleeves. or a cardigan with a shawl construction.

I got a deal on this dress (which is more rust than the orange it appears to be in the photos), but it is sleeveless, and I've never been one to sport bare arms. Mine are just Not Pretty. I considered knitting a shawl for this dress, and I LOVE shawls, but wearing a shawl to cover bare arms would require some vigilance and effort to insure that those arms stay covered. I considered a cardigan, but felt this dress was a bit too dress-y for a cardigan. In my mind, a hybrid was born.

I cast on and knit away, knowing there was a good chance that what I was creating would be an epic fail. Still, I had to try. The wool I used (Malabrigo Rios, super wash Merino, Primavera)  is so soft and such a pleasure to work with, that if this Hybrid did not have a happy ending it would be ripped and re-used.

This is constructed from the top down, and all but a fist-full of the yarn was used. It is knit all in one piece, using my own variation of the Contiguous Set in Sleeve. I alternated 2 skeins of yarn on the sleeves to prevent the colors from pooling.

When I began, I was not sure how it would end, and after one attempt, a rip back, and a re-chart, I am extremely pleased with the lace border.

I think this cardi/shawl thing could be worn, and look great, with a pair of jeans and a tee or turtleneck.

I've taken very careful notes as I worked, in the hopes that it would turn out successfully and if so, that it might be something I could publish. Because the sizing is based more on shoulder width and upper arm circumference, I need to do some research and test knitting for sizing. If you see me coming at you with a tape measure, please, just stand still. It won't take long. 

Love,

Kim

Favorite Things Friday

Honeycrisp Apples.

With my own apples trees crippled under the weight of their apples, it is almost criminal of me to go purchase any apples. But Honeycrisp Apples are not just ANY apple.....

A Quick Knit

Dear Mom,


A weekend road trip allowed for a quick finished hat.
Actually I did most of the knitting on this hat at the Cubs game on Saturday and saved something a little more fiddly for the car. We forgot about the time change and arrived at the game an hour early. So I got an hour's bonus knitting time and My Hero got to watch batting practice. All good.

But you should have heard us before we figured out the time thing. 
ME: Wow. There aren't very many people here.... 
HIM: That's because the Cubs are No Good.
We find our seats and sit down. 
HIM: They are still doing batting practice! I've always wanted to watch batting practice!
ME: (in my head) Isn't this the normal warm up stuff they do before a game? What about the kid fielding the balls? He could get hit by a ball accident. Why don't those birds get off the field? A bird could get hit. Good thing I have my knitting. How soon can I take it out of my purse? How does that lady get her hair to stand up so tall? 
Then I look towards the score board and think the clock has stopped and that that is kind of tacky for a Major League Baseball stadium.....
ME: Are they on a different time here?
HIM: Oh. My.

We celebrated a birthday in Style, met some fun people, and left the Windy City on Sunday morning, very thankful that we live where we do.

 This is Daisy Mason's Tam. I used one skein of Grey Heather Nature Spun Worsted. I love the Brown Sheep Yarns. Made in the USA!
Because this tam looks better on a real head than it does on my hat stand, I attempted to take a photo with the hat on my head- one that would show the hat from front and back. After more attempts than I care to count, this is the best I could do. Taken with my iPad. Yes. I am wearing my pjs, have bed head and no make up on. And that blur in the lower right hand corner is my finger. But the hat is cute.

Love,
Kim

Conclusions

Dear Mom,
My garden experiments were not exactly scientific- no control groups, too many variables, etc- but I did learn a few things. Like what NOT to do next year.
If you remember, I planted seed potatoes in three different ways: In a large pot, in my compost bin, and in the ground. After harvesting all three, it was obvious that IN THE GROUND was by far the best yield. Harder to harvest, though, but fun if you think of it as digging for treasure. Which it is. The compost bin was easiest to harvest and also had a good yield. The flower pot did have some potatoes in it, but it also contained a bone that Olive had buried. Perhaps the bone and the disruption caused by its burial affected the results.
Conclusion: I will grow my potatoes in the ground next year.

As for tomatoes grown in the bag of soil.....Despite Brother's success with this method, I have to say it was a FAILURE. Very disappointing. VERY. Dis. A. PoINT. InG. For a girl who loves her fresh, garden-grown, EatThemHotAndDustyRightInTheGarden Tomatoes, it was foolish of me to take the risk and grow them any other way.
Conclusion: I will grow my tomatoes in the ground next year.

I think I am going to need a bigger garden.

Love,
Kim

p.s. good stuff on my knitting needles.

p.p.s Olive is still limping.

Favorite Things Friday

Dear Mom,
A Finished Project, that turns out well and fits perfectly has to be a Favorite Thing, right?

this photo is true to color- the one above is too red

I've had Chickadee in my knitting queue for awhile. I suspect this one won't be the last. I've been investigating various fair isle patterns to replace the birds. Like BEES.
This sweater is knit from the top down. And there is subtle shaping between bust and hips. Because it is a top down sweater, it was easy to be sure that the shaping happened exactly where it needed to happen for my body. (As it turned out, I needed to make no changes to the pattern here.) I did shorten the sleeves a smudge. And I omitted a contrasting color- choosing to make those rings the same color as my birds rather than come up with a third contrasting color.
I tried and failed on 2 or 3 different button designs, decided to go purchase plain old black buttons, and then the lazy, cheapskate inside me decided to try one more shrinky dink button design rather than get in the car, drive to the fabric store and spend the money on buttons. I am glad I did, because I like the way these turned out. Once again, I sort of cheated, and traced over some fabric I purchased with this sweater in mind.

"They" say we are in for a bitterly cold, possibly early, winter. If this is the case, my Black Bird Sweater will be more than a favorite thing.
Love,
Kim

Watermelon, An Incident, and Why the Melon in my fridge is a $10 Melon

Dear Mom,

I may be addicted to watermelon.
In fact, when watermelons disappear from the grocery store, I may have a problem.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I've averaged one whole melon every two days for over a month. Maybe two. Months, not melons. Our Brother, the Chef, taught me how to peel and dice a watermelon with virtually no melon wasted. I keep a big bowl of cubed melon in the fridge and snack on bowls of it all day long.
Last Sunday, when My Hero and I did our weekly shopping, we had an unfortunate watermelon incident.

There we are, casually leaving the store. My Hero is pushing the cart filled with our groceries in our re-usable sacks. The Watermelon is riding on the rack under the cart. Like most grocery store arrangements around here, the entrance/exit points at the store are clearly marked with STOP signs, speed bumps, and bright yellow hash marks on the asphalt for pedestrian safety. Despite the STOP sign, speed bump and bright yellow hash marks, My Hero was forced to stop suddenly to avoid being hit by the driver of the blue-gray van who failed to stop and probably only slowed down thanks to those speed bumps. Our Grocery Cart may have stopped abruptly, but The Watermelon did not. He kept on rolling..... right out into the street and under the blue-gray van. I clapped my hands to my face and squeaked "My Watermelon!" as I watched, in slow motion, the poor thing get crushed under those tires.
The Van never knew.  The people behind the van, and the people in the opposite lane of traffic all witnessed the Incident. I stood paralyzed on the sidewalk. My Hero proceeded to cross the parking lot and load the groceries into the car as if nothing happened.

Being the Watermelon Addict that I have clearly become, we immediately returned to the store to buy a replacement. Which means on Sunday we spent $9.98 on watermelon and only brought one home.
Love,
Kim

Cone Free And Getting Back to "Normal"

Dear Mom,

In my head, I say "Cone Free" to the tune of Born Free. Every member of this family is thrilled to be rid of the Cone of Shame. With the hope of warding off future surgery (because there is a slight possibility), The Cone came home with us and will be stored away. I figure if I have it, we will never need it again. Olive is still limited to her leash in the back yard, and may not use the stairs. She is not supposed to run, jump or spin around. She may not look like it, but technically, she is still a puppy. She WANTS to run, jump, and spin around. Especially when feeling new friskiness and cone freedom. I've yelled "No Running" as she darts past me from family room, through the kitchen, looping around the dining and living rooms, back through the kitchen and into the family room. I sound like an elementary school marm. I'd consider leaving her on the house leash, but all that remains of THAT is a 3 inch nylon stump attached to the metal clip.  We  She remains on these restrictions for at least 2 more weeks, at which point we may introduce "easy 5 minute walks" to build up her strength/stamina in the joint. At this point, I just want her to be able to go outside by herself before winter arrives. We go back for a re-check in 6 weeks.
Olive is on a regimen of Cosequin and Rimadyl. The anti-inflammatory Rimadyl makes her elbow feel better, which is good, but that makes her want to do all the stuff she is not allowed to do, which is bad.

BUT! Best of all, without Cone, Olive can now fit into her crate. She has been a big, brave girl, and is spending her nights, downstairs, alone, in her crate. I've been able to sleep upstairs, in my own bed. I was afraid I would need to summon up my Tough Love self and listen to some whimpering, but no. As I said, she is a big, brave girl. 

And another giant step to getting things back to normal around here- Mr. Campus Man is back on campus. We moved him back last Tuesday. 

After the move-in, and after feeding several move-in helpers, My Hero and I investigated a new (to us) yarn shop - well, I investigated the shop. He tested out the shop's sofa- and then, keeping with the tradition we started last year, stopped at Oliver Winery on the way home for a little wine tasting/celebrating.

Chickadee is finished and awaits buttons and blocking. I will post some final photos when I have them to share. And after what feels like MONTHS of uninspired knitting, I have two original designs on my needles. One a basic cowl, the other..... defies simple description. But if it works! I may have a new favorite on my needles..... 

Love,

Kim

Favorite Things Friday

Delicious hot or iced.

Every Day.

The Things We Do For Love

Dear Mom,
Olive is well. I've decided she is the only one in this house who appreciates me. It could be that I am sleep deprived and emotional. But then again, she may be the only one in the house who deserves my efforts. Or perhaps I am not All That I Think I Am (or all that I should be) and the combination of Post- Surgical Dog, First Day of School, and getting Mr. Campus Man ready to leave all in the same week is just too much for me.

Olive on her first day home. Notice the shaved leg.
The Young Lady says the unshaved part of her leg looks like her socks are falling down.

I brought Olive home last Tuesday afternoon, with a bag full of drugs and a long list of restrictions. No running, no jumping, no stairs. On leash at all times. She left the hospital wearing The Cone of Shame.
After I loaded her into the car and got myself in and the door shut, my poor, dear, sweet Olive started crying. As if she knew she didn't have to be brave any more. And knew it was safe. And to tell me how awful the whole thing was. I cried with her.

We are those people who allow the dog to sleep with them. To be accurate and honest, I am that person. My Hero....notsomuch. I take great pains to keep Olive on my side of the bed. Anyway, with stairs being restricted and those same stairs between Olive and our bedroom, my plan was to use Tough Love and crate her each night until stairs were back on the menu.

However.

Olive, wearing her XXXL cone, will not fit in the crate. Well, she FITS, she just can't turn around, move, or lie down. And we've invested too much money in The Elbow to risk removing that cone and giving her access to the sutures. Sooo, for the past week, and for one more week, I have been sleeping on an air mattress in the dining room with an 80lb lab wearing a cone. Yes, perhaps I am a little sleep deprived.

The things we do for love.

Twice now, I've emerged from my morning shower to find Olive on our bed! Somehow, she found her way through what I thought was a pretty secure blockade, CLIMBED the stairs and JUMPED on the bed.  I now have a baby gate positioned at the foot of the stairs.
The sutures come out on Monday the 26th.
At 9 am.
Hopefully some of her restrictions will be lifted, but even if they are not, the Cone will go when the stitches come out. And that means no more Dining Room, Hello Crate!

On Wednesday morning being slightly distracted, and tired, I nearly forgot the obligatory First Day of School photo. Plus, after 14 years, the bus stop changed. So, much to her mortification, I took a photo of the Young Lady at the bus stop in front of her friends. And then, just because, I took another one as I drove past on my way back home.

I think she will think twice before asking me to drive her to the bus stop.

And, finally, to keep a grip on what threads of sanity remain.... a little knitting.
Chickadee is almost finished. I love this sweater. LOVE. Can't wait to wear it.

Proper photos and details when she is finished.

Love,
Kim

Update: The Limp

Dear Mom,
Olive's surgery went well, with no surprises. I will get another call in the morning after the doctor checks on her and I'll know then when she can come home.
How horrible is it that I miss my dog and cannot wait to move Mr. Campus Man (formerly known as the Young Man) back to school?
Love,
Kim

The Limp

Dear Mom,

My dear, sweet Olive will be having surgery tomorrow (Monday) to correct what started out as a quirky little strut and is now a full blown, impossible to ignore, limp. Our vet checked it out at her annual visit 2 weeks ago, and last week we consulted with a veterinary orthopedic specialist. Examination and radiographs suggest an Ununited Anconeal Process. From what I have learned, failure for this bony process to fuse can occur in large, rapidly growing dogs, and Olive is definitely one of those.

Arthroscopy on Monday will confirm and correct the problem. To do nothing would guarantee a lame dog.  As things are, there is already evidence of arthritis in the joint. Fortunately, Olive is still a young dog and her prospects for a full recovery are excellent. Let's just hope there are no surprises when they get in there to take a look and remove that piece of bone.

I cannot bear the thought of anything happening to her. Say a prayer for Olive and her doctors.
I'll let you know how she does.
 
Love,
Kim

Favorite Things Friday

Bread and Water could so easily be

Toast and Tea. 

  

Alexandra Stoddard

                                      

Observations After a Day at the Amusement Park

Dear Mom,

1. I am too old for "Intense Amusement Rides". Despite the entertainment value my screams and eyes-squeezed-shut grimaces provided the rest of my family, Monday's visit to Kings Island was probably my last. All those twists, turns, heights and inversions left me wobbly and dizzy for several minutes after the ride ended. I spent much of the day on benches with other old ladies waiting for their families.
I should have packed knitting.

2. America is seriously, disturbingly, grotesquely overweight.

3. I hope the ink from tattoos is not a carcinogen, because if it is there are going to be alot of very sick people one of these days. Too bad my children are not medically inclined. The plastic surgeon or Whoever it is that invents a tattoo erasing procedure will become a bazillionaire.

Love,
Kim

Favorite Things Friday

Michigan

Dear Mom,
Last week, the Men in this house had their annual multi-generation, Boys Only, Family golf reunion, where they play golf, probably tell the same jokes, play cards and probably watch the same movies. In the past, the Young Lady and I have stayed home to enjoy the peace and quiet, but this year we had an invitation to a cottage in Michigan. Olive was invited and Grace could take a friend.
Mr. Anderson, my Toyota Matrix, was stuffed full of dog, girls, groceries, bed linens and  beach towels, knitting, my spinning wheel and the bare necessities of clean clothes, swim suits and pjs. I am pleased to report that Olive is an excellent traveller. And for the first time, I was able to lock up and drive away without making arrangements for a caged critter to be fed.
While at the lake, Olive discovered that getting her feet wet was not so bad after all. She jumped around in the water and fetched sticks. I was struck by her beauty as she stood wet and sparkling in the sunshine.

The girls paddle boated and tubed and giggled and sketched, and I talked and did a bit of knitting and a bit of spinning. The weather was cool- perfect for a sweatshirt and shorts in the evening and for knitting on the deck until it was too dark to see. The trip was short and sweet- we had to be back Saturday evening in order to have the Young Lady packed and off to camp at 6:30 Sunday morning. ( And while she is away, I am giving her room a serious cleaning. Seems a more clear definition of what "Clean Your Room" is in order.....  okay. yes. I hear you chuckling. I deserve a teen with a messy room. I get that. Payback for the music and albums and whoknowswhat MY bedroom was cluttered with.... 

Love,

Kim

Favorite Things Friday

Dear Mom,

Tomatoes. Freshly picked from my vegetable garden.

Love,

Kim

The Doctor is In

Dear Mom,

48,944 stitches

9.34 feet ( not counting the fringe)

It is DONE.
And The Young Lady loves it, making it all totally worth it.

I used the pattern found Here, and modified it by slipping the first 3 stitches of every row, purlwise, thus creating a little tube for hiding all the yarn ends. Much neater and faster this way, than weaving all those ends in after all that knitting. 

Love,
Kim, who is now knitting something for herself that is not 9 feet of garter stitch.

Favorite Things Friday

Dear Mom,

ZINNIAS!

 Love,
Kim

Not a paid endorsement

Dear Mom,
My dear sweet Olive, the best puppy ever, my tetherball-loving, devoted, fireplug of a dog is afraid of LOUD noises. Very afraid. Hide under the bed for hours afraid. The poor dear. And before hiding herself away, we could literally see her quaking and shivering from across the room.  Sad and pitiful. 

I was worried about what our July 4th celebration might do to Olive.

We needed help.

Having heard about the Thundershirt,  I decided it was worth trying.

It works! The theory behind the Thundershirt is similar to swaddling a baby, and while it does not completely eliminate the fear, Olive is able to endure fireworks and loud claps of thunder without shaking and shivering or hiding under the bed. She sticks close to her mama, but calmly. And now that she knows her Thundershirt, she is very cooperative when I put it on her.

And remember the Underdog Theme song?
 There's no need to fear! THUNDERSHIRT is here!

Love,
Kim

Bounty

Dear Mom,
Our nearly idyllic summer is evident in the produce I am harvesting from the vegetable garden. On Saturday I went out to check things, as I do daily, and found green beans that had either grown over night or had been hiding themselves under the healthy, bushy plants.  I easily picked over a pound of beans and could probably pick another pound today.

I have also been experimenting with growing potatoes. My potato tower did not do so well last year, but it wasn't a good summer for growing anything. I decided to ignore last year's poor showing and try again. This time I planted in the ground, in my compost bin ( a potato tower of sorts) and in a flower pot. The seed potato bag said the taters would be ready for harvesting when the vines yellowed and started to wither. That pretty much described the condition of the vines in my compost bin, so after harvesting the beans I overturned my compost can and was thrilled to discover the most beautiful red potatoes! I was scrabbling through that dirt like Scarlett O'Hara did in when she was starving and found a carrot in the soil. - Right before she declares that she will "never go hungry again". I could almost hear music playing in the background.

this is not my hand
this hand belongs to Brother

I will let the potatoes keep growing in the ground and in the big flower pot- the vines there haven't started to die back yet. Needless to say, we had potatoes and green beans for dinner Saturday night!

I found a very delicious recipe in a special publication by Taste of Home magazine. This issue is dedicated to Diabetic cooking. I purchased my copy late in the spring and don't know if it is still on the newsstands. I tried out this green bean recipe last night and it was delicious. I filled my plate and made it my entire dinner.

Green Beans Provencale

1 lb. fresh green beans

4 green onions, sliced

2 T. minced shallot

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 t. fresh rosemary, or 1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed

1 T. olive oil

1 1/2 c. grape tomatoes, halved

2 T. minced fresh basil, or 2 t. dried basil

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Place beans in a steamer basket and steam in a large pot of boiling water for 4-5 minutes or until crisp tender.

In a large skillet, saute the onions, shallot, garlic and rosemary in olive oil until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Saute 2-3 minutes longer, or until heated through.

Love,

Kim

Favorite Things Friday

Dear Mom,
I think it might be nice to try posting some of my favorite things on Fridays. It might be places, stuff, something from my week, or things from the past.
This week- one of my favorite places ( maybe even The Favorite Place)- my back porch.  Perfect for knitting, spinning, napping, visiting, relaxing, reading, sipping. My Heaven on Earth.

Love,
Kim

Winner!

Dear Mom,
Cross "Never Winning Anything From A Blog Contest" off my list. Because last week I won a button give- away!
The charming hand-crafted buttons from Fastenation Studio arrived and I am delighted with them. Actually, I could not choose between two sets, so chose one set as my prize and purchased the second set.

It was difficult to get a photo of these sweet yellow buttons. They are perfectly named "Sunshine Girls". Look closely and you will see a happy girl on the buttons. These would be adorable on a little girls sweater, but they are so cute that it might break my heart to give them away. I may just have to put them on a sweater for me.....and smile every time I look at them.
These buttons should get some credit for waking up the designing knitter in me. I've been distressingly uninterested in /uninspired by my knitting. (Part of the responsibility for this may be the current project on my needles- eleventy-two miles of striped garter stitch - a Dr. Who scarf for the Young Lady. All I can say is, Thank heaven for the stripes. Stripes are the only thing marking my progress.  I suppose eleventy-two miles of garter stitch is good for cleansing the pallet. ) Anyway, I woke up over the weekend with an Idea percolating...

Oh. I have lots more to say! But little time to say it and do a halfway decent job keeping up with everything else. And the grass is waving at me in the refreshing cool breeze this morning. Off to take a ride on John, Dear.
More later.

Love,
Kim

All dressed up

Dear Mom,
Donna Reed (my Baby Wolf loom) is dressed up. It took me a few days to get from winding the warp to weaving. I am such a rookie at this, that this time I derailed myself when I ran out of 8/2 cotton while winding the warp. Detour to Tabby Tree Weaver for more cotton. I haven't the skills (yet) to judge whether that cone of fiber is enough to do what I expect it to do. But I am learning. And this time I am taking careful notes and writing my own recipe for kitchen towels. I am so in love with the few inches of weaving on the loom right now, that I may only weave towels just like this but in different colors for the rest of my weaving days.

The inspiration for these towels came from the book Sixty Scarves for Sixty Years. I figured I could double the 11 inch wide scarf and turn it into a towel.

I moved Donna Reed into our family room about a month ago, in an attempt to reclaim the dining room as a (mostly) dining room. ( My sewing machine and a corner for knitting still reside there.) Now when I walk past and see this it is hard not to stop everything and sit down to weave another pattern repeat or two. Or just stand and stare at it, marveling at the magic that is weaving. Seriously, when I started weaving this, I stopped My Hero and the Young Man as they passed through the room and had them take a look. I was like a 5 year old riding her bike the first time.... watch me!!!!! See this? Look at what I can do!!!!

I am also thinking that this pattern would be nice napkins. From Day 1, My Hero and I have used cloth napkins- with our only exceptions being huge cookouts and lunch boxes. (But modest cookouts? Cloth napkins) Some of our cloth napkins are looking a bit exhausted and until now I really hadn't considered weaving their replacements, but yes! I think I will!

There is no logical explanation to the contentment I've felt the past several weeks. I should be crazy with school out, but I am not. There is a quiet to my days. My garden is growing well, the days have been sunny, mild, with just enough rain. Laundry dries on the clothesline most days and our windows are open. We've enjoyed good, simple, healthy meals at home, and while the house is never spotlessly clean (we do live here, after all, and with a big black dog) I feel like I am maintaining my daily chores and keeping time for my creative pursuits. I have given myself the freedom of not assigning imaginary deadlines to my knitting, spinning and weaving projects, which may be the biggest factor in this inner calm I feel. This feeling may not last long, but I am enjoying every bit of it and I'll hang on to it as long as I can!

Love,
Kim