February's socks are finished!

Dear Mom,
Last night, while watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show and hoping that I would see a breed of dog who looked like Patsy.....one that was not a Great Dane.....I finished February's socks. And the only Patsy look alike was the Great Dane. Thankfully, Patsy is pint sized compared to that guy.

The socks are wrapped and ready to be gifted. Generic sort of man sized socks, with a 4 x 2 rib around the leg. Trekking sock yarn that is probably vintage by now. I have no idea how long it has been in my stash.

I keep detouring myself from the sweater I am working on- a design of my own that has been simmering for awhile. For some reason the knitting on this has been slow going. Maybe because I sense that no matter how fast I work on it,  the weather will be warm when I finish. Or maybe I am afraid that it will still be sweater weather when I finish. I don't know. But I do want to see if the sweater in my brain lives up to the real deal, and the only way I'll know that is to get the knitting done.

Several days of melting ice and snow means that I can see some patches of lawn and parts of our driveway. The jet stream is bringing in warm air from the gulf and all that adds up to a desire to start Spring Cleaning. Completely overwhelming if I think about all of it, so I've decided to really break it down- a little at a time is better than nothing at all and even if it is 20 minutes here and there I will eventually get the job(s) done.

Patsy has gotten quite a bit of attention on the blog lately, so I am going to close with a picture of the Best in Show at this house.

Bumper Joseph

Love,
Kim

Happy Valentine's Day

Dear Mom,

Happy Valentine's Day

Love,

Kim

A Confession

Dear Mom,
Way back in JUNE, Michele and I had a little exchange. We traded a pair of handknit socks and an appliqued quilt block.
That quilt block has waited so long to be finished. I was feeling guilty. Because it was so beautiful, I was afraid that I would ruin it. It has taken me this long to work up the courage.
Thursday evening I took a deep breath and turned Michele's applique into a very special pillow.

Michele had very thoughtfully sent along fabric for the backing. I just needed to sew in a zipper, stitch up the other three sides, and insert the pillow form. As with most things, it was the thinking about it that was the hard part. The actual doing it was a breeze. As I said, my fear of ruining it had paralyzed me. But this gift wasn't meant to be folded away and taken out occasionally to be admired. It deserved to be seen and shared and to remind me of the kind, special person who made it for me. It now sits where you see it in that photo- in my knitting nest. Thank you, Michele!

February's socks are ahead of schedule. This is even a man-sized pair!

I've pretty much only knit on these this past week. It would seem that my nasty too-much-winter dispostion has affected my knitting. None of my knitting in progress was appealing, and I mostly knit these socks by default. I couldn't even work up the enthusiasm to start a new project. But now that one sock is done and the second sock started, and the weather forecast is promising mid 30's today, 40's tomorrow and maybe even into the 50's (!!!!!) next week, I feel a glimmer of hope. And I made a second pair of Duffers last night! I'll share them here once they've been felted and finished.

Love,
Kim

The life of a quilt

Dear Mom,
With a shiny new engagement ring on my finger and the ink still drying on my License to Practice Dental Hygiene in the State of Indiana, I did what all graduates/brides-to-be did in 1982. (NOT). I took a quilting class. At the end of the 4 week class I had a set of placemats- an Ohio Star, a Drunkards Path, an applique and I can't remember what the 4th one was. My goal after the class ended, in fact, the whole reason for taking the class, was to make a queen sized quilt for our bed. For some reason making this quilt was as important to me as picking out china. Go Figure. Good thing ours was a long engagement.  And why I thought I could jump from a 4 week quilt class with 4 placemats under my thimble to a QUEEN sized quilt I have no idea, but it never occurred to me to do it any differently. (There is probably something very psychologically revealing in this, but as Popeye would say- I am what I am.)

Need I say it? The quilt was finished in plenty of time.

The entire thing was hand quilted.

I've never quilted again.

1983

The quilt, probably days after moving in. I want to laugh at the stark white walls of our apartment. And that I decorated (?!) the headboard with a framed picture, candlesticks and a dried flower arrangement. 
And as much as I loved this quilt then and the colors I chose, they are not what I would choose if I were to do it all again today.

Five years later, we were still using the quilt, and letting our dog sleep on it.

I see that my romantic notions of decorating the headboard have been replaced by a book and telephone.And that we still have stark white-ish walls and no artwork.

That quilt lived hard, was the best for napping under, was faded by the sun and wearing out in so many places it was overwhelming to me to think of repairing it. Plus my hand quilting stitches were never that good to begin with and there were sections that looked as if they had never been quilted at all. Eventually the quilt was folded up and stored away in an "I'll just fix that some other day" spot.

I don't know how long ago I decided that using the quilt for another purpose was better than not using it at all, and I will probably spend time in Quilt Purgatory for this, but I cut the quilt apart and made some placemats. Another cut and I made an ironing board cover.

Which brings me to yesterday.

When I purchased my spinning wheel, Daphne Joy, one of the main reasons I chose her was her ability to fold up and travel easily. Ashford makes carrying cases especially for the Ashford Joy wheels, but I would rather spend the $110+ on roving. Still, I felt like Daphne was sort of exposed when I carried her outside without benefit of a cover.

On one of my blog wandering days- don't we all have those?- I stumbled across the Two Kates Bag. I measured Daphne and dug through some fabric scraps, found more quilt parts and voila!~ a Two Kates Bag big enough for Daphne.

Rather than sew the handles together as the pattern instructs, I left them separated and added snaps so I could close the bag inside Daphne's built in handle.

By the way- next time you need a blog wandering day- take a look at Needled- the blog where I found the Two Kates Bag. Kate Davies is an inspiration.

Love,
Kim

Somebody. Make. It. STOP.

Dear Mom,

I am officially over winter now. Grumpy hibernating bear? That's me.
Everybody might just want to stay away from me until the ice and snow melts and we can see grass. Even pavement or dirt would be welcome.
When the snow plow gets stuck in front of the house.... you know it is time.

Maybe today's belated birthday lunch with a couple of neighbors will snap me out of it, except I am thinking I would like to wear a cute skirt but it won't go with my SNOW BOOTS and I would be endangering my limbs by wearing cute boots to walk outside right now. Knitting is my fragile tether to sanity and if I broke an arm and couldn't knit......oh.....Taking deep breaths to clear that nightmare out of my head.

I did prettify my duffer slippers.

I also made a little progress on February's socks.

Last weekend I did more spinning than knitting. I made more yarn like the yarn I showed you in my last post, so there isn't much point in showing it to you again. Same stuff, just more. Just like the snow.

Love,

Kim

Day 3

Dear Mom,
We are on our third day of No School thanks to the winter storm. My Hero did go in to work today and the sun is out. Mostly we are managing just fine, but I think I may try to bust outta here this afternoon before I get weird (er).

Being stuck at home is very easy for me. Maybe too easy. I feel my inner recluse gaining power.
Like I said. I better try getting out.

I just don't know if my car will make it back up the driveway when I get home. My neighbor and I have discussed this. She is going for it. We picture a cluster of wrecked cars that have slid back down their respective driveways into the cul-de-sac after being abandoned  by the desperate housewives who left them at the point they could no longer advance. I think I'll wait and see how she does. Or if My Hero can get his car in the garage tonight. See? I am already making excuses with myself to stay home.

Yesterday, I made some pretty yarn.

And last night I finished the first Polska mitten.

Here is a look at the thumb side of the mitten.

See how cleverly Spillyjane matched the thumb to the mitten?
And here is the underside of the thumb.

This is definitely fiddly pay attention knitting, and they are more of a special rather than practical sort of mitten. Not the sort of thing you should try to knit in a hurry. I figure I might be good for one mitten a month, and if I can do that I'll have all the Spillyjane mittens in my queue finished.

Love,
Kim

Surviving the Storm

Dear Mom,
So far, so good. We've never lost power and we've all been home safe and sound throughout the worst of this winter storm. Everything is covered in a thick layer of ice topped with a dusting of snow. Bitter cold temps and high wind are in our forecast this afternoon, so we aren't out of the woods yet.

The thick ice in the street made the hockey players in the family happy, though.

Sooo, the Groundhog predicts an early spring. We are going to need spring temps to get rid of all that ice. Except I think the Groundhog just said that to help us cling to hope and our sanity. It has been a long winter and we deserve an early spring.

I finished another of my scrap yarn linen stitch scarves in the orthodontist's office on Monday. This is a little bit of vintage leftover yarn from an Alice Starmore sweater, a bit left from a Hanne Falkenberg kit and some sock yarn. It thrills me to use up leftover little bits and turn them into something pretty.

I've started the February socks. And can I just say that it was fun sorting through the brown lunch sacks for the one I marked "Feb" and then opening it to find this month's sock yarn? Silly little game to play, but it made me excited about starting this next pair of socks. When there is enough progress to photograph I'll share them here.

After reading about these slippers on Betz White's blog, I stopped everything and made myself a pair. 19 rows. Approximately 1 hour's worth of knitting per foot. Probably a little longer, because heaven knows I'm gonna get interrupted by a teen or a dog. I was able to successfully felt them in my front loader and they've been on my feet ever since. The project page for these on ravelry is full of some very lovely duffers with embroidery and buttons. I have/had every intention of doing that to mine, but that would mean I had to remove them from my feet first. Great stash buster- I can see getting addicted to knitting duffers and prettifying them.

I used some Lopi yarn for the soles and Cascade 220, doubled, for the top.
Time to heat up a bit of soup for lunch. Keep warm.
Love,
Kim

Birthday Wrap Up

Dear Mom,
The celebration started with the last day in my 40's and stretched out to include the first couple of days of 50 and today being Monday, it is time to face reality and get back to the cooking and cleaning and laundry.

But first, a recap.

I was indulged in delicious lunches and dinners out, given flowers, received sparkly gifts that came in small packages and I had the thrill of seeing a yarn shop full of knitters working on my North Porch Hat pattern.

It was a happy accident that the Village Yarn Shop's monthly knitter's night out was scheduled on my birthday and that the chosen project was one of my patterns. I am at a loss for words.

The only requests I made of My Hero were that there be NO surprise parties and no gifts that poop. Happily, neither of those things occurred. Instead, I received a beautiful bracelet with charms that he and the kids picked out for me. Friday night's birthday dinner at Hollyhock Hill, where so many happy family events have been celebrated for so many years, put the punctuation on two days that made me feel special.

But the gift that I really think should be acknowledged here is Bonnie Jo's generous gift of the navigation system for my car.

old person's GPS

Isn't she thoughtful?!

Love,
Kim

One Year Ago Today

Dear Mom,

January 29, 2010.
My Hero comes home from work with this.

Someone fell instantly in love.
It wasn't me.

But  puppy breath won me over.

Even when wearing her out was my biggest challenge and seemed to be the focus of my days.

I've worked hard to teach her manners and lady-like behavior.

We're still working on that.
Patsy has taken me places I never thought I would go... like doggie daycare.
I have things I never thought I would need....like a membership to the dog park.
And I've met people I never thought I would need to know....like a Canine Behavior Specialist.
And others that have become friends....like my dog park friend Sherri, the mom of Patsy's chum, Ace.

There have been naughty puppy moments. And I expect there will be more.

'Cuz wearin' her out is still important.

But we're getting there.

Love,
Kim

Youth and Aging

Dear Kim,

Happy Birthday, Big Sister!

We made some great memories growing up together! I always looked up to you.  You were the prettiest, the wittiest and the most talented...

...and some things just never change. Today marks your 50th birthday, and I have watched you age with beauty, humor and flair.

Youth is the gift of nature, but age is the work of art!  

Happy 50th Birthday Kim!

Love, Bonnie Jo

Thoughts at 50

Dear Mom,

Today, I am 50 years old. I am not sure which of us is more stunned by this. Probably you, because you remember that actual day.

I have to admit that the past few days (okay, week) leading up to today have been more emotional than I expected them to be. Not the turbulence that was 30, but not the empowerment of 40,either.

It is not the gray hair and wrinkles. Those are just natural highlights and laugh lines. Except for that crease just to the midline of my right eyebrow. THAT is a knitting concentration line. No, what is bothersome is the reminder. My chronological 50 does not match my inner 19. And there is no denying that there are more days behind me than there are ahead of me. (Because honestly, I don't think I'd want to live to be 100.) There is so much I want to do. I urgently feel that I am running out of time.

And yet, I am thankful. I've been blessed with loving parents, a family, and dear friends. I have the privilege of celebrating 50 years when there are many deserving women/wives/mothers/sisters/daughters/friends who never got the chance.

So if I seem a little weepy today, it is not that I mourn the years behind me, but that I appreciate them.

The Best is Yet to Come.

Love,

Kim

It's a Wrap

Dear Mom,
Bonnie Jo's wrap was finished Sunday night and I traded it for some more Cranberry Cordial on Monday morning.
Bonnie Jo found the instructions for the wrap in a Mary Jane's Farm magazine. It is a very easy knit- just a rectangle with a buttonhole and 3 buttons, giving her the option of different looks. But if Bonnie Jo is wearing it over her jammies like I think she is, then it will probably get buttoned wherever she finds the first button.
I used up some Berroco Comfort worsted from my stash (yay!) which fit Bonnie's easy care requirement and which we discovered that Patsy really likes. I found some really good buttons at Hancock fabric, but I neglected to get a close up of them.

A new sweater design is on paper and my needles. I'll be really excited about this one if it turns out. Otherwise I'll be wasting alot of time and yarn.
You know what? The lighting in the pictures on this post is lousy. I NEED SUNSHINE!!! And not just for taking pictures.
 Merrilymarylee asked if I could figure out how to knit the scarf pictured in the header of this blog. 1/26- edited - use this link for a look at the twisty scarf) I really thought I could. I've failed. My last attempt ended up looking nothing like the scarf and more like a beginner's poor attempt at garter stitch using broom handles for needles. I even stopped a woman wearing a similar scarf at Family Bingo night and asked her if I could have a close look. And was promptly told by My Hero that "there is no knitting at Bingo night". So if anyone reading this knows of a pattern for a scarf like that, could they please let MerrilyMarylee and me know where to find it?

Eight more days til Groundhog Day.

Love,
Kim

Closing the door

Dear Mom,

I am extremely pleased to report that my recent window treatment chapter has a happy ending. I am done with the three whatever-you-call-ems on the porch door and the two roman shades for the windows in the family room.

They are up and functioning and while nothing about them was difficult, their unwieldy size and the weight of the fabric made this a bit of a workout. I bent 3 sewing machine needles and gunked up another one sewing on some velcro. My left arm is a little sore. I guess sewing muscles are different from dog walking and knitting  muscles.....  

Tragedy struck Friday afternoon when Mr. Dyson fell victim to a mysterious nervous condition and required hospitalization. I fear the never ending supply of dog hair was too much for him and he needed a little time in rehab. Fortunately he is still young, and his visit will be covered by Warranty. Mrs. Bissell, who tends to (and prefers) the lighter upstairs duty, has volunteered to take over his Mr. Dyson's responsibilities until he returns.

Love,
Kim

Etsy

Dear Mom,
I did it.  I put my big girl pants on and got brave and opened an Etsy shop for my notecards. There is a link directly to the shop if you click on the etsy button over in the sidebar. For now, I am listing the notecards as a collection. I'm still considering whether or not to offer them individually.
It is bitterly cold out and Bumper still wants to go out every 15 minutes or so. At least last night he slept all night. I feel like I have a baby again. He is either getting a little addled in his old age or becoming that old man with prostate issues. Or both. But I don't even know if dogs have a prostate.
Patsy wants to be out there every time Bumper is, but her poor paws can't take the cold. She was skipping around on three legs I kept her in and bribed her with a rawhide chew the last time Bumper went out.
I've been knitting away on Bonnie Jo's wrap.

If you look verrry closely you will see a mistake. Don't worry. I fixed it.

It is a long boring stretch of garter stitch, but because it is a long boring stretch of garter stitch I can read while I knit and I finished one good book (Innocent by Scott Turow- the sequel to Presumed Innocent) and started another. This is one I've checked out of the library and need to finish. I am halfway through it and my good book streak continues. This one is A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George. It was her first and I am looking forward to reading them all. Mystery, so far nothing gruesome (even though I don't mind that at all), English countryside, great characters.
Unfortunately, Patsy likes the yarn I am using for the wrap. (Berroco Comfort- another stash buster)

Luckily, I have more than enough to finish the project, so Patsy can keep this ball of yarn.

Lots more going on here. Polska mittens see a few more rows added each day, I worked out the math and design for a new sweater and the seed for the scarf  that Merrilymarylee planted is germinating.

Bitter Bitter COLD on top of yesterday's snow meant the kids had a 2 hour delay this morning and I have errands to do. Family Bingo night tonight, too!

I'm off-

Love,

Kim

January's Socks

Dear Mom,
I've finished my January socks!

After finishing those, I pulled out one of the leftover yarn linen stitch scarf kits I made for myself and started working on that. I've also had a cardigan pattern brewing in my brain and did a little swatching and brainstorming on that yesterday afternoon. I love being productive!

A couple of weeks ago I talked with a local printer about having some of my photos turned into notecards and this morning I picked up my order. I am very happy with them.

Printed on white 80lb card stock, blank inside, featuring a variety of knitting related photos. I am entertaining the thought of opening an etsy shop and selling them. What do you think?

I need about 6 more hands. Merrilymarylee has given me an idea for a scarf design, and Bonnie Jo needs a wrap to wear in the morning- something to cover her shoulders with a button closure. I guess she got the idea from Golda. Marge and Gloria.

Love,
Kim

Finished!

Dear Mom,
Cast on February 22, 2009.
Completed January 14, 2011.

This is Veronik Avery's Notre Dame de Grace (scroll down) from Interweave Knits, Summer 2007.

Button from your button box.

I love the way the shoulder shaping and stitch pattern flow into the neck.

The only pattern changes I made were for personal fit. I lengthened the body by 2 inches and shortened the arms by the same amount.

Friday morning was spent much like Thursday morning. I returned some drapery shears (sheers?) I purchased out of desperation and 'just in case' I couldn't find anything better, returned library books, proofed some note cards I am having printed (more on that in another post), returned the fabric swatches and purchased the fabric I will need to make my window treatments, and returned some drapery hardware I purchased in another fabric store- again, another 'just in case' purchase even though they only had 3 of the needed 6. The reason I mention this, is that after making that return, I cheerfully said good bye to the ladies working there and somehow, not exactly sure how, Knitting was mentioned. (Okay. The word first came out of MY MOUTH. Big shock, that one.) I soon found myself giving an impromptu tutorial on double knitting (of which I have done only a minuscule amount) with slippery aluminum double pointed needles and sparkly acrylic yarn. Not that there is anything wrong with either the slippery needles or slippery yarn. I am not such a yarn snob that I can't acknowledge that there is a place for both. They are just not my favorite sort of knitting things. Up to that point my morning was clicking right along, and because I had taken Patsy to daycare I had an afternoon of laundry and spinning planned. If my life had a sound track I would have heard the screeching tire sound of car avoiding collision. I was happy to help, though, and if there is one thing common to knitters it is that we want to share the knitting love.
I did get home, perhaps a good hour later than I'd hoped, to find a Knit Picks package in the mailbox with the needles and yarn I ordered for my SpillyJane mittens. After a short visit with my spinning wheel, and before finishing that sweater, I cast on the first mitten.


Polska

Those are the KnitPicks 6" double pointed needles, size 0. I have their Harmony wood interchangeable needles and love them. This is my first pair of their double points. I already have a set of bamboo size 0's, but they are 8" long and I find that length awkward. They get caught in my sleeves. Anyway, these new needles are wonderful. They are every bit as nice as my favorite set of rosewood sock needles. And the KnitPicks double points come in a set of SIX needles rather than the usual 4 or 5.
After all that activity away from home this week I desperately NEED to catch up here. And when I say need, I don't just mean that the house needs my attention. I also need to be Home.
Love,
Kim