Hump Season

We have reached the point in the summer that is equivalent to "hump day".

Last week was the Festival of The Arts.....

It is usually beastly hot, but this time it wasn't. I didn't spend a lot of time there, but I noticed that some of the artwork was way overpriced. I've done beadwork for many years and was stunned at the prices that were being asked for standard and substandard stuff. Maybe that's what I should do in my retirement!!

Yeah, it's global warming....

Maybe I mean global raining. No that is not fog...that is rain. And less than a mile away ..... hail.

My flowers are being pounded into pudding.

This is beginning to be typical. At least I don't have to water.

I'm still here...

... but I've been busy. First weekend of June, I spent here......

That's a paddle boat on the Mississippi. Need another hint?

This is on Chartres Street I think. The weather was HOT and HUMID. OK one more hint

I got to hear Preservation Hall right in Preservation Hall......

Yup, I "conferenced" in New Orleans. I was so excited. I had to prepare a presentation, and that was really stressful, but I was thrilled to be able to visit the "home" of jazz. I tried to get my husband to come, but it turned out I was glad he didn't/couldn't. He would not have been happy....no, not at all. As I said it was hot and humid, and well, let's just say it made the French Quarter, where I was staying, "fragrant". The streets were kinda not well kept (some of the restaurants and shops seemed to just stick their garbage cans and bags out in front on the sidewalks), and many of the shops were well....seedy. I don't know if this is a post Katrina effect or not. One could still see renovations and reconstruction all over. Between the heat and the messiness, and the crowds he would have been miserable.

I loved the people. They are funny and warm and friendly. Maybe it's a southern thing. When I arrived it was around 3:00 pm NOLA time, and I hadn't eaten since the morning. I knew I had a plenary session at 5:00 - 6:30, so it would be a long time to dinner. So I hit the hotel bar and ordered a pound of shrimp and a glass of chardonnay for late lunch. BEST. SHRIMP. EVER! When the bartender asked if I wanted a second glass, I declined telling him I was still "on the clock". He chuckled and said "You're a woman after my own heart. Nothing better, than a glass of wine and steamed shrimp in the afternoon, when you're still on the clock." Everyone I met was like that. At first, to a chilly Yankee, it's a little off-putting, but it's easy to get used to. What was different about the residents, then other southern cities I've visited,

was the energy. Despite the weather, they're fast! They drive like bats outta hell, and they don't seem to have that slow stroll. It's too bad that the streets are filled with crazy tourists. Oh yeah....I've also become an oyster fan....ummmmmm.

And this is my next career....seen outside the St. Louis Cathedral (oldest operating Catholic cathedral in the US). Can you say mixed messages? (Looks just like me.....)

 

Oh yeah, and there was the yarn.......more about that next time.

Color, a day late, and definitely short!

So what would you say if I showed you:

or

or

 

Can you say jewel tones? Rather than "color" I'm attracted to tone. Anything intense, with depth, attracts me. Except for what I've gotten as gifts or in clubs, all the colors I purchase are definitely blues, purples, deep pinks......

Tag: 4kcbwday4

I think this about says it.....

The Occupation of My Brain

 

Oooo Shiny.....

I suspect Monkeys (and crows) love shiny things....thus my attraction to ANY knitting with beads. I've been beading for many, many years, however, when I realized that I can also knit and crochet with beads all bets were off.

If there was ever a mascot project for a Monkey, it would have to include really shiny things. And the good news is that these pieces have an opposite side.

Yup. These bracelets are "two fers". (The second from the left in the upper photo is actually gray, with a teal blue opposite side showing in the bottom photo.)  And the fun just doesn't ever stop - no washing or blocking necessary!

4KCBWDAY2

The House of Monkey

The House of Monkey: Intelligent and with a fun loving side, Monkeys like to be challenged with every project presenting them with something new and interesting.

Makes me sound more intellectual than I am.

I'm supposed to tell readers, why I'm a crafting Monkey.  Well, why else would I knit TWO pink flamingos? Sorry I couldn't find the photo, so you'll have to link to Rav....sigh.

How about these babies.....

Notice one is wearing "earrings" and has eyelashes and "lips". Gifts for my sister and partner.

Now I'm trying to crochet a hexagon bag....but I've not really crocheted anything substantial since, well, seventh grade. But here I'm am making 28 hexagons. Daunting...you bet. But I'm figuring it out.

But when I chose the Monkey, I was thinking more of my state of mind. I feel like I'm all over the place most of the time - and it shows. 

Tag  4KCBWDAY1 You're it!

Blog Week....

I'm going to attempt to take part in the 4th annual blog week. My house is "Monkey". A reflection of my state of mind..........

If you too would like to join in the fun check it out here.

Blog Week Details

How many more times....

.... will we have to think about this?

The view yesterday morning outside the ROTC building on campus. I actually wondered for a brief moment why the flag was lowered.











 ETA: It occurred to me that my post may have sounded rather callous. It wasn't. Allow me to explain. As you may imagine on a campus this size we have US and state flag poles all over the place (along with the requisite Nittany Lion). The featured flag standards are outside the administration building, which I'm sure most of you saw on a daily basis about 18 months ago . Some time ago walking down the mall on campus, I noticed those flags at half staff. I was puzzled.  After a little research I found that our Governor will occasionally declare a day in honor of a state resident military person who lost  his/her life while serving. All the flags in the state are lowered to half staff for that day. I don't know how these individuals are chosen for the honor, nor how often it happens, but I think it is a lovely gesture. So momentarily on Monday, I wondered whose "day" it was. Unfortunately, the reality was truly much more grim.

Dear Blog,

I think of you every day, yet, I never take the time to write.

So this is a quickie:

In our house we've been plagued with colds and sinus issues. Two rounds of antibiotics and steroids each. And one of us is still hacking.

As the two readers of this page may recall, I'm a big ballet fan. I've been a season ticket holder (that's patron) to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater for thirty(!) years. I'm a believer in supporting the arts you love - be it professional wrestling, jazz, or whatever. Our ballet is incredibly flexible in their season ticket holder policies. So when my mother-in-law passed away, and we just didn't feel like Giselle ten days later (even though it's my DH favorite - he has a "thing" for the Willis), we exchanged the tickets for another performance and gave them as a Christmas gift. Well, two weeks ago the creeping crud invaded out home. See above, and we didn't feel up to traveling. So I exchanged another set of tickets for the following weekend. We were packed and ready to travel Saturday (tickets were for Sunday). However, when I got up Saturday morning, we were in the middle of a snowstorm. A full blown snow storm, not the predicted flurries. So reluctantly we changed plans (you may add "yet again" here). We'd drive right to the theater on Sunday, stay overnight, and drive home Monday. The weather looked promising. Fast forward to early Sunday morning. First thing I did was to look up the weather and what did I see? A travel advisory for our entire route!!!!!???? Not for Sunday, but for Monday. That meant that we'd certainly be able to get there, but coming back was going to be a problem. As we discussed the possibility of it not being a serious advisory....it changed. Now it was a severe weather warning. So, here we are, all packed up and no where to go. Fortunately, the box office and ballet theater allowed me to swap these tickets for the final performance in April, when there is no possibility of snow - even in Central PA. At least none that will stick around. But I now have four tickets to Cinderella (with the PBT Orchestra). Anyone want to buy 2 excellent seats to Cinderella? This has not been a good year for traveling...or ballet for us.

Lastly, I'd like to share some gratuitous knitting content. My Wurm (not Raveled yet, I need a better photo). LOVE. IT. Even though it's getting a little to warm to wear it, says the woman who lives where it is currently 25 degrees.

 I used a worsted superwash called Giusto, dyed by an indie dyer Altobish. Sadly, she has given up dying yarn and has gone back to teaching viola and violin full time. I say sadly because this yarn was to die (pun intended) for. I actually bought two more skeins. It only took one to make the hat, so I have another skein in the blue, and one in spring green. It was great to knit with and I have a feeling it's going to wear like iron, which is really good. I'm not particularly gentle with my knitwear.

 Then there is this. This is Four Play, in the Gypsy Heart colorway. I find it fascinating that the skein looks so much different than the cake, which knits up totally differently in the scarf. Scrunchable Scarf,  that is. With the busy variegation, I wanted something that would be poofy, yet I didn't think cables would be a good choice. And it looks even more different than in the photo because I changed the cast on. What is in the photo is 32. I upped it to 38 (multiples of 3, +2 for selvage) and found the flashing and pooling overwhelming and repetitive. So  settled on 35 and that seems to have worked better. A 3 stitch difference really mattered.  I just love these simple yet lovely patterns. They let the yarn shine. And if you ever get the chance to snap up some Four Play, do it. You will not be disappointed. Srsly.

Knitting Content!

I may be incapable of writing a blog post for our Institute, but that's probably because they won't let me put knitting content on our blog. I have no such trouble here. Many of the folks I've followed, write about losing their knitting "mojo". Much to my chagrin....I've only lost "mojo" for very short periods, and only after an intense burst, like Christmas. After banging out a series of complex beaded ornaments several years ago, I couldn't even visualize a bead project. Clearly, my creativity (and brain) was exhausted. I think that because I don't push like that any more, I'm finding whatever I'm doing way more enjoyable. And if I don't feel like stitching on a particular day, I don't. I've even read a book. 

Which brings me to today, though I'm not the queen of the Finished Object (that distinction belongs to Chrisknits.  You go!) I do have two FOs with which I am well pleased.....

My Parcheesi Blankie:

Raveled here.

You can get all the details. This was a long time in the knitting, but that really didn't fuss me much.

It's nice to have it finished though, so I can use it. I didn't wash or block it, just curled up under it. It is very warm, and this is a nice time of year to have a new blanket.











Then there's Color Affection:

Also Raveled. Get the details. If you're interested.

This was my first experience with Madtosh light, and I really LOVED. IT.

Toward the end I was tired of the fussiness of carrying the three colors along the edge. But it wasn't all that long, and the results were worth it. I only wish I could have thought of a nicer finish for that edge, but other than applying i-cord, which I was just not in the mood to do, I can't think of anything. I'll wear it asis, and if I feel I need a better edge, I can always go ahead and add i-cord, probably in the Grasshopper color.





And now I'm in the market for a new scarf. My dearest got me a new [short] down jacket for Valentine's Day (we are nothing if not practical), in a lovely plummy color, and though I have a scarf that will suffice, I'm thinking I'd like something warmer. One of my favorite scarves is the simple and brilliant Noro Striped Scarf, which seems to go with everything I own, but I was thinking of something different. I think I've settled on the deceptively simple Scrunchable Scarf. I have some Brooks Farm Four Play in my stash, that I've had FOREVER, in Gypsy Heart, and I think the kettle dyed yarn will work fine in the simple stitch pattern, and be warm to boot. Four Play has silk in it, so I'd expect it to be warm and cozy. I was originally thinking of a Clapotis, which I've knit before [twice] and love, but because it is a little like a shawl/scarf, I was thinking it might be too "much" for a casual coat. The other candidate was the Instant Gratification scarf. But the original pattern was knit in super bulky, and is an open stitch, and Four Play is 10 ply worsted/aran, so I'm not sure it would be "fluffy enough". Besides, I think I have a skein of Ester Bitran Hand-Dyes Talinay that will be perfect for Instant Gratification, and would be a divine Christmas gift. Sadly, this yarn is discontinued, so an orphan skein might be the perfect use for this pattern. You can see my Talinay used here. So either I'll have a scarf to go with the hat or I can cannibalize the hat (though I love the pattern it is a little silly looking when I wear it, which I do! And I seem to have a hat fitting issue which I will address in a future posting.)

Yes, Christmas 2013. Lately, when I've made samples and examples for my knitting classes, and when I finish a piece that I've done before, I'm putting it aside as a gift. I've got two put aside so far and the Instant Gratification scarf, looks like it might be another volunteer - though it isn't a class sample. It also uses up some of the (discontinued) stash that will otherwise remain sitting around (now I'm wondering if I have any leftovers from another project...hummmm).  Looks like a win-win to me.

The state of ol' State.

Living in a college town does bring with it both challenges and advantages. There are sporting events, philanthropy events, academic events, arts festivals, concerts, administrator trials (oops, that might just be here), and then there are drunken events. None of the first few actually classify as "drinking events" even though some imbibing may occur. Except for this:

http://www.centredaily.com/2013/02/22/3511453/our-view-to-state-pattys-participants.html

This is strictly an excuse to wear green and get publicly wasted en masse. It is both maddening and frustrating. If you want to have wine with dinner tomorrow....well, get it today. Any place that sells alcohol, will be closed up tighter than a drum. And even though I had/have no plans to go out tomorrow, it annoys me anyway. And don't get me started on the municipal costs....it is simply too painful to contemplate.

Juxtapose that with this story  from the front page of the morning paper........ we may not have cattle rustling, but goat rustling is alive and well........

I'm still kickin'

 This has been a busy month. Classes started back up, there were family issues to resolve, we have a statewide workshop at the conference center tomorrow (Not even speaking to the staff assistant today, she's very dangerous. I may buy her a cupcake though.). The weather has been very cold - single digits during the day. Cold enough for parkas, and cold enough for me to knit this:

It's a Honey Cowl, and my, my, my, it was a wonderful knit.

My version is made with Filatura Di Crosa Yarn, Zara (a stash yarn from a now closed yarn store - RIP Knit Wits, Greensburg, I miss you!) a fine superwash merino, and a pleasure to knit with. I didn't realize it was a superwash until I tried to spit splice it, with no luck. I spit and rubbed, and spit and rubbed, to no avail. I ended up knotting it, then reading the label. Sigh. It's backwards I am.

Anyway, love the pattern, loved the mindless knitting, just what I needed. Too bad I couldn't give it the time I wanted to and now that it's finished the temp has risen to 56 degrees TODAY. A little too warm for a wool cowl. I have no fear that there will be other opportunities to wear my creation, though.  This is January, heading into February. And this is Central Pennsylvania. And no, these swings in temperature are not global warming - as I was told by a transplanted Seattle-ite. If you've lived around these here parts long enough you remember the 4 feet of snow one Friday in March, and the 60 degree temperatures the next. Or the time when it was -18 F (or thereabouts) for about a week (not wind chill), and we couldn't do laundry because the hoses froze. The next week it had rebounded to the more normal, and tropical feeling 30s. So all I have to do is wait.

Here's a closeup:

Can't you just feel how fluffy it is?

I'll eventually Ravel it. But there really isn't much more to say.

Pattern is free....go do it.











And I have another finished object waiting in the wings! But it will just have to keep waiting until another day. Probably not tomorrow because we will be entertaining nearly 200 "guests". I hope the bar is open early......

They're back!!

And it's about time!

I can't think of a good title for this post.

I'm usually dynamite at thinking of "sexy" titles for our workshops, programs and institutional blog postings, but today folks, I got nothin'.

Marcella's passing knocked the stuffing out of us. We simply lost the ability to focus. Both of us. Her son, which was to be expected, but me too, which was a surprise - to me at least. My sister, who spent 30 years as a nurse, and who is also a pragmatist by training, doesn't get it. "She was 93. She lived a great life. She didn't suffer", she told me these things over and over, to no avail. But I figured out. It doesn't matter. When someone you cared about deeply for over 30 years is gone, it leaves a hole in your life. Double that for my husband and siblings and I cannot imagine. So we've just been getting by. Our 25th anniversary came and went, and though we recognized it, we still haven't exchanged the very special gifts we have for each other. Partially it was emergency dental work, then the flu, at precisely the wrong time, but I also don't think we had the heart for it.

Then there was the very disappointing election. I'm still stunned by a country who can elect someone who made every facet of this country worse. It isn't simply that he accomplished nothing. He made it worse, with the most deceitful administration I've ever heard of or studied (and I lived through Nixon). We, personally, are on the precipice (I'm not using the word cliff deliberately) of massive health care issues (e.g., won't be able to afford our co-pays), in 2013. I'm still wondering who actually can afford the "Affordable Health Care". But don't worry, I can get free birth control pills. (I hear the hormones make good plant food. The only purpose they would serve for me.)  I feel a rant coming on so I'll stop now.

We are just catching up. Seriously. We just figured out where we will be spending Christmas. One of our families isn't happy. (Sorry Mom.) I spent the last week fussing about what to send our teenage nephews for gifts. Husband finally settled it, with one word "check".

Last year it was a town in turmoil. This year, it is all personal turmoil.

Nonetheless here are some scenes that deserve to be preserved:

An office Christmas tree (that we were discouraged from erecting last year) that each day had homemade "treats" appear on it and in it - including loaves of sweet bread. (I was beginning to be afraid of that tree.)

A Christmas party for the knitting teachers from the LYS where the owners gave everyone Nameste Better Buddies (mine is eggplant).

An SUV driving down Beaver Avenue with a red nose on the front and reindeer horns attached to the windows. 

The barista at my local coffee shop tickled to death that her finals are over.

A concert of Duke Ellington's Nutcracker arrangements.

So all is not bleak. At the grocery store, the checkout person was chatting with the customer in front of me waxing poetic about how it will be nice "to get the town back" for a little while. I agree.

We just need to remember the meaning of the holiday, and get our feet under us again in 2013. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone. We start again in 2013.

The highest compliment ....

I always thought the highest compliment a knitter could get was a request for a hand knit item, then to see it well used and well loved.

Well, I just got the highest compliment I could imagine. My dear mother-in-law left this earth to meet her maker wearing a pair of my hand knit socks. She will have warm feet for eternity. Makes me tear up to think of it.

And if that wasn't enough, her daughter gave me another pair that I had knit for her, that she wore so much there was a hole in the toe of one sock. She asked if I could repair it. Well, you bet I can, and I'll make the pair a little longer so the daughter can wear them.

Life suspended.

Remember this lovely lady?

http://knitnbead.blogspot.com/2009/01/this-is-how-i-want-to-be.html

We lost her today. She was at home and peaceful, surrounded by her family, including her husband of 66 years. 

She led a long, fruitful, and feisty life. We should all be this lucky.

I'll always be grateful to have been lucky enough to have been part of her family.

Rest in peace, dear Marcella.

I'm so embarassed ....

Think about how close this country came to having this idiot as president.

The altitude? Come on! Really?

Scary isn't it?

Probably shouldn't admit this, but I voted for this chump. What was I thinking?

It's been a while.

Like months awhile. I wish I knew why, but most likely because I'm just baffled and disheartened. This country is in the worst shape it's been in since I've been an adult. There is real data all over the place that illustrates it. Yet, stubbornly, 40some percent of the country seems to think that the policies that are being put forth are not to blame.

It's pretty simple for me. The presidency is a performance based business. If the guy we hired isn't performing....pink slip. And it's more than just not performing. It's that the policies going forward have no hope of succeeding and every indication of making it worse. How can I say that? Because they've made it desperately worse, not better...not even slightly better. Not even light at the end of the tunnel (that's probably a train) better. But apparently that's OK with the folks who are too busy watching Dancing with the Stars and Hell's Kitchen.

And to everyone who wants to tell me that "things were worse than they thought, so it needs more work", well I have one thing to say. PROVE IT. Show me some data that will prove that simply allowing our very flexible economy to recover on it's own wouldn't have been a better, more cost effective, option and I might consider this contention. As opposed to incurring a 16 Trillion debt that reaped nothing of value. I'd love to see someone do that.
 

What I did on my summer "vacation".

I knit Wendy Knits' Mystery Shawlette, after the KAL was over. Why? I dunno. I had about 500 yards of my Filigran lace weight left over from my Jellyfish, and decided I'd use it up. I nearly did. I probably have about 20 yards left over. It was quite a nice knit even for the car. I made a few mods to accommodate the transition from fingering to 2 ply lace, but it's still good. If I could wave my magic wand I'd make it longer rather than deeper, but that's hard to judge in progress.

If you look closely, you can see beads at the bottom. You had the option of beads or nupps. Because I have more beads than your local bead store, I used beads. They are "tiny tims". Tear drops to most of the rest of the planet. But they were a little fussy to set because of the fineness of the yarn and the openness of the pattern, and I was glad to be done with them. seriously.

Anyway here it is, a back view (why don't I comb my hair?) 

And then opened flat. I'll probably wear it like a scarf, as soon as the weather chills slightly.

I tried to get a close up of the beads, but for some reason my camera just refused to cooperate.

And I now have a taste to knit in more lace weight.

During our travels we spent a little time in Ligonier, PA. You may recall we went to Fort Ligonier last fall. It's pretty in the summer too. That's the town square with the gazebo.






And, just in case I didn't mention it before, there are TWO yarn stores within a two block radius - Bo-Peep Fine Yarns and Kathy's Kreations. It is like dying and going to heaven. I bought some lace weight, stitch markers and Kitty Snips (to go with my Puppy Snips). It was lovely, but too hot to do more than meander around. And both shops were waiting for their winter stock, so were a little light on the wool. I've been told that this is the slowest time of year for yarn stores. I'm guessing that there aren't many of us who like to have a lap full of wool in 90 degree heat, even if it is lace weight. I purchased this:



Yes, more lace weight, and I'm thinking of using it for Natessa. This pattern just spoke to me immediately, and the Manos....ummmm...baby alpaca, silk and cashmere....what could be softer.








However, I have I don't know how many things queued before I start this, as well as three projects that need to be moved along. I'm trying to do that now - but the Manos and Natessa...... 

In other news, the students are trickling in, we'll get the full bore invasion next week. Because of the events of the past year, spiking in the past two months, we haven't felt like we've had any down time at all. It has been so stressful around here, the University is even holding group therapy sessions for employees. I wish I was kidding.

And look who followed me home, along with the Manos, from Ligonier. I suspect this may be one of those generational things. Anyone recognize this sweet face?

It certainly was a "sheepy" trip.