Life's a Stitch

Think Gilda Radner’s Emily Litella voice: “What’s this fuss I hear about change management?” The task of managing change has become a money maker and change has provided an arena for recreational whining. I’m generally from the I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, get a grip camp. HELLO, change is a part of life, make the best of it, roll with the punches and all of those clichés.

So, back to the home front. In a blink of an eye, I have been demoted to the shortest being in the house besides the Scottie body, and last night, for the first time, outnumbered by males. I been used to two daughters, a female foreign student, me, and the two guys. That makes it 4 to 2, not counting the dog. Last night with the daughters at school, the Swiss Miss on a tour of the Rockies, and Mari’s newly unemployed boyfriend camping out at our place, exchanging brute labour helping with the Great Wall for a couple of home cooked meals, I was outnumbered, 3 to 1. “It’s not like it used to be,” she whined. When I talk to the others in my house I have to look up. The toilet seats are consistently up and the entry is full of huge shoes.

“What’s this I hear about change management? Oh, never mind.”

Lots of good knitting happening. I’m particularly excited about my felted brimmed hat made out of Cascade 220 Tweed in a charcoal grey.

I’m beginning to think I dreamed up that yarn with the little balls of snow (see October 21st.). I was sure I saw it at a particular knit shop, but even they were at a loss to suggest what it might be. It bugs me, next time I’ll write it down. At the time, though, I didn’t think I wanted to use it for anything so there was no motivation to remember it.

I love the expression “knits up fast.” In my experience the yarn is as fast as the knitter and is a function of the weight and loft of the fibre. So knits up fast must mean it’s loftier than most. I’m looking for sock yarn that knits up fast. No such animal. How about a lace weight? Keep dreaming, Li.

But Paton’s Divine fit the bill. That was definitely yarn that knit up fast. Three skeins later, a magical fluffy poncho! My friend Marsha, bought the same in an apricot colour, which is a beautiful colour on her. Her poncho will look like fluffy clouds from a BC November sunset.

I know it’s Monday because I’m all charged up. My cell phone, Chuck’s cell, my PDA, the digital camera, the laptop… When I designed our renovation I had no idea how many wall outlets I should have planned. Those were the days before we owned any of that stuff. That’s what I like about knitting, it’s so simple, mostly portable, and doesn’t plug into a wall.

I can’t believe a cell phone is so much a part of my life. I’ve referred to it in three postings. I don’t use it all that often, like the woman I see every day, walking her three golden retrievers, phone permanently attached to her ear.

My cell phone bucks like a chicken. Buck buck buck buck buck buck, buaaaak buck buck buck. Repeat. I like it, my kids think I’m nuts. They like my lame play on words even less, “Where’s my buckin phone?” For my last b-day my son got me New York, New York for my ring tone. It was a good fit being from New York. At knit night, a mom of a toddler has a recording of her child screaming “Mom, your phone is ringing, pick up your phone.” Very cute. This all seems so out of character since I’m not generally one who goes for cutesy. I think of me as very practical. But then again, I have a phone that bucks.

Weekend knitting included my GGH Fee scarf.

Thanks for all the good wishes for my MRI. Call me a sick puppy, I found it relaxing. Having had two glasses of wine I laid back and listened to white noise. I find the dentist relaxing, too, once past the injection. I took your advice and treated myself to some yarn. Photos later this week; a fleece artists scarf and Cascade for a felted brimmed hat. And thanks to Stephanie, Melissa and Megan for the ROAK e-cards. I really appreciate those bright spots in my day.

Mr. Kissing Booth won first prize in the costume contest at school.

Food – I love to buy it, I love to cook it, I love to eat it, I love to serve it. Melty, cheesy, salty, spicy, crunchy, savoury, beefy, fresh and fishy, still dripping with seawater. But not sweet. I don’t have a sweet tooth, thank goodness. I worry about my love affair with food.

The photo is of a girl’s night my daughter hosted this summer. I was invited. Those are pathetically small lobsters they sell here for $8.99 Cdn every June. They were very good, but I sure miss the East Coast for lobster.

Yarn, I love yarn… Uh-oh, here she goes again. Squishy, fragrant, feltable, soft, softer, hairy, shiny metallic, full of colour. Hey, I’m a poet and didn’t know it. OK you beatniks, click those fingers.

OK, I haven’t totally lost it. It is nerves talking before an MRI. I have a date this evening for a Friday night MRI, a plea bargain in the socialized medicine world. If you come in on a Friday night, we’ll get you in a couple of weeks early.

Look what arrived today! That is 14 pallets of grown up Legos for our retaining wall. Taking bets on how long this will take.

Have a good weekend and a fun Halloween. Bryant, the 14-yr-old, had to wear a costume to school yesterday. He went dressed up as a kissing booth. This is at the school that didn’t approve of the devil hat. He has fun stretching the limits.

That describes tonight. My knitting toys are one of the most organized parts of my life. It provides balance to some of my other parts. When I discovered that I owned two pairs of Addi Turbos , size 3, 32 inch length, I felt out of control of my knitting life. How could I have bought two pairs of the same expensive needle? How many other duplicates did I have? That did it. I decided to frog everything I had no intentions finishing in order to recover MIA needles. I stopped at the chenille sweater, but managed to decimate three baby booties and a pair of slippers. It was cathartic. Tomorrow – the inventory. I look at it this way – an opportunity to find out what needles I need to buy.

A more constructive project, the official Caryl’s kerchief protrait:

Poor Gracee Mae was stung by a bee right above her left eye. I grew up with a schnauzer and a retired Naval officer Dad. Now there’s a combination. My dad taught the dog to salute. The will make sense, I promise. Gracee tired herself out saluting today, actually swatting at her sting for a good portion of the day. Poor girl managed to nap.

The guys disturbed a bee’s nest while excavating for their adult Lego project, the Allen block retaining wall around our house. Chuck keeps adding to the design and I’m beginning to shift from thinking of it as the big Lego project to construction of the Great Wall. Yesterday they moved a boulder using a series of pipes to roll it away. I now have insight as to how the pyramids were built.

I’m nearing completion of Mari’s poncho, a quick and easy project. These photos don’t do it any justice. Can wait to get it off the needles:

Caryl’s kerchief is blocking. This was an overall good project. I really enjoyed the beading part however fiddly. A one skein wonder, this is. An impressive gift at a reasonable price. There will be more in my future.

Afterthoughts: next time I would knit the last row in a size larger needle. I didn’t get the winged effect that is pictured in the pattern and I think part of that is due to the tight bind off row. Even with a size larger needle, with the beading, it is really tight. I don’t know if I’ve ever knitted something without “what would I do differently next time” afterthoughts.

After this first Koigu experience I am getting excited about the prospect of Charlotte #2. I will do this one larger, on larger needles, and will bead the edge instead of using fringe. It’s time consuming but oh so elegant.

It’s a typical Pacific Northwest day. Hey Sandy, look at my sky! It’s like this from October through June, mostly. Boy, dog and I just did our trail walk. Boy on bike, dog faithfully following. See soggy dog:

When I was a child my favourite book was about Scuppers the sailor dog (by Margaret Wise Brown). I think there is a similarity.

This kind of day calls for comfort food. Here’s my recipe for the best ever comfort pot roast:
Two or four lbs of round roast, rubbed with garlic and browned in oil. For each two pounds, mix together one packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix and a jar of junior apricot baby food. Place roast in dutch oven, and cover with “sauce.” Cover and cook in 325 degree oven for two hours (for 2lb roast) or 2.5 hours for 4lb roast. It makes its own beautiful gravy. Serve with steamed veggies and potatoes.
As they say in the real estate world: this is not a drive by. It may sound weird, but turns out incredibly well. We’re finishing with rice pudding; comfort times two.

Have to complete the day with comfort knitting. Mari’s Poncho is coming along. It will be perfect for days like today when she’s stuck with cafeteria food instead of comfort food.

I’m having fun. I try not to take on things that aren’t fun or cause undue stress. Blogging has been a very positive experience. Like other things in my life I’ve had to make sacrifices to keep it manageable. As a person who has some training in design it was a step backwards to go with a template style blog service. But with full time work, health, and life in general, it’s an easy way to accomplish a goal I’ve had for a while. Thanks to all who are reading; I’ve met wonderful people.

This blog is about knitting, so here is a progress shot. This project is a pleasure. Once again, Caryl’s kerchief:

We’ve just had another power outage and the house is full of blinky electronics. Just as it came on my phone rang and it was Jo-Anne, from Four Seasons Knitting in Toronto, with her personal picks of colours in Koigu for my Christmas knitting projects. That was a treat.

Chuck and I were reminiscing today about some of our more recent exciting times. The subject of his finger’s close encounter with the band saw came up. He says, “I didn’t hear your reaction when the kids came in to tell you that you needed to take me to emergency. Did you say ‘Just a minute, I have to finish this row?’ ” If I had heard this conversation elsewhere I would have thought someone was feeling neglected, however, this is his sense of humour and we both got a good laugh.

I’m searching for a yarn and I don’t have a name for it or know its content. I saw it once but didn’t have a project in mind. Now I do. Can anyone help me out? It looks like it has tiny balls of snow on it. This is like going into a book store and asking for a book without a title or author. Help?

My orchid has bloomed! In the garden my thumb is purple, however, I have had success with orchids in-doors. This is my Dancing Lady Orchid (Yellow Oncidium). It took three years to get it to bloom a second time, but now it’s into its fourth bloom. I’ve discovered the right combination of once per week watering, Shultz liquid plant food and a south-west exposure.

That yellow will look pretty with my progress on Caryl’s kerchief:

Bryant just came home from a school dance. Times have changed. Dance tickets are $7. There’s a cop at the door with a breathalyser. Bryant says girls sneak in alcohol in zip lock bags in their bras. Actually, his school is pretty tame.

Some things haven’t changed – the boys still smell good. Today it’s Axe instead of English Leather. I’ve loved having teens; a stage of life I thought I’d dread. It’s not over yet…