Life's a Stitch

Besides the start of incessant rain there are other ways to tell fall is here in BC. Without many deciduous trees we don’t get the spectacular colour I was used to, being brought up ion the East Coast.

There is a river about five blocks from our house. You can’t see it because it is situated in the forest. Around the last week in September you can see the mist rising from between the trees. It looks like curls of white smoke; a sure sign of autumn. Another hint is that the ornamental grasses are in full bloom. I have a purple thumb, so my garden is nothing to write home about, but my grasses are easy and reliable.

And some time in October, the mountains called the Lions, which are situated on the North Shore and guard Vancouver, get their first snow. One year we decided to investigate this frosting of snow and upon arriving at the top of the mountain, found it was actually two feet deep.

I’m knitting a fall scarf out of Mountain Colors Bearfoot. I misplaced the label so I can ‘t tell you the official name, but it might be Indian Corn, perfect for the season:

Every morning just before 8:00 a group of girls walks past our house on their way to school. I figure they are about 14 years old, you can tell by their giggling. The sound makes me happy. I remember being that age, sitting with my friends under a tree playing cards all day listening to records on a portable record player that was covered with orange and pink psychedelic flowers. Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Monkees, the Turtles; oops, I date myself. I bet we sounded like those girls. It was like a scene from the movie Now and Then. We all had our more serious life troubles but the times under that tree provided balance to our lives. Hmmmm…sounds like a knitting group I know. Looking for a “w” word for a good alliteration describing a group of women. A Wisdom of Women, a Waggle of Women, A Wonder of Women, A Wither of Women (that sounds terrible, but sometimes I feel that way).

Woke up to a house without power yesterday and no diet coke. Poor me. Why, when the power is out do you do things without thinking? I went to my computer thinking since I can’t do laundry I’d spend some time reading blogs. After 3 ½ hours the power came back on and my computer appears to be fried. Thanks goodness we have a spare.

While the lights were out…I attempted to knit. I’ve frogged all my progress from today. Note to self – do not knit without proper lighting. The knitting was interesting. It was the Ripple Scarf in its last phase – the bottom edging. In the beginning you knit a five inch edging in one direction. When it was done, you turn it and pick up stitches for the rest of the scarf.

Still with me? After the body of the scarf is done these are the directions: “The second lace edging is knit sideways to the body and knitted together with the live stitches on the needle on odd-numbered rows.” Sounds like a strange process, but it works if the lighting is good. This Fiddlesticks pattern, designed by Dorothy Siemens, is so clearly written. It’s a pleasure. So here is where I am:

Actually I’m not really there, this was before the frogging. Those stitches were so live, they kept jumping off the needle. I’m almost here and quite ready to have this project over with. When I feel that way I invite mistakes. Hope to have a blocking photo by the end of the week.

One of my favourite knitting tools are my rubber needle end tips. They are known in my house as my little red nipples. Trouble is Ms. Gracee likes them as well and we find them in the yard after they have been “recycled.” Today I went to my LYS and bought new ones and they’ve changed the colour. Little yellow nipples don’t have the same impact.

At my LYS they have a deal where you can purchase a lifetime membership for $65 allowing you to come knit any time they’re open and receive unlimited coaching. Unfortunately the only time I can make it is the one evening they are open and Saturdays. It’s a pretty good deal and you can use yarn not purchased at their shop. They’re smart figuring you will buy something there eventually. My other LYS has changed their knit night policy. Used to be you could knit one evening per week for free as long as you were using yarn purchased at their store. This is a bookstore that put in a few bookshelves of yarn so the selection is slim. They have just introduced a new scheme – pay $60 for six visits to be used during a set period of time (you don’t have to use their yarn). For now I’m on a limited budget with two kids away at college. So here’s the choice: a lifetime of knitting for $65 or $10 per visit. Wonder which one works for me?

TaDa – it’s finished. I really liked the way it turned out, especially the corked straps. I added some eyelash yarn to the top rim to make it a little more interesting:

I knit four of these. They were dubbed “the Koosh Ball Scarf” by my sister-in-law. I used Funny Yarn paired with Paton’s boucle. The boucle falls to the back and this is what you get:

A close-up:

As I’m writing this the not-very-interesting black bag is felting. Or not. This one is taking longer than usual. I think the water isn’t hot enough.

I frequently wake up in the middle of the night, usually with endless loop type of thoughts circulating through my brain. Primarily work, but last night a new endless loop – blogging. I guess that means its part of my life now. I came up with several blog subjects but can I remember them? Maybe one. I’m sure they’ll come back and they’ll appear here in the future.

I knit, my husband turns wood. Knitting is far more reasonable money wise and much safer. Chuck had his new band saw one day and off we were to emergency for five stitches. I wonder how many ER’s see people the day they first use a new tool. He’s lucky to have fingers. The weird thing is that he has no recollection of how it happened. He can’t learn by his mistake since he can’t remember making one.

The most dangerous thing I’ve done knitting is cutting a steek with really really sharp scissors. In fact I bought them for the occasion. Here I am with my Gingher scissors:

The finished product is a Philosopher’s Wool Fair Isle, a combination of the Colour Your Own and the Kilim Jacket patterns. I did it in jewel tones. I need to take a good picture of it. When I look at my stash how come most everything is in jewel tones? I need to branch out.

Rent was good last night despite feeling ill. The nine times I sneezed were at loud points in the play so the only ones who were really disturbed were my own kids sitting directly in front of us. We buy tickets that way, sitting the kids in front of us so that we are not spread out across a long row.

Rent gets you thinking about life and its alternative. This past year or so saw four former co-workers die at an early age (for me that’s 60 or under). Then recently I met a woman whose cancer went into her spine. She explained to me that she really wanted to see Northern British Columbia “before I leave this world.” I thought a lot about it, what would I like to see before I leave this world? Besides seeing family members the only thing I’d like to see is an organized house. Years of three children, full time work and 50 consecutive foreign students have left my house in disarray. Funny thing, my office kind of looks that way, too. I call it task oriented clutter; organized chaos. So, I started. I sorted all my knitting patterns into binders. Barely made a dent. I used to have the policy that any time I brought an item to live at my house I’d have to get rid of an item of equal bulk. That worked until we moved into a larger house and there was space to fill. I’m not giving up, but I have to find a system. Suggestions appreciated.

Now that’s the life:

Knitting progress – the not so interesting black bag in its pre-felted state. I chose to do smaller gussets since the bag was shorter due to a yarn shortage:

My husband came back from visiting his family in Minnesota and brought me back a souvenir – his sore throaty fluey thing. This is not good, we have tickets to Rent tonight and I’m determined to go. I’m not one to give into stuff like this. I have a friend who was in the Peace Corps and the Dr told them unless you have a fever, are known to be contagious, are throwing up or having major diarrhoea (that must be the Canadian spelling), don’t call in sick. You’ll feel fine by noon. It usually works. The one thing that feels really good is an ice cold Diet Coke, from a can, with lots of fizzy bubbles to scratch the itchy throat. It hurts so good.

Canadian knitters – what is the deal with Koigu in Canada? Do you have a good source in BC or by mail order? The stuff comes from Canada but I can only seem to get it in the States. I e-mailed them once to ask but never received a reply. I have a small stash, a Charlotte in waiting, but I need a blue to balance my jewel tones. I have one on order but I get impatient. I also have a Caryl’s kerchief in the wings. Everyone raves about Koigu and I can’t wait to start.

My favourite source of US Koigu: Mary Hughes at Foxyknits. She takes the time to discuss colours and find the perfect match for your project.

I was counselled by those who know, that I should spell that three letter word with an asterisk, as in s*x. I was cautioned that I was taking a risk publishing a post that has the words s*x, nun, position, bitch and lay in it. Believe me, it’s all innocent. So, here goes…

My son has picked out several items for me to knit him from the Stitch and Bitch book. The devil hat was his first choice. I changed the design to include black felt horns and tails stuffed with batting. He loved it. Unfortunately his Catholic school didn’t. I warned him in advance of the possibility. It surprised me a little. When I was in Catholic school we used to go trick or treating to the convent. One year, dressed as the devil, I hoped for some reaction from the nuns. They loved it, one commenting that I must have been burning in hell for a long time. The offending hat:

Looking back it was a progressive diocese in New York. We had Sister Barbara Sweet, an advocate at the national level for s*x education in schools. So we had s*x ed in ninth and 12th grade – as we used to say, “before you needed it and when it was too late.” It was taught by lay teachers, interesting choice of words for the position. It was an attempt anyway. I remember the teacher telling us that we shouldn’t have too many kids because our uterus would fall out after seven or so. Another teacher told us that our periods would stop at about age 45. She lied.

I sometimes get a knot in my right shoulder from knitting and mousing. One of my co-workers introduced me to this:

It’s a stretchy little miracle – the Body Rite Posture Pleaser. Put it on and voila, the pain goes away. It also helps your posture in general. Approved by my chiropractor, I highly recommend it. The best price I’ve found has been at Joann.com. I wear mine a little higher than pictured.

This doesn’t help the shoulder much:

I have a knot in my stomach having sent daughter #2 off to her second year at the University of Victoria. I’m comforted by the fact that it’s not too far away although getting home takes her longer than it does for daughter#1 who is much farther away. Mari’s trip involves a time consuming, albeit beautiful ferry ride, Elina usually flies from Edmonton.

Better knit that knot away.