Life's a Stitch

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.

I couldn’t resist. OK it was free with a purchase of $75 at the mall where my office is located. I bought Rent tickets for the family and indulged in two of my favourite things – musical theatre and finding a bargain – a new crochet hook holder, he needs a name.

Gracee’s big nose look. Her nose is pinkish-brown in the winter and black in the summer.

I’m knitting the most boring project possible. My daughter’s boyfirend’s mother was visiting and fell in love with one of my felted bags. She asked me if I’d make her one. I offered to take her to my LYS to pick out colours but she insisted on black; pain black, no texture or anything. So, black it is. It’s the perfect project for mindless knitting in front of a video but it’s a slow go. I did the straps on a corking spool for variety. I’d take a picture but it’s not as cute as dog’s noses.

We’re recently back from vacation. I made the mistake of going on the Mind Bender roller coaster at West Edmonton Mall. What was I thinking? My daughter and I went after chickening out twice on previous visits. It was terrifying and murder on the neck. While my daughter screamed in terror, all I could say was “bad, bad, bad, bad, bad.” Insult to injury – the official photo. You see, gravity works, and my cheeks stretched over my eyes just in time for the camera to click. Not a pretty picture, no way am I posting it. Afterwards I found out that three people have died on it and that it has the highest G-force rating of any roller coaster in the world.

Views from along the way – Mount Robson and Lake Louise, both near the British Columbia-Alberta border.

Prior to leaving I mapped out every knitting shop on our route from Vancouver to Edmonton and back. Managed to hit six of them but was disappointed by those that had changed to limited summer hours or were closed for vacation.

I guess the lesson to be learned by these experiences – do your homework first.

Progress on Rippling Waters:

Is it the destination or the journey that’s important? A couple of years ago you could not have convinced me that I could be happy spending as much time producing eight square inches on teensy needles as producing a square foot on size 17’s. Lace knitting has taught me to enjoy the process. You have to take the time to understand the pattern to enjoy it. Hand painted yarn has only added to the pleasure. I love seeing the developing shapes in each colour.

OK, I am as crazy a knitting woman as my son thinks I am. Sweet boy of 14 saw comments on my first day of blogging and said, “How neat, you’re part of a community.” Smart boy, I thought. He proceeded to say “I can imagine all these old ladies sitting in front of their computers.” This from the boy who thoughtfully knitted his own contribution to the Knitter Critter knitalong. No sense arguing with a 14-year-old. Like knitting, I have to remind myself that I can enjoy the process of growing another teen in my house, and not hold my breath waiting for the hopefully successful product.

I’m learning through experience. I really read the warning before I changed my URL, but decided to take the plunge anyway since I was only one day into it. Apologies to those it inconvenienced, particularly those who kindly linked to me. As Thomas says on his blog – Li is a brand new blogger – be kind.

Stash addition: Pretty pretty stuff, Wool in the Woods Shadows. Rayon – very drapey. In fact when taken off the ball winder it melts into a puddle of rayon. Good news is that yarn so fluid unknots easily. I’ll have to be careful because it probably unknits easily, too. Watch out for dropped stitches. Planning on the Making Tracks shawl by Maggie’s Rags

Closing with Grace, the shaggy raggy version.

Thanks for the nice comments, this is fun!

I’m on a trip to blogland, a very beginner. I’ve been inspired by the bloggers I’ve been following – Sandy, Wendy, Uli, Kate, Caryn and more. When I learn to link to your blogs I will. Thank you, any suggestions would be appreciated.

This is a blog about life and its antidote – knitting. It’s my balance to a complicated life of work and family. See my bio for specifics. Now for the good stuff – what’s on the needles.
It’s a Fiddlestick’s Knitting pattern called Rippling Waters Scarf, using size 3 needles and Cherry Tree Hill Possum (yes, its 40% possum fur) laceweight yarn. In other words, knitting thread on toothpicks. I have become addicted to lace knitting after completing a Charlotte’s Web shawl.

Finally, let me introduce you to Ms. Gracee Mae (formally Ms. Amazin’ Grace), my wheaten coloured Scottish Terrier, whose picture is posted above. Gracee is spelled differently by each member of the family. Only in my family…