I should be vaccuuming

It's the day before my friend and her boys arrive for their visit and I still have some work to do. I'm not going to try to make the house perfect, that notion disappeared three kids ago, but I want her to feel welcome in our home, not welcome to a disaster area.

But instead, the house is quiet, the kids are finishing a movie they started last night and it got too late to finish, I'm sitting here in my little (very old) chair, checking what I usually check on the internet, sipping coffee and starting baby booties. John affectionately dubbed my little corner "the lair of the knitting lady" a while back. Where do they get that stuff?





I don't have a separate studio (oh how I would love a studio), but rather this corner of our bedroom with my chair, shelves and the computer. There is another duplicate set of shelves in the hallway. That's it. That's where all my knitting things reside. Finished products and what I haul to shows and markets are in big plastic bins (cat proof) inconpsicuously between the wall and bookshelves in the sitting room with the woodstove downstairs. Since knitting is portable, the entire house then becomes my work area. I can even take it outside, so I guess I should be thankful that I'm not confined to just one spot.


The yarn I'm using is that which was designated for my second sundance sweater. Remember that from a month or two ago? I hereby will no longer complain about never knitting anything for myself. I had the yarn, I even started the project, but it stalled just long enough for me to become uninspired. Then the though crept in: oh what beautiful baby hats and booties all that yarn would make! So I started last night:





My first knitting love is the baby hat. So simple yet so pleasing. This one will eventually be embellished, either with a simple applique from my girls old outgrown cotton dresses, or perhaps some soft pink polka dots, I have yet to decide. There will be a boy version as well. I have plenty of yarn.


Now you see why I HAD to start a knitting business. My kids are no longer babies. I love making baby hats and booties. There aren't enough people getting pregnant around me to keep up with the number of hats and booties I want to make. Simple solution: sell them. From this I've learned a important point, that perhaps what I'm really after IS the process, not the product. Whew, that's a relief.


Enough introspection, I need to now show you that I'm not the only crafty one in the house. Recently Kevin has taken up tying flies. It was a shocker to me too, especially since he generally poo-pooed the whole fly fishing genre, that was until he received a really nice fly rod from his dad last year at Christmas. He's slowly warmed to the idea and the fly tying is a natural progression. When he asked me if I had an extra crochet hook he could have I nearly fell over laughing. "You see," he said, "there's alot of similarity between what you do and tying flies. All these old guys who tie flies have wives at home who knit and crochet and they borrow their things." I'm dumbfounded. Those of you who know Kevin are a little bit too.


Showing off his second finished fly:





We will go to the park later. 70 degrees and sunny will not be wasted on us. But for now, I'm off to vaccuum. See ya!

Ahhhhh.....

A brand new bag of yarn is such a beautiful thing to a knitter. The really good stuff is exciting to behold and the little yellow stickers (meaning-- sale) are just icing on the cake. I don't go on big yarn binges or have some enormous stash, so when I buy this much yarn at one time the novelty of it all makes me a little giddy. The yarn on top is going to be another sundance sweater for yours truly. The first one is highly wearable and functional, but I wanted one a little nicer to wear to shows as an example of my work. Another self-knitting project--what is going on?! But I feel like it's the simplest of business investments and a smart one as well.





Here's almost the full kitty, including some fabric scraps for appliques. I mostly repurpose old shirts and dresses, but sometimes just have to go for the storebought stuff. I've been looking for a really nice boy green. The pink stuff on the far right is a new find, 100% polyester fleece yarn. Go figure! It'd been even better if it was recycled. I'm thinking of some type of stroller blanket or little lovey. All I know is it is some of the softest, yummiest baby yarn ever and is even machine washable. A must for a blanket in my opinion.





The other reason for my sigh is the wonderful break in the weather. I love it when the kids come in from school, drop their backpacks and fly right back out the door and up a tree. My littlest was out there too, cooking (what else) with leaves, dirt, sand, you name it. Now she's sitting in front of me with a million questions about pictures of the inside of the human body she found. She's also giving me a tutorial on proper dental hygiene (we just went to the dentist Monday). You just never know--all in a days work as mommy. Guess I'd better go!

Moving on

It's one of the coldest days of the winter, and my kids are all in their swimsuits. Somewhere out in the hallway there is a pool and diving board. I'm continuting to finish some projects. The first was the lining for my knitting bag. It's the perfect size to carry around almost any project I have in the works. And to think, this is the same yarn that started the whole chicken sweater thing.






Next, I worked on a short-sleeved sundance sweater for Allie. It is a fitted fit, so I'll probably make another with more ease in the body and a little more length. As the resident actress of the house (and bossy to boot) she had a ball with the photo shoot. She started off pointing at me and telling me what to do and then morphed into all sorts of different poses and I only had to stand and shoot. I did manage to get a rather normal pose. I wish I could share the whole photo stream--she's a nut!






Then I finally followed through on some new ideas for the shop and will be loading them soon. Here's one for the princess:

And the farmer:

John has already put in his request for this one. Can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.

Hallelujah!

Nine days, several false starts and 4 sleeves later, it is finished!

Yippee!

Yesterday's run confirmed it...what I thought was the beginning of a yucky ankle problem is NOT! I went 4 miles before I really started to feel the twinge and so I stopped. I can't quite believe I had that much restraint, but I'm trying not to screw things up. I did my usual ice afterward and later last night which really helps. Now mind you it was a cautious sort of trot but I'm thrilled not to be sidelined. My brain needs the extra oxygen running affords, without it (like today) my thoughts seem to puddle and I wander around wondering what to do next.

I did get the sideways look from my father-in-law and the comment "you sure have been running a long time" to which I responded "I feel GREAT!" and gave my best two-fisted "Rocky-esque" punch into the air. I guess he knew about my bum leg--gotta be careful what I write! Unfortunately for him I later went into a 10-minute long PT spiel about the numerous and far reaching effects of exercise. I was getting too preachy for my liking (or maybe the car ride ended) but I don't think he bought my argument, at least not for himself!

I had to give Sundance a break today. After finishing the sleeves I noticed a few problems:

1. despite all balls being the same dye lot, one of the sleeves is discolored. white! what was I thinking?

2. somehow the same number of decreases on the sleeves and the back have turned out to be different lengths. Kevin said, "they look like they're different angles". yes, honey they sure do!

3. and now I want to start another one in a different color (I'm even looking online for more yarn) before I finish the first one.


Don't worry! (as if you would) I will do a little dismantling, add some more decreases and lenth to the sleeves and be on my merry way. The knitting brain just needed a good de-fogging, which I'm not so sure it got, but will be back in action tomorrow. The best excuse not to knit also came--the Feb. issue of Country Living Magazine!

By the way, has anyone noticed how screwy the spacing gets on my posts that have pictures? I've tried to fix it numerous times and it seems to just have a mind of its own. If anyone has the solution, pass it my way!

Doors

I love the interior doors of our house. They are the old 5-panel variety with nicks, gouges, nail holes and evidence of where the old doorknobs used to be. Most are primed only but there are a few I haven't gotten to yet. When people ask if we've finished our house (it's only been 9 years, you think it'd be done) I sigh and say, "no, I have so much painting inside to do, and planting and a new roof, and, and, and". But if the truth be told, it's these unfinished, sanded down, old bits of paint on them, crazy-beautiful wood-grain doors that I love the most. I doubt if I ever paint them and I wouldn't be surprised if some of them come with us when we move or when "they" decide to tear down this house to build a parking lot or some other abomination.

Doors were on my mind yesterday. I've kept the door to me so tightly closed for so long, I've been in protection mode, feeling very vulnerable. I wonder why people can't come in, and I know it's because I won't let them. It's been quite a journey and a long process, but I feel this door opening. I see it as a direct result from some painful decisions I've made and am so thankful for the guidance to make them. Yesterday I had an opportunity to give freely, abundantly and without expectation of repayment. It felt so good that I'm still up from the experience and it finally occurred to me, the door where love comes in is the same one it exits through.

If that wasn't enough, this morning's devotion was fitting. It's worth a look: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15.

Switch gears now with me if you will. I've got to display Sundance. The back and fronts are done and I'm starting on the first sleeve. Kevin helped me hold it "on" last night and I think it's going to fit! It's unblocked and will look better when finished but here goes:

see, just a little bit of shaping, but it will be a fitted sweater nonetheless. Think I can finish the sleeves today if I stop typing and start knitting. I'm still pondering a simple closure--maybe a one button and loop type thing. Please feel free to give input and help me decide!

Sundance sweater: the debut

I'm sitting here on the bed with leg on ice. The little ankle problem I mentioned is not going away. I babied it for a 3 mile run on Sunday and one today but the feeling is eerily similar to stress fractures I've had in the past. Luckily it's on the small bone in my lower leg and doesn't seem as bad as the others I've had. If I push it (which I'm on my way to doing) it will end up that way so I need to back off.


I feel like I'm in a battle with health. I like to think my body is on my team but sometimes I think we're against each other. I've worked so hard to exercise as I'm convinced it is the antidote for staying out of the doctor's office for other health problems. I haven't been in one since summer and plan to keep it that way. I just pushed it too fast though, and increased my running frequency, distance and even speed. A certain recipe for stress fracture. Looks like I need to get the bike out.



I'm through my first ball of yarn on the Sundance sweater and it's going well (I hope). I'm not doing as much shaping at the sides as I originally intended but think it will be nice anyway. I'm getting a beachy feel from it already, which may be why I've been researching a family beach vacation this summer. See what you think:

Just realized a diamond is missing out of my wedding ring--off to search!

The Country Life

Recipe for fun in the country:



1. make large pile of dirt

2. sprinkle with children

3. mix thoroughly with imagination



and you get this:













However, the resident chef in the family, we're calling her lil' Paula now, didn't wish to be photographed. Instead, she was content to play cooking show in the field of alfalfa with the large bag of cooking paraphenalia she'd toted out earlier. A popular ingredient as of late is the chicken stock which she adds to most anything. She's 4. She wants to have her own cooking show. I must have eaten 30 "meals" today. She'd watch the Food Network all day if I'd let her.




I have been knitting. Just in time for the 70 degree weather I made these:










I had one leftover ball of Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino and deliberated for quite a while as to what to do with it. These started out as gloves, but then I realized the pattern would be too big for me and it only came in one size. Hate that. Ripped it out. So I adapted the DK weight yarn to the pattern in "Last Minute Knitted Gifts", or is it "One Skein" or something else. I can't remember where this 2 by 2 staggered rib fingerless glove pattern comes from. All I know is that it has just the right amount of snuggness (I'm sure that's not a word) because of the pattern and they feel heavenly. The yarn is merino, cashmere and a synthetic that feels so soft it doesn't seem possible.

The Sundance sweater is also in progress. No picture yet, but there will be soon. I hope my calculations are right and it's going to fit how I want it to. But I'm not afraid of starting over so there's always that possibility.

And as for me, well my mood has flip flopped all over today. I started out with "this is going to be a great week" and wound up with "I work so hard and everyone finds a way to complain about it". So I'm off to give myself an overhaul. Anytime I want to pick other people apart, it's usually me that needs the picking apart. Sounds like a good time for knitting, a good TV show and a little alone time. Everybody's asleep right now anyway.

The chicken sweater: revisited, renamed

Some days I surprise myself and today was one of those. I hereby must rename the chicken sweater as it no longer resembles its former self. I prefer to call it the sundance (catalog) sweater from which the original inspiration came. I debated calling it Pat's sweater, but figured this might embarass her! So sundance it is, and it's even similar in color. Wish I knew how to include the picture from the catalog here but as you can see from yesterday's post, that much finagling on the computer might just throw me. But take my word for it, the basic qualities of the sweater are there.

It may be hard to tell in the picture, but this is a newborn size sweater. Yes, Anne Margaret the arm holes (not the raglan seams) are a bit snug but seeing as how this is a prototype I'm not too concerned. Here it is before sleeves:

And after:

And the rear view:

This was so much easier than I imagined once I did it on a small scale. The shear amount of time it takes to construct an adult size sweater is daunting enough and then throw in an unfamiliar technique and it seems like too much.





The next step is to make one for myself. I'll tweak a few things. First, it will be either long-sleeved or 3/4 sleeves, haven't decided. Also, I think I want white. I don't have a white sweater and have really been wanting one. It's going to be a cotton blend. I like the way it feels and drapes. I may include some kind of a single closure in the front with a really cool button and loop configuration, but that will come at the end. I'm going to do some subtle shaping at the sides to make it a more hourglass shape rather than the boxy, baby look. Also, I did the increases at the sides with a M1 increase which leaves a very small hole. It's a cute detail, but I think I'll do kfb increases instead and get rid of the hole.




So, Pam our Drops sweater knit along challenge is going to have to wait maybe a week so I can finish what I've started. And Pat, your sweater will be next! It will be worth the wait. I guarantee the more I make something the better it gets, so yours will hopefully be perfect!




One more picture (can you tell I'm at the library? this many pictures would have taken all day to load at home!). This is the unshaven felted bag I made:

The kids think it looks like an animal. It's going to be the perfect knitting bag once I shave and line it. Pam, this might be the perfect opportunity for a sewing tutorial from your mom!