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!

From the mouths of babes...

This will be the first of hopefully many naturally occurring installments of the wonderful thoughts that float through my children and end up either spoken or on paper. Naturally occurring, you know like carbon or oxygen. Nothing forced here.

It is with her permission that I publish the following journal pages. Author: Lauren. Age: 5 1/2. Grade: Kindergarten.


I like BolloN'S
I Am CrASi About BolloN'S
Thay R Fun To Play WiThe
I like them So moht (much) That I Skrem

(note: picture the N's backward if you will)

And...

I love MoM & DaD & John & Allie & my SelF Why Do We have A GoD MoM


go ahead and ponder that for a while.

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!

Don't hate me because I crochet

It started out to be a great day. Everyone was on time, eager for school to start again and excited for the new year. I was really ready! Today I would travel with the new laptop, relax at the bookstore and lavish in the world of high-speed connectedness. I'd made a test run to the local library to make sure I knew what I was doing and it was a smashing success. I had no reservations.


I suppose I should back up a bit. I know laptops and high speed are old hat for so many of you and you must laugh at my naivete, but it's all brand spankin' new to me so just let me be excited about it for a minute.


On with the story. I put two happy kids on the bus and drove the other to preschool. I got to the bookstore, sank down in the biggest chair I could find and proceeded to connect. Wrong! I had to download something huge--this alone scares me, especially with all the warnings--ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD THIS? IT COULD SCREW UP YOUR COMPUTER AND RUIN YOUR LIFE FOREVER! I clicked 'yes' and proceeded with caution and an elevated heart rate. After multiple attempts and getting stuck in a loop for a while, I got to step 4 of the 6 step process and could go no further.


In all I struggled with it for about an hour and finally gave up. Why does it have to be so hard? Why can't it be like the library? Why do they say free and easy when it's not for some of us? And do you think I'd stop someone and ask for help? No way! Too stubborn, too tired of messing with high tech and in serious need of some knitting, something tangible, something I could produce and see results.


In the time it took me to fail at wifi access I made this:

Not the chair just the crocheted pad on it. Don't know if I'll keep it or if I'll make 3 others to match but I'd been wanting to try it for a while. Still need to attach it with some fabric or ribbon or maybe the cotton I made it with. I know what you're thinking--why white? Nothing in my house is white for obvious reasons, 3 kids, dirt, husband, dirt, pets, dirt and my ever growing distaste for cleaning. But these are simple cotton, inexpensive, throw in the wash over and over and just pitch when they lose their lustre. Mission accomplished, something to show for my time, unlike the aforementioned wasted hour at the bookstore that I'd like to forget.

Since my last post I also made simple washcloths for the family. Hot pink for the girls and blue and green for the boys:

I also finished the felted bag I was making. It's drying by the woodstove in a wooly, unshaven state. I'm always nervous before I throw wool in a hot, agitating washing machine, but this time was a success. I'll be sure to include pictures.

Along with the usual post-Christmas clean and purge (the girls' room was a true and utter disaster area) that's about it. Now I'm off to erase the stupid AT&T wifi access icon from my desktop. It's mocking me.

Change

The chicken sweater has flown the coop! I know it only had a brief and partial debut here online, but it had been in my head and the planning stages for quite some time. I never had a great feeling about it. Project and yarn not suited to one another. My real motivation for knitting the pattern was to learn a certain technique so I perhaps can design a sweater requested by Aunt Pat. The sides and back are knitted in one piece up to the armholes, but the knit stitches on the sides angle off at 45 degrees. So in my mind the mission was accomplished. I learned how to do it, now whether or not I can design one with completely different yarn and a different stitch pattern and a much more fitted sillhouette is another story. I'll letcha know if I can do it, Pat!

One the bright side, the fantastic Lamb's Pride yarn I was using has dissolved into several projects. The first of which is mittens:


My own little creation. They turned out exactly how I want them. The best thing is how warm and cozy they are. We were outside last night on New Years' Eve and my hands never knew it. These seem impervious to cold and wind. And like all things made with good wool they breathe so my hands didn't sweat either.

The rest of the yarn is currently in use for a felted bag and felted slippers. Rarely do I feel like felting, so when the urge hits I run with it. This is also my favorite yarn to felt with which helps. The 15% mohair just gives it such a great look.

I debated whether to talk about change on New Years Day, it seems so cliche and predicatable, but it's really what I've been thinking about lately. I remember sitting at the computer most of the day this time last year. It was then I started a Pay Pal account and my Etsy shop. At the time I knew how to email and do a Google search. That was about it. Kevin set everything up for me and laboriously taught me how to get the digital photos from the camera onto the computer and then uploaded in my shop.

With that knowledge I've figured out much more, including setting up this blog by myself. With all that has taken place during the last year I can't really imagine what this year will bring except change itself.

I have many goals and dreams for the new year. Alot I want to do with the business and alot I want to see happen personally. But I know not to be so set in my ways that I miss an opportunity when it presents itself. The results of which are usually much better than I could have imagined or planned on my own. An ever present reminder that there are forces greater than myself at work, leading me in the right direction if I just let go and let them.