One More Finished!!

I have been dithering around with the sleeves and bands on this one for several months now. I finally just sat down and finished! What a relief!

I love knitting with this yarn - Patons SWS. However, Michaels now has it on 75% off, so I am afraid it is discontinued. Just in case, I ran in and grabbed 3 more skeins to try an entrelac scarf sometime in the future.

Just a Silly Meme

I saw this meme on Addicted to Knitting, and I thought it might be fun. Here goes:

1. Were you named after anyone?
Not that I know of. My mother really wanted simple names because she hated her names so much. She wanted to name my sister and me Melissa and Melinda, but my dad talked her into Michelle and Melanie.

2. When was the last time you cried? That's a hard question. If you have read previous posts, you will know I am dealing with a tough time right now. Crying is a daily thing, although getting better all the time.

3. Do you like your handwriting?
No - I am a product of the 60's when handwriting was not pushed in school. When I was working on my teaching certificate, I had a teacher who gave handwriting (on a chalkboard) tests. I worked for over an hour and finally failed all together.

4. What is your favorite lunch meat?
I love maple turkey. My indulgence however is liver cheese which I eat maybe twice a year. That was my dad's favorite.

5. Do you have kids?
I have one daughter and son-in-law - they are the center of my life!

6. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
I think so. Over the last couple of months I have received a great deal of support and encouragement, some from people I haven't seen for several years, so I guess I am a good friend. I would like to have a friend who loves books and knitting just as much as I do.

7. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Absolutely - it is one of my greatest skills. :)

8. Do you still have your tonsils?
Yes - I have been blessed with good health for the most part. I have only been in a hospital three times, once for childbirth.

9. Would you bungee jump?
My first reaction is absolutely not, but I have tried some things that really scared me over the years and was glad I tried. I am terrified of heights, but I have managed rappelling several times.

10. What is your favorite breakfast cereal?
I seldom eat breakfast because I much prefer to sleep a few minutes more, but when I do eat cereal, Raisin Bran with extra raisins.

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Always.

12. Do you think you are strong?
I KNOW I am strong!

13. What is your favorite ice cream?
I love ice cream, so there are several: Blue Bell's Cinnamon or Mocha Turtle Fudge or Peaches and Cream; Ben and Jerry's Cherries Garcia

14. What is the first thing you notice about people?
I look at eyes first, and then I look at hands. I am drawn to people with long slender fingers.

15. Pink or red?
Both. I like deep blue reds - don't like fiery orangey reds.

16. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
That's a hard one. I don't like that I cry easily. I don't like myself when I back down to avoid conflict.

17. Who do you miss the most?
I miss my dad, I miss my father-in-law.

18. Do you want everyone to do this?
Anyone who wants to. I was intrigued by the mixture of trivial and deep questions.

19. What color shoes are you wearing?
Red house shoes. It's the holidays!!

20. What was the last thing you ate?
A chocolate dipped peppermint stick. Again - it is the holidays!

21. What are you listening to right now?
A purring cat. I have a fleece bed that they all love so much that they start purring as soon as they set foot in it.

22. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
My favorites as a kid were always Pine green and dark red, so I guess those.

Anyway, this was fun to do - silly but fun.

Merry Christmas to all

I have learned this year how valuable family and friends are. I have learned to appreciate them and let them know how much I appreciate them because I have also learned how impermanent people can be. I have also learned that I can have friends that I have not actually met face to face - through the wonders of blogging. Thank you for the comments - they have helped me greatly.

So, my Christmas wish is for others to have time with those that are important to them.

I get to see these two in just a few hours, so I get my wish for myself!

Warm ears for babies

I didn't get a picture of the first one, but here are the next three baby earflap hats. I used the Sherlock hat pattern from Zoe Moeller's Head to Toe Knits and used Patons Classic Wool. These are so easy to make - I could finish one in 2-3 evenings of television watching. However, I will knit the next ones in the round and eliminate the back seam. All my size 8 circulars are in other projects, or I would have done that with these - I hate sewing seams!

Knitting Can Heal

This is an insight for me; I know there are probably thousands who have already discovered this.

Being dumped is a devastating experience. I have been blessed to have family and friends who have been incredibly supportive - to the point that I have felt wrapped in a warm blanket. However, the reality is that this experience caused me to feel worthless. I was not able to knit because a) I saw no purpose in it; b) I couldn't concentrate; c) I didn't have the energy to pick up needles.

Then one of my daughter's coworkers asked her if I might knit her baby a hat. I had knitted a sweater for her baby when he was born. I am a sucker for baby stuff, and I had a pattern that seemed perfect. The mother loves the movie, Christmas Story, and wanted a hat like Ralphie's. I had a pattern called the Sherlock hat that has a front flap that buttons up and earflaps, so I tried it. I loved the way it turned out and so did the mother. (I hope to have pictures later.)

Then a colleague told me about her friend's son in Afghanistan and how cold it was getting. I had knitted helmet liners a couple of years ago, and I had gotten some yarn at the Gourmet Yarn in Oklahoma City - it must have been meant! So, now I am about 3/4 through with a helmet liner.

I had knitted sweaters for a friend's daughter's child, and had started one for her new baby but had put it aside. The friend mentioned that the two sweaters (they match) would make a good picture, so I pulled it out again. All I need to do is finish the sleeves and do the neck and front bands. So, I am working on that again.

It is really cold where I live this morning, so I pulled on a pair of socks - the ones I knitted while in Portland and Seattle. I found myself sitting and admiring them which is what led to this post. I realized that I have a lot to contribute to a lot of people. My husband may no longer want to be with me, but I have others that do. And I have talents and skills! And I'm not a bad person!

So, no more posts about depressing junk! I am moving on and moving back to knitting!

No Knitting, Nothing Good

My husband of 29 years came home a week ago and told me he was moving out - told me he was divorcing me.

So right now knitting doesn't seem very important any more. I don't know when I'll be back here.

What a wedding!

My husband and I traveled to a family wedding this weekend. The groom is a cousin that I don't know that well, but we always support family! And, I am so glad we did.

I love weddings that portray the personalities of the bride and groom and you can see from the picture above that this one really did. The groom is on the right. The mannequin with the picture wired to it is his brother who could not be there. The pirate? Well, I am guessing he is a friend.

How many weddings have groomsmen in kilts with swords and a pirate??

I LOVE swaps

This one was particularly nice because it was between teachers who are knitters. So, my sender gave me bookmarks and notecards which are great in the classroom. However, she also sent me neat things just for me such as coffee, chocolate covered hazelnuts, marionberry jam, a new mystery novel and of course great yarn. She also sent lots of booklets about Oregon - I loved Portland when I visited in June, and now I really want to go back.

Isn't the yarn pretty? I used Homespun to make a prayer shawl for a colleague and had many compliments.

I hope my swappee is as happy as I am!

Mice in the House!!

Can you tell I'm an ADD knitter? With two baby sweaters to finish, and at least 5 socks on needles, I make mice!

These were such fun to make though. I got to use up some leftovers, and these were amazingly quick to knit. I timed one; it took me approximately 45 minutes to finish the knitting. Of course then I had to felt them, stuff them (including catnip) and sew them up. That was easy except for fighting off my cats while I stuffed them.

The pattern is in a book, Kitty Knits. I found at least 3 other projects in there to put on my list.

It helps to have appreciative recepients. This is Kate who appears somewhat wasted after half an hour of rolling, rubbing and biting her mouse.

This may look like a lot of mice, but my extended family are all cat lovers. In fact, four mice have already been delivered to other homes, and most of the ones left will be going to my daughter's home - she has eight indoor cats!

Now back to the baby sweaters and socks. I have to get some of these finished because I go back to school in three weeks!

Socks and yet more sock yarn

I have gotten some knitting done. These are my trip socks from Chameleon Colorworks Lichen colorway. The pattern is something I found in a stitch dictionary - no name.





















I also started another pair in a twilled rib. I can't remember this yarn, and I can't find the label anymore. I messed up and made this a little tight for me, so if my daughter doesn't want them, I'll frog them and try something else.


















I have always loved color, but somehow the colors in sock yarns can just knock me over. Here are the latest ones that I just had to have.


From left to right: Fresh Yarns Adirondack Memories (etsy shop) - Fall is my favorite season and this makes me long for football and the fair and soup and the smell of fallen leaves.


Tanis Fiber Arts Shadow colorway. I found this at Beehive Wools in Victoria, B.C. I love finding local (more or less) yarn when I travel. You can't see the shades of greens and blues in the gray in the picture.


Tempted Glam Grrl in Roxanne colorway - I have been trying to get this at Loopy Ewe for several weeks and finally got one. You can't see the sparkle of the silver fibers, but they are there.


Arucania in Ranco colorway. I found this at Beehive also. I seldom buy any yarn in blue, but this has such a beautiful play from different shades of blue to purples.


J Knits in AC 142 colorway. This seemed so preppy somehow with the pinks and grays. These will be great spring socks.

And so, despite three boxes of sock yarn already in the closet, I yield to the call of color. Maybe I'll just leave it all in baskets around the house and enjoy the view!

And 51!!

49. Winter Study by Nevada Barr. I love the Anna Pigeon books although they are much darker than I usually read. This one had a good mystery that kept me guessing nearly to the end. I enjoyed the setting, Isle Royale in January, and enjoyed the wolf element.

50. Buried Bones and 51. Splintered Bones both by Carolyn Haines. I enjoyed the first two I read and these were also good. Buried Bones had an intriguing premise, a formerly prominent author now forgotten who was planning his tell-all memoirs is murdered; this sounds trite but this author makes it fresh.

I'm going to have to take a break now and get some knitting done. I have two socks and one new pair to do and two baby sweaters to finish.

Nearly to 50!

42. Waiting for Ms. Chips by Dorothy Cannell. This is one of her Ellie Haskell series. I loved the first, liked most of the rest, but this one was really dull. She hammered on one joke about schoolgirl books until it was just annoying.

43. The Thai Amulet and 44. The Moai Murders both by Lyn Hamilton. The protagonist in this series has an antique shop in Toronto. These books all involve her travels to find stock for her store, so readers get some interesting descriptions of unusual places.

45. Crossed Bones and 46. Bones to Pick by Carolyn Haines. I found a reference to this author on Ravelry, and I am glad. I enjoyed these mysteries set in the Mississippi delta with interesting characters. I especially enjoyed Crossed Bones which dealt with blues musicians.

47. Still Life by Louise Penny. This mystery series set in Quebec has one of the most engaging detectives I read in a long time. Quite a bit of philosophical musing and varied, entertaining characters. I'll be looking for the other two in the library soon.

48. The Serpent's Trail by Sue Henry. The protagonist in this series is Maxie, a retired widow who travels from Alaska in her Winnebago with her miniature dachshund, Stretch. The characters were well written, but I found myself skipping long pages of travel description. Unusual because I usually like description but these sounded more like travel guides to me. Interesting mystery though.

Now, if the library has the rest of the Carolyn Haines and Louise Penny books, I will pass the 50 book mark in a couple of days!

I Love Traveling!

I also love being a teacher with the summer free for travel - if the finances were just there.

This time we flew from Albuquerque to Portland, spent a few days there, took a train to Seattle, spent a few days there including one day where we took a ferry to Victoria, B.C., and then back home.

Loved Portland especially the Rose Garden and Japanese Garden. We found it to be an easy city to get around in with great public transportation. It also has amazing restaurants. We celebrated our 29th anniversary with dinner at Serrato - they were nice enough to bring us champagne!

We went whale watching in Victoria. Last year I couldn't get enough of watching the humpbacks off the Alaskan coast; this year we watched orcas in the Juan de Fuca Strait. They are certainly faster than humpbacks, so I have no good pictures. However, we did get to see something that the naturalist said only happens a few times each summer. We were watching random dorsal fins over a large area when they started turning and going in the same direction. She came out and said the captain had gotten a radio message that said apparently the three pods that stay in the Strait were going to meet. She said they think it might be an especially large concentration of salmon. Anyway, we took off quickly and got to a place where we could see dorsal fins starting to converge. The naturalist said the orcas got excited when they met up, and we began to see whales breaching, doing spy hops, etc. It was amazing to watch.

I also got to mark WWKIP by meeting the Capitol Hill Knitters in the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle. They were so nice to a transient knitter! They made me feel so welcomed, included me in their raffle, and were just generally kind. I loved the looks on the faces of people passing by.

So, now that vacation is over, back to working on the house. We have to replace a faucet out in the yard, so I have holes to dig.

And Yet More Books

36. The Weaver and the Factory Maid, 37. The Famous Flower of Serving Men, 38. Matty Groves, 39. Cruel Sister, 40. New-Slain Knight by Deborah Grabien. This series all have Ringan Laine, a folklorist and musician and his significant other, Penny who runs a traveling thespian group in England. In the first book, Ringan acquires a life tenancy in an old cottage but he and Penny both experience odd sounds and visions, all associated with a song that Ringan's band performs. They research the history of the cottage and find that the song is a sort of twisted version of an actual event at the cottage. The rest of the books in the series are all along the same lines, with variations - they have an experience with ghosts associated with a folk song and must find a way for the ghost to rest. While that may sound repetitive, actually I found the writing and variations to be strong enough to hold my interest. I also enjoyed the fact that the characters also began to protest the repetitiveness! I especially enjoyed the British history and now have some notes on topics I want to research further.

41. Antiques to Die For by Jane K. Cleland. A pretty typical mystery with some information about antiques thrown in. I am a huge fan of Antique Road Show, so I enjoyed that part, and I did like the characters, but this was a somewhat forgettable book overall. I did like it enough that I will look for the first by this author.

Now I am caught up with the reading list!

More Books

22. Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, 23. Miss Julia Throws a Wedding, 24. Miss Julia Hits the Road, 25. Miss Julia Meets Her Match, 26. Miss Julia's School of Beauty, 27. Miss Julia Strikes Back all by Ann B. Ross. I'm not sure I got all of this series listed. These started out with an odd premise. A somewhat rigid, bitter and lonely older Southern lady is dealing with her husband's unexpected death, somewhat comforted by the discovery that, though he kept her short of money, he left a great deal for her. Then a woman appears on her doorstep with a ten year old boy; she tells Miss Julia that this is her husband's child and that she needs Miss Julia to keep him while she goes to beauty school and she leaves. Unexpectedly through a lot of twists and some mystery, Hazel and her son end up living with Miss Julia. These are light books, but I found myself laughing out loud and at times tearing up.

28. Death du Jour by Lou Jane Temple. I had read some of this author's Heaven Lee series, although they aren't my favorite kind of mysteries. This new series however combines mystery with history, and I found them to be very interesting. I read the first, The Spice Box, last year. This one is set in France just after the revolution. Both books have an unusual box filled with recipes and spices.

29. The Wizard Heir and 30. The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima. This is a fantasy series for young adults that has some unique touches. There are people born with special crystals behind their hearts that give them special powers. Each crystal offers specific powers, with wizards being the most powerful. The different branches of powers don't necessarily get along. I found these interesting and fun to read, and one of my students carried off my copy of The Warrior Heir the first day I brought it to class.

31. Taken by Edward Bloor. Interesting young adult science fiction novel, set in a future where children are trained in what to do when they are kidnapped, as very many are. There are some twists and some interesting characters.

32. Death of a MythMaker by Allana Martin. A Texas mystery set near Marfa with a protagonist who has a country store. This had some interesting descriptions, but the mystery was weak.

33. Constable's Run by Laurie Moore. Another Texas mystery although I have already forgotten most of the book even though I read it a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was bleak and somewhat dry, although there was a lot about a constable's job that was interesting.

34. The Body in the Gallery by Katherine Hall Page. I have read all of this series as soon as they come out. I love the protagonist, Faith, who is a caterer and a minister's wife in New England. This one had some interesting information about art and museums in the area, and descriptions of good food also.

35. Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke. I enjoy the Hannah Swenson mysteries and her recipes. This was a collection of short stories by 4 authors, and I enjoyed the Fluke one and the Meier one although I much prefer the complete novels by both these authors. And, of course, each story had a Christmas theme.

I'm still reading, but this is as far as I have gotten with writing a list. I need to go back and look at my book stacks again. I have also taken some time to go back to old favorites - my favorite stress relief - but I pledged to myself that I wouldn't count those in this 50 book challenge.

50 Books in a Year

I read about this challenge on another blog and thought, "I can do that." However, it turns out that reading seriously impacts the time I have for knitting and for blogging - and of course work has to fit in somehow. This should explain why I haven't blogged since February.

These are what I have read so far (not in the order I read them):

1. Dark Moon Defender, 2. The Thirteenth House, 3. Mystic and Rider, 4. Reader and the Raelynx all by Sharon Shinn. I read about this author on another blog and, since I love fantasy, decided to try them. I really enjoyed them all; she had some unique ideas which made them fun to read.
5. Aunt Dimity - Vampire Hunter by Nancy Atherton. I have loved this series from the beginning. Aunt Dimity was a sort of super woman now deceased who communicates with Lori, her best friend's daughter, through a journal. Lots of humor and interesting situations throughout the series and lots of description of England.

6. Death Walked In by Carolyn Hart. This is a great series if you like mysteries because the protagonist has a mystery bookstore. Besides the mystery in the book, there are also lots of references to other authors. I have always read these with paper and pen so I can make notes of others I want to read. I also really like Annie and Max Darling and the characters that surround them. The author always starts with a view into the murderer's mind without revealing exactly who they are.

7. The Gladstone Bag by Charlotte McLeod. This author also writes under the name of Alisa Craig. She has several series, all set in Northeastern US or in Canada. She is so funny, and I love her characters. This is one I evidently missed because I thought I had read them all.

8. The Wednesday Wars and 9. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt. Two very different books by the same author. These are for young adults, but I loved them. The Wednesday Wars is about a boy who is the only student in his school who does not go for religious instruction on Wednesday afternoons, so he is assigned to a teacher who does not want him. However, through reading, theater and sports, they find some common ground. This is set during the Vietnam era. Lizzie Bright is a take on a true story of a group of black people on a small island off the Canadian coast who are forced out so the island can be made into a resort. I can't write a description that would do this book justice. I loved both of these so much though that I am trying to get funds to buy sets for my classroom.

10. She Came Back and 11. Run by Patricia Wentworth. I love classic mysteries and these are great. I especially like her Miss Silver character (she knits!) and I love the time period (roughly 40's). These are hard books for me to find because so many are out of print, but they are wonderful.
12. The Princeton Murders and 13. The Princeton Imposter by Ann Waldron. These are interesting mysteries about a journalist from Florida who comes to Princeton to teach one course. These have some interesting twists and characters. I am having trouble finding the rest, but I liked them enough that I am making the effort. Very interesting protagonist.

14. Turkey Flambe 15. Holy Guacamole, 16 Bon Bon Voyage, 17. Crime Brulee by Nancy Fairbanks. This mystery series includes food and recipes. The protagonist is a food writer who travels to get ideas for her books. So, you get recipes and descriptions of interesting places along with a pretty decent mystery. Her characters are interesting and funny. The opening chapter in Turkey Flambe was like a scene from Keystone Kops but I laughed out loud while reading it.

18. Sax and Violins by Mary Daheim. I have been reading this series for awhile. I enjoy the interactions between Judith and her cousin Renie and the descriptions of Judith's bed and breakfast in Northwest US.

19. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews. The titles drew me to this series, and the writing did not disappoint. The protagonist, Meg, is a blacksmith with a unique family. I think I like reading about the characters more than I enjoy the mystery. These should be read in order however, as some of the story builds from book to book.

20. Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. Curtis is known for great young adult books, and this one is my favorite so far. It is about a colony of free black people in Canada in the 1870's. It is somewhat painful to read at times; I find it hard to read about a child who is manipulated by an adult, but this was still a great read.

21. Eldest by Christopher Paolini. I wasn't a fan of Eragon because I thought it was very derivative. However, some of my students insisted that I read the second, and I wasn't sorry. It was a fun read, but not great. I do see why my students love it but personally I really don't remember much already.

I haven't finished the list, but I need to go knit. I am working on two baby sweaters for a young man who is supposed to arrive the end of June.

Tag

I've been tagged with:

Find the nearest book of 123 pages or more: Frommer's Oregon

Find the first 5 sentences.

Post the next 3 sentences.

Despite the many hardships, families were willing to walk 2,000 miles across the continent for a chance at starting a new life in the Willamette Valley. The valley very quickly became the breadbasket of the Oregon country, and today, it still produces an agricultural bounty unequaled in its diversity. Throughout the year you can sample the produce of this region at farms, produce stands, and wineries.

This tells you where we are planning to go for the next vacation. We're already booked on the Coastal Starlight train that runs from L.A. to Portland. We'll stay a couple of days there and then take another train to Seattle.

I can hardly wait to escape heat and wind and the ups and downs we have experienced this winter. Today is predicted to be a high of 70, but Friday is supposed to be a high of 30 with blowing snow.

Blogs I Read

I read Panhandle Jane's list of 10 blogs she reads and was surprised to see mine listed. I find it hard to believe that anyone would read this beyond family.

Anyway, here is the list of my favorites:

Panhandle Portals: This is written by a teacher and knitter in a small town close to mine. She does beautiful work for herself and her grandchildren. She also has great comments on books.

The Pioneer Woman: Another blogger sent me to this one. She is a rancher, photographer and cook who is very entertaining.

Addicted to Knitting: This is written by a knitter in Oklahoma City. I get to vicariously visit yarn stores through this blog.

Backstage Stitches: I found this blog through Knitters Review. The blogger works in theater in California, is a knitter, and takes classes in martial arts. Very interesting!

ChappysMom: This blogger knits and reads. She periodically posts lists of books she has read with reviews. I find several I want to read each time.

Knitting Fisher: My husband found this blog when searching for a picture of Sitka, Alaska after we returned from a cruise. She is a teacher, knitter, and lives in a beautiful part of Alaska.

Looking Glass Knits: This blogger has such beautiful patterns that she has created. She designed a baby sweater with a field of lambs for the yoke that I really want to try.

I Can Has Cheezburger?: This is not a blog, but people post pictures of animals, primarily cats, with appropriate captions. These make me laugh out loud every time I look! This is also the home of the walrus with the bucket pictures. If you haven't seen this, you should google walrus with bucket and take a look.

I know I haven't listed 10, but these are the ones I read every time they post. I also appreciate Kay of Addicted to Knitting who let me in on Bloglines, so I can subscribe to blogs and then they let me know when there is a new post.

The Baby Sweaters Keep Coming

I thought I was through with baby sweaters for awhile, but they just keep coming - babies that is. This one is for a friend and colleague's new granddaughter. I have another one OTN for my M-I-L's caregiver, and, as soon as Amanda knows the gender, I will start some for her newest.

This one was fun to do, although weaving in the ends from the stripes was not great. I like the feel of Cotton Ease, but I find it to be hard on my hands. I found perfect pale pink ladybug buttons which made the sweater.

On the list to do: Socks for MIL, brother, and finally, two pair for me! I had all my socks out drying the other day, and I realized they are all muted dark colors. So, I looked at the Loopy Ewe and found some in a bright pink, lime green colorway - those won't be dark socks!

It Has Been a Long Time

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted on this blog. I have been knitting, but I have also been busy with school and traveling. My daughter is now working in retail which means that she has no time off around the holidays, so we made the 500 mile trip to Missouri for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I finished two pair of socks, am working down the foot of the second sock of another pair, and am working down the sleeves of yet another baby sweater. I have no pictures right now, but will try to get some later.

We came back from Thanksgiving to a pond in the back yard as we had a pipe break. As we dug giant holes trying to find the break, this came out of the woodpile, squeaking and purring.

We are the biggest suckers ever for kittens, so Kate has joined the household. We lost a cat we had had for 13 years in November, so it is nice to be back up to four cats! Kate keeps the other, older cats running.

I wonder if other parts of the country are having the weird weather we are. We have had snow and ice, but lately we have been having 60's and today this is what I saw from my back window. I sure don't remember having thunderstorms in January - however these rainbows were absolutely amazing.