Purling Oaks

Thursday's spare thoughts.

DH and I stopped at the bookstore after work this evening and I purchased the Spring 2007 Interweave Crochet.  I often-- but don't always --purchase the Crochet issues.  I've crocheted in the past and have a big blanket of white and purple variegated yarn as proof.  (Photos at a later date.)   My Nana taught me to crochet and she was always working on granny squares for a church project.  Great memories.  Anyway, at first riffle through, there are some pretty cute patterns in this issue.

Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well last night (neither did DH) due to my coughing so I went to a Walgreen's walk-in clinic this morning.  We don't have them (the clinics) in Wisconsin, but my experience today was great.  I was in, examined, and out in a very reasonable time period.  I have bronchitis.   So, I have a few (more) medicinal elixers to consume that will help my body rid me of this nastiness.  (My hopeful emphasis added.)  Or at the very least, let me get some sleep.  (No, I don't smoke.  Thank goodness!)

Back home tomorrow!  Hurray.

degrees of accomplishment

I've accomplished some knitting these past two days.  However, since I've not accomplished how to post a photo from afar, you'll have to wait for proof.  The Sunrise sock now has a heel flap...achieved on the flight from Milwaukee to Kansas City.  I also finished the cap on the first Sonnet sleeve and made a bit of sleeve progress last night.  I was so enamoured of the sleeve I had to tuck it into my suitcase.  (I was afraid to bring it in carry-on if the TSA didn't like my long pointy sticks.)  I think I'm finally going over the edge....or, rather, I've reached the sweet point of no return into the land of enchantment. 

On another front, I wonder if I'll feel the tap of a CDC official on my shoulder and hear the official say, "come with us, ma'am....."  I've had a, ahem, minor set-back on the cold front and I'm coughing....really coughing.  Ugh.  Tonight I'm trying wine and it is giving me some relief but that obviously isn't an option during the day at work.  Well, not an option for me, anyway.  *g*

On top of it, my hotel wireless connection is being very capricious this evening. 

Sonnet progresses to sleeve-knitting!

I finished the body for Sonnet last night. Hurray! I think it looks good so far. Now for the sleeves....hmmm, how much yarn do I have left? The body of the sweater used about six and not quite one-fifth or so skeins. Let's see, three and four/fifths skeins....that's about 186 grams according to the kitchen scale. Is that enough for the pattern's long sleeves? Hard to say. Maybe, maybe not. Thus, came my decision to knit the sleeves from the cap down, rather than cuff up. I think a three-quarters length sleeve would be fine since I have little hope of finding this dye lot. (I did obtain six skeins of this color via eBay but the dye lot color was so different that it could have been a different color. No problem, that yarn will make a nice shell top someday.)

I pulled up an Excel speadsheet and, in my slightly cold-befuddled state, stated charting the sleeve. That worked fine, so I cast on. Hmmm, Kristi Porter has decreases (increases, for me) on both the beginning and end of a row. I only know how to cast on at one end of an established row....okay, back to the spreadsheet. So, I decided to cast on more stitches at one time for the increases to keep the cap of the sleeve with a shallow curve. The shallow curve is a function of my bulkier Rowan Summer Tweed. The pattern cleverly adjusts for the type of yarn you are using.

I'm going to at least get the cap of this sleeve finished before I start on my chores for today. Tomorrow is a travel day - back to Independence, MO. I need to make sure the suitcase and briefcase have all the things I'll need--sometimes a challenge but I'll have a list. *g* I'm not looking forward to flying with the remnants of a cold and, worse, DH is flying, as well, and he was fully engaged by the cold as of this morning. AND he doesn't like to won't take OTC meds to relieve his symptoms. I'm crossing my fingers for a rapid recovery for him today.

Happy Memorial Day! My thanks to all veterans for your service and sacrifice.

BigRock beauties

It is another beautiful morning at Purling Oaks--sunny but coolish with a light breeze. I find mornings like this very soothing but inspiring. They are a gift to enjoy in this moment and to remember when I'm in a less perfect time and place. I'm still recovering from the yuck, so this must be a "get well soon" moment from the powers that be.

There is a lot of blooming going on in the wilds of the BigRock garden. Here is a very interesting flowering bush/plant (?) that showed up this year. I enjoy the lemon-lime color of the foliage, which contrasts brightly with the darker greens of the other plants. This garden yields so many interesting flowers that I'm hesitant to try to bring it into some sort of order. Unfortunately, the beauty of indivdual plants is lost in the jungle of this garden patch. BigRock garden will have to be on my summer project list for when I'm working closer to home and have a tad more time for myself and my projects.

Of course, this cold/cough is certainly making me take time now.....flat on my back or sitting on the couch time. It has given me, though, thinking-time to think about me, which hasn't seemingly been available lately. Time to think about what direction I want to give myself and what influences I want to accept or to discard. It is a never-ending process, of course, but I feel I'm re-positioning myself after being bumped out of alignment by recent life events.

Here are a few more of the beauties from BigRock.

Saturday snoozing

Today has been a very low-key day. DH is under the weather and I'm recovering but with occasional set-backs. The cats have been in the same energy flow, as well. White Dot and Fuzzle rarely snuggle so this was definitely a moment to record. They were out on the sunporch during the rain showers when they decided to have a buddy-snooze.

I've been relaxing and surfing today---reading blogs, looking at knit designers, and looking up trivia as I think of it. My knitting vocabulary has been expanded....I think I now know what a yarn cake is---I've been calling them yarn balls. Am I being gentrified? If I make a yarn cake, will my niece and nephews think I have an Easy Bake Oven? Probably not, they'll correctly think I'm just being silly.

I viewed a lovely cardigan by Jean at Golden Purl. It is her first effort at designing her own sweater and I really enjoyed her description of the process she went through as she knit it. One of my other favorite designer blogs is Mind of Winter. Julia designs and knits items that are body-conscious but in a very nice way, and also writes pattern, book, and yarn reviews. I always leave her blog with something interesting to think about.

I worked a bit more on Sonnet and if I get off the Internets, I should be finished with the main body and casting on for the sleeves before Memorial Day.

Friday's morning update

Friday morning sky at Purling Oaks.

It's a lovely morning here, well, at least weather and temperature-wise. I'm endeavoring not to cough up a lung and DH came home from KC (Kansas City, not Knights of Columbus) last night exhibiting the early symptoms of the same plague I'm currently enduring. We're going to have quite an exciting Memorial Day weekend, yes? *g*

Here's a progress report on Sunrise Sock number two. Next step is the heel flap.

I've been remiss about posting my most recent stash enhancement. This lovely lilac skein arrived on Monday from Dave at Cabin Cove. I'm not sure what pattern I'll use for socks yet, but whichever one, these are going to be yummy soft socks!

Blue inspected the yarn and sock this morning and pronounced them acceptable for a human but where's the catnip?

I'm going to do some research on HTML code. I know a little but I need to add to my vocabulary if I want to have this weblog look like I want it to.

Wild life?

Yesterday's rest was fruitful. Although I'm still under the influence of the cold, I felt good enough to be able to drive into Milwaukee and not be a menace to other drivers. The meeting went well....at least I could speak and I didn't cough once. Hurray! It was a gorgeous day for driving, which made the trip there and back home much easier than stormy weather. There was a surprise or two waiting for me yet today......

While I was speaking with still on-the-road DH, I spied this out the dining room window in our back yard!

Well, yes, by golly, there is a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak.....but I was really referring to the whitetail buck. Although not too clear, his antlers are in velvet. He took quite his time helping to trim the lawn, then walked around to the front of the house.

And then he spotted Blackdot.

and she spotted him.

So, she did what any self-respecting feline would do......she ignored him.

Apparently, whitetailed bucks are "thin-skinned" since he ran off with hurt feelings.....

Oh yes, DH was still on the telephone while I was taking these photos. *g*

No deer or feline were injured in the making of today's blog.

I. Am.

Wiped. Out. The cold is still in control. Sore throat, big time. A bit sniffly, major tired.

I finally gave in this morning and called in sick after trying to do some work, telecommuting-style. I read a light-weight book and fell asleep for two hours.

I hope to feel better very soon. I have a meeting tomorrow. I have to speak at said meeting. I better save all my words for the meeting or they'll never hear me. Marvy.

Sorry about the grumpy poster. She should be better soon. Chicken broth is on the stovetop.

San Antonio

San Antonio was great, even if there was a work conference thrown in. *g* Our hotel was right on the Riverwalk making it a very convenient location. The Riverwalk was beautiful for being as full of people and restaurants as it was. I ate Texas barbeque at County Line, and Mexican at Casa Rio and Casa Ole. (Casa Rio was better and opened in 1949.) We also ate smoked sirloin at Texas Land & Cattle Co. We enjoyed a waterside table at a jazz bar for drinks. The Alamo is a not-to-be-missed tourist stop. DH and I also took a "riverboat" ride. I think the heat and humidity combined with an Alamo beer or two was really relaxing. Perhaps not bone-melting, but I think work intruded a bit there.

Unfortunately, I woke up at home on Friday with a sore throat. Today I was feeling better until about 5 PM when the headache started. I have a cold, darnit. I've medicated myself and I'll see what help my pillow will be very soon. Anyone else out in blogland have their tonsils reappear decades after removal like mine have?

Seven Randoms

I was tagged by Jen. Here is how it works: Each player starts with seven random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write their own blog with their seven things as well as these rules. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. Remember to leave a comment for them letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1) For seven years, until I was 16 or 17 years old, I attended Richard's School of the Dance. I took tap, ballet, and jazz dance lessons and, once I started (*ahem*) maturing, I also was a Can-Can girl. Every June, we performed at both an afternoon and evening show at the local theatre. It was quite a production, very nerve-wracking and exciting all at once. The can-can costume hasn't changed at all in over 30 years. *g*

2) I have about thirty first cousins. I'm the oldest grandchild on my mother's side by about two months and I'm in the middle of the pack on my father's side.

3) I love to read Nora Roberts and also J.D. Robb (one of N.R.'s pen names). I started with the J.D. Robb "Death By...." books and then started reading her other novels when she didn't write fast enough to keep up with me reading about Eve and Rourke. I read a lot of other authors (mostly science fiction and fantasy) as well but knitting is cutting into my reading time.

4) I don't watch much in the way of television anymore (well, the Food Network doesn't count, right?), but Adrian Paul and Scott Bakula were always favorites.

5) I've lived in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, and Illinois. Although I travel quite often for work, this travel does not take me outside of the U.S. with the exception of one after-hours trip into Matamoras, Mexico. I've been to Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands (pre-hurricanes).

6) I'm a member of the Brothertown Indians.

7) I totalled my mother's Dodge Dart the August before my senior year of high school. I was driving to my waitress job on a Sunday morning when a spider dropped down from the sun visor and startled me. I slammed on the brakes, the front right tire blew out and the car flipped (in slow motion) over into a ditch, narrowly missing a culvert. I ran my pantyhose (no other injury) and surprised a farmer who was finishing up milking his cows. Lucky girl.

Thanks, Jen, for providing some blog content! I'm not going to tag anyone but please consider yourself tagged if you wish to play along.