Purling Oaks

Happy 4th!

I've been busy!  As one would hope......... since months have passed since my last blog post!  

In late May, I traveled to Eagleville, MO to celebrate the life of my Great-Aunt Madolyn Richardson Jones.  The Angeline carved in the granite pictured above was her grandmother and one of the women I'm named for.  I am happy I made the trip south and that I had the company of my cousin, Vicky, for the drive.  We had some great conversations.  The country was lovely and although we had a bit of rain, the weather was outstanding--especially for the service that took place on a hilltop in lush northern Missouri.  Aunt Madolyn was an inspiring woman who lived to the age of 98 and one-half years.  She was such a positve influence in our family and she was active her entire life until the last month or three.   I know she will continue to shape my life.  Reconnecting (and connecting) with family was marvelous despite the cause of the gathering.  Madolyn's daughter, Cathy, is a weaver and we shared some good times talking about weaving.

There's been some weaving!  The blue is a length of wool in plain weave that may become a garment (of some sort) some day.  It was the first project on the Norwood.  I do love to weave.  I just need to be faster at warping and more constant at being in the studio.

A second weaving!  A shawl in Cascade 220 that feels quite cushy, which was my goal.  There's more 220 where that came from, so don't be shocked to see another one.

I'm also taking an online tapestry course that I need to catch up with!  Weaving, weaving!

The cats are all fine and love to hang out with me when they're not chasing rodents or enjoying the sunshine.  Dan says they're all "mama babies" since I retired.  What can I say?  :D  

My collection of good recipes continues to expand, as has my waist.  Disappointing that last bit, but it can be addressed with some effort and movement - I hope.  I've learned that retirement is great but it didn't magically eliminate my stress-eating.  I imagine somebody could have told me that.  Ha.

Have a safe and relaxing holiday long-weekend.  I know I'll endeavor to do just that.

 

An FO, a little update and PURSES!

A finished object that, someday, will become a finished object!!

It is 1,042 yards of worsted weight yarn (2-ply) of my own spinning.  The fiber is wool.  Wool from Woolgatherers in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.  Unknown vintage or donator-sheep but I do know that the color is a sheep color, that is, undyed and I like it.  Finished spinning and plying during my July 2011 staycation.  Started maybe last year some time.  It may become a vest in the future.

I've been absent from the blog, I know.  Job changes, emptying the DC apartment, the trip home from DC, having to set up another apartment in a Milwaukee 'burb, summer heat, and just not wanting or having the energy to talk/write about it all are factors contributing to my absence.  DH and I are still tight--all the change-related stuff is for the job--so don't get worried about the marriage.  It is very nice to be home and closer to home.  And I do mean Very.

An odd offshoot of all this change has been my need to change my day-to-day purse.  Flying weekly and having desk drawers to stow things at work allowed me just use my back pack and a wallet or my "city" bag (actually a Lexie Barnes bag from last year (not the print pictured) - Love!) and my wallet.  Now, I don't have a fixed place I go every day and I've got to--or want to--use a larger purse but the old "city" bag isn't the 'image' I want since I would like to project a more polished look due to contact with what I'll call the public.  A big flowered bag just isn't working for me; unfortunately, because the interior of the bag is the best with tons of pockets and the exterior never shows wear...but I'm digressing.  I'm alternating weekly between my old purses and briefcase bags to see if they'll work for me in this phase of work.  One of my "old" bags (ha!) holds everything but just in a jumble-irritating.  (I think there's a Freudian slip there somewhere)  Do you have any favorite bags that you think I might like?  Feel free to make suggestions.  Please.

I just finished reading Theirs Not To Reason Why: A Soldier's Duty by Jean Johnson.  It was a good read and is also the beginning of a series.  I believe this author is starting to write SciFi after spending time in the Romance genre.  I will probably look at some of her other work; she had an interesting and enjoyable writing style.

I'm enjoying the cooler weather Wisconsin has been blessed with this weekend and, as usual, doing my laundry on Sunday.  I hope you all enjoy the coming week.

Sunday's FO

Day three of two weeks of vacation (more or less).  I arrived at the Madison airport in a timely manner Friday afternoon and set out to make significant inroads on my Christmas shopping.  Inroads achieved, I heading home.  Home.  (sigh)  I only have a bit of work-related stuff to do this coming week, so I'm looking forward to shopping, wrapping, baking, reading, knitting, spinning, and all sorts of fun stuff in the next few days.

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Don't faint but I actually have a finished object.  Really.  See......

Watch cap number one (ravelry link)

Pattern:  Turn a Square by jared flood  

Mods:  Made in one color, otherwise knit as written.  

Yarn:  Cascade 220 Superwash, less than one skein

For my #2 nephew--hopefully he doesn't read this blog, since it will be in his January birthday package!

I'll be making another in hunter orange for my model, DH...

I think I started this in September and I finished it today.  Mainly airplane/metro knitting, when I remembered or wasn't sleeping.

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Min visited my office last week.  He was ready to help with the phone and my Texas coffee cup.    

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Enough silliness.  Have a fun week and try to enjoy the season.  I know that's my goal.

 

Random Thursday

I have nothing organized for a post so today is random.

• I have a FO!  The Simple Yet Effective Shawl is finished and blocked.  Here it is unblocked.  There are a few errors that I didn't see when it was on the needles.  No, I'm not going back to re-knit although the make-it-right/overly uptight/do-it-right-or-don't-do-it part of me wants to do some ripping.  This project was started in a northern winter compounded by unhappiness and depression.  I'm not going to revisit that.  If I do, I may just stop knitting all together and thus perhaps blogging and I really don't want that.   But aren't the colors pretty?  
• Yes, a vacation may be is a good thing.  Perhaps some good food and mood-altering substances, too.  
• There may be some sighting of it modeled, if Carrie will help me out this weekend.
• Yes! Carrie and, hopefully, other friends will be at the Taos Festival this weekend and so will I!  Wilson and I are making a long vacation of it and will be adventuring in a place we haven't visited before.  Outside of the Festival, we have no firm plans except to enjoy ourselves.  
• The weather has turned quite chilly here in Wisconsin and there was a frost warning last night.  The boiler is on and my hands are freezing.  The basil near the house survived so I hope there is some fresh pesto in my future. 
• I haven't packed yet.  
• I need to find my fingerless mitts.
• For travel knitting, I have a sock to knit that I was knitting back at the beginning of July for Wilson.  I'm still deciding on the other projects to come along.  I may try to revive my Forest Canopy before I go back to Icarus.  
• I may be able to find other materials to work on at the Festival if I run out.  :D
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Good stuff to cushion re-entry

"Re-entry" wasn't too painful today but having the alarm clock sound an hour and a half before my natural time to rise made me sigh deeply a few times on my way to the shower.  I do think the long two-weeks of time from work did a lot of good.  I actually didn't mind going back to work.....too much.  To balance re-entry discomfort, here are a few happy, fun things from this weekend.

DH has a Finished Object! DH finished a jewelry box (for me!) he has been working on for a while. The completion had been delayed by moving to a new house, setting up the workshop, finding the correct knobs and hinges, and a flooded basement.  The workshop was reassembled during our current vacation and he made time to finish this project.  Solid oak, three drawers and a storage area under a hinged lid.  I think it is gorgeous!  I love how the wood grain flows on the front of the chest.  I have some hand-dyed felt that will be perfect to cushion the inside of the drawers -- you can see the felt to the right of the box.  Thank you, dearest husband!  See what happens when you keep giving me jewelry? (Please, don't stop, okay?)    

I also got some free yarn in the mail.  (Yes, today it is all about me.)  Isn't it pretty?  One of my favorite colors, too! I joined the 2008 Holiday Yarns Sock Club this past year.  While I haven't participated actively in the fun goings-on in the Ravelry group, I did happen to correctly answer an email question about tequila.  Something about a worm and, no, we won't go there.  Thank you, Yarn Fairy!  One of these days (sigh), I'm going to knit up one (or more) of my gorgeous kits from Jennifer and the Tsarina of Tsocks.

No photos for this next one, but I restarted Icarus on Saturday and I'm on a roll, for me.  I think I've finally clicked with the pattern.  Finally.  Talk about being the rear guard for a KAL (Knitting with Nora)!  Somebody has to do it.  Stacey is inspiring me with her progress.  Now, if we can just agree on what "one fewer" repeats mean..........

Finished (sort of)

The Bulky Hunting Beret (ravelry link) was dry this morning and here is the modeled hat.

The pattern is The Country Beret (ravelry link) by Erssie Major and I used two-strands held together of Lamb's Pride Worsted in the Orange You Glad colorway.  Double-pointed needles, size US 13.   I didn't weigh the beret yet but I think I used about half each of two skeins.  Since I adjusted for DH's large skull and my gauge, I added several stitches to the cast-on.  I don't remember how many but I think I added just a few too many. 

Today is the last day of the regular gun deer hunting season and he is wearing it out in the woods as I type this.  (Isn't he a nice DH?  He likes it.)  I think I'm going to try to felt this hat to give it a better fit. 

ETA:  It may be a favorite hat from now on since his hunt today was productive.  Here's the photo.  (Real life photo, so click at your discretion)

Pretty sky, an FO, and another year

Some Saturday (well, technically, it is Thursday's) sky but it was so lovely I wanted to share it.  Two days ago, the sky was full of colors just at sunrise.  I'm glad this photo shows a few of them since the sky changed rapidly.  I raced outside in my jammies (brrr) to try to capture it.

Here's today's sky as seen out the window and some finished mittens. 

These are ladies size mittens knit from the Family Mittens (ravelry link) pattern by Lisa Akers.  They took one skein (less one yard!) of Paintbox by Classic Elite Yarns.  Lovely quick pattern and they've given me confidence to branch out to more mitten patterns. 
They are going to be a Christmas gift for someone I'm pretty sure doesn't read this blog. 

You might be able to see a little white stuff on the lawn in my second "sky" photo.  Yes, snow on November 8th is not unheard of but still a little surprise.  I wonder what other surprises are in store from Mother Nature?  Mittens are a nice finished object for a day with snow.

Snow on my birthday is an interesting way to start my next 50 years, don't you think?  DH and I are heading north to the Farm.  We'll be tromping in the woods and getting things ready for deer hunting.  Then we'll sit down with my mom, cousin, aunt, and uncle for a nice birthday dinner.  I'm hoping there will be some grasshopper pie! 

I'm looking forward to this year as a time to think about where I want my journey to take me (as much as I have any control of the steering wheel.)  I have a lovely life with wonderful family and friends.  So that part is perfect.  Perhaps I'm having a mid-life crisis ponder about my career or occupation?  Time will tell. 

Have a great day!

Holiday recap and a F.O.

What I did over my summer vacation Labor Day Weekend:

DH and I had a very nice four-day weekend.  On Friday, we both got haircuts, ate at the Indian buffet (YUM!!!), and shopped for ceiling fans and lights for the new construction and re-construction.     

On Saturday, I worked out, did a few productive things, then read for the rest of the afternoon.  Bliss with a book that required no brain cell bending.  I love to read and will read just about anything but this was perfect for the afternoon.

Sunday, the electricians showed up at a pretty early hour to start their part of the construction.  Sigh.  So, after a bit of breakfast and blog-reading, I took the Jeep down to Madison to do some grocery shopping and obtain things we cannot find at our local Piggly Wiggly.  Once I was back home, I started a new project and completed it today. 

The fabric is a dark red tencel that was 20% off at Gayfeather Fabrics a few weeks ago.  A simple top and a straight skirt were pretty basic to sew.  I pulled out my Featherweight sewing machine and tried to remember where I put my sewing skills.  *g*  No formal pattern but I copied an outfit I paid quite a bit for then had one of those V-8 moments.  *Hey*  I can make this myself!  And I did.  It will look great with a black jacket or the red shawl Stacey and I plan to knit together sometime. 

Today I also worked on the garden and divided the Florentine Iris.  For those of you who put your name in the hat earlier this summer for some rhizomes...expect a package within the next week or so.  For those of you who were too shy to speak up, let me know if you are up for some iris to add to your garden. 

For the week's *e* recap, I visited Curves three times this week, once in Ladysmith and twice at my "home" Curves. 

Finished socks and florentine irises

Finished Object(s)! 

The Jaywalkers are finished and I love them.  They are the best fitting socks I've ever made.  Now, I haven't made many pairs of socks but it is quite thrilling to have a pair that really fit.  Here are the details:

Pattern:  Jaywalker by Grumperina (formerly published in MAGknits and now a free Ravelry download.)  I cast on 76 stitches.

Yarn:  Trekking XXL, color 109  Less than one skein.

Needles:  US 1 (five dpns)

Time served:  A long time.  I'm not a fast knitter and these socks were for my travel time. 

I decided I was tired of having these on the needles so I devoted a bit of time to get them off the needles.  Now I am ready for Summer of Socks 2008.  Well, perhaps not as ready yet as Cookie or Deborah, but now I have a clear sock slate.  I love these socks!









Garden news:  My florentine irises are starting to bloom.  I acquired this variety from a grower in Ohio in the late 1990s.  It took me quite a while to find them. However, I had to have them because of the narrative in this book.  The Harrowsmith Illustrated Book of Herbs by Patrick Lima is still one of my very favorite books.  I read this book before bed for many nights.  Yes, I'm a bit odd........but, it really is a lovely book.  Anyway, they (the irises) multiply quite readily and are a delicate white with dove grey accents.  The irises will have to be divided in late summer, so if you are interested in receiving some (please!), just let me know via email or the comments and we'll make mailing arrangements in August or September.

Finished Shawl

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The Spring Enticement Shawl is finished!  Now, Spring can show up, any day now.  *g*  This isn't a fancy lace shawl but it will be fun to wear and the colors definitely make me happy.

Specifics:  Pattern:  Famous Shawl by Fiesta Yarns.
The yarn is La Boheme by Fiesta Yarns (just about 2 skeins), size US 17 circular needle and under a month to complete.   This project was one of the first ones I stashed as an adult knitter.  It feels nice to have it finished.