Thursday, November 11, 2004

Long Time

Its been quite awhile since my last post. Life has been busy all around. Next week, Rachel competes at a major qualifying competition. The future depends on the outcome. While things have been a buzz, I completed the Everyday Cardie, a Noro rolled rim hat, and a jumbo scarf using a bulky, chenille yarn in colors that remind me of Pooh's gang. Also started a simple Aran pullover for Andrew, a young champion skater whose coach is the same as Rachel's. Go visit www.andrewnagode.com. You will be amazed. I recently met an 8 yr old skater who is a knitter. Katie is a blast and very excited about knitting. I taught a 60 year old teacher of autistic kids to knit while at the rink. Now I am about to start a Jupiter Shawl using Trendsetter Yarns. Visit "Yarnings" in Skippack, PA and you can purchase a kit there.
Off to knit.

Sunday, August 29, 2004

Mumbling

August is almost over. Thank goodness. Skating gets nuts as we scramble to find ice. Ice dancers are bumped off ice for hockey camps. Knitting is not productive. Ongoing projects are not finished and seem boring. Fall yarns, magazines and new books are appearing. Teasing me. My brain is frozen. I sit in my knitting room, tossing skeins of yarn around from my stash and mumble to myself. Husband is home for two weeks....more mumbling, only louder, with some involuntary screeching. School starts tomorrow. That will make Rachel happier, and should bolster part of the daily routine. Skating will be afternoons/evenings. I am ready for snow.

Friday, August 13, 2004

Resting

Lake Placid was bittersweet. Rachel was phenomenol as always, and skated well. But, partnerships require joint effort. Much more work ahead before the qualifying events take place in October. We needed to just let it go for a while, which is exactly what we did. Rachel and I walked a great deal, climbed up and down the hill to the hotel several times a day, had some good meals, knit just a little bit and shopped. Rachel spent this past week at her grandparents soaking up their TLC. I relaxed, slept in, worked on the blueberry poncho and am almost finished reading a mushy, romance novel. Spent most of the day watching the Weather Channel, keeping up with Hurricane Charley. Scary. Summer's end party tomorrow, and then back to the rink on Monday.

Monday, August 02, 2004

Off to Lake Placid

We are packed for Lake Placid. Tomorrow morning Rachel skates only three sessions and then we leave. The drive is anywhere from 6-8 hours. I drive, Rachel knits. I'm going to cheat and send you to her blog for the latest updates on our knitting life. http://rachelsknitting.blogspot.com My projects for the trip are the Everyday Cardie and Blueberry Poncho. Be back Sunday or Monday, and then I hope to get my blog moving. Have a great week.

Thursday, July 29, 2004

SKATE BIG!

Tomorrow is the first of several upcoming ice dance competitions for Rachel. Its been a busy time getting prepared. There are many details that sometimes require last minute attention such as, costume embellishment, polishing boots, selecting makeup colors etc. Fun. I am completely confident in my daughter's abilities and I know she will SKATE BIG! And, she always pleases the audience and I am so proud she is my daughter. Now to decide on my knitting project...that will take some time.

Monday, July 26, 2004

Weekend highlight

Life has been busy! We've been gearing up for Rachel's skating competitions. Summer schedule is almost over and the crack of fog wake ups will become more civilized. Last weekend's highlight was a visit from Greta http://gretaknits.typepad.com and the Poodle Princess. Rachel has some photos posted at her blog http://rachelsknitting.blogspot.com Greta and I have know each other close to 11 years. We've raised our children together, and also when we have been apart. Our dreams and desires are much the same. Our children and our animals are wonderful and give us much joy. The children are growing up and now we are both adjusting to new phases in our lives. Sandy, the Poodle Princess is now the baby in our family, only 4 months old. Sandy and Kishka, my standard poodle, who is 9+ years old, became acquainted, and after a few hours were reasonably comfortable with one another. We relaxed, had a nice dinner, talked forever, knit, and visited Yarnings in Skippack, PA. Wonderful shop with a great inventory of beautiful yarns that can send any knitter into sensory overload. Greta and Sandy thoroughly enjoyed the shop. I purchased two skeins of Koigu in a lavendar blue colorway to complement three ocean bluish/purplish skeins to make a "Charlotte" or similar type shawl. Photos soon of this adventure. Rachel has started to wind my navy blue shetland. I'm still looking through shawl patterns and techniques before I dive into these projects. On Sunday I spent the day cleaning and organizing my knitting room. Now I can see the top of my desk and all the unfinished projects!! Today the weather is beautiful. Hope to knit on the deck later today.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Photos


Sale Yarn Hat Posted by Hello


Noro Scarf Posted by Hello


Future Shetland Shawl Posted by Hello

Here are some recent photos of my knitting. I decided on a rolled rim hat for the sale yarn. The colors are really pretty. The Noro scarf is a simple basketweave pattern. The future Shetland Shawl is from my LYS. For months, each time I visited the shop, I would walk by these 13 hanks of Shetland wool for $21 and wonder if I really could turn this octopus into an actual Shetland shawl. Well, I believe I can do it, and have started seaching through my shawl books to read about technique and deciphering the charts. Stay tuned.

Friday, July 16, 2004

Friday

The week flew by with a few rambunctious storms to spice things up. The rain and warm weather has the garden happy and productive. I've been knitting a rolled, rim hat with my new sale yarn and started a basketweave patterned scarf with some Noro in an orangy, pink, purply colorway. There are many works in progress scattered throughout the house. Photos at some point when Rachel sits still long enough to post them for me. She's much better. Fevers tend to recharge her battery. No special weekend plans. Enjoy yours.

Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Boa finished, replaced by Sale Yarn


Boa Posted by Hello


Sale Yarn Posted by Hello

Grumbling and Nudging

I'm grumbling a bit the past few days. My heart just breaks when my child gets so sick and I can't speed up her recovery. I can be such a nudge. I wish I could stop. Yesterday's rain was relentless. I did knit. Rachel slept for three hours after her first day back on the ice. I sat on the couch just to be near and watched her sleep. Finished the right front of Everyday Cardie, decreased the armholes on the Lime Calipso and even finished a wild orangy, yellow, gold Bernat Boa scarf. Just sloshed around the garden and picked about fifteen cucumbers and a huge bunch of cherry tomatoes. Time to look for pickle recipes and maybe try some homemade tomato sauce. Hope the sun comes out soon.

Friday, July 09, 2004

Improvement

We made it to Friday, fever worries and all. Rachel is much improved, but the next few days she will take it easy.
Garden is doing well. I can't keep up with the cucumbers and the sunflowers are starting to really smile. Glads are are peeking and I have one, very confused, mauve colored, autumn mum that is starting to bloom...but that's what is so fun about Mother Nature...she marchs to the beat of her own drummer. Everyday Cardie front is working up nicely and the Lime Katia Calipso is getting some attention too. Cubetto is getting a rest since my fingers are scratchy from the garden and tend to snag the yarn. Hoping to post photos later if Rachel can get the computer to recognize the little thingy that the pictures are on.

Thursday, July 08, 2004

Quiet day

A few days of antibiotics and hopefully Rachel will feel better. Certainly no skating before Monday. We've been relaxing. She snoozes, I knit, Kishka barks. I'm grateful I can be home to look after her.
I'm making headway on the Everyday Cardigan front and am thinking about starting a Charlotte's Web Shawl, but I really should not get too overloaded. Competitions and travel are on the upcoming agenda, so the simple projects may be best for now. Kishka wants to play tug. Gotta go.

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

Yo- Yo day

I've been out of touch. Yesterday was a beautiful day. I spent a few hours on the deck working on my Everyday Cardigan, Cubetto and another tank that I had forgotten about. Its in a lime green Katia Calipso which is a flat, heavy cotton ribbon. I hope it softens up with washing because its sort of coarse. We'll see. Today sort of backfired on us. Rachel woke up feeling funky and has been running a fever all day. Up and down like a yo-yo. Dr visit tomorrow.

Monday, July 05, 2004

92 degrees makes for craziness

92 degrees out. My energizer cucumber plant is loving it. It looks like some one took a red crayon and is starting to color in my cherry tomato plant. The day was fairly quiet. I worked a few more rows on Cubetto and started the front to my Everyday Cardigan. Uh oh..it was quiet. Time to go. Its very quiet upstairs. YIKES!!!!! Rachel just discovered Kishka attempting to chew up the package conatining my new Oral-B Hummingbird...power flosser. Think we will give him a bath to calm him down. I think he needs a girlfriend or needs to learn to knit!

Sunday, July 04, 2004

July 4th Photos


Cherry Tomatoes Posted by Hello


Furz Posted by Hello


Sunflower Posted by Hello


0 Points Cucumber Posted by Hello


Zinnia Posted by Hello

As promised, some photos taken today from the garden. Also a photo of the back of Furz. Happy 4th.

Saturday, July 03, 2004

Pretty nice day if I do say so.

Today was a pretty relaxing day. Sleeping in was nice. My daughter and husband were happily occupied and Kishka was in low lunacy mode. Started with weeding the garden, while admiring my moulin rouge sunflowers that are just starting to open, picked some cherry tomotoes and four, very nice cucumbers. The grape tomatoes are a little slow to start, but there are lots of blossoms. Later on during the day I worked on Cubetto and remeasured Furzy'z back and discovered I was 1" short. Photos soon. Best part of my day was talking with my bestest, greatest friend in the whole wide world. Gosh I am so lucky!

Friday, July 02, 2004

Not much here

I have no idea what to write about. Ummmmm, my tummy feels better, especially after eating vanilla custard with chocolate sprinkles! Its Friday night. Everyone has their spot on the couch, including Kishka. How can a poodle stretch across an entire couch like that? Well, as you can see this is not a very informative quack. So, its probably a good idea that I go knit. More tomorrow.

Thursday, July 01, 2004

Oreoes

Almost human. Three Oreoes down and I feel much better. After the rink run out and back twice, I did have enough energy to get my glasses repaired, scoot to Yarnings to pick up one more ball of Cubetto, and go to the vet to buy Kishka his foods and meds for the month. That bill set me back. Now I am pooped. Hope to sit down and knit on Cubetto a little later on.

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Yarn sale


Rachel's Cubetto Posted by Hello

Yesterday afternoon Rachel and I went to Yarnings to pick up the rest of her lavendar Pronto. There was a sale. Yes, of course we bought more yarn...Gedifra Cubetto in a pretty light-medium blue. Its funky and works up pretty easily. I plan to make Rachel an airy pullover from the Katia book 56 I've been studying. Pattern #19. She can wear a cami underneath. The pattern is simple and I even get to drop yarn overs without having heart failure. Minimal shaping too. Haven't got too far though. I've been sidelined by an evil stomach bug and I'm feeling rather plotzed. I'm going to try and take a photo. Rachel said she would help me post it.
More when I feel like a human.

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Tuesday morning

My Summer days start at 4:20AM. Skating schedule is usually uncivilized during the summer, but there is not much we can do about that. Ice rinks, ice time, and coaching all need to be coordinated. Fortunately we only live about 20 miles from our current rink. At 6AM, the roads are pretty lonely and the trip is only 30 minutes. I have a few hours before leaving to pick Rachel up and I'm not in the mood to clean, but laundry is in and the beds are made. Kishka and I are going to sit on the deck, enjoy the early sunshine and work up some lace swatches from the Katia 56 book. This afternoon, Rachel and I have to take a trip to Yarnings to pick up more lavendar Berocco Pronto for her baby sweater. I can almost guarantee we will come home with some other goodies. I better get going on that lace swatch.

Monday, June 28, 2004

Wishy Washy Day

Its one of those days. Don't quite know where to throw myself. The landscapers are installing a french drain so of course Kishka the Poodle would like to supervise. He can't make up his mind about being in or out. Rachel, my daughter, is happily knitting while I behave like a yo-yo trying to accomodate poodle desires. You can check on Rachel's new project at http://www.rachelsknitting.blogspot.com I haven't been in the mood to work on my two cardigans, but have been looking through Katia Issue 56. Lots of nice lace tops. Maybe I'll work up some swatches. I'm still learning about blogging so it may be a while before I am able to post any photos. OK, he wants to go out again. More tomorrow when I am coherent.

Sunday, June 27, 2004

Sunday morning

Good morning! Its a beautiful, sunny Sunday, not too hot yet. Good day to get a few things done around the house and yard, go to a birthday party and then settle down to KNIT. I love knitting. Its a sanity saver. I've usually worked on simple projects to keep me occupied while I watch my daughter train at the ice rink. The backs are done on an Everyday Cardigan using some Montana Sweet Grass handspun, and on a rolled edge cardigan using burgundy Furze. I have to get my butt in gear to cast on for the fronts. Maybe I will work one front of each on the same needle. That would challenge my gray matter. Occasionally boredom sets in and my brain feels like it has a butterfly flitting around inside. I find myself making frequent trips to the area yarn shops for inspiration and motivation. This can create the need for additional Rubbermaid containers. I've had a strong yen for some real mohair, but this could challenge my asthma, so I've been hesitating. My stash is currently measured in rubbermaid containers...14 last count. I hope my husband doesn't read this! OK, time for another cup of coffee and on with the day.

Saturday, June 26, 2004

Just starting

Well, I never, ever thought I would attempt to blog. Talking non-stop is easy for me, but writing is not. Maybe with some daily practice I'll become more comfortable with putting words down. OK, I'm going to post this, see what it looks like. More tomorrow.