I have quite a bit of sock yarn in my stash. I love it. It's so pretty and soft. Plus, there are colorways that I wouldn't touch for projects I'll wear next to my face but, for socks, anything goes. I love it all.
Ironically, though, with all this sock yarn in my stash I never knit socks. Oh, I cast on a pair for Emma once and even turned the heel but, after doing such a crappy job at picking up stitches for the gusset I frogged the thing.
Then, Ravelympics came along. For those who don't know, the Ravelympics corresponded with the Summer Olympic games. You join a team (I was on the Give 'Em Hill team), pick an event, and cast on during the opening ceremonies. To win a medal you have to bind off by the time the closing ceremonies, well, close.
I chose the Sock Put as my event. The Ravelympics gave me just the push I needed to knit my socks. I used a great colorway, Give 'Em Hill (blue for the Democratic party and yellow for Hillary Clinton's favorite color) and knit, knit, knit. With three days to spare, I finished my socks! I'll be editing this post later to include a picture; frickin' Firefox keeps crashing every time I try to insert an image into my post. Suffice to say I'm happy with the socks (though my kitchener stitch needs some serious work!) and I've already cast on another pair, this time for Emma. I'm using Lisa Souza's Sock! Merino in Berry Poppins. If you don't know Lisa Souza, by all means go here and check out her beautiful yarns. Drool away. And buy! For $18 you get like 520 yards or something awesome like that. Great deal and great yarn.
Commercial over. And it's time for bed. Pictures of my socks to come...
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Christmas in July???
I've had nightmares that it was Christmas and I wasn't ready. Seriously, this is enough to have me waking up in a cold sweat. One year my nightmare came true and I realized I'd forgotten to buy a gift for my aunt and uncle. My ex-husband and I had received a George Foreman grill from his dad that year and, since we already had one, we re-gifted the one we got. Well, we got to my aunt's house and, turns out, they already had one, too. So of course my mother (gotta love mothers!) blurts out the entire story and, because I was so sensitive about having forgotten to buy a gift, I burst out crying. Good times.
Why do I bring this up? Because, on that long-ago Christmas, I vowed to never have that happen again. This year, in an effort to keep that vow, I started knitting my mom's sweater in July. Now, I would have thought that working with fluffy animal fibers in July would have me sweating and miserable...but nope! Instead, it has me realizing just how much I love knitting with animal fibers. I'm using Ultra Alpaca for this sweater and yummy-yum-yum! I love this stuff! If I didn't have to give my mom something (thus avoiding the Christmas of the George Foreman Grill Redux) I'm making this blasted sweater for her. I'll just lust after it from afar.
Ravelympics is right around the corner, cutting into my Christmas-knitting time. But I've been looking forward to this for ages, it seems. I'm going to make my first pair of socks for the challenge and I can't wait. I'll be sure to post pics here when they're done. I'm determined to complete these in two weeks. Wish me luck! Cast-on is this Friday and I really can't wait!
Why do I bring this up? Because, on that long-ago Christmas, I vowed to never have that happen again. This year, in an effort to keep that vow, I started knitting my mom's sweater in July. Now, I would have thought that working with fluffy animal fibers in July would have me sweating and miserable...but nope! Instead, it has me realizing just how much I love knitting with animal fibers. I'm using Ultra Alpaca for this sweater and yummy-yum-yum! I love this stuff! If I didn't have to give my mom something (thus avoiding the Christmas of the George Foreman Grill Redux) I'm making this blasted sweater for her. I'll just lust after it from afar.
Ravelympics is right around the corner, cutting into my Christmas-knitting time. But I've been looking forward to this for ages, it seems. I'm going to make my first pair of socks for the challenge and I can't wait. I'll be sure to post pics here when they're done. I'm determined to complete these in two weeks. Wish me luck! Cast-on is this Friday and I really can't wait!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Buying locally...it's easy!!
After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, I became extremely aware of where my food comes from. While it's awesome being able to buy fresh fruits and vegetables in the dead of winter, the problem is that "fresh" is relative here. As a consequence, I shop more frequently at farmers' markets and am growing some of my own veggies this year. It's a small change and I have far to go (I still can't break the banana habit), but I feel better with every locavore-like choice I make.
With fibers it's a bit more difficult. I love natural fibers and don't often think of where they come from. I do try to support small fiber producers by attending fiber festivals (and, as a bonus, this helps me stay on my yarn diet for most of the year) but, generally, while the local food movement is fairly well-known, local fiber movements are less on my radar.
A change is in the air, however. A recent Cast-On podcast addressed just this very topic; I don't remember the exact episode but it was in series 6 and, besides, I don't have a problem with telling you to go and listen until you find it...Brenda Dayne is that good! She's at www.cast-on.com.
Also making it easier to buy American-grown fibers is a brand-new store: Amia Yarn Company. Take a look at their "Why Buy American?" tab to find out why American-grown fibers are an excellent choice for lovers of natural fibers. If you shop their store, you can read the provenance of each fiber, which is awesome; I love knowing where the animals who donate their hair for my family's warmth can be found. Right now they have alpaca and llama fibers in their store. Fine by me; I love alpaca and, while I have never knit with llama, I feel good about trying llama from Amia Yarn Company.
Commercial over. But seriously, what Amia offers us is an easy way to get the fiber we love while supporting local farmers. And we can easily say "thank you" to the animals who share their warmth with us, maybe even in person. How awesome is that?
With fibers it's a bit more difficult. I love natural fibers and don't often think of where they come from. I do try to support small fiber producers by attending fiber festivals (and, as a bonus, this helps me stay on my yarn diet for most of the year) but, generally, while the local food movement is fairly well-known, local fiber movements are less on my radar.
A change is in the air, however. A recent Cast-On podcast addressed just this very topic; I don't remember the exact episode but it was in series 6 and, besides, I don't have a problem with telling you to go and listen until you find it...Brenda Dayne is that good! She's at www.cast-on.com.
Also making it easier to buy American-grown fibers is a brand-new store: Amia Yarn Company. Take a look at their "Why Buy American?" tab to find out why American-grown fibers are an excellent choice for lovers of natural fibers. If you shop their store, you can read the provenance of each fiber, which is awesome; I love knowing where the animals who donate their hair for my family's warmth can be found. Right now they have alpaca and llama fibers in their store. Fine by me; I love alpaca and, while I have never knit with llama, I feel good about trying llama from Amia Yarn Company.
Commercial over. But seriously, what Amia offers us is an easy way to get the fiber we love while supporting local farmers. And we can easily say "thank you" to the animals who share their warmth with us, maybe even in person. How awesome is that?
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy Independence Day, USA
I love the 4th of July. The fireworks, the cookouts, the sparklers and glitter and patriotic songs...it's such a cliche, but I feel the pride welling up inside whenever the inevitable moment comes when someone sings "America, The Beautiful" during the fireworks show. It never fails to make me cry...
The thing is, we celebrate Independence Day every year by memorializing the Declaration of Independence and the white men who wrote and signed it. Now, I have no interest in disparaging those brilliant men; what they did was extraordinarily brave and I'm proud to live in the nation they helped to build. But that's a handful of men and there are so many more people, mostly unknown, that fought for liberty that should be remembered. Here I go:
Happy Independence Day!!!
Oh, and enjoy this picture of Emma in her Uncle Sam hat. If that child doesn't express joy of freedom and hope for the future, I don't know what does!!
The thing is, we celebrate Independence Day every year by memorializing the Declaration of Independence and the white men who wrote and signed it. Now, I have no interest in disparaging those brilliant men; what they did was extraordinarily brave and I'm proud to live in the nation they helped to build. But that's a handful of men and there are so many more people, mostly unknown, that fought for liberty that should be remembered. Here I go:
- Joshua Barton, Joel Preston, Peter Young, Valentine Leonard (Sr. and Jr.): these are my direct ancestors who fought for independence, either by participating in the fighting or paying taxes to finance our new government. Joshua Barton also signed the Watauga Petition which resulted in the first government of Tennessee in 1772;
- Nancy Jane Agnew Young, who lost two sons in a far-away state on the same day and found a way to live through unspeakable pain;
- Joseph Young, who fought in the Civil War. Though he fought for the Confederacy, he fought to preserve a life he knew and loved and fought because he felt is was his duty to do so. Despite my seriously disagreeing with the cause for which he fought, I can't help but be proud of him;
- Ivy Peters Cuddy Pearcy Easter, who fought for woman suffrage and, as a result, helped enable me to vote one day;
- Lucinda Short Young Thomas, wife of Joseph Young, who lived to be 94 years old, experienced a life of great loss, and still carried on. She helped to raise my grandmother, her great-grandchild, giving her stability and love for the first 16 years of her life;
- Leonard Jack Beeker, who answered the call to fight in World War II, built airplanes for McDonnell-Douglas, and taught me that men do cry;
- Elizabeth Pearcy Beeker, who grew up to be strong and capable and smart, who taught me a love of history and of family, who introduced me to genealogy through her fabulous stories and who inspired me to become a librarian;
- Sandy Marino, who raised three children by herself (including me) and, every day of her life, modeled strength and courage (and still does!).
Happy Independence Day!!!
Oh, and enjoy this picture of Emma in her Uncle Sam hat. If that child doesn't express joy of freedom and hope for the future, I don't know what does!!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Busy busy busy!!
First, I have to say, holy smokes! Two months since my last blog post! Well, I've been pretty busy, both with my knitting and with other stuff.
First, the knitting. I finished a sleeveless vest made out of a cotton/linen blend. I have yet to put it up on Ravelry, but it's a nice olive color and is comfortable. It has a hood but I knit it too narrow and haven't picked up to add on yet, so I wear the vest without the hood. Maybe one day I'll do the hood but, frankly, the top isn't super-flattering (it's kind of boxy) so I'll wear it for the summer and then...we'll see. It's my first attempt at converting a pattern to being knit in the round and I'm fairly happy with the results of that particular experiment.
I have three projects on the needles: a scarf from Ocean Wonders called Fish Net in a pretty lavender/mind/white colorway and in mercerized cotton. It's not a rectangle but, rather, is a parallelogram. It's an attempt to use up some of my stash and, so far, I'm happy with the results.
The second project is Wisp from Knitty (I don't remember which issue). I got the yarn, Watercolours DK, from a swap (which I posted about earlier) and I luuuuurve it. I'm looking forward to wearing it.
I'm also working on a shrug and am unsure as to what it's going to end up like. Here's why: I cast on with CottonLicious and quickly realized that I didn't have enough. So I went out and picked up Lion Cotton in an identical color; I'm not kidding, they match perfectly! The texture, though, is different, and I joined the cotton at a spot where I change from a 2x2 rib to a slip-stitch false rib so the color looks different. It's an easy knit, however, and I think it will be wearable once it's done. I'll put a picture here and in Ravelry soon.
By the way, I also managed to get my entire stash into Ravelry...gulp! I know it's not as much as some people have but still! I really don't want to think of how much money is tied up in those boxes. The good news is that, now that I know what I have, I can start planning how to use it. The fun fur will be a bit of a problem, but in all the stash isn't too terribly unmanageable.
I've been doing loads of gardening lately and that's what's really gotten me away from the blog. I've planted two gardens this year: the Family Garden and Emma's Garden. Emma's Garden has a bamboo teepee with sugar snap peas and sweet peas growing up it, and also has 13 corn plants; I originally had 21 but moved 8 of them to the Family Garden. Emma's Garden also has a pink dianthus and some beans that she planted while playing for which I'm going to have to add another teepee or something soon.
The Family Garden has dill, oregano, cilantro, and three kinds of basil. It has carrots, beets, garlic, three kinds of tomatoes (including two volunteers from last year), pole beans, scarlet runner beans, black beans, peas, zucchini, watermelon, and Jack Be Little pumpkins. I also planted a birdhouse gourd in another bed where we have trellised blackberries, and I figure the gourd can share space on the trellis. I'm planning on doing some canning this year as well as preserving foods by freezing and drying. I've never had this big of a garden and I'm absolutely loving it! I plan on putting in some cucumbers and tomatillos and planting more beets and carrots later in the season. Oh, and I'll put in lettuce, too; I had one crop already that I had to harvest when it got hot and am loving the lettuce I grew, though I've found that it's hard to get clean; I keep biting into grit...blech!
Food costs being what they are, I'm really hoping that my gardening efforts will make a difference in the grocery bill. I wish I could do more and, one day, I'm sure I will. Right now, space is limited, but every vegetable I grow is one we don't have to buy and, with home-grown veggies being so much better than what's in the store, the work is totally worth it, not to mention being fun!
I'd put in some pictures of the garden but I tried a minute ago and Firefox crashed. I'll try again later, because I'm really proud of it!
First, the knitting. I finished a sleeveless vest made out of a cotton/linen blend. I have yet to put it up on Ravelry, but it's a nice olive color and is comfortable. It has a hood but I knit it too narrow and haven't picked up to add on yet, so I wear the vest without the hood. Maybe one day I'll do the hood but, frankly, the top isn't super-flattering (it's kind of boxy) so I'll wear it for the summer and then...we'll see. It's my first attempt at converting a pattern to being knit in the round and I'm fairly happy with the results of that particular experiment.
I have three projects on the needles: a scarf from Ocean Wonders called Fish Net in a pretty lavender/mind/white colorway and in mercerized cotton. It's not a rectangle but, rather, is a parallelogram. It's an attempt to use up some of my stash and, so far, I'm happy with the results.
The second project is Wisp from Knitty (I don't remember which issue). I got the yarn, Watercolours DK, from a swap (which I posted about earlier) and I luuuuurve it. I'm looking forward to wearing it.
I'm also working on a shrug and am unsure as to what it's going to end up like. Here's why: I cast on with CottonLicious and quickly realized that I didn't have enough. So I went out and picked up Lion Cotton in an identical color; I'm not kidding, they match perfectly! The texture, though, is different, and I joined the cotton at a spot where I change from a 2x2 rib to a slip-stitch false rib so the color looks different. It's an easy knit, however, and I think it will be wearable once it's done. I'll put a picture here and in Ravelry soon.
By the way, I also managed to get my entire stash into Ravelry...gulp! I know it's not as much as some people have but still! I really don't want to think of how much money is tied up in those boxes. The good news is that, now that I know what I have, I can start planning how to use it. The fun fur will be a bit of a problem, but in all the stash isn't too terribly unmanageable.
I've been doing loads of gardening lately and that's what's really gotten me away from the blog. I've planted two gardens this year: the Family Garden and Emma's Garden. Emma's Garden has a bamboo teepee with sugar snap peas and sweet peas growing up it, and also has 13 corn plants; I originally had 21 but moved 8 of them to the Family Garden. Emma's Garden also has a pink dianthus and some beans that she planted while playing for which I'm going to have to add another teepee or something soon.
The Family Garden has dill, oregano, cilantro, and three kinds of basil. It has carrots, beets, garlic, three kinds of tomatoes (including two volunteers from last year), pole beans, scarlet runner beans, black beans, peas, zucchini, watermelon, and Jack Be Little pumpkins. I also planted a birdhouse gourd in another bed where we have trellised blackberries, and I figure the gourd can share space on the trellis. I'm planning on doing some canning this year as well as preserving foods by freezing and drying. I've never had this big of a garden and I'm absolutely loving it! I plan on putting in some cucumbers and tomatillos and planting more beets and carrots later in the season. Oh, and I'll put in lettuce, too; I had one crop already that I had to harvest when it got hot and am loving the lettuce I grew, though I've found that it's hard to get clean; I keep biting into grit...blech!
Food costs being what they are, I'm really hoping that my gardening efforts will make a difference in the grocery bill. I wish I could do more and, one day, I'm sure I will. Right now, space is limited, but every vegetable I grow is one we don't have to buy and, with home-grown veggies being so much better than what's in the store, the work is totally worth it, not to mention being fun!
I'd put in some pictures of the garden but I tried a minute ago and Firefox crashed. I'll try again later, because I'm really proud of it!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Just add yarn
Thngs have been crazy lately. I want to go into great detail but feel like it's in my best interest to hold a bit back. Briefly, I'll say that I've been trying to deal with my daughter's father's attempts to reduce his child support and the methods by which he's trying to force me to agree. I won't badmouth him here, since that would be inappropriate in a public forum. I will say that I doubt his efforts will pay off the way he hopes but, once this is all finished, I plan on trying to accomodate his wishes as best I can. First, though, I have to fight the battle he's started. Wish me luck.
Meanwhile, there really is some peace found in knitting. It's the sameness of the stitches that both relaxes and invigorates me. I see how each stitch builds a row, and each row builds a garment, and I'm excited to continue. I imagine what the finished garment will be like, and how I'll feel when I wear it or when I present it to my loved one, and there's joy in the imagining.
The name of my blog is Paknit Button: In Case of Emergency, Just Add Yarn. I was trying to be clever with my naming (something I'm notoriously bad at), but I think, particularly now, it's a perfect name. I feel fear and worry, I pick up my yarn and needles, and I'm soothed. I finish my project, and I'm proud, and I forget my worries for a moment as I bask in the satisfaction a finished garment brings. There's no panic in that moment, only pleasure. Just add yarn.
As I worry over the current challenge with my daughter's father, I know that I can pick up my needles and yarn and there will be only that same knit and purl, made in the same way. No thrown curveballs, just thrown yarn, over and over. Thank goodness. Right now, that's about all I can take.
Meanwhile, there really is some peace found in knitting. It's the sameness of the stitches that both relaxes and invigorates me. I see how each stitch builds a row, and each row builds a garment, and I'm excited to continue. I imagine what the finished garment will be like, and how I'll feel when I wear it or when I present it to my loved one, and there's joy in the imagining.
The name of my blog is Paknit Button: In Case of Emergency, Just Add Yarn. I was trying to be clever with my naming (something I'm notoriously bad at), but I think, particularly now, it's a perfect name. I feel fear and worry, I pick up my yarn and needles, and I'm soothed. I finish my project, and I'm proud, and I forget my worries for a moment as I bask in the satisfaction a finished garment brings. There's no panic in that moment, only pleasure. Just add yarn.
As I worry over the current challenge with my daughter's father, I know that I can pick up my needles and yarn and there will be only that same knit and purl, made in the same way. No thrown curveballs, just thrown yarn, over and over. Thank goodness. Right now, that's about all I can take.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
SWAP!!!!
I just did my first swap and received my package from my partner today. Score! Check out the haul:
My awesome partner, Kim, even sent a gift for Emma. It's that sweet little kitty hat in the top left corner. It's tough to see, so here's a pic of Emma wearing it:
It has little ears on top and earflaps on the sides. Emma is a lover of hats so this was right up her alley. She wore it today when we went to the nursery to buy seeds and got lots of smiles and admiring looks. Cute kids in cute hats tend to get attention...
I have another swap coming up and I'm super-excited about it. The next one focuses on yarn that's suitable for the season and I have some nice stuff ready for my swap partner already. Of course, while I'm excited about sending stuff, I'm even more amped about getting a package myself. Though how the next person can top Kim's excellent work, I just don't know. :)
My awesome partner, Kim, even sent a gift for Emma. It's that sweet little kitty hat in the top left corner. It's tough to see, so here's a pic of Emma wearing it:
It has little ears on top and earflaps on the sides. Emma is a lover of hats so this was right up her alley. She wore it today when we went to the nursery to buy seeds and got lots of smiles and admiring looks. Cute kids in cute hats tend to get attention...
I have another swap coming up and I'm super-excited about it. The next one focuses on yarn that's suitable for the season and I have some nice stuff ready for my swap partner already. Of course, while I'm excited about sending stuff, I'm even more amped about getting a package myself. Though how the next person can top Kim's excellent work, I just don't know. :)
Friday, March 28, 2008
The week from hell
I can say, with certainty and confidence, that this has been the week from hell. At the end of last week, I came down with this wicked cough, with my lungs feeling so irritated and tight that my cough actually squeaked at the end. I went to urgent care and saw a nurse-practitioner (generally not a problem for me) who proclaimed that the lung irritation was simply due to the cough I'd had the week before. She gave me an albuterol treatement and an rx for an albuterol inhaler and sent me on my way. The cough got worse. I finally gave up and called in sick on Tuesday because I could hardly breathe without coughing. Lung irritation my ass...this was the flu. Okay, so I felt better on Wednesday and got up to get ready for work, but I passed out in the shower. I didn't collapse, thank goodness, but only slumped against the shower wall and blacked out. When I came to, it was like I had a gray curtain in front of my eyes and I literally could not see. So that was another work day missed.
Meanwhile, Emma had been sick this entire time, as well, coughing and snotting all over the place, but she was well enough to go to school on Wednesday. By Thursday we were back to our normal routine..or so I thought. Thursday night Emma woke up crying, saying that her ear hurt. When a half hour went by and the ibuprofen I'd given her hadn't worked, I bundled her into the car and took her to the ER, where they diagnosed an inner-ear infection. We finally got home, rx in hand, at 12:30 a.m.
There was a definite bright spot in the bleakness of this past week: a green, flaired-sleeve and hem sweater of a bright spot. I finished Pullover Flair and I love, love, love it! I was about three inches from finishing the last seam when Emma started crying, but you know I finished that sweater when I came home. I got so many compliments on it when I wore it today...and was even told I look skinny! Ha! Take that, week from hell! You can judge for yourself in the pics. What do you think?
I love this pattern, by the way, and am planning on knitting it in wool for fall or winter wear. It was an easy pattern, it came together nicely, and it does look good. All in all, a happy experience!
Meanwhile, Emma had been sick this entire time, as well, coughing and snotting all over the place, but she was well enough to go to school on Wednesday. By Thursday we were back to our normal routine..or so I thought. Thursday night Emma woke up crying, saying that her ear hurt. When a half hour went by and the ibuprofen I'd given her hadn't worked, I bundled her into the car and took her to the ER, where they diagnosed an inner-ear infection. We finally got home, rx in hand, at 12:30 a.m.
There was a definite bright spot in the bleakness of this past week: a green, flaired-sleeve and hem sweater of a bright spot. I finished Pullover Flair and I love, love, love it! I was about three inches from finishing the last seam when Emma started crying, but you know I finished that sweater when I came home. I got so many compliments on it when I wore it today...and was even told I look skinny! Ha! Take that, week from hell! You can judge for yourself in the pics. What do you think?
I love this pattern, by the way, and am planning on knitting it in wool for fall or winter wear. It was an easy pattern, it came together nicely, and it does look good. All in all, a happy experience!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
The Pokey Little Blogger
That's me...pokey. I've been meaning to post and plan on doing it every day but, well, clearly that doesn't happen. So it's catch-up time!
I've been knitting the Interweave Knits pattern, Pullover Flair, in Berroco Nostalgia and am almost finished. I love how this yarn feels and how the tonally-variegated yarn creates wavy patterns when knit up. I'll be posting pics soon, but for right now you can check out the pattern from my Ravelry projects page here. I'm gearing up to knit the Celtic Tote from Interweave Knits Winter 2007 for my mom, who is traveling to Ireland this June for her 60th birthday. I'll be using Brown Sheep wool for the pattern and will post pictures soon.
The weather here in Ohio has been miserable and it leaves me wishing I'd spent more free time knitting warm fuzzies this past year. I'm looking out the window right now at the gray sky and rain and wishing for spring. Back when I lived in CA I never noticed the change of seasons; here, though, there's definitely a change from winter to fall and I love it. I just can't wait for the blue sky and warmer weather to get here!
Um, yeah, okay, this blog post is as dull as I feel. Consider this a check-in and nothing more; I'll get those pictures up very soon!
I've been knitting the Interweave Knits pattern, Pullover Flair, in Berroco Nostalgia and am almost finished. I love how this yarn feels and how the tonally-variegated yarn creates wavy patterns when knit up. I'll be posting pics soon, but for right now you can check out the pattern from my Ravelry projects page here. I'm gearing up to knit the Celtic Tote from Interweave Knits Winter 2007 for my mom, who is traveling to Ireland this June for her 60th birthday. I'll be using Brown Sheep wool for the pattern and will post pictures soon.
The weather here in Ohio has been miserable and it leaves me wishing I'd spent more free time knitting warm fuzzies this past year. I'm looking out the window right now at the gray sky and rain and wishing for spring. Back when I lived in CA I never noticed the change of seasons; here, though, there's definitely a change from winter to fall and I love it. I just can't wait for the blue sky and warmer weather to get here!
Um, yeah, okay, this blog post is as dull as I feel. Consider this a check-in and nothing more; I'll get those pictures up very soon!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
And yet another non-knitting post
I'm a Hillary Clinton fan. Now, if you're reading this and are not a fan, please don't bombard me with comments on all the reason you don't like Hillary. I like her and am not in the mood to argue.
When she announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination, one of my first thoughts was that I would love for Emma to see her in person. I want Emma to grow up without ever questioning the extents to which a woman can rise. I kept my eyes peeled and my ears open for an announcement of a local campaign stop but, as the primary drew closer, I figured the opportunity to see her wouldn't come.
Then I got one of those annoying recorded phone calls, the kind that I usually hang up on. Only this time, I listened, and discovered that Hillary would be stopping very near my house. I was thrilled!
So, this past Sunday, my mom, my daughter, and I all went to see Hillary Clinton speak. She was fantastic! She was Presidential and authoritative, but appeared to be very approachable. She's an excellent speaker and I enjoyed her a great deal...as did Emma.
When we voted in our local primary on Tuesday, Emma went to the machine with me and found Hillary's name. She was happy to participate and happy when, the next day, we learned that Hillary had won. When she went to bed, Emma said to me, "Mama, when I grow up, I'm gonna VOTE!"
That's my girl...both of them!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
A sick little girl
Emma has been sick all day. She does this sometimes; there's no fever, no real signs of illness, but she's lethargic and cries a lot. Typically, by the next day, she's fine. Meanwhile, she's spent most of the day sleeping and crying.
So today I had her on my bed and I was holding her while she slept on me. It was the same position in which she'd sleep when she was an infant, in those beautiful early days when I had nothing more important to do than to hold her on my stomach while she napped. Chest to chest, we laid there, just me and my little girl. I knew in that moment, as I've known for some time now, that those opportunities to just hold her as she sleeps are numbered, that each time I hold her I'm getting closer to the day when she won't want me to hold her any longer. And when those moments come, I cry.
I imagined, when I was younger, that I would have my kids while still in my 20s, and that I would definitely have more than one. Obviously, that didn't happen. I'm 40 and am a single mother with no prospects in sight. I'm not having any more little ones. I'm okay with this, too. I wish Emma had a sibling, but I don't wish for another child to support and worry over. This is hard enough with just one. But, on days like today when I get to hold Emma and feel her precious weight on my chest, I wish that I could have those early days back, when I could spend a day just holding her and kissing her little feet. I'm saddened that those days are over and that I'll never know them again. And I'm saddened that, each day, she needs me a bit less.
She's sleeping right now and that's a good thing. I'm sure that, by tomorrow, she'll feel much better, maybe even well enough to go to school. And I'll go to work and think about my sweet girl and the most recent time I got to snuggle with her, and that will hold me over.
So today I had her on my bed and I was holding her while she slept on me. It was the same position in which she'd sleep when she was an infant, in those beautiful early days when I had nothing more important to do than to hold her on my stomach while she napped. Chest to chest, we laid there, just me and my little girl. I knew in that moment, as I've known for some time now, that those opportunities to just hold her as she sleeps are numbered, that each time I hold her I'm getting closer to the day when she won't want me to hold her any longer. And when those moments come, I cry.
I imagined, when I was younger, that I would have my kids while still in my 20s, and that I would definitely have more than one. Obviously, that didn't happen. I'm 40 and am a single mother with no prospects in sight. I'm not having any more little ones. I'm okay with this, too. I wish Emma had a sibling, but I don't wish for another child to support and worry over. This is hard enough with just one. But, on days like today when I get to hold Emma and feel her precious weight on my chest, I wish that I could have those early days back, when I could spend a day just holding her and kissing her little feet. I'm saddened that those days are over and that I'll never know them again. And I'm saddened that, each day, she needs me a bit less.
She's sleeping right now and that's a good thing. I'm sure that, by tomorrow, she'll feel much better, maybe even well enough to go to school. And I'll go to work and think about my sweet girl and the most recent time I got to snuggle with her, and that will hold me over.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Good use for bad yarn
I had this past Monday off for Presidents' Day and spent a bit of time organizing my stash. I wish I'd known then, when I was spending money on yarn, what I know now: the entire package matters to me. What I mean by this is that yes, I enjoy the process of creating knit items (aside from finishing, but that's beside the point) and I enjoy wearing and giving hand-knit garments and gifts. But if those items are made with yarn that pills or doesn't hold up or doesn't feel nice, then it negates all the good aspects of the project.
I bought lots of yarn when I was a grad student on a very tight budget, and now I find I'm overrun with my budget yarn. The bulk of it is Lion Brand Wool Ease, mostly worsted but a bit of Thick and Quick, and now I'm lamenting the cost of all this yarn that I won't use for garments (I have in the past and it pills terribly) and wishing I could undo all of it and use that money to go back and buy some really nice Malabrigo (which I hear is great but that I've never used) or alpaca of any kind.
Instead I'm going to make loads and loads of accessories - scarves and hats primarily - and will give those as gifts or will donate them. I in Ohio where winters get cold and I think that, when doubled and knit tightly, that worsted Wool Ease will make some nice hats for people who need easy-care items. I'm hoping to drop a load of hats off at a local women's shelter, probably not this year, but definitely before next winter.
As I write this, I realize that my title isn't really appropriate. "Bad" is subjective, isn't it? Is the yarn bad if it's being used correctly? I think the repurposing of the yarn makes a less-awesome yarn, well, awesome.
I bought lots of yarn when I was a grad student on a very tight budget, and now I find I'm overrun with my budget yarn. The bulk of it is Lion Brand Wool Ease, mostly worsted but a bit of Thick and Quick, and now I'm lamenting the cost of all this yarn that I won't use for garments (I have in the past and it pills terribly) and wishing I could undo all of it and use that money to go back and buy some really nice Malabrigo (which I hear is great but that I've never used) or alpaca of any kind.
Instead I'm going to make loads and loads of accessories - scarves and hats primarily - and will give those as gifts or will donate them. I in Ohio where winters get cold and I think that, when doubled and knit tightly, that worsted Wool Ease will make some nice hats for people who need easy-care items. I'm hoping to drop a load of hats off at a local women's shelter, probably not this year, but definitely before next winter.
As I write this, I realize that my title isn't really appropriate. "Bad" is subjective, isn't it? Is the yarn bad if it's being used correctly? I think the repurposing of the yarn makes a less-awesome yarn, well, awesome.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Homespun...blech!!
I started knitting an adorable zip-up hoodie from the Yarn Girls Guide to Knits for All Seasons (I posted an Amazon link for this book a couple days ago) in Lion Homespun, as I had some in my stash and thought it would work nicely. I bought it when I first started knitting; I was in library school at the time and didn't have lots of money for yarn but, beyond that, I liked Homespun. I liked the colors, I liked how it looked...I just liked it.
Then I started knitting with it.
That stuff is horrible! It's stiff and squeaky and it hurts my hands! I got a few inches into the hoodie and realized that never, never, would I wear this item. It just wasn't worth continuing.
The problem now is that I feel like I have to use that yarn. I can't just have yarn in my stash that sits and sits. Because it's acrylic, I think it will make easy-care items, so I'll use it for hats and scarves, maybe a small blanket or two (yes, I have that much of it!) which I'll donate to a local shelter. On the one hand, it might seem as though I'm donating items that I wouldn't use, but that's not really the case. I would definitely wear the stuff if I didn't hate working with it. I just know that, when all is said and done, my dislike of handling it is going to keep me from enjoying the wearing portion of our program. So away it will go...
I'd loved to hear from people who like Homespun, though. And if you have a beautiful project or two using Homespun, please share! Redeem this stuff for me, would you?
Then I started knitting with it.
That stuff is horrible! It's stiff and squeaky and it hurts my hands! I got a few inches into the hoodie and realized that never, never, would I wear this item. It just wasn't worth continuing.
The problem now is that I feel like I have to use that yarn. I can't just have yarn in my stash that sits and sits. Because it's acrylic, I think it will make easy-care items, so I'll use it for hats and scarves, maybe a small blanket or two (yes, I have that much of it!) which I'll donate to a local shelter. On the one hand, it might seem as though I'm donating items that I wouldn't use, but that's not really the case. I would definitely wear the stuff if I didn't hate working with it. I just know that, when all is said and done, my dislike of handling it is going to keep me from enjoying the wearing portion of our program. So away it will go...
I'd loved to hear from people who like Homespun, though. And if you have a beautiful project or two using Homespun, please share! Redeem this stuff for me, would you?
Monday, February 11, 2008
The perfect hat
The Fall 2006 issue of Knit Simple magazine has a pattern, Recipe for a Ribbed Hat (or something like that). I've followed this pattern again and again, making lots of hats for myself and for others. This is hat month for the KAL in which I'm participating (A Loose Knit Group, or alooseknitgroup on Yahoo groups). While I've got a few WIPs right now, hats (particularly this one) are super-quick and make me feel productive, so I finished one and am getting ready to cast on another.
This one, knit for my sweet girl, is made from Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande Paint, and I love it. I wish I could buy loads of it, throw it into a pile, and take a long nap. It's that soft and yummy! Alas, I can only afford a skein or two; although it's not super expensive as far as good yarn goes, it's outside my yarn-for-garments budget. So I indulge myself (and Emma) by making small projects. Not a bad plan!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Loving the library
As I mentioned in my first post, I'm a librarian. You can safely assume that this means I love books. In fact, as I was sorting through my and my daughter's collections of books this morning, trying to decide what to donate to our local public library, it occurred to me that I am nearly incapable of saying goodbye to a book (aside from those crappy Harlequins that I used to adore...ahem). Anyway, as I said, I love books. Sadly, a librarian's salary doesn't allow one to purchase all the books she would like, particularly when that salary must also stretch to accommodate full-time child care costs. Thus, my love for libraries in general (which I felt, by the way, before becoming a librarian, so there).
Lately I've checked out what seems like a never-ending stream of knitting pattern books. I tend to gravitate toward those published by Interweave Press (my love of all things Interweave is for a later post). Today I checked out Lace Style and am itching to start knitting away. There are so, so, so many great patterns in there, far too many to mention. But I'll be adding them to my Ravelry queue so, if you're on Ravelry, take a peek and get inspired. Of course, I'm behind the curve where this book is concerned (it's copyright 2007), but Interweave patterns are rarely too trendy, which means whether I knit from this book next week or next year, the garments I create will be contemporary and stylish. For now, I'm finishing a seed-stitch cardigan for my daughter from the Yarn Girls' Guide to Kid Knits book, and a vest for myself from the Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for All Seasons . I've also cast on the Lotus Blossom Tank from Interweave Knits Summer 2006, something I've been wanting to make for a long time. And yet, with my recent library check-outs, I have a serious case of start-itis.
Still, I think I'll just hold off until I've at least completed the Yarn Girls patterns. I only need to add buttons to the cardi, and the vest is about 75% finished. Certainly, once they're done, casting on a lace project won't hurt...right?
Lately I've checked out what seems like a never-ending stream of knitting pattern books. I tend to gravitate toward those published by Interweave Press (my love of all things Interweave is for a later post). Today I checked out Lace Style and am itching to start knitting away. There are so, so, so many great patterns in there, far too many to mention. But I'll be adding them to my Ravelry queue so, if you're on Ravelry, take a peek and get inspired. Of course, I'm behind the curve where this book is concerned (it's copyright 2007), but Interweave patterns are rarely too trendy, which means whether I knit from this book next week or next year, the garments I create will be contemporary and stylish. For now, I'm finishing a seed-stitch cardigan for my daughter from the Yarn Girls' Guide to Kid Knits book, and a vest for myself from the Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for All Seasons . I've also cast on the Lotus Blossom Tank from Interweave Knits Summer 2006, something I've been wanting to make for a long time. And yet, with my recent library check-outs, I have a serious case of start-itis.
Still, I think I'll just hold off until I've at least completed the Yarn Girls patterns. I only need to add buttons to the cardi, and the vest is about 75% finished. Certainly, once they're done, casting on a lace project won't hurt...right?
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Jumping on the bandwagon
I've resisted a crafts blog for long enough. I have, in the past, blogged about random things, but I didn't blog my fiber work (mainly knitting, but crochet, too) mainly because I didn't see myself keeping up with it. I mean, writing about the stuff I see, hear, and think is one thing, but blogging AND updating with project information AND remembering to post pictures....gads!
Then I joined Ravelry (my screen name is emmasfabmom) and saw how all things yarn can come together in a glorious blend...and I wanted. I needed. I had to have a blog AND a Flickr account and, of course, every single book, magazine, project, and yarn that I own had to go into my Ravelry notebook. And then I wanted to buy more, more, MORE, all so I could put that into Ravelry, too! I'm a crazed Raveler, a total fiber-crafts spaz, and I knew that there was no avoiding the inevitable. So her I am.
A bit about me: I'm a librarian at a beloved (and, sadly, beleaguered) library in the Midwest. I'm a mom to a gorgeous little girl, Emma (thus the Ravelry screen name) who will be heading into kindergarten this fall...sigh. I've been crocheting for 15 years and resisted knitting for a long time, simply because it seemed so trendy. But with the trendiness came gorgeous patterns (something that crochet, for the most part, has not caught up with), and so after the first few rows of a simple scarf I was hooked. Now I knit and crochet and enjoy the positive aspects of both: the speed of crochet and the intricacy of knit. And, really, knit garments beat crochet ones hands down.
I anticipate that this blog will be a vehicle for displaying my work, but there's no way that I'll be able to resist blabbing about my life in general. I have opinions and they must be shared! But I also hope that this will be a comfortable place to visit and that my writing entertains. Please comment and come back often!
Then I joined Ravelry (my screen name is emmasfabmom) and saw how all things yarn can come together in a glorious blend...and I wanted. I needed. I had to have a blog AND a Flickr account and, of course, every single book, magazine, project, and yarn that I own had to go into my Ravelry notebook. And then I wanted to buy more, more, MORE, all so I could put that into Ravelry, too! I'm a crazed Raveler, a total fiber-crafts spaz, and I knew that there was no avoiding the inevitable. So her I am.
A bit about me: I'm a librarian at a beloved (and, sadly, beleaguered) library in the Midwest. I'm a mom to a gorgeous little girl, Emma (thus the Ravelry screen name) who will be heading into kindergarten this fall...sigh. I've been crocheting for 15 years and resisted knitting for a long time, simply because it seemed so trendy. But with the trendiness came gorgeous patterns (something that crochet, for the most part, has not caught up with), and so after the first few rows of a simple scarf I was hooked. Now I knit and crochet and enjoy the positive aspects of both: the speed of crochet and the intricacy of knit. And, really, knit garments beat crochet ones hands down.
I anticipate that this blog will be a vehicle for displaying my work, but there's no way that I'll be able to resist blabbing about my life in general. I have opinions and they must be shared! But I also hope that this will be a comfortable place to visit and that my writing entertains. Please comment and come back often!
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