May 31, 2005
Mittens in a day. Or two!
Beatnicks Handspun mittens
Love them! Just because they are sitting next to a soon to bloom peony bush doesn't mean they won't be needed any day now. The weather here in Massachusetts has been erratic to say the least. I could use them today, for instance.
The best thing? I have enough of this yummy yarn to make another pair with THRUMS. The best of both worlds! I can enjoy the beauty of virgin handspun and have the warmth with the thrums that a certain PERSON is donating to the cause! (Thanks, Norma!)
Is it wrong to want it all? Wonderful mittens and even more wonderful mittens? Hey! A girl's hands get cold!
Flower Shots!
Lilac bush aptly named "sensation". It lives near my stairs, blooming profusely this year for the first time, making me one happy camper. Er. knitter.
Can't you just smell them?
Poem time:
Taken from When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd
...
In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash'd palings,
Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love,
With every leaf a miracle -- and from this bush in the dooryard,
With delicate-color'd blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
A sprig with its flower I break.
~Walt Whitman
May 30, 2005
Koigu baby socks
Baby socks for a german baby!
All the info you want to know and are not afraid to ask:
Yarn: Koigu, color is a mystery. I am not good at keeping tabs on ball bands.
Needle size: 0 US
Pattern: cuff pattern taken from Better than Booties, Interweave Knits, Summer 2005
Heel and foot pattern: based on Terri's sock formula. Baby socks are not included in the chart, but I had cast on 44 stitches which was the same as the worsted weight so I followed her heel numbers. Worked like a charm. Thanks, Terri!
Stitch closeup!
I can't tell you how much I loved using Koigu for socks. I am hooked!
May 29, 2005
Auf Weidersehen!
The time to celebrate Spring is now!
Before I begin with the regularly published bloginess, I need to give a nod to Mother Nature. The celebration of spring began with us opening the windows wide. No rain poured in. No stiff ocean breeze blew us over. This is a good thing.
Spring may have arrived here in Massachusetts after all!
Back to the regular blog entry:
The German kids left on Friday, heading for NYC for the weekend. Looking back of course, we all had a blast. It was wonderful, enlighening, difficult, tiring, exhilarating and left me with an all around warm and fuzzy feeling. These were teenagers after all and it wasn't without incident, but the incidents were minor and the memories are great. Charlotte seems to have developed a little school girl crush on the college brother of which he was blissfully unaware. I had better have a talk with that boy or I will never ever have a daughter in law.
Here's a group shot of all the German and American teens. I defy you to pick out the difference:
My point? Teens are teens no matter where you go!
German Charlotte is on the left: American Bethany on the right. See how Charlotte looks exhausted? That is because she stayed up ALL NIGHT long with oblivious Derek. 2 nights in a row. Derek, of course could sleep the day away while she had to get up after her restful 2 hours of sleep. At least she had a bus ride to NYC to snooze.
Auf Wiedersehen!
And who COULDN'T sleep well on the comfy American School bus? I mean really.
Stay tuned tomorrow to see the finished baby socks that Charlotte took along with her for her new baby nephew!
May 27, 2005
Purse snatchers beware!
Doesn't everyone's purse look like this?
May 24, 2005
Mittenly yarn
Beatknits handspun, hand dyed yarn. Pure pleasure. If you go to her blog right now, she is selling some more of her beautiful yarn. Maybe you could beg her to sell off some of her stash yarn. I'm telling you. Get some.
There is something about handspun yarn. Or perhaps I should say, "handspun yarn that I DID NOT SPIN". Since I am at the beginning levels of spinning, my yarn is not fit for human consumption. Yet. And I'm frankly not sure I want to get into it. There is only so much time in a day, as you are well aware.
So, I opened the beautiful yarn yesterday and then spent all evening in an awards assembly at school. While dutifully chatting with other parents and being the proud mom, I also sat dreaming about that yarn.
"What will I make" floating through my thoughts. I love this part of a project. The dreaming. 10:30 pm, we arrive home. I am exhausted. Dragging myself up to bed, I take along the freshly wound ball and some US6 DPN's. You know, just in case.
And then, although it was not planned at all, I sat by the glow of the television set and knit until my eyes would not stay open anymore. Which, in case you were wondering, was only a half hour. But what a great half hour it was.
It is no stretch of the imagination that I came up with mittens for this yummy yarn. Normally a person would not even think of mittens in May, but that person would not live in New England where the high temperatures have been in the low 40's with a stiff ocean wind blowing to chill you to the bone. Mittens. I need them right now.
I had to stop myself from knitting more on these mittens because the realization dawned on me that they are too big. I must make them smaller.
I wonder, though, how these would be as thrummed mittens. Hmm. I have to check my stash of fiber. I hope I have some coordinating color. I need to find out from you though, how to make the thrums to be a perfect little V and how to get them to stay in place. Be more secure. Anyone? I know you have the knowledge.
Mittens. Gotta love em.
May 23, 2005
Hmmm
I guess Oregano does not like to be a houseplant!
Added: It had plenty of water. Not too much, mind you. Just right. But look at it. Poor thing.
May it rest in peace.
May 21, 2005
Exchange student, one week in
I have learned a few things by being a host to a german student.
~Being clean all the time is so tiring
~It is an impossible task to have a clean sink. Once the dishes are washed, dirty dishes magically appear out of nowhere to fill in the empty space.
~same with dirty clothes. Spending hours washing and folding laundry is a meaningless task. By the end of the day, more clothes will appear in the hamper. Or, if you will, on the floors of bedrooms.
~My darling son, the light of my life, fruit of my womb, is a SLOB. A heart of gold but heaven forbid he'd pick up and dispose of a soda can.
~Did I mention how tired I am? If I could only close my eyes for a day or two, I'm sure I'd be okay.
~Cooking for the german student seems a waste of energy and supplies. She does not seem to eat meals here. Only out. Baking, on the other hand is highly encouraged. I believe she may be the only exchange student EVER that will gain weight during her stay. This will only perpetuate the fat american belief. I am innocent. Sure! I fed her fried food one night. She loved it. But she loves chocolate even more. She is scheming a way to bring Dunkin' Donuts home with her. I asked her if the ones she liked were the ones with the chocoate on the top or chocolate all over. She said YES. Chocolate anywhere.
Okay.
~My family can be charming when they want to be. I hardly recognize any of them! Who ARE these people? They are all carrying on intelligent conversations, asking appropriate questions, being interested in another person's life. They are witty, fun, smart. I wonder what will happen when I try to discuss something with them post Charlotte.
~~~~~~~
Here we are at Woodman's on Thursday. Fun was had by all!
L to R
Bethany, her friend Meg, Charlotte and Me, wearing buffalo brownski everyday cardigan. I am taking the EVERYDAY as a personal challenge. Seriously, though, it makes the perfect jacket for this cool spring weather. Perfect. Should be called the Everyday Perfect Cardigan.
Must sleep now.
May 19, 2005
baby sock, fat bastard and weeds. Really. I'm not kidding you!
Okay, who threw sand in my eyes? That is what they feel like today. The sandman? First thing in the morning? Who ever heard of it?!
~~~
Scratchy eyes aside, I finished one of the baby socks. Koigu, remember? This is a combination pattern of the baby sock pattern from Ann Budd from the latest issue of Interweave knits and my own concoction gleaned from sock experience. The pattern called for a funky type short row hourglass heel that made my mind turn to mush so I switched it over to regular heel. This promptly allowed my mind to unmush.
Let's see, this means one baby sock in 4 days. Seems to me, there are some that knit a whole sweater in that time. I am not naming names. I'm just saying, a baby sock is much smaller than a sweater. I need to fit in more knitting time. I mean, really?! Where are my priorities!
;)
~~~~~~~
Anyone hungry?
What fun reading all of your American food ideas was! I hope you got a chance to read them! My keyboard can hardly take any more drool upon it.
Let's see..what else have I served? Hamburgers and fries. She did not eat that night. Seems that in Germany they do not often eat big meals in the evening. But does she like her brownies! I am planning another pan of them. Girl's gotta eat! I made rice krispy squares and she has not touched them yet. In fact, I saw an almost imperceptible wrinkling up of the nose when I told her what they were.
We are heading to Woodman's. If one is in New England, one MUST experience Woodman's. It's in the code book.
~~~~~~~
Andy and I have been married for 21 years today. We celebrated last night with friends of ours with the same day, same year anniversary. We did not know them at the time, 1984 for those who are trying to figure out the math. I happened to have been a very young bride. At age 2. ;) We headed out to Gloucester, promptly finding out that the restaurant we planned on was closed up with a sign on the front selling the chairs and tables. Never a good sign, really. The place we ended up with, although filled with good history was after all was said and done, a local watering hole that happened to serve food too. The highlight of my meal was the glass of Fat Bastard Shiraz. I remember Kate brought a couple of bottles of it to the Circles book signing and it was sucked dry by the time I realized it was there. I'm not naming any name or anything, but.....
And how many times CAN you say that you drank up some fat bastard on your wedding anniversary anyway?
I mean, reallY?
~~~~~~~
Here's the end. I promise. Every time I have typed the word WEDDING here, I have actually typed WEEDING. My WEEDING ANNIVERSARY. Because honestly, weeding is so rare around here that we celebrate it.
Happy Weeding!
May 16, 2005
Pass the ketchup!
After a day of awkward silences and stilted conversations, things are getting more at ease around here with Charlotte and my family. She is delightful and it is my pleasure to get to know her and her world. When I asked her the question, "What is different here than at home?" she replied enthusiastically, "EVERYTHING!" And I believe her!
Knitting a canoe?
Or a baby sock for Charlotte's new nephew. Koigu. Need I say more?
America Eats!
I am on the hunt for some ideas, so naturally I came to you, my knitbuds. I want to be sure that German Charlotte gets to try as many American Foods as possible while here. So far she has had pizza, hot dogs, marinated steak tips, chicken stir fry, various sandwiches and her favorite so far, brownies! She has expressed an interest to try peanut butter and we will oblige with both smooth and chunky. The more I think about American foods the less ideas I can come up with. I am stumped. So, fling some ideas on me, babies!
Come cook with me!
May 15, 2005
All american picnic
Clean Maintenence. That is the hardest thing after the clean fest, isn't it? This is where I either turn into a stark raving lunatic on the lines of
"WHO LEFT THEIR SHOES/GLASS/NEWSPAPER/THING/CAT (fill in appropriate word) SITTING HERE? RIGHT HERE WHERE I PAINSTAKINGLY CLEANED?" Yeah. Something like that. Except louder and more shrill.
OR.
The clutter creaps back in. And usually I do not care because I am able to just look at my knitting a bit more intently.
So, my challenge for the next 2 weeks, should I choose to accept it, is to keep a level of functioning clean going on in my home.
I may, or may not, accept this challenge. We'll see!
The first night we had 2 German students because her host was going to a prom all night long. This was good and a more comfortable way, I'm sure for Charlotte to enter our home. Clinging to a friend. The first day was awkward and tense. Or maybe it was just me. I don't think anyone noticed.
Saturday dawned nice and cloudy with a forcast of rain. Which was not good because we had a group picnic planned at the beach. A good old fashioned American Beach Cookout! Luckily the rain stayed away and a good time was had by all.
It took a lot of convincing to get them off the picnic tables, but finally the kids joined in volleyball, whiffle ball and frisbee. This is the part I like best about hosting the students. Introducing them to new experiences.
And while I was there I took a picture of the view for you. Just for you. Cuz that's what kind of person I am. :)
Look, Mom! The Atlantic Ocean!
Lynch Park is my favorite beach around. Turn around from the ocean and you see this:
Well, you'd technically see more of this. But this a camera width of the park. Behind the wall is a rose garden that is breathtakingly beautiful come summer. Right now it's a bunch of stubs with leave buds. Behind the rose garden are the fields that the picnic was taking place.
Beach with grass and trees to shade you: Priceless in my opinion.
On the entrance to the rose garden:
Tomorrow I'll show you that I am indeed knitting again. I thought it was going to be extinct, you know, with all the exhaustion going on.
May 13, 2005
House envy
I never thought it would happen to me. House envy. For all of my adult life I have felt like my house is my HOME. There is no better statement than that in my book. As I am getting ready for our German guest, I am fraught with anxiety. Our home is old, about 120 years old and is starting to look it around the edges. We have some work that needs to be done and for sure my rooms will never be in a fashion magazine.
But there is that stupid voice inside saying, "it's not good enough"
"the carpet is old: the paint is chipped: the windows dirty: the wood floors scuffed: the frigerator noisy and clunky: the bathroom powdery: the porch is getting wobbly in places: the weeds need to be pulled/killed."
ON and On that fricking voice goes.
The voice of reason tries to take over, but it's a losing battle.
Bethany's room looks like a million bucks though. Well, alright. It looks like a THOUSAND BUCKS. I hate to seem pretentious! :)
Do you remember Loe's washcloth? Look what I did with it: (if you don't remember, you can search for Loe in the left column. I will link the entry later, when I have a couple of minutes ACK!)
And while we are having the virtual tour of Bethany's room, you have to see the giant duck.
Okay, the cleaning, the fretting is over. I am on my way to Logan Airport to pick Charlotte up.
She may not be coming to a mansion, but we live close to the beach, we have plenty of love, some great senses of humor and some good meals.
What more could an exchange student ask for?
May 12, 2005
Diamond-Seed Baby Jacket
Surprise Baby Sweater is finished! This cute little sweater is for a woman that had a baby when she thought she had appendicitis. Baby Hailey was determined to be here by keeping herself quiet. I thought she deserved a cashmere sweater. Be warned, though, this is NOT a weekend project. This sweater was started on April 16th, fully intending to be done on April 19th, here it is, finished on May 12. That is one LONG weekend!
I wonder if the light around here will ever improve enough to get these colors right? Here's one with flash to remind you of the colors. Then you can go back to the shadowy ones to get the texture. A multifaceted experience.
Cute little seed stitch Collar and button band:
And yes, I kept the crocheted edge. I agreed with those of you who said that it would not match the linear design, but when I saw it, I loved it. So it stays.
What is a finished project without a modeled shot?
Looks great, don't you think?
~~~~~~~
Pattern: Diamond-seed baby jacket, Interweave knits Spring 2004
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, heaven in a yarn
needle size: US 3
A fun knit all around!
Excuse me while I dust something!
May 10, 2005
Still stashing, er cleaning..
Okay, this is important.
Please, raise your right hand.
ALL of you. You, that's right. You.
Okay.
Promise me that if you come to my house in the next couple of weeks, that you WILL NOT open any closet that is upstairs. NONE. Not a one.
If you do not take this oath and do come here and, living on the edge, open the upstairs hallway closet door, I will not be held responsible for the injuries that will probaby occur when a wall of stuff comes falling down on your head.
I'm serious.
Promise.
Weed or flower of beauty, you decide
My mother's day gift. The kids told me the flower shop told them it was a Star Of Bethlehem. If so, according to the internet (which MUST be true, right?) then it is a pesky weed.
Hmm. A more beautiful weed I never have seen! It can grow in my kitchen for as long as it wants!
May 09, 2005
Joy of cleaning
My throat has that tight, icky feeling. You know the dreaded feeling of TIME PASSING.
Let me explain so you know from where I speak.
This Friday, our German Exchange student will be arriving in Boston and spending 2 weeks in our home. For the past 2 or even 3 months, I have had a wonderful plan of organizing and decluttering our home.
YEAH RIGHT. We are at 4 days and counting and I've only scratched the surface. There is so much I want/need to do this week.
Like:
~To be able to see that we have a kitchen counter. For some reason, my super small counter does not get to see the light of day.
~wash floors
~de-powder bathroom (what can I say, I love to powder up after my shower. But the bathroom bears the brunt
~de mildew the bathroom while we are at it
~organize the laundry room. Right now there is a "carpet" of gunk. Not gunk, really in the traditional sense of the word. It is just stuff that has fallen and had no way to get up. Gotta pick it up now.
~finish getting Bethany's room together after the big paint job. At this moment everything is stashed in her closet. Charlotte will be staying in Bethany's room while here and Bethany will be staying in college Derek's room. Why? Well, thanks for asking. To enter Derek's room (the obvious choice for the guest) you have to walk through our room. The parents room. I figured this may be uncomfortable for non family. So, she gets Bethany's room. Easier access.
~dust bunnies
~dust hippos (these are bigger than bunnies)
~buying new comforter and curtains for newly painted bedroom
ARGHHHH!
You may be wondering WHY I am putting so much pressure upon myself. 2 good reasons.
1. I have been informed that their home was spotless
2. This one is the kicker: After walking their dog, they would WASH HIS FEET before he came in the house.
I am afraid for this girls health. Either her immune system will be considerably strenthened while here or she will develop asthma and allergies like nobody's business!
~~~~~~~~~
baby sweater pictures tomorrow. If I can take a break from the scrubbing and throwing things out. The trash guys are going to hate us this week!
May 08, 2005
What would YOU do?
All of a sudden it hit me. I did not do the 8 row seed stitch border on the bottom of the baby sweater! Why? I dunno! I wondered why the edge kept curling.
I figured I had 2 options at that point. 3 really, if you count leaving it as is, which isn't an option. So. Back to 2.
1~pick up stitches and do a seed stitch border
or
2~ crochet an edge.
I opted for number 2, just for the heck of it.
What do you think of the scalloped edge for the sweater? Only 3 scallops are done. The pink border will block out as a bit more lacy. Or spacey really.
Please give me your opinion. As much as you can see it in this yet again craptastic picture. Will the sun EVER shine?
Oh, yeah, the sun was shining in Maryland. Claudia fired up her laptop in the midst of all the fun and shared that everyone (poor babies) is getting sunburned. As if.
:)
I could probably get hypothermia. I could!
So, anyway, should the crochet baby border stay?
Or should it go?
ahem..
Should I stay or should I go now?
May 07, 2005
Sandy's knitting reporting for duty!
First off:
Did someone place a hex on me? Possibly one of the maryland few? I have written this post 3 times and have done something stupid every time thereby erasing it all! GONE. Couldn't you just have a temper tantrum when that happens?
4th time is the charm!
It is easy to talk yourself into something. I am imagining it raining and cold DOWNTHERE. I do not wish this upon my lucky blogging friends. It just makes it easier for me to live in my own pretend world. I could check the weather there. But then reality will make an appearance and frankly, I'd rather it did not!
Sleeves are done!
Baby sleeves, technically being SHORTer and smaller than adult sleeves should proportionately take a small amount of time. You'd think. A sleeve is a sleeve is a sleeve. I do not know why this black hole exists, but it does.
Almost finished sleeves, One sleeve is seamed one is not:
No flash shows the texture wonderfully, but not so much the true color. So you get another picture, with flash!
This technically makes me a flasher.
Mother's Day geraniums:
Such beautiful color!
~~~~~~~~~~
Did I get through it? Was I able to write this post a 4th time and get away with it? Another Boston (area)curse broken!
I am driving out to see My Mom today and spend the day with her. Bethany and Andy will be making their way to the Providence Bruins hockey game.
I'm seriously having fun. Aren't You?
May 06, 2005
Please Post! Don't make me come over there! :)
Husband is snoozing with the Sox game on, Bethany is out playing frisbee with her friends. With driving friends, this means that she does not have to be picked up. I thought I'd spend a couple of minutes with you! Half of the blog world is at this moment traveling to YOUKNOWWHERE. We are not.
So what?
We can have a fiber festival all our own. Fun is in the eye of the beholder.
Sure! Some of my weekend fun will be cleaning this pit of a home. In one week's time, we have a German exchange student arriving on our doorstep and I am determined that she will not be alarmed by the coating of dust. Or piles of stuff. Or dustbunnies tumbleweeding their way around the homestead.
Please, for all that is good and holy, DO NOT let bloglines run dry. Post something. Anything! Have pity upon ME. One of the most pathetic sights EVER will be a dust weary me, dragging myself to the computer to see what the knitbuds are up to and all that is heard is crickets on the streets of blogland. Pathetic?
Sure.
Join me?
Let's see, since this has been song week, here's one:
I'm {not} leaving on a jet plane...
May 04, 2005
If it's Yellow it must be Wednesday!
If Tuesday is knitalong day, then I declare Wednesday to be Yellow day! Go ahead, declare your own day. It's fun!
3 yellow pictures for your viewing pleasure!
First up:
Yellow flowers! It's tulip time! And the cool weather has helped the forsythias last extra long this year! Let's hope the same for when the lilacs bloom!
The color of Bethany's newly painted room. So bright and clean looking! Of course, the room now needs new curtains and comfortor. It's the newly painted room rule.
Finally, what you've been waiting for:
Yellow yarn! Blue Sky Cotton to be exact! Heaven in a skein! Krista from Circles talked me into it, hoping to make me a cotton convert. Just touching this yarn is wonderful, I can imagine the knitting will be just as. What is the plan for it? No plan yet. Just to feel the love for a while. (Hi Krista from Circles!)
While we are at it, you must see the woodwork in Bethany's room.
You know, now that I think of it, the hallway now looks tired and old......Painting is an epidemic, you know!
~~~~~~~~~
So, there you have it!
They call me Mellow Yellow!
Bananas are yellow. And appartently they were the insiration for that song. Who knew? I thought it was about a girl named Saffron.
Sing with me today, will ya? They call me Mellow yellow!
~~~~~~
Seems like song week to me!
May 03, 2005
The gifts are opened! Were YOU right?
A car? You sincerely think that I am generous enough to fork over a car on the 3rd day of having her license? Wow! You are all way nicer than me. A phone would have been a good idea.
But, it was.....Bethany wanted to be sure to have a drumroll here, so please if you don't mind, drum roll on your computer desk to humor her, will ya?
A MINI IPOD! And was she thrilled! Of course I have no pictures to back that one up. Just imagine a newly driving teen with a shocked look on her face. She really thought we would wrap up her newly stamped permit as her gift. Silly girl.
I've gotta tell you, this IPod mini is adorable. What else is there? An Itunes gift card to get LEGAL music. Cough:cough. A Nurse Quactitioner. Yes, you read that right. Bethany collects ducks. Usually of the rubber ducky sort. But how can you pass up a duck that is an inch high? And a nurse to boot?
I'm wondering though, have any of you ever seen a duck with a tail that looks like this?
Kind of dinosaur like. Not that a nurse quactitioner duck technically has to have a legitimate tail. I'm not one to judge or anything. I'm just wondering. And the last small gift was a wonder called THE BUG. Air freshener, not a listening device. Although as a mother of a teen, that option sometimes seems attractive. The one you see in the picture is a fragrance called summer breeze, which is not technically the one Bethany got. She got the very berry scent. And it is. I thought she'd put it in her newly painted room but she put it right here at the computer. Berry anyone?
~As a small side thought, can anyone read the phrase "summer breeze" and not start humming the Seals and crofts song? Just wondering.
~As a second side thought to the original side thought:I honestly believed that it was a Simon and Garfunkel song and had written it so. That link told me differently. I'm still humming it though.
So there you have it. Birthday Redux. Bethany was heard to softly claim that it was her BEST birthday ever. I believe she said that last year, but I'll still hope that she says it next year!
May 02, 2005
Happy Birthday, Bethany!
All in one weekend, Bethany turns 17 and gets her drivers license! I may need a cocktail later on. To celebrate. Or whatever.
Can you guess what we got her?
Hmm?