February 3rd is the Chinese New Year, the outgoing year being the Year of the Tiger and the incoming year being the Year of the Rabbit.
If the start of the new year is any indication, 2011 is the Year of the Hospital.
On Christmas Eve day my family learned that my Dad has bladder cancer. Luckily, at this point the big C is limited to the most inner layer of the bladder and is treatable. Between treatments, he will have to be checked frequently for re-growth of the cancer cells as they are very aggressive.
But the saga doesn't end there.
Last week my older sister was rear-ended, at highway speed, by a semi-truck. (Yes, she was wearing a seat belt.) The majority of the week was spent with my mom in the ICU unit of a local hospital that is a Level 1 trauma center. My sister had two broken vertebrae in her neck. Her surgery was successful, and while she has lost some function of her right arm and hand, there is no paralysis, and she is out of the hospital, recuperating at my parents' house.
Maybe this is our Year of the Rabbit's Foot - because at every point, when things could have been so much more worse, my loved ones have been very, very lucky.
I think I'll celebrate the Chinese New Year by thanking every health professional I meet - I am so impressed with those involved with the care of my Dad and sister.
And please - remember to give yourself a hug - buckle up.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Finished - Part One
The first finished items of 2011!
Pardon me while I do a little happy dance.
The first is the Gathered Scarf - a free pattern on the Skacel website. This is made from Malabrigo Lace and the color is Sealing Wax.
The second is a Christmas present that was still on the needles at Christmas. A wimple for my mother-in-law made from Mountain Colors Weavers Wool, color Elderberry.
This is a Mountain Colors pattern called Lauren's Wimple (scroll about 1/2 way down the page).
If you're on Ravelry, head over to my projects to see a photo of DH modeling this.
Pardon me while I do a little happy dance.
The first is the Gathered Scarf - a free pattern on the Skacel website. This is made from Malabrigo Lace and the color is Sealing Wax.
The second is a Christmas present that was still on the needles at Christmas. A wimple for my mother-in-law made from Mountain Colors Weavers Wool, color Elderberry.
This is a Mountain Colors pattern called Lauren's Wimple (scroll about 1/2 way down the page).
If you're on Ravelry, head over to my projects to see a photo of DH modeling this.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Re-Solution
I'm a bit late to this party, but lately I've been mulling over goals for the next year or, should I say, years.
Goal Number One.
To finish (or make the decision to frog) my knitting UFOs. There are too many projects scattered around the Haus. I've been gathering them up and have a big bin in my dining room, waiting for when I get done with the current projects in my knitting bag. I need to keep the urge to start new projects under control. Two exceptions: first, if I start a new project, it should be only to use up any yarn remaining from a just-finished project; second, I am determined to finish a pair (or more) of socks this year. I just frogged the pair I was working on because I was knitting them way too tightly. So I'm eager to cast on and try again.
Goal Number Two.
Shop from the stash for this year. Buying for giving the yarn as a gift to a fellow crafter does not count.
Goal Number Three.
To finish my counted cross stitch UFOs. Granted, my cross stitch materials and supplies don't take up more than 1/10 of the room that my knitting stash does. But this hobby has been on the back burner since I learned to knit. I need to get back to it on a more regular basis. Maybe I need to take one of the projects to the office and work on it during my lunch hour. Even at a couple hours a week, that's more than I'm devoting to it now.
Goal Number Four.
To control the everyday clutter around the house. The biggest incentive for this goal is watching Hoarders on A&E. Seriously, this show will have you cleaning during the commercials. The shows that are the worst are about the animal hoarders and the dead animals the cleaning people find at the bottom of all the debris. You could not pay me enough money to clean the places those people have encountered. (And I've just found out about the TLC show Hoarding: Buried Alive. I'll have to check it out.)
DH and I do not share the same aesthetic when it comes to decorating. He is extremely spartan. I like to display the antiques I have from various relatives. I don't care much for knickknacks, (mainly because I hate dusting them) but I do have some that I've kept because they have sentimental value. Part of our clutter problem is that we have no closets on the first floor of our home. But I would like to get in the habit of dealing with clutter during the week, rather than having it build up to be dealt with each Saturday when cleaning.
Goal Number Five.
To be more healthy. So few words, but it covers so much. Included in this is getting to bed at a reasonable time...say by midnight on work nights. It also means becoming more physically active. Between a desk job (for the most part), a long commute, and knitting, that's a lot of sitting. As with anyone my size, this goal includes losing weight. This could be a whole post on it's own - even it's own blog.
But my goal is to avoid temporary change. I need to find a solution that works for both DH and I, one that becomes a rest-of-our-lives habit. We need to eat more non-processed food. I need to learn to clean, cut, and cook with vegetables I've never used before - kale, brussel sprouts, kale, rutabaga, etc. This does not mean that I am going to follow strict regimens - those are a recipe for failure. I know myself. Eventually I will eat chips or chocolate - the key is to do so in infrequent moderation. I have to admit that Crazy Aunt Purl has inspired me. It's all small changes, but like money, they all add up.
Goal Number Six.
Read more - or listen to more audiobooks.
Goal Number Seven.
Consume less. Reduce, reuse, recycle. I've been pretty good in the past couple of years - which I think is because I don't care for shopping as entertainment. For me, shopping needs to serve a purpose. (This may be why I still wear T-shirts I got in 1995.) I have one pair of dress/work shoes. Three years ago I lost my winter boots and I still haven't replaced them (and yes, it's awfully cold to shovel snow in tennis shoes). But I can be an impulse buyer when it comes to clothes. For example, I purchased a sweater that was marked down from $40.00 to $3.99. However, it's not a good color on me (gray) and does not flatter my figure at all. Not a costly mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. And those add up.
One place I know I can cut back is buying books and magazines. I've got plenty of books that I haven't read yet. And I need to take advantage of the libraries where I work and live.
I'm inspired by people who are living this to the extreme, like the woman who has 33 clothing items or the challenge to own only 100 items. While I don't want to join in on these challenges, I want to be very thoughtful about each and every purchase. If anything new comes into the house, an old item(s) must go out of the house to the local thrift store.
Maybe I'll be ambitious enough to keep track of my progress throughout the year on a monthly or quarterly basis. While I know I'll make progress in these goals, I want to make sure that when I don't do as well as I want or hope, that I don't give up or let my lack of progress stop me from getting back on track.
What about you? What are your goals?
Goal Number One.
To finish (or make the decision to frog) my knitting UFOs. There are too many projects scattered around the Haus. I've been gathering them up and have a big bin in my dining room, waiting for when I get done with the current projects in my knitting bag. I need to keep the urge to start new projects under control. Two exceptions: first, if I start a new project, it should be only to use up any yarn remaining from a just-finished project; second, I am determined to finish a pair (or more) of socks this year. I just frogged the pair I was working on because I was knitting them way too tightly. So I'm eager to cast on and try again.
Goal Number Two.
Shop from the stash for this year. Buying for giving the yarn as a gift to a fellow crafter does not count.
Goal Number Three.
To finish my counted cross stitch UFOs. Granted, my cross stitch materials and supplies don't take up more than 1/10 of the room that my knitting stash does. But this hobby has been on the back burner since I learned to knit. I need to get back to it on a more regular basis. Maybe I need to take one of the projects to the office and work on it during my lunch hour. Even at a couple hours a week, that's more than I'm devoting to it now.
Goal Number Four.
To control the everyday clutter around the house. The biggest incentive for this goal is watching Hoarders on A&E. Seriously, this show will have you cleaning during the commercials. The shows that are the worst are about the animal hoarders and the dead animals the cleaning people find at the bottom of all the debris. You could not pay me enough money to clean the places those people have encountered. (And I've just found out about the TLC show Hoarding: Buried Alive. I'll have to check it out.)
DH and I do not share the same aesthetic when it comes to decorating. He is extremely spartan. I like to display the antiques I have from various relatives. I don't care much for knickknacks, (mainly because I hate dusting them) but I do have some that I've kept because they have sentimental value. Part of our clutter problem is that we have no closets on the first floor of our home. But I would like to get in the habit of dealing with clutter during the week, rather than having it build up to be dealt with each Saturday when cleaning.
Goal Number Five.
To be more healthy. So few words, but it covers so much. Included in this is getting to bed at a reasonable time...say by midnight on work nights. It also means becoming more physically active. Between a desk job (for the most part), a long commute, and knitting, that's a lot of sitting. As with anyone my size, this goal includes losing weight. This could be a whole post on it's own - even it's own blog.
But my goal is to avoid temporary change. I need to find a solution that works for both DH and I, one that becomes a rest-of-our-lives habit. We need to eat more non-processed food. I need to learn to clean, cut, and cook with vegetables I've never used before - kale, brussel sprouts, kale, rutabaga, etc. This does not mean that I am going to follow strict regimens - those are a recipe for failure. I know myself. Eventually I will eat chips or chocolate - the key is to do so in infrequent moderation. I have to admit that Crazy Aunt Purl has inspired me. It's all small changes, but like money, they all add up.
Goal Number Six.
Read more - or listen to more audiobooks.
Goal Number Seven.
Consume less. Reduce, reuse, recycle. I've been pretty good in the past couple of years - which I think is because I don't care for shopping as entertainment. For me, shopping needs to serve a purpose. (This may be why I still wear T-shirts I got in 1995.) I have one pair of dress/work shoes. Three years ago I lost my winter boots and I still haven't replaced them (and yes, it's awfully cold to shovel snow in tennis shoes). But I can be an impulse buyer when it comes to clothes. For example, I purchased a sweater that was marked down from $40.00 to $3.99. However, it's not a good color on me (gray) and does not flatter my figure at all. Not a costly mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. And those add up.
One place I know I can cut back is buying books and magazines. I've got plenty of books that I haven't read yet. And I need to take advantage of the libraries where I work and live.
I'm inspired by people who are living this to the extreme, like the woman who has 33 clothing items or the challenge to own only 100 items. While I don't want to join in on these challenges, I want to be very thoughtful about each and every purchase. If anything new comes into the house, an old item(s) must go out of the house to the local thrift store.
Maybe I'll be ambitious enough to keep track of my progress throughout the year on a monthly or quarterly basis. While I know I'll make progress in these goals, I want to make sure that when I don't do as well as I want or hope, that I don't give up or let my lack of progress stop me from getting back on track.
What about you? What are your goals?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Secret Pal 16
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely not like? Any natural fibers that have some give or elasticity to them. I prefer not to knit with 100% cotton as it makes my hands ache.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a double sided Binder Bag from Bass Pro Shops. I love it! While it's supposed to be a tackle box, it's great for storing circular needles and all the little knitting do-dads.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I’ve been knitting since 2003. I learned by taking a class at the union of the local university. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Probably intermediate.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No.
5. What’s your favorite scent? Cinnamon, vanilla, citrus scents, cedarwood, frankincense.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? The upper are sweet, the lower are salty/crunchy. Favorite candy? Milk chocolate (Kitkat, Reeses, Snickers, Lindt milk chocolate bars), Cinnamon Altoids, citrus-flavored hard candy.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Counted cross stitch. This last year I got back into it after ignoring all my projects once I started knitting. Do you spin? No. Like to watch other people spin – but I have no interest in learning and no room in my stash for unspun fiber.
8. What kind of music do you like? Most any except country western, club/rave, and heavy metal. I love Christmas music. My ipod actually has no music on it – just podcasts from the Stephanie Miller Show, “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” “This American Life,” and a bunch of knitting podcasts. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes.
9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand? I love autumn colors and jewel tones - brilliant, deep blues, reds, greens, golds, rich tans and browns. I’ve been told I would look good in corals and to avoid yellow and anything with too much yellow-tone to it.
10. What is your family situation? Married, no kids. Do you have any pets? Two cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes; sometimes, but I’m more of a wimple kind of gal; yes; and NO!
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Scarves – because they’re easy “company knitting,” lace projects, sweaters if I don’t have to do too much math.
13. What are you knitting right now? I’ve got multiple WIPs – sweaters, scarves, hats, a pair of socks, shawls, baby sweaters.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Circular and I use all types to fit the yarn I’m working with. I do prefer metal and wood circulars.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Both.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? I think since 2004. I had some older ones but I froggged one and got rid of the other when I moved.
18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? Christmas and Christmas.
19. Is there anything that you collect? Yarn. I love to travel and find yarn that is local to the area I’m visiting. Items with sheep on them.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? Stitch ‘n Bitch Superstar, Heirloom Knitting Simply Stunning Collection, Poems of Color. I’m in the process of updating my queue on Ravelry to indicate which patterns I have already. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting.
21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn? How to adjust a pattern to fit me if it isn't in my size, better finishing techniques, entralac, Intarsia, Fair Isle.
22. Are you a sock knitter? Yes, just working on my semi-first pair (first sock project was frogged.) What are your foot measurements? 12 WW.
23. When is your birthday? July 18, Nineteen Hundred and something.
24. Are you on Ravelry? Yes. If so, what’s your ID? Stashhaus.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a double sided Binder Bag from Bass Pro Shops. I love it! While it's supposed to be a tackle box, it's great for storing circular needles and all the little knitting do-dads.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I’ve been knitting since 2003. I learned by taking a class at the union of the local university. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Probably intermediate.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No.
5. What’s your favorite scent? Cinnamon, vanilla, citrus scents, cedarwood, frankincense.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? The upper are sweet, the lower are salty/crunchy. Favorite candy? Milk chocolate (Kitkat, Reeses, Snickers, Lindt milk chocolate bars), Cinnamon Altoids, citrus-flavored hard candy.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Counted cross stitch. This last year I got back into it after ignoring all my projects once I started knitting. Do you spin? No. Like to watch other people spin – but I have no interest in learning and no room in my stash for unspun fiber.
8. What kind of music do you like? Most any except country western, club/rave, and heavy metal. I love Christmas music. My ipod actually has no music on it – just podcasts from the Stephanie Miller Show, “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” “This American Life,” and a bunch of knitting podcasts. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes.
9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand? I love autumn colors and jewel tones - brilliant, deep blues, reds, greens, golds, rich tans and browns. I’ve been told I would look good in corals and to avoid yellow and anything with too much yellow-tone to it.
10. What is your family situation? Married, no kids. Do you have any pets? Two cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes; sometimes, but I’m more of a wimple kind of gal; yes; and NO!
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Scarves – because they’re easy “company knitting,” lace projects, sweaters if I don’t have to do too much math.
13. What are you knitting right now? I’ve got multiple WIPs – sweaters, scarves, hats, a pair of socks, shawls, baby sweaters.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Circular and I use all types to fit the yarn I’m working with. I do prefer metal and wood circulars.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Both.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? I think since 2004. I had some older ones but I froggged one and got rid of the other when I moved.
18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? Christmas and Christmas.
19. Is there anything that you collect? Yarn. I love to travel and find yarn that is local to the area I’m visiting. Items with sheep on them.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? Stitch ‘n Bitch Superstar, Heirloom Knitting Simply Stunning Collection, Poems of Color. I’m in the process of updating my queue on Ravelry to indicate which patterns I have already. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting.
21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn? How to adjust a pattern to fit me if it isn't in my size, better finishing techniques, entralac, Intarsia, Fair Isle.
22. Are you a sock knitter? Yes, just working on my semi-first pair (first sock project was frogged.) What are your foot measurements? 12 WW.
23. When is your birthday? July 18, Nineteen Hundred and something.
24. Are you on Ravelry? Yes. If so, what’s your ID? Stashhaus.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Rest of the Visit
Our time in Helena was cut short by a snowstorm. We didn't want to be driving in it and couldn't stay longer than we had planned, so we fled Montana ahead of the 6-12 inches of snow. We were lucky as Interstate 90 through South Dakota was closed on the day we would have traveled across the state.
We did see plenty of wildlife...
in Helena.
A mule deer took command of the swingset in the back yarn (click to enlarge for a better view of it's rack)
People shoo them from their front yards like they're shooing cats out of their flower beds.
Non-fiber related activities included snowshoeing at a local golf course and swimming in 2 outdoor pools here. Oh, how I wish there were hot springs close to where we live!
I left DH and his family at home while I went to the nearest gas station to fill up the tank, wash the salt and grime off the windows and headlights, and then took a little 2 mile detour to Sweet Grass.
Patti has wonderful items and a tempting room full of yarn, books, and patterns on sale. She is also a vendor at events all over the country - a schedule is listed on her website.
There is also a lovely looking shop in the downtown area called Spun Mountain that looked lovely (and has open knitting on Wednesday evenings) but I was with family and, more importantly, an active toddler, so I didn't go in. It's located on Last Chance Gulch Street. (Love the name of that street.)
We did see plenty of wildlife...
in Helena.
A mule deer took command of the swingset in the back yarn (click to enlarge for a better view of it's rack)
People shoo them from their front yards like they're shooing cats out of their flower beds.
Non-fiber related activities included snowshoeing at a local golf course and swimming in 2 outdoor pools here. Oh, how I wish there were hot springs close to where we live!
I left DH and his family at home while I went to the nearest gas station to fill up the tank, wash the salt and grime off the windows and headlights, and then took a little 2 mile detour to Sweet Grass.
Patti has wonderful items and a tempting room full of yarn, books, and patterns on sale. She is also a vendor at events all over the country - a schedule is listed on her website.
There is also a lovely looking shop in the downtown area called Spun Mountain that looked lovely (and has open knitting on Wednesday evenings) but I was with family and, more importantly, an active toddler, so I didn't go in. It's located on Last Chance Gulch Street. (Love the name of that street.)
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