Knitting Passion

ha ha ha

Today marks the end of my three month stint as interim executive director. As such, today was just a bit on the overworked side. And, I’m still not quite ready to meet with my boss tomorrow.

Almost - but not quite. I do have the biggest hurdle ready for her to jump. It, of course, is the biggest headache, the one thing that has caused me no end of grief and stomach upset. By the time I left this afternoon I was more than nauseous.

It may be the flu.

I know it is not the flu.

Good thing my boss loves me. Good thing I know how to read (and follow) the Policies and Procedures manual, huh? Yup, good thing.

Of course, all of this has left me (very) little time to knit - and even LESS time to blog about knitting. So, you see several empty spots in this blog over the past month - okay, over the past THREE months. Sorry ’bout that, everyone. I will try my best to do much better.

Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - who knows, there might be a NEW person waiting to take over the blog. I guess only time will tell that tale.

So, I’ve been looking for a new (to me) sock pattern to use up my Tofutsies yarn and found the Tidal Wave over at Southwest Trading Company that I think I’m going to try. It calls for circulars - I’ll probably try it on dpns because that is what I’m used to. Maybe some day I will get brave enough to try something new - maybe - maybe not.

I do like the looks of the leg of this sock, though. And, since I live in Alaska (where I make my own fun, I might add), something named Tidal Wave just seems to fit. (what with our propensity towards earthquakes and the like)

Picture from the website.

Take care - I’ll see you next time.

I’m a bit disappointed, though, because I did not make a yarn run in all the time we were there. There just wasn’t enough time - what with running around visiting with relatives and then doing our sightseeing with our granddaughter. It was SO much fun to introduce Ms. Thang to our Ohio.

I was born and raised in Columbus and hubby was born in W. VA and raised in the Columbus area. Some family still in the area - and, in order to see as many as possible we had a no-host get-together Thursday night at a buffet restaurant. (poor folks there will never be the same - haha) It was good to get reacquainted with everyone.

While I was not able to visit any yarn shops - I DID get some knitting done. I made a pair of baby socks for one of our friends who is going to be a grandpa soon. Okay, the socks aren’t for HIM, they’re for the baby - but you knew that, right?

Right.

It’s the first time he had ever seen self-patterning yarn. He kept asking me how I had done that - did I use several balls of yarn. I had to tell him I wasn’t quite as talented as he thinks, because it all came from one skein.

Gotta love messing with folks’ minds, huh?

So - we arrived back home earlier this week, but it has taken me this long to be reacclimated to the time change (four hours) and catch up somewhat at work. And, this morning I get some extra time as I am only working a part day.

I even logged in to my Ravelry account yesterday - didn’t get to stay for long - I was looking for a pattern for socks using the Tofutsies yarn I purchased eons ago. They had one listed that I’d seen elsewhere (on the Tofutsies yarn site) so I’ll either use that pattern or one from my stash. But I need to get the yarn done up - right?

And, I need to get busy on the second afghan for Shelly’s Share a Square project. I finished the first one before we left. Bought some beads while in Anchorage for the bags. Thanks to the folks who let me know they were working on bags for the project - if you have time to do one or two, drop me a note, too.

Have a great day, everyone!

Oh, my - these are some great (80’s throwback) colors for yarn . . . Jelly Yarns. I am loving the colors and I’m sure the granddaughters will as well.

In fact, I’m so sure, I’ve just ordered the belt and bracelet pattern, black yarn, and pink heart buckle for the Girl’s birthday.

They even offer free patterns. How very cool is that - and it is a great looking little purse, too!

These colors remind me of when Ladybug (my youngest daughter) competed in a scholarship pageant the summer between her junior and senior year in high school. For her talent she decided to sing “Anything you can do, I can do better” from Annie Get Your Gun. (side note - I was in that musical when I was in high school - long, long ago).

Deciding to try to impress the judges a bit, we went for an updated version of Annie toting her gun. Ladybug was decked out in the neon colors that were the rage back then - guess that was actually the 90s that the colors were so vibrant and NEON.

It was also when the super soakers first came out - so, Ladybug wore bright colored tights, shorts, suspenders and shirt with a jaunty little tam on her head. In her hand she carried one of the super soakers. She had greens and yellows and pinks and oranges covering herself. It was really a cute outfit and she wore it well.

Unfortunately - or perhaps not unfortunately as God has it all in His power at all times anyway - she did not place in the pageant and we came back to Alaska to carry on with our lives. Don’t know about her, but I would not have given up that trip with her. It was great fun to visit Iowa and Illinois (the pageant was in Illinois) and see the sights while she was so busy practicing for the pageant.

I saw Ronald Reagan speak at Truman’s Library (? I think it was Truman’s - somebody out there help this old gal remember whose library is where) on the Iowa side of the river. I also visited all of the Amana Colonies and experienced a glorious midwestern thunderstorm. I LOVE the rain, so gloried in it while the folks at the Miniature Barn grumbled.

I also suffered a bout of heat stroke. But I am fully recovered all these years later.

Memories from a ball of yarn. Pretty cool!

I love, love, LOVE this idea! You know, people toss their old keyboards and typewriters without thinking about it. And, here is someone who is making use of the things - recycling at its best. Right?

I am secretly lusting after those many keyboards out there in hubby’s space - okay, not really, but everytime I see these chokers I get to thinking about all of the various pieces of computer equipment out there.

I could knit something around them, right? Right? Heh - yup, just as soon as I find the extra time to do that. LOL

And, from keys to buttons - look at these vintage buttons! I’m thinking a cardigan with these . . . yummy!

And, while you’re in etsy land - mosey on over to check out the “upcycled” hats and clutches. Who among us has NOT accidentally felted a favorite sweater? Yeah, I have one in just that color of pink, too. Sigh! I wore it home after our wedding nearly 40 years ago. I think it is still in my hope chest.

What? You didn’t have a hope chest? You’re too young to know what a hope chest is? They don’t do hope chests any longer? Oh, my. You all do make me feel my age some days.
Not really, but it’s fun to poke fun at myself sometimes.

I have been thinking about how much fun it might be to felt up some sally’s sweaters and making some bags or hats from the results. Had no clue I would be an “upcycler”. I just thought of it along the lines of the 3 r’s (reduce, reuse, recycle). Fun to do my part.

I’ll have to keep my eyes open.

Are you a math nut? Are you a math whiz? Do you like numbers and do addition in your head?

Can you combine your love of science and math with your chosen craft of knitting?

Oh, I know that everytime we work on a project we are actually using some form of math - knit 2, purl 2, three times, etc. But, do we actually think of that as math? And do we ever take it one step further?

These folks did. Math Trek; Knitting Network There’s even a mobius strip - knitted, of course.
Pretty darned cool.

Yeah, I guess we use math all of the time, without even thinking about it. Everytime we grab the measuring cups and spoons to make cookies, cakes, biscuits - everytime we measure out 3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon, there is an element of math involved. Everytime we knit, purl, following someone’s pattern, or adjusting it for our own size, we are using some form of math.

We can’t help it.

And, isn’t that just fun after all?

Now, if you are a scientist by trade, but a fiber artist by choice, here is a place just for you: Skeintily Clad - (NQC)FO* and the new Science Knits webring
*Not Quite Completely Finished Objects. You can read all about it by clicking on that link.

There’s a home for everyone, isn’t there? Pretty neat.

You can also read another article about the Science of Knitting. It talks about hyperbolic space, the geometric opposite of a sphere. Yeah, I don’t know, either. But, then, I’m a Gramma, not a scientist. (not that the two are not compatible, mind you. I’m just saying.)

Actually, as you read this we are back on the ground.

Hubby and oldest granddaughter and I have set off on a journey back to his and my old stomping grounds - the land of our fathers and mothers - the land where we met - the land where we started our life together.

No, it’s not all that romantic - we’re visiting family and friends in Columbus, Ohio. I was born and raised there - hubby (born in West Virginia) was raised there. We each still have some family living in the area and we both have friends there still.

Granddaughter and I are spending time in the hotel pool each night - Grandpa can’t do it because of his poor diabetic feet - he has no feeling in his feet so must be very careful. But granddaughter and I do not have that problem. We love the water and packed our bathing suits just because we can.

One of the things I hope we get to do is visit some of the yarn stores in the nearby area. I was disappointed when I couldn’t do that in Juneau, so am looking forward to exploring a bit in Columbus.

We’ll be also visitng COSI (Center of Science and Industry) which was always so much fun to visit when I was a girl and then when my oldest was a youngun. They are in a new location - well, they’ve been there several years, but I haven’t been to it. It is actually a quite historical location, having been built around an old high school building. They have kept the structural integrity of Central High School, while building around it. Sort of looking forward to seeing the inside of it - I’ve driven by it on my last few trips back “home”.

Oooh, they’re showing a movie about Greece! Yay. Looks like it will be a full day adventure there.

I am a member of Ravelry . . . but hardly ever have time to play there. Is that sad or what?

You see, I do have a reason. I only have just so much time - and when I get to reading other people’s stuff - checking out what THEY are doing, I suddenly find myself with NO time left over to do things of my own.

I can either read online - or I can knit (crochet, etc.) offline.

I can play online - or I can see my Share A Square projects grow.

I can play with others at Ravelry - or I can knit and crochet things for my loved ones here.

But, I LOVE to read about other projects - to see what others have to say - to PLAY!

Sigh!

I was actually able to join the group early on in its beginnings. I was one of the lucky ones who was chosen. And, I’ve fallen down on my duties, I’m guessing.

It’s a nice thing that they still let me come in and update my list of needles and such, huh? Oh, and to check out all of the folks from Alaska who are members - hey, there is even one just in the next town up from me. That’s sort of cool. Because, it is possible I might never meet some of these folks otherwise.

It’s not like we have knit-ins here in the central Kenai Peninsula or anything.

But, I imagine THAT could happen, too. But it would take more time - and time seems to be something that I have little of these days. It is a very precious commodity.

Like fuel for my car.

But that is a whole ‘nother story. (oy! the prices!!!!)

Last night I finished edging the first afghan for Shelly’s project. (by the way - bags for the tags are still needed.) I have all the squares for the second one edged, but haven’t joined them into strips yet. I’ll do that when I return.

Return?

Ah, yes . . . we are packing for another trip. This time hubby and oldest granddaughter are going along. This time we are traveling out of state - or, as we Alaskans say - “Outside”. We are going Outside for spring break.

The granddaughter and I were supposed to travel to Washington DC with her 8th grade teacher and other students and staff. Just like I did two years ago with her brother. This time there were not enough students interested in going (WHAT??? At that age I would have LOVED to take a trip!) so the trip was cancelled.

Hubby and I felt that she should still get her trip, so when we got the money back from the DC trip I started looking for good deals. We were able to get airline tickets, hotel and car for all three of us for the same time frame. How cool is that?

We leave tomorrow morning to drive to Anchorage where we will leave the car with friends and then we fly out just before 10 pm.

DC? Nope - we are giving her a history trip of her very own (family) history. We will visit an aunt of mine and an aunt of her grandpa’s. Then we will have a no-host dinner with some of my cousins, some of his nieces and nephews and some good friends. We just don’t have enough time to go to everyone’s house, so we’ll do the one big hoo-hah to try to see as many as possible all at once.

Side trips (besides the two aunts) will include a vist to COSI and the Ohio Historical Museum (to see the mummy behind which her grandpa gave her grandmummy her first kiss - oh, I am so punny!

This trip I am taking along my needles and some baby socks in progress. Maybe I should take along a self-addressed envelope just in case they decide to take them away from me? Nahhhh.

wha??

That would be Yarnivore speak for Knit in Public - your Work in Progress. It, of course, is a slogan on t-shirts for sale in this San Antonio local yarn store. The photos on the store’s website show a nice place to visit, a nice place to shop, a nice place to knit.

Pretty nice if you live in, or near, San Antonio.

Sadly, I do not.

I DO, however, live near enough to two very nice local yarn stores - Birch Tree Gallery in Soldotna and The Knitting Grounds in Anchorage.

But I really love the names of The Knitting Grounds and Yarnivore. The first is a little play on words - you can get a cup of coffee while visiting Zaynab and the crew - as is the second - after all, we who love to knit are like carnivores attracted to yarn.

We must have yarn
lots and lots of yarn
we love to roll in it
lay on it
smell it
feel it
touch and caress it
yarn is a living, breathing part of us.

Right?

Or is it just me?

Yeah, I thought not. I’m a pretty visually oriented person. I love colors - lots of colors - but I stick pretty much to the basics for my own wardrobe. Bright colors draw me to them, nevertheless. There seems to be this little homing beacon going off inside my head . . . beep, beep, beep . . . come closer, my pretties!

And, I am struck once more by the gorgeous array.

Sadly, I cannot bring them all home. Harumpf! A gal can dream, though.

Bag Ladies and Gents still needed. Read about the project here and contact me at prplmoose AT kenaiwriter DOT net if you’d like more information or would like to contribute. THANKS!

Just one more thing about Juneau (well, one more that I can think of right now) - I rode from Anchorage to Juneau with the First Dude! Only I didn’t realize it until later.

You see - I saw him in the Anchorage airport, then again in the Juneau airport. And, I kept saying - who IS that guy? I know I know him. I’ve seen him on TV!

The women with me said they had no clue . . . and it bugged me all the way to the hotel. So, I got the ironing board set up (yes, I still iron - especially after a long trip and the luggage has been dropkicked by the ramp rats one too many times) and was staring out the window as I pressed a pair of slacks. Suddenly the light came on and I shouted THE FIRST DUDE!

By the way - while I was in Juneau, Governor Palin revealed that she is SEVEN months pregnant with her fifth child! She is due mid-May. That is a mighty long time to have hidden a fifth pregnancy. She used smoke and mirrors - welll, jackets and long scarves, anyway.

So, of course, I (and probably thousands of other grammas in the state) am going to knit her a pair of baby socks.

something like these. With our crazy laws against accepting gifts, she will likely donate them to a hospital, but I am okay with that, too.

Sigh! I know, I really need a life. haha

That’s me and the bear next to the Juneau Courthouse. Behind us is the State Capitol building.

I mentioned that I was going to check into the local yarn store while I was in Juneau. I tried, folks, I really tried. But, everytime I went by, the place was locked up and dark. I talked with a man in another storefront - some sort of computer geekery establishment - and he told me that “she should be back any minute.” Then he mentioned a sign on the door, but when he came out to prove to me it was there, he was surprised to find nothing there, either.

Instead, there were craft calendars for January and February.

This is March.

sigh.

So, I missed out on visiting with the Juneau yarn folks and am sad about that. Guess I will have to look for yarn stores in Columbus, Ohio when I visit there next week. Yeah, I’m sure to find one (hmmmm - it’s a bit far from where we’ll be staying, but you never know) or two - Columbus is a big town. (It is currently a big town with a BIG snow!)

It’s also my home town - I have only lived in two towns in my life - in two states. That either proves that my life is oh, so sad . . . or it proves that my life is very stable.

hahahahaha

you figure out which one - and then let me know, too.

In the meantime . . . still crocheting and edging away for Share A Square. I want to get one of these finished before we leave town Saturday morning. I have all of the squares edged and have begun stitching the rows together. Then, I can put the edging all around and one will be complete. Yay!

Since I have just come home from a trip (for work - in Juneau) and after this week will be heading out again for a trio (for fun - to Ohio - where it snowed 20 inches last weekend!!! meaning they have about 16 inches MORE than we do here in Kenai - ALASKA!) I thought it might be fun to talk about carry-ons.

Or maybe to talk about carrying on. Heh!

As per usual, I can talk about just about anything - at just about any time - AND - to just about anyone.

No, that isn’t an original sentiment of mine - it stems from a VERY long layover (4 days!!!) in Seattle one year right before Christmas - when one of our mountains decided to blow her top and caused many, many, MANY planes to be grounded. I was stuck there amid hundreds of people - back in the day before 9-11 - back when they still had lockers (thank God!) for you to store your luggage in so you wouldn’t have to lug it all around with you.

My nephew was coming home for a Christmas visit - from the Navy - and he and I found each other in the throngs of people. Three days later his mama showed up on HER way back to Alaska from a visit to Ohio and those were the first words he said to her - Mom, Aunt B can talk to ANYONE, ANYWHERE, about ANYTHING. Heh

I think there was some eye rolling and pleading going on there, too. Silly nephews!

These days - post 9-11 - there are no more airport lockers. You must lug your luggage (hmmmm - the name, the name!) with you wherever you go. (please notify security if you see unwatched luggage) And, somehow, traveling is a little less fun at times.

But, I can still talk to anyone about anything, just about anywhere. Including airports. In other words, I still carry on.

How about all of you - are you carrying on these days? And, if not, WHY NOT? Where’s the fun in that, I ask you?

I also ask - have you made a bag lately? Have you read about the project over at Shelly’s? She no longer needs squares - she has more than enough to finish several afghans over the original number of 140. Thank you to everyone who helped by donating squares.

That includes a friend of mine on the other side of the country whose square I was recently edging in black: You know, I have never met this online friend, but I feel closer to her everytime I get to put one of her squares into an afghan.

These are well-traveled squares - too bad they don’t get mileage, huh?

SPEAKING OF BAGS . . . .

Bag Ladies and Gents still needed. Read about the project here and contact me at prplmoose AT kenaiwriter DOT net if you’d like more information or would like to contribute. THANKS!

Oh, she is a punny, punny person, is she not? Yup, she is. Anyhoo! I needed to run by the local yarn shop here in Kenai Saturday in order to pick up some more black yarn to finish the squares for Shelly.

It gave me a chance to visit with one of the shop owners who I haven’t seen for awhile. She, of course, asked who I was knitting for now and I shared with her about the Share a Square project and told her of the different squares I had made and the afghans I had put together.

Somehow we got onto the topic of how I hold crochet hooks. I think I’ve talked about it here before, but I hold the hook inside my hand - like I hold a spoon to eat soup. My grandmother TRIED to teach me to hold my hooks the “proper” way - sort of like you would hold a pencil. But I was never happy with my tension - oh, to tell the truth, it just never feels right when I am trying to hold the hook that way.

The lady at the store laughed and shared that she also holds the hook that way - due to a stroke she had in her early adult life she is unable to hold it the proper way, either.

We each shared that we always feel a bit funny when with a group of other crocheters because everyone else seems to use the hook the proper way. So, I guess I’d like to ask you all - how do you hold your hooks while crocheting? Is there really a proper way to hold them?

And, while we’re on the subject of crocheting . . .

Bag Ladies and Gents still needed. Read about the project here and contact me at prplmoose AT kenaiwriter DOT net if you’d like more information or would like to contribute. THANKS!

So, awhile back I talked about my Lucy bag - and then forgot to share pics of the finished project. Sorry about that. This picture is of the bag in progress.

and, this pic is of the felted bag. I haven’t lined it yet, nor have I put the pin on it. But, it is finished to at least this point.

My only disappointment was that the “shoulder” strap is not at all long enough to go over one’s shoulder. I made it to the pattern - 40 inches long - but it felted up too tightly, I guess. If I’d realized it was going to be so short, I would not have made a shoulder strap, but a shorter strap just to go around my wrist.

So - lesson learned.

I have some gorgeous purplish wool that I am thinking of making a bag out of - not sure if it will be another, bigger, Lucy bag or not. I kind of think not, but we’ll see. That will wait until I get back from Juneau.

Oh, I do have the camera here, by the way, but I did not bring the laptop or the cord to download pics - so that will have to wait until my return.

You’ll also have to wait for the story of whether or not I ran into any fellow knitters while hobnobbing with the legislators . . . orrrrrr . . . if I found the yarn shop where it was supposed to be. See, mysteries just waiting for you to untangle.

Also - will she or will she not be allowed to board with her knitting needles? Ahhhh, another mystery waiting for me to spill the news in answer to when I return.

Got you hooked now, don’t I?

Hahahaha

As you read this today I am basking in the sunshine . . . okay, not really - I am soaking up the ra(in drops)ys in Juneau, Alaska. I’m here for a meeting that my boss usually attends, but if you read my last column, you’ll know she is gone - SHE is actually the one basking in the sunshine - she’s in her last week in Hawaii - lucky woman. She missed all the huge snows we’ve been having.

But - are YOU surviving? Check out the Watching Survivor blog and enter the survivor pool - see if you can knock Lessa off her throne. Heh.

One of the things I hope to do while in Juneau is scoping out the local yarn store. Well, shoot - the site seems down for some reason. I hope the store isn’t closed, too. I love the idea of a yarn store being found on the second floor of the Senate building!!!! I’ll have to check into how many of our Alaskan legislators knit.

In the meantime I am trying to think of a quickie project - small enough to fit into the carryon bag - to take along with me to Juneau. I am thinking maybe baby socks:

sorta like these. Yes? No? Maybe, baby. Wonder if I can get onto the plane with the needles?

Oh, hey - in the search for the site of the Juneau yarn store, I found a Juneau knitter/blogger. Hmmm - maybe we’ll run into each other - maybe not, but always a nice thought, right?