Sunday, August 31, 2008

FO and UFO Report

Look at that...the calendar is ready to change to a new month, which will bring us another Fall Season. Before I flip the page to September, I thought I would report on the state of Finished and Unfinished Objects in the ol' knitting basket(s):

FO's include:


  • Nana/Momma/Edith's Cornflower Blue Pullover (photo to the left) - I finished it up this week, and N/M/E is happy as can be (both because she loves the sweater and that it is finished!).

    I used the beautiful Queensland Bebe CotSoy yarn in Color #1, a cornflower blue. This yarn is 50% organic cotton, 50% soy...and 100% soft! As I've said before, N/M/E is allergic to wool, so I am always alert to non-sheepie fiber. I have 6 balls in blue left over (better to have too much than not enough, right?), which I plan to use for a baby sweater or two...using a pattern that Missy M shared with me from a book she purchased on her last trip here.

    I also used my favorite Oat Couture pattern called "Metro Pullover." Well, as I've said before, I modified my favorite pattern. This yarn's gauge is 5.5 stitches per inch versus the pattern's recommended 5 stitches per inch. Ho hum...get out the calculator. And, N/M/E liked the Metro Pullover I made for myself so much that she kept saying she wanted hers to be "just like yours." I did add the cable down the front (instead of the pattern's suggested false button placket), but I choose a different cable pattern. And, I made her sleeves a bit longer since she is so cold-natured. She's going to wear her new sweater with some white linen pants on our upcoming trip to Tennessee.


  • Sailor-Collared Baby Sweater and Cap - I finished up this little gift set late last night. It was a pleasure to knit, as the yarn (Bambino Four Season's Grundl in #33 yellow and baby boy blue) is so soft. It's 50% wool, 30% nylon, and 20% cotton...or, at least I think that's what the ball wrapper says, since my German is practically non-existent. I bought this yarn online from Herrschner's on sale, and found that the gauge from my swatch on US 7's matched the recommended gauge from a Crystal Palace (credited) pattern from my 2008 Calendar box for a Sailor Collar Sweater. (NOTE: I have yet to find a pattern in this box that doesn't require creative license, shall we say? This one was no different, with several mistakes and unnecessarily difficult directions. Sigh.) Since I had so much yarn left over, I decided to knit up a hat to match, using the seed stitch border and the stripe pattern. I imagine that this set will go to ... oh wait, it's a gift! Mustn't spoil it...:)

UFO's include:

  • Two scarves that are gifts, so I'll not say anymore about them yet.
  • One pair of socks pour moi, using the Maizy (corn fibre) yarn in colorway "Miami Nice." If I can finish the second sock (why does the 2nd sock always take so long...hmmmm...?), they should go nicely with my new Teal Summer Sweater which I finished for the Ravelympics recently.
  • Too many crocheted baby blankets that I've started but put aside in favor of knitted sweaters. Too. many. Maybe I'll work on one of these on my upcoming trip? We'll see.

Time to close for today. It's a sunny, 86 degree day here...which means that outdoor projects are calling. I'll be on the road for a few days so I'd better make hay while the sun shines, huh? Or rather...dig iris for dividing and mulch the roses and pull some weeds in the Contemplation Garden and...and...and

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Pond Update

Check it out! We had a bloom on one of the water lilies this week. The photo (left) shows off the flower in all of its glory.

I've been intrigued by this bloom, to say the least. It was a "pod" for over a week, teasing us with the possibility, but giving no indication of the color (the package had said "white"...:). Then, on the first day of blooming, it began to open about 8:00 a.m. It was at full bloom by about 10:00 a.m. And, it was tightly closed again by no later than 2:00 p.m.! This process repeated for 4 days. I was glad that I got this pic on Day 3! (Online research said that day blooming water lilies would bloom for only 3 days, so we were apparently lucky.) No sign of a bloom on the other lily, but I continue to monitor it closely.

In addition to the blooming lily, we have had an explosion in the fish population! You might remember that I said we had 10 "new" fishies? Um...I mis-counted...not too hard when the objects of your census are swimming around! There were actually 12!! Plus the "original" 3 big ones, that makes 15, right? Wellllll. When feeding the flock the other day, I noticed some swishing going on at the bottom of the pond and saw a baby goldfish! And, where there is one...yep, I've seen at least 2 more "black" ones (although as they age, they seem to change from black to gold or mostly gold, with a little black and white). So, as of last count, we have some 18 fish: big ones, medium "junior" ones, and little "baby" ones. The photo (right) shows the big gold one ("Goldy Spawn") and several of the junior goldies. (Since the three remaining junior "black" ones are about the same color of the water, you wouldn't be able to see them anyway.) Stay tuned!



BTW, be sure to check out the newest album on our My Photoworks.com Share Page (link is over there <<<<---left column). I got those photos from the disposable camera we had at the Missouri Botanical Garden developed this week and most were pretty good. Well, except those two with "someone's" thumb in the viewfinder...just ignore those. Anyway, there are several of the Niki statues throughout the garden along with the remaining Chihuly (glass) sculptures that the Garden purchased after the recent exhibit (one is the chandelier in the lobby; one is a sunshine-ray over a gate...and over my head in one photo...:). Still, my favorite pic is this photo (left) of Mr. T. in the boxwood garden where the jumping fountains are at play. Tee hee.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Tomatoes are Finally Here

I had my doubts, but I am happy to report that my tomatoes have finally begun to produce. As you can tell from the photo, I was able to harvest more tomatoes than cucumbers on this particular day...plus more than enough hot peppers. It has been such a strange weather year, with too much rain in the Spring...followed by too much rain in the early Summer...followed by a mild August...making for worlds of cukes and far too few tomatoes. I did get one puny salad tomato before July 4th, but really. This year has just been sad so far, veggie garden-wise.

Of course, that big ol' red, juicy Big Boy over there on the lower right in the photo (right) didn't last too very long after this shot was taken.








I washed it...and it's smaller friend there...and began the preparations for my favorite sandwich of all time: tomato (fresh off the vine), bacon, mayo (Hellman's, of course), salt (lots of it) and pepper...all piled on two fresh, fresh slices of yummy white bread. Oh yeah. Now, that's what it's all about!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Crossing the Finish Line

I made it...with a few hours to spare, even! Yes, I finished my Teal Summer Olympics Sweater for the Ravelymics Sweater Sprint challenge. I was sewing on the buttons and weaving in the (insert bad word here) yarn tails during the Gold Medal ceremony for the US Women's Relay around 10:30 p.m. CDST Saturday night...heck, I felt like they were playing the National Anthem for me!! Especially after my "crisis of confidence" on Friday night when I wasn't at all sure I could make it to the finish line before 10:59 a.m. Sunday morning (official time of the Closing Ceremonies in Beijing). But, I kept on knitting...and am happy with the results. (Play theme from Rocky here.)

As I posted the photo (above, left) to the Ravelry site, I saw all the fantastic projects that were completed by many, many talented folks. Amazing! Some of them looked like the knitter must have worked night and day, day and night, for the full 17 days. My sweater is a simple garter stitch pattern (well, I wanted to be able to complete my project in the time period), for which I used a yarn with an interesting texture (Pebbles) and some really neat buttons to dress it up. And, as you can see (above, right), I earned my Bobicus Medal for the Sweater Sprint (don't ask...it's a Ravelry thing...:)

Will I do this again in 4 years? Oh yes...I do love a challenge, after all. But, I may take a hint from some of the other FO's that were posted...I may consider using a heavier weight yarn and larger needles, and I'll certainly try to find a way to lessen or eliminate all the weaving in at the end...I do hate that part, that's for sure...:)

So, what's next on the stix? Well, I want to finish Nana's Cornflower Blue Pullover. This one is already off the stix, actually, and in the "finishing" process: all I have to do is seam up the sides and weave in the loose threads (yuck...yet again) and I'll have another FO for '08. Next up: Mr. T's Red Shawl-Collared Cardigan...more on that at another time.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Weekends are Wonderful!

What a fun & busy weekend we had! On Saturday, Mr. T and I went to the Missouri Botanical Garden in STL for the GSLIS Iris Sale...with a lovely day in the garden as an added bonus. At the sale, we found several new irises, including "Titan's Glory, " "Bubbles Galore," "Rare Edition," "Yosemite Star," and "Patricia Claire." And, yes, the new babies are already planted (more on that later).

I would LOVE to show pictures of the pictures (!) of the irises we bought as well as of feeding the koi in the lake in the Japanese Garden and all the fantastical art in the park by Niki, but I forgot to take my camera. Needless to say, right after we went to the sale, we headed straight for the (fabulous) gift shop for a one-use camera. And as soon as I get it developed, I'll post some of our photos of the lovely day we enjoyed. Gee...remember what it was like before digital cameras? S-l-o-w. Oh well...I visited the MOBOT site and snatched this photo (right) of the Serpent Tree fountain by Niki, just so you'd know...

I cannot believe that it has taken us 5 years to discover this jewel-in-plain-sight. Founded in 1859, MOBOT is the nation's oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark, as well as an oasis located in the area of STL known as The Hill. The Garden has 79 acres of beautiful trees, flowers and shrubs, including a rose garden, daylily garden, and iris garden; a (huge) 14-acre Japanese strolling garden with waterfalls, Tea Ceremony Pavilion (closed except for the Labor Day Japanese Festival each year) and a lovely lake, where we fed the (huge, huge!) koi; founder Henry Shaw's original 1850 estate home, where we strolled through the herb garden; and one of the world's largest collections of rare and endangered orchids (we saw some of those for sale in the gift shop, too). We rode the tram for a bit, which offered us a good overall view and gave us a little narration to learn more about the history, but we walked a lot...which allowed us to linger in the various gardens and enjoy things like the jumping fountains. When we have visitors, we will definitely add this stop to our tour: the Arch, a Cardinals Game (in season), Ted Drewe's Concrete Custard on Route 66, St. Charles Main Street and First Capitol Drive...and now MOBOT!

Speaking of visitors, we were fortunate to be on Cousin Wayne and Irene's route recently. They were "on a mission," returning to CA (where they've lived) from TN (where they are moving to) with a trailer for another furniture "run." Their lives have been so hectic lately with the move and with building a new house. Still, they were able to stay with us for a couple of nights, and we were hap-, hap-, happy to have them here. I remember visiting Wayne and his family in CA when I was about 10, and he took us to Disneyland...and "made" me ride on the Spinning Teacups...yikes!

In the photo (left), he is making friends with Gus...who truly believes that he is a lapdog, even though he weighs more than 60 pounds. Of course, before they headed out, we had to get the cameras clickin'. Here (right) are Irene and Wayne with Nana/Momma/Edith and Mr. T on the bridge in our back yard. Say "cheese!"

And, speaking of our back yard...boy, howdy, it sure looks different today! We came back from MOBOT and wanted to get the new irises in the ground (as the instruction were very specific: plant right away...do NOT allow to dry out!). Well, where we wanted to plant them was overgrown with daylilies that needed to be divided. And, we knew we'd have so many divisions of daylilies that we needed some more space to plant, so we decided to move some azaleas on the side of the house (which were struggling to survive in too much mid-day sun). Soooo, up came the azaleas. Where to put them? Oh, I know...let's create a small "contemplative garden space" a la MOBOT's Japanese Garden, under the oak tree in a shady area. And, that's what we did! Then, we started digging and dividing the daylilies...and that job lasted until after dark. Well, to be honest, it's still going on, since...even after replanting the former azalea bed AND the daylily bed with some of the divisions...we STILL have a wagon-load of divisions left! I'm currently bargaining with Mr. T. to till under a grassy area near the vegetable garden space...but he's holding out, saying there won't be any grass left, if I had my way. (Well...:) As soon as we get it all sorted out and cleaned up, I'll take some photos to post.

Got to close for now...get some knitting done. My Ravelympics sweater is coming along just fine, but after working in the yard and pulling those daylily clumps apart all day yesterday, I couldn't even hold the needles last night, much less knit a stitch. Better today. Maybe I can finish the right front...and then I'll just need to do the sleeves. Knit, knit, knit!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Let the Games Begin!

08/08/08 was a very special day all over the world. As we do every 4 years, we became closer to understanding and accepting our differences by joining together for the Summer Olympics. What a spectacular Opening Ceremony! And, is there anyone in the USA who isn't cheering for Michael Phelps in his quest for winning 8 gold medals, the most EVER in one Olympics? He's currently got 5...which means he also has 11 career golds, topping the previous mark of 9 golds, held by Mark Spitz, Carl Lewis and two others.


Of course, I also found myself cheering for the Benjamin Boukpeti as he won Togo's first-ever Olympic medal...a bronze in the individual slalom. I didn't even know where Togo was! Had to look it up on the Atlas. Now, that's what the Olympics are all about! Go, Togo!!

We were fortunate enough to get tickets to the 1996 Olympics which were held in Atlanta. Fabulous! We got to hear the National Anthem played when the USA won gold in Team Archery. Brings tears to my eyes, just thinking about it.


My own personal connection this year, however, is through knitting...what else? I've accepted the Ravelry challenge, having entered the Sweater Sprint for Team STL. We agreed to cast on the selected project during the Opening Ceremonies and complete it by the Closing Ceremonies seventeen days later. I got up on Friday (7:00 a.m. CDST = 8:00 p.m. Beijing time) to get started on my Teal Summer Olympics Sweater, which I am knitting with a textured cotton-blend yarn called Pebbles in a colorway called "Seaglass." As of now, five days into the challenge, I've completed the back and started on the left front. I'll try to keep you posted, but I have to stay off the PC and on the stix. Knit, knit, knit.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

LMNOPQR - Election Bingo!

Tuesday of this week was a l-o-n-g day for me and the rest of the election judges and other poll workers in Missouri (and any other states holding primaries on that day). I'm still recovering from the deferred sleep-hours (you have to be at the precinct NO LATER than 5:10 AM) and the long hours in an un-air-conditioned space (the heat index for that day was 110), sitting in ancient folding metal chairs. After the initial rush to get the precinct open by 6:00 AM (not a moment later, mind you...it's the law, and we are always nervous about that part), I was the judge at the L-Z table, with the L-R poll book. Do you know how many times I sang the Alphabet Song in my head that day? More than I care to admit to, for sure. If I'd been the Poll Worker in this photo (left) of the 1956 election in Missouri, I'd have been sitting at the same table where President Truman came to get his ballot! (Of course, I would only have been 3 years old, but I digress...:)

This was our General Primary, selecting the candidates who will be on the November ballot, with the "hot race" being the one for Governor. In Missouri, you can "crossover," as they say, and vote a party ballot of your choice. And, the ballots themselves are "color-coded" both by party and by your address (since district lines are rarely drawn exactly by precinct). So there were two Republican ballots (one white, one green), two Democratic ballots (cream, orange-striped), and Libertarian (pink tint...I kid you not). Only...and this made for more than a few comments during the day...ALL of the ballots were printed on WHITE paper...with just the color name printed in the upper corner (i.e., Green, Cream, etc.). I'm sure it seemed like a good system to someone at some point...

And, we've no chance of Hanging Chads in our county anymore. We have both an optical scanner ballot box (where you mark your paper ballot with a felt-tip pen in a voting booth and then deposit the ballot in the box, which is used by 99.9% of our voters) and a touch-screen, computerized unit. Sure does make closing the precinct at 7:00 PM easy as pie! (We closed up in a record 15 minutes this time.)

The biggest challenge, however, was surviving the boredom of a light turnout. We have 2,322 registered voters in our precinct, and only 422 voted. Do the math...that's a meager 18%. Of course, it was hot. Of course, there weren't any "issues" on the ballot. Of course, it was "only" the General Primary (as opposed to the earlier, more glamorous Presidential Primary). But, really. Voting is both a privilege and a responsibility, right? Besides, if you don't go vote, you have absolutely no right to complain. Period.

[Climbing down from my soapbox...]

So, why do I continue to work at the polls on election day? I actually have a great time with my co-workers...and meeting my Ward #1 neighbors and friends. Plus, I feel like I'm giving back a little. At least, that's what I keep reminding myself when that alarm goes off at 4:00 AM...:) And, as a little bonus on a low-turnout day, I get some quality knitting time! There's always a bright side.

Besides, there's always the next election in November. Something tells me that one will be a good deal more than 18% turnout.

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