Master Disaster to Devine Design

It was a dark and stormy night. No wait...it was really rather calm and quiet in the wee hours of a Wednesday morning. Anyway. She and her faithful hounds were sound asleep on the king-size bed, lulled into dream-land by the whirring of the fan, for once not fighting for either territory or covers.

Suddenly, they were jarred from peaceful slumber by a wrenching, ripping, cracking sound, followed by a tremendous thump. Then, all was silent.

What the ^%$$ was that?!? Jolted from a deep sleep, I couldn't quite get my bearings at first. Was that sound in a nightmare? Or, did I really hear something? Better investigate. With the faithful and equally befuddled Duchess in tow (Gus was still sound asleep on the bed...never heard a thing...and Mr T was out-of-town, so he didn't hear it either), I first checked the deck to see if a tree had fallen on the house. No, that wasn't it. Then, I tiptoed down Mom's hall to see if she had possibly fallen while getting up in the middle of the night...and taken down her nightstand in the process. No, wrong again. What could it be?

Upon checking the master closet, I found the source of the sounds. The closet had collapsed, off the wall. Completely collapsed. I kid you not...every thread of clothing that Mr. T and I owned was in a pile...in a heap...on the floor. The wire shelving that the previous owners had used just couldn't support our clothes...and shoes...and other stuff. What a gigantic mess! Nothing to do but climb back into bed, pull the covers over my head, and pray that the closet fairies would fix it all by daylight.


No such luck.

Fortunately, for me at least, after a couple of weeks of dressing out of wardrobe boxes which we stationed in the dining room, Mr. T took over this project and wrangled it to a happy conclusion. He designed us a new master closet, complete with lots of shelves and cubbies and hanging space, and built it all...pretty close to how he designed it. Oh, there were a few words uttered in the heat of the moment, usually after he discovered that a shelf wasn't the exact length he wanted...followed by him muttering "that's why they tell you to measure twice and cut once." But, all-in-all, it's a fabulous improvement over what we had. (I can take zero credit for this one, as I would scamper away at the first sign of dust...terrified that I'd repeat my prolonged bout of bronchitis of earlier this year...and, I must say that re-doing a closet is one dusty project indeed.) Check out the photos (mid-way and after...I didn't have the heart to take a picture of the "before").



Meanwhile, the unpacking process continues. I have finally unpacked all of the Cat's Meows...I think. You see, the movers didn't pack them all together...no, that would have been way too logical. They packed them in whatever space they could fit them in...a few in this box, a few more in that box. Since I have over 200 of these little collectible houses, you can imagine that I didn't take too kindly to having to go through so many boxes to find them all. Oh well. I've been putting them up on the door jams and window sills, all around the house (see photo, left, for the view into the foyer from the great room). Before you ask, yes...I do find that I have to use this sticky stuff called Happy Tack to keep the houses from falling from their perches. Although that still happens sometimes, anyway. We call it "Falling Real Estate!" And, let me tell you...those little blocks of wood can hurt if they score a direct hit on your head! (Voice of experience.)

As I said in a previous post, we got the curtains up in all of the rooms, so it doesn't sound so hollow when you walk through the house on the hardwood floors. In addition, the quilts and quilt racks went up this past weekend...which means the house is really starting to feel like our home.

Finished Objects...In More Ways Than One

Ted E. Bear's showing off the latest knitted Finished Object: a skinny silk scarf in Colinette's Tao colorway "Mardi Gras." The yarn (mentioned in my last post about my trip to Cary, NC) is a gorgeous 100% silk from Wales...in every color of the rainbow. And, did I mention that there are only 117 metres (not quite 128 yards) in a skein? And, that the shop only had one skein in this colorway?? And, that I could only afford one skein of 100% silk yarn from Wales???

I could see this yarn becoming a skinny scarf...one that can be worn with all manner of tops. At all times of the year. And, when the shop owner suggested that I use a dropped stitch, garter stitch "pattern" for making the skinny scarf, I thought: problem solved. I'll be wearing this beauty in no time.

Not so fast.

I cast on for a garter stitch scarf and immediately saw a problem. Garter stitch (all knit stitches) create little "bumps" where the stitch loops are formed...very visible, and very annoying in that the bumps were disrupting the "flow" of rainbow colors...destroying the entire rainbow effect, actually. Didn't like that at all, although I did like the dropped stitches in stockinette (where you purl on the reverse side of a knit stitch). OK...frog it (which, to you non-knitters who are still reading this post, means rip it out), and try something different.

I found a pattern for a chevron lace scarf. Cast on and knit a few inches. Nope...the lace pattern just got hopelessly lost in the busy-ness of the rainbow colors. Frog it...and find something else.

I cast on a limited number of stitches using an afghan pattern that is designed to create waves (sort of like a feather-and-fan design). Nope...pattern was lost, and it was also taking up way too much yarn. If I'd continued that one, the scarf would have been about a foot long, max. Frog it...and find something else.

Ah well, Necessity...better change into your Mother of Invention clothing. I finally decided I would have to design something just for this yarn...and for the scarf I wanted to wear. So, what are the parameters, I asked myself? Well, Number One, it had to be long enough to go around my neck and tie in front...at least 4 feet long. So, that meant I needed to keep the number of stitches per row to a "minimum."

Number Two, the scarf needed to look as good on the reverse as on the front. Pet peeve of mine. It doesn't have to look the same, just as pretty. And, I may be prejudiced, but I think stockinette is ever-so-much prettier (or, hangs more gracefully, maybe) than garter stitch. But, unless you are knitting in the round (which requires a lot of yarn), you can't have ALL stockinette on both sides, so I would have to design a rib pattern. And, because I liked the effect of the dropped stitches, I wanted to include those in the body of the scarf.

Number Three, the pattern needed to be easily memorized. I wanted this project to be repetitive to the point of not having to have to look at a pattern. I'm working on another project that is killing my eyes, since I have to look at a (%#^!*) chart ALL of the time to get the pattern right. I certainly didn't need anything like that.

Number Four, since there wouldn't be enough yarn left over to fringe the bottom edges, the pattern would have to have some kind of "flourish" at the bottom...a modified "ruffle" maybe...both for looks and to help keep the scarf from rolling up (as stockinette will do on its own). That's a close-up of the ending border or modified ruffle (left).


Voila! I did it. I finished my 3.5 x 55 inch skinny scarf (photo, right) yesterday. I was so thrilled with the results that I took the time to write down what I had done (hey, what a novel idea!)...and then, I created a Adobe PDF version and attached it to my blog. Now, I can share my La Grenouille Skinny Scarf with other knitters who have the same idea about their pretty but precious-scarce yarn.

So, why the name, La Grenouille? Heh. During a large portion of the time, while I was knitting and frogging and designing and knitting and frogging and redesigning and knitting and frogging, etc., I was watching an NCIS Marathon on TV (they have them on USA network quite often...you should check 'em out!). And, one of the more mysterious characters (until a couple of seasons ago) was named La Grenouille. That's French for The Frog. Thought the name was most appropriate for my new scarf and pattern.

Anyway, in order to share my pattern with other knitters, I have created a link over there in the left column <---. If you are interested in the pattern, just click Menu and Download...or follow this link right here. All yours! Wear your La Grenouille Skinny Scarf in good health and happiness!

Hitching a Ride

Last Friday, I was scheduled for a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Workshop (for continuing education credits) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Since this is in Mr. T's NC territory, between a couple of dealerships in Raleigh and Durham, I hitched a ride with him on Thursday...and we made a three-day trip out of the ride. He had to work on Thursday, so he dropped me off in downtown Cary, NC, to let me wander...which I do quite well, if I do say so myself.


I had looked up yarn shops in the area and found one called Shuttles, Needles, and Hooks, in Cary. Although the reviews were a mixed bag, I thought I'd try it out anyway. Hmmmm. We entered the address on Chatham Street in Maggie (the name we've given his Magellan GPS) and, when she finally announced "you have arrived," we were a bit suspicious that she'd goofed. That house that appeared to be being devoured by some kudzu (photo on the left) couldn't possibly be a yarn shop...could it? The sign out front was faded and in need of a fresh coat of paint...indeed, the entire place hasn't seen a paint brush in quite a while...but, what the heck? What harm could come to me if I just went up on the front porch to check it out? Such a risk-taker, I am (NOT!).

While grimacing at the rather partisan "GOP" notice on the exterior bulletin board (uh, does this owner not realize that we Dems knit...and spend money in her shop...too?!), I ventured inside...and felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. There were cupboards and bookshelves everywhere...and boxes and crates and bags, to boot...filled, not with empty jars of Orange Marmalade, as Alice experienced, but with more yarn than I've ever seen in one place in my life. Several rooms of yarn. Front door-to-back door yarn, and some more on the enclosed back porch, where the outside vines were growing through the window appearing to be trying to join the eyelash yarns inside. Floor-to-ceiling yarn, and some more in the finished (?) attic space up the tiny, narrow stairs. Skeins of yarn...cones of yarn...balls of yarn. All sizes, textures, and colors of yarn. I'm not sure exactly how it was all organized, but does a drunk care how the bartender organizes the liquor? I was inside for at least an hour, ignoring the heat (the only cool air was provided by a couple of rather anemic window units...and it was a hot, sticky day outside)...and trying to make sense of the fibre-overload I was experiencing.

I finally decided that the tiny skein of rainbow-colored silk yarn from Colinette in Wales (Tao, colorway "Mardi Gras") which I found hiding in a bowl of Colinette, but with no price tag (didn't seem to be anything priced in the whole place) was going home with me (photo, right). I could see it as a Skinny Scarf. I hadn't brought any size US6 needles with me (the recommended size on the yarn wrapper), so I got a pair of those, too. The owner, who was helping another customer with her project when I walked in, was very pleasant and readily agreed to wind my yarn for me...and even suggested using a dropped garter stitch for the scarf. (I'll write more about creating this scarf in another post.) I would definitely recommend this shop, but I think it should come with a warning label: get ready for a wild and woolly yarn trip!

Down the street was a quilt and NC pottery shop, which provided me with another hour of visual and tactile oohing and ahhing. I stand in awe of quilters, who can stitch such intricate patterns in cloth. I keep saying that there is at least ONE quilt in me, but I haven't been moved to make it happen yet.

After a morning of feeding my fibre-soul, I was in need of sustenance for my stomach. Both shop owners had recommended a sandwich shop called the Food Factory across the street, so that was my next stop. Had a tasty Pastrami Reuben with pasta salad. Then, as storm clouds appeared to be gathering, I began the "one-block up, two-block over" walk to the library where I knew I could wait out the weather in cool, quiet comfort...and possibly do a little knitting, too. Along the way, I strolled through a couple of art shops and popped into the Once in a Blue Moon Bakery, where I bought two yummy-looking Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese icing to share with Mr. T later. He picked me up after he finished his work, and we headed to check into our home-away-from-home, the Homewood Suites in Cary (photos, below). The one with the covered bridge on property. All-in-all, a lovely day indeed.

Friday started early, when Mr T dropped me off on Raleigh Street in Chapel Hill on his way to work. My day was spent at UNC in the Great Hall of the Student Union building with about 30 other coaches and counselors who are interested in new ways of using the MBTI in their practices or offices...and in getting CEU credits to maintain their certification status. My instructor was an acquaintance from my days at Scientific Atlanta (11 years ago, this month, when I got my original MBTI certification), so I felt right at home in the workshop. She always does a fantastic job! I loaded up on new publications (at a nice discount), so now I have quite a long reading list to work through.

Mr. T picked me up just as the rush hour on 15/501 was getting started, so we opted for an early dinner while the traffic cleared. We found a neat Irish pub called Hibernian, in Cary...where we both enjoyed some mighty fine fish and chips with our Sam's Summer Ale. Then, back to our comfortable suite. Those cupcakes were calling!

As we headed out the covered bridge (left) and toward home on Saturday morning, we tried to take in a day lily farm in Moncure (Holly Hill Farm), only to find that they were "closed for the season." Too bad. We obviously haven't found a replacement for our favorite YEAR 'ROUND day lily farm in Missouri yet. Oh well, must keep looking, right? Sounds like another good reason to hitch a ride with Mr. T another day!

Rascally Rabbit

I really love going out to the garden to see what has ripened since yesterday...what is ready to be picked...what looks like it will be ready in a couple of days. Right now, our tomatoes are starting to turn red, with loads of green ones at about a week to 10 days from being at the STOP PRODUCING FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE stage. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to see this beautiful baby (left) on the vine this weekend. It is a giant, compared to the first ones I picked last week. As I approached the vine, I could almost taste the juicy flavor...yum, yum, yum. How would I prepare it? Would I slice it for a sandwich? Or, chunk it for a salad?

Then, as I grabbed it to put it in my basket, I felt the juices run down my fingers. Looks like "someone" got there before I did and enjoyed it alfresco. Ewwww! I hope that bunny got his fill because I'm thinking about calling on Farmer MacGregor to help me defend my bounty. Not really, but I can threaten, can't I? What a disappointment when I had to add this beauty to the compost bin instead of enjoy it. Drat!

Hope springs eternal for most of my crop, however, as it appears that several are growing way too high for Peter the Poacher Rabbit to snack upon...unless he has a pair of bunny-stilts, that is.

We'll see...

Meanwhile the cherry tomato plant on the deck is yielding several plump beauties. I used those in what I'm calling Patricia's Pasta Salad...a knock-off of the Mt. Carmel Hospital's delicious Pasta Salad recipe. (I haven't found the box with my Mt. Carmel recipe book, so I had to improvise.) Anyway, I boiled 6-8 ounces of Tri-colored Bow Tie Pasta (1/2 of the box I had) for 12 minutes in salted water. During the final minute of boiling, I added: 3-4 T. of diced green pepper, 3-4 T. of diced red pepper, and 3-4 T of diced onion. Drain thoroughly, season with several shakes of Paula Deen's House Seasoning (I make my own, according to her recipe...it's just salt, pepper, and garlic powder, but boy howdy, it's good on everything!) and add about 1 cup (more or less) of Creamy Italian dressing (I use Marzetti's). Throw in some black olive slices, some Cherry tomatoes (quartered), and some feta cheese. (I like lots of all three!) I also had some sun-dried tomato slivers and some banana pepper bits that joined the party. Chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight (best). Right before serving, add about 1/2 cup mayonnaise (more or less), mixed with 1-2 T Dijon mustard (essential for the right taste) and more Creamy Italian dressing...enough to make the pasta salad "hold together" but not too much to make it soupy. I also added a tiny (peeled, diced) cucumber that I picked from the one vine that is producing. I could eat the whole bowl by myself, but I'll be nice and share.

Let's eat!