My Baby's All Grown Up

I can hardly believe that dear daughter, Missy M, just celebrated such a milestone birthday this past weekend (photo to left). Yes, I put 30 candles on the cake...actually, 31, with one to grow on (right). I reminded her that in just 9 short years, she and I would be the same age...since I stopped having birthdays, per se, and started having anniversaries of my 39th birthday.

Hence, that birthday cake that Mr. T got me back in July ("Happy 39th Birthday Again").


Anyway...


Wasn't it just yesterday that we were riding around in Ol' Blue Car (a twelve year old '68 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 that we'd "inherited" from great-Uncle Smiley when he stopped driving in the late 70's), heading out to the Wally Bahtlett Montessori School? (She couldn't quite manage to pronounce Raleigh-Bartlett...but she nailed Montessori every time!) Who said it first, said it best: tempus fugit.


Here is a photo (right) of her taken at her third birthday party at the Zoo in Memphis. She's blowing out the candles on her Strawberry Shortcake cake...for the second time. The first time, her friend Daniel (with his Mom, Lyn...a former neighbor and great friend in Cordova) got there before she did and poof! We had to re-light them. Easily fixed. Lovingly remembered.


We had a great weekend in Louisville. We came bearing gifts...and cake...for the Birthday Girl on Friday. Then, we went to the Glassworks on Saturday to Blow Our Own Pumpkins. That's a shot (left) of Mr. T's pumpkin, getting the addition of a red-hot stem, courtesy of one of the glass-blowers in residence. We've enjoyed this activity several times, making Christmas ornaments and suncatchers. I guess we've been too many times as the Chief Glass-blower (right, chatting with Mr. T) recognized us and welcomed us back. Ahem.

Then, we met up with Brother T at the Shogun Japanese Restaurant for some dining entertainment. It was good to visit with him and catch up, if only for a couple of hours. Hope we'll all be able to get together again at Christmas.

Sunday was a quiet day, dedicated to viewing as many of the "new" (2007-08) season of Midsomer Murders as time would allow. Missy M had given the British 10-episode version of this combination of portions of Series 10 and Series 11 to Mr T for his recent birthday, but the "region-free" video player needed for viewing the Brit DVD's arrived after we'd departed in September. So, we unwrapped and unpacked and plugged in...and popped some corn...and made our way through multiple murders and mysteries. I was a bit wimpy due to an enlarged tear duct/sinus? inside my eyelid...which made my right eye appear swollen and discolored, like I'd run into a door...or a fist...so, lounging around all day was fine by me. Pass the salt, please.

Also, we got to spend time with Elmo and Ella Rae, who couldn't get enough of Daddy (left).
They seem to still remember us, especially when they hear the word w-a-l-k and the leashes come out of the closet basket.

Then, all of a sudden, it was Monday. Back to work for Missy M. Back to High Point for us...after I took advantage of MM's yarn swift to wind over 1100 yards of some Baby Alpaca yarn I've had for nearly a year. As I'd purchased it on half-price sale...with a customer-loyalty gift certificate, to boot, I hadn't had the heart (or any other body parts) to ask the shop owner to wind it for me. I have my own makeshift "swift" here at home (AKA: my kitchen butcher block's well-spaced handle), but winding that much yarn at one time would have taken me several hours. As it was, it took almost exactly one Masterpiece Theatre, since we queued up the Inspector Lewis program that had been DVR'd from Sunday night. Neat, how that all worked out, eh?

Speaking of knitting (we were, weren't we?)...



Yes, I am still knitting. I know, I know, I haven't mentioned it much in this space lately...and for good reason. I've been laboring over a pair of socks for Missy M's birthday. I mentioned this project in passing, but couldn't say much without giving away the surprise, I suppose. Anyway. I had read about a sock pattern online (on the Yarn Harlot's blog, I think) called Viper Pilots. A designer had translated her love (obsession is such a strong word, don't you agree...:) of the sci-fi series Battlestar Galatica into socks. And, since MM was such a fan, I thought "perfect!"

Right.

Well, I am happy to say that I finished the pair in time to wrap them up for her birthday, after having started them LAST APRIL. And, she seemed to love them, so all's well that ends well...or something along those lines. Thankfully, I had learned (courtesy of one of MM's books) to knit two socks at the same time...because I can assure you, if I had knitted them separately per the pattern, and (finally) finished the first sock, that would have been all MM got for her gift. There wouldn't have been a Sock #2.

This pattern is beautiful in its intricate sworls, etc., but it is excessively reliant on using a stitch called KTBL: knit through the back loop. This creates a twisted knit stitch, which is "nice" for spiffing up a pattern. But, using KTBL for the entire pattern?! ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHH! The designer must have been insane. Or, trying to make me so. I didn't get to knit...just knit...a stitch until the bottom of the foot. If an entire design of twisted stitches weren't irritating enough, the charting (which you had to follow closely to make sure you were crossing stitches and cabling correctly) was blinding. I finally figured out that I had to gather together all of the colored markers I owned in order to keep the charted stitches for all the cross-overs and cables straight. And, to add insult to injury...the design started every row with a purl stitch...which is cumbersome to say the least, when working on two circular needles...and two socks. Bah! I didn't even get to enjoy the beautiful yarn I selected...a Dream in Color "Starry" colourway called Some Summer Sky, which incorporates a silver thread in some of the softest yarn out there. [The silver thread makes it shimmer!] Anyway...gripe, gripe, gripe...but, aren't they amazing? And, my hat's off to the designer. (Of course, when I check out patterns now, if I even see a single twisted stitch in a chart, I toss it aside. No more...not for me...not anytime soon, for sure.)

OK...now that I've gotten the grousing out...truth-be-told? I've been working on several baby sweaters, trying to find a just-perfect pattern as my go-to Baby Sweater choice. I'll post these soon...one is a gift, and I don't want to spoil the surprise. Tee hee.

It's Easter...Right?

Check out the photo to the left. What do you see?

Well, what looks a little like something on the lens is actually SNOW falling on Easter Sunday. And, in the lower left, is our very first daffodil blossom of 2008.

Yes, it snowed on Easter here. And then the sun came out and melted the inch or so of accumulation off the deck and bridge. Then, later in the afternoon, the sun went away...and it started to sleet. Then, to hail. And, finally, to snow yet again. Almost an inch of accumulation of "stuff" on the deck...for the second time in the same day. What else can I say? Turn the fire on, please.

At least the wintry weather-mix, along with the NCAA Tournament action, gave me an excellent excuse (like I need one, right?) to spend the weekend knitting. I finished my Sassy Stripes socks (see photo, right) and the Ripple Wave Afghan (which is knit in 8 strips, then joined together) I made for a cousin's wedding ("ah, shouldn't ha' told you tha'"...to quote Hagrid of Harry Potter fame...since it's a gift that hasn't been given yet...so, I won't post a photo of it just yet). I really like these socks, which were a simple rib pattern, followed by stockinette stitch (SS).

Simple is all I can manage while watching the Tigers play...because they create way too much action on the screen to allow me the luxury of following any pattern stitch. They gave us a bit of a scare in their victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs...but they are nonetheless in the Sweet Sixteen. It should be another exciting weekend!

On March 17th, Everyone is Irish!

We're back...! Yes, we had a wonderful week in Ireland, returning last Wednesday...exhausted after the l-o-n-g flight from Dublin to Chicago and then the 5-hour+ drive home to STL...but ever-so-glad that we'd made the trip. I spent most of yesterday and today printing photos and creating our Photo Book on Photoworks.com. If you'd like to see it, follow this link to My Page at: www.photoworks.com/members/Adsit2. BTW, we really like the way that PhotoWorks does the Photo Books...we've had 3 or 4 made there and always liked the results.

The photo of the green beam (above) is from the Guinness Storehouse self-guided tour. Thought it was appropriate for a post on St. Patrick's day. Here's a shot of St. Patrick's Cathedral (right).

Of course, we felt like we had found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when we returned to NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday...and heard that the Memphis Tigers were the Number 1 seed in the South Region! Go Tigers Go! The games begin on Thursday of this week...so I'd better find a no-brainer project to let me knit through the inevitable tense moments that tournament games bring. How about that Harry Potter Third & Fourth Year scarf I'm knitting for Missy M? It's just knit, knit, knit in the round...the only thing I have to count is number of rounds in each color (19), then change color (gold to burgundy, then vice-versa). Sounds like it might be a perfect project for tournament time!

I worked on a couple of small projects on my trip: the Irish Hiking Scarf (more on that in a later post) and my Sassy Stripes socks. Most of our days were jam-packed with sightseeing, leaving us exhausted in the evenings...with little energy to pick up the pointy stix.

I did finish one of the Sassy Stripes socks, but I can't seem to make it from the heel to the toe on the other. This is the first time I've had a problem getting my hours straight when coming home (flying East to West). I can barely make it to 10:00 p.m. before falling asleep in my chair, knitting needles and project resting in my lap...but I seem to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 3:00 a.m. when getting up with one of the dogs. Reverse jet-lag? Oh well...this, too, shall pass.

On a positive note, we were amazed to find Ireland awash in buttercup-yellow, with daffodils blooming nearly everywhere we went. Coming home to the tiny shoots finally awakening from our own Spring bulbs fills me with hope: Winter will soon be just a memory! Meanwhile, here's a photo of a hillside near Thomastown in County Kilkenny, Ireland.

Snow...and FO's

It's a Snow Day in STL! We got nearly 7 inches of the fluffy white stuff yesterday and into the night...our heaviest snowfall this season. The dogs are alternately crazy-nuts about leaping and bounding around the back yard (remember, Basset Hounds are pretty close to the ground...:)...or, they don't want to get off the deck and get their bellies (or other important parts) wet. Mr. T has worked hard to keep paths clear for them, but at times the snow was falling faster than he could sweep.

Here, right...Mr. T sweeps off the Solar Light Bird Feeder on the deck so our feathered friends can get a little breakfast. The rest of the feeders in the back yard are covered in snow, with only a few assessible...and it seems that every bird in the neighborhood showed up for the buffet this morning. I counted 9 male (red) cardinals in one area...with numerous house finches, purple finches, sparrows, titmice, "snow birds," woodpeckers (3 different kinds), and grackles. The squirrels and the bunnies are quite active, too, trying to share in any feed that has fallen to the ground.

And, check out the photo of the deck below, left! We won't be sitting out there any time soon, will we? Also, it's hard to tell...but that's a photo of the bridge over the fish pond, right...both of which are covered in snow. I sure hope those fish will make it through this.

It's a perfect day for a cup of hot tea, lots of lemon and sugar...the warmth of the fireplace...and the click of the knitting needles! I'm currently working fast & furious on my Minimalist Cardigan (pattern in the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits magazine) in deep red Cash Vero DK on US6's. I've finished the back and the left front...working on the armhole decreases on the right front today. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a sleeve going by the end of the weekend! I've also been working on M's "Harry Potter Third & Fourth Year Scarf" from the Charmed Knits book...a great take-along project, as I am knitting it on circs like the First Year scarf (the finished one of which went to Mr. T, who is wearing it with regularity, much to my delight).

I took advantage of my business trip to ATL earlier this month, to have some quality knitting time (no dogs!) to finish a couple of pairs of socks: (left) the Panda Cotton red ones with the colorful "Fruit Salad" toes and heels are a Valentine's gift for Mom; (right) the multi-color Sockotta stripey ones are for moi. The center photo shows a cabled hat in Wool Ease Forest Green Heather that I knitted for SIL J in Nashville...her birthday is next week. The pattern is called "Jack's Cabled Hat" from the Knitting Pattern-A-Day Calendar Box that she and Brother J gave me for Christmas. I peeked ahead to March 31st...but I thought the name of the pattern sounded appropriate...and the yarn just begged to be cabled! I hope she will enjoy wearing it. I will get moving on a pair of blue-hues for Missy M soon, using some of her Yarn Pirate sock yarn.

Thank goodness for the calming effect of knitting. It's been a tough month around our house...one that I'm happy to say "so long" to, without a doubt. We've all been battling some "-itis" or other (sinunitis, bronchitis, etc.), plus I've had a re-routed root canal (originally done 5 years ago...had to be re-done...ow...) and re-emergence of my old nemesis, back pain. A trip to the Out Patient Surgery for an epidural cortisone injection has eased that last problem...at least for the moment. Fingers crossed...toes, too...that I'll only need to go through that just once this time (instead of the customary series of 3). I hope, I hope, I hope...

Anyway, my flight back into the STL airport was from yet another direction (north by north-east to the southwest?), so I snapped a fuzzy photo that shows the curve in the Mississippi above the city...can you spot the Arch in the haze to the right-top of the pic?

Nana's Socks

Finished another pair of socks this weekend...woohoo! These (photo, right) were made for Nana/Momma/Edith with Crystal Palace yarn called "Panda Cotton." It's a blend of bamboo, cotton, and nylon, and I l-o-v-e working with it! So much more nicer to knit than that scratchy Sockotta blend I used for the last pair.

These socks were knit using an Ann Budd pattern called Ambrosia. Sorta. Well, Ann's pattern is for toe-up socks (which I find to be more trouble than they are worth, especially if your socks are take-along projects, where you don't want to be fiddling with a paper pattern all the time...I mean, haven't you noticed how much more complicated they are than a regular knit-the-cuff, leg, heel, gusset, foot and toe sock pattern, which is pretty much routine, other than the pattern stitches?). And, that's what I used from the Ambrosia pattern...the stitch, which is called a Butterfly Rib. It's like a mini-cable stitch, and it creates a lovely wavy, curvy rib. Now, why the sock is called "Ambrosia" when the stitch is called Butterfly beats me...except that you are supposed to use a yarn called Ambrosia, which appears to be a blend of alpaca, silk, and cashmere. For a sock yarn? Plu-lease. I have decidedly Southern feet, so I find it difficult to knit socks from wool and/or wool blends, much less alpaca and cashmere. I shortened the leg, as Mom doesn't like a long sock, and I replaced the Butterfly pattern on the top of the foot with a simple 6x2 rib for a more comfortable wearing sock. The yarn color is called "Vanilla Creme," and I think it looks a lot like real ambrosia, don't you?

I've got several more balls of Panda Cotton that I bought in Salt Lake City, so I should be working on socks for a while, but I'm giving it a little rest while I work on my Harry Potter First Year scarf. It's becoming a little monotonous...knitting round and round and round, counting rows to 24, change colors...but I'm at the halfway point, as of last night, so I have to keep going to the very end. The wool blend Encore yarn is awfully hard on my fingers, and I find I have to stop and salve-up with my Burt's Bees Hand salve...which means an end to that night's knitting, since my hands become quite greasy-feeling. Someone in the knit shop last week said she had just bought some Udder Cream to help her with dry, cracked skin. I may have to try that, too.

You know, Maredith gave me this great knitting book called "No Sheep For You" for my birthday, and I'm beginning to think that may become a mantra for me. Wool just "does me in," and I can't say that blends are the answer, either. Warmth is never so much of a consideration as softness....as the feel of the yarn when I'm working. Personal choice, I know.