Knitting in 2009

This is the list I wrote up at the end of '08/very beginning of '09.

Hypoteneuse Wrap

Calorimetry

Toast

Sandy's socks

Sag's socks

Cap's socks

Thorpe

Gem's scarf

Fletcher

Cavendish

Dolores Park Cowl

Maine Morning Mitts

I have an unfinished project, Leo's baby blanket, left over from 2008. I'm more than halfway done and need to return to it.

I've completed three projects off this '09 list already: Calorimetry (2x), Toast (2x), and Thorpe (2x).

I'm planning on knitting another Thorpe complete with crocheted border. The one I made for myself is really too big and I'm not in love with the color. But, it was a good test knit.

Sag's socks are on the needles, I am almost done with the first one. He tried it on this morning and I was surprised that he didn't find them itchy.

Sandy's socks are definitely not going to be knit in time for her birthday. Working with the tiny needles on Sag's socks has been a wake up call. I'll be putting some thought into what to knit her that can be finished for the end of February...

The Cavendish and Hypoteneuse will be "big" projects along the lines of the baby blanket. I'll be using cotton/silk for the Cavendish and wool/silk for Hypoteneuse and so think that I'll be able to knit these in warmer seasons without getting hot and bothered.

I'm thinking Maine Morning Mitts might come next. After the blanket and socks :-)

Happily (or sadly, depending on your perspective) I have all the yarn I'll need for all these projects. I don't have all the needles. I'll be scouring Michael's with my 40% off coupons as much as possible.

There are some other projects I've added to my queue in Ravelry since the new year has dawned, namely, the Shalom cardi. I really want to knit this, have picked out the yarn and earmarked Christmas money for it. But, I may wait till fall since I have an ample list already. And I probably wouldn't get it done in time to wear this season even if I tried.

Another project is the Scaruffle. I'm going to use my anniversary gift yarn for this and have requested the book the pattern is in from the library. This one I might do sooner than later because it will be relatively quick. And oh so pretty .

A summary of the numbers

I just finished number crunching for January '09 (though technically the month is not quite over).

The good news is that with some restraint, spending in the categories of "eating out/take out food" and "gifts, toys, books, yarn, etc." were down by over 40% each.

The bad news is that the 3 month averaged figure I had for "household" must not have spanned enough time to be accurate because we spent over double in that category. There was a conference registration, some buying of clothes (do y'all know the price of men's underwear? It's crazy, I tell you...), and I'm accounting for visits to Vinny differently this year (moving the co-pay cost over to savings so that when he does his figuring, once a year, I can remove the amount from savings more responsibly. The way I've been doing it the visits haven't been recorded individually and so the pay outs were getting absorbed and ultimately coming completely out of savings.)

So we still came out in the red this month. But, I am feeling empowered with information and conviction and commitment.

Home alone

One of my resolutions for 2009 is to spend more time with Cap without the kids. So I'm going to try to farm out the kids once a month for a sleepover. Tonight, they are spending the night with Takai, Lisa, Ellie and Baxter.

Us, maybe Slumdog Millionaire, maybe a movie at home (The Band's Visit is free On Demand). Maybe a trip out to The Cheesecake Factory (we have a gift card burning a hole in our pocket), maybe we'll cook something up at home.

Tomorrow, my side of our family will be celebrating my birthday with me, pre-Super Bowl. Sandy's making veggie lasagna, which I've been craving ever since I made the lasagnas for Danielle. Yum.

The knitting and the purling

I think today is the last day of keeping still. I feel better than I did yesterday. The knit and purls continue as the light sabers swing about, comic books and science magazines get read, and drawing and playing cycles in and out in between.

Ellie is turning 2 soon. Here's a soft, fuzzy boa-scarf I knit up for her last night. It will be tucked into a Hello Kitty purse I couldn't resist in Toys-R-Us the other day (of all places...I really do try to shop indie as much as possible).


And progress is being made on Sag's sock! I am getting used to knitting on the tiny needles. But, I've had the stitches slide right off the slick metal more than once. My next pair I am trying out a wooden set of sock needles I bought the other day.

The baby blanket continues to languish. The fate of a big project. I will return to it soon. Because babies won't wait. The blanket will be 3 ft. x 3ft. so there's room to grow, but still...

25 random things

I was tagged on Facebook and wrote this up today. Thought I'd post it here, too.

25 Random Things, Facts, Habits, Goals...about me/of mine.

1. When I was a kid I wanted to be a teacher, a housewife, or a whale conservationist.

2. I love the sound of the cello.

3. I have a somewhat addictive personality.

4. I would love to visit Finland someday.

5. I want to live by the sea someday.

6. Homeschooling my kids was unplanned and is a great adventure.

7. Cap and I will celebrate 20 years together in December.

8. I like to drive fast.

9. Traditional Chinese Medicine has been very, very, good to me.

10. I am really into knitting right now.

11. I am bad with money and am slowly learning new habits in mid-life.

12. I like to try the potato salad when at a new restaurant that serves it.

13. My favorite movie is Bottle Rocket.

14. I am claustrophobic and once passed out on the Mall in D.C. during a demonstration.

15. I highly recommend going to live shows.

16. I don't like being outside alone unless I'm in Manhattan and then I really like it.

17. It was pure chance that I was born and raised in the U.S. I should have been born and raised in Japan.

18. I wish the local folk dancing group met on a night that I could go.

19. I don't multitask anymore if I can help it.

20. I don't enjoy parties...it's a sensory thing.

21. Garlic scape are my favorite seasonal treat.

22. Recently I've been thinking me and Oprah should talk. We seem to have similar patterns of weight loss/gain.

23. Maine calls to me in a way that no other state does, Sacramento surprised me (I would move back there in a heartbeat), and Cambridge will always be home.

24. I am looking forward to going to the NYS Wool and Sheep Festival this fall with Wendy.

25. I wonder if I will ever be able to meditate.

Calorimetry redo

I'm a little worn out. I'm so glad I had the energy to go out to dinner last night (it was delish and I had so much fun), but I think the output did set me back a touch today. So here I am in my pajamas modeling the reknit version of Calorimetry.









Yarn: Noro Silver Thaw
Needles: US size 8 13" straights
This beautiful button: bought while visiting Wendy and fam in St. Petersburg, FL.

FOs

...as in "Finished Objects", not Flying ones :-)

First up, Toast using Malabrigo worsted in Tortuga. Destined for Christine when I can get my rear over to the post office...



Here's An Unoriginal Hat knit with Bollicine Revolution. Too small for me, not Cap's colors. I don't know who this will go to...


And, finally, Calorimetry knit with Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair in Periwinkle. This is for Silke's birthday, which is tomorrow. The button is a touch too dark, but has a great feel/look and is the right size. I found myself getting lost in the beauty of this yarn while weaving in the ends. I love it.





Listening to Larry Wilmore (Senior Black Correspondent from The Daily Show) on the Leonard Lopate show on WNYC. Good stuff.

Birthday

Birthday earring (made by Julie).

Birthday yarn (Schaefer Esperanza in Jane Addams---thanks to Mummu and my LYS' bday discount).

Birthday lunch (I am in love with provolone cheese these days...prosciutto is a longtime love).

Birthday kiss (20 years constant and an everchanging journey together).

Crazy knitting lady

That's a hat I cast on this afternoon. It's called An Unoriginal Hat and I've knit half of one before (for Gem---I ran out of yarn and he liked it the size that it was).

I've been trying to stay still today because this cold bug hasn't decided whether it's beaten by my immune system or not. I finished Silke's Calorimetry (CO 96 sts instead of 120 and it's much smaller. I think it might be too small for my big melon, but her head is normal sized and she has short hair so it should be fine for her.) and didn't want to return to either the baby blanket or Sag's socks.

The kids were completely engaged individually and together all day and I was a bit too restless to read. I wanted to do something with my hands, but didn't have the energy to bake. So, I dug into the stash to see what I could find. I considered a scarf, then another scarf, and then settled on the hat.

The yarn is a new one for me, Bollicine Revolution made by Cascade. It's really cushion-y and feels completely synthetic to the touch though it's 90% wool. The colors are knitting up nicely, as is the yarn.

I don't remember the cabling being this challenging! As with knitting with the US size 0 sock dpns (double pointed needles) my tongue was lolling out as my body and fingers and hands contorted to pick up stitches and the like. Phew!

Our forecast for tomorrow is for snow which will change over to rain. I'm still planning on taking the train into the city and having Bobby cook for me tomorrow night ;-)

Mountain Mohair

I'm knitting a Calorimetry for Silke. Her birthday is in a few days. I'd had this skein (Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair) in mind (she likes blue) and was struck nearly dumb when I pulled it out this morning. It is gorgeous in this bleak winter light. Maybe because it was born in Vermont.

I bought the skein in Massachusetts at a yarn store near Karen's house. I would have bought more skeins of it, but it was the last one in this color. Which is the one I wanted at the time.

The color. It's called periwinkle. These photos are not capturing the color well. It's a darker and richer blue with significant indigo tones. And flecks of magenta tinged red. Gorgeous.

(You can see the Silver Thaw Calorimetry I made for myself nestled in the knitting bag. I am most definitely going to frog it and reknit it smaller.)

I'm staying still today. The cold bug is not quite moving on at the pace I would like. Tomorrow is my birthday and I don't want to be sick for it if I can help it. My dinner has shifted from Butter to Mesa Grill. Yum. Checkout their Restaurant Week dinner menu and guess at what I'll choose!

Gawain and George

The kids chose The Real Thief from the library basket yesterday afternoon (after I refused to read them one of the Star Wars dictionary they had borrowed, as well.) I wouldn't say it grabbed them completely, but it has some funny lines in it and is a whodunit---both charcateristics of the type of fiction they like.

Cap's mom sends the kids books twice a month. She's got an amazing eye and finds gems at her local library and church rummage sales. She sent this one recently, and Gem liked it. I asked him what he liked about it and he couldn't say.

Size 0 needles

I need to stop buying sock yarn. Because I cast on Sag's socks, which actually uses sock yarn (I used worsted weight yarn for Gem's and my socks), and I am not liking knitting with these itty bitty needles! US size 0 to be exact. 2mm in diameter these things are. Oh my.

I think the casting on may be the toughest part and if that holds true, the experience should improve. This is my third attempt at getting these going and so far, so good. Except my arms and shoulders are sore...


I knit my first Calorimetry with the Silver Thaw, but contrary to what I told Wendy, I am seriously considering unraveling it and reknitting it with smaller needles. Because I don't swatch, the thing came out too big. I thought I could live with it, but with each passing day I'm thinking that maybe I can't. Not with yarn that special.

Onto happier news, I finally talked to Julia on the phone today. My sweet, sweet friend who became my friend in Sacramento. We go long periods with no direct communication, but when we talk it's as if no time has passed. Boom, we're right there, back together again. I am so lala that I am realizing that not only do I love my friends, I am so in love with having my friends.

What would I do without you? I would be bereft. Truly. Each and every one of you.

Big Daddy's House

Check out Big Daddy on Food Network. I cheered him on during Season 4 of Next Food Network Star and absolutely adore him and his show, Big Daddy's House.

Making of...

It's official. The kids are geeks. (The signs have been there.) They are watching the "making of" portion of one of their Star Wars dvds with avid interest. Figuring a lot of things out, making connections, and having a good time.

Quiet

I'm sneaking on here while the kids are swimming at the Y. I've been spending more time on the computer than I should be, really. Gem has been feeling it more and more acutely with each passing day. So, no post today, other than to say hi and I'll see you soon.

Meanwhile I'll be more present for the kids and tackling the piles in our bedroom and the kitchen. I'm/we're at that point where things need to be leaving the house. There are piles of decluttered items cluttering up space, if you know what I mean.

I hate to throw them out in the trash, but they just don't make it to Goodwill, or the consignment shop, or to family and friends for whom we have them earmarked in our minds to ask to see if they want. I'm talking sh*t taking up space in corners, on desks, on floors, for six months or more...

Silver Thaw

This is how I've been winding my yarn as of late. My trusty red chair. At New Year's while at my parents', I had occasion to wind some yarn. My dad offered to help. He held the untwisted skein on his arms (which were positioned as goal posts on the end of a football field are, if you will imagine) and was delighted.

He told me how he used to do this for his mother, my beloved paternal grandmother. He was delighted remembering her scolding him if he moved too slowly in the winding process, dipping his shoulders alternately forward, rhythmically, a smile on his face.

(Did she sing? I asked in a kind of reverie myself. She didn't sing. He answered matter - of - factly. A bit of a jolt brought me back. My grandmother died in 1993, while I was in my 20s. My paternal grandfather outlived her by 10+ years. He was passionate about music and when he wasn't listening to music, was hearing it in his head. His fingers thrummed whatever surface was at hand. Hearing him hum, vocalize and sing was as natural as breathing if you were sharing space with him. It was interesting that I unconsciously projected my grandfather onto my grandmother.)

This yarn is called Silver Thaw. It is part of the Noro family of yarns. 50% wool, 25% angora, 25% nylon. It's been in the stash for awhile with no specific path.

As I wound the yarn, I marveled at it and was reminded of the magical qualities of yarn (no wonder I love the stuff so much). In skein form, this yarn looked very light, the lavender-y purple is what I took away from my initial impression. That and the "silver" in its name transformed this yarn into a greyish-light purple hybrid in my mind.

Here you can see the purple of which I speak.

But, this yarn is so much more! It looks like the forest floor after a thaw. The rich and dark browns, the mossy greens and the promise of spring in the lighter greens and, yes, the heathery lavender. I love it.


Silver Thaw, I never knew. I can't wait to knit you up and see what other magic you have in store for me.

Pies for breakfast

Over breakfast this morning, Cap mentioned pie charts...and a lesson was born. Gem "got" it and matched Cap in his enthusiasm. Below is a pie chart that Gem made of how much he likes each of the Star Wars movies. Sag made one chart and then veered off into making comics.