Pendie's Purls of wisdom

Sabotage and a finished sweater (finally)

2011-11-14T19:01:00.001-08:00

Here I was, hoping to get my dad's sweater done this weekend but my cat nixed that idea...

He's a pretty ferocious cat so, of course, I couldn't disturb him for fear he'd chew my hand off (at least that's what I tried to tell my dad. I don't think he believed me though)

At least I was able to get another sweater done (it's for a 1 yr old so it wasn't a huge chore anyway )

Color Inspiration

2011-08-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of William Morris ? I LOVE his color combinations and have bought a book of his designs. I'm wanting to get into color knitting and will use the book as my inspiration. I figure he combined colors way better than I ever could!

I think this is one of my favorites:

2011-07-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

I am currently in a sweater knitting frenzy; my frenzy is pretty small as I'm just on the 3rd sweater of my knitting career. Still, it feels like a huge accomplishment to me to have not only completed one sweater but am now on my 3rd.

The brown striped one is my second sweater, knitted out of hempathy using the generic top down pattern of Barbara Walker's. The blue sweater that I'm currently knitting is a bottom up generic pattern from Elizabeth Zimmerman. I'm not sure I'm convinced on bottom up yet but we'll see. I learned that Hempathy doesn't hide mistakes as well as wool does, but it's a heck of a lot more comfortable to wear this time of year.

Spinning and a birthday boy

2011-07-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in the Tour de Fleece over on Ravelry to motivate myself to do more spinning. Here's my first day results (not much, I know, but I'm still building my endurance)
I'm spinning some lovely shetland roving from the most generous animal named Bristol who lives at Foothill Fiber Farms. It's a nice off-white and gray/back mix, which I might ply with some lighter colored rambouillet. I bought 8 oz so we will see how much I end up with. I've never bought more than 4 oz of any one color and I want more to make something or part of something I can wear. Bristol would appreciate that, wouldn't she?!
As if it weren't enough that today if 4th of July, my little baby Eli is turning one today:

Yes, he's a little annoyed because I'm wasting time taking his picture instead of plopping another scoop of cat food on his plate. He's refusing to look at me! I love him anyway

Can you believe it? Finally...

2011-05-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, after a year and a half of unemployment, I have finally landed a job. A nice job working for a nice company. I haven't gotten the confirmation email yet so I hope I didn't imagine it. I have two weeks to get everything done I was supposed to get done over the past year and a half. I will also have to squeeze in some knitting, of course.

I won this wonderful yarn and shawl pattern from Wandering Cat Studio :

Valerie had a contest on her blog. This yarn is-to-die-for in alpaca, wool and silk. It will look gorgeous knit up into Valerie's pattern Eostre. I can't wait to get started on this.

I thought I had a good start on my second sweater, a cardigan knit from Barbara Walker's Knitting from the Top. As I got about half way down the sweater it ended up being too big. So, rip it out I did. I am trying again, with revised measurements. Hopefully this time around it will be a better fit.

I really did it!

2011-05-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I actually finished a sweater, for me, and it fits! I used Barbara Walker's Top Down Sweaters book and took measurements as I went along. My next challenge will be a cardigan, style it after a pattern I have that is knit in pieces. I love this book as the sweater is knit all in one piece: no seams!!

I've been trying to use up stash but most of my yarn is enough fingering for socks, so I may have to break down and get some more yarn. I'm tired of making socks and since I had success with this sweater I'm excited to start another one.

Have I mentioned I like orchids? I went to an orchid society meeting with some friends a few months ago and fell in love with all the gorgeous orchids there. They have a silent auction so it's easy to pick up some plants pretty cheaply. This last meeting I scored 7 plants for a total of $20! A member is moving and was wanting to weed her collection out so I paid $6 for 5 of her plants.

It's easy to become an addict and want just a few more. They are fairly easy to take care of (meaning I haven't killed any yet in the 3 months I got my first one).

Sweater?

2011-04-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm finally taking the plunge and making a sweater for myself. I've made a few sweaters before, a long time ago when I didn't realize the meaning of gauge. I'm following the generic pattern in Barbara Walker's book Knitting from the Top. I didn't write down as many notes as I should have making the first sleeve, so I'm struggling a bit on the second one, for some unknown reason. Still, it's an easy and clear cut way to make a sweater and I have high hopes it will really fit!

We had a beautiful day, finally, yesterday here in Stumptown. The sun was out and it was warm; the pussycats were in 7th heaven!

Look what I got!

2011-04-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

I went to my favorite local knitting store and whined about my circular needles. Cindy at Urban Fiber Arts whipped out some hiya hiya interchangeables and I'm in love! They screw together so smoothly and have a great little carrying case. Lucky me!

I've picked up knitting again after giving it a few month's rest. I've been trying to decide how to knit up this delicious Socks That Rock Sassafrass yarn and found the pattern Spring Forward. I love this pattern even more now than I'm knitting on it-it's wonderfully stretchy and fits the yarn well, I think:

I just love it!

Here's a photo that cracks me up: it's Eli a few months older now and still a big nut!

I think his papa was a jackrabbit!

Eli's a commin.....

2010-11-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well, he's actually here. Whatcha think of him?

He's quite the little squirt and finds lots of trouble to get into. Isn't his tail cute?! He's 4 months old, and full of spit and vinegar. His paws are really big so I'm assuming he's going to be a big cat. We'll see.

Bar Method Challenge-one month in

2010-10-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

So, I've joined the Bar Method Portland fitness challenge, and now that it's been the first of three months I decided to take stock in where I am. I've been frustrated because it doesn't feel like I'm making any headway, and those damn thigh exercises are as impossible as ever! My eating habits have sabotaged some of my efforts, but I'm working on that. So, as I was walking on the treadmill at the gym yesterday I made a mental list of the good and bad of my progress:

I can do 30 pushups consecutively, 50 within the one hour class. On the other hand, I still can't do a guy pushup yet
I can make it all the way thru the arm, buns, and (most of the time) the glutes without stopping. The abs and, as I said before, thighs are still a huge challenge
Coming back to walking/jogging on the treadmill, I am improved in speed and length of time I can jog
My flexibility is much better, but still a ways to go
The scale is the same, but I was able to fit into a pair of jeans I haven't been able to button up in the last few months (there is still the muffin-top scenario though)

So, all in all I'm getting progress, more than I thought, but really need to kick in the better eating habits so I can feel I'm making better headway. I also need to remember that being in my 50's makes the whole process really slowwwwwwwww. I do feel great once I'm out of the class, so it's a good way to start the day.

I've been knitting a bit, trying to make a few pairs of fingerless gloves. I have a ton of stashed yarn, and am dieting with that too. Hopefully I can make better headway with that than my fitness challenge!

Here's another picture of yummy stash I've recently accumulated:

(I said nothing about a fiber diet, now did I?!)

Fitness challenge

2010-09-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am committing to a fall fitness challenge at The Bar Method. I've been exercising there for a month now (very killer workout) and decided to join the challenge as a way to stay on track. They took my measurements at the beginning (9/15/10) and will take again in 3 months. It was a bit embarrassing having this totally toned and fit person record my measurements but I figure that should encourage me to do well. Hopefully!! I've committed to going to class 4 days a week so we'll see how that all pans out.

I've been spinning a lot lately, and able to get my yarn a lot smoother and thinner. I bought a bunch of roving from CJ Delights and have been having a lot of fun with it. I think these are all rambouilet and, of course, the colors are much more delicious in real life.

Look at all those sample braids; I can't wait to see what they all spin up like!

I also got a bump of fiber from Rogue Adventures that is really pretty:

I've started to spin this up and I really like it; I'm stuck, however, until I find the end of the yarn I lost! I'm hoping to get most of this spun up before next weekend; this will be the first year I've attended OFFF so I'm excited to see all the fiber for sale. Whoo Hoo!!

9/11

2010-09-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

I don't have a specific blog planned for today but wanted to acknowledge the day and all it's meant to our country since 2001. Here's a nod to the people who lost their lives, and the others who have helped clean up the aftermath.

Seen Astoria lately?

2010-08-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I joined another couple for a weekend trip to Astoria; haven't been there in years. It's still gray most of the time and it has it's influx of tourists along the main drag but it also has some new places to explore. The views of the city and river are still the same, gorgeous in their own right:

Lots of old buildings lining the river's edge, with some picturesque ships in the water behind. There's a wonderful sunday market downtown, with fresh fruits and veggies along handmade crafts and other things to look at.

Vodoo Lounge is a great little place to hang out and have delicious pizza and check out the neat displays all around the room. It has a lot of little mexican figurines often displayed during Day of the Dead. It's a fun place to visit.


Vodoo Lounge

If you're hungry for a great breakfast or lunch, pop on over next door to the Columbia cafe. Prepare to wait in line a bit as it's a tiny little place and very popular. Scrumptious breakfast and drinks.

Columbia Cafe

Spinning

2010-08-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, I finally took some spinning lessons, 4 to be exact, and was spinning away to my heart's content the first night. I'm not saying I did anything worth bragging about, but never the less here is my first officially spun yarn:

It's the kind of thing only a mother could love, but I will keep it for posterity. Below is what I was spinning after another lesson and a lot of practice:

Still not perfect but I'm happy with it.

Good Bye to Pops and time for a breather

2010-07-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

The last several months have been crazy; I've been busier than I think ever before. A sick in-law in Florida meant 3 weeks away from home and my honey. Get back home, only to go back down there two weeks later with my honey, only to see his father pass away. We now have mother-in-law living with us temporarily until her apartment becomes available. Moving an older person across country (to Oregon) is one hell of a project: re-establishing doctors, changing medicare, packing the important papers, working with her through her grief, etc, etc, etc. Oh, and I'm also taking 3 online classes through all this: 2 accounting classes and economics! Is it any wonder I can't sleep at night?!

In between all that I had a pre-scheduled trip to visit my mom in California. We drove down to Pasadena, her and my dad's old stomping ground, to see what we could see. Pasadena is a lovely town, beautiful and quaint old houses, wide streets with tall canopies of huge old trees, lots of history and memories. One of the things I enjoy the most is going to their arboretum. It's very unlike the one here in Portland, much more polished. The best part of the arboretum are these:

I love peacocks, have always been fascinated by them. Anyone who's ever read the Nancy Drew books will remember the one with peacocks wandering around the grounds of the house she was staying at. Ever since then they fascinate me (see, books are a big influence on kids!). They are funny creatures to watch and follow around. They also love to steal food off your table while you walk away for napkins!

several days in Heaven

2010-05-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I just got back from a few days in a town near John Day, located in the high (?) desert of Oregon. The place we stayed at had million dollar views out every window and scenery that went on forever.

Most of my friends wouldn't be able to call this beautiful, instead enjoying less dry climates like the beach. I'd take this view over the beach any day, even a Florida beach! The smell of juniper is breathtaking, and the colors change constantly.

We hiked, cooked, played Tile Rummy, knit and took lots and lots of pictures. The sock I'm working on was attacked by this munchkin:

but fortunately, he just chewed the yarn from the sock, so all I have to do is re-attach it. How could anyone be mad at this gorgeous face?!
Even though the altitude was only 2000+ ft, it felt like the Himalayas to me as we're at sea level at home, so we were huffin' and a puffin' when walking around. Give me a month in a place like that and I'd be so much healthier!

Long time no blog

2010-05-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been away for awhile; I was in Florida for 3 weeks tending to my in-laws who needed some extra help for a bit. It was really tough being away from my honey for that long; that's the longest separation we've had since we first started dating; 30+ years later, it was hard! The plus side of all of this is that I got to know my mother-in-law really well and we hit it off with a bang

(I don't let just anyone sit in my lap!)

So, while the circumstances were not the best there and I didn't like being away from home that long, I did get a lot out of the trip. Unexpected pleasures in unexpected places.

The second treat I've had lately was a nice dinner prepared for me and Hubby by my baby boy. He swept thru the kitchen like a hurricane, leaving damage and destruction in his pathway, but the food was excellent!

Here he's trying to look goofy but I missed his best effort!


It's crunch time so he's serious now!

I also went out to lunch with my lovely daughter but didn't grab any pictures.
Two sweet kids that any mama would be proud to call their own.

Now it's back to some serious knitting; I'm making a couple of display socks for Craftsmeow dyer Gwen to show at her next fiber show (can never remember which one it is!) Both patterns are from Chrissy Gardiner's book "Toe-Up!" The first one is Peace Lily knit in limon-swirl and the other sock is Spring in Oregon in Ariel's choice (it may be a new color as I haven't seen it listed in her etsy shop). The yarns are nice and smooshy and make soft comfortable socks.

Once these are done, I have a host of single socks I need to make the mate for. I got in a sock frenzy one week awhile ago and knit a bunch of singles in a few days, reasoning I would go back and knit the second sock and not get too bored doing so. Then Florida and mild chaos came, so that went out the window. But, since it's spring and I'm not wearing socks then I have plenty of time to complete the pairs!

Happy friday

Lots o' socks

2010-03-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

I'm on a crazy sock knitting craze, but only for knitting one sock of a pair. I have 2 socks completed, each of a different pattern and yarn, and 2 half finished socks, again in different pattern and yarn:

The sock on the left is Cat Bordhi's
Lemon Leaves and the sock on the
right is Cookie A's Wanida

The sock on the left is Embellishing Hilda socks by Heli
Heikkila, the one on the right is
Wearin' O the Green by The Twisted Hare

I'm having fun trying new patterns and not getting bored by knitting the second sock. Once I finish the Hilda sock, I'll at least finish the green socks as they are due by the end of the month. The others I'll finish along with making other socks. I'm trying to use up some of my ever-growing stash but I keep sneaking a look at Etsy and finding something new and gorgeous to buy.

Speaking of gorgeous, our friends gave us this beauty the other day.

Why would I be so excited to get a vacumn cleaner and an old one at that? I destroy vacumns, or at least wear them out much quicker than they should and I'm tired of having to buy a new vacumn every year. Even the more expensive one we bought last year just bit the dust. Our friends promise us there's no way I can break this one. We'll see!

Sarah's Gloves

2010-02-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

I finished a pair of fingerless gloves for my hairdresser, Sarah. She is the one of the kindest, most pampering hairdresser I've ever encountered. She serves me tea, heats up a backwarmer for me while she's coloring my hair, reheats it while I'm under the dryer, makes sure there are plenty of good magazines at hand, even gives a hand massage while my hair is processing over the sink. It just doesn't get any better! Anyone ever seen Tabatha's Salon Takeover ? She finds the nastiest salons out there. Every time I watch her show I'm reminded how lucky I am to know Sarah.
Here are her gloves, a small token of my appreciation. The color really is a dark pink, and so reminds me of Sarah's flashy nail color!

My two little valentines

2010-02-14T06:56:00.000-08:00

Here are my favorite valentines:

I could post a picture of my hubby but he's kinda in the doghouse right now so I'll show my kitties, who never fall out of favor! I have two grown kids but they have their own honeys to give them valentine-y goodness so I can't really claim them anymore. How am I going to celebrate with my valentines? Give them lots of kisses, of course. If I'm really good they may give me some back!

Happy Valentines day!!!

Perfect weekend

2010-02-11T16:01:00.000-08:00

Well, maybe not perfect but pretty darn close. Our friends invited us down to the beach for the weekend. We stayed in a really nice house that is right on the ocean. This is what the view is like from the back porch:

Yes, those are real blue skies, a real rarity on the Oregon Coast. Sunday was a beautiful sunny, windless day. We walked the beach, watched the Super Bowl, and had a fire in the back yard. Can't beat that!

I had lots of time to knit, which was heaven. I made a hat but the yarn wasn't right for it so I frogged it. I also finished my Peaks Island Hood scarf; I still need buttons but that's the easy part:

Next I want to make a valentine's present for my hairdresser, who's the best of all. I need to find my #2 needles to get the right gauge but they're nowhere to be found. I'll have to buy yet another pair, I guess:

The yarn is really more pinky-red than the picture and will look great as sweetheart glovelets. So I anticipate I will be heading to the yarn store tomorrow to get the needles to get this started.

Finally, a picture of my hubby and I on the beach. I'm wearing a hat I just made Plymouth Boku yarn.

The perspective is a little off because my hubby is holding the camera. Have a great weekend!

ps. I was able to mend the shawl without too much trouble.

Disaster strikes

2010-02-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

So, I've been working diligently on my niece's shawl, which was supposed to be a christmas present. Finally I got it done last night and started the blocking process. Here is is drying:

So, then I get up this morning and look at the shawl and find this:

See that slightly larger hole? It's not supposed to be there. Hmmmm, how did that happen. Surely I would have noticed it last night, right?

Could this be the problem?

My cats have sat on my knitting before while it's drying, even lace things, with no ill consequences. So, the mystery remains. In any event, that's several rows back on the shawl and I will see if I can mend it so it won't show. Lace and I have a strained relationship at the best and I'm glad to be done!

Shawl Pattern: Luna Moth Shawl (free in ravelry)

Yarn: Frog Tree Sport

p.s. What did I do to punish the probably culprit? I gave him lots of kisses and scratches; that'll teach him.

The Falls

2010-01-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

My hubby surprised me by taking the day off yesterday (yes, I'm still off in my ever-lengthening "vacation" of unemployment. It really is hard to find a job these days). We took a nice drive up to Multnomah Falls. Pictures of the falls have been posted over and over again but it's still awesome to see in person. Very refreshing to be outside and smell the water and moss and plants.

Nothing like a beautiful breath-taking view to clear the cobwebs out of the mind.

And then there are the bumps on the bed:

What can I say? They have the right idea......

Looking Forward

2010-01-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

2010 promises to be a good year. I'm looking forward to moving ahead with the new year and seeing what I can accomplish. 2009 was a bit tumultuous in that I lost my job, but in many ways it was a blessing. Working in a negative environment is very hard on oneself, and while I wouldn't have asked to be laid off in this economy, it does have its positive outcomes.
Things are looking up: this year my hubby and I will have been married 30 years!! Believe me, the time goes fast.

I'm also on my way to an improved weight and health, which is a great feeling. Being laid off means I have lots of time to go to the gym; no excuses for me.

I'm also continuing to home my knitting skills and challenging myself to more complicated projects: sweaters, stranded colorwork, maybe even figuring out what the brioche stitch is that everyone is talking about.

As everyone looks forward to the new year, I'll also be remembering the past I visited while in Virginia this past summer. Looking at Civil War battlefields and monuments was a good reminder of how little people survived on and how passionate they were for what they believed in. Whatever side they were on, they were dedicated to fighting for the life and world they wanted. My life, in comparison, is full of little luxuries they never experienced nor dreamed of. I am likely never to have to live with as little or lose as much as those families did, so it keeps things in perspective for me. Things are good.

GO DUCKS!!!!!

Thankful thursday

2009-11-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

Already it's thursday and I'm reflecting on how good life is. I think of these things more often than just thursdays but today it's a reminder to put my thoughts into words

Today, I am especially thankful for my friend Judi. She is such a great person to be around and wonderful support for whatever ails me. She's creative and our personalities match well. Even though she doesn't knit I still love being around her (!). We learned how to do stained glass together, and now she's starting on applique quilting, which she will be helping me to learn. Good stuff

I'm also grateful that when I helped a friend move yesterday that the things he strapped to the roof of the truck didn't hit any other cars when they came flying off. Minor damage to his belongings (the mirror didn't make it though) and a little scuffing of the truck. Not bad.

As always I'm grateful to my family, especially my honey. He's always there for me.

Here are a couple of pictures of my instant happiness things. I can't stay sad when I'm around these two. Aren't they yummy?!

Finally, maybe my sweater will fit!

2009-11-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

I took a wonderful knitting class friday night at Close Knit. It was a class on fitting sweater patterns to your particular body size and being able to pick out flattering patterns. The teacher is a professional tailor, sewer and wonderfully creative knitter. She took our measurements so we have them on paper, and we now know how to look for the appropriate size, and alter if needed. No sweaters with bulky yarn, apparently, unless you want to look chunky; I personally don't know anyone that is trying to look thicker. Now to find the perfect pattern to try.
On another note, here's the view out my front window; aren't the leaves gorgeous? I just can't get enough of the fall colors.

Thinking of others

2009-11-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

As part of a knitting project thru the website Ravelry, I am knitting hats; lots of hats for a homeless shelter in Portland. I have accumulated about 15 so far, where as they are needing no less than about 50 for christmas packages they want to assemble. I'm not sure I can meet that demand, but I can at least give something. Here's a picture of my progress as of a few weeks ago:

These are children -sized hats; it's tough to think of kids being homeless. Hopefully these will help a little.

Thankful thursday

2009-11-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

It's thursday and several blogs I read post a "thankful thursday" blog. I've been reading up on the Civil War as well as watching the great dvd series produced by Ken Burns. After visiting several civil war sites while in DC the history really came alive for me.

First place we visited was Robert E Lee's house in Arlington, now home to the Arlington Cemetery. The Lee family vacated the house during the Civil War, and as a payback to Lee's southern alliance, Union officials decided to bury their deceased on the grounds of the house. Today it's a tribute to the lives lost in the war; the house sits on top of the vista overseeing the Arlington cemetery and is a stark reminder of all that is lost in war.
This thursday I am thankful of being alive and in good health, of having a safe place to live and plenty of food to eat each day.

DC

2009-11-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I took our first ever trip to DC this fall. I've never been to the East Coast before so it was an amazing experience for me. Other than constantly getting directions mixed up on foot and by car, we managed to see a lot of places; the history surrounding us was incredible. Too much to do and not enough time. Now that we've been there once, we'll know better next time how to spend our time and prioritize our to-do list.

The Capitol Mall was exciting; seeing al the buildings in person was wonderful. I had never realized how gorgeous the Smithsonian building is:

The White House and Capitol building looked exactly as the pictures portray it. Here I am on the steps of the Capitol looking at a map trying to figure out which way the Spy Museum is:

Hubby should have realized by that look on my face that I had no idea which way to go. Fortunately we managed to stumble upon it anyway.

A fun day with alpaca "fur"

2009-08-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, alpacas really have fiber or fleece, but my non-knitting friend likes to call it fur.My spinning group had a get-together out on a farm where it felt like you were out in the m

iddle of nowhere. Gorgeous day, wonderful people and lots of fun things to learn; perfect day! Alpacas can be sheared more than once a year and their fiber spins up into a wonderfully soft yarn that

is perfect for scarves, gloves, blankets, etc. Alpaca fiber can come in a range of colors such as brown, grays, and off-white.

Half the day I spent learning how to dye the fiber using store bought dyes (you can also use kool aid or food coloring). color wheel. Dyeing the fiber also was an experimen

t in how colors combine. Using the same few colors provided, people still got a range of results depending on how they applied the dye and what colors they put next to each other. The pictures below show a couple of examples of the fiber colors

The other part of the day I learned to use a drum carder to combine 4 p

ieces of different colored (or in the case of white, absence of color) fiber to create some beautiful colors in the purple/maroon family. The picture on the left shows the beginning bag of fiber and the picture in the middle is the result.

The pictures below shows a drum carder pulling the fiber thru and "combing" it together.

2009-05-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

So, I took this wonderful trip to Santa Barbara with my mom last fall. I've never been there before but have always heard about their wonderful spanish architecture and was dying to see it. The weather was phoenominal, warm and sunny, and the scenery was to die for. We drove down Hwy 1 along the coast line, thru some windy mountain areas and finally into the town. Dinner was at a scrumptious little mexican restaurant and then the next day was full of wandering around the area looking at all the gorgeous buildings. The courthouse is amazing, and has a tower with a 360 degree view. The best thing was spending the time with my mom.

Looking into the Past

2009-02-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

With researching my hubby's ancestors, as well as mine, it can feel a little eerie sometimes reading about these other people's lives that somehow merged into becoming part of ours; these people that I've never known and have such different lifestyles and upbringings from mine have helped shaped who I am today. It seems like a huge effort on their part to have worked hard, suffered and enjoyed the events of their lives so that I could be a part of this world as well. It does put a larger perspective on things and make me realize that it's not just about me, never has been and never will be. I'm a part of the ongoing process of keeping life going, learning and enriching my life to benefit someone down the road, someone perhaps not even born yet. I need to help bring that past to the present and to the future, contribute as much as I can, however I can, to help this process in the best way I can. Learning about the past and present is so very critical to the future, so important for people to know and understand in how they came to be what they are. Looking at Grace's grave the other day, it struck me how much her life means to me, how her efforts gave me my hubby, and consequently my two beautiful kids. I wonder if she ever thought of that, ever thought that what she was doing and the kids she was raising would have such a profound effect on someone like me. Here's to Grace and her wonderful person, who she was and what she did for me.

New skill coming up

2009-02-15T08:24:00.000-08:00

So, I've signed up for a spinning class; spinning with a drop spindle that is. It's an inexpensive way to learn how to spin yarn without having to invest several hundred dollars in a spinning wheel.

There are so many beautiful colors of roving to buy at local shops and on-line at sites such as Etsy; I can't wait to be able to buy some and be able to spin it. There are a few alpaca farms local to Portland, am looking forward to visiting some this spring and being able to buy some of their fluff. My hubby has talked for years about having an alpaca farm and, believe it or not, I used to laugh at him because I thought it was a silly idea. Lo and behold, he's the one laughing at me! Sometime in our future we will buy a house with a little property so we can raise an alpaca or two, plus have plenty of room for our kitties to run around. In the meantime I can visit someone else's farm, or even buy some yet-to-be sheared alpaca fluff through Etsy; lots of fun possibilities. I have to wait two weeks for the spinning class, it is so far taking forever to get here. Hmm...... then there's weaving too.

In search of the McGregors

2009-02-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

Whew, looking through old census records for tidbits of information that may or may not be accurate is time consuming work. I started a family tree for my husband's mom's family and it's very slow going. Not alot is known about the family so trying to piece together the little info we have is a challenge. The challenge is also a lot of fun, and very addicting. Finding something new to add to the tree is very exciting. Only a few generations back from my mother-in-law is a father who was born in Scotland. That will lead to new adventures, I can imagine.

The Pink Panther strikes again

2009-02-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

While searching on Etsy, I came across a cool artist (TinyArk) who makes buttons out of polymer clay. The buttons are adorable and have lots of detail in them. What do ya know... she makes custom buttons. Whooo Hooo! I zipped her a convo to see if she'd make some Pink Panther buttons (what could be cooler?) and she had them done and posted in a matter of hours. They are the cutest thing I've seen-such great detail and all colorful. Well now, the possibilities are endless and only limited by my imagination. I can't wait to think up something more for her to create. Here's a picture of a stitch marker I got from another artist on etsy.

Saturday Happenings

2009-02-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

I finally busted out my gift card to the local yarn store yesterday and splurged on several skeins of yarn. I had ignored it since Christmas but couldn't wait any longer. I actually was trying to save it to take a spinning class, but since I have to be careful about spending these days I didn't want to start something new and then want to get a spinning wheel. I'm working on the Envelope purse so got some wonderful pink/purple Noro yarn to finish it up. Can't wait to felt it and see how it comes out.

I spent the day in Corvallis visiting my dad and helping him get some chores done. It was a nice sunny day and it felt good to help him catch up on stuff again. Melvin went down with me and I much enjoyed spending time with him again, even though he was asleep a good part of the day (having got in at about 5:00am this morning, he didn't get much sleep before we left for Corvallis). Never the less it was good to see him again. I'm grateful he still is willing to spend time with his ol' mom.

No such luck

2009-02-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

I thought I had a good chance at solving my soon-to-be jobless status by applying for an opening in the office; it wasn't to be. I'm fast learning that I'm having to put spending and decision on hold. I don't know exactly when my job will be over so it's hard to know what to expect. In the meantime, I keep knitting to de-stress; luckily I have some stash to work from. I figure the money I'm saving from a chai every day will allow me to get a new hank of yarn every now and then.

my flamingo socks

2009-01-31T22:11:00.000-08:00

I'm knitting a pair of socks, well really just one at a time but eventually there will be two. The yarn is called pink flamingo, which reminds me of Florida. We traveled along the gulf coast of Florida this last fall and the beaches were amazingly beautiful. We saw pink flamingos at the sunken gardens in Sarasota, and pink billed birds of some kind on Sanibel Island. This picture doesn't do the colors of the bird justice; they are very pretty and very pink. Florida was much nicer than I thought it would be; surprisingly affordable, beautiful scenery, and the beaches are very clean and pristine. We also saw some alligators ( I was sitting safely in the car while Eddie ventured out to get this picture. Fortunately this guy was pretty slow and not interested in a snack at this time so we were able to get a nice picture of him.

For my next pair of socks, I'd like to find some yarn to remind me of this beautiful sunset

And the axe falls...

2009-01-30T18:02:00.000-08:00

Well, this week I learned my job is moving and I'm not. Totally unexpected and a little scary. I have a few months to compete with several others for the few new jobs that will be posted. In other words, I'll soon be on the sidewalk. Losing your job is good motivation to tighten the belt; no more Starbucks or lunches at my favorite mexican restaurant. Needless to say, I'm exercising more to stave off the panicky feeling and keep my head clear. Oh, and lots of knitting

Back in the saddle again....almost

2009-01-27T20:41:00.000-08:00

I'm back working out and being healthier, thanks to my wonderful trainer Leslie. She motivates me like no one else can. She's going to graduate soon and then likely move on to bigger and better things, then where will I be?! There's something to be said for being motivated to stay on track when you have to report to someone on a regular basis-a trainer knows all; there are no secrets with her

Good intentions

2009-01-26T21:50:00.000-08:00

I had hoped to make it to yoga class tonight, but got delayed with a rather long phone call at work. It was all worth it, except my yoga intentions fell by the wayside once again. My hands are sore from knitting so much over the weekend, so I sat idle at home with a warm kittie on my lap. It's hard to not get something accomplished tonight before the evening's over with. As they say, tomorrow's another day...

Sunday morning

2009-01-25T07:50:00.001-08:00

I woke up to snow this morning, not a lot but enough of a dusting to make things pretty outside and to piss my cats off! It's beautiful while I'm sitting inside and have nowhere to go, perfect excuse to pick up the knitting needles.

I have several projects going (of course) as I get bored doing just one thing at a time: Caitlin's striped gloves, Lady Eleanor scarf, another pair of socks, a scarf for me. I've wanted to learn socks two at a time but find it too tangly so far. I haven't tried the magic loop method yet so may give that a shot.

Hoping for either a blizzard tomorrow morning, or all the white stuff gone so the commute won't be a nightmare.

Current doings

2009-01-24T16:51:00.000-08:00

Today I'm still working on some fingerless gloves for my beloved niece Caitlin. The pattern is a pain and I can't wait to get them done and on to something more fun.

I'm looking forward to April when Caitlin and her family will be up here in Oregon and I can meet up with them. We're going to go hit all the local yarn shops we can find and go crazy. Can't wait! It's snowing outside just a little, which means it's too cold. Hope the spring comes soon