The Comfort Zone

The Shetland Skies Shawl by Kate Atherley of Wise Hilda blog is a real winner.  (She also designed Coffee Morning Shawl which I love with a passion).  I’m not usually fond of circular shawl knitting because they seem to go on and on with no end in sight.  This one, however, was fun.  There was enough going on to keep me interested, yet easy enough to memorize the 36 stitch pattern repeats.  Plus, it was getting compliments as it was blocking…

and is even prettier over the shoulders of a shirt or jacket.  Hurrah for a winner!!

There have been other winning moments this week.  I have been a Blackberry user (and lover) for years but my now obsolete Blackberry succumbed to hours of texting (don’t tweet but I’m the texting queen).  A key broke–the W and I haven’t noticed that I use the W more than any other key but there it is, broken!  The Blackberry was a winner for a long time.  I have actually made the statement that I would never use any other phone.  Then, all the family started getting iPhones.  They are cute and there are all those neat little apps for everything including knitting.  So I am the owner of a new iPhone 3GS and after a week of using it I must say, “Blackberry?”

There is one thing that bothers me though.  Like everyone else I’ve been hearing all the hullabaloo about antennae and lost calls and my first question was, “Do people really use an iPhone 4 or 3, or any phone for that matter without having a case on it?”  Actually, I had the heavy-duty Otter Box case and Zagg screen cover before I received the phone.  I had to order them right away because the Blackberry is evidence that I am tough on a phone.  Anyway, no lost calls here and I love the phone.  Apple does it again.  Sometimes we are winners regardless of the press reports! 

Life is good.

Cooler days in Texas

Texas summer can bring about all sorts of ills–mental, physical and spiritual.  Right now my mind, body and spirit are…HOT!  It’s blistering hot.  Mind-bending hot.  I just want to sit and stare into space–sit under a fan with the air-conditioning turned down to 65 degrees and stare into space.  I occasionally pick up my knitting and knit a few stitches.  If one of the dogs jumps into my lap I push her/him down and growl, “It’s HOT”!!  I’m a mess!

It’s 85 degrees in Chicago at this moment (so says the Weather Bug) and I can’t wait to get there in August.  In case we do encounter some cooler weather I have been searching out new patterns and looking forward to finishing the two shawls now on the needles (Shetland Skies and Fog Lifter).  Armed with my patterns and yarn, I plan to knit through every family gathering except the wedding and reception.  I know GD#2 will be happy to hear that!

I may be looking at shawl patterns but I am thinking of small projects that will transport easily and be small enough to not add heat in my lap or to my hands.  I knit mostly with wool but will consider a couple cotton projects.  There is a lot of organic cotton in my stash–some very nice Blue Skies Skinny Cotton and other organic cotton yarns in pretty colors. 

When the day winds down and the cooler (by 5 degrees) air moves in I usually realize how fortunate we are to be able to travel, vacation, visit with loved ones and generally enjoy life.  We are really looking forward to it! 

Life is good!

Everyone likes to hear the words, “I love what you’re wearing,” especially from a DH or DS.  That’s why I fell in love with this skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn–not just the colors but the name too.  I have wanted, for some time, to make Fog Lifter by Susan Pierce Lawrence of knittingasfastasican.com (I found it on Ravelry).  It is similar in some ways to Faux Spanish Lace which I love and loved knitting.  Fog Lifter is a bit more structured than FSL and has an interesting edging.  It’s like making FSL better and enjoying it more!

THE bag–the infamous wedding reticule is shown with a tissue paper lining at this time instead of the silk I plan to use and tied with pink ribbon instead of the planned silver.  So that is one bag down and none to go.  Yup, none, zip, nada!!  Not making any more beaded bags.  The bag is pretty but the beading is not fun.  It might slow things down less if I put the beads on the yarn and pull them up as I need them.  Instead, I pulled a stitch through the bead with a crochet hook.  Everything stopped every time I had to slide my stitches to a safe place, pick up the hook, pick up a bead, pull the stitch through the bead–oops that bead is not big enough–get another bead, put down the crochet hook and pick up the needles and yarn and KNIT one stitch.  Really?  Nope, not going to do that again!

Thank you all for your words of comfort and your prayers for my friend after her terrible auto accident.  Her body could no longer fight  the pneumonia that set in and so they quietly removed her from the ventilator last night and she left us soon after.  I shared your prayers and kind words with her family and they were moved and grateful.  You have helped get me through an overwhelming time in my life and I will be forever grateful for each of you. Bless you!

First, the bright spot in my week–a lovely assortment of teas and a beautiful tea cozy from Grace of Lovin Comfort Knits as my contest winnings.  I have made good use of the teas already and love the cozy although it does not fit well on the tea pot I chose that day. It now has an assigned pot it fits perfectly.  You can also see that I have already made good use of the cute little utility bag that was included.  Thanks Grace!! You are so sweet!

This whole week has taken on an unreal aura and knitting has fallen low on my list of priorities.  A dear friend was in a horrible auto accident and her life still hinges on her survival for another 24 hours.  She has had two surgeries and had to be resuscitated when her heart stopped.  Her injuries are too numerous to state and she is my age, which isn’t young by any means.  Puts things in the proper perspective doesn’t it!  Our daughters are close friends and are clinging together as they did when I was in the hospital and my fate was also unknown.

How do you knit when something like this happens?  I’ve heard knitters say that they survived on their knitting during long hospital vigils.  I, on the other hand, couldn’t bring myself to knit when Mother had that final stroke.  It seemed so frivolous!  I just sat, alternately staring into space and praying.  Knitting was the last thing on my mind for weeks after she passed.  When I was finally able to pick up my knitting again I am certain I felt her hand on my shoulder and knew her approval but until that moment it was low, low in my priorities.

Maybe it is because I am one step removed from this tragedy that I am able to knit, but my need to finish things already started instead of starting new projects says something about the effect of my dear friend’s condition on my awareness of life’s vulnerability.  We have to start new things or life would stand still but how do you bring yourself to start new things when life is already standing still and may not move again for…well, at least 24 hours.  We will go on day to day after that and pray for another minute and another, and another.

Please pray for my dear friend and all of us who love her and need her.

Am I dating myself by mentioning the movie Looking For Mr. Goodbar?  Well, I’m looking for the ideal knits to travel on vacation and I’m beginning to act like the main character of the movie!  She was a mild mannered teacher during the day and hung out in bars at night looking for the perfect man.  I am an easygoing accounting type during the day and have taken to hanging out in yarn shops, on-line yarn stores and the stash room at night looking for the perfect project/yarn for easy carry-along knitting.  You know what?  There are a lot of gigolo yarns out there.  A girl has to be careful!

I ordered 2 skeins of Tremolo from Elann and am regretting it.  It splits easily and is rough to the touch when knitted even though it was silky feeling in the skein.   My idea is that I will knit leftover sock yarn mitts only I don’t have much in the way of leftover sock yarn in stash so I have to buy leftovers.  All of this is made more difficult by the fact that I’m not sure sock yarn mitts are what I want to knit.

I did start a new shawl, Daybreak Golds, as soon as I finished Faux Spanish Lace.  I hope to finish Daybreak before we leave.  BTW Spanish Lace is one of those shawls you fall in love with instantly.  As soon as it was pinned out on the blocking board I said, “I’m keeping this one!”  That is, I’m keeping it right up to the moment that DD sees it.

Anyhow, it is probably folly to be looking for projects to take on vacation because we are also taking TWO dogs with us.  This will be the first time both Macy and Max will travel with us.  Max belongs to DD and since she is flying to Chicago for the wedding and we are driving guess who gets the honor of handling Max on his first road trip. 

In this picture he doesn’t look like he would be too much trouble.  Guess again!!