Grandcat Visits

Not much knitting happened around here this week because one of the grandcats has been visiting.  Nala, like all cats, is fascinated with yarn.  It is very difficult to knit while she 'helps' pull yarn for me.  She has been my constant companion the past few days while my daughter went out of town to visit with friends.  It's like having a toddler again.  Even trips to the bathroom aren't private.  She'll jump into the sink and lick the faucet.  She won't budge until she gets a drink of water.

Since I wasn't able to knit I started working on some scrub tops for Trisha.  She has started her new job at Children's Hospital.  She's required to wear a certain scrub bottom, but she can be creative with her tops.  I found some fun cotton fabric that I thought would be cheerful for her to wear.

Several weeks ago I preordered the Magnolia Table cookbook.  It came on Tuesday. It is loaded with yummy looking recipes.  Most of the recipes are quick to assemble and come with serving suggestions.  Today I will try it out for the first time.  All of  the kids will be here around lunchtime so I am going to make the Country Potato Soup.  That and a loaf of crusty bread should be a nice midday meal for us.

Time now to make a grocery list and get my day started.

Is It Spring Yet?

I'm ready for Spring and some more positive energy around here.  The dreary weather is really affecting my mood.  I've had some very weepy weekends lately.  I attribute it to a combination of the weather, fatigue from working too much and too much family drama.  My oldest daughter just broke up with her boyfriend of two years.  I really liked Matt and pray she didn't make a mistake that she'll later regret  But she has to decide for herself.  It was a long distance relationship, which are always hard to maintain.  I'm not very good at finding the right words to say.  A big hug and "I'm sorry and I love you" are the best I can think of for her.

Spring is slow to show up this year.  Last week we had temperatures that dipped into the 20s overnight and snow flurries one morning.  Daytime temperatures have been mostly in the 50s.  Today is getting into the mid 60s.  Flowers are finally starting to bloom.  Trees are beginning to bud.  Ed just finished cutting the grass for the first time this year.

Ed and I went up to Ohio Amish country for the weekend.  We drove the back roads on Friday and then visited a lot of antique shops and Amish stores.  Saturday morning, while Ed slept in, I took a walk along a nature trail by the hotel where we stayed.  It was a frosty morning but was a very pleasant walk.  Birds were singing all over the place.

There was a small stream that cut through the resort property.  Very pretty.

Since the weather hasn't started to warm up much yet, I've not lost the mood to knit sweaters.  I started Weekender.  The Italian tubular was easy to do, but was a bit confusing when I knit the first row.  It twisted on me making it hard to figure out if the stitches were presenting correctly.  I don't recommend using that cast on for an in-the-round unless you are very careful about not twisting the stitches.  Maybe it would work out better if I had used a straight needle, instead of a circular.  Once the stitches moved onto the cable, they twisted with the cable.

The car ride home from Amish country gave me a chance to get a few more rows done on Quinoa.  The next long car ride in my future isn't until June.  I hope it isn't that long until I touch this again.

I got a few rows done on the Brioche scarf.  This is another project that will probably be slow to finish.

I hope Spring is better where you are.  I think I'll go take a walk and enjoy the somewhat sunny afternoon that we have.

More Green and Some White Stuff

The Rhinebeck Raglan is finished.  The bottom was bound off on Good Friday.  I promptly put it on, snapped a picture and sent it off to my sisters and friend who were with me when this sweater was conceived.

After that photo op, it took a soak and then was blocked.

I wore it to work this past Friday and got several compliments on it.  One of my co-workers was fascinated with the colors.  He asked a lot of questions about how I got all the variation into it.  I explained the magic of hand-dyed yarn.  Even after knowing the secret he was very impressed with how it turned out.

There are a few things I learned from this.  

First lesson is to not only knit a gauge swatch, but also soak and block it.  I didn't do that last step.  The sweater grew a little with the blocking.  Not too much though, not that it matters anyway.  I was going for a big, comfy sweater.  That is exactly what I got.  In hindsight, I probably could have gotten away with knitting the Large size, instead of the XL, and still have been happy with the results.

Second, my arms are shorter than the average population.  I was once told by a yoga instructor that I have tiny, T-Rex arms.  The sleeves go past the tips of my fingers.  I only knit the sleeve to be 17 inches, instead of the 17 1/2 called for in the pattern.  I should have stopped at 15 inches.  But that would have been before all the decreases were complete.

Third, I could have adjusted the sleeve decreases to taper the arms a bit more.  This would have helped to accomplish shortening the sleeve and to make them not-so-wide at the cuff.

Fourth, I absolutely LOVE Briar Rose Fibers' Joyful.  It is so soft and snugly.  I want to knit another sweater in this yarn because it is so wonderful!!

And the last lesson, sometimes Mother Nature is on your side. I originally hoped to have this sweater finished by Christmas.  When that didn't happen, I was hoping I'd have it done mid-winter.  My knitting mojo lagged for a while, so I didn't progress as fast as I had hoped.  I resigned myself to having a sweater that might sit on the shelf for a few months until it can be worn.  But then Mother Nature intervened.  

Spring has been reluctant to show up.  Night time temps are still hitting the 20s F and daily highs are below average.  Rhinebeck just might get a few uses before it is too hot to wear.

Yesterday I participated in the annual Stitching Sisters quilting event.  Stitching Sisters is an organization that makes lap quilts for people going through outpatient chemotherapy at the OSU James Cancer Hospital.  They hold an annual Sew In to get many quilts made.  About 200 sewers participated.  There were also other people helping with ironing, sandwiching quilts, quilting and binding.   I was able to get one top done before lunch.

I have the blocks for a second top completed.  I just need to sew the pieces together and put on the borders.  It is also green.  

I think I'm in a very green phase right now.  I guess I'm just hoping that this will entice Spring to get here.