Calling a Professional, Or Two

The house is nearly 22 years old.  Like us, it is starting to show its age.  We've replaced flooring in most rooms and have done general maintenance on a number of things.  Recently we noticed our kitchen faucet was dripping as well as our shower.  Having fixed dripping faucets/showers in the past we set about fixing these on Thursday, which happened to be the July 4th holiday here in the US.  Ed was tackling the shower while I was going to do the kitchen sink.  

About a month ago when we noticed the kitchen dripping, we called the manufacturer who sent out replacement parts for the lever handle.  They said we just needed to disassemble the handle and replace with the parts they provided.  I was sure I could do it since I had the schematic which supposedly showed all of the parts of the faucet.  I unscrewed the lever and took off the cover.  I immediately realized what I was looking at didn't match the schematic.  Our faucet had an interior cover which wasn't shown on the drawing.  The opening at the top of this covering had a piece that matched the next piece I was supposed to remove, but I needed to remove this other covering in order to release it.  I tried lifting it and it didn't budge.  I then tried twisting it, but then heard a little snap/pop.  I immediately worried I broke something important.  Since Ed was working on the shower upstairs, which didn't have a shut-off valve, the water to our entire house was off.  I didn't know if I did something bad, but my gut told me I did.

About this same time, I started hearing a good amount of swearing from upstairs.  Ed was having the same issue.  The housing around the shower dial cartridge wasn't releasing.  He tried turning it with some vice grips, but the entire housing turned.  I could see that he torqued the two pipes feeding from the water line into the housing.  

At this point we decided we needed to call in a professional.  He went downstairs to turn on the water.  That is when we realized the extent of the damage we did.  The kitchen sink now had a small, steady stream of water coming from the lever housing.  The shower was much worse.  Water was spraying inside the wall behind the housing.   We shut off the main water line to the house and hung our heads in defeat (Our defeat was not quite so passive.  There was a bit of swearing, mostly on Ed's part.)  Being a holiday, we knew we wouldn't be able to get someone out that day so we decided to make the best of it.

After the tempers cooled a bit, Ed commented that the house felt warm.  My first thought was that it was just his blood pressure, but I felt warm also.  The air conditioner was running, but the thermostat was showing that the house was 83 deg F.  I felt the air coming out of the register and realized it wasn't cold at all.  The AC  was broke and we were in the middle of a hot, humid 4th of July.

On Friday, we were able to get a plumber out to cap the shower.  This involved unloading my side of the closet and cutting a hole in the wall.  The plumber cut the pipes, removed the fittings with the frozen housing, and installed shut off valves.  Because the July 4th holiday fell on a Thursday, plumbers were only taking emergency calls on Friday, July 5.  Monday we will have another plumber come out to repair the pipes and housing. 

Fortunately, the kitchen sink did have shut-off valves so we were able to turn our water back on midday Friday.  Saturday we went to the hardware store and just bought an entire new kitchen faucet and replaced that ourselves.  A little money saved there at least.

Saturday morning the AC guy came by and pronounced the AC as dead.  He said would call around to see if he can get a replacement for us.  This time of year, with the excessive heat we've been having, it may take a few days.  We are now on Day 4 of no AC.

We are all getting a little tired of being hot and sweaty.  Showering doesn't help much.  As soon as you dry yourself off, you start to sweat again.  Even Squeaks is getting a bit annoyed with it.  She is spending her days napping.  Smart kitty!

We're making the best of it.  July 4th we went to the local fireworks display with Trisha, Craig and my brother Joe.

Blake was home on Friday so we spent the evening at a microbrewery enjoying a few cold, adult beverages.

It is now just Ed, Squeaks and me.  It is Sunday and my plans are just to relax, read and knit.

I finished another section (#11) of Papillon.

Paris by Day is coming along nicely. I love how the colors are pooling to create a striped effect.

I need to give my wrists a break now for a while.  Time to pull out my book.  I'm re-reading one of my all-time favorites:  Jane Eyre.  I first read it about 20 years ago.  Now that I'm older, and have raised a couple daughters, the book is more meaningful for me.  If you haven't read it, check it out from your local library and give it a read.  It is a classic with a timeless message.

Budget Issues

As you may know, I am an IT consultant currently working for the State of Ohio.  The Ohio fiscal year ends June 30.  Each year, my contract is renewed for the next 12 months.  The first year in this gig, I had a mandatory break in July until the purchase order was processed. Then the next 2 years I was allowed to work 'at risk' while waiting for the paperwork to catch up.  This year is back to the waiting at home mode.  The Ohio Legislature hasn't yet passed a budget, so all consultants were told to go home and wait until things are resolved.  I've heard it could be up to a month.  Financially it won't be fun, but it won't kill us.  To be honest, I'm not disappointed that I get to sleep in in the morning and play with Squeaks all day long.

Yesterday I decided to cast on a project that I've had in the queue for a couple years.  I know, I know.  I have a lot of WIPs.  I really don't need another.   But I have lately learned to schedule my knitting and have a plan for getting my primary projects done.  By following the schedule I'll make progress on this new project and the others in my active WIP pile.

So what is it I am starting?  It is Paris By Day by Baah Yarns.  It is an easy, chevron pattern made with three colors of their Dipped and Dabbled La Jolla yarn.  I'm starting with the yellow.  Then will probably do blue, then black.  The pattern says to knit until the colors run out.  I'm sure it's going to be a very long shawl.  

I've created a page to capture my progress on this project.  Check it out.

George Orwell Was Brilliant

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” 

Looking at my blog traffic statistics, I see that many of my visitors came via Ravelry.  Unfortunately, I don't agree with Ravelry's recent decision to stereotype a group of American people.  I find their decision hypocritical and bigoted.  Consequently I have made the decision to not participate in a community that bans someone for their personal beliefs.  The clincher was the word 'yet'.  Their public statement said they are not yet banning conservatives.  That tells me they are considering it in the future.  So if you are not an animal like them, you are not equal.   

As a result of my decision, I will likely not have as many people visit.  But that is OK.  This blog is for me anyway.  All visitors are welcomed.   Also, none of the links to my old Ravelry project pages will no longer work.  Sorry about that.  If you have a question about one of the projects, just post a comment and I'll reply when I can.

I am participating in the Papillon KAL at my LYS.  I have the first section finished.  The pattern is challenging.  It is certainly not TV knitting. 

I'm not sure I'm happy with my color choices.  It is pretty, but it is outside my typical color palette.  I'm trying not to pass judgment until it is finished.

I also have my Rhinebeck sweater started.  It is Hamilton by Josee Paquin.  I am using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Tweed in Papaya.  It is an easy knit so far.

The pattern is allowing me to use some of the fun stitch markers I bought last year at Stitches Midwest.

In a note about stitch markers, I found with Papillon that simple, round stitch markers worked best.  I first used some of my fun ones, but with the frequent turning of the row due to the short rows, they got tangled in my yarn too much.  I then switched to just the removable safety pin style.  Those also didn't work as smoothly as I liked.  The narrow end also tangled with the yarn.  That's when I switched to the simple circular markers.

In other news, my Marycrest cowl is on display at my LYS.  The shop owner has asked me to write the pattern.  I'm in the process of deciphering my notes and converting it into a workable pattern.  I haven't decided if I'll publish it yet.  My decision about Ravelry may impact that decision.  I'm in the process of looking for another venue for the pattern.  Stay tuned for further developments.

I Haven't Floated Away

It has been over a month since I last blogged.  I never mean to go that long between visits.  I guess I've been busy.  Or lazy.  The non-stop rain we've been having this year is certainly taking its toll on me.  I have no energy.  It feels like winter.  From a temperature perspective, I'm loving it.  We've been able to have the windows open when it's not raining.  Today is predicted to be a dry day.  I'll try to fit in a walk after I'm done with my tea.

Since my last installment, Ed, Trisha and I traveled up to Ann Arbor to visit Kristin and have her clean our teeth.  During my appointment I learned I have an extra tooth in my lower left jaw between the premolar and first molar.  This tooth is small and not fully formed.  This is funny to me because I have another tooth anomoly, which I've known about.  My upper right permanent incisor never formed.  The permanent canine grew into its spot and the baby tooth canine is still in my mouth.  This is all genetic because my mom had similar issues.

After travelling to Ann Arbor, we spent a quiet weekend at home over Memorial Day.   Sunday was Ed's birthday.  Squeaks loved playing in the gift bag, especially with the curly ribbons. 

I finished my green basic socks.  This was a long, drawn-out project for me.  They've been washed, blocked and added to my stockpile for cooler weather.

My next sock project is another basic sock using the Uneek self-striping sock yarn I bought on LYS Day.  I'm using the Flexi-flip needles I got in Pittsburgh.  At first these needles were a little difficult to work with, that is until I noticed that one end was pointier than the other.  Now that I have them figured out, I'm flying along.  I'm getting close to the heal.  I might do an afterthought heal.  I'll have to find a pattern to study to see if it would work.

As I mentioned earlier, we've had a lot of rain.  It's been damp and dreary most of the time.  But there has been rare occasions when the clouds break at the end of the day and we get a beautiful sunset.

The May installment of the Jimmy Bean's Sunshower Shawl came.  I promptly knit it. Having small monthly assignments are easy to do.  I'm considering scheduling my knitting this way so that I get things done in a reasonable timeframe.

My favorite LYS had a little contest recently.  If you purchased a skein of Manos del Uraguay Clara or Gloria to make a one-skein item and returned it to the shop by June 15, your item would be displayed to be voted on by shop patrons.  I decided to make a cowl, but one of my own design.

I began making a half circle, knitting flat until it reached about 24 inches across the top.

Squeaks helped by inspecting the yarn.

After I joined in the round, I changed the stitch pattern and flared the end so that it would wrap around the shoulders.

I am calling this pattern Marycrest, in honor of the street where I grew up.  If I get it written up, I may submit it to Ravelry.

The LYS also has a knit-along going for one of the patterns it featured on LYS Day:  Papillon.  I decided to join them the first night because the pattern was confusing.  Now that it has been explained, I'm moving along with it.

I'm not completely sure I'm happy with the colors I picked.  This is also Uneek yarn.  Don't get me wrong.  The skeins were beautiful.  I'm just not sure they are working together as I had hoped.  The picture above is a bit over-exposed but it does show that there isn't as much contrast as I had wanted.  I think I should have either done a black instead of the orange, or had picked a multi-colored skein that was more opposite the orange.  I'm trying not to pass judgment too much until I get it done.

It has been 3 months since we adopted Squeaks.  She's adapted very well.  Her favorite activities include spending time in the sunroom watching birds,

sleeping in the sunshine, 

enjoying a leisurely meal

and playing with my yarn.   This is the guilty scene I awoke to this morning.  The skein she chose to destroy was the yarn I used to make her cat toy.  The toy has disappeared.  She must be trying to tell me to make another.  If I can get it untangled, I'll knit one for her.

It looks like the sun is trying to come out now.  I think I'll change clothes and go for a walk.  I need some vitamin D.