The Haps in the Household

What is happening in your world?  Mine, not so much.  Mainly the Mr. and I have been involved in taking care of our wounded pet.  Wounded neither by man nor beast, but by her own exhuberance and increasing age.

Libby Sweetpea, therapy dog and healer of the mind, had a torn ACL.  At six years of age, this is not too uncommon.  She took a flying leap off the back step, as usual, but that one leap ten days ago left her in pain with the liklihood of permanent disability if she did not have surgery to repair the tear.

So she underwent a tightrope procedure and spent one night at the animal hospital.  She probably did not miss us near as much as we missed her.  This was her little shaved leg a few days ago; she was recuperating on the lap of the Mr.

This is how Libby's dad remembers what to do for her and when to do it.  I thought it was cute that he wrote it all out.  She does not mind doing her range of motion exercises too much, and just whimpers a bit when it hurts.

Libby this morning:

I am feeling much better, thank you.

This is a pair of Faceted Rib Socks in progress:

linking to Tami at Works in Progress Wednesday

Tomorrow I am heading out to Las Vegas to play in a Scrabble tournament at the Riviera Casino and Hotel. There will be 56 competitors.  Can you find me in this listing?  Please wish me lotsa luck!

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Take at look at 313 five letter J words here that I will be studying today to prepare for the tournament.

Nancy Pearl: Book Lust Rediscoveries

Nancy Pearl is a writer, a literary critic, a personage of the literati.  She is a regular commentator on NPR (Morning Edition).

And I write about her now because she has brought attention to books which are real finds, but are older and perhaps out of print.  Pearl has made a listing of  these books and calls it "Book Lust Rediscoveries."

Amazon says

Book Lust Rediscoveries is a series devoted to reprinting some of the best (and now out of print) novels originally published between 1960-2000. Each book is personally selected by Nancy Pearl and includes an introduction by her, as well as discussion questions for book groups and a list of recommended further reading.

If you are looking for a new read, Nancy Pearl might direct you to a treasure you have overlooked.

I first found her through the book The Last Night at the Ritz in an Amazon review capturing the essence of the story here:

Readers of Joanna Trollope or Anne Tyler may enjoy this intelligent, captivating, and not entirely trustworthy (unnamed) narrator. She invites three close friends to lunch with her at the Ritz Hotel, in Boston, for her birthday. Two of them are a long married couple she has known since college days. The third was once her lover. The lunch quickly takes an unexpected turn.

Check out her Book Lust Shop here.  She even has an action figure if you are a girl fan for Pearl.  And you can see and hear her on the Seattle cable channel 21 found here.

I am currently reading The Cowboy and the Cossack, another Pearl Book Lust Rediscovery.

So many books, so little time.

(Camilo Mori)

Linking up with Pamela at OurShelteringTree.

Leg Warmers to Crochet or Knit

Now that it is winter, maybe you need some leg warmers. Aren't these the cutest?

(photo courtesy of vanillabeanknits) on Flickr.

Here are crochet directions from the webpage: Legwear:

...leg warmers will be most appreciated in the dead of winter when temperatures plummet and winds wail, but be sure to have them crocheted and ready to wear.

Directions are given for size 9-11. You will need two 4 ounce, skeins of 4 ply yarn and sizes I and K crochet hooks.

Gauge: 3 hdc equal 1 inch

Starting at lower edge with smaller hook, ch 30, join with sl st to form ring, ch 2, do not turn.
Row 1: Sc in each ch, join with sl st in top of ch-2, ch 2, do not turn.
Rows 2 through 8: Repeat Row 1.
Row 9: With larger hook, ch 2, hdc in each sc across, join with sl st in top of ch-, ch 2, turn.
Repeat Row 9 to length desired, after last sl st, fasten off

And here is how you would knit these legwarmers: Measure your leg at the thickest part and determine your gauge according to the size yarn you are using. Two skeins of yarn should be adequate for two legwarmers.  Of course, larger needles will make the project go faster.  Marissa Huber on Flickr used Noro yarn.  Any self striping yarn would work well.

I didn't really use a pattern, I just used a little math and knit a 1 x 1 rib. I kept knitting until they were long enough to stretch up to my thighs if cold weather required. (Courtesy of VanillabeanKnits) 

Another Birthday

It is my personal (ah hem) opinion that anyone over 11 years should not "celebrate" birthdays with a party. Of course, there are exceptions.  A woman of a certain age can, however, enjoy good wishes sent by others.

And boy-oh-boy, did I love the cards and phone calls checking in.  Thank you friends and family, for the sweet remembrances.  Here are a couple of cards to bring out your smiles in this last week of January.

 (cause we cool chicks gotta stick together)

And one from my friend Sharon that said "I think of you...and give thanks"  Ephesians 1:16.  And one from SIL with a little buck toothed dog on it, just like our Libby Sweetpea!

Some pretty silk scarves my daughter sent me:

And a beautiful bouquet of flowers from SIL and brother:

Don't you love it when somebody makes you something?

A pin cushion with heart pins!! The poppy is felted and the leaves and poppies applied with hand stitching.  So sweet, thank you Natalie.

The Mr. cooked up some snow crab for dinner.  It was yummy. And so another year was added to the lifeline. Grateful.

"There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” ~ Ralph H. Blum

In Process

Linking to Tami (WIP) and to Our Sheltering Tree because in process today are...

• A Hospice visit with Libby to see a patient in a rehab hospital (Therapy Dogs International)
• Two Knitting Projects

• finishing up painting interior walls
• whipping up these delicious apple treats, from a Mennonite Girls recipe found here, along with their photograph
• sending off a book for a tweeners' birthday

Please leave your blog address and I will be sure to visit you to see what you are up to today!

Painting

It's been quiet here on the blog these past few days. Because it has been a record breaking cold spell. It is now -2 degrees F at 6 AM.

And because I've been knitting and reading and playing Scrabble online getting ready for a Scrabble tournament in Las Vegas next month.  

But mostly because the bathroom and entryways needed painting. That leaves little time for introspection.

So, I took up the cause and got busy with paint.  Here is the bordello red powder room that needed a face lift:

Using Behr's Indulgent Mocha with primer, it now looks lighter.

and a bit brighter

But wait.  There's more. 

This entry it is not yet finished.  It screamed for camera documentation. The door is going to be a bear to paint.

How many aspirin have disappeared during this exercise?  Quite a few.

A Knit in Memory of KnitPurlGurl

Podcaster, knitter, blogger, designer, wife and mother of two young children, Karrie Steinmetz died suddenly at the age of 38 in December, 2012. She called herself the Knit Purl Gurl.  I was her "follower" along with over 1200 others on Google.

Karrie was a talented young woman full of energy and ideas.  She was always willing to share and teach others as shown through her blog found here.  Her last post was about podcasting and giving tips to others who might be interested in creating their own podcast (Karrie's podcasts are archived here.)  And Karrie's knit pattern designs can be found here.

She was a real encourager.

Karrie started giving patterns away in what she called Random Acts of Patterns.  In October, she wrote:

I’ve declared that Tuesdays are for Random Acts of Patterns (or RAP). It’s the fibery equivalent to Random Acts of Kindness! Most of us have either randomly given or received patterns, so this is not my invention. However, I’d like to make it a movement and get more people involved! So on any random Tuesday that you feel inclined to and/or can afford to, consider randomly selecting a fellow Raveler and gifting him/her a pattern off of his/her queue. :) THEN - Come back here and tell us! I get so inspired by people who participate in RAK, or in this case, RAP, that I’d love to hear all about your generosity in this fab community! :) Of course, you don’t have to wait for a Tuesday. You can participate in a RAP at any time, but I thought Tuesdays could use a little jazzing up!  ALSO - if you’ve been the recipient of a RAP, please share too! We all need a little sunshine in our day!

One of her shawl designs was given to me in a RAP after her death.  And I sent it on to keep the RAP going.

This is "Crosswords at the Coffeeshop," a pattern she designed saying that

When I’m not knitting at the coffee shop, I’m working crossword puzzles. This is the perfect mashup of rugged and lacey. Intended to wear at the coffee shop, the shawlette is just perfect to keep the draft from the door from giving you a chill, while the shawl is a perfect wrap. It’s knit in an aran weight to provide that snuggly warmth. Inspired by crosswords, there are elements of boxes in the lace and even the short rows create squared tiers. Throw on a pair of fingerless mitts and enjoy a latte!

And for Finished Objects Friday and Fiber Arts Friday, here is my (Karrie's pattern) Crossword shawl.

Warm.  Thinking of Karrie and her family.

All pattern purchase proceeds go to her family.

Poppies and IA Challenge

Poppies are a favorite flower.

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Ivon Hitchens (British artist, 1893-1979) Flowers

According to this source the poppy means that...

The red petals stand for the vast outpouring of blood; the yellow and black center, the mud and desolation of all battlefields. The green of the stem is symbolic of the forests, meadows and fields where generations of Americans have perished to make this land free. The stem represents the courage and determination of our fallen warriors. The assembled product, a flower, is a symbol of resurrection, which is sure to follow.

In the book The Language of Flowers, poppy means consolation.

Darling earrings  source

A favorite blog read is BJWS; this paragraph is taken from her post found here about poppies.

In the World War I battlefields of Belgium, poppies grew wild amid the ravaged landscape. How could such a delicate flower grow bright and  wild surrounded by death and destruction? The overturned soils of battlefield enabled the poppy seeds to be covered, allowing them to thrive and to serve as a reminder of the bloodshed during that and future wars. The use of poppies as a remembrance for those who served in war was inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields" written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae of the WWI Canadian forces in 1915.

poppies on silk by McCarroll

Elsbeth Müller-Kaempff (German artist, 1869–1940) 

Poppies have been painted, photographed and written about since time immemorial.  Show us a picture or write about poppies and link back to Inspiration Avenue (IA). I will comment on every entry and will surely  enjoy each of your posts.  Here is a linky picture to use in your post if you would like to copy it.

Today is Epiphany

In Christianity, Epiphany refers to the moment that a person believes that Jesus is the son of God. To symbolize this, Western Christian churches generally celebrate Epiphany with the arrival of the three kings at the birthplace of Jesus 12 days after Christmas, or January 6 on the current calendar.

January 6 is also our wedding anniversary, another memorable personal event. This video was made three years ago by my husband for our 20th anniversary. It bears repeating.

Happy Anniversary, Gene.

January 2013

Welcome, 2013

Thank you to all the readers of this blog for the time you take to check in with the thoughts and images I have shared here in the past five years of blogging.  Thank you for the comments you have left and for the friendships that have been sparked through the sharing of ideas.  You are all a wonderful group of creative and talented internet friends.  And for you lurkers out there on the innerwebs, thank you, also for reading and visiting.

Pictures from Marjolein Bastin

May you all have a happy and prosperous 2013.  From St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Good Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Counting Down the 2012 Knits

Just because I was curious, I looked over on my Ravelry page to county the number of knitted projects I finished in 2012.  Drum roll, please....there were 27 garments.

Wowser Dowser, that was a heck of a lot of knitting in the past year.

Last project finished thus far were for a friend with arthritis, an avid gardener who supplied us with squash and tomatoes all summer.  We really enjoyed his produce.  Here is one of Mr. Gardener's ... actually Mr. Woods'...wristers:

Then the husband said his old ones were not as sturdy as the ones he was modeling, so he wanted a pair like Mr. Woods was given.  But he wanted a pair with the thumbs knitted for extra warmth, so I modified this pattern and should be through with another pair shortly.

Other modifications on the pattern: sport weight yarn was held double to achieve a more sturdy fabric.  The yard used was 90% alpaca from Lonesome Stone Fiber Mill in Granby, Colorado.  They have 70 alpacas they rear and shear and process wool for their family owned business.  This is a picture of their mill:

Lonesome Stone alpaca fibers can be accessed here if you want to purchase yarn directly from their mill.

And these are the wristers for the Mister, half way completed:

fofridays

Fiber Arts Friday

Participating in Finished Objects Friday and Fiber Arts Friday.  Look at others' projects by clicking on the highlighted links.
Update 12/29/12, a pair of wristers for the husband, with an attached thumb:

There is Nothing I Can Give You Which You Have Not

I salute you and there is nothing I can give which you have not, but there is much while I cannot give it, you may take it. No heaven can come to us unless we find it in our hearts today. So take heaven. No joy can come to us, unless it comes to us in this present moment. Take joy. No peace can come to us, unless we find it right now. Take peace. (Father Giovanni, 1513)

Franz Cižek (Austrian artist, 1865-1946) Santa with Toys 1910-20 

Merry Christmas!

Have a Defiant Christmas

Attributed to and contributed by John Shea, writer, storyteller and Catholic theologian, written in 2000:

Some Christmas I am going to send out a Christmas card that will look like this. On the cover there will be three images. The first image will be a star brightly shining but it will be surrounded by darkness. The second image will be an evergreen but it will be surrounded by trees without leaves. The third image will be the traditional one, it will be a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, but the child will be surrounded by a ramshackle stable. When you open the card, inside there will be in very bold print, "Have a Defiant Christmas!"

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The first image will be a star brightly shining but it will be surrounded by darkness. 

The second image will be an evergreen but it will be surrounded by trees without leaves.

The third image will be the traditional one, it will be a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, but the child will be surrounded by a ramshackle stable. 

When you open the card, inside there will be in very bold print, "Have a Defiant Christmas!"

Shea goes on to say that there is defiance in the light and darkness cannot overcome it.  About the lone tree with greenery when all other trees have no branches, he says the evergreens defy defoliage and give us a sense of life.  The baby in a ramshackle manger? Well, that is imagery for a child who was sheltered and given hospitality in a land and time when there was great rejection.

Shea's entire article can be accessed here where he talks more in depth about the imagery.

A defiant Christmas?  It's something to ponder.  Read others' Pauses in Advent here for more meditations during this Christmas season.  I'll be having a Defiant Christmas and hope you do as well.

Wrapping up the Project Week

Finished Objects on Friday, one knit and one painted.  Linking up with Tami at Finished Objects Friday.
And linking to Fiber Arts Friday.

Elowen Shawl pattern found here

purl bump pattern

The pattern gave me a bit of trouble at first.  But it ended up being a generous size (59" x 24") and the colors go well with denim and grey.

And then a completed silk painting that took the Frame Depot longer to matte and frame than it took me to paint.  But they did a great job after lots of discussion on how to stretch the fabric without tearing the edges.  The technique Mr. Framer used was called "sinked" as it was stretched over foam board with another layer of foam board cut around the stretched silk, then matted and glass covering it and a frame edging cut to size and attached. I could not get a straight picture with the matte looking other than whoppy-jawed, so just did a close up of the silk.

Matted and framed with non-glare glass; dimensions 39" x 31"

This will go over our fire place after Christmas.

Did you finish any projects this week?  One project we still need to complete today is cleaning off the gunk on the top of the ceiling fan blades.  Would Tami allow me to show a picture of the dust before I get up on the ladder to clean and then after?  Think not.  But go visit her blog to see others' finished objects on Friday. And be sure to look at Fiber Arts Friday where there is lots of alpaca going on.