Well, I'm Back

I didn't really mean to not post for so long, but I got involved with finishing a couple of books that were coming due at the library, knitting away on a pair of socks, and trying to keep my mental health on keel. But I'm here now, so I'll give you a little peek from while I was gone.

Here we have an upset, scared, betrayed, and angry Miss Esmeralda at the vet's office. It only took three years, one new carrier, and an hour and a half of chasing her to make this appointment happen. But it did, and she was declared in perfect health - even good teeth! - and we came home where she hid for 2 complete days until we saw her again.

As I've mentioned, she is really afraid of everything. So any time before that we tried to get her to the vet's office, it was unsuccessful. I wasn't too worried, because she never goes outside, and she lives with two healthy cats. But we have been thinking of adding to the family, and we realized that there is no way that would happen if she wasn't up to date on her shots.

The whole thing was traumatic for both of us, and I felt so awful, betraying the trust she had finally given to me. Now we're back to baby steps, but I am glad to know she is as healthy as I suspected. And unless she suddenly shows signs of being sick, we don't need to repeat the experience any time soon.

I did finish the first sock of the yarn from the February installment of the Farmer's Daughter Fibers subscription, and I am well into the second. The yarn is a slightly brighter red than this photo shows, with the wine-colored mini, which is just a lovely combination.

I've also added to my Cozy Comfort Throw, but even though it is a good chunk of work, it looks nearly the same. I'll probably only start showing progress on this when there's a substantial amount to show, since it will take me a while, and moves along kind of slowly.

But I do like how it's turning out, and it's using up a lot of scraps, which is a good feeling.

So that's what has been happening around here. We had a nice Valentine's Day, going out to breakfast at one of our fave places, and had a yummy Chinese noodle dinner last night for the Lunar New Year. 

And of course I have spent A LOT of time watching the Olympics, as I'm sure a lot of you have. Not being athletic at all, I am constantly amazed at how accomplished the athletes are - even those who don't win a medal. Think of how good you have to be to simply make the team in the first place!

So now you know what I've been up to and how things are going. Time to hit "publish" on this, and get ready for a trip to the dermatologist. Since I had that basal cell carcinoma removed from my back this past August, I was supposed to return in 6 months instead of a year. Hopefully this time the appointment will be completely uneventful. 

I hope the rest of your day today and rest of the week go well. I'm hoping I'll be back again before another week goes by, but just in case, take care!

Olympic Efforts

I'm finally getting around to sharing two of my four (!?!) Olympic projects with you.  Our Internet connection at home has been wonky, so I uploaded photos before I left for work this morning, and am writing the post during my lunch hour at work.  So much for technology, huh?

Anyway, as I mentioned before, the Olympics really helped me get going on some knitting.  Between having a couple of hours on some days to sit and watch the events on TV, and sometimes more time on the weekends, and signing up for Kathy's dishcloth swap, I was knitting up a storm!

The funny thing is that I am 100% certain if I'd signed myself up for the Ravellenic Games, I wouldn't have finished anything.  As much as I love the idea of KAL, and have signed up for some in the past, it seems that the minute I do that, I no longer feel like knitting, or I suddenly have other commitments.  So though I was tempted this year, I didn't - and it really worked out.

I'll post about the dishcloths once I know my swap partner has opened the package (which was finally mailed yesterday).

Here are the more "major" projects I finished during the Olympics.  Something that still shocks the heck out of me, to be honest ...

First up: Four of my nieces really appreciate handknit items.  I decided to knit each of them and their husbands Christmas gifts (the same patterns, different colors).

Here is the first one.

Draped

Folded

Item:  Annie's Gold Medal Portfolio Scarf
Pattern:  Portfolio Scarf, by Erika Flory
Yarn:  Loop Studio, colorway Easel (most of a single skein)
Needles:  Size 7US
Modifications:  None
Notes:  I made this pattern for myself in a different colorway a little more than a year ago, and not only received lots of compliments on it, but found it to be a great pattern.  There's enough going on to keep it interesting, but once you get the hang of it and the rhythm, it goes really really quickly.  I would usually knit a section at a time while watching the Olympics.  The yarn is lovely in color, feel, and drape.  This is a pattern that I think would be good for a beginning knitter who wanted to learn some new techniques (increase, decrease, basic lace pattern).

One down, three to go (I've already started the next one)!

Next up, for the nieces' husbands, who are all getting a Turn a Square Hat.  (I have just realized that I never blogged the first one I finished a bit ago - so I'll have to get going on that.)  This is the second one, for my niece Elizabeth's husband, Greg.  One of the best things about this is that it was made using stash yarn.  Since the pattern doesn't use large amounts of either color, you can get more than one hat out of a skein.

Folded

 Blocking

From the top

Item:  Greg's Turn a Square Hat
Pattern:  Turn a Square Hat, by Jared Flood (a freebie)
Yarns:  Berocco Vintage, Sour Cherry colorway; madelinetosh Tosh DK, colorway Ink
Needles:  Size 6US, Size 7US
Modifications:  None
Notes:  I really enjoy this pattern, and have knit many of these hats over the years.  They are always well-received and worn by the recipients.  This is a pretty quick knit, and another pattern that would be a good confidence-builder for a new knitter.

I do have to say that my photos make the colors much brighter than they are in real life.  The blue is more of a medium navy, and the red is closer to burgundy.

I have one more of these to knit, so I'm well on my way with the guys' gifts.  :-)

I'm so glad that my knitting mojo returned.  I really do love to knit, and if I end up with nice gifts to boot, it's win-win!

Open Windows, Frustration, and Anniversary Giveaway

Well, I don't know how long it will last, but FINALLY the extreme heat and humidity have broken - so much so that *all* of the windows are open, and it's glorious!  Breathing is possible, you can walk around and not be soaked in sweat, and being outside is actually enjoyable.  I'm guessing it won't last too long, so I'm trying to soak in every second and really enjoy it.

I had a comp day that had to be taken before the 25th, so I took today as that day so I would have a long weekend.  One of the things I wanted to do was download and edit photos from my camera of the projects I finished during the Olympics (yes, that is plural - projects - it's like I don't even know who I am anymore!).  Downloading was no big deal, but editing got to be so frustrating, I just gave up for now.  My new laptop does not have Photoshop on it, and the program it has is beyond annoying.  I tried to download Photoshop a couple of weeks ago, but it didn't work.  I may ask The Tim to give it a shop, as he is much more tech-worthy than I am.  It shouldn't take more than 10 tries just to crop a photo.  Grr ...

So instead, I'm going to write this post.

Saturday, August 20 was the ten-year anniversary of this blog - 10 YEARS!  I was surprised, because though I knew I'd been doing it for a while, ten years seems like a loooonnnng time. :-)  I would have written this part of the post on Saturday, but I decided to wait until after I wrote about Sunday being the date of my father's 100th birthday - I wanted him to have a weekend post all his own. 

BUT - here we are today, and it's time to celebrate not just blogging here for 10 years, but having wonderful blog friends who actually read and comment.  It makes me so happy, and is often what makes me feel like I'm not all by myself all the time.  Granted, I would probably keep going even if no one bothered, because I enjoy writing and I enjoy being here.  But having all of you here with me, and getting to visit your blogs, is just something I enjoy more than I can say.  Thank you!

To celebrate, I've decided to do a giveaway.  The giveaway package will contain the following:

1. A knitting-related item.

2. A reading-related item.

3. A food-related item.

4. A Philadelphia-related item (please note: not a cheesesteak!)

5. A surprise.

and, if you have pets, please let me know how many and of what ilk, because if you do, there will also be:

 #6. A pet-related item(s).

Everyone has a chance to win here.  Any comment left on this post ONLY, between now and midnight EST this coming Saturday, August 27, 2016, will give the commenter an entry.   I'll choose a name at random, and announce the winner next Sunday, August 28, 2016.

Good luck, and thanks for sticking around - whether for all ten years, or just today!

Olympic Weekend

Well, I've been sucked in, as usual.  I always think that I probably won't watch much of the Olympics coverage, and then I think, "Well, let me see some of the Opening Ceremonies," then I'm in for the long haul. Sports I often either know nothing about or usually care about suddenly become very important to me.  

There are worse things I could do.  And I have to say that the Olympics are very beneficial to my knitting.  I haven't done much this summer at all, but last week I got back into some projects, and yesterday I pulled out a pattern and yarn I wanted to start for a Christmas gift.  Once I remembered how it worked (you really need to pay attention at the beginning, then you can pretty much do the rest with muscle memory), and tore out the first beginning version when it looked wonky, I was on my way.  As long as I don't need to pay close attention, Olympics and knitting make an excellent combo for me.

Of course, The Tim pays a bit of attention, but he's able to continue with his life better than I can.  He gets somewhat sucked in, as opposed to the vacuum whoosh that takes me.  He'll sit with me and listen to an audiobook while watching, and then pay more attention when something major is happening.  And the poor cats just avoid us altogether, due to increased animation and sometimes yelling on our (OK, mostly my) parts.  

Anyway, it's also been a good distraction for both of us, which is helpful.  And we actually have brief conversations beyond our usual summertime conversations, which generally consist of "Do you want something to drink" or "I'm going to bed now."  (Neither of us enjoys the heat and especially not the humidity, so we have little to say since it makes both of us crabby.)  

But I digress.  As I said, I started a project yesterday, and made a lot of progress between then and today.  Given that I am not the fastest knitter, this is major for me.

This is approximately 50% complete.  It's for my niece Annie for Christmas, and the pattern is the Portfolio Scarf by Erika Flory.  I made one for myself and I wear it a lot.  It's a pattern that, as I said above, is not difficult once you "get" it, but has enough interest, and is small enough that you don't get bored.

What about you?  Are you doing any Olympic knitting, or participating in the Ravellenic Games on Ravelry?  (Surely I'm not the only one ...)

Project Fail

Well, like so many other high hopes I have, that may be unrealistic, my project for the Ravellenic Games was a failure.

Remember this yarn, that was going to be a Caeles?

I did actually cast-on and get started during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies - I had already done my swatch the day before! - and things were going along pretty swimmingly.  I got a little bit beyond this point

when I ran into the type of directions that say, "Begin to decrease for the armholes, while also shaping neckline, decreasing 4 stitches every 8th row 6 times, and at the same time, begin neck shaping by knitting the first 10 stitches for 2 rows in stockinette stitch, and every 18th stitch on every 12th row in seed stitch, while also baking a cake and paying your bills, when not doing backbends."

OK, it didn't really say that, but at the point I was reading it, things sure sounded that way!  I realized I would need time to slowly read through the directions, perhaps make notes, and be sure I could actually read said notes, before going any farther.  The problem being, that the last couple of weeks turned out to be really hectic, and particularly busy at work.  I'd come home in the evening, and the last thing I would have been able to do was concentrate on the pattern directions.

So nothing else was accomplished.  I am disappointed, but not really upset, since I know that even though I'm putting it aside for a time out right now, I will go back to it.  I like the pattern and the yarn well enough that I don't want to NOT end up with a completed project!

I also realize that in the real world, I would not even make it to the Olympic trials, so it's not that I didn't win a medal, I didn't even go to London.  And that's fine, since it was more of a personal challenge than anything else.  I am willing to keep plugging along with my knitting, even if I am not patient enough in most other activities in my life.

I want to finish three other projects that are in different states of development before I even pick it up again.  And I've started to think about holiday gifts, even though I only have one project in mind that is a sure thing, and it's a quilting project.

Congratulations to those of you who accomplished your goals!  I hope you are feeling proud of yourselves.  I know that I'm impressed, truly.

So tonight, as I watch the Closing Ceremonies, I'll be sad that the Olympics are over, since I do enjoy them, but I'll also be enjoying watching those who were there celebrate just the fact that they made it in the first place, whether or not they are toting home medals.

(I probably won't be knitting though ...)

Furball Friday

Just in time before the closing ceremonies, I give you the results of the 

KITTY GAMES!!!**

Event:  Sleep Gymnastics

The following are all members of Team USA, who - for the first time in history -  not only swept the medals in this event, but are siblings!

BRONZE MEDAL

Name:  Milo (aka The Koodle)
Age:  4 months
Hometown:  Philadelphia, PA
Inspired by:  Doodle Dogs
Skill:  Single Upside Down Twist
Level of Difficulty:  6

Milo was awarded the Bronze Medal when the judges decided that the combination of his young age and willingness to be photographed on a contrasting pattern during this event made him worthy of a medal.

SILVER MEDAL

Name:  Jetsam
Age:  6 years
Hometown:  Philadelphia, PA
Inspired by:  Twizzlers
Skill:  Double Body Twist
Level of Difficulty:  8

Jetsam was given the Silver Medal when the judges were impressed by his ability to do a nearly full-body twist on a pad while almost matching the background, assuring that the position would still make him visible.

GOLD MEDAL

Name:  Pip
Age:  2 years
Hometown:  Philadelphia, PA
Inspired by:  Oscar Pistorius
Skill:  Double Twist with One-Legged Thrust
Level of Difficulty:  10

Pip managed to strike a unique pose, which also has an element of danger, since any sudden necessity to stand up could be difficult, as his only hind leg is twisted and straight up in the air.


Hope your weekend is free of any difficulty, with a perfect score!


**No way was I gonna use the "O" word, and be handed a Cease and Desist order from the USOC ...