Knitting News

Over the last five days, I've ZIPPED up a project. Okay, okay, admittedly nothing really gets done fast around here. (or nearly nothing) There are too many other things calling for attention, home, family, work... But every chance I got, I worked on this project. Last night (or should I say this morning, because it was after 1am) I finished.

After knitting all those Koolhaas hats, I was hoping my sister Lora wouldn't like that pattern and choose it for her birthday gift. WHEW! She didn't. She chose a pattern that I've been wanting to try, a stranded/two-color/fair isles pattern. This is a technic that I haven't done before so it would be a fun challenge.

I'm up for knitting challenges these days. LOL! You see, I have a "safety net"! If I fall (get stuck) there are wonderful experienced knitters around here that I can get to help me up again. Nothing is off limits. WAY cool.

So, on Friday I started in. Casting on and then stitching away... Here are the results of my "labors"...

(drum roll, please)

I am VERY pleased. The multi-colored yarn was a bit frustrating to work with because I had no control (NEED control. Have to have control! LOL!) over what was happening next. But... all in all, I'd do it over again in a snap. I love the colors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LORA!!!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forsythia and pup-pees ;)

Forsythia. Ohhh! I dream of forsythia, but alas, my three bushes are still twiggy looking with nary a sign of spring yellow. I keep looking. And over the last couple weeks I've had more opportunities to be out looking than usual.

Why? Well... long story, cut short. We lost our big lab pup, Buck, about a week after his 1st birthday. Some decided they needed him more than we did. *SIGH*

And three days later, after checking everywhere possible to find Buck, in a very impulsive moment, I bought this little guy to replace (ha! Not possible) him.

Meet Peanut. My reason for going OUT more often.

He was a mere 5 weeks old when we brought him home. Way too young. Tiny and trembly. Nearly 3 weeks later he's still tiny but the trembles have disappeared and he's grown a bit.

His mom is a Poodle and his dad is Poodle/Chihuahua. I met them both and the Poodle is definitely the dominant gene. HA! So, he's not going to be a shedder. Love that. And he will be a lap puppy, not a wanna-be like Buck. :)

I miss Buck. He was a fun and funny dog. Peanut is a totally new deal for us. We've always had big dogs. Never a "yapper".... But so far, so good. He's a little dolly. Kinda like "Betsy-Wetsy". LOL! Remember that doll? "Betsy-Wetsy, never dry..."

Guess I'd better take him back outside. Goody! Another chance for me to check on the forsythias.

Frog it!

No! I'm not cussing! LOL! Frogging is a term that we stitchers use. Rippit, rippit! So to frog it means that unstitching a project.

This afternoon I finished my last (OhPLEASE!) Koolhaas hat. Matthew's hat is the 5th of this pattern that I've done. Great pattern, not easy until the second or third go-round, but I figured it out. PICTURES!!!!

So, I finished and then turned to my next unfinished knitting project. A set of Sweetheart Mittens (ones pictured are not mine) that were to be a gift for Sid on Valentine's day.

My first stranded (two-color) project. A learning experience. They're cute, silly and fun. A mitten for her, a mitten for him and one with two cuffs and one big thumbless mitt to hold hands in... But today, as I tried to work my way up away from the cuff, suddenly it seemed really dumb. Why was I doing this project?

And in light of the last post, weeding out the stuff in my life to make living/working/being easier. I don't love this project. I want to knit sweaters!!! How come if I want to knit sweaters (I reallyREALLY need sweaters!), do I keep knitting hats and scarves and... ENOUGH!

Within less than 15 min. the hours of work/struggle put into those first two Sweetheart mittens disappeared and because to lovely little yarn "cakes", back in my yarn stash. OHYEAH!!!

I want to learn stranded knitting and I will. Probably the next new project will be stranded. (Yes, I have one in mind, but I'm not talkin' about it yet! LOL!) But, right now I have a sweater that I started years ago, a sweater that has been waiting and waiting. A sweater that is EASYbreezylemonSqueezy compared to most of what I've been knitting lately and THAT sweater is next.

ONWARD!

Working Women

(Consistancy?! HA! I started this blog with the idea that I would write everyday. And while it's not that things haven't been happening (stuff happens, folks!) and it's not that I'm out of thoughts and words begging to flow out my fingertips... NOT! )

Working women? Now, is that the ultimate oxymoron or what? LOL!

I have a question to pose. This is to the world in general but specifically to the working women. The women who do the 40+ hour weeks AND take care of their families, the meals, the laundry... AD NAUSEAM!

My question? HOW ON EARTH DO YOU DO IT!? How have you DONE it!? LOL! I'm not adjusting very quickly or well to this new life of mine and I find myself rather clueless as to survival methods.

~~Delegate (other people live in this house, too. Capable people.)
~~Simplify (GREAT idea. When should I do this?)
~~"Clear off the Plate" (another great idea. Not taking on anything unnecessary. Deleting the extras that aren't LOVED or absolutes. Have I heard this song before? LOL! More like lecture #468?)

I'm sure there is a lot more that would make life more doable. You probably know a few. :)

ANYWAY, my admiration for all working women has increased exponentially over the last few months. It continues to grow each day in the sunshine of a paycheck, the heat of the moment (or just the flat-out running!!!), the rain of learning experiences...Growing, growing, growing admiration. Now THAT is constant! LOL!

Onward!

Bungee Jumping in the Buff

I wrote all this last night but was falling asleep, literally, in the proof-reading stage. HA! I saved it to finish this morning.

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{{Shout out to Devan and Jason! I love the new hat, Jason! Can't wait to meet you, Devan}}

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Wicked title. LOL! I thought of it in the middle of the day. HA! It's perfect.

I was born a nudist. (don't be alarmed, everyone was.) However it became apparent, early on, that modesty was important for a great number of reasons. As I get older the list of reasons increases. LOL! But there was a time, a short period of time, when the conditions were perfect and skinny-dipping was the only way to bath. (long story, but I got to live a bit of what "homeless" is about) That didn't break my heart! I LOVED it! LOL! What freedom! It was fabulous!!!!!

HOWEVER, the nudity I'm talking about tonight isn't the physical kind. I'm talking about a level of vulnerability. About layin' it all out on the line. Not much, if anything, hidden from view. All is exposes. Nekkid. No cover-up, no pretend, no show, no games. All the cards on the table. Take it or leave it.

And the bungee jumping? Doesn't the very thought give your heart a lurch? It sure does mine. Talk about risk! Talk about trust! HolyGuacamole! To fall forward, head first... free fall... To FLYYYyy, trusting that that stuff tied onto your ankles WILL indeed stop your earth-bound decent before there's a SPLAT! Big feeling of risk! Fear, "what if...", adrenaline RUSH! But ohhhhhh! That feeling of flying! Wouldn't it be worth the risk?

And you probably have guessed that I'm not talking about the literal bungee jumping, either. You're SO good! LOL! You can read me! (I'm not sure *I* can do that from time to time!) I'm talking about taking the risk. Trusting that it's all going to be okay. It'll be great!! Trusting that it WILL be worth it.

Today I did a bungee-jump in the buff. :) I invited a new friend over to my home. My house is a mess, but I chose NOT to clean up before she arrived. I let it be. There is pet hair dancing around on the slightest breeze, skittering across the floor. And dirt and mud that the two and four legged creatures that live in this house tracked in. There are dishes that need washing, laundry to do, vaccuming... You get my drift. I sat down, picked up my knitting and waited.

I remember my childhood. Appearances and the keeping up of them were very important. We never left the house until we looked our best. Company wasn't invited over unless the house had been cleaned to the white glove level. And even if that meant staying up really late the night before. What would company think if they saw...? (we didn't have company much in my younger years)

What if this person sees my worst side? My real worst. Will she still like me? Or is she going to RUN? I'm not wanting, at this point in my life, to play games. I want her to like me, but not if the me she sees is just the gussy-upped, plastic perfect... Nope. This is how it is. About as bad as it gets. If she likes me after this... we've got a truer friendship.

And I took this risk. Bungee jumped an invite and did the free fall as she looked around. As I showed her my home, even the room-from-heck. The messiest room in the house. My "studio"... Good luck waking thru it! I was free falling as I opened that rooms door, throwing it back, fully open. She said, "Ohhhh, what a horrid mess! I wouldn't change it one bit." HA!

The outcome is worth the risk In the aftermath. I know that I can be really real with this friend, warts and all, and she'll still like me. No need to worry or fuss. Just fling open the door and say, "Come on it, my friend! It's so GOOD to see YOU!" I can relax, without worry. It's not my surroundings, my hair, my floors or ... none of that really matters. She like me as is.

Well worth the jump. Try it!! LOL!

Yes, I know. I'm nutz! ;) But I'm enjoying the ride!

Here's are a few snippets of my worst chaos. LOL! FREE FALLING! Bungee jumping again!

Exhausting and yet...

I love my job! I really do. And I love my clients. All of them. But...

There are days, like today, when things happen. Bad moods? I don't know. But today was great and fun and then... NOT! One person can make a huge difference in the dynamics of a group. All are affected. Makes me sad and yet I'm clueless as to the whys.

LOL! I want everything to be rosy and nice, doncha know!? Welcome to Life 101, Arline!

After it's all said and done, I love the people, don't like the actions/reactions.

Tomorrow will be a new day.

And!!!! I saw little daffodil shoots coming up today! OHYEAH!!!! We're gonna have DAFFYS pretty soon!

Hmmmm... I wonder how my little forsythia bushes are doing? Isn't yellow the most wonderful spring color? Yellow and then comes pink and.... Bring it on! I'm READY for spring!

You won't believe this but...

there really are times when I won't talk. There are times when I am incredibly silent. You don't believe me, do you? LOL!

Some how, some where in the last 51+ years of life, I picked up that there are times when it's better to keep your mouth shut. Now I'm not taking about propriety. LOL! Some how THAT all seems to have escaped me. LOL! No, I'm taking about confrontation. Either enduring it or initiating it.

I don't know why it is that this outspoken, modestly articulate, introspective woman picked up (AND KEPT, which is the bigger crime) that to keep the peace is more important than taking care of business by speaking up and dealing with it. Keep the peace at ALL costs.

Now, I suspect that you had no idea that this silent thing was possible. LOL! You probably know me as a strong-minded blabber mouth. But when it comes to matters between Sid (husband!) and I... well some how, some way, some where I learned to shuddup and go along. At least to his face. And it seems that I figured out the best way to keep my mouth shut. STUFF FOOD IN IT! ;)

So, here we are. Valentine's Day is our half-yeariversary. We've been married for 31.5 years and two days. ;) Good years. Good times. Not all a bed of roses, but not all thistles and thorns either.

And on this Valentine's Day, I think (HOPE!)I finally GOT it. I can not shut up and not deal with it. Shuttin' up triggers destructive behaviors, namely the insatiable urge to eatEAT E A T! The more the better, "full" is not possible.

The bottom line here is that if I don't talk it out (regardless to how uncomfortable it is for me to confront or be confronted), work it out... chances are really good that I'm going to eat over it. Insane. INSANE! Because, it is very apparent that the eating-over-it is likely to kill me. Ever heard of "digging her grave with a spoon"?

Now THAT is insane.

I've never considered myself to be suicidal. I've wanted to get the heck out of Dodge a few times, LOL!, but never once have I wanted to stop living. So, tell me, whyWHY is the possibility of confrontation or the need to confront SO repugnant that I will "dig my grave with a spoon" rather than just jump in there and DEAL with it?

Okay, okay. Enough. This is something that I need to do a long serious bout of introspective thunking (yes, I meant to spell it that way. Thunk, being a deeper level of thinking. ;) ) And, when I have thunked it all out, talked it over with a couple of my favorite sets of ears... (be grateful if you're not one of those. LOL!) MAYBE I'll have figured out a way to never be silent... LOL! Now, THAT could be a problem.

ROTFL!!!! (rolling on the floor laughing)

This picture was taken at our wedding, August 14, 1977 and see!!? My lips is flappin'! LOL!

ROAD TRIP!!

Have you ever woke up in the morning with no plans out of the ordinary and then...POOF!!! Switch-o-change-o! Big changes for the day.

So, here I am, in Caldwell, Idaho. I'm sitting in my parents' living room with my Dad's MacBook in my lap. (I'm a PC girl, so this is a bit of a stretch. LOL!)

Tomorrow I'll head back home but this has been a fun break from what's ordinary. An overnight trip. 3.5+ hours each way. A long enough drive to let my thoughts rattle around and at least start to fly in formation. ;)  

(above - a Christmas card photo that Daddy took of me when I was 4 years old. Loved the phone, even then. LOL!) 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!

Feeling down?

A few day's ago, my sister sent me this ...



That got you laughing, didn't it? SOOooo cute!

And this one...

http://www.typealyzer.com/

You put in the address of your favorite blog and it'll tell you what personality type the text represents. HA ! I shreaked when I put my blogs address in there. SPOOKY real. NOWAY! You have GOT to be kidding! Spot on!

HA!!!

I'm heading for bed early tonight. Seems like a really REALLY good idea!

Knitting Night

Weds. night is Knitting Night.

A dozen or more knitters from this valley gather at our local yarn shop to knit.

Tonight it occured to me that I don't go to knit. I go to be with those knitters. I love those gals. I laughed so hard this evening that my sides still hurt.

Wonderful discovery. I don't go there to get my knitting done.

It's a good thing I don't truly go for the purpose of knitting. By the time I get there on Wednesday night I'm usually pretty tired from the day. Add to the mix, the noise, fun and conversations... It's like one of the knitter's said tonight. I knit two and rip out three. I did try to night, but finally gave up and succumbed to the joy of the evening. LOL!

I can knit here at home, I can knit while waiting for a client or a kid, but my "Knitting Night" is for knitting my soul together with the souls of others. It's for inspiration, admiration, connection, communication, tale gathering and sharing... It's for laughs, affirmation, reinforcement, learning technics and learning how to live.

If I get a stitch in, here and there. Ones that don't need to be taken back out. I count those as the extras. Little stitches of those friends, memories of our Knitting Nights all stitched together a visable, tangible piece of work for me enjoy and remember... Sweet Stitches.








(Dove Chocolate? I want some!!!)

Loquacious

Isn't loquacious a lovely word. I've always liked how it rolls off the tongue and and there something about how much I could identify with it's meaning. ;)

Interestingly enough, tonight I'm feeling quite subdued. There are many thought rattling around in my head, to be sure, but none that are demanding to be spoken. Earlier in the day, maybe but now... all my head wants to do is find my buckwheat hull pillow.

Some things I'd like to write about later...

Why knit?
Why blog?
What word works better than "hobby"?
And really, how many directions can a human go at one time? Or in one day?

HA! But later! Not tonight.

Tonight, it's a picture of the first socks that I ever knitted. I'm wearing them right now but they're about to come off!


And a picture of the charts to the project I'm currently working on. "Kjaerestevotter - 3 votter for 4 hender" LOL! I have less than a week to get them done. YIKES! Pictures of my progress tomorrow night.



G'Nite! Sleep tight! Don't let the bedbugs bite. LOL!

Two B-day, LONG day

Two birthdays today. The mostMOST important...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to YOU!!!
HAPPY Birthday, dear Dea! (my sister)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
And many more,
Wish you lived next door... LOL!

(arline & dea, july 1, 2007)

And then there's our pup, who made it to his first birthday. Wonders never cease.

Yes, that's our 78# yellow lab pup, Buck, about 6' up in the plum tree. And yes, he got up there on his own. He likes climbing trees to chase the local cats and squirrels. Sometimes he has a hard time figuring out how to get back down. HA! But he always does.

Sid put a video of this adventure up on YouTube and someone scolded him for throwing a poor dog up in a tree, just to make a YouTube movie. LOL! Now THAT is crazy! Nope he's a climber. Does it on a daily basis. Will he live to see his 2nd birthday? It remains to be seen. ;)

Long day today. Started with the first appointment at 9am and finished with work at 8pm. Long day. I'm ready to call this one done.

Done! Stick a fork in it!

Starting a blog

Several times I've started blogging and basically ran out of steam before the first week was over. HA! Well, I'd like to commit to a once-a-day post. There are several reasons for this.

~ I'd like a place where I can rattle, ramble and share without fearing that I'm boring anyone. Those that stop by here to see & read will be here because they want to be. That seems merciful & kind. ;)

~ I'd like somewhere to be accountable for several things in my life. Not accountable to a given person or persons, but to the universe in general. Accountable to myself.

~ I'm looking for motivation to knit more, create more in whatever medium and take pictures. Doing and recording the creative process every day. My melancholy side needs this.

~ I'm wanting a place to capture my journeyings thru then next 50 years of my life. LOL! My work, my home, my family... Things that matter to me. What's going on, etc.

Those of you who choose to read and then come back again... bless you! May you find humor, inspiration and honesty.

So, here we go. Buckle up! We're in for a ride! WAHHHOOOOO!