Driving by

Hi.

Been knitting.

Been walking. Been taking trains and buses and airplanes.

Been doing some cooking of healthy things.

Been losing weight slowly.

Been going to museums and libraries.

Been doing family things, like nephew visits with auntie jpknits and cousin wedding-related events.

Been to the doctor, so will be continuing to walk and to cook healthy foods.

So that would be enough for a drive-by blog post.

Bought a car yesterday. A new car.
Feel a little guilty but not remorseful (as in buyer's remorse).
So I won't be taking the trains home late tonight. I'll be driving.

Going for a walk now, so I keep that in my day and keep up the progress on the measures-for-better-health front.

Way, way, way behind on my summer to summer tally

I post late, but the count is valid. Memorial Day to Memorial Day, pics linked as available:

Hats, 9 of them
Socks, one pair
Cardigan,one
Mittens, 2 pair
Neckwarmers, one and an ambiguous scarf/neckwarmer
Two shawls, if small
Scarves, 6 of them for gifts

And of course:
Dishcloths, 2

Kept one hat and the scarf/neckwarmer, as the yarn was a gift.
All the rest were gifts and, as such, moved on.
This is not bad.
In fact, this being the case, I'd almost wish the list were longer.

Gone fishing. Walking. Camping.

Two months? Really? I guess I really have been focusing.

The first month was just survival: head down, move forward. The second month included work on two massive projects for work, trying to maintain healthy schedules, getting in some family time, cleaning - and a whole lot more sleep, more walking, and even some actual cooking at home. This was part of the plan.

I liked June. July promises to be more of the same. I can deal with that.

Going to knitting camp, the alternate, plain old camping knitting camp.
I thought I'd make marshmallows for s'mores, but it may be too hot and humid for that.

Plan B, then. I'm not going to fret. That's not on my July plan.

Done and Done!

This was a good time to be knitting only one thing.

It was good to focus on the sock made to specs, a sock without a particular pattern. I learned I needed to write things down.

I've learned I can take photos on the phone on the train and post them - though not yet directly to the blog. That'll be next.

I'm sure I learned other things, but for right now I'll just be done.

Threes aren't always charming

Honestly I will have knit three socks in the end.

Twice round on the heel flap. Got to the turning and realized I'd done a slip knit slip across the flap, whereas the first was knit slip knit. Heel turning didn't look the same. I knew it was subtle and I knew it was under the heel. Still I ripped back.

Got through the second gusset and realized it was short. The heel flap was short, I'd picked up fewer stitches. It was more prononced than the aforementioned sins of the heel. Ripped back.

Almost done with the gusset. I hope to see my way cleanly through to the end. The intended wearer has a smaller foot than I, so that should go quickly. And I have already done the third major do and redo, way back at the multiple starts on the first sock.

My, but it's a good thing I am trying to focus on just one thing. I'd have a lot more trouble if I were juggling multiple knitting at the moment.

Sheesh.

Two Words

Heel Flap.

Grinning and Bearing, not grinning and baring

Thanks for the patience and the boost yesterday. Truly had at least a bit of intention to find some laugh in the morning, but it probably looked more like I was baring my teeth, growling like the bear I was pretty close to becoming.

Truth is days don't come apart just because ends come loose. People came together to get things done, I survived a student really melting down and turning somewhat feral. I got smacked down at a meeting and took it with grace, because it wasn't really about me. And when I missed the last train last night I was in such an improved spot that I decided I could roll with it. I got some things done in my office, have lovely clean spots in some of the tackier zones in there, and went home with the birds and the dawn's early train.

I'm happy to report that I made a proper omelette for my homecoming, seeing as I never quite have that time in most mornings. Washed a half week's worth of dishes, and tried to squeeze in a catnap. There's the silly that not enough sleep sets up. Woke up and knew I'd be late for my grade school gig. I volunteer but I really had this schedule worked out to avoid this kind of disappointment. Scurried to the train, called from the platform, and was advised to go home and sleep. Since the rest of the day won't permit it, I took the train the other way to work. Watch the silly turn smart.

I am still not expected at work, but I have completed the dicier part of any commute. I strolled into the nearby yarn shop for a needle replacement. Size was odd. So that will wait another errand, but I picked up a skein of yarn to taste when I'm done with the sock knitting. Stopped into posh sandwich shop and am having lunch At A Table. Definitely enjoying the escape. And so, So SO glad I got a grip yesterday.

After all, none of this is the stuff of drama. It's a lot easier to ease back in when you grin and bear it.

************

....do I lose points for sappiness and dorkery if I point out that just as I finished typing, Michael Buble started singing "No People Like Show People," right at the smile part....?

This Day Needs Frogging

Honestly. In the space of less than two hours ...

I have three usual transit options. They come in rapid fire succession compared to the times they get me to me destination. Still, it's usually a nice set of backup plans- miss the early one that gets me there plenty early, and I still have two more options that get me there later but still on time. Guess who missed what.

Mind you, I left pulled together, breakfasted, coffee from home, a host of props I was supposed to cart in today.

I've spilled coffee while standing at a park bench, checking to see how empty the cup was since I now had time to warrant a coffee shop refill and a little outlet mooching. Need I mention white socks, tan pants? Windblown, carrying enough stuff to outfit a thriftshop window.... I tried to play remote office in an effort to regroup and have found twenty-eleven things that are today's problems.

I passed a shop window, and instead of seeing a woman who could manage to look like A Professional, the woman looking back at mesas the Wreck of the Hesperus.

If you see a whacko with a picnic basket today, it's me. Don't poke the crazy.

Turns out I could post on the train.

Except that I can't post pictures.

Progress on the sock. Pics on Rav. Have taken to taking them on the phone while on the el - at times when there's not a crowd, of course.

I am more than half done with the second leg.

I can see the heel from here.

Someone on the train or the bus will see it soon enough.

Pictures aren't everything.

Here's the complex look of a SWATCH in a very busy colorway.

Here's the point where I describe the picture that wasn't taken of the cuff I frogged:

Pink column next to a mustard column next to a navy column....

You get the picture.

I stayed up late obsessing. Frogged, switched needles, and am now getting a spiral stripe.



Picture of me tired, and too stupid to have gone to bed when I've had a cold this week? Not worth the bandwidth on which it would be posted.

Happy to be Wrong

Finished dimensions 8" X 68"
One skein Interlacements Tiny Toes
Needles US 11
Pattern: One Row Lace Scarf

If It Looks Like A Duck

It looked too small. It knit really fast. I no sooner took this poor picture than I'd finished.



It is too small.
Short scarf. Too short.

You know the moral: If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, well .. it's clearly a duck wearing a really short scarf.

Man, did I want that off my to-do list. I'm not sure it will do.

But hey, it's knitting.

Seasons

This has been a snowy winter season, no question.
I've been absent here for a bit, but I've been taking care.
Took note of a rarity: the neglect of an asparagus fern yielded some fruit.



There have been a few more, interestingly enough.

Took care to focus on some simple things over the holiday season.




There was loss this winter - in my community at work and in my family. January involved a lot of work with my cousin as she packed up her mother's place. Also worked with my colleague's friends as they packed up her belongings. We helped dispatch a bunch of stuff (library donations and other things) in one day. It's been interesting for me to note how my family's processes have been very healing, sad to observe that the circle of close friends who mourn the loss of my colleague were still in a very raw state. Very difficult.

As for me, I've been trying to deal with some things simply. Just trying to get things done, things put away. I have added things from my aunt's home into mine, so I'm trying to move OUT some things at the same time. My work zone has been the recipient of a lot of donation.

Very little knitting. A neck warmer not worth a photo session, some mittens,


a gift that's in stealth mode still, and a no-thinking scarf underway.

Today there's more snow in the forecast. But it's just a little.
It's winter, and it will pass.

Three hats, two photos, one year nearly over

Finished the last two of the hats for my actors. Had a lot of Thanksgiving weekend hospital time to knit. One zipped away pre-photo.




Traveled for a family funeral and decided not to risk trying to finish that one on the plane (inox coated metal needles), so took this wool along. It was enough for a hat on nice pencilly bamboo needles.



Fall of 2009 has been hard work. Hasn't been well-suited to living aloud online. The year is nearly over. There are sunny mornings ahead.

AFK

Back in awhile.

Two more hats to go

I don't know when it was that I moved from figuring out that I would be the only one making these seven hats to the place where I decided I WOULD be the one to knit seven hats.





The stuff of stubbornness.

In memory of a good friend and colleague

Remember
by Christina Rosetti


Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

Because they shaved their heads

I'm making 7 camo hats.
Missed a photo of the 1st.
Took a photo of the next two.
These colors aren't perfectly true, as I had the desk lamp on in a fluorescent light filled room. Blech.

Keeping up

Things I can't keep up drift away. Things I won't keep up are sometimes lifestyle and sometimes casualties. Things I should keep up? Oy.

Mostly, I'm not keeping up.

Keeping up appearances --
I don't, much. Could improve, but the reasons would not be for sake of appearance.

Keeping up with work demands --
Sometimes I wonder who does, really. You get some things done, and you make progress on others. I got a couple things done today. That list should be longer.

Keeping up the home --
Yurgh. In one weekend, a weekend in which I was at work twice, I managed three loads of laundry, some desk and table clutter clearing, and a little food-prep for a week of packing along all my meals to work. Gah. Bah.

Keeping up with the Joneses --
More distant than the appearance issue, mostly.

Keep your chin up --
Trying to support others who are trying, trying to model the tactic myself.
Having a hard time.

I'm certainly not keeping up with the blogging. I manage only to peer at blogs and knitty and ravelry. I'm knitting a second of the pile of hats I really wanted to crank out.

And I'm not ready for my evening of work. I'm going to do that now. I just wanted to feel like I could use a few minutes of the week to keep up something purely for myself.

Someone else would probably opt for the pedicure.

Koi-nomah; or, Babbling about an Orange Scarf

Koi-nomah
Goofy name, but the name of the pattern (Multnomah) was a story that wasn't mine....


...and the yarn (Alchemy Bamboo, YES on clearance sale) colorway was named Kai's Goldfish ....


...and I kept wanting to call it Koi, not Kai, since, you know, well, goldfish and all...


...and you know, since I am clearly on a feather and fan knitting jag, this yarn looked appropriately very fish scaley in that pattern....


...so I give you Koi-nomah, but really, I just think of it as Julia's orange scarf...


because Julia hurt her foot, Julia likes orange, and I just thought she ought to have it.