Solitary Knitting

Simple Joys
Patons Grace
Aquifer

I love Hubby and the boys to distractions, but, I am so, so happy to finally have the apartment to myself.  T1 is home from NJ, so he and T2 took my mom out shopping today.   Hubby is at work.   This is the first time I have had the apartment to myself since before T1 went away (six weeks!).

What have I been doing with my alone time?   I slept in, read for a while and enjoyed a quiet cup of coffee on the patio.   Then, I knit.   Then, I took pictures of my knitting.   Now, I am writing about my knitting.   Once done here, I am going to go eat fish tacos (that only I like) and very possibly read about knitting while doing so.   Yes, folks, this is the perfect day.

Now, prepare yourself for an Andy Rooney moment.   Do you know what I hate?    Well, nothing really, but I do seriously dislike not being able to find something that I know I have.    During the photo portion of my lovely day, I wanted to pin out and photograph my in progress Simply Exquisite Shawl (thinking of changing that to the Phoenix Shawl since it rose out of the ashes) but couldn't find my blocking pins anywhere.  I know I have them.  I used them the two times I pinned and photographed this same shawl (I am actually working on three samples but am only photographing one for the pattern).   In an effort not to let this glitch derail my day, I used embroidery needles to pin it, but I really am going to have to find those pins.

What you see here is my Simple Joys shawl.   This will be my sample.   The one I wear out to be seen. I know it does not look all that impressive but it is early days yet.    I love Patons Grace.   It is awfully nice for a not high end yarn.   The mercerized cotton washes and wears well and some of the colors are really outstanding.   It really is perfect for Florida summer knitting.

Ooops

"Are you sure?" asked the nice man at the Sprint store.   I then proceeded to assure him that I was absolutely, positively certain that I had done a recent back up of my iPhone and yes, he really could reset it to factory settings in order to complete T2's upgrade (I gave him my upgrade since I took his a couple of months ago).   Turns out that I had not done a back up EVER which means that I lost all of the photos on my phone, including those destined for the blog.   OOPS

Contrary to the lack of photographic evidence, there has been quite a bit going on at Chez Serenity.   We are in the process of getting back into our home.   The construction, painting, carpets, etc. are done.   It looks wonderful.   Tomorrow the appliances arrive.   The furniture is due a the beginning of August and we are planning to buy beds this weekend.    If everything goes according to plan, we should be in by the second week of August.

Things are moving along on the knitting front too.   Test knitting of the new shawl is going well, and I replacement samples of the Simple Comfort Wrap and Simple Joys Shawl are looking good.   I've been so busy at the house that I have not gotten new pics of them but I will try to remember to get that done soon.

Home is where we are

Wednesday, Hubby, T2, and I moved into the apartment our insurance company found for us.   Thursday T2 and I picked up Jack (the dog).  Friday T1 came home.    It is wonderful having us all under the same roof again.

The apartment is very nice (think high end hotel grade).  It is furnished, has a pool, and is very close to home and friends.   It isn't our house, but it is already becoming home.   We have all been having trouble sleeping, hopefully that will get better here.

There were a lot of faux plants when we got there.  All of which are now in the top kitchen cabinets (the ones I can't reach).   We were able to rescue a few of our house plants and now those are scattered around the apartment.

I've been knitting a couple of things.   Hubby's other sock for one and my "sticky" knitting.  I finished the black Simple Joys Shawl and a dishcloth but have yet to get  back to the Linen Tunic.   I've also started and discarded two mandala place mats.   That idea my not actually happen.   I love the yarns (Paton's Grace and Cotton Classic)  and the pattern is pretty straight forward.   Although pretty, both seem too thin for placemats.   I am considering Sugar & Cream but may let the idea simmer for a bit.   I can't keep buying yarn and not using it.   One, we can't afford it and two, it does not hold with my plan to be more purposeful about my yarn purchases.

Spinning my wheel...

As you can see, my spinning wheel survived the fire.   One of the contractors was kind enough to give me a mild cleaner and towels so that I could clean it myself, which I did this afternoon.    I need to order some oil and then I will be able to give it a whorl.

In the mean time, we are this close to being in a lovely apartment.   We toured the facility on Friday and really liked what we saw.   The unit is being cleaned today and we will be able to see that tonight or tomorrow.   Then, according to my housing angel at the insurance company, all we need to do is sign the contracts and we are good to go.   Our hosts have been wonderful but we are really anxious to be in our own space and to bring Jack home (he is driving his hosts crazy).

The adjuster tasked with valuing my yarn came on Saturday.   He is writing off the whole stash.   Just watching him inventory my stash was so sad that I had to leave the house (breathing wise I am not supposed to be there anyway).   The good news is that he and the cleaners think that my napping projects might be salvageable.   Almost all of them are in sealed ziplock bags.   There are at least two Koigu projects in there.    Since that is the commercial yarn that it hurts the most to lose, I would be grateful to have a couple of things to work on while I think about how I want to handle my yarn buying from here on out.

Knitting time has been slim.    Hubby's completed sock came through it's cleaning good enough (just a bit fuzzy) so I feel comfortable working on the second one.   My black Simple Joys Shawl is only slightly smelly.   I was already two thirds of the way into the seed stitch edge so I decided to go ahead and cast off.   At that point I can soak and wash it.  That has worked pretty well so far.   The Ridgely was in a ziplock at the bottom of a tote that was right by an open window.   The bag was sooty but the Ridgely looks and smells undamaged.   I have put that into a new bag and will start working on it again as soon as my brain feels less fried.

What's on your needles?

Chez Serenity
16May13

NE Florida has really woken up.   The weather has been so nice that outside knitting has once again become a daily joy.

Ridgely has been on hold for the last week.  While knitting with the girls last Thursday, I put it down on the table, leaned on it funny (or not so funny) and snapped the needles right in half.   New tips were ordered from KnitPicks and I am expecting them any day now.

In the meantime, I have been working on my blue Euroflax Linen Tunic.   The back is finished, which leaves just the front shoulders to do.   For the most part I am very much a process knitter but in this case I am really anxious to wear this project.   I can see it now over my black jersey capris.

Also getting a lot of attention is my black Comfy Fingering Simple Joys Shawl.   I am still working on the seed stitch edging.   This is another project that I am as anxious to wear as I am to knit.

So, tell me, what's on your needles?

Tangled webs

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again  and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein

Much has been written about the lies we knitters tell ourselves.  Still, like the insane in Dr. Einstein's quote, we continue to do it again and again, always hoping that this time it will be different.   At least I am in good company.

The last couple of weeks have been physically and emotionally trying.   Comfort knitting has been the order of the day.  With that in mind, I have been working on my black, Comfy fingering weight, Simple Joys Shawl.   Once done with the body, I was not much in the mood for ruffles so I decided to go with a seed-stitch border instead.   Sounds simple, right?    Well, it started out that way.  Then about six rows into it, I noticed that the stitches were not lining up correctly.  A couple of rows back, I had knit where I should have purled (or vice versa), thus messing up the stitch pattern (Damn!).  

I decided then and there that it would not bother me.  I would just continue on in the new pattern.   The shawl is for me and is meant as a casual thing to wear with jeans and/or yoga pants.   Totally, not worth the trouble of ripping back two long stitch rows.   That is what I kept telling myself while working two more rows.   I got only that far before, admitting the truth.  Not only did it show but it was bugging the heck (?) out of me.

In the end, rather than ripping back two rows, I ended up ripping back four and half row (lost track of  the error so ripped back an extra row just to be sure).   As you can see, all is as it should be now;  but I am frustrated by how much angst I could have saved myself if I had just admitted that I was not going to be happy until those rows were ripped out and stitch order restored.   

I'd love to say that I will never do this again, but I know I will.  Just call me crazy.

Knitters are an odd lot

Well, we survived the deposition.   T1's that is.   We got so lost in downtown Jax (Dear heaven, can I go back to NYC now?) that we were too late to observe the plaintiff's.   Then it turned out that the address in the letter was wrong.    The really frustrating piece is that the correct location is in one of the few places in town that we know how to get to (grrr).   So, the deposition is over and, according to our attorney, T1 did very well (I knew he would).    Next up is mediation, scheduled for May.   The saga continues.

Last night, firmly entrenched in freak out mode, I did what any self-respecting knitter would do.   I obsessed over focused on what knitting to bring.   While Mr.Google had much to say on the related topics of "What should I wear to my deposition?" (business casual), and "What should I say at my deposition?" (The absolute truth without elaboration), nothing came up when asked "What should I knit at my son's deposition?" (go figure).   With no guidance, and me stressing to the max, I had to make this important decision all on my own.

Should I bring the ever-nearing completion Simple Comforts Wrap?   No, not only would it require a tote bag sized handbag, but with only five inches left to go, I would likely end up, at some point, with nothing to knit (horrors!).   The fingering weight Simple Joys Shawl?   No, it would require a book on tape (or TV, or a movie, or conversation) to keep me engaged and Mr. Google suggests not bringing electronics or chatting anyone up.   Finally I decided on a three-fold strategy of socks, needlepoint and (gasp!) a "real" book.  

In the end, I had very little time on my own.   I worked on Hubby's sock at lunch and my needlepoint while T1 was being deposed.   I never even took the book out of my bag (which means I carried around the heaviest thing in my bag, all day, for nothing.).   I really do love my Kindle.

Knitting Soothes ...

Simple Joys Shawl

 Comfy Fingering Yarn

My current "Sunday" knitting project is this black triangle shawl.   The fingering weight yarn and the fact that I only work on it one day a week makes it pretty slow going but I am pleased with it all the same.

Last Sunday I arrived at church looking forward to hearing this week's speaker give a talk on "Sustainable Change".    What I was not prepared for, however, was how much our guest speaker resembles the ex-husband.    Now, I have long since learned to manage the trauma of my first marriage (thank heavens for a strong support system and lots of therapy).    The nightmares and panic attacks are, mostly, a thing of the past.   But, for whatever reason, this guy threw me for a loop.   My head and heart started to pound and I could not breath well enough to sing.    I was going to step outside but my legs were shaky.   Then I hit on an idea I read about in Priscilla Warner's "Learning to Breath".    I closed my eyes and focused on the parts to of me that were literally grounded.    I could feel my bottom on my seat and my feet on the ground.  The shaking stopped and the pounding receded    Then, I added my own twist and started knitting with my eyes closed which requires feeling each stitch (usually a cool party trick but now a practical skill).  The pounding stopped completely and I could take slow deep breaths.    I tried opening my eyes but as soon as I looked at that poor man at the podium, the whole thing started again.   In the end, I spent the entire talk with my eyes shut and my hands busy.   It really worked for me.

Inspire me,,,

Lite Wt. Simple Joys Scarf/Shawl

Today, I started my day with an hour of yoga.   Why did I ever stop doing this?   I feel so much better able to cope with the vicissitudes of life today.   Coincidence?    OMG, I hope not.   Next on my "pull myself together" agenda?   Meditation.   I have tried meditation before with limited success.   Look the term "monkey mind" up and you may just see my picture.    However, I am reading Priscilla Warner's "Learning to Breath" and feeling inspired to give it another go.   If she can do it, certainly I can.

Do you follow Cosmicpluto Knits?   I do.   A few weeks ago she posted about a simple black scarf she knit for herself.    I knew then and there that, this would be my January knit.  I know quite a few crafters who craft mostly for sale, publication, and/or gifts during the rest of the year, but, come January, they make a point of making something for themselves.    I have done this myself in years past and have decided to do so again this year.  I am using my own Simple Joys pattern and  KnitPicks' Comfy Fingering Yarn to make my shawl.  In addition to having a snuggly feel and a reasonable price, the light weight and mostly cotton content of Comfy make it a perfect Florida yarn.     Once finished, I will add what few changes there are to the bottom of my Simple Joys pattern.    Those changes should be minor since the only differences are the weight of the yarn and the seed stitch border.