Felt Like Knitting

Radio homemakers

I recently saw Fanni Flagg's book Standing in the Rainbow at the library.  I had read two of her other books and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I thought I'd pick this one up.  Chapter Two is called Neighbor Dorothy and this got my attention:

"In the late 1920s and early 1930s, as more and more electric lines were strung down county roads to the farmhouses, the long, lonely days of isolated farmwives living far away from their nearest neighbors were suddenly filled with warm and friendly voices.  They were the voices of other women coming into their homes via the radio.  As early as 1924, women all over the Midwest known as 'radio homemakers' began broadcasting, supplying the wives with new recipes, tips for raising children, household hints, gardening advice, local news, and entertainment, but most important, a daily visit from a friend."

It hit me that knit bloggers are the radio homemakers of today.  We share patterns and recipes, share knitting advice (or in my case, ask for it), and show pictures of our gardens.  In the story, when "Neighbor Dorothy" recommends a new book she has read, it starts selling better than ever because so many people listen to her and buy the book.  Doesn't that sound like what's happening with Mason-Dixon Knitting and dishcloth cotton?

But as the quote says, the most important part of knit blogging is the "daily visit from a friend."  Each knit blogger is a real person with real families, real problems, real joys.  I think about my blog friends each day and look forward to hearing what they have to say.  Will Kate's dog get into more of her yarn?  What funny thing will Annie say tonight?  What delicious things are Caitlyn, Geraldine, and Katie cooking today?  Is the hurricane going to hit Christy or Patricia?  Did Patti decide to lengthen the straps on her cami?  And so on... Even if I haven't mentioned someone here, for each blog I read, I wonder what the person is up to and how they are doing. 

I can't imagine how isolated a farm wife would have felt, but I can imagine how isolated an obsessed knitter feels.  :)  Like the radio broadcasts of the past, blogging helps keep us all connected.  I'll sign off the way "Neighbor Dorothy" does in the book:  This is Beth, from my house to yours, saying have a good day.

Odds and ends

I feel kind of disjointed this evening - like I have too many thoughts flying around in my head.  I also feel a little tense, but I think some knitting will take care of that.

Yesterday's guitar playing went okay.  I still get a little nervous and that makes me goof up sometimes.  We started I Saw the Light with the congregation clapping and I couldn't hear myself very well.  I recovered okay and I hope nobody else heard the sloppy notes.  Pastor Scott came back to give the congregation an update on the mission church.  That was really nice. 

This morning, E came into our room saying she had a bloody nose.  It's probably only the 4th one she's had in her life and I didn't think much about it.  Until I turned on the light, that is!  It was the most severe nose bleed I have ever seen.  I won't go into gross details, but I was tempted to call 911.  We were able to get an early doctor's appointment.  It was a good thing we went in because it turns out she has a sinus infection now.  Her nose bled a few more times today.  Poor kid.

And poor me.  (Yes, I'm whining now.)  I was trying to take care of E, get ready for my classes, answer her questions about her homework, yada, yada, yada.  I did finally get everything prepared for school, but I don't know what I'm wearing yet.  That's always one of the hardest parts!

So tonight I thought I'd wind some of the yarn for the Central Park Hoodie.  After looking at it, I'm not wild about the dye job.  The colors are very uneven.  There seem to be spots where there is no dye at all.  And the difference between hanks is greater than I'd like.  I took a picture so  you can tell me what you think.  The color isn't showing up like it really is, so I'll take another tomorrow in the daylight.  But you may be able to see what I'm talking about.  What do you think?

I'm still very behind in my e-mails and blog reading.  I hope to answer more of my e-mail tomorrow afternoon.  I hope you all have a great Tuesday tomorrow!

More neutrals

I was wrong!  There is some neutral knitting going on for Project Spectrum!  Last night I finished the hat on which I was working, so I started another one today.  (I usually keep a hat in the car to work on when I have to wait somewhere.)  As I looked through the yarn I want to use up, I saw some black and gray yarn.  Most of the charity hats I've knit so far have been "girly" so I figured a boy hat was in order.  As I knitted, it dawned on me that it was definitely a Project Spectrum hat.   (Hmmm...it also just dawned on me that if I had knit one row of stockinette in black, I could have avoided that color change row showing on the front.  Drat!  In the back of my mind, I knew there was a way I could avoid that.  I just didn't bother thinking hard enough.  The next hat will be better.)

I found the greatest thing for my teaching - my textbook is on CD.  So I can read the book and make my lesson plans.  Then before the lesson I can listen to the CD (and knit at the same time).  I did that tonight and I'm already feeling much better about starting the class on Tuesday.  Now if only the Botany textbook was on CD...

Thanks for all of your supportive comments and e-mails about teaching!  You encourage me and I appreciate it!

Is that the wind?

No, it's just me breathing a sigh of relief because I made it through the first day of school.  It was a busy day (half day, really) because I substituted in two math classes along with my two science classes.  Each half hour mini-class went well and it will be a good year.  E didn't make it because she isn't feeling well.  S was able to stay home with her long enough for me to do most of what I needed to do.

I feel rather disconnected from all my blog friends!  I have lots of e-mail and blog comments to catch up on this weekend!  And I felt disconnected from my knitting until I picked it up again this afternoon after class.  After knitting on my Ribby Shell for a few minutes, I picked up a charity hat.  I haven't been doing enough of that lately.  (More on that in a later post.)

In my last post, I said I'd be talking about something really important in my life.  I mentioned that this is one of my favorite things (aside from God and my family).  I count my dog, Phoebe, as part of my family, so it's not her. 

I'm talking about my electric guitar.  I love playing it!  (There is another guitar in my life - a Takamine acoustic.  The Takamine doesn't get played as often because I use the electric guitar for the band I'm in.)  S plays drums and I play guitar for our church's contemporary worship band.

The members of the band are all good friends.  We tease each other, trade jokes, I pretend to be a rock star - it's just a lot of fun.  I have a Digitech effects pedal so I can get lots of different sounds from my guitar.  That's fun, too.

But the reason I most love playing my guitar isn't about me at all.  It's about God.  The Bible says in Psalms 66:1 "Make a joyful noise unto God, all the earth."  Playing the guitar is a chance to praise God.  God has given us each gifts that we are to use (Romans 12).  Playing the guitar is a chance to honor God by using a gift He has given me.

I wish you all lived nearby and could join us on Sunday.  Our church (Cross of Life in Roswell at 10:30AM) is having its yearly Rally Day celebration and we'll be playing some old Gospel songs like I Saw the Light and I'll Fly Away.

I guess this ends Project Spectrum for me.  I started out strong, but didn't finish that way.  Participating in Project Spectrum has caused me to notice and appreciate colors and to use different ones than I would usually choose.  I guess that's what it was all about!

Malabrigo swatch

I've been wanting to post, but haven't had any well-formulated thoughts to put down.  Not posting is starting to get on my nerves a bit, so I'll share a mug shot of the swatch I knit from Malabrigo.  It was going to be for Sienna, but will now be for Central Park.  (The yarn for the CPH is different colorway, but the same yarn.)

                                                

Ooo boy, that's an exciting picture, isn't it?!  Once again, I'm having gauge issues.  I'm going for 18st/4" and this was 17.5st/4" before washing.  After washing, it's 16.5-17st/4".  The dimensions of the sweater are a little snugger than I'd like, so I think I'll be okay.  Right now I don't have the gumption to calculate the actual size it will end up.  The KAL doesn't start until September anyway.

Why am I in this funk?  School starts on Friday.  I have 20 - 25 minutes with my students and their parents.  I feel like I should tell them important things like the class rules, grading system, etc. but I also want to do a science activity and get to know the kids.  So deciding what to do and preparing for it is making me frazzled.  It really shouldn't, but it is.

Okay, this is a knitting blog....I did some knitting on the Ribby Shell last night.  I still have 3.5 inches to go until the armhole shaping.  So right now it would make a fine midriff-baring tube top.  Not quite my style, so I'll keep knitting.

I think my next post is going to be a Project Spectrum post about something neutral/black/white.  This post will be about one of my favorite things - one of the most important things in my life (besides God and my family).  Any guesses?

Yarn prize!

There was something special in my mailbox today...a yarn prize from Christy since I made the 400th comment on her blog!  I am now the proud owner of a skein of Opal sock yarn!  I've seen bloggers write about Opal, but I've never knit with it.  I'm really looking forward to trying this great yarn.

But the package contained more than yarn.  There were also some beautiful stitch markers, handmade by Christy!  They came in a cute little bag.  Be sure to click on the picture so you can see the stitch markers up close.  They're so pretty!   

                                             

Thank you very much, Christy!  I love the yarn, the stitch markers, and the nice card.  What a great surprise to win a contest!

By the way, Christy is a busy lady!  She is hosting the Hurricane Sock Party, a swap for sock knitters in the hurricane region.  I didn't join that swap, but I am signed up for the Central Park Hoodie Knitalong that she's hosting.  This KAL starts in September, so you still have time to buy the latest Knitscene magazine and pick up some yarn if you would like to join. 

When I first saw this sweater, I asked E if she would like it.  Nope.  So I decided I'd just make it for myself, but change the hood to a collar.  Then I started to recall how my neck gets very chilly in the winter while I'm on the computer.  (Everyone else in the house is warm when I'm freezing.)  I think I'll knit the hood and just wear it up while I'm in the house.  I'm not brave enough to look like an elf in public!  Do you think there is an age limit to wearing a hoodie?

I had planned to knit the Sienna Cardigan from the fall 2006 Interweave Knits, but I looked more closely at it and decided it may not work with my current body type.  The ribs at the bottom make the model look bigger in an area that's already plenty big on me.  And I would rather have a different type of knitting at the buttons.  I'm not experienced enough yet to change the band, so I'll have to wait.  I love this sweater, especially the collar, and do plan to knit it someday.  I had already purchased the yarn for it already, so I'm looking forward to knitting it.  (Just in case you are noticing that the hoodie has ribs in the same place, I don't mind them on it.  It doesn't button, so the ribs won't be pulled across my stomach.  I think the cardigan looks great buttoned, so the ribs would be more prominent.)

Have I been knitting?  Yes, but not a lot.  When I have a chance, I've been knitting on my Ribby Shell.  I'm only about 4.5 inches away from being able to start shaping the armholes.  And I was so pleased with myself!  I discovered that I had purled three stitches in the wrong spot for three rows.  I whipped out my crochet hook, pulled out those stitches, and put them back as knit stitches.  It made me happy to remember how to fix my mistake and to be able to correct it confidently.  (I know, it sometimes only takes little things to make me happy!)  I'll show a picture when it's more than just a ribbed tube.

Please forgive the length of this post.  My family has a curse - we include way too many details in our stories.  I haven't been spared and do the same thing.  Sorry!

A watched iPod never charges...and other things I've learned

Just like the legendary pot that won't boil, my new iPod seems to take forever to charge.  I want to listen to it before I go to bed tonight and time....is....dragging....by....  Thanks for your input, everyone.  I may need to get a miniature bike like the one Sheepish Annie mentioned in her comment.  Anything that helps melt away 60 pounds sounds pretty good!

Another thing I've learned (again) is that I'm not as creative as I wish I was.  I'm okay at making things, but as far as being original and creating "art," well I'm not so good at that.  Here's a show-and-tell example for you:  my first fabric postcard.  I made it in brown for August's Project Spectrum neutrals and for the hope of fall coming sometime soon.  It's okay for a first try, but I doubt I'll be making many more.  I just don't have the knack for it.  I wonder how much of creating something (whether it's painting, sculpting, fabric art) is talent and how much is practice?

In case you want to make a postcard of your own, I'll share the things I learned today:

1)  Before you start creating, actually measure out your fabric instead of just fusing things wherever you want.  (Postcards measure 4" x 6".)  While the flowers being cut off on the edge don't bother me, they might have been an important part of the design.

2)  If your quilting stitches run over the edge, don't trim them off when you cut your fabric to size.  You'll end up with stitches coming out.

3)  Rubber stamp embossing on fabric sounds like a good idea, but it takes practice.

4)  If an embossed image gets reheated by the iron, it spreads out.

5)  Use a press cloth if reheating an embossed image.  All that junk on your iron would not be pretty.  (I knew about using a press cloth to avoid getting fusible web on my iron and fortunately it was in place when I heated the first flower, so I was spared a mess.)

6)  Plan out all the steps first to avoid having to reheat embossed images.

7)  It takes more than fusible web, fusible craft stabilizer, felt, and fabric to make a stiff postcard.

8)  If you use lightweight muslin on the back, you will be able to see the quilting stitches (wrong side) through it and it's distracting.

9)  Katie is right.  Getting consistent satin stitching around the edge is a little tough.

And one last thing I've learned again.  Even though I keep hoping to rekindle some of my former love of sewing, I still love knitting the best. 

"P" is also for "postcard"

                                           

Look what came in the mail today!  Katie sent me this lovely fabric postcard that she made.  Katie recently got a new sewing / embroidery machine.  I love those decorative stitches!  Thank you so much, Katie!  It was such a nice surprise.  I really want to try making one of these sometime.  If anyone else is interested in making one, Katie has found lots of samples and instructions.

Thanks to my fellow procrastinators for letting me know I am not alone!  I did get my two little jobs done today, but realized later that I should have assigned myself a bit more.   I really don't feel that much closer to being ready.  :) 

Oh, I have a question for the iPod folks out there.  I'm considering buying the 30GB iPod, but that's a lot of money and I'm having trouble justifying it.  I'm also wondering how much I will use it.  I need to exercise and my cardiologist told me today that I need to get moving.  (Okay, so I knew that already.  There's procrastination rearing its ugly head again!)  My question is this:  Do you use your iPod a lot?  Do you ever use it while you exercise?  If you have one with less memory, has yours filled up already?  Any advice would be helpful.  Thanks!

Brought to you by the letter "P"

"P" is not for purl, Peruvian wool, or podcast.  "P" is for procrastinate.

Procrastinate:  to put off intentionally and habitually (according to Merriam-Webster)

So what is it called when you put off "unintentionally and habitually?"  Would it be called being clueless?  Overwhelmed?  Out of touch?  Some things I do put off intentionally, but others I forget about.  Or maybe I put them off intentionally then I forget about them.  Honestly, sometimes I wonder how I accomplish anything. 

School starts in two weeks.  Am I ready for my classes?  By reading this far, you'll guess that I'm not.  Why do I do this to myself over and over again?  I found the following helpful article called, appropriately, Procrastination.  Though it is an article for students, there is a lot of useful information here for any Scarlett O'Hara. 

Two of the "tools that will help" are to break the task into smaller parts and to let people know what you plan to do (resulting in possible peer pressure).  Today I'm going to sort my class supplies into bins and finalize my grading system.  Now that I've publicly stated my plans, I can't go back on them.  Right?  Oh, and I won't let myself do any knitting until I have those things done.  That should help.  (I have a doctor's appointment today and I'll need my knitting for the waiting room.)

While I don't wish this bad habit (psychological disorder?) on anybody, I hope I'm not the only person that puts important things off.  I sometimes feel like I am. 

Only three hours until I leave for my appointment.  Gotta get busy...

Made up

Have you ever done something that you swear you would never do again?  Something like the time in 8th grade that I got a perm and afterward it looked like my head was rectangular.  I swore I'd never get another perm.  And I didn't until I the late 80's.  I got a perm and it turned out okay.  But that was my last one.

During the same time period as my second perm, I got my makeup done at the local mall's cosmetic counter.  I can't even remember what I was looking for, but I do remember how ghastly I looked later.  I looked EXACTLY like the person on the other side of the counter!  Heavy eye shadow and all.  It made me wonder if the sales person had only learned one way to apply cosmetics.  I didn't have another makeup session until...last week. 

Yep, I fell for it again.  Here's the back story:  I have a skin condition called rosacea, which makes my face look red.  My case isn't as severe as some (fortunately), but I look like I've been sunburned or eaten lots of spicy food.  Recently a friend told me that she, too, has rosacea.  I couldn't tell at all!  She told me that she wears Estee Lauder Double Wear makeup and it works very well for her.  I'm tired of looking red all the time and not being happy with pictures of myself.

So anyway...I haven't been able to get to a mall here, so I went to the mall in Ohio.  After telling the sales person that I wanted to check out the Double Wear, she offered to "match my color" or something like that.  I figured she'd have to do that, but I wasn't counting on what followed.  The "matching" led to moisturizer, concealer around my eyes, foundation, bronzing powder, blush, lip liner, lipstick, lip gloss, eye liner, eye shadow (at least one color) and mascara.  The makeup was much heavier than what I usually wear.  Heck, I barely wear makeup at all!  I looked like a you-know-what out under the street lamp.  Just be thankful I didn't take a picture!

I paid for my purchases while having a fake smile planted on my lips, then briskly walked to meet my husband.  He gave me an "um, I should say you look nice, but you really don't" smile.  Or maybe it was a "what did you get yourself into?" smile.  I told him it was heavier than it should be, which was totally obvious.  Now, my husband usually walks pretty fast, but today as we walked to the car, he kind of strolled.  "Pick it up!"  I enthusiastically suggested.  Fortunately it's a small mall and I made it to the car relatively unnoticed (I think).  It took a lot of work to get everything off!

But I guess it was worth it.  I like this makeup and the way it goes on.  With the makeup on, my face doesn't look red anymore and it actually feels better than it used to.  I'm glad I found something that works, 'cause "I'm never getting another makeover again!"