Dahlia

Well hello there.

It feels like forever since I’ve blogged about something, but really it’s only been a couple of weeks.  A lot has happened since then but nothing I really feel like sharing.  We had to say goodbye to a very special member of our family on Friday and it’s hit both of us harder than we expected it to.  Being around the house is difficult and we are doing everything we can to take our minds off things.

So today we took ourselves down to the beach for some sunshine and some much needed photos of Dahlia (which I actually finished back on January 20th).  I don’t feel very bloggy so I’m apologizing in advance for what I expect to be a rather lackluster post.  Though I’m missing the blog some, and all of you lots, I don’t feel ready to be officially “back” so I hope you’ll view this as a little bonus rather than a return to full on blogitude.  But don’t worry, I expect to be back before too much longer :)
 

 

 

 

Pattern: Dahlia by Mary Weaver (on Ravelry here)

Yarn: Cascade 220 in Color #2409 “Palm” – just over 3 skeins

Needles: Size 7 bamboo circ for upper portion, sleeves & neck edging; Size 8 bamboo circ for cabled “skirt”

Mods: Worked k1,p1 on neck edging for 3 total rounds instead of 1

New Techniques: Nope.

Time Lapse: January 1, 2009 – January 20, 2009

Comments: This sweater is made for skinny teenagers and goddesses with swan necks and long limbs, not dumpy little trolls like me.  I would guess this is the absolute most unflattering thing I have ever knit myself and I honestly don’t know what to do with it other than work out twice a day subsisting on rice cakes until it fits, or grow myself a munchkin so that people won’t have to guess if I’m pregnant, they’ll just be able to tell.  Other than that, it was simple and fun to knit and it’s definitely comfortable to wear.  The Cascade 220 blocked up beautifully and I was pleasantly surprised at how un-itchy it turned out to be considering it’s 100% wool.  I adore the color and honestly wish it looked cuter on me but you just can’t polish a turd like this.  Oh well.  You win some, you lose some.  Now to quickly run downstairs before R. Darling reads this and begins to scold me for being hard on myself!
 

And, as always, an outtake!

 
 

 

Hey Bloggy Peeps – hope life is going good for you!

Time Off For Good Behavior

Yes, I’ve decided it’s time for an e-cation; a bloggy holiday.

I’m feeling uninspired, uninterested, overwhelmed and useless.  Pretty much any un- and non- words you can think of, those would describe my current state of mind.  So, best to leave those ideas alone for a while and focus on erasing those strings of uns and nons, whatever that takes.

I’ll see you soon!  I don’t guess I’ll be away for more than a month, or until I finish a really good FO.  Whichever comes first :)  Until then, hope you are doing well and enjoying all the wonders that life has to offer you!  Thanks for always being there and always listening.  I’m ever grateful!

Friday Fill-In #106

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Friday Fill-In #106
(get yours here)

1. It’s January; that means I can expect to freeze my ass off for the next 3 months.  But mostly, I look forward to a new beginning.

2. A tropical vacation and a massage is what I crave most right now.

3. Cork and wine go together like pea and pod.

4. Love is so nourishing.

5. Let us dare to dream dreams bigger than ourselves.

6. I need more color in my home.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to cheering up R. Darling, tomorrow my plans include having coffee and knitting with my knitty pal Troy and Sunday, I want to try to finish up Dahlia!

Have a wonderful weekend Bloggy Peeps!

Squiggle! A Test Knit Revealed

A long time ago, in a season far far away, I showed you this:

My first ever MMMmmmmalabrigo!  I promised you I’d show you what I made of it when the time was right.  Well, that time has finally come!

Behold the Squiggles!

Something a little artsy:

And a matching cowl:

Patterns: Squiggle Hat & Squiggle Cowl by Chris Church (on Ravelry: Hat here, Cowl here).  More info and details on purchasing on Chris’ blog and website Pursuit of Fiber.

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Molly (pink shade) & Saphire Green; Cowl:  approximately 0.4 hanks Molly; Hat:  approximately 0.4 hanks Molly for band and 0.5 hanks Saphire Green for crown.

Needles: Cowl: Size 8 bamboo straights; Hat: Size 8 bamboo straights for band, size 7  – 16″ addi turbos for crown, & size 7 bamboo dpn’s for closing.

Mods: None.  That’s a big no no on test knits!

New Techniques: Nope.

Time Lapse: Cowl: October 10, 2008 – October 13, 2008; Hat: October 19, 2008 – October 23, 2008

Comments: Love love love these patterns! I’m calling it my Jolly Rancher hat because the colors are so bright & juicy. My first time using Malabrigo and I can see now what the fuss is all about. The pattern was easy to follow and I adore how the hat fits. Don’t be discouraged if it looks smallish before you block it. It does stretch and it will fit great. As for the cowl, I love how it fits your neck just right with a dip below the chin. Be very careful to match your row gauge perfectly, or it might be a bit snug. I know my row gauge drifted a bit from my swatching to my actual project. Both winners! Go check them out & tell rchrispy I sent you ;)

And, as always, an outtake!

The Peaceful Potato

On Monday, I called my parents as I do every single Monday. First I talked to my Dad, then I spent the next 45 minutes repeating to my Mom, what I’d already told my Dad in the first 15 minutes. It’s the same every Monday; our routine. I try very hard not to complain when I talk to my parents. They are not in the best financial situation, or health situation for that matter, and I often feel unjustified talking to them about my worries or fears. But this Monday I just felt terrible about everything and I couldn’t help myself when I started vomiting complaints uncontrollably all over the place.

Mom listened sympathetically. She doesn’t always. But this day my hippie Mom, the one who lived on a commune, and then in The Haight next door to Janis Joplin, was empathetic. The woman who went to love-ins, saw Jimi Hendrix play in the park, wore her hair to her waist and dressed in velvet pants, listened to my feelings and then proceeded to tell me something hippie-esque, yet surprisingly profound.

I’ve gone through many stages in my life in regards to Mom’s beliefs: awe, fascination, amusement, disbelief, ambivalence, and perhaps even disregard. I remember her meditating in the afternoons when I was a kid and knowing, even then, that other people’s parents didn’t do this kind of thing. But I still respected her enough to not only never disturb her, but to never make fun of this to anyone else. I understood it was important to her. I knew she’d had a meditation teacher, and this teacher had been someone very special to her; a woman who taught her many things that Mom would have been glad to share with me if I’d ever had the interest. Mom did try to teach me to meditate a few times but I never learned the knack of turning off your thoughts to achieve peace. My meditating mind sounded more like this:  My foot itches…I wonder what’s for dinner….This is boring….I can’t concentrate….Stop thinking!…O.k. being peaceful now…. Quiet….I wish I had a cat….Do fish sleep?….Quiet!! … Stop thinking!!…. And so on.

But even if I never mastered the skill of meditation, or benefited from the calm it can bring you (modern studies have shown!), Mom was still able to give me a gift that her teacher had given her, the act of something I’m calling The Peaceful Potato.  Last night, while many in this world were out in their holiday finery, drinking it up, I took a small red potato from my kitchen and held it in my hands.  Closing my eyes, I filled that humble tuber with all my worries, all my fears, my doubts and my sadness.  Poor little potato.  Then I took it and buried it in our yard.  When it grows, it will take all the weight I carry and turn it into something new, something positive.  Though I don’t know if there’s truth in this act, I do know that it can’t possibly hurt.  And if it brings me peace, even for a moment, then any of the silliness I felt standing in the yard, burying a potato, will be far outweighed by what I have gained.  And you know what?  Today, I do feel peaceful.

Here’s to hoping your New Year brings you peace and joy, whether or not you choose the way of the Peaceful Potato.