C'est finis

I'll be honest, when I first saw the Clapotis pattern I wondered about going through all the effort to knit stitches that would be intentionally dropped. It just seemed like an awful lot of extra work. But my friend Allison invited me to join the better late than never KAL and I do so love group knitting. Besides, I had this lovely wool from Australia that had been waiting for a great pattern.

Now that I've finished my first Clapotis, I freely admit that I'm a convert. The pattern is interesting enough to keep your attention and yet allows you to carry on a conversation. Dropping the stitches is fun and you get to do it every few rows, which offers a nice little reward. And the results are fabulous. It's wavy and bouncy and drapes just so. I made it a little wider than the original pattern and a little longer. I would have liked it to be a little longer still, but not enough to undo hours and hours of work.

The photos were taken by the just turned 6yo at the beach just down the street from our house. Having grown up in the midwest, I am continually amazed and thrilled to live so close to the ocean. The picture shows two of "five sisters" breakers that I assume help preserve the main beach. This whole area floods when a storm is coming and it's high tide. One year it was so extreme, there were lobsters floating on the streets! Our neighbors had some great meals that night.

We went straight from our fabulous photo shoot to the Salon for summer 'dos. The 6 yo loves it because she can play video games but the 2yo getting the just second hair cut of her short life wasn't so sure she liked the idea. She was pleased with the results. I think she will be even happier that it won't get so many tangles- she sees a brush and starts running away.

The big question is what to knit next? hmmmmm.....

I went shopping today for some clothes for my upcoming trip - I encountered a shrug very much like what I was thinking of knitting. First I was a little demoralized because I know how many hours it would have taken me to make it and there it was on sale for just $20 - the yarn would cost me more! Then I tried it on - I'm not so sure I'm the shrug type. I suppose it's better to find that out now rather than after I've spent said hours. I also saw a darling, intricate lace and cable sweater that looks very much like one I've been thinking of knitting in a lovely shade of light blue. Hmmm. I'd know before hours click and clacking if or not it would fit. I could even pass it off as my own work - not that I would ever do that! Sadly, I found no comfortable, fashionable shoes - which I can't knit no matter how much time I have!

Big Smiles from across the Atlantic

Having decided to embrace my magazine collection with new found enthusiasm, I received two more to add to it - these are from my good blogging friend, Anna, who live outside of Paris and whom I expecting to meet in person next month, when I travel to her country. She included this gorgeous cherry red mohair lace weight yarn that my youngest two instantly "claimed." They each grabbed a skein and ran from the room laughing gleefully. I asked the 2 yo what she would want if I decided that to make her something. Without hesitation, she announced, "a pillow." Who can blame her? It would be nice to lay your head on that yummy softness.

I'm not sure that my three years plus of French have actually equipped me to follow the patterns, but I think I could puzzle it out given what I know about knitting patterns. There are many in these two that would tempt me. One interesting thing I noted is that several patterns have the "wrong" side out. I also recently learned that the designer of the Clapotis, who was living in France when she designed it, intended for it to be worn with the reverse stockinette stitch side out, which is how it's shown in the Knitty.com pic of it. Maybe it just coincidence, maybe it's a trend across the sea. I'll ask when I get there :)

Can you tell I'm excited? I have a 6yo birthday party to plan first and a lot of logistics to handle to ensure things run smoothly while I'm away but whether or not I find just the right pair of shoes, I'm going. I'm going to pack up my guide books - including the ones that Janice so generously shared with me after her trip to paris, bid a tearful farewell to my children and head out into a great adventure. I will return with great memories, a new lease on life and deep insights that will make me a better parent and partner. At least I'll have some good pictures and more yarn.

I confess that I'm nervous too. I'm worried about speaking the language and not getting lost. I'm worried about how things will go here while I'm gone. I'm worried I'll never want to come back (hah, hah - just kidding dh) Really, no sense worrying. It will be fine and I'll finally have a stamp in my brand new passport.

Organize Schmorganize

In my ongoing, never-ending quest for organization, I listened to the gurus of order and serenity and decided I should go through and weed out my unloved, unused knitting and other creative endeavor magazines. Let them bless someone else, I thought bravely, diving into the pile. How many sweaters can one realistically knit in a life time, especially considering that I haven't knit one in the last two years despite having the yarn and patterns? I've managed this before - letting go of an entire collection of home decorating magazines once and gifting a two-foot pile of sewing magazines to my neighbor. No problem, I thought. I'll only keep the magazines with a pattern that I might really knit sometime in the next year or two, or maybe the next decade or two. I should have realized I was in trouble when after having gone through five magazines, I hadn't found one that had nothing I wanted to see again. They all

had a bunch of patterns I will absolutely never want to make. They had some that aren't on my list now, but who knows and they all had at least a couple that I really would like to make if I had the time and the yarn. One might say I wasted valuable knitting time pouring through old magazines. On the other hand, I was able to reacquaint myself with some projects that I had been interested in. The only problem is I still don't have any more time to get to them than I did before! I can see why people rent storage lockers - much easier than letting go. In the end, I've decided to put the magazines in my "I love it and it makes me happy," pile. While it's true, I will likely not knit more than a small percentage (if that) of the patterns in them, I enjoy seeing the possibilities and they do all contain bits and pieces of inspiration.

And here is one more argument in favor of keeping - I just found an article about knitting with boucle, including a pattern I might actually use - in a Threads Magazine from September of 1994 bought long, long before I ever dreamed I'd take up knitting. Who knows what other article might be significant to me in five years?

Are these just the arguments of delusional hoarder?

All I want for Christmas

We get so excited when the teeth first show up and now we get even more excited when they fall out! The only problem is this - it seems the tooth fairy has an issue with math. She leaves one kid $10 and another (who happens to be mine) just gets $1. You can imagine the debates this unfair situation spawns in the car pool on the way to school. That debate is followed by another, equally lively, on the best way to remove a loose tooth - twist and turn, wiggle with tongue, tie a string to a door handle and slam the door. I haven't done a scientific study, but I'll bet the chosen method say more than a little about the personality of the kid employing it. Mine is more of a patient let it happen when it happens type. Maybe that's because she knows she's only going to get $1 anyway!

plastic surgery?

I explained the whole Barbie clothes not fitting thing to dh (although he probably cares even less than the 2.75 yo, I feel a need to share all the gory details of the day), he said, "So do you think she got a boob job?" Great. It's not bad enough my teens are hounding me about piercing their bodies until they can't get through a metal detector, now I have to worry about the dolls sneaking out and getting work done!

Barbie on a diet?

I had planned to make clothes to fit the Barbies my 2.75 yo inherited from her 5 yo sister. But then I discovered that for just $10, we could get an entire wardrobe with enough outfits plus a spare for all the dolls. I decided my time would be better spent knitting. Like a true girl, the 2 yo could hardly wait to get the new clothes on the dolls. I have been playing with Barbies my whole life, so you can imagine my surprise to find that the outfit doesn't fit! Perhaps something is wrong with the pattern. That couldn't be it - they've been making these clothes for decades, it's not like the dimensions have changed. Or have they? Has Barbie gained weight? A few too many cookies at the tea party? A little too much cake while sitting around the pool? Has it come to this, must even Barbie go on a diet?

Seriously, how hard is it to make clothes that fit the doll? It's not like they haven't had a lot of practice.

Maybe it was intentional. Maybe in this era of rising gas costs and recession Mattel is trying to reduce its use of fabric. "Just trim an eighth of an inch off the tops, the kids will never notice," the factory manager says. I'm sure they've shortened the skirts by at least a quarter of an inch too. "They'll just figure it's the fashion," the bean counters say.

Of course this bothers me more than the 2.75 yo - she's just happy the dolls are dressed so they can ride around in the back of her dump truck.

Me? I guess I better start hunting for teeny tiny patterns...

yarn connections

My mom called this weekend from Arizona where she was visiting my cousin.
"You should be here," she said. "There's a spinning and fiber show at the hotel where I'm staying."

My first thought, having just been watching Knitty, was that she was talking about a television show. As I realized that she what she meant - a giant room filled with yarn and knitters and spinners and all things knitterly - I became insanely jealous. No need, she's got me covered.

"Do you need anything?" she said.

What an opening. Do I need anything?

Define need. Do I have an abundance of yarn awaiting the right project? Well, yes. Am I currently working on no fewer than four projects? Well, yes. Do I need anything? Well, since she brought it up... I am interested in knitting socks and I did just finish a pair. Besides, the yarn harlot once said something about sock yarn not counting in stash building. I also figured sock yarn should be easy - any color is fine, self striping, verigated, self-patterning - doesn't matter. Wool, cotton, soy? Why not? And there's little guessing about how much is needed - just ask for enough to make two pair of average adult socks. Here is just one more reason for me to conquer socks - sock yarn might just be the perfect gift.

Mom later called to ask if I needed a book to go with the sock yarn. In an act of selfless momliness, she even handed the phone to the saleslady so she could describe the books to me and help figure out if there was one without which I couldn't live. I think we may have ended up with Sensational Sock Knitting, which has fives stars with 71 reviews at Amazon.

On a side note, I've been working to turn mom into a knitter long distance, but I have a ways to go, apparently. When I asked about what yarn she might by for herself, she said, "Oh, I don't need any yarn, I have a whole table full at home." Oh mom, so much to learn. :)

Thank you Jess

A wee tiny package arrived today from Maryland containing a wee tiny sock. How much fun is this? More than 250 wee tiny socks flying around the world - what an image. Mine is from Jess Noyes, I worked with a Jesse Noyes, but it's not the same person since that Jesse was a guy.

The colorway Jess chose is just perfect. It's Cherry Hill's Wild Cherry. Now I want to knit with this yarn.

The big socks are mine from the Italian Clown yarn - knit two at a time, toe up on the magic loop. Even on size ones I found my knitting to be a bit loose! Two at a time sounds much trickier than it really is. Although I will admit that at least twice I knit a bit on the second sock with the yarn from the first and had to tink. The astute observer will notice that the stripes don't quite match. I couldn't find a matching spot on the yarn and decided it didn't matter. Now I want more sock yarn.

But first, onto the Clapotis....

Wee Tiny Sock

It's quick, it's fun and it's so gosh darned cute - how can one resist knitting at least one if not many of these wee tiny socks? This one is winging its way to Pennsylvania to my downstream swap pal. The yarn is tofutsie - it's from a sample given to me by Allison, who I met through the International Tote Exchange. At the time, I thought it was pretty but hadn't get gotten the sock bug and wasn't really interested in knitting with teeny tiny needles. I tucked it away for just in case. This was the perfect project. I love the way the tofutsie felt on the needles. It produces a very soft sock. I'm not sure how it would wear, not having anyone around with a foot so tiny.

I knitted it from the toe up using the magic loop. It features a short row heel, a technique I am finally beginning to understand. I've always gotten the concept but had problems understanding the execution. I'm still getting holes, despite knitting the wraps. Hopefully, those will disappear as I do this more. The cuff is a mock cable stitch that I discovered for a baby hat (pictured a few posts back) It's easy and it looks so cool:

It's over 5 stitches - the set up is k3, p2

row 1: sl1st, k2, psso, p2

row 2: k1,yo,k1,p2

rows 3 and 4: k3, p2

It took about 3/4 of a Harry Potter Movie (the second to the last one)

The swap is a display of simplicity - knit a tiny sock and send it to someone. Meet two new people.

DH's reaction was, "You knitters are weird." But this is from a man who chases dead birds around the rain forest.

Does anyone have any experience with knitting shrugs? I was never interested before but suddenly have a yen for one - I'm thinking something a little intricate to highlight the plain beige yarn dm (dear mom) brought me from China - but not something so complicated that I can't watch an episode of say Men in Trees.

The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird

In the 1970s, a group of students doing research in an unexplored rain forest on a steep mountain on Maui discovered a delightful small bird with a black mask. At first, few believed it could possibly be an unidentified species. It seemed so unlikely that it had never before encountered humans. As it turned out, there was no known record of this tiny bird from the finch family. It was named the Po'ouli.

Just three decades after being discovered, they are all gone. The last known Po'ouli died in captivity just a few short years ago in the midst of a heroic, heart breaking attempt to save the species from extinction.

A newly released book, The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird: The Discovery and Death of the Po'ouli, tells the dramatic story of this bird's life, how it came to Hawaii, why it was in endangered and why rescue attempts ultimately failed. It is also a window into the challenges of the Endangered Species Act and the future of other endangered species.

Dh wrote the book and I couldn't be more excited. He found out about the bird when there will just three left. At the time, he had returned to graduate school to study biology after years as a political and business reporter. The bird was gone by the time he first proposed writing a book about it. This is a lifelong dream for him and I couldn't be more proud. It's been a long road for him as he has spent hours gathering tons of information and finding just the right words to make the story come alive. For me, it's been a lot of late nights and weekends holding down the fort and dealing on my own with our 5c. I'll admit that I'm biased, but still I think the book is great. There are descriptions of the rain forest that make you feel as if you are walking through it. Even the geography lesson on how Hawaii came to be is interesting.

If you know anyone interested in birds, Hawaii or endangered species policy, please spread the word.

The Year of Socks

I have determined that this is the year I will conquer my lingering fear of socks. I have made them successfully, but for some reason, I have sock-block in my head. As with writer's block, I think the only way to get over it is to just do it. So, I've found this exchange on Danielle's site to give me an added boost:

the sign-up deadline in Thursday. MeanwhieI've also got a pair of big girl socks on the magic loop -yes, a pair. Two at a time. I feel a little like I'm walking a tight rope, except that it isn't really that hard - yet. I haven't gotten to the short row heels.

Cleaning Games

The little girls were home sick. The living room was a mess. What great ingredients for a new game: Wizards, gremlins and princesses.

Here's the premise - the gremlins have come and messed up the kingdom. Things are strewn about where the don't belong. We are the wizards and must put everything back in order so that the princesses can play. We got a magic basket into which all the things that didn't belong had to go.

It took the 5yo all of about 5 minutes to figure out that she is not only the wizard, but also the gremlin and the princess! Still, at least she played along. The 2 yo was jiggy with it for a little while but then she saw through my ruse and announced "I don't want to clean anymore." So I still ended up doing most of the work but at least I had company and I kept them from making an even bigger mess for a few minutes.

What should I expect? My little apples didn't fall too far from the tree! My room was so bad when I was a kid that I had to make a path to get through to my bed! That didn't really change until I had kids. Now I'm all about the clean. I don't consider myself a neat freak but I have to insist on things being picked up. There are just too many of us with too much stuff. I've also begun to appreciate being able to find things when I need them. What a concept! Which leads back to my ongoing challenge of figuring out how to teach my children to do as I say and not as I did.

I've virtually failed with the older ones. Despite years of requiring them to "clean" their rooms they are now certifiable hazmat sites. At this point in their lives, there are bigger battles to fight so I've let that one slip. With the younger ones (my second chance?) I'm hoping to do a better job at teaching them how to clean and to appreciate having things around them be in order. Maybe I'm fighting a losing battle. Maybe whether the jeans are on the floor or in the drawer is in the genes? My 5yo's bf thinks it's great fun to clean.

The clean room in the pic is not ours - that's their grandpa's house. It looks like a picture in a magazine. All the time! Even when the kids have been playing in it for two hours. I don't get it, but it's true.

We Easter in Connecticut where it was too windy too fly kites. One of the good things is a 2.5 hour ride - 2.5 hours of nothing to do but mediate fights and knit. I worked on the Clapotis and a new pair of socks but finished neither.

Happy Hoppy Easter

The problem with having five children is finding enough hiding spaces for all the baskets! To say nothing about filling all those baskets.



The 14yo was in charge of coloring the eggs this year - here she is multitasking like the best us.



Coloring the eggs is so much fun. Finding them is a blast too. But then what to do with them?



Here's our favorite recipe:



Peel and chop hardboiled eggs

In a frying pan - melt 2 tblspns of butter, add 2 tblspons of floor

Slowly add a cup or so of milk, constantly stirring

Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and eggs

Season to taste with pepper and salt or 1 or 2 teaspoons of dry mustard

Serve over toast

Proof that Spring is coming

Yesterday it seemed as if Aslan might really be on his way (Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe reference). Today, not so much with a steady, cold, sleety, rain. But, I have proof! And we all know what a picture is worth....

I have rediscovered a recipe for a delicious, healthy shake I used to make way back in high school. And, it's a good use for bananas that are still perfectly fine but unacceptable to children who judge everything by its cover.

You will need:

1 frozen banana(easiest if you peel and cut into a few pieces before freezing)

1 cup of milk

1 (or 2) tablespoons of peanutbutter -chunky if you like the texture, otherwise smooth.

Mix these in a blender or food processor - how long depends on how smooth you want it to be.

Stunning (mistake)

At long last I have finished the beautiful scarf for my very good friend Jill, who deserves to be royally spoiled. She is one of those special people who does so much for everyone else. She has a strong faith in God and it shows in how she treats those around her. She and her family have given up a lot to serve God, but she doesn't complain much. Not that it's always easy for her, or that she's always happy, but she is always striving to find peace and to be satisfied with what she does have. So I wanted to knit for her something special - something that was crafted just for her. I chose the Tahki Charles Stacey sampler lace scarf in Superior because it looked so cool on the model and the yarn is a luxerious blend of cashmere and silk.

If this is an intermediate pattern, then I want to know what it takes to be an expert pattern! It kicked my butt! One row took me 2.5 hours with all the frogging it took to get it right. Thankfully, they didn't all take that long. Overall, I like the scarf - it certainly kept me interested switching from pattern to pattern. The closeups are of my scarf. The picture is from the company and shows the true color of the yarn. My yos don't look quite as neat as those in the picture.

I discovered -- after I'd grafted the two sides together, after I'd blocked it -- that I made the second pattern on one side too long -- by about 1.5 inches! First I went into shock. Then I made my way through the five stages of mourning - denial, anger, bargaining - I hit them all. I contemplated whether there was anything to be done about it, but concluded that there wasn't. Doing it over was out of the question given the time already invested and my urge to get this to my friend before she needs a beach towel more than a scarf. The pattern is too complicated for grafting.

Finally, I took a deep breath and decided this is the way it's supposed to be. The longer side is the "front" and shorter side is the "back," like a tie. (DH was quick to point out the short coming to the comparison, but he's not a knitter so I don't take him seriously). In reality, it won't be noticeable when she wears it and she probably won't notice it at all.

Here is what I've learned:

When making two haves of a scarf - compare them frequently to ensure they match or knit them both at the same time.

Regardless, the yarn is awesome. It's so soft, it's likeholding a bundle of downy feathers. There is a subtle sheen from the silk underneath the halo of cashmere.

Although, this pattern was extremely challenging, I would like to try it again. It's a great "think piece" for knitters looking for a challenge. It is not the best project to work on while watching a gripping episode of Lost but it's fine for Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Speed Knitting

So much to knit, so little time - what's a fiber addict to do? Knit faster, of course! In hopes of being able to do just that, I got me a lesson on fast knitting from the affable Lucy, owner oft Minds Eye Yarns in Cambridge.

It turns out, I was doing a lot right :) That's good from an overall sense of accomplishment, but not so good if one is trying to knit faster - how can I fix what isn't wrong? But even Tiger Woods can benefit from some coaching - not that I am the Tiger Woods of knitting, far from it. Lucy had me change how I was holding the yarn - wrapping twice around my index finger rather than my pinkey finger. Also, she showed me how to scoop up the yarn with my right needle, rather than putting the yarn over the needle with my left hand. I should have timed myself before and after the class to see if it actually makes a difference. I feel more confident anyway. Besides, Lucy is fun to hang out with - she's got a great perspective on life and quite a diverse history that ranges from teaching band to junior highers to practicing Zen.

Lucy also showed me that you can change the tips on bamboo needles - use a nail file to make them sharper and then seal them with just a touch of chapstick.

She wrapped up the lesson with a tutorial on the kitchner - I get it! I mean I get how to do it, I don't really "get" it yet - it seems like magic. Now that I see how it is supposed to be done, I'm sure I did something wrong when I did it with my socks. It's still a little like driving in Boston for me - I can do it but I sure couldn't explain it to someone else. (For those who've never had the "pleasure" of driving in my town - it's notoriously difficult because there isn't a straight road to be found - even once you figure out how to get somewhere, it's nearly impossible to tell someone else how)

I had all but given up on accomplishing what I've signed up for this month - the Clapotis and a pair of socks, but with my new speed skills, I have hope. If I can wrap up the green lace scarf tonight (If I haven't just cursed myself), then I can launch into the other projects this week and maybe whip up another baby hat on the side.

Of course, what's an afternoon spent in a yarn shop without a little yarn to show for it? This is the softest pink yarn I've touched in a long time. It's made from soy and cotton. This sock yarn doesn't feel especially soft, but Lucy said it knits up nicely and will be good a summer weight sock. I guess I'm hoping that by knitting something for the warm weather, I'll bring it on sooner. Besides, how can resist something called "clown" yarn?

Incidently, for those who are interested in the new Noro sock yarn - Lucy was wearing a pair of socks she knit with the it. She said it was a joy to knit with and that the socks are very comfortable. In fact, she's looking forward to making another pair. Holly Jo also used it to make a gorgeous pair with very nicely matched stripes.

Noticing

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This picture was inspired by the noticing project, a blog run by two friends featuring photos they've taken, mostly of ordinary things but with an unusual perspective. It's called the noticing project. They post new photos daily during the work week. Seeing their pictures has made me look at things around me in new ways. I've always been a camera buff and now I see a vast new world of options.

I'm extremely glad to live in the digital age where I can take as many pictures as I want without paying an extra dime. When I started out, it cost about 50 cents a picture with film and developing - that's not conducive to experimentation. I'm also glad to have so much inspiration at my fingertips. (Apparently I'm in a ridiculously good mood today)

Welcome to my new kitchen

At last, we're ready to throw the party to celebrate our new floor - except that I think I'd spend the whole time shining the new stove and wiping out the new microwave. Everything is so nice and shiny, I want it to stay that way - nearly impossible with my crew. Really, I'd have to spend my whole day in the kitchen armed with a sponge and mop.

The floor is bamboo - maybe a bit of a gamble to put a wood floor in the kitchen, but it is very warm and inviting. There's more to be done - dh has plans for more cupboards and stuff, but for now, this is a vast improvement over the worn, painted commercial tiles that were down before. I walk into my kitchen and I feel relaxed instead of irritated.

I am working on an interesting system that anyone who is clean or organizationally challenged might appreciate - it's from flylady.com . They are a brilliant group of marketers touting a store of must-have cleaning items. But beyond the hype of their wares, they have a pretty good system - They break the house into zones and tackle just one a week. Every day, there is a 15-minute job to do. It's a great system for busy people, although there are times when even 15 minutes is beyond me. It's worth a look-see if you're into that kind of thing. There are a lot of good suggestions and motivational stories. I will say after having tried this for a few weeks that it is pretty amazing what can be accomplished in 15 minutes.

Mothra

I just saw a moth fly into my studio - should I panic? How do I know if it's the wool-eating variety?

It's almost as bad if it's the food eating kind - last year we lost $$ worth of food in the pantry to a moth invasion. To say nothing of the ick factor.

Here is a very, very easy chicken recipe to try if you are short on time and ingredients:

You will need 2 or 3 chicken breasts. I slice ours in half the long way and then again the short way so I have pieces that are about the size of a deck of cards.

Other ingredients:
1/4 flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (can substitute balsamic or apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (can substitute honey mustard)
1/2 teaspoon sugar

In a pan on low heat - warm 3 tblspn oil and 3 tblspn butter.
Meanwhile - mix 1/4 cup of flour with a teaspoon of salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper (or to taste)
dip the chicken pieces in the flour to coat.

When the butter has melted, turn up the heat to high and add 1 tspn chopped garlic. Heat for about a minute just until garlic has turned golden. Add chicken and sautee for about 3 minutes on a side (I confess that this is never enough time for me, but I know it is supposed to be)

When chicken is cooked through, remove from pan and set aside. Turn down heat and add chicken stock and vinegar bring to a boil constantly stirring. Add mustard and sugar. If the sauce isn't thickening. Continue boiling until sauce has thickened. Pour over chicken and serve.

This was a big hit with the big kids, but not the 2 and 5 yo. That's not saying much, however, the only kind of chicken they like comes in the nugget form.