Patience is a nuisance, sometimes. Seeing no viable alternative, that's where we're stuck.
The Portland Yarn Crawl was last weekend. What with one thing and another, Tracy and I had exactly one day -- Friday -- to participate. We agreed that, in the unlikely event that one of our names was drawn for a prize, we'd split it. It doesn't cost to dream big, after all!
We went to nine stores in seven hours (we had a plan and a GPS), hitting stores we'd never visited before (Close Knit (need to go back, now that we know what they've got), Yarn Garden (lovely space, lovely people), Happy Knits (near Yarn Garden, lovely people, entirely different lovely stuff!), and Northwest Wools (kind, helpful people, and they group yarn by color within weights!)), favorites (Twisted (love), Dublin Bay (love), Knit/Purl (love - and Tracy knits samples for them), All About Yarn (more love), For Yarn's Sake (hadn't been there since opening day, and were even more delighted with them now)) and, had we not run out of time, two more favorites (Knitting Bee, Kathy's Knit Korner) would have been included.
Yes, that's a lot of stores but, as I said, we had a plan. And we didn't just stop in, sign up for the prizes and leave; oh, no!
One of us -- and usually both of us -- found something that HAD to come home with us at every single store.
Well.
Today, Northwest Wools called, and said we'd won a grand prize basket.
Okay, technically, they'd pulled my name out of the hat. But it could have as easily been Tracy's. So, from my perspective, WE won a basket. I did collect it on the way home from work tonight.
But here's the "patience" part: I'm up to my eyeballs in grant writing this week. Tracy is up to her eyeballs in family stuff this week. We won't divvying stuff up until Sunday.
We may need another prize for "remarkable restraint"!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Personal Best
(which is a kind way of saying "Knitting Olympics FAIL")
As you may recall, I signed up to make Sivia Harding's beaded Diamond Fantasy Lace shawl for Steph's Knitting Olympics. Might have worked, too, if I'd remembered a) my schedule and b) "beaded".
After Sivia's class at Madrona (see how clever I am? I signed up to knit something with a teacher and instructions!), my shawl looked like this:
A week-plus-weekend-plus-another-week later, my shawl looked like this:
The final weekend, I admitted that I wasn't happy with the start:
- the first bead was on the wrong side,
- Sivia (herself!) said that she'd probably use a different double decrease if she were writing the pattern today (and then taught it to us),
- errors fudged into compliance,
but I also knew that I seriously loved the fabric created by Tina's BMFA Seduction (oh, BAY-bee!).
To make a long story short ("Too late! Too late! ," I hear you cry) I cut off the first attempt. I started over on Friday morning of The Final Weekend.
I didn't manage an entire beaded shawl in two-and-a-half days. But I did manage enough that Sivia's pattern calls it a "scarf " and I'm well on the way to producing a shawl I'll actually wear and enjoy.
(note to self: If you're knitting a shawl, you probably need an Addi Lace longer than 24" Good thing that Tracy will remind you at PDX Yarn Crawl!)
As you may recall, I signed up to make Sivia Harding's beaded Diamond Fantasy Lace shawl for Steph's Knitting Olympics. Might have worked, too, if I'd remembered a) my schedule and b) "beaded".
After Sivia's class at Madrona (see how clever I am? I signed up to knit something with a teacher and instructions!), my shawl looked like this:
A week-plus-weekend-plus-another-week later, my shawl looked like this:
The final weekend, I admitted that I wasn't happy with the start:
- the first bead was on the wrong side,
- Sivia (herself!) said that she'd probably use a different double decrease if she were writing the pattern today (and then taught it to us),
- errors fudged into compliance,
but I also knew that I seriously loved the fabric created by Tina's BMFA Seduction (oh, BAY-bee!).
To make a long story short ("Too late! Too late! ," I hear you cry) I cut off the first attempt. I started over on Friday morning of The Final Weekend.
I didn't manage an entire beaded shawl in two-and-a-half days. But I did manage enough that Sivia's pattern calls it a "scarf " and I'm well on the way to producing a shawl I'll actually wear and enjoy.
(note to self: If you're knitting a shawl, you probably need an Addi Lace longer than 24" Good thing that Tracy will remind you at PDX Yarn Crawl!)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I'm amused
I've been going through the prove-you-don't-need-money-so-you-can-borrow-money process of refinancing my house.
Wells Fargo had the original mortgage.
The refinance process is complete, and the original mortgage has been paid off by the new mortgage company...
Wells Fargo.
I'm sure this is logical in some cosmic sense but, in the meantime, I'll just be quietly amused. (And ahead on my mortgage, thankyouverymuch!)
Wells Fargo had the original mortgage.
The refinance process is complete, and the original mortgage has been paid off by the new mortgage company...
Wells Fargo.
I'm sure this is logical in some cosmic sense but, in the meantime, I'll just be quietly amused. (And ahead on my mortgage, thankyouverymuch!)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Silly...
It's a silly thing I miss from my old, married life.
MAJOR qualifier: I love my current life. I am truly blessed. Last weekend, I was at Madrona with Tracy, who wrote one of the nicest Valentines I've ever received. This weekend, I was at Cannon Beach, listening to one of the most inspirational speakers I've heard in a long while.
But life - and laundry - goes on, y'know? I've been home for a couple of hours. It's back to work tomorrow morning. I'm tired and my muscles ache. What do I miss from my old, married life? Not something in the relationship. It's something from the house:
My decadent (for me) bathtub.
Nothing fancy -- no spritzing jets, no whirls or vortexes -- just a "garden" tub long/deep enough that I (!) could stretch out enough that my knees and shoulders could be under water at the same time.
I think I'll go take a vertical bath.
p.s. Olympic knitting? Exactly where it was a week ago...
MAJOR qualifier: I love my current life. I am truly blessed. Last weekend, I was at Madrona with Tracy, who wrote one of the nicest Valentines I've ever received. This weekend, I was at Cannon Beach, listening to one of the most inspirational speakers I've heard in a long while.
But life - and laundry - goes on, y'know? I've been home for a couple of hours. It's back to work tomorrow morning. I'm tired and my muscles ache. What do I miss from my old, married life? Not something in the relationship. It's something from the house:
My decadent (for me) bathtub.
Nothing fancy -- no spritzing jets, no whirls or vortexes -- just a "garden" tub long/deep enough that I (!) could stretch out enough that my knees and shoulders could be under water at the same time.
I think I'll go take a vertical bath.
p.s. Olympic knitting? Exactly where it was a week ago...
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Knitting Olympics
WHAT, pray tell, was I thinking?!?
When Steph decided that she was actually, factually going to organize the 2010 Knitting Olympics, I thought, "Heck, YEAH, I'm in!"
I had the perfect project in mind: a beaded lace shawl, Sivia Harding's Diamond Lace Fantasy. A stretch, but doable. I anticipated pure pleasure knitting this in amazingly wonderful BMFA Seduction. Even better, (here's the sneaky bit) a class at Madrona last Sunday, by Sivia, about this specific shawl.
I mean, y'gotta love a plan!
I knew I had two evening meetings this week (I can knit and look interested at the same time), an all-day workshop (ditto), and an all-day event with downtime (ditto). And that's just week one! It's still a stretch (I can't actually talk and knit lace, but I can listen...) but I'll be okay.
Except...
Except I forgot about the "bead" part.
It's one thing to quietly make hand motions under the table. It's another thing to break out a box of beads, a crochet hook, a pattern, AND try to knit quietly under the table.
In Olympic terms, I may not make it past the quarter finals.
What was I thinking?!?
When Steph decided that she was actually, factually going to organize the 2010 Knitting Olympics, I thought, "Heck, YEAH, I'm in!"
I had the perfect project in mind: a beaded lace shawl, Sivia Harding's Diamond Lace Fantasy. A stretch, but doable. I anticipated pure pleasure knitting this in amazingly wonderful BMFA Seduction. Even better, (here's the sneaky bit) a class at Madrona last Sunday, by Sivia, about this specific shawl.
I mean, y'gotta love a plan!
I knew I had two evening meetings this week (I can knit and look interested at the same time), an all-day workshop (ditto), and an all-day event with downtime (ditto). And that's just week one! It's still a stretch (I can't actually talk and knit lace, but I can listen...) but I'll be okay.
Except...
Except I forgot about the "bead" part.
It's one thing to quietly make hand motions under the table. It's another thing to break out a box of beads, a crochet hook, a pattern, AND try to knit quietly under the table.
In Olympic terms, I may not make it past the quarter finals.
What was I thinking?!?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Ma-dro-na! Ma-dro-na!
Arrived in Tacoma with TracyBird last night (late enough, after we'd both worked all day, that we were a bit crispy fried), found hotel, slept...
And today. Class all day with Evelyn Clark (Icelandic Lace Knitting). Friends met and hugged. Projects pet and ogled. Acquaintances renewed.
Brain very, very full...
And today. Class all day with Evelyn Clark (Icelandic Lace Knitting). Friends met and hugged. Projects pet and ogled. Acquaintances renewed.
Brain very, very full...
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Rogue, complete
Speaking of knitting, it was a relief to finish this one!
My sister asked for a Rogue sweater. Can do.
But, maybe, a cardigan instead of a pullover? Okay, can do.
Not too fond of the thick hems, though... Okay, there's help for that, too.
Now, about the color... It took five months (and swatches from several mail-order companies) before she made a decision.
I bought yarn, swatched, got approval, and (because *I* wasn't entirely happy with the feel of the fabric), knit the sleeves first for Sis's approval.
She liked 'em.
On I knit, through tidy (thin!) hems, cables, pockets, back and forth, until I got to the armpits... and then the entire thing went into a box so I could move across the country and back to the Pacific North West.
On occasion, my sister would delicately clear her throat and murmur something about how nice it would be to have a green sweater. "Haven't come across the box it's in." "It's July. Too hot to knit a wool sweater." "Erm, yeah." My excuses got weaker.
So, in October, I dragged it out, figured out where I was (rarely have I been so glad that I write notes to myself on patterns!), and carried on.
And now it's done. And my sister is, well, happy.
My sister asked for a Rogue sweater. Can do.
But, maybe, a cardigan instead of a pullover? Okay, can do.
Not too fond of the thick hems, though... Okay, there's help for that, too.
Now, about the color... It took five months (and swatches from several mail-order companies) before she made a decision.
I bought yarn, swatched, got approval, and (because *I* wasn't entirely happy with the feel of the fabric), knit the sleeves first for Sis's approval.
She liked 'em.
On I knit, through tidy (thin!) hems, cables, pockets, back and forth, until I got to the armpits... and then the entire thing went into a box so I could move across the country and back to the Pacific North West.
On occasion, my sister would delicately clear her throat and murmur something about how nice it would be to have a green sweater. "Haven't come across the box it's in." "It's July. Too hot to knit a wool sweater." "Erm, yeah." My excuses got weaker.
So, in October, I dragged it out, figured out where I was (rarely have I been so glad that I write notes to myself on patterns!), and carried on.
And now it's done. And my sister is, well, happy.
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