My So- Called Handmade Life

Caramel, Part Deux

2012-02-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

There was rejoicing in the morning Sunday, and not just because it was a day of worship. I have to admit, some of the cause for the gigantic mental smile I wore was that my second Caramel Sweater was dry and when I slipped it on... the fit was perfect. Proof below in these pictures where I seem to ponder life's great questions.

Questions like: Is my face too oily in this photo?

Why couldn't my husband take one non blurry photo of me yesterday when it was a good hair day?

Can I cut my head out of this and it not look strange?

Is that sound I'm hearing my dog throwing up in the bedroom?

Re-knitting this sweater a second time was a big mental challenge for me. Wonderful as the pattern is, I didn't really want to make two, but I gritted my teeth, stayed up late, stayed in front of the tv, and did it.

These are my modifications:

After washing my very large swatch, that would be my first Caramel sweater, I noted how much it grew, particularly in width. So, I decided to make a xxs size like micheline did on Ravelry. She wanted a smaller size, but my intention was to knit it way too small so that when submersed in water it would grow to a nice, normal size for me - like a Chia Pet or an Amazing Grow Capsule toy. And it did! I would post a picture of my tiny daughter wearing it pre-wash and it fitting her well, but then she would have to kill me and there would be no one to wear this sweater, so...

These were my numbers for the set up row (front band, one front, arms, back, the other front, front band): 5-40-8-43-8-40-5.

After increasing, my stitch count was 5-63-54-89-54-63-5.

That fixed the trouble with the sweater widening. I still knit it a bit longer than called for in pattern, but not as much as I would have if I was working with another yarn because Patons Classic Wool (affordable and wonderful though it is) grows, people!

The sentence above is an example of why punctuation is important. What a difference a comma makes.

I followed the pattern the rest of the way except at the armpits.

I tried a sleeve/ underarm solution this time around to help with the uneven, elongated stitches I always seem to have in that area, no matter how careful I am when knitting it:

I picked up 2 stitches at the bottom, center of the sleeve hole (one on each side of where my round marker would go,) then I knit around to 1 stitch before the first stitch I picked up, ssk , placed marker, k2tog, and continued in pattern.

Basically I just created two new stitches in the first round and decreased them at the end of the same round. I don't know why this helped so much but it seemed to "fill in" where there is often space under there. Of course, once I was finished, I went back and checked to see that all of those stitches were even, tightening and loosening as needed.

My one regret with this second time around was that I didn't weave the loose yarn ends from the striping into the front band. I just didn't think I could handle weaving in all the loose ends a second time, so I ran the color I wasn't using up the inside edge of the front band. It doesn't look horrible, but it isn't as neat and smooth as the other side (see above.)

My advice, based on other knitter's notes: Break the yarn with each stripe and make the stripes an odd number of rows thick so they will begin and end on different sides, splitting the yarn ends that must be woven in between the two front bands. Then weave in those ends, but only into the front bands, which are already a little thicker and will hide them better than the body of the sweater.

Things I really like about this sweater:

The option to either clasp it together or wear it loose and casual.

The k1, p1 ribbing looks really nice.

The way the stripes go just so far down the body and arms.

It is uncomplicated, in pattern and appearance.

The p1, k2, p1 "seam" running down the side and the length of the arms. That's my favorite part, I think.

And that's my experience with Caramel. It may be one of my most favorite sweaters ever. It's also uncomplicated enough to be a good project for a beginner and it's free on Isabell Kraemer's blog.

Okay, so next up is Selbu Modern and my own version of a catalog - order cowl.

(more dorky photos of me and things I made on my Flickr and my Ravelry)

Selbu

2012-02-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

What is Selbu anyway?

(on my Flickr and my Ravelry)

I'm learning. The first eight- leafed rose to be knit in Selbu style using very fine, un-dyed yarn from black sheep on a stark background of white was made by a young girl named Marit in 1857. Apparently this motif on her mittens caused such a stir one Sunday at church that several women asked later if she would teach them her technique. The design caught on in the community, as they were all capable knitters, and has come to symbolize the city of Selbu and all of Norway. It is one of the most popular motifs of Norway.

A few rows into the motif of the Selbu Modern hat I understood the popularity of the style. The yarn changes keep it interesting, and the pops of color on white are really satisfying to look at. I really like that the contrasting color for mine is a skein of Noro Silk Garden sock yarn and gradually changes in shade from bottom to top as my hat takes shape. I'm not even doing the rose pattern here, hence the Modern in the pattern name. But, it's giving me a taste for the more intricate selburose.

As I clicked through info on the selburose, I find that it's referred to as a rose, Norwegian snowflake, secret rose, cross for protection against evil, and even a moon goddess star used as a talisman. Though there may be disagreement on the origin of the petal-like symbol in the human psyche, there's no doubt about the origin of the black and white knitting style. I like that something so standard today can be traced back to one little girl knitting up mittens over a century ago.

More traditional Selbu patterns can be found in Selbuvotter by Terri Shea and her Ravelry group.

Passing Down the Needles

2012-01-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

I always look at photos of group crafters with wistfulness and a little disbelief. Where do all these people live that enjoy hand crafts? Oregon? Canada? It must be staged.
Is it because I live in the Deep South that I never meet other knitters or is it because I live in the deepest, darkest corner of the Deep South? I've mentioned my knitting history before: how I taught myself as a young mom at home with two small children on a whim, but since I haven't lost interest after ten or eleven years, I think it stuck.

But no matter how enthusiastic I am about it, or maybe because I am, it has never caught on with anyone else around me. I bought a Rowan scarf kit for a friend at the yarn store after she had seen one of my sweaters and was all excited about learning. She never did use the kit and has since dubbed the yarn store the "yawn store." Hummh.

I taught my reluctant daughter how to make fuzzy, Fun Fur garter stitch scarves when she was a preteen, and she actually made one. Of course, it was about 12 inches long, just the right size for her stuffed cat, but it was a scarf and group knitting was a happenin' at my house! But it only happened for a day, the scarf was her last, and was probably eaten by the vacuum cleaner.

Lots of people say they want to learn, and I really think they'd enjoy it, but they just can't seem to power past cast ons and garter stitch. That's probably why knitting groups are so popular, even if you move at a tortoise pace, you're still getting the fun of being out with friends, unless you live in Knitting Siberia. This is one of those things that would make living in a big metropolis preferable.

Fast forward to a few months ago when some of my daughter's friends saw a scarf I had made her and said they wanted to learn to knit. I was doubtful (did they all have stuffed cats too?) but they planned a girls night over at our house complete with food and movies, so I went out and bought size 10 aluminum straight needles and 2 skeins of Thick and Quick yarn at Wal Mart for each of them to make green and white striped garter stitch scarves. Then they all changed their plans and the skeins sat in a corner of my daughter's room until they'd collected so much dust and dog hair I feared they'd doubled in size.

But, one night recently, when they had nothing else to do, she took them to one of their homes and all four of them learned from my daughter, who asked for a quick refresher on cast-ons before walking out the door. Maybe having nothing else to do is the key to actually learning.

I may not have been able to be part of that group, but I was satisfied to know I made it happen with ready supplies and, because of my effort, the skill is spreading. I think these girls actually will make more than one saggy scarf. They like to watch movies and talk into the wee hours, so knitting fits in beautifully. A few days later one of them emailed my daughter a picture of a perfectly even, almost finished scarf. Nice.

(on my Flickr)

I think the next time a friend, or even a stranger, expresses mild interest in my knitting to be polite, I may run get some cheap supplies and ambush them at their home with a scarf tutorial before they know what's happening.

Come knit with me on Ravelry.

Diana

2012-01-27T08:13:00.000-08:00

When I was about 22 I found a book in the library about getting artistic photographs from instant cameras. In it the author mentioned a collection of photos called The Diana Show. Many years later I ordered a copy off of Ebay and fell in love with toy cameras.

(The Diana Show)

Photos like this one by Sally Gall were so visually different than anything I'd seen produced by my Kodak Disc (remember those) or 35mm. From that point on, I really wanted to make photos like that.

I had no computer, and so no idea what terms like Holga or Lomo meant, but I found that sometimes cheap, disposable kodak cameras produced a similarly tweaked image. I tried a Joycam, photos through the viewfinder of an Argus 75, Polaroids SX-70 and 210, and, yes, a Diana.

There's liberation in toy and contraption photography: the devices are light, they won't break me if they break, they alter the image just enough to seem more "real" than what my eyes caught, and when I hold them, I just don't care about the rules of photography.

I recently waded through my closet and surfaced with 2 rolls of film from my Diana. As part of my birthday celebration we drove to a studio that could develop them- one crazy party, huh? One had four shots and the other had only three, possibly lens cap issues. Of course, once we were home, I found three more rolls. So there's that to look forward to.

I have no idea where the shot below was taken. None.

(where am I? - my Flickr)

(I like the dreamy blur of the second one)

(Moses)

My Whole Life Flashed Before My Eyes

2012-01-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

It's a good thing I have a film scanner and these newly developed film photos of my little ones (see below) to soothe my aching heart because I've been having a little crisis.

(This was a hot summer day when we decided to put fancy umbrellas in our fruit smoothies)

Actually it is a huge crisis to me: everything on my external hard drive got erased accidentally by a beloved (and yes, forgiven) family member whose name will not be mentioned, you know, like Voldemort. Anyway, my life flashed before my eyes. Literally, I saw all of the family photos of my children from the last 8 years, everything digital, all the videos of them in marching band or school plays, the photos of vacations I'd always dreamed of going on and finally did, that 365 project where I got used to looking at myself, and, worst of all, most of my interviews with my grandparents before my grandfather's memory began to fade.

I think it says a lot about my character that my reaction upon learning what had happened was to simply mumble, "No... no..." and pace instead of screaming, "Oh, YOU!" while ripping out chunks of hair, spinning in circles, and biting my way through large pieces of furniture.

I really do mean that my life flashed before my eyes. All those sweet lazy days at home where my children made up tv shows for the camcorder... Those children are now 16 and 12, I need these memories.

I think most of the files were retrieved by a local company. They are, however, unnamed and all out of order. I don't know how to run the video and retrieve the sound or how to open the documents. But, maybe I'll figure it out. As I click through videos of my son at age 8 imitating me teaching yoga in his pajamas or my daughter purposely singing through her nose for long periods of time, I can't help but wonder what the computer tech guys happened to see in all of this. They probably would think I'm really, really vain. Remember, a while back I did a 365 project in which I took 365 photos of myself along with numerous possible alternates that I was too busy to sift through and delete while in the middle of the all- consuming Project. In other words, there is way too much of me on there. I guess this is my chance to sift and start backing up my back up.

(They used to spend lots of time together- on my Flickr)

Okay, so that's enough italics and bold type. I'm going to calm down and sit on my patio tonight and knit. One thing that has come from this is that I've been reflecting on how blessed I am to have this family, to have had these conversations with my grandparents, and these experiences together- even if they aren't all recovered.

Next week I'll probably be starting a new photo project for the year called "The Organizing, Renaming, and Correctly Accessing Every Image and/or Document You've Saved for the Last 8 years Project." Something tells me there's no Flickr group for this one.

Knitting Confessions

2012-01-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

You know you have some. I reside in a world of knitting bloggers who love posting details about their finished knits with beautiful photos of themselves wearing them and looking off in the distance, lost in deep thoughts, and very accomplished.

But it's a bit of a sham, with me anyway.

(on my Flickr)

Let me just get the most humiliating of confessions out of the way, first.

1. I'm a bit of a phony knitter. I love to knit, but hate post-knit tidying up. I've worn my Look-back Leggings for many years- to football and soccer games, at parades, on long walks, to another hemisphere, etc. But I have yet to weave in all of the ends. I know, I'm cringing too.

Exhibit A:

I've hidden loose, unwoven ends for many project photos: tucked them into leg warmers, up inside of sleeves, down the back of necklines. I even pinned my Corona Camisole straps to the body with hidden safety pins so I could take a "Finished Object" photo and let it double as a no-brainer 365 photo of the day. I did, after all, intend to finish it up the next day. It is still waiting there, folded in my closet, pins and all. Ah, the "Finished Object" photo of a not quite finished object; am I alone in this?

2. I'm also a terrible blocker. Read this and this if you doubt me. I routinely wear newly finished knits before I block them. I don't know, it feels all homespun that way and, after the Miracle Grow Sweater Debacle, it would seem this is the only way to make sure I get some wear out a sweater before taking a risk with washing it.

3. The blocking thing is really only a gamble because I am a swatching newbie. I usually swatch, but never realized that I should wash and block it before diving into a project. That was a Homer Simpson "Doh!" you just heard.

(on my Ravelry)

4. I am also a knitting cheapskate, preferring cheap plastic circulars and Denise needles for everything. This isn't really an embarrassing confession, just a fact. I love Denise needles. I've never had anything snag on them and I abuse them with tight knitting regularly, like on the sweater above where I finally popped a cord. (It's not the needle set's fault.) I have had them for probably 9 years or more. You wouldn't believe how giddy I was to get the replacement cords and more needles as part of my birthday gift.

5. Of course, cord popping is a first for me and only happened because I have another issue/skill in that I am sometimes a Death Grip knitter. I can get a size 3 gauge out of a size 5 needle by using Knitter's Death Grip in order to avoid buying smaller needles for the project because... well... refer to the confession above. (Knitter's Death Grip is where you sit hunched over and give your busy needles an Indian rope burn while wearing a maniacal expression on your face.) But I only do it occasionally, in a pinch, because I don't enjoy being that "wound up."

6. But, I can get a little wound up when I have to. It was the same Denise needle set that showed me what a possessive knitter I am. A few years ago, I kind of caused a scene arguing with Lan Peru airline security over my size 6 Denise needles that I'd left in my carry on. You have to understand, I am not a scene maker. That's tacky and not worth it, usually. Even as I argued with the supervisor that they were airline approved, I was surprised at how much it bothered me to lose one very affordable pair of needles. It was like losing a digit or something. I probably did start to frighten them. I wonder if they put them in one of those giant, plexiglass boxes full of sharp, unapproved carry-on items in customs as a visual reminder. Ugh. Well, maybe that's kind of cool: my Denise needles hanging with all those blades. Maybe I'm a dangerous knitter.

7. I am a "Big Plans" knitter, queueing patterns like crazy or hoarding way more knitting magazines and books than I will ever, ever use and wasting time that I could be using for knitting to take them out and polish them with a "my precious" look on my face. Okay, I know I'm not alone on this one.

8. I am a knitter in denial. I live in the South and only wear sweaters a couple of months a year, but that doesn't keep me from churning out my favorite thing and then shoving them into sweater boxes under my bed for one day...

9. I squirrel away knitting stuff in any available space. But, to be fair, I have a really small home. By everywhere I mean under the bed, behind clothes hanging in the closet, in the garage, in the pantry, on top of the fridge, and in big jars on shelves to double as "art." Is this what it's like to be a pack rat? Below is my newly organized needle stash under my bed.

And this next one is the yarn on top of the fridge. No, that isn't the title of a short story... at least not yet.

10. Yeah, I'm a selfish knitter and I'm not a bit ashamed.

11. I did give a failed sweater to my cat. I think she likes it, she's curled up on it right now, which proves I can be a selectively generous knitter.

12. Knitting couch potato - that's me. I watch (or listen to) way too much Netflix and it's all knitting's fault. I think I could hide out like a hermit and knit all day, year round if I didn't have a family. I'm not saying that I would, I don't think I'd be fulfilling my God given purpose in life, but I definitely could.

Speaking of God, I have almost absentmindedly brought my knitting into church with me, but didn't. Does this make me a spiritual knitter?

13. I may do "take backs" with a sweater that I made my daughter who has yet to wear it in the year since I made it, because it's so cool and wasting away in her closet. So, there you have it, I'm a knitting thief.

14. My armpits are often not as neat as I'd like. Not my actual armpits; I mean the armpit seams on my sweaters. I just haven't always paid attention to details until it was too late. I recognize the contradiction in being way too preoccupied with a hobby but then being absentminded while engaging in it, really I do. I try to be careful and read through patterns all the way before I get started, but once in a while I overlook critical things and end up either needing more yarn or with Theo Huxtable's shirt. Even so, the next time I get yarn and needles out with a project in mind I may be just as blinded to detail because the feeling you get when starting those first few rows is heady for an addict.

This concludes my very long confessional. It's time for a fresh start, a chance to amend my slothful and/or obsessive ways. I feel so squeaky clean and forgiven I think I'll put another season of The Closer into the BluRay and continue my second attempt of Knitter's Death Grip on that un-swatched sweater that I'm making for me, myself, and I because I already have the yarn left over from the first attempt tucked under my bed and didn't want to actually spend more money. I'll probably work on it, with tunnel vision, until it's finished, or until it's time to weave in ends, then I might take a long break to stare at my knitting books or internet patterns with the cursor hovering over the Ravelry queue button. Ah, it's too late for me; save yourself.

It's About Time

2012-01-20T18:46:00.000-08:00

This film is probably 4 years old. It's 120, which I guess is why I had it taped up and sealed in a pouch inside of a grocery bag I'd tied up and then dropped into another bag. I'm a little paranoid using film that doesn't come with light-tight containers because I never had before. But, not paranoid enough to actually take it to be developed within a few years of shooting it.

(serious vignetting, on my Flickr)

I was really surprised to see that any of these photos came out. I've shot a total of 5 blind rolls with my Diana, never developing any along the way to know if I was even doing it right. I remember timing my work and meals one day while on a mission in Peru so that I could take a shot of a certain street all aflame with light at sunset. I was so pleased on the walk back to the house we were staying at, until I looked down and realized I'd had the lens cap on the whole time. That roll is being developed as I type this so maybe I'll get the prints and find that I went back and tried the shot again. I just don't remember.

(These were all taken in Ayaviri, Peru)

I suppose my procrastination is due to our local camera shop and darkroom closing around the time I received my Diana as a Christmas present. So right at the beginning I sort of lost momentum. But the days of languishing, expiring film are over. I've almost finished developing the stack of disposable cameras from years gone by, I have 3 more rolls shot with my Diana at the developer's, and I just got my Epson V500 scanner in the mail. I'm suppressing girlish squeals, here.

(Why do these just feel more "real" than my digital shots?)

DIY Memory Foam Mattress

2012-01-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

We finally faced the ugly truth: my neck issue that leads me to wake up with migraines is probably exacerbated by our crummy mattress. Once you know what your spinal problems are, you become hyper aware of your positioning. So after seeing a chiropractor for spinal care, I knew the mattress we were sleeping on was about as supportive as Gilligan's hammock.

Though $900 for a mattress didn't seem like a poor investment at the time, I guess it was. But here's the real shocker:

I have since realized that the cheaper and firmer the mattress, the better.

It does make sense when you consider that we were made to sleep on the ground, and I can't think of anything more supportive. This means I would have felt better and saved money if I'd slept on an inexpensive, firm futon that cost $100 and replaced it every two years instead of struggling for three on a more expensive pillow top name brand. No wonder I always sleep great on our old, second hand, pop-up camper mattress.

My chiropractor said lots of people have reported sleeping better in their campers and that dense latex foam might be the way to go. So, I looked up Tempur Pedic, Ikea mattresses, Natura, and other latex types; however, it's a little scary to invest a lot in something that may prove wrong for me in a couple of months. After reading more reviews, about construction and a few "how-to" sites, I settled on The Foam Factory's most dense all natural latex mattress with a 3" 5lb. ViscoMax memory foam topper mattress.

The mattresses were delivered in two small but crazy heavy boxes. We sort of rolled them through the house into the bedroom and began to remove the packaging so they could unfurl. Very weird.

We already had the hairpin legs we wanted for our soon-to-be-built (hopefully) platform bed, so my husband threw together a cheap pine platform bed in an hour, seriously, and we attached the legs to it for now.

(This is before adding slats, obviously.)

It actually looks pretty good for unfinished wood. After all was set up and finished, he added center supports underneath to quell my fear of the bed collapsing on our cat. (Thank you, Dear.) I have been sleeping on it for about two weeks and have not awoken with a migraine once. I have only had one headache during the day and I know that was due to some stressful circumstances. I actually wake up feeling better than when I went to bed, something that I haven't been able to say in years.

(Sorry there's no more photos, but even after vacuuming up the dog hair, my room was still a mess.)

The moment of truth, however, will be in a few months when everything has had time to sag or deteriorate a little. I really don't think we'll have a problem with the bottom latex mattress, but I'm glad I can customize my side of of the bed by removing the memory foam if I need to. If all else fails, we can trash the whole thing and buy that cheap futon for our soon to be made platform bed.
Image on my Flickr.

Stove Top Espresso the Second Time Around

2012-01-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

My tastes have changed in the last year. I crave salt and strong flavor (think goat cheese) over sweets. Most of the time, I don't really care about food. I mean, I'm thankful for it and try to eat wisely, but it's not the highlight of my day, even when I'm cooking it for my family, unless I get hit with a peculiar craving. I'm not a food snob. I just don't really want much of anything; anything, that is, except the perfect cup of cappuccino.

It started when we celebrated my husband's 40th birthday at an Italian restaurant and I had chicken with all sorts of goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes. When I was too stuffed for dessert, I ordered a plain jane cappuccino. Look, I realize this is an old news kind of drink. Espresso drinks ceased to be cool for me ten years ago, and I never thought I'd want another cappuccino after tasting one at McDonald's (why did I do that?) But, I don't know, it was so earthy and good that night.

Anyway, I'll get to the point by saying everything I tasted in the month between that birthday dinner and buying an $8 Bialetti knock off at Ross was cardboard.

In years past we have burned through Bialettis, Mr Coffees, and a Francis Francis (it was so beautiful) but over time I quit enjoying the taste and went back to my coffee roots. It doesn't help that my husband has a "More is more!" attitude and makes/cooks everything ever stronger as the years go by. I realize its really nice of him to do this and that's probably why I drank cappuccinos for a couple of years after I ceased to enjoy them.

(on my Flickr)

But this time around I googled how to use the knock off espresso maker so I wouldn't get that metallic taste. (I know, I google everything. I even dream about googling.)

First, I vowed to always take it all the way apart and clean after every use. This may curb my caffeine habit, but so be it. Then, I ground the beans for 16 seconds or so, intermittently, so they wouldn't burn. I filled the coffee basket, but didn't tamp. I kept the heat on medium and pulled the pot as soon as the espresso began gurgling up, so it wouldn't burn.

With just a touch of sugar it was perfection. I felt like I could finally rest on the inside after a month of appetite soul- searching.

Cauliflower Soup

2012-01-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education." - Mark Twain

Is this not a beautiful natural wonder? Why am I so uneducated about the educated cabbage? Most of my experience with cauliflower has been the bland steamed vegetable tray, sometimes called "steamies," served to fill space beside a more tasty entree in restaurants. And this is a waste. Cauliflower is just too common and inexpensive to remain so untapped in my kitchen.

I came across this recipe for cauliflower soup by The Pioneer Woman recently and the cream called to me. It seemed just a tad thrown together, which appeals to my slapdashedness in the kitchen. It was nothing too exact, so I thought I couldn't really mess it up. I was right, because it was great even though I forgot to serve it with the sour cream.

Here's two more cauliflower recipes that I'm anxious to try out:

One, for Roasted Cauliflower with Olives and Herbs is so beautifully photographed it is making my stomach growl. (Sadly, my stomach will be receiving lazy grilled chicken salad tonight instead.) Those marinated olives!

The other is a Coconut Curry recipe with potatoes and zucchini accompanying the cauliflower. Anyway, the curry interested me. Plus, the site reminded me that I've been wanting to order a giant vat of coconut oil for forever, but either forget to budget for it or simply forget. This is the year of the vat.

I read that Louis XIV ate his cauliflower quartered, boiled in broth, seasoned with a little nutmeg and shaken with butter over a fire. Guess I have to do that now, too.

There are tons of roasted cauliflower "popper" type recipes out there right now selling cauliflower as the new baked kale, which was the new baked lays, which was the old pork rinds. I don't know how snack-y I'd find it, though I did recently eat a whole bag of Brussels Sprouts by myself, but I know it would be the perfect steamies upgrade.

on my Flickr

New Leaves, Turning

2012-01-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

My New Year's Eve was not all fireworks and excitement. In fact, the kids were at friends' homes and there were no fireworks at all. There wasn't even cocoa. Sigh. Let's all feel the melancholy together. (I wonder if anyone else out there remembers how to spell "melancholy" by saying it like Megamind, too?) These are the kind of thoughts I was reduced to at home without anything to distract my mind from weighing the pages of my life in 2011. I won't get into what I found, just that there were blessings and there were disappointments.

I get the added fun of surveying the past year with a birthday following close behind. It makes things seem a little more profound. Profundity, drama, it's all the same, right? Well, I've had a full week to consider all of this and now might be ready to think of goals for the year ahead. There are the personal ones, which I may go into later, and there are the easy, surface-y goals. That's where I feel comfortable hanging out today.

Last year I resolved to use manual settings and less editing in photos, and that went well. I did walk the dogs more, used up some stashed yarn, and continued to practice the piano, though less than I should've. I read more fiction, finished a 365 photo project, kept up Bible study, and fixed up a "vintage" bike for riding around town- all part of the plan. This seems to beg for an, "Oh goody for me. I'm so industrious!" in a British accent.

I should probably mention that I was a sleep deprived zombie stumbling through a wreck of a house many days, and often used these goals to cheer me out of some major discouragement. That should wipe out any Martha Stewart-ish illusions my list may have initially conjured up.

On to my new surface-y 2012 resolutions:

- Get a scanner, shoot more film, and shoot selectively

-Work on learning Spanish, for real.

-Walk my dogs, with my kids, regularly before they meld with the couch

-Read every night before bed, which is easy because my glasses are practically hypnosis. Two minutes after they are set on my nose, I am dead to the world.

- View my knitting from a more technical perspective, focusing on construction and sizing, and, maybe, writing a pattern.

-Empty two containers of stored yarn from the garage- this may mean knitting ugly things or giving ugly yarn away.

- Remember people in my community having hard times because we've been there, too. (No, I don't mean giving them the ugly yarn.)

-Really pay attention to how much negativity comes out of my mouth.

-Find an old tandem bike and fix it up before my anniversary in the Spring, if possible.

-Do strength training (and by strength training I mean no more than 20 minutes of body weight workout) twice a week. No more, no less because, oh my gosh, it is so boring.

-What do you want from me? Isn't that enough?

(on my Flickr)

(I love this 50mm lens I received for Christmas? Most of these are straight out of the camera.)

Amazing Miracle Grow Sweater

2012-01-05T14:16:00.001-08:00

This is Caramel, Deux. The original is a semi-felted, shapeless mass drying on my table. I get a lump in my throat when I look at it. I'm either going to cry or vomit.

This a real tale of woe. I put in some serious knitting time on this the last month in hopes of wearing it for a Christmas cold snap. I did wear it, for all of one minute to show my husband. It fit perfectly and was all warm like a blanket cardigan should be. I was smiling and thinking phrases like, "It pays to work hard and do it yourself." I didn't even take time to take a picture before quickly setting it aside for ruination. Ruination is the new blocking, didn't you know? At least it is at my house because this is my second Miracle Grow Sweater.

If there's a bright spot in this, it would be that at least I've learned that knitting a test swatch isn't enough. I have to wash and block it too. I have been knitting long enough to know this and this is super basic information. I know I read about it in my first knitting book, but I never did it,never had a problem, and so forgot.

Not washing the swatch is the reason I prefer my daughter's Mrs. Darcy sweater to mine: hers was made too small for me and when washed was good for her size and mine. I used a different yarn for mine and after washing, it grew longer and wider and, though it is still sharp looking, isn't as fitted as I would have liked. I actually thought it was a fluke, from using an unfamiliar yarn or something. But now I realize I was skipping a very important step in the annoying, joy-killing process of knitting preparation. (You know, where you experiment with needle size and yarn to make sure you have as many stitches and rows per inch as the pattern calls for, knit up a 4 x 4 test swatch, reknit until it's perfect, wash it, and wait for it to air dry in order to know if the stitch gauge has grown as the wool "blooms.") My suggestion is to start early with your swatching, maybe before you're even finished with the previous project, so when you have that weekend to work on a sweater, you won't just be sitting around waiting for your swatch to dry. Some even suggest a bigger swatch then 4 x 4 so you can get an idea if the weight of the fiber will pull the sweater out of shape. Then you have the excitement of drawing up new plans and calculations to take this weight into account.

(First caramel in my Ravelry. At least my cat likes it.)

As I said I'd just forgotten about the need for all of that and knitted away, churning out this blanket sweater in no time. But when I washed it, it turned elephantine. So I tried hot water to shrink it up just a little. I should have tried the dryer first, but I had no luck with my first Miracle Grow Sweater in the dryer, so I skipped it. In the hot water it did start to tighten up without losing too much drape, felting only slightly.

At least the stockinette did. The k1,p1 rib didn't budge. So, now the sweater was better in fit, but the edges were all billowy. I had visions of myself in Michael Jackson's flap collars, and it wasn't pretty. I then tried spot felting the ribbing. Is there really such a thing or have I made it up? It only thickened in a way that made the neat little ribbing imperceptible.

So, the top picture is where I'm at on my second try at this sweater; that is not too far. But it is too good a pattern not to knit right. I hope I don't get bored the second time around. But I just can't let it go with the piece of felt on my table, blanket- like though it maybe. I really want to make this and wear it.
Today, I want to get past the armholes so I don't give up. Sounds like a Netflix kind of day to me.

Semi- DIY Fillable Lamp

2012-01-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

When I hear the term collector two words go through my mind- Louvre and hoarder, neither of which accurately describe me and my rocks and shells. I think the basket's and giant pickle jars' worth I've gathered over years of beach weekends and vacations falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between curated and crazy.

I have a large, perfect, spiral shell that a friend found and gave to me on a winter beach walk when I was a teenager, fossils found with my kids, a rock from a small mountain I walked up at high altitude... you get the idea. Natural artifacts are the best souvenirs. (No, I do not collect rocks from national parks or Wonders of the World- just everywhere else.)

I have seen fillable lamps here and there and could have totally made the lamp base out of one of the aforementioned pickle jars for a similar look. But I didn't since this base was on sale at Target and made a more expensive DIY seem sort of silly.

I used only rocks from Enchanted Rock (Okay, I said I don't take rocks from state and national parks, but my children didn't realize this and when we got home from that park, I found a few presents for Mommy in their stuff) and mostly shells from Sea Rim, my childhood beach.

Fillables are easy- no finding the right drill bit for drilling through glass- just unscrew the top and fill with clean shells, rocks, pine cones, fossils, leaves, or whatever. I topped mine with a parchment shade my brother gave me.

day 363

Even though I've been looking at them through a jar for forever, I'm still impressed with the amount of color. That's unusual for shells from this area of the Gulf Coast; however, the most colorful and whole were found after hurricanes Katrina and Ike, so that might explain something.

day 365

So that's the end of this little project and the last of my 365 project pictures of 2011. I am exiting the 365 scene.

Reflecting

2012-01-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

The end of my 365 for 2011 has a business like feel to it. I'm done, truly.

Whereas in the first 365 project I finished, I explored the subject of myself and learned to stomach it, with this one I felt a little all over the place. One day it might be a carefully set up image, on which I practiced manual settings and the next veer into quick instagram pics. But, always, there was insight, some amount of honed aesthetics ( I guess,) and a preserved memory of moments that would be forgotten otherwise, as with the two phone photos of really good days below.

They needed to be recorded.

day 346

day 350

It was worth it.

Miscellaneous 365s

2012-01-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

It's over. But I'm not finished posting just yet. These photos are just odd bits of our holidays.

acorn guy, day 349

As you can see with Acorn Guy up there, the daily photo thing is kind of going to pot. But Christmas day afforded opportunities for some meaningful images.

Papaw, day 360

Plus, gifts are always nice.

some gifts, day 361

But I've barely broken out my photography related gifts. It never feels right until 365 is over.

iphone macro lens, day 362

randomness, day 364

more randomness

Two more posts and I'm done. I say this for my own benefit because I do realize no one is waiting with bated breath for the countdown. Well, no one but possibly my loved ones.

Braised Brussels Sprouts and Homemade Ricotta

2012-01-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

I haven't deviated from my stand-by recipes much lately because we're busy and soup or burritos is something I can make (and have made) in my sleep. So over the holidays, I tried this recipe for braised Brussels sprouts in cream. Sounds restaurant worthy doesn't it?

day 353

It was good, addictively good. Who gorges themselves on Brussel sprouts? I do, folks. I ate almost a whole bag of frozen sprouts all by myself, stopping short of polishing them off because I knew I should force my children to eat vegetables. They were so good that it is the only time my children have willingly consumed shrunken cabbage, and they were from the freezer section! My children are not fools.

My next excuse to feel smug in the kitchen was trying homemade ricotta for a Christmas lasagna. It was so ridiculously easy: 4 cups milk, 1/3 cup cream, 1 cup buttermilk heated until curds form. The only real task involved is fishing out the curds with a slotted spoon. It really did taste better than supermarket types and I finally had a reason to use cheesecloth. (That sounds so earthy.)

day 359

Okay, so I guess I can go back to burritos and soup for a few days.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

It's after eleven on Christmas and the coffee still isn't out of my system

so I thought I'd post a Merry Christmas to anyone still skimming blogs or Flickr. This is the sight that I enjoy reading and relaxing by every night of the holiday.

Hope your day was blessed.

day 354

Christmas Denial

2011-12-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

I guess, that sounds really blasphemous, but I don't mean it that way. No, I'm not denying Christmas, just putting off some of the work of the holiday for a few minutes more. I've hid in a movie, in Pinterest, in the bathroom, and now within a blog post. I'll get to roasting those peppers and making that ricotta eventually. I even look forward to it, but the forever 15 year old in me kind of wants to roll over in bed and face the wall for a little bit more.

So, indulge me as I post on decidedly non Christmas-y things like my bike basket:

day 358

It even looks like summer on the yellowed grass.
I've been using a purse with detachable straps wound around the handlebars, but I couldn't carry my camera in it. With this one, I can fit the whole big case with an extra lens.

It's handmade in Ghana for House of Talents with proceeds going to the artisans and their community. Click the link and read the story. When it arrived, I felt that feeling you get when you find the perfect pair of blue jeans or wake after having just the right amount of sleep. Silly, I know, but isn't it cool?

Now I just need to make my panniers and that skirt guard and my favorite bike will be so ridiculously dressed up it will look more human than bicycle :)

The Last Wise Man

2011-12-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Speaking of wise men, is this a universal truth, or just a coincidence in my home and the one I was brought up in that every Christmas, the last wise man in the nativity "gets it" from the household pets, eventually biting the dust somewhere near the edge of the tree skirt?

day 344

Growing up it was the only black wise man in my mother's ceramic set that our cat would walk past and swipe at. This left my brother and I, growing up in the deep south, to speculate on our cat's hidden prejudices, though she was black herself. But, you know, he was trailing behind the rest of the party at the manger scene, just outpaced by the shepherds in worshipping the Christ child on Christmas morn, and so had to be doomed. (I won't bother with biblical accuracy when it comes to the nativity.) My mother tried to save him year after year, and with each gluing, he acquired more chipped spots and poorly reattached limbs.

As an adult, my cats have always enjoyed tormenting our last wise man under the tree too, only I thought I'd prevented Christmas carnage by using a plastic nativity I inherited. (Really, it's not as tacky as it sounds, it looks kind of like carved wood under the artificial tree.) Anyway, it has weathered 2 children, 2 dogs, and 2 cats over the years... until this year when the ax fell.

There he is, below, poor guy. This time, my little dog was the culprit. It seems two to three miles is still not enough of a walk for my littlest dog to wear off his crazies. We were only gone for a second on a last minute Walgreens run. If you look close, now, you can see the chewed up edges of his frankincense censor... and his hand... and head.

day 357, sadly

Oh well, it is a Christmas tradition, I guess, and the important thing is he's still in there, expecting the miracle.

Wise Men Bring Gifts

2011-12-24T16:32:00.000-08:00

This is a lazy Christmas for us- no outdoor lights, no inflatables (thank goodness), no handmade gifts (except the sweater I made me) and we've been sleeping til ten every morning.

But, I feel no Martha Stewart- induced guilt about not making everything into a Christmas craft for extra special "memories." It just didn't feel right. We were all tired, and that's sad to have a high schooler feel tired from the pace of school. We are tired of celebrating. Does that even make sense? So, instead of trying to make my grandmother's incomparable turkey/dressing spread for dinner, we'll be having a no- brainer lasagna.

I think just knowing I wasn't going to overdo it this year made me feel "with it" enough to crank out some slice and bake cookies yesterday with my daughter to bring to family friends that are no longer able to leave their homes/ nursing homes. This is something I have always wanted to do at Christmas but was always too busy with a myriad of mindless activities to actually see it through. And it's something I do not do enough.

day 356

As I walked through the halls of the nursing homes, I saw people, some near my age, who I guessed had no one. I sat with friends of my parents or grandparents who had done innumerable little things for me since I was a little girl. One sweet lady had given me a dollar for each year of my age on every birthday when I was a girl. Then, when my children were born, she'd have little gifts for them on their birthdays waiting for us at my grandmother's house. She doesn't remember me now, I could tell, but when I mentioned my grandmother's name she smiled and said, "Oh, she's my special friend."

I saw a friend of my father's who began doing nice little things for us when our family was going through a hard time years ago. He'd bring over 60's era books the library was phasing out for the kids, just something to let us know we were loved. Yesterday, he was sick and so changed since I saw him last, that I had a very hard time holding my feelings in. He coughed and coughed so much that we never did communicate at all, except that I told him I loved him and how much his servant's heart meant to me.

(Let me say here that I mention none of this to sound like Polly Super - Christian, because I so am not. This was way below minimal.)

I know that as the years go by less church friends stop in to see him, the neighbors he brought doughnuts to regularly don't visit much. And I am one of these: so busy with my "activities" and the mini celebrations I feel obligated to be involved in that I can't take time to do some real good for someone who actually needs it. And by real good I mean the smallest of gestures- like that "cup of cold water" that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 10:42. Why must every group my children are a part of have their own Christmas party? I don't mean to sound like Scrooge, but it just seems like a lot of stuff lavished on kids who are already privileged enough to be part of a group, and, usually, have enough stuff.

Meanwhile, there are people I actually know in my neighborhood who will have very little to give their children tomorrow. There is a man down the street who has not one living relative to celebrate with. Had we not stopped by with a few cookies, we'd never have known that. I fail so much toward the poor and the lonely in my little circle of acquaintances that it is very easy to avoid that uncomfortable knowledge by avoiding them completely.

My kids were a little freaked out by our sick friend and other patrons of the home. They were quiet the whole way home and unsure of themselves... and basically, feeling the same awkward, inadequate, guilt we all feel. I told them that our presence would be forgotten, maybe instantly, but the feeling we bring in with us will linger, and that's really all we have to give. And that's what I have to believe. I never, ever, want to go back to mindless holiday stress over dippy things like ornament exchanges and carbon copy Christmas cards again. I want to give real gifts for Christmas to the people I feel led to give to. That's the kind of gift my God considers given to Him as well. If nothing more, I can have a fairly calm and kind presence to give to everyone around me. Maybe it will be felt even after I'm gone.

if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward- Matthew 10:42

42For I was hungry, and you gave me no food: I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink:

43I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited me not.

44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we you hungry, or thirsty or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto you?

45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Since you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. Matthew 25:42- 45

Visual Break

2011-12-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

This is a visual break from winter.
That's handy because it's also some photos that I forgot to post in this seemingly never-ending project.

day 284

day 338

Ornamental

2011-12-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

The tree is up, school is out, and I have enough time to play with twigs and glue.

This is one of my favorite kids' Christmas crafts

(as long as the kids are past the ages of poking their eyeballs with toothpicks.)

(day 348)

It's easy and makes a very pretty, natural adornment for a Christmas tree or garland. If I went so far as to have groupings of garland and conifer cones all over my house, these would be inside them.

All you need is the dregs of a school glue bottle, sweet gum balls (scan the park), toothpicks, newspaper, spray paint, and a sweatshop of eager, little elves. My elves aren't so little (or eager) these days, so I made them with our first grade Sunday School class.

(day 347)

Dab one end of each toothpick in glue, insert in the ball, then let them dry. I like to leave the stem on the ball to hold it by when glueing/ spraying.

Next up: spray paint, turn, and spray paint the rest.

See, this is a very uncomplicated, therapeutic craft for the holiday- fried brain. The fumes might even relax you further.

(Ttv52- week 50)

Once dry, they're ready to go. Next year, I want mostly these on my tree in blues, greens, and silver.

Best of all, when Christmas is over, you don't have to box them up in the attic- they biodegrade.

Plus my boy elf isn't too old to enjoy crushing things... so, there you go.

How You 'Spect to Get Your Day's Work Done

2011-12-15T05:52:00.000-08:00

Lazy Bones by Leon Redbone on Grooveshark

day 343

day 333

I'm looking forward to a little of this after Christmas.

People, Daily

2011-12-15T05:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some people I love...

relaxing in the "Dog House":

day 296

collapsing after school:

waiting for a job:

day 331

practicing:

day 336

just waiting:

day 316

having tea:

filling space:

day 321

I think I'm about caught up and ready to end this little project.

Puttering

2011-12-13T09:48:00.000-08:00

That's what I've be doing.

I've hung a few mirrors in the bathroom, separated a few plants, re-organized my closet, ordered most of my Christmas presents, had a few extra cups of coffee, made a few ornaments, read on a book, etc- nothing at high speed.

day 304

day 322

(we finally have oranges, day 332)

day 340

day 328

Caramel

2011-12-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

Can't stop hearing this song since I started knitting the Caramel Sweater by Isabell Kraemer. It's basically a striped, boxy, blanket - style cardigan that can be worn open or pinned across the front.

Striped, boxy, blanket- what's not to like? I'm a lazy dresser. I tend to stay in my yoga pants and sweatshirt long after the morning run, only to change five minutes before my husband gets home... into fresh yoga pants and a t-shirt. I'm hoping this will have the feel of a sweatshirt hoodie while looking less frump. It's not all that boxy (that is my tiny daughter wearing it for the photos.) It's also a very straight forward pattern. I do regret not making my stripes 7 rows thick instead of 6 so that my yarn ends would start on alternate sides with each stripe and not be so difficult to weave in all on one. But that's no big deal. I'm also a little concerned that the front edges will curl under, even with the banded edge.

Hopefully I'll be able to wear this by Christmas. Especially if I am lazy about blocking it, which I often am.

day 329

day 334

DIY Jewelry Ideas

2011-12-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos I took of jewelry related things in the last couple of weeks and all the linkage necessary to inspire you to make your own.

My daughter made me a couple of bracelets like this over Thanksgiving holiday from this tutorial. Very sweet.

day 324

Then I got completely inspired by these $1 "Junk Rings" I found at the Book Nook in Brenham. I'm seeing all the crummy odds and ends in my house in a whole new light. All I'd need is some adjustable ring bases and super glue and I'll be making better white elephant gifts than that Gene Simmons ornament. Oh, the possibilities...

day 340

This necklace holder was inspired by Sarah Ortega's jewelry holder, which I saw on Pinterest. It now has more than a few DIY necklaces hanging from it.

day 341

The rake came from an antique store near the Book Nook in downtown Brenham. It adds a bright little spot to a blah wall and since the cat has shown no interest in imitating Tarzan on it, I like.

day 342

And this last is just a daily photo of a necklace I love to wear from Anechka's.

day 323

Just another Dragon

2011-12-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

My son likes to draw and read, so we have lots of these and these around the house. But aside from all the renderings and toys, I swear our cat looks and acts just like Toothless. He and I sat there in the theatre and realized it at the same time. Jenny is a dragon. Proof below.

My daughter caught her when she thought we weren't looking and took these middle pics.

Ttv52, week 44

Once she saw me trying to get a Ttv out of it and within seconds she flew away.

day 319

Fall Color Palette

2011-12-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

These are colors I want to work into something I make this Fall.

day 320

My Thoughts While Burrowing

2011-12-06T12:19:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been a real homebody. I'm not alone. My old guy, here, only wants to go out in the cold when he has to. This means we will be dealing with big dog smells, scratched up floors, flaky dog skin, and furry carpet all winter. We also have to be careful not to leave shoes and small things on the floor that he can trip over since his sight is poor now. Of course if he's in more, the little one will be too. I don't want him to feel left out.

flaky guy

I've always been a bit of a slave to my pets, waking from a dead sleep as a girl to turn on a steady drip in the bath tub (had to be the bath tub) for a suddenly thirsty cat each night, so it won't be too hard. But I find myself going a little further than usual in my care of Mo. As his eyes get glassy and his legs more shaky, I am drawn to lay down by him on the floor more often or to take more short walks with him so he still feels a part of things. This is my way of making the most of the time we have together. I always took care of Mo when we were both younger, but something about being good to him now when his walk is a little off kilter and he tires so easily has made a deep impression on my heart.

Aging has been on my mind for a few years now and maybe Mo is getting my early response to it. Maybe this extra consideration is really my way of considering my own aging and that of my parents and grandparents without getting too bogged down with sorrow. I wonder will I be looked on with fondness even when I can no longer give the things I used to? Will I find compassion and patience in my children? When I think of times that I lacked patience with them, I can't help but think I may see it reflected back at me one day, or at least may deserve it. I want to age with grace and gentleness, leaving behind no undone task of love, but it's harder for us than for trusty old dogs. We question our purpose and the circumstances that befall us too much as our bodies give out to submit to the process of aging with ease.

Of course my heaviest thoughts are of my own parents and grandparents. Am I being as thoughtful and supportive as they need me to be as their bodies weaken? Am I spending the extra time with them, going on short excursions together since longer ones are too tiring? Am I finding new ways for us to relate where previous ones no longer apply? I hope so. I really can handle the eventual passing of my loved ones. I won't like it, but I can accept it if I can be with them the whole way. I never want to think that I missed an opportunity to make this passing as beautiful as possible for people who lived a beautiful life.

day 317

Well, when I uploaded a picture of my dog here, I really didn't plan to go this direction with my post, but I'm getting older too, and tend to say what's on my mind more readily.

Our Devil's Tower

2011-11-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

I can't be the only one with an unusual amount of refinery photos in my camera, huh? How can I help it? I'm taking photos every day and this is my horizon, no matter where I turn. I grew up here, yet no matter how familiar the tanks and stacks are, I'm amazed at how different they can look from one day to the next, changing in character with the light. As children, driving past the hundreds of little lights at night, my brother and I pretended it was a space colony, covered by an invisible dome, on a hostile planet. Yeah, we were nerdy then too.

Sometimes they'd burn off things that smelled strong enough to give you a headache. I believe it was my uncle who said that it smelled like bread and butter. It breaks up the natural view, true, but if the day is particularly beautiful, that silhouette against it makes it seem even more so.

In the suburbs of southeast Texas, despite city council's big plans for the future, this will have to be our Painted Desert. This is our Devil's Tower.

day 303

day 293

day 315

Neglected Things

2011-11-26T09:04:00.000-08:00

Neglect works for some things.

day 270

They grow better when undisturbed.

day 294

They bloom in drought,

day 301

increase in character with every flaw.

day 268, Ttv52- week38

Neglect of one thing, makes room for another to thrive.

day 325

day 285

I do have the idea that people grow under these stressful conditions too,
even thrive, at least on the inside.

Props

2011-11-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

In my quest to find some prop to photograph each day, I thought about the little jar of buttons beside me. I like to photo things that have some meaning to me.

That morning I was borrowing a button from it to sew owl eyes on a sweater. It's just an old baby food jar full of my mother's stray buttons (lots of 70's wood -look in there.) I don't usually pilfer from it or even let my extra buttons mix with them anymore, keeping it sacred, I guess.

button jar, day 277

My mother didn't really like to sew, but when she did, I'd dig through her supplies and play with this little green measuring tape. I'd roll it up tight, then push the center upward in a cone shape and think of The Tower of Babel.

my Flickr

Seems I have something attached to every object around me, or every place. They truly are props that I set around to support or soothe me. Even the weirdest things contain some link to her: a cigar box of letters, a locket, a big, plastic bunny ring that I gave her then guilt tripped her into wearing to church one Sunday, just to see if she'd do it.

day 278, Ttv52- week 39

If I open this jar, which I rarely do, I can still smell her. Kind of powdery.

I guess I could draw some allusion here or tie this all together with the holiday or something; but the kids are at home and I never say things like I want to.

I Need to Give Thanks

2011-11-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

I really do hope that anyone who reads this has or will have had a really special Thanksgiving with people who love them, mindful of the blessings in their life. Personally, I could use more gratitude.

day 306

Thank you, God, for my life, for your son that saved it, and for the plan you have for it.

How to End 365 Number 2

2011-11-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

This is a how-to on how to finish your second 365 project without hating it's guts.

Because at this point you'll do anything to get that picture of the day over with:

Just point the camera in a direction and click.

I didn't have the heart to call this day 281, but it could've been.

Take boring photos of yourself doing nothing in particular.

knitting bag, day 262

Use your phone a lot and call the grain an effect.

day 265

Mix regular mom type pictures in with the daily photos because you were going to take them anyway.

Look, I made the poster, I didn't feel like being creative any more.

day 288

This necessitates taking photos of your family, wether they like it or not.

At this juncture in the project, I'd say the less willing they are, the better.

day 295

Don't forget to throw in a few of yourself when you're sick. They're even classier when taken via phone.

day 292 within day 310

Then, a few days later, you can take pictures of pictures you drew of those pictures of yourself. (I was drawing with my son and mistakenly thought maybe this would make the phone photo of myself with a migraine seem more artful. Um, nah.

ttv52- week 43

Put shoes on your dog.

day 290

Ah, a blurry phone pic, now I'm really getting the end-of-365-spirit.

day 308

So, I'm back to the dog again.

day 314

Even if some of these are kind of (very) blah and uninspired, they still mean something to me. I mean, besides loving my kids and their activities, I really do like my dog in shoes.

Tuxedo Vest

2011-11-22T20:08:00.000-08:00

This is the finished Tuxedo Vest that prompted my new resolution about never being lazy about third grade level math again. Yeah, right. Anyway, it's also my second attempt at merging different patterns.

day 326

I used the waffle stitch and yarn type from Stefanie Japel's Back to School Vest, but followed the circular version of this Wendy Bernard vest. I guess this was a compromise because I only had enough yarn to make the tuxedo version, but really liked the thermal look of the waffle stitch.

As I mentioned, I kind of screwed up on my first try, so I was completely relieved last night when the last stitch was bound off and all of the following were true:

it wasn't gigante,

the edges weren't floppy and mishapen,

and I had just enough Cascade 220 Quatro to finish it.

I think my whole family breathed a sigh of relief with me, because there's nothing worse than sharing the couch on movie night with a frustrated knitter.

This was only two skeins, people! Two measly skeins, for crying out loud. There really should be some sort of trumpet blast inserted right here... but oh well. It was definitely worth the first failed attempt.

Let's get right into the mods (in case anyone ever wants to try a waffle stitch on this vest) :

First up- I had to research waffle stitch a little as there are different ways to do it. But, basically, it's 2 rows of stockinette followed by a row of k1,p1, repeated to end.

I made it according to the smallest measurements in Wendy's pattern with my gauge being 4 stitches per inch/ 6.5 rows per inch. It's worked straight on circulars until almost to the ribbing, where it's joined in the round to finish. The collar and armhole edging are added afterward by picking up stitches.

day 312

For the Back: I cast on 48 stitches on size 5 circulars and worked waffle stitch for 6.5 inches, then followed pattern instructions for increases on back.

For Front: I unraveled only 9 stitches on each end of provisional cast on, then followed instructions for armhole shaping as with back.

For Body: I just had to make sure when I joined left front, back, and right front that they were all at the same row of my waffle stitch pattern so that the flow of the stitch pattern would continue uninterrupted as I joined them. ( I had 86 stitches at this point.)

After working these pieces together (but not joining them in the front to work in round.) I worked the sweater back and forth as if on straight needles in waffle stitch for 2 inches before shaping neck.

day 318

Neck: (RS) I increased this and every 4th row 3 times.

(WS) work one row even.

(RS) Increase every other row 5 times.

(WS) Work one row even.

cast on 4 stitches, turn, and work them and rest of row to the end, cast on 4 more. (132 st total)

On this round I made sure my stitches were divisible by 4 and began by joining sweater at front, placing a marker there for beginning of round.

Shaping the waist: On this same joining round I decreased 4 stitches evenly at sides of sweater on this row and then every third row 3 more times.

(I just fiddled with waffle stitch for side decreases example: ssk, p1,sm,k1,p2 tog), purling some together or knitting, depending on the stitch needed to continue the stitch pattern once the decrease was finished. I chose to decrease on the k1,p1 rows of the waffle stitch because they blended in smoothly. After waist shaping, I had 116 st.

Bottom Ribbing: At this point, the piece was over 16" long, so I changed to size 4 circulars and began regular old 2x2 rib stitch. I knit tightly and worked the ribbing for almost 4 inches, binding off not too loosely.

The Collar: The collar is worked by picking up stitches (a number divisible by 4) and working with short rows until the center back was almost 6 inches long. It's then turned under and tacked to stay in place.

day 323

Arm Edging: I picked up 52 stitches per armhole. (That's about one for each stitch at bottom of armhole and one for every third row along sides.) These had to be bound off very loosely.

day 317

I learned and/or got to practice provisional cast on, waffle stitch, spit splicing for breaks in the yarn- yum, short rows for collar shaping, and tacking down the collar with needle and thread. This is where I give myself a very exaggerated pat on the head.

I like this. A lot. It's very wearable, good for the holidays, etc. It may save me from yoga pants and oversized t-shirts. It even makes jeans seam special. But, yes, as soon as I took these pictures, I was right back in the old yoga pants and t-shirt.

Pinterest- Inspired

2011-11-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

Pinterest is the new vortex that's sucking up my free time. It's replaced my ripped out magazine pages and is certainly prettier than a bookmarks folder. It's like blog reading for the attention-challenged, and sometimes that's me. In fact most pinners wouldn't make it past this sentence, because Pinterest takes you right to the point... the good stuff... and more stuff...

It also satisfies the innate need to "mark" a project or object:

Mid century decor? Mine.
Jeans under a hundred? Mine.
DIY projects involving pallets? Also, mine.
Cat shaped like Jabba? Mine, too.

day 310

By the time I exhaustedly shut down my computer, I feel as though I accomplished something with all of those new pins marking worthwhile projects. In fact, the act of noting them half- satisfies the need to make them. I may not have my own macrame owl, but I skimmed the instructions for 5 seconds and have a neat little image of the finished product sandwiched between other equally pleasing images on my "to do" boards. Why take it any further when there are so many other things to pin? Ahh, a very satisfying day's work.

I know I'll never knit everything I pin, or follow through on all the millions of cheap DIYs. But I have tried some, like coating junk with glossy white paint and setting it around my house. I even have a board of finished experiments to encourage me to follow through, though it only has a handful of pins.

And that's the point: it's getting me to think creatively about things I could make or repair without any investment at all. I do waste time on it, but I usually leave the computer motivated to tackle something around the house. Like this painted owl. Not only did my search of 70's owls give me an easy time waster, it also gratified me with a nostalgic warm fuzzy. (I think my brother and I broke an owl like that in our living room in the eighties with a nerf ball. We were probably throwing it into the fan to see where it would fly out, a game we called Russian Roulette.)

day 308

Pinterest is definitely a ladies world, though. If you search art, you'll get engagement photo ideas. If you search design, you'll get cupcake recipes. History? That would be dresses from the twenties. Also, the pinnable quotes that seem to beg for a "wocka wocka" in the comment box or the "best body inspiration" cheese is killing me. But, knockoff jewelry, t shirt hacks, and dress upgrades... well, you had me at "Anthropologie." I am, after all, a mom and somewhat crafty, so Pinterest is responsible for more than a few projects around my house. It's also responsible for the shortage of large wooden cable spools and the emergence of toilet paper roll art ...sigh... I really did want to find a cable spool on the side of the road.

my Pinterest

Art on the Needles

2011-11-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

These remind me how beautiful everyday things can be. Even the most practical of employments can be an artistic process, not just a finished object.

day 249

day 304

My New Leaf

2011-11-14T16:03:00.000-08:00

"We're turning over a new leaf..."

My mom often said that when I was a little girl. What she really meant was that I needed to turn over a new leaf and she was going to help me. I find myself saying that same phrase a lot these days. In fact I've heard myself say it twice in two days... hmmm.

Well, this one is my leaf to turn over, too. Here it is:

I will not modify a knitting pattern without first doing the math ever again.

Up top was my off the cuff combination of Mina's Tuxedo Vest and the Back to School U- Neck Vest. You can't tell from the picture, but I think it could have fit my husband. Click this link and see why that's not a desirable image. So, what you see above is now ripped out and replaced with a more mathematically correct version. Why the wasted hours, you ask? Well, I never thought of myself as a math person. But, if I'm ever going to write down some of the pattern ideas I have in my head, I'm going to have to become one, so I may as well start now.

Since I took the alternate version of the tuxedo vest offered in the book and used a wider gauge waffle stitch instead of the twisted rib (as in The Back to School Vest,) I needed to reduce my cast on stitches to reflect this larger stitch pattern. It's not too complicated, as long as my total stitch count when both sides of the vest are joined is divisible by four to keep the stitch pattern consistent. What fun. Are you still with me? That's it down there.

day 317

I really don't want to be the one who thinks things through. I want to be impulsive, free-thinking, devil-may-care and other cliques. Instead I find myself constantly saying words like, "homework" "budget" and "responsibilities" to my kids or talking my husband down from a remodeling high in which he plans to gut and finish our bathroom in one weekend.

day 288

One of these days I'm going to be the crazy one. Maybe I'll say something like, "You'll have to get scholarships for college, kids, because I'm having twins." or "Honey, remember the horse that was for sale down the road?" or something. But as far as knitting goes, I'm doing the math and making stuff that fits. Hurray for maturity.

Ttv52- week 40

Something's Coming

2011-11-11T07:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, I feel on the verge of something big, like I'm moving up a level toward something. And, no, it's not the end of my second 365- though I will be so relieved when that happens. I'm not sure exactly what, but it's probably not the kind of thing most would find valuable. It may come as the result of hard circumstances.

day 259

I don't know... my greatest moments have always been the quiet kind that slip up on me. Like mellowing or realizing I've finally feel forgiveness for someone or that worst fears aren't so bad after all. Or thinking, "I finally got it!" when I see that something I worked on has become second nature to me. Maybe it will just be realizing I don't need something that I thought I did. Not sure what all of this is about, but the promise of it, even if comes through a trial, is kind of exciting.

My Fall

2011-11-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

slowly thawing on morning runs

long socks

hair growing out

day 267

smoky smelling clothes

ginormous hats

ginormous sweaters

day 272

cats in windowsills

racing from cold floors to the couch

early bedtime

boots

day 296

when you get light, it's beautiful

day 298

cocoa

sheets over plants

soup and chili

day 306

extra long walks with extra frisky dogs

windows down

incredibly beautiful cloud cover

day 299

that feeling of relief you get when you walk into a warm home

and realize just how cold you had been.

Before Winter

2011-11-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

Before things get gray, I thought we could enjoy some color together

via: Aperture

day 257

the composer:

camera genius:

and ShakeIt:

That's all. You can bring on the cold now.

Just out of the Fog

2011-10-31T12:03:00.000-07:00

"There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still" - Corrie Ten Boom

I believe that and a few times have had only that belief with me as I struggled not to tip over some edge. Gee, that sounds really heavy. But I'm talking about a normal person coming to the end of themselves. There really isn't that much of me, so it shouldn't be surprising when there's nothing more I can do about something.

Today I'm coming out of a couple of months of migraine fog culminating in a few days of pain I cannot describe. I am seasoned at functioning smoothly through migraines that make childbirth look like a relaxation exercise, so know that it really was like coming to the end of myself. I say this because it fell at a time when I was trying to accept a painful truth about something in my life and what the end result would be. I was already feeling a little helpless. Then, the nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, fuzzy memory, and fatigue were just icing and had been coming on so slowly that I almost accepted it as normal, until the real headache began. Trust me, the headaches weren't psychosomatic and I wasn't being melodramatic ( I saw the x-rays of my neck- I was injured on vacation.) So, it was all hitting me at once and making it almost impossible to think, much less function. I did finally focus enough to go see the doctor (though I went in with my shirt on backwards- no kidding) and was following his orders, so there was nothing else I could do. But, it was one of those times where too many bricks are stacked on top of me and no matter how calm or thorough I try to be, I can neither take them off nor keep them stacked. I was just going to get a little flattened before it was all over.

At one point I knew that if this pain shooting through my head didn't stop soon there was no other place this could end but the emergency room. Who would pick up the kids? Could I drive like this? What is wrong with me? I remember saying to God, "I need you now" when I thought I would pass out, and I kind of wanted to.

In those moments I would remember fragments of verses, some I learned as a child, about His comfort and His purpose in my life, even if that purpose requires enduring some pain. I remembered "On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand." I thought about how we sang that as children without realizing that in this song He was very much aware that we were on slippery ground. It implied that He allows it, even orders it, so that we must stand on Him alone. Kids never think about things like that.

I had flashes of part of Acts I'd been reading where Jesus' apostles are flogged for speaking His name and they are so excited about it because they were counted worthy enough to suffer for Him. My problem with that has always been that my personal suffering wasn't Christian martyr stuff. I live in America, I'm not under persecution. This month it was headaches and pinched nerves. How does this bring Him glory?

But here's the thing, I am learning that any suffering we endure the right way- not getting mean or too frightened or relying on some thing to medicate it that can't really, but instead relying on Him- brings glory to Him. There may be no benefit that I can see with my eyes, and no other soul may know what we've done, but if I love Him (and I do) knowing I did this well is enough. I am almost scared to write that, because it sounds like the most adult thing I've ever said. Plus, I may turn around and act like a total baby about something else tonight. But, there it is.

grateful, day 255

Someone once told me that we are likes tubes of toothpaste and we have to be squeezed to see what is inside. Well, I'm glad that, under this pressure, these were some of the thoughts that came out and that it wasn't all, "Woe is me!" and expletives. Make no mistake, "Woe is me!" was definitely in there too.

Thankfully, things are being straightened out and I am not in that kind of pain anymore. But, I have to say that I felt like I was being given a physical, literal picture to how I have to withstand pain of any kind. That I may feel the most incredible pain for a long period of time but still have to choose what I do with my thoughts and with myself during it. I hope I'm ready.

Today I was able to walk without pain in the cool morning air and I was very grateful.

Happy Purple Friday

2011-10-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

You know, like Purple Tuesdays... only not.

There is just way too much purple on my memory card these days. It's all due to my daughter attending a high school that is slightly akin to a cult. Where the drama of life and death unfold on the "Indian" football field. Where season tickets are willed to family members upon death, and where "Cut me! I bleed purple." is heard at least once a week during the fall.

I wasn't exactly "Miss School Spirit" back when I was a teenager. I must have slept through the pep rallies because I don't even remember them. I never wore purple on Fridays- it didn't even occur to me. I was definitely in my own world. I did, however, learn the fight song in French, which you can imagine has taken me far in life. I think I can count on one hand how many football games I attended back then. But now I'm at most of them, squinting through glasses to find the ball. I even know what a "down" is.

I'm there for my girl, but I also love to people watch and it doesn't get any better than grown men half-crying/ half-screaming in THE most southern accent you will find, "Come on D!!!"

So without further explanation or disclaimers, I present a bit of my Friday nights.

day 249

(You can't have Friday without Dairy Queen, day 255)

the marching "I"

day 286

So, I guess I officially have "school spirit" (this has to be said with a lisp, don't ask me why) because I'm finally a season ticket holder. Each Friday I don my purple and white rasta hat and move my arm up and down like a tomahawk while chanting with the rest of the crowd when the game is tight. Once in a while the people around me might even hear a few words in French:

"Scalpez Indians, Scalpez!"

How to Grow a Full Beard in Seven Days

2011-10-14T06:12:00.000-07:00

First you have to do some prep work by reading The Lord of The Rings.

Secondly, you have to have a mother who knows how to knit.

day 285

This Halloween, my son and I decided to combine our super powers of science fiction reading and knitting to make him a partial costume since he's feeling too old for the full thing. Books and hand crafts - yes, we have wild and crazy times in our home.

On day two we find my dwarven warrior wearing bobbles on his head. At this point the needles are the only fierce looking thing about it.

But day three brings some facial hair with it, though it's a little more Hasidic Jew than mighty dwarf.

I think he realizes this.

Below, you see day 6 and he's got a whole Nebuchadnezzar look going on. This will really blow them away in Sunday School. (Like I said, wild and crazy times.)

I threaded the braid strands through stitches at the temple. They were 9 to 12 strands thick, for those of you on the edge of your seat, ready to rush right out and get supplies for your very own dwarf beard.

By day 7, the bobbles have been felted to look almost like rivets. The only hitch was that felting it in warm water for 5 minutes made Gimli's braids look a little more like Bob Marley's dreads. But Gimli was a pretty scruffy dude, so I think it's okay with my son.

Yeah, he likes it.

Little Blocks of Color

2011-10-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

More phone dailies. Will I never catch up? Instagram and ShakeIt really are the closest digital thing to a polaroid one step.

day 234

day 253

day 254

day 260

Think I'm going to make a blurb book with some of our different phone/ ipod photos for Christmas.

Humor Me

2011-10-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

Some more animal lover dailies here. Humor me.

day 248

day 269

day 245

Closer Look

2011-10-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a few more daily photos from the end of summer.

Night Owls

2011-10-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Owls!!!!!!

And that's about as exciting as a knitting post is going to get.

I thought about this sweater all of last winter. It was my carrot, my reward, for de-stashing. I didn't want to buy more yarn for it without using some up because of the yarn horde in the garage. (I meant, hoard- but see my garage and you may think horde is more appropriate.)

Now, Fall is here and I just couldn't wait anymore, so I used the wool I had on hand, made the most of being awake at night with sinus headaches, and got me some Owls.

What an ingenious idea, Kate Davies! Using cables to form owls with button eyes around the yoke, who would think of that? It calls for a chunky yarn (I held two strands of Patons Classic Wool together) and is seamless so it really can be finished in a couple of days, or, as is often the case, a couple of late nights.

The other knitters on Ravelry were right, it is a three day project... but not for me. I started over twice on the body. Once, to make a modification and the second time because I watch too much tv while knitting and absentmindedly cast on too few stitches. So, when I added my sleeves to the body, I was 4 stitches short and couldn't do the owl pattern. I considered just making one owl smaller... and a cyclops, but decided against it.

I don't know why I do these things to myself. This wasn't a difficult pattern, but I guess I have a subconscious need for drama, so I started the body again.

Aside from my own inherent need to complicate things, this pattern was a breeze. I had my pattern marked with the correct mods for this final attempt and watched something stupid on Netflix while knitting, like Felicity, (talk about drama) that didn't require mental energy. Any show where great portions of each episode are spent lingering on college kids shyly saying, "um, Hey" "Um, yeah, hey" to one another shouldn't befuddle my knitting math.

How I modified

based on lots of other knitters' notes:

1) The first change was to work 3 inches of stockinette between the decrease and increase rounds for a better fit. You can see before and afters, below:

(before spacing out decreases and increases)

(after adding 3" of stockinette between decreases and increases)

2) I also moved all shaping to the sides so the back wouldn't poof out (I slump enough at it is)

3) and left off the last increase on the body (That's 4 decreases and 5 increases total for a size 2, all on the sides.) Though it reduced the stitch count by 4 stitches on the body, it allowed me to add 2 stitches to each sleeve.

day 256

This way, when I joined all of the pieces, I still had the correct stitch count for the owls portion, but with a little extra room in the arms, which many knitters found tight. My biceps aren't exactly buff, but I do start to feel panicky when constricted in tight clothes. There's nothing worse than spending weeks on a project just to feel like Bruce Banner about to blow. I need full range of motion. That's why I test these things when shopping: swinging my arms to the sides, crossing them, deep knee bending, ninja crawling in the Target fitting room... you know basic, everyday movements.

4) For the sleeve increases I increased two stitches immediately after the ribbing on each sleeve to get back to the correct stitch count (as I explained above.)

5) I then knit for 3 1/2 inches before starting the regular sleeve increases.

6) When I joined the body and sleeves, I knit two more rows of stockinette than the pattern called for to get more ease in the armpit area.

7) I followed the pattern for the rest of the project, except I went down two sizes on the needle I used for the neckline ribbing and only sewed two buttons on for eyes.

day 274

Besides learning a few techniques for getting more ease in the under arms, I also learned to work a stretchy bind off for ribbing. It did work better and have a cleaner edge than the usual bind off I use.

day 273

Okay, I don't know about you, but that's about all of my frizzy hair and shiny face I can take for one post. Tomorrow, it's back to still life photos. But right now, I'm going to read this post to my husband and see how far I get before he zones out.

Sentimental, Sappy Stuff

2011-10-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

I kept waiting and collecting images of my children, thinking I'd write some meaningful post about them, but I feel too scattered to do them justice. All I have are random thoughts that flash through my mind during the day, like:

I can't lift either of them anymore.

Do they remember picking flowers or wielding swords on our walks?

Do they remember what it was like to be at home together all day, playing pretend, doing household chores extra slow so the littlest could help?

day 238

My husband and I each have one small box of childhood drawings, toys, or awards. My children have three big, rubbermaid tubs worth of drawings, crafts, and baby clothes (not including the old toys we keep in the toy museum we sometimes call a garage.)

When they hear The Beatles, will they think of me the way Herb Alpert makes me think of my mother?

day 232

Why have I not put our home movies onto disc yet?

I might never play with Star Wars action figures again.

Did they get their sarcasm from me?

His hair still smells salty like the beach.

Do they remember playing like they had super powers all the time-

"My super power is to shoot fire from my eyes."

"Well, my power is to freeze fire."

"Mine power is to have every power."

"Then mine is to be immune to all super powers."

"My power is to lay down and be quiet."

(Guess which one was mine.)

Once in a while, she will be so busy that I may not hug her, or even touch her all day.

I feel sentimental about every trace of them, lately. So if you see me lovingly examining grass from soccer cleats on the floorboard of my car, you will understand. Everything.

Will we take another big family vacation together in the next few years?

day 237

Yesterday I caught them jumping on the trampoline together. I remember the Christmas morning 8 years ago when we set it up in the backyard, then sent them out "to get something." When they saw it they froze, then grabbed each other, screaming. They always shared in each other's happiness.

Nothing pleases me more than when I say or do something that makes an unexpected smile creep across one of their faces... well, nothing except when one of them makes the other smile that way.

Proof He's Not Grown Up

2011-09-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

I guess I felt like I needed some.
Bear with me as my ever present camera collects the evidence.
I found him:

frog hunting,

day 239

sliding with his friends at our own little white trash water park,

fighting over a soapy watermelon,

making lego AK 47's ?,

day 246

practicing two notes on his new horn,

still practicing those same two notes,

day 252

and falling asleep early on my bed with his buddy.

day 247

day 241

Ok, I'm convinced.

Happy birthday, little boy.

Morning Fog Scarf

2011-09-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

My version of the Beautiful Dawn Neckwarmer is finished.

This scarf is extra special to me because not only is it a chunky cable pattern, but it was designed by one of my Flickr/ Ravelry buddies, Jennifer at jaykayknits. It's been on my list for a year or so, and with fall approaching, I thought it's time had come.

Jennifer used a really beautiful, hand-spun, thick and thin yarn for the original, but since I'm usually relegated to the local hobby store, I went with Bernat Roving in light gray held together with a strand of darker worsted wool for a little color depth.

day 252

This was an easy knit, but not so simple as to be boring. It knit up so fast in bulky yarn that it seemed a shame to stop after two repeats of the cable pattern, so I just kept going with it and went from neck warmer to scarf (a total 7 cable patterns, I believe.)

For now, I'm just using one button, but may add another (or make them yellow, I'm not sure.)

day 266

Here's the full length shot of it below taken when it was in the upper eighties. I'm thinking "winter" like a mantra lately. Are we never satisfied?

I'm also thinking I need a hat in the same color. But, first, I'm finally knitting the Owls sweater. You can't see me but I'm jumping up and down in anticipation as I type this.

Focus

2011-09-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

This is the mellow version of me, choosing my focus for the day.

Do I want to see every detail,

day 263

every changing nuance?

The structure of the things or people in front of me? Maybe I'd appreciate it all more.

But if it amplifies my imperfections,

distorts the size and severity of things...

if it personalizes the imperfections around me that aren't mine to change,

then it changes and legitimizes my mood. And there's a thin line between mellow and melancholy.

I have to look farther than that for something good to expect today.

day 243

Lately, I never wear my glasses. I'm getting used to blur.

I use this one a lot: Philippians 4:8

...whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

...In Between I Drink...

2011-09-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

... iced coffee.

I can't pour a cup without hearing the lyrics to Black Coffee in my head, only with "iced" inserted for "black."

iced coffee day 228

I finally got around to cold brewing my coffee. I say that as if it's difficult and time consuming. Obviously, it's not:

Dump 1 cup of coffee into my french press

add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of water and leave it alone over night.

Press it the next day and pour the concentrate into a mason jar and refrigerate.

That's it.

So, why the wait? I couldn't remember to do it the night before. That is, until I tasted it. Now, it's a priority.

I mean, it is that much better. I can pour a little into a glass and fill it the rest of the way with cold water (about a 1/5 ratio) and only require a spoon of half and half. It's so mild, no sweetener is necessary.

This article about the inventor of the Toddy cold brew system explains how heating the grounds releases 3 to 4 times more acids into the coffee. This bitter taste is avoided by brewing it longer in cool water. Most recommend 12 hours, but I've done it in 7 and thought it tasted fine. It doesn't require complete, scientific exactness, or the finest beans, or a Toddy. I'd like one, but I find my press works just as well. And there's always the good, old mason jar and sieve.

Next up to try: the frappe recipe (1/2 cup coffee concentrate, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup ice, and 3 scoops of ice cream.)

Ugly Places

2011-09-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

I go on lots of walks, runs, and rides in my little town. I see it's pride and joy: a high school remodel with the biggest jumbotron in this part of Texas, new housing editions that are all glare and brick, or a handful of fast food restaurants.

Then, my excursions take me through the backside of town: broken sidewalks, cheap rent houses, refineries, and railroad tracks that end in a field. I kind of like the ugly places. It's a habit to look for pleasing things in them- a certain light on water, a tuft of grass in concrete seams, a pattern in a shadow... whatever, and capture a bit of it. The rivers and parks of last summer vacation seem like another planet to me as I run down our crumbling streets and past our smelly river.

But, water is water, even if it's kind of smelly; and sunlight is light, even if it's setting over a tank farm.

This is a Recipe Post

2011-09-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

There are lots of reasons I don't usually photograph recipes I've tried. For one, thing, I'm not really food driven. That's what my sister says about my lab, but it's true with me too. Then, there's the fact that I don't always "work clean" (restaurant-speak for cleaning up as you go) in the kitchen. I'm not exactly Martha in there; more like the Tasmanian Devil... only quieter... and listening to music... lost in thought and burning something. And if that's not happening, then supper time is mass chaos.

I did manage to take these pics of a few recipes I tried over the summer:

The Cucumber, tomato, and feta salad was different than our usual ceasar salad with all the Kalamata olives and heavy on the feta. Nice for a change, and it features my son's one favorite vegetable- cucumber. Lots and lots of cucumber.

day 227

The avocado and crab soup is one of my favorites meals to try in a long time. But, I'm an avocado person. I could eat one every day. Keep in mind, its a chilled soup and it's green, which doesn't always go over well with kids. If I served this too often, there'd be mutiny.

day 229

I finally got around to trying kale chips when I saw Erin, of Just a Day in the Life of This Mommy, do it with such ease. So I removed the bottoms and ribs of the leaves, then washed and patted them dry.

I tossed them with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and sea salt

and spread them out on a baking sheet (parchment paper might work better, but I didn't have any and was crazy hungies, so...)

day 247

They baked at 300 degrees for 20-ish minutes and voila: kale nachos.

They were really good straight out of the oven, would make a great salty snack instead of chips, are an easy way for one person to consume an entire bunch of kale by themselves if they should want to, but for loaded nachos...

not so much.

I think I'd like this best crumbled, with parmesan, into popcorn, like this.

Coffee Ritual

2011-09-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

The coffee ritual is strong in my family. My father has it, I have it, and my sister has it. And, like every other family, we have our own rituals and brewing methods.

The above percolator is an emergency replacement on a camping trip. Gross coffee is better than no coffee... almost. Even when we're in a trailer, especially then, I need to have a little time to drink my cup in the early morning without being rushed. I love it when it's cool outside and the coffee is super steamy. Once I'm done, it's okay for us to hurry off on some trek, but trust me, not a moment before. Coffee should not be rushed.

Most mornings my husband and I press Community coffee (they're the ones with a chicory blend) and try for a leisurely breakfast. But it usually ends with everyone scattering away from the table packing and combing things like mad, everyone but me. I forego a sharp appearance (I'm just going to run like a native anyway) to stare into space a bit longer. Unless it's Saturday morning, then we all take our time and stare into space with SpongeBob.

After a run, I may have coffee with my dad and some of his buddies that walk up, off and on, throughout the morning. We may all sit around him on upturned milk crates, drinking coffee while he works on a lawn mower, but usually he uses company as an excuse to go inside for a cup and break from his work. He's always got freshly brewed Folgers and has mastered his coffee system. He's been using the same kind of drip pot and thermos my whole life. I used to wake up very early in the morning as a little girl to have cawk-ee (how Precious Moments of me) with him, basically just milk with a hint of coffee, then I'd want to go right back to sleep. Some things never change.

Oh, and don't ever try to wash his pot with soap.

He probably passed the ritual on to his children because, though they entertained with it and he had many a meeting about labor disputes over it through the seventies and eighties, my mom never drank it.

My sister and I, on the other hand, arrange our visits together around it like most people arrange theirs around meals. We don't need the meal, really, just the coffee. It can be pressed, dripped, percolated or espressoed. It's not really about the drink, but the time to talk together, anyway. However, I will say Mexican mochas nurture the best spontaneous conversation ( just a pinch of cayenne.)

Even if I'm home alone and drinking it iced, I fall into my family ritual of using coffee as an excuse to slow down and relax. It doesn't have to be social, I'm cool with drinking it while I knit in silence or sit on the patio. Anywhere is good, as long as you don't rush me.

on my Flickr

Happy Days

2011-09-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

All summer I've indulged in lots of sunshine: walking dogs, riding my bike, long walks, and easy jogs. This is a sampler of my evergrowing Happy Days playlist that I never seem to tire of. I just start it a different place every day and take off. I can't stop smiling when I listen.

day 201

Community

2011-09-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today about how much my different Flickr groups and their corresponding blogs have changed my photography habit. I would not have finished my first 365 without the Shutter Sisters 365 and Project 365 groups and various people I met through them. I would not have been half as inspired without the Mortal Muses and Through the Viewfinder groups.

day 221

It wasn't until I took the step of joining groups rather than anonymously perusing and using my Flickr just to upload knitting projects, that I really began to grow as a photographer. Now, don't think I see myself as anything but an amateur, because I don't. But, I can't say how much it encourages me, as I record life, to look through these pools and read these blogs that regularly feature amateurs (and professionals) from all over the world with different perspectives who share my desire to explore via camera. Through their lens, I see places and situations I might not have otherwise seen. They bring up thoughts I would never have had. Other times, I see images so very familiar to me it is like revisiting my own memories.

Once in a while I get that feeling of deja vu when I click onto one of the blog pages and it takes a moment to register that the boy or garden or roller skates or whatever is, indeed, really my image. It's another reminder that I'm part of the community. Featured or not, I'm one of the Muses- one of the Sisters.

Animals Fill Space

2011-09-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

That's what everyone does, right? Even if there's no time to put real thoughts down here, no time to seek out interesting, revealing things to photograph, no time to play with editing, and even no time to change the stupid songs in the sidebar... I can always post pet pictures.

It's the fail-safe of the 365 community, is it not? Why else would bizarre animal pictures be all over facebook (Standing Cat Watches Chuck Norris, anyone?) If you can't think of anything else take a photo of a cat yawning. And so here are my once crazy pets, slowly taking on the appearance of their owners and looking a little less crazy and more like we have a gas leak in the house.

Potsy

Jenny, day 216

Except the old one at the bottom. The tropical storm winds have brought out the puppy in him the last few days and he's now pulling me down the road on our "walks" before his spindly, little legs tire under his massive belly. I coax him to slow down after a few blocks, then we turn around. It's a fraction of what he used to be able to do, but I'm counting on the whole "dogs have no sense of time" thing so that he feels included.

Mo and me, day 219

Also, school has started and, with the kids gone all day, these guys have ascended to their usual positions of power in our household.

Random Shots

2011-08-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

These are just random shots from the summer I've been hanging onto. Maybe you'll enjoy.

day 197

day 175

day 190

End of Summer

2011-08-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

These are the last of my weekend beach trip photos. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

my Flickr

Sea Treasure

2011-08-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest thrills as a kid at the beach was to find a whole and perfect shell, especially at the Gulf Coast where we'd usually find shell bits.

(days 176 and 179, ttv52 weeks 24 and 25)

We never tired of looking for sea beans, hermit crabs, and jellyfish. I brought the best of my little treasure home and put them in a cigar box in a drawer.

My brother and I had a system for castle building and my sister taught us how to make dribble castles one summer at Crystal Beach.

I've taught my own children how to make dribble castles and moats. They know the rarest colors of sea glass and my favorites to hunt for. Once, we had the Summer of Sea Beans, where we found too many to count.

Always at the end of the day you can find us laying on our bellies, propped up on elbows, in the shallow waves. We let them crash on our backs while we talk.

on my Flickr

I still might slip off to find some little treasure of my own. Only now I usually capture it with a camera.

Have a Seat on the Beach

2011-08-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

For someone who likes to make wool sweaters, I don't transition very well into fall.

If you live near the coast you know how much of childhood summers are spent at the beach.

How the first warm weekends mean packing up the cooler to go and the last few weekends before school starts are spent the same way, only with a melancholy walk along the water thrown in.

I'm spending the rest of the week at the beach... in my mind.

You're welcome to have a seat with me.

front row, day 225

my Flickr