Spring Break!

What sounds better on a mid-March morning when the temperature dips in the below zero range than spring break? These are the months that make living in MN the agony and the ecstasy. A 50 degree day of puddles and chirping birds can send you soaring, and then a cold frost snaps you back into reality with fresh snow and windchills. It's time to get out and to remind yourself that life can, and will, be good again.

So what to pack? I mean for knitting. There's just a few more hours of work on the incredibly boring Amherst cardigan. I truly hope I like this sweater when I'm done, because knitting it has been like watching paint dry. Since I've been reading and watching the videos of Elizabeth Zimmermann lately, I'm even a little embarrassed that I paid money for a pattern that is this simple. Oh, no! I'm a "blind follower".

I decided to pick up a couple of skeins of wool and work on a scarf. In January, I had the brilliant(?) idea of possibly knitting a scarf for every member of my family to give as Christmas gifts at some unknown date in the future. I'll admit, I've had my reservations about this plan. It was hatched from the reality that I probably have enough sweaters, shawls, mitten, and hats for myself, but it seems as though my family is where handknit items go to die, or at least disappear. My experience has been that only knitters themselves really appreciate a handknit gift, and they can knit their own things. It's a conundrum, I tell you.

But what will it hurt to knit one scarf. I'll see how it goes and have a gift at the ready to boot.

Just For Fun

Usually, I pass on a lot of the crap that comes my way from the Internet, but this looked like fun.

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child. Maybe
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted. by some lady in the mall, from a picture...
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Nope. Not even a fish.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.

Kyler's Komplete (Kouldn't Resist)

As long as I was spreading out my latest project to dry after its first bath, I thought I'd snap a few pictures. It photographs about as well as a bowl of oatmeal, doesn't it?

This hooded cardigan ended up having a ribbed collar at the last minute when I found that I liked the 2x2 ribbing that was setting up the base of the hood instead. It took me a little fidgeting to get it to look right, but I think I'll like this better. (My quick notes on what I did can be found here.)

There are a few mistakes in the pattern, and it seems like a lot of knitting, which is not always a bad thing when you can accomplish other things at the same time--reading or watching a movie. But it's a good, practical sweater that I'm sure will get plenty of use.

Here's a warning to anyone who hates to do any hand sewing on their knitting. You do have to sew the seams under the arms. No big deal. It's garter stitch. The real treat comes when you have to sew in the full length zipper. There are directions for buttons, but the zipper is the way to go. You'll just have to grit your teeth and do it. A tip? Never try and hand stitch a zipper in a garment without basting it in place first. Use some heavy, bright colored thread that will pull out easily when you're done. It's an extra couple minute step that will save you much aggravation.

Lifeline

I just needed to be reminded of what is waiting underneath the snow and ice outside my window.

And the Twins open their preseason on Wednesday.

I'm okay now.

The Garter Stitch Guru

Lately, when I've had a few spare bucks around, I've been picking up some of the Elizabeth Zimmermann books that were missing from my library. I think she could write about welding and make it fun and interesting, but lucky for me, she was a knitter. A garter stitch guru.

When I received some birthday money last week, I decided to treat myself to the DVD set of the old PBS series, Knitting Workshop. It was delivered today, and I quickly popped in a disk to see if Elizabeth was as appealing in person as she is in the pages of her books. How great! Her manner is no-nonsense and her words are kind. The first lesson is winding wool and casting-on--real basics--and it's still a kick to watch. I even love her sturdy, capable hands. I will have to pace myself to make this set last a long time.

Speaking of garter stitch, the Kyler's Kardigan is coming along. I have made a few modifications from the pattern--making the sleeves a bit longer and with fewer rows of ribbing around the wrist and adding a little length to the body before starting the pockets to allow for less ribbing around the waist as well. It's an easy enough knit that I've even been able to read my book as I go. (Usually when I try this I either forget what I'm reading and get engrossed in my knitting pattern, or I get too engrossed in my reading and mess up my knitting. This, however, never seems to deter me from trying.) I am hoping to have this finished up by the time the "I can't stand the sight of my winter coat" weather hits in early spring. I don't think I have ever sewn a full length zipper in a handknit sweater before, so this will be a first.

When I started this cardigan I grabbed the shopping basket I was given as a Christmas gift to hold the my supplies for the project, and I love it as a knitting basket. It's a Reisenthel Carrybag that is lightweight, folds completly flat, and comes in great colors and prints. They are available in a few shops locally and through Sur La Table's catalog. Isn't this a beautiful color? Can you imagine putting ground beef in such a gorgeous bag?

Besides my EZ fun and a little knitting, the week has been mostly a nose to the grindstone effort. The house needed a thorough cleaning and a few minor repairs, and I've been out shopping for some new flooring for a few rooms--yuck. Last night I did watch an interesting documentary--Roman Polanski: Wanted & Desired. He directed two of my favorite movies of all time--Tess and The Pianst, but he's such a controversial figure. It was good, but still not as good as Man on Wire. If you have not seen this yet, it is definitely one to get on the Netflix queue. Even the extras on this disk are fascinating.

Happy Valentine's Day

Hearts and flowers. Champagne and chocolate. Not a bad day. And my very first 49th birthday. Good practice for my second one next year.


Enjoy your day with your loved ones.

Dirty Laundry

Eeewww. This is my ironing board cover. Somehow, it looks even more disgusting in the picture than it does to the eye. Ironing is not my favorite chore and having to look at this every week didn't help.

I needed a new cover, but if I was lucky enough to find one that fit my extra-wide ironing board, it was always in a boring muslin. Today, I finally decided to make one myself. After I finished getting my groceries, I ran over to the fabric store and picked up a couple yards of the brightest and cheeriest cotton I could find. I went with a heavier decorator weight, brought it home, and threw it in the washing machine with the water temperature set at "hot" to shrink the heck out of the fabric.

I did a little checking online to see if anyone had some tips on the best way to stitch it up, but in the end I just went with the quick and dirty--turning the ironing board upside down on top of the fabric, cutting enough for a casing, stitching it up with some buttonholes on the wide end to run the cord saved from the old one. And ta-da. Why did I wait so long?

It's not like I can't wait to get to my husband's work shirts next week, but it's one of those nagging to-do list projects that I can check off of the master list.