If I Had $$$$

I had the pleasure of doing a one-on-one tutoring session r.e. digital photography with an acquaintance from church. She knew that I had been doing photography and writing since leaving my call as her pastor. She also purchased a new digital SLR and wanted someone to teach her how to use it one-on-one with camera in hand, unlike her class experience at the local community college.

I was very happy to oblige. I love photography and I love helping others to love photography too. Also I like the challenge of learning a new camera system. As it happens I am most familiar with Nikon products since that's what I use. She had a Cannon. It was fun to get my hands on one and compare/contrast.

Our time together did serve to remind me of what I'd do with an extra $800 if I had it just laying around (or suddenly found myself the receipient of an unexpected windfall)......




I've been secretly (Doug might say "not so secretly!") coveting the Nikon D60 digital SLR for quite some time now. Having looked at and compared the D40, D60, D80 and D90, I think the D60 is the best option for me. It has enough pixel power. It doesn't break the bank on pricing. It's a good size and weight.

I really, really, really wish I could afford to get one!

I often hear people express surprise over the fact that I currently shoot with a high-end point-and-shoot digital rather than a digital SLR. I take that as a compliment to my abilities as a photographer and chalk another one up to the old addage that it's not the camera that makes great photos, it's the person behind the lens. (Still, on some level, having a good camera does help!)

Happy Friday!!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my friend JoAnn's birthday. Happy Birthday!

I am very blessed to have her as a friend. I get to see her fairly frequently because it's her coffee shop I work at a few times a week, the same coffee shop where my sit-n-knit group meets every Wednesday morning.

Also, my sister celebrated one of those "milestone" birthdays this past Saturday.
Happy Birthday Sis!!



I feel very lucky to have a sister! She's someone who understands me. We can talk about anything and share everything. Hope you have a great year ahead!!

Writing

Here are some things that I've found helpful along the way in writing.

The very first book on journal writing I read during college for one of my classes.



Although its ideas center on spiritual writing, these are concepts which can be applied to any form of journal keeping. I think keeping a journal is the best way to begin writing. First, it's just for you. Therefore you needn't worry about spelling, punctuation or grammar. Your handwriting doesn't need to be legible. There are no rules. You can write whatever you like! Make a list. Doodle. Free write. (That just means putting the writing instrument to the paper and writing out whatever pops into mind without stopping for a set period of time. 10 minutes is a good starting point!)

A book I gave my daughter for Christmas is very helpful for more generalized writing. (She is going into Creative Writing at college this fall.)



This book offers short, one page essays on the writing task/life and then gives one or two short exercises for the reader to do each day to stimulate his or her own writing and experiment with different styles, etc. I liked this so much, I'm getting my own copy!

Some other books on journaling I've read and liked are:




and



This last book is my most recent aquisition and I'm only partly done with it. I like what I've seen so far, however! It too offers up ideas and exercises to get the ink (or graphite!) flowing.

Tips for beginning:

1) Get a journal that you like. Consider whether you want lines or a blank page. Think about what size fits best. Do you want a binding that allows the journal to lay flat, or does that matter to you?

2) Get a pen (or pencil, though I'd recommend ink!) you like. Is it comfortable in your grip? Does the ink flow smoothly? Do you like a thick line (medium point) or thin line (fine tip)?

3) Set aside an attainable amount of time every day for one week and stick to it. Can you commit to 10 or 15 minutes? Maybe half an hour? When will you do it? First thing in the morning? Mid-morning or mid-afternoon? Just before bed? Pick a time and stick with it for one week. After that switch it up if that time isn't working for you.

Just Say "Yes!"

I had one of those experiences that makes me realize I'm a typical Midwesterner today. It came to me as I thought about a conversation I had while at work at the coffee shop over the lunch hour. The conversation went something like this:

"So, you're the editor of the Today magazine?"

"Yes, I am."

"So do you write as well?"

"Yep."

"A lot?"

"Well, usually two or three articles each month."

"Does it come easily?"

[insert awkward feeling, long pause on my part.....]

"I guess so. Most of the time."

Did you spot it there? Just at the end? The big "MIDWESTERNER/IOWAN" sprang up and bit me!

Why is it so hard for so many of us to simply say, "Yes" when it comes to acknowledging a gift or talent we might have?

It's not like the person I was talking to was trying to discover if I had an overly inflated sense of my self or my abilities! She genuinely wondered if I found writing to be a major pain/difficult task or not. (She is on her own journey of discovery about her own gifts and talents and reflecting on whether writing is something she could or would pursue.)

I have been writing on a fairly regular basis since I received my first diary in 4th grade. I have always enjoyed writing letters. Through the years I've had many pen pals, both in the U.S. and across the world.

In high school I was on the newspaper. Although I'm a GREAT procrastinator and usually finished papers about 4 hours before deadlines in college, I still enjoyed writing and usually received good marks on my papers. In grad school, the writing continued. As a pastor, I did a lot of writing--newsletters, sermons, letters, etc.

Now I write for a living. (Ok, it probably doesn't qualify as a "living" given the fact it's less than half-time, but it's what I do!)

I often hear people who seem honestly amazed that I write. Not because they know me and wonder how on earth I can do it, but more so because they do not see in themselves the ability to write, let alone for publication. It has led me to believe that writing is a gift or talent. Not everyone has the ability. I am blessed.

We need to learn to claim the gifts and talents we have been given. We don't need to be showy about them, but neither do we need to be overly humble or dismissive of them. I'm learning to simply say "yes" when someone inquires whether I've done a knitted piece which catches the viewer's eye.

I think next time I am asked if I write and whether or not it comes easily, I will smile and simply say, "yes."



(And yes, I took the photo.)

Eggs

I'm listening to the CD of the soundtrack from the movie Across The Universe and Bono is singing "I Am the Walrus" (track 1, disc 2). Those of you familiar with the song will know there's a line saying "I am the egg man."

I seem to be surrounded by eggs today.

I bought some Easter cards for family today at Target. (My new favorite brand of cards? Papyrus! Why? It has a cute hummingbird logo and this statement which goes with each card:

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation.

Papyrus supports long term environmental sustainability and is committed to protecting and preserving the environment by using recycled and FSC certified paper and vegetable based inks whenever possible. Visit our website at papyrusonline.com to learn more about our efforts."

The cards are beautiful! The envelopes are lined! They are an all-around "good feel" purchase!) The cards I bought all had eggs on them or were shaped like an egg.

Then I had to use the little plastic Easter egg I keep tucked in my end table for sock darning when I wore through the heel of my favorite pair of hand knit socks.

Since I was feeling like I needed to blog, but have a raging case of writer's block, I decided to delve into the photo CD archive from when I shot film and found this photo I took of Easter eggs the kids dyed a few years ago.

Aren't they great colors? Part of the secret to getting such saturated colors was that I shot this photo in the evening, on a cloudy day. I used the macro setting on my lens and layed down on the lawn to shoot at the egg's level. (Yes, I did this in my front yard! With lots of cars driving past. I'm sure a few passers-by must have thought me nuts. Oh well, small price to pay!) Also I believe I was using a Kodak film which was specially made for saturated color.

I would make eggs for supper tonight, but I've already planned for homemade chicken fried steak. (Wait a minute, that has "CHICKEN" in the title. And where do eggs come from.....hmmmmm??!! Maybe this post is coming round full circle.....)

Maybe I am the egg (wo)man?!

Koo koo ka choo!

Common Quandary

Well, I wasn't quite sure if I was dealing with a quandary:

quan·da·ry: \ˈkwän-d(ə-)rē\
noun; plural quan·da·ries; origin unknown

: a state of perplexity or doubt

or a conundrum:

Noun
1. a puzzling question or problem
2. a riddle whose answer contains a pun [origin unknown]

As it turns out, it seems to be more of a quandary than a conundrum.

I've become quite fond of knitting my socks from the toe up for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is the ability to use up the yarn in a more efficient way.(When knitting from the cuff down I am uber paranoid about not making the leg too long so that I don't run out of yarn an inch short of finishing up the toe.)


However, when I knit toe up socks using one skein/ball of yarn from which both socks must come, I find myself in the same quandary time and time again.

I almost always knit the first sock with too short a leg/cuff because I'm worried about having enough for the second sock. I've done it once again on the Brachs Sox I'm making. Have a look:




There is obviously going to be plenty left in this lovely skein of Trekking XXL to make the second sock's leg a respectable length. (The first sock is short by at least 2".) So my plan is to go ahead and knit the second sock to the length I'd like. Then I will go back, take out the bind off and add length to the first sock.

What a pain.

I do wish there were a solution to this dilema. Anyone have any suggestions??

In other news, I'm slowly getting back up and running with the new hard drive. My reinstall of Photoshop Elements is complete, but the program is acting a bit wonky and not performing functions as it did before the crash. I'm sure this is due to the fact I'd made some changes to it through the months I'd used it. I'll be darned if I can remember what off the top of my head though! (Of course, with the flaming head cold I've got going at the moment, that's not too difficult. Hard to think, let alone concentrate!) I guess I'll go get another cup of hot tea!

Happy Knitting!

A Slight Delay in Proceedings

I'm writing this from my hubby's computer.

Mine tanked.

Bit the dust.

Permanent failure.

Hard disk gone forever.

And no,

I hadn't backed anything up for several/many weeks.

(I know, I deserve whatever losses come my way.)

I'm waiting for a tech from Dell to deliver and install a new
drive.

Then I'll have to reinstall all my programs.

And hope I can find most of my bookmarks.

And email addresses.

And photos.

Not to mention all my work documents.

To keep my sanity, I'm knitting on my beautiful lace scarf pattern Doug gave me for Christmas with the wonderful handspun/hand-dyed artisan yarn he gave me to go with it. It is sheer pleasure and as soon as I'm able to hook a camera up to something and actually upload it, I'll make a post about it.

Until then, I salute everyone with a working computer!

(Don't forget to run a backup....tonight.)

Never Not Knitting

I have had big smiles the past few days in turning over and reading Stephanie Pearl McFee's daily calendar, Never Not Knitting.

For example:

Saturday, March 7 read:

"You Know You Knit Too Much When . . .

. . . you'll watch a movie just because you heard there's a good sweater in it."

I find this to be particularly true with period films.

Also there's a TON of scrumptious knitterly goodness in The Village. (I think I remember about half a dozen pieces I wish I'd had the pattern for!)

I wasn't really knitting when I saw The Piano many years ago. I wonder if there are any good knitted items there? (Otherwise, I personally found that movie nearly intolerable. What WAS the Academy thinking with the Oscars that year????)


Also, I was particularly struck by the quote she found to use on yesterday's date.

"All knitterly creation stems from on simple element: yarn. It is the baker's flour, the jeweler's gold, the gardener's soil. Yarn is creation, consolation, and chaos all spun together into one perfect ball." -Clara Parkes

Amen! Couldn't have said in better myself!

Parting Shots

One of my favorite parts of putting together the Fort Dodge Today magazine each month is doing the "Parting Shot" on the last page. I get to showcase a photo and find a quote to go with it. Ususally I try to attach it to some theme for the month or a theme of one of the articles. Sometimes it's my only chance to draw attention to a holiday or such when there hasn't been room to do so elsewhere in the preceding pages.

The Parting Shot always runs on page 40, the final page of the issue. This will be the Parting Shot for our upcoming April 2009 issue, which is still in layout and not due to hit the racks until March 20 or thereabouts.

Consider this your "insider" sneak peek!



My friend, Regina, who has been the head of the art department since I've been working for the paper is changing positions. She will become the webmaster for our newspaper and its associated publications (including the Fort Dodge Today magazine).

Regina will be setting me up with a blog on that site in the near future. There I'll post photos now and again with commentary or quotes or "how-to" photography info. Stay tuned and I'll let you know when it's up and running!

Happy Shooting (& Knitting!)

Bird Song

I heard a lot of bird song this weekend. I love to hear the birds as they sing from the treetops and telephone wires around the neighborhood.

Cardinals

Chickadees

Robins

Nuthatches

Sparrows

Finches

Spring is stirring in the inner places that makes their chests swell with the need to mark their territory and claim their space in the universe. The birds are making ready.

Strings of geese were flying north over the Hy-Vee parking lot when I stepped out of the van on Saturday. Looking up, I noticed three seperate "V's" aloft. They were cheering on the leader with their enthusiastic honking, alerting all of us below that the change of seasons cannot be far behind.

Welcome back dear friends!

Pink Flamingos and Brach's Candy

What do pink flamingos and Brach's candy have to do with anything?

More particularly, what might they have to do with knitting?

Well, I wasn't sure I'd ever shown a picture of the needle holders my kids made me for mother's day last year. I currently have the pink flamingo pair in action holding my latest sock project.



As you can see, they keep the sock from falling off the needles while it rides around in my bag or sits around on the couch waiting for me. (This also keeps the sharp dpn's from piercing the sofa or legs or paws of those using the couch!)

I decided to start a fun project to break the winter blues cycle I seemed to be stuck in. When I visited my stash, I found this fun Trekking XXL yarn waiting for me!




I ordered it from Simply Socks Yarn Company (web store) many months ago. I remember it was described as the "Brach's Candy" colorway. It is SO FUN to see how the colors come out! It is turning out to be a fibery sweet treat like none other. I've used Trekking before....gotta say, "LOVE IT!"




The dpn holders are made from two finger puppets secured together with elastic cording. You can adjust the length of the elastic cord to suit the length of dpn needles you use (shorter or longer). It's a brilliant idea, and they do work wonderfully!

I'm off to dream about sweet, sweet tropical destinations while knitting my socks.(Or who's yard might need some pink flamingos!)

Happy Knitting!

Bleh....

This was February 25, 2007.


I'm having several days in a row now of the "blahs."

I can't seem to get motivated to knit or shoot photos.

I can't seem to get motivated to do my work.

I haven't been playing Animal Crossing.

I move from one thing to the next without ever really engaging in anything.

Blehhhh.....

.....can I just go back to bed?????

My Dark, Dark Secret

They say confession is good for the soul.

I have a secret. A dark, dark secret of which I'm a bit embarrassed.

I am addicted to the Wii form of crack cocaine......




I know I should be able to put up the Wiimote and turn off the game console.
"Should" being the key word.

I SHOULD be able to, but so far I'm having a very hard time doing it.

I like watering all the flowers. Shaking the trees to see how much money and/or secret presents will fall out. Going to get a coffee at Brewsters every morning. (Hey, I haven't been to Starbucks in 2 weeks!!) Digging for fossils and finding gyroids. Shopping for cute clothes. Rearranging the furniture and hanging new wallpaper. Running errands for neighbors. Fishing. Shooting down gift-bearing balloons. Sending and receiving mail. Hopping on the bus to ride into to the city.
(Oh gosh, there's so many fun things to do, I can't list them all! It's TOTALLY awesome!)

I even got a pink KNIT hat!

Shoot, there's so much fun stuff to do, I could stay on there for hours!

Besides, the game continues to evolve with the days and seasons. There are special festivals and town events to participate in! (I might win a TROPHY some day!)

And if I don't keep things up the weeds will grow, bugs will invade my home, and I may wake up with "bed head!"

I've GOT to keep playing, or the game will win.

And we can't have that, can we???

People, if you haven't been exposed to this Wii game, my advice is to run in the opposite direction if you see it. I am living proof that it only takes once. One little peek of someone else playing it when you're visiting them....and you can't say no, no matter how hard you try.

No matter how much you know you SHOULD.....

It's crack for the Wii....I'm telling you.

ETA: What luck! I just discovered an Animal Crossing group on RAVELRY! Yahoo!! Even MORE fun! Now I have the potential to visit friends! I may NEVER sleep!

Day the Seventh - That Makes A Week!

Sunset over the mountains from Vail, Colorado.

On the Sixth Day . . .

The Great Smoky Mountains . . .





and the Appalacian Trail . . .




Tennessee/North Carolina

The Fifth Day of Favorites

This is the Eagle Harbor light on the Keweenaw Peninsula of the U.P. of Michigan. The light helps direct shipping lanes on Lake Superior.

Great place to picnic!

Favs Day Four

Canaveral National Seashore, Florida.

Third Day of Favorites

This is Copeland Falls in the Wild Basin area of Rocky Mountain National Park. This is one of the less visited parts of the park and is quite lovely!

Favorites - Day 2

A view of Miner's Castle at Munising, Michigan. It is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Really beautiful area. (Hope you can spot the swimmers in the photo!)

Now For A Few of My Favorite Things

I got a new "gadget" for my desktop. It is a photo viewer that runs a slideshow of photos it finds stored on the computer in a small screen along the side of my screen.(Specifically it's called "Photoogle" I think.)

Anyway, as I glance at the photos it's displaying, I realized I have visited a lot of remarkable places. I thought perhaps I would simply post a picture each day this week of some of my favorite spots from around the U.S.

Here is Day 1.




This is Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Huzzah New Zealand!

Happy Waitangi Day to all the New Zealanders out there!

According to the Yarn Harlot's daily desk calender (Never Not Knitting),
New Zealand has the highest ratio of sheep to humans in the world.



Not only is that something every knitter should know (according to Stephanie), I believe it's something every knitter should celebrate, perhaps even by going out and buying a skein or two of wooly goodness!

Thank you New Zealand!

I Stole This From Wendy

I was just reading Wendy Knits (by Wendy Johnson, aka "sock goddess") and she had a fun opening on her blog entry. Since she readily admits to having swiped it from elsewhere, I thought I'd do the same.

The idea is to fill in each item with the same first letter as the first letter in your name.

Your Name - Kim
Four letter word - kind
Boy name - Kevin
Girl name - Karen
Occupation - knitter (or Kindergarten teacher)
Color - khaki
Beverage - Kool-Aid
Something found in a bathroom - Kleenex
A Place - Katmandu (or Kentucky)
Reason for being late - killed
Food - kiwi
Something you shout - Keeper!

Ok, the longer you work at this, the more words that pop into mind.
Give it a try!

Happy Knitting/Shooting!

Something Rotten in the State of Iowa

(With apologies to William Shakespeare.)

Yes, there is something rotten in the state of Iowa. It's me!!!!

Today I received a box from Washington state. This is what I found when I opened it up:





This was graciously and generously put together for me by my spoiler in the Reducio Sock Swap #4 from Ravelry. Since I was/am a member of Gryffindor house, my mini sock is done in Gryffindor's house colors.



The fun new element in this round was the addition of something related to the care of magical creatures. Thus my newest friend, Ryuu:



Ryuu is a unique little dragon (only 3 have been found!) He doesn't breathe fire. Instead, Ryuu is a guardian of all things fiber related! Isn't he just the cutest?

Of course, all things in Hogwarts swapping are delivered by owl. This is the one that delivered all my goodies safe and sound:



With a little help from:



And, I also received delicious Starbucks chocolate and my very first handmade stitch markers (I can't TELL you how cool I think they are! I'm going to be showing ALL this off to all my knitting friends next Wednesday at sit-n-knit!)




I have to say a hundred "THANK YOU'S" to Dawn in Washington for the wonderful swap gifts!!

A New Day, A Fresh Outlook

Two things I love about life:

1. A good night's sleep.

Never underestimate the ability of a good night's sleep to help you with a fresh perspective on things the next day. I love the restorative, healing nature of something so natural and wonderful as simply sleeping.

2. A gathering of knitting friends.

Wednesday is my "sit-n-knit" group. We meet from 9:30 to 11:30 or noon each week. There is plenty of delicious coffee (or mochas or lattes or tea or whatever floats your boat!) along with yummy baked goods and other forms of sustenance.

The best part, however, is the weekly show-and-tell and the comradery. Today there were 11 of us. We chatted, sometimes as a whole and at other moments in smaller groups. There is laughter. (Sometimes so much it leads to tears!) Sometimes there are just tears. (That usually leads to hugs.) It is like a weekly trip to the spa/therapy/arts & crafts class all in one! Hard to beat the healing and restorative nature of that as well!

Today I worked on the socks I am making for my sister. You may have spotted the pattern on the Yarn Harlot's blog (I know that's where I found it.) I liked the way it made her varigated yarn look. I thought it might jazz up some plain yarn too.

What do you think?



The pattern is Leyburn Socks and can be found at:

http://www.pepperknit.com/patterns/LeyburnSocksPattern.pdf

I am using Paton's sock yarn (Krory, I believe) and size US#1 needles.

I think my sister will like them.

Happy Knitting!

Wracked with Guilt

Somehow I couldn't leave that last post to be the first thing anyone sees.
(I am usually at the head of the line when it comes to getting on the bus for a guilt trip...just ask my sibs.)

So I thought I'd leave you with something pretty to look at:




Also I heard about two websites with cute things:

www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org

and

www.cutethingslaughing.com

Enjoy!

Odds & Ends

Warning: this post has nothing to do with knitting or photography.

It also contains mainly negative thoughts/news/feelings. It is largely cathartic for myself alone and therefore you may wish to skip reading it.

Consider yourself warned.

Got a financial statement from my retirement fund. I lost a little over $30K last year from retirement savings. Virtually 1/3 of my savings. Gone. Kaput. I find this uber depressing. In a world where I've been wondering if I'm not actually already experiencing some depression, this was not the news I needed. (If I were still in ministry and facing this, I don't think I could cope.)

The governor has raised the state budget cuts from 1.5% to 6.5% across the board. Of course this sets badly with my DH who assumes at least hourly now that he is going to lose his job or have his salary slashed. Last night he mentioned aloud that I might need to get "a real job" sooner rather than later. By that I know he means full-time, possibly with benefits.

I try to take a deep breath and say thank you that at least our house is paid for and we won't be losing it. We will have a roof over our heads at the very least.

I got another rejection letter r.e. my book proposal. It is not a good time to think one might make a profit from either writing or fine art photography.

Everything at work seems to be such a hassle lately. I find myself banging my head on the wall and wondering if it's me. Am I doing something wrong? Why do projects keep taking a sour turn?

I am having my first doubts as to whether we will actually pull off college for the kids. I have always been the one who was certain they could go where they wanted and become whatever they wanted to be. (I still believe that last part!) Now, I'm not so sure we can even afford the state schools. DH's pessimism spreads I'm afraid.

All I feel like doing is crawling back into bed.

I warned you.

Online 6-Ply Sock Yarn

We are having an unusual streak of arctic air blasts this winter. I decided I needed some thick, wool socks and that I needed them quickly. Leslie at my LYS, Ewephoria Yarns, came to my rescue by introducing me to Online Yarn's 6-Ply Sock Yarn.

I usually knit socks on U.S. #0 needles. This 6-ply works up well using US #2's. This means less stitches per round and much quicker knitting!

Here are the two pair I've knit up thus far:



This version of Online is the Supersocke, 6-Ply, Cottage Colors collection. It is 75% superwash wool and 25% Polyamid. It comes in a very generous 150g ball with well over 400 yards. The only draw-back for me is that since it's one ball, I was hesitant in knowing how long I could make the leg on the first sock to still have enough to complete the second sock. Turns out I could've made the legs on my socks longer. Much longer. I guess that's one of those "live and learn" things! I could have remedied that by either: dividing the wool into two balls before I started knitting (might have been a tedious task!) or by using a scale to weigh the ball and the sock in progress to determine if I was nearing the "half-way" mark of usage. Since I don't have a scale, that wasn't a real option.

Anyway, I enjoyed the feel of the yarn as I was knitting and the socks appear to be very durable. They are definitely warmer than some of the other socks I've knit with finer, 4-ply yarns.

These were just quick knits following no particular pattern, just making them up as I went. The green colorway is knit toe-up with a heel flap/gusset construction, my new favorite way of doing socks.

I'd say I'll be knitting with this brand again in the future!

Happy Knitting!

A New Day

We have a new president, President Barack Obama. I have not been so moved by Inaugural Day hoopla....ever. I feel very hopeful and I'm so happy and looking forward to doing my part!

Almost Half-Way

Today is my 43rd birthday. I suppose I'm nearing the half-way point of life (at least I like to think I have a good while left yet!)

I like where I'm at on the journey. It's like hiking in the mountains. The half-way point is the pinnacle! You get to the top and have a chance to enjoy some breath-taking views! You have a broader perspective....you can see a lot further!

And the fact that it's all downhill from there is actually a positive thought to me! Making your way up is tough, often strenuous work. The effort requires concentration and sheer will-power to take another step sometimes. Sometimes you feel like giving up. (Sometimes you sit down on a rock while everyone else goes on without you....and you don't get to see the view from the top.....I know.)

The way down doesn't require near the same exertion. You can enjoy yourself. I see more on my way back down than I did on the way up. Enjoy the smaller details. Breathe easier. Encourage the people who are struggling on their way up that it really is worth it.




I'm very blessed to have a great husband, kids, extended family and friends who share the journey with me. Thanks for a special day guys....I love you!

Holy Cr@#!!!!

Awoke to an actual temperature of -26*F with windchills in the -30s.

Our high today: -8*F.

Now: -15*F and falling.

I'm going back to my knitting.

Ewephoria

I thought I'd share a few pictures from Leslie's shop, Ewephoria Yarns, in Pocahontas. She's in a house just north of the intersections of highways 3 & 4, on the west side of the road. She's got 4 rooms full of lovely yarn, kits, needles, etc.
Have a look!












Of course there are also magazines, books and a work space to sit and knit or take a class. She carries spindles, buttons and crochet hooks made by another local artisan in addition to her own line of hand-dyed yarns (which are GORGEOUS!!) If you're ever in this corner of the world, it's definitely worth a stop!!

Happy Knitting!

Pocahontas' Scarf

Several months ago my LYS (I use the term relatively.....if I were living in a huge metro area I might drive an hour across town to visit a "local" yarn shop. Ewephoria Yarns (www.ewephoriayarns.com) is the closest LYS I have and is approximately 42 miles away in another town. Considering I live in a "city" by Iowa standards [25,000 people] and Ewephoria is two or three counties away in a town of 2000 people, some people find it odd. That's all. Just saying.) owner, Leslie, organized an event on Ravelry wherein she invited knitters to creat 6x6" or 12x12" blocks which would be sewn together to form a beautifully handknit, diverse scarf to adorn the gigantic statue of Pocahontas that welcomes people to town who are coming in via Highway 3.

I was happy to knit a couple blocks. She was happy to get a great response from kind and generous knitter across 21 states in the U.S. and from 5 countries. The scarf was put onto the Princess in time for Thanksgiving and the start of holiday shopping and travel.

I missed going up for the big moment when the actual scarfing occured. However, since I edit the local monthly magazine, I decided it was high time to cover Pocahontas and drove up there yesterday to do my story. Here's what I found!



What fun! I spent some time visiting with Leslie for the magazine article (and buying more yarn, of course!) and discovered some interesting things. The scarf is 36 feet long. One lovely volunteer from Ireland actually sheared her sheep, carded and combed the wool, spun the yarn and dyed it, then knit up her square and sent it. Leslie remembered it as an orange square somewhere about 5 or so blocks up from one of the ends.

(Here's a close up in case you can spot it. Take note of the two blocks the arrows point to.)



See the Union Jack (flag of England)?? That square was contributed by a knitter from Gravesend, Kent, England. That location just happens to be the eternal resting place of the historical Pocahontas who married John Rolfe and went back to live with him in England. What a great connection for this small town in northwest Iowa named after the Native American princess!

The other block in burgundy and cream with the slip-stitch color work was in fact knitted by yours truly. (The other block I did with cables falls at the back of the neck of the statue and isn't visible in the photo.)

What a great thing Ravelry is to have brought all these people together for such a fun and whimsical project! And how great of Leslie at Ewephoria Yarns and the people of Pocahontas, Iowa to display the project....turning one piece of "art" into two!

Happy Knitting!

Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life I've Found You!

(With apologies to Madeline Kahn!)

I can't believe it took me well over 50 pairs of socks to discover the secret to the perfect pair of socks for my feet!

I finally experimented with toe-up socks that have a heel flap/gusset. (The short row heels I had been doing never fit me right, no matter how I fiddled with the number of stitches.)

They fit me so well, I even convinced my husband to try on the pair that were too long for me. He hasn't taken them off since!!

Without further adieu, here they are . . . .



The pair in the middle are mine. They were knit from Regia and are fondly called my "Monet Socks" simply because the colorway reminds me of a Monet painting. The others are socks knit for my DH using yarn from Knit Picks. He's been wearing the pair on the left so much that I decided to knit him another before he wears through the first pair.

I LOVE this method first, because they fit the best. Second, because knitting them toe-up allows me to knit until I run out of yarn, meaning the leg/cuff are longer than my other pairs. (I always got nervous that I *might* run out of yarn, so kept them shorter and then ended up with lots left over.)

Happy knitting!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Christmas was extremely kind to me considering I wasn't really in the spirit this year. (I still can't believe we didn't put up a tree.......) Look at these wonderful gifts I received!

How many women are lucky enough to have their husband go into a yarn shop while on summer vacation in hopes of purchasing a memory to give at Christmas and unwrap this:



It's a gorgeous suri alpaca/merino blend, specially dyed there in Colorado. I wish you could feel it. It's to die for. Really. Good job hon!

My kids got me two things I LOVE: Starbucks and Crayola Crayons. (Everyone needs a new box of colors every now and then. I ended up with 120 different colors! Yeah!!)





My SIL in Ohio has ventured into making jewelry and she designed this gorgeous necklace just for me! It's made up of my favorite colors and will go with half my wardrobe! I love it!




Thanks T!!!! I got the chance to sit and visit with her for over an hour and it was so nice to reconnect again. That was one of my best parts of Christmas...and when I think about it may have been a turning point in the whole holiday for me as I felt so much lighter and happier after seeing her. I think she was my Christmas angel.

Other items that make the highlight list of gifts received: Delicious homebaked goodies from my sister, my other SIL in WI, and my friend from college; a fun Wii game of Mini-golf that we have all been enjoying immensely; a new pair of Crocs I can wear in the snow; several hugs from my niece; time spent with nephews; yummy chili my step-dad made; lots of letters from family and friends.

In the end it is the relationships I am most thankful for. While some of them remain a bit tenuous for now, others saw some progress toward healing, for which I am most grateful.

May 2009 be full of favorite things: friends, family, knitting and photos!

2009 - New Beginnings

Well, I really did intend for my next post to have been titled "These are a few of my favorite things" in which I would have photographed a few of my most prized gifts received for the holidays. But time seems to have slipped by without my camera ending up in my hands, and I'd really like to do justice to the beautiful items I received (namely some heavenly yarn and a gorgeous one-of-a-kind made just for me necklace).....so I'll save my Sound of Music post for next time.

Here it is, another new year. 2009. My husband is a bit superstitious about odd numbered years, believing that they hold more negative energy than positive. I believe this is largely due to the fact his mother left this world in an odd numbered year. However, we were married in a year ending in an odd number, and both our kids were born during years which ended in "1" and "3" resepctively. So I am more hopeful that this year -2009 - just might have a lot more positive karma than others might think.

Last year my only resolution was to live a more intentional life. While I had my moments, I think that overall it was a good resolution which changed my life for the better. So I shall continue to make that my resolution for the coming year as well. I know that there are some life-changing events coming down the pike and my hope is to simply be in the moment. Aware. Reflective. Intentional.

That will be enough for me. Enough is good.

Happy New Year!