Sunday Afternoon

The last day of vacation.  Heayy sigh.

We filled this week full, yet I still feel relaxed.  Not ready to go to work, but relaxed, lol.

We spent loads of time with family, and all of it was good.  Thanksgiving Day was spent with 8 of us who are all on a similar page politically, so there was no strife, only good food and fun.

Saturday was our family carol sing – a long tradition on my Mom’ side of the family.  Mom, her two sisters and as many cousins and second cousins, etc as can make it. This year we had all the cousins in my generation, but missed a whole bunch of the next generation – the kids are getting older and all had girlfriends and homework, etc calling them, so no trip to Maine for singing.  But we did have a few who had been missing in recent years – all graduated now, they are grownups who work and have weekends free.  It was loads of fun, and even though I couldn’t sing (sinuses still causing havoc with voice), I really enjoyed listening to them  sing, and chatting with the small crowd of guys who hang in the living room not singing each year. And I got a few doll mittens knit for little E, which made her very happy as she had requested them.

In and between and among all of that, I spent a day with niece B getting a start on making the Christmas cards (still have many to go, but at least the process has begun  🙂 ); A and I went to the movies – IN THE MOVIE THEATER! – which rarely happens; had supper out once or twice, cleaned most of the house, and generally puttered and got things done that needed doing.  I also did a bit of spinning, and a whole lot of knitting, most of which is for Christmas.   I knit a few things from some handspun, which feels really good!  One of those things is this doll’s hat to match the mittens I made for E’s doll, but the rest can’t be shown yet. 🙂

This is color tag from Three Waters Farm, and it is rambouillet.  It was hard for me to spin, but I really like the resulting yarn, very soft.

I also cast this on – the girls at work have been asking for these hats, so I will knit a few of them and sell them too cheaply, because I know what they earn.  🙂

Spinning-wise, I finished one bobbin of Cadillac Mountain (from Purple Fleece) and have started the next.  It’s a merino cashmere blend and it is so easy to spin, and really soft. Can’t wait to have it to knit with!

While I was knitting and spinning, A was really struggling with her project, to make plexi-glass inserts for the screen porch.  I think she would have had an easier time of it if this supervisor had been more helpful.

But clearly, supervising is difficult work, really takes it out of you.  It takes a couple of days of napping before the fire for Zumba to recover.

Today we are being so lazy – watching many sappy holiday movies.  We record them on the Hallmark channel and watch them at our leisure… which is all day today, I guess!  Because we have taken most of the week off from dieting, and will start again tomorrow, there are brownies in the oven which I fully intend to eat with a nice cup of cocoa.  Well, I won’t eat them all – A will get one or two as well.  If any are left, they will go to work with me tomorrow.

Heavy sigh.

I think I will go check the lottery tickets before I  think too much more about all that has to happen tomorrow.

 

 

 

Vacation free from lists

This week we have lots to do, but a family rule say we won’t make a list or a plan.

This is very unlike us, I know. But making lists and plans for our November vacation is bad juju.

In 2011 we had big plans. Many projects to do, getting things done on the house and getting ready for the holidays.

Then we got locked out on our bedroom deck, and A broke her ankle saving us. (The deck is now referred to as Lovers Leap, thanks to my witty step dad!) We spent that vacation in the hospital, then home caring for her while she slowly got better.

2012, ankle healed, we revisited the list and added to it. This time my brother was hosting the feast, so we could really get things done! Until my dad called on Sunday to tell me my grandmother was near the end so I raced to Connecticut to be there with them. She passed away on Thanksgiving morning.

2013 we made the rule- no more lists. We can’t risk losing anyone else.

But even without lists, things are getting done. A is winning the battle with large sheets of plexiglass, and we hope to have the screen porch closed in by spring, lol. Yesterday was frustrating for her, but she got one window done and thinks she knows how to do it more easily for the other 9.

My puttering has resulted in 2 clean bathrooms, some spinning, lots of secret knitting, many errands done, and some basic rubble clearing done in the living room.

Today we have to go to Ellsworth to get snow tires on one car, and do more errands, then come home and finish the cleaning.

Tomorrow I have to get organized for Christmas card making with my niece, which will be fun. It would be more fun if I was completely sure what the cards look like, but I’ll pack up everything I think we might need and see what happens.

Then Thursday is all about cooking, eating and dishes.

So no lists but lots to do!

Then back to work for three weeks until our next vacation!

Web sales!!!!! — Welcome to The Dartmoor Yarn Company Blog

I’ve been saying web sales will arrive for so long, I’m not sure if any of you still believe me – I’m not sure I still believed me. But I finally clicked the button to go live and The Dartmoor yarn Company Shop is now open for business. Lovely Littlest has pawed over the pages […]

via Web sales!!!!! — Welcome to The Dartmoor Yarn Company Blog

I don’t usually share others’ posts, but this one is BIG NEWS!  Bekki has worked so long and so hard on her business that I wanted to help her spread the word.  Do check it out, and if you like what you see and are able to, do a bit of shopping!  (I can send you my list if you like.)

Can’t write right now, I’m knitting!

I think I realized how soon Christmas is, in terms of knitting projects.  And then I cast on for presents, which I can’t talk too much about here, but which I can say  are coming right along.  One is a really easy (boring) knit which goes with me everywhere as it is miles of stockinette stitch.  That needs to be done by mid-December.  The other involves a million little parts which are not hard to make, and only a bit fiddly.  But I need so many of them!  What was I thinking?

I got the idea the other night to use some of my handspun for some of the parts, and that made it more interesting.  I have all those mini skeins created because my bobbins filled  up before I ran out of fiber.  This is the perfect project for those mini skeins.  Oh, I wish I could share them with you!  I will, right after Christmas. This project needs to be done right after Thanksgiving, also for delivery.

See why I think it is closer to Christmas than the calendar says?

All of this has meant that I put my sweater aside.  I finished the body and am ready to pick up the sleeves as soon as I can. I am trying not to think about the history I have with this yarn.  Many years ago (15? 20?), I knit a sweater with it, got it all done but the sleeves. Put it away, and never went back to it until this September, when I pulled it all out, washed the yarn and started over with a different pattern.  I am determined to finish this one, this time.  But not until I finish these other projects.

This means I also put aside the two remaining shawls from last summer, Biophilia and High Country Crescent.  I am thinking of frogging Biophilia, I am not loving the yarn and needle choice with the pattern.  It Madeline Tosh, so it is not like I won’t find another use for it!  High Country Crescent, which I was unsure about when I got going actually looks so pretty in the very fine yarn I am using.  I look forward to getting back to that one.

And there are more shawls in the queue – I have signed on to knit one for the Purple Fleece, and will do that in January.

Then there are these mittens – I was so pleased to pick up the blue and aqua/teal yarns in the Knitting Sarah’s de-stash earlier this year.  I thought they would be great for these mittens, but I needed a third color.  Last week I was in Over the Rainbow in Rockland, and spotted this soft gray yarn!  It is from Quince and Company, and sure enough, when I got home, it was the perfect third color for the mittens.  So they have joined the line that stretches behind my chair in the living room.  🙂

We are on a “staycation” next week, and between the holiday cleaning and cooking, I hope to make real progress on the deadline knitting.  I’ll take photos, but can’t share them for quite a while – sorry!

Then I will get back to working on things that I can share with you, I promise.

Non-knitting – We continue to dominate in A’s office version of the biggest loser – I have lost weight for 7 consecutive weeks!  Woot woot!  A has as well, but I am ahead of her, likely due to being sick last month.  I’ll take it.  Last weigh in is Monday, then we should be able to collect the prizes.  We are on the same team, and though the other team is also working hard, I feel pretty confident that our team is going to win over all.  You know this means more money for fiber and yarn and goodies, right?  Plus it means my clothes fit better. And my doctors are happier.  And I feel better.  All good things.

I’ll try to write more when we are on vacation – when I take breaks from knitting.  🙂

Did not see that coming

Had a doctor’s appointment today (health report – she gave me the unwelcome news that it could take another TWO MONTHS before my ear is back to normal.)

And we got talking, as everyone is wont to day today, about the impact of whatever that was last night.

It seems “the forgotten people” are no longer forgotten.

But what about the truly ostracized, the unseen, the people on the edge, the people who are hanging on for dear life with the support of good programs like Food stamps, and TANF (welfare), and ACA (Obamacare), and rental assistance, and LIHEAP (energy support).  What happens to them as these programs are changed and stripped and eliminated, as promised?

These people are  in our communities, they are your neighbors and mine, they are you and me. Who will care for them, who will listen to them, who will advocate for them, and who will protect them?

It falls to all of us at the local level now.  We all need to step up and do what has to be done.

I don’t feel up to it, but I will find a way.

We also have to remain vigilant at the federal and state levels – what has been gained can be taken away.  I think of voting rights, gay rights, women’s rights, equal rights, civil rights.

And a special word – if you happen to be a Justice appointed by Bill Clinton or Barack Obama who serves on the SCOTUS – won’t you please eat right, drink your water, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, have all your wellness checkups and screenings, and do all that you can do to stay healthy and strong for 4 more years. We are counting on you to still be here when this is over.

The dark ages ended eventually, and this will, too.

I can’t wait until Wednesday

I am so sick of it all.

I am so scared of the result.

I only hope we KNOW the result Wednesday morning and there is no trip to the Supreme Court or Congress to determine the winner.

Here’s something my boss and I have been pondering.  Were there ever two VP candidates who could more realistically think “hmm if we win, then by this time next year I could be President.” ????  I think not.

Nuff said.

What I have been doing while I haven’t been posting

First off, a quick health update – feeling ever so much better now! Thank you all SO MUCH for your kind thoughts and comments, it feels good to know there are friends out there who wish me well.

I went to work all 5 days last week, although I only stayed all day toward the end of the week, and was SO glad when the week ended.  Somehow I found the energy to go to knitting on Saturday, and made loads of progress on my sweater as I resisted a delicious looking cheesecake.  Can’t eat while you are knitting (good thing, really.)

I am now past the body/sleeve division, and working my way through the waist decreasing.  I really think I will have this done by the end of November at this rate.  Of course, I can’t keep up this pace – I have an order for a hat from my Etsy shop – yeah! – that I need to make this weekend – just waiting for the yarn to come in.  And a few Christmas gifts that need doing, some by the end of the month for shipping.  But those aren’t huge projects, so then it is back to my sweater.

And spinning – I don’t think I ever showed you the finished skein of this yarn – September’s roving of the month from Purple Fleece – it’s corriedale. I totally missed on bulky weight but it will make a good warm hat anyway.

Or October’s roving of the month, as yet unspun.

Debbie is getting creative, trying to find fibers we haven’t spun yet.  She thinks this one will make great mittens, and I can see that it might!  Only one of us had spun it when we met last week, and she wasn’t a fan, but I will give it a shot, eventually.  Right now I am working on finishing this spin:

which is cheviot in Hestia, from Highland Handmades.  I think it will match nicely with this one:

Cadillac Mountain by Purple Fleece, and I have a plan to make a cowl with them.  I got the pattern from Over the Rainbow when I was there this summer. You will have to trust me that the pinks in them both are loads closer than these photos show.

And the Christmas cards for this year are rolling around in my head – it is time to get started with those – November already!  Some people take November off from work to go hunting.  I think I need to start taking it off to do crafting!

Other news – I finished the first 30 days of Whole 30.  Hurrah!  I lost about 20 pounds, (eventually) found I didn’t miss much except my morning coffee WITH CREAM.  In the process, I am holding tight to first place in the Biggest Loser game at A’s office.  Big money prizes on the line, so I will take two days off from Whole 30 (sort of – turns out we have a whole fridge full of veggies to be eaten) and then return to it until the end of the competition and Thanksgiving. After that, I think it will be that I develop a lifestyle of eating that way and having occasional meals where I don’t worry about it.  I have to say, it really works – I feel so much better, not just the weight loss. Knees feel better,  skin is better, digestion is better. Rats.  Why can’t eating cheese and bread and chocolate ever make me lose weight and feel better?

Tuesday marked the last day of my volunteering for Fair Vote Maine – I have been doing that for several months now, as they work to educate voters on Rank Choice Voting, which is on our referendum ballot this year.   No more Tuesdays before the election, so we wrapped up our Tuesday night gig with a  some sparkling cider, cookies, and lots of data entry and shredding!  It will feel odd not to go there anymore – wonder what I will do with Tuesdays now?  Well, I know what I will be doing next Tuesday – agonizing over the returns and knitting.  After that, who knows?

Other than all of this, nothing much is new – A is away for a few days this week – working up in “the County” (Aroostook, for those of you not from Maine) which is far enough away that she stays there overnight. The cats are quite put out, as she is the favorite mommy.  Last night they acted like I was completely insane to think they should go to bed when she wasn’t home.  Zumba didn’t even want her bedtime treats. She wasn’t even really interested in breakfast!  For Zumba to turn down food is amazing. Allie isn’t sure what to do – I don’t play right, but I do pat her nicely.  So she was torn during play time this morning, finally decided to ignore the toys and get some loving instead.  It usually takes them a couple of days to adjust to one of us being gone, and right around the time they do, A returns, and they forget all about me again. 🙂

What’s new in your neck of the woods?