Seven years ago...

... today my father passed away.



Miss you, Pappa.

I knit a jumper - for me!

Jumper - pullover - genser - whatever you want to call. I did one for me! And I did one earlier this year, but I didn't work on this one for, like, 5 years. This one was started and finished in one month!



This is the first time I have knit a neckdown sweater of any kind. I kind of liked it. I didn't try it on or anything, but it allowed me to gauge the amount of yarn I had left, and could make adjustments accordingly. The pattern is from Knitting Pure and Simple, #9726. The yarn is Classic Elite Classic Silk, #6919 Rose.

A simple knit, but very satisfying.

Lucky Leafling

Yeah - I've been on a sock knitting jag again.





There is something to be said for being in the Socks that Rock Club from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. You have the opportunity to knit socks that you normally wouldn't. This is from last year, the colorway is Lucky in Mediumweight, the pattern is called Leafling by JC Briar. The heel design is a la Cat Bordhi. I have not tried doing one of her sock architectures, and this gave me the opportunity.

The socks are thick, and I had to rip out the 2nd sock back to the leg because I managed to add an extra pattern repeat, so the sock was huge! Yes, it's true, even I make mistakes.

I am curious to see how they work for me. Kevin is concerned that the bulk in the heel may be uncomfortable for me, and I am concerned that they will bunch. The socks fit tight enough, but I'm just uncertain. I'll keep you posted.

Sweet Lime Salida's

There is this group called Sock Knitters Pentathalon, and it started up again in February. They come out with a new pattern every two months, and you're challenged to get them completed before the next pattern comes out. I've liked the patterns in the past, and this one is no exception.





The pattern is by Janneke Maat. The yarn is Yarn Pirate Bamboo/Merino/Nylon in the colorway Sweet Lime. I totally love them - and the rose color matches the sweater I'm working on. Woohoo!

Duckies and Bee Stitch

Finished another pair of socks. Surprise! This pattern is from Samantha Hayes and is called Duckies. The yarn, from one of my favorite dyers, is Yarn Pirate BFL DK in the colorway Hope. They feel wonderful.

The other thing I finished was another washcloth, because there is little else to do with dishcloth cotton, and I have a gazillion balls of it.



The pattern is by Rhonda White and the yarn is Sugar N' Cream Patio Pinks.

Wait, Wait comes to Zellerbach Hall

A couple of years ago, we started listening it Wait, Wait....Don't Tell Me on NPR. It is always on the iPod and is a welcome companion on road trips. We went to see a live show last year when they were at Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley. We jumped on the opportunity to see them again when we heard they were coming back.



Peter Sagal addresses the crowd before they start taping.



The guest this week is Mezzo Soprano Frederica von Stade. She was completely charming and it was wonderful to see her in such a forum.



The panelists this week were Mo Rocca, Paula Poundstone and Tom Bodett. Tom Bodett was not what I was expecting. I won't say what I thought he would look like, other than older and bald. Mo and Paula were quite funny.

The show ran almost two hours, which they will have to edit down to less than 50 minutes. I'm looking forward to hearing the show this weekend to see what they had to cut out.

Muscari Socks

This is the Muscari pattern by Suzi Anvin from the Knitty.com issue Summer 2008 found here. The yarn is from my November 2008 trip to Idaho Falls and the Yarn Connection. The yarn is called Knit Together by Deborah Bass of Idaho Falls. There wasn't a colorway name on the yarn, but I am calling it Purples.

This is a stretchy pattern, and the repeats are easy to remember. I knit them using the magic loop method.

Looking at my Ravelry projects, purples have certainly been prominent for me this year. My next few projects are definitely going in a different direction.

Revontuli -huivi/Northern Lights

This lovely pattern is from AnneM and can be found on Ravelry and at her blog. Last year, I bought some Kauni from my local dealer, Marianne at The Yarn Boutique. It has been pestering me for some time, and I had to do something about that. For me, it's a little Halloween-y, or maybe a litte Goth. I still like it though. The examples shown on AnneM's site, and on Ravelry, are amazing.

I used about 190g of the Kauni. I purchased 290g. I have enough left over to do a scarf - even socks if I wanted to go that route. The color changes would be interesting on socks. I'll probably go with a scarf, or maybe a hat or fingerless gloves. We'll have to wait and see!

As a side note - it took me three days to knit. About 24 hours in total. It was quick for a shawl!

Raindrop Cardigan

The design is from the Rowan Plaid Collection book by Kim Hargreaves. The colorway is Lavender Mist. This was a fun and easy pattern. I liked the yarn very much, but it has been discontinued by Rowan.

This is the fourth sweater I have finished this year! However, this is the first one that I started from scratch - no previous efforts to start. I am very pleased with the results and will wear it when I go to my knitting group tomorrow night. Won't they be surprised. I cast on while at the meeting last week!

Pink Heart - Heart in Hand

I love Heart in Hand designs. Cecelia Turner is a phenomenal designer, and I have done quite a few of her "heart" designs. I have a thing for hearts. The finished size on this is approximately 2" x 2". I am also very happy to say that I have tried to do a little bit of stitching lately, and should have another piece done shortly.

As with knitting, working on something like this is a comfort to me, as it has been over the years. When I am working on these creations, my mind is occupied and not dwelling on less comforting thoughts and circumstances. It certainly is cheaper than therapy.

Malabrigo Cardi

I had a few skeins of Malabrigo and I wanted to make something special. Using Barbara Walker's first treasury, I found a nice pattern that I thought would make a nice detail for a cardigan. I cheated a little, looking at few other patterns for a guide to stitches and basic pattern details. The results you see above. When I have the opportunity, I will write a patten for it. It will take a little work to decipher my notes!

I used 2 1/2 skeins of Malabrigo worsted in the color Hollyhock.

Today we begin anew

This morning I set all other things aside because history was about to unfold. A new day was dawning across the nation, and the world.

"I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors."

And so began our new President, with his message to all of us, and the beginning of the Era of Responsibility.

At the conclusion of the speeches, and as tears freely fell down my face when the National Anthem was played, I felt hopeful again that the creed of our Nation would be fulfilled. I went to the computer, one of our most recent great technological achievements, to find a text of the speech, so I could read it in full and accept it's deeper meaning. Ironically, it was on the BBC website that I found it first. The power of his words have reached across the world.

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

In a voice similar to FDR and Kennedy, he cast aside some of the ills of this nation and reminded us that we are better than this. Our history has shown us that we can rise above the petty issues of men to attain a higher goal, a broader achievement. In the words of John Winthrop, "For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us." Our eyes are on Washington, and we pray for change, for better days ahead.

"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."

If this were true, that we could now be a land of true equality, we could be that City Upon the Hill. If we could all learn to accept those that are different, to lift up those that have fallen, to set that example for others to follow, there may be hope for us yet.

"As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more."

We cannot continue to force our will at the end of a gun. From our beginning, we lead by example. When we had to use military force to advance our goals, we did so in measured fashion. We made our mistakes, and we paid the price. We are now presented with the opportunity to lead with the hand and voice of friendship, of understanding, and with determination.

"We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."

We saw this is the aftermath of 9/11, and the opportunity to advance change and bring this nation together was squandered. We were a strong nation, united in a common goal. The terrorists did not defeat us, we allowed our government to do that for them. We must insure that this does not happen again.

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."

Regardless of our familial ties, we are one nation, one people. As one, we can move mountains and be the better for it.

"And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it."

In a book I have been reading this last week, when speaking of poverty and the responsibility of Nations, the following passage from Matthew 25 was quoted, and seems appropriate for this time. (Yes, I'm quoting scripture!)

The Judgement of the Nations

31 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” ⁴¹Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴²for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’

There are those that put forth that ours is a Christian nation, yet these same voices protest when they feel that we are paying too much for Social Welfare. That those suffering from AIDS/HIV in Africa brought this upon themselves with their faithless and unseemly acts. That those living in the inner cities are unwilling to elevate themselves above the property and joblessness. That those who suffer in these dark economic times brought this upon themselves through greed and avarice. Who amongst us is without sin?

"For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies."

We have been apathetic and complacent. We must now rise to our Nation's call.

"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."

Are we ready to answer this call? Can we continue to be complacent and apathetic as our Nation continues to suffer from the follies of the past eight years? If we are to succeed, we must all do our part, in word and deed, to help our newly elected President in lifting our Nation to it's former Glory and becoming that beacon of justice and democracy in the world again.

I leave you with some of the words that Rev. Lowery, the great civil rights leader, recited today in the benediction. The following is the text of the Negro National Anthem, written by James Weldon Johnson for a celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday in 1899, and was sung in Florida by a Childrens Choir on that occasion. Mr. Johnson later became the first African American to pass the bar in Florida.

Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us,
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, Our God, where we met Thee;
Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our GOD,
True to our native land

A Hayfield Pullover

I found this when I was going through my stash, though at the time is was four pieces of knitting with no pattern.



It's a cute little sweater that I made many years ago - like, around 1991. With no pattern, it has languished in the craft room years these many years. I took it out, and fingured how hard could it be. I steam blocked it first and seamed it up. I tired to duplicate the ribbing, which has a twist, but I was unsuccessful. Still, it looks ok.

I realized that my knitting has changed quite a bit over the past few years. I used to twist my stitches when I knit, and now I can't figure out how I used to do it. I think this is the last of the old UFO's in the stash. The way I look at it, I've finished two sweaters so far this year!

Malabrigo Yarn Club

In hopes that my finances would be better this year, I signed up for the Malabrigo Yarn Club through Eat.Sleep.Knit. I have become addicted to Malabrigo. The fingerless gloves I did last year were amazing, and the pair of Fetching that I have are worn often since it's so stinking cold here. It's California - we don't get 40F during the day, day after day. Where the hell is the rain?!?! Sorry, I digress.



The yarn arrived yesterday. The pattern looked interesting. I sat down last night to see what I could get done.

The fingerless gloves were done a little after midnight. The cowl was done earlier tonight. The colorway is Brisa - which was ok - but this was my first opportunity to use Malabrigo Chunky. The pattern called for US9 needles, but I had to go to 10.5 to get gauge. The pattern is by Katie Franceschi and they are called Twinkle Mitts & Cowl.

Do you think I'm looking forward to next month?

Spanish Dancer Bamboo

There are times, such as this, I really wish I had a dress form.

Once upon a time I purchased Rowan Magazine #25. In it was a pattern called Bamboo, by Kim Hargreaves, that was knit in Cotton Chenille. I had some Cotton Chenille, but it was Sport weight. But I had a lot of it - one of my eBay purchases run amok. I found that if I doubled it, I got gauge. Eureka! I ripped it out three times and finally got serious late last month.

I was restarting the back on New Year's Eve. I worked on it through all the Wild Card games last weekend. Tonight I steam blocked and sewed it up. Tada!

It looks bulky and shapeless, but it fits. There is more fabric than I would like under my arms, but I also tried it on over a t-shirt. I still have nearly 1,400 yards left. Perhaps I will knit a shawl with the rest.

December Knitting

It was a busy month. Since funds were in short supply, I decided to do some Christmas knitting.

I made these for three of my nieces....

Sweetheart Bag for Audrey



I found this pattern and thought this would make a cute bag for two of my nieces. I made a larger one for Audrey, which in the picture looks a little wonky, but came out quite nice. The pattern is by JanKnit Designs and can be found for free on her blog.

Sweetheart Bag for Leah



Leah's, knit to pattern spec, came out quite cute as well. Both were knit using Cascade 220.

Fingerless Lace Mitts for Kaitlin



When I was in Idaho, I went to the local yarn store with my MIL Sharon and SIL Kelli. I asked Kelli what colors the girls liked, and found a skein of Brown Sheep Wildfoote that Kaitlin might like. Searching through Ravelry, I found this pattern by Monica Jines. Luckily, I had purchased this pattern previously, and they came out great. When I have time, I want to do a pair for me!

Stella for Mom



The pattern is from Luxury Yarn One Skein Wonders - one of my favorite series so far. I found some Bernat yarn in my stash in a color I knew Mom would like. It only took a couple days to knit up, the pattern repeat was an easy one to remember. She loved it!

Other things I knitted in the last month.....

Chemo Cap in Sky



This is a picture of one I did a couple of years ago, but they look the same. This pattern is from Knit Picks, and it is another in an ongoing charity project I have been working on. I completed this on our way home from Idaho.

Funky Little Sack



I thought the name fit. It came out much better than I thought. I didn't use a pattern, instead I'm calling this free form knitting. The beads were purchased at Joann's, as was the yarn which is Bernat Felting Natural Wool.

Half of Starry Starry Night



My MIL mentioned that she liked these socks. I had knit a pair earlier this summer for someone else. Best of intentions and all that, I finished one in time for Christmas with an IOU for the other after the holidays. I wanted to get the gifts for the girls done, so that took priority. Mom's scarf was started on the trip down to LA, and finished while I was there. Hopefully, I will cast on #2 tomorrow.

Well, that's it for my projects for this year. I hope all of your had a happy holiday with your family and friends. Mom was very happy to have us home for the holidays and we were able to spend some time with friends, which happens far too infrequently.

My best wishes to your and yours for the coming New Year. May it bring hope and prosperity to us all.

A Little Malabrigo

It is amazing what you can do with one skein of Malabrigo. I give you Fetching.....



and Chainlink.....



Fetching is from knitty.com, but Chainlink is mine. I will post the pattern here soon, so check back.

The colorway is Charrua. I really like it.

When you forget your slippers - knit socks

I was going to bring slippers with me to Idaho, but I forgot. So, I knit a pair of house socks in, like, two days.



I am not ashamed to admit that I use Red Heart. For things like this, it's wonderful. I can throw them in the wash and not have to think twice. Worn over a pair of knitted wool socks, the feet are toasty warm. And in the long run, they are cheaper than slippers.

Blue & Grey Basic Sock

What is better for mindless travel knitting than a basic sock? These are made with Regia and I knit them on US 0's - they are the densest socks I have ever knit! They took forever - for me. Now to figure out what I can wear them with.

Thunderstruck

AC/DC



In Oakland.



And Angus can still bring the f 'in house down.



And Brian isn't so bad either! To borrow a quote from my sister-in-law - Wicked Awesome. Couldn't hear a damn thing for over an hour, but I would do it again in a heart beat.