Embraceable Ewe

Mastery...not so much.

2011-12-01T05:48:00.001-05:00

I consider myself a confident, not cocky, but confident knitter. I have been a published designer for over 20 years and have taught knitting about that long. Malcom Gladwell in his wonderful book Outliers defines mastery of a task occurring after 10,000 hours of practice. I am pretty sure I reached 10,000 hours of knitting in my late 20's. Hey, I learned very young and grew up on an island with no movie theater for 9 months of the year, back in the days when you only got three TV channels. Do the math, it was that or drink.

My husband asked me recently if I had ever had a student at the yarn shop where I teach stump me in three years of teaching. I answered honestly, no, I had never been stumped. I do not consider myself a knitting know it all but I knit for hours every day and like most knitters I know have an extensive knitting library. All that reading eventually sticks.

But this week it is all gone. I have completely lost my knitting mojo and to the most inconsequential of knitting projects. I regularly cast on 500 stitches for very complex multicolor Fair Isle sweaters and then cut them open with barely a fair thee well. This little cowl I designed kicking me in the butt is humilitating on many levels. It is due in two weeks, (rather than two days) which is wonderful because I spent 10 hours casting on and ripping back 5 times in one day. It is a simple cabled cowl, in bulky weight yarn. I knock these things out in a day, usually. Hubris gave me a smack down. Apparently I can't count. I thought I had counting mastered pretty young too. But I have seen the errors of my thinking and now know that counting to 130 is beyond my capabilities. I can't know that I can't count until I knit 9 rounds of ribbing (each of the five times) on those 130 stitches and then set up for the cable pattern. Then it is blaringly obvious I can't count.

So let this be a lesson...don't count your cables before they are set. Or you'll be tempted to start drinking, ask me how I know.

Now just because I think every post should include pictures... some gratuitous Thanksgiving photos.

There were pies, apple and pumpkin...but man do those pans look beyond dingy. Yikes!

There was a boat load of stuffing, really a boat load, that bowl is massive...

There was a monster bird...

There were handsome men and cute young women...they would like you to know that he came in 4th in his age group and 39th overall out of 630 runners, and Caty came in 6th in her age group in the Turkey Trot!!! (Macy very sweetly walked with her old mom and kept me company).

A groaning board of food and family...

And perhaps best of all... a husband who cleaned up my awful mess.

Oh, and Charlie was home!!!!

A Lovely Time was Had by All

2011-11-08T12:24:00.002-05:00

So I just got the memo about November being Blog month. It's the 8th and already I have missed 7 days. And I can guarantee I won't be blogging everyday, but I'll do my best.

The knitting has gone stealth again but I'll see what I can find to share.

Not to worry there are many other distracting photos.

I was the Co-Chair of the Greater Latrobe Art Trust Gala this year. Greater Latrobe School District, where I am a school Board Director, has been collecting art for 75 years. Every year student leaders and art students scour the local area for paintings to bring back to the school for the entire student body to vote on. The student council then purchases as many of the top five choices as their budget allows. 75 years folks, this has been happening for 75 years!!! So you can imagine the collection that has been amassed in all those years. The art hangs on the walls in all the hallways of the high school. There are over two hundred pieces in the collection now.

About 20 years ago the school districts solicitor and his wife spearheaded an effort to raise funds to restore and conserve the collection. The Art Gala raises funds for the ongoing conservation. The collection was recently recognized in American Profiles magazine (you know the magazine inside your Sunday papers). Ever since we have had people from all over the country calling and requesting tours of the collection!

Anyway, the Gala, was a huge success, with over 500 people attending. It was a long couple of days for our committee but isn't it beautiful? I am sorry I don't have any photos of the collection or after everyone arrived all decked out in their finery, but I was a busy girl.

A centerpiece on the caterers tables.

This area is the commons or central meeting area at Greater Latrobe High School. Through the distant windows you can see the courtyard.

The desserts were served in the Center For Student Creativity (you can see some of the art behind the table)

But what was most impressive to me was the cake pop centerpiece. I worked a while on this baby figuring out how to make it pretty and practical (isn't all life like that???) The pops were dipped in white and pale blue icing, sprinkled with sparkles. And they really sparkled. We worried people wouldn't know to eat them, so not a problem. They were gone in an instant.

The Center For Student Creativity is an amazing space. A collaboration between the school district and the Art Trust, the Center is a gorgeous facility outfitted with the latest in audio visual, art and performance spaces. It also functions as a community center as the community is invited to use it whenever the school is not. We show foreign films for seniors here, many people schedule bridal and baby showers here. It is a beautiful space and it is an extension of the art wing of our high school, between the art rooms and music rooms. Arnold Palmer and Mr. Rogers are both distinguished alumnus and the Center is part of a beautiful neighborhood. Check out the article in the link above. It really is kind of amazing.

Sundays

2011-10-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

Cate came home last week and unbeknown to me set up a photo shoot with her little sister. They decided mom's knits would be perfect for fall and I could use them for my blog and pattern photos. I'll let them speak for themselves.

Ooops, that took a while.

2011-10-13T16:31:00.000-04:00

Sorry folks, didn't plan to be sooooo long between posts. Lots of secret knitting, so nothing interesting to show. But I have been informed I NEED to get back to my blog...so here we go.

All the secret knitting is now being published and I am pretty pumped. Four of my designs have been published in 60 More Quick Knits by SoHo Publishing with Cascade Yarns. These were knit so long ago I barely remember knitting them. Tell me what you think..

The Tasseled Ski Hat

Nordic Mittens

Baltic Mittens

and the Fair Isle Tam (front and Back)

These photos are all from the book 60 More Quick Knits. They were all knit with Cascade 220 Sport.
Copyright by Sixth&Spring/Cascade Yarns
60 More Quick Knits
Photography by Jack Deutsch

And to keep things interesting...

One of my very favorite knitting students has had a terrible diagnosis, so being a knitter, I knit her something to cheer her up. This is the lovely Aria Delicato Scarf by Anne Hanson. I am a huge Anne Hanson fan and stalker. I never miss her Knitspot blog posts and even found her in the wild once! I was too shy to approach her, but she was super sweet when I commented on her blog. So next time I will be more forward.

Yarn: Sea Silk (not sure of the color, it is more variegated that I wanted, but I think she will like it).
Needles: #4, 24" circs.
No modifications at all, can't play with perfection.
Best of all I finally sent it off in the mail today, it has been finished for over a month.

This little cutie is truly adorable, not because of my knitting but because of the size. Oh and I am in love with the yarn. Can we all say yummy!!!

The sweater will eventually have the little fellows initials duplicate stitched on the front of this size 6-12 mos. boatneck pullover. In the same color as the pom pom. Hat pattern is my own, simple doubled rolled back ribbing, 100 sts and off you go in fingering weight. The sweater pattern is from my friend Sheila from Flock on Nantucket. It is knit is a worsted weight and is just the softest wool cashmere combo. Sheila owns Flock (formerly Sheep to Shore). Sadly the website is not being updated too frequently, but the pattern is called Easy, Easy Baby Pullover.

This has been one of my favorite yarn shops since the day they opened. And yes, I may have stumbled in a few times while we were home closing up the cottage. I am not apologizing...it is a beautiful shop with the most Madeline Tosh I have ever seen in one place and a fantastic staff. So everyone who visits Nantucket should go and see Sheila. And yes, I do work in a yarn shop, which I also love, for different reasons. Believe me there is plenty of yarn love to go around!

Hat
Size: Newborn
Yarn: Anzula Squishy, Color: Seabreeze
Needles: #2

Sweater Easy, Easy Baby Pullover
Size 6-12 months
Yarn: Anzula Cricket, Color: Seabreeze
Needles: #5
One skein of yarn was all it took. I didn't have a 16" needle or I would have knit this in the round. And it is sooo tiny it took no time at all. I think I knit it in one day and the hat the next afternoon. Thoroughly addictive knitting.

There was much knitting finished while on island. I think I need to head home every time I have a knitting deadline. The quantity of work I completed in 10 days is phenomenal.

Next we have the Caera Cowl by Lucy Sweetland.

Yarn: Highland Aberdonian Granite 2010, 100% Alpaca. Worsted Weight.
Needles: 6 (I think)

Modifications: I changed up the cabling a little, added some others and just had fun with it. Blocked the beegeebers out of it. I am sure I will have to make another one for a certain young lady. I think next time I would use Cascade Eco Cloud. The alpaca is not as soft next to the skin as I like and the Eco Cloud is like buttah, with great stitch definition.

This last little set is an original design of mine but was heavily influenced by Adelia from Tanis Fiber Arts. I won't be selling this design or placing it in my designs for Ravelry. If you like it and would like something even nicer please order the pattern from Tanis. I fell in love with her color combo and then Madeline Tosh Vintage in Oceana and Flour Sack arrived at the store and resistance was futile. Really... go to Tanis' website, buy her pattern. It is lovely.

I did have a very productive vacation. (This doesn't even include the pair of socks I knit on the trip up, they are very pedestrian, get it...pedestrian, and I didn't think you would be interested) They were knit with Aslan Trends sock yarn which I had never used before. It is a nice yarn, very tight twist but not hard and stiff.

I did get to the beach, rode my bike and walked the dog all over our end of the island, shopped, ate ice cream, made an apple pie with my honey's apples, cooked bay scallops he caught, celebrated our 29th anniversary with a yummy swordfish dinner, see... I didn't just sit around and knit all day.

Time for some knitting

2011-02-07T16:30:00.000-05:00

Much of the knitting I do now is stealth knitting I'm not at liberty to share until it is published, but I did finish some pretty things recently and thought I'd trot them out.

This is a pair (technically, one glove) made with Malabrigo sock yarn. My riff on Selbouvettor patterning.

Gauge: 9 1/2 sts to the inch (perhaps a PR)

I love this glove and hoped to finish the second before the end of winter, because they are for me. I think a knitwear designer should have a pair of fancy pants hand knit gloves. Just seems right.

Now this is a hat I designed to keep DD#1 warm in chilly VA. I had some leftovers from this pretty and I love working with this yarn so much...it wasn't too much of an hardship. So she got a hat which is lined with alpaca and a pair

of pop up mittens for walking the grandpuppy.

She received them and loves them.

Also I have been absent so much that there haven't been any winter pictures of Touchstone Farm. I know you were wondering how much snow we got this winter. This isn't even the worst if it. Just what we had laying around after a particularly snowy evening. I love this last shot. The whole mountain looked like it was dusted with powdered sugar.

We have had a few days of above freezing temps so much of this snow has melted, but I hear more is on the way.

Major Surgery

2011-02-05T19:26:00.000-05:00

I had a great day teaching at Knit One today. All my students were exceptional and I enjoyed everyone. But the end of the afternoon was special. (Unfortunately, I have no photos, don't usually photograph my students) Elizabeth was a lovely woman who brought in a beautiful, simple mens crew neck sweater she had knit five years ago and was unhappy with. She also brought in her husband, Joe, the intended recipient. He was a wonderful fellow. Turns out the sweater never fit him, it was just too short. She had knit the sweater from the hem up and wanted to lengthen the body but didn't want to tear out all her hard work. We tried it on Joe and determined the exact length he wanted. He left the shop and we scrubbed for surgery.

I have done this procedure in the past but it still takes your breathe away when you take scissors to knitting, especially someone else's knitting. Yes, I cut the ribbing off the bottom of her sweater and then we pulled out all the little pieces of wool and gently found all the stitches and slowly placed them on a new needle. I did run a lifeline about 2" up from the cut edge, which luckily was not really necessary, but made me feel more confident. It worked and she was thrilled.

This is knitting mojo at the Phd. level, and it looked great when we were finished.

But what was astounding were all the life connections we discovered while I cut her sweater apart. She worked with Fred Rogers for 30 years. Mr. Rogers is considered a saint in our town, where he grew up, graduating with my husband's uncle. His presence is felt every day by the students in our schools and everyone in our community. We swim at the McFeeley-Rogers Pool. The high school includes an unparalleled art collection funded with significant donations from the McFeeley-Rogers Foundation. Many good works. His sister "Lady Elaine" still lives here.

Elizabeth grew up in the town in Massachusetts where I went to boarding school, just down the street to be exact. Her brother and sister went to the same small college as our youngest. Her sister owns a house on Martha's Vineyard, arch rivals and next door neighbors of Nantucket, my home. We decided we were destined to meet one day as we seemed to have zero degrees of separation.

Elizabeth is a true lady, full of calm and grace. It was a treat to spend this afternoon with her.

Wish I had pictures of the surgery, you would have been impressed.

Here We Go

2011-02-03T00:45:00.000-05:00

I have been scolded by both daughters to write a new post, so here we go. (The fact that the Steelers are in the Superbowl and everywhere in Steeler Nation you hear refrains of "Here We Go Steelers, Here we Go" maybe on my mind).

I have been knitting, but many are stealth projects which must not be spoken of. Makes the blog sooo boring. And we have had mountains of snow so the garden is a little laconic and equally boring.

Christmas seems ages ago but there was a little knitting for DD#1.

The first two shots were taken by my architect daughter and her well instructed fiance. Notice the arty pose. And yes, she worked on the lighting.

These last two were taken by me Christmas morning. Let's just say there was bed head and low lighting, but you get the idea.

Pattern: Dark & Stormy by Babycocktails

Yarn: MadelineTosh Vintage, color, Twig

Needles; #7 circs.

Worked top down. Mods: None. Love this pattern and worked it exactly as written. She loves it and shares the many compliments she receives at work. A complete success.

I loved this one so much I made one for myself. I made mine a little longer and changed up the cable patterns. I ran a Saxony Cable down the back book-ended between symmetrical 4 st snake cables on either side. On the front I added a more complex A-symmetrical cable with the snake cables on either side of the front button bands. I would show mine, but because I lengthened it I ran out of yarn. I have ordered more. It is in MadelineTosh Vintange, Well Water. another gorgeous color of MadelineTosh.

Before Christmas I knit a pair of cashmere socks(Sorry, looks like Carol at Black Bunny Fibers is out of the Cashmere/wool blend. But there many other yummy yarns in her shop. Go ahead, have a look, I'll wait.) for my biking buddy and a ski cap for her husband out of the new Jared Flood Shelter yarn. The socks have not had their close-up yet, but the hat saw a little camera action.

Pattern: My own design

Yarn: Shelter, various colors. Lined with alpaca from stash.

I ride all summer with Kelly and her husband George does all our bike mechanics. It is important to keep George happy and warm. He wears this hat all the time so I think it is a hit. Always warms the cockles of a knitters heart to see her woolies worn.

It is very late and I have a running date early tomorrow morning, so this will have to do for now...

Knitting through Anxiety

2010-10-22T16:09:00.000-04:00

To paraphrase Elizabeth Zimmermen just a tad, I have been knitting like crazy and for a very good reason...

The Yarn Harlot recently posted about her daughter Sam going away for a while, where it was cold and so she, The Harlot, is knitting lots of warm woolies to wrap her loved one. Our youngest, Macy, has joined the Peace Corps and has been posted to Paraquay. Unfortunately with a climate very similar to Florida she won't be needing any knits from mom, but that doesn't mean I won't knit to get ME through her service. It is a 27 month commitment, so she won't be home until Dec. 2012. And yes, that is a very long time to be away from her family.

Here she is with everything she will need for the next 2 years!!! Now this girl knows how to pack light. She is in training in Paraquay and chomping at the bit to get posted to her final location which will happen in early December. The Peace Corps keeps them in training for three months, covering things like safety and security, working with the local culture and how to take a bucket bath, all important information. She is staying with a family outside of Ascencion, the capital city. They are very good to her and she promises me her "mom" worries that she eat enough, just like I do. Yes, mom's are universal in their belief that the amount you are loved is directly proportional to the amount of food prepared for you.

To help me cope with her being out of phone range, I have been knitting up a storm. The two pieces featured above are mittens for a class I am teaching at Knit One in Pittsburgh. "Latvian Mittens". The pink is Malabrigo Magenta and peach is something from my stash. The blue and coppery colors are Madelin Tosh Sock in color Afternoon and Malabrigo Sock in Primavera. Both were knit in the round on #1 and 2 DPNS. They both include Latvian braids. There are no thumbs because we are going to cut open the thumbs during class. I think it is a perfect use for those of us with too much sock yarn in our stashes. They are warm and silky and feel great on your hands. I'm also planning a pair of gloves to make out of Malbrigo Tiziano Red and some old kettle died sock yarn I found on my stash. These will be based on Selbuvotter designs and techniques.

I'll keep you posted on the Peace Corps volunteer and the knitting I complete while she is saving the world.

The Lilies are coming, the lilies are coming...

2010-06-28T11:49:00.000-04:00

Let the cavalcade begin...

gratuitous daylily pictures ahead. They are spectacular this summer. In fact, I didn't even know I had so many beauties because in the past their blooming has been so, so. This year, gorgeous.

Please don't ask the names. I would have to search and it might take all summer. Let's just say I keep meaning to get to the garden organization but I am too busy in the actual garden. And yes, I do know this comes back to bite me occasionally.

OK, I will step out of the way so you can see the pretty.

I know I bought this one at Schramm Farms a few years ago. It is huge now and needs to be separated. It's on the list.

These are somewhat diminutive and probably too far back in this garden, but, oh the color.

A token Asiatic Lily, no scent, but great beauty in a time when my garden doesn't have much blooming.

Heather and lavender and yarrow in the gravel bed.

The hydrangeas just put on their show and suddenly I am drowning in big blousy blooms. I was so busy with other things that I barely noticed and boom, they are showstopping.

An astilbe among the anemones and gooseneck loosestrife. (Don't plant this loosestrife, I think it is more invasive than the purple loosestrife, by a mile. I hack it back, pull up as much as I can every spring and still it keeps popping up in this bed. I am grateful I didn't plant it in any of the other gardens. A real thug.)

A wonderful rex begonia that gets pride of place on the front porch. It never fails to illicit comments.

And look who came to play this weekend.

He is a teenager now, all floppy and gangly, but he put Duncan through his paces. Duncan is planning on sleeping for the next three days until Finn returns for the 4th. It will take him that long to recover from this weekend. He was a champ and let the little guy bite him and chase him and generally be a nuisance. Duncan never growled or seemed to mind, although there were a few moments of "Will Finn be leaving soon?" A perfect role model and babysitter to the little goober.

And Finn discovered blueberries...he crawled under the bushes to lie in the cool mulch and suddenly he was surrounded by all the low hanging branches and immediately began stripping the berries off the lower branches, grandpa was not pleased.

There has been knitting but it is of the secret sort and I won't be able to share for a while. When this little flurry is finished I hope to have some lace to share.

Another one to check off the list

2010-06-08T13:19:00.000-04:00

Last weekend was a very big weekend for our family. Our baby, Macy, graduated from Swarthmore College. Not only did she graduate she also was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She doesn't realize what an accomplishment this is, but I am inordinately proud of all the hard work and effort she put in to her education. She also received her certification in Biology, so she achieved quite a bit with this graduation.

Macy was fortunate to meet some fantastic young women as a freshman and they are still her best friends, supporting and loving each others as sisters. The girls traveled to the far reaches of the world their junior year and brought back all their amazing experiences to share. They will now be flung out in to the world, Maria to Korea, Apolline to NYC, Aurora to Philadelphia, and Caitlin to Vermont, and Macy to the Peace Corps(in south America, she hopes). Their futures are bright and fresh and so full of promise. It was a joy to spend time with them and their families. I was bursting with love and pride for all of them.

The girls scheduled a get together for all the families the night before graduation. They then took time to thank us for our support and let us know where they were all headed and their immediate plans. It was a lovely evening with an international flair, as Mace is the only one with American roots.

There was also time for pictures in the Big Chair, a Swarthmore icon. It sits on Parrish Beach in front of the original building and every senior takes time for photos in the Big Chair.

Another tradition at Swat is that the seniors choose a rose from the Rose Garden to wear on their gown the morning of graduation. Normally no one is allowed to pick the roses in the rose garden but the morning of graduation the volunteer staff cut mountains of roses and the seniors pick their favorite. We made a point of checking out the options the night before.

One of my favorite things about Swarthmore is that the whole campus is an arboretum so the gardener in me was always happy to make a run out to pick up the little one. I loved arriving early and just wandering the campus and learning new cultivars. The Scott Arboretum staff gives all incoming freshmen a bulb and asks them to plant it anywhere on campus and to look for it in the spring. When they graduate they are all handed a small potted shrub, Itea, along with their diplomas. Obviously, this is my kind of college.

This is part of the small Scott Arboritum garden near their offices.

Graduation is always held in the amphitheater, rain or shine. We were very fortunate to have beautiful weather.

Before Graduation...

During...

Amazing, right?

Patiently waiting her turn.

Yes, the moment we have all waited for.

The Graduate

The proud parents

Macy is leaving Swarthmore with a well earned degree, an incomparable education, a lifetime of memories, the best of friends and the confidence to go into the world to make her mark. Her journey has just begun.

Wordless Wednesday, A Day Late

2010-05-27T21:14:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-10T10:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day

We had a lovely afternoon. Unfortunately, my little ones were away living life large, but we did the best we could. There were pretty flowers from my garden, steaks, mashed new potatoes, asparagus, beans and broccoli with shallots and a salad made with lettuce also from the garden.

The grande finale was this yummy glazed chocolate tart with graham cracker crust. I also made homemade strawberry ice cream which was a wonderful side dish to the very chocolatey tart. No pictures of the ice cream as it disappeared before documentation.

Missed you girls!!!!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-04-29T09:18:00.000-04:00

I just returned from a two day getaway with a friend to the Virginia Historic Garden Week. If you love gardens and can get away the third week in April you should make the time. The whole state opens their gardens and homes to welcome one and all. It is put on by the Virginia Garden Club as the largest fundraiser of the year. They in turn use the funds to restore historic gardens around Virginia. I have been going since 2001 and it is one if my favorite rites of Spring. So one with the tour...

The house pictured above was near Middleburg,VA. Jackie O was known to jump a fence or two in this part of the world. (OK, that didn't come out the way I intended. It is horse country and she lived here for a time.)

This is the back of the same house, crazy dormer, anyone?

and this is the porch.

I loved these espaliered pear trees in one of my favorite gardens. Must copy this at home, although I wonder if our snow loads would destroy a free standing espalier.

A magnificent Japanese Maple in the same garden.

Beautiful container gardens...and the floral displays inside were gorgeous. The women of the various garden clubs create the floral arrangements and they are stunning, but no one is allowed to photograph the interiors.

Wouldn't you just love to spend an afternoon under this pergola?

A glorious tree peony near Charlottesville.

And because there has been knitting...my new Print of the Wave shawl. Eunny Jang's pattern made out of Jade Sapphire Cashmere Silk and yes, it is that soft!!! (although the color is a little off here. It is called Wasabi and that's exactly the color.)

Creativity

2010-03-31T21:39:00.000-04:00

Thus is especially cluttered because I was in the midst of moving when I decided to photograph it!

Apparently I will do anything to avoid sketching. Knitting swatches for design submissions I am all over that, the sketches to accompany the swatches, not so much. So this is what I am pondering this morning. In our old house I always had this bulletin board above my work space. I considered it an inspiration board. I would cover it with postcards from museums, photos of gardens, tear pages from magazines, as well as the swatches I was contemplating.

When we moved into our new house, 10 years ago, I thought the inspiration board was too messy and hung it over my sewing table. I hung a favorite Jamie Wyeth print of the coast of Maine over my desk. Now here is the rub. My back is to that inspiration board 90 % of the time I am in my office. I love the Wyeth print with a deep abiding passion, the ocean, the colors, the solitude, they all speak to me.

But without my inspiration board I don't think I feel the push to create at the same level. My swatches are OK. The ideas are being published. But I think I need to stir things up a bit. So rather than get to the sketching I spent thirty minutes changing up the board and print. We will see if this changes the quality of my work. Can't hurt.

Now I feel a little overwhelmed with all the visual clutter in my line of sight. Maybe this wasn't the best idea.

The other ideas I have to increase creativity around here involve moving my office up two flights of stairs and avoiding Facebook. The move needs to happen. I am going quite squirrelly in my basement office without windows. Facebook will have to happen, I just have to wean myself.

As proof of the sock knitting I talked about earlier I am on my second pair of simple socks. They are pretty boring but oh so warm and cuddily.

And I have been working on a new design for a stole for the DD#2 to replace a very pretty shawl I knit for her a few years ago which was unceremoniously stolen in college. It is a delight to knit. The yarn is from Creatively Dyed Yarn, her cashmere and merino, yummy. If it turns out well I will publish the pattern. I am very happy with the design and the yarn so can't wait to finish.

Stay tuned...

2010 Ravelympics

2010-02-24T16:39:00.000-05:00

I finished my own personal Ravelympics project on Sunday night while watching the hockey game. I love to knit the Norwegian Ski Team's Olympic sweaters for the games or as close to the games as I can. I am not being unpatriotic. I would knit the American Ski teams sweater and probably will now that I have seen a glimpse. It is just that the Norwegian Ski Team sweater is usually a real knitting challenge.

See, I did Nagano...

I also did Lillehammer, but gave it away to the American Red Cross for a fund raiser that year. So I don't have a picture.

I didn't join any of the official Ravlympic teams because I started my project before the Olympics began. My intention was to have this sweater finished in time to wear it while I cheered on the athletes, from my living room.

I took the Norwegian Ski Team sweater and did my own thing. I wanted a cardigan because I am a woman of a certain age and find cardigans more flexible for my lifestyle. I also changed the wool. Now before the big reveal I want to prove that I can knit with the yarn I chose and the garments have turned out lovely in the past.

For example

I knit this beauty for a good friend and she loves it. It looked exactly like I imagined it would and all was right with the world.

Here is another I knit for myself out of the same yarn. It is again a very nice sweater, extremely warm and cozy.

And here is one I wear at least twice a week in the winter and have for years and it is wearing quite well.

This is all to say I have never had a problem with this yarn, in fact I have always been more than pleased with the outcome.

This time, not so much. I think the problem is the incredible amount of plain stockinette stitch with no color work until the yoke area. All the plain, one color stockinette looks sloppy and every stitch shows in an unflattering light. I don't know if I had gone down another needle size if that would have made a significant difference. I just don't know what the issue is but I am not pleased.

I didn't use the Dale yarn that was called for and I am not regretting that decision but I am not happy with the fabric I created for this sweater.

That being said, I love how this fits me, so there is an up side. Oh, and the color looks good on me too.

So here is the big reveal...

and look at how well the fronts match, always important, so visible.

Kinda blah don't you think? I will wear it, because it fits so well, but I am disappointed.

EEEEwwwwww!!!!!!!!

2010-02-21T12:23:00.003-05:00

This is what greeted me this morning when I went to feed the chickens...

Now I am not a squeamish girl, snakes, spiders, bugs, bring 'em on. I am a gardener, you can't gross me out. But, Rodents of Unusual Size, yeah, not so much. I have a thing about rats,(don't even like to say their name) so their cousins are not my favorites either. I know some will think he is kinda cute and looks a little scared. Well, he scared the day lights out of me this morning and if he didn't want to have his normal sleep time interrupted he should have stayed out of my chicken coop. I think he was looking for a free egg breakfast so I have another reason not too be thrilled by his appearance. Those are my eggs, damn it.

I have dispatched the cabana boy, alias DH, to solve this little problem of country life. In our house this comes under the "boy" job description. I do stinky, athletic laundry, he does rodents. It works.

And don't even talk to me about using the fiber, ick!

The girls are fine, they didn't even seem to be aware of their house guest. Just like the uppity princesses they are, my chickens are terrible hostesses.

A new way of looking at socks...

2010-02-20T09:24:00.000-05:00

This is a small portion of the vast mountain of sock yarn at Embraceable Ewe

I have a new philosophy on hand knit socks. Previously, I collected all manner of beautiful yarns and dreamed up gorgeous lace patterns to go with said beautiful yarns or found amazing patterns on the web. Thank you Cookie A, Ann Hanson, Nancy Bush and Charlene Schurch, to name a few.

But here's the thing...while all these patterns and yarns are amazing they are not being knit by me. And we have 3 feet of snow on the ground. So right now I just want socks, mindless, vanilla socks. You know the kind, you cast on 64 stitches, work a little rib, some stockinette, get a little thrill turning a heel, cruise on down to the toe and Wam, Bam, Thank you, you have a pair of socks.

I have too many deadlines and gotta have done knitting to indulge in beautiful sock production. My kids have drawers full of all my intricate lace work. Me, I just want to be warm the rest of the winter. So for the immediate future this is what my socks will look like...pretty yarn, boring pattern, but oh so warm.

That is all.

Where's it Gonna Go????

2010-02-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

We already have this much snow on the ground...

and they are calling for up to 24 more inches of the white stuff, tell me where is it going to go? We don't have any more room to push it in to piles, the deck looks like it will collapse at any moment, the dog doesn't have a clue where to go. I hear they could use it in Vancouver though.

Just for scale I thought Duncan could give you an idea of what DH has to deal with. He hasn't even cleaned the driveway today and already there is about 4".

School is going to June 14th according to the updated calendar we approved at a school board meeting last night. Poor kids, bet they never pray for snow again.

On an up note I have finished knitting the Vancouver sweater now there will be steek cutting and button bands, sewing and blocking before the final reveal.

Back to work...

Snowmageddon 2010

2010-02-11T13:58:00.000-05:00

I know I have been ignoring the blog, but Facebook and Ravelry are so absorbing. I will try to be better. I have been told by one of my two readers to get a post up, so here goes...

Western Pa has definitely been slammed with the same snowmageddon that is hitting the rest of the mid-Atlantic.

I don't think we will be dining on the deck anytime soon.

Or grilling for that matter. Funny thing is, DH grilled a hamburger on this very grill just last Friday... before the snow arrived.

While walking out to feed the chickens today Duncan decided he couldn't be more than 6 inches behind me. This is all well and good when we are just walking, not so great when we are trudging through thigh high snow. He went down while I brought my foot up and off came my boot, to be buried in the 2 1/2 feet of virgin snow. The chickens are in a part of the garden that doesn't see the plow so the snow is very deep and fluffy. Needless to say my boot was lost in the abyss. So now I am down on my hands knees searching for the the blasted boot. Duncan thinks mom is playing a wonderful new game and wants to help. Pouncing, pouncing, pouncing is fun, mom. Found the boot and of course it is full of snow. Bang the boot on the feed bucket and try to squeeze my snow encased foot into the boot. Thank goodness for handknit wool socks. My foot never got cold or even a little wet. Got to make me some more of these socks.

In the build up to the Olympics I got the hair brained idea to knit myself the Norwegian Ski Team's Olympic sweater before the Vancouver games begin. So I could wear it for the opening ceremonies. Crazy, I know...

I didn't want to use the Dale yarn so I have substituted some gorgeous Rauma Finnulgarn in colors that are close to the original.

The body is finished and the sleeves are almost ready for the color work. Doesn't look like I will be making the opening ceremonies but I hope to be wearing this little gem during the games. I also made it a cardigan. Finding cardigans more to my liking these days. So will have to think about how I would like the front bands to look. Maybe some more X's and O's.

I will be demonstrating crochet steeks and cutting your steeks at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival this Saturday. I thought I would leave the neck steek closed until the festival. It is short and will be easy to crochet and then cut open on an actual sweater. I have also been knitting lots of plain swatches for attendees to crochet and cut on their own.

Not too thrilled with how uneven the stitches are on this sweater. The color work is OK but the plain stockinette looks for yuck. I am hopeful a trip through some warm water will make the yarn bloom and all will be right with the world.

I have a long queue of knitting to start but have some secret knitting that has priority right now, so the knitting will be a little spotty for a while.

Hope there won't be anymore snow pictures to share either.

If you are in the Pittsburgh area and can dig yourself out try to make it to the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival. I will be near the Knit One booth on Saturday afternoon. Stop by and say hi.

Back in the Saddle , Again

2010-01-09T02:16:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our winter wonderland.

This is the view from my front door today,

a bit different than this one.

And this is the walk to our field

perhaps you remember this view.

I am such an idiot. The new Mac completely kicked my butt. You may have noticed the almost complete lack of photos in my posts recently. This is because I hit a button on Finder in my MacBook and couldn't find (no, the irony is not lost on me) my photos to download. But all is forgiven and we are back where we started. So there should be much more knitting content. There has been knitting and traveling and snow.

So let's see what else I can find to show you....

Here we have a sweater I originally knit for the hubby but he decided it was a little too Mr. Rogers, voila, a Christmas gift for his dad. Shhh, don't tell Dad I didn't have him in mind while I was knitting it. He loved it and was touched I took the time. He received lots of compliments at church, so it's all good. Oh, this also dovetails with the fact that this lovely man graduated with the real Mr. Rogers. He is one of the sweetest men on the planet so it must have been quite a kind class of students. And yes, I did win the family sweepstakes when I married into this family.

A hat designed to teach cabling to novice knitters. Terrible picture but you get the idea. Nashua "Julia", love this yarn, wicked soft.

The little world traveler has flown the coop again. Ask where she is now, go ahead ask. Let's just say she can see Antarctica from her porch. She is in southern Chile for the month of January. And "south" is really almost as south as you can go on this planet. She is south of the Straits of Magellan, you know where they used to take ships into the Pacific from the Atlantic before they built the Panama Canal. I think that counts as south.

She is working at a biosphere, writing identifying documents for the plant life at said biosphere. She could explain it so much more eloquently, but I think that's the gist of it. She is also following in the footsteps of Darwin, pretty heady stuff for a biologist. I will share the pictures as soon as she shares with me. I hear they are worth waiting for. She begins student teaching the day after she returns from the end of the world, ah to be young and so energetic.

Do Over

2010-01-04T23:35:00.000-05:00

I have tried for a week to get this baby to download. With a little help from an editor at Vogue Knitting (thanks Renee) we have launch.

Today is my birthday and this is what I received in the mail. Life is full of serendipity, don't you think?

I just wanted to share how proud I am of this little gem. And the added coolness that they used another shot for the background of the Table of Contents.

This has been an amazing experience, thank you everyone at Vogue Knitting.

This is a very detailed Fair Isle sweater (perhaps I shouldn't share that the original name for this was "Chicken Feathers" and was inspired by some crazy chicken buttons I found at Maryland Sheep & Wool years ago, does not seem very Vogue-like), with steeks at the front, the armhole openings, the neck opening, and the sleeve caps. It sounds very difficult, but once you have cut one steek each succeeding steek is sooo much easier, so why not knit a sweater that will give you ooodles of practice??? The actual stranded colorwork couldn't be easier, a nice tiny repeat, no big long carries to worry about and only 9 colors, I think, I don't have the pattern right here. So give it a go, you'll like it.

Alpaca Anyone??

2010-01-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

The baby daughter is spending the month of January at the very southern tip of Chile. Skyped with her yesterday and she happened to model the most beautiful alpaca stranded sweaters she had just purchased. She said she only paid $12 for one and $15 for the other. Why, oh why, didn't I send her down there with more empty suitcases? She also promised a little something for me and I think it might be in the raw sweater state so now I am even more anxious for her return.

She is having a blast so I don't want to rush her home, but, oh man, the sweaters!!!

What are you knitting for the new year? I started a pair of baby blue Koigu socks for a friend who is fighting thyroid cancer. Just a plain Jane vanilla pattern so I can read while knitting. I am also knitting a little present for someone but can't share just yet. That only has one more front to knit and it will be finito.

Then back to the endless swatches. I have been failing at swatching lately. I guess you can't really fail at swatching as that is the nature of the beast. To try out ideas and see if they work. But wouldn't it be nice if one in 5 swatches worked the way I thought they would? It is a tad frustrating to spend 2 hours knitting a little ditty and then realize it is not doing what you thought it would in your head. What's up with that. I think I have lost my swatching Mojo.

Well, here's to wishing everyone a Happy knitting, gardening and whatever your pleasure New Year.

41 Days, Really?

2010-01-02T00:47:00.000-05:00

OK, so while reading Lolly's blog I noticed she said there only 41 days until The Winter Olympics in Vancouver. And earlier in the day while watching the Ohio State/ Oregon football game I wondered what the new Norwegian ski team sweater for the 2010 Olympic games looked like...I am not an Ohio State fan, but we were entertaining good friends who are big fans. SO the game was n and the lady folks got a little distracted Oh, and Ohio quarterback, Tyrell Pryor, is a local boy.

After a little searching I found this

and of course the next logical thought was Oh, I should totally make that before the Olympics so that I can wear it for the Olympics (not to attend the actual Olympics, mind you, but to sit in my living room watching the actual Olympics). OK, maybe not so logical, prudent or even possible but it seemed like a good idea at the time. It should be a super quick Nowegian knit. Mostly stockinette in the round with a little interest near the top and I love me a shawl collar. So anyone else up for this little challenge?

I have a couple of secret projects I want to finish up in the next few days but then I will be charting and casting on as soon as possible. Ah, the yarn possibilities, one of the best things about a new project. I don't have a local source for Dale so will have to substitute something warm and wooly with just the right shade of icy blue. Any ideas?

I am thinking this would be a fun Ravelry KAL...anyone, anyone, Bueller, Bueller??

Living Large

2009-12-29T15:32:00.000-05:00

This is what a pizza delivery guy told DH and I one night after we had spent the day weeding, mowing, mucking chicken coops and all the other joys that come with living in the country and were too tired to cook dinner. We both looked at each other, thanked him and agreed. We were living large. Now I feel even larger. Thank you Vogue Knitting.

So, instead of the swatching I should be doing....I want to share this.

You may remember it from this stage.

Needless to say, I am very excited. It is in the newest issue of Vogue Knitting which just hit my mailbox this morning.

I have been having a nightmare of a time trying to get the official page to upload to blogger so this is the best I can do right now.

Here is hoping you all had a lovely holiday and wishing you a Happy New Year.

Let the Merry Begin

2009-12-15T21:33:00.000-05:00

Baby bird is home and the other little bird will soon be winging her way north and then the merry can truly begin.

The packages are wrapped and the house is decorated. The cookies will be baked and the cards will soon be sent. Now I just have some last minute gift knitting and sewing. I never thought I would be at this point so soon, so the merry really can begin.

Happy Holidays Everyone.

Take the Quiz here!

The Glamour Shot

2009-11-30T15:21:00.000-05:00

Just to prove I actually do some knitting once in a while I thought I would show you some Finished Objects that were just waiting to come back from college for their close ups. (We have very smart sweaters here, we send them to college).

This is a lot of texture work for me. But it is what she asked for and I am all about the pleasing. Doesn't the vest look like perfect "teacher" clothes? She starts her student teaching in January, so we are trying to fill her wardrobe with appropriate clothes. I think this little vest with a cute skirt or slacks will fill the bill.

The Aran pullover is my version of a sweater from A Fine Fleece(love this book). I worked it top down and made it saddle shoulder as well as some other modifications.

I am working on a pattern for the vest so look for it soon on my Ravelry page.

Giving Thanks

2009-11-30T14:19:00.103-05:00

Hope all of you had a wonderful holiday.

There was much merriment here as the girls were home and the baby brought her great friends from school. Maria and Aurora fit right in to the festivities at Touchstone Farm. With very little coaxing they were knitting away. At one point my dear husband was the only one in the house without knitting needles clicking. They were so quick and efficient I let them know that if that whole college thing was a bust they could set up shop here as my assistants.

I am sorry, we have no foody shots. Thanks goodness DD#1, the photographer, remembered Mom would probably want some documentation before the hoards arrived. Doesn't she take beautiful pictures? Trust me the meal was fabo and was much appreciated even by the vegetarian in the crowd.

This was the post Thanksgiving Day activity. Maria began knitting a hat, which she finished that first evening.

My girls look very serious but trust me there was much laughing and giggling. Caty worked on a secret project, Macy whipped out a hat while she shepherded her friends. By the end of the three days Maria had finished a hat and a pair of mittens, which, I am sorry to say, I also didn't photograph. And Aurora finished a wonderful scarf for a good friend.

All in all a great holiday.

What happens when you knit your way out of the "Black Hole of Despair"

2009-11-30T11:41:00.000-05:00

Things have been a little exciting around here this morning. Check out the latest...
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/movies/s_655499.html

There is a slight mistake, I did not knit the sweaters the photographer included with my picture for the movie. The movie sweaters are on location. These are sweaters I knit before and certainly not in three days.

Still a nice story and I was so grateful for the opportunity (and that I actually finished them on time)!!!

Lacy Picot Cardigan

2009-11-18T17:10:00.000-05:00

Another new design. This one is a freebie. I designed it for an employee of Knit One North In Pittsburgh, always planned to include more sizes but never got around to it so... if it fits you great, if not, but you can figure out the math, even better. Enjoy!
Lacy Picot Cardigan

Tyrolean Teddy Bear

2009-11-16T19:51:00.003-05:00

We have a new pattern up on Ravelry.

Tyrolean Teddy Bear is a little ditty for your knitting pleasure. A sweet little whiff of stranded color work for the holidays. This pattern is available in a size to fit a very handsome teddy and a lovely toddler (sizes 2, 4,and 6) How about a matching pair for the cutie on your Christmas list?

This little guy started out as a tutorial for a stranded color work class I will be teaching at the South Hills Knitting Guild meeting this Thursday. So if you are in Pittsburgh and a member of the South Hills Knitting Guild I hope you can make it. Should be lots of fun.

Whoo! Hoo!

2009-11-05T07:51:00.000-05:00

I got me new MacBook and I am wasting extraordinary amounts of time playing when I should be knitting or baking, or cleaning, or exercising, or almost anything else you can imagine, oh the joy! I think my honey is jealous and I know at least one of my kiddos is. The other one just doesn't know what she is missing yet. I am planning big things for this computer and I this winter. That is all.

Why Housework Should be Avoided at All Costs

2009-10-30T17:54:00.002-04:00

This is the outcome when your beautiful cashmere and silk shawl meets the power nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. Luckily only a small part of the yarn was sucked into the vacuum and I was able to extract it, but the needle is a goner. Which is a shame because I love these Lace Addi's and they ain't cheap.

I have been sewing a dress to wear to the upcoming Art Gala at our High School. I always remember why I love knitting so much and sewing not so much when I am in the middle of a sewing project. I love the portability of knitting, the wonderful fibers slipping through your fingers, the joy of watching the garment grow before your eyes.

Sewing is a much more solitary task (at least at my house where my sewing room is in the basement and all the action takes place upstairs) and wraught with landmines of mistakes that can't be just be pulled out and reknit. It you mess up your sewing it involves another trip to the very distant fabric store and the waste of all the time and effort you have already invested. It just seems so much more anxiety inducing.

And then there is the whole fit issue. Knitting is sooo much more forgiving of a curvy figure than the sewing. So I am sewing this lovely dress in a very un-forgiving fabric with the almost certain belief I will not be thin enough to show it to it's best advantage. So that's kind of looming over everything as well as next Thursday's deadline.The vision of what you will look like and the reality are often very jarring. Maybe this is why I have been sewing so many drapes, slipcovers and bags over the last few years and not so many garments for myself.

Oh and just to make sure the time crunch is absolute. I decided I would need a lace stole to wear with this new dress to this fancy Art Gala, and of course only the new yarn I just bought would look right with the dark brown fabric I choose, not one of the other 6 shawls I have already knit. So there is that little added weight on my shoulders.

I am counting my blessings that the vacuum only ate my needle and not the actual knitting, then I might have thrown in the towel and called "Uncle."

But who can resist the allure of a cashmere stole? (This is one I finished for a good friend a while ago.) Mine will be in Jade Sapphire Silk Cashmere color Wasabi. It is about half done and I wish I could just work on it to the exclusion of all the other obligations in my life. Wish me luck.

Loverlies

2009-10-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

Foggy Fall morning in western Pennsylvania.

And cute little teddy bears in sweaters.

And now I am off to do some knitting homework. Just got a call from Stacey at Knit One where I teach. Can I teach Melissa Morgan-Oakes 2-at-a-Time sock technique? Well, I have never knit 2-at-a-Time socks but I am pretty comfortable with sock knitting. I bought her book recently but haven't had the spare time to give it a test drive. Melissa's at Rhinebeck so I hope I can reach her on Facebook if I get lost along the way. Her directions look very clear and I am thrilled to curl up with a great knitting book and learn a new skill. It's cold, rainy and so, the prefect day for baking (pumpkin bread) and knitting tiny socks.

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Just a Quicky

2009-10-11T15:51:00.000-04:00

Before they head off to Stitches East 2009, I thought I would show you the little darlings. I am reveling in their cutness and color. But I feel it was a momentary fling.

Look at the colors I pulled out of stash this afternoon. Browns and grays, but all good.

The brown is Shetland Jumper weight and the grey is Alpaca.

This is the view I enjoyed while knitting this afternoon. Tough job, but someone had to do it.

These dahlias are still blooming like it's August. Evidence that flowers don't watch the Weather Channel.

Found this beauty hanging out on the leftovers from a previous post. These sunflowers have really earned their keep this summer.

And the is a little preview of a coming attraction. More on this later.

Knitting My Way Out of A Black Hole

2009-10-09T16:06:00.000-04:00

Perhaps you remember this,

which I fondly refer to as the "Abysmal Black Hole of Despair". It has been converted to this.

Oh Happy Day!!!

Which means that I have successfully made 5 of these. (Shhh, these will be worn in a new movie being filmed as we speak, so that's a bit exciting, especially since they are finished.) Yes, I did in fact knit 5 sweaters in two and one half weeks. Remind me to tell you about my vacation at the FedEx offices on Nantucket. Does that make it a "Fedexation"?

And the antidote for 5 of those, is a little of this...

Jade Sapphire 2 ply Silk Cashmere(55% Silk, 45% Cashmere) in Wasabi
Lace Anyone???

and some of this...

Pretty in Pink

and in Praise of Periwinkle
Nashua Handknits "Julia"

Teddy Bear sweaters making their debut at Stitches East. Just a little more finishing and pretty buttons from SouptoKnits , some pattern writing and they will be headed to Connecticut.

Can you see what a joy it has been to design and knit these little guys after the bleakness. I designed and knit both of these in 1 day. The excitement of color was overwhelming. I could not stop. Oh, the joy.

Just a Peek...

2009-09-24T15:04:00.000-04:00

These crazy sunflowers came from one plant in my garden. I'm not sure about the shaggy nature of these flowers but they sure are prolific.

See this huge box of black yarn?

This is what I will be working on until my hands fall off. I have a secret project that involves me knitting all this black yarn as quickly as possible. Did I mention it is black.

I have been counteracting all the darkness by surfing over to Mary Jane Mucklestone's blog. It is the brightest, cheeriest blog. She is a Fair Isle queen so of course I find everything she does inspirational, but especially when all I am working with is black. Did I mention it is black?

Also, did I mention it is Bulky weight wool. My last secret project was worked on size 1's and 2's in fingering weight. The button band had 430 stitches. You can see where I am going with this right? I am now main-lining Aleeve and sleeping with ice packs on my hands. I have my physical therapist on speed dial. (I actually do... but because she is one of my best friends. The physical therapist part is just a nice bonus.) But in the end this will all be worth it.

This is all a sneaky way to get you over to Mary Jane's blog, you won't regret it. The fact that she lives in my favorite place in the whole world makes for great eye candy. My dad and I traveled to Maine every fall from Nantucket, spending two weeks driving up the coast checking out boatyards and boat builders all along the coast. One of his best friends lived in a beautiful little Cape on the water in Owl's Head and I fell head over heels in love with the whole area. I am planning to spend my last years in a garret above Camden Harbor, rocking and knitting. I have had this dream since I was eight years old and I still hope to find that garret.

Thanks Mary Jane, you have made a very bleak and dark knitting day so much brighter.

Ah, Paris!

2009-09-19T19:08:00.000-04:00

"Lipstick on my belly, ah Paris!!" Without a doubt the best line I have read all summer. It was written by Paul Child in a letter to his brother while he and Julia were posted in Paris after WWII. Gives you a whole new perspective on Julia. My Life in France by Julia Child is a must read for anyone who loves great writing and amazing food.

Will be back soon with pretty pictures and knitting to share. Too many secret projects right now.

Close only counts in horseshoes, Right?

2009-06-04T19:38:00.000-04:00

Just a quicky to share some knitting and prove that knitting is happening.

A sweet David Austin Rose. (I know I should have the name but that requires more organization than I am able to muster at the end of a long gardening day.)
Crazy, self-seeded columbine in the veggie garden. I love the hand of god in my gardening.

So, new baby in the neighborhood, means new sweater on the needles. A wonderful friend of ours just had their second grandchild, a little girl, Allison. I almost always design little one's sweaters out of Cotton Classic. I am running low on all my baby colors so this will be a bright odd ball sweater with a hat and socks to match.

I can start the baby sweater because I am stalled on this little gem. This is Mace's Aran sweater from a few posts ago. I don't know if you can see it, but the whole garment is finished...except for about 1 1/2" on the last cuff. This is a discontinued yarn and normally I would be pulling out my hair, telling my daughter a 3/4 sleeve will be so hip, and an other lame excuses I can manage to cover up the lack of yarn. But inspiration struck at midnight last night.

The second shot is closer to the actual color but it was a bugger to photograph this color. I love the chunky cables down the front. They remind me of all the big heavy rope coiled on the wharves in Nantucket.
Back in March I submitted a few designs with swatches to Vogue Knitting. I haven't heard a word from them so I am really hoping they received all my work. Anyway, one of the swatches was made out of exactly the same yarn. Now if they will just mail it back to me I can unravel it and Mace will have a new sweater. It's all good.

Pretty isn't it? It is a shame Devon from Classic Elite was discontinued. It is a very nice silk, wool blend that offers amazing stitch definition. I like this yarn but obviously have used up every last yard of this baby. Stash busting don't ya know.

Will have a proper photo shoot when she returns from her gadding about the country. I think making her wear heavy wool in July will be just the thing to remind her to take her momma on her next road trip.

Back to the dirty dishes. Happy knitting and Go Pens!!!!!

Done, Done and Half way Done...

2009-05-26T13:03:00.000-04:00

The really big done was that our Caty received her BS in Architecture from Carnegie-Mellon University last weekend. She did this grueling 5 year program in 4 1/2 years and earned University Honors while she was doing it. At CMU University Honors means she made Deans List every semester. Because she graduated in December there was a little question whether she would even come back for the ceremony. We are all so glad she did and we all got to be the proud parents and grandparents of this amazing young woman. Way to go Cate!!!!

Drew ran track the whole 5 years while also studying architecture.
And Cate's best friend Jen double majored in Architecture and Business. My money is on this generation. Not a slacker in the bunch.

Don't you love girls with attitude?

A little done that I am personally dancing a happy jig about is this...

This is the pattern a friend asked me to help her with after a knitting class I taught in February.
She bought this pattern and the necessary yarn in Nova Scotia a few years back. She loves this design and wanted to make it to commemorate her trip. This is, I am not kidding, the directions for four rows of knitting.

She asked if there was any way to make this easier to understand. Short of a nuclear holocaust I don't know if there was anyway to make this easier. I finally gave up trying to decipher the written pattern and just looked at the picture.

Obviously so much easier. Anyway, I studied the picture, threw it down in frustration, came back with renewed vigor, only to scream again, until... I finally buckled down this weekend and did this.

So I am feeling quiet smug right now. I kicked some knitting a** this weekend. I think I might deserve University Honors too.

So I went on and did the math and got her pattern all straightened out, even knit the first four rows to make sure all the math worked and everything was set up correctly. So this baby is absolutely done. (Well, at least my little part of it).

Now the half way done...Macy is on her way across the country and is about half way. Last we heard she was headed to Yellowstone, but that was two days ago. This is a trip she has been talking about for while. When she calls to tell us about her big adventures I can't tell you how jealous I am. It didn't help that right before she left she handed me Frances Mayes travel book. Now I am jealous of her and Frances Mayes. Have a blast baby.

I need your help!!!

2009-05-14T12:03:00.001-04:00

We are very happy here at Casa Touchstone. Our little bird has returned to the nest, temporarily. Macy just jetted back from 4 months in the Cloud Forest region of Costa Rica. She had a marvelous time and was sad to leave her Costa Rican family who made her feel so welcome and a part of their family. It is wonderful to have her back. Next week she leaves for a cross country camping and hiking trip with a college friend. Lots of wanderlust in this little girl. Hard to believe she was the child I always knew was holding tightly to my hem. Her older sister was the curious one who never would sit still long enough to let me catch up to her. The tables have certainly turned. Mace has big plans to travel the world and absolutely no fear. Exciting times in this young woman's life.

Thought you might enjoy some garden shots. The Pagoda Dogwood is looking especially bridal cake-like, I think. I love this tree and have a wonderful husband who is very conscientious about circling it with fencing every Fall to protect it from our marauding deer. Thanks honey.

The epimediums against the stones is very effective don't you think?

And the poppies are starting their show.
This tree peony is spectacular. Unfortunately, they only look good for a few days, but what beauty. Even after the flowers have faded the structure and leaves are really beautiful so it offers a lot to the garden.

Now to the reason for the title.

I consider myself a pretty decent gardener, not great at remembering all the Latin but comfortable enough I know what the pros are discussing most of the time. I have had my fair share of successes along with vast numbers of failures. But this new one has me stumped in a profound way. See this gorgeous wisteria. I am unduly proud of this shrub. It is ten years old and just started to bloom three years ago. It is one of a pair that have pride of place in our front yard, dead center on either side of the front walk. And they are stunning when in bloom.
As I said they are a pair and while the first is blousy and fragrant as a wisteria should be the second looks like this...

And I don't know what I have done. I don't fertilize either of them. I do of course prune them regularly to keep a vining plant as a standard. I edge their beds and occasionally mulch, which I don't think I even did last year and have not this year. The buds on this one looked like they were swelling up and ready to pop but then nothing. absolutely nothing has happened. I don't think the plant is dead as there is still green in the stems when I cut them. So I am at a loss as to what I have done to this poor shrub. Anyone have any ideas or experience anything similar?

In other sightings we did have an Indigo Bunting visit the farm last week. He was very busy stuffing as many dandelion seeds as he cold squash into his beak. He spent about 25 minutes inhaling the seeds on the worst patch of lawn we own. Now I don't feel so bad about that ugly weedy patch. The Indigos love it.

I have also finished the Lacy little Cardi for Knit One North in Pittsburgh.

I am happy with how it turned out. Now I just need to write up the pattern, my least favorite part of designing, and get it to the store. I am sure it will look much better when Dawne models it and we have a shot with a real person wearing it.

Now, back to the garden.

Some Spring Eye Candy

2009-04-21T14:34:00.001-04:00

Duncan says "Hello, and welcome to the garden."

He is a very proper English Labrador. (Please ignore the mud puppy you may have seen after our walk this morning, he would be embarrassed to be caught in such a state.)

Thought you might enjoy the changes at Touchstone Farm since we last spoke. This was the garden in March. (Yes, that is snow on the drive in the background, thanks for asking.)

And here is how things looked this morning.

The daffodils are finishing up their run,

but the tulips are ready for their closeup, Mr. DeMille.

The New Dawn roses and various clematis are starting to scramble up the arbor.
The hellebores are still going strong.

The bleeding hearts have started their show. Although with all the talk over at A Way To Garden about Dicentra 'Gold Heart' I think these little beauty's may have some company next year. I gotta get me some of that 'Gold Heart'.

The grape hyacinths are hitting just the right note.

And the veggie garden is getting ready for its understudy role. I love order and symmetry and somehow I believe the vegetable garden is where I can have some control. In the ornamental gardens everything can look all higgly-piggly during the high season but the veggie garden is where I can exert some man or woman control over the exuberance.

The DH and I spent some quality time last weekend mulching the paths. That alone can make such a huge difference in the appearance of a garden. It is just like edging the beds, which is just like vacuuming or wiping down the counters in a messy kitchen. Lots of bang for not so much effort. Although in this case it was a fair amount of effort and I was very grateful for another strong back to help with the mulch throwing.

For all the earlier effort of composting, fertilizing and liming the garden we are being rewarded with spinach, lettuces and radishes popping up in neat little rows.

This is the first year for this asparagus so you can imagine how hard it is not to cut those lovely spikes and roast them in a little olive oil, garlic and balsamic. But I am showing great restraint.
The sweet peas are bursting forth, finally. Sometimes I think they will never appear.
The peas are also up and off to a good start. I had an aahh!! moment last year and started to use hog panels as trellis for my peas and beans. It worked like a dream. This morning I read in a national magazine about what a great idea it was to use hog panels to support tomatoes. I still use bamboo poles for those but maybe this will be the year. Lots of hog panels floating around this old sheep farm. They made great lambing pens when the lambs were coming fast and furious.

There has been lots of knitting just not too much knitting photography. I will leave you with this little ditty. I am knitting a little something for a friend. It is my design, top down out of Rowan Lenpur. Has a cute little picot welt right before the lacework. Should look very sweet on her.

Have a nice week everyone.

Mundane Monday

2009-03-30T16:40:00.001-04:00

Stoic and Long Suffering...
And thoroughly bored.

All this flower searching is exhausting.

Are we done yet? I am late for my nap.

(He is also hiding the hellebores, trust me, they are beautiful.)

Maybe now I can get on with the finishing

2009-03-07T16:10:00.000-05:00

Check it out... I actually finished something.

Tahki Cotton Classic(from Stash) #3 Turbos, My own design.

Getting a baby shower gift completed 24 hours before the party...priceless.

Finishitis

2009-03-05T13:43:00.000-05:00

OK, so everyone talks about startitis in knitting, how we can't find our mojo and find just the right project to jump start our desire. But what about the serious ailment of finishitis, where you have now started so many projects there is no way you will finish any of them in three life times.

Now I am not talking about the usual UFO's every knitter has languishing in the bottom of her knitting basket. No, I am talking about the knitter who within a matter of days begins 8 projects, because she wants to see how the new yarn from the recent fiber festival looks in lace or the project you just have to start for a sweater for you husband because God forbid you not have a easy, shmeasy stockinette project on the needles for potential movie dates.

Even though you haven't been to the movies since way before Christmas. (I know this because the Neilson guys called yesterday to survey me about new movies and I was sooo long from seeing a current film he quickly said thanks but no thanks, pretty boring life when the Neilson guys don't even think you are interesting. They get paid to find everything you do interesting.)

And then there are the projects you cast on just to test drive a new lace stitch pattern and before you know it you have knit the beginning of a beautiful shawl but abandon it for cables.

The cables are part of the top down Aran you have designed for your 20 something daughter and then abandon because she won't be back from Costa Rica until May and certainly won't be wearing this puppy until next October.

Then there is the baby sweater you must start for the baby shower this weekend. (That one is actually close to the finish line. It is pinned out and drying right now.) But what is a baby sweater with out a baby hat to go with it. So that one was cast on last night in a moment of such weakness I could weep.

Then the kid Silk haze crack Falling Leaf scarf that I am teaching within a month so of course I must cast on for the sample of the scarf right this moment. (Do you see the theme of "right this moment", running through this post.)

Oh, and let's not forget the STR Holidaze colorway knit into a beautiful Old Shale pattern sock, inspired by Anne Hanson's latest sock gorgeousness. The woman is an evil temptress, don't you think.

And the pattern I promised a friend I would rewrite for her with charts for her cables rather than the Marquis De Sade directions that came with a kit she purchased in Canada 3 years ago and has stalled mightily. (No joke, these directions would have given Einstein a headache so you can imagine what they are doing to my pea sized brain.) I have thrown the reams of written directions away and am just charting from the grainy, out of focus 4" x 5" picture on the front of the pattern.This required a little drive around the park to see how the cables look compared to the picture.

Oh, and the very hip and stylish Chic Cable and Lace sweater from SweaterBabes.com. Gorgeousness, but not a bulky enough yarn, so the gauge is not quite right. Of course, I knew this 9 1/2 " ago, yet I continued to knit in the hopes the gauge would bloom in the width I really needed. Now that it is an 11" cowl I am willing to admit defeat and find another yarn. ( In my defense I almost never work with yarns at this gauge so it is like traveling in a foreign land without knowing the language. That's my story and I am sticking to it.)

There, I feel much better now. This must be what confession feels like. I have admitted I have a problem but I don't see any solution in my future. I just signed on to teach 5 new classes which will all need samples knit before I can teach.

Is there a cure for finishitis?

And did I mention I started sewing tote bags because obviously I have sooo much free time. I need professional help...maybe if I start running with scissors ...

Design through Pharmacopia

2009-02-13T08:13:00.000-05:00

So, I have been battling a bronchial infection for going on three weeks now and the cocktail of medications prescribed is having very positive effects and not all of them medical. The insomnia induced by the steroid I am taking is life altering. At 1:30 am when I went to bed last night I was sure I could have powered most of the county I live in, I had that much juice. Luckily, for me the steroid does not make me hallucinate just keeps me wide awake with nowhere to go.We have a good friend who hallucinates like mad when he has to take this particular drug.I just had that one dream about of in-Vitro babies but I am thinking that was a normal reaction to the birth of octuplets in California.

No, my reaction is much more productive. I have designed a new hat and wristwarmer pattern, another pair of Valentine Day wristwarmers for a friend and the correct way to finish an Aran that has been giving me issues, some new lace shawls, three new garden beds, an herb garden design and a flier to send to prospective gardening clients. Then after I solved the economic crisis and contemplated World Domination I dosed off for a few hours. Wide awake again at 4:00 am I considered just getting up and getting on with my designs. The doctor's orders that I need rest did nothing to calm my speeding mind but I did force myself to stay in bed for a few more hours.

Now if my fingers will fly as fast as my mind did. I am not recommending or condoning any kind of pharmacological intervention on the days you have nothing in the design bag but I will let you know where this goes.

Another interesting side effect of the drug soup is the possibility of tendon damage (and I won't even go into the exorbitant unfunded cost of this antibiotic by my overpaid Health Insurance company, that is a rant for another day). My doctor, whom I love, started me on the steroid before he knew how resistant this particular bacteria was. Once started you can't stop steroids so here I sit, afraid to blow a tendon (are there tendons in our brains??) while my Weight Watchers butt gets bigger everyday. I can't wait to take a deep breathe and get back on my bike.

I will keep you posted about all these designs...

Franklin was commenting the other day about his "process",describing how his workspace looks while in the middle of the "process".

I thought I would share a shot of my desk which is clean for the first time in months. Of course, now that I actually see the photo it looks like the workspace of a demented mind who doesn't know her way around of a vacuum but to me it is a vast improvement.

My girls can attest to the fact that this is pretty neat for mom.

Here is a little germ of an idea. I'll let you know if it grows into a full blown bacteria.

And here is my Brooklyntweed shot of a new Aran for Mace. OK one real slap in the face of these drugs, aside from the obvious inability to type, is that I cannot think upside down and circularly. I had the great idea of working St. Patrick from A Fine Fleece from the top down, with a nod to Janet Szabo. Everything went along swimmingly until i got to the join the front and back and work down circularly point. Four attempts later I threw in the towel and proceeded with each portion done separately. Now I am not a girl who minds seaming so this is not a huge problem and after the time I invested in trying to keep the cables twisting at the appropriate times and rounds where they didn't have to twist, and the appropriate rows and keep the cables going in the right twist when they are upside down. OK so I admit I am not the Omnipotent leader of all my knitting. I put the front back on one needle and I got my groove on again. Humbling, I tell you, humbling.

Pretty, huh? Whadda think, Mace?

Houston, We Have Launch

2009-02-08T10:36:00.000-05:00

Well, it finally happened. The oldest little chick has left the nest. She got herself a wonderful job in Norfolk, VA and we moved her down last week. She starts tomorrow. How cute is her apartment???

She will be completely embarrassed that I am showing pictures of it in this state, it looked much better within hours of this shot, but isn't beautiful, granite counters, folks. I don't have granite counters.

Her bedroom is full of light and has this wonderful deck right outside her door.

The living room is small but it will be cozy.

I think it is a wonderful place to start a new life. The neighborhood is very, well, neighborly. Virginia is the friendliest state. Everyone stops to talk and these are long chats not the quick nods you have up north. All in all a great place to begin her new life. And she got a job in this economy in architecture, I'm just saying. (Can you tell how proud we are.)

We will move onto other things now so I can stop thinking about her empty room upstairs.

I have started a Janet Szabo inspired FLAK sweater for DD#2. The yarn is Devon from Classic Elite, unfortunately, it is discontinued and I am not sure I will have enough to finish. Short-sleeved wool Aran, anyone?

The yarn was left over from this Gansey.

I knit for a very good friend a few years ago. He and my husband built me a beautiful chicken coop in trade for this sweater. He is a very large man( this is 61" at the chest) so I bought lots to be sure I would have enough. I thought I had a ton left over but all the cabling is really eating it up . At this point I think I will stop working on the back, pick up for the front (this is worked top down). See how far I get and whether I will have enough left for the sleeves. Seems awfully heavy for a vest and I know she wants a really cozy warm sweater soooo.... if anyone out there has any Classic Elite Devon in color Brixham Brass #9363 (it is a kind of brassy, mustard color) who would be willing to part with a few skeins I would be eternally grateful and willing to pay dearly. She loved this yarn and the color will look amazing on her.

I also ordered this Malabrigo Sock Yarn from Webs back in October so what a surprise to receive this in the last week. Of course I want to stop everything else and be alone with this but I will soldier on and finish all the heavy wooly things I must with this as the shiny holy grail of knitting at the end. I think it wants to be a shawl don't you?

Isn't it drool worthy??

Have a great week.

The Inauguration

2009-01-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

How proud are you to be an American today? I hope you all watched and prayed and were profoundly moved today. Say what you will about this country when we do it right, we really do it right.

Yes We Can!!!

When the world gives you snow, make socks and shawls and vests.

2009-01-19T16:03:00.001-05:00

This isn't even the worst of it... we have had 6" more inches of the powdery stuff fall on us since I took these pictures yesterday. The dog is having a hard time finding a spot with enough clearance to take care of "business" if you know what I mean. And he is a Labrador, not a breed usually considered too short to take care of "business."
Mace, you have to imagine this with another 6" on the deck. This is perfect skiing snow, light, fluffy and powdery. Too bad my skiing days are behind me.

I finished my Norwegian Woods Shawl from Sivia Harding. I love, love, love this shawl. It is drapey, and beaded so there is weight and it is gloriously beautiful in Handmaiden Sea Silk. I wore it to church on Sunday and got a few compliments. The only real downside, and this is a problem with all triangular shawls, is the point highlights a part of my anatomy I try to hide. DH said he thought it was beautiful and bragged to our girls about it so they would be impressed. Gotta love him. I don't even think he likes lace but he has been very sweet.

The beading was really fun an easy. I just crocheted them on with a wee tiny crochet hook rather than stringing all the beads on before I started to knit. Much easier, and the beads stand at attention just the way they should. More pictures on my Ravelry page.

Also finished DD#2 vest but not before she left and she wouldn't be using it in Costa Rica. The tempts are in the 70's there so no need for the woolies. Am happy with how it turned out and think it will be becoming on her.

Pattern: My own
Yarn: Debby Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed
Color: Grape
Needles:US #5,3.5 mm Addi Turbos

I have also finally finished Caty's Fair Isle vest but need her to model it for the full effect. She is happy with it so I am happy.

Finished a pair of socks out of Sundara sock yarn, yummy, while watching the inauguration today so I am feeling very chuffed at all the finishing taking place.

Started another pair of socks during the AFC championship game on Sunday, GO Steelers, but am not happy with the coarseness of the yarn. It feels very stiff and hard and am not sure washing will soften this up. So back to the drawing board for those.

Have started another pair in Schaeffer Anne so am certain they will be soft and squishy.

And just for Mace... another snow shot.

Happy New Year

2009-01-06T17:14:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a lovely holiday and are looking forward to the new year.

Finally can share all the things I spent the last month hiding from my kids and consequently all of you. (That sounds like I have tons of readers, actually I think my kids are the only people paying attention...)

A pair of gloves for DD#1. She asked for gloves but I don't think was expecting anything this elaborate. She loves them and was showing them off during the holidays.Very bright girl our Cate, she knows the correct way to warm the cockles of a knitting mom's heart.

These are knit at the smallest tension I have ever knit a garment, 9 stitches to the inch. I loved making them, especially playing with the design but my hands were very cramped after working all those fiddily fingers.

Mittens for DD#2. I also changed these up a little . The original pattern is in Selbuvotter but of course couldn't leave well enough alone and added a corrugated, two color cuff and some Latvian braids just for the fun of it. She also loved them so another home run .
This is a scarf for DD#2 made with Knitpicks Gloss. Gorgeous fiber which had been percolating in the stash for a while so was thrilled to use it for something other than the another pair of socks.

A cabled vest for DD#2. She has been clamoring for cabled garments so thought this would fill the bill quickly. My hubris knows no bounds. I started this about a week before Christmas thinking that such a big knit would whip along and I would crank this out before she came home. Of course I crashed and burned. I would have had a chance if I hadn't ripped the blinking thing out 3 times each for the front and back trying to get the neck opening started at just the right place and the cabled situated just so.

I am happy with it now and she was very happy with the fit. "Negative Ease" is her new favorite phrase. Unfortunately, she has abandoned us for a semester in Costa Rica and has no need for woolies. She even left before it was dry so I couldn't get any money shots.

Yes the little stinker has moved to the Cloud Forest Mountains of Costa Rica where she will be student teaching in the special ed classroom and helping with science education throughout the school. She is over the moon happy and so we are less anxious. She has called twice and regaled us with stories of the warmth of her host family, the intensity of her immersion Spanish and the beauty of her surroundings, to say nothing of the temperatures in the 80's. It is 24 degrees, gloomy with freezing rain here in western PA today so I am relieved and jealous.

DD#1 has also flown the nest... she is interviewing for architecture jobs in Virginia Beach and looking for apartments. So far 2 concrete offers and another interview on Friday so things are looking up all around. Of course this means she will be moving very soon. This nest is emptying and I am not sure how happy I about this.

Another Door Opens

2008-12-06T15:04:00.001-05:00

We spent last night doing one of the most remarkable things a parent can do...we watched our oldest defend her architecture project in her FINAL REVIEW!!! She will be graduating from Carnegie-Mellon University next Tuesday and we are the proudest parents.

Caty has always been an amazing kid, certainly to us, but what an awe inspiring thing to watch your little girl shine like the professional, polished young woman you know she is. I can say with all objectivity, she really is amazing. For the uninitiated, working toward an architecture degree is a grueling process. Many sleepless nights, 5 years of agonizing over the smallest detail, mind numbing boredom followed by flat out panic, development of artistic, engineering and verbal skills, and criticism that would eviscerate a lesser mortal. Every project is reviewed by a panel of professors and professional architects. It often seems the whole point of the review is to destroy the student.

Caty has been through dozens of reviews and she handled this last one with grace and humor. She defended her design so well. In the end the architects were very happy, her professors were complimentary and her mom and dad were ecstatic. Shouting and gesticulating were not allowed but I know we both wanted to jump on our chairs and hand pump. Tom Cruise has nothing on us.

And why is she so amazing you may ask, well, aside from the fact that she is my daughter and therefore everything she does is amazing, she finished her 5 year degree in 4 1/2 years and she is still considered one of the "sweetest girls" you ever could meet. (That's what others say about her, not just her mom.) If she weren't my daughter I would still want to be her friend, she is that incredible.

Congratulations Catydid, well done!!

2008-11-29T11:44:00.001-05:00

Hey Guys!! Look what my little baby did last weekend. She ran the Philadelphia Half Marathon!!!!

Mayor Nutter was there to start the race. He had a great time slapping hands with all the runners who filed by before the start of the race.

This was Mace's first race ever and there was a little trepidation (especially since she really doesn't like crowds and there were 18,000 runners, all waiting to start).

And the finish. A good friend and his son also ran the race. (My camera died because of the cold and we begged this shot from our friend's wife, the only one of the finish.)

She did very well finishing at 1 hour and 54 minutes, beating her goal of 2 hours. Not bad for a girl who has never run a race not even a 5 K and who has asthma. It was a really cold start in the 20's so of course I was a nervous wreck but she came through like a trouper. and is now talking about training for a full marathon. I am one proud momma.

And because this is a knitting blog I thought you might like to see the finished stockings of doom... I am so done with these. I charged an arm and a leg to knit these for an acquaintance, partially in the hopes that she never asks me to knit any again. She has asked every year for the last 5 and I am so done with them and their acrylic yarn. Done, Done, Done.

There has been some really wonderful knitting happening but I can't share as it would be a spoiler for Christmas. Check out Ravelry they should be uploaded there soon.

I also recently took a class with Cat Bordhi at Knit One in Pittsburgh. It was an amazing class. I learned lots about new pathways in sock knitting. She is a lovely, gentle woman and everyone should take a class from her if the opportunity presents itself. Her brain works differently than the rest of us and it is a wonder. And like Obama she inspires confidence with her calmness. Great lady.

She also was wearing a gorgeous shawl knit for her by Sivia Harding out of Handmaiden Seasilk, her Norwegian woods pattern. It was intensely distracting from the required sock knitting. Totally petable. I actually ordered the yarn in the same colorway from Colorsong as soon as I got home and have started it for myself. But must finish Christmas knitting first so it waits for me. But oh is it a beauty.

Apple Picking Time

2008-10-21T17:15:00.000-04:00

I like to start my posts with a picture but today Caty told us a great story I want to share.

Caty has ridden horses since she was a tiny little girl. The farm where she rides is very social with lots of warm, loving people coming and going. Last Saturday she rode with a woman who told the best story.

A week ago she noticed a Dalmatian standing outside her door. She opened the door and made friends with him. He came back the next day and she let him in. He curled up in a ball and went fast to sleep. Two hours later he woke up, went to the door and she let him out. He left and didn't return until the same time the next day. When she let him inside he again curled in a ball and fell sound to sleep for two hours. Then he woke and asked to go outside. This continued for a week. He became more and more comfortable and was eventually curling up on the sofa, under a blanket, but still only staying two hours. Finally the woman was so curious she wrote a note and tucked it in his collar. She wrote that he visited her home every afternoon and wondered if anyone was concerned about him. The very next day when she let him in she noticed he had a note tucked into his collar. It said, "This is my Dalmatian. He lives with a family of six children all under the age of 7. Obviously he needs the peace and quiet you are offering. Ccan I join him tomorrow???"

Can't you just imagine this poor dog trying to be a good sport with all those little ones and finally just saying enough.

Now onto the pretty pictures.

Too beautiful to pick

Macy picking the last of the Red Romes. We don't use the romantic apple picking ladders at our farm. The bucket on the tractor fills in just fine. Although Mace wasn't sooo sure when her dad told her to just stay in there and he would drive to another part of the tree so she could reach more apples. Glad I wasn't there to see.

This is how we keep our kids entertained on the farm.

Crates of just picked apples and a cider press. The press takes a fair amount of elbow grease so it is all hands on deck when Dad says it is time to make cider!!!

This is the dangerous time when fingers may accidentally be ground with the apples. Mace is tossing apples into the hopper and Caty is grinding away. Caty is more buff and was a super grinder when she spelled her dad. Mace is a wimp in the grinding department. I am docking her pay.

Grind baby, grind.

Caty, aka, The Cruise Director, and quiet the fashinista, don't you agree? (Koigu scarf from at least 6 years ago. Apparently. the classics never go out of style.)

The Pressing.

Sneaking bites when she thinks no one is looking. (Did you notice the knits? Central Park Hoodie and a Nordic hat from her childhood that she still grabs in a pinch. Another woman on the cutting edge of fashion. Seventh Ave has nothing on Latrobe.)

We had a banner year for apples. We've made 44 gallons of cider, at least a dozen apple pies, various apple crisps, apple sauce and even caramel apples last weekend. I know just how Mrs. Johny Appleseed felt.

How cute is he? Sorry, had to add gratuitous puppy pictures when he is this cute.

Awwww, the payoff, sweet nectar of the gods.

26th Anniversary

2008-10-21T12:23:00.000-04:00

The best part of being an empty-nester...we can vacation in the Fall, our favorite time of year. (Really, we do miss you girls, but not the school schedule that dictated our lives for so many years.)

Smith Point Beach, Nantucket, MA

I love this "Big Sky" shot. We live in the woods of PA most of the year so this expanse of blue sky is breathtaking.

The little harbor in front of our cottage.

And this is how old married folks celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary. Scalloping for Nantucket Bay scallops (the best in the world), shucking scallops and eating scallops. We were told it was an awful year for family scalloping which is done with a push rake in shallow water. But my intrepid husband would not be deterred and scouted until he found the goods and we were able to make our limit for the week. We ate plenty while on the island and brought enough back to share with the girls and some friends.

There was knitting, lots of knitting.

Wait for it...the magic that is lace. Ta da!!!!

This is Fleece Artist Merino, don't know the color. I gave the ball band to Chris at Sheep to Shore when I was on the island. Maybe Fleece Artist will be showing up on their shelves in the near future. This is a little something I made up using Medium Stitch 21 from Knitting Stitches by Mary Webb. This is a great stitch dictionary I picked up at Michell's Book Corner on the island
300 stitch patterns, all graphed ina small book so easy to carry when traveling. Love it.

Another lace scarf.

Socks that Rock Lightweight, color Tidal Pool. I played for a long time trying to find a stitch pattern that wasn't obscured by the stripping of this variegated yarn. I just gave up and went with a simple stockinette stitch sock and am thrilled with the results. DD#2 has already called dibs on these and I thought I was making a pair for myself. Oh well, such is the life of their personal knitter.

Caty's Vest is nearing completion but I am not happy. This vest has been the bane of my knitting existence for a few months and now when I am so close to finishing ... the neckline looks too high. I was going to rip it out and cut the opening further down into the body of the vest but I think I will weave in all the ends and block it first and see if I can't open it up a little bit that way. If it is still too dorky looking I will rip the ribbing back then. Will this every be done?

Stay tuned for apple pictures.

Caty's Scarf

2008-09-22T08:56:00.000-04:00

Caty's scarf is finally finished.I love this wool from Sanguine Gryphon. The only down side to this project is there just isn't enough. The color is amazing and the fiber feels wonderful next to your skin. But there isn't enough in the skein to make a nice long scarf. She said she loved it anyway and declared it perfect.

Doesn't it look pretty on her?

This last one is the most correct color wise.

And this... (remember from the last post)
has become this...

a cabled chemo cap for one of Catydid's professors.

I am happy with the design but not sure about the yarn. It maybe a little too scratchy for her delicate skin. I think I will put a note in letting her know I am not happy with the yarn and will knit her something softer if this doesn't work.

Almost finished with a pair of Noro Sock yarn socks. Just a simple k3,p1 pattern. Didn't want anything too crazy as the yarn is sooo patterned. I haven't washed the first finished sock so I am counting on all of you who said this yarn softens up when washed, because it is incredibly scratchy and stiff right now. But I love the colors and am working on a design for the second skein which has more blues, greens, purples and pinks. Caty is already calling dibs on this pair.

I have been working on her Fair Isle vest and zeroing in on the shoulders. One more pattern repeat and bob's your uncle.

Then I have two Christmas stockings I agreed to knit by November. What was I thinking? I don't like knitting these things. No, that's too mild, I despise knitting these things. They are intarsia and with acrylic yarn. Need I say more?. I have to learn how to say no. This also brings up the question of what my work is worth. I would love to charge her $90 a piece so I won't ever have to make them again. (She has asked every year for the last 4years, right before Christmas, so I guess we are making progress that she got them to mein September). But I am sure she will choke at this price. I do think my effort is worth this much. I spend the whole time knitting them thinking about all the fun knitting I could be doing. Not too many happy thoughts knit into these suckers.

I am getting too old and life is too short to spend anytime knitting things I don't love.

Have a great day.

Morning Glories

2008-09-18T11:11:00.001-04:00

What an amazing shade of blue...and look how the light seems to shine from the center of the bloom.

I love morning glories. They are one of the few flowers that has an absolutely true blue color to it's blossoms.

This is also a shot of my gorgeous new Walpole Woodworks arbor, which was a Mother's Day gift last year. I have planted New Dawn roses on either side and two dark blue, purply clematis. My husband insisted I only plant morning glories because he doesn't want to obscure the beauty of the arbor under rose bushes. I planted the morning glories to appease him this year and I have to admit we have been enjoying them. I hope the roses do well here though because I love roses over an arbor.

There has been jerky knitting as I careen from one idea to another. I love the thought of snuggling in for the Fall with a few big projects so I am hoping to finish up some little ones first.

DD#1 has a young professor who was just diagnosed with breast cancer. When they returned to school in August Catydid was shocked when she walked into studio. She had started chemo and had lost all her hair. Catydid called and asked me to knit her a hat as she didn't seem to have anything to keep her head warm. I found 3 skeins of Plymouth Suri Merino and have begun the following panel of twisted knitting. When this strip is 20" long I will sew the two short ends together and pick up stitches along one long edge for the top of the hat. I am very happy with the design so far. The twisted stitches are laying flat just the way I envisioned them. My only concern now is that the yarn is scratchier than I wanted. I hope it is not too irritating to her delicate skin.

This is a scarf I am making for Catydid out of a wonderful sock yarn from Sanguine Gryphon. Wonderful greens and browns, she loves the colors. I am a little worried that I won't be able to make a long enough scarf as I don't have much yardage left. Will hope for lots of growth in the blocking. and that it will bloom into the lovely lace I am imaging.

Also working on a pair of Noro sock yarn socks, don't know who the recipient will be but they look very nice right now. There is lots of yardage in these skeins which is wonderful for a change.

I am also trying to finish up Catydid's v-neck Fair Isle vest. I have reached the underarms so things should fly soon. I'll keep you posted.

Selma Ensemble

2008-09-12T16:13:00.001-04:00

Thought you might like to see the whole Selma Ensemble all finished and ready for mailing. Now I just have to find more Sweet Tarts to gift her mom and dad. Can't keep those things in the house.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sweet Tarts, Anyone?

2008-09-09T14:32:00.001-04:00

Doesn't this remind you of Sweet Tarts? This was last month's Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock That Rock Lightweight Sock club offering. They even included Sweet Tarts in the package. Knowing no one in the family would be interested in "Goody Goody" colored socks, I made a baby blanket for a very good friend's first grandchild...Selma Grace, welcome to the world. ( I also included Sweet Tarts in the package for mom and dad, the originals are of course all gone.)

Her blankie took 2.5 skeins of "Goody, Goody" Which was ordered one skein at a time because I was sure I had enough each time. It appears I am a very optimistic girl .

While I waited for the second and then the third skein of STR to arrive I also started my version of Baby Mine with 100% Superwash Merino Heavyweight in Color: Quilla. I loved the one the Yarn Harlot designed for Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I think it was loosely based on EZ's February sweater and so I did my own thing. Knitting it from the bottom up rather than the top down as EZ does. These are shots of it blocking. I also have a hat started to match the little sweater.

The hat should be done tomorrow and then I will have the great reveal of the whole ensemble.

My girls are laughing at me about what their little ones will be sporting if I make all this for a mother I only know peripherally. Actually, she is the older sister of their best friends (yes, sisters are best friends with sisters, and all members of the 4-H... to butcher a great Dixie Chicks song.). She is a baby doll with the most sparkly blue eyes you ever saw. I hope Selma has her mama's eyes.

In other knitting news I began a scarf for DD#1 out of Sanguine Gryphon's wonderful sock yarn. This is an awful picture but the scarf looks lovely. It is actually quite beautiful and DD#1 wants it finished soon.

She is feeling very left out because look what I finished for DD#2.

Tah Dah!!!...Tangled Yoke. I love this sweater and if I continue to lose more weight there will be one in my future. I love the Felted Tweed I used for this and DD#2 was very pleased. Hardly took it off before heading back to college, and there were some very hot days in August before she left. Including the day of the photo shoot. Doesn't she look pretty?

DD#2 also went on a little shopping excursion with me to Knit One in Pittsburgh. I was certain I had taken her there before but from the look in her eyes she obviously was a newbie to the wonders of Knit One. After much ohhing and ahhing, many books perused and yarns petted she stumbled on this little number.

One Skein Wonders gloves from Leigh Radford knit in Noro's Taiyo Yarn # 3. I whipped these babies out within 2 days. And DD#1 was screaming for her own pair. And frankly so was I. So more yarn has been purchased and as soon as the Selma ensemble is complete there will be more gloves. They look very arty to me.

The garden looked like a dust bowl until this morning's rain showers. We also have a very fat, happy and smart ground hog, who has avoided all attempts to bring him in alive. But he is doing so much damage to the garden I hate to look. He also must have put out the alert as it seems the deer have figured out a way to jump over the 5' electrified fence and are munching to their hearts content on all my pole beans, lettuce, and onions. Luckily they are not interested in the tomatoes and there are enough bush beans to share if I pick them quickly. Argh!!!

Simple Minded

2008-07-24T14:40:00.000-04:00

Very nosy hens checking out the new guys on the block.

and little, baby hens who are sticking together for protection. They are getting along better but it is always a good idea to keep the youngsters separated until they can fend for themselves. The older girls just kind of push them around now, letting them know who is boss. Talk about a pecking order, sheesh!

The glads are looking especially nice this year. These gladiola corms have been in the ground for about 5 years now. I never dig them up and I have armload's of gladiolas every year. I also have some dahlias in this bed in my vegetable garden that return every year. We are zone 5 so I am not sure how this happens but the dahlias must be very happy. This makes me a very happy and lazy gardener. I have never been too good at the whole lifting and storing thing with dahlias. I don't have a garage that stays the right temperature and they always seem to dry up because I forget to mist them over the winter. I have had much more success with this method of storage, although I know it is not correct. So far it is working for me.

I must be the most simple minded person on the planet. I can't tell you how much pleasure I have received from this old wash tub and a ten dollar deer chaser water pump feature. I really want a water feature. I am certainly not water deprived here at Touchstone Farm. We have two very large ponds, two smaller ponds and a lovely swimming pool. You would think that would be enough. Obviously my inner island girl comes out in the summer and I must have water everywhere.

This fills the bill and doesn't make me want to run to the bathroom. It is also great entertainment for one year olds. See, simple minds.

I know I have said how much I love long garden shots of the design of a garden. I still think that way but my garden looks for s#@* right now, and the flowers look amazing up close, so...

Obligatory bloom shots.

Tithonia I started from seed. The plants are about 4 feet tall. I will definitely be starting this again and putting it in a sunnier border next summer.

This is a beautiful day lily, Hemerocallis " Catherine ?" Of course the plant label bleached out before I could record the exact name of this day lily. It is purply and very pretty.

Great Oriental Lillies and the fragrance is to die for.

Hemerocallis "Barbara Mitchell"

OK, I take it back the bloom shots are sexy and oh so pretty.

Girls...look what daddy did this morning.

There will be pie!!!!

Oops

2008-07-22T13:01:00.001-04:00

Arghhh! I found them as soon as I posted the last entry. Anyway here are the shots of the newest baby sweater pictures for my friend's daughter's baby boy, Jude. His mother lost a little girl almost a year ago so he really is taking a "sad song and making it better." to quote his grandmother. Mother and baby are doing fine. My friend told me everyone keeps telling them they will be exhausted by the crying. She doesn't think that will every happen, it is a joyous sound to them.

Yarn: Mission Falls Cotton
Needles: Size 5 Turbos
Size 2, Took 2 balls cream, 2 balls black and 1 ball blue, could have used another ball of blue. (Thought patch pockets in blue would have been cute on the front.)

She also told me how important it was when they lost Chloe, their first child, to have the blanket, photos and memory box that the hospital sent home with her daughter.

She said projects like the Wrapped in Care Project are very important to these mothers. Many friends and family donated to the local care project when Tasha lost Chloe and they used this money to buy a new digital camera to take the photos. So money is always useful too.

Welcome to the World, Jude!

2008 Botanical Garden Tour: Part 2

2008-07-22T10:07:00.001-04:00

More gratuitous garden pictures from the Botanical Garden Tour 2008.

This is a water locust. The original cutting for this locust is believed to be 2,000 years old. My girlfriend threatened to yank a piece out of the pond and take it home with her. The fact that she doesn't have a pond or water feature of any kind did not distract her. When I warned the police would probably be called she rethought it. Talk about guerrilla gardening.

A very serene Ligonier garden. I have a bench like this, mine sits on my deck looking at the garden. I love the idea of the bench in the garden I just don't imagine real gardeners ever sit in their gardens. But it makes a very nice vignette.

Another very nice water feature. I do love the idea of the waterfall. This one isn't too bad but the hill in the back looks a wee bit suspect, too artificial and man made.

We all fell in love with the turtle with a shaggy haircut. He was a frame filled with sphagnums moss and then poked with various mosses.

A little garden of succulents.

Hilltop is the name of this garden and very appropriate too. This is as close to big sky country as we have in western PA. As someone who lives half way up the mountain and am surrounded by trees these vistas appeal to me. But I am very happy with my little corner of the world (Occasionally the people on top of the mountains run out of well water, that rarely happens at the bottom of the mountain).

This is the view from the back of their house.
This is the view of the back of their house.
There has also been a little knitting. I am also working on something I can't share because it is a surprise.

I have taken the pictures and just spent the last 40 minutes trying to get the pictures from my camera to the file where I can upload them to this blog. Obviously the learning curve with my new camera has me flummoxed and I will get back with the pictures of the baby sweater later.

This is how we spend our weekends.

2008-07-22T08:13:00.001-04:00

This is what a try-athlete looks like before his first Olympic length Triathlon.

This is what he looks like coming in from the last leg of his first Triathlon. Pretty cute, huh?

My honey finished this race 6th in his age group. Which is a tough age group when you realize the winner was a 50 year old man. Rich turned 50 this year. He worked very hard training all winter, rode a borrowed, 20 year old bike, didn't know the course, had to swim upstream in the Allegheny River and still did an amazing job. He said he though it was harder than the marathons he has run in the past and he has run Boston twice. So that's saying something.

You thought I was kidding about the swim. This is the swimmers in the Allegheny River with Pittsburgh on the opposite shore. A pretty view from dry land, intimidating as all get out I would imagine from the water. He is most proud of his swim and how well he did in this portion.

Here he is, in the white shirt, after the 25 mile bike portion.He told me he thought some of these guys were riding bikes that were more expensive than our cars. We haven't bought a "new" car in years so he maybe right.

His time was 2 hours and 53 minutes. The winner did it in 2 hours and 1 minute. Like I said, not bad for your first triathlon.

He is officially a tri-athlete!

2008 Botanicla Garden Tour: Part 1

2008-07-17T08:06:00.000-04:00

(Warning: a very picture heavy post)

So I have finished the baby sweater. This is the sweater for the first grandchild of a very good friend. Her daughter, this baby's mother, was a favorite babysitter for my girls when they were just wee ones. She lost her little girl last year so this baby was very nervously anticipated. I just received word that he was born last evening and is a happy, healthy baby boy. Yeah!!!

All this little guy needs is some cute buttons.
I would like to make a little jester hat or booties to go with this jacket but don't have much of the blue left. Maybe I will make some booties and just crochet a little edging.

Yarn: Mission Falls1824 Cotton
Needles: Addi Turbos size 4 circulars
Chest Measurement: 22"

Now I would like you to suspend reality for a moment and pretend this is the entrance to my garden...

Don't I just wish. I don't have the buckos to do this and if I were in charge it wouldn't be this amazing. (When I showed this to the Head of Maintenance he asked who would be plowing over those stones this winter. He is all in favor of our black asphalt, so I guess this won't be the view into my garden anytime soon.) This is just a little teaser to entice you to follow me on the 2008 Pittsburgh Botanical Garden Open Gardens Tour. It was an overcast day that threatened rain off and on but was actually a great day to see the gardens, not too hot, not too bright, and except for a few showers, just right. So let me lead you down the garden path.

All shades of blue and white. Blue petunias, catmint, balloon flower, must remember this.

This is their perennial garden. It is very long but obviously not very deep. If I were in charge (and they must thank God every day that I am not). This sucker would be about 12 feet deep and just stuffed with plant material. I would have put in lots of vertical elements and ruined the whole composition. The thing I like about this perennial border is that it is low and you can see the forest beyond. It would be quite manageable too. I could learn a lot from this garden. It was serene and lovely.

A really well done water feature. So many water features look plunked down from on high. I think this one works. I would love a little waterfall at our place so will keep this shot in mind when I win the lottery.

We also peeked in the windows. It was furnished in a contemporary style, very clean and modern, an interesting juxtaposition with such a traditional exterior. I loved it and could have moved right in, no one extended the invitation so we moved on.

The sight of this tree completely took my breathe away. A weeping Kutsura tree is a thing of great beauty. I have spent the last 3 days imagining where I could plant one here on the farm. Now you would think with 40 acres to play with this wouldn't take 3 days. But this is a special tree which deserves a lot of forethought. I'll let you know what I come up with.

This was the view behind us from the terrace. This garden was my absolute favorite. The people living in the house now did not make the garden but they are wonderful stewards to the vision of the previous owners. The previous owners purchased the home in the 80's and had all the trees on the property removed. Now this is a big deal because in this particular borough of Pittsburgh you are not allowed to cut down any trees without permission. They paid the fines, brought in yards of good soil and compost and designed an enchanting garden on a sloped, relatively small city lot.

The cutting or butterfly garden, not sure but it was lovely.

And this is my all time favorite water feature. Doesn't it make you just want to spend your afternoon watching the fish go by. This is incredibly peaceful,so large and on a sloped lot, amazing design. It is tucked in next to a retaining wall.

Does anyone have any idea what this plant is? It was growing with the hostas and hellebores in the shade. The new owner didn't know what it is and I would like to plant it in my woodland garden.

I think that is enough for now. Hope this has been as inspiring for you as it was for me. Now I am off to my sorry little patch.

Little of this and a little of that

2008-07-07T15:35:00.000-04:00

There has been some knitting, but so much more gardening. So maybe we will start with that.

I love garden blogs that show the long shots of the garden not just close ups of the pretty flowers. I am always curious about the design of the gardens. I am not particularly happy with the design right now.

Everything is just green. I know as a gardener I am supposed to be interested in the textures and foliage. Somehow that makes me a more sophisticated gardener, but sometimes I just want the flower shots.

This is the garden down by the pool which I planned to be very colorful for the summer months when we enjoy spending time swimming. This is not very successful, just green, green, green. Not what I envisioned.
This is a beautiful Pagoda dogwood that has one branch reverting to just green. Margaret talked about this issue at awaytogarden. I cut this branch out after I took the picture.

The endless summer hydrangeas are gorgeous this year and I can say that because I had absolutely nothing to do with mine. They are blue and full of flowers just the way an hydrangea should be. (Sorry, about how washed out the blue looks, I even took this early in the morning but nothing is showing the intensity of the blue.)
The stewartia is in bloom. I love this small, understory tree. No fragrance, but 4 seasons of interest. The bark is amazing.
The hosta bed looks very nice, don't you think,

until you get up close...We have 3 does wandering around the farm. One has a set of twin fawns, who while very cute are munching away on a few of my favorites, these hostas included.

You be the judge. I feel like I should dig everything up, move plants and rethink the whole design. This may have something to do with being on vacation when the spring show was on and I missed the whole thing; peonies, roses, geraniums, dianthus, nepetas, sweet peas. Most of my favorites and I missed them all.

But there has been knitting...

I finished the little Blue Sky Alpaca and Silk Helena sweater and hat for my friend's new baby girl. I am very happy with how it turned out and even have a skein left to play with. This yarn is dreamy. Thought you might like to see the adorable buttons too. I purchased this yarn and the buttons at Sheep to Shore on Nantucket, MA, my hometown.
If you ever find yourself on Nantucket with a few hours to yourself, make your way out to Sheep to Shore. It is a wonderful shop and Chris, the owner, is fantastic. I would love to spend my entire vacation just hanging out in her shop. It is warm, inviting, inspiring, comfortable and oh so beautiful. And all the ladies who work their are great. Hi Sheila(whose husband Matt happens to make the best sandwiches on the whole island. Something Natural is absolutely worth the trip.)

I am also knitting a lace shawl that I hope will be used as a christening blanket for the first grand child of a good friend. The yarn is Alpaca and it feels like buttah. I was inspired the christening blanket by Franklin Habit knit for his niece. The baby is due in August so I need to get cracking on this.

Ann Hanson's Tesserae socks out of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts medium weight sock yarn on size 1 needles. They should be very warm as they are very compacted.
Another baby sweater for the first child of one of my daughter's favorite babysitters when they were wee tikes. We know she is having a boy. Mission Falls Cotton , my own design. Now I must find just the perfect buttons.
Also have to finish a Fair Isle vest for a particular someone who will be home from Venice in 3 weeks. Luckily the weather will be too hot for her to wear it right away.

Now I have a question for you all. This Sunday 2 of my friends and I will be touring gardens of Pittsburgh and Ligonier on the Pittsburgh Botanical Open Garden Tour. I know I will be taking oodles of pictures. What is the correct etiquette about sharing other people's garden pictures on my blog? I am thinking that is not too kosher but not sure. I am sure some of them will be amazing and I would love to share with you all but don't think it is proper. What do you think????

Let there be Berries.

2008-06-30T14:56:00.000-04:00

Perhaps you remember this early spring activity....

Mulching 350 blueberry bushes.

Well all that work had paid off handsomely. The bushes are bursting. There are so many berries the new, pliable branches can't even support them, so our high bush blueberries are pretty droopy.

There are mountains of berries to pick.DH diligently pruned all350 bushes with a Saws-All and then we mulched each bush with 6-8" of aged sawdust. Pruning and sawdust apparently make blueberries very happy.

He has put out the signs, the scale, the cash box, the pails and the pickers are picking.

I am a very spoiled woman. This man picks me fresh berries every morning.

This is a study of Bubba in the Blueberries. (Doesn't she look like a runway model posing for a fashion designer? I hope I have half her beauty at 80.)

I have this gracious lady to thank for the beautiful berries my husband shares with me every morning. Thank you Bub, for raising such a good man. (His dad was also in the patch with us but wouldn't stop grazing the berries long enough to pose for a picture. I am certain he had something to do with how well my husband turned out.)

C'est la Vie!!

2008-06-28T14:02:00.001-04:00

Look who rode by our house today.

The Tour of Pennsylvania went right by our house. This is a race from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. All the riders are young men between the ages of 18 and 24, some of who may go on to ride the Tour de France. It was so fun to see these guys up close and to watch them climb a hill, even a little one. Yesterday they climbed some very steep and long hills to get to Latrobe, and today they climbed a few more before they headed off to Pittsburgh. Their average speed is about 28-30 miles per hour. That's booking. My average speed is about 15-16 mph, of course I am an old lady, but still.

Enjoy!

I'm back

2008-06-24T10:27:00.001-04:00

Well, we took a 2 week vacation and I didn't take one picture. Now that we are back it has taken us nearly 2 weeks to tame the yard and gardens again. And I will never believe the English gardening lady who wrote that you should always use garden compost to mulch your flower beds and not use shredded bark mulch. Well, that is all well and good if you never leave your garden and are there every day to keep up the weeding. However,when you return from a holiday and all the pumpkin and hay seeds are a foot tall in all your ornamental beds you feel like screaming. Note to self: order the mulch early next year so the mulching is done before the plants are as big as VW Bugs.

I think I need to talk to Al Gore, this is what it did in Pennsylvania on June 20th.
Hail the size of marbles, big marbles. Our blueberries look pretty bruised and the husband is worried about his crop. My peas got banged around but their shells protect them, blueberries are right out in the open without any protection. I will let you know how they taste.

Look what I found among the weeds of my veggie garden. A pitcher plant. They are relatively rare, blog plants which eat flies, I believe. I was amazed and a little concerned that the ground near the veggie beds is this wet.

There has been knitting...there are many new babies to cover so I have knit the Helena sweater from the new Knitty.

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas, Alpaca Silk, color Guava, 3 skeins
Needles: Size 5 and 2 Addi Turbos, 24" circs.
Size: 22" chest, Size 2
Modifications: I changed the edging around the front, made it a picot edge and used three buttons rather than the ties.

I also made a hat to match which I will add as soon as it is dry. I love this yarn but it has absolutely no body and I am not sure I am happy with the drappy nature of the bodice. Everyone I showed it to assures me it is fine but I would have knit a much firmer fabric.

This is going to a little girl I will rarely see and I would so love to see this on a little one. May have to remember this if there is ever a little girl grand baby. (My husband is praying for boys, not that he didn't adore his girls, but he thinks it would be nice not to be outnumbered.)

I am thrilled to show you some shots of a garden I designed and planted last spring for my friend Marie-Paul. She and her husband JT had just finished building a new home when their 12 year old son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After 6 months of surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy, I wanted to give them something to brighten their lives. Marie-Paul is from Belgium and loves flowers and gardens and didn't want anything to do with typical foundation plantings. I think we came up with a nice solution and she seems to be very happy with the results.

Isn't her lavender hedge gorgeous? All the plants came back beautifully but one. This is amazing for our climate and the generally clay soil we have here in the mountains of western PA. We amended her soil with yards and yards of composted horse manure and I think the plants are very happy.

She would like to have an arbor at this end of the walk someday.

Another friend lost her son this spring. He was the same age as DD#1. They were good buddies in elementary school and graduated together. I wanted to do something special for her. When ever a female friend is going through chemotherapy I like to knit them a shawl so they can stay warm during their treatments. I thought she could use something warm to wrap up in this winter to remember her beautiful, strong son hugging her. So I knit her a pray shawl too.

Yarn: Jade Sapphire Cashmere
Pattern: My own design, I think it is the horseshoe lace from Barbara Walker, not sure which book.

DD#2 looks especially fetching, don't you think?

Doesn't every 20 year old need a cashmere shawl? I think I could have a full time job just keeping she and her sister in knitwear. Let's see, Fair Isle vest, Aran cabled sweater, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and now shawls. Luckily they are both very thin and we all share the same color sense so I love knitting for them.

Have a great day and if you love gardening check out the Margaret Roach gardening blog I just discovered, awaytogarden.com. It is fantastic.

Garden Tour?

2008-05-01T10:39:00.001-04:00

Everything is sooo beautiful in the garden right now I thought I would give you a little tour.

Welcome to the Garden (this isn't really the entrance to the garden but it looked so pretty I thought I would take some poetic license )

The allium are just starting to open. I love this plant, it is very dainty and delicate but creates an explosion of color that I love.

Down by the pool (excuse the cover) the hostas are just starting to unfurl. It is hard to tell but above them is a wonderful pagoda dogwood. My conscientious husband wraps this tree in wire ever year so that the deer do not nibble during the winter. In the summer with it's variegated leaves it looks just like a wedding cake.

A very interesting Japanese maple which I planted two years ago. I hope it takes off this summer and actually starts to look like a tree. It will be stunning someday, I just hope I live long enough to see it.

Everything looks too washed out. The colors of all the tulips and the forget-me-knots are very bright and pretty.

The lilacs are in full flower and smell so good, but my all time favorite for fragrance has to be the Daphne "Carol Mackie" I planted right outside the mudroom door.
The wisteria trees have also put on a spectacular show this year. They finally started to flower last year. They say it takes 7 years for a wisteria to bloom and this one has been in the garden for exactly 8 years. Last year it began with 7 panicles of flowers and this year it is covered.

And yes, this is still a knitting blog. And there is some actual knitting going on, it is a little boring at the moment. Nothing momentous to show you. I have started a simple cable ribbed cardigan for myself out of some fantastic RY Silk Wool DK I purchased in Alexandria, VA at Knit Happens while I was in DC. This stuff feels like buttah. I am not sure if I am worthy. I have the back, one front and one sleeve finished. But I have started on another project which is more important and so will have to put this aside for the time being. The new project is in cashmere so not much of a sacrifice but I really need to finish something soon, I think I qualify for a medical condition and startitis doesn't sound serious enough.

This is another reason I can't stop starting new projects. Sundara keeps sending me these wonderful packages. Every time I receive a new Seasons Yarn Club mailing I drop everything, even cashmere to play with the new kid on the block. I never knew I was this fickle. I have been married to the same man for 25 years, I have shown my stick-to-it-tiveness. But show me a pretty new yarn and I am dropping the old like a bag of rocks. Obviously a character flaw I should work on. Right after I start a new shawl. (Oh, it's Sundara's Aran Silky Merino in Charcoal over Blue Lagoon, 50% merino, 50% silk, yummy!)

And this is why I haven't written for a while. I was in Washington, DC attending a conference for Cooperative Extension and then we met with our congressmen. It was a glorious week and the final day on the Hill was magnificent. I even got to go to the National Botanical Garden. (Which doesn't compare with our own Phipps Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, but it was very nice and the weather was phenomenal.)

Our nation's capital... I am patriotic enough that this view always chokes me up, every time. And this was after touring the Botanical gardens for free, what a country.

A Mixed Bag

2008-04-22T20:45:00.001-04:00

Under the heading, strange things seen while attending a funeral...

This public telephone sign is slowly being swallowed by the sycamore tree outside the tavern where we had the luncheon after my husband's uncle's funeral. (How's that for a run on sentence, like something you shouldn't do with grammar.) Weird huh? I thought so too.

Now instead of a sign saying "Public Phone", it says..." ic one". We were told people have been trying to buy the sign out of the tree but the tavern owner will not sell. I think he should sell tickets for viewing this anomaly of nature.

Here, finally, is the baby ensemble for your approval. My husband continues to say it looks like a clown outfit and I shouldn't give it to the intended newborn. I am still not sure. I think the accessories tone it down a bit, and it is for a baby who will probably only wear it once, if that often.

What's your judgment now, still too clown-like, cute, or throw it away and start again?

Just for the girls... a little front garden action. I will take some more pictures of the tulips tomorrow. They look really good this year. It has been a lovely spring in every sense of the word. Beautiful sunny days followed by wonderful cool nights. The flowers are just loving this as are the gardeners. The tulips look fantastic. And the forget-me-knots are starting to bloom, so pretty with the tulips.

A boy and his King Kong. He is very territorial about his Kong and will only share with someone who he knows will fill it back up with treats , that someone is me. Thus is true love earned.

It was a perfect day on Sunday and great friends came to help finish the mulching of the blueberry bushes. After the hard work was done Sasha tried out her fly fishing skills in our pond. She has been taking fly fishing lessons and tying flies lessons most of the late winter. Being a girl after my own heart, she showed up the boys and caught the first bluegill. However, also being a girl she didn't want any part of taking it off her line. That is what men are for right?

Isn't she the cutest angler, evah ?

Just a Little Off the Top Please

2008-04-15T13:43:00.001-04:00

Another rite of spring around Touchstone Farm is the shearing of the sheep. Since we only have 1 old ewe any more it took about 20 minutes. Quite a change from the old days when it took most of a morning and there were little lambs everywhere bleating for their mommas. Here is our hairy, Hayleigh girl before her yearly do.

Not her best angle. She has had too many lambs to have any false modesty.

Almost done... Little pedicure action and Bob's your uncle (I may be listening to too many podcasts from the UK)...

One bare sheep.

It was 25 degrees this morning when the poor old girl got her haircut so I'm not sure she was as grateful as some years when it is 70 degrees and she can't wait to feel the air on her skin again.

On the knitting front I am plugging away on a tiny little cardigan for my friend's first grand-daughter. I thought it would be sooo cute in big stripes of hot pink and orange. And it was until I wound the second ball of Cotton Classic and realized it was a completely different dye lot, maybe even a different hot pink than I had used for the body. I have mountains of Cotton Classic which I often use for my kid designs. I was not about to buy more.

So I have come up with what I hope is an acceptable solution. Which I also hope to tie together with the matching hat and booties or socks. I should be done in a few days so will let you all in on it and you can give me your thoughts. I think it will work,but then I love bright colors on little ones, and the brighter the colors the better if the little ones are really little.

How does it strike you so far? Is it too much even for a tiny little girl? I don't want her to look like a clown. I think I am OK and that it has more of a We Sing in Sillyville flavor to it. Of course, I am spending vast amounts of time with 5 and 6 year olds so my senses may be muddled.

Boo Berries

2008-04-10T08:06:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our house

My fabo family purchased this beauty for me for Mother's Day and I wanted to share how pretty it is with daffs blooming at it's feet. DH worked very hard to install this, our farm isn't called Touchstone for nothing, much shoveling and digging and rock moving. I can't wait for the New Dawn roses I ordered to arrive so I can plant them to grow up and over. DH, however, doesn't want me to "whore" it up with plants. He thinks morning glories would be just fine. Silly man, doesn't understand a thing about vertical elements in the landscape. Keep tuned we'll see who wins this one. I have to admit, it is really beautiful even without the rose.

Th blueberry fields... Last year we purchased the adjoining field to our farm. Included in the sale were 450 blueberry bushes. We were thrilled as we love blueberries and it seemed like a fun operation.

This spring, DH, who is very conscientious, began the arduous task of pruning 450 blueberry bushes. He did a wonderful job and everything looks so clean and orderly. The bushes also need to be mulched with sawdust to reduce the backbreaking job of keeping the weeds and grass from competing with the blueberry bushes for nutrients.
So we had this delivered.

A small mountain of sawdust. (Duncan is in this shot purely for scale, not because he is the cutest Labrador alive.)

DH and I spent all afternoon spreading sawdust under the bushes and ended up with this...

That is one row, folks. So guess what we are doing this afternoon.The fun never ends at Touchstone Farm, aka Embraceable Ewe.

Cleaning house looks like a walk in the park compared to this. Wonder how many points I earned on Weight Watchers.

Girls, this one is for you, the view over the boo berry patch, sorry the horizon faded so much. I took this pretty early this morning.

Thought you might like some pictures of the only Embraceable Ewe left on the farm. We reduced our flock to one old ewe. Hayleigh is a sweetie like her mom. She is now about 8 and can't have anymore lambs. Last year when our own baby, DD#2 (Boo Bear), aged out of 4-H, DH asked me to sell the flock. I sold everyone but Hayleigh. No one would take her and she adds a certain wooliness that a knitter should have available at all times. Nice to see a sweater on the hoof, don't you think?

Anyway here she is, "her Hayleighness".

How proud am I ...
This is DD#1(Sweet Pea)'s first sock, purdy ain't it? She came up with the design all by herself with a little help from Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. The yarn is from Candace Eisner Strick's line of beautiful lightweight wools. Sweet Pea knows where I keep the "good stuff" and headed right there. Since it was for school she knew I would not refuse her. Smart girl, our Sweet Pea. She was knitting it for a design competition in the Architecture school. Unfortunately, she ran out of time and space. Never fear, she has other knitting in the exhibit and I should have pictures of the show for next week.

Thought you might like to see an oldie but a goodie

I made this sweater about 8 years ago and wear it all the time. Actually, I am wearing it out. If you look closely one of the clasps broke right off and the hem of the neck needs to be resown. I wear it often and receive tons of compliments.

Pattern:My Own
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic.

And before you ask, I did steek it and cut it even though it is cotton. Love Fair Isle in cotton and I have been cutting away at them for years. Just be sure to reinforce with very small machine stitching before you cut.

Update on Caty's Vest

I have been working a little at night, trying to make up for what happened earlier. I think it will be better this time around. I have some ideas which I like more than the original iteration. Difficult to work on at night because the colors all seem to blend together and I am too busy during the day (see above) to work on it. (Don't worry, Sweet Pea it will be finished before next fall.)

But this is what happens when I can't do one project during the day, obviously I have become ADD or maybe ADHD with my knitting. I have started 6 new projects in the last 2 weeks. Focus girl, focus. I think I am coming to believe I am a process knitter and don't seem to care if anything ever is finished.

I'll let you know how this all turns out.

Spring has Sprung

2008-04-07T10:03:00.001-04:00

Double Daffs, don't they just make you want to smile...

Hellebores, one of my favorite flowers of spring . It begins blooming for me in February and is gorgeous into May. The flowers are downward facing so you have to slow down to enjoy the bloom. Always lifts my spirit that Spring is really here.

We have had the perfect Spring here in western PA. It has been cold but not bitterly so. The fruit trees and shrubs have been able to set their buds without fear of too warm days followed by freezing temperatures. Last year we had 80 degree days in March followed by the 20's in April. Ruined much of our apple crop and lots of ornamental shrub blossoms. Looks like it will be a real Spring. The fruit trees and lilacs are ready to burst.

And there has been knitting....

Pattern: Merino Lace Socks by Anne Woodbury from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks book.

Yarn: Sundara Sock Yarn, charcoal over evergreen, (I think, sorry Sundara, didn't think I would ever forget this color, I love it so.)part of the Seasons Yarn Collection from Sundara Yarns

The color is very washed out on this picture, the others are more representative of the wonder that Sundara does so well.

I was bursting at the seams this weekend because Anne from Knitspot mentioned me on her blog. Unfortunately, I don't think I fully conveyed how much I respect and revere what she does. Her designs are extraordinary and make me weak at the knees. So much talent, I am humbled that she noticed me.

I spend every Monday afternoon tutoring a group of kindergarten students at our local elementary school . They are absolutely the cutest and most endearing bunch of 5 and 6 year olds. I challenge anyone to work with these kids and come away in a bad mood. You get a weeks worth of hugs and adoration. I should be paying them, it's better than therapy.

Hope you all get a weeks worth of hugs.

Back to the Drawing Board

2008-03-27T15:39:00.000-04:00

Something Pretty to distract you ...

Yarn: Sea Silk
Needles:#3 Turbos
Pattern: Latifa from Knitty.com

My Life...

My Life On Crack...

I fear I have lost my Fair Isle Mojo, of which I was unreasonably proud, Ahh, the hubris, the shame...I can't believe Alice Starmore ever does this.

I know there is balance in the universe, while I was ripping this all out DD#2 called to say she received a fabo grade on her Organic Chemistry test, something she was dreading. I will throw myself on my sword if it makes the world a better place for my girls. I am just that kind of mom.

Now back to the regularly schedule birthday party for my 80 year old in laws. Much planning and cooking and cleaning, oh my!

My History Of Knitting

2008-03-24T08:44:00.001-04:00

Just to prove we are a long line of knitters in my family...

This is my grandmother, second from the left, circa 1910's knitting on the top of a roof with her future husband, my grandfather, and a group of friends. We think they were so sedate. I can promise you I have never taken my knitting on to a roof. This woman was a passionate knitter.

Here she is knitting at the beach in the 50's. Gosh, I could have had a great afternoon sitting in the sun knitting with her.

She also was photographed knitting at her only child's,(my Dad's) wedding reception. I can't imagine what she would have thought of knitting and the internet. And talk about stash. She took 60 crates of yarn to Hawaii with her in the 50's when she and my grandfather retired to the tropics from New England. I don't think she ever got used to the warmth and didn't know what to do with all the wool she took with her.

She was beloved in our hometown in Nantucket,MA for all the people she taught to knit, every class of incoming student nurses to our local hospital, and all the knitted gifts that slipped off her needles at the mere mention of a pretty sweater in a shop window.

Sadly, she died before I was born and I have nothing of her knitting history except these wonderful pictures and the sweet stories of her generosity.

My mother was also an avid knitter. I have a wonderful photo of her in college during WW II I will have to dig up. Sadly, she died when I was only 1 1/2 years old and I have nothing from her knitting history.

Luckily, I was taught to knit by a great babysitter I had, when I was four years old. But with this kind of knitting background I have always thought it was just in my genes. Fortunately, I have passed on this passion to my two daughters. Both are excellent knitters and have a great eye for color and design. Interestingly, I have never taught them to read a pattern. Everything they have ever knit has been self-designed. They tell me what they want, pick a yarn, knit a swatch, we measure and go from there. They are fully engaged in the designing process without any of the "follow the direction" anxieties.

What's on the needles:

Baby Surprise Jacket
Needles: #3 Turbos
Yarn: Kangaroo Sock Yarn
I-Cord: Socks that Rock. No idea of the color, from stash.

Selbuvotter Inspired Hat
Yarn: Manos Silk Blend Color: 3043 and 3068
Needles;#5 Turbos circulars

I love this yarn and will be using again as soon as I find a local supplier. I purchased this at The Woolgather in Kennett Square, PA. This is a lovely shop and anyone who considers this their local shop is very lucky. They are very warm and welcoming.

My 22 year old daughter loved it sooo much she immediately cast on with the left overs to make a matching scarf. She is having more trouble than she bargained for as she didn't want a tube scarf and is working this flat. Which as everyone knows who has ever worked stranded knitting flat, it ain't so fun. She is only doing the stranded design at the beginning and end of the scarf, so not so bad. It is amazing to work with, glossy and wooly all at the same time.

A Peek Inside

2008-03-21T11:33:00.001-04:00

Thought I would show you the inside of my Latvian Garden today.

This is the inside of the front center. This design was fascinating. I began by cutting a steek up the center as you would expect for a cardigan. Then after picking up stitches along the right front edge for the button band I added steek stitches across the neck opening then picked up along the left front band and added more steek stitches to bridge the gap at the hem edge. Clear as mud, right? Then I worked out for the front band inserts and the picot edge and facing. I cut open the steeks at the top and bottom of the sweater, tacked those down and then turned the facing in to cover everything up. Very neat and tidy. Picked up for the neck edge, increasing and decreasing at the corners, picot edge, knit the neck facing and tacked in that cut edge.

At the hem I used a provisional cast on so when I was finished with all the finagelling at the button bands I put the provisional cast on stitches on a needle, picked up the new button band stitches and knit down for a hem and another facing.

There was a lot of detail in this garment.

I wore this sweater in February to the Pittsburgh Knit Conference. I attended with a good friend who wore a simple garter stitch scarf. She was receiving compliments left and right and no one said anything about my sweater. She was very sweet and said she didn't think anyone believed it was handknit. I think I am going to stick to much simpler knits from now on!

In other news, I am replacing this with the one below.

I made this vest for my oldest daughter when she was a junior in high school. She is currently a 4th year architecture student in college (it is a 5 year program). She has worn her vest for many big events in her life, college interviews, architecture critiques, job interviews. She still loves it but now that she is a little older and will soon be going out into the working world she wants something a little longer. She has long torso. She also asked for some updated colors.

I know she loves chocolate brown and turquoise so I did some stash diving and came up with enough leftovers for a new Fair Isle vest. I think the yarns are a combination of Alice Starmore's, Jamieson, and Jamieson and Smith shetland weights. Don't have a clue on the colors because the bands are long gone. Started on size 3 turbo's but it didn't have enough negative ease for her so ripped back to the corrugated ribbing (done on #1's) and began again on #2 turbos. Hope it is done soon. Lots of luxury yarn calling out that wants to be lace. Must finish vest, must finish vest.

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Let the Fun Begin

2008-03-20T14:28:00.001-04:00

So today is a gorgeous day and I have too much knitting that I would prefer to do, rather than the cleaning, baking and seed sowing I should do.

As you can see I have finished Latvian Garden and I love it. I wore it today as a jacket. The weather was still cold here in western PA but I am sooo tired of heavy parkas. I was very toasty and warm. Besides it looks a little more springlike on this first day of spring.

I have also included a picture of my office so you all can get a glimpse of my stash or part of it. My husband of 25 years walked into my office the other day looked at the shelves of yarn which have been a part of my life in one form or another our whole marriage and exclaimed, "Wow, you have a lot of yarn."

This seemed to be a revelation to him. I have never hidden the yarn from him so am not sure why it suddenly seemed so impressive. He is a wonderful man who completely supports my yarn habit so it was funny to see him suddenly so flummoxed by the amount. Maybe now that he is 50 and I am approaching 50 he is afraid he will be stuck with all this fiber if I suddenly kick.

Not to worry, honey, the girls both knit and know where the good stuff is. They have been raiding the stash since they were tweeners and they are now in the 20's. Actually the baby turns 20 this Saturday. If she make it home for her birthday and Easter she tells me she will be a complete woman. She has very modest expectations and we love her for that.

So Happy Easter, or spring or whatever you feel like celebrating.

Here we go

2008-02-05T15:02:00.001-05:00

Feb.5, 2008

Well, Since I think about starting a blog many hours of the day I guess that means I should actually start blogging. I have some interesting knitting to share and may throw in pics of my kids and certainly my puppy Duncan. DH will be mentioned no doubt, as well as various gardening shots.

I am also on Ravelry as embracewe. So gone on over and have a look.

Very wet and gloomy in southwestern PA today and therefore a great day to spend knitting. Unfortunately have done very little of that today.Really need to get at the seed catalogs and start ordering if I want to start this years seeds soon.

Am working on a Harrisville Design called Latvian Garden cardigan which I am loving, loving, loving. It is a very pretty, incredibly interesting and fun design by Donna Kay. I am thoroughly enjoying their New England Shetland wool too. The colors are great and they flow through my fingers, great stuff.

Tell me what you think.