Triangle Lace Shawl Update!

IT'S DONE! Came off the needles 15 minutes ago, and the ends are woven in and it's ready to block - photos by the end of the week - I can't block till Wednesday! IT'S DONE!!! Whooohooo!

Help! I need 4 more skeins! 

Berroco Cotton Twist from Elann.com

Back in the winter I ordered several skeins of this cotton twist yarn in color #8467 dye lot 134787 from elann. At the time, I thought this yarn was destined to be a summer-weight Clapotis, but it's spoken to me and this wonderful shawl pattern (in the photo below) in the Summer 2005 issue of Knitter's is what it wants to be. But unfortunately I got a dozen skeins, and this pattern calls for 16 skeins of the same yarn.

If anyone has 4 skeins of this in the color and dye lot above and you'd like to sell them, please contact me at siameezercatATyahooDOTcom? I will be eternally grateful!

Sunset Wrap with Berroco Cotton Twist Knitter's Summer 2005 

Knitpicks Gossamer Merino Wool in Sweet Peas - for my FBS! 

Can It Be? NOT Allergic to Wool?

You can see what goodies arrived in the photo above, my first Knitpicks order! I was completely seduced by the colors in their new Gossamer Merino Wool and ordered two skeins promising myself that if I itched while I knitted with it, I'd just knit a row at a time, but I WOULD have a shawl out of this gorgeous yarn - this is the Sweet Peas colorway here (this yarn is the most scrumptious pink/purple/magenta blend!). It's going to make the Flower Basket Shawl from IK Fall 2004! And I've sat with it in my hands for 20 minutes, only to find that the one thing I'm NOT doing is itching!!! Drooling, yes, itching, NO!! Maybe my sis Kitt is correct, and people with wool allergies CAN handle Merino?

While I was at it, I ordered Knitting Heaven & Earth by the late Susan Gordon Lydon, one of my very favorite authors. I will miss her, may her spirit fly free!

And Grace Appeared...

Sometimes we pray for something and we get what we ask for. Today I've been very involved with my part-time endeavors, actually getting things accomplished, too. The man from my past is busy himself with work. I cooked myself a healthy meal, cleaned the kitchen and spoke with the cardiac nurse from my health insurer, maintaining that support system. Finally tonight, I'm sitting down listening to Mozart violin concertos and knitting the Triangle Lace Shawl. I'm almost ready to start the edging!

I'm grateful for a measure of grace, and humbled by the care and concern of my friends, both cyber and real world. I send you all
(((hugs)))

Sanity & Grace

Listening to Judy Collins tonight and questioning my sanity, praying for grace. I'm as giddy as a school girl with the events of the past couple of weeks, and need to fight for a bit of control. Snippets of 1960s musicals keep cycling through my head, my dreamlife is in overdrive. Dear heavens! I think I'm head over teacups in love!

Those of you cautioning me to go slow are wise, wise, wise, but I keep forgetting my age and thinking I'm back in middle school...

Knitting? What's that? lolol

An Update on “Developments”

Emails (with photos attached!) are flying back and forth and there’s been another phone call. We both feel we should take it slowly, to determine our best course of action, tho’ I’m probably a little more willing to leap than he is. Perhaps we aren’t the people we used to be? Well…I don’t know, he sure sounds the same, tho’ maybe just a tad bit more wary. I think age does that to you, anyway.

And I suppose I’ve changed enough to warrant a reacquaintance period. Since my heart attack, I won’t “settle” for anything but the very best (of course, I have to be the one to decide what that is!). Is he the one to fill that order? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. But I’ll give you a hint – I’ve saved every scrap of paper that’s ever gone between us.

The man from my past is as alluring as ever (to me, anyway!).

Triangle Lace Shawl Progress

Have been working on the shawl and Jane asked me to post photos. While you can't clearly see the lace pattern (wait till it's blocked!), I thought I'd oblige her...so below are two shots, including one with close-up that is fairly good. I'm in the midst of repeat 6 of the chart B pattern. I gave up on the little yarn ties I was using as stitch markers because I kept knitting them into the shawl - so now I'm using Kelly's cats, hearts and amethysts that I bought from her awhile ago - she's soon to be opening her website so check out her wonderful creations! You can also see that since my fiasco with the lifeline coming out, I am loathe to remove lifelines - there are four in that photo! I'll take them all out when I'm done. (Can't tell I'm cautious, can you?) I'll be working on this late tonight as I'm babysitting my two DGSs while their parents go out on the town.

Triangle Lace Shawl at Repeat 6 of Chart B pattern 

Close-up of Triangle Lace Shawl 

Or Perhaps My Imagination is on Overdrive?

Well, sometimes we don’t know we’re wishing for something…and then we get it. And other times, we wish for something and don’t get that. But I suspect that what we get is what we need at that moment, whether we want it or not.

Confused?

Well, it appears that the man from my past was really contacting me to be sure he’d said everything he needed to say…as in he’s ill and possibly clearing up loose ends in his life. I don’t know how ill, as I wasn’t informed. But I was firmly asked not to contact him. And I will honor that.

Maybe the stars (or whatever) are saying that all these loose ends in my own life are being wrapped up for me for a reason. Whether it means that I have more to learn about living alone, or whether it’s clearing things up for something else entirely, I really couldn’t guess. I’m not a soothsayer. And maybe I’m reading the man from my past all wrong, too.

I just don’t know. As we can never know. So I’ll keep knitting on the triangle lace shawl and making Nana Sadie Rose bags, and try hard to let life evolve at it’s own speed. I just hope it’s not warp-speed!

Interesting Developments...

Do you believe that things happen for a reason? Are we fated to have certain people in our lives? When one door closes does another one open?

I was sitting and knitting today – on the lace shawl of all things – and thought I’d just discovered a huge error, was looking to see what I’d done, if it was really going to affect the look of it, or whether I’d have to visit the lily pad once again – when the phone rang.

A voice from years ago was on the other end. A man I’d cared about, but it hadn’t been the right time for either of us. (This was during an “off-again” period with the man I just broke up with a couple of months ago, for those of you who are keeping track!) Our paths have crossed a couple of times during the ensuing years, but it was always the wrong time.

He was just calling to wish me happy birthday. And tell me his whole life had changed. Freeing him at just the point I happen to also have been freed.

Interesting developments, indeed. We’ll just see how this particular part of the story decides to unfold, shall we?

Oh, and just for the record, the lace shawl is fine – I’d gotten lost in the chart again, and didn’t realize it – so the phone call saved me from frogging yet again! Divine intervention? Perhaps.

Geraniums & Tomatoes on My Balcony Garden 

Knitting & Sewing & Gardening & Cats!

Yes, I'm one busy lady. I thought you would appreciate seeing my balcony - not one of the ones in the fire shot down below! These are most of my geraniums (there's another hanging pot as big and beautiful behind the photographer!). They're really wonderful this year. My daughter used to call my tomato gardens my "forest" when we lived with my mother - Mom had about 1/4 acre that we gardened in the summer. I miss the summer squash, beans, peas, lettuces, radishes and herbs (tho' I've been known to grow the last three in pots on my balconies since my mom's death). I wouldn't trade my little apartment for that kind of land again, but I sure wish I could grow good tomatoes! These little yellow pears aren't too bad, but I don't get the sun they really need.

Anyway, yes, I do garden and knit and sew and care for my cats, and work, and run Nana Sadie Rose, and have two grandchildren! Whew!

And I love every minute!

As Promised! Easy Ripple Baby Afghan Completed! 

Accomplishment & Knitting Content!

Whoohooo! I finished the Easy Ripple Baby Afghan at Knitting Meet Up tonight! I promise a photo tomorrow when there's some sunshine to make the colors show up! I'm so excited! As I was binding off, I said, I don't know when I've actually finished something (besides, of course, the fun fur scarves)! So I'm looking around to see what to work on next: Clapotis? Lace Shawl? The Scarf from H-E-double hockeysticks? They're all in progress...Or shall I start a completely new project?

Brief Update - It's Raining!

Because so many of you were worried, I'll touch base and let you know that the shot below of the fire at my apartment building on the 4th was contained to the two balconies you see in the photo. No one was injured, all pets safe. Two balconies in need of repair, and thankfully that's the worst of it. No known cause, not even the usual candles or cigarettes! We'll probably never know why the fire started.

It's raining and as dark as dusk outside today, courtesy of what's left of tropical storm Cindy. We're supposed to get as much as 5-6 inches, tho' I suspect a little less. Hope so, it's Knitting Meet-up tonight! I'll need to cross the river!

But the rain seems appropriate today, in light of the attacks on London. Savagery. My heart goes out to everyone there.

With Hurricane Dennis raging towards Florida, I wish only the best for my friends and family there. Batten down the hatches and stay safe, please?

And on a personal note, I'm off on partial disability thanks to my autoimmune disease and it's complications for the next few weeks. Though it'll be slow, I'm hoping to tackle a few needed household chores. My dining room was the first - it no longer resembles Nana Sadie Rose's fabric and yarn warehouse! But I can't push very hard. I work a few minutes and sit. Then a few more! And take a nap!

Anyway, stop by and chat a bit, if you've a moment - the next few weeks may get pretty boring!

Nana Sadie Rose is ONLINE!

Start the fireworks! I'm so proud of my DD I could just burst! Please take a moment to stop by my website and check out her wonderful work!!!

That's http://www.nanasadierose.com

And while you're there, you might consider shopping a bit, too - lololol!

Firemen work to put out our apartment fire this afternoon-Fireworks on the Fourth, indeed! 

Star City Cat Show - Happy 4th of July!

Hi, all, just a quick post to show you a few of my lovelies for the Cat Show this weekend: if you're near the Star City of the South - stop by! And a short programming note, my DD assures me that this will be the weekend that www.nanasadierose.com goes live! I've got my fingers crossed!!!!!

So have a wonderful holiday weekend (I'll be sleeping in on Monday!!) and let me know how you like these little treats, okay? Comments are welcome!

Cat Show bags! 

More Cat Show Bags! 

And Still More Cat Show Bags! 

Cat Show Checkbook Covers!