Spring Break for Some...Spring Hysteria for Others of Us

During a brief pause in the madness this week, I was surfing across Ravelry and followed a link or two to land in the middle of a group known as Trash to Treasure. In perusing projects showcased there (most have a goal of "upcycling" the things they find and reuse)I suddenly came upon a project, the pattern for which was free. I snatched that one into my library rather quickly -

It's Scrubbie Dots or pot scrubbies (or facial scrubbies, as you wish) and while this was the patten used (that's a Ravelry link) the materials used to make them? Plarn. PLARN. Do you know what it is? I didn't.

Plastic strips cut from grocery sacks and looped and looped together to form a strong yarn. I was impressed. I don't have many plastic grocery bags anymore (just enough to use to stuff a felted bag as it dries), and don't really want to start collecting them just to make these...but I was intrigued enough by the pattern to realize I do have tons of Sugar n Cream and that done properly, I could make a few sets of dishclothes and scrubbies and if a CERTAIN GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHOSE BUSINESS NAME IS ENCHANTED FOREST SOAPS would make her divine coffee grounds soap again, I'd have a good start on some Christmas gifts for next year!! (hint-hint-Lynette!)
*wink*

So maybe just now you're looking closely enough into that photo up there to have figured out that there's something that doesn't quite *fit* with this blog...

Can you see it better now? Yes. I'm Knitnana. And that's a crochet hook...!


Who are you and what have you done with my Mommie?

What I Did The Last Weekend In March

It's been a busy one, as they usually are at Chez Knitnana. Last night, with the lights out, I knit plain stockinette socks by candlelight and listened to Zen meditation flute music on my MP3 player, following a yoga and meditation session. Did you honor Earth Hour? How?

But while the lights were on (and during the days) I worked on bags for the upcoming shows:

These non-cat Kerris (one an order and already gone - too cute!)

Then these for the Southeastern Persian Society Cat Show next month:

I'm going to have trouble giving this one up:

But I guess I'll just have to, right?

Otherwise, it was a weekend of chores, plus a good visit from Big Sis and BIL. Two fun meals out - one at Montanos (my fave!) and one at Panera (and both within WW Points!)

But as always - the weekend was WA-AAY to short!
(((hugs)))

Tonight's The Night - Turn Off Your Lights!

For One Hour on March 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. EST
What will YOU do with that hour?

I've got my candles, yoga mat, and meditation cushion all set. Imagine if we all practiced one healthy activity for one hour in the dark?

Drive-By Posting

It's mid-week. I finished a sock (the striped one) during a phone training this afternoon. Nope. No photo yet. I came home after shopping a sale (another tomorrow night) and hurriedly made a new recipe (detailed over at Nana Sadie's Place, and then washed dishes, and began work on another bag. It was late enough that I didn't get to the sewing part.

And before I crashed off to dreamland, I sat down here to tell you about my new cookbook...and someone decided enough was enough:

Put the computer away and come to bed, Mommie...it's time to pet me
...The Meezer.

Twenty Questions Meme

It's been everywhere else, so I finally said, OK...my turn!

1.Explain what ended your last relationship?
I got smart.
2. When was the last time you shaved?
Sunday.
3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.
Arriving at work.
4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Researching Tiny Houses.
5. Some things you are excited about?
Losing weight (and the corresponding small sizes) and realizing that just maybe I can live in much less space, tho' perhaps not quite that small!
6. What is your favorite flavor of JELL-O?

I like LIME – and I like it sugar-free, with pineapple and fat free cottage cheese. Not ashamed of it, either! *wink*
7. Your prom night, what do you remember about it?
Prom Night? N/A – I didn’t go.
8. Do you have any famous ancestors?
Supposedly there's an English "Witch" whose feline familiar (named Rudderkin) disappeared while she was being burned at the stake (hence confirming everyone's belief that she was a witch - she "morphed" into the cat's body as she "died"...or so they say!)
9. Last thing received in the mail?

Opalescent’s Heart pendant (a custom order) – I lurves it!
10. How many different beverages have you had today?
Coffee, cranberry juice, decaf Diet Coke, water
11. Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?
Yes.
12. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
I have Lupus. The sun causes flares. The beach and I haven’t shared the same space in 30 years. (Thankfully, I prefer the mountains, and burbling brooks!)
13. Any plans for Friday night?
Dinner at Montano’s with Big Sis, Bro-in-Law, & Sis-in-Law!
14. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
See #12
15. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?
My office does, as does the vet clinic, at the holidays... Not my favorite way to enjoy popcorn.
16. Do you re-use towels after you shower?
Yes. To do otherwise is environmentally unfriendly!
17. Describe your keychain(s)?
House, car, and two sets of office keys with remote, grocery store cards, aspirin case (I’ve had a heart attack, 1 full-strength aspirin is nearby all the time), flashlight from an LYS, beaded cat charm from a friend, and mini-skein of sock yarn for emergencies. Yes. It’s heavy.
18. Where do you keep your change?

19. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
A couple of years ago – re: women’s heart health. I used to be a teacher - I enjoy talking in front of groups...
20. What kind of winter coat do you own?
Microfiber quilted jacket. (size M!!)

SPRING!

I can't tell you how happy I am to upload and share this photo with you!

It's been a "long hard year" to quote a country song I hear occasionally, especially on this side of the country. But the snow, I think, is behind us (please?). It's been in the 70s the past couple of days.

Of course, in this part of the country, these days (my absolute favorites) are fleeting...we'll be seeing increasing humidity soon. But I'm taking as much advantage as possible of this picture perfect weather, even getting out and walking a couple of times a day ... have increased this week to 15 minutes each time from 10.

And this also means I've been having to do a little clothing shopping for new, smaller sizes. Last night, SIL and I shopped for new tops for the Nana Sadie Rose gals. I think we found something fun and pretty, so stay tuned. We'll unveil them at the Southeastern Persian Show next month in Richmond, VA.

While I was outside changing the mini-flag to a spring one (I've had a "birds at the feeder in the snow" one for months, and it's kinda, just not true anymore, ya know?), I looked up and saw this precious blue-eyed baby playing peek-a-boo with me:

Just one of the very rare photos I have of those amazing sapphire eyes! (please forgive the dirty windowsills and such...I rent, and it's "not my job" to wash them!)
*wink*
Happy Spring!!

Duchess of DTM

...last night? The Ravishing Reds of Roanoke had their monthly get-together, at which those of us who chose to were awarded our honorary titles.

May I ask your opinions on the (totally spur-of-the-moment, off-the-top-of-my-head) title that came to me?

I am....The Duchess of Does Too Much.

(of course this came on the heels of working a full day at my job and rushing to do the vet's payroll prior to making it - very late - to the Red Hats event...)
Hmmmmmmmm?????

Colorpoints

Is anyone else having trouble coming up with titles for blog posts these days?

Sorry about this one. It's a stretch (except that the cat is a Sealpoint).

I tossed my current WIPs in my knitting chair:

Purples and blues. I'm working slowly on the Purple Mock Cable socks, I really didn't shelve them. They're by my chair in the living room and when the news is on, I try to do one repeat of the pattern. The Fortissimo Socka sock heel has been turned. And of course, every other evening or so I add 3-4 rows on Ishbel.

But I'm feeling a bit stretched. Yoga Monday night, Weight Watchers last night, Yoga again tonight, Red Hats and the vet's payroll tomorrow night. Whew. Not much time for my passion, and we won't even discuss Nana Sadie Rose - but this weekend I will spend making bags!!!

The Meezer got an interesting comment from her vet on Monday: She's gained .7 pounds since last month! That's 5% of her body weight. Not a good thing at all...so, you'll see another purple something in that chair up there - no, not the Zum Rub lavender handbalm - but rather that small thing in the front. It's a laser light.

Well, Chubby likes to watch it...will occasonally talk to it, cry for it, and then will put out a delicate paw to try to snag it when it's in front of her. Rarely does she chase it (maybe the first 15 seconds, then it's "oh...pretty...I'll watch."

No wonder she has a weight problem...

Who's chubby?

Yes, we're on a controlled calorie reduction plan, and have switched to two meals of canned food with drastically reduced amounts of dry food, as it's supposedly the major culprit. Fortunately, she likes canned food, but she can't figure out why there's suddenly more of it, or that she needs to eat it all because I'm going to pick it UP and put it away (no more free feeding!). Unfortunately? I have an UNDERweight calico to worry about, too...but she's a bit more easily pleased ("Food? Yesh, please, more?" That's my CC.)
(sigh)
Life's a bowl of cherries, sometimes, and sometimes it's the pits - I think the Siamese thinks it's the latter right now.

Spring Forward! (sigh)

If you didn't set your clocks ahead an hour? You're going to be late to work tomorrow!
;)
And no, I don't like this time of year any better than anyone else does. But that never seems to make any difference, they just keep making us do it, ya know? I'm heading to bed early tonight to help myself transition (at least I hope it helps!).

Necessity, fortunately, brought me back in sync yesterday afternoon, and I was able to work on the vet's bookwork and get those wrapped up this afternoon. That's a monthly chore I'm always happy to finish up.

I worked a bit on Ishbel this weekend and wound up the second skein of CTH Supersock in aubergine in preparation for the last half of the shawl - I'm beginning the second repeat of chart B (then another of A and one of C), so there's progress. Of course, I usually only get 2-4 rows done at a time. Shawl knitting is always slow going in Knitnana's house.

I also made a really delicious soup (White Bean Chicken Chili) and wrote a bit about it over on Nana Sadie's Place yesterday.

One thing that helped me out of the spacey-ness yesterday was working on the new plain vanilla sock:

I'm in love with the colors here - it's Fortissma Socka Mexiko Color (#0029) and all those shades are in my range of favorites - aqua, taupe, lavender, black, light denim blue. They'll work with jeans all year round, but especially this spring and summer!

Oh...speaking of jeans? I bought a pair of size 8s. (Don't hate me, please?)

Right Mommie...no one will hate you for that, heheheh

(Can you believe she looked right into the flash for that shot?)

Feeling Scattered...

True to form, as I begin again with my yoga/meditation practice, the rest of my world feels as if it's scattered into little piles of disarray. It happens every time, and should, you'd think, be the impetus for me to remember that this is why I need to not fall away from my practice, but stay with it once things settle down, right?
:)
Well, I guess that's the human condition, isn't it?

Anyway, my knitting has been affected, too, not just my work and home life. (Will eventually get to the vet's books this weekend, should get a new bag design hammered out and a prototype made, but housework also calls, and I'm aimlessly moving from one chore to another, not getting a lot accomplished yet - well, I did finally get the dishes done!)

Early morning yesterday, as I was packing my work tote with lunch and lunchtime knitting and a magazine, I picked up the Purple Mock Cable Socks that I've been working on and grinding my teeth every stitch I take. I just couldn't face another lunch with those, as the yarn isn't my favorite. They're in time out.

So I opened another PSC (I think this is bag 2 of the 6 for this year):

I cast on at lunch, but last night I didn't want to knit socks, so I picked up Ishbel again and got 3 rows done, in between reading Food Rules by Michael Pollan. It's just a little book, folks, and I reserved it at my library (and had to wait a bit for it, it's popular!) and checked it out last night on my way home. Finished it by bedtime, too. It is indeed full of the commonsense dietary admonitions we should all try to live by. Tho' I have to admit that the "don't eat foods with ingredients you can't pronounce" admonition, while very wise, would make my Weight Watchers mini chocolate bar 1 point treats impossible. And that's what has saved my sanity through this weight loss odyssey! ;)

So this morning the scattered, "2-month-old-hamster-with-ADHD-mind" I have these days has continued. (sigh, okay, you may call it Monkey Mind, it is, by whatever name you use...a PITA!)

I picked the socks back up, put them down, trekked around a bit on the web, read about a few new sewing books, searched for new knitting blogs, and found some interesting ones in the UK that I hadn't seen before, but didn't stay long enough to share those links with you, put a couple of things on my ebay "watch list," decided a blog post was overdue, and so here I am...

And here's the sock, with The Meezer perched to take over my spot in the chair...

She did, too.
(Don't forget to Spring Forward tonight! Now I'm off to try something different - I'm off to B-R-E-A-T-H-E!)
(((hugs)))

Eclectic Tastes...

In the past few days, I've accumulated a few magazines to peruse. Tonight I'm tuckered out, and I think picking up knitting needles might not be my smartest course of action, lest I wish to tink.

So...I'm off to enjoy these reads...

Astonishing Numbers!

Today was monumental in two ways:

1. The temperature was 72 degrees! (and it was stunningly gorgeous).
2. At Weight Watchers tonight, the scale stopped at a weight I last saw 18 years ago. (Depending upon whom you ask - Weight Watchers or me! - I have either 3.5 or 8.5 pounds to my goal)

Of course, there's rain on the way, and we all know that the last 5-10 pounds are the hardest to get rid of.

But - today was a stellar day!

What a Whirlwind!

It's Sunday night again?

I swear it was just Friday.

Ok, I did get a lot done this weekend, but if there was supposed to be some resting done, that just didn't happen! Saturday was spent continuing the weeding out of clothing that doesn't fit - this time the two larger chest of drawers. I also began the difficult task of marking things for a yardsale. In between I was up and down the stairs doing laundry. So I was ready to crash last night, but still stayed up way too late.

Today was devoted to Nana Sadie Rose. I finished this order:

A fabric reminiscent of the 1950s made up in a Knitnana. Love the bold print, but again, this seems to have gone out of print way before it's time - I just bought the fabric last fall! eta: Oh, YAY! I just found a bit, so if you're interested, let me know, okay?

Once that was done, it was time to begin stocking the booth for the Southeastern Persian Society Cat Show in April. I think this fabric is just great - filled with Japanese good luck! I also made up a complementary fabric in a Sundry Baglet while I was at it...

Otherwise, there was the promise of spring in the air this weekend - temperatures in the low sixties and abundant sunshine! I finally put on the tennis shoes and took off for the South Roanoke athletic complex, walking only about 20 minutes and that interrupted by a couple of stretching breaks. (sigh) It's another sign of life flying by, when walking hurts! Still, there were indicators of spring at one of the planters I stopped to stretch against: the first spring bulbs were pushing up their heads! YAY!

I had company while I was in the house, at least, so tonight, with the space heater on, I tried hard to catch a decent photo of Ms. Meeze. Some of you have let me know you miss seeing her here. I waited for a replay of the pose I caught her in last night...sitting directly in front of the heater with eyes closed as the hot air blew in her face - she appeared to be worshipping an ancient cat deity! Unfortunately, she wouldn't repeat it, so...

Please remember, it's not that I don't want to share her with you. She just simply hates the camera flash. The camera strap, however, is another story!
(((hugs)))

Don't Send Out a Search Party!

I haven't gone anywhere.

But I think I've been overwhelmed by the huge push to achieve in the Knitting Olympics.

I have knit very little this week. I worked a little on Helsinki (not enough to show you) and a bit on my Ishbel:

Oh! You should see Ruinwen's Ishbel! Go look, I'll wait.

Isn't it lovely?

I toyed with colors for a Selbu Modern hat (Ravelry link) but haven't gotten much further than the initial cast on...not sure I love the colors so...(sigh)

This week I've spent a couple of nights in yoga class, a morning just about losing it with a doctor who insists that yoga forward bends will destroy my back (which just blows my mind...aren't we further ahead that this?), and of course, there's been work and all the normal stuff I do.

But tonight, Sis-in-law and I took ourselves out for dinner at Olive Garden. I can happily eat their soup (Pasta e Fagioli), salad (with reduced fat dressing on the side), 1.5 breadsticks and a glass of Merlot for 10 points and be satisfied as can be!

I also had a gift certificate from Christmas to spend at Bed Bath & Beyond, so there were a few new kitchen things to bring home.

But then I went completely nuts at Marshalls. Three new tops, yoga togs, a yoga mat, and this:

I desperately needed a new coldish weather jacket - my winter parka is 15 years old and suitable for a 1X plus-sized lady. It has served me well, but I'm a medium now.

I loved this jacket and the price was more than right. It's not heavy enough for true winter gales (it's microfiber), but it's great for mid-range temps.

I have a serious dilemma tho'.

What pattern is tailored and elegant enough to make up for a scarf, a hat, and gloves? And what yarn? I love the taupe in this, but...have you seen any taupe yarn? Probably fingering eh? Cables? Lace?

I am madly in love with Cherry Tree Hill's Supersocke Select in Birches (all the Vermont influence notwithstanding). I'd love to see the yarn in person, tho' because I'm not sure if it's black, beige, greys and taupes, or if there's some olive mixed in...? It might be a bit busy, too.

In my stash, tho', I have this:

(It's Claudia sock yarn in the colorway Leopard. I have only 350 yards. But there's still some available, so I could probably get more. What do you think of a Chevron Scarf with an ivory/beige/taupe mixed in with this?)

Or should I just scrap it and find something in one color? Taupe? Black?

Suggestions? Tell me to hush and forget it, handknits just won't work? (Ok...no one who seriously reads this blog and knits will tell me that, right? RIGHT?)
lolol