Between Shifts

The salmon are spawning in our stream. They are about 18 inches long and very vigorous. Too bad this is the end of their journey. It has been a big year for salmon, but I have been working a lot and missed the spectacle.

We are making preparations for a non-Hallowe'en. With a long driveway and no little kids in our house, we only had 2 trick-or-treaters last year. I am going to work a short shift so that another nurse, with a chance at some kiddie fun, can indulge her family. Em and her boyfriend carved pumpkins last night. We are trying to resist the candy. Doing our usual poor job.

Estelle is trying to make her way to the festivities. With one sleeve fixed and finished, and the other on its way to the elbow, she is not far from rising from the basement theatre room. Still I can't wait to start some Fetching mitts for gifts and the red Bitter Root I hope to wear at Christmas. I got a good start on the red bitter root, but decided I wanted a tighter fabric. Before I get carried away with that, I have 3 pairs of fetching mitts on my list that I can no longer ignore. The first is for a 7 year old who "borrowed" my cashmerino ones. I want them back, so I'm knitting hers in the most important purple. Then two more for before Christmas treats.

The sock came to the passport office yesterday. Trekking XXL in Wendy's toe up with (hopefully) a gusset heel. It's a bit loose, but I'm getting gauge and I don't want to go below 2mm needles right now.

The dark weather and the drive were brightened by good company of our music director and a quick shop at a big mall. We need our passports quickly in case we get bad news and need to cross the border to help a dear friend. The normal wait is only 2 weeks now. We hoped to speed it up by handing everything over in person. Back to the safe deposit box to replace important documents.

The snow has come to Mt. Cheam and her sister Ladypeak. This is a bittersweet picture. When I was growing up, she never lost her snowy cape. At 6500 feet, she is the most important peak around and a sister to Mt. St. Helens and Ranier.

Carly-pie is struggling with a sore shoulder that is only a bit of osteoarthritis, but interrupts her plans of long walks. We are allowed to give her short walks without exacerbating the calcifications. But at 7 years old, we are feeling the long slope to old age.

I have to go to the eye doctor next week because my eyes are following her into dotage. Hopefully I can get a prescription that doesn't hurt my eyes and allows me to read knitting patterns and insulin syringes. But not at the same time.

Makin' and Bakin'

I grew up in a household that celebrated all things hand made. My grand parents were pioneers on the prairie and my mother settled out west with us when I was 3. We don't have many family heirlooms and our history is lost in the mists of time. Some great conjecture about how my grandfather's father came over from Ireland to fight on the Plains of Abraham, but there were Irish on both sides.
We do have my grandmother's fruit cake recipe and I have her pans. She was militantly in the temperance movement, so I won't allow booze to sneak into this recipe. It takes fruit juice and starwberry jam to get the taste just right. What a splurge to buy all those fruits and eggs and butter! It must have been a hardship some years, even as I was growing up, to gather everything for this huge recipe baked in 3 tins of graduated size. It was also the cake for each of our weddings.
I made it Tuesday night so it could "ripen" in time for Christmas guests. I immediately divided the large cake into 4 smaller ones for each of my sisters and my mom. These traditions are worth holding on to.


I worked last night and finished the scarf on my break. This is all I can show you of its loveliness until my sister releases the pattern as a kit. What a joy to knit. Such a thoughtful lace pattern. I got permission to make it extra-long because I was using my own local alpaca. I look forward to blocking it (after I vacuum the carpet).
I also threw myself into sewing and made the three wise men costumes for our pageant. Our traditional costumes were taken in an act of desperation by the daughter of the seamstress to protect what she felt as her heritage. I am sorry that she wasn't prepared to share the costumes of 50 years with the changing worship and developing pageants.
But one wise friend said, "Let them go." and we are making new ones that will fit the children we have now and the scripts we are preparing. I hope she can come to this year's pageant and find the same hope and touch of tradition that we need at Christmas.
Now I will set up my Christmas list and look to see if I have it in my heart and hands to knit something for gifts.

Happy Knitting

I worked nights on Thursday and then predictably frogged something on Friday. The Winterblomen mittens were too big, the Slip Jig sock was too big. This is not the fault of the pattern. I just have a terrible time reaching gauge. The mitties were cast on again in 1.75 mm. I still want to make the mittens, but I want to make a Gretel hat first in the hand spun I bought in Oregon.
Now I have fewer works in progress. That makes me happy. I'm more like Leslie than Laura.
Most of my knitting time has very happily been test knitting for my sister's new company, Elderberry Farm. Can't wait to share with you the sweet thing on my needles. But, with great effort, I can almost keep a secret.

I cast off the Woodland Shawl on Thursday at Jean's knitting circle. Whew!

It took perseverance to keep picking this up. I like the pattern, I like the yarn. But I wasn't feeling the love. It helped to change needles and knit in the sun.

I will probably wear it lots with my new charcoal winter coat. Unfortunately I like wearing things that are rather boring to knit.

Sunday morning was the start of the Rotary Book Sale. Thousands of books for a dollar or two. Jean and I went at 7 am to get the best selection. I came in under budget and they all fit in the bags I brought. Even a few Folio editions- yay! I have so many books in my queue, I was reluctant to even go. But I'm happy I did. Nothing like a bargain with the proceeds going to charity.

Sunday afternoon was a great BBQ at the lake and a walk in the sun with friends. Warm and incredibly beautiful for October. Sorry about no pics. In the moment. Happy.

Don't change a thing.

Embrace the Season

It is autumn in the Fraser Valley. The mornings are a bit chilly and the afternoons are warm. Perfect cycling weather, great for walks, but awkward for dressing in the morning, especially if you want to wear your new tweeds.
D went away for a few days to do a herd health in the interior, so we got to mess around with yarn, watch videos and eat turkey leftovers.
He got us a new Wii and it's as fun as everyone says. I did really well in balancing, so I like it. I hope to spend quite a bit of time at it when the weather turns and I don't feel like going outside.

Right now it's hard to stay indoors. I did manage to finish the Citron in the Marks and Kattens Fame. (not available on the company site). I like that it is soft and wool and the colour of denim, but I like not the obvious striping. I'm not a very stripey person. This could have ended up bigger if I had used bigger needles and busted into the second ball, but my friend is petite and probably would prefer something easier to wear. My prayers go with her as I knit this and send it off.

On the needles: Still (!!!!!) the woodland shawl in the dark grey/blue colourway. I knit for a week on our trip, at the expense of the baby blanket deadline, and feel I have gotten no where. I like it better on the addi turbos. I like it better when I'm not in the car and not forced to count every set of stitches. Will I like it more when it is blocked and I can wear it as a warm, soft scarf? Can't see it right now.

I am so excited about casting on my very first test knitting. It's an awesome pattern that my sister and her daughter are going to do as a kit. A scarf. I'm going to use some local alpaca, though theirs is in silk. I can hardly wait for it to be ready to show you.

Estelle is behaving herself in the knitting bag and very politely has been knit to the plain stockinette body. Simple, simple.

Can I resist the scarf, the mittens I started and their matching hat? Or the other two hats. I would feel so set if I got that woodland shawl done! I'll take it to the grad meeting tonight. It can't be more boring to knit than the meeting will be.

Changing Views

The Estelle sweater has made it into rotation because my hand was hurting from the small gauge knitting and overdoing it on the baby blanket. This scared me as most of my queue is tiny knitting right now: socks, mittens, shawls. Do I need to change drastically for a while? What about Christmas knitting?

The Citron prayer shawl is coming along and changing colours at its own whim. I'm not sure I adore it, though I respect it. I won't be wearing it as it's a gift I want to finish as soon as possible. This isn't altogether in my control because of said hand pain.

It's thanksgiving here at Chez Metaphor. Emily made a bouquet from our garden before the torrential rains begin. Yesterday I delivered our gourds to the church for the bountiful display. We get to sing Veggie Tales during the service! I like it when we get silly.

I have been sewing this week and I have learned a few things: my eyesight is changing. I do better without my glasses in close up. It's as distressing everyone declares. I have an eye appointment next month. Could it be bifocals? I always say, "You look better when I wear my glasses." but the truth is my ego is not looking forward to this.

I managed a gift for a sister and I still want to make a fourth (I like to do theme gifts). Do I have to change that expectation as well?

I cleaned up the extraordinary sewing mess in the dining room for our dinner tomorrow. I changed expectations there, too. I am serving cold turkey with buns and salads. I cooked it yesterday as I sewed a quilt lining for the grand piano at church: 7 by 8 feet!!! Hopefully it will help keep it in tune.

I still need to make some kings costumes for the pageant and I wish I could make more knitting bags. But with work and my dreadful eyes, I may need to succumb to etsy and buy them. There is no need, just a deep longing for more project bags: bigger than sock, smaller than sweater projects.

Reality is an unkind mistress and my views will have to change.

While You Were Out

While we were enjoying the California sunshine, autumn visited our home. I like to embrace the seasons to keep a real fingertip on time and to reinforce that change is constant and good. This is the season of soups and stews, of new pencils and casting on sweaters. I did cast on Estelle before I left, but I haven't had time to work on her. It is a habit of mine to swatch and set up a new project before I finish the last (or when I'm really tired of it) to keep the momentum going.

The corn in the field behind our house was harvested. This must be the first field because the corn is really late this year. We had many a Thanksgiving (Canadian) with everyone out in the fields or on tractors, bringing in the corn silage, while Mom was hovering over an overcooking turkey, alone in the kitchen. My job was to drive the tractor up and down the pack to get the air out of it and decrease the risk of combustion. That is a dangerous job. We lost my cousin, Darci in 1982. She was new to the farm and the tractor rolled over on her. Last year one of our friends lost their Scott to the same accident. He was a great big athlete who sometimes played soccer against our Scott. He is missed every day.

But this descent into the darkness is not without hope. We light candles and carve pumpkins and say prayers to remind ourselves of the new life in spring.

I finished the baby blanket at noon on Saturday, blocked it and wrapped it for a 2 pm shower! That's the closest I've ever cut it. My hands are a bit angry for the marathon last nights. I was so grumpy yesterday, too for the lack of sleep. But the new mom loves the blanket and I think it is important to wrap babies in love.

I just started the Citron as a prayer shawl for my drumming partner whose dear husband has just entered hospice care. I won't stay up late with this project, but I hope to finish it before we lose him. D and I will go back to Bellingham next week to pick up his new telescope and see them.

Each stitch is a prayer.

Impressions

Lesley asked which pattern I'm using for the baby blanket. Sorry I didn't put it in, but I wonder sometimes if I'm not boring you, dear reader, with repetition of patterns and yarn information and my slow production of finished objects. The 10 stitch blanket was found on Ravelry. I didn't want to use Noro- like an old best friend who captivated you with her bright fresh ideas and then spiralled into a two-dimensional diva, I am off Noro. Vegetable matter, knots, you know. The Mini Mochi is my new Noro. It is a slightly spun yarn that probably doesn't make good socks (according to Lala) but I love the softness and long colour repeats.

We loved Portland! These pics are from the farmers' market, held in the university grounds. We were able to walk all over the city, from wool shop to brew pub to enormous book store. All good.

Our hotel was pretty central and we apprectiated some of the local architcture.

This lion bas relif really captured me. I am a Leo and have always been drawn to the lions as gate keepers in museums and libraries.

The cold and rain have decided to recede for the rest of the week. I'm happy to have the summer-like conditions. I missed walking the dog. But she has a pretty painful shoulder. It has been gradually getting worse and now is not influenced by rest or activity. D is a dairy vet and says she will probably have to have xrays. We have her on anti-inflammatory meds (like me) but they are only a bit helpful. We'll have to get the vet's impressions.

Fasten Your Seatbelts

D and I went on a driving holiday to the Oregon Coast and Northern California. We had a few days in Portland first, which we loved, but I'll try to make an update later.
This is the coast as we first saw it. Very ocean and surf. We live in a river valley, so it's pretty exciting.

A real lighthouse at Heceta. (I think).

Very tall trees. These are the redwoods of the National Park just south of the Oregon border.

This is the surf of Brookings Oregon. Friendly people and lots of public space to walk.

We stayed in a hotel right on the beach. It's just out of the frame to the left.

A real California sunset from our restaurant.

We drove to Shelter Cove on a crazy windy road. There were few people on the shore, but lots of birds and seals.

I couldn't count all the seals and we didn't even see them all till the photos.

The lighthouse if from Mendocino, and very well restored in its move.

More Redwoods from Humbolt State Park. Great driving and walking among the giants.

After shopping at the outlet mall in Woodburn, we checked out Mt. St. Helens. I remember the day it blew, 30 years ago (!!). We thought the heifers had taken down the barn.

I finished my fingerless gloves on the second day. Great pattern. Now I want to try to adapt other sock patterns for gifts.

The Woodland shawl got lots of hours of driving knitting. It did get a bit tedious when I couldn't look at my hands and had to do a lot of counting. A few of the stretches were too windy even for that. I managed to get well into the third and last ball of Cascade Heritage sock yarn.
I'm not sure if I like the muted colours. It looked a lot better when I was knitting in my jeans than it did this summer in shorts and bright tshirts.

Then we were headed home, I switched to the baby blanket and started panicking. I'm still worried I won't make it by this Saturday. How did time travel so quickly? I just made beef stew, mushroom stew and vegetable soup to share with the new mom. Whew! The clean up took forever.

I used the Nordictrak this morning while watching the knitgirllls and got a great work out. But more stolen knitting time. Now is the time to settle infront of the DVDs and stay up late. Fasten your seatbelts.

Sunny, Sun, Sun

We are driving back from Northern California. There has been lots of driving and I even did some lastnight, but only after it was too dark to knit.
We enjoyed the livability and friendliness of Portland for a few days, drove to the Oregon Coast for some crazy weather, took the 101 south to Eureka, where we scoped out the tallest redwoods and then back here to Oregon.
It's fun to just make it up as we go along. The warm weather is happy. We are shopping a little and keeping our meals light and healthful, so we still feel good.
Sunday we will be home and I'll post some pictures of the surf, the trees and lots of boring driving knitting.

Packed and Ready.

We're heading out to Oregon and Northern California tomorrow in a facimile of our honeymoon. We didn't get to play in Portland, though. I hope to meet up with Sivia Harding before she heads off to teach. And there are wool shops and breweries to explore.
The weather, unfortunately has turned. I know that Environment Canada is no more accurate than reading pig spleens for forcasting, but we have packed lots of rain gear and warm socks.
The fingerless mitts above (Nutkin), have become necessary because a certain little girl walked off with my Cashmerino Fetchings when our fundraising hike for the camp turned into a torrential downpour. I will get them back. But I will probably have to make a replacement pair in purple for a six year old.
I love this cable pattern so very much. I have even wound off half a ball of very dark Trekking XXL to make the socks. First I went over the workshop in the new Knitscene, because I have trouble making socks that fit. There all many reasons, all of which have to do with accuracy and gauge. Le sigh.

These are the knitting bags I have lined up for the trip. Eventhough we are taking the car, I have no hope that D will allow this kind of excess. I will work on the mitts tomorrow. Then the Woodland Shawl who is always the last bridesmaid. Finally, baby deadline will have me working on the 10 stitch blanket all the way home.
I will try to post and share some of the photos, but we'll see if D is inclined to assisting with the whole laptop thingy.
Have a great week if I drop off the blogosphere. Think of me knitting on the road and in the pub.
Next up: attempting to revive our local knitting circle, getting in touch with my nursing classmates and sewing Wise Men costumes for our Christmas Pageant.
I already need a break.

Sweetie Pi

She is done. The Shetland Pi Shawl Knit A Long from Wendy Knits was finished Thursday. I had time to soak her and block her out before my first choir practice of the year- barely. This was a huge blocking project. I "blocked the crap out of her" and stretched it to 32 inches radius. That's 5 feet, 4 inches in total width (diameter). But so soft and drapey. she is small enough to wear as a scarf. I wish I had done her in a more autumn color so I could wear her everyday. But the turquoise- more true in the photo above- is pretty good with my chocolate brown.

This is Saturday's sunshine. Today the bird bath is overflowing and the there are ducks in the puddles in our driveway. It's disappointing weather for a fundraising Walk-a-thon. I wonder if anyone will come up to the camp?

Gratuitous shots.

Feel the love.

It will have to overcome another disappointment: the Diamond Fantasy Shawl. Yesterday I sat on the deck with only Bach to distract me and still I stumbled over the rows. This is a prickly black alpaca and it doesn't like the needles I picked either. Oops, I dropped the crochet hook when I was ripping out a beaded row (!!!). Oops, I tipped over the little tin of beads...onto the slatted deck. Somewhere there is a sparkly slug under our deck, trying to hide from the ducks. There were expletives. What was I to do?

A quick phone call to my dearest friend got my feathers in the right direction.

Then I cast on the Nutkin fingerless gloves in the Frog Creek Fibers Sonsie merino in Computer Blue. This was a prize from The Knitting Triathlete's Make a Wish fundraiser. Good karma.

Brilliant pattern! The 'cable' is from Knitzi's Nutkin sock. At first I thought that was all to confusing. But it just about knits itself.

Maybe I'm not a degenerate knitter!

I got one whole hand done after supper while D and I watched the last of the last season of Lost.
I was not disappointed with this. And especially pleased that my friends didn't spoil it for me.

I will wrap myself in my sweet new shawl today and get all smug by picking up UFO's and finishing them.

Rationing/Rationalizing

The corn is high. The blackberries are laden. This is a sweet smelling season. We often get a beautiful, hot September. But this summer was hot and dry anyway. The chill in the air is most welcome. Even if I am not going to give up the soundtrack of my summer, Sarah Harmer's Little Fire.

This corn is the field beside my highschool where D and I met on a debating team (more than nerdy) and our daughter is in grade 12. Whew! It's September! I forgot about Stash and Burn's Single Skein September, but am sort of in it anyway. I'm on the last skein of the Pi Shawl (also the last skein of the Woodland Shawl if I were knitting on it). The Diamond Fantasy Shawl is made of only one long skein. But I really want to pump out a few quick projects like blue fingerless gloves for me, and maybe the Gretel hat in the Malabrigo I bought at Three Bags Full.

Jean and I stumbled upon a new wool shop in Vancouver on West Broadway while moving her son into UBC: Gina Brown. Didn't I buy some white laceweight silk at Gina Brown in Calgary? Why yes I did. This is her granddaughter. How sweet. And a nice shop. But we just couldn't bring ourselves to buy more stuff for the bloated stash.

I, too, am bloated. Thanks to Lezley from KnitGirllls for encoraging us knitters to get off our behinys. The fog was rising as I rode my bike to day. I did my old weight program, but in the wisdom of starting slowly, I only used soup cans (1 lb) and did only one set of reps. It may feel wimpy, but the chances of me repeating it are inversely proportional to the pain of lactic acid building in my sorry muscles. I did beat one of the boy counsellors in an arm wrestle this summer to his ever-living shame. But I am a farm girl and combat trained to boot.

I am also on Weight Watchers ( I am qualified to be my own leader), so my treat will be listening to new knit podcasts and screaming away on the edging of my shawl. Rational? I can rationalize it.

Travelling Companions

The Shetland Pi Shawl KAL from Wendy Knits came to Victoria with us yesterday. This was the best knititng for travel! Just interesting enough, steady on the needles. The weather was clear with a hint of cool, the reservations made sure we made our ferries and the van was big enough to bring all of Scott's belongings and the food we stocked up for him.

I spent many summers, as a child with my Aunt Anna in Victoria, a very pleasant time. D stayed with his grandparents in Nanaimo. It is a sort of home coming. Unfortunately this time, I hadn't contacted our dear Island friends. There comes a time when you feel it is too late. But these are special people. We ran into one couple in the grocery store, who swept us up in a charming garden tea. The other family tracked us down and offered us supper. So kind.

We just ran out of energy after hauling stuff up 3 floors. And we ran out of time. Always the ferry. I will make an extra effort to meet with them at Thanksgiving. That means I get to come back.

In the garden, the parents of D's oldest best friend shared a wonderful visit. She is a knitter, and I'm excited to send her a few patterns for prayer shawls for her knitting group. She has inspired me to go ahead and try to get a knitting group together to make charity items.

This is the dorm room after the makeover. Cozy, no? The wall decal is from Byrdie Graphics.
He also has a book shelf for a standing work station. The "cluster" has four rooms, a kitchen, two baths and a dining/living room for 4 boys.
Today is Labour Day, which, ironically, is a day of rest. Em will come back from the PNE today and start Grade 12 tomorrow!

I can tell we're in transition because of the weird collection of dishes in the dishwasher. What kind of people live here?

Back to Pi. I have one more repeat on the 4th clue and then I start the edging!