Aloha

We had a great trip on the Big Island of Hawaii. The lava fields stretch on as far as the eye can see. The sky was colourful and active.

My Mai-Tai. We drove across the saddle road to Hilo. What a great drive home around the top of the island.

Like the plumaria tree, it is full of extremes. This dinasaur-like branch blooms the most delicate and highly-scented flowers.

Bananas!! I always try to eat the little ones. We learned in Costa Rico that only "gringos" eat the big ones.

I knit on the beach at Honoka'ope in the black sand. It was almost deserted and great snorkelling except the surf was too rough for me. The Noro sock yarn Taize shawl was a great choice. Not too wooly, not too difficult/ simple. It was good for knitting on the road, and there is a lot of road on the big island.

The ocean was especially blue and colourful. The white coral against the black volcanic sand is a delight.

We ate dinner on the edge of the sea, watching whales and the sunset.

Super Secret Baby Project

This is the bunting I made my own baby in 1991. Scott and Emily, both born in January, both wore it for months. It's Eaton's wool, a much-missed department store that had a lot of class. When I found out my niece was expecting, I wanted to make one for her, too.
I bought the wool in Victoria at the Boutique de Laine when we picked up Scott from UVic in December. It's Mission Falls 1824 Superwash Merino. I love it. Caroline likes green, so I just took all the greenish balls from their color line. It was a big leap for me. I struggled with the "funkiness" of the mixed colours. But I have admired similare mixes in the past, so I just went with the softness and the fun pattern. I was worried at times about running out of certain colours, but there was lots of room for choices.
It's from Maine Woods Woolies by Helene Rush. It's a book I took out from the library many times. When I found it at the Bookman I took it as a sign that the knitting planets were aligning.
One change, I remember struggling with seatbelts, so I thought it would be easy to make (my first) steeks, and add snaps.

Not so easy.

Thanks Em for taking these shots of me actually cutting my knitting. And the finishing! I sewed grosgrain ribbon along the steeks for the snaps. Then the zipper. It wasn't a small project when I finished.

But I was very happy with it! My sister, Julie, came down for Mom's 75th and took it back. Thanks for delivering it.

While we were in Hawaii I got the message that the new mom had received it. So now I'm a great aunt!

I'm back from the trip. Very exciting the last day with the tsunami warning. Luckily we were safe and it didn't pan out to much. I'll post some Hawaii photos yet. Still doing laundry, bathed the dog after her visit to the kennel and cleaned the floors! Whew!

Looking forward to seeing the little man in his bunting.

A Good Long Wait

Yesterday the teenager came home from Whistler with bronchitis. There was great drama. The upside is that the long wait at the doctor's clinic allowed me to start my Taize shawl for travel knitting. It's Noro sock yarn and promises to be simple and even contemplative.

The Lady of the Lake sweater is done. It is fuzzy, but not as fuzzy as the picture. I'm still getting the hang of the "self portrait". My goal was St. Patrick's day, so I'm ahead. Will I have time to swatch the Bountiful Bohus? Will I finish my current socks? Who knows. There is still the Lady Eleanor in the basement.

The sun came out today. My violets naturalized, just to please me. The whole bed was violets years ago, but the husband said they looked messy. It broke my heart to dig them out (and my back and my hands). But they have avenged me.

Happy crocuses cheering them on. I am always surprised when they peek up. I have quite a few now. Most of the other bulbs are eaten by the squirrels.

The ducks are enjoying the afternoon sun on our Luckakuck River. Sometimes I wonder why we go away. Not long now before our Saturday flight to Kona, Hawaii. I am so packed. Just a short wait.

On a Break

D had Valentines plans eventhough he's on call for 5 days straight. What a great surprise to receive tickets to Michael Buble in August. That's pretty romantic for my life.
I gave him a photo book of African animals because we are planning a trip in the future.

I'm on a break from work for a while. And boy do I need it. There is a bullying undercurrent that I am not prepared to be a part of. Plus the work is not what I ever intended. So today I called the "head nurse" from another unit and was very encouraged to consider the switch back to my old type of nursing. Plus I checked out the post diploma degree program which was part of my original plan. Whew! I really did a lot of thinking on my walk this morning.

I blame Tasra Mar . I found her great videos on reorganizing the home from Unclutterer.com .

She is very practical while still being innovative and really camera-cute. Plus she quotes David Allen and Seth Godin. How cool is that? I know, I'm the weirdest housewife geek.

I worked during the Olympics opening ceremony, but was so happy to be able to watch the whole thing on-line. Isn't the internet great?

Emily is up at Whistler and phoning us regularly. They have been on CTV and Global, but we don't have cable, so I probably won't hit the right news broadcast.

I am almost done the Lady of the Lake sweater. The sleeves were both finished lastnight. I made pencil scores for each row of the first sleeve and then wrote over them in marker for the second sleeve so (if I counted right) they are equal. I just have to do the collar, but I've been on the phone and computer all day so far.

On Saturday, I woke after nights and went to join my best friend and her friend at a knitting "non-retreat". Her friend came out from Vancouver for the weekend and I joined them for some super duper knitting. We are thinking of setting up an Alaskan cruise for an informal knitting retreat. What fun.

This year I wrote my 10 for 2010 goals for knitting. Knitting in the company of others, at least once a week, was one of the points. It certainly enriches my knitting. I have a retreat booked for April and I still want to set up a face to face meeting with my first blogger friend, Life's a Stitch

.

So in this couple of weeks break, I am already heavily into re-imagining my life and work and how to get more time with the people I care about.

Blown Away

I got out of my bed long enough on Sunday to go to a concert at our school gym. This is my daughter's drumline that is going to the Olympics. It was an incredible hour. We were all blown away by their energy and choreography and sound. They have a rock band, but also an "unplugged" show with bagpipes and tuba. Look for them at the bobsled run, the ski jump venue and some medal ceremonies.
The next morning I woke up worse than before and had to make a decision early about calling in. I hadn't been able to eat by 10 am, so I cancelled. Sat in bed and read and knit and slept.
I'm quite a bit better now. I'll do a switch shift Thurs and Fri. Then I'm off till after Hawaii.



Thank-you Miss V. When I signed up for the Team L&V fitness challenge, she gave out a sock pattern. You can buy it for $1 on Ravelry.
Ironically, it was lying on my but that gave me the time to whip up these sportweight hiking socks. The Fleece Artist Somoko yarn is amazing with some kid and silk. The colour is like denim yarn, but it didn't rub off onto my fingers like the cotton indigo yarn. I reknit the toes when I found out how much yarn I had left. My feet are size 10 (ladies) and it's going to take quite a bit of experience to get over the fear of running out of wool in a pair. I'm glad I didn't cheap out on the length of the leg.
I sure won't be hiking today, but I can get out and buy some fresh food and get to two appointments.

To console me as my head swam and my needles burned, I had a Harry Potter film festival. That's right. Every single one. Can you tell D is away? I watched upstairs on my computer to knit in the sunlight. It really helped with the dark yarn. Then I went downstairs after dark and watched on BluRay. The Lady of the Lake sweater co-operated. I'm knitting the sleeve in the round, but had to do a double take as the garter is knit backwards (thus purled) this way. I'll start trying it on soon, so I don't make it too long. Lots of notes so sleeves match!

The Bible For Missions Thrift Store picked up our old sectional sofa yesterday. I had to do a lot of vacuuming and dusting in the basement where we keep the TV. Today I should have delivery of a new sofa and loveseat. I'm still unsure of the "non-colour". Wish me luck.

I am so pleased to be blown back on course.

Home Sick

Large flocks of Canada Geese are circling the field beyond the poplar trees. I have weird flu-like symptoms that came on to me as I was waking up at report yesterday. I stayed to slowly work through the morning care and meds, but those left behind could only think of their extra work load. No aplogizing can make up for not pitching in. But in a haze I went to bed and slept and slept.
Even now I will go back to bed and think I am well enough to cast on a sock or knit something simple, but it is a ruse.
I look at the sky and am taunted by the those with wings and song.

The Right Time

I decided to walk the dog right after taking Em to school (trumpet and viola in tow). It was a good decision because the light was coming out and I finally got pictures of the Quince tree down the street. It has been valiantly opening blooms since New Years.

We turned the (knitty.com) calendar to February and have a huge month in front of us (Olympics, Hawaii), but not as dreadfully packed as January. The warm rain is here and I am thankful for the green and rich neighborhood.

My snowdrops don't get as much light as these. They are magical in the early days of "spring". We could still get snow, and I know many want it for the Winter Olympics. But my daughter is going to be in a marching drumline at Whistler Village and I'd just as soon she not get frost bite.

Neuroknitter at We Heart Yarn has inspired my photography and given me the lust to make socks. Today she included me in a virtual question and answer period for Chrissy Gardiner's new book Toe Up!
She answered my question and then made it even more clear by answering another question. Thanks!
I just bought Wendy Knits new book Socks From the Toe Up because I felt I had some responsibility in answering my own toe up question and really hadn't done any research. I knit on the Fit Well sock last night at a Youth meeting and my minister worked on hers.
It feels like the right time to be knitting socks.

Oh the Finishing

I am deep in the finishing of the big baby surprise. This week I crocheted, sewed and then cut steeks. Really! Whew! I think I would sew first and maybe crochet on the other side, but it seems to be working. Now I'm slogging through the tapes and snaps. I have the zipper yet to look forward to. Hmm.

I also learned to knit backwards. Yes! This was a big week. The entrelac blanket is on its beginning way and I feel a bit creeped out how comfortable the backwards knitting is. I think it may be called left-handed knitting as well. I'm ambidextrous with a strong leaning to left. I write with my left hand, but do all sorts of things (ironing, tennis, dressing changes) with both hands. Like so many things in knitting, it's easy once you're shown.

The first sock of 2010 is finished. I knit on it in the car as I went to Vancouver for a workshop yesterday. It was on music and Sunday School and I felt surrounded by my people.

Today I led worship. More biggies. Prayers, message, jazz, the whole shooting match. I do it only about 4 times a year and it really shakes things up. In the future I'll be doing a whole drum service.

At home I vacuumed, washed the floor, did 3 loads of laundry and printed the nursing unit newsletter. I know. What is wrong? Maybe it's the sunshine. I'm so tired I can't stop. At the youth group meeting tonight I will either bring my Lady of the Lake sweater or the second blue sock. I'm allowed. I worked hard enough already. But I'm not finished.

Trying New Things

Carly is trying to balance on her back. She does this usually when I am playing flute and can't stop to take a picture. I love it.

I've been sewing. I made a black and white apron for the Tie One On apron sew-a-long. I just got inspired and love the retro apron. It's a birthday gift for summer and aren't I smug.

The little patch is a recipe from my mom's family and the first thing I ever made. We call it Snickerdoodle, but it's really Bara Brith. I had Mom write it out in her hand, photocopied it backwards to iron on paper and ironed it onto the fabric. I burnt it a little with the iron, but it looks legitimate.

I'll make some Snickerdoodle and take photos but here's the recipe:

Preheat oven 375 degrees.

Mix together:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Add:

1 beaten egg

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp oil

1 cup raisins

Pour into loaf pan, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake 40 minutes.

A verrrry quick bread.

My shifts went well and I'm a bit less knackered than last set. Yesterday I took advantage of staying in and did some on-line shopping. We made a donation to Haiti relief right away, but I hear the cry for more. So I went to this site on Ravelry and bought some knitting patters with proceeds going to Haitian relief. Thanks Stash and Burn for the great idea.

I finished the baby gift and am just setting up the steeks: crochet AND sew.

And my niece finished being pregnant! Yay! I am a great-aunt! His name is Patrick and he was early, so small like my first baby. 6lb 3 oz. I understand he's doing well and I hope to mail her gift soon.

My baby just turned 19! The day after Robert Burns birthday. Australia Day. Scotty's day. He and his friends at UVic studied for mid-terms.

My Fit Well Sock enjoyed coming out on night shift break. I'm on the verge of learning to knit backwards for Em's entrelac blanket and the Lady of the Lake sweater is ticking along. Lots of simple knitting, because I become simple when I have to switch my clock.

It is a challenge, but I'm trying to deal with it by trying new things.

A New Lens

I'm enjoying this 35mm lens and the natural lighting. Carly is limping on her right foot (me too) so we're just doing short walks or, like this, a romp in the garden.

I've been sewing! All the planets have to allign and the phone has to be far away in order for me to enter that multi-spacial/machine interactive space for successful sewing. This is not a pattern, but a tutorial (that may be the trick) from Two Kates. I used some of my stash fabric and did it all in one sitting. I have a surprising amount of stash fabric for a non-sewer.

It is my new slipper bag. I have to take my slippers everywhere because I need to wear orthodics at all times.
I sewed an apron yesterday! It's for Tie One On. January/February has a black and white project sew-a-long.

Lady of the Lake is alive and well, though neglected because of the super secret baby project.

And let me distract you with a sock. See the intentional blurring? That's called bokeh. I love it. But I should have put it in the background.

I really want to knit socks this year. I have decided to take them to work because I can't mess them up too much and they don't take much space. I want to turn the heel today so I can have straight knitting for the set I start tomorrow.

Right now I must get ready for the new Knitting Circle at my friend's house. I helped her mom figure out an abandoned aran sweater last time and we're hoping others can come join us. Good coffee (always) and good company.

Just talking about knitting, or blogging, or reading your blogs, helps me to solve problems and plan new projects. There are more and more knitters showing up at work, too. It is a virus and I carry the contagion.

That's one way to look at it.



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Colouring

I got a new lens! Whoo hoo! I am so smitten with Pioneer Woman and her recipes and her beautiful photography. Her tutorial answered a lot of questions for me and now I'm on my way with my first prime or fixed (non-zoom) lens.
This Noro sock yarn is going to Hawaii with me next month. I don't know if I can take it on the plane, but I hope to have it swatched and ready to knit the Taize shawl. I'm going to make it a third wider. Who knows what the colours will look like, but I'll just let the yarn do the choosing. I miss my Noro Silk Garden Cozy and hope this will fill in the gap a little.

A few years ago, I wore mainly black with coloured scarves or handbag. I knew I was overdoing it when my daughter followed another lady out of the drugstore simply because she was wearing black.

But I don't know how I got into this colourful wardrobe. My Fibertrends hat is fuscia, my dog walking jacket is "Jean Green" or bright green apple, the leash is turquoise and Carly's collar is purple. Then, in the cold wind, my cheeks get pretty pink. What's new is I think they all go together well. That's way past my monochromatic, neutral comfort zone.

The super secret knitting is "funky". My niece has a limitless sense of colour. She dyes wool and spins and creates beyond my imaginings. Her mom, my sister is a painter who has a very "Van Gogh-esque" sensibility. Most of the art in my house is hers. Or my daughter's. She is absolutely reckless with colour.

So I'm knitting along in these super secret colours, and once in a while I wonder if it's not just too much. Have I stepped over the ugly sill? I love the colours on etsy and anthropologie. But I don't seek tension in my knitwear. It is super soft, though. I'm wondering if I can knit myself a sweater in the same wool but different colours. Probably monochromatic, eh?

Even in winter we are surrounded by blues and greens. Hope you enjoy your colours today.

Tempest Tossed

The rain storms are abating as our own story wrestles with turmoil. I get great solace from knitting (secret) baby items and hoping for new life stitch by stitch.
My husband's dad has pulled through heart surgery and is doing as well as expected. But that means monitors and medications and driving down the ribbon of darkness across the steel grey river to the higher level hospital.
It also means coping mechanisms are tight to the teeth and talking is hollow. Delete rant.
There is love in the air. A heart is pumping and we must gather the chaff to measure our thanks before they are whipped away in the wake of time passing.

Winter Dreams

A break in the heavy, warm rain shows the river level is up several inches and the Great Blue Heron is looking for the salmon run. It usually starts in January and the Bald Eagles sit in the Lombardy Poplar trees that line the high far bank.
This is what I saw when I woke up from nights. I sure don't mind sleeping away a dark rainy day.

This shawl is dreaming of the warm ocean breezes and black rock shorelines of the Kona Coast. I'm still waiting for the mid day sun to come through the front room windows. But not waiting in a way that leaves the shawl on the carpet.

Tuscany in silk from the weavers' store in Granville Island. The ladies there were tickled that I was crossing boundaries. I'll bring it next time I go. It was 103 grams of color 25 and yarn #6. I have about 25% left over, but I wasn't going to make this shawl any bigger than it called for. The silk is sticky and slippery at the same time. I had to go at it full power to finish it and not pick up something else.

I ripped back the baby gift. My niece will likely have a big baby, but not one as big as me. Back to the gauge pit.

I worked on the Fit Well sock at work and was able to maintain mindless pattern. Thank goodness for Cast On's new podcast for my one and only break. I didn't get one break on the first night as one of my patients died unexpectedly. Whew! I so appreciate the team of nurses I work with. I was able to look after his wife and do all the paperwork, etc. It was a heavy set of complicated patients and to spend some time in one of the offices listening to Cast On and knitting and drinking tea was a great relief.

Today I dream of quiet. I have done 5 loads of laundry, reclaimed the kitchen and vacuumed (for blocking). It takes 2-3 hours of correspondence to catch up on my real life commitments. Already it's lunch and I will be dreaming of warm soup and the delight of reading your blogs.

Birthday Celebrations

My baby girl is 17. We had dinner at E.Yong Vietnamese Restaurant on Thursday night so we could get together before I went to work on Friday. She loves the Chicken Soup there and she loved her presents. It's not easy being 17. Today is Sunday and she is at drumline practice for the Olympics.

I made an almond bundt cake. Thank you so much Amy!! I will definitely make it again soon.

Emily made her own cake with her boyfriend and it was rich and yummy. The kitchen suffered a bit and I just about swooned when I came home from work, but they cleaned it up mostly. At work we clean everything that is or is not battened down. It's a bit of a shift to come home sometimes.

I spent a quiet afternoon preparing a super secret baby knitting project. Yay. And setting up a reading list of classics. Scott's English class is rather disappointing to me as it is mainly about research papers. I was hoping to vicariously read along. So I'm starting with Bruce Meyer's "The Golden Thread" and a copy of Homer's Odyssey that I've had for ages. I did read the Iliad several years ago. Bruce Meyer also spoke with Michael Enright on CBC about the Five Great Books and I have that on my ipod.

So tonight I go to work with the beginnings of the Fit Well Socks

and my secret project. I have a new episode of Cast On on my ipod and I pray I get my breaks.

I found another present I forgot to give Emily, and I hope to have their supper made before I need to go. Dan is on call and working hard and Em had to go to school on a weekend, so this is not the house of bliss.

Hopefully some comfort food will make them feel they are welcome at home and we can talk about the birthday celebrations.

What Dreams Are Made Of

This is the Chilliwack River. A combination of snow run-off and rainforest rain make it a pretty fast river. Men stand in it to fish for salmon and women walk its paths.

Scott and I joined our friends for a great fisherman's lunch in our new favourite cafe. We're stalking our baker who closed shop last new years.

It's also called the Vedder River because the two rivers were merged to minimize loss of land as they meandered and changed course. The Chilliwack River Honey land was totally eaten away by the river a few years ago. There are lots of downed trees. But in a rainforest they are not wasted.

Vedder also had a 40%off wool sale. This is the Marble for Emily's Lady Eleanor. I am giving myself 18 months as I did Scott's. But this one won't have to be pieced. It's in a basket by my TV chair. Swatched and cast on, it will have to wait until Tuscany has been completed. I am trying to focus on it's longer and longer rows while listening to Hawaiian music. I knit a whole set while watching Benjamin Button last night. I really enjoyed it eventhough I had to watch it by myself. My friend, J, and I started watching it on New Year's Eve afternoon, but I was called to go home with the Chinese Food. It helped that I had seen some of it because I could focus more on the lace. It was my first really good long chunk of knitting on that pattern. It helps to become intimate with the rhythm.

This great soft wool is destined to be a nephew sweater. That is when I get back on that wagon. Next is a grey gansey. I have the wool and the pattern. But did I mention the silk Tuscany shawl?

I chose this colour changing yarn for a vest like the one J made out of Kaffe Fasset. Much closer to my budget. A quick knit will sometimes inject the knitting joy into the angst.

One of my sisters has already worn out a pair of socks I made her. If I'm going to knit socks anyway, might as well get it on sale.

Some black merino lace. Just in case. You know, I don't have a black shawl and I've knit two. They make the best gift and the most versatile garment. But I don't like knitting in black. That would be for a summer knit.

I updated my Ravelry page and am a bit nervous about the number of WIPs. I can only read two books at a time: one fiction and one non. I usually have one big knitting project and one small. Whew. If I can finish 3 more sets of Tuscany and Northrop Frye's "The Great Code", I can settle down a bit.

Plus I hope to register for Rockin Sock Club. Plus I ordered Driving Miss Daisy gloves from Brenda Dayne at Cast On.

I know. There are many plans and dreams for the 525,600 minutes that will be 2010.

New Years To Do List

1. Take down Christmas decorations and clean up living room
2. Take Vinterblomster mitten off needles and into hibernations (with the Heritage Woodland Shawl) until August.
3. Swatch and cast on Lady Eleanor in turquoise marble to begin Emily's grad blanket for June 2011.
4. Swatch and cast on blues socks (maye not today) as I am only knitting socks at work.
5. Knit on the Tuscany shawl and try to enjoy it's pretty pinkness.

I have decided that, like the shawl, my mittens just took too long to get going. The love is gone. Next month I'm going to Hawaii and need my pink silk shawl. Then it will be an early spring. I may try to knit the matching hat, Selbu Modern, because I could probably use it.
I spent my winter knittng making gifts. That's OK. The mittens were last year's dream and they will be ready when the -as yet not budded- leaves start to fall again.
Why knit against the grain?
I made a big haul at the wool shop yesterday (yay) with details to follow. Met with my best friend for some movie knitting and then home alone with D. This is a big change. One of the benefits of having older children. He was on call, but we still enjoyed some champagne and ambience.
So to the new year. Be kind. Appreciate the clean slate I'm starting with. And let me know if there' s anything I can do to help make it a success.