Starting Again

We were given this amaryllis late in the Christmas season and didn't know what to do with it. When we opened it, the flower had started anyway and has an elegant, though sad beauty.

The baby sweater for our relay is finished. We should have 3 or 4 layettes ready for our Chilliwack Common Threads baby shower/Valentine's party. Each of us does one element. I chose the Helena pattern, but swapped out the lace for a fair isle pattern that matches the finished hat that Diane knit. This is definitely a good pattern.

Now I can begin something new. Wrapped up some beautiful organic cotton from blue sky alpacas for a Baby Bobbi Bear.

And some lovely alpaca lace for a friend's Icarus shawl. She is going on a cruise and we have been planning this at least a year. I am happy to get started so she can wear it on the high seas. She is making me a quilt in return. Such a great group.
Even though I'm home a bit sick today, I made 6 dozen tiny chocolate cup cakes for tomorrow's yarn crawl. It is the Jane Richmond trunk show at 88 stitches and Diane's birthday. So we will share our celebration (and stick mess). I went so far as to make them gluten and lactose free for our allergic friends. I've never made marshmallows before. It is so messy, can you tell? They are certainly worth it!

Speaking of cooking new things, I only did a turkey soup in the crock pot on Tuesday, but I made these killer ribs that remind us of Azeka's in Maui. We are planning a trip to Sugar Beach, but have to wait till May. These sure got us in the mood for sun and sand! (I made them with chicken breasts)

Maui Ribs
3-31/2 lbs flanken beef short ribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark sesame oil
3 Tbsp honey
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tsp thinly sliced ginger.
Combine all ingredients and pour over meat, marinating at least 24 hours.
Grill over medium heat.
Serve with sunglasses and flip flops.


Now I'm casting on a silk shawl for the Project Help Haiti art auction and fundraiser. Thought I would have had it done by now, but at least I have time to start.

Crock Pot Tuesday

This is my back yard one year ago. We had a lot of snow last year.

This is the same bridge and flower pots today. I am hoping for moderate weather. It is warm enough to feel like walking the dog. Though I need a new plan. She can't walk more than about 30 minutes and I require more activity. I hope to get down to the Vedder River Rotary Trans Canada Trail each month. Maybe today.
Tuesdays are busy with my Bible Study at 1 pm and the Common Threads Knitting Circle at 7. I have booked them all off. This means I can be more in control of my time, and open my ideas to the communities that mean so much to me.
I am going to try a new crock pot recipe each week, and can harness the favour of time.
Last week it was pineapple pork and I learned two things: cut up the meat and brown it before you put it in the crock pot, and don't be afraid to have flavourful sauce.
This week is ginger beef. I haven't found a recipe yet, but pinterest is on my side.
Knitting on the baby sweater. Just about to add the colours, which is not good for group knitting.
Maybe I'll just do the long rounds of ribbing on my Philosophers. Looking forward to the chaos and laughter!

Punky Start

 A little under the weather today. After all those shifts, I'm taking a day off to sit in the sun and knit with my tea, like a cat.

 Finished the baby blanket. I know this may be a spoiler for one or two, but I'm very happy with it and especially how quickly it knit up. It's Bernat denim rag from the sadly clearances of Zellers. We are slated to have a Canadian Target in November. What could they be doing for 10 months?
The pattern is another made up one with gansey patterns from my Knitting Ganseys book by Beth Brown Reinsel. I hope to have a new great nephew or niece in March.

 The Handmaiden Cashmere 4 ply worked up quickly into Lu's Mitts. They fit swell, but I failed at reading the pattern. The lace is actually 8 rows where I only knit 4 and therefore I missed some rows before the thumb gusset. So I gave up at the top and just knit what I wanted. It's OK to be contrary when you are knitting with such luscious yarn. Now I need to change purses because I want to wear my multnomah shawl, my pi and my kiviut scarf to coordinate.

 Also a cat is my dog. We went for a small walk yesterday that was sunny and very cold (minus five celsius), but she prefers to follow the sun around the carpet. Can you see her tail wagging in the back, even though her eyes are sad? She's saying, "You're not casting on another sweater? We'll never get outside."

But yes. Starting in the middle. I dug out the Philosopher's Wool sweater kit that I started December 18 2008. The sleeves were completed before I balked at casting on the body with its steeking and all. Thank goodness I took good notes (on tiny pieces of paper that were stuffed in the pattern).
Now I have the Cassidy sweater that fits me. I measured it and extrapolated the stitches based on reported gauge. This is a sweater I would wear to meet the Yarn Harlot.
This is a technique, fair isle, that I reportedly adore. This is the year I will complete it. I have the mind-blowing technique of passing floats that I learned from Barb Brown at the Electrictree retreat a few years ago. I have the beautiful wool that shows its lovely spin and smells of... wool.
And I have a punky day to sit and catch up with podcasts and Elementary and try out all my 25 varieties of tea.

Epiphany

Today is the 12th day of Christmas. The day we celebrate the Three Kings. The great gifts. It is the start of the next season.
I changed the front door pots from holly and ivy to daffodils and crocuses. I hope they have a gentle spring and lots of chance to bloom a welcome. I am ready to begin:
This year I hope to live with an open heart. That is my "resolution". I want to believe the story and write it down, to give generously and react with compassion.
I find it singularly difficult to shut myself up to write when I really want to be with my friends, who have been so kind to me this Christmas season.
I will need to return to yoga to get centred, to continue some good practices I started in the fall, and to continue to build a knitting community. The Chilliwack Common Threads girls are raring to get back at Tuesday knit night.
Our new charity knitting is for the Better Beginnings baby program. I am still collecting scarves. It will be a year round endeavour.
I am grateful for the knitting interwebs and the free sharing of designs and ideas that enrich our craft. It is an astounding truth that the generosity of this community makes all our lives richer. That is a gift.
And a true epiphany.

Unveiled

 This Christmas. I did some good knitting and met almost all the deadlines. I received some lovely gifts, too. Like this sock monkey felted yarn bowl!!! His name is Stanley and he will travel with me to knit night. Thanks so much Dianeiam!

 I can now reveal some of the things I made. These thrummed mittens are for my cowboy sister who lives in a colder climate. The yarn is super wash wool and the fleece is stuff I picked up with her (years ago).

 I like them, but I learned some things about spacing and wrapping. They are very plump inside!

 For my sister and niece who own a yarn shop, I made a little sweater for their window.

 I hope they like it. I had fun making it.

 This is the world's warmest hat. That's what the pattern says. My BIL complained the hat I knit him wasn't warm enough and too small. It was hand spun and he shrunk it in the dryer. Hmm.

 So this one is super wash. It's really just one hat knit, then pick up the cast on edge and knit another hat for a lining. I hope it's warm. Next time I would knit a true double knit hat.

These are handspun fingerless mitts for my daughter to match her new cobalt blue jacket. The pattern, from work+shelter, is excellent, quick, and would be great for teaching knitting.

I really enjoyed knitting the robot mittens for my great nephews. You have seen these before, but they belong in this list of Christmas knitting. Along with the 6 scarves for our Green Heart- Warm Heart initiative.
We collected and shared over 300 scarves for those in need. What a great community we live in.
Also, I worked full time in December and was able to connect more closely with some of our patients and families to make a difference in their end of life journey. The team at work is super and even though we were full up and crazy busy, it was a nice way to spend Christmas.
I worked yesterday and then D and I had some champagne and went to bed early. The kids are back at university and the house is sighing after family gatherings, tables full of food and late night video game tournaments.
Today I took down the tree, changed the linens on all the beds, cleaned the main bathroom and put away the Christmas decorations. Everything looks fresh in the clear sunlight.
The new year unveiled.

Averting Disaster

 I always enjoy the magic of watching the amaryllis emerge and bloom from an ugly bulb planted on Halloween. This year I did two and took one to work. It was a great addition to Christmas at Hospice.

 I have been working lots! Almost full time. I miss my home and sitting to knit and follow your blogs. Perhaps in the new year. I have a week off now and started my Christmas Eve cooking late.

 Decorating and baking got done in between shifts and concerts and teaching Sunday School. I don't feel that I have immersed myself in Christmas music as in other years. I now have my entire Christmas library on an itunes play list and just hit shuffle.
I did get all the knitting done. But I ran out of yarn for my last gift!! And, of course, there is none in Chilliwack!! I tried other yarns, but have decided to do the last bit in the new year. I made a quick hat instead of my first Sweet Georgia superwash worsted in the tourmaline colour way. I wish all my problems were solved so easily. Actually I finished the hat last night and it seemed stupidly small. I picked another pattern and different needles for the remaining yarn before I went to bed very late. I had my clock messed up from a night shift.

 But blocking made it much bigger (surprise?) and I could cook for the 7 hours since church.
French Onion soup ( I almost forgot, thanks D for the emergency supermarket run), twice baked potatoes, tortiere roll ups, bean salad, caesar salad, cranberry chutney, buns. Plus I made butter tarts today and peanut butter scotch marshmallow squares. They go with the shortbread and Christmas cake I already made.

 I worked the night of Dec 11-12. I missed the end of the world. Whew! I had all my presents wrapped and didn't want to miss Christmas.
Mom had a nice Solstice Dinner and we sat around the table filled with candlelight.
D has been sick with a bad cold, my friends are looking after their own family emergencies, or working Christmas hours, so they didn't even miss me while I worked. I was worried they would feel slighted.

Now I have caught up. The children are nestled in front of their computer screens and I want to watch some Christmas movies and maybe knit on my long neglected Colour Affection (affliction). The three balls of yarn behave much better in the yarn bowl. Soon I will be on to the plain grey border and knitting like the wind. Or at least knitting at all.
Hope your Christmas is filled with good cheer, warm hearts and gentle knitting.

Thinking Big

After spending the last couple of weeks at work helping with an LPN student, I am pleased at her progress, and appreciative of the time and effort that her preceptor nurse, and the whole team, have shared.
We don't get paid more to have a student. Not everyone is a good teacher. But each nurse has something to give, beyond the needs of the patient and the family, beyond the duties of being a good team member, and sharing our own OCD quirks (I call it OCD for good at work).
I was trained in a hospital in the 80's. The whole school, our instructors, all the nurses in the building, shared a guiding and nurturing (and sometimes harsh direction), over the three years. I purposely travelled to Calgary to have the opportunity to learn on the job.
As well, D has been involved in developing a trade certification for dairy herdsman. In the past, farm boys and girls have been raised with the standards and instructions of the myriad of jobs surrounding raising and milking cows. Going out to do chores was the way they learned the needs of the herd and the the milking. But more people are coming from beyond the rural areas, even from other countries.
To take years of slow training and development, and encapsulate it in an organized and  comprehensive manner is a huge undertaking.
As well, our clinic is part of the veterinary program, taking students, almost continually, to go on calls with them to the farms and learn according to their needs. They even take kids who are interested in maybe becoming vets. Many of the vets in our area have spent time with D on his calls when they were starting out.
But D is a great teacher and has some good partners.

I bring this up because, even though neither of us have chosen teaching as our vocation, our professions have teaching wrapped within it. We are so proud that Emily has a calling to be a band teacher. We both loved school and are the worst parents for always being excited about what our children are learning (except maybe now with Scott's advanced programming and math).

My ideas are sparked by this article:
http://www.economist.com/news/21566464-skills-gap-must-be-bridged-if-world-avoid-dire-consequences-argues-dominic-barton

Our friend from elementary school, and Emily's Godfather is bringing a message of opening communication and taking the time to encourage and empower the youth of today. Worldwide.

I love having students. I have been invited to do some teaching at the local university's nursing school. I need to follow this up.
As we head in to a new year, do you see yourself sharing your knowledge with the next generation? What do you wish you had known before you headed in to a new environment? Who do you see around you who could benefit from some nurturing?
And I hope that I am in the sights of someone else's wisdom.

Tis the Season

 Christmas crafting is having to be squished between practices, concerts, the pageant, festive breakfasts and way too many shifts.
My BIL welded these treble clefs for me to decorate for Christmas. I love them! I have tons of holly and ivy because they are special to me, grow really well in my yard and make great ornaments.

 Welcome to our Christmassy home. I finally got the tree decorated and baked the 8 batches of shortbread. I wrapped half the presents last night. But the big news is the knitting that is finished. I can't even tell you about the gifts because of my dear lurkers. But there will be a big reveal after the gifts are opened.

These little mittens were for me.
My sister emailed me a question about an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern and she was surprised I hadn't knit it yet and why not. Good question. Perhaps I could think about knitting through the Knitters' Almanac this year?
I am also going to start a blue hexipuff blanket from Tiny Owl Knits.
And maybe a sweater for me! And a baby blanket for my next great niece or nephew!
But first I must finish this last gift, work on the poor, neglected Colour Affliction shawl, finish my silk mittens and find my other buried UFOs.
Don't spend the season before you have enjoyed this one.

A Little Christmas Break

 D and I enjoyed a few days in the city (Vancouver) for our annual meet up with friends from UBC days. We stayed in the Wall Centre, which is close to everything. It is part of our Intrawest Whistler time share. We walked everywhere and bought a few things on our list as well as some treats that were surprises.

 In Holt Renfrew, our friend's niece was dancing to beautiful piano music. Ballerinas were handing out candy canes. A most delightful shopping experience.

 Love the kitchy decor in such an upscale store. This is Canada's premium department store and sells all the biggest names, including Tiffany. I bought one small item in the mens' department. But I loved Urban Fare, a fancy grocery store, for stocking stuffers and good spices. The rain was a bit nasty, but the meals were delightful. As well we went to Jazz Vespers at St. Andrews Wesley United Church. We have wanted to go for years, but have never had the chance. D booked an extra night, so we had plenty of time.

But coming back, I feel I could use a few more days at home to prepare our Festival Chorus concerts this weekend, as well as the Fiesta Christmas Pageant I am directing on Sunday morning. I still have two gifts to finish knitting, but our Sisters' Lunch has been pushed back a week. Small blessings. The tree is up without lights or ornaments. And one of us has not baked anything.
The Common Threads Knitting Circle made a basket of cup cozies to thank Starbucks for hosting us for 6 months. We are now meeting at my church and the room is great for teaching and moving about and planning and sharing. Such a lovely and diverse group of knitters!
Today is booked from 0930h to 2100h. Plus I have to get home to let the dog out. Tomorrow I work. I hope to get some tasks done on Saturday morning.
When the concerts are over and the tree decorated, I will put on some Christmas music, pour myself a hot spiced apple cider and wrap some gifts.
Hope you are enjoying the excitement of the season. And don't forget to take a little break.

Craft Crawl

I had fun on Thursday with my eldest sister, who is now retired. It was Craft Crawl Weekend, but we're both pretty busy, so we were glad they added a week day. Mom is still at the ranch and my friends had other plans. It's good to do things with family. I found a quilt I love at Hamels Fabrics, hello Karen??!!! I love the happy colours and the white space, like a picket fence. Next door is the Smitts Cheese farm, and I bought assorted gouda cubes.

Instead of yarn (no yarn shops on the crawl), I bought a yarn bowl. It is exquisite. Holly form Greendale Pottery made it in my favourite glaze. See how happy it is next to my little dishes of stitch markers? It's actually more luminescent in person. She does some beautiful crystal glazes, too.
We enjoyed the lunch at the Little Beetle Restaurant, and bought some hand made soaps at Rustic Soap Co. and candles at Chilliwack River Honey. I love real bees wax candles! So there was no Black Friday shopping needed. I think I have all the gifts bought, and only 4 small ones to knit. Next month will be busy with extra shifts, two concerts, a pageant and a weekend in Vancouver. Oh, and Christmas.

The rain held off, but you can see the snow line creeping down. We certainly are feeling the weather. It is cold and crisp, alternating with monsoons.

The amaryllises (what is the collective plural) are reaching toward the window. They get a quarter turn each day. Soon one will go on my dining table and one will go with me to Hospice to share the wonder. My dining table is covered with research books right now, when I don't push them aside to do some crafting for gifts and wrapping of birthday presents.
I finished knitting the little mittens and am entirely charmed by their size and colour. Tonight I hope to string them on the i-cord and get them ready to go up in the dining room (or on the mantle?) after the first of the month. They took all year to knit, but I will have them for many years. I may even turn them into an advent calendar as there are 24.

On a sadder note, I was asked on Sunday to make a prayer shawl for a friend of a friend, whom I worked with in the hospital years ago. No, I won't sell one, but I'll make you one. This is the delightful Balm to the Soul by Jaala Spiro. She had gifted me the pattern, and I had the yarn in the stash. It came together and was blocking on Wednesday when my friend called to tell me it was too late and her friend had already passed. We talked a while and I let her know right away that the shawl was now for her. I hope I have such good friends when it is my time.

Autumn Sun

 Today is beyond gorgeous. It is clear and sunny and warm, about 20 degrees (for U.S., double it and add 30). Mt Cheam has new snow on her and I had to stop to take a picture of her.

 Later in the afternoon, I took my bike out. The dog helped me with some gardening, and by the time I put a leash on her, she was limping. So I took my bike on the same route I used to ride my horse after school. Boy is the traffic more dangerous. If you look to the bottom of "the hill" you can see some barns. That is the farm where I grew up. It's Mt. McGuire with the snow on top of it.

 My next door neighbour does not believe it's fall. She has pink roses blooming and purple beauty bush berries (callicarpa). What a nice surprise next to our driveway.

 Most of the gardening was replacing my front door pots. It's a bit early for my Christmas display, but dead mums do not say, "welcome" and we have friends coming for dinner on Saturday. I work tomorrow so I have to get most of the stuff done ahead. I also worked Tuesday and it was brutal! All our families are in stress and struggling with the grief journey, but honestly. What I can't tell you!

On a happier note, the twin sweaters are done and are currently blocking. I took them to knit night and everyone said black buttons on the white sweater. I love how they turned out and mama is 32 weeks along now, so they are pretty safe. I'm OK with her having them  now that the sweaters are ready.

Knit night was exciting in our new venue, our church meeting room. Check out our facebook page, Chilliwack Common Threads. We had about 14 knitters and they settled in so wonderfully, helping themselves to tea and pulling up soft chairs. When I arrived after work, the laughter was in full swing, the newly donated yarn had made it around the table and the young ladies were ready for their lessons. We are going to enjoy this venue.

I am working on a crazy cowl with some hand spun from Spun Monkey in the poppy colourway. It's an adaptation of the pedestrian crossing cowl which is an adaptation of the jaywalker socks. I'll post the particulars on my Ravelry page.
Plus I'm making "The World's Warmest Hat" for a BIL. It's actually a hat you knit, then pick up at the cast on and knit another hat to go inside it. A bit boring. It was exciting when I didn't think I had enough yarn and could go back to Birkeland Brothers' new store in  Abbotsford. But one ball will do each segment.
I get to choose which of the 4 or 5 other Christmas presents I'm going to knit next. I have the yarn all in a basket on my printer because I need to see things for them to stay in play.
How can I clean up my mess and not lose track of all my projects?
Maybe I'll just sit in the afternoon sun and knit.

Festival Season

 Our community choir, through the Chilliwack Academy of Music is the Festival Chorus. We are ramping up our practices for our early December concerts. This is a great time of year to celebrate the friends with whom we join voices. I also get to do Christmas stuff early, which makes me happy. I have  gathered most of the gifts in Scott's bedroom. They will be wrapped and under the tree before he comes home after final exams. Plus his January birthday gift will be ready and delivered when I pick him up. I have some more accessories to knit, but right now I'm on schedule.

 We also have extra music at church. I am organizing the children's pageant again, and it will be a Mexican Fiesta.

 Our piano had been neglected for a while as the young musicians are away at university, but D and I are practicing our choir parts. And I have even tucked into a little Christmas music.

This is my corner. The 12 string is a bit of a disappointment, but I love my sweet guitar, my little ukelele and the bass guitar. The djembe has been a constant companion. What a great time we had a few weekends ago when I lead a drumming workshop. I usually drum in church if the music is lively enough. I like lively music when the kiddies are there.
Tomorrow I do Sunday School on Remembrance Day. We should really all be at the cenotaph, but I will try to make it meaningful for them.
The twin cardigans are done knitting. There are ends to be woven in, buttons to be chosen and sewn on and then the blocking. I need a dye saver to keep the black from bleeding into the ivory. I can maybe pick that up today when I go to get Emily. She will be playing Last Post at our service and does the best job!
Music and knitting and watching the birds at the feeder. This is a good season!

Now With (Almost) All New Content

 Baby Twin sweater the first. This is Mission Falls 1824 in cotton that I bought on sale. I was going to make a Daybreak Shawl. But I don't need another shawl. This Coffee Bean sweater is nicely written, though Karen encouraged me to make the body a little longer and that was easy to do. The second one will be cast on today with ivory ribbing and button bands. They are due in January, but are twins and can come any time. I look forward to a baby shower with the ladies from our vet clinic.

 I'm dangerously in love with this handspun from Judy Pilote. I bought it at the Lower Mainland Sheep Producers Association fibre fair. It was meant for mittens for a sister who doesn't deal with hand washing. So I knit up the Work + Shelter fingerless mitts from the Sweatshop of Love because I will be teaching it to the beginner knitters of our group. I knit them both in a day. I listened to Nicole from Stash and Burn to make a provisional cast on. It would have been great, but I did the three needle bind off on the second one upside down. D very kindly asked (three times) if it was a rookie mistake. I would say so. But I just said it will help me be a better teacher. They are for someone special for Christmas.
 I had enough left over for an "Old Pattern Kindling Coffee Cup Cozy". And maybe another one.
I have four five more small projects for Christmas plus 4 tiny mittens. I can almost imagine making it.

 I dove into my deepest darkest stash for the Knitgirllls Podcast. I bought this mohair in about 1985 when I had two small children and the February blahs were threatening to take me away. I used all my loonies I had gathered. It was the wool shop I no longer go to. The husband said they were closed. I had my money in my hand and my kids in the van and I wouldn't take no. It was expensive and I think he made an error in addition, but I took away my special yarn and made a brioche sweater from The Knitting Goddess in about 3 days. I still wear it when I feel the need for comfort, but I'm brave enough to show off my knitting.
I have 118 grams, about 345 meters. Don't know what I'll make. Maybe a stuffed toy.

Carly would like to walk more in the rain. I would like to go to yoga and then walk in the sunny break. We may not both get what we want. But it's a new day.