3.27.11 Back from Beyond

Mr. Lady and I have been to Chincoteague Island on the Eastern Shore of VA. We have returned. We ate Chincoteague seafood and pizza (!), stayed in an island motel, looked at Assateague wild ponies from a distance

and one-legged birds up close,

a lighthouse

and the seashore.

It was cold and it snowed this morning!

We went so that I could take a workshop on mitering cables in knitting with Elsebeth Lavold who came all the way from Sweden where she lives and works. She was lovely, smart, and informal and the workshop, which was sponsored by Carodan Yarn Shop on Chincoteague island, was worth the 4 hour drive. All of these things can be googled.

I am going to go and watch NCAA basketball. We missed VCU winning their game to go to the Final Four. Darn. Caroline attends VCU. This is unheard of. VCU vs Butler?? Where are these places? I know where VCU is, in the heart of Richmond, VA. There is a lot of traffic and jubilation there right now.

3.12.11 New stuff here…

Mara is finished. Soft and drapy, cushy and cozy. Simple to knit. Haha that Mr. Lady, what a model of fun he is.

Mr. Lady has volunteered MUCH time over the past 12 years mentoring middle and high school students participating in the US FIRST Robotics Competition. He has really earned his nickname Mr. Roboto. His first volunteer year was with our daughter Anne’s 6th grade team and now she is in engineering grad school. She knows her way around a tool box. And she contributed to the design of a foundry at Virginia Tech as her senior design thesis for her BS degree in MSEngineering. See where I am going here??

This year Mr. Lady’s team placed 2nd in the USFIRST regional competition in Pittsburgh!! Their team won a Judge’s Award. One student was nominated for an individual award. Each year teams from local high schools all over the world design and build a robot over about a 6 week time period to play a game designed by USFIRST organization. Each year the game is different. The machine is built to compete with and against other robots and human teammates in regional competitions, alliances of 3 against 3. Participation is a huge undertaking and commitment for the students, teacher sponsors, mentors and parents, all volunteers. The competitions are exciting with lots enthusiasm and support. They require money for entrance fees, materials costs, food for the participants, travel expenses, all in the form of commercial sponsors (from GM to mom-and-pop machine shops) as well as from student-run fundraisers. As much as I whine about the time that Mr. Lady spends away from home in the evenings and on weekends (at least 16 hours a week for 7 weeks) I am very proud that he participates. He deserves to model the Mara.

This spinning was fun. My friend Barbara carded together some mohair locks and firestar that I brought to her along with some bright yellow wool and a bit of silk as well.

There were 2 4 oz. batts when she was finished.
The spinning was effortless, the prep was so clean and soft.

singles on the bobbin

Daylight view

Now I have a sweet 375 yards of fingering weight 2 ply.

I also have a new washer. Something already concerns me. It is a front loading washer and I know about drying the drum and baffle seal carefully to prevent ick and odor.. I had not expected to have 1/4 cup of water remaining in the fabric softener compartment at the end of every load. This is not a very good photo of the water but it is there in the compartment on the right side, about 1/4 inch deep.

Should I be worried about that? I guess I will have to dry it out each time. The manual says to check the level on the machine, I will check that. It better damn well be OK because I love that I can wash my down comforter at home now….

3.9.11 Fiber Allsorts

Recovery is slow here but it is ongoing steadily… except for when I overdo it. I went out today for the first time and nearly hit the floor in Joann Fabrics because I got dizzy. I fought the good fight and still came home with thread, fabric and some other goodies. Yay. Good grief…. I love a fabric store.

These are also evidence of my boredom and resultant startitis.
Feather and Fan Cowl,

nee shawl but abruptly truncated and sewn together at the sides in favor of

Honey Cowl (free pattern by Madelinetosh) . I am using Plain and Fancy wool from the Yarn Lounge, size 10 needles, 140 stitches cast on. I think it will suit me. Germ protection again.

The waistband of Isobel in the 2nd smallest size, not for me and we will see. This is Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed in a warm beige with orangey bits in it. (Thanks Theresa!) I think the fabric will be good for a skirt but we will see. The twisty rib is a killer but very sturdy. The color is all off but it was the best I could do. I should have bought that Ott light today.

Doh…how could I forget Mara??? Another free Madelinetosh pattern in handspun wool/soy 3 ply.

Then there was a CUI (Craving Under the Influence of steroids). Maureen made me do it.

3.4.11 Rachel reminds The Lady it has been a month, enough already.

Nope, I didn’t meet my end at the Super Bowl party in NC where Rachel my niece and I talked knitting and teaching (she likes to teach, I don’t), nor was I planning to leave you watching the Linen Movie for the rest of eternity wondering what happened to me. Things happen. Firstly I ignored thoughts of writing, the fact that I should write, that I wanted to write for about 2 weeks. Then I had a fun week with Tuesday Night Knitters, a weaver’s group, a trip to Mathews VA for the day and Alexander’s Antiques that night, a Clothos spinning guild meeting on Saturday, a scratchy throat on Sunday, a dentist then haircut appointment on Monday, bronchitis on Tuesday. That was long about the 7th of February I think. When Liss was drying my hair I knew I was sick. Here I am, recovering from pneumonia. Never been like this before. But I am feeling a little better and am apologizing for worrying my family and friends.

And animals. Pets do not like sick caretakers. They know. I have been sleeping in a different bedroom due to coughing fits and midnight nebulizing with my LungFriend PulmoMate machine. It has blown The Emperor’s tiny mind. He counts on the fact that he can put me to bed in the same place, at the same time on a nightly basis and that I will stay there until he wakes and wants to talk at about 7 am. Now he is running around caterwauling at 2am, bringing me mice, squirrels (faux of course, in the house here) and chit chat. I can usually accommodate him with coughing. By the time I am back in my usual place we will have to readjust our routine.

Suzie, well she just wants to GO OUTSIDE regularly. And get my leftover bread crusts dumped in her bowl. Since she does not have a fenced yard, she goes out on the leash for a walk that is NOT ENOUGH. She is OK though, she got a bath by Mr. Lady the other day and her undercoat felted. He didn’t brush before bathing it seems. I am making my way around her body plucking the tufts of fulled wool. Beats pulling pills off the blanket I am under.

Well, here are my FO’s for the post.
Yankee Knitter Designs Pattern #8 Mock Cable Cardigan, bought a long time ago from who knows where done in Paton’s Classic Wool. I LOVE IT. It is relaxed and soft and warm. I have been wearing it constantly. I finished the seaming and button sewing before the crash, during the mild coughing stage.

And here is my Pneumonia Cablegram, really Woven by Thea Colman. It was all I could manage this week and it was a fun little knit, done in a ball of Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Festival colorway, bought before it was discontinued. I had to add some merino dk that must have been Jo Sharp as well, saved from an eternity in leftover heaven.

Just remember, avoid crowds and wear your hat. My mother knew I didn’t wear mine in pneumonia weather.