Pischi Days

May Day, May Day

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday week. I treated myself to a trip to Stitches South in Atlanta. It was a quick drive up I-95 with one of my knit sisters for a two night stay at the Hyatt. We baring slung the bags into the hotel door before we headed to the show. Then barely made it in the door when the WEBS booths hit us squarely in the pocketbooks. The show was filled with many exotic goods that we just don't get to fondle very often. I also loved the jaw dropping samples that were on display to try on. 
I succumb to the Berroco Kirri sweater, the same on the Yarn Harlot is knitting. I finally got my hands on some Habu Stainless yarn, tencil from Just Our Yarn, and my favorite purchase, a quirky kit from Coloratura. It's a simple garter knit scarf in silk merino aran, hand dyed with a generous silk scarf to match. The scarf is knit with several button holes through which the silk scarf is threaded. Then, its up to you to create a look. I wasn't allowed to take any photos at the show, but here is a peek at the scarf.   

Tom whipped up my favorites for breakfast, Sour Cream Pancakes with blueberry syrup and fresh strawberries. My big present was a new bicycle basket for last years present a retro Trek Navigator. He also treated me to a much need set of Knit Picks Options, so I won't have to borrow Bonnie's anymore.
I headed out the door for the first of my four finals for the semester, a 6000 word history essay, chronicling America's political challenges in the 19th century. All to be whipped out in 90 minutes, notes allowed.
After that head splitting exercise, I headed over to Rene'es to play in her yarn. We spent a blissful afternoon logging her massive stash into the Ravelry database. It was fun to see what other knitters buy. She has envious collection of delectable yarn. My reward was a bottle of my favorite, Lindeman's Framboise Lambic and a Salmon on Naan sandwich.
Have to dash, my doorbell just rang and it's off to the Spanish River Grill with some of my favorite friends and knit models, Carolyn and Kathryn. Wish me luck, three more finals to go and graduation…phase one is over!

Spring has truly sprung and with the cool and unusual weather, we have poppies in our garden.

       

Pease Porridge Hot

It's been a pretty nippy winter in these here parts and I've put away my beloved Stoneyfield Whole Milk Vanilla Yogurt over fruit and muesli for something warm in my breakfast bowl.

We've always been fans of Cream of Wheat. My favorite way to eat this stuff is to make it with milk and dish it up, add a bit of butter and a generous helping of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano. One bite - ecstasy. My son loves this throwback to his childhood with a few chocolate chips sprinkled into the bottom of his bowl, let it sit a minute and stir up the chocolate swirls. Recently I have become an oatmeal convert although I have always hated the stuff. I suffer from bad memories of my mother cooking oats the night before and leaving the stuff on the stove overnight for my fathers breakfast. The sight of the coagulated mush, giant cracks across the top, turned my stomach. All this changed when I discovered a nifty looking can on my grocer's shelf. I had never had steel cut oats before and so I thought, nothing ventured, nothing gained. McCann's Oatmeal is still made in County Kildare and I will venture to say that the can hasn't changed one bit since then. The cooking instructions are pretty spartan and there are no "back-of-the-can" recipes either. Once home, I read those spartan cooking instructions and realized that it would take at least a half hour for this stuff to fill my tummy. The can sat in my pantry, forgotten, for several weeks before I hauled it out for a cold weekend morning meal. We were out of the ubiquitous Quaker Oats that Tom loves to eat. He's not picky. The instant pouch is good enough for him.  So, I set 4 cups of water on to boil, added a dash of salt and 1 cup of steel cut oats and sat down to read the paper. I got up to wipe the boiling mess off the stove and stirred it a bit and let it simmer some more. After half an hour we had a pot of creamy goodness. I tucked a handful of raisins in each bowl and topped it off with a generous pour of grade A maple syrup. If this is what oatmeal is supposed to taste like, bring it on. No rolled oats for me, make mine steely cut!

The End of May

It's been a graduation turmoil at the Claybaugh household. Our one and only child experiment finally completed high school and will hopefully be out of the nest and into the wild blue yonder courtesy of the USAF. Good bye and good luck. Be well, do good work and keep in touch. 
There have also been parties upon parties, graduation and otherwise. This is the aftermath of one of my oldest friends half centennial. I can't believe I'm saying this, but WHERE has the time gone. I first started asking this when Erik turned 18 earlier this year. Among the assembled were friends that numbered 25+ years and their children. I suppose that we need to brace ourselves for what comes next? No, no...segue and onto knitting.
Here is the birthday girl wearing Cat Bordhi's Cashmere Moebius, albiet not cashmere by Fiesta La Boheme. This was caston on impulse in front of a YouTube video explaining the crazy on in rapid repetition. Had it been film, it would have worn out. Once on the 40" long circular needles, I completed it in a day.
As Memorial Day weekend and the last couple of weeks were filled with rain and thunderstorms, I finally sat down at the sewing machine and made fitted sheets out of flat sheets. While in the sewing mood I was able to whip out some small project bags from the stash. They are modeled after the Japanese Knot Bag from this site and are reversible. I added buttons so that I can tell them apart.

 

Since time has been on my side the Hedera sock that I started in January are also complete.The yarn is Fleece Artist's Sea Wool and the pattern is from Cookie A. via Knitty. I am in love with semisolid yarn. No more variegated yarn for me. I still have some in my stash and hope to find just the right patterns for them.

 

Today, sans child, we hit the beach. Me, with my current sock in cute new project bag, iPod, and book. Tom with coffee, newspaper and his Siruis radio. We spent a quite 3 hours until the march of the families with kiddies arrived en mass loaded to the hilt with all the kiddie beach accessories. Now that we are just two again, we travel lightly and early to avoid the humans and catch the bird parade. 

The Scent of Fear

Just when I thought the week could not get any worse, it did. Remember that cute little skunk that we were so enamored with an entry ago? Well, it reached puberty and let us know it. The smell woke me up out of a sound sleep in the very early hour and the stench was enough to make me sit bolt upright in bed. I raced around the house, hysterically, with Tom at my heels. I was gagging and buckling at the knees, bested by a rodent.

The temperature outside was in the low 40's but that did not deter me from throwing open all windows and doors. By the time I stumbled out the door to work, leaving Tom to start triage on the house, Pepe was still at large. When I arrived at work I definitely had the odor clinging to my sweater, pants and hair. Tom called me an hour or so later to report that the offender had taken refuge under the guest bath cabinet.

After an endless vigil and when he/she thought the coast clear, it ambled through the house with swagger, pausing to roam throughout the living room and kitchen (wafting all the way) before exiting out the cat door. Once the area was clear, Tom raced to the grocery for gallons of vinegar and boxes of baking soda. The mop up had to start right away. I arrived home after my own trip to Target, freshly armed with deodorizers, enzyme sprays, and air filters, the smell was still strong. There was nothing left but to suck up fresh air from outdoors and start scrubbing areas I thought might be affected. Friends and neighbors were consulted, all advice was weighed and to work I went. One brave friend surprised me with bottles of bleach, pet urine neutralizer, and a bottle of wine.

Out came all my soup bowls to be filled with vinegar and spread about. I filled bucket after bucket with bleach and scrubbed walls, baseboards and ceilings. While on my hands and knees in a small hallway, the scent almost knocked me down. I hit the stinking mother load. The friend bearing the bottles of goodies turned pale and beat a quick retreat. The cable repair man, who showed up soon after,  started gagging and let me know that the smell assaulted while he was up on top of the pole making repairs. I wanted to lay down and cry. Various neighbors popped in all afternoon to sniff test. I scrubbed and scrubbed away in-between loads of wash. It seems that every fabric in the house has taken on the smell. By today I have laundered every conceivable item that was in the air space. My yarn is still airing out on the porch with a very slight but lingering scent that hasn't left yet. On its way out the door, the skunk crawled under my pantry cabinet, didn't spray but the scent but the odor is unmistakable when the pantry doors are opened. The lifesaver has been the loan of a heavy duty air ionizer. I was never a believer in what these pricey air cleaners could do but now I'm a convert and saving money for one of my own.
Lessons I  learned?  Bleach, white vinegar and baking soda are my new best friends. My cats are getting pink slips.

The smell has abated and we can stand to be in the house thanks open windows and milder temperatures in the 70's. For now we will be very careful and never forget to close off the cat doors at night.

Is Obama President?

For 1 hour and 49 minutes...
What a great day for the USA.

via SwissMiss

Lemons on the Menu

When I discovered hand-dyed yarn, I was mesmerized by the colors. Socks were my knit of choice during those early years and I bought a lot of very bright sock yarn, much of it now destashed in favor of more muted tones. The New Year barely began and I felt the need to weed out my piles into what Clara Parks refers to as my happy and unhappy pile. What's left is yarn that I truly love and have planned projects for.
Just before the year ended I was searching for a knit quickie and I pulled a yarn out my destash pile. A brightly colored lemon yellow skein of Woolarina Merino sock yarn. I cast on the Lace Ribbon Scarf from 2008 spring Knitty.
Due to the short yardage, I only cast on enough for three columns of ribbon  and had the pattern memorized in no time. The scarf accompanied me through the holidays and a trip to EPCOT prior to casting off. The scarf is so bright and tart that the palace lion puked it back up.

The result is pleasing but I learned that superwash merino has a mind of its own. The scarf curls despite blocking the dickens out of it and steaming it for good measure. This is not among my favorite finished shawls but I know that it will wear like iron and should brighten a dull winter day...
The rest of the country might be covered in snow and experience freezing temperatures but Florida is basking in mild 70,s and 80's. The little animals should have no difficulty foraging for food. So why do I have a parade of woodland creatures traipsing through my house and feasting on the Science Diet? I guess because they can and they have discovered the cat doors. The latest nocturnal visitor is a skunk. Mind you we have had racoons, possums, rabbits and a variety of birds...the smaller animals brought in by the cats. A few years ago we have a tough time keeping the raccoons out of the kitchen. They scattered food everywhere and washed muddy paws in the water bowl. The skunks are much tidier but the fear of the spray, which hasn't come yet, scares me to death. Here is Pepe in his favorite hiding place in between the fillers between the cabinets. The cats just watch. After the portrait session, we shooed him out the garage door and closed off the buffet entrance. Forage outdoors, little skunk.

Obama in My Backyard

A few days ago, if you would have told me that I would be in the same room with a presidential hopeful I'd have collapsed in gales of laughter. I have my opinions about the state of the economy, the ever increasing cost of living, my decreasing income, the war, health care, et cetera, with the realization that or present state is akin to a huge ship that can't be turned around so easily. I am among those who don't feel that we are better off than we were four or even eight years ago.  So when I heard that Barack Obama was coming to our fair city of Titusville, I had to make an effort to hear him speak in person.
The Berlin speech made such an impact on my family over in Germany.  My aunt found his speech to be eloquent and his ideas to be grounded in the interests of the American people. I didn't hear the full speech myself. Instead I read sound bites in our local paper. I felt some shame that my aunt was better informed than I was.
Friday morning I stood in line and received two tickets to the town hall meeting that took place this morning. A friend and I arrived at the gymnasium two and a half hours early and were fortunate to get great seats three rows back from the podium. As we waited, the rest of the gym started to fill up with friends, neighbours, our local politicos  in office, and those currently running for office. Secret service were in evidence as was our local police, sheriff, and fire department. As we sat, we got to know the people around and next to us. We traded quips and took pictures of the surroundings. We sat still as school children as the New York Times photographers requested so they could take pictures for the NYT magazine. The gym was rapidly heating up and I saw political pamphlets doing duty as fans to cool those high up in the bleachers.
I looked around and spotted several friends included in those chosen to sit in the stands behind the podium.
After the minister, the politician,  local Democratic party leader,  state senator, and concerned citizen spoke, it was time for Obama to make his appearance. He did to hoots and howls and foot stomping.
I listened closely to the message of  "Change". It was a great speech but I'm not a good judge of political stump speeches. I did agree with what I heard. Affordable health care, a living wage, affordable college education ($4000.00 credit per year) for those who agree to give back in the form of community service. Long term prosperity, solutions to the energy crisis and global warming, winding down the war in Iraq, shutting corporate loopholes, and ending tax cuts for the wealthy.
Who wouldn't want those conditions? Can they be delivered and how long will it take? No one really knows. Someone asked that question in the Q and A session afterwards.
As I listened, I had to nod my head in agreement. Our local economy is closely tied to the space program and so many livelihoods rely on what the next administration's view of space is. It all sounds promising...but can it be delivered? 
When it came time to leave, I was surprised to be lead into a back by a charming fireman who asked if I wanted to meet Senator Obama. I dried my clammy hands and queued in the hall with a few others who were lucky enough to get up close and shake his hand. I thanked him for coming bringing our community together. He smiled and squeezed my shoulder and thanked me for coming.
An hour or so later, on my way to my son's swim meet, I passed the dozens of police on motorcycles  heading west to Orlando. As I approached the traffic light, the big black bus was turning the corner off US 1 onto Garden Street and following the escort. I rolled down my window, honked and waved. Maybe he saw me and wondered why I didn't pull out my knitting for the photo op. I guess I just wasn't thinking straight. Larger issues loomed.

Who Would Have Thought...

...that our fair city would be on the tour. I wonder if I can slip in my knitting and get a photo of the three of us? I have an extra ticket...

Of Caramels and Chemo Hats

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

I have a weakness for caramels and Susan saved a precious caramel for me. Her Mum brought them all the way from Iowa, one pound of soft, sweet, buttery goodness. The little package was part of her dowry for umpteenth  trip to the hospital for treatment. I have been hunting a recipe to rival the flavour and texture ever since. I think that I have found a recipe that closely resembles the taste but not the texture. Making caramels in 80% humidity is not always a success story. The first batch turned into caramel goo, sorry, I meant sauce. I presented my "sauce" to Susan upon her arrival home from the hospital. The glass dish was accompanied by several Granny Smith apples. It was lapped up by all and sundry. I had a hit. There was one more small glass jar that I had put in the refrigerator. When the daughter of the house arrived home she, too, wanted a sample. The door was opened and we heard the crash. The sauce was history. We wore two sad faces.

Back to the sauce pan and onto the recipe. It does harden if you take the time to really boil the concoction slowly and use the thermometer. I will be cutting these up and wrapping them this afternoon.
Susan is heading out for the beach on Monday morning for her second round of a five day chemotherapy treatment. I sending her off with more caramels. Here is a link for her CarePage.

I talked about my friend  in past blog posts. She is an aspiring knitter, garter dishcloths are her specialty. We will be working on the purl stitch soon, I hope! Here she is with her trusty cat, Bella, making sure that  garter doesn't get too easy.

 

So, as it happens, Susan has lost what was her crowning glory. The hair came out overnight in large patches on her pillow. Even though we live in mind numbing heat, hair keeps the body temperate. It was time to make some hats. My first attempt was the Belliveau Cove, a crochet bucket like hat. I was not pleased with the results due to the lack of depth in the crown, too Mother Hubbard. I like the pattern, it took two hours to whip up, so I made a second version with three extra rows of shell pattern. It looks much better. The flowers are a friends creation and make the hat extra special. Suz will be in the hospital all next week. I hope she remembers to take her knitting.

 

As I was boiling the caramel concoction above, Susan was sitting in my kitchen and telling me about the overwhelming feeling of walking into these cancer centers, head spinning, fear and confusion reign supreme.  On her last stay at Cape Canaveral Hospital, she was showered with visits and cards. She told me of one patient that had been there for months and had no one and no place to go. Her daughter found this to be so sad so she came up with the idea to set up a table at the race filled with paper and art supplies for anyone who wants to make cards to take to fourth floor next week. Susan talked about how she would like to be part of a network to help those without family to provide a hand to hold, a story read aloud at bedside, or a ride to a treatment. Here is the address should you feel inclined to send a card.

Cape Canaveral Hospital
4 E/W Oncology
701 West Cocoa Beach Causeway
Cocoa Beach, FL 32931

Our little town is coming together to partake in a special triathlon for cancer survivors and there caretakers. Lots of us will be racing for Susan. I know that knitters have big hearts so please just turn your thoughts south this Friday evening and send us positive energy.

Here is a recent article that ran in our local paper.

Titusville mother is one tough competitor
PATTI SPONSLER
FREELANCE

PATTI SPONSLER
FOR FLORIDA TODAY

Susan Slayman is a tough competitor -- both on a triathlon course and against cancer. One month after finishing the 2006 Family Challenge Triathlon, the Titusville mother of three was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, requiring surgical removal of a tumor in her lung.
She returned to last year's race with a new appreciation for what she could do, even though an ominous lump had appeared on her leg and the results of her biopsy were not yet known.
"I had seen an article about a man who had lost his leg to sarcoma and was still doing marathons," she said. "I thought about how grateful I was to still be able to participate in the race."
During the last few months, Slayman has undergone surgery and radiation for the sarcoma that returned to her lung, as well as her diaphragm and leg. Her July 4 holiday was spent in the hospital receiving the first of several five-day rounds of chemotherapy.
The cancer has forced her to broaden her definition of participation this year.
"I was getting a little teary-eyed and feeling sorry for myself that I will probably have to be a spectator this year instead of a participant," said Slayman. "During my quiet time, though, God showed me that out of fear or because of lack of time management or whatever reason, many of us really don't participate in many areas of our lives. We just let life and opportunities to touch others pass by."
Slayman chooses to do otherwise and will be fully engaged while encouraging those who are well enough to swim, bike and run in the Cancer Challenge Triathlon.
"I know that even as a spectator, I can choose to participate while cheering others on," she said. "Cancer is not going to stop me from participating in life, no matter what."

Monumental

Construction may be slow in the rest of the country but Atlanta is getting its bit of Paris and so am I. Well not quite Paris but a bit of European architecture.

In the spirit of July 4th and in the wake of oppressing humidity, my neighbour strolled over for a chat. As we were sitting and talking about mindless things, Tom mentioned the Millennium Gate. He read about the project  in the paper. I had not heard about it but you can read about it here and make up your own mind. Evidently the placement is less than ideal and it frames an IKEA. Well, they tried.

Since the day was slow Lisa I had the bright idea to build our own monument.  I have been the proud owner of  3 boxes of Anker building blocks that I brought back from Germany in 2001. These blocks have a long, colourful history and are based on the father of kindergarten, Friedrich Froebel's, wood blocks. I purchased these thinking that my son would enjoy them but I m the one who secretly plays with them. To me they are a box of happiness from the moment I slide back the lid and inhale the first blast of linseed oil. I never cease to marvel at the precise order each box is in, all the pieces in their place according to the drawing on the lid.

The stones are still made in the same moulds that were used in the 19th century using an original recipe of quartz, chalk, linseed oil, and natural pigments. Unfortunately the stones are a little fragile and if dropped, they chip.

 

The plans, although accurate, are not always easy to follow. This makes for quite a challenge. We chose to make the guard house out of all the pieces in all three boxes. We started out on shaky ground. The Portico was tricky and fell apart on the first two tries. Once we had the roof going, the rest came together. It took us a good hour construct our monument and we cheered when the last block was in place. Now I'm ready for box 10A. Santa, baby, I'm putting this on my on my Christmas list.

I Can See Myself in This

On those days when I  want to keep the world out.

 

 

Easter Greetings...Frohe Ostern

"March is the month of expectation,
The things we do not know,
The Persons of Prognostication
Are coming now.
We try to sham becoming firmness,
But pompous joy
Betrays us, as his first betrothal
Betrays a boy."
-   Emily Dickinson, XLVIII

Lent It Be

Today, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. For some, a time for a bit of soul searching, repentance, and taking stock.

My personal objective for the season is to reinforce my goal of yarn abstention and continue to knit from the stash. Consume less, knit more is my motto...40 days isn't that long, is it?

On that note, here is an article that was published in Philadelphia Weekly not too long ago. I almost fell out of my chair laughing. Here is the follow up article. Knitzkrieg indeed. Hold on to your needles and enjoy.

You'd better hide, Mr. Wells.

Wake Up Call

Yesterday mortality stepped up and slapped my face. The hand print left made me think about what lays ahead for me as I end my 49th year.

The day started with all the normal routines in place with the exception of a doctors appointment with my favorite gastro. As we chatted he exclaimed, "You're turning 50?" and promptly scheduled my first colonoscopy. After the exam we chatted about my friend and neighbor who is one of his patients, now in a nursing facility. She is fatally ill with colon cancer.

This wonderful and vibrant woman was active as late as October of 2007. We sat and chatted at a Halloween party given by my next door neighbor. She asked me about my gallbladder removal as she was scheduled for the same procedure in November. I thought nothing more of the conversation until I was told that she was sent home after the physician ended the operation. She had wide spread inoperable cancer. Within weeks she has deteriorated to a shadow of her former self. I sat with her yesterday and we talked for an hour. Her mind is still very sharp and she was amazed that she had yet to feel pain. We laughed when she said, "The staff commented on the amount of visitors that have come through. They hinted that I had too many." That was a comfort to me. As I  was leaving, I was greeted by several people who recognized me. I stopped short as I recognized a name on a door. The inhabitant was a lady taught me the art of calligraphy. She was also an active woman who competed in ballroom dance. She had several strokes and was now living in the facility as a permanent resident. My friend, employed by the home showed me pictures that she sells to anyone interested. They were pages from a coloring book. Cinderella, lovingly colored using pencils. Yes, she colors in the lines and the colors are accurate. My friend owns two that she has hanging on her filing cabinet in the office.

As it happens, I opened email that affected me profusely. My husbands cousin, a youngish 50 something is at home spending her last days in bed after her second bought with breast cancer . Her husband chose to send out pictures of her in bed that were so disturbing they will be burned into my memory for quite a while. I’m not sure that I wanted to remember her in this way.

The theme of death and dying continued when I listened to David Rieff discuss his mother’s Susan Sontag’s, experience with her cancer episodes on NPR this afternoon. As I age, this will become a recurring theme. I’m just not that I wanted to face it yet.

Hodge Podge Knitalong

A lot has happened at Chez Claybaugh over the past few weeks. I hadn't thought so until I sat down with my next door neighbor who had been on an adjacent trip to Boston and then jetted off to Europe. After listening to her adventures, I used all my fingers on both hands to give her a rundown of happenings in our atmosphere. I'll bore you only with the fiber portion of my life.
My knitting has revolved around WIPS these days. My goal is to only have about four things on the needles at a time. A garment, a scarf or shawl of some sort, a pair of socks, two at the most. Ravelry has helped me gain oversight in what I have in my stash and what's on my needles. This coupled with a newly discovered podcast "Stash and Burn", I hope to keep my knitting life more manageable.
Here is the latest rundown.
Recently completed,  Victorian Lace socks, the summer sock recipe from the SixSox KAL. The yarn I used was Lorna's Laces Baby Stripe. I liked the pattern, although if I never have to knit another melon stitch, I'll die happy. The yarn was from Olgajazzzy's stash that I had purchased last year. It was not my color either, but I found a friend who loves the socks and has the Ked's to wear with them.

On the needles, the Smidge Pidge in 100% Pure Angora, also bought from another bloggers stash. The stitch is hard to discern due to the heavy halo of bunny fur.

I am pleased to announce that I am at the halfway to completion of the last of the 2006 Socks That Rock yarns. This is by far the new favorite, Winters Eve, knit in the Mustang Sally colorway. It is with a heavy heart that I am declining the 2008 invitation of both Socks That Rock and the new Sundara Seasons yarn clubs. I have a veritable treasure trove of sock yarn that I want to use or destash.

My two languishing projects that have jumped back into the limelight are my never ending Lady Eleanor and the Hanne Falkenburg DaCapo jacket. Both are not portable any longer due to the size. This means that they are nearing completion. I'm ashamed to admit that the DaCapo has been in progress since November 2005 and Lady Eleanor was started a year later in November 2006. Hmm, I wonder what it is about November that prevents me from completing those projects. I have taken both to our little knitting group that meets upstairs at the bakery. I have the luxury of arriving at 7 AM, after dropping my son off at the pool, and knitting in solitude until 9 when the others begin to arrive. Total knitting time on Thursdays, five precious hours.

What up for 2008? This will be my year of destash. I loosely calculated, based on my Raverly inventory, that I have 7 sweaters, 5 scarves, and 20 pair of socks to work on. My latest addition to the list is Kraemers Silk and Silver. After reading  Clara Perkins review, I had to have it. So, enough already, I still have to make it through the SAFF weekend!

On a purely personal note, my son attended his first dance, Homecoming. Here he is in full regalia squeezing one of his swim teammates. Ah, to be young again.

Go Endeavor

A quick look at the Endeavor launch from our 10th floor vantage point. In front of us is the Indian River and the Vehicle Assembly Building. The cabin leak that prevented lunch yesterday was corrected and we had liftoff a day later. The 11 day mission will have teacher Barbara Morgan on board.

Below us are the assembled masses at Space View park around the Project Gemini Monument.

The day here was extremely hot and stagnant with the temperature in the high 90's. We were grateful for the breeze coming off the river while enjoying the view.

With a Face Like This...

...what's not to love. Today was the final Fleece Dog needle felting class and Mandy Dog's big coming out. Isn't she cute? It was just a few weeks ago when she was just a bundle of raw flees and a pair of glass eyes. Today was spent making ears, a tail, facial features, filling out the body, and creating a bit of personality. I dug through the trash for a yarn ribbon and used my little scrap of leftover fleece to fashion a bone. I love the results. What a departure from knitting. I had a great teacher. Thanks Barbara. thanks also to Ann, owner of my closest LYS, Knit & Stitch, for providing such a welcoming environment.

As always, I couldn't leave empty handed. My latest yarn procurement , (all in support of, of course) were 7 balls of Dream, a wonderfully cuddly baby blue yarn. All with Sitcom Chic in mind.

Sheep to Dog

My local LYS, Knit and Stitch in Cocoa Village, sends out class schedules monthly that have been glanced at and cast aside with guilty regularity. The drive there is a 45 mile round trip that I'm usually too tired and to frugal to make. The store is small but nice, increasingly better stocked than in the past. The owner more a gracious hostess, than a mere shopkeeper. I was intrigued by a class that involved needle felting, something that I have not tried and know very little about. I made the commitment to take the series of four lessons.

Class is based on the book Fleece Dog by Nobuku Nagakubo,  and an accompanying kit of various shades of raw wool and trim to create a variety of dogs. I have chosen the Yellow Labrador and I will try to capture the essence of our shop dog, Mandy. Here is the teachers model of the Westie.

When I left for class yesterday afternoon, I was looking forward to a table full of classmates making a variety of dogs. When I arrived, I was told that I was the only student. Great, one on one. My teacher, Barbara, is very thorough and explains every step . I learned about the differences between roving, pencil roving, and sliver. I learned to card and blend the colors to achieve a Mandy-like coat. Barbara suggested that I bring some of Mandy's fur, washed, of course, to combine with the wool for some good doggie karma.
  After my wool had been blended, I made a wire frame with the coil in my kit. The next step is to slip a piece of spindle cord on each leg of the wire frame and crimp the end. Then the fun begins. A bit of yarn is wrapped around the  first leg and then you take the felting needle and repeatedly poke the wool. while turning the leg so as to keep it looking, well, leg like. Not a quick process. The needle is very sharp and any slipping can end in impalement.

So, blinders on, no distractions, please. I don't want to bleed on my dog.
Next week, the body beautiful...I hope.
 

It's Just a Thing

Having spent the better part of a weekend visiting my stash and  placing pictures on Ravelry, my attention has now turned to another compulsive pastime. Ravelry has a page where ones books are inventoried. Within that page lurks a link the LibraryThing.  Intrigued, I visited and realized that I had a membership long forgotten. I can't quite remember when I signed up.  Or why. Years ago I sold off quite a few of my books on half.com and I just couldn't face taking my 1000+ books off of shelves and typing in all those ISBN's again. Just as I was about to blow the whole thing off, I clicked on the tools page and their was a cute little scanner in the shape of a cat a CueCat. Only $15.00 includes shipping. I can do this, scan my books and have a handle on just what I own.
Now I'm addicted. I have scanned 3 rooms of books and am working on the main library. It's been a happy pastime visiting all those children's books, finding misplaced cookbooks, and rediscovering old friends.  There is a widget at the bottom of the page for the totally bored and wanting a glimpse into what's on my shelves.
I made room for my 2 preordered copies of "The Deathly Hallows". Bring it on!

Mail Call

Hey, guess what these are. Maybe I'm the last one in the know (again), but I'll share anyway. They're MOO mini cards. Mine happen to be calling cards with my contact info on the back. How to order, you ask? Easy. I used my flickr account, choose  images that I liked, cropped them to my liking and divested my PayPal account by $20.00. Cheap and cheerful. The cards arrived in less than a week in todays mail, from the UK, no less. They are small but oh, so cute. I can just hand them to anyone interested in finding me  or my blog...
Just a little knitting update so I can say that some knitting has taken place. Tom and I actually put the boat into the water for the first time this season. My sock went along for the ride. I am rotating between Victorian lace Sock 1 and Marble Arches Sock 2. Most of the weekend was spent cataloging yarn and projects in Ravelry.

Here is another item that I received in the last weeks mail. Firebird is the newest STR yarn installment. I am woefully behind knitting up the sock yarn. I also snuck two skeins of the new Handmaiden Fleece Artist Sea Wool into the stash. Now that I have the Vintage Velvet off the needles, I think that I will concentrate on the Stormwater shawl that I've let languish as a WIP for to long.
To end my missive, a bit of gratuitous kitty photography. Here's Kittywitz hanging out in the backyard hammock. Just don't put your hand beneath the hammock in the vicinity of her paws. You've been warned...