She Knits By The Seashore

Knitting update and Cute Cats

Before:

 

 

 

Now:

 

 

There was a mistake in the left sleeve in the upper photo that I just couldn't get past. I feel like this sweater is never going to be finished. I am so sick of working on it.

The shrug is almost done! I'm starting to put the stitches on the needles for the ribbed border.

I haven't posted photos of the shelter cats in a bit, so tonight I took a bunch to share with you! Sometimes people ask me, "How do you work there without wanting to take everyone home?" Maybe because I adopted two kitties just before I started working there, and two of my three do not play well with others*, I'm not tempted as much as I might be. Honestly, I come home from my volunteer night loving mine more if that's possible. And I have the next best thing: instead of them coming home to live with me, I go to their house to visit them. In my short time there, I have seen the most unlikely adoptions, so it's always a joy to check the "Look Who Got Adopted" board. I'm sure the following kitties will be added there soon!

This is Hope, and she's much cuter than my photo. She's in the infirmary at the moment for a minor infection, having just gotten rescued after being outdoors for a long time. She is very affectionate and once she puts on weight, I fully expect her to find her new persons.

 

 

Here is Que (most of the cats have good names, but every once in a while there is one I do not get). She is a tiny bit shy, but always says hello to me when I go into her room to give Bugsy her medicine. Love her.

 

 

This little girl came up to say hello when I took Que's photo. I couldn't find her photo and name on the board. Maybe she is new, but I will find it out!  She reminds me of my niece cats, Alice and Cali.

 

 

This is Kewpie (she so needs a better name). Adore her. She was found by a local animal control officer locked in a closet. She is missing one eye and is partially blind in the other, but is SO lovable and brave with people, despite her past horror, that I have no doubt there is a home in her near future. And if I ever come across the person who did that to her...

 

 

 

Gabby. Love her too. A petite little girl. I love how she folds her paws.

 

 

Smoky. LOVE him. When he had a runny eye a few weeks ago, he let me give him medicine without flinching. I would take him home in a minute if Tim would let me. Love him, love him, love him.

 

 

Walker and Scarlett. Chaos and May, I'm sorry I don't know the black kitty in the background. I am proud of Walker because when he first came to the shelter, you could tell he wanted to trust people but was afraid. He'd take steps toward you, but if you put out your hand, he'd go back. But this time he let me pet him!! Someone must be working with him and helping him be brave. Miss Scarlett is semi-feral but perhaps she will come around with Walker's help.

Meanwhile, back in the living room...

 

 

Rainy: Do you think she's going to be able to finish this shrug before the Tour?

Tim: I don't know, but I am more than ready for some new yarn to play with. I'm sick of pink.

Rosie: What do they mean I'm like Marilyn on the Munsters?*  Is being a normal, well-adjusted cat a bad thing?

Summer Wish List 1.0

I'm so glad I made a summer wish list. The time goes by so fast, and as a "write it down" sort of girl, if I don't put pen to paper, I might miss some of the things I want to do in my most favorite of seasons. [Actually, as far as I am concerned, there are only two seasons: Summer and Everything Else]. Picture heavy post ahead!

Reading:

I finished the Not So Big Life book. It was a well-written book, though not what I expected. If you are looking for something straightforward and practical to help you analyze how you spend your time, and how to go about removing needless obligations and events to make more time for knitting or your family and friends (not necessarily in that order!), this is not for you. If you are looking for a much deeper, philosophical, Eastern approach to restructuring how you look at your life, in order to let that changed view change your habits and priorities, this may be for you. The one helpful thing I learned that I can apply to my life: multitasking is not a good thing, because when our body is in one place, our mind is somewhere else, and we are not fully enjoying or concentrating on the event at hand. Which explains why we misplace our keys, forget to return calls, or don't really listen to our friends and loved ones when they are communicating with us. It probably also explains dropped stitches when you are watching cycling races and reading blogs and answering emails too. :)

I am now thrilled to be starting The Artist's Way study in a couple of days. As for the audiobooks, I am listening to A Year in Provence at the recommendation of Slothknits. And discovering it is taking me an age to finish one book -- it is already overdue to the library. 

Knitting:

 

 

I'm on repeat 7 of 9, and I really hope to finish this shrug before the Tour de France KAL starts. There are still a few spots left if you'd like to join us!

Summer activities:

The heat wave we had two weekends ago inspired an early trip to the beach. YAY!

Last Friday night Chris and I went to the observatory's open house night, and we were able to see the moon, Saturn's rings, and the red speck that is Mars. It is a great date night or family night if you are looking for something fun and different to do. You can find your local group here. The bike trip around Block Island, though, will have to wait until a certain person's collar bone heals. 

I am not doing so well with the butterfly field trips, because they always seem to be scheduled on a day when there is something else I have to do. And I'm also not doing well with the eating outdoors, because in the past few weeks, there was either terrible humidity, or pouring rain and thunderstorms. But I will keep trying. In the meantime, I leave you with Chris' gorgeous photos of our trip to the New York Botanical Garden's rose garden last Sunday (typepad is still being cranky, so please ignore the bad layout).

How are you doing with your summer wish list -- are you getting to do some of those things you dream about when the temperatures are in the minus digits (I hate even typing that)? I hope so! It's not too late to make your list!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GYGIG ride & Quilt Blocks

Thank you so much for your anniversary wishes! We had a happy dinner out last Tuesday night, with a visit to the beach. Unfortunately, we left the camera at home.

Chris was unable to blog from the road for the Get Your Guts in Gear ride last weekend, but you can read about his experiences here. Everyone had a fantastic time, despite the horribly hot weather in New York, and the primitive camping conditions. Chris met his rider's fee of $1900 in the week before the ride, so a big thank you again to everyone that supported him and us! The final total raised for the New York ride hasn't been tabulated yet, but I do believe $200,000 was mentioned as a guesstimate. 

The Seattle ride is the first weekend of August, and the Texas ride is the third weekend in October. So if you live near those areas and you or a loved one deal with Crohn's Disease or ulcerative colitis, I hope you'll consider joining as a crew member or rider. It's a lot of fun and the people are terrific.

One of the organizations that benefits from the Get Your Guts in Gear ride is the IBD Quilt Project. They collect squares that honor patients who battle the disease. The squares are assembled into quilts sent all over the world, similar to the AIDS quilts. I wanted to make Chris a square, but because I don't sew, I wasn't sure how to go about it. And then I received an email from Yarnfloozy, asking if she could make a square for Chris and Charlie. I just cannot tell you in words how touched I was for her to ask. I didn't think the IBD Quilt folks would accept a square for a cat, but sure enough, when she asked them, they said yes!! With Dotty's permission, I want to share her photos of the quilt squares with you:

 

Chris' square

 

Charlie's square

Dotty, thank you so much for your kindness and beautiful squares!! It will be an honor for us to be a part of the finished quilt.

Last week, there was a question for the secret pal swap about our favorite summer drink. Mine must be iced tea, the unsweetened kind, that I usually make from a mix. I love raspberry iced tea too. What is your favorite summer drink?

Knitting on the shrug progresses. Seaming on the cardigan does not. How are your summer projects going, knitting and otherwise??

Thirteen Years

While Chris was away at the GYGIG ride this past weekend, I worked on Caroline. The sleeves are finished, and I was sewing the first one into the sweater, when I found a mistake. No one would notice, but it is going to drive me crazy, so I'll rip back and correct it. My goal is to get the sweater done completely before July 5th, including the crocheted edging.

 

July 2006, Poughkeepsie NY race, 1st place finish

Thirteen years ago today, I married my best friend. What Robert Browning says is all true:

"Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, The last of life, for which the first was made; Our times are in his hand who saith, "A whole I planned, Youth shows but half; trust God: See all, nor be afraid!"

And Phil Liggett too:

"He’s added another page to this fairy tale that just keeps going on."

Here's to many more laps together in the Tour de Life.

 

The Beach

So happy it's the weekend! Our GYGIG rider-turned-crew member is off marking routes for the NY cyclists. I promise a report as soon as I hear anything. On the west coast, Deb at Deb on the Web is also fundraising for Crohn's and Colitis patients, with a 5K walk. She has gorgeous prizes, so I hope you will go on over and support her. [Typepad decided to crash my computer today, whenever I add links or photos. I apologize for lack of both in this post, but wouldn't have gotten it up otherwise!]

I've joined a special beach swap -- how could I say no to that?! --  and my swap partner is Woven N Spun. We're not required to post the answers to the swap questions on our blogs, but I just loved reading and thinking about these so much, I had to share them. So ask them of yourself, and see if they make you feel all happy inside too.

Beach or Swimming pool?

Swimming pool for swimming. Beach for everything else: relaxing, reading, napping.

Favorite toenail color?

Medium pink, with sand a second favorite

Best summer read?

I usually save a Jan Karon for our vacation week, but I like mysteries and vintage romance novels too

What do you knit for summer?

Usually I’m finishing the late winter projects! But I like summer scarves and sweaters, or lace stoles & shawls best.

If you could plan the perfect beach picnic, what would it be?

Iced tea, salad, sandwiches, fruit for dessert. Or KFC! I am boring when it comes to food.

Do you wear flip flops in the summer? Yes

Your favorite summer drink? Iced tea, raspberry or sugar free

Best beach memory?

Being at Watch Hill, RI, to see the sun set, and the spectacular colors of the sky…there weren’t many people around so you could hear the waves lapping against the shore, and feel this balmy breeze, not too strong. It was heaven.

What do you pack in your beach bag for the day?

Sunscreen, pink and green beach towel, bottled water, fashion magazines, paperback novel if I’m in the middle of something good

Best yarns for hot weather?

Anything but mohair?!

The perfect way to end a day at the beach? Walking on the beach, watching the sun set. Watching it while eating dinner at an outdoor restaurant is even better.

If you could build a sand sculpture, what would it be?
A castle, I guess, or a cat.

Tell about your favorite beaches.
I really want to experience a tropical beach. The closest I’ve come is Bermuda, which is not really tropical, but the sand is pink and the water is this incredible aquamarine blue. I’m always drawn to yarns in that color! New England beaches are blah in comparison, lots of rocks and seaweed and green-brown water, though the beach roses are pretty. But any beach is better than no beach at all. 

Let's talk summer colors. What do you think?

Aquamarine, any and all blue greens. Sand and seashell pink

This music reminds me of summer at the beach....

1980s pop music

I hope you all get to spend your weekend relaxing by the water!

Happy Weekend and SP 12 Questionnaire

I hope everyone had a fun but restful weekend. We had the first, but not the second. My grandmother is celebrating her 85th birthday, and we had a big surprise party for her Sunday at our house. A great family time, but I'm still recovering!!

I'm about half way through of the Not So Big Life, the first book on my Summer Wish List. At this point, the author is still discussing the abstract, philosophical part of a not so big life; I must confess she lost me in the chapter on dreams, because mine are far too nonsensical to be of any use. Hopefully the remaining chapters will have more concrete application for clearing out the tasks and physical clutter that take up so much of our time, when we'd rather be focusing on who and what we love.

In the past week, I've shown you lots of new yarn but not any knitting. There has been knitting, but it's of the "more of the same, only longer" variety on both the back of the shrug and those pesky Caroline sleeves. I've passed over to the "it's war" phase of that project, so in the next photo, you may see those sleeves with bandages on them. Sigh.

In the meantime, I've signed up for two summer swaps. This is my first time with the Secret Pal swap, where we post our answers to the questions on the blog, below. I'm looking forward to meeting my swap pal; I don't recognize any of the blogs on the list!

You can tell Timmy is so excited! He did ask me to put in a word here for Adopt a Shelter Cat month.
He's never put his own paw in a shelter before, having come from a former co-worker's cat's litter, but perhaps he's feeling altruistic towards his sisters? I have no idea why he likes to sleep in this cardboard box, but maybe it's his version of "survivor/adoptee guilt." Anyway, on to the questionnaire!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Other than novelty yarns, scratchy acrylics and tweed, recycled silk, or yarns with a lot of VM in them, there's not much I don't like. I seem to be drawn to Rowan or Louisa Harding yarns lately. I love hand-dyed yarn, as long as it's not the for-socks-only kind.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

A fabric needlecase

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I learned as a teenager from a friend, and have been knitting on and off since then, so probably intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes. Scarlett22770 at yahoo dot com.

5. What's your favorite scent? Old-fashioned flowers like peony, sweet pea, lily of the valley, honeysuckle or lilac. Also "ocean" scents, as long as they are fresh rather than super spicy like men's cologne, and anything tropical and summery like coconut or mango. I don't like food scents like vanilla, pumpkin, banana, cake, etc.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I don't really have a sweet tooth, but I like Jelly Belly jellybeans. And I love black tea.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I don't do any other crafts, but I have a collection of ink stamps and ink pads that I use for letter writing. I like art supplies such as colored pens and markers, or ribbon.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like 80s New Wave, and traditional jazz.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Love: all pinks, blue greens like mint and teal, blues, lavender, white. Cannot stand: brown, orange, olive green, gold, or earth tones.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? One husband, three cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Scarves

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Sweaters, Scarves, Shawls & Stoles

13. What are you knitting right now? A cardigan and a shrug

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Sometimes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer straight aluminum needles, but will use circulars, wood, and even plastic if the pattern or yarn calls for them.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No

17. How old is your oldest UFO? November 2007

18. What is your favorite holiday? Memorial Day and Summer!

19. Is there anything that you collect? Books, spa-type products & nail polish, seashells

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I'd love to try the Fleece Artist or Handmaiden Yarns in the seashore or seashell colors. I'm also looking for a project excuse for Addi Turbo lace needles. :)

I subscribe to Interweave Knitting, Lucky and Domino magazines, and buy issues of KnitScene too.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Not at the moment. Eventually I'd like to try beading.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? No, I don't knit socks, though if I did, I would make the pedicure socks from Knitty. I'm a size 8W.

23. When is your birthday? February 27

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? knitseashore

When It Rains Yarn, It Pours

After I ordered my Tour de France project yarn, I bought the Nashua yarn for the Lace Ribbon scarf for car knitting, and then the Rowan Romance yarn because I loved it and needed it. Of course, the TdF yarn arrives within days. Isn't that always the way?!

  


This is Elle Stretch DK, made in South Africa, and not widely available around here for some reason. It is the yarn in the pattern for Breton Girl, because after the pink camisole trauma, there are some patterns where I'm just not going to substitute yarn.

Now that I have my project yarn, I can in good conscience promote our Tour de France KAL. Signups begin June 5! Even if you are not a cycling fan, you are welcome to join. We will be sharing a lot of French geography and culture in addition to the race reports, so there will be something for everyone. You do not need a blog or a Ravelry account to join; just let Meg and I know and we'll help you out. Ann S, if you are reading this, I hope you will join us!!! New knitters and cycling fans are very welcome!!

Karen also sent me some gorgeous yarn as a prize in one of her blog contests. Blue Malabrigo lace yarn. (It appears I am going through a blue phase, don't you? Must be the summer and ocean thing). I don't have a pattern chosen for it yet, but it's going to be perfect for an "accessory" scarf. As opposed to a cold weather scarf, for the seasons we don't mention here. Thank you so much Karen!!

Memorial Day weekend was an eventful one. First, it was my second blogiversary, and May 20 was my first year on Ravelry. I had plans to update the blog design, but ran out of time with the GYGIG fundraiser, planning my gram's 85th birthday party this weekend, and trying to get my container plants planted for our deck.

But secondly, our GYGIG rider had a wee crash in his race on Sunday. Another rider took a corner too sharply with six laps to go, and down a bunch of racers went. Chris and another rider got the worst of it. A trip to the ER confirmed he is now a member of that most revered group of cyclists: The Broken Collar Bone Club. It's kind of a right of passage. Chris is on some good painkillers and wearing an arm sling to immobilize the shoulder, but he'll be off his bike for six weeks, except for an indoor trainer. Which means that he'll transfer from bike rider to route marker & support crew for the Get Your Guts in Gear ride. He is so disappointed! I would offer to ride in his place but 1) the rules prevent that and 2) I am thankful for #1 because I might be able to ride 70 miles in one day and collapse, but I doubt I could ride 70 miles three days in a row. He will still blog about the weekend for us, so you can all meet the people and experience the event that you have graciously supported.

Notice the sign above Chris' head? An omen for the race that was ignored?

The good news is that since he came in fourth on the Saturday race, he is currently ranked #1 criterium racer for our state. YAY! And, for those of you that were worried, yes, with some minor readjustments, the bike is OK.

A Fine Romance

Starlight, starbright, first star I see tonight..." -- Nursery Rhyme, or "Lucky Star" by Madonna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Rowan Romance yarn I couldn't live without, in the Starlight color. The yarn is more gray in the photo than in person, but at least you can see the glinty sparkles. I'm thinking Stolen Moments Wrap by Amy M. Swenson if I can get gauge.

 

The afghan in the background was crocheted by my mom, for our wedding. It is one of the few blankets the cats are not allowed to sleep on, which intensely annoys them.

 

Robin tagged me for a meme.

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

Ten years ago next month, I started my current job. I also celebrated my third anniversary with Chris, and we began to plan for buying our first house.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

To get party supplies for my grandmother's birthday this weekend, find a frame for a new print for our kitchen wall, reply to some emails, finish the laundry, and get this post up.

3) Snacks I enjoy:

Officially: potato chips, which I don't buy from the grocery store because I can't ration them sensibly. Unofficially: the wee little Dunkin Donuts habit I've developed on the way to Chris' bike races. And sometimes on the way to knit night. I don't know if tea is a snack, but I drink pots of it.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Build my dream house, not large, but by the ocean. Build my parents a new house, put money aside for my dad's chemotherapy treatments, take care of my grandmother. Give up the day job and have more time to volunteer at the cat shelter, maybe even fund a building for a cat shelter in a place that needs one. Give money to other causes as needed, especially those sponsoring research for things like cancer, human and feline. Travel to all the different places I want to see, like Australia, Italy, islands, with my dear husband. Take art lessons, learn Italian, ride my bike regularly. Hire a training coach for Chris for racing. Hire a landscape designer and have them help me design the garden of my dreams, to go with the house. It will have a heated pool. Sponsor one pro bike team for men and women each. I better stop now...

5) Places I have lived: I've lived in the same state all my life, but four different towns. 

6) Who I'm tagging: Anyone who wants to join, since many people have already been tagged!

I hope you all had a good weekend, and, unofficially, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere: WELCOME SUMMER!!

Get Your Guts in Gear Winners Announced!

Tonight Random.org chose the winners for two last skeins of Charlie's yarn, and the $21 gift certificate to an LYS of the winner's choice. They are:

#12 -- Bridget  -- skein of Charlie's Yarn

#3 --  Nancy -- skein of Charlie's Yarn

#7-- Robin -- $21 gift certificate

Congratulations!!

Chris and I can't thank you all enough for your support, especially in these times of economic hardship. His current total raised is $1668, and with some local donations not yet counted, he should reach the rider's fee of $1900-2000 by June 6, the first day of the ride.

If you didn't win a skein of Charlie's Yarn, but would like to purchase one, please see Yvonne at Lavendersheep. She will accept orders for the next 24 hours or so before she dyes a last batch. I want to post a big thank you to Yvonne for creating the Charlie's Yarn for us and donating a portion of the sales to GYGIG. It was and is amazing to see the idea for a special yarn come to life before my very eyes.  I am looking forward to knitting a Cat's Paw scarf out of my skeins, and will wear it proudly. Yvonne, thank you!!!

The weekend of June 6-8, Chris is going to try to blog those 210 miles and 3 days from his Blackberry, and I'll post the day's ride reports here too. Until then, we thank you again for your donations and encouragement, and hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!

The loves of my life, Chris and Charlie, March 2007

Sometimes I Can Knit in Other Colors

This past weekend, I went to our church's annual women's retreat. It was a much needed rest, and I enjoyed time with my MIL while Chris and his father spent their weekend "back home" in Kentucky, where he grew up. Tim, Rainy, and Rosie kept the catnip parties to a minimum, as far as I can tell!

One of the highlights of my weekend was visiting an LYS that has possibly the best selection in the state. I went prepared -- I needed a crochet hook for Caroline's trim, and took some patterns with me, the Dauphine book and Lace Ribbon Scarf. For the LRS, which will make great summer car knitting, I found this beautiful periwinkle blue yarn, June by Nashua.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love at First Sight

I'm not sure that I believe it happens with people, but I know it happens with yarn. Every once in a while, "she looked across a crowded room and spotted it...and knew instantly it was a match made in heaven..." This weekend's fling was with Rowan's Romance. Why have we never been introduced before?

It was sitting in a lower bin, in shades of white, pink, and a blue lavender the color of the sunset sky just before the darkest blue sets in. There is a shimmery thread running through the yarn that sparkles like sun on the ocean or stars in a night sky -- the blue lavender is named Starlight. It is made in Italy. Swoon. (If you haven't guessed, I'm on an all things Italy binge lately, because of my family history research).

I didn't have a pattern with me on Saturday suitable for this yarn, so yesterday I called the store, with Diamanta in mind. But the yarns are too different in weight. I did what any obsessed person would do, who finds out the yarn might be discontinued -- ordered all seven balls -- and not the pink ones! (Yes, you read that right). Starlight. 

There is no good photo that captures this yarn that I can link to for you, though I tried above. I'll photograph mine when it arrives home. For now, I want to hear your stories of falling in love or obsession with a yarn. Tell me what it was, where or how you first met, and why you fell hard. In the meantime, I'll share my photo outtakes with you!

Find the kitty head!

Rosie inspects the yarn & new crochet hook

P.S. My pharmacy did reuse the old bottles for my prescriptions! Yay!