Getting Some Things Done

I think I've turned a corner and the pain level has really dropped. Still, this has not been a terrible recovery. I knit an entire shawl already:

This is an Antarktis in a Knit Circus gradient (can't find the ball band!). I thought I had too much yarn, but I was wrong and I had to end a bit early. I can't move around enough to block yet, but I'm sure it will block out to a good size.

I finished the painting I started on a day trip Keith and I took before my surgery to Viroqua, Wis.

This is a beautiful old building. To me, the touching thing is the For Sale sign along the side of the building. I'm not sure painting is the right word because I used Derwent Inktense Pencils, my usual medium.

I packed up a box of hand knits for the folks on Pine Ridge Reservation, one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the United States. You can learn more about this project at the Ravelry group. I mostly sent mittens and scarves.

I've been trying to knit outside for a little while every morning, before the mosquitos swarm! Yesterday I noticed that our yard is dotted with these:

It's a mushroom, not a flower.

Summer break is roughly half over, and it's going way too fast! When I can move around a little better, I need to go into school and start getting organized for next year. I learned the hard way last year that the pace is very fast in high school and I need to hit the ground running!

Keep Calm and Craft On for Charity

As soon as I can get the tags ready, I'll be sending these off to South Dakota, where these knitted goods will be distributed on the Pine Ridge Reservation. This Native American reservation is on of the poorest places in the United States, with a per capita income of $4,000. (Isn't that shameful in this country?)

 

About a decade ago, I wrote a story for a magazine about a murder that occurred there, and I learned a lot about how white America created and maintains the poverty in Indian Country. 

So, this is my little contribution: one baby blanket, three scarves, four pairs of childrens's mittens, and one pair of women's mitts. 

I know, it's not much. But it's more than nothing.

If you want to knit for Pine Ridge, see the Ravelry group: For the Children of Pine Ridge. It is a very organized group that gets knitted items into the hands of people who need them.

And join us for Keep Calm Craft On at Frontier Dreams.

The Advantage of a Huge Guild

Between work and family, I have been a busy girl. And I'm trying to knit monagamously, so I don't have any interesting WIPs to show you, but I went to the Guild meeting on Monday ...

The Madison Knitting Guild has more than 500 members now and all those dues add up to enough money to bring nationally and internationally known speakers to our meetings. I was SO excited about our October speaker: Kristin Nicholas. If you haven't checked out her books or blog, do so ASAP. Her use of color is amazing, as you can see in these samples she brought.

She is so nice and down-to-Earth. She lives on a sheep farm with her husband and daughter in western Massachusetts. Her house is as colorful as these sweaters; this woman is brave with a paint can! How does she come up with this stuff? She does tons and tons of swatches. She just plays with colors until she finds something she likes.

There was a table heaped with donated winter items.

I was inspired! So I took a bag of scrap yarn and I'm going to learn to do Russian joins so I can make a magic-scrap ball and knit a charity hat.

It was a great evening and it made me appreciate living here, where there are so many knitters!

I'm joining Knit Along.

Ah, Life! (And Knitting, Too)

I don't know how to write this post without falling into cliches. Last night, the first of my childrens' peers got married. It was one of those circle-of-life moments. I met Ilana's mother in Lamaze, when I was pregnant the first time. When Seth was a few days old, Lisa brought Ilana to visit our apartment, braving the December cold with a 10-day-old baby Ilana.

Ilana is the same age as Seth. Ilana and Rachel were in the same Israeli dance group and went to the same summer camp. Lisa and I rode the motherhood rollercoaster together, through happy and hard times.

How could Ilana be old enough to be married? I mean, I understand the math, but it was breath-taking to watch her and Stefan pledge to join their lives. I remember her as a stubborn little girl, as a kind friend, as a talented dancer. And now she is all grown up. She is intelligent and passionate and loving. I feel so honored to be part of her life.

 In the spirit of love and compassion, I thought I'd post a photo of the mittens I am knitting for The Children of Pine Ridge before I box them up. I want to send them before winter ends!

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Well, it's the very last day of winter break. It's cold and snowy here, which is just fine with me. I was hoping to have a pajama day and just laze around.

It's been a good break, especially since my daughter was home for all of it. I've also enjoyed spending time with friends. I even worked for a few hours yesterday! That will make my week start out a little smoother.

During the school year, I can get pretty casual about cooking. But in Rachel's honor, I did quite a bit of cooking over the last couple of weeks. I made one of my all-time favorites from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Baked Squash Galette with Carmelized Onions.  You can't possibly go wrong with butternut squash, Vidalia onions, and Fontina cheese:

My knitting has been random. I've been hopping from one project to another. My first-ever charity knitting is going well:

These are mittens for children ages 6 to 8, which I will be mailing to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, one of the poorest areas in the country. There is a Ravelry group here.  The pattern is my variation on the Ann Budd mitten pattern. I need to get it written up before I forget it, so I'll post it eventually.

I hope you have a relaxing Sunday and are ready for Monday, whether that means work or not.