Care-taking & Finishes

 I don't feel bad about not posting, but I hate falling behind on reading your posts. However, it was quite a week. Keith had cataract surgery on Tuesday (and it was very successful). Then my mom fell and broke her arm on Thursday. She has severely torn rotator cuffs, so I've been helping her with dressing, meals, even bathrooming. I hope to have help hired tomorrow.

I've only been able to finish up some simple UFOs. First was a pair of fingerless mitts for Keith. He chose to go with this color rather than have me buy more yarn. Go figure. The pattern is Maize by Tin Can Knits. If I make it again, I'd flip the knit and purl stitches so it would have more knits.

This hat needed decreases, so it went quickly. The yarn is Eco Duo, which I loved knitting with. Must make a sweater with this! So soft.

And I finished up the drawing of my living room wall. 

I hope to have time this week to catch up with all of you!

Getting Closer

After today, I'll have six days left in my career as a teacher. This year seemed endless for so many reasons, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

I'm working to finish three of these -- for three of my students who love to fish. I'll have to model one for you before I give them away. They look pretty funny when worn as a hat.

The closing on our old house went very smoothly on Tuesday. The title company was next door to the furniture store where we ordered a sectional. We ordered it in February and they predicted it would arrive by the end of June -- and that may work out. They checked for us, and our sectional is in a shipping container in the United States. They told us that we are lucky because people ordering now will have to wait seven months or more for their furniture.

Now we can really settle into our new house. 

 

This week we are enjoying our peony bush. Peony's are among my favorite flowers. I'm glad one came with the house because these bushes are pricey!

Three Months of Stress to Go

 Three months from now, I will be on my 2nd day of retirement. I cannot express how happy that thought makes me! For one thing. our school district is going to remove seniority as a priority for shifting schools and for layoffs. As if that's not enough, I went on a safety tour of my school Friday -- and it is a mess. Hardly anyone has their own classroom because the school is so small (but has 200 staff and 2,200 students), so there is nowhere safe to eat lunch. 

Even vaccinated, I'm not sure it's safe. People are dying after being fully vaccinated. My employer acts like vaccination removes all risk -- but it doesn't! Even though the CDC recommends that vaccinated people should avoid crowds of any size and restaurants, we are opening high schools. And what about all those unvaccinated teens?

So onto something cheerful:

Here's our little retirement house. We had the inside painted white. The painters finished Friday, so we have spent much of the weekend moving in the smaller furniture. My sweet husband moved all the furniture for my craft room so I could get that set up ASAP. The movers come on March 30, so we have time to get our current house cleaned up.

The neighbors are super friendly. There's a darling 4-year-old girl next door who I'm going to adopt as a foster grandchild -- seeing as I don't have any grandchildren on the way

That safety tour lasted 1.5 hours, which is way too long for me to be on my feet. In between taking loads of stuff to the house, I've been hand-quilting using my lap quilting hoop:

I love the tear-away paper. I can't do circles or spirals freehand.

And I finished another hat:

It even matches the Navajo rug that my MIL made!

We back to school on April 13, and I am very stressed out about that. I am having so much trouble with foot pain (club feet) that I don't know how I'm going to survive. For me, virtual teaching has been a blessing. I have asked for accommodations, but my district has denied every accommodation I've requested in the past, so I am worried.

Still, it will all be good in three months. I can do this!

Chugging Along

 We closed on our house without incident last week.  We've moved in a few things, but we can't move in too much until the painters finish. The sellers painted the walls themselves before they put the house on the market. Not only did they do a sloppy job, but they chose colors better suited for a state mental institution.

We have movers scheduled for the end of the month, so we hope to have all the small stuff moved by then.

I still need some crafting time to keep my sanity. This next photo will look like a repeat but it's not. I am now calling Porto the "Forever Sweater." It will get done. Eventually

I've been quilting the Hook, Line & Tinker embroidery designs, and I think it enhances the images.

Thursday, Keith and I drove 45 minutes to the Walgreens in Fort Atkinson. Why? So I could get my first Covid vaccine! Seeing as my district is starting in-person instruction with K-2, I was feeling pressure to be vaccinated before the high schools open.

I wanted a quick, easy, stash-busting project for the drive, so I pulled together materials for a Banff. It's a Tin Can Knits pattern, and I have never been disappointed by one of their patterns. This was fun, fast, and very relaxing. Just what I needed. I've already started a second one.

I expect my posts and comments will be sporadic over this coming month, but I will be trying to read and keep up with you!

Where have I been?

It has been a long and eventful 10 months since I last. blogged. I have done some lurking on your blogs, but until today, could not find my blogging mojo. But if this isn't a time for virtual friendships, what is? So, here is a whirlwind tour of the last 10 months:

It was a rough school year. A week before school  began, my dear friends and long-time colleague Jim McCoy died suddenly during cross country practice. The incredibly healthy 61-year old just collapsed and never regained consciousness. Some kind of cardiac event. Denise, another friend and colleague, and I were at the hospital and able to say farewell to him with his family. Jim and I had worked together for a decade. 

Me, Jim, and Denise, at an American Players Shakespeare performance in August  2018.

Needless to say, working without Jim was devastating. I miss him every day. But we carried on. 

One of the times I most missed talking to Jim was when two teens we both know from middle school were accused of murdering a beloved Madison physician and her husband. It's a tragic story. If you want to know more: https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime-and-courts/dane-county-judge-sends-suspects-in-arboretum-double-homicide-to-trial/article_e8a80174-7e0c-56db-b282-cd0399c7fed2.html

Over winter break, Keith, I, and my mom flew to Phoenix to visit Seth and his girlfriend, Clara. Rachel flew in from Miami, so we were all together and it was glorious!

Clara, Seth and Rachel on New Year's Eve.

Clara is going to transfer to a medical school in Chicago, so she and Seth will be closer to us! 

Of course there was knitting. I mastered the (not-so-hard) Latvian Braid for this hat, which was a prize in a membership drive for my teachers' union.

Then came Covid-19. While the workload lessened for some of my colleagues, it skyrocketed for special education. I cannot tell you how tired I am of teaching via Zoom. And who knows how much more of it I have in my future? I need to work at least one more year.

Like everyone, I had to cancel some exciting summer plans. My mom and I had booked a trip to Scandinavia. Even worse, the University of Miami had to cancel graduation so I didn't get to celebrate Rachel being awarded her Ph.D. Nor will I be able to help her get settled this summer in Denver. Still I am very pleased that she has a tenure-track position at the University of Denver in these difficult times.

So, now I'm hanging out a lot with these guys:

I feel lucky. So far everyone I love is healthy. I have a lovely home and yard to shelter in. I have friends and family to talk to. And now I have all of you to check in with!

Thinking about UFOs

My husband was getting something from my Art Room last week, and he commented, "You sure have a lot of unfinished projects."

I, of course, immediately corrected him: "Those are UFOs." It took a few seconds, but he got it. Then I explained they were also WIPs.

I started this hat months ago, but then I got stuck on the decreases. I had failed to note how any stitches I cast on, so I had to recount and then decide how I wanted to do the decreases. Once I counted, it was easy. The lovely yarn is from Knit Circus.

I have never denied that I have a problem with casting on -- but I know I'm not the only one. There is a certain high that comes with casting on -- it reminds me of a sugar high. It feels so good at the time, even if it's the 101st WIP you have going. I have a similar relationship with chocolate.

This is my third pair of Kirsten Kapur's mitts, all knitted in Crazy Zauerball. I have to do one more to use up the rest of the skein. These are addictive, but I think it's time to move on.

While I admire people who can maintain knitting monogamy, I don't even aspire to it. I like the variety. I like giving into the urge to cast on something new and exciting. 

That's not to say that there aren't downsides to having so many WIPs. I do sometimes feel pressured to finish a batch before starting anything new. And it means I own too many needles -- you can't use needles that are in a WIP, after all. (Well, technically you can, but I'm not that organized.)

And I do finish things on a steady  basis. It took me about three days to knit the Hoopla Hat from PomPom.

And then I just had to cast on another Hoopla. I have two good excuses: First, I wanted to practice the Latvian Braid before I forgot how to do it. Second, it's a great stash-buster!

Some Quilting, Some Knitting, Some Cats

Honestly, it's a miracle that I have any crafting to share at all. I have six IEP meetings in the next two weeks -- I know a few of you know how insane that is. But those six weather days really put me behind, and now it's catch-up time.

I worked quite a bit at home yesterday, and I was planning to work again today, but around 10 this morning my mom called. She'd fallen, so Keith and I went to the hospital with her. Luckily there were no broken bones, but she has some nasty bruises.

I have been focusing more on quilting than knitting lately. For one thing, I'm trying to stay on track with my Collage Cat (Pattern: Purrfect). I have finished cutting out all the little pieces and fusing them onto the base.

Next I have to cut it out, put it on a background and free-motion stitch the cat. My free-motion skills are not very developed, so I think a very busy piece like this is perfect. I'm hoping the stitches won't show too much!

I've been hand sewing and embroidering brightly colored art quilts that make me happy. This is my favorite so far:

It's called "Fractured" because it's made of fractured circles. The only part that's done by machine is the binding.

I went to my LYS with a non-knitting friend, who picked out these gorgeous yarns for me to make hat from. I'm going to improvise a Fair Isle design. I'll probably throw in some white to make it work.

My adorable gran-kitty (i.e. Rachel's cat) was neutered last week. She is not enjoying wearing a cone at all.

It has been cold and wet all weekend. During my breaks from working yesterday, I had a cup of tea and did some reading. I am both reading and listening to Iron Curtain by Anne Applebaum because there is so much to absorb.

During my trip to Eastern Europe last summer, I realized how little I knew about the Soviet era, and I am enjoying this book -- though it doesn't seem quite right to enjoy a book about such a grim subject. It is terrifying to learn how quickly countries like Poland and Czechoslovakia fell under totalitarian rule. I wonder if Americans would vote differently if they knew more history?

Kola and Nagi know how to make the most of a winter weekend:

Snow is predicted for four of the next seven days. It has been a long time since we had a real winter like this. And speaking of snow, our school days will be seven minutes longer starting tomorrow to make up for all those weather days. 

I'm a Meme and Other News

We had the Special Ed Department Holiday Party Friday night, and I won some pretty awful stuff in the White Elephant exchange, including a really awful hat. I was goofing around in it and one of my colleagues turned me into a meme:

This afternoon I went drawing with my friend Tsela, who included me in one of her sketches.

 Tsela is much faster than I am and she completed two sketches in the time it took me to do one. We always think it's fun when we draw the same thing. The results are always quite different (mine is on the right):

We were drawing at Madison Chocolate Company (highly recommended!) and saw a celebrity there. I know he's shy so I settled for taking a photo of the back of children's author Kevin Henkes. 

I started a hat with some Cascade 220 from my stash. The Antler Hat pattern is free from Tin Can Knits. I have never been disappointed in a Tin Can project. This is a very easy cabled pattern, and it's going quickly.

I am making a recipe from my new cookbook for dinner tonight: Lemon-Fennel Chicken in a pot.

I love Dorie Greenspan's baking recipes. I swear by her pie crust. She is the co-author of Julia Child's baking book; I can't imagine a better credential! I also made one of her chocolate cake recipes for dessert. I hope things come out well because my mother is coming for dinner!

Back to Stitching

On Monday, we had torrential rains in Madison like we've never seen here. Many businesses are closed; lots of basements are flooded. So far, we haven't had any water in our house. And the levels of the four lakes in the city limits are still rising. 

This is one of the roads that Keith bikes. It's hard to believe so many people don't accept climate change as real. 

With more rain predicted for tomorrow, the danger is far from over. I plan to stay home, do some cleaning, and hopefully have creative time

I do have a knitted FO to share with you. This is my second Quill, a Taproot pattern, in Cascade 220. It's a pretty fast knit.

 I just love the gansey texture.

And my workshop quilt is officially done. This is the first quilt I've successfully quilted on a machine, and I am very proud of my crooked lines.

It's not a crooked as it looks. Some of the crookedness is the way I took the photo.

I've been working a lot on this embroidery piece. It may look familiar. Actually, it's new; but its partner is being framed. One just wasn't enough.

When I'm done with the color, I'll fill in the rest with white. I love the look of fabric that is 100% embroidered.

I go back to work full time on Monday with mixed feelings. I enjoy the students and the teaching, but there's always the paperwork hanging over my head. It reminds me of being in college and having homework all the time!

Designing Woman

Thanks to all who shared their favorite listens. I needed some new ideas. Also a note on the knitting: I am knitting Free Your Fade, which is much smaller than Find Your Fade. Find is more of a blanket than a shawl!

While I can follow knitting patterns just fine, I find sewing patterns confusing. I wanted a small tote bag, so I looked at some patterns and then made up my own mash-up pattern. Amazingly, it worked:

Sewing doesn't usually go this smoothly for me. And isn't the fabric fabulous? The lining is my own ice-dyed faux-indigo fabric.

I'm also trying to perfect a Fair Isle hat pattern. The colors aren't quite right here. The light color is yellow, not white, so it looks more Earthy than the photo shows.

And I'm working on a new abstract embroidery pattern. Sometimes it's fun to just play with color and shape.

A few of you have asked about my health. So sweet of you! My recovery from the surgery is just about complete, and it went smoothly. The pathology report wasn't so good, though, so there is more treatment in my future. Hopefully just minor stuff.

What I've Learned in the Past Week

1. It is amazing how much more knitting I can get done when I'm not working full time! (See sweater below.)

Flowers from my sweet Mom.

2. Any surgery than involves anesthesia is exhausting.

3. You can't hurry healing. In fact, it's the opposite: You have to slow down to heal. This is a challenge for some of us.

This is the body of a cardigan. More in future posts.

4. Knitting is the absolute best thing to do when you're recuperating, especially mindless stockinette.

Another hat in my effort to stash-bust.

5. You should not check your email when you are sick leave. You just end up working for free. Ask me how I know!

Back to Knitting

Despite all the graduation excitement, there has been knitting. This gorgeous cake of yarn is turning into a Field of Wildflowers hat.

It is a Joji Locatelli pattern, so of course it is well-written and easy to follow. It has quite a few cables, pushing me to take time out to start learning how to cable without a cable needle. 

Thanks to Internet tutorials, I can cable without a needle -- but only when the crossed stitches are held to the front. The yarn is local -- Four Crows Yarn Hand-Dyed Worsted.

With all the company, I needed a mindless project. My go-to is always self-striping Opal. I can't find the ballband, but I am enjoying watching this sock emerge.

Our hummingbirds are back! If you look closely, you can see a female sipping at the left side of the feeder.

It's Wednesday evening, and I am still pretty darn tired.  Not that I'm complaining! It's a blessing to have events and people to celebrate.

Sunday Start and Finish

 So, here we are in the middle of winter -- wait! It's April 8! How can the high temps be in the 30's? Not fair! However, I suppose it is good weather for hat knitting. It only took me four days to knit a Crazy Color Hat:

I've started a second one, only I'm designing the colorwork section just for fun. The colored yarn is Ewetopia DK, and it is divine. The gray is MadTosh Charcoal.

And I cast on the second sock in the Secret Sock Society from Helen Stewart. It was 2 inches long when I realized I had made far too many mistakes, so this is how it looks now:

This pattern has lots of cables, which is both great and scary. Great because I need to get better at them and scary because (as rediscovered today) I am terrible at doing them correctly.

Has anyone else noticed that weekdays are longer than Saturday and Sunday?

Like a Ton Bricks

The re-entry to work has hit me like a ton of bricks.  So much to do and only one quarter left before summer! So, excuse me for falling behind on blog-reading.

I'm still working at reducing my stash through hat-knitting. (If you are related to me, guess what you are getting for Hanukkah or Christmas!)

I've begun Alaska in Knit Circus yarn:

The Crazy Color Hat will soon be eating up some Ewetopia mini-skeins. It's not too exciting with just the brim:

I have to admit to being a tad tired of ribbing!

During spring break, I found some books at the library about making folk-style art. I've aways shied away from this style because it requires symmetry. But with some directions, it turns out not to be too difficult. Also, my symmetry isn't exact.

I'm thinking about scanning it into my computer and turning it into textile art.

I did get some organizing done in my craft room during break. Turns out I need to provide storage for cats:

Only two days until the weekend!