A day of respite

Ahhhh... we finally made it to Starved Rock! Brodie, not really a fan of car rides survived the 2 1/2 hour ride there and even managed to relax on the way home.

See?? Mr Excited strained at his leash the entire walk, and even tried to evade the muddy quagmires.

Being here always renews me. If you go at the right time, you never even see another living soul. Like you're in a place that time forgot.
I left it about two weeks too late to catch the color changes but there is still a lot of green left and still well worth the trip!

This is Council Overhang... so named because it is the place where the area Tribal Chiefs gathered to talk current affairs ;)

Once I realized we were people free, I let Brodie off leash to explore a little. His little nose was sniffin' a mile a minute!

Pictures cannot do it justice. To give you an idea of the size of the cavern, find the little speck that is Brodie in the this picture.

By the time we made it up to the Lodge for shopping it was getting too dark to take pictures or hit anymore trails. I think another trip is in order for next weekend.

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here I am!!! I dressed as a freelance photographer for Halloween, could you tell?? Ok maybe not really freelance since the Chief requested my presence at the annual Hot Dog Roast to take pictures, but hey, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Note that I am all bundled up in my newly completed Noro Beret and Noro Stripe Scarf and my new fingerless gloves. Not so much a fashion statement since the gloves don't match my hat and scarf but it was darn cold here today!! And of course I had to stand outside (miss going trick or treating a-gain!) freezing my patutie off taking pictures of the hordes of masked masses coming for their free hot dog and chips.

When all that was said and done, go back home so I can sit and veg for a couple of hours before going back to work for my regular shift and ermmm that extra hour while ya'll got to sleep that I got to work.

As you can see, I am on a Noro kick. I picked up some Noro sock yarn on Ebay about a week ago and I am naturally diving right into yet another pair of socks. I don't want to get to crazy or anything but I am trying to be more like TN Dawn and shakin' up my sock knitting with a little stitch pattern. True to Jeanne fashion however, this Twisted Sock pattern (Rav link of course), had to have change up in it. I didn't care for the cuff so I used my standard cuff, I also found that the first few stitches in the pattern aggravated me. It had some purling in the set that make it look like it has a seem...um no! Isn't that the whole point of knitting in the round? Anyway I took out the seamy purls and continued in a smooth twist ;)
Here is my completed Beret

Pattern Scoop:Pattern:Last Minute Purled Beret
yarn: Noro Silk Garden (worsted weight)

Needles size 6
(I used 80 stitches to cast on but I think in this yarn I could tighten it up a little for my head)

Poor Sarah had surgery on her ears A-gain! The poor kid has been chronic with ear problems since she was about two and her right ear was severely damaged. So on Monday we all spent 11 hours waiting in the hospital (fun times) for the doctor to work his magic on her - while I knit away on my wimple...slow going for me and slow recovery for Sarah.

A marathon audio book session seemed to be the ticket after that ordeal. I downloaded Nora Roberts Sign of Seven trilogy for my little lazy fest. OMG! That series was so intense that I could not make myself turn it off to go to sleep! I went right from one to the next, and was damn annoyed when I had to stop to take a nap before going back to work. Usually Nora Roberts books don't intrigue me but this was these had me from the first.

So while I had the crap scared out of me I managed to finish my no name slip stitch sockies. Pretty pleased with how they turned out I might add.

Project Scoop

Pattern: My own no name socks... ;)

Yarn: Zen Yarn Garden Art Walk sock yarn - Petunia (very very nice to work with)

Needles size 2

I gotta tell you- I have had more trouble getting this post out. Is it me...or Blogger?? 3 times I have had to re-up load my pics...WTF! Lost all of my links I pain stakingly put in, had some wonky stuff happen with the font formatting....and lost my sig!!! It has taken me two days but here it finally is sans sig ;)

My ever-changing view

From my deck, I get to look at this view every day. I can't tell you how soothing it is. Just a little to the left or right, houses spoil the illusion that there is nothing else out there. But this draws my eye every time.

Twice now in the last two weeks I told myself I would take off for a day trip to Starved Rock that never happened. I used to make this small pilgrimage several times a year, but in the last few years I let work get in the way of that. Which is a shame since it is one of all time my favorite places to visit.

Last week work got in the way because I had worked so many extra hours, and I was just too tired to go anywhere- translate to- I slept away my days off. This week again work got in the way- shift changes equaled one real day off, which I spent cleaning...blah! Next week for sure I am going! I'm worried if I wait too long I will miss the color changes. Nothing more beautiful than the arrival of fall in my mind.

My Noro striped scarf is finished. I am not one for blocking a scarf so I draped it on the deck rail to dry, soon realized that if I left it there I risked having it blow away so I had to move it indoors.

I'm still plugging away at my sock and occasionally my wimple, but my mind is racing head to a matching hat.

You move your car first!

I rarely do this, but at the Mall the other day I found a parking spot right up front in the second row in front of Bed Bath and Beyond. Generally speaking I park as far away from other people as possible. Having spent so many years living with a man that always parks in the back 40, it is pretty much second nature to me to hike my way through the parking lot.

This particular day, however I whipped into a closer-and more crowded spot. I really don't like when other people park next to me, I am not a big fan of door dings you see and I find most people are ignorant in public places. Coming out of the store with my cart full of my sale bounty I run into a couple who was trying to force a baby carriage through the barricade opening. Really??Laughing at the dad I tell him "hey, if you just walk 10 feet that way it will fit". But no, He was trying to prove a point... What ?? that he was too lazy to walk the 10 feet?? I'm thinking.

As I walk to my car the parking lot sharks are circling...I take my time and stow everything into the trunk, as a car waits for my spot, looking at me like I am wasting her time. Now that really tweaks me! I turn around, give the driver my best disparaging look and continue to sloooowly rearrange my trunk, muttering to myself.

Really?? You can't drive you lazy ass over two freakin rows?? and you're going to look at me like I am wasting you're time??? Piss off!

( I understand now how it is I hear so many altercation calls at the Mall over the police band) I take my time putting the cart way ( it is my day off after all, and shopping is my therapy), and leisurely get into my car, make my self comfortable and turn to back out and that lazy biotch is too close for me to get out!

Are you kidding me??? I put my car in park and waited.

Naturally we have the stare down, and eventually she backs up to give me room ( I got all day honey). Don't mess with me today, it's been a baaad week at work and I am not in the mood for your ignorance!

I slowly drive out of the parking lot and back to my sanctuary.

Given the ugliness of my work week, it is no wonder I did so much knitting! My Noro Stripe scarf seems to be growing by leaps and bounds and is nearly finished. I have to agree with TNDawn, it is not a comfortable yarn to with, definitely on the scratchy side, but the end results are worth it. And it does wash up very soft. I find that using two Noro colors is a bit of a pain however, they like to grab onto each other and I am constantly untangling them.

But like I say, the end result is worth it!

My lace wimple is even growing! I am taking my time with this one since I am not a lace knitter and really need to pay attention to what I am doing...

This is my favorite this week. I dug out a ball of yarn I bought early in the year, from Zen Garden, Artwalk sock club. You might remember this one, Petunia. I couldn't find a sock pattern I liked for this yarn so I improvised. Ya'll know how I like to improvise. Not that I am a pattern designer or anything like that, But I am really pleased with how this sock turned out. I think the slip stitch pattern is just enough to shake up the colorway so.

Smells like Fall

It's that time of year again when the crisp smell of the air hits me, leaves are starting to fall and I start thinking cold weather accessories. Oh wait... I do that all year long.



Last year at Stitches I bought this huuge hank of lace weight yarn. Why? because I mistakenly thought I was going to make one of those pretty lacy shawls like CA Dawn makes. Rrriiight! Like that is going to happen.



I have had my eye on this hood/ snood/wimple/cowl or what ever you want to call it, for some time now. Wavy Feathers Wimple (Rav link) is a lace project, and we all know how those usually go for me. Still, all in all it seems to being going pretty well for me. The original is made from Quvit, which we saw at stitches for a mere $70 a teeny tiny ball. Mine is a merino wool if I remember right, and somewhere in the 6 or 7 balls of yarn I got out of it there is a label. Probably not going to keep me warm in the dead of winter or even on Polar Plunge Day, but I should look awful darn cute in it.



Raine spent Saturday night with me and decided she was going to take up knitting, again.

"For real?" I say.. " and you're going to finish it? Remember the bean bag you never finished?"

"Mommy lost the bean bag" (naturally she blames her mother)

"Ok" I say, and I dug out some chunky yarn and chunky needles, taught her to cast on and gave her the refresher on the knit stitch. 3 rows later I was fast asleep on the couch!

She went home on Sunday and well, there are still only 3 rows.

Not content to have an unfinished sweater, or the unfinished wimple and now a stole, and probably some other stuff I don't remember, but I needed the mindless knit of a scarf too.

I bough some Noro at Stitches this year specifically for the Noro Stripe Scarf by Jared Flood (Rav link). Of course, I never do things exactly the way they are written and I had to make my own modifications here.

To start with, I like my scarves skinnier than what Jared recommends so I started with 36 stitches, and I hate starting a row with a purl so I made it even. I love that it is mindless but doesn't look like it is mindless. And a girl can't have too many scarves now can we? I'm thinking maybe if I have enough yarn I may make a matching hat too.

Now to just figure out where to set up my sewing machine this year to start my hats for homeless project.

I love Westminster chimes!

So the ongoing conversation went something like this ...

Flashback...15 years ago..."So Pete...I think you should give me Kevin's clock" (translates to brother that owes money).

" I can't give you Kevin's clock, it's Kevin's"

"Sooo...not really...it's yours"

Flashback...last year " Don't you think Kevin's clock would look good in my apartment?"

"No"

"Aww come on...look right over there"

" Maybe if you (insert lewd comment)"

"Eww...no! That is NOT my job!" Subject closed....not going to happen!

Flashback...two weeks ago phone rings... "Jeanne...which one of these clocks are you going to take?"

"Whadda mean which clock?"

" You want the battery or the wind up?" (completely in shock now) "

" I want the one that plays Westminster Chimes"

" They both do"

"Well I want Kevin's clock"

"But you have to pull the chain every 8 days, the other one is better for people that don't want to bother"

"Peter...I think I can handle pulling the chain...I want Kevins clock!"

"Ok, I'll bring it over tomorrow"

"Really??? Really??"

" Yeah but you gotta give it back to Kevin when I die" "SWEET!!!"

Holy Shazbat! I can't believe I have Kevin's clock in my house!!! And it chimes so darn purty!

Talk about monotony! OMG this was the mother of all boring projects! I was good for about the first 10 rows but then after that I kinda wanted to shoot myself. That yummy fairywing stuff put me to sleep a few times. And the mobius...very tricky business trying to put it on.

still, it turned out nice and the yarn was a dream! I don't see myself making another one tho, I would probably end up in a coma if I did.

Project Scoop

Pattern: Crazy Girl Mobius Wrap ( hand out from Stitches Midwest)

Yarn: Blue Heron Rayon Metallic (40 bucks a crack girls) Marshgrass Silver 550 yrds

Needles: size 7 circs

Entertainment value: mindnumbing

This little beauty has taken it's time getting here. I am pretty sure that I had to rip it out at least fifteen times before I got the braided cable right. One down and one to go. I have no intentions of starting mitt #2 until I have an entire evening ( or shift) of un-interrupted knit time.

See how Brodie gets his face into all the pictures?? He is a camera hog!

Like a butterfly

From flower to flower

Sometimes...I wonder where my head is at!

I have had this problem all my life...I see something, think it might be fun to learn, then I launch myself into yet another project. What were you thinking?? I say that to my many callers at work (under my breath of course). I blame my mother of course... she did raise me this way!

This week I thought it might be fun to make polymer beads... so I impulse shopped my little self to Michaels, buy a couple of packets and off I go. Now I used to be heavily into ceramics and pottery back in the day, so much so that I drove my mother crazy digging up the clay from the back yard, making beads and flower pots in the oven. And that worked for me...I am a little bit bohemian and of course every pot and bead I made was unique (lots of macrame hangers around the house). As an adult I find that I am striving for a uniformity that just isn't there.

THE BEAD PROJECT:

In theory they should have had a pinwheel design like this.

The reality was more like this!

And lets not forget, just another in a long series of the calamity events in my life, the bead that I dropped into my coffee cup... which I drank anyway.

I get the concept of course, but the application usually seems to be lacking...ah well...it is therapeutic at any rate.

I do try to do things myself as much as I can, I hate being dependent on someone else. Things like hanging curtains, or say blinds. In which case Mark aka He-Man ( I am not She-rah BTW) comes over and looks at my handiwork, (which I find completely acceptable by the way), points out where I went wrong, the basically pats me on the head and says "Honey, you stick to answering 911 calls, I'll take care of the man work". I think he likes me to be dependent on him. Nah... he's not really chauvinistic...riiight!

On the "I mostly know what I am doing front" I started the mobius shawl from that pretty sparkly fairy wingish yarn and am nearly finished. Can't really screw this one up, it is a no brainer.

On the other hand... This poor little cabled fingerless mitt... I have frogged 3 flippin' times! Not because I don't know what I am doing, but because I just don't pay attention.

Again...I blame my mother, she did raise me this way! If nothing else...I find my life boredom free. ( I do still plan to take that spinning class)

Yarnfest Time!

How many goodies can you fit into a shopping bag???

THIS MANY!

Today my Co-worker (Lisa - new knit convert) and I went to Stitches MidWest where we pushed are selves to the limit...along with our wallets. Lisa worked last night and I have to work tonite so we forwent the whole sleeping thing...who needs sleep anyway, to take our happy camper butts to Schaumberg to get our yarn fix. For me it is like a pilgrimage, for Lisa...it was her first time.

One of the vendors likened it to a candy store...I think of it as yarn-crack. Completely addictive!

I went with the idea of buying a new swift...yah no... that did not happen, but I did get a few patterns and some shawl kits geared for the lace challenged knitter.

I bought some shawl pins (now I have to make the shawls), a book on drop spindling...as I am determined to learn how not to drop the spindle come hell or high water...

Bought some fantastic yarn at ...erm 40 clams a crack...(see... there's that yarn crack thing again). But it is so darn pretty,and you can't really tell here, but it looks like it has been sprinkled with faery dust! In fact it is so pretty, I couldn't make myself go to sleep until I took out my ghetto rigged swift and wound one of them (the one that reminds me of faery wings).

And of course, once wound I immediately cast on for the mobius shawl pattern I got when I purchased the yarn.

As Brodie patiently waits for his momma to quit playing and go to bed!!