Lighter fare

Listened to a new author over the weekend. Elizabeth Adler's story Sailing to Capris was quite good. It's always nice to discover a new author. She's listed in the Romantic Suspense genre. Those types of mysteries / suspense novels are ones I love to intersperse inbetween the more "tough" crime novels. I just ordered a couple more of her audiobooks from the library.

I recently listened to a couple of Amanda Quick stories about the Arcane Society. Those are totally puff pieces but still a little fun. I've got a new David Baldacci, James Patterson and Lee Child queued to listen to. They can be a little "intense" so it'll be nice to have some lighter listening turn to.

It must have been my weekend for more light fare in entertainment, because last evening I went to see the movie, Mama Mia. What fun that was! It did my 52 year old heart good to watch women my age or older get a cutting loose and dancing around. I wasn't all that into disco back in the day, but I did hit some clubs with girlfriends so I recognized many of the ABBA songs. I swear, Meryl Streep can do anything! She's wonderful to watch, and if totally makes you feel like dancing. My daughter (27) went with me with one of her friends, and it was interesting to see how much they also enjoyed the film. However, my daughter feels that Pierce Bronson wasn't a good paring with Meryl Streep. She says that he has "one face", which translates to the fact that he isn't a super great actor. That's true, but he's such beautiful eye candy that IMHO that makes it alright. Besides, we couldn't think of another age-appropriate actor that could do the job any better. I thought Richard Gere, since we know he can sing from Chicago, but he's also pretty one dimensional too.

This is one of the movies that I'd like to purchase for my collections. I love having a stash of FEEL GOOD movies. The ones to take out on blah days or when you're feeling a little down. There's been two such movies that I've thoroughly enjoyed through multiple watchings over the last 8 or so years: Legally Blonde and Unconditional Love (starring Kathy Bates).

About knitting: over the weekend, I finished the three needle bind off attaching the two front panels of my sister's sweater to the back. This has been an over-a-year-long project. It's a very plus size pattern for a kimono style jacket. I wanted to see how the pattern knits up and fits without investing a ton in expensive yarn, so I bought a bunch of Peaches & Cream cotton. My sister really loved it when she saw it so I agreed to give her this one. There's a strip of seed stitch that goes from one hem up the front, around the neckline and down the other front side. That's going to be one long mother of a piece. It's kinda ingenious though, because you cast on 19 stitches and the middle stitch is slipped which makes a super clean fold line. It'll really look great. It'll be a lot of sewing to attach it though because you sew it to both the right side and the wrong side.

I need to take a some new pictures since the one on Ravelry to date was taken back in the beginning of the piece. I've also got to make a trip up to visit my sister so we can try it on and I can get the accurate measurement for the sleeves. There's a super drop shoulder on this -- coming about down to my elbows, so the sleeves won't be too long. One thing about Peaches & Cream cotton is that it isn't too stretchy in stockinette, so hopefully sleeves that grow won't be a problem.

Back in 1981 I made this same sister a cotton sweater which she loved and wore to death. The sleeves kept growing though. But I was glad to know that didn't stop her from wearing it until it practically looked like a rag. I think I finally had to take it away from her and trash it because she never wanted to let it go since I made it for her.

It's really funny how much some people adore the projects you make for them. I suspect some of my friends have already sent scarves I've made several years ago to the Salvation Army. Then you have someone like Cheryl, who never wants to let go of a handmade gift.

Heaven on Earth

Sometimes it just feels like we're in heaven here on Earth. I spent the morning sitting outside in a shady corner by the pool drinking coffee, chatting with my daughter and knitting. It was glorious! What a lovely way to pass a couple of hours in the middle of the day. For a while there, it felt a little like a Sunday where the day spread out before me with little to do.


Well, that isn't true, of course. It's Wednesday and I've got a business to tend to and a deadline to do so. Oh well, it was a nice feeling while it lasted.

I found out over the July 4 holiday that my niece is going to have a baby -- in a month! ARGH! Gotta knit up something quickly. Out comes the trusty old baby blanket pattern that I've used twice before: Lullaby by Rachel J. Terrill. It was published in one of the Leisure Arts booklets. It's really a sweet blanket, with a fairly simple lace pattern. I'm not the best at memorizing patterns, so I do have to look at the beginning of each lace row, but it's simple enough that I can mindlessly knit the row once I know what I'm suppose to be doing.



I'm about 1/4 through the project. I expect to finish over the weekend. Then ship it up to Bangor, ME. Meanwhile I'm also looking around for a nice baby sweater to knit for the winter. That'll be fun to work on, as it's been 24 years since I knit a kid's sweater.

Well, time to water the plants. I'll post pictures of some of the gardens next time.

Pictures: Ribbed Lace Bolero & Lacy Diamond Purse

Ok folks, still trying to figure things out here. Today's lessons included "how to add a link" and "how to add photos". I'm still figuring out how to add the pictures exactly where I want them to be. :)

This is my friend wearing her Ribbed Lace Bolero
I did make it too big for her. That's cause I didn't follow the directions and made it 3" longer than I should have. Some of the pictures I saw of this project on Ravelry seemed like it was too small (to my taste) and I didn't want that, so I made it a little bigger. Mistake. This cotton/rayon yarn Berroco Touche made a lovely loose fabric and I need not have worried. Oh well. She looked beautiful and I felt kinda like I was sending a kid off to the prom or something.


This is the Lacy Diamond Purse

Jill, the designer says that this is a TEST pattern, but it works great. I'd definitely make this again and recommend it to anyone. It was fun, easy and worked up quickly - PLUS it's adorable!

I got to practice several new things here: I-chords, crochet button (that one I blew but Nicole came to the rescue) ; 3 needle bind off, and lining a bag. Believe it or not, this is the first bag I've taken the time to actually do all the finishing work for. I was really excited to find a lining fabric that was a perfect color-match. It made the project all the more sweet.

The fun of it

I figured out something about myself recently, believe it or not, the medium of the most recent enlightenment is knitting. Of course, whatever we do can illuminate things about ourselves, but it did surprise me how much is revealed about my personality, nature and state of mind/heart via knitting.

I really enjoy knitting things for other people more than I do knitting things for myself. What's that all about? Eh? Why would it seem all the more fun for me? I really haven't a clue. Oh, some psycho-babble might go on about worthiness et al, but I don't buy that. I think that some of us just might come into this world wired that way.

As an firm believer in Asian medical philosophy, I thoroughly understand that taking care of oneself is essential, especially if one wants to have any reserves of energy to then take care of others. My spiritual point-of-view says the same thing. If your cup isn't running over, you have really got nothing to share. The visual analogy I came up with is that of a champagne fountain. It's the overflowing of the top glass that creates the flow to all the other glasses. I'd like to have my cup runneth over like that.

Anyway....I'm getting off point.

I've just completed a super-fun knitting project for a good friend's birthday (today). I made a Ribbed Lace Bolero and a Lacy Diamond Purse (scroll down on this one and the pattern is there). My friend is attending a wedding and purchased a cute brown dress with lime green polka-dots, sleeveless, and she felt a little funny with her 50-something bare arms showing. The little bolero is a perfect little cover-up for shy arms. :) Knowing I picked up extra yarn, I offered to make a little matching bag.

Well, it's been some of the most fun I've had knitting in a while, knowing that this was going to be a really good gift for someone who is totally worthy.

I also have had a blast knitting hats for charity. Heck maybe it's just that these are quicker projects than some of the others I've got going on -- I don't know. But it was interesting to me to note that I'd almost rather work on anything than the Einstein coat or cotton sweater that I've got on needles for myself. I've noticed my mind wondering about WHO I can knit the next present for.