Line of Terror

Today I want to share with you a short story my 10 yr old daughter wrote.

Back story: Last year we went to Disney for my husband's 40th birthday. O was the only one who was brave enough to go on the Tower of Terror ride with her daddy. The story she wrote is of the internal struggle that went on while she waited in line. She is an amazing young author and I look forward to all the amazing things she will write in future.

Line of Terror

        "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" CHUG, CHUG CHUG!! in perfect harmony was all I heard as the Tower of Terror's elevator fell at lightening speed.

        "Why are you doing this Olivia? I know you are scared. You should just back out,"my mind whispered.

        "Shut up" I telepathically retorted.

        "Please tell me," my mind begged.

        "I am doing this for my dad so SHUT UP!" I shrieked at my mind.

        "Seriously, he said it didn't matter. He just won't go," my mind said in such an uncaring tone. I wanted to punch it.

        "If I back out dad wouldn't go on his favorite ride in Disney and it would be all my fault. Just let me think without you disturbing my thoughts," I told my mind and it let me be.

        I shivered. A breeze had blown through the trees and tiny droplets of rain water splashed on my arms, head, and neck. Goosebumps rode down my arms like knights riding into battle. The line moved forward and I took a step to follow. I shivered again. This time because I realized I wasn't just scared, I was wet-my-pants frightened! I knew this wasn't a line to a ride...I was walking to my doom.  The line moved forward and I followed it.  I positioned my hand next to dad's and clenched it.

        "You O.K.?" dad asked concerned.

        "Yea, I'm fine," I muttered and zoned out on the world around me.

        "Ahhhh!" I still heard the screams, but muffled now. I placed my left foot in front of me and dragged my right foot up to meet it.

        "He, he, I just know you don't have the guts to ride the Tower of Terror," my mind whispered smugly.  As I took a step forward, a tear trickled down my cheek.  I knew deep down that my mind was right.  I didn't have the guts.  Still, I wanted to prove my mind wrong, and most of all, I didn't want to let my dad down.  I clenched my fist, my left hand still clutching dad's right hand.

        "You are SO wrong. I will do this for my dad no matter what!" my inner-self screamed at my mind.

        "Lies, all lies," my mind jeered, but a little bit of cockiness left it's thought wave.

        "BACK OFF!" I thought-yelled.

        Then dad asked, "you ready to ride?"

        "Say no and leave!" my mind said as it tried to push it's power into my brain.

        "I thought I told you to back off," I scolded my mind.  Then I lied to dad and said, "Yep dad, I'm pumped!" I did not expect what came out of his mouth next.

        "That's good then because we are the next ones to go on," he said in cheery tones.  My heart dropped into my shoes.  I had been so concentrated on arguing with my mind, I hadn't noticed we were in the elevator room.  Right now, backing out seemed like an O.K. idea.

        "Tell your dad you can't do it.  It's your last chance," my mind hurriedly told me.

        "CHUUUUUuuuug!" the ride stopped and the occupants got off.

        "NO!!!" I shouted to my mind.  Before I changed my mind I stepped into the elevator, climbed up to the top row, and with my knees shaking uncontrollably I sat down on the hard black plastic seat and got buckled.

        I felt trapped.  I thought of all the ways I would die.  Maybe a gear or rope would break and we would be on our way up so we would be catapulted through the roof of the ride. Or the elevator would start rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.  Then a gear or rope will snap.  The elevator would pop out of the shaft and plummet down on top of some tourists.  

        The Tower of Terror lurched upwards and I was snapped out of my daze.

        "I am going to die," I said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Grandma Jo's Last Quilt

Anyone who new my Grandma knew how skilled she was at knitting, sewing, embroidery, and all other manner of needle crafts. Watching her work and receiving her handmade gifts instilled in me a love of those crafts also.

Quite a while ago (well before kids and life got in the way) Grandma taught me to make my very first quilt. It was incredibly simple with one fabric for the top and one for the bottom. She lead me to her sewing machine and looked over my shoulder while talking me through the steps of sewing the pieces together. We brought the inside out empty quilt to her dining room table and there she taught me how to baste down the batting so I could turn the quilt right-side-out. Together we pinned the opening at the bottom then headed back to the sewing machine to sew it closed. Back in the dining room we used red yarn and a huge darning needle to tie the top and the bottom of the quilt together so the batting would not shift during use. 

During the day we spent together working on the quilt we talked about everything. She told me a bit about her childhood, elaborated more on her proud Polish heritage, talked about our (almost) shared birthdays, and asked me about my dreams. She made coffee and insisted I eat another cookie. I look back on that day and feel so grateful that we were able to spend that time together. It is one of my most treasured memories.

When Grandma passed away about ten months ago one of the things that came home with me was a patchwork quilt top made from Grandpa's old clothes. I am not sure why the quilt was never finished. Maybe it was her arthritis, maybe the loss of her eyesight. The one thing I am sure of is that she didn't like to leave things unfinished. With her loss so fresh I was not ready to even think about working on it. Every once in a while I would pull it out, spread it out on the floor, look at it, then fold it up and put it back away. Last week when I pulled it out I felt it was the right time to finish what she had started.

The steps of finishing the quilt was very much like the first quilt I ever made, the experience, however was quite different. During every step of the process I was bombarded with memories and overcome with emotion. It was a very spiritual experience. Never have I worked on a project that I felt so strongly needed to be completed.

This morning I finished the quilt by sewing a memorial patch onto the back. I felt the same sense of accomplishment I feel after every project I finish though along with that, I feel connected to Grandma in a way that I was not before. 

Grandma guided me in making my very first quilt. I finished Grandma's last quilt. It seems fitting. 

I look forward to the colder temperatures to come. I imagine that Grandma will be with me as I snuggle in under the quilt with my husband and kids beside me. I believe that her memory will live on in the comfort and warmth of this one lovingly crafted quilt.

S

I Left my Heart in Seattle

Dear Friends,

We just got home from a wonderful (much too short) trip to Seattle, WA. My feet ache, my head aches, and I am exhausted. In short, we did as much as we could with the time we had and ended up falling in love with the beauty and the history of the place.

Had I the time I could have sat in the window of our hotel room watching boats come and go for hours. Alas, we were on a tight schedule so window gazing will have to wait for another trip.

Friday, the kids and I did some sight seeing on our own.  First we had to make a stop at Macy's as I forgot to pack socks and could not imagine wearing the same pair for an entire week. Toes clean and warm, we headed to a tour of Underground Seattle. It was really interesting. I would recommend for everyone to go if you are in the area.

After the tour we shopped at a toy shop, ate caramel apples for lunch, and got soaked in a downpour. We all had umbrellas...back at the hotel.

C wanted dry socks and shoes and IT was sick of carrying around my packages so we walked back to the hotel before heading to the Seattle Aquarium. It is hard to list off all that we saw there. It was pretty great. My favorite things were the jellyfish and the sea otters.

We met up with Bradd after the aquarium and headed to an arcade to pass the time until dinner. C and O had seen an episode of Man vs. Food - Seattle where Adam ate at The Crab Pot. O's vacation would not have been complete without a bib, a wooden mallet, and crab dumped right on the table.

Saturday was family day since Bradd was with us. We did the Pike Place Market and watched guys throw fish. We tasted fresh apples and pears. We shopped till we could shop no more.

We hopped onto the monorail and rode to the Space Needle.

After waiting and taking the elevator to the top we were seated and had a delicious brunch in the revolving restaurant.

 We revolved for about one and a half hours, paid for our meal, then walked up the stairs to the observation deck to brave the elements and look down from outside. The wind was brutal but the view was beautiful.

Finally we visited the Experience Music Project museum. Bradd and the kids got to jam in a recording studio. We saw  Battlestar Galactica, Nirvana, and Jimmy Hendrix exhibits.

We finally gave in to the sore feet and headed back to the hotel. On our way we stumbled across an Occupy Seattle demonstration. It was a bit like a bearded, sweatered rave in the rain. Quite the sight.

We got warm and dry. Went to the restaurant in the basement of the hotel for dinner, then up to bed with lights out for everyone by 8:30pm.

Today was a travel day. We are home with a pile of laundry that will have to wait untill tomorrow. I hope with all my heart that I will return to Seattle, and soon. There was so much we were not able to do because of time and weather. I can't wait to explore the "nature" of the area.

Till next time,
S

How I spent my snow day -or- NerdWars Knits

It has been quite a long time since I have done color work knitting. I forgot how much I love it. I love following the chart switching between the color in my left hand and the color in my right. It is almost like meditation; blue, blue, grey, blue. Over and over again. Before I know it I am starting the decreases. The hat is Undergrowth. I used Blue Sky Alpaca Sport in oatmeal and navy. The brim of this hat has a knitted braid. I have never done one of those before. It was fun. There will be many more fair isle knits in my future. I think I might have finally worked up the nerve to start those cupcake mittens from SpillyJane. I bought the pattern and the yarn over a year ago.

A friend of mine got me to join the NerdWars group on Ravelry. I was pretty neutral about the whole thing until the challenges were issued. I have had so much fun with this. Thank you Kathy for introducing me to the fun that is NerdWars. The only thing that would make it more fun would be if I actually watched the show that  out team is based on. I have decided that it is time. I put the show in my Netflix queue and as soon as I return something there will be a disc on its way.

Happy Knitting
S

Skate booties make me smile.

Seriously, how can you not smile when you see these? The basic pattern is Stay-On Baby Booties from Churchmouse Yarns. I made the worsted weight version with Berroco Comfort. The blades are something I made up using some shiny silver embroidery floss. It is too bad these are promised to someone or I would keep them for myself.

May you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

S

Hot for Teacher

Finished the Clapotis KAL. I am in love with this beautiful wrap. I want to crank up the air to make it cold enough so I can wear it all day. Right now it is on display at Firefly Fibers to keep that urge at bay.

Today is a nervous and exciting day for me as I begin my career as a knitting teacher. I have, in the past, taught countless people to knit. So why am I nervous now? Maybe it is the classroom setting. Maybe the fact that people are paying to take this class. Maybe I am just afraid that my skirt will be tucked into my underwear and no one will let me know (should I go with pants tonight?). I think that my biggest worry is that sometimes (insert always) I have a problem getting my thoughts out into understandable words. I get tripped up with language. My hands and my brain know just what to do but my mouth does not know how to explain it. This can be most frustrating to all involved. On the up side I am teaching knitting basics tonight. That is my favorite thing to teach. I love sharing the joy that is knitting. I also have a wonderful group of people filling me with confidence. That said, I am sure the evening will run smoothly. I best be off and get the last bits together.

S

Happy Independence Day!

Yesterday the flag socks were finished. The kids and I think they turned out pretty great. Not sure of the yarn brand as it was mixed in with the stash I got when my sister was told she could no longer knit (sucks for her, great for me). The pattern is something that I just knit. There is nothing written out.

I have to admit, knitting socks for the kids is great. They go so much faster, I can get as crazy as I want with the color and pattern, and the kids get so excited whenever they see me cast on another pair.

July 1 started the Firefly Fibers Knit Along. We are working on the Clapotis. This is a pattern that I never thought I would make but am really glad was picked. Sometimes the patterns that I would never pick myself end up being my favorite projects. The pattern is easy to memorize.  There is a technique of dropping stitches on purpose that I have never tried before. I will let you know how it works once I get there.   Crystal Palace Mini Mochi in 107 is the yarn I picked to make mine. It will be luscious with my brown wool coat this fall and winter. I can't wait.

The weekend is just about to get started. We don't have any huge plans just cookout, fireworks, beer, and family time. I did agree to dog sit for two of my neighbors this weekend. I will probably bring my knitting along and relax. Best wishes to all and have a safe and fun 4th.

S

Summer Fun

Summer is in full swing. How could it be that the kids have been home from school for almost a month already?  I believe there is a pile of papers from the last day of school that still have to be sorted. With summer school, golf lessons, movies, and swimming the time just flies by.

Lately I have been going through a stage where nothing I knit looks right. It has been quite frustrating to say the least. It seems that every single project I have cast-on has been ripped out at least 3 times (thank goodness for high quality yarn).  Given the issues stated, I have quite a few projects on the needles.

First is a variation on the Alpaca Baby Shawl knit out of Unisono #1210.  Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan this pattern. When I first started to knit it with this yarn, however, it just did not look right. The yarn has beautiful color changes and flecks of other colors here and there. I think that the lace sections were taking away from the beauty of the yarn. I ripped it out and decided to knit the blanket as is just omitting the lace. I am thrilled with the result. The beast part is that this yarn is infused with aloe and jojoba so it is like a mini spa treatment for my hands while I work on it.

Second is a baby sweater. I used 2 different colors of Plymouth Dreambaby DK and 2 different variegated sock yarns (can't remember brand or colorway, just leftovers from the stash). The pattern is Easy Baby Sweater and Hat by Plymouth.  This is such a plain and simple pattern. I love switching it up with different fibers and yarn weights, it makes the end result pretty unique. That and I can usually finish this project in a day or two.

Finally, more pictures of the sock blanket. It is starting to get to the size where I don't want to work on it unless I am in an air-conditioned space.  I still have over 100 mini skeins waiting to be added but I have not worked on this in the past few weeks.

There are still a few projects not mentioned, but I will save those for another day.  

Happy Knitting.

S

Sock Obsession

Spring has sprung and with it comes all the spring activities. I have been working on the gardens, going to soccer matches, and chaperoning school field trips. Those things and more leave little time for knitting. I try to fit it in when I can.

This is a scarf I knit as a store sample for a new yarn shop opening soon in Beaver Dam, WI called Firefly Fibers. The yarn is Cascade 220 Quatro in 9433 colorway. The pattern is Eyelet Scarf from 60 Quick Knits. This Thursday I will be bringing the yarn in to the shop and, if I ask real nice, the owner Alisa may just let me take pictures to give everyone a preview.

 My favorite obsession is still my sock blanket. I am always trying to fit in time to knit "just one more square".

 I started getting nervous when I used all the sock yarn I had and there were only 2 1/2 rows of the blanket finished. I did a bit of searching on Ravelry and found a group called Blankie Mania. Let me just say, the yarn swap is a life saver if you are working on a blanket like this.

There are at least 40 mini-skeins of all sorts of yarn just waiting to get on this blanket. If only I could press the pause button on life and get them added.......

S

Saturday quickie - Sock Memories Blanket

Quite a while ago I came across the Sock Yarn Blanket by Shelly Kang.  I read as she documented the progress on her blanket.  The finished project is stunning.  I have been planning on starting my own version of this blanket for months and finally got going on April 1. I made only two adjustments to the original pattern.  First I cast on 45 sts per square.  Second I decided against the I-cord edging.

My blanket after day one.

And after day two.

My goal is to use only yarn that I have personally worked with.  If that turns out to not be enough yarn I will either continue to add as I make more socks OR I will branch out and use yarns from wherever I can get them.  

Knitting this blanket has proven to be pretty addictive.  As soon as I get a square finished I need to cast on another.  I have a mental list of the next 4 yarns that I will use and where they will go.  I have not really done anything else since starting this blanket (just ask my hubby, he will confirm that the couch cushion  has perfectly molded to the shape of my arse).  Heck, it was hard enough to put down the needles so I could write this blog post.

Better go, the yarn is calling.

S

Saturday quickie (a day late) - MKG Knit-In

Yesterday I went to the Madison Knitters Guild Knit-In. I had such a great time. It was a day filled with shopping, eating, classes, and friends. I plan on writing up quite a bit more about it, but as this is a Saturday quickie I will stick to my brush with knitting fame.

I was lucky enough to meet Kay and Ann of Mason-Dixon Knitting

And Franklin Habit photographer and awesome knitting guy.

More on classes and purchases later.

S

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Olympic goals reached!

Lately I have been doing so much knitting it has been hard to find time to fit in much else.  It was my goal to finish four projects that were on the needles during the Olympics.  I am thrilled to report that all four are complete.

Project one was the Citron shawl.  I used the beautiful and SO soft Beaded Pearls and Sequins from ArtYarns in solid color 2204.  This shawl is the most light, soft, and luscious thing I have ever knit.  Quite often when I walk by it I can't help picking it up and wrapping it around my face for a bit.  I wish I could post a touchy swatch to share.  Seriously, if you get a chance and you want to make something truly lovely, this is the yarn to use.

Project two was the Alpaca Baby Shawl.  This baby blanket, knit out of Caron Simply Soft, was such a fun little knit.  I am not usually a fan of afghans but I think that knitting this as a square made it much more interesting.  I hope to one day make this out of a nice alpaca or llama but I chose the Simply Soft because it is, after all, a baby blanket and needs to be machine washable.

Project three was a pair of "tiger" socks for C.  My dear middle child loves the socks I knit for him and that makes me want to make him more and more.  C saw the yarn Tiger from Knit Picks and had to have it.  I used my basic sock pattern and knit it up in a 4x1 rib. I think they look great on him.

Finally, project four was the Mark Cohen scarf I made for my hubby.  The pattern and yarn info for the scarf can be found in a previous post.  This scarf seemed to take forever to complete but I think the result is worth it.

As you can imagine, I felt a little lost after that.  I don't think that I have ever had all my WIP's (work in progress) finished at the same time.  Not to worry, I have remedied that by starting another four projects.  Oh, just an FYI, the coat tree used to display some of the knits was made by my very talented father-in-law, Roger.

S

I *heart* NY or Mark Cohen scarf

Yes, I am back. While on my blogging break I was quite busy.  The week before last I was prepping for O's 7th birthday tea party.  We had 9 little girls in hats and dresses. By the end of the day I was exhausted, but the party was a huge success.

Last week my Hubby had to travel to NYC on business, leaving me a single mom to 3 kids and 2 dogs. Things were fine. I had everything running like a well oiled machine. My one issue was jealousy.  My Hubby has now been to NYC two times and already has tickets for another trip.  I have never been and simply ache to go.  To rub it in he kept the Empire State Building in the background when we would talk over Skype as it was the view from his window.  He did win points when he brought me home this bag.  I have always wanted an I *heart* NY tote.  This is a shiny PVC bag, nice and thick.  Perfect for traveling my knitting around during the messy Wisconsin winter.

Finally, on  to some knitting.  A week ago Hubby, The Teen, and I went and saw RENT: The Broadway Tour.  Now, some would say that my Hubby looks a bit like Anthony Rapp (who plays Mark Cohen) and I agree.  Knowing that, it was decided that he needed to have a scarf like the one in Mark wears in the show (that way he can be a proud RENT-head and not be over obvious).  As you can see, I started making the scarf.  I cast-on 100 sts on size 5's and started going round and round.  After about 5" I started thinking the scarf looked a bit too wide.  3.5' later I finally decided it was something I could not live with (I have proved I am a true knitter by knitting 3' of scarf knowing that it was too wide, I would not be happy, and would have to take it out.)  Last night I gave in.  I cut the yarn that I was working with, used it to cast-on, and now I am knitting the new scarf from the too wide one.  I am much happier with it and think it will be awesome.  Oh, I also found a pattern to use as a guide  Classic Rugby Strip Scarf from Oddball Knitting. I chose to do an invisible cast-on so that both ends will look the same. Also, I really like the way a 3 needle bind-off finishes the end of a scarf especially when you are planning on adding fringe. I changed the stripe count to 30 rows per stripe.  Yarn, Plymouth Yarn Company Dreambaby D.K. in colors 120 (navy), and 0100 (white).

S

Hearts for Olivia

I finally Have all my ducks in a row and my pattern has gone up on Ravelry.  It was published in the first on-line edition of Knitcircus Magazine Issue #9.  This has been such an interesting journey.  I have to admit, it feels pretty good to be able to say that I am now, officially, a published designer.

Oh, and speaking of official, yesterday I received my certificate from the Craft Yarn Council saying that I am a certified knitting instructor.  15 more hours and I will be a certified knitting teacher.

My camera is spending the week in New York City so I am not sure how much I will be able to post.  I suppose I could post without pictures but that does seem a bit boring..... we shall see.

S

Saturday Quickie - Ribbed for her pleasure

The hard case for my Blackberry had been in the process of breaking for months.  A few days ago it finally threw in the towel.  Deciding I was not in the mood to order another, I set my sights on making a sweet little cozy for it.  I did a bit of looking on Ravelry and found a pattern for an ipod sock which can be found here.  I used some leftover sock yarn and knit this up in an afternoon.

I am really happy with how this turned out and will never buy a case for my electronics again.

S

Super Secret Project pictures and review

The SSP was finished on time, wrapped, and gifted.  I am so excited with how it turned out and even more excited to share pictures.

For the life of me I can't remember what yarn I used. Knit night is tonight (if they do not cancel)  so I will check on the name of the yarn and post it in the comments later if anyone is interested.  The hat was knit up on size 2 needles.  First I tried doing the Liver bird (for that is what the pic is) with intarsia.  I started over many times, taught the kids some new swear words, and finally decided duplicate stitch was the way to go.

I want to thank Elizabeth for posting her Liver bird chart.  I truly believe if I had to add charting the bird, this project would never have started.  I am debating writing up the pattern and putting it on Ravelry, but I am not sure yet.


As far as I know my hubby is thrilled with his hat.  I think it looks great on him.  Hopefully he will wear it during matches and Liverpool F.C. will do a bit better from now on.

I have a bunch of new projects started but that is a post for another day.  


S

Saturday quickie - Thank you note and SSP update

It is DONE!  The SSP is wrapped and ready to gift.  I hope to have pictures, modeled by my hubby, up Monday.

This morning I got the urge to make a cute little thank you note.I decided to knit up a wee tiny sock and attach it to a note card.  The end result turned out quite darling if I do say so myself.

The penny is in the picture so you can get an idea of size.  The pattern is Jennifer's Mini-Sock Recipe and the yarn is some left over Misti Alpaca sock.  

Have a great weekend!

S