Fog
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on. ~ Carl Sandberg
Knitting Archive July 2009
Time flies
When I was growing up, I hated having a summer birthday. I always felt cheated because I didn't get to have the cupcakes and party at school thing. I liked being in school and missed it during the summer. So, for as long as I can remember, for me summer has ended right after my birthday. Sorry everyone, tomorrow is the end of summer!
That's me on my first birthday, 62 years ago.
I used to get anxious around my birthday, worried no one would remember. When I turned 6, we were on a ship on our way to Japan. And wouldn't you know, we crossed the International Dateline just as my birthday arrived so I lost my birthday. I worried that meant I would be 5 forever despite the none too convincing arguments of my brother.My parents actually did forget my birthday the year I turned 11 -- we were in the midst of moving to Germany and they were off visiting friends and they forgot. After a while it became something I could hold over my mother's head.
I am happy to report that my birthday no longer brings me any worries. Today I have gotten lots of nice cards, greetings on Facebook, a call from my daughter and from my best friend. Google gave me my invitation to Google Voice and Apple got my replacement power cord to me 4 days sooner than expected. My husband is preparing us a lovely meal. He gave me a lamp I have wanted -- as I get older stuff is a lot less important to me so a reading lamp to put next to my side of the bed is just the thing for me.
I don't feel 63. But then again I don't know how 63 is supposed to feel. Inside I feel a lot more like 45 maybe. Yet I am also very much aware of the dwindling time ahead of me. There is a an urgency about doing some things I have thought about that wasn't there before.
Of course that urgency has not spread to my knitting so I am puttering along on the same projects that I showed you before.
My hollyhocks decided to open for my birthday -- I so love this luscious deep color.
The cats mark all of this in their usual way --
Yeah, that's some of my Colourmart stash behind the chair.
Blissful silence
This weekend we had the third annual Maine Celtic Festival in the park right in front of our house. What fun, you say. Ahh, but wait. This means we hear all of the Celtic music that gets played during the festival -- fiddles, bag pipes, mournful songs and all -- and this year that meant 19 hours of it filling our house. Music is wonderful but too much of it can make even a normally sweet tempered person become surly.
Here's what we saw out our front door -- some of the vendors --
And when the fun was over, the gulls came in and fought over the trash -- which I must say was picked up by dark --
The first of the lilies I planted this spring is blossoming and what a nice sight after so many things have been done in by all the rain --
And my lime plant is setting a bumper crop of limes. Now to get the scale that has been afflicting it since winter under control --
And I've made progress on Mehndi
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday, David, born 30 years ago today. You remain a creature of wonder to me.
Love,
Mom
My Mehndi Edge
Several people have asked about the edge I am using on Mehndi. So here is the chart for it:
I've strayed...
After weeks of being faithful to my three projects, I finally succumbed to the siren call of something new. I waited patiently for Susan to release the pattern for her Mehndi stole and I bought it the first day it was available. And even then I didn't give in and start it. But I have these 2 cones of beautiful milk chocolate heavy lace weight silk and they balefully stared at me as I knit away on my sweater until finally I could resist no longer and I gave in.
Because I am using a finer yarn and smaller needles -- 2.75 mm -- and because I like wider stoles, I doubled the width. The pattern indicates a width of 18" which to me is in scarf territory. I think mine will be around 30" wide, which I like. And I made some changes to the edge. I am generally not a fan of the three stitch garter edge and besides I just had to have beads somewhere. So I changed to this edge, which I have become fond of and have used several times now on different projects. I am using a raspberry bronze 8/0 bead.
The pattern takes a little bit to get used to -- but by the second repeat I had it memorized. This is a very pretty design and I am going to love the finished stole.
We have now had several days of sun. In a row! It looks like the tomatoes and winter squash came through the very rainy June all right. And we still have 3 pepper plants so my husband will be able to make his hot pepper jam later this summer. We have to keep a watchful eye for late blight which is apparently a big risk after so much rain. So far no signs of it in our garden.
Yesterday as I was getting ready to move our rosemary plant outside, look what I discovered growing in it --
I did a little research and discovered that they are not uncommon in houseplants and are essentially harmless to the plants. But still a little weird to find.
Soggy Mainers find sun -- at last!
Yesterday looked to be a repeat of the last two weeks -- fog, rain, clouds. And we had no special plans for the Fourth, so we decided to get out of the house no matter what. We hadn't been down to Deer Isle and Stonington in a while, so we struck out hoping to find a good lunch at least.
When we got to the causeway between Little Deer Isle and Deer Isle, things didn't look too promising -
But we went on. And just as we pulled into Stonington,
THE SUN CAME OUT!
Fisherman's Friend was open so we went in and enjoyed a terrific lunch
And surprise surprise -- we have sun again today.
When do we build the ark?
That's right -- it is still rainy and cloudy and foggy. Last night we were treated to big thunderstorms and fierce downpours and it is so humid that the pavement is still wet. And the five day forecast? Thunder storms, showers, rain.
So, what is there to do but knit, read, watch old movies?
I have been working with renewed energy on my lace cardigan from Vogue 2008 Holiday issue. I really like how it is going and I need a new cardigan for fall. Here is where I am now -- it is knit in the round from the bottom.
The yarn is a DK merino from Colourmart -- deliciously soft.
And here is where Roscoe is as I type this --
