And there goes another weekend.
10 Mar 2008 2 Comments
We didn’t really have anything planned for this weekend save a Saturday night BBQ date and exploring KC. Late Friday, my in-laws to say that they were delivering a load near here (they’re truckers) and that they could lock up the truck and head home (about 2 hours the other direction from here) if we would come and get them and take them home. Since we didn’t have tons planned, we figured we’d take them home and get started on part II of the entertainment center. As it turned out we pretty much got nothing done, but we had an ok time, save the HUGE amount of time in the car. However, since I don’t have to work tomorrow (that’s a topic for another post) I guess I don’t get to complain too much – poor Wes has to go back to work. And I did get lots of knitting done!
Wes also got to bring his kayak back to KC with us. Here’s a sight I bet you never thought you’d see – my kayak-laden little car!
Which brings me to my most recent accomplishment: Lianne. I have to say this is one of my favorite knits so far and I wish I could keep the final product, only she’s not mine to keep! I found this pattern in Handknit Skirts that A Mano just started carrying. At first I wondered if the skirt would be ill-fitting or heavy, but it turned out great. The design is a simple A-line. You start with large needles, and rather than decreasing stitches you just keep moving to smaller and smaller needle sizes. A little elastic in the waistband and you’re done! It’s easy and a quick knit – I can’t wait to knit this again for me.
The Specs:
The Pattern: Lianne from Handknit Skirts from Tricoter
The Yarn: Mango Moon Bali Sky (recycled sarong yarn, 4.5 skeins), Mango Moon Capelli (2 skeins)
The Needles: 15, 10, 9, 8, and 7
Now I’m getting to work on a cardigan for me, and finishing up a special birthday surprise for the l’il sis. More pics to follow.
Thank you.
07 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
in Family
I want to thank all of you for your kind comments and thoughtful words about my grandfather’s passing. In truth, while it wasn’t expected this very week, it was a long time coming. He has been ill for the last several years, and we were all prepared to let him go. That said, I know my family appreciates your thoughts.
For me, the hardest part of yesterday was the flood of memories of times spent with both my grandparents. As I said, my grandfather was not an easy man to know and my grandmother was the complete opposite. I have such wonderful memories of all my time spent with her, and I miss her even more intensely as the years go by. I was lucky to get to know her for as long as I did, but I can’t help but be greedy and wish she were still here today.
I spent a lot of time thinking about this last night, and I would like to post the words I wrote for her memorial service almost 8 years ago. While part of my blogging experience is to write to entertain my readers, part of it is an archival process for me, and I would like to add my words about her to my journal for posterity. If this is a little too heavy for you, please join me tomorrow when I’ll be back for my regular programming (finished knits and strange stories).
****
Ruth Sidney Wolf
January 5, 1923 – July 14, 2000
Probably one of my earliest memories of my grandmother was walking along the Ventura State Beach early in the morning and collecting seashells. What we did with those smelly seashells I’ll never remember (though I have a sneaking suspicion that either she or my parents disposed of them later). But when I think of the ways in which I most connected with my grandmother, they always seem to be close to the arts. Perhaps the best way that I can think of to describe her is as an artist. Whether she was painting, knitting, listening to the opera, cooking, or instructing us, she filled most of my memories with her artistic skills.
When I was young we walked the beach and collected seashells and we drew with crayons. We told each other stories – hers were filled with colorful pictures of her youth, or the antics of my dad and uncle, or even the antics of her beloved Tiffany. As I grew older we spent hours in the kitchen cooking applesauce, freshly baked bread or fruit soup; and in the evenings we would sit in front of the T.V. practicing knitting pattens. And when I got old enough, I brought my own projects – my scarves and sweaters – to her for advice and ideas.
Probably one of my last real memories of her involves a difficult sweater pattern I attempted roughly 3 years ago. I struggled all night with the pattern, but my patience gave out and I gave up. By the next morning the needles lay ready for me, cast on and ready to go. Even with her arthritis she was still helping me, sitting next to me and encouraging me.
I have so many wonderful memories from her: jewelry store and makeup, recipes and patterns, and long conversations… too many to be counted. I feel lucky to have known her. When I think about the things that she taught me and how she influenced my life, I can best summarize it like this: She taught me to have patience with myself; that you can still be creative even while using a pattern or a recipe; that every pattern, every stitch, they always work out in the end; and that you’re never too old to drive a little red sports car.
In Memoriam
06 Mar 2008 3 Comments
in Family
Howard Irwin Wolf
July 18, 1918 – March 5, 2008
You were a difficult man to know. You were very, very smart, but very, very quiet. You liked your solitude, which was very hard with two little granddaughters running around the house and a Grandma who liked to do every activity under the sun. Often you sat in your armchair reading newspapers, teasing us that we couldn’t have peanuts from your Planter’s jar, and watching the stock market on the silent t.v. But you loved our grandmother, and we know you loved us. The way you took care of her until the very end, and the way you always set up whatever we needed to cook, to knit, to do art projects; even the stepstools you built us for the kitchen so even when we were young we were tall enough to “help” – we knew you loved us. I know you haven’t been yourself these last few years, and that has been hard for all of us to watch. But I’m happy that you’re at peace now and that your health problems are over. And I’ll always remember you, Papa Howie.
Cleaning.
04 Mar 2008 1 Comment
in Domesticity
In my new domestic role, I’m responsible for cleaning the house. I hate cleaning. I live for the day when I make enough to hire someone to come clean my house once a week.
That’s why I was so glad to find this little helper.
Why I don’t sleep at night.
02 Mar 2008 2 Comments
in Domesticity
Last night I woke up to this:
That’s right, I opened my eyes and Wes’s fist was on my pillow about 3 inches from my face. I was disturbed.
Never mind that he elbowed me in the head later that night.
Lazy Saturday
02 Mar 2008 Leave a Comment
in Learning to be a Midwestern Gal, Miscellaneous Craftery
Today Wes and I took it easy. I slept in a bit this morning and then got up and ran a few errands. I hit the post office and then dropped off “Darla” at the local yarn shop and picked up a few balls of yarn as compensation for my efforts. I now have some fun new sock yarn to try, including the new Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn.
I came home and we chilled while watching some t.v., then got our stuff together to go out shopping for a bit. We stopped at Home Depot for some utility shelving, at Bed, Bath & Beyond for some miscellaneous kitchen items, at Borders so we could spend a gift certificate, and then at Macy’s so I could pick up a crock pot that I have been coveting (yes I now have domestic urges… sometimes).
Then we headed down to a big shopping center for our last shopping stop and some BBQ at Famous Dave’s – a local favorite. We were headed for Cabela’s, an outdoor and sporting mecca of sorts. Now Wes drags brings me into outdoor stores all the time and usually I’m fairly bored. He loves kayaking and camping and I prefer day trips to nature followed by a hot shower and a good night’s sleep in a warm bed.
Nonetheless, I have to say, Cabela’s was pretty awesome. It was kind of like Disneyland for outdoorists. In front of the lodge-like structure is this huge bronze statue of elk – please excuse the picture, all I had with me was my camera phone. What you can’t see is that behind the elk is a man-made “waterfront” where you can take the boat you want to buy for a test drive.
Then you head inside and there’s a man-made stream inside (with live fish and ducks!) and a whole mountain sculpture with stuffed animals of all kinds. It’s kind of a like a trip to the zoo, except that the animals have all seen the taxidermist. There’s a gun section, an archery section, a fishing section, a camping section, a clothing section, and of course the water-related areas. There was also a yummy looking grocery section to be used for both camping, and home cooking. And there was a fudge counter in there with 20+ different kinds of fudge! After resisting going for so long, I felt kind of silly. I’d totally go back and browse, and I don’t even like the outdoors. (Why yes, that is a grizzly bear staring down at the fish in the stream – too bad he’s dead and the aren’t!)
Anyhow, after Cabela’s and a BBQ dinner at Dave’s we’re now sitting at home hanging out. I’m icing my toe which I delicately slammed into a curb outside, and knitting a bit. And it’s the perfect lazy Saturday (well minus the toe-slamming).
