CatFish

I never get sick. Well, almost never. But on those rare occasions when I do, man, it's a doozie! A couple weeks ago I started to notice a scratchy sore throat — now, this was after spending every available waking moment outside in the sunshine and pollen. Having never experienced allergies before Memphis, I paid no attention. A few days later the scratchiness had blossomed into what seemed like a head cold, then a day of flu-like achiness, followed by several days of just a tired, sick feeling, with major head congestion and coughing, and less-than-optimal results from OTC allergy remedies. Having missed two days of work in one week, I decided it was time to seek professional advise, so off I went to the nearest Minor Med center. And now, armed with antibiotics and narcotic cough syrup, I'm starting to feel better.

Daggone pollen. How am I supposed to enjoy Spring if I can't go outdoors? More narcotics?

Anyway, I tried to make the most of my down time, and worked up a little group of catnip toys for my friend Linda who works with Siamese Rescue. They knit up in no time. The real challenge is stuffing them and inserting a little pocket of catnip while a 12-pound cat (yeah, that's him over there on the right) tries to divert my attention. So, here's a little sprinkling of herb for you, Kittie, and here's a little for the fish. No, THAT'S for you; THIS is for the fish. And so on. It was great fun.

I'm thinking I might leave a few rather flat, and call them flounder.

So today is my dear husband's birthday, and he's sick with what seems like the same pollen-born malady that had me down last week. Poor baby. Hm-m-m, maybe a little catnip...

Sky Blue Pink

As a child, whenever I would ask my father the color of something, his reply was always "sky blue pink". That name seems particularly apropos for this time of year, when it seems the world has been painted by a master pastellist. And, of course, it has been.

This past Monday was like Christmas in, well, March. I had ordered a few things online – a yarn swift, some yarn (naturally), and a new copy of Bob Dylan's Biograph. (My original copy, a gift from when it was first released in the late '80s, had been played so many times it was now unplayable. And how can I get by without my favorite Dylan songs?). When I arrived home Monday evening, I found they had all been delivered that same day!

I set to work immediately, using my new swift to hold a hank of my new gorgeously soft Malabrigo Lace yarn in the most beautiful pale blue, destined to become my Featherweight Cardigan (Hannah Fetig's pattern which I had recently fallen in love with). I cast on later that evening...

I had finally finished the Brown Tweed Gansey Socks, and though they're a little Fall-ish in color, they are pretty comfortable since the temperatures have been a bit cool. 

They would have come in very handy on Saturday morning, when I went out to the Botanic Gardens to photograph the cherry trees, now in full beautiful bloom. I was there at sunrise, and although the trees were breathtaking, it was pretty chilly. After a few minutes my hands were almost numb. And the cotton socks I was wearing were already damp from the dew on the grass. Wool socks would have been so much better. What was I thinking?

Oh well, did get some nice shots...

...and then some pics of my neighbor's lovely tulip magnolia...

The rest of the day was spent digging in the garden again. I think the major digging is done (for now) and most of what's left is distribution of the big pile of mulch that's taking up my parking spot in the driveway. And nursing my sore muscles.

This morning it was time once again to turn my attention to the Wedding Shawl. The rows are getting so long now that I can't complete a full repeat during my weekly viewing of CBS Sunday Morning, where there was a segment today about knitting with Mo Rocca (very funny guy). Anyway, just a few more rows and it will be time to start the transition into the rather deep border pattern. I like the way the pearls graduate from none to one to two and so on...

This afternoon I painted, making some more progress on Romance, and then talked on the phone with my sister in Canada, where Spring is just barely beginning to show with crocuses and snowdrops. Hm-m-m, I should make her some wool socks.

It's been a lovely weekend, all sky blue pink. And when I drive home from work tomorrow evening, I'll be listening to Bob Dylan. Probably Tangled Up In Blue.

Spring, Sprang, Sprung

On Friday I was finally able to take a long-awaited day off work to play in my garden. Had a wonderful time pruning and digging and getting my hands in the soil. Then I started Saturday with a walk around the yard with camera in hand, and WOW! what a difference a couple weeks has made!

The heloborus that looked so puny before have suddenly exploded in flowers, even a surprise purple and white one which had never bloomed before.

Daffodils are starting to open.

Hyacinths — a gift from a friend a couple years ago — sparkle by the front door.

Acanthus leaves are beginning to unfurl in the side yard.

Close by a hosta is pushing little purple tips up out of the soil.

And vinca's periwinkle flowers are popping open.

Saturday was an intense day of digging and moving shrubs around to allow for the new light pattern that will take shape when Jim has finished building his studio in the back yard. So much of what I planted last year has now been relocated. And my muscles got a much-needed workout.

In between I managed to finish — just in time for Spring, ha! — the brown tweed gansey socks that have been on my needles for the past few weeks, as well as the "Strange Harvest" glovelets.

Next up, a new sock in my own Spring-hued hand-dyed yarn. I call it "Ziggy" and will post pictures soon.

I even found time to work on "Romance with Pearls", which is progressing fairly well, and should be complete in two or three more good long painting sessions. The operative word here being "should".

So it's been a great weekend for all things yarny and soily and painty. Too bad there was no time to take care of things dusty. That will just have to wait for another season — er, um, weekend.

Happy Spring everyone!

Missed Stitches and Other Longings

It's been a tough week here at Sleeping Cat Studio. After months of mostly less-than-busy days at the office, a big project on a tight deadline had me clocking around 60 hours, wrapping up late Saturday evening.

Now, don't get me wrong. After 40-some years in the graphic design business, I know all about working to meet deadlines. But this has seriously cut into my knitting time, pre-empted my planned days off to work in my garden, and left me too tired for my usual Sunday painting session.

Still I am very happy to have a job. It's what enables me to pursue my knitting and gardening and painting. I do still chant my daily mantra: I love my job. I love my job. I love my job. And tomorrow afternoon, when I leave the office, there should be plenty of daylight left to enjoy. Which leads me to think back to last year's first day of Spring:

I drove down Cherry Road the other evening, and the trees aren't nearly this far along toward their blossomy magnificence. In fact, they looked downright wintery. Which will make them all the more beautiful when the time comes.

Which will be soon I know. In the meantime, with any luck my schedule will get back to something resembling normal, and my hands back into something yarny or soily or painty.

I love my job. I love my job. I love my job.

Springing Forward

Ah Spring! You can smell it in the air. You can sense the buds just below the surface, ready to burst forth. You can — ok, I know it's not quite Spring just yet, but we're almost there. And the weather this weekend has certainly been convincing.

This winter was, well, almost a real winter. I say almost because it really didn't come close to the "real" winters I remember from my Canadian childhood.

I'm happy to say the pansies have recovered. Looks like they have a bit of attitude from enduring all that ice and snow.

Everything seems a little late coming into bloom though.

The helloborus are just beginning, 

the mahonias are still in full flower.
And my sad little forsythias aren't even showing color yet.

So after cleaning up flower beds yesterday, and exercising muscles I'd forgotten about, I decided today was going to be a slow one. Yes, I know I really should be painting, but the thought of standing in one spot for several hours was decidedly unappealing.

Woohoo! let's dye some yarn! I've been itching to try it for a while, and this morning looked like the perfect opportunity. So I got out the KoolAid and a hank of off-white sock yarn (that I got for a song at Tuesday Morning; best not to experiment with the good cashmere) and went to work. Hm-m-m-m, this is kinda fun. Now, I thought about taking pictures of the process, but was too caught up in what I was doing to get out the camera until it was too late. Anyway, here's my first yarn, fresh out its steam bath.

The color's a little Easter-eggy, but I think it might be pretty once knitted up. Springy, at least. 

After a quick wash and rinse, I hung it on the back of a chair on the deck to dry. Notice how it matches the chair. We're all about color coordination.

Now it's time to get back to some knitting. And dreaming of flowers and yarns to come.

The Medal Count

So, Friday evening as young Mr. Ohno was skating the 500m Short Track sprint, I was completing my own sprint, binding off my Olympic Gansey Socks in beautiful blue Arauncania. Saturday morning I was horrified by the devastation that hit overnight in Chile, the home of this wonderful yarn I had been working with. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Chile; I know the same could happen here at any time, with no warning.


But let's not dwell on this right now. As I am writing, Canada has just won the Gold Medal in Hockey. Now, I'm not such a fan of hockey — it moves too fast for me to understand or even see what is going on — but wow, what a fierce game that was! And I find myself torn, thrilled of course for my countrymen to have won the Gold, but also sad for my adopted countrymen who looked so utterly dejected at their loss.


Oh well, that's why they call them Games, eh?


My own personal knitting Olympics have been moving along at a pretty hectic pace these past couple of weeks. The Blue Gansey Socks are finished (and keeping my feet warm right now). A second pair, to tweak the pattern, this time in Knit Picks Stroll Tweed, is on the needles.

I've worked up the right half of my Leafy Lacy Gloves, using Dream in Color Smooshy left from my Strange Harvest Socks. Wasn't sure I'd have enough — two small balls of yarn, on ever so slightly larger than the other. Working from the smaller ball, and frogging my first attempt, I was able to complete the right glove with about two yards of yarn remaining. So I'm pretty sure I can finish the left glove with the rest of the yarn. Hm-m-m, maybe I could've made the cuff a little longer.

And the Wedding Shawl is progressing as well. Did another lace repeat this morning (6 down, 4 more to go before starting the border). Am really happy with the way this is turning out. And on the needles it looks a little like a heart, don't you think?

Yesterday afternoon I took advantage of the warmer temps and got outside to do a little yard clean-up. Put down some bone meal (now, that's some funky stuff!) for the daffodils, raked some leftover leaves, moved a few pansies, and pruned the roses in the side yard. Oh yes, gardening season is starting. Better stock up on BenGay.


Today I even squeezed in a little painting time, although it had to be cut short to watch the hockey match. Here's a small preview of A Romance with Pearls, still quite a distance from the finish line. 

I'm really going to miss these Olympic Games. They've given me time to — ironically — slow down a bit, to knit, to reflect on the beauty of ice and snow, the warm comfort of my home and wool socks, and my loving husband's patience with my fanaticism.


And that in itself is worth a medal.

Olympic Speed Knitting

What is it about the Winter Olympic games that I find so fascinating? I'm not really a big fan of snow and ice, and I hate being cold. As a child I loved winter, and spent many hours playing in the snow. And let's face it, in Canada if you didn't have your skates with you, you may as well not even go to school. Recesses and lunch hours were always spent on the ice.

Every evening of this past week has found me in front of the television, captivated by the artistry of the figure skaters, breathless as the skiers flew down the impossibly steep slopes, and gasping at the acrobatics of the snowboarders. And let's not forget beautiful Apolo Ohno. Sigh.

Oh yes, and knitting. All that snow and ice has made me really happy for my sock addiction. I cast on my next socks with a beautiful blue mix Arauncania during the opening ceremonies; a couple nights ago I turned the heels, so now I'm in the home stretch up to the cuff. Lovely soft yarn, in my first interpretation of a gansey pattern — a mix of purl stitch chevrons, lace ribs and cables. Will probably do these again in a more solid color, but I like the way these are looking. And they feel really good too.

I've tried to compile my own "medal count" of projects I completed last year, hoping to match or exceed that number this year. Here's the list:

11 pairs of socks (all but the first 2 of my own design)

12 helmet liners

1 1/2 lace scarves (the 1/2 is still on my needles)

1 lace shawlette

9 hats and 3 scarves for a charity group in Canada

2 more hats for Christmas presents

and 2 paintings in my "Color Still Life" series (but more on that later)

So far this year:

Dude, Where'd You Get That Hat in green and blue
Cable Hat in white
1 Helmet Liner
Garter Stitch Scarf in white

Blue Cable Cashmere Socks

Grey Lace Socks

Blue Gansey Socks in progress

Wedding Shawl in progress

Leafy Lace Fingerless Gloves in progress

And one more painting in progress. 

Whew! Maybe it's a good thing the Winter Games come 'round only once every four years.