The heaviness of it all

It has been awhile since I've managed a post with substance. Day-to-day activity has been allowed to consume me physically, yet I find myself drifting off mentally.

Thoughts seep in more frequently that are attached to 'nesting'. I believe it is a result of my need to have complete balance and calm in my life and the utter lack of it right now.






We have been caught up in the rush of business buying the new house. If you have not had the opportunity to deal with a mortgage company since our country entered the mortgage crisis, do not feel like you are missing anything. Gone are the days of the easy transaction - call someone, ask for a mortgage, show up and sign. This recent experience has left me feeling somewhat violated and frustrated that the actions of some have affected us all.


The change in housing means it is time to coordinate the move details. The trip here left us (and our furniture) battered. In the moving company's defense, they did send a nice, big check to compensate us for our loss. Half of our household has been in their storage for 5 months and it makes me wonder the condition at arrival. So, there is the physical delivery of the storage load, then the coordination the pack and move of our current location - enough said.





I've been so very focused on our individual needs and events that I had forgotten there are much bigger things going on around us. Our friends back in Michigan are caught up in a floundering economic situation. Everything there is tied to the auto industry and we know where the auto industry has been for quite awhile. My father has given many years to GM and is but 2 years from retirement. What will his future look like?





The President touched on these issues along with our current foreign involvement and the swine flu in his address last night. Disagree with me, but not since Clinton have I heard a more engaging speaker in the Presidency (light enough comment for the Southeast?). Did he tell me anything I didn't know? Not really, but his words reassured me that all of this stuff is on the radar. It did not seem like all smoke and mirrors or hopeless, simply put - We have all of these problems and we are handling them as best we can. Seems like my life right now.


The combination of all these events leave me with the need to nest. To cozy into our new oasis and make it my own. To slow down and enjoy what we have right now. To appreciate the small wonders that occur every day but become lost in the heaviness of it all.




Things can look entirely different in just a week.

UNCLE!

The Mardi Gras vest is being abandoned.

I am a finisher and this vest is never going to be finished (as a vest). The problem lies in the centering of the pattern. It is impossible to get the pattern centered where the mid-point and armhole decreases fall evenly.

It was written without steeks and I hated purling in color work so took it down and put steeks in...that helped with the purling, but not with the symmetry of the pattern. I believe this is destined to become a bag of some kind.



To ease my woe, I've cast on!

Swirl Shawl was designed by Lijuan Jing and is offered through Jojoland. I am a sucker for construction and find myself drawn into anything that is slightly left of center (heh heh, a pun for the vest). What a fun knit so far!


There is other interesting news - we are moving again, this time to our own home. We found our oasis and activity is a flurry again. Mid-May will be the time frame which means a few short weeks until moving activity will overtake our lives again. I haven't begun packing as we have the rental through the end of June. It is exciting to know that we will have a yard to plant and a house to decorate. Peacefulness is inevitable.

Two weeks and $12.00

Two weeks ago today I showed up for knit cafe without knitting. No place better to pull this little stunt because they had everything needed to make this shawl.

2 balls of Jojoland Melody and a new set of needles later, I went to work. This is the Aeolian Shawl from Knitty written by Elizabeth Freeman. The pattern is well-written, don't let the number of pages fool you. This is a shawl pattern that I will make again.

My blocking job could definitely be better to showcase the pattern, but laziness overtook me.

True to form

Work ended a tad later than expected yesterday leaving me just enough time to run home, let the pups out, and grab my knitting for knit cafe.

Upon arrival at the yarn shop, I realized that the pups did go out, but my knitting had not made the trip.

Not a problem, the Aeolian Shawl pattern from Knitty, two balls of JoJoland Melody, and a new knitting needle were all readily available.

By the end of the evening, the shawl had grown.

I remember why I love knitting triangular shawls so much - nearly instant gratification!

...and a baby Kildere

FYS is a pro at catching wild animals. Not to disappoint with this little fellow who was running around in the side yard with his family.

We oooed and ahhhhed for a bit and then felt sorry for the parents who were desperately trying to get our attention focused on them instead of their baby.

Once the baby ran off, they quickly put him/her back in line and were clearly happy that they were reunited.

Who, me?

Am I really a Kreativ Blogger? Knitasha thought so, enough to give me this award. Becky pulls some incredible things out of her craft sack so if you have a chance peruse her posts. I must thank her immensely, because this gives me something to blog about and this is an area that has been lacking of late.

Hopefully, there will be more creativity flowing through these pages soon. The Mardi Gras vest is resurrected!

Don't be overly expectant because the yarn for JoJoland's Swirl Shawl came home with me recently and the interesting construction is calling my name.

Look it - Lacy top

The Lacy Tea Top is finally finished.

It was thrilling when our postal carrier brought my belt buckle and I was able to find two more buttons at a different fabric store near home.

In trying on, it is apparent that a skirt would be just the ticket. A nice white linen has come in at work and I will try to go by there today and see how it fits. FYS took these photos for me after work yesterday and I know the jeans just do not do it justice.

After looking high and low for matching ribbon, this woven became an easy choice. Nothing else came remotely close to matching.



Originally, the design contained a ribbed sleeve which I converted to the overall lace pattern.

4 balls Kidsilk Haze in color #582, Trance

Needles US sizes 1 and 2

See it on Ravelry

Here um are!

All of the kids were home during Bugg's Spring Break and it was the first time in a long time. We were busy and the week flew by, but I managed to get family photos taken - the first in quite awhile. The phrase of the week was 'Here um are'. When my FYS was small and I would call for him, he would respond with 'here um are' and appear by your side. The older siblings took advantage using his wholesome good nature when playing hide-and-seek by yelling for him, knowing that he would answer with 'here um are'. They found him easily every time.


This photo was snapped from the side - we are waiting for the photographer's finished photos to be finished.


It seems to be easy to go for weeks without posting and my blog has been seriously neglected. Truth is that I have been struggling to get knitting completed and photo worthy. There have been 5 wips lounging around my knitting chair for much longer than usual and my urge to complete has been nagging along the way.

see the cut off sleeves on top of the sewing machine?

First up - the Lacy Tea Top by Erika Knight. 4 balls of Kidsilk Haze, how long could that take? Turns out L-O-N-G!

The color I chose was difficult to match. This top should be belted and coordinating ribbon was located, but it needed a belt buckle. One was ordered and arrived...the ribbon was too large for the buckle. I've re-ordered, but it has been nearly 2 weeks and it has still not arrived.

The largest obstacle was my decision to make the sleeves longer. I converted the original sleeves written in a rib pattern, to the original lace and thought the longer sleeve would highlight the pretty pattern. This was not a good decision so the sewing machine was dug out. A few stitched lines and the extra length was cut off. Stitches were picked up around the edge and a picot bind off finished it all.

Yes, there are buttons missing. I broke one of the glass beads while sewing it on. It was thrilling to see that there was one card of the same button left at the fabric store, but upon closer examination the button was clearly more yellow than the originals. The hunt for buttons continues!

Esteem was also completed. Knit with two coordinating strands of Briar Rose Wistful and worked on US 10 needles, this came together quickly. My new friend, Eloise, graciously modeled and it is going into the mail to Chris today.

The Mardi Gras vest, Sunday Scarf, and Rivolo are still in the queue. Something should be able to be finished in the near future...