Sue's thoughts

Not of My Choosing

2009-06-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

We went on a short camping trip recently. We have a new-to-us pickup truck, and my husband got a camper top with a pop-up top. I haven't been camping in years - it became too much work for me, and then for quite a few years we didn't have a very reliable vehicle to take. Anyway, my husband wanted to get out in the woods, so we went to Wanapum State Park on the Columbia River. It's just a couple of hours from Seattle on I-90, dry and warm. Not many trees, though, or what I would call woods! We had a good time - the weather was great, the view of the river was lovely, the campsite was quiet. Most of the other campers had RV's or big trailers, and they mostly stayed inside. Almost all of them had little dogs, too. It's quite windy there, especially in the evening. The leaves on the cottonwood trees rustle and rattle almost all the time. While I was sitting under them in the afternoon, they almost sounded like raindrops. I kept looking around and at the clouds to see if I was going to get caught in a sudden downpour.

The colors of the river and the hills beyond were so beautiful, and change according to the light, cloud cover, time of day. I tried to capture some of that. I love the shades of blue and green alongside the brown.

I took some knitting with me. One of my good friends from the Achenblog had given me sock yarn when she visited, and she knits while camping, so I thought that would be appropriate to take. I got the heel flap and heel and gusset done one afternoon. Luckily it wasn't too windy or it would have been much harder. Toward the end, a gust of wind nearly took the ball of yarn away. I really love the colors in this yarn, and best of all, the socks fit!

I recently knit another pair of socks with yarn that someone on Ravelry had sent with a market bag swap. I didn't think I was going to like the colors so well - it was not something I would have picked myself - but I loved how the colors flowed. They reminded me of a Monet painting, soft, muted golds and greens and blues. They were a pleasure to make - even on size 0 needles - and they fit too!

So, I seem to be going through a time of things not of my choosing, but which turn out well.

May Flowers

2009-05-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Spring so far has been very cold and rainy, but we have had a few sunny, dry stretches. Flowers have been a bit a late, but I'm so pleased to have some long-spurred columbine in bloom. I have a lot of columbine that started with seeds from my Aunt Helen - mostly purple, some pinks, which have self-seeded all over the yard. I have tried to get the long-spurred McKana's Giants going, but with no success till now. I suppose I should have bought plants, but they always seemed so expensive. Somehow the seeds have been difficult for me. These are from seeds I started last spring, and I could not be more pleased:

I love the light shade of yellow, and the spurs definitely are long!

These are some interesting pink columbine:

The Therese Bugnet rugosa rose:

Most everything is doing well. The ferns have all come back, the New Zealand flax which took a beating over the winter is getting new growth. The mock orange, which my husband cut back severely and moved to a sunnier spot, even has a few flower buds (it has never flowered much at all).

Skagit Valley Tulips

2009-04-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Despite having lived here for over 20 years, I've travelled north to see the tulips in bloom only a few times. The first time was many years ago on a Sunday, possibly Easter Sunday, when the crowds were awful, and my small son had an ear ache. In subsequent years, work and weather combined to make the trip planning difficult. But I took a visiting friend a few years ago, and this year I have plenty of time, so last Monday, north we went. This spring has been cold, so we waited a couple of weeks in the hopes that the tulips would be "showing color", as the growers say. The day was gorgeous, sunny, dry, warm, windless.

The first field we came across was this - daffodils as far as the eye could see:

And here are tulips - there were also pink ones in a field farther back.

We went to the Roozengaarde display gardens. Most of the tulips there were out, and they were spectacular.

Traffic wasn't bad, although there were plenty of people in the gardens, and stopping to take pictures of the fields. All in all, a great way to spend a beautiful day.

The mountain was out:

And the tulips in my backyard are putting on a show, too:

Snow!

2008-12-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

Snow! Snow in Seattle, especially around Christmas, is quite unusual. We do not like it, especially when it persists for over a week(!). Luckily, for me it's been inconvenient, not crippling - but if things don't get back to normal soon, I will go crazy.

I took some pictures - it is picturesque today, Christmas Eve, with snow coming down. It's coming down in the form of snowflakes, which are fabulous, and in the form of big clumps as old snow melts and falls off power lines and rooftops. It's 33 degrees at the moment, which has me hoping it will become rain at some point.

Red twig dogwood.

You can see a bit of the bright fuschia colored (formerly purple) house next to mine. In this dim light, it's not too bad. When the sun is out, it really pops.

Balsam fir in the backyard. Lovely.

Somewhere underneath all that there is a car.

And to prove that it's not just me whining about snow, it's the whole city of Seattle:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/393514_storm25.html
The headline in the dead tree version is "Desperate for drizzle".

March/April/May Showers Bring Lots of Flowers

2008-05-31T15:41:00.000-07:00

The temperatures have finally warmed up to tolerable here, we've had some sunny, dry days, and the plants seem to have loved all the cold, rainy, even snowy days we had. Irises of all kinds are blooming - many that I have not seen bloom in years or forgot that I had. I have a few pictures (my camera has been devouring batteries).

German Bearded Iris - mauve and white - really lovely this year - sometimes the colors are too muddy for me:

Siberian Iris - Summer Sky - light sky blue/white/yellow - these are in a bed that has been around for 10 years or more, overcrowded, grass-infested - putting on quite a show, along with the dark purple, larger-flowered Caesar's Brother, which I thought had died out.

Not a very good picture of my favorite purple species iris - reminds me of the iris that grows wild in Virginia, and certainly runs wild in my yard. It winds up everywhere. Also in the picture are blue columbine - descendants of purple columbine from my Aunt Helen.

Autumn fern, with Tassel fern behind it. Not a very good picture - it's a gorgeous coppery pink, leaves unfurling. The Tassel fern is dark, glossy green.

Spring is on its way, right?

2008-03-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

We've had snow(!) the last couple of days, despite the temperature being above freezing - about 36 degrees. The plants don't seem to mind, although the seeds that we planted in the ground are taking their time. Below is the clematis armandii in the back corner, which has taken off and is doing what I envisioned. I like that I can see it from the deck. The yellow thing hanging from the rose bush is a praying mantis egg case in protective netting. The other clematises are getting new growth, as are the roses.

My latest pair of socks. They fit pretty well, but could stand to be a tad smaller and snugger. And I need to do something about the toe - I have a wide toe, so probably decreasing more gradually and having more stitches at the end would work better.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T19:08:00.001-08:00

My husband surprised me with 2 dozen beautiful red and white roses for Valentine's Day. He's usually good with giving me something, but this is the first time for roses, I think. I would typically say that I'm not that crazy about roses, but these are gorgeous. He put them on my computer desk where I work from home, knowing that it's the first place I stumble to in the morning (I have a wretched 7:15 ayem meeting daily). What a great surprise! Work has been very stressful - looking at beautiful roses really helps.

Lovely, sunny day today. I noticed some crocuses out the other day, and the snowdrops and clematis are coming out, roses putting out new growth. I love this time of year, and while it is still cold and spring isn't here yet, it's my favorite, hopeful time of year.

I.Am.An.Idiot.

2008-02-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

I've been spending time on Ravelry lately, and getting more comfortable with all the stuff there. Sunday I decided to inventory my knitting needles. I have a lot, jumbled up in a needle case, on shelves, in bags. Most are old metal ones that I've had for 30 years, although I have started buying bamboo and wood circular and double pointed needles. And Addi Turbofast needles, which are amazing. So, I get to the needles I used for making my socks. They were in a sleeve with no size on it, and I couldn't read what was written on them, so I put them in my handy gauge/needle sizer, and guess what - they're size 3! I thought they were size 2! No wonder my socks are too big - what an idiot!

I'm not sure what happened. I may have had them before class, and took them along, thinking it was likely we would start relatively big. Or I may have grabbed the wrong size, then got it in my head they were 2's. I don't know - it is kind of a relief. I don't feel like such a sock-knitting failure.

I put my second sock away - have been working on other things. But now I have my sock enthusiasm back! I needed cotton yarn for a market bag swap I'm doing for Ravelry, and decided to go out to Issaquah to a Pacific Fabrics store. It turns out that store is closing and everything is on sale. It's pretty picked over already, but I found plenty of sock yarn, including alpaca sock yarn, and needles, and a book (Knit Lit Too). I'm going to be across the street from it tomorrow, so I'm going in with a clear head and a plan.

Sock Class Graduation

2008-02-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

I graduated from sock class last Saturday, and have the proof:

I didn't get the gauge quite small enough, so they're a bit big, and the striping doesn't match, and I didn't get the toe decrease right on the first one. But they are a pair of socks, good enough to wear around the house. I've got another one done in a different pattern, in a solid navy blue - it's a bit big too, so I definitely have to get the gauge right. I'm afraid I'll be using size 0 needles. ;(

Absolutely addicted - very fun and so many variations!

Groundhog Day

2008-02-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

The Yarn Harlot says this is the day for blogger's silent poetry readings. This is one of my favorites, by Pablo Neruda:

Ode to a pair of socks

Maru Mori brought me
a pair
of socks
that she knit with her
shepherd's hands.
Two socks as soft
as rabbit fur.
I thrust my feet
inside them
as if they were
two
little boxes
knit
from threads
of sunset
and sheepskin

My feet were
two woolen
fish
in those outrageous socks,
two gangly,
navy-blue sharks
impaled
on a golden thread,
two giant blackbirds,
two cannons:
thus
were my feet
honored
by
those
heavenly
socks.
They were
so beautiful
I found my feet
unlovable
for the very first time,
like two crusty old
firemen, firemen
unworthy
of that embroidered
fire,
those incandescent
socks.

Nevertheless
I fought
the sharp temptation
to put them away
the way schoolboys
put
fireflies in a bottle,
the way scholars
hoard
holy writ.
I fought
the mad urge
to lock them
in a golden
cage
and feed them birdseed
and morsels of pink melon
every day.
Like jungle
explorers
who deliver a young deer
of the rarest species
to the roasting spit
then wolf it down
in shame,
I stretched
my feet forward
and pulled on
those
gorgeous
socks,
and over them
my shoes.

So this is
the moral of my ode:
beauty is beauty
twice over
and good things are doubly
good
when you're talking about a pair of wool
socks
in the dead of winter.

taken from Odes to Common Things

Sock Class - Part 2

2008-01-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

When I blogged last, I was stuck on turning the heel of my sock, waiting for class to become enlightened. When I got there, it turned out that the instructors and sock-making veterans were perplexed by the instructions, too, even though the pattern was the one the instructor handed out in class. Sigh. But, we persevered, followed the instructions, and it worked! Ta da -

I went on to pick up stitches, then decrease stitches - I think I understand the next bit, which should get me to the point of grafting the toe (which I know I do not understand). I've picked up a cold in the meantime, but may be able to work on it later today, so I'll be ready for the 3rd day of class. I see how addictive this can become.

This is the watch cap I made for my husband for Christmas. It's Wool-Ease, navy blue. It worked up really fast on an Addi Turbo 16" circular needle, size 6 (US), using this pattern. I finished it on Christmas Eve - and it fits! And I made fingerless mitts to match, but on size 10 needles. They're not nearly as nice - I think the smaller needles and the twisted rib stitch works really well with this yarn. I'm going to make my kid the same hat. I made him one from the alpaca yarn, and it's ok, but I was so pleased with this that I'd like to do another one.

Brown alpaca hat:

This was done on #10 straight needles, in k2, p2 rib. The main thing is that it fit, and he wore it while he was visiting. I made fingerless mitts to match, which were not pretty - holes, dropped stitches - but again, they fit and were functional. I may try this pattern - Dashing fingerless mitts - for matching navy blue mitts, although it's a bit more complicated than I'd like at this point.

Sock Class

2008-01-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

The first sock class was yesterday. It was a lot of fun. A little chaotic, as there were many different levels of experience, from those of us who could barely get started with double pointed needles, to knitters who are tackling very complicated patterns, with cast on techniques that I have never heard of. I had some sock yarn and the beautiful, tiny rosewood needles that my friend Needles (dr) brought me, but I was a bit concerned that the yarn wouldn't be sufficient. I bought it at the shop and asked at the time if one skein would be enough - the owner looked at my small feet and said yes. But I was happy when I scrounged through the racks to find another skein of each in the same dye lot (!), so now I won't have to be concerned about running out. The yarn I picked for my first attempt is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock - Superwash Wool and Nylon - Devon (the blue and gray colorway). The red/blue/purple is Uptown, and the other skein is a gift from Needles - Merino wool, which I'm saving for when I'm more confident - and competent.

I knit the cuff and leg of the sock last night. Not sure if I will attempt the heel before the next class. I watched the video on Knitting Help, so I might be able to continue. Miraculously, the gauge seems to be about right.

I'm pretty pleased so far. I sort of wish the yarn was striping more - as Jo at Celtic Memory mentioned in her latest blog, sometimes the variegated yarn is prettier in the skein. But given that this is a very plain, basic sock, I think this will do nicely. Although heaven knows if I can get get the same colors in the same places on the second sock! But that's a detail - if I manage to get 2 socks done that fit me, I'll be very happy.

The instructor also showed us other methods of circular sock knitting - using 2 circular needles, and the magic loop method, using 1 long circular needle. Using 2 looks even more unwieldy to me than dp's, but I want to try the magic loop. The woman sitting next to me in class was having some difficulty with it, though - definitely sounds easier than it is.

I was thinking about going to see a movie today, but decided to stay inside and do sock homework - and I'm glad because now it's starting to snow!

From interest to obsession

2007-12-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

Ever since an imaginary friend on the Achenblog started talking about crocheting socks, I've been knitting and crocheting up a storm. I started knitting and crocheting as a teenager, but lately most of what I've done has been scarves and net shopping bags.

Socks have become the hot thing to knit. With all kinds of beautiful self-striping yarn it's no wonder. I have quite a bit of sock yarn myself, but despite an attempt at a simple crocheted sock, I haven't completed even one yet. I signed up for a class at my local yarn shop in January.

I have been indulging in buying lovely yarn. For years all I got was acrylic at the grocery store. This year I got cotton yarn for dish cloths, place mats and shawls, and alpaca yarn for scarves and hats.

This is my first attempt with alpaca. I used a pattern with a sampler of stitches - mesh stitch, sugar cubes, and seed stitch. I think the size of needles was a bit too small - I had some trouble with dropped stitches, and ripped back many a row, but in the end it turned out ok. Especially after I blocked it, another new experience for me.

For my next attempt, I used a simple rib stitch - farrow rib, which produces a thick, plush texture. I used a bamboo circular needle, size 7 (US), which was a joy to work with - very smooth.

Thanks again to dr and others at the Achenblog for sparking my interest in knitting and turning it into an obsession.

Miami Book Fair, Day 2

2007-11-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

Sunday was another glorious Florida day. The Atlantic from the hotel room:

and looking the other way, Biscayne Bay and downtown Miami:

First on the Book Fair agenda was a panel of writers who wrote books about musicians. Crystal Zevon, one of Warren Zevon's ex-wives who wrote a book about him at his request, was the main attraction for me. I love his music, and read her book (skimmed it, rather, because I had to get it back to the library), and Carl Hiaasen wrote the introduction and was interviewed for it. The whole book is in interview form, which makes it a quick read, but in some ways makes it a bit harder to get a cohesive sense of Zevon's life - which was quite bizarre. He was a strange guy. Crystal seemed quite down-to-earth, unassuming. She told about how Warren's girlfriends, who were many, payed court to her, as the ex-wife, at his funeral - but they didn't talk to each other. She read a couple of excerpts from the book, which were quite humorous. One was about his obsession for buying Calvin Klein gray T-shirts, and how he felt vindicated when they stopped making them, and he had thousands still wrapped in plastic.

Susie J Horgan authored a book about punk rock called Punk Love. She is a photographer, and met Henry Rollins when they both worked at a Haagen Dazs store in Georgetown. She showed the photos, some accompanied by punk rock. Interesting - I've heard of Rollins but didn't know much about him, and I'm not a big punk rock fan - but the photos were quite good.

The author who spoke first was David Meyer. He wrote a book about Gram Parsons called Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons. We were a little late, so missed some of his presentation, but what I heard was fascinating to me. His main thesis was that Gram was influential in crossing the boundaries of what was labeled as rock, country, gospel, blues in his day, and that his influence was still felt today. I realized that I didn't know much about Gram, other than his time with the Flying Burrito Brothers and his association with Emmylou Harris. I bought the book, and when I was looking at it later that night, found lots of references to Leon Russell, another influential musician who doesn't get the recognition he deserves. So that was quite exciting for me. I haven't had a chance to read much of the book yet, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Gram crossed paths with a lot of folks. When I got home I searched YouTube for videos - this is a good one (Gram is on the left, in the white suit and black hat, with the hair in his eyes, and the pretty smile - OMG ):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BITiY8M_oDo&feature=related

There was more. We went to the International Village, where kb found me a free (!) book called Essential Guide to Spanish Reading, which I hope will encourage me to read in Spanish. No excuses now.

We went to a talk on the Changing Face of Journalism, which was a freewheeling, funny, outrageous discussion (we were expecting a more somber look at the future of journalism). Then we heard Tom Hayden and Craig Unger talk about the anti-war movement and the Bush administration. By this time, we were burned out, so walked around downtown Miami a bit. It was deserted and bleak, in contrast to the frenetic activity at the mall by the bay.

Then on to South Beach, another place crowded with people and traffic. Beautiful beach. We were mainly looking for food, which we found (for half price!) at the least noisy restaurant with seating off the sidewalk (the seating at these places spills onto the sidewalk, so you kind of walk through the restaurants).

Finally, back to the hotel and sleep, since my plane left early Monday morning. I can't thank kbertocci enough for the opportunity to spend time with her and go to the book fair. I wish Seattle still had a book fair - I never went when it did, so I suppose I'm the reason why.

I took this picture at the Seattle airport, near baggage claim. Last year there was great controversy about the holiday decorations being too religious, so this year they went with this:

(It was under construction, but still.)

Miami Book Fair, Day 1

2007-11-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday kb and I went to Miami, to the Miami Book Fair. The first famous person I saw was Cal Thomas. I know him as a regular panelist on Fox Newswatch (the only show I watch on Fox News, and it hasn't been on recently). I pointed him out to kb, and we did our best to avoid him. He's very tall and well-preserved looking. We headed out to the booths - books, books, and more books. Books from Books and Books, a much-loved independent bookstore in Miami. Books in Spanish, books translated, fiction, non-fiction, children's books.

We headed to our first authors' talk - Wesley Clark and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, from the Washington Post. Very long line to get in to the room - most people seemed to be there for Clark, I suppose because he ran for president. Rajiv spoke first, about his experiences in Iraq, and how the people put in charge there had no idea what they were doing, while experienced, competent people were turned away because they were perceived as not sufficiently loyal to Bush. He told how the Maryland traffic laws became Iraq's traffic laws, which seems a bit incongruous. Clark talked about his military experience, how after the Cold War ended abruptly and unexpectedly, the US no longer had an effective military strategy for maintaining its superpower status. Or something like that (I didn't take notes and my memory is fading). Clark is a good speaker, but I'm not sure that he presented a direction the US should take at this point. He's also supporting Clinton, and answered some questions about that.

Next, in the same room (we moved closer to the front), Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Dave is so funny, as expected. I got a kick out of seeing Ridley crack up at everything he said. Afterwards, kb and I got our Achenblog bookbags signed, and got our picture taken with them. Very cool. We went to get lunch, and saw Dave and family at the next booth (we were not following him, honest).

On to Mark Halperin, of ABC News and Time. I've seen him on the Charlie Rose Show - he's very funny and cute, to boot. He's written a book with profiles of the presidential candidates, which he's hoping will help people figure out who is the best candidate for them to vote for. It sounds interesting - he asks them some unusual things, like favorite junk food, in order to get an idea of who they are. He says Mitt Romney waxes on about pie. I didn't buy the book - thought I would get it from the library - but they don't have it, at least not yet. Ah well.

Then it was time for the Rock Bottom Remainders, Dave Barry's band. They were very good - lots of fun, and better musically than I would have thought beforehand. Scott Turow was one of the vocalists, as was Crystal Zevon, and Jeff Toobin even joined in toward the end (possibly ending his career as a serious legal analyst).

When they were done, it was about 6:30, dark, booths shuttered. We needed dinner, so we went across the street to the Bayside Market Place. It's a very lively shopping mall, all kinds of music and entertainment and things to buy, from tacky T-shirts to art and upscale clothing. They have parrots you can get your picture taken with, and fishing boats to charter. We eventually decided to eat at the Mambo Cafe, a Cuban restaurant with outdoor seating. We both had Ropa Vieja, which I had never had before - it's wonderful. Along with black beans and rice, and fried plantains, and salsa music, it was a good way to end the day. Then to the hotel to fall into bed.

What I did on my November vacation

2007-11-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

I took a short vacation to visit an internet friend from the Achenblog and go to the Miami Book Fair. This is what my yard looks like in November:

and this is what kbertocci's looks like:

Along the way, in the Dallas airport, I ran across Achenblog reminders: the Cowtown Bar, lunch at the Au Bon Pain, Vonnegut in the bookstore. kb met me at the airport with Achenblog bookbags! We talked and talked, took the scenic beach route to kb's house, listened to Paul McCartney in the car. I had to ask who it was - I blame the disorientation of a cross-country trip, and also that it was an album that I haven't listened to much - Flowers in the Dirt - which came out after his Wings period. At any rate, I liked it! Mr kb was waiting at home with dinner. He's a good cook and an entertaining guy.

I got in after dark, which threw me off a bit. How could it be so balmy when the sun goes down at 5? It was warm enough to keep the doors open to the screened porch off the guest room. I woke up to bright sunshine and flowers beckoning in the backyard. Really beautiful - bougainvillea, crotons, palms, banana trees, diefenbacchia - houseplants gone wild. I wish I had taken more pictures - it is so lovely.

We spent the day sightseeing in Fort Lauderdale - visited Mr kb at a resort where he's the resident artist, walked along the beach and the river walk. We planned our book fair strategy.

We walked to the Science Museum and watched the gravity clock, then went to the library, which is quite beautiful - fountains, public art that changes color depending on where you view it from. The building is striking. We went to the 6th floor to take in the art exhibit, and did not allow ourselves to browse the used books for sale. We had a book fair to go to!

visit from dr

2007-10-07T21:17:00.001-07:00

Boodler dr swung by on her vacation. We had a great time - boy, time does fly when you're having fun! (I'm the really short one on the left; dr is wearing purple, the international sign of boodler-hood.)

mr dr and dr: what a nice couple of folks.

And, she explained how to manipulate pics on this cursed blog! With IE, it's possible to move them - amazing!

2007-08-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Shawls for a friend and her g-girl.

My half done scarf, in alpaca yarn. Definitely will need blocking.

2007-08-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

playing with the first post