so to catch up on the past few weeks.
blogless emily and i had a great trip to yellow springs, ohio. a charming, shabby chic town where no one has a chemical lawn, where a great cup of coffee and good conversation are just a short walk downtown. yellow springs has the feel of the setting in the movie to kill a mockingbird minus the bigotry.
the highlight of the w/e was my barefoot shiatsu massage given by charley. in 15 minutes i was rid of the shoulder and neck pain and tightness that i'd been plagued w/ for a couple of years. this man is a natural healer and his smile is a glimpse of heaven. if i were a weathly woman i'd have a massage every week.
in order to hang on to some of that serenity, i quit my job i've been reading more books and listening to more music. at a starbucks on the way to yellow springs, i bought the new carly simon cd into white and it's just what i need to soothe the anxious beast who resides within. i have read tender mercies by anne lamott and the tao of willie nelson by willie nelson. (and according to my son who wants his mom to be hip, it's pronounced as if the t were a d, so now i am officially hip!) both are personal glimpes into the human condition. one of my favorite willie quotes:
my grandmother used to tell me
that a hard head makes for a sore ass.
friday is another road trip to one of my favorite places, st joe, michigan to lie on the beach, drink adult beverages, solve the problems of the universe, nap, and last but not least, knit.
no blog entry would be complete w/o an ella update, she has been crawling for 2+ weeks and now is starting to pull herself up to stand. as i watch her learn these skills i realize it's all about mastering balance.
and now i am off to master the balance of a good night of sleep.
remember that exhilarating feeling you would get when school was cancelled? well, i am having my own little snow day. one of the key people in our clinic is sick and there's no substitute so we are closed. while i am very sorry doc is sick, and it's never good to be closed when folks are counting on you, i am going to enjoy this very first time in my career i have been called to say i didn't need to come to work!!!
testing
i've written a post which won't upload. aaaaarrrrggggghhhhh
edited later. so i split the post into 2 and it worked. i wrote it last night and spent too waaay too much time trying to get the %^&* thing to upload. remember the line about serenity! well, *&^% that!
oh wait, i didn't include the line about serenity, never mind.
here are pics of ella and her new summer hats........................
these are made from petit mandarin, a 100% cotton norwegian yarn. i used this pattern w/ some revisions of my own. the pattern called for worsted weight and size K hook, i used dk weight and size F for the blue hat and G for the beige hat (really is white w/ pale blue and pink.)
the original pattern increased for 8 rows and i increased for about 14 rows, (to fit ella's crown) then straight single crochet until it was the length i wanted, 2 rows of increase for the beginning of the brim and crochet w/o increases until i ran out of yarn. each hat was 1 skein.
(*the 500 hats of batholomew cubbins by dr. suess)
my third pair of jitterbug sox in toscana colorway. i love, love, love this yarn.
note: although i would love to claim it, the throw being used as ella's photo backdrop belongs to the great men of yarn. methinks it's philosopher's wool but i'm not sure who knitted it.
i will not see my little pumpkin for 5 days whilst i take a road trip w/ non blogging emily. can i stand it???
hoping to finish some knitting while awayand have some pics to share.
these little tests make me laugh and if you know me you know just how much the middle finger is my best friend!
***You Are the Thumb***
You're unique and flexible. And you defy any category.
Mentally strong and agile, you do things your own way. And you do them well.
You are a natural leader... but also truly a loner. You inspire many but connect with few.
You get along well with: The Middle Finger
Stay away from: The Pinky
What Finger Are You?
http://www.blogthings.com/whatfingerareyouquiz/
thanks to rae, ella will have yet another hat. i know it's 98 degrees w/ 98% humidity but she's gotta have it. winter can arrive unexpectedly in michigan!
it all started innocently enough, just a quick stop to pick up a couple more balls. (of yarn , people!) i started the modular garter-stitch vest from top down sweaters by doreen marquart (no pic available on this site www.martingale-pub.com but i'm tellin' ya, this book rocks!) in maggi's multi linen (52% cotton & 48% linen) and needed just a little more yarn to make sure i had enough.
when what to my wondering eyes should appear but rae's version of the elfin hat.
ella modeled it and i was hooked. i will be using the very same yarn rae did....claudia hand painted in the poppy colorway.
now, off to get ella to nap and make her a winter hat!
some of these links don't work but pumpkin is fussy so i'll fix them later.
