It's been a year?!

Well, almost a year, since my last post.  I'm calling it a "sabbatical" because that sounds much better than saying "I was too lazy and distracted to write". 

So here's a quick review of 2014:

February--went to New Zealand.  It's really, REALLY far away from South Carolina, but it's beautiful and the people are amazingly nice.

May--older daughter graduated FROM COLLEGE.  Yes, I'm using my outside voice to say that because it seems impossible that she's old enough to be finished with college.

July--went to Beijing, China.  It's really, REALLY far away from South Carolina.  It's such an incredible place to visit with it's huge cities and ancient history.  It's also very hot in the summer.

August--started our homeschool year with the younger two kidlets, ages 13 and 9.  We are working on Latin and Greek.  Don't tell them I said this, but they are way better at both than I am.

December--wonderful Christmas with family.

 
On to 2015!!

In November I started a couch-to-5K program.  The idea is that it takes you from slug on the couch to 5k runner in about 2 months.  You start by running short intervals, broken up by walking intervals.  It has worked really well for me so far.  I am now running 25-30 minutes at a time.  I'm really slow (pretty sure I walk faster than I "run"), but I'm doing it!  Go me!

I have been knitting for just over two years now and I'm completely addicted.  I would have said "hooked" but that's only funny when talking about crochet.  It's a pretty good bet that this blog will take a definite turn toward fiber art--knitting and spinning with an occasional crochet project thrown in.
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Recent FO's (finished objects):

Zigzagular socks by Susie White
Yarn--Yarn Zwerger Garn Opal 4-ply in the Sweet and Spicy colorway

Fun socks with a twisted stitch, zigzag pattern on the side.  It's a free pattern on Ravelry (thanks, Susie!).  The pattern is clearly written and very easy to follow, including moving the zigzag for left and right socks.

 
Chill Chaser Cardigan by Sylvia Hager
Yarn--Spud and Choe in Toast and Grape Jelly

This was a Christmas Day cast on.  It took just under three weeks to complete it, made possible by taking time off school and watching the Mythbusters marathon.  I was a little concerned that the sleeves were going to be too tight, but a little blocking and this sweater fits just fine.

Currently on the needles:

The Lawrence sweater by Melissa LaBarre
Yarn--Cascade 220, colorway #9572

I started this sweater about a week ago and the cowl is taking forever.  It's miles of garter stitch in the round, which isn't difficult but it eats up the yarn and my time.  I'm so ready to get to the body of the sweater.  It has a lace detail in the front and the back. 

A KAL (knit-a-long) with The Knitting Den podcast and the Apple Blossom and Ewe podcast prompted me to give this sweater a try.  It's beautiful and pushed me to learn to do welts (the rolled edge looking things in the middle of the photo).

Plain vanilla socks
I also cast on a sock this morning.  It's for my daughter who gave me sock yarn for Christmas.  She didn't request anything for herself but I want to make her socks anyway.  She has small feet, so hopefully a quick project.

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About this time last year, I discovered knitting podcasts.  There are a ton of them and they are fun, inspiring, and great company while I'm knitting or running.  There are both video and audio podcasts available.  I'm planning to write a little about one or two favorites in each blog post.

Prairie Girls Knit and Spin

This podcast is hosted by Susie (of Zigzagular Socks fame) and Danie.  They do an audio-only podcast from Nebraska.  Episodes include their finished projects, current projects and future plans.  Projects gone awry are included in a segments called "Son of a Stitch", which always makes me giggle. 

They also chat about other knitting related topics like Knits on Screen where they point out knitting from television or movies, Stash Enhancement which is an audio version of show-and-tell about yarny purchases, and Truth in which Susie and Danie reveal a little about themselves such as how often (or not) the wash their handknits.  The Prairie Girls have inspired me to try lots of new projects, knowing that even my failures will lead to some pretty funny stories.

Do you have any favorite podcasts or blogs?  I'd love to hear about them.

Wordless Wednesday--Christmas in NYC

More Spinning

I finished my first attempt at spinning yarn for socks. I love the way the yarn looks. It's fairly consistent and the pink and grey/brown color runs are nicely preserved. I think it's still a bit too bulky for my taste, about 14-16 WPI (Wraps Per Inch). I have around 315 yards. A search on Ravelry should help me find a pattern that will work. I'm determined that this yarn will be socks!

The second photo is of the current spinning project. It's a Polworth/silk blend in a green and brown colorway, very hobbit-y. I'm not sure yet what it's going to be. We are currently planning a trip to New Zealand, where The Hobbit was filmed, but we're going during their summer. Wool mittens don't sound quite right. Suggestions for this yarn are welcome.

Happy Saturday! The hobbit yarn is calling me back to the wheel...

Wordless Wednesday-Marrakech

Yay! Vacation pictures!

Break out the popcorn and find a comfortable seat! I've got vacation pictures for you.

My family and I went to Walt Disney World a couple of weeks ago. We had a nice time, although my son and I managed to get sick and one of the girls was sick the night we got home. On the whole though, it was a nice trip and we brought back great photos.

First up, this photo is from Disney's Animal Kingdom. It's a great park and my son, the animal lover, really enjoyed it.
Next is my husband and children at the Magic Kingdom. The is the original park at Disney World in Florida. It's younger than Disneyland in California, but the first Disney park to open in central Florida. It's got the classics--Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Dumbo, etc. Should it worry me that my husband and daughter coordinated their outfits?

Look! It's me and my girls at Epcot! We stopped for a snack at the Land pavilion. I love Epcot and the Land has two of my favorite rides--Soarin' and Living with the Land.

Soarin' is a simulator ride that has you flying over California, with views of the ocean, orange groves and even a golf course.

Living with the Land is a slow ride through a greenhouse. But it's a Disney greenhouse and you see the most amazing ways they grow things, like tomatoes growing like trees (with elaborate supports) and plants growing without soil. They spray the nutrients directly onto the roots.

It was a fun trip and the children had loads of fun. On the whole though, I'm really glad to be back home, with fresh eggs and herbs just starting to peek back through the soil. Hmm, an omelet is sounding like a really nice dinner...

Another place I'd like to visit...

is the Baltic Coast. I have to confess that the desire to see the Baltic Sea came from a television show. There's a show on the weekend (on a channel called HDNet) that's all about the coast of the Baltic Sea and the people who live there. It's cleverly titled Baltic Coasts.
A number of countries border the Baltic Sea, including Sweden, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania. If you're trying to picture where this is, start at Italy and head north for a while (through Germany), then slightly east.

The scenery is stunning, with green fields, lighthouses, farms, cities and of course, the Baltic Sea itself. The show features individuals that live along this northern coastline. They've had people who's lives revolve around the sea, such as fishermen, artists or harbor workers. There's also people who farm or raise animals in the area.

The show was almost exclusively filmed in the summer, since the weather always looks beautiful. I realize that it's not like that year round, but it tempts me anyway. And I'm sure, if I ever make it there, it will look just like it does on TV. (Don't disillusion me.)

Another place I'd like to visit...

Botswana. Yes, the country in southern Africa. Over the past couple of years I've been reading Alexander McCall Smith's series The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. He paints a beautiful picture of Botswana and it's people.

I was so excited when a friend told me that there had been a television series based on the books. I rented the series and loved it. Although the actors in the series weren't exactly as I had pictured them, they were all just right. Now, I can't see them any other way.

Has a book ever made you want to visit a somewhere?

I've always wanted to go to....

Reykjavik, Iceland. I know, you're asking, "Why in the world would you want to go to Reykjavik, Iceland, Kay?" I'm not sure exactly, but I can trace my desire to see Iceland back to October of 1986. That's the date of the Reagan/Gorbachev summit that eventually led to the end of the Cold War.

To be embarrassingly honest, I wasn't all that interested in the politics of the summit. I know, I was in college and I should have been more aware of world events, blah, blah, blah. What I remember about that summit was thinking, "People actually live in Iceland?! There are houses? And hotels? Who knew?" Not me, obviously.

So, ever since the fall of 1986, I've wanted to see Iceland. I want to see the geysers, the glaciers and the unpronounceable volcano, Eyjafjallajokull. Maybe someday I'll go there, although I probably won't be trying to negotiate world peace.

What places are on your bucket list?

Our Anniversary Trip

My husband and I celebrated our 21st anniversary last week. He made reservations at a bed and breakfast in Charleston, SC, called the Ashley Inn. It's a bit off the beaten path in Charleston, closer to the medical university than the Battery and Rainbow Row, but it's a beautiful inn with reasonable prices.

We were in Room #5 on this visit. It is lovely and has a door leading to the second floor piazza. On our last visit, our 10th anniversary, we were in the suite which includes a private sitting area.

Breakfast was delicious, ham crepes with fresh fruit on the side. It was served on the side porch of the inn. We shared a table with a man from Virginia and a couple from Denmark. The inn's hosts are friendly and welcoming and always ready with a restaurant recommendation or must-see sights.

Charleston, SC, is my favorite city. It's history and beauty are world class and it's reputation for southern hospitality is well deserved. I think I'll start making plans for next year; a 22nd anniversary is special, too, right?

We had a great time on vacation!

My husband and I had a great time on our vacation. We went to Bern, Switzerland. Switzerland is beautiful; there's a postcard view everywhere you look. Here I am on the terrace of our hotel restaurant. The view was great, even on cloudy days. This was a particularly good day for seeing the mountains.








We went to the top of Mount Schilthorn on Tuesday and had a late lunch in the Piz Gloria, the restaurant at the top of the mountain. This is where scenes from On Her Majesty's Secret Service were filmed. I'm sure the view is stunning when the clouds lift.






Isn't this what you have in your head when you think of Switzerland?












Here we are at our "summer home". (Feel free to snicker) This is Chillon Castle. It sits on Lake Geneva in the western part of the country. It's an amazingly well preserved castle. Andy, my husband, could have spent all day exploring.









As much fun as we had, I'm glad to be home. There's nothing like a wake up call from our three year old daughter, even in beautiful Switzerland.