Ball Parks and other things

I did not take pictures at the Sit and Knit. I do not know what I was thinking because there were about two dozen women inside of Pleasant Home - the weather was yucky so we couldn't even be on the veranda - and we were all knitting chemo caps. We ended with about 26 of them and because I am a little obsessive, I will make four more and make a nice round 30 to be distributed to wherever the wonderful Vickie, whose idea it was to make chemo caps, would like them to go.

But I did not take a photo. I did, however, take a photo of Chase Field when we were in Phoenix.

To recap, we have this idea to go to a Cubs game in a new park until we've hit all the National League Parks. We are not obsessive about this so we don't have to do it all in one season - though last year we did sit next to this couple who were visiting all the ballparks - American and National League - in one summer. They were young. We are not. I don't think we were ever that young. That is a couple that loves baseball and ballparks. We are a couple that loves the Cubs. Room for us all.
So far, we have been to Miller Park in Milwaukee, The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati - before you get your nose twisted because you think they've named their park the only one with any patriotism you should know Great American is an insurance company, so it is the company that has the patriotism jones not the ballpark. PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Wrigley Field in Chicago and now Chase Field in Phoenix which stands on the ground where my parents' church once stood. The church is now down the street.

When Wrigley Field is your hometown ballpark it really isn't fair to compare other parks. There is a feel to Wrigley that has yet to be duplicated. A lot of that is because Wrigley, Fenway and the late, great Camden Yards, are the granddaddy parks. Wrigley is the second oldest park in the bigs. There is something about that park.

The other parks are more modern and more techy and that's not always a bad thing. I really love the inside of Miller Park. I love the outside of Great American ballpark, they have the best plaza. (and cheap parking.)The view from PNC is amazing because they have the bridges and it is literally downtown and they have some friendly staff folk. I haven't discovered what I love about Chase. My brother works there but that's not really about the park.

On the knitting side of the house, I am almost done with this. Mine is in lime green and made from Lily Sugar and Cream. I, of course, tinkered with the pattern because seed stitch drives me nuts unless it's for an edging and I don't have to do more than ten stitches of it. I once made an entire top of seed stitch and I wanted to hurt the pattern maker and the person who would eventually wear the top. Since no one purchased the top my frustration has not been appeased.

After the bag is done - which requires a trip to Joann for some D rings - I will start on the newsboy cap from here. The cap I made for the Sit and Knit was from this book. The beret was listed to take an hour to make. That was about right and I was talking to folks the whole time.

I am up early - I went to bed before midnight last night - and decided the way to have the quiet and house to myself was to be up before Mr. Honey. I took a walk, albeit ten minutes, and then sat right down at my laptop, even the dog is still asleep. It's a really nice start to the day. This and some knit/crochet - what could be better?

Back To The Future

We had dinner at Ruby Tuesday last night and they have changed their menu and their atmosphere a little. They are going towards being just a tad more upscale while staying neighborhood and family.

That burger was really good. It was an Alpine Swiss Burger. They do a nice burger at this particular RT and I had green beans and onion rings as my sides - it is not my fault they covered the vegetable with a really good, crunchy, tasty covering. I ordered it because it was a veggie. There are some new desserts on the menu and I was salivating over the cupcakes but I did not have any. One day a week I can eat whatever I want and that day is Monday. I will not be returning to RT to get the cupcakes - I had to think about it before reaching that conclusion.

I did return home and did some knitting. I made some progress on strip 3 of the afghan. I think with this afghan there are usually six or seven strips and it is likely to go that way again though I am doing something a little different. I am not making the strips the same width. I thought I'd play around with that a little so I have attached the first two strips already and I will have to measure when this one gets attached.

While working on the afghan (and watching Prince Caspian) I felt the urge to have some crafting success so I turned to crack crochet and I came up with these little beauties:
I also made double thick scrubbies to go with them. I just tickled myself all to heck last night (this morning) making them. I actually had a smile on my face. I imagined placing them out for sale at the craft shows (that are coming up in just six months - I better get a move on!) and people gobbling them up. I happily returned to my afghan after working on them.

Today I am working on one of the squares afghan and I just happen to be doing a crochet square and while I am enjoying it, not the high I got from making the super scrubbies. I am actually looking forward to having both hands filled with a needle.

There will be things to do this weekend. I am attending a concert by a wonderful pianist - Chulei Wang at Concordia University and Sunday we are knitting in a bar - don't tell me tough girls don't knit! I am looking forward to going to a new place and knitting in public.

The weather is supposed to be all over the map this weekend. Despite the conditions of the sky, I hope your spirits are all sunny and warm today and over the weekend!

Back on the Block

Another block has been completed. I think it's number 12 - might be number 13 - there was another completed that I do not count because it is horrendous - even more horrendous than the one I did that I do count. This one has no cuteness about it. I am artistically challenged. Wait, that's a lie - I don't have enough skill to be artistically challenged. I do not have that gene, germ, synapse whatever is is that people have that helps them become artists. I do not possess it and it clearly does not possess me.

I am a mature woman. I know not all talents are given to all people so this serves as only the means which God is telling me not to apply to the Art Institute or even fill out that match book cover with the advertising 'can you draw me?' when it doesn't matter, if you say 'no, i can't' and send it back, you'll get an acceptance letter. You would. I would get a note saying 'thank God, we would have felt bad taking your money.'

The block is call Bobble Lace because there are bobbles all over it outlining the lace pattern. I am surprised it took only a couple of hours - I would have had it finished by the end of Prince Caspian but I had to take out a few rows near the end and redo them but it was finished only a couple of minutes after.



It was too early to go to bed - a decision I regret as I fall asleep at my laptop - and I looked over a cap I crocheted the night before. I looked it over and decided I could design a slouch beret. Really, how long would it take me? I had an idea in my head and all I needed to do was to start crocheting.

I finally crawled into bed a little after 2 (my usual time but I was tired. Brain freeze. Thinking at that hour of the day is unadvised.) I was up and dressed by 9:30 this morning and came downstairs to finish it off and this is the result though you can't see all of it. The back has similar lace like at the brim with the double crochets in the middle. And it can be slouched or worn like a flapper. I even wrote down the pattern. Now all that is left is to get it tested on Ravelry to see if it makes sense and then I can type it up with the last one I did (the Glee hat) and start selling both of them.

Yeah, that's all. I don't know what gets into my head sometimes but it would be nice if common sense made an appearance. Just on odds it should happen a couple of times a year.

What if it happened already? Did I miss it? Nah, I would have blogged about it.

Uterine Uprising

Babies are abounding! Cheree had Johann last year, Erin is about to have her first, Michelle had little Dani just twelve days ago, Toi (pronounced Toy) is expecting her second in July and we are having a baptism with little Jaden in a couple of weeks. I am using that as an excuse as to why I have been compelled to knit these: I know I said a few posts back that I had the urge to make a baby sweater and I don't think I knew myself why the urge was strong and then I put together how many babies were coming into the world and I am willing to join the two of them together because knitting is life and life is knitting - especially where babies are concerned. Oddly enough, the sleeves on the green sweater are actually red but I am finding I like the orange sleeves a lot - almost enough to make me cast on another sweater. I do plan on doing another one - just in cotton for the Spring and Summer seasons.

I am so thrilled for all the new parents! Babies are cool - especially when you can have all kinds of fun with them, get them jacked up and then send them home with their parents!

We have a crocheted bedspread on our bed. It was created by one of the women from my mother-in-law's craft group. I found it years ago at their annual craft show. We have a full sized bed and this spread covers it nicely and they were selling it or just $40. I jumped all over that and I do believe that helped get me back into crafting. I've been looking to try and make one of those rippled bedspreads myself.

I started it this afternoon. I have a pattern and I am using scraps to further clear out the stash. We'll see how far I get before I want to pull out my hair. It's 231 stitches...not 230; 231. That last stitch is important.

Give In To Me

I have ended the little pity party I was throwing for myself yesterday. I was going through my books and out dropped two little ones that I forgot I had. They were both on slouch hats - one knit and one crochet. Instantly I felt better. I did. These two little gems were in my library and I put them at the end and their turn came.. I have this little beauty on the hook and I am looking forward to making a newsboy cap (not in the slouch books but an old favorite standby.) Just like that the mood has changed.

It looks big (well, it is a slouch hat) but I've tried it on and it fits fine so when someone with, you know, hair, puts it on the fit should be just right.

Let me completely change directions and tell you about the chicken piccata I made last night - it was my second attempt and it was delicious! Butter should have its own church! That sauce served over pasta is one of the Heaven's best dishes. OMG, that stuff is good. Ever since I ordered it at Maggiano's a few weeks ago, I've been wanting to recreate it - and I knocked it out the park last night. Now the trick is to not make it too much. That won't be a problem because Mr. Honey usually gets to pick what he wants me to make the three days of the week I cook - no, I don't tell him what I want on his three days - and he will bring home the chicken cutlets when he wants them next.

My cooking library is far more advanced than his. He does a couple of chicken dishes, a couple of pasta dishes, and a couple of pork dishes. I think he may have ten dishes in his repertoire. I, on the other hand, have thousands because I will visit http://www.allrecipes.com and l will pull out a new recipe a couple of times during the year and try them out. Just like knitting, I won't completely follow the pattern. There are very few duds on that site. I just love it and that's where I went to find a recipe for the chicken and I took the best of several and made the dish that has delighted us both. I have a little left over from last night and that will be my breakfast/lunch/snack this morning.

Are you going to watch the State of the Union? I always do and I listen to the response from the other party. This evening we will have two responses. I admit to being much more interested in Michelle Bachmann. I can't tell if she's Sarah Palin's Mini-Me or Eve Harrington to Palin's Margo Channing. She certainly seems to have jumped in the void left by Palin's fall from popularity. I will also be interested in seeing who the 'prom dates' are as Republicans and Democrats sit together and who will be sitting next to Joe Liberman. Grumpy Mitch McConnell has said he's going to sit in his usual seat. I think Barney Frank ought to sit next to him and hold his hand.

Then There Were 4954

Progress is being made on the current WIP granny square afghan. I must admit to cracking myself up. When I took the photos of said project and had to name them for the file, somehow I came up with the name White Granny so when I have to pull it from the file, it could look like I'm talking about a specific branch from the family tree. For the record, I don't have a white granny though I certainly wouldn't have had anything against one - especially if she baked.

I don't know if you remember me talking about the 'rules of life.' In case you don't and you need to go back, I talk about them here.
One of the rules I try and follow is to spend an hour in silence and quiet with just my knitting or crocheting. Not having music or the t and v, husband or dog to distract you really lets you know what's on your mind.

As you sit there your mind tends to go whatever it thinks you need to deal with. This morning I was thinking about the church and the work that was needed. I thought about how knitting has connected me and disconnected me from people, places and things I probably needed to connected to and disconnected from.

I am now a knitter and crocheter. I cannot turn my nose up at crocheters (not that I ever did!) I thought about the differences in the crafts and how those who love crochet and don't understand knitting and those that knit and don't understand crochet are both right about what they think and ain't I a lucky son of a bum to have finally fallen in to the other camp and found a place.

I tell ya. You think a lot when you're quiet and you place quiet around you. After I complete this post, I will have completed my rules of life for today. I would have read a Bible passage (out of a Bible study version), I would have had my quiet hour of needle work and I would have written this post. The rules are supposed to set you up for the day and keep you focused. I do feel grounded and there's no doubt I have accomplished something today with all three - so the theory works - which I guess makes it not a theory.

There's much to do - but much has already been done. Balance. That's the thing.
Make it a great day.

Because I'm Not Obsessed Enough

Yes, it's crochet! Go ahead, oooh and awwww. I was watching episodes of Knit and Crochet Today and Needlearts Studio I have saved on my DVR and they made granny squares (and circles) look pretty easy.

Now, let me say the reason I gave up crochet, which I used to like better than knitting, was because I couldn't get the hang of a granny square. They used to befuddle me. I didn't get how come other folks were getting a square while I was getting a cup. For whatever reason, my brain couldn't understand the instructions and so I gave up crochet. That, and because my ends were always wonky which is still a problem. But with age comes wisdom and so I picked up the crochet hook and decided to give it another shot. Not surprising, the solution was quite simple.

In the first round, make the stitches in the circle and not in the weave.

That was the entire solution to the problem and I made a couple of sample squares that I pulled out and made again and then made these...and of course I purchased a book of crochet motifs. Because what I really need is an excuse to go out and fill in my crochet hook inventory with the missing hooks of the set.

What is really touching about getting this down is that my late mother-in-law loved crochet more than she love knitting. Part of what she left behind is her inventory of crochet hooks including a beautiful wooden one. Joe gave me those crochet hooks and now I can use them for more than just making a trim. She also left behind a huge bunch of small circle motifs and I can now make more of them and also connect them and make them into a blanket or more likely a table runner that we can take from house to house during our Nana Christmas celebration and a little bit of her will go on and when I go north, it can go to her eldest granddaughter and so on and so on. Not that I have anything against male grandchildren, I just kinda know how my M-I-L would think and I want to do what I am sure she would do.

I'm really grateful I tried it again. I don't care what anyone says, I don't think God is in the details, I think God is the detail and whatever and however we conceive Him to be, trust is always rewarded on a timetable we don't always understand. I need to trust more because look what happens.

A New Scarf for the Old HB

So, the HB wanted a plain, black scarf. No special stitches, no patterns, I couldn't even add just a touch of brown. A plain, black scarf.

I didn't want to knit that.

So, I crocheted it instead. I haven't done much crochet lately and there was a time I prefered crochet to knitting. I'm crocheting one of the wips and decided I would crochet his scarf. I just finished a few moments ago while watching Pride and Prejudice on my DVR. (Along with some episodes of Knitty Gritty and Needle Arts Studio.) He hasn't seen it yet. I will leave it on his chair so he will see it in a few hours when he wakes up. And he'll need it. Winter has begun in Chi-town and it's a little nippy out there at 4:30 in the morning when he leaves.

So, this is all single crochet (except for one row of double crochet I threw in just to be obstinate.) Used all of the skein of "I Love This Yarn" from Hobby Lobby. I do love this yarn. It's cushy and soft. And knit up pretty cleanly - though I did run into a knot where they joined some yarn. No big deal, it got lost in the scarf somewhere.

He told me he would probably find his scarf after I made this one. No matter, I told him he would have an option between the black scarf and the black scarf.

What a nice wife he has. And the stash is one skein lighter.
Y'all know I'm gearing up to go shopping, right?

Jean's Shawl-UMW Bazaar

Information for the Sit & Knit is here.
Jean is a member of StitchCraft through meetup.com.
She came to the sale today with a table and a bunch of these crocheted shawls to sell. She did sell one (not this one, this one she gave to me!)

They are crocheted pieces of beauty. I cannot crochet like this. I haven't ever crocheted like this. Knitting I can do, crocheting I can manage...but this kind of work is a gift. Jean is a gift and I am so glad to have met her.

If you would like to come to StitchCraft meetings, we meet every second Friday of the month from noon to three at First United Methodist Church of Oak Park. We would love to have you whether you knit, crochet, draw or do any other craft.