Time to Make More Yarn ~guest blogger Andee

Status update...

 

 

Time to make more yarn!

Bonjour! ~ posted by Kelli

Working on the selfies.

London Knitting ~ posted by Kelli

Have had traveling problems. Had to detour to London!  Complete joy seeing The Queen drive by!

on a happier note ~ posted by Melissa

I realized when I posted yesterday that it's been almost 2 months since I've visited with you all ~ far too long to have come back with such a sad story.  Thought I'd fill you in on what's been happening around here while I've been away (if you're reading this and yours is one of the 35 messages in my ravelry inbox that has not been returned...I'm sorry...I promise to get to each and every one of them!).

Ongoing health issues continue at our house and we've been immersed in doctors visits and hospital stays and after 7 months of this craziness, I think we're both about to lose our minds.  If you're in the loop, surgery #3 was 2 weeks ago and if this one did the trick, we should know by the middle of June if this entire thing is finally behind us.  If you're not in the loop, I'll spare you all the gory details ~ suffice it to say, we're beat and ready to start living life again.

There have been bursts of sunshine thanks to some dear ravelry buddies who know just how to cheer a gal up ~ who can help but smile when they get care packages such as these:

Fellow bloggers Will & Jeff sent a box of hugs ~ 2 skeins of 'sock sanity stash filler' from Will (I've already cast on the Black Bunny Fibers!) and a huge hank of yarn hand spun by Jeff (have I mentioned how lucky I am?!).  Still don't know what I did to deserve the two of you but like I said, you are on the 'homemade jam forever' list!

And then there's fellow blogger buddy Kelly Lightbeam who threw a little of everything in the box I received from her:

Minnesota chocolates and tea with the cutest little Tea-Rex tea diffuser ~ I will have fun using him!

There was also this lovely skein of berry colored handspun from her local guild's sale (I think?) and a ball of mohair to work into my Color Play Mohair Churchmouse Scarf that I cast on for easy hospital knitting.

But my favorite thing of all was the artwork her daughter Chloe made for me:

I've been working on the last bit of organizing in the knitting attic (my closet finally has shelving!) and when I'm done, I will find a special place to hang this brightly cheerful painting by a sweet girl.

I've been knitting ~ Spire is still on hold.  It's just too much for my brain to handle at the moment.  Hopefully soon we'll get to know each other again.  Until then, I've made a shawl:

 

ravelry notes can be found here

And I've been churning out socks like nobody's business ~ they are the perfect stress knit, I think:

My sock drawer is beginning to fill up ~ I love to open it and look inside...it makes me smile :).

These are my newest additions (links under each photo are to my ravelry notes & more photos):

 

My Cup of Tea ~ with yarn sent to me by mysistersknitter (thanks again, Andi!)

 

Simple Skyp Socks ~ there will be more of these!

 

Hermione's Everyday Socks ~ I had to copy you, Jesse (moo-HA-HA!!)





And my newest pair just cast on last night with the yummy Black Bunny Fibers Yarn that Will sent:

I've joined the 10,000 other folk in love with Grumperina's patterns and started my first pair of Jaywalkers

 

I think that about catches us up to speed.  Spring is here, the sun came out yesterday and stayed for an encore today so for the moment, there's a smile on my face and hope that tomorrow will be a better day than the last too many bad days in a row.  I really appreciate everyone checking in that's been taking the time to message me on ravelry.  I do read all your emails and like I said, I will answer each and every one of them when life gets back on a normal track for us.  I'm so glad to have made so many cherished connections online ~ I'm ever so thankful for my virtual circle of friends and your friendship.

 

 

Happy Spring and I'll try not to be gone so long next time!

Melissa

grieving for Paul ~ posted by Melissa

warning: sad post ahead that has nothing to do with yarn...it's okay if you choose not to read it

 

 (picture courtesy of Spencer Wallace Photo ~ thank you so much Spencer for allowing me to use it)

It's been a little over a week now since lives in our neighborhood changed forever.  Nine days of sadness and remembering what happened that night.  You can read about it ~ here ~.  My heart and mind like so many who were there that night are still completely fractured.  So many strangers' paths crossed in that instance and we are now bonded by tragedy. 

I find myself grieving still.  Grieving...

For Paul ~

a young man I never knew

 

For the parents ~

who have lost a precious son

 

For the brothers ~

who were three and now are two

 

For a girlfriend ~

whose anguished screams pierced and still echo in my heart as she watched her boyfriend leave this earth

 

For the brave bystanders ~

for they will always recall their valiant, courageous efforts to save a stranger's life (I am still awed by the immediacy that you began CPR and how long and hard you tried to keep Paul here)

 

For neighbors ~

like myself, whose lives are forever altered by the things we saw and heard that night (much of which is so gut wrenching that I cannot and won't share it ~ be thankful for what you don't know about what happens inside the yellow tape...)

 

For the friends ~

and friends, and more friends ~ some close and some not so close like Spencer Wallace ~ who have been stopping at the memorial...day after day, hour after hour...to come together and try to understand and deal with the loss of one so young and in their circle

 

For the responders ~

the police and firefighters and paramedics and investigators and tow truck drivers ~ who deal with these tragedies today and tomorrow and tomorrow and yet have the strength to bury the raw emotion that comes with their jobs and get up and do it all over again the next day ~ how do you do it?

 

For the 911 operators ~

who take frantic phone calls from people like me and whose job it is to listen to the frightened panicked cries of help from a caller who is watching someone die before their eyes

 

For the boy who ran ~

I do feel grief even for him...you ran past me in the street that night...why did you run?...only you know and I'm sure you have to think about that fact every minute of every day...my heart breaks for you as well

 

 

So many people, so many lives were touched by you on March 13, 2014, Paul.  So many people tried so hard to keep you here and I know I will always remember you even though you are gone.  We have all been bonded together eternally.

 

Rest in Peace, Paul Linari.  You will be missed.

~Paul's obituary and memorial service information can be found here~

Gearing Up For Serious Travel...from Kelli

Will be touring France starting with Paris then Loire Valley, Dordogne, and Biarritz before heading into Spain where we'll visit Fin Sebastian, Pamplona, Zaragoza, Barcelona (everybody's favorite place), and Madrid for 2 days before heading home.  I'll be helping with 14 other adults, chaperoning 30 high school students. Hoping to post some of my travels and if I can settle enough to knit a sock or two. 

Kelli

Vogue Live Seattle 2014 ~ a post from Kelli

As you walk up you can 'pin point' where you and your stash live...  I pushed a pin in for us Northwesters.
Driving to Vogue Live Seattle takes about an hour and a half from my home.  Parking is a expensive nightmare but well worth it.





Here's some Vogue-Style ladies 'miming'  for passerby's.  Can you believe all this knitting?  I'm guessing machine knitted...  they stood there and contorted in all sorts of ways.  I stood watching thinking, Can they see through that?  and Wow, sure catches your attention.  And yes they are connected the whole time.



  OK, now to the  Catapuss-es's... now let me think, what FOUR projects would I work on all at the same time?   and why cats?  Clever artists~





Want to test taste some yarns?  Lots of test knitting options, in lovely hand lathed bowls for sale (not as nice as the bowls Mel and I have).  With single point needles?





Here we are, my favorite designer of lace, or one of them.. Jared remembered me and got to meet my husband.  Leila was not there as I hoped, but Jared knew the shawl right-a-way, Spire! he said as he touched it, 'beautiful' , was all I needed to set my heart a-fly'in.  (you can't tell from my face but I'm much happier then I look).   We talked a bit and I asked if he'd watched Downton Abbey, and he HAD! only through season 3...then I asked if he'd watch North and South, he had not.  I asked because in both those shows there are scenes where the leading ladies are wearing wool coats, the coats have dark purple 'peter pan' collars with the main coat lighter purple.  They look stunning to me.  I've been looking for that purple on purple look, for a pullover or cardigan,yoke down, sweater (not with the peter pan collared) and to create my own version,  I did buy some Shelter that should do the trick, but that will have to be for another 'post'.


What a lucky knitter I am to get to see and visit with Jared Flood, and for a husband who gladly followed me around while people asked him, "Are you a knitter too?"   "No I'm an Alaskan crabber" and that would set off all kinds of questions back to him.

A Taste of Vogue Live a post from Kelli

Just testing to see if I can post from my phone?

Tolt Wool & Yarns... a post by Kelli

Here's a little sample of what you walk into when you visit the Tolt Wool & Yarns shop in Carnation Washington.





I was happy to meet Beth,  a modest employee, and knitter telling me she's a "jack of most knitting but the master of none."  She was very informative, eager to help, and has a way making you feel at home in this darling shop.


 


Yes they have tons of Madeline Tosh, in many weights,  and can you really pick out a bad color?





Anna the owner of the shop came to say hello and introduce herself.  She's a mother of  4 children!  And of coarse runs the shop and a farm~  why not? 


A great shop to add to your list of favorites.





Anna was kind and took this photo of my husband and I, today was our 27th wedding anniversary~ 


Hope to visit again soon.   I bought some beautiful  "Organik" (merino, baby alpaca and silk), aquatic forest color (to die for) yarn.  Some locally farmed/spun alpaca,dark rose grey color,  and other treasures.


What a day!!!


Melissa when can we go together? you'll love it~

Spire ...a post from Kelli

   

                                        
                     
                                             Love ~  why do I knit  anything else but lace?


                                                           
                                               



                                           Thanks to whoever posted the picture!