I couldn’t face anything complicated.

Straight stockinette with some increases – possible.

30 rows down

and only a couple of dozen to go….

(150 gm ball of Regia in color Irland. 6 fach on 4.5 mm Nadels)

it might just be ok

Using the reddish – adding it as 40% of the total ridges – it does change the balance from light to dark, but if I do the whole back this way ……

The Mole likes black. He figures it is always great as an accent color.

adding black

up close, it was a possible. When I looked at it from across the room, it overwhelmed everything else. There just is not that much black in the basic yarn.

So there is this grey -

wrong grey family

but it just looks wrong, too dark, and a bit too blue for the fabric. I also have to admit that both the black and the grey are never present as solids which might contribute to their being a bit suspect.

Looking at the orange, I could not make myself try it. I really, really don’t wear orange. A bit in a pattern is one thing, but adding 40% orange to the mix is just beyond me.

With an hour knitting time each way on the party bus to Andover (don’t ask – it is another military reorganization and relocation for no one’s pleasure or convenience) for the day’s briefings – I went ahead and jumped in with the red.

the reddish color

It is lighter than the rust red and obviously a whole lot darker than the orange. I think it  gives the impression of the pattern being spread out a bit more. I am going to have to think about it.

The pattern on the back extension is 4 rows of garter followed by a short row. I elected to add the reddish on either side of the short row in order limit the addition to 40% of the yarn and make sure that the grey and black would not completely disappear.

Now if I can just keep plugging away and resist starting something new…..

1) frog the whole thing and move on to a different yarn

Perhaps purple?

2) try a new gauge

but the hand does not feel right

(and find that I don’t like either the way that the pattern comes out or the drape of the fabric. Doesn’t matter, even at the new gauge the yarn amount that I have is still a few grams short of supplying the needed square area).

3) work in a couple of balls of a solid color yarn on the back where I will not see it. Going through my stash – these are the options:

four options from stash that are in the ball park

bit better a look at the color choices

None of them are a perfect match to any of the colors. The reddish and grey are Knit Picks Palette, the orange is Patton’s baby wool and the black is Rowan 4 ply.  Not going to buy any more yarn. No, not going to do it.

I thought looking for more of the sock yarn but have hung that as not prompt or efficient. And, it would involved spending money. Yarn from stash…..

For a select few of us there is March Sweater Madness. Started by Michelle of the SweetSheep Shop, this is my third year. Barbara is also playing (you need to see the sweater she started during the Olympics).

I started out with a bang on Drops 120-45, a lovely garter stitch cardigan calling for Fabel. According to the instructions, I would need 400 gm of yarn. Since I had a bag (10 balls=500gm) of sock yarn bought on sale I figured I was all set.

Never mind that I had a bit of problems with reading the instructions so that my first attempt got me here -

single increase on the end.....

Somehow I can’t figure out why it took me a full ball of yarn to realize why my knitting did not look like the Garn Studio picture. Perhaps I was out to lunch or engaging in wishful thinking.

Starting again,

double increase gets you a corner...

I finished the left front – including the lower back extension.

Forging ahead, I knit the right front and started on the lower back extension. Grabbing for a new ball of yarn…

Hummmm, why do I only have two balls of yarn left?

I counted ball bands. Yes, I had eight in the bag, proving that I had lost neither my mind nor yarn.

Admittedly, I have only six or so rows of garter left on the lower back so that should not take all that much. But that still leaves the complete upper back to knit. There is no way that two balls of yarn are going to be enough. The pattern said 400gm, which I have already used. I need another 100gm?

It is at this point I figure that something is not exactly straight up. I am using 3.00 needles and getting gauge just like I am supposed to. The fabric feels a bit dense, but I like the drape.

Just in case wastage is more than I thought, digging through the bottom of the yarn bag I can account for about another 10 grams of yarn. You know – that yarn cut from the beginning of the ball so that the pattern matches up? Doesn’t come anywhere near solving my problem.

What else? Reviewing the bidding
1) needles – 3.00 – check
2) yarn – 400 gm, I have 500 gm – check.
3) gauge – check

Drops patterns call for Fabel, I have substituted Fortisima Colori, also a sock yarn. Looking at the ball bands – it mentions gauge of 22/10 cm on 3-4mm needles.

Huh? That does not sound right. That would make it 6 ply, not 4 ply. I would not have done something that stupid, would I? Substituted yarn of 125m/50 gm for yarn of 210m/50gm in a pattern then expected 1250 meters to cover the same amount of area as 1640?

Yes. That is exactly what has happened. Close out yarn – no way am I going to be able to get more of the same dyelot, especially since I would need 4-5 more balls.

Now what?

It was a Saturday, 17 years ago, when Ms Maus agreed to come into the world. A bit of attitude then which has altered over the years to her own bit of humor and fun. Contributing to the challenges of all (including the bother who is 2 years and one day older).

For someone of his age and generation

Even better, I got him out and about for dinner tonight for his birthday.

I think he might just be still awake but reading Terry Pratchett

I have been through most (but not all) of my email accounts but still have to download all the pix off my camera which means that it will be a day or two before I can share pictures of Dubai, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and the ship.

What can I say? 8-15th in the Arabian Gulf with sunshine, smooth seas, warm temps, more food that anyone in their right mind would eat and a relaxing time spent with the Eldest. No snow, no rain. No shoveling, cursing or cars that slide across the road and into a ditch.

I still have an hour before flight time. A quiet transition when not quite on vacation but not yet returned to the world of deadlines, laundry, house repairs and uniforms.

I knit a scarf while underway, half a shawl and the body of a raglan sweater. Never did get to the socks….

This is a week of warmer weather and a break from the cold and damp of both the UK and Germany.

I have clothes, I have knitting, I have my camera and I have the laptop. Don’t know if I will be on line but I hope so.

And yes, it might seem like a lot of extra weight to haul along the laptop just to be able to send off a few emails with photos. But please consider; if I want to relax in the evenings, I have unwatched episodes of Star Trek Voyager and CSI…..

After four reschedules do to bad weather and their lousy scheduling, the plumber showed up this morning. Ready (are you ready for this?) to replace the float.

I kid you not. I showed him the problem, he remembered the issue from when he had come out to shut the water off. He called in and argued with the people for fifteen minutes before they finally agreed that, yes, he should take out the toilet, just like the surveyor asked.

We have no clue about the float – I have called five times about the mistake. I keep being told they will fix it. Never mind, do not underestimate the ability of a bureaucracy to perpetuate an error.

finally - bare boards

leaving the throne on its own outside since I vetoed it resting next to the tub..

behind the house

The joiners arrived just before 1400. Their work order said (and I quote)

replace a floor board

They looked, pulled up the linoleum and two hours later were here -

not just "a" floor board

Obviously it was too late for them to finish. Having it open to dry out for a few days is also a good idea. Perhaps the three sorts of molds and fungus which had been gracing the floor and air will not be happy.

They will be back Tuesday week.

I think knitting is much better for me than worrying about the next disaster

About five of them so far today. Same project, third yarn, second set of needles. Not counting a change on the way I am doing the edges.

Then, I took a good look at my yarn and changed pattern which was perfectly fine since the stitch count a few rows in matched a couple of other lovely choices in, Wrapped in Comfort.  You know Alison, right?  SpinDyeKnit Alison?

Any way – now headed to BigFoot

a few rows, more than a few stitches

Video

Borrowed Season 1 of Monk from the library.

Meanwhile

The Mole is back at school in Rochester for the duration of the week and all of next while I am out of country. He is not thrilled, but looks to have it under control for the moment. Meanwhile, he has started to study US History and US Government on his own since the GED exam is one option out of the current stalemate. If anyone knows what their local High School is specifically using for 11-12th Grade textbooks, I would really appreciate recommendations.

I counted it up: grades 1-2 in Wuerzburg, 3-4 in Muenchen, 5 (three schools in Heidelberg with the last also being the location for grades 6-8). 9-10 in Stuttgart. 11 in DSL with a switch to Rochester mid year, last.

Makes it 8 schools for 13 years of education (yes, it adds up. grade 5 x 2). Not exactly continuity of education.

Week at a time, I guess.

Ms Soprano went to 7 different schools and Ms Maus only 5.

Lotus Blossom in Scarlet

Blocking

looking better

Scarlet Lotus Blossom detail

and while I was at it – I took another shawl – Twinings that had been languishing since the end of August

almost 2 meters Blocked

close up detail

and it really looks lovely drapped

Fiction on the other hand, is all about the story.

The difference is the writer’s intent. Not what professors of language, literature or social analysis decide later, but what the author intended in the first place.

For example, it is fairly clear that Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain were using the medium of storytelling to provide commentary on their societies. Both have even commented so in non-fiction essays.

Similarly, in genre fiction there is little question in most people’s minds that mystery stories are all about solving the puzzle and romance is about relationships.

That leaves Science Fiction – which is about some kind of future – based on technology rather than magic. The wisdom about 30-40 years ago was that authors wrote their vision of the future. Meaning that science was going to lead to outbound travel while really not fixing much of anything with the people involved. Postulations of doom and gloom abounded.

What was also noticeable were the characters – present day attitudes superimposed on future science. Makes as much sense as an enlighted man of the 13th century expressing 21st century US views about the roles of men and women in society.

And then along comes Ursula Le Guin with The Left Hand of Darkness portraying a society different in concept from the known and accepted in her time. If you need a summary, perhaps you want to detour to Wikipedia or an excellent discussion of gender roles in science fiction and society by Rebecca Rass.

I originally read Left Hand of Darkness in 1969 when it was first published and was stunned by the book, the thought and the society portrayed. It is not an action adventure which was what I had quietly assumed was most science fiction (see Andre Norton, Robert Heinlein, James Blish……..) but a thoughtful portrayal of what was certainly alien to someone fighting basic gender discrimination in school.

Since this is the first one on my Classics of SciFi List, I am still decided how to approach the commentary. Assume that you will hear once to several times about each book since I am as interested in how they strike me now as when I first read them.

Perhaps that is my definition of classic – a book that keeps appearing fresh with each re-reading.

.

What better way to deal with the mid-winter doldrums than to knit a nice vest?

Rather than something complicated, fine yarn and fiddly, I decided to choose an easy, fast pattern. In fact, Drops #115-24, a cabled top looked to be right about my speed.

Purchased a few years ago, I have this bag of Shakespeare by Artful Yarns, 100% wool in a lovely combination of blues and purples

Color #5

Casting on 95 stitches (yes, that is around. Total number that 95!) on size 8.00 needles to set up the pattern before moving up to 9.00 needles with two strands held together

cables plus ribbing

it has not taken long to get three balls (135 yards each worked from inside and outside) into the project.

not quite to the underarm, but close.

I am rather pleased to think that I will shortly have a nice warm vest.

I did look through other’s projects: Nicole knit a lovely version without sleeves, as did Katharaina. Then there is Donna’s (which is located here on her old blog) which I hope she ports everything over from Blogspot as she has such a nice collection of pictures and finished things.

There were another three or so finished vests, but none of the rest have projects that seem to be posted outside of Ravelry.

Audio Books

The Mercedes Coffin – Faye Kellerman. A Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus mystery, this was one of several downloaded from iTunes a few months back when they had books on sale ($6.95 seemed like a really good deal).

I read it (library book( when first released in hardback) and enjoyed it then. It is holding up well on listening, the reader is a pretty gruff sounding guy which seems to suit the story well.

on other fronts

By the simple expedient of heading into London, the Mole managed to avoid returning to school this afternoon.

On return, we had a serious conversation about what comes next. He is a good kid, knows that the budget is not unlimited (school year prepaid) and that transferring schools – except to mean mom’s – is not likely.

No one really lost their temper and we will talk on the way to Croughton in the morning.

Butl, cleaning the bedroom is boring and requires me to decide what to do with all the miscellaneous stuff as well as admitting that things are out of control.  Tackling the living room falls into the same category – right now it looks fine on the surface…

Laundry was a possibility, blocking the two shawls I uncovered would have been a great idea, not burning my dinner under the broiler because I forgot about the hash brown patties…

I have to be completely honest here. I have an infinite ability to start things. Whether it is knitting, sewing, reading books, or initiating a clean-up campaign, I (mostly) do not find it difficult to start. But seeing it all the way to the end? Now that is another story.  I find endings not always pleasant.

On a better day, I can use the excuse of having “stuff.” After all, as should be obvious to all right thinking adults, having a place for everything and things in those places means it is hard to make progress on anything.

Out of sight means out of mind.

If projects, books, papers, are visible then it becomes easier to prioritize which should lead to finishing of those items under work.

It is a great theory. Unfortunately it conflicts with the known phenomena of becoming overwhelmed when there is too much to do.  Assuming, of course, that I am going to enjoy finishing things; and there in lies the rub.

The solutions to this problem are many fold; the hardest of which is to just go ahead and complete up all those books, projects, papers, phone calls, vouchers, claim forms……

Another option, which seems to be the one favoured by many knitters, is to start something new when everything under way just does not seem right.

All of which lead to the decision to plan a new vest for the Vest-uary Group on Ravelry.  Drops pattern 115-24 knit from double stranded worsted weight yarn I already have on hand.  It should go rapidly on size 9.00 mm needles, ignoring the sweater for Ms Maus lacking only the front, the quick steek needed on a cardigan, a couple of items meant for the frog pond and a real desire to knit another shawl.

Tomorrow I will go to work, be good, make a list of due-outs, and work down that list. Leaving aside dropping off the car for service, taking the Mole back to school and attending about three meetings…..

I can tell you that the Mole is brilliant; other people tell me that he is bright, polite, well spoken and charming to have around. He goes out of his way to help others; I wish he would help himself a bit more.

All the moves we have made due to jobs over the years have not been kind to him. Unlike the social butterflyness of the girls, he takes longer to fit in, find friends and his place in that difficult location called a peer group.

This is his last year of secondary school and he is not a happy camper. Neither of us have a good clue as to what is next on his horizon. He tells me that he wants medicine - Paediatrics in specific.  Switching from European schools systems’ of educating to the US multiple choice test is difficult at best and extremely challenging.

As a parent, I think we always want the best for our children. Unfortunately, it is not possible to take away all the bumps and bruises of growing and learning. That is probably as it should. But on many days communications can be a real challenge.

Should I just settle for a moderately clean room?

Guarding the river bridge

Ostensibly, the visit to Bath was a detour for lunch on the way to a nearby Casern where an afternoon meeting was scheduled.

In reality, I think it was because of a desire on the part of the group to have lunch here -

Sally Lunn's - complete with bread

Lunch was delicious, the meeting was productive and I got to drive home.

Being in the UK, it is easy to join the tradition of celebration when his birthday rolls around every year.  This marked my third (and last) Burns Night celebration at the Mess.

Altho there were about the same number of people as last year, someone got a bit more creative with the seating, making up five tables of 9-10 diners rather than a head table with long lines down the sides. It made for much more congenial conversation at dinner.

I had managed to complete another Lotus Blossom Shawl, never mind that I blocked it last night.  Note, blocking board propped up against a register leads to rapidly drying shawl.

Lotus Blossom

tossing it over a fancy white blouse, floor length plaid skirt and country dance away the evening.

Shawl – Lotus Blossom from Fiddlesticks Knitting. Three skeins of Louet Gems in Pewter knit on 3.75 mm needles. Started in SF and finished up a few days ago.

I was looking for Beth-El and the 0830 Minyan. Having the address was good, the building is not signed. Held in their smaller Beit Am, the group and folding chairs felt more welcoming than many of the formal, decades established Shabbas services, complemented by a locally produced prayer book designed for all levels of Hebrew ability and vision.

Sliding out before the Torah study, the walk back to the hotel is downhill. Hill direction can be terribly important when you are on the edge of the foothills. Having a house seven blocks from Shul is good. Would be much better if those seven blocks were not straight up hill…

Friends

Feeling truly fortunate, I spent a lovely afternoon with Ruth (aka the Scrabblequeen). I also met her husband, one of those great guys willing to take a Saturday afternoon and wander a section of Solano so that we could visit.

Part of the plan had been to visit Stash. Well, it seems that they had moved. No sign in the window of the old location. We wandered through other shops and books stores, totally missing looking up the street from where we had lunch. Stash, as it turns out, was just around the corner.

Tea, Chai and knitting were also in order for the afternoon. Ruth’s current sweater project has a lovely look and feel and she is such a warm and welcoming person. There are those times when you can feel awkward meeting someone who you know only through email. Both yesterday with Alison and today with Ruth it was sitting down with old friends, picking up threads of conversation like no time had passed at all.

Flashback Challenge

Wanting to read old science fiction/fantasy classics, I was facing a dilemma. Few of the books I will be re-reading are currently in publication and rarely in hardback, eliminating the library as a source for the books. I probably have most of them, somewhere in a book box.

But then there are used books stores and I found:

I still have to track down:

• Strange in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein
• Way Station – Clifford Simak
• Canticle for Leibowitz – Walter M Miller

What is on your reading list?

I had a great time visiting with AlisonH. We met at a lovely coffee shop, enjoyed cocoa and talked for hours. She is one of those people who looks just like her blog picture, only younger.

So there I was, on a friendship high when I trucked back to the hotel. Meeting up with the DH, we went to see our new house.

Guess what? There is a basic difference in communication styles and perspectives between men and women. Guys can see the positive and figure that the rest will work out. Me? When I say that I want a house I can live in for the rest of my life, that is what I mean. A house that is accessible and safe. Not one that is up on top of a hill, with a drive that I can’t manage, with stairways, paths out side and stairs all over the place inside. Not a house that, had I been along on the house hunting trip, would not have been worth getting out of the car.

Back to my knitting. I love him, he is still alive and I am done throwing up.

Meanwhile, this note is coming to you from the Marine Memorial Club & Hotel in San Francisco. It is Jan, therefore JP Morgan has its Medical Technology annual meeting. Smaller every year, I think they would rather pay themselves bonuses than fund this conference which is not at all cheap.

Anyway, expect to see a bit in the next couple of days.

-H

Canadian Mountains

Golden Gate

Golden Gate, second pass

Yerba Buena

Ignoring weather and the minimal delays in arriving at the airport and flight take off, I had a wonderful flight. Seats were comfortable, I could listen to my audio books and knit. The food was even edible (note, sometimes there is real silverware!)

From my office window

bowing down with the weight of snow

Now, being originally from Minnesota, I really don’t understand why this has been viewed as such a big deal. Shovel a bit, put on appropriate clothing and go to work.

Those who routinely wear utility uniforms do not seem to have a problem with the concept. On the other hand, the idea seems to be a bit foreign to the group that I think of as the “skirt and pantyhose brigade.”

Salibury Hill

the burial mound

hiking the area

And for those of you who like references – go here!

Then along comes an idea that is just made for signing up and actually completing. The Flashback Challenge, started by Aarti, a young Chicago book lover, is based on a Robertson Davies (you know, the Canadian novelist, author, journalist, professor) quote -

A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight.

The Challenge is simple – go, sign up, and commit yourself to re-reading somewhere between 3-12 books from earlier times in your life. If really ambitious, there is nothing stopping you from reading more. Three books in a year, that is not an overwhelming number. You don’t even have to decide which books right now. Read during the year. If you have energy, you could even use each as the subject for a blog post; you could right a review.

I haven’t decided which books yet, but I am going to re-read classic children’s literature and what I consider true early classics of SF/Fan. Perhaps a bit of Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain or Kenneth Grahame (if your mind just went blank - Wind in the Willows was first published in 1908). Then there are the books I read as they were being published in my childhood and early teens by Andre Norton, Clifford Simak, Theodore Sturgeon, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert, Walter M Miller, and Ursula Le Guin.

Yes, there are a lot of new and very interesting books being published. Perhaps by doing this and writing about it someone else will become interested in a particular book. It couldn’t hurt.

And you know what is really special about my plan? It is totally and completely vampire romance free…….

On the way home received a call from the DH. Luggage located. Still at the distro point near Heathrow.

After dropping the girls at the house (see above) and picking up the DH (claim slips are really important) we merrily followed the GPS lady around, over, beside and through all sorts of places on the back side of Heathrow that I had never imagined. We found Rico’s. The nice man there found our luggage.

We drove home. Everything was still there five days later. The Maus had all her things plus new underwear, cosmetics and two Bench outfits to the good. My DH was just relieved to see his good running shoes.

And me? I am going to celebrate by turning on the heat!

The number of ducks and geese seems to be reduced from what I remember last year. It might be the foxes, or just the burst of cold weather that has put ice on the pond.

More of the hats and scarves

and Ms Maus and I are watching NCIS.

the DH made more than a few calls to the Airport, the station manager and Lufthansa.

I took the Maus shopping. She had not left much here (meaning not much useful) and the ability to change bits of clothing might be considered quite important by most of us.

Continuing on the generation of feltable hats and matching scarves (not to be felted).

And then there was the cold in Germany. So cold (well, not by Canadian or Minnesota standards) that a track cracked. Of course, Ms Maus and DH were on their way to the Frankfurt airport via ICE when this occurred. What is normally a 45 minute train trip turned into more than two hours. First they sat, then the train had to go back to Mannheim to change tracks before proceding to the airport.

Only the fact that their flight was delayed meant that they came in last night.

You can not trust the on-line listings about plane departures, please trust me. If a plane has closed its doors, it has departed even though it has not taken off. Explains why a slightly more than one hour journey with a departure time from Frankfurt of 1750 arrives in London at 2107; lets not forget the hour time change.

Two hours later, they are still waiting for luggage. 30 minutes after that, DH forces the station manager to come clean and make an announcement. It seems like there is a slight problem. Baggage handlers are on strike and luggage is not going to be unloaded tonight. Meanwhile, a number of the hire cars have departed assuming that they have just missed their passengers.

Obviously, the Mole and I gave up hanging in the waiting zone by 2000 (for a 1915 pickup) and had parked in the short term parking.

We arrived home after midnight, putting the early morning departure for Edinburgh on hold. Probably indefinitely.

Meanwhile,

Cloche

I was able to finish up la cloche sans peur (Brunswick Impressions – one strand of wool and one of mohair held together on size 13 US needles) which now needs ends woven in and a trip through the washing machine. The designer is Alicia Weisberg-Roberts (both links are Ravelry).

Next, I started a variation of Breckenridge from French-Press Knits

Breckenridge

out of the same yarn combination. The cable crossing is going to be more subtle given the mohair, but I am happy.

Both patterns are well written and fast to knit. Something to be said for instant gratification after knitting kilometers of 3.00 needle garter stitch.