Finishing Knitting Projects

 

This week I have been working on my third Carbeth sweater.  The two that I already own are my favorites.  They are so warm and cozy.  One is knit out of an alpaca wool blend, and the other is made  of Icelandic wool.  The warmth, consistency and steadfastness of these pullovers really pleases me.  I also love their solid colors.   They will last for years and years to come.

This time, I'm using some stash yarn that was given to me by a knitter from a knitting group I used to attend.  (She also gave me the grey yarn that I used for the first one.)  The color is taupe.  It's a natural neutral.  I think it will go nicely with the tan alpaca hat that I completed last week.

I had put this project aside for a long while.  I was concerned about running out of yarn.  I realized that if I do, I can shorten the body, and reuse that yarn for the upper chest and neck portion.  Right now I am working on the second sleeve.  It feels fantastic to be knitting a garment again.  I am using wooden dpn's for this section of the pattern.  It's simple, steady knitting.  So satisfying!  

I also finished another hat yesterday.  This one is made out of emerald green llama yarn.  I decided to rip it back and make it a bit bigger.  I found a small ball of extra yarn in my drawer.  It's just enough to add a few more rows, which is what I need.  It's like the one in the above photo.

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please write them in English.  I'm sorry, but comments with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Your replies may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.  

PBS documentary - San Francisco: The Way It Was

Getting Grounded

 The last few days I have been doing a lot of cooking, baking, exercising and knitting.  All of these activities are very grounding.  I feel calm and relaxed after completing them.  A few days ago, I made homemade pizza from scratch.  I love the rhythm of kneading the dough, letting it rise, and keeping it in the fridge overnight. That way it becomes easy to handle and elastic.  Delicious food takes time to prepare, but the results are well worth the effort.

I added fresh herbs from my garden to the sauce.  I bought some Italian crushed tomatoes on sale, since the cans were slightly dented.  It came out really well.  I had forgotten to buy more tomato paste, so I just left out the water and tomato paste in my pizza sauce recipe.  It was still flavorful and tasty.

I baked a lemon pudding cake using Meyer lemons from my tree. It's one of my favorite vintage recipes.  I used goat's milk in place of the regular milk.   It's a treat to have a freshly made dessert sitting on the kitchen counter. 

I picked a bag of homegrown Algerian tangerines, Navel oranges, and Meyer lemons and dropped them off at my neighbor's house.  She loves citrus, and runs a wonderful co-op for us in Wrightwood,  I knew she would appreciate their organic goodness and flavor.  Fruit is expensive these days, too.  

I have been biking Jacques on one of our local trails.  It's safe from cars, and the mountain scenery is gorgeous.  I like being around the other locals who walk or run each day.  Daily exercise is such preventive medicine.  Being out in the fresh air is an added bonus, too.  Home cooked meals have been tasting so good to me lately.  Maybe it's all of the time outdoors and the cardio.  I have been kayaking and walking the dogs regularly, too. 

How about you?  Are you able to get outside where you live? 

Knitting To Reduce Stress and Get Centered

 

This morning I got comfortable on the couch with a cup of coffee, two delicious smelling pillar beeswax candles, and my knitting.  I found this beanie pattern online, and decided to plough through it.  I had a skein of soft alpaca chunky yarn in my stash.  I thought it would be perfect.

It is a simple ribbed pattern, and I did the straight needle version.  It brought me back to my early knitting days.  I knit many dishcloths on these secondhand vintage needles that I purchased at a local church thrift shop.  I had it completed and on my head by early afternoon.  Yesterday I finished a pair of wool socks that I began over a year ago!  

To my delight, it fits perfectly!  I love how the light-colored caramel yarn shows off the ribbing.  The older I get, the more I prefer neutrals, in natural colors from the sheep and alpacas.  Mother Nature knows what she's doing.  

This will get a lot of use.  I think these would make great gifts, as well.  My kind of project: easy, fun and practical!

Kayaking With Your Dog Not Recommended

 

Yesterday I decided to take Jacques kayaking.  He has been so obedient that I thought he had the perfect temperament to sit quietly.  I imagined us as a team as I paddled.  He could gaze peacefully ahead as we skimmed along the water together. (like in the advertisment.) 

What happened was a different story.  After lugging my supplies to the water, and unfolding and setting up my Oru, a woman with a small, hyperactive, dog that was running loose appeared.   Jacques wanted to play with him. "No!" I told him sharply.  I pulled Jacques towards me and explained to her that I was trying him out in the kayak for the first time.  I hoped she would make some attempt to contain her dog, who ran right up to us.  "He's fine," she told me.  I could feel this wasn't going well.  

I coaxed Jacques into the kayak.  It started to rock.  I eased myself onto the seat, and he started to panic.  The kayak flipped to the left, and he was immediately in the water, upset and frightened.  The woman watched us, floundering.   Somehow the boat tipped me out of it to the right, and I was swimming, fully clothed, while frantically pushing the boat back to shore.  The leash was underneath us, Jacques was still on the choke chain, and my olive sundress was now soaking wet,  the lower half floating beside me in the water.

Fortunately, we were right near the shoreline.  It had a sudden and extreme drop off, which I hadn't anticipated.  Conditions are different this time of year.  The tide was much further out than normal.

I dragged the kayak back onto the sand, walked Jacques back to the car, and put him in the backseat.  I pretended like it was perfectly normal for a woman in her late fifties to be walking her dog in a sopping wet, olive green, flowered sun dress.  (Which was now trailing down to my ankles.)

I returned to the kayak, relieved that I had underdressed a leopard print one piece bathing suit, tied the drenched dress to my storage area, and paddled out through the marina.  I admired the boats, enjoyed the calm water and lack of people, and ate my lunch in one of the picturesque canals.  

Neither Lula nor Jacques have done well in the kayak.  It seems very dangerous to me.  The balance is too tricky.  You really need to keep your weight centered, to avoid tipping.  Your head has to be over your navel.  A moving dog will cause you to topple.  It's very disorienting, and your kayak could capsize.  I had my Oru floaties tucked into position, which I think helped.  I was also wearing a snug fitting life vest.  My plan was to just sit in the kayak, in the shallow end, to get Jackques acclimated, but it didn't work.  

All's well that ends well. 

A New German Shepherd

 Today I adopted a young male German Shepherd at one of our local animal shelters.  He is amazing.  He has such a regal presence, and is very aware and observant.  I had forgotten how much I love this breed.  They are the perfect dog for protection and companionship.  He commands respect.  I haven't chosen a name for him yet.  I have tried several. and he doesn't answer to any of them.  Maybe King.  

He has been neutered, microchipped, wormed, vaccinated and given flea treatment.  I was so impressed with all they had done.  They even gave me a collar and leash for him.  He and Lula get along famously. He has already bonded to me.  He came and checked on me when I was soaking in the bathtub.  He gave me a couple of kisses, then went back to his post of guarding the entrance.  He has a wonderful, mature and protective presence.

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please leave replies in English.  I am sorry but comments with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.