Thursday Night at Shannah's Place

So there's wine and champagne and brownies and...

KNITTING!!!

Gifting a Painting

I went to dinner for my friend's birthday tonight, stowing the dog painting in the car as a surprise. She'd seen it, way back before Christmas, in a preliminary stage, so I thought that she would be able to guess my "surprise".

Instead she guessed several knitted objects in a row and then looked at me, totally confused. "I have no idea," she said. Her husband agreed. "All Shannah does is knit."

Apparently everyone has forgotten my many other talents.

Oh well, it was really fun to surprise her.

And just to prove how totally useless I really am as a human being: I went to Prayer Shawl Ministry tonight, completely ready to knit on my sock, and proud of my newly organized knitting bag. Each project is sorted in its own plastic bag, instructions included, and tucked away in my knitting bag. Well, I got to Knitting, pulled out the bag, the sock, the sock instructions, and began to knit. Sort of. Actually, I had a problem. Only 3 double pointed needles in the bag. So I knit on the purse instead. Sigh. Reminds me of the (many) times I've gotten my food at the food court, only to realize that I didn't have my wallet. I really need a keeper. Then I could just sit around and knit ALL day at home. I like that.

Some Wednesday Things (pre-knitting meeting)

I have the computer back! It's enough to make me giddy...

SO I mentioned yesterday that I cast on for the petunia tote last week: (It's quite a bit farther now)



I plan to work on the socks tonight at the Prayer Shawl Ministry meeting.

My roommate came home last night with a huge set of beautiful pottery that she'd finished. She told me to come to the show in the kitchen and announced "I'm a badass." And she is. They are BEAUTIFUL. I'll ask her if I can post a picture or two.

Along those same lines, I would like to announce that I, too, am a badass:



I finished this painting of Gracie this morning. She's one of my friend's dogs, a two year old great dane. I love her, and I was honored to be trusted with this portrait. I'm really happy that I pulled it off. I still have to do her cocker-spaniel brother, Bailey.

Still No Computer Cord...

...but lots of knitting.

I know the rule is to cast off before you cast something new on (especially if you already have several things on the needles...), but I couldn't help myself. I've started the Petunia Tote from Interweave Knits. It's almost halfway finished already.

I survived the tornado on Sunday and the flooding Sunday night. But today, the heat did me in. I want to write more, but my little tummy is upset and this is all I can get out today...

Good News

There is nothing wrong with the computer, just the power cord. Whew!

I spent this evening at my friend's house. I unabashedly invited myself over, but I brought thin mints, so maybe I'll be forgiven.

I am so thankful for dogs today. I know I say this over and over and OVER again, but it is so true for me. Without them, I would be truly crazy. My friend has a great dane, and her joy in seeing me was enough to put me over the moon.

I am still happy about the kitchen, too. I'm on a new streak of dishwashing.(Yes, Mom, I do wash dishes every day, despite my shock at the suggestion...) And I've made my bed every day this week. So that's two down.

I spent most of my knitting time today untangling the mass of yarn that was created when I shoved my projects into my bag after Prayer Shawl group time last night. We were able to present two shawls to the founding members of our ministry. I wanted to cry. Knitting has been so important to me over the last few years. It has been a healing process. When I re-started knitting, I was in a bad place. Learning to think of others, to create things for others, helped me get out of myself. I often underestimate the meditative part of knitting. It's not purely about creating. There's all that time in between the casting on and the finished object. I am so thankful to those two women for sharing this yarn world with me, and our connection to the hundreds, thousands, of women who have passed their knowledge down over the years. The woman who began the ministry at our church said last night, "What I didn't realize is how much I would enjoy the fellowship and how important our time together would be." I agree. I care so much for our intergenerational group... I love them all. Knitting wouldn't be the same if I couldn't meet (and bless and pray) with these women every week.

I also knitted for a bit on the "Seduction Sock," though I'm still not sure who/what I'm seducing with it. I've turned the first heel, and am busy closing up the gap so I can finish. The end is in sight! Then there's the second sock... But then I'll have my very own pair. It will be the first socks I made just for keeps.

Speaking of second socks, I think I'd better go try and at least get to the boring part on the broadripple socks. So, I'm off!

No Computer (again)

After all those thankful things, a negative post.

My power cord has finally given out. It says that it is charging, but my computer is DEAD. It won't even come out of hibernation so I can shut it down.

I've got to go get a new power cord and see if that helps. No money though. Sigh.

Things I'm Grateful For

A list today. These are the things that made me very happy today:

1. A CLEAN kitchen:


2. Pretty flowers in the clean kitchen from my roommate's family (my new favorite flowers are the purple hyacinths):



3. White tea in my favorite mug: (It reads, "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly. -Proverb")


4. Yummy seed mix (us vegetarians are easily pleased):


And, mostly,

5. A (still) exhausted dog:


No knitting today (gasp!) yet, but I may get a meditative row or two in before bed. I want to finish the prayer shawl so that I can start something from my Knitting for Peace book. I want to send something far away; I want to let my little knitting out into the world.

Knitting Update

Finally: 1) My camera! 2) Purple bedroom! 3) A tired, tired dog! 4) A knitting update!

First, the broadripple socks. In the background you can see the new knitting books, and there's a Texas map to symbolize the socks' journeying since January. (These have been a long time coming.) The second picture is my attempt to take a close up of the way the stitches look with this thick yarn. Very dense.





Next is the newest member of the USC (Unfinished Sock Club), the Seduction Socks:



And, lastly, the pioneer Broadripple Shawl, based on the Broadripple sock pattern but modified into a flat knit shawl for my Prayer Shawl Ministry group. It's Lion Brand Homespun, Nouveau, and it is for the "shawl closet," so it will go to the cancer center. Roxie was so tired I didn't even have to force her to be a model. (She got to play with the family dog this morning, come home, and have her friend Penny come over for several hours this evening. She is one pooped pooch.)



I'm not tired enough to go to bed yet, but I think that I'll go lie on my beautiful bed and each almonds (my new favorite snack!). Or maybe have some of the fancy ice cream Danielle and I found at Walmart: Girl Scout Samoa Ice Cream. WHAT? Either way, I'll be dreaming happily in my own bed tonight before I go panic at school in the morning.

Sweet dreams...

Homesick

Who knew that I could long so much for one room? I miss my purple...




I'll be home tomorrow, and then I'll miss my family.

A Splurge

I was BAD today!

BUT LOOK WHAT I GOT:

 

 

 

So now I can make things for all these friends that are having babies...

 

 

To share with the Prayer Shawl Ministry Group, and add to my volunteer list.

 

 

Just for fun! (Maybe some funny bridal shower gifts?)

 

 

There were SO many beautiful patterns in this magazine, including an afghan that I have plans for...

 

 

And one more magazine, just for kicks.

 

 

All these decadence, and I don't feel ONE BIT guilty! :-D

Excuse me, I've got to go take a long bubble bath with chocolate and some books...

No Camera

I am so angry at myself for forgetting my camera this week. I remembered it as I was turning onto the highway from my house. Oh well, I thought, surely my techno-savvy dad will let me use his, forgetting that the techno-savvy dad would take his fancy camera on the mission trip with him for Spring Break.

And so this weekend has been fulling of Kodak moments. The dear dog has been even more photogenic then usual. I long to take pictures of my brother's growing kittens. The rats, even, have been unusually cute. Sigh. ALWAYS.

And where was the video feature when my brother picked up the dog and she *ahem* expelled gas in his face? Surely that would have won us the $1,000 prize on America's Funniest Videos. Or when the cat took half of the skin off of my arm? Or when dear dog Roxie flipped completely around in the air and STILL managed to miss the tennis ball?

It seems that I record the silly mundane moments of life with my camera and neglect to bring it along when something is REALLY happening.

But I miss the camera the most because this week has been filled with knitting. I have made progress on almost every project and I am anxious, anxious to post pictures. (Let's not discuss the unfinished homework... I'm WORKING on it, okay?)

Suffice it to say that the socks are growing, the shawl is almost finished with the first skein (which reminds me: I need to go buy a second skein... so much for that "same dye lot" rule), and Abby's sweater is, well, I am about ready to move on with the self-pity now (see why with my post on the Red Sweater KAL page).

Knitting on NPR!

My favorite radio station discussing my favorite thing: Needling the Knitters

My favorite part is where Cash Peters asks, "Are you a knitting circle for enthusiasts or are you a support group for addicts?"

Yay!

On Disposable Things.

Disposable children. Disposable animals.

Why am I obsessed with these things? They are the things that speak to me. Basically, I do NOT believe in disposable things. I think everything is important, even to the most basic thing, the butterfly flapping its wings.

I think that this is why knitting is so important to me. Every stitch, every mess up, matters to the whole. Even the mistakes are important. It's the same way with animals and people. Sometimes the mistakes have even more meaning than the correct pieces. The mistakes stand out and create meaning.

Of course, these thoughts could become a bit too much. I mean, is a pop top on a can important? Well, maybe... (and on and on I go)

***I've abandoned my other blog. People can't leave comments and I don't like that. I'm going to try to figure it out, because it looks cooler and I've somehow linked this one to the wrong e-mail address. But for now, I'm back to the ol' blog. Maybe I'll change the background or something...