WiNotKnit?

Gauntlettes!!

2006-10-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Introducing....... Gauntlettes!!!

Gauntlettes are the modern equivalent of hobo gloves, in astonishing colors and styles to fit every hand in every setting. I will post pics of my latest imaginings and achievements when I get the photos in my hot little computer. They go fast, and wear a long, long time.

I Always Suspected As Much

2006-07-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

What obsolete skill are you?

You are 'Latin'. Even among obsolete skills, the tongue of the ancient Romans is a real anachronism. With its profusion of different cases and conjugations, Latin is more than a language; it is a whole different way of thinking about things.You are very classy, meaning that you value the classics. You value old things, good things which have stood the test of time. You value things which have been proven worthy and valuable, even if no one else these days sees them that way. Your life is touched by a certain 'pietas', or piety; perhaps you are even a Stoic. Nonetheless, you have a certain fascination with the grotesque and the profane. Also, the modern world rejects you like a bad transplant. Your problem is that Latin has been obsolete for a long time.
Take this quiz!

Knitting Specifics with Photos!!

2006-07-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

(Psst -- don't look now, but I think we have some renters on the horizon. Don't talk too loud, or we may scare them off.)

Projects I have finished:

Broadstreet mittens from knitty.com - blue, silky hazy yarn of unknown source turned into half-finger mittens with a mitten cover on the top for quick changes when you need your fingertips on very cold days.

A single anklet sock for my daughter out of hand-dyed bright blue and cherry red. The toe and heel are bright blue with a blue cuff edging. The first inch after the change to red has a row of asymmetric blue diamonds (it was just so plain, ya know?) that my daughter said looked just like bluebirds. I used inequal amounts of my limited supply of the two colors on the first sock, so my second sock may have to be made in exact opposite colors (and therefore the bluebirds will become cardinals?), but at least the socks will appear to be a pair (birds of a feather? har, har.)

And, finally, an incredible soft bright blue chemo cap from a pattern I located on Knitty.com, for a relative who is battling the big "C" on two fronts. The yarn is from my stash, purchased four years ago from Grace Gerber of Gerber Funny Farm in Larkspur Colorado. It is alpaca and merino, and softer than any human hair. It should bring some comfort in the valley of the shadow, while we are waiting for remission and recovery.

On the needles:

A bright pink acrylic baby dress in a lace-bottomed tent-like pattern that only babies can get away with. This one according to the gauge I am getting is destined for a three-year old with a chubby tummy. I think we will be able to find one of those somewhere.

A soft pink Hayfield Grampian DK wool dress for Christmas that some ingenious person saw in a magazine and posted on ebay after ripping it from the original magazine. I do applaude entrepreneur-ship whenever I see it, and this was a gold mine for that clever person. Whoever gets this dress will NOT be needing a winter coat, let me tell you!

I will post more when we get the pictures downloaded, or when the renters have signed. Let us devoutly pray that it is the latter.

And here, for your exquisite enjoyment, is definite proof that God is in His Heaven, and All Is Right With the World.

Mama: "Graham, where is Jesus?"

Graham (three yrs. old): "Jesus ... in my heart!"

Pieces of Advice

2006-06-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

Summer Knitting and Important Reflections for Life

The french vanilla micro-spun socks are done, and my dd has adopted them.

The teacher present of a beaded linen drawstring pouch with jasmine tea inside has been finished and presented. I think I may begin a stash of these easy pretty projects, and call them "earring travel pouches." Unless I can get a photo from the teacher, the next one will have to be the focus of a photo for your enjoyment.

The lavender Crocus Pattern baby dress is awaiting its sleeves and I am adding what was delicately called a "soaker" (diaper cover). ("Soaker" rather conjures up the feeling that I need to wash my hands after I touch it.)

Looking for suggestions for a summer light knit. I have a pair of cotton socks to finish for a present heading to San Antonio this month, and then I believe I will gravitate towards a cotton shrug for myself this summer.

This weekend is the Pikes Peak Irish Dance Competition in Colorado Springs. We get to spend the night in a hotel with cable television!! Isabel is in her Beginner II dance level for the Single Jig, Light Jig, Slip Jig and Reel.

House News: Three tentatively interested parties, and no offers yet. We were just offered a house in August for a free week long stay at the northern tip of Long Island. It is the most beautiful spot in the world for summering, and I am convinced it is a Sign from God that we will be selling the house this month so we will be free to go. Our agent is working up a lather generating interest in this house, so we expect to hear something soon. Check out www.5419omaha.com.

You need a picture. Let me find something entertaining...

Yes, this is my handsome son, Simon, and I, his tired but happy mother.

The photos of my other two darling children are sideways, and I didn't want to give you all cricks in your faithful, blog-reading necks.

Before we head off, I want to leave you with advice from Smart People in my family circle, which has always stood me in good stead, that has never been written down anywhere. You are reading history in the making.

My Belgian Grandmother, Elisabeth Everard de Harzir:

"Always wear good shoes. Your underwear may be held together with safety pins, but always wear good shoes."

My mother, Flore-Marie Hervert (nee Everard de Harzir):

"The other guy's foot is not on your gas pedal." (Essentially, don't give in to a tailgater's pressure, but I find it works as a guide to peer pressure in general.)

My father, Richard Hervert:

"If you start to trip, break into a run. It will keep you from falling." (This has been a remarkably successful piece of advice, and has saved many a vacation on uneven pavement from putting me in the hospital.)

My oldest and longest friend, Charley Pope:

"What good is a million dollars if your feet hurt?" (See BonneMaman's advice, above.)

The Gospel of Judas/Da Vinci Code

2006-04-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Has it really been this long?? Ooooh, so sorry. Fill in your favorite believable excuse here.
No progress on the house sale, but the kitchen is now lookin' fine. Check it out here --www.5419omaha.com. Please leave any favorable comments, and I will bless you every night in my prayers.

Speaking of which - I have a simple comment to make on the appearance of the "gospel" of Judas and the Da Vinci code.

-- It was heresy then, and it is heresy now. Thank you. --

I read the Da Vinci Code and enjoyed it for its speed and convoluted travels to enchanting locales. It reads fast because it doesn't make you think much, and then afterwards, you feel like you just bought a used car. No one I have ever discussed it with or heard discuss it ever mentions the curious fact that in the first couple chapters the author identifies the anagram as the Ars Magna in Latin, but "ars magna" IS an anagram of the word "anagram." I thought that would play a twisty little part in the future plot, but "Noooooo," it was just mentioned, and then dropped into the sea of vague turbidity, never to be significant at all....

I thought it was pretty nifty, myself.

For any readers out there who want a great compelling book with literary overtones, I recommend the writer Edmund Crispin, who captures a train ride into Oxford with a vividness I can only dream to achieve. That description is found in the first pages of his "The Gilded Fly." he only wrote nine mysteries, all of which are keenly enjoyable. The other two I really enjoyed were _The Long Divorce_ and _Love Lies Bleeding_. Neither of these is about anything in the title, so don't be put off.

The Knitting (what you are really here for, I know)

I finished Adrienne Vittadini's lacy and daring bell-sleeve Martina sweater - as did Grumperina recently, but I abided by the directions, and got very long sleeves and a risque decollete. Now I need a camisole. The yarn is from a 1970's yard sale from an older woman's estate sale after her death. It was part of her stash for at least 20 years. Do I get credit somewhere for reducing someone else's stash after they have died? When I washed it, a horrible mothball smell emanated from the yarn. Eucalan, here I come!!!!

I have a teacher-present-in-progress (TPIP?) of some lacy short socks in a French Vanilla color of micro-spun. Somehow, the sock should be knitting up with fewer interruptions than it is. I think my small pointy size 1 needles are splitting the micro-spun layers more often than I can make any speed with. But they are pretty.

Gospel of Judas information which I found interesting, but is a little long, follows: He had no knitting content whatever in his writings.

CHARLESTON, SC (April 10, 2006)--The "Gospel of Judas" was known to have existed for some time since it was mentioned by Bishop Irenaeus (120-200 CE) but now is part of the Nag Hammadi discoveries of 1945-46. The recent publication of its careful reconstruction and translation has given it considerable notoriety. Its claim that Judas was the favorite disciple and was instructed by Jesus to betray him has provided the media with extraordinary attention that needs to be put into context. The context for "The Gospel of Judas" was that it is only one of many Gnostic alternatives to the Christian Gospel.

The Gnostics held many complex and varied beliefs, but generally they valued inquiry into spiritual truth above faith. They believed salvation was attainable only by the few. These few were able by their belief to transcend matter and the material world,which they considered evil. They viewed Jesus Christ as one of the deities who was not fully human, having only a phantasmal body. The quotation of Jesus from this gospel, "You will be greater than all the others, Judas. You will sacrifice the man that clothes me," is a clear indication of the Gnostic alternative to Christianity. According to this gospel, Jesus' "body" is sacrificed, but his spiritual self is unscathed. This belief builds on an earlier heresy, Docetism, that taught that Jesus did not really suffer on the cross but only seemed to suffer and seemed to die.

What most modem observers miss is the wonderful work done by the early church fathers, especially Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Hippolytus in saving the Christian Gospel from these cruel distortions. Heresy appeals to our fallen nature in every generation, including our own. The esoteric (intended for or understood by only a small group) nature of Gnosticism appeals to our human pride and condescension to others.

The great loss that results from Gnostic gospels like Judas' is that it leads us to believe that we need no redemption for our sinful wills, only freedom from our material bodies. What is lost in the Gnostic "gospels" is the trust in and knowledge of God, whom we call "Father;" that the material world and our bodies are good; that we sinners have been shown mercy, not just given secret knowledge; that the suffering of Christ gives hope and fellowship in our suffering; and that as Christ was raised from the dead, so our deaths are not the last word. Unfortunately, the media too often turn to the "experts," many of whom donot call themselves Christians, to explain the significance of something like the newly found Gnostic "Gospel of Judas." It is like asking a vegetarian to tell us how to cook steaks or a Muslim to explain the religion of the Hindu. The idea that a powerful, defensive church suppressed these wonderful teachings ignores the fact that the Christian church was a despised sect persecuted by the Roman empire, run out of synagogues and beset by fantastic distortions of the Gospel. We owe an incalculable debt to those early church leaders, such as Irenaeus, who preserved for us the Christian Gospel, which we would never ourselves ever have imagined.

Christine's note: Henry Rogers, a minister of 100 years ago, said, "The Bible is a book that a man would never have written if he could, nor could have written if he would."

Further reading on this subject can be found in The Cruelty of Heresy: An Affirmation of Christian Orthodoxy, which is available from Morehouse Publishing, P. O. Box 1321, Harrisburg, Penn., 17105---The Rt. Rev. C. FitzSimons Allison is a retired Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina, who holds a doctorate in Anglican history from Oxford University.

I Done Been Tagged

2006-04-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the answers to the latest meme:

Five weird things about myself:

1. Although a Summa Cum Laude English major at a private college, I can never spell "occasionally" correctly on the first try.
2. I am the only person I know who has read Every Single Page of Will and Ariel Durant's _The Story of Civilization_. (Shouldn't there be some large monetary reward for that?)
3. I can speak and read simple Russian.
4. I find authors I like, and then read through every word they have ever written before going on to another author. I also try to collect the whole works of my favorite authors, and have substantially all of the works of John Buchan, J.B. Priestley, Charles Dickens, E.C.R. Lorac and Ann Bridge.
5.Mentally, I live in England.

Seven Things I would like to Do before I Die:

1. Go on a 10-day walking tour of Cornwall, England with Contours Ltd.
2. Visit my mother's childhood home in the Ardennes of Belgium with all of my children, and stop off at the beach in Ostende for a month on the same trip.
3. Spend a month in New Zealand, knitting my head off.
4. Lead 20+ people to Christ.
5. Run a storefront yarn shop in towm called Niwot Knits .... Wi Not Knit?
6. Learn to do Calligraphy in a reliably beautiful hand.
7. Become famous for something meaningful so my high school unrequited crush would know what he missed.

The Tam to End All Tams

2006-03-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

It was the best of tams, it was the worst of tams.

Finally!! I discovered where the photo of my last and best tam had disappeared to. It was still at the photo developer shop where I had dropped it off originally. There is nothing like not losing an item to think you have certainly lost it irrecoverably.

Anyhoo. Here is my last tam for the Knitting Olympics gold medal which I earned by dealing with this rough blue English rug yarn (yes, it really is) contrasted with a microspun slippery banana-peely cream which looks good together, but is a bear to handle with its opposite yarn number in a pattern you are making up as you go along. It is a testimony to how quick one can learn to knit a tam, going from a plain one (pink one, see previous post) where you never let go of the directions, to a patterned one (green and pastel rainbow one) where you follow the directions when you have a question, to an intricate, off-gauge, mis-wooled, by guess and by golly, interpreting the changes as you go tam that actually turned out wearable. Whew.

Next stop, Moebius. I have a great deal of laceweight yarn that would be tedious to straight stitch into anything that would be remotely useful, so I decided to make moebius scarves as Christmas gifts for next year. To that end, I discovered a nice reversible pattern free on the internet for this use. I offer it here to interested parties:

The Feather and Fan Stitch.
This stitch pattern is divisible by 18. That means any yarn and any size needle can be used.. Determine the size you want by YOUR stitch gauge. Follow the needle recommendations on the yarn packaging. Cast on any amount (divisible by 18) plus any amount for border. Keep these border stitches in Knit Only (BOTH SIDES)
Work 8 rows of knit only at the beginning and ending of your piece.
Row 1: K
Row 2: P
Row 3: *K 2 tog 3 times, YO, K1 6 times, K 2 tog 3 times* repeat to border.
Row 4: K
Work until desired length. End by working 8 rows Knit

Knitting at Intersections

2006-03-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

Knitting at Intersections

In every busy life, there can be found "pockets" of time to get the interesting things done. When I was working full time and had no moments to read, I would keep a book on the passenger seat, and at those inevitable long red lights I would catch a paragraph or two of Charles Dickens or John Buchan. Those moments were refreshing and invigorating, and "saved a day that else I had rued."

Now it is about knitting. There is a catch, however. I have found that the Very Instant that I find my place in my pattern and begin to step into the oasis of creative delight which is knitting -- the light changes. Even my children have noticed this. We arrive at notoriously lengthy red lights, and they take turns shouting out, "Mama, did you bring your _Knitting_?" just to see who "wins" at turning on the green light. I challenge each of my readers to tease the stop light fates by attempting this same effort. The only time there has been enough delay to get more done than merely finding my place has been when a loooong train is whooshing past the intersection. Please comment if any of you has found the same relationship between constructive use of wasted time in the car and getting all the green lights.

Currently reading: _The Knox Brothers_
by Penelope Fitzgerald
Just finished reading: _Ladies in Waiting_
by Anne Somerset

Currently knitting - a mis-gauged (I am compensating for this) pale brown half-lacy pullover by Adrienne Vittadini
as well as part of the Jean Greenhowe knitted nativity set (Currently only the manger and straw bed are finished. Next stop - baby Jesus.)

Knitting plans - plain knit stuffed Easter eggs by Jean Greenhowe. Pictures to follow.

2006-03-19T17:59:00.000-08:00

GREEN SOUP

Here is what the internet was invented for!!! Flore-Marie's recipe for BELGIAN GREEN SOUP. Don't bust the door down, there's room for everyone!!

3 tbsp unsalted butter
5 large leeks, white and light green parts, rinsed well and sliced into thin rounds
2 large baking potates, peeled and cubed
5 cups chicken or beef broth
2 chicken breasts or 4 chicken tenders, raw, cut into 2" cubes
1 bunch of spinach, cleaned and WITH ALL THE STEMS CUT OFF
1 bunch of parsley

Melt the butter in a medium-sized soup pot (4 quarts or so) over a low heat.
Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes
Add the cubed potatoes
Add the chicken (or beef) broth
Add the raw cubed chicken
Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer covered until vegetables are soft and the chicken is done (appears fully whitened with no pinkness left)
When, and only when, all of the above is thoroughly cooked together, THEN
Add the spinach and the parsley and cook for 10 more minutes

Let the soup cool slightly then blend in a food processor
Return the soup to the pot, reheat slowly and serve
For a creamier texture, milk can be added, but do not bring it to a boil after that point

Ta-Dahh!!! This soup feeds your soul, and incidentally can help make you skinny.

Every Letter Capital

2006-02-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

Today was the Pit -- with every letter capital!

As if that makes it worse...

Well the Wheel of Fate, that medieval concept which never quite goes out of style, has once again sent this family flying over the top of freedom and happiness and is crushing us into the miry depths. We hope it is just a temporary thing.

The hoped-for offer, which we were speculating on with great glee, failed to materialize. What _did_ materialize was a phone call on Sunday afternoon from the very nice interested buyers saying that they were unable to pull together financing in a way that did not leave them with unacceptable risk. Sitting in a morass of unacceptable risk ourselves, we considered that it was only fair that they should take their turn, and let us get out of the full force of the stream, but they were wiser than we were in our turn. Sigh. There were two families who were miserably sad that evening. I almost called the other wife to commiserate. I still may.

Then our situation got worse.

How, you ask? Sprinkler pipes freezing, spraying by the south side of our house at gallons per hour, causing water to build up and seep into our basement, that is how. I did descend to the point of crying at one point when I couldn't get a plumber to come out for the gushing, squishy emergency. Then I picked up the little Graham and rushed to our next-door-neighbor who has a rental duplex (and a side job as a superher0) and is familiar with many household things that go wrong. Miraculously, he was home. He and I dug through the snow to find the sprinkler turn-off, and he wrenched that thing into proper submission, and the crisis was over. How does one reward such significant kindness? Please leave your suggestions in the comments to this post. My Aunt Pat can make a heckuva Raisin Pie -- I may have to ask for the recipe for the neighbor.

My knitting you ask? What knitting? I am currently stalled on the third tam, apparently the wool I am using is ancient (ahem -- vintage) rug wool from England, and it is uncooperative, but will be warm when I get the pattern to settle down into a rhythm (? - it looks weird spelt that way). I did get some balls of snarled yarn rolled into smooth balls-with-center-pulls today, and it was very therapeutic, thank you. I have a few days to get re-oriented and into a knitting frame of mind before I blow the closing ceremonies. The TV room was in the basement and it is currently out of commission, and the TV is too heavy to lug up the stairs to a more convenient location. Drat.

Let me leave with a Scripture: Psalm 13 --

"How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

until verse 5 --

"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me."

Stay tuned for the second half of that Scripture to be made manifest, since,

"All His promises are "Yes" in Christ Jesus, and so through him we say "Amen" to the glory of God."

Hmmmm. How strahnge.

2006-02-18T15:33:00.000-08:00

That's very strahnge. - This is a useful comment, it makes people notice you and interrupts the smooth running of their mental trains. A shakeup does everybody good.

"Mind the gap." All two of my constant readers may have noticed that I have not posted for a little while. Thanks for caring. I had a small person with a big bout of tummy troubles, and it kept me up and anxious until at last his fever went away.

Short story you must hear: When Graham's older brother Simon was only 2+a few months, he got pretty feverish for a few days. I kept putting my hand on his head and asking, "Do you have a fever?" I did this nearly constantly for almost a week, and when he was better, we went for a short walk around the block to see an equally small friend of Simon's. On the journey, we had to pass an ill-kempt rental property which had bushes strung out all across the sidewalk. I pushed my way through with Simon in my arms, and he got scraped a little on his forehead by some yew branches. He turned to me and said, "Mama, I got poked in my fever." I managed not to drop him while I laughed.

BIG NEWS: Three significant items to share. 1: I won my roving!!! That lovely photograph below this post is mine, mine, mine. (I will have to atone for my avarice by spinning it into a present.) 2. A dear friend of mine sent me an early birthday present (since the ebay auction was ending) of a Royal Ball Winder!!!! It arrived very suddenly, and after my six year old son assembled it perfectly (one would assume he could read, but he merely guesses preternaturally accurately), we wound many, many balls of heretofore annoying snarls of yarn into plump, attractive, project-inspiring units. It is much like spinning 101, with no slubs or mistakes; all the tension is taken out of the process. For a quick fix of "success" in an otherwise unprofitable day, I recommend a ball winder -- it will delude your ambitions for a short while, at least.

Thirdly - we are getting an offer on the house (www.5419omaha.com)!!!! A lovely family with six (that is, 6) children have found it ideal, and we are calling all pray-ers to submit applications to the Lord of Lords to push this deal through to the satisfaction of all parties. After 8 months, this looks like the promised land!!
(It makes me happier than the ball winder, even... how strahnge.)

My Olympic tams are shaping up nicely. I discovered to my amazement that my project for these 16 days was too easy for my moderate skill level. They consist of sock-like patterning with no need to make a second boring duplicate. I will have to haul out all of my unfinished items and dig through to the end of them, which will be an Olympian feat in itself, though not a fun one. (If I had wanted _that_ to be my Knitting Olympics project, I would have made it so.) My stash of unfinished objects consists of a second pomatomus sock, and a very thick vermilion bolero which I began at one knitting tension and discovered to my dismay that I am completing at a second, much different tension. Does this mean a total re-knit? I certainly hope not.

It is 9 chilly degrees here today, up from -12.4 this morning when I went to work. I hope all of your days are merry and warmer than ours. (Lord, I hope there is no one caught shelterless in the snow this weekend...)

I will post the results of God's mercy (and photos of the Olympic tams) on Monday when we get the house offer!

2006-02-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

Today I am full of Whim and Vinegar - I could conquer the world!

Well, not exactly, but I remember when my mother said that after a great night's sleep.

I did find a moment to bid on some pastel roving which has made my day. (Yay, it posted!) Even if I lose the auction, I have possessed it for a little while. I used to be a better spinner than I now am, since I used to have more splurge time when I had fewer children, but I must admit, that my darling children do have the sense not to touch Mama's knitting needles, yarn or spinning wheel. That alone raises their I.Q.s about 75 points above the average, and that is saying something.

I must brag on my 6 year old son - yesterday he was trapped in the bathroom with an empty toilet paper roll. He called out for assistance, and then yelled, "Never mind!" That last communication got me running in fear of what he had done, faster than his first cry for assistance got me going. When I arrived on the scene, all was sweetness and light. Simon said, "I found a new roll on the sink counter." I asked "Where is it now?" He replied, "I put it on the toilet paper hanger." And he had. I was gratified and astonished. He now qualifies for sainthood.

I finished a pomatomus sock yesterday, made of Knitpick's alpaca and silk shimmer (2 balls, knit with a doubled yarn). It is drying on the cutting board, and I am not sure what I think of the outcome. I enjoyed the pattern, but I did get confused at two critical junctures, and I had to frog more often than usual. Finding all the stitches in a lace pattern which continually changes is deserving of a medal. Where is mine? (I will settle for the Knitting Olympics button.) My tension changed as I got used to the pattern, and now the top is very loose and the foot is snug. Know anyone with fat calves?

We had a good showing of the house yesterday, so the agent says. The buyers were not sure they wanted to move, but after they saw our house, (5419omaha.com) they wanted to move. Good vibes. This afternoon we have three agents coming to see the house with clients almost simultaneously (with "simultaneity, " as my dad would like to say. It is hard to get to use that word.) I hope they all bump into each other and scare each other into competitive bids.

I also hope all your days are filled with "Whim and Vinegar."

When Life Is A Series of One-Way Tickets

2006-02-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

"Your brother. His life is a series of one-way tickets." - Momy

What does that mean? I am not certain what it means, but I do know what it feels like.

Today was a series of one-way tickets, never getting back to the original plan for my day. I did get a couple of rows done on a fun fur/chunky knit combo muff for my daughter. The muff for her little friend's birthday magically turned into a coif hat with strings that I could finish in an evening. No picture, because I gave it away. No other knitting, but a lot of care-taking.

Tonight is Bible Study, which means "clean up the house so it is presentable." We once had an agreement NOT to clean up specially for the Bible study group, but that went too far against the grain of hospitality in the hostess' make-up, so we merely promised to stop when the stress interfered with imitating Christ.

As some know, we have a house dangling away on the market. Once it sells, I think I will be mute for months, since I am so out of practice in any other topic of conversation. I have decided to expect good news from the telephone's ring, and not merely another mortgage person trying to gain our business or our prospective buyer's (what is that?) business. You can find the details of our lovely house (never lovelier in its existence) at www.5419omaha.com. Please post any comments for our hope or encouragement - you will be rewarded in Heaven, to be sure.

I have a line-up of daunting tasks, and hope to identify tomorrow why procrastination is so attractive. Right now I am going to get after the tasks with a sharpened goad, and dream of knitting tomorrow...

Regaining Your "Spank"

2006-02-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

"That elastic is not so good anymore. It has lost its spank." - Flore-Marie, known as "Momy"

I will attempt to begin most of these posts with epigrams from the family history - My mother is Belgian, and her English is metaphorically gifted, with insights into language and its use that no born speaker of English could come up with. I hope these phrases find their way into your common experience. It is a way to do battle with ennui, which can really drag us into slow unemotional motion.

Two days ago I found a beaded necklace and bracelet made by my 8 year old daughter, whose bead-string had "lost its spank" (see how useful that is?). I loitered in my jammies, steadfastly ignoring the mounting household pressures and focused all my attention on re-stringing (and in one case improving) the beads onto better clasps with better wire. They were so pretty originally that they were worth doing badly, and so pretty that it was even better to re-do them well. By noon, I had two wearable beaded baubles, and no appreciable dent in the housework. Still, if I had been called to Heaven that afternoon, the day would have been a success.

That afternoon my God-sent friend Roberta (who sometimes also has trouble getting started) came over on a mission to clear up the children's playroom, which was a Herculean Labor. She motivated me so much that I finished up the laundry, even.

Then yesterday I shoveled through the rest of the house to my children's discomfiture, but to my immense satisfaction. Much of my angst concerning the non-sale of our other (and better, but for location) house dissipated as I scrubbed and "eewed!" my way through acres of ingrained clutter. (Don't get glad, get mad!!) It helped motivate me that today was trash pick-up day, my CH (clever husband)'s favorite holiday. I believe the house raised up on its foundations once I filled all the outgoing trash bins.

At the end of the day, I felt calm and secure enough to begin reading "Great Expectations" with my children huddled together in the Big Bed. My 6 year old son Simon fell asleep immediately, my 2.5 year old Graham sang a song to himself in a low monotone, and my daughter and I laughed until we cried, recognizing ME in the description of Pip's sister, "Mrs. Joe" and her RAM-pages. Sanctification continues.

Today I joined the Christian Knitters ring (Yay!) and hope to post pictures of the WIPs (works in progress), FOs (Finished Objects) and PIPs(Projects in Planning) soon. I am knitting for charity (hospitals mostly), and also on commission for babies on the way. I try to limit myself to two current projects, but allow more in gift-giving emergencies. Current projects: lavender baby dress, birthday girl's blue/pink muff, and pomatomus socks, which keep separating from their instructions.

Up from the Miry Pit

2006-01-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

For all ye hopeful, yet harassed mothers, knitters, believers - Be encouraged!

Here will be the record of triumph over the blahs which assail us. If you have the dis-ease, be glad, because we can see the cure!

1. Knit a little every day.
2. Knit some more until you feel better (more accomplished, rested, happier)
3. Make some Typhoo decaf tea. Drink it while you do #4.
4. Make a list of 5 minute jobs in the house that would rack up to a sense of
making a difference somewhere today. (Hint: if a job is worth doing at all,
it is worth doing badly. Badly counts.)
5. Read one of the Scriptures of the day (found anywhere) and think it over
until you see how it can change TODAY.
6. Kiss someone you love.

I feel better now, thanks. My plan for this blogarama is to have stories and discoveries which improve life in general (sort of a Hints by Heloise only with a broader application). I welcome insights and corrections. Also free knitting patterns.

Welcome to my world.