A Passion for Running

I'm breaking my long silence to post about a long-term goal my daughter has just achieved. A little over a year ago, she decided to begin training for a marathon that was held in Richmond, Virginia on Saturday, November 15th, 2008. She completed the marathon in a little over 4 hours, running the entire distance. Although she suffered a number of injuries during the year of preparation leading up to the marathon, she always returned to her running after the injuries healed. She never was a runner before training for this event, but sometime during her year of training she developed a dedication and passion for this activity that she has never exhibited for anything else in her life. Needless to say, I am incredibly proud of her. You go girl!

Mile 24 and still smiling!

Her brother's support was much appreciated.

A Turista in Arizona

We have lived in Arizona a full year now--July 2nd was our anniversary. We have been so busy settling in and traveling back and forth to California to get my husband's mother established after her move from Texas that we have had little time to do much local sightseeing. The two week visit of my niece and nephew gave us the perfect opportunity to visit some nearby sites of interest and we took full advantage of their willingness to get the flavor of our area.

We went to Tombstone, The Town Too Tough To Die, on July 4th. We had visited there about 11 years ago on our first trip to southeastern Arizona and were not too impressed, but efforts of local civic groups have greatly improved the town and it is well-worth the trip now. We toured the historical section by foot and trolley, but could also have gotten a ride on a stagecoach. The Butterfield Stage used to stop here. Not a method of travel I would have favored, but it was the Greyhound bus of its time.

Tombstone is perhaps best remembered as the site of the Gunfight at the OK Corral which involved the Earps, Doc Holliday, and the Clantons. We watched an outdoor presentation of the famous fight and then had a delicious dinner in the Longhorn Restaurant.

Another day, we traveled to Sabino Canyon near Tucson. The area is in the Sonoran Desert and gives visitors a close encounter with the flora and fauna that live in this challenging environment. My favorite plant in the Sonoran Desert is the saguara cactus, pictured below.

Climbing up from the 2800 foot elevation of Sabino Canyon, to the almost 9000 foot elevation of Mt. Lemmon provided breathtaking scenery as well as a breath of cool air. We picnicked in a delightful roadside park on our way up.

My husband and I were a bit disappointed in the Tucson Zoo, but the kids seemed to enjoy it very much. It is the middle of summer and so not surprising, I guess, to have so many animals hiding in their cooler lairs, but it all seemed a bit run down. After visiting the San Diego Zoo, however, most zoos seem to suffer in our estimation.

For my nephew's birthday, we went to Patagonia Lake. It is a scenic, leisurely drive about an hour from our home. They have boating, fishing, swimming, and picnicking. A cool, serene get-away for the hot desert summers. We will definitely return another time.

Mining was and still is a big part of the economy in southeastern Arizona. We went on a tour of an open-pit copper mine to see first hand what was involved and what it did to the environment. The Asarco Mission mine in Sahuarita, Arizona is currently owned by a Mexican firm, Grupo Mexico. It is in bankruptcy and an Indian company is trying to negotiate a buy out. The tour was very interesting and gave us a lot to think about. It contributes heavily to the local economy in both jobs and money to local retailers. Supposedly, environmentally friendly methods are now employed in extracting the copper, but as interesting as the pit is, I wouldn't want it in my back yard.

Finally, we went rock climbing in Texas Canyon, a fantastic area of giant boulders and very near the Amerind Foundation, a private museum of Native American history, archaeology, art, and culture.

As much as we were able to see in these two weeks, we have scarcely scratched the surface of all that is available to us in our fascinating new home state.

My Computer's Been Held Hostage

It's summertime and the livin' is BUSY! So busy, I've scarcely had time to knit or crochet. I've managed to knit 20 more rounds of the Magic Stripes socks and am now ready to turn the heel on the second sock. Also, was able to knit about 14 more rows on the Garter Stitch Ruffles Baby Blanket for Project Linus. However, the progress on these projects is so minimal, I haven't even taken a photo.

So, what have I been doing? First, we had to fly East for several days on family business. Not a happy time, but it was comforting to see everyone. Then, a niece and nephew came for a two week visit. We kept them busy (I haven't forgotten how to deal with a 12 and 10 year old) and in the off times they hijacked my computer. How did young people occupy their time before the computer age? Don't get me wrong--I love surfing the net, e-mailing friends and family, and hanging out on Ravelry, but I do come up for air once in a while. Lest their parents think that I aided and abetted their obsession with online games and IMing friends, I took plenty of photos to prove we did do some active, outdoor stuff too. Unfortunately, Blogger is not cooperating at the moment and will not allow me to upload any photos. I wasn't kidding when I said my computer has been held hostage lately.

Finally, we saw the kids off at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix and went on to visit an elderly family member in Palm Springs, California for 5 days. Whew! Am I glad to be home, if only for a short while. More travels next week, but in the meantime I am enjoying being able to use my computer again and the monsoons have made everything green up and cool down. Paradise!

Progress on the Hobbit Shawl

It has been very hot here for about a week--upper 90s to 100s. Even though we have air-conditioning and the house is usually comfortably cool, I just haven't felt like working on larger projects. However, yesterday and today I made myself crochet for a while on my Hobbit Shawl for the One Shawl to Rule Them All KAL/CAL on Ravelry. My motivation came from finishing my reading of The Fellowship of the Ring and then re-watching the film. It follows the spirit of the story well, and I wanted to hear some of the more difficult names from the book pronounced aloud. I like the film very much, but the book is wonderful! There is such a difference between the two mediums. I understand why Peter Jackson condensed some of the action and changed some of the story to fit the screen better, but I missed the poetry and the songs from the book. I think they are some of my favorite parts of the book.

I continue to enjoy this shawl pattern and I like the yarn too. It has a crisp rather than a soft hand, but very comfortable to work with. I think it will be very comfortable to wear as well. I wish the yarn was not discontinued. I found some for trade or sell on Ravelry, but I am trying to stay committed to stash burning, so have resisted the temptation. Being cotton, I don't know how it will block, but I am pretty well satisfied with it the way it is now. If it doesn't open up much, I will not be disappointed.

Is Life Just a Bowl of Cherries?

In reality it rarely is, but it was for me yesterday. We've been gorging, I mean indulging, in fresh strawberries for over a month in our household, but when I went to get some more this week from my local market they were nowhere to be found. When I spied these beautiful California Bing cherries, however, I felt more than compensated. I love the sweet, but crisp and juicy flavor of cherries and it doesn't make me feel guilty when I pop them in my mouth one after the other. Their health benefits are well-documented here and they are versatile as a cooking or baking ingredient.

In fact, I found a wonderful recipe for a Mesclun and Cherry Salad with Warm Goat Cheese online at Epicurious. I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of using the fennel bulb--no fennel available in my market that day. We had it for dinner with grilled turkey tenderloin and some brown and wild rice. Delicious!

Knitting and Poetry

No photos of FOs or WIPs today. I have been working on most of my projects on a daily basis, alternating from one to the other, but it is slow going when you have 5 in progress! However, today I have a Japanese haiku to share that pretty much sums up my recent knitting habits.

One more stitch...

One more row...

Ah..? It's dawn.

This and other knitting-themed Japanese haiku poems can be found on this site. I linked to it from another larger collection of knitting-themed poems, quotes, and legends that can be found here.

And here is a picture that I can definitely relate to. Who's been peeping in my craft room late at night?

I found it on this site which has many more knitting images. The prevalence of knitting on the internet, in all its aspects--tutorials, online yarn shops, blogs devoted to knitting, online knitting communities--is indeed wonderful. We are out there and the world is taking notice.

One Shawl To Rule Them All

Back in April, I found a new group that had just started on Ravelry called intriguingly, One Shawl To Rule Them All. According to the administrators of the group, it was "started as a joke, but erupted into an exciting queue of must knit (or crochet) shawls. We’re doing a KAL/CAL for shawls voted on by the group that were inspired by the races of Middle Earth."

I promptly joined the group because of my interest in The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. I had seen all of the movies, but had never read the books. I don't remember now what I was doing when all my friends were reading about hobbits, and elves, and Gondor, and Mordor, and Gandalf, and Sauron, but I missed out on the whole thing until the movies came along.

Now, I am reading all about the Third Age of Middle-Earth as I begin working my way through the four shawls I've chosen to crochet and knit for this group. Thus far, I've finished reading The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring and have started The Two Towers. In addition, I've started my first shawl for the KAL/CAL. It is from a pattern by milobo that she calls Eva's Shawl. I'm calling it my Hobbit Shawl. The pattern and lovely pictures can be found here.

I am using a yarn I've had in my stash for almost two years: Elann Endless Summer Connemara in the colorway #112. It is much more a light golden brown than my photo above shows. The yarn is a worsted weight mercerized cotton which is unfortunately discontinued. I really like the way it is working up and the fiber should be good here in the desert. This is a crochet pattern and I am using a size J (6mm) hook. The yarn is heavier than the designer used and in consequence so is the hook, but I am very pleased with the look of it. I have made quite a few shawls, but never one for myself until now. I'm looking forward to wearing it on cool evenings.

Putting Down Roots

One of the most marked changes in my life since moving to the Southwest concerns my passion for surrounding myself with beautiful plants and trees. My husband and I worked very hard to develop lovely gardens around our home in Virginia as can be seen in the following photos.

Kousa dogwood in front yard

Japanese maple in back yard

Peony and clematis

Besides my family and friends, the thing I miss most since moving is relaxing on one of our porches and looking out at the gardens. We don't have porches here, but we have begun landscaping around our new home. It will take time for the structure to develop and the plantings to mature, just as it did in Virginia, but I am learning to appreciate the beauties of the desert. Here are some of the most recent blooms in our back yard.

Chaste tree in bloom

The lovely purple color attracts butterflies

Arizona Rosewood

Such a delicate blossom

Change has never been easy for me. I do best with a regular routine. Even though this move had been planned and eagerly anticipated for some time, I have often felt disoriented and uprooted this last year. Now, with a garden to work in, I finally feel at home.

An FO for Project Linus

I finished the above baby afghan this weekend and will be donating it to the Tucson Chapter of Project Linus as soon as I finish this one below.

The completed afghan is from one of the patterns the national organization has on its website. It is called Sideways Shell Baby Afghan. I made it with Caron One Pound yarn in the Soft Sage colorway, using a size H (5mm) crochet hook. It worked up quickly and I would definitely make another some time.

The just started blanket is called Garter Stitch Ruffles Baby Blanket and can be found here on the Knitting on the Net website. I am making it with the same yarn as the previous one using size 13 (9mm) and size 3 (3.25mm) circular needles. I will have enough of this yarn in my stash to make one more blanket. I am happy to be using up the yarn and to have the opportunity to donate to such a worthwhile organization.

Roving, Roving, Who's Got the Roving?

Me! That's who. I posted a wish list in the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry and asked for a small amount of roving to practice spinning with my drop spindle. Two phenomenally generous Ravelers sent me all this:

Big thank yous to franspun and songdeva. People like them are a large part of what makes Ravelry a true community. Now I have no excuse for not getting started on making some yarn with my drop spindle.

A Ball of Yarn, Some Needles, and My iPod

That's all I need to achieve a state of complete bliss. Knitting or crocheting alone induces a feeling of serenity in me, but with the addition of some music or a podcast, I truly experience Nirvana. The other day I was able to sustain this experience for almost two hours of continuous knitting. In that time I was able to finish the toe of the first sock below, cast on for the second sock, finish the cuff, and proceed to the leg. Pretty amazing considering these are only the second pair of socks I will have knit.


These are the Magic Stripes Socks from Ann Budd's book Getting Started Knitting Socks. I started out knitting them for me, but soon realized they were going to be too big. I knitted a gauge swatch which came out just right for my size, but somehow they fit my husband's size 13 feet perfectly. Go figure! He's happy and so therefore am I.

I started out listening to Santana, then Acoustic Alchemy, and finished with Loreena McKennitt. I have very eclectic musical tastes and this combination really did it for me that day. Click on the links to hear some of what I was listening to. I will see if it works again another time or maybe tune in to one of my favorite podcasts. I'm willing to experiment, if it helps the process along.

Mind Games and New Projects

One of my mental activities in retirement is the solving of cryptograms. My local Sunday paper has one every week, but I craved more. I found this online source of weekly cryptograms--usually about 10 a week. I'm really addicted to these.

I mentioned starting a new freeform project last week. I am embellishing some house slippers for me. I am adapting some patterns I found in Margaret Hubert's pamphlet published by Annie's Attic, Fun with Free-Form Crochet. It is a good way to use up some of my yarns from The Think Pink Challenge and The Pink Project. I work on it at odd moments. It is both relaxing and fun.

Another new project has actually been on the back burner for some time. I promised my daughter I would make her a new afghan to replace one that had been too damaged to repair. I've had the yarn for a year or more. I finally have finished enough of my WIPs to feel ready to proceed with a larger project, so started last night. I am using Lion Brand Homespun and one of their free patterns for a Log Cabin Afghan--size K (6.5mm)hook. I like the pattern and it is very easy, but the yarn is a bit finicky to work with as it catches on the loops I'm trying to pull through. Hopefully, as I get more used to working the pattern, I will improve my technique.

Summer in Arizona

The thirsty earth frowns

At the sun's scorching embrace;

Monsoons will bring smiles.

My haiku above was inspired by a post of Robyn's the other day and the recent comments of local weatherpersons about the approaching monsoon season in Arizona. Technically they should be referred to as monsoon thunderstorms and the season is usually from July through September, but the timing is more dependent upon the dewpoint than the calendar. As the weather heats up here in the Southwest and the landscape turns dry and brown, we begin to long for the rainy season. More information on this interesting meteorological phenomena can be found at this Arizona State University website.

Promises Kept and a Lovely Surprise

It's getting very close to the end of this week and I did promise myself I'd post three times each week for at least a month. Luckily for me, I have kept some other promises this week so I have something to post.

Sometime in 2006 (very vague, I know, but it's been so long I forget exactly when) I bought some Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool to make a pillow for my daughter. What with getting ready to move and then actually moving, I'm afraid this little project was sadly neglected. I did manage to work on it some while visiting in Virginia this April and now have completely finished it. This was my first cable project, but I enjoyed it so much I know it won't be my last. The pattern was from a booklet of one skein projects and that is all it took. The pattern is called Twists 'n' Turns Pillow and the needle size is 9 (5.5 mm).


I purchased some recycled sari silk yarn not long ago from a sock knitting buddy because I’ve always wanted to work with it, and decided it was just the yarn to use to make a scarf for my daughter. She just recently graduated from a seven month long course in massage therapy and I wanted to make her something special to celebrate the occasion. I spent the better part of a day trying out different patterns and needle sizes. Finally, I modified a Lion Brand Pattern for a Drop Stitch Scarf . I used a size 11 (8mm) needle instead of a 19 (15mm) and cast on 16 stitches rather than 8. To add a bit of pizzazz I added a fringe with beads. She knows about the pillow, but the scarf is a surprise--hope she likes it!

And speaking of surprises, I received a wonderful package in the mail the other day from a lovely lady in one of the groups I belong to on Ravelry--the Random Acts of Kindness group. She had messaged me that she had an owl thingy she was sending me for my collection, but when the box arrived it also contained some roving for my new interest in spinning and some teas. Such generosity!

Long Time No Blog

Why has it been over a month since I last blogged? I can think of lots of excuses:

1. We were in California with no access to a computer for 10 days;
2. Since returning home I've been very busy catching up on things neglected while we were away;
3. I've been very focused on finishing a number of knitting/crochet projects;
4. I've been reading several books for the book clubs I'm in.

However, in all honesty, I'm not sure that any of those reasons is really accurate. No matter, I'm resolving right now to post at least 3 times a week for the next month. We'll see if that goal will keep me motivated.

The weather for the last week has been extreme. First it warmed up to almost 100 degrees for several days and then the winds came. It is frequently windy here, but these were the most ferocious, sustained winds we've had since moving here last July. I could hardly stand up in the gusts and we lost one tree--snapped the top off. D says he thinks it was weak in that spot, but it hurts like losing a friend. We battled the winds several days ago to stake two of our trees and are hoping they will be okay. The bark on one seems to have received some damage, but only time will tell.

We are still enjoying the blossoming of trees and cactus despite the winds. Here are a few more photos from the back yard.

One of the Kidneywood trees by the back gate

Prickly Pear we rescued after last year's monsoons

And finally, another FO--my scrumbles for The Pink Project in support of breast cancer research. I mailed them Friday to Prudence Mapstone in Australia. They were a challenge, as I'm new to freeform, but I really enjoyed making them. I feel more satisfied with these than the ones I made for The Think Pink Challenge for Jenny Dowde. In fact, I've begun a small project of my own now in freeform crochet. I'm embellishing some slippers using some of the pink yarn bought for The Pink Project.

Blooms in the Desert

My husband and I have been checking our cactus everyday for blooms, just like little kids waiting for Santa. This morning we received our first presents. One of the Trichocereus cactus in the front yard put on a splendid show for us! Can't wait to see what will bloom next.

Doing My Part for Project Linus

I started a crochet project yesterday because I needed to get back to crocheting and wanted to do something easy and comforting. I usually have at least one crochet project in the works along with my knitting projects, but haven't done any for a while. I will donate the afghan to Project Linus when it is completed.



The pattern is Sideways Shell Baby Afghan by Donna Laing. I'm using a yarn I purchased some time ago to make an afghan for my husband. It is Caron One Pound in the Soft Sage colorway. I donated most of my acrylic yarn to others earlier this week for charity knitting, but kept this for sentimental reasons. I thought I was finished with charity knitting for the foreseeable future, but kept feeling the pull all week. I am very happy with the way it is progressing and it is giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling that I needed also. I'm using an H hook rather than the recommended I hook because I tend to be a loose crocheter.

Project Linus is a charitable organization whose mission is to provide love, security, and comfort to children in need through blankets and afghans provided by volunteers, and to provide an opportunity for service to children to interested individuals and groups. As of December, 2007, they have donated 2, 293, 340 blankets from a total of 406 chapters. I became interested in this organization through a group I belong to on Ravelry.

Poem In Your Pocket

April is National Poetry Month (NPM) and tomorrow has been designated the first national Poem In Your Pocket Day. As stated by the sponsors of NPM, The Academy of American Poets, on their website: "The idea is simple: select a poem you love during National Poetry Month then carry it with you to share with co-workers, family, and friends on April 17."


The poem I've selected to carry in my pocket tomorrow is Sonnet 98 from William Shakespeare:




From you have I been absent in the spring...

From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leaped with him,
Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odor and in hue,
Could make me any summer's story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew.
Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
Yet seemed it winter still, and, you away,
As with your shadow I with these did play.

You can find a poem to carry in your pocket tomorrow on The Academy of American Poets website: http://www.poets.org/index.php. This wonderful resource has thousands of poems for every occasion, biographies of poets, essays on poetry, as well as weekly features.

Yarn Snob or Realist?

I protest, like the blogger Cabledguy , that I am not a yarn snob. However, I have been agonizing for some time, as I try to destash, if I should donate/give away most of my acrylic and novelty yarns. I just don't have the desire to knit or crochet projects with them at this time and they have really been taking up precious space in my craft room (also computer/guest room) closet. So, I bit the bullet and looked on Ravelry at the Random Acts of Kindness group to see if anyone was looking for what I had to give away. Success! I shipped two boxes in the last two days, totaling about 11,000 yards of yarn, to two different Ravelers. They are going to use it for charity knitting, so I feel really good about that. I definitely could have knit or crocheted items with all that yarn and had purchased it originally with specific projects in mind. In fact, it meant abandoning two projects already in the works for some time (Barbara G. Walker's Learn-to-Knit Afghan


And the Cuddly Kittens Afghan from Weekend Afghans).


My interests have changed, however, and I'm not sure when I would ever have gotten around to making/finishing those projects. It was very painful closing that chapter of my life, but I have lifted an enormous load of guilt from my shoulders. In future, I will be a much more mindful yarn purchaser and intend to knit and crochet only what I love with yarn that I love.

What projects are on my needles/hooks right now? I am not currently crocheting anything, but have several projects begging to be started. However, I do have two new projects on the needles:

First, Magic Stripes Socks from Ann Budd's book, Getting Started Knitting Socks. The yarn is a discontinued Lion Brand yarn, Magic Stripes. This is the second pattern I have followed in this book and I continue to learn from her clear instructions and good illustrations. I highly recommend this book to other novice sock knitters like myself.



Second, Drop Stitch Sari Silk Scarf, adapted slightly from a Lion Brand pattern. I modified the pattern by using size 11 needles instead of size 19 and cast-on 16 stitches, rather than 8. This is my first time knitting with recycled sari silk. I love the color variations, but the small pieces of fiber that it sheds on my clothing and everything else around are somewhat annoying.