Day to Day

The Love of My Life

2011-09-15T12:17:00.006-05:00

At my goal

2011-08-31T11:11:00.006-05:00

I reached my goal on July 7, but didn't think about posting. So better late than never :-)

I have also been going to Power Barre classes - a combination of ballet barre, cardio, and Pilates. It is physically demanding, but I feel great!

Jan 30, 2011 Before

Aug 31, 2011 After - 18 lbs. less

FO Lacy Tank

2011-07-27T15:00:00.002-05:00

The lacy tank. Great little knit, hate the yarn. I wore this for about 2 hours before I had to take it off - it had stretched beyond wear. Grrrr!

WIPs

2011-06-21T08:48:00.010-05:00

Currently there are 2 WIPS - the Fiori di Sole

and Lacy Summer Tank

I spent an amazing week at Wildacres Retreat with dear friends attending the John Mack Oboe Camp. If you remember, Mr. Mack was my teacher, mentor and friend who passed away in 2006. It was only this year that I could find it in my heart to return. The camp is now taught by prominent students of Mr. Mack's. It was a bittersweet week, some great times and some disappointments. I'm not sure I will go back again but haven't ruled it out.

Lucky Girl

2011-06-06T09:13:00.005-05:00

25 years ago, I married my best friend.

FO: Light as Air

2011-05-31T20:14:00.008-05:00

Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig is such a fun little wear. Not so fun to knit - miles of stockinette with tiny yarn, but a great design. I love versatility of this little cardi!

Some knitters have done some shaping - maybe I will on the next one.

Details: Yarn is Silky Alpaca Lace and I knit it on KP #4 for the body and sleeves, #3 for the ribbing.

Thanks for stopping in and taking a look :-) Happy knitting to you ~

Progress

2011-04-15T10:29:00.003-05:00

Jan 30 - I was sick and tired of feeling big and frumpy so I joined Weight Watchers Online. Here is the beginning of the journey:

Ap 11 -

So this is 11 lbs. later. I am happy with the progress but have more to go :-)

FO: Sunrise Circle Jacket

2011-03-16T20:20:00.007-05:00

I started this intriguing project in December, using the yarn I reclaimed from a frogged project.

The yarn is KnitPicks City Tweed HV and the needles were #4 Options (yes, I knit loosely). I LOVE this jacket and wish it was going to be colder here a bit longer so I could wear it more this season. But it will be ready for next winter :-)

The next project (I already started) is Hannah Fettig's Featherweight Cardigan.
And am using Silky Alpaca Lace in the very colors you see!
Happy knitting, my friends -

FO: Falling Water

2011-01-16T23:23:00.008-06:00

I have loved this pattern since I first saw it. But as I didn't realize until I started that is is virtually the same as River Rapids Socks (see August 7 blog entry)! And silly me, I knit both in purple.

I used #5 Options for a nice airy lace. The yarn is Linie Supersocke Silk. It became very fuzzy as I knit although it felt nice. The fabric drapes nicely but when I soaked it in Eucalan, it ran like mad!! The deep purple faded quite a bit. I won't use this yarn again. Too bad because it feels very nice.

Til next time - Happy knitting!

December dizzies

2010-12-01T22:58:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving was quiet for us. We went to The Old Warsaw for a nice dinner. While the food was excellent, we were disappointed in the service. When we had to request bread (all the other tables had it) and ask for water refills, they lost me. I really think our waiter wrote us off because we didn't order drinks.

The next three days were tied up with Nutcrackers. We have played all 20 productions with this company - they keep getting better and better. What an honor and thrill to be associated with them :-)

This was a positive note in a fall filled with disappointing orchestra news.

The Richardson Symphony, a group with whom I have played for 20 years decided to no longer bargain with the local chapter of the AF of M. It is an unfortunate turn of a professional orchestra into one made up of amateurs who call themselves professional but do not sound so. A colleague attended the first concert and said how tedious it was - while the strings played pretty well, the winds and brass played with no conviction and had intonation problems. I have mixed feelings - on one hand, I want to the orchestra to continue since it has been in existence for 49 years and is in my home town. On the other hand, we professionals were treated poorly and thrown away with no consideration for our loyalty and abilities. So I hope they sound horrible and fold. Unfortunately, the untrained listener can hardly tell the difference.

It is situations such as this that make me feel like when I stop playing professionally it will be a relief. I am usually a positive person, but this situation has really been eating me up.

On to knitting news---- I have finished two pair of Fiber Trend Felted Clogs for Christmas gifts for my cousin and his partner. And one pair for me too :-)

FO: Tea Leaves

2010-11-16T09:14:00.003-06:00

I finished Tea Leaves last week and have worn it a few times already. This was a wonderfully well-written pattern and quite easy to knit.

The yarn is City Tweed DK from KnitPicks. Beautiful to knit with, blocked beautifully as well....

Next week is our annual Nutcracker weekend. The production is quite lovely - beautiful choreography, gorgeous costumes and sets and a full orchestra providing the music for the dancers. Come one, come all! You will enjoy it, I promise :-)

Frog Pond!

2010-10-15T17:29:00.006-05:00

So I knit this nice little cardi in this lovely yarn last year for Rhinebeck. And I wore it - however, it was not a successful project. So I saw this and knew the lovely yarn would be perfect. So I deconstructed the nice little cardi

Frogged it, skeined it

Soaked it and now it is drying

We'll see how it relaxes and find out it it wants to turn into the circle cardigan ....

Stay tuned

FO: more baby sweaters

2010-10-05T08:52:00.003-05:00

I love knitting baby sweaters, but have had about enough for now. I think these make nos. 5 and 6. This pattern is Lacey Baby Girl Sweater knit in Baby Bee Hushaby Solid.

The pattern is well written though the sleeves are knit before finishing the body. I knit the body first, then picked up the stitches on DPNs for the sleeves.

The yarn is from Hobby Lobby - very much like Lion Brand Cotton Ease. It is a little splitty, but generally nice to work with. And it washed very well. Overall these were nice to knit.

FO: Baby Edwin's Sweater

2010-09-12T12:47:00.005-05:00

Edwin's sweater knit in the old Cotton Ease for my friend's newborn. It is actually larger than newborn due to the worsted weight, but since they live in Indiana, I figured this is something he will wear all winter.

I am also working on (2) Lacey Girl sweaters for my friend who has twin granddaughters. Pics soon...

As soon as all this baby knitting is done, it is on to Tea Leaves for me, knit in City Tweed DK.

Have a fabulous fall week-

FO: Tiny Tea Leaves

2010-08-29T17:49:00.004-05:00

Tiny Tea Leaves by Madelinetosh

Knit with the (nice) discontinued Sirdar Breeze. My former student's daughter is 3 yrs old and is about to have a brand new baby brother. I thought she might like something special for herself.

Love the ruching!!

Love it so much, I bought the adult version to knit one for me!

I think I'll knit Baby Sophisticate for the new baby boy. I have a little of the old Cotton Ease in a medium blue wanting to be knit into this.

I'll post as soon as it is finished. It might take a while as school is in session and the University starts tomorrow. My schedule is too full right now... we'll see how I manage.

Til next time .... happy knitting :-)

FO: Pretty Baby Sweaters

2010-08-17T21:10:00.005-05:00

My friend's daughter had twin girls so I knitted these for them. But they have grown quite a bit and these will be too small. So I'll wait until the right person comes along and will gift them.

The pattern is the Pretty Baby Sweater which is almost the same as the 5-hour Sweater. The only difference I could discern is that there are buttonholes in this one and i-cord tires on the other.

The yarn is Caron Simply Soft in orchid and light green. This yarn is pretty good for acrylic but not my favorite to knit with. I really prefer some cotton or wool blend in to give a more organic feel. It slid pretty well on my #7 Options.

I don't know if you can see the buttons, but on the orchid sweater they are butterflies and on the pale green, bears :-)

Now I am looking for a 9 month pattern for girly sweaters for the girls. Any ideas?

Happy knitting ~

Rapid River Socks

2010-08-07T22:26:00.005-05:00

I loved knitting the Sockbug's River Rapid Socks. The mock cable is easy to memorize and gives a nice organic look. I used KnitPicks Stroll in a purple tweed and #1 dpns.

On the model..

On the feet....

Here is a close-up of the pattern. It is a nice mock cable...

What are you knitting this summer? I would love to hear.

On to the next project ...... no, I don't quite know what it will be :-)

FO: Haruni

2010-07-18T15:04:00.003-05:00

Haruni by Emily Ross

The yarn was somewhat of a mystery - a dear friend gave it to me and thought is was silk/tencel blend. It was lovely to knit with and blocked out beautifully. The color is actually more lavender/blue than the blue you see.

The total weight is 118 grams, the yarn was a 3 ply, 20 WPI. And I used #4 Bryspun circs.

Happy knitting to you all -

FO: Monkey See Monkey Do!!

2010-06-11T14:08:00.007-05:00

I saw the monkey and knew what I had to do!!

One of my former students just had her first baby and now will have her first sock monkey. The pattern is HERE. I used Sirdar Snuggly DK and #1 needles. The directions are to knit flat and seam all the pieces (NOT!!) or knit tubes (YES!!). I took some black yarn and sewed on eyes instead of using buttons since it is for a newborn.

On to the next project ... I think it will be Haruni. I was given some beee-you-tee-ful periwinkle lace weight (we think) tencel silk blend by a dear friend.

Casting on tonight -

Swallowtail - FO

2010-05-15T19:08:00.005-05:00

This was a *very* nice pattern to knit. It took concentration, lifelines, tinking and some cussing. I also had to figure out really how loose to knit the nupps - but I loved knitting it and how it turned out.

The yarn is Classic Elite - Silky Alpaca Lace. The needles I used were Bryspun circs #4 and cast of with #6. Since the needles are white (well, sort of creamy color) it was easy enough to see the yarn. I must confess that I do have a great Verilux lamp that I sit under. Otherwise it might, no, it would be much more difficult to see.

Mods - I knit 19 repeats of the budding lace using LittleBerryKnits numbers and method. It was so easy with her great directions.

A little closer view

Nupps!

Now the conundrum is what to knit next?!

Yarn Bowl!!

2010-05-06T21:00:00.006-05:00

My friend Terry made this exquisite yarn bowl just for me!!

And here it is in use :-)

You can see a bit of Swallowtail..... I am on the last lace rows and will post photos and details when it is done.

My schedule for the next 9 days is pretty nuts - it starts with Richardson Symphony this weekend. And since Kelli is off playing elsewhere, I will be principal. :-)

Then Monday and Tuesday is Lord Nelson Mass with the Ft. Worth Baroque Society. Also Tuesday I have to drive out to TAMU-C and listen to my students play their juries.

Wednesday is Sing For The Cure. I played the premier in Dallas 10 years ago, so this is a special occasion. Also, with so many friends who have or have had breast cancer, it has more meaning than ever.

The rest of the week is rehearsal for the Sunday performance of the B Minor Mass by Bach. I am thrilled to be working so much but wish it wasn't all jammed up together.

I will see you when I come up for air.... til then, happy knitting.

Nupp time!

2010-04-19T09:16:00.005-05:00

Swallowtail is coming along nicely. So nicely that it is time for the nupps!

After reading the many posts on how small this sweet shawl is, I decided to increase the number of repeats of Budding Lace to 19. That seemed to be the magic number for keeping the next charts on track.

I am knitting this in Silky Alpaca Lace on Bryspun #4 circs. Since the yarn is black (yes, I know - I am crazy to do this in black) the white needles make it much easier to see what I am doing. And I do like the points. So far. We'll see when I have to purl 5 together.....

Here it is so far - looking like a yarn blob. And it is black, though the photo doesn't capture that.

FO: Chapeau Marnier

2010-03-30T21:09:00.004-05:00

Another cloche - I love this little pattern! It only takes a few hours to knit and is adorably retro. Chapeau Marnier knit in Luster Sheen

More Caps

2010-03-21T08:48:00.007-05:00

This one is the Swirl Hat. I knit it in Serenity Garden Yarn since it is a chemo cap and needs to be very soft.

I really like how the pattern decreases turned out.

Then there is the Rolled Brim Eyelet Cap knit from Baby Bee cotton/acrylic blend.

But my favorite is the Chapeau Marnier knit with Micro Spun. I will knit this again!

Chemo Cap

2010-03-07T11:37:00.005-06:00

My friend was just diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer and will undergo aggressive treatment to combat this horrible disease. Please go to the link and read or research this yourselves. It is not the normal type found with a lump and it is very aggressive.

Here is the first of many chemo caps for her.

The pattern is from Head Huggers and is #18 - Lace Edged Womens Hat. I used some cotton blend that was in my stash.

If you are of the mind to, please include her in your prayers.

On a more uplifting note, I am headed to NY to spend some time with Mom. She is doing remarkably well (for being 89) and I look forward to our time together.

I hope you have a wonderful week ~

Dallas Blizzard

2010-02-12T07:42:00.006-06:00

It doesn't snow here. At least not like this!

We had record-breaking amounts of the white stuff - 24 hours of snowfall yielding 9" or so.

Here is a little video of our house and street this morning.

I know all of you in snow country are laughing at us here in Texas - but peeps - we don't get stuff like this!!

Two More Pair French Press Slippers

2010-02-06T22:38:00.007-06:00

Two more pair of Melynda Bernardi's French Press Slippers knitted, felted and worn. My friend saw the red ones I first knit and wanted a pair so badly, I obliged her.

I loved the first pair I kept for my self and decided I needed a some in purple :-)

I used the Wonder Washer for the felting - it seemed to take quite a long time but really worked just fine. And no lint in my washer drain!

I think it is a keeper.

Wonder Felter

2010-01-30T16:59:00.004-06:00

Here is a little video of the Wonder Washer felting 2 pair of French Press Slippers. I'll add photos of the slippers when they are complete :-)

Almost FOs

2010-01-24T11:11:00.004-06:00

Ready to felt

And these too

So to save my washing machine, I just bought this on EBay. Some of the other felters say it works wonderfully :-) I love felted slippers and plan to knit many more. I really don't want to destroy my washer with all the lint that accumulates even with the zippered pillowcases.

I'll let you know how it works.

FO: Bitterroot

2010-01-17T13:25:00.009-06:00

I have never knited or worn shawls. Until now -

Bitteroot by Rosemary Hill is a beautiful and intuitive knit. I used KnitPicks Gloss sock yarn and #6 Harmony needles.

I have been eyeballing Swallowtail - but will need to learn nupps. Apparently this is a stitch that has many knitters cussing! I searched and found a video on Knitting Daily with Nancy Bush showing how to do this. Did you know the "nupps" rhymes with soups?? (I was rhyming it with cups.)

I think I am hooked on lace shawls.....

White Christmas

2009-12-25T08:19:00.004-06:00

For you in the North, this is no big deal But here in the Dallas area, it really is! A white Christmas made for scary driving home from work last night, but a pretty sight this morning.

Just wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

More French Press Slippers

2009-12-22T10:25:00.003-06:00

One more night of Christmas music (4 Christmas Eve services at a big church) and then we will rest. It has been a fabulous season - making beautiful music with good friends in (some) lovely surroundings. No mishaps ~ knocking on wood ~ everyone made it everywhere.

Mom is here :-) too, so all is good.

And I couldn't resist knittng more of the French Press Slippers. The black ones are for Mom and the purple (though they look blue. Why is that??) are for a friend.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas. May you and your family be blessed, happy, and healthy.

Hanukkah is here and Christmas is a coming

2009-12-11T23:29:00.005-06:00

Hi y'all! I can't believe Thanksgiving was just two weeks ago. It seems like a very long time yet just a moment ago. How can that be?!

Since last time, I have knit and stitched together two more pairs of the French Press slippers but have yet to felt them. I did some mods on one pair - knit the sole doubled (like the FT Clogs). We'll see what if any, difference it makes.

Last weekend I played for a really sweet group of singers. We had mixed meter (counting in 4, then 6, then 3) and the conductor was, um, well shall we say - really nice. It makes the musicians' lives difficult when the leadership is tenuous. But they are really, really nice. So we play it year after year, knowing full well what we are in store for. It is a very small group - maybe 15 singers and 12 musicians.

This weekend is the opposite end of the spectrum. I am playing at a very large church with an amazing and glitzy Christmas show. It is thoroughly planned and executed - like a Broadway show. We all have earphones with a click track (like a metronome) running constantly to keep us all together. The orchestra is situated on both sides of the stage (yes folks, a stage ~ not an alter) and there would be no way to play as an ensemble with out the click. Every instrument is miked so they control what the audience hears. This has no relation to playing in a symphony - totally electronic instead of acoustic.

The singers are amazing, dancers, speakers, quite the production. We have 2 shows tomorrow and 2 Sunday.

Monday, I listen to my students' juries at the university, then home to teach for 4 hours. Tuesday fly to NY, Wednesday fly back with Mom. Thursday and Friday are my regular students, Sat and Sun more church work: Bach Magnificat and another Messiah. Monday night is a rehearsal and then Christmas Eve - we play 4 services.

One day soon I will get back to some knitting content. Right now, when I get home, I am too brain dead to hold the sticks and string.

In the meantime - I hope you are all knitting up a storm, have all your Hanukkah or Christmas decorations cheerfully displayed (we have none, yet,) and your cards all written (we have done none. And probably won't.)

Have a blessed weekend - Happy Hanukkah!

Slipper Grippers

2009-11-28T14:06:00.006-06:00

We wore these all Thanksgiving day. I was relieved that they all fit - except mine, which were too small.

I attached Slipper Grippers with the hot glue gun since the recipients have wood floors and stairs. I'll let you know how it wears.

I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with family, food and joy. Our family just left for home and we have Nutcracker tonight. They came to our rehearsal last night and were quite mesmerized at being able to watch a live orchestra (especially the brother and sister-in-law while we played) being only a few feet away. They had never been that close up and personal before. Oh yes, there were dancers too :-0

Performance tonight and matinee tomorrow. Work, work, work (thankfully) for us. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

FO: French Press Slippers

2009-11-17T15:02:00.002-06:00

All done

almost FO: French Press Knits slippers

2009-11-16T23:02:00.005-06:00

These were the fastest project I ever knit. They are not quite done but I could not resist posting....

French Press Knits slippers knit in Patons Classic Merino in bright red on size 15 straights. A very well written pattern ~ totally clear!

If you ever wanted to delve into felting - now is the time! These will make great Chrismas presents.

They were a very wet model on my feet and will probably take longer to dry than they took to knit! There is a little strap that goes across the top (drying as well) that is achored at one end by a button. Tomorrow is button searching day....

FO: Felted Clogs

2009-11-15T14:53:00.005-06:00

They are now all felted and drying thanks to my friend Maria and her perfectly sized model feet.

Some have a bit of an odd shape, but they will still fit and be just fine.

So now I have been infected with the felting bug..... I just bought this pattern (OMG - so freakin' cute) and some more Paton's Classic Wool to make yet even more slippers.

Conglomeration of clogs

2009-11-04T06:34:00.004-06:00

Has it been this long since the last post? Yikes!

We are into our busiest season now; between the opera, students, symphony and random church work, Day to Day has been ignored. But not the knitting. I did finish and have already worn Scoop de Jour - photos soon :-) I promise.

Rhinebeck was *very* cool. I got to meet Vi and Zarzuela and had lunch with a dear friend. I found some beautiful Cormo to spin, hand-dyed merino and bamboo lace weight and a beautiful deep red merino for a special project. It was really cold on Saturday but a nice sunny day. It was also very crowded. I am not too happy with big crowds - it felt like so many people all sort of pushing you along. While it was a wonderful event, I don't know if I will go again. I went by myself - I think it would have been great if I had a fibery friend.

Mom didn't go so I gave her ticket to a lady coming in who was very surprised she just received a free ticket. I hope her day turned out to be a good one.

These are ready to be felted

I love, love, love this Fiber Trends pattern. It is very well written (trust the pattern!!) and the clogs always turn out great. I like to use Classic Merino because it felts so well. And while the color selection at the local hobby shops is limited, I can still find some that are fun. I bought some of this to try for non-slip soles. I'll let you know how it works.

We are having Thanksgiving here with family and friends, so I thought it would be nice for them to have house slippers.

Felting party is Saturday - want to come?

Today starts with morning childrens concerts, so I must get a move on. Have a fabulous rest of the week ~

the Banda

2009-10-20T12:43:00.007-05:00

We are in the midst of the Dallas Opera production of Otello. Since I am in the on stage band (aka banda) I will be playing in costume. Here is a shot from last night's dress rehearsal.

And here we are in our wigs!

Got home from Rhinebeck late Sunday evening and have been non-stop since. There are a few FOs to show you, but I need to take photos first. As you can see, I have been a bit busy banda-ing about :-) and will get to the knitting content soon. I promise.

My First Spin In

2009-09-13T21:52:00.003-05:00

I took my Scholar

And spun some Wensleydale

Unfortunately, I forgot to take the camera

Rhinebeck Baby!

2009-09-07T15:41:00.005-05:00

Here is the baby sweater for my niece's son.

I used Caron Simply Soft Shadows and the needles were #6 (I am a loosey goosey knitter).

The pattern is by Carole Barenys and can be found here. I did knit the top and bottom in garter stitch. It was a sweet little pattern to knit, but the sleeves directions were to "knit to desired length." I had to look at some other patterns to decide what length; just that one minor detail. I think it is a very well-written pattern.

Rhinebeck Knitting

Yep. You read that right. I am going to Rhinebeck!!! Since Mom lives only 1 1/2 hours from Dutchess County and I had that very weekend free, I decided to make my fall trip to Mom's coincide with this. And Mom said she would even go with me on Saturday!

I just ordered City Tweed in the color Blue Blood from Knitpicks to knit a Rhinebeck sweater. Since time is getting short, I will knit the Scoop de Jour from Chicknits. Easy and classic so I should be able to finish in time to wear it.

Will any of you be going?

FO: 5 Hour Baby Sweater

2009-08-26T23:11:00.003-05:00

Although it is a 5 hour sweater, it took me closer to 6. There are many of these found on the web, but this is the pattern I used.

The yarn is Cotton Ease and it was knit on #10 Options. I used dpns for the sleeves so there would be no seams. There is a matching bonnet and booties. I'll post them next time :-)

I love knitting baby clothes. They are so adorable and provide instant gratification. You know exactly what I mean, don't you? What other garment can we knit in 5 or 6 hours?

FO: Juno Regina

2009-08-17T21:59:00.007-05:00

Juno Regina was a great knit! I used KnitPicks Gloss and #5 Options Harmony needles.

Using the blocking wires -

Standing in the backyard

Worn as a wrapThis was a pleasure to knit, well maybe not the 42" in the middle.... but the diamond patterns on the ends were very intuitive. And using the blocking wires for the first time - I think the end result is great. What do you think?

We're baaaaaack!

2009-07-30T09:18:00.004-05:00

And here are a few pics to whet your beachy appetites

Hasta la Vista

2009-07-20T20:46:00.002-05:00

We will be here for a short reprieve.

See you when we get back :-)

Harpy Days are Here Again!

2009-07-09T22:30:00.008-05:00

Here I am

My classmates

The view

Today was the last day of Harp Fire. The adults met each afternoon and the kids had all day classes. We had a great instructor, wonderful classmates, a good time and made beautiful music.

Life is good.

Harp Fire and an FO

2009-07-06T20:13:00.005-05:00

Today was the first day of Harp Fire 2009. I didn't have enough time this month to practice as I hoped, but life sometimes gets in the way.

Our faculty gave an opening recital that was great!

Here are Janet's Jaywalkers. They were knit in KnitPicks Felici, the colorway is Schooner. I used #1 Harmony DPN's. I wanted identical socks so I was careful to match up the colors where I cast on. Yes, I am happy with these :-)

Last week's concerts were a test of endurance and resilience for all of us. The temperatures were higher than normal and the intonation in the first concerts was difficult.

But the concert last night with Ft. Worth Symphony was terrific. Di Wu (a Cliburn winner) was amazing and the orchestral pieces were two of my favorites. FWSO definitely knows how to make the outdoor concerts the best around. From gigantic fans cooling us to ice water in small strategically placed coolers onstage to the excellent musicians who play beautifully no matter what the temperature. I feel so lucky to be called to play with them.

Have a wonderful week - I will try to update Harp Fire as the week goes on.....

4th of July insanity

2009-06-30T15:11:00.005-05:00

It is July.

It is Texas.

And we are expected to play outdoor concerts. And you are expected to attend said concerts.

People - it has been HOT HOT HOT. What are they thinking??? I have three outdoor performances this week: East Texas Symphony, North East Texas Symphony and Ft. Worth Symphony ..... you may never hear from me again since I will surely melt into a little pool of nothingness.

But before I melt - here is my progress on Juno Regina. I ripped back a few times and in frustration frogged it. After licking my wounds and eating my humble pie, I cast on again and this time used a life line. The diamonds are complete and the infamous 42" begins.

Thanks for all your comments - it was fun having Janet here. And yes Lella, we can fit both cars in our garage! The socks are resting right now but after all this craziness dies down, I expect to get back to them. They are ready for me to begin the toes :-)

Mer - it was because of your Juno Regina is so beautiful that I decided to knit one.

If I don't melt this weekend, I'll see you soon.

Friends and UFOs

2009-06-20T17:31:00.006-05:00

I can't believe an entire week has passed since Janet was here!

She is a friend of 30 years and was passing by our fair city. We ate, danced (well, the dancers did) and laughed a lot. She also got to see the ballet and hear me play in the orchestra for the first time in 25 years. I think she enjoyed it; I know I did.

Apparently so did the reviewer: "The evening opened with Leonid Lavrovsky's Paganini, a psychological study of the brilliant but tormented Italian violinist and composer Niccolo Paganini. Pianist Gleb Ivanov and the Metropolitan Classical Ballet Orchestra performed the Rachmaninoff score with vivid finesse." She even had nice things to say about the dancing :-)

Since Janet was so intrigued by my knitting, I decided to finish the jaywalkers for her :-)

I cast on for Juno Regina from Knitty with some Knitpicks Gloss. Here is my progress so far:

Broderie is still in the works, but has been resting since it requires mindful knitting and my schedule has been too busy for me concentrate on it. I will get back to it when things slow down a bit.

Have a great weekend:-)

Celebrating 23 years

2009-06-06T09:08:00.003-05:00

23 years ago

Broderie Bit

2009-06-03T19:17:00.007-05:00

Broderie waistband blocking......

I stopped in at Montgomery Mills again and bought 2 lbs (2400 yards) of Peruvian Tweed - alpaca. At the mill, the yarn is in gigantic skeins in big boxes on the floor with hand printed signs. No labels. So searching turned up this:

"Peruvian Tweed is a Joseph Galler alpaca yarn that is incredibly soft, warm, and lofty, and all of the colors come naturally from the variations in the alpacas themselves—no dyed colors. One ply is a combed blend of colors while the second ply is one solid color. 600 yards of this light worsted-weight, 100% natural alpaca yarn is an excellent value! Hand wash, lay flat to dry.

Fiber: 100% Alpaca
Gauge: 4 (Medium); 20–22 sts = 4"
Needle: US 7 or 8 (4.5 or 5 mm)
Crochet Hook: G or H
Yardage: 600 yds
Weight: 7.6–8 oz"

I hope to knit this for Jim. I think it will look stunning with this yarn.

Got back from NY late last night and I am one pooped puppy! I had gone up for my cousin's funeral so it was a sad week but great to be with family. We had so much love and support I cannot even begin to tell you the comfort we found.

FO: Juicy DK Cardi

2009-05-26T18:16:00.004-05:00

It is done and I am planning to wear it on the plane tomorrow :-)

Here is the lace portion

This is the Sirdar pattern 9149. Juicy DK yarn - a delicious blend of bamboo sourced viscose and cotton. (Don't ask me what that means 'cos I don't know!) Since I am such a loosey-goosey, I knit on #3s.

Heading to NY tomorrow and back next week. There will be only limited internet access, so checking this blog may not happen. Feel free to leave a comment anyway :-) I'll look next week.

Have a good week and I'll see you when I get home.

Cast on and Cane

2009-05-14T09:06:00.007-05:00

I cast on for Broderie and knit the entire waistband. Blocked it to a ginormous size then ripped it all out. I am down to #2 needles (just call me loosey goosey) and am now knitting a smaller size. Hopefully there will be a picture of success this weekend.

Cane is an ongoing necessity of oboists. Here is 1/2 pound to be processed.

I made some really good reeds from a friend's gouge and decided to buy a machine like hers. This is the Innoledy Gouging Machine. I communicated with the designer and his measurements are exactly what I use! It will take about four months before mine is ready so I guess I will have to muddle along as I have been doing.

Here is a Jeanne machine (my current gouger):

Here is the Innoledy:

Cool, eh? Or am I just a nerd. No need to answer that one :-)

Scallops and Socks

2009-04-28T14:08:00.004-05:00

Scallops

Our dinner tonight will be this Citrus Scallop recipe:

Ingredients

· 1 lemon
· 1 lime
· 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
· 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground black pepper
· 1 1/4 pound(s) sea scallops, rinsed
· 3 teaspoon(s) olive oil
· 1 tablespoon(s) finely chopped shallot
· 1 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard
· 1 bag(s) (5- to 6-ounce) baby greens
· 1/4 cup(s) fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

1. From lemon, grate 1/4 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. From lime, grate 1/4 teaspoon peel and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice. Set juices aside. In small bowl, combine peels, salt, and pepper.

2. Place scallops on paper-towel-lined plate; pat dry. Sprinkle with citrus-peel mixture.

3. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium 1 minute. Add scallops; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until opaque throughout, turning once. Remove from pan; cover.

4. To skillet, add 1 teaspoon oil and shallot; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in Dijon mustard and citrus juices, scraping up browned bits; cook 1 minute.

Toss sauce with greens; place on plates. Top with scallops and chopped parsley, and serve with whole wheat couscous (to make couscous, follow package directions).

Socks

Here is one of the twins:

Fraternal Jaywalkers?

2009-04-24T08:37:00.004-05:00

I just started what I hope will be fraternal Jaywalkers.

The pattern is Grumperina's found here.

Well, sort of - you can download it from Ravelry or email her to get it.

The yarn is from that new sampler I just got - KP Felici and the color is Schooner.

The needles are KP Harmony #1 DPNs and I am knitting the smallest size.

The cardi is still in the works - the sleeves are pinned in and ready for attaching. My past few weeks have been too busy for me to sit during the day (with good light) and stitch them up.

I really hope I will have time next week.

My DH and I were getting tired of the old decor in our bedroom, so we made a change:

to this:

We are looking for a new comforter to join in the lightened and

freshened up look.

I am headed up to Wichita Falls today for symphony and the guest artist is

Ricky Scaggs.

Should be fun :-)

My only hope is that the hotel is better than last time.

The housekeeping and maintenance staff were unbelievably negligent - I had to change rooms do to the shower running - it literally would not turn off.

And then in the morning, I pulled back the coverlet to find a disgustingly soiled comforter.

It was really repulsive.

They gave me my money back, but it makes me question the rest of the cleanliness of the room.

This time, I am taking the Lysol wipes and wipe everything I can before touching it.

And I will check the linens as well.

I would not stay there again if it wasn't "the" hotel the symphony puts us in.

Oh well, this is the last concert of the season for this group.

Maybe the accomodations will be improved next year.

FO: Dragonfly Socks

2009-04-17T08:35:00.003-05:00

These were a really fast knit.

The pattern is Dragonfly Socks free from Cavyshops and the yarn is Premier Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Weight. This yarn is very soft but thinner than KP Essentials. I knit with #1 (2.25mm) DPNS in hopes the fabric would be substantial enough.

The socks came out very soft but quite thin. They feel wonderful but I don't know how well they will wear. I was going to keep these for myself but decided to send them to Mom instead.

Thanks for your comments on the last posting. The green yarn is heading to it's new home since the color is not at all me. I know the recipient will enjoy it more than I would have.

Our weekend is full as usual - I am driving up to Apple Leef Farm this morning to pick up the rods for the built-in lazy kate on the Scholar. It is almost an hour each way.....

I have a double for Symphony on Saturday then students and a Messiah Sunday. I am looking forward to the Messiah because a former student (who graduated from Eastman and is now working on his Masters at SMU) will be playing second. It should be fun.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend, my friends :-)

Yarn and stuff

2009-04-13T08:54:00.010-05:00

After an exhausting but exhilarating week of Easter music, things are back to the norm - teaching, making reeds, practicing and knitting. I ordered one of the sock yarn samplers from KnitPicks (hah - like any of us really need more sock yarn!!!) and it arrived last week. The color palette is beach.

I like most of it... not a big fan of the green in the back but some sock recipient will be :)

I also stained the spinning stool my DH gave me for Xmas thinking if I get it finished I may actually use it.

Then I emailed Leef to see if she could help me get the missing rods for the lazy kate on my refurbished Scholar.

She has them at the farm now so I hope to take a ride up and get them this week. We (and Ashford) think they are the same ones that are on the current models of the Traveler and Joy. Cross your fingers that they will fit, please.

Someone had a Scholar for sale on Ravelry; she was asking $300 for it. Obviously she did not do her research because you can find them for around $150. No wonder there was no response.

There was some knitting on the Dragonflies this week :

I love it after the heel is turned and the gusset is decreased because we are in the home stretch now :-)

Enjoy your week my friends~

Bluebonnets and Dragonflies

2009-04-07T21:03:00.007-05:00

It is Bluebonnet season in North Texas. So on the way home from the University, I pulled over and took a few shots. We don't have the proliferation of some years, but they are still pretty. Or in Texan: purty.

Although the Sirdar Juicy Cardi is still waiting to be seamed, I did CO DragonFly Socks. I bought some inexpensive Serenity Sock Weight at Joanns. The color is "Chili" - the color of the skein in the front. It seems okay, similar to KP Essentials. No, it isn't Lornas Laces but I think it will be just fine.

We have been thankfully busy with Easter music though some of our colleagues are sitting at home. We do feel the economic crunch though so far not so bad. There has been a drop in my DH wedding work and neither of us have Maundy Thursday services this year. Hopefully we can continue to do what we do best - make beautiful music.

I hope your celebrations of Easter and Passover are joyous.

FO: Monkey Socks

2009-03-30T09:15:00.007-05:00

Here is the link to Monkey Socks. If you haven't knit these yet, go for it. They are easy enough for knitting while watching TV and complex enough to not be boring. That is just about the perfect balance for me ;-) I actually knit these while traveling, so I am dubbing them my airline socks. They were finished in the hotel room over the weekend (had symphony out of town) and adorned my happy little feet yesterday. I love knitting socks and I love finishing a project.

I used KnitPicks Essentials that came in their sock yarn sampler a year or two ago. This is called Meteor Twist.

The needles were #1 dpns.

And you can see how fat and round my foot is - I used the round toe instead of the one in the pattern. That has become my fave since it fits the shape of my feet best.

The cardigan is ready for shoulder seaming, then on to picking up the stitches for the front band. I didn't want to do that in the hotel due to a lack of light but hope to get it finished this week. Pictures soon.

Have a lovely week :-)

Montgomery Worsted Mill

2009-03-20T17:31:00.013-05:00

As we are driving back from dropping my husband at the Newburg/Stewart Airport, Mom sees this sign for the Montgomery Mills and says, "I used to come here to buy yarn."

We pulled in and up over the hill was a very old building with an historical marker

We went in

There were wonderful snow white silks, wools, cottons ready for dying. Alpaca, blends, natural colors, tweeds and more. There were so many boxes of yarns I was a bit overwhelmed.

But I did find a delicious wool/alpaca DK blend in a gorgeous charcoal gray. They sell by the pound - 1 lb = 1330 yards. I think it will be enough for a simple cardigan.

I was so intrigued by this place, on the way to the airport the next day I stopped back in and asked if I could take a few pictures.

I was in a bit of a time crunch so I couldn't stay very long to talk to the folks there but definitely plan to stop in next trip and spend more time. I hope it is still there; this is an article on the mill and the dificulty of it's survival. If you would be interested in joining me in a Ravelry group for the Montgomery Mills, I would be happy to start one. Please email me, comment here, or leave a message in my Ravelry inbox - Cecioboe. Maybe we can make more people aware of this hidden gem.

Insanely Busy

2009-03-08T23:03:00.003-05:00

I just finished week-long run of The Secret Garden put on at a nearby private school. A colleague is the orchestra director there (and a fine violinist) who did a fabulous job conducting us. The orchestra was pro (except for 3 terrific students) so it made things quite nice. The kids did a bang-up job in 4 performances! We old folks had fun working these talented high schoolers and I think the kids got quite a thrill singing with a real orchestra.

Knitting content is nil - I didn't get home until 11:30pm all week and was too pooped to knit. Next week I will have some new pics for you.

G'night for now -

This FO only took a year

2009-02-23T16:18:00.007-06:00

I just couldn't bring myself to finish the seaming.

Now that I have, I really don't know why.

This is Sirdar Cardigan #8872 knit with Sirdar Ocean.

The yarn is a cotton/nylon ribbon yarn.

Makes for a very interesting texture but is not my favorite to knit with.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming now.....

Idle hands...

2009-02-20T08:20:00.005-06:00

...are the devil's workshop, or so they say.

Here is the next project.

And a bag of yarn for it

And one skein worth of knitting

Juicy DK is a new Sirdar yarn - 80% bamboo and 20% cotton. Soft, supple and splitty (as most cotton yarns are). The color is #426 - a soft peachy/nectarine.

FO: Eyelet Cardi

2009-02-17T08:56:00.003-06:00

OMG ~ it fits!! (happy dance)

Why, oh why

2009-02-11T08:45:00.006-06:00

Why, oh why do sleeves take so long? There are only a few stitches on the needles (started at 62 and decreased to 42). They are not very big, yet it took me 4 nights of knitting!

It feels really wonderful to know this is going to fit :-) And I love, love, love the Silky Tweed! Too bad it is discontinued.

I was browsing Ravelry for new projects and found Broderie. All I could think of was how great this would look on stage if it was knit in black!

I searched for the yarn recommended and decided it was over my budget so decided on this RYC Luxury Cotton DK instead. Yummy - cotton/rayon/silk softness! Since my LYS didn't enough, I ordered from Webs.

Now I must hurry to finish that second sleeve....

I think I can, I think I can

2009-02-05T08:28:00.009-06:00

I think I can, I think I can - knit a sweater that fits!! The Eyelet Cardi is coming along nicely.... since it is a top-down raglan, I can try it on. I believe it is going to fit!

The yarn is an Elsebeth Lavold DK Silky Tweed and I am using #4 Options.

Thanks for all the comments about the too-big bluebell. I have been wearing it around the house 'cos it's been cold here but I cannot wear it out. The WoolEase feels *really* soft and warm so I may have to give it another chance on some other item. We'll see how pilly it gets after wearing and washing a few times.

And regarding reed making - yes, professional oboists make all their own on a daily basis. It is just part of what we do. I learned when I was in college but try to teach my advanced students while they are still in high school. We split, chop, gouge, scrape and agonize over the reed constantly. I think playing oboe is a love/hate relationship. Actually that is a good thing for me as it keeps my brain cells a-hoppin'!

We are performing the Poulenc Sextet today on a recital at one of the local community colleges. We played it yesterday for a music club meeting and it was very well received. I hope today will be as good. Cross your fingers for us :-)

Ahhhhh, oboe cane and a little rant

2009-01-30T14:22:00.009-06:00

As an oboist, one of the tasks I must do is make reeds.

In order to do so, the materials must be prepared.

This is the cane aka arundo donax

in the form that we reed makers purchase it -

harvested, dried, chopped and sized

Then we split it, chop it even shorter and gouge it.

These are the curls from gouging

The gouged cane looks like this

And here are a few pieces soaking so that I can make some reeds

And that is how I spend some of my non-knitting time.

At least in part.

Edit: I have to add a minor rant to this. Tonight at 7:50 (we had dinner out) I received a call asking about my availability for a job in late Feb. I called back as soon as we returned home (8:40) and left a message for the contractor. He called back after a while and told me he had left numerous messages for people for that gig and someone already responded so he didn't need me after all. I was a bit miffed and told him that I thought that was really not a nice way to hire people. So now I guess I won't hear from him again.

But really - if you are going to put out a cattle call, at least have the courtesy to say that on the message. I find this a pretty tacky aspect of some contractors that we do not encounter too often. And if they do say that on the message, we frankly don't usually bother to call back.

I will just stay home that weekend and knit. So there!

Thanks! Whew! I feel better now :-)

Bluebell V-Neck Cardigan FO

2009-01-28T08:46:00.010-06:00

Okay - here it is - in all it's gigantic glory.

I used WoolEase and #6 Options. I think this is a nice pattern but I would like it in 1) smaller size and 2) lighter weight yarn. WoolEase is not my favorite yarn, either. Although I love the color, it was *really* fuzzy and seems like it will pill pretty vigorously.

Thanks for the sympathy on this one Marj .... And I am taking your comment to heart, Janiannie and knitting my next one a smaller size. May I really am not as big as I think :-) Or maybe I just don't get the ease idea right. At any rate, on to the next project.

Thanks for your flower comments. They make me smile, too.

Too big, too bad!

2009-01-25T09:08:00.006-06:00

Happy Sunday morning. Thanks for your thoughts on the Jacques Cousteau Cap. It fit the recipient perfectly :-)

Unfortunately I cannot say the same thing about my Bluebell V-Neck Cardigan. It is enormous on me and I am thoroughly bummed! I thought I got gauge and knit the proper size - but Nooooo. So I am not posting a picture of it today. Waaaaah! I have now knit 4 items that have all been too big and am not happy about it.

I told Jim I was determined to knit something that fits, so I cast on this. I am using some yarn I have in my stash: Silky Tweed by Lavold. I began on #4 needles and it seems to be the right gauge (or not). I think I start knitting tighter then loosen my grip as I go along so everything gets bigger. I'm not sure how to correct that...

Here are a few flowers in my living room to brighten your day:

Amaryllis

and some Bromeliads

Enjoy your week.

FO: Jacques Cousteau Cap

2008-12-29T15:09:00.003-06:00

I just finished this for an oboe friend:

And if the yarn looks familiar, it is because it is the leftovers from Jim's Cobblestone. The pattern is Jacques Cousteau Cap I found on Ravelry. It was quick to knit even though I had to frog it and reknit in the smaller size. According to his wife, my friend has a small head - even smaller than hers.

I hope your holidays were filled with friends, family and good food. We are finally feeling rested after an arduous season. Mom is here and it is so nice to sit on the sofa next to each other and chat and knit. Life is good.

Best wishes to you all for a Happy and healthy New Year.

The nights before Christmas

2008-12-23T18:00:00.007-06:00

And all through the house

not a creature was stirring

because no one was home!

We have been nutty with Nutcrackers.

The work this week looked like this:

On the way to work

Da boys in da back row

Camera goofiness

It was snowing in the pit - all over me!

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah ~

Quick Update

2008-12-13T06:21:00.003-06:00

Thanks for your comments - we love the new screen too. Since are not "frou frou" people, the clean lines and Mission style are just what the dr. ordered! Jim is happy with his sweater... and I might even think about knitting him something else. Maybe.

Here is the start of the Bluebell V-Neck Cardigan:

I am using the Wool Ease I bought a few months ago.... it is not my favorite to knit with but I think it will turn out to be a good utilitarian cardigan.

We are in the middle of the crazy busy season. This weekend is filled with church services that are both good and not so much and on Monday I fly to NY to get Mom. We fly here Tuesday and on Wednesday the Nutcrackers start. Next weekend is a Messiah and the rest of the Nutcrackers. I canceled my students until January. Whew.

Oh yes - the new table arrived! We ordered it from a company in North Carolina and delivery was Sunday. Now we can eat our Christmas dinner in the dining room :-) We disputed the original order charge with the credit card company and have a provisional credit. We are waiting to see what happens now.

So have a good weekend. I hope your holidays are joyous.

Out with the old and an FO

2008-12-03T23:34:00.008-06:00

And in with the new... fireplace screen, that is.

The old:

The naked...

The new:

In use:

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Where's the hot chocolate?

Here is hubby in his finished Cobblestone:

The yarn is Sirdar Country DK and the gauge was 22 sts = 4" so I had to fudge the numbers for a size that fit. I think it came out pretty well. Whew. There was a lot of stockinette but the short row shaping held my interest.

I think Jim will stay warm and I hope you do too.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-11-28T23:03:00.014-06:00

Here is a pictograph of our past two days:

The pie went in like this

And came out like this

While Jim and David were hanging the Christmas lights

The turkey breast was in the rotisserie

And came out delicious.

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the cooked turkey breast - it was yummy and really pretty!

Then we ate and went to some friends' house to share our pies

And some laughs

Then the turkey bones became stock

Today we went to work -

Here is our concert master taking the tuning note

And my husband concentrating more than me

Our music is the Nutcracker

Here is the oboe section

And my surreptitious photography of the dancers

Whew! I'm glad no one caught me...

Tomorrow is rehearsal with Sandy Patti... probably will not be able to sneak any pictures....

I hope your Thanksgiving was great! See you in a few days.

A beautiful fall day here

2008-11-24T13:40:00.007-06:00

Good Monday Everyone!

The sun is shining, the temperature is pleasant, the leaves are rustling in the light breeze. All in all, a perfect fall day.

Thank you for your thoughts. The health issues are almost gone and so are quite a few pounds from not eating at night! Who would have thought?!

I am halfway through another Ice Queen, but in black. I have a colleague who I think will like it.

Jim's Cobblestone is progressing amazingly well. I ditched the Sirdar sweater (too much seed stitch) for this easy-peasy pullover. I am using Sirdar Country DK, Options #4 needles and knitting the 2nd largest size. My gauge is 22" instead of the called for 18" so I am hoping this will fit.

The short row shaping is fabulous! And by knitting the wrap with the stitch, there are no holes :-)

And here is a shot of the sleeves attached. I think this will be an FO very soon.

I planted some sweet little violas this weekend -

I love the tiny size of these flowers and the look of pansies. All in all, a perfect flower.

What are you all doing for Thanksgiving? We are having a friend eat with us and he and Jim will put up our Christmas lights. Then the seasonal insane schedule of rehearsals and performances begins. Nutcracker is Fri, Sat and Sun along with a rehearsal and performance with Sandi Patty.

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with joy. I feel thankful for my beloved husband, wonderful mother and family, dear friends, both in person and cyber-space. My best wishes are with you all -

FO: Ice Queen

2008-11-09T09:13:00.008-06:00

My dear knitting friends - Thanks so much for your thoughts on the furniture. We are hoping everything will work out and we'll actually have our refund and a table before Christmas. As for the dietary issues - I am determined to do my best to stay healthy! After last night's concert, instead of drinking a glass of wine and eating fried bits of who knows what, I had a bit of juice and some popcorn. (Had to eat something!) Low acid, thank you. I do plan on eating sauce and spicy foods in moderation - will just reinforce the situation with Rolaids or something similar.

Ice Queen is finished! It was knit with Roan Kidsilk Haze in color 633 - violetta. I used #8 and #6 16" Bryspun circs. They have nice little points and are grabby plastic. They were great for knitting with this very slippery yarn. The color is actually more plum, less blue, but the camera did not want to accept that. I also used 60 Swarovski crystals but they are not showing well. They really sparkle in real life. I think my friend Joyce (who will be receiving this for Christmas) will like it.

This was such a fun little knit, I actually stopped at the LYS yesterday after rehearsal and picked up another skein of KSH in black to knit another for another friend.

Here is a little bonus shot of Silly Ewe at Friday night's rehearsal. Note the amazing sweater she is wearing (for which she won a blue ribbon at the fair this year!)

Have a delightful week -

A Queen, a table and a gig

2008-11-02T07:41:00.010-06:00

Sounds like it ought to be a joke, no?

Ice Queen is moving right along but somehow I need more beads. I really thought I bought the right number - guess not. Anyway, here she is so far:

I am ready to do the bind off, but need the rest of the beads before I can continue.

We decided to purchase a new dining room set after we gave the old one away and after lots of searching found this beautiful one from Broyhill.

We gave the store our credit card, paid for the set and have been anxiously awaiting delivery. Friday a letter comes in the mail telling us the Broyhill Home Stores in the area have been closed and are declaring bankruptcy and that our furniture will not be delivered. What the *&#@?

We called customer service for the manufacturer and were told these stores owed the company millions of dollars and we could file a claim to retrieve our money. So we called the credit card company and explained the problem - they have a dispute form we can file to get our money back. In the meantime, we still have no table or chairs.

I found a distributor (in North Carolina) for this particular line of furniture that ships nationwide. But - it will take another 6-8 weeks for delivery! The price is actually about the same so I think we are going to order from them. If we are lucky, we will be reimbursed for the original purchase and have a new dining set by Christmas. What a pain in the butt!

Here are some shots from last night's job - my husband:

St. Andrew's Methodist Church:

Inside the sanctuary:

We play in some beautiful settings although coming from a small town in upstate NY, I am amazed at the size of these churches. I think our little one could easily fit inside this a few times over!

I wanted to thank you for your comments about my health. I appreciate your good wishes :-) I am definitely almost done with the coughing but the dietary changes are a pain in the a$$. Things like not eating three hours before bed - I don't finish work until later than that many nights. And not wine at night! Rats!!! My favorite adult beverage! No acidic or spicy food - yeah, right! We live in Texas - so there are lots of great Tex-Mex places and delicious Italian food. I have even cut back to 1 1/2 cups of coffee in the morning (apparently caffeine also aggravates this condition). I have been faithfully taking the Nexium and now carry Rolaids around with me. If I know I am eating something I have been warned about, in go the Rolaids. So far, so good.

This is just another thing I have to discipline myself to do. Isn't enough that I am highly disciplined in my profession (practice and make reeds daily? Yes - every day!) and now I have to adhere to this too?!

As she drinks her morning coffee (bad girl!) she says, "I hope your day is a good one -"

Ice Queen

2008-10-27T07:39:00.007-05:00

This has been a busy time for us. Work has kept us pedaling as fast as we can... yes, this is a good thing. It surprises me that in today's economic situation we musicians are very busy. But then when the Titanic was sinking, the musicians played until the end!

Last week was filled up working with a pick up orchestra job, a church job playing Bach (difficult but soul-fulfilling), and Poulenc Gloria - a glorious choral piece. This week is Metropolitan Classic Ballet, then Dallas Chamber Orchestra and a weekend church job. Then next week is RSO....

Here is Ice Queen so far. Kidsilk Haze is yummy soft but really slippery to knit with. I am using Bryspun #8 16 inch circs and Swarovski crystal beads. The color does not look true - it is a dark plum, not so much blue. Of course it looks like a blob until blocking:

And a shot out in the sunlight:

And the Cobblestone Pullover for Jim is coming nicely - I have about 10 inches knit so far. No pics today - nothing much to see.

The mums we planted in the yard are, well, see for your self:

A quick health note - after oodles of doctor's visits, tests, and pharmaceuticals, it was determined that the coughing is due to Acid Reflux! So these past few years of problems are finally nearing the end. This was really a surprise to me since I simply do not have heartburn. Ever. What I didn't know is you can have the condition and not the usual symptoms. I have already changed some of my eating habits and am taking the meds prescribed with good results. This is something I will have to treat for the rest of my life. As soon as the coughing is totally gone, we should be able to find a generic prescription that will work and not break the bank. At least I am hoping so because Nexium is really pricey.

Have a wonderful week ~

Hello again and an FO!

2008-09-29T14:25:00.010-05:00

Hmmm - it has been a while since I updated. Believe it or not, the cough is still here. After weeks of tests and pharmaceuticals it is finally better. This year has been my worst ever for allergies that caused the bronchitis. I am loaded up with meds but can at least function now. Good thing I didn't have any jobs for the past few weeks - I was non-functioning as a teacher or player. But we are on track now and I am working again.

Wallis Cardigan is finished. But I think I am going to place the hooks differently so the front doesn't gap. The sweater is not at all tight but the gaps make it look like it is.

Stats: Yarn: Sublime by Sirdar 50% cotton/50% soy

Needles: Options #4 & 5

Start: 8/10/08

Finish: 9/28/08

Jim's new sweater is Cobblestone from IK Fall 2007. I abandoned the Sirdar pullover in favor of this one. Using this Sirdar Country DK green heathered yarn (but this is not Cobblestone - just wanted to show you the color):

Bought some Wool Ease for a mere $1.99 a skein at Joanns today. I plan to cast on for Imogen later this week ;-) The total cost for the yearn was $15.00! I think my husband will be pleased with my thriftiness. Check it out:

The color is Blue Mist. I love the flecks of color and think it will look nice in Imogen. What do you think?

We have the opening concert of RSO this week - great repertoire: Brahms Piano Concerto, Schubert Symphony in D Major and Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis.

Guess I better go practice. Have a good week, y'all.

FO: Baby Sweater

2008-09-11T09:24:00.006-05:00

After we finished the Mahler concerts, I took a week to go to NY and visit Mom. She is doing well.

I also visited my cousin (on the right) at his new home:

And got some knitting in:

This is a One Piece Baby Sweater. I used Hobby Lobby's new "I Love This Yarn" - but I don't really love it. I think there are other acrylics that are softer. However, it will be very easy care for the new Mama and hopefully fit the baby when it starts to get cool here.

I also developed bronchitis again (remember last year?!). Not at all fun. The Dr gave me loads of pharmaceuticals to drive it out. We'll see - so far not so good. I am on bed rest for another day .... I haven't even knit for 4 days - you KNOW I am under the weather!

Wallis Cardigan was coming along well in NY - both fronts are almost done. Hopefully I will feel like knitting later today.

We are awaiting the rains and winds from hurricane Ike. I need to go the grocery store for a few things to tide us over. Maybe tomorrow I can get out. We won't get anything like the Texas coast. but still will have some effects.

Mahler and More

2008-08-23T08:47:00.005-05:00

Hi y'all. I just finished my portion of the Mahler Festival with our performance of the 6th Symphony last night. We got a nice review from the Ft. Worth critic and a lukewarm review from the Dallas one. We thought it went great, so there! Here is a shot from the audience. As you can see, the orchestra is enormous. We had 5 oboes (usually there are 2). The rest of the wind and brass sections were double sized as well.

In the midst of it all, I have managed to start the Wallis Cardigan in a delicious blue cotton/soy blend. I'll post the picture of the back though I must tell you that I am going to tink back a bit to make the armholes a little larger. I realized I miscalculated....

I loved reading your comments on the BYOB. In retrospect, even though I complained about it, the seed stitch really wasn't so horrid. It did go on for a while, but truly only a short while. If you need a bag like this - do indeed knit it. It was quick and worth the "seedy" time. But be careful with the tight cotton fabric, it really tore up my hands. And I am a relaxed knitter.

And Zippi - who are the Chargers and Bolts? Is that like nuts and bolts? (I know nothing when it comes to sports.)

I finally managed to get my schedule in line :-) It will be a busy semester as usual. But I would rather be moaning about too many hours than too few - if you know what I mean! I am headed out to the University for the student's auditions, then just one kiddo coming tomorrow. I plan to get in some quality knitting this weekend!

Have a good one -

FO: BYOB

2008-08-06T08:54:00.005-05:00

It is fini!!!

I love how this bag came out, but the seed stitch drove me crazy. (I am now glad I didn't knit the Minimalist Cardi - it is all seed stitch. Aaaargh!) I used the old Cotton Ease from my stash and knit on #3 and #6 Options. Yes, being a loose woman, er, knitter, I always have to go waaaaaaaaaay down.

The first picture looks like a truer representation of the colors. The fabric is nice and tight, so I am hoping it won't stretch like some other knitters' have.

On to the next project - I have been rethinking the Wallis Cardigan and decided to knit it. When I was talking to one of the ladies at my LYS, she was saying how flattering that type of design is for many body types - I'm hoping she is right and it won't accentuate the parts I usually try to camouflage.

So today, after I make some Mahler reeds, practice the millions of notes in the symphony that I still cannot play, have some lunch with the girls and teach a boatload of students, I will swatch.

Enjoy your day ~

A Bag and Bad Grass

2008-08-03T14:58:00.008-05:00

No, not a bag OF bad grass! What are y'all - a bunch of old Hippies?

We have had too many days in a row of over 100 degrees and our grass is showing it. We have been watering but there is no fighting the searing heat.

Thankfully, the tomato plant is still growing well. I have gotten 6 tomatoes so far, and another is still ripening and 3 more are green. There are flowers but no new fruit - too hot! I hope to get another harvest in the fall when it cools down. It was such a treat to eat yummy home-grown tomatoes this summer I think I will plant them again - earlier next time - and maybe 2 plants instead of one.

The BYOB is only a few rows from the top color change:

The seed stitch was really boring me but the openwork in the middle was okay. I hope to finish soon as I am getting tired of it. I love how it is turning out - it will look great when done and worth the boredom. I'm not sure I see another in the future, though.

School starts on the 25 of August and I am trying to plan the schedule of my university students along with my home studio of 32 oboists. I always tell myself I won't teach so many, but then they just keep multiplying! The numbers are a bit out of control right now so I think I will weed out some of my non-practicing pain in the arse kids and encourage them find a new teacher.

Next week begins Mahler 6th Symphony with Ft. Worth Symphony so I will have my hands full. I am also trying to schedule a short trip to NY to see Mom. Yikes - there are not enough hours in the day, days in the week, etc. to accomplish everything.

I hope you stay cool and your upcoming week is joy-filled.

PS - I didn't get to wear my Flutter Sleeve cardigan because it was too hot in Utah too!

Tagged and Bagged

2008-07-26T19:46:00.005-05:00

I was Tagged by

Jane.

Here are the Rules:

1. List these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.

I have been married to the same man for 22 years.

If I had the room, I would have a workshop with power tools.

I would LOVE to compete in the Amazing Race with my husband.

I never wanted children though I love to teach them.

I prefer a hot climate rather than a cold one. Good thing I live in North Central Texas!

I am not ashamed that I drive an SUV.

I love snuggling on the couch in the dead of winter (as it is here) with a roaring fire in the fireplace and a glass of dry red wine in my hand.

3. Tag 7 people by leaving their names and links to their blogs.

Bagged

Here is my progress on BYOB. It seems like it would be a fast knit, except my patience for rows and rows of seed stitch is limited. I am knitting with the old Cotton Ease yarn with #4 Options.

Once again Blogger is doing something weird with the spacing - sorry.

Thanks for all your great comments on my last few blogs. Sorry I didn't thank you sooner - just count on the fact that I am a delinquent. Er, I mean late in getting to it.

BYU, Friends and Rockies

2008-07-25T21:01:00.009-05:00

Here are some scenes from Provo

A view from the campus

Me and my dear friend Fumiko

My name tag has a green ribbon on the bottom because I was a "presenter."

I liked that people knew I was playing and was more recognizable.

People looked at that and commented on our performance.

The Rockies from my plane window

Willa

We even let a clarinet player in. Hi Mary!

IDRS and Oboes

2008-07-23T19:05:00.004-05:00

Dear knitting buddies ~ I confess that I have not touched my needles here in Provo. Instead, I have been making reeds, rehearsing and performing. Our recital was this morning and went pretty darn well :-) Then I tried and compared instruments for hours and decided to spend a pretty penny on this:

I have been looking since I sold my other one last summer. This one has a gorgeous sound and I hope will break in nicely. Methinks I will be on a yarn diet for a while. Hmmm ~~~ how much yarn does the cost of an oboe translate into?

I am coming home tomorrow and look forward to not having to race around for a few days and get back to my knitting. On the needles are the BYOB and a pair of Monkey socks. My first priority is the bag (right now, anyway).

Oops - Got to head out for a quick bite then back to BYU for the evening concert. Enjoy your evening.

Back from the beach

2008-07-21T22:57:00.002-05:00

We're back! And I am in Provo..... More later.

Thank you

2008-07-11T21:36:00.005-05:00

For all your lovely comments. I am looking forward to wearing this one :-)

But before I get a chance to wear it, we are spending a week on the Mayan Riviera with family and friends

lounging on the beach, partaking of fine food and cold adult beverages.

We almost had a crisis when last night our brother in law discovered his passport expires TOMORROW. He was able to make an appointment in the Houston passport office for today, flew there this morning, got there in time and managed to get a new one issued right away.

His wife wound up doing all the packing and will have to travel to Houston tomorrow to meet him, then they are off to Mexico. Let's just say she was not too thrilled when we spoke tonight.

But, the crisis has been averted.

We get home on Saturday, then I head to Provo on Monday for the conference and will be looking at this

We head out Sunday so no news for a while.

Happy knitting, dear fellow fiber friends.

FO Flutter Sleeve Cardigan

2008-07-06T17:32:00.004-05:00

Here 'tis

This is Flutter Sleeve Cardigan from IK Spring 2008.

I am pretty happy with it. I used 5 skeins of Micro-Spun and #5, 4, and 1 Options. I cast on May 31 and finished on July 7. My plan was to finish in time for the International Double Reed Conference at BYU in Provo, Utah. The University dress code requests no sleeveless tops.... I thought it would be appropriate to comply. Wearing my little hand knit sweater :-)

Harp Fire 2008

2008-07-03T21:07:00.008-05:00

Since I last posted, I have taught numerous oboe students, practiced like a fiend and attended Harp Fire 2008. Here we all are:

There were 34 participents and 6 faculty. It was hard work but a real blast!

Here is the Adult Ensemble up in the back

and if you look closely, the arrow is pointing at me.

I didn't get a lick of knitting done this week 'cos I was just too darn fried. But I did finish knitting Flutter Sleeve before camp began and am ready to seam it up. And one of my fellow adult students was a knitter and spinner! We had fun playing together and talking fiber.

All in all it was a great week. Have a GREAT July 4th.

Where were you when the lights went out?

2008-06-22T14:08:00.006-05:00

I was in the pit at Bass Hall! We are in the middle of the ballet performance (click for the review - our concertmaster played a breathtaking solo) and suddenly the stand lights went out. We were in the middle of Khachaturian's Spartacus when POOF! half the orchestra was in darkness. A few lights did remain on, so the players with crucial parts (like solos) sidled up to a light and played. Our conductor said he heard all this scurrying about but since he was looking at the stage he didn't know what happened. As soon as we finished the piece, I ran upstairs to alert our stage manager who was already on his way down to help. Our conductor halted the performance (at the end of Spartacus) while Justin figured out what had happened.

Can you say fried extension cord? The fix was quick and we were back on our toes in no time. Ah, the excitement of live performance :-)

I didn't have a large quantity to play so I got in some quality sock time during rehearsals. This is Meteor from Knitpicks - it was in the sock sampler from a few months ago. And I am knitting another pair of Cookie A.'s Monkeys.

Flutter sleeve is moving albeit a bit slowly. I have finished the ribbing on both fronts and am into the sleeve and neck shaping on one. I couldn't take it to rehearsals - too much counting involved.

Thank you for your buttony input. My friends here who have seen them also thought they would be a nice addition. And Bonnie! That is so funny! We have great taste :-)

The tomato plant is growing very happily and has a few itty bitty tomatoes on it. I put a bird mesh over the top since you warned me about it (thank you, thank you).

I hope your Sunday is restful and the upcoming week is energizing.

See you soon -

Cosi fan tutte

2008-06-12T12:34:00.008-05:00

We are in production of Cosi fan tutte.

It is really hilarious (meant to be, thank you) and I hope we have a good turnout.

Since we have been rehearsing until 11:00 pm this week, my knitting time has suffered.

I have managed to get to the ribbing on both front pieces.

(No photo, not much to see.)

But here are a few IK shots of the Flutter Sleeve

And I found these buttons.

They are clear with bits of real lavender suspended in them.

I think against the creamy vanilla cardi they will look really pretty.Yes?

Time to go make reeds for tomorrow's performance and work out those last few measures that are still eluding me.

See you after the weekend ..... Have a good one

From Wallis to Flutter

2008-06-08T07:54:00.005-05:00

Thank you for all your for your "harpy" comments. Yes, it is difficult but I am having fun with it. Unfortunately, this week I am consumed with rehearsals then performances of the Mozart opera Cosi fan Tutte and do not have much practice time. After teaching lessons, making reeds all week, trying to learn my part and rehearsing for 5 hours yesterday, practicing harp was not at the top of my priority list.

However, knitting was. Instead of that beautiful Wallis Cardigan, I am in the middle of Flutter Sleeve from IK Spring 2008. While I love the style of Wallis, I am thinking it would accentuate the tummy area - which needs no accentuation, if you know what I mean ;-)

Here is the completed back:

I am using Micro Spun for this and find it very sweetly soft. It is quite splitty, but with the Options seems not too bad.

No Knitting Here, Well, Maybe a Little

2008-05-29T20:26:00.007-05:00

Yup - you read it right. There is minimal knitting content on this knitting blog! (At the end if you want to pass all the other words.)

But I do have some Harp content - Yes indeed! I am taking lessons from Laura so I can attend Harp Camp and not embarrass myself too much. Here is this morning in her studio after my (2nd) lesson.

Daily news - we had to replace our mattress last week. It was a drag not only because of the price of a king, but our old one was only 3 years old. We decided it was defective since one side had no support any more. So we got a Simmons Beautyrest in firm. It felt very supportive bit a bit hard. After doing some research, we decided to get a mattress topper and are much more comfy now. This one is from Walmart and quite inexpensive - but according to Consumer Reports, people liked it more than the $$ ones.

Now it feels very nice indeed :-)

Ocean Cardigan is ready for assembly. I was thinking about the effectiveness of blocking since this ribbon yarn is 62% nylon and 38% cotton. One suggestion made was not to block until I seamed it all together. I am trying to decide what to do since the edges roll alot.

What do you think? Will this fiber block? Or just jump back to it's unruly sproingy shape?

My next project:

Wallis Cardigan from IK Summer 08. The suggested yarn was way too $$ for my budget, so I bought some Lion Brand Micro Fiber in a lovely Vanilla color. the weight is very similar and I figured it would be good for the conference at BYU this summer.

Spinning and Tomatoes

2008-05-23T15:33:00.006-05:00

Thank you to everyone who has commented. I loved refinishing the wheel - maybe that should be my next avocation. Yeah, right, in my spare time! And the Baby Surprise Jacket and Mary Jane Booties were so much fun. Annie came by yesterday to pick them up - and she loved them. She thought they would fit their soon to be new born baby just fine!

Here is what is on the first bobbin on the Scholar. I am not sure what the fiber is; it is from my classes last summer. My goal to get comfortable with the new girl is to fill the bobbin, spin some white fiber I have and then ply them.

A crazy note - since my blood pressure is pharmaceutically controlled, I do monitor it from time to time. Two days ago, after 1/2 hour of spinning I checked and it was lower than it has been ever since I can remember. Hmmm - does spinning lower blood pressure?!

We are going to plant this little tomato plant tonight and see what happens. I would love to have fresh veggies and herbs..... this will be the first sojourn into plants to bear food.

Have a beautiful weekend and Happy Memorial Day!

Awwwwwwwwww...

2008-05-20T15:53:00.003-05:00

Mary Jane Booties

to go with the BSJ.

Same yarn, #3 needles.

2 FOs

2008-05-18T21:00:00.009-05:00

Here is EZ Baby Surprise Jacket before seaming:

And here it is all seamed up:

The yarn is Red Heart Luster Sheen, the color is Baby Combo. I used #4 options. I think this is a good newborn size - at least I hope so. Annie's baby is due in a few weeks :-)

And the next FO is my Scholar:

You can see the damage

And here is my repair

And she spins!!!

I washed all the wood, gave it 2 coats of stain and one coat of wipe on Poly. Deciding I didn't like the look of the poly, I went over her with steel wool and rubbed in a few coats of Watco Wax Finish. I am much happier with the look.

Phase 2

2008-05-16T14:57:00.005-05:00

My little Scholar arrived safely on Wednesday. She is actually in great shape with only one large chip (now repaired) and the wood in need of moisture. I took her apart, wiped down all the wood and let it dry overnight. This morning she got a light sanding and the first coat of stain. I am using a mahogany color gel and will most probably apply another coat tomorrow. After the color is satisfactory, I plan to use a wipe on Poly in a low gloss so she will be sealed and ready for traveling. I know the purists think it should be hand rubbed oil, waxed, etc. ~ which is how I finished my Traveler ~ and the other camp is into painting and decorating but I want a nice deep color wood finish that is very durable and low maintanance. Do we hear Minwax Gel Stain and Wipe On Poly? Easy to apply and will be done by Sunday. Yeah, baby!

Have a great knitty weekend!

A little further along

2008-05-12T14:05:00.005-05:00

EZs Baby Surprise Jacket is moving along:

I am about halfway at this point. The Sirdar is also moving along, but taking a picture of the black yarn doesn't come out so well.

I was surfing Ebay last night and found an old Ashford Scholar in need of some TLC and a new home. I have been thinking about wanting a little portable wheel thinking it will encourage me to get back into spinning and get going to the local spin-ins. So I set up ESnipe to bid for me and won her! She (for some reason I have applied gender it although that is not my norm) came in at nice a low price and in need of cleaning. I hope to have it by the end of the week and will know if this was a good thing or not.

You see how neglected she is? I hope to easily disassemble her and refurbish her to get that finish or a new one, looking fabulous. I love working with wood and finishes - so this will be a fun project. Cross your fingers on this one :-} that she will spin well!

WIPs

2008-05-05T10:27:00.007-05:00

Hi!!! We are nearing the end of the school year, symphony season and just plain crazy work days and nights. Now maybe I can get in some good quality knitting and perhaps even sit at my wheel and figure out this spinning thing.

Lest you think I have not been active with my needles (because I haven't updated in a while) let me assure you there are projects in the making.

Here is the Sirdar Sweater I am hoping to finish soon - It is knit with "Ocean," a cotton/nylon ribbon yarn. I love the texture of the fabric, but it is a bit of a pain to knit with. I have to keep untwisting it so it looks right. I went against convention and used the sleeve as a swatch. After all, why knit a swatch and then start the project? Is it not efficient to just start a sleeve and then measure for gauge? If it is right, I am already in production! So the sleeves and back are finished and I am working on one of the front pieces. Please forgive the crummy shot - the pieces are not being blocked - but the nylon makes the fabric so squishy, I needed to pin them so you could at least tell what they are.

This is the pattern picture:

Next is the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket:

I have started this project 4 times now and think I finally have it right. The groups on Ravelry have been an invaluable resource in figuring out this very unique pattern. The yarn is a little acrylic: Luster Sheen by Red Heart in the color Baby Combo. It is a fingering weight and I think it will be light and sweet for the little girl coming in a few weeks.

I hope your week is filled with lots of knitting time! See you soon.