New Shoes

Today I went to a favorite resell store, Something Olde Something New, with a friend. I hadn't been there in a long time, and I hadn't gone out anywhere since the end of September. I really didn't want to buy anything, but I found a pair of shoes. I needed shoes. The stitching was wearing off the top seams and the soles seriously wearing down on my old leather shoes, and the soles wore down on my favorite sneakers so badly they made my knee hurt. I found a pair of SAS ankle boots in my size. I like ankle boots. I don't like the way the cold can leak in through the throat of lace-up shoes. I saved about $150 on the boots and they have never been worn. The same friend had given me tie-dyed shoe strings that I still had in my handbag.  They made the shoes.

I also finished my legwarmers tonight, using a variation of the Easy Peasy Legwarmers from the Knit All The Things! blog. I needed more stretch to the body shoe I knit the entire piece in k3, p1 ribbing. It suited the Plymouth Galway Chunky Paint yarn better and they go easily over jeans now.

I got them done just in time for the first snowstorm of the year. I had better remember to mend my shearling boots tomorrow. Emily has a bad habit of attacking them and putting holes in them. She got both pairs when I forgot to put them away from her. I'll cut a patch of deerskin and glue it on the hole in one boot.  The other is trickier. The leather pulled away from the seam. I have to use super glue to put the edges together. I should sew over it as well.  It's a good thing my older cat has developed a sweet personality.

I'd like to find some kind of cabinet with a drawer on the top and doors on the bottom to store hats and gloves in the drawer and I can close my boots inside.  I think I'll still make the doors cat-proof.

Save the Permafrost

Last night I started listening to Woolly by Ben Mezrich.  Ostensibly it is about the implications of recreating the woolly mammoth using DNA, but the true message is much more important. I don't know why more people and the media aren't talking about it. In creating Pleistocene Park, a wildlife preserve in Siberia, father and son research team Sergey and Nikita Zimov discovered that the carbon stored in the permafrost would holds twice as much carbon dioxide as is currently released into the atmosphere. The destruction of the permafrost would dramatically alter the earth's atmosphere.  The Zimovs also discovered that repopulating the tundra with animals closest to the ones who used to live there to bring back the grasslands and the permafrost captured by them would help stabilize the climate. 

The woolly mammoths were part of the fauna of the Pleistocene grasslands. It turns out the most recent mammoths died only 3,000 years ago making the recreation of DNA much more possible.

By Mauricio Antón - from Caitlin Sedwick (1 April 2008). "What Killed the Woolly Mammoth?". PLoS Biology 6 (4): e99. DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060099., CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11781070

To be completed.  This is too important not to be on the web.

Destashing

I am destashing my yarn because I am moving. I hope I don't have to get rid of any more than I want to. I bought the yarn because I was unhappy with the knitted goods in stores and decided to make my own. Colors, fiber and quality were the issues.

Most of my yarns have intended projects. I just haven't gotten to them yet for various reasons, such as:

• When Emily was young, she loved attacking my yarn. She would swoop in, grab in her mouth and try to run off with it. She stopped after three tries, but then the yarn was wet. I had to wait until after she was three years old. She thinks knitting tools are cat toys and she loves circular needles. She also likes to knead yarn, the nicer the better.
• When I attended a knitting group, I learned not to take anything very detailed, or else I would end up taking out most of it at home. Therefore I have several vests and sweaters started but not completed.
• My friend Kay ten Kraft of Sliver Moon died tragically and then I didn't feel like knitting.
• After I started my present job, I worked over-time all I could because I needed the money. 
• Once I had a shift to 11 am to 8 pm. It was difficult getting anything done.
• My mother broke her hip in August 2014. I sprained my right shoulder pushing her in a wheelchair that September. It took over a year for it to heal since I'm on the computer all day at work.
• March 2017 my mother broke her right leg in two places. She became ill from c. diff and an untreated bacterial skin infection with a few weeks of her stay. I was her only child and my schedule was sleep, work, and visit Mom until she passed away.
• Now I have to move.

When I can't knit, I tend to read about knitting. I love the collection of knitting short stories in three volumes whose names I can't remember right now. One of my favorite stories is about the skating knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

I haven't found very many mystery skeins. The biggest mystery is why I have 20 skeins of Peace Fleece Mir Atlantis Periwinkle Worsted.  I know I wanted some for Christmas many years ago. I don't recall needing 20 skeins.

A Good Birthday

I  actually had a good birthday this year.  Not taking the day off from work was a good thing to do.  My cubicle was decorated with balloons and crepe paper streamers, and I got a card signed from almost everyone on my team.  Two different people sang the birthday song for me, a supervisor when she saw me on the floor and a co-worker as I was leaving for the day.

That evening, since I had hurt my hip a few days before, I decided not to do much of anything, except treat my hip, with inactivity and ice.  One of my favorite bands is Nightnoise, an Irish band inspired by folk music but sometimes their songs were touched with a different genre.  Below is their song "A Different Shore."

I was still missing four of their albums.  I decided to look on ebay for them.  There were a lot.  Generally in the past the prices ranged from 7 to 12 dollars and more.  Not this time. The highest I paid was 6 dollars and the other were between 3 and 4 dollars, and shipping and handling were all free.  I could not pass up these prices.

Saturday night two friends and I went to a favorite local diner for supper.  We had a great time together and the food was delicious.

Why Birthdays?

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed my birthday.  It seems like there's always a cloud hanging over it.

My birthday is August 8. When I was growing up, there were always media stories about the bombing of Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9). What a cloud to hang over an intelligent child's birthday: World War II and the world's biggest bombs so far.

I think my family, essentially my parents, stopped fussing over me when I started school, and I was an only child.  Unfortunately I was an only child who was very intelligent and wore glasses starting in second grade. The bullying was firmly entrenched by junior high. I think what got me through those years was thinking that puberty would strike those kids in high school and they'd forget about me.  Fortunately I was mostly right about that. I didn't really have close friends in school.

Adulthood has been a disappointment. Although I'm a very intelligent and talented person, I was never able to translate that into a well-paying job. America is still class conscious.  Working in offices as an administrative assistant, I discovered that I didn't count socially.  I didn't believe in church enough to go to one. I couldn't afford to go out to many venues at all, but I did things when I could.  Cupid was always looking the other way.

I have some friends, but I don't know how many really know me. None know me like my mother did.  As for social events, single women without significant others rank way down on everyone's priorities.

This is my second birthday without my mother.  Now I don't get any birthday cards at all in the mail. I feel like people should be able to enjoy their birthdays and celebrate their lives.  I guess I just don't feel like I have anything to celebrate.

Chroma Vest

I really like this Colour Block Tunic  from Fibre Co.

Somehow I got it into my head that I'd like to alternate the blocks using KnitPick's Chroma in Pegasus and a coordinating solid color.

So what do you think?

I finally figured out how much yarn I needed of the Chroma and the solid color. First I had to look up the yarn colors to figure out what the colors were!  I'm afraid Helvellyn didn't mean split pea soup green to me. I should probably order the yarn before Knit Picks says good-bye to Pegasus.

Latest Bargain

When I first went out on my own, I bought clothes and other things secondhand because that's what I could afford. I still do. I realized that more often than not I could obtain what I needed or wanted just as easily secondhand and save a lot of money. Jeans are a very good example.

I often have luck finding something I like much easier buying secondhand than retail. This silk skirt is a good example. I wanted a skirt like this to wear with my new tops. I had no idea how to find one. One day on a whim I went to the Salvation Army and there it was.

Eventually buying secondhand became something I did to keep items out of landfills and decrease retail demand and the use of non-renewal natural resources.  I really wonder if it ever occurred to anyone that demand for oil also comes from all the synthetic fiber clothing that people wear.

I also try to shop locally. However, my allergy to artificial scent and the use of gas for the car limits my activity. If I need to buy new clothing, I'll look on-line first to limit my trips. This year was a good example. I wanted a white tank top for under a lacy summer shirt.  This year is the year of spandex (also made out of oil) and I'm allergic to it. I could only find a natural fiber tank top without spandex on Macy's web site.  I ordered it and will be picking it up tonight at its store.

I also buy secondhand on-line, too.  That way I can indulge my preferences for vintage items not easily found. My last buy is a good example:

As a cat lover, I like wearing cat earrings and I could not resist these.  The cats are beautifully modeled. I bid more than I usually would on the auction because the rings are gold and the cats silver and was surprised when I won them. At least this time I can also claim they're an investment. Cat earrings are a harmless fetish and more stylish than cat t-shirts.

Now the Planting is Done

After contemplating my window box for a few days, I decided that it needed a little help. Eventually I decided to buy more of the same Sorbet Beaconsfield violas to add to the ends of the box. I'm glad I did. I realized later that there was no room for trailing plants. The ends of the box are jammed against the railing.

I bought the second box of violas from a local food co-op. They weren't in as good shape as the others. Some grew taller trying to reach light. I put them in back. Two Sorbet Beaconsfield violas went in back and I put three in front with a fourth slightly farther back on the inside. I pinched all the flowers off because somewhere I read that British gardening expert Monty Don recommended it for getting the roots to develop further. A couple violas are kind of stringy. I learned that I could pinch them back like the cat mint and did so. I think the planter looks better.

The cat mint is still small, but looks like it's happy. I pinched both plants back to make them branch more. It's in the back to the right of the purple verbena. There are a lot of little shoots and some flower buds. I love the colors in this photo.

I bought two verbena I didn't need. One was an upright one so I paired that with the other in this pot. I added mostly blue lobelia with a little white. The medium blue lobelia was hard to find. Someone at a local garden center said it was more popular. 

My flower pots make me inordinately happy so far.  I don't know why. I hope I'm consistent in watering them and that they do better this year.

Best Accomplishment This Weekend

My plants were put in the planter in record time this year. Only the verbena sat by itself during the week. Every spring I'm reminded I like to design and plant flowers.

What I do differs every year. It depends not only on changing my mind, but also on what's available. I love annual phlox. It smells very nice.  It's prone to mildew and our recent wet summers wouldn't be good for it, so I haven't grown it. The flowers I've planted have always been favorites, as well as the colors.  I wonder if I could find a more color-coordinated watering container. 

I hope my potted garden grows well this year. Last year I used different potting soil and it was not very good. The only plant that did well was alyssum.  Even the fertilizer didn't seem that great. This year I went back to what I used before, except for a couple spots near the end to fill in because I ran out. It might affect the catmint. I'll have to buy a small bag of the good soil. What my family used when I was growing up was Swiss Farms, a local company in Philmont.

I had wanted to clean up my bedroom and hall this weekend.  They have been sorely neglected while Mom was sick. It wasn't easy afterward, either. Easier said than done. It turned out to be a good example of how my allergies rule my life.  I have too many and if they're combined, I run at half speed.  I take many supplements that help, but the fatigue remains.

Over Planted Again

I decided I should plant some flowers this year in case the bumblebees make another nest nearby. One evening after work I found the verbena plant below.

I wanted to plant some violas with it.  However, when I finally went to the garden center that's not open in the evenings, during the week, first I found the lovely Calibrachoa MiniFamous Neo Double Pink.

I also bought my violas, Sorbet Beaconsfield Viola.

After I tried potting them at home, I realized I couldn't use the pot I had in mind and I had to go  bigger. I went back to the garden center to buy another calibrachoa to flank the verbena set in the center.  While pondering what to use to add a little height,  I thought catnip!  I had tried salvia last year and failed miserably.  Partly it was because the plant was small and I wasn't going to pay the prices for large plants.  It was also because the potting soil was poor.  I had mixed success growing traditional catnip because the aphids liked it. A different garden shop had a hybrid I thought I'd try, Kitten Around Catmint (Nepeta faassenii). Maybe the aphids won't like it.  I planted it behind the calibrachoa flaking the verbena. I nipped the tops off to make it branch. My cat Emily gave them her approval.

I just had to buy two pots of the lovely Viola Rebecca. I planted the violas on either end of the window box, the Viola Rebecca behind the Sorbet Beaconsfield.

Then there are the two purple verbena I didn't need for filling the box. Plant or gift? I hope my window box amounts to something this year.  

Good Bye Little One

On my way home tonight I saw this billboard along I-787 north of Albany:

I thought it was thoughtful and kind of Lamar Advertising.

That May Holiday

I find that May holiday that comes in mid-May is upsetting me.  So many places advertise sales around it.  I can't avoid seeing the phrase "Mother's Day." I don't have my mother anymore and each time I see or hear it it's a reminder. 

Knitting helps me feel a little better.  Normally I would knit tonight, but I'm sore near my right clavicle.  I need to ice it and watch something funny instead.

Mom would have enjoyed this video.  She loved Toothless.  She also loved lilacs.  The bushes outside work are starting to bloom.

I was very surprised to learn at work I was receiving a raise.  I guess the company couldn't ignore 8 months of perfect scores.

For A Friend's Baby

A special friend is having a baby and a shower on January 26.  I had to wait until I was paid to buy the yarn and the pattern.  I didn't just fall in love with any pattern.  It had to be a set with a lovely figured pattern in Norwegian. That is not one of my languages.

I know my friend would love it.  I think I have a way figured out.  The same stitches are featured in a dress designed by the same person and it's offered in English!  I can compare the two.  There's also Google Translate and translation offered by DROPS. If I hadn't knit anything like this before, I wouldn't bother.  I had some success figuring out a Japanese pattern.

I ordered the yarn from Webs which is in a nearby state.  I've gotten their yarn quickly before.  I wonder if I can really pull it off.  Sometimes I can be too ambitious.  I keep telling myself these are pieces for a tiny, little baby.  I had better start printing the patterns and translating them.

UPDATE

I was close to figuring out the pattern, but I had a feeling there were construction details I wasn't picking up on.  I decided on the Henrik Baby Set by Tove Richter instead that was in English.  Reading it, it seems to have come  from a Norwegian designer with the same sort of construction detail so maybe I can figure out the other pattern for the future.

Pass Up LG Commercial Front-Load Washer

Tonight I decided to try the LG Commercial Washer with Inverter Direct Drive at my local laundry mat.  My favorite washers were being used.  I forgot about the older front-load washers.  I wish I hadn't.  It seems like the LG washers are only good if your clothes are basically clean anyway. Or possibly you have to fill it only half full. I did not pack my clothing in. It was not all full and the clothing was still loose.

Not all the cat puke was removed from my clothing (one shirt and a couple socks).  This is the first time in using laundry mats in recent memory that this happened. Some of the puke was nicely broken up and distributed on all the clothing.  I had to shake them out when I took them out of the machine. I never had to do that before. The cat puke stains on my jeans aren't gone either so I have to wash them over again.  The shirt I'll do by hand.  I saw there was some stray detritus left in the washer. There is something in me that makes me really not like taking my laundry out to wash, so having to wash something twice is very annoying.

If you're someone who's likely to have cat puke, dog puke, or kid puke on your clothing, and maybe just food stains in general, I don't think you want to use these machines.  I guess the future the engineers envisioned was entirely devoid of mess and bother, food, pets and babies.