A View from Sierra County

WIP Wednesday

I know, I know, for many of you it was already Thursday before I got around to my WIP Wednesday post... but I guess the truth of it is that I have been living in order to have something to post about, rather than sitting at the computer.  A brief recap of the past week shows that I traveled to the other side of Yuba Pass for a meeting on Friday (knitting included), worked the annual Grass Valley Downtown Merchants' Association sale for our LYS (a big hit, since many items were 40% off if you paid in cash) on Saturday, volunteered at the 23rd annual Sierra Storytelling Festival on Sunday (I didn't take any pictures, but this event is every bit as magical as the organizers claim!), and then, finally, got to spend the day with DH, who has had a four-day respite from fire camp life, on Monday.  He and I visited some of the backcountry we love so much, and got to spend Monday night at our high country house in Forest City (which is only 15 miles east of our main house at Slate Range Camp, but much higher and more isolated).  There will be a lovely Saturday Sky photo or two to share, showing yet another Sierra mountain meadow... hope you aren't tired of those yet.

There is a dial-up Internet connection there, but it is half the speed of the slow dial-up we normally fight, so I just didn't even consider getting online... Tuesday and Wednesday have been workdays at my two different jobs, and finally, here I am, hammering out a post!  Whew... bet you're tired just trying to follow my wanderings.  Here's the latest on my WIPs, which all made a bit of progress (though nothing phtoworthy) this past week:

Summer Cardigan

I promised myself this sweater would be really and truly completed before the month was over and before I cast on my February Lady Sweater (more on that below), and I did it.  Today, as my LYS shift was winding down in the late afternoon, I spread the sweater out on the table, picked up the stitches for the buttonhole band, marked out the spots for my buttonholes, made them and bound off the last edge... whoo, hoo!!  This last bit of work would have been done much sooner if I had been sitting still a bit more, but I needed the physical and mental space to spread out into the task at hand and get 'er done.... the photo shoot will take place over the weekend, with DS's assistance, and I am pleased with the way this sweater turned out.  Knitting it also re-awakened my interest in sweater knitting, and I cast on a vest, dyed yarn for a second (lacy) vest I will make later this fall, and even stashed yarn for a third vest and two more sweaters.  Not that lace shawls will ever fall from favor with me...

Circle Vest

While I was volunteering as a ticket seller at the Storytelling Festival on Sunday, I actually knit on this project til I ran out of yarn... well, at least out of finished and ready-to-knit yarn.  Those dear friends following my progress on this project will recollect that I am using my own handspun, so Sunday evening found me plying the remainder of my Spice Mauch that I spun earlier in the month and it is resting a few days on the niddy noddy, to be washed and used very soon. 

Then, I will have to set the vest aside a bit while I spin and dye up the last of the yarn for it... I am volunteering with the fiber guild to demonstrate spinning at the Nevada County Fair next Thursday, so expect I can spin much of what I need, from some lovely grey and green roving that I received as a gift from Margene for my birthday last fall, which will then be overdyed using turmeric to produce a bronzy-olive for the fold-over collar/outer circle of the vest.  I am very pleased with how the project is going and not really hurrying, so that I can savor every step of the process.

Flutter Scarf

Yes, Miriam Felton's lovely Flutter pattern finally has gotten some attention... she is the project that I am taking to meetings and public events where I have to travel light these days... I still have about 25 repeats and the second ruffle edging before she is done, therefore no photo update, because you really can't see much progress at this point.  Again, I am savoring having an easy traveling companion for knitting away from home, and Flutter may well get some more attention at tomorrow's Knit Night, to be hosted here at Camp.

Exploring Spirals Bag

I absolutely love this pattern of Alarming Female's design, and love working with beads!  The bag only grew another inch or two last week; obviously I was way too busy.  Maybe I am a bit overcommitted, though I think the problem is really that knitting with beads requires a flat surface and the absence of distractions or earthquakes.  I noticed this afternoon that my container of beads had spilt out into my knitting accessory bag, which luckily zips up nice and tight.  I look forward to getting to spend more time with my bag and beads in the coming week.

February Lady Sweater

I am excited that I found the perfect yarn for this item, which has been at the top of my queue for the past month or more, and on sale at that!  I bought enough tweedy, mossy green Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool yarn on Saturday to make this lovely design, and have been pushing myself away from it ever since, insisting that one sweater be finished before another is begun... now, to swatch!!

As a final note, I did promise to finish the series on independence by the end of July, and I will be working on that tomorrow, though the actual posting date will probably end up being August 1st... stay tuned.

Still Growing My Independence - Part III

I have promised to get you through my series of posts on true independence before July is over, and here is the next segment...

11. SLOW DOWN, relax more, and look for ways of improving your home surroundings. I don’t mean a new sofa. I’m talking about cleaning up that harrowing trip from one room to another because you keep tripping over the rug that sticks up, or putting up heavier curtains in the winter so the room stays warmer, or creating a better area to read, or listen to music, free of distractions. It might mean moving your most used kitchen utensils in a convenient place, so it’s easier to cook. Tell yourself “Home is where I’m going to be spending most of my time,” and check out your emotional reaction. If it’s panic or dread, try to figure out why, and do something about it.

When I think "Home is where I'm going to be spending most of my time", I breathe a sigh of relief.  I love to travel, see new places, visit with friends and family, hike in the great outdoors, but I also have felt for years that I don't get enough time to be at home.  I am lucky that I already have a dedicated home office (which can also serve as a downstairs, close-to-the-heat, guest room) AND a dedicated studio space.  I live in a Carpenter Gothic house that was built in 1854 based on plans by the famous architect and purveyor of 'cottage living', Andrew Jackson Downing.  It is rustic and venerable, but we also have had to work hard to keep its antique character, while still modernizing the interior for comfort and energy efficiency.  We have already created a space we love to be in, though we still have to go out to work.

Still, I decided to take this bit of wisdom to heart by finding one thing to improve at home each day... one small corner to clean, one bit of clutter to throw out, one recycling category to organize.  Re-using is a great mantra for saving the earth, but has also given me permission to collect more clutter, on the basis of 'someone could use this!'  For the past year and a half, I have made myself really closely examine whether or not that 'someone' would ever be me!  My goal is to figure out ways to recycle more by directing those bits and pieces out to those who will put them to use either immediately or soon... I have even gotten brave enough to pass on some of my knitting stash that way, accepting that I will never use that color, make that pattern, etc.  Not much though...

12. “GET REAL” with the people you live with or love. Unfinished business, unspoken animosity, curt and angry exchanges not only make it unpleasant to be at home, it actually impacts your health. Bad marriages wreck good health. Come clean and own up to your own unhappiness, and try to own up to your contribution to the situation. The average troubled couple waits seven years before they seek out help, and often the problems by that point are well-entrenched. Try to fix it yourself, but if it doesn’t work, seek out a trained listener.

I SOOO agree!!  I am happy to say that I started on this one two decades ago and generally view life as good... very good.

13. PUT YOUR KIDS TO WORK. Too many children have very little real “purpose” in family life, and this is a bizarre turn of events in the history of human-kind. If your kids seem focused on their own self-interests, ask yourself to what extent you’ve expected them to take in interest in things greater than their own amusements. If you can’t really say “Boy, I’m really glad I have my son/daughter to take care of X, so I don’t have to do it…” you’ve forgotten how to teach them skills like taking responsibility, being reliable, and the “quid pro quo” of living with people. Your future son- or daughter- in-law will curse you.

My kids are now adults, but back when I was a single mom with three kids aged 4, 6 and 11, I set up a chore chart for us to share out the basic household tasks and the oldest and I each teamed up with one of the younger ones each week to do the dishes.  I also began early teaching each child how to do their own laundry, in fact DYS (dear youngest son) wasn't even tall enough to see over the top of the washer when he started 'helping' wash his own clothes.  They all turned out to be independent, productive adults that I love to hang out with.

14. SHUT OFF THE CHATTER from the computer/ internet/television/cable/ telephone/cell phone/pager/Blackberry/fax machine for some period each day and make a space for you to be with those you love, uninterrupted. Make it a revered time when the most important people in the world are sitting with you, paying attention to each other, talking sincerely, relaxing together. Expect severe resistance and techno-withdrawal. Make this revered time long enough to allow for the “hyperactive” withdrawal to subside, and a sense of quietude to permeate the house. Keep it going (as an “experiment” if you must) for at least a month, and open up discussion about what kinds of things you could do, as a family or as individuals, that would be satisfying or fun without using electricity.

Thanks to the steps I took in putting my kids to work, I also developed a close working relationship with them.  We all spent a large amount of time volunteering in the community as they were growing up and in the early years of my marriage to DH.  Working and playing together, relaxing, sharing meals together and with friends in the community were all common daily events.  Now, morning coffee with DH and evenings sitting on the porch watching our garden grow are important 'decompression' times for the two of us, and our grown children still make time and space for frequent meals together, with or without their parents.... to me, these are the values most worth nurturing: a love of family, the importance of giving back to the community, and a strong sense of place.  I love my virtual world, but remind myself to limit my time away from the other, more important aspects of my life.

15. SERIOUSLY WEIGH WORKING OVERTIME against using this time to create a more sustainable lifestyle. We are used to thinking about making money as the number one priority, but maybe its time to seriously question this assumption. If some crisis should happen tomorrow, just how prepared are you? Have you put up food? Created a garden of some type? Gotten to know your neighbors well enough to ask for (or offer) favors? Connected with religious or civic organizations offering you a wider circle of support? Resolved your marital troubles? Learned to really enjoy your kids? No doubt, cash is important, but time is our most precious commodity. Consider its use very carefully.

Time is definitely seeming to be a more and more precious commodity to me as I age.  I decided several years ago to re-consider how valuable more wages were if they meant more time in the car commuting to get them.  DH works hard for half the year, and is gone off on large fires for big chunks of time each summer, so this conversation has been a big part of our life for over a decade, weighing out the benefits of the other year off to improve quality of life at home against not spending much of the beautiful outdoor season together.  I have learned to build a rich life independently... including others besides my spouse in fun, usually free activities, and he treasures his off-season and the many projects he gets to pursue as a result of compacting the work season into only half a year.

Read through these questions and decide which one you need to work on the most... then start with baby steps.  We grow only a small amount of our own food, but the amount has been steadily increasing and I have a lot of experience in preserving food, which allows me to feel slightly more confident with each passing year.  We live in a rural area where we know many of our neighbors and where there is also a tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. 

It is much harder to re-establish that tradition in areas where people are more transient, but you could start by throwing a block party before summer ends, getting permission from your city to close the street for a few hours, or block the sidewalk, or even just meet at the local park, leafletting the neighborhood a week ahead of time and meeting on a Sunday afternoon with whoever shows up.  It takes courage to be the first, and courage is something I had to spend a long time learning, but the results are a richer and truer life.

16. Imagine a VISION for a future you’d be willing to live in. You know that line about how humans can’t live without hope? (I know, some of you don’t believe in that word, so let’s use the word “vision.”) The happiest families have a vision of what they are living and working for. This vision sustains them in times of trouble. Go ahead. Imagine the worst. Then, visualize how you can live a satisfying life through the worst of it, and what will make it worthwhile. (Hint: if you don’t imagine good friends and family, live music, simple foods etc, it probably looks overly dreary…) Write about it in a story, with you as the hero, draw it in a picture, sing it in a song. Make it real.

I love the images in the above paragraph... I haven't sat down and written a story, but thinnk I will try it sometime in the next few months.  I do feel very fortunate to live a colorful and rich life right now, and to have put things into my life that I wanted rather than deferring them to some vague future.  I am living to be creative, nurture my family and serve my world, and am happy doing it.  Love to you all.

Passing For Excitement Around Camp

Things have been a bit slower and duller around the old Slate Range Camp this summer, what with fires, smoke, heat waves and respiratory problems pinning me close to home... still, there has been a bit of excitement to share with you.  You'll see it doesn't take much to qualify around here...

1.  Getting a new phone

After an enormous struggle using our slow dial-up to order three phones (out of the five attached to my 'family' account) last Wednesday night, we were amazed to have them arrive Friday morning.... I spent a LOT of time Monday loading software on my computer and transferring music onto my new phone, which also is now my Personal Assistant.  The touch screen was a little sensitive at first, but now my left handedness is finally collaborating with a right-handed design adequately, and I am sooo happy to be able to enter appointments easily as well as the address book function the phone was already serving... I had ordered extra memory for those songs, but forgot to get ear buds... oh well, I will have something new to be excited about soon.

2.  Starting our first batch of beer

DH used to make a lot of homebrew, and he and I made both beer and fruit wines back about a decade ago, before we got caught up buying the Camp property, renovating the house, acquiring donkeys, etc.... the brewing equipment got packed up in the major move out of the house we sold, and scattered into various kitchens and outbuildings.  I gathered together the necessary equipment, decided last week to seek out Sierra Moonshine, the local brewing store, and bought a kit to make Russian Imperial Ale, and eldest son and I managed to get it into the fermenting jug without much incident Sunday night... now, to wait several days and see how we did!

3.  Freebies

I find free stuff entertaining, and was particularly delighted that Downieville Grocery owner Ingrid is offering these very nice, specially imprinted Chico Bags to customers who spent a lot... I got mine when I went to pick up my special order from the natural foods distributor yesterday... I love how the 'biner attaches it to my purse so I will always have a bag with me.  Did I tell y'all I'm easily amused?

4.  Finding out I only have bone spurs

After working hard at the LYS to get ready for the big sale next Saturday (the annual downtown Grass Valley Sidewalk Sale, though we are offering LOTS of yarn, indoors in air-conditioned comfort, for 40% off if you pay with cash or check), I discovered that my right knee was swollen and stiff.  In fact, so stiff that rising back up to a standing position after bending over yarn bins and organizing fibers was difficult.  DH was alarmed.  DD was alarmed.  I was only mildly alarmed, since I already know I have mild osteoarthritis... though I had the lyrics of that song 'I'm much too young to feel this d**med old' stuck in my head.  An x-ray this afternoon revealed that I *only* have some bone spurs in the back of my joint, which get aggravated with me when I do jolting things to them.   I will be trying to make friends with my bone spurs by losing 15 pounds over the next few months and increasing my time on the exercycle, a form of exercize they appear to approve of... could be much worse, so I'm mildly excited about only having bone spurs.

5. Finishing another wash cloth

This just isn't as exciting as it used to be.  As I wait beside the computer while I load photos on to Typepad, I knit here and there on random washcloths and finished another tonight...

I love this Patagonia organic cotton...

6.  Discovering Jenny Kerr

I managed to slip away from my exciting life here at Camp long enough Sunday afternoon to go up the road a few miles to the Willow Creek Campground, where the new owner, Don, was hosting a Good Neighbors Picnic... I took a great, easy potluck dish consisting of a tray of strawberries, a cup with thick, Greek-style yogurt to dip them in and a small plate of brown sugar to roll the dipped berries into before consuming heartily.  I was delighted that Don had invited one of his favorite bands, Jenny Kerr and Co. of San Francisco, so that we could all enjoy her rousing country-rock original tunes... even dance a bit, all alongside a lovely mountain stream that meanders through the campground.  Jenny has a great voice and belts out some lusty, rocking, bluesy numbers.  She will be returning for another local event in September.

On the far left, you can see Wooly Daisy's hubby's head, bending over his plate I think... I was happy to see her family and other neighbors turn out for the fun.

The most exciting thing, though, is that DH is coming home for a bit... after being away at fire camps since June 24th!  The fires are gradually getting under control in our region, and even though he has been nearby, not close enough to come home except for twice; Thursday and Friday he needs to be at his home office for training  - in... fire recertification!  He will also get a few days off, and hopefully can stay home for a bit.  If we do anything exciting, you'll be the first to know.

Quizzes for Friday

Fridays don't usually have me feeling tired and restless, but after a week of slowing recuperating from the bronchitis-like symptoms brought on by the smoke, I'm in a nothin' sort of mood... so you get quizzes, courtesy of Carrie K:

you are ghostwhite #F8F8FF

Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You're good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy. Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Carrie is also my TV Guru, so I had to share with her and everyone else my excitement about Madmen getting an Emmy nomination for best dramatic series... I am not so big on TV and watched all the episodes 'separate' from cable, but I loved the retro, blunt-truth aspects of it, and can vaguely remember friends of my parents who remind me (through those long-ago filters) of some of the characters... they certainly wore crisp white shirts and cutey vintage tight dresses, and they also smoked and drank in a way that makes today's teens and 20s look like wimps. The book I am loving right now is Forward From Here, by Reeve Lindbergh... yup, she is one of the famous family, though the youngest.  She is now in her early 60s, and her subtitle is "Leaving Middle Age and Other Adventures"... great writing from someone whose career has mostly revolved around writing children's books and raising sheep on a farm in Vermont (though not a knitter, apparently). Have a lovely summer weekend, and it is ok to expect more from me next time:)

WIP Wednesday

I have Anne to thank for today's post title; I have been following as she has kept track of and completed several projects by holding herself accountable every Wednesday... not a bad idea! 

Summer Cardi

No photoshoot yet; that buttonhole band is the only thing standing in the way.  I thought about it a few times last week when alone and able to concentrate on making the necessary measurements to get evenly spaced, neat buttonholes, but much knitting time in the past week has been in social situations.  I am planning to push this one off my plate this week, though, and feature a true FO shortly.

Circle Vest

This is the project that grabbed most of my attention over the past week, starring at Knit Night, appearing while I was teaching the last of my beginning lace classes, and even popping up when I took a break from Spinning In Public on Sunday.

By Sunday night, I was using the lime green cotton barely visible up at the top of the photo as waste yarn to delineate the armholes.  I paused and took this photo, as I was also transferring the circle that makes up the body of the back onto a larger circular cable, and could lay the work partly flat to give you a better view... neat design, eh?  The light in my kitchen from CF bulbs late at night really isn't all that great, but working out from the center, you can see the henna browns which started as Anna Harvey's flock of grey Coopworth, Wooly Daisy's blended brown/mustard corriedale, teal blue-green merino, more blended brown/mustard corriedale, more henna, the mauvy Spinderella's thrums, the Spice Mauch roving, and Wooly Daisy's reds, which will frame the armholes all around, before I switch back to henna and spice... a truly international flavor, don't you think?!  I am loving all the colors, and the interesting way of increasing the ribbing, and know that this will be a vest I wear a lot just to enjoy looking at it.  When I add up all the spinning I have done for this project so far, I think I am pretty close, but Sunday's spinning was on more grey yarn, this time a different blend, that I may want to overdye with turmeric for a nice bronze yarn for the last few inches, which form the front bands and foldover collar. 

However, it is hot enough still and the wooliness has grown large enough, that I can't guarantee how much longer the vest will be at the top of the list before being bumped to the bottom to await completion when it feels good to have a lapwarmer...

Exploring Spirals Beaded Bag

This is the other project that has captured a lot of my attention in the past week... I love working with the Bearfoot yarn, and now that the pattern is established, it is visually very simple to keep track of and insert the beads in the appropriate spots. Bless Alarming Female for working all of the details out so that all I need to do is knit! A few of my students are watching closely, and we may tackle this as an afternoon group project in the fall!

The first photo shows the upside down bag and the progress I have made, while the second one better captures the spiral effect of the beads.

I know this project will continue to get attention in the coming week; it is especially nice to work on in the evening, when I can set the cup of beads on the table next to me and knit away, happy to see the sparkley beads appear as I go.

What has happened to Ogee and to Flutter, you ask?  Ogee is languishing and feeling left out, while Flutter understands that she is my go-to project for meetings, trips, etc., of which there have been none of late.  All in good time.... now, to get healthier so that I have the energy to knit!  The smoke is finally dissipating, and I hope my severe allergy symptoms that took hold after over two weeks of breathing it will leave as well.

Continuing My Independence

I promised to continue exploring 26 Things You Can Do Right Now as I promised earlier this month, and I got a bit delayed being laid low from the smoke, finally.  I awoke yesterday to thicker smoke than the day before and a sore throat, which followed me through the day.  Stephanie and I had planned to spin together at the Forest City Museum, and we both forgot to take photos, me because I was feeling crummy the entire time and sucking on zinc lozenges (they didn't help particularly).  Stephanie spun some creamy wool up to begin natural dye experiments, while I worked on some grey wool with green thrums in it that Margene gave me last fall as a birthday gift.  I plan to overdye it with turmeric, as the sample came out a wonderful bronze color, and I may be using this yarn to finish off my Circle Vest.

Stephanie's son Liam had a great time bringing small artifact treasures in to share, and our other friend, Cheryl, who lives in Forest City full-time and has been a friend for 22 years, entertained us with stories and a tour of her garden when we closed at the end of the afternoon (again, no pictures).  I came home and crashed into my chair, slept poorly, and am only a tad bit better... the smoke is significantly less today though, so I am hoping for a quick recovery as the irritant goes away.  On to thoughts of pro-activity!

6. SEEK OUT QUALITY. Seek out highly durable, long-lasting products that may cost more, but are well made and will last a long time. You may find out that the cheaper versions can’t be replaced easily, when they wear out. Buy now for the long term, and not on price alone. I’m finding better quality items being replaced by cheaply made products at the same price. Buy the quality stuff while you can still find it, and make sure it fits Tier A. (See #3)

I have believed in this principle wholeheartedly over the years, though I do love fashion!  I buy most of my clothing second-hand, but choose high quality shoes and bras so that I don't have to fiddle around with shopping for them again for AWHILE.  In other areas, we have often sought out antiques partly because the construction was so much better than new items today, and we could afford the price.  Ebay, Craigslist, and Freecycle are all good ways to compromise in this area... choosing a high-quality item at a lower price because someone else is ready to part with it.  Knitters who take the time to make a life-lasting sweater should definitely also make sure the materials they use are going to last at least as long as it took to knit all of those loving stitches, and better yet, to be passed along as a family heirloom.

7. Switch over to a CASH ECONOMY. Just do it. Start out deciding how much money you usually spend using credit cards and checks, and take out that amount in cash for a week, two weeks, a month. If you and your family members spend through it before that period is over, stay home and stop spending, until the next period starts. Consumer research has shown that moving to a cash economy, consumers spend on average 20-25% less than if they used a credit card. Use that research to benefit YOU. Get into the habit of using currency, not plastic.

I have been alarmed to hear news accounts of how many people are sinking even further into debt because they have needed to start paying for gasoline with credit since the turn of the year... I have been determined to pay for consumables (meaning gas, food, household products, dining out and entertainment) with cash, and only using credit for an emergency like car repairs or to spread a major purchase over several months.  I have been able to successfully negotiate making two or three payments to a company rather than putting a larger-than-expected purchase on a credit card, and have learned a lot about customer service as I deal with different remote companies.  It is true that customer service is a dying art form, especially the larger the scale; shop locally, support small businesses, and then they will be there for you if you run into difficult times economically.  Keep in mind that it has only been in the past decade or so that we have had so much access to a global market; back in the Great Depression of the 1930s, many small businesses went under because they continued to extend credit to their neighbors in a time of need, not knowing when or if times would get better. 

Trading is another alternative to using credit.  You might think "I have nothing to trade", but look at yourself again.  Several people in our tiny town started a service cooperative a few years ago, trading hours for things like petsitting, minor home repairs, watering the garden when the other person was away, etc.  Each of us has a plethora of skills and abilities to exchange with others. 

People helping each other out is also what forums such as Ravelry are really all about... saving you a costly mistake, sharing ideas and advice, and generally building the kind of community that helps us all get through difficult times.  A similar venture I just discovered, thanks to Beth's latest email newsletter, is Patternfish, an online pattern compendium, seeking to be an encyclic pattern source and to help small designers at the same time... you are going to want to bookmark it for future reference.

8. GET THE ENTIRE FAMILY INVOLVED in cutting back Tier “B” and “C” spending. If you’ve set a goal of reducing expenses by 20%, make that across the board, and involve the kids. If this means cutting back on extra lessons, dances, mall trips, etc, give your children a say in which things are cut out or reduced. If you are sincere about your own cutbacks, your children will respect and adjust their expectations as well. If you say you are cutting back, but then buy something in the “C” category, you’ve lost your credibility and you’ll have a family mutiny on your hands. Discuss, as a family, all of your expenses based on these categories, and try to reach agreement, so there are no surprises.

This item is a harder one for me to make pronouncements upon, since my family is grown, but I can share some of the ideas that I collected when my children were growing up, living in a remote, high Sierra town of 42 residents (of which DH and our blender family made 6).  First of all, we made much of our own entertainment, having bar-be-ques with the neighbors in summer, and building a sled run for the kids in winter.  This closeness inevitably led to celebrating every birthday (child and adult) with at least a small 'cake' party, which led to many of us becoming high-quality, bake-it-from-scratch bakers.  Not to mention, baking a little something for after dinner was what made an evening at home different from all of the rest, since it was too far to go out for entertainment very often.  Going to get the groceries a few times a month was the big deal, not running down to the theater to catch the latest movie openings each week.

Currently, one of the new forms of stay-at-home entertainment I will be exploring this summer, along with DH and the son who lives closest, is brewing beer.  Glenn and I did that a bit, a long while back, and it seemed like a good time to train the next generation, as well as develop a bit more independence ourselves in producing something we like to consume regularly... and we have access to hops to pick and dry locally.

9. Chart out your life travels in terms of MILES, instead of minutes, and then figure out how you can travel those miles in ways other than those using fossil fuel. When someone says “That’s 30 minutes away…” get used to asking “Is that walking, biking, or traveling by car?” It is a psychological shift that we all need to make.

This is a great way of looking at the real terms of energy expended.  We have grown used to 'needing' to hurry everywhere.  If we start asking that essential question about which form of transportation, we begin to allow ourselves to contemplate and accept other forms than fossil fuel ones, and allow for a different time flow in travel.  Only 150 years ago, right here in my region, most travel was still done either on foot, or on the back of an animal, with stages and boats beginning to consider how much of California they could start accessing... amazing to ponder.

10. Learn how to STAY HOME. It sounds funny to some, but for many people, “home” has become a “pit stop” to refuel (eat, sleep) before we head out again. Learning how to stay home might mean resolving the conflicts you have with your significant other. It might mean having higher expectations for better behavior from your children.

I have led a very busy work life in the past decade, and certainly treasured the moments when I could be at home, doing the things I loved, such as knitting, reading or working with my animals.  I can see that for others, being busy is a way to feel like their life has value, and examining Item #10 may lead to re-examining core values... deep stuff.  I have been looking at how taking a job across the street from my primary home will free up more time to look at my home, make room to make it a cleaner and better organized place to be, and even give me more time for my passions.  Now, to figure out how to pay for the cost of COBRAing my medical insurence that I lost with my old job at Headstart.

I will be dividing the remaining 13 points into two more posts over the next few weeks, as well as trying to catch up on the alphabet, show you some of my new spinning, and continue to knit prolifically.  Hope you will drop back by soon!

As The Wheel Spins

As I promised, I have spinning notes to share and I want to add that I am totally delighted to be knitting a 'big' project with my very, own yarn made with my very, own hands and wheel.  It really is a cosmic experience:)  I have been trying to stick to 10 minutes a day, but have been fortunate to get a lot of spinning done the past two Sundays, while serving as a museum docent at the Forest City Museum.  The results are going into my Circle Vest and I am expanding my ideas and thoughts about spinning for specific purposes.

I started spinning this earthy merino roving dyed by my Wooly Daisy neighbor/buddy Stephanie (she is the reason why I have a link to the Knitting Stephanies ring, just in case you ever wondered), back a year ago in May.  I loved the range of colors from reds through to greens that Stephanie had managed to get into one bundle of roving, and especially liked the browns and olives that resulted.  I hadn't had much experience spinning such a range of color, and my first attempts are visible in the last post, as the beginning of one of many hand-paint yarn sections in my vest.  I started by dividing the thick roving in half and rolling up two separate balls, somehow thinking I might be organized enough to spin them close to matching.  Or something.  I then spun up a couple ounces as a single, and Navajo (chain) plied, thinking I wanted some blended, tweedy coloring, and that is what I got... not that I'm bragging about my plying technique.  I suffer through, determined that one day I will be a chain plyer par excellence, but it hasn't happened yet. 

Lucky for me, washing, whacking the skein against the side of the tub, and drying with a light weight on the skein all tend to smooth out the crimpy, overspun quality my chain plied yarn still has, and make it knitter-friendly.

By last Sunday, I had spun all four ounces of the Spice colored Mauch chunky, and plied one of the two bobbins so that I would have a few empty bobbins to take with me for my stint at the museum.

The color name is a good match, and I was pretty pleased with this yarn...

I grabbed what was left of my rainbow roving and planned to work towards polishing it off.  As I got started, I realized there was a long stretch of almost purely rusty red, and decided to spin and use that as a separate part of my vest project.  I managed to spin and ply all of that in the course of the afternoon, stepped outside of the museum and realized that a heavy pall of smoke had settled over everything. 

Now, Forest City is almost 2,000 feet higher in elevation than Camptonville, where the good ol' Slate Range Camp is located, and we lived there full-time for 13 years while our children were growing up (and part of that before DH and I were married).... The smoke usually drifts downhill over the course of the night, leaving a bit better version of air to breathe at the higher elevations and I was tempted to stay overnight at our dear little house there, but I had to return home to Camptonville and take care of donkeys, dogs, fish, cat and gardens.  Smoke has continued to plaque us all week, as well as a heat wave, so indoor activities have been in order, including washing and finishing these two skeins of yarn to add to the vest.

I am very pleased with both of these yarns!  The one on top is the Mauch Spice and the one below is the reds from Stephanie's merino roving.  These two yarns will add color and pizazz to the henna browns, of which some more is simmering in the smoky summer sun... here's my dye bucket, looking mucky and murky.  There is another small skein of grey Coopworth being overdyed as well as a bunch of oatmeal/greyish Cormo millspun yarn, awaiting a special project.  The heat of the sun has been available for the past ten days that the yarns have been simmering, but not the direct rays.   I plan to begin the rinsing process very early in the morning (not that the air is any healthier for outdoor activities, but the temps are lowest) and will see how my solar experiment worked out... I followed the directions I found on the Mother Earth News website and will fill you in on the results!  Have a wonderful weekend, and I am certainly hoping you have temperate climate and better air than I do.

***Corrected four hours later... Stephanie pointed out at Knit Night this evening that her roving was actually Corriedale cross, and when I got the original label, we confirmed that, and that so far I have spun about 10 ounces of the approximately 15 ounces I need for my vest, and knitted up within 1/2 inch of making the armholes... I think I better get busy spinning this weekend to keep ahead of myself:)

All Knitting!

I am up early attempting to put a post together, as yesterday was a very hectic Monday off... DD and I left the house early, hoping to beat the heat on a quick trip down the hill, using my truck to pick up some play equipment for her start-up daycare business that she found on Craigslist.  By the time we got to Roseville and loaded everything at 10 AM in the morning, the temperature was already 87, and the smoke from a major fire to the east was thick.  We hurried back into the truck and on our way home through Grass Valley, but the heat continued to rise... the same area where fires are still burning is now facing a heat wave... sheesh!  Today, Sacramento Valley temperatures are predicted to hit 106; wherever you are just looked a whole lot better, didn't it?!

I have spent far more time indoors than usual for summer over the past few weeks on account of the unhealthy pollution levels from all of the fires, but that does mean that I have some knitting progress to show for my time!  My summer cardi is almost done... just in need of the buttonhole band! 

I am pleased with how simple and multi-functional this garment is turning out to be, and will get a lot of use out of it, once the weather is cool enough to wear it!  I took this photo Saturday while working at the LYS, and have some lovely heart-shaped bronze buttons to sew on and relieve the potentially too-plain feel. 

I haven't sat down and done that buttonband through the rest of my weekend, mainly because my other commitments didn't allow for the ability to concentrate, measure and pin... I just didn't get much chance to sit still at all, except while spinning during my shift on Sunday afternoon as a docent at the Forest City Museum.

Spinning 10 Minutes A Day has led to a re-dedication of my efforts.  I have combined helping at the museum several Sundays this summer with plans to spin-to-knit two different projects, and have enough yarn ready now that I decided on the evening of the 4th, while resting up from the heat and the festivities, to cast on my Circle Vest... though it looks more like a hat in this picture.   

The pattern is fun and fairly easy, starting with only eight stitches in the center of the back and increasing steadily over a ribbing pattern that varies from 2x to 4x as you make increases in the middle of existing ribs to divide off for the new ones.  Once the width of the back is knitted, two armhole slits go in and the remainder of the large circle, 38 inches in diameter for me, become a flattering fitted waistband, front band and foldover collar.

I have gotten a bit further than this photo shows, and now also have six more ounces spun in related colorways, as well as an ounce of grey being overdyed with henna in my solar dyepot.  Photos of spinning and solar dyeing will be in my next post.

What is visible in this photo is the center (since sewn together to eliminate the starting hole) in grey coopworth previously henna-dyed earlier this winter, followed by some of Wooly Daisy's merino roving in "swampy" greens and browns (yes, she actually describes it that way), then a bit of teal merino roving I had spun up from a sampler last year.  I am having great fun finally making something to wear from my own handspun... life is good!

On Saturday, I met a lovely knitter-spinner-designer who came in at the end of the day and purchased two skeins of sock yarns for her test knitters to use... go by and check out Patty's Knits!  I don't make much money working for an LYS, but just love how I get to have face-to-face contact with other passionate fiberists.  I also have been so impressed with what a great tool Ravelry has become in helping us help our customers in selecting alternate yarns for projects.  I never have that problem myself, and was delighted to see that my dear friend Laurie has offered a new, free design, called Exploring Spirals, and equally smug to be only the third person to list it as a WIP.  (I hate to admit that my ego shows in loving to be an early adopter.) 

Having the good fortune to find the pattern while at work, I was able to bring home a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot and cast on right away!  I chose Copper, and found some sparkley gold beads on the way home yesterday to begin knitting in so that I will have something ready to demonstrate to my lace class Wednesday night.  I will be teaching them how to add beads to your knitting using the crochet hook method, though Laurie chose to string her's on at the beginning.  I also decided to use the two-circs method since I didn't have the right size in a 16 inch needle; this substitution got me through the second sleeve of my cardi a few weeks ago, and reminded me that I can use what I have rather than go out and buy more needles.

I don't think the colors in this photo do credit to yarn, beads, or pattern, but you get the idea... now go off and think about starting a sweet, little bag for yourself.  I am off to start the 'work' part of my day, having already squoze in the walking and chore part - have a wonderful one yourself!

The One Word Meme

• 1. Where is your cell phone? purse
• 2. Your significant other? cute
• 3. Your hair? curly
• 4. Your mother? musical
• 5. Your father? environmental
• 6. Your favorite thing? yarn
• 7. Your dream last night? uncomfortable
• 8 Your favorite drink? Coffee
• 9. Your dream/goal? balance
• 10. The room you’re in? color
• 11. Your hobby? Reading/knitting
• 12. Your fear? economy
• 13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
• 14. What you’re not? rich
• 15. Muffins? none
• 16. One of your wish list items? island
• 17. Where you grew up? Sacramento
• 18. The last thing you did? Type
• 19. What are you wearing? turquoise (as in stones)
• 20. Favorite gadget? computer
• 21. Your pets? many
• 22. Your computer? pc
• 23. Your mood? cheerful
• 24. Missing someone? no
• 25. Your car? truck
• 26. Something you’re not wearing? sweater
• 27. Favorite store? co-op
• 28. Like someone? Yes
• 29. Your favorite color? green
• 30. When is the last time you laughed? moments
• 31. Last time you cried? Thursday

I copied this from Carrie and thought it would be a fun way to share a bit more about myself... no tagging allowed.

Redefining Independence

DD and I celebrated Independence Day in much the same way our family has for over a decade, attending the Downieville town parade, which ends with fire-less 'firecrackers'.

The afternoon continued with foot races (Wooly Daisy participated in her age group!) and tug-of-war contests (us mountain ladies wiped out the flatlanders).  We had a great time seeing old friends and celebrating mountain, small-town life together. 

I also spent some time musing over what independence means in an era when we have been terrorized by our politicians, enslaved by insurance companies, and economically crippled by crooked mortgage companies and oil corporations reaping huge profits.  As more and more of my income guzzles into our cars, I have been re-thinking what true independence of existence means in the 21st century, after peak oil.  How do I want to spend my time?  How much do I want my existence to be dominated by the need to make a cash income that continues to subsidize a non-sustainable, auto-based lifestyle?

I have decided that July would be the perfect time to write about redefining independence.  I will be excerpting parts of an article titled "26 Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW To Manage Your Anxiety", by Kathy McMahon, published at Peak Oil Blues last month, and adding my personal thoughts, successes and failures.  I will be publishing five posts over the next month, discussing five points in each, with the last one tacked on to the end, and letting you know how it's going as I try implementing suggestions I haven't been using already.  I hope you will consider entering the conversation.

Kathy says "If you aren't feeling some degree of apprehension right now, you aren't reading the news. Here are some of my thoughts for turning that emotional energy into constructive action:"

1. SET A GOAL TO CUT YOUR EXPENSES by some concrete number—10%, 20%, 30%, even 50%, and set up a plan to do it. Reducing costs is the fastest way to increase your income–faster than making more money.

First off, I have to admit that I have some trouble with concrete numbers, budgeting and making money lists.  That is not to say that I don't do it, and have for organizations for years.  I also keep track of our rental business and keep financial records on our computer.  I looked back over the past few months instead, for places we have cut and what it amounted to.... we discontinued satellite TV programming, cut back on going out to eat, and I slashed my coffee drink budget by two drinks a week, saving a surprising $265 a month compared to back in January.  I also had the bad habit of restlessly picking up a magazine at the grocery checkout, and have switched to reading more books from the library, as well as narrowing down to a few special choices the subscriptions we buy, which probably saves me another $10 a month.

I will be looking for other ways to cut costs, and will be able to add in gas savings in July, as I switch from commuting 20 miles a day to work, and walk to my new job.  However, I am adding a day at the LYS through the summer, and teaching one more night class (an additional 150 miles of driving), so the savings won't be as stunning as I would like...

2. LOOK AT CASH YOU ARE WASTING without enjoying its benefits, such as lights that get left on, computers that stay on day and night, "phantom loads," like microwave clocks that use more energy than the microwave itself. If you get to know your electrical meter, and record the setting before and after you shut off those phantom loads, you'll have concrete proof that you are saving money.

I have been switching the computer off at the surge strip each time I am done using it, but don't want to do the same with all the switches and plugs as some are much harder to access than others... we also rely on battery-operated irrigation timers through the hot, dry California summer, which use up energy.  We do have a motion-activated yard light, and if you have that option, consider using it.  There's always the random deer or fox that trigger its operation, and you might want to check the tragectory of the beam to make sure it won't be blinding a neighbor inadvertantly, but it is a better use of power than leaving the porch lights on all night.  I will be looking at ways to re-arrange the plug-in devices so that it is easier to plug/unplug, rather than leave things connected.  I also charge the cell phones with wall chargers while cooking in the kitchen, so that I can notice when they are done and unplug the charger... it's the little things that add up, and making little adjustments can make it easier to avoid throwing away lots of pennies over the course of a year.

In the spirit of independence, I started work on a winter vest using my own handspun!  I will be taking photos tomorrow while working at the LYS, as well as a progress picture of my summer cardigan, which only needs the buttonhole side of its button bands, weaving in ends, sewing on buttons, and blocking before it will be worthy of a genuine FO photoshoot.  Whoo, hoo!!  Celebrate a bit of independence throughout this holiday weekend by thinking about what you could do for yourself that would either free up more time for fibering or family time.

3. Set up a THREE TIER SYSTEM for purchases: a) necessities; b) conveniences; and c) other. Put everything you buy in one of these categories for a week, and examine the list. For example, if you buy clothing, you might have bought socks and new fancy shoes. While most
people would put the socks under "a" or "b," most of us would consider the fancy shoes "other" unless they are a necessity for work. The Great Spending Contraction has begun. Get far enough ahead of it, that you aren't bit in the behind.

I haven't tried keeping a list yet; I do tend to think of things in categories such as this... yarn fits somewhere between a necessity and an 'other', but I try to weigh out my purchases in terms of use.  For example, if I am going to give someone a gift somewhere in the near future, and want to have the pleasure of making that gift as well, then purchasing yarn is a way to satisfy two tasks at once.  I have gone back to looking at what I can find in the way of clothing through the recycled tier of the market economy, and have done very well this past year in acquiring many of my clothes either used or by making them for myself.  I have a great fondness for shoes, and almost always buy new ones, though I am pondering longer whether a desired purchase is a necessity right now or not.  I will let you know how that list thing comes out, though if you look up at item 1, you will probably guess fairly accurately on the chances of me keeping a detailed list for an entire week...

4. Consider BUYING FOOD IN ITS MOST BASIC FORM, and in bulk. For example, instead of buying Pancake mix, buy the flour, shortening, and leavening. This, alone, will not only improve your diet, but cost you a fraction of what the prepared mix would cost. Anything that the "Generals" prepare, (General Foods, General Mills, etc) they CHARGE YOU for the privilege.

We generally do this already... I did decide that I could return to using the bread machine and raw ingredients to make fresh bread for DH, and that I would be healthier if I truly ackowledged my gluten intolerance.  I have been tempted to try a lot of the new, non-gluten items on the market, but they are very costly, so I will begin experimenting with new recipes.  I also began freezing a lot of foods when they are in season a few years back, as I tried to live with a 100-mile diet, and will be steadily replenishing over the summer, and doing some canning.  I have made a couple of batches of solar-cooked applesauce already, which is better than any I have ever tasted, as the solar box cooker works in much the same way as a slow cooker, with free heat from the sun, and keeps in all the juices, as well as vitamins and enzymes.

5. SIMPLIFY. Examine each purchase, and ask yourself whether some other item would do the job equally well. Consumerism produces specialized products that increase demand. The more specialized, the easier it is to charge consumers a premium price for it. Shaving cream, instead of a good lathering soap. Window cleaner instead of vinegar. Do a bit of research and find out how your ancestors lived without most of the products under your sink or among your toiletries. Then, pare it down, and buy it in bulk.

I can see that there is a lot to think about in this item... do I want to live without mascara, for example?  I am happy experimenting with the plants and basic ingredients around me for wool dyes, though, and probably won't venture into commercial dyes or extracts.  Spinning and knitting give me a lot back and help diminish some of that random consumer energy.  If I stay busy planning and executing projects, I not only obtain the satisfaction of adding something desirable to my life, but the special pleasure of creating it with my own hands.

I also notice people 'buying in bulk' at places like Costco, and buying far more or items they don't really use simply because the price is 'so good' when buying in bulk, so my caution is to go back to the beginning of the process each time and decide if you really need that item at all, let alone 77 ounces of it!