Having a Lizzitude

Praying for rain....

2007-09-11T15:17:00.000-04:00

I just CAN'T seem to get in the habit of updating my blog! I feel like I need to add pictures or some graphics, and I've never got time to upload the photos......oh, well, I guess I'll just start writing and I can always add the pictures later.

We are so dry here - we haven't had a drop of rain in over 6 weeks. It actually looks like it might rain this evening, but it will probably all dry up before it gets here. At least they have had some up at our mountain place this afternoon. They are REALLY hurting up there - having to feed the cows and horses hay for the last month.

School is lots of fun. I don't even feel old most days. My really old moment was when the kid next to me had to enter his birthday.....and he was born in 1989 - that was pretty sobering! I realized that I had been out in the working world for almost 10 years when he was born. But in general, they seem to accept me and not treat me like an "old lady". I had my first test last week and made a 96 - a good start.

I've also started going to the rec center after classes - to walk on the track, the treadmill, ride the bike or the rowing machine. My goal is 45 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 days a week, plus the 30 minutes of walking I get walking back and forth to the rec center - totally on the other side of campus from my classes.

Mom went to the doctor today and was given the green light - for driving and basically for everything else - her only goal is keep from falling again. She left here a few minutes ago in her car......I've said a few prayers for her and the others on the road this afternoon!

I've started Savannah's birthday present - the Carousel Horse from Knitting Daily. I'm doing the body in neon pink, with purple, blue, turquoise and gold accents. I hope it turns out better than it looks right now (unstuffed) - it sort of looks like an aardvark.....

Birthday celebrations!

2007-08-29T06:38:00.000-04:00

Last night started a busy round of birthday celebrations for me.....we had dinner with our mothers last night, I have dinner with my friends from Charlotte tonight, I have lunch with friends from Winston tomorrow, the Warthogs game tomorrow night, and then off to Myrtle Beach for the weekend! Wow!

Oh, well, now I'm off to school......

Back to school and back to blogging!

2007-08-28T08:12:00.000-04:00

Okay - I'm trying this again! It's been a crazy summer - my mother broke her hip in May, so that consumed most of May, June and half of July. And now I've enrolled at UNCG and have started classes - pursuing my second degree in Geography. It's been a blast so far, even though everyone in my classes looks to be about 12. I'm taking two intro level classes: GEO 121 - Introduction to ArcGIS, and GEO 103 - Introduction to Earth Science. Both instructors seem to be very good, and the workload is not overwhelming.

On a knitting note, I have finally gotten my invitation to Ravelry, and am in the process of updating all my projects, etc. When it goes public, you MUST check it out - it's fabulous! My current projects are the Carousel Horse for Savannah's birthday, and I'm getting ready to start on the Waves scarf for myself.

On a yoga note, the yoga wall has been installed at Sunrise and it is wonderful! The stretches and lengthening you can get using it is amazing! I've started to get some private lessons once a week, and we've been using the wall to stretch my shoulders and hamstrings.

On miscellaenous notes, Tom has just won a contest from the Hickory newspaper to "walk with the pros" at the Hickory Classic Seniors golf tournament at Rock Barn in September. He is VERY excited! He doesn't know yet who he'll be walking with or who he'll take with him.

Lots of finished projects!

2007-07-07T07:38:00.000-04:00

I finished both the bunny sweater and the Nantucket Jacket these last 2 weeks! Pictures to follow.....The Nantucket Jacket is VERY big on me -too wide and too short. I'm hoping that blocking will help. The bunny jacket turned out adorable and the kids are coming in today so I will give it to Savannah this weekend. Hopefully, I'll have a picture with her wearing it on Monday!

On a yoga note, I found out yesterday that my yoga studio is installing a yoga wall this summer - very exciting!

Making progress....

2007-06-28T07:05:00.000-04:00

I'm making progress - I did the shoulder seams and put in one sleeve yesterday. I should finish today. I think it's actually going to fit!

Seaming dread....

2007-06-26T14:24:00.001-04:00

Today comes my least favorite part of knitting - seaming together the parts. But the finished object should be worth it -can't wait to see if it fits!

Nantucket Jacket - blocking!

2007-06-24T07:53:00.001-04:00

As promised - here are the pieces and parts of my Nantucket Jacket.......

I'm back........

2007-06-23T06:46:00.000-04:00

Okay - so I've been a "bad blogger".....but I'm back now. This spring has been quite wild. My mother (age 89) broke her hip in May, so I've been nursemaid, chauffeur, accountant and delivery girl for a month now. NOT a lot of fun! And it's not over yet....She's currently in assisted living, but will be moving back home in a week or two.

But on a positive note, sitting in waiting rooms has given me plenty of time to knit! I've finished (the parts) of my Nantucket Jacket and will block it today in preparation for piecing it together this week. I've also started another sweater for Savannah - Zoe Mellor's "Bunny Jacket" - pretty pink with white bunnies. It's about halfway done. I'm not sure what my next project will be - possible the Pewter Jacket from IK's Fall 2006 issue. I also have some gifts that I need to work on

Yesterday I registered for classes at UNCG - I will be entering this fall to pursue a second degree in Geography - yes, Geography! I'll be cutting down on my cheffing - only cooking for my current clients- and going to school part-time. I'm not sure what I will be doing with my degree yet, but there are lots of cool career choices!

We finally got down to see Savannah this past weekend - we took her for her first trip to the zoo and she had a blast! Yes - she does have red hair.....She is lots of fun at this age, constantly laughing and squealing and just learning to talk. I wish we were closer!!!!!

Nantucket Jacket progress!

2007-04-12T11:18:00.000-04:00

I have finally finished the back to my Nantucket Jacket. It was a lot of fun - the pattern was easy to memorize but never got tedious. There are a few mistakes in it, but overall it's done pretty well. Im hoping the mistakes will be less obvious after I block it. The color is not really this pink - it's more of a cranberry......

I'll be taking a break to work on a couple of other projects for the summer - after all, I won't get to wear this until next fall or winter for sure! And the wool is really drying out my hands......I need to finish Savannah's sweater, and I want to knit a pair of flip-flop socks for Melody.

Oh well, so many projects....so little time!

Ready to start my Nantucket Jacket!

2007-03-24T14:11:00.000-04:00

My yarn finally arrived yesterday and I have started my Nantucket Jacket. I've swatched, cast on and knit about 8 rows so far.....

LYS Sale!

2007-03-18T08:17:00.000-04:00

My LYS had a St. Patrick's Day sale yesterday, and I was actually pretty good. Everything in the store was 20% off if you bought anything green - how could you say no?

I bought two hanks of Cascade Jewel, which I think I'll use to make the Twiggy Tweed Purse from Knitty, two skeins of Mango Moon Springy Capelli which I'll use to make a lace scarf for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day, and a #2 32" Addi Turbo and a set of cable needles (getting ready to knit the Nantucket Jacket from Fall/Winter Interweave 2006!)

Easter is on its way!

2007-03-16T16:30:00.000-04:00

The Easter Bunny is coming! I knitted her for my granddaughter - it's from Zoe Moeller's book "Animal Knits". It was great fun to knit and it turned out adorable......the rubber ducks are from our trip to the spa - part of our spa goodie basket!

I also finished adding my prior projects to my knitting journal.....here are a few photos:

I finished this cardigan in January - from "Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits". It was my first attempt at a cardigan and didn't turn out too bad. Best of all - it fits!

Here is Savannah modeling the "Miss Dashwood" hat from knitty.com that I made from Mondial Lucente. The yarn was far too floppy for the pattern, but I found it in the bargain bin. I didn't get a picture of the "Katya" halter I knit to go with it.....

Refreshed and renewed.....

2007-03-08T07:16:00.000-05:00

We just returned from an anniversary trip to Asheville and the ASIA (A Spa In Asheville) spa/bed & breakfast. What a wonderful break from reality. Going during the week, we had the entire place to ourselves, so we could completely relax and be ourselves. We arrived on Monday afternoon and had our massages. We decided not to go out for dinner, but picked up some smoked salmon, cheese & crackers and wine and stayed in to have a picnic on the Tatami porch.

This year we stayed in the Java Journey room on the second floor - it was bright and airy and very comfortable. Tuesday morning we had our facials and spent the afternoon hiking at the NC Arboretum. The weather was sunny, mid-50's and breeze - the perfect day for a walk. We had a lovely dinner at Savoy, and another relaxing evening. Sadly, we left Wednesday after breakfast, but stopped at Raffaldini winery on the way home for a picnic lunch.

Of course, I got a lot of knitting done while we were relaxing.....I took some "junk yarn" and practiced the stitch pattern for the IK Nantucket Jacket - the yarn is on order and I now feel ready to start when it gets here. I also finished the back of the "Busy Lizzie" sweater and started on the two front panels. I'm terrified that I'm going to run out of yarn before I finish it, and the yarn I'm using has been discontinued.....

Journal Recreated!

2007-03-02T07:38:00.000-05:00

Well I managed to recreate all the work I lost the other day! I still have a few projects that I need to add to the journal that I haven't taken pictures of yet, but I have most of the major ones in there.

Here's a sample of one of my journal pages....

My Knitting Journal

2007-03-01T06:49:00.000-05:00

I got a "wild hair" yesterday and decided to start a knitting journal. Spent several hours designing the page and creating pages for my previous projects. This morning I was cleaning my desk and accidentally shredded all of the pages I created yesterday! I could cry!!!! At least I still have have template on the PC......I'll include:

a picture of the finished work
who it was made for and what the occasion was
the dates it was started and finished
the pattern used and the size knitted
the needles used
the yarns used, how much I purchased, how much it cost and how much I actually used
notes - about the pattern, the yarn, the finished object, etc.

I plan to put it in a sheet protector and slide in the yarn label (if I still have it!), and the gauge swatch.

So I guess I'll be redoing all the work over the weekend.....

Fondue fun!

2007-02-26T15:19:00.000-05:00

We hosted our neighborhood supper club this past weekend, and Tom had the wild idea to have a fondue party - what a lot of fun! I had two retro 1970's fondue pots (one electric, one with an alcohol burner) stuffed back in the cabinets, and I also pulled out my mother's old copper chafing dish to use. For appetizers, we had a hot crab dip with bread cubes and mushrooms. For the main course, I made a Gruyere Fondue with Caramelized Onions served with cooked chicken, tortellini, new potatoes and raw asparagus. Dessert was (of course) a chocolate hazelnut fondue served with strawberries, pound cake squares and Piroulines. Anyone dropping any food into the fondues was required to make a special "dip" for the host or hostess - what a competition NOT to drop anything!

Gruyere Fondue with Caramelized Shallots
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/4 cups shallots -- thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups dry white wine -- or more if needed
14 ounces Gruyere cheese -- grated
2 tablespoons flour
1 pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and saute 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, sprinkle shallots with sugar, salt and pepper. Saute till shallots are caramelized, about 15 min. Transfer to small bowl.

Add wine to skillet and boil 1 min. Transfer wine into heavy medium saucepan set over med-low heat. Toss cheese with flour in medium bowl to coat. Add half of the shallots to the wine. Add the cheese mixture by handfuls, stirring till cheese melts and is smooth before adding more. Thin with more wine if mixture is too thick. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Transfer cheese mixture to fondue pot. Set pot over burner. Top fondue with remaining shallots.

Back again.....

2007-02-24T07:21:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm finally back again! It's been a hectic month with two friends in the hospital and recuperating, so we've been playing caregiver this month. But they are both home now and stable, so I've got time to post again!

Last weekend, I met a group of knitters from Charlotte up near Lake Norman for a get-together. We met at a yarn shop, had lunch, and then over to the Huntersville library for your basic Stitch 'n Bitch. It was a lot of fun, and I learned several good tips. I was a "good girl" and didn't buy anything at the yarn shop except for the Winter Interweave Knits magazine - have to make the Nantucket Jacket for me! But only when I finish my current OTN projects - my sweatshirt and the cardigan for Savannah.

I did finally finish my "Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits" cardigan. I'll post a picture of me modeling it shortly. It fits amazingly well for my first cardigan. It has a few small mistakes in it, but overall I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I've also started a small Easter gift for Savannah - a toy bunny from Zoe Moeller's book "Animal Knits for Kids". I've just about finished the body, and should be able to start the ears this weekend.

Blocking, blocking, blocking.....

2007-01-16T08:44:00.000-05:00

I spent the morning yesterday soaking, shaping and blocking all my finished work - my Crest of the Wave tank top, my simple cardigan, my Knitty Katja halter and Miss Dashwood hat. Results to come later when they all dry!

New Years Projects

2007-01-12T07:37:00.000-05:00

I'm currently knitting a "sunsuit" for Savannah. I have already finished Knitty's Katja and am in the process of knitting the Miss Dashwood hat to go with it. I'm knitting them with three balls of Mondial Lucente that I found in the bargain bin at my LYS. It's a wonderfully soft yarn, but has a real tendency to snag and split while knitting. I should be finished with the hat this weekend.

I plan to spend the weekend blocking my tank top and the sunsuit. Also finally piecing together my Cardigan that has been knit since early summer. Then I plan to start on a cotton Chenille sweatshirt for me using Knitpicks Vacation in Sunshine, which is a lovely yellow.

Yoga classes started up again this week - I really missed them over the holidays. One of the ladies in my Monday class is expecting in about a month, so Monday, we all strapped "babies" (folded blankets) to our stomachs and did a pre-natal class. What a hoot!!!!

Start of a new year

2007-01-09T07:29:00.000-05:00

Well, the holidays are finally over, and my annual bout with New Year's flu is over too! It's time to get back to the business of regular living.....

We had a lovely holiday, and Savannah and her parents came up for New Years. Here she is modeling her dress - I hope she doesn't grow out of it before Easter!

All the Christmas gifts were a hit, and now I am starting to finish up all my other projects that were started before the holidays. I have finished my Sonata Crest of the Wave tank, but still have to block it. Here is a not so great looking model of the unblocked product......

Baby dress is done!

2006-12-20T15:20:00.000-05:00

The baby dress for my granddaughter is done - finally! It will be her Christmas present, of course. I've been knitting it on and off for several months in between other projects and it's been a lot of fun. The pattern was Judy Lamb's Baby Dress / Christening Gown and I knit it in Jaeger Sienna (Lavender). It was very challenging, and there are lots of little mistakes in it, but the pattern is so busy that I doubt anyone will be able to tell! I've still got to sew on buttons, but other than that, it's been blocked and is ready to go. I can't decide whether to sew on any decorations or not - right now I'm leaning towards not.

I also finished my mother's Christmas present - The Column of Leaves scarf and fingerless mittens in Cascade Quattro. Blocking made a HUGE difference with this scarf - I wish I had taken a picture of it before blocking for comparison.

Well now it's back to my Crest o' The Wave tank top for myself for awhile!

Pre-Christmas getaway

2006-12-15T13:28:00.000-05:00

We just came back from our annual pre-Christmas getaway to Pipestem State Park in West Virginia. We have been going to Bluestone or Pipestem State parks just before Thanksgiving or just before Christmas for almost 20 years now. It's such a great stress reliever during the holiday season and keeps us from getting too crazy.

We were very laid back this year and did minimal hiking. We took bird seed and scattered it on the deck, and spent most of the weekend watching the action. As you can see we had lots of visitors - chickadees, titmice, blue jays, nuthatches, crows, and even a persistent squirrel that we had to keep chasing away. Not pictured were juncos, wrens, red-bellied and downy woodpeckers, and the 3 raccoons that came every night after dark to clean up any seed that was left! The birds were so tame, they actually posed for these pictures while I was on the deck with them - not more than 2 feet away. I believe I could have had them eating from my hand if I'd tried....

The last night we drove up to the overlook and watched the Geminid meteor shower. On top of a mountain in the middle of a state park gives you an incredible view! We saw at least 40 "shooting stars" during our 20-minute viewing. Unfortunately, it was too cold to stay longer!

The final morning, it was warming up and fog covered the canyon of the Bluestone River - the view from the lodge was incredible.

On our way home, we stopped for lunch at the New River Trail State Park in Foster Falls, Va - just off I-77 past the Shot Tower State park. We had never stopped there before, but plan to make it an annual stop. Picnic benches right on the river and just a few miles off the Interstate!

Alas - now it's back to reality for us - have to finish putting up the Christmas decorations and finish the wrapping!

Visit with Savannah

2006-12-07T07:29:00.000-05:00

We had a great weekend down at the kid's place. It's amazing how fast a baby can change in less than 3 weeks. She's starting to develop a personality - and it definitely goes with her red hair! She lets you know immediately when something is not right. The kids seem to be wonderful parents already - very calm and they both share the duties. And they are living in the 10x20 den downstairs in their house - they are fixing up the upstairs, so they have moved a daybed, the crib and the cradle swing into the den.

Lucy made a special quilt for her great-granddaughter....on the sly! She's been working on it ever since she found out they were going to have a baby, and didn't tell a soul about it. It turned out beautifully, and we were all surprised and thrilled.

As for the rest of my week, I've been cheffing almost every day. After this week, I'll be finished until the first of next year - I'm looking forward to a break. Tom and I will be leaving for our annual pre-Christmas veg-out in Pipestem State Park in West Virginia on Monday. We'll hike during the day, and relax in front of the fire at night. I'll be doing lots of knitting, of course!

On the road again......

2006-11-30T11:34:00.000-05:00

We're heading out tomorrow to go down and see our new granddaughter - can't wait! We'll be taking both of our mothers with us and will be staying for the weekend. Today I'm catching up on paperwork and starting my Christmas wrapping. I'll also go out and run a few Christmas shopping errands later. I should have some new pictures to post when I get back!

Yesterday I started knitting a scarf for my mother's Christmas present. The pattern is Brooke's Column of Leaves Scarf . I'm doing it in Cascade Quattro Fiji, which is a gorgeous magenta color. She loves red, so I hope she'll enjoy it.

A family of hats

2006-11-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

I finished my set of hats in University of South Carolina Gamecock colors (YUCK!!) for my stepson, his wife and his new baby. I hope they appreciate how hard it was for me to knit in those colors - I grew up hating Carolina.....But I do love how the baby hat turned out. I'll have to make another one in better colors for Savannah!

Thanksgiving with family

2006-11-24T08:17:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving with family can be a real blast - or a disaster! Fortunately, this Thanksgiving was the former. Nothing burned, no one got obnoxiously drunk, and the cleanup wasn't overwhelming. My cousins from Raleigh and their niece from Arizona came in Wed night to celebrate with us. I did most of the cooking during the day on Wednesday, so we were able to relax on Thursday morning. We read the paper, watched the parade and were generally lazy until it was time to cook.

With the added people, I was able to cook a whole turkey for the first time in several years. I brined it overnight, and used Williams Sonoma Maple-Herb Turkey Rub - it was fabulous! On the side we had cornbread and sausage dressing, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans with almonds, broccoli salad and garlic bread. My cousin/niece from Arizona grew up in Australia, so we were trying to have a fairly traditional Thanksgiving dinner for her to experience. I also made homemade cranberry-apple sauce which nobody touched....go figure. My cousin brought an amaretto trifle for dessert, which was entirely devoured. I think there might be a few spoonfuls left over, but they won't make it past breakfast this morning!

They headed home last night, with Patty planning to get up at 4:30 this morning to go shopping....more power to her! While the rest of the world is out shopping, I plan to stay home, do lots of odds and ends, do a little knitting, and address my Christmas cards. I may venture out later to go the post office and get my Christmas stamps if I'm feeling adventurous.....

Getting ready for the holiday....

2006-11-21T08:11:00.000-05:00

This week I'm getting ready for the holiday. I cheffed for a new client yesterday, and headed to the mall for a little Christmas shopping. I'm hoping I won't have to go back there until after the first of the year!

I have cousins coming in for Thanksgiving dinner, so I actually get to roast a whole turkey this year - I'm excited! I'll be brining it, and rubbing it with Williams & Sonoma Maple & Herb Turkey rub. I did my grocery shopping this morning (online via the personal shopper), and will also get out and do some more Christmas shopping this morning.

I'm still in the process of knitting the matching South Carolina Gamecock hats - I hope to have them done this weekend.

Back to reality

2006-11-14T06:49:00.000-05:00

Now that the baby has finally arrived, our lives are getting back to normal. I have a busy week of cheffing ahead, and will spend today at the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation archiving photos.

I finished my first Christmas present last night - a hat for my stepson in South Carolina colors. It was a real struggle for me - I grew up hating South Carolina. But living in Columbia, he has become a huge fan. I also plan to make hats in matching colors for his wife and new baby.

Our granddaughter is here!

2006-11-11T09:14:00.000-05:00

We are now officially grandparents! Savannah Faith was born Wednesday, November 9th at 5:26 PM. 7 lbs 11 oz. And, of course, she's perfect!

The parents are very proud and so is the grandpa. It is very strange to see your stepson, whom you think of as still a child, looking and acting so mature. I lmpw we will love being grandparents. I wish they were closer so we could spend more time with them. But I guess now we'll be burning up the roads between our house and theirs for the next 18 years or so.....Oh, well, that's just more time for knitting!

Baby on the way!

2006-11-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

Got the call this morning! My daughter-in-law is in the hospital in labor, so Savannah is on the way! I'll update my blog when we return.

Started my tank top

2006-11-06T06:21:00.000-05:00

Both my husband and I came down with a bug this weekend, so I had plenty of time to sit around and knit - sure didn't feel like doing anything else! So I started my Sonata Crest of the Wave tank top. The pattern is fairly complicated but lots of fun to knit.

I also started finishing the sweater I have been knitting on all summer. I joined the shoulders and realized I had attached the fronts to the wrong sides. So I laid it down and will start on it again when I have more patience!

Still no baby......She's formally due on Tuesday. Now we'd just as soon she wait for a few days until we are both well!

First post

2006-11-04T06:40:00.000-05:00

This is my first post - everyone else is doing it so I might as well join the masses! Not sure how this will go since I am not much of a writer.

I am currently on pins and needles awaiting the arrival of my first granddaughter. Tonight is the full moon, so we are expecting a call anyday now. I just learned how to knit when I found out I was going to be a grandmother, so I've been having a blast knitting for the baby. Here are a few of the things I've knitted so far.....