The Saga Continues…

So, a few days ago I wrote about how my three flower baskets had been stolen off my front porch in broad daylight (as best as I can figure—I’m sure I’d have noticed them missing when I checked the mail that morning).  Knowing how upset I was, my sweet and thoughtful husband brought home a bouquet of flowers that evening in an attempt to cheer me up.  It helped but I still felt ripped off every time I went and in and out the front door and saw the empty hooks.

Last night we decided to go for a walk and as we passed a rental duplex a few doors down from us I spotted what could have been one of my baskets hanging from their front porch.  There were people out front and we were across the street so I couldn’t get a really good look but we made sure to pass by it more closely on the way home.  While I couldn’t swear it was my basket I had a strong suspicion that it was.  We even went into our backyard to see if we could see the other two baskets but their back porch was out of sight. 

This experience left me feeling frustrated.  I was pretty sure I knew who had stolen my baskets but I couldn’t prove it.  I was tempted to go in the dark of night and steal the one back but then what would we be opening ourselves to?  Empty hooks seemed preferable to slashed tires or smashed windows.  I ranted a bit then resigned myself to the fact that it was only flowers and I still had some beautiful baskets out back that I could enjoy.  Time to get over it. 

Then I went out to run an errand this afternoon and found this hanging from one of the hooks:

        

It was definitely not there when I went to check the mail this morning.

All I could do was laugh--a wee bit hysterically if truth be told.

Now, this is not one of my baskets but it is a basket and I have no idea who put it there.  A good Samaritan who heard my tale of woe (a handful of friends and close family members) or the thief trying to appease their conscience?  Chances are I’ll never know but I’ll be sure to tell you if I find out.  Meanwhile, I’m just going to accept the new flowers at face value and enjoy their colour and scent as the summer progresses.        

Update:  I wondered if the mysterious donor could have been my sister.  I had bought the original baskets at her school fundraiser and had told her of their theft when she dropped by the other night.  I guessed correctly—she reluctantly admitted to it when I asked her about it.  She said she did it secretly so that I might think the thief had had a fit of conscience.  I will treasure the new flowers even more now, knowing they were given with such love and thoughtfulness.

Trying to Get a Grip

Tell me.  What kind of person walks up to an occupied house in broad daylight and takes the hanging baskets off the front porch?  I suppose it’s the same sort of person who takes Christmas lights off the windows and lawn ornaments off the grass. 

I’m normally a glass-half-full kind of girl who thinks that the vast majority of people are kind and good and I suppose that deep down I still believe this but this afternoon my opinion of the human race went down a notch. 

This summer, instead of admiring the colours and fragrance of flowering baskets every time I check the mail or return home from errands I will instead be reminded by the empty hooks that the world we live in is not the place I thought it was when I woke up this morning.

My only hope is that the ill-begotten flowers bring no joy to their new owner, just a stab of conscience with each new bloom.

Cueing Beethoven’s 5th

Done Done Done Done!

Done Done Done Done!

 

done done done done

done done done done

 

done done done done done done

done done done done done done

 

done

 

Done Done Done!

Saving the Best for Last?

I’ve been away from Blogland for a long time.  No excuses, no real explanations—I just haven’t felt like writing.  In the meantime, the days have gone by with lightening speed.  There’s always something going on, including, of course, plenty of knitting.

The most exciting thing to happen in these past few months is learning that Cameron and I are going to be grandparents for the first time in November.  I envy Jessica her relatively nausea-free pregnancy so far and it’s been fun—and a little strange—to see her body change as the baby grows.  Of course I’ve been giving some thought to baby knitting but don’t look for updates here or on Ravelry—it’s hard to keep a secret when you have a knitter for a daughter!

Another special occasion this year is my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary on July 1st.  Since March I have been working diligently to finish up the remaining twelve squares of the Great American Aran Afghan so that I can assemble the blocks and knit the border in time for the big day.  This morning, with a great sense of relief, I put the finishing touches on the final square.

  

This miniature Aran sweater took first place in the GAAA contest and I’d been looking forward to knitting this block since the beginning.  So that I wouldn’t be tempted to knit all the “fun” squares first I’d made myself start from the beginning of the book and methodically work my way through, page by page.  Perhaps I was just tired of working with plain, ivory yarn or maybe I was simply anxious for this phase of the afghan to be over; whatever the case, I did not enjoy this block as much as I’d anticipated.  The stockinette base was boring to knit, while the tight gauge of the sweater hurt my hands.  But once it all came together I was pleased with how it turned out and eagerly moved onto the next step: deciding on the layout.

First things first—was it going to be a 4x6-block configuration or was I going to have to knit an extra square and make it 5x5?  I was worried that 4x6 would be too disproportionate (the book suggests 4x5, with four squares left over for cushions) but once I laid the blocks out on my bed I was satisfied that it would be just fine.  Phew--I really didn’t want to knit another square! 

Next, I divided the blocks into three main categories: vertical patterning, “pictures”, and circular construction.  I found that just over half of the squares featured vertical lines so I alternated them with the others, evenly distributing the pictures and the circular designs among them.  Then I spent well over an hour arranging and rearranging the various blocks, trying to balance highly textured squares with those with less prominent stitchwork.  Finally, I achieved a layout that I was happy with and took careful notes and photos to assist in the assembly process.

       

Next up: Miles and miles of sewing, followed by miles and miles of afghan border.  Wish me well.

Olympic Glory

The last two weeks have been fabulous. 

Vancouver dressed itself up

and welcomed the world.

Olympic spirit was evident everywhere

and fired everybody up.

Some people zipped across town

while others took part in some serious sport.

Like knitting.

 

And more knitting.

And still more knitting.

In the end all that hard work paid off

as Ravthletes

and athletes alike

reveled in Olympic glory.

Olympic Spirit

I always enjoy watching part of the Olympic coverage, whether it be the summer or winter games, but I feel a particular sense of anticipation as the 2010 Winter Olympics begin this evening.  Obviously, part of the excitement comes from the fact that they are being hosted by Vancouver, just 100 km from where I live.  Another factor is my sense of connection to the this games’ torch relay.  Just a few weeks before the torch was lit for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games we were in Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympics, and were shown where the Olympic flame is lit by the rays of the sun in front of the ruins of the Heraion temple.

After a 10-day relay through Greece the flame was entrusted to Canadian officials at the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens.  We had spent several days in Athens at the end of our holiday and had passed the stadium numerous times during our stay.

I felt a little thrill when I watched the news coverage of the torch ceremonies and thought, “I was there”. 

Last Sunday the torch relay came closer to home—literally—at one point passing less than a mile from my house.  I can’t describe the feeling of seeing one torch bearer appear in the distance,

then approaching and handing off the flame to another.

These Olympics also mark the first time I will be taking part in a related knitting event.  I was unaware of the Yarn Harlot’s blog when she initiated the Knitting Olympics four years ago and chose not to participate in the Ravelympics in the summer of 2008.  But with Canada hosting the games it only seemed fitting that I take part this time around.  I will be working on two pairs of socks for Team Tufty (the SKA team) and attempting to finish up my long-neglected Tangled Yoke Cardigan for Team Manic Purl (one of my favourite podcasts, hosted by a Vancouver resident).  Unfortunately, I will not be watching the opening ceremonies as I cast on; instead, I will be the car, on the way to my parents’ house for the weekend.  But that won’t stop me—with the help of a handy-dandy clip-on light I will be able to start a plain vanilla sock and work on it as I travel.  With any luck, I will meet my knitting goals by the time the Ravelympics end on February 28th.

Speaking of luck, they say good things come in threes but it was with great astonishment that I learned that had won yet another yarny prize a few weeks ago.  I had entered a contest sponsored by Skacel and WonderMike of the Fiber Beat podcast and I was chosen at random to receive five skeins of Zitron Unisono, a springy, variegated merino wool. 

It just arrived this morning and is destined to become a sweater...after the Olympics, that is.  Let the games begin!  

It’s That Time Again

I’ve felt a bit unsettled since New Year’s.  I’ve done some reflecting on last year’s knitting goals and accomplishments and have been thinking about my plans for 2010 but I haven’t had a chance to organize my thoughts and commit them to writing until now.  Even though January is already more than half over, I won’t feel as though the year has truly begun until I do.

Last year I made a rather lengthy but perfectly achievable list of goals for 2009.  Although I did meet many of my objectives for 2009, like knitting a sweater from start to finish, reorganizing my stash, and completing some WIP’s, I also failed to meet some others.  Despite my intention to knit more from stash and cut back on yarn purchases, my stash definitely increased again this year.  And, unfortunately, I did not finish the Great American Aran Afghan in time for Christmas, having lost interest sometime around July.  But instead of feeling guilty about it languishing half-finished under the bed, I took Goal #10 to heart and simply set myself a new deadline.

Which brings me to my goals for 2010.  

1.  Finish the GAAA by July 1st, in time for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.  There are twenty-some-odd weeks between now and then and twelve blocks to go—no sweat.

2.  For the most part, limit my SKA projects to one per month in order to free up time to knit other projects.  With so many choices each month it’s hard to resist doing one in each category.

3.  Knit every SKA mystery sock this year.  The designs are usually excellent and it doesn’t hurt to go out of my comfort zone and give up a little control now and then.

4.  Make a point of using my sock books.  I’ve owned Sock Innovation for almost a year and haven’t knit a pair from it yet.

5.  Finish some of my sweaters-in-progress, like Twigs and Leaves, the Tangled Yoke Cardigan, and Fylingdales.  I recently completed the February Lady Sweater and the Mondo Cable Cardigan and have enjoyed wearing them.  I’d like to wear more of my sweaters.

6.  Spread out gift knitting (mainly socks) over the course of the year.  I did this in 2009 and it worked out great.

7.  Embrace the stash.  I love yarn.  I love to buy yarn.  I can afford to buy yarn.  Then why feel guilty about something that gives me so much pleasure?  This year I am not setting any moratorium on buying yarn.  While I do have plans to knit more from my stash because there are some beauties in there that are calling my name, I will continue to buy yarn as the spirit moves me, guilt-free.

8.  Spend more time knitting and less time reading about knitting.  I’ve already begun putting this into practice.  As much as I love Ravelry and my favourite knitting blogs they can really suck up the time.  Although I will continue to follow my favourite threads and blogs, I will be scanning more and chatting less.     

9.  Blog when I feel like it.  Last year I set a goal to blog at least once a week, putting undue pressure on myself.  The truth is I am not a once-a-week blogger.  Sometimes I am a three-times-a-week blogger and sometimes I am a once-a-month blogger.  You get what you get.  No apologies.

10.  Let it go.  Other than setting a specific deadline for finishing the GAAA and participating in the SKA monthly challenges (which I love), my intention this year is to be less regimented when it comes to my hobby.  In 2010 I am going worry less about meeting other people’s expectations or my own self-imposed knitting deadlines; instead, I am going to go with the flow and knit and buy and blog what I want when I want.  Something tells me this is going to be the hardest goal of all.