Knitting Cybrarian

Summer

Summer 2009 has been unusually cool.  Cool meaning that we've not had as many 90+F days as usual.  Not that I'm complaining.  It's meant that we could sit out on the deck more than previous summers. 

We feed the orioles grape jelly, and it seems lots of other birds enjoy the treat too.  Goldfinches, regular finches, sparrows, cardinals (yes!) and hummingbirds have all visited in recent weeks.

Our beloved Mooch has vanished.  Mooch was one of the neighborhood cats who visited us at least twice a day.  We'd feed him, and pet him.  He was clearly someone's cat, but the last few times we saw him, he had a would on his head.  I hope that his owners kept him inside, but I'm afraid he's crossed the Rainbow Bridge. 

G.W., another neighborhood cat, often quarreled with Mooch, and still visits.  However, we stopped putting out cat food, because G.W. terrorized Portia.  Last night I saw G.W. with a baby rabbit.  Groan.  I don't think putting out cat food for him would have deterred him from hunting, though.  Our alternative name for G.W. is Evil Cat, btw.

Coneflowers have practically taken over the mid/late-summer garden.  I still love seeing them, and of course, the bees and butterflies love them too.  We're trying to maintain a bird, bee and butterfly friendly zone in our yard with no pesticides, no insecticides, and benign neglect in the wildflower bed.

We've enjoyed cherry and roma tomatoes from pots this summer as well as lots of basil and mint.  I've made at least two containers of pesto so far.  YUM!

How does your garden grow?

Long time, no...

blog. 

The rain is coming down outside, as it has off and on for most of the past week.  At least it's not snow -- we had about 6 inches of snow towards the end of March!

Spring here on the edge of the prairie is pretty, unpredictable, and rainy, or at least this year it is.  The spring flowers have held up well despite wildly swinging temps and snow, rain, sleet, ice, you name it.  Hopefully the fruit trees have too.

The other night 5 wild turkeys visited.  They didn't come onto our property, but just up to the edge.  This is the first time we've had them this close.  The neighborhood possum has gotten pretty fat (unless that's a momma possum expecting!) and waddles around close to sundown.  Joel gets tickled watching it.  We've got raccoons around too, and we try to keep the outside cat dish empty.  Mooch and Evil Cat still visit regularly, particularly Evil Cat. 

And did I mention the deer?  We see a group of 6 deer back of our property around once a week.

While I enjoy this, I do miss the mountains.  The mountains back home are covered in redbud and dogwood right now, with green shoots coming out too.  When I was a small girl, Mom and I would hunt and pick wild asparagus in April and early May. 

Thinking on green things reminds me that my mother's mother used to hunt herbs and such for home remedies -- I wish I had been able to learn from her, but by the time I came along, her eyesight was not good and it deteriorated even more with time. 

Knitting, what have I been knitting?  I knit a fair isle bag and felted it for a Spring Runway Show at the Studio.  The leather handles didn't come in time for the event, hence the twisted yarn handles.

I'm knitting a breast too.  Yes, you read that right.  I'm knitting a prosthesis for a dear friend.  Still working on a pair of socks for me, and a few other items. 

My grandmothers and an aunt tried to teach me to crochet when I was small, and all I produced were tightly twisted crochet chains.  Perhaps they'll forgive me that, given how I've embraced knitting!  I'm sorry they're not around to see and feel my handiwork-- or to try to teach me to crochet again.

Happy Easter and happy spring!

Yes, Virginia, Coyotes are alive and well in Missouri

Friday morning I was Columbia, MO bound.  I planned to meet colleagues at a mall on the eastern edge of the metro area so I didn't have to drive into the city and deal with intense rush hour traffic.

I have a favorite route from home to the interstate and main roads east of us.  Hills, windy roads, fields and livestock characterize this route -- all of which remind me of home (Franklin County, VA).  I frequently see horses, cattle, deer and wild turkey, and as I pass over creeks in the early morning or early evening, I can smell the coolness of the water.  Takes me back to my country girl roots.

So, Friday morning I'm driving this beloved route, and at a stop sign, I notice a white-tailed deer running through the horse pasture.  The white tail was vertical, much like a flagpole, and from the stance, I knew this doe was running for her life.  I turned right and took my time -- not knowing if she was the first of a few spooked deer.  To my surprise, a coyote crossed in front of me, heedless of the car, but definitely after breakfast.  The coyote stopped at the edge of the road, sniffing for Bambi (as I dubbed her).  By then, Bambi had jumped the fence and was into the next field. 

This coyote was healthy -- I think it was a female, but I didn't get to examine it too closely.  I was stunned by its speed and how it had no concern about my vehicle coming towards it.  If you've been to the Grand Canyon, you've probably seen coyote -- the ones I saw were rather scrawny (in March) and were looking for tourist handouts.  I also saw a few in Sun City, AZ -- same time of year, and also somewhat scrawny.  The Missouri cousin looked quite healthy -- beautiful, strong, and determined to have Bambi for breakfast. 

I'll look out for this coyote and his/her family at this intersection from now on!

Voting, nature, knitting

We've had warm weather the past two days.  Last night when I came home I opened the sliding glass door and the front door to enjoy some fresh air.  Unfortunately this morning Portia let out her hunting meow as we walked to the living room.  She was pawing between my knitting bags and sniffing to beat the band.  As I turned, I saw something run into the kitchen out of the corner of my eye.  A mouse!

Portia was still hunting for it between my knitting bags.  Joel removed the stove drawer, and I asked him to pick her up and bring her to the kitchen as I moved things around, wondering if the mouse would dart out.  No luck.  So this afternoon I baited mouse traps.  Portia is on mouse patrol now, watching for something to come out from underneath the stove.

Joel and I were going to vote this morning, but we decided to wait.  A good thing, as I understand there were long lines at polling places all over Kansas City.  When Joel came home from work, we went and I had NO wait at all!  Joel had 3 people in front of him.   I even brought knitting, just in case I had to stand in line, but all the knitting I did was while I waited for Joel to complete his ballot.

And what am I knitting?  The Tesserae Sock by Anne Hanson.  I'm using Steinbach Wolle Strapaz in color 44, a lovely navy with a white strand twisted into the plys.  These are for Joel.  However, I'm a little short on the toe (making a little longer cuff), so I've ordered some Louet Pearl in red for the toes!

Ah, and last night while the glass door was open, I thought I heard a cat hiss outside.  I got up to see if it was one of the strays we feed, but instead I noticed that my neighbor's deck light was on.  Three deer, all does, were standing in our backyard.  They turned their heads toward me, and I froze.  Eventually I moved back, but I'm always entranced when I see deer. Something about their beautiful heads, liquid eyes and those teeny legs balancing those large bodies transfixes me.

I won't be staying up watching the election returns.  I can't change the result at this point.  I went to the polls and did what I could.  Tomorrow or even Thursday we'll have a better idea of what's ahead. 

This week

• I finished knitting my second TitBit.  Done in Rowan PureLife Organic Cotton, I think someone will enjoy its softness.
• I finished the body of the Eyelet Baby Blanket and am working on the ruffled edge.  I noticed Blue Sky Alpacas had posted an important pattern alert and my heart did a nosedive.  Thankfully I'm ready to start Row 3 (where the error is noted) and all is well.
• Cool weather.... I need to knit more socks.  I remembered that I wore a huge hole in one of my favorite pairs last year and I need more.  So does the hubster and mom.

The hubster can get gift certificates for WalMart through the points reward system at his work.  So, he ordered $75 worth this week and we went grocery shopping there this morning.  I have to admit that I'm not crazy about their business practices, so we don't go there very often. 

We were armed with a grocery list, a receipt from our last trip to the neighborhood grocery (for price comparisons) and our reusable bags (why aren't more people doing this???).

We had a successful trip.  We did NOT buy

• everything in sight (I should have had more for breakfast)
• items that were priced higher than our neighborhood grocery (hence the receipt for reference -- ever the librarian)
• unnecessary items, except that box of the Pillsbury Savorings that was a-cheaper than our neighborhood grocery and b-we had a $1 coupon.
• Did I mention the 8oz round of President Brie?  That was the last of the unnecessary items.

I refrained from

• correcting children behaving badly
• correcting children driving carts badly
• correcting parents driving carts badly
• wresting the cell phone from the young woman who blocked the aisle while shopping and talking during her ENTIRE time in the store
• grabbing the hubster by his collar when he wanted to rush the older lady pulling selecting the toilet paper package larger than herself and getting it into her cart (light, but a little awkward and she clearly did not want help)
• taking a step backwards when a customer parked her cart right on my butt when in the checkout line.  Soooo very tempting.

This is not like my hometown WalMart, where every two feet you run into someone you know and have to visit for 15 minutes.  However, much like shopping at the hometown WalMart, I carefully planned the shopping so frozen and refrigerated stops were last. 

Whew.

The weather is lovely and sometime around midweek, before 40+ of my dearest friends and colleagues arrive for a conference here, winter or something like it is supposed to attack descend on Kansas City.  Greeeeeat.  Bring layers, your umbrella, and your overshoes, just in case.

And did I mention that for some irrational reason, the noise of a vacuum cleaner just gives me the heebie jeebies?  Joel is wonderful about doing the vacuuming, but today he decided that post-Laura's naptime would be a great time to do it.  I'm sitting in the living room, trying to wake up, and he's vacuuming.  My first reaction is to ask him what the heck he's doing, but he wouldn't hear me.  We'll skip my second reaction, which isn't pretty, but involves destroying said machine.  My third reaction is to retreat to the bedroom and lock the door.

I do none of the above.  I pick up my knitting baskets, the cat toys and other items on the living room floor and then go snuggle with Portia, who also dislikes the vacuum cleaner.  We snuggle in the sunlight and try to ignore the noise.  I like Portia's plan.

And it looks like...

titbit
Originally uploaded by lauragayle

this.  Here's my knitted prosthesis.  Made from Classic Elite Cotton Bamboo.  The pattern is TitBits from Knitty. 

What else?  Dolores, the Fibertarian candidate and I met up with the Yarn Harlot on Monday night.  Stephanie was delightful.  Dolores was... well, my car will never be the same again.

We were featured on Franklin's blog today.  I'm sure it'll go to Dolores's head.  It always does.

And, it was an exciting morning in the Music Library.  Two snakes were captured by the glue traps.  Yeah, that's the nature AND the EWWW! category.  And a patron left their sweatpants and either underwear or swimsuit at the library entrance.  Let's hope the 1970s streaking rage hasn't returned!

This and that

Leaves are changing color and falling off of the trees.  Beautiful, but a reminder that it'll be cold and sleet/snow/etc soon.  Let's just focus on the pretty leaves for now!

I'm finishing up a baby blanket for Shaun who was born yesterday.  I promise I'll have it done before he really needs it!

I'm also knitting a boobie.  Yes, you read correctly.  I was telling Mom this the other night, and her response was "what??"  I said "a tittie."

She said "oh.  I thought you said a boobie." 

"I did."  I think Mom thought tittie was "kitty."

Then I told her about Kansas City Knitters for Knockers and how many of us are knitting or crocheting breast prostheses -- it's breast cancer awareness month.

At the end of it, Mom said "Girl, you make my day!"  I hope these knockers make someone else's day too!

And if you're in the Kansas City area, the coming week is "Back in the Swing" week.  The Studio is one of the participating retailers and if you haven't purchased a card yet, you can buy one there too.

The time of the year

My dad used to characterize something he saw as being part of "the time of year."  He's been on my mind as I've noticed the trees heralding fall's arrival.  I noticed the first leaves a week and a half ago.  There's a tree on a certain corner that always turns red first.  A couple of branches on the northeast corner of the tree seem to greet me at that intersection.  I turn towards the tree as I make that turn and it seems to say "hey!  Winter's coming!  But look at me, I'm beautiful NOW."

Speaking of the time of the year, because the evenings have turned cooler a little earlier than last year, the mice invaded.  I mentioned in an earlier post that Portia got one and I got one in a trap.  Last night I heard a trap go off around 10:20pm or so.  I really didn't want to deal with it and go back to bed, and possibly interrupt Portia on Mouse Patrol.  This morning I found the mouse still alive with its tail caught in the trap.  It looked up at me and then at Joel, terrified and wanting to be free.

Joel wanted me to let it go.  I wasn't so crazy about that, but I really didn't want to actually do the deed.  Rain was pouring like crazy outside, so I donned rubber gloves, opened the door and went to release the mouse.  Rain was pouring so hard that the mouse did not want to leave the trap, crawling on the underside to escape the rain.  I gave the trap a shake and flung the mouse to its freedom.

Let's hope it's grateful enough to stay outside.  Who am I kidding? 

Traps are baited again tonight and Portia is on Mouse Patrol.  I'll be so glad when this is over. 

traps and snaps

The hubster bought 4 mouse traps tonight.  I set 3 of them with peanut butter and let's hope I'm successful.  They're all out of Portia's reach, but in places where I've verified a mouse (or mice -- egad) have been. 

Stay posted for more icky tales.

But the weather has been lovely, but I was so tired today I only noticed on the ride home. 

Hope you are not being invaded as the critters get ready for winter!

Hours later...

It's nearly 5pm and I've finally taken a shower.  Today Joel and I scrubbed, bleached, cleaned, bleached, vacuumed, you get the idea.  Of course, after I finished bleaching down the kitchen counters and everything that's stored on them, he reminded me that if the mice show up tonight, all of our work is for naught.

I knew that, but I didn't want to really have to face that possibility.

I also dusted, and have a few glass pieces to wash-- they're items that usually sit on the mantel and have gotten quite dusty.  The pieces aren't that valuable (or I wouldn't be mentioning them), but they mean something to me, and they need to be clean to really look good.

And did I mention we cleaned out the drawers and top of our butcher block cart and scrubbed/bleached the items on the cart?  Sigh.  I'm one of these folks who usually washes pots/pans/food processor, etc. before using anyway, but I can't stand to have any visible dirt on them.  And we won't discuss what kind of dirt was on some of them.  I hate mice.

Portia has been napping most of today while we've cleaned.  I expect her to earn her keep tonight.