My Friend Ruth

I can't remember when Ruth and I met, nor where, but it seems like we knew each other forever.  We spun and knit and joked.  We made pillow cases at her house one holiday season to give out as presents.  We shared our love for animals, food, the environment and politics.  She always came over to help do inventory in late July or early August or would just come sit and knit with me on the shop deck for a couple of sunny hours.

Ruth often modeled for my original designs and was my best test knitter.

In 2007 above, modeling the Distaff Basket and early October 2012 below modeling We Shawl.

She was also an enthusiastic teacher and demonstrator of fiber arts.

Showing simple weaving, Roc Day 1/2009

 

Teaching spindling at one of my Open Houses, July 2009

As an active member of our Spinning guild, Ruth was on the Roc Day committee and fully participated in guild programs.

 2nd from right, 2010

modeling the monster squash we were trying to guess the weight of, fall 2011.

She was an original member, with Carole L and me, of our weekly Knit Knite which started at Wegmans then moved to its current incarnation at Panera's.  Ruth taught most of the Nurse's Aides in our county through a program at Oak Hill Nursing Home.  She loved dressing up on Holidays for the nursing home festivities and often brought her guitar in to sing alongs.  The is the last picture I have of her (Oct 31, 2012 at Knit Knite) before she had her first seizure in December.

Ruth spent December, 2012 through late July, 2013 striving to get ahead of her brain cancer, and for a while she did, but it was an aggressive tumor and by June she was losing ground.  Ruth entered Hospicare in August where they took amazingly loving care of her.  On the 31st she was resting so peacefully we knew it was a matter of days before she left us. She passed to another plane on Wednesday morning, September 4, 2013.  She will be sorely missed by not only me but her family and all the friends she lovingly touched over the years.

Emergency Knitting

I spent a lovely morning yesterday interviewing stitch patterns for a new design I am brewing. It's a 2 color piece but I haven't yet made up my mind as to its look.  Definitely with fingering yarns and not difficult, but it still has to be interesting enough to keep the boredom away yet allow for social knitting. Cafe au lait but not skinny sugar free decaf latte.

   These are in the running for stitch pattern winners.

Obviously the curled up one will not make it.  Jim likes the blue and red sample.  I thought I liked the grey and sea green one but it might be too fussy.  Well.......then I realized it was 11:30am and I still hadn't sent out Thursday's Newsletter so got myself up to the shop and started that several hour procedure.

A little after noon Jim called me to say he thought I should take him to the Emergency Room. HUH?  Well his pulse was erratic and he has a history of atrial flutter. OK immediate change of gears!!!!

I shut down the computer and started to get myself ready.  Finished getting dressed, well I was dressed but not for public consumption.  Then I asked Jim if he had called his cardio dr. No. So while he answered a zillion questions I got my iPad  and cell into my purse then started collecting enough knitting to get me through the day.  One never knows how long one will be in the Emergency Room.

Last time they admitted him and he was in ICU for a week.  We kinda knew it wouldn't be like that this time as we know what causes his flutter.  Sleep Apnea.

Into my Michelle knitting bag I threw the two almost complete socks I have been working on and off for the last 6 months as car knitting.  Plus a little dress I started for a darling little girl and just in case I finished both socks, some yarn to start my sister a pair.  That felt like enough to get me through the day.

Around 1pm, I let him off at the Emergency Room door and went to park the car.  By the time I got back into the Room he had already had an electrocardiogram.  From our cardio experiences there Cayuga Medical has a very good Emergency Room.  Then they moved him into a much more 'decorated' room with carts and charts and tubes and bells and whistles and beeps.  The NP really listened to both Jim and me as to history and Jim's allergies to certain meds.  His heart rate was fluctuating between 90 and 145 but his blood pressure was good and so were his other signs.  Of course they took blood and gave him an Xray.  The Dr in the Room said all those looked fine but we would wait for the cardio Dr on call.  They gave him some intravenous meds and fluids meanwhile to see if his heart would reconcile itself.  Well, it did moderate his pulse and lower it but there was still fibrillation. Yep, no flutter, real atrial fibrillation. The Dr on call turned out to be Dr Swisher whom Jim really likes so that was a good thing.

Meanwhile Jim was very thirsty and rather hungry as he hadn't even had breakfast.  At one point he was allowed to suck on 3 ice chips but nothing else.  Turns out if he had eaten anything they would need to wait 8 hours to do a cardiac inversion and that looked more and more possible with each half hour.  Then we had shift change which seems to slow everything down for an hour.

The new RN's were great, very motherly, efficient and also listened well besides being very upbeat.

Meanwhile I tried to write the newsletter with my iPad.  Got only so far and then the screen kept freezing.  I called ConstantContact and was told that I needed a special app plus would need to kinda start over with a new app template to use that app.  "OK.  Let the work end of the day go." I told myself.  "Just be there for Jim and knit."

Somewhere around 5:30 Dr Swisher made the decision.  They gave Jim the forget everything drugs and shooed me out.  I went to the cafe to have a snack, having not eaten lunch in all the excitement.  About an hour later Dr Swisher came out to tell me all went exceedingly well as one very small jolt righted his heart rate.  We now only had to wait for the drugs to wear off and for them to make sure his pressure stayed stable.  Long story short, we got out of there about 7:30.

AND the best news is: Jim is cleared to paddle in the DragonBoat races tomorrow.

As for all that knitting.  This is what I accomplished.

Crochet Hook Beading

OR  

Never string another bead for a knitting project again.

I love beads.  Well I seem to love glitz, which is why I add angelina to most of my Pixie Batts and favor yarn with stellina.  I also find ways to add beads to most of my patterns in one way or another.

At vendings when I tell folks that they can add the beads one at a time, exactly where they are called for, people get rather happy and want to use this method.  After all stringing 100 or 500 or even 1000 beads is tedious at best and feels like the string weighs 6 pounds instead of a few ounces.  Also moving those beads up and down the yarn actually begins to wear on the thread as well.

So first off put your beads into an open container.  The container can have a lid but leave it open for now.  Also acquire a steel US 9-12 crochet hook.  

Skewer a bead.

Snag the next stitch (the one that is to be beaded) with the hook.

Pull the loop through the bead being careful not to split the yarn.

Now replace that beaded loop back onto the left needle and knit or purl as directed.

That all folks!  Simple, easy and convenient.  

The only thing you might want to do is slide the bead up the stitch a bit once it is knit.  

Really now, even those of you who have stayed away from beaded items can add some glitz in your projects too.

Basel

"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them, and every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are"  Anonymous

Basel left us on April 8.  It has taken me this long to be able to write anything about him.  I miss him terribly.  He lived to be 13.5 years which is approx 4.5 years longer than the vet predicted.  That part is marvelous so I don't begrudge him leaving at all.  I just miss his wonderful loving presence in my life.

He went quietly over a couple of days.  Actually once we realized his body was shutting down, we called in the traveling vet to see if she agreed.  She did and so gave him the needed shots so he could pass peacefully into doggie heaven.

Basel came to us as a rescue out of a guy's apartment.  He had 2 broken legs from a car accident that had not been dealt with so the poor guy dragged himself around for that length of time until a couple of women broke into this guy's apartment and removed the 6 month old rottie.  We found a vet that would do the surgery for cost. What a happy puppy!  It was predicted that he could never jump or run but he overcame it all. He actually levitated into the back of my Pilot until he was about 9, then he used a ramp.  Basel loved all creatures and slept with the bunnies and some of our cats.  He especially enjoyed being a shop dog and greeting all customers.  

More Zentangles

I just love doing these little drawings.  So relaxing and satisfying.  No real set up, easy to start and sets my day up beautifully.

A set with some new and old tangles.  The one on the lower left reminds me of a wasp nest.

Learned a new one, Purk, this morning.

But my fav of the last week is this Poke Root metamorphosis.

Bulky EarFlap Hat

A FREE pattern as promised. (with thanks to Cathy C.)

Bulky EarFlap Hat for many sizes

This pattern works great for those of you who have leftovers that seem too small in yardage to make something by themselves but still too much to throw away.  The blue (CC) in this hat is hand spun and the grey is natural alpaca/wool (MC) I had sitting around.

A rolled brim, warm earflap hat with braided ties.  Looks great on everyone.

Easy to Intermediate Level Knitting. 

Sizes: 9-12mo (Toddler, Child, Small, Medium, Large)

Fits heads 16”(18, 19, 20, 21, 22) around.

Hat Measurements 15(16.75, 18, 18.75, 20, 21)”

Needles: US 10 / 3.73mm 16” circs plus dpns for ear flaps and crown of hat & baby size.  Or size to make gauge.

Gauge: 3 st/in in st st.  Row gauge not needed as we use inches for lengths.

Notions: Stitch markers

Yarn: Approx 30-55 yds of Main Color (depending on size being worked) of bulky yarn. Contrasting Color will be 35-70yds of bulky.

Ear Flaps

Make two the same.  These will convex curve so that they fit nicely over ears.

Using US 10 dpns cast on 2(3, 3, 2, 3, 3) stitches in CC.

Most rows begin with slip 1 purlwise and end with k thru back loop.

Row 1 (RS): ktbl, k to last st, ktbl

Row 2 WS : sl1p, pbf, purl to last 2st, pbf, ktbl

Row 3 (RS): sl1p,kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, ktbl

Cont with rows 2 & 3 until you have 8(9, 11, 12, 13, 14) sts

Work even in stockinette until flap measures 2(2.25, 2.75, 3, 3.25, 3.5)”

    Remember to start each row with sl1 purlwise and end with ktbl.

Hold these 2 cuties on their dpns for a bit later.

Hat Body

Note - If making hat without earflaps – cast on total number of stitches and ignore ear-flap instructions.

1.    With circular needle, and MC cast on using a long-tail stretchy method or a larger needle, 45(50, 54, 56, 60, 63) stitches. Join without twisting and place a Beginning Of Round marker at this point.

2.    Knit around for 3 rounds making a curled edge.

Attaching the earflaps

On the next round, knit 4(5, 5, 6, 7, 7) sts then:

1.    Place one earflap on its dpn behind the circular needle – right side of flap to wrong side of hat both right sides face you as the knitter.

2.    Working in stockinette stitch - work a stitch from each needle together as you would with 1 stitch. (This is similar to working 2 stitches together – EXCEPT each stitch is on a different needle.) You will be joining the hat body to the earflap without increasing any stitches.

3.    Knit another 21(22, 22, 20, 20, 21) sts and then attach the second flap in the same way as the first.  Complete the round.

4.    Work one round in purl using CC. Do not cut off CC. Twist up BOR, pulling taut, until needed.

      Hat sides

Striping Pattern 1: 2 rounds MC, 2 rounds CC, 1 round MC, 2 rounds CC starting just above the purl round then again just before the purl round* near the crown.

Knit around for ~3(3.25, 3.75, 4.25, 4.75, 5) total inches from the garter ridge or desired length before crown decrease.

·       Measure your 7 round striping.  Subtract this number from the total inches for your size. 

At that point work another striping set as follows:

Striping Pattern 2: 2 rounds CC, 1 round MC, 2 rounds CC, 2 rounds MC.

Purl 1 round in CC.

Crown

Can be worked all in MC or concentric circle colors as follows:

*2 rounds MC, 2 rounds CC*  making concentric circles

Round 1 – *K 3(3, 4, 5, 8, 7), sl 1 as to purl, k1, pass slipped st over k st* - Repeat from * to * to complete round.

Round 2 and all even rows: Knit even - no dec.

Round 3 - *K 2(2, 3, 4, 7, 6), sl 1, k1, pass slipped st over k st*.

Round 5 - *K 1(1, 2, 3, 6, 5), sl 1, k1, psso*.

Change to dpns when sts become hard to move around the needle.

Round 7 - *K 0(0, 1, 2, 5, 4), sl 1, k1, psso*.

·       Baby and toddler finish as below.

Round 9 - *K –(-, 0, 1, 4, 3), sl 1, psso*.

·       Child finish as below.

·       Medium – knit one more round even then finish as below.

    Rounds 11 - *K –(-, -, 0, 3, 2), sl 1, psso*.

·       Small finish as below

o   For medium continue until *k1, sl1, psso*

o   For large continue until *k0, sl1, psso*

§  Finish as below.

Finishing

Cut yarn 6 - 7 inches from end of last round, thread an embroidery needle and pull through all remaining stitches twice around – pull taut and then to inside of hat. Knot and weave yarn end in to secure the stitches.

Add Pompom, button or tassel as desired to center crown.

Braids:

Measure out, in both colors, four lengths of yarn each measuring about a yard or meter.   Put a length of each color together and thread between stitches a couple rows up and to the right of center from bottom of one earflap.  Pull through until ends meet each other.  Do this again with another 2 but place it to the left of center. Place the hat on something that will hold it secure and braid the yarns (not tightly) until you have 12 – 15” of cording, incorporating the beginning tail into the braid as far as it will go. Make a knot near the end of this braid then cut the remaining yarn to 2-3 inches long. 

Do the same with the remaining yarn on the other earflap.

Weave in yarn ends and block on a balloon or overturned mixing bowl.

 

© Susan Sarabasha  3/13        sarabasha@earthlink.net   For personal use only.

Zentangles

    For the past few years I've been doing more designing of patterns than artwork.  It channels my creativity in more practical ways and is very satisfying.  However I do like to draw, but have been so dissatisfied with my drawings of late I just about stopped.  I mostly did illustration, realism and scientific illustration as I never understood abstract drawing.

During this time I've looked at many 'how to' books but they are all for beginners and seemed too basic for what was needed which was refresher stuff.  Then about a month ago I happened upon Zentangles.

• (BTW apple and google are not playing nice with each other.  I am writing this blog thru FireFox as somehow, with the last few Safari/OS 10.x updates, the URL link function no longer works on blogspot for me. AAMOF other tools sometimes don't work either.)

I researched it well and decided to download the One Zentangle a Day book onto my Kindle app on my iPad.  It was/is exactly what I have been wanting.  One exercise a day is all that is required, maybe taking a half hour, meditative, non representational yet eductational in terms of light, dark and shading.  I already have all the pens and pencils so it was a relatively easy thing to start doing.
Making the time for myself each morning is the hard part.

The student is slowly worked through exercises and then combination drawings as we go along.  It's meant to be a 6 week course, but since I am sometimes only doing one exercise a day and not the entire chapter my progress is slower.  Actually, I like the fact that it will take more time.

We practice shapes individually.

 

 

  

Then put them together as directed.

Here's a more recent mix.  Again part of the plan.  It's all about texture, light, dark, shading and deliberate shapes making the whole look 3 dimensional but not of anything truly real.

And this morning I made my very first, on my own, Zentangle,

 using only tangles I have so far learned.  

A sheepy! 

Although I will admit that I started out thinking it might be a bunny but went with the flow.