Another Decade

Another decade has crawled/flown/limped/dragged/danced by. I got on the scale, took a good look in the post-shower mirror, and decided that; while I am in good shape, I either want to be in top form or dead by the time the AARP card arrives.

Sound harsh? Not really. Mediocrity is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and to me...that looks like a lousy way to live. There are times where it feels as if the unknown evils of the deep are reaching up to grab my ankle and pull me down to a scum filled drowning death. Equally, there are times when it's all good. And I'm okay with both of those, it's that trapped in the middle feeling that I want to avoid.

You may have noticed that my definition of mediocre has a lot to do with balance. That's because life is about balance. Well, balance and choices. And I foresee that the next 5 years will be filled with a wrestling match/dance between those two forces.

Happy birthday to me, Merry Christmas to y'all.

Ripley - fast and easy

A quick satisfying knit: Ripley by Ysolda Teague. I used a DK angora,nylon,merino blend (from the stash) held double for gauge. Easy easy easy. The photo styling of the pattern shows it worn either with the pleats toward the side front, or at the nape of the neck. Due to user error I got the little seam at the pleat, phooey. The little pleats at the nape instead, make this hat a delight to wear in the house. It's snug to the scalp, covers the ear tips, and the pleats pull up that weird bunchiness you get around the back with a regular hat. Very handy for winter houses/hotel rooms.



I forsee enough wearings to make the handwash nature of this hat worth it.

But winter hasn't started yet!!!

A little perspective: I've gone out to fill that bird feeder, which hangs from my laundry line, which in summer I have to stand on tip toe to unhook and fill up.

Happy Holiday!

From our stash to yours.

Seams to me

Blatantly bragging about my seaming.



And shot of the decrease row markers in action. I took the number that I needed (13) and hung them from a stitch marker on the work, then as I completed each repeat I hung the #'d marker appropriately. It makes putting the project down and coming back days later very easy. Which is apparently an integral part of my knitting style. In knitting I am not monogamous; in part for practical reasons - different bandwidth requires different projects, and in part because I am a yarn slut. Today my bandwidth can handle simple rib and watching the crockpot cook dinner. Guess that Rosemarkie colourwork vest will have to stay in it's bag.