Interior ReDesign

Happy Spring!
12 hours and counting...

Been in the throes since Friday of a redesign of the office. M and I now have side-by-side desks facing out the windows towards the library. She has access to the books she needs for worship planning, and I have access to the printer with the card reader so I can upload photos so much more easily. We are well on our way to being able to list the old computer desk on Freecycle (I love Freecycle) and getting it out of here so the loom can be moved downstairs. If no one bites on Freecycle, the Swap Shed at the dump opens in May, though we'd really rather not have to move the thing ourselves.

The resulting long-overdue clean/purge of the file cabinets and desks will send six bags of recyclable paper (most of it shredded) off to the dump today. I'm hoping there'll be room for me and Pupper once I have all the trash, recycling and compost in the car.

And that's what I've been doing with my weekend. Did a little bit of work on Crocus Tank over the weekend, but I am knitting wounded right now, so discomfort kinda prevailed. Oh, it's not a horrible wound, just one of those really deep skin splits that plague me every winter. This one, on the tip of my right thumb, makes holding the needles (especially size 5 needles -- let's not discuss the size 1 I'm knitting the socks on) rather painful.

In the interest of knitting content, however:The nearly-done back of crocus. I am still worried about the quantity of yarn. I am almost at the shoulder shaping for the back and about to finish the 3rd of 6 balls. I realize the front will take less yarn, but this thing has ribbing at the neck and sleeve openings, and that'll eat up yarn. Will probably call Karen this morning and have her set another ball aside just in case.

Here's a close-up of the crocus lace motif:The sun is finally shining again, so the color is fairly accurate in the first shot -- a little washed out in the close up.

As for the rainbow socks:I have turned the heel and gotten going on the leg. It was completely unplanned, but I have to love how the light blue stripe was just enough for the toe and then just enough for the heel. There are about 5 color stripes left before I finish, so they should make it to knee sock length. The foot is a smidge too long for my feet, but they fit M perfectly, and since most of the other socks I've made (with the exception of her Pink Socks) fit my feet perfectly but are small on her, I guess it's only fair.

And now I leave you with this beefcake shot, courtesy of our delightfully sweet K-Man, showing off all he ain't got.

Ah, March

WARNING: Image-heavy post

Just three days ago we were basking in shirt sleeves in 70 degree temps. Today, we wake up to this:(That's the lawn where just a couple days ago I was surprised by a flock of robins.) And this:And this:Which is essentially the same view from Thursday's post, now with more snow.

Okay, back up. We didn't really wake up to those pictures. Those are post-shoveling pics (note the shoveled sidewalk in front of the library in the second pic). What we woke up to this morning was Pupper barking at the plow guy (who's only slightly better than nothing) -- anyone who has ever been startled out of a deep sleep by a barking dog will understand the kind of start that gave our day.

Today's scent was something very dark and musky. Probably called "Tahitian Moonlight" or some such -- still not sure if I liked it, but it was an interesting accompaniment to the day's shoveling. I'm not implying that we can always smell the candles (in fact, most of the time we can't), but there are certain climatic conditions under which we can be treated to all sorts of interesting aromas. Then there was the day I wasn't sure if I was smelling apple cider from the orchard up the street or apple cider candles from the factory across the highway....

There must be some sort of bird signal that humans just don't see or hear or whatever. Almost as soon as I came inside from shoveling, this happened:

This is the aforementioned "cat TV" we installed to keep our indoor cats entertained during the day. It keeps us constantly amazed as well. It's fun to watch the birds vary from season to season.

And one more:It's not just Snowie buried up to his neck. You see that mound on the other side of the door? That's Honker, the penguin who got completely buried last night.

Okay, some more just to celebrate the snow:



I may dislike the cold but I do love snow. And I really love shoveling snow. Call me crazy.

I Am Poodle, Seek Me Sulk

Pupper hates the blow dryer, and with his thick fur, it would take a lot more strength and perseverance than this one Mommy has to hold him still long enough to dry him. What this means is that in the winter (when going outside with wet fur could kill) Pupper gets bathed a) by the professionals when he gets his every-8-weeks haircut; or b) not at all. I suppose we could take him to the groomer in between, but do you realize it costs more for one Pupper trip to the hairdresser than it costs for M and I both to have our hair done! [Funny side note: the salon where we have our hair done moved about a year ago, and in its old storefront is the groomer where Pupper now goes.]

Enter a glorious day in March when the temps are pushing 70 and the Pupper is due for a good bathing (because of his skin he can only have a bath every four weeks or so). Pupper doesn't fight his baths, but he certainly makes it clear through body language just how little he likes it. Think of it as a massive dose of cockapoo resignation. When the bath is over:we are not sure how much we like Mommy right now.

But my, how curly.You can certainly see the poodle in his gene pool there.

A few hours and good comb out later, a clean, shiny, soft Pupper is ready for his closeup. Would you prefer serious:
Or ready-for-fun:
Perhaps a more contemplative full-body look:My he does stack well, doesn't he?

Yes, I hauled the Adirondack chairs and table onto the driveway (lawn is still waaaay to wet/muddy/snowy for comfortable sun worshipping). What you can't see in the pic is the small piece of cotton which the arm of the chair tore from my second-favorite pair of jeans. I know, some people pay many dollars to have someone else rip their jeans for them, when all they really need is an old piece of lawn furniture.

And now for the saddest "person" in our whole tiny village:In the middle of that circle there, on what is decidedly the WRONG side of our neighbor's window is her cat, Sam. Sam is the cat-about-town in these parts. I have mentioned we live in the center of town, and this cat manages to get around. He visits the post office, the inn, the town hall, the library, and a few houses around, too. He's been seen as far away as the church (a little over 1/4 mile down the street) and the old schoolhouse (around 1/4 mile in the other direction). Everyone knows Sam.

Unfortunately for Sam, however, he spent a night away from home a couple weeks ago and got into a tussle with something. Who knows what happened to the other guy, but Sam came home with a gash on his head and a series of bite wounds on his "arm". Nothing serious, and he's well on the way to recovery. Unfortunately, the vet has recommended that Sam-About-Town stay inside for ... wait, anyone who knows outdoor cats will love this ... 45 days! Wonder what kind of drugs he's suggesting prescribing to get the Mommy through this ordeal.

One more picture to leave you with. I've mentioned the view. Well, it's not the best time of year to see is in all its glory, but this'll give you some idea:Just imagine it with the trees and fields all greened-out. After that happens, you won't be able to see the place where they make the candles which is visible if you look dead-center of this pic.

PS. Yes, I allow a wet dog on my sofa. There's a thick cotton blanket and a towel on the seat, and the whole thing's been Scotch-guarded.

In Love

I am a bit enamored of this little number from the Spring Knitty. I think it would look fabulous on M. Problem is I don't believe there is anything in the stash that will ... oh wait, I bet there is.

Yep, cones of some no-longer-produced 6/2/2 in dark teal and fuchsia that I picked up for a song a while ago would probably do quite nicely. When I have a chance, I will have to swatch it and see.

Okay, one of the projects (on the long list of household projects to get done now that I'm not working) that needs attention is an inventory and organization of the stash. Wanna glimpse?
On the left there is about half of the stashed stash. The rest is on the other side of the room in similar tubs as well as overflow bags. The pic on the right shows the projects-in-waiting area. These are all yarns and patterns which have been matched and are in the queue. Remember, there are two fiber addicts in this house, so it's not quite as dreadful as all that.

And that doesn't include the sock yarn. Oh no, the sock yarn has its own home separate from the rest of the stash. Do I have a problem?

While I was upstairs flashing the stash, I couldn't help but flash this as well:This is the bed in the tiny bedroom at the top of the front stairs. Shortly after we moved in the cats claimed this room and this bed as their own. From the window behind the adorably sleeping K-man they can watch the world go by -- or at least pick up its mail. We live in one of those small, one-postal-employee towns without rural delivery. If you want mail in this here village, ya gotta git yerself to the post office (conveniently located one driveway over from ours). This window has a perfect view of the post office/town hall parking lot and the parking lot of the inn across the street. Oh, they can also see the small driveway island where we've placed the "cat TV" (otherwise known as a bird smorgasbord).

Flash: The temperature here in Western MA is supposed to reach the mid-60s today (back to freezing by the weekend), and I just looked up to find no fewer than 10 robins hopping around on the small bare patch of lawn at the library next door. Does anyone else remember learning the vocabulary sentence, "Robins are a harbinger of Spring."? I'm still not sure I know what harbinger really means, but I do remember that sentence all these years later. I've heard rumors that many robins didn't even leave this winter, but I'm still taking the flock next door as a positive sign that soon I may not be freezing by substantial buns off.

Okay, time for some math -- the kitties can look out their window to see the post office and town hall, and I can look out my office window at the library. Yes, that means we pretty much live dead-center in this little hamlet. Positive: It is very easy to give people directions to our house. Negative: We can't get away with nothin'.

A Sneak Peek

Quite a while ago I whipped up this little sample:It's a 4-shaft gothic cross twill in 8/2 tencel with a sett of 24epi (convenient as the repeat on the threading is also 24 ends). Warp colors are (from the outside) amethyst, red purple and gray mauve; weft is all gray mauve. M loves it, and M needs a new purple stole. Of course, since I am unlikely to get this woven before the end of Lent, she won't need said purple stole for another year (unless she chooses to wear purple during Advent), but I still think this might be her birthday present. Yes, she reads the blog, but do you know how hard it is to keep a project this big secret from the person you live with? Hiding a knitting project is one thing, but hiding an entire loom? Don't think so.

Best part: I can do this on the little loom (a 15 3/4" Leclerc Voyageur 12-shaft) while Mom's placemats are still on the "big" loom (a 32" 4-shaft Purrington).

Raise your hand if you were beginning to doubt that I really weave.

Haulage and a New Project

Saturday I had to drop off Baby Surprises 5 & 6, and I got caught. There we are (M was with me -- the kiss of death), in a yarn store (okay, in what some term THE yarn store), and we just couldn't help ourselves. I want to send a special thanks to LA for pointing us to the new sock yarn in the warehouse.
Clockwise from upper left: Regia 4-ply Ringel Color #5047; Regia 4-ply Stretch Color #119; Regia 4-ply Mini Ringel Color #5219; Trekking XXL #90; RYC Classic Soft Lux #007 (enough for a jacket); Laines du Nord Dolly Baby #81 and 181 (for a hat); Regia 4-ply Mini Ringel Color #5220; Cascade Fixation #9843 and 6388 (I succumbed to my envy of M's pink socks); and Regia Stretch Crazy Color #115.

All except the Trekking and Fixation are closeouts, and as far as I can see, only the Soft Lux is on the website right now. They're a little backed up, so I would expect that the sock yarns will be up shortly, but if you're in the area and itching for sock yarn....

Since the Soft Lux and the Dolly Baby are for M and all the rest are sock yarns, I really don't feel too badly about breaking the "no new yarn" vow. Sock yarn doesn't count, right?

Of course, I also picked up this little beauty while I was there:
It's a tank in Nashua June, and it's a sample, which means store credit, which means money with which to buy more yarn (this will probably go to weaving projects, however). I cast on and have gotten this far:
The yarn is surprisingly soft and easy to work with. I was a little worried about the four thin plies in something without a lot of stretch or stickiness, but it really hasn't shown a tendency to split. The pattern is straightforward and easily memorized (the main lace panel has a 16-row repeat). I am a little worried about the amount of yarn it's going to take, however. The pattern calls for 6 balls for a medium. I'm about half an inch or less from finishing the first ball, and I have about 4 1/2" of the back done. I'm getting both stitch and row gauge (a miracle) in the textured rib, so I guess I'll have to trust that it'll work out. [Sorry about the washed-out color in the picture -- darn flash. It is a very soft sage green, but not quite that blah.]

We also made a little side trip to the library:
Clockwise from upper right: The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved by Sandor Ellix Katz (an exploration of our unhealthy relationship with food creation and the food economy); The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen (I like memoirs by people who know how to write and how not to take everything so seriously); Exit Strategy by Michelle Cromer and Remember Me by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (both modern explorations of death and funeral customs and how they are changing -- no reason other than a fascination with ritual in general and M's professional interest in the funeral game); and Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman (a lay introduction to New Testament textual criticism).

That should all keep us busy for a bit, no?

Right now there is a man in my basement cleaning my furnace and vacuuming the heating vents. The thumping and bumping in the walls is a little wierd, but it'll be so nice to have the dust gone.

They're Heeeeere!

Hooray! The FedEx truck came yesterday and dropped of these beauties. Pupper has been duly warned that even a contemplation of coming close to these with his teeth might result in his nice warm fur coat keeping someone else warm for the rest of the winter. Mommy is just very jacked at the utter loveliness of her new foot joy.

Pupper seems calmer to be spending his time alone in his kennel. I think he feels safe in there. And when he's in there, he knows we're not home so he doesn't have to worry about looking for us. You see, Pupper is deaf. Not completely deaf, but enough so that he doesn't hear us speaking to him, and he can't figure out where we are in the house by listening. For this reason, he gets nervous when he can't see us and starts looking around the house for us. I think it's when he can't find us that he gets scared and starts digging through the trash cans or chomping on shoes. If he's in his kennel, he knows he doesn't have to keep track of us and he can relax. Usually we come home to find him asleep in the kennel. And like I've said, he goes into the open kennel and naps in the mornings when I'm in the office.

PS. The second pink sock is done, and M is wearing them to school today. Now I hope to get these finished for me:
They're my first foray into two socks at the same time on one circ (I'm loving it), and only my second into toe-up socks (also loving knowing I can make them as long as I have yarn). The yarn is Regia 4-ply Nation Color in #5399; needle is an Addi Turbo 40" #1. Pattern is a very simple 2x2 rib on the top of the foot which will be carried up the calf. I'm about one color stripe away from the short row heel (they would be fine on me now, but M has these long narrow feet, so to make it possible for her to wear them, I have to make them a smidge too long for me).

I have to say I love the reaction these socks get when I knit on them in public. Knitters see the closed toe at the beginning and wonder what I'm doing or how I did it; non-knitters just can't get over the size of the stitches. After last night's Lenten Study/Art Appreciation lesson I was surrounded by people asking questions about the yarn, the pattern, the needles, and how the heck I could knit two socks at once and on only one needle. I just can't wait to have them done so I can wear them.

Pink Sock, Knitting From the Stash, and a Loom Move

These are for M. She LOVES pink, especially hot pink.

Pattern: Cascade Yarns, Two-Toed Sock
Yarn: Cascade Fixation #9298 (2 balls) and #6185 (1 ball)
Needle: Inox 32" #4 circular, magic loop method
Mods: Used magic loop method rather than 4 DPs. Made foot longer to accomodate M's preternaturally long and skinny feet.

I had never knit with Fixation before, and I do have to say it was a bit challenging at first until I learned to just knit and not think so much about stretching or not stretching the yarn. M loves the finished sock -- says it fits perfectly and feels very comfy. I fear I may suffer from sock envy when I am finished with these and see M wearing them around. Oh well, does a need for purple socks to match M's pink ones qualify as enough of a need to count towards Knit From Your Stash?

Yes, I am planning on knitting from my stash this year. There are plenty of planned projects and plenty of undedicated yarn up there to keep me busy for the next year at least. I am allowing myself no "get out of jail free" cards, but I am allowed to buy yarn I really need for projects that can't wait. Though I think I'd be hard-pressed to find a project I can't accommodate from the stash. And M is allowed to buy all the yarn she wants (see how easy it can be to get around this when you live with another fiber addict?).

Of course, I will be knitting (and probably crocheting) from the stash for the year. I said nothing about weaving. With the project I have in mind for M, I will need to buy weaving yarn in the next few months. But first I must finish my mother's placemats before she disowns me.

Problem with the placemats is the Pupper. The loom is in my workroom upstairs, which is great 'cuz it fits and it's got a great view, and it's close to the yarn, BUT Pupper can't get up there. He doesn't like stairs anyway, and right now the only staircase in the house which he can navigate is closed off for the winter. This wouldn't be so bad if Pupper weren't a) deaf; and b) a "velcro dog". In other words, my going upstairs to weave is tantamount to my leaving the house in Pupper's world. And if I do that without putting him in the crate, well....

So this morning we walked the office downstairs (it is a large room) and realized that now that we only have laptop computers, the largest of our desks is redundant, and removing it would allow room to put the loom in the office. Problem solved, and I can finish those darn placemats (why, oh why, did I give her log cabin as an option?).

Snow Day Randomness

Pupper Is Out Of the Doghouse

Shopping is shopping no matter where you do it. M is the shopper in this household, and lo and behold, this morning she was able to find what I couldn't -- where LL Bean had hidden the rest of the slipper socks on their website. Still limited choices in my size, but they had them, and soon (3-5 business days), I will be the proud owner of a pair of these:
Aren't they lovely? And they will go perfectly with my jammies (a red and white striped night shirt and various red-based men's flannel pajama bottons).

A Workout Solution

Last Saturday we bought an exercise bike. Now M can workout in the mornings before work AND still have time to relax with the newspaper over breakfast. And I can clean, write, read, or whatever while she works out and then prepare us a real breakfast. Then I get to workout mid-morning. We don't have to worry about whether the equipment we want will be available or whether the TV will be tuned to the right channel; we can workout even when the weather is too crappy to drive to the gym (as it is today); and we can workout on weekends (when neither one of us was ever motivated to drive to the gym). Hooray! I figure I can even pedal on the bike while I watch "my show" (I've become addicted to Mission: Organization) in the afternoons.

A Valentine's Day Miracle

Sometime in the afternoon, between K-man's bouts of heat seeking, a miracle occurred:
That is all three of our critters on the same piece of furniture. K-man jumped off the couch almost immediately after I took the pic, but Lady B has taken to sleeping on the couch next to Pupper lately. She even snuggled between Pupper and me this morning on the bed.

Wonder How Many Showed Up?

When we woke up and turned the TV on this morning, it was showing a 2 hour delay for M's school. So we did the necessary morning stuff (walk the dog and feed the furry ones) then returned to bed to snooze for an hour or so. While M was on the bike after the second awakening, the scroll on the TV now said her school was closed. So did the two other channels. A quick phone call confirmed that the school is, indeed, closed. But I wonder how many parents and staff missed the second announcement and showed up at 10 wondering where everyone else is.

And here's to snow days that are Fridays!

My Dog is a Cliche

When we first got him last summer, Pupper would poop and/or pee somewhere inappropriate almost as soon as we were out the door if we left him home alone outside his kennel, then spend the rest of the time we were gone howling. After a couple months of being in the kennel whenever we weren't home, he was doing great outside it for up to two hours by November. That is, until the night we came home from dinner to find him foursquare on the coffee table finishing up the Hershey's Kisses and the candy canes. He suffered no ill effects (unless you consider the well-deserved sugar crash and hangover) from his indulgence, but it earned him a return to the kennel whenever we were not home.

Last night we left him loose for a couple hours while we were at the Lenten Study/Dance Party. When we came home, we found this:

Yep, that's what it looks like. One chewed up, nearly brand new LL Bean slipper sock:

I LOVE these slippers. I got my first pair in college, and I replaced them every couple of years as they wore out (actually LL Bean replaced them -- gotta love that guarantee) until the year they informed me they had discontinued them. I was heartbroken. [And, no, it never occurred to me to make any for myself. These are lined and have foam bottoms (which are clearly visible in the chewed image above), and there are other things I would rather knit.]

Anyway, last Fall, M discovered that they had them again, and she got me a pair for Christmas. I can't express how thrilled I was. Nor can I express how very sad I am right now. They don't have them anymore. Well, they have them: only in stripes; and not in XS for my tiny feet.

Since I spend most of my day working at home now, these slippers pretty much lived on my feet. Dog experts would point out that that's exactly why Pupper chose to chew on them when he got nervous about being home alone. And I'm not mad at the dog. Even when we first discovered the evidence, I wasn't mad, just overwhelmingly sad.

So once again, Pupper will spend his time home alone in the kennel. He loves his kennel -- in fact, his kennel is in the office right next to my desk, and now that I spend much of the morning at the desk, he spends said time sleeping in his kennel next to me -- but I still can't help feeling a little bad locking him up when we're not home.

In other news, THEY'RE DONE! Here is the last (and brightest) of the Project Linus blankets:

Yes, that's the culprit appropriating it. I put it on the floor, turned around for the camera, and turned back to this. It was a move worthy of the K-man:

seen here lying atop the ribbing of the Penguin Sweater and one of my irreplaceable walnut Brittany needles.

M can now finish her cuddly Kochoran jacket which had been languishing since the start of this whole blanket project.

And now I must off to do some cleaning.

Rena -- How I Love Thee!

When Andra first showed off the beautiful Rena Shrug made in Berroco's Softy (one of my least favorite yarns) I was torn. I loved the simplicity of the pattern and the cuddliness of the shrug, but Softy sets my teeth on edge. Enter Furz. Can be knit at the same gauge, is wonderfully warm and cuddly, and doesn't shed at all.

So, two Christmases ago, I knit M a shrug specifically to use as a bed jacket (an item which, along with leg warmers, tops my list of supremely practical garments that get an undeserved snub from the fashionistas) out of #3882 (blue violet), a color she had fallen in love with but couldn't think of anything to do with. She uses it regularly as we often spend Saturday morning lounging in bed with the papers (our two local papers print their "big" issue on Saturday rather than Sunday). I have suffered from shrug envy ever since and finally broke down about a month before I was fired and bought some Furz in #3829 (pomegranate) to make myself one.

It's done, and I love it! In fact, since I have the cold side of the office, I will probably be wearing it in here, too.

Pattern: Rena Shrug from Berroco
Yarn: Berroco Furz #3829, 8 balls
Needles: Susan Bates Quicksilver 32" #11 circular
Mods: Aside from changing the yarn, none. It's nothin' but a big rectangle with two seams

Here's the blue one I did for M:

It's a little bigger than mine partly because it's stretched out and partly because she's got broader shoulders and longer arms.

Oh, and just to add to the finished object-ness, another Project Linus blankie.

One of the kids made a very large square, so we decided to make it the center of this blanket which really looks like stained glass. I believe there are only two more blankets-worth of squares to be crocheted together. M keeps muttering, "It sounded like such a great idea at the time...."

Back to Normal, And a Recipe

You know your marriage is suffering from too much togetherness when you get into a screaming match (and one of you storms out of the house, taking the dog) over a FIG SQUARE. Yep -- that's what we'd come to by Friday. I can certainly relate to how Stephanie feels about having Joe underfoot while he's between situations.

But this morning M went to school for the first time in over a week and a half and only the second time in over 2 weeks. Now the pupper, kitties and I have the place to ourselves and peace reigns once again here at the parsonage. I should be cleaning the place since I haven't cleaned in a week, but for now here I sit at the computer catching up on emails, updating the Church's website, sending out this week's press release, job hunting, and doing a little bit of writing.

Nothing new to report on the job front. I have applied for some things from which it is probably too soon to expect any news. I have applied for some things for which I know I am overqualified and therefore probably won't get anywhere. We'll see.

It's interesting how many people seem honestly worried that I haven't found a job or at least gotten tons of interviews by now. M and I (and a few of our more astute friends) may be the only ones who aren't terribly anxious for me to find another job. I am looking (it is a condition of Unemployment and it is part of my nature), and if the right job came along I would accept it. I am also very aware that M is looking for a new church, and when she finds one it will necessitate moving out of commuting range for any job physically located here.

It is a dilemma, and one which could be solved if I did what M wants me to do and started weaving seriously and trying to sell my stoles. It would also be solved if I could put together a freelance writing/editing portfolio. That is actually my next big project -- organize all of my writing (which is currently spread across three computers), so that I can put together a portfolio and see about getting some freelance work.

I also need to finish that ICL application and return it.

But right now I really need to clean the house and do some laundry. Oh, and put together the exercise bike we bought over the weekend -- yay!

But here's what I threw together for lunch yesterday -- turned out pretty yummy.

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin slices
1 1-lb package frozen sugar snap pea stir fry (or an equivalent amount of fresh sugar snap peas and thin sliced carrots, onion and mushrooms)
1 small handful cocktail peanuts
peanut or olive oil for cooking

Sauce:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup water (add 1/4 cup if using fresh vegetables)
2 tbls vegetable or peanut oil
2 tbls cider or red wine vinegar (or 3 tbls rice wine vinegar)
2 tsp lite soy sauce (more or less to taste)
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
1 tsp black pepper (more or less to taste)

Put sauce ingredients in blender and mix until combined. If you are using frozen veggies, it will be a bit thick -- about the consistency of honey. If you are using fresh veggies it will be a bit runnier. Taste the sauce to make sure it is spiced to your taste.

In a wok (or sauté pan) over medium high heat, cook chicken in oil until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. If needed, add more oil to pan. Cook vegetables (if using frozen veggies, put them in frozen) until done. Do not drain off the water which comes from the frozen veggies (it'll thin the sauce). Return chicken to the pan, add nuts and sauce and cook over medium high heat until everything is warmed through.

Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Why I Can't Write

When I first lost my job, I had a fabulous morning routine that meant I had time to write, time to clean, time to read, and best of all, time to myself.

We'd be up at 5:30; M would leave for the gym at 6:00, and I would head into the office for a few hours of writing before taking Pupper for a 9am walk and then heading to the gym. Afternoons, I would clean and/or read. This worked great for a week until M realized that without me going to the gym at 6am, she didn't have the motivation to do it herself, so two hours of morning solitude/writing time went out the window. She leaves for school at 8, so I am left with only 1 hour instead of the 3 I had been luxuriating in. Until I can figure out a new schedule, I'll be stealing writing time. Perhaps I just have to disappear into the office or work room at 6:00 anyway. Who knows. I have noticed that since she stopped going to the gym in the morning, so have I because I am looking for a way to regain the "lost" time I'm spending with her rather than "working".

Don't get me wrong. I love my wife, and I love spending time with her in the morning. I just need to re-schedule my time. The whole thing is complicated even more, as well, by visits from our dog walker -- who no longer really has a job since I've been fired but misses our dog and needs the motivation to exercise. She is lonely, and most days she plops herself on the sofa and stays here chatting for a couple of hours in the afternoon. She is a great person, and I enjoy spending time with her, but I also need to get stuff done. M says I need to be blunt and tell her that I have things to do; I have a hard time doing that.

I will get better at this, I know I will. But until then, I may not have as much time to write as I wish.

Of course, this past week has been even "worse" since between sick days (that stomach thing) and snow days, M has been to school one day. And next week is February vacation, on top of that. I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed my solitude until I lost it completely. Boy, I really AM an introvert, ain't I?

Now, I'm off to listen to "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" -- the absolute greatest game show ever.

But I leave you with this:

It's the penguin sweater to go with the Jelli Beenz Socks I made my niece. I forgot to photo the thing before we wrapped and gifted it. Mom sent this pic a couple weeks ago.

Pattern: Plymouth D025 - Penguin Sweater
Yarn: Cleckheaton Country 8-Ply #2277 (4 balls), #2167 (1 ball), #6 (2 balls), #1805 (1 ball)
Needles: Brittany walnut 10" #4 and 6
Mods: Picked up way more stitches around the neck than the pattern called for as the child in question doesn't like stuff at all tight around her neck.

Project Linus

Blankets have been a bit of an obsession here at the parsonage for the past couple of weeks. I've been finally getting this very simple blanket finished:

Pattern: The world's simplest baby blanket. Pattern below.
Yarn: Red Heart (yes, I know, but it was hanging about)
Needles: Addi Turbo 32" #10

The Baby Blanket
Materials: 700 yards worsted-weight yarn, divided in half for the square (add another 350 yards in a second color for the larger rectangle); size 10 needles or size required to get about 4 sts=1" in garter stitch
Gauge: 4 sts=1" in garter stitch

Cast on 4 sts
Increase Row: K2, YO, K to end
repeat Increase Row until you have used up half the yarn (or half the main color for the rectangle)

For square blanket, skip to Decrease Row, for rectangle blanket, work with contrast color in straight section.

Straight Section Row 1: K2, YO, K to end
Straight Section Row 2: K1, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K to end
repeat these two rows until you have used up all of the contrast yarn, then return to main color and work decrease rows.

Decrease Row: K1, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K to end
repeat Decrease Row until 4 stitches remain

Bind off.

And M and some of her students have been busy with these:

These are two of the Project Linus blankets her mini-course students have been working on. These kids range from Kindergarten through 8th grade, so the knitting is inconsistent, but they're all very sincere.

The kids have knit squares, and M has been joining them together with crocheting, then putting borders around them. I really love this one:


These will all be sent off to Project Linus next week.

What I Did With My Snow Day -- by The K-Man

So, in the house we lived in when we first moved out here we had a wood stove. A very nice wood stove which was inset into a gorgeous (it's why we loved the house) stone fireplace and chimney. K-Man's favorite place in this house was as close to that wood stove as it was possible to get. It seemed he could not get warm enough. Now, we haven't such a luxury, though we have what may be the next best thing: forced hot air heat -- that means that there are these things in the walls and floor which blow hot air sometimes, and the kitty is addicted.

So, here's where K-Man spent much of the morning of the Valentine's Day Blizzard:

What you can't see (or maybe you can -- it's to the left of the bag) is that under the baker's rack where this bag (our paper recycling depository -- yesterday was dump day, so it's nearly empty) lives is one of the heating vents. Often Mr. K can be found worshiping at the altar of the baker's rack, but this pose was new.

Later (after we'd gotten the mail and finished the newspapers so the bag wasn't so empty), we found this:

What you may or may not be able to see is that he's leaning (with one "arm" on top, like it's a bar) on another heating vent behind a chair in the living room. It reminded me of this picture that I took of him shortly after we adopted him. I call it his "little man" pose.

What did Mommy do with her snow day? Mommy got cranking on this:

It's Fantine from French Girl Knits in Rowan Big Wool #31. Color is fairly true in the picture. It's a quick knit and quite warm. Poor M has had to doff her sweatshirt to try it on a few times today (it's for her). She keeps claiming it's too small, and I keep reminding her it's a little jacket-ette. We'll see when it's done what she thinks.

Number 4!!!!!

Okay, I actually assembled this a while ago, but I've been away from the computer (more on that later) for a while, so I haven't posted. But here it is:

This really is my favorite of the 6.

Pattern: Again, Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket, available from Schoolhouse Press
Yarn: The blues are Debbie Bliss Merino DK, the white is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK. I'm so bad with ball bands, so no color numbers. Color is quite true at the top of the sweater. Buttons are these cuties:

Needles: The same trusty Suzanne Ebony 32" #6 I've used for all of the Baby Surprises.
Mods: I did two rows of single crochet around the cast-on edge and slip-stitch crocheted the shoulder seams from the right side.
I do hope that the Rev and the baby Z like it.