I’m a Mainer Now!

Welcome to Maine!

Welcome to Maine!

Well, we did it! We moved to Maine. Our house in Florida is sold, we have driven forEVER (four days) and we are here in our happy place.

The cars are unpacked, all my yarn is in totes and bags and boxes and is ready to have me knit with it. But first I have to do a little settling in … find some clothes to wear, clean the kitchen for use the next couple of weeks, clean the guest house cabin where we will live over the course of our house-building process and then move our stuff up there.

We have to do a test sleep up there because I recall that the bed we bought for the guest house was reported to have a sink hole in the middle of it (one person slept there?) and I absolutely refuse to fight an uphill sleeping battle for three or four months! My sleep is too important to me to sleep in a less-than-perfect bed!

Tomorrow night is my knitting group and I’ll be happy to see the ladies! And there’s a tea party at my LYS this weekend. Best get my work done so I can go relax and visit and knit!

Gone cleaning!

 

All my Yarn is Packed

Of course this isn't all my yarn!

Of course this isn’t all my yarn!

It must be an unwritten rule that knitters (ok, fiber people?) pack their yarn first when going on a trip. I know that’s my process for packing. So, when preparing for a move, the first thing I did was plan what yarn I would take and with what patterns. Makes sense, right?

My yarn is safely packed in the car with my swift and winder and all of my needles. My WIPs are on my desk, just in case there is some time today for knitting. I will make some time.

Movers arrive at 8am.

We’re moving to Maine!

Gone knitting. (OK, I’m getting dressed and drinking some coffee.)

Knitt-ah. N. A person who knits (in Maine).

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I love knitting. I love teaching people to knit.

In my next life, I want to work in a yarn shop or around yarn and teach knitting. I have come to know that I am a really good teacher and I know my craft well. I want to use the passion that I have for teaching and learn more about yarn and fibers. Working in a yarn shop will help me get there.

That next life is coming screaming around the corner on two wheels!

For Sale!

For Sale!

Our home here in Florida is on the market and we are looking forward to moving to Maine. It’s where we feel most grounded. N has had the constancy of the house there in his life for all of his life. We were there are crazy-in-love teenagers. We started our life together with a summer there after our divorces. It is home. The old house is coming down to make way for a very similar house that we can live in year-round. N will be hammering and sawing and nailing. I will be compiling my list of classes that I can teach and going around to meet yarn shop owners to  put it out there that I would like to teach in their shops. I also want to send a note to the LYS shop owner I know whose shop is closest to our house to see if she’d be interested in hiring me to work in the shop part-time and to teach some classes. All of this will be happening sooner than I can imagine. Life continues to zoom past at an increasing speed!

I’m putting it all out there. Being open to the ideas that may be created and open to the suggestions of my peers. I want to visit the markets and fiber events as a blogger and knitter and teacher. That’s where my heart is leading me and I’m choosing to follow my heart.

As our house sale comes together and the move starts to be planned, I am so grateful for the wonderful life that I live. My friends and family who support me (and us.) Life is so good!

Gone knitting.

1500 Miles and Cloudy … with a Chance of Enjoyment?

December 27, 2014 Belgrade, Maine

December 27, 2014
Belgrade, Maine

Thank God yesterday looked like this.

Today looks like this …

December 28, 2014 Belgrade, Maine

December 28, 2014
Belgrade, Maine

There is a trace of snow and the lake is only semi-frozen but it’s still my favorite place to be. We decided to eat out and to sleep in the bedroom since it’s not particularly cold this year. The baseboard electric antique heaters from the 50s are working enough to take the chill off the bedroom and the electric blanket was even too warm for N last night. We both turned it off after it warmed the sheets. Climbing into cold sheets in Maine in the winter when you live in Florida is sheer torture. The wood stove is keeping the house a toasty warm and we’ve managed to wash faces and brush teeth with water carried in and using a two-bucket method (one for fresh and one for dirty).

My least favorite part is this …

The dreaded outhouse … or "chick sales"

The dreaded outhouse … or “chick sales”

As a nod to my willingness to camp and use the outhouse for a couple of days, I got the sweetest gift at Christmas … a fleece toilet seat cover for the outhouse seat. While it may seem silly, it really does make it more bearable and it’s good to be home!

Gone knitting (or out to breakfast)!

 

 

Getting Projects Finished! (And Sewing, too!)

Sunrise over Messalonskee

Sunrise over Messalonskee

Well, my time in my happy place is coming quickly to an end. Last Wednesday I said, “good-bye for now” and “see you next summer” to my knitting friends. It’s always sad for me to say good-bye to my knitting friends both here and in Florida.

I had my last day sewing with my friends Beverly and Lorry yesterday. We finished a project for Lorry to take to her friend in France and I made another great bag (with a lot of help.) It’s fabulous and I love it. I love it because it’s a team effort and that my friends found three of the five fabrics for me when they were on a road trip to a quilting shop in New Hampshire. Four fabrics with bees and one with flowers and a lot of patience and I have a bag that I will carry in the winter months. Full of the love of my friends here in Maine.

My Wonderful Wallaby is almost done. I’m just knitting the hood which is simple  stockinette stitch all the way to the Kitchener stitch at the top. I took a break when I got to the neck to try it on and it fits perfectly. I’m so pleased that I have lost a little weight because now it’s perfect. Just the way I like it. Now my sweet man thinks he’d like to have one, too.

IMG_3465I finished the darling striped baby cardigan and the booties for my niece-to-be. I even bought the buttons. I’ll have to sew them on tonight so I can post a picture here. The booties are Sue’s Bootie’s and the pattern was begged for (by me) at my knitting class. They no longer had it at the shop and I couldn’t find it on the internet. They are adorable and super easy to knit. I loved the combination of colorways that my friends were using and I followed their lead using two different colors of Fixation. Fixation, if you don’t know, is slightly elastic and makes great baby booties and socks and it’s difficult for the baby to kick them off … well, relatively difficult anyway.

I’m ignoring the fingerless mitts that I dragged all the way from Florida to Maine … and will drag all the way back, too.

"Lobster On the Rocks" Hat designed by Donna Frost Ritchie

“Lobster On the Rocks” Hat designed by Donna Frost Ritchie

I’m slowly making progress on a lobster hat for my daughter. It was going to be for her birthday but it will be a late gift … thank heavens I have another couple of months until it gets cold in New York. I’m thinking that perhaps color work is not my thing. But I’ll keep trying.

I have a wonderful stash of yarn to take back to Florida with me and work with over the next ten months until I can be back here again. With any luck, my whole atelier will be coming with me then because we’re moving here permanently. This is where my heart lives.

Gone knitting.

 

Wonderful Wallaby … Healthy Lungs are Happy Lungs

undertheweather

If you follow me on Facebook, you’ll know that I’ve been a little bit under the weather for the last three weeks (this week is week four!) Pneumonia and Bronchitis have kicked my butt … and I hope it’s now on the upswing.

Today I was supposed to have an invasive surgical procedure called a Bronchoscopy. They would be scraping some cells from my lungs and extracting some “gunk” from my lungs as they are having a look around. But I wasn’t feeling great about the whole process and didn’t love the doctor’s office and the “issues” that I have had since my first appointment with them, while they were picky, they were there. So, after a very sleepless night on Saturday night, I decided to cancel the procedure and get a second opinion. I would start with my doctor who I like and trust. After reviewing my x-rays and my CT scan, and listening to my lungs, he said that he’d wait a few days and see if I keep feeling better. I should call him on Friday and we’ll do another x-ray to make sure the pneumonia has cleared up and I can (carefully) resume living my life.

I’m so glad I trusted my gut!

Meanwhile, I’ve been working on my knitting – since I have been told to stay home and rest – and have made some good progress on my Wonderful Wallaby. Until I realized yesterday that I was coughing a lot while working on it … and have decided to put it aside. Could I be allergic to the wool? The yarn that I am using is a bit “fuzzy” and “shed-y” and since I’m having some lung problems, I decided it’s probably wisest to just put it aside for now. Healthy lungs are happy lungs!

Sleeves are coming along ...

Sleeves are coming along …

I’ve made two Christmas gifts for my nephews. I think it’s safe to write about it here because I seriously doubt that they read my blog! 🙂 One left for the third nephew and that’s a good feeling to have something done for them. They’re all big skiers and snow boarders and they’ll like the charcoal gray wool, I think.

I am still working on the color-work fingerless mitts. I know that it’s something relatively new to me but I’m not sure I love this process. I hope I feel differently after it’s done.

Also on the needles is a lap blanket for my daughter’s wedding reception. She’s being married in the early fall in Massachusetts and wants to have hand-knit afghans on the rocking chairs on the porch for her guests. Once the sun goes down it’s very possible that it’ll be cool and they’ll be a welcome addition … nothing like sitting on the porch of the yacht club with a cozy afghan.

I’m also making a ring bearer’s pillow for her. My grand-dog (yes, you read it right) Mabel is the ring bearer. The pillow is burlap and lace with a jute twine bow to tie on the wedding rings. I’ll post pictures when I get it done. Since my sewing skills are beginner-level at best, it’s always an adventure and a learning experience for me. It’s so simple, though, I know I can do it!

I’ve got some projects pulled out for our summer trip to Maine … planning to finish one tote project started last summer and knit a sweater for my niece and a little stuffed animal to match from one of the Noro magazines. Have my new dress in the stack and a shawl. I know there will be others going up but I haven’t decided which ones yet. I think there may be one more sweater for my niece. I just have to find out what size she’s wearing now. I love knitting for her … and I can’t wait to knit for the new baby, too! I just bought some yarn to knit a simple striped cardigan for the baby … if it’s a cute as I think it’s going to be, I may have to knit a twin one for the baby’s big sister.

This afternoon I’m starting my lace shawl project. I’m excited to try some lace knitting again … this time with real lace-weight yarn from Maine. I’ll write more as I make some progress!

For now, though, that’s all I’ve got to say.

Gone knitting!

Another Adventure …

What kind of crazy people are we?

We left Florida on December 20. Three dogs in the back seat and the truck loaded up with presents and a Honey Baked Ham … New York City and Christmas with two of my three children. We planned to spend one night in Richmond, VA on our way and then a night just shy of the city. Only one wrong turn which sent us into Washington, DC … at least we weren’t towing the boat! Smooth sailing!

Almost There!

Almost There!

With my daughter’s help, and having made good time, we ended up in Washington Heights and our little sub-let one night early.

The little apartment we rented was about mid-way between my son’s and my daughter’s apartments. Allowing for adjustments for all the dogs and super convenient for us – not to mention really reasonable rates!

Lobster Feast!

Lobster Feast!

Christmas eve was spent eating (mimosas started off our day) and baking cookies. Our family tradition is Spritz cookies. It’s still more fun to make them when you have someone else to decorate them. I love that my kids all value that tradition – started by my mother – it’s simply not Christmas without Spritz! A lobster feast for dinner, with thanks to my brother the lobsterman, had us all a mess and very happy. Christmas movies and lots of laughs … or was it the wine? I almost forgot to have the kids open their Christmas Eve gifts from Santa.

Christmas Day was low key – relaxing over coffee and muffins, Skyped with the missing daughter and her father in Chicago. The NY kids had to work but we hung with my boy and all the dogs. Ditto on Boxing Day.

IMG_2636Our big outing into mid-town was dinner and going to Kate’s show. We went to Qi for dinner and I love their food. Seeing my girl one more time as the star of Rock of Ages was a special treat for me – and my boy went with his old mom. N decided to skip the show and visited the Strand Bookstore at Union Square which he adored despite a couple of wrong turns and perhaps a wrong address (hence the wrong turn!)

On the 27th we packed up the dogs and presents and tearfully kissed the kids goodbye. Heading north in our truck to our “camp” in Maine.

camp /kamp/ n. A place usually away from urban places where tents or simple buildings (as cabins) are erected for shelter or temporary residence.

Camp Warner

Camp Warner

Think primitive. No running water. No plumbing. Think outhouse with a very (VERY) cold seat. And melting snow on the wood stove to wash dishes. Our mattress on the floor in the living room. Windows frozen with condensation. We carried all of our stuff in from the street with our Christmas snowshoes! A simple dinner in front of the wood stove and I was ready for bed. Too many late nights and I was ready for bed … probably long before I actually climbed in. Despite the “camping” and the cold, I wasn’t ready to leave when we heard that there was a Nor’ Easter coming in! I can’t wait until we are there for all the winter storms!

Next to Marblehead and a visit with my youngest brother and his family. We’ve loved getting to know their friends and love any chance to visit this charming town full of friends and family. So much so that I forgot to take any photos of the visit!

New Year’s Eve day we headed to Connecticut … a trip down memory lane for me at Shady Glen in Manchester and then a visit to the cemetery to check on the headstone for my parents. Then on to Westport to my college roommate’s new apartment … had to check on my “roomie” since we were so close!

What a wonderful trip! I am so grateful that my N loves my family as much as I do and that he’s willing to drive all the way to Maine and back so I can knit!

Gone knitting … Happy New Year!

Deady Bear

IMG_2377This summer my friend Beverly gave me the yarn and pattern to make a Deady Bear for her son-in-law. Sure, I said! I can knit it for you … and I finished it today. Yay, me!

The pattern is really quite simple to follow. It’s in the book Son of Stitch ‘n’ Bitch by Debbie Stoller. The pattern is by Arwyn Yarwood-Hoeppner. I had all the yarn in the colors as described in the pattern. If there is one comment about the yarn, I would say that it is somewhat “splitty” but very adequate. I had way too much yarn. I wondered on more than one occasion if I was supposed to knit with the yarn doubled throughout the pattern. But there is no mention of doing so. So, on I went with a single strand.

I only had a few anxious seconds on the muzzle of my bear where it appears that there is no Row 15. Not sure if it was mis-numbered or if I totally missed something. Either could be true! Regardless, I decided to just knit on and finish the sucker … and I did. All day today to “get ‘er done”! Photographed and now I just have to pack it up and send it to Maine where I hope it will be loved and cherished.

Overall, the pattern is very clear and easy to follow. A good beginner project for someone who wants to try to knit something other than scarves or hats. The pieces are knit mostly flat and then seamed. I am not a huge fan of seaming but it was easy to zip up the seams on this little guy (or gal?)

I love the fact that the bee won this time!

IMG_2372The bee … needs eyes. Just sayin’.

Gone knitting!

Pondering my Craft

IMG_2345My little guy is very thoughtful.

I caught him sitting in my atelier today just staring …. I’m not sure if he’s admiring the lovely wool that was gifted to me or if he was missing his favorite porch in Maine (the bags are from my knitting shop in Waterville … circa 1985 bags). Maybe he’s simply pondering my craft.

Gone knitting.

 

Empty Nests

Baby birds have left the building

The baby birds have left the building.

I have been watching a nest full of baby birds this summer.

When I first arrived here in Maine, the nest was active (mom and dad were flying in and out) but I couldn’t see anything in the nest. After a few weeks, the tippety tops of baby heads were visible. In the last week or so the nest has been very full of four little birds who would huddle in the nest together and stare back at me when I peeked out from our bedroom window.

I tried on several occasions to get a decent photograph of the babies in the nest but mom and dad would dive-bomb me and I didn’t dare spend enough time to take said picture.

So, the best thing that I can do is report that the the babies have all fledged as of yesterday morning. The first baby flew into the living room window. Fortunately, not hard enough to harm him or her. Just enough to perhaps stun it for a little while – it sat on the sill for a few minutes before flying off with mom and dad. The last baby fledged (left the nest) yesterday morning. And they haven’t come back. I keep checking the nest. It’s still empty.

My statement to myself was, “The empty nest is a little bit sad” (or something like that) and I realized that it’s true in our house today. Once again  … our nest is empty and we’re a little bit sad this morning.

I was so lucky to have been a full-time stay-at-home mom and as my kids grew up and went on their ways (as they should), it was sad. They are all full-fledged (coincidence?) adults now and they’re happy and productive and I am so proud of them. I’m proud of myself, too. My job was to raise them to be decent human beings and then let them go to build a life of their own making. It’s not easy letting them go. There were (and still are) times when I can get very sad but I love it when we get to visit.

But time flies so quickly. And, today, no longer having my daughter and her boyfriend and little pup in the house, I’m a little bit sad. And I know that they are a little bit sad, too, as they start their long journey back to Chicago. It was a fun visit and we built some new memories. Double-fisted drinking, “binocularing”, sighting a family of loons with two babies, listening to the loons, hearing the osprey overhead, slapping mosquitoes, and sharing this beautiful place that we are so fortunate to enjoy.

It’s good that I can feel sadness because it means that I’ve felt joy. And I’ve had a lot of joy.

Gone knitting.