Being at home

I've been spending almost all of my time at home, for weeks now. First, there was the move that the bookstore was making, and there wasn't going to be a place for me to work until things were settled in the new space, so I brought my office home. That fit the timing for the surgery I was going to have, which meant that I'd need to be home to recuperate.

The surgery (repair to scar tissue left from previous surgeries) went well, but the work did not. I was working on our website as usual, but while I was, the bookstore was making some hard decisions. The website was eliminated, and so was my job.

Losing my job is a subject for another time. What I'm thinking about today is how much I love my home, my tiny space, my little calm place. It was remade by my sister Sarah when she came to be with me for the surgery, and on the final day, just a few hours before she had to leave, we took pictures of the amazing transformation. My mother's dresser, her little overnight case on top; my knitting spot on the couch, the new television. There's much more that you can't see in one photograph.

And there in the middle: the beautiful, beautiful quilt Sarah made for me, which she put the finishing touches on while I was sleeping.

There's no place like home, is there?

Fifty-six Hours

That's how long I was without power at home during and after Hurricane Irene. Not too bad, considering that there are many people here on Long Island, and right here on the East End, who don't even know when theirs might be restored.

But fifty-six hours was more than enough. At least I could go to work, where we had power the whole time. At home, I was just uncomfortable and stressed and done. This house gets its water from a well, and when there's no power, there's no water. After I used what I'd stored, I had to haul it from work in a big container. Knowing that my refrigerator full of food was spoiling made it even more difficult. The peaceful haven I count on my little home to be was no longer peaceful, or a haven.

I had a small epiphany this week. Yes, I'm fortunate to live a life where I can count on electricity, running water, and other comforts. But at the same time, I need to acknowledge that I work very hard to provide those things for myself. It's up to me. So when I can't take a shower or flush the toilet, when most of my fresh food becomes inedible, and when I can't see to do much of anything, it's distressing. And I can stop apologizing for that, without diminishing the suffering and hardship that people all over the East Coast — and all over the world — are experiencing right now.

While there was a little bit of daylight on Sunday — in between the moments when I thought I might see Miss Gulch pass my window on her bicycle — I finished the giant swatch I started earlier in the week. It's more of a stitch sampler than a swatch. I worked out the math and the logistics for a shawl with an interesting bit of lace, and played with some lovely lace edges. When my Red Heirloom Tomato yarn arrives from Sundara, I'll begin figuring out how to make it all work on a larger scale. We shall see what becomes of all this swatching and figuring.

I began a pair of socks on Monday, when Kris told me to start something. He even told me what yarn to use (4-ply Organic Poll Dorset from Renaissance Dyeing) and what pattern to knit (Anne Hanson's Caterpillar Socks). I needed someone to tell me what to do by that point, so I'm glad he stepped in and gave me a shake.

Now onward, to Labor Day weekend and the reverse migration of the Summer People — those who haven't given up and gone home already, that is!

Untended

This picture says it all. Two months ago, the wisteria was just beginning to climb up my porch railing. Now, it claims my chair.

It's been the same sort of summer as usual: busy. I work long hours, shuffle back and forth between the bookstore and home, and marvel at how time is flying (or complain about how time seems to have stopped). Our website is a full-time job, and exciting. My head is filled with html and SEO, URL path settings and publishing options. My time is spent on updates and order processing, inventory upload files and shipping quotes. Above all, I keep in touch with books. Books and bookselling are still what I do.

There's been knitting. Free-range knitting. Dabbling. I finished my Saroyan weeks ago (Sundara Fingering Merino Cashmere). I'm working on a couple of pairs of socks, a little shawl experiment, and a few other things. It keeps me sane.

I've also been reading. This should not be remarkable, but it is. My reading mojo has been non-existent for a very, very long time. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is a beautiful memoir by Nina Sankovitch. It's about her year of reading — a book a day, for 365 days — after the death of her sister. In an article in the New York Times, she said she was seeking answers about "how to live with sorrow and how to find my place in the world." I think I knew that books can provide those answers, but I didn't go to them. Nina Sankovitch's wonderful book has begun to lead me back. I'm reading one of the books on her list now: How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall.

Maybe reading is keeping me sane, too.

 ❧ Rosemary... Rosemary is a furry firecracker. She is fond of stuffed mousies, especially when they need to be attacked at the foot of the bed in the middle of the night. She doesn't keep me sane, but she makes life interesting.

Found

Her name is Rosemary, and a few days ago she found the hole in my heart and stitched it up.

We're just getting to know each other, we two, but I know this: a cat who places her paw in your hand, ever so gently, and lets it rest there — that cat is your cat, and you are her person.

Rosemary came to me — along with her sweet name — from ARF, one of our local rescue organizations. Annabelle was an ARFan, too.

I do knit, and I do have pictures, but I will save them for next time. I've been completely consumed by Rosemary, of course, but also by a monumental project at work. I rarely write about my job (I try not to), but I'm in charge of our new website, and I've been busy putting it together. It launched yesterday and I'm pretty pleased with it.  Go take a look when you have a minute.

This Sunday I'll be at SBUMC Cancer Center to celebrate National Cancer Survivor's Day, and I'll be at a special breakfast for those of us who are participating in clinical trials. I'm so happy to be here, three years after my diagnosis of uterine cancer, and so honored to be helping find better treatment for my sisters who will be diagnosed in the future. All the research money in the world (and all the pink stuff we're encouraged to buy) won't get rid of cancer without patients and doctors participating in clinical trials. Just sayin'.

Fiddling

It's in the air. I can feel it — summer is winding down. In just a few weeks it will be over. Are you sad? I'm not, much.

Because my job is so stressful during the summer, I always try to make a survival plan, but I rarely manage to carry it out. This year, though, I think it's working. I've been putting my feet up, getting plenty of sleep, and eating healthy summery foods. I've tried to keep my work hours on the normal side, and I take frequent breaks (even if I do still grab lunch while I'm working at my desk).

And, boy, have I been knitting! I don't knit every day; sometimes I come home, vegetate, and go to sleep just after dark. Sometimes I knit the evening away, and before I know it, it's past time to go to sleep. I have interesting projects going on, and lots of ideas, so knitting has kept me entertained all season.

After a few false starts and lots of grumbling, I settled on a pattern for my KBOW Woolalong project for this month. The August fiber is Shetland, so I ordered some DK Organic Shetland from Garthenor. I was a little impulsive about my choice, so I had a hard time finding a project that suited the yarn — I'll admit it, I was really cranky for a while on Thursday — but in the end I decided on Nora Gaughan's Here and There Scarf from Scarf Style (please excuse the cloudy day photo). So far, so good!

I also started a Stepping Stones Scarf in the same yarn I used for Herbivore. The leftover yarn was just sitting there, so what else was I supposed to do? I've been wanting to make another one of these for a long time, too. It will make a nice birthday/Christmas present for a friend.

I upgraded my blog's design this morning (you know, just because I thought it would be fun to spend a few hours tweaking CSS colors and bits of HTML code). I like it, but of course I'll find more to fiddle with. 

To make myself step away from the computer when I'd finished (but was still waffling on a few unimportant issues), I went into the kitchen and fiddled with a blueberry drop biscuit recipe. They turned out well. Baking with blueberries seems to be another part of my summer survival plan!

Make cake

It was a long week. Summers are like this. If I think I'm busy enough, it gets busier. Just when I think I have a handle on it, I need to hang on tighter. The store is busier every day (as it should be) and we had a pretty big event yesterday (the bookstore hosted Jill Zarin, who is a local resident and author, as well as one of the Real Housewives of New York City), so I really needed to relax today.

So what did I do? Made cake! It's a delicious and simple Blueberry Coffee Cake from my ancient (1951) copy of the Woman's Home Companion Cook Book. My mother and grandmother did a lot of their cooking using this book — most of our family birthday cakes began with the Take It Easy Two-Egg Cake —and the splotchy pages show it. A little bit of baking makes me happy, and that's a good way to end the week.

While I was relaxing, I finished my latest Baktus. It's so soft and silky, and it drapes and folds just right.

I can't wait to block it, wrap it up, and send it on its way! And since it's off the needles, can I start another one? All this garter stitch seems to be keeping my brain from melting.

Almost summertime

A little damselfly paid my hat a visit!

 I was sitting there last night, about to begin to knit on a sock, when I heard some yarn talking to me. It was Catskill Merino, which Clara at Knitter's Review wrote about a few weeks ago, and which had arrived on my doorstep "by accident." I listened carefully as the yarn -- a soft, plump worsted weight singles dyed with indigo -- asked to be knit into something right away. So I cast on a Honeycomb Hat from The Knitter's Book of Yarn. 

Still there!

 By this morning it was off the needles, so I washed it and set it out on my little deck to dry. I love this yarn! It's not a true single, because up close you can see that two strands have been twisted together, but it behaves like a single, and I'm sure that it will pill with abrasion. It's just right for a soft, warm hat. I've made one of these before, and it's my favorite hat to wear.
 

A few days ago Annabelle ventured down the stairs, but something across the driveway made her turn around just after I took the picture. From this angle her rear end doesn't look too ample, so she said I could post this. She's very careful about such things, you know. She rarely goes outside; she wants to, but she doesn't like to, so every once in a while I let her try it. She lasts about three minutes, on average, which is just fine with me.

In another "right in my own back yard" moment, about ten days ago I took this picture of a pale pink peony. I like what the Hipstamatic iPhone app does with color. It looks so old.

Ten days? What have I been doing? Working. The store move is complete, except for a couple of shelves that are still being built, and we're about to enter the real Summer Season. In any spare time, I've been resting up and knitting.

I had been plugging away on this pair of Celebrate Spring socks in Sundara Sock Sage over Butter, but the second one is on time-out. This one just doesn't fit right (I think it's the unforgiving rows of purl stitches that go right over the biggest part of my big ankle), and I'll need to think about it before I proceed.

I still have socks going on, though. My friend Kristopher and I are having a little Summertime Sock Knitalong, just the two of us. We decided on a pattern (Anne Hanson's excellent Dolomite Socks), made a "rule" that we had to cast on with a yarn in our stash that we haven't used before (that's easy, but it meant No Sundara for me), and off we went. My yarn is Frija from Spirit Trail, and Kris is working with Briar Rose Grandma's Blessing. This pattern is nice and stretchy, and easy to memorize. The yarn is lovely -- it's merino, cashmere and a little bit of nylon.

Knitting will keep me going all through the summer, as it always does. There have also been quarts and quarts of local strawberries, my other early summer salvation. I froze most of them for later -- smoothies in August!

I've been trying to reclaim my reading mojo, which left a couple of months ago (distressing, when you sell books for a living). I'm reading Simon Van Booy's short story collection, The Secret Lives of People in Love. He's brilliant -- his stories really are like poems, as Roger Rosenblatt is quoted on Simon's website. He's also a frequent visitor to the bookstore (as is Roger; we're so lucky!), and he's coming to read and sign books this Saturday.  Stop by if you're in the neighborhood -- 5:00pm on Saturday the 19th.

The hat should be dry by now, and my socks are calling. Another Sunday off is coming to a close, so I want to make the most of what's left.

Moving (not far)

I went missing again, but it was for good reason. I was buried under a mountain of books! In the time since I last posted -- on my birthday -- the bookstore that I manage decided to move, closed, packed, moved, and reopened. "Nothing short of a miracle," says our general manager. I agree. Who in their right mind would or could move an entire store, start to finish, in such a short time? Well, I'm not sure we're in our right minds, but we did it, and we did it well. 

Granted, we just moved next door; but it was a monumental, physically draining, emotionally stressful three weeks. I'm proud of all of us who made it happen. Our new space is light, airy, clean, beautifully renovated --  and it has hot water. We gave up the creaky wooden floors, so loved by our customers, but I'll take hot water over creaky wooden floors any day.

There's even more moving going on -- I moved the blog to my own domain. I feel like such a grown-up! If you arrived here via notplainjane.blogspot.com, you'll notice that you've been redirected to not-plain-jane.com. At least I hope that people will end up here... I'm not quite sure what happens to the feed.

Just to be on the safe side, please update your feed reader to 

http://www.not-plain-jane.com

(and when I publish this, we'll see what happens).

 

I've been trying to maintain at least a little of my knitting mojo in these weeks. This is my version of Evelyn Clark's Old Shale Shawl, which was first published in the Jan/Feb 2005 Piecework Magazine. I'm knitting with my own handspun -- it's that blend of BFL, cashmere, silk, and merino from Spirit Trail Fiberworks. I decided to knit the shawl in stockinette rather than garter stitch, because this pretty yarn deserves to show off. I'm also leaving out the traditional garter ridges in the classic stitch. I think of this as Feather Without the Fan. 

When I began knitting, I knew that I would run out of yarn, and more fiber was already on the way from Jen. I kept knitting all through The Move, and now that life is going to be a little (not a lot, just a little) more sane I'll spin up the rest of what I need. I'm usually distressed at the idea of running out of yarn in the middle of a project; aren't we all? But this time, since I knew from the start, I could spend my little bit of knitting time enjoying myself. 

The other thing I'm going to do now that the bookstore is getting back to normal is send out the giveaway prizes!  I'd like to offer my sincere apologies to everyone who has been checking their mailbox and wondering what on earth became of that nice yarn, or that big book. 

 

This is what I do when I have a whole day ahead of me, I'm too tired to do anything serious like vacuum, and there are fresh blueberries in the fridge. I love these old muffin pans; they were the ones my grandmother used, and they're probably about sixty years old. I know, that was only 1950. But saying they're sixty makes them seem antique rather than just retro. The muffins are pretty tasty, too. The secret is a little lemon peel, added at the last minute.

Christmas comes, Christmas goes

I love to decorate my Christmas tree. I have lots of ornaments, both old and not so old, but my tree is usually so small that I need to be very choosy. I start with the shiny ones, from the box that my mother labeled "Tiny Shiny." Then I move on to the sentimental ones, the bells, and the little sheep. Snow people populate the space underneath. It just makes me happy to perform this small ritual each year, especially when I don't feel like it, or think I don't have time for it. This year I got the tree in time to decorate it during the Blizzard of Ought-Nine.


Here's Main Street in Southampton on the morning after the snow, which shut everything down, including the bookstore. The Village crews had just begun to clear the street and sidewalk, and within about 45 minutes there were parking spaces and walkways so that business could get underway. Good thing, because I was in a knot over having to be closed for even one precious holiday shopping day!

I moved through the week on auto-pilot, seeming to survive on what I could find in the fridge and the cookies given to us by our customers (not entirely, but I did begin to notice that few of my meals contained actual vegetables). Then it was Christmas Eve, which flew by in a blur (I think it might be a good thing that I blocked most of it out), and all of a sudden it was Christmas!


This is one of the gifts I opened in the morning -- a beautiful pillow made by my sister Sarah. She's been trying to figure out how to use some of the yards and yards of old lace trim that our mother had saved over the years. Some of it is really old, probably saved by her mother. This is a wonderful example of the quilting and sewing that my sister does, and I'm so happy to have another piece of her work, especially one that means so much to all of us.

I spent the rest of the day at Judy's house, enjoying Christmas with Judy, Ray, Michael, Rebecca, Rachel, and Louise. We had fun, ate not quite but almost too much, played with our new stuff (a GPS for me from Judy and Ray -- what a treat!), and enjoyed a pretty peaceful day.

Now that the holiday is over, and my knitted gifts have been received, I can post pictures of what I've been knitting. This is a Lacy Baktus scarf for my sister Ellen, made with String Theory's Nano superwash merino...


... and this is the One-Skein Shawl I made for my mom with some acrylic yarn (sorry, I don't know what it is) because it will have to be washed and dried in a machine. She loves it.


I'm still knitting the second of a pair of Hedgerow Mitts for Judy. When I finish it I'll post a photo. The yarn is the beautiful Sunna from Spirit Trail, a new blend of merino, cashmere, and silk. It's delicious.

And speaking of delicious, here's a picture of my lunch (especially for Clara). Peanut butter and cherry jam on two challah clouds. Don't worry, I'm having vegetables for dinner!

Cloudy, salty, sweet sixteen

We didn't get snow today, but it rained enough to make the day look like this -- dark. It was a good day to knit, though!

I'm working on a few Christmas gifts, so I can't show you anything I'm doing, but it's all wonderful. I'm still in post-Retreat knitting bliss mode. I have so many ideas and plans for 2010... The other day I looked into the bottom of one of the many bags I brought home with me, and what do you know, there are four skeins of Foxfire Fiber Cormo Alpaca Lace in there! I can't wait to sink my needles into it! I have two colors, natural brown and a lovely lavender. I know I'll find the right pattern for one or both, but first I need some free time.

Time is a precious commodity at this time of year. I seem to spend most of mine on work, thinking about work, or resting up to go to work. It's a short holiday season, so frenzy is the best way to describe it. I had to update the bookstore blog today, which is something I enjoy, but haven't had the time to really make it what we want it to become. Working on it on my day off is not my first choice, but at least it's done for now. One of these days it will be something I'm really proud of!

I'm actually enjoying the idea of Christmas this year -- unlike last year, when I crawled through it and the surrounding months. I'm looking forward to my annual shopping trip with Judy and the Remarkable R's, which we're going to squeeze in this Sunday. Today is the girls' sixteenth birthday (!!!), and there's a party on Saturday to celebrate it, along with the birthday of Judy's Wonderful Ray. It's going to be a busy weekend!

Now that my day off is almost over, I think I'll spend the evening working on something special, and thinking about making a batch of salty-sweet pecans. All I need is the recipe, which is in a book at work. If they're as good as they look, I'll let you know!

Perspective

Calm waters at last... It's been weeks since I had a moment to be quiet, but today is the day. I'm catching up on all sorts of things, resting, knitting, and enjoying some time at home.

The Knitter's Review Retreat was -- there are no words for how wonderful it was! I drove up on Wednesday afternoon with a car full of yarn and my spinning wheel and what felt like my entire house. By the time the rest of the knitters began to arrive on Thursday I'd settled in nicely.

[For a better description of the weekend than I could ever give, read Minh's wonderful three-part blog series. I failed in the photography department, too (not one picture!), but Minh also happens to have taken lots and lots of great pictures.]

My friend and roommate Kristopher arrived very late on Thursday, after working all day and driving for something like eight hours. We hadn't seen each other since last year, so we were looking forward to catching up in person (yarny phone calls just aren't as satisfying as yarny face-to-face conversations). The entire weekend was filled with yarniness -- all my senses were overloaded with yarn, knitters, good food, laughter, friendship, generosity, and fun!

I found myself thinking about my year -- a lot. Last year at the Retreat, I was just about to enter that long, dark winter of chemo and sickness, but I didn't really know it. This year, from the other side, I looked back with a lot of perspective. Surrounded again by all the people who kept me going, and able to (I hope) tell them how much they mean to me, I was happy and nostalgic and teary for most of the weekend. I saw myself differently -- through the eyes of my lovely, caring knitting friends -- not just as a survivor, but as having thrived, too. It's hard to explain, but I love this Jane, from her new hair down to her annoyingly-numb toes.

I started a simple New Beginnings project this year, since last year was the first time I didn't finish what I started on Sunday morning. It was a lace scarf with a provisional cast-on and charts, and apparently, not meant to be. So this time I brought out a skein of merino-alpaca, a beautiful limited edition yarn from Chris at Briar Rose Fibers in greens and blues and browns. I cast on a few stitches on US 10 needles, and began Clara's One Skein Shawl from Knitter's Review. I added some lacey rows, but it's mostly garter stitch, so it's chunky and warm, and above all, easy.


Just what my tired self needs. I'll probably finish it this afternoon.


So the Retreat is over, and Thanksgiving has come and gone, too. I had a great day with Judy and her family -- and I would have stayed longer if I didn't need to be ready for the big weekend at work. Black Friday passed quickly, as it always does, and Saturday was busier than Friday. For the next few weeks my head will be spinning, and then it will be 2010, and I'll get to relax a little. At least I have a goal!

I'm swimming along

And I jumped in with both feet! I added another day to my work week right before the 4th of July holiday, bringing me back to a full-time schedule just in time for the onset of the summer madness. I'm so happy to be able to say I'm really "back" but the trade-off is that I need a lot more rest than before, in the old days before cancer.

An aside -- a few weeks ago I asked Dr. Pearl's nurse (a rock if ever there was one) my burning question: what is this strange time called, this time after treatment, when life gets to/has to resume, when slow and steady recovery is the goal yet uncertainty seems to keep lurking in the corner? "It's called remission," she said. I waited until I got to the car to laugh and cry.

So what do I do each day? Go to work. Work hard, almost as hard as I used to. Come home and climb the stairs (which have been reduced to something more like the Appalachians than Mt. Everest). Eat something. Put my feet up. Watch a little TV, catch up on phone calls, knit if I can concentrate. Read for a few minutes in bed, then turn off the light after the book smacks me in the face because I've dozed off. Rinse and repeat! I have no complaints -- I'm so pleased that I'm able to do my whole job again, and I'm happy every single day that I can come home bone-tired for some reason other than illness.


Knitting has taken a bit of a back seat, but I am almost finished with the second Hedgerow Mitt, which in this photo is only a few inches along. I would have finished it already, but I noticed that before the hand decreases I got a little carried away, and knit too many rounds. I need to frog back so this mitt will match its mate.


I still haven't figured out how to take a good photo of such a red yarn, but I'll keep trying.

We've been lucky with our weather lately, so lucky that until the past few days it's felt more like April than July. Today has been another gorgeous day, and a good day to be able to stay home, recuperate from the week, and enjoy my pretty flowers (a nice surprise from my boss). By tomorrow morning I'll feel rested and ready to take on the pile of things on my list!

Somewhat random, with heart

The other morning I was making my favorite iced coffee, just casually pouring the coffee into the frothed milk (I like to make the milk frothy, and I have one of those little gizmos that does it), and look what happened! A glass of caffeinated love! A barrista moment! I couldn't do it again if I tried.

I'm making good progress on my Boxleaf shawl, but a new photo would look just like the one I posted before. I don't know how many stitches I have on the needles at this point, or how many I'll end up with, but boy, those rows are getting long. I used to be able to do an entire ten-row repeat in one sitting, but not any longer. I have to remember to mark my place, but it's also pretty easy to find my place if I lose it. I'm going to knit until I get close to running out of yarn, and 500 yards will make a nice shawl.

I'd like to be almost finished with the shawl in time to start the Knitter's Review knitalong for Amy's Hedgerow Mitts, which starts on June 15. The pattern is based on my socks, and I love it. Amy and I talked about it last year, Clara loved the idea and encouraged her to do it, and the pattern made its debut on May 28. I'm thrilled for Amy, and I can't wait to get started on my first pair! They'll be in a beautiful red shade of Alexandra from Spirit Trail Fiberworks.

Though I've settled into my skin a bit more since my last post, I'm still finding new ways to think about my life with cancer. It's summer at the bookstore, so a day doesn't go by without my seeing someone I haven't seen in months, or even a year. It's not easy, but I'm getting used to having small conversations about myself with people who are sweet and kind and concerned. I'm not used to sharing much more than book recommendations with my customers, so I'm developing ways to share a little bit of my experience to reassure these lovely people -- yes, I have been sick, but yes, I am on my way to being well. Thank goodness I've practiced here!

Annabelle had the best idea for this sunny, breezy Sunday -- a nice nap in the window, and a bit of a bath. Now, however, she would like her supper. I can't turn her down. Besides, she won't let me forget what time it is!


Have a wonderful week, everyone. Thank you for coming here, and thank you for all your kind, interesting, and uplifting comments and emails. I don't know if I'd be traveling forward (or upright, for that matter) if I were on this road all by myself.

~:~
Today, June 7, is National Cancer Survivors Day. I guess that includes me!
~:~

On a roll

I can't help myself; I keep finishing things. And starting more. And having ideas about other things I'd like to knit or design. This is a sweet little hat that I made last week. It's the "Narragansett Bay Cap" from Lisa Lloyd's A Fine Fleece (yes, I came across it as I was turning pages while knitting the Road Not Taken scarf).

Pattern: Narragansett Bay Cap

Yarn: Buffalo Gals Bison Merino 2 ply

Needles: US 4/3.5 mm

Modifications: Needle size

I've already started knitting the matching scarf. Since I know I don't have enough yarn to make it as written, I've modified the cap chart to make it work. See? On a roll.

My knitting energy extends to finishing and blocking the Rivolo scarf. I love how it turned out! I blocked it pretty seriously with blocking wires, and it looks and feels just lovely. The yarn has a silky shine to it that blocking seems to enhance.

Pattern: Rivolo by Anne Hanson

Yarn: Sundara Merino Sock Yarn in "Aqua over Terracotta"

Needles: US 5/ 3.75 mm

Modifications: Length (I made mine longer) and needle size

Once again, I find myself without a fresh pair of socks on the needles. I'll take care of that right away, or as soon as I decide what pattern to use. It's so hard to choose when there are so many I want to make! I think it's time for a bluish-greenish pair. Or purplish. Or not.

I'm also playing around with a cowl design. I read somewhere that cowls are the new socks. I don't know about that, but I do know that I was looking for a way to put a little bit of Sundara's Aran Silky Merino around my neck, and a cowl is as good a way as any. I'm swatching and frogging and knitting around and around, and one of these days I'll have a pretty neck tube to show. That's all a cowl is, really, isn't it?

It's going to be a busy week for me. I've gotten the go-ahead to do all the testing that I need to have done before I can begin chemotherapy, so I'm booked for blood work today or tomorrow, two scans on Wednesday, and (ugh) dental work on Friday. That last thing, unpleasant as it is, has to be done now because it can't be done during chemo. I'm going to fit some work in there too -- and one of the days will be my first time "on the schedule" since the beginning of June. Till now I've been marching to my own drummer.

Speaking of the drum, I hear it beating now. It's time to get on with the day. There's a breeze this morning, and it looks like another beautiful day.

Spring

It's Easter, and I'm getting ready to spend the afternoon with Judy and her Fabulous Family. There will be chocolate. And Yahtzee, I hope. I've missed a few chances to sit down and post - I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get to all the things I was planning to write. But here I am, now, for a minute or two.

All of a sudden I'm busy again. Work is more like it ought to be - busier, more demanding, needing my closer attention. All that is fine with me, because the slow pace of the off season begins to wear on my nerves after a while. Later, when summer really gets here, I'll go back to whining about my busy work life. For now, I'm happy to be so occupied.

By the way - if you are watching that wretched Real Housewives of New York City on Bravo, you will see why I might complain about Summer People. Those women, their offspring, and their entourages? They are the bane of my existence. I watched a little bit of one episode and had to turn it off. I swear I've seen the guy with the pink cowboy hat in my store (without the hat, thank goodness).

The Crest of the Wave shawl keeps growing. It's not very photogenic right now, though. I've knit about 40 inches so far, and I've just cracked the second skein of yarn. I could knit for miles!

It's good knitting.

Annie hearts yarn

But I sure do wish that her devotion didn't include drooling.

It was all I could do to get an unobstructed shot of my new favorite thing in the world (besides the cat, of course).

This is Buffalo Gals Bison Merino 2-Ply in Garnet. Clara Parkes reviewed its cousin, Bison Merino 3-Ply, in this past week's Knitter's Review newsletter. I don't post about most of the yarn I find, but this one deserves the spotlight. It is so soft, so sweet, and such a deep, rich color.

I happened to click on the newsletter just as it was posted late Wednesday night. This yarn spoke to me in a sweet voice, yet a firm one. I didn't even attempt to think it over. I was also extremely impressed by Judith MacKenzie McCuin's journey with this fiber, and I wanted to support her effort. Before the page had finished loading I think I was on my way over to Carolina Homespun to place an order (I heart Morgaine).

Now that I have it in my hands (or wrapped in a cloth to keep somebody from rolling in it) and can feel it and make plans for it, I want more. I'm resisting for now, but that Montana Nights blue is gorgeous. As Clara pointed out, this is not an inexpensive yarn, but it's also in limited supply. I know I'll treasure the knitting and the wearing.

I don't have any knitting to write about. I've been working on Stuff, but most of my time has been spent dealing with work things. Yes, I know that last week I rhapsodized about how much I love my job, how I love to go to work every day, how I look forward to the possibilities...

But some days -- some weeks, even -- my idyllic, romantic job leaves me drained and speechless. It's over now, and it wasn't a crisis, but it sure was complicated, uncomfortable and exhausting. Now I really am looking forward to going to work tomorrow!

Hobbled and speechless

I should say "humbled," but more on that in a minute. I am speechless, though. You like them, you really, really like them! I've loved these socks since the minute they came together in my head. But as I began the heel flap, I went over the moon. I hope it's the same for everyone who knits Jane's Hedgerows.

I'm grateful to Lisa of Wildhorse Farm Designs for being so gracious about the name thing. I love her sock designs, and when I found out that she's had a Hedgerow pattern for ages, I was, shall we say, mortified. Google is our friend; I should have done some research.

And Clara? They don't call her the Queen Bee for nothing. I love Knitter's Review for a million reasons, but Clara and her most excellent newsletter are at the top of the list.

Then there's Ravelry...3 projects (one of them is mine, but still) and in 35 queues. And the Tilt and Whirl pattern is already in the hands of all the Spirit Trail Sock club members. 'Nuff said.

So this has been an amazing week. Sock madness and work madness converged and created Jane madness. It was a week of rainy days and frantic vacationers, of not enough staff (and two of them brand new), of too many books to order and receive and shelve, of an unexpected off-site event that coincided with a planned in-store event.

The result was general exhaustion and a really painful and sore foot. I'm hobbled. No wonder -- I actually spent 12 solid hours in the store on Saturday, at full tilt. Rest is all that I am planning for today.

I might spend some time gazing at this yarn:


It's Spirit Trail Fiberworks worsted weight 100% silk, and it arrived on Thursday, the second installment in the Yarns with Spirit club. Shelia's lacey pattern is a delight, too. Oh my goodness.

Thank you, thank you to everyone who has commented or emailed or posted on the KR forums. I am delighted, and so grateful. You've helped make this adventure a lot less frightening than I thought it was going to be.

I'm going to go knit something (want to bet it will be worsted weight silk, something lacey, perhaps?). In just one week, the Summer Season will be over. I can't wait for September. I think I can hold out for that long.