Frogged

There are many reasons why knitters are a little crazy. The interest in different fibers, mohair, merino, lace, sock weight, worsted weight. The needles, circs, DPNs, acrylic, metal, wood, bamboo? The concoctions that any knitter can come up with by choosing their yarn and tools is both shocking and enticing. Well, enticing for those of us who knit. But, of all these funny little quirks about knitting, I think the strongest case for our crazy is Frogging. Frogging is the act of ripping out stitches in your work - taking the end of the yarn and just pulling so you can hear it go backwards through the work you've done and as it does, it sings this lovely song, "rip it, rip it" - just like those damn peepers we hear in the spring.

I recently experienced my first true Frogging and yes, my knit-loving heart broke a little.

I had been working on this dress for Sydney for months. I dare say, 7 months or so? I can't quite remember, but it was on the needles for a long time. I noticed after about 1.5 inches that it looked really wide for a 12month skirt but I thought it'd get smaller as I kept knitting. Why did I think that? I chalk it up to a combination of being a "newish" knitter and being sleep deprived when I first read this pattern and started this project. I kept going. I knew, I swore if I just kept knitting it would all work out.

It didn't.

I got to 9 inches of the body as the pattern called for and then really looked at it. It was easily wide enough around to be a loose sweater for Nate and a dress for Sydney when she's perhaps five. I was left with no choice, I ripped it all out. I frogged it and then frogged some more and then I wound it all back into a ball. The ball now sits in my yarn basket, the basket that I rest my feet on while typing at my desk, and it awaits a new fate. I may very well attempt that same dress with it, but this time - well this time things will be different. One word my friends - Gauge. I now understand the importance of the gauge.

Tuesday Tunes

10 Things

I just have to quote SouleMama's post over here. I'm always inspired by her creativity and the beautiful photographs she takes of her family's daily life, but today her post got me to thinking in a reflective and appreciative way. Her blog often gets me thinking in a creative and yarn-lusty way. ;)

Anyway, here is her blog: http://www.soulemama.typepad.com/

I'm going to be a copy cat and do this 10 things post myself at the end of the weekend I think. We have a busy few days ahead of us that will be filled with more than ten things to be grateful and excited for!

Tuesday Tunes

A sampling from The Figs, my current favorite. They've got a banjo, a yuke, an upright bass and a drummer who sings, plus the always faithful guitar. How can you go wrong?

Tuesday Tunes

This has been Nate's favorite song for the last six months or so, maybe longer, it feels like it's been on constantly. He just asked me to play it again tonight and play it again, and again. Fortunately the rest of us aren't totally tired of it yet. I don't think Nate will ever get tired of it!








This is my prefered version; for the Scotsman of course!

In A Weekend

We...

had a ninja in our house.

relocated many rocks.

dodged an attack from a vicious Red Wing Black Bird. ;)

knit a hat.

got some exercise.

took a nap.

went for a walk with our family.

Papa

There are plenty of times in life and in the life of this blog, that I feel that words fail me. They don't adequately describe the emotion I want to convey. They leave me frustrated and feeling inarticulate. This is one of those times.

I can't believe that I'm writing another blog post about the loss of a parent so soon after Tim's mom's passing in March. It seems unfair, surreal, and simply not possible, but unfortunately it is. Tim's father suffered a stroke at the end of April and was in the hospital being monitored, keeping him comfortable, and at first reports, we thought helping him recover. Things quickly declined though and we were faced with the news that recovery was not longer an option and it was simply a matter of time. He passed on two weeks after entering the hospital.

Bob was a terrific grandfather, the essential Papa to our kiddos. He was the Papa who got down on the floor and played with the kids and asked them questions about what they liked, not the standard issue grown up questions like, "How's school?" He always seemed to be laughing with us and our kids when we visited, just able to relax and enjoy his family. He seemed to relish the fun of being a grandparent and the joy that comes with it.

Needless to say, we will miss him terribly. We already do. It's Spring here and gearing up towards Summer which is when we saw the most of Papa, while visiting at his camp. This summer, we're still certain to go to camp but he won't be there and it won't be quite the same. Instead of avoiding it or treating it differently I hope that we'll revisit it with the same love and excitement that he had for it. At the very least, I'm certain that we'll feel more connected to him simply from visiting his favorite place and the site of so many of our best memories with him.