brnwebgrrl:: January to May 2006 archive. . .

January, to May 2006 Archives

May 31, 2006 4:02 PM

I just returned from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Terrace Theater for the National Society of Arts and Letters 2006 Awards for Excellence. This is an awards ceremony for High School juniors who excel in the arts. My eldest child, Brianna, won the 2006 Certificate of Merit in music. I was so proud of my girl. I sat with her music teacher from Banneker, and she talked about what a great student Brianna is. The ceremony was lovely, and they had a little dessert reception afterwards. The Kennedy Center itself is just a breathtakingly beautiful place. I look forward to attending a performance there some time.

May 30, 2006 3:23 PM

Mine was not a very patriotic Memorial Day. Neither did I participate in any cook-outs, or first weekend of summer type activities either, so I guess it all evens out. I spent the time moving the rest of my stuff out of our old house and getting our new apartment un-packed and livable.
I found a G Street Fabrics location in Fairfax that is closer than the one in Potomac Mills that I had been going to. I went and found a simple, neutral stripe on the drapery remnants table, which was $3.97 per yard, but this weekend they were having a 25% off sale, so for around $50. I got enough fabric to make curtains for six windows. I stopped at Target and bought an iron and new ironing board cover, and then went home and cut and sewed those curtains before dinner. Of course, in my haste, I walked out of Target without picking up the curtain rods. So, now the curtains are al finished, but I can’t hang them. Curses! Now I have to go back to Target!
We are all transitioning into our new space in our own way. Change can be painful at first, but it also makes way for new beginnings and maybe even new ways of thinking and doing things. In the end I am breathing a big sigh of relief at having my own space again. I’m looking forward with great anticipation to the day when all of this is a distant memory. Until then, I am dealing with life as it comes—moment by moment and day by day. God has blessed me with fortitude and strength beyond which I never thought I’d need. So, at those moments when you are tempted to say, “I can’t handle this,” remember that God will give you more than you can bear. And while he has not promised that we won’t face challenges in life, he has promised to always be with us; that he would never leave us nor forsake us. When those moments of deep despair visit your life be mindful that your help is closer than your next breath. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Warning: Motherly Bragging Ahead
I was absolutely astounded yesterday and this morning to hear my three-year-old spelling words. She can both read and spell her name, but I figured that it was mere rote memorization. We’ve had her say J-O-R-D-A-N so many times that I figured she finally had it memorized. But this was an instance of her looking at a picture of an animal on a flash card that had the animal’s name on the card. She held up the card and said, “A-N-T, ant” then she went on to spell and read bird and cat and dolphin and a bunch of other words—she had figured out how to decode the English language! She gets that each letter makes a different (for the most part) sound and that these letters make up words. But she is three years old! I remember when Brianna was little. I had ordered a set of flash cards and we’d sit and I hold them up and she’d show no interest whatsoever. I finally gave up in frustration, and she did eventually learn to read on her own. I have never done any such exercises with Jordan. We read to her constantly, but that’s it. She’s naturally curious and eager to keep up with her sisters. Leila, my eight year old, looks on Jordan as her little student, and now she’s trying to teach her fractions and decimals, too. I told her that it would be better for us to start with counting and addition and subtraction first. Can you believe this? She is just soaking everything in, and we are having a ball watching her learn.

Knitting Progress
When we packed up to move I weeded out a lot of yarn from my stash that I knew I would never use. In the process I came across an orphan remnant of Koigu KPPPM in a deep, rich red, purple, blue, orange-ish gold colorway. So, on Monday afternoon when I was resting from packing and moving, and I found myself home alone with nothing but peace and quiet, I decided to celebrate the moment by whipping up a little gift bag. It’s for one of my Secret Pals, so I won’t go into a lot of detail, but its adorable.
I also found another knitting podcast called, Pointy Sticks.
Pass the Chocolate, Please!
I just saw this little piece on how chocolate—one of my favorite foods ever—may boost brain-power. Gee, no wonder I’m so darn smart!

May 25, 2006 3:39 PM

New Home Sweet Home!
It's been over a week since I've blogged, and boy has my life changed since then. I have finally moved away from the soon-to-be ex-husband, and I now have my own little apartment with my girls. We've down-sized our lifestyle from our spacious three-bedroom, two bath three level home to a two bedroom one bath one level apartment. It's cozy, but we are loving it. I am almost completely unpacked now and starting to decorate it with my own flair. Since, as Leila pointed out, "We have an all girl house now," there are flowers and girly touches everywhere. We even bought the coolest shower curtain from Target. It's clear plastic, but it has actual silk daisies encapsulated between the two layers of clear plastic. So when you look at it, it looks like the daisies are floating in the air. Between the living room and dining room we have hung a garland of silk Wisteria and we have a huge bouquet of cheery sunflowers on the dining room table.
Moving was emotional for me, but my awesome cousin flew down from Boston to help me move. He drove the big 16-foot Budget rental truck, and he orchestrated the move so that we were finished by 5pm, thereby saving me an extra $80 on the truck rental. Another cousin who lives in this area came by to help as did a few of my girlfriends. My cousin called on a friend of his who lived in Silver Spring. She drove down here and helped us as well. I was overwhelmed with the outpouring. I am truly blessed to have so many awesome friends and family in my life. They were encouraging me all day long, and everyone has called me during the week to make sure that we are getting settled in to the new place.
The ex has decided that our family PC was really his PC, so we did not get to take that with us. Brianna and Leila and I have had to learn what it feels like to live in a home with absolutely no Internet access. Kinda scary. I've been doing deep breathing exercises and that helps to ease the mild panic attacks that threaten to immobolize me whenever I get the urge to check my email. (just kidding, of course.) This is the first time I have lived without access to a computer at home since, can you belive, the early 1980's. My mom bought a Kaypro computer for us in 1983, and since then I've always had a computer at home. I plan to buy a laptop next week, and I ordered the DSL line already. So, our dry spell will be short-lived. ;-) I really can't get by without a 'puter as it's now part of my livlihood with my emerging freelance writing practice.

I go to bed in peace in my new home and I wake up in peace. The view outside my bedroom window is lush with trees, and the sounds of birds singing is the first thing I hear. God is truly good and His mercy endures forever. I am not sure why I was meant to experience such a painful heartbreak and have my life completely decimated, but I'm bouncing back stronger than ever. I am no longer the least bit timid about saying no if something does not seem right to me. I am standing up for what is right for my children and for me, and I refuse to put up with any more b*llsh*t. Ever. There are those who have mistaken my kindness for weakness and have learned never to do so again.

Knitting Progress
Yesterday I had jury duty. This time I planned ahead and transeferred my sock project from the two metal circular size two needles on to a set of five bamboo dpn's so as not to upset the security guards at the Fort Knox-like security gauntlet that one must pass through to gain entry to the court house. With my ipod playing and my sock project I was in heaven. I knit for awhile, got up and stretched and then knit some more. I was able to complete one of the Ebossed Leaves socks that I had started a few weeks ago, but abandoned to finish up the socks for mommy for Mother's Day.

I struck up a great conversation with the prospective juror who sat next to me. He was fascinated by my Alpha Smart, which I had taken out and was typing on when I began to get bored after the hours of knitting on the same sock. We got to talking about my writing, and his work. He was an older, white-haired corporate-looking white guy, but we really hit it off. He was engaging--he even had an ipod and we compared notes on those as well. I must admit that I had pegged him as a stodgy old man, but he turned out to be interesting and quite fun to talk to.
SP 8 Questionnaire
OK, this was supposed to be posted during the first week of May, but, well you know, I've had some stuff going on that distracted me from doing it. I carved out a few moments today and here goes:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I prefer to knit with natural fibers such as Alpaca, wool, mohair, silk, linen and blends.

What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I don't really like Acrylic/ polyester yarns. Although it is natural, I'm not a big fan of knitting with cotton yarn. It hurts my hands when I work with it, and garments tend to sag when knit from it. I limit my use of cotton to dishcloths.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? A needle case that I made myself.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I'm advanced. I've been knitting since I was a small girl.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Earthy scents like sandalwood, flowery scents like honeysuckle, rose, lavender, and citrusy-spicy scents

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Chocolate, for me, should have its own food group. I ADORE good chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I crochet a teensy bit, I quilt, needle- felt, embroidery, I paint in oils on canvas, and I enjoy lots of paper crafts.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Jazz, classical, Gospel, and some world music

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? My favorite colors are earthy (are you sensing a trend here? ;-) I like soft greens, browns and natural wool colors. I like brick or cranberry reds, soft blues and jewel tones like purples and gold.

Any colors you just can't stand? I do not like bright yellows or oranges or pinks.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have three lovely daughters and a German Angora bunny.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes, yes, yes, and absolutely NO.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? socks, and shawls and bags and--ooops! Did you say just one thing?

13. What are you knitting right now? Socks.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? circs in bamboo.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? ball winder, yes. Swift, no.

17. How did you learn to knit? My mom and grandmother taught me when I was a child.

18. How old is your oldest UFO? Less than six months.

19. What is your favorite holiday? Easter.

20. Is there anything that you collect? Green frogs (not live ones) ;-)

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? Nicky Epstein's Knitted FLowers is high on my list, as is the Knitting Out of Africa book. Given that I'm such a Nicky Epstein fan, I'm also looking to acquire her Knitting Embellishments and knitting on the Edge and Over the Edge series. Finally, I'm lusting after Elizabeth Zimmerman's Opinionated Knitter.

What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I subscribe to Interweave Knits. I should subscribe to Vogue Knitting because I buy it practically every month from the news stand.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Not really.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes. Size 9 women's

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 05/03

May 15, 2006 6:39 PM

I hope that all of the moms had a lovely Mother's Day. I had a nice, quiet day at home. My family did the cooking, and I mostly lounged around and did some writing and some reading and some knitting. Like the heathen that I am, I did not go to church. (please don't tell my grandma!) Lazy slob that I was yesterday I did not feel like bathing and dressing and doing the girls' hair for church, so I planned to attend the evening service. Yeah right. I'm going straight to hell.
I was just worn out from all of the packing and cleaning I did on Saturday. Daryll took a truckload of stuff to Goodwill, and there's still more stuff to go. I put ads on craigslist to get rid of some of the other excess stuff because we are considerably down-sizing in square footage. I can't wait to get moved in and start decorating and arranging the furniture.

I made some serious progress on the bag that I'm making for the Tote Swap. I'll have pics soon because it's quite lovely. I find myself coveting this poor bag, and not unlike when I was a child and we'd go shopping to buy a birthday gift for a friend. I would get jealous and want to keep the gift for myself. that's how I'm kinda feeling about this bag. But I'm an adult, and I know that I can make another one just like it for myself. I'll behave.

I also finally finished the Mother's Day socks for my mommy. Since I finished them late Saturday night, she obviously didn't get them yesterday. I told her that her gift was in the mail, so this way she gets to celebrate Mother's Day in an extended fashion.

May 12, 2006 1:00 PM

Look what I found on Sherri's blog:

These notecards are just adorable. I bought a box today, and I'd recommend that you do the same. She also has adorable journals and postcards. Just lovely, and the fact that they are produced by an independent business woman doing her thing makes me feel that much better about my purchase.

May 10, 2006 10:26 AM

On this early May morning I walked through my garden and saw the three Peony bushes bent over from their bounty of blossoms. The bright, frothy pink flowers were bowing down from their own weight. I saw them there so bright and full of hope, so I went inside and grabbed some scissors and returned to cut some of the blooms to bring with me to brighten up my little corner of the office. Carefully wrapping them in white butcher paper, I carefully carried them with me on the Metro to work. As I walked with an armful of the bright pink flowers I felt fabulous as if I should have been wearing a formal silk gown and making a grand entrance at a ball or an important party. A very handsome man flirted mercilessly with me at the station, and I knew that the flowers were working their magic and casting some of their radiant glow on my otherwise unremarkable complexion.
Now the Peonies sit in their cut crystal vase on the shelf beside my desk. Their sole assignment until they fade away is to bring the cheer of spring and new life to my workspace. When I look at them and catch their sweet fragrance in the air I will be reminded of God’s handiwork in this impersonal environment. Just as the hairs on my head are numbered by God, so are the myriad petals counted and crafted by his loving hand. This brings me comfort and peace.

A New Home, At Last!

I have finally found a new place for my girls and me. It’s small, but sunny with lots of windows and a beautiful, fenced backyard where the girls can play. It’s down the road form a huge, grassy park with picnic benches and a running trail. It’s not my ideal place, and would not be my first choice of locations, but its what I can afford in this overpriced market. I will just be glad to be in my own space again where I can live and breathe and raise my girls in peace.

May 8, 2006 9:38 PM

Saturday a friend and I went to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. We had a lovely time in the warm sunshine browsing through the barns full of different yarns and fibers and spinning wheels and spindles. Our first stop, learned from experience, was the Koigu booth. We braved the crowd and stood in line and scored some of the lovely stuff. As we stood in the long line, people would stop and ask, "what's so great about this yarn that you all are lined up for it?" After trying to explain it a couple of times, I and the girl in front of me in line decided that if they didn't know about Koigu, it wasn't worth expaining it.
I bought some lovely silk & Merino for a friend in California, a souvenir bag from the festival, and a couple of skeins of Noro Kureyon for my entrelac class.
After the festival, we hung out at an apres party at the home of a friend in Silver Spring. It was the perfect end of a lovely day. I didn't spend a lot of money, but I still enjoyed the festival.
I've been on a bit of a bag kick lately. I finished this felted turtle tote:

I saw a photo of this bag that was knit and then felted. I wanted to whip one up quickly, so I found some fabric in my stash and made one this evening. Now that I have a prototype, I'll get some more fabric and make a few more.

May 4, 2006 8:28 PM

Happy Birthday to me!
Yesterday was my birthday. It wasn't my best birthday ever, but I managed to have a great day anyway. When the girls and I get settled into our new place I will be able to begin to get on with my life.
My boss gave me a pair of tickets to see a Nationals game, so I decided to take Brianna with me. She and I had such a great time the last time we went, so I thought it would be fun. We had lovely, balmy weather and although we are not baseball fans we had a great time. We sat in the Mayor/Council box, so there was lots of food and snacks and drinks. They lost 6-5 to the Florida Marlins, which was a bummer, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway.
I got an encouraging call from my mommy and my sister, all of which made up for the fact that my almost-ex H barely even spoke to me.

I bought mysef an ipod for my birthday, and I am learning how to work it. Brianna has been teaching me how to download music to it. Awhile ago I discovered podcasts, so now I mostly listen to podcasts on my three fave topics:Knitting, food and writing. I'll add linksto the side bar with links to my favorite shows.

I am really looking forward to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival on Saturday. This year I have signed up for an Entrelac knitting class, which will help distract me from spending too much money.

On my way in the house this afternoon I saw that thie first of the Peonies are beginning to open up, so I took this with my cameraphone:

April 30, 2006 11:28 AM

On Friday evening Brianna met me at work and we wlaked over to Metro headquarters becuase she has been named as a finalist in their annual student poster contest. Here's a few obligatory photos from this proud mommy:

My girl won second place in her division. One of the assistant principals from her school was there and she had nothing but glowing things to say about my girl.
Yesterday I attended a spinning class with a few other D.C. area knitters. I have been thinking about buying a spinning wheel at the MD Sheep & Wool Festival next weekend, and I wanted to get a refresher course. I first learned to spin on a wheel when I was a young girl growing up in southern Oregon. I have not used a wheel since then. Last spring, I took a drop spindle class from this same teacher, Sally, and I renewed my love of working with the raw fiber and transforming it into a finished yarn. A group of six of us assembled in Sally's fiber studio in Silver Spring, MD, and we fumbled trhough the process of producing yarn. There were times when I felt completely frustrated, and other times when I was having a wonderful time. Towards the end I finally got the ryhthm down: "pinch, & pull then slide" was my mantra as my hands tried to learn the new motions. I did not end up producing any real usable yarn, but I did learn a lot. I know now that the only thing standing between me and the ability to produces usable yarn is just time and practice. Now when I go to the festival, I will be in a better, more informed position to choose a good wheel. I will know what questions to ask and how important it is to try the wheel out before purchasing it.

When I was leaving the class I saw that there was a new message on my phone. It was my soon-to-be-ex-husband telling me that I needed to leave the class and come home right away because he was taking Leila to the hospital. His sister, who is a nurse, looked at Leila's ankle that she had injured on the playground on Friday. She seemed to think that it might be broken, and that we should take in to the hospital for exrays just to be sure. I was not able to get through to his phone because we were in the hinterland and I could'nt get a good cell. When I was able to get a signal, I called my sister-in-law, and she told me what she had seen. He and I finally connected by phone, and he was with her at the hospital. I went on homeafter my class to wait. I wasn't able to meet him at the hospital because he had let his sister take his truck, and he took my car to the hospital.
I rattled around the house feeling frustrated that I could not be with my girl. I thought of taking a cab to te hospital, but the last thing that I wanted was to be sitting in the waiting room for hours alone with him. I decided to take a walk. Although it was a little brisk outside, the warm sun made up for it. I walked down to Lincoln Park and sat on a bench and worked on a sock. I prayed for my Leila, but I knew that she'd be all right. She broke her arm last summer, and she came through that fine. I must admit that I almost fainted as I watched the doctor set it. All I could think about was how difficult it was going to be to bathe her with a cast on her leg. Then I remembered from last week's sermon, Rev. said that, "Worry is a down payment on trouble that has not yet occurred. " I was thinking the worst and building up this drama in my mind, and I didn't even know what the outcome was. I finally called again to get a status report and he said, giving as few details as possible that she was fine. He said that she has had a moderate sprain. The doctor said that she needs to be on crutches for four days and then she needs to start walking on it no matter how much it hurts. So, my girl has crutches now so she can move around the house.
My Secret Pal Rocks!
My lovely secret pal sent me this lovely surprise yesterday. Not pictured is a lovely gift Bible. The knitting magazine has patterns for crochet flowers made from embroidery floss. I got out my hook and tried making one this morning. The lopi will get felted into a couple of cute little bags, and the novelty eyelash will be used for frou-frou flip flops.

April 28, 2006 5:24 PM

Scars, But No More Tears
As the days and weeks and months have passed since the traumatic end of my marriage, I can see that the passage of time has afforded me the vantage point of looking back with a more starkly realistic vision. I experience those “Aha” moments when I connect previously misunderstood events with their ultimate ramifications, and all I can do is shake my head. The passage of time allows me to look back and see where I was far too trusting, which left me vulnerable. Time has also revealed my strength.

With any injury when the healing process begins scars often form to protect the wound from more damage while the mending process takes place. Scars formed on a heart that has been wounded become like a shield or a force field to fend off future attempts to breech its vital core.

The other day I was recounting my whole divorce drama to someone and they were just horrified. “You mean he’s just divorcing you and that’s it? No counseling? No attempt to work things out?” This person was incredulous to hear of what I’ve been going through, and as I described it, I heard how crazy it sounded. Yes, this man who I loved and was faithfully married to for almost four years, and have a child with just up and decided that he didn’t want to be married to me anymore and that he was divorcing me. I heard myself speaking those words that had so many times made the bile rise up in my throat, but this time I felt different. I finally felt at least one step removed from the whole drama. I have finally disengaged myself, and all I want to do now is move on with my life. Their jaw was on the floor and they said, “Four years is still just the beginning of a marriage! Ya’ll ain’t even got to the hard part yet and he’s trying to bail out?” I said that it was true and they shook their head in disbelief. But the scars on my heart shielded me, and when I thought that I would lose it and go into another emotional tailspin, I was able to take a breath and not give in to that temptation.

Because he is still in the house with us, it has made this healing process that much more difficult. But the girls and me will be moving out soon and he will no longer be in my face every day. I don’t wish the man any harm, but I don’t want to be in the same house with him any longer, either. Daily I have prayed for peace in my household and that I would not grow bitter over this. It was the letting go—the release of my attachment to him and the prospect of his coming to his senses and agreeing to work toward the healing of our marriage—that is what has brought me peace.

Now I am that much stronger and wiser for this experience. I don’t honestly think that I will ever marry again, but I am beginning to see a glimmer of hope that I will survive this—and maybe one day thrive again. I have learned not to pour so much of myself into a relationship with another person, but to expend that energy towards my relationship with God. I have learned that I can never really trust another person, rather, I will trust that God always has my back. I have also learned that life is too short to put up with bullsh*t from anybody. I will never again abide a relationship again where I am not cherished and valued and loved for the smart, strong, spiritual woman that I am.

April 26, 2006 11:37 AM

Look what the mailman brought me!

It's a lovely postcard that arrived safely all the way from Poland lovingly wrapped in cheery orange tissue paper. It was from Joanna, my partner in the Project Spectrum Postcard Swap. Ya'll know I'll swap just about anything ;-). It's so much fun to get beautiful, handcrafted treasures in the mail. Happy Spring back atcha, Joanna! I was so tickled to see my card on her blog, too.

April 24, 2006 8:08 PM

I had a very productive weekend. I finished the bulk of my latest writing project with only two sections remaining to be completed. I had to work a hearing on Saturday, which sucked a huge chunk of time out of my weekend, but I still managed to make progress on my leaf lace socks. After dinner last night I dyed up a batch of sock yarn for a secret gift. I learned from painting that you can get brown when you combine several primary colors together, so I mixed up some green, blue, black cherry and purple. I ended up with this coppery brown color that looks just delicious.

I am designing a bag for a swap on the needles. I swatched this houndstooth stitch, but decided not to use it. This bag is going to be felted, and I'm afraid that the detail of the stitch will get obliterated in the shrinkage. I decided to knit he bag in the green and trim it with the black. I think it's going to look elegant.

April 18, 2006 9:10 PM

Over the long weekend I got lots of knitting done. I am working on a pair of Leaf Lace socks from Winter IK. They will be a birthday gift for a good friend who loves and appreciates my hand knit socks. Now I only knit socks for myself, my friend C, and my mom. I am making them with some yummy blue wool that I received from my Secret Pal. She says that the wool is spun and dyed at a farm not far from her in California. So, it's home grown wool, which I totally dig. I am enjoying this pattern, which, after just two repeats I practically have it memorized.

>br>

April 15, 2006 7:43 PM

I am completely exhausted, but happy. The girls and I went to an Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Washington Redskins and Target. it was a fan appreciation thing mainly for the kids. It was held at Glen Echo Park, and this was out first visit to this lovely park that is a few miles north of D.C. I went with some friends and their daughters. We rode the Metro up there, and then caught a bus to the park. The weather was just absolutely perfect today. It felt fabulous to be out in the warm sunshine and just enjoying the day.
When we arrived at the park the girls wanted to ride the carosel, but I don't do rides that go in circles, so I sat on the bench while they enjoyed the ride. We went and got lunch and then they had the egg hunt. Brianna got her picture taken with Clinton Portis, and the with Santana Moss. I was terribly disappointed that my fave Redskin, Levar Arrington, did not make an apperance. That is one beautiful hunk of man flesh, and he has the most beautiful teeth I've ever seen.
We saw a puppet show in the theatre, and that was a nice, air-conditioned break from the warm sunshine. The puppet show was Pinoccio, and it was the first live puppet show I've seen since I was a child.
Leila got her cap autographed by a few players, and Brianna got her badge autographed. When we left they gave us goodie bags filled with a team poster, a book, an Easter 2006 beanie baby bear, crayons some playing cards and crayons. We had a lovely day, and I'm sure we'll go back to Glen Echo Park again.

April 14, 2006 6:58 PM

Last night I had a delightful time at my fave lys, Stitch D.C., Capitol Hill, because the girls from Mason Dixon knitting were there doing a reading and booksigning. They didn't actually read form their new book as much as they talked about how their blog came about and then how the book deal came about. I made sure to arrive early so that I could get a good seat. I brought my knitting and worked on my Sunrise Circle. I managed to leave the store without buying anything, which was not an easy feat. Today I made the most of my day off. I did a little reading and some writing. I took the girls shopping to get a few last minute things for their Easter outfits. When we got home I read some more and then took a quick nap. Leila and I took a walk to the park, where I worked some more on my sweater. It felt so luxurious to just sit in the warm sunshine and watch the kids run and play.

April 12, 2006 3:53 PM

So, with all of that time in bed, I was able to make some good progress on my Sunrise Circle sweater. Here's a picture of the left front/sleeve piece. The back is also complete and I am halfway up the right arm. The picture is grainy and icky 'cause I took it with my phone. My digicam was out of batteries.

April 9, 2006 1:36 PM

I've been sick in bed for the past few days with a nasty cold. What started as just an allergy attack morphed into a full-blown cold. I'm now on the mend and trying to get caught up on my writing work. I had to extend my deadline, and I had to get someone else to do the taxes because there is only so much I can do before my head actually expoldes.

While I have been in the bed sniffling and sneezing and trying to rest up from this cold, I have made some good progress on my Sunrise Circle Jacket from Fall IK. I am using Noro Kureyon in an earthy russet, brown, blue, dark green colorway. I just love how the space dyed yarn shows of the circular shape of the front panels of this sweater. Why, one might ask, am I knitting a 100% wool sweater in April? Well, I found the Noro on sale and I just could not wait to get my hands into it when it arrived.

My poor Jordan, who is quite annoyed at the amount of attention I am giving to my writing these days, has taken to hanging from my chair and crying and saying that she wants me to just hoooooold her for a litttle bit. I try to write while I hold her on my lap, but this big, wiggly girl will have none of it. In the end, I feel guilted out about not spending enough time or giving her enough attention, so I give in and stop writing and play with her for a little bit before her bed time. She just wants my time and love and attention, but I am trying to get some work done. I am trying to adjust to being a single mom again. It's a struggle, but I have learned that its far better to be alone and happy than to be with the wrong person and miserable.

This morning, while I was writing I had the BET show, 'Lift Every Voice' with Gerard Henry on the tv in the background. he was interviewing Kirk Franklin, one of my absolute fave gospel artists. It's a re-run of a show that was taped last fall when Hero was first released. I love what Kirk had to say about the dis-connect he sees between the huge mega-churches and the popular culture. Why, he asks, when we have these huge mega-churches with four, eight and even ten thousand members gathering together on a Sunday to worship together, yet on Monday at work and in the world you can't tell who the Christians are. He spoke about the skyrocketing divorce rate in the church (hello?) and how now it almost exceeds the divorce rate in the culture at large. This is a powerful album. I love it and I play it all the time on my headphones at work. Go on Kirk.

April 4, 2006 11:26 AM

Last night we had a powerful thunderstorm with a huge wave of torrential downpours. The storm began to gather at dusk.The thick, black clouds raced urgently towards one another which created a tangible buzz in the atmosphere. In places where the clouds had not completely gathered the bright sunligt shone through casting an eerie glow in the quickly darkening sky. The wind was whipping up and the trees were swaying. Before you knew it, the sky was completely black and the heavens opened up to let loose a raging torrent. We have not had rain here in weeks, but last night made up for it and then some. The rain came down in heavy sheets beat by the rushing wind making it appear that it was raining sideways. Leila, who just turned eight, stood at the front door fascinated as she watched the wind and rain and lightning flash across the sky. Jordan, my three-year-old stayed close to me and said, "I really don't like all that fundering, mommy!" but occasionally, she would peek through the living room drapes to see the storm's progress. After a few minutes, the back door burst open and Brianna came running in, soaking wet and out of breath but with a huge smile on her face. As she caught her breath I could see that she had taken her jacket off and wrapped her books in it so that they would not get soaked in the rain. She was smiling broadly and said how much fun it was to run through the sheets of terrential rain. I told her to go dry off and change her clothes. I do not like thunderstorms, so I felt happy and blessed to be safely indoors watching from the safety of my living room.

I Just Love a Good Swap
I had to giggle when I saw the response from my secret pal about her first pressie from me. She sent an email to the list about having received it, and her pleasure at having received it thrilled me. I'm looking forward to seeing what the mailman brings me. . .

April 1, 2006 4:59 PM

So, I'm sitting here at home. Alone. Daryll has taken the girls out for the afternoon, and I stayed home to get some writing done. the house is completely silent and I have no distractions and yet, I am having trouble concentrating. I am so used to my girls always popping up and pestering me and asking me questions. Hmmm. I beg for peace and quiet and I have it, but now I'm bugging. I think I'll bake some cookies now.
While I was taking a break from writing after having finished an entire section, I did some blog hopping. I just love swaps, and I found three new swaps to join: a tote swap, Secret Pals 8 and the One Skein yarn swap. I think its fun to give and receive gifts and I really didn't need yet another excuse for a trip to the LYS.
The tv is on while I'm working because this house is so incerdibly quiet that its freaking me out a little bit. I am watching #1 Single, the reality show starring Lisa Loeb, who is 37, and just adorably cute and trying with all of her heart to meet a good, special guy. I am watching and growing more and more depressed because I am reminded that I will soon be single once again. This time instead of being 34 with two children I'll be 39 with three children. How sexy and appealing is that? But listen to me. I am so far from being ready to be out there again. Uuughhh. The thought is making me ill. I think that part of my angst comes from the fact that we were never really able to talk about what went wrong in our marriage. My soon-to-be-ex simply left the relationship saying that he was no longer in love with me and that he wanted a divorce. Without knowing what went wrong or what my part in the implosion was, I sort of feel all fumbly and like I can't even go there with my life right now.
I think that I'll just be glad to move into my new place and get settled in my new life as a single mom again. I am determined to not be bitter, but to be wise. I will just focus my energy on my girls and my writing, and when Bri gets settled into college I'll start my Master's program. Life. It's all going to be fresh and new, and who knows what God has in store for me.

Sock Progress I am down to the heel turn on these lovely Waving Lace socks from Spring 2004 IK magazine. This KnitPicks sock garden Merino yarn is like butter in my hands. I love the colors of the yarn, but with the lacy pattern I feel that the colors of the yarn competes with the lace pattern. I would make these socks again, but I would use a solid color yarn.

March 27, 2006 8:08 AM

Jaywalkers Complete!
I finally finished the Jaywalkers. After my initial goofup was solved, these were a fun, easy pattern to knit. I really like how the pattern works with the self-striping yarn.

March 25, 2006 10:22 AM

Happy Birthday, Leila! Leila, my second born child, is now eight years old. We celebrated her birthday with a fun party at the bowling alley yesterday. A group of her friends from her class came and we all had fun bowling. We brought cake and ice cream and the bowling alley served the drinks. She got lots of great presents, and she was pleased with the party.
Here are a couple of the pictures that actually came out. The light was really low in the bowling alley, and we were having so much fun bowling, we really didn't think to take that many pictures.

Here is the birthday girl celebrating. There were tears later after a gutter ball.

Here's me and my sweet Jordan who enjoyed bowling. her favorite thing to do was to 'high-five' everyone as they finished their turn. Jordan was out little pint-sized cheering section.

I bought Leila a Fashion Angels kit, which has four large cardboard fashion dolls that you create clothes for. It comes with fabrics, patterns, beads, buttons, jewels, ribbons and other accoutrements to make fabulous fashions for these dolls. We stayed up 'til 10pm last night making clothes. It took me back to when I was a young girl and my sister and I used to design clothes for our dolls.

I think that she must have gotten over-stimulated from all of the excitement of the day because when bed time came, she had a terrible anxiety attack. She was afraid to go to sleep because she was afraid that she might stop breathing. She was really upset and I was puzzled. I comforted her as much as I could and I told her to just breathe slowly and deeply and I assured her that when she woke up in the morning she would still be alive.

An Addition to My 'Must-Knit' List
I have been pondering the 'Sleeves in my Pi' shawl/jacket, but it seems to be a bit loose and floppy, and Lord knows I'm fluffy enough on my own at this point. Yesterday, while blog surfing when I should have been writing I found this luscious little gem, which has been officially added to my 'Must Knit' list:

I like the sleek shaping of this cardigan musch better. I'm not sure yet which yarn I'll use. I really do not like to knit with cotton yarn, which is what the pattern calls for, but I'm sure I'll find a good substitute. This looks like it will make a good spring into early summer piece, that will also help to keep away the chill of the AC in the office.

March 17, 2006 11:55 AM

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Well, it's clear that ya'll don't love Interweave Knits as much as I do 'cause nobody has entered my 'lil contest. If no one responds then I'll probably just give it, and the second issue of the Spring edition away at my next knitting group meeting.

March 15, 2006 1:45 PM

I'm "yet holding on" as the old folks say. I'm living and working and trying to make sense of my life as it is now. I feel so incredibly blessed by all of the support that I have received from family and friends as I deal with this foolishness in my life. I know that this is a season that will pass, and I will soon flourish again and be happy. I've not let this storm steal my joy. The knowledge that God is with me every step of the ways gives me courage and hope.
I'm actually beginning to get excited about all of the changes in my life. It's good to stir things up a little every now and then. In a few months I'll be 39, so I look at this as a re-building year. After all of these preparations are made, my fortieth year will be a triumph. I am now closer to God than I have ever been. I feel His hand guiding my life. I am also keenly aware of the schemes of my enemy who seeks to bring me down. The knowledge that he is a defeated foe makes me laugh and not take things too seriously.
With all of the writing I've been doing I have not had much time to knit. I finally finished my Olympic mittens. Now I just need to weave in all of those pesky ends. I am still working on my Jaywalker socks, which I had to frog a bit a few days ago because it was coming out too big. I skipped the complicated heel turn on the toe-up version, and just did a basic heel. I'm on the home stretch now.

March 9, 2006 9:02 PM

It turns out that a dear friend gave me a gift subscription to Interweave Knits Magazine for Christmas, after I had already ordered a subscription for myself. So I called them and they kindly converted my two subscriptions to a two year subscription so that I would not receive double issues--and today I have received a second issue of the Winter 2005 IK. So, in the spirit of generosity I decided to do my first ever blog contest to give away the extra issue.
Contest Details:
It's very simple. In three paragraphs write about what you love about knitting. (300 words or less) Send your entries to: brnwebgrrl411 AT yahoo.com, and I'll choose a winner on Friday, March 17th at 9:00 pm EST.

March 9, 2006 10:24 AM

Cheaters
Last night a friend and I went to go see the stage play, Cheaters at the Warner Theater. We had an absolute blast! It was a fun romp, but it had an underlying message about love, relationships, infidelity, trust, what women want from men, what men want from women, there is a father-son dynamic in there as well, and then, well, there's the Pimp. Carl Payne, from the TV show Martin plays the hilarous role of the Pimp with irreverent aplomb. There is a fun, unexpected twist at the end of the play that brings it all home. Brian McNight is a dreamy hunk of man flesh, and I enjoyed watching him live on stage. I will say that it is not a play that I would have chosen to see, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. It was out of the ordinary for me, so I stretched myself and had a great time. It was wonderful to get out of the house and just enjoy laughing myself silly.

March 6, 2006 8:00 AM

Word Cloud I saw this on Tracey's blog, and I had to try it. Here's my word cloud:

You can get these word clouds printed on Tee-shirts, mugs, mouspads with custom text, or the most frequently used words of some famous authors. Go check it out.

Problem Solved! How embarrassed I am! Last night while I was riding the Metro home the solution to my Jaywalker problem hit me like a bolt out of the blue. I was missing an increase! On the toe-up version, where you do the toe and then keep the sole in plain stockinette and the pattern on the top of the foot, I did the first repeat of the pattern and then in the second repeat I didn't start with an inc. That is also why I kept ending up with not enough stitches at the end of the second inc. So, problem solved and lesson learned. I'm now happily stitching away on my Jaywalker and even contemplating a second pair now that I've got a handle on it. . .

Jaywalker Disaster!
I am frustrated. I'm not new to knitting neither am I new to sock knitting, yet these Jaywalker socks, which I already frogged once, have me completely stumped. Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong here? One side does the chevron thing and then one segment is just as straight as it wants to be. For a change I am making these socks for myself as a 'celebrate Spring' gift, but at this rate, I'll be celebrating the 4th of July before they are done. Help!!!

Here is a picture of my (toe-up) Jaywalker disaster.

Bitter Much?
I thought that through my healing process I was beginning to let go of the feelings of bitterness about my husband's infidelity. Today I discovered that I yet have far to go. While I was dressing after my shower at the gym today, I overheard two mid to late twenty-somethings chattering about their upcoming wedding plans. They had come back to the gym so that they could not so much lose weight as firm up their upper arms so that they would look good in their strapless gowns. I had to actually restrain myself from telling them that their arms was not what they needed to focus on, but I reminded myself that I didn't know these women and it was really none of my business. So, I got to thinking about what I would have wanted a woman with experience to share with me prior to tying the knot. Would I, while in the throes of the absolutely devoted, puppy-dog, long phone conversations 'til 2am stages of being in love, would I have wanted someone to dampen that with advice about how to handle an affair, or the importance of doing a background check on the person you're about to join your life with. Most of all, there are things that you just can't learn about a person unless you enough spend time with them. My pastor's advice was to make sure that you go through at least one 'storm' with the person you plan to marry. How people function in a crisis situation gives you a good window on their personality. Silly me, I let infatuation blind me into making a foolish decision too quickly.
So, I held my peace and decided not shatter their giggly, bride-to-be excitement. I'm praying that they have found honorable, faithful men who will treat them right. If that is so, then they have every right to be over the moon with joy. It's too bad that now when I look back on that time in my life I feel like I was such a naive fool for having fallen for a lie. At this stage in my life, the thought of being in another relationship where I would be called upon to trust a man makes me feel queasy. I know that God will heal my heart, and he has already begun to do so. In time I know I'll be able to trust again, but it will not come easy, and it will not be the man I will be trusting, but I'll be trusting God to send me a man that will not betray me.

February 28, 2006 08:21 PM

OK, so I've been completely swamped under lately and I haven't blogged in ages. Not because I haven't had anything to blog about, mind you. On Saturday I had quite an adventure. I helped a friend move, and I ended up driving the 14' Budget rental truck. I have never driven something so big, and once I got over being scared to death at being up so high and in such a huge vehicle, I began to have fun. I even began to feel powerful, as if I were driving a massive tank down the streets of D.C. So, my whole Saturday was sucked up helping my friend move, but we had a good time, it was good exercise for me.
Olympic Knitting--Not! This is a good news, bad news excuse for why I didn't finish my Olympic Knitting project. (and still have not finished it. . .)
Here's where I am so far:

I have begun a small Freelance Writing practice, and my first gig is a big writing assignment. I should really be working on it now, but I'm taking a blog break. So, I'm a bit behind schedule with my writing gig, so instead of knitting last week, I had to write. I'm slowly catching up, but it's seriously cutting into my knitting time. (curses!)
Black History Month As this is the last day of Back History Month, I feel that I should in some way acknowledge it. I'm passing along two timely links that make me proud to be a Black woman living today. I am mindful of the tremendous sacrifice that my forebears had to make in order for me to enjoy the freedom and prosperity that I do today.
Covenant With Black America "As we witnessed in the 2004 presidential election, Americans are deeply divided between race, class, gender, political ideology and moral values. A divide so extreme, that in order to bridge it, we must speak openly, freely, without judgment and work together. It is imperative that we take this opportunity to consider the issues of particular interest to African Americans and to establish a national plan of action to address them. No longer can we sit back and expect one political party, one segment of the population or one religious denomination to speak for us or to act on our behalf. It is our responsibility as an entire community to no longer be left behind politically, socially, or economically and to bridge the economic and social divides ourselves, by encouraging a conversation and a commitment that will inevitably benefit all Americans."
First Black-Owned Internet Bank
Los Angeles, CA (BlackNews.com) - OneUnited Bank became the first Black-owned internet bank in the country with its new ability to open accounts online. The Bank has launched a campaign to increase financial literacy and increase the use of technology in urban communities to build wealth and support economic development.
For the first time in history, a Black-owned financial institution provides a secure and convenient way for Black Americans to garner their spending power and re-channel it back into urban communities. OneUnited Bank's new website, www.oneunited.com, encourages viewers to support "a movement" of community re-investment by opening an FDIC insured savings account that earns 3.75% APY and provides free access at over 5,000 ATMs nationwide.

February 17, 2006 11:35 AM

Last night I saw 'Something New,' the romantic comedy starring the lovely Sanaa Lathan and the absolutely adorable, Simon Baker. I've heard good things about this movie from friends, so I decided to check it out. I found it to have a good story line where the universal theme of boy meets girl is met with all of the racial/cultural/class baggage of American culture. Without giving too much away, the main character learns to let go of her pre-concieved ideas about people and to listen to her heart. It deals not only with inter-racial romance, but with the notion of what is 'True Love,' being true to one's self, the strength of family, and being authentic. I'd definitely recommend it.
I find it fascinating how little progress we as human beings have made in the area of race. We talk a good game about 'Living the Dream,' and the illusion of racial equality, but on a personal, human level many people judge each other by the color of their skin. Inter-racial relationships are still somewhat controversial, and this movie is not really doing as well as they would have liked.

February 16, 2006 11:45 AM

When I heard that my great-aunt Bam was having heart surgery, I knew that I wanted to make her a prayer/healing shawl. I chose a lovely soft/medium blue space-dyed yarn called Marble that I found at A.C. Moore. As I have worked on this shawl I have prayed for her and her healing and recovery. Just having the shawl in my hands to work on and having that outward focus has helped to ease my mind and spirit and it has distracted me from constantly obsessing about how much my life sucks these days.
Here are a couple of pics of the shawl before I mail it out:

February 15, 2006 11:10 AM

Valentine's Day Bummer This morning when I entered my Metro station on my way to work, I looked up at the ceiling and saw a lovely bouquet of a dozen Valentine's Day mylar balloons trapped in the ceiling of the station. I imagine that some poor somebody, upon either leaving or entering the train last night, lost their grip on that baloon bouquet and up, up it went. How does one then go home and explain to one's Valentine that the beautiful bouquet of baloons that I got you is trapped in the ceiling at the Metro station? Bummer.

February 14, 2006 01:35 PM

Happy Valentine's Day! This is not a good Valentine's Day for me, but I hope that all you lovers out there take a lesson from my pain. First of all, choose your mate VERY carefully. Guard your relationship with your life. Don't EVER take your mate for granted. Love needs constant nurturing, support, encouragement, communication, and fun. Above all, love needs honesty--pure, unadulterated honesty--in order to survive.
As I heal from my heart wounds I will share a little poem that I wrote that captures how my heart is feeling this Valentine's Day. Enjoy.

Gone Love

Not a touch

Nor a kind word

A steel, cold aspect

Stony jaws

Unyielding spirit.

Gone the passionate embrace

No more long talks 'til 2

The ruthless tearing asunder almost draws blood

Two were to become one

Now each one parts ways

Love gone bad leaves a sour after taste

tainting all that comes after it.

But take hope

The heart does indeed heal

Joy always cometh in the morning.

In the meantime

There is One who sees and knows

Comforts, heals

And ever abides.

February 12, 2006 05:15 PM

February snow!

Yesterday morning I woke up early and felt drawn to attend prayer service. There was snow in the forecast, but it wasn't supposed to start falling 'til mid-morning. When I arrived at 6:30 there was only three others there. I felt a heavy sense of urgency to unburden myself and pray with my sisters about all of the challenges that I am facing in my life and in my marriage. More of the prayer warriors began to filter in and soon we all gathered in a circle to pray as a group. After the group prayer, we usually break off into pairs and pray together. I wanted to pray with one of the older women, who I thought might be better able to relate to my situation, but before I knew it everyone had paired off except for me and this woman who looked very young. My heart sunk a bit as we moved off from the group to find a place to pray. She asked me what was on my heart and I explained my situation. When I was finished I she looked at me and laughed a bit, which puzzled me, until she began to share her story. She was actually much older than she appeared and as she shared her story it absolutely mirrored mine in so many ways. The Spirit had truly orchestrated our meeting that morning. We talked and we prayed and wept. I told her about how tormented I felt about my marriage coming to an end so soon, and how I felt that this is a man that had been sent to me by God. She assured me that God would never send me a man that would lie to me and cheat on me. She told me that through this situation God was trying to clear away the distractions in my life so that I could focus on Him. If this marriage had been ordained of Him, then we would have been on a completely different course. She assured me that all of my heartbreak and pain had been redeemed and that God was preparing to use me to minister to other women who are experiencing the same kind of pain and heartbreak that I was experiencing. After we prayed I felt at peace with the situation for the first time. I don't know what God has in store for me and my girls, but I am confident that we are going to be all right. I have faced so many challenges in my life, and each time I have emerged stronger for the lessons I learned. Through all of this I am beginning to see my own part in the breakdown in my marriage. I have also come to see my mistake in being in such a hurry to get married and not taking the time to really get to know the man I was joining my life and the lives of my children with. It is a painful lesson, but one that I certainly won't repeat. I'm thankful that my relationship with God allows me to continue to love this man who has caused me so much pain, and to not harbor any bitterness in my heart as we part ways.
Olympic Knitting
On Friday evening as I sat and watched the opening ceremonies, I cast on for my Fair Isle mittens. I made some good progress on Friday evening and then again on Saturday evening. Today, while I was watching the re-broadcast of Coretta Scott King's home going ceremony on BET, I worked on them some more. Here are some progress pictures:

February 7, 2006 12:08 PM

On Friday, the girls had the day off from school. Brianna and Leila went to the park and Brianna took lots of pictures. It seems that she was inspired after having returned from a field trip to the National Geographic magazine. All of the photos that she saw stimulated her creativity and she shot a ton of photos. Here are two of my amazingly photogenic Leila:

My Shetland spindrift came in yesterday from the Yarn Barn. (Thanks, Pat!)

It's for my Olympic Knitting project and it was all I could do to restrain myself from casting on. I borrowed my girl's colored pencils and set about charting the mitten's Fair Isle pattern. Then I wound the hanks into balls so that I'll be all ready to get started when the ceremonies begin. Someone from one of the local groups is planning a party for the closing ceremonies for those of us in the Metro area who are participating. We'll all bring our completed projects, or, if its down to the wire, we'll complete our projects at the party. Sounds like fun. I've joined Team DPN since I'm making mittens on dpns. This project will be a fun distraction from all of the negative drama going on in my world. I am relying on God to give me the strength to not let him or this situation steal my joy. My friends have been encouraging me and giving me the courage to hang in there and see what the end is going to be. I know that God will work it all out according to His plan for me, which He made before the foundations of the world. He is keeping me, so I need to keep my eyes on Him and work my faith. Whew! Much easier said than done, but then there is always His grace.

February 6, 2006 12:40 PM

Leila, my seven-year-old is currently obsessed with all things Asian. She wants to learn how to speak and write Chinese, and whenever she coems across any Chinese characters in print, she tries to painstakingly copy them in her special "Chinese" notebook. Yesterday, we had a little belated Chinese Lunar New Year celebration at our home. I invited some friends over and we cooked up a storm. I made an Orange poppyseed cake on Saturday afternoon, and did the food preparation. We made egg rolls, sweet & sour chicken, stir-fry vegetables and Chinese rice. THe kids made paper lanterns and red envelopes, which were then filled with a coin and something sweet to start off the new year with prosperity and something sweet. We had a lovely time cooking and visiting. I signed copies of Cheaper Than Therapy, the anthology where my essay is published and wrapped them in red paper and gave them as gifts to my guests. We had a lovely time and Leila was just thrilled about our little Asian flavored celebration.
Over the weekend (yes, I know that's cutting it close) I finally ordered the yarn for my Olympic knitting project. Both fingers crossed and prayers sent up that the yarn will arrive in time for me to cast on during the opening ceremoonies. In order to do that, I'll need to chart the mitten pattern this week. Yikes! I'd better get crackin'.

The following article was shared on a knitting list-serv that I belong to. I though it was lovely, so I am sharing it here.
The God Who Knits
Although most of the time we don't know what the pattern of our lives is, God does.
By Lori Erickson

A friend recently told me about a popular pastime among some of the young women who attend her daughter’s college. Experienced knitters, they will go to a thrift store and look for a sweater that is past its prime and unravel the yarn to make something new. The practice is known as frogging, from the words rip it, rip it. In the process >>more

February 1, 2006 12:45 PM

Happy February! I've been laying low these days and not blogging much. In this time of crisis in my life I find that I am spending most of my time in prayer and Bible study. For me lately, the Word has truly been a love letter and an encouragment that my God is ever with me and inspiring me and teaching me how to live in a way that would glorify him. I find it a constant challenge to not give in to the temptation to be depressed and to allow the present circumstances in my life to steal my joy. I am standing on the promises of God and clinging to His word for my life. I know that the joy of the Lord is my strength, and I know that He has promised neither to leave me nor forsake me, and I know that he would never tempt me beyond what I can bear. Through this challenging season I have learned that God tests us not so that He can see how strong we are, but so that WE can see how strong we are. When I was younger I remember that I used to always say that I would leave a man in a minute if he ever cheated on me. Now that I find myself facing this reality I can see that just leaving is not always the best course of action. There should always be grace and the opportunity for reconciliation. As time begins to heal the wounds, I am absolutely astounded at just how incredibly common infidelity is. I look at these young women who are planning their weddings and all excited by the blush of new love. They have no idea that more of half of them will face the ugly reality that more than half of their adorable husbands will cheat on them--if they have not already.
Knitting Progress I have almost finished the socks I am making for my mom. I'm always thrilled to make socks for her because--well she's my mom and I love her and she has taught me everything I know and passed along to me her passion for being creative. She loves and apreciates the handmade gifts I make for her, so she'll be kept in handmade socks forever.
I have started a prayer shawl for my great-Aunt Bam, who lives outside of Chicago. She is my late grandmother's sister-in-law and I saw her last April for the first time since I was a child. She recently had heart bypass surgery and she is recuperating. I want to send her a shawl because I will not be able to go in person to visit her. I am praying for her rapid recovery.

January 25, 2006 8:24 PM

Today I sent off the two scarves that I completed for the Orphan Foundation of America Red Scarf Project. Actually, only one fo the scarves was red, but I'm sure that will be just fine. This is a great project designed to encourage kids who have grown up in the foster care system and were never adopted. Now they are college students working towards creating a life for themselves. These scarves will go into a larger care package that the Orphan Foundation sends to these kids around Valentine's Day. What a fabulous idea. All of those students are in my prayers because I do not know where I would be without my family.
I've gone and done it. I heard about the Knitting Olympics and I just had to join. This will be a good excuse for me to chart and knit those Norwegian mittens and maybe even a matching hat. But then I got to thinking. This project is supposed to be a challenge where you feel you are stretching and expanding your knitting skills. Making those mittens will not be much of a stretch for my knitting skills. I'm thinking that I may consult my favorite mind-stretching knitting book, Unexpected Knitting by Debbie New. I may re-think my choice and find something truly challenging from her book. More on this later.

January 17, 2006 5:00 PM

Today I am having a 'proud mama' moment. First let me say how extremely difficult it is to raise a young woman in this culture during these times, but God has blessed me with a very good,lovely 16-year-old child, who is incredibly poised, intelligent, mature and focused. All of these qualities, lest I sound like I am boasting, are in spite of my hang-ups and shortcomings as a parent who often felt inadequate because I raised her alone.
She has, however, inherited from me what my mom calls "Champagne taste on a beer budget." She and I were out shopping on the weekend and we stopped in a shoe store. She tried on this particular pair of shoes and she was really 'feeling' them. They were $45 summer espadrilles, but we were looking for sneakers. She says, "I Loooooove these shoes, mommy. Can I get these instead of the sneakers." "No." I said. Yes, I'll agree they are adorable, but we are looking for sneakers. I am not going to buy these and sneakers, and if I buy these today you're still going to need the sneakers." Then (she's 16, remember) she begins to pout and stomp and get indignant. I don't want to scream at my child in the shoe store, but she is not going to try to embarrass me into buying these shoes. "Do not start this with me," I say through clenched teeth with hands firmly placed on hips. "If you can't find the sneakers you want at this store today we will buy them somewhere else another day, but I will not buy these summer sandals today at $45 when they will be marked down later on in the season." She started to come back with something, but upon seeing my demeanor, she quickly stopped and put the shoes away and stomped past me out of the store. As we departed I felt heated and irritated at this child who loves nothing more than to spend my money.
Yesterday, she went shopping on her own and called me from the shoe store to thank me for not allowing her to spend $45 on the shoes the day before because she had just found the same shoes for $19. She also apologized for her attitude in the shoe store. I was proud of her for owning up to her error and for apologizing to me. My girl is growing up.

I made a trip to A.C. Moore to buy some sculpey for my middle artist child and I stopped in to the yarn department to check on things. I came out with only two skeins of Moda Dea 'Metro,' a variegated Acrylci/Nylon blend cabled yarn in the 'mixed berries' colorway, and two skeins of LB Fisherman's wool. This is the yarn that I have been using for our Kool Aid dyeing escapades. I am using the Moda Dea to make a scarf for the Orphan Foundation's Red Scarf project. The wool will be dyed in happy colors and get get knitted into hats.
While I am going through all of this turmoil in my life/marriage knitting has really helped me to maintain my sanity. I rely on it to relax my mind and help me to center myself and stop focusing so much on all of the negative things that are happening in my life right now.

January 12, 2006 5:15 PM

Earlier this week on the big Knitlist I saw an announcement from afghans for Afghans that they were looking to collect 500 hats to give out to the children in Afghanistan to warm their little heads during this coldest part of the winter season.
I had some leftover wool yarn that the girls and I had dyed with KoolAid, so I whipped up an adorable little cap which I deisgned on the needles. Now I need to make another one so that I can write the pattern down. It's based on a free pattern that I found for a three-cornered hat that had I-cord knots at each corner. I decided to add little earflaps instead of ribbing, and tassells instead of I-cord knots. I finished the hat last night and I sent it off to San Franciso today. I hope my little cap makes it in time to catch the plane ride to Afghanistan. It warms my heart to know that at least one small child half a world away will keep a little warmer with a hat I made. What a blessing to be able to share in such a tangible way.

I dug up some more drink packets and Dyed the rest of the wool that I have. It looks like enough to make one more hat. I'll try to recreate the first one, and write the pattern down as I go.
My friend Martha sent me the pictures of the mittens that her daughter found abandoned on the street in Norway. She carefully washed them and then was going to repair the hole in the thumb. I told her that I'd love to copy down the design and make a duplicate pair. I don't have access to a store here in D.C. that carries Jamieson & Smith Spindrift Shetland fingering yarn, so I may try to find a place online to buy it.
Here is the 'before' picture of the mittens. When I complete my pair, I'll post the 'after'picture.

January 9, 2006 5:39 PM

I had a crazy weekend because Daryll was away on Reserve duty (leaving me alone with the girls) and I did not get a chance to blog this, but I've GOT to share that I made the cover of the Weekend Magazine in the Washington Post!

Here's a link to the story, which gives a lot of great exposure to our local knitting groups.

January 4, 2006 12:19 PM

Happy Birthday, Angela! Today is my older sister's birthday! (shhhh! don't tell anyone that today she's 40!)

The girls and I have made it home safely from our trip north. We will enjoy the rest of this week off and then go back to school and work on Monday.
While I was in Cambridge, I stopped and my fave LYS and bought a book on making Fair Isle mittens and gloves and some Jamieson & Smith yarn to make a pair of Fair Isle gloves for a gift. While I was visiting with my friend Martha, she showed me a pair of hand knit Fair Isle mittens that her daughter had found. (note to self: ask Martha to take pictures of the mittens for me)They were just beautiful in creamy beige and blues and greens. Seeing that exquisite hand work inspired me, so I'm going to make a pair myself.

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