1+1 =1, Hrmph!

I lost my weekly knitting blog gusto last week and it nearly passed me by this week too! In the absence of blogging, I've discovered that it is going to be a busy summer filled with volunteer work and a heavy course load. Additionally, Anchorage has decided to have amazing weather and, as those who live in coastal regions know...the sunshine generally dictates when the fun outside time will be. Today the clouds rolled in and I decided it was time to stop by the blogosphere and share a project that has been driving me crazy since last December.



First, let me say that the majority of this creation was made with loving care by my sister. These two blankets were given to us as wedding gifts. One of my sisters many talents happens to be creating amazing and inspiring knitted goods. I just love the happy collection of colors she chose for us.



The pattern for this Bonnie blanket is from the RYC Classic Weekend Collection. It is a design by Martin Storey and was inspired by a weekend spent in a cottage by the sea.



The second blanket (my sisters design) was originally intended to be the backing for the Bonnie blanket, but alas my sister ran out of yarn. (Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Worsted to be exact.) As a young married couple living in Fairbanks, Alaska, two separate blankets were perfect for lounging around... However, the longer we have been together we find that Bonnie is definitely the favored blanket. As a way to protect the back of Bonnie, I decided it was time to seal the deal and join the blankets together. Guess who just happened to have a couple of Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Worsted skeins of red and earth heather in her stash???



Let me just say, this was a lot harder than I expected it to be. Figuring out how long and wide to make the border, invisibly attaching the front to the back, along with tedious blocking turned this seemingly painless project into a perplexing and down right difficult few months. Hrmph! Was it worth all the labor?









Yes, yes, yes it was worth it, just like joining forces with S was worth it, so worth it. Now, let's hope they both last a good long while.

Wicked Sweater, Dude!

Coming to you live from Anchorage Alaska.



Well, shucks! I was hoping by today I could reveal a finished product that I'm determined to cast off before my classes start next week, alas. I've been having too much fun doing other things. Next week I will have something to share, guaranteed. So, this post will be about more of the same ravelings that are taking place in our spring filled lives.



The little otter that kept showing up this week. Otters have always reminded me of my Grandpa Root. I like when certain animals remind me of people. Then when I spot that animal it is like a part of that person has stopped by to say hello.

An upside down heart.



I'm happy to announce that the knitting gods have been at it again. On Tuesday I jaunted down to our mailbox only to find my first issue of Cast On. Yay! As a member of the knitting guild this means I will receive a year subscription of Cast On. I've been waiting to get this issue for a couple months and have been acting like Ralphy from the Christmas story when he was waiting to get his Little Orphan Annie decoder pin. However, Cast On is far from the disappointment of the Little Orphan Annie decoder! All of the patterns provide designer notes and technical tips. I think I will enjoy my subscription. This isn't the end of my story. You see, when I arrived at our box once again there was a pile of knitting magazines for the taking. I still haven't found out who is donating knitting magazines. Any ideas on how I might woo them into being my knitting friend? I was thinking of leaving a thank you note by our mailboxes. Are cookies too much?



In other news, S made his first outing wearing Gray Cascade 220 Take Two over the weekend. While we were walking along the coastal trail, a couple of yahoos stopped us and asked us to share our voices for clean energy. So, I let them videotape me. I've always been a bit camera shy not to mention people shy so I doubt that they'll use what I said. Anyway, while we were talking, one of the gents looked at Steve and said, "Wicked Sweater, Dude!" A hipster and a stranger complimented the sweater I made for S!

S in the clouds.

S at the market.

I also did a little shopping this week. My first stop was the Quilted Tree a well stocked fabric store with an okay yarn selection. This was my first visit. And now I'm wavering on whether I should divulge a secret that may determine my future readership. Ehem, well, in all honesty I have a love hate relationship with yarn stores, gasp! I'm not sure that I can articulate why that is because every knitter must love yarn stores, right? It is just that at times something makes me terribly uncomfortable in yarn and fabric stores and I can't put my finger on why exactly. The jury is still out on Quilted Tree. But, the sales clerk who helped me was really delightful and deeply understanding of knitters being tactile creatures. She filled our hands with alpaca as soon as we entered the knitting section. I left The Quilt Tree with a wonderful wool and silk blend. The sale clerk said it best: "This yarn is not displayed well but it knits up so fine."

Twisted Knitter has an elegant lace scarf pattern that will suit this yarn. Hopefully, I'll be casting on soon...



My shopping adventure was not done yet... We made our way over to Barnes and Noble. Another first since moving to Anchorage. Barnes and Noble is the place where I go when I'm homesick. On this day I wasn't homesick, but since I generally go when I am I had to do a mental check. "Am I home sick? No, you're fine. Carry on." Big chain stores are like the equivalent of a Latin Mass. You can go anywhere in the world and rest assured that the words will be the same and the church calendar is still intact. When I make my way through the doors of Barnes and Noble, I can instantly get my bearings and say, "Ah, this is something I know and expect." Anyway, I generally avoid big chain stores but Home Depot, Target and Barnes and Noble are the exception. I enter and I'm instantly in Duluth, Minnesota. Anyway, back to the knitting part of this excursion. Much to my surprise the B & N in Anchorage has a great knitting selection better than the local bookstore and Quilted Tree. Guess what I found hiding out on the sales rack? Classic Knits by Erika Knight. I'm not familiar with her work, but I like the classic style of her designs, and for six dollars-what a steal!

That's all for this week. Knit on.

The Art of a Wasted Day.

My semester ended and it seems that the old battle between winter and spring has also come to a close. We've been having extraordinary weather, the ice along the lagoon is breaking up, the tulips and daffodils outside our building are blooming and I'm trying to take in as much of spring as I can before my summer session begins. Unfortunately I have developed this horrible anxiety over the last few years regarding time and trying to use every minute wisely. As a way to counter balance my bad habit, I scanned my bookshelf and pulled out this little gem.

The Art of a Wasted Day by Patricia Hampl

It's time for me to (re)learn the art of a wasted day. This book is a testament of artifice in that it was printed and bound by hand. Nomadic Press designed this limited edition with frankfurt text paper and handset metal types drafted by Frederic Goudy. And, I own number 529 of 725.

Kent Aldrich produced the marbaleized cover and three wood engravings inside...

My mom gave me this book and I've been carrying it around with me for years but have never actually sat down to read it. This week I finally did. Much of the contents are about friendship and I'm remembering that some of my closest friends are those that have shown me the art of deliciously frittering away time. I plan to pass this book onto one of them after I type out the following quote:

"One thing about the threadbare Socialist regime, grafted onto the old Czech bourgeois heritage: it supported a culture of time wasting, which is the essence of friendship. It felt old fashioned, deeply relaxing as little in contemporary life is. The country had been sustained by its relish for friendship, a life of little consolations--coffee and homemade berry coffee cakes baked in ancient woodstoves, served, crumbling, on chipped china. And the people you wasted time with were, by definition, people of your sort, not because of economic status or even profession. They had the same moral code, the same view of life, so akin it didn't need to be argued. It was as if during the Cold War, especially after 1968, they really did let themselves eat cake--and it helped."

As seen in the photos below, the mood for my brief holiday is about letting the events of the day unfold as they may...and hope that I can take part in the joy of a wasted day. So far it has involved time with S, walks along the coast, reading, listening to music from yesteryears, knitting and tonight baking lemon bars.

The beginnings of my master knitter squares.

This is what I call knitting smut.

A lace and cable cardigan design I'm trying to create.

Oh, Brother!

There are several organizations that are knitting for our troops and I think it is important to recognize the previous and current knitting efforts for soldiers.

Last December, before my brother deployed to Afghanistan, we spent some time together as a family.

My brother and S inside Canvas Works a fine yarn and fabric store in Olympia, Washington.

One night while we were together, I brought up the delicate subject of knitting for the military to my brother.

Me: So, I heard a story on NPR that soldiers are in need of socks. Can I make some socks to send to you?

My brother: Simultaneously rolls eyes and groans.

For the record, this is my brother’s response to me on most subjects. But, since he made such a stink about knitted socks, it was clear that I would need to be creative with whatever I decided to make for him while he was away. Here is what I did with one skein of espresso (302) Baby Alpaca Grande (Plymouth Yarn).



When his team arrived in Afghanistan, some of them started growing beards (just for fun). My brother started sending monthly photos of his beard growth status. Let's just say the picture he sent on the first month made me worry that he might be getting beat up by his other team members. So, I started casting on stitches and I came up with the following beard pattern:

CO 2 st

Working in seed stitch, Increase one stitch at the beginning and end of each row for a couple inches or desired length.

Insert the mouth by BO 8 center stitches (or as wide as you want the mouth to be), knit seed st to end.

Next row: Knit seed st to BO stitches and cast on 8 st, knit seed st to end.

Knit a few more rows in seed st to cover the lip area and BO.

Once it was finished I picked up 3 st on the vertical end, close to the top of the beard, and made an i-cord ~10 inches long. Repeat on opposite side. The beard can then be tied easily on the back of the head and fits well over the ears.



Do you think he'll wear his beard? Hah, do you think this will prevent his team from beating him up? Unfortunately I hadn't sent his package out by the next beard update which revealed a full grown beard. Another month passed and he had so much hair he decided to shave. Now, his care package is still sitting in our entrance. (Beard included.)

There was just one more thing to add--fingerless mitts. Melanie Falick has a nice fingerless glove pattern in her book Weekend Knitting. Instead of working in the round, these gloves are knitted sideways. S and I have both knit a few pairs for ourselves. We love ours and they are a very quick knit.



Do you think he will wear his mitts? It gets cold at night and in the mountains. Let's hope they come in handy.



Most of my brother's package contains items with peanut butter. I can't speak for all of the troops but I do know that while my brother is deployed he craves peanut butter. If you're wondering what to send your loved ones who are deployed...try peanut butter. My brother is also a voracious reader so I included two Agatha Christie Poirot mysteries (keeping with the quirky facial hair theme). First stop tomorrow morning--post office.

Earthly Knitting

Happy Earthy Day! Are you feelin’ earthy?

Here’s an earthy knitting tip. You know those left over strings that you snip off and toss once most of the yarn is weaved into your final knitting project? Well, start hanging onto them, they can be used for stuffing in…I don’t know…a knitted pillow or a knitted earth. Thanks to my sister for making me consider another use for yarn.



My semester is almost over, so I’ve been scrambling these past few days to finish up a few items on the never ending to do list. Don’t worry, I have been sneaking in a little knitting project for my brother which I’ll share next week. Until then, I need to keep this post short and stay on task.

Ultimately, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your outpouring of kindness this past week. It truly was amazing and wonderful to hear from you all. Last week my mom shared another Grandpa Root phrase with me--I’ve got one foot in the grave and the other foot on a banana peel! Hah!

Finally, I’ve been noticing this commercial on a few of the knitting blogs that I frequent. Natural gas, hm, what are your thoughts? Well, this little nugget of knitting genius should make anyone a believer.

Smile, you're on candid camera!

Chester Eugene Root, Sr (September 14, 1921 - April 12, 2010)

It has been a long week and it began with some sad news about my Grandpa’s death. His death represents many things to me. One of them being that he had the same name as my Dad, and it seems strange to say that the only Chester’s I have known have passed away. They both were very different from each other and yet very influential people in my life. Now my Grandpa is going to be buried next to my Dad which makes me smile.

The two Chester Eugenes.

This blog is a knitting/DIY blog and I don’t want to divert from that agenda. However, I began this blog with the intention to share what is keeping us inspired. So, sticking to the over arching theme of inspiration, I’d like to send out a little tribute of my Grandpa whose outlook on life was inspiring to me.


--When my Grandpa moved from California to Northern Minnesota, he had these business cards made. This is by far the best business card I have ever seen!

So, who was my Grandpa? It is hard to say in words who exactly he was other than terribly quirky, kind and always ready for a good time. He had this way of making life seem so easy and wonderful. The way he was patient to find joy in small pleasures was infectious. It was hard to leave his presence without a smile on your face and a skip in your step. He wasn’t willing to give into the complexities that are part of being human rather he was determined and at times very stubborn about never giving up on the small bit of joy that he had uncovered. He was always trying to win the lottery and was forever searching for the pot full of gold at the end of the rainbow. But, I always thought he lived his life as though he had already won the prize.

Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park.


It wasn’t until much later in my life that I would realize my Grandpa's joy in life had come at a great cost. Sometimes memories can get muddled up and become translated and perfected into how you want someone to have been. I want to be honest and say that my Grandpa’s character was not perfect and, at the same time, I want to recognize that I can only tell my part in this story. From what I know, there are certain events that took place early on in my Grandpa’s life that deeply shaped who he was. He grew up during the depression in Southern California and joined the Navy at the age of 21 in 1942. Before he was even 25, he had said good bye to many close friends, received a purple heart and had acquired a body full of shrapnel—wounds and shell fragments that he would carry with him for the rest of his life. By the time my Grandparents met and were married they both had endured a lot of pain and sorrow. As a result of these events, my Grandpa wasn’t always able to give to his four children the presence that they needed. However, this does not mean his love for them was any less. I know that his children brought him immeasurable joy.



This week I’ve been looking over a copy I have of a newspaper clipping entitled “Park Marine Returns to Duty Pierced with 300 Shell Fragments,” it is unbelievable to me that the man they were reporting on was my Grandpa. His courage and the lives that he saved because of this courage should not go without mention. He was a veteran of Tarawa, the bloodiest battle of World War II, and received a promotion for heroism. To quote the news article, “he performed outstanding work throughout his entire campaign.”



The stories that make up a human life are many, but by the time I was able to know my Grandpa the signature story of his heroism had been replaced by one of joyful resilience. He was fun and a friend to everyone. As a kid, he was the person who was always there at the end of my musical performances asking for my autograph, making me feel like I was a star. Thank you Grandpa for being so much fun and for sharing your joy with all of your grand kids and great grand kids.



Finally, there is one more thing I’d like to say, my Grandpa was a collector of many things and was very proud of his collections. I think it is imperative that I list and show just a few.

Stamps.
My Grandma is holding me, my Grandpa is holding a small bit of his stamp collection.

Rare Coins.
A lucky benny penny he gave to me when I was in 5th grade


Rocks.
A handful of his polished rock collection.

And, on a less physical note, my personal favorite, he collected catch phrases that he would repeat over and over. “Another Day Another Dollar.” “See you in the spring.” “Smile you’re on candid camera.” Well, Grandpa, smile…


(This must have been before he met my Grandma!)