A Year Ago Today

A year ago Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, parts of southern Louisiana, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Most of the media focus is on New Orleans, so perhaps, the rest of the country does not realize how badly hit Mississippi was. This is due in part to the fact that the recovery of the Gulf Coast is progressing more smoothly than the recovery of New Orleans. For that we can thank the gaming industry, which has poured large sums of money into rebuilding the area, local and state governments that cooperate with each other and with the federal government, and the many volunteers and locals who set forth to rebuild.

But Mississippi was hit hard. There are towns on the coast that were completely obliterated. Nothing left except the roads, and sometimes, even these were washed away. A 30 foot storm surge does that kind of thing. Entire neighborhoods swept away. This goes on for miles and miles. I've seen both New Orleans and the Coast first hand, and both sadden me.

I live 60 miles north of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and although we made preparations to stick it out, we evacuated at the last minute. I'm glad we did. It would have been hell on our children. We went to Jackson, 160 miles north of the coast and stayed with my folks. Even there, tropical storm force winds lasted 7 hours. A tree fell on my parents' house while we were in it, and the city lost power for 4 days. All the businesses closed, so no supplies could be purchased. The water had to be boiled or chlorinated in order to drink it, and bathing was out of the question. This in 90 degree weather, no air conditioner of course.

When the power returned in Jackson, my husband & I went back home to check out the damage . The eye of the storm passed directly over our town and everything was a mess. Miraculously, our house was OK. We lost 2 trees, but they fell in the road, not on our roof. There were trees in every road including the interstate and the highways. Every other road was closed.. The grocery stores weren't open yet, but there was nothing in them. No gas for cars, no electricity, no clean water, no ice. Once ice was shipped in, a man killed his sister over a bag. Another man was carjacked and murdered over the gas in his tank. We had intended to stay and clean up the mess, but decided it was too risky, and gave our supplies to our friends who were staying and went back to Jackson.

For 2 weeks, we drove back and forth, cleaning up our neighborhood, and helping friends. Gradually, school reopened, and we brought the kids back. Gradually things got cleaned up. There are still blue roofs, and still trees on houses. The landscape has changed tremendously. There are great patches of blue sky where there was once nothing but tree tops. The population of the town has changed. Lots of evacuees relocated here.

I know there are stories more dramatic than mine. I am one of the lucky ones. It's just hard to believe how devastating the storm was 60 or even 160 miles inland. There is a peculiar feeling I get when I watch the news footage marking the 1 year anniversary of Katrina. It's like I'm remembering a dream, where everything seemed primitive and all the people were angry or stunned. I remember at the time thinking I'd never feel normal again, that things would never be normal again. But, somehow, here I am, living my life, normally. So many others aren't there yet. My heart and prayers go out to them. I hope that they can have their normalcy soon.

Stu-stu-studio

You're cheesy Phil, but I've grown fond of you....

Don't have much to say about knitting. The sock I'm working on is brown.

Here's some photos of my studio. First I just wanted you to see the space. It's pretty amazing, but it wasn't always like that. It started out as a dirty, dusty, dark attic. We painted it and cleaned it up and I work in there when I can.

Here's a picture of a the studio itself. The ceilings are mostly about 10 feet high. They get higher on the ends of the house where the high window is. They get lower on the sides where they taper down. You can see the stretchers and canvases I've been making on the floor.



Here's a shot of a naked stretcher. I'm making a corner brace. I can't wait to get this one stretched and primed. In the foreground is some unbelievable Arches Watercolor Paper I scored a couple of years ago. The stuff is so fine, I'm afraid to use it. USE YOUR SUPPLIES!




I know this probably boring to my knitting friends, but this stuff thrills me. I appreciate your tolerance.

Stretcher Progress

Yesterday my husband cut my quarter rounds and today I'm glueing and nailing them onto the bases of the stretchers to form a curved transition. I have 3 stretchers in progress, 2 are about 3 x 4 feet, and 1 is about 2 feet by 4 feet. The 2 x 4 one is for restretching an unstretched painting a friend gave me. The other 2 are for me. They are looking great and I should be finished with them by Wednesday. Then I can stretch & prime the canvases and probably can get to painting by Wednesday or Thursday. I feel so much better getting this moving. I haven't painted much since the boys were born and I have been pining for it.

I'm not feeling so blue about my knitting. I really don't like the color of the yarn I'm working with and I think that is the problem. It's a manly brown/black/cream combination for my husband. Also, I'm used to knitting for women's feet and his big ole' clodhoppers require many more stitches. Sobeit!

#1 started 1st grade this morning. It was surprizingly easy for us all. He is sitting next to a little boy he idolizes for his soccer skills, so he's happy. I smell trouble ahead, though. They will probably talk and fidget with each other.

I'm just so glad to get those stretcher going!

Accentuate the Positive

One of my worst traits is my pessimism. I have tried to write this post several times this morning and it keeps coming out negative. Let me try to spin this in a more positive light.

I am losing interest in my knitting. Is this a permenant condition or just a slump? I am not going to worry about it. So what if I don't like the sock I'm making? It can sit a while until I feel like picking it up.

In the mean time I can do the thing I really want to do: Paint! I am not going to worry about painter's block or set up unrealistic expectations for myself. I have a painting I want to make and I have the supplies. The stretcher isn't ready, but I should be able to finish it and stretch a canvas next week, after #1 starts 1st grade. I may get a little painting time in as well. I start work the following week, but I'll have Tuesdays and Thurdays to paint and draw. I'm not going to defeat myself by saying I also have cleaning, shopping, grading, and prep work to do on those days as well....drifting into pessimism, must steer clear!

If I say it here, then I have to do it.

Pink Cable Socks

Here's what I've been working on. I used Opal solid in "Orchid", and #2 US dpn's. The pattern is from an old Bear Brand Socks pattern book. Here they are blocked:



Here's how they look from the front:




And here's a side view:




I'm really happy how they turned out. I hope my sister in-law likes them. I've started another pair using the same yarn in a blue color for my other sister in-law. I'm so glad to get these Christmas presents done before the stress of the season sets in.

The Boys Are Back...

They got home last Sunday and boy was I glad to see them. They enjoyed their plane trip, subway rides, museum visits, etc. I missed them but, they can wreck a house in no time flat. I did enjoy my peace and quiet, but now things are back to normal.

As for my health, I saw an endocrinologist on Wednesday and he's going to give me radioactive meds next Friday. The boys can't be here while I'm glowing, so I'm sending them to Gramma's for a few days. After I take the meds, it'll take a while for everything to get balanced. But eventually, that too, will be back to normal.

Knitting? This is a knitting blog? Well, I finished the pink cable socks and they turned out great. Finally! I've started a second pair in Opal in a beautiful light blue. I'll put up pictures when hubby gives up the camera.

I'm already planning for the next few projects. I need to find the right yarn for Date Maker. I've got at least three more pairs of socks for Christmas presents. I'm also looking for a cardigan pattern that doesn't look to Grannyish. That seems like enough for now.

The Diagnosis

Graves Disease. Pretty common in women my age. (Edit: Apparently, it's not as common as my doc led me to believe, but oh, well) The Treatment: Nuking my thyroid until it shrivels and dies. Then fake hormones for a lifetime. Whoo hoo! It's really not that bad. I'm glad I know what it is and why I've been feeling like hell for so long.

One good thing about this sickness is I've got a good reason to sit around and do nothing but knit and eat. I've finished one cable sock and I'm almost finished with its mate. The only problem is I now don't like the 1st sock. I was being careful to knit loosely because previous socks had been too tight. Now the cuff looks sloppy to me, so I'm pretty sure I'm gonna frog the first one and reknit it. I'm planning for these to be a gift, so I want them to be really good.

Well, other than that, there's nothing going on. The boys are in Boston now. They'll be home this Sunday. I miss them, but I'm starting to enjoy my alone time.

Bad Day

Well, I was supposed to be on a plane with my boys to New Hampshire today. But now the family is on that plane without me. Ordinarily a 10 day break from the husband and kids would be something I'd love, but not this time. The story is dreary and long, so I'll spare you the details. Basically it boils down to this: I've been shaky and nauseated for 3 weeks. A new doctor says my thyroid and pituitary are freaking out, and wants me to have tests next week, so no vacation for me.

This all came down in a matter of 3 or 4 hours before we were to leave for New Orleans. I mean at 12:00 yesterday, I was packing my suitcase, and at 4:30 my husband and kids were pulling out of the driveway without me. For the record, he offered to cancel the entire trip, but I wouldn't let him. The kids would be so disappointed, and so would their grandma and great-grandma.

I guess what I need to do is get over myself, and do all the things I said I would do if I had a week without the husband and kids.

Back to Square One

I have the worst luck with sock patterns. I've tried 3 so far that haven't worked out very well. The Jaywalker is history. Frogged it about 2 minutes ago. I used the smaller size in the pattern (my feet are 5.5 US) and I couldn't get the thing past my heel when I tried it on. I was planning to give these to a woman whose foot is larger than mine, but not much. I really don't feel like using the larger size, or figuring out how to make it work. The leg of the sock is pretty long, and if I shortened it, it would probably fit better. I feel like cussing, but I try not to do that here.

I was all psyched about getting Christmas presents done in the summer. I'm losing my joy over that. I just wish I could find the RIGHT pattern. I may give the Opal yarn a rest and try some beautiful Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock I have in my stash.

Do you have a great sock pattern you LOVE? If so, tell me about it, PLEASE!


On a happier note: Isn't this cool?

Jaywalker & Flowers

Well, I haven't posted in a while. You see, I am a visual person and I like to see pictures in other folk's blogs, and I like to put pictures in my own. I haven't been really motivated to download any lately because of this:



I can't find the cable to connect my camera to the computer! The cord cabinet is just such a mess. I can't even stand to charge my cell phone. I usually wait until I'm in the car and give it a little juice there. Just clean out the cabinet, you say? That's a joke. There's 3 other guys around here who just live to mess things up! Oh, well.

I have been knitting, I swear. First I made a beautiful cabled sock, but it was too small. I frogged it and started this Jaywalker. See the yarn wrapped around the ball? That used to be a sock. It's in the process of becoming a new one though. I hear the Jaywalker knits up snug. Will it fit? That remains to be seen.



My garden is growing. Here's two shots:

My first sunflower. It seems a little early, but I'm not complaining.



And here's a shot of the whole bed. I planted several seed packs of mixed color zinnias. I guess the purple ones are dominant, because they are the majority here. There's a few orange, yellow, red, white, etc, but purple rules.

I've Been Tagged!

Well, I've been tagged. I'll give it a try:

1. What is the ugliest thing you've ever knit?

This is hard. I don't really think of anything as ugly. The most disappointing thing I've ever knit was the Lilith sweater. A lot of work and a really bad fit.

2. What is the most beautiful thing you've ever knit?

Another difficult one. Hmm. I love the Branching Out Scarves. They are really pretty. I also love my crocheted wrap with the Douceur et Soie.

3. Who are your fave knitting designers, living or dead? (name up to 3)

I'm ashamed to admit, I don't really know designers.

4. Do you watch Knitty Gritty on DIY?

Nope, don't get that channel.

5. Have you ever knit in your sleep? (not just dreaming, has someone seen you make the motions?)

I've never been alerted to this, so I guess not.

6. Have you ever taught someone to knit?

I'm trying to teach my 6 year old son to knit, and I've taught my mom & my baby sitter to crochet.

7. How many WIP's or UFO's, currently?

Let's see, there is one pair of socks, one afghan, and one sweater. ( The sweater will never get done!)

8. Circulars, or straights?

Both. Circs for things that just need them or small projects for on the go, and straights when I feel like it.

9. Fave 'thing-item' to knit?

Right now, socks.

10 Name the person who 'tagged-memed' you.

The Lovely Noreen

Edit: The person I tagged was Mysteryknitter

Home Again

Well, we got home on Saturday. It was hard to leave BEAUTIFUL San Destin, Florida. I have never seen the water clearer or greener. Hardly any seaweed, and only 1 shark sighting (LOL, but true). I did see a few dolphins as well.

Here's how it went: Spent all day in the Gulf with the boys all 3 days. Ate fantastic seafood, drank a few tropical drinks, glasses of wine, cans of beer (no glass on the beach). Walked on the beach early in the mornings and late in the evenings. No one got sunburned (we're a pretty pale group, so that's an amazing feat!), but some little sea creature bit my toe and made it bleed! Brave me, I got back in the water, but only after the blood stopped. Didn't want to give the sharks an invitation.

And as this is a knitting blog, here's the knitting low down: Koigu sock in the car on the way there and back. I finished it today, but it's just as too big as the first one. What's wrong with me? I KNEW that would be the case, but I just wanted to finish the pair.

In other knitting news, I ordered yarn on line for the first time today. I know, I'm a late bloomer. I ordered 2 balls of Opal solid sock yarn. I'm planning on making Grumperina's Jaywalker socks for my 2 sisters-in-law for Christmas. I can't wait to get the yarn & get started. In the mean time, I'm working on the never ending sampler afghan.

Branching Out 2

I'm off to Florida for a few days, but I wanted to show you Branching Out #2. I love this scarf so much, I have to show you 5 views. I couldn't get 1 shot that did it justice.

Here you can see how beautifully the fabric drapes:

This shows the pattern pretty well, but the color is off:

I just like this picture:

Against yellow green:

Against blue green:


I'm taking my Koigu sock to knit on the trip (5 hours in the car). I will probably finish it so, I am also going to work on my sampler afghan. Other than that, it will be fun in the sun (50 spf), wave surfing, eating, drinking & seeing some old friends.

Dates and Eggplants

I have 2 things to show you today:

First, #1 had his first painting lessons last week. We decided on eggplants, because they are simple forms and have beautiful color, and we had just bought them at the farmer's market that morning.

I think he did a great job. We both had a canvas and I would paint on mine, with him watching. Then he would paint on his. These are all his strokes. I helped him mix the color, but, after a while, he started mixing his own.

This is acrylic on canvas (I think it's 12 inches square).



Second: This is what I want to knit. It is from the Columbia Style Book # 108, 1946. I think it is very stylish, but I'm not sure if I would do the crochet around the belt buckle. Mostly, I just like the name. The yarn it calls for is no longer available, but it's just worsted weight wool. I may try a wool/alpaca blend. I've tried a few things from these old books and it's fun to see them come to be.

I'm so brilliant! I accidently deleted the post that contained these pictures. So here they are:

Branching Out #2 with my Stripey Bag:



Branching Out #'s 1 & 2, Blocking Comparison



Douceur et Soie Crocheted Wrap:



B O #2 is finished & blocking. I will put pictures up when it's dry.

NOW, What am I going to do? I don't have any yarn or a project. Ok, I have a ball of Koigu KPPPM, and I could knit the other sock, but the first one didn't fit properly, so I'm not sure I want to get into that. Maybe I could make a scarf out of it. I have a bunch of Jo Sharp DK wool. A sweater maybe? or a shawl. I probably don't have the right sized circulars for that. I am antsy without anything on the needles. Well, maybe a day off from knitting isn't such a bad thing.....is it?

I've started a second Branching Out for my MIL's Xmas. I'm using larger needles this time, (#8 US, the recommended size) and the Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk in a dark purple. It's harder to knit with the darker color, the decreases especially. But it is coming along. I really like this pattern and want to double it in the future (ie: 2 motifs instead of one) and make a wrap out of it. I am becoming more familiar with the pattern and know a few of the rows by heart.

I'm happy to be getting some Xmas stuff done. I am always so busy at the end of the semester, and I have #1's BD to take care of 3 days after the 25th. It's always a huge pain to buy and wrap presents for folks at that time of year, so I'm killing 2 birds, and don't feel guilty about spending so much time and money on knitting.

I've finally gotten a little painting done. #1 really wanted me to paint his portrait, so we started it on Monday. I'm using acrylic because it's so hot, and I don't want to open the windows for the fumes of oil paint. Talk about a pain. I've got to find some kind of way to use acrylic that doesn't drive me crazy. All I can think is, "If this was oil, I could do this or that." I had the same problem when I was pregnant & didn't want to deal with all the chemicals of oil.

Anyway. #1 doesn't make such a good sitter. OMG he won't sit still! But what did I expect. I knew that would be the case. He's sweet though, every 10 seconds, getting up and saying "It's really coming along with the other pictures, Mom." He's referring to all the portraits I painted of him from photos when he was a baby. I don't usually paint from photos, but I really wanted some paintings of the kids. At least I DID get some painting done. It's kind of addictive. When I start painting, I really don't want to do anything else. That's a good thing and a bad thing I guess. Maybe I'll go back to the studio and paint a still life this afternoon. Something that CAN'T move.

I finished the Branching Out Scarf. It turned out pretty well I think:



The Alpaca & Silk is a dream to work with. I've got some more in a plum color. I think I may make the scarf again using larger needles. I used #7 Clover Bamboos for the green one.

Not too much else going on. #1 is staying home with me this summer. We've been swimming, knitting, gardening, playing. #2 is still in daycare, to secure his position for next fall when I go back to teaching, but I keep him home often and/or pick him up early. It's nice having time alone with #1.

The garden is growing. Here are some of the latest pics:

The volunteer zinnias and marigolds are blooming.




Here is a crinum lily (also called milk & wine lily). I have several blooming now, but this is the best pic.



The tomatoes are about ready for the first harvest:




That's about it for now.

I've had a busy weekend. We made a quick trip to the town where my family lives, (about 2 hours north of here) for my mom's 70th birthday. I worked on my Koigu sock on the drive & the entire time I was there. It is almost finished.

Before we even got to Mom's house, I made DH drop me off at the LYS there, and spent an hour shopping while he dropped off the kids. They close at 2:00 on Sat., so I was on limited time. My take? 4 balls of Blue Sky Alpaca/Silk (50-50) in 2 different colorways. Lest you think I'm extravagant, I spent the BD money my MIL sent me & intend to make her the Branching Out scarf I couldn't manage with the Douceur et Soie, for Xmas or Bd. I may make StepMIL a scarf as well, but that yarn's so tempting, I may keep it for myself. The DeS found a home in a crocheted wrap. It turned out beautifully. (For *me* the saying goes: If you can't knit 'em, crochet 'em!)

We spent Saturday at one brother's house, and Sunday at the other brother's house. My sis from CA came in town & brought 4 close friends. We had a blast! There was grilled venison, boiled crawfish, red beans & rice. Of course there was bd cake, iced tea & beer. Oh yeah, and I beat my 15 year old nefew at ping pong.

Well, I'll post pics one of these days.

Well, it's been a while since I've posted. Busy with the end of the semester. I've graded all my portfolios and exams, and all I have to do is submit the grades. I'm a little spent, but Hello Summer!

As for knitting stuff. I bought that lovely yarn in NOLA, and immediately started a wrap with the K1C2 Douceur et Soie. I began with a knitted lace pattern that no matter how much I tried, I couldn't knit without frogging. Well, the DES doesn't like to be frogged. Not once, and certainly not 5 times. After I had frogged it repeatedly, it gave up. Refused to be frogged anymore. I had to cut the yarn and try again. Whew, it was a nightmare. I just wanted to work with the stuff. I just wanted to see it become a wrap for me.

Then I realized, Hey, I've been crocheting for 30 odd years! Why torture myself with a complex knitted pattern when I could crochet watching TV, having kids pull on my arm. So I found an old pattern in a crochet book Gramma gave me, and set to it. That was 3 days ago and I'm halfway done with the wrap. I think the 2 balls will be sufficent, but I may have to order another ball, just to make it generous.

Now I love the Douceur et Soie. I think since I've worked with it and know it's ways, I can try a more complex pattern next time.

New Orleans! Ms. B arrived at our house around 12:30 yesterday, and I flew her through the 1st time babysitter ritual: Here's the food, here's the phone numbers, keep 'em alive, see you tommorow! Then we were off.



There is no way to talk about a visit to New Orleans post Katrina without addressing the bitch herself. The drive was sobering. We live about 2 hours north east of NOLA, and our town was damaged by Katrina, but obviously not as badly as NOLA or the MS Gulf Coast. As we drove down the interstate, it felt like we were gradually moving backwards in time. The damage alongside the road, and to the towns we passed got progressively worse. I'd think," I remember when our town looked like that", and then we'd drive a little farther, and I'd remember a little farther back, and so on.

Once we got near NOLA, it was eerie. The surrounding suburbs are abandoned. Large shopping malls are boarded up, and the streets are empty. Mile after mile, neighborhood after neighborhood. Many houses are still standing, most look perfectly livable from the outside, but what the interiors are like, I hate to think.

The storm affected LA much differently than MS. When we went to the MS Gulf Coast after the storm, it was shocking how many of the houses were simply gone. It was as if entire neighborhoods had been put in a huge blender, pureed then poured back on the ground. New Orleans was different, more buildings standing, but everthing was empty. People had to leave and so many haven't or simply can't return.



We arrived in the French Quarter around 3:00. The Quarter is the highest point in NO and most of it wasn't flooded. Jazzfest, which is the second largest event in the city (Mardi Gras is the largest of course!), was this weekend. Now, in the past, just about any nice weekend in the Spring would be a good reason to go to the Big Easy. It would be difficult to find parking, there would be lots of folks walking around the Quarter, and there would be all kinds of street performers and characters everywhere. The weekend of Jazzfest would be even more crowded, all kinds of things going on, people everwhere all day, and all night.



We returned to a changed city. The closest thing I can compare it to is a week or so after Mardi Gras. The huge celebration is over, and the city is pretty beat up, and somewhat deserted, but there are always some people having fun. That's how it was this weekend. There was lots of parking, no huge crowds in the streets, lots of businesses were closed. It was disconcerting. We checked into our hotel, put our things in the room and went out for a walk.

All I really cared about was getting to the Quarterstitch. It was opened and the very helpful Michelle lured me into buying some beautiful mohair/silk blend: Douceur et Soie, Knit one Crochet Too. It's silvery blue and destined to be a webby wrap for me. I also bought 2 hanks of Koigu KPPPM to make myself some socks with. Hey, when it comes to the good stuff, it's all about me.





We were supposed to meet some other folks for dinner and drinks around 4:30. We were on time and they were not. Around 4:50 our waiter asked us if we wanted to order, because the kitchen was closing at 5:00. Another casualty of Katrina. We ordered an appetizer and when everyone arrived we changed our plans. We caught dinner elsewhere then went to the House of Blues where we saw Keb Mo' and The Subdudes. Keb Mo' is a youngish blues man, more melodic than gravelly, and the Subdudes are a kinda Blues/Zydeco band. A great time was had by all. I was worn out and talked hubby into taking me back to the hotel around 10:00. I'm so old.

Slept until 5:59 am. Five Fifty Nine AM! No kids, no responsibilities, what's wrong with me? (See last statement of previous paragraph). I realized I wasn't getting any more sleep, so I got up and waited for it to lighten up outside. It was rainy, gray and dark. Hubby slept until 7:00, and once he was up, we decided to wait out the rain and have breakfast at the hotel. Fantastic breakfast, fantastic view. The sun came out and we went for another stroll.



This time I just wanted a cafe au lait and to take a look around. Yes, there fewer locals and tourists. Yes, many of the shops were closed, and there was repair work being done on every street. But everywhere I looked I saw not only the destruction of the storm, but the toughness and humor of the people of New Orleans. There was no shortage of Katrina T'shirts with obscene sayings, like "Katrina gave me a blow job I'll never forget". There were lots of other ones I can't remember, but the basic ideas were: Katrina was a bitch, FEMA is Fucked Up (their words), The president, governor, mayor and police force aren't worth a damn. The T'shirts were much cleverer than I, but you get it. Every bar had a Katrina drink guaranteed to knock you down. The general message: she was one tough gal, but we're tougher, and ain't nothing getting in the way of our good time!



What a great city!