Stasia's Place Of Grace

Friday, July 11, 2003

 

Many Blessings

There has been so much going on this past month, I haven't been able to update you! (I also wanted to leave the shawl information up here, for anyone who might want to join our KnitAlong.) Well, I finally edited all my digital photos and got them uploaded. There are so many that I had to make some separate pages so that you wouldn't sit here waiting for the pics to load!

Therefore, if you would like to see the good things that I enjoyed the past few weeks, click here.

Things are green and lush here in Wisconsin. If you are interested in seeing the abundance of life in our unplanned Milkweed garden, click here.

If you would like to enjoy some awesome summer evening skies, please click here.

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Finally, here is what's been happening in my fibery world:

The second swatch I made for the Creatures Of The Reef Shawl KnitAlong came out perfectly. I had to go up two needle sizes (using a size 6 now), and I got a Crystal Palace Bamboo needle as the Inox Express was just tooooo slippery for me. These are light and warm and I'm having no trouble with the Jagger "Zephyr" silk and wool yarn.

Swatch for COTR shawl.
The mini-Navajo rug was woven by Alicia Santiago
and is beautiful! Thank you, Alicia!

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I made and sold several sets of stitch markers on eBay; here are two of my favorites:

Snowflake Obsidian and Sterling Stitch Markers

Polka Dot Glass Bead Stitch Markers

I continue to make sets of stitch markers for friends, coming up with improvements each time. Claudia has agreed to beta-test several styles to see which will work best - I trust her as she is one of the best knitters I know, as well as being incredibly bright! Thanks, Claudia!

Nanette B., I haven't forgotten your bunnies!

Making these is very therapeutic and relaxing. I'm enjoying giving them to friends, and I think I probably won't get into selling them too much in the future - it is more fun for me to create when I'm not under pressure.

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I continue to work on the Artisan New Zealand Merino feather-and-fan lace scarf in the "Pansy" colorway. It is my first real lace knitting, and continues to move along at a quick and easy pace. I like the yarn (though it is very fine, and very stretchy) and how the scarf is turning out.

Other projects still include the Rambling Rows afghan, which I've pretty much ignored this month, and Jeff's North American Hunting Socks of Navajo-Churro wool, qiviut, and bison down handspun yarn. I have set a goal to finish them by the 14th, the day the COTR shawl KnitAlong "officially" starts, and I'm almost done. I'm ready to do some Koigu socks after this, most likely in a mitered pattern.

I'm spinning some beautiful silk in a colorway called "Parking Ticket" (a gift from Kary - thanks, Kary!) on my Lendrum Saxony wheel. It is from The Silkworker. Carol does amazing work, and sends things in lovely packages. If you're ever looking for a gift for a fibery friend, call on Carol! Her offerings are limited, though... have I just shot myself in the foot? This silk is destined to be another lace scarf... a take-along project, as I anticipate leaving the shawl safely at home until it's finished!

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Personal Stuff

I decided that the Lady Lendrum needed a sibling, for safe, upstairs spinning in the presence of our four pups. Therefore, a Lendrum Upright is on its way from Woodland Woolworks. Thanks, Charlie, for all the help and great service, and Claudia, Kathy, Theresa, and Barb C. for all the info!

Woodland Woolworks' spinning/weaving catalog isn't online yet, but you can download a .pdf version from their site.

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I also treated myself to a Maple burl pen made by my friend Shirley:

I can't describe how silkily this pen writes, or how warm and smooth it feels to hold... truly wonderful craftsmanship. Another good gift idea for the holidays!

Their website isn't operational yet, but if you e-mail Shirley, she can tell you all about her wonderful pens and her husband's beautiful weather stations in wood!

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Jeff's 85-year-old grandfather is going to be getting married to his much-younger, live-in girlfriend next weekend. There has been a lot of stress and strife in the family because of their relationship. Jeff and I are now resigned to the fact that he seems happy... and if he's happy, we're happy! If he's ever not happy, though... look out! Seriously, although none of the family will be attending (Jeff and I can't, Jeff's parents won't), we hope the wedding will go smoothly. We're having a "bachelor breakfast" with Grandpa tomorrow.

I have been doing well at staying offline so that I can get more creative things accomplished. My connection speed here is painfully slow; I've taken to logging on once a day if possible, and I'm trying to spend at least one day a week Internet-free. I know I accomplish much more when I make a conscious effort not to poke around the Web aimlessly, looking for my next "fibery fix."

My FMS symptoms are being kept in check by following a low-carb diet and doing Pilates as often as possible. I hope to get out and bike again soon as well. The crazy barometric changes have done a number on my system in the past two weeks, but by taking good care of myself on a regular basis, I find I am much better able to cope than I was a few years ago. In the awesome book that knitting physician Theresa recommended (Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.), the author writes of a patient with chronic illness who decides that she is going to suffer whether she goes out to the movies (or anyplace else), or stays home. The gal takes as her motto, "Anything worth doing is worth doing half-assed," and I like that attitude! No more shooting for perfection for me... because when I do, I never attempt anything! I'd rather live life halfway than sit here convinced that I can't do anything because I'm "ill." I am not ill... my body may be experiencing an illness, but that is not me. I refuse to be limited by my perceptions of what I think I can no longer do! I can at least try a little of everything, right?

Jeff has seen a specialist for his peripheral neuropathy (it's actually more than one kind, as he found out) and he's very positive about a number of treatment options now open to him. I'm so grateful his original neurologist was honest enough to say, "I'm not sure what's going on," and recommend that he see the specialist! I'm so grateful that the specialist is the top neurologist of his type in not only Wisconsin, but the Midwest!

We just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on July 6th, and are both looking forward to a future unconstrained by fears of they unknown with regard to our health. Perception is everything, and so we choose to focus on what we can do, and we are really enjoying this beautiful summer. We had an awesome dinner at Dream Dance restaurant, and I can heartily recommend Chimney Rock's Stag's Leap District 1999 Cabernet! Yes, the restaurant is in Milwaukee's only casino, but it actually was incredibly elegant and the food was delicious... and we even won $10 in one pull of slots! I am not a big casino person, but it actually was a lot of fun and something new to try.

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My life is full of such richness... stressful things, beautiful things, painful things, creative things... it all adds up to such a "rich pageant" of experience. I'm lucky because it all makes me feel so alive. I hope you appreciate the richness in your life today!

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