Knitting Reality Check

I've been reading a lot about knitting this winter, using the public library as a resource. I have found a lot of interesting books.

How do you find them? a friend asked.

One thing leads to another, I replied, especially if I search for books to buy on Amazon. Whenever I search for a title, Amazon suggests more in a similar vein. If a book looks interesting, before ordering it on Amazon, I check to see if our public library has a copy. 

I've bought a few copies of books I found in the library, like the Elizabeth Zimmermann books I've mentioned elsewhere.

Our library does have a lot of modern knitting books. Many are on hold, so sometimes I have to wait to get them. I borrowed the book on the left after seeing it on Amazon. It is full of patterns for reversible knitting, something I want to get back to. But reversible knitting does take a lot of time, so I've decided to leave it for now.

I've borrowed a few books by Sally Melville, a knitwear designer I've discovered through her books at the library.

I really love her designs. I could see myself wearing some, like this dress on the cover...

But realistically, it's more complicated than I want to tackle right now...

Another book by Sally Melville that I found in the library is on designing and modifying knitting patterns. I'd love to be able to do that. But after looking through the library copy, I've decided it's too much work for me right now...

It's been interesting to see how many resources are available to me - for free at the library. But knitting does take time. I've had to do a reality check: For now I only have time for small projects, like hats.

When I have more time, I may come back and reconsider some of the patterns in these books...

Like the sweater on the left... But not right now.

Living Without a Land Line

A friend recently informed Terry that their family was switching from a house phone (a land line) to three cell phones - one for each member of the family. From now on, they would all be contacted only by their individual cell phone numbers.

At first glance, it seems an efficient way to go.

I'm sure it's the way of the future, I commented to Terry.

A few days later, I realized the limitations of not having a family home phone number... 

I was trying to contact the family of someone I know who had been hospitalized. The only number I had was her cell phone. Would anyone answer it if I called?

Would she have it in the hospital with her? (Did they even allow cell phones in hospital rooms?)

I tried the number. To my surprise, my friend answered. Her cell phone had been next to her hospital bed. But had she been any sicker and unable to answer the phone, I wouldn't have had any way of contacting her - or any family member if everyone's cell phone number is different...

To complicate matters, cell phone numbers aren't listed in the telephone directory!

The Secret to Happiness Is...

My mother, who always valued her independence, is now blind and unable to walk.

But she is usually content - except when she is in pain.

She has nothing but praise for the nursing home staff. And she praises the food...

Here she is, second from the right, participating in an exercise class.







Seeing my mother enjoy her limited life makes me wonder: What is it that makes us happy?

I recently read that "Happiness is reality divided by expectations." One study showed that people who lived on ventilators ranked their happiness at 5.1 on a scale of 7, whereas people breathing on their own ranked theirs at 5.5. (From the book, Leaving Church, chapter 10)

A recent Maclean's magazine article claims that the secret to happiness is to stop trying to be happy!

The article provided an interesting "happiness equation":

Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything 

Is the key here to "want nothing"?

Does want mean to covet nothing, or to lack nothing? Or does it simply mean that you really appreciate all that you have because there is nothing more that you want?

By that equation, my mother, who lacks neither food nor care and still manages to keep busy (doing anything) feels she has everything... and is thankful!

My Mother's First Birthday Book

I don't recall my mother being particularly sentimental about birthdays when I was a child. But in retirement, she kept a detailed calendar of family birthdays and anniversaries.

I didn't realize that she was interested in these details in her early years as well - until I found this birthday book dating to 1939, the year she headed north to teach when she was 20 years old.

This book may hold gems for relatives who are working on family genealogy, as well...

Family members, long gone - like my mother's mother Olga - are listed here.

Olga Bartz (nee Sell) April 18, 1895 - November 28, 1966

Making Ring Holders

One of my friends once said that pottery - in her opinion - was all about making vases...

(I have to admit I've tried to make a few, but not too many!)

I've tried to make more useful things... like bowls and ring holders - to hang rings on to keep them from rolling away.

I've made a few plain ones. They work well. 

But I've also tried to make them in unusual shapes, like this octopus...

and this flower.

|The most satisfying thing, to me, is to see my little pottery projects being used!

Changing Cottage Cheese?!

Breakfast is a sensitive meal for me! First thing in the morning, my stomach isn't ready for just anything...

Over the past few months, my regular breakfast has included half a cup of cottage cheese and sliced bananas. The cottage cheese is high in protein and calcium - and the bananas make it taste good!

I recently read, however, that cottage cheese is losing its fan base to yogurt...  To counter this trend, some dairies are considering blending the cottage cheese, taking away its lumps.

No! I hope not! I enjoy yogurt, too, but I like cottage cheese just the way it is!

Two Ways of Mending Hand-Knit Socks

I started knitting socks after hearing one knitter say that she could easily knit a sock in an evening.

I had always thought that socks would take longer than that... After knitting a few pairs, I discovered that for me, it does take longer than that. After putting so much time into knitting them, I feel particularly sad when - a few years later - the socks develop holes. Usually I darn them and wear them like that for a while... But the darned areas often tear in exactly the same places again, even though the majority of the sock is still as good as new.

After watching the Elizabeth Zimmermann knitting DVD - where she showed no qualms about cutting into a sweater to add a pocket, I decided I had to get over my fear of cutting into knit socks as well.

After examining the holes in this well-worn pair, I decided to try two ways of fixing them.

First, by cutting out the weak area and knitting a new portion over it (grabbing stitches around it as I knit)...

Or second, by removing the whole toe of the sock and replacing that.

I'm not sure which method I prefer. Replacing the whole toe looks nicer but it takes more time.

The patch I knit over the hole - in garter stitch here - is less attractive but invisible, as it's on the sole. But both may be equally comfortable. The smaller patch took a lot less time.

After wearing both socks for while, I prefer the one where I re-knit the toe, maybe because of the bumpy-feel of the garter stitch on the other.

If I have a hole in the toe or ball of the foot, I'd probably cut that part off and knit it again, just as I did here.

But if the hole were in the heel, I'd probably knit over it, as I did above.

This whole exercise was useful because it helped me overcome my fear of cutting into a piece of knitting. I was afraid that the whole thing would unravel - but it didn't!