EDM 102 & 103

EDM 102 & 103, a photo by chaimann on Flickr.

My friend Bernie (quite and artist in his own right) asked for more drawings, and I am happy to oblige.

Forget that old chestnut about "not able to draw a straight line." I am clearly incapable of drawing a circle, to say nothing of three concentric circles. And I'm okay with that. Lots of things are "wrong" in the pedometer picture, but in the end, it is a pretty good representation.

Every Day in May

EDM 101, a photo by chaimann on Flickr.

I found out yesterday, the 14th, about the Every Day in May art challenge. Yeah, I'm two weeks behind, but we'll never know until we try, will we?

I drew five things today. This was the first.

Multnomah

Multnomah, a photo by chaimann on Flickr.

I started this little shawl so I would have something simple to knit on the airplane while en route to a wedding last October. I finished during the wee hours Friday, while watching the Will and Kate nuptials.

Yes, I watched the Royal Wedding, from the time the important people started arriving, until the newlyweds left the balcony. I love a good show, and I had to work during Charles and Diana's wedding, so I deserved to see this one.

The shawl pattern is called Multnomah. It took one skein of sock yarn, and it is dead simple if you can count to 18. I did fine with the 18s, but had a little hiccup counting to 4 that caused me a bit of ripping back. No harm done,

Happy Easter 1965

Ready for Easter, a photo by chaimann on Flickr.

It may have been raining this day. Our Easter finery pictures usually were taken outside, facing into the sun, and invariably involved me squinting.

The Caves Project

Girl Cave, a photo by chaimann on Flickr.

Phase One of the Man Cave/Studio project is complete. The major furniture and equipment has been moved to the new locations. I am computing from my new digs in the basement - not at 100%, but getting by. T still has some network issues to straighten out.

There is still a lot of work to be done. The entire wall to the left, extending back beyond where I am standing, is piled with boxes. It's moderately well organized as clutter goes. Except for a few boxes that T packed when I wasn't looking, I know where everything is. I also have a general idea of which boxes of stuff need to be attacked first, and which have the highest potential to be leaving the house.

But look! Even with lots of stuff, there is floor space! We never had floor space before! Seeing that empty floor every time I walk into the basement is my encouragement to keep chipping away at it.

The best part is, I managed to snag one of the easy chairs, so Katie still has her favorite place to sit when she comes to visit.

Random acts of sprucing up

Slowly but surely, I am cleaning up the basement. We've hauled away some ratty old furniture, thrown away some stuff, and donated some stuff to charity. Today, I put a lot of the remaining stuff in neat rows, which will have to suffice as "order" for the time being. I set aside more things for a Goodwill run, and bagged up more garbage.

The ultimate goal is to make the main room of the basement my creative space, a studio. Really, I just wanted a place where I could set up a sewing machine, but you know how it goes - you clean one little area, then the area next to it looks bad, so you clean it, too.

To celebrate my industriousness, I sat down in a patio chair and did a little spinning. No photos - I've taken dozens of photos of the Pepto Pink fleece, and they all look about the same. But I didn't want to be picture-free, so please enjoy this artist's rendering of "Spindle, Laden with Fiber".

While I was working in the basement, our neighbor and her friend, unbeknownst to me, were doing yard work on our shared border. Suffice it to say, there is now a huge trailer in our back yard for yard debris, and tomorrow's agenda includes chainsaws, heavy ropes, and a dash of Round Up. When it is over, the sideways lilac should be upright again, and the grapevine and volunteer sycamores should be dead.

Katie at rest

100_2683 a photo by chaimann on Flickr.

I took off my sweater and folded it up. Before I could put it away, someone adopted it. You can't see it, but she is also lying on the iPod earbuds. I'm flattered that she wanted to be near me, but she always finds the most inconvenient way possible to do it.

Happy Birthday(s)!

PD_0244 a photo by chaimann on Flickr.

i can always remember when I started this blog, because it was on my brother's birthday. Tomorrow, he and the blog will both be six years farther along the path than when I started.

Like this picture, the blog has no discernible fashion sense, and I don't see it developing one any time soon. I've always said that the blog is basically stuff I would have told my parents if they were still alive. If a few people wander by and read, that's cool, too.

Once a year, though, it's also a chance to tell my big brother that he's still awesome and memorable, no matter how he is dressed.

Kobo-Kindle smackdown

Kindle v. Kobo
Originally uploaded by chaimann

Last month, I finally broke down and got an e-reader. I wasn't absolutely desperate for one, but the situation aligned itself so that I could get one at a reasonable price.

I've heard numerous reader-types say, "Oh, I wouldn't like that - I love real books too much!" To them, I can say that my little Kobo has not replaced printed books in my heart, at all. If anything, I have been reading more. I still have a couple of books going at home, but I also have a some on the Kobo for when I am out.

This picture is T's Kindle and my Kobo, side by side. It was the illustration for my review in the Piker Press.

Life is serious

ATC004
Originally uploaded by chaimann

Some days you've just gotta play.

(watercolor and ink on paper, ATC size)

Katie helps out

Katie helps out
Originally uploaded by chaimann

"Your art sucks. I'll hide it for you."

Kansas Day

KScent
Originally uploaded by chaimann

January 29, 2011, is the 150th anniversary of Kansas statehood.

In 1961, when Kansas celebrated its centennial, Pratt had a parade, and mom made sure my brother and I were decked out in our frontier finest. I know she made my dress, and a matching dress for herself. I wouldn't be surprised if she made Phil's vest, too.

Happy Sesquicentennial, Kansas!

A poem for the season

Recent conversations with a couple of football-loving girlfriends reminded me of this little ditty. I composed it when I was in junior high, back when the frozen north ruled the NFL - sort of like this year. What could have been more old school than seeing the Packers, Bears, Steelers, and Jets vying for the Super Bowl this year? I always got a vicious little thrill, seeing southern teams play up north, in falling snow, or in single-digit temps. Namby pambies. You should try living up north ALL THE TIME.

Ahem. Anyway, this is the only thing I ever wrote that I can recite in its entirety. If you would like to enjoy it for yourself, sing it to the tune of Jingle Bells.

Football games! Football games!

Frolics in the snow, 

Sitting on a frozen bench

It's just thirteen belo-ow! 

Pass received? Pass received?

We will never know, 

For the guy who made the catch

Is buried in the snow!

Dashing through snow, 

A wishbone T in play--  

There's faith though we're behind 

Nineteen to three today. 

Our team just can' t fit in

The place where we now play. 

You see, we are from Florida

And playing in Green Bay!

(repeat chorus with gusto)

(Disclaimers: Yes, I know nineteen is an uncommon score, and I know Miami didn't run the wishbone, and they certainly didn't run it across divisions against the Packers. But it's a poem, dammit, and these words scanned, and that's the important thing.)

(P.S. Go Steelers!)

My life, circa 1970

70s shirt
Originally uploaded by chaimann

I was cleaning the basement today, and found this, which my mother hung onto until she went into the nursing home. I can't imagine why. It certainly doesn't have the same sentimental value as my baby shoes, my toy telephone, and my first 4-H sewing project, all of which she also saved.

Even after all this time, there is nothing on here I would remove. I especially like the name patch. On an olive shirt, it makes it look like I am the brake repairman... of LOVE.

Wordy McWordson

My Nano pal, Holly, contributed the word list to Creative Copy Challenge this week. Then she dared me to take that challenge, and write a story using all ten words. Really, go look at that list. Note that they refer to it as the hardest list ever. How many of those words could you use with confidence? Anyway, Holly dared me by name, on Facebook. What could I do?

I could do this:

It seemed like only yesterday when Agathe had taken Heinrich under her aegis, tasking him with a panoptic study of the nature of life, and of death. Townspeople whispered about their peculiar relationship – her, a widow of a certain age, and him, a young university student who had barely a wisp of a beard. It was easy to assume that the boy had provided Agathe with certain “services” in exchange for an education. That he had long since finished his formal schooling, and continued to live in her magnificent home, further convinced some, and vaguely baffled others.

She watched from the hallway as he worked, and recalled the shy student who had come to her door one evening nine autumns ago, inquiring about lodging as several canids howled in the nearby woods. His shabby clothes had made it clear that he possessed no wealth. Heinrich had roomed there for several weeks before he had admitted that he suffered from taphephobia, the same condition that had plagued Agathe’s beloved Wilhelm. At that moment, she decided to open her entire home to him, including the laboratory and the library. He had heard rumors of her late husband’s experiments, and when he saw the long-dormant rooms, full of dusty journals and test tubes and a large Tesla coil, Heinrich’s face lit up with such verve that Agathe knew she would allow him to stay indefinitely. It was an eleemosynary gesture, of course, but she delighted in the fecund spirit that filled house while he was at work.

Heinrich stood facing a device that appeared to be a small wood stove with semaphore arms attached to either side. After adjusting several pieces, he looked up and saw his patroness in the doorway. “I think it’s ready,” he said. “Would you like to be the first to try it out?”

Junco

Junco
Originally uploaded by chaimann

Some time in the last week, our finch socks were knocked to the ground. I blame the deer, especially since every new snowfall is accompanied by hoof prints across the back yards, showing the itinerary of their grand tour.

The finches are skittish about eating that close to the ground, but the juncos love it. A few minutes after I took this picture, there were half a dozen of them pecking away at the nyjer seed.

More snow is in the forecast. I need to get a new sock for the finches - and figure out how to keep the deer away from it.

Ignore this post

I'm just testing Blogger's email posting capability.

A Major Award

Though no diligence of my own, I won a prize drawing on the Never Not Knitting blog. I couldn't get a good picture of it because it is cloudy and dreary here today. Just go to Alana's blog to see everything. The yarn, especially, is squee-worthy - shiny and soft and squeezable. Thank you, Alana!

The sweater, meanwhile, has been stalled, for reasons about which I do not feel at all guilty. The body is worked up to the armhole, though, and a little bit beyond that. I feel like a major part of it is out of the way, and I hope to be able to get back to it soon. In fact, it is supposed to be cold and icky this weekend, so that may be a good time. Whenever that day comes, I will freshen up the photo gallery.

While I haven't been knitting, I have been spinning.



I bought this fiber on a lark, but I really love the way the color changes happen in it. The spindle is packed full, though, so I have started winding this batch off. It is taking FOREVER.

NaKniSweMo

Cafe Bastille, day 4
Originally uploaded by chaimann

My decision to knit a sweater this month seems to have been a good one. I'm having a blast and making good progress. This photo was from a couple of days ago, and shows one repeat of the Trellis motif. I now have two repeats done, so it's double this size. The body of the sweater will have about 5.5 motifs, so I am well on my way.

I've been wanting to try NaKniSweMo for at least a couple of years, but kept getting sucked in by writing instead. I'm glad I switched this year. The other two sweaters I have knit have taken me YEARS to finish, because I lose interest and ignore them for months. The deadline on this one, even though self-imposed, has kept me focused on the task. The sweater promises to be really warm, and I'm looking forward to having it when the snow flies.

Good effin' luck with that

In a few more hours, it will be November 1, and the beginning of NaNoWriMo 2011. I've participated several times, with varying degrees of success, but this year I am begging off.

My friend Aser said of my intentions to bail out--

Cheryl (...) refuses to do it. In fact, her slogan for the rest of us who do make the attempt is, "Good effin' luck with that."

I justify my decision thusly:

• I complain constantly while I do it. Ask my husband.
• I have never produced a first draft worthy of polishing into a real novel.
• By the time December comes, I hate writing. Really, really hate it.
  

It's the last one, especially, that keeps convincing me that this is the right choice for me.

By now, though, I am completely accustomed to thinking of November as the month to take on a big and slightly crazy challenge. After weighing several ideas, I've decided that my official crazy challenge will be to knit a sweater in November. I've been eying Cafe Bastille Cables ever since I (re)started knitting, and even bought yarn for it a few years ago. Now, I think, is the time. I knit my gauge swatch this afternoon, and I should be ready to cast on tomorrow.

I won't be leaving writing behind completely. My friend K just received a response from an editor with specific ideas to incorporate in re-writing one of her novels. Because of this, she is ditching Nano and working on editing/rewrites. Since several of the things the editor mentioned are also observations I have made, I have appointed myself her drill sergeant. We are tentatively planning a writing retreat in a couple of weeks, and if the knitting is on schedule, I will try to take a writing break for myself.

Whether you are Nano-ing or setting yourself another challenge this month - Good effin' luck with that!