I am almost done with one of my two Christmas pressies and I did finally settle on the second pair’s pattern as well.  Here’s what’s up:

These are the Ampersand pattern with STR.

These are the River Rapid Socks from the SockBug in Cherry Tree Hill.

I have been knitting on these periodically and making some headway but I am not knitting as much as I normally do.  I have felt like I wanted to start something new, but everything I have looked at or attempted to start just doesn’t go anywhere… I lose interest or it doesn’t look like I want it to.  Ho-Hum.

I leave for Italy next Saturday and I just don’t know what to bring. Pla has been trying to help me figure it out and has suggested a ton of fun things, but the only thing that kinda peaked my interest was her suggestion of the Tuscany shawl.  Of course, I have done a Tuscany before, and I did love knitting it.  I actually planned on bringing it with me for the cool nights walking about town. 

So, back to the yarn room I went… and look what I found:

Nice huh?  Handmaiden Sea Silk.  This might be just the thing to get me out of these ho-hums… a favorite pattern with some of my favorite yarn.  Keep your fingers crossed that this works! 

Speaking of Italy… anyone been who wants to share their favorite memories?  Yarn stores?  Place to eat? We will be visiting Florence, Pisa, Venice, and Rome.  Please share your thoughts with me!

(This is a self help post intended purely to work out things in my mind. Please feel free to move along. Comments will be closed on this post. I will also be taking an even longer and more extended vacation than I already have been on from this blog. Sorry.)

Don’t you hate it when life walks up to you and slaps you in the face? I’ve had some difficult things going on in my life for awhile now. I griped about them, I complained about them, I let them make me generally miserable. Then last weekend my Father passed away. I talked to him Friday night and he was his usual overly loud, full of life self. Sometime during the night that all left him and he was gone. Next thing I know I’m writing his obituary and picking out a casket.

Over the last week I’ve heard a lot of stories about my Dad. Especially from women. He worked for many years in the oil and gas business which is traditionally a male oriented workplace. I heard from so many women that my Dad was their first boss and if it hadn’t been for him they wouldn’t be where they are today. My Dad pushed them and supported them and made sure their voices were heard. He helped to advance their careers and was a mentor to many.

I also heard from many people that my Father was proud of me. Now in the back of my mind I knew this. My Dad wore his emotions on his sleeve so if he felt it, you knew it. But it made me feel different hearing it from so many people. And I began to wonder if I was worthy of that. What have I done to make him proud? What kind of life have I led? Then your mind begins to run fast forward, “Quick! What can I do to make him really proud? To make that not a misplaced label? Raise money for the poor? Train to run a marathon? Learn nursing and go to third world countries to help heal the sick?”  And really, isn’t it too late now? He’s gone.

Well, I figure I must have been doing something right or he wouldn’t have felt that way in the first place. Right? I know he loved me. I know he was proud of me. I know he thought I was a good mother. So each day I will continue to try and be those things. I will try to see the beauty when it is not apparent it is there. I will get up each morning and try to continue to breathe.

I love Koigu. I have a box of never used, barely touched Koigu. I decided it was high time to dig in! Before I was on the “must have every STR known to knitterkind” kick,  I was on the “must have every Koigu color ever made” kick. I needed a break from scarves, so with a little inspiration from Bot-gurl I cast on for a cowl. Hush! You know I need it!

To distract you from the fact I’m knitting cold weather accessories in Texas, here is a glorious picture of the Gloria v 2.0 cowl

I love the purples and blues and greens in this. Just so lovely. It’s my Olympic watching knitting!

P-)

Really what can I say? Yes, it’s been a long time. I could lay blame on a lot of different things, but I’m not. I’m just gonna post like it hasn’t been forever!

Except that I don’t really have anything to show you. My camera is on it’s last lens. It’s had a good life. Poor thing. Anyway, I have one photo to show you and it’s a beauty!

My sock drawer!!

Lovely, aren’t they?

I have been knitting. And even finishing a few things. And before YOU say anything, yes I do need all the scarves I’m knitting! I may never get to wear them all here in Texas but maybe I’ll move someday. Maybe I’ll go spend a winter in Cananda. Maybe I’ll get a job working for Santa at the North Pole. You just never know.

So, hopefully soon I will have pretty pictures of knitted objects.

In the meantime, this is my favorite roast chicken recipe. So easy and so good!

Psycho Chicken

Also, I haven’t forgotten my Socks That Rock contest. Yes, you can win a skein of STR right out of my sock stash! I want to show a picture with the contest, so again, look for that soon!

In the meantime, stay cool, keep knitting, and don’t forget about the Ps!

P-)

After three starts to the STR Ampersands, and two to the Cherry Tree Hill, I have decided to step away from the socks for the moment.  I am having the hardest time getting anything started or even picked back up for that matter.  I look at patterns, and yarn,and then swatch them, don’t like it, and then I frog it.  Over and over.  So, I decided to pick up something mindless for the moment.  All knitting, increasing on one row and decreasing on another and voila!  Pretty!

This is Brooks Farm Mas Acero that I got in Rhinebeck, NY.  This will be great for the trip to Italy in September.  It will go really great with my cute new shoes!!!

Borns… found at DSW, for just under 30 bucks!  I love coupons.

Whether you were celebrating Independance Day or not, I hope you all had a great fourth of July!

Hi. It’s me, PurlingPirate. Remember me? I remember you! Sorry, I’ve been gone for awhile. Life just kind of got tough and icky all of a sudden. And then my hard drive crashed. And I lost everything. Because I’m a dope and didn’t back up my ‘puter since May of last year. But I’m back now. Things aren’t less tough or even less icky, but I think I’m handling it better.

I don’t have any knitting to show you. I have been knitting. And doing a lot of frogging. And reknitting. And more frogging. Hopefully soon I will have something fiber related to show you.

I hate pictureless posts though, so here are some random good things in my life.

Here is the cake I decorated for The Squid’s party (Martha Stewart, I am not):

Here is a sweet drawing The Squid did just for Bot-gurl and Purse-ho:

Did you know that aloe vera plants bloomed? I didn’t, but mine did:

And here is one of my favorites! Gardenias! My gardenia bush exploded with blooms this year:

I’ll be back soon with some knitting, a chicken recipe, and an STR giveaway!!! As KnitterBoy would say, stay tuned…