Remembering. . . .

I'm sitting at the computer, beside me scrambled eggs from my own chickens, ripe tomatoes and small zucchini from the garden; and I just came in from a walk around my property where I

• Took pictures of my two crias just born within the past two days
  
• Pet my Anatolian Shepherd Tzadi
  
• Collected eggs from my chickens
• Watched fish swim in the pond
• Tested the mini kiwis for ripeness(almost)
• Looked at the kumquats and thought how I'd need to learn how to use them
• Picked a few sunflowers
• Gazed at the blue sky, the trees swaying gently in the breeze, the green and brown fields

And I'm unbelievably sad. The reason I can do this on "my property" is because tomorrow will mark the one month "anniversary" of my brother's death.

My brother was my best friend and he died suddenly on August 8, 2008. Brad had an alpaca farm in Troy, Idaho, that is now mine. As one of my friends said, the farm is a double-edged sword. It's a blessing and a joy; it stands for loss and emptiness.

In Analyze That (a terribly funny movie with the line that runs constantly through my mind), Billy Crystal aptly and repeatedly says of grieving, "It's a process."

So I look out of the window, I know that one day I'll be able to do the same things with a little less ache in my heart, fewer tears in my eyes, and a sense of Brad's presence that will bring joy and comfort.

You can visit BigMeadowCreekAlpacas.com
and click "In Memorium" to read more about Brad.

Clematis, On and Off the Vine

Been spending my knitting time working on lace projects--participating in the Seasons of Lace and using the great wine collection of lace yarn I bought from KnitPicks. First finished project was what I call the Clematis scarf, since it reminds me of the clematis I planted in my back yard that winds up and around and through the tree (sometime of ornamental spring blooming tree) in my back yard. The yarn is my favorite alpaca--well, 80 % baby alpaca and 20% silk. It's soft to die for!

I completed two more lace scarves and I have one Monkey Sock completed. I still intend to get back to my Candle Flame Shawl, a pattern and yarn I bought two summers ago and never got past the first five or six rows!

It's a wonderful time of year--long days, bright skies. I enjoy working in my yard. Two years ago, I had all the grass dug up and I've been working at filling it with flowers. A mixture of perennials and annuals, lots of Butterfly Bush and other butterfly/hummingbird-attracting flowers, a Smoke Bush, and of course, to add smiles, some sunflowers.

The smaller side front yard is filled with miniature roses. All summer long, I take small vases of these roses in to work to share with my coworkers and friends. My favorite miniature, for both its color and fragrance, is called Vista. It's a shade of lilac. (Can you tell I like purple in all its varieties??)

I buy the roses on-line from Nor-east Roses, which is now in California. But my brother worked with the original owner (now dead) outside of Boston and has wonderful stories about how he developed roses and insisted on perfection.

Besides working full-time, gardening and knitting, I keep myself off the streets! Not that the streets in Moscow, Idaho, are that dangerous anyway!! It's hard to believe that August is just a few steps away!l I better get away from the computer and spend more time outside!!

Transportation and Knitting Lace

I work in a University Transportation Center, and that's what brought me to San Jose, California, this week. During the annual meeting of the Council of University Transportation Centers, the administrators of the UTCs meet to discuss best practices, issues they confront; there is an opportunity to meet with our US DOT Research and Innovative Technology (RITA) coordinators and have them clarify regulations, etc.

During the meeting this year, we admins were surprised and pleased to have Paul Brubaker, the Administrator of RITA, join us. Mr. Brubaker made a great impression on us--he was quite down to earth and seemed to understand the work we do. He's fourth from the left in the picture--according to the CUTC director, Paul looks like a linebacker.

So, my personal "connection" with Mr. Brubaker--he makes no small notice of being an alum of Youngstown State University. That puts him in the same class as my son, Michael (although Paul was an earlier graduate). I shared that with him and we talked about the area. He was familiar with Reyers Shoe Store (by reputation, the World's Largest Shoe Store) and Quaker Steak and Lube (a converted railroad car with the best hot wings and beer in town)--both across the border in Pennsylvania where I lived.

On the plane to San Jose, I worked on my newest lace project, the Misty Garden Scarf. Lessons learned or relearned:

• Plane lighting is not conducive to lace knitting (at least, at my age)
• Don't use a lifeline that is the same color or close to the color you are knitting
• Horizon/Alaska Airlines serve free wine made in the Northwest (I knew this, but always appreciate relearning it!)
• Don't get too involved in your knitting to pay attention to announcements (No, this is one time, at least, that I did not miss my plane fight)
• Flight attendants enjoy seeing your knitting
  

Cast on Lace! Cast off for San Jose!

So, it will be a summer/season of lace! Just had to buy the Wine Tasting Lace Sampler from KnitPicks--what's not to love--wine-colored lace yarn, lots of alpaca and merino! And I cast on Misty Garden from Scarf Style to carry with me on the plane to San Jose.

Sad to say, it's a working trip and not a vacation. But thanks to the wonderful people on Ravelry, I know where the best and closest LYS (local yarn store) will be to San Jose State, where I'll be meeting with folks from all over the country involved in transportation research and education. Since I'm a facilitator at a couple of sessions, I won't have my yarn and needles in my hand except on the plane.

I also discovered Ravelry on that at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, there's an exhibit called Beyond Knitting: Uncharted Stitches! Since I'm a quilter, too, that will be a must stop during my few free hours!

Had to spend this weekend cleaning--I'm obsessive about trying to take care of messes that should have heen taken care of weeks ago when I'm going to go on a trip. The only thing that made this weekend fun was the chance to visit a new cria (baby alpaca) only hours old, at my brother's farm Big Meadow Creek Alpacas. Alpaca mothers are very protective of their young, and Derica was no exception. As I was carrying the new baby to get weighed (a nice, healthy 17-pounds), Derica walked along beside, talking the entire time to the cria--and to me--not sure of what was going on. After the cria was weighed, I just put him down and the two of them went back up to the pasture. It's so much fun watching the new babies walk--every step or two they sort of stumble a little as they

But, I better go pack clothes to go along with my knitting for the trip!

WWKIP and snow in same week!

Did I say spring? Well, on Tuesday, June 10, I was up early enough to see it start snowing! We have had snow in Moscow every month so far in 2008! This is not normal! Usually, after the first week of May, we head into lovely weather, and by June, there is hardly a day without bright, blue skies! This is a closeup of my allium in the snow!

The snow didn't last long--the advantage of spring snow--but it did snow enough for someone to take some great pictures of the University of Idaho campus and post them on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Y0RoMykk8

But yesterday--Saturday, World Wide Knit in Public Day, it was beautiful and sunny and lots of folks showed up at the Moscow Farmer's Market to knit in public. I had learned about it on Ravelry and suggested to our Woolgatherer's group that we participate. Cathy, a real go-getter, got permission from the Farmer's Market folks, made some signs; I posted the information on the WWKIP main website and on our Palousefibers.org. But it was still surprising to find a variety of folks show up. Some came and went; some stayed almost all four hours. Folks showed up from the Woolgatherers. from Stitch-n-Bitch groups in Moscow and Pullman, WA, a few men showed up, and we even had a grandmother from Spokane! It was great fun!

Gardening and Knitting

Now that spring has finally come to the Palouse and I can get outside in the dirt, it becomes a challenge to decide what to do in my free time--knit or play in the dirt? Notice, one of my choices is not "clean house"!

So, it's, stay inside when it's dark--raining--too hot, and spend the rest of the time weeding, pruning, planting, etc.

I do enjoy working in my yard. Last year, I had my entire "front yard" plowed up so I don't have to cut grass and I'm turning it in a big flower garden. Already had quite a few things planted here and there, but I splurged and bought more perennials that I have had before at a single time.

When I bought the house, the previous owner had already planted quite a few irises on the front edge of the yard. Luckily, her choices were mostly shades of purple. I planted a few allium last fall, and they have come up just beautifully. I love to cut flowers to have on my desk at work, at the few allium that I've taken in draw much appreciation.

I'm aiming for a yard that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds and other flying creatures (although I have to say that I've seen too many mosquitoes already this year!).

Two years ago, I already turned the part of my front yard on the narrow side of my driveway into a miniature rose garden. Last weekend, I fed them and did a little pruning left from the fall, and the roses will soon be in bloom.

I have a small area to the side of my house set aside for veggies--have tomatoes, lettuce, kale, beans, zucchini, peppers and a few other miscellaneous things planted there. Seeds are just beginning to come up.

It's been a slow, cool spring--and rainy all this week--which makes it excellent to dig out the insistent grass that keeps trying to come up where I don't want it!

But I finished my entrelac shawl last week, put on a fringe, and blocked it. I really enjoy the entrelac knitting, and the colors of the shawl are just fabulous.

I have so many knitting projects in mind--and so much yarn--so little time! I tend to have many projects going at once: at least one that takes concentration that I have to do when home alone; something easier that I can take with me when I join other people knitting; usually at least one sock on the needles; and a couple of projects just waiting to be finished.

'shrooms and Lace

Two weekends ago, I went morel mushroom hunting. This is an annual trip that Mary Jo and Joel offer as a service item each year at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse that I attend. We did not find morels--well, Karen did find two very small morels! But what we did find were plenty of gyromita montana--more commonly known as snow mushrooms or "fake morels." They are called snow mushrooms because they are often found at the edge of snow--the first mushrooms to appear in the spring.

They are edible--prepared the same way I would morels--sliced up and sauteed in butter and garlic! What do they taste like? Mushrooms! A friend of mine at work asked about their taste, and I said they sort of taste like butter and garlic! He asked, "Then why bother?"

Several answers to that question. First, because it's great fun to be out in the woods, noticing the first wildflowers (we saw trillium), being outside of the office!, finding food like a gatherer! Smelling the mushrooms sauteeing!

I used my mushrooms in an omelet and froze some for use in soups and spaghetti sauces later!

Now that we've had some warmer weather, the morels should be out! I need to enter those woods again!

And today I signed up to participate in the "Seasons of Lace." It's a "KAL"--or knit-along, where the participants will all share progress, pictures, information about the lace items they are knitting as the summer progresses. There are chances to win prizes, but the most interesting part for me is to see what other knitters are doing--their projects, their successes, failures, problems, the yarn they use, etc.

My first project will be the Candle Flame shawl (offered on Knit Picks). I bought yarn for this last year--or was it two years ago--using alpaca (Shimmer--that I bought in the Turquoise Spendor). I didn't get very far before I frogged the whole thing. But now, I've learned about using a "lifeline"--running a line of "other" yarn or thread through the knitting. So often, it takes me some time to get the feel of a lace pattern--or I drop a stitch that I can't recover. When you rip out (frog!) lace, it can be quite difficult! But if you put in a lifeline every few rows until you catch on to the pattern it's supposed to reduce that frogging.

So, I'm looking forward to June and the start of the KAL! Keep watching for my progress.