NERRF

Um, Toto? I don't think we're in Kansas Connecticut anymore. Nope. On Saturday, we were in NY, surrounded by hundreds of people carrying rockets of all shapes and sizes, some big enough to need special equipment to maneuver, including golf carts to shuttle them out to the launch pad and quads to go on retrieval missions.

You learn to be careful where you step so as not to break a rocket fin when at the NorthEast Regional Rocketry Festival! Some of Jesse's rocket club pals earned certification of varying levels, including two Level 3 cert rocket launches that were awesome and gave me goosebumps. Jesse was hoping to get his Level 1 certification while we were there, but there was a glitch in the registration process, so he'll go back to try again later this summer.

Even at a rocketry festival, knitters find knitters. I found two on this day.

A size 1 circular needle comes in handy for undoing a tight knot during a rocket repair. This is Crazy Jim, friend of Wildman Rocketry, who was incredibly helpful when one of Jesse's launches burned through the Kevlar shock cord (yes, burned through Kevlar, the stuff they make fire blankets out of!) and needed a clever repair on the spot.

Big rockets. Sunny day. Loud booms.
Good laughs. Happy boy.
Sock cast-off. Happy mom.

the Goob does improv

stripey, slouchy hat #1

stripey, slouchy hat #2

crocheted vest with
interesting construction

all made without a pattern
but with joy

time to fess up

I guess it was bound to happen eventually. People are noticing. I've been kind of absent from my own blog. (Really, Deb, nothing but an afghan square since the baby sweater in April? What is WRONG with you?!)

Yup, it's true. I haven't been knitting so much. Instead, I've been trekking miles a day, eating raw foods (which, btw, is not just nibbling rabbit food. for instance, father's day dinner tomorrow is falafel wraps w/ key lime pie for dessert -- all raw, all healthy), learning how to live an entirely different lifestyle, and loving every minute of it.

The up side? There's less of me. Quite a bit less. Enough less that when I walked into a client's office yesterday for the first time in a few months, there were gasps and everybody gathered around to compliment the changes. And my joints don't ache anymore, and my lifelong headaches and migraines have gone *poof*, and my skin is softer, and I don't need lip balm ever, and my energy level is through the roof. And I'm not done yet. Only about halfway there, but even half is a big improvement.

The down side? Well, the handknits, um...

They need a new home. Not this green one, nope. This one is going directly into the trash because I can't be bothered to finish it, even though all that's left to do is attach the sleeves, cut the steek, and knit the button band and collar. I butchered this project since the beginning. I was already losing weight when I started knitting it and even hinted that it was probably doomed from the start when I said it'll be a miracle if it ever gets finished. So into the trash it'll go. No problem.

But I have two other sweaters that are available to anybody who can put them to use: the Garden Patch cardigan (chest 54", length 24") and the Watercolors cardigan (chest 56", length 28"). Both have pretty, pretty glass buttons made by you know who. If you'd like one or both, or know somebody who would, please get in touch (email in my profile). All the other clothes and even some shoes (who knew I could lose enough weight in my feet to change how my shoes fit?) have already gone to Goodwill, but I'd really like to find the handknits a good home directly.

With that, I'm off to pull on my walking shoes and head out on this glorious day. Even though I'm not doing so much making of stuff lately, check back in soon because I just took pics of three of Leah's most recenty finished objects. She's a crafter on fire!

18th century girl

Wearing yet another new top, sewn by hand,

volunteering at the Nathan Hale Homestead,

playing a mountain dulcimer in the Homestead's kitchen,

and working with other junior docents
to tend the kitchen garden.

She is loving every minute of this experience
and so am I.

knitted bacon

Reason #8,203,759 why I love the Internet:

An entire blog post about
knitted bacon
WITH cables!

soccer mom

This week, I was as close to being a soccer mom from the 'burbs as I'll ever be. Except it was lacrosse, not soccer, and I'm the uncle, not the mom. (Yes, uncle. My nephew Zach has other uncles, but I'm his only aunt. When he was a wee little dude, he called me Uncle Debbie and it stuck.) Z's team is undefeated this season and lacrosse is a hella fun sport to watch, so we were out for a playoff game earlier this week and then to Mass. for a big playoff tourney yesterday. In the rain. Still fun! And they won! Championship game today, but we'll have to miss that one because of a farmers' market.

It was chilly as the sun was going down at the game earlier this week, so Leah wore her favorite slouchy hat, knit from the yarn leftovers bag with alternating sections of stockinette and reverse stockinette. Cozy, scrunchy, funky.

On the rare occasions when we turn on the tube lately, we're enjoying a series of Miss Marple DVDs. I showed her knitterly hands here last week, but here's a shot from another show where she's knitting and sleuthing again.

Otherwise, there's a whole lot of farmers' market and brick oven stuff going on 'round here. Crappy phone pic of Most Excellent honey whole wheat bread. New recipes, new signs, new displays, new containers, new health dept. hoops through which we have to jump. It's all good, though, and will get easier as we settle into the new season. The scent of garlic Parmesan bread in the oven is wafting up to my office right now and we're off to a market in a couple of hours, so I better get hopping to help load up. Happy weekend, everybody!

favorite customer quotes

"I have had dreams about these butter rolls!"

And so begins the Coventry Farmers' Market season, where we completely, entirely sold out today. I knit not a stitch but, along with Scott, enjoyed a steady stream of visits with knitters, old friends, customers who have become friends, and new folks who have "heard about your cookies/muffins/breads."

Ahh...so delightful when there is no line between work and play.

Let the season begin!

Yahoo for farmers' markets!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I Spy (a bunch of loons)

I Spy another knitter on a DVD we were watching recently. This one was no surprise, although it's the first time we've watched the show. Any guesses who it is? I'm thinking lots of you will be able to recognize this knitter's hands.

Remember how a couple of weeks ago I showed Leah's mess of a room? Well, last Tuesday morning I mentioned to Scott that the calendar was blissfully clear for the next few days, so we were discussing building shelves and cubbies in her closet, but then we got to talking about how what the room really needed was an overhaul to go from a little girl's room to a young lady's room/studio so the space could really work for her. And of course, in our crazy old house, this does not simply involve a paint job and new quilt. No, of course not. Tuesday afternoon, she packed her stuff. Wednesday and Friday, we gutted it. Saturday the framing for the new closet went up. The electricians were here on Sunday to confirm that Scott did the wiring correctly (their expertise rec'd in exchange for wood-fired pizza shells :-). As of yesterday, the sheetrock is up, the first coat of mud has been applied, and a color/design scheme is coming into focus.

When not hauling debris out or sheetrock in, and when not wiping construction dust off of every item and surface in our house, Leah made herself a ribwarmer. She came up with this idea on her own. She used a chunky crochet hook and 2 strands of worsted weight yarn to double crochet a trianglefor the back, then she crocheted two rectangles down the front, then connected the front to the back by crocheting around the side, decreasing the number of stitches per row as she traveled upward. Simple construction, done on the fly, a totally wearable warm vest!

I've been knitting a bit here and a bit there, including on the patio at Panera's, while waiting for my mammogram, before the Memorial Day parade, near our backyard campfire, etc. I'm following the Lacy Baktus pattern with lace edge mod by CheryKnits. I can't get the pattern in my head, but I made a small printout of the 8-row chart that I need and pinned it to my work, as I like to do, so it's a perfect take-along project.

I gave a ton of stuff away yesterday and am feeling excellent about it. More on its way out today, including a bunch to a new homeschooling family whose mom I know from wayyyyy back in my La Leche League days. Meanwhile, incoming yesterday was a beautiful skein of yarn, handspun by our friend Jen, from roving dyed by our friend Kris, in exchange for use of our bike rack on Jen's trip to the Cape last weekend. Woo Hoo for pretty handspun! Reservations made this morning for Spa Knit and Spin 2011. Farmers' market season starts tomorrow, so lots of excitement (and incredible aromas) in the air around here!