What Passes For Spring

Around these parts things move at their own speed. In some respects we're busy-busy, sometimes we're down right explosive (its been 30 years since the Mt. St. Helens explosion) but then on the other hand summer doesn't get around to showing up until July 5th.
Other than a week or two of 70-ish degree weather that seemed to pop up out of now where in Feb and a couple of days in March, Spring works in mysterious ways here. Our local garden center (Garden Sphere, which also carries worms and chickens) recommends that tomatoes go in the ground this week, and sooooooo tomatoes went in the ground. Except that the ground is still full of weeds and some plants that need to be moved. To get around this problem and to remember the water the little guys I went for container gardening.

Tacoma also has a special recycling program for its waste water, its called TAGRO. Its just what you think it is. Yes, waste water turned into dirt. Its clean! It also causes plants to go CRAZY! I got 4 bags. Since our house is pushing 90 years old, so is the dirt, and it shows. Over the next year I plan to begin our compost bin and get the flower beds back into shape.

(by the way these are plastic and are super easy to move around, you can find them at Home Depot)

With two red cherry's, an orange and a yellow, plus a purple I hope to have a great turn out. Granted I don't like raw tomatoes I do like them grilled, cooked, squished and any other way but right off the vine. But I do like lots of herbs! So they went into the ground last week, in their own special bed by the kitchen.


ps. On my way to Crossfit this morning, as I turned from McCarver on to Tacoma I saw a deer. A deer, just walking down the side walk as if on her way to get a cup of coffee at Tulley's. However she freaked a ran back up into the neighborhood. Even though Tacoma is a major city, its hills and cliffs where not all graded like our big sis Seattle and we have quite a few large undeveloped green areas which have become home to near by wildlife. This makes me glad I have a fence.

Projects

While unpacking all of my worldly goods for the umteenth time I was reminded of how much yarn I had, how much yarn I had and didn't use, and how much yarn I had and really wasn't thrilled with. The excitement of belonging to those sock clubs, the mystery of what's next normally gives way to like three balls of yarn that you're never going to touch. Combined those odd balls of wacky sock yarn with a half dozen of washcloth cotton, mix liberally with leftover project bits and you'll have my stash. The time has come to part with my one offs and what nots. I'm not a stasher by nature I'm just too bloody cheap to buy whole sweaters worth of yarn without a pattern, but sock yarn doesn't count. Until you stop knitting socks and your socks that rocks mates with some selfstripping wool and you get waaaaay more yarn than you could every know. After this weeks knit night, I'll post whats left of the sale yarn.
Another thing I should cover is the project list on the left. Its outdated and needs to be addressed. Since I've been at a total lost as to what to blog we'll get to those. As for right now, on the needles, I have Laura Cho's Shoulder warmer that is almost complete. I also a rust colored cabled scarf which is just over half way done, the chevron scarf from last minute knitted gifts, and a pair of socks. Wednesday knit group has got we knitting socks again.

Egg-citing

I went back to work. Yes after 8 months of being a kept women I returned to the working world. The transition has been, um, good. I wanted to work, and yes I volunteered in OK but here I have a paying 8-5ish job. That also means that I go to Crossfit at like 5:15 in the morning, and wakeup at like 4:45. MMMmmmmmmmmmm bed is so warm at 4:45, I just wish I could sleep a little longer. I am surprise how many people are out and about at 5 in the morning, which includes people riding their bikes to work at 5 am!
This round of employment is about close to the world I lived in TN. My last job was an almost full time microbiology gig with a touch of molecular diagnostic (you can glaze over here if you want to) my new job contains a lot, I mean a LOT of chickens. I mean Avian is in the name of the lab. So is Food Science. I play with chicken products all day! Between checking on the chickens we keep for their perfect germ free eggs to the crazy powdered egg product we get from a producer in the area.
So far the I'm loving the job. Enjoying the full days, that mean I don't sit on my ass too long. One of the best perks in that I'll get an "office", which isn't a real office with my name on it, but at least a computer that is mainly mine. Biggest down side, saturdays. I'll be working a lot of saturdays, but they'll be those fantastic hours when you have the whole place to yourself and can crank the music while dancing poorly with a 5mL pipette in your hand. Now if you're at all curious about what I do or some of the other cool stuff they do at the WSU extension in Puyallup you can check them out here http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/ and here http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts_waddl/avian.aspx

Okay......

So I know that I've dropped off the radar a little but I've been busy. With the move, the mass of unpacking and well the general ****GASP**** of finally moving back to the great northwest.

We move ALOT! I mean like more than any normal person should who isn't trying to escape some kind of law enforcement. Yet each time I get out the plastic tubs to create my signature "kitchen in a box" I totally freakout! Its not that kind of run-around with your head cut off like a dead chicken freakout, its a teeth grinding "OHHOLYCRAPDIDIFORGETTODOTHAT" kinda freakout. The thing about this kinda spaz is its hard to relax from but it does feel so good when things finally get into shape. And into shape they have, just a few neighborhood highlights include a farmers market just about 6 blocks from my door. Two, count 'em two grocery stores all of nine blocks. Granted one of these stores is the super fancy pants grocery which I only shop at when I need something that just CANNOT be found in one of the "normal" grocery stores. However when you have sooooo many places to shop in the city, including the various ethnic markets which come with a major city, its almost unheard of for me to shop the FP store. Not going to name store names but this is the type of store which sells like 10 different kinds of jam and 30 jellys all of which are "organic, and grown on patches of reclaimed landfill with natural water recycled from middle schools" or something to that effect. They all cost upward of 5 bucks a little jar too. Granted you can get like two flavors of good ol'smuckers there so they can call themselves a real grocery store. The kind of folks you find filling their funny little half grocery buggies with level 5 vegan walnut bread and heirloom beer, aren't so interested in the providence of their food or even how freakin yummy the Milk that comes in the glass bottle is (which it is) but that they can afford to purchase insanely expensive pre-cooked "rainbow" carrots. Which when I gleefully wandered around the produce to pick out my own "rainbow" carrots to make them at home, they didn't carry them. However they have a fantastic beer selection!
After supporting my local and well stocked farmers market, it was time to start enjoying the few things which are in season in the Great NW.

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Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble, super tasty and a great way to enjoy season noms. The rhubarb came from a small farm in the valley and the strawberries from one of Tacoma's coolest grocery spots, Tacoma Boys. I also made a Rhubarb Strawberry compote with the rest of the fruits.

Its wonderful just eaten with a spoon or over ice cream or greek yogurt. I'll make more this season, in fact I might even get into some canning and "put some up" for fall when you need a little bite of spring time.

Finally I've been busy with some yarn related projects too namely Lil's birthday Blanket.

Delay

Just a few pictures until I get things in order in our new house.

OK GO!

Yes I like some OK GO, in fact the new album is seriously tempting me but this is not what this post is about. Its about the MOVE!!! The long awaited 4 day drive-fest which is our relocation to the great state of Washington and the City of Destiny, Tacoma. Its sounds darn impressive but it was just a marketing ploy by railroad, but I'm not saying that Tacoma doesn't live up to its name and in the last few years it has seriously improved. As I type the carpets are being cleaned and then I go to post for Hub's Graduation (this is like him getting his army masters) pick up so goodies at the WAL*MART (hopefully that is the last time I shop there for a few years) and return to the house to have the exterminator come and then turn in the key. Since you can't stay in the house after "inspection" we decided to drive to the nearest major city for the night, which is Amarillo. This gives us a very nice 8 hour drive tomorrow to Denver where we stay at the wonderful Hotel Talbert. I'm seriously excited about seeing my aunt and uncle in Denver since I haven't since, well its been about two years. Now that we are moving its about a 2.5 hour flight to see them and I feel that there might be some weekend trips to Denver.
I'll post from the Road promise.

Falling into Place

So things have been rather up in the air these days. Things that needed to fall into place could not. Finally the pieces began to slip in.
I fell in love with a house in the Proctor area of Tacoma and so did Hub, I flew up to Seattle this week to see the house and just enough the great northwest. The house did not disappoint and as we prepare for move number 6, in the 6 years since I graduated college, I've finally begun to feel okay. (if you want to know we moved from Moscow to Seattle, Seattle to Lawton, Lawton to Clarksville, Apartment to house in clarksville, Clarksville to Lawton) We have moved dates now, all I need to do is get the nitty gritty handled, such as gas and cable and our alarm system moved. Its a long list but not too bad.
I also have a unexpected job interview while I'm here, which if offered I will take since it is my favorite line of work, veterinary microbiology. However the job is working for my rival and sister college, WSU! How do I explain that I need a few days off to go to Moscow and watch the Vandals play football. I guess its a good thing I didn't go to the UW. Funny thing is I had to buy a whole outfit, complete with shoes since I didn't bring anything with me.

These are a few of the pictures from the house...
Backyard


Bathroom


Kitchen

Seattle Trip

I'll be gone for a few days. Not like I've been good a posting but I will be better at it sometime. I'm going to Seattle for a few days to get some things in order for the "BIG MOVE". I've got a few houses to check out. Check out these pictures......

The Walk In

So around 5 on Thursday the power gave up the ghost. After flicking, and flashing the power lines down Lee Blvd. went down and went down hard. The neighbors with an electric stove, and 2 kids came for dinner which was cooked over a gas stove. All the flashlights were out, the last of the laptop batteries put into service for movies and an okay time was had by all. We were all fed and as warm as we could be. When the power turned on at 9pm hub and I jumped out of bed (we went to bed at like 8, figured it was better to read all snug in bed then on the sofas) and turned out lights and turn on dishwashers and house alarms. As we got all snug back under the hardly cooled blankets ready to drift off with sound of the fan running again (we're white noise addicts) the power goes out again. *SIGH*.
Needless to say NO one slept well. The non-coffee'd neighbors shuffled down the iced street to partake in the black gold that is french press coffee, and a warm breakie. By now however the poorly insulated house had dipped to a cool 59. I was wearing, in this order, underthings, leggings, long tank top, wool socks, jeans, long sleeve shirt, slippers, cashmere hoodie, cardigan, hat, scarf and topped with a blanket. With little to do, I tried to curl up on the sofa and knit. Hub got the stubborn gas fireplace lit, it had long ago been caulked shut, and the key lost but with some work we had fire. Needless to say the CO detector hung out with us in the living room. By now I'd packed up the contents of the fridge in the laundry basket and put in the garage, since it was a giant walk in refrigerator.
The freezer items went out on the porch, and the chest freezer stayed right were it was. In fact the ice cream and garden burgers are still out on the porch I don't feel like getting on the boots to get them yet. To keep the small amount of heat the fire place was making in the huge, dramatic, hard to heat family room/kitchen/breakfast nook we put a sheet. Just as we'd pulled the sofa's up to the fire and the chili was simmering on the stove it happened! The lights came back on!!!! Oh it was wonderful!! The heat, the light, the internets!!!! So we crossed our fingers and celebrated with chili and cookies.

Stock up on French Toast

There are few things that make me stay home. I grew up in the rainy state, learned to drive at night in the rain, went to college in place which had one snow every may and don't fear strange parts of town. Ice, that's a whole other thing. Car aren't made for ice, cars don't like it and I don't like it. Since about 8 am the rain has been freezing to anything which will hold still long enough.
The cars are covered too. The roads are still in good shape, but wait until the sun goes down. Every now and then the lights go off and the cable gets cranky. All cell phones are charged and flashlights are at the ready. I have milk, bread and eggs. I also have enough knitting to keep me busy for HOURS.

For sometime I've been using a small bubble gum pink Coach wallet, don't get me wrong I love Coach, but don't like all that pink. It wasn't so much a wallet as a little wristlet thingie. It has no pockets and is PINK! Two strikes. So I made a replacement that works a little better.
See just the right amount of pink, and little pockets to keep all the little bits apart. Its large enough for my cell phone too.

Sweet Time

The Great Sweater Remakes of 2010 are on their way. First step is total sweater destruction. I don't plan on frogging all the bad projects, a few are just going to get a partial rip, and other are getting the sewing machine. Really it wasn't painful at all, it really felt great!

The remains of a dead sweater.

Another thing that is taking its freakin' time, my orchid. All covered in HUGE fat buds just waiting to bloom. Good crap if this doesn't pop soon it might have to move with blooms. Wait, I see whats going on here. In the last move the two orchids (this one and the sickie one) the two African Violets and my peace lily got stuffed into a box and moved across country in a stupid hot truck. If the orchid blooms, I'll treat it all nice and stuff. Darn plant.

Bad Film Re-Makes

It seams that every time I turn around Hollywood is remaking a bad movie from the '70 and making them into equally bad movie from the 2000's or turning really good movies into blah films staring some big names. I've been inspired by the great big film guys on the left coast to remake something bad, something very, very bad. Ages ago I made a "Something Red" sweater from the lovely Knit and Tonic. Like lots of people, I love her patterns but like lots of people my body is um not any where near hers. I think we're about the same height but shes a weee wisp of a thing and in the "twin" department not the same. These days I've been trying to knit more user friendly sweaters, thing that I'll really wear and won't make people ask "did youuuuuuu make that". Of all the sweaters I've made I wear ONE. Since I'm 5' 2" but a 41 inch bust things don't always fit. When I make a sweater that fits the "twins" the arms are all hanging and the shoulders fall off. Out of shear grumpy-ness I just shove the ill fitting messes into the back of my closet. After lots of "What Not To Wear" and lots of reading of great sewing books, I'm on a campaign to re-make or fix all my craptastic creations and after that help myself make better sweaters and anyone who needs my help.

Oh did I show you this.....

A Pint is A Pound, The World Around

I'm always trying to think stuff up in my head to blog about, sometimes I even write them down in little books I tote around. Trying to sketch out ideas and adventures I've had. Problem is now-a-days I just don't do much of interest. Don't get me wrong I'm "always up to something" but I don't think any one cares to read about my adventures in laundry-land or the time I did dishes. Granted I do still do "stuff" other than house work. To keep my skills sharp and to avoid have conversations with the house plants I've been volunteering everyday at the post hospital in the lab. OOOOOOO-E, thats a strange world. Lots of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off who have forgotten how to multi-task and run more than one machine at once. Any-way, basically all hospitals have blood banks and blood banks need blood. So today was like TARP for the blood bank and guess who found herself having a pint drained.........
Giving blood is also my excuse to take a nap and eat cookies!!! Plus it's an effective and guilt free way to get out of a hard CrossFit work out.

For more squeamish member of the reading world, my lace knitting........

It's good to be back

Since I'm an "only" my folks come to me for christmas. This tradition started way back when we first moved to Lawton and really didn't have the time or money to travel to Seattle for the holidays. We had such a good time that year all stuffed into out one bedroom apartment and making do with two burners and a toaster oven that my folks come to visit ever year now. Well except for that year I went home during the Iraq deployment that resulted in my cousin asking were Hub was, "with his parents", ummmmm NO! It's just easier this way. Soooo this year was no different. Folks arrived, we had great foods, a great time and lots of good laughs (which including yelling at the buffalo) and some seriously good football watching.
The morning of christmas eve broke COLD and gray. By 8am the power went out and we still needed foods. After packing up the jeep we went to post got groceries and "power is out" supplies. This was just about 10 am and it was full blow blizzard. Sideways snow and wind. Frankie spent the whole day all covered up under his budgie blanket to keep warm, since the gas stove didn't work. But at 3 in the afternoon as I napped under the supper fuzzy blanket the power came back on. Christmas was a total snow day which was great.
Looking for cool things to do in Lawton, a few days after the "great christmas snow of '09" we headed out to the wildlife refuge. Lots of great pictures and lots of laughs. For New Year's eve we made rockin' chili and had the neighbors. The next day my parents left, and the same day that we left for Jonesboro, AR. for a good friends wedding. It was a long long drive but worth it.
SOooooo now I'm back in the real world. The x-mas decorations are slowing coming down, the laundry returning to a normal amount, and my sleep and eating habits returning to more healthy level. This includes some Crossfit workouts that are causing my muscles to hurt in ways that I didn't know was possible.
Got some project to show you, including the results of the "secret project", got pictures of the brand spanking new (not a refurb) sewing machine!!!!!!!!!! I'm beyond excited about this because it starts slowly and doesn't make any funny clunky-clunky noises.

A little After Christmas Fun

Today we drove out to the Wichita Mountains and had some fun.

Oh I'm so Sorry

It always seems like once I find a new Blog to read that Blogger goes on some extended vacation from the rest of humanity, and I'm sorry to any new readers. Lately I've just been try to recover from the mad gift making and shipping, the slew of x-mas parties and the cookies that go with them. What have I been up to? Well one I can't show you because its a secret, but some others I can.
First I made my own surface of the sun.....My good friend Evan of Evan Baines Photography out of Nashville uses this method for his amazing photography and for about $20 you can too can take better pictures any time of the day. Check out this link for instructions, Strobist.

Yes that is my Red Swingline Stapler!

When I moved out here from TN and away from the great people in my lab, they threw me a little going away party. The also gave me a little gift card to one of my favorite yarn shops. Little Knits in Seattle. Well the idea was that when I couldn't stand living in a yarnless town any longer I could break out the gift card and get some much needed fiber therapy.
BEHOLD! Enough Silky Merino Malabrigo to make the Hour Glass sweater in this great tone on tone blue. Really? Blue? Claire? I needed a change. It's more glacier than blue.

Next week I'll share more, including my gifts from the BVC folks and snippets from the secret project. After Christmas the Etsy Shop will be updated, and a second shop will be rolled out after in the start of the new year (oooooooo).

Until we meet again, a little surprise from my African Violet that seems to forget its winter.

Winner!

The winner of this years give-away is Merlin the Cat, her concise answer jumped off the page the moment I read it, "I craft because with out crafting I would not be who I am."

Now for my answer. A few of you asked "Why I craft?" The answer is because I can't not. I can't explain it, but I must create. It can be anything. When I'm not knitting I'm sewing, or cooking. At work I'll draw or just retype all the SOP's. I need to be making. It amazes me that I can take a plain old ball of yarn and turn it into a hat or sweater. Something completely useless to something useful.

I have lots to share from give-away week, christmas gifts finished and new yarn. Please come back for a visit!

THANK YOU!!!

I want to say thank you to everyone who stopped by this week! It was great. I spent all week running to the blog to read comments. Tomorrow I'll post the winner. Keep checking back to see what we're up to next.

GIVE AWAY DAY!!!

Today is GIVE-AWAY-DAY, So......I'm going to ask ONE question, "Why do you craft?"

The answer I like the best, gets......This three bag set. You will get a large 14 inch Knit-along Bag with a handle, a medium Sock-along Bag with handle, and a small 7 inch zip bag.
You have until the 6th to answer, and you'll know the winner by the 12th!

Monday-Monday

Mondays are well mondays, even when you don't have a real job. It still stinks. The only cool thing about Mondays is that its our Lawton area Knit-together-get-together. We go to the Atalanta Bread Company. Nice and tasty. Knitting in Public (KIP) draws a lot of stares, which makes me laugh. Lots of "they're sewing" and other mis-interpretations from parents to children (NO KIDDING, once in the airport a mom told her daughter I was SEWING!!!! I always carry my Brother sewing machine on the plane, and on what planet do you not know what sewing looks like that you mistake it for knitting. Personally just ask, its good for kids) .
I took some pictures today since we had a wee bit of sun.

Lady Feb.

ID Badge Holder (Christmas Present for someone!)

Earrings for Myself

Earrings for sale on Etsy

I risked my fingers to make a light box. I'll show some more pictures on Wednesday. Stay tuned because all this week is GIVE-AWAY week, and I have a give away.