More and More

Joe packed up this morning and took off on a business trip, and to be totally and completely honest, his timing is great.  I’ve got something I’m working on, so the peace and quiet will be nice, and frankly he’s been on such a roll around here that yesterday Ken texted to ask if Joe and I were still married. We were, we are, and poor Joe has had a heck of a week, and I think that he’s just as happy for a few quiet days as I am.  He’s had one mishap after another, and last night the guy tried to make up for the craptastic week he’s had, and we went out for a sail with a friend of a friend.  It was lovely, and just the thing to make me think I would miss him and the remarkable sense of misadventure he’s brought to this week. We docked the boat when we were done, and Joe went below and got three beers, and passed one to me, and I opened it, and then plunked it down next to my knitting and then climbed up and over to flake the genoa. (That’s “fold up the front sail.” Joe likes it when we use proper terms. I think he likes to imagine we’re in the Navy.) He sat with his friend, chatting, and I was feeling great about our marriage philosophy.

cowlboat 2015-08-29

Whenever we’re stressed out, or things aren’t going well, we redouble our efforts to be kind to each other. It’s sort of a “fake it ’til you make it” idea.  If he’s bugging me (or the other way around – frankly that’s more likely) then we pour on the sweetness.  Forgot to do an important task? That’s cool man, I’ll do your laundry and fold it.  Left the car lights on (three times in a few weeks)? Your favourite dinner.  Ask me to meet you at the boat at 5:30, and then show up late at 6:30? That’s fine. I’ll rig the boat for you while I wait. This week has been just like that, and Joe knows it, so while he sat, I was happy to flake the sail, and do the tidying up.  I got it done, and Joe paid me a compliment about how well I do it (I am the best out of all of us, I think it’s all the laundry) and I asked him to pass me the sail bag from below, and he climbed down to get it, and then (likely because I bugged the hell out of him this week too) he came out on the bow to pass it to me, instead of waiting for me to come and get it. Very nice of him.  As he stepped back into the cockpit, and made to go over where my beer and knitting were, I said “watch out for that beer” and he said “OF COURSE I WILL” in a way that implied that he is not even remotely the sort of person who would not ever not watch out for a beer, and then promptly knocked over the beer, and drenched the cowl and yarn.

He looked right at me, then at the beer, spreading through the knitting and handspun, and he said something like “My flight is at 9.”

I’ll miss him – though I’ll miss him more when my knitting is dry.  (I suppose the beer will wash out after.)

I promised Karmic Balancing gifts for today, and I’ve got 2 hours – so I’ll whip through as many as I can –

Susan B, charming and lovely knitter that she is, has this gorgeous lot (800g!) of original Rowan Denim, that she’ll be sending to Stephanie N.

rowandenim 2015-08-29

Laura Neel would like to share a copy of her book, Sock Architecture with Margaret N.

sockarchitecture 2015-08-29

Linda L has very generously decided to send this POUND of cotton sliver to Linda R.

cottonsliver 2015-08-29

Lexy is offering ten balls of Kidsilk Haze in the once limited-edition and now discontinued shade of Daffodil. They’re still in the original bag, and I bet Rebecca D will be thrilled.

Chris Riley, over at Upstream Alpacas, has a really beautiful batt to share. (Everything in that shop is very pretty.)

upstreambatt 2015-08-29

It’s baby alpaca and silk, in a gorgeous colourway called “Black Rainbow” and I bet that Becky S loves it to death. (I would.)

Kristen, over at the charming Rosetwist shop (check it out, it’s jewelry made from rose petals) has a button and rose bead stitch markers for Melissa B. The beads are made of rose petals, and they smell like roses!

rosemarkers 2015-08-29

Jessica has a very nice present for Kelly B, 225g of undyed Perendale wool. Thanks so much Jessica!

perendalewool 2015-08-29

Nina, sweet as she is, has a project bag from Grace’s Cases (love them!) for Rebecca S.

baggracescases 2015-08-29

Three really neat presents from Judith Brodnicki, and Elizabeth Lovick, who got together to come up with some fun stuff.  Of their first gift, Judith writes “Print copy of Exploring Shawl Shapes, plus 2 hanks of Zitron Trekking Hand Art (75% superwash wool, 25% polymid) in the Sansibar colour.  Exploring Shawl Shapes has an expected release date of June 2015 from Northern Lace Press.  It is basically all of Liz’s workshop lessons rolled into one 98-page book.  Not only did I have fun in designing the book, but working on it gave me the courage to try out some new skills!”  Very neat, and it will be off to Barbara A.

shawlshapes 2015-08-29

Of the second gift she says “Print copy of Centenary Stitches, plus 6 hanks of Cascade 220 Quattro (100% Peruvian Highland wool) in colour 5024 (blues and greens).  I used Cascade 220 to knit the Service Cardigan, which is one of the patterns in the book.  Centenary Stitches is a book containing most of the patterns (for knit and crochet) that were used to costume the independent film Tell Them of Us.  There are 170 pages with patterns, information about the film and Crowder family (whose story is told in the film), and techniques.  More than 200 volunteers came together to knit and crochet for this film.”  Nifty, right? I love this idea – I hope that Tess Y. does too.

centanarystitches 2015-08-29

As if that wasn’t enough “DVD of the independent film Tell Them of Us. Produced in the UK by WAG Screen, this is the true story of the Crowder family of Lincolnshire during WW1. The script was created from the letters and diary entries of the Crowders.  I am the graphic designer listed in the credits (I designed the DVD cover, among other things), and I’m also one of the 200 volunteers who knit and crocheted items used in the film.  (You should see the list of knitters and crocheters in the credits — it’s impressive!)  I am also including from my stash 7 hanks of Fibranatura Shepherd’s Own (100% wool, natural colour).”  I’m very jealous of Rachel L.

tellthemofus 2015-08-29

Yvonne, over at the Dublin Dye Company, has a wonderful gift.  Corrine P will be choosing the skein of her choice from the shop.  (This one is 75/25 merino nylon ‘Swing’ sock yarn in the colour Sundae, but she can have any one she likes.)

dublindye 2015-08-29

LeeAnn has two charming little balls of My First Regia, she’s so sweet, she’ll be sending them to the equally darling Jessica M.

firstregia 2015-08-29

Finally, (I know, but it has to stop somewhere today)  Susan over at Spinning Bunny has a really lovely set of gifts from her shop.

spinningbunny 2015-08-29

It is 4oz / 113g of hand dyed black/blue face leicester top in Rose and a top whorl spindle hand made by Jim Johnson. The spindle has a Padauk bowl whorl with a maple shaft and weighs 1.2 oz / 34g – and they are both really, really lovely and will be going to live with Karen R. 

That’s it for today, more tomorrow!