And this design popped into my head, so I sketched it and made notes:

The resulting cardigan is almost complete – needs buttons (which are on hold at the LYS) and sleeves.  The design is knit from the neck down in one piece (including the buttonband) – no seams!!!  The sleeves contain live stitches so I’ll just put them on needles and knit the sleeves right on.

I can’t wait to make another one!!!!!

I’m just full of gorgeous….  So, while I’m in this feel-good moment, I thought to have a look at my 2009 To-Do List.  You know, check off some things, see where I’m behind, etc.

• A reliable, used Subaru Outback - preferably with manual transmission.  Truthfully, I don’t want to own a car - I want a bicycle or a horse and buggy (seriously!) - but I live in an area where the nearest place to buy vegetables is a car ride’s distance.
• A bicycle - reliable, used would be okay, something vintage looking with a wicker basket.
• A small house to rent with an organic garden and a washing machine.
• Freelance full-time.
• A laptop.
• An iPod Touch.
• Excellent health for my family, my friends, and myself.
• Pitch at least one article every two weeks.
• Have at least one article published in 2009.
• Sign 6 new writing clients in 2009.
• Sign 4 new bookbinding clients in 2009.
• Organize my office and my studio.  In Progress
• Sell my creations on Etsy.  In Progress
• Sell my creations at a craft fair.
• An Ashford Joy with extra bobbins and travel case.
• Learn to spin flax and weave linen - in other words take a couple classes at the John Campbell Folk School.
• Attend Fiber Frolic, Common Ground Fair, and the Fiber College.
• Master the bodhran.
• Learn to play and sing one folk song a month.
• Fall in love (and be loved in return).

Twenty-four gears and two wheels of pure leg power!  I’ve even souped it up with brakes, reflectors, lights, a basket, and rear wheel rack!  Oh yeah, baby, I’m riding in style!  And the best part of all is that I’ve bartered for it - trading computer help desk services with the bike shop for the bike.

It’s been almost 15 years since I rode a bike, so I’m relearning to ride again.  What amazes me is that I used to be fearless on my bike.  Now I’m full of fear.  Seriously.  I was practicing in the bank parking lot riding in circles and the first time I approached a turn I had to talk myself through it.  When did I become such a coward?  Of course, after that I was fine with turns - but appalled by my fear.  I really don’t understand it, but I know it goes beyond the bike.  I’ve been fearful in other situations recently and just pushed forward, but it’s been over big existential stuff.  This is bicycle riding….. what is there to be scared of?  This is freedom…

I’ve been working in the evenings on the Bee Fields shawl (designed by Anne Hanson of Knitspot).  I’ve had the yarn (from the Woolen Rabbit) in my stash waiting for a special project.  The colour is called Sweetheart.  I’m so excited by the way it is turning out.

I’ve also been working on my own personal sheep to shawl project.  I keep a stash of Cormo to spin - it’s my favorite fiber.  I spin it up to make baby sweaters, scarves, etc., to give as gifts. It’s so soft and very easy to spin.  Usually I spin it up as a three-ply in-between fingering and worsted weight.  For my shawl, I’m spinning a very fine 2-ply laceweight.  What I’ve learned about this fiber is that it is easy to “strangle” or overspin, especially laceweight singles.  I’ve done numerous mini skeins and found that if I keep the ratio low and relaxed, use a modified long-draw for the singles and ply it using the same ratio, but with a bit more twist, the finished yarn sets up beautifully.  Cormo has a beautiful natural crimp that makes for a very forgiving yarn.

I don’t know exactly what pattern I’m going to use - whether I’ll design something myself or use another designer’s pattern.  I do know that I want to make either a stole or a triangular shawl.

And since I’m obsessed with all things lace lately - I’ll show you what I bring to my spinning group.  Behold, my portable spinning apparatus……

Cormo (of course)/silk roving from Foxfire Farms purchased on my trip last fall.  I think I’ll have just enough for a scarf.  This one I’ll design myself.  I’m cruising the stitch dictionaries, looking for inspiration.  I don’t know if I’ll keep it, or sell it….. We’ll see - I’m thinking too far into the future, and my life’s experience has taught me that that is never a good idea for me.

I’ve also been washing quite a lot of raw fleece procured from a friend of mine who raises sheep (on an organic farm that is totally off the grid - so efficient!).  The wool comes from her Jacob sheep.

I have already carded and spun some of the mixed color.  This is a 2-ply worsted weight, crocheted and stuffed with a mix of raw and washed fleece (raw fleece is better than catnip) cat toy called Wooly Mouse.  He is Jack’s absolute favorite toy.

Oh, and speaking of Jack…. all this activity has really tired him out:

The urban farm is still in the planning stages.  Here is what I have to work with:

My landlady is giving me 8 troughs, which I’ll use to build raised beds here.  I’m thinking of growing peas, kale… all the stuff I listed in my previous post.  Inside I have four southern exposure windows where I want to put up shelves and grow my seasoning, medicinal, and dyepot herbs.

I continue to work 3 mornings a week at a small non-profit, spin and knit socks for friends, plan my art exhibit this coming September (searching for inspiration right now….), teach French, bake bread, plan a fiber festival on the island for next May, continue my research on wind power,  and all the other things I’ve taken on …..

Sheesh!  I might need a nap like Jack now…..

After much deliberation (and hours upon hours of seed catalog perusal), I have a list of seeds.  I have to confess - I was dazzled by the seed catalogs with their heirloom this and rare-breed that.  Finally, I took myself in hand and focused on the goal - to plant an organic garden that would provide enough fresh veggies, some fruit, and herbs to sustain us for the summer (and perhaps enough left over to freeze, dry, and can for the winter, but that’s a bonus).

I went to the local organic gardening center (buy local!) to have a look at what they had and to talk with the owner.  Most of the organic seeds are around $3/packet.  So I am estimating my seed outlay to be about $90 - $100).  My landlady is giving me most of my containers - 8 troughs - and I am going to try to make a few self watering containers out of food grade white plastic tubs (I’m going to ask my friend who owns a grocery store if she has any that I can have).  The herbs will be grown indoors in my windows in yogurt tubs.  I still have to price soil.  My neighbor has been letting me add to her compost pile, so maybe she will let me have some for fertilizer.

So, here is my list of seeds:

Herbs

• Thyme
• Savory
• Marjoram
• Rosemary
• Lavender
• Mint for tea
• Tarragon
• Chives
• Bay Leaf

 Fruit

• Strawberries
• Cantaloupe
• Small Lemon Tree

Veggies

• Cucumbers
• Shell Peas
• Snow Peas
• Carrots - 2 kinds
• Lettuces - several kinds
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Tomatoes - grape & plum
• Green Beans
• Garlic
• Onion
• Leek
• Scallions
• Bok Choy
• Collard Greens

One thing that became apparent to me was that there was an underlying “busyness.”  I can’t offer any concrete, eyewitness testimony to this - it was a sense.  It felt like nature had ceased to be still, and unbeknownst to the the casual onlooker was making the behind-the-scenes preparations for spring.  I swear I could hear the heartbeat-like rhythm of tree sap making its way skyward and the creaking of tree branches stretching after a long winters nap. This is exciting!  There is still snow and ice on the ground, but I think spring is getting ready to, … well…. , spring.

1. Unleash your inner activist.  Pack away all of your winter clothes - all of them - in a public act of defiance.  This says to winter, “screw you!”  However, winter usually gets the last laugh by giving you frostbite, so this is only recommended for the most dedicated protester.
2. Reminisce about the glory days of summer from years past.  Pull out those scrapbooks, gather your kin about you, fire up the pellet stove, and start sharing the memories.   Hot chocolate and marshmallows are optional.
3. Therapeutic baking.  Let’s face it, once summer is here you won’t want to go near the stove.  Now is the time to bake!  Use chocolate!  Share with family and friends.  Bake a lot, bake often.  The added benefit is extra body insulation against the cold.  Plus the sugar high will help you weather the winter blues.
4. List all the things you are going to do when the weather warms up - puttering in the garden, hiking, sailing, spelunking, swimming, walking, long rides on your bicycle, etc.  Take that pencil to paper and write it all down.  Draw pictures of yourself doing these activities under the hot sun.  Don’t forget to draw yourself drenched in sweat and dehydrated.  Oh, and don’t forget the thought bubble above your head dated August whatever, depicting you at home on the couch, drinking something cool and wishing for an early autumn!

Okay, I’m becoming dimmer as I age, and this does not sit well with me.  Right now I’m thinking that door hinges are smarter than I am.  I just finished watching The Life Before Her Eyes (really good movie, btw) and had to go to the Internet to have total strangers explain the ending to me.  ME!!!!??????  You have to understand - I have felt the pseudo-warmth of smug intelligence since I saw The Sixth Sense and figured out early in the movie that the psychiatrist was dead  (people, when a woman is mad at her significant other and he tries to lamely come up with excuses, she would only be able to ignore him if he were actually dead).

Now I’m cold.  So very, very cold.  And apparently very, very stupid.

It’s a wonder I can still construct a complete sentence.  This will have to be a short post - don’t want to overtax what’s left of my brain.