A blogger whom I admire greatly is starting a project for the Habitat for Humanity group she belongs to with her husband (he helped start it).  Details here 

I was thinking it would be a beautiful thing if fellow knitters from around the country and around the world meeting here at my blog would put their needles together and make up some 7? squares to be assembled into blankets for the local Habitat families to receive as Christmas gifts.

I chose the word “Parcels” because the squares would be parcles in the mail, but also as a symbolic representation of “parcels” of land in this beautiful rural area. Each 7? square will represent a parcel of land, which might add to the imagination and creativity of the knitters who are contributing to the motion.

I chose the word “Gracious” because it represents to me the sincerely, humble, and giving attitude I have seen exhibited by the volunteers who brought the local Habitat for Humanity alife and keep breathing life into it on a regular basis.

I plan to categorize the squares into “seasons”. One complete blanket (49 squares) could have all four seasons in it, or each individual blanket might represent a season all in itself. It will be fun to see what colors arrive, the textures, etc. and to arrange them accordingly.

 

So Saturday i took the “PreLicensing Driving Course” required for all owners of a Learners Permit.  from 9 am til 2 pm.  It was in a little storefront office – we sat in rows of chairs in the actual office space at least there were windows onto the street – and the day was warm enough (its been in the 60s here lately !) so that we had the door open for fresh air – and to keep us awake!

Luckily the teacher was one of those :“good old boys”  – a high school coach (baseball and something else i think basketball?) and had taught for years and years – teaches drivers ed to the high school kids during the summers.

It actually wasnt that bad a course – learned some interesting things – and he was very nice at the break he advised which was the best place to take the road test (did you know that if you HIT the curb during your parallel park you FAIL automatically!? UGH).  – and then he drew the entire road test course for the place he recommended! 

Sat afternoon I logged online and requested the first available road test – DECEMBER 8th!  can’t believe it!  I sure hope there is NO snowstorm that day – so now I have to wait almost a month to get the license – and then buy a car.  oh well.

word to the wise – NEVER let your driver’s license EXPIRE! I know I won’t!

Spent Saturday and Sunday afternoon (and this morning) raking and raking and raking….

We are having the most unusual weather for this time of year – not that i am complaining as it means NO heat on yet!  and that means i save money – here is the temp for today

60 on November 14th!  I could be in Louisiana !  (and its supposed to be pouring on my bday on Thursday )  Temps arent supposed to drop to more normal chilliness until next week – just in time for Thanksgiving ! (and a fire at my sister’s house!)

Here is the sky at 2 pm

Knitting

As i mentioned recently, I started another shawl – the Shallowtail shawl – here is the progress

One with flash and one without – my overhead light in my den has been disconnected – who knows when it will be fixed.

and some cat shots

What’s so interesting?

ANYTHING moving along the top of the fence in the alleyway!

and i FINALLY went to start the process of getting my drivers license .  you see, i let mine expire – and expire WAY beyond the time you can renew – so to punish people like me they make you START OVER AT THE BEGINNING like you are 15 again.  ARGH!

so today i stood on line for over an hour after taking a horrible photo (forgot my makeup!) and the written test (passed thank goodness) and then after waiting an hour STANDING in line (they make all the new license folks STAND while EVERYONE else gets to take a number and SIT – REALLY unfair!)  paid in five minutes and was out the door.  (of course, missed the train and had to wait another hour for the next one – sigh, when can i buy a car?)

How long did i stand? – long enough to wind TWO skeins in to  their own balls.   (NOT priceless)

and tomorrow (saturday) from 9 am – 2 pm I get to sit thru the Pre-Licensing course – saints be preserved! it will be dreadfuul i am sure since i asked if i could bring my knitting and the lady on the phone said OH NO!

ugh.

but then i get to call and make the appointment for the DRIVING TEST – as the mother of one of the young people at the DMV said – if we all had to take these tests we would ALL fail – so I need to practice Parallel parking and a three point turn (can you do that?) and….

well, i will NEVER EVER NEVER EVER let my license expire again. 

and as i sat and waited for the train, i started this….

Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark

I am using a Shetland 4ply yarn from Elann (several years ago) – in dark forest green tones (its heathered a bit). 

Democrats take Senate (NYT)

Senate is lost on battlefield of Virginia (TIMES)

Democrats take control (Guardian)

The Democratic challenger in Montana, Jon Tester, won the race for the United States Senate today, leaving only Virginia to face an uncertain outcome in a tight midterm election race that is not expected to be decided for days or weeks. 

NY Times

 

From the NYTimes:

Rumsfeld Resigns as Defense Secretary After Big Election Gains for Democrats

Doug Mills/ The New York Times

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in October.

November 8, 2006
Murder, Booze and Misery: A Female Cop’s Last Hurrah

By ALAN RIDING

PARIS, Nov. 7 — “Some years just work out that way,” Helen Mirren said with almost regal understatement. “But, yes, it has been quite an incredible year.”

Indeed it has.

Now 61, with four decades of stage and screen roles under her belt, Ms. Mirren has appeared in quick succession this year as Elizabeth I on HBO, as Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears’s movie “The Queen” and now, for the last time, as Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison in the evergreen television police mini-series “Prime Suspect.”

And in each role she has triumphed, winning an Emmy Award for “Elizabeth I,” the best actress prize at the Venice International Film Festival for “The Queen” and plaudits in Britain for her valedictory bow in “Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act,” which will be broadcast in the United States on PBS’s “Masterpiece Theater” on Sunday and Nov. 19.

“It was a physically and emotionally exhausting year because they were all very demanding roles,” Ms. Mirren said in a telephone interview from Alassio, Italy, where she is preparing her next part in an adaptation of Cornelia Funke’s children’s book “Inkheart.” “But I have had three or four months’ rest since we finished ‘Prime Suspect.’ ”

With this seventh episode of “Prime Suspect,” Tennison wraps up her last murder case and heads into retirement, ending a 15-year on-and-off career as one of television’s most popular and charismatic detectives.

Quote for the Day

well, there’s a lot going on.  next thursday is my birthday – the 16th.  and its one of those “banner” ones.  not saying which, but one of the ones that makes you look at life and say – WTF is up!

and that’s really the point of my life right now – still in limbo with disability (not appropriate for a public blog to say more) and thus life is a bit undirectional right now.  due to nature of malady days sometimes are dark and filled with anxiousness and sometimes with sadness.  struggling struggling …

 knitting is a good constant – as is practicing the piano – something that i have turned back to – actually was one of the primary reasons i made the move out of nyc last year .  my piano is currently in shop being rebuilt – quite an expensive proposition given my current situation, but a necessary one in order to have a decent instrument.  this is the first piano i have ever owned, bought from a singer friend, it needed a bunch of work to make it a “pianist’s piano”  but that is pretty standard for older pianos – i couldnt buy a new steinway if i had the kind of money to buy one – the older ones are built better and getting them rebuilt / reconditioned inside is the best way to go.  buying the piano and making the move was a conscious decision to put my music back in forefront of my life.   this is a HUGE leap for me as its been awhile since i was practicing regularly and will take some effort to get back to my former playing level.  its a frustrating process cause my brain is musically ready but my finger/hand/arm/back muscles have to get back in shape.  so i have to find music that is challenging enough intellectually but not so much technically for now.

Leap and the net will appear

A favorite saying of mine which i had read in The Artists Way a number of years ago and ironically received as a present last Christmas (a little tile that rests on a stand – its in my Music Room where I can see it while practicing).  

the hardest thing about living alone and being unwell is keeping energy up and keeping to a schedule.  for awhile this fall i was on a very weird sleeping schedule where i would be up most of the night then go to sleep around dawn and wake around noon but need a nap around dusk.   it was the hardest thing to break this – interestingly it magically cleared up the week AFTER the switch back to Standard Time.  actually i just realised that.  hmmm.   it played havoc with any kind of schedule – i would practice and then fall asleep and then it would be late night and not really the time to do chores, etc (i live in a four apt house).  but i am back on a regular schedule now and so that its one good thing!

yesterday was not such a good day physically -it was a painful day and so i knit and rested and cooked soup and make cornbread.  actually knit most of the first sleeve for Arian (part of the Red Sweater/Chic Knit Ariann KALs).  silly me this morning misread the pattern and ripped back most of the knitting to the WRONG version length – sigh.  but will replace those inches tonight watching the ELECTION RETURNS (GO Democrats!)

anyway, today a better day – was able to practice for a few hours– and it was good work – really intense work on the Allemande from Bach’s Partita #2 (lots of hand separate and slow together practice) and then read thru the Schubert Impromtus Op 142 and some of Op 90 to figure out some to work on .  i need some shorter pieces with technical issues to build up strength and get my “chops” back.  i had started on a Mozart sonata this summer but am finding its not what i really need right now – I love Schubert and these will do for now.  Also some Chopin – starting with some of the Nocturnes. 

knitting progress

am working on a Totem Jacket by EZ (for Zimmermania KAL too) for the elder nephew.  am working on the first sleeve right now – will probably use a black to do the borders . 

this has been a bit of a challenge in that i am using a bulky yarn that i got in a buying spree years ago – its Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Buiky and i had to do a bit of fiddling with the pattern to figure out the stitches – finally figured out that its working out to about 2/3 of the written pattern figures.  i do find it a bit of a problem that there is no row gauge – i am using the pattern in The Opinionated Knitter – and since the actual boy is in the Berkshires and repeated requests for chest and length measurements have gone unanswered – i resorted to using figures from several sources to guestimate the length and chest.

 and an aran of my own design for the younger nephew.  i do have chest measurements – well a current fitting sweater – and as this if for this year wear – he is getting a baby brother in January so i know it will be worn again –  i am knitting to size and not for growth.  

The other WIP is my Ariann (for the Ariann KAL and the Red Sweater KAL).  have finished the body up to the sleeve join and working on the first sleeve – almost done.  need more yarn for this – there are two EBAY auctions i am watching.

Other than these i am itching to start a new shawl and also am drooling over the cover sweater of the new Interweave Knits – which i have NOT read yet – am saving it for a special treat .  i just keep drooling over the cover!

Nantucket Jacket
design by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Berroco Pure Merino (100% merino; 92 yd [84 m]/50 g): #8532 cinnamon stick, 12 (12, 14, 16, 18) balls.