Meanderings - Kate Robertson
Tuesday, 13 September 2005
KATRINA
I haven't written about Katrina since I had so many other things going on. My sis Marianne is in Natchez MS and all they got was rain which was great. It took a week and a half for her to find out if her grown sons were OK. They live in a suburb of New Orleans. Can you imagine that!
Well Natchez now has 3 times its normal population. She is staying with her friend Maggie, who has rental property and they have a displaced family from New Orleans staying there. I have adopted the family in the sense that I am sending what I can and getting the word out to others who might like to help. I know many of you may have already donated to the Red Cross but if you haven't and would like to help here are some particulars about the family.
The family consists of the mom Susan and daughters Katie and Ginger ages 11 and 8. Clothing sizes are girls 10/12, girls 14-16, woman's large top 14 bottom. She is from New Orleans. She has the kids in school and they have school supplies and such. Marianne says that she is a single mom and the job prospects in the area are slim to none. Money is the easiest thing to send, that way they can get what they need. Or you can send a package if you like. I sent a handwoven triangular shawl and some dishtowels. Its so hard to realize that they have lost everything. I sent the towels because that is what I tend to make. The thought that she might not have dishes to use towels on was sort of heartbreaking. One feels so small in a tragedy so huge I guess if we can find something that helps at least one person we become part of the healing that needs to take place.
The address is
217 Clifton ave.
Natchez ms. 39120
Here is the family. Thanks for your help.
Monday, 12 September 2005
Mangles, dishwasher and Knitting
Topic: Knitting
Here is a pic of my new toy. Its a mangle in case you are clueless. I got it free from a member of our spinning guild. I will use it for ironing, and setting handwoven fabric and maybe in the felting process too. I played a little this morning. I ironed handkerchiefs, napkins, dishtowels and tried a shirt. I need to practice more to figure on how to do a shirt but it is doable.
I finished the purple vest so I pulled out another UFO, first the pattern and then the work in progress.
I had to undo a row as there were mistakes but now I am moving on. It is so close to being done. By the size of the woman's glasses you can tell this is an old pattern. It was from Knitters years ago.
Last night I carded all the orange- peach fleece. I have not decided if I should blend or spin as it is and have several different shades or not. They do look pretty though. There are more lighter shades than the picture shows.
Now to appease the hubby who started reading my blog, oh no does that mean I can't chastise him here anymore, of course I can, its my blog after all.
He lamented that I never talked about the dishwasher after I complained about it well here is a lovely picture to show that he does get things done sometimes. Now isn't that a beautiful dishwasher!
Last night I finished the second sock but the first had been a little short so I planned to rip out the toe and redo and guess what I did, Now I can't believe I was really so stupid, maybe it was too late to be working on knitting or something but I ripped out the wrong toe, yes the toe I had just finished knitting. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr So now today I have 2 toe's to do. Now I wonder about other knitters and what they do when they are really frustrated with a project. Do you throw the piece of knitting across the room and refuse to look at it for a couple days, or do you work it out right away. Now I know thats how projects become UFO's and I do plan to finish my socks just not today. I have to work on something else to keep my sanity.
Thursday, 8 September 2005
I set about to block the lace scarf. Not having ever done this before I looked up direction on the Yarn Harlots blog. While I waited for the computer to come up I put the scarf in some warm water. Oops, first mistake. I forgot to add a guide string like she suggests. I tried to block it without but that was a disaster so I unpinned the thing and sat and threaded a string through both edges. Sure my legs got all wet but it made the process so much easier. Although I bought a new package of pins I still did not have enough. I scrounged around the house for more. Well it didn't seem perfect although it seemed like I was constantly
re-pinning. So I just left it to dry. When I unpinned it, and took a look It was exciting...my first lace.. I can really do this.
I also resurrected a UFO. This purple vest is a Mt Colors kit that I won years ago. The knitting had been done but nothing was put together. I sewed up the shoulder and side seems and have started work on the ribbing. I should be able to finish this in no time.
I spent one evening of TV teasing this fleece. I have a basket of oranges and reds ready for the carder now. Looks pretty huh!
WEAVING
I tackled the tartan again. When I found another threading error I decided to weave a small amount more and cut off a sample to wash. It doesn't look square at all. I washed the fabric and hard pressed it. It does look lovely but its not correct. So I took about half the warp and reset it to 24 epi. I wove a section with 2 beats of the beater each time and I came up short. I wove with one beat and I came up about 4 shots 2 long. I am now going to try just one beat but put some weight on the beater to see if that will do it. This tartan stuff really needs to be precise. Here is my sample
Monday, 5 September 2005
Knitting goes on and on
Well since I have been ill all week I have taken to a knitting obsession and I think it is great. I finished the ribbing on the Fair Isle and am starting the pattern, that felt oh so good. I headed to the4 Yarn Connection since I need a long size 3 needle to do the body and ended coming home with this.
Now what may you ask do I need with sock yarn when I have a good 3 or 4 socks started and I can't seem to finish any of them. But this Opal was so pretty and purple of course. I kept going back to it thinking oh it could always be a gift for someone else when I knew for sure if I bought it and made those socks they would be for me. It helped me justify the purchase. In the end what the purchase did for me was to tackle all those unfinished socks. I gave up on the short row heel and just went back to my original sock pattern and managed to finish one sock today and am into the match now. I also tackled another started sock and am working on the heel flap on this one too.
I am heavily into finishing mode now. I have a vest that needs sewing together and then some edging knit on. I think I will finish that next. It sure seems empowering to finish items that have been hanging on for so long.
Posted by katespins
at 9:33 PM MDT
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Updated: Tuesday, 6 September 2005 12:03 AM MDT
Friday, 2 September 2005
Its Finished
Mood:
party time!
Its Finished!! Happy Dance !!!! I have finally finished something. Well it has to be blocked but I consider it finished. I need to go out and buy some pins to block with. What may you ask is the crazy woman going on and on about. Well the Lace Scarf of course. It is only 13.2 months late but what the hell its done. I will take pictures after its blocked.
Yes I have moved on to something else. I am tackling the endless ribbing in Hillswick Lumber forever to be known as the Fair Isle. Its knit in Jameison and Smiths Shetland jumper weight. The ribbing is done on size 1 needles and actually hurts my fingers to work on but I will persevere. I have made it through the halfway point which means I have done about 8 rows since I picked it up again. I think I have another 8-10 to go. See my progress! Aren't you impressed!
The Ribbing.
The Pattern.
I am still feeling crappy so I guess I will go knit...
Posted by katespins
at 7:44 AM MDT
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Updated: Friday, 2 September 2005 9:00 AM MDT
Wednesday, 31 August 2005
wednesday already
Its hard to believe its Wednesday already. I picked up some kind of bug and have been down and out for two days. You know those simple things where you are nauseated all the time, throw in a killer headache and your period to boot and boy you can feel great...not.
In the times when I am not asleep I have been knitting. I should have that lace scarf done this week. It should be done now but I keep adding to it. I can't decide how long I want it to be. Picked up some socks for a diversion of sorts. Who knows what other UFO'S will be grabbed until I feel better. Daytime TV is awful and it really gets depressing if you watch too much CNN. My heart goes out to all the hurricane victims.
I was just on someones site and saw a completed
Hillswick Lumber from Anne Fietelson's Fair Isle book. Then I thought I should get back to that sweater. I have all the yarn for it but I never made it past the ribbing. It sure is gorgeous though. I think I know right where it is too. danger I don't need another project do I? oh you have to scroll through the gallery to #15 to see the pic.
Posted by katespins
at 6:56 PM MDT
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Updated: Wednesday, 31 August 2005 7:05 PM MDT
Monday, 29 August 2005
Well after blogging last night I decided to just go weave so after about 3' of work I found a sleying error that did not show up because it was black on black and when I changed to the grey I found it. GRRRR. I had to unpick the whole thing. Damnn I am not any further along that before. Oh well at least I made the attempt.
My sis Marianne is in Natchez, MS right now. I don't know how far from Gulfport that is. I think I will call to see if she is ok. I talked to her saturday and she said she was pretty high up so is most likely fine, but it can't hurt to check.
Sunday, 28 August 2005
Now Playing: afte
Well things have gotten better as they always do. Thanks Charleen for your kind comments.
I spent most of Friday and Saturday getting fair entries and then when I went to take them to enter them Saturday afternoon I left a skein of cotton-silk drying in my backyard. Damnnnn I hate when I do that. All that work for nothing. I ended entering 18 items. At the last minute I entered one of the tartan towels I wove a little while ago. The Fair starts next weekend so we'll see how we end up after the judging next week.
I sure hope I can get back to weaving it has been way too long. My goal this week is to work on both looms. I seem to keep putting it off and finding other things to do instead. Thats got to end.
Sure got the cooking bug today, I made german potato salad for dinner and some poppy seed cake and chocolate chip cookies. Its all really good.
Tuesday, 23 August 2005
Sadness
Mood:
down
I haven't written in awhile because everything I thought to write is too depressing even to me. Although I am still going to write about it now, I have a little distance so hopefully you will all not be too depressed by it. I promise to add some fiber content soon.
The funeral for my friends family was yesterday. It was one of the hardest and saddest days I can remember. When you enter a church and right away see 3 coffins it has to be hard. One was draped with an American flag, the second had flowers and cat tails with a fishing creel and a fly rod and the third flowers with a cowboy hat, rope and horseshoe. All fitting to men that they were.
The service was packed. Over 80 Navy men and women from Ben's squadron attended. They came from all continents except Antarctica. The service was 3 hours long and then we headed to the small cemetery where they were buried. They pulled the coffins on a horse drawn cart. Then 3 F-18's performed the missing man formation. The service continued with an honor guard from the Air Force who did a firing of guns salute, I don't know what that is called but when the guns fired it was so final and jarring to me. Then the folded up the flag from the coffin and presented to Gerry. Then Taps was played and a Bagpiper played Amazing Grace and he walked off into the sunset. It was quite touching. When they were doing the gun salute and the folding of the flag I felt like every mother who ever had a son
who died.
I thought the tears were finished then but I was wrong. One of the most touching events for me to was to watch all the Navy people walk up to Ben's coffin and salute it and then touch the coffin in a goodbye gesture. After awhile I could no longer watch it. We then went and had a meal. We did not get home until 8 pm. It was a long day.
Gerry seemed fine throughout the funeral but I wonder how she really is. To see the strength of the 3 surviving women was incredible. I don't know if I could have done it. I can't remember if I mentioned that Gerry is part of our weekly womens group. Our group plans to meet next Monday. If Gerry feels up to it she will come. If not we will all share our own stories and feelings. I think after such loss to have a continuity of any kind has to help.
Today I still feel the sadness of the event. Its almost like I am channeling her grief. I had a hard day with it. Last night I dreamed of the two boys and could not sleep at all.
I met with my friend Ginger this afternoon and we talked about it all. It was a cleansing of sorts to share the feelings we both felt. She pointed out about the connection we all feel. When we talk about this to people in our town who did not know the family at all, they still feel the connection to a family they don't know and feel the sadness of it all. It is like anyone who hears about this tragedy is somehow affected by it.
It was also touching to see a room full of men so touched by emotion and loss. Its so rare in our culture.
Posted by katespins
at 10:57 AM MDT
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Updated: Tuesday, 23 August 2005 9:39 PM MDT
Monday, 15 August 2005
More Details
Well details are now available. Its hard to imagine going through this. Turns out the plane crashed and started a forest fire. The Smoke Jumpers found the plane and remains. At first they could not land in the area to get the remains. They had to be identified using dental records. My friend Gerry is still in Boise. It looks like the FAA is now testing the remains and investigating the crash. The funeral will probably be on Monday and then the long slow attempt at recovery. Our group got together tonight to share stories and try to prepare on how to best help Gerry. Needless to say none of us have ever had a n experience like this before.
The after the meeting I was talking with good friend Ginger and the loss of Mary Jensen hit me. One thing that I regret is never having bought one of Mary's weavings. I told Ginger that I want her to make a rug for me. I won't make that mistake again. Mary's memorial service is on Saturday.
Sarah's Girl Scout Gold Project is this week so I spent most of the day with that. She is holding a Japanese culture week at the local library. She and a friend hold events for kids for 6 days. Today they taught kids Origami. Tomorrow they will do a play. She plays a geisha, we had to find white makeup for that today. Luckily Joanne's has their Halloween stuff out. Other days will have history, language, food, festival and anime days. It will be a full week. Then school starts on Monday.
I wove a little on the Tartan today, but I was not happy with the results. I need to beat harder to get the sett to come out.
Posted by katespins
at 11:07 PM MDT
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Updated: Tuesday, 16 August 2005 12:11 AM MDT
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