Tuesday, February 01, 2011

distracting views

Well, the boiler pipe leak hasn't gotten worse. The house is warm and toasty and I am almost over being grouchy and tired by yet another stupid plumbing malfunction. That doesn't mean it's fixed yet--oh no, the plumbers are busy (and/or sick) and in the great scheme of things, this is probably a small leak and a minor house disaster. Also, before I hear the "I told you so" chorus from people who think we shouldn't own an old house, (Uhh, yes, you know who you are, family members) well, I'll repeat my refrain...new houses and new repairs sometimes cause problems, too. These things just happen sometimes. For some reason, these things are happening to us A LOT these days. Oh well. Life is like that!

If only this had happened BEFORE the big bedroom paint job!! We're trying not to cry about that, but the professor did such a beautiful job before this happened.
OK, in order to avoid dwelling on something we cannot fix, let's distract ourselves. If this reminds you of the way you keep a toddler from crying by distracting him with a new toy? Well, yes, that still works on me. I'm all for distraction when these unavoidable housing problems spring up.

Quick, look at that lovely Lido Key beach photo from Florida. Yes, this is what the beach looks like in Sarasota. White sand, nice views, warmer weather....Ahhh. I'm taking a deep breath here.
Since beach views are not always reviving, here are a couple of pictures the professor took during my book signing at Picasson's Moon.
This is a really fun yarn shop where the staff is so kind and helpful and the yarn choices are pretty interesting. The interior decoration--funky clutter, complete with lots of chairs and cushions, books and antiques--really makes it stand out.

I was there signing books and visiting from 4-7 pm and my charming professor kept stopping in to make sure I was still doing ok. He took several photos, including this close up of me signing someone's copy of Fiber Gathering. You may notice here that I am wearing the Tank Empire pattern sample from Knit Green. I am amazed by how versatile this tank top is in practice. It's good in hot weather worn with just a camisole underneath it and it is a superb vest during the Florida winter. What I didn't expect to find is that the A line shape makes it a very useful maternity item as well. You can't see my belly here, but it really covers it up!
It looks to me as though few or no people have posted or attempted this pattern, at least when you look at the Ravelry.com statistics. My only guess is that the gauge information is offputting. The gauge information is for a cotton/linen yarn that shrinks when blocked. If you'd like to make this for yourself but want to substitute another kind of yarn, look at the gauge after blocking. Knit up a swatch in your yarn choice, block it, and then worry about matching gauge to the information for after blocking. That's how you'll come out with the right size when you knit this.
I hope sometime to knit this project again in another color or two...this tank/vest is a staple of my wardrobe, especially when I travel or teach about my books!
Distraction accomplished, I feel calmer now. I will keep slowly posting Florida photos while waiting for the next housing fix to take place...I hope this post distracted you as well!

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5 Comments:

Blogger Cathy said...

Hang in there! Glad you are still staying warm. Here in the US there is major hype about the storm. In eastern PA we had snow, sleet, freezing rain today with more moving in tomorrow from what the midwest is getting today. I'm happily knitting on a pair of socks while watching all the hype.

February 1, 2011 at 5:22 PM  
Blogger Lorraine said...

I can relate to your heat problems. We had our boiler die this week. Luckily it was not terminal, just a bad gas valve, which caused failure in a couple of other areas. After a day and a half of problem solving by throwing money at it, we now have reliable heat.

February 2, 2011 at 2:06 PM  
Blogger ayarnlover said...

It's quite true that horrible things like your situation happen in new houses too! My parents moved into a new house a few years ago and everything was going swimmingly until the spring thaw (you know how Winnipeg springs are). The snow in the window well melted into a completely wonderful lake, which then seeped into the basement walls of my parents brand new house. The builders had not completed several of the sealing steps of the wall so the drywall was soaked and had to be torn down; the carpet had to be ripped up and it was a mess.
But they've managed to fix it and haven't had any problems for two or three years now. I have hope that your house will settle down too! (Or at least have things go wrong with more space in between them.)
Looking forward to the spinning class with you in a couple of weeks.

February 2, 2011 at 10:41 PM  
Blogger Alison said...

Our brand-new house in New Hampshire had just as many problems as our post-WWII house in California. Stay warm!

--AlisonH at spindyeknit.com

February 3, 2011 at 2:41 PM  
Blogger Deb said...

Joanne,
I just read your wonderful news!!! Congratulations on your pregnancy - I am so happy for you. You and the Professor must be over the moon! Such wonderful news made my saturday morning.
Take good care and enjoy it....it does get better, honest :)

Hope the house issues/repairs all work out. That can be so disheartening but obviously you all have a handle on it :)

Big hugs to you!!

Deb

February 5, 2011 at 5:56 AM  

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