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Hearts and Heat HoWater Bottle Cover
I LOVE my hot water bottle. I’m thinking I love it more than most people would, and possibly more than I should. I might not be able to live without it. When I’m cold, I zip it up inside my fleece vest. When I’m not feeling well, I let it soothe my aches – real or imagined. When I’m not sleeping well, I use it as a pillow under my neck, and when I want to feel cozy, I place it between the sheets at the bottom of the bed to warm my tootsies. True Love!
One thing about a hot water bottle – well it’s ugly and smells like rubber and it feels funky. So, it needs a soft, snuggly and washable cover to make everyone happy.
I made this cover many years ago when I was hanging out at my former yarn shop, Over the Moon. I was inspired by the color palette of the original 1824 Cotton from Mission Falls and the whimsy of
Mags Kandis – founder of Mission Falls and delightful fiber designer extraordinaire.
This piece is worked from the “top” – or the neck – down. You work the top ruffle and the ribbing flat (back and forth) on the circular needles. Then, join the work in the round, increase to the necessary number of stitches, and work in circular knitting. The checkers stripe and the heart motif are worked in Fair Isle style/knitting in the round. Once you reach the desired length, you just turn it inside out, closed up with a three needle bind off – and put the kettle on!
GET IT on my website, tarahandknitting.com at http://www.tarahandknitting.com/patterns/patterns.htm
You down with YSP?
The new Knitty is live and with it the Winter Mindful Knitting article. READ IT. I think you’ll enjoy it.
YSP – Like ESP. Also a pop culture reference to Naught by Nature, which, if you under the age of 30, may be a bit of a stretch – if you don’t know – You Tube it.
Meanwhile – I thought I’d let you know what lovely fab fibers I am communing with in the latest Knitty.com article.
Tara Listens to BROOKS FARMS FIBER KID MERINO yummy.
Tara feels and fondles Ritual silk chenille from Alchemy Yarns of Transformation
Tara in contemplation with Lush from Classic Elite.
Can you dig it?
(Image and Link and some of info below about Mabon – Wikipedia)
‘Tis Mabon – the Autumnal Equinox – one of the Celtic/Pagan “sabbats of the year,” as seen here in the Wheel of the Year. Yesterday was the International Day of Peace – and in the Shambhala World – the Harvest of Peace. Mabon is known as Harvest Home, the Feast of the Ingathering, Meán Fómhair. This holiday is a ritual of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth and a recognition of the need to share them to secure the blessings of the God/desses during the winter months.
We had our semi-annual trip to our hot springs, but no naked knitting pix this year – I got a lurverly (NOT) migraine from the altitude shift, and although my memories relate to being in a car, some pancakes and being in the car – I actually enjoyed myself. No knowing if the migraine would have come anyway, and this way I had all my boyz with me, even if I can’t really remember the sequence of things. I did make sure I got in some water – and although I think it took me a REALLY long time to hike up the hill, I made it to the Party Pool – and had a nice soak – then next thing I remember is the car again.
No matter what – the Aspen were INCREDIBLE and as soon as Bill’s pix are downloaded, I’ll share. The scrub oak was even turning – scattering the mountainsides with rich reds and oranges. We may not get much Fall out here but woah, when those Aspen put an a show, it is something. I will be picking (more) apples as part of my Mabon observance today - and likely making PIE (check out the recipe here or the tab above.) If you live by me and want some, let me know, I’ll save some for you. The trees are BURSTING. MABON!
[some of the corresponding "modern" western holidays - Yule=Christmas/New Year, Imbolc/St Brigit's Day=Groundhog's Day, Ostara=Easter, Beltain = Mayday, Midsummer=Summer Solstice, Mabon=Autumn Equinox/Harvest festivals, Samahin=Halloween]
OKC – Obligitory Knit Content. Yeah, I know. But, gotta get you yarnies’ attention some how. The OCK is that no one has yet decided to purchase the rare gem – Alice Starmore’s Charts for Color Knitting. I know you are out there. I know it’s a high price tag, but one day soon you, me and the book will transact. If you want it really bad – as of 8:25 am MDT, there are about 4.5 hours left on the auction. For now Alice and I stay together.
The big new here is that it looked like Boulder was on fire – but scarier still was the reverse 911 call we rec’d stating that evacuations of our area were suggested but not mandatory. Reverse 911 is something you hear about on the news, or in stories, but not on your own phone. Honestly, all it managed to do was scare the crap out of Jack and the other 10ish year olds on the street. We spent about an hour discussing first which Pokemon stuffed toy was most worth saving, and then which was really more important, the Pokemon, baby pictures or the cat. Guess which won – it wasn’t the cat.
Bill seemed to think it was a good idea to occupy Jack by suggesting he pack a bag in case we really needed to leave. In five minutes I hear “Mom, I need another bag.” Just use your imagination to think about what a ten year old boy is going to put into two overnight bags to “save.” There was clean underwear – makes a mother proud.
The photo above from the Boulder Daily Camera is of the “rocks” at Settler’s Park. I very similar view can been seen from the street in front of my house. We live just east of Fourth Street – aka “the Lycra highway,” and the western most street running along the edge of central Boulder. Some places in town have little bits of streets 1-3, but they are dispersed here and there randomly.
The best part of the reverse 911 experience was every single neighbor walking out of of their front doors simultaneously with dazed looks on their faces and the telephones still in their hands. So, we spent a lovely warm and sunny Sunday afternoon watching slurry bombers and news helicopters swarm overhead. It was nice to talk to folks – and a little south of here on the University of Colorado campus another cloud of smoke was hovering overhead – 4/20 – the annual pot-smoke-in. Reportedly 10,000 folks all exhaled together at 4:20. That classic “only in Boulder” story can also be read at the Boulder Daily Camera online at http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/apr/20/cus-420-pot-smoke-out-draws-10000/
The story below is an excerpt of the fire report from the Camera at http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/apr/20/fire-burning-settlers-park/
Crews contain Settlers’ Park fire, monitor it overnight
Blaze scorched 1 to 2 acres of land west of Pearl Street
“Some of the more than 100 firefighters who battled a high-profile blaze Sunday, which came within yards of Pearl Street and threatened several houses, stayed on scene through the night to make sure the fully-contained grass fire stayed that way.
Authorities declared the smoky wildland burn was 100 percent contained about 5 p.m., but most crews were still at Settler’s Park past dark to continue to “clean up” and douse any chance of its rekindling.
“There’s going to be a crew of 10 to 15 people stay there overnight to sleep on the fire and make sure it stays the way they left it,” said Boulder police spokeswoman Sarah Huntley.
Additional firefighters, she said, will return this morning to continue “mop up” operations.
The fire, which started smelling like an afternoon barbecue about 2:30 p.m. and soon blanketed the Pearl Street Mall with smoke, was first spotted by hikers atop the park’s Lookout Trail. It initially was reported as a burning log, Huntley said.
In total, more than 100 people called 911 in reference to the blaze, she said.
As about 120 firefighters from seven area agencies — including the Colorado State Forest Service — arrived on scene, Boulder police sent out a reverse-911 call to 1,382 homes.
The wildland fire warning went to houses west of Fourth Street, between Canyon Boulevard and Linden Avenue — within a half-mile of the 1- to 2-acre blaze. There were no mandatory evacuations, but some homeowners said they were worried there would be.
“I was hanging out downtown and saw the flames and was concerned about my house burning,” said Fred Noelke, who’s lived in a house just west of Settler’s Park for eight years. “Now we’re just kind of watching it.”
About 6:30 p.m., officials sent a second reverse-911 call to let residents who’d left their homes know it was safe to return.
“But I’ve never seen a fire get this close to town,” said Bill Baker, who’s lived in the area for 15 years. “It’s a little scary.”
Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said investigators suspect the fire was caused by human activity because there were no weather events that could have sparked the blaze.”
What, you may ask, do these things have in common? ME!
These three things encapsulate my holiday season. Let’s start at the beginning. And, there will be pictures – Amy says I need to show you everything!
So the Cashmere comes first. I flipped out a little bit and really just needed to make it all about me for a while. First, I made an iPod playlist called “it’s all about me” – making sure I had the right soundtrack for the endeavor. Songs include: Woman King (iron and wine), Wise Up (Amee Mann), Undone (the sweater song) (aahhh-doesn’t it just say it all?) (Weezer), That Girl (Esthero), Singular Girl (Rhett Miller), She Belongs to Me (Bob), Raised on Robbery (Joni – with a little help from Robbie Robertson), Little Miss Lover (Hendrix/Experience) – get the idea?
Then I fibergasmed really hard over the BEAUTIFUL Alchemy Yarns Monarch Cashmere in San Francisco Sky.
Wow. And I knit myself a pair of “Wisp of Mist” wrist warmers from Compassionate Knitting.
I really don’t knit much for myself. I usually make most of the sample garments for my books in my size – but that’s just not the same. The original Wisp of Mist (above) were lost (sniff) at Rhinebeck ‘06 – in the bathroom between the fried dough and the fried artichoke hearts. I hold it in my heart that they were found by a caring knitter (was it you?) and they are being loved as they should be. Once it got cold, I actually couldn’t live without them – they are REALLY warming. However, the new ones are “somewhere” right now – I’ll find them as soon as we take down the Yule tree. They are so delicious.
Next, comes Mr. Fender. If you haven’t heard – I got a ruby red Stratocaster for Christmas. Now, some of you have been a little surprised – “I didn’t know you did that” – but are you really surprised? You know, it’s difficult for me to be involved with more than one art form at a time – my (neglected) paintings can tell you all about that. So the yarn is a little jealous of the guitar. And, yes, I’ve played on and off since I was ten – and I got really good a couple of times over the past 25 years. So, I plan to do it again. Dude, yarn and a Fender – life is good.
Lastly, Lighting McQueen
– well the Zay-B (aka Zane) turned four on Sunday (1/6). This may come as a shock to many of you who have met him – it certainly comes as a shock to me. This kid grew up so fast (okay, he’s not in kindergarten yet, so maybe he’s not actually “grown up” but you know what I mean.) So, he is a FREAK for anything with wheels. He wanted a “Cars” (as in the Pixar movie) party. I am a cake maven (yes, I do secretly dig Martha). Chocolate cake is something that also goes well with exotic fibers and an electric guitar. I have five cars in my bed right now – parked in a totally straight line and loosely organized by color (Capricorns!).
The holiday season is particularly busy for us – we have Children’s Day (Winter Solstice) – which we were very fortunate to celebrate with The Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and The Sakyong Wangmo Khandro Tseyang – the King and Queen of Shambhala.
Tara, Zane, The Sakyong and Khandro Tseyang at Children’s Day in Boulder
Then my brothers in law and sister in law with the wonder twins Emi and Hanne in tow arrived to celebrate the holidays with us. The twins are 10 days younger than Zane (happy bday girlies) and it was really fun to have some girl-power going on. We all painted our nails, and compared our fave Hello Kitty pink stuff. After Christmas, Bill and I celebrate our anniversary just before new years, then there’s New Years (I’ve never actually been to a New Year’s Eve party) and then 6 days after that the ZayB celebrations. Whew. Caught your breath yet? I’m almost breathing normally, this week being almost the end of the season – Jack goes back to school tomorrow – then maybe – well then it’s time to start preparations for the March Mindful Knitting Retreat in Greensboro, VT . (We’re full up – but we have a wait list if you want to contact the Highland Lodge).
The Highland Lodge in Winter
So, if I haven’t answered calls or emails, here’s a little look at why not. I think it may stay a little bit all about me for the rest of the week – then deadlines, kids, obligations and all that stuff will waft back this way. For now, I’m going to plug in this ruby baby and be so happy that amps can really make you sound a lot better than you actually are. Cheerful 2008 – and go get yourself some cashmere, you’ll thank me.
