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Sockapalooza IV I know... I know... I've been totally incommunicado, but lem'me tell ya', building a brand-new house is a full time job! Fortunately, I've had some time to knit, and get my Sockapalooza IV socks FINISHED!! Woo Hoo!

Now as for everything else... It's looking like we're 4-6 weeks away from finishing-up the house, and getting out of this itty bitty apartment!








More to come... I promise!

There'd be no more folk-singers?

Rock on... the house is really coming along! In just the last couple of weeks, we've made some real progress. This past week, we got the engineered walls and roof on... it's really cool - these were manufactured off site, but to our specifications, so all of the windows/doors/outlets/conduit/etc. is already in place, and it's pre insulated to R35. The roof panels are even thicker, and are insulated to R42, so they are super efficient! It's been a joy watching the house come together!

See you later... Pax ~ Rob

I love that song... the Weepies rock!

Anyhow... I know it's been molto anni fa since I've blogged, but I've been so frackin' busy. I have barely been home since before Thanksgiving, and in the time I have been home... I haven't gotten any knitting done... Well, very little that is. This past holiday season, I did our Christmas opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Asheville Lyric Opera, and sung at the Biltmore House, and have been singing at church... and am preparing to begin rehearsals for The Merry Widow, also with the ALO, coming up in February.

So, I'm in Dallas this week, setting up our showroom for NAPCO, and spent all of last week doing the same for our Atlanta showroom. Oy veh María! If is see another Santa or Snowman ornament... I'm gonna freakin' lose it. I'm already succumbing to a pervasive and debilitating merchandising ailment known as Glitter Lung... kind of like Black Lung... but waaaay more colourful and sparkly!

So Bubba and I are missing all the fun of seeing our timber-frame going up in Asheville,

So... I guess that's it for now. I'm off to sleepy sleep.... I'll update soon.

Be well kids! xoxo

Vote.
Even if you feel like it won't count or matter.
Vote. Even if you think that it is all a wash. Vote.




VOTE... Because when you do, you are not just casting a vote but exercising your political voice, as small as it may seem. You are triggering a chain of events in the democratic system. When you vote not only the talliers pay attention - so do interest groups, political parties and candidates.

Some claim that by not voting they are protesting the poor choices in candidates or how fed up they are with the two-party system. The only problem is that no one knows they are protesting it but themselves. They are politically invisible.

Many people, fed up with Democrats and Republicans alike, would like to vote for a third party but don't vote at all because an alternative candidate could never win.

See the problem? No one is voting because no one else is voting.

There are no easy answers for America's political problems, but the first step to real change is deceptively simple: if you don't like the way politicians are running the country, vote against them.

If you don't like the candidates this year, write one in. Hell, if you don't like anyone, write yourself in - just as long as you let the powers-that-be know that you have a chip in this game
and you intend to play it.

Yeah... I know I'm a terrible person for not updating my blog sooner.... even I was getting tired of seeing my radiant actualized self...

So, what's new? Not much.... I finally finished my sisters cabled socks yesterday, and started another pair for Steve. I really liked that pattern, so I'm gonna stick with it again, and just use a different color of the STEP yarn, which is sooooo soft and lovely. After his, I have a couple more pair to make before Christmas. I'm really going to try short-row heels. Really! I've tried and given-up on them a couple of times before. I must say, I make a pretty decent heel flap, and I don't mind picking-up the stitches. I've probably done them a dozen times or more, and have a groove going... no gaps, no ears, right number of rows... etc...

We've been busy with the construction of the new house. Excavation starts today, and the basement walls are set to be delivered the first week in October. The frame will arrive from Washington a week or so after that. Oh my god... we are sooooo excited. Douglas Fir timbers are going to be so lovely.

Anyhow... Oh yeah... I got cast in several upcoming shows with the Asheville Lyric Opera. Amahl and The Night Visitors coming up for Christmas, and The Merry Widow in February. I'm still traveling with NAPCO to Dallas, Atlanta, and Jacksonville, FL, but I'm trying to talk Steve into going with me and Jennifer to Kenya in the spring.... we'll see.

Well sweet children... I should be off for now. Look at my mom's puppies... Zeta and Tito, looking all depressed cause mom's been in hospital for the last week.

Shhh... can you hear it?

Lately, one of my goals that I wanted to meditate more… I really do wish I was more diciplined in my stillness. But, I have taken to meditating whilst knitting. It is such a great metaphor for our interconnectedness… it is the creation of a flexible, but strong fabric from a single strand constantly looping through loops past, loops of itself, to become in a single stitch, the past again, waiting to come full circle and connect again with itself. Meditating not only on the strand and the loops, but spaces in-between is wonderful too. Stitches and non-stitches give the fabric pattern and texture, some loops are slipped, passed over, to wait another cycle before they embrace their stitch. Some stitches are dropped, passing on their absence down through the other rows, causing a run, but allowing space. Other loops are knit together with their neighbor to bring the circle in, make it smaller. It is warm and soothing, and I love it. I love making garments for those I love, clothing them in creation, warming them with love. I look at us, at creation, as a knit fabric in this way. We are all from the same thread, we are a loop in the fabric. We are a stitch.

or is it petty?
No? I guess it's pretty!

I haven't done very much knitting in the past week. I finished the first of my cabled socks, but am suffering greatly with Second Sock-itis. I always do this... I'm such a procrastinator... but really once I cast-on and get past the cuff, I'm good to go... and I have yet to master a short-row, so I'm still doin' flappity-flaps, which I kind of like. Sometimes those short-rowers get a little uppity about their cute little heels.

I have to do laundry again tomorrow, so maybe I'll have a white-wine spritzer, and get started on my second sock whilst the laundry launders.

Well, other than that... excavation is supposed to start on the house this week. Oh... I went to the opening of my friend Ben's spa this evening. It's lovely! Spa · Theology
Give them a click, and prepare to be pampered. I was really calmed by the lovely decor, and all the people were very soothing.


... and exhale...

That Ben... he's so dashing. Give him a clickitty-click and find out more about his own business.

So, I'm off for now... I've been listening to Indigo Girls this evening. I just bought tickets to their concert in September... I think of it as an early birthday present. I have such good Indigo memories... everything from Sicily to Munich to the 'Burg and beyond... good times... good times....

Thank God for the return of NFL Football!
I know... I know...
But: Football + Cooler Weather + Lots of Couch Time = KNITTING!!
I done a fair amount of knitting this past summer, but once football starts, I get tons of knitting done. I feel less guilty about siting on the couch for three hours at a time... watching a game, if I get something done in the meantime. I'm already starting to get my Christmas list together, so all shall be well.

I'm not sure how much time I'm gonna have once we break ground on the new house. The pic in my last entry is of our house in NJ... I'll get pics of the new project as soon as we're underway.

So, I'm almost done with my first Cabled STEP sock... I just need to do the toe. I was thinking about giving these to my sister, but Steve has declared that they are attractive, and soft, so I'm thinking of giving them to him now... which means I gotta do a couple more cables before I start the toe... no biggie.



Here's the fun strap I knitted for my grocery basket. i like taking my basket shopping, so as to save on wasting paper and plastic bags. I just wanted something sturdy without too much give, so I just made a wide seed stitch strap out of LOPI. It's fun - functional - and a little excessive!



Well I'm off to bed soon, I just wanted to catch-up a little... I am having High School flashbacks listening to Alphaville tonight though...
OMG... I bought the LP back in 1985 at Virgin Records in London. We were living in Spain at the time, and I went on a school trip to London for Thespians... we were sooooo unusual. I'll have to scan some pics from the early 80's. I was such a Fruity Little Nerdling... I always wore a ascot with my layered Izod shirts in contrasting colours (Collars up... of course) eye-liner, and the most hideous ivory Giorgio Brutini loafers.... Oy! No wonder I got my ass kicked sooo often. Oh well, that led to therapy, and now I'm super well adjusted. Hardly... Drop me a line... Ciao!

Can it be?
Can it be Christine? BRAVA!!

Sorry... I was channeling Phantom of the Opera for no apparent reason.
OK... actually... I was thinking "Can it really be a month-n-a-half since I've attended to my Bloggity-Blog. I know... I deserve a big spanking.

So yeah... In the last many weeks, we've officially moved to the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC. It's a bucolic fantasy. I love it here, however I would love it more, if I didn't have to worry about my house in NJ that is STILL on the market! Grrrr... anyone want to by a house in northern NJ. It's really lovely.


I must admit I haven't been as prolific on the needles as I would like to be. Perhaps it's the stress of trying to get a new house built. Perhaps it's the comfy day-bed in the den... hmmmm. I FINALLY finished my waffle ribbed Silja socks for my dad, and have actually started working on my first pair of cabled socks, knit with Step. Step is groovy... it has all that aloe and jojoba imbibed in the fibre. I've also taken to adding a little lavender sprigs to my yarn container to make the yarn extra soothing. I'm liking working with cables... I've pondered making socks on a couple of circs, but I'm so attached to my Crystal Palace DPN's. They are much stronger, smoother, and pointier than my Takumi's. Although the 6" needles are too short for my hands, and give me blisters, so I like the 8"ers. Anyhow... cabling was easier than I thought it would be, and for some reason draws alot of attention in the laundry-mat. I got all these needles and holders, and my dirty martini... whatevah!! I hate having to do my laundry in the laund-o-rama... it's sooo unsanitary. Have you ever watched strangers do laundry. I'm often compelled to hold a workshop on sorting, folding, and personal hygiene. Oy Veh María!! Oh well, it's temporary, and will eventually be worth the wait. But... I'm having to lay off my felting projects. I'll live.

Once I'm finished with my cabled socks, I'm thinking I'll finally start my sweater. Perhaps it'll be my birthday present to myself... not that I'll finish by September... but it could happen.

Well, I know it's been brief, but lovely. I soooo love it when you kids drop me a comment. It makes me feel even more loved.

Ugh...
I just got back from two weeks working in Florida... it's nice to stay with the folks, and the work isn't bad, but Good Gourd - it's entirely too hot! I grew up there, but I swear, there is no way in hell I'd ever move back to Florida. You know - every time I go to JAX, I take a ton of knitting, and I NEVER seem to get anything done. I get more knit on the plane than at the Guest-House.

So, the move to Asheville, is creepin' up. We're about a week and a half out, with what, at first, seems like a lot to pack, but Steve was a busy boy last week, and packed-up a majority of the basement. So we're just gonna pack dishes, clothes, and furniture... all done.

Now that I'm home, I can finish up my Silja socks. I just have to finish the toe on the second sock, graft and weave in both ends, and another pair done. I really liked working with the Silja - I have been so used to working with finger-weight yarn, that working with a little heavier yarn made the socks seem to just zip by. I'm gonna start on a pair of cabled socks for myself. I got some STEP, with the jojoba/aloe impregnated in the fiber, so they will make my footsies soft and smooth, like a man's foot should be. Of late, my knitting seems to be one of the best things to keep the stresses at bay. I really feel relaxed and satisfied when I'm on the needles. I'm even thinking of getting a spinning wheel once the new house is finished. I can only imagine the sense of satisfaction can only be doubled by knitting with my own yarn.

Steve will probably kick my ass, thinking I'm acquiring far too much knitting paraphernalia, but Steve is a guy who collects old phones and microphones, soo... too bad.

¡Ay Diós mío!

So, I'm still runnin' around with my ass on fire, and I figured I'd better catch-up on my b-logging before I run off to fetch Steve at the airport. It's been a busy week, but I've found time to knit to keep the stress away.

I finally finished up my little baby knitting project for my next-door neighbour who is great with child, and is ready to bear any day now. I like the booties, and was desperate to finish the bonnet, so I just bound off, knit some i-cord, and added tassels... ahhhhh... done.

I ran across these cute Flip-Flop Socklets on The Blue Blog And decided they look fun and easy. I knit one up last night and am almost done with the second one. Normally I don't at all like knitting with cotton, but Marie, My yarn Sensei, suggested Cascade - Fixation... a cotton/spandex blend, and it has so much give it's fabulous! So I'm hoping my friend Amy likes them. They're simply not manly enough for me.





And finally I'm halfway through a fun pair of Silja socks. I'm liking the Waffle Rib these days... these are for another friend. Perhaps I'll finish them up soon, and start on another pair for me.

My Sockapaloooza Socks Arrived Yesterday!!

My secret sock-pal, Heather - from BC, Canada, made these Lovely socks of her own design for me. As I think I was the only man in the sock exchange, poor Heather had to knit socks for my size 10 1/2 feet. They are the most perfect colours, with beautiful little cables.

Now, I only hope my Sock-Pal likes her Spectacular Speckled Sockatta Socks.

Thanks Heather!!

Oh Mother of Pearl Bailey!!

Obviously it's been a crazy month if I haven't had a chance to catch-up with my Bloggity Blog!

We are sooo busy these days. Oy veh María! We're selling one house in New Jersey, and building another one in the mountains, and still trying to figure out where we're gonna live in the meanwhile, and where the furniture is gonna live too.

Steve and I got back from Asheville last week. Wow! The view from the house is going to be spectacular.

Ok... now imagine it with fewer trees.

And this is the view of our mountain...



OK... gotta run... I finished my bamboo sox, and am now making a pair of booties for my expectant neighbour, and I'm working on my Silja socks... pics to come soon.