The ectasy and the agony

Check out the Central Park Hoodie. AG couldn't wait to put it on. I customized it for her - knitted it in pink, sewed in a zipper (a first for me), and reveled in the luscious, meticulous knitting of every row and cable.

We wanted to soften the yarn a bit, so I soaked it in cold water. Okay, I washed it in cold water, ready to lay it out and block it.

That's right, fellow knitters. I washed it. And it promptly felted, oh so slightly. It's smaller now (it actually fits her better, but it won't for as long as I was hoping).

Unbelieveably bone-headed of me. So I am ecstatic with the results of my first major knitted sweater. And agonizing over the lightly felted results.

Sigh.

Yes, we got no gas

We here in Atlanta must be stoooopid. That seems to be the opinion of Governor Perdue and company.

Our state government keeps telling us the gas shortage is all in our minds. That we're the problem. That there's PLENTY of gas in the Atlanta metro, it's just not where we live.

Excuse me! A report just noted that only 10% of gas stations in the ginormous Atlanta metropolitan area have gas at any given time. I'm no statistician, but that just doesn't add up to PLENTY of gas.

There's NO gas in Dunwoody. Well, every now and then a tanker shows up, drops off a bit of regular at the Chevron, and moves on. A line promptly forms down Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, inches through, empties the tank, and bags go back on the handles.

(Curiously, the BP station at the intersection of Chamblee-Dunwoody and Mt. Vernon Roads runs out of gas all the time. I figure it must be the exotic blend the EPA requires Atlanta to sell, which is harder to produce.)

It must be a sign of our economically abysmal times: bags on gas station handles. Grocery bags, yellow made-for-the-purpose bags, leaf bags, you name it - gas station operators are very busy with the yes-we-have-it, no-we-don't hourly update for passing motorists.

I've cut even further back on travel, but our family has some must-do appointments: Remicade infusion for A today, a Quiz Bowl competition for AG tomorrow. Other than those, we'll stay close to home this weekend and hope there's available gas early next week when the mom-bus needs a refill.

This is not fun.

Knitting carpet

For more than 10 years, ever since we moved into this house, I've winced every time I passed through the family room. That's a lot of wincing since we spend 80% of our time together there. The cause of my unhappiness? Dark green carpet. While the rest of the house is carpeted and tiled in blissful beige, the family room was clad in darkness. That green carpet sucked all the light out of the windows. We didn't replace it initially because we planned to install hardwoods. Then came Crohn's Disease and a stuttering economy, and ten years passed.

The ugly carpet is finally gone.

One of my freelance clients, a family friend, decided to compensate me with a Visa gift card. I really did the work pro bono, but they insisted. So we decided to use the windfall on the family room carpet.  Hello, Empire! (Who else would do a single room without charging a huge surcharge? Believe me - I shopped around. Empire was quite reasonable and the installation crew amazingly adept and helpful.)

The kids noticed the light first. Then T was struck by how much roomier the space looks. I'm thrilled by the consistent palette throughout the first floor. Hurray!

It's a shallow thing, in this time of economic turmoil, to spend money on carpet for a single room. But the benefits to our family - light, most of all - are satisfying to the soul.

Knitting flashback

Well, for goodness sake. I was a post-college English teacher, then ad agency copywriter in the me-me-me 80's and dressed the part. Big shoulders, peplum waists, touseled hair, Rayban sunglasses, men's hats, long blazers over jeans, bows at my neck, and layers were the look, and I was all about looking good.

I just trolled Ravelry and discovered that Garn Studio is unveiling a NEW line of designer knitwear patterns.

Flashback time. They're totally 80's. And I think they're SUPER.

I loved the 80's. I loved the clothes, the Bmers, Miami Vice, Genesis, James Taylor, the stock market, and the ad business. It was narcissistic, fun, and freewheeling. I had a blast.

Now I'm older, entrenched in momhood, sub-urbanity, an on-the-brink disaster of an economy, and helping to support outdoor education in Dunwoody. My generation is less narcissistic, more cautious, and bridging the gap between want and need with greater wisdom.

It'll be fun to see if today's 20-somethings embrace our 80's look. It would be a decided improvement over the tight jeans, bared waists and cleavage, tissue thin tees of the past decade (that's the mom in me speaking).

A perfectly Dunwoody day

Last evening, I sipped champagne and nibbled on fresh bread dipped in herbed olive oil with two wonderful friends.  Our gathering was impromptu, catalyzed by the death of a mom this week who leaves so much sadness in her wake.  We felt the need to celebrate life, and its inherent vulnerability. I left too soon, pulled home by my son's ever-encroaching homework load and chores that never end and so many things that take time and leave no time for the spirit.

Though I awakened this morning to a long list of to-do's, T and I nonetheless managed to walked over to Hickory House for our breakfast date. I'm so glad we did. It turned a busy day into a perfectly Dunwoody day.

Hickory House was packed, as always, and the usual mix of old, young, working, retired mingled over fluffy biscuits, wonderful country gravy, crispy bacon, and bowls of grits. We walked back in the cool fall breeze and enjoyed catching up with each other . . . the state of the financial market, the upcoming presidential election, the activities of our children, our work commitments, and more. We passed several people we knew, stopped mid-intersection to chat with a friend from church, and waved as friends honked from their passing cars. 

Now the guys are off to support a fellow Scout's Eagle project fundraiser (yum . . . cookout at the Sandy Springs fire station where he built a much-needed shed) and the girls are headed to the movies to meet three more of their group of friends (I'll be on premises to chaperone, but out of sight to give them the illusion of independence - they're still just 11!)

 It's Homecoming week at Dunwoody High School as well.  Lots of fun - dress-up days, a parade of homemade class floats, the election of the Homecoming Court, the big game today, and the Homecoming Dance tonight. 

Tonight, we'll grill steaks and enjoy this first sign of cooler days ahead (though, as Southerners, we well know that it's just as likely to be 90 degrees for Halloween). No sleepovers, no commitments - just some much-appreciated family time. I'll sew the zipper on the Central Park Hoodie, add a handle to the felted bag I made for an upcoming auction, and knit a few more rows on a prayer shawl. Bliss!

The week has been filled with joy and sadness, too much work and not enough time, but today, it's a perfect day to be in Dunwoody.

Knitting kindness

"Back in the day," when T and I were earnest 20-something campaign workers, I was introduced rather abruptly to the more uncomfortable side of politics. As we distributed flyers, put up yard signs, talked to neighbors during block parties, attended rallies, and generally tried our best to support our candidate, we were often faced by someone who REALLY  didn't like our candidate/position/issue/volunteer work. T always handled the chewing out with aplomb, while I was a stammering mess. 

I've been invigorated by the campaigns for Dunwoody cityhood and, most recently, our first Mayor and City Council. Neighbors and friends have stepped forward to serve and done so as graciously as you could wish for. 

Now for the not-fun part.

The wonderful Wittenstein family has been gracious and positive, even when others have not been. 

I was just visiting John Heneghen's blog, posting my congrats for his win of an at-large seat, and saw one poster's virulent criticism of him, his wife, and his campaign. Oh, dear. JustMom really, really doesn't like John. 

That's the side of public service that I don't have thick enough skin to handle. I'm grateful for the people who are willing to serve and tough enough to handle the myriad opinions and issues they'll wrestle with as they shape this city of Dunwoody. 

A very dear friend whose husband served many years on the City Council of Greensboro, NC and Board of Commissioners of Guilford County (NC) learned very early in their marriage to smile politely, make very unequivocal remarks, and leave the politics to her  Semper Fi spouse. (No June Cleaver, my friend was and is smart enough to know that her husband was elected, not her, so her opinion was private and not subject to discussion.) It was never easy, but when you love someone who chooses public service, you learn to handle things.

Thanks, John. You had my vote, and will continue to have my support. And tell your wife not to read the blogs!

The Knit-Along Cooperative

Knit?

Want to learn to knit?

Coming back from a knitting hiatus?

Ready to talk a lot and have a couple of hours just for YOU?

Join the Knit-along Cooperative!  

When:  Sundays, 5:30 to 7:30 pm

Where:  Location - Library of St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church (upstairs, above Manhasset Street Entrance Lobby) in Dunwoody

A "knit-along" means that we will choose a project to knit together and enjoy the many splendid variations in execution. Some projects can be completed in a week. Others will take more time. (If you don't want to knit along, you can certainly have your own Work In Progress!)  As a "cooperative," we'll share techniques, ideas, resources, and help in a spirit of fellowship and fun

Project #1:  Mitered Square

Materials Needed:

Size 10 or 10 1/2 straight needles + 1 partial skein worsted weight yarn - solid, hand-dyed, striped, space-dyed, or heathered (if you want to play with color, choose 2-3 remnants of complementary colors)

OR

Size 5 or 6 straight needles + 1 partial skein sock yarn