The missing Burda magazine

Knitting my Niebling Lotus Flower shawl got me thinking about a Burda magazine I bought a couple of years ago. I got it from a woman in Germany and paid about $40 for it. I went looking for it. First I went thru the stacks of magazines I have stored by the back stairs. As long as I was going thru them, I decided to get rid of a lot of them (after ripping out the patterns I wanted to keep). The Burda wasn't there. So I went thru the bookcases in the livingroom. Not there. So I moved on to the bookcase in the back hall and the assorted books and magazines in the front bedroom. Not there either. While I was searching, I cleaned out the hall closet and started cleaning out the closet in the back bedroom. No Burda, but lots of trash and stuff to donate. It's been going like this for a week. Walking around the house, rechecking places I've already checked. Even the cat was getting a bit nervous.

Today I found it. It was on the coffee table in front of the sofa. If that weren't so funny, it'd be embarrassing.

The good news is that my hall vacuum cleaner closet has been totally cleaned out, the misc. junk closet across from it has been cleaned out and it's been turned into a linen closet (can you believe this house didn't have a linen closet??) and it's not clear what needs to be done in the back bedroom.

Accidental progress.

Niebling's Lotus Blossom

I'm still working on a shawl that is actually a pattern for the Lotus Blossom table cover designed by Herbert Niebling. Unfortunately, I chose to knit it in purple lace weight wool. I don't even LIKE purple. I can't imagine why I decided to launch such a long term project in a wool that I don't particularly care for. But then, my color choices tend to be bad. The pattern has an inner circle made up of flowers and leaves and an outer circle of even more flowers and leaves. Last night I finally finished the inner circle.

In the meantime, I'm destashing. I going thru my yarn/fiber closet and pulling out an embarrassing amount of yarn and spinning fiber that I want to dispose of. I'm too cheap to throw it out - and, anyway, at some point I thought I loved it - so I'm going to find some way to donate it. A local yarn shop is planning a destashing sale in June, where you rent a table to sell your stuff - with table rentals going to charity. I think it could be done much better, but may give that a try. I still have a large plastic bin of sock yarn to go through. My goal is to complete destashing my yarn by the end of this week, then start of my fiber.

I'm also destashing magazines. Going thru them and pulling the patterns I want to keep and recycling (or donating) the rest.

All this has reminded me of the TWO large bins of quilting fabric stored in the back bedroom. No, I don't quilt anymore.

I'm seriously ill.

Seriously Bored

I had great plans for this summer. My husband was going to retire in late spring/early summer and we were going to go to the gym together and start on the todo list and just generally hang out. He's now decided to wait until Dec 5. It does mean more money. But I don't think he understands how lonely I am all day. The cat pays a lot of attention to me (she loves to show me her butt), but the dog has gotten old and a bit sickly. He wants to be left alone to sleep all day. I haven't even seen the wren today (the titmouse did not wake up).

So I can knit. Or spin. Or watch daytime TV.

I went out to buy large envelopes today and considered shopping for something totally frivolous. But I couldn't think of a thing that interested me.

It is a beautiful day. Mid 70's with a light breeze. The trees all have their pretty, new leaves on them. Every so often the wind chime plays a little tune. But here I sit.

Guess I'll go do the laundry.

The Titmouse on the Deck

Oh. I heard the "thump". A little titmouse has run into a window and died on the deck. He was such a sweet little thing. Just a touch of blush on his chest and the very tips of his tail feathers were dipped in orange. It's possible that he has just knocked himself out, but I don't think so.

Titmouses fly very fast. I know this because I've had several find their way into my screened porch. Trying to heard them toward an open door is almost impossible. I don't think they are very bright. On the other hand, Goldfinches can be caught in your hand and taken out and released. Not sure what that says about Goldfinches.

The Wren in the garage

Several mornings last week, I found a wren in my garage trying to figure out how to get out. I saw where a nest had been started, so I heartlessly knocked it down and closed the garage door. Still, the wren was there the next morning. I searched for a new nest, but didn't find one. Two more mornings of distressed wren (did you know that a distressed wren makes a noise like a cricket?) and I found the nest. The one I destroyed was a decoy. The real nest is in my Christmas tree holder on top of a stacked cabinet. One of the plastic ones with a nice deep bowl - just perfect for a little nest.

There's nothing I can do now. There are little wren eggs in the nest. I'll just have to leave the garage door open during the day and hope the little thing doesn't sleepfly. I'll put out seed and water on days I have to go out.

I wouldn't do this for just any bird. But I love wrens.

I've discovered Ravelry

Ok, so I'm probably the last fiber person on the planet to find out about Ravelry, but I'm finally IN. Already I've gotten warm fuzzy feelings from it. My shawl from hell (a Niebling pattern that I've been working on for over a year) was obviously going to take more yarn than I had. Of course, the color I was using was discontinued. So I posed an ISO on Ravelry, and within 10 minutes was contacted by a wonderful woman in NJ who is sending me what I need. I sent her a skein of yarn she wants in return. NEAT!

Now I'm busy getting rid of old magazines. I'm incapable of throwing away knitting magazines, but the pile is getting entirely too deep. So I've started with my Anna Burda's. I've already sold 17 of them!

While I'm at it, I'm gathering sacks of yarn that I know I won't use. I'm trying to find a good way to donate it. Still working on that. I can now get into the yarn closet. I have a long way to go.