AUTUMN IN VICTORIA

Usually, fall colors in Victoria are a very 'fleeting' thing. For one thing, the Pacific North-West has far more evergreen than deciduous trees. But what also happens is that the leaves start to turn, and within a week or two gales will blow in off the Juan de Fuca, and the trees will be bare before we've had a chance to appreciate them.

Not this year. There's only been one sort-of serious wind storm this fall, and it was before most of the leaves had turned. So, while we certainly have our share of this...

 

... we also have this ....

... and I, for one, am just delighted! (What can I say? I grew up in the prairies where autumn is always much more 'pronounced)!

On my walk yesterday I also saw this...

 ... and this ...

 ... and this...

(I'm calling this last one 'The Rebel' ... can you see  why?)

It was a lovely fall day, and we seem to be having another one today. Tomorrow Michael and I are cruising to Galiano Island to help our friend Mike take his new (old wooden) boat home to Whaler Bay. We hope to leave with the outgoing tide at about 9:00 a.m. and be in Whaler Bay by 4:00 pm. I'll post tomorrow morning before we leave, and then not again until we're home sometime on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to lots of knitting time while these two old f____ do most of the steering.

(Want to hear something funny? Mike is 73 and has worked on tugboats off and on for years, my Michael is 60, and has grown up on this coast and on pleasure boats of all kinds -- and I'll be the only one on board with a skipper's license)!

WHY SOCKS? WHY SO MANY??

** I'm participating in NaBloPoMo, so I'm committed to posting something to my blog every single day in November... wish me luck. :-) Since some days it's difficult to think of things to write about, I decided it would be fun to ask YOU for your ideas.

Now's your chance ... if there's something you'd like to know more of about me -- regarding the liveaboard lifestyle, my passion for all things fibre, what it's like to be a grandma, living in Victoria, whatever -- leave me a comment with your question, and that will give me (hopefully) some 'subject fodder' for the month.** 

Cherrie in NZ and my blog-pal Grace in New Jersey both wonder about the sock knitting obsession.

I only learned to knit socks (after being a knitter for 30+ years) a few years ago, and I fell in love with the whole idea immediately. First of all, they're highly portable, and I like to have a project to pack around with me, because I knit in public every chance I get -- at the doctor's office, waiting in my van when I pick my daughter up from work, etc. Secondly, even though they seem to knit tediously slowly, I can finish a pair or two a month just knitting during those 'waiting' times, or at Knit'n'Cafe (when it's hard to knit anything complicated and carry on conversations at the same time).

Thirdly, there are a badillion kinds and colors of sock yarns on the market, including the self-patterning type, so you never need to knit the same pair twice (and you always look like a frickin' genius, too, which is a bonus)! Fourth(ly?), once you've mastered a basic sock pattern, you discover that you're working with basically a blank 'palette' and can do ANY stitch pattern you want -- so it's fun to play. Fifth -- and this is the thing that stopped me from knitting them for YEARS -- they are NOT hard to learn to knit! And there's no seams to sew or fancy 'finishing' to do, either.

And finally, if you've ever had a pair of hand-knit wool socks on your feet, you will never want to wear 'store bought' socks again -- they are SO warm and comfy! A friend once described them this way .... "It's like wearing love on your feet." I couldn't agree more.

So... why so many? Well, I've kept myself in hand-knit socks since the day I learned how to knit them, and I've given lots more than that away as gifts for Christmas, etc. -- everyone absolutely loves them.

The only 'negative' thing I can think of is that sock yarn is not cheap to buy ... generally enough yarn for a pair of adult socks is about $20. So I've taken to checking out second-hand stores and buying all the sock yarn I find, and I seem to have quite a stash of it now -- the socks I'll knit for the family for Christmas will barely put a dent in it!

*****

 

Well, it's the weekend and we are helping our Galiano Island friend Mike ... he has bought a bigger boat for himself and it's here at our marina; we will be helping him cruise it back there either tomorrow or Monday, so there's lots to do to get it -- and us -- ready. It's about a 7-hour cruise, all being well, so Michael and I will spend the night there and make our way back via ferry and bus the following morning. I'm looking forward to the cruise, it should be fun! 

DON'T GET ME STARTED

Jill asked, "What does your husband spend his time doing while you are knitting?"

Interesting question. My first reaction when I read it was 'Who cares?'

I'm joking, of course, but don't get me started .... oops, she already did.  :)

Beginning of rant ... 

The short answer is 'Sleep, mainly.' But this question hit a nerve with me, and I hope Jill won't take it personally when I give it a much longer answer! She's not the first person to ask a question like that, and sometimes, the question is really about the values we all place on our time (and on each others', too).  

Contrary to the impression I must give, I don't actually sit around knitting all day.  :)

I do most of my knitting between 5 - 7 a.m., when Michael is still very sound asleep. (I'm an early riser and he most definitely isn't!) Then, if I have an easy project on the needles, I'll continue to knit while we honour a 33-year-old sacred tradition in our house: morning coffee together. Sometimes he watches, then, and sometimes I'll explain what I'm making, or what technique I'm using, or what I hope to achieve. He's interested -- not enough to take up knitting himself, but because Michael loves the fact that I've found my passion, he fully supports me pursuing it.

Which brings up the reason why this question triggered a whole bunch of other thoughts for me...

First of all, I've often described my hubby as one of the most low maintenance men on the planet -- he really makes no demands on my time, or has any major expectations of me, ever. He especially has no traditional ideas of what his wife 'should' be doing. Having said that, we both have responsibilities -- we manage this marina together (I do the paperwork and 'people' stuff, he does the upkeep and maintenance), and we sort of share the housework (although he maybe does a bit more of that than I do, truth be told).

Apart from that, Michael is retired -- so he spends time taking care of our grandchildren, working on our boat, 'putzing' around the marina, or working on our van. I, on the other hand, am not retired -- I work for a living as a freelance writer/editor. Not full-time, anymore, but I still do have a job ... and I'm also the cook in our household, if there is cooking to be done.

So my free time is my free time, and I choose to use it, quite often, to knit. (He spends other free time reading the newspaper and watching movies, by the way...)

I'm frequently productive when I knit -- I keep my entire family in hand knit socks, pretty much, and I've also made tea towels and dish cloths and blankets and pillow covers and hoodies, among other things.

But I don't believe that I *have* to be productive when I knit, and lots of times, I'm not. I'm playing, and I'm having fun .... trying a new stitch pattern, designing something new, enjoying the colours or the textures or the intricate laciness. Just for fun.

I also believe there is absolute value in adding beauty to the world. Sometimes, like when I create an heirloom lace shawl from two pointy sticks and some string, I'm doing just that. Here's what knitting goddess Barbara Walker has to say about that ...

"There is something in every human soul which seeks to create a thing of beauty, given any sort of opportunity and materials to do so. Throughout all the ages people have pursued their own ideas of beauty, building, shaping, weaving, painting, decorating. They have carried on that pursuit through every medium that ever came to hand: wood, stone, feathers, bone, ivory, cloth, jewels, metals, glass, clay, shell, leather, pigment ... and yarn. Knitting is very much a part of that age-old pursuit of the beautiful. Many patterns known today were first formed by hands that have become dust hundreds or even thousands of years ago; but the same patterns may still be formed by other hands. Thus knitting is a true folk art, in that it has been developed over the course of centuries by millions of ordinary people, whose delight it was to create beauty with their hands."
(Quoted w/o permission from A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, by Barbara G. Walker, SchoolHouse Press, 1998)

A year or so ago, I led a 'Mindful Knitting' workshop. There were about 25 women present, and I asked, "How many of you feel guilty when you knit?" EVERY HAND IN THE ROOM WENT UP.  What's up with that??

I refuse to feel guilty about knitting ... no matter how much time I spend doing it, no matter what anyone else in my life is doing with *their* time, and no matter what anyone else thinks I *should* be doing with my time instead.

End of rant.

I'm off to my Friday afternoon Knit'n'Cafe now!

ALL ABOUT MY GALLEY

Shirley, in Finland, asked, "How easy is it to make and store your food? How often do you declutter onboard or do you need to?" Two questions, and I'll answer them separately ...

My galley (that's boat-talk for kitchen) measures about 6' x 6', but it includes a full-size fridge, an almost full-size stove:

(You'll note the 3-burner arrangement. My stove is the original 'Princess' range that was installed in these Chris Craft's when they were built -- which makes it 45 years old, and still going strong! The oven 'box' is about 13" wide and 15" deep, front to back).We also have a two-burner propane stove up on the bridge which I use in the summer, a LOT.

I only have one sink, and not a lot of counter space -- much like a small apartment kitchen, I guess.

However, I do have some 'expandable' space -- just to the left of the sink is my front door, but there's a hinged 'counter' that comes out across it when I need it, AND I can take my calendar/charts off the table just beyond that (which is part of my office when I need it to be) so that I have lots of space:

 Under that hinged counter is the step leading out of the boat -- and it has a hinged 'lid' so there's lots of food storage under there. Other than that, I have only one upper cupboard in the galley. (There is some space, under the v-berth bunks in the bow, next to the hull, for cold storage of root vegetables that works great)! That table with the calendar, above, also pulls out from the wall and folds out so I can seat six for dinner.

So ... making and storing my food works well, except it's hard for two people to be in the galley at the same time. Good thing there's only two of us on board, and good thing Michael's not the least bit interested in cooking! Back when we were chartering, I regularly made lunches for up to 12 guests, so the space definitely works.

The second question ... "How often do you declutter onboard or do you need to?" The short answer is 'daily' and 'YES.' First of all, this boat *is* cluttered in the sense that we seem to have a lot of 'stuff' -- but it's also fairly organized simply because it has to be. (Our daughter Hailey is a professional organizer and she's probably having a good laugh at that last statement, because it's not how she would have it, but it works for us!) Yes, everything has it's place, that's for sure, and there's not a lot of room for things to get out of hand here.

Some liveaboards have a rule that if you bring anything new onto the boat, you have to give up something old ... we don't follow that religiously, but it's true that we really have to think twice about any acquisitions. When we were first moving aboard and I had to make decisions about what to keep, luckily some things that I was sentimental about were also utilitarian -- the spice rack Jason made for me in grade seven fit perfectly above the stove, and the pottery container Hailey made in high school became the pen holder on my desk, for example.

Shirley didn't ask, but lots of people do: as a knitter, where do I keep my stash? You'd be amazed at how many baskets can fit into 'nooks and crannies' on this boat! I have at least a year's supply of sock yarn alone in just one basket (and if you scroll back up to the picture of the table with the calendar on it, you can just see the top skeins in that basket!) and lots of other yarn on board.

I also have a 12' x 12' storage room, but that's another story! :)

ROCKING AND ROLLING

** I'm participating in NaBloPoMo, so I'm committed to posting something to my blog every single day in November... wish me luck. :-) Since some days it's difficult to think of things to write about, I decided it would be fun to ask YOU for your ideas.

Now's your chance ... if there's something you'd like to know more of about me -- regarding the liveaboard lifestyle, my passion for all things fibre, what it's like to be a grandma, living in Victoria, whatever -- leave me a comment with your question, and that will give me (hopefully) some 'subject fodder' for the month.** 

Grace asked the question  "Have you ever wished your home didn't sway?"


Nope! Most of the time we are tied up to a dock in a marina in a very protected harbour, and if anything, we don't sway enough for our liking -- days can go by and we won't feel any boat movement at all, unless a tugboat goes by too close or too fast! A few times a year (mostly in the winter months) the wind will be strong enough, and from the right direction, to make us bang and bump against the dock through the night, but that's actually kind of fun and reminds us that we *are* living an 'alternative lifestyle.'

Years ago, when we first got this boat, we would get calls from friends or family, every time the wind came up, inviting us to spend the night at someone's house. It took awhile for people to 'get' that this was our home and our choice -- and that, if there was any risk to the boat, we'd rather be ON it where we could react, than away somewere.

We've often said that we live 'close to the elements' (the wind does move us, the rain is literally 4' over my head in the night, an old wooden boat is occasionally drafty, etc.) and we tease friends who have double car garages, 8" thick walls and thermopane windows that they "don't want to get any environment on 'em"... but each to their own. When it's stormy here, we do what lots of folks do: make popcorn, light the fire and hunker down with a warm blanket and a good movie!

Having said all that, when we're away for an overnight or on our annual holiday, we 'swing from the hook' and that's a different story. Most of the time, again, we love it -- but if there's a big wind, we don't necessarily sleep as well as when we know we're safely tied to a dock. And if we're in a busy anchorage where other boats are causing constant wake, it *can* get a little annoying. When my dishes go sliding off the counter and crash on the floor because some idiot in a little power boat wants to show off to his buddies, then I wish my home didn't sway!

SHOW OFF YOUR SOCKS (would that be 'SOYS' for short??)

I'd heard about these things a few years ago, and have been actively searching for them for at least a year. FINALLY located the only supplier in all of North America a few weeks ago, and ordered a pair. They arrived they other day, and I'm just tickled...

They are clear clogs -- knitters can wear them to show off their hand-knit socks! They're really well-made and solid, which is nice -- I have several pairs of 'crocs' or croc 'wannabe's' and these are better made than all of them.

I have the opportunity to import these to Canada if I want ... unfortunately, between the exchange rates and shipping costs, they'd retail for about $40.  So for now, while I think about that, I'm just enjoying wearing my own pair and showing off my socks!

** I'm participating in NaBloPoMo, so I'm committed to posting something to my blog every single day in November... wish me luck. :-) Since some days it's difficult to think of things to write about (stop that laughing) I decided it would be fun to ask YOU for your ideas.

Now's your chance ... if there's something you'd like to know more of about me -- regarding the liveaboard lifestyle, my passion for all things fibre, what it's like to be a grandma, living in Victoria, whatever -- leave me a comment with your question, and that will give me (hopefully) some 'subject fodder' for the month.** (Great question, Grace -- I'll answer that one tomorrow!)

IT'S NOVEMBER 1st

.... and that means it's once again time for NaBloPoMo, and, of course, I've signed up! That means I'm committed to posting something to my blog every single day in November... wish me luck. :-)

So ... since some days it's difficult to think of things to write about (stop that laughing) I decided it would be fun to ask YOU for your ideas.

Now's your chance ... if there's something you'd like to know more of about me -- regarding the liveaboard lifestyle, my passion for all things fibre, what it's like to be a grandma, living in Victoria, whatever -- leave me a comment with your question, and that will give me (hopefully) some 'subject fodder' for the month!

Thanks! I'll leave you with this photo for today from our September holiday...