knit – Cosmicknitter

November 1, 2026November 1, 2026

Every Dog Has a Story

I am obsessed with dogs. It isn’t an exaggeration; it’s fact. I can’t just walk by a dog. I have to stop, ask the human if I may meet their dog, make introductions, get kisses and deliver boops. Most people are fine with this. Occasionally, someone will caution me that for one reason or another, their dog should not be approached. I totally respect that and it is why I ask permission in the first place. I love taking selfies with my new friends.

This is Olaf and his sister Ayla. I met them outside a shop in town. Cheer up, you two!

I recently completed a small scarf using yarn that has been in my stash for 16 years. The yarn is Salt & Pepper by Tilli Tomas. The fiber content is 100% spun silk, single ply, with embedded glass seed beads. You’re thinking “Divine, Regina…absolutely DIVINE!” I will never forget the day I purchased it. October 24, 2010. I was at the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival and was given money to buy something special. This was the prettiest yarn I ever saw. The feel of it, the shine of it, the beautiful soft pink of it! And the beads! This yarn cost me $30/skein. Yarn I could never have afforded on my own.

Just look at this yarn! Stunning!

This yarn was so dear that I wanted to save it for “that special project”. 16 years later and it still sat in my stash, unfulfilled. It was time to knit it. This yarn needed a simple pattern to allow the beads to take center stage and this pattern was a no-brainer. An Italian Summer Scarf by Francesca of An Italian Knitter Designs. The scarf is worked flat, back and forth, from one tip to the other, and it’s all garter stitch with built-in I-cord edges and beautiful eyelets throughout.

While I am very pleased with this scarf, I did not enjoy knitting with this yarn. I KNOW! 16 years of sitting in my stash, garnering legendary unicorn status, this “too-dear-to-actually-knit-with” yarn turned out to be a real pain! 100% silk has no bounce or squish and you all know me, I am nothing if not a bouncy, squishy kinda gal. The beads would get hung up on the surrounding stitches or I would miss grabbing both strands when I knit. The most annoying trait of this yarn was that the silk and the bead strand would knit a different gauge so the silk would bunch up as I knit. I would have to stop periodically and smooth the yarn out and that turned out to be a sweet pain in the arse. An article on the Tin Can Knits website explains this dynamic.

To wind together or not?

It might be tempting to wind both of your yarns together, and if you do this it might be just fine, but I prefer to work from separate balls, and here’s why:

When working with multiple strands I find that one yarn uses very slightly less than the other. It has to do with how the yarns are interacting in each stitch. One strand might sit on top of or below the other, meaning it uses very slightly more or less yarn.

This is a small thing, but over many, many, many stitches it can mean you’ve got one yarn that’s used an inch or two more yarn than the other, so you have to separate the strands in the combined ball, constantly smoothing them out as you go.

It’s only a small annoyance, but if you work from separate balls you won’t have this problem.

There is a lesson for me here, friends. For 16 years I guarded this yarn and deemed it too precious, yet when the time came to work with it, it was a huge disappointment. That’s right up there with saving my new colored markers for a special coloring project as a child and when that time finally came to use them, they were all dried out. I am going to reassess my stash and with a wise eye, pull out any special skeins and get them on the needles. No more hoarding for me. Knit. Them. Up. Girl!

Stash busting and Sock Knitting

I read a blog by Lisa recently (In the Rounds: A Self-Imposed Sock Club) about a self-imposed sock club. The idea came from the creative mind of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the Yarn Harlot. Rather than subscribe to a new sock club, create your own from your stash. Read more about it here: Self Imposed Sock Club 2026. This idea is genius! Pack up one skein of yarn along with a pattern from your library in a brown bag, close it up and put it on the shelf. Do this for 12 skeins. At the start of the new year, pull one bag randomly down from the shelf and cast on just as you would with a sock club subscription. I can see doing this on your own, or as an exchange amongst sock knitting friends. Unfortunately for me, I don’t have any sock knitting friends!

I have bags at the ready, and freshly printed patterns. Not sure if I’ll start with a Christmas Eve cast-on, or New Year’s Eve. You’ll just have to stay tuned.

A few years ago, I received a Bird Buddy as a gift from my son. This is a bird feeder with build-in, solar-powered camera. It takes stills and videos when there is activity or you can view a livestream from your phone. I love watching the birds at the feeder while I am away from the house. Actually, I have been known to watch the livestream from inside my house. Here are a few of my visitors lately:

Can we just take a moment to appreciate Carver’s epic side eye? I love how Bird Buddy identified him. “Dog”. See that Mourning Dove? They are typically ground feeders, but this little one loves sitting at the feeder. When she is feeling particularly sassy, she will turn around and shake her tail feathers at the camera.

Arboreal

I was given this yarn kit by my friend Jennifer. Jennifer loves knitting in various shades of black and grey. She inherited this kit but it was definitely not staying in her stash. It’s the Rodeo colorway by Dragonfly Fibers. Definitely not black or grey.

I found the Arboreal pattern by Jennifer Steingass and imagined the beautiful leaf yoke transitioning from the second deepest red to that bright and sunny yellow. I think it came out pretty well. I always name my projects in Ravelry and this one I called Autumn In Rhinebeck. I made a ton of mistakes with this and my colorwork knitting chops are rusty.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

This shawl was made with donated yarn; Knit Picks Palette in Wheat Heather held together with Borroco Cirrus in the color Mojave. When I ran out of Cirrus, I held 3 strands together of Ice Yarns Baby Alpaca Fingering in White. It was a super way to work down some of my stash.

The pattern is Yowza Weigh It Shawl 2 by Susan B Anderson. This is a great pattern for its simplicity. I was able to knit while in Adoration when some other attendees wanted the lights off. Once you cast on the first stitches, you never have to count again! Just knit until you have about 3 ounces of yarn left for the ribbing and bind off.

I have cast on for another. This one is knit in a bamboo/acrylic blend; much more compatible with charity knits.

This post has lingered in my drafts for quite a while. Isn’t it funny…you don’t hear from me for months, then I get on my own case if a draft stays a draft. Time to wrap things up.

In my cup: Please stop for a moment to appreciate this fantastic tumbler. Oh, she has seen better days, but don’t judge a book by its cover. This is a work horse!

My husband purchased this for me so I could be the envy of every 12 year old girl. And it worked! Isn’t she adorable?

Mrs. Messa…I like your mug!

Mrs. Messa…where did you get that?

OMG…Mrs. Messa…I have the same one!

I bring this to work each day with just a little ice and it stays cold and refreshing all day long!

In my earballs: Dog TV. In case you did not know, this is a thing! My Carver loves it! You know who else does? My 99 yr old mom. When she comes over to the house, I put it on. There is no plot to follow. No commercials. No conversations. Just dogs, music and colorful graphics. She always comments on how much she “loves this movie!” I think this channel could be marketed to senior centers and nursing homes. It is far more engaging then game shows and there is no shortage of goldies! Have I told you about my obsession with dogs?

Saint of the day: All Saints Day. If you have been with me a bit, you know how much I love the saints. The priest at Mass today described the saints as the stained-glass windows – the light of God’s grace shines through them in magnificent color. I loved that! I want to be like that. I am more like that little awning window of the garden shed that has dirt and cobwebs obscuring the light. Full of potential, but desperately in need of a good cleaning!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I look forward to all your comments about how justified I am in writing about ALL. THE. DOGS!

Tomorrow the Church celebrates All Souls’ Day; a day where we pray for all the faithful departed. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Happy November, Friends!

Love to all,

ReginaMary

October 9, 2026October 9, 2026

The Things I Do For Love

Apparently, Melody sleeping on my pillow wasn’t a fleeting fad. I no sooner make the bed, than she jumps up and hogs MY PILLOW! Don’t believe me? I have evidence right here.

EXHIBIT A: This is clearly a dog without boundaries. Look a that tongue. She knows that is my side of the bed. Wanna know what lurks behind that tongue? The razor-sharp teeth of a T-Rex. Now observe what she is sleeping on. If you answered “Hello Kitty pajamas”, you would be correct. I do believe, dear readers, that I heard a collective gasp. What am I to do? What any dog lover would do…wedge myself in the last remaining inch of space left and call it a night. The things we do for love!

In direct response to my post on Melody (Shawshank’s Redemption), my son sent me his version. Somehow I can see her fondling a martini glass with ease and attitude. Just further proof she is a girl with a past.

Filthy, extra dry, Grey Goose.
Shaken.
3 olives, please and thank you.

Knitting Podcasts revisited.

When we spoke last, I mentioned following podcasts that are more informational/tutorial than show and tell. One I would like to share with you is @EarthtonesGirl. Denise is a sock wizard. She has a fabulous tutorial on the Shadow Wrap Short Row Heel that was a game changer for me as a sock knitter. I love a good heel/flap/gusset like the next gal, but could never move beyond the “everybody stop talking…I’m turning a heel” paralysis that came with it. Then I watched Denise’s podcast and my world changed. I found myself turning heels at the diner, or while watching football! I was incorporating contrasting heels like a bandit! (and we know bandits are all about contrasting heels!). I found new purpose for those small quantities of sock yarn from other projects. I was free, people…I was FREE! Free to knit all the socks and that is what I have been doing.

Here are a few:

Knit for my husband on 2.25mm 9″ circular needles. The yarn is Yarn to Dye For in the Serendipity Colorway. All my notes can be found here: Vanilla Hawks. The yarn was a gift from my friend Jen, who knew socks in our school colors would make this school secretary very happy!

Next up, a pair of gift socks. These will be part of a Christmas present for a special someone. Shhhh…

These were a Christmas Eve cast-on. Thanks to some time off from work and absolutely DIVINE yarn, I knit these in less than 2 weeks (a total record for this gal!). The yarn is Malabrigo Sock in the Archangel colorway.

Note to dyers: There are some knitters (me) who will buy yarn just because of the name of the colorway.

Another note: I will also buy a bottle of wine because there is a dog on the label.

…and maybe I have been known to buy diapers because Hello Kitty is on them.

Back to the socks. This yarn is so great to work with. I did not want this project to end.

The final pair I will share come with an interesting story. I received the yarn from a friend whose cat wreaked havoc on a new skein of yarn. Sound familiar? Anyone? I have that creepy gene that makes untangling yarn and things enjoyable. She gave it to me and said “If you can untangle it, you can have it!” I had it straightened out in no time. The yarn is Schoppel-wolle Jeans Ball in the color Nacht Und Nebel (Night and Fog). It’s a lovely, sturdy German sock yarn. As a way of thanking her, I made her socks with it. I get the pleasure of knitting the socks and she gets the pleasure of wearing them. Except for one small detail. I knit sock #1 on Chiaogoo 9″ Circulars which proved to be too slippery for this wool. For sock #2, I switched to bamboo dpn.

But Regina…why, oh why would you tempt the knitting gods like that. You know switching needles mid-project is baaaad juju!

It’ll be fine. I’m fine. I know what I am doing. Thankfully, I use stitch markers to mark every 10 rows so I know my socks will be identical. My friend now has one pair comprised of two completely different sized socks. Congraturitos, Regina. She wears them to bed and thankfully, in her sleep, her feet don’t know the difference.

This just in from the knitting gods…Never change needles mid project. It’s not fine. It will never be fine.

Socks for Carmela…No, I am not giving you the satisfaction of seeing both socks! Just imagine “worst-case scenario” and go from there.

See those stitch markers? They are mocking me.

Well, my friends, that is all the knitting I have for you today. I thank God the people I knit for have two feet. Double the fun! Or in Carmela’s case, a very odd pair of socks.

I hope everyone in the US is looking forward to a long relaxing Columbus Day weekend. A special “HELLO!” to all my readers in China! Wow! According to my stats, there are a lot of you. I am grateful for your time. Thank you for the visit.

In my cup: Water. Plain ‘ol water with lemon. As my husband recently mused: “Babe, this tastes really…healthy.” It’s water, babe. Water is healthy.

In my earballs: This ding-dong who is currently losing his mind because the mailman is coming.

Saint of the Day: St. John Henry Newman. John Henry Newman was born in England in 1801. He had his first real experience with God at the age of 15. He converted to evangelical Christianity and began university studies at Oxford. During his time at University, he began studying the Fathers of the Church. He found that the Fathers had a vision of the Church alive in her faith, unified and growing. “Some portions of their teaching,” Newman wrote, “came like music to my inward ear.” Isn’t that a beautiful sentiment?? In 1845 and after many years of study and struggles with prejudices against the Church of Rome, he asked a poor Italian missionary to hear his confession and he entered the Catholic Church. He went on to become a priest, then a bishop and now a saint. Here are two quotes that spoke to me:

“Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather that it shall never have a beginning.”

“A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault.”

Not to make this post any longer than it already is, but…As we strive for perfection in our culture-the perfect home, perfect hair/face/nails, perfect job, perfect children, perfect gardens, how often do we miss out on living our lives because we have bought into the LIE that we have to be perfect. Guess what? We are all flawed and no amount of AI or social media filters will ever change that. So for all of you who dream about doing something but hesitate because “you’re not any good,” STOP IT! Go! Do! Begin!

Oh, I do love chatting with you all. May God bless you and yours. I look forward to catching up in the comments.

Love, Regina Mary

October 6, 2026October 11, 2026

Dear Dante, Why Stop at Nine?

Shawshank has been at it again. This time, it involved a little black and white interloper at 5:00 a.m.

One thing that can be said about our dear Melody is that she is efficient. No blood. No fur flying. Just one dead skunk.

Because of this, I have discovered what may be an undocumented terrace of the Inferno. Had Dante been a dog owner, he may have considered sending the betrayers into an eternity experiencing the eye-watering counter-defense of a close-range skunk blast rather than a frozen lake.

Otherworldly.

Melody’s ruthless efficiency is nothing short of legendary. To dispatch an interloper with such quiet, bloodless precision at five in the morning is the work of a seasoned guardian—even if her prize choice left us paying the ultimate toll.

I was transformed from a sleepy pet owner into a groomer, laundress, sanitization engineer, and undertaker, and still managed to be at my desk a mere sixty seconds late! That is not just a morning routine; that is an epic labor worthy of classical myth. I didn’t just survive the tenth circle; I conquered it before most people had finished their first cup of coffee.

Here’s hoping that Melody decides that nine circles of trouble are enough for the foreseeable future!

Carver would like to speak to the manager about the smell.

Enough murder and mayhem, let’s talk about knitting.

I test knit a new sock pattern by the lovely Judy Jewell of Autumn Acorn Knits. The pattern is Magic Heel Socks DK Vanilla. I knit these using Zwerger Garn Opal Paradise 6 ply in the “Quelle Der Freude” (“Wellspring of Joy”) colorway. This is a sweet and fun pattern; essentially a glamorous tube sock! I would say this is an ideal sock pattern for those who have found sock knitting fussy. This pattern is great for beginners, knitters with aging eyes, social knitters, on-the-go knitters. You don’t have to be a very experienced knitter to modify this to different sizes or yarn weights. It’s all about proportion, baby! I know many knitters who can’t stand knitting socks. I think a pattern like this will open up the world of sock knitting to so many. I also think this is a great option for gift knitting. You don’t have to worry about exact measurements necessarily; they will fit a wide range of sizes. Also, you could drop down a needle size on the ribbing if you wanted to increase the heel “hug factor”. To avoid too much slouch, be sure to knit these with some negative ease.

Opal 6 ply is a bouncy, squishy yarn in an endless supply of colorways. Socks made with Opal wear like iron and look too cute to hide in shoes.

While you are cruising along on your Magic Heel Socks, take in an episode of Judy’s podcast https://www.youtube.com/@TheAutumnAcornKnits

Speaking of podcasts…I don’t watch many. Too often, it is just a lot of “look at what I bought”. The ones I do enjoy tend to focus on the process of knitting rather than showing off stuff. One that I have enjoyed for years is Knitting the Stash with Melissa Littlefield. Melissa dives into knitting modifications and garment design with an accessible manner making the process seem down right possible! I always enjoy her content. She recently authored a book called Reinventing Wool-How a Natural Fiber Survived the Synthetic Revolution. Stay tuned for a review!

Cheerios at Church?

From time to time, and for no particular reason, I look down at the floor under my feet while I am at Mass. Twice recently when I did this, I spotted Cheerios that were obviously dropped by a child. It made me think of the effort that goes into getting a family ready for Mass. It also reminded me of a young mother who had three children, all under the age of six, at a 7:30 a.m. Mass recently. I got to thinking about the possibility that a future saint sat in that pew—nibbling away on Cheerios while listening to the readings and Gospel. I know many families who don’t go to church because of the fuss that the little ones can make. I understand that because I was one of them. Now, when I see children attending Mass, I am thrilled (especially if the little girls are wearing Hello Kitty dresses)! If you are a young parent and are reading this, please don’t stay home on my account. Take the time and a deep breath, and bring your children to church. You may never know the lives those little ones of yours impact, but I am better for having them there. Honestly, there isn’t a priest on the planet who doesn’t give at least one homily that is improved by the crying of a baby.

Well, that about does it for now. Thank you for taking the time to sit and visit. I look forward to sharing more knitting and murder with you soon!

Many blessings in your day!

Regina

In my earballs: The sound of the first fire of the season starting to catch!

In my cup: Dragon Pearl Jasmine by Harney & Sons. Find it here: Harney & Sons Dragon Pearl Jasmine.

Do yourself a favor and buy this tea loose. The leaves don’t fully expand properly in those sachets.

Remind me to tell you about that mug next time!

Saint of the Day: Saint Bruno was born around 1030 in Cologne, Germany, and is the founder of the Carthusian Order—a religious community that has quietly witnessed to the power of prayer, silence, and contemplation. Although he left behind no formal rule for his order, the example of his life as a hermit formed the Carthusian vocation in humility, simplicity, and union with God. No, he did not write a formal rule, but humility, simplicity, and unity with God are absolutely an antidote to the challenges we face in this life. St. Bruno, pray for us!

March 22, 2024March 23, 2024

Spring Break!

Two sixth grade girls came to the office to turn in a lost lock. Naturally, I showered them with all the love and fuss that a school secretary can muster. “Thanks girls, you’re the BEST!” To which they replied “No, YOU are! You’re iconic!” ICONIC! Do you know who is iconic to a middle school girl? Taylor Swift (and I have it on good authority that these girls are hard and fast Swifties). Well, if TS can have Swifties, then it’s only fitting that Mrs. Messa have “Messies”. I am taking pre-orders for t-shirts!! Tour to follow!

It is Friday afternoon. We just started our Spring Break. If I could bottle the energy the kids have on a day like today, I would make millions selling it. If you ever wonder where they get their energy, look around the halls of their schools…they suck it out of the teachers and staff!!

The Knits

I’ve been making a lot of gift knits lately. The thing about gift knits is that you give them freely in the hopes that the receiver loves them as much as you do. But they may not. And that’s ok! But doesn’t it feel so good to see your hand knits being worn and loved?

My latest knit is another gift for the new grand niece. After knitting the Kayleena by Taiga Hillard, I knew I would find a pattern in her extensive collection. I landed on the Edna Rose. This is a little bolero type sweater in “just right” sizes. The new baby has a two year old sister and I had enough yarn to make a little/big sister set. Here is the “little”one.

Somebody stop me!

See that sweet postcard? That was included in my button purchase from Pigeon Wishes on Etsy. The postcard came with a personal note and a garment tag to add to my knit. I know people push for shopping local, but I get far better service and attention to detail from my favorite vendors on Etsy than I do locally. Raise your hand if you have ever walked into a LYS and gotten the cold shoulder.

I have another pair of socks on the needles. The stitch pattern is based on Hermione’s Everyday Sock by Erica Lueder. I am modifying the pattern to knit toe-up and two-at-a-time.

These are knit with Rowan Sock yarn in the Coral colorway. This is a single ply yarn that is soft and pleasant to knit with. I started with the Turkish cast-on and for the heel, I want to try something a little different. I have been reading about the Simultaneous Heel Flap and Gusset technique on The Kninja Knitter blog and it seems to provide toe-up sock knitters with a way to knit a sock with a heel flap and gusset. Be still my beating heart! Stay tuned for the reveal.

Carver!

Our boy is becoming such a sweet little snuggler. I think he is losing his “puppy look” although my son assures me he will always be the little puppy.

Look at him, all grown up!

The Colleagues

You know from my posts about Halloween and cheese in a can just how much I love my colleagues. In many ways we are all cut from the same cloth.

I’m not like this because I work in a middle school.

I work in a middle school because I’m like this.
~Some wise school secretary

A colleague asked if I had hot sauce for her lunch. I opened my desk drawer and produced 4 different bottle of sauce in various flavors and intensities. You’re welcome…

A few days later, she appeared with this:

I love my job!

I am having difficulty deciding which ones to keep in the desk and which ones to take home.

The Poem

Recently, another blogger, Nanacathydotcom, wrote about Spring. She wondered if any readers had a favorite poem about the “renewal of the seasons.” My reply? Spring, by Walt Whitman.

Spring (first stanza)

To frozen clods ever the spring’s invisible law returns,
In the soft rose and pale gold of the declining light,
I heard the first hum and preparation of awakening spring—very faint,
Whether in the earth or roots, or starting of insects, I know not—but it was audible,
Then the first chirping, almost singing, of a bird,
And the grass not without proofs of coming fulness—
Palpable spring indeed, or the indications of it.
Walt Whitman

This poem is long; a full 18 stanzas. If this speaks to your heart like it does to mine, you can enjoy the full writing here: In the Words of Walt Whitman. Spring has always held such a feeling of hope for me. I recall walking in the yard and the woods behind my childhood home looking at all the newly sprouted buds and nesting birds. Daddy would leave scraps of old rags out and about for the birds and I would delight in finding a nest with one of those scraps woven in amongst the twigs. To this day, I toss yarn scraps around for the birds to claim. They seem to love the colors as much as I do! It is such a special time of year.

As we enter into Holy Week, I wish everyone a beautiful, restorative and hope filled Spring!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

ReginaMary

In my cup:

A shot of Makers Mark bourbon. (Did I mention I work in a middle school and it was the last day before Spring Break?) At least I waited until I got home.

In my ears: Nothing. Silence. (Did I mention I work in a middle school and it was the last day before Spring Break?)

Saint of the Day: Saint Darerca of Ireland was a sister of Saint Patrick. Aside from her relationship with the well known Irish Patron Saint, Saint Darerca was known for her piety and her many offspring (14 sons and 2 daughters). Many of her children went on the become bishops and later saints. She is the Patroness of Valentia Island, located off the west coast of Ireland.

March 5, 2024

Say Cheese!

I intend to welcome Daylight Savings Time with the maturity and unwavering grace you have come to expect from me.

Also me:

And a happy March to all!

I have always required at least 8 hours of sleep. My mother would tell stories of me as a child, able to sleep through everything. I am a sleeper to this day. While I don’t appreciate losing an hour in March, I tell myself the promise of spring is worth the sacrifice. I had plans for that hour, friends.

On to the knits.

Another pair of socks are off the needles. Knit with Opal 8-ply sock yarn in the “Lieblicher Sonnenstrahl” colorway (this translates to “Lovely Ray of Sunshine”). These began as another pair of Helgen Socks, so I named them after Spyro the Purple Dragon. As I worked the pattern, I was not in love with how the pattern and the stripes looked together, so I frogged and cast on for a plain vanilla sock. So glad I did. I knit these cuff down on 3.25mm/US 3 double-pointed needles. These socks were a quick knit, and the resulting pair is soft and squishy. They also happen to be in Rhinebeck school colors. Go Hawks!

As knitters, I think we can all agree that knitting for the littles is one of the greatest pleasures. The projects are adorable and they work up in no time. Our niece recently gave birth to a baby girl. She came early and the minute we got word of her arrival, I threw myself down the rabbit hole of wonderful patterns by Taiga Hilliard aka Cashmere Junkie. The most difficult part of the process was finding just the right pattern. They are all so stinking cute! I finally decided on Kayleena, a sweet little dress with a lace yoke, empire waist and full skirt.

I chose Cotton Fine by Brown Sheep Co. in the Faded Hydrangea colorway from stash. This is an 80% Cotton, 20% Merino fingering weight yarn that I held double. I obtained gauge using 3.25mm needles.

Almost as fun as knitting the sweater is shopping for the buttons. These little cuties are made by Pigeon Wishes on Etsy in the Neverland color.

This dress can be worn year round and hopefully for many years, first as a dress, then as a tunic. Does it surprise you that I have cast on for the next outfit already?

My husband is convinced that working with middle school students keeps me young. His fear is that retirement will have a ‘Dorian Gray’ affect on me. I’m not worried. I think middle school is a good fit for me and my “tweenager” sense of humor. This week, the program I use for writing our school newsletter added a feature that enables me to write in cheese. Not just any cheese, mind you…cheese from a can!

From cheese to pickles!

My dear husband pondered what would happen if my name was Pickles and there was a ‘Regina‘ font. And that right there is why we are meant for each other.

So, what would you be doing for an hour if it weren’t for that confounded Daylight Savings Time? I’d most likely be sleeping.

Be well, and thank you for stopping by!

Love,

ReginaMary

Saint of the Day: St. Piran. Piran was a hermit near Padstow in Cornwall. He is the patron saint of tin mines, and Cornwall. Not much information is available about this saint, but I was taken by this stained glass.

In my cup: Harney & Sons Staatsburgh Blend Tea. According to the tin, Staatsburgh State Historic Site was the Gilded Age estate of Ogden & Ruth Livingston Mills, located directly on the Hudson River (and down the road from the Cosmicknitter!) It is a black tea with apricot, red cornflowers, hazelnut and nutmeg. Delish!

In my earballs: My husband has been thoroughly enjoying Johnny Costa Plays Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Jazz. Johnny Costa was the musical director of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.” When we are not listening to the music, my hunny is playing it on the piano. It’s such a good feeling…

February 20, 2024February 20, 2024

Apotheosis

Some of the best dreams I’ve ever had are the ones in which I am flying. Not in a plane, rather soaring like a bird in the air. I had a recurring dream as a child that began at my front door. I would run toward our hill and before I knew it, I was airborne. It was magical. I could see the tops of houses in my neighborhood and familiar roads that took me into town. It wasn’t a dream filled with unfamiliar sights, it was my neighborhood, my town and my home. At some point I learned I could control my dream. I recall a time where in my dream I suddenly began losing altitude. I thought “I’m falling!” as I frantically flapped my arms. I felt like Peter feebly attempting to walk on water toward Jesus. Then I started telling myself “I can fly, I can fly!” and just like that, I took off into the air once more. On more than one occasion I woke up in tears because I didn’t want the dream to end.

In my last post, I reference the video game Journey. It is a breath-taking game where the main character’s ability for flight features prominently in the game play. Oh how I longed to play! No long after I wrote that post, my son found the game as a download from the PlayStation Store, and I booted up. This game was everything I imagined and more. The music and scenery were evocative and beautiful. With each level, I became familiar with the landscapes and more comfortable with my character’s ability to fly (thanks to the scarf). As I moved closer to the end, the energy and intensity increased until the final level, Apotheosis, which culminated in a powerful and exhilarating ascent to the top of a magnificent mountain. The game ended. The credits rolled. I cried. It was that same feeling of freedom and awe I felt as a little girl who dreamed she could fly.

Now, on to the knits.

I completed the Wild Posy by Melody Hoffmann. This was a thoroughly enjoyable knit, but it was not without its drama. I was cruising along on the first sleeve when I thought I would try it on for length. I could barely get my arm in! Nothing in the pattern seemed off and I still don’t know what the problem was, but I needed to do some serious tinking. Except, of course, that this is Plotulopi…the “moody child” of the knitting world. There is no ripping or tinking back, only cutting. I cut the sleeve off, people!! You heard me. I collected my supplies: sharp scissors, strong bourbon and a deep breath. I cut about 1″ from where I picked up for the sleeves and went to town. And it worked! I had one row of stitches to wrestle with, inserted my needles and went back at it. This time, I didn’t decrease the full number of stitches and was sure to check the fit as I went. This sweater is warm and lightweight. The yoke is subtle but elegant.

Next off the needles was Declan, a sweet little knit for a sweet little boy.

The pattern is #214 Baby Pullover by Diane Soucy Knitting Pure and Simple. A joy to make, this knit up in a week using Blue Sky Fibers Sweater Worsted. A blend of merino and cotton, this is my favorite yarn when it comes to knitting for ‘The Littles’.

Here’s another “Little Knit”!

“Lil Will” , modeled by Lil Will himself is #37 Top Down Roll Raglan by Melinda Goodfellow of Yankee Knitter Designs. The yarn is a Yowza skein from Miss Babs in the Petrified Forest colorway. Have you ever knit with a Yowza? There is a whopping 560 yds in each skein! Say it with me…YOWZA! That’s a lotta yarn. Another great choice for easy-to-care-for hand knits, Yowza is a hand dyed superwash merino with enough yardage to knit a sweater for 6 mos to 2 yr. You might know Miss Babs from the insane line at the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival. Here’s a pro tip. While you stand in line for your yarn, send someone out for the cider donuts.

Taking my cue from a fellow blogger, I cast on for a JuJu Beanie by Aspen Leaf Knits. What a fun and satisfying knit! This knit up in a day. What makes a better beanie? Matching mittens, of course!

I went deep diving into stash for this wool. Techno, by Blue Sky Fibers, is considered a blown fiber. It unique construction consists of baby alpaca blown into a mesh tube of silk. It looks like single ply but without the spitting. Imagine whole lotta soft, spun into a tube, filled with fluff, then wrapped in a cloud. It’s like that; bulky but light, soft and cozy warm. The hat and mittens were knit with two strands held together. Notice the pom-pom? I am getting wise in my old age. This in no way resembles a tennis ball, therefore the little terrorist leaves it alone. Good Carver! I am not sure why the ribbing looks so wonky. Good thing I’ll be tucking that in my coat.

Not that long ago, I knit a Felix Pullover by Amy Christoffers aka Savory Knitting. I loved the pattern and the beautiful blue Donegal Tweed yarn. The sweater mysteriously found its way to my mother’s closet, but I longed for one of my own. I chose the same Donegal Tweed yarn in purple. Here is Felix 2.0, or as I have named it “Please Don’t Give This One Away“. (I’m looking at you, Robert!)

The Felix is one of those patterns you don’t mind knitting again and again. No modifications to this sweater, and this one is mine, all mine!

Finally, there has been action on the sock front. I cast on for these over a year ago. I had completed one sock and was working on the second when tragedy struck:

Carver found the ball of yarn for sock number two and chewed the top right off. So many things went into time out that night. The socks, my dog, and eventually me. Oh, I finally found a replacement skein from half-way around the globe, but by the time I had the heart to cast on sock #2 it was the fall.

These are Helgen Socks by Anna Lena aka Anna Knitter. They are knit with Opal 6 ply making them a warm, thick and slouchy pair of socks for wearing inside boots or around the house. What makes them so special is that I blocked them in a bucket of my tears.

I hope you all are well. That little groundhog better have his facts straight. I feel the sun getting stronger and warmer every day.

Thank you for stopping by my crazy corner of the world. Until next time, be well.

Love,

ReginaMary

Saint of the Day: St. Jacinta Marto, youngest visionary of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal in 1917. Her Patronage is broad:

• against bodily ills or sickness
• captives, prisoners
• people ridiculed for their piety
• sick people

I would like us to offer up a silent prayer to the victims of sex-trafficking. May God help them and have mercy on their tormentors. (don’t mean to be a downer, but seriously.)

In my cup:

Harney & Sons Formosa Oolong. Anything that can get away with “oo” is OOK in my book. Great brew!

In my ears:

Almost Blue from a live performance by Chet Baker. I was reading Kate Davies blog post from Sunday where she shared a playlist of songs about “Blue”. When she solicited other songs about ‘blue’ this is what I shared.

Here is the original Almost Blue by the inimitable Elvis Costello, featuring Chet Baker.

I can’t even…

January 18, 2024January 18, 2024

The Traveler

In the video game Journey, you set out on a trek to a mountain in the distance as an unnamed little character known simply as the Traveler. In this game, scarves feature prominently. As the main character advances, his scarf grows in length allowing for increased flight. It is a beautiful feature of the game. This is a game that successfully argues the “video games as art” debate. The soundtrack is performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. I wish I had this one on my shelf.

A few years back, I wrote about my adventures on the Long Island Yarn Crawl. It was a 3 part post because I visited so many great shops. In the last and final post, I spoke about The Knitting Garden in Huntington and the amazing door prize I won. For a trip down memory lane, click here.

Fast forward…

The kit included in the gift was for Quench by Lisa Richardson. This is a light-as-a-feather scarf knit with Rowan Cashmere Haze, a yarn spun from alpaca, cashmere and silk. Ermagerd! Remember the TV show “I Dream of Jeannie”? I imagine the inside of her bottle decorated with pillows and throws made with this stuff. It is divine!

The scarf is knit with two strands held together, creating very subtle color blocks. The finished scarf is 85″. This crazy length combined with the airy nature of the fabric lends itself to much wrapping around the neck. As an aside, once you start wearing this scarf, it curls in on itself a lot! It looks like one long narrow tube. I would definitely knit a wider selvedge if I were to make it again.

Carver footnote: We have moved beyond the yarn eating phase.

Another project off the needles is the Constellate Hat by Hunter Hammersen. Her patterns are clever and visually appealing, but this was not one of my favorite knits. I really did not enjoy working on this as much as I had hoped and it has nothing to do with the pattern. Maybe it was the choice of yarn? The hat is warm and the squish factor is high, but making the elongated stitches proved a bit tedious.

This hat was knit with Fully Spun 3 ply Sport, a deep jewel-toned marled yarn in the colorway Orion, and Cloudborn Fibers Alpaca in Rose Heather for the accent. Unfortunately, I do not have enough left over for a second pom-pom.

School was closed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., and a snow storm was heading our way. That’s the perfect time to get in the kitchen. I took the opportunity to teach my son how to fabricate chicken wings and make a quick stock from the discarded tips. It is a good skill for a twenty-something fella to possess. He is good company in the kitchen and the end results were delish!

I hope everyone had happy holidays and a smooth transition into the new year!

Love to all!

Regina

Saint of the Day: St. Charles of Sezze. This is a new-to-me saint, but I fell in love with him immediately. St. Charles worked as a shepherd as a child. He joined the Franciscan order as a lay brother. His ability to read or write was limited so he served the order as a cook, porter and gardener. I read where he was described as “an accident waiting to happen”, starting a huge kitchen fire while cooking onions! What’s not to love about this man! There’s a little ReginaMary in this fella! St. Charles’ desire to be poor and to serve the poor made him a blessing to many. I could not find his patronage mentioned anywhere in my readings. Rest assured I will remember St. Charles the next time I forget the rolls under the broiler!

In My Cup: More of that yummy Barry’s Tea in this adorable travel mug. woof!

In My Earballs: Journey (Original Video Game Soundtrack)

December 5, 2023

She’s Come Undone

It feels like I am coming out of a blogging hibernation. It was a long period of very little knitting and no writing. I am delighted to be back in the company of all you wonderful bloggers and readers!

As I get back into it, I would like to share my latest project: The Wild Posy, by Melodie Hoffmann. Many things make this sweater special so I will start at the beginning with the yarn.

The sweater was designed with Plötulopi, an unspun Icelandic wool. If you have ever worked with Lopi, this will feel familiar. It is a lovely, toothy wool. But it is unspun. UNSPUN, people! The yarn breaks if you look at it crossly. The yarn was given to me by my bestie who tried her darndest to like it, but soon learned it was best to part ways. As I swatched for this sweater, the yarn broke on the regular. It seems the yarn and I were coming undone. I so wanted this to work; I really loved this pattern. Not to be deterred, I decided to carry a strand of Baby Alpaca Fingering by Ice Yarns. The name is deceptive; this is really not a fingering weight. I would describe it as more of a fine lace weight yarn.

The cast:

The strand of Alpaca did the trick and knitting commenced.

In spite of its tendency to break, this yarn has some wonderful qualities. When it does break, just grab the two ends, rub between your palms and it THAT’S IT! No spit needed. (how often does a gal get to say that?)

You can see the textured yoke in the bottom photo. This is achieved by knitting stitches out of turn, much like cables. There is no need to use a cable needle, however, the stitches hang out and wait for their turn to be picked up due to the nature of the grippy wool. Finally, this has to be one of the lightest weight sweaters I have ever knit. Now that I am knitting the body, the sweater should be done in no time. Maybe in time for Christmas.

Another project recently off the needles is the Snowglobe Hat by Tin Can Knits. Knit with a strand of The Knitting Goddess BFL and that versatile Baby Alpaca mentioned above, this hat was a fun and fast knit. The pattern was easy enough to memorize. If you decide to knit one for yourself, read the pattern through before casting on. The designers create the crown decreases in pattern. It is that attention to detail that makes this a keeper. This hat is a gift for my beautiful sister!

School Shenanigans!

Nothing makes the work day fly by quite like shenanigans.

See if you can guess the references.

This has been sitting in the office since early September, waiting to be installed.

Two by Two Zoo came to the school as part of our Madagascar Day activities. I got kissed by this little joey. I thought we bonded, but apparently he detected the smell of cheese on my breath. I knew someday someone would find that attractive!

Let’s wrap it up, shall we?

Saint of the Day: St. John the Wonder-Worker. St. John the Wonder-Worker died on this day in the year 750. John was a fierce defender of sacred images. This position placed him in considerable danger. But fear not! This saint performed so many miracles that the ruler, Emperor Leo V was afraid to prosecute him. I am personally grateful for this man. Sacred images and icons deeply enrich my time in prayer and meditation.

What’s in my cup: This hot deliciousness:

It’s Ireland’s finest after all…Curious if my friends across the pond drink this.

In my earballs: Pardon my Stash, knitting podcast. This bunch hail from Connecticut and spend a little time talking about knitting and a lot of time laughing. They are geeks so I love them!

Be well and take care!

Love,

ReginaMary

September 16, 2021April 2, 2024

I See What You Did There

About the eyeballs.

When you work at a middle school and you’re friends with the art teacher, googly eyes are bound to appear.

It appears I took the summer off from writing. It wasn’t intentional, I assure you, but during the summer months, I love spending as much of my free time outside as I possibly can. I love the heat and humidity and enjoy working in the yard until the sweat drips off the tip of my nose.

We took a trip up to Autumn Lake again and it was wonderful. I made many new friends. There were two beavers, a barred owl and blue heron on the lake. It was fun watching the activity on and around the water. It was an encounter with a playful Loon that was the highlight. I found myself playing hide-and-seek with this guy:

Razz enjoyed his time at the lake as well. He made himself right at home in my suitcase.

The yard is shaping up and I enjoyed hours and hours of playing in the dirt and hauling stone. We added a number of plants which attract pollinators. Here are a few images:

**St. John’s Wort is a bumble bee’s paradise**

I managed a bit of knitting this summer. I tried knitting socks from the toe up using the Turkish cast-on and absolutely loved it! Using Lolodidit Plush Sock in the Auburn Tiger colorway, this pair of vanilla socks fit my son perfectly. I did a German short row heel which turned out fine, but I am not in love with it. If you knit your socks toe up, what is your favorite heel?

I also finished the Felix Pullover by Amy Christoffers. I loved everything about this project. My project notes can be found here. The yarn is Donegal Tweed by Tahki in Blue. This sweater was gifted to my mama for her 94th birthday. I hope to get a photo of her modeling it, but here are some photos of it blocking. This is a straightforward top-down raglan design with lace detail at the increases. Look at all the pretty, tweedy bits.

The only modification I made to the pattern is on the cuff. Rather than finishing with the same 1×1 rib as the hem, I finished with an I-cord bind off. I like the nice, neat finish it provides. I don’t like cuffs that get out of shape. I plan on making a Felix for myself. I might even choose the same yarn, too. Yes, that is how much I liked this project.

Do you remember the Perth yarn I attempted socks with on three separate occasions? I finally found a project that suited the wool nicely. The Sockhead Cowl by Kelly McClure is a classic. Her other pattern, Sockhead Hat is equally popular. I found the Perth yarn to be a bit fussy, so the simplicity of the Sockhead created a nice balance. I love the results. I have another ball of Perth in my stash, and rather than pull my hair out again, I just might cast on another Sockhead. Aren’t the colors pretty?

How many of you are planning on taking part in Stephen West’s next MKAL? I am the world’s worst when it comes to knitting timelines. Nonetheless, my friend Katherine suggested it and well…anything that I do with her is a hoot! The pattern calls for 5 skeins of fingering weight yarn in 5 different colors. Here are mine:

From top to bottom: Miss Babs-Babette “Thankful”, Suburban Stitcher-Silky Single “Sage”, Emma’s Yarn-Hella Hank “Mood”, Shirsty Cat Designs-Sock “Druid’s Rest” and Jill Draper Makes Stuff-Windham (unknown colorway).

Even though I am not a huge fan of the designer, I absolutely LOVE these yarns, so I feel good about the project. This is really busting down my fingering weight yarn stash.

The final item on the needles is a pair of socks. Deep stash merino and bamboo sock yarn purchased years ago at a craft chain. Another toe-up pair, but I have not decided on the heel to use.

Suggestions, anyone?

In non-knitting related news, school is open and all the kids are back! I am waiting for someone to figure out how to bottle up all that middle school energy and sell it to old goats like me. According to my fitbit, on the first day of school, I walked over 18,000 steps and 7.5 miles by the end of the school day.

For my first post in months, this is not very exciting. I have been keeping very low key and off line in an effort to maintain my sanity. I don’t have much to work with so I have to guard every bit! I am way behind on reading my favorite blogs as well. I look forward to seeing what everyone has been up to in the knitting/crafting/blogging world.

Thanks for stopping by!

ReginaMary

In my cup: Lavazza Perfetto coffee (molto delizioso)

In my earballs: The birds quarreling at the feeder.

Saint of the Day: September 17: St. Hildegard of Bingen. One of my absolute favorites! St. Hildegard was an abbess, artist, author, composer, mystic, pharmacist, poet, preacher, theologian. She is a Doctor of the Church. She is a rock star. From the time she was a little girl, she began having visions. Hildegard’s visions caused her to see humans as “living sparks” of God’s love, “coming from God as daylight comes from the sun”. Virtuous living reduces the estrangement from God and others that sin causes. Like all mystics, Hildegard saw the harmony of God’s creation and the place of women and men in that.

Being in nature always brings me closer to God and the writings and philosophies of St. Hildegard really speak to these experiences. Feeling stressed out? Put the kettle on, light a candles and let this beautiful music fill your heart. Voices of Angels – Voices of Ascension

“The Word is living, being, spirit, all verdant greening, all creativity. This Word manifests itself in every creature.” —Saint Hildegard of Bingen

Note: the featured image is “Cosmos, Body and Soul” by St. Hildegard

November 2, 2020April 2, 2024

Yes, Sir…That’s my Baby!

I don’t know how it gets to be a month between posts. I admire all of you who write daily or weekly. I really do.

I have two grown boys, aged 27 and 25 years. Who is my real baby? I think you all know.

This guy:

A few weeks ago Razz developed a growth on his lower lip. It grew quickly and it was ugly. His vet said she doesn’t like to play around with things on a dog’s mouth, so off it came! He did great. Surgery was uneventful and he came home without the cone-o-shame. The biopsy showed it was cancer. Good news is that the vet got it all and the skin around the site is healthy. Look at that face. Tragic.

Besides fretting about Razz, what have I been up to? I have had a productive few weeks. I have finished objects, people! You were introduced to some of these projects here: https://cosmicknitter.com/2020/09/22/sound-and-fury-signifying-nothing/

I am very proud of this sweater. It is Savage Heart by Amy Cristoffers. There were obstacles, but not with the pattern. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. This had some ‘new-to-me’ techniques. The sweater is knit in two halves and from side to side. It also has an applied I-cord edge on the bottom which I loved doing! And finally, I learned how to seam reverse stockinette along side seams as well as a bound-off edge. I am very pleased with the results. I am going to wear the HECK outta this one!

Next off the needles was the Larks Alvina by Louisa Harding. I would describe this as a nice palate cleanser! Easy pattern to follow using two balls of Morehouse Farm Merino Lace.

The last project to come off the needles was another Barley Light. I received a surprise delivery a few weeks ago. The doorbell rang and I was greeted by my son who was bearing gifts from his client, Bill, with the message “pretty please?” How could I resist? The tomatoes were supposed to go into sauce, but I ate them whole with a little sea salt and black pepper.

This is a great pattern and the yarn is from Sawkill Farm which is 10 minutes away in Red Hook, NY.

I love a good impulse buy as much as the next gal, so when I saw this fella online, I had to pick up a few for my knitting friends. I love his face. Here are photos of our front stoops. Mine is in the middle. I’m going to call her “Baaabs”.

We are planning a much needed vacation to Orwell, NY.

See that little dock? I love to sit there and say my prayers each morning.

Razz can’t go swimming because of his surgery, but there is no reason why he can’t go canoeing with his mama. These were taken last year. It was his first time in a boat.

Welp, that’s all folks. This post took forever and day to finally make it out of drafts!

Have a blessed day and kiss your favorite furry!

Love,

ReginaMary

In my ears: The wind is howling and gusting. Such a great sound!

In my cup: Tomato Bisque and black pepper crackers…I could eat this every day.

Saint of the Day: Today is All Souls Day! All Souls Day is a holy day set aside for honoring the dead. The day is primarily celebrated in the Catholic Church, but it is also celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and a few other denominations of Christianity. The Anglican church is the largest protestant church to celebrate the holy day.

To wind together or not?

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

The Knits

Carver!

The Colleagues

The Poem

Spring (first stanza)

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

School Shenanigans!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!

This is too good not to share!