springtime!

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. I downloaded the latest upgrade to my browser on Zelyoni (the laptop) and for some reason it doesn't let me push the "publish post" button.

So now I'm on Blancissimo (the desktop), who has his own fair share of problems. (Randomly as I type, it goes to another window so my typing is ineffective. What window? I have no idea, but when I click back in this one it's fine for awhile, until it goes into "start-stop-go-stop-what-go-stop... mode.)

Anyway. Happy Spring! And, happy Holy Week (almost). (Can you say "happy" Holy Week?)

For those of you in the area, I'll be preaching at St J's on Maundy/Holy Thursday. "Regular" service at 10 am, seder meal with matzo ball soup, reading, preaching, communion, and stripping of the alter (yes, all in one service) at 6pm. Email/call/ask mom for directions.

It's a beautiful day here in seminary land. It's -- degrees outside (the outside part of my indoor/outdoor wireless thermometer set died), and I have the window wide open hoping to cool down and air out the room. (Let's guess -- = 53.) And I'm eating cheesy spinach quiche, working on my sermon, and wishing I had enough arms to knit and work on the sermon.

In knitting news: I'm making a bag for CPE. (Pictures to come later.) I wanted a linen stitch, non-lined, one-shoulder backpack-style, medium sized, non-black, non-too-cheery bag. Unfortunately, no such pattern existed. Until now. (Well, technically the whole pattern doesn't exist yet, but it will soon!) 

(For you knitting knitters out there, linen stitch: (for odd numbers worked back and forth)
R1: K1, [swyif, K1] to end
R2: K1, p1, [swyib, p1] to last st, K1
I'm using worsted with size 7s.)

This stitch pattern works up tightly and firmly, and ends up looking like woven material. It works really, really well with a swiftly variegating yarn. I'm using the yarn I had picked out of my stash just to practice with, and fell in love with. It's a variegated purple, blue, dark purple, whitepurple. (See previous post.) Right now I'm about half way up the zipper slot. I'm hoping I'll have enough yarn for the body of the bag, and that I can find a solid color that matches one of the colors for the strap.

I wanted a bag that I could put my travel-sized ELW (hymnal) and Occasional Services book (I now have a matched set with my name on them),  travel Bible, paper balls, small notebook/pen, and something squishy (I'm working in a children's hospital) in, for when I'm on call. (Or maybe even just to carry with me.) I'm considering adding either an inner or an outer small pocket as well, for ID and keys. (Nice summer clothes don't have the best pockets, and the point of this is to not be carrying a purse around the hospital. There is a CPE student lounge that locks, but I'll at least need to have my keys to that to get to my purse at the end of the day.)

Because of the hospital setting, I wanted the color to be serious, but because of the children (and the fact that I don't want to be seen as the person who shows up only when bad things are happening) I didn't want just black. The blueberry pie looks lenten: serious, but not Good-Friday-somber. (Besides, you can't pull a blow-up paper ball out of a serious black bag.)

Alright, I think that I have typed enough for you to feel better for my long absence. Now back to the sermon writing.

PS: OH!! And if anyone would be interested in test-knitting the bag pattern once I finish it, let me know. I'm working what I think I will end up labeling "medium" (it's about seven inches across at the bottom, four inches deep, and twelve-ish? tall), but I'm doing math and planning out for a small (good size for purse-like objects) and large (for overnight bag?). Also optional lining, although I'm not doing that.