Home Again

Yes, I'm home again--for more than a couple of days this time. The last trip was to the ANWG conference in Red Deer, where I taught a spindling workshop and presented two seminars, one on fulled knits and the other on recycling and reusing materials for handspinning. All sessions seemed to be well-received and I had a great deal of fun with the participants. Thanks to Judi for the lovely description of the recycling seminar! I also got a chance to reconnect with some old friends I hadn't seen since the broken wrist, and to make some new friends with some very interesting people.

This was one of the samples that I made up for the recycling seminar. It's a little shrug knit from handspun merino salvaged from leftovers with rayon chenille inserted during the plying to make the little squiggles. This picture is lifted off the Powerpoint and really doesn't do the piece any justice, but since I didn't have time to take any pictures at the conference, I needed something for eye candy.

I also got my in-depth study back at the conference with comments and changes, 90% of which appear to be typos and printing errors. One very valid point at which a paragraph was clearly abandoned in mid-stream, then picked up later to veer off in another direction. Wrong terms in the wrong places. D'oh! And I have the nerve to lecture my kids on the value of proof-reading...

Well, I'm home, and the larder is restocked, family has been caught up with and it is time to knit. Life is beautiful.

In Memorium

Terry Yushchyshyn December 25, 1936-June 7,2007

My Dad died last Thursday after fighting cancer for a year. When he was diagnosed, he was given 3 months. As usual, Dad did not do what was expected of him...

I have been quietly contemplating his life and the impact he made on mine, and I am grateful for the love and lessons that he passed on to me. He was an important player in the movie exhibition industry for 50 years, but the person I knew was also a sensitive and playful Daddy, and that's how I will remember and honor him.

I learned a lot from my Dad. Here is a short list of the most important lessons, in no particular order:

-Everything in moderation.

-When someone says something that upsets you, consider the source.

-Fishing isn't about catching fish, it's about sitting in the middle of the lake enjoying the quiet.

-Everything will grow with enough water and fertilizer.

-Sometimes it's better to be quiet than to be right.

-Friends come and go, but your family is forever.

-One good dog is better company than a hundred friends.

-You'll appreciate something a lot more if you have to work to get it.

-The best wild blueberries grow in clear-cuts and pipeline pathways.

-Always be ready for the next adventure.

-Take life seriously, but don't take people seriously.

-A long, hot bath solves just about everything.

There was so much more, of course, but these ones are the bits of advice that I hear running through my head most often.

I love you, Dad.

You Know You're Old When...

...you are knitting at a rock concert.

Yes, this is me at the Police concert at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. And in my own defence, I must point out that I was only knitting while they reset the stage between the opening act (Sloan) and The Police. The rest of the time, I was on my feet dancing, cheering, and singing along. Honest.