Send it to me. Really. Please. Three years of drought now. We have not yet had 2 inches. I don't mean only 2 inches in January. I mean since July 1. All of the western United States is in severe drought. There is a high pressure system that has been sitting like a wall off the coast for the past year, and it diverts any rain away from us.

I do know that too much rain is a genuine problem, but oh, how badly we need it here!

Rosefolly

Too much is as bad as too little and I can imagine your misery, camp. It's got to be as depressing as all get out to see nothing but gray skies and water and to be more or less trapped in your house. Like Rosefolly, right now I wish we had that problem, but that doesn't mitigate your discomfort. We must all keep up that stiff upper lip, because hopefully this too shall pass (right? right?).

Ingrid

Oh, how I would trade our relentlessly clear sunny blue skies for a flood! I will never complain about rain again - I promise. The only good thing about this drought here is that I have been able to work in the garden whenever I want, as it gets into the low 70s every afternoon.

Dreading the summer, however. The long range forecasts are for NO rain the entire rest of the winter (to go with the .85 inches we have had since 7/1 - we normally get 30-40 inches every winter). If that is correct, we will have water rationing all summer, as well as high temps.

So, sorry you are having so much rain, but right now I envy you!

Jackie

I would like some of Jackie's relentless clear sunny days, please, but we're also in a drought up here. And we must be the only place in the West right with a smog cloud that hovers over and around us in this valley (since January 12), and with no end in sight (nothing else is in sight, either, since it's just a thick, brown cloud outside). It's the bloody "inversion". Our lows are the same as our highs. We all are going nuts around here, though I may have been nuts before this weather occurred. I am sorry, though, for everyone's horrid weather. I can't imagine what Camp must go through with floods. The closest we've come to that was a leaking hot water heater, and that was quite unpleasant. So, as of now, I hope everyone's weather changes for the better--perhaps in some kind of massive exchange of weather patterns (if only). Diane

Save a bucket of it for me please! We've been dry for a while now and the stress is starting to show.

I hope you and your family stay safe!

Josh

Oh, I have just ordered some wool - two birds with one stone...so I will hibernate and knit a nice warm jumper (instead of the endless garments for grand-daughter and everyone else).

It won't be waterproof though.

Debbie Bliss Riva, for a duchess Raglan (easy-peasy) for those who want to know.

You are getting your rain, but you are also getting our rain, too. I was out pruning and had to come inside because it got too hot. Again. :^(

I want some rain.

Sorry about the flooding.

Happy knitting.
It's been too warm to wear all my wonderful knitted items and so they stay packed in the cedar trunk until next year. It doesn't stop me from knitting more however. There is a seller that sells beautiful knits for 5 dollars from Nordstroms ( past season and returns) at the swap meet in Huntington Beach. I unravel them for the wool and knit new things. Part of the fun is never knowing what you might find each week.

Camps, do you have a link to what you are making? I would love to see everyones knitting by the way (crochet too)

It was hot today, went to hear Tom Spellman from Dave Wilson trees. I have one I want to buy but am worried about water...what to do

when all else fails, knit!
I have had both drought (for 5years) and flood(twice) and I'm with campanula, a flood situation is much worse. Things rot, everything is wet and moldy, plants die from too much water. Neither situation is pleasant but too much wet is really hard to live with!!
roseberri
Kippy I am roseberri on ravelry too if you are a member you can see my knitting there.

Sorry about another month's worth of rain, Suzy. That may be what's forecast to arrive here as snow in a few days, the first of what has been a very mild winter. It's been very wet here, too, though not quite as severe as where you are.
Condolences to those of you who are sitting under relentlessly blue skies. I'll take too much water over drought any day.
We live in interesting times.
Melissa

Hi Camp,
Sorry about all your soggy weather.
Knitting here too:
Debbie Bliss Donegal in a red/grey/black tweed. If I do it right it will be a poncho. Surprisingly the wool is soft. Usualy the Donegal's can be a bit scratchy.
Roseberri, I'll have to visit your site at Ravelry. Isnt that website a wonderful resource.
Jeannie

Ravelry - top site...although I never actually post anything, just use the reviews and free patterns. I find one of the most useful things are actually seeing knitted up garments with all these mixed colour wools which are everywhere - it is just not possible to get much of an idea from the skein or ball.
I was very resistant to using these mixed colours (I mostly do colour-work and like to choose my own) but some of the newer ones are just lovely.
Jeannie, I knitted a Donegal Tweed jumper for my eldest for his birthday - he practically sleeps in it....
Not sure I want to weigh in on the drought or flood debate - for sure there are xeric plants just as there are bog-plants...but I certainly know which mode of being I vastly prefer.......and I am not just losing my plants here.... the very fabric of our lives feels as if it is unravelling.....and we are not actually underwater yet, like many friends and neighbours. However, I would say that flooding tends to be harrowing but short-lived....while drought can drag on into season after season. It's all a bit sh*te, to be honest, at the moment.

I know what the "too much" feels like. We had a hundred inches here one year and have had to bravely save the driveway a number of times. I remember one year when it rained every single day of March. That's depressing. But now I am more than depressed. I'll take it any day in trade for this drought that will kill many of my roses.

It is the too much of a good thing that has everyone right now; too many sunny warm days, too many cold winter days and too many wet ones. We all just have too much.

I love ravelry too, but never post what I am working on. I need to find something different smaller to make. I have made one sweater on a trip back to grandmas once when I was 18? But other wise I worry that I will get bored and never finish. Like Kitty, I tear apart things I have made in the past and reuse the yarn-only it is usually things I made and was either tired of or no longer liked.

If anyone has ideas for my mom to knit, I would love to hear them. She thinks she can follow a pattern, but gets frustrated and lost pretty easy. I have to make the toes and heels in socks for her for example. She is tired of making hats.

Don't be offended Kips, but when I was teaching my kids knitting, I had them knitting squares, either large ones or joining them together - they learned basic fairisle and textures - which we turned into cushion covers - we still have a couple which are quite charming in a certain vintage retro way.

Failing that, I notice snoods are always popular (but maybe less so in Cali) - same goes for scarves.

Currently learning to knit myself, and yes, have discovered Ravelry. I'm nearly done with my first project, a simple cardigan, though I have set it aside until I have the winter garden work completed. All I have left is attaching the sleeves.

Campanula, I have a knitting related question, sort of. You say that you are knitting a jumper, which I understand is what we call a sweater. Not sure whether that is a pullover or a cardigan. However, what do the English call the garment we in the USA call a jumper? That would be a sleeveless dress worn over a blouse or shirt.

Always wondered.

Rosefolly

Camps, I had her start out by knitting squares for a blanket. She over squares....lol And I have a large sack of them to join.

I suggested that she try some kind of wrap/shall for the elderly. But I think she wants smaller projects cause she did not seem too excited.

we might call that a jerkin or a tabard or the basic tunic is always good.
I actually call a sweater/jumper/pullover....a jersey (or even a gansey) but usually get confused looks.

I am sure we all agree what a cardigan (cardie) is though.

Kips, what about basic vest shapes - looks nice in cotton or linen. Also, how about going down the baby jacket route for preemies (baby hats work well there, too). I often knock out a couple with spare bits of wool and donate them to my local maternity hospital. Do you think she would manage the baby surprise jacket (Elizabeth Zimmerman).

Oh my

I just went outside and there was the odd thing happening.

Drops from the sky, not many, not enough to coat the sidewalk but still.....drops from the sky!

Kippy, any water that falls from the sky is better than no water that falls from the sky. Congratulations.

kippy what about fingerless mitts? There are many kinds out there and you can pick your style. Otherwise, I am knitting a Boneyard shawl by Steven West and it is pretty basic
Jeannie you are welcome to look! It is not that impressive(my projects) I haven't been a member very long. I haven't joined any groups, most of the ones I liked are not much in use.
Gardenweb ,Ravelry., and Pinterest are what I use the most!
roseberri

I learned to knit hanger covers and after that leg warmers ( it was the 80s ) and then I wanted to knit aran style pullovers in the 90s. Now I just knit whatever I think is pretty and would look good in the yarn I find. My favorite yarn is Baby Alpaca or some of the silk blends. I like cotton blends for children's clothing.

I had a friend who never used a pattern. She knit an approximate shape or a tube with circular needles and then cut it to a pattern and serged it together and added the ribbing. She knitted a child's sleeping bag once out of all colors of sale skeins and lined it with pima cotton. It was a big beautiful coccoon. I always wanted a coat like that.

Wish you could send some rain to our west coast AND teach me to knit! Mom tried many times but, alas, she was left handed and I'm right and all she managed to do was confuse me. I've never been able to figure it out since.

Seil, there are some great youtube tutorials. Just watch til you find one that starts to make sense.

My mom refused to allow me to take knitting classes over here (in the USA) because she did not want me to learn the "English" Style (all of the extra time spent moving your hand is what she did not like but is what was taught here)

I knit in the "Continental" style (also known as European), I love being able to find tutorials that make sense to me because I hold the yard in the "wrong" hand.

What do the rest of you do?

I have fun making fingerless mitts. But not sure mom can follow that either. (It sucks getting old)

Actually, Kips, my mum (who taught me) was born with one arm....so I can also knit in this manner, holding one needle between my knees and moving the yarn in a kind of european style round the other needle ....but I was also taught 'english' style at school. So, I often do 'continental' for knit rows or inh the round, but switch to 'english' style for purl rows.
I never do lace patterns and I am not really keen on cables although I do a fair bit of textured and fair-isle colour work, often worked together but usually only having 2 or 3 colours in a row. I hate intarsia and I tend to not use patterns unless it is for something really specific.....or I will get the basics from a pattern then customise wildly. I can crochet....but don't tend to apart from edging.
Kitty, I like baby alpaca too but am over cotton (although I still like milk cotton). Have used loads of baby cashmerino, a few Noro wools (although they can be hard on your hands). I really like auracania wools and Grace Harding silk blends.....and I like the Cascade colour ranges. Still fall back on Rowan wools more than anything though.
Seil, true, youtube tutorials are pretty good - finally learned to cable using them (after 40 years of failure and disinterest).

Knitting, no problem but I always feel so resentful about having to sew as well.....so I have been doing more and more engineered stuff (lots of short rows, circular needles, odd joining methods and as few seams as possible)

Kippy, I have to smile to read that you are thinking about your Mom and trying to find a project to keep her busy. Getting old does suck, but she is lucky to have a daughter that is thinking of her and trying to help make her life a little better.

I do not knit, at least haven't for many years. I am familiar with the basics. I would think making something that would actually make her happy might interest her. Not sure what that would be. Something she could use, or if there is someone she knows that she could make something for them?

Does it have to be knitting? Maybe she is tired of knitting after doing so many squares and they don't actually amount to anything? I had an aunt that made home made quilts that she made by hand, one square at a time, out of cotton fabric. Then there is always embroidery. My Mom loved kittens and puppies and flowers and would do small embroidery projects of those subjects. Or puzzles? Pot holders made with those little looms. Christmas Stockings with embroidered names across the top. Or small home made Christmas ornaments. Simple Aprons sewn by hand. I think the main thing is the motivation is usually there when it is something they can get excited about or at least interested in. Part of that being an end result that can make a contribution, maybe.

Kippy,

I have a friend who has organized women in her church to make quilts for the homeless. My grandmother and aunt crocheted and knitted baby blankets and afghans and colorful blankets that the family is still using many years after their passing. Blankets are a simple design and yet can be quite colorful. If your mother is able, filling a need of another can be very fulfilling.

Cath

I met a wonderful lady approaching 80 who knits blankets for shelter pets and adoption/foster dogs. She fosters pregnant dogs so that they can have a safe, quiet place to have their pups. She says the difference blankets makes to these dogs is huge.

Campanula, I use cotton for the kids because it's so warm here most of the year that a wool item would only get used 2 months or maybe less. I love the wool things I make. Rowan wool is wonderful, I agree. One of my favorite found yarns was a super soft camel-wool blend.