A'right, Then. Yank It Is

Not to give up the Godiva name, I'm going to go with "Yankee Godiva."  I love the ring to it, and how it has the same sing-songy number of syllables and sort of rhymes with Lady Godiva. 

I'm using the same pebble rib stitch pattern that I started out with rather than the stitch pattern in the real Yank pattern, but I'm otherwise following the pattern as written.  Well, except for the fact that I'm knitting it in one piece 'til the armholes.  And I've ripped out the first attempt and started over with the right number of stitches, so Margene would stop mocking me. 

Two nights ago I managed to reknit the entirety of the ripped-out yarn, plus a little more, and I'm making great progress and a gorgeous squishy fabric on US 9s.  I was not able to knit a single stitch yesterday.  Cleaning help arrived at 9 a.m. and I announced to her that I would be working alongside her.  Together we moved furniture, moved paintings and pictures, washed and moved around pottery and other objets d'art, deep-cleaned, and emptied and moved the cabinet that houses the blue pottery collection to a location that is, as I thought it might be, far better suited to it.  Suddenly it is the focal point of the living room and looks like a million bucks, whereas before it was rather invisible in the dining room. 

We lightened up and rearranged colors for the spring/summer look.  It's amazing how just moving my own stuff around makes everything look fresh and new again.  It's quite economical and saves me from the urges I sometimes get to hire a dozer to knock the whole thing down and start anew.  It's also amazing that the dried-flower-and-herb mini Christmas tree was still sitting on the coffee table, no matter how tasteful and pretty it might be.  The robins arrived yesterday; it was time to lose the Christmas tree.

All of this was, of course, rather ill advised since I just had my back put back into place the day before by the chiropractor, but I felt up for it and wanted to take advantage of the help.  At mid-afternoon, I made us grilled mozzarella, pesto, and dried-tomato sandwiches and seltzer water/tart cherry juice/lime drinks that we scarfed down and then continued on with the cleaning and organizing. She really has a great eye for the placement of things, and I'm sure (since she said so repeatedly) she had much more fun doing that with me than cleaning toilets and floors.  (Though we did that, too.)

We made a very big dent in it, but there is still much to be done.  The cleaning help has really been quite slack for many months -- I think because I'm so busy and things get so chaotic around here, they think I don't notice.  But I do.  I have that French-Canadian/farm-girl blood in me, ya know.   So I think I showed her how it should be done (and I do think she noticed) -- down on my hands and knees with a bucket of soapy water, reaching into the corners and around the table legs and into cracks and crevices and baseboards that had clearly been ignored for too long.  For many years, in fact, I refused to buy the cleaning lady (it's the same one we've had for 20-something years, but she now brings an assistant -- it was her assistant who helped me yesterday) a mop.  I'm sorry, but a floor cannot get adequately clean with a mop.  But after a lot of years, and she and I were not getting any younger, I took pity on her and bought one.  I sort of regret that decision. 

Just call me task master.  

And when she left at 6 p.m., I was spent.  I had to just SIT.  There was no energy left for creating a meal or knitting a stitch.  But the place looks damn good. Well, some of it, anyway. 

 

A clean coffee table is a beautiful thing.

Comments

[Kristen]

I spent spring break chasing dust dinosaurs out of my upstairs rooms. I was too exhausted to chase them out of the downstairs...

[Cindy (maxfun)]

I agree that rearranging is a great way to go. I did that with my living room the other day and it feels like a brand new room. No deep cleaning, though. It needs it, but I'm not up to it and I can't afford to hire anyone right now. Oh well! Just having clutter gone and furniture in a new configuration is enough for now. :)

[sandy]

Clean is good. Not a dust hippo to be seen, eh? Life is good. xo

[gayle]

I hope you didn't over-do, and are able to knit today, not sitting in the chiropractor's waiting room.
And for *that* lunch, I would certainly scrub the floor on my hands and knees. With my ear lobes.

[Nora]

Fabulous! My mother scrubbed floors on hands and knees, as do I - but she also scrubbed the toilet by hand. Ick! I skip that and use the johnny mop. (She also felt that nothing was clean enough unless it was rinsed in 200 degree water.)

[Carol]

I like how the sweater name also reflects the yankee ethic of ingenuity and hardwork too.

[AnnaMarie]

I suspect since it's supposed to be in the mid 40's for a few days I might catch that cleaning bug from you. After I card a 20 or so batts. Oh and I ned to spin a commission. Hmmm.... maybe you could infect Wes, I'll make him read the post!

[margene]

Yankee Godiva...if that doesn't sound like Norma, nothing does.

[Anne]

Nice! Good help is hard to find - sounds like you've got a peach!

[Sandra]

Could you come and do my house next? It's sorely in need of a deep scrub...

[marianne]

Ahhh yes, The Spring Clean, except I'm waiting a bit on those windows... after the Spring storms.

[Collette]

I've got the same issue with our cleaning person--I need to ditch the toddler sitting on my lap :-) for a day and clean along with her. Good idea and frankly, my pea brain never would've thought of it. Thanks!

[Vicki]

As soon as I knock off a few blog-checks, there's a big pantry cupboard (or two) with my name on them!! And the guy with the magic steam machine is coming on Monday... at least I hope it's magical. ; )

[Cheryl S.]

When I retired, I thought I'd spend more time cleaning the house. But after a big flurry of deep-cleaning, I'm sad to say that I spend no more time cleaning than I did before. I'm a bad girl.

[Katie B.]

Hmm, I'm in denial about house cleaning, and I like it that way.

I just want the pattern for the coat when it's done!

[Knitnana]

Cleaning is not my forte, but I'm not sure I'd say it was so much your French-Canadian heritage as it is that "Vermont-Yankee-Thing" (my "Not French-Canadian" aunts and mother all have it, I don't).

I hope your back isn't biting back at you today!

And will be very interested in seeing your Yankee Godiva...
(((hugs)))

[Tish]

Great! As soon as I read Yankee Godiva a Beatles song (Lady Madonna, sort of) started running thru my head. So I feel it is only fair to inflict it upon you as well. Enjoy! (Or not- your choice.)
Yankee Godiva, yarn balls at her feet
Wonder how she manages to keep them all neat
(I could probably go on, but I have to go bake a birthday cake.)

[elizabeth a airhart]

have you thought about hgtv and cindi olsen
you could make a film and perhaps some one
from over there would come help you land scape
over your head is kinda of cute well he is or color splash

good night

[Cookie]

Honey, that's the Irish side that has you cleaning like that, and I agree. Floors must be done at their level to be really clean.

That reminds me. I need vinegar so I can wash walls this weekend. Do I know how to live or what?

[Laurie]

Oh it feels so good to get a cleaning like that done. I hate the anticipation of it, don't mind doing it too much, and LOVE the results. I need to gird my loins and just get to doing it on my house too.

[KnittyOtter]

I sooooo need some cleaning help! *L* (organizing help...)

Glad you got to show the younger one how you like things.

[Susan B.]

Yankee Godiva
Needles at her breast
Wonders how she'll manage to knit the rest