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Saturday, December 5, 2009

Still here.

Very busy; Christmas knitting in progress. Can't say much about it yet, but progress is being made. Found some relatively quick & easy patterns, plan to repeat as needed. The progress so far: 5 completed hats, 3 neckwarmers done & 1 well started, 4 pairs slippers knitted & 1 in progress -- these will need to have nonskid coating on the bottoms. I think 3 more neckwarmers will fill the bill for the coworkers' gifts. I have gone back on my idea of using the Moonlight Mohair for the neckwarmers, since the patterns I'm using call for chunky yarn. I found Wool Ease Thick & Quick on sale, & bought two balls each of six colors -- they were just about half price, so it's a good deal. Good news/bad news:The Plaidman still doesn't smoke; DiscoDame still doesn't have a job. Anyone out there need a web designer?

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanksgiving traditions

I'm not expecting guests, and I'm on vacation. So why am I cleaning house? It may be part of my upbringing (thanks, Mom!) that major holidays are always preceded by lots of housework. One of the projects I've tackled is going through the stacks of paperwork that the Plaidman has accumulated. So far I've been through 5 stacks of old & new bills, trying to find the most current versions. No wonder we've been plagued by creditor calls; there's no system for keeping current. The Plaidman would just put mail down on whatever surface was handy, and add to that stack until it fell over. I've thrown out no fewer than five 4-gallon trash bags of just the envelopes (most were unopened!) and ads enclosed with various bills; anything with names & address & account numbers will be shredded first -- provided I find the power cord for the shredder. [quik check: anyone else thinking of The Shredder from TMNT?] I think I should take over the mailbag duties, and institute a system for keeping track of what's currently due. Things might not get paid, but at least we'll know where to find the bill!
I have been working on holiday knitting for the folks at work, and I've come to the conclusion that I need to transfer to a smaller department! So far, I've got 3 finished hats + 2 in progress, 4 pairs of slippers + 1 pair in progress, and just need 6 more items to fill the bill! I believe I'll work up some neckwarmers -- they look pretty quick to knit. I got a slough of Moonlight Mohair from the Big Lots store (I think I paid $1.50/ball--woot!), which would likely make some nice gaiters.
Actually, I want to keep the MM but bought it for the purpose of gifting, so I'll follow through on my intentions. Le sigh. No rest for the weary! So I'd better get off the computer & back to work. Happy Thanksgiving, give your folks a hug for me!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Did I win?

I was just over on The Student Knitter (studentknitter.blogspot.com), and want to win her first giveaway--so! If you want to win some yarn, go check out her 100th post for entries.
I haven't been on the innerwebs for a while, due to some computer problems, and I'm sooooo glad to be able to get back online! The Plaid Patrol has been frantic for access to the web, for the past two weeks. Which is only half as long as Plaidman has been an ex-smoker!! Yes, friends, he's done really well with the over-the-counter smoking cessation aid, much better than he did with the prescriptions he'd tried. I truly believe he got a bad scare about his heart, and that changed his attitude about the smoking. I lost my mother to the effects of smoking more than ten years ago; her lung cancer was found incidentally to treatment of her heart problems. Ever since, DiscoDame & I have been after the Plaidman to quit.
Speaking of DiscoDame..have I mentioned that she's finished her courses at the junior college, and now has an Associate degree in Computer Science? I have a college grad living in my home! but not contributing to the household economy! God only knows when she will......
We're getting ready to go the washomat, & Plaidman has a button that needs to be reattached before we go. No rest for the weary!
Sure hope I win that yarn!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Home again, home again

I'm ba-a-ack! The Plaid Patrol returned to base this past Wednesday, from the great state of Texas. We were there almost a week! ALL of us! My poor sister, bless her, mortgaged the farm (practically!) at WalMart just to feed us all. She had her troop (BIL & the nieces two), the Plaid Patrol (Plaidman, Boss Lady & DiscoDame) and the patriarch himself (aka Pup) for dinner Thursday thru Saturday. Pup left for San Antonio after breakfast Sunday; he was a little antsy about leaving Mrs. W alone for so long. We didn't play tourist, but boyoboy DiscoDame (chronological age 26, going on 7) sure did play with her cousins! The three of them were joined at the hip almost the whole time. This gave Sis some time to get a few things done, since she didn't have to entertain the 4 year old (aka Princess T). So we sorta vegetated...which may be just what we needed. The Plaidman smoked his VERY LAST cigarette while backing the car out of the driveway, on the way to the airport! He'd equipped himself with some Commit lozenges; he's officially been a non-smoker for 8 days now! Start the fireworks! Well, maybe not. The nieces weren't too sure what to make of Uncle Plaidman; he wasn't saying much since he had a lozenge in his mouth most of the time, and was trying to keep his hands busy by working on a crossword puzzle book. He got his props though: Sis found a toy castle she'd bought years ago for the older girl, that had never been assembled--but Uncle Plaidman got to work & soon the girls had a second castle playset! That same afternoon one of Sis' clients came by the house for a treatment, with her own two little (about 3 yrs & 5 yrs) girls in tow. The five girls (you're keeping up? no? ok, two nieces 4 & 11, two visitors 3 & 5, and DiscoDame!) were all on the floor playing. How cute!
Probably the most interesting part of the visit, for me, was going to Sis' salon for a treatment. She's got a skin care salon, which is so tiny that it looks like a large closet with it's own exterior entrance. I have visible capillaries, and she treated them with a tiny electric current. There was a little pain, but I can definitely see a difference. And this is one of the few "defects" in my appearance that I've always thought I'd do something about if I had the money--only I didn't need money! Sis said she normally charges about $300 (US) for the treatment I got, for free. Next time I visit, we'll treat a few more of 'em.
Monday, Sis & the nieces carried the Plaid Patrol down to San Antonio, where we met up with Pup. Then we all went to El Mercado/Market Square, and had a terrific lunch at Mi Tierra, followed by a cruise through the Market (shopping!!) and then Sis & her family went back to Austin. Pup took the Plaid Patrol back to his house, where we all went back to vegetable mode. Tuesday, Pup & I visited with Mrs. W, then he went back to his house (two doors away!), collected the rest of the Plaid Patrol & his car, and we all went out to the Olive Garden for lunch. After lunch, we went to the San Antonio Shoe factory outlet, which is a fun destination even if you're not shoe shopping. They have a little "country store" & gift shop within the outlet, and outside they've got a fabulous collection of antique cars & trucks. I'm wearing my new shoes right now...and Plaidman wore his to work yesterday & today. DiscoDame got some nice black sandals, sort of semi-dressy. I have no idea why she thought she needed them. Anyway, we dropped Mrs. W at her home & pretty much returned to slumping, with intermittent packing. Wednesday saw us out the door by about 7:15 to catch a flight just after 10 a.m., and here we are all safe at home.

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

Hey, y'all! Watch this!

Whew! that last post was a doozy, but sadly lacking in knitting content. The sun came out today--I know, I'm surprised too!--so I went outside to take some pics of finished objects. These are three dropped stitch scarves, two of which will go with me to Texas for my super Sis, and one of which will go in the Xmas box for the office. I call them the Good, the Bad, and the Fugly; see if you can guess which is which:




And I have some loveliness in progress too. Behold, the Drops Design lace tank top:


I suspended work on the tank top to get some scarves made up for Sis, as that's the only thing that caught her eye at Bluebonnet Yarn Shoppe. I'll still "owe" her an afghan, but that's for later. So, what do you think? I think I've been having fun!

Friday, September 25, 2009

Ketchup soup...

...or, A Long & Winding Road. My plan for today's post is to catch y'all up with what's happening at Chez Divine, which is lots. Some of it's good news, like finally hearing from the insurance company representing the goofball that ran his truck into my car, way back in June. They've accepted liability! We may actually see some $ coming in for repairs! The Purl will be patched up & stylin' again. Then there's bad news: The Plaidman has had a pain in his back (and my backside!) for a couple of weeks, which he thought was due to all the overtime he was working. Last Friday, he stayed home from work because he got dizzy & nauseous when he tried to back out of the driveway. We made an appointment to see a doctor on Monday. He got a bit better through the weekend, until 4 a.m. Sunday. He woke me up so I could carry him to the ER. The five hours we spent there were in vain. His blood pressure was very high, which concerned the ER staff (notice I don't say "the doctor") and us, since he's always thought his pressure was normal. They treated his blood pressure, and gave him meds for a back sprain/pulled muscle. He had a chest Xray and a CT scan of his chest, & the NP said to follow up with his physician regarding the blood pressure. So home we went. DiscoDame & I went off to the laundromat without him. Monday morning Plaidman went to the doctor, who got the CT scan faxed over from the hospital, and diagnosed pleurisy with bronchitis -- so NOT A PULLED MUSCLE, and with the CORRECT TREATMENT our patient was feeling much better by the time I got home from work. But he's off work at least until next Tuesday, per the doctor's orders. We're hoping he's got enough vacation time to still get paid for the week, plus for our excursion to Texas. Which brings us to more good news--we're ALL flying to Austin next month, and we'll run down to San Antonio while we're there. I have been working on some drop-stitch scarves for Sis, and I've got one (of five) dolly blanket ready for Princess T, and I sure hope I can get something together for Miss A as well. I had bought some books for her, but one of the furballs we live with puked on one, and the other has gone missing--it's probably hanging out with the missing library book, under the couch or behind the computer hutch.....I'm afraid to look, in case Jimmy Hoffa's there too.
Yesterday was my birthday! I love birthdays, just can't get enough of 'em. The Plaid Patrol went out to Red Lobster last night, and I got birthday swag consisting of a large handful of knitting notions & two nice books. I got Color Style by Pam Allen & Ann Budd, and The Best of Interweave Knits also by Ann Budd & Pam Allen. I think there's a hint in the first one; I suspect Plaidman would like a "plaid" sweater or kilt socks. Plaidman got one of these books, and DiscoDame bought the other; it wasn't until I showed them the covers that they realized both books were by Pam Allen & Ann Budd. I had a phone call Wednesday at work, from DiscoDame, requesting names of some of my favorite authors--I only gave names from the world of knitters! And I'm not sure I even mentioned Pam Allen, though I did mention Ann Budd -- and I spelled her name. LOL.
Friday the 25th DiscoDame & I went to Threadfest, over on Knowles. I found out about this event on Ravelry, and attended last April's event. This time we got there early enough to find some yarn! So I got a bit of that, then checked out the fabric samples, with the idea of making some roll-up needle cases. I'm really not much into sewing, but the patterns I've seen for them look pretty straight forward. I've seen examples using fancy linen napkins, which already have the edges hemmed, and found a lot of samples with edges already whipstitched. Most of what I bought was upholstery weight; some had smaller samples of other colorways attached, which I think might be used as pockets. Anyway, DiscoDame is interested in the idea, and we'll probably work together on them. I'd like to make one for myself, and another for a knitting coworker. Well, that's for another day! I also found a terrific stash of knitting & other craft magazines, including some from 70's & 80"s, and one Christmas craft magazine from the late 50's/early 60's which is about 3 kinds of crazy kitschy! Some of the stuff in it looks like the kind of thing my Mom used to make for the holidays. Kinda brings a tear. So, after Threadfest, DD & I headed home for a brief rest, then went to the TACA Fall Crafts Fair over in Centennial Park. Plaidman had an appointment over at the hospital (NOT the same one that mis-diagnosed his back pain!) for a heart CT scan, to check for plaque. So the ladies went unescorted--and probably saved some money that way! It was raining, but just barely. Still, the crowd was pretty thin. I did buy some handpainted yarn, and even stepped outside the aqua/teal/turquoise/green range (I know, shocking!) for a change. My new addition to the stash is a lovely combination of camel, burgundy, and navy. Wow, I just realized: this used to be one of my favorite color combos, when I did a lot of crocheting. I guess I'm reverting?
One thing both the "bad" ER and his doctor agree on: his blood pressure's too high. Plaidman's going back to the doctor on Monday, to follow up on the bronchitis & pleurisy, and get the results of the CT scan done Friday, to check for heart disease. He's offically been diagnosed as having high blood pressure. We've had a talk about his need to cut back on sodium, possibly on fats, and those coffin nails he uses. We'll know more Monday evening.
DiscoDame is done with her schooling, and just needs a signature or two to graduate! She'll have an Associate degree! And a huge loan to pay off! Welcome to the American dream, kid. We'll have to work out new terms for her to continue to live with us; the most educated person in the household should be expected to hold up her end of the household expenses. Boy, will there be a meltdown!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Whooo are you

I love quizzes, don't you?



You are Lively and Inspiring



You approach the holidays with lots of energy and enthusiasm.

It's definitely your favorite time of the year.



You are quite social during the holidays. You go to lots of events and get in touch with everyone you know.

While so much activity would make most people exhausted, it only energizes you more.



Of all the types, you are the most likely to treat your friends and family to expensive gifts.

You're also the most likely to wrap your gifts elegantly and simply.



I'm pretty sure we can find lots more of these out there on the Innerwebs. On the same site I found one to tell me what I already knew:



Your Soul Is Connected to the Fall



You are a somewhat sensitive soul with a tough exterior. You are street smart and wise about the world.

You have the heart of a poet, but you're not too eager to let anyone else see it.



You are very creative and deeply talented. You are still looking for the perfect outlet for your expression.

You embrace change and think the cycles of life are beautiful. You don't shrink away from the darker elements of life.


Saturday, August 29, 2009

Startitis

I have it. I want to cast on about 3 more items. I have cast on for a tank top in Cotton Bam Boo, lacy enough to be a nice camisole. Took several swatches to find gauge, but I'm glad I swatched. I believe I'll keep the swatches, as I really like the yarn & could definitely see knitting with it again. But I'm not really very far into this tank, and I'm yearning to cast on for a sweater for the Plaidman--I've got a pile of Blue Sky Alpaca's Alpaca Silk in three colors. Boy is it soft. And way too pretty (*snif*)! Anyway, I'm looking at pullover patterns for gentlemen, which you'd think would be pretty easy to find on Ravelry. Not so much, dudes! Pickings are slim. I bought a book about knitting for men; there a some ganseys in there I rather like. Ok, so that's one new cast on item, one still in development with yarn already bought, and I'd like to knit some hats for Christmas in the office.

We actually cooked today, even though we don't plan to eat our cooking until tomorrow night. We (DiscoDame & I) chopped veggies, browned pork sausage, measured broth/wine (!),tomatoes, etc & threw it all in the slow cooker to make Italian Sausage Soup. Then we went to the Music City Barbecue Festival, where we ate no barbecue...DD & I ripped into a turkey leg instead. Go figure.

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Saturday, August 8, 2009

Two steps up, one. . .

Hoo,boy! I have been busy, worked the last two Fridays, & will probably work the next one. Can't complain about the $, just the fact that I don't get to spend most of Friday lazing on the futon & knitting.
****One week later: Yes, I had to work again today (8/14). I somehow managed to start a new project just after finishing one. I give you Dolly Blankie #1 (of 5!) that is completed & washed & ready to send to Princess T in Texas.
And of course, we have to have an artsy shot of it:

I can't decide if it reminds me of sherbet, or of an explosion at the cotton candy factory. It's a very simple feather & fan stitch pattern, in many colors of acrylic baby yarn, held 2 or more strands together. Some of the yarns were "pompadour" style, with a shiny nylon thread twisted around the rest of the yarn. I was combining one or two matte yarns with one shiny, so the whole thing has a little glitter & lots of pastel. As I mentioned, this is the first of five Dolly Blankies; I do have patterns picked for the other four, but lordy I need a break from pastel acrylic. So, I've started another project, just pour moi, a Classic Elite free pattern in their cotton bamboo. It's light blue, but not pastel, and thank you lord not acrylic. I had to go up a needle size to get gauge, and fiddled with the math (watch out world) to make it extra grande, and I hope I can wear it when it's done. No in progress pic just yet. I'm not sure I've even put this one on my projects page in Ravelry.
We still haven't put my car in the shop. I really think the insurance company should go after the guy that hit me! What a creep; he told me he wouldn't have a front-wheel drive car because when you go over 80 mph it pulls to the right, so you can't outrun cops. Kind of a red flag right there. The Redneckius Hillbillikin in the flesh.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Finito! Bella!

It's all done...my lovely unbirthday surprise for my longtime buddy, T2daL! However, it was not without its problems: somehow I got a few extra stitches in the back (just knit a few together), and the ribbed cuffs were both large with one being very much larger than the other. The pics here are "before" frogging the cuffs & reknitting with a smaller pair of needles. But now she's done:


Tonight, I need to make a smaller box out of a business forms box, pack 'er up & label it for delivery, via our interoffice courier system. She's gonna flip. I hope she remembers her "inside voice" when she calls me!
I'm still working on the first of FIVE (count 'em, FIVE) doll blankets for Little T in Texas, but I'm nearly done -- about 4 more rows & the bind off, and off the needles! No pics yet, but when you see them you'll probably think of sherbet. Or an explosion in the cotton candy factory...

OK, that was the good news. Now for the bane of modern existence, car talk! Late last month, DiscoDame..erm, The Intern & I were returning home from the grocery (about $250.00 US poorer) along Clarksville Hwy in The Purl (my black Malibu [which at one time I considered naming Barbie--get it? Barbie Malibu?]). There's an exit ramp from Briley Pkwy, and someone was pulled off the ramp into the opening in the median on Clarksville Hwy, when a white Ford pickup joined them there briefly then came right out practically on top of the Malibu! I swerved, he swung, and he still managed to remove the back bumper and warp the frame on the back end of the Malibu. No one injured, thank the Lord, but the asshat may have given the responding officer of the law an invalid address, and almost certainly did not have insurance, and we've got a $500.00 deductible---so my grocery trip costs us $750. And look at my poor car!

The other end looks sooo much nicer, especially with the vanity plate I received as a Mother's Day gift; check it out:

Plaidman has discovered a whole new vein of giftables for his old lady. I got a team jersey, a lanyard, and a t-shirt for wedding anniversary gifts, all with Steelers logo all over 'em! I'm just tickled. Here's Dis..erm, The Intern modeling my Roethlisberger jersey:


It fits me. Too damn bad, right? And hey, I really wanted a Holmes (#10) jersey, but it wasn't available in my size (Gigantor). Still, I'm styling!

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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Lost and Found

I found my notebook! I got to wondering where my laceweight yarn was, and dug thru the knitting bag (in my house, every bag is a kntting bag) that I'd carried to Texas. Lo & behold, yada yada, there's the yarn snuggling with my notebook. So I couldgive you all the minute & finite details, but I'd rather we still be friends. Some highlights may be in order: I did knit in the airport, after checking my elaborately painted bag with the skycaps. The luggage painting was something I picked up somewhere on the web, as a way to tell my black fabric rolling luggage from a zillion other black fabric rolling bags. Worked really well, too! And several people at the luggage claim found it both amusing & a good idea. Sis came to pick me up, without the rest of the family -- we got a little "sibs only" time on the drive out to Chez Sis. There we found Miss T still napping, before her ballet class. After the class, several of her classmates came to the house for a puppet show (in which they were the performers -- not a one of 'em over 4 yrs old!) and a pizza luncheon. I couldn't get Miss T to pose for me in her leotard & tutu before all the young ladies changed into street clothes.
**

Painting of ballet dancers by Edgar Degas, 1872.Image via Wikipedia



Miss T actually spoke to me! Last year she was too shy; I stayed in "her" house for five days and she spoke to me once about 5 minutes before I had to leave. This trip, she called me Auntie Ann immediately, and talked a blue streak. Too cute! But she's still a bit of a wild child, at least a willful one! If her Momma tells her "no", she sticks her tongue out! Miss A would have wilted, if she'd been disciplined at that age. These girls are so very different, nearly polar opposites in their personalities. A is a thoughtful, quiet & biddable young lady, as well as being pretty doggone bright. Miss T is willful, energetic, wildly imaginative, and still a bit of a wriggler. Plus, at about 1/3 of her sister's age she weighs about half what Miss A does, even though getting her to sit still long enough to get some food into her is problematic.

I decided to keep the trips up & down the stairs to a minimum this time. So, next morning, I bathed & dressed before going down to breakfast. I was sitting at the kitchen counter/island, having a terrific breakfast of eggs, bagel, clementine, bacon, MORE bacon, juice, coffee...and watching the beta cruise (this had to be the slowest fish in Texas) around his little bowl. I'm a bit surprised at what I took to be a weird fishbowl ornament: it looked like a scorpion laying at the bottom of the bowl. So I asked Sis about it (she was cooking the breakfast); turns out it actually WAS A SCORPION in there, quite drowned. Sis fished it out, & put it in a zip-loc type snack bag; Miss A collects interesting dead bugs. But how the heck did it get into Mr. Beta's bowl? and did the "agressive" Mr. Beta have anything to do with the scorpion's drowning? We'll never know.....and hey, welcome to Texas!

Ok, fast forward two days: Misses A & T, Sis & I all head over to Bluebonnet Yarn Shoppe (www.bluebonnetyarn.com)to outfit Miss A with the essentials she'll need to knit up some cotton washcloths. I'd been on Ravelry earlier, printing off some good basic washcloth patterns. I think washcloths are a great start for a new knitter, since they're so small & quick to finish -- unlike scarves, which can take a looooong time to finish.
Washcloths are knitter instant gratification, just the kind of encouragement the new knitter needs. Anyway, we invaded the Bluebonnet & had a great time picking out some (4 hanks!) cotton yarns, needles in two sizes, and a few other oddments. Our proprietress (God bless her, I can't recall whether she was a Pat or a Pam!) was helpful, and even let the two girls play with the ball winder. We wound 3 of the hanks, 'coz I wanted to use the last one to show Miss A how to wind a center pull ball by hand. Didn't actually get around to that, but that's ok. We'll have something to work on next time I visit, which may be this October.

Pup actually asked me to bring the family next time I visit! I sure hope he's warming up to the Plaidman; after all, they've only been in-laws for 31 years+11 months+18 days. Yes, the countdown to anniversary #33 has begun. And the two of them have something in common (besides their undying love & adoration of moi, that is): the Plaidman has turned 60 recently, and officially joined the ranks of the old farts. I'm married to an Old Fart. Oh joy.

The family has been out on an expedition to Wally World, and DiscoDame has just called to let me know they're on the way home. I told her I was blogging, and she wanted me to announce (drumroll, please) that she has an internship! in her field of study (web design)! and that henceforth & until she decides otherwise her new superhero identity is THE INTERN. So I've gotta remember that. Wish me luck.


Sunday, June 14, 2009

Speak of the devil

Well, I went stash diving a few minutes ago, looking for the laceweight yarn I'd worked with in Texas. I just thought I'd get a photo. Guess what else was in the bag with the yarn...my notebook. I need to clean more often.

We have been busy lately, went out & got DiscoDame a new mattress & box spring set. Her choice, of course. Then we went to Big Lots & found her a bed frame, which we let her choose. She's got under bed storage in the form of two drawers under a platform bed. When we put both box spring & mattress on it, the top of the bed came up to mid-chest on me. Disco is an inch shorter than I am. Needless to say, she didn't want to feel like the Princess with the Pea.


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Friday, June 12, 2009

Wait here; I haz a surpriz...

It's Friday, one of the few I haven't worked lately. I have been a poor host, leaving you all alone for so long! I actually kept a diary while I was in Texas, but have misplaced my notebook. The whole purpose was to have it together for the blog, but the wheels fell off. So there's probably not going to be a "blow by blow" account of my visit (until I find that notebook!), but Texas was lovely as usual. My nieces are both little lights in the wilderness, in very different ways of course. :)


To paraphrase Kliban, I love my nieces to pieces. The rest of the family? They're ok too. Pup is still an old fart, Sis is still wound a little too tightly, and her DH is still just the nicest guy.

And I got to visit with Sis' MIL again this trip, although she was a bit under the weather. Last but not least, I met the Stamper sisters, a really sharp-dressed & -witted pair of fine lady octagenarians, one of which may be Pup's "girlfriend". What a hoot!! We went out to dine with the ladies twice, and spent a few hours just sitting at their dining table & shooting the breeze. I hope I wasn't putting a crimp in Pup's "style".

I did work on some knitting, actually casting on in the airport. It was to be a lace scarf for DiscoDame's birthday buddy, but somehow I got lost in it and wound up with an extra stitch -- the bane of my existence, that extra stitch!-- so it was frogged when I got home. I crocheted a tiny charm bag for Neice A, and also got to teach her to knit. How bright is this kid? She picked it up in two hours, TWO HOURS, on the car ride from Sis's to the San Antonio Zoo. This craft, which I love & never have enough time for, which it took me probably two years to figure out, she picks up in two hours. I'm floored. Or gobsmacked, I'm not sure which.


**



Oh yeah, we went to the Zoo! Kinda necessary, as I had to be in San Antonio to catch my flight home, but my "driver" had up & left Sis's a day earlier than planned. Oops! But it worked out, as least as far as the transportation issue. Then I got an inkling of why Sis has been so wound up about Pup: he knew I was coming down, knew it weeks prior, but when we got to his house (he joined us at the Zoo), there was hardly any food there. Pup has a rather limited diet, hates cooking for himself, so he usually dines out. But after the whole day at the Zoo, we were both pretty tired, and I was famished. Now, I have believed for most of my life that I disliked tomato soup, can't stand it! Pup had no lunchmeat to put on the bread he had, no eggs, not even any cheese--but he had an extra large can of condensed tomato soup. I ate it all, two big bowls full, and absolutely loved it. But I'm almost afraid to try it at home--am I really hungry enough to enjoy it?

I am still working on the secret project for my pal, and am nearing the finish line. The collar is the final knitting, and it's more than half done. I've started on a five-part project for Neice T, something I'd asked her about while we were in the playroom. Neices A & T were playing, both on their knees at the train table (very low, has toy train set up on it), and I was watching them & looking around at all their toys. Now, A was never all that "into" doll babies (she seems to like Barbie well enough), but T has a large collection of baby dolls, and loves them. I aked her if she had enough blankies for her babies, because if she needed one or two more I could knit them. She thought for moment, looked around, then held up her hand with fingers spread. "This many!" she said. So Princess T has given me a commission which I'm honored to endeavor to achieve. I've started a Feather & Fan baby blanket, making a little smaller than the pattern calls for, but then I had a thought (why this didn't occur before I'd knit 4" of it, I'll never know): what if I could make these 5 different baby blankies in such a way that when T is past her baby doll stage, I can piece the blankies together to make her a lapghan. Yeah, it's ambitious; so I'll move out of my comfort zone, and just go ahead & frog the F & F blankie. It needs to be bigger. Kinda like everything else in Texas.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Yes, I've been knitting! Can't post a pic yet as my project is a) unfinished and b)not yet given to the intended recipient. I'm pretty sure she's completely unaware that I have a blog, but you never know. I made one more of the penny bags, for the DiscoDame, since she thought they were entirely too cute (and she's my only little chickadee, so she can have one too). I do have pics:


The drawstring closure allows it to be worn as a bracelet:


It's sooo little, it looks like an amulet or charm bag:


But I guess a lucky penny is a charm, n'est pas?
Anyway, the knit project (super secret! shhh!)is mostly miles of seed stitch. I can hear you groaning, you know. My friend will, I hope, be thrilled to have it. She's been the recipient of my handiwork before now, and always seems appreciative -- which means I'll always be willing to make more for her! I haven't even thought about working on a shawl, or picking up the second sock for my Moc Croc pair. It's officially been over a year since I started that pair of socks; it's hard to work up any enthusiam for the second sock. Perservere!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

I'll Fly Away, Part Deux

Ohboyohboyoboy! I'm all set to go on vacation again, and this time I'll actually leave town! It's not till next month,hope the anticipation doesn't just eat me up!
I'm heading for Texas, to see my dear old Dad & my sister & MY NIECES!!! I spoke to my sis, and got the word that the littlest niece had received her package. She was, of course, tickled to death to get a package with her name on it -- as any little girl would be! and had to open it, even though the birthday is not until tomorrow. From the sound of things, I believe she was thrilled with the contents. So, since she's already seen her gifts, I can now post pics - notice my wonderful model, Teddy Bear, standing in for a toddler:

I only had one good shot of the back of the shrug, & managed to turn it blue during editing, so I'll have to take several shots of the niece in it.

Teddy looks good, doesn't he? Here's the little drawstring bag:

It's the crocheted element in this ensemble. I wish I'd gotten a pic of the Lucky Penny bag; it's incredibly cute. BTW, you may see that I'm making the pics bigger--I had a comment from a reader tha they were awfully small, so I'll make them bigger from now on.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

More FO's

4/7/09 Saturday I sewed the buttons onto Tess' Lily (top), made a teeny little drawstring bag for her lucky penny & put it inside her drawstring purse, packed all her handknit & crocheted goodies for mailing. I did take pics, will post them later. The box of goodies got mailed Monday 4/6, so it should arrive in time for her birthday! I'm tickled pink. And I crocheted another of the little purses for a coworker's grandchild, adding the lucky penny bag to it too. The penny bags are made from the Pretty Purses drawstring bag pattern, only in crochet thread instead of yarn -- Whew! it'll wear out the fingers! But they are soooo cute!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

FO, WIP, and last day of vacation

This past weekend I bought some elastic cord, and threaded three pieces through the ribbing on the Bobbled Tam (aka Afterbirth Hat). It fits!




Edited 4/11/09 to add photos & delete rant caused by Blogger failure to upload pics the first time I tried it.
And now I seem to have lost contact with Blogger. Of course! This may be why I blog only once in a while, since there's only so much aggravation I can take.


I've made progress on Tess' Lily, finishing the lacy "skirt" portion of this little apron-style top on Saturday, and taking a few pictures Sunday.


Well, I actually have better things to do than twiddle my thumbs while Blogger fails, so I'll just save this now & move on.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Things to do ...today(?)

I have been cleaning out my documents saved on the computer, which are mostly knit & crochet patterns. I'm moving them to disks, labled by the type of item that the patterns produce. Unfortunately, some of the stuff I "saved" wasn't saved well, and the older files are the most corrupt. Also, a lot of stuff got saved as HTML docs, which require internet access to work, but I want them resaved so that I don't have to get on the Internets -- I've been copying them to word docs, and inserting the graphics, & saving the thing in that format. Then I can delete the link. Our poor old Dell equipment may be on it's last legs, so I'm trying to lighten it's load a bit. This is taking a very long time, simply because of the age & slowness of the equipment. But it's gotta happen, I'm not losing all these patterns I've collected!

I'm on vacation today, and should be knitting Niece #2's Tropical Lily top. I've decided it needs the lifeline every 4th row, to try to keep the stitch count correct. I'd like to have 6 more repeats of the pattern, before making the bodice. On Ravelry, I looked at other knitters' results for this pattern; no one else seems to have had the same problem I did. So, I'm UNIQUE! Wonderful.

I was reading the Harlot's blog, and I can surely identify with her dorkiness: after reading about her February Lady sweater meeting EZ's February Baby sweater, I went to her 4/10/08 blog entry, enlarged the photo of me & my tiny socks, and printed it! DiscoDame put it on the 'fridge, sure to put me off my feed for a while.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Are we there yet?

I finished the red hat, well sort of...the ribbing isn't snug enough to keep the thing on my head, so I'll need to get some elastic thread and make some adjustments. I'm pretty sure I can just thread it through the purl bumps on the inside of the brim. The weather is trying (& failing & trying & failing..)to change over to spring-like, so I'm not in a hurry for the hat or it's coordinating scarf. You know what, they can both go to the hibernation pile. I started knitting Tropical Lily for Niece #2, and ran into a problem--I lost a stitch somewhere. I'll have to try to slip a smaller circular needle into a row several below where I stopped, always a fun maneuver, which may be a little trickier with the Cottontots yarn. This can't go to hibernation; it's got to be sent off before her birthday. But I've been so tired in the evenings lately that I haven't started trying this fiddly bit. And last night I just wanted to knit something..so I dragged out a project from hibernation: the Feather and Fan shawl! Oh, I love my shawl; I love the Lornas Laces Baltic Sea colorway, I love the weight of it, I just don't know if I can put off finishing this shawl while I get on with more timely projects. Decisions, decisions!

I went into Bliss Yarns yesterday, to ask what their plans were for WWKIP day. So far, they have no plan at all. I'd really like to attend a knit-in at Centennial Park, if "someone" will just do the work of getting it together. I don't want to be the organizer; let somebody else do all that stuff, I just want to attend! And for pete's sake, don't make it a knit for charity event! Or at least, offer that as an option only. I have never knit or crocheted for charity, although I do give away most of my handiwork. SO! I'm in Bliss Yarns, and while I'm there I gotta check out the 50% off room. Big mistake. They had Jagger Spun Zephhyr in there...colors in the basket were mushroom and petal pink. I picked up two balls in mushroom, then checked out the mini-wall of bins. There's a yarn I'm forever picking up, fondling, then putting back: Garnstudio's Silke-Tweed! I got two each in shades 02 & 07. I figured I'd better get out before I spent all the grocery $, so up to the counter with my finds I go. There's 3 balls of the Jagger Spun in aqua sitting up there, so I ask if it's actually being purchased. The gal who was holding it wasn't sure about the color; she brought up the stuff she wanted to match & we looked it over. Turns out she only wanted enough for a scarf, so I got two more balls in aqua! Woo-Hoo! and Aaacchh! for the budget. I really need to get a handle on the yarn purchases. The only part of this last purchase that I have an idea about it the Drops, which will be socks...someday.

Well, I've got to get busy on some housework now...I know, what a drag. Close your eyes, it'll be over soon.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Holding pattern

The middle of the month..does it feel like that pause at the top of the first long rumble downslope on the roller-coaster? Maybe it's just me. I had a surprise over the weekend, or not really--the afterbirth of a large ruminant mammal has turned into a hat! I finished it Saturday, and have now started a scarf to coordinate with it. It can't "match", because the Whispers yarn isn't available anymore. The half-skein of red left from the hat will become very subtle stripes in the scarf, which will mainly be another Sensations yarn, Angel Hair. It's nice & soft, and very nearly the same shade of red, and has eyelash wisps as well. It's core is a roving-look (I think it's blended wool & acrylic), wrapped with a tiny chainette eyelash. Drat, I haven't got a picture of the finished hat! Guess I'll get that this weekend. I had a dreadful moment last Thursday, when I realized that #1's birthday was just around the corner, and I had nothing started! Crochet to the rescue!! On Saturday I finished the Pretty Purses pattern(s), in two different Sugar'nCream yarns, and Monday I put a tiny box in the mail to #1. She'll have a small (would hold a soup can) drawstring purse, and an even tinier envelope-style shoulder bag. And now I'm planning something for Niece II, something in cotton, of the tank top or short-sleeve sweater, also in cotton, but knitted. There are lots of cute patterns out there. So far, the tank tops I've been interested in all seem to use about 200 to 275 yards worsted wt cotton. I believe I'll start looking for Handicrafter on sale somewhere. I figure 4 or 5 hanks should work.
I'm a bit bummed that I don't have a shot of the Afterbirth Hat; here's some cuteness to compensate for that:



Miss Hinky Boo invades TomTom's favorite nap spot! He confronts her, although he knows it's hopeless.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

We! Are! The! Champions!

Six, as in one more than five, as in the number of Super Bowls won by the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers! Not 42, although that number may have a special & dear meaning to fans of Douglas Adams. Oh wow, Namath's presenting the trophy. Mike Tomlin sounds like a teenager, "Uh...uh..". Santonio Holmes!!!! My Dad is the hub of our Super Bowl activity, he & I were calling back & forth, and on the last call he told he'd just talked to both my younger sibs. We'll do it again next year.

On the knitting front, I'm nearing the end of the Bobbled Tam (mostly because I'm almost out of the yarn!). I think this may be a very bad match of pattern & yarn, as the thing looks like the afterbirth of a large ruminant mammal. I'm about to throw in the towel on this one. But I'm kind of curious as to what it might look like blocked, so I guess I'll continue. I may have to head back to the store for some more of the yarn.


DiscoDame got her Eyelet Scarf & Hat, but none of the office-bound knits went to the office. Oh well, next year!

Friday, January 23, 2009

A Slow Start

It's 12:04, I got outta bed at 7 a.m. and I'm still in my nighty,robe & slippers. I have about 18 errands I wanted to run on today, and I'm off to a slow start. I blame Ravelry...I joined two more groups today. But seriously, I've got to get going. Just a quickie post to say I'm still alive, still knitting and still wondering how long the hungry slug a.k.a. Disco Dame will be eating me out of house and home. Went out to the local meat 'n three last night, she ordered the grilled salmon dinner while I ate chicken livers. I told my dad ("Pup") about her dinner, and he said she must think she's rich since she's got $400. I had to tell him that no, she thinks I'm rich: her dad & I paid for the salmon dinner!