At last

The dearth of knitting has come to an end (I hope). I picked up the slippers I'm working up for the Plaidman, knit a row or three, and put them down again. Didn't knit for another week, then this past weekend I worked up an entire 16 row repeat on my Every Way Wrap -- I'm back, baby! And back in business.
The daffydillies suffered only a little from the frost & snow of this past freaky weather week. I have them mounded beneath the maple tree. Lawks, we've been in this house a long time: I used to be able to reach all the way 'round that maple, now it takes two people to hug that tree. And it survived having a lot of it's roots dug up when the septic field needed re-digging. Right after that event, a pair of woodpeckers took up residence there -- I get such a kick from watching them at the feeder! They hang almost upside-down from the edge of the feeder tray, and will stomp their way around it to find what they like -- and to chase away blackbirds & jays! They don't bother the littler birds, just the big greedies. If only I could get a picture, but they're very shy of people.
Lord help us, the entire Plaid household (well, excepting the cats) has been caught up in the Malazan Tales of the Fallen, which is a fantasy series by Steven Erikson. There are many, many very thick books--the first few of which are largely responsible for the lack of knitting lately. Plaidman & I are taking turns requesting the next two in the series, from the library. We love our library! Speaking of which, I've a return notice in the email--three other books are due back this weekend.
I have one more Friday to work, before my coworker returns from her extended trip. She's adopting some sisters from a foreign land--I won't say more here. But I know these little girls are going to be blessed, to be in their new home! Easter is going to be terrific in her household; her own kids are all boys, so I'm guessing she'll have a ball dressing her daughters for church. Nana (my dear departed mother) used to dress all five of us kids, for Easter Sunday. She made a lot of the dresses we four girls wore, but didn't sew for our brother--dresses = easy, trousers = hard to make! I have a photo of us, with girls in bonnets and "spring" navy cloth coats, and Brother in his little suit. Put that on the to-do list: find the family photos & scan some of them so y'all can take a look!

Hard workin' Mama

I haven't knit a stitch in a week -- I'm about to expire from withdrawal symptoms. Lots of projectts started, none of which has managed to fire up the knitting mojo. Instead, I'm thinking of going to the Middle Tenn Fiber Festival, to take Fleegle's class in supported spindling. Must. Resist. Urge. To. Spin!

My daffydils are blooming. They started budding the middle of last week, and over the weekend they opened up their trumpets. The Lambs' Ears at the porch front look truly ragged, even though the winter has been super mild. Doesn't matter, before the end of June I'll be digging them out of the yard--they kinda want to take over! I'm probably going to dig up what's left of the pussy-willow, which is now an all-u-can-eat for the Japanese beetles. If they'd only learn to eat honeysuckle....I could stand to have less of that!

Disco & I cooperated on a crock-pot lasagna, ala A Year of Slow Cooking (http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/), and ate like pigs -- it's abfab, I tell ya!

I have nothing to say about the so-called Super Bowl (pffft! as if it could be super without the Steelers!), because even tho it was on the TV and I was in the room, I didn't watch.

More slippers

I've started a pair in Titans (Boo! Hiss!)colors, for the Plaidman. Had to really hunt for appropriately colored yarn--I don't actually have navy acrylic in the stash. Duh. Most of my acrylic yarns seem to be either pastels or Christmas red & green. So, neutrals are kinda sparse! Disco was wondering whether we could just try tying together a slough of different colors in 20'-30' lengths, to make our own "variegated". I said sure, as long as you don't mind pastels & Christmas! I have written up my notes for adaptations to Aunt Maggies's Slippers; if there is any interest I'll put that over on my patterns page, with a link to the original pattern.
Go Patriots! (We hate the Ravens...)

After careful review

I looked into the Every Which Way Wrap mentioned in the last post. This is a paid pattern, and from the look of it not exactly reversible. Now I don't mind paying a bit for a nice pattern, and this does look nice--but the reversibility of the Every Way Wrap was what sold me on knitting it. So I guess for now I'll pass on the Every Which Way (thank goodness! It was gonna get confusin' here real soon!). Last week I knit another pair of Aunt Maggie's Slippers for Disco, in a light orangey gold plu a medium orangey red acrylic yarns. They went so much faster than the last pair; have I actually gotten to be a faster knitter? I could live with that!

Fine film

I am still chuckling about DiscoDame's reaction to our "creature feature" on Christmas day. We watched It Came From Beneath the Sea! while we were having dinner (ham, seasoned & roasted cauliflower, rosemary red taters, and collard greens). Every time the beast came onscreen I made sure to scream loudly; the first time Disco dropped her fork, and she jumped *every* *single* *time* afterwards. So worth the hassle (trying to find Barnes & Noble out in Cool Springs -- twice! -- while every freakin' redneck in three counties was zipping around there too), and the $ spent.
I am still working on the Every Way Wrap.2, and Pup's sock(s), and the tiny garter stitch kimono, and I even picked up Dolly Blankie #3 a few times. Shall I make a resolution? Continental knitting is supposed to be so much faster; I believe I'll make it my goal this year to become proficient in Continental style knitting. I have enough yarn for another Every Way Wrap--which I'll make ala Continental style, once I feel I can handle it. There's lots of purling in the EWW, so I'll have to really get good at Continental purling before I attempt another EWW. I was reading about a similar wrap, the Every Which Way Wrap, with lace in it. You know I loves me some lace. Anyway, I'll have to search Ravelry for it. Meanwhile (back at the ranch), I've still got the second Janet beret on the needles; my current lace fixation.

WIN IT!!

OOO, I'm trying to win this HP Touchsmart computer, and if I blog it I get another entry! Go to here:
http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/2011/11/hp-touchsmart-320-pc-review-and.html
and enter to win, gotta do it today 'coz it closes real soon! Good luck!

Then again--

Oh, the Knitting Gods are laughing now. "No holiday knitting, huh? GUESS AGAIN!" What can I say, I've been thinking of dear old Dad a lot lately, and just had to start on his Steelers socks. I bought six hanks of the Steelers colorway by Claudia Hand Painted, meaning to make a pair each for Dad, Disco & myself. Well, Dad wears size 10.5 shoes, and his socks were gonna take more than two hanks. So last Thursday I carried Disco over to the Haus of Yarn & bought some kettle dyed black fingering Malabrigo--my very first Malabrigo, woo-hoo!--which I'll be using for the heels & toes of all 3 pairs. If I have any left over, I might make either Tiny Baby Bunnies or Hamsterbeans--you seriously need to search Ravelry for Hamsterbeans! Very silly & cute. The Tiny Baby Bunnies are by Anna Hravoc (?sp?), some of her mini-mochi's. Also very cute. Neither of these patterns is actually suitable for small children, but for bigger "kids" they'd be cute to tuck into unexpected spots (the lunchbox, the linen closet--that kind of place; get yer head outta the gutter!). Check the comments on the last post--got a reply from the Thanksgiving Creature-watcher! And I corrected the effects guy's last name...I think. While I was gone from the office, my name was drawn for the October perfect attendance prize--4 free movie tickets!Sounds like I'll be seeing a holiday movie soon.