Ok! What next??

Update

2008-09-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that Kristy is still in the Ukraine and doing fine. I understand the team to be very busy, so I haven't talked to her in the past few days. The pictures you see here on her blog are a little distorted because she is sending them from her cell phone to my cell phone. When I have received more news/pictures I will post it.

In case you are wondering, Kristy won't be home to CA until October 7. Please keep her and her mission team in your prayers.

Guest Blogger and Favorite Sister-In-Law, Lori
e-mail me at lorihalyburton@yahoo.com

Hats, Hats, and Hats!

2008-09-25T14:38:00.001-07:00

Above: Mission Team sorting hats

Below: Orphans with hats!

She is in Ukraine! With Hats!

2008-09-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

So the trip started off with some minor complications. Kristy and her team were to depart Charlotte and fly to D.C., from D.C. to Vienna, Austria and then on to Kiev, Ukraine. That was the plan, anyway. Didn't quite turn out that way!

They boarded the original plane in Charlotte only to deboard because of mechanical malfunctions. Then the flight was cancelled. So their team leader quickly secured different flying arrangements.

What actually happened was that they left Charlotte went to Frankfurt, Germany and then to Kiev. I received word from Kristy that they arrived in Frankfurt at 12:20 a.m. (PST). See picture below.

Below are the text messages I received from Kristy. The time stamp is the time I received the message in California.

At 4:18 a.m. – We are on the ground in Kiev. Waiting to go through passport control and then get baggage and go through customs. It is 2:15 in afternoon here. We have just crossed the 26 hours awake mark and I am thrilled and so happy to be here. Now if I can just keep my traveling companions awake, it will be a fun day!

At 6:37 a.m. - All but one luggage got here. We are not on the bus (not train mercifully….using seminary’s bus) for the 6 hour ride to Rivine. Oh Lori! It is wonderful and rainy and I love all the people and the craziness of this place. I am so happy to be here. Thanks for the prayers. I will message later before bed. Now been up 28.5 hours. Starting to get punchy. It is unbelievable how things have changed. I am in awe! We are driving on an 8 lane highway!! In Ukraine!! Ok pass along that we are ok.

At 10:15 a.m. -- It is just after 8 pm here. We are almost to the seminary where we will get settled in, eat dinner and then (mercifully) get some sleep. We are all doing well though so so tired. It is about 56 degrees out and murky and drizzling rain. Perfect weather. Won’t be able to call tonight…the signal is too weak, but I will try to call tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement. Have a good day.

At 11:54 a.m. – How far is 56 kilometers in miles?
(My answer to her 34.7967 miles)

At 11:59 a.m. – Thank you so much. That is how much further we have to go to the seminary. I am starting to think this is a movie and we are just going to keep going forever :)

I replied back to her “LOL. Hopefully you can get some much needed rest soon!”

At 12:06 pm – Yes. I am ready for some sleep. The bus is very nice but the roads are really really rough. Haven’t been able to sleep so hopefully when we get to the seminary. They plan to feed us soup for supper then let us go to bed.

So after a couple of long days of traveling they have made it! I have only talked to her through text messages but she sounds like she is having the best time of her life, even if she is dead tired. Please continue to pray for her and her team as this is just the beginning!

Today's Quote

"The feeling of sleepiness when you are not in bed, and can't get there, is the meanest feeling in the world." ~Edgar Watson Howe

Bon Voyage, Kristy!

2008-09-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

If everything Kristy has planned works out, she will be sending me pictures so I can load them here for all you crafty hat knitters and blog readers to view; thus, making me her guest blogger. I know I won’t be as witty and as funny as Kristy but if you would like the occasional update, please stop by from time to time in the next three weeks.

Kristy has made her first leg of the trip safely. I took her to the airport yesterday morning and she arrived in North Carolina safely. She did tell me that when she was on the plane, her seatmate was praying out loud that this plane wouldn’t crash and they wouldn’t all die in a horrible way. Thankfully, they didn’t. (Kristy has a knack at finding all the “interesting” people).

This evening she will be meeting up with the rest of her mission team and tomorrow they will begin this remarkable journey to the Ukraine.

It seemed just like yesterday when Kristy told me she was going to the Ukraine and her dream to take a “few” hand-knitted hats. I asked her how many hats and she believed if she knit a hat a day for one month and some-here-and-some-there she hoped to have a little over a hundred. Today, because of the generosity of you, her family, her friends and most importantly, God, she has 903 hats! It makes me completely speechless when I consider of the enormity of what everyone has done!

Our local paper wrote an article about Kristy and all the hats. Please read it here. It really is an amazing article. It doesn’t seem like it online, but the article was the entire front page of the “life” section in the paper.

Thank you all for everything you have done to make this possible! You really are amazing!

Guest Blogger and Favorite Sister-in-Law, Lori
Email me at lorihalyburton@hotmail.com

Today's Quote

"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply" -- Hudson Taylor

And The Winner Is....

2008-09-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

ELLIE SHERMAN

Congratulations, Ellie!

Ellie is a local knitter who joined us late in the hat project but contribute a beautiful hat none the less and donated to the cause just last week. Thank you so much Ellie!

Here's how it went down.

My fabulous co-worker Yolanda (who is the wife and daughter-in-law of the generous fellows at Terry's Touch of Gold) brought her adorable offspring by my office (I was working late, imagine that...)

My adorable (if reluctant) models

Sydnee modeling the Hers watch

And Matthew displaying the His watch

I put all of the names in to a hat (a straggler that just arrived today from one of Katy's coworkers) and abra-cadabra....we have a winner!

Congratulations, Ellie!! Thank you so much to all of you for your support. Your generous donations, your monetary support, your time and effort, your encouragement, your willingness to believe in this "little" project....for everything. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Today's Quote

"Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present." Albert Camus

Final Countdown

2008-09-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Wow how time flies! Just 5 days until I leave. Crazy!

Today is the last day for the raffle drawing. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far!

I've gotten quite a few hats over the course of the last week. Currently we are at 881. I am still knitting hats and I've asked a few local knitters to make a few more in hopes of making it an even 900. (At this point, I do not doubt for even a minute that this is a very real possibility.) I have pictures but I don't have my camera handy at the moment.

Thanks for all of your comments and emails about the project. It really has been awesome. I am so excited about this trip. So many things to accomplish at home and work between now and Saturday but I know this week is going to be a whirlwind.

Eight Hundred & Twenty

2008-09-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Total Hat Count: 820

2.73 times the original goal of 300.

Approximately 140 pounds. (That means 3 pieces of luggage devoted solely to hats.)
ETA: correct weight.

More than 90 individual knitters/crocheters.

Based on some very scientific figuring, we will have enough hats for...

.....the children and staff at the orphanage in Rivne (the original intended beneficiaries of the Hat Quest),
.....the children other children in the village where we will primarily be staying,
.....the children at another orphanage we will be visiting in another town.

Thank you seems inadequate but really, sincerely THANK YOU ALL! There are not words grand enough to tell you how awesome this project has been and how sincerely moving it is for me to see so many individuals come together from so many corners of the world for this project. I am moved and awed at your enthusiasm and generosity and sheer kindness and decency. Thank you all so much!

Here they are - 787 (which is what I had as of the deadline. The other 33 arrived in today's mail!)

Rear view (nifty, huh?)

An extra special thank you to Kaylee, Deb & Robin (pictured with the hats, below) who braved the absurdly hot Sunday morning with me yesterday and helped to create this display...which took nearly an hour!

Now, might I humbly suggest that each of you who have participated in this project in anyway find someone and show them the picture of the hats above and say proudly, "See? Look what we did!" and smile and hug them with the pride and enthusiasm of a new parent.

Thank You!!

Today's Quote

"Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes up his mind to do. We are capable of greater things than we realize. " Norman Vincent Peale

Welcome to the Family

2008-08-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

This is my 200th post! It kind of snuck up on me. I wish I had something profound to say but I don't, particularly. I just have pictures of my trip to the park last Friday with the hats and pictures from my front yard of the hats I've received this week.

OH! But first, I have some pictures of prizes. These three prizes were generously donated by Kaylee at Hooks & Needles. By the way, Kaylee is going to be having a big going-out-of-business sale. (Yes, I know, I'm broken-hearted). If you are in the area, stop in. If not, visit the website. She has lots of wonderful stuff that I'm sure will go fast.

Kaylee has donated three prize packages that have nothing to do with hats. (Because we're guessing that after making 700+ hats, people are going to be in the mood for not-knitting-hats.)

H&N Prize #1

A kit for Kool-Aid dying: Two skeins of Cascade 220 Superwash - my Kool-Aid dying yarn of choice - and a variety of Kool-Aid flavors and colors. Not included in the picture, but I will include in the prize, directions for Kool-Aid dying.

Blue-Blue-Blue bundle.

(Closed)

(Open)

The beautiful blue Lantern Moon hooks/needles/gadgets cozy, a set of Clover US Size 2 dpns and two skeins of Panda Wool. (I'm told the Panda Wool makes excellent socks, though I've never tried it myself.)

And my favorite prize package (lucky for ya'll I'm disqualified from prizes or I would claim this one for myself) Everything you need to learn to needle felt!
A Fiber Trends Needle Felting starter kit with pad, needles and instructions; two packages of roving and a way cool pen style needle holder tool.

Last but not least, here is the gorgeous Anne that goes with the watches in the fundraising raffle! (Only $5 a ticket!)

Hats in the City

Last week the truly lovely and kind Barbara and Carisa invited me to San Francisco for dinner and knitting with their knitting group. Carisa and Barbara were actually two of the first people to know about the hat project because I met them at the Maker Faire back in April (or was it May?...) when I first came up with the idea.

I had such a wonderful time that I was nearly convinced to crochet something. Seriously.

Thank you so much, Barbara, for opening up your home and thank you to the whole group for your warm welcome and your good company and your amazing hat knitting! (Carissa tells me she has MORE hats to send me, too. I'm can't wait!!)

Frolicking in the Park

Here are the hats from the Needle's Eye gang in Santa Fe (group shot, followed by close ups)

(I'd like to take a moment to say - #*(^%@#& to the stupid picture function. In my files those pictures are all facing the right direction but I'll be damned if I can get them to upload right.)

Hats from various knitters all over, enjoying the bouncing bridge

and taking the steps up to the spiral slide

More Recent Additions

This week, too, as been an excellent week for hats.

On Wednesday, I picked up all of these that had been dropped off by the local knitters at Hooks & Needles.
I also picked up these two lovelies, knit by a lady named Coby (or is it Cobi?) whom I've never met or spoken to or gotten an email from but who'd heard about the project at the shop. I called them doubled knitted but Kaylee pointed out that while they are doubly thick, they are not doubled knitted. Coby used a provisonal cast on, knit one hat brim to top and then picked up the cast on stitches and knit another hat brim to top then tucked one inside the other for a twice-as-thick, twice-as-fabulous, twice-as-warm extravaganza of hat fabulosity. I neglected to take a picture of the insides but both have the snowflake pattern on the inside as well. They are very cool.

Speaking of this style of hat, I've gotten quite a few from all over knit like this - or maybe actually double knit, I'm not certain - and they are thick and cozy and oh-so-great. I can't say enough about how talented and awesome all of you are. Double thick and single thick knitters alike, ya'll rock.

Early in the week, I received a big box of 50 hats from Gari and her brigade of talented hat crafters at Maranacook Yarns in Maine. (Gari was one of the very first to get on board with the Ravelry group.) Thank you all SOO much. While taking the pictures of the hats above, it came to my attention that my yard had just been mowed. I put down a sheet for this bunch because I didn't want to spend the whole rest of my evening picking grass clippings out of hats. (After all, I had important things to do like....knit a hat and, umm, watch TV.)

All 50 of the Maine hats (some with their very courteously attached fiber content tags showing)
A couple of closer up pictures of the Maine hats.

And though it seems kind of superfluous to even mention, here's one hat. Knit by me.

Malabrigo Chunky in Floral something (can't remember) that I bought at ImagiKnit in San Francisco. That makes a total of 59 from me. I've got one more on the needles and maybe a few more in me after that but we'll have to see.

So there you have it. The latest members of our oh-so-exclusive, oh-so-exceptional Hat Quest club. Current total? 688. I got a call today from a man at our local paper and he asked if he could do a story on our Hat Quest. I'm stunned. I'll let ya'll know what I hear on that front. (I'm secretly a little nervous about this prospect but it is also kind of spiffy.)

I can't say enough about how wonderful it is to do this project and to have all of you do it with me. I am awed and truly, truly giddy happy about this - happier and more inspired and impressed every single day. I tell people about it all the time - friends and co-workers and perfect strangers. I'm sure my parents and my siblings and my SIL and the rest of my family will be glad when it is done so I will stop with the "News Flash! Guess how many hats I have" business. Me? I am so eager to make the trip and share all of this hat love but I am also a little sad about it coming to and end. Maybe next summer we can make hats again!? : )

Photo-Opportunity

On Sunday, September 7, I am planning to take pictures of ALL the hats and everything I have received. Since we are now approaching 700 hats (with 7 days still to go!) I know it is going to be a serious undertaking. If you live in the area and would like to join me, please send me an email and I will give you the details. ( crickitleigh at hotmail dot com) It will be in the morning so shouldn't interfere with anyone's afternoon or evening plans.

Today's Quote:

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." -Louisa May Alcott

Hats Hats Hats!

2008-08-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

Friday after work I took the most recent arrivals on an outing to the park. These hats include 50 that RC has collected in Pennsylvania - PLUS 19 pairs of mittens and 6 pairs of socks, 131 from the knitters in New Mexico, 28 from the group in San Francisco (who invited me to dinner and knitting last Wednesday in the city and it was a wonderful time!!), and varying numbers from other knitters all over.

The total count to date? 619 YES!! Six Hundred and Nineteen!!!!

(I forgot my camera at my parents’ house over the weekend but I did manage to upload a couple of pictures before that. As soon as I retrieve the camera, I’ll show you the rest of the pictures. A fine time was had by all....The mittens, in particular, loved the slide.)

619. I am so excited and amazed! Thank you so much, everyone!! Please keep knitting and sending. I'll be collecting until September 5. That Monday, I'll be shipping them ahead of me to North Carolina. Do you think we can make 700?

A RAFFLE!!

As I shared with ya’ll previously, I’m working to raise the additional funds to cover the expense of getting the hats to the Ukraine. I’ve had several people make donations already via PayPal and regular mail - Thank you so, so much to each of you!! To aid the efforts, I’m holding a raffle!

Say hi to Terry Wiggs (R) & his son TJ Wiggs (L). They are the fine gentlemen who own and operate Terry’s Touch of Gold in Modesto. Last week, I stopped by the shop to talk to Terry and told him about the Ukrainian orphans and the hats and all the awesome. I also told him about the package fees and extra expenses that I hadn’t originally counted on. Being the kind, generous soul that he is, Terry agreed to offer up a raffle price to help me race the funds.
His & Hers Watches from ESQ Swiss. Retail value: $400

And just for the knitty fun of it, I’m throwing in a beloved skein from my stash: a skein of Schaefer Anne, in beautiful shades of purple. ETA: Picture of Anne.

Want to make them yours?? Buy a raffle ticket!! The cost is $5 per ticket. (For those who’ve already contributed, I’ll put your name on a raffle ticket for every $5 you donated.) You can use the PayPal link at right or email me at crickitleigh at hotmail dot com, and I’ll give you my address and you can mail in your ticket money by check or money order. All raffle tickets must be purchased before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday, September 15. I’m recruiting the help of my little pal Matthew (coincidentally, the son and grandson of TJ and Terry) to draw the winner, which I will announce on Wednesday, September 17.

As a matter of full disclosure, the money raised from this raffle will be used for the following purposes:
- pay the third bag and (likely) overweight fees for the luggage containing the hats.
- cover additional expenses for my trip to Ukraine like…
- hotel stays when I go to meet the group in NC and the night I fly back to NC, before I return to California.
- Meals while in Kiev
- If we raise more money than I need to cover those expenses, I will donate that money to the children at the orphanage in Rivne.

Thank you all so much for your hard work and dedication in knitting hats. It has been so amazing seeing this come together and in such a major way. The outpouring of kindness and generosity…I just don’t have the words to describe how awed and inspired I am by all of you!

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. crickitleigh at hotmail dot com

The Miracle of PayPal

2008-08-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Looky there! In the sidebar! I created a Donate button. Turns out I can receive payments through PayPal. Isn't technology amazing?

Some people have asked if they could simply make a monetary contribution to help cover the expenses of transporting the hats to the Ukraine (as discussed in the previous post) so I've set that up. If you are inclined to donate - THANK YOU! - every amount will help. I will be holding a special drawing on Wednesday, September 17 (my Daddy's birthday) to draw a very special price from among those who contribute financially.

And I am, of course, still collecting hats! I'll have an update on new numbers and the list of contributors in the next several days.

Thank you all for your kindness and ongoing support on this. I leave 6 weeks from today!

(In case you are following world events, dont' worry: I have no intention of allowing the military/political goings-on in Georgia to prevent me from making this trip. While Ukraine and Georgia have many close ties, Rivne is - by my estimation - a very safe distance from the fighting. Anyway, I am among the hopeful that this will wrap itself up soon.)

Today's Quote

"Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open." Pauline Kael

Drive-by Update

2008-08-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Today I had Chinese food for lunch and my fortune said,

"You have a strong instinct to take care of people you love." ahh...

Seriously, where does the time go? Please forgive me for the lag time of posts of late. When did life get so crazy? (Maybe it always has been...)

As of Monday, I have in my possession 344 hats. HURRAY!!! I am so thrilled. Beside myself excited. This is amazing! And everyday I am a little more excited and eager to see where this is going to take us. 500? 600? More? I am in awe. Thank you so much! This weekend or early next week I am going to post a list of names of the people from whom I've thus far received hats. Just as a check.

For now, though, how about a picture of the latest additions?

There's the whole crowd - 120 new ones since my last post - followed by closer views of the same hats. Can you pick yours out of the crowd?

And this little darling that I particularly love, knit by Ruth in Minnesota.

It is probably a good thing I don't wear hats because I would want to keep this one for myself.

A Plea for Help

I am posting this next bit verbatim from what I posted this morning on Ravelry so if you've already read it there, skip to the "Look What I Did" section below.

Help! Ok. I have been privately panicking about this for the past week and I’ve decided I can’t solve this one on my own so I am appealing to all of you.

When I go to Ukraine in September, the bulk of the trip will be on Austrian Airlines. Back in June, I contacted Customer Relations at Austrian Airlines and explained about the hats and the orphans and they told me how to go about getting them to wave the fee for the third (heavy) piece of luggage. So I went through that process and I thought it was settled and I hadn’t been worrying about that expense. This week I got a letter saying that they have discontinued the practice of waving that fee except under very narrow circumstances…circumstances that don’t include handknit hats for orphans.

I have considered the idea of splitting them up between everyone in the group but there are two things that make that a non-option. 1) I won’t be meeting up with the group until we are all at the airport the morning of September 22 so if it didn’t work out, I would be stuck and 2) we are also taking school supplies and necessity items over with us so everyone is pretty much maxed out in the luggage department.

As with many of life’s worries, this one comes down to a matter of dollars. The mail isn’t a reliable option to that area (which I have known all along) so they are going to have to go on the plane with me. My best estimates (and I think they are very good estimates) indicate that with the large duffel bags I have and the space bags that were so generously donated, I will be able to get all of the hats there in two (admittedly heavy) duffel bags. (I am using an estimated total of 600 because that is where I think we are going to end up. How awesome is that?!?) This means two of us will have a third bag. Per Austrian Airlines, the third bag fee is $105 for a bag up to 50 lbs. These two bags will be heavier than that (right at 70 lbs) so that is another $75 for the overweight fee, plus a $50 charge per additional leg (i.e. we fly from DC to Vienna and then Vienna to Kiev. The $50 additional fee is for Vienna to Kiev.) All of that adds up to an additional $460 I hadn’t planned on.

I will concede that this is an excellent problem to have…but a problem nonetheless. I don’t know about that rest of you but nearly $500 is a chunk of cash for me. I have already covered the $2800 for the base cost of the trip (at least that is done) and then I’ll have the expense of the hotel stays when I go to meet the group in North Carolina and then again when we come back, I’ll have to spend a night in NC before flying home as well as miscellaneous costs while I am away.

I have debated and debated about posting this. I guess it is my Southern roots… I come from a place where it is considered bad form to discuss money matters publicly. (Equally bad form to ask a woman’s age, but that is an entirely separate matter.) In the end, I’ve concluded that we have been in this hat making business together from the beginning so it is only appropriate that I should come to you with this.

In my heart, I know that we are doing an amazing thing with the knitting of the hats and I also know that the Lord wouldn’t get us this far and then not make a way to get them there. I know, too, that, cliché as it sounds, the Lord helps those who help themselves.

All of that being said, here’s my idea. Tell me what you think. I am working on putting some things together – yarn related things, maybe a jewelry item, other things…I’m still working on the specifics. (This idea has only recently come to me.) Anyway, whatever those items end up being, what do you think of the idea of an eBay auction to raise this money? Do you think it would work? Have any of you sold anything on eBay before? I haven’t so I would need some help. Do you have any other ideas? This is starting to keep me awake at night…

And as an optimistic side note, if we raise more money than I need for the expenses directly related to this trip, I would donate any extra to the orphanage in Rivne.

Look What I Did

I have once again (or still...) been neglecting Lori's socks. This weekend, I was being particularly neglectful by both starting and finishing a brand new project. One of these days, I will tell you the whole story behind this but for now I will just show you the pictures.

I knit something for myself. A Kiwi bird.

Based on this pattern, with a fair amount of poetic license. (I added the "feathers" and completely changed the feet.) Thank you, EnnaVic, for the fabulous mug!

Today's Quote

"I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end." -Abraham Lincoln

If You're Wondering Why

2008-07-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

Sixty days from today, I'll be hopping a plane (several, actually) for the Ukraine. It is going to be here before I know it!!

In the fall of 1994, I was starting my senior year of high school. My church and our local association of churches had (and still has) a sister church and a sister association in the Kherson region of the Ukraine and I found out through our youth minister that the following summer, the association would be sending a group of youth and young adults to the area to do some missions work. They were going to be interviewing youth from throughout the association and putting together a team of 10 young people and 3 adult chaperones. I knew as soon as I heard about it that I wanted to go so I put together all of the application and did the interview and in the end, as you may have guessed, I made the cut and spent the months leading up to the summer of 1995 preparing for the trip.

That was a very difficult spring – including getting head lice while volunteering at the homeless mission – but somehow all of that only reinforced the rightness of going. There have been few things in my life that I have been as certain of as I was about going on that trip. I never doubted for even an instant that this was something I was called to do. You know how when you are making a decision about something major, how you weigh the pros and cons and consider the sacrifices versus the benefits and you contemplate if it is what you really want/need? I am usually big for making a list and thinking things through like that but this decision was nothing like that. As soon as I knew I had been accepted to the team, I knew it was the right thing.

I had always wondered what people meant when they said that God had called them to do this or that. I wondered how they knew. Different people had told me different things...one man I knew said that when he was called to be a pastor, it was as if a voice had spoken to him, like a loud whisper directly into his ear. Another person told me that it was like a warmth in her heart, like a rush. I guess for me, it was just a sense of peace, of right-ness and pure joy. I can’t explain it better than that; just that I knew and I never doubted it was where I should be and what I should be doing.

When at last the time came to go, we flew from San Francisco to Odessa, via New York and Vienna. It was a long trip (if I remember correctly, it was about 50 hours from leaving SF until arriving in Odessa.) We were tired and a little anxious, uncertain about what lay ahead. When we landed in Odessa, our plane stopped in the middle of the runway for no apparent reason. Ray, who was our associational director of missions and had been to the area several times, explained to us that the land amidst the runways and on the airport property was used by airport employees for growing fruits and vegetables and for raising livestock. We were stopped in the middle of the runway because someone was herding sheep from one grassy patch in the middle of the runways to another across the way. It was the first of many odd little things none of us had ever experience in the US.
The Ukraine had become an independent nation in December 1991: from communist state to independent republic literally overnight. All of the sudden, people were free to come and go in ways most of them had never experienced. People were able to worship in new ways and talk openly about politics and religion and whatever else they saw fit. In the summer of 1995, politically, things were still largely unsettled and the people of the Ukraine were still finding their national identity (still are to a degree, today, from what I understand. I can’t even imagine what it is like to wake up one day and be a brand new country.) In the midst of all sorts of uncertainty, the people I met there were some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met. If you were to press me for one single reason I want to go back to the Ukraine it would be the people.
At that time the economy was really unstable – for instance, a hand embroidered table runner I bought for my mother in Kherson cost more than 1,000,000 Ukrainian coupons…about $11US – and there was a pretty good chance that if you were exchanging money on the streets, you were probably dealing with the mob. The international airport we flew into had chickens and dogs wandering around loose in the terminals and pay toilets consisting of a large tiled room with a series of holes cut in the floor lined up along the wall. (As you might imagine, your thigh muscles get strong fast when you have to literally squat every time you have to go.) Each place we visited, we stayed in the homes of church members in that particular town. Most of the places we stayed didn’t have any electricity or indoor plumbing but the people were wonderful and kind and generous.

We spend one Sunday afternoon with a church group in a small town where, after worship service, we all walked down to the waterfront and watched some people being baptized in the Black Sea. In another village, we met a man who’d spent 30 years in Siberia because he had been caught conducting a Christian worship service in his living room in the early sixties. When I met him in August of 1995, he had been back in his hometown for about a year and had only just met his grown daughter, who was 3 when he was arrested and had lived her whole life thinking her father was dead. A few days later in a different town, we visited a Russian Orthodox church that had been built by Catherine the Great but during Soviet years had been used as a meeting place for visiting KGB officers.

I met people there who had suffered heartache and persecution and need that I cannot even fathom. People who had never even experienced electricity much less had it in their homes. People who used outhouses and didn’t have refrigeration and grew most of their own food and drank their morning milk just minutes out of the cow. Women who made all of their family’s clothes – and not as a hobby, but as a necessity. People who generously opened their homes to us, because they believed in the work we were doing, even when they were barely able to make ends meet without extra American mouths to feed.

I have been a Christian since I was 8 years old but I have never lost a friend because of my faith. I have never witnessed anyone being persecuted for their faith. I have never had to lie about my faith in God in order to save my life or the life of someone I loved. I have never had to memorize scripture for fear that I would be imprisoned if caught with a bible. I’m not sure that, faced with such situations, I could boldly profession my love for Christ. It was humbling and inspiring and truly life changing.
The purpose of this trip was for us to help with building and improvement projects these churches had going and to share our faith and knowledge of God with the people we encountered there. And we did do those things; but more than that, we were the ones who were blessed. My life was changed by the quiet faith and love I witnessed in these peoples lives. By the sincere joy people took in their families and their churches and the little freedoms and blessings we so often take for granted. I was moved by the people who came to the revival services we participated in and shared their stories. It was humbling to see men who walked miles to work in the morning, worked 10 hour days in a factory and then walked home, happily exhausted, to play with their children and carry water up from the river so the family could cook and bathe.
So the short answer, and maybe the cop-out answer in some people’s minds, is that I believe in my heart that this is work that the Lord is calling me to do. I believe that maybe, just maybe, this kind of work in this place, are the reason I was put on this earth. Never for even one moment in the last 13 years have I doubted that I would go back to the Ukraine. Ask anyone who has known me for more than just a little while and they will tell you that I have always talked about returning. I believe that by going there I am serving the God I love and – I hope – making some small difference in the lives of his people. I don’t know what exactly this trip holds in store for me but I hope that by going, the lives of the orphan children or some of the people in the village or some of the people I meet while I am there will be better for my having been there. I do know that whatever happens, I won’t regret going.

A lot of people have asked me why I am making this trip to the Ukraine. And every time anyone asks, I think the answer has probably been a little different. Not because I don’t know why or that the reasons have changed…just that I have found it nearly impossible to articulate. I hope maybe now I have been able to.

Today's Quote

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” Robert Browning

(All of these pictures are from my last visit, with the exception of the Lenin statue. I couldn’t find a picture of my own – though I know I took a million of them – so I found that one on Google Images. Everywhere we went, there were statues of Lenin and on little hillsides and grassy knolls, you would see wooden or metal letters: “Ленин с нами” …. “Lenin is With Us”. Echoes of the Soviet era. That particular statue above is in the main square in Kherson.)

How Many Mashed Potatoes Do You Have?

2008-07-13T19:52:00.001-07:00

The other night I dreamed that I was on a plane flying to the Ukraine. And (in my dream) I had that unsettled feeling. The one when you are two blocks from work and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you left the curling iron on at home, right next to a box of kleenex. That feeling that you forgot to do something but can’t quite put your finger on it….unsettled. And so I was flying and looking out the window and it went from day to night several times (after all, that’s how dreams are) and we finally landed and we were getting off the plane at the airport (though it was the Houston airport, but we were in the Ukraine – again, dreams). We were standing there at the baggage claim when I realized – in one of those horrifying moments of clarity – that I had forgot to pack the hats. And I sat down in the floor of the airport and cried like a baby. And I kept telling some stranger standing next to me, “What am I going to tell all the knitters? How am I going to explain this?”

Then I woke up with a start, in a cold sweat, feeling sick to my stomach. I got out of bed and went in the spare room and opened up the box of hats, made sure they were all there. Reassuring myself, I guess. I sorted through some of the new hats that I haven’t put in the box yet because I haven’t photographed them for ya’ll yet. (I’m working on it.)

Apparently I don’t have my neuroses quite as tightly controlled as I’d like to think. I mean really, as if after all these many months of planning and preparation, I might actually forget the hats! Of course, it is more deeply rooted than that.

So big news: I’ve decided to raise the hat goal to 400. (If you’ve been over by the Ravelry group, this isn’t actually big news to you.) We are making great progress and I am beside myself excited about this. Every time new hats arrive in my mail or someone drops one off to me, I am inspired all over again. We have “declared” knitters/crocheters from 23 U.S. States (including the absolute myriad of super cool ladies down at the LYS) and 15 other countries. I’ve received hats from 37 different crafters. We are 72 days into the project with 70 days to go until I leave.

In an earlier post, I mentioned that my coworker Mary had gotten her mother on the hat knitting bandwagon. A couple of weeks ago her mom, Maxine, game up from Arizona for a visit and brought with her twenty hats that’d she been working on over the last couple of months. And during her brief visit, she has continued knitting hats but I’ve yet to convince Mary to bring her to work so I can thank her. Wednesday Mary brought me two more lovely lids (for a total of 30 from Maxine!) and she told me that her mom needed to take a break because her arm was tired! Well, I would think so. I gave my whole-heartedly blessing to Maxine’s well deserved break. (as if my blessing mattered!!) Thank you Maxine!

This week I’ve received hats from all sorts of fabulous people and places.

Erin in Sunnyvale sent a package which was fabulous – I made my coworkers try on her hats when they arrived but I didn’t have my camera with me.

I received a package from the always wonderful Trixie in Alaska…10 fabulous hats (brims lined with cashmere!!) and two beautiful, perfect, heavy glass jars of blueberry jam, handmade by Trixie and her children, from blueberries handpicked in their very own backyard. Thank you Trixie, so much. You are just lovely. If I show up on your doorstep one day, will you let me sleep on your couch for a few days and take pictures of your beautiful surroundings?

Hats came from Lynn in Florida. Richly-colored, thick lovely hats. She made mostly rolled brim hats and when she packaged them in the box, she rolled them up and stacked them. When I took them out, they looked like delicious, wooly candy! (Lynn, did you mail these quite a while back? If the postmark is right, it took them nearly three weeks to get here. Crazy!) My co-worker, Judy, also brought me more hats. They are crocheted and just as cute as can be. I missed Wednesday night knitting this week because I went to San Francisco to pick up my SIL at the airport so I’m guessing Kaylee probably has a hat or two over there for me. (Every time I’m there, she seems to have something lovely that one of the “day time knitters” has dropped off. Have I mentioned a flippin’ awesome it is to have an LYS?)

Kim, whom I “met” so many moons ago through a scarf exchange, sent me four soft and lovely hats. Reds and greys.

If you’ve sent hats and I haven’t mentioned them or emailed you, please please drop me a line so a) we can make sure I got them and 2) so I can thank you publicly. If I’ve neglected to email my thanks, I pray that you will forgive me. People email or message me asking for the address to mail the hats to and yet, when the packages arrive (at the very address I so recently provided) I am surprised and excited. I get them out of their various packages and I ohh and ahh and admire them as a group and then I look at each one individually and admire the craftsmanship – because the artistry in each of these hats is endlessly varied and inevitably stellar – and then I hold each one and admire the smooshy softness and touch them too my face (ya’ll know…) and I almost always find someone standing nearby to try them on so I can admire them from afar. And then for the next several hours, I show them to anyone and everyone who will stop to look. I’m like a child on Christmas.

If ya’ll will humor me for a moment, and forgive me a little philosophizing, I’ll tell you something. Here’s the thing: If you were to ask me, I would tell you that I am a pretty cynical person. That I don’t have a lot of confidence in the goodness or decency of people in general. I would tell you that I have a very strong faith in God but very little faith in humankind. I would tell you that I can be mean-spirited and I am sort of a hard-ass. But the reality is, if I told you all of that, I’d mostly be lying. People who know me best would likely tell a very different story. I can be realistic about people’s nature when I need to be (professionally, for example) but as a general rule, I am about as soft-hearted as they come. I’m probably not cynical enough, really, and I am too willing to expect the best of people. Some might even call me a bit of a goody-two-shoes. I am generally a rule follower and a peacemaker, and usually expect people to do the right thing and be good and decent, even when they’ve made it clear they can’t be trusted. In fact, I have so much faith in human decency that I am (not shockingly but still shockingly) disappointed on a regular basis. I know this about myself and I try to tell myself to hope for the best but expect the worst but it never works out for me. It is just my nature. I take things personally even when I shouldn’t

So this project…it really does my tender little heart good. I’m not really sure I can impress upon you very how much this hat project means to me. I think it is maybe one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a witness to. Maybe that is silly, but hear me out. I know that these hats are not for me (heck, I don’t even like hats – for me, I mean) but there is something so heartwarming and uplifting about watching this come together. To have a simple idea (These orphans are cold. I know how to knit. The orphans need hats) and to see other people – friends, strangers, coworkers, neighbors, friends-I-haven’t-met-yet – join in to help warm the heads of these children – children I haven’t even met yet…children most of these knitters will never meet this side of heaven – it is probably one of the best things I’ve personally ever known. There is something so purely decent and kind and selfless about it all. I feel vindicated. I feel like all the times that people have ever disappointment me are washed clean and that maybe I was right about people after all. It makes me think that in the midst of all of the screwed up goings-on on this earth, there is hope for us all. No one objects to making handknit (excuse me: handcrafted) hats for children who, by no fault of their own, have had a tough go of things in life. People who are usually hard-nosed and uninterested find a smile and a kind word for this hats-for-orphans project. I cannot tell you how many people from all corners of my life have, upon hearing of this project, told me “Oh my aunt (mother, brother, cousin, sister) knits. I’ll ask her to make a hat.” Or “I don’t knit but can I give you money to buy yarn to make something from me?” Or (maybe best of all) “I don’t knit but I’ll makes hats if you’ll teach me how.” It is humbling and wonderful to be a part of this. After the rather trying time I’ve had of things in the last couple of years, it is wildly comforting and refreshing to see so many people so willing – and enthusiastic! – to make hats for these kids. So thank you – all of you – for every stitch and every email and every kind word and every contribution. Long before these hats ever make that long trip to the Rivne orphanages, goodness has come from this undertaking.

When I first started this project, someone said to me, “That’s a lot of hats. Do you really think people will want to do that? I mean, that’s gonna be expensive.” I told her my thoughts: most knitters I know are generous people and most knitters I know are willing to dip a little into their yarn budget to do something good for the world. And every single day, someone out there proves me right. Thank you for that, too. I came across this quote and I think it is apropos.

“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” -Norman Vincent Peale

In more fun news, the ever fabulous, ever generous Susie has volunteered to dye up a couple of skeins of prize yarn especially for this project. I won’t tell you what they’ll look like but I will tell you they will be in colors related to the project.

Also, I have been working on this for a while but wasn’t ready to tell anyone. I’m going to have a “Participation Prize” for every knitter who has sent hats by the time I leave. (Not per hat, just per person.) See, for the last several weeks. I’ve been making sets of stitch markers for each of you. My ever lovely (still sockless) SIL Lori is helping me and they are going to be so cute. (If I do say so myself….) Anyway, I tell you this because it wasn’t until after the hats started arriving that I decided on this plan so, while I have kept note of every person who’s sent me a hat or hats so far in order to put their names in the prize drawing at the end, I hadn’t been keeping up with mailing addresses. If you’ve already sent in hats to me, please email me at crickitleighhotmailcom with your snail mail address so that I can make sure you get your stitch markers in October. Also, FYI, as you probably know, RC is handling the logistics of the prize part of this project and she and I have been trying to decide if we should draw for and mail prizes while I am gone (which would be sometime between September 20 and October 8) or if we should wait until I come back (which would mean prizes would go out sometime during the last two weeks of October). Obviously, the advantage of doing it while I am gone is that everyone gets their stuff sooner but if we wait there is the dual advantage of me being here (which is really only an advantage for me) and secondarily, that we could include a picture from the trip with all of the prizes and stitch markers. I’d like some participant input on this.

Side note: There has been some discussion over at Ravelry about fiber content. The plan was to have hats from natural fibers or natural fiber blends. This is not a matter of yarn-snobbery but simple a matter of function. These hats, while intended as gifts to brighten these children’s lives, are primarily gifts of necessity. It is very cold there and the goal is warmth. I’ve received several hats that are acrylic or other synthetic fibers. One Raveler mentioned that acrylic hats are largely decorative outside and provide little warmth; this is very true but I know that they can be used so I’ve made the decision to take these hats along anyway. I’m keeping them separate so they will know that these hats should probably be mainly for indoors or layering but please know they will go to a good home. If someone brings you a synthetic fiber hat or mentions that they have made them, please go ahead and send them to me. While wool and animal fibers are still best all hats will be lovingly received.

So, anybody interested in knowing how many hats we have now?

Including the 120 shown in the previous post, 12 hats at RC’s house and these

91 additional hats, we’ve reach (drumroll please)

224!

Only 176 to go!

Disclaimer: It has been approximately 150F degrees here for the last couple of weeks so my brain is cooked and I've been running a fever, too, so please forgive me if any portion of this post is incoherent.

*ETA correct number

Today’s Quote

"Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success." -Henry Ford

In It for the Long Haul

2008-06-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

You know when you’re really busy and you have about 500 chores to do…so many things to do that you don’t know where to begin? That’s like this post. I have so much to say that I don’t know where to start. How about we just dive in, ok?

I know I tend to prattle on and on, even on my best days, but this time I may have outdone myself. I tried to break it up into two posts but without any particular success. Oh well…it’s Friday. We’ve got the whole weekend ahead of us. There are hats and pictures and pictures of hats and updates and non-knitting content and made up words and flagrant misuse of punctuation…we’ve got it all. So sit back, relax, get comfortable and enjoy. On second thought, don’t get too comfortable. I’d hate for you to doze off before you get to the picture of the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge at the end.

Mile Marker 95

I leave for the Ukraine in 95 days.
I’m taking note of this because I know how these things happen…I know that right now (to me at least) it seems like this trip is a long way off. I also know that I am going to turn around twice and it will be time to pack my things and go. And I am going to wonder where the time went. So I guess this is sort of like verbal breadcrumbs. More than three months. 95 days.

Contain Yourself

As this project grows, so must the receptacles in which I hold the hat-tasticness. When I very first started this, the hats I received fit nicely in my regular knitting bag but as time goes on and more and more hats come my way, the hats have, of course, taken up more room. I had to find a different container as they started to overwhelm my knitting bag.

At first I moved them to this green-grocery bag. (Green, of course, in the sense that it is reusable and saves us from the brown bags and plastic bags. Obviously, I'm not doing too well on that front if I am using it to haul hats around in and still getting paper and plastic to bring home my groceries.)
Later, they grew into this upholstered bag provided to me by my friend Molly’s main squeeze, Rob (he made the bag himself) and some stayed in the boxes they arrived in.

Now that I’ve got them all consolidated, they won't fit into the upholstered bag anymore so they have moved into new digs. The box my suitcase came in. There is still room in there for more hats. See, not quite full. They are going to hang out there for a while, next to my crutches.

Survey Says

Several people have asked me in the last couple of days what the current hat count is and I didn’t really know the number. I knew it was over 100 maybe 120. I was guessing 117, after going to knitting night Wednesday. For the sake of hat knitters everywhere (and because I hate not knowing exactly), last night I got all of the hats out and counted and photographed them. My kitchen table isn’t that big so I can’t get all of the hats laid out at once (which is pretty dang cool). Here they are, in three acts.

These first two pictures show 60 hats and 53 hats, respectively. That put the count at 113. That didn’t sound right to me for some reason but I can admit when my facts are fuzzy. 113 it is then. A very good number. So I gathered all the hats up and put them away and then I turned around and saw a small bag of hats on my couch. Damn. My best efforts to take a picture of all of them at once had failed. Whatever. I didn’t want to get them all back out so I photographed the last 7 separately.
The intrepid RC also has 4 hats (and 20 some pairs of mittens!!) at her house. (See pictures here.)

Which puts us at 124 (knitting has made me better at math). This count includes only those hats I and/or RC currently have in possession. I know there are others out there…Two that my co-worker Judy crocheted, which she is showing around to some of her family and friends before she relinquishes custody….Two that my friend Deb is doing, the first is completed and its “negative”/fraternal twin hat still on the needles, both done in the Fake Isle fair isles pattern. They are both beautiful. (She has pictures in this post.) She’s holding on to them until she shows them to the knitters at her Monday knitting group. There’s also one that I knit that is hanging out at Hooks & Needles for a while. And one that Katy finished and still has at her house plus one that my co-worker Yo has. I let her keep it for a little while longer. After all, it is her first hat and her first knitting ever. She deserves to hold on to it a bit longer. Oh – and 15 that my friend Mary's mother has done in Arizona.

That’s 22 more but my self-imposed rule is to only count those hats I actually have on hand and the ones that RC has on hand. Yippee for 124!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. A Thousand Times Thank You

This is fabulous news, ya’ll. I can’t say thank you enough. As usual, the knitters are awesome. I must admit, not even begrudgingly, that the crocheters are pretty dang marvelous in their own right. The generosity and kindness…the diversity of the hats… ya’ll never cease to amaze me…ya’ll rock! 300+, here we come!!

Just for the fun of it, here are some individual shots for your viewing pleasure. (Dial-up users, forgive me. Please.)

These hats were made by the fabulous Katrina and are the latest additions to the collection.
10 from her, all in a row. Katrina sent me the sweetest email when she mailed the hats, in which she told me that this project has inspired her and she has started knitting hats for her local Salvation Army. How cool is that? Thank you, Katrina!

Kim knit this hat. It was one of the first to arrive to me in the mail. I love the pattern and it is super soft. I’m guessing it is made from the Patons SWS. (Kim, correct me please if I am wrong.)

Ahh, look who it is. This is the hat that started it all. It isn’t a great hat. In fact, it is a little awkward. If I were to set you up on a blind date with this hat, I would probably tell you it has a great personality. That doesn’t matter, though. It’s beautiful on the inside. See, the weekend after I found out about my trip to the Ukraine, I went to the Bay Area to do a little shopping with Katy and my mama. I was in a rush the morning we left so I just grabbed my knitting bag and a ball of Icelandic Wool I had in the stash. I had in mind to knit a hat for an as-yet-unborn-baby of a friend. The needles I had in my bag and the yarn I took along weren’t a perfect marriage for a baby hat but they were all the knitting I had with me so I just kept knitting that hat. And as it grew, so did the idea of making hats for these orphans. I guess it just goes to show that even a thoroughly imperfect hat can be perfect, too.

Here's the latest addition from Deb. Knit from a bulky Cascade in a simple foliage pattern (I think from Knitty.) Very pretty and cushy. It was Deb who set up the Ravelry group.

Come in under the “best use of hat topper decoration” category, this hat, which was knit by a lady named Lee who sometimes joins us at Hooks & Needles on Wednesday nights. Coincidentally, she was Katy’s psych teacher in college years ago. I’m super keen on that tassel/pompom action.

I love love LOVE this precious little hat. I need to get the pattern from Bea. (Coincidentally, I think one of the hats Colleen has is from the same pattern.)

This is one of Bea’s hats, too. I also want to knit this pattern. I’ve tried to just look at it and figure it out but I want the actual pattern. It is really cute and a very practical hat. I need to make a hat for my niece Tegan and I think this is a nifty pattern for her.

This hat is knit from di'Ve Teseo (the kind-hearted step-sister of the Autunno, which is still officially my favorite hat yarn.) This particular fall-colored delight was knit by the lovely Anita, who is not only a neat lady and big help to everyone at Hooks & Needles but also my supplier…of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted. Yum. Anita rocks hardcore.

My LYS proprietress-of-fabulosity knit this sweet little pastel hat from a pattern of her own making out of a new shade of Autunno. I’m showing you Kaylee’s hat as a reminder that she’s still offering a 10% discount on hat yarn to local shoppers and free shipping for knitters from afar. (Hooks & Needles)

Team effort hat, part the first: This hat was Kool-Aid dyed by crazy fast knitter Julie and then turned into an awesome hat by her daughter-in-law.

Team effort hat #2: My friend Mary knit this little hat from some leftover wool (the navy, top part of hat) but discovered she didn’t have enough to do a whole hat. Mary is a newish knitter and wasn’t sure what to do at that point so she just finished it off and decided it would just be a small hat. Unfortunately it was a little too small. So I took it to Kaylee and she crocheted that fancy little multi-color border and the hat is just right now.

Hats are super cool but so are prizes. One prize in the Super-Cool-Hat-Knitting-Contest-Pool is two skeins of Interlacements in the Alabama colorway. Each of these two skeins is 800 yards and 100% cotton.

Two additional prizes: SCARVES!! These two handknit beauties were made by the ever-talented Kim. Each scarf will be paired with some not-yet-determined something else, probably yarn. Thanks, Kim!

Flat Knitting is Cool, Too

Back in the murky days of the early part of this year, when I was busy wallowing and not blogging or doing much knitting, my friend Molly decided she wanted to learn to do Entrelac. (I mentioned this in a post a few weeks ago.) Since I am a pushover, I volunteered to learn it so I could help her. Turns out that this technique, which was always very intimidating to me, is actually quite straightforward. Straightforward and surprisingly enjoyable knitting. So enjoyable, in fact, that immediately after completing the sample, I cast on for a pillow top. (After all, I had an 18” pillow form in my spare closet, just waiting to meet its destiny. And apparently its destiny is Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk.)
I’ve got the fabric for the back. I wonder how long it is going to take me to drag out the sewing machine and make it into an actual pillow case…we’ll see. But the knitting was fun.

Excitement Afoot

If you are relatively new to this blog, this news isn’t going to mean much to you but it is great news, nonetheless. See this?
That is perhaps the best ankle brace ever made. Lightweight, thin enough to fit in most of my shoes, very supportive, comfortable…Best of all, though, today is the last day I have to wear it – or any brace – on a regular basis. I’ll keep it around for distance walking and playing badminton and other activities that are particularly demanding on the ankle, but otherwise I’m free of it. Third time is indeed a charm. No more ankle surgery on the horizon for me. My ankle is almost completely better. Not absolutely better yet, but well on its way. Per yesterday’s visit with the good doctor, the grafts are “fully incorporated” and the cartilage has “stitched together nicely”. I can walk and I can climb on rocks and I can go up and down steps and I can bend it every which way I please and – AND – I can even stand on my tiptoes. A very important thing at 5’2”. I can’t even articulate how pleased and relieved I am to be at this point.

I Digress

Remember earlier in this post, I mentioned about going to the Bay Area a while back with my sister and my mother? Well it was a really wonderful, peaceful, relaxing day. We did do a little shopping but then we got a wild hair and decided to do a little sightseeing, too. San Francisco is well-known for its many sights and activities but one of the less well-known is Fort Point. Fort Point is located directly under the southern side of the Golden Gate Bridge and was the only fortification on the Pacific Coast during the Civil War. It has had other functions since then but today it is a National Historic site. Interestingly, when the Golden Gate Bridge was originally planned, it included the destruction of Fort Point but the Chief Engineer redesigned some of the bridge elements in order to keep the fort intact.

Just a couple of pictures from there. Katy and I went up to the top and it was beautiful from there. Very, very windy and beautiful. Katy then me.
A murky shot of Mama and Katy in one of the alcoves where cannons were once mounted.
Even if you aren’t interested in the history of it, there are some beautiful views from Fort Point and no charge to visit. All and all an excellent stop for anyone visiting San Francisco.

As promised: the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge. (I think that is my finger there on the right. Umm.) Whew! I think that’s all for now. Do ya’ll feel caught up? I hope you have a wonderful weekend and thank you again to everyone who is knitting or has knitted hats. Please forgive the hit or miss links. I think I’ve run out of steam…

Today's Quote

"The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone." -Harriet Beecher Stowe

Two Basic Hats

2008-06-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

In case anyone is looking for a hat pattern, here are two VERY BASIC patterns I've been using. I know there are a bunch out there that are much cooler than these and you'll have to use a chunky-ish yarn (I've been using the Autunno as frequently mentioned) since these patterns are worked on US Size 10 or 10.5. If nothing else, these patterns can be used as a jumping off point.

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HAT PATTERN ONE – BASIC K2, P2 RIB

Abbreviations: K = Knit, P = Purl, K2Tog = Knit 2 stitches together, P2Tog = Purl 2 stitches together

On size US 10 or 10.5 needles, cast on*** 60 stitches. Join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches.

Row 1: Knit 60
Row 2: Knit 2, Purl 2
Continue repeating Row 2 until the piece measures approximately 6 - 6.5”.

Work decreases as follows:

Decrease Row 1: *K2, P2, K2Tog, P2, K2, P2Tog*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

Decrease Row 2: *K2, P2, K1, P2, K2, P1*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

Decrease Row 3: *K2, P1, K2Tog, P2, K1, P2Tog*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

Decrease Row 4: *K2, P1, K1, P2, K1, P1*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

Decrease Row 5: *K2, K2Tog, P2, P2Tog*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

Decrease Row 6: *K3, P3*, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

At the end of Decrease Row 6, cut yarn approximately 12 – 15”. Using a darning or sewing needle, thread yarn tail on to needle and pass through all stitches then pull tight. Weave in end inside hat to secure. Weave in cast on tail. Add pompom if desired.

***I use the knitted cast on but any cast on method will do just fine.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HAT PATTERN TWO – SIMPLE ROLLED BRIM HAT

Abbreviations: K = Knit, P = Purl, K2Tog = Knit 2 stitches together, P2Tog = Purl 2 stitches together

On size US 10 or 10.5 needles, cast on*** 60 stitches. Join to knit in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches.

Row 1: Knit 60

Repeat Row 1 until hat is approximately 6 – 6.5” from edge when knitting is laid flat.

Work decreases as follows:

Decrease Row 1: *K4, K2Tog *, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

Decrease Row 2: K to the end of the round

Decrease Row 1: *K3, K2Tog *, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

Decrease Row 2: K to the end of the round

Decrease Row 1: *K2, K2Tog *, repeat from * to * to the end of the round

Decrease Row 2: K to the end of the round

At the end of Decrease Row 6, cut yarn approximately 12 – 15”. Using a darning or sewing needle, thread yarn tail on to needle and pass through all stitches then pull tight. Weave in end inside hat to secure. Weave in cast on tail. Add pompom if desired.

So Far

2008-06-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

This blog really should be called "At Last Here's A Picture".

I have some individual shots, too, but this is the group as of last Thursday evening. (I really did TAKE the pictures when I planned....)

They are beautiful and I am just so amazed all over again at how wonderful the knitters (and crocheters and supports) are. We are so blessed and I sincerely CANNOT WAIT to see the children's faces. Thanks again everyone!

For all of you attending Potlucks and Knitting today - have fun. Take lots of pictures!!!

Watch This Space

2008-06-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

As ya'll may have noticed, I seem to live by a pretty loose interpretation of time. Like, when I say I'm going to take pictures over the weekend, sometimes that means, not the weekend but sometime. You know, eventually.

This past weekend turned out to be strangely chaotic and I didn't get pictures done but tonight I have firm plans to conduct a Hat Photo Shot. I'm so excited. Please check back tomorrow (realistically, probably late afternoon/early evening) for pictures of the hats so far. I will also have a new accurate count....we are somewhere in the 80s now.

Not to be repetitively redundant but for informational purposes and because I'm not sure if everyone who reads here is on Ravelry, I am posting this update verbatim from the Ravelry group. People have been asking (and rightly so - hurray!) what I plan to do if I end up with more than 300 hats....

Thank you so much for asking. At the moment, I have 70 hats. If I receive more than the minimum needed of 300, I will take them with me to Ukraine. My reasoning on that is twofold:

1) 300 is the approximate number of children currently living in this particular orphanage. The number of residents at a facility like this can fluctuate from day-to-day and so by September, there may be more children living there. The maximum they can they can accommodate is 425 though they have not ever “reached capacity”.

2) If there are more hats than heads, I’d like to leave extra hats with the staff so when new children come to live there, they will be able to provide those children a hat as a sort of welcome gift. I can only imagine how frightening and intimidating it most be to enter a facility like that - with literally hundreds of other children - and I like to think that a little personal handmade gift might brighten a difficult day for those children.

Additionally, if we end up with more than needed, I’d like to include the staff of the orphanage in the handknit hat love. There are less than 30 workers in this facility (what a daunting task…can you even fathom what that kind of work must be like?) and I’m sure they would appreciate a special hat, too, if there are enough.

If you have any other thoughts/questions on that please let me know.

Ok. Just a quickie but I am all out of time at the moment. Come back tomorrow for the pictures!!

Today's Quote:

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” Gandhi

K2Tog

2008-05-29T14:09:00.000-07:00

K2Tog

Over on the Ravelry hat project group, Gari (myarn on Ravelry) informed us in a post from Tuesday that they are planning a hat KAL and potluck at Maranacook Yarns in Readfield, Maine on June 13. I was so excited and inspired by this that I talked to the ladies at my LYS and we decided to make it a bi-coastal knitting potluck.

If you live within driving distance of either location, it would be so awesome if you could make it out. I’d love to put some names and faces together and, of course, it is always good to meet more knitters! Come for an hour or stay for the whole time, but please come!

SO! Friday, June 13 5pm-9pm, please join us in Readfield, Maine or Oakdale, California for hat knitting and food.

Maranacook Yarns 138 South Road • Readfield, Maine • 04355 • 207-685-9704 • MYarns@roadrunner.com

Hooks & Needles Yarn Shop 136 N. Third Avenue • Oakdale, California • 95361 • 209-845-2258 • hooksandneedles@sbcglobal.net

P.S. Does anyone want to host a knitting potluck somewhere in between??

Arrivals

I received a box of hats and handknits from Kim on Tuesday. This was my first batch of Hats from Afar. Thank you, Kim! I’ll take pictures this weekend and share all of the knitterly goodness with you then.

Then today I got another package in the mail, this time from Bea in Norway. It never never ceases to amaze me how many awesome knitters there are out there. And I mean both awesomely skilled at knitting – I am impressed and a little intimidated every time I look at others’ Flickr pages – and awesome, wonderful people, as evidenced by their generosity and willingness to reach out and lend a hand…or a handknit, as the case may be. Thanks, Bea! You rock!!

On the Home Front

The current hat count is 70. Personally, I am on course for success in regards to my goal of completing a Hat a Day in May…Which means, of course, that while I haven’t strictly knit one hat each day, I’ve come pretty close and will have completed 31 hats by Saturday. I’m going to give myself a breather in June and set a goal of one hat each week and then, depending on how the counts are going, get back on the Hat a Day wagon in July. This should give me time in June to finish Lori’s much neglected socks, (RC, how did you knit so many pairs of these and I got so far behind?) work on the Loopy Ewe and a few other odds and ends. If I get some sort of wild hair, maybe I’ll even manage to knit a long, long neglected hedgehog or a llama. Lori’s socks are a must. We’ll see about the others.

Sickness

I think I might be suffering from some sort of knitting-related illness. Last night, I was standing in the yarn shop, mentally debating my next hat, while at the same time dreamily caressing the Panda Silk and contemplating knitting myself a headscarf. Something light and a little airy and beautiful and delicate. Maybe a simple Mobius something. So, May is for hats, June for socks and tending to existing projects, July for hats. Perhaps in August...

Today’s Quote

Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"

40 Hats

2008-05-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

We have reached a milestone....40 Hats. I know there are others on the way in the mail but as of tonight, I have 40 hats (as pictured above) in my possession. Thank you, thank you!!!

Also, Milestone #2, my beloved local purveyor of yarny goodness has launched her website. Stop by!!! Click on the front door, and you're there...136 North Third Avenue, Oakdale, California 95361. (209) 845-2258. The free shipping on orders of hat yarn deal is still in effect. Take advantage while she is feeling generous! (Seriously, though, she is very generous. That offer isn't going anywhere.)

Because quick is the status quo around here of late (still knitting hats...26 so far for me) I'll tell you these tidbits:

1) I have approximately 400 million yards (give or take) of hand dyed cotton that I will be sending to RC as a prize for the hat contest.

2) My sister Katy, new knitter extraordinaire has carpal tunnel. Seriously! She is halfway through hat number three and making a valiant effort with the brace.

3) Remember these words: LABOR OF LOVE. There are plans in the works for a shindig at Hooks and Needles to wrap up the hat project over Labor Day weekend. I'll post more details as they come but for now, if you can be in bright and shiny Oakdale, California any time between Saturday, August 30 through Monday, September 1, please save the date. Sidenote: Oakdale is a perfect potty stop on the way to/from Yosemite from a lot of locations. Kaylee has promised to stock up on TP.

4) The Ravelry group is growing by leaps and bounds. We are currently at 28 members. If you haven't joined, please do. If you are lurking around out there knitting hats in some cold dark corner, please poke your head out and let me know you are there. It is so exciting to know where everyone is.

I think that's it. Things are nuts on this end but good nuts, not nuts a la first quarter 2008. Send yarn. Send wine.

Today's Quote:

"That ain't the half of it, honey, but that's all I'm telling." -Alice Coachman

Merrily We Roll Along

2008-05-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve never made any claims to be a fast knitter. In fact, I’ve long-since come to terms with my status as a comparatively slow knitter. Nevertheless, I was reasonably confident I could meet my self-imposed goal of knitting a hat every day in May (and maybe June…but we’ll see about that). What I didn’t consider was that going to work, attending to normal life AND knitting a hat every day doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for blogging.

Rest assured, though, that I have not fallen into a hole again and I am not ignoring the blog.

I’m knitting hats. (And doing my damnedest to reply to comments. Carisa, I don't have an email address for you....but rats - I'm glad you like them as pets. I understand their are also people who keep tarantulas and pythons for pets. I am not one of those people.)

On a completely unrelated note, I am so jazzed that Whitney won America's Next Top Model.

(I think they should have left her hair alone - like in this picture. The blonde was somehow Dynasty-esque, I think.) Anyway, Anya was lovely and all that but I was a fan of Whitney from the very beginning. Hurray for her!

So far, we’ve got 31 hats. Here is a picture of the 14 hats I personally had knit as of last Wednesday. I’ll try to take another picture next week with everything I have so far.

When I first took on the task of knitting a hat a day, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to knit fast enough to keep that pace (as mentioned above) but it turns out that my hands are up to the task. My yarn budget, however, is not. My stash was good for a while but I’ve knitted up all of the hat-a-day appropriate yarn (i.e. any yarn that must be knit on needles smaller than a US 8 will not do) and now I’m buying yarn a couple of balls at a time at the yarn shop and cashing in a couple of gift certificates I’d been holding on to. Who knew I had so much sock yarn? Seriously – I love the stuff and it is beautiful but there is no way I can knit a hat from sock yarn. (At least not for this particularly project.) If you come across any good sales, please let me know. FYI....I heart Mission Falls 1824 Wool. I continue to be amazed at how much it softens up from the ball to the knitted product.

Did you see the Hat Counter in the sidebar? I know it is small. This is what it looks like up close.
I’ll update it periodically, probably once a week or so.

Are you on Ravelry? I am. (as okwhatnext) I haven’t posted any of my projects there yet but I am there and I am loving looking at everyone else’s fabulousness. Deb started a Ravelry group for the hat project (called Kristys Hat Quest) and I’ve heard from knitters in Maine and England that they will be making hats. Both of those knitters are knitters I had not previously encountered through this blog or elsewhere so I am doubly excited to meet new people.

Katy went with me to knitting again last night. Can you guess why?Because she had finished knitting a hat and needed help finishing it and adding the pom-pom. Kudos to Katy for knitting a hat for the children! (Also, just between us, she bought more yarn to make more hats. She even conceded that she kind of likes knitting. Who knew?)

Kaylee told me she received her first hat yarn order this week. Patricia in Montana, if you are reading this, THANK YOU!

RC posted about the contest. And she also submitted the details to WiKnit. How cool is that site, by the way?

I really did meet the Yarn Harlot at the Maker Faire but I haven’t managed(and probably am not going to manage) to write a post about it. For the record, here’s a picture of me looking like a big goober and Stephanie holding one of the first hats for the Hat Project. In addition to knitting hats this week, I’ve also managed to finalize my travel arrangements for September and I received my new passport back in the mail. It makes it more exciting and more real as the particulars come together. Hopefully, I won’t stoop to the level of stopping strangers on the street and telling them, “Hey! Guess what – I’m going to the Ukraine.” That would just be embarrassing.

Today’s Quote

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” -James A Michener

Hat-stravaganza

2008-05-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

(The lady who is organizing this trip to the Ukraine has been there before and this is a picture of some of the children at one of the facilities in Rivne.)

While I’ve been busily knitting hats – so far so good on the hat-a-day-in-May pace – others have been making hat plans and getting on the bandwagon with me. I am so thrilled! For those who’ve asked (and for those who want to know but haven’t asked yet) here are the particulars on the Hat Quest:

Total Hats Needed: 300

Deadline: I am leaving California September 20 but I am asking that all hats be to me by September 5 so I can figure out exactly how much space they are going to take up and then, by some miracle, figure out how I am going to get them all to the Ukraine. (Anybody have one of those bottomless Mary Poppins bags?)

Sizes: There are children of all ages, from infants to early teens, so all sizes in that range will work. We need the least of the infant sizes, so if you can aim a bit larger (school-aged kid size) that would be perfect. (Plus, if we end up with too many bigger-kid size hats, they can be rolled at the brim or otherwise maneuvered to fit small kids but baby hats can’t be made to fit bigger heads….in case you are interested in my logic.)

Patterns: Any pattern is great. Do you have a hat you’ve always wanted to knit but no appropriate recipient? Now’s the perfect time! The only caveat on that is it would be best to steer clear of any lettering on the hats (for all you crazy colorwork knitters) since it is unlikely that any of these children speak English.

Yarn: Wool, animal fibers or wool/animal fiber blends are preferred. It gets very cold there and, I’m told, electricity availability is spotty so 1) even inside, winter is quite cold for these kids and 2) these hats aren’t likely to go through any sort of vigorous hot water washing that might cause accidental felting. Please note: If you can’t knit wool or other animal fibers, that’s ok. Knit a different fiber and I’m sure that your cotton-linen-mircrofiber-hemp-corn-nylon-something-else hat will be much loved. (I’m talking to you Carissa, who I met on Saturday who has run out of people to knit for. It was so nice to meet you – I hope the pets are all well.)

Mailing: When you are ready to mail your hat, email me at crickitleigh(at)hotmail(dot)com and I will give you the address. I’ve heard from several people who live near other knitters and they are planning to accumulate hats and mail them all together, which I think is an excellent plan.

Other good things I know about this Hat Knitting Quest:

RC is planning to run a contest to go along with this. For this, I am eternally grateful since 1) I love a contest 2) I am dreadful at managing contests and 3) Knitting at least one had every day, having a job, a husband, a home and two dogs to attend to doesn’t leave enough time for doing a contest too. I’ll post a link when RC posts the rules and prizes on the contest. In the mean time, watch her blog.

Kaylee, the ever lovely proprietress of my LYS (aka Hooks & Needles), has signed on to be the Official Yarn Store of my hat quest. Which means that for local knitters, if you buy your hat yarn/needles from Hooks & Needles, you’ll get a 10% discount and if you are a faraway knitter, you can order yarn from her and she will ship it to you for free. Her full-fledged website is still in the works but in the meantime, you can visit the shop’s blog and call or email in your order. Also, she’ll be donating a prize to RC’s contest

SIDENOTE: I have a serious knitter-crush on the Autunno that Hooks & Needles carries. One ball makes one hat (and a pretty quick one) with plenty left over for combining on another hat or making a massive pom-pom. I’ve been knitting it on 10 or 10 ½ needles, 60 stitches, K2P2 and this works up great for me. (Remember, though, that I am a tight knitter.) And oh the softness! At $7 a ball, you really can’t go wrong. She has lots of other great stuff, too. The Teseo is great, too, and the same price.

I think that is it for now. I’ll put up a link to this post in the sidebar in case you need to check back later or if you want to refer a friend. I’ve gathered up the hats I have so far and I’m going to take pictures at Girls’ Night Out at the yarn store tonight of the progress.

Thanks again to everyone for their enthusiasm. I’m starting to believe that 300 isn’t such a big number after all. Unless, of course, we are talking cockroaches or rats or tarantulas….then 300 is most certainly a big number. Luckily, we’re talking hats.

Today’s Quote

“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” -Albert Schweitzer

A Hat A Day

2008-05-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you all SOOOOO much. I am so happy to hear from each of you. I am amazed at how much better it makes me feel just hearing others say they get it. Doubtless, there is likely to be some backsliding here and there but I am so encouraged and I appreciate all of your kind words and support.

I know we’ve all said it before but it is still true – knitters rock.

So, last week, I mentioned about knitting a hat every day this month. The place where I live – Northern California – is quite warm, all year around. It doesn’t snow here, even during the coldest winters. There is rarely a day a year that really even requires a heavy coat. So it might come as a surprise to you to find out that I have committed to knitting a hat a day this month. They aren’t for me – as you might imagine. They are for Ukrainian orphans.

In 1995, the summer after I graduated from high school, I went to the Ukraine on a mission trip with my church. The association of church here has a sister association there and I was a part of a group of youth and young adults who went there to meet and work with our sister churches. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I have always longed to go back. I loved the country and the culture and the people. After all of these years, I have a chance to go again, with another church group from the church I grew up in in North Carolina. I had heard about the trip a couple of weeks ago but it was just this past week that I found out for sure that I am going to be able to go. This is the most excited I’ve been about anything in a long time and is probably particularly good for my spirits right now.

As for the hats, while I am there (end of September/first part of October) we’re going to be working with several orphanages in the town of Rivne. In particular, there is an orphanage there for special needs children – those with mental and physical disabilities, that don’t have a place at other orphanages in the area. I talked to the lady who is organizing the trip and she and I agreed that it would be fabulous to take some handknit hats to the children. And originally I thought we’d need about 160 hats. Which seemed totally doable…but then she called me last Thursday and umm, probably we are going to need 300 if all the kids are going to get one of their own. (300 is capacity for the two orphanages we will be visiting.) And she wondered if maybe I knew any other knitters…

The thing is, if I take 160 hats that will be great. (Heck, if I take 10 hats, they will be thankful and will be able to use them.) BUT if I could round up 300 hats, it would be like Christmas for these kids. This is a very poor area and these orphanages get very little funding; they rely almost completely on private support. The Ukraine (as a whole) has come a long way since I was there 13 years ago. More areas have electricity (though for limit hours each day) and indoor plumbing is more common than it was then and the economy is much more stable. Even with all of this progress, there are still orphanages like these that struggle to care for needy children and in this case, it is made that much more difficult because of the unique challenges these children face.

I did go to the Maker Fair Saturday and I was working on a hat (of course - though it seemed inappropriate note to take the sock knitting to this event) and in the afternoon, they had a sit and knit together time during which I finished Saturday's hat. And hoping to instill the hat and this project with a little bit of knitting mojo, it posed for this picture.Anybody interested in knitting a hat or two?

Today’s Quote

“Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.” -Sitting Bull

P.S. The Yarn Harlot really is as fabulous as everyone says she is. I had a blast Saturday and I'll share more pictures and the details of the fair the next time I post.

2008 - A Bad Year for Blogging

2008-04-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

So the last several months have gone something like this:

Ankle Surgery
Hospital Stay
Christmas
Back to Work
No Blogging
Long and Tedious Recovery
Ridiculously Overwhelming Case of the Blues
Stressful Work
Still No Blogging
Guilt Over Neglecting the Blog
Continued Tedious Recovery, Lots of Walking on Crutches
Crying/Hiding in a Corner
Going to Work
Sleeping

And for more than 3 months, I didn’t read any blogs and I didn’t check my email (that was a mess) and I only answered my phone when I knew who was calling – and even then, not all the time. I didn’t go to knitting at the yarn shop on Wednesday nights, though people call and offered to drive me when I couldn’t. Then I felt guilty for ignoring people which made me feel worse and made me cry more.

It was weird, I felt like I was walking around in someone else’s skin, looking at everything from the outside. Clearly, it has been a difficult several months. It wasn’t one particular thing that kept me from blogging. It was a whole combination of little difficulties and for a while I lost my motivation and, honestly, I was kind of hiding from the world. I wouldn’t say I was “depressed” per say but probably, that’s what it was. In retrospect I should have talked to my doctor about it but it was sort of like waking up in a really dark cave – you know it is dark but you have no idea why or where you’re at.

And I’ve missed my blog – and everyone else’s blogs - and I’ve missed the people and the longer I’ve gone without blogging, the more I’ve missed it and the more guilty I’ve felt. And I’ve wanted to respond to emails but after such a long silence, I’ve felt obligated to write something worthwhile and I just haven’t been able to muster up the motivation to write it all down. Plus, after ignoring the whole world for a while, there’s the fear that you’ve (I’ve) been gone so long that no one even WANTS to hear from you anymore, which only makes you feel worse and less motivated.

Thanks so much to all of you who left me comments and emails. When I finally read them all, it was really wonderful and made me feel much better.

Even now, I am still working hard at being in a good frame of mind. For instance, last night at knitting (I finally went for the first time since December) one of the ladies told me that Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is going to be two hours away on Saturday and I desperately wanted to have other plans so I could hide out at home by myself. But then I opened my mouth to respond and before I knew it, I’d said I would go. So I’m going with Deb to the Maker Fair on Saturday.

All angst and anxiety and tears aside, I decided it is high time to post something on my blog – even if it isn’t exciting or useful or meaningful or anything else – and just hope someone reads it.

NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

So enough about that.

I’ve been doing a little knitting lately. I didn’t do any knitting for most of the months of January, February and March. Since then, though, I’ve finished one of Lori’s socks but I haven’t finished my felted Loopy Ewe. I’ve learned to knit Entrelac (The Knitter’s Bible is a super fabulous book. The directions are clear and concise and practical.) I learned the technique and liked it so much, I knitted a pillow top out of some Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk I had. It is pretty (the yarn and the technique) – and I love it (the pillowtop). I’ll take a picture and show you tomorrow.

I’ve knit some more little socks. So cute.

I’ve knit some hats. I’m planning to knit a hat everyday this month. And I’m going to beg ya’ll to knit some hats, too. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Saturday the trip to see the Yarn Harlot. That will be fun. I’m jazzed, since I missed her when she was in Petaluma last year.

I’ve missed ya’ll so much. I think I’m well on my way to getting back in the swing of things. Now I just need to get caught up on my blog reading.

Today's Quote:

"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I myself have founded empires; upon what do these creations of our genius depend? Upon force! Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love; and to this day, millions would die for Him." -Napoleon Bonaparte

The Joy of Christmas

2007-12-25T23:33:00.000-08:00

I'm home and still in one, recently modified, piece.

Ankle

It has now been two weeks since my surgery. I spent the first 8 days in the hospital. Overall, they took great care of me and, as much as I love being home, I was glad to stay there and let them take care of me. There is a lot to be said for IV pain medicine and that orange nurse call button. So, first week there, second week home. I did basically the same thing both weeks: slept, took my meds, drank a lot of water. Yesterday I went to the doctor to have my stitches and staples removed (16 and 6, respectively) and to have my cast changed. The new cast is glow-in-the-dark. Umm. This is the highlight of the news from my corner of the world. (ha)

Thank you all for your emails and your kind words.

Knitting

I've been doing some knitting, mostly simple little bits and pieces that lend themselves to dozing off in the middle. Last week, I got yarn in the mail. Always a good thing. I got new yarn from the one and only fabulous Susie. Two skeins of something secret (I'll show you eventually) and this beautiful skein in her colorway November 15. This yarn is (likely) going to one day become hunting socks for my husband.)

Susie (generous, kind soul that she is) also sent me this bag of mini/scrap skeins of her hand dyed yarns, for me to use for tiny socks. (See those above? Those are her yarns.) Thanks again, Susie!!

Christmas

Christmas was wonderful here. We were all together (my parents, the siblings/spouses, and the children) and that in and of itself was fabulous. I received so many great gifts and enjoyed so much delicious food. My sister bought me a skein of beautiful handspun alpaca (which I haven't taken a picture of yet) and a cute little sheep finger puppet.

Remember I told you about my brother-in-law, Jeff? Well, Jeff occassionally reads this little blog and apparently he has been paying attention because look what showed up in my Christmas goodies: The Loopy Ewe kit I had been longing for! When we got home from my parents, I immediatley sat down and started trying my luck at needle felting. The legs are sort of hard and I am sort of sleepy but here is my progress so far.

So, that's it. Now I think I'll sleep some more.

Today's Quote:

"The earth has grown old with its burden of care

But at Christmas it always is young,

The heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair

And its soul full of music breaks the air,

When the song of angels is sung."

-Phillips Brooks

Under the Knife

2007-12-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Just a quickied to say that I'm headed out to have my surgery. Thank you all so much for your sweet emails and your kind words and prayers. If you've sent me a note or a message and I didn't reply, I apologize but please know I did get all of your emails and I so appreciate your kindness.

Today's Quote:

"We are here to add to the sum of human goodness. To prove the thing exists." - Josephine Hart

Overheard

2007-12-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

In the time honored tradition of Dr. B, I give you this little tidbit I overheard yesterday:

I was sitting in the waiting room at the ankle doctor yesterday, waiting for my pre-op appointment. In that group, there are four podiatrists. A 60-ish looking husband and wife were there to see a different doctor than mine and they were standing at the counter beside me.

Wife (to receptionist): "Hi. We have appointments to see Dr. J. I'm at 9:00 and my husband at 9:15."

Receptionist: "Ok. I can get you checked in"....followed by the usual insurance and contact verification and chit chat.

Receptionist: "Do you two want to go back together or would you rather the nurse call you separately?"

Wife: "It doesn't matter to me." (Looks at husband.)

Husband: "That's fine. We can go back together." (Shrugs) "I've seen her boobs plenty of times before."

Receptionist: (Stunned awkward silence.)

Today's Quote:

"If I were two faced, do you really think I would be wearing this one?" -Abraham Lincoln

Zoom - Whishhh....What Was That Noise?

2007-12-04T23:07:00.000-08:00

That was the days f l y i n g by.

Three whole weeks and not a single post. Shame on me. What the hell is my problem? Where does the time go? Crazy, crazy, crazy. I have been thinking about ya'll. Really I have. And I have been reading blogs but haven't taken the time to leave comments. (And I thought my blog stalking days were over.) I've been thinking about blogging...I've twice maxed out my memory card (roughly 160 pictures) taking pictures with every intention of writing some profound something about every single picture....Not gonna happen.

If I try to tell you everything at length, I'll never get this posted so instead I'll try to give you the high points and a few pictures.

Section I: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. It didn't snow while we were in Oregon but it was very cold and that made me happy. If I pretended real hard, I could imagine the heavy morning frost was snow. (I'm easily contended.) By all accounts, the sweaters were a huge success, both at the Oregon Thanksgiving and at the festivities at my parents' house here. Mama says these were the best ornaments yet and I was so glad to hear it. Hopefully the tiny socks will be equally successful next year. (See? I'm already planning ahead.)

While we were at my MIL's, I took a ton of pictures. My mother-in-law lives down a rural road and the scenery around her place is beautiful. There is a small creek that runs under the road on the way up to her house and it is such a pretty area. Every time we visit her, I tell myself I am going to walk down to the creek and take some pictures but I never do. This time I finally did. I took nearly 100 pictures on that walk. It has been a relatively dry year so the creek is low but that just serves to show off the rocks. It was cloudy and gray and cold that afternoon and it was really just perfect for a picture taking walk. Here are a few.

Section II: Knitting

I've been working on a secret project. Not secret because it is a surprise for anyone - it's actually something for me - but secret because I am thinking about submitting the pattern for something. Anita at the LYS has agreed to test knit the pattern for me (as soon as I get the pattern worked up to a point that someone other than me can read it...) Anyone else interested? It is a felted something, uses a single skein of Cascade 220 or similar feltable wool. If you'd be interested in doing a little test knitting, leave me a comment or send me an email. (crickitleigh at hotmail dot com) No hurry...it can wait until after Christmas, even after the first of the year.

I've also been working on socks for Lori. Once I've got it all figured out, I'll share the pattern with you. I am very happy with them so far and (hurray) after turning the heel, it fit Lori. I'm still fiddling with the leg pattern. The always fabulous RC is helping me work out the pattern. Here's the sock so far, relaxing in my as-yet-undecorated Christmas tree. (I've only had the tree since Saturday. I'll decorate it soon. Really, I will.)Sunday night I made these stitch markers for Deb. Now I just hope she shows up at knitting tomorrow night...I also made stitch makers and earrings for Trixie but, in my enthusiasm to get them in the mail, I didn't take any pictures. Maybe she'll take pictures once they arrive on her end.

Section III: My BIL Jeff

I've talked frequently about my SIL Lori and my sister Katy but I've never talked much about my BIL, Jeff. Jeff is more like a brother than a brother-in-law. My oldest sister, Carrie, to whom Jeff is married, is 10.5 years older than me. I first met Jeff when I was 5. When we were little, we thought for sure Carrie would marry her friend Sam (when you're little, sometimes it is hard to distinguish friends from "friends") but we have always been glad she married Jeff. Jeff and Carrie are the parents of Whitney and Tegan.

So during the last few years, Jeff has been working on getting his private pilot's license. Friday I had the distinction of being the first adult in the family to fly with Jeff. And we had such a good time. Thankfully I remembered to take along my camera. I took tons of pictures, most of which are nearly indistinguishable if you don't know what you are look at. Here are a few that are easily identifiable.

Jeff after completing his pre-flight check.

My neighborhood is so peaceful from up there.

Here we are at 2500 feet ASL.
This is my first go at using the video feature on my camera and my first go at uploading video in a post...Here's take off.

As Jeff is fond of saying: take off is optional, landing is mandatory. Sadly, I was distracted during landing and didn't get a picture or video then. I am happy to report, however, that we did indeed land safely. And it was a very smooth landing at that.

Thanks Jeff!

Section IV: The Crazy

Things have been crazy here and that can be largely attributed to Tuesday's upcoming ankle surgery. Between trying to get everything at work all caught up and on auto-pilot as much as is possible, and trying to get all of the laundry and Christmas shopping finished at home, I feel just the tiniest bit overwhelmed. I'm sure it will be pretty steadily hectic until next Tuesday morning. Hopefully I'll have a chance to post before then....time will tell.

Today's Quote

"An idealist is one who, on noticing that roses smell better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup. -H.L. Mencken

Knitting Accomplished

2007-11-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

Visions of Grandeur

I know I'm not the only one who makes lots of grand knitting plans. Who falls in love with a project before good sense kicks in and tells them to turn away. I've read too many blogs and seen too many knitters with that desperate look in their eyes. . . I know I am not alone. I am counting on the collective warm thoughts and happy knitting wishes to get me through this next project. (As well as the help of Deb, who I shanghaied at knitting on Wednesday night.)

I have accidentally committed to knit a sweater for my sister Katy. (Enthusiasm can be the damnedest thing.) A sweater that is maybe (oh just maybe) beyond my skill level. A sweater pattern that I showed to my mother and said, "Wouldn't that be pretty on Katy?" To which she replied, "We can give it to her together. I'll buy the yarn if you will knit it." Fundamentally, I think I am capable of knitting this sweater but I have certainly never accomplished anything quite so complex. And I do plan to spend some good portion of the month of December out on Aunt Mary's proverbial front porch.

What do you think? Can ya'll talk me through Oblique? I hope so, since my mama has already ordered the yarn. Someone send wine. (As an aside, if you are looking for a new or different yarn source, I would very much recommend you give California Yarn Co a look. Excellent selection and friendly service, not to mention the discounts offered on full bag purchases of $50 or more.)

Tiny Sweaters

So, it is now 3 days until Thanksgiving. I won't keep you in suspense: I got all of the tiny sweaters finished. I was worried for a bit toward the end of last week. I think it is a fundamental knitting truth: many a fine knitting project has been derailed by new yarn. It was a dangerous few days, when the 3 skeins of Socks That Rock arrived, but alas, I was able to tough it out. I will admit, though, that I did swatch enthusiastically on socks for Lori.

The Korppi is more beautiful in person than in the pictures. (The photo above doesn't do it justice.) I am slightly less enamored with the Count Cluckula. I'll take pictures soon. Count Cluck has a great big swath of bright sunshine yellow that isn't visible in the picture on the website. For the time being, I am letting it marinate in the stash and I'll decide later if I'm going to knit it.

Again, sidetracked by the new yarn....anyway, I've finished the sweaters. I finished the last one late Sunday night. You'll notice the pictured sweaters do not add up to 30. I got the three extras done but (irresponsible blogger that I am) forgot to photograph them before giving them away. Oops. Also, I decided not to knit a sweater ornament for me...I never give myself an ornament. duh. Which all adds up to: here are 25 finished little sweaters.

Without further adieu...I give you sweaters. (Ok a little more adieu...I apologize for my substandard photography. And my less than expert picture splicing to get them all in one frame.)

All Together

A Few At a Time

(Top to bottom) Peaches & Cream Cotton in Fiesta, Brown wool of unknown origins, Red Cascade 220.
Sugar n' Cream cotton, fantabulously soft Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK.

Rowan Calmer (leftover from the Daisy sweater), black Cascade 220

Green cotton Patagonia from Araucania, some something that I can't remember what it is and don't have any labels for even though I have three skeins of it milling about in the stash but that I think I picked it up while in Hawaii on my honeymoon.

White cotton from the LYS but I can't remember exactly what white cotton, Di.Ve' Autunno in Navajo.

Vanna White yarn (the only acrylic sweater in the bunch), Mango Moon recycled sari silk, more red Cascade 220.
Cascade 220 superwash, blue Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk held together with light blue fuzzy something from stash, Di.Ve' Autunno in variegated gray.

On top we have the very first sweater from the advent of this project. The Papaya Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk, Peaches & Cream cotton in Fiesta, Cascade 220 Superwash.

Di.Ve' Autunno in that gray again, Mission Falls 1824 Wool in a dark green, Di.Ve' Autunno in Navajo. (The Autunno is so wonderfully soft.)

Top: Tahki Cotton Classic in pink and green, bottom: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK held together with Cotton Classic duplicate stitched with the pink Cotton Classic.

Tegan requested pink and green sweaters for her and her roommate and here they are. On Thursday, Miss Tegan will be spending her first Thanksgiving away from home. Though she is terribly homesick, she is very lucky to have made wonderful friends at college and will be spending the weekend with her roommate's family.

This little white one is my mother's favorite.

And this little close-up shows the tiny coat hangers I made to act as ornament hooks for this years addition of the Thanksgiving ornaments. (Luckily, I had plenty of 22 gauge wire sitting around in my beading box, and thus these itty-bitty coat hangers were born.)

So there you have it. It is a red letter day in my knitting life: a project completely completed well ahead of its required time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

While I have every intention of posting again before Thanksgiving, realistically I know it might not happen. So while I'm here....I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday weekend. Whether it is restful or frantic or whatever, I hope it is exactly what you want in a Thanksgiving. May you each be richly blessed.

Today's Quote:

"Dear Lord; we beg but one boon more: Peace in the hearts of all men living, peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving." -Joseph Auslander

All Sorts of Good Stuff

2007-11-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

Gnomes!

The internet is a treasure trove of crafty goodness. Not that this is news, I'm just sayin' is all. Earlier this week, I was reading Marit's blog, where I happened upon Silja Devine's blog. It was Wednesday when I first stopped by and this was the post at the top of the page. Gnomes!!! I immediately knew I had to have gnomes of my own. Luckily Silja posted her pattern. My mama agreed, so we went to Michael's and procured the Fimo clay. We decided they would make excellent Christmas tree ornaments and decorations for wrapped gifts. I made a bunch the size according to the pattern (all the ones on the lower shelf above) and then I made four small ones. I need to make more of the small ones. They are so freakin' cute, both sizes.I haven't put the beards on yet (other than the one) but I will.

Squares for Oliver

I took a brief hiatus from sweater knitting the last couple of days to knit squares for Oliver. One from the leftover yarn from my doctor's socks (top left), two squares from the Cherry Tree Hill in Peacock I used for my very first socks (top right and bottom left), and then one more from the yarn from Tegan's socks (bottom right). Now to put them in the mail to Kay.

Socks for Me

Speaking of Tegan's socks, you may recall that I was knitting socks for me out of that yarn, too. I finished the first sock on the airplane to North Carolina back in September and I thought I'd finished them both but yesterday afternoon, I went looking for my size 1 DPNs and found them in my little sock knitting bag...still in a sock. I had three rows still to knit on the cuff. So, while sitting by the fire on my parents' patio last night, I knit those three rows and - abracadabra - I have my very first pair of handknit socks all my own.

I used the Sherman Heel again and I'm really pleased with the look of them.

And they fit perfectly.

Now I really do need to knit some more sweaters.

Today's Quote:

"For it is in giving that we receive." -St. Francis of Assisi

In the Wool of the Night

2007-11-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

I have never ordered anything from The Loopy Ewe. Not for a lack of fabulous things to buy and not because I haven't wanted to. I first started looking aroud at their place because of Susie. When she started selling her stuff through The Loopy Ewe, I started looking. So much fun stuff. I do a lot (a lot!) of window shopping there but thus far, that's all.

I have wanted to try needle felting for a long time. In fact, I have a needle felting tool that I got and used for putting eyes on hedgehogs last Christmas, but that is the extent of my experience with needle felting. I really want to do more but I haven't worked up the courage to try. (I hate when I suck at something and I worry that I am going to suck at the needle felting.)

Imagine my surprise when I was at TLE, innocently shopping around for a sock blocker keychain kit (which they were out of, by the way, and I finally found at Diva Knitting) when I happen upon this little guy.

(picture from The Loopy Ewe product page.)

I think I'm going to have to have this kit. I think I'm in love. Is $22 crazy for a felting kit? It doesn't say how big the finished ewe is, but from the pictures I'm guessing he's about 3 or 4 inches tall. He is modeled after THE loopy ewe in their logo. (actually....she, huh? Ewe. She. Anyway....)
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I was thinking I would order this for myself but I didn't.... Instead of the felted sheep kit, I made a donation to Oliver's Fund. Did ya'll know that Michaela is putting together a blanket of donated 4" sock yarn squares and then raffling the blanket off? I have read Emma's blog for a long time and have such a soft spot for her Oliver. You don't have to knit a square to get in on the raffle. The raffle tickets are extremely affordable: £1 GB or about $2 US. You can pay via PayPal (that's the link above). I know there are at least a few of you who might be reading this who live outside both the US and UK so I'm providing you with this chart:

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Raffle Ticket Costs in Currencies Other than GB Pounds or US Dollars.

Australian Dollar: 2.25
Canadian Dollar: 1.93
Euro: 1.43
Hong Kong Dollar: 16.19
New Zealand Dollar: 2.69
Norwegian Kroner: 11.16
Swedish Krona: 13.25

If none of those currencies apply to you, there are currency converters all over the internet and it is a small number. Barely more than a bottled water.

Why am I telling you all of this? Basically, because it is a cause that matters to me and I hate that they are having a slow time of selling raffle tickets. (As of last Thursday, only 17 sold.) If you feel compelled to buy a raffle ticket by making a donation to Oliver's Fund, click here and do it. I'll wait here. Then leave me a comment saying you did and I'll send beaded stitch markers or earrings (recipient's choice) handmade by me to the first five commenters to tell me they've purchased a raffle ticket. It only takes one to get in the drawing and get something from me but if you buy 10 tickets or more, I'll send you stitch markers and earrings.

A Bouncing Baby Skein

The new Raven Clan of colorways over at Blue Moon are very beautiful and did not disappoint. They are striking, actually. I love the usual beauties of Socks That Rock - the Cockamamie, the Loch Ness, the Fire On The Mountain - but I was struggling with finding the right yarn to knit socks for my sister-in-law (who has a birthday today.) I want to knit her socks that she will like but, more importantly, I want to knit her socks that she will actually wear. And the Raven yarns? They fit that bill perfectly. Beautiful, special yarn in colors with depth and dimension, but also suitable to wear to her office job. I decided on Korpii for her
and the Count Cluckula for me. (I'm short and therefore my pants are all long so I don't have to worry as much about loud socks. 5'2" has its advantages.)

So maybe I will knit socks while I am laid up. I have well and truly fallen in love with the sock knitting and the last few days of knitting sweaters, I have been longing for those tiny needles and the socks. Funny how our preferences as knitters change, huh?
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I also want to knit this No Tie Hat that RC recently finished. The hat is cute and I love the nifty construction. There is a new baby that joins us frequently for Wednesday night knitting. Surely she needs a hat.

Today's Quote:

"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, / Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before." -Edgar Allen Poe, The Raven

More of the Same

2007-11-05T16:03:00.000-08:00

I'm still knitting tiny sweaters, with no other real knitting to speak of.

Finished count: 21
Knitted but not sewn up: 3
On the needles: 2

And I'd like to ask you to pause a moment and consider this: it is only November 5 - a full 3 weeks and 3 days until Thanksgiving. At this point, I am feeling very confident (though cautiously, of course) that I am going to have these babies done in time. I am even starting to think that maybe, just maybe, I won't be knitting on our drive to Oregon on the 21st. There is always the possibility that I will fall off the wagon in the mean time but I am actually not stressing about this project. (For now. Those sounding frighteningly like famous last words...)

An Apple A Day

Might keep the doctor away but, for me at least, only until December 11. That's when my ankle surgery is scheduled. This one is going to be a bit more extensive so I'll have to spend a night or two in the hospital this time around and I am ok with that. I have to weigh a couple of main factors, namely: being at home in my own bed versus IV pain medicine, and in this particularly case, that's not much of a contest.

Yarn Plans

I've been thinking about knitting during this time of not walking (at least four months). I have heard the siren call of the Chevron scarf over at Dr. B's. I have resisted for a long time (ever since I bought the book) but I'm thinking maybe this will be a good project for me.

Or maybe I will finally get my act together and knit up my Briar Rose yarn. I still plan to make myself a Cozy wrap.

I have been waiting patiently for Blue Moon to put out the Raven Series. That happens today. (as of the moment I am typing this, the front page of the website still says they will be up this evening, after 6 pm PST.) Something tells me there will be yarn there that I will love.

Pushing Daisies

Have ya'll seen the new show Pushing Daisies? I hadn't seen it and didn't really have any interest in seeing it until my SIL told me I needed to watch it and that she had saved the episodes on her Tivo for me to come over and watch it. (I love that SIL.)

So after watching the first several episodes all in one evening, there are about 1000 reasons I love this show but I will limit myself to 10. (Because Lord knows, I'm long-winded enough.)

Ten Reasons I love Pushing Daisies:

1. It is funny without being cheesy or overly obvious. Smart funny.

2. The characters are instantly endearing.

3. Emerson Cod. He knits when he is stressed. He has knitted himself a vest and handgun cosies.

4. Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth). This chick could easily be an annoying, grating character but she isn't. I particularly love that, as we learn from the Narrator "She feels she has an orchestra in her heart that can only be heard when it is broken and the orchestra 'spills out into the world.' "

5. Speaking of the Narrator - I love the Narrator. This show plays more like an old movie than a new television program and the Narrator has a lot to do with that.

6. The colors. The whole appearance of the show is lush and over-the-top and beautiful. Again, like an old movie. . . one that was filmed in black and white and has been dramatically colorized.

7. This conversation:
Emerson Cod: Sounds like you're a narcoleptic.
Ned: I suffer from sudden and uncontrollable types of deep sleep?!
Emerson Cod: What's the other one?
Ned: Necrophiliac.
Emerson Cod: Words that sound alike get mixed up in my head.
Olive: Me, too. I used to think masturbation meant chewing your food. [awkward silence]
Olive: I don't think that anymore.
(as quoted on IMDB)

8. Olive and Chuck's aunts (Lily and Vivian) sing one of my favorite They Might be Giants songs Birdhouse in Your Soul.

9. Vivian and Lily were the members of a synchronized swimming duo called the Darling Mermaid Darlings, who were forced to disband after Lily lost her right eye while cleaning the cat's litter box.

10. This conversation:
Charlotte (Chuck): Can't we just be here as concerned citizens of the world?
Emerson Cod: No. Big Daddy needs new yarn.
(That one I am quoting from memory so if you saw it and I am misquoting, please tell me.)

Here is the extended preview.

If you haven't seen the preview and/or haven't seen the show, watch this preview but know that the preview doesn't do it justice. You really need to watch the show. Set your tivo, clear your calendar....better yet, go watch a full length episode at abc.com.

Today's Quote:

"Die when I may, I want it said by those who knew me best that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow." -Abraham Lincoln

This, That & The Other

2007-10-31T14:03:00.000-07:00

Inspiration is Everywhere

Do you ever come across a scene or a picture that just wants to be knit into something? I saw this picture (above) and in my minds eye, it was screaming out for knitting. A blanket, maybe? A scarf? A sweater? What do ya'll think? Look at the source here in MSN's photoblog. It is much more striking in the original.

Overheard

Last Friday, I went with the SIL Lori to an appointment. While we were waiting, there was another lady there, also waiting. She was a pleasant woman, smiling, inquiring about the tiny sweaters. She sat down, got comfortable and promptly started talking on her cell phone. I felt like I was eavesdropping but she kept looking around at us, smiling, pointing at the phone as she talked, as if to include us in the conversation. It was very funny. The substance of the conversation wasn't all that funny - except for the parts about a friend/acquaintance she apparently hasn't seen in a while who "looks really great except she has gotten a huge ass" and the bit about some friend of her children who is staying with them . She had to explain to the child that they don't eat "cheesy puffies or chips or..." (pause, listening) "right, cheetos" at her house.

Of course, on a subsequent call, where a friend on the other end of the line apparently informed her that one of her children was sick and she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, Julie, your kids are the sickest people I've ever met. They always have something wrong with them." After which she instructed her friend (sternly) that she needed to get her kids to "some place good, like the holistic medicine place," and get them on some vitamins or something.

Anyway, the substance of the conversations was only part of the equation. Mostly, we couldn't stop laughing at her quirky turns-of-phrase, including: "Holy Macraroni" and "Oh my God bless America" and (my favorite) "For Cryin' in a Basket", used in place of "for crying out loud" or similar.

Affection from Afar

Recently, Kay and Ann have been discussing crushes which prompted me to go on an extensive YouTube search for clips of my (sort-of secret) long-time crush, John Denver. I love his music from all periods of his career but I think he became increasingly crush-worthy as he aged. I once watched the PBS special on him twice in a row, very late at night, after everyone else had gone to bed.

Also, I've long had a soft-spot for Kermit the Frog. He is super cool and cute and oh-so-very sensible. He has that quiet, unassuming take-charge manner. Subtly funny, he manages to be the center of attention without stealing the show. Also, I think maybe I always liked that he was sweet to Miss Piggy and never once looked down is sweet little nose at her full-figured physique.

What a happy coincidence, then, to find a video of John and Kermit (and the muppet gang) singing around the campfire.

I also found this clip of John Denver singing with, to the best of my figuring, with a Dutch John Denver impersonator. Even if you don't like John Denver, it is worth watching 1) to see how much the impersonator sounds like him and 2) to see what a close-talker the show's host is. Marit, are you familiar with this show? Is it shown in Norway? Am I off base on this?

Today's Quote:

"I believe that we are here for each other, not against each other. Everything comes from an understanding that you are a gift in my life - whoever you are, whatever our differences." -John Denver

Meme: Page 161

2007-10-29T06:25:00.000-07:00

Memes.

They are lovely and make for excellent blog filler but I am bad at them. RC tagged me 10 days ago and I am just now meme'ing. Better late than never, right? This meme instructs the participants to "open the book(s) you're currently reading to page 161 and read the fifth sentence on the page, then think of 5 bloggers to tag with."

Current reading with 161 or more pages...

from Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair:

"Hurry inside and lock the door?"

from Less is More: How Great Companies Use Productivity by Jason Jennings:

"They explain how things work: 'When we get a new member on our team, they get ninety days to make it.'"

from 2007 California Labor Law Digest, Volume 1:

"The secret videotaping in that case was done as a part of an undercover investigative report on 'telepsychics' by a television reporter in a workplace with low, open cubicles where conversations could easily be overheard by anyone in the room."

from Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen:

"By late morning, I'm just another menagerie man: cleaning dens, chopping food, and hauling manure with the rest of them."

So that's it for current reading. I'm not tagging 5 people - I'm tagging everyone. If you read this post and want to meme along, please do so. And leave me a comment so I can read yours, too.

On the Knitting Front: All Sweaters, All the Time

Tiny sweaters, tiny sweaters everywhere.

I've done the figuring. I need 14 for my family's Thanksgiving at my parents' house, which I will (sadly) not be attending. I need 11 for Thanksgiving at my mother-in-laws, where I will be spending the holiday. I need 2 to send to Tegan and her roommate and I need 3 more for something else. That makes 30. Technically the 3 spares don't have to be done by Thanksgiving (technically they don't have to be done at all) but if I'm going to do them, I'd like to get them all finished before November 21.

The photo above was taken when I had 12 sweaters complete (though only 11 made the picture.) The one below is number 9. Blue Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk, leftover from Kim's ISE scarf, held together with some furry fluffy something that was hanging out in the yarn bin. Very soft.

When I'm all done knitting the sweaters, I'll post pictures of all of them individually (or at least in small groups.) It will be a veritable sweater parade.

Today's Quote:

"Those who survived the San Francisco earthquake said, 'Thank God I'm still alive.' But, of course, those who died, their lives will never be the same again." California Senator Barbara Boxer

Knitting - Yes, Really

2007-10-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this little guy? The recipient of the Daisy sweater? Well last Saturday he turned one. How can he possibly be a whole year old already?!? I am starting to sound like an old woman.

Happy Birthday, D!!

We Now Return to Your Regularly Scheduled Crazy

Do you ever have those days when all of the crazy stuff that could possibly happen happens? I've had a string of those days lately. Crazy stuff at work, crazy stuff at home...I've heard about that superbug and I'm starting to wonder if there is a mutant form of the bug that makes people act crazy. If so, then we are having an epidemic in my neck of the woods.

I found out this week that my friend Allison, who first taught me to knit on my rainy birthday many moons ago, reads my blog. Hi Allison! Allison is currently making Fuzzy Feet. I'll take a picture next time I see her.

The Scarf - A Real Honest-to-Goodness Finished Handknit

I finished the Bouton d'Or scarf. This yarn was an absolutely joy to knit with. If you come across it, I would encourage you - no urge you, compel you - to buy it and knit something. It is beautiful and so soft.

I ended up giving this scarf to my ankle surgeon's nurse/assistant. I finished it the night before my appointment last week and remembered that she was talking about having trouble finding a nice scarf that was long enough and wide enough and not itchy. This seemed to fit the bill and she seemed to really love it so there you go.

Specs:

Yarn: 3 skeins Bouton d'Or in the Ketchup (209) colorway. It must be said, though, that there is nothing ketchup-y about this color. It is more mauve or dusty rose or something. Something decidely not ketchup-y.

Needles: Size 9 Addi Turbos. The label recommends size 11 but I didn't have any on hand. I tend to knit very tightly and was, therefore, a little concerned with going down sizes but it worked out perfectly. The resulting fabric is light and drappy and lovely.

Pattern: Farrow Rib scarf (8 repeats) from The Little Box of Scarves. From the 3 skeins, less about 2 yards, the resulting scarf was 6" wide, 70" long.

Christmas Ornament Sweaters

I am making good solid progress on the Christmas ornament sweaters. As of about 10:30 p.m. last night, I have 12 completed sweaters, one that needs to be sewn up and one on the needles. 18 doesn't seem very far off. (Knock on wood.) They are excellent take along knitting and work up pretty quickly since I haven't been getting too fancy pants with the patterns (mostly seed stitch, plain stockinette, 1x1 ribbing, and a simple slip-stitch pattern, pictured below.)

I haven't had the same luck with the ghosts. Let's not talk about the ghosts.

Here, look at the scarf again.

Today's Quote:

"There never was any heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate." -Robert Frost

Gross

2007-10-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

My niece Whitney is a funny girl. Whit is mild-mannered and droll. She is very smart and very much a smart ass. Even as a small child, Whitney was always very sarcastic, dry, subdued. She is very calm and has always taken things very literally.

Whitney is my oldest niece, the oldest grandchild in our family. Whit is Tegan's twin sister and, other than sharing the same birthday, and that special twin-love for each other, they have very little in common. Tegan is very dramatic. Very frou-frou. Girly. A conversation with her includes lots of hand motions and raised eyebrows and a fair number of "oh-my-gosh"s and high fives. Tegan is funny, too, but in a different way. She tells big, exaggerated stories. Whitney, on the other hand....the only exaggerated thing about her is her exaggerated calm. Whit is very chill, and nothing gets her too wound up.

When Whitney was in the 4th grade, my sister Carrie (her mother) came home from work one day to find that Whitney's finger was hugely swollen and bruised-black. She couldn't bend it and was in quite a bit of pain. Carrie asked her what she had done and Whitney said she jammed it playing basketball before school. Carrie was, understandably, upset that Whit's hand looked like this and she was just now finding out about it. She asked her if she had gone to the school nurse. Whitney said she went to the nurse when it first happened and they taped it and told her to come back if it turned blue. When Carrie asked her why she didn't go back to the nurse, Whit said, "Because it didn't turn blue...it turned black."

So knowing that that is quintessential Whitney, the events of yesterday morning should not come as a surprise to anyone. Whit works as an intern at my office. Yesterday morning, when she came to work, she had a bandage on her hand. She explained the bandage by saying that the night before, she had been at a friend's house and scratched her hand. Umm. Ok.

A bit later, she was looking in the first aid supplies for some neosporin and I offered to help her. She said it didn't bleed much and it didn't really hurt but she wanted to keep it clean. She took off the band aid to show me her scratch. Here's Whitney's scratch.

As one might imagine, I went and got her mother who took her to the Acute Care where she got her "scratch" stitched up.

Today's Quote:

"So reports of my madness, as they say, were greatly exaggerated. Not that I give a bugger either way." -David Icke

One Thing Led to Another...

2007-10-07T00:54:00.000-07:00

And all of the sudden I've taken an inadvertent hiatus from blogging. And my how I've missed ya'll!!

(I'm still fighting the stupid spacing issues that Blogger likes to inflict on me. Sorry about the screwy look.)

Home

I've been back home from my travels for a week and I've been going a mile a minute since. I had jury duty on Monday and I must say, after years of knitting anywhere and everywhere, it is highly disconcerting to sit around hour after hour after hour without the knitting. Knitting needles are verboten at the courthouse. Instead I got some work done and started reading Water for Elephants. It is an excellent read, if you find yourself with free time and (gasp) no knitting.

I also recently read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, which I highly recommend.

Now, let's see what kind of ground we can cover in this post. (Sorry if you are on dial-up....I've been taking pictures.)

On the Go

While my travels last month were for business purposes, the scenery was really beautiful there. I was a bit short on time and perpetually neglectful of my camera but I did manage to get a few semi-decent pictures, including one night shot. These pictures don't do it justice. Really.

Knitting in the Big House

In early September, Katy, Lori and I took our 10-year-old niece and nephew to Alcatraz for a long-awaited birthday outing. I took pictures but before I found the time to post them, September got crazy. Better belated than not at all, I suppose...

It was a really wonderful, fun day. They are great kids (not that I'm biased...) and we all had such a good time. The weather was grey and sort of dreary and I loved it.

Coit Tower, from the vantage point of waiting for the Alcatraz ferry. Arriving at Alcatraz Island.

There are still remnants on Alcatraz from when the location was used for a military fort and military prison, including the cannon seen here in the background.In front of the Industrial Building, which sits at one end of the Rock.

Visiting the sock, locked up for some undisclosed indiscretion.

Even knowing the facility has long-since been decommissioned as a prison, there is something disturbing about standing behind those bars. We did anyway, of course.

The Nephew.

The Niece. (Look at that pitiful expression! She is a drama queen.)

The Lori. (The angry convict, apparently.)

The Katy. (Maybe this picture gives you some indication of where The Niece gets her drama-y streak.)

The Me. Knitting. (After all, it was just prison, not jury duty.)

The view from the Warden's house, back into the city.

Antique Shopping

Yesterday we three aunts had ourselves another little outing. Lunch, some antique shopping, other shopping, dinner. All-in-all, a very good, refreshing day. We visited our favorite bakery, Teacake Bake Shop, where the cookies are $2 a piece and the cupcakes are $3 a piece, and both are worth every single red penny. Delicious.

During the antique shopping portion of our fun, I found an old sewing standing.I remember my mother or possibly my grandmother (one or the other - it is a vague memory) having one of these when I was growing up and I thought it would be the perfect thing to put beside the chair to hold my knitting. It didn't hurt, either, that it was 40% off the marked price. Lucky me.

Knitting

I finished my socks but I don't have a picture of them, yet. They fit beautifully and I am very pleased with them. If I had known how comfy they would be, maybe I'd have knit socks for myself sooner. Probably not, but maybe.

I have been doing some knitting the last few days. I'm making a scarf.

I've wanted to do something using the Farrow Rib pattern that I fell in love with way back during the ISE3. I've also had a yarn I've been hankering to knit with but no real need. The yarn is the lovely 50% camel hair 50% wool blend of Ksar from Bouton d'Or. The softness is indescribable. I've paused more than once while knitting on this scarf just to fondle the yarn. I've wanted to knit something from this yarn and I've considered all sorts of things - hat, mitts, etc. - but nothing seemed quite right, so I finally decided what the hell. I'm just going to knit a scarf, even if I don't currently need a scarf or know anyone who particularly needs a scarf. That's a knitter's prerogative, right?

Like Ripping Off a Band-Aid

I really have been crazy busy and that has kept me from post - or reading blogs, either, for that matter - but also, my absence from blogging can be partially attributed to that old adage, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." So I'll tell you this quickly, to get it over with, and then we can pretend I didn't say it.

I found out last week that I'm going to have to have more surgery on my ankle. Despite everyone's best efforts, it hasn't healed the way it should have. My doctor warned me last August before that first surgery that it may not fix my problem and I guess that's what has come to pass. So, more surgery, more months on crutches, more hassle, more everything. Bleck. I can't say I want to have surgery again but I won't deny that I am keen on the idea of it not hurting anymore (surprise, surprise). The prospective of having an ankle that is really and truly better makes it easier to swallow. At my heart, I am forever an optimist.

That being said, I'm working diligently at looking at the bright side and I'm asking your forgiveness in advance for the maudlin moments that are inevitably ahead. I've thought about just not blogging because I don't want to be a whiner and really, sometimes I don't have anything nice to say, but I've been reminded that the bloggers and the knitters are wonderful encouragers and supporters and so here we go again.

Knitters Make Great Friends

Speaking of fabulous knitter friends...I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine. This is Deb. Deb and I met at my LYS at Wednesday night knitting. Deb is a joiner and loves a knit-a-long, thus the name of her blog. It is one of the things I love about her - she always has some new wonderful something in the works. When I go a few weeks without attending the Wednesday night get together, I always come back to discover some fabulous new something on her needles. Welcome to Blogland, Deb!!

Ghosts are a Phallusy

Have ya'll seen the new MagKnits? Those little ghosts are so freaking precious. My affinity for felted creatures is certainly no secret so it should not come as a surprise to anyone that I'm knitting some ghosts. I've knitted two and nearly a third but I haven't felted them yet. Luckily, I'm well versed in the miracles of shaping after felting otherwise I might be a bit perturbed with these precious little specters. I'm counting on post-felting-shaping to bring these darlings to a G rating.

Reading Up

I really am a little behind on reading anything online which explains why I'm more then four years late reading Knitty articles. I recently read Kate Boyd's piece entitled Bildungsrowan and I think I love that reversible cable knit shawl from Lily Chin, via Vogue's American Knits. Have any of you ever seen this book or this knit in person? Seems a bit daunting but I love the softness and complexity of it. Another addition to the "one day" list.

All Caught Up

Now that I've prattled on and on, I'm going to try to get caught up on what all of you are doing. If you happen to be reading this and you were the winner of one of the prizes in my recent contest, I'd love to know that your prizes arrived safely. So far I have only heard from Colleen and Susanne.

Today's Quote:

"Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings." -Jane Austen

Life in the Fast Lane

2007-09-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

What a crazy few weeks it has been. I didn't even realize how long it has been since I posted - nearly two weeks. Sheesh! Things have been crazy in my corner of the world. For the last week, I've been traveling for work and I will be traveling this week as well. Thus far, it has been a very productive trip, though hectic and kind of exhausting - - but the good kind of exhausting. Luckily this weekend included a little fun time. Yesterday we got to go to Tegan's football game and it was so much fun. Fun to watch her cheer at a college football game (a game they were predicted to lose but won) and exciting to see how much fun she is having cheering and at school in general. Here she is pre-game. Cutie, huh?

I've had my camera with me but I haven't taken even one picture. (Someone else took that picture above.) Hopefully later this week there will be time for taking pictures before I head home on Thursday. I finished my socks on the plane on the way here and I've cast on for a pair for another one of my nieces, Whitney. These are my first go at knitting with Lorna's Laces. So far I'm liking it.

I hope all is well with all of you.

You Give Me Fever

2007-09-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

The other night, I got a text message from Lori. It said and I quote:

"Having a problem. I need your help. I feel the urge....to.....embroider something. Perhaps a pillow....my jeans.....something. Help ME!"

What self-respecting craft lover can resist that kind of invitation?

I texted her back with an enthusiastic "OK!" and within a couple of hours, we'd gone to the craft store (luckily it doesn't close early on Saturday night), picked out fabrics and threads and were back at my house, where Lori was learning the gentle art of the figure-eight knot. (The figure-eight knot, for those who don't know, is the knot used in candlewicking. It is my knot of choice, as the french knot makes me curse and throw things.)

She is making a pillow (two pillows, actual. Lori is ambitious.) She is doing a square, instead of the circles, a la Purl Bee. Here she is, showing off her very first knot. Last night she went to Borders and bought an embroidery book, then today she told me that she didn't want to do work. She wanted to work on her pillow. I was nearly moved to tears of joy.

I felt a bit like the blind leading the blind on this one, as I am certainly no expert when it comes to embroidery, but she seems happy and now she has her book so all is well.

I have been working on a connect-the-dots pillow for my mother. I am pleased with the way that it is coming along and should have it done soon.

The fabric at the top will be the back of the pillow and the front will be the embroidered piece. The colors aren't exactly true. In this picture they appear to be red, yellow and white but in reality they are more like a deep burgundy, dark dark mustard and a cream that is almost tan.

On the knitting front, I am working on a pair of toe-up socks for me. Yep, for me. I am using what was left of the yarn from Tegan's socks. These socks were not planned but I am glad to be making myself socks. The night a few weeks back when my husband ended up at the hospital, he was taken there by ambulance and the whole thing was kind of frantic, as one might imagine, and I didn't have much time to plan for knitting. I grabbed the little bag with Tegan's unfinished socks and was out the door. Shortly into that all night ER vigil, I finished the socks and realized I didn't have anymore work-in-progress knitting with me so I cast on for another pair of socks. Since I knew the gauge of this yarn/needle combo, I measured my own feet and started knitting....and I was once again oh-so-very thankful to call myself a knitter.

Thanks again to everyone for participating in the contest. The air conditioning is finally fixed at my house and I can comfortably do something in my home other than gather up clothes to take to someone else's house to sleep. I boxed up each of the prizes last night and will be taking them to the post office tomorrow.

Today's Quote:

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Blogging is a Minefield

2007-09-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

My husband has this particular friend. For the sake of his privacy, I’ll call him Fester.

Several months ago, I found out that Fester reads this blog. I didn’t think much of it, other than to think it was kind of funny since he doesn't knit, and then I sort of forgot about it. My blog is not a secret. I don’t go out of my way to publicize it but I certainly don’t hide it from anyone and I would say that most people who know me know about the blog. Most people I know likely haven’t visited this blog because they could care less about knitting...which explains the blog’s very existence...but I digress.

Fester and my husband have been friends for several years. I can’t remember how many. Mr. used to work with Fester and still does work for him occasionally. When they were working together, Fester and his wife and the Mr. and I used to socialize more. I really like his wife and I have always liked Fester, though we don’t spend much time together, which is unfortunate. As far as I know, I have never been anything but pleasant to Fester. If I have been otherwise, I was probably only kidding.

Ya’ll know, if you’ve read more than say two entries on this blog, that I fully acknowledge my lack of coolness. This is not something new. I have never been particularly cool or hip and I am completely ok with that. I drive the speed limit, I completely stop at stop signs. I didn’t drink until I was 21. I’m not terribly capable when it comes to fashion and my all time favorite song is Key Largo, by Bertie Higgins. It was a big hit when it first came out…in1982. I do origami and I take pictures of yarn in the grass in my front yard, sometimes late at night. At best, I fall into the “hip to be square” category, at worst the "painfully lame" category.

My point is that I am fully aware of my idiosyncrasies and I generally embrace that. I can joke about it and I am even ok with being teased about it. I am generally a good sport when people mock my knitting (I figure they just don’t understand) and Lord knows I’ll talk about it to anyone who even mentions knitting or my blog or sewing or crafts or whatever. And when I talk about knitting and people make that “oh man, she’s really into this, what a lame ass” face, I just smile and pretend not to notice.

So for all my big I’m-ok-your-ok talk, I am also kind of tender-hearted. I don’t mind being harassed and/or mocked to my face but it does bother me to know that someone, someone I consider a friend, is making fun of me behind my back. What really bothers me is when my husband or anyone else finds themselves in the position of defending me or my knitting or my blog or my lameness. As much as I’d like to say otherwise, it hurts my feelings and maybe even bruises my ego a bit, when I hear that someone is basically talking smack about me because they’ve read my little knitting blog. It robs a little bit of the joy.

I guess the upshot of all this is: If Fester wants to read my blog, obviously that is fine. I put it out there on the big bad internet because I want people to read it. If he wants to mock me for my knitting, that is ok, too. In fact, he should feel free to mock me in the comments here or call me up and point and laugh when I say things like “fibery goodness” but honestly, he is a smart and successful man. He owns a successful business, has a beautiful home, nice cars and a beautiful, successful, wonderful wife. Surely he has better things to do with his time and considerable energy than to give my husband shit because I knit and talk about it too enthusiastically on the internet.

One thing is for damn sure: Fester is not getting handknit socks for Christmas.

Today's Quote:

"I like people and I like them to like me, but I wear my heart where God put it, on the inside." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

And the Winners Are...

2007-09-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hurray! We have winners of prizes! I am pleased and excited to announce that I have picked winners for all of the wonderful yarn prizes. I wish I had prizes for everyone but sadly, I don't. I do have some nifty prizes, though. Here we go!

First Up: Embarrassing Stories: Thank you SO much to everyone who shared their embarrassing story. I laughed and laughed - and cringed inwardly for each of you. They were all wonderful stories but I did pick a favorite and that was....Susanne. Congratulations, Susanne! I hope you knit socks (or want to learn to knit socks) since this Trekking XXL and basket combo will be heading your way later this week.
There was no correct guess to the number of buttons question. I was as surprised as anyone when I counted my buttons and discovered that I have - drumroll, please - 733 buttons. Colleen's guess of 500 came the closest without going over. Congratulations, Colleen!! I will be sending you two skeins of SiSu Sock Yarn and Leeway Cottage on CD.
Susanne, Kniterella, DaayDream and Tactless Wonder all guessed the contents of the cookpot correctly: Tapioca Pudding. Extra contest entries for them!! I love tapioca pudding and my favorite way to eat it is while it is still hot. Yum!

So I added up the entries and put everyone's entries into this orange bowl then I started drawing names for the remaining prizes.

The book and candle prize goes to:
Tactless Wonder!

The three skeins of Softwist go to:
RobynR

I added another prize without telling anyone but I haven't taken a picture of it. I will, but didn't want to delay the posting of the prizes for this one picture. Two skeins of Sugar and Cream and some of my handmade soaps. And the winner of this one: Ikkinlala

Last but certainly not least, the Anne and accompaniment go to: Marit!!!

Congratulations to everyone and thanks so much for playing along. Later this week, I'll post my most embarrassing story and I'll show you the progress on the embroidery.

Right now, I am knitting up Tribbles. Our church is having a craft fair fundraiser on September 15th and my mama asked me to make some handmade soaps and Tribbles for sale at the fair. We'll see how many Tribbles I can get done in that time. Our A/C is on the fritz (today's high: 104 F) so I will not being hanging out at home knitting.

RC, I have your mailing address but for the rest of the winners, please email me (crickitleigh at hotmail dot com) with your mailing address.

Today's Quote:

"A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain?" -Kahlil Gibran

What Day is This?

2007-08-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

There has been no knitting this week, except for a few rounds on a sock that I did yesterday evening while getting a pedicure. (Oh glorious day of the pedicure!)
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I caught the Purl Bee Connect-the-Dots pillow flu from Dr. B and I have been french knotting (well, figure-8 knotting) pillow tops this week. This is a fluke. I do not embroider. These are decidedly difficult to photograph but trust me - they are not difficult to make and the results are beautiful...even though maybe the pictures don't say so.

I am having so SO much fun reading about your embarrassing moments. I have laughed and laughed. If you haven't read the comments from my last post, you really should because frankly, ya'll make me feel better about my embarrassing stuff - I now know I am not alone!

Speaking of that previous post, you have until tomorrow night to enter! I'm so excited to give things away!!!! I will tell you that somewhere amongst those comments is the right answer to the what's-in-the-pot question but not the right answer to the buttons.

Monday evening, I went to my sister's house for dinner after work and on my way home, it occurred to me that it was starting to get dark earlier. The sky was beautiful that night. When I got home, I took this picture:

And then I went in the house, content in the knowledge that fall is, really, just around the corner. A fact that fills me with glee and that very thought. It was even cool enough over night to open up the house and let some fresh air in. (For those of you who don't live in California, it actually IS noteworthy to see a cloud in August. Tegan is going to college on the east coast and she has been utterly appalled at the fact that it rains and is hot at the same time. She had to buy an umbrella.)

The rest of the week it has been 103 F and up. What a cruel joke Monday night was. 100 and anything temperatures do not suit me.
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Today's Quote:

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"What fluke of genetics leads to a size zero? I tremble at the future possibilities. Size double zero. Size minus fifteen. Are we headed for a time when we'll be embarrassed to say, "I'm a size two?" - Valerie Harper, voluptuous sitcom sidekick

Yarn Party

2007-08-23T23:29:00.000-07:00

I would like to point out that it is right now 11:29 p.m. at my house so technically speaking I got this in on Thursday, as we discussed.

It is no secret that this last year has been a trying one here at house of Ok! What Next?? I don't think it is a secret, either, that I am so very thankful for all of the kindness everyone has shown around this blog during that time. The encouragement and friendship and laughs and warm wishes have meant more to me than I can possibly put into words. That's where this contest comes from: I figure, what I can't say with words, I can probably say with free yarn and goodies.

I love a contest. Who doesn't, really? I've thought and thought about how I could make this contest fun for everybody and spread the winning around. My original plan was to have ya'll tell me your most embarrassing stories and I would pick one at random to get a prize. But then I decided, maybe people won't want to tell their most embarrassing stories on the internet and that's ok. They should still be able to win right? So, because it is my contest, and I can do what I want, I've decided on a three-pronged approach. (Do the words "three-pronged approach" suck a little of the fun out of it?) There are three ways to get in on this contest:

1. Leave me a comment with the story of your most embarrassing moment(s). It can be recent or years and years ago, painfully, scarringly embarrassing, wishing you could fade into the wall embarrassing or just I-can-never-show-my-face-in-this-place-again embarrassing. Of course, I would never expect ya'll to do something I wouldn't so on the day I announce the prize winners, I will tell ya'll my most embarrassing story, too. And yes, sadly, there are more embarrassing stories than the yarn dying incident with the police. You get 3 entries for telling me your embarrassing story. You can even tell me more then one (up to 2) and I'll give you entries for both.

2. Remember that pot of mystery cooking I showed you on Monday? This is one of my favorite things to eat. Leave me a comment with your guess as to what I was making in that pot. This can be worth 2 entries - one entry for guessing what it is and a second entry if you get it right. (Sorry, if you know me in real life, you are disqualified from #2.)

3. These are my buttons. (And their Tootsie Roll tin that I found at the antigue store for a dollar.) Guess how many buttons are pictured. You get one entry just for guessing and the first person to guess the right number (or the person who comes closest without going over) automatically wins a prize. (which prize, I haven't decided yet.)

Ok! So, what are you playing for? Here are the prizes:

1. Hardback copy of Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes and candle.

This is the only non-yarn related prize. If you comment and you aren't a knitter (or crocheter) and could care less about winning yarn, tell me. I will be drawing separately for this prize if I have more than one person who enters and isn't interested in the rest of the prizes, otherwise this prize goes into the pool with the others.

2. Three skeins of Berroco Softwist in Red.

3. Two skeins of SiSu Fantasy sock yarn in a nameless black, while, purple, grey, and blue along with a book-on-cd, Leeway Cottage by Beth Gutcheon.

4. Beautiful round, lidded basket with one skein of Trekking XXL in the 182 colorway (olive brown, gold and natural) and Lantern Moon sweater keychain.

5. This one I have considered keeping for myself ( but I won't!)Beautiful little handled basket containing one wonderful skein of Schaeffer Anne and a set of 5 Brittany dpns, size US2.

There you have it! I am so excited about these prizes. I can't wait to give them away to ya'll!! (Of course, if no one wants to play and I end up keeping all of these prizes, I promise to give your prizes a good home.) Oh, also, each prize will include something that isn't pictured because really, prizes and surprises? Who doesn't want that?!?

The contest starts now (11:29 p.m., Pacific time, California, USA and all entries must be received by 11:59 p.m., pacific time USA, Saturday, September 1, 2007. I'll post the winners and their prizes on Sunday night.

Please, please, please if you are not a blogger, please leave me your email in your comment or email me (crickitleigh at hotmail dot com) with your contact info. I would hate to pick a winner and then not be able to send you your prize.

Good luck!!!

Today's Quote:

"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." -Yogi Berra

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

2007-08-22T23:58:00.000-07:00

Did I say Wednesday? Umm. No. No, not Wednesday. I meant Thursday. Tune in Thursday (evening) for details on the contest. See, I've been mustering up this contest in my mind for a while now and I've been accumulating the prizes for a couple of months so really, it was to be j-u-s-t-s-o. Plus, I need to get some good pictures.

Do you hear Annie singing? Tomorrow, tomorrow. I love ya', tomorrow. You're only a day away.

I'll tell you this: there will be three prizes (and maybe a fourth, depending on how I group it), including one prize for non-knitters. There's yarn, of course, and Brittany needles...It'll be worth the wait, I promise.

Today's Quote:

"If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very, very low crime rate." - then Washington D.C. mayor, Marion Berry

Little Victories & Simple Pleasures

2007-08-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Things have been hectic and down right nutty around here in recent weeks. Last Tuesday, my husband gave me a bit of a health scare that landed him in the hospital for a few days. He is fine now - went back to work today - and we don't anticipate any lasting effects but it did make for a long, tense week last week, which did not include any blogging (obviously) and very very little blog reading. I tell you this and beg the forgiveness of everyone whose comment I didn't acknowledge (I got them! Thank you) and anyone who's email I have failed to respond to this past week or two.

So the socks are done and the package is all packaged up. One finished sock on my foot. It is a bit snug, as she has much smaller feet, but I wanted to see it in action. Note the requested short cuffs. And let me say again, LOVE the Sherman Heel.

It should be noted that my husband voiced his objects to my tattoo making an appearance in this picture. I did end up cropping it out but not because of the tattoo....because of my hairy legs. (TMI? Sorry. My internal filter is apparently on the fritz.)

One thousand and one thank yous to all of you for the care package suggests. Please know that I've made a master list and will likely make use of every single one. I have plans in mind for a Father-of-Dr. B-esque package to include some sort of cleverly presented quarters for laundry. (If you haven't read that post about Dr. B's daddy, you should. So sweet!) Every suggestion is now on the list. Thanks again! Let me know if ya'll think of anything else.

EnnaVic and I must have been on the same cosmic inspiration train. Saturday I got out the molds and the bricks of glycerin soap and coconut oil soap and all of the necessary accoutrement and made a batch (or two or three) of homemade soaps. I should have plenty on hand for a while.

Homemade soap is lovely, of course, but seemed a bit of an odd accompaniment to handknit socks. With a few quick waves of the hands, hocus pocus, Tribbles....masquerading here as "bath poofs".

I whipped up a handmade card and all is well with the care package world.

Here's the homemade goody portion of Tegan's package:Soaps wrapped up.

Some of the soaps unwrapped.

I also included a box of microwave popcorn and some Easy Mac but they didn't make it to the photo session.

Lastly, take a look at this picture and come back later this week (probably Wednesday).
I've decided it is high time to have a contest around these parts. Just giving you a heads up.

As I think I have mentioned here before, I sometimes develop strong feelings for television commercial. My favorites at the moment are both Fruit of the Loom commercials. See them here. There are four in the series but my top one and two (respectively) are Overlove and Apple of my Eye (featuring Vince Gill.) Seriously, though, Overlove...how can you not love a commercial that includes the line "...And even though his hamster died, he finds comfort. this I swear. 'Cause you can't overlove your underwear, cause comfort ain't just found in teddy bears..."

Today's Quote:

"The cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a man and never fails to see a bad one. He is the human owl, vigilant in darkness and blind to light, mousing for vermin, and never seeing noble game. The cynic puts all human actions into two classes - openly bad and secretly bad. " -Henry Ward Beecher

Feeling Clever

2007-08-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

I've tried three different heel styles and the first two were complete disasters. I will not tell you which two tutorials/patterns crashed and burned because (while I would like to blame the patterns) I can acknowledge freely that it was probably my ineptitude that doomed me. As a general rule, I would say that I do very well at following directions but I have been a massive failure at knitting the socks from the Interweave pattern. Lucky for me, I have my own personal, long-suffering sock guru RC, who once again pulled my socks out of the fire. (Thank you, again, RC!)

Her simple-enough-for-Kristy instructions on the Sherman Heel were lovely and clear and produced a beautiful heel - nay, TWO beautiful heels. See?

So that's all the news that is news around here. Hopefully I can finish these socks up today, then I can go over and play around on Ravelry. (Which I am still finding highly intimidating.)

Oh and by the way...any thoughts on a few little tidbits for me to mail along with Tegan's socks? Katy and I are going to get together sometime in the coming weeks and bake for her but I thought I'd send the socks early this week (she said, optimistically, assuming the socks would be finished). She is 2500 miles from home and for the first time in her life, quite far from her entire family. I have a couple of things in mind but, as is well established around, I rate very high on the lame-o-meter and could maybe use some help.

Today's Quote:

“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” -Alexander Pope

Fabulousness

2007-08-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

(Please forgive me in advance for the abusive overuse of superlatives in this post. Really, I'm sorry. Disgusting, sticky-sweet perkiness is not normally my style but there seemed to be no way around it.)

I have found an excellent way to delay making the decision about the heel for the toe-up socks - spend all of my knitting time doing a photoshoot with my yarn and handknit gifts and then blather on about it on this here blog.

Secret Pal Love

I have been ridiculously and shamefully neglectful in posting pictures of the super stellar gifts that Joanie sent to me at the close of the Secret Pal exchange. Neglect no more!!

First up we have two skeins of Dancing from Knit Picks.

Have any of you ever used this yarn? It is a cotton/wool/nylon/elastic blend. It is beautiful and I have tucked it away in the yarn drawers until I can find the right pattern for it.

Joanie also did a most wonderful thing...just wonderfully kind and marvelous - she knit something for me. For me!! Look at the beautiful fingerless mitts she made for me. Though we have never met and she has no idea what my hands look like, they fit perfectly. They are soft and just perfectly....lovely. Thank you so much, Joanie! I have once again been happily paired in a knitting exchange.

Yarn Shopping Settles My Nerves

Dogs have their favorite bones, winos have their favorite wines, gamblers have their favorite casinos....I have my favorite handpainted sock yarn supplier. That ever-talented darling Susie. Last week was a bit of a stressful week for me and I just happened to stumble over to Susie's place and order some yarn....600 delicious yards of 100% Superwash Merino. Ahhh, Passionate Kisses.

I have never been much of a shopper but somehow, the sock yarn, it soothes me. Some people have a soft spot for other goodies but I have come to terms with the fact that I am a sucker for Susie and her magnificent sock yarn.

I have plans for this yarn. Big plans. (Overly ambitious plans.) I have a pattern that has been on my to-do list for a while now and I've looked high and low for the perfect yarn for it. I think Passionate Kisses might just be this patterns long-lost love.

If you have a few spare moments, stop by Susie's blog and send her some virtual love. She's resting up at home after a medical procedure last Friday.

One of the Cool Kids

You'll never guess what showed up in my email inbox today. Actually, ya'll probably would guess so I'll just tell you - my invitation to Ravelry! It is amazing what a person can do with Ravelry. I am in awe. And I am so SO very excited to get started populating my little corner of the community. The pictures, the patterns, the yarn, the knitterly friends....It really, really must wait, though, until the socks are finished.

As for the Socks...

I think I've decided to follow RC's lead on the heels and go with the Sherman Short Row Heel. That is, if I can decipher the tutorial. I'm a bit intimidated but I like the look of this finished heel. I'm still contemplating this tutorial Charity recommended. Does anyone have two cents to spare on this topic?

You may recall that I originally intended to knit my first toe-up socks for me. Well, when I ripped the first go, I decided I needed some making-something-for-someone-else mojo to help me get through this. That means, of course, that these socks aren't for me. These socks are for my niece Tegan. Her parents and twin sister delivered her to college this weekend (she had to report early, for cheerleading camp.) I talked to her tonight and she is already a little homesick. This is a big, big move for her and I'm planning to send her these socks in her first care package, thus the delay in diving in to Ravelry.

Today's Quote:

"Associate yourself with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation; for ‘tis better to be alone than in bad company.” -George Washington

On the Go with Toe-Up Socks

2007-08-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

My gosh! Where has the week gone? It has been a busy, hectic, crazy week. A productive week on many fronts but a terrible blogging/blog reading week. I hate when I get behind on reading blogs. It is like not talking to friends for too long. I've missed ya'll!

Generally, these busy weeks mean very little knitting gets done. This week, oddly, lots of knitting (for me) has gotten done. Of course, most of this weeks knitting has been done in snippits and I haven't had my camera with me so all of the pictures have been taken with my phone and are, therefore, a bit fuzzy. In spite of the fuzzy, here we go, a quick week in pictures of toe-up socks.

Tuesday evening, I went to my sisters house for dinner and I let her try on sock #1 in progress.

By Saturday, since sock #1 was to the point of starting the heel, I employed by usual sock knitting plan and cast on Sock #2. Saturday, Katy, Lori and I went to San Francisco for the day. Here are Katy and Lori on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit.)

Though I have ridden BART before, it was my first time knitting on BART. It makes me half wish (only half, the other half of me has good sense) that I did the commute everyday.

The sock on the BART.

(As a side note, that is my new brown shoe. Nothing fancy, but they are celebratory shoes that I bought myself when I found out I didn't have to wear the ankle brace anymore. Comfy, flat and with good arch support.)

And here are both socks, just before I started typing. The sock on the right needs 3 more rows to match the other and then I really have to make a decision about the heel. Charity and RC have had much to say about the heel portion of the toe-up socks. RC in particular has expressed some discontent with the heel in the Interweave pattern and Charity recommended this pattern for heels. I am so painfully indecisive at times and this is one of those times. Umm. With those three more rows, both socks will be the necessary length so I'm guessing some decision will be made tonight.

I'll let ya'll know.

Today's Quote:

“In America, every day is a new beginning, every sunset is merely the latest milestone on a voyage that never ends. For this is the land that has never become, but is always in the act of becoming.” -Ronald Reagan

Toe-Up Socks, Take Two

2007-07-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at the toe-up sock was enlightening. I learned the following:

1. I like a less pointy toe than I was getting before.
2. I want a snugger (is that a word?) fit for my socks than I was getting.
3. While I am a process knitter, that doesn't mean I want to intentionally and/or knowingly make socks that won't fit me - or maybe anybody.
4. I love - love! - that yarn.
5. There is no reason to torture myself by knitting an all knew technique (toe-up socks) with a yarn that is such a tiny gauge. (10.5 stitches per inch.)
6. Charity and RC are excellent knitting support group members. At this point, I am not sure who is whose sponsor.
7. There are so many excellent resources on the internet and in books for knitting socks toe-up. I have absolutely no doubt that I will be able to do this. (This is a bold statement for me.)

So rather than torturing myself any further or wasting a yarn I adore on socks that I know won't be what I want, I decided to rip that sock out and start again with a different yarn. Many moons ago, I won a contest Susie had and I've decided to make a second attempt with one of her beautiful creations. This yarn is 400 yards of 100% merino superwash in the Am I Blue colorway. It is very soft, a bit thicker and knits at a much more manageable first-time-for-toe-ups gauge of 6.5 stitches per inch (when I swatched), 7 stitches per inch on these first two inches worth of knitting the sock. (I am not too worried about the precision, as I am confident they will be a nice fit. I am using 56 stitches for the foot, which is where I am knitting now.)

Here we are at the beginning of a new week, with a new sock to knit.

Today's Quote:

"An inventor fails 999 times, and if he succeeds once, he's in. He treats his failures simply as practice shots." -Charles Kettering

Toe-Up Sock-o-rama

2007-07-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

A-ha! I borrowed the Mister's camera for a few minutes this evening . . . just long enough to take a few pictures of my toe up sock-in-progress. The yarn is Incognito, a wonderful sock yarn from my stash.

I've been anxious about how it is coming along. It seems awfully pointy. Not that this should come as a big surprise. The pointiness of handknit socks generally makes me nervous. I've just finished the last of the increases to get to the appropriate number of stitches for my foot and it is just shy of 2.75" from the toe to the end of these increases. Is that too much? It seems long but it is hard to tell when I try it on....

As mentioned previously, we are using Ann Budd's toe-up tutorial in the Summer 2007 Interweave. I really like the tutorial. The instructions are clear, particularly the cast on instructions. I've had to do a bit of fiddling because the smallest gauge in the article is 8 stitches per inch and I'm getting 10 stitches per inch on my size 1 Susan Bates metal needles. I am very happy with the resulting fabric so I've adjusted the pattern rather than struggling for gauge.

Like RC, I decided to ditch the M1 increases and I've gone with K1f&b increases. I am loving the results...both the look of the sock and the ease of using this technique. I tried the M1 increases. I really did. I had to start over at least 8 times because trying to manuever the M1s resulted in accidentally pulling the carefully balanced stitches off the needles. Do you remember that line from the movie Uncle Buck? "It angers a lot of people, just the sight of it." That's how I feel about the M1 increases. There was much foul language and questioning of Ann Budd's parentage (my most sincere apologies to Ann and her parents) and some throwing of knitting. Only the redeeming love of the K1f&b saved me.

As an aside, I am most seriously tempted by these KnitPicks sock needles as discussed in the Yarn Harlot's post from earlier today.

Sadly, the camera battery didn't make it to take pictures of the goodies from Joanie. It is charging now.

Today's Quote:

"We've all heard that we have to learn from our mistakes, but I think it's more important to learn from successes. If you learn only from your mistakes, you are inclined to learn only errors." - Norman Vincent Peale

The Trouble with Tribbles

2007-07-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

I have both broken (not fatally, just damaged) and momentarily misplaced my camera. I am certain that I will both a) figure out where I put it and b) take it to Best Buy and hope they will make good on the extended warranty my husband got on it when he bought it for me. (I do love Best Buy.)

Last Friday was Friday the 13th and I have a confession: I fell off the Resolution wagon at about 11:30 p.m. on the 12th. See, my dearly beloved sister-in-law visited RC and saw this post about her dish rags and really really wanted a Tribble. Lori is good and kind and sweet to me and doesn't ask for much and so, I gave in and knitted Tribbles for her. This is not to say that others are not good and kind to me, nor do I mean to imply that others are not equally deserving of the knitted things on my docket for them. Put very simply, Tribbles are a nifty pick-me-up little knit - nearly instant gratification knitting, that uses very little yarn...and I am weak.

Speaking of Lori, if you haven't seen the short film The Landlord with Will Ferrell, stop by Lori's blog and watch it.

I took pictures of the of the Tribbles but alas, as mentioned above, the camera is temporarily out of commission.

I am going to need to revisit my knitting Resolution list, add and subtract (mostly add, I'm guessing) as appropriate and perhaps give myself a little extra time. Perhaps I'll have more success between now and the next Friday the 13th. June 13, 2008. I like realistic goals.

Beyond that, I have accomplished very little knitting in the last week. I have knit and unknit about 700 miles of yarn in the last 8 days because I am trying valiantly to learn to knit socks from the toe-up, based mainly on the article by Ann Budd in the Summer Interweave Knits. RC and Charity and I are having an informal little knit-a-long of the toe-up socks...I think this amounts to more of a toe-up sock support group than KAL. Call it what you will.

Tomorrow I am going to borrow the Mister's camera because I have goodies to share! I got a wonderful package in the mail on Thursday from the ever generous Joanie. Two skeins of yarny goodness from KnitPicks and something wonderful and perfect that she knit just for me! I am so jazzed - knowing that another knitter has taken her precious knitting time and made a beautiful something for me is simply magnificent. Thank you so much, Joanie!!! I love my gifts and I'll be posting pictures soon.

Today's Quote:

"A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way." - Mark Twain

Stand and Delivery

2007-07-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if ya'll can appreciate why I took these pictures. You see, I realize that most of you live in places that have weather on a regular basis, as opposed to the place where I live where, generally, from some time in early May until at least late September, every single blessed day is clear and sunny and dry and hot. Every. Single. Merciless. Day.

Apparently today was an exception. Do you know what you are seeing there? GREY SKIES! Gloomy, heavy, grey skies and wind and humidity and mild temperatures. It didn't even reach 90 degrees F (32.2 C) at my house today. In July. JULY! I am beside myself happy about this beautiful weather. It never rained here (that would be asking too much) but somehow that was ok with me. I was content with the clouds and mild temperatures. There was rain in the foothills, which is good news for the drought and for the fires... That's good enough for me. Hurray for clouds and gloominess.

Seems like the perfect weather for sharing good news...My visit to the ankle doctor yesterday was a success. He liked the socks and was surprised. Really, it was borderline sacrilege that a man who makes his living of feet and ankles has never owned a pair of handknit socks. Problem solved....I told him that I hoped they would fit (they were a surprise, so I had to do a little guessing on the size) and also that they would erase all memory of the unfortunate baby-handknits-for-the-non-existent-baby incident. I didn't muster up the nerve to have him pose with them for a blog picture. ha.

Prior to the handing over of the socks, he examined my ankle. (Imagine that!) Things are looking pretty good....good enough that I have been given permission to go without my brace the vast majority of the time. Hurray! It is healing a bit slower than would be ideal and I have to start physical therapy this week and see him again in a couple of months but all-in-all, not a bad visit. Not unlike knitting, progress is progress.

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and warm thoughts and kind words. It has been a long year and I'm so blessed to have had so much support.

Now, I really need to go watch Hell's Kitchen from last night. Ahh, the miracle of Tivo.

Today's Quote:

"The ankle was obviously a bit worrying at the time, but I've always felt confident that I would get back and be as strong as ever." -Jamie Redknapp

Walk Like an Egyptian

2007-07-09T23:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! Both Dorothy and RC dubbed me as a Rockin' Girl Blogger. Who would have imagined? Gosh - I'm blushing. Thank you both! It is amazing how many wonderful, amazing, kind, talented women I've "met" in blogland. You both ROCK, too, and I would so peg each of you if you hadn't already been anointed.

There are so many fabulous Rockin' Girl Bloggers and it is tough to pick just 5....so I didn't. I decided 7 is better so here you go. Seven Rockin' Girl Bloggers:

Kim - My lovely and talented ISE3 pal who I was so blessed to meet - and so perfectly matched with. It was Kim (along with RC) who finally coaxed me over to the world of sock knitting. I really should thank them both more often.

Marit - With the amazing photos of both her family farm and her beautiful Norwegian scenery, it was easy to fall head-over-heels for both Marit and her blog. As if that wasn't enough, she knits beautiful things right there in the midst of her very own sheep AND she has real live hedgehogs in her backyard.

Dr. B - what can be said about the lovely and talented Dr. B that you don't already know? She is very chic and cool and, as I have told her before, I would feel like a rhinestone studded loafer at a Jimmy Choo convention if we were ever to meet in person. She knits, she sews, she quilts, she is hilarious. The epitome of Rockin' Girl Blogger.

Robyn - Robyn was a shu in when you consider that I have a soft spot for both Canadians (which Robyn is by birth) and Southerners (which Robyn is by residence). I have been reading Robyn's blog since its infancy and it has been fun to watch her blog and her blog style develop over the last - wow! It has been nearly a year already.

Jessica - Yes I do realize that Jessica is almost exclusively a hooker (sorry, crocheter?...) and only very rarely knits but I like her very much anyway. She, too, is a fabulous photographer and does, indeed, make wonderful, beautiful handmade items from yarn...with nary a knitting needle in sight. Jessica is another blogger who I've had the privilege of reading from very early on.

EnnaVic - A brief mention of my Christmas ornament sweaters lead EnnaVic to me and I have been so glad I posted those pictures ever since. One of my most favorite things about blogging is the opportunity to meet knitters (and non-knitters, too) from all over the world. I am a newly minted, heart-felted admirer of New Zealand, owing almost exclusively due to the lovely EnnaVic.

Charity - So calm, cool and collected, Knitting in the North is always a joy to read and if I inadvertently miss a post, I always feel like I've missed out. Charity does beautiful work - her hand knits never cease to impress me - and she is a stellar example of the even-keeled, subtly hilarious Canadians I've come to know and love in blogland...and in general.

Ahhhh....I could list on and on. Really. The knitters, the bloggers...ya'll all rock. Now, you seven, go forth and spread the Rockin' Girl Blogger goodness.

Now I really must get back to watching Cities of the Underworld on the History Channel. We are talking about Vlad the Impaler tonight...one of my favorite historical figures. (Yes, yes, I know how twisted that is. I'm fairly keen on Caligula, too. There, you know my dark secrets.)

I delivered the socks today and had the ankle checked up on...more on that later.

Today's Quote:

"As a woman, I find it very embarrassing to be in a meeting and realize I'm the only one in the room with balls." -Rita Mae Brown

A Sock-tacular Victory

2007-07-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to inform you that the socks did indeed get finished in time. I am somewhat less pleased to inform you that the socks got finished just before 3:00 this morning. (Yesterday was a less than focused knitting day. Much to my chagrin.) Then they had to be washed. Did I mention that I have to be at work by 7:00 a.m. each morning?

While I was gathering up some things to put in the wash with the socks, they decided to frolic in the houseplants. (This was the best I could manage at 3:00 a.m. for the standard frolicking-in-the-grass picture.)

The man attached to the only pair of male feet in my house was sleeping quite soundly when I finished the socks. So soundly, in fact, that he asked me after he woke up this morning if I had finished them or if I just gave up. Later I will show him this picture of his feet modeling the socks.

When I got up at 5:37 to get ready for work, I went to the dryer but the socks weren't quite dry yet. I fashioned up some make shift sock blockers based on this tutorial and put them in my car to dry/block. (Luckily it is supposed to be 415 degrees F (212 degrees C) here today, so they should be plenty dry.)

Also, I think I found a purpose for the felted foot bag I made a while back. Remember it? I think it will make a nifty gift bag for handknit socks.

Thank you all SOOOO much for your good knitting vibes and encouraging words. It is amazing what knitters can do - - even from miles and miles away. Thanks for your help!

The Quote That Was Meant to Go With the Previous Post:

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep." -Robert Frost, from Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Today's Quote:

"It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe." -Robert Service

Beat the Clock

2007-07-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

At 3:40 PDT Monday I have an appointment, at which time I have had (and continue to have) every intention of delivering a pair of handknit socks to my ankle surgeon.

We have discussed these socks many times before. As you are well aware, these socks have been the source of much knitting heartache for me. Here they are just before I started typing this post.

The one on top (previously known as Sock #2) needs about 2 more inches before the start of the toe decreases, Sock #1 (on bottom) is approximately 3.25" from the toe decreases. It is now 11:00 p.m. and I've just put on a pot of coffee. Taking into account that I have to work from 7:00 a.m. Monday morning until time to go to that appointment, what's the statistical probability that I will get them done in time? The likelihood will be greatly improved if I can convince my husband to do this weekend's laundry and if he will make sure we eat tomorrow.

Please send all available prayers, warm wishes, good thoughts and fast (accurate) knitting vibes.

Knitting?? Me??

2007-07-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

I wish I could tell you that I have completed the socks but I can't. One sock is well into the foot section and I've repaired the heel on sock number two and started the gussets. Basically, the socks are going along fine but nothing worthy of pictures.

My husband has been in Oregon for the last three weeks helping his mother so this past weekend I drove up to see all the work they'd done and to bring him home. The drive up was beautiful and I am kicking myself for not stopping and taking pictures. (Which is my standard sentiment when I get home from this trip....)

While he was away, I got a wild hair and decided to organize my stash. I drug out all of my yarn....which was not even remotely organized. Then I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond and invested in some storage containers. I sorted through everything, set some yarn aside to donate to the Senior Citizen's Center near my house, untangled some tangled balls (with help from Tegan), and organized it by type and/or weight. (Nothing terribly scientific but a system that works for me.)

I didn't realize how much yarn I had until I got it all out to organize. It sure is nice to have some semblance of order to it.

In the midst of the organizing, I got a package in the mail containing some yarn I'd ordered from the incomparable Susie. The lovely Irises.

50/50 Superwash Merino/Tencel. This yarn is lovely and soft and absolutely exactly what I would expect from Susie. So pretty!

On an Unrelated Note

I realize that spiders have nothing to do with knitting but I've got spider pictures, nonetheless. Every time I get out of my car, I see these spiderwebs on the boat trailer parked in my driveway. One day, I saw the spider that had apparently built this web.

Before I moved to California, I had never seen a black widow spider. And before I took these pictures, I had never seen a black widow spider this big. (Even though it has been nearly two weeks since I took these pictures, it wasn't until yesterday that I finally mustered up the courage to kill this spider. While I can manage to tolerate one spider, one black widow spider inevitably leads to baby spiders. I can't possibly keep an eye on a whole slew of baby spiders.)
I am freaked out by black widows so these pictures are a little fuzzy and there is no point of reference but you should know, the body of this spider - not including legs - was larger than a quarter...I am not exaggerating. For those of you who have wondered how to identify a black widow spider, here's the best way to know: the red hourglass on the spider's stomach.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July!!

Today's Quote:

"Be able to recognize the dangerous snakes, spiders, insects, and plants that live in your area of the country." - Marilyn vos Savant

The Sock and the Fury

2007-06-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

For once in my blogging life, I have more pictures than words. I have been taking pictures like a fiend the last week and a half but haven't managed to write a post. (The lack of posting may well have something to do with the bronchitis, etc. I had last week, too.) The mammoth black widow spider and the massive stash organization undertaking will have to wait for another day. For today, we have gift yarn and a minor sock nightmare to discuss instead.

First the Good News

I went to check the mail late on Friday night and discovered no bills, no credit card offers, no magazines, no grocery store coupons...Just a package from the lovely and talented Kiwi knitblogger Ennavic.410 meters of absolutely stunningly gorgeous New Zealand wool. Seriously. The picture doesn't do it justice. It is black and deep purple and blue and green and dark red and pink and orange and yellow....the colors are all so strikingly beautiful. I took several pictures and never did quite capture how remarkable it is. The transitions between the colors are lost but take my word for it: they are cool. These colors could not be more perfectly suited for me if I had personally selected each and every one. When I emailed her to tell her the package had arrived, I said that as soon as I saw the yarn, I immediately thought it would be perfect for a felted bag and EnnaVic said that she had had the same thought. Apparenly this yarn knows what it wants to be! Thank you, thank you!

Want to see it again? The Damned Sock

Have you ever had a project that was nothing but trouble? A project that seems to fight you every step of the way?

That's how these socks-for-the-doctor are. Words like "wicked" and "demon-possessed" and "stupid" and "&#$!>+(#" keep coming to mind. These socks should be simple. They are a generic vanilla sock pattern. Even for this barely experienced sock knitter, these socks should not be this much trouble. (Sidenote: I need to stop reading blogs where people knit socks with wild abandon...you know who you are. The ones who cast on a pair of complex, intricate socks on Monday and ***wham, bam, thank you ma'am*** on Wednesday they are posting finished socks. I do not begrudge them their fast knitting of socks. It is jealousy, pure and simple.)

I readily acknowledge that the first problem is that I haven't had much time to knit lately so I have been knitting bits and pieces here and there. This sort of knitting means progress happens but not lots of progress. Last week, during the fever/coughing, I did a bit of knitting. [Sick knitting time is seriously hampered by a) sleeping; b) cough syrup with codiene c) "Prime Time in the Daytime" on TNT. The do, in fact, know drama; d) coughing; e) sleeping.]

I was quite pleased, then, when I finished the heel and gusset of one sock and traded off to pick up the gusset stitches of the second sock. After picking up the second sock gussets, I stretched out the heel a bit to take a look and make sure it was nice and even. That's when I saw this:Do you see what I saw? Some very normal, generic spaces between nice little even heel stitches....and one gimongous hole.

What's a knitter to do? First, I laid it down. I knit a couple of nice even rounds on the foot of the other sock. I looked at the hole again. I took my antibiotics. I said dirty words. I took a nap. Then I picked up the offending sock. I knit a round. Then my inner knit-picker (ha) got the better of me and I, woefully, ripped out the heel. All the way to the point that I split for the heel in the first place. Then I took a shower.

So now I am working on the heel again. I don't know how that hole happened. I looked and looked and LOOKED at it and never figured out exactly what I did wrong. This whole hole business has included a reprehensible amount of make-a-sailor-blush language.

At this point, there is a part of me sitting quietly in the corner, angry and frustrated, saying, "Screw it. He doesn't need handknit socks." There is also a more determined, more ill-tempered part of me that could care less about the finished product and just doesn't want to lose this grudge match style battle between knitter and knitting.

Soothing My Spirits

Last weekend, I was online and happened over to Jimmy Bean's Wool to pick up a little something for my Secret Pal. I wanted something special for her last package and I thought some Lorna's Laces would be a good pick. I accidentally bought some for me, too. Oops. Unfortunately for me, the Jimmy Bean's site didn't indicate that it takes two skeins of LL to make a pair of socks. (Not that this is JB's fault. I should have checked the yardage.) Luckily, I had ordered each of us a skein of two different colors so it worked out in the end. Except for one that I only ordered one skein of....Do ya'll have any experience with the Lorna's Laces? I have never used it. Obviously. That's the reason I bought 5 skeins of it.

Today's Quote:

"CATAPULTAM HABEO. NISI PECUNIAM OMNEM MIHI DABIS, AD CAPUT TUUM SAXUM IMMANE MITTAM" (I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.)

Commencement

2007-06-15T00:34:00.000-07:00

My oldest sister, Carrie, is ten and a half years older than me. I was 9 when she married Jeff. Katy and I were 5 when we first met Jeff and while we liked Jeff just fine, we were surprised to hear that Carrie was going to marry Jeff and not (her friend) Sam. Alas, when you are 8, sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between "friend" and "boyfriend".

Lucky for us, Carrie did marry Jeff because almost exactly three years later, in an Army hospital in Fort Polk, Louisiana, she gave birth to my niece Whitney. And three minutes later, to my niece Tegan. As 12-year-old seventh graders in a tiny K-8 school in southern Wisconsin, Katy and I were called to the principal's office, where we took a phone call from our mother. "Did ya'll want nieces are nephews?" We of course didn't care - we were just excited. "Two girls," she said, "Whitney and Tegan."

We were so excited - thrilled, even - to be Aunts at 12. One week later the whole family made the drive from Wisconsin to Louisiana to meet the newest additions. They were a bit premature, Tegan had jaundice and spent the first days of her life on this earth in an incubator. They were beautiful, perfect girls. They were miraculous. They were dwarfed in the arms of my big brother (I wish I could have found a picture). During those few short days of that first visit, we could already see their personalities. Tegan, the snuggler who slept like death every time she slept (and still does). And Whitney, who Carrie called Baby Dozer because of her tendency to bulldoze the sleeping Tegan into a corner of the crib so she could spread out. When they were still very little, they moved closer to the rest of the family - to us - and have lived close for the rest of their lives. I had no idea how my life would be changed from then on. I've heard people talk about the love they feel for their own children and, not having my own children, I can't say what that is like. I do know that though I was only 12 when they were born, I felt a love for them that I couldn't even define. And to this day, that hasn't changed. Now, as then, I love these girls in a way that I never could have expected and cannot articulate.

Through the years, I have been amazed to watch them grow and change and I have been blessed and honored to be a part of their lives. Tegan, who from the time she could walk, pirouetted and pranced in front of every mirror, window, shiny or reflective surface. Tegan who was nearly constantly begging Katy for a "makeover". Who liked nothing more than dressing up in a perfect fancy dress, that she more than occasionally pulled up over her head. (Luckily, she has out grown this. For the most part.) Who used to scrunch up her nose snort and huff and spread out her arms as if to fly. (We still regularly mock her for this.)

Whitney, who was known to hide in corners and eat garlic salt straight from the shaker, who fell in love with a onesie at some point early on and continued to wear it until it had to be confiscated for fear it would permanently cut off her circulation. The onesie was her second favorite outfit, her first favorite being a diaper and a play gun belt, that she wore religiously while pretending to be a cop and while "apprehending the perpetrator in the boiler room." Who, troll-like, frequently carried a brown paper back around full of found treasures - pennies, a sock, Legos, a napkin, a ball of lint, a Matchbox car.Tegan, with her flare for the dramatic (note the pose) and Whitney, the practical, straightforward one. (Seen here at Santa's Land.)

Nearly 18 years later, they have grown up to be two amazing, beautiful young women. Each funny and frustrating and wonderful in their own right. I wish I could tell you - I wish I could tell them! - how much I love them. Simultaneously, somehow, I love them as if they were my own children and I love them like the little sisters I never had and I love them like long-time, dear, beloved friends.

Whitney, who aspires to one day being a high school band director (or a performing musician....I'm never quite sure which) and who I know will be successful whatever she decides to pursue. She is an amazingly talented instrumentalist and a pretty girl, who tries to hide it. She is a smart (and smart ass) and endearing young woman, whose politics, when she mentions them, lean precariously toward the far left. Whitney, who apparently aspires to give St. Jude a run for his "patron saint desperate cases and lost causes" title. Who wants everyone to think she is tough and cool, but who holds my mother's puppy and cuddles her and calls her her "baaaaabbbbyyyyy" and kisses her on her little dog mouth.

Tegan, who is the only militant cheerleader I've ever known. (She once made another girl on her squad cry because the poor girl was not "taking stunting seriously".) Who, when she was little, asked my mother (her nana) if there would be biscuits in heaven - and who cried when Nana told her probably not. Tegan, who along with her best friend, made the Young Republicans Club a going concern at their high school and who has worked as an intern for a Republican Congressman for the last year or so. An extremely smart girl who nonetheless once informed the entire family, in an appalled tone, that "Froot Loops is totally spelled wrong on the box...but they probably only did that so they could use the cereal shapes for all the Os." Tegan who Thursday flew 2500 miles from home to try out for the college cheerleading squad.

Over the last 17 and a half years, I've gained more nieces and some nephews - who I love dearly and wouldn't trade for anything - and yet these two will always hold a special place in my heart. These girls have made me cry more times than I care to remember, have been in my prayers so often only the Lord knows (thankfully He knows) and who have made me laugh more times than I can count. Last Friday night they graduated from high school. I am shocked and appalled at this - but also anxious and thrilled for them . . . and filled with excitement and trepidation on their behalf for all the things I know lay ahead of them. And for all the things I cannot even fathom lay ahead of them.

Congratulations, Whitney and Tegan! I love you and I am so proud of you for all you have done so far and so excited to see what you will accomplish from this day forward. And so blessed to call you my nieces - and my friends!

Today's Quote:

"My sister and I are twins, and you know how subtle are the links which bind two souls which are so closely allied." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Spaghetti Arms

2007-06-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've been making a valiant attempt at spinning with the spindle Jonie sent me. While recently spinning (among other things) has been encroaching on my knitting time, spinning will not be replacing knitting in my heart. I think maybe I have some tension issues. I'm not suggesting I'll be giving up on spinning, just that I'm experiencing a steep learning curve.

There is good news in that I haven't broken my self-imposed Resolution rules, and I have only been knitting on my socks so far this week. Of course, there hasn't been much knitting getting done...things have been busy...but when I've had crafting time, I've been mesmerized by the siren calls of this guy.

Sunday I helped at the LYS teaching a workshop on Kool-Aid dying yarn. It was an absolute success and everyone had a wonderful time. There were um, I think, 10 or 12 people there. (I never had a chance to count.) It was such fun. Dying yarn is addictive...once I start, I can't seem to stop. Here's the latest.

Grape. I only used two packets for a skein of creme colored Cascade 220 superwash. I am disproportionately pleased with the outcome.

Ice Blue. I was completely jazzed to find the Ice Blue kool-aid.

Today's Quote:

"You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you don't trust enough." -Frank Crane

The Gang's All Here

2007-06-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

(Lots of pictures)

When I discovered Hooks & Needles (my new LYS) I was thrilled, as you well know. I was even happier when I heard about the Wednesday KnitNight, i.e. Girls' Night Out. What I didn't realize at that time (silly me) was that Wednesday nights were not necessarily going to be useful knitting time for me. I know this will come as a huge shock to all of you, but I got very busy minding other people’s business on Wednesday night.

See, I was helping Lisa crochet and so I didn’t want to dive in to knitting on my socks because I knew I was going to have to stop and show her the next step. So I got up to take pictures and then I had to look at what people were working on and someone had a new book (No Sheep for You. I must have it.) and then I had to help a new knitter fix her purls – she couldn’t understand why she was getting extra stitches every time she purled so I explained to her about holding the yarn in front – and then UPS had delivered some new yarn so I needed to look at that…Ya’ll know how that goes.

Thus very little knitting accomplished BUT – I did get pictures. Without further adieu, let me introduce you....

To the merchandise.

I didn't get a picture of them but in addition to all the wooden needles you see in this pictures, she also carries Addis, which makes up for all the wood, in my opinion.

If you look into the back of this picture (below), you can see a lady standing there. Beyond that is the "family room". There are couches and tables and chairs and birds (yes birds - in cages, mercifully) which is where everyone hangs out. To the chicks...This is (l-r) Kaylee, the Hooks & Needles proprietress, and Julie, excellent knitter extraordinaire and mother of Amanda (who you will meet in a minute.) Julie teaches several classes at the shop and I am 100% certain that when the time comes for me to at long last figure out the attached i-cord, one of these two will be able to show me how.

Here we have (l-r) Judy and her friend Rosemary (who goes by Ro), Suzie who is learning to knit socks (hurray, Suzie!) and her son Joseph who is learning to knit (double hurray, Joseph!) and Anita, who works at the shop and is very funny. You see that pack of yarn under Judy's protective hand? That's the new stuff that had arrived and we were admiring it. It was actually for Julie (above) but she was slow on the grab so the rest of us got in a good fondle before she was able to claim it. (Sorry, Julie.)

Next up we have BL and Ursula. BL, coincidentally is the mother of my husband's best friend. I was so happy and surprised to see her Wednesday. She came to visit me after my last ankle surgery and while she was at my house, she was looking at my KnitPicks catalog and told me she was planning to do some knitting one of these days. You can imagine my excitement when I saw her come in the door Wednesday. She is a natural knitter - next week I will get pictures of the excellent progress she is making on her first scarf.

As for Ursula, I just wanted to put her in my pocket and take her home with me. I met Ursula the first night I visited the LYS and she was bummed because she couldn't find the yarn for this blanket she is working on in the picture. She was short 3 balls and no place in town had the yarn. I introduced Ursula to the wonderful world of online yarn shopping and she was able to find what she needed - in the right dye lot, even - from Lisa's Yarn & Thread. Now she is zipping through this lovely afghan.

Remember Julie, mother of Amanda? This is Amanda. (see the birds' cage at the end of the couch?)

Amanda just finished knitting this teddy bear. This teddy bear is her second knitting project ever. Ever. Her first was a stripey baby blanket for her the baby she is incubating (a girl, as I understand it). If she takes to mothering even half as well as she has taken to knitting, that will be one lucky baby!

And in this corner....Deb and Lisa (yes, Lisa of the thinly veiled crochet project). Deb just returned from two weeks in Alaska (me = so jealous) where she bought beautiful local yarn that she is thinking about knitting up into the ever lovely Clapotis. And then there is Lisa. Lisa who needed a graduation gift for the daughter of a friend. Lisa who wanted to learn crochet....a lei.

As modeled by her darling daughter, Vikki. Lisa assured me she would bring her completed lei next week for pictures.

Today's Quote:

"Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them." -Francesco Guicciardini

From the Crafting Kitsch-en

2007-06-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Knitting

It is my sad duty to report that, sadly, I will not be able to make the trip to Petaluma tomorrow to see the Yarn Harlot. Due to circumstances beyond my control, and with great sadness, I had to make the decision not to go. I am bummed. I will keep my fingers crossed that she will make it this way again or that our paths will cross sometime in the near future. As a side note, I am also still hopeful that Ann & Kay will eventually extend their book tour to the west coast. I wish I had thought ahead to send one of my books to one of the knitters who will be attending so I could at least have gotten an autograph. Double bummer.

I think I have found a toe-up sock I could do. Check out these instructions from Purly Whites. I love all of the pictures and the clear instructions. I am optimistic that this find will translate to a successful attempt at toe-up socks. We'll see. Sometime after July 14.

Non-Knitting

You may remember a discussion here at Ok! What Next?? about origami. Origami is just one of the crafty things I manage to do that people look at with raised eyebrows and say (in a very even, calculatedly pleasant voice) "Oh wow." Pause. "What do you do with that?"

Knitters and crafters I admire are often of the arty, high-end, classy or elegant variety. Nora, might just be my crafting ideal. And then there's Ruth - I hope I never meet Ruth because she does such beautiful things - I would feel like a macaroni frame next to her Trompe-l'œil finery. While this brand of crafty, artistic refinement is something I long for and imagine I do in an alternate universe, it is not the kind I actually manage to produce. I seem to produce somewhat obscure, odd things. Kitchsy might be the word. So if you are looking for fancy, high-end crafting, you won't find it here. Especially today. (And really, this should not come as a surprise.)

One of the reasons I can't go to Petaluma tomorrow is that I have a commitment tomorrow evening that I've known about for 3 months and ultimately wasn't able to reschedule. I needed to prepare some favors and some snacky things for this function. That's where the kitschy projects come in. This was a "small" project that sort of grew. . . hearken back to the way the adorable mogwais morphed into Gremlins. (Am I showing my age?)

So, the results of this life-of-its-own undertaking?

Snack + Favor = Picnic Basket Full of Marzipan Fruits and Vegetables, with a side of Fruit/Vegetable Bookmarks made from Buttons.

For your viewing pleasure...

The basket and bookmarks (on some of my favorite books.)

Close-ups of the Raspberries and Pea bookmarks. (I also made Apple, Lemon, Plum, Orange and Cucumber bookmarks.)

To fill the baskets, a little snack. Handmade Marzipan Fruits and Vegetables. The Marzipan Menu includes Yellow Squash, Bell Peppers, Eggplant, Apples, Carrots, Potatoes, Cherries, Tomatoes, Oranges, Cucumbers and Peas. (And no, the they are not to scale, one to another.)

A Plateful:

Close-Ups

I can't decide which is my favorite, the peas or the apple.

Tune in tomorrow for the mystery crochet project.

Today's Quote:

"Nothing interferes with my concentration. You could put on an orgy in my office and I wouldn't look up. Well, maybe once." -Isaac Asimov

A Magnificent Surprise

2007-06-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Dance

Saturday I spent the entire day making good on a Mother's Day present and when I got home, hot and tired and riddled with muscle cramps, there was a medium sized UPS box with my name on it. The return address said Pacific Wool & Fiber but I knew I hadn't ordered anything. I opened it and discovered it was a surprise from my secret pal, Joanie. I had almost forgotten mentioning somewhere recently that I've been wanting to learn to spin but hadn't managed to get my act together and try. So guess what she sent me?

A drop spindle!!!
And beautiful fiber!!! (described on the packaging as "Colonial Heather Top Vineyard")

There was much dancing and cheering and ohhing and ahhing on my part. Followed by several valiant, if unsuccessful, attempts at trying to explain to my Mister what all the giddiness was about.

I spent a little while last night trying to spin, with only moderate success...I was very tired. I will try again tomorrow. This fiber is so so soft and stunningly beautiful - the picture doesn't do it justice. I had some roving on hand and have been practicing with it. I think I want to practice a bit more before diving into the wonderful Colonial Heather Top Vineyard. THANK YOU, JOANIE!!! You are the best pal a girl could ever hope for!

Crochet, The Devil's Handiwork

Friday evening, I unburied the crochet hooks and made up a sample of the crochet project. (I haven't done one in a long time and thought I should dust of my skills before trying to teach them to someone else.) Here's the sample. Any guesses? (Robyn, you are not allowed to guess.) As if the fact that it is crocheted were not enough, the yarn is about 90% fun fur and similar novelty yarn. I am so ashamed.

I'll make Lisa pose with it Wednesday at KnitNight when I teach her how to do the devil's work. (And actually, the yarn shop calls it "Girl's Night Out" but I prefer to refer to it as KnitNight. Umm.)

Sock-o-rific
At long last, I feel like I am making actual, noteworthy progress on the socks. I have made some more progress on Sock #2 (left) since I took this picture and it is about one inch from the start of the heel flap. I will try to get that far before I go to bed tonight. These guys have spent an awful lot of time huddled together in my knitting bag. I may have to ship them off to Dr. B, who I think, with her special knack for sock conversations, is in fact a Sock Whisperer.

Tonight I've been knitting and catching up on tivo'ed episodes of Planet Earth. The squalls of the baby polar bears woke up my helper. (Sally and I both prefer Deadliest Catch, but we're all caught up on Deadliest Catch.)

Today's Post:

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Making a Post out of Nothing At All

2007-06-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Work is busy, life is hectic, I'm tired and the batteries are dead in my camera. All of these factors combine to mean that there's not much to blog about. So a few odds and ends...

Only a few more days to get in on Dorothy's fundraiser. She is giving away amazing prizes. You can buy seeds, stitch markers or just make a straight donation. Click on the fundraiser link above for her fundraising site. She also has tons of pictures of prizes on her regular blog.

Wednesday I went to KnitNight again and it was so much fun. Lots of really nice people there. Next week I will make sure I have batteries in the camera and try to convince these strangers that I should be permitted to take their pictures and post them on the internet.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for any amount of time should probably set down your glass of wine before reading this next bit of news: I told a girl at KnitNight that I would teach her to crochet something next week. (Yes, I do know how to crochet a thing or two. I just choose not to.) She apparently has always wanted to learn to make these and she was absolutely giddy when I commented that I don't crochet but I do know how to make them. I'll keep you in suspense until next week.

I completed the heel flap on the first sock and I am about 2 inches into the second sock. I am contemplating ripping out the heel flap of the first sock and making the leg longer. It is 6 inches but it seems too short. I am going to make my husband try it on again now that the heel flap is complete. I'll keep you posted.

I think that's it. If you need a good laugh, watch this. (Make sure your volume is up.) I've watched it several times and it makes me laugh everytime. Actually, you need to watch it a couple of times to take it all in.

Today's Quote:

“We’ve got to pause and ask ourselves, ‘How much clean air do we really need?’” Lee Iacocca

For the Love of Local Yarn

2007-05-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Hip-Hip Hurray

Hip-Hip Hurray! Hip-Hip Hurray!! That's three cheers for Hooks & Needles, my lovely new LYS. I went to the Knit Night last night and it was so nice. Kallee, the owner, is kind and funny and very welcoming. They have an excellent yarn selection and a respectable stock of needles - including Brittanys, which I had never before seen in person and Addi-Turbos, my well established favorites. I was thrilled to see she even has the new Addi lace needles - I don't knit lace and yet I was so pleased to see this. Go figure.

It is so nice to have found this place. I will definitely be going back. You'll be pleased to know, as well, that no one was shocked by my giddiness or even batted an eye when I was caught sniffing the Trekking Pro Natura.

I resisted the very real urge to take pictures of the shop and the knitters. I wasn't sure if anyone there would be keen on my particular brand of slightly kooky. Maybe I'll take pictures next week.

A Quick Bit of Sock Talk

I have approximately 1/4" more (about 4 rows) of leg knitting to do before starting the heel of this sock. I really want to try the short row heel but the more I have considered it, the more I think I am going to do the short row heel on the green ribbed destined-for-Dulaan socks and stick with the traditional heel flap on these socks. It seems to me that the flap heel would wear better. Any thoughts?

I should be finished up with those last few rows and ready to start the heel this evening but I may ruminate on it a bit more and delay the decision making by casting on the second sock.

Knitters on Tour

Thursday, June 7, the Yarn Harlot will be visiting the Copperfield's Books in Petaluma, CA. Petaluma is about a 2.5 hour drive from my house and I would really love to go see her. (I've already asked my boss for the time off and I can take it if I decide to. It would be nice to actually take a day off to do something fun for me.) I don't know anyone who is going and I don't know any knitters who live nearby and would want to make the trip together. (Anyone interested in $3.49 a gallon for gas?) It is a strange dilemma. As a rule, I am not at all shy and yet contemplating making this trip by myself makes me feeling as nervous as a 16-year-old virgin on prom night.

I did find out that Jenn, my SP10 hostess, and her mother are going. It would be nice to meet them. Are any of you planning to attend this event? Have any of you attended one of her events in the past?

Books on CD

Audiobooks go with knitting like coconut rum goes with pineapple juice. I've been fortunate to discover that a local used book store has an excellent and varied selection of Audiobooks. Last week I was in there and ended up leaving with The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I read this book ages ago and enjoyed it then but it is interesting what a difference a bit of distance makes. There are things I notice now that I had completely forgotten (or missed) at the time of the first reading and there were things I remembered about this book that were wholly inaccurate.

In a perfect world, what book do you want to listen to while knitting?

Today's Quote:

"Never trust a woman who wears mauve, whatever her age may be, or a woman over thirty-five who is fond of pink ribbons. It always means they have a history." - Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

My Run in with the Law

2007-05-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Friday evening, my husband was out with friends and I decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet at home to make a mess of things by Kool-Aid dying some yarn. I had three skeins of Patons Classic Wool to dye and when it came time for rinsing and ringing out, it was too much of a job for my kitchen sink.

It was a little after midnight when I took three dripping wet skeins of newly dyed wool out in to my front yard. I had heard that one of our neighbors had had a truck vandalized Thursday night, which is extremely unusual as I neighborhood is known for peace and quite and basic lack of nonsense, but I was not concerned.

I'm sure you already know this but I am very enthusiastic about dying yarn with Kool-Aid (as with many yarn related things.) The Kool-Aid trick, though, is like magic to me. I am fascinated and I feel the need to tell everyone about it. Also, I am absolutely a night owl and the later it gets, the cheerier I feel.

When I first went outside, there were two police cars driving down the street very slowly with their lights out. I didn't think much of it, and went about my business. Apparently they don't see a lot of this sort of thing in our town late at night because as they came back up the street, one of the police officers got out of his car and, shining his flashlight in my direction, came over to see what I was up to.

We said hello and then he asked what I was doing so I explained to him that I was dying yarn with Kool-aid and before I could stop myself, I said, "See? Smell it - it smells all fruity like Kool-aid!" Apparently yarn dying is too much excitement for me because I just burst out with things like that to the nice police officer!

He smiled, a smile that I imagine is usually reserved for lunatics. Then he said, "Umm, ma'am? Do you frequently dye yarn in your front yard in the middle of the night?" And I answered, of course, "Not nearly as often as I'd like to."

I hear myself talking and my inner voice is saying "SHUT UP!" but my mouth just keeps going.

Eventually, I guess, he determined that I was harmless (maybe nuts, but harmless) so he walked back to the other officer's car and I heard him say, "She's dying yarn. With Kool-Aid" (Pause) "No seriously."

On the left, 5 packets of lime kool-aid and one packet of grape. On the right, my first attempted at multi-color dying. 3 packets each of lemonade, orange, strawberry and black cherry. The third skein went on to its new home before I had a chance to photograph it.

SOCK IT TO ME

In sock news, thank you all so so much for your input. I decided to start over on the Size 1 needles, with different yarn (Austermann Step that I overdyed to make it more murky) and 88 stitches. I've ditched the ribbing (I know, I am a wuss) and I am about 4 inches along on the leg. This is much better. At first it seemed really big but I am trusting the math. I think it is going to be right this time. (I am eternally hopefully.)

BREAKING NEWS:

Edited to Add: It has come to my attention that our town has a new yarn store. It is about 1/2 mile from my house. Apparently it has been there about a month. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. And I'm also appalled that I am so late in receiving this news. From the description the informant gave me, I have past it a minimum of 20 times in the last month. Obviously my skills of observation are rusty.

This is a hectic week but I am oh so very hopeful that I will be able to get over there tomorrow evening, as I'm told that Wednesday evenings from 7-9 is "Open House". Wish me luck. I'll keep you posted.

Today's Quote:

“There is so much good in the worst of us, And so much bad in the best of us, That it ill behooves any of us, To find fault with the rest of us.” -Author Unknown

Stupid Knitting

2007-05-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Which one of you knitting wackos out there was it that convinced me to knit socks? I don't even like socks. I go out of my way to not have to wear socks. Hell, I don't even like shoes. And I certainly shouldn't be insisting that others wear socks. Actually, knitting socks as a gift for others is sort of hypocritical on my part, don't you think?

Last night, while contemplating the fate of the heel of the sock we discussed yesterday, I decided now might be a good time to try it on a man's foot. (When it was about 3 inches long, I tried it on my own foot/leg and it was fine.) My husband is the only man living at my house so I used his foot. He has a fairly average man-foot. (While I did not take measurements of the recipient foot, I have looked and they are close to the size of my Mister's feet.) I'll breeze right past the part where I pushed and shoved and struggle and tried and cursed and cried (a tiny bit) to tell you: It does not fit. No way, no how. No amount of cajoling or forcing would get this sock on his foot.

I have been wracking my brain trying to think of a man I know who might actually be able to wear this sock. Maybe my 9 year old nephew.

Honestly, I should have noticed along the way that maybe this sock wasn't going to work. It did look a bit narrow but I was convinced it was the ribbing and that, once on the foot, it would have a comfy fit. But no. I could not get it over his heel. I tried to convince myself otherwise but the fact is: the leg of the sock must go past the heel.

So. I will be starting over. I'm not going rip this sock out; I am going to go ahead and knit these socks (not right now, but before I put them aside, I am going to try the short row heel - what do I have to lose now???) Maybe I will send them to the Dulaan project. That might soothe my bitterness a little, if they were to go to a good cause.

Ironically, I was just reading one of the Yarn Harlot's books the other night (can't remember which one) and there was some discussion over this phenomenon and I sort of wondered at this. I had never had it happen to me. Who knew it would come back to bite me in the ass in such short order? I did swatch for this project (heck, I've already made 2/3 of a sock from this yarn and this pattern and it is lovely and human-sized) and I was confident that it would be a good fit. Alas, no.

When I start this next sock (which I will probably do shortly so I don't decide to give up) do ya'll think I should go up a needle size, maybe? (I've been using size 1.) I had convinced myself that the Size 1's would make a better fabric but maybe not. Maybe I am not experienced enough to make this kind of decision on my own. (Obviously.) I have never used 2's for socks. I've used 2's for other things but not socks. What do ya'll think? I'm going to make this next go with Austermann Step, which recommends a size 2 or 3 needle. Luckily numbers are the same in all languages as there is no English on the label.

I think tonight is a good night for some wine.

Today's Quote: I'm torn so I'll let you choose.

"It doesn't matter if you try and try and try again, and fail. It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again." - Charles Kettering

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no point in being a damn fool about it." - W.C. Fields

Tapping the Collective Wisdom

2007-05-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

First and Foremost: Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to the super fabulous RC, who emailed me a couple of weeks ago saying she was headed to MDSW and did I want anything. After she explained to me that MDSW is the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, I responded with a resounding YES!! and here is what she sent me...Superwash Lace, 100% merino from Tess' Designer Yarns in the palest of pale greens (celadon, perhaps?). She remembered that I mentioned wanting to try lace knitting. She also sent along a lace shawl pattern (that I forgot to photograph). Thanks again, RC, so much. I keep fondling it and touching it to my face. I love it! Though it isn't very flattering to the yarn, I like this picture.

Going to the Birds

Our neighborhood, particularly our little street, is basically a peacefully little corner of the universe. Lately, though, there must be something in the air. The weather has been heating up but the late evenings/nights have still been pretty cool so we have been sleeping with the windows open and apparently we have some birds in our neighborhood who missed out on that day at Bird College where they taught the rule "Thou shalt not chirp and squawk at 2:00 a.m." I first heard them last Friday morning, when I was trying to go to sleep. Friday night they were quiet but then Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights, they chirped and chirped and chirped. They chirped so loudly that the chirping showed up in my dreams. I'm not even sure where these birds are living, as I know they aren't in the one tree in our front yard. Maybe in the bushes...I need to find out which of the neighbors spiked their bird feeder.

Also, while I am an enthusiastic supporter of young people embracing instrumental music, I am somewhat less than keen on the boy across the street practicing his trumpet in the front yard at 6:30 on Sunday morning.

On the other hand, I think I may have frightened the neighbors two doors down yesterday afternoon. I was out in the front yard, laying in the grass (I had to get just the right angle), posing my yarn and socks (for ya'll) and the neighbor man, who is probably in his early sixties, was out front working on his truck. When his wife came out, she was across the driveway from him and he said, in a loudish voice, "Dear? What is that girl doing?" They were staring at me so I waved and said, "I'm taking pictures of my new yarn." The awkward smiles and half waves suggest to me that they are not knitters.

Let's Talk Socks

I am making actual progress on the Dr. Doctor socks. As I'm sure you are aware, the progress on this sock has been slow going but I think we (me and the sock) have hit our stride now. Recently we entered the knitting vortex, in which I started knitting on a sock that was 5.25" from the cuff and after nearly 2 hours of knitting, it was . . . yes, 5.25" from the cuff.

(I call this picture Six Glorious Inches Frolicking in the Grass)

At long last, I'm ready for the heel now. All the socks I've ever knit (total: 2) used the basic heel flap method of turning a heel. I was quite happy with those socks and will absolutely do that vanilla sock again. I am, however, feeling that twitchy, restless desire of wanting to try something new. The other day, I saw this short-row heel over at FiberJinx, which I found via Cara. I love that heel, love the way it looks. I think I want to use that heel method for these socks. But I am afraid.

I know that several (well most) of you are more experienced sock knitters than I, so I am asking for your help/advice/guidance. She references these three links with short-row heel tutorials. Can anyone tell me which one is best? Do you know of a better way? I am eager to get going on this heel.

Today's Quote:

“You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you do not try.” -Beverly Sill

Random Facts

2007-05-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

RC tagged me so here goes.

Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

Here are my facts:

1. Like RC, I had Lasik eye surgery three years ago. I can't think of anything I've done in my life that I have been quite so glad I've done. It is wonderful. No contacts! No glasses! I can see, I can see, I can see!!!

2. I have a nearly freakish ability to remember numbers, particularly phone numbers. I have always been this way.

3. I have never been thin and, while I would not object to losing some weight, I have no aspirations to be what anyone would ever call "skinny". Contrary to popular perception, not all fat women are secretly crying in their Rocky Road, longing to look like Calista Flockhart. (Though I wouldn't mind keeping company with Harrison Ford.)

4. Like RC and Trish before her, I love to read but my reading has been on a serious downward spiral ever since I learned to knit.

5. My car once broke down on the side of the road. This was before I had a cell phone so I had to repair my car by myself. I used Fimo clay that I had in the trunk.

6. I once hit an owl with my car. More accurately, an owl flew into my car while I was driving down the road. (This is the same car that was involved in the incident in #5)

7. I love sushi, particularly yellowtail (hamachi).

Those I'm tagging:

1. Lori
2. Cindi
3. Robyn
4. Kim
5. Jessi
6. Anne
7. Dr. B

There you have it!

Don't wander too far . . . I have another post. With pictures! Yarn in the mail! Sock progress! Need some sock advice!

Thrilling stuff, I tell ya.

Today's Quote:

"Sometimes sushi is just superb, and other times there's nothing like a great big steak. It depends where your taste buds are at the time." -Francesca Annis

The Circus

2007-05-09T10:37:00.000-07:00

I love the circus. And carnivals and fairs and sideshows and ramshackle little small-town amusement parks.

*Photo by Andrew Dunn. I found it on it here on Wikipedia.

This morning on the way to work, my husband and I passed a brightly painted converted bus. As we came upon it, I saw the words painted across the front in fancy, scrolled lettering: C.M. Circus. Along the side it said, in the same stylish font, Culpepper & Merriweather Circus. Behind it, we saw several other Culpepper & Merriweather trucks and vans and I am absurdly happy about it. They were headed toward the town where I live but, sadly, I doubt that is their destination. C&M is among the higher order of Circuses, what with Miss Simone (the trapeze artist) and the Perez High-Wire Trio and Miss Carolyn and her Dog & Pony Revue and Miss Karina with her high-energy hula hoop act. And camels. They have performing camels. I checked their website to see if they are going to be nearby but there was no tour schedule posted.

In early October nearly three years ago, right before I got married, there was a carnival where I live and I wrote something about it that has just been sitting around unread and when we saw the circus convoy this morning, I was reminded of this. I found it and reread it and that day is vivid in my mind. Funny the things that stay with us.

Except for the addition of a couple of links, I am posting it here in its original form.

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I love the fair. And the circus. And the carnival. My fiancé thinks it is just a matter of my roots showing, but I am like a little kid when it comes to the carnival.

There is a traveling carnival in town, in the parking lot of a shopping center here in town this weekend and as I drove by today, they were setting up. I was practically giddy! I stopped and watched them, leaning against a tree then sitting in the grass, for about 15 minutes. It was the highlight of my day.

When I was little, I wanted to be one of two things when I grew up: an astronaut or a trapeze artist. I didn't become either but I am still in love with the circus. I don't know where this fascination comes from but it is apparently ingrained in the fiber of my being. When I first stopped, I was watching the guys set up the Gravitron. This is my favorite carnival ride! Two of the guys working on it were nearly toothless. The third one didn't have a shirt on, but I am certain that the multi-week-old grime build-up protected him from the sun.

As I watched, two people, a man and a woman, came out of the candied apple/cotton candy hut. She was probably six feet tall and had massive, long, tall blonde hair and a Dolly Parton build. She was wearing an outfit that would make Daisy Duke blush and spitting tobacco into a small mason jar…which, amazingly didn’t smudge her hot pink lipstick. He had a bald head and the biggest smile I've ever seen, framed by shiny red cheeks. I can't remember the last time I saw a carnival midget. My heart leapt.

I saw a huge, huge fat woman with thinning purplish-white hair, wearing a tangerine-lemon-lime polyester muumuu feeding some goats and two borderline-malnourished children carrying little glass bowls over to where I can only assume was the soon-to-be-site of the goldfish toss game.

And I saw a man with a lazy eye carrying a spool of cable, walking around as if he was looking for something to do but hoped in his heart that he wouldn't find anything. He had two lit cigarettes hanging out of the corner of his mouth. Both of them were mostly ash at that point, just dangling precariously in front of his weathered face. He looked to be about 40 years old but I could tell by the way he carried himself and by the glint in his good eye that he was probably closer to 25 or 30. He saw me watching then and smiled at me. I nodded, smiled sheepishly and turned away. I don't know why I blushed. I guess, somehow, I felt as if I was seeing something I wasn't supposed to see. I felt like I was eavesdropping.

When I was certain he'd gone on about his business, I sat down on the pavement near my car and watched a little while longer. Two old men were working on the aging Ferris wheel. Securing cables, hammering crossbars, testing connections. They worked steadily, efficiently, silently. The moved around and together like ballerinas performing a solemn ballet.

As I watched, I just started laughing. Gleefully. The giggles just built up inside of me like champagne bubbles. It started in my toes. I had a sense that I was witnessing some sort of backwoods, white-trash Brigadoon.

I probably won't go to that carnival this weekend. I've never been able to convince my fiancé to go to one in the nearly 9 years I've known him and I see no reason that this time will be any different. But I am a happier person tonight because they are there.

To this day, I would join the circus and be a gypsy if I could find a way to do it without sacrificing plumbing, financial security, a law abiding lifestyle and basic hygiene.

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Today's Quote:

'Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now." - P.T. Barnum