In Which I Almost Land On My Keister...

I had my second knitting class today. Much fun and pictures will follow...but it was also quite an adventure getting there and back.

The Black Sheep is right on York Road and there is parking in front, but on a Saturday you might as well look for a unicorn as hope to get a parking space. Besides, pulling out of the space into Saturday-busy York Road terrifies me pretty much. There isn't great visibility. So I park in the lot behind the store. Which has a driveway leading up to the sidewalk that is steep...very steep. And, right now, it's also icy...very icy. I started up it, finding little patches of dry pavement until I realized that I had gotten to a certain point where there were no more little patches...and I still have several feet of steepness to traverse. So I very gingerly slipped my way the rest of the way up and made it to the sidewalk...great sigh of relief. But all during class I keep thinking about the walk down this very steep and icy driveway. And I was seriously thinking of walking the entire length of the block, down the side street and into the back parking lot...but I wasn't sure if I wouldn't find even more ice.

When I did leave the class I started down the walk toward the driveway and hallelujah! there was a very nice gentleman chopping up the ice and he, after grabbing me when I slipped, walked me down the driveway, delivering me safely to the dry portion of the pavement. (He obviously recognized that I would be flat on my back in the middle of the driveway if he let me go down by myself.) Thank you, Mysterious Gentleman with the Nice Accent!

Class was fun. Here's my sock before I started:


There it is with its little heel flap flapping in the breeze.


And halfway through class there is now a nice little turned heel and the beginnings of the gusset decreases.


And look, a class portrait! Look at all those pretty colors!

And next week is our last class....weepy, weepy.

I had a special treat today...Tracy let me into the Back Room! Oooooooh...I was very excited. I tried to figure out how I could stuff all the yarn in the back room into my little knitting bag, but I didn't think I could do that without somebody noticing. She took me back there so I could look at all the new colors of Poems so I could chose some for a vest pattern I found. (I did choose some...a combo of greens and purples.)

And I talked one of my classmates into buying a skein of cashmere...I should be on commission!

It's Friday, I'm Sleepy...It's Meme Time

A quick and simple and oddly enjoyable little meme:

Use the first letter of your name to find a word for each of the following:

Your Name - Sarah
Four letter word - soup
Boy name - Samuel
Girl name - Shannon (Huh...I just realized that there are very few girl names that start with S that I like...Sue, Sally, Samanatha, Sheila, Sophronia....ugh)
Occupation - steelworker, secretary, seamstress, sawyer
Color - sage, silver
Beverage - sangria
Something found in a bathroom - soap...oh, and shampoo...and a sink
A Place - Sri Lanka
Reason for being late - slept too late
Food - scallops and shrimp and salmon and sushi...and soup (I think I'm hungry as well as sleepy)
Something you shout - Slow down!

I love this sort of alphabet game...I frequently put myself to sleep playing the one that kids used to jump-rope to. (Do kids still jump rope?) Anyway, you know the one:

A, my name is Anna
My husband's name is Abel
We live in Ashatabula
And we sell Antiques

B, my name is Bonnie
My husband's name is Ben
We live in Boston
And we sell Books....

And so forth. It's a rare night that I get all the way through the alphabet without falling to sleep. Though there have been a few unpleasant nights when I've used this variant (and still been awake at Z):

A, my name is Amy
My husband's name is Adam
We live in Anaheim
And we sell automobiles
My favorite gem is an amethyst
My favorite author is Austen
My favorite color is azure
And I like to eat apples.

Those are long nights.

Hey, Mr. Postman...

So…the US Postal Service is thinking of going to a 5-day-a-week mail delivery. This makes me sad. I am actually old enough to remember days when there were two mail deliveries a day…around Christmas at least, if not every day. And I think of all those Victorian novels where someone writes a note in the morning to invite someone for tea that afternoon…and actually gets a reply before teatime. And stories set in a by-gone rural America where the postman was a vital connection to family and friends far away.

But then I started thinking about it. And not only am I myself contributing to the P.O. shortfall, I’m beginning to think that perhaps this shortened delivery days idea isn’t so bad.

Getting the mail used to be the high point of my day. You never knew what might be there. But now, not so much. I used to write to, and get letters from, my mom, my dad, aunts, cousins, friends. But who writes letters anymore? It’s rare that I get an actual personal letter in the mail. It’s all advertising and bills. Hardly fun. Everyone relies on email. I used to look forward with great anticipation to letters from my Mom – she and I delighted in finding pretty note cards to send to each other. Even though she and I mostly just nattered on about inconsequential things, it was a real connection. But she’s gone now. And my dad moved from Indiana to Baltimore 20 years ago, so it’s been a long time since I wrote him a letter. My brother’s local, too, and I really miss getting letters from him…he’s a great letter writer. He's so funny. Once you figure out his squinchy handwriting, that is…the man should have been a doctor!

And I’ve tried joining groups that try to set up penpals but I think it’s harder when you’re an adult. The correspondences tend peter out pretty quickly.

And, since I write here, I have less to write about in a letter…since generally the people I would write to already read this. (Hi, ML!) And Rachel hates walking to the college P.O. unless there's a package (and besides, she reads the blog) so letters to her would sit for weeks before she picked them up...and then be boring.

But still…I am reluctant to give up on snail mail. There’s nothing like pulling a letter from a friend out of the mail box. In fact, I think I’ll go write a letter right now.

Wintery Wednesday

So, the Big Winter Storm whipped through here last night...much hysteria from our weathermen…and left only an inch or so of snow. But it ended by depositing a layer of ice, so we were told to come into work four hours late. Now usually I take a “4 hours late” message to mean “Hey, we’re giving you 4 hours…why don’t you just take the other 4 and stay home!” But today Arthur wanted to go in…and I had an audit to clear. So we trudged into work. My fixed shift (we revert to fixed shifts if we have partial days…otherwise we’re on flex-time) ended at 5 p.m. and Arthur’s ended at 4. So I took a little leave so we weren’t at work too, too late. Hey, it’s our anniversary! I didn’t want to work that late. (I am too used to leaving at 3:30 every day.)

The socks for my class are coming along nicely. I think I am about where I should be to start the heel flap. The needles are bothering me less…either I’m knitting a little more loosely or I’m getting used to them. I’m loving the colors of this yarn.

That Was Yesterday...

This is today. Bald no longer.

Wasn't It Just Yesterday?

How can 21 years go so fast?

Happy birthday, Rachel!

Latest Yarn Acquisitions

First off, from Webs:


Some Araucania Sock yarn...I'm not sure why I got the beige-y one...it's not thrilling but it'll make some nice subdued socks. (Edited to add: If you go to Webs and check out the Araucania Ranco Multy color 803, you'll see why I ordered it. It looks much richer there, with darker browns and charcoaly bits and bright red. Oh well, that's hand-dye for you, she says philosophically.)


Some Cash Island for a scarf.


Royal Silk Merino...love that red.


And some gorgeous purple Soy Silk. I have a friend who cannot tolerate wool in any form. I made her a scarf last year but I wasn't thrilled with the color. She likes jewel tones...and this purple is certainly that. So she may get another scarf from my needles.

Then, at The Black Sheep's sale, I got:


Some Noro sock yarn. I know...it's rough...it's incredibly fine...some people have a lot of trouble with knots and unevenness. But I kept going back and checking out the shop's sample socks and they were just so darn pretty. Good sturdy socks.


I also got this Lumpy Bumpy yarn in a colorway that I think will look coordinated enough with the Noro ribbed scarf I made not long ago that I can make a hat. Heavens knows I don't seem to be able to keep the scarf off my neck...I'd like a hat to go with it.

And finally, for very little money...


Look at these. I have no idea what I'll do with them. But the yarn is incredibly soft. And it glitters. I love it. (Edited to add: Somehow I am seeing a big, sparkly red and cream scarf...hmmm.)

Guess I'd better knit faster.

Pecos, Texas -- 1911

We have a new scanner, so I had to play with it. This is a photograph of my grandfather, the dapper gent in the cap with his face turned away from the camera, having a grand old time with two young women. (Neither of whom are my grandmother...I think he hadn't met her yet.) He lived in Carlsbad, New Mexico at this time but I think he went to Pecos for fun. He was 19 years old in this picture. But what gets me about it is the beauty of the two young women...they look so contemporary. In a hundred years, will we look as fresh to people then? They've got my grandfather captured between the wheels of the water wagon, trapping him with their umbrella. And the gents in the back are getting a great deal of amusement out of it. I wonder if they were some of Pop's friends or just lookers-on.

These girls look like young women it would be fun to be friends with.

I Love School!

I had my toe-up sock class this afternoon and it was a blast! Nice group of women and a good teacher. And I started a new sock!


I got there just a few minutes early and got my stuff set up. Those are new Kollage needles...more about them in a minute. The yarn I chose last night, and wound up ready for class, is Lorna's Laces Shepherd's Sock in Taos Thanksgiving (I think that's the name). I really like it...lovely warm colors with flashes of turquoise.


And here's my little figure eight cast on. Oooh, exciting.


And it seemed like only seconds later I had this much...but it was actually an hour into class!


Here's a shot of the table with yarn and needles strewn about. There were some yummy sock yarns being used today.


And by the end of the two hour class I had a toe! I've now started the ribbing of the instep and have about eight rows done. Our homework is to have the instep and heel flap done.

The needles? Well, they do have lovely soft, limp, floppy cords. (So floppy that at one point I picked up the cable to knit with it.) And I like the feel of the square needles in my hands.

But...the join between needle and cable (these are size 2's) are rough enough that I have to pretty much ease the needle through each individual stitch when getting ready to start a row. And that's a pain. And, during class, as I am busily knitting along, I felt something drop down and hit my leg. And I looked down and couldn't see anything at first. Then looked at the needles in my hands and realized that the needle portion had fallen off the cable on the needle I wasn't even using at the time. Fortunately, I had bought them from The Black Sheep so I just walked out, complete with little sad face, and Tracy immediately exchanged the needle for me. She was not happy.

Then I did a little shopping after class...it was the last day of the sale, so I sort of had to, right?! I got a skein of nubby yarn to make a hat to go with the Noro scarf I seem to be constitutionally unable to take off my neck. (I love my scarf.) And four skeins (two cream and two red) of a soft yarn with sparkles. Pictures tomorrow, I hope. I have to show you my Webs yarn, too!

Shout Out To Melanie!

Melanie, your prize is on its way to you...Mr. Pointy Sticks got it to the P.O. this morning and shipped it out Priority, so it should be to you pretty soon.

Rachel, your letter pad and one last b-day present are on their way to you. Make sure you check out the letter pad carefully.

I'm off to class in about an hour. Whoo-hoo! I'll try to get a post up about it this evening. (Try to contain your excitement.)

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry...

It's been a long week, filled with lots of work and little sleep. (I really have to stop staying up past my bedtime. And I wish Congress would stop introducing quite so many bills.)

And it's going to be a busy weekend, with the first installment of my three-part toe-up sock class tomorrow and my brother's birthday party on Sunday. I won't tell you how how he is, just that it's a nice round number. Very r-o-o-o-u-u-u-n-n-d. Hmmm...what round numbers do I know?

Anyway, I will try to remember to haul my camera around with me and get some interesting shots. And I got a little order from Webs today and I'll try to get pictures of that, too.

Right now, though, I'm going to wind my yarn for tomorrow and then I'm going to go upstairs and watch some Law & Order Season Six with the mister.

That's an evening I can get behind!

Another Finished Object!

Hurrah! A finished object!


And a great new cast on!


What a wonderful day today was. Great speech, great spectacle, great new beginning. We had pizza and brownies at work and spent lunch watching the Inauguration and cheering. I am so chuffed!

Oh, and there is another, slightly more attractive finished object...my third Fidget.



For those who asked...the Fidget is a little collar-like scarflet. One that buttons up around your neck. I think this might be the last one...if I do another I'm going to change it up a little. I think this one will be a late Christmas present for my cousin, Linn. I have yet to knit her anything. I'm not sure she cares, but I'd like to make her something. And I think she'll like this brown one.

There's No Day Like A Snow Day

Look what we got today:


Just enough snow to make one feel sort of cozy and snug. We had no place we really needed to go. So I made brownies and finished up a book and futzed around.


Pretty.

And the Winnah Is....

Melanie! Come on down. Okay, don't come down but do send me your address.

Melanie guessed that there were 92 buttons and, as you can see, there were 90! So she's the closest. Congratulations! The book is yours...and maybe a little something else, too.


The official count actually surprised me because I could have sworn I counted 93 the first time. (You'll have to take my word that there is only one button apiece in the little bags...) But 90, it is.

Yay! It's Sunday...But More Weekend Remains

I do so love three-day weekends.

Yesterday Mr. Pointy Sticks and I puttered around. We went to Daedalus where we ran into Rachel's high school writing teacher, Mrs. Boto. She's a wonderful person...it was so good to see her. She was pleased to hear that Rachel was doing well and said that she's enjoying retirement, though it feels odd not to have a schedule imposed upon her. (Heh. I'd sure like to see what's that like. Oh wait, I do....every weekend.)

I came home with a nice bag of books. Two bags, actually, as we also stopped at Barnes and Noble and I couldn't resist some things there. (Have to keep stirring that economy.) And, since we also stopped at Trader Joe's, we came home with some snacks.

Today we went to the Wild Bird Store where we got various forms of food for the birds and I got two pairs of adorable socks. And saw this little guy:


I think I want him. Wouldn't he be cute in our garden?

And I know it was plenty colder in parts of the country...but here's our poor rhododendron on Saturday. It looks like it's trying to do an impression of drinking straws.

Are The Fidgets Out Of My System Yet?

I am working away on the third (brown) Fidget. And I like the edging a lot but I am getting a little tired of the stitch. And then I started wondering...I wonder how one would look in a finer yarn, perhaps in a linen stitch?

I think there may be one more Fidget in my future.

A Realization

I realized last night that I said the closest number wins...which means that if someone chooses the number one under and someone else chooses the number one over...well, we have a problem. So, here's what I've decided. If that situation occurs, the number closest but not over will get the book. The number closest but over gets some other nice little prize.

Whoo-hoo! Two prizes, no waiting!

And now, just 'cos he's pretty....here's Duncan.


When in doubt, throw a picture of a cat up on your blog.

Report From The Front

Well, it's an exciting week here at Pointy Sticks, let me tell you. Comments are filling my in-box as fast as non-high definition tvs are filling the landfills! Numbers are flying thick and fast! The cats are wondering why I keep counting and re-counting buttons instead of, say, cat-treats. The correct number hasn't been chosen yet but there are some people who are mighty close!

And the week is half over. And there's a three-day weekend looming. And Rachel is happy at school and (so far) pretty much loving her classes. And the Inauguration is Tuesday (hurrah!) and we're going to have a pizza party at work and watch what we can during lunch. (Only we can't really call it a party because we really should be all non-partisan and non-celebratory. But what fun is that? So pizzas and brownies all round, barkeep!) And next Saturday I start my toe-up sock class at the Black Sheep, which will last for three Saturdays.

So all sorts of fun stuff in the offing.

Mr. Pointy Sticks fell prey to a mall-kiosk salesperson before Christmas and bought two nail manicuring sets similar to the one shown here (except ours has only one buffer, a nail file and some lotion, as well as the oil). He gave one to me and one to Rachel, who was really the originally intended recipient (she has gorgeous nails)...but he was pushed into buying two sets because "it's cheaper that way!" I, however, am not such a good recipient for this sort of thing as I've been chewing my nails since about the time I got my first teeth. (When I was little, my mom tried painting them with awful tasting stuff, but I would just lick it off, wincing, and continue biting. Then she offered me a dollar a nail (back when a dollar meant something). No good. Then, when I was a teenager she offered me $10 a nail. Still couldn't do it.) But last night I used the buffer on the stumps of nails I have...and man! that thing really shines one's nails right up. They feel very smooth...I can't stop rubbing them. Now, if it gets me to stop chewing on them...that would be a miracle.

I'm Drowning in Comments!

And loving it. Hee...I like opening up my mailbox, usually stuffed with offers from Fairytale Brownies and Overstock.com, and seeing actual real comments! But I also like back-tracking and see who's commenting. Maybe I'll pick up a reader or two. (Note to self: Be interesting.)

I am wondering, though, what my brother thinks he's going to do a copy of Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarns if he wins. He doesn't knit and I already own one....

We've got some people who are very close...

(Second note to self: Maybe next time the contest shouldn't be so long...people are going to get tired waiting for the final verdict. What do you think? How long do you think a blog contest should last?)

Yay! A Contest!...Oh Wait, I Can't Win It....

So, despite the fact that Amazon is thinking of building a warehouse next to my house, I order so many books from them, I still managed to mess up a recent order and ended up with not one, but two copies of a new book. Now, I could send it back to Amazon, confessing my stupidity. But, hey, that's no fun! So let's have a contest. Because it's a pretty cool book and I think there might be somebody out there who might be thrilled to get it.

I present....


Carol Sulcoski's Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarns. So, who's in here? Well, Nancy Bush, Ann Budd, Veronik Avery, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, and Charlene Schurch each have a pattern in here. And there are sixteen other designers, including Carol herself. But the real usefulness of the book comes from Carol's discussion of hand-painted yarns and how you can best exploit the beauty of the various types of yarns...types that she divides into three classes - Nearly Solids, Wild Multis and Muted Multis. It's a great book...and it might be yours! All you have to do is one simple thing.

Tell me how many buttons are in my button box. The number closest to the real number wins the book. Easy, right? I'll even give you some pictures:



And some hints -

Not everything in the box is a button.

This is a button box I started recently, not one that my mom had.

The box is not quite 4 inches deep.

Most of the buttons are on their cards but there are some loose ones at the bottom of the box.

Go to it!

Ooooh, edit! Edit! I forgot to say...let's let this contest run until next Monday, the 18th. At 5 p.m. EST.

Jeesh. I think I'd better read up on "How To Run A Contest."

Finished Objects 2 And 3 And A Whole Armful Of Pretty

Here are the Fidgets....one...


and two.


Notice the way that number two is buttoned. I finished putting the buttons on in the car and thought, "You idiot! You messed this up somehow!" And then I tried it on buttoned this way and thought, "Hey, this isn't too bad this way!"

This afternoon, photographing this Fidget on the front porch, I thought, "You idiot! You just buttoned it the wrong way." Sure enough, you can button the Fidget either way, depending on how you flip it.

Now...in the past couple months I've gotten some yummy yummy yarns and it has either been too dark, too wet, too late, or I've been away from home, making it hard to take photos. But today it was sunny, I was home early enough in the afternoon and so...

Let me present some yarn. A bunch of this came from the sale Woolgirl had a couple of weeks back and some came from the Loopy Ewe.

Black Bunny Fibers - Grassy Knoll...look at that green!

Perfect Day yarn - Midnight Iris


Unique Sheep - Woolgirl with a Twist


Miss Babs - Rose Garden

And finally...


A trio of yarns from Madelinetosh. From left to right, Rhubarb, Gilded and Ginseng. I love the way that Gilded goes with either of the two multicolored skeins. I am rather tempted to use it as heel and toes in two pairs of socks. Or something. I love these colors.

And later this evening...(I really need to finish my chores)....a contest!!!

Have I Mentioned My Boss?

She is a wonderful boss. In fact, all three of the women I work with are pretty exceptional.

Anyhoo, last week Kitty (the boss in question) had us in our office for a meeting and she said, "I know this coming year, with the transition to the new Administration, is going to be chaotic and stressful. So I got us each one of these..." And she gave us each a coffee mug that is double-walled so that you can decorate a piece of paper and slip it between the walls and admire your handiwork. She said, "I want you each to decorate these so that they make you happy, so that when things are really bad here, you can look at your mug and feel better." How sweet is that.

I had Rachel decorate a liner for me:

The front --


The back --


It'll not only cheer me up, it'll wake me up, too.

Waily, Waily, Waily...

The kid is back at college. We took two days this time. Drove down Saturday and stayed overnight at the Hilton Garden Inn there. It made the trip more leisurely...we stopped at the Columbia Daedalus on the way down and had lunch at the Vietnamese restaurant near there that we love. Got up later than we wanted this morning but got Rachel back to her room and then ran out to Sears and got her a dorm refrigerator. (Something else to move back home in a few months...oh, joy!) Stocked her up with some groceries and headed home. I didn't get a lot of knitting done in the car but I did get the buttons sewed on (rather craptastically) the two Fidgets. In fact, on the second Fidget, I managed to sew the buttons on the wrong side of the scarf. I've talked myself into liking it that way, dammit.

And I took my camera with me and did not take a single picture the entire weekend. Such a photog I am.

Jeesh, Way To Ruin A Story!

Hmmm, my cousin is right. I got so excited there that I completely forgot to say that yes, the scarf has been found. In the kitchen, near the wine glasses. (No connection there, I'm sure.)

Remind me not to take up the occupation of writer.

(Though she's right...that might have made for a fun contest...tell me where I found the yarn. Ah well. Too late now.)

[Insert Sigh Of Relief]

This past weekend I stuffed that (intermidable) orange scarf, that I have been working on forever, in my pocketbook to tote around while we ran errands...you can crank out at least a few rows while driving to the grocery store. Well, not while driving, obviously...while one's husband drives.

And then last night I realized it wasn't in my pocketbook...it wasn't in my totebag...it wasn't by my computer or knitting chair....I began to think that perhaps I had taken it out of my pocketbook at some point during the weekend and put it down on a counter in some store and then left it. Which would have upset me a little about the loss of the scarf and yarn...and a little more about the loss of the pattern card. And a whole lot about the loss of the yummy Options needles I am working the scarf on. I love those needles.

In fact, I won a blog contest a while ago and got a Knitpicks gift certificate. I think I may just gift myself with some more of those nice needles.

And speaking of contests....! I have (through my own stupidity) a wonderful prize for a contest! I just have to think about what sort of contest I can have. Stay tuned. The brain is percolating!

Fidget Number Three

I've got about 5 1/2 inches of my third Fidget done. It would be a little more except that I was knitting this afternoon at lunch...and I'm so-o-o-o-o sleepy....and I realized that I had apparently done the last repeat or two of the pattern on the wrong side. R-i-i-i-i-i-p. On this one I am doing a three-stitch slip stitch edge on either side. (I love this edging for scarves. I originally learned it when doing the Backyard Leaves scarf from Scarf Style and now I use it a lot. On the front side you knit, slip one purlwise with yarn in front, knit, and on the back you slip-one-purlwise-with-yarn-in-front, knit, slip-one-purlwise-with-yarn-in-front. It gives you an Idiot cord edging that makes your scarf look very finished.) I think it's looking pretty good.

I may be done Fidgeting after this one. Though I keep wondering what one might look like in Noro Kureyon.

Button, Button, I've Got the Button

I stopped by JoAnn's this afternoon and had fun choosing buttons for the Fidgets. These pictures will probably be horrid...they're taken inside at night, but maybe you'll get an idea.

For the pearly plaue blue Fidget, I chose pearly buttons:


And I found these buttons for the eggplant Fidget...don't know if you can see it, but there is some delicate etching on the buttons' surfaces.


And I went ahead and bought some buttons for use on the future Fidget...it's still just the brown skein there on the right.


And I couldn't resist these buttons...they are iridescent blue glass and remind me of some buttons that my mom had.


And then I bought this button...someday I'll make a cardigan that needs one button and I love this one. Isn't it pretty?


I love buttons.

Yawn

Whoo…this “going back to work” business is wearing me out. It was wonderful taking all that time off in December, but man, it’s hard to get back to the five-day-a-week routine. Every evening I find myself thinking, “You mean I have to do this again tomorrow?!” And here it is Wednesday morning and I am exhausted.

I am almost done my second Fidget, though. I am hoping to stop at Joanne’s this evening and do a little button search for this one and the first one. They are quick knits and I don’t know quite what I’ll be doing with them when I’m done. I may be doing a third one…I mean, I have the yarn for it, I might as well do it. Pictures soon.

I was also thinking this morning that I would like a new hat. So there’s that. I'm thinking something cable-y would be nice.

And last night Rachel asked me about her sweater. Guess I’d better dig that out of the pile and get started. Dark gray and black…should I order my seeing eye dog now?

Fidgeting About

It was, at the same time, a rather dull, do-not-much, weekend and a weekend where I felt sort of fidgety and unsettled. I couldn't decide on what to knit next...I finished Sing Them Home (which was wonderful) and couldn't settle on my next book...I had chores I should be doing but just didn't feel like them.

Then today, on Ravelry someone mentioned the Fidget Scarflet, and suddenly I needed to do it. (I think I am in the mood for smaller projects at the moment.) But alas, no size 9 needles! What to do? Well, obviously run to Michael's at 4:30 and get them...and pick up some yarn for it, too. (I did actually have yarn at home but when I saw this alpaca/acrylic blend - or rather felt it - I thought I'd pick it up, too. So here you have the start of Fidget. It's a simple, but attractive stitch, and feels very squooshy.


(Excuse the not-very-good picture...my flash was acting hinky for some reason.)

Gizmo actually woke up enough to sniff at the skein. This was unusual, as he spent most of the weekend like this.


He's a good sleeper, our Giz.

But there were pleasant parts to the weekend. Last night, my brother and his sweetie (S.) came over and Mr. Pointy Stick's friend, Don, was here and a bunch of us played Dice-scapades, a silly game but amusing. We gave S. her birthday present and I gave my brother his scarf (the Poems one) which he seemed to like. He did make us laugh heartily by bringing over a linen teatowel that had developed a hole and asking if I could mend it. This was a teatowel that had belonged to my Great-Aunt May. Who has been dead for...oh, 40 years or so. This was a well-used teatowel. I told him to throw it away. He is reluctant to do so. And I thought I was a pack-rat.

Mr. Pointy Sticks and I have began the search for a new television. I think we may have found the one we want at Sears, but we'll have to order it and wait. Grrr...no immediate gratification.

And this is Rachel's last week home. And my first full week of work in a month or more.

It's not going to be fun.

First Finished Project of the Year

I finished up the mitts for Serena. Rachel is modeling them at the moment. They are quick and easy to work up. I don't know how comfortable they will be...the thumb holes are just buttonholes. No gussets or anything. But quick and easy. (Gee, Rachel has pretty hands. I know, I'm her mother -- I shouldn't be saying that. But she does.)

What's project number 2 going to be?

Oh, Hurrah!

Well done, Sir Terry! Sir Pratchett? Milord?

Amazing What'll Change Your Mood....

I was going to come here and write about our somewhat sucky New Year's Eve....our power went out about 3:30 yesterday afternoon in the wind storm we had and didn't come back until sometime around 9:00 this morning. And believe me, it got a little chilly here...the thermostat was registering 52 degrees when the power finally went back on. You should have seen Mr. Pointy Sticks and me sitting around the living room last night, each in our own dorky head-lamp (he got one for Christmas, I got mine last night on a hurried trip to Target), reading. He kept cracking jokes about being miners. I'm afraid to say I was mostly cold and cranky. I hate not having power. I'd be a lousy survivor of an apocalypse...I think I'd likely be killed by other survivors...probably my own family members...before the second day. Ah well.

My morning though has been immensely cheered, not only by the return of the electrickery (and heat) but also by coming here and discovering that I won a contest that Eryka at Spare Room Knits was holding. And also that a blogger I admire (Li of Life's A Stitch) had stopped by here. And Cari, of Dispatches From Utopia, (gee, I like her writing) sent an email in response to a comment I left her.

I have finished (except for the weaving of ends) the first handwarmer for Rachel's friend and have started the second one. I hope that neither Rachel or her friend mind me making them. They are fun. I'm using the VooDoo Wristwarmers from Knitty. Pictures later, perhaps. I'm thinking I have some other skeins of the Mirasol Hacho yarn I'm using and I could make a pair for moi, as well.

I am very tempted to join in on the Clapotis knit-along that the Loopy Ewe group on Ravelry is having. But I have one Clapotis...do I really need another when there are so many other nice things to knit? Plus, I'd really like to make one longer and wider than the one I have now...I should go through my stash...if I have enough of something to use, that isn't earmarked for something else, maybe I'll do that.

Perhaps I'd better spend some time today working on some knitting resolutions.