It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas....

...which can only mean one thing ... I'm stitching my ass off. I am in full blown holiday knit. I've got 2 1/2 pairs more to make by Christmas.....so far I have 1 sock done. No, not a pair, just ONE sock. Thankfully, I"m doing it Modea Dea's Sassy Stripes which is more of a sprt weight so it goes fast. I'm using #2's (Knitpicks of course) & am doing them on 2 circulars. So far I've got this one...






Color is called "Crush" and for an acrylic it's really a lovely colorway-pinks, magentas, a chocolate brown....the giftee will love them I think.

I've finished one in the Lime N Violet colorway from Lisa Souza and Oh. My. God. I LOVE this yarn. It's fabulous to work with & the picture just doesn't do the color justice. I'm so completely torn over a.)giving this as a Christmas gift to someone I KNOW will love it or b.) being a greedy fiber piggie & keeping it (and it's mate when I finish it) for myself. I have a feeling I'll have to buy some more & make another pair for myself.






BTW, please be sure to check out Lisa's recent colorway, Violet's Pink Ribbon. Proceeds from the sale go to an amazingly good cause. The minute I get my next paycheck I'm buying .... be sure to check it out.

Lots of stuff going on in this neck of the woods but until holiday knitting is over, I'm keeping this one short & sweet. Valuable knitting time is being wasted as I type !! Happy Holidays to all .... as socks are finished I'll post :-)

PS If anyone's thinking of getting their nails done soon you MUST check out OPI's new Holiday Collection. I fell in mad lust with Music Hall Curtain Call ....it's my new favorite & perfect for the holidays if you don't want to go the "red route"...it's all glittery & coppery & satiny...like a Christmas ball...only better.

Sock It To Me

Socks are not only done....they're done, worn, washed & worn AGAIN. They've also been taken on vacation where they were fawned over. It made them feel much better about themselves. (Nobody tell them but they're ACRYLIC. Shh!)
Here they are in all their handcrafted glory....









I finished these then started AND completed ANOTHER pair. Oh yeah, who's yer Daddy? Pics on pair #2 to follow (just as soon as my sister takes photos of them. I'd barely had the toes Kitchenered before she ripped them out of my hands.)

I'm now on pair #3 & so far, these are my favorites:






I'm doing a very basic sock on 2 circs using Lisa Souza Superwash Sock Merino in the Lime n Violet Colorway. I love this yearn ...it's soft & squishy & just FLIES. I'm a slow knitter & I completed the cuff ribbing today at lunch (I cast on last night but only worked on it for a little bit before dinner started tying to kill me from the inside out. Roasted Brussel Sprouts with butter & garlic are deadly weapons). As usual, I'll post pics once these are done.

Sock Lessons

I can't believe it....I'm on sock #2! #1 is done & completed & I'm on the gusset of #2. There's issues on both but I can live with them since this is my 1st official pair. I'll post photos when the pair is complete.
Some things I learned while knitting these socks:

1. Double points can & will jab you under acrylic fingernails, making a bloodblister & putting a dent in the acrylic. For safety's sake (and because I don't want to pay to un-dent more acrylic fingernails) & because I just love the way the yarn slides on those cables, I adore the Socks on Circulars method. It is FUN!

2.Picking up stitches where the yarn splits is not technically picking up stitches. It is making a mess.

3. Trying to keep track of how many gusset decreases you've done whilst having a marathon conversation with Anne and Sindy is impossible. Not because I can't concentrate on decreases but because laughing too much while talking about our husbands makes it too hard to hold needles never mind count.

4. Cats love expensive sock yarn more than they love tuna & mice. Dachshunds do, too but they're easily distracted by a squeaky soccer ball from their Auntie Peep.

5. Making socks is like smoking crack. One hit & you're addicted.

6. Knitting socks in the lunchroom at work will always lead someone to believe they can either touch your work in progress with WENDY'S BURGER GREASE ON THEIR DAMN HANDS or can ask you to make them a pair. Sure....that'll be $25. Yeah. Didn't freakin' think so Burger Boy.

7. If one keeps trying ON the sock it makes it difficult to finish.

8. Continually trying on the sock makes one realize how incredibly badly a pedicure is needed & how truly icky toes look without polish.

9. Reading ahead on the sock pattern directions & getting the entire toe done & kitchener-ed before the 3rd & final sock class will give you this incredible "Oh yeah, who's yer Daddy?" kinda feeling. Sock Smugness I call it.

10. Making socks is like smoking crack. One hit & you're addicted. (OK, that was #5 but I wanted to make sure everyone realizes it. Just saying "NO" does NOT work on this stuff).

From The Mouths of Babes #2

Our house liked the whole question & answer thing so we're back with #2. #3 is on the board now & we're all taking turns with doing the asking. Danielle thought of this week's question & Wow....was it a doozy:

If you could be president for a whole week what would you change in society?

Wow, pretty deep for a 16 year old .... their answers blew me away. Danielle said:

I would change the way we are treating Iraq. (Who says kids aren't aware of world events?!)

Mine was pretty wordy (I figured I had a week to get stuff done):
Fair warning-this one's llooonnnngggg (or just skip ahead to Day 7-that's the best day)

Since I have a week, I’m planning on getting more than one thing done (what can I say-I’m an overachiever!):

• DAY ONE: I’m the Commander in Chief which puts me in charge of all military. As my 1st decision, ALL troops stationed outside the USA are ordered stateside. Troops in Iraq head home 1st –the fact that our troops are being killed by Iraqi’s pretty much tells me we’re not welcome at this party anymore. We’ll be taking our toys & going home.
• DAY TWO: Close all of our borders. All of them. If you want to leave, fine, have a nice day. Coming back, though, will be tough. You must be able to prove you are a LEGAL US Citizen to re-enter this country. Don’t feel like you should have to prove that you’re a legal citizen? Tough nuts. Go to North Korea – they could use someone to test radiation poisoning on. (By the way, those troops that just came home? They’ll be standing guard along our borders to make sure no one gets in without permission). That same day English will be declared as the official language of the USA. All government forms, information, directions, etc will from now on be in English only. Don’t understand how to apply for Food Stamps because it’s not in your language? Learn. My ancestors did (my grandfather could read & speak 7 languages with a 3rd grade education; the least you could do is learn how to speak the language of the country in which you now LIVE). Anyone found to be here illegally gets no free passes. Go. Leave. Now. We’re sending you home. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.
• DAY THREE: Cut off all foreign aid. Yes, all. To everyone. Charity begins at home and our “home” here needs some serious work. At the same time, declare all foreign debts owed to the US as “paid in full.” No one gets anymore money. Any private citizen can donate any monies they want to any cause they want but public funds won’t be used. We’ve helped the world for a long time-we need a financial break.
• DAY FOUR: Cap the price of a barrel of crude oil at a fair price. This is the most we’ll pay. That’s our final offer. Don’t like it Sheik Abdullarama? Tough. Sell it to another country that will pay your price. We’re your biggest customer ….we’ll be fair with you, you be fair with us.
• DAY FIVE: Declare the death penalty unconstitutional. If you’ve received the death penalty as a sentence then it’s a good bet you’ve done something horrific. Death is too good for you. You get to suffer in jail for the rest of your life. And not some namby pamby jail either. One out in the desert with nowhere to run to, where the food is awful, the heat is ever present & the sand flies are as a big as a Collie. The Warden? My sister, Meredith (and those of you who know her know what an inhuman punishment that is). All those empty cells on Death Row? Empty them out, clean them up, remove the bars & turn them into homeless shelters. It’s not pretty but it’s warm & dry & a better place to sleep than Central Park after dark.
• DAY SIX: Direct every single cabinet member, Congressman & Senator to take a pay cut of at least 40%. Cap my own Presidential Salary at $65,000. Raise the Federal Minimum Wage to $8.00/hour. Pass legislation to include an automatic annual inflationary increase in the Federal Wage level. Individual states have 12 months to raise their state minimum wage levels to meet the Federal Wage.
• DAY SEVEN: Knit. Even God rested on the 7th day. I’m going to need all the rest I can get. I’m just getting started.


And, once again, Brady, who is 10 just said it all:

Make peace in the world so we wouldn't have to fight.

Well. That pretty much said it all. Damn. Kids get you every time.

Blast From The Past

This is worth watching for the special dancing guest star .... I LOVED Mr. "I'm A Little Bit Rock n Roll"....you can't watch this video & not laugh...it was a great way to start my day !

From the Mouths of Babes

In our kitchen we have a dri-erase board for notes, memos, etc. This week, inspired by reading "Welcome to the Great Mysterious" I posted what I hope to be a weekly question for our family. It's something fun & hopefully, will make us all think just little outside of the box. This week's question was:

"If you could have the ability of any animal or insect, what would it be & why?"

Danielle (age 16) and I answered it ...Brady, who is 10, also answered it. Here's our responses:






For those of you that don't read 10 year old, here's a translation of Brady's response :

Kmodo Dragon. Why? Cuz I'd be huge & be able to eat a car.

Leave it the 10 year old to be really basic & say just the right thing. Wouldnt it be a pretty cool world if some of us were huge enough to eat a car? (OMG, I just realized how HUGE my ass would be in that world!)

So....what ability do YOU wish you had?

Room With a View

OK, so not so much a room as an office. Here's my view, a bit blurry but you get the idea....






And here was the view out my window a few weeks ago:






Yes, indeedy folks that's a Praying Mantis. And it was heeeuuge. It was also incredibly cool. I was so infatuated with this bug that I had to go outside & get pictures. Everyone in my office thought I nuckin' futs & laughed the entire time. My friend Loren walked behind me saying "Now you know if that thing flies off the window & tries to eat your face off I'm gonna laugh like hell". This is Loren with a fuzzy smirk:






I laughed last, though. Zeke (what I'd dubbed my new buggy friend) stayed calmy on the window & let me snap away. It was very sad to see him be torn from the window by a nasty crow a few hours later but it was kinda nice while it lasted.

Le Cinema (or How I Will Spend My Wednesday Night)

OK, now I know I don't have a life (although my sister Katie does tell me that, while I don't really have a life, it is life like in many ways) but how sad is it that I'm getting excited over a night of TV?
It's not sad at all when you consider the line up:

7 PM CSI Repeat (I so want to nibble Gil Grissom's umm...never mind)

8 PM Jericho (It's like the movie "The Day After" only better acting & with nummy Skeet Ulrich (I would start at his toes & stop at all the good parts)

9 PM LOST Whatmore can I say? It's LOST for goodness sakes! There's all KINDS of yummy man goodness on that show (and a question for any other LOST fans...am I nuts or is Michael Emerson just the teeniest bit hot in a creepy kinda way? I think Id nibble...but just a bit)

10 PM Project Runway - this is it - almost the last one. Oh Lord, please let that freakin' psycho Jeffrey fall on some scissors or something!

And of course, while watching all of this I'll be working on this:






Yes indeedy....it's a SOCK! And far far better than the 1st one I ever made. I've turned the heel & am working on gusset decreases now (I'm half through that)....I'm halfway done. I can't wait to finish it.

Bad Blogger, Bad!

Holy Craptastic Batman, I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've blogged ANYTHING.
"Bless me Blogger, for I have sinned. It's been 25 days since my last post." Oy.
I have good reasons. Honest.

1. Work has been kicking my ass. And, if you've seen my ass, you know how huge of a job that is. I am now comfortably esconced in my office (office, yes I said OFFICE! I am no longer a cubicle dweller! I have real walls, a ceiling, a door & a view of the parking lot! Go me!) and no longer have the multitude of distractions that I used to have in my (rather cozy) cubby. Which means, undeniably, that now....I can get more work done. While a good thing in the professional sense, in the personal sense, it's incredibly exhausting.

2. I have been a mad stitching FIEND. I've been taking classes (Continental Knitting, Stranded Knitting Parts I & II & Socks Part I) & working on the projects for those plus making a commission crochet blanket (which for some reason took forfuckingever). The next time I agree to make something from Lion Brand ANYTHING (but especially Homespun) will someone PUHLEASE hit me in the damn head with a brick? Dumb, Donna, incredibly dumb.

3. I've been sick as a dog. Twice. The whole upper respiratory thing, complete with cough, chills & mucus that is otherwordly. I'm on my 2nd batch of Keflex & my 1st batch of cough medicine w/codeine (Keflex + Codeine + Empty Stomach + Nausea = Puking X Hallucinations. What a long strange trip). All of this has made me incredibly irritable & my coworkers have a heard this statement more than once:
"If you don't leave me alone I will LICK YOUR PHONE."
It's effective if not a teeny bit disgusting.

My penance for letting all this stuff interfere with blogging? Besides the 10 Hail Marys, that is?
Photos, I promise.

A Sense of Place....Sept 11th, 2006

I live in Southeastern Pennsylvania, in a sleepy little town called Leesport. It's roughly 15 miles North of Reading (yes, like the railroad) and it's claim to fame is its Farmer's Market. A far cry from my birthplace, Staten Island, NY. I moved here to SE Pennsylvania in 1990 to escape NYC .... the dirt, the noise, the crowds, the hustle, the bustle. I was in search of peace, of serenity, of a slower pace & a better life.

I found what I was looking for here .... I lived for a time in a restored 1 room hunting cabin nestled in the trees. It was beautiful no matter what the season ....in summer it was warm & green, humming with insect sounds; in spring it was full of new life & smelling of clean freshness; in autumn it was crisp & bright, the leaves even more vivid & in winter it was a Currier & Ives postcard, complete with sled tracks in the snow. I so enjoyed living there in my single days....just me, my fur babies & my yarn (the ever present yarn-where would I be without it?!) I never once missed NYC ... the few friends I'd had there had moved on & we'd lost contact. Every once in a while I'd get an email from a former co-worker or an occasional holiday greeting from a high school acquaintance but that was it. People in my new life were constantly amazed by how much I didn't want to visit NYC on bus trips or shopping/sightseeing/theater excursions. I was joyful to have finally found what I'd sought. My Mother & 2 sisters had followed me to this peaceful corner of the world so even that last tie holding me to the city was cut.

I was in my car on the way to work on September 11th, 2001 listening to Howard Stern. I thought it was a joke at first when I heard the reports of the attack on the towers (one must consider my source). I got to work and watched it unfold on CNN ... stunned & heartbroken as the 2nd plane hit on live TV. It was a bad dream sequence in a B movie....things moved in half time, a fog swirl in my head. This could not be real ... this was NYC...things like this happened far away, in other places....places where I had no connection. It got worse as the day went....the unimaginable happened when the Towers fell. We were all stunned.

Work stopped that day for us, like it did for millions. The office closed early and we all went home, moving like zombies. I called Mom & the sisters, needing to hear them, to know they were OK. Katie had visited Windows on the World only the month before and while I knew she was far from it, I needed to hear her voice. We did what every family did that night...we drew each other as close to us as we could in any way that we could.

As I watched the TV coverage long into the night I began to feel something I'd not felt in 10 years .... I missed home. I missed the noise, the crowds, the traffic, the heart of it all. In the midst of all that carnage & horror I wanted nothing more than to get in my car & head for the Verrazano. I knew all at once what it meant to be a New Yawker .... to feel that pull of home.

I didn't head for the city as I'd wanted. Instead, I took out my hooks & my yarn & stitched. That night & for long nights afterward I stitched through tears & heartache, watching TV. I looked for familiar faces amongst the ash & smoke and saw no one that I knew but with each one I saw me & mine. I missed my home, true, but that longing was tempered with relief....relief that we were here.

For the last few weeks I've been listening to Brenda Dayne's podcast, Cast On. Her "Sense of Place" series has ended but for me has just begun. I've discovered that my home is not in bricks or mortar, nor in smoke or ash. I will always miss my birth home but I've just only recently realized that the old cliche really is true...home IS where the heart is.

The 5 year anniversary will be full of memorials & tributes, homages to fallen heroes & songs of loss and sorrow. I will think of that day & shed tears on those we've lost. I will miss my birthplace to be sure but I will be grateful for finally finding my true Sense of Place .... my little place of belonging....no matter if it's here in this little sleepy town or amongst the din of the city. My heart knows its sense of place ... when my family is with me, in person or in spirit ....I am truly HOME.

Etsy Shop Is Up & Running

Stop by for a visit...so far not much but plan on adding more as time goes on.

bellisima67.etsy.com

Redneck Knitting

So this is what I'm working on.....



  


Yes, it's a camo skullie. It will soon be hunting season in these here parts and I'm trying to get a jump on some items I'm going to put either on etsy or eBay. And for those of you that are sitting back & laughing their tuckuses off (hmm...I wonder if tucki is the plural of tuckus? Bah, never mind, you get the idea) over the idea that I might know ANYTHING about hunting let me just say this.....

I bagged HIM, now didn't I?


  


Besides, I may not know much about hunting but I DO know fashion. Well, sort of....I know that people that hunt like camo for when they're NOT actively hunting & bright blaze orange for when they ARE hunting (guess which yarn I'm adding to my stash this weekend?!!?)

Ahh...Joy In The Morning

It was wonderful getting up before anyone this morning...the house was quiet like it hasn't been since Friday (when both kids came home from their respective trips. We weren't really expecting them until Sunday so it was a bit of a surprise). Just me & my furbabies....
made some coffee, ate a FANTASTIC bun from a European shop/deli that just opened up here (a prepackaged bun at that....yummy all the same!), turned on iTunes, read the news & stitched. It was lovely for about 3 hours...then everyone woke up. It was great while it lasted, though. I wish all my weekends could end like that.
Had a wonderful day yesterday, both in fiber & in my marriage. After getting my nails done (I ADORE acrylic nails. I'm vain...I admit it. Shoot me later), I wandered down to Yarns 'r Us, my LYS. The owner, Kim, is a wonderful lady & runs a great shop. She's been open for about 2 years and has done a wonderful job of keeping as many of her customers happy as she can. She stocks a great variety ...from alpaca to silk to wool to acrylic. She also makes sure to carry lines like Red Heart & Peaches 'n Cream - alot of people wander in just to buy that & wind up leaving with LOTS of other stuff, too.
I had gone in for an extra skein of Noro for a gift that I'm making & we got to talking. Before you know it, I'd sat at her table & we were happily knitting & talking until 3 PM. (FYI, I got there @ 10:30). We had a GREAT time, chatting & talking to customers who wandered in. Kim & I have an idea for a neat set of crocheted slippers w/deerskin soles from a pattern/photo she found in a book from the 40's. The directions are clear as mud so I'm working on the crochet portion of the pattern. Kim is working on the sole. Hopefully I'll have something ready for Thursday's Knit In. Go me!!
While I was there hubby called & we had the invariably routine dinner chat. Instead of the usual "what do you want? I don't care. What do YOU want? I don't care-let's have pizza", hubby surprised me with "I'm taking you out." At those words it was "bye Kim, gotta go."
Not only were we going out to eat, it was my choice. I happen to LOVE Red Lobster (yes, I know it's a chain but OMG is it a GOOD chain!) so that's where we went ...after that it was off to play Bingo. We had a great night, got to spend some wonderful quality time together (much needed quality time) & ate some good food. All in all, it was a great day, from beginning to end. :-)

Dogosaurus Rex

OMG, is this not THE cutest dog sweater pattern evah?!? I am thinking of doing this for Sava, my sis's Lhasa Apso, in yellow & purple. I think she'll be adorable in it!

I could also size it up & make it Boxer-size for a certain cousin's furbaby. Methinks this one befits an Ogre the best :-)

My Brush With Greatness

Not only am I a happy knitter but I'm also a happy blogger .... I've got comments...from people other than my family....and both of them are of knitting fame....I'm all aquiver :-)

First, Miss Lime (of the infamous Lime 'n Violet) graciously commented on the loss of my Simba and then Ellen of Knit Sisters commented on my doggie oral post.
I feel so....well, I feel so cool (and the first one of my sisters that calls me a pathetic loser is gonna get a Knit Picks in the eye). Thank you ladies - I haven't felt this cool since high school (and the first one of my sisters who tells anyone how UNcool I was in high school gets nada for Christmas. Keep in mind I can knit cool shit now, like those AWESOME PATRIOTIC FOOTIES).
Like I've mentioned in a previous post, I'm truly non violent. I swear. I'll kick yo' ass if ya' don't believe me.

The Needles Are Here! The Needles Are Here!

My size 2 circs arrived today! (OK, so hubby picked them up for me...they didn't exactly ARRIVE)....now I can finish my footie....happy knitter am I :-)



  

  

My Sister Gets Oral from the Dog

(Oh my Gawd will I get traffic over THAT title!)
My sister is a half a whack job. She loves my Oskar. Apparently, he loves her back.



  

In a Snit & Can't Knit ....

...can't knit what I want, that is. Remember those awesome little patriotic footies I was working on? Well, I finally finished the one (pic to follow later) & I wanted to start the other one...testing my socks on circulars mad skillz. The Susan Bates size 2 circulars I was using were ferkockteh (and for those of you who don't know Yiddish, that basically means they sucked monkey balls big time) -the joins were AWFUL & my gawgeous "1776" kept getting hung up on them. So, I did what any self respecting knitter would do....
I ordered a pair of them from Knit Picks. Those nice pointy slippery shiny nickel circulars that I'm currently in lust with. The order was shipped 08/10/2006 which means they should be here by now (did I mention that Knit Picks has lightning fast shipping???).....since we live in BUMBLEFUCK Pennsylvania & our post office doesn't deliver the mail (we don't have SIDEWALKS here ), we have to pick up all of our mail @ the Post Office. The lobby is open 24 hours but for any packages pick up is between 8:30 AM & 4:00 PM & Saturdays 8:30-11:00. I work...at a real job...from 8-4:30. When the hell am I supposed to pick up my mail?!?!?!?! Don't these people know I NEED TO KNIT MY DAMN FOOTIE!?!?!?!!
ok...rant over....hubby is going to get them for me tomorrow morning when he gets home from work. If it weren't illegal to threaten a US Postal worker I'd tell him to stab them with the needles. I'm non violent though. Really, I am.

Yarn Porn!!!!

I REFUSE to go on a yarn diet. Its bad enough that I have to watch what I eat but I am so NOT going to limit my yarn intake. I'll go nuts & need Haldol if I do......
First up, some yummy Egyptian Cotton. I'm thinking Clapotis for this one but I'm not sure...note my swatch...and yes, it feels as good as it looks:



  


Some gawgeous Venezia from Lang...the picture doesn't do this color justice. It's a soft pink, like the center of cotton candy.....


  


Glitter Alpaca from Cherry Hill...not sure what I want to do with this but am tossing around either a lightweight scarf or maybe ...just maybe...socks.



  


Noro! Wooo Hoo! Lawdy, I love me some Noro! These colors are more amazing in person. This is earmarked for a gift for a family member ... not telling who or what but I'm sensing a modular scarf (maybe Edgar from Knitty?)



  


and here it is all in one place...notice everyone touching & feeling all the yummy yarn. Everyone that is, except my hubby, who is giving me the finger. What a manpig, that husband of mine.....



  

Knit....Knit Like The Wind

I got the new Knitpicks Options Needles. Oh. My. God. They are AMAZING. They have all of the advantages of the Addi Turbos but with mucho pointiness (Addi's are just too stumpy for me). The set is only $60 & with free shipping over $40, it was well worth the money (Addi's don't make an interchangeable set as far as I know & with one pair of Addi's retailing for around $16, the KnitPicks was the better option).



  

  

  


I cast on a sweater for Mom right away & it really flies on these needles:



  


Ignore my many mistakes...it's my first sweater. I think she's going to love it.

Back in the Saddle Again

After a long hiatus in which I had the energy of a turtle on heroin, I'm finally posting again. Losing Simba took the breath out of my soul & it was hard for me to form words for a while. I miss his little nose every day but I know he's where he's meant to be now.

Knitting has been my solace since June 27th. Knitting & listening to Lime 'n Violet and the Mother Superior of Knitting Podcasts, Brenda Dayne. After dinner every night I've been plugging in to listen to past episodes & knit. Just mindless knitting over & over again. I've gotten over the whole combined knitting thing that I was doing (which will make things easier for me I think) and have learned how to make hats. Here's 2 that I made for the Caps to Capitol campaign:


  


It's been my therapy, my sanity.....thank God for the soul healing properties of the needles.

Put A Sock In It

So, I finally decided it was time for me to graduate to knitting socks. I thought I was ready, I really did. I've crocheted so many socks, slippers, sandals, etc...how hard could it be? The second I asked myself this question was the very second that Destiny said "you had to ask, didntcha??"
So, off I run to AC Moore & purchase myself the tools of the knitting sock trade. For those sock knitters out there, this is the part where you cringe & say "She didn't buy metal DPN's now did she?" Yes, she did. For those of you who aren't knitters & just read these blog to see what fiber trouble I've gotten myself into, DPN's stands for Double Pointed Needles aka bane of my existence as a beginning knitter. I bought myself the Susan Bates DPN's thinking (incorrectly) that since I loved their straights I would adore the DPN's. Once again Destiny said "muahah, think again, biotch." Metal DPN's are essentially these slippery slidy POINTY needles that just refuse to keep yarn wrapped around it. Experienced knitters can make these puppies sing. I, however, was only capable of making them barf.
After an hour of finger cramping DPN fun, I figured I should probably get some help. Off I surf & am overjoyed when I find this marvelous tutorial on using DPN's. Within 15 minutes I'm whimpering. My fingers just refuse to work that way. Off I trot to the place where I've found almost all of my knitting help -Amy will not fail me.
She failed me. I tried, I really did. I just didn't get it. At the end of 2 hours I wanted to commit hari kari with the damned DPN or at the very least find that fucking Susan Bates & stab her in the face with her own DPN's. I gave up. ME, the Nellie Forbush of fiber. I said "screw this. I'll buy socks @ WalMart like every other redneck in Berks County."
Fast forward to last week. I had to put Simba to sleep, my period was a week early & my blender broke just as I was mixing up my Mudslide. Crap week to say the least. After stopping by the vet to pay the Gross National Debt for Simba, I needed a pick me up & asked DH to take me to a new LYS. That was when it happened.
Nirvana.
LYS. 4 miles from home. Stuff on sale. Airy & open. Nothing smelled like food (isn't it funny how most LYS smell like week old Moo Goo Gai Pan?), the owner was friendly & most definitely NOT a yarn snob. I spent $30 on some Glitter Alpaca and was about to leave when she said the magic words....
"we're having a sock class this Saturday"
I stopped, turned, wiped the drool from my mouth & said..."I'm an idiot with DPN's"
"Well, this is on 2 circulars. It's MUCH easier."
Sold. Where do I sign up? I'm so there.
Fast forward to Saturday morning, 9 AM. I'm on vacation & have been dedicating my life to sloth this past week but I'm up early for THIS. Not only that but so is DH. AND he's offered to go with me. Am I lucky or WHAT??
And so we begin. There's 4 of us...we're making the Footie from the recent issue of Creative Knitting. OK, so really it's a Ped....but Footie sounds so much more knitt-ish.
Anyway, I was the stupidist one in the class. I just couldn't grasp this whole 2 circular thing. Then finally, the world's greatest knitting instructor, Bev, very gently said "honey, it's just like crocheting, just keep turning it around."

Ahhh. NOW I get it. And so did the rest of the people in the class. Not only did we do socks on circulars BUT we did the heel with short row shaping. Yup. Me. Knitting idiot. Class ran over by about 2 hours & no one cared-we were all focused on these damn socks.
I give you ....my footie so far:


  

  

(and for the geek knitter in all of us, I'm using "1776" by Schoeller & Stahl. It's a superwash wool & self stripes sooo nicely but OMG, was it super small to work with on a 1st project).
I am bound & determined to finish it. I may not make both but I MUST finish this one. Perhaps some patriotic amputee is in need of a Ped.

This Is What I'm Reduced To.....

Merino Wool. It does say a lot about me I suppose.

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.
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At Peace

My Simba is at peace, finally. I will miss him so very much ... there are no words for the hurt in my heart. My only comfort is that he isn't in pain anymore ... now he can run, purr, pounce, smile in that way that only a cat can...he is free....






Why are you crying,
I am not there.
Look not for me by the favorite chair,
I am not there.
See me not at the bed's foot,
nor at the door's step,
I am not there.
Do not look to the earth's cold hand,
it could not hold me,
I am not there.
Look to the midnight star, a comet's flash,
racing shadows in the field, sun lights
dance on water's edge.
Hear me, the rustle of the grass,
pine bough sigh, the beat of bird's wings,
the rain's quiet tattoo.
Feel me in your heart, for it is there I cannot leave.
Wait for my loving kiss, my paw's soft touch
at Rainbow Bridge.
I will meet you there, and we shall dance again,
together.
~Unknown~

The Big Suckarooti

Today sucked-big time, starting with getting out of bed. I'm on vacation & the one thing I want to do (besides getting drunk on Bailey's whilst talking to Ann & Sindy, trash talking men, the need to work & the curse of being born beautiful instead of rich) was to sleep late. I didn't get to sleep late. Why? This is why.....



  


...he had to pee. At 7. That's AM...as in THE MORNING. While I'm on vacation. Did I mention the typhoon/monsoon/tsunami thing going on? There's no way this dog will go out in the yard in THAT. Luckily, I talked him into going back to sleep for 30 minutes...which was when I poked my head downstairs and said in my sweetest "I love you hunny you are my God my man stud my hunkahunka burnin' love" voice "sweetheart, can you let the dog out?" ...and he fell for it...err I mean he let the dog out. OK, so that part didn't suck too bad ...I did get to go back to sleep for a little while.

Finally, I rolled my beached whale of a body out of bed around 9'ish, haul it into the shower & wait to wake up. Which was right around when I noticed the shower curtains are OUTSIDE the tub as opposed to INSIDE the tub. Which means that the flooding outside is now INSIDE. Crap. There goes my relaxing shower. Who needs to relax, right? It's only a vacation for shit's sake. Who wants to relax on one of THOSE?

I call the vet & get the latest on Boo Boo Kitty. I find out he's taken a turn for the worse & the tone for the rest of the day is now set. If there was ever a need to get drunk today is IT. But, my brilliant plan has been shattered by one very important fact .... I forgot to go to the liquor store. I'll make do w/coffee instead.

I don't even bother w/doing hair or makeup ...vacation, right? Big Dog Momma tshirt + jeans + ponytail = vacation dress code. I look (and feel) like death warmed over. My eyes are red & puffy from crying over Simba, my nose is dripping like the crotch of a $5 hooker and I'm looking every year of 65 years old (I'm 39). I've just thrown the final load into the washing machine (which has been leaking since they installed it, waiting for the mysterious plumber to arrive. We've been making do w/a bucket under the pipe. (Class Act, yeah I know) and am settling down to knit a few rows. That's when the dogs start barking. Why? Plumber. Unannounced. Today. With the washer going. And he's wearing a tank top. And he's hairy. And sweaty.

It's at this point that I realize I've done something so wrong at a major karmic level. I've have pissed off some major deity or wronged a malevolent goddess....something. I say "fuck it", go downstairs, finish up a quick email to work, toss on my shoes & go see Boo Boo Kitty. That's when my day REALLY becamse the Big Suckarooti.

He looks awful...his eyes all rheumy & red, like he'd been crying, too. He barely moves, just sleeps & purrs. He refuses to eat or drink (thankfully they're pumping him full of fluids) and generally looks horrid. I miss him so much...it's like a piece of my soul is sitting in the kennel with him. Dr. P says things aren't looking overly positive now -he's in guarded condition at best. His liver function is impaired & his blood glucose levels aren't regulated. I stayed for a few hours, as long as I could without completely going over the edge. I'm doing whatever I can to take my mind off of it (like this entry) but nothing works. I miss my Boo Boo...my little punkin' man. I just want to pet his little head until he falls asleep purring on my shoulder. Maybe tonight when I sleep I'll get to do just that. Sleep well punkin' man...Momma is holding you in her heart.

Knitting = Sanity

  


This has been what's keeping me sane...a scarf. Woo Hoo. A plain old scarf, done in short rows in a colonial blue wool something or other that I found. I can't concentrate on anything more complicated right now. Spoke to the vet this morning & my Boo Boo Kitty isn't doing as well as he was yesterday. He's still badly dehydrated, they can't regulate his blood glucose levels & he's not eating. Dr. P think we're looking @ a fatty liver & if that's the case prognosis sucks. I'm going to see him this afternoon around 3 or so ... I am a mess. Thank God I'm on vacation - if I had to work this week I'd get fired.

Boo Boo Kitty

  


This is Simba AKA Simby Bimby, Simbalaya, Squeakers, Punkin...and the ever popular...Momma's Good Baby. Right now he's one Boo Boo Kitty ....his lethargy, weight loss (6 pounds!), lack of appetite, weakness, fading eyesight & poor coat are pointing to one thing-feline diabetes (final bloodwork to confirm that but the vet's fairly certain that's what it is). The vet is seriously concerned & gives him a 50/50 chance in his present condition. Dr. P (who is an amazing vet & an all around great guy) has my baby for the weekend. Send good fur baby vibes please. We can use all the good thoughts we can get.



  

Can You Stand The Cuteness??

I couldn't resist this shot....they look so peaceful, so angelic....looks are deceiving...



  

Modular Knitting WIP

Here's my 1st attempt @ modular knitting. It's a crude attempt at a scarf using 2 colors. The wool is Glengary Shetland in 2 shades of mauve (the pics look purple-I have no camera skills at all) and came from my Mother's ancient stash. I'm kinda diggin' it but I have to do more work when it comes to changing colors.
(clickables)



  

  

Knitting Meet Up

Tomorrow I go to my very first Knitting Meet Up tomorrow. Is it just a little bit sad that I'm incredibly excited about it? I can hardly wait! I met 2 members of the Meetup @ the Modular Knitting class that I had taken @ AC Moore a while ago but the meeting night always conflicted with LOST ok, ok, I know I'm more than sad...I'm pathetisad. Or is it pathetique? Either way, my life is boring....on the up side, I'm knitting my ass off (oh how I wish that were true! My ass is the size of Cleveland) & loving every second of it. I am just finishing up the Surfer Girl Halter Top in this month's issue of Creative Knitting. I did it in Bernat Camoflage Outback and it only looks a little white trashy. I'll post pics once it's all blocked.

Open Letter Redux

This letter to the biological mother of my stepchildren, originally posted earlier this year, mysteriously disappeared from my blog. Hmmm...how did that happen I wonder? None of my posts were deleted other than this one...perhaps the intarwebs was acting up. Perhaps. In any event, I found the original draft & have decided to repost (and have changed my blogger password in the process). Here it is, in all it's glory...yet again (and for those of you that have already read this the 1st time, skip to the end as I've added a post script)

Some background information...I met DH 3 1/2 years ago, not long after his now ex-wife, C, had left him & their kids to pursue a relationship with a woman in Texas (DH & said wife lived in PA) she'd met online. When that relationship didn't work out she left Texas & moved to Missouri to live with another woman, also someone she'd met online (nothing snarky meant about the whole online thing since that's how I met DH, too). Fall 2005 she & her GF moved back to PA, ostensibly to spend more time with the kids. DH has custody of the kids (D who is 16 & becoming a beautiful woman and B who is 10 & all boy) & they are the light of my life. Recently, A (C's gf) & I had a rather intense phone conversation in which I spoke my mind & gave my opinions on a lot of things. It created a lot of drama & emails back & forth. DH has asked that I don't respond to her emails & I've agreed since it would only start a war & that's something we don't want to expose D&B to. That being said, the entire thing has been eating me up & I need to vent. I know she'll never find my blog so I feel safe in venting here. There's so much more about this woman that would make your head spin (drugs, alcohol, stealing, lying-the list is endless) but this isn't about her, it's about me. Here goes......

Dear C,

3 1/2 years ago you made a choice that changed your life forever. You may not think you abandoned your children but you did. You willingly & with forethought left them. In my book, that's abandonment, honey. You can dress it up with any excuse that you want but cutting through the bullshit-you left your kids. You can never take that back. Here we are 3 years later and while you're geographically closer to your children, emotionally, you're even farther apart than you were before. Your actions and inactions are making the chasm between yourself & your children wider & wider every day.

You say you wonder how long you'll be punished for the mistake you made by leaving. Simple....FOREVER. Your children will never ever forget the fact that you left. They may forgive you but they will never forget. What they may not forgive you for is the way you're handling things now that you've come back. For all the contact that you've had, you might as well have stayed in Missouri. You hardly call or write (and the only reason you called twice in the last 2 weeks is because I shamed you into it. We'll see how long THAT lasts) and when the kids actually get to spend time with you it's for a few hours at best.

You wonder why I don't like you. It's a simple answer really. I don't like you because of the hurt I see in B's eyes when he is really missing you. I don't like you because I hear D say how much she hates you when I really know she means she loves you with everything she has. I don't like you because of how you lied to your own mother about your husband, telling her he gambled away his paycheck when really he never even saw his paycheck. I don't like you because you & I both know what kind of person you really are - a manipulative self-centered liar who looks for excuses instead of answers, who runs away when faced with the cold hard truth & who doesn't know the first thing about being a Mother.

In 3 years our family has had it's ups & downs, its quarrels, its fights. But in that time, we've discovered what it's like to become a family-a true family. These kids now know what it's like to have TWO parents who love them unconditionally. TWO parents who look at every decision that needs to be made from the viewpoint of "How will this impact the kids". TWO stable employed parents who are teaching the kids what a good work ethic means. TWO parents who love each other AND the kids with a love you will never know. Why? Because you're too involved in YOU.

I pity you, C, I really do. You lost everything important in your life - your husband, your children, your mother, everything that matters -you don't seem to care. You say that no one seems to know how you feel, that you love your kids, that you want to be a part of their lives. It's just words, C. Actions speak louder than words & right now your actions are screaming "I only care about myself." The only good thing in all of this is that because of you, I now have 2 amazing children in my life. I love them more than the air I breathe, more than life itself. Even a dog can give birth (and we know what they call a female dog) - just because you gave birth to them doesn't make you their Mother. It just makes you the uterus.

PS~I do have one thing to thank you for C and that's this - that you had the sense that God gave you to get involved w/an evil meddlesome little bitch like A. Her need to create drama and watch the fur fly was what started all the insanity between M&M (additional background to the reader-M&M are DH's parents; his crazy mother tossed his father out on his 72 year old ass with his dog & the clothes on his back. He is now living with us for as long as he wants. For that I thank you because now this wonderful man is now in my home & away from the vile treatment & abuse he suffered for years. The children have their Pappy & DH has his Dad....and I have them all. What do you have, C?

Off With His Nose...and His Head

This is...was...Woofi. Woofi was a very delightful squishy that I bought to support our local animal shelter. Woofi came with his own collar, tag & little adoption certificate. He also had a nose. HAD.





This was Boo Bear. He didn't have his own collar or a little tag or a little adoption certificate. What he DID have was a head.





And this is Oskar. He now has Woofi's nose and Boo Bear's head. I have no clue where this 11 pound bundle of ferocity placed said nose or head.

For Anne

I've been thinking about you all day long ... I hope today went well & you've begun the 1st step in what will be a long but necessary journey. I know that going through this will be tough for you...that some days will be harder than others but we both know that the goal here is your happiness and, ultimately, your inner peace. For such a long time you've not had either of those-not truly anyway-but I think you will, soon. I love you, cuz....I'm with you, even from all the way over here.....

" I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warmhearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the principal source of success in life. Since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. The key is to develop inner peace."
~Dalai Lama

Purple Purple Purple

My very first official knitted thing....a scarf. I'm so proud. I did it all in garter stitch - one strand of Paton's Merino in That's Purple and one strand of Lion Brand's Colorwaves in Purple Vista. I used a size 13 needle & it really made a nice open stitch. The combination of the yarns really resulted in a super soft & squishy scarf. I sent it to my Crochetville Secret Pal, Kelle. Even though the edges were a little wonky, she said she liked it. I'm kinda proud of myself ...I actually made something :-)

Fiber Boobage Continued

Yes, ladies & gentleman, it's a boob hat. And yes, that is my hubby, Breast Man. I made hats for hubby, my BIL's & FIL this Christmas & they were a hit. You'll notice all of the men have their tongues hanging out...they were all trying to lick the boob hat (although I have to admit that may have been my fault. I gave it to him with a tag that read "Got Milk?") And, once again, hubby is stroking the fiber nipple.

My Husband the Breast Man

OK, so I know it's little bit past Christmas but I just came across this pic of one of hubby's Christmas gifts tonight. My wonderful husband has this thing for boobs. Big, small, droopy, perky - he likes them all (well, I think he'd rather go with the bigguns if given the choice but really, to him, a boob is a boob is a boob). So, for those times when my boobs & I could not be there for him, I made him the next best thing....something to rest his lil head on. I give you.....the Boobie Pillow. Please note that his finger is ever so gracefully stroking the nipple. I love my hubby, the manpig.

Crochetville Secret Pal-REVEALED

I had the BEST time w/this whole Secret Pal thing over @ Crochetville. Courtney AKA xmaystarx had me -I got the greatest things from her .... notice the pack of knitting needles is missing a pair-that's because I started using them right away. She was a great Secret Pal-it's funny how a simple thing like a little ecard from someone you don't know can make your day. Courtney, thank you so much!

Modular Knitting

Been working to teach myself modular knitting. I apparently am either a lousy student or a lousy teacher because I suck at it. I signed up for a class @ AC Moore (same woman that taught my basic knitting class there last month) and I'm hopeful I'll be able to make something....anything. I just got Modular Knits and it's an awesome book. The only problem I've got with it is that there's no stitch guide in it. I'm still working on increasing & I wish the book had a little tutorial on that since increasing & decreasing are pretty integral parts of modular knitting. I'll eventually get it. I hope.

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ATC Along on Craftster

I've been following this Craftalong - totally lurking of course. Some of the entries are just amazing I'm biased, of course - my cousin is one of them & I love her last entry. Check out the post by NightOwl on page 6 of the thread.

ATC Along

Go Go Go Granny Go

On the way up to Canada this past summer, I worked on a Granny Square. It evolved from a dishcloth, to a 12" square to a blanket. I finally finished it a few weeks (and for those of you that didn't know - our trip to Canada was in July. It only took me 7 1/2 months to finish what's generally considered to be the easiest blanket in the world to crochet). The neat thing about this one is that it's made entirely from cotton. It's going to be perfect for the summer I think - just something to toss on when taking a nap on the couch. I'm digging the pastels in it, too, even though it totally clashes with everything. I really like how it turned out.