Wintry Mix

That's what we had all last week. Snow, sleet, freezing rain and a couple of snow days thrown in for good measure. The latter, which often induce cabin fever and general bugging out, were actually two very nice days with Maudie. Once the novelty of tv wore off, we cozied up on the couch, knitting and taking turns reading to one another. She is hard at work on her strip for the blanket, and I am working on a Juliet for her.



This photo is from my friend Jane in Chicago, who has made a kind of long-term installment/photo project with several mannequins. I thought they were gone, but she sent me this gorgeous photo of her newest model, and that granny-square scarf caught my eye. She told me she's granny-square mad, and can't stop making them -- and has been crocheting granny-square belts out of embroidery thread! That is some serious granny-square dedication, and I can't wait to see them.

Also, I've decided what to do with all that Manos. I'm donating it to the Mother Bear Project, which provides hand-knitted teddy bears to children with lives affected by HIV/AIDS in emerging nations. I realized that it would just languish here (with a lot of other languishing yarn) so off it goes.

My Circle of Friends

I think maybe the world is getting smaller. This occurred to me the other day when I saw Sylvester Stallone on The View. He was totally pumped, sitting between Barbara Walters and Joy Behar, talking up the new Rambo movie. He's smart and funny, but there just seemed to be a disconnect. Or just an odd mix of people. Maybe it's just me. I prefer Rocky to Rambo anyway, and really only the first Rocky at that.

Then yesterday, I took Maudie and her friend to Hot Topic at the mall, where you can buy a Ramones t-shirt and a Sex Pistols t-shirt and a plethora of t-shirts with other images, old and new. Looking at Sid Vicious over the bobby-pinned heads of two 11 year old girls kinda felt like I had just passed myself in a narrow hallway. But the girls weren't interested; they wanted Save the Planet and Hello Kitty. Bollocks.

Sid, Rocky, Sly, Dee Dee, Hello Kitty -- it's all okay with me. Old friends who, wierdly, turned up in the same 24 hour period.



I got started on the first strip of the Circle of Friends baby blanket from LMKG last week. It's row upon row of lovely garter stitch, which is just right for showing off the neat squares of color. We've got six knitters lined up, three of whom are kids, to crank it out by the end of February. It's seven colorways of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. We recently replaced a caramel color with a cotton candy pink, since the recipient is most definitely a girl.

This is definitely tv knitting, so tonight I'll start the second strip, act my age and watch the next Jane Austen on "Masterpiece".

Manos Madness!!!

The thing I love about knitting is that all knitters, known and unknown, are friends. Once we find each other, the connection is instant. You can have a new best friend three sentences into a conversation. I think that Ravelry - in my opinion, the greatest thing since sliced bread, demonstrates this phenomenon.

Yesterday I received a box containing 22 skeins of black Manos del Uruguay, all wound neatly into cakes, with the ball bands neatly tucked in each one. My mother's friend Muriel has had this yarn for who knows how long, offered it to my mother, and when she didn't want it, suggested she send it on to me. If she had sent me a box of money I would not be happier than I am with this lovely and unexpected gift!



What will I do with this windfall? The mind reels. The possibilities seem endless...an enormous black afghan? Several felted bags? How about a giant felted dog bed for Snuffy? Matching sweaters for my tweens? Our boy would like it, our girl might deem it too emo.

But, before all that, I've got a few UFOs that are crying for attention. To that end, I entered this contest to spur me along. I've got a Clapotis, a Wicked and a felted kitty toy (don't ask) to choose from.

Oh, and no pajama sightings this week.

First FO of 2008!

Is this Bainbridge Scarf, a belated Christmas present for my mother. I can't say enough about this pattern; it's ingenious, looks fabulous and way cool all at once. I'd like to make another, but I almost never make the same thing twice. My only mods to the pattern: I couldn't bring myself to do the ties in seed stitch, so they're just garter. Seed stitch is such a condundrum -- I love the way it looks, but I really can't handle all that switching. I want to lay down just thinking of it. I have the utmost respect for Debbie Bliss -- how does she do all that seed stitch? Anyway, it's Colinette Jitterbug in Oyster Blush, held double on 6 needles.



Having recently destashed a few dust-gatherers, my stash was looking a little thin. I was surprised and delighted to receive two fabulous yarns for Christmas: Sundara Sport Merino in Meridian, complete with the Tatami pattern, and Noro's Cashmere Island, colorway 10. I don't know what either of these will become, but right now I just sit staring at them, which is weirdly satisfying.



I did have a few pajamas-in-public spottings over the holidays, two in airports, one in a Starbucks, although that was a toddler, so it doesn't count. The latest was actually today at the post office. This woman was wearing Pittsburgh Steelers PJs, which makes me think maybe she's still asleep.

Peace, Love & Snuffy

Yesterday I saw a woman in her pajamas at the grocery store. Yes, it was before 9am. Yes, they were those flannel pants that in my family we refer to as "house pants" or even "lounge pants," but she had clearly slept in them. I remember my grandfather wouldn't have been caught dead without his hat in public. He put on a tie to go to the bank. I can only imagine his response to the pajamas.

This seems to me the height of holiday stress. Was this poor woman made so insane by all her Christmas preparations that she was too busy to get dressed? She stood up from her bed, and blind with purpose went directly to the grocery store? She must have taken at least the time to pee. I don't know. It was also just kinda gross, to see someone in slept-in pajamas in the produce section, so close to the tomatoes that might end up on your Christmas salad.

Anyway, I'm sorry for her. Christmas does tend to make us all crazy, but let's not go into that right now. Right about now, everyone's thinking of presents, given and gotten.



So here he is, our Christmas present to ourselves, Snuffy. Formerly of the junkyard, then the humane society, and currently residing in our kitchen. We were so taken with his enormous head, five o'clock shadow and wimpy demeanor we had to have him. Is he a Christmas Puppy? Technically, but he won't be jumping out of a box on Christmas morning with big red bow tied around his neck.

The thing is, we love him and he loves us. When I bend down to hug him, he frequently nips at my ear. What middle-aged woman could resist that? He will curl himself into anyone's lap at a moment's notice. Timmy has taken to calling him Junior. Love, love and more love.

So, whether you do or don't celebrate Christmas, peace and joy to you.

Scarf It Up

There are lots of questions that come with knitting. What yarn? What gauge? Will it fit? Will it itch? And the bigger questions, the ones that come with the merest whiff of existential malaise -- what the hell am I sitting here knitting for? What am I doing with my life? Why does my obsession/compulsion/addiction manifest itself in just this particular way? Why do I continue to knit, when I have sprained my thumb, and now have what I suspect is Knitter's Elbow?

Anyway, my question is this: Why, at this stage in the knitting game, have I become consumed with scarves? Because I really never knit any scarves at all -- except for a red and black striped one for my stepson (because he asked) and one for my daughter -- straight garter stitch (because she asked). All last year it was sweaters, blankets, lace patterns, even socks, which really aren't my thing. The best answer I can come up with is this: Holiday Knitting.


It all started with the Huckleberry Ascot, which was really a love at first sight thing -- I HAD to have the yarn, and I HAD to knit it immediately. It went fast. I learned how to make bobbles. I learned that I love alpaca. Specifically, 2 hanks Blue Sky Alpacas Melange in colorway 812 - Blue Cheese.

I finished and began the Child's Rainbow Scarf from LMKG. I bought the Kureyon for that, what, like five years ago? Now, I'm busily finishing the Rustic Scarf, also from LMKG, thriftily knit with Cascade 220, from stash. All Christmas gifts. So.

I had high hopes this year for a Christmas Cobblestone, a Wicked for my daughter, but it's not to be. I could do what my mother did one year: she wrapped up the sweater kit and gave it to my bemused father Christmas morning. Bemused, because he probably knew that 30 years later, the kit would still be a kit. And it is.

So, this year, scarves it is.

Ni hao!! (or, Trick or Treat!)

Well, Casty is officially dead and gone. I now have a brace for the next three or so weeks. It's not so bad, and I get to hang out with a chatty, friendly physical therapist, who massages my hand and uses this nifty little ultrasound thingy to relieve inflammation and pain. Heaven! I can knit with brace, and will attempt a little swatch later this afternoon.

Halloween came and went, and came again. Here in our little borough, for reasons still not clear to me, the kids trick-or-treat the week before Halloween. So Halloween itself is something of an anti-climax because it's just another day, except it is Halloween, except there aren't trick or treaters here, just everywhere else. This year I was really on top of the candy situation, actually shopped a day early!! I went to Sam's and got dum-dum lollipops, and also some super-cute Halloween gummies. No chocolate, so we adults wouldn't have the opportunity for late night gorging. Perfect, right?


As I emptied them into the big bowl, I looked at the back of the package only to discover that the candy is made in China! Normally, I wouldn't think twice, but I couldn't help but wonder about certain additives that might have fallen into the gummy soup. Anti-freeze came to mind. As my husband would say "Is this a problem or an inconvenience?" Hmmm. We did a taste test with the kids (Ninja and Fanta Girl), agreed that they were a little funky, but all in all pretty good. And wouldn't you know those gummies went like hotcakes!

So, happy belated Halloween and there will be actual knitting content in the very near future.