I Got Another Mention!
I got another mention in the Janet Reid Literary Contest, this time for
Outstanding Achievement in Minimalism. The words to be included in the 100-words-or-less missive were:
- dauntless
- abnegation
- amity
- candor
- erudite
The contest details are
here, my noted entry
here.
It always helps to know what the words actually mean. (I swear, these are from the GRE list, aren't they?)
Whoo-hoo!
Well, that's it for me today, I'm over the river and through the woods for the Christmas Makeup Visit. See you laters.
Labels: writing, Xmas
Happy Holidays and an Update
Ah, if only there really were a Santa. If there were, I could reasonably expect to find a brand-new MacBook Pro with all the software upgrades sitting under my cat tree on Christmas morning (the cat tree being the only tree available in the house at the moment). But as I've been told since achieving adulthood, Santa is a marketing myth created by Coca-Cola, and unless I have:
- a well-off significant other
- a well-off parent
- well-off friends with extreme generosity
- a flourishing bank account and the selfishness to spend it all on myself
there is no reason to expect the arrival of said MBP on Saturday.
That said, the G5 is still in the Mac Hospital and I'm typing this on my geriatric (but greatly appreciated) G4 laptop that is still running OSX Panther. Hey. At least I'm internetically connected. I'll take that at this point.
Without boring you with too many details, the problem in the G5 seems to be related not to the RAM itself but to the MuthaBoard. We are hoping this is wrong. We are hoping that the fact that the brand-new RAM failed upon installation is, in fact, a bizarre fluke wrought by that fiendish Mercury Retrograde, which is known to wreak havoc upon communication, electronic devices, and travel and is with us until the 30th.
(The effects actually last a few days longer, meaning if you can avoid traveling, communicating, signing contracts or buying expensive jewelry and electronics until January 5th, you'll be much happier with the results. Now is a good time to research and finish up old business. I took a chance that "replacing RAM" would be "old business", not "repairing expensive equipment", since I'm swapping out one module for another rather than
adding more. I'm still counting on that twist to work in my favor.)
So. The laptop is keeping me connected, and I've survived my Farm Games Intervention (can't play, the OS isn't high enough to handle the most recent Flash Player upgrade). I
can upgrade the OS on the laptop, but... I'm trying to hold off until the 5th. Just to be on the safe side. At this point, if it ain't broke and still works sorta, might as well not touch it.
This is an historic holiday for me. It's the fifth year sans parents. But that's not the historic part.
It's the first time in my entire life history that Christmas has been canceled.
The Niece At Whose House The Festivities Occur contracted The Purge courtesy of her little germ magnets. The whole family was brought down by the beast, apparently, but N@WHTFO had it affect her breathing (asthma), and spent Monday evening in the ER. It was touch and go for a while as far as whether there would be a Christmas—she's "fine", it's "just" the flu which IHHO was far better than what she'd anticipated (pneumonia)—but due to the fact that neither I nor my other niece and her husband are protected against The Purge, having avoided flu shots at all costs, and the fact that N@WHTFO doesn't feel up to it, we're postponing.
Until mid-January. And weather in SW PA dependent, that may be moved up to Easter.
So I am, for the first time EVER, spending the most important, biggest, family-centric holiday of the year...
Alone.
Without pwesents.
And you know what? It's OK. In fact, it feels like it's something I
need to experience. (And it's not like I'm missing out; I was told that Sister, who lives next door to N@WHTFO, isn't even going over there. The plan is that Sister will drop off a load of scalloped potatoes on N@WHTFO's front porch, and N@WHTFO will shove a plate of ham out the front door. While both hold their breath and turn their faces away. Yeah, I think I'll be OK missing that.)
If you've been hovering around this blog for any length of time, you're aware of my ambiguity when it comes to holidays and the remaining family members. It's gotten better; still, I feel like I'm being given the chance to really see what this holiday means to ME, without all the distractions of family and good cheer. I've never taken the opportunity to do that. I've always accepted the defaults, going where Mom and Dad decided we were going, participating in the required/expected activities. This is my chance to test their validity for MY life.
Which is why, although several dear friends have offered to take me in this Christmas and invited me to join in their festivities, I've opted out. I'm grateful that they care enough to open their hearts and homes to me; yet, something inside says, "this would be yet another distraction". There's also the possibility that bearing second-hand witness to their celebration may hurt more than help. It can be hard to watch everyone else having fun as planned, when you're sort of an add-on. Even a welcome one.
Besides. I'll have the warmth of that $168 million dollar lottery jackpot win to keep me warm. (I have my ticket for tomorrow night, and I've already planned to win the Christmas Eve draw. Merry Christmas to me.)
So I send you all my most heartfelt Christmas wishes for a wonderful holiday with your families and friends, and I'll catch up with you in the brand-spankin' new year if not before.
Peace out. :-)
Labels: breaking news, family time, Xmas
Thanksgiving Is Almost Here
That means the mass-commercial gift-giving holiday is a month away.
Better get knitting on my Barbie dresses. I have one done except for the bind off, straps and weaving in ends. I have another on the needles. I have concepts for a bazillion of them. I even went out and bought a fit model at Big Lots.
(Yes. I'm 47 years old and I just bought a Barbie. Funny thing is, I don't even LIKE Barbies. Never did. Give me the Johnny West plastic horses over Barbie and her bazoombas any day.)
But first, I have to get my NaNoWriMo done. I trashed the first story—it's archived, all 4,000 words, but I wasn't feeling it. Yesterday, I started over.
I must like it, because I typed 7,089 words in one day. Only 42,911 to go.
Labels: nanowrimo, Xmas
Cutest Kid's Sweater Ever
Is this not the most adorable little sweater* you've ever seen?
It's
CAITLIN from KnitWhits. I saw it today and I absolutely MUST knit this for my grand-nieces. One for each. Different colors.
*Photo borrowed from KnitWhitsTrouble is, which colors? I doubt I'll use the recommended yarn (Gems Sport Weight) because the yarn requirements (three colors, around 900-1200 yards) makes it a bit pricey for something that will be the recipient of barf, boogers and bodily fluids. So that may or may not limit my choices.
I do like Encore, and they make a DK weight, but I'm looking for more color selection than they currently offer. I'm not ready to cast on just yet, so there is time to research my options. Since the sweaters are intended for toddlers, perhaps this occasion calls for the wonders of Ack. That's right. Ack-crylic. Because SimplySoft comes in a lot of nice colors and it's washable.
Because I'm crazy like that, and I have PhotoShop and know how to use it (ha ha), I played with the color options and came up with this:
Row 1, L to R1-1 original scheme, rose/pink/teal
1-2 original reversed (the rose should match the darker pink in the original)
1-3 rose/pink/green #1
1-4 rose/pink/green #2 (reversed)
Row 22-1 baby blues/pink
2-2 baby blues/rose
2-3 lilac/green #1
2-4 lilac/green #2 (reversed)
Row 3 The Xmas Combos! 3-1 red/green/canary
3-2 green/canary/red
3-3 red/greens
3-4 white/red/green
Row 44-1 baby blues/pale yellow
4-2 teals/cream
4-3 teals/violet
Row 55-1 violet/lilac/red
5-2 teal/gold/red
Keep in mind niece LU is of Chinese descent whereas niece KU is fair, blonde, and blue-eyed. I haven't decided whether I'm going for Xmas sweaters or sweaters in general. If I go Xmas, I'm leaning towards Xmas 3-3 for LU and 3-4 for KU. Otherwise... I'm kind of loving the lilac/green combos 2-3 and 2-4 and reversing them might mean more economical usage of yarn and the whole alike but different theory; OR... for KU (the blonde), either 4-1 or 4-2 but with cream instead of pale yellow (maybe? or is the pale yellow OK? keep it from being too boyish?) and for LU 4-3.
LU looks good in strong colors like red, yellow, purple and black. Somehow I can see 4-3 looking really good on her.
****brief pause****
And... I had another inspiration, checked the color cards again, found that Gems comes in Cherry Red and Shamrock (which might look better than Bright Red and Fern Green) and did these:
For LU:
For KU (blonde):
Then again, they might be too close in color for a harried, hurried Mom to be able to tell the difference when getting the kids dressed in the morning. Maybe I'd (she'd) be better off if I made them drastically different. In which case, I think it'll be...
For LU:
For KU:
Don't you just love it when I think out loud? ;-)
The Truth EmergesCome to think of it... maybe what this is really all about is that I just really want to make it for myself. Except it doesn't come in big people sizes. *pout*
Anyway, CUTE SWEATER. Love the color change cables and the vest effect. Really, really cute. (I'd make mine longer, though, like suit length so it would be less boxy on me. And I think I'd go with some sort of wine/tan combo, or maybe the lilac/green...)
Maybe like this? (Cloning feature, how I love thee...)
Labels: Caitlin, Christmas knitting, colorwork, Xmas
Post-Holiday Wrap Up
All right, so I wound up going to visit the family after all.
It wasn't so bad.
In fact, it was far less eventful than I'd anticipated. The visit, that is. Getting there? A tad more eventful. No, everything is OK. But I was supposed to leave Sunday. I wasn't done wrapping. My car's windshield wipers went wonky again like they did on the trip to Omaha. The low tire light came on. We had severe high wind warnings. I postponed the trip until Monday.
Around 4 AM, I noticed an odd smell in the house. It was coming from the ceiling vents. Imagine opening up a brand-new vinyl shower curtain then heating it up. That's what it smelled like. It was enough to cause a mini-migraine.
I didn't get much sleep waiting for morning to arrive. The HVAC guy came quickly. After inspecting the furnace and crawling around in the attic, he vacuumed the unit and suggested I replace the filters (he was out of my size). He also took the optional air cleaner units away to be soaked (they were installed to help my mother's asthma).
Apparently furnace filters need to be replaced more often than once every three years or so.
I went to the hardware store on Christmas Eve day to buy furnace filters. Oh, joy.
Despite assurance that it was nothing more than that, I was somewhat uneasy about leaving, fearing I'd return to a smoldering pile of rubble where my house once stood. I decided that as long as my answering machine picked up, it meant the house was OK.
Around Columbus, I stopped for a burger and called my house.
No answer.
Ring ring ring ring ring.
Panic? Who me?
The friend caring for the cats had just gotten home from work. I called her. She drove right over there. House was OK.
Remember the answering machine malfunction from about two months ago?
Yup. It did it AGAIN. I swear. That thing is only a year old. (Today it was replaced with an all-in-one corded phone with answering device. From another company.)
My friend, whose nose is much more acute than mine, took a good whiff and said it smelled like old burning dust, not the scent of a potential electrical fire (which she'd had experience with in her lifetime). I relaxed and went on my way.
The house is fine. The smell is gone. All five felines are quite well, thanks. Just so you know.
The actual visit was fine, too. I'd neglected to factor in the Small Children Under Three aspect. Here I was basing my fears and trepidations on past experiences when it was just the adults with plenty of time to sit around drinking and grilling each other. Now there are toddlers. They take up the entire spotlight. Nobody focuses on anyone else's problems anymore because they are too busy trying to keep little hands off of dangerous things, and all the other stuff that goes along with that. What blessed relief!
It was also a startling relief to be at my sister's new house, because there were absolutely no associations to my parents this Christmas and therefore no overwhelming moments of sadness (no triggers). My parents never saw that house, never went to the niece's for the festivities—it was completely new except for the people involved.
I wasn't exactly brimming with Christmas Spirit, but I wasn't bah humbug either. I was, however, very glad to drive up and find my house exactly as I'd left it.
The trip made me realize a lot of things.
First of all, I'm not prepared to be responsible for a house like this. Dad took care of things so well that I never learned about things like where the main water shut off is, why furnaces smell like that, and so on. (You know how they teach Singles Survival in high school—how to read a lease, write checks, cook dinner? They should teach basic home maintenance and emergency preparedness, car care, and financial advice, too.) I have no idea what needs to be done to winterize the house, or spring maintenance, or how long a water heater lasts, or if I have to go down into the crawl space for any reason *shudder* and if so, what to look for and if not, who to call to do that. (And I'm a Kollidge Gradooit.)
Secondly, if I were away and an emergency arose at home, I am lost. I know my friend would whisk the cats to safety if she suspected danger, but... the cat carriers aren't accessible at night, she doesn't know where they are. I couldn't tell her where to find this or that paper (I know where it is, but it's not "filed"). There are certain things that can be duplicated while in existence but not replaced—right now, if the house... well, it would all be gone. My life. In a heartbeat.
I realized that I am paying for a storage unit. In that unit are things that I will "deal with later". The irony is that all of that stuff would be safe. The important stuff would be gone. Somehow that doesn't seem logical to me.
I realized that I need to prioritize differently. I need to prioritize getting this house in order, making sure the irreplaceable things are duplicated and the second set in a secure spot (at another location). I need to learn about seasonal and regular maintenance. I need to make some sort of loose plan. I need to put important things in writing (such as, in the event of the worst case scenario, here are my wishes for my cats, and so on).
I need to stop living my life on hold and in a holding pattern.
This was especially emphasized upon arrival at my sister's. I thought I'd be entering a nice new calm environment.
It was box central. It was JUST like the environment I'd just left a few hours ago. OK, I cut her some slack, she just moved in, but... I also know her. She's worse than me when it comes to procrastination. I predict, and really hope I'm wrong, that when I go for Xmas 2013, it will look pretty much the same. Cluttered, half-empty boxes stacked precariously everywhere, no place to sit... chaos. (At least I have entire rooms that are chaos-free.)
I also got a good look at personality traits I want to change. Am changing. Have changed, in some respects. The prevalent traits exhibited through their conversations are skepticism, victimization, and inferiority complexes. Skepticism: "Yeah, right, like that's ever gonna happen". Victimization: "We have no control over what happens—we can try to change it but it's mostly luck". Inferiority: "Forget it, because you don't have the right _______ (amount of money, talent, skill, age, weight, height, or other limitation) to make it happen".
There was one incident that underscored this. The day after, I was shopping at a deep discount store (it's a tradition) with the girls (the nieces who are close to my age) and one of their husbands before we all departed. One of my nieces is a very big girl—she's a 3X—and has been unsuccessful at losing any weight. The other was practically anorexic on her wedding day but has since been in a terrible car accident some years ago (that left her with nerve damage and back problems), produced a child, had a hysterectomy and has gained some weight over the past year. I'm heavier than I'd like to be, but I know I can change it.
I'd been in another department and found the girls exploring last summer's swimsuits. Big niece was looking through the one-pieces hoping to find one for her trip to Florida. Smaller niece was being helpful, pulling suits for Big Niece. I spied some two-pieces. As I reached for one, Smaller Niece looked up and said condescendingly, "Oh, Jeanne—*chuckle*—I think our days of bikinis are over, don't you? I doubt you can even get into a bikini anymore."
It didn't even bother me. I replied "Maybe for now, but I fully intend to be back in a bikini again." (Law of Attraction! At the same time, my brain said
won't she be surprised next year when she sees how skinny I am then?)She snorted and said "Good luck with that."
I said sincerely, "Thank you!" and smiled. And thought,
how sad for them that they think that way.Dead silence from the crew.
They had no idea how to respond to my unexpected reaction. They were expecting me to get defensive, or blast them, or some other reaction like I might've in the past.
I noticed how uncomfortable they were becoming. I let them stew for a bit, then diffused the situation with a joke (though I didn't
mean it because I didn't
believe it). I said "I can fit into a bikini... but I never said it would look good, ha ha".
I could get angry and say "what a bitch!" But I won't. Instead, I feel sad for her. Obviously she's very self-conscious about gaining weight, and is worried that she'll be as "powerless" to stop it as her sister (the Bigger Niece) has been. I'm sad because I know that BOTH of them have all the power within them to change anything about their lives that they dislike—but they don't know it—and even more sad, they are unwilling to see it or believe that it's possible. Their counter intentions are so firmly locked in.
Maybe when I've been blatantly and visibly successful at altering my own life, it'll serve as evidence to them of the possibilities in life, and maybe then they'll discover for themselves what I'm learning now. I know I could tell them, but it would fall on deaf ears. They need to SEE proof, not just hear about it. When I have visible results, I'll have the credibility they need, then they'll believe it.
Then, perhaps, they'll be inspired to try it for themselves.
Labels: family time, holidaze, Law of Attraction, musings, positive thinking, Xmas
The Day Before the Day Before Christmas
...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...
Except for maybe the CatMom who still has a batch of cookies to bake, presents to wrap, laundry to fold, overnight bag to pack, and gifts to knit (!) before she can finally say....
moar
funny picturesLabels: holidaze, Xmas
The Point of Christmas
Christmas was my Dad's favorite holiday. He was the one who put up the tree, lit up the house and made sure everyone was happy. He played Santa. He carefully purchased and wrapped all of the presents. He encouraged us to attend Christmas Eve services and he loved the carols and hymns. He was more interested in giving and seeing everyone's faces light up than he was in receiving. He would repeatedly say "All I want for Christmas is for everyone to be happy."
Mother insisted upon gathering everyone together on Thanksgiving and Christmas--she placed such importance on gathering that anyone who couldn't make it felt terribly guilty (even if the reasons were valid). She was the glue that held this family together. Going to my sister's for Christmas was mandatory; coming to their house for Thanksgiving was mandatory. Visiting for Easter was sort of mandatory but not as important.
They're both gone now. They both left this mortal coil in 2006. The first set of holidays without them was surreal—there had been holidays when someone was absent; there were a couple of times I went to my sister's by myself, so it wasn't completely new.
This year is different.
This year, it's real.
This year, it's not a fluke that we aren't all together, it's not a fluke that my parents aren't with us. It's reality. They are gone. For this and every other holiday in the future, in the next 40 or so years I hopefully have left on this planet, my parents will
not be a part of the festivities.
Ever.
This year, it's sinking in.
Thanksgiving isn't as difficult because it is one day, it is about food, it is more flexible. Spending it with friends is nice.
Christmas, on the other hand, is torture.
Christmas is a holiday for which most people spend an entire month gearing up (some spend the entire year), on which enormous emphasis is placed, and bears overwhelming ramifications in the emotional/mental realms. It carries extraordinary significance. One can choose to "ignore" Valentine's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving and New Year's, but one cannot get away from Christmas.
Christmas is just plain everywhere. Every advertisement has a red and green happy jolly theme. It's Happy Honduh Days. Santa's image is plastered all over the place (shouldn't it be Jesus?). Radio stations switch formats for the month. Any store you enter has Xmas Muzak blasting through the halls. Christmas just oozes out of the woodwork onto the streets and into your face.
There is no such thing as Thanksgiving music. Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day are billed as BBQ party fests. Those holidays are also distinctly American. Halloween is a fun kids holiday with orange and black. Valentine's Day is for lovers. New Year's is basically a booze fest, an excuse to buy a new calendar, and a day to resolve to make changes that are promptly forgotten about the other 364 days.
But Christmas... it's for the WORLD. (Yes, there is Hannukah, Kwanzaa and other religious fests occurring simultaneously, hence the "ban the HO" and the "Holiday/Family Tree" controversy, but we all know that the common assumption is that this is, was and always will be viewed as "Christmas" Season.) They light trees in Russia. Children in Australia look forward to Santa's arrival as eagerly as children in Bulgaria, the US, China, you name it. Churches celebrate the birth of Jesus globally. Everywhere, all around this planet, the perspective is family, religion, happiness, togetherness, kids, presents.
I can't seem to get away from it. The general feeling is if you opt not to put up a tree, lights or other display, then you are Bah Humbug and Something Is Wrong With You (unless you can claim religious differences).
Well, I'm not Bah Humbug. I still love Christmas. I just can't bear to celebrate it again. Yet. It's too connected with my parents. I see a tree in a window lit with a certain color combination of lights, and it slices into my heart because it reminds me of Dad's trees. I enter a store, I hear "Silver Bells" (my grandma's favorite carol) and I silently say to the Universe, "are ya trying to kill me?" and I have to go down an empty aisle and refocus until the tears that automatically sprung to my eyes have abated. Or "I'll Be Home For Christmas" or "Home for the Holidays"—which of course they never will be again. I can't watch commercials because they promote the familyness of it all, the sappy, saccharine sentimentality of homecoming and togetherness. And it just plain hurts like hell to realize that it has been lost to me forever. Christmas as I know it, knew it for 42 years, is gone. Over.
What nobody ever bothers to tell you is that losing your parents (or husband or kid or anyone else of significance) isn't just something that happens one day and then you get three days off for grieving and it's over with. Nobody ever tells you that losing your parents (or etc) is EVERY DAY. Nobody warns you that it will spring up unannounced in the most unexpected places at the most inopportune times. They die, you live, and you live with the changes in every activity, every thought, every holiday, every event, every moment in time because it is completely different. Unless of course you weren't close to them like I was.
Maybe those people are luckier. It's hard to say; because what I've had and lost, they've never had the chance to experience and maybe they missed out.
Whatever. My bond with mine was so strong that it permeated every aspect of my life, and life without them is tantamount to having lost a couple of limbs. It hurts. Far deeper and far more significantly than I ever imagined it would.
This year, because of the residual feelings and underlying resentments that developed during my parents' illnesses and following their deaths and the estate nonsense, the idea of gathering feels uncomfortable to me. The anticipation of warmth in the embrace of my loved ones is absent. Instead, I suspect tension and treading eggshells would be the primary atmosphere, coupled with watching words and carefully avoiding certain subjects. I ask you: would you want to attend a festivity which would require being on guard the entire time?
It doesn't help that my sister has moved (finally). Even the familiarity of going over the river and through the woods to my sister's old farmhouse in rural PA is gone. Now, the festivities are held at her younger daughter's house and includes grandchildren. There is no transitional bleedover. There was the time period of Christmas at the old farmhouse with me, sister, parents, and sister's daughters/hubbys, then Christmas in the nursing home in 2005, then Christmas at the younger niece's house with brand new grandchildren and no parents. It's that distinct, the break. My parents never got to spend even one holiday with their great-grandkids.
This year, I have no inclination to buy gifts. This year, because of the overwhelming amount of "stuff" I've been saddled with, I have no interest in obtaining MORE stuff, especially—no offense—stuff purchased by people who only sort of know me (therefore its usefulness to my life is questionable and since I only have room for incoming stuff of vital importance...) This year, we (meaning my remaining family members and myself) are all in that financial limbo before the floodgates open (my sister and I) or are flat broke due to circumstances and/or poor choices (my sister and her daughters)—so why "waste" money on gifts for each other?
Ah, to meet expectations. But... whose expectations? Mine? Theirs? Real or imagined?
This year, it seems pointless to me somehow to celebrate Christmas. Christmas in the sense of commercialism and family gatherings seems pointless without my parents' presence. I think I did it for them and because of them. I wonder if maybe we all did. I wonder if left to our own devices, to make our own choices, to opt out, if we would opt out? If we didn't feel this sense of obligation to our parents' expectations and wishes, would we even bother?
I think that for me, the best thing would be to ignore the commercialism. Bypass the expectations of gifts, of enforced family togetherness, of creating That Perfect Holiday. Refocus my vision on the true meaning of Christmas, the one that gets lost in the materialistic spendfest: the birth of a Saviour, the gratitude for all of the blessings we have received and are about to receive, and the promise of Peace On Earth, Goodwill Toward Men. Celebrate quietly, go to church for a change, and bask in my thankfulness for all that I have and in the glory of God.
Maybe I will find there a renewed sense of spirit, and maybe someday I will once again feel that anticipation. Maybe one day I will be blessed with the presence of someone special in my life again, and be able to build my own family and rediscover a reason to celebrate. Maybe not this year, but someday in the future, I'll be able to look at a tree that is lit with a certain color combination and smile... and remember my Dad's trees with happiness and gratitude and without immediate tears, and to realize that giving myself over to the Christmas celebration DOES have a point, even in the absence of my parents or the family that they left behind.
May you all experience much joy and be blessed during this holiday season. Love your family and say a prayer of thanks if those you love deepest are still among you and able to be with you. Remember that it's not about the gifts, or the tree, or how clean or well-decorated the house is: it's about love in its purest, most profound form and about exalting that love.
That's what I'm doing. As best as I can, I'm doing it.
Labels: family time, holidaze, musings, Xmas
Relocation Complete
OK, this part is for anyone who is interested in continuing to read about my personal dramas. If so, please email me at jrberry63 AT woh DOT rr DOT com to receive URL and password info.
The rest of you, keep watching for knitting content. I promise there will be some. In fact, I'm happy to report that there was plenty of knitting this weekend. I worked on the 2006 Christmas Scarves (yes, that's not a typo), the Nancy Bush Traveller's Socks, and the Waving Lace Socks.
I finished Sock #1 of Waving Lace. Ends woven in, toe kitchenered. All I gots ta do is wash and block. Oh, and knit Sock #2.
As for the Travellers, I noticed a big gauge discrepancy between them and the Waving Laces. The Wavings were knit on size #1 Crystal Palace DPNs. The Travellers were cast on to size #0 Addis. The Travellers were at least 2 inches wider than the Wavings, which actually fit.
I decided to swatch (OMG, stop the presses) AND (sit down) wash/block the swatches.
It appears that I need to do these on size #000. Or whatever those teensy tiny blue Susan Bates hypodermic needle-type DPNs are that I scavenged from my needle stash.
Good grief.
In other news, Friday afternoon was lovely, and I finally spent some time playing with my horse. I even rode around bareback for awhile. It was good.
Labels: breaking news, FOs, the big secret, WIP, Xmas
Merry Knitmas!
It was a rather uneventful and brief trip to visit the PA relatives. I met my other Great Niece for the first time. My niece (Allergic One) and her DH had tried fertility treatments for years to unsuccessfully conceive, then opted to adopt a girl from China. LL came home in October 2005. Two weeks later, my niece discovered she was five weeks pregnant. KU appeared in July 2006. So my niece and her DH have two children under the age of two. I feel for them. ;-) KU accompanied niece to Mother's funeral because she was still on the nipple. LL stayed home with Daddy because she was "a handful". So this was my first occasion to meet LL. Quite a precocious, smart, engaging child. Still not enough to put the long-dead batteries back into my biological clock, though, LOL.
I'm taking a much-deserved and much-needed break from knitting after the Hellidaze/Knitmare Before Christmas I experienced. On top of knitting abuse, I managed to whangle my other hand yesterday. Don't ask me how this happened. All I know is, as I was exiting the car at yet another rest area, my arm spazzed and threw my left hand into the latch part on the car—the thingie the door hooks into. I'm now sportin' yet another bruise and a big bump and pain. *SIGH* The things I do to myself. Are they sure about my birthdate? I mean, I've had enough mishaps to qualify to be a Saggitarius rather than the Cancerian homebody that they tell me I am. Anyway, I expect to resume knitting in a day or so, because of the two remaining gifts I need to get ready for friends.
In gifting news:Two of the five knit recipients were absent. The other three gifts were well-received. Allergic One didn't seem to notice the presence of 25% wool in her scarf and was quite taken with the design and the fact that it doesn't need to be tied (since it's made that way). Her DH appreciated the half-scarf he got, and Sister's sock fit perfectly. Hopefully I can make another one just like it. She said she hadn't been expecting one with such an intricate design ("Monkey"). I guess she would have been thrilled with a one-day stockinette jobbie. Oh, well. Live and learn!
And last but not least, what I got:
BOOK STASH ENHANCEMENT!!!Sister is a former knitter. Apparently she understands my needs. In lieu of clothes, I requested that everyone "please visit my Amazon WishList". My library now includes:
- Vogue Stitchionary Volume 1: Knit & Purl
- Vogue Stitchionary Volume 2: Cables
- EZ's Knitter's Almanac
- Designing Knitwear (Deborah Newton)
- Fair Isle Sweaters Simplified (Ann & Eugene Bourgeios of Philosopher's Wool)
- Color in Spinning (Deb Menz)
The kitties got a tub of the Nip. Now that's what I call the highest form of enabling (on all fronts)!
Self-gifting:Of course, I gifted myself a bit more, since I'll be on the Yarn Diet and all in four days. I've decided I need to go on a Book Diet too, because I am weak when I enter a bookstore. Leaving without at least a magazine is nearly impossible for me. I keep Amazon.com in business. Therefore, I declare an addition to my rules:
- I can buy a subscription to a magazine I read regularly IF I have read two of the issues of said magazine cover to cover in the past two months.
- If it's a pattern-oriented magazine, and I can't find it in the library, I can only buy it if three patterns are REAL possibilities (not "yeah, I could knit that one day" fantasies) such as for a gift or upcoming event. If it's just another cabled sweater, I have to weigh how vital it is that I have THAT sweater, or if it's just me succumbing to the appeal of the layout, color, fuzziness of the yarn, how cute the model looks in the photo (wearing the sweater meaning I will look the same meaning I will magically drop 75 pounds, grow two inches taller, and reverse-age 20 years the moment I bind off)
- I can buy a book only if it:
- can't be found through my local library
- can be found there, but I'm fourth in the queue for the hold
- contains a technique not available online for free that I need right now for a project I'm currently working on (from my stash, of course)
- isn't similar to something I already have on hand (technique, stitch dictionary)
God, I hope that covers it. Because today I ordered:
and while at Books A Million after lunching with an old friend, I picked up:
No, I haven't bought any more yarn.
Yet.
Labels: Christmas knitting, family time, stash enhancement, Xmas, yarn diet
Time to Fly
Thank you to the lovely knitbloggers who kindly participated in the Meme!
I'm off to parts unknown (to everyone but me and the person taking care of my cats) for the holidays so I won't be blogging until Tuesday or Wednesday. (OK, I'm going to PA to visit with the rest of the family. Hey, I wanted to sound exotic. Let the girl dream.)
Unfortunately, one of the gift recipients is unable to make it due to a misfire (she's a ceramicist and has a big art fair coming up). Had I found that out earlier, instead of staying up last night to finish her sock, I could have stayed up last night finishing someone else's sock. (Yes, that is correct. "Sock". Not "socks". Yes, they have both feet, just not both socks--yet.) Oh, well! What ya gonna do? And the Besotted Twins are being separated since Besotted Recipient #1 is the counterpart to Ceramicist-of-the-Socks, so only one Besotted needs finished now. I give up. LOL!
So I wish for all of you to have a safe, happy, enjoyable holiday wherever and with whomever you spend it.
Until next week, Merry Happy!
Labels: Christmas knitting, Xmas
