lifelong knitter

Do The Wave

Here's what I am making the wave and shell SHAWL out of...oh yummy!

xox

The Cloaking Device is in the Shop

I went to see a good friend of mine....Wise woman, recently retired from a fabulous career in Medicine. Of course I took my knitting, partly because she greatly admires it and always asks a number of delightful technical questions about it, and partly because her cell phone, pager, PDA and land line often all ring at the same time with Matters of Great Urgency. I wait a LOT during visits with her. Always worth it.
So...here I am, happily ribbing away on the sleeves of the Cardigan. She is tapping on her PDA, and looks up over her half glasses and says OOOOOOOh, what's that?
I launch into a description of the project. She begins to giggle, and then laugh, uncontrollably.
I am confused. I quickly do a Brain replay of what I have just said, and find nothing hysterically raucous about it.
"WHAT?! "I demand to know...."Just WHAT is so amusing about this?"
She puts down the PDA and comes over, wiping the tears from her eyes." That , my dear, is NOT a sweater you are knitting."
"Is too. "("Oh, how professional" my Brain snorts)
"THAT is a Freudian slip with Sleeves if I've ever seen one" says the Wise Woman who is now starting to double over with laughter again.(My Brain does the voice over of Scottie from Star Trek)
We're losing power fast captain, an I dinna know if I ken save er....
"I beg your pardon?"
"Look, you are knitting yourself someone warm and fuzzy who will love you Just The Way You Are....complete with a zipper up the Front!" She actually begins to hum the Neighborhood song.
DO SOMETHING CAPTAIN!
Warp Factor Seven...all engines full speed ahead, and for GOD's sake set those phasars on STUN!
I hold up the Sweater of Ribbiness and begin to giggle.
Yes indeedy, I want to ride the Trolley to the Land of Make Believe and go to visit the factory where they make the crayons and know with great certainty that I am Love-able Just the Way I am...Thankyouverymuch.
I prefer to not have it be so OBVIOUS.
I'm trading this Cloaking device in for the upgraded version.
We have a deeply satisfying discussion about the issues involved and then our cell phones both ring at the same time. She goes back to her matters of Life and Death and I (are you listening catherine, because this is officially your Fault:) go to the Mall and look at shoes of the absolutely Not Sensible variety and buy myself a pair.
The sound you hear is clapping.
oh yeah, and giggling.
I'm in the Shallow End and I like it just fine.
Oh Pool boy, bring me something with an umbrella :)

xox

Swing your partner, doe see doe

We're doin' the SHAWL, y'all!
Step on over to Rachael's house
to see the picture and get on the List.
Promenade Left,
and back again....

xox

Too obscure for my own good

The title of the post below was in response to an email
complimenting me
on my spectacular lack of
words beginning with F.
I couldn't help myself.

xox

Fun with Fonix and fonts

I woke up this morning at 4AM in that state (we are not having a geography quiz, not to worry) best described by A Very Great Friend as: I Don't Know where to Throw Myself.
I didn't want to get up and I didn't want to stay in bed.
If I had posted something then it would have been titled "A little Whine with those Cheerios?"
HOWEVER, and this is where the value of Such Friends can not be underestimated....
I did get up AND made coffee AND opened my email.
Three actual things accomplished. Once I get rolling I am hard to STOP.
No less than three people wanted to know if I had actually retrieved the ivy and planned to knit something with it. (Here is where I need the Special Reply font that makes it clear I am miffed about being so transparent, but delighted to know that people know this about me and love me anyway....I'd call it Sarcastic Response and have a lovely little SR button to click on :) Somewhere in between BOLD and italics.
Another hysterical email reminded me that the plural of "y'all "is "all y'all" and that I had been woefully derelict in my duties as the Pun Police. I need a Southern Font as well.
Still another with genyoowine working (!) links to local places where I could actually recycle that lovely aluminum in the picture.
Whoa baby, I love this computer.
I had been worried about my lack of knitting content.
Okay, so I'm still worried.
This weekend I did not get around to Knitting the Mice as intended.
It's back on the list of things yet to be done.
I did however cast on and begin to knit BOTH the sleeves
for the Ribby Cardie.
I am now up to my elbows in ribbiness.
I know myself well enough to try something NEW with sleeves
because otherwise there is a 100% chance of boredom
and said sleeves will be abandoned to the
Pile of No Return.
I don't know what it is about sleeves,
but I find them incredibly, stupefyingly,
BORING
to knit.
Happy Monday All Y'ALL!

xox

Evidence

These are the Objects formerly known as Gutters. Now that they are lying on the lawn, instead of attached to the house doing their job, they are merely aluminum, waiting to be recycled.
Here's what I find annoying about this. Aren't gutters, by their very definition, designed to withstand and divert RAINFALL? Not at my house. They are merely decorative, detracting from the house's Victorian character UNTIL or UNLESS there is significant Rain. In which case they promptly fall off, adding to the charm and character of my garden (NOT!).
The last two significant rain events have been followed by a visit from our local fire department, who, adorable and helpful as I find them (in that Arrive in a big truck with Equipment to Solve Your Problem kind of way...) have better things to do than pump four feet of water out of my already dank basement.
Yes I know it has been Wetter Than Usual...but really. Is this too much to ask?

xox

My heart is Racing

Every time the Formula One cars blast off from the standing start, I get goosebumps. I forget to breathe. I must not be interrupted until I am sure everyone has gotten safely through Turn One without incident.
RATS. Apparently Da Matta has stalled the Toyota on the starting grid...
but Alonso is well and truly off into his own world folks...
Okay, now, what were you saying?
The sound is fairly accurate as transmitted through the speakers on my telly,
but I miss the smell and the incredible visual stimulation of the Pits.
Not to mention the actual, visceral, FEEL of the whole thing.
(sigh)
Someday, if I ever win the lottery,
I'll be the little old lady in the RV,
(which will be pretty full of fibery fun stuff)
knitting on the roof in the sun
keeping charts during practice and qualifying,
and muttering things under my breath like
"well, HE's a bit off song,eh?
I give him a couple of laps at best...."
and make a note in the margin.
(reading engine: expired at Lap 12, qualifying session 2)
I am going to do a couple of years on the F1 circuit,
go to ALL of the CART races
(because I am optimistic by nature and I do believe that the Series
is worth saving....)
and buy two tickets (good ones)
to Indy.
The seat next to me will be empty.
My Dad will be there,
with his stopwatch and his mechanical pencil.
I miss him.
My stomach is growling
like a finely tuned Ferrari
because this week
we are live from Hungary.

xox

The carrot and the schtick

For those of you confused about the disclaimer (and you know who you are :)
Here's the deal.
I spent most of the late afternoon yesterday making a bargain with myself.
Get this done and later you can ramble on to your heart's content
about whatever is annoying you at the present moment....
Which included, but was not limited to a particular disclaimer
in very small print
may be subject to blackout
grrrrrrrrrr.
So....got everything on the List
crossed off, humming away, ready to sit down and RANT....
KABLAM!
Lights flicker.
Cats are hanging from curtains.
90 pound dog attempts to leap into my lap.
Holy Weather related interruption Batman.
Yes, wunderkinder....
hey, does your keyboard have an umlaut? cuz mine is missing (giggle)
The sky rumbled.
The earth shook.
Lightning flashed for HOURS.
Ivy from my neighbors yard is plastered on the French doors in
long green streaks...
This morning however, the sun
(at least I think that is what that Light is....been so long I'm not sure I remember it exactly)
is shining
and all appears to be right with the world.
Except of course for the passing of Bobby Bonds.
A moment of silence is requested.
Thank you.

xox

Obligatory PETA disclaimer

No esters named Poly were harmed in any way in the making of the Ribby Cardie.
There.
I feel So Much Better Now.
Really.
I'm FINE.

xox

THANK YOU

I was so thrilled and delighted to get an IM from maggi
wishing me a Happy Birthday! She actually READ my blog...will WONDERS never cease. I figured I was just talking to my siblings, who are VERY patient with me. REALLY. Sometimes they even answer the phone "tech support" when they see my name on their Caller ID.
I also have a grand total of 7 comments now, so I feel, like, so, TOTALLY validated. In a way that requires lots and lots of commas. SHEEESH. I'm going to go have another cup of coffee. I'm scaring myself. :)

xox