lifelong knitter

Cleanup

GretaKnits will be closed for the end of the year cleanup. Watch for a Grand Reopening around the first of the New Year, with a whole new set of Impossible Problems to solve!
Blessings to You and Yours, This Day as ALWAYS!

Merry Christmas!

I made it. Stayed up until the stroke of midnight, knitting. I do it every year....but in the past it was a frantic race to Beat the Time (name that gameshow host from Sesame street....) to FINISH before the bells tolled for me. This year I CHOSE to stay up, to knit in the sweet silence of solitude. All my gifties were finished, amazingly enough, and so I was knitting something meditative (from Indulgence, of course!) and oh so sooothing.
Rang in the Christmas Day and off to dreamland. Kiddos slept in until almost NINE o'clock...what a gift in itself. Happiness and joy just to have them here with me...I couldn't possibly be PROUDER!
Blessings to you all, far and near......
Stay tuned, cuz Danger Girl is gearing up for the NEW YEAR!

Counting

My Blessings, that is. 'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house.....not a chore has been finished, but I'm clicking my mouse....tonight my children will be sleeping all snug in their beds, for which I am profoundly grateful. Son will be home any moment and I can't wait to see him. Daughter baked sugar cookies until almost midnight last night so the house smells so amazing....
This has been a year of Amazing Grace. I started blogging right around my birthday in August, and feel like I have made a personal quantum leap. I am WRITING every day, and knitting my way through my stash. Playing my guitar again, and LOVING it. The friendships which seem to baffle most people (You met her ONLINE?) are incredibly precious to me. The support and kindness and caring has been nothing short of extraordinary. Miraculous.
Thank You. Thank You. Thank You, a thousand times, Thank You.
I hope in some small way the prayers I pray for you, individually and collectively make a little more Light shine in each of your hearts. This day and always....
It is POURING rain here today, and so I pray especially for all of those who are on the road, in the skies (may they be Friendly!) or looking out of the window of a bus or a train on their way to visit family and friends. Be SAFE out there, dear ones. Count your piggy toes and sing a song for me, Caroline!
I know that many people dread this holiday season(s) and feel adrift in a sea of Overwhelming Sadness. Know that the LIGHT of my heart is wrapped tenderly around you, hoping to help in some small way. I understand, in ways you may never know, the lonely dark side of the moon.
LOVE and Joy, come to you....

Shake and bake

I'm a California Girl at heart. My Daddy was born there, and so was I. Yesterday afternoon, even though I was 3000 miles away, I felt it. Made a few phone calls, checked the automatic popup from USGS (yes, I am a geek, I know this, thanks :) and made chicken dumplings. If you read Rachael's blog today, you'll see that those of us with Left Coast blood have automatic responses to the shakin'...and mine is bakin'.
Pastry, with chicken, thanks. No idea why, and no desire to probe the psyche today cuz it is my friend's BIRTHDAY...woohooo! (insert streamers and confetti and cake and general hilarity HERE...)
We met at a Quilt Show (can it be almost TEN years already?) and quickly discovered that not only were we both knitters (oh JOY) but when we walked out to the parking lot, we discovered we were driving exactly the same car, make model and color. giggle. We are still driving the same Mommymobiles, only now they are both blonde Hondas of the CRV persuasion. Our friendship has survived (dare I say thrived through) three or four moves of their household, and our kids feel like they are best friends, too. We baked bread together long distance thanks to a strange something called sourdough starter and I miss more than anything having my elbows on her kitchen table with the smell of fresh banana bread wafting over the pile of books and knitting and pictures in front of us. Wacky Cake makes me smile, and our Fed Ex drivers know us well. Yesterday the big white truck guy drove up and said...hey your other KID sent you TWO packages...nope, looks like no yarn today...and wow, how's the EYE? giggle.
I raise a toast (and jam) to Friendship! Hear, hear!

I'm Just Knitting

That was the answer to every question tossed in my direction yesterday. There were LOTS of questions (my phone informs me that 12 of them were from out of state *hee*) which usually would have made me frantic. HOWEVER, as was pointed out to me in an email response to yesterdays post, I'm finally Getting It. I have been doing this since I was about five years old, spending the last few days (okay weeks) before Christmas surrounded by piles of tissue paper, bags of yarn and MAKING STUFF nonstop. This, to be perfectly honest, is the first year I have Truly enjoyed it. The childhood goblins are standing outside in the iciness, saying things like You'll NEVER get it all DONE you know....NOBODY really wants homemade STUFF anymore...you are WASTING your Time...and strangely enough, I am calmly okay with that. I don't need anything for Christmas this year, because this is all I've ever yearned for.
I AM THE CHILD WHO MAKES STUFF. and she is unconditionally loved. Not for the things she makes, but just because she IS.
I sat on the couch, with a fire in the fireplace and HGTV on the tube. I watched artists rehab old buildings, and almost stopped breathing (but didn't drop any stitches) during the tour of another Bart Prince house, this one in Hawaii. I knit the hat from Knitty while talking on the phone...started the second one...for obvious reasons, no more hints than that. You'll see the pictures after the New Year.
All ends woven in on the Quilt Ladies scarves...the chenille hats are for their helpful hubsters who do childcare and cook and cleanup and read bedtime stories so WE can have our circle.....tonight is the Christmas Party. They have kindly offered to come and pick me up so I can attend. Daughter and I
Made an Italian sausage lasagne and rosemary garlic bread...watched As Good As It Gets while they baked. Had to frog a few rows but it was worth it.
I haven't been able to watch a movie in five years. I've tried, but the migraines....
No More. Surgery was a miraculous success.
My eye has a long way to go, but thanks to blogging and writing and Knitting,
you know, MAKING STUFF...
I'm HEALED.

Frozen fingers

I stayed up WAY too late, but I finished the two green chenille elf hats. Whew. I have taken pictures, but they look like lumps of greenish blurriness, so use your imaginations. Thick and Quick is aptly named, and since Michael's had it on sale...well really now, how can a girl resist?
Hmmmmm, I thought typing might warm up my fingers....I've given away all the mitts I've knit and it is in the 20's and the heat hasn't kicked in yet....brrrrrrr.
Inspired by Bonne Marie (I mean, if you are a knitter and you AREN'T inspired by Bonne Marie, well check your pulse, darlin'....) I ordered the steamer from Target. If I had it already I might be steaming something just to unfreeze my fingers....and then I started thinking about Getting Organized. (sigh)
Every year about this time I start my LIST for the coming year. I review all of the things from last year's list and check off the impossible goals....accomplished, check. I move the things forward which are still in process, and ALWAYS, always, there is the item which states GET ORGANIZED. I never check it off. I always feel guilty. I berate myself around the block. WHY CAN'T YOU BE ORGANIZED?
Danger Girl stepped in last night with a brilliant (If I do say so) retort.
You know what your problem is? Yeah, I'm not organized (see me hang my head in shame....)never have been. I don't think so, missy...that is not the REAL problem. The REAL problem? I don't want to think about REAL problems, I just want to get organized, once and for all.
Well, I am sick of the whining. You set these absolutely impossible standards for yourself...standards you would NEVER expect anybody else to measure up to, and then you get upset if you can't be absolutely world class gold medal perfect at every damn thing. Get over it already.
I will NOT get over it, bossy boots. I want to be perfect. I set my standards high because i don't want to settle for mediocrity in anything....(see me stomp my foot and look really childish) OKAY, so don't get over it. Be that way. Make yourself miserable if you want...but here's the TRUTH: you are never ever going to be organized the way you picture it because you would be absolutely miserable.
I don't know what you mean (oh yes I do, and I'm starting to like the way this is going, but I'll pout a little longer to hear the rest of this thankyouverymuch) YOU would never be happy in those minimalist rooms with the absence of visual stimulation. You can not clear out your stash because you need all those colors and textures and fibers to jumpstart your brain into the next creative frenzy that makes you Who You Are.YOU can find what you need when you need it, and when people come to your house what do they always say? Well, um (blush) that it looks exactly like me...wild and creative and OH. yeah. okay. What I really need is to Boss My Knitting Around, ala Bonne Marie (although everytime I say ala, my brain replies Peanut Butter Sandwiches) RIGHT? YES, yes. exactly right. You learn something new with everything you knit and not settling is an important part of that. Just don't drive yourself crazy. Don't drive myself crazy? A little late for that dontcha think? I'm talking to myself, my fingers are freezing, and I'm still in my Tigger jammies. Define crazy and use it in a sentence, please.
SIGH for dramatic effect....You'd be CRAZY to try and change your stripes. Just BE.
DANGER GIRL wins again.

Light the first candle

Daughter came FLYING down the stairs this morning...proclaiming Happy Chanukah..let's light the first candle for...and so began the Naming of all of our Jewish Friends. I was momentarily stunned (as I often am by this child of mine who has been oh such a wise grownup person LONG before I ever even thought about the process...) and then teary. We miss all of YOU. The candle lighting, the prayers, the deep connection we feel as friends and faith filled seekers. (Hokay, and YEAH, the kitchen tables filled with FOOD and knitting and Talking for HOURS....)Before anyone gets technical, I KNOW the rules. My Mother is not Jewish therefore i am not Jewish, but I am fiercely, firmly (pick yoour favorite strong f word) in FAVOR of anything that is about lighting a candle and having enough LIGHT to outlast the Darkness. We (mother and Daughter) read everything we can about all the faiths we come across. We are familiar with the Torah, the Koran, and freely admit that we want to learn MORE about what makes us a family of Individuals, so please hold hands with us and pray.....More LIGHT, please....SO May it BE!
In KNITTING news, I am now officially back to reading blogs and comments and JOY of all JOYs, able to actually see what I have been knitting. OH. Ahem, well. Frog pond will be visited! For truly wonderful Knitting...Go see what Rachael is wearing...it's the berryest...woohoo!
Off to bake challah.....
Blessings this Day as ALWAYS to you and yours....

Girl Meets Boa

Girl falls in love with Boa, has a weeklong fling with Boa cuz it is cheap , satisfying, cleans up after itself and knits up QUICK....*HEE* I'm feeling much better today, can you TELL? Enclosed please find very blurry photos (I think, therefore I AM....blurry, that is...) of what I have been DOING. I got a sweet phone call yesterday from a very fabulous friend who loves me very much....She said....ummmm, I've been reading your blog, and it doesn't seem like you've been RESTING! WhatsupwithYOU? REST already! I giggled... and whined....but I HAVE been resting..... no driving, no reading, no dancing, no YOGA, sheesh, I'm totally bored out of my MIND. No housework either, but hey, no complaints there....we giggled some more. I have fabulous Friends. Who KNIT. Who TOTALLY understand my freakout of yesterday....and who only want NORO for their birthdays, because, well, we've reached the age where we KNOW what we want and that we deserve it after all because we are WORTH it! (You know who you are....thanks for caring so much about me to kvetch a little...mwah! xoxoxox)
Okay, so back to the photo thang....I have this little point and shoot camera that usually is just perfect for quickies...but OH, wait. I have to LOOK through that little window and THEN point and click....oooops. So this morning I just pointed and clicked, no lookie through the viewfinder thingie, and so, disclaimer firmly in place, I present to you, for your viewing enjoyment....PROOF. That I have been parked on the couch, listening to Joe Pass play For Django, and KNITTING....
gad, I'd hate to be MY doctor, I am an AWFULLY IMPATIENT patient (grin)....

Film Noir Scarf

Eye Candy