Some Bunny’s Love

To everybunny that has been commenting here, huge bunny hugs of thanks from the bottom of my little heart. One of my summer resolutions is to answer each and every comment, and I will do my best to answer all of them since the postings in April. If I have not responded right away, I offer up my sincerest apologies. The comments are a big compliment, and I am deeply flattered that folks like to read my crazy musings when there are many others out in Blogland.

I really wanted to write about Saturday’s fun at WEBS with Carol first, but a little something has come up that requires me to go back home to Virginia Beach. I most likely will be off-line, so if anybunny needs to contact me, just either comment here or use my “contact me” page. Either way, I will get an email and the messages will be received by this weekend.

Now for the little bit of fun, how about a couple of photos from Saturday at WEBS? Carol Sulcoski and her son “Elvis” are very nice folks. She even was a good sport about posing with the Killer “Caesar” Rabbit WIP. I had run into them at the warehouse earlier that day when I was hoping to find more skeins of Classic Elite Allure, but no such luck. However I did manage to get 3 bags more of the Julia in Delphinium (#3983), 4 skeins of Kauni, and 6 skeins of LLSW in my beloved Pilsen. (Sigh) That makes a total of 40 skeins of Delphinium (in Jedi voice “The other colorways are not in Kimberly’s stash.”), “I lost count” of Kauni, and 15 skeins of Pilsen (the Jedi voice repeats about those other colorways). I really MUST be an addict!

There is some news of knitting progress. I finally finished the birthday Clapotis, a pair of Fetching for the Ravelry Helpers Birthday Swap (which I forgot to photograph), and worked on the 3rd pair of Lacey Cable Socks. Originally I was going to make these for me, then I read that my SP12 Spoilee would love a pair of lacy socks. Not only that, the colorway is one of her favorites. How is that for motivation? =:8

I’m not through with knitting Clapotis
Or yarn clubs I’ll never get in
It’s like the toe of the sock
That I’m never gonna graft
This life has turned out like the way I want it to be
(Tell me what you want)

I’d like a fixed up house in a ‘Ronto hood
And a bathroom I can bathe myself in
A king size tub big enough for the cat plus me
(Yeah, so what you need?)

I’ll have a wonder publisher that’s ever so patient
And a number of editors on standby near
Gonna Kinnear a star from just a couple of feet
(Been there, done that)

I want a big project bag full of cool colorways
My own marquee on the Calvin Theater
Sitting between Kathy and Steve Elkin is perfect for me
(So how you gonna do it?)

I’m gonna trade this life
For fortune and fame
I’d even curl my hair
And change my name…

Cuz we all just wanna be with The Harlot
Speak in numerous theaters and halls
The yarns come easy and the groupies come to see
We’ll all stay skinny cuz we won’t eat meat.

And we’ll hang out in The Coolest Store
In the VIP with designer stars
Every first sock knitter’s gonna wind up there
And a stalking bunny with her dark black hair.

Well, hey hey I love to see my rockstar
Hey hey I love to see my rockstar.

I want to enter like Elvis with all the panties
Hire a tall body guard that keeps out groupies
Sign a bunch of autographs so I can eat my meals in peace.

I’m gonna dress myself with comfy fashion
Get a front door key to the Lettuce Knit mansion
Gonna marry a man that loves to brag about my books for me

I’m gonna trade this life
For fortune and fame
I’d even curl my hair
And change my name…

Cuz we all just wanna be with The Harlot
Visit numerous cities and towns
The yarns come easy and the groupies come to see
We’ll all stay skinny cuz we won’t eat meat.

And we’ll all stock up in the WEBS showroom
Like the way Jennifer and Maaike did.
The WEBS staff will get you anything with a big smile
Everybunny’s got a sock yarnie on speed dial
Well, hey hey I love to see my Rockstar
Hey hey I love to see my Rockstar.

I’m gonna knit those socks
that bug the major toe-uppers
Gonna use my needles
made of cold steel metal
Get internet readers commenting up my blog
Review my speech every night so I don’t ever get it wrong

I’m gonna trade this life
For fortune and fame
I’d even curl my hair
And change my name…

Cuz we all just wanna be with The Harlot
Stay in numerous hotel rooms and suites
The yarns come easy and the groupies come to see
We’ll all stay skinny cuz we won’t eat meat.

And we’ll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the designer stars
Every first sock knitter’s gonna wind up there
And a stalking bunny with her dark black hair.

Well, hey hey I love to see my Rockstar
Hey hey I love to see my Rockstar. =:8

Reminder: My Contest ends on the 17th of March — Saint Patrick’s Day in the United States. So far, only a couple of folks have attempted to name the yarny goodness from my stash in the photo. Admittedly, there are some items that have not been added yet, so please consider them a challenge.

Recently in Ravelry, I requested that pants be drawn on my Ravatar (avatar in Ravelry). I had to ask the mighty all-knowing Bubbo for them. Listed below is my request, her answer, my response, and Bubbo’s reaction…

My Request
Oh Great Bubbo,
I am down at your feet on all fours, and humbly beseech thee for a pair of clown pants.

Bubbo’s Answer
I love bunnies. I want to own bunnies. I think you should post many pictures of bunnies and a picture of a bunny doing something bubbo pants related.

My Response
Okay, I did some digging for more of Jessi in her pants, and found these “clickable to make bigger” baby photos:
“Hello! I’m just a cute baby girl. My name is Jessica; I love you both!”
(My butt she loves me!!)

Leaning against her train set:

In her play basket:

Cleaning herself:

My hubby’s favorite:

And my favorite:

Bubbo’s Reaction
oh my god go get pants!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I did good. Next post? Hmmm… How about my trip to meet up with “The Boring Knitter” at Lucy Lee’s LYS, Mind’s Eye Yarns? And do not let the name fool you, The Boring Knitter is FAR from boring! =:8

Many, many thanks for everyone’s kind words in my last vent. I hope it is not seen that I want sympathy. Rather than internalizing my feelings, writing them out is my way to release a bad aura for a fresh new one. Life as usual has been busy, but we ALL are busy, so it is more like I need to reallocate my time accordingly. As promised, I have more to tell about my Rhinebeck weekend, but will make the synopsis short and sweet (HA! So much for that!). After that, I have three amazing packages to show off. The first appeared in Friday’s mail, and the other two were on Saturday’s bundle. But I digress and have much to write!

Now a funny thing or two did happen that night during dinner. For all of those in Red Sox Nation, that was the evening where the Sox beat the tar out of the Cleveland Indians. Rich and I had arrived early just in case Jess and Casey needed help in setting up. While waiting, we met with some really interesting folks who seemed new to Ravelry from the NY/NJ area. Sitting in the table/chairs eating section of the “bar” half of the restaurant, Rich was able to get the baseball game on the larger television. That surprisingly was not a problem. The problem arose when the owners of the restaurant failed to take Jess seriously when she said a lot of knitters would show up. She was assured that there would be room, but the owners still allowed their regular customers to come in a half hour before our reservation. They must have realized that she was not kidding because the liquor soon changed from allowing top shelf to bargain well drinks. (Bleah!) But all was okay because in that restaurant was only a smidgeon of Ravelry all together to celebrate it. We had packed that place of CHOKE, and shocked the heck out of them!

Here is the funny part I found amusing. The only television that can be viewed from the dining room is in the “main stretch” of the bar. Using my O’s fan denomination as a mediator, I walked out of the dining room, up to the bar and kindly asked for the baseball game. It was switched to the Sox, and I turned and sat back down. After 15-20 minutes, the college football game was back on. I went back to the bar and asked again, but this time I asked for the remote and then switched it. Guess what happened after another 15-20 minutes? Again I went back up, but the bartender gave me a belligerent, “This is a Yankee establishment, and the Red Sox are winning 10-4 anyway.” To which I retorted, “We are paying a LOT of money here tonight, and so far nothing has gone as agreed. Most of the folks here are from the Massachusetts/Boston area so since we are the paying customer, can we at least keep it on the game?” With some elbowing from the other bartender, he grudgingly complied. Ironically, when the speeches and talks from Jess and Casey started, he changed the channel again. Bet he thought we would not notice! Good thing lots of thanks, kudos, and prizes were being handed out. Oh, just before the speeches, I was able to meet Adrian of Hello Yarn at last. She and her sweater are even more awesome in person!

Speaking of prizes, my number was the first one called. After emitting a large shriek that probably sounded like something being beaten while running fingers on a chalkboard, I jumped up to claim my prize.

Oh wait, I have been teasing everyone with talk about stash enhancement! Time to spill some beans… Before anyone says anything, the first 2 photos are already spoken for and gone.

And finally Sunday. I was able to introduce poor cold-ridden Stephanie to my husband. He did not help matters by constantly telling me that I need to stop bothering her. (Sigh…) At least I was introduced to her contact at Storey, and I am putting together a proposal soon to have the city of Providence included in the next tour. (The day I pull that off, it is guaranteed my shrieks of delight will be heard along with the heavy bunny dancing!)

At the adjoining table, I met one of my favorite people in the world, Kristin Nicholas. Not only does she dive into color headfirst with a huge splash, but she has been able to reach success and walk away from it for her family. I just cannot help but admire that trait of dedication in a person. I was able to chat with her for a bit, and asked her sign my little journal/notebook, right along Stephanie’s signature. She also wrote the most delightful tidbit when she signed my copy of her latest book, and even drew a little bunny in it! Throw in the bottles of wine I bought, and the relaxing Sunday turned out the better of the two days. Hmm… Maybe I should open one or two of them this weekend! =:8

Hi All! Yes, I have actually stepped away from Ravelry and work to finish writing that full blog entry during my lunch break. My poor website has been very neglected lately. The obvious evidence is that I did not have the SP11 button on my sidebar. Eeep! For those curious about the knee socks in my last September post, here are some details.
NY Sock Exchange: started August 2007, finished September 2007
Pattern: Lacey Cable Knee Socks
Yarn: Colinette’s Jitterbug in Velvet Bilberry, about 150-175 grams used
Needles: Addi Turbo US-0, 2.25mm
Dimensions: for US Womens size 8M foot, about 40cm high
Techniques used: Turkish cast on 16 wraps, 2 socks on 2 circs, and Magic Loop
Pattern Notes: used cables on foot instead of lace pattern due to my loose gauge
Would I knit it again? YES!! I want to make these in my STR Mustang Sally

I have in my head the song “Slip Sliding Away” except I am substituting “swap” instead… Finally giving in, I will be writing this post to discuss the four, yes FOUR, exchange packages that I received this summer. In order of appearance, let’s “Roll ‘em!”

There are 6 swaps on Ravelry that I have been participating in. The first was the Stash Exchange which I wrote about this summer. The second package to appear was from my Summer Camp Bunkmate Debbie. She is known as “Knitature” on the Rav, and feel free to give her a hello on her blog. This first-time swapper was a champ in sending over items that I would enjoy: dried peaches (GONE!), raw almonds (GONE!), chocolate licorice (GONE!), pretty-smelling soap, fabulous stitchmarkers and of course yummy yarn are an altogether awesome package.

The third Ravelry swap package I received is from sweet Valerie (aka LadyGrey) in Paris, France. Not only did she send me some great tea (click on the strawberry one for a closeup), but she included a shawl pin, cookies (alas, long since devoured), and some fabulous Katia Tundra. The yarn is perfect for making a baby blanket because of its soft wool and acrylic blend.

The fourth package (also from a Ravelry swap) is my NY Sock Exchange socks from Marcela. Awhile back, she had posted an “ISO” for a solid color laceweight yarn in exchange for her pretty Schaefer Andrea made with the Indira Ghandi colorway. I was happy to oblige a trade for her “In Search Of” quest with a skein of my Skaska camel/silk laceweight. I still have another skein of the camel for myself, but just could not resist that Schaefer. Now, we go about in a circle because she was my spoiler! Her package contained all sorts of goodies to enjoy. What is missing from this post? Yes, the SOCKS! Why? Because I am going to have a contest. The challenge is Rhinebeck based for the first person who photographs my socks and posts the link to the photo on this entry gets a nice little package from me. (UPDATE: Woo-hoo!! We have a WINNER!!) The choice would be color-based. I will be wearing my “I’m a Square tee-shirt, and kind of look like **THIS**.

The latest package is not from a Ravelry exchange. It is from my wonderful SP11 Spoiler who is an absolute SAINT! She emailed me recently of her busy schedule, and all I could say was “Wow!” I really felt horrible after reading it because she is in school and working full-time. Here, I just have work, Ravelry, my knitting groups, and the bunnies.

As for the other two Ravelry swaps I am in, Scarf Exchange and Pinoy Christmas, I am excited to see what we can do for the holiday season. I already have yarn and goodies in mind, and hope both of my recipients have a blast with what I send.

Finally, I have been tagged by the wonderful Randi over at “Knitting in Two Generations” which is in both Danish and English. She posted some bits about herself, and it is high time I list mine. As for tagging, I consider everyone reading this post tagged. Hope everyone has fun with it!! =:8

Rules:
* Link to the person who tagged you (check!)
* Tell seven truths about yourself (check!)
* Tag seven persons in the end of the post (check!)
* Leave a message on their blog telling them they’ve been tagged (check!)

My truths:
1) I am mesmermized by visual items, so when a television program catches my attention, I become completely entranced and tune out everything else.
2) I love fried chicken, particular spicy and crispy like Popeye’s.
3) I dislike most chicken dishes though, but really like duck.
4) Aspertame makes my gums itch.
5) Fresca and IBC Rootbeer are my favorite sodas.
6) I adore my brown Doc Martens to the point that the tongue and tops are tearing off.
7) I like vegetable-oriented foods but I am definitely not vegetarian.

First and foremost, I must regretfully announce that the Boston Knit-out and Crochet Too for 2007 is not happening this year. It was a difficult decision, but with the lack of high-level sponsorship, the Board Members decided that it was best not to risk spending what little money we had into making the event only remotely possible. Many of the repeat vendors showed little interest or expressed doubt on whether having the KOAC would be worth their time and money. Hopefully in the next two years enough money can be generated for the 2009 event.

It has been over 2 weeks since my last post. Ironically, I have been attempting to write this entry since July 30th. No, I have not dropped off the face of this planet, but a bunch of craziness has taken over my life. For a while I was desperately gripping everything so tight because if I loosened up, BANG! I will do my best to write about the last fortnight in order of appearance or importance (at least to me). Besides the obvious Ravelry-ness and Sockapalooza 4, there have been other projects at work and bunny-related. I do not want to bore anyone with the work part, so that is getting left out. Also, the beginning of one evening reminded me that not all knitters are receptive to those who are different than they are. At this moment, I will again attempt to distract everyone with bunny photos.

Scared sweety Owen, a huge Himalayan boy, and friendly Jersey Wooly Linus — two more bunnies that I had never met — were at PetSmart along with Nikki and Mac. The brother and sister duo have become more social and had lost a bit of weight (but are still cute and round!). I never realized how territorial Mac was until I saw him “guard the door” of their cage whenever Linus walked by during out time. I would hear a lot of cage door banging, look up, and immediately Mac would stop whatever he was pulling. Plastic baby chain hanging in his mouth, his facial expression was, “What?? All I’m doing is playing with this toy.” “Uh-huh. Like I was born yesterday, Mac.” For more details of the evening, click HERE.

The Sunday after was when I met up with Dorothy, Shalyn, and Jen at Seven Arrows Farm in Seekonk, MA. This herb nursery never fails to relax me instantly from the time I park my car. When you first walk up to the building, a lush green canopy of flowering plants offer greetings to come and wander around before heading inside. There is locally made honey and a room full of herbs and teas. Thanks to Shalyn, I discovered this place and fell in love with its wholesome earthiness. Since the last time we saw each other was during our Birthday Dinner, we all caught up with one anothers’ lives and enjoyed the afternoon. Hopefully, we will be doing another get-together really soon!

The first August “Walk and Knit” was very fun. I met up with Debbie again and Katy had joined us after I posted about the twice a month meetings in Ravelry. Since Monday is a holiday for the state of RI, I am also seeing if a bunch of us (Laura, that means YOU!) can meet up this Sunday at Sakonnet Purls. Time to get ready to raid that Sale Shed!

Once again, meeting my favorite Rockstar was possible, and I went to both New England talks. The visit to Massachusetts proved to be incredibly fun. The fabulous audience was more receptive to a strange girl dressed in denim shortalls who handed out white panties to toss at Stephanie. These folks (notice Ericka and Chris that I did not say “women or ladies”) were the best kind of knitters to meet! Strangers mingled with each other in line, introducing themselves and telling their stories of knitting and Stephanie. I was kindly given a seat in the front row by Ericka and Chris. There were so many other Ravelry folks there like Casey, Jess, FemiKnit Mafia, Kat (with a K), Danielle, and Meghann of Radiant Twist. After our books were signed, we all went out to dinner at On the Border.

The Madison non-Ravelry folks were another matter. When I walked into the bookstore’s room where the speech was to be held, I felt the chill of a formal crowd. Holding my Ravelry tote in front, I enthusiastically said, “Hello there! Any Ravelry folks in here?” A few hands were raised, and I then said, “Great! Let’s see if we can have as much fun as we did last night in Burlington!” A certain number of the blue-haired women twittered as if I had no business saying such words. The stuffiness of these women and the store employees were making my head spin. I am going to attribute my sensitivity to them due to the contrast of the Burlington crowd’s liveliness. At least the women sitting next to me were wonderfully nice. While Stephanie gave her speech, I felt like we were experiencing CHOKE first-hand.

To explain, the bookstore had decided to pull out of the air-conditioned library after seeing that only 30 some odd reservations were made. Little did they know that a hundred knitters would appear, and would make the shop scramble around for chairs. At one point the gentleman in the blue and white striped seersucker pants announced that those who did not register must give up their seat to those who did. Uh, yeah… RIIIIGHT! I had made three reservations, was at the top of the list of the reservists, and there was NO way I was going to give up my seat. Yes it was selfish of me, but we are talking about Stephanie Pearl-McPhee! I am just glad that I met DivineBird and the other cool Ravelry folks who were there. I think we all detected the weirdness of the store and its customers, and decided to have fun with it.

Like certain others before and after me, I seem to take on too many deadlines that pile on top of each other, if not share the same date. For the past two weeks I have been working diligently on my Sockapalooza 4 Pal’s socks. I originally started a pair of knee socks in Sock Madness 1’s Mad Cow. The stockinette was driving me crazy because my knitter’s ADD was not being satisfied. So I set out to find the perfect pattern and frogged the socks after stumbling across pattern #6 in the VK Winter 2006/2007 issue. The date I cast on for the new socks was July 18th. I finally finished them on August 2nd, just in time for Stephanie to see them for her Madison, CT visit on August 3rd. The socks met up with her Represent ones and a quick photo was taken. I really hope my pal enjoys these socks!


That is all for now. I do not want to overwhelm everyone with a huge post! =:8

Just a quick blurb to state a comment about a poorly created on-line flash game I first heard about on RealTechNews and confirmed on Yahoo. I refuse to link to the game itself, but if a search on VTech is done, one would find a video game that puts the player as the shooter in the massacre. The game writer states that he understands Cho because he himself was picked on. Ha. So was I, but I learned how to deal with it by making something of myself. I felt the best revenge was being successful, and gosh darn I am doing my utmost! I had mentally promised that I would not write a response because I know how hot I can get. I could easily put both feet into my mouth. That does not mean I will discourage anyone else from writing… All I can say is, “UGH. WHY???”

On a much-needed lighter note, I did play with the PetSmart bunnies tonight, but forgot my camera. Sampson, Lady Lightning, and Bethany can be found on the SBRR Adoptees page or on SBRR’s Petfinder page. I figured out that my allergies are kicked up when I sweep up spilled cat litter or when the cats are brought out to the potential play/bonding area and no sweeping was done afterwards. My sniffling and (lack of sneezing) tonight proves it. At least I could still breathe when I left tonight.

Sampson reminds me of my Julius in so many ways. Beside coloring, his sly and sneaky mannerisms combined with the “I am so cute” charisma make him a very adoptable guy. Lady Lightning is also another sweetie. The silly girl kept trying to check out the cats, who tried pouncing at her through their bars! Visions of having to explain why a bunny was split open plagued me the entire time she was out. As for shy Bethany, she will become a laid back bun who will open her heart when she gets a forever home. Cross your fingers for these rabbits. I wish I could take them ALL home. Hmmm… Would the divorce be worth it?

Finally, I have been tagged by Debbie, Mish and Sarah with a couple of Memes. Here is the first. The second (what have I knitted?) will be on a later post.

7 things that you may not know about me
• The towelwarmer in my bathroom is my equivalent as that first cup of coffee when I wake up. That appliance is my favorite gadget from all the wedding presents I received! After not using it while away on trips, when I get back to RI, that first morning shower feels decadent.
• Tostino’s Crispy surpreme pizzas are my favorite frozen pizza. No idea why. Richie actually figured the best way to bake them: 450F for 10 minutes. I use the convection setting for extra crunch.
• I wear colored contact lenses over my dark brown eyes. Back in 2001 when I had to get a new prescription, I jokingly asked Richie what he thought if I had colored lenses. His answer: “Get the purple ones. They would look so cool on you!” Since then, my eyes have been lavender, grey, green, turquoise, and for my wedding day — sapphire blue. I used to match my eyes to the outfit, but now I try to offset the colors (blue against black, lavender against green, grey again brown, etc.).
• To write a post can take me from two hours to a whole week. Besides the usual weekly track, I often have topics in my head that I want to discuss and throw out to ponder. If I include photos, I expect at least another two hours to trim, edit and upload the photos to my Flickr. I am amazed that I can write at all.
• Photography and surfing were my passions during senior year in high school. If I had the time and money, both would be fighting with knitting and my Mustang for attention. At the moment, knitting is the most portable and fitting with my current line of work timewise.
• I rarely drink cola and if I do, it is specifically C*ke. I prefer sweet tea, root beer, and Fresc*. The only time I crave C*ke is usually the day after I have had too much to drink. Reason is because back in VA Tech, I had an ACM poker night where I drank draft beer with root beer schnapps and later vodka with Mountain D*w. When I opened my fridge to calm my next day hangover, all I saw was a case of IBC and Dew. ‘Nuff said.
• I have a neat collection of model trains in the Z, N, HO, and O scales. Richie has mostly N and G scale items. One day we hope to take a part of our side yard and turn it into a nice garden railway.
  

Okay. Time for bed! =:8

On Monday/Bumday, I find it interesting in how being sick can truly affect your daily life. Since my last post, I was hit with a nasty cold that prevented me from going towards my 100 Miles goal, playing with the PetSmart bunnies, socializing with friends, working at full speed (Yeah RIIIIGHT, I worked tonight for 2 hours!) and of course, keeping up with the housework and knitting. Last week, at times I felt like I was hit by a truck and just wanted to sleep. I found myself going to bed earlier than normal without a care on reading e-mails, Bloglines and books. I think not wanting to go on-line was my light-bulb moment on seeing how sick I was! It also reminded me that I owe everyone a picture of Susan, so here she is. Her residence from being hidden in my old dresser drawer is now in my dining room’s butler/pantry, shielded behind a glass door proudly in front of some china and crystal items.

The 100 Miles goal is now my frustrating Holy Grail, especially after seeing everyone else who already achieved it on Rachel’s Run-a-gogo. I do want to take up Zarah’s challenge to get motivated, and will do so after this week. For now, I am making sure this cold will not kill my lungs. Plus, at least I did catch a shot for last weekend’s Saturday Sky. I also knit myself a hat to help me with this quest. It was the only item I finished last week. I ended up knitting this much-needed hat twice — the larger first version (64 stitches cast-on 9.00mm 40cm circulars) and now worn second version (54 stitches cast-on 6.50mm 40cm circulars). Both hats are identical except for the opposite curves so I am only showing one of them.

Last Tuesday, I had to let the adoptee bunnies out for only an hour. My coughing and sneezing was made worse with my allergies aggravated by the new SPCA cats up for adoption. I do like cats, but I have severe reactions with their dander. Forgetting my inhaler was not a bright idea that night and I paid for it the next day. I am glad that little Tina and Thomas are back, and was able to snuggle with Jasper again. There is a new girl in town (whose name escapes me at the moment), a sweet shy Flemmish Giant mix. She kept trying to jump back in her cage, but I am sure we can coax the clown out of her!



On Wednesday, during my 7AM conference call, my teammates all agreed with my husband that I sounded horrible (they used much stronger verbage) and I should stay home and take it easy. Of course Murphy’s Law appeared and there were some projects needing serious attention. Crazy scene of my dedication to my work: I was dressed in sweatpants, a long-sleeve t-shirt, hooded sweatshirt, my newly-knit hat, all were under my thick-as-a-blanket bathrobe, and bundled in two blankets on the couch. My hands were barely peeking out of my cocoon in order to work on the laptop. Rich had gone out to the market to get orange juice (I only touch the stuff when sick) and soup. Our phone rings, I realize the cordless is in the charger across the room and ignore it. It rings again so I fight with the blankets (remember, I am in a cocoon) and get to the phone. Somebody tagged my car while Rich was getting us food from Wendy’s. Luckily the tagger admitted to the police that it was her fault, and my damage is very minor. The whole time I was on the phone with Rich, Zydeco and Jessica decided they wanted treats and jumped out of their penned area and on to the couch. What did I say earlier? Murphy’s Law, go figure!

Overall, my only goals this week are to keep on trucking to better health, get a special package sent out, and to complete at least one WIP. Krista from the RI Knitter’s Meetup group has begun the “Hugs of Hope” for breast cancer victims. I aim to make a shrug with soft brightly-colored mohair for her charity. The back for Arwen has begun. Because it is my first “adult-sized sweater” pattern, I am making the smallest size. So far, I have to use my Bryspun US3 needles; the US4’s gave me 17-stitches/10cm instead of the required 18. I have decided to put my faith in the blocking gods when the time comes for seaming. Besides Arwen, I took my UFO for this month and frogged it. The Mountain Colors’ Mountain Goat was originally en route to become a pair of Thuja socks. It is in the early thumb gusset stages of becoming a pair of Manly Mitts, but the combination of Mountain Goat in Granite with Filatura Di Crosa’s Love in grey is not looking good. Looks like another frogging is coming. I think using Berocco’s Softwist Bulky in Black would make a much better pairing with the grey Love. Maybe I can use the Mountain Goat in Brooklyn Tweed’s Red Light Special hat with the light camel handspun my SP9 Spoiler sent me? I think we have a winner here!

While I was in misery feeling sorry for myself last week, reflections on my “weirdness” items appeared. Not sure why but after creating my “6 weird things about me” entry, more came out of the darkness and made themselves apparent. Think of Dolores bringing out Franklin’s ghosts and fears. In honor of Dolores, I am submitting myself to Britt’s and Nikki’s tag for entering more weird things about me. I really do hope this list stops increasing.
1. I despise getting my hands dirty when eating “hands on” foods in public. At home, I am all fingers, but at work or in a public place, I find myself eating sandwiches, piled-with-everything nachos, pizza, etc. with a knife and fork. If I do have to hold the item in question, I use a napkin or the item’s wrapper to eat it. I know this trait stems from my parents having us eat our McD sandwiches with the wrappers on like a gyro. There are only two exceptions to my little rule: fried chicken and certain Asian foods. I cannot imagine eating them any other way.
2. I am a cheese FANATIC. I used to be obsessed with gourmet food in college, then migrated to wines and cigars. I still have the yearning for better wine knowledge but now want to complement it with my love of cheese. Problem here would be money and time.
3. As much as I am terrified of insects and arachnids, I find myself wanting a large piece of property to build a farm. I feel the idea of “living off the land” as peaceful and wholly satisfying. My dream places would be in southwestern Virginia or the Eastern Shore on the DelMarVa peninsula.
4. Even though I could live without a television, once it is turned on, I am mesmerized. Currently, I have been trying to spot “Knitting on tv” and railfanning/train items. The latest knitting spot was in a Columbo mystery episode. The killer had grabbed her client’s knitting bag to find the drugs the client was taking. The bag’s contents ended up getting dumped on the dining room table, hence the pill bottles from the bag.
5. I do not mind eating vegetarian dishes as long as they are made with vegetables and not meat substitutes. No tofu please. Examples would be a veggie pizza or veggie sub.
6. I am particular about public restrooms. That is all I can say at this time. Now, is that weird enough stuff to tell? I better check my list… =:8

Many thanks for welcoming Mary into the world of Blogging. All comments are appreciated, and I do want to spread the word for her store’s work. She does a lot for charities in honor of her son. Her big heart gladly welcomes everyone into her “Yarns at Lacewings” shops.



The weekend has been full of wonderful sky photos, and I am excited at sharing both Friday and Saturday’s natural beauty. Both my walks were productive. Slowly but surely I am working my way from walking to running. Currently I mostly walk because my lungs are not used to doing more, but I am working on it!



Besides walking, I have been knitting my Clapotis present. With the beautiful lighting on Friday, I could not resist taking the Brooks Farm Clappy, Simon’s hat, and Ace’s Table Runner out for some photos after my walk. This gift Clapotis made me think of an interesting question: If the gift recipient is a knitter who loves the pattern but does not have a Clappy, should the shawl be given with undropped or dropped stitches? I always thought the best fun of the pattern was dropping the stitches. Any input here in the comments would greatly be appreciated.









Another drop last night was the surprise we gave in my surrogate family in Connecticut. Because the birthday party was pretty big for my two aunties, I am going to reserve that event with its own entry.



For now with the photo teasers, I submit my answers to the Meme I stole from Keohinani’s “Alohas and Oreos” blog.
Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following…They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you cannot think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CANNOT use your name for the boy/girl name question.
1. Actor: Keanu Reeves and Kiefer Sutherland
2. 4 letter word: kids (well, for my current situation)
3. Street name: Kimberly Lane (honestly, it is in Chesapeake, VA)
4. Color: Kelly green (for the Irish in me)
5. Gift/present: kitchen (dreaming of a brand new slate floor)
6. Vehicle: Katana (motorcycle)
7. Tropical Location: Kenya
8. College Major: Knitting (well, RISD has classes in it)
9. Dairy Product: Kashta (pronounced “ahshta” and is often described as Middle Eastern’s version of clotted cream)
10. Thing in a Souvenir Shop: Keychain
11. Boy Name: Kenneth
12. Girl Name: Katherine
13. Movie Title: K-9
14. Beer: Kirin
15. Occupation: Knight or King
16. Flower: Kangaroo Paw
17. Celebrity: Kim Catrall (who else besides Katharine Hepburn?!)
18. Magazine: Kitchen & Bath Design News
19. U.S. City: Kansas City, MO (Home of my Chiefs!)