Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Idea

It's been a grueling, exhausting day for me and for several people I know.  What say we all just snuggle down, call it a day, and go to bed?


Monday, July 28, 2014

Girls

When Daughter and I went to Revival last week, she picked out some yarns for herself and her roommate.  This weekend, I took to working on what she had asked for, and got everything finished a few minutes ago.  They want to be surprised by exactly what it all looks like, so I can only show you this much:

A good deal of my knitting lately is being done in this position:
Why she wants to cuddle in my lap when it's almost 100 degrees outside is a mystery.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Weekbegin

Right now, there are several life and health issues swirling around people I love;  I wish I could do Exactly What They Need for them all.

Took daughter to Revival the other day, and she picked out yarns for handwarmers for herself and her roommate, and a hat for herself.  She also fell in love with the store.  She's mainly a seamstress, but is a very good knitter, and loves colors and textures.

My mental health has been frightful of late.  I asked my therapist to write a letter to my psychiatrist explaining what's going on, because I can't think straight.  Or rather, when I try to think, I get white noise and see grey static.  I am constatnly on the verge of what-will-surely-be-my-very-last panic attack.  I'm as likely to break into tears as breathe.

If I can hold on for two weeks, I'll have the Hunk and Chick contests to distract me.  A few more reminders of whom you've had chances to vote for in the past:


Friday, July 25, 2014

Coming Soon

It looks like there may be a couple of options for poll-making when Knitters' Hunk and Chick roll around.  For some reason, the site I've always used for voting just is not cooperating this year.  I will do my best to make the contest easy for you all;  please bear with me.

Have you decided on your nominees?  It's just a couple of weeks until you nominate.  Here are some past nominees :

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

This is Better, Huh?


Test Pairing
David Beckham
Viggo Mortensen
Poll Maker
                           
             Would you mind voting on this?  I want to see how the results show up.  Thanks.                        

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Testing

The most aggravating part of the contest every year is trying to figure out how to get the polls and images to show up here.  This is as good as I can get so far --- having to click through to vote.  Would this be too much trouble to use every day?

Friday, July 18, 2014

The Anvil Chorus

Overcast day here, which saw me having to leave the house.  I had put it off as long as I could, and would probably have talked myself out of it again except that a couple of fleas showed up on the dogs.  I had to get some treatments for them.

My depression is so unrelenting, and so deep, it's beginning to manifest as agoraphobia.  Going out means getting cleaned up, and dressed, and that's far too much trouble.  Yet sitting here is toxic.

I've started a "mood scarf."  Each day, I choose a mini-skein in a color that speaks to me.  Not trying for something like "Sadness=grey,"  as the scarf would be nothing but shades of black.

My first idea was making the scarf from a link of chains, but coming up with an acceptable way to make the links eluded me.  So, it's stripes:

Speaking of, here is my Trap scarf, in progress:

That's yarn from Revival here in Athens.
I like how the Trap mirrors the "V"s in their logo.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Sad

By the time some of you get around to reading this, the mystery may be more clearly answered, but right now, what happened to the Malaysian Airlines plane over Ukraine is confounding the world.  No matter what the "why" may turn out to be, the world is 300 souls poorer.  And all of those souls leave souls who have to bear this.


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

So / Sew

I sorted through my box of DPNs and circular needles this morning (there are an awful lot of both for someone who doesn't knit in the round), and came across these:
They had to have been my Grandma's, because they're steel, as a lot of her knitting needles were.  But, look at the size of those things!  
These aren't "darn"ing" needles;  these are "damn"ing needles!

And it it just me, or does my foot look weird in the first picture?  Like it's kind of disembodied or something.


Sunday, July 13, 2014

GOOOOOLD


I suspect I will always think of the World Cup when I wear a pair of these, I've made so many while watching games.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Planning

I went to a new (to me) local yarn store this morning and found excellent Grand Prizes for the winning nominators of Knitters' Hunk and Knitters' Chick.  One might even call them ideal.  But I can't tell you about them until they are safely on their way to their new homes.  Still, I am excited about finding them.

What I can tell you is that Nominations open Sunday, August 10th and run through Friday, August 15th.  Of course, we will review the rules again later, but, for any newbies:  
You are allowed to nominate three (3) men and three (3) women for the Hunk and Chick contests, respectively.  Your nominees must be well-known and still living.  There will be some people who will not need to be nominated, as their performance in past contests give them automatic entry.  Those people will be identified later.

Voting should start on Thursday, August 24th.  I say "should" because, depending on the number of nominations, it might take me a while to get the brackets made.  How long the voting lasts, obviously, also depends on the number of nominees.

This year, something new is being thrown into the mix.  Each week, once the voting has begun, I will select a random nominator to receive a small "Participation" prize.  Quite small.  Fit-in-an-envelope small.  But, hopefully, not un-fun. . .  

Quick reminder of our Reigning Champions:

EWAN McGREGOR

and
ISABELLA ROSSELLINI

Mark your calendars!  Tell your friends!

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Slow Motion

Both of my children are about to hit ugly walls.  I can see it coming clear as day, but neither of them seems to have a clue.  And they wouldn't listen to me if I tried to tell them.




Sunday, July 6, 2014

If There Are Two Things I Loathe

They are shopping for cell phones and computers.  I have to buy something, and the salespeople sense the necessity.  Please just LEAVE ME ALONE.  I am going to leave money here, so just let me decide what the exact amount is going to be.  Surprisingly, I dressed myself and drove myself to this store all by myself;  I can make up my mind about a computer.

It was a pleasure to walk out of Best Buy after telling three (3) floor people I would let them know when/if I needed them and that I could read each machine's features off the display card as well as they could, and then telling the guy at the door that I was getting out as fast as I could because %(^$, *#^!$ and @&*^# (oh, yeah, I used their names) harassed me.

So I have a new computer which needs time to get used to, but I am not at all happy about it.



Thursday, July 3, 2014

Two Pressing Questions

Those of you who have siblings: did your relationship with one another ever become poisonous?  Was there ever a period where you had absolutely nothing positive to say about each other?  What did your parents do to help you, and to help themselves survive/stay sane?



Have you ever had a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup?  How are you supposed to only eat one of them at a time?

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Kathy Has Her Garter Traps, I Have My These


I am digging through my yarn trying to find bulky weight.  These are so easy to make, and they're so comfortable, and they look so design-rich.

Of course, looking through yarn has me thinking about prize packages for Knitters' Hunk and Chick.  And I have decided on the Thing That Will Be Different This Year.

Stay tuned.

48

If you've ever rented a movie on Amazon Prime, you know you have 48 hours in which to watch it.  (By the way, why do we "watch"...