Friday, October 31, 2014

Happy However-You-Spend-The-Day

We've never been a particularly Halloween-y family;  Daughter is the only one who enjoys dressing up, but has never cared that much for candy.

How close is "peek-a-boo" to "trick or treat"?  'Cause Riley has that covered here:

Monday, October 27, 2014

Some Days are Stone

It's been a no-good day for me.  Flat, no energy, nothing interesting or exciting going on.  These are the days I begin to wonder if my medications need another adjusting.

I don't think I've talked about it here, but Ritalin has been added to all my other pills.  The doctor prescribed it to see if it would energize me.  What it does is make me feel like I'm having a panic attack for a while, then leaves me tired and sleepy.

This is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together without the picture on top of the box.


Saturday, October 25, 2014

Issues

It's hard for me to imagine that there are other people out there who loathe running errands as much as I do.  I can rationalize for days.  Usually, it's the cat food, or the cat litter, that runs out, and I can't put it off any longer.  Then, since I have to get dressed anyway, I go ahead and get milk, bread, stamps, gas, whatever.

This morning, it was the lack of cat food that sent me out early.  And when I got back and started knitting,  I decided my goal for the day was going to be finishing the scarf I'm making out of this yarn.  The amount of yarn I had left was enough to think that was reasonable.  And football Saturdays are great knitting opportunities.

What someone failed to explain to me, though, is that this yarn has the ability to regenerate.  I have knit and knit on this thing, and still have yards to go before I sleep.

I'm just about finished with my TIS Swap package, and I'm hearing from others of you that you're close, too.  Remember that the deadline is Novermber 15th.

Wouldn't this little guy be great to receive?
I'm not a fan of putting costumes on animals, but this is SO adorable. . .

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Wrapping Up the Tasting

The yarn tasting was a nice way to spend a couple of hours.  There were nine of us there (well, ten, if you count 4-month-old Ethan.)  We were given samples of nine different yarns.  We could choose our own colors for the most part.  I got:
Frog Tree Pediboo Worsted

Madeline Tosh Merino Light (probably my favorite, both in terms of color and softness)


Dream In Color Classy Worsted (fantastic colors and color names in this line)

         Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand Dyes

          Louet Euroflax Sport  (Hannah wants a tunic out of this.  I find it sticky and stiff --- have any of you ever made a garment out of it?)

Spud and Chloe Sweater

Juniper Moon Findley (pretty color, but laceweight isn't my thing)

         
Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock (this is also wonderfully squishy)

Malabrigo Rios

There was also a raffle, where I won more Spud & Chloe:


Maybe the best experience for me, though, was bottle-feeding Ethan so that his mom could do some knitting.  After having celebrated Briton's 26th birthday the day before, spending time with an infant was quite nice.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Tasting and A Tuesday Ten

The yarn store in town is having a "yarn tasting" tonight --- customers are going to be allowed to "test drive" some new yarns, have some snacks, just visit.  I've made my reservation, and am looking forward to it.  As I've said before, it's an open and inviting place, and this sounds like it might be fun.

Son's birthday was yesterday.  He, Daughter and I spent some time goofing around here, then went out to dinner, than came back to continue the conversations and silliness, and have the traditional chocolate chip ice cream and cake cake.

Daughter had had pumpkin cheesecake at the restaurant, so was more of a spectator for this part of the evening.

This week's Ten on Tuesday intrigued me, so here you go:
The Ten Things I Would Save If My House Were On Fire
(Knowing that all people and pets are safe)

1.  My husband's ashes
2.  The casts of Abraham Lincoln's hands
3.  My father's red boots
4.  My mother's sewing box
5.  Box of family photos
6.  Select baby toys of my children's
7.  Select pieces of jewelry
8.  The bulletin board in my bedroom (pictures, memorabilia)
9.  Family Christmas stockings
10.  Dr. House's cane

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Jealous?

It would seem that Elizabeth II couldn't deal with us giving Dame Maggie Smith a title, so she had to give her one, too.  The Dame is now a member of the Order of Companions of Honour.

Really, Your Highness, must you be petty?

And look at our Maggie --- isn't she lovely?  And (as my mother would surely have pointed out) what magnificent posture.

Got Hannah to her test on time this morning.  She seemed good then, and when I talked to her a little while ago, she said she felt good about it.  It'll be a few days before the results come in.

I took lots of back roads returning to Athens;  just trying to enjoy the early-Saturday-morning lack of traffic, and the changing leaves.  Northeast Georgia is mostly pines, but every little while you'll come across some some trees with color.


Friday, October 17, 2014

So. . .

. . . how is everyone?  Working on your swap packages?  Making weekend plans?

I completed the "Seasonal" part of my swap package last night, and, frankly, love it.  I'll be making a second one for myself.

Today, knitting-wise, I have started and ripped back and started and ripped back and started and ripped back and started a pair of eyelet handwarmers.  I could have had the first one done by now!

Tomorrow, Daughter is taking the first of a couple of tests to become a manger where she works.  The test is being given outside Atlanta, so it'll be early up and bundles of good wishes in the morning.

Son's birthday is Monday, so there will be some gift-wrapping and cake-picking-up this weekend.

You?

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

TIS is On

Due to much-appreciated cooperation, I have already made, and e-mailed, the partners for this swap!  Well, almost all.  I'm still lacking addresses from a couple of people, but as soon as they come in, everyone gets to start having fun.

When I was thinking about using initials as one of the gift prompts, I wondered for a while what anyone would do with mine.  "D" would be easy, but what about "K"?  It finally dawned on me that "knitting" starts with "k," so maybe it wouldn't be so hard after all.  Then the first half-dozen people to sign up all had first names starting with "K"!

Karma?

It would seem that, early this morning, there was a tornado warning here.  I did not hear the notification sound on my phone, nor did I hear the siren.  Slept right through it all.  While my son and his cat were huddled in the bathroom of his apartment!


Monday, October 13, 2014

SIT

Sit and watch some football, sit and knit, sit and read, sit and start putting together the swap match-ups.

Which reminds me;  I need addresses from PICAdrienne and CaffeineGirl.  I can't set up all the pairings until I have them, so please send them ASAP.

Son has been having car trouble all weekend --- sometimes his car will start, sometimes not.  Sometimes using jumper cables has worked, sometimes not.  He bought a new battery, because that sure seemed like the issue.  He and a friend put the battery in, but the car still won't start.  Looks like a towing to the mechanic is in order, and a few of us are on call for getting him wherever he needs to be.  So, sit and be ready if I'm needed.

Sat and watched "The Wallking Dead" season opener last night.  Won't say anything in case you haven't seen it and plan on watching, but I will say I'm glad it's back.


Sunday, October 12, 2014

IT'S

. . .looking like a good swap.  There's still time to sign up if you'd like to participate;  the cutoff is noon tomorrow.

. . .important for those who haven't to send me your name and address so I'll be able to forward it the person chosen to spoil you.  Send it to handeyecrafts*atsign*hotmail*period*com.  Thanks!

. . .been a productive knitting weekend for me.  I finished two baby items for the etsy shop, and made a sale to Sweden from there.  Pretty exciting.

. . .an interesting yarn, and I'm enjoying working with it.
Those are little fish and shell and starfish charms spaced along the yarn.  And it doesn't have that stiff, scratchy feel that every other metallic yarn I've ever used has had.

. . .the night for the new "Walking Dead" season to begin.  Very jittery, and concerned about what we might be about to see.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

TIS

"TIS'' for 
Three Item Swap,
The Initial Swap,
The Imagination Swap.
Choose your favorite.

This is how it's going to go:
If you are interested in participating in TIS, you can say so in the comments section here.  I will, though, need you to e-mail me your full name and address so that they can be sent to the person spoiling you.  The address is handeyecrafts/at/hotmail/dot/com.

Each participant will be given the name and address of one fellow participant for whom to prepare a package.  I like my swaps to be be secret, so that finding out who got your name is just as much fun as seeing what was sent.  So, "sshh!"

Your package should include:
"T" --- tablet or notepad (cute, pretty, what have you.)  Not something boring and generic like this,
which I got at the grocery store.  Holidays and holiday prepartions mean list-making, and we all deserve happy, fun pads for them.

"I" --- initial.  Send your giftee something that begins with the first letter of her first, or last, name.  For example, someone could send me knitting things, or dove chocolate.  This is where the imagination enters the picture.  And it stays through

"S" --- seasonal.  We have Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa all coming up, and who wouldn't love to receive something handmade in celebration?  Again, use your imagination.  Paint, decoupage, bake, crochet, bead;  wherever your talent lies, go there.  Handknit dishcloths in holiday themes or colors, napkin rings for Thanksgiving, Christmas ornaments. . .  Almost limitless, this one.

Hopefully, most participants in the swap will have blogs so that the gifters have somewhere to go and look for hints on what to send.  If you run into any serious trouble, let me know, and I'll see what I can do.

I'm not putting a price limit on the package, but I can't imagine needing to spend more than $15 or so.  Can you?  Again, if you run up against a wall, don't just quit --- get in touch with me, and we'll see if there are some "angels" out there who will help you.

And, probably my Most Serious Rule for swaps: Don't send a package that you wouldn't want to receive.  A lot of us have been in swaps where the yarn we got was from several trends ago, with half  of it unspun and the label taped on.  Or a single eraser.  Or a flyswatter (which was green, after all, and that's the color the swap called for.)  Or something the sender was VERY OBVIOUSLY trying to get rid of.  Don't be petty like that.  Have fun.  Remember that your package may arrive on a day that your giftee really needs something good to happen.

Please let me know by Monday (the 13th) Noon if you want to join the swap,  I should be able to send out the match-ups no later than Wednesday, the 15th.  You will have until Saturday, November 15th to get your package in the mail.  That should keep the swap from interfering too terribly much with holiday goings-on.

So, a tablet/pad, something beginning with your giftee's initial, and a handmade seasonal surprise.

Who wants to play?

Friday, October 10, 2014

I Would Write 500 Posts

Yep, this is my 500th post.  How nice that that prodigious number should be used to talk about the 'Tis the Season swap.

"Should."

Let's just say there have been many fires today, and I've been chasing around helping put them out.  And, hopefully, keep them from re-erupting.

So, I don't have the specifics today as I had promised.  I apologize, and hope you will come back tomorrow to read them in Post 501.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

'Tis the Season

It looks as though enough of you are willing to participate in a swap for it to be a "go."  If you can/would, could you spread the word on your blog, facebook, etc.?  The more the merrier, you know.

The plan is to have the swap finished well before Thanksgiving, so as not to interfere with holiday plans.  I also don't expect anyone to crack into their piggy banks;  good swaps don't have to be expensive.

I'll have all the details to you by week's end.  I'd like your "outreach" to have a chance to work.

Oh, and it will be called the "'Tis the Season" swap.  More in a couple of days.

It is also the season for flu shots,  I got mine yesterday, and, like always, 3 (it's clockwork) hours later, I started feeling flu-ey.  I went to bed at 8:40 last night and slept until 8:17 this morning.  And still don't feel all that great.

I know, I know, the shot doesn't give you the flu,  But it definitely gives me the symptoms.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Imponderables

Why is feather and fan, one of the prettiest knitting stitches, and one of the easiest to memorize, inevitably one that trips you up over and over?

Why didn't I watch "Friday Night Lights" when it was on the air?

How are glasses that are clean when I take them off at night, and that stay on the nightstand until morning, smear-y when I put them on?

Am I the only one who is completely helpless with a yarn swift?

Is it possible to have too many knitting bags?

How many books can/should you read at a time?  And not get confused, I mean.

Would you be interested in some sort of swap?

Would/Could you give me some ideas on what kind of swap you'd like?

What would be a really nice handknit wedding gift?  Best friend's daughter is getting married, and I'd like to make her something.






Thursday, October 2, 2014

Scialli

  I must be in a wrap phase.  Below is this shawl.  The purple and blue yarn wasn't available, so I went with this colorway, which is way off of my normal color wheel.  But we all need to shake things up every now and then, don't we?  
This shawl was made in two pieces, then kitchenered together down the center.  Ingenious, I thought.

And the other day, I posted "Oklahoma," but didn't say anything about it.
In all honesty, this is much more striking in the photo than in person.  It needs a black edge all the way around, I think, but I haven't been able to get one on that I like.  Any suggestions?


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"...