Monday, May 29, 2017

Do You Believe In Magic?

This is a Magic Yarn Ball.

Magic yarn balls have goodies wrapped up inside them.  The goodies can be anything that can be covered over by the winding yarn, from the core of the ball to the last little bit on the outside, held in place here by Ms. Stitchmarker.

This Magic Yarn Ball is this week's Countdown to Contests prize.  The yarn is recycled silk, from Darn Good Yarn.

To be eligible to win the Magic Yarn Ball, just answer the following question --- in the Comments section --- by Friday.

What is your favorite title --- song, book, or movie --- that contains the word "magic"?

(I think I have to go with "Black Magic Woman" by Santana.)

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Contests, Clipping and, Uh, Socks

The first Frankensock is on its way:
There are just a couple of rows left before toe shaping begins.

A few weeks ago, Rupert began panting a lot.  As in, when he was directly under the ceiling fan, or even without having exerted any energy.  He didn't seem sick in any way, so my guess was that maybe he was hot.  A reminder of his usual look:
compared to where he is now:
I just sort of hacked away at him with scissors.  First, because I don't have any clippers, and, second, because it had to be done a little bit at a time.  There was no way he was going to stand (literally and figuratively) still for it all to be done at once.  So, as he lay next to me on the couch, I'd reach over and cut some hair every now and then.  He's not salon-beautiful, but he seems to be cooler, and the panting has practically stopped.

Speaking of done, the Garter Trap is.
It's the devil to take a picture of, by the way.  There are only two ends to weave in --- the cast-on row and the cast-off.  These wide color blocks please me.  I'm going to like working with Sweet Roll yarn.

Tune in tomorrow for the first Knitters' Hunk / Knitters' Chick Countdown question.  And the unveiling of the first prize.  Talk it up if you would, please.  There are always so many people who participate in KH / KC, but I can't seem to drum up very many for contests.

And oh, by the way, do you have your nominees yet?  I've got 2 men and 1 woman.  Must start thinking harder. . .



Thursday, May 25, 2017

Here's How It's Done

When I finish a sock yarn project, I keep the yarn that's left (how do we always have extra sock yarn?) and roll balls to make what I call "Frankensocks."  Casting on tonight with these:
As you can see, matching colors isn't an aim.  As leftovers are collected, they get wound in.

Next week, our countdown to Knitters' Hunk and Knitters' Chick begins in earnest, as the weekly prize giveaway begins.  Each Monday, I'll ask a question that you'll have until each Friday to answer.  The answers will be numbered by the order in which they come in.  On Saturdays, I'll name the winner (hello, random number generator), and we'll start all over on the next Monday.  That will go on for 12 weeks, and then, nominations open!

Monday, May 22, 2017

Rainy Day? Monday

It's been raining for a couple of days, and is supposed to keep on through tomorrow.  Fine with me.  The gray and the rain and the thunder are glorious to me.  I'll sort of be unhappy when the sun comes back.

Since it is Monday, here are Kathy's questions for this week:
1.  Do you have a favorite funeral song?
Not really.  Nope;  I'm not coming up with anything.

2.  Did you put anything in a loved one's casket?
I insisted that Daddy be buried in a pair of boots.  The funeral director kept saying it would be a tight fit, but I wouldn't budge.  They found a way.

3.  Do you know of other funeral remembrances?  (Sitting Shiva, etc.)
This isn't the same thing, exactly, but nobody in the South dies without having some family member(s) "sitting up with them" at the hospital, and no house goes without casseroles and Jell-O salads being delivered by friends.

The anniversary of Daddy's death is this week.  I've been going through drawers and drawers of old photos lately, and found one that seems good to put here in light of that.
There's so much that I love about this.  Daddy with his grandbabies, of course.  Then there's Briton (named after Daddy) being sweet with Hannah.  You can see both Daddy's rings, and his big Spence hands, including his right one, which ended a port wine birthmark that covered his whole arm and part of his chest.  Also, there's the right index finger which a car fan blade sliced off.  Briton and Hannah always liked that Granddad could only count to 9 1/2.

Sunday, May 21, 2017

One Thing Leads to Another

I have lost some weight.  How much I don't know because there isn't a scale in the house.  However, I can tell a significant difference in the way my clothes fit.  That spurred me to clean out my closet --- get rid of my "fatttest" clothes.  Which led to me cleaning out the rest of my closet.  Which led to me packing up a few small boxes with things I want to take with me when I move.  Whenever that is.

I want to get out of Athens, and I want to move toward the water.  An oceanside place is way out of the realm of possibility, but a city or a town where a beach is close?  

None of it is happening anytime soon.  But it's nice to visit Zillow, and to dream.


Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Of Course The Yarn Is Purple

My parents were news junkies, and so I became a news junkie early.  I didn't quite cut my teeth on Watergate, but it all fascinated me.  For the last week and a half, therefore, I've been absorbed in all the stories coming out of Washington, and that's my explanation for my blogging absence.

Kathy, I'm making a Garter Trap with this Premier Yarns "Sweet Roll" colorway.  
My baby-gift-knitting is done for now, and so I'm turning to not too complicated projects.

In a couple of weeks, there'll be an announcement of a contest to count down the weeks until Knitters' Chick and Knitters' Hunk.  There are some details to work out, and prizes to be chosen, but the goal is to have everything in place by the last week this month.

Stay tuned!

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Blech

This is my opinion of the last couple of days:

There was, though, this brilliantly-named colorway from Gnome Acres:
"There's Bird Poop On My Swingset".


Friday, May 12, 2017

Chewy Influencer

This month, Chewy.com sent 
chicken treats.

They have disappeared.  And some of us would like an explanation:

An A+ from us.  Put-these-on-the-grocery-list kind of A+.

I request a product from Chewy.com to review from each month.  It is sent with the understanding that the product will 1) be given an honest try by my pets, and 2) be given an honest assessment by me.  There is no money involved whatsoever.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Most Excellent Questions

*Do you prefer a digital or an analog clock?
Analog.  Digital cameras aren't pretty;  analogs are.
*How good is your sense of direction?  (We are talking about times when you did not have your phone to use as a compass.)
Pretty good.  Like Kathy, I use the sun to determine the compass points.

*What do you like to knit in worsted weight yarn?
Just about anything.  The only weight I don't enjoy working with is lace.

*What was your favorite subject in school?
Social studies.  Big surprise, huh?

*Have you pulled weeds yet?
No.  I'm not a go-outside-and-work-in-the-dirt kind of person.

*Do you figure out who you caught a cold from?
Nah.  

*Are you ripping out anything you knit this weekend?
No.  It was a pretty good weekend of work.

*Do you have your appendix?
I do.

*Do you have your tonsils?
No.  I had them taken out when I was 24.  It caused the worse pain I've ever been in.  Yes, worse than labor.

*What would you name a colorway based on your weather this morning?
Too Lovely For A Monday.















*What would you name a colorway today based on your morning weather?

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Crafting Material

In the last several days, I've been on a "thinning" binge.  It all began with my closet, as I went through all my clothes and removed the ones that 1) didn't fit anymore or 2) were never worn.  Then, the urge to de-clutter spilled over into other parts of the house.  One of the things I came across was a notebook of some of my mother's knitting and crochet patterns.  She was a relentless note-taker, and I'm holding on to some of the patterns because she wrote in the margins.  I like to keep her handwriting.

A couple of things I came across I know I'll never use:
Since I don't crochet, these deserve a home with someone who does.  Do any of you want these, or maybe know someone who could use them?  If so, let me know in the comments.  I guess it's going to have to be first commenting, first claimed.

You'll note that both the booklets cost a dime.  Most of the prices on her patterns are that crazy.  I never told her exactly what yarn and patterns cost "nowadays," because she wouldn't have believed the prices and would have strongly disapproved of them.


Monday, May 1, 2017

First of May

This is what comes to my mind on this day each year.

On this first of May, there are questions to answer.
*Do you think I should add more fringe to the Fezzik kitten?
I think he's quite striking as is.
*Do you ‘trust’ superwash wool?
Mostly.  Yes.
*Can you go to the Movies and not have popcorn?
I never popcorn at the movies.  Ever.
*Do you close your eyes during certain scenes at the movies?
No --- I hold my hand(s) in front of my eyes.

*What is one thing you simply couldn’t eat if a host made it for you for dinner?
Liver.  Shudder.
*What is a pattern part that will keep you from knitting that pattern?
Any part that calls for double-pointed needles.
*Do you cook with flower petals and flowers?
No, but I've had dandelion tea.  Does that count?

My kitchen smells delightful right now, but for an irritating reason.  There are whole cloves scattered along one windowsill as teeny ants had invaded overnight.  Ground cloves don't work;  whole cloves work like a charm.

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"...