Apres Stitches South

If you've ever been to a Stitches event, you know how much fun it is, and also, how much walking you have to do.  Therefore, come prepared:

That would be yours truly on the left, Mooflower on the left.  In the Market on Day One.  The last time we saw each other was also in Atlanta, about four years ago.  She is truly awesome, and it was great to see her again.  And to meet her friend, Jane.

Day One shopping filled one of my Chico bags.  I'd written down amounts of yarn I needed for specific projects, and stuck to buying those.  For the most part.

How cute is that little guy?  Shame I can't crochet --- Briton's girlfriend loves otters.

Treated myself to room service the first night, having taken a long nap that afternoon and missed dinnertime.

Fruit and cheese basket.  Followed the next morning by

my standard hotel/room service Eggs Benedict breakfast.  With tiny bottles of Tabasco again.

Bought fewer things on Day Two, as I had walked the whole market twice Friday, and had very specific vendors to visit Saturday.  And didn't take a nap, which meant I could go to dinner with Moo and Jane:

Boots are made for shopping and eating.

Got home on Sunday in time to watch Adam Scott win the Masters:

One of my favorite golfers, and definitely the cutest.

Today, I'm working on a cowl with yarn I bought Friday:

 

Oh, and fighting Con Crud.  It was inevitable.

But sort of worth it.

Stitches South

This is my second trip to Stitches South;  Hannah and I came a couple of years ago.  The hotel has redecorated its rooms, going from warm woods with real character to black and white modular which is plain tacky.

The market, which is all I came for, remains the same.  Lots of women wearing lots of handknits.  Mostly shawls.  Don't know how many were wearing handmade socks, but shawls have definitely been the project of choice for, I'd say, 85% of the attendees.

Met up with friend Mooflower once I arrived.  She and her friend Jane have been delightful company these couple of days, despite our difference in style:

The market did have a surprise or two:

This booth was empty yesterday, but there were men sitting and knitting today.  

There was also a handsome man in a kilt strolling around.  Wanted to take a picture of him, but that would have been just creepy.

Got my standard room service breakfast this morning:

Love my Eggs Benedict, and love the tiny Tabasco bottles even more.

So

Following the lead of my twinster and knitting a Color Affection shawl.  I'm always late to the game on stuff like this Hot-Pattern-of-the-Moment.  But elann.com is selling yarn packs for Color Affection, and I thought I'd dive in.  I went with Night Flower, if you're interested.

Heading off to Stitches South tomorrow.  Can't leave until after 4, which will most likely put me 1) in Atlanta 5 o'clock traffic and 2) driving into some strong thunderstorms.  But once I'm there, I'm there, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday stretch out before me.

It's possible I won't spend that much time at the actual Stitches events.  I couldn't sign up for any classes --- too expensive.  So the only place for me to go, really, is the marketplace.  Not that I'm complaining.

Hopefully, these few days away will help me mentally.  My therapist called my trip to Folly Beach last year (last YEAR?) "as good as ElectroShock."  I am in desperate need of a Reset.  Because I am perilously close to hitting the Permanently Off switch.

This Week

. . .is starting with a pulverizing headache.

. . .is the week of Stitches South in Atlanta.  I'm going --- are any of you?  Is there anything any of you need me to pick up for you while I'm there?

. . .while at Stitches, I may need to buy yarn in "my" color:

. . .has me taking one new medicine and new dosages of two of my "regulars."  My doctor is seriously considering ElectroConvulsive Therapy.  I'm just stuck.  And still can't give you a good reason for me to go on.

. . .will hopefully have Riley getting her feeding tube removed.  She is eating a good bit on her own.

The Day After

My birthday cake for this year arrived a day early.  It's siren song came from the refrigerator for many long, long hours before we could finally cut into it:

Tres Leches with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream.

I KNOW!

I always wear purple on my birthday.  This year's daywear choice (I changed into a purple turtleneck for dinner out):

Good day.

January and Goals

I don't make New Year's Resolutions.  I've never had a life Plan, Five-Year or otherwise.  My life has always just sort of happened.  Not entirely, of course --- I did set my cap and my jaw for a few things along the way.  But mostly, I've just dealt with each day as best I could.

Still, I find myself looking back over this month as it ends and being proud of keeping some promises I made to myself.  I continued with the Alphabetical Authors run, knocking out "R," "S," "T," and beginning "U."

And, I took myself out of town.  For the last couple of years, I've been aching to travel.  Big, airplane-y, meet people I only know online travel.  But, still unemployed, Travel has to be smaller, smarter.  One place a month.  The bed and breakfast I began with was ideal, and a wondrous start that made me want to keep going all year.  In fact, my February destination may already be chosen.

But that's for another month.

In Brief (With Pictures)

New favorite book.  Wish I weren't working on two things already.

A couple more Christmas pictures:

The traditional top-of-the-stairs-before-opening-presents photo.

Hannah wasn't having any luck explaining Christmas to Klunk, so she turned the job over to the big brothers.  (Note Klunk's Fair Isle turtleneck.)

GET IT?

Finn's favorite toy.  He has scarcely let go of it, save for an adventure or two with the "baked potato" on the left.

Visual Christmas Story

Eve

Yes, casting on before Christmas.  Actually, none of my gifts this year were handmade.  Mostly because most of my gifts were bought for Briton and Hannah, and they look on handknits the same way most people look on a beautifully wrapped boxed that turns out to contain underwear.

I am using knits in my 26 Acts campaign.  So far, I've been leaving things on people's cars in parking lots, so that it will be both a true surprise and a real mystery.  I haven't made an etsy sale this year, so I've got plenty of items from which to choose.  The other day, when I had my car serviced, I left a cat I had made in the children's waiting room, with a note attached that said he could be taken home.

It's a cold, rainy Christmas Eve here, which makes huddling up inside with some knitting and "Mystery Science Theater 3000" just perfect.  Hannah is working today --- when she's done, we're going to IHOP to eat, then our annual visit to a live Nativity scene.  When we get home, we each open one gift, then watch "Muppet Christmas Carol."  Traditions are rather soothing, don't you think?

We're Expecting!

In a week, maybe a little more, there will be one more heartbeat, and four more feet at Chez Dean:

Hannah has wanted a Sphynx cat forever, and she made the down payment on this little guy tonight.

There were kittens climbing all over me for some reason.  The sweater maybe?  That's the adoptee curled up in my lap.

And here.

Hannah is over the moon.  Which is what counts.

It's Beginning to Look It

I Don't Like It

Halloween, that is.  This comes from a mother who loathed it, who complained loudly about having her evening interrupted by a bunch of silly children dressed in costumes.

As you can imagine, I didn't go trick or treating much --- I remember exactly two times, and one of them once spent trying to cut two simple eyeholes in a sheet so as to be a ghost.  My mother and I fought over that for some reason --- viciously.  Either she didn't want a sheet ruined or she felt I was cutting the holes in the right way and/or right place.  I threw on a v-neck sweater, borrowed some pom-poms from a neighbor, and tried to pass myself off as a cheerleader.

I wondered what would happen when I became a parent, and how the event would be handled.  Our firstborn was so shy, so withdrawn, that even the mention of Halloween would put a look of abject terror on his face.  Plus, he didn't like candy that much.  Problem solved.

Until secondborn.  Whom no one could ever describe as shy, who adores not only dressing up, but designing costumes, making costumes, wearing costumes on days not even near October.  So, some serious bucking up was called for, and we made it through the trick-or-treating years without either of them being too damaged or disappointed.  I think.

But I still don't like it.

And the Winners Are:

For the Inaugural Knitters' Chick contest:

Dame Maggie Smith.

Never in doubt, really --- at least not to me.  From the first round, people were loving her.  And who can blame them? Lorette nominated Dame Maggie, and will be receiving the Knitters' Chick Grand Prize. Bridget nominated runner-up Meryl Streep, and will be receiving the Runner-Up Prize.

If you are interested, the final vote count was 69% for Smith, 31% for Streep.

And the 2012 Knitters' Hunk, coming from way behind earlier in the day is

Liam Neeson.

I had honestly thought Benedict Cumberbatch was going to win --- his margins of victory were always so big.  But the Liam Lovers among you came through, most of all Camille, who has won the Grand Prize.*  The runner-up package goes to, would you believe it, Lorette! She sure knows how to pick 'em!  Final margin: Neeson 55%. Cumberbatch 45%.

So, the reigns of Maggie and Liam begin, and we'll all meet again here next year to start all over!  Thank you SO, SO much everybody!


*Edited to add: Briana also nominated Liam, but sloppy record-keeping on my part didn't give her credit.  That being the case, I'm going to forego my usual tie-breaker, and send her a Grand Prize package, too.  Sorry, Briana!!

Crown!

The time is here!  Choose your favorites to reign over Knitterdom for the next year!  Winners will be announced tonight after 9 PM Eastern.  Thank you all SO much for your enthusiastic involvement and support.

GO!

Elect!

Edited to add: The results of these contests have been removed on purpose.  In case anyone wasn't keeping up with these races today, the Finalists will be a surprise on Monday!  Have a great weekend!

Alright, folks.  Gut check time.  Down to the last four contestants in both Knitters' Chick and Knitters' Hunk.  Today's winners will vie for the titles come Monday.  And, the winners of the nominators' prizes will be announced!  Vote your heart and your knitterly intuition. . .

Pair Ninety-One

Pair Ninety-Two

Pair Ninety-Three

Pair Ninety-Four

Support!

Nearer and nearer the end of the contests grow.  Are you nervous?  Frightened?  Intimidated?  Sad?  Well, I certainly hope you're able to vote, because there are still some blank lines on the brackets that need filling in.  Your decisions here will fill out the Knitters' Chick Final Four;  today's  victors will join Maggie Smith and Rachel McAdams.

Your votes for the men will fill out the Knitters' Hunk Final Four, winners joining Stephen Colbert and Benedict Cumberbatch.  Which means the Semifinals are tomorrow, and the 2012 Knitters' Hunk and Knitters' Chick will be elected Monday!

Pair Eighty-Seven

Pair Eighty-Eight

Pair Eighty-Nine

Pair Ninety