hand eye crafts

When I took the dogs out this morning, this was waiting on the sidewalk: My very most favorite thing about Spring.  Maple seed helicopters.  That one little pod made me really happy.

Having a monumentally bad day.  Inside, I'm screaming, "What is the point of going on?"  Keeping it inside is setting off waves of panic attacks.  And if I type about it anymore, things will get worse. So let me type something that I found the other day.  A while ago, the magnificent Stephen Fry published a book called  The Ode Less Travelled , which helped its readers write all different types of poetry.  I found my workbook from when I read the book, and am rather fond of the following. We were called upon to finish "Fry's Ballad," which began thusly (my contributions in bold): Now gather round and let me tell The tale of Danny Wise: And how his sweet wife Annabelle Did suck out both his eyes. And if I tell the story true And if I tell it clear There's not a mortal one of you  Won't shriek in mortal fear. For Annabelle was fair of face, A comely shape and size. She won young Danny with her grace, But everything was lies. Her...

While I do, indeed, have boards on Pinterest , I don't visit there regularly.  I do , however, regularly find pictures that I like.  Since meaningful content escapes me today, I thought I'd show you some. Baby rhinoceri are among my favorite baby animals.  Very near, if not at, the top of a list like that. Tapirs were one of Briton's favorite animals growing up.  This is a practically-newborn being meaningful and squeefully cute at the same time. I love, worship and adore Barry Gibb anyway --- but the fact that he is left-handed sends him right over the top. First saw this picture yesterday, and still  can't come up with words equal to my delight in it. Can't come up with words for this one, either.  But for an entirely different reason.

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.

The stomach crud will not let me go yet.  If I'm on Briton's timetable, tomorrow should be a much better day. When I can stay awake long enough, and sit upright long enough, I'm knitting with some great yarn I bought at knit in Charleston.  It's thick-and-thin, which is a huge favorite, and a bamboo/wool/acrylic blend that has a delightful hand.  It's called "Bamboo Bloom Handpaints" from Universal Yarn.  I'm using Reflecting Pool.

Ever wonder how old I am?  Really, now --- have you ever sat down and  just pondered? Well, a big box of family pictures I found at my parents' might help you. For one birthday, I received these two albums.  And my hair was decorated with a thick length of white  ropey-like-woolish-stuff. (The red one says "The Partridge Family Album."  Geez.  I gotta lay bread crumbs out for you people.) For Christmas one year, one glasses-wearing, POW-bracelet-sporting, hair-parted-in-the-middle-no-more-yarny-tiebacks, quilted-satin-psychadelic-robe Christmas, I got this: Do your math.

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...

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! The 2012 Knitters' Chick should be: The 2012 Knitters' Hunk should be:

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

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

Liam Neeson, Stephen Colbert and Alan Rickman won yesterday, and are, therefore, in the Quarterfinals.  The tie between Jeremy Irons and Tom Selleck was broken, and the victor there gets right back into the action today to fill out the Final Eight.   In other pairs: Pair Seventy-Seven Pair Seventy-Eight Pair Seventy-Nine Pair Eighty

So far, the men's quarterfinalists are Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, Robert Downey, Jr. and Nathan Fillion.  We'll get three more today, then, once the Irons/Selleck tie is broken, the eighth one will be very near indeed. Hope you all had a really nice weekend.  All rested and ready to express your opinions? Pair Seventy-Three Pair Seventy-Four Pair Seventy-Five Pair Seventy-Six

I hope you all are having as much fun with this as me.  I say that at some point every year, probably, but I do mean it.  Your comments are terrific, and your options are getting more difficult, wouldn't you say? We aren't quite down to the final eight women in Knitters' Chick.  There were eleven votes cast for both Rashida Jones and Emma Watson, so we'll be revisiting them again soon,too.  Waiting for them in the Quarterfinals are Rachel McAdams, Anne Hathaway, Maggie Smith, Samantha Bee, Meryl Streep, Gillian Anderson and Rachel Maddow.  If you nominated any  of them, you are still in the running for the Chick Grand Prize. Remember, no voting over the weekend. Now.  On to today: Pair Sixty-Nine Pair Seventy Pair Seventy-One + Pair Seventy-Two