You Want Me To Knit What?

That was my first thought when I learned that Kathyb’s pattern swap included a knitted bookmark.  A bookmark?  I’ve never knitted a bookmark—I didn’t even know there were published patterns for bookmarks!!  So I found the patterns and knit two of them.  A simple case of “download them and they will be knitted.”

First I finished one in crochet cotton:

 

Then I did one in bamboo:

Then, out of curiosity, I went looking for my Mother’s cross bookmark in her Bible.  It’s crocheted.  Not going there!!

I would never have believed I would find comfort in knitting bookmarks, but I want to knit thousands of them!!  Well, maybe a hundred!  They are quick and oh so satisfying to a project knitter like me.  It’s knit a little—done, knit a little more—done again, and so on.  Kathy you have created a monster!  I am now knitting a beaded bookmark, then it is on to glitter yarn and, whoa, I could use cashmere and add beads and glitter and….

Speaking of books, It’s a sad thing what has happened to real books, both hard cover and paperback!!  I love books and have them in bookcases all around the house and office.  I love to open a new book and smell the new book aroma.  In bookstores I love to stick my face into a new book and breathe deeply.  (By the way, that is probably not a good idea because 50 other people have most likely done the same thing).  When I read a new book, I confess, I pick up the Kindle and never think about going to a book store to buy a book.  The reason is that e-books are cheaper!!  If you read a lot, the cost and storage space required for real books becomes prohibitive.

Do you read real books?  Do you read with a Kindle or Nook or tablet of some other name?  I realize that real book reading and collecting is a lost art, gone the way of personal correspondence and writing real checks to pay bills.  I have a theory, if we all knit enough bookmarks people will have to use them and will buy more books.  I plan to do my share!!

Update on Classic Cardi:  I just started decreasing for the armholes on the back piece.  Tomorrow I will start the left front, which should go quickly.  That’s good because then I can knit more bookmarks.

Life is good!!

Healing

Why oh why did I choose scarves as this year’s Christmas gift.  They take so long to knit.  At least the scarves I like do!  I like them long and a little wider than the average scarf.  After taking a good, long look my whole knitting situation, I find that I am covered up with scarves, l-o-o-n-g, time consuming scarves.  I like to get a project finished quickly and go on to something else.  I like to choose patterns and yarns for the next two or three projects, and I get grumpy when I can’t start them until I finish the three projects I already have started.  I am my own worst enemy!!

The result is that I have allowed myself to cast on for a lace scarf.  You can’t have a cone of lace weight yarn, especially in a cranberry color, and not use it!  I think it is a written law:  “New cones of cranberry-colored yarn must be used immediately.” (Knitter's Law No. 3175.38).

Classic Cardi is moving along as well.  I love knitting with KnitPicks organic cotton.  This will not be the last sweater I knit in their yarn!  I am thinking about something in this color: 

 

I only need two more inches on the back of Classic Cardi before I begin to decrease for armholes.  When the back is finished I always do a little victory dance because the front sections and sleeves are MUCH quicker knits.

The week is only half over but I am anticipating a quiet, healing weekend.  We had another family surgery this week.  Dear SIL had back surgery and surprised us all by going home the next day!  I’m getting to know the hospital better than I ever wanted to, and actually learning to enjoy cafeteria food (as long as it is a salad).  So I am going to bury my head in knitting and movies, make my own salads, and doze off for a good nap whenever I want this weekend.  I have already warned the whole family that if anyone goes to the hospital they can expect me to show up in jammies and slippers, my red Dr. Dre headphones on my head and my knitting bag over my shoulder.  What a picture!!

Look who came to visit:

 

 

Out To Lunch

Warning: That’s all the knitting content.  The rest is prattle!

In a recent blog post friend Chan questioned whether imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  I had to admit that I most likely would not notice if someone imitated me because I am pretty much oblivious to what goes on around me.  It has become the family joke, to the point that when I go out with a couple of my friends DH asks them to “keep an eye on me.”

I was put on this earth to notice minute details.  You only have to look at the profession I chose (accounting) to realize that with me the important thing is the details.  Example: if I went into a setting with friends I would be busy looking at an antique crystal chandelier while they would be noticing the masked man in the room about to rob every one of their possessions.

I enjoy a monthly jaunt with two lady friends that usually consists of an unusual event like a murder mystery dinner, an antique-hunting trip to a tiny Texas town, or a séance in the creepy studio of a spooky mystic—to name a few.  We call it “girls’ night out” and it’s so much fun that other friends never fail to ask what our latest expedition has been.

On one particular evening we found ourselves alone in an old theater.  Being the first to arrive, my friends picked a spot to sit while I started checking out the historic wallpaper and candelabra.   Right away I was grabbed from behind by one of my companions and she whispered in my ear, “We! Are! Leaving!”  It was then that I noticed the other lady in our threesome had her gun in her hand.  She is the GRIT (girl raised in Texas) member of our group, who never leaves home without her gun (bless her heart).  Shortly after noticing the gun, I noticed that three men had followed us into the building.  It was us and the men, and they were headed straight for us.  GRIT held up her gun for them to see and they reversed their path and left through a side door.  We took that as our signal to go back to GRIT’s house and kill a bottle of wine (before SHE killed someone).  I did spend some time that evening telling them about the wallpaper and candelabra, which they had not noticed.

My point is that I believe there are two types of people in the world, those who notice their surroundings and are watchers for those of us who only notice small, trivial details.  It takes both types to keep the world in check.  Which type are you?

To the watchers, I thank you on behalf of the “out to lunch” crowd.  Please know that we are trying!!

Macy’s friend is watching for her….

I Needed That!

The week ended with a big surprise from Grace of Lovin’ Comfort Knits.  She sent the Dino dinosaur I ordered (for DS#3 for Christmas) along with a birthday surprise of a cute little stuffy and a skein of yummy yarn!  The Loopy Ewe yarn in the Antique Treasures colorway is slated for a light and airy scarf called Easy Breezy, and is already whispering to me, “Come and knit me!”  Thank you for the wonderful gift dear Grace.  I love whispering yarn and the stuffy with the “bedroom eyes” has been a big hit all around the office.

I also have the little Bon Bons and a cone of cranberry colored yarn that are calling out to me.  Of course, they are for Christmas scarves so they will not have to wait long.  I’m already beginning to feel a little stress about Christmas knitting.  It is moving very slowly.  Why?  I guess I am knitting slower these days.  I guess we all slow down at times, but when I come home, pick up the knitting and mostly knit all evening, and still nothing is finished….  What’s up with that?

I took my knitting to the Veterinarian’s office yesterday.  Macy had an annual checkup scheduled and I thought I would take Max along to get his claws clipped.  NO KNITTING WAS DONE!!  Max threw a puppy fit you wouldn’t believe even if I could find the words to describe it, but I must try.  First he didn’t like them poking and prodding Macy and let them know by snarling in a very unfriendly voice.  Then when the time came to cut his nails he started howling.  He bit, snapped, howled and generally embarrassed me and Macy.  They finally had to put a muzzle on him, after which he let them know what he thought of their services by soiling their floors, clothes and clippers in a way that will leave his mark until they are thoroughly sterilized.  Next time I will take the knitting and leave Max at home!

Life is good!

In Love Again

When I was a girl my Mother was always cautioning me not to fall in love too easily.  I was a grown woman with children of my own before I realized that she was talking about more than just boys!  She was talking about my penchant for being swallowed up by passing fancies and useless trends.  I am such a sucker for pretty things!  I fall on my face in love with inanimate objects every day.  One of the first things today was these darling purple shoes.  They would be perfect with the new dress I just bought and make the transition into winter with a sigh rather than a grumble.  See, there I go again!!

On the other hand, I am fickle.  DH points that out to me all the time!!  I like something, I buy something, I wear something once, and then the bloom is off the fashion flower.  Like this bronze jacket:

I bought it two years ago and STILL haven't worn it.  Okay, so he is right.  Just this once.

I fall in love with yarn A LOT!  My stash is filled with yarn like these 12 skeins of Sock It To Me.  I will not be using them for a long time, but they were a must-have purchase and I'm standing by them.  Five years from now I may need some of that yarn for a hat or scarf OR SOCKS!  Anyway, my yarn is like my children, I can't give it away and I have to love it no matter how difficult to handle it becomes!

Do you fall in love too easily?  When I say that about myself, DH reminds me that I had dates with two other guys on the same night as our first date.  I was just hedging my bets and again, I’m not talking about guys.  Not the same thing at all!  On the other hand, the three dates in one night thing didn’t work out any better than the bronze jacket!  Those other two guys still will not speak to me, and they have a chance at times because their wives are friends of mine.  The wives laugh about it but the guys still don’t think it was is funny.  But that’s another post….

Life is good.

I Forgot

It seems that lately I have been forgetting a lot of things, not the least of which was my 7th blogiversary on July 4th.  It has been an exciting, rewarding and fulfilling 7 years.  The people I've met through reading and commenting on the knitting blogs are the best people in the world!!  As my Mom would say, "Salt of the earth,"  meaning you are all precious, essential, the best of the best!  I'm talking about Kathyb, Chan, Grace, Nancy, Sue, Anne of Ireland, gMarie, Carole, I could go on and on.  Thank you all for enriching my life and being my go-to pals every day!

I forgot that I had a lot of wonderful photos on my old blogs from long ago.   I can't find any of them on my computer because they were saved to the drive of a computer that died several years ago.  Did you know that you can go back and reclaim those photos from Blogger?  Yep, I did it and they look better than ever.  Here is one of Macy ready for winter yard patrol:

I also forgot another important day.  I was treating Wednesday like any other day until DH reminded me that it was my birthday.  Just the thought of it has produced at least three new wrinkles!  Can you hear the sarcasm?  Still, it is the only game in town and compared to a couple alternatives I can think of, birthdays aren't all that bad.  So this is me, confessing to being oh so happy to be here and even a little accepting of another year tacked onto my age.  When you wake in the morning and feel like it is going to be another wonderful day, and no matter how old you really are you feel like 30....  Life is good!

 

BTW:  I ordered some of the new Lion Brand Bonbons with sparkle for my Christmas scarf gifts.  I can't wait to get started.  I'm a sucker for bling!