Goodies! For Me!

Just a quick post to thank my Sockret Pal for all the goodies! They're deee-vine.


I particularly love the pink DPNs; cool or what? Still, the big winner is, hands down, the Noro Silk Garden. How did you know?! I've been itching to get my fingers on this gorgeous silk/mohair/wool blend. How fantastic are these colors?


I think I already have a plan for them, a scarf for me, me, it's mineminemineminemine. Branching Out from Knitty. Yipee!

Thanks Sockret Pal!

And the Knitter Goes to...

I seem to be in a numerical, organized kind of blogging mood lately. Probably because I am as far from numerical and organized in my knitting as Nicole Ritchie is from eating a Hardee's hamburger. Or is that Paris? The thin blonde rich one in the stupid commercial, you know who I mean.

I've hit a knitting wall. I'm four presents from a finished Christmas gift list (a bit like being a few sandwiches shy of a picnic, I think) but I. Can't. Seem. To. Cast-On. I have the yarn for all four projects. What do I lack? Needles for one and patterns for the other three. Which is a reasonable and valid problem. Except... um- do I or do I not WORK IN A YARN STORE?

There is no excuse for me. I alternate between staring at the pattern for Code: Orange and staring at the yarn for the other three gifts (these are all basically the same gift, but, to my mind, requiring a different pattern for each) and then just not doing anything about it.
I've got to shake this slump. So I'm going to... blog! Yes, that's an efficient decision!

This blog goes out to a few people I know- lovely people, who make my life a little lighter, a little easier, and, sometimes, a little yarnier.
I present you, The Nominations:

1. One to The Hubba because when I say "What would be some knitting/Dave Matthews blog names" he doesn't snort and roll his eyes, he helps compile a list:
Purl Street (His)
I Knit It (Mine)
Frogs Marching (His)
The Stitch Between (Mine)
Knitting Billies or Tripping Knitters (Group Effort)

2. One to Miz Knotty for starting every phone call as though we were in mid-conversation. In literature it's called "in media res" and in Miz Knotty's world it's called "I was just looking at my yarn and..." There's never a wasted breath or even acknowledgement that time has passed since we last spoke and I can settle right in for a good natter without any of the dull "how are you" preamble.

3. One to Knitty Yoda who ends every phone call with "Bye Emily" (yes, turns out Neighbor is not my real name. Who knew?) and I end it with "Bye Ann" (don't worry Knitty Yoda IS her real name; Ann's just her nom de guerre*). There's something awfully nineteen fifties about it. We'll get to a stopping point and- usually while laughing- she'll say "Bye Emily" and I'll say "Bye Ann." Then we'll each take our casseroles out of the oven and call in Opie and the Beav for dinner.

4. Kelly's (no blog, sad to say) fella actually checked to make certain he and she were signing up for the same cell phone service as mine, the theory being if Kelly and I didn't have the same cell phone services all calls must be cut short and that was inconceivable. A nom to David for being such a thoughtful guy and a nom to Kelly for telling the story.

5. Finally, a nom to all my bloggy friends who are a blast to read and so talented and clever and talented and Irish and overall talented and hilarious. Keeping us informed about actual knitting so I don't have to. Knit, that is.

Well... I've burned nearly a half hour. Now I'm off to... make The Hubba's lunch and then... drink some more hot tea... and then... consider knitting! but probably just stare at the pattern in horror instead! What progress.

*If you check "nom de guerre" you'll find it means "an assumed name under which a person engages in combat or some other activity or enterprise." EXACTLY what I was saying about Knitty Yoda.

An Affair to Remember

A few loves I can't seem to let go...

1.

I know, I know, another dishcloth. These, however, serve a purpose. We're putting together a "Merry Christmas/Happy Birthday" basket for The Hubba's mother, and these are part of it. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

2.


Yep. More hand-painted sock yarn. This newest gorgeous example is only a small part of an order I placed with Dani of Sunshine Yarns over a month ago. Why so long for delivery? Because she did specially selected colors for my order- seriously. The girl is Talent Personified. Those other yarns are so beautiful, and so top-secret I can't show them to you until after Christmas, but this little beauty, "Fern", made it through the Gift Detectors (re: it's mine! mine! allminehahahaha). This stuff might as well be bars of gold in certain knitting circles. Check out her fantastic shop- I'm particularly fond of the hank called "Farmhouse" (coughcoughMomSuzHubba).

3.

Dogs in a red chair. At one point, this chair, fabric selected by myself, twelve weeks to order and deliver, was My Chair. No longer. Our darned dogs with their darned great color scheme just blend so beautifully, I don't have the heart to scold them. Instead I take pictures.

4.
I just finished HP and the Order of the Phoenix audio book, only to check-out HP and the Goblet of Fire from the library. Knitting while listening to an HP book- priceless.

A Thanksgiving Post in Pictures

Up at the crack of nine.

BREAKFAST!


Plan: Turkey in by 9:30.

Attack turkey.



Why do they call it "Lil' Butterball"? Feel I shouldn't eat it, but put it in a baseball cap and take it to a game.

Turkey Assistant.


Turkey has all orifices stuffed with apples, onions, sage and rosemary, as recommended by Miz Knotty's cookbook:

(Page helpfully marked)

by 10:00. Not too shabby. Turkey instructions say bird should cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours to reach optimal temperature of 180 degrees. Expecting we shall we be digging into our delicious lunch about 2. Lovely

12:30- Temp check with handy-dandy thermometer. Turkey is 110 degrees.

1:30- Temp check. Turkey is 150 degrees. Remove loose tent of tinfoil.

2:00- Baste turkey, turn up oven, wonder why turkey seems to be taking longer than recommended cook time.

2:35- Temp check (much surly jabbing and glaring at stupid bird. Hard to hear own thoughts over growling tummy). Mother-of-purl the turkey is 176 degrees. 176 DEGREES! $%&*!

4:00- Temp check- I kid you not- 181 degrees. Yes! YES! Hallelujah, we can eat! Except:


I'm getting a glass of wine.

4:45- Dinner.

4:49- Done with dinner.

Or at least it felt that way. It might have been all of twenty minutes before The Hubba and I were kicked back in our seats, staring at near empty plates and groaning slightly with the weight of it all.

We now have the graveyard of Thanksgiving


covered, but still out on the assumption one of us will grow a second stomach and go back for seconds.

After the turkey:


Oh, and there's still pie!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Oh Mr. Postman... Is there some yarn- oh yeah- in your bag for me?

I love receiving post. Real post, not bills, and offers for free cars, or $500,000 personal loans. To me, real post is defined as: anything that contains stuff I want. Huge fan of this kind of post. I love that brief feeling of "Huh, I wonder what this is?" that turns to joy when you open said package and discover the goodies inside.

When I was in an eBay mood, I would go through periods of ordering several lots of books at a time (this was before I met yarn) and I was giddy every time a package arrived. Which lot would this be? How many books would it have? Did the seller gift wrap them just to give me an extra thrill?

That last thing- that NEVER happened. At least not until yesterday when this arrived:


From Brooke, my yarn (which arrived FOUR DAYS after I ordered it- talk about service!) was beautifully hidden in pink tissue and ribbons. Yes, you can tell my level of excitement- I stopped opening to grab the camera and TAKE A PICTURE. I'm a little deranged.

However, inside the package it got even better. Behold the yarn:



Isn't it gorgeous? Look at those colors. And it's so soft and merino-y. Sigh.

Also included was a teeny-tiny sachet of lavender. Look how small:


(Pointer finger used as size comparison- also to say "Brooke's number one!")

So yesterday was an excellent start to the week. Because there was a present. In the mail. To me. From me. To me. Hahahaha.

What? What did you say about my Sockret Pal? About yarn for her next package? About the season of giving? About choosing the colors with her in mind? Hmm? I'm sorry I can't hear you; I've got two beautiful hanks of yarn pressed to my ears. LALALALALA.

(Weird note about Blogger: when I spell check it catches words like "knitter" "crocheter" "merino" and "hank." What word does it accept? eBay. What?!)

One Down...

Found The Hubba the Perfect Gift.

What a fantastic knit-knack site! Who knew yarn wasn't the only danger?

Yarn Binge

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Oscar Wilde

Alright maybe not a binge to put other crafters to shame, but for me, yesterday was a right feast of yarn. First, and most importantly, a blatant friend reference:

Buy from Brooke! I bought two hanks of sock yarn from her yesterday (both of which will probably- PROBABLY I say- go to my Sockret Pal) and they are a) gorgeous and b) came with a shockingly good discount (of course this could be because I'm such a cool person- what?- why are you laughing?- FINE, probably because Brooke is such a cool person.) Right now she mainly has individual skeins so I can't post shots of my particular beauties as they've come off the shop site, but check her out. Anyone looking to buy Christmas gifts (cough,cough,momsuzhubba) for me (see: cool person) this is a GREAT place to go. Also, check out her blog and the amazing market she'll be attending. Whoo-hoo Brooke! If she were a candidate in some political race I'd give her my full endorsement.

Also, got to visit my fantastic friend Betsy in Pinehurst yesterday and picked up some divine lovelies from Bella Filati in Southern Pines. They aren't kidding on the site, this is a place of luxury yarns. Not a store I could shop everyday (and still afford a house) but so, so worth the occasional trip. And gorgeous just to walk around, see the displays, breathe the rarefied air of Debbie Bliss Cashmere and hand-dyed yarns from Uruguay... The Divine Miss Bets gave me a gift certificate for my birthday which made the shopping even more heavenly- though of course I spent above and beyond. Why do I do that? I swear, if someone gave me a gift certificate for $1,000,000 I'd manage to spend $100,000,020.98 every time. It's my nature. (Also, have to mention how hilarious Betsy was, randomly picking up yarns and saying "Oooo, they're so soft!" or grabbing the sleeves of finished garments on display, saying "Ooo, this would look so great on me!" and lifting her eyebrows in my direction.)





The sock yarn is Liisu Yarns, 75% Superwash, 25% Mohair, color Tequila Sunrise and will one day, when I set my elf hat aside and leave the workshop, be a pair of socks for moi.

The orange balls of heavenly loveliness- ahem- are from Laines du Nord, a yarn seller I've heard of but I don't think I'd seen before (until someone comes up to me and says "you know they sell that at the store you work right at, right? RIGHT?!"). These are 80% Mohair, 20% Polyamid. The smaller, darker divine creature is another sock yarn by Liisu in the color Espresso Bean. Sigh.

I cannot yet tell you what these yarns will make (see: elf hat), but I can tell you this is the most excited I've ever been about one project. Really. For an instant buzz, I look at the patern, yarn held in both hands and am instantly smiling. Though we are on a time frame here (Christmas is only six weeks away!), I won't let myself cast-on until I'm in the perfect environment, pristine, silent, filled with spiritual awe. However, I don't think the Dali Lama will want me spending a few weeks at his crib, so instead I plan to knit only here, at our untidy, noisy, lacking of all awe except sports-oriented fervor home. I'll give updates on this project (Code: Orange, we shall call it), as I think the knitting will be highly interesting (re: challenging, but in a good way) and I want to keep my small, but dedicated and highly international readership informed.

Anyway, I'm off to pile all my yarn on the table and stare at it.

I've Got Yoda, I've Got Knotty, I've Got My Yarn

... who could ask for anything more?

Remember those drated Magic Loop, Toe-Up socks?

I give you:



It might not look like much now, but in a few years- I will have two socks! No more single-sock-syndrome! Of course there's still that pesky heel to get through... but that's what Knitty Yodas are for, right? That and Craft World Domination (Martha who?).

And check this out:



That's right, that there be crochet. Thanks to a rainy afternoon with Miz Knotty I have now done a single and a double crochet chain. HA! Sure that's a pretty steep slant to the right, but that's no mistake, that's an intentional design- La to the Left I'm calling it. I'm so crafty my toes are tinglin' and my ears are ringin'.

Of course the ear ringing could have more to do with this funky cold that's come over me again, minus the husky voice (there can't always be an upside to a leaking nose and heavy mouth-breathing). Though I used my current ailment as a reason to sit in my chair and drink hot tea and finish two more Christmas gifts and listen to HP and the Order of the Phoenix (we're getting to the good part, the Weasley twins just went out with a bang) and not do much else. Not that I need an excuse for such behavior.


(Model: Barkley Knitter; he was kind enough to help re-create the scene, including the mugs but minus the Kleenex.)

Now, as we near bedtime, I'm debating to Nyquil or not to Nyquil. I'm fine with the night of heavy, loud snoring, mouth open sleep (mind you, I'M fine, The Hubba not so good), but I'm not fine with next day's medicine head. I've been know, when the Nyquil's wearing off the next morning, to be going along, merry in that dopey drug way, and suddenly notice, "Hey! I'm driving!"

I've got a Harry scarf that needs assistance. You know the saying, don't drink and knit? Add to the Knitter's Rules and Regulations don't watch a ridiculous UT-Arkansas game in which UT gets their tail handed to them and knit (not quite so succinct, but trust me, the sentiment is the same). Because you will discover, the next morning, you dropped a stitch three rows ago (probably at the point when the Razorbacks were scoring their zillionth touchdown and you were yelling "No! NOOOO!!!" and shaking your hands at the heavens in frustration) and then there's a lot of frogging, picking up of stitches, and trying to sort out the mess. I've nearly got it back in hand though. In skilled and crafty Magic-Loopin', Toe-Upin', Double Chainin' hands.

I'm off to work on Harry and mouth breathe. 'Night-Night! Keep your eyes open for a little gray Honda with a red-nosed woman behind the wheel! Possibly drugged and dopey!

The Five Deadly Gifters (get ready, it's a long'un! and about Christmas! and it's only November!)

You know those people who hate Christmas? The ones who cheer for Scrooge at the start of A Christmas Carol and boo-hiss at the end? Who cringe as stores strike up the Christmas carols a week prior to Thanksgiving and have all their lights hung and decorations up the day after?

I am so not one of those people. I fall into the other category, the obnoxious, eagerly anticipating, merry Christmas-makers category. The people who start humming "Deck the Halls" and "What are you doing New Year's?" somewhere around Labor Day category. The ones who over-buy holiday wrapping paper when you find something really cute (dogs in Santa hats, sort of art deco, I can't wait to start wrapping) to use for next year category. The planning where to put the Christmas tree when you move into a new house category (ours is going where the red plaid chair currently resides, and the chair will rotate to the other side of the television).

I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

And last night, The Hubba, in all his infinite hubbaness, brought home Sarah McLachlan's new CD, Wintersong, but don't let the title fool you, it's a Christmas covers album. I've played it twice at the store today.

So on this subject of Christmas I started thinking about different kinds of gifters. In honor of Debbie Stoller's "Field Guide to Knitters", I offer you my Five Deadly Gifters. For instance:

It's Christmas?! Gifters: Typically you find these people rushing around an Eckerds/Walgreens/Pilot/empty-shelved Target (if they're lucky) on Dec 24th about 5:30pm buying gifts for friends and loved ones (hint: if you see them, you might just be them). Once again, the holiday that happens at the SAME TIME EVERY SINGLE YEAR has snuck up on them and so they venture home with bottles of "Vanilla de Great Grandma" for the wife, the twelfth Britney CD (the one that bombed) for the thirty-two year old daughter and a John Wayne DVD for a teenage son who only wants items with the words X-BOX or SONY stamped across the front. Recipients: Be kind to your late-gifting friends; we've all been there. It's Christmas?! Gifters, I wish you well in the upcoming holiday season. A word of advice: it's the 25th of December this year.

Or how about:

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Gifters: They're just looking for some appreciation. They went to busy stores! They woke up at un-Godly hours to get these things! They hunted for exactly the right gift! They want you to know that! They want respect and they're not afraid to play the worry card if they must. Here's a hint: while you're opening the package if you hear either "It's not much" OR "If you don't like it..." you've got a R-E-S-P-E-C-T Gifter on your hands. If you're not up for a day reassuring over and over and over andoverandoverandover here's my suggestion: use a phrase that runs along the lines of, this is EXACTLY what you wanted most in your life, a gift has never been so perfectly selected, this is the end-all be-all of all gifts ever given in the history of the world, or (for the truly determined R-E-S-P-E-C-T-er) it's best if you just die now to avoid the years to come of gifts that will never measure up to this particular gift.

Or why not:

The Bulldog Gifter: Oh, you know who I mean, the person you once mentioned to, when you were eight, your thing for My Little Pony and ten years later you got a "To the Graduate" card covered in pink horses with sparkles slapped across their butts. Clinch of Present-Death is another name for these gifters, as once they've got an idea, much like those little dogs once famed for hanging from the throat of a bull, they will never EVER let it go. DO NOT mention a trendy item in front of these people, unless you're prepared to like it when you're eighty. Vague, impossible to pin down items are best such as pants ("Oh, any color, size, and style will do!"), books ("something with words!") or music ("I love sound!"). Don't treat them harshly. Remember, these are people you typically see only once a year. And keep an eye on the turkey; Bulldog gifters have been known to yak up the occasional bone.

How about:

Catch and Release Gifters: These folks set foot in a store once a year, about a week prior to the 25th, and their brains simply melt in the face of so many items in one place. The Hubba, poor man, falls into this category and God help our VISA when he's done. All sense of a product's worth goes out the window and I later find receipts for one pair cotton pajamas, one pair fuzzy slippers for $86.98. The week of the 26th is a time of returns for the family members of these folks, and lots of conversations, gently conducted of "Well, yes, I do think a CD stand is an excellent idea, but I just don't think we should have to sell an organ to afford it." My suggestion: ask for gift certificates.

And, my particular favorite:

The Stitch Itch Gifters: Anything you can sweat, cry, burn yourself, bleed and stress over is high on their shopping list! The thinking of these folks? "Why buy a pair of gloves for $9.99 at The Wal-Mart, when you can make a pair, with a lot more time, and wonky little holes instead? Who cares it's a midriff baring sweater, Uncle Eddie and that beer-gut can carry it off! Too dull- let me bedazzle it! Oh, a few peanut-butter buckeyes never hurt a diabetic- eat up!" Filled with a sense of "from the heart" these knitters/crocheters/bakers/basket-makers will lose all sense of reason, self, and time between Thanksgiving and December 24th. They are also the first people in line for that box o' merlot around noon Christmas morning. Accept presents with a polite smile, and a thank-you and the mental comfort there's still plenty of room in the back of your closet and this knitting/crocheting/bedazzling phase can't last for ever. If it's your crafter's first crafting Christmas, God help you.

Who are a few of your favorite gifters? Remember, I'm not just neighborly, I'm nosely. Especially around the time of family holidays ("putting the funk back in dysfunction!"). And, please don't feel pigeon-holed; a person can fall into more than one category. I'm in at least three.

Just a few thoughts and helpful hints from your local, Christmas-crazed Neighborknitter! Remember it's not just the season of giving, but also the season of forgiveness. Or is that Easter? Either way, be kind to your gifting family and friends- remember, all that fighting through horrible crowds, swearing, burning up the VISA card, more swearing, knitting, fighting for parking spaces, uncontrollable sobbing, assembling, crocheting, baking, really truly awful straight-to-the-top of Santa's naughty list swearing- these are all acts of holiday love.

Google-Mania

Someone found me through a google search of "fat ankles." I kid you not. Google "fat ankles" and you'll hit on me somewhere around page 8. Who knew?

Speaking of people finding my site, can I just give all my readers in Turkey a shout-out? Thanks for the continuing support! Not sure if you find me on purpose or because in Turkish "neighborknitter" means "perfect chocolate cake recipe" or "free money" or maybe "half-naked women." Either way, it's lovely to feel international!

I've been trying to sort out my yarn stash from taking over our living room and have paired it nicely down to this:




The rest of it is now here:



Or here in my yarn graveyard, waiting to be untangled and rolled into neat balls:



I discovered, the first time we moved, and our realtor told me to give the house a "good deep cleaning" I'm not so much a "deep cleaning" as a "shove it all under the bed or into the closet" type housekeeper. At some point, probably when we have no guest bed left, I'll be forced to sort it out into tidy plastic containers obtained from the Home Depot. That, or else good-bye home office.

I've discovered dozens of half-used and, worse yet, untouched balls of cotton all over the place. I'm dishcloth crazed, what can I say? I've developed a feeling towards my dishcloth cotton like a crack addict* to his crack- er, drugs. I think I don't want anymore, I think I can deny the itch, and then I find myself tossing a few extra balls of cotton into my purchases at my LYS, babbling about other projects, all the while dying to get home, log onto my Mystery Dishcloth KAL and start the newest project in the privacy of home, away from the prying eyes of the socks/sweater/hat knitting public. Maybe not exactly the same kind of addiction (I don't think there's any meetings for us dishcloth knitters), but I think it's clear I don't want to do it, I just can't help myself.

On that note, I think my Mystery Dishcloths are a little like those pictures that were so popular in the early nineties, the ones of thousands of colorful dots that if you do something with your eyes you're supposed to see a motorcycle. Remember those? I never could do it. I'd think I had relaxed my pupils, or whatever was supposed to happen, and instead I was just staring cross-eyed at a picture of dots, with tears of eye-strain starting to slide down my face, ruining my thirteen-year-old bright blue mascara. These dishcloths are the same to me, minus the turquoise Maybelline. So I ask you, are you callin' that a turkey?



'Cause I'm not seein' it.

*Do you think if someone googles "crack addict" "free money" or "half-naked women" they'll get my page? There's concern around Knitter house we're getting the wrong sort of reputation.

It's Still Great...

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better." Wendell Phillips

We have hats. We have two finished (the gray one I did a few months ago and decided to add in to the gang as it doesn't really fit my big ole' melon) and one partially completed.



We also have stained fingers.




It looks like I strangled a Smurf. The Berroco I used for the blue hat is called Chinchilla (first warning: don't buy yarn named after furry, South American rats) and I wouldn't recommend it for a few reasons. As mentioned, the name. It's difficult to knit with, though I'm just naturally prejudiced against any kind of fun fur-ish yarn. That's just not my bag, baby. The yarn bled like I didn't know an inanimate thing could bleed (re: Smurf Abuse). Also, I picked it partly because it's 100% nylon, which to my mind translates as acrylic, which translates to both soft on the skin and machine washable, which translates to something durable and easy to care for. Except for the notice on the tag that read: Dry Clean Only. Whoops.
So a call to all my Knitters out there: how can I treat or wash this hat so it's recipient doesn't end up with bright blue skin? Any thoughts?

The hats were the most successful aspect of the weekend. Vols were a no-go. Chicago Bears (The Hubba's team) were also a no-go. They were all- who knows why- off their game yesterday and today. In the scheme of what matters, even I, rabid fan I've become, realize these defeats are small and pretty inconsequential (why is it easy to say that when you lose and yet when you win it's the BIGGEST VICTORY IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS, INCLUDING ANYTHING THE ANCIENT GREEKS EVER DID?! Curious, no?). Still, I have faith they'll be back next weekend. But a grrrreat shout-out to Miz Knotty and her Auburn Tigers. That's who we'll be cheering for in the SEC Championship. Go Tigers!

For tonight I say, Go Colts! Go Peyton! Down with the Patriots! This is the Biggest Game of the Regular Season! Unless we lose! And then it's no big deal! Ha! Reason! Rational! Out the window! Why do you think I'm a knitter?!

Ahem- A Little School Spirit, Perhaps?

Sometimes even the most dedicated of Vols need a little reminder about what's important. I've altered my priorities after mucho talented blogger Brooke wrote an excellent post about a Premie Hat Project in which she's involved Caps to the Capital . So instead of complaining about my lack of pictures to show, I've decided to get on board with a little Volunteer spirit of my own. Before the end of the weekend I plan (pledge? promise? swear an oath in blood?) to post shots of at least one finished and one working chemo hat (my LYS's donation of choice). That's my goal and I'm sticking to it.

So during tonight's Big Game and tomorrow's Huge Rivalry I'll be knitting and feeling neighborly all at the same time. Which calls for The Perfect Cheer:

I said it's great! To be! A Tennessee Vol!
I said it's great! To be! A Tennessee Vol!

Look Over There!

"Flames from the lips may be produced by holding in the mouth a sponge saturated with the purest gasoline." Ehrich Weiss

So I wonder if anyone's noticed my slight of hand lately? Look over here, at my ha-ha tale about J. Crew salespeople. Allow me to draw your attention to my bowl of Halloween candy. Have I mentioned... um... ladybugs lately? Let me not show you any pictures of a single knitted item. Ha!

Yes, I admit, with the slightest misdirection, I've not shown any knitware in several posts, except the measly start to some toes which have hardly progressed, though knitware is the point of the program (shall I show you something in a Neighbor KNITTER?).

Want to know why? BECAUSE IT'S ALL Christmas gifts! I have finished exactly four and a half projects and can't display a single one. For a new knitter, who doesn't have a list of half-completed projects, this is beyond frustrating.

Also, for every one one I create, with the starry eyes of a new knitter, I think of one or two more I want to do. Though it's November 2, I'm still hopeful. I'm expecting the eight (or ten... or twelve) knitted gifts I want to do will be finished... in time. And I imagine at some point, very soon, I'll realize Christmas is not a fluid, and flexible period, but actually a date set firmly in history and no lack of finished scarves will induce the powers-that-be to add a few extra days for me to bind-off and weave in the ends.

So in honor of Ehrich Weiss's quote here's my only non-gift, my magical scarf.



If nothing else, it's getting longer...

Just a Ramblin'

A Few Thoughts from My Day (que Contemplative Muzac with chimes and tootling woodwinds...):

1) Lady-bugs are colonizing our home.

2) If you shop at the local Harris-Teeter, probably the shiniest store in Burlington (Slogan: Hey, our mall might only have a Goody's, Gold's Gym, and a bunch of stores with signs cobbled together from cardboard and puff paint BUT we've got a brand spankin' new Harris Teeter flagship store!) where I shop (The Teet, The Hubba calls it) bring an I-Pod! Or some headphones! Or a pack, really, a whole herd, of noisy children! Believe me! You cannot help but want some form of deafness due to the jingle playing in the meat section of the store. This catchy ditty permeates all of the deli, most of the fruits and vegetables section, and quite a few aisles and it can drive you MAD. I won't repeat the lyrics here, in case you shop at this particular Teet, because if I did, it will be the only thing you ever hear. Suffice it to say, the boy singing loves Harris Teeter, can think of no better place to be than Harris Teeter and is a little bewildered by the fact anyone ever leaves Harris Teeter. He tells you this overandoverandoverandoverandoverandover. My I-Pod is my last line of defense. While other shoppers are clutching their heads from that chipper feller's toneless tune, I'm merrily grooving away to a little DMB cover of "All Along the Watchtower."

3) My favorite part of the grocery store experience is the check-out. I tend to choose the longest line for more time to peruse "Us Weekly" and "People." I would never buy these magazines, but I will shamelessly find the most interesting cover and skim through it while waiting. Of course, when my turn comes I do the quick "oh who cares" shuffle of hastily finding the right rack, thrusting the magazine back in place, while inadvertently covering up "O the Magazine" and then nervously smoothing down the little tear I just made in the front cover, hoping the sixteen-year-old ringing me up doesn't notice. "Sorry, sorry," I say with my eyerolls. "I never read these things! I meant to grab Time but I don't see that up here..." Truly, give me "US Weekly" with Reese, Angelina, Madonna, or Jennifer (any of the Jens) and a cover story about how she just bought a New House/Small African Country/Small African Boy/Husband, pop open a can of Diet Coke and tear into a box of Cheez-Its and I might never leave The Teet. I might start singing the jingle.

4) (This one's for the ladies) I really did enjoy the latest remake of "Pride and Prejudice." While I don't think you can beat the Jennifer Ehle-Colin Firth version, if you don't have six hours to give over to a film, than the Keira Knightley newest adaptation on DVD is an excellent substitute. The feller-me-lad playing Darcy in this latest version- his walking through the field at dawn in the long coat gives Colin in the wet-white shirt scene a run for his money. Faaawww. Do you think Jane heard the sweeping score in her head when she was writing the book?

5) I've planned a lot of Christmas knitting. Oh well, it's only Nov 1st. Christmas is AGES away.

6) They're plotting.

7) When Miz Knotty gets her pictures up, then you'll see a Lady Bug with Attitude.

8) "All a-long the wat-ch tow-er, the wiiind begins to... HOOOOOWWWWWLLLLL."

As you can see, it's been a bit quiet around here, yet I can still write on and on and on. It just proves, you can't stop the really chatty, you can only flip to another blog long before you ever reach this line.