Three Thankful Things On Thursday...

Moving right along with the month of gratitude...I've been considering more things I'm grateful for:
1. The feline members of my household. The Meezer's adoration and devotion are the stuff of Siamese legend and anyone who is owned by one doesn't need me to tell them how wonderful it is to be the recipient of it. And even if she is a calico, with all *itchy-ness that can mean, CC has brought much to my life. She challenges me to come up with ways to soften the edges of her curmudgeonly grumps - tho' it's not easy. But she also teaches me what I hope not to be when I attain an age worthy of hers...at 18.5 she's elderly indeed. I suppose she's entitled to her grumps, huh?
2. I'm especially grateful for the home I inhabit. While I'd change certain things if I could, the most important aspect of this place is that it is smoke-free and will remain so. I'm grateful that every breath I take is clear of contaminants. I have a wonderful landlord & lady for my next door neighbors, and you can't ask for much more than that.
3. These days, I'm more than thankful that there's food in my larder. All the food banks are stretched to capacity this year, so this fall I've been adding a few extra things to my grocery cart each week to contribute to a couple of different food drives we have locally. I'm extremely thankful that I can afford to spend a little to help others who have the need. It hasn't always been the case in my life - I've been the one in need before and so I remember how it felt when someone helped me out. If you find yourself in a spot where you can, I hope you will help your own local food bank this holiday season. They need you!

Let me know if you're contributing to the Thankful Thursdays, as I'd like to visit and read your lists!

Happy Veteran's Day!

And thank you to Navy Mom Julie for the clip-art heart flag, as well as a huge thank you to every veteran today.

I'm lucky to have today as a paid holiday, and have been slow to get started this morning, but I'm intent on making progress on a long-neglected knitting project and along with a bit of cleaning here in the house. It's absolutely pouring around here (a tropical un-named storm!).

But I will get out and walk at the mall, and get the grocery shopping done that I missed on the weekend. (And please do note, that ticker up there? Yup! Down another 6/10 of a pound! Whoohoo!)

What's Wrong With This Noro Scarf? Or...Is It Monday or Something?

I am about to take a serious break from knitting...could this become a yoga blog, perhaps?

I frogged the EZ Mittens. They were, for whatever reason, impossible for me.

Now? I'm trying to knit the simple, everyone has made it, tried and true, results are stunning...Noro Scarf

Doesn't that look wonky?

Well...look at this:
That's the 2nd row edge, the part where you're slipping the first and last stitch of the row purlwise to make a "nice" edge - Tell me, does that look like a "nice" edge? Not to me...
This is the side with the first row of color change. I think it's much more even, and "nice." Right?

ARGH. Yes, I think this is going to be frogged. I am a competent knitter of lace and socks. Please explain why I knit something as simple as a garter mitten, or a garter scarf and it looks like ...

C*R*A*P

The idea of a yoga blog is sounding quite appealing. And B-R-E-A-T-H-E!

BTW, The Meezer can't be called Sneezer any longer. As soon as I published that blog post, she stopped...thank you all for your concern, and Carrie I had no idea kitties could get H1N1!!!

Finally At The End!

It's been a busy weekend. Yesterday morning I was at a local department store, early-early, to help sell coupons for a Charity Sale they put on a couple of times a year. The nonprofits involved get to split the money for the coupon sales (they're $5 off your purchase) and the store sweetens the deal by running a sale on items that rarely, if ever, go on sale. I actually picked up a Fossil wallet for a fraction of the regular cost! (YAY! I would never have bought one otherwise).

But that took getting up and getting ready like a regular work day, but early. I met sis-in-law afterwards and we did a little Christmas shopping and had lunch at Panera Bread (yes, I was able to figure the points and do it in a Weight Watchers-friendly manner!)

Then it was hurry home, because I was completely determined to finish the National Capital Cat Show orders this weekend (when I say 8 weeks max to delivery, I mean it, and I DID IT!!):
Here are three of the Kerries I completed, and down below:
Two more and I know, it's amazing, please don't spit coffee at the computer, but there are NO CATS in these two bags!!!
SEE?
I told you I don't *just* do cats!!!

But just so you don't think I've gone and lost my mind completely? Here's another cat bag - and the very last order from the show! Whoohoo!!

I'm ready to hit the post office:

So this afternoon, my sis-in-law and I will go to a lovely symphony matinee and I can relax a bit.

Someone has decided, tho, that I'm maybe not keeping the heat up enough (it's 73 outside, folks, so don't feel too sorry for her)

She found where I'd stashed this in preparation to refill the stuffing in it with fresh. (She's been sneezing the past few hours, so either she's gotten into a bunch of dust, or is not feeling the best...we'll watch and see)

In the meantime, I'll call her "Sneezer Meezer..."
:)

So Tell Us, Knitnana, How Was The Show?

Ok...some of you have heard from me via email in reply, but I'll admit I had to think how I'd post this.

Avenue Q is a rather unorthodox musical. It gives all the appearance of being suitable for children, since the characters are hand puppets. Don't be fooled!

It's a raucous, bawdy, definitely adult comedy. With adult themes that could offend some people.

The puppets make the entire thing lighthearted and fun. The songs are catchy things that have you toe-tapping in your seat. You cheer for certain characters, and smirk at others.

But the entire premise is that these youngsters (and they are 20-somethings living on Avenue Q in NYC) are learning about life and doing it the hard way (as most of us do). I don't think anyone who saw this would feel that it wasn't something they'd had to encounter and learn to deal with as a young adult: relationships, friendships, new jobs, job losses, finding out what they're meant to do in life, or perhaps that they haven't a clue and won't figure it out anytime soon. And thru it all, they have a blast. And make us laugh.

But. All that said, it's quite riske. So be prepared if you get the chance to see it.

How did I like it?

Well...I LOVED IT. But had I just heard about it from someone else, or read about it? I'm not sure I'd have gone. We were lucky to have tickets given to us. So we went, with no real idea what to expect.

And you know what? Sometimes you have to mix it up a bit so you don't get stale! And that's exactly what this was....

An Evening On The Town: A Tale Told in Handknits

I scurried home last night after work to prepare for an unexpected night on the town. Sis-in-law had scored a couple of tickets to Broadway in Roanoke's Avenue Q and I had to quickly put something Weight Watchers appropriate together to eat and change clothes. The food had been percolating in my mind all day, and turned out well (only 4 points for a mix of diced turkey kielbasa, brown rice, Stoplight Peppers, scallions, Yoshida Sauce (1 Tbls) all sauteed in a non-fat cooking sprayed pan till cooked through (all total, probably 5 minutes or so). I added in a serving of cooked fresh spinach (YUM!) from the CSA share, and a dessert of Pumpkin Fluff (1 point!). A SKINNY meal...

The clothes were another matter. I tend not to dress up much these days (which I suppose could change if I manage to lose a lot of weight, but for now...not so much). So I figured the base would be black jeans. I ended up with the following for accessories:
The Hollyberry Queen of Hearts Shawl, my STR Mustang Sally Knotty Gloves, and one of two of my evening Kerri bags. I knew I wanted to also wear my STR Mustang Sally Spiraluscious. Went thru a couple of tops and this is what I decided on:

Just a simple black T.

After that? It was just a quick swipe with the lipstick, toss on the black swing coat, throw the shawl over my shoulders and dash out the door.

A night on the town for Knitnana (aka Nana Sadie Rose) in handknits! Whoohoo!

Thankful Thursday

Carole suggested that we consider posting Three Things We're Thankful For every Thursday in November, and I thought that I could surely include this in my weekly posts.

Obviously, as most of us would, I have to say I'm thankful for my family and friends (which include my blog- and online-buddies!). You all keep me sane, mostly reeled in on some of my wilder stuff, and support and encourage me. I could not do any of what I do with out you.

Equally obviously, I'm thankful for my work. I'm very lucky to have a full-time position in this economic environment when so many don't, but I also have a part-time business client I care about and respect, and fabulous customers who sustain Nana Sadie Rose. I couldn't ask for better.

And today, I have to say I'm very grateful for my health. Even if it's not always tip-top, even with some challenges, my body puts up with a lot (I'm a hard task-master) and keeps on going. I'm finally beginning to try to take better care of it in recent years, and I'm very grateful that it has hung on long enough to reap the benefits of that care. It had to slap me upside the head a few times to wake me up to the prospect, but that's okay. I'm very grateful for it's resilience.

Tune in next week and see what I come up with for my next three! (I'll be thinking on it). And join in with us if you'd like!

My Office Photo Essay

Over the years of blogging and blog-reading, I've seen some interesting photo essays of people's workplaces. I've always thought I'd do one, but have continued to put it off because I have one wall in my office with a planned photo frame (a big one) and have just never gotten it put together and put up. With things speeding along as they are? I'm thinking it might not happen for a bit, so I'd better share now...

But first? Yesterday, I wore the Textured Shawl in to work, hoping I'd find someone to take a photo of me with it on. That didn't happen, so I draped it on the back of my chair. It works:

Yarn: Knitpicks City Tweed DK in Orca.
Needles: Addi Natura size 9 circular
Pattern: Textured Shawl Recipe (Ravelry link)
Time to Complete: Sept 28 to Oct 29, 2009
Notes: Next time I'll buy more yarn. It's a very small shawlette. It might end up being someone's gift, because it's really too small for me - the blocked size of 60x29 shrunk once it was unpinned, of course. I used most of 3 skeins so next time? I'll definitely use 5. And yes, there will be a next time. I LOVE this pattern.

Ok. Now I'll show you my office...as you walk in my door and look to the right you see:

And if you look left?

I have two narrow windows that lead to nowhere (they've built on to the back and side of the building and what I have was a corner office - but not anymore). So I have two dusky amethyst drapes hung (leftovers from an old apartment)...and yes, everything in my office tends towards purple, fushia and copper (which is a nice word for the burnt orange office carpeting and "oak" desktop) with black filing cabinets. People walk into my office and go "wow!" The pictures on the wall above are two pieces of original art - by two little boys near to my heart. They were my 50th birthday presents (and this was before the youngest DGS was born). The huge piece in the first photo is an art poster from the Los Angeles Celebration of Canadian Contemporary Native Art back in 1987 called "My Grandmother, Myself" by artist Maxine Noel. I've had it for years but only recently got it framed and up on the wall - it's one of my favorite pieces - I can only imagine how beautiful the original must be. I found it back in my "feminist/womanist" activism days at the Women's Center at Virginia Tech. It speaks to my steadfast insistence of the critical importance in women's lives of the concept of matriarchal lineage back to the dawn of time. I read somewhere that our cells remember, even if our minds can't recall, the stories of our foremothers and grandmothers. I believe that, with all my heart.

That was back when I first discovered Barbara G. Walker, too, but that period was long before I knew of her knitting tomes... *wink*

Oh. And this is what I'm reading these days...

Fascinating. I'll be sure and tell you how it ends, okay?

Ten on Tuesday...

this week is Ten Ways to Waste Time on the Internet...Not a difficult list for me at all:
1. Ravelry
2. Facebook - a pitstop on my way to
3. Bejeweled Blitz
4. Weight Watchers Etools
5. Ravelry
6. Bloglines & My Knitting Blogs plus blogger to write posts here and over on Nana Sadie's Place
7. Email
8. Ladybutton Fabrics
9. Equilter

And the number one, all time, sure-fire way I waste time online?
10. Ravelry

Oh. Hm. I spend a lot of time there, don't I? *wink*

You Knew I Wouldn't Last, Right?

Sorry about the lousy photo.

Yes, you're seeing that right - it's my October edition of the Personal Sock Club. I know. I said wasn't going to put socks on the needles right now.

Well...I'm seriously debating taking both pair of mitts/mittens OFF the needles. The lace isn't showing up at all in the Spiralucious mitts because the yarn, lovely as it is, is too busy. And I have no idea why I can't get EZ's Mitered Mittens to work properly, but they're not.

Hmmm...maybe it's (im)patience?

Anyway. I have to have easy and small to work on at work. And it seems to be all my brain will deal with right now. So.

Another pair of socks.

BTW...Hello?? Knock-knock - is thing on? Remember that old blog button of the old woman saying "Would it kill ya to comment?" I'm going looking for her...I miss you guys. Please let me know when you stop by!

I even put a whole slew of Meezer photos up...don't you love me anymore? (Don't you love her? I'm just sayin')
(((hugs)))

Um...Just Thought I'd Mention

There's a sale in my etsy shop!

Did You Set Your Clock Back?

:)
Now the bigger question? How did you USE that extra hour? I figured that I would do as I usually do (I can't help myself) and just work later, or possibly knit later. But you know, last night, I suddenly thought (mid-rip on the EZ Mitered Mitten - again!) that perhaps I should go to bed.

So I did!

And when I woke up this a.m., approximately at my usual time by the sun, I ran down to heat up the microwave heat packs to do my morning stretches from PT, and then I just stayed in bed listening to the radio (WVTF, for those of you from the area). I heard almost all of Weekend Edition and that's really very rare for me. And I watched almost all of Sunday Morning! So I eased into this day much more slowly that usual.

I remedied that quickly, tho'. Started on three Kerris, and am working on the sheets and towels laundry (clothing and fabric was yesterday!). At least I get my exercise up and down the stairs! lol

Of course, yesterday was very busy - the kids came by in their costumes on their way to the local mall for tricks and treats (I have decided to stop the candy war - none in this house, and the boys don't need it either, so they got squiggly bracelets instead and seemed VERY happy!) and then there were two Meras created (more orders from the cat show!):

You've seen these outer fabrics before but the insides are different.

While I was trying to get decent photos of those bags, I realized someone was very interested in my "new" old ironing board. My dad made this for my mom. I have had it in the basement for years, but my other one (also elderly, as it was the one I bought when I got married, some 30+ years ago!) is metal, and has developed a decided squeek and squeal. I much prefer the creaking wood in my dad's contraption.

Someone else finds the old ironing board interesting...

Very, very interesting...

These aren't the only photos I took, but they are the best of them...

She was completely besotted with the metal supports...

rubbing her cheeks and marking her territory, I suppose...

Like anyone else cares about that?

Still, it must have some amazingly strong attraction to it!

But she finally noticed the flash and came out to me instead. Very odd indeed...

OH. I mentioned I was doing the sheets and towels laundry? That meant the bed was free for this:

Yes, it's the City Tweed Textured Shawl Recipe shawl in the colorway Orca.

I used 3 skeins. I wished I'd had at least one more as it's really small. I know the original was used as a scarf, but - oh who knows what I thought at the time, but Barbara-Kay was smarter and realized she likes her shawls BIG. (so do I, B-K, so do I, and hindsight is 20-20).

I have blocked this in hopes of making it a bit larger - as it stands it measures 60x29. I think that will work nicely over my winter white blazer, so I'm not disappointed.

But I'll order more yarn with the next one! (oh, and there'll be modeled shots when I find someone to take them, promise!)

Whew! More FO's! Another Cast-On!

Monday night, after my first yoga class in 5 years, I came home to a baked sweet potato (let me tell you, that's the ticket - put the thing in the oven before you go off to a class and come back 2 hours later to dinner!!), and then catching up on world events and finishing this:

This is the Knit for Hope hat that I promised a member of my knitting group. Oddly enough I used my old standby pattern from Needle Beetle and I love making it, but somehow this time, I used DK weight (the pattern calls for worsted) but then I upsized the needles! By one size...

So the knit is a bit looser than I'd like. Oh well. It will still keep someone's head warm.

I also finished the Orca Textured Shawl, but I'm going to block it before I show it. Perhaps this weekend!

Now it's back to other stuff that's on the needles...oh, well I did cast on this:

I was at my new knitting group (new to me) on Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, and one of my pals had the neatest mittens! I asked for the pattern and was told:
"Mitered Mittens from Knitter's Almanac and I said, "I just bought that book!" I scurried around and realized that I had a lot of the BFL Sport in the Beached colorway (I know, you've seen this color before in shawl and socks) from Blue Moon remaining in stash (I do hope Tina brings back that colorway in the spring, I am going to need more of it, I think it's probably my favorite of all time). There's enough to do these mittens (I think) and so I cast on last night with my Addi Naturas size 2. I'd forgotten how much fun dpns are!

Still, I'm worried. I hand is small and this is a bit snug. I realize that after all, they do stretch a bit with wear, and I guess I could block them a tad larger, right? But I decided not to trust that, and upsized the needles to size 3s in mid-knit. I don't mind my cuffs being a touch snug and this way they will be!

I'm excited. I've never mitered anything before and this is fun. I was able to work on them during an online training session Thursday afternoon so I got a little bit of the first one done.

And don't you just love reading EZ? I feel like I'm talking to my mom and her sisters...

BTW...won't you stop by my good friend, Birdsong's blog, to give her a birthday shout-out and enter her contest? She's asking folks to relay their "life-changing experiences" as becoming a grammie has been one earth-shaking one for her! The deadline for the contest is being extended to November 6, because, she's kinda had her hands full (with a little bundle of joy!).

Now, be sure you have a great weekend, okay? Watch out for spooks and hobgoblins!
(((hugs)))

I Said At The Time....

that I believed that knitters would be the ones to do the "kick-start" of the economy - at Sock Summit - if our nuttiness over the event was anything to go by.

I believe we now have proof of the power of sock yarn (please note that they say consumers were the main reason?)...(and rather directly, the power of Stephanie and Tina).

My commentary on all this: To all you muggles out there who thought we were nuts to head to Portland, OR for 4 days of sock insanity?
"Oh, ye of little faith!"
:)
You may discuss amongst yourselves...or here, if you'd like!