Please ignore the disarray...

But the furbabies find this their safe haven right now. The girl's reality has been rearranged...oh yes, The Meezer? See that lump in the middle? Last time we moved, she stayed there for 3 days. She went under at 4 a.m. and hasn't been out since.
:)
What is it about change that undoes us so?
(((Hugs)))

We're MOVED!

But that only means more work, ya know? It is very nice, tho', to not be breathing smoke. Everyone is traumatized...learning their new abode a room at a time. And I'm wiped out. So I'll post more later...
Thank you for all the well-wishes!
(((hugs)))

A Bit of Fun!

Vixenpath just did this, which reminded me I hadn't yet...
Kinda cool?

Three Year Anniversary! Whoohoo!

The best thing I've ever done. Three years ago today, I put down my cigarettes after a 28-year habit. It was hard. I used the patch. But the biggest single difference in my being able to quit that time (over the many other times I'd tried) was this site:

The Q or QuitNet. There's a button on the sidebar that will link you to the site, if you've a need...

Please. If you smoke. Try them. It's free. And the support you need, 24-7, is at your fingertips. (Oh, sure, like any other site, you can pay for more services, but the basics are free, and that's all I needed.)

It was wonderful to know that any time I wanted to smoke, there was someone out there in the world with the same struggle, online, asking for a buddy to help them thru. They helped me, and I helped them, too.

It is NEVER too late to quit. It will be the single best thing you've ever done. It's not easy, but it's possible.

And I believe in possibilities.
(((hugs)))

Sock Yarn Doesn't Count! Whee!

Look what arrived today? Courtesy of two internet sock yarn sites that I'd not tried and I can tell you now are just wonderful...you MUST try them! Okay...
1) All Things Heather "Jimmy" is the red/purple colorway that is just a tad bit heavier than fingering...That's from The Sweet Sheep and then
2) Claudia Handpaint in Ingrid's Blues from The Loopy Ewe (I also picked up my first pair of Colonial Rosewood dpns...could not resist!).

I'm feeling a lot better today about the move - there is much light at the end of this tunnel!
(((hugs)))

Denial & The Contemplation of Something Totally Out of the Realm of Normalcy...

I do think I'm having a time of denial and foot-dragging to get thru this move...but when I took a few moments last night to "veg" after a full day of packing and running things over to the new place (7 trips this weekend with the Forester packed!)...well I picked up the new IK.

And what did I find that took my breath away?
This:

oh...and the back view:

(I surely hope IK will forgive my posting of their gorgeous photos...but if you haven't seen this, I think it just might sell a few magazines for them by my posting them!)
I've seen and worn many sweaters in my life. I have NEVER knit one. I'm also new to cables, having only knit two of THESE which are equally as elegant as the IK Cable Down Raglan and a lot quicker to make! :)
I think, once this move is over and things are settled down and settled in a bit (and Hidcote at least OTN, Catharina completed!), this might just be my first sweater.
In these days of "is it hot in here?" those 3/4 sleeves are perfect for me (and yes, the color of the example sweater is, too!)
(sigh)

Housewarming & I'm Not Even Moved Yet!

We've said before that we're "sisters from different mothers" and today when I stopped by the post office to check my box, I discovered a package from Birdsong that lifted my spirits and reminded me of all the good things to come...

What a darling cat pin! Plus book plates for my KNITTING library (I have no idea where these came from but they're wonderful!)...and a card that said, "I am so happy for you that you found a great new home."

And you know, if I can get my head above the trees to see the forest for just a minute, she's so right. The not-so-little place is just so delightful.

Now...if I can just make it through the next 7 days of "trees" to get there!

Thank you SO MUCH, Birdsong! You don't know how that made my day...
(((Hugs)))

Knitters' Knight Out! :)

Ok...that's bad. However, I decided that I simply HAD to get out of this place (between the boxes, the smoke, and the pressure of knowing how much more there is to pack, I do NOT enjoy being home these days...).

My dear SIL has taken off for warmer climes for a few days, and so Red Hats monthly dinner wasn't something I really wanted to do. Our regularly scheduled RV Spinner/Knitter evening had been "snowed out" (not - it was supposed to snow, just didn't), so we set tonight as a make-up. Well there were 9 of us - a GREAT group, tho' we did miss you Robin and IndigoMuse!

Pam was so sweet to gift me with this...just 'cause!

That's STR Rooster Rock, and she even had it all wound up! (This is a big thing as I do not have a ball winder or swift yet...) Red Rooster was one of about 6 colorways of STR that I have on my list to get, so I am just delighted!

Thank you, Pam! I will hope to have this OTN by the April meeting (the two pair I'm knitting will be done by then, but not by our March 1 meeting in two weeks!).

And, um, tomorrow? Back to our regularly scheduled PACKING!
(((Hugs)))

A Surprise Gift! And Another Ice Storm Cometh...

Today has been intriguing - often a bit maddening, but overall not too bad...(yes, I gave in to my earlier disappointment and bought a skein of All Things Heather sock yarn from Sweet Sheep. I'll show off when it arrives...no jumping the gun this time! But it certainly brightened my outlook - especially since it'll make wonderful Red Hat ladies socks! *wink*

I ran tons of errands when I got off work, and hurried home to unload the boxes I'd picked up at the ABC Store at lunch (I cannot believe how many boxes it takes to pack up a house!). I completely forgot to check the mailbox as a result. So ran down late to find:
The Sewing Implement Stitch Markers from Rachel that I ordered last week (I LOVE THESE - go check out her shop - I'll still be here, but hurry back!)

But being the good Sockret Pal Mom that she is, she also tucked in a bunch of cool things for me...note the teas and candies?

Well, she also added kitty toys...

(the envelope was addressed to me and to The Meezer, too!)

But of course, in this house, The Meezer has to share...

And I think this gift of four mice - all rattles, which my girls aren't used to, as most of their mice just lie on the floor and don't smell or anything - are a real hit!

Thanks, Rachel!

And also in the mail was my copy of Spring IK - I'd already picked up a Country Living that looked too interesting to pass by at the grocery store...you see, they're calling for an ice storm tonight through noon on Wednesday - with accumulations of up to half an inch, heaviest over my portion of the county.

I might have to spend the next two days packing, knitting, and reading (oh...and yes, I picked up peanut butter and crackers, too! Just in case.

TOO TOO SAD

Well, those gorgeous colors in the photo below? They're not mine. They're someone elses.

That's what I get for jumping the gun and posting the photo of *MY* new yarn. Judy was away when I purchased them. Someone else was ahead of me. I am s**t out of luck. And someone else is terribly lucky...Congrats to them!

Maybe I wasn't meant to spend the money right now...besides I couldn't figure out what I wanted to knit with it anyway.

THE GOOD NEWS? This means, I am still Knitting From Stash! Whoo hoo!
Ok. I'm not sure that ethically I can say that I didn't fall from grace, nor that I won't do so again now.

(sigh)
I will be so glad to get this move behind me and life back on NORMAL. Maybe I can feel something without going over-the-top about it?
(((hugs)))

Broken Vows...Already?!?

Whatever you do, if you want to stay true to the Knit from Your Stash guidelines...then do NOT go to this site...as Judy is amazing...and I could not pass up THIS:


I have to thank Margene for this fall from grace - she warned me, it's not her fault. I am weak.

But I really do think the stress of this move had something to do with it. Yeah, that's it - MOVING is taking it's toll on me...
(sigh)
I can't wait to get it. 450 yards of DK weight merino/silk. Knowing me, what would YOU think I should make from it?
(((hugs)))

Snow Day! and Lookie!! Lookie!!

It REALLY...FINALLY...SNOWED last night! Hooray! A deserved snow day...there are some sad stories to report, tho', specifically the fact that a car plowed down the hill (towards my building) and slammed into 2 cars pushing one of them into a third. Everyone is fine, but the car that was pushed belonged to the smoking neighbor (who is now smoking more than ever) and the car it was pushed into belonged to my upstairs neighbor who is a cool gal (and who is also superintending my move, the sweetheart!). Can you say someone is UPSET? OH MY. She went out to go to work today and discovered the smoker's car had her wedged in...and a note from the real culprit saying "the police say you should move your car first" which was stupid - she was up in against the curb with no where to go. (sigh) News at 11, as they say, for I went back to bed and missed most of the excitment!

Now...remember these? The Christmas yarn from DD and my DGSs?

Well, yesterday I bought this and this from the lovely Anne (she of the Wing o' the Moth which is on my to-do list, no I haven't forgotten! teehee...just a tad bid overloaded at the moment....)

But I thought perhaps the Fine Cabled Mitts would work up in one or both of the Wildefoote colors...still unsure about the Misti Alpaca Sport weight. But I love it, it's so soft...

Anyway - I did not buy yarn. These will come from stash (even if it's a laceweight that I have some odds and ends of) and I wish I could twitch my nose and have one or both pair of those mitts completed, b/c my hands are COLD! (yes, with the smoke, the windows are open, and the fans running - AGAIN!)

Stay Warm!
(And I'm knitting...on the GMM (CTH) feather & fan socks, the Sockret Pal socks, and the Peace Fleece Lacy Prairie Shawl...but no pics yet...soon, I promise!)
(((hugs)))

Manic Monday !

Scheduling a truck and movers, stopping and starting utilities, switching renter's insurance properties (oh, and working my normal job), then stopping at the PO...and what might this be?

OHHHH....yup - you guessed it - as well as something I bought because it's Heart Month! Dishcloths and

My Addi Natura's for HIDCOTE!!! YEAH!

This is ready to mail...

And then...I arrive home to find...

babies desperate for warmth...because

by keeping the heat set low, the cigarette smoke is MUCH less...but man, it's chilly in here - (and the thermostat is in the dining room...not the back bedroom where the window is open!)
Brrr.....it's 20 outside now and going down to single digits with dangerous windchills tonight! Nope, the thermostat will not be turned up - I can pile on the knits - but I can't breathe in the smoke....

See that ticker? 19 days and counting...

Sunday...(sigh)

Much packing is commencing. I hate to pack. Rewards are necessary to get it all done. So I give you...Reward #1:

Neopolitan Disco sock yarn from Katzenfrau - I simply could not refuse those colors! Don't you want to grab a spoon and dig in?

Then, because I do have to make my living while I process things for the move, I give you:

Birthday Balloons Mera from Nana Sadie Rose.

Big Sis ordered this one for a lucky gal who's expecting...sometimes the Mera size bag is much better for a diaper bag than the Maddy is - it all depends on your preferences!!

A short, very personal note: MFMPPF and I are going thru some tough times right now. Prayers are appreciated, especially the kinds that say "whatever is best for all concerned, please let that be..." Thank you in advance...

Oops! Wear Red Day! Almost Forgot to Mention It!

Make sure you stop by two sites today (whether you're wearing red or not) NHLBI and WomenHeart. As a heart attack and bypass surgery survivor, this is an issue close to my *heart*

And sorry if you've seen me "republished" 450 times or so...Blogger made me switch. FINALLY.
(((hugs)))

Second Annual Brigid in Cyberspace Poetry

Sonnet For The End Of A Sequence

So take my vows and scatter them to sea;
Who swears the sweetest is no more than human.
And say no kinder words than these of me:
"Ever she longed for peace, but was a woman!
And thus they are, whose silly female dust
Needs little enough to clutter it and bind it,
Who meet a slanted gaze, and ever must
Go build themselves a soul to dwell behind it."

For now I am my own again, my friend!
This scar but points the whiteness of my breast;
This frenzy, like its betters, spins an end,
And now I am my own. And that is best.
Therefore, I am immeasurably grateful
To you, for proving shallow, false, and hateful.

Dorothy Parker

(Thanks Mr. Knight, for guiding a love-sick teen to a woman of wit and wisdom!)