Tuesday Musings...Tonight Seems to be BROWN

I'd not tell you that I'm exceptionally fond of brown. It's okay as a color, I don't wear it a lot. But lately, brown has been showing up in a lot of places in my life...I ordered a pair of these from FootSmart and discovered the perfect shower shoes (for those with plantars fasciitis who simply cannot stand barefoot in the shower for any length of time, these are a godsend)

And because they are so comfortable, and my feet hurt much less in them, I finally decided I had to have another pair to wear around the house - giving my feet a break from the "required" attire of jogging shoes with orthotics inside - the ones I'm supposed to wear day in and day out whenever I'm vertical.
I'm trying to show you not just the cuteness of the shoe itself, but the sculpting of the sole and footbed. This is a shoe designed to rise up and cushion high arches. I'm still having trouble with my left heel, but wearing these around the office today, I felt better than I had in awhile. They come in hot pink and lime green, too.
(both of mine are brown)

So...I'd made two pair of socks that were pink (some PINK, some Pink N Orange N Purple N Gray, and my sis-in-law's pair pink/burgundy/gray jaquard). I rarely seem to get completely away from pink, but today i'm working on another pair of socks for myself - These Trekking XXL 172 colorway - it's ashy brown, and blue/mauve/rose/gold tweed...

And of course, here's my favorite Brown Thing in the whole world...
The Meezer.

I did work on teal tonight. Hmmm...teal goes with brown, now doesn't it? The Habitat hat had to be tinked back 4 rows to straighten out the mess I made on a couple of cable twists. Yes, I'd have noticed, I did notice, and so they had to be fixed.

I'm back to beginning row 16 tonight where I left off last night...

Day After NoSo...

I'm not going to try to come up with any poetry or anything, even if that does sort of sound like "Twas The Night Before..."

lol
I'm wiped out. I can probably be certain that the organizers of NoSo Knit were FAR more exhausted than I am, justifiably! I will say that they do just the most amazing job you can imagine pulling everything together! And I'm so very glad they do...

We got sad news yesterday that our very special yarn shop, Knitters Knook is closing. Friend Becky has decided to follow her man in his work and that will take her away from us, making it impossible for her to run the store. I'm beyond sad. For me. But I'm wishing her and her hubby only the very best. I certainly understand how important such relationships are...and how worthwhile it is to nurture them. She has my full, if sorrowful, support!

So today, I'm really tired and down. And of course, it's the weekend, which means there are chores to do. I did start with Sunday Morning on CBS, and made my favorite breakfast of all: bacon biscuits with slices of tomatoes and just a touch of mayo. A truly special treat, since it was the very last of my own tomatoes (I had only about a dozen total from my 4 plants). Those tomatoes and other plants were due to be uprooted this afternoon (and they were).

Then it was laundry. And cleaning up the kitchen from a week of "bare-bones" maintenance. I knit a lot in between chores...resting my foot and the rest of me, too!
I met up with my Sis-in-law and tried the sock on her foot - it FIT! and so I picked up and knit the gusset and started up the cuff! Whee...the dear gal surely deserves this pair.
Over the weekend, when I was busy watching the debate and the various news channels to see what was happening on Capital Hill, I also worked on Habitat. It requires the use of my Daylight lamp to see the chart and the dark yarn stitches, so I didn't carry it to NoSo yesterday. But this shot is of the cabling done thru row 13 of Chart C. It will look much better when it's blocked.

Someone was very needy today...she wasn't sure she was welcome in my lap while I was working on the hat...so we played
a game of Hide N Seek...
Here she's moved just a bit to one side, wondering if she dares to jump into my lap...
I put away the hat, and invited her up. As you can see, she was quite content...

I hate it when I'm home alone...This is the best seat in the house, and sometimes it's just not here. I can't imagine what she finds so interesting on the other side of that door... The Meezer.

NoSoKnit 2008!

What fun we had today! NoSoKnit, the annual charity event here in Roanoke, was delightful...this is a photo-heavy post, so I apologize if you're on dial-up!

This is a photo of the room at the very beginning of the day...not as full as it eventually was...
As usual there were three vendors, who rotate every year:
Mosaic, from Blacksburg VA was there
as was Orchardside from Raphine VA. Also I See Spots from North Carolina. (There were too many people in the booth when I was taking photos, so the shot didn't turn out at all!)

Christy was busy working on the last of a fleece, trying to get it all carded...

and Laura gave a sock machine demonstration! What a cool machine...
Catie was worried about the number of squares we've collected for our friend Diana's comfort blanket (her family endured the third fire accident this past summer), so I' picked up a ball of Berroco Keltic and knit this square. I've got another OTN tonight, too, Catie! This colorway is Glen Fidditch (I think I'm in love...now what to make for myself from this yarn?)
The yarn in the top of this photo was in our goody bag - it's Blue Ridge sock yarn and I love the color. My door prize was a gift certificate to On The Lamb LYS in Staunton, Virginia - I can't wait for the road trip...

And you can see I also picked up the new MDK book. Otherwise, the only purchase I made was a pattern for a Noro Iro vest. There weren't enough skeins of the Iro colorway that I liked to get it now. And I'm thinking I might ask for the yarn for Christmas! :)

Other than the square, I knit on two different socks that you haven't seen yet. I'll try to get photos tomorrow to show you. One is for me, and the other is for my dear Sis-in-law who is more than owed her first pair!

And tonight, worn out from the fun, I worked on Habitat for several rows. I love the cables!

Hmmm...I think maybe it's bedtime!

Some Thoughts on Blogging Today...

Can you imagine being read as Carole and Margene are? Or like Wendy, or Stephanie? I know I'll never have their kind of traffic here on this blog, but the friends I've met along this journey have become lifelong (I hope!). I worry over them when I don't hear from them, and celebrate their accomplishments and happy life-events, too. My friend Dave is morphing from many blogs down to one and changing his focus to weaving from knitting. I've enjoyed following him, learning a lot along the way, about spinning and dyeing, interior design, quilting, Boston, and of course, Miss Lulu and Dusty. I'll be following him to his weaving blog (and crossing my fingers he doesn't enable me into another craft along the way! lolol).

But I'm finding some interesting things these days. We're all a little stressed over the economic crises we're constantly facing, our time constraints seem to be expanding, leaving us less and less to surf and blog, and we're probably most of us noticing that other things (Ravelry, Plurk, perhaps?) are drawing readership from our blogs, too - at least I've noticed my readership is down.

Is blogging on it's way out? Are social networks taking their place? Do you think you'll give up blogging? Pare down what you currently do with your blog?

My blog pals mean a lot to me, and I hope we don't lose this vehicle of expression. I'm just putting this into the ether to see whether anyone has any thoughts on all this...take it where you want to in the comments (or not).

My annual charity knitting event is tomorrow...I wait all year for this delightful day of knitting excess! I'll be helping with the set-up tonight, but I do hope I'll have photos to share tomorrow...

(((hugs)))

Knotty Gloves on the Queue!

And this is the yarn I picked for them...

(and yes, once upon a time, in a lifetime far away, I did indeed own a burgundy Mustang!)

I'd Like to Thank Ariel For This Award!

Here are the rules:
If you've already received this award, great! That means you really really deserve it. Feel free to pass it on again. (I hadn't, but wow, what a nice surprise tonight!)

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog

2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you

3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs

4) Add links to those blogs on your blog

5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

I'm nominating the following people:

Birdsong
Ruinwen
Jocelyn
Jane
Barbara
Tiffany
Tan

Please note, two of these gals are Siamese cat nuts as well as knitters!

(If you're not in the mood to play, please feel free to ignore...but I do love your blogs!)
(((Hugs)))

Sock Yarn Doesn't Count...!

And I'm so glad...because here's my latest addition to my sock-yarn-non-stash:
I stopped at our newest LYS tonight on the way home from work: Yarn Explosion is a lovely little shop, not too far from my office (and close to Joann's so I can make two stops - every little bit of trip chaining helps the gasoline bill, right?). I didn't have too long to visit, but everyone was very nice.

I want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and advice on my plantar fasciitis. I do wish I could move past it, but for some odd reason, no matter what I try to do, I end up making it worse, without intending. ;(

Icing seems to be the most helpful, and I'm stretching. And there's not a minute that I'm ON my feet without them being in supportive shoes. (sigh)

Ok. There WAS that 10 seconds when I dropped the Harmony cable needle onto my "persian" carpet in the living room and I got down on my hands and knees to feel for it ('cause I couldn't see it)...but surely 10 seconds doesn't make a big difference (oh. yeah. It did hurt like the dickens...)

Reprise of PF (sigh)

Just call me "Hop-a-long."

While my plantar fasciitis has never gotten a lot better, this weekend, and again today, it's been aggravated severely by missteps. I've spent a lot of time on ice tonight, and am beginning to think I'll have to return to the podiatrist before the week is out. That doesn't make me happy in the least. I've already spent enough money on this thing, and I've much better things to do with it, ya know? Yarn, anyone? How about Knitpicks Harmony straights? Or perhaps a set of Addi Lace needles in 16-inch circulars for socks? Those pointy tips would be great! Or patterns? I know - a new book?.

But not. Ok. I'm grateful I have it to spend on my foot. Really, I am...
(sigh)
In an attempt to "make it all better" I sat in front of the TV tonight, gorging myself on cable news shows, and knitting.

I finished these!

Yarn: Regia sock yarn in the Florence colorway
Needles: Harmony size 1.5, 2 circs
Pattern: my "plain vanilla" with picot edge
Time to complete: August 31, 2008 - September 22, 2008

Someone else wanted to "help" with the photo shoot...
I hope you can see how close I came to matching these stripes - even on the heels!!! (ok...there's a brown cat tail in there...but I think you can see them)

whoohoo!

So. I felt so accomplished, and I knew I couldn't just sit (ok, I could have worked on a WIP, but...) with my foot on ice watching the talking heads and not have SOMETHING in my hands, and I wanted something new:
Habitat is OTN! I've finished the ribbing and will begin the pattern tomorrow.
I couldn't resist this belly shot.

Of course, no sooner had I taken it, I got up to get a drink of water, and came back to my chair to step on her foot. She had moved UNDER the chair while I was gone and I didn't know it.

She's forgiven me now, but I felt so bad to have hurt HER foot when mine hurts more than enough for both of us.

I Don't Wanna Go Back To Work!

Don't get me wrong, I love my job.

But I'm just not ready for this weekend to end. Yesterday was stolen from me by the electronic mess...and oh! Those of you who suggested I go back to paper? This is the reason I don't:
Above are the two Day Runners I used before I went to the Palm Z22. The one on the bottom of the stack? It weighs 3 pounds. The one above it? The black one? 2 pounds. The Palm weighs approximately 1/2 a pound if that. (The Z22 weighed 3 ounces)

I've been encouraged to carry less and less - so that's the reason I went to the Palm. BUT...don't think I didn't seriously consider going back to the Day Runner yesterday. I even threatened (out loud, to the young Staples clerk who looked at me as if I'd suddenly grown three heads!) to go look at a slim Day Runner before I bought the Tungsten! lolol

And Barbara suggested Knitable in the comments. I'm seriously considering it. And that might be the reason I fall in love all over again with Palm!

So yesterday was lost to dealing with the electronic issue. And today? Well, there were moments of redemption. But mostly the day was spent vacuuming, washing floors, doing laundry...I did manage to get these two squares made, finalizing my commitment to my local knit buds - that's a total of 4 squares I've knit towards the blanket we're making for one of our three members affected by fire this summer.

I also managed to cook chicken for the first few meals of the week, and a huge pasta salad for lunches.

Me time? Well, I suppose I had a bit of it, huh? And I guess I need to be grateful that I have work to go back to tomorrow...

Let's hope this week is a bit calmer than the last one was, all the way around, huh?
(((hugs)))

This D&#n Digital Age...

It's probably a sign of our times, no doubt, but I'm truly unhappy with this digital age...in spite of blogging, Ravelry, cell phones and such.

Today my peeve is this:
That's my third Palm Z22. I bought the first one almost 2 years ago, and it never worked. I traded it for the second one, which I had until the first of this month, when it refused, suddenly, to turn on. I bought my third at that point, right before heading off to the cat show, and it worked...until this morning when I went to add something to my grocery list.

ARRRGH!!!

It took me only a few minutes to realize that I was probably ready to upgrade. And I do like Palm products. (Sorta...I have a friend who has had repeated problems with his Palm Treo, to the point where I understand he finally threw it across the room...he has a Blackberry now)

I did not want a Blackberry, in fact, I have no desire to incorporate more complexity into my life if I can avoid it. I've learned that the more features you add to things the more likely it is to fail. But I was willing to pay a little more to have a PDA that was more or less consistent.

Welcome the newest addition to Knitnana's life:
A Palm Tungsten E2. Tonight's been all about setting up the software, which meant uninstalling the old Z22 software AFTER I'd sync'd the backup data to the new device...long story, and a tech support chat session assisted me in the process - one of the few times I've had good luck with tech support live chat.

I'll say one thing I noticed right off. The display on this one is SO much better for my aging eyes!

I'm really not a high tech gal.

Which is probably why this is a knitting blog, huh?

Avast Ye Maties! Arrgh...

This is probably the first (and perhaps the only) time you'll see me acknowledge "International Talk Like a Pirate Day" but I believe, on this Friday night at the end of the week that will no doubt make Economic History, a bit of levity might be in order...If we can still laugh? Perhaps it's not all that bad?

Ok...moving on.

LOOK!
YES! You're really seeing them! TWO completed Seaweed Socks from Wendy's cool pattern. They are finally - FINALLY - finished.

Ok. I'll admit to one thing only: I have obsessive-complusive tendencies (as opposed to the disorder). But when a certain type of heel doesn't work, I should (and hopefully forevermore will) cut my losses and knit what I know works for my feet, instead of trying (over and over again) to MAKE the certain type of heel (which is just too pretty for words - BIG SIGH) work.

I'm well and duly chastened.
But AREN'T THESE PRETTY anyway? I'm so glad they're done.

They were completed tonight as I watched CNBC and other news outlets discuss the major event of the day...the wholesale bundling of private debt by the government. I won't say how I feel. I'm not sure I know. But I know, in my heart, that something HAD to be done. Was this the best thing? Who knows? Not even wiser heads than mine.

Still...it was a scary week. I'm trying to be more hopeful tonight. But I have no idea what's ahead for us.

Except:
I intend to hit the sack with my first issue of Country Living. Wendy, some 18 months or so ago, mentioned My Coke Rewards and I signed up. I dutifully entered my codes and racked up the points. (Then lost them because at first, they only let you hold them 90 days if you didn't enter more (and I didn't, I forgot). THAT ticked me off. But I went back and started again. Over the past two months, I realized that I don't drink enough Diet Coke to earn points to buy anything really big. But - I was able to get a year's subscription to CL and another year's subscription to Country Home. Both are magazines I love. And if I don't have to pay for them? Whoohoo!

So. It's off to bed with my magazine...
And tonight? I can't think of anything better to sign off with than - TGIF!
(((((Hugs)))))

Elvis HAS Left The Building...

Tonight was the Annual Birthday Bash celebrating the formation of the Ravishing Reds of Roanoke, my Red Hat Ladies Society club...a delightful evening was had by all, especially when a most excellent Elvis impersonator appeared to provide the entertainment...

Did I remember my camera?
Um.
No.
(sorry...I truly am)

In a way, it's a good thing, because without photos, I cannot prove what happened tonight...and some of that probably ought to stay within the groups ranks, only! lolol
I wear this fun shirt in the summertime to our meetings, as it reminds me to have fun, but helps me remember that my own sweet Blonde Bombshell would have fit right in at these events! When I wear this, she's with me...My frou-frou little fuzz ball...
:)
Knitting? Yes, a little is being done. Not the amount I should be doing. But this week's been a whirlwind of activity preparing for board meetings and then making sure what they ask for is worked out as best we can...End of year is always a challenge...a lot of work.

I'll try to have more to show for myself next time, okay?

And yes, Elvis HAS left the building...

Almost Speechless Monday...

In light of the economic news today...I've been wondering just what to say. This weekend I was worrying about adding to my stash. Tonight? Well, that 401(k)nit plan that we merrily created a year or so ago? I think it's time to put it on hold, as more than yarn gets stashed...

Seems as if there's little available as a safe haven, but I tend toward local credit unions with high ratings. I'm a conservative gal.

And I'm not completely blown away by it all, tho' it was the sort of newsday that had me glued to CNBC this evening.

While at first, I concentrated on Plain Vanilla socks - yes, I did cast on that second sock after all - I also worked on Seaweed Socks, too. And finally as my brain kicked into what I was hearing, gathering a calm that had been fleeting at first, I realized the calm I was developing would work to my advantage if I picked up the Star of Evening shawl again...so I did about 1/2 a repeat of lace as I dropped my heart rate back down to normal. Lace is such a mantra of peace for me...I'd almost forgotten...

I had a conversation with a lawyer friend today, who got the news of the financial markets before I did. We both discussed what we thought of the economy as it stands...I'm a believer in the system. I don't think we're doomed.

But that doesn't mean I don't think we all shouldn't start focusing on what's important to each of us right now - shoring up your position, whatever that might be...Probably the most crucial (and most difficult with prices going up more every day) is to do your best to reduce your debt as much as you can.

I've enjoyed reading Crazy Aunt Purl's experiences this year as she committed herself to reduce buying to essentials. I think her experiences are enlightening for anyone who's never tried to realize just what "enough" might be for them...

But as I said, I did manage to return to knitting my Star of Evening shawl, and that made someone a bit upset:
She had a chart in her lap, instead of ME!

(It's occurred to me that maybe some of you haven't recognized the shawl behind The Meezer in her chair...it's the Triangle Shawl from Jackie E-S of HeartStrings Fiber Arts and was the very first lace shawl I made. I had no idea that using Lion Wool Ease would be a bad choice for that first shawl - it never blocked. (sigh)

But it's warm. And The Meezer likes it. Here it is in the modeled shot from August 2005 (wow, hasn't MY hair changed?):


I hope everyone sleeps well tonight...worrying about what's going to happen in the markets tomorrow won't change it a bit!
((((hugs))))

My Weekend So Far...

Last night, we began the weekend with a special treat. DD had invited me (several times during the month of preparing for last weekend's show, and I simply couldn't spare the time) to come down to Zak's, a restaurant in downtown Roanoke where her group was playing. (It's a group of two...but they do sound like more - ah, the wonders of electronic music!)

So SIL and I (and a surprise guest, my niece from out-of-town!) went for dinner and to listen to High-Strung's special blend of country/rock/blues/bluegrass...
The duo was quite good (and I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter!) and we enjoyed trying 5 different tapas, and 3 different soups...I think that as good as the tapas were, our favorite was the tomato mozzarella basil on toast, but the Shrimp Etouffe was right up there...everything, tho' was delish!

And I got to meet DD's most prized possession:
I think she's named her Emerelda, but I could have gotten that wrong...

This morning, after beginning work on my vet's books, and picking up maintenance meds for CC, I trekked (there's a reason the use of that word is funny!) down to Knitter's Knook, my LYS in Boones Mill. I was not able to resist the new yarns. Especially these:
The two Trekking (see what I mean?) XXL Colorways are 54 and 172. The third skein there is Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair in Wintergreen.

My plans for this? Well, the Trekking is obviously for socks. The Mountain Mohair? Jared's Habitat (that's the Ravelry link). I'm learning that this lovely range of light to dark teal shades looks great on me. I did think that perhaps it has something to do with my hazel eyes, green with gold rings around the iris. They apparently are showcased well by the teal! Who knew? I always thought I could do fushias and purples. I'm still pretty certain about the purples and reds, but hearing from some quarters that my fushia isn't really "mine" anymore. (sigh)

I enjoyed spending several hours at Knitter's Knook with Becky...knitting away and visiting with others as they came in the shop. A truly relaxing way to spend the day. And when I got home, I realized that I was just too worn out to start my cleaning, so it was dinner, and knitting while I watched the coverage of Ike.

I managed to finish the hat I needed for my contribution to charity for the NoSoKnit on the 27th. I'm so excited about that event ...
I also dug through stash to look for contributions to the door prizes we each receive that day. Now I just have to find acrylic yarns for the Alderson Women's Prison Knitting program and I'll be set.

Tomorrow (Sunday) is going to be devoted to bookkeeping. But I do hope to get a little cleaning done. And to work on the Hot Flash Seaweed second sock. I've decided that I can't cast on for the second Regia Florence sock till the Seaweed socks are completed.

(Somehow I have to exercise a little control here - the sock yarn is out of control, the laceweight is, too - and I almost bought more laceweight today...but restrained myself - As I started into stash, I was a bit overwhelmed...Maybe it's time to reign in my purchases, just a little bit?)
(of course, that's not much fun...)

I guess it won't happen till after NoSoKnit anyway...! The big shopping event is part of the fun!

Music Meme - via Margene

I saw this over at Margene's and thought it might be fun! If you'd like to do this one, feel free...it's good blog fodder on a week that's been a lot of tired (for me) and not a lot of productivity to show for it!

(and I should probably warn you that I'm a sucker for sappy love songs...Delilah, anyone?)

Music Meme
The rules:
A) Go to Music Outfitters
B) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year
C) Bold the songs you like, strike through the ones you hate and underline and/or italicize your favorite. Do nothing to the ones you don’t remember (or don’t care about)
1. The Way We Were, Barbra Streisand
2. Seasons In The Sun, Terry Jacks
3. Love's Theme, Love Unlimited Orchestra
4. Come And Get Your Love, Redbone
5. Dancing Machine, Jackson 5
6. The Loco-Motion, Grand Funk Railroad
7. TSOP, MFSB
8. The Streak, Ray Stevens
9. Bennie And The Jets, Elton John
10. One Hell Of A Woman, Mac Davis
11. Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do), Aretha Franklin
12. Jungle Boogie, Kool and The Gang
13. Midnight At The Oasis, Maria Muldaur
14. You Make Me Feel Brand New, Stylistics
15. Show And Tell, Al Wilson
16. Spiders And Snakes, Jim Stafford
17. Rock On, David Essex
18. Sunshine On My Shoulder, John Denver
19. Sideshow, Blue Magic
20. Hooked On A Feeling, Blue Swede
21. Billy Don't Be A Hero, Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
22. Band On The Run, Paul McCartney and Wings
23. The Most Beautiful Girl, Charlie Rich
24. Time In A Bottle, Jim Croce
25. Annie's Song, John Denver
26. Let Me Be There, Olivia Newton-John
27. Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot
28. (You're) Having My Baby, Paul Anka
29. Rock Me Gently, Andy Kim
30. Boogie Down, Eddie Kendricks
31. You're Sixteen, Ringo Starr
32. If You Love Me (Let Me Know), Olivia Newton-John
33. Dark Lady, Cher
34. Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me, Gladys Knight and The Pips
35. Feel Like Makin' Love, Roberta Flack
36. Just Dont Want To Be Lonely, Main Ingredient
37. Nothing From Nothing, Billy Preston
38. Rock Your Baby, George McCrae
39. Top Of The World, Carpenters
40. The Joker, Steve Miller Band
41. I've Got To Use My Imagination, Gladys Knight and The Pips
42. The Show Must Go On, Three Dog Night
43. Rock The Boat, Hues Corporation
44. Smokin' In The Boys Room, Brownsville Station
45. Living For The City, Stevie Wonder
46. The Night Chicago Died, Paper Lace
47. Then Came You, Dionne Warwick and The Spinners
48. The Entertainer, Marvin Hamlisch
49. Waterloo, Abba
50. The Air That I Breathe, Hollies
51. Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Steely Dan
52. Mockingbird, Carly Simon
53. Help Me, Joni Mitchell
54. You Won't See Me, Anne Murray
55. Never, Never Gonna Give You Up, Barry White
56. Tell Me Something Good, Rufus
57. You And Me Against The World, Helen Reddy
58. Rock And Roll Heaven, Righteous Brothers
59. Hollywood Swinging, Kool and The Gang
60. Be Thankful For What You Got, William Devaughn
61. Hang On In There Baby, Johnny Bristol
62. Eres Tu (Touch The Wind), Mocedades
63. Taking Care Of Business, Bachman-Turner Overdrive
64. Radar Love, Golden Earring
65. Please Come To Boston, Dave Loggins
66. Keep On Smilin', Wet Willie
67. Lookin' For Love, Bobby Womack
68. Put Your Hands Together, O'Jays
69. On And On, Gladys Knight and The Pips
70. Oh Very Young, Cat Stevens
71. Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress), Helen Reddy
72. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John
73. I've Been Searchin' So Long, Chicago
74. Oh My My, Ringo Starr
75. For The Love Of Money, O'Jays
76. I Shot The Sherrif, Eric Clapton
77. Jet, Paul McCartney and Wings
78. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, Elton John
79. Tubular Bells, Mike Oldfield
80. Love Song, Anne Murray
81. I'm Leaving It All Up To You, Donny and Marie Osmond
82. Hello, It's Me, Todd Rundgren
83. I Love, Tom T. Hall
84. Clap For The Wolfman, The Guess Who
85. I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song, Jim Croce
85. The Lord's Prayer, Sister Janet Mead
87. Trying To Hold On To My Woman, Lamont Dozier
88. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing, Stevie Wonder
89. A Very Special Love Song, Charlie Rich
90. My Girl Bill, Jim Stafford
91. My Mistake Was To Love You, Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye
91. Helen Wheels, Paul McCartney and Wings
93. Wildwood Weed, Jim Stafford
94. Beach Baby, First Class
95. Me And Baby Brother, War
96. Rockin' Roll Baby, Stylistics
97. I Honestly Love You, Olivia Newton-John
98. Call On Me, Chicago
99. Wild Thing, Fancy
100. Mighty Love, Pt. 1, Spinners

Have You Seen ...

THESE? or
THESE?

Oh...DEAR. Just when I thought my queue couldn't get any longer? (sigh)

My favorite Spirit shades? Lauma, Quilla, and Moirae.

The last one...I'm thinking of for a shawl, of course, perhaps in Laci?

L'il Ol' Knitnana in Sensible Shoes :(

This has become my carry-along project of late - a hat in Red Heart Kids Crayon. The project is a charity hat - for kids in the women's shelter here:
see that little stitch marker there? That cute Siamese? Well, that once was a pair - and they were earrings I loved. Back in the day of my super long hair, I lost one of each of 3 sets of cat earrings. They were all French wires and had no rubber backs to protect them - my hair would snag them and that would be the end of it! So I have some fun stitchmarkers as a result...
This is my reading matter tonight. As expected, the catalog got here immediately AFTER I sent off my first order...I have 4 pair of shoes on the way to accomodate my new needs for arch support and space for the orthotics to slip inside.

(But there are very few pair of shoes that don't look clunky, heavy, or just plain Old-lady-ish! Sigh)

We'll see how it goes
((hugs))

National Capital Cat Show 2008 Recap

In our for what it's worth column? This year was way, way different.
lol
Okay. We had enough sense this time to drive up on Thursday night after work - in prior years we've gone straight up on Friday and set up when we got there. This time, we had a night's sleep and a more relaxing (ok...sorta) morning.

Of course, we headed out (in separate cars) from my sister's house to drive across to the showhall on Friday and about 10 minutes along the way I realized I had left something critical at the house. I doubled back, and the sister act went ahead, as they needed to stop for gasoline.

When I got to the house, my BIL didn't answer the door. His car was in the driveway. For 20 minutes I alternately phoned (thinking he might be in the shower, since the 3 women had finally left him in peace!)...and paced...and knocked wildly on the door. Apparently my messages on the answering machine varied from wildly hysterical to calm and back again. It must have been quite funny after the fact. It wasn't at the time! (We have only a limited time to set up at the showhall, and it's critical to get in line early or you pay the price.) Suddenly a car drove up. A man got out...he sauntered towards me. And I recognized my BIL. Whose car he had, didn't even cross my mind (his car was in the driveway, my sister had HER car).

He let me in, I got the stuff, and off I went.

Set up went very well. We discussed this afterwards, because it was so smooth. We've decided it's practice. We've done this the same way. I am always in the same booth, we always set it up the same way...with a minor variation or two. Whew. I was delighted that even running late we were in a very short line - within 45 minutes it was an extremely LONG line. (We drive our cars - or trucks as the case may be - into the showhall to unload.)

That night we went out to dinner at a buffet that had a lot of different things but mainly Asian cuisine. During the meal I was asked why I'd looked so blank when my BIL had gotten out of his car earlier in the day. "You were standing there looking at me like you had no idea it was me."

"I didn't. Your car was in the driveway. I didn't realize it was you driving up in that strange car."

They thought it quite entertaining that I didn't know they had a new car (only a week old to them). It looks just like the old one, same color, same style...but newer. I was totally confused, and it was the biggest joke! Oh well, I guess you had to be there?

Of course, we were anticipating Hanna, and bands of light showers were already falling during dinner. The Commonwealth of Virginia was under a state of emergency, but there were no evacuations. My sister lives only a couple of blocks from the Potomac so flooding was a possibility...we all went to bed, fingers crossed!

Saturday dawned in a deluge. It poured...We three grrls piled into my car and trundled the hour back across to the showhall. I managed a couple of photos before the show began...
SIL and Big Sis in the 2008 Nana Sadie Rose booth...
And Nana Sadie Rose herself!

Things were quite slow. Someone came by and announced that the local officials were telling people to STAY in their homes for their own safety and that flash flooding was occuring around the area. My BIL was at home, and kept checking in with us. They had a lake in their backyard, but the sump pumps were working. Still he wasn't leaving (there was no question he should have stayed where he was to protect his property).

But for all that I did see customers, and made sales, it was quiet for a Saturday at the National Capital Cat Show! (sigh)

And then suddenly, someone said, "It's leaking..."

The roof of the showhall, around the skylights was spattering (at varying intervals) and where?

Right in front of my booth:
The showhall's solution was to pull three trashcans in front of the booth. (You can see the wet concrete here, but notice, too, that I immediately had removed bags from that side of the display rack to protect them.)
Here's a close up of the floor.

I agonized. To me those trashcans were unsightly. But the alternative was not good either...I let them be.

And we got 6 inches of rain during Hanna's passage. What a day.

But you know what? We made it to Chadwicks in Old Town Alexandria, right on the shore of the Potomac for dinner - they had no problem with flooding. (Oh what a lovely restaurant...fabulous food, too!)

Sunday was gorgeous. Much more traffic, tho' frankly Sunday has traditionally been a lighter day than Saturday. I did see my good customers who didn't dare brave the storm the day before (I do NOT blame you a bit!)...and that was delightful. I love my special customers who return to me year after year. You are the BEST!

Still, there's no question in my mind that the economy is worrying folks. Sales were down, much more than what a tropical storm could cause. So be it. We'll weather THAT storm, too, I know.

And Nana Sadie Rose, well, she "ain't goin' nowhere!"

That night? The sister act hit La Madeleine's in their traditional "Girls Night Out" bash...but by then, my plantar's fasciitis would not let me be...I was hobbling a lot, in quite a bit of pain. We retired to the house, and I iced my foot. Then hit the sack.

It's much better today (after resting it and icing it again yesterday). The drive back was fun. My SIL is putting together a photo album of her trip to Europe last summer, and we discovered a lovely shop, Scrapbooks Plus in Chantilly VA (I am so fighting a new hobby...scrapbooking could easily be as addictive, I think, as knitting, sewing, and cross stitch are). Then, of course, we made the usual trek to G Street Fabrics.

And then we had lunch at Red Robin...those wonderful Garlic Parmesan Fries! Certainly those can't be part of anyone's normal diet...because the waistline will expand in direct proportion to how many servings you have.

Finally we made our way down I-81 to home...the car was unpacked (tho' I must admit, there's still a lot left to put things back to normal again...

I did get some knitting accomplished:
I turned the heel of the Regia Florence sock (the first).

But wow. I'm glad to be home!

I'm BA-ACK...Time for a Meme!

Things are still too up in the air to do a real post about the show, but we got back last night...very, very tired. It was so good to see everyone! I'll have stuff to share later.

Eileen tagged me for this meme (and I've tagged three at the end, so heads UP, gals). It's a good filler till I pull my blogging act together from my weekend, okay?

What are the last 3 things you purchased?
Fabric
Thread
Chicken salad for lunch

What are the last three songs you downloaded?
Michael Buble’s Call Me Irresponsible CD – that’s more than 3, right?

What are the three best places you visited?
Vermont (the entire state)
Maine coast
Sandbridge Beach VA

What are your three favorite movies?
Dirty Dancing
Chocolat
all of the Indiana Jones movies

What thee things can you not live without?
Merlot
Dark Chocolate
Knitting

What would be your three wishes?
Economic stability and equity across the world
Global recognition of limited resources and a cooperative environment to work for alternative fuels
Comprehensive, quality healthcare for everyone in this country
(ok…that sounds a little like the “I wish for world peace” of the Miss America pageant contestants, but I do think these are the most important pressing issues of our times…)

What are three things you haven't done yet?
Traveled to Paris, France
Traveled to Scotland, England, Wales (a “goddess tour”)
Knit a sweater (hmm...I think this one is reasonably attainable)

What three Celebrities do you want to hang out with the most?
Michael Buble (see above)
Neil Diamond
Hillary Clinton (I cracked up at her "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits!" That gal's got class!)

Name three things that freak you out
spiders & cobwebs
Schedule busters – don’t mess with my plans, I lose it! (and yes, I’m working on that)
Any invasive medical procedure – even steriod shots (like I’ve had a couple lately...the last one wasn’t so bad, tho’)

What are your three favorite dishes?
Grilled/Blackened salmon salad with spicy ranch dressing (from Montano’s in Roanoke or Chadwicks in Old Town)
Garlic Parmesan fries (from Red Robin)
Prime Rib (from Coach and Four)

Name Three Things you are good at.
Knitting
Sewing
Accounting

What are three things you are currently coveting?
yarn, always yarn (Rowan, Zephyr, Tahki Tweed)
Knitpicks 10-inch Harmony straights in sizes 4-8
Toyota Highlander Hybrid (someday...)

These are three bloggers I will send this challenge to:
Birdsong
Jane
Jocelyn

I Wish She'd Come Home...

I'm bored...bored...bored...

And I miss her, too.

On The Road Again....

Off we go! I do hope to see as many of you as possible this weekend at the National Capital Cat Show! If you click on that link? You can get a $1 off on your entrance coupon...

I'm keeping fingers crossed that this

will bring nothing worse than much needed rain to the region - it's looking better and better that it will be the case...

Fingers crossed for a fun and successful weekend!

Better Late Than Never?

Tonight the sewing machine is silent...the bags are packed. The kitties are apprehensive. A car-load of bags went to DC in July. Today the fabrics and "booth architecture" made their way there (many thanks to the family member and then the friend who helped out with this). Tommorow? Sis-in-law and I will head north (hopefully Hannah won't dog our heels over the weekend? At least not too badly! Even tho' we all need the rain...)

I am remiss:

I promised a photo of the new haircut. I'm still learning to live with it. I think, most of the time, that I like it. Then something will happen and I'll go - YE-UCK.

lolol
Tonight it's okay. But just barely. (and oh, sorry, but no makeup this time around!)

I bought a treat for myself today - have you seen Habitat? I am such a fan of Jared's. Even if it took me forever to knit Koolhaas.

But I wonder. Will I decide that this hairstyle isn't suitable for these wondrous knit hats? I surely hope not...If so? This hair is so going to be grown out again to all one (shorter) length! In a heartbeat!

I love Habitat so much? I might have to make one for a Christmas present...but I can't say just who the lucky recipient might be...
*wink*

Labor Day...Laboring Still...

We're in the home stretch. A friend has volunteered to drive down tomorrow and pick up some of the "bones" of our booth and take them up to my sister's (I do have just the very BEST friends!) so that Knitnana's Forester won't be quite so jam-packed on our trip up on Thursday...The National Capital Cat Show is JUST a few days away (see that ticker up there?)

So here are a few of the things I've been working on, and if you'll just hang in, I think you'll see a couple of surprises before you're done!

A couple of Graces...

And a couple more Graces...

A couple of Knitnanas...


Things keep boring the dickens out of The Meezer!
So I decided to reward her for her excellent sewing assistance with her 'nip pillow

OOOhhh! I dearly love my nip pillow, Mommie!

And of course, she's now happily stoned out of her mind...

OH. Here's a surprise! Did you notice this bag up there in the earlier photo?
It's Number 750!
(I know, I can barely believe it myself...)

And here, the new item I was telling you about? It's FIONA!
She's a cell phone case that will attach (with velcro) to the handle of your Nana Sadie Rose bag! Drop on over to Nana Sadie Rose's shop blog to see all the details!

Back to work...sew, sew, sew!
(Happy Labor Day!)
(((Hugs)))