What Brings You Joy?

It's the middle of winter.
The bleak midwinter.
There have been songs written about this time.
(Isn't Annie Lennox amazing? Love her.)



Yes, earth like iron, water like stone. Cold. Frigid. Dead (or incubating).
Well, for the Southern Hemisphere it's the middle of summer, but I'm not talking about them.
I'm talking about us.
Me, specifically.
Sure it's going to be some horrifically anomalous temperature on Saturday, like 58 degrees or something, but we still have icy sidewalks, my driveway is a sheet of ice, and there are still about three or four inches of snow in the backyard.
Christmas is over, May and June seem a long way off, the economy sucks, and the price of gas has never returned to pre-Katrina prices.
It's hard to find joy at this time of year.
This year, however, in an effort to remain positive, I'm going to stop each week and see if I can find some thing (or two or three) that brings me joy.
It may be hard, and honestly I'll probably forget from time to time, but I think it's important to search for those things and draw upon them when low.
Because I feel some low times coming.
Today I can share with you the color blue.
Blue brings me great joy.
Not necessarily baby or light blues, but the deep rich blue of midnight:

Or the brilliant blue of lapis lazuli:

I even like Navy Blue.
I could surround myself with the color blue everyday, and it would always bring me peace, and with peace comes joy, right? (Although I'm wondering why my fingers keep typing "peach" when I really mean "peace.")
So I will share this yarn with you today because the colors of this particular one bring me great joy just to look at them.
Here's the picture from the Jimmy Beans Wool website - the yarn is Schoppel Wolle Zauberball Yarn in I don't know what color - number 2178:

It's dark, I know.
Here are pictures of the skein I received, and hopefully these are a little more true to the colors:

If I could take this yarn and place it under a piece of glass and look at it every day (and sometimes take it out and stroke it), I think I would have what would calm me - bring me peace - give me joy.
It's the deep blue, bright blue and emerald green combination that sells it for me.
Can you find one true thing a week that brings you joy?

Catching Up

I have a confession.
I've never watched any more than two episodes of "Downton Abbey" until yesterday evening when I watched the first episode of season three.
Was it difficult to know what was going on?
Not particularly, but it did make me want to go back and finish watching the first two seasons.
I had thought that I would over our winter shutdown, but I got wrapped up in other TV, and didn't get around to watching Downton.
(I do know, however, that I don't like Lady Mary, and I do like the exchanges between Shirley Maclaine and any Brit within firing range, most especially Maggie Smith.)
Or Doc Martin - I've left off where my husband and I stopped watching before he went on vacation.
It seemed like a show that we were watching together, and since it's a progressive script, I didn't want to get too far ahead.
(If anyone's interested, we've left off on the wedding episode.)
Perhaps we'll get a blizzard, or hubby and I will seriously consider early retirement in South America (where every Thursday from 10 am until mid-day the needlework group meets - no Red Hat society for me, though, count me out) and then it will be Netflix all day, all the time.
I still have to catch up with my knitting for the Mystery KAL, but I know that I've got all week to do that, and as Jennifer said, it's too hard to watch and pay attention to the pattern, so it's easier to just sit and watch (that's totally paraphrasing what she said, but you get the drift).
Something else I need to catch up on is a new yarn company.
Perhaps some of you have heard of it, but it's new to me.
Willow Yarns.
Anyone?
I just received a catalog in the mail today.
They seem to be reasonably priced, and the yarns are nice enough and mostly natural fibers.
I looked on Ravelry and there's only one yarn listed, and no projects yet.
Is it really this brand new?
Their fingering weight yarn, Stream, is only $4.99 a ball, and is made of wool and silk.

Should we consider this a serious rival to KnitPicks?
I think so.
And to close this out with a laugh, check out this Tumblr account - Edith with Googly Eyes.
Too funny.
We are amused.

Sitting Down for Downton

Today begins the first day of the Downton Abbey Mystery KAL.
Are you a fan?

I like the show, but I have to admit that I haven't watched the entire series, but I do so love a beautiful, one of a kind yarn.
That's what I have - straight from Jimmy Beans Wool - Lorna's Laces sportmate in the Downton Abbey colorway:

Pretty, isn't it?
I should really take my own picture because of course it's a bit different.
There's still time to get involved in the KAL - just go to the Jimmy Beans Wool blog and you'll find links on there with instructions.
Now even though I haven't watched enough of the show this was something I intended to do over the Christmas break, but along with cleaning, decluttering, and exercising, watching the two seasons of the show were things that didn't get accomplished. Think it will make a difference?
I hope not.
Which is why I felt okay taking this little quiz that tells you which Downton Abbey character you are.
Guess who I am.
A maid.
To be precise:

You are Anna Smith, head housemaid of Downton. You are basically the best employee ever. Competent, practical and tough, you can handle anything life throws at you - whether it’s rude colleagues, secretive romantic partners or surprise dead bodies in the workplace. Your kindness and loyalty are to be admired, and that Bates fellow should really recognize what a catch you are.

Go figure.
Introverted me, working quietly for the people, and not the one living in luxury.
Bah.
It's time to start knitting.

End of Year Prezzies

This was a very low-key Christmas.
I think I told you this, right?
Hubby and Baby Girl spent over two weeks in Ecuador (where hubby is from) over Christmas and New Year's.
It was a great experience for them, but since the Baby Boy and I were the only two here, and he was working a good bit of the time, I barely even got any decorations out, and decided to forego the usual Christmas/holiday hoopla.
Well, I'm pretty damn lazy too, so not having to do all this wasn't that much of a stretch for me either.
Best intentions, I have, but not necessarily great on the follow through.
I did receive, however, two very nice and unexpected gifts.
My friend, Mel, you know, she of the wonderful Stranded in Oz, sent me a copy of Yarn magazine.
(these are her socks on the cover, and that's her cardigan on the cover of issue 28 if you click on the link.)
One thing I discovered when I was in the UK quite a few years ago, and obviously the Aussies do it too, is that they are very good about attaching little gifts to the front of their magazines. Cross stitch mags regularly have needles, and knitting mags have, of course, needles!
Wasn't this so sweet?
She's a champ, I have to tell you, and her Glinda sock yarns are to dye for. Tee hee.

Check out her website.
Really gorgeous stuff, and the shipping is not exorbitantly expensive.
Next up - My cousin, Mary Lou, went on a trip to Iceland over the summer. She's always traveling, and having great adventures. On this latest trip she brought me back a skein of yarn! We don't see each other that often, although we do live relatively close, so I didn't get this until Christmas time which I think was the best time of year to get it!
It's Lett Lopi yarn in a deep heather blue - lovely, lovely color, don't you think?

That was really so very nice of her to do this - and so completely unexpected that I was gobsmacked.

I still need to tell her thank you.

D'oh.

Okay, I know, the iPad pictures don't come out all that well, but hey, at least you have something somewhat colorful to look at instead of reading my weird words throughout the entire post.

Sometimes the smallest, most unexpected RAOKs are really the very, very best.

Thanks to Mel and Mary Lou (sounds like a singing duo) for these wonderful gifts.

Nice way to start the year.

End of the Year - 2012

Well, well, well. Where has this year gone? Looks as if my last post was, gulp, over six months ago!!
That must have been about the time I lost my knitting mojo (I think I've found it again), and three months after that I lost my reading mojo.
At least I know where that went - my youngest has all of a sudden (but don't get too excited, it won't last) picked up reading. It began with her seeing a preview of the new Gatsby film. If you know me at all, you'll know that Fitzgerald's novel is one of my very favorites (in the whole, wide world). I told her, "I'll take you to see this film (even though I can't stand DiCaprio) if you'll read the book first."
She started it, didn't finish, wrote her book report (cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater), but then actually picked up the book again and read it to the end.
Le sigh.
So proud.
Now she'll be ready in two years when in 10th grade they read it again (as we did about 30 something years ago) and she'll have a better understanding the second time around.
Now to sum up the latter half of my year:

• Work was hard, difficult and trying, and now I'm finishing up my two weeks off for the shutdown (oh I do so love this), and actually quite sad that it's coming to an end. I am, however, well rested and ready to begin another year. Perhaps this year I'll get organized at work and at home? Just a thought.
• Aforementioned knitting mojo went the way of the Dodo bird, and disappeared. Fortunately it's come back Jurassic Park-style, albeit very slowly, with certain projects guiltily staring at me (is that even possible?).
• Reading mojo disappeared, but returned with the realization that I have been listening to more audiobooks, and reading more books on an electronic reading device over paper books. What is my world coming to?
• I got bronchitis in October and I am still suffering from yucky mucous in my lungs. Will this ever go away? Please say yes.
• We went to NYC in August and I didn't buy any yarn. We went to NYC again in December and I bought too much yarn and goodies. 
• We went to Boston and Salem in October and I bought souvenir yarn from a lovely shop.
• There was a large amount of stash enhancement this year. (Did I even need to say this?)
• My friend Andrea gave me yarn for Christmas and she doesn't grasp the idea of stash enhancement, so oddly enough I felt compelled to start knitting up her yarn shortly after I received it. It was an interesting feeling, but not so bad. One pair of socks almost done! Perhaps I'll wear these to work on Wednesday, if they're done. 

• I joined the Stranded in Oz fibre club for 2013. Mel has become a dear friend, and who better to support than someone for whom you really care.
• I knit a shawl for my 96 year old aunt who is in hospital - well she's actually been in two nursing homes, and was taken to the hospital just this past Sunday, so I know she needs something to keep her shoulders warm. This piece will do it - now to get it to her today or tomorrow.
• I had framing discount coupons to use at a particular chain store and used them to have two cross stitch pieces framed. This first one was done for the little one way back in the beginning of the century, and finally framed. She chose the matting and frame, but now won't put it in her room. Go figure. Can you read that it says, "You are Loved?" Perhaps it should have a flip side that reads, "You're driving me crazy!"

This next one looks like someone should have ironed it a bit more before taking it to get framed. Alas.

They do an okay job, this chain store, and I wouldn't have used them except for the 75% off coupons. They always have a little something that's wrong with the framing. But whatever. They're done.

• I went to a surprise birthday party for my second cousin in November, and was invited back by her dad to spend time with them at their annual Christmas Eve party. It was a good reminder about the importance of family and how much I love my cousins in a Billy Joel kind of way (you know, just the way you are).
• Hubby and the little one went to South America for two weeks, and will be returning this week, so the Baby Boy and I spent Christmas together and had dinner at my older daughter's apartment. It was a quiet Christmas, and that's okay. (Refer back to rediscovering said knitting mojo.)
• The year started out with my mother in hospital, and ended with her in the ER, but all is well. Just an interesting way to book-end the year (and perhaps a predictor of my life to come?)

So that's the latter half of 2012 in a nutshell with huge gaps of things missing probably. Tonight is New Year's Eve, and as I'll be home (with the dogs and cats) for the evening and it will give me time to at least organize my thoughts about what I resolve to do in 2013.

Happy New Year!

Estate Planning

My eldest daughter and her boyfriend stopped by yesterday to pick up her mail (mostly garbage in case you're interested).
As she went through her mail we talked of family matters, and how people can sometimes turn nasty when settling the estates of family members.
I recommended that they read Alice Walker's short story, Everyday Use. (You should too, and keep it close to you - draw upon it when you need it, and you will, as it will remind you of what is important when people become greedy, as they will.)
They didn't want to hear about that, however, and it wasn't the time to really share this gem of a story, so instead I said to my daughter, "You know what you're going to get when I die?"
"I'm afraid to even ask. No, I don't want to know," she replied.
But I had to tell her.
"Yarn!"
She laughed and so did her boyfriend.
"Hey, I have some great yarn!" I said, defending my stash.
Her boyfriend, still chuckling, said, "That's a great idea. Take all your assets and turn them into yarn before you die."
Well hey, now there's a thought.
I think he gets it.
Being with a man who could come up with that idea, well, I think she's chosen well.
And speaking of choosing well, here's where I am with this very simple baby wrappy sweater thingy:

I didn't get very far, I know, but it has been so blessed hot this weekend that who wants to knit.
The yarn for this, in case you're wondering, is Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK RYC, and it's lovely, but I am so afraid of getting it dirty or spilling tea.
I'll be glad when this is done. As you can see (maybe) I've got the whole back to knit.
We're scheduled to get thunderstorms here today, so that should cool things off a bit.
One hopes.

Flying Monkeys Helping Me

A package was delivered to my house this week.
I knew it was coming, and yet I was actually able to maintain a supreme amount of patience in awaiting its arrival.
I have so many things I am in the process of knitting, that I was trying to finish some things, or hurry projects along so that I could enjoy the contents of my package when it arrived.
Sadly after a week of very little knitting, I'm still working on baby stuff (truly my first priority as the mother-to-be leaves work in the middle of June), but I do have the long weekend to get those items finished (hopefully).
And when I do, this is what I'll be focusing on (well, along with my Multnomah as well which seems to be plugging along okay):

Yummy, right?
I brought the yarns outside (along with hubby) so that I could see if I could get the right sparkle. I'm not sure if I did, but you know here's a thought, go to Stranded in Oz and order some. You won't be disappointed.
Here's the big happy family all together - my Glinda the Good Wool sock yarn:

This color was my favorite when I ordered it:

It's Sister Midnight. It's a deep lapis blue, and I actually ordered an extra two skeins which you can see in the other photo so I could make a small shawl.
And I still love it, but this color, On Mars, has actually replaced it as my favorite:

The colors are absolutely gorgeous. Even the baby boy said, "Those are some sweet autumn colors there." Why yes, they are.
The green in Occupy is brilliant, exactly what you'd expect from the Emerald City (which is located in Southern Australia, if you weren't aware):

This is Witchy Poo, and I have to ask Mel if its her homage to H.R. Pufnstuf which featured Witchy Poo, one of my favorite TV shows as a kid. There was something about those short British guys (i.e., Jack Wild and Davy Jones) that I just loved. Witchy Poo is a rich (sparkly) orange:

This is Argus and Pinks, and I think will make a very nice pair of socks for someone special (that would be me):

And last but not least, Bloody Hot Mate, and the color is quite bloody hot. Mate.

So this is my wonderful package of yarns that came packed with TLC from the wilds of Australia.

I'd stick around to chat more, but dang, can't you see, I've got tons of knitting to do!

Tra la!

From O to Z

So here's a post where I look dumb.
Nothing new to see here folks, but I'll tell you about it anyway.
Have you ever discovered something new, that is really not new, but it's new to you, and then you want to tell everyone about it?
Yeah.
I bet you have.
It's called sharing.
(Some would say over-sharing, I would say shut up.)
I like that.
So let me share something fantabulous with you.
It's new yarn.
New to me.
But there's a story attached.
Here goes.
I got a Facebook friend request last week, and I thought, well who the heck is friending me? I thought I had pretty much friended everyone I could, but you never know the random people who come out of the woodwork.
I noticed that the "One Mutual Friend" was my brother, so I accepted.
Easy enough.
He has some very interesting friends, let me tell you.
Then I read the message that was waiting in my in-box.

G;day Julie -- Kenne said I should say g'day to you and send you are friend message -- I'm advised you may be a knitting yarn fan.

Well of course, I am, so I replied:

 I am indeed a fibre fan (and I don't mean the kind you eat, although that's what people always think!). Glad to meet you - I'll have to check you out, aka Facebook stalk you - although it's hardly "stalking" when you're friends! Cheers!

Friendly enough, right? And of course I sound like a geek. Whatever. My brother doesn't know much about yarn other than what I talk about on here, and on Facebook, but he's savvy enough to link up two yarny people. And my new friend from Australia wrote back:

 Are you a knitter? What's your fiber addiction?

Now let me just pause right here and tell you that, as noted in the previous post, I have been extremely busy. Maybe you didn't catch quite how busy I have been. Really busy. Okay, not so busy that I couldn't read something like three or four books last week, but you know, mentally busy. They were easy reads, it wasn't like I was struggling through Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury or something like that. What this means is that I was really too busy to check out my new friend's profile. So sue me. And stop judging. I just did not have time, so I really didn't know much about her, and I was making a reply to an honest question, and I was being polite and not ignoring her message. So I said:

I am a knitter, albeit a rather lazy one. I'm great at buying yarn, I can start projects like a champ, and I can successfully let them sit forever in my work-in-progress pile. I also blog (lately only occasionally). I'd love to learn to spin someday, but I'm fearful because I know it would become an extreme obsession. Fibre in pure form - how awesome is that. What do you like to do?

Let's pause there for a moment and look at that last sentence.
"What do you like to do?"
Such a simple sentence, yet you can't escape the glaring ignorance of the sender. It is clear that I did not take the time to look at her profile, I did not Facebook stalk as promised, and I clearly have no idea what her hobbies and activities are. This was on Friday morning, and as soon as I sent this message I thought, "Well go check her out, dummy," because even at this stage, and especially after sending off that last e-mail, I felt pretty stupid. And ignorant. I'm good at that.
What did I find about my new friend?
Do you think she likes to knit?
(are you going to tell me that I shouldn't write suspense thrillers for a living because my build-up to the denouement is too obvious? yeah, I know)
Well of course she knits. And spins. And dyes. And, wait for it, owns a fricking yarn shop!
I could have banged my head on the table. Mentally, I did.
What a dope I am.
Yeah, she has not only a fantastic yarn shop, Stranded in Oz, but also some absolutely drool-worthy sock yarn.
Saturday morning I placed an order.
I ordered some Glinda the Good Wool sock yarn - it's totally fabulous.
My favorite is Sister Midnight:

Yummy, yummy dark blue - with sparkles!
Hubby liked this one, it's called Heaven, but it's sold out:

It's obvious why - look at how pretty those blues are.
There are other completely delectable yarns on there, and I fought to limit my purchase.
No really, I did. Don't scoff!
And that's my story.
So I have a new friend.
Who owns yarn shop.
Might as well start an allotment to her right away, don't you think?
But do check it out - Stranded in Oz (this is the Ravelry link) - great yarns, great owner, and a great enabler.
Lord, help me.
I think I might have already become a yarn groupie.
Am I too old for her to adopt me?

Keeping Things in Perspective

It's a busy time of year at work.
Stress is evident, and tensions are running high.
I'm amongst those feeling some of this stress.
So yesterday I became rather upset about something, and it took me all evening to "settle down."
I went to bed, making a concerted effort to calm down, so that I could wake up this morning with a better outlook.
It worked.
I was a bit more "Zen" this morning.
As I was getting dressed, and fumbling through my clothes left lying on the love seat in the room, however, I looked at the sweater I'm knitting.
First ever sweater.
It's an easy knit, two strands of yarn held together on size 15 needles, but as with most things made of yarn it is taking me a while.
Since the front and back are just lying there, I had to take care not to knock stitches off the needles as I looked for my one usable pair of panty hose.
And that's when it hit me.
Realization, friends, not the panty hose.
Really, everything that I'm upset about at work is really not that important.
It's just stuff, and will pass.
What's REALLY important is the fact that the back of my sweater appears to be about six stitches wider than the front part that I am currently knitting.
How could that have happened when I checked the stitch count again before casting on the front.
Now that, my friends, is something of major import.
Much more challenging than little stressful events at work.
It's just all about keeping it in perspective.
But sometimes you have to be hit over the head, or drop a few stitches, to discover what is really important to you.
And that's my lesson for the day about keeping things in perspective.
Tomorrow's lesson will be on avoidance, or How I Started Five Other Projects Because I Couldn't Face Having to Figure Out How I Screwed Up This Stupid Sweater.
Thank you, and have a nice day.

Blinded by Science

Yesterday our campus observed Scholars' Day, a day when over 300 students, faculty and staff present papers, works of art, posters, and dance routines.
No classes on this day, just an opportunity to see what others are pursuing with regards to scholarly work.
When I go to presentations, I usually head to ones from the English or History Department, or to support a student I know.
This year I just went over for the free lunch.
I'm not all that interested in science, so I usually skip those presentations, but mostly because I'm intimidated by the topic.
Some of the titles even scare me.
Check this one out:
"Examination of the Relationship Between the Quasi-biennial Oscillation, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, the Southern Oscillation, and the Accumulated Cyclone Energy in the Atlantic Basin."
Wow.
Or this one:
"Characterization of Melanin-concentrating Hormone 1 Receptor Expression in SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells: A Potential Role for Receptor Clustering in the Regulation of MCH Signaling."
Yeah.
These are some smart students.
I'm just not much of a scientist.
I wish that I were, but I'm not.
This picture represents the extent of my interest in scientific pursuits:

So, yeah, I can haz string?

When a Little Yarn Becomes Too Much

At what point did I cross the threshold, the one where I didn't have any yarn to the point where I really think I have too much?
It had to be a few years ago, but I continued to cross an already-straining bridge and buy more yarn.
Now no one is to blame but myself.
And really, I am not unhappy with my yarn.
I truly believe it is a security net of sorts for my old age (God help me that I actually live as long a life as my antecedents).
When I'm ancient and living on whatever retirement benefits I'm allowed I know that I'll have a lovely cushion of wool to comfort me.
The realization that I probably have too much yarn came to me a few days ago as I opened up a cedar chest to find something and all this yarn tumbled out. Yarn that I had completely forgotten that I had purchased.
As I was not working yesterday (two naps in the recliner, I'd consider that a good day off), I decided that I should actually sort through said cedar chest, see what was in there with regards to clothing that can go to Goodwill, and make some semblance of order with my yarn.
This is the end result.

That's a lot of yarn, isn't it.
It's all wool, or a wool blend.
Sock yarn is on top, worsted weight on the second shelf, bulky weight on the third shelf, and the bottom has "specialty" yarns, some knit scarves that are screaming to be blocked, plus some roving with which I intended to make thrummed mittens a few years ago.
I literally had to stop and remember why I had roving.
It's been that long.
There's some Knit Picks Imagination sock yarn in there too. It's lovely. Why hasn't it been made into socks? Better question, when did I buy it?
Don't answer.
That's rhetorical.
Even better question to consider: why was I storing acrylic yarn in a cedar chest. Exactly what part of the acrylic am I protecting from moths?
So now that my cedar chest is sorted, I can see a bit clearer into the future.
One thing I have to admit, however, is that I still have two other cabinets to sort through.
If you're looking for me, I will be on the couch contemplating my wooly nest egg.
Did I mention that I have the same cross-stitch retirement plan?

Connecticut, Part Two

I'm not afraid to use four-letter words.
Not at all.
One of my favorite four-letter words, of course, is yarn.
Many of you who have read Major Knitter's blog over time know that she is an expert on yarn, and if you're not reading it, well, then you should be. Get on it.
After we hit the beach (figuratively), we headed over for a quick trip to Westport Yarns.
It amazes me at times that such unassuming buildings can contain such a plethora of pleasures.

(Since I don't really know how to use, or even actually have, Photoshop, I've made this picture small in an attempt to make me look smaller. Lie to me and tell me it's working.)
Hubby was thrilled to be making this pilgrimage.
My younger one too.
(That's sarcasm just so you know, if you're not recognizing it for what it is.)
Hey, get over it.
It's yarn.
They stayed for about two mikes, and then left and found a pet store.
To each his own.
How is Westport Yarns?
Gorgeous.
As I was saying earlier, it holds so many goodies that it's hard to resist the siren call of yarn.
So I didn't.
Here's pictures of what I bought.
Some Kidsilk Haze in Hurricane. Should have purchased three. Oh well.

And a local yarn - sock yarn - called Ellyn Cooper's Yarn Sonnets, Zohar's Socks in Waterman Silver.

It's only one skein, but I took two pictures trying to show the colors.
The colors reminded me of the Long Island Sound in winter, and like the ocean in winter, the colors keep their secrets.
Wow, that was bad.
Moving along.
Odd, don't you think though that I chose yarns that reflect the dark greyish-blue of the water?
Hmmm...I wonder if there's a connection....anyway...
Major Knitter, one of those gift people, also ensured that I had another Connecticut memento.
Here's a knitting bag made in Connecticut:

Isn't it pretty?
I love how the blue theme - you'd almost think it was my favorite color (it is).
It's from Fibers Entwined by Laura Hein Eckel.
Sorry everything is so dark. Do I need to tell you again? It's March in New York, it's always dark.
After our quick journey to the four-letter word store, we came back home for a delicious dinner with Major Knitter and BF.
Now if you recall, Major Knitter sent me some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock for Valentine's Day.
I had to bring it with me on the trip so Major Knitter could see it.

Pretty....my precious....
Since I had every intention of finishing my sock that I am currently working on (but didn't), we decided to wind my yarn, and enlisted my youngest to help.
At first it was fun:

And then it was just a bit less fun:

And then it became a chore, but she worked on it with a smile on her face:

Winding yarn is hard work. Here she is with the finished project. Time for a breather:

What a great day we had.
In the morning it was time to leave and say goodbye to Wilma, oh, yeah and Major Knitter and her BF too, although I'm doing that virtually because BF is a very busy man - half of a very busy couple!
Knowing that they carved out some time from their collectively busy schedule makes our quick visit that much sweeter.

It was great to see you - hope to come back soon! We can sit on the beach and knit (now that sounds like fun).

And now we're off to New York City!

Oy Vey, I am so Verklempt

Verklempt
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: Overcome with emotion; choked with emotion; gobsmacked; on the verge of tears
Etymology: Yiddish

Verklempt.
One of my favorite words.
It's like the Yiddish aloha, or even "dude" - more than one meaning, and can be used in many different situations with the meaning varying with differing intonations.
At this moment, however, I am truly overcome with emotion (see - verklempt is quicker, and much more emphatic when I hold my hand to my chest, and close my eyes as I bow my head). If you were here you could totally see me being sincerely verklempt.
Why, you ask?
Because a package came in the mail for me on Saturday.
My good fairy AKA Major Knitter sent me a lovely Valentine's Day package.
What was in it?
Feast your eyes on this lusciousness:

Now do you understand?
I'm in love.
You do remember this yarn, right?
It's wonderful to have such wonderful friends, but Major Knitter knows that gifts or no she's got an ally in me. She is just a remarkable woman with unlimited enthusiasm and a grand passion for life.
What I love about Jimmy Beans Wool, however, is that they also stick extra goodies in with your package.
I've received hard candy before, but this time it was stitch markers.
You can see them in this pic:

Love it, love it, love it.
Now I've just got to find a good pattern so that if she and I have the opportunity to get together in a few weeks in NYC, I can show her my progress.
After all, she's the one who taught me to knit.
Big thanks to Major Knitter for everything - you're the best.

Why do they insist on doing this?

Every month it's a new color.
Every month it's a new temptation.
Sometimes when I get the emails I have to delete them before I even open them, that way I won't be tempted by the new and luscious colors.
They being Jimmy Bean's Wool, and the other relative pronoun being Lorna's Laces February 2012 special edition color: New Beginnings.
Wow, thanks for creating a great color combination for February - colors I love - pink, red, and gray with white bringing it all together.

Look at that - isn't that something?
If I needed to treat myself I'd certainly buy some of this yarn.
But I will resist.
Won't I?
Although under my current new year plan resolutions I am still able to receive gifts.
Just sayin'.
(You know that I'm totally buying this yarn, right?)

How I spent $300 on 2 skeins of yarn, or shopping at the mall with my husband and teenage daughter

There are some activities in life that should always be done as a solo act.
Monologues immediately come to mind.
Maybe time in the toilet?
Certainly that's an activity that you hope remains something you do by yourself until you're too old to function without assistance.
What else.
Oh, I don't know, maybe.....shopping?
Specifically shopping on a budget?
Any woman (or man, to be non discriminating) worth their salt knows that you don't take your husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other to the grocery store with you unless you intend to make a lot of impulse buys.
I'm not saying that it's wrong to have impulse buys - they certainly make shopping enjoyable and less of a chore.
That sponge candy conveniently placed by the checkout at Wegmans? Total impulse buy. And totally justifiable! (Don't know what sponge candy is? I've included a link so you can get a good idea what it is.
If you're British (or Canadian) and reading this, think of Crunchie bars.)
Yum....chocolate.....Oh wait, where was I?
Oh yeah, impulse buys.
So the other night I went to the mall with the long-standing hubby (and I don't mean he's been on his feet a long time, but that he's been hanging around me for close to three decades), and the angst-ridden, angry teenager.
All so I could get two skeins of yarn to make gifts for a swap.
Two
Skeins
At Michael's.
How much would that normally cost?
Yarn is usually not overly expensive (depending upon your taste), but this yarn cost me $300.
What happened to the budget, you ask?
Yeah, I asked the same question.
It got lost somewhere in the clearance sales at Bon Ton, a department store that is closing next month. I am not even going to include a link because in a short time that Website will no longer be viable.
Sure, sure, I bought a couple of things for myself (at 70% off!), and the hubby got something, and so did the teenager, but dang, all I needed was yarn!
My head's still reeling.
But I sure am loving my new coat.

In the year of living frugally

Every year new resolutions are made by so many people.
Personally I think you can start each new day with a resolution, or each week, etc., but there's something about kicking off a new year with new goals.
This year I am attempting to live more frugally.
Something, I might add, that I should have been doing for years.
Alas, better late than never.
Now my latest guilty pleasure (but is it really pleasurable?) is watching the show Hoarders on Netflix.
Wow, way to make me repulsed, feel superior, horrified, and saddened all at the same time, A&E. You go.
As I forced my way through show after show I began to recognize certain of these compulsive traits in my own behavior.
For me, however, my brain is wired differently - I can throw stuff away once I get off my lazy butt and do it. And garbage belongs in the trash can, and not on my floor. Yuck.
I do hoard food though.
Last year (or was it 2010?) I bought a big freezer at Lowe's and as it was on sale, had free delivery, and combined with my military discount (10%) I got a really good deal.
I proceeded to fill up all 20 cubic feet.

That's a lot of space to fill, but by golly I did it.
And then there was the pantry.
I live in an old house, ergo I have a really big pantry.
Closet space is sucky, but room for food storage? I've got it in spades.
Is that full too?
Sho nuff.
And books, wowee, do I have books.
So many - and in so many places - that I checked out a book from the library because I couldn't find my copy in the house.
It's here somewhere, I'm sure, but where?
Yarn is everywhere too, but let's not go there shall we.
My new year's resolutions couldn't have come at a better time. (Like at the beginning of the new year - odd how that happened.)
They are simple enough in theory, but it's the execution of them that kicks my butt.

1. Create a meal plan. And stick with it. There is enough food in the freezer for several, a lot, too many meals, so go through that and figure out what to eat each day. Now as my red-headed friend would say it's probably better to create meal ideas instead of identifying them with specific days, but we hadn't had a chance to huddle over my idea since we were on break. I do see the genius of her plan, however, I had already enacted mine. So far, so good. The meal plan has accomplished several goals: (a) I have spent less money (only $36 to be exact) on eating out in two weeks; (b) we have been eating good, wholesome meals from the food that is on hand; (c) my grocery bills are 50% less than what I normally spend/waste every two weeks. What will I do when my private stock is depleted to dangerous levels? The hoarder in me is avoiding thinking about that, but I do know that Fort Drum will be holding their first commissary case-lot sale in May. The way my luck goes it will probably be the weekend we have Commencement, and you know I'll be stressed with that. But yes, I will drive three hours (or so) for a case lot sale, and this time I'm bringing the truck. The last few we went to my Subaru was completely filled except for the front two seats. Don't judge.
2. Buy no new books. Or old ones. Or any! This one is just as tough. My theory has always been that since I work hard for my money (a la Donna Summer), I should be able to treat myself. Thank you Amazon Prime for enabling me with even faster shipping. So I have been going to the library. Like this is a new concept, right? But I've been checking out cookbooks, and trying recipes, and getting free books through my Kindle, and deleting any emails I get from Crafter's Choice, Barnes and Noble, Interweave Knits, Amazon, etc. STOP TEMPTING ME! I will resist. I'm kind of digging the cookbook from the library thing because I try a recipe, and if it's a success I actually write it down on a recipe card. Remember those things? Sure, from back in the stone age. And let's be completely honest - I also own about 40 hundred cookbooks (that's a pretty accurate count), so I should be using those too. And a big shout out to online recipe sites such as allrecipes. Love it. You're the best. Plus, I work at a college - did I tell you how long we can check out books for? A year. Yes, 365 days. And then if they're not returned - automatic renewal. Love it! Apparently the librarians know that faculty (which I'm not) get cranky if asked to think outside their bubble, so they've afforded this courtesy to all faculty and staff. Talk about blessings! And free Inter-Library Loans! WorldCat is our oyster.
3. Impose immediate yarn diet utilizing the same principles as the meal plan. Somehow writing things down helps keep me focused, so it's good for me to think about what I want to make. How many times have you seen a project, bought the yarn, and then by the time it gets into your home you forget what you were going to make? Raise your hand, I can see you out there. Of course I signed up for the Valentine's Day yarn swap through Natural Suburbia. It's not like I'm buying for myself, right? I'm purchasing a gift of some sort for my swap partner. (Hoarders always have a remarkable ability to rationalize any situation.) Knit, knit, knit, and listen to audiobooks courtesy of the Monroe County Library System. You rock. Now see how two of my resolutions meld together? I'm so awesome.

And here we are in the middle of January - so far, so good. I'm feeling good about everything, enjoying the idea that I don't have to come home and stare into the fridge/freezer and decide what to make. Or give up and get McDonald's. Did I tell you my pants are not as tight? Hmmm...I wonder if there's any correlation here. Let me ponder.

I'll have to continue to monitor my progress, and I'm sure I'll backslide, but I am resolute!

What have you resolved to do this year?

Things I Do Good

Today my boss asked me if perhaps my ego is getting bigger because I'm signing things for him.
I replied in a rather dumbfounded (but slightly disingenuous) manner, "I don't have an ego."
"I know you don't," he admitted.
And really, I don't.
Trust me when I tell you that I have so many things wrong with me it wouldn't be surprising if my co-workers signed a petition encouraging me to become a hermit just to keep my sorry butt out of the general population.
Wow, I'm just bringing myself down here, and I haven't even gotten to the crux of this post!
Seriously, I'm a rather self-effacing individual, and it's usually so easy to find things that I've screwed up.
Rather than dwell on those, I've decided to focus on things at which I excel (because saying it that way is more grammatically correct than the way I have it in the title), and some of my most favorite things in life are reading, knitting, and watching movies.
So I got to thinking that it probably would be good to stop and consider, and perhaps create a list that would allow for reflection and focused direction in the future, and keep me from being too down on myself.
Without further ado here's a list of 20 things at which I excel in no particular order:

1. I can read.
2. I can read fast.
3. I can find lots of books that interest me.
4. I can buy lots of books to read.
5. I can successfully keep at least 10 books in a "currently reading" status without losing place of where I am.
6. I can keep books on the shelf for decades before I get around to reading them.
7. I can pass along books I've read to friends.
8. I can give unread books away.
9. I can knit.
10. I can knit socks.
11. I can buy yarn.
12. I can buy yarn for projects and then forget which project I was buying it for.
13. I can buy yarn for projects and let the yarn sit on the shelf for years.
14. I can start projects.
15. I can successfully keep at least 10 projects in a "currently knitting" status.
16. I can sometimes figure out where I left off when I pick one up again.
17. I can correct a mistake if I let the project sit for long enough (it's amazing how it fixes itself sometimes!)
18. I can tell you quite a bit about classic and contemporary movies.
19. I can tell you quite a bit about classic and contemporary television.
20. I can sit on my butt for hours at a time reading, knitting, or watching movies and TV.

Well, see that?
Already I feel so much better about myself!
I'll have to remember this post, and when I get discouraged about nothing in particular I can pull this list up  and remind myself that there is some worth in what I do (and don't) do.

Pretty

So pretty and soft....

Living in a Yarn House

Do you ever stop and look around your house, and wonder, "Why do I have SO MUCH yarn?"

It's not the fiber you eat

Today was day one of the Finger Lakes Fiber Fest.
DH and DN2 came along with me, and the only thing I would wish for beside more money to spend is that we could have had more time.
We only had about 3 hours there because SN2 had a soccer game at 2:00.
You know as well as I do that 3 hours is just not enough time, but the little time we had was well spent.
I need to take other pictures of my goodies, but here are a couple of pics from the day.
DN2 wants to learn how to use a drop spindle, so of course we bought her one.



Some habits you have to encourage (usually by throwing money at them).
The man who sold it to us insisted she have a quick lesson, so DH watched and learned as well.
We may get him into yarn eventually.
Later DH tried to pet an alpaca (that is an alpaca, right?), but it got camera shy because another lady was pointing her camera right in its face, so it turned its back on both of them:



DN2 was fascinated by the silkworms. They're so soft! she cried.
Well yeah, they feel kind of, oh, I don't know, silky.
I didn't want to scare them with a flash the way the alpaca was not loving it, so I was trying to be as surreptitious as possible:



When we got to the game the father of one of the kids asked DH how he liked the fiber fest.
DH redirected the question to me.
So I said that it was really good.
He asked, what do they sell there?
Funny thing, I didn't realize he thought it was the fiber you eat, so when I started talking about yarn the lights went on.
Too funny.
The game was a nail biter - two overtimes and the score ended in a 2-2 tie.
Heartbreaking.
Here's SN2 at the game:


When we finally got home this evening I had to wind one of the skeins I bought.
My yarn swift is currently MIA so I used DH instead:


How sweet.
Now it's wound and I need to start knitting.
And of course I'm being stalked.



They love the smell of the animals.