Knitting the Blues

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Things That Scare/Freak You Out. 

1. Tornadoes.  I experienced on of the stormiest nights ever during the seventies, called a Super Outbreak. We could see funnel clouds from our home and hundreds (okay, 148) touched down that night.  Since then, I am really frightened by them and when I am under extreme stress I will dream of tornadoes coming toward the house or my car when I am driving or when I am in labor and need to get to the hospital or......  Not thunder or lightening though.  Love those.
2. Something happening to Pete.
3. Something happening to the girls.
4. When I am on my run, loose dogs, slow driving cars, wild animals.  There are bears and moose and racoons.....
5. The Lamisil commercials, those creepy little toe nail fungus creatures crawling under toe nails......Heebie Jeebies!  I have to close my eyes and cover my ears, or change the channel.
6. Throw up.  Either doing it....., or hearing it....., or seeing it.....  Luckily, Pete is stronger than I and has no sense of smell.  He did throw up duty.  Except one time when he was travelling and I had to clean up an entire bathroom and hallway after one of my children who shall remain nameless.  Let me just say that it wasn't that long ago and she should have known better.
7. Putting my feet under the sheets and finding something alive under there.  I pull the sheets down and check before I tuck in at night.
8. Going to the bathroom in the dark.  I just cannot sit on the toilet without checking it first.
9. Ever since watching Ben Hur as a kid, skin things.  I can even feel another's sunburn, I just can't look, I feel it in every cell in my body.  And I have the skin of a pimply teenager as a punishment.
10. Listening to Yoko Ono. Or right now, as I am watching Jessica Simson sing.....

Ninety-two to go. I am guilty of the overuse of something. I wonder what it is........

Thanks to Danielle and Phloe, I have a post today!

I love it when the post is written for me. Those are the good days. It started with Danielle's post, leading me to Phloe's post (go read it), and this comment:

Whoa, this is the first time I have read your blog, I read the entire post, and cannot do anything but wonder at the parallels in my blogging lately. I am by nature a private person and only a small amount of my life ends up on the internets. Recently I have been dealing with may be a chronic issue and I have not shared that, so when I mentioned yesterday that I have been having some issues, many of my friends were surprised. They think I have it all together and all is great, and while plenty have it worse than I do, I have my problems. While I don’t envision myself changing all that much, I wonder, do we protect ourselves by revealing only so much? Or are we doing ourselves a disservice? Pondering…..

Don't worry about commenting here if you have already joined the conversation elsewhere, it is just that this has been a bit serendipitous (is that even a word!?), in that I have been thinking of these things lately.  I really am a private person and don't share all that much here.  Weird to be a blogger, but a private person, you put yourself out there.  Sort of.  And I have to say, I think some people are just brilliant at the day-to-day minutia posting.  I love reading about the every day life, the job, the kids, the stuff, but don't think I could write anything that would sound interesting about my days, usually.  I might work on that in my last quarter of blogging 365(6).  Prepare to be bored.

Ninety-three to go. Whew, that was easy! Now I can go knit.

A Rainy Weekend

Thanks to everybody that shared how they spend or wish they could spend rainy days.  My rainy weekend  had its ups and downs, but I think I made the best of what I've been dealt with and you can't do more than that, I guess.

My first move was to do something very uncharacteristic for me, although many others spend rainy days doing just this.  Pete and I went to the movies!  I know it!  Right?  And it was MY IDEA!  I had heard of a documentary that I really wanted to see, so I searched the internets to find out if it was playing locally and it was.  Well, not that locally because while I don't believe we live in the boonies or anything, we are at least forty-five to sixty minutes from culture like films in limited release.  We had a few choices and we decided on the Red River Theatres in Concord, NH.  What a great idea!  This is a new cinema tucked away on Main St (right down the street from the Elegant Ewe, in case you need more reason to head there) and it is sort of charming.  The theatres are cozy (yes, I mean smallish), they have a limited snack bar that includes beers (some local brews) and wines and the matinee was only five dollars.  I loved it there.  We saw Man On Wire, a film about Phillipe Petit, a crazy man (because you would have to be at least a little insane) who rigged a wire between the buildings of the World Trade Center and spent forty-five minutes playing around on it in the seventies.  There was so much that was amazing in this story that it is difficult for me to choose something to recommend it.  Phillipe's enthusiasm in the retelling and the emotions of the people that helped him is amazingly fresh given thirty years have passed.  This movie is really not to be missed.

After the movie Pete offered a stop at the yarn store, but I thought that since we were half way to Patternworks, why not take the ride. I didn't buy much, just two skeins of Koigu, but it was nice to go up, we had dinner on the way back and I settled in for the night.

Today was sort of dismal, I have been having some issues recently that make it difficult for me to make plans or get out of the house, so I missed brunch with friends and the day didn't improve much after. I did get to the gym, a much bigger feat than you may think seeing as I haven't been in a loooong time (thanks to issues), then we rode up to the beach to see the crazy surfers taking advantage of the just close enough passing of Hurricane Kyle and on the way back I stopped in a got some lobster to bring home for my supper. I even had the lobster pound boil it so I only had to toss a little salad and shell the bug. Then I sat down to watch a program that the local PBS station had listed for 8 o'clock tonight, I saw it on the schedule and everything, and it wasn't there. And I really did see it today. I was watching Antiques Roadshow and at the end they mentioned it, but I only sort of paid attention, so I went to the menu and I swear I SAW IT ON THE MENU! Then, when I go to watch it something totally different is on, and the menu claims that that show will be on, and the website schedule says it will be that show, NOT THE SHOW THEY ADVERTISED! How disappointing! The website says the next time it is scheduled is 5am tomorrow. Like I might get up for that! Thank goodness for DVR, right?

Ninety-four to go. Maybe it will rain next week and I can go see Tell No One.  Pete would die from the shock of two movies in two weeks!

YouTube SaturdayHe Is Rid of the Shackles That Bound Him

Pete and I watched this movie, Cool Hand Luke, just a week or so ago. I hadn't seen it before, but as usual Paul Newman was not a let down, not one bit.  Pete's favorite quote from the movie:  "What we have here is a failure to communicate." I'm very saddened at his passing, but happy to experience his talent, along with a bowl of his popcorn, when I rent a movie. I think maybe I'll look for The Sting again, I have been wanting to see it lately.  Add this one to your list.

Ninety-five to go. He gave blue a good name, who could look into those eyes and not love the color?

When The Day Has Been Long and GloomyAnd It Hasn't Inspired a Single Thing to PostTake Your Inspiration From a Friend.

Forecast: Rain. Then some rain. And then a lot more rain. Claudia decided to brighten things up a bit on her blog. I liked the effect, and while her photo is so much better than mine, I am copying. Thanks, Claudia!

Kittery, Maine. 2006

Ninety-six to go. Anybody reading the fine print today? On a day when blog reading and commenting is notoriously lax? What are your favorite rainy day memories or things to do?

Now, This Quiz Makes It Easy To Get The Result You Want

What Your Blue Umbrella Says About You

When faced with adversity, you can be counted on. You rise to the occasion when things are tough, and you are very dependable. You are cool and laid back. Everyone finds you easy to get along with. You are a good communicator and conversationalist. People pour their hearts out to you. On a rainy day: you should spend the day catching up with your closest friends

The Umbrella Test

Ninety-seven to go. Only thing, this does not come close to describing me.  Cool and laid back?!  AHAHAHAHAHA!  And, you may be surprised to hear this, my umbrella really is blue!

It's Wednesday and I'm Wondering....

• Why the ladies room in the local mall has hanging on the wall near the sinks a container for the safe disposal of sharps, or needles.
• Why, after again spending many hours cleaning up my laptop, it is still running slowly and driving me nuts.
• Why my kids will never answer their cell phones when I call, but will when I text. 
• In the same vein, if you have teens or tweens or young adults, do they resist phone calling altogether and instead communicate almost exclusively through Facebook messages?
• Is this really a better way to get things done?  Honestly, they need some information from someone and I say, "Why don't you call?"  And I get that "phone calls are so last century" look as they tell me they left a facebook message.  That is this year's excuse, a few years ago it was, "I left a message on IM, but they had an away message up."  Meanwhile, nothing is getting accomplished and the kid is probably at home reading a book or playing Wii or something.
• Are we on our way to a society that never actually talks to each other in person?
• How long Cloris Leachman can stay on Dancing with the Stars based solely on good humor and popularity.  Truly, I'd love to see her win the whole thing.  I'm actually feeling the urge to vote.
• If anyone truly cares what David Blaine does anymore.
• When I will come up with an "M" for the ABC-Along.  That would kill some posting days.
• If I should have a salad, and omelette, both or nothing for supper.  And it is getting late.
• Why I never seem to think of food if Pete is not home for dinner.
• Why I can usually resist any online game that I am introduced to on the web unless it involves typing.  I'm not even that good at typing.
• Why I haven't given up on this post, hit publish, and started knitting yet.

NInety-eight to go.  I'm wondering what I'll come up with tomorrow.

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Great Things That Happened this Summer. A shout out to some faithful to the Blues knitbloggers. NOT ALL! I only had ten spots.

1. Margene adopted a new little guy, Max.  Me?  I can't tell the difference between Moxie and Max, but they both look lovable to me.  And I'm not even so much a pet person.
2. Vicki drew on her love for art and photography and is starting a new business.  Just wait until you see her website, it is awesome.
3. Sandy's Bethany got a full time EMT job.   Gotta love employed adult children!
4. Norma became a grandmother.  Abigail gave her a bouncing baby grand-puppy. 
5. Claudia broke her own MS Ride fundraising record, and despite Stig being laid up had a great ride with a little help from Michele.
6. Meli laughed!  Such a wonderful bit of noise.
7. Nora finished her first sweater!  (And her second? half-marathon.  Over achiever.)
8. Vanessa went on a cruise to Alaska.  And the post is so much better than a boring vacay post, a nice blend of travelogue, fiber discovery and knitting.  Lovely.
9. Karen dealt with the age-old problem of knitbloggers, feeling she had more to say on her blog than just what she is knitting, by publishing a whole new blog that reflects her other interests, hobbies and more of life.  I love it.
10. Jennifer had a good summer, but topped it all off by earning her BSA Order of the Arrow.  Now, if her experience is anything like my husband's stories..........

Ninety-nine to go.  HA!  Out of habit I started to type in One hundred... to go.  NOPE!  Double-digit midget time.

There are 100 Days Left In the Calendar Year

That's right, folks.  100.  Days.  I think you know what that means.  100 days left to post in this year.  100 days trying to come up with something, anything, to put up in this spot each day.  100 posts in which I have already given up any attempt at entertainment or education.  100 evenings to remember at about 9:00 that I have yet to post.  Yep, you would think that after almost eleven straight months of daily posting it wouldn't be such a surprise to me every day, wouldn't you?

100 days.  It will also be 100 days to show that I can meet the challenge.  100 days to prove I am not a giver-upper.  100 days of connecting and renewing relationships with other knitters and non-knitters, bloggers and the blog-free.  As is usual for me and summer, I have seriously neglected my commenters and other bloggers by not returning comments or commenting.  I'm really going to try not to make it 100 days of ignoring comments or leaving them.  100 days of remembering what those connections mean and how they inspire and encourage me (even if I rarely show it).  100 days of proving it through my actions, not just reading your blogs (because I really do), but leaving evidence of the fact.  100 days of hitting the reply button on those comments and showing how much they mean to me, at the very least thanking you for them (at least some of the time).

100 days of support from anybody out there that is still reading is hoped for and needed.  100 days of comments from you could get you 100 of something knitter or spinner related (or not, if neither interests you) as a thank you.  100 days of reinforcement.  100 ways you can surprise me, give me a little dig, put me in my place, share the love.  Help me make this the best 100 days of the blog because you never know.  This could be 100 days until the sidewalk rolls up and I call it a day. 

One hundred days to go.  Tomorrow I become a Double-digit Midget.  Woo-Hoo!    

So Long Summer!

I had this plan to post photos of how I spent my last day of summer, but.....

I forgot my camera.

Then I didn't feel good and came home early.

And took a nap.

So, I didn't send summer out with the bang I had hoped for, but it was what it was and is what is and this is how I will remember at least part of it.

Shockingly, I didn't find nearly as many photos as I had fun times. There were many moments in this summer, and it was a very different summer when compared to summers of the past. It flew by, I missed my girls and I can't believe it is finished. Tomorrow marks the Autumnal Equinox. Celebrate if you will, at least we should have a gorgeous fall in the northeast.

One hundred one to go. Only six months to go before the spring equinox! w00t!

YouTube Saturday

Well, it happened.  The weather has cooled, a chill has greeted my mornings and I'm back to brewing the tea hot more regularly than iced.  Well, I always brew the tea hot, but lately I'm not icing it as much.  That is a more accurate statement.  I don't know if you have a Teavana near you, but one opened in the mall that is most convenient for me and I got a big tin of Silver Needle White Tea .  I hadn't really tried white teas before (I know it!  Right?) and I am really enjoying this one.  It rebrews really well, so although it is a little pricey, you can get a lot of cups of tea out of it.  In the spirit of hot tea (and a shameless swipe from Marlyn's blog), some tea raps.  Because you all know how my day is made even better when I can sit down with my knitting, a pot of tea and some good rappin' about hos and bitches.  Heh.

So then I went on a little YouTube search and found more.

This next one should come with a tea rating of "R" for language, but it is kind of funny if you can get past all of the b*tch and mother-you-know-whaters:

Well, you know how YouTube can be, you watch one tea video and then another and then, what the heck!? Who knew there were so many videos about tea? So here I sit, an hour has been wasted gone by and I can't stop watching tea videos. Now I think I'll go brew a pot.

One hundred two to go.  "You can say I'm mad for tea or just say I'm mad!"

You Know It Is True Love When, Convinced You Are NutsThey Go Along Anyway

You know those times when you know about two things and they are both in your mind off and on all around the same time, but the connection between the two doesn't strike you until later and at a really weird time?  Well, yeah.  It's yesterday and I'm thinking of going out to harvest what I have left of the tomatoes, but mostly what I was thinking was to put it off until the morning at the same time the news is on and the weather man is warning of frost last night and Pete even says, "There's a frost warning for tonight?!" and I'm all like, yeah, can you believe it? never once connecting that these two things are directly related, one to the other, but I head off to spinning group and never think of it again.  UNTIL!  I'm reading blogs late last night and get to Kim's and see that, hmmm, she has picked a bunch of tomatoes and and coverd things (and finished that really cute Hey Teach! sweater, and doesn't it look awesome on her) because she is expecting a frost...........  OH, NO!  So at 11:25 I go up and ask Pete (already in his pjs-or nothing at all-same thing to Pete, under the covers, lights out....okay, not lights out, reading a book) where the flashlight is because I have to go rescue at least some of the rest of the tomatoes out there and I'm doing it right now.  Now, this is where you once again find out how fantastic a husband I really have.  He got up, got dressed, came out and while picking some tomatoes himself (and you should know this:  he does not eat them.  Ever.) protected me from skunks and fisher cats and whatever else might have been out there.  Yes, he did think I was crazy the whole while.

I love that Carole thinks that I am knitting a grey Baby Cables and Big Ones, Too.  Wouldn't that just be the most hysterical thing!?  That it was grey all along and I wasn't photoshopping or anything!?  The actual color hiding in plain sight.  That would be so funny.

I'll leave you with an adorable baby outshining her handknits. 

I always contend that if your purpose is to show off the baby knits, you should omit the actual baby. Aurelie proves my point splendidly!

Doesn't it look as if she is cheering? Or more likely singing an aria, she has gotten to the end where she is holding out that long note and the orchestra is reaching a crescendo behind her and........ Yes. She will be an opera singer. It is in her blood.

One hundred three to go. The last day of summer is this weekend. Enjoy every second of it!

We Should All Be As Lucky As Meg

When we leave our wallets on the T.

Thanks to the honest and kind person who found it and sent it back, may only good things happen to you. Know that she would have done the same thing and appreciates your generosity.

One hundred four to go. Gives you hope, doesn't it?

It's Been.....

One Week since I started you....

This removing the color thing is a PITA! I had a better shot of the sweater for you, but I couldn't get all of the color out of the sweater, little spots kept staying in. I'm sure Cheryl has figured this whole photoshop thing out better than I have, but whatever.  I'll post more progress shots when I reveal the finished sweater.  So far, I think I am pleased.  The fit is a little closer than I wanted, but I have to keep reminding myself that my swatch bloomed, so I know that a little more ease can be blocked in.  So, that is my WIP Wednesday for you.  Now I'm off to fight the little demons in my head and get those sleeves knitted.  "Little demons?", you ask.  The ones that have my thoughts wandering to the next project.  The ones that had me skipping through my queue, digging into the stash and dreaming (even as I am knitting my Baby Cables and Big Ones, Too) of what I'll do with this:

One hundred five to go. Getting closer to put the color back into life!

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Simple Things That Make Me Happy.  You know, I am a pretty simple person when it comes right down to it.

1. The beach.
2. The blue of the sky meeting the blue of the water on the horizon.
3. The blue backdrop of the winter sky against the snow on the White Mountains.
4. Hiking with my family.
5. The sound of my girls having a good time together and getting along.
6. The end of my run.
7. A hot cup of tea on a chilly morning.
8. Spinning with friends.  Or meeting them for tea and knitting.  Or just conversation.
9. The warmth of Pete's feet under the covers on a cold night.
10. Knowing I have a great husband and family.  I'm a lucky woman.

One hundred six to go.  Blue wool, sitting around a bonfire with the girls, chocolate, flip-flops, singing, a clean kitchen, Pete washing floors......... 

So Much Knitting Time Wasted In Photoshop

Because Margene asked you will all get a little sweater progress shot. I've photoshopped out the color. In comments, email and in person you have all expressed your opinions that I have chosen blue.  Actually, people are quite convinced that I don't have it in me to choose other than blue.  Do I?  Don't I? I can tell you that I did not choose grey. Shall we have a little guessing game contest? What color of Jo Sharp Silkroad dk Tweed do you think I am knitting my Baby Cables and Big Ones, Too in?  Go ahead, guess.  Maybe there will be a prize.  Probably.

Since taking this photo I have taken a little motorcycle ride out to the water, sat knitting and chatting and drinking tea with Pete and have added a couple of more inches to the body of the sweater. I am loving this yarn. What do I love? The color (hee), the hand, the drape and the softness. My swatch bloomed and softened up to a fabric that will be cozy and lovely to wear. What I don't like? There is at least one knot in every.stinkin'.ball. of this yarn. Knot nice.

One hundred seven to go.  You see my true colors shining through.....

The Day Started With Knitting, Went to Basement CleaningA Ride To the Beach, and Then....

I had a glass of Shiraz on an empty stomach this afternoon.  Scratch that.  It was more like half a glass, empty stomach, a budding headache and what appears to be an error in judgement.  I had it at the bar while waiting for the take-out flatbread and watching the Patriot's game.  And I was knitting, you had to know there was knitting going on, I am obsessed with my latest WIP (successfully keeping the frustration of the mittens on the back burner.  Every day I tell myself that I will spend five minutes or so on the mittens, but the sweater has my heart-and hands).  By the time the food was ready and I stumbled to the car, I couldn't even hold the knitting in my hands.  Food didn't really help, it made me feel queazy, so I've been napping and sipping tea since the game ended.  There you have it.  As much as I'd like to just end this post right there, I'll add this meme.  I haven't seen it before, although Nora says it is an older one.  Hell, I've probably posted it before, but here goes:

The rules:

1. Bold the things you've done.
2. Green the things you are currently doing.
3. Red out the things you've abandoned or will never attempt.
4. Italicize the things you want to try.

Afghan
American/English Knitting (vs. Continental knitting)
Baby Items
Bobbles
Buttonholes
Cable stitch patterns (including Aran)
Cardigan
Charity knitting
Continental knitting
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Darning
Designing knitted garments
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Drop stitch patterns
Dyeing with plant dyes
Dyeing yarn
Entrelac
Fair Isle knitting
Freeform knitting
Fullling/felting
Gloves
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Hair accessories
Hat
Holiday related knitting
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies.....)
I-cord
Intarsia
Jewelry
Kitchener Bind Off
Knitting a gift
Knitting and purling backwards
Knitting for a living
Knitting for pets
Knitting for preemies
Knitting in public
Knitting items for a wedding
Knitting socks
Knitting to make money
Lace patterns
Longtail Cast On
Machine knitting
Mittens: Cuff up
Mittens: Top down
Moebius band knitting
Norwegian knitting
Olympic knitting
Participating in a Knit-a-long
Pillows
Publishing a knitting book
Purses/bags
Rug
Scarf
Shawl
Short rows
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Slip stitch patterns
Slippers
Socks: toe up
Socks: top down
Steeks
Stockinette stitch
Stuffed toys
Swatching
Sweater
Teaching a child to knit
Teaching a male to knit
Textured knitting
Thrummed knitting
Toy or doll knitting
Tubular Cast On
Twisted stitch patterns
Two ended knitting
Writing a pattern

Well, there you have it. And now I feel I'm getting the strength back in my arms again. Time to knit.

One hundred eight to go. And I'm eating Junior Caramels, just the thing for my queazy stomach.

YouTube Saturday

Since watching this movie last week, I just cannot get the songs out of my head.  I'm passing that curse blessing on to you.  You can thank me later.

I couldn't find Keep On the Sunny Side, well, not a video from the movie anyway. Now that one is an earworm. Bummer.

One hundred nine to go. Or You Are My Sunshine. Now that is a good one, too. I love bluegrass music.

Aaargh!

To the tune of a song you have heard before, I had a post here about my garden and the harvest and how I can barely keep up with the tomatoes (which are deee-licious) and that maybe next year we will expand the plot a little, give some plants more space, do some planning over the winter and hoping that now, after the weather is taking a turn for the fall, we will have a few hot days to ripen up the fruit still on the vines. I think I also mentioned that the eggplants are great and the peppers are meh. Then I mentioned something about a dream I had last night, after posting a quiz about crayon colors, that had brand new crayon boxes in it and I woke up a little disappointed that I wasn't doing some back to school shopping for myself. Yep, all that and a little more, and the post poofed off into the inter-ether. I can barely keep my eyes open at this point, so I'm off to bed before this post goes away.

One hundred ten to go.  Quick!  Hit publish, now!

Sorry, I Just Can't Stop Knitting Baby CablesAnd Big Ones, Too.

You are most like: You are Blue
You are cool and soothing, with a hidden spontanious side. You are deeper than most people percieve, and you care a lot for those whom you surround yourself with.
Take this quiz: Which Crayola Box of 8 Color Are You?
Visit Toys For Your Blog.com for more blog quizzes

One hundred twelve to go. Back to the grey knitting!

Knitting Baby Cables and Big Ones Too!

Look! I'm knitting a sweater! Nobody can be more surprised and shocked than I am. I have things to do. I have places to be. I'm obsessed with every next round of this thing. It's craziness, and I'd like to say in a good way, but a girl has to pay the bills you know. So as much as I'd like to go on and on about the yarn (Jo Sharp Silkroad dk Tweed) and the wonderfulness of the pattern (Baby Cables and Big Ones Too by Suvi S.-ravelry link), I'm going to knit before I go to bed. I'll leave you guessing on the color, that Jo Sharp come in some beautiful blues. And some other pretty colors, too.

In case you are wondering, the Snowbird Gloves are in time out, well, I've put myself in time out from knitting them. I just kept frogging them over two rows and decided that I needed a little perspective. I'll work on them tomorrow. If I can tear myself away from the baby cables and the big ones, too.

One hundred twelve to go. Maybe I'll make cabled mittens instead. I love my cables!

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Favorite Movie Songs.  So many songs!  Where to begin, I can't even imagine.  Actually, where to start isn't so much the problem, but where to end.....

1. Circle of Life from The Lion King
2. Somewhere Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz
3. Sound of Music, Do-Re-Mi Song, Lonely Goatherd, Climb Every Mountain......all from the Sound of Music
4. Sister Suffragette, Feed the Birds, Let's Go Fly A Kite, Stay Awake, A Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious all from Mary Poppins
5. Streets of Philadelphia from Philadelphia
6. Rainbow Connection from the Muppet Movie
7. Day-O from Beetlejuice (and all the Harry Belafonte within)
8. Time of My Life, Dirty Dancing
9. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You from Robin Hood:  Prince of Thieves
10. Don't You Forget About Me from The Breakfast Club
11. Down To The River To Pray, I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (remember the crowd going wild at the surprise of the Soggy Bottom Boys and an unknowing Everett played by George Clooney is surprised at the response?  I love that part!), I'll Fly Away, Po Lazarus, oh-the whole O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack is great (Erin and I just watched this the other night, another movie that I kept recommending, but she finally gave into and loves it.  Just like the Full Monty-which reminds me....)
12. You Can Leave Your Hat On, The Full Monty
13. Change the World from Phenomenon
14. Crazy Love also from Phenomenon (remember when Kyra Sedgwick shaves John Travolta?  So. Hot.)
15. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) from Benny and Joon
16. Have a Little Faith In Me, by John Hiatt from Benny and Joon
17. Crazy For You from Desparately Seeking Susan

Okay, I'll stop!  I'll let you all add some, I'd love to hear them. 

I'll let you in on a little private tidbit.  Those last two songs are particular favorites for Pete and me.  Couple songs, if you will.  We even went really unconventional and danced to Crazy for You at our wedding because it was the first song we ever slow danced to.  Awww, I'm getting all sentimental just thinking about it.

One hundred thirteen to go.  This was too fun, I'm off to make a new playlist for my iPod!  Give me some to add.

Thanks, Cookie.If not for you there might not have been content today.

A meme.  How refreshing.  A meme about sock knitting.  Even better.  Read it.  Do it.

When did you first learn to knit socks?  Ummmm.... I remember that I taught myself one summer using Regia striping sock yarn and an advertising pattern in Vogue Knitting.  The thing was, the picture clearly showed short row heels and the directions were for flaps.  I wanted my socks to look like the socks in the picture.  Anyway, I think it was in 2000 or 2001, maybe '02.

What's the first sock you ever knit?  The above mentioned Regia socks, but I ended up ditching that pattern and using Priscilla Gibson-Roberts short row heel and toe sock pattern (or in this pdf pattern that I found on a search) .  While I have twice knitted other heels, this is my preferred method.  Oh!  And I love the cast on PGR uses, she calls it the Old Norwegian Cast On, but I may have seen it called the German cast on as well.  Very stretchy.

Favorite Sock Pattern?  I probably don't have a favorite, but the ones I think are most wearable are ribbed cuffs, plain foot, short row heels and toes.

Favorite needle method?  DPNs baby!  And don't try and change my mind, I won't try and change  yours.

Favorite sock needles?  Aluminum dpns, size zero or one.

Who do you knit socks for?  Mostly me.  I have knit for all of my girls, Pete (who really deserves more), other family members, and in sock pal trades.

How many pairs have you knitted to date?  Not as many as Cookie.  I really don't know, but I can go a couple of weeks without washing them.  At least.

What is on your sock knitting to-do list?  Finish the pair I started LAST FALL!!!!!

What kind of socks to you like to knit-
Striped? Yep.
Colorwork? Maybe.
Plain Stockinette? Not as much as ribbed, but sure.
Cabled? Love cables.
Lace? Sure.
Anklets? For the girls, I don't like to wear them myself.
Knee Socks? I have made one pair for a sock pal. I would love to make a pair for myself.
Solid colors? Yes, but only if there is some action in the pattern.
Bright and crazy? Sometimes, maybe.
Faux Fair Isle (the yarn doing all of the work)? I used to love these, but I think for the time being I am a little over it. Too bad I stashed so much of it when I was in the mood to knit them. I'll want to knit them again, I'm sure.

Tag a few sock knitters here: If you are reading, knit socks, feel like this would be decent blog fodder and want to do it, consider yourself tagged!

One hundred fourteen to go.  Aren't you glad you know all of that now?  And in the last year of blogging, have I even finished a pair of socks?  Maybe I'm not so much a sock knitter anymore.

"This Is Such A Honor"-Ms. Spears

Awesome!  Britney Spears won the VMA for Best Female Video!  I was impressed with her acceptance speech: her beautiful fans, her beautiful family, her beautiful boys and God for "blessing me like this."  Like what, I wonder?  It is on evenings like this one, sharing the television to blip back and forth between this horror award show and the women's finals of the US Open, that I feel I am being punished for my decision to allow only one television in the house.

***Edited to add:  I can hear all of you New England hating sports fans cheering our loss of today.  Must you be so happy? 

One hundred fifteen to go.  Now the Jonas Brothers are crooning about thinking they'd never catch this love bug again.  Remind me, how old are they?  Yay, screaming tweens!

YouTube Saturday

Grasping at straws for a YouTube Saturday post, I turned to the seventeen year old for inspiration.  As usual she leads me to something that all the youth know about, but  have missed.  Maybe I am introducing you to this comedy/folk duo.  There are plenty of videos over on YouTube to see, but these are the two we are sharing.  While Erin thought they may be straddling the appropriateness fence, I think you can all handle David Bowie's pointy n*pples, right?

And for all of you fans of hobbits:

One hundred sixteen to go. My mind is still at the beach. I know that is getting old, but I can't help it.

Today I Had To Work

This whole needing a little money for food, shelter, fiber....... Really cramping my style. I'm thinking of becoming a minimalist. One that lives at the beach in a camper. I've gone all over it, made my list of things I just couldn't do without, what I think I can actually pare down to and, well, something tells me my "needs" don't  quite qualify me for a minimalist lifestyle. My fiber stash alone is a problem and a camper wouldn't have room for that, the yarn, the fabric, my books. I usually think that I am not that high maintenance a girl and in comparison to some I really am not.  I don't require jewels or a lot of new clothes, and the few clothes I do buy I really use, but I am just enough of some kind of maintenance to know that I can't totally quit the job and sit on the beach knitting every day. Maybe I could just work the rainy ones?

One hundred seventeen to go. And some of the cloudy ones. Not the snowy ones though. I like being snowed in a few times, but I'm not ready for it yet.

Mittens and Colorwork

Have I told you that I have cast on for a pair of mittens?  I have!  It is, in a way, shocking, but probably mostly shocking to me.  I see mittens and gloves that I want to knit all the time.  Especially those Latvian mittens and the Fiddlehead mittens or the Bird in Hand mittens.....  You've seen them, just check my Ravelry queue and you can see all of the mittens with colorwork that I would love to have.  Then think back to the last time you saw my hands.  Petite.  Small.  Tiny.  And those designs are for those with normal sized hands, not the hands of a munchkin.  Adjustements to the patterns aren't easy, they are usually on small needles to begin with and trying to redesign the colorwork always leaves me feeling that something important is left out.  I've given serious thought to designing my own, but there is another thing about colowork knitting and me.  I was just looking through my recent projects and noticed there is a lack of colorwork projects overall.  Plenty of lace, lots of cables, but most of the colorwork you might see there is either striping or the yarn itself changing colors.  Judging from what is there my secret migh be out.  Shhh.....  I suck at stranded colorwork knitting.    Did you hear that?  No?  OH ALRIGHT!

I SUCK AT STRANDED COLORWORK KNITTING!!!!!!

Loud enough for you?  Do you get it?  There was this Alice Starmore vest I started a while ago, and it looks really great, the fair isle, but is languishes in the UFO pile.  I just stick to lace and cables and am usually pretty happy with that until I saw these mittens and I really wanted them.  Then I found this Koigu and knew that the pattern and yarn had to go together, so I decided to suck it up and make it work.  (Yes, watching Project Runway.) I cast on and the cuff is just lovely. I love it. I could have bound off and worn them as wrislets, just admiring the blues forever. But I moved on and this is what I had worked up to:

Knitting mittens about snow at the beach.
There is something just so, practically New England about that.
Like storing up your harvest or something.

But that was as far as I got, because my colorwork knitting, which started out okay, sucked by then so I ripped them out. You know something? For some reason, frogging the knitting is just so much easier when you are at the beach.

Don't go telling me that it looked fine and blocking would help or any of that other bull.  It was too puckery and I wasn't leaving long enough floats between the needles and I was doing that wrap thing too often across long sections and it was not pretty.  And you know as well as I do that the whole blocking thing is just a myth if you are starting out with crap.

The mittens are back on the needles.And I stayed at the beach until after six to make up some of the knitting.

I am a little bit more pleased. I am leaving longer floats, while trying to knit tightly to keep the gauge smaller than the pattern is written for. I went down a needle size to a zero and hopefully that will do the trick. I usually have a compressed row gauge, which works in my favor here, but it doesn't usually follow the trend in colorwork. I think it might be here. The reknitting is a little looser than before, but it is to a point that I think blocking will help it. Almost enough. I hope.  I forgot to photograph the back of the mitten, the chevron pattern.  Now that is good knitting.  I love it.  You'll just have to wait to see it.

And just to make you a little envious, the beach was perfect today. It was warm, the water was still New England water, but easily swimable and I got myself beaten up a bit by the surf. It was a blast. I only left because I was worried about darkness and I felt a little guilty ditching my family for the entire day. In case you worry that on top of all my hard day I had to come home to a hungry and expectant family, I pulled in just in time to see Pete take the turkey sausages off the grill to have with the pasta and sauce that he cooked. Don't worry, I made my own salad. You are right if you think I got a better deal than he did on our wedding day.

One hundred eighteen to go. I refuse to believe that this was my last beach day.

Oh, Alright I Will!Happy Kathy and Cheryl?

I'll be running a little race on Sunday morning, if all goes well.  I haven't been running all that much lately, but I feel okay when I go out so I'm going to jog this Sunday morning.  Well, I say I will jog, but I would like to beat the absolutely dismal time I ran this race last year.  It shouldn't be that hard, but, I hate running in the morning, I well and truly suck at morning runs, and that always holds me back.  While I am not officially fundraising for this event because I signed up so late, anyone wishing to make a donation to the Susan B. Komen foundation through this race can sponsor me here.  Or you can do one of those Sleep In For The Cure races, sign yourself up, then stay in bed.  Sounds better than the run if you ask me.  Have a donut while you are at it. 

I'm obsessed with mitten knitting at the moment, so this is all I have for today.  Maybe a mitten photo tomorrow.  If I stop long enough to take a picture.  At the beach, I hope.

One hundred nineteen to go.  I haven't eaten a donut in longer than I can remember, if you stay in bed, have one for me.  NO!  Don't, I'll feel just as bad as if I had eaten it myself.  Just have one for yourself. 

Ten on Tuesday

Ten People I'd Really Like To Meet.  Some of the following got me through childhood and adolescence, and the others entertain me now.  Either way, they are strong representations of women in literature and I love them.  I could go on and on, but instead, who are your favorite women in fiction or non-fiction?  I'd love to agree or read them to find out.

1. Professor McGonagall
2. Amelia Peabody
3. Mary Poppins
4. Jane Eyre
5. Jo March
6. Scarlett O'Hara and Melanie, both strong women in their own ways.
7. Anne Frank
8. Laura Ingalls Wilder (well, she isn't a strong fictional character, but still....)
9. Elinor and Marianne Dashwood
10. Karana

One hundred twenty to go.  Okay, I might have been able to come up with ten real people, but that seemed so much harder.  And yes, I know I have a couple of real people on this list.

Camp Meeting Cottage Museum

Photos from the museum in Oak Bluffs. Click on the photos, there are some cool things to see. I got the biggest chuckle of the day out of this:

Don't forget your patriotism while you are at it!
Just picture it, fanning, patriotic and gay! Hee.

One hundred twenty-one to go.  The beach was perfect today and I even, and this is a shock, played TENNIS with Pete.  We have lived in this house for eight years and this is the first time I have graced the tennis court.  "How was I?" you ask.  Well, Pete said it was a thousand times better than he expected and that if he'd known he would have dragged me out there long ago AND that he is going to buy me a cute tennis outfit to wear.  Of course, that first part speaks more to how dismally he thought it would go than it does to my prowess with a racquet, but I'll take any compliment I can get!  Now I'm off to tune in on the US Open for tips!