Cedar Chest
Because the wood is just so darn pretty.
Brought to you by:
2010
Yes, of course, 2010 is the year, but do you know what else it is?
The number of posts my Mom has written here at Chappysmom!
Two thousand ten posts, as of right now. Isn’t it nice of her to let ME write it? I hope you’re impressed. We … I mean, she started this blog in January 2005.
I’m just proud of the the posts that I’ve written. Not to blow my own horn, or anything. (Besides, that would make me bark, and that would just be silly!)
So, let’s see. Mom usually shows you a picture of her knitting.
She’s got both sleeves of her sweater done, and about 8 or 9 inches of the body. (That’s my foot, there in the corner.) She just started her second skein of yarn and said she’s glad she bought an extra in Susan’s sale last week–just to be safe. That means she has five altogether, which is good because the sweater has a hood.
Did she forget to tell you what the sweater pattern is? The Salem Hooded Jacket from New England Knits. (She really, really loves that book.)
She started plying her “Twist and Shout” yarn, too, which I find kind of boring. And drafty. So I usually sit about as far away as possible while she’s doing that.
Here, she took a couple pictures for you. (She won’t let me use the camera.) She was grumbling about how hard it is to get the yarn to wind on to the bobbin evenly with the plying head, and how she doesn’t like that she can’t get it all the way to the front, but I’m not really sure what she meant by that.
Oh! I almost forgot the best part!
In honor of her 2010th post, Mom’s giving away a PRIZE!
Her paperback copy of Mason-Dixon Knitting. She loves the book. I see her flipping through it all the time. BUT right now she actually has two copies. The one she bought when it came out, and the one that Potter Craft sent her for review when the paperback came out. She told me to tell you that, as much as she loves it, she doesn’t really need both, so she’s willing to give one up for YOU. Because the book is that good.
To win? Just leave a comment on this post with a guess about how many knitting and spinning books Mom has.
Here’s a hint.
(Comments are closed because the contest is over.)
Marking
How about that, my town has a farmer’s market now. Or, well, it’s been about a month now, but it’s still new–we never had one before.
The four of us went over this morning for the first time. It’s small, really, and not too many vendors, but they looked like they were doing pretty decent business.
It was not, though. Hot enough that Chappy even considered taking a drink from the flower-water at one of the booths. (Not that I would have let him.)
We also had one woman stop me to tell me that the heat coming off the asphalt could “burn his feet, poor thing.” Which I’m still kind of torn about. I mean, she was clearly trying to do a nice thing, and it’s possible that I could have (theoretically) been the kind of dog owner who didn’t pay attention to my dog’s needs. But, still. We’d only been there for about 10 minutes and Chappy was just panting gently. He wasn’t fidgeting in the sun and picking up his feet as if they hurt. His tongue wasn’t dragging on the ground. He was clearly happy and interested and looking around at all the new stuff and, yeah, panting a bit, but you try being out in the 90-degree hot sun covered with fur and not feel a little warm. Her intentions were obviously good, but her delivery came across as “I know best,” with no recognition that I might possibly know my dog and his needs better than she. Like, for example, how much FUR he’s got growing between the pads of his feet which protect them pretty well. Or that, yes, we had only been there a few minutes and no, I wasn’t planning on dragging him on a walk all over town. (Where, in fact, the pavement would have been just as hot.) Mom was standing right next to me and agreed that the woman’s delivery was definitely of the butting-in-because-I-can kind, rather than the “What a sweet dog, but do please be careful” kind of warning a well-meaning person might give.
And, frankly, it was the “poor thing” that got me–as if I was abusing my dog by subjecting him to cruel conditions because I am a heartless, unobservant idiot.
So, yeah, while I’m giving her intentions the benefit of the doubt, that annoyed me just a bit.
On the other hand, I DID abuse and torture Chappy today.
I gave him a haircut.
AND a bath.
On the same day.
If I had pulled out the nail grinder, I could probably have been accused of cruelty to animals.
You know, for a water dog, he really doesn’t enjoy baths very much. He doesn’t complain, exactly, but he stands there stoically, waiting for it to be over. … Actually, it’s not really the bath that he minds. It’s the being wet afterwards. He won’t stand still long enough for me to towel off anything other than the worst of the drips, and by the time we’re at that stage, I never really have the patience to force him, either. Hell, I don’t even blow-dry my own hair, and even when I did, the only way I could alleviate the boredom enough to get through it was to read while I blew-dry.
What? You think that’s weird? I’d sit on the floor with a book in my lap. Then I’d hold the blow-dryer in my right hand, lean over to the left and finger-comb my hair with my left hand while reading the book. My hair got dry, and I kept my sanity. What’s your problem? Even at the hair-dresser, I start fidgeting before my hair is halfway dry. I don’t like to dry dishes, either. Things dry on their own, you know. Unless it’s necessary, I’d rather just let them do so on their own … especially if the drying-off process means more work for me.
Which is something that Chappy and I agree on. I give him baths, towel him off enough for him not to be soaking, and then let him out of the bathroom. He often tears around the house (which we say is his way of blow-drying) and then curls up in a towel and tries to sleep off the rest of the “wet.” But if you pet him while he’s still wet, he almost looks sulky, like he’s saying, “I’m WET,” the same way a person would say, “I’m FILTHY.” Like it was something to be remedied as quickly as possible, but in the meantime, please, don’t look at me.
Anyway, he slept most of the afternoon, and I did some more spinning. It’s the end of the Tour de Fleece and I did meet my goal of spinning every single day. I got that pound of green merino spun, and most of these 8 oz of superwash merino. I finished the first bobbin on Friday and am more than halfway through with the second.
I spun a lot of that yesterday afternoon, watching “The First Olympics.” It was a mini-series back when I was in high school, shortly after we’d gotten our first VCR. (Yes, the early 1980s.) My best friend and I watched and rewatched and watched it again, over and over for several years, and every now and again I get a yen to see it again. Especially on particularly hot weekends, don’t ask me why. So, while watching Robert Garret and Jamie Connolly doing their wondrous feets of athletics, I spun.
I spent time with this, too. My new computer–and this one’s staying. It’s a Toshiba A665 something-something and I’m ridiculously excited about the fact that it has a number key pad on the right. I’ve never had a laptop with one of those before. I’m still getting used to the keyboard, though–the keys are slippery and slick and my fingers keep wanting to slide off, which I would imagine would be particularly annoying if I wasn’t touch-typing–but is something I can adapt to. It’s much better than on the HP I had gotten last week, which had an annoying touchpad. I’m the only one in my family, mind you, who likes touch pads. In fact, I actively like them, and even at work I use a trackball rather than a traditional mouse. This one not only is more user-friendly than that HP one had been, but has those multi-gesture options, like being able to scroll by using a circular gesture, which I LOVE.
And did I mention it has a number keypad? And now my laptop and my netbook brands match, which I think is kind of sweet. One of these days I’ll take a picture of the two of them side-by-side (which makes the laptop look huge). And also hopefully, one of these days Mom will be used to HER new computer (my old HP) and will stop asking me questions about it (grin).
Oh, and did you hear the casting news for my favorite show, CHUCK? They cast his mother, who disappeared when he was a kid and apparently was/has been/is? a member of the CIA herself … a real kick-ass Mom … and the casting is? Linda Hamilton. As in, the original Sarah Connor from the Terminator. (Not to mention Catherine Chandler on Beauty and the Beast–or am I the only one who remembers that tv show?) I can’t WAIT. She’ll be in the season premiere (on September 20th) and will show up periodically through the season while Chuck searches for her … really. I can’t wait!
Hope you all had a great weekend!
Now, I wonder if I could get the rest of that bobbin of yarn spun tonight… Or, no, I should really be working on my book.
Camoflauge
Moths are sneaky!
Brought to you by:
Spinnin’ and Knittin’
I’m getting awfully close to having two sleeves–isn’t it exciting? Just a couple more inches. I only just finished my first skein of yarn, too, about 4 rows back.
And, yes, I’m still loving this yarn.
Here’s a look at my finished green yarn … with that single skein of golden-yellow adding a little accent (and taking me right back to high school, too).
I’m really happy with this. And I adore the color … hard though it is to photograph.
The current spinning, you’ll remember, is the Sock Hop in “Twist and Shout.” I love the blue-green thing, of course, and I’m loving how it’s spinning up.
I love watching the color changes. It’s one of the most fun and satisfying things about spinning multi-colored yarn.
Did you see the preview for the upcoming Interweave Knits? There are several designs in there I think are lovely, but the one that caught my eye the most?
The Hoarfrost Moebius by Annie Modesitt.
So, I’m planning ahead. Because this requires a very specific yarn.
Yep. Lion Brand Yarn’s Stainless Steel Wool. It looks pretty much identical to the Habu yarn that I’ve been looking at for ages but never quite sure what to do with. This pattern, though? I love it. Love the color, love the design, love the amazing drape the steel gives to it … so, I ordered some.
Yes, even despite the fact that I really shouldn’t be spending any unnecessary money at the moment. I told you the other day that I’d gotten a new computer because Mom’s had died, right? It’s the one I’m typing on right now, and it’s a perfectly okay computer … except … that’s all it is. Okay. For basic stuff, it works just fine–MS Word, checking email, tweaking photos. But for heavier-duty internet stuff? Like watching videos, uploading pictures, writing blog posts? Um … not so much.
I can’t upload more than 2 photos at a time on Flickr without it locking. Watching a video on Hulu.com, it freezes several times–which my old computer never did. I’m not fond of the touchpad, either–the buttons are part of the pad, not separate buttons. I know this is the new Mac thing and all, but I’m finding it annoying. It’s true that most of the time I just tap on the touchpad to click, and that works fine, but there are times when it’s helpful to hold down the button–like when selecting more than one file, or something like that. And then, when I lift up my finger to click on the button … the cursor moves, just enough for me NOT to click on what I’m aiming for. Sigh. Add to that the fact that the yellows are kind of weird on the monitor and the slow internet speed for God knows what reason, and … the computer’s going back.
The sad part, though, is that Amazon charges a 15% restocking fee for returned computers (unless they’re DOA), so that’s about an extra $90, plus shipping to return it, in addition to the cost of the new (faster, I hope) computer. So, buying more yarn? Um, yeah, that’s got to stop again for a while … but at least I have this pretty Stainless Steel yarn to play with, huh? Not to mention all that great Peace Fleece from the other day.
(And we won’t discuss the broken cap, right?)
Just … cross your fingers for me that this new computer behaves the way it’s supposed to, okay?
Spinning on Sunday
Today, I washed yarn. I soaked my three skeins of handspun and hung them to dry, and they’ve been dripping in the hallway ever since. I’ve got the lid for my soaking-tub underneath to catch the drips.
And I started spinning my Twist and Shout “Sock Hop” roving. Blues, greens, splashes of pinkish-purple, and white to keep it bright. All so pretty.
Chappy, though, got a little bored and headed off to his crate for some napping. He does so love that yellow afghan of his!
Otherwise? I made pancakes for breakfast, and baked a cake. We took Chappy out for a walk before it got too hot. I spent some serious time reading this afternoon which was completely nice and relaxing, if not particularly helpful for the whole, Debbie-needs-to-write thing. But hey. At least the spinning looks good, right?
Now? I’m off to finish my review for New England Knits, a book which I LOVED. That brown sweater I’m knitting? Yep, that’s where it’s from. The book is just that good.
Just a Saturday Update
First … this looks like not one, but TWO skeins of finished green merino, don’t you think? Each skein is about 320 yards and the color is devilishly hard to photograph.
Next up? Eight ounces of superwash merino in “Twist and Shout” I bought from Crown Mountain Farms about three years ago.
Pretty, huh? It’s been sitting in my stash for far too long.
Knitting-wise, I finished my first sleeve of my sweater. It only took three tries. After the last picture I showed you, I tore it out and started again. The yarn, while Worsted weight, is getting a far different gauge than the Manos called for in the pattern, and there was just no way that gauge was going to work, ultimately. So I started over again, on larger needles and this time I’m sticking with it.
Can I just tell you how much I adore this color? The flash actually makes it look a trifle washed out, but I keep looking at it and thinking I’m knitting a tree, the colors are so natural, so gorgeous. I love them.
Oh, and I may have placed another order with Peace Fleece.
You know, just a few skeins of yarn. You’ll remember, the $100-minimum order for the wholesale rates? This order came in at $101.50 before shipping, so about as close as I could get to the minimum.
I’m not altogether happy with the way these colors photographed, either. They look way too bright and over-exposed to me. But then, I’m also working on a different monitor, so ALL the colors look a little different. I’ve never had such a difference in the way my photos look from computer to computer before, so I’m not quite sure how to adjust that.
And yes, you heard me. A different computer. Mom’s crashed and burned again. It’s been having problems for a couple weeks and got infected by a virus and since I don’t know how to actually fix a computer, I bought myself a new one and gave her my old. Not the most economical solution, I know, and I’m hoping I made the right choice because I’m not particularly liking the trackpad on this laptop. The buttons are actually part of the trackpad, which means that when I lift my finger to click a button (usually the right button), the cursor moves ever so slightly, which is kind of frustrating. I’ll adapt, though.
But, meanwhile, I can’t tell how close these colors actually are compared to the yarn. I mean, the camera hasn’t changed, and I know what I was doing with those pictures a couple days ago to tweak colors, and these suddenly look really bright, really over-exposed, so … I’ll have to work on that.
Now, if only I could get iTunes to download to my new computer. I have tried countless times over the last three days, but it freezes up every time. SO frustrating.
Skeiner
Doesn’t my skeiner make pretty shadows on the wall like this?
Text here
Brought to you by:
Still Plying
You’ll be glad to know that I’ve been working very hard on my plying.
Even Chappy was impressed. Because, honestly, it really was work.
That’s about eight ounces, 320 yards there … and still with room on the bobbin, too.
But, man, this is a HARD yarn to photograph! No matter how much I adjust the white settings, it photographs as, well, gray, really.
Oh, I should warn you that I’m apparently having trouble with my web-hosting. They say I’m using too much space (?) and suspended my account for a few hours yesterday. I’m trying to figure out how to fix this with (I might add) basically no help from them. Their answer was essentially, “Talk to your web designer,” which, of course, I don’t have. But, I mean really. I know I’ve got all you wonderful, loyal readers out there, and all, but it’s not like you come by to visit in the thousands or anything. I don’t even use the webhost for the pictures–they’re all on Flickr. So, how can I be using so much space that they felt they needed to suspend my account?
Anyway … just in case it happens again, don’t freak out. I’m not deliberately going anywhere.
(And, if any of you have any guidance on what to do? That would be great, too. All I got from the lovely people at ANHosting was this link which, since I don’t even know what php is, really doesn’t help me at all.)
Plying Begins
I finished all four bobbins of green corriedale. That’s a full pound there, four ounces per bobbin (give or take). Some of it’s a little over-twisted, though, with some dreaded coils, but hey … I was on a roll and I was happy just to be spinning, so I’m not really complaining.
You know what this means, though. Ready to start plying!
And here’s another look at my sleeve–restarted from the beginning on actually LARGER needles.
Would you believe that I’m actually getting a SMALLER gauge than called for? No, I don’t believe it, either. I am, nevertheless, happy with this sleeve. It’s about 10″ around instead of the 12″ that the pattern sleeve calls for and I think that’s more wearable, anyway, so no complaints. Before I start the body, though, I’ll try another gauge swatch … maybe the pocket … on a larger needle and see how that goes. I figure, even if I loosen the gauge (and I still don’t see how that can be possible with my knitting) … and I’m reminding myself that the body is knitted back and forth in rows, unlike the circularly-knit sleeves, and that will make a difference, too. I figure it won’t really hurt too much when I join the sleeves to the body, if the gauge is slightly different between the two. Drastically, yes, but only slightly? Not worried.
Meanwhile, I LOVE the color of this yarn. It makes me feel like I’m playing God and making a tree.
In some sad news today, one of my parents’ oldest friends died, suddenly, last night. Mom actually went to high school with her, a few months behind, but it was once they were all working at the Howard Savings Bank in the early 60s that they all became friends. We don’t know what caused her death, but they’re still shocked, even allowing for the fact that they didn’t see her very often. Dad golfs with her husband a few times every year, and my parents see the other two of that group-of-six every few months, but still … Dad is a little shaken. He says it’s the first one to “go” from presumably old-age kind of causes rather than illness or accidents. Sigh. Rest in peace, Kathy.
Gulliver’s Travels
I started winding that pretty brown “Gulliver’s Travels” JMF yarn today.
Which went smoothly enough until I got this huge tangle near the end of the second skein. I got it unravelled, but it took me about 10 minutes.
I realized right away, though, that I was going to need to wind all four skeins at once. Since these are all hand-dyed, there’s a lot of variation from skein to skein, and the first two I wound happened to be the furthest away on this little spectrum of variation.
The skein furthest on the left is the darkest and has the most touches of black. The one all the way on the right has less black and more greenish kinds of accents. I don’t mind the variation, exactly, but want to at least use them in a specific sequence while knitting to avoid any dramatic jumps in color.
They really are all a gorgeous shade of brown, though, and the yarn is deliciously soft and springy. A pleasure to handle.
I even started the sleeve of my next sweater. Unfortunately (not surprising) the gauge doesn’t match my swatch. BUT (this is surprising), it’s actually smaller than expected. I should be getting 14 stitches to 4″, but this sleeve cuff, which is 36 stitches around, is actually measuring 8″ … meaning 18 stitches over 4″. So, first of all, I need to tear this out and start over.
Don’t be TOO shocked, though. It’s not like the Juniper Moon Farm yarn is the one called for in the pattern, so variations are bound to occur.
Oh, and spinning? I just finished another bobbin, meaning I’ve gotten 12 ounces of that green corriedale spun … about 10 of it in the last week. 4 more ounces and I’ll have all the singles done–unheard of speed!
Chappy got his first walk since Monday today, too. (It’s been so darn hot, you understand.) Mom and I opted not to go out for coffee because it was thunder-storming all morning. Chappy was very relieved to have us home to protect him, and we were just as glad to stay dry. The storms were past by noon, though, so we took him out for a walk around 1:00. Compared to the weather of the last week? Lovely (if a little damp around the edges).
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading the new Sharon Lee and Steve Miller book in the Liaden series, “Saltation.” I was so excited to get my copy the other day. A couple years ago they actually wrote it live, online, posting a chapter of the draft each Monday, and soliciting donations because of a financial disaster with their old publisher. They promised that IF the book ever came out in paper, anybody who donated $25 or more would get a signed copy. Well, I did–for both “Fledgling” and “Saltation“–but they ran into problems with this one with their new publisher, problems getting the number of copies they needed for us supporters, so even though the book’s been out since March, my copy just came on Thursday. That’s okay. I’m enjoying it anyway! And, speaking as a writer, it’s fascinating seeing the differences between the first draft I saw on my computer screen a couple years ago and the final product now.
Envelopes
My sister does a nice line in envelopes, doesn’t she?
This was for Chappy’s birthday card.
And this was for the note she sent me thanking me for the sweater I gave her. (Note the matching knitted cable along the edge.)
Brought to you by:
Pupcake Cupcake
Did I tell you that Chappy had a special cupcake biscuit for his birthday? We picked it up at a fancy dog store in Chester a couple weeks ago–a biscuit baked into a cupcake paper, with yogurt icing and sprinkles. What’s not to love?
He certainly was anxious to give it a try.
He tipped it over and gave it a few good sniffs. (I helped with the paper.)
It was obviously successful, though. Especially considering he tried to eat the paper afterward.
Otherwise, I seem to be participating in the Tour de Fleece. Kind of like the Yarn Harlot, I hadn’t actually planned to, but since I’ve spun every day since it started this weekend, I figure … why not? My own little goal is to spin every day–and if I can turn all 16 oz of my pretty hard-to-photograph green Corriedale into yarn by the end? Well, that would be nice. I’d be happy with singles, even, not necessarily even plied yarn.
As of this moment, I’ve got 8 oz done. I started it a couple weeks ago, but if I had spun as much as an ounce of it before Saturday, I’d be surprised. The color, though, is much better in the picture I took when I started. (The color in this picture, frankly, is terrible. You’d think I’d have better luck doing custom-white balance with my Nikon, huh?)
I Wasn’t Ready
Nine years ago today, it was just a short two months from losing Katy in a terrible clash of squealing brakes as she chased her tennis ball in front of a car. There was no way I was done with the grieving process yet.
But, some things are meant to be.
I had lost Katy on May 12th and sometime around June … knowing that I WOULD want another dog eventually … I put out feelers in the Boykin Spaniel group I was in, asking if anybody was planning a litter for sometime that Fall. I wasn’t ready for a new puppy yet, I told them, but I was trying to look forward.
One of the responses I got was from Randy. He told me that he had a litter due around Independence Day, and, out of sympathy for Katy, and knowing I would be a good Mom, offering me one of the puppies at half-price.
I was dumbfounded. What a generous thing to do! Considering the guilt I was saddled with, feeling that it was my fault Katy was gone, I was profoundly touched. But … July was only a month away. There was no way I’d be ready to bring a new furry-face into my life yet.
We’ve always been monogamous with our pets, you understand. Except for the occasional pair of goldfish, we’ve never had more than one pet at a time. We took our mourning periods seriously, too. Between Muppy and Jilly, we waited a full year. Between Jilly and Katy, there was nine months … and that was after losing Jilly to a long illness at 15. We were as prepared for her passing as we could be. It was nothing like the sudden loss of Katy.
But, I told myself, it’s not like I’d be bringing the new puppy home at the beginning of July. It would be closer to September. And she (for I thought we’d be getting another girl) would be within driving distance, unlike Katy, who had had to fly. And it seemed wrong not to take Randy up on his generous offer. So … I said yes, and started waiting with a mix of eagerness and trepidation for the puppies to arrive.
Which they did, nine years ago today. It was a Sunday, and we had the whole family visiting for the day when I got an email from Randy with baby pictures. I remember running downstairs with my laptop to show everyone, and we all gushed over them, over the idea that one of those tiny bundles of fur was going to be mine.
Except, there was only one girl, and she was spoken for. Did I want a boy?
It was like another blow. We’d never had a boy dog, how different would that be? Would he be bigger? Would his bathroom needs be different? Would he be going against the house? What would his temperment be? I asked around to lots of different forums. Other than the obvious physical differences, I wanted to know, are there any real differences between boy dogs and girl dogs?
The best answer I got back? “B*tch means b*tch for a reason.” That, allowing for individual personality–which is ultimately all that matters–boys tend to be sweeter than girls.
And, well, we were having an easier time picking out Martha’s Vineyard-related boy names than girl names.
So, I said yes to my boy.
And, except for a few rocky moments when I missed Katy despite the furry baby cuteness right in front of me, I’ve never regretted it for a moment.
Happy birthday, Chappy. You’ve done nothing but make me happy in the nine years you’ve been here. I swear we gave you the perfect name because there is so much happiness in your soul. You’ve seen us through some of the hardest times we’ve faced as a family–losing the house last year being a big one–not to mention being a very welcome distraction at 3 months old on September 11, 2001.
But even while external issues have tried to drag us down, your smiling face and wagging tail have done everything possible to help us back up. You’re the family cheerleader and never, ever let us down. Certainly, you met me at one of my lowest moments–still suffering from losing Katy–and you have been nothing but sunshine.
Thank you, Chappy. We love you, too. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Now, go check out Mom’s blog post today about her favorite grand-puppy.
Chappy’s Party
This is the face of a happy dog. Because, of course, today was his birthday party. My sister and her family came over and we all partied. We ate well, for one. We had chicken stew in the crock pot (which Chappy loves), potato salad (not one of his favorites, but everyone else loves it so he said it would be okay), homemade biscuits (people-biscuits, that is, that you slather with butter, not the crunchy doggy kind), and carrot cake for dessert. Mmm…
And presents–in this case, all biscuits, which makes Chappy VERY happy. He really doesn’t need more toys, but new biscuits? Especially homemade ones from his aunt? Oh yes. And how could he resist this adorable gift tag from his grandma?
Naturally there was cake, too. As you can see, he is IX years old. (Please note the gift bag in the background. That had a single biscuit for Chappy to open on his own. (The other biscuits, of course, were in a plastic bag which makes them non-doggy friendly.)
As a bonus, my niece was able to come today. We didn’t think she’d be able to come, but she did, so we were extra happy.
She even brought a game to play.
Oh, and my beautiful Miss BB sweater that didn’t fit me quite right (because of my darn waistline issues)? It’s found a new home. It fit my sister as if I’d made it just for her, so … I gave it to her! Doesn’t she look happy?
I got a fair amount of spinning done, too. That’s almost 4 oz there, though I didn’t spin ALL of it today.
For the rest of the day? It’s the Fourth of July, of course, so there will be fireworks (which Chappy hates) and the Boston Pops on tv (which Mom loves). I need to watch 1776 again–one of my very favorites.
I hope you all have a wonderful day!
Grandpa’s Birthday
First things first–happy birthday, Grandpa!
He’s been gone since 1967 and we never had a chance to know each other. I was 10 months old when he died of Alzheimer’s which, I figure, puts us at about the same mental level for most of the ten months our time here on earth overlapped. It doesn’t allow for many memories, though.
I have exactly one thing of his. (You know, other than his little boy, my father.) Although I suppose that technically my Grandmother’s secretary desk used to be their secretary desk, but well, we’re talking personal items here. And this is it. A monogrammed handkerchief.
I don’t quite remember how I ended up with this. It was in my father’s dresser for years and then, one day, it was in mine, but I don’t remember how or why. I don’t know for sure who embroidered it, either. It could have come from the store this way, or it could have been my grandmother. I don’t really know. I just know that Dad told me it belonged to his father, and that makes me appreciate it all the more. On the rare occasion I need a handkerchief, this is the one I reach for.
My Dad gets good-grandfather points, too. I was busy in the kitchen today getting ready for Chappy’s birthday party tomorrow … and it was a little too hot for me, anyway … so Dad took Chappy for a walk. Don’t they look happy? You know, it’s really unusual for me to see Chappy from a distance.
I’m blocking my shawl and enjoying the usual blocking magic. It wouldn’t fit on the blocking board itself, though, because the corners stretched past the edge (making pinning difficult).
So, I folded it in half. Not only does that mean it fits on the blocking board, but … only half the amount of pinning!
And, right now? I’ve got the blocking board standing up against the bookcases in the hall. I’m just hoping that Chappy doesn’t try to rub his head on it (as he is wont to do) and poke his eyes on the pins. But I told him not to, so…
It sure looks pretty, though, huh? The shawl, you’ll remember, is the Shetland Shawl from “Folk Wraps”, knitted in my handspun Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm cormo. (Yes, I know, Susan’s farm is Juniper Moon now, but this was from my first share of MVFF, so … Martha’s Vineyard.)
Oh, and Buttons and Lucky are having fun. They picked out our movie for tonight, too.
Oh, Dear
Oh, dear. You see what happens?
I brought my “kids” upstairs for a change of scenery, and look what I found.
Lucky took over the remote control.
And Buttons started checking her email.
Why do I get the feeling they’re not going to want to go downstairs to the others?
Toys
We went to see Toy Story 3 today, and when we got home, well, I had to go find Buttons and Lucky and give them hugs. In fact, they sat with us while we ate supper, and I brought them upstairs afterward so they we could spend time together. They’re sitting with me right now, watching me type, and keeping an eye on Due South on the television.
The doll is Buttons, who I got on my first birthday. She was my absolute favorite doll. Still is, in fact. She’s only about 7″ tall, and was the perfect size to carry around when I was little. I carried her everywhere. The crack in her face? The lack of hair? That’s from years and years of serious loving. I’d regularly wake up in the morning to find her head on one side of the bed and her body on the other. I’d put her back together and give her a kiss, and start the day.
The dog is Lucky. We bought him at Great Adventure amusement park on August 2nd when I was 9. His fur is pretty much all rubbed away now. He used to have spots, and his eyes were a brighter blue, but his face is still the same. He fit perfectly under my arm, too, with the curve of his back, between his neck and tail a perfect fit. Mom would hold him at his neck, cocking his head, while we played, and over the years it wore through. She mended it, but it wore through. I tried mending it. He even wears one of the earliest examples of my knitting–a “collar” I knitted in green acrylic and sewed on, a layer or two down from other mending attempts, but still showing at the back. The leather collar he wears belonged to our very first dog, Muppy, after she outgrew it.
During the movie, I knitted on this hat. Normally, of course, I’d knit on the sock in my purse, but since that has a cable pattern and is something I need to see, I started this instead. I knitted the ribbing last night, and pretty much everything else was done while watching Woody, Buzz, and the others.
Of course, the sad part about going to the movies? This little guy was left home alone. That doesn’t actually happen very often, especially in the afternoon. He gave us SUCH a greeting when we got home, too–super excited, and he’s been sticking pretty close to me ever since.
Oh, and my “Sheep need shade” sale yarn from Juniper Moon Farm arrived today … this great hand-dyed brown that goes really wonderfully with those buttons from Lars that I got the other day. Now I just think I need to find the right pattern!
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
Peony
Brought to you by:
Lace
I finished my shawl last night. It’s not blocked yet, of course, but it’s done. All in my own handspun cormo.
Sigh. Bliss.
Now, just think how much prettier it will look once it’s blocked!
You know, once I figure out WHERE to block it.
Looking for Something?
Custom SearchLike What You See?
Click here to subscribe via RSS
Click here to subscribe by Email
Click here for my Freelance Services.
Book Stuff
My Patterns
Other Stuff
Follow me on Twitter!
Tannenbaum.
House Calls
