Am I Crazy???
Well, maybe! If I wasn't already, I'm sure to be by the time I finish this.
I went to open knitting night at Ewe-Nique Knits in Goshen, Indiana last evening and decided I needed this. I've been wanting to try a moebius scarf. I remember showing my Cub Scouts how a moebius loop works many years ago, and it fascinated me as much then as it does now.
I can't remember what I was looking for in the pattern binders when I was distracted by the Fiber Trends Moebius Shawl pattern. I'd already picked up the ball of Trekking yarn. Next thing I knew I was looking for a needle. They didn't have a 40" size 7 in stock, so I took a chance that the 32" size will work.
I sat down at the table and began casting on...387 stitches later, I read the next step. I needed another needle! I had one at home, so decided to work on my socks-in-progress, and take the next step in the comfort of my own living room.
Yep, three hundred eighty-seven stitches. In fingering-weight yarn. Following a lace pattern. Fit me for the white coat now!

Baby Steps...
I finished these wee sockies last night while watching "American Idol." The tiny ball of yarn is all that was left from one skein of Opal Prisma after knitting a pair for myself and a pair for Thor(ina). I might have been able to squeeze out one more stripe, but I like the proportions of these, plus I didn't want to have to frog because I'd run out of yarn.

Thanks, Marguerite and Sarah for your comments on the last post about my Sunny Socks!

Some Early-Spring Sunshine
...and a sunny pair of socks, too.
I finshed these a week or so ago, but haven't had a chance to post a picture. They're a little looser than I'd like (my fault for adding too much ease to the pattern), but I love them.
The yarn is Opal Prisma and the pattern is unpublished. I knit the socks on size 0 or 1 needles, can't remember which.
I'm using the leftover yarn to knit a pair of socks for little Thor(ina). They're nearly finished and I should have a pic up soon.

We had a lovely weekend: dinner with friends Friday evening, made a road trip Saturday to visit a friend who'd had surgery (he's doing just fine, thanks), had a visit from my Canadian brother and his girlfriend Saturday night, and played in a euchre tournament Sunday. I've included a Wikipedia link for those of you who have never heard of the game. It's a staple in this part of the world, but Rich and I had to teach a lot of non-midwesterners how to play when we were newlyweds living in North Carolina.
Going off to finish my baby sockies now.

A Quick Edit...
Thor(ina)'s parents were here tonight for supper, and I'm supposed to tell you Nici had a sonogram not an ultrasound.
Lambrequins are, indeed, the padded, fabric-covered boxes that attach to the frame at the top of windows. They are different from cornices because lambrequins have padded, fabric-covered 'legs' that extend downward from the box.

That's all, folks!

A Little Knitted Sunshine
I've been knitting...really! Here's proof. A great remedy for gray March days in Michigan, and the perfect BigYellowBike yellow. I'm nearly through the gusset decreases.
The yarn is Opal Prisma and the pattern is an unpublished one, with a few adaptations to fit me. Sorry I can't share it, but I'll let you know when it goes public.
I've been working on another pair, too, the green ones in the not-so-great picture on an earlier post. Gotta start baby-knitting soon!



I received some pictures from Nancy Wild, who's testing the Haley's Roses pattern for me. She chose a beautiful dark blue and cream for her test, and they're just lovely! I need to make a few changes to the pattern, and then it will be ready to go.

First Week at Work
No pictures today. My first week on the new job is almost over. It's been great, but tiring. Monday I learned a little bit about my actual job, but the last three days I've been working in the sewing room, packing orders. The idea is that it will make me more familiar with our products, but what I've really gained is a whole new respect for the people who produce them.

These folks are hard workers, and the work they turn out is amazing. They clock in at 6:00 am, and leave at 2:30 pm, some stay until 4:00 pm and work Saturdays to catch up. I can't imagine spending eight or nine hours a day sitting at a sewing machine or operating a cutter or staple gun, but they do it with relatively little bitching and moaning. I folded and packed hundreds, maybe even thousands, of bedspreads, curtains, and pillows since Tuesday morning, and very few needed any fixing. I lost a couple of pounds, and gained more than a few aches and pains. Whatever they're paying these folks, it's probably not enough! Next time you buy new curtains for your home, take a good look at the craftsmanship and spare a thought and a good wish for the people who made them for you.

Tomorrow: 'lambrequins'...I think they're the padded, fabric-covered thingies that go at the top of the windows. I'll let you know when I find out.

A Picture of Our Grandbaby!
Nici had her first ulstrasound today. Thor(ina) isn't big enough yet to see if (s)he's a boy or girl, but they saw ten fingers and ten toes (all in the appropriate places) and everything is right on track. The baby is very active and has a strong heartbeat. (S)he danced and waved at Mom and Dad.
This is so cool! I wish we'd had an ultrasound when I was pregnant for Nick, but in those days the technology was very new and they only did that if they suspected a problem.
Edited 3/29/06: Sonogram photo removed

I went to open knitting night at Ewe-Nique Knits in Goshen, Indiana, tonight. About a dozen women were there, at all levels of knitting skill. It was a lovely evening!

Their grand opening is later this week. Stop in and check them out if you're in the area. The store is owned by a very nice group of ladies who are trying hard to build it into a first-rate yarn shop. Be sure to check out the floor in the restroom!

We went to Ohio to visit our friend Peggy over the weekend. I finished a sock and got a lot done on another that I finished this evening. Peg and I learned silk ribbon embroidery while we were there. I have visions of beautiful baby things dancing in my head...little dresses with ribbon-embroidered embellishments, and tiny matching baby shoes...just what I need: another hobby!

Benefits of sleeplessness...
...so I'm performing my normal stupidhumantrick of waking up every two hours during the night and I decide (sigh) I might as well get up and do a little 'net surfing until I'm sleepy enough to go back to Zzzzz-land.

I was running through my list of Yahoo! groups to see if there were any new posts and found that the March issue of the Opal Chatters' Newsletter is up (see sidebar for a button linked to info on joining). I've been Blogspotted! Every month three bloggers from the group are chosen to be spotlighted (spotlit??) in the newsletter and each receives an Opal yarn prize from Soxie. I can hardly wait to see what she sends me. Thanks, Dearie!

I bet I'll have some visits from fellow Opal addicts, so will post THIS link to my archives. Scroll down to October 4th to see my very silly "Ode to Opal" and a picture illustrating my shameful addiction. Hello, OpalChatters!

So, why the odd sleep habits? Stress, I guess. In the past ten months, I have had four-count-'em-four different jobs, and will begin yet another new job this coming Monday. I have changed jobs more in that time than I had in the previous EIGHTEEN years, and this from a person who hates-despises-avoids changes at all cost doesn't really care for change much. At the same time there have been some family problems causing me great sadness and frustration, as well, I suppose, as the continuing goofiness of the "M" that happens to all women around my age. Ah, well, all will be better with time.

In the good-news file, Baby Thor(ina) is growing apace. DearDaughter-In-Law Nici has been experiencing the tiny flutters that signal the baby's movement and is feeling less tired these days. I did some Grandma-shopping this week, hitting the winter clearance sales in the KMart baby department. I loves me them little baby duds. Cute little shirts, sweet little pants, adorable little snowsuits!

Back to bed for a couple more hours.

Comments...
Thanks, y'all, for the good wishes on the new job! I'm very excited and more than a little nervous.

Nancyj said: We love stopping in Shipshewana...Shipshe is a great town to shop! This is the second time I've worked there. The first time was in the late 80s-mid 90s. I managed a cluster of shops on the north side of the feed mill, called Quiltmakers/Shaker Legacy/Depot St. Shop. Later they added a Christmas store, too. Shaker Legacy was my favorite. We sold beautiful custom-built Shaker-style reproduction furniture that was built in an Amish woodshop north of Shipshe, and my husband built some here in his woodshop, too. Lovely, lovely stuff, in cherry, oak, and maple. Sad to say, those shops are long gone now. I can still weave traditional Shaker chair seats, though, if you ever need it done!

Jayne said... I love your cat (a siamese was my first ever cat and I am so tempted to get another one -...It's an odd thing about that cat. There are no Siamese on the place, and never has been one anywhere near, as best we can tell. We live in the house that was my grandparents until they both died in the 70s. There was a barn cat here named Cherryl Kitty (named by Grandma after my sister, who rescued the cat and brought her out to the farm in the mid-70s) when we moved to the farm in '79. She had a couple of litters every year, and a few litters had kittens with Siamese markings in yellow, grey, or tan. We've never kept one long enough for it to breed, but the markings keep showing up in Cherryl Kitty's descendants! It's funny how we never get a pretty gray/brown/white tiger like Cherryl Kitty any more, but we keep getting these.
The kittens with these markings are usually born a sort of dirty-white color, and the markings begin to show when they're a week or two old. As they get older, the colors get darker. Hershey is the first one we've kept this long -- people always want the 'siamese-y-looking' ones, so we end up giving them away. When Hershey was born I laid claim to her and wouldn't let anyone take her.
Time to go clean something or knit something...hmm...I wonder what will win out???

I have news!

I have a new job! I love my job in the store, but have no benefits: no health insurance, no paid holidays, no paid vacation, no lunch breaks (yes, I said no lunch breaks -- weird, huh!). The store is beautiful, the owner is very nice, but I need to have insurance, at the very least. Rich currently carries me on his job's insurance, but what if something happened to him?

So I applied for a job with Artisan Interiors in Middlebury, Indiana, and I got it! The pay is better, and I have all the aforementioned benefits. I'll be starting March 6th. I'll be doing order entry and customer service. I'm very excited, and more than a little nervous.

We had visitors... friends from the GL1800 Riders' Forum came up on Saturday and we did tourist stuff. They brought their son and daughter-in-law along, and our kids joined us, too. We did some shopping in Middlebury -- two words: Knudsen's Caramels! -- had lunch at Das Dutchman Essenhaus, then went to Shipshewana to see some of the shops there.

We stopped in at the shop in the Davis Mercantile where I work and the 'kids' tried out our life-size resin pig statues:

Nick & Nici and Jeff & Tammy with pigs...cute!

We had a great time, made some plans for camping and riding together, and shared a lot of laughs. You really do "meet the nicest people on a Honda!"

There is knitting: I have a couple pair of socks on the needles, and am re-knitting another for a pattern picture. I've started a baby blanket for little Thor(ina) and bought yarn for a little snowsuit-like-thingie, too. Yes, I fell off the no-stash wagon, but it was on sale!

Just checking in...
No knitting pictures to show, so here's one of Dash and Hershey napping. This was taken last summer, and Hershey has gotten much darker since then. Well, I guess it's kind of a knitting picture, too. That mess in the background was my first exploration into the Haley's Roses pattern.
Gosh, I guess it's been about a week since my last post. Sorry to worry you, Chelle! All is just fine here. The smoking cessation is coming along nicely. Rich says he's down to maybe 4 or 5 a day, and I haven't had one since Saturday. The meds they have him on for the acid-reflux thing are working well.
I didn't sign up for Olympic knitting, but have been knitting while watching the games (off and on...Rich does still control the remote, LOL). I did some swatching for grandbaby-knitting, and have been working on a new pair of socks in Opal Prisma yellow.
The most wonderful baby bootees book came for me this week, via inter-library loan (thanks, Decatur library!). 50 Baby Bootees to Knit is by Zoe Mellor and the patterns are adorable. And speaking of booties/bootees, one of the shops in the suite where I work is now carrying these. They're Robeez baby shoes and booties, and are they ever cute (but pretty expensive). Little Thor(ina) might get a pair, though!

ER...our very own reality show!
When Rich came home from work last evening, he said he didn't feel good. I asked him what was wrong, and he shrugged. When pressed, he said, "My chest hurts."
Well, you can imagine, that brought things to a standstill. It seems his chest had been hurting for several days, and he just hadn't mentioned it to me.
Long story short, we headed for the hospital. Rich insisted he felt well enough to drive! He spent the night there in the Chest Pain Observation Unit, and had a stress test this morning. The good news is that he has acid reflux disorder, NOT heart problems. The REALLY good news is that his heart is in wonderful shape: the ER doctor said Rich should take the images they got during the stress test to our insurance company and demand a discounted rate because he has absolutely no sign of heart disease.
The bad news is that his chest X-ray shows the beginnings of emphysema. We will both be quitting smoking...

The good thing about hospitals is you can knit there for very long periods of time while you wait.
These Jaywalkers are finished. I kitchenered the toes in the ER while waiting to see if they were going to keep Rich overnight.

The generic make-it-up-as-I-go socks in the really lousy picture are begun. I started them this morning while waiting for Rich to finish his stress test. The yarn is vintage Lady Gault from Kroy. It's very, very, very fine, almost laceweight. It's nice and soft, though, and a lovely color of green...I believe I have had carpet this color of green in every house I've ever lived in!

Haley's Roses (new cuff)
Here's the new version, finished, and a closeup of the cuff. I love the stitch definition of the Lang Jawoll. The roses actually look a little like roses!
I think Jawoll is my new favorite sock yarn.

Jaywalkers Progress
I found my knitting bag at work today. There is a little progress on my Jaywalkers:

I've completed the gusset decreases, so I shouldn't have any trouble finishing them in the next week or so.

Haley's NEW Roses
OK, here's version 2, with narrow bands of pink on the cuff to set off the rose panel. Better? I think so. This one is in Lang Jawoll. Beauty!

Was going to post a progress photo of my Jaywalkers, but I can't find them! I think I either left the bag at work, or carried it to a restaurant over the weekend and left it there. This is what happens when you have too many projects going on at one time. It's a good thing I only had one child...

So my niece posted at her blog that her son (6 years old, I think) decided to move out. Read about it here. It reminded me of a story my husband's aunt told me many years ago.
Said aunt has three children about my age, each more wonderful than the last. One of them, let's call him 'Will', came to the decision when he was about five years old that he had had enough! and it was time for him to move on. 'Will' packed a bag, with his mother's help. He took no food, but he included a stocking cap, in case it got cold (it was summer!). He packed no underwear, because he didn't know where he would be staying, and he "...didn't want to have to change his underwear in front of people". 'Will's' mother helped him fold his clothes neatly, closed the suitcase carefully, told him to be careful and write (when he learned how!) kissed him good-bye, and sent him out the door (it was a different time then, and little kids could walk down country roads carrying small suitcases without ending up on a milk bottle). Of course, as he left, his mother said, "It's too bad you're leaving before supper -- we're having your favorite tonight!"
'Will' made it about half-a-mile down the road before he reconsidered. When he returned to the house, he informed his mother that it would be a shame to waste all that food, and he guessed he could still run away tomorrow. She agreed.

He never did, though!

Nici Knits!

The kids came over for supper tonight, and Nici started a blanket for Baby Thor (or Thorina). She's doing a great job, and I'm so proud of her!
I taught her to knit several years ago and she knit a blanket for her impending baby brother. She hasn't knit anything since then, but it came right back to her as soon as she picked up the needles tonight.

Asleep on the Bike
From the comments:
CountryVariety said...
WOW - that is awesome - you can knit and SLEEP on the bike ! okay now I am worried that you'll fall off - see now you made me worry too much....
and
e's knitting and spinning blog said...
Sleeping Becky!?! Please I just am having nightmares of you sliding right off the back!

Aww shucks, you guys, thanks for worrying about me! Falling asleep on the back of the GoldWing is actually quite a common thing. Here's a thread from the GL1800 Riders' Forum where it's discussed: http://www.gl1800riders.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=24633&highlight=asleep.
The topic comes up pretty regularly during the riding season. As I mentioned in the thread, Rich always says it's not fair for me to sleep on the back of the bike because I won't let HIM sleep on the front!
Honestly, I don't sleep hard on the bike. I usually just doze (sometimes I snore!), so any unusual movement will wake me. The seat is wide and comfortable, the backrest wraps around me and comes up quite high, there are adjustable foot pegs so I can put my feet up a bit, and I have armrests. It's relatively secure.

In knitting news:
I'm working on the re-do of Haley's Roses. Just turned the heel and picked up the gusset stitches. I like the narrow stripes on the cuffs much better. I have to make the change in the pattern, then will send it off to a test-knitter and should have it ready for sale by mid-February. I'll show you a picture later.

Oh, an advertisement for anyone close enough to make it: the annual Pajama Sale is next Saturday morning at the Davis Mercantile in Shipshewana (if you're close enough to make it you already know about Shipshewana, LOL). There will be special deals from 6 am to 7 am for everyone who comes shopping in P.J.s! I've seen lots of 20% off and 30% off sale ads for the event posted all over the building. I don't know what our store will offer yet, but I've heard rumors and it sounds good!

Knitting on the BigYellowBike (BYB)
The moderator of one of my online knitting groups asked to see pictures of me knitting on the bike. I've tried, but I can't knit and hold the camera at the same time, LOL! I'll have to have one of our riding friends take one for me some time.
Here are a couple of pictures I took on our trip to North Carolina last fall for Wings Over the Smokies (WOTS). I knit three hats for the South Bend domestic assault shelter while on the road.
This was hat number one. The picture was taken on State Road 9 just a little south of LaGrange, Indiana, on the first day of the trip. The odd, ropy thing coming up from the center of the picture is my yarn. Knitting on the BYB is most challenging because I have to pull out just a small amount of yarn at a time. Oddly, the wind currents on the bike cause the yarn to blow forward instead of back! If I pull out too much, it blows up around Rich's face...not a good thing.


This was hat number two. Here we're in Kentucky on the third day of the trip. That's our friend Bash and his wife on the beautiful yellow bike ahead of us. We got to know them through the GoldWing Riders' Forum. Rich and I met up with them at their home in southern Ohio, and travelled the rest of the way to WOTS with them. What a nice couple! He'd hoped to have a large number of BYBs travel to the rally together, but we couldn't get anyone else's route to match up with ours.

The hardest thing about knitting on the bike is yarn vomit...you know, when you pull out more yarn and the entire center of the ball comes out. When that happens, I have Rich lean forward a bit and tuck the extra between his back and the backrest, and re-wind it.

I only do mindless knitting on the bike so I can still enjoy the scenery. I've knit several pair of socks and a few hats while on the road. If I'm not knitting, I'm usually sleeping...sorry, no pictures of that, either!

Something's up!
There's news: our son called the other night, and when I answered the phone he said, "Hi, Grandma!"
He and his wife are going to be presenting us with our first grandchild somewhere around September 22nd! There's a little counter thingy at the bottom of this page where you can keep track of the days until little "Thor" (Nick's choice of prenatal names) arrives.
We appreciate all good thoughts and prayers for an easy pregnancy and a healthy, happy baby.

Time to get out the baby knitting books...

Tag! I'm it!

Madalyn tagged me with a meme. Here you go:
4 Jobs you have had in your life — (best to worst) Elementary-school library aide, paint department at Montgomery Ward, U.S. Census ennumerator, Agricultural irrigation parts warehouse.

4 Movies you could watch over and over — The Sound of Music ( the little bald-headed violinist on the left side of the orchestra in the scene after "So Long, Farewell" was my uncle!), Field of Dreams, It's a Wonderful Life, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

4 Places you have lived — White Pigeon, Michigan, Swansboro, N.C., Middlebury, Indiana, White Pigeon again, but half-a-mile north of the first time.

4 TV Shows you love to watch — CBS Sunday Morning, House, The OC, American Idol.

4 Places you have been on Vacation — London, England, Disney World, Cape Hatteras, N.C., Niagara Falls.

4 Websites you visit daily — Yahoo! mail, GoldWing Riders Forum, The Yarn Harlot, Stitches of Violet.

4 of your favourite foods — Pizza, chocolate, fresh fruit, chocolate (I can TOO use it twice!).
4 Places you would rather be right now — Can't think of any!

4 Bloggers you are tagging — Chelle, Sarah, Laura, E.

Haley's Roses
This is a new pattern I'm working on. I'm calling it "Haley's Roses" in memory of our little great-niece, Haley Rose, who died just two months after her second birthday. She was the victim of neuroblastoma, a particularly vicious soft-tissue cancer.

The socks are coming along nicely, although I think I'm going to change the pattern so that the main color of the cuff is the same as the main part of the sock, with just a narrow band of the contrasting color at top and bottom. Yarn is Opal Uni-solid on size 0 needles.
Tell me what you think!
My Jaywalkers have been on vacation while I work on this design. I should be able to get back to them soon.

Feeling Sheepish?
I don't know how this happened. I didn't set out to collect sheep.
This year, while decorating our Christmas tree, I thought it would be fun to put a couple of sheep in with the regular stuff. Just one or two would be cute.
But I kept finding more, and more, and more. How did I get so many?
I guess I just picked them up here and there. There's the one I bought at Harrod's of London in December, '04, and the sweet little guy with the zip-off sheepskin that my mom gave me years ago. There are two, count 'em, two Lambchops. The newest ones are the two "sheep-herds" at the top. They have the cutest tiny sandals on their dangly feet!
I seem to have developed a sheep collection.

Sock Blockers
I've had a couple of comments on my sock blockers. I got them from Rosemary Chapman, aka 'Chappy' and she has given me permission to pass along her email address to anyone who's interested. Mine are "Wooly the Ram" but she has several other designs. You can contact her at: chappywoman(at)yahoo(dot)com. She also makes beaded stitch markers and designs knitting patterns.
I love my blockers!

There has been knitting...
Here is a picture to prove it: Jaywalker socks, Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Socknitter's Fall Sunset, past the heel turn and into the gusset decreases














I found the 'real' RedSweaters.org button, and have changed the icky one I designed (see sidebar). I am sad and more than a little ashamed to say I have not completed one red sweater for the installation, although I had one nearly done before Christmas. I can't find it now. sigh. I am even more sad to say there will probably still be a need for more sweaters in the months to come.

Yikes...


The JenLa blog is having a meme to see who can create the ugliest avatar. I am unworthy. This is ugly. It's very pink. She's wearing cowboy boots and cutoffs. She has a poodle. JenLa's avatars, however, are in a whole other class of ugly! I think I'll stick with my mildly weird South Park avatar. Here's a link to the avatar-creation place. Go. Create. Have fun.

Edited 1/5/06: I've deleted this avatar from Yahoo. because it scared me when my email account opened. No chance of seeing the poodle dance now, sorry.

Opal Lovers, Unite!
I have, for some time, belonged to an online group of folks who love to knit with Opal yarns. The forum has recently changed to a read-only newsletter, with contests, yarn swaps, and other fun stuff. The group is called "Opal Chatters" and you can join by going here: Opal Chatters or by clicking the button that will soon be in the sidebar. Come on in!
Not much in other news here. Some knitting, some housework, some gainful employment. The Christmas tree is still up, and likely to be up until this weekend. We haven't seen the sun here in days, and it's cold, wet and dreary, but we are warm and dry and well-fed, and spring will be here in (almost) no time. If I say it often enough, it WILL come true.
The new KnitPicks catalog came today, and I am successfully resisting new stash acquisition. Going to go knit now.

Comments, I get comments...
Laura said: riding bikes in that weather? aack! nice to learn you guys haven't had too much "frontal lobe shrinkage" !![my dh found a clipping, he has in his wallet that says men over 40 suffer from loss of sense of humor due to frontal lobe shrinkage! for real!]

Well, the ones who rode didn't have all that far to come, and they were pretty well bundled up. Some riders have electrically-heated clothing -- pants, jacket liners, socks, gloves -- that plug right into the bike. Rich says the fairing and the mirror wings (little pieces of plastic that bolt onto the mirrors) on the Goldwing do a good job of protecting him, and only his fingers and toes get really cold. It was a relatively warm day, for January in Michigan, almost 50 degrees.

Laura also said...
ps- tell me if the stashalong permits swaps!!

The Stashalong rules say this: (2) You have 3 months and during that time you cannot add to your stash in any way(things ordered before January 1 but not yet delivered do not count--hence the early warning--get it out of your systems, ladies). Of course realistically there is no way to police this, so the honor system is in place.
Technically, a swap would not "add" to your stash, I guess!
Later!

Stashalong
I have decided to try very hard not to buy any more yarn in the next three months. The store where I work is going to winter hours for January-March, which means I will lose 25% of my pay for that period. Yikes. So I will be watching this Stashalong and, I hope, participating. I certainly have enough yarn to do it!

Sunday Rich and I met some of our riding friends in Coldwater, Michigan, for breakfast, then drove together up to Whitmore Lake to meet a bunch of the folks we visit with on the GL1800 Riders' Forum.
Yep, some of them rode their bikes in, but we went in the car. Good company, tasty food, nice day!

Happy New Year!
It's time to take down the Christmas tree, pack away the old year, and prepare for 2006. This past year has been, umm, challenging, to say the least. There have been some extreme changes for me, career-wise, and not necessarily all good changes, but I have a job, a home, a wonderful husband, a great family, and good health. We've had some great times along with some tough ones. Our refrigerator, while less than eight years old, is showing signs of going to that big freon depository in the sky, and the fan in the computor has been making ugly sounds. It will be interesting to see what the new year brings. All in all, we're very lucky, and have many blessings for which to be thankful.
I am especially thankful for yarn! Our lovely and talented mail carrier delivered two new skeins of beautiful Opal yarn this week. I know, I know, I already have a 'little' Opal (scroll down to see the full extent of my addiction and read my Opal poem), but there was a sale...it was half-price...it's preeeetttttyyyy!

Merry Christmas!

Here's a little poem I wrote many years ago. Hope you enjoy it!

In the stillness after Christmas, in the silence of the snow,
with the singing of the carols and the candles all aglow—
when the gifts have all been opened and the ribbons stored away,
you can feel the joyous tidings of a baby born one day.
In the crush of Christmas shopping, in the dash from store to store,
it becomes so very easy to forget what it’s all for!
But in the stillness after Christmas, when the rushing is all done,
you can take the time to ponder on a special tiny son.
And the miracle of Christmas is remembering that he lay
in an ordinary manger in a stable, far away.
In the stillness after Christmas, you can take the time to know
of the shepherds in a meadow who first saw a new star grow.
And our hearts will still remind us of that baby’s holy glow
in the stillness after Christmas, in the silence of the snow.

Becky Yoder 11-18-1977

In the light of the day of the celebration of the greatest gift ever given, we wish you a blessed Christmas and a peaceful New Year

Brainteasers Galore
How much trivia is stored in your brain? Go here: MSN Encarta quiz page to find out. There are quizes for everyone. So far I've done the Famous First Lines, How Bookish Are You? and Harry Potter quizzes. Cheap fun for a cold, cold night.
I cast on a new pair of socks yesterday. The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Socknitter's Fall Sunset on two size 0 circs. You can see the yarn here. It's the two balls in the lower right corner of the picture. I'm using the Jaywalker pattern. I've finished the top ribbing and the first row of the pattern.
Did I mention it's COLD here?
And now some comment feedback.
Laura asked: do you own that snow blower thingie??
Why yes, yes we do. Rich bought the tractor and mower deck cheap, cheap, cheap last summer as a fixer-upper, then just got the snow thrower last week. The thrower cost more than the tractor! It's the first time we've ever had anything like that, and it sure is nice. It doesn't look like we have much snow in the pictures, but you can't see the knee-deep drifts that covered our driveway. It's so flat and open around us that the snow just blows on through everywhere except where we have to drive and walk. By the way, a PT Cruiser is crap in the snow. Just sayin'.
Marguerite said: Spring is just around the corner??? Tell me more. I'd love to believe that instead of thinking there are about three more months of this stuff to endure.
Well, yes, it is just around the corner...it's only that the corner is a long, long way off...but just think: we're closer to this spring than we are to last spring! OK, we do what we must here in Michigan to make it through the winter, even if it means complete and utter self-deception.
I did mention that it's cold outside?

Welcome to the Winter Wonderland!
...but Spring is just around the corner!
Merry Christmas to all!

Something Fishy...
My little fishies are done. They measure about 6" long and 4" across. You can find the pattern here: Fish Afghan . Several of us are knitting them, and they'll be sewn together to make a gift for a special someone. I can hardly wait to see the finished blanket!
Now I get to knit something for me. What shall it be? Some of my ever-expanding Opal stash? The yummy alpaca I bought at the alpaca shop? Decisions...decisions... oh, yeah, I still need to knit some little red sweaters for the art installation (see my crappy self-designed button at right).

South Park Me!
This is fun...I found it at Rose-Kim Knits
I'm not a big South Park fan, but I do like the picture. You can make your own South Park character HERE . I may have to change the picture in my profile.

I'm knitting some little fishies from Red Heart Fiesta for a baby blanket -- very cute. Will post a pic when they're done. Only a few more rows to finish them up.

Hi, Kate!
Just checking the comments and found this one from 'Kate'.
Kate F. said...
Just found your blog! I laughed so hard my kids thought I was crying! Those were some funny sites...I especially liked the ebay add --- someone needs to hire that guy! Any chance you'd explain how you did the rolled cuff on your socks? They are beautiful! I want some too! Kate/Massachusetts
Thanks for the kind words, Kate. I'm glad you stopped by. A rolled cuff is easy: you just knit every stitch for as many rounds as you like. The top will automatically roll. Check out the link in the December 1 post to the Sockie and Bob pattern I used as the inspiration for my socks. There are lots of nice patterns there, and Sockie and Bob is very well written, with several variations to choose from.

There has been knitting, but not a lot. I just have a few more rows to finish thesock-of-the-month pattern I've been working on, and it's turning out very well! I need to knit several fish for a baby blanket this week, and want to knit some tiny red sweaters for the art installation (click on the 'red sweaters' button at right to learn more). Then I think I'll knit for me me ME!
Cheers!

...and an Angel of the Lord came unto her...
Oh, I forgot to tell about this! Rich's Christmas office party was Wednesday evening. His boss took all the office staff and their spouses/SOs to the Blue Gate Restaurant (voted the third-best restroom in the U.S., I've been told. I find that oddly amusing. I mean, I used them, they're nice enough, but...???) in Shipshewana, Indiana, the town where I work. We had a family-style dinner and then saw a play called "Dove Tale," by Ted and Lee, a contemporary re-telling of the Christmas story. It's very cleverly written, with only three actors, a handful of props, and inventive set and costume changes throughout.
The guy who played Joseph and Zechariah and a shepherd who spoke, rather disconcertingly, with an odd Irish accent, reminded me of Jerry, a good friend of ours who moved to Texas last year, although Jerry doesn't have the accent. The actor who played the archangel Gabriel is very tall and wore the most wonderful bright-yellow canvas high-topped tennis shoes.
So Thursday afternoon I was at work in the shop, and I looked up and there stood Gabriel...well, there stood the guy who portrays Gabriel...and I thought, "Crap! I hope he's not here to tell me I'm pregnant!" (He wasn't, in case you're wondering. He was just looking around.)
There was knitting in the play...well, the "shepherds" brandished knitting needles and yarn and pretended to knit.

A Dollar for Christmas (and Tripping Down Memory Lane with Ghosts of Christmases Past)
I get a weekly newsletter called "NeatNew and exLibris," written by Marylaine Block. I think I've mentioned it here before. Today's issue had a link to this essay: The Present Value of One. Ms. Block has written about the many and varied things we can still buy for kids with one lowly dollar bill. It's worth a read.
Now, I can remember a time when my mom would drive me to the grocery store, hand me a dollar, and send me in for three pounds of hamburger. AND I got change back. I don't know what the minimum wage was forty-odd years ago, but I know those dollars came as a result of many hours of hard work on our farm.
On one memorable occasion, probably in the early-to-mid-1960s, Mom spent, like, $45.00 on groceries. As I recall, the cash register tape was about three or four feet long. Bear in mind that we raised our own beef, had our own dairy herd for milk, and canned or froze a lot of our vegetables and fruits, so this was probably for other stuff, like cleaning supplies and sugar and flour and other staples. Dad hit the roof.
"How did you manage to spend that much money on groceries?" A, umm, "discussion" ensued. I seem to recall that the receipt ended up being taped to the wall beside Dad's chair at the kitchen table, and Mom checked off the items as she used them, until Dad got the message and threw it away.

As a child, one of my favorite Christmas songs was this one, from an album (yes a VINYL ALBUM, jeeze I'm old!) called Christmas is for Children.

I've Got Eighteen Cents
I've got eighteen cents to spend for Christmas:
Don't know what to do.
Must buy gifts for Mom and Dad
And Sister and Teacher and Rover, too.

I'll get Daddy two big books of matches
For when he wants to smoke
Mommy'll get a new ashtray
Just like the one I kinda broke!

A penny for the matches, a nickel for the tray
That leaves twelve whole cents!
And Rover gets a soupbone the butcher gives away
And Teacher gets a ruler to take measurements.

That will leave ten cents to spend for Christmas
Sis gets a candy bar.
Then I'll still have five cents left
To buy our tree a silver star

Sorry, I don't know the artist or composer, and am writing the words from memory. Call me and I'll sing a few bars for you. I guess it's not so PC these days to talk about buying smoking-related gifts for one's parents, but you must know that in those days, even hospitals and bank lobbies had ashtrays. Indoors.
The album also had "The Little Christmas Stocking with the Hole in the Toe" and a song about a place called, I think, "Tinkertown" where the "folks are no different from us, but their voices they can't control. When Tinkertown folks all start to sing, it sounds like they're standing in a hole." Of course a Christmas carol fixed that little problem and there was a happy ending.
That record and Fred Waring (of blender fame) and the Pennsylvanians' Twas the Night Before Christmas ("Rudolph, you crazy, mixed-up reindeer!") were the soundtrack of many childhood Christmases. I know you remember, Cherryl!
So here I sit beside a Christmas tree with lights and a few ornaments on it. Guess I should get away from this keyboard and add a few baubles and bangles. Happy childhood memories, and, 'God bless us, every one.'

My Day Off Was A Bust...but there was laughter!
Not much that I had planned got done today, but I did have a couple of incidents of uncontrollable giggling that I, being the generous chickie that I am, will share with you here.

Check out this wonderful Ebay ad: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8335653541 Don't forget to read the Q & A that follows.

The Yarn Harlot had a bad (but funny) day: http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ If you're reading this on a day that is NOT December 6th (or Sunday, read my previous post if you don't already know what that's about), be sure to look for the December 6th post re: goat hair.

And then there's this: http://www.banterist.com/archivefiles/000300.html which I found through the Ebay ad.

For your own (and your computer's) safety, do not drink while reading these sites. It is my purpose in life to amuse you...sometimes I even do it intentionally!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Anyone who knows me well knows that I cannot be trusted with a calendar (or with any sort of hand tool, if you plan on ever finding it again). Yes, Sunday fell on December 4th, not the 6th. I will defend my decision to go ahead with the drawing Monday morning by saying Sunday is Sunday, and since the word 'Sunday' in this case preceeded the phrase 'December 6th,' I stuck with Sunday. I apologize for any confusion or disappointment I caused. :D

That said, Pat's bag is in the mail and on its way to her. Hope you like it, Pat, and thanks again for visiting Sunnybook's Yarns!

This is my day off. I had big plans for it. sigh.

...and we have a winner!
I had four people comment on the blog; two at the site, and two via email. Since I didn't specify that the comments had to be left in the comments spot, and this is an autocracy and not a democracy, I'm not disqualifying any of you. You all have a really, really good chance to win, though!
Soooo, Cherryl, and Fran, and Kathy , and Pat (the librarian in me made me line you up in alphabetical order by first name. sigh), I'm putting names on little slips of paper, folding them neatly...and tossing them into the air.

************************
The one that landed on my lap was Pat Collins from just outside Toledo, Ohio.
Congrats, Pat! As for the rest of you, I'm sorry I couldn't afford to send you all one. Keep checking back. I'll have another drawing one day, and the next time it just might be you!
Pat, email me with your address and I'll mail out your bag tomorrow on my day off work.

Liz and Frankie, finished at last!
I finished these Sunday. They're my adaptation of "Liz and Frankie" in the Sockie and Bob and a Few of Their Friends pattern. It's available from Sunshine Knit Designs and I'd been coveting it, but I got my copy as a gift in my last Bottle Swap -- Thanks again, Tina!. There are several designs in the pattern. This one has a pretty, simple three-stitch twist down the leg.
I made a few changes: 2x2 rib after rolled edge, lengthened leg, skipped some color changes, and Eye of Partridge stitch for the heel flap.
I used Opal Uni-Solid for the cuff and toe, and Cervinia Calzetteria for the leg. The blue is slightly heavier than the Opal and not quite as soft, but very pretty, heathery yarn, and it worked nicely with Opal.
Both socks were knit at one time on 2 size 0 circs, using both ends of the balls of yarn, and I had just a few inches of the blue left over when the socks were finished.

I bought several of these little bags in various fabrics at the shop next to mine this week. They're the perfect sock-knitting project size, have two main compartments big enough for yarn and work-in-progress, plus a place to hold a water bottle, a little pocket on the front for scissors, stitch markers, tape measure, etc., and a small zippered pocket on the back, too. They have a carrying handle on the top and a detachable shoulder strap -- I've detached mine, and now I can't find it, LOL! Very cute bags, and they'll make great gifties. There will be one in my December Bottle Swap package. Would you like one? Leave a comment on my blog between now and, oh, let's say Sunday, December 6th. I'll hold a drawing and someone will get a nifty little bag, my choice of fabric!
Yes, those are Kermit the Frog's toes just visible at the top of the pictures. He lives on my DVD/VHS shelf during the year, but has a place of honor on every Christmas tree. I was a huge fan of the amazingly talented and imaginative Jim Henson. You know, everyone has their impossible fantasy jobs that they know they'll never get, but dream about anyhow? Well, my three fantasy jobs were these: singing backup for James Taylor, going up in the Space Shuttle, and working for Jim Henson. Henson died far too young and I think maybe I'm too old and fat now for NASA, and so I guess that just leaves the singing gig...James? are you out there? I'm willing to travel...
Time to go back to bed and get a few more hours of sleep before I have to get up and go to work. I'm hopeful that I won't have to unload and unbox another truckfull of furniture today...yesterday was enough for this old, fat lady!

Red Sweaters
My friend, Jill sent me a link to this site: RedSweaters . I shall begin knitting tiny red sweaters in honor of our daughter-in-law's brother, who will be going to Iraq soon.

In other news...

I'm off work today. I plan to begin hauling Christmas frippery down from the attic. Hope to get the tree up and at least partially decorated before a very important appointment this afternoon. It might also be a good idea to put away the rest of the camping gear that's still heaped in the dining room from our last campout in early October. No sense rushing into these things.

Big Changes at Sunnybook Yarns!
I was tired of the look of the old blog, too dark, too Victorian, too...not me. So I've changed my template to this brighter, cleaner, roomier one. Hope you like it! I've added a button you can steal if you so desire and have the know-how to do so. I know barely enough to create it and then to get it into the template, so you're on your own!
There has been some knitting. I'm past the gusset decreases on my adapted Liz & Frankie socks, and I'm loving them. Pictures to come.
I am home sick from work today...the Crud of the Week continues. sigh. I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. It's cold and snowy and the roads are slick, nevertheless I must haul myself over to the license branch to renew plates and driver's license, since they expire tomorrow on my birthday. Had planned to do it tonight after work, but might as well get it over with and come home to hunker down against the weather.
Thanksgiving tomorrow. I am truly thankful for all that I have, for my family, friends, and home, and for knitting!

This is too funny, and not for the humor-challenged!
Go to this link to read my blog 'translated' into a Cockney dialect: http://rinkworks.com/dialect/dialectp.cgi?dialect=cockney&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sunnybookyarns.blogspot.com ! It helps to know that some Cockney words are derived from rhyming, so "I 'ave a new Uncle Bob" means "I have a new job" (job rhymes with Bob, you see). Heeheehee!
You can translate into other dialects, too, by going here: http://rinkworks.com/dialect/. Select the dialect you want to try ("Swedish Chef" is funny, too, "Hurty flurty schnipp schnipp!"), and type the URL you want to translate into the box.
So, go have some fun!

Oh, and this site is called "Really Bad Jokes"...http://www.rinkworks.com/jokes/ . Don't say I didn't warn you!

Harlot!

So, back in September I was at my knitting guild meeting at the not-so-local yarn shop. Jack, the owner of the shop was telling us about some author who was coming to the store. He asked us if there was anyone we'd like to see there.

Now, we're not a quiet group, and it was an especially noisy meeting, so I called out, "Can you get the Yarn Harlot?"

Jack replied, "I can get anyone I want!" We all scoffed, and that was the end of it...or so we thought.

Next thing I knew, in just a couple of days there was an email to the group from Jack, announcing that the Yarn Harlot would be at his shop in, like, a week and a half! Jack had pulled some strings, ordered a bajillion copies of the bookbookbook, and got Stepanie Pearl-MacPhee to shoehorn in a stop at his shop in between a couple of other appearances.

As luck would have it, we were scheduled to be out of town the day she was at the shop, so I emailed my sister and begged her to go to the Big Event and get a copy of the bookbookbook autographed for me. She is SUCH a good sister!

Steph and Cherryl, hangin' at the shop...

How Cute!
I bought these adorable little sock purses at the shop next to the one where I work. Some will be gifts, but one or two will be for mememe!
Guess which one I picked first?
Notice: NO purple!
I love the little kissing bees. They're attached by a wound-up string. When you pull them apart, they make big smooching sounds and they say, "I LOVE you! I LOVE you!"
Oops! Time for CBS Sunday Morning -- my favorite show of the week! Later...

Your Birthdate: November 24

You understand people well and are a natural born therapist. A peacemaker, people always seem to get along when you are around. You tend to be a father or mother figure to friends, even to those older than you. You enjoy your role, and you find that you are close to many people. Your strength: Your devotion Your weakness: Reliance on others for happiness Your power color: Lilac Your power symbol: Heart Your power month: June

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

My 'power color' is lilac??? Bwahhhhaaahaaaahaahaaa.

Haahaahahaaa. Heeheehee...hah.

Apparently this device does not understand my work-related aversion to anything purple! Everything else is pretty accurate, though. I am a pearl beyond price...heeheehee...

Rich's Boring Navy Blue Opals
They're done! I Kitchenered the toes while watching Everwood last night, washed them today and here they are! Boring, huh? They did turn out well, though, and they fit, and he's wearing them right now. I do love this yarn!
Now on to something more interesting...

Since I had the day off today I decided to run some errands. My birthday is fast approaching, as is the expiration date on my driver's license and the plates on my car. I went to the license branch...closed for Veteran's Day. sigh... Happy day, Veterans, and thank you! You deserve this special day.

Nothing to see here...
Working is cutting seriously into my knitting time, so I have nothing to report but I didn't want the blog to feel neglected. I am just a few rows from beginning the toe decreases on Rich's boring navy blue Opal socks. There's a shop that sells all sorts of alpaca stuff just across the hall from the shop where I've been working. They have YARN! They're talking about expanding into a full-service yarn shop, which would be disastrous to my budget. I picked up a little finger puppet shaped like an alpaca for my Bottle Swap partner and a couple of skeins of yarn in a pretty, dark green to try out.
Upstairs from our store is a wonderful chocolate shop, and a puppet theater/shop. I bought two sheep puppets there, one for me and one for the lucky partner. I hope she likes puppets! I suspect there will be chocolate in the bottle, too...and probably a skein or two of alpaca yarn.
Nothing else to tell right now. I shall go knit, and maybe have something to show next time.

I Belong in Gryffindor!

GRYFFINDOR! You scored 20% Slytherin, 16% Ravenclaw, 56% Gryffindor, and 32% Hufflepuff!

You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart. Gryffindors are known for their courage, audacity, and devotion to what is good and honest.

Link: leeannslytherin on The Sorting Hat Test written by Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Tiny Socks!
These are for my friend, Peggy's, new granddaughter. Quick, easy, and so sweet! I knit them up the other day while midwifing the cat. I used the Basic Sock pattern from Edie Eckman's book, Knit a Dozen Baby Socks. The yarn is, I think, Carnation by LynnH . It was a gift from a friend (Thanks, Laura), and came without a label. That's a quarter there with them, so you can see how tiny they are!

Oh, mama cat and babies are doing well. The midwifing job consists of sitting in the bathroom, and making sure the cat stays in the basket in the closet until the first baby is born, and then just waiting and watching for the rest to come, as she's too busy after that to wander the house. Mama kitty, also known as Callie, the Escape Artist Slutty Cat, is very good at slipping out JUST before each litter of kittens is fully weaned and running off with our wild tomcat. ONE of these days we're going to get her to the vet before she makes her escape. She had four babies this time, two black and two white. She is a very good mommy, though, and always raises beautiful kittens. Anyone looking for a Christmas gift?

Dash and Hershey

Hershey is one of Callie's babies from a previous litter, and Dash (the white one) is Hershey's great-uncle (and the new babies' as well).

The first day at the new job went well, I think. The store is going to be very nice, and will open soon. The owners have a suite of shops, all connected, at the newly rebuilt Davis Mercantile in Shipshewana, Indiana. My shop is called "Back Home Again." Stop in and say hello when you're in town!

As promised...new stash!
These are my new goodies from the retreat. Oops! more Opals!
The Opal on the left is, I think, an old, nameless colorway, and is much more of a rich golden yellow than it appears here. The center Opal is the new Tiger, and the one on the right is from the Elemente collection.
The wound-up balls are Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. On the left is Oceanside, on the right is Socknitter's Fall Sunset, one of the colors from a special dyeset done just for The Fifth Stitch.


These are Cherryl's new beauties. As you can see, she has considerably more self-control than I do! Her wound-up balls are LL, too, but I don't know what the color name is. The ball on the left was wound on Lorie's nostepinde.

Cherryl's Opal is Rainforest Fish.

I think I need to knit some socks just for me and just for the fun of it. This past year I've spent most of my knitting time developing my designs for a couple of online groups, testing patterns for other designers, or knitting socks and things as gifts for other people. I'm becoming frustrated, and need to use up some of the beautiful yarn I've acquired.
Rich's boring navy blue Opals are past the heel and maybe a third of the way down the foot. Liz and Frankie are stalled, as are the Spiderman socks. Ducky Dew will be making another kit appearance, this time as the December kit for a Yahoo! group.

The new job starts tomorrow. Wish me luck! These first weeks will be spent setting the store up and getting it ready to open. What an adventure!