Socks that Rock - Seastone

I present you with the first pair of Socks that Rock that I have completed, along with what was left over after knitting for size 9 feet.

Size 2 double circulars were used. Basic Sock Pattern. CO 56 stitches.

Love the yarn - great to knit with. Don't like how I did the heel flap - think I got flap happy with it.
Also think I would start off with size 1 needles at the top and then change over to size 2s down the leg. Tweaking for personal sizing.
Now I think I am ready to venture out into some other sock patterns. I would like for the toe shaping to be a little different so will work on that too.
Son has now requested for me to make him a pair of socks, but he thought these were a little loud and "girlie" as he called it. He wants some more neutral colors. Imagine that...

Venite Adoremus

Of course this is a most appropriate title for this day before Christmas - but it is also the name of an art exhibition for the Episcopal Church and Visual Arts virtual display of items that, as the curators Frank and Griffin Logue requested:

We asked artists to respond to the challenge to let the hymns of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany serve as their muse in both creating and selecting the art for this exhibit. The resulting exhibit offers an interesting array of thoughtful works in varying artistic styles and media.

They did not disappoint with their creativity in combining the hymns of the season to their particular medium or media. For a feast of the eyes and soul, visit the online exhibition. It will nourish and enhance your journey as we all prepare for Christmas.

Interestingly, I counted 4 contributors from the Diocese of Georgia. If I missed anyone please let me know!

Check it out here - which one is your favorite?

You can also check out their blog here at ecva.blogspot.com.
What a wonderful gift these artists have given us.

Paradox

How come Walmart employees are not allowed to say Merry Christmas, but when I was listening to the piped in music in the store today, they were playing Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah?

RevGalPal Christmas Music MEME

1) If you had to choose CDs as a soundtrack for the Christmas season, what would they be?
I love John Rutter's Christmas Music
Wolcum Yule by Anonymous 4

2) How do you feel about singing all the verses of "The First Noel?" (Six in our hymnal, but apparently there are nine.)

Well, even though I think some hymns go on and on - I do know that not singing all of the verses is like not reading all of the verses of a poem. Not quite fair to the writer of the prayer, if you consider a hymn a prayer.

3) "O, Come All Ye Faithful" has a lot of verses, too. Which is your favorite?
Yea, Lord We Greet Thee, On this happy morning ( Cyberhymnal web site was down so couldn't get to the page.

4) What music do you play while opening presents?
I try to put some nice music on from our National Public Radio - not many give too much of a rip of the music in the background except me. I probably get in a snit worse about this than anything around Christmas time.

5) Which carols do you consider to be Christmas Eve essentials?
Angels We have Heard on High
O Come All Ye Faithful
In the Bleak Midwinter
So much Christmas music for so little time......

and a Bonus Question:6) What, if any, is your favorite secular Christmas song?
I'll Be Home for Christmas - I love the tune.. I love the words...

Brief tidbits of information

Brief tidbits of information:

Today, it was colder this morning here than in Minneapolis, MN and Bismarck, ND - we are 15 miles north of the Florida state line. We got to 25 degrees. As I type this at 11:45 pm, it is 32 here.... 34 in Minnepolis. Hmmmmmmm... makes you wonder sometimes!

The sock below almost has a fraternal twin. Almost is the key word, will have to take out a little bit to make a small repair and then the socks will be complete.

Because of the hecticness of work schedules in this household during the season, it was not meant for me to attend Evening Prayer this evening. Eight year old, wound up with her Energizer Battery, would not have understood the 15 minutes of quiet, silent meditation. I, however, believe would have greatly benefitted after today's hecticness that I prefer not to experience again. As Barbara Grafton sent out in her "almost daily emo" yesterday, I should read again:

"Cut down the number of things you do until you can genuinely love every last one them. Let love be your guide and your delight, and inhabit a world small enough for that to happen -- it will grow later, as needed, as love fills and softens you and makes you more elastic. God, the author of love, isn't interested in giving us nervous breakdowns at Christmastime or any other time. Love isn't supposed to wear us out. It comes among us to make us strong. "

Amen.

One Sock Doth Not Make a Finished Product

Here is phase one of the sock making. Basic sock with not so basic yarn. My first sock with the famous "Socks that Rock" yarn. Their color selection is too much fun to choose from and for the life of me I can't remember the colorway of this, but I THINK it is Seastone (though I thought it also might be Azure Malochite also, but I don't think so).
If for no other reason you go to look at the choices, go just for the names of the sock colors. Very creative and it makes me want to buy the socks just for the names.
Ruby Slippers comes to mind as does Blarney Stone and Scottish Highlands (last time I checked they were unavailable, but who knows a new shipment may have come in - do I want to know if they have those?? Yes and No.)
I REALLY like the feel of this yarn - Merino superwashed - fingering weight and feels just right.
Pattern is Basic Sock pattern using size 2 needles (2 circulars). The yarn just glides and using the Addi Turbo circular needles, this was by far the fastest knit of socks so far (well, I haven't made THAT many - but I am getting the hang of it)
So....socks that rock fans... are these Seastone or Azure Malochite?

Yes Virginia - War on Christmas

Please go visit this blog and read this column on the "War on Christmas"

What Reindeer am I?

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You're Naughty: Because you're Santa's pet, and you won't let anyone show you up. Why You're Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Ring the Bell

It's the dreariest of days - yesterday was a day of raining all day long. Today is the same type of day sans rain. I know you northerners that read this chuckle but it is the kind of cold here that gets down to the bone and is hard to warm up. There is no snow to justify it, no temps below freezing, but just plain old cold raw feeling.

This morning I poked around getting ready for church and discovered that all the hot water had been used up so I had to knock the timer back on. Made me late for church - got there right after the sermon but before Eucharist. Wore my Irish Walking Cape and wool hat - someone said I looked like a nun - I don't take that as an insult, though I cannot consider myself anywhere near the type that could take some of those vows. But black was the decor of my dress for the day.

Picked up some skeins of yarn that make nice scarves - takes me a couple of hours to crank those out and my daughter likes hers and that is as good as the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval!

Tonight our group sings for the last time of the season and it will be recorded - perhaps we might see a Christmas CD come out yet!

Tomorrow, DH's daughter and I will go ring the bell for Salvation Army. A little cute girl always sweetens the pot PLUS we get to do community service together. We dress all up and ring our bells!

RevGalPals Christmas Meme

• Have you ever gotten a really good kiss under the mistletoe? Tell the truth. Spare no details. Was the mistletoe real, because kisses under the fake stuff do. not. count.

  Gotten a peck of a kiss. We do have real mistletoe here - found WAY up in the trees. When it is hung it looks so disappointing compared to the picture that you see or the plastic round one that looks NOTHING like it.

• Do you know anyone who makes real eggnog, not the stuff from the carton? And if so, do you actually like it?

  Yes, I know someone that makes knock your socks off eggnog - wow... once you taste that you will never want to return to the stuff in the carton - sickenly sweet. BTW, they now have eggnog sweetened with Splenda.

• What's your favorite Christmas party album/CD ever?

  I don't know what my favorite Christmas party album/CD is, but I have LOTS of Christmas CDs that I enjoy. I enjoy Anonymous 4's Wolcum Yule and I also like Maddy Prior's Christmas CD. Last one is nice and earthy sounding. Does anyone else like Maddy Prior?

• Does your office/workplace have a party? Do the people there ever behave the way people in movies behave at office parties, which is to say, badly?

  Yes we have a party, but haven't been to one in the past couple of years. As teachers, are "behaving badly" is usually bordering on silliness and cutting up, but that is the extent of it. We teacher types stay pretty squeaky clean at these types of party. Nothing there to alter our behavior.

• If you have to bring something to a party, what is it likely to be? Do people like it?

  Hmmmm, I am not really a cook so it always varies and it is simple. this week I got some fresh salsa from Sam's and put some corn and black beans in it and brought chips for a dip. I got several emails wanting the recipe -- they knew it was from my HUSBAND (who is an excellent cook) - I laughed and said that was MY RECIPE!

If you read this, consider yourself tagged!

This and that

Today school let out for the holidays. The students will return on January 9 so they have 3 weeks without school - after a week of what seemed like much longer than the 5 days that comprise a week, it's a time that all teachers were looking forward to - finally a breather to regroup and refresh.

Last night's concert was different -- it's the first time we have sung in the balcony behind the audience for the majority of the performance. What a different it makes not seeing faces while singing! However, the acoustics were very good and we got good feedback from the audience.

Tomorrow Chin our oldest dog goes to get groomed. Well overdue, we cannot see her eyes. Chin is not the best customer in the dog world as she gets a bit testy when they get around her ears.
Here is a picture when she is somewhat groomed. I will try to get a picture of her prior to her grooming tomorrow. She will appreciate us more tomorrow afternoon.

Christmas shopping has been minimal so far and plan to keep it that way. Do you think that folks are getting away from some of the commercialization of Christmas because they are sick of it or do you think it is the economy ??? Seems like the few times I have been in the stores (and it's been very few times lately), the shelves don't look very empty, I don't see full parking lots, and I haven't seen HUGE lines of folks at the register. What do you think?

Posting on a blog

I have every intent in trying to post this week -- the last week before school is out is a bit harried and my mind and body are spent at the end of the day. So when I have tried to blog, my mind has gone blank.

Sad news... our school was broken into and vandalized... it turns a school upside down mentally, physically, and emotionally, especially during a week that elementary aged children are hyped up before the holidays. Police were at the school all morning and children could not get into their rooms for some time yesterday (thank goodness my little ones were given permission to go to our rooms - they never know quite what to do with my crew.) I don't understand why someone(s) would want to create the havoc and chaos that they did. Makes my heart so sad as our elementary school has become surrounded by a questionable neighborhood - can't stay too long after school unless others are there. Never would have thought our small town would have that as a part of their community, but it's here.

Pray for those of us that are still teaching that the next several days will go smoothly and no more crises(sp) will occur.
Gotta scoot, school starts soon.

I thought I had seen it all...

Norma, who scrounges around and finds priceless bits of information floating around on the superinformation highway came up with this jewel for knitters. Who'd thunk? Did they get a gauge first? What size needles? How come they did this? Well, I'll be....

Knitting for a bug.....


Check Norma's finding here

Snow Day Meme???

RevGal Friday Five: Snow Day
The traditional Friday Meme really leaves me out, but I will give it the good ol' college try.

1) Snow: love it or hate it? How would I know? I have never been in it and experienced it.

2) First snow memory - sometime in the 90s we had a dusting of snow that lasted about 2 hours - not enough to make anything.

3) Best Snow Day ever (actual or imagined) I would like to fly with The Snowman in the video "The Snowman" based on the book by Raymond Briggs (wordless book - wordless movie) - otherwise never had a snow day yet. If you have never seen this video, it is by far my favorite Christmas video for children - and the kids love it too.

4) Best use of snow in a movie, song, book or poem - Our vocal group sang a piece last year - Snow by Morning by Joshua Shank - great piece - young composer that does awesome work

5) What you are planning to do today, with or without snow - worked, assessing children for my classroom - then came home, knitted a little, took a nap, and baked a casserole for our meeting with Daughters of the King.

Wonder when I will ever see snow or make a snowball or snow man....

What? Closed for Business

Surely not, but 'tis true....
This year Christmas falls on a Sunday and guess what? Yup, there are churches that will be closed on that day. Read on.....
and here it is on Fox News...

Thankfully, our little church with the red doors WILL be.... it's Sunday and a Feast day.

Two Nightzzzzzzzzzz in a Row

For two nights in a row, I have fallen asleep knitting. Ever happen to you??

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz night.....

Noro Hat - Complete!

Noro hat from Saartjeknits has been completed. She has a free pattern available and so I thought I would give it a try. I used the same yarn she did - Noro Kureyon No. 92 on size 8 needles. I used almost 2 skeins. Her instructions state you need a little more than one skein, but it is definitely 2 skeins. I used size 8 needles and it is just a little bit too big for the average head, so think I might give it a spin in the washing machine, with a little fear and trepidation when it comes to shrinkage. Next time I will reduce the number of stitches.
Interestingly when I took several pictures, I chose this one that is more two dimensional as the other pictures looked more like a breast. I guess if you look at this image sideways, you'll get the idea. Gotta keep the blog clean!
I love the colors in the Noro Kureyon. Always keeps the knitting interesting!
We should have some cooler weather - today the high was 55, far lower than the 81 we had on Sunday. Tomorrow is an all day rain so the meteorologist says!

Is it December??

(left: picture of State Capitol of Tallahassee)
High today so far has been 81 degrees. I saw a man working outside without a shirt. Saw folks in tank tops, shorts, and sandals. I had the AC on in the car today. Feels like I might have to turn it on in the house also.
Today, Sharon and I, along with a few others, thought it would be a good idea to make it a hat day at church - well, the hat was wool and was I ever hot! I felt like saying like the Wicked Witch said on The Wizard of Oz - I'm mellllltttttiiiinnnngggg....


We sang at the state capitol today - a joyful place to sing with its marble floors and tall ceilings - the voices just swirled around and lingered for a while for all to hear. If I were to look straight up I would see the stained glass dome above me while singing. Not to worry, I did not do that. I know better. Not only was I on stairs that were old and were created for feet that were smaller than they are today, but I KNOW better than to not look at the director while on stage! (However, I did snap this picture prior to concert - the picture above was pulled off the Internet, since there were many protestors out in front as well as lots of traffic.)

This evening I hope to get some knitting done. The weekends are flying by now and the weeks are also prior to Christmas break.
Post note on this posting: Finally had to turn the AC on in the house around 8:30 - needed some cooler air.

Progress on the blanket

Blogger ate my posting last night as it must have had a hiccough - all looked quirky in its appearance so I should have known better. So.... you get a shortened version of what I did last night.

• had to untangle a mess in the skein - so now have a nice ball
• almost finished the melon/salmon row
• listened to Renee Fleming sing on Great Performances while I knitted.
  

  
  

Santa

I Will Sing couldn't explain why Santa was at one of their local Episcopal Churches, but this Santa made a one day stop at our bazaar. He attracted enough business to top the 5000 mark(ok, I gave the bearded guy way too much credit on that one). A third of it goes outside of the community (Episcopal Relief and Development being one of the ones), inside the local community (Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels are two examples) and then the other third will remain within the church community to continue vital ministries within.
Every year, the day before, we swear we will never do another one, but how can we not when so many ministries are impacted in a positive manner.

Progress on the blanket

There is indeed progress on this blanket as every 38 rows, the color changes. I won't pretend that I will get this much done when school kicks in tomorrow, but it is nice to see some headway made on it, since have a few more to do.
Pattern is from Knit Along with Debbie Macomber - I am using size 6 instead of size 4 - of course it will make it bigger, but I couldn't see doing it on size 4 with the sport yarn I had. So far I have a lavender, a spring green and now a salmon that is just being introduced. Next will be a light pink, as the baby will be a girl! Grandma K wanted bright colors so she got 'em. (Don't know if she is reading my blog right now or not - will find out).

I do have a sock on the needle, but not quite ready to post it. I am using size 1 needles (2 circulars) and I seem to be knitting tightly. This is an assignment sock as I am working on one and a friend is working on another and it is self patterning/striping - her's seems to be pooling colors very differently than mine so we shall see the difference when I get a little further along!

By the way, Happy New Year for the liturgically inclined. I believe this is the very earliest that Advent can fall.

Out of the mouth of babes

Phone rings.....

Hello?

Mama (8 year old speaking)

Yes?

Can I stay and eat lunch with M & N ?

Have you been invited??

Let me go check..........

Little life lesson taught over the phone before 8 YO goes to find out if she has been invited...

All cooped up with a wave and a smile

Two of my favorite cutie patooties - no telling where this is except their mother has some agrarian pinings.... and she puts them in with the chickens. (Sooz, you can't spin yarn with chicken feathers).


I say Davis is in practice for politics with a wave and smile like this. Mary G isn't so sure.

Post Thanksgiving

Things have settled down as several of the children have gone and others are keeping busy by playing golf and working. Today, I spent some of the day knitting and actually made progress on a baby blanket for a friend's grandchild to be. This is the stage we are at this moment:

The pattern comes from Debbie Macomber's book Knit Along with Debbie Macomber - her book has 11 nice baby afghans (and some can be blankets for adults also) so I am working on a 2nd pattern. It's easy to memorize- I am using size 6 needles (it calls for 4, but I changed that) - my Denise needles are making a slower go than I would like, so I have ordered some Addi turbos to get it moving. The yarn is just not sliding on the cords. I am using a Lion Brand Baby Soft and th is is going to be a multi colored blanket as I am nearing a color change. Stay tuned for the next color!! This aboe is a nice soft purply/lavender color, not quite true to what the yarn appears. Perhaps an outside photo is in order as temps are in the 70s today.
In addition, I finished a sock except for the kitchener stitch for the toe. Look at these socks carefully and tell me the difference in the two.

Thanksgiving Evening

Oh, the evening is drawing nigh, and several folks have called it an evening. Went to visit husband's grandmother in the nursing home and all the residents were in the dining area, ready for their supper. We took some apple pie and cheese as it is her favorite.

TV was blaring the Black Entertainment Channel with rap music going. I know those octogenarians chose that station....... choosing that channel is like me choosing the news channel for preschoolers.. here are the folks raised on big band music. Don't think their tastes will change that drastically.

On another note, we reached 81 degrees and we had to tap the AC on this evening to get some cooler air circulating. Thought all of the northern readers would enjoy reading that.

Working on a baby blanket right now and trying to get it long enough to merit a picture. Pattern is easy to do, just slow on size 6 needles - think I need to change to Addi's to make the yarn slide a little more easily.

Thanksgiving

All five our our children are here - and that happens rarely. With blended families and diverse ages, I am not sure if it has actually happened but just a few times. WE went to the downtown gazebo and took a group picture. We even were coordinated and seemed somewhat together. I THINK we might have a family Christmas card!

Today's menu was:
Turkey breast
Spiral ham
cornbread dressing
broccoli casserole
green bean casserole (at several folks request - first for me at Thanksgiving)
sweet potato casserole (#2 daughter made this)
watergate salad (no marshmallows - cottage cheese instead)
apple pie
pumpkin pie
pickled tomatoes
black olives (at 8 year old request)
cranberry
chutney with hot mango chutney and cranberry and now sure what else (friend Sooz made it - great on turkey - was Southern Living recipes)
celery stuffed with pimento cheese

Several casualties found around the house - snoozin' and snorin' and general slothfulness due to overconsumption.

Tonight's meal for moi.... turkey sandwich on WHITE bread (unusual these days) and REAL Coca cola - fully leaded, fully charged. It's a nostalgia thing.....

Kid Lit Meme

RevGalPals throws out another meme to us - and I think I will tag some folks on this one.

• Earliest book you remember (read to you or by you) I know my parents must have read to me, but I don't remember it. I remember as a child looking a books on factual information - rocks, birds, etc. I remember distinctly 1st grade readers also. First book in school I remember being read to me was in 3rd grade - The Lion's Paw by Robb White. I loved that book. It's out of print and is about orphans confiscating (stealing?) a boat and navigating around Florida in search of a shell. Does anyone remember this book? Do you have a copy of it?
• I would be remiss if I did not mention that my 3rd grade Sunday School teacher read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Interesting how both these books have the word "Lion" in the title.
• Picture Book you would like to climb into - The Mitten by Jan Brett - all you knitters out there - this is a knit alert! Knitter in book!
• Favorite series of books (then or now) - The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
• Character you would most like to meet
• Last childhood book you re-read (for yourself or to someone) - not a fair question to a preschool teacher. I read children's books all of the time. However, last book I read for ME that was a children's book was Because of Winn Dixie AND Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo - if you have not read any of her books, they are quite good and I recommend them. The latter of the two won the Newbery Medal.

Hmmm, I think I will tag these folks - Norma, Jess, Ellen, Naomi, and Stephanie.

Let the memeing (ooh is there such a word?)

Most apropro knitting to the extreme

Ever since the summer, I have wanted to participate in extreme knitting. I saw folks knitting in caves, on swinging bridges, in scuba gear, as well as liturgical vestments. Extreme knitting seemed to elude me. Well today I may have accomplished it and where the socks fit, knit it.

In my little ziploc bag, I had the sock that was suffering from SSS (2nd sock syndrome). Don't you think that knitting a sock is most appropriate while in a podiatrist's office? Waiting seems to be the name of the game at a doctor's office, and today was typical. However, the sock in its infancy was otn and ready to participate to the extreme.

I spare you the rest of the procedure in pictures as they would be just as delightful as the toenail fungus commercial on television. I will say I am glad it is over and I should not have the problem in ingrown toe nails again.
I am not even positive who I should check with to see if this qualifies so if someone remembers, I will make an entry.
Tomorrow is our church bazaar. I knitted an Advent scarf, along with a few other items. I feel like I have a little bit of my slate cleaned off now. I have felt tense this week hoping I got everything done.

Knit Unto Others

A Knit along for the next two weeks (Nov. 15-30) to knit for your favorite charity:

Find out more here.

Use your inside voices please

I say it practically every day at school. Some little ones have their volumn level up too high and need a reminder that they do not need to yell to get someone's attention.

Well, a store owner also decided to remind the little ones (and I can't help to think the adults also) that it was important to use their "inside voices" in his eating establishment. And parents got miffed and offended. Read it in its entirety in the New York Times
At Center of a Clash, Rowdy Children in Coffee Shops

The owner of A Taste of Heaven, Dan McCauley, said he posted the sign - at child level, with playful handprints - in the hope of quieting his tin-ceilinged cafe, where toddlers have been known to sprawl between tables and hurl themselves at display cases for sport.

My goodness - a gentle reminder and folks get their noses bent out of shape. If only we had to worry about more important things.....

No zip in frappr and no place to call home

Ok, folks, I have succumbed to the trend of creating a Frappr map(where in the world (no pun intended) did that name from?) However, somehow when I try to put my zip in there to add my name to a map, it tells me I have an invalid zip code. Ok, I know I have a "new" zip code - its about 3 or 4 years old and I occasionally have to plug in the old zip code so an order or info can be processed through. I tried that, no go. Frappr likes none of my zip codes - not the old one, not the one across town, not the ones for the post office boxes only. So I have no home on a Frappr map unless someone has a solution. Sure I can place any ol' zip, but doesn't that defeat the purpose?
Here's my link to the map:

On another note, we are still in air conditioning mode - but that should change this evening with a cool front coming through. Where we live, we have been known to run the a/c at some point every month. Welcome to the south. We knit with wool just to pretend we need it 5 days out of the year.

Felted inside boots - Voila!

Yesterday evening, I finished the boots. And here they are:

I used Brown Sheep's Lamb's Pride Bulky Weight Yarn, and the embroidery I used some OLD Elsa Williams Tapestry Yarn I had from some stash. I used the pattern from Cat Bordhi's book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles: a Manual of Elegant Knitting Techniques and Patterns
It went through the washing machine cycle twice to get the desired effect. After 24 hours, they are still a little damp. A quicker project than socks since they were on size 11 needles. Those of you that would like to try socks might want to try something like this since it is quicker and bigger, easier on the eyes and felting is MUCH more forgiving for any boo boos made along the way. I promise..
By they way, I did a whimsical design on there and fully intended for them NOT to match - that way if someone is wondering which should be their left shoe and right shoe, one has a loop, the other doesn't!
Come to our bazaar - they will be there :)

Knitting in the world of education

They have found that knitting is education worthy. But we all knew that!

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev100.shtml

I just want to know who keeps count of the knitting needles.

Knitting, Felting, using 2 circulars

I am furiously working on bazaar projects for our church bazaar. I completed the icords for the Booga UGA purse and need to felt them.

Last night I began a inside boot using a pattern from Cat Bordhi's book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles: a Manual of Elegant Knitting Techniques and Patterns . Notice it is 12 inches long and will swallow my foot. Once felted it should be where a size 8-9 felted boot. Twill see if I followed the directions correctly.

I also got a tiny notion to embellish it, so I decorated the top of the foot with this:

Now I need to get a move on with the second boot or I will be selling this to a one footed person.

Wizard of Oz is being shown on TBS over and over again - they are celebrating their new digitized version of the movie. I still don't like the wicked witch, but I am brave enough to stay in the room now. I still get that scared feeling when they mantra "Lion Tigers and Bears, oh my is being said.

Does anyone remember the knitter on the movie???

I've been tagged by a knitting meme

Jess tagged me, and I now become part of the tag team....

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?

Hmmm... I guess I don't really have a favorite - sometimes it is the one I am knitting -- probably a better question would be what yarn I DON'T like - I just tried knitting with a chenille yarn that was some stash that someone had donated and I couldn't get it to look right.
don't really like the novelty yarns.

I do like Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock as Jess does.
Wool-Ease is pleasant also. No yarn snob am I....

The worst thing you've ever knit?
If it is bad, I rip it out and take it out of its misery.
Each and every project is a learning experience. If I have knit a "worst thing", I haven't gotten there yet. But you will know when I do it.

Most valuable knitting technique?
I just learned a different cast on that makes my work a little quicker at the beginning.

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it...but it was the most fun to knit)
I noticed Jess likes Madli - I guess I need to get to a higher level of knit wisdom since I tried it several times... I am assuming she is referring to the Madli shawl - I will get back to it sometime.
I enjoyed the challenge of the Branching out scarf from Knitty.com. I loved the way it turned out. It now lives in Ireland with Kate..

Best knit book or magazine?
Of all the ones I have received in the mail, I do like Creative Knitting magazine. It's mainline, it really isn't cutting edge in the knitting world, but it speaks my language. It also makes me feel good when it says that a pattern is intermediate to advanced, that I could really do it -- other magazines, when it says it is advanced, it means it - and it "ain't" in my ballpark.
As one member of my church said, as in reference to my literary tastes.... oh you have such plebeian taste.... YUP, I do... but I like it.

Favorite Book?
Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book has to be in there for its value in being a reference. I am also charmed by: 50 Baby Bootees to Knit - who can resist those cute cute bootees?

If you look at my knitting books though, I guess my absolute favorite favorite favorite book right now is:

Folk Shawls: 25 Knitting Patterns and Tales from Around the World - I don't think there is a shawl in there that I don't like.

Your favorite knitwear designer?

Oh... I am not there yet... I do know that Nancy Bush does create interesting sock patterns.

Your favorite knit blogs?
Well, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Harlot, but I will share a few that are lesser known...
Mason Dixon Knitting
Sandy Knits Just delightful

On the zanier more bizarre side:
http://electricbiscuitonline.blogspot.com/

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)
I haven't gotten there yet. I think I am failing this meme.... I did wear one sock for a couple of hours since I haven't completed a set once. I was quite proud of the fact I completed one. My husband didn't understand that one, but neither did I.

HMMMM... Who should I tag?
How about Ellen, Emily, and Sandy and Stephanie Sits and Knits and Tina (last two are newest members of the Blog ring "Knitting Episcopalians" -- are there any other knitters who are Episcopalian that would like to join this ring?

Booga uga

Tuesday evening.....
The of the booga uga bag is completed - as you can see in the photo, it's back and red. And... it's a true black and red, not washed out as the photo might indicate. Yarns used were Lamb's Pride Bulky and some red yarn I had in my stash.
It's for our church our church bazaar, in black and red, by request of a parishioner and possible purchaser.....


Wednesday afternoon.....
I take the Booga uga Booga bag out to the deck to get a better look. It has a halo of fuzz around it that reminds me of the commercial of those chimney swifts who have soot breath (have you seen that commercial?? I really watch little tv, but that one caught my eye... just don't remember what the commercial is about).

The effort to have little diamonds didn't have the impact it did in its prefelt state, so that is in vain. However, if you are a UGA fan or a DAWG, you might like the color combination (and actually is quite nice).

Here is my question:

The handles are icords. Should they be:

Katrina??? Read on...

Two homeschooling teens took a tour of the Gulf Coast and were there eyes opened. Their blog opened MY eyes reminding me that it "ain't over."

http://rebelution.blogspot.com/2005/11/out-of-sight-out-of-mind-continuing.html

Where has this week gone? And Fair Friday Five

This week has flown by and before I knew it, Friday arrived. It's been a whooooosh kind of week and it's been blur. Life slowed down for me to finish this sock. It's my first sock to be completed using two circular needles and I must say it is a LOT easier than using 4-5 double pointed. I am a convert to this method.

The sock yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn in the colorway Safari and I used size 2 circulars.

And........ Fall is slowly creeping into this part of the world and I found a little bit of Fallish colors in the back of the school I believe it is Virginia Creeper growing up this tree. Just enough color to know it is fall in "these here parts".

Fair Friday Five is particularly apropro with some of us gathering to work on "Gifts in a Jar" tomorrow morning at the church. Soups and cookies are in order for the day and we hope to wipe out a "mess" of them so we have some goodies to sell.

1) Favorite thing about Church Fairs
I love the anticipation of it opening and watching the community come in - it's like "I saw this last year too"

2) Best Item Ever at a Church Fair
My "saint" would create the most beautiful hand made dolls - one year she did Princess Diana in her wedding gown. It was stunning. The doll in this posting was made to look like my daughter - she had a dress just like that. (I refrain from showing her bloomers and slip - this is a family friendly blog.) Note the shoes are made from leather from purses. Hair is made of dmc thread. Maybe one day I will share her undergarments....
border on dress was the same that I usedon her dress as was the material. I treasure the dolls she made for my kids.

3) Opinion of cotton dishcloths, that staple of Church Fairs everywhere
I am making them. Don't usually like the color combinations, but they do seem be popular. Think we will make gift baskets with some cloths and soup in a jar as a basket gift

4) Major Lunch Offering at your fair or the last fair you attended
Wonderful chicken salad with chunks of chicken, pecans and grapes and celery. YUM!

5) Worst Item Ever at a Church Fair. Oh I have seen some of the white elephants that were questionable as to whether they should have been there. Also some bridge table cloths made from vintage 60's double knit were hideous.

Every year we swear we will never do another bazaar. This year, I think we will mean what we say....

Ever had this happen to you?

If you look closely, this young lady has her pantaloons in an uproar. Ever had it happen to you? She has an early start -- a woman's worst nightmare to get her skirt caught up in her tights pantyhose. Happy Halloween!

Guest Blogger

I am most pleased to present to you a guest blogger, Sharon, who is a master potter in many ways and to have her share with my Mom and me her expertise in the field of pottery and excitement with us on a Friday night in South Georgia topped off the evening. And here she is! Thanks Sharon.

I'm just finishing the last bite of a fairly decent tuna sandwich and my mind is rummaging through all the memories of the neat things I did last night with Cathy and Jo Ann (Cathy's Mom). It was a night of great camaraderie. Even the hour-long drive to and from Thomasville was fun. We chatted about everything, though knitting was a strong recurring theme. The evening's mission: dinner and a classical concert.

Upon arriving in Thomasville , we headed to George and Louie's for dinner. It was quite scrumptious; Cathy and her mom ordered the Gyro and I had the Oyster Poor Boy. G & L's has fried green tomatoes, a delicious and unusual menu offering, and their onion rings are the best. We ordered both to round out our meal. Filled to the brim, and the happier for it, we set our sights for the Thomasville Cultural Center for a concert by the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio and the Miami String Quartet. It was a wonderful performance. You could tell the musicians were enjoying it as well. Cathy is mastering the art of knitting socks on two circular needles and she showed me her latest work while we were waiting for the program to begin. Doggoned! We should have gotten a version of, "the sock was here", picture. (editorial comment: sock must have been snoozing....)

Anyway...

In addition to the concert, the Cultural Center was hosting an exhibit of pottery from regional collections. My father, Ralph Weaver, had 4 of his original pieces on exhibit and my husband and I had contributed a Lanier Meaders face jug to the show(shown below).

The exhibit was being taken down in a few days and I was afraid I would miss it. As it happened, the pottery was displayed on the floor we entered, and we had plenty of time to see it before the program started....


Cathy, Joe Ann and I wandered through the exhibit, enchanted by the details, imaginative motifs and sheer variety of claywork, when I exclaimed,

"That looks like a Picasso!"

I pointed to a large white plate-form with the abstract image of a face sculpted on it. Knowing how artists "borrow" ideas from other artists, I never dreamed it could be an original. It was! There were three more very nice examples of his clay work as well. His is the name that would lend this display distinction with most people.

However, two other artists of much greater stature in the pottery world were also represented, to my great delight: Shoji Hamada, (a press-formed bottle and platter), and Bernard Leach, (a temmoku glazed vase-form). These, in my opinion were the jewels of the show. Not only because they were lovely pieces, but because they represented the works of two influential men in the Craft-Art Movement. I have perused Leach's publications, A Potter's Book, over and over, studied pictures of their pottery extensively, but never seen either of their artwork in person. Hamada was even awarded the title of National Living Treasure by his country. Yes, I guess I am swooning. It was wonderful show, and every piece in the exhibit was a treat. I was especially proud that my dad's work was represented there.
As a potter who hasn't made any pots in a long, long time, this exhibit made me yearn to play in the mud again.

Well, I do knit

After some time of not blogging about knitting, I am posting my almost, very nearly almost completed the baby blanket.

The adorable baby has entered into the world a few weeks early, perhaps to urge completion of her blanket. Tonight I wove the ribbon through the edging, and when I placed it on the bed, I noticed I had woven it incorrectly. Thinking I had finished it except for a few snips of the scissors to get to the yarn that was loose, it was frustrating.

The cat decided she needed to be a part of the action. She told me to wait until the morning to fix the ribbon. I think she is right.
Blanket will be the baptismal blanket for Baby E.

Friday Meme

ok, I have had a run on meme's but I like RevGalPal's Blog so I will participate.

A mixture of the deep and the shallow today, in honor of All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day---
1) Favorite Halloween Candy - specifically Halloween candy - Candy Corn
2) Least Favorite Halloween Candy - I don't like Gummi bears (is that Halloween Candy?) how about licorice (bleh..shudder)
3) Best Costume Ever - I loved my Raggedy Ann costume in 3rd grade
4) Worst Costume Ever - don't remember
5) A Saint you treasure (please feel free to use the definition of "Saint" that is meaningful to you and to your faith tradition and life experience)
Of the Saints on a calendar -- Julian of Norwich and Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky (I love his story)
Saints in my life - Maria, and those of you who know me know who she is and why - I wish I was more like her.

Copy, Paste, Answer and add one of your own

Hazelnut Reflections had this on her post. And as so often, I am a copycat! (I had to change just a few of her answers - many were the same)
1. smoked a cigar - no
2. crashed a friend's car - no
3. stolen a car - no
4. been in love - yes
5. been dumped - yes
6. dumped someone - yes
7. taken shots of alcohol - no
8. been fired - no
9. been in a fist fight - no
10. snuck out of a/your house - no
11. had feelings for someone who didn't have them back- yes
12. been arrested - no
13. made out with a stranger - no
14. gone on a blind date - no
15. lied to a friend - yes
16. had a crush on a teacher- no
18. seen someone die - yes
19. been on a plane - yes
20. thrown up in a bar - no
22. miss someone right now - yes
23. laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by - yes
24. made a snow angel - no (never been in snow)
25. played dress up - yes
26. cheated while playing a game - no
27. been lonely - yes
28. fallen asleep at work/school - yes (but it was naptime in preschool and I was lying down by a little one)
29. used a fake id - no
30. felt an earthquake - no
31. touched a snake - no
32. run a red light - yes
33. had detention - no
34. been in a car accident - yes
35. hated the way you look - yes
37. been lost - yes
38. been to the opposite side of the country - no
39. felt like dying - no (had the flu)
40. cried yourself to sleep - yes
41. played cops and robbers - no
42. karaoke - yes (don't like it)
43. done something you told yourself you wouldn't - yes
44. laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose- yes (learned not to drink or eat while reading Yarn Harlot.
45. caught a snowflake on your tongue - no
46. kissed in the rain - yes
47. sang in the shower - yes
48. made love in a park - no
49. had a dream that you married someone - no
50. glued your hand to something - no
51. got your tongue stuck to a flag pole - no(got to get pretty cold doesn't it? and who would lick a flag pole anyway?)
52. worn the opposite sex's clothes - yes
53. Been a cheerleader -no
54. sat on a roof top - no
55. talked on the phone all night - no
56. ever too scared to watch scary movies alone - yes
57. played chicken fight - no
58. been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on - yes
59. been told you're hot by a complete stranger - no
60. broken a bone - yes (both arms - different times)
61. had a 3-some? - no !
62. dipped snuff? - no
63.lived overseas - no
64. Ever passed out/fainted? - yes
65. blown bubbles in the wintertime - yes
66. been in a hurricane? yes

Carve your own pumpkin online

You can now carve your own pumpkin without the mess:
http://www.theoworlds.com/halloween/

How many of these have you read?

A list of Time's top 100 English language novels since Time was published in 1923. Bold the ones you've read. See one that is half bold? Means I never finished it but read part of it. In RED? Means it's on the shelf, but hasn't been read. And, as with Hazelnut Reflections, I have certainly read books by the authors that aren't here... those had the author in BLUE

The Adventures of Augie March - Saul Bellow
All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren
American Pastoral - Philip Roth
An American Tragedy - Theodore Dreiser
Animal Farm - George Orwell
Appointment in Samarra - John O'Hara
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Judy Blume
The Assistant - Bernard Malamud
At Swim-Two-Birds - Flann O'Brien
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Beloved - Toni Morrison
The Berlin Stories - Christopher Isherwood
The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler
The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
The Bridge of San Luis Rey - Thornton Wilder
Call It Sleep - Henry Roth
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
The Confessions of Nat Turner - William Styron
The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen
The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon
A Dance to the Music of Time - Anthony Powell
The Day of the Locust - Nathanael West
Death Comes for the Archbishop - Willa Cather
A Death in the Family - James Agee
The Death of the Heart - Elizabeth Bowen
Deliverance - James Dickey
Dog Soldiers - Robert Stone
Falconer - John Cheever
The French Lieutenant's Woman - John Fowles
The Golden Notebook - Doris Lessing
Go Tell it on the Mountain - James Baldwin
Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers
The Heart of the Matter - Graham Greene
Herzog - Saul Bellow
Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson
A House for Mr. Biswas - V.S. Naipaul
I, Claudius - Robert Graves
Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Light in August - William Faulkner
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Loving - Henry Green
Lucky Jim - Kingsley Amis
The Man Who Loved Children - Christina Stead
Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
Money - Martin Amis
The Moviegoer - Walker Percy
Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
Naked Lunch - William Burroughs
Native Son - Richard Wright
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
1984 - George Orwell
On the Road - Jack Kerouac
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
The Painted Bird - Jerzy Kosinski
Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov
A Passage to India - E.M. Forster
Play It As It Lays - Joan Didion
Portnoy's Complaint - Philip Roth
Possession - A.S. Byatt
The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
Rabbit, Run - John Updike
Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow
The Recognitions - William Gaddis
Red Harvest - Dashiell Hammett
Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates
The Sheltering Sky - Paul Bowles
Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
The Sot-Weed Factor - John Barth
The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner
The Sportswriter - Richard Ford
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold - John le Carre
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf
Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller
Ubik - Philip K. Dick
Under the Net - Iris Murdoch
Under the Volcano - Malcolm Lowry
Watchmen - Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
White Noise - Don DeLillo
White Teeth - Zadie Smith
Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys

So I've read 12 - Emily, you have read more than me.

This would make a nice reading list to take to the library when I'm standing there wondering what to read next.
via Hazelnut Reflections

Even though this is not officially a meme (or is it?) I pass this on to Naomi and Ellen -- I know they have read more than me on this list!

Spelling - Grammar police

Which is it?

Please bare with us
Please bear with us

Put it into Google and we find lots of both.
Please settle this dilemma.

Additional note:
Thanks to the folks that responded !My husband finally solved it by replacing it with "be patient"Of course he wasn't very patient waiting on me for the correct answer! :)
Cathy

New Blog Ring - Knitting Episcopalians

Well, a new web ring has been created - one for Knitting Episcopalians. Here is the description as the "ring leader" from Hazelnut Reflections states:

A ring for Episcopalians who keep blogs and knit. The blog does not have to be primarily about knitting, but it should be updated somewhat regularly (i.e. weekly or thereabouts). Ring code must be visible on the page to be in the ring.

Please join us if you fit into the above category. We would love to find out who you are so we can get to know each other in the world of blogville!

I am excited!

Two Little Pumpkins

Two twenty something year old friends get together on Friday night. These two have been friends for a long time and they are now being a bit competitive on the back porch. The had a pumpking carving contest and wanted me to vote which one had the BEST pumpkin. I knew immediately who did which one, knowing each of them well enough that I stated that I would post it on my blog and let my readers vote (all two of you). Actually, those two of you that conjured this up and wanted this, you best get your friends to vote so it looks like more than 2 folks voted.
love, Mom

Vote using this:

I now have completed....

It's official now. . . .



a sock. It's my first one - one half of the pair. Perfect??? No.... comfy?? Yes...

Now..I haven't cut the end of where I finished the kitchener stitch. AFter completing, I have woven the yarn in and out, but still a little nervous. How do I know it won't come undone?

My main "imperfection" is in the connecting of the heel with the gussett (I hope I have the right terminology. I think it should be tighter. ).
Now the challenge to completing the second half of the project - that will be the true test to verifying completion.

Could you pass an 8th grade Math Test?

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Touchdown that really counts!

Well, football is not my favorite sport, but it runs deep in this part of the world. However, I found this interesting and seeing this redeems many of those inequities in the world of sports:

http://www.nbc5i.com/sports/5126283/detail.html

Go Lyndon! You are a hall of famer in my eyes.

Friday RevGalPals Meme

What was the last CD you purchased?
I just received in the mail tody Taize's Wait for the Lord CD.
Did you like it? Oh yes I do!
Is it the kind of music you would call your favorite? One of my favorites - sacred, but I also like LOTS of different kinds of music
What was the first album (CD for you youngsters) you ever owned? (One of my earliest albums I received was from one of my mother's friends who gave me a complete set of Artur Schnabel playing the complete collection of Beethoven Sonatas - I probably had earlier ones, but this one sticks in my mind. (one of these days I will write on how music was different then than today in terms of recordings)
And what was your favorite cut from that recording? Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major "Walstein" I remember playing that one over and over.

I have way too many CDs and wish I could place them in one of those things you could have 100 CDs and play them randomly. But that is not to be - oh well.

All in a Day's Play

I thought I would give you an opportunity to peer into a small part of the day during my classroom time. You see, I "play" for a living. Each and every day, I play with toys (and let's clarify this for those of you might think differently - CHILDREN'S toys).

Yesterday we finished a project that had been started the day before. We had placed little Halloween confetti objects into a one liter container (by the way, our school is #1 in recycling in the state and #2 in the nation - this is only a small part of our effort to recycle- we are working on creating a lifelong skill of recycling from a very young age). Placing these objects into the bottle is a wonderful task for fine motor skills for the little hands that need this skill.

Today was messier - and the reason it was postponed was I had left the funnel at home and could not find one in the school (the lunchroom's funnel was more industrial and BIGGER).

Our supplies included:

large bucket/container

a funnel

water

one liter bottles with Halloween confetti

the lid to the bottle

red and yellow food coloring

After filling up the container of water, and this is wear it gets WET, the child placed their smaller container in the water to get some water to pour into the funnel (this is where the teacher comes in and helps - she places some water into it the bottle to weight it and stabilize it). Then the pouring begins and into the funnel the water goes (most of it anyway). Down into the bottle it goes and allows the confetti to start moving around in the liquid.




Here comes the fun part - and I had to do this part. Little hands sometimes can't handle this and go a little overboard and since this was borrowed food coloring, I was not going to let it go to waste.

One drop of red and 2 drops of yellow start to swirl in the water. Oh what fun it is to watch it start to mix! (Science in action here)

Oh yes, we had to place the lid on and twist it on so the water wouldn't spill - another good fine motor skill!

And who can resist.....but to shake it afterwards....




Finished...

All in a day's work play.