"You make my Day!"

It is not often that I hear that. I usually hear, "Are you really gonna start MY day like THAT?! Go back to bed!" from my husband.

So Kathy, thank YOU...'cause that made my day!

Kathy, from Knitting Weather, has given me this award:

I love going to her blog to see the newest beautiful knitted piece that she has created and to see the photos of the scenery she is surrounded by. She writes in a quiet way...I think I would be calmer if I lived where she does...gorgeous.

I am now supposed to pass this award on to 10 more people. Even counting Kathy's blog, I do not think I am drawn consistently to ten blogs. I read all sorts of things, but it is a rare blog that captures my loyalty. Too many of them are narcissistic and self-conscious...that bugs me. Many are just plain boring and that's...boring. And the few others that I like just don't get updated that often.

So, in alphabetical order, these are the places that I go & why. One thing that can be said of them all is that they are written by kind people who all possess very giving natures. These are people I wish I could have coffee with once a week:

Chasing Bunny - Peggy is an absolutely stunning knitter. The way she troubleshoots, figures things out and changes patterns is amazing to me. It seems very mathematical which I truly appreciate. I am always inspired by what she accomplishes...and she does it all with 2 young boys at home!! She seems very patient...and she definitely has more energy than me!

Kate Quilts - Kate makes Irish dance dresses, knits, AND quilts. We have started a quiet friendship through email exchanges...we understand one another, I think. I have learned more than a few things about Australia through her letters, and one of these days I am going to visit!

Lazy Kate - Another Kate...or Katie, like my sister. Katie and I are great pen-pals! Something will set one of us off and there might be 6 or 8 long missives passed between us! I love it. She is very smart, has a wicked sense of humor, and rivals my own sister Kate for her grasp on the true art of snarkiness! She does not post terribly often...I keep waiting to see more of the medieval costuming that she does...hint, hint...

Megamaid - Meg is one of those truly gentle souls that just kind of glow. I actually get to spend time around her every once in a while, and I always enjoy it immensely. She is writing more and more on her blog these days and I love getting to know her and her family. She is also a poet...I was so touched by a poem she wrote a while back which is saying something as I do not usually tune in very well to poetry. Even her emails have good vibes!

Megsdance Mumblings - This Meg is an extremely interesting person...smart, driven in a quiet way, involved...because of her line of work, she does not seem to be able to tell us all she might like. I met her when we made her Irish solo dress, and we had some great conversations whenever I got to see her. She is a very positive force in the bizarre cult of Irish dance.

Picperfic - I "met" Marianne when I stumbled upon her blog...she is another amazing knitter and an incredibly talented photographer. Just like Meg's poetry, Marianne's photos click with me. I have learned so much about her through her art. She is such a wonderful, giving person...if she didn't live way on over in England, I think we would be phone buddies! She is planning her wedding to Barry, a man whose love shines through her descriptions of their life together. It is so lovely getting glimpses of a life that finally makes her happy!

Unexplored Territory - This woman, Meredith, makes me laugh! We are long lost siblings, twins separated at birth...a decade or so apart...we really have the same birthday! She does have a knitting blog, (we also "met" because of the knitting) but it is this blog about her family that keeps me in stitches! She expounds hilariously upon all things...nothing is sacred which so helps to put my own life in perspective. This woman is a young Erma Bombeck.

So that's 8 blogs...it works for me.

"When Knitting is Heroic..."

Ok, this is a good one...just for a chuckle.

When Knitting Is Heroic; No Yarns of Danger Could Deter This Old Lady.

New York Times

March 15, 1908, Sunday
Section: MAGAZINE SECTION, Page SM3, 666 words

COMING up from Washington to New York one day a woman was seen to make herself comfortable in one of the big chairs in the parlor car, and when the train was well under way she proceeded to take out some pretty silk knitting work, which would seem an ideal occupation for a journey of a few hours, as it involves no eye strain and gives one joyous sense of time well spent. [ END OF FIRST PARAGRAPH ]

The rest of the article is here.

Maggie's Felted Hair

Can you see it?


It's alive!!! It truly has a mind of its own... and eyes and teeth!


She says it is her friend!



This thing...this...this...creature...it appears daily. I kid you knot...er, not. We use conditioner, we banish it every morning. If we do not brush her hair at night, this is what has materialized the next morning. There is a small one when she gets back from school...and we should take the time to detangle it, but we so hate the process that we ALWAYS conveniently forget. This one was a determined bugger - we had put her hair in a ponytail to try to stave it off, but it appeared anyway. Above and below the hair elastic...INSIDE the hair elastic. It's demonic...

Cut it off, you are thinking. Yeah...I threaten to do just that everytime we sit down for the hour ordeal of getting it out. But I can't do it. Long hair is just Maggie. Besides, she needs it for Ado Annie. And when it is brushed, she has the most beautiful waves with curls around her face.

We used to use Aussie Knot Forgotten. Brilliant stuff. She could comb her hair out in the shower. But the morons discontinued it and it cannot be found anywhere.

I am sitting here writing this because I don't want to go sit over there and work on that creature.

Anyone know of a magic bullet to kill this thing with?

Susan's Wimple...

...or smoke ring...or cowl. (By the way...Susan, if you are ignoring me and looking at this post...GO AWAY!!!)

I finally gave up on my attempts to be creative...setting myself a goal to create a pattern seemed to doom it to the nether regions of hell. So, I finally found one that I like: Ice Queen. There are no beads in this one...those tiny, rolly, shifting buggers would only make me crazier than I am. Eew, eew, ick...fuzzy yarn is as far as I go on the tiny stimulation spectrum.

So here is the progress...



I am liking this. I am messing with the pattern (as usual). I want it to cover the shoulders so I started with a larger needle size and a loose tension on the yarn. Now that I am moving into the part that will cover the head, I have switched to a smaller needle, tightened the yarn tension, and I will decrease a bit more than the pattern calls for.

So far, so good.

Mumblings...

I know, I haven't been posting much. Busy finishing my last Irish dance solo dress...taking a break from the solos to concentrate on a new school account. Totally new dresses for an established school...many dresses to get done.


Busier than normal with this last solo because they wanted it for the dancer's first feis after her 6 month ban (she transferred schools). Still waiting to hear how she did.


All is well here. Everyone's busy...nothing funny to tell...

I know, Mom, my assignment was to write about your grandchildren. They are the same...bossing each other around, poking, prodding, teasing, amusing & irritating the hell out of each other. Then they sit together and watch a movie or "Ugly Betty" and they discuss it like an academic gaggle of dweeb adults...hearing Meave expound upon the psychological impulses of a wild, drugged Betty was rather mind-blowing. Where did these children come from?

Molly continues to develop into a stage manager extraordinaire; Maggie is getting into the swing of "Ado Annie" and enjoying the rehearsals (having to act like a "girl" is interesting); and Meave is having issues with working so diligently on her school work that she is behind because she is too SLOW getting things done!!!! Her attention to detail is slowing her down. Thank goodness her teacher recognizes the irony. This weekend Meave is finishing a project that she should have finished in school. Interesting "problem."

I am coherent today. Thinking about the coming week and contemplating cleaning my sewing dungeon today.............................NOT!

Froggin' a Flop

I have been working on a Christmas present for Susan for a long time now. She basically knows what it is, and she is waiting patiently.

I know what I want, but none of the patterns I have or have found do the specific thing that I want, so I have been experimenting. I have ripped this sucker out 4 times already. But I thought I was on to something and had finished 2/3 of what I thought might be a masterpiece...until I tried it on...



Mug shot.



True colors.




The divas were in stitches (ar, ar)! Molly could barely focus her eyes or the camera because she was laughing so hard there were tears. They all declared this a flop.

So did I...so I frogged it all last night, and I will begin again tonight. I will get this done, Susan!!!