Monday, January 28, 2013

There are no stupid questions,

just stupid people.

No, not really.  I heard someone say it once and I thought I'd share.

You're welcome.

However, the only stupid questions are the unasked questions, so here goes:
Why is it that we consider that the earth looks like this:


rather than like this?:

Who decided this?

A friend of mine returned recently from Australia and New Zealand, and she told me that she was having trouble adjusting to all the time zone changes and from "being upside down."  Joking, of course.  But who says that those who live below the equator are upside down?  Maybe we are, here in North America.

Is there a scientific reason?  Did more influential people live north of the equator?  More bossy people?

Seems to me it could have gone either way.

Sure is pretty though.

Friday, January 25, 2013

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Most of these posts then have a list of websites to go to...advertising, I suppose.

Thanks, all you non-human visitors!

Borrowed from Ravelry

Click to embiggen:


Friday, January 18, 2013

Why I Love the Internet

Because it knows EVERYTHING!!!  And it shares with me!

I am finally knitting the i-cord onto the Volt wrap I finished a few months ago.


I didn't know how to pick up stitches to work from the finished sides of the wrap, so I googled (a new verb!  Isn't that nice!) How to pick up stitches for an applied i-cord, or something like that, and up came this video that showed me exactly how to do it.

Then I needed to turn a corner, so I googled something along the lines of How to knit a corner for applied i-cord, and up came this video, showing me exactly how to do it.

So I am i-cording along (not my made up verb but that of the narrator of the video) and it is going well, and certainly more quickly than I expected.

Also, before I even began, I checked out this blog post to see another way of joining the i-cord to the wrap.  Much neater, much quicker.

So I am in love with the internet.

********************************
Now, as a bonus, especially for you non-knitters (shame on you), this is a photo I have borrowed from younger daughter.  It is a billboard in the Los Angeles area:

I'm confused.  Is the current correct response to becoming engaged to use obscenities???

Nice.

Lucky guy.

*******************************
Oh, and while we are talking about verbs (we were, weren't we?), this topic springs to mind because of a conversation older daughter overheard the other day.  There was a mother at ballet practice talking with another mother, and she said that she was so upset that movie-makers had violentized  (I'm not even sure how to spell that) The Hobbit movie.  She was just so tired of everything being violentized.  Now there's a verb.  I wonder if it will catch on.   

Monday, January 14, 2013

My Mink Scarf

or wrap.  Or shawl.  It is seven feet long, so I'm not sure what it qualifies as, but I love it because it is just so soft.....

And that is because it is made from 100% mink yarn that I bought at Stitches South last spring.  I bought a skein for me and one for older daughter, and then over Christmas, I took the one I bought for her back.

What else could I do???  One skein wasn't enough.

This is from the pattern on Ravelry called 100 grammi.  I had started out trying lace with the yarn and was not enjoying it, and I believe my daughter had done the same.  She had frogged hers and so it was all ready for me to use.  (I did replace it with a new skein from the shop.)

For the first time I used a method to join yarns that is especially good for light weights of yarn and lacy projects.  I don't remember who found it and spread the word about it, but it is brilliant:



No more ends to weave in and that is a great help when there really is no place to weave them into.

I loved the simplicity of the pattern and the outcome so much that now I'm looking through my stash to find some suitable yarn to make another one.  But not a seven-foot long one.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Just in Case

you have been wondering what I have been up to...but you probably haven't been since you have your own lives and all...I'll tell you.

I have been working on this scarf:

It is called the 100 Grammi cowl, but I added a second skein of yarn and it will be a scarf instead.  It is made from 100% MINK!!!  It's so soft; I can't wait to squish it up and wind it around my neck on a cold day.  It's been cold---for Georgia---and I hope it lasts just a few more days.  I had to take borrow back the skein of mink I bought for older daughter, but I have already replaced it with a skein of 100% mink, navy blue (her request).  I did catch Baxter playing with it but I rescued it in time.

On Friday I made a half portion of Pioneer Woman's Perfect Potato Soup, and it is delicious.  The full recipe is for 12 people---YIKES---but as she cooks for a minimum of six people and I usually cook for a maximum of two, I thought that six portions were enough.  
I used a submersible blender to chop up all the vegetables in it and the soup was Perfect!  Just as PW's recipe promises.

Well, this is exciting---I bought a re-usable coffee cup from Starbucks.  It costs $1.00 and each time I use it, I get $.10 off the price of my beverage.  If I remember to carry the cup in the car with me.
In the bad news department, the moths got to my winter coat---AGAIN.  I followed all instructions to avoid this---clean the coat, put a cedar block in the closet, keep a light on 24/7 in the closet, and put lavender in the closet.  But the coat is toast.
I am not happy.

I have learned that I should not follow Pioneer Woman's stocking up list.  Again, she cooks for at least six people, and I cook for two.  The result is that stuff goes bad before I use it.


I can't not mention Christmas!!!  We went to older daughter's home in Austin and spent a lot of time with all of her family as well as with my younger daughter and her boyfriend from LA.  A great time was had by all, and as my grandson said when he came downstairs on Christmas morning and saw the gifts under the tree:  It worked!


Ella (12), Elizabeth (4), Lily (almost 10) and Campbell (6)


Yes, Christmas worked again this year---a wonderful time with family.  :-)


Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year, Y'all!



And if you are looking for a good thing to do this year, check out this site and consider registering to be a stem cell/bone marrow donor.  It only takes a cheek swab, and maybe you'll match someone looking for a donor!

However, apparently you need to be 60 years young or younger---I'm not saying I'm old or anything, but they don't want my bone marrow.  I'm still using it.... so what the ???

Anyway, as Martha Stewart (she's not taking my calls) might say:  It's a good thing.