Random Friday

Yes, Valentine's Day was very nice. I got flowers, chocolate, and ruby earrings. The Husband got a new pair of red socks and I cooked dinner for him (I made the Vegetarian Times Valentine's Dinner and it was very nice. Low sugar for The Husband and high taste for us both).

Pretend there is a picture of a dining table here with a dozen roses,

red soup in white bowls with a sour cream

heart in the middle of the soup and lots of medicine bottles.*

You can see by the table setting that we have been together for many years. Nice flowers, food we both enjoy (this is a roasted pepper soup, YUM!), and lots of medicine to keep us going.

THE STORY OF HOW I STARTED KNITTING
This is my mother's family.

The picture was taken in about 1918 and the little one in the front is my mother. As you can see she had lots of sisters. When I was about 4 years old, I was just sitting around, looking out of the window and one of my aunts said, "You need something to do." and she got an empty thread spool (they were made of wood in those days) and she made an idiot cord machine (put 4 nails in the top and the cord comes out the bottom). Then she taught me to knit four stitches at a time around and around and around. Once I had conquored that the Aunts passed me around and each one taught me her special needleart: drawn thread work, needlepoint, crewl work (Yecchhh!), knitting, dress making and so forth. By the time I got to college I knew everything but spinning and weaving (though I could weave on one of those weave-it looms and I have the afghan to prove it!). Why I didn't major in textile arts G-d only knows, but I did wind up working in the costume shop.

KNITTING IN PROGRESS
We have had a slew of days off due to the weather

Pretend there is a picture of my yard with 14 inches of snow.*

and what do we do with extra time? Yes, we knit! I finished The Husband's socks, ripped out the different color of the HBS (you knew I would, didn't you?), started a scarf with Violet's Yarn,

Pretend there is a picture of a lacy scarf here. * (sigh)

and swatched for one of the sweaters in Interweave Knits Spring 2007. Speaking of which, what drug do you think the people over at Interweave are using? First of all, I agree with just about everyone who has reviewed the new issue. The present lay-out of photos makes the whole magazine look like an ad, and the sweaters/projects? The Eyelet Rib Bandeau made the model look chunky and The Husband would never accept the Tea Rose Halter Top as public apparal. And you know, when I'm feeling a little spicy I just love to throw on a knitted apron and wander the streets. Seriously, folks at Interweave, get a grip and give us interesting challenges that we will actually wear. If you want to be hip and trendy put it in your hip and trendy Mag.

Guess that does it for now, I have to go get ready for services, I am in charge of the tea after and need to pack up the goodies. What goodies, you ask? Challah , chocolate covered cherry cookies , (the recipe came from one of these mysteries, but I don't remember which, read them all) heart sugar cookies with Chambord frosting, and green grapes. Drop by if you're in the area.

*Blogger is being difficult, as usual, and most of the pictures won't load. Arggghhh!! B also gave me a warning that the next time I may have to sign up for New Blunder (oops! I mean New Blogger. Sure I do.) so if you don't hear from me, I am lost in the blogosphere without tech support (at least until Elder Son gets home.........)

Valentine's Day

Amy seemed so impressed with my story about how I started knitting (yes, I know it hasn't been on the blog. Later!), I thought I would share the story of how I ended up with The Husband.
First, remember that I had deicded to convert to Reform Judiasm. I had been living in southern California while trying to make it big in theater/acting, please just give me a chance. A bad boyfriend, a nowhere job and way too many auditions where I was told, "You're really good, but you're too ____(fill in the blank, tall, heavy, thin, blond, brunette, female?)" and I decided to go back where I came from. Just after I got back I contacted a Jewish friend and asked for an introduction to the local Rabbi. Before I met with him, I went to see my old friends at the local community theater. Sitting in the audience was The Husband. It was closing night and we all went back to the apartment of one of the actors for a party. Now, remember that it was the late 70s and these were theater people. Much drinking, mild drug use and fun ensued. The Husband and I were the only people in the room who abstained so we wound up talking to each other. The Husband went down to his apartment and made us some hot chocolate and after the party he volunteered to walk me home (small town, very small, you could walk just about anywhere in less than half an hour) as it was three in the morning. I invited him in for some more hot chocolate and we sat in my parent's kitchen and talked for another hour or so. At one point he mentioned, "By the way, I'm Jewish." As though he expected me to throw him out of the house. I did not mention my appointment with the Rabbi, it just seemed too pushy.
During the next week he asked me to dinner and on the walk back home, I asked him what he was thinking about so hard. His answer, "How to word the wedding invitations." That's when I told him I was in the process of converting and he said out meeting was "B'sheert" which means meant to be. It must have been, we've been together for 27 years and counting.

Happy Valentine's Day.

The Plague: Part Doo

Antibiotics are a wonderful thing! So far today I have folded the three loads of laundry I did last night (about 6 hours after the first dose), cut out a prayer shawl for the Rabbi, made lunch (meatball sandwiches) and mixed up a cake so I can use the leftover peanut butter frosting. Note I say mixed up the cake, not baked. As I was about to fold in the milk chocolate chips they moved! There were little spider webby things in the bag and they were still moving too. One bowl of cake batter down the toilet. Now I am trying to convince myself that I should wash the bowl and start again (did I mention that the cake was from scratch? The Husband keeps saying, "Use a mix. That's why I bought them!" But I just want a small cake. There's not a whole lot of frosting left and guess who will eat the cake anyway?).
As for the HBS, I finished the buttonhole side of the button band and started the plain side. Silly pattern has one knit the bands and then sew them on. More sewing up. As I was working on the bands and checking to see if they were the right length, I noticed that one front is a different color from the other. Now, I know I bought all the same dye lot for the body and had to get more for the sleeves, so how the heck did the fronts get to be different colors??? Oh,well. It's going away and it did take me this long to see the difference so if a certain niece can keep quiet, Big Brother will never notice. Back to the cake (which will not be moving this time!).

The Plague Part I

So, I haven't really been interested in posting and thought I'd tell y'all why. Remember that week with the same class? Seems they passed on whatever crud was going around the school and I caught a cold. That was two weeks ago and now it has progressed. I will spare you the details, just believe me when I say it has passed the level of cold to something more like drowning.

In knitting news, the HBS (Huge Blue Sweater. Remember?) is still in progress. With all the sick days and cold days (they actually closed school when the wind chill got to 20 below F! When I was a child we went to school with the snow over our knees. And I mean high school, when I was already six feet tall and my knees were a ways from the ground. And we had to walk uphill, both ways!) you would think I have nothing to do but knit on the HBS. Sadly, I have reached the point where it is almost done (button bands and sewing up) and I don't want to work on anything else (well, I want to, I just don't think I should) but I have been sleeping between 10 and 14 hours a day. Even when I am awake I have the energy of a yam and stare at the TV waiting for something to amuse me. I called the Doctor today and maybe she will give me some nice drugs to get rid of this crud.

I keep trying to be upbeat, but really, I think I need another nap. Knit something pretty and post about it, won't you? (Oddly, I have plenty of energy to read other people's posts. Hi! Coach, Cygnet, Samurai Knitter, and so many others.......)

Guilty!

This is how those of us without much to tell are convinced to update......guilt! The Coach left a message about how long it had been since I posted (not that I left several of those for her......Oh no, not I!), so today I took the pictures I wanted to share and finally loaded them. If Blogger will let me, I will show you what's up. Yay! I loaded the pictures and now will attempt to explain them......

This is the way my living room mantle looks in January. Over the years many of my students (both classroom and piano) have given me snowmen during the winter excess holiday. As often as possible I wrote the name of the child and the year on the bottom. It makes for a nice Sunday afternoon when I put out the decorations and remember the students (more than a few have graduated......from college!). I made the snowmen in the corners. The one on the right is holding a small quilt. I think I'd better get a knitted (or knitting) snowman up by next year.




These are the slippers I mentioned in the last post. The book (as you can read..*headdesk*) is "CinderEdna". It's a great story. If you recall Cinderella was beautiful and everyone helped her just because. CinderEdna lives next door to Cinderella and helps herself. She also wears loafers (not glass slippers) because they are more comfortable when she is cleaning and dancing. I got the book for Great-Niece and thought the best thing to go with it would be loafer shaped slippers. No pattern? How hard could it be to figure out? As it turned out, not so hard just that old procrastination thing going on. At last they are finished (two weeks late, but done!) and in the mail along with a book and dino mittens and book for older brother.




Look what I got in the mail! Lisa Souza yarn! I bought three skeins of Miss Violet's Pink Ribbon (scroll down). One for me and two for Youngest Niece. She has a friend who lost a mother to breast cancer and Niece would like me to knit a scarf for the friend. Niece paid for the yarn and I will do the knitting (gotta spend more time with that kid and get needles in her hands, she does cross-stitch but no knitting. Yet!) I think I will knit the Argosy scarf from Knitty. Someone at Miss Violet's knit along had a picture up and it's purty!






Last picture. I wash The Husband's socks in the washer and give them about 15 minutes in the dryer just to fluff them. Guess how long the blue ones stayed in last time? You in the back? Yes, 55 minutes. They do still seem to fit him, but darn! I knew they were in there.......

I have no idea how this will look once I post but I hope all the info is by the correct picture. In other news the HBS is coming along. I caught a cold from the 5th graders and spent a few days just watching movies (OOHH!!We joined Netflix!) and knitting. Actually I watched "The Vicar of Dibley". Heh! Love it. This week I get to see "Chef!" but the jury is still out. Just after the cold got to the point where I could breathe through my nose again I was called in for PreSchool. Love the little kids, we used about half a bottle of sanitizer and no one cried. Best part of the day? Three aides telling me how happy they are to see me as their substitute. Awww! Makes me feel all warm and loved. Wait! Maybe that's the fever..........