ImageChef Custom Images

'Cause sometimes I even surprise the knit out of myself.

Friday, February 29, 2008

YO HO, YO HO, A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME!

And we're back from a week of character stalking, pin pimping, and pirate hunting. I must say it was a fantastic vacation. It went very well with the exception of two details....my mother-in-law came home with the nastiest case of bronchitis and my camera was stolen. I know. I know. I can't believe it either. In the seconds between leaving the gates walking to the turnstiles, a couple of pin trades, and gone. I hope it busts the second they try to use it. Karma baby...let it be known to the person who did this...Karma, she is a cruel mistress and no one can hide from the wrath.

Once I got over that utter disappointment and despair of losing my pictures (the camera can be replaced), we moved on. My SIL and MIL had a camera and video camera between them although I took some fabulous shots and video myself that I will never see again. It's material though so the memory is forever engraved in my mind. I am sad that I am unable to share with you those pictures that I took.


On to the good stuff..............

So I did a little pirate hunting. Did you think I would disappoint you??? Never! Lookie what I found.


Jealous yet? No? Ok how bout another?


And without a single drop of Rum.


Of course, we found other pirates as well.

And characters of all kinds. (the one in the ears, of course. Ahem).

We had a very, very magical thing happen to us on Saturday. Do any of you know about the Year of a Million Dreams? Well let's just say we were at the right place at the right time. I will share more later. My SIL, Tammy and I will co-author and recap the whole experience. A feel the birthday girl should give you the rundown. A certain person, we shall call him "the Magic Maker" will be sent the link to that post so that he can see what magic he brought to three girls acting like kids from New Jersey and how it impacted the overall vacation experience.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE PIRATES?
(esp of the Capt. Jack Sparrow variety)

I also have 2 FOs to show you and some recently acquired yarn pr0n. I figured the pirate pr0n will pacify you for now.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

It's a small world afterall...IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTERALL....

I do have an excuse for the sporadic posting on this blog folks. I've been running around getting things together for vacation! Yeah! (cause most of my friends think I need one about now). I'll be back on Tuesday and I will have FOs to report. I'll give you a hint where I'm going....
ARRRRRRGGGGGGHHH MATEY.
WITH ANY LUCK I'LL MEET THIS GUY......WHERE'S ME RUM?
I'm going to the Pirate and Princess party with my SIL and MIL. My SIL'S, Tammy, birthday is Friday. Wish her happy birthday folks over at Kubus Krafts (see bloglines).
See you next week.
KNITBALLS OUT.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Hmm what can it be?

I know my posting has been sparse. All I can do is blame that on work and my cold that I can't seem to shake. Out of frustration, I am participating in Robin's Cast-On Fridays tradition because it made me feel better to play with some new yarn being I'm almost done knitting the sleeves of the Urban Aran. Can anyone guess what it is? (Hint: It's not in my Ravelry Queue so no luck there). P.S. I need help for the Urban Aran. Is there anywhere I can send in the yarn to get the zipper dyed to match???
Oh and not for anything, but some political cartoons crack me up. This picture had me on the floor because, if you've been watching the primaries, all of the focus seems to be on the two democratic party hopefuls. Mind you, this has nothing to do tauting my political position, but I couldn't resist this from http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/. Normally, it's cats and dogs with captions and then this one showed up.

Happy Friday!

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Did you ever just feel like a hamster in a wheel...

...And you're going and going and going with no purpose or end but you just keep going for fear if you stop dead you'll flip yourself right on you back?
I felt like that this past week on the work front. Admittedly, I went back on a promise to myself to not go back on the computer and work at nights. My own personal guilt trip for that by far outweighs what can be provided by any other. I tried to take back the knit last night and in a flurry of moving needles and rolling balls of wool, I *finally* finished the fronts to my urban aran cardigan and attempted a decent color picture with Mr. Lightbrite (my light box). Next up sleeve island.

For some reason I find it so difficult to maintain any sort of restraint for starting another project anymore. I never thought of myself as having a quasi-ADHD personality, but with knitting and the added stresses of work, I've seemed to develop one. I love the Urban, but I started getting bored. I think this is why I always have to have at least two projects going because, although monogamous in personality, when it comes to my knitting projects....not so much. Sometimes that annoys me about myself because I could finish things quicker and other times I just accept it for what it is. I suppose this week, I found it hard to want to work on it. I was just dying to start something else but maintained self-guilted restraint.

I'm also beginning to fear some sizing issues. I'm going to go block the hell out of it tonight and see what happens. I doing feel like frogging it back so I might just knit some ribbed inserts for the side seams and do some invisible seams. (Side note- Blogger's spellchecker malfunction this week is really, really getting on my nerves).

Something I never blogged about was a sale at the LYS a few weeks ago. 30% off might I add. Instead of the Chunky Al that I original bought for the Citrus Yoke Pullover and then traded, I will be using this Catalina Chunky. This was more the color I had in mind so I purchased 10 skeins of it. I am trying to knit from my stash, but this stuff is really nice and a pretty penny to boot. I really need to seek professional help for the alpaca addiction.

I also became the Raveler Swap-o-Matic in the last 3 weeks. I swapped some bright pinkish-orange Indiecita Alpaca for this color, a light tan. This color will work perfectly for a sweater I have in mind with my other rich brown colors of this yarn.


Well I'm going to see if I can salvage what's left of my knitting mojo and start working on my sleeves for the Urban. Roland is not feeling well today so maybe he shared the wealth and I'm getting sick again. You know that general blah, can't be motivated for anything feeling? Then again, maybe sucking in too much dust from refinishing the kitchen cabinets could be to blame for that too.

S0 if you'll excuse me...back onto my hamster wheel. I've got some sleeves to make.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Ahhh Fridays

Hmm knitting progress huh? Progress, progress, well I'm fresh out of that so let me cleverly distract you with pictures of the dogs and "Hubs".
We have an instant replay of the Heisman Trophy with a smaller doxie stand-in football this time..He can get more yardage with this one.... (and no, he's not running with my purse..it just looks that way).
I can't even explain what kind of week it's been at work.
I will say that I will be doing this.....

Some of this.... And likely, some of that...
By the way, that's Cartman's new "Bark-a-Lounger" as the "Hubs" calls it. Basically, it's a 1 and a half man couch with the legs sawed off. Think he likes it?
Well Annie, does already have a heated cat bed for her old bones....can't say my filthy pets aren't spoiled....errr I mean loved.
Progress tomorow.. I promise *knitters honor*.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Almost Wordless Wednesday- The Bulldog Heisman Trophy

The overjoyed Giants fan is running for the touchdown.
The dog....less than thrilled about being the football.
"Put me down Dad. I have to poop now. No. Seriously."

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

HEY JERSEY!

EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT AND PRIVILEGE .......

MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

PLEASE VOTE!

This is Chez Knitballs and I approve this message.

Monday, February 04, 2008

Happy 86th Birthday Teddybear

Today is my grandfather's 86th birthday. I don't think there is a bond more special than a grandfather and grand-daughter. At least for me, it is very special. Pop is one of the most admirable people, by the way he's led his simplistic lifestyle, how he treats people, how he gives back, is always smiling or trying to make other people smile, and most important of all a loving father.

As you are all so kind to always listen to my jabber, let me tell you a little more about this unique and special person in my life.

Unique Facts about our Teddybear:



He was my childhood best friend and constant companion. He taught me to read well before I was expected for my age by driving me around town and making me read street signs, billboards, store names...


I knew all of my state capitals and nicknames by the time I was in 2nd grade. That being said, Pop was big on international geography too. I will never, as long as I live forget that Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia. Someday I will be the winner on Jeopardy for that.


Pop enlisted in the USMC to join the troops in WWII on his own accord. He was stationed in the Pacific Islands, bit twice by a scorpion, and almost died of an appendicitis by luck of bumming a plane ride to the next island and got himself to the infirmary. He was also stationed on the same ship as a very famous person. Once he was told to go guard the potatoes on the ship, of all things, and an officer approached him. The ship was rocking hard and he was looking a little green. With a friendly smirk, the officer said, "Straighten that rifle soldier", tipped his head in a nod and moved on. Years later, he would become president of the United States and most iconic president of all time, John F. Kennedy.


My grandfather is the reason I am a patriot today and get misty over the national anthem or flag being raised. He was proud to serve, but is really, really glad he never had to shoot that rifle to kill a man. (He was an airplane mechanic on the island). Whatever the duty, I am thankful to him and all of the other service man and woman that allow me to live as I do. I am fiercely proud of that.



He is also known as the "Flag Man". He got that name by telling business owners, people, oh and even a U.S. VOTING BOOTH (!!!!), that they had the flag hanging INCORRECTY. Stars ALWAYS TO THE LEFT.


He has these little knee-slapper jokes, that no matter how many times I hear them, always get a reaction from me.


Never separate a man from his danish and crossword puzzle.
He is the biggest worrier ever. My poor family had to constantly fib to him when I was out of town or the country and would tell him where I was when I came back. He would have worried himself to death. I must say he did very well when I schlepped his daughter and son-in-law to Europe last year.

He was burned over most of his lower body as a young boy. An ice cream truck flipped over at an intersection in Trenton and exploded into a fireball. The force of the explosion toppled Pop and another boy, burnning them severely. The other boy did not survive and Pop would remain in the hospital on Broad St. for 6 months. I never saw him wear shorts in my life. We still have the newspaper clipping.



My grandfather lost his very ill wife when she was only 54. He's been a widower for 28 years this past January 1st. He has always lived alone and refused to ever look at another woman in his life. He takes good care of himself, but eats dinner at my parent's house every night.


Because of him, I can invision what Trenton was like in the 1940s and what buildings used to be. I have an appreciation for that era like no other.


He saw my grandmother leaving the cigar factory where she worked one day and wanted to talk to her. He was Slovak and she was an Italian from "the burg" (Chambersburg is where the Italians settled). He learned to say "che cosa รจ sul bambina?" in Italian to get her attention. It literally means "What's up baby?". Slick, no? Needless to say, he got his girl.



My most favorite picture of Teddy, is him sitting half in a cockpit of fighter plane on an island called New Caledonia in the South Pacific. It's a classic 1940s wartime photo. What makes it twice as special is the writting on it.."Johnny 1943 South Pacific"....it's my grandmother, Lena's writing. It's a priceless momento.



He is a loving brother. His older sister is 93 and the baby is 80. They call him Janco (pronounced yancko) which is a form of John, his name, in Czech. BTW, I hope those genes were passed to myself and Mom.



Pop will not enter the house on Easter without saying "Christos Voskrese! (Christ is risen!) and me saying Voistinu Voskrese! (Indeed he has).



Growing up he was fluent in Russian, Czech, English, Polish and Slovish. He attended mass said in Czech at the same church he was an alter boy.



He has one daughter, my Mother, who is the nicest person you could care to meet. I think he did well. She doesn't look 60 does she? I hope those genes pass to me too.

He can put more miles on a car just putzing around town or driving down to the military base than any person I know. We call him the "gypsy". We bought him a cell phone last year so we can find him.



He could play the trumpet like nobody's business when he was younger. The USMC wanted him to play in their band. I like big band music because of him.



I grew up watching musicals on his knee. Gene Kelley and Judy Garland are still my favorite actors to this very day.



I can never look at the clouds without thinking it looks like an animal or a flower or a person because of him.



To him, I am "Little Girl" or "Honey Bunny". No one else can ever call me that but him. Mom and I call him "Teddy" short for "Teddybear".



I really wish more people could be as kind, generous, and loving as my grandfather. The world would be a better place.

Happy Birthday Teddybear.
Love always..
Little Girl

Saturday, February 02, 2008

In honor of St. Brigid...Silent Poetry

"The Stolen Child"

by W.B. Yeats


WHERE dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berrys
And of reddest stolen cherries.

Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.


Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim gray sands with light,
Far off by furthest Rosses
We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight;

To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.
Away with us he's going,
The solemn-eyed:
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his breast,
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal chest.

For he comes, the human child,
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than he can understand.

Happy St. Bridget's Day!

It has been one crazy week. My goodness. I feel like I've been run down with a semi. Wow, you never know how much a work partner does until they are on vacation for the week.
Well, at least the entire day is not over yet and I can say Happy St. Bridget's Day (or Brigid), which I think is celebrated either yesterday or today in some accounts. Whether you are of the Christian or pagan persuasion, St. Bridget or Brid ..or Bride has been an adored guide and patron saint. It is said that she and the pagan Brid were one in the same and others say that it was part of the conversion from paganism to Christianity in Ireland. I have read all sorts of accounts and stories. Either way, I've always felt drawn to stories about her and again as she is present in both forms of religion, a highly regarded influence. I remember seeing shrines in Ireland in honor of her. There is one not to far away from where we stayed called St. Bridget's Well. People have claimed to be cured of ailments by coming in contact with the waters of the holy well. We got a tingling sensation as we entered the cavern and saw all of the crutches and slings left in her honor as they exit the well being cured of their afflictions.
Today was a beautiful day so far and Imbolc is celebrated today as a pagan sabbat. It is regarded in the wheel of the year of the Druids as the beginning of the end of the winter months and return of the sun.
It is said that herd animals are preparing to give birth to new young. The seeds of the plants to sow are blessed as well the tools that will sow them into the earth. It marks the center point of the dark half of the year. It is the festival of the Maiden, for from this day to March 21st, it is her season to prepare for growth and renewal. Bridget's snake emerges from the womb of the Earth Mother to test the weather, (the origin of Ground Hog Day), and in many places the first Crocus flowers began to spring forth from the frozen earth. I always find these traditions so interesting and timeless regardless of their religious affiliation. I am a very open and respectful person in this way and have even adopted traditions from other religious into my routines or family traditions.
I could use the return of the sun, couldn't you? Either way, I am looking forward to the blessed return of Spring as we had no "real" winter per say.

So I have some progress shots as I really have been knitting. I am almost done the fronts of the Urban Aran.....

and we are starting to see progress on the Hippy Chic Tunic. Back to knitting...TTFN!