Sheep Shots

The saga continues. . .



Let's start with the livestock, shall we?

I noticed that the areas formerly dedicated to sheep showing seem to be taken over by goats! I also noticed (for the first time this year, though lord knows, it could be that I am just blind) that there seem to be more Hispanic 4-Hers showing their animals.

I think there is a correlation there. I work with a number of Latinos, and whenever there is a "pot luck" (sadly, only once a year at the agency picnic) some of them bring the most marvelous stews that are spicy and yummy and based on goat!

And I was shocked, I tell you, to discover how much I enjoyed eating these sweet-faced little creatures.



Pigs, cows, not so cute. Goats, however. . . But I digress (yet again, yet again, Faithful Readers).

These little guys (clearly labeled as "dairy" goats, whew!) barely came up to my knees.

So sweet.

Do you think I could convince the neighbors that they are an exotic dog breed?




Then, there's the food!

Bill White,** local (to me) blogger and Man About Fair wrote about Nathan's Hot Dogs being at the fair, and so we went in search.

Fortified by a disappointing batch of nearly-cold, not nearly greasy french fries (note: NOT from this stand!), we were ready to walk from one end of the grounds to the other in search.

And we did.

And find it, we didn't.



So, we settled for a hot dog (smothered in chili, onions, and mustard) from Willie Joe's (local hot dog stand where we can get a doggie any day of the week if we are so inclined).





I will say that I find the food selection to be somewhat disappointing overall since the Fair Association switched midway vendors.

The new folks brought in their own food stands. Generic fair food.

Some local vendors (Willie Joe's, Smitty's, Vince's, the Brass Rail) are still present, and the church groups with their platters (half a chicken, creamed cabbage, corn on the cob with birch beer on the side) will always be there, but frankly, I miss the ice cream and some of the other treats.

And cotton candy. Have we gone so anti-carb that we can't indulge in a little candy floss once a year?




The bingo stand remains a draw, year after year. It's a place where you can sit in the shade and maybe win a prize.

I'll never be that young again. . .or that old.

B-15!







And then, there are the rides. Don't try this right after a church tent platter!

I'd rather watch!

The last fair ride I went on was the ferris wheel, and that was many years ago.

The new midway folks have lots for the little guys, and lots for the dare devils.



This is much more my speed.

Except for the weight limit. 150 my fat ass!



**And speaking of Bill White, if you are a movie buff, you'll want to check out his Movie Quote Fridays.

Lots of fun!

Labels: fair, movies

I started a sweater for the Tiny Prince in LB Magic Stripes. It's stuff I bought from a serious sale bin at Ollie's, a few months back. I bought 4 which is twice what I need, but I didn't have the pattern handy and wasn't taking any chances--total outlay: $7.96--see where I was?

My plan was to make Johnny from the Berroco site but 1) I hate seaming and 2) I don't like the drop shoulders. Plus, I was a bit concerned about how this self-patterning stuff would work knitting back and forth. I may still swatch that.

So I grabbed my Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns and started the Child's Raglan in the smallest (26" chest) size which is very big for the Tiny Prince right now, but since this is 6 st/in, so I expect to be at it for a while.

The striping wasn't obvious in the ribbing, but it's showing up nicely now that I'ves switched to stockinette. On my monitor, I can see the two shades of blue, sort of a slate and a teal between the rounds of tweed.



I have Nothing Else on the needles right now. Nothing. Feel my forehead. Am I running a fever?

I have a(n) FO to report though.

I knat up this dish/facecloth in Sugar 'n Cream last night while watching a rather strange (even for Tim Robbins) movie, The Secret Life of Words.

There's not a lot of action. Heck, there's no action. There's a little bit of kissing (both kinds), and one full-frontal nude flash that really is necessary to the story.

Not a kid movie. Not a chick flick. I'm not sure where I would place it. Not sure how I will rate it when we return it on Monday.

Thought provoking. Sort of "green," sort of anti-war.

Labels: children's things, FOs, movies, Tiny Prince

We watched a recorded movie last night. It brought overwhelming memories of college and hope and all sorts of feelings back.

I can't help but wonder how different life would be today if RFK had not died back in 1968. Forty years ago.

Whether he would have been elected President is something that we will never know. But even if he had not, I suspect that he would have kept us honest and grounded.

Yep. Things would have been different.

Labels: movies

We came back upstairs after watching a night of bad stuff to the sounds of many (dare I say dozens?) of blaring sirens. The Other Half had just taken the trash our and swore he detected a smell of "smoke too strong to be someone's fireplace."

It sounded a lot like they were approaching our 'hood. Then it sounded like they were lost (the sound of circling sirens, ya know?). Then is sorta faded away.

Then the Other Half remembered. League basketball championships. . .

Small town life. Every winning team gets a parade. Even if it's 11 o'clock at night. And even if it's just the team riding on fire trucks and parents waving from the sidewalk.

Afterthought: I just checked the newspaper, and "Our boys" did indeed win the Colonial League Championship.

Unlike the girls' basketball teams which are perennial winners, our high school boys' teams were so terminally bad for so long that this is a nice surprise. (And I had already determined that I would need to rewrite this entry if the town had actually burned to the ground while the firetrucks circled endlessly.)

Way to go, Bulldogs! Keep those wins coming!

The Younger Kid got us a Netflix subscription for Christmas, so we've been exploring a bunch of different genres that we wouldn't couldn't find at our local 48 Hours (in some cases, with very good reason). Many of these movies are so obscure that Netflix is probably the only thing keeping them alive.

One such movie is The Corpse Grinders, an achingly bad B horror movie from the early 70s. The cinematography is reminiscent of the porn of the era (go on, admit you saw some in college) with really bad acting, really bad costuming, really cheap sets, wobbly camera action, no story line. Okay TCG had a story line (silly, unbelievable) but it had all the other features as well. The scary thing is that the producer made a sequel in 2000. (We will not be requesting it!) I can thank Janice for the recommendation, and now you can thank me.

I was directed to this cute pattern and I am giving serious thought to changing the colors and making it for The Tiny Prince of Wails. Discuss. He's a baby for lord's sake! Babies can wear stuff like this no matter what the gender! (Navy, red, white, maybe light blue. I dunno. No pink.--Pink makes me break out in hives.)

I gathered all my Heet the Feet donations into one corner of my "office/studio" this morning for a glamor shot. The big box is the socks and slippers I have purchased, mostly at places like the Dollar Tree where Fruit of the Loom socks with an MSRP of $5 for 2 pairs are 2 pairs for a buck.

The smaller (emptier) box is the slippers I have knit. Clearly, I need to get busy!

My plan is to mail the last week of the month.

For those of you coming late to this Challenge, the goal of Heet the Feet is to provide warm Feet Heeters (socks, slippers, etc. to the Lakota Sioux kids (and adults) living on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota (where it is very, very cold. If you are interested in helping with handmade or purchased Heeters, start knitting (or crocheting) and plan to send me a picture of your Very Best Effort. A People Choice Award hangs in the balance. Very Cool Purchased Socks are eligible. After all, it's People's Choice.

If you'd like to join Native American Support you are very welcome.



And on another knitting note, here are the first (of I hope many) Hugs From Home that I have knit for Ship Support this month.

Lest anyone think I added the pattern because I am cheapfrugal and was running out of yarn, I present the leftovers from each of the hats. There might be slippers!


It's snowing here in eastern Pennsylvania, USA. I have friends in the Southern Hemisphere where it is summer. I wonder how they would feel about houseguest(s).

Labels: baby things, charity, Cheyenne River, heet the feet, movies, ship support, small towns

To explain why Bubby is having an encore appearance though I threatened to pitch his ugly little butt right after he was finished: I should be flattered (unless, of course, it's because my children are very, very cheap --apple falling close to the tree and all). Both of my kids have asked a very special favor in the past few days: an opportunity to shop at the Store of Mom.

You see, I keep "little things" on hand for quick gift-giving. I've done this for years, and in a way, I've enabled my two sons to accept last minute invitations to gift-giving occasions without batting an eye. Hmm, maybe I should encourage them to start their own Gift Closets.

But I digress. Older Son asked about a week or so ago if I had anything "on hand" (as if) that would fit a nine month old and a 2 year old (I sure hope he was right about those ages) who had suffered some pretty serious losses recently. Um, no. But I was able to cast on From The Top Sweaters for both of them (picture before I mail them off) and I'm pressing the finish line on them.

Then yesterday, I got a call on my cell from my land (?). The Younger Kid was at the house, wondering where the heck I was. He needed to shop at the Store of Mom, too. A friend's little girl was turning 1 and he was invited.

Rather than tell him where the stash is stored (there might be something there that will wend its way to his Christmas stocking, after all!) I told him I would call when I got home and he could shop then.

He picked Bubby. And the toddler mittnz I just finished (I'll be knitting up another pair!), and a couple of board books. No money changed hands.




Joan in Oregon sent me this picture of the 7 pairs of Mittnz she made for the Cheyenner River Reservation kids.

They are all sideways garter stitch and what a rainbow of colors.

Thanks, Joan!











And Julie kept on knitting after her first picture was published. She finished TEN pairs and joins the Overchievers R Us club!

There will be a whole bunch of kids with warm hands thanks to Julie and Joan!






While the Other Half was out doing yard work this morning, he encountered this little beauty.

It's about 18" long and my research says that it is a grass snake.

But I've sent a photo along to my snake-identifying cyber pal. I await her pronouncement on the species.



Movie Reviews: We hit the motherlode of depressing movies this weekend. Don't get me wrong. The stories were well-written and well-acted, but good lord! the themes!

Away From Her was Friday night's offering. Julie Christie is excellent as an Alzeimer's patient who has been committed to an assisted living facility by her husband. Very thought-provoking!

Saturday night, we watched Two Weeks. I'm pretty sure that it wasn't intentional that we (the Other Half) would rent back-to-back movies about such serious topics! Sally Fields plays a woman dying of [ovarian?] cancer, surrounded by her children and their stepfather. There are laughing out loud moments, but there is no way I would have labeled this a comedy!

Last weekend, we rented Snow Cake. If you liked Dustin Hoffman in Rainman, all I can say is that Sigourney Weaver is even better in her role as a high-functioning autistic woman whose daughter is killed in an accident. I'm not saying anything that isn't in the previews. So there! Rent it!

Labels: baby things, mittnz, movies

We're coming down to the last couple of knitting weeks for the 7 in 2007 Mittnz Challenge for Cheyenne River. Mittnz should be mailed the last week of September (to arrive the first week in October). Cool how that works!

If you didn't make all 7 pairs, don't let that stop you from mailing! Every pair of mittnz is one more child with warm hands. There will be one consolation prize drawn at random from those folks who couldn't make 7 but made some.

Kathy C made a bunch of Mittnz for the challenge, but Kathy wanted to join our Overchievers Club and so, she also made






a whole bunch of Hatz to match! Warm heads, warm hands. What a great thing you did, Kathy! Thank you!

Movie Reviews: We rented two this weekend.

300 was full of eye candy (naked abs) and gore. I don't know if I would recommend it to anyone under about 18. It was entertaining.

We watched the Penn State Notre Dame game on Saturday and followed it with The Wind That Shakes the Barley. I really wish we hadn't. This movie is so incredibly intense that I couldn't sleep. Set in 1920 Ireland, I leared nothing I didn't know already from fiction and non, but seeing it on the screen was very horrifying. An absolute Must See if you are at all interested in The Troubles.

Labels: mittnz, movies

This one's going to be picture-light. Everyone is still asleep.

We have company. Older Kid, the Not So New Daughter In Law, and the Munchkin (though he's not yet Out Here With The Rest Of Us) arrived for the weekend and the Younger Kid came for dinner. It was good to have everyone arround the table again.

Younger Kid had a chance to show off his house to his brother (who is still an Apartment Dweller) and his animals (who were well-behaved as always). It was a good visit so far.

Today, OK, NSNDIL, the Other Half and I will venture to the fair to check out the animals, the crafts and food exhibits (and the fudge), eat ourselves sick (possibly), then come home and do the dinner thing again.

There will be pictures later!

Movie Reviews:
The Children of Men is dark and troubling in a sort of The Handmaid's Tale meets 1984 sort of way. Don't pay full price. Wait for the dollar shelf.

John Travolta shows his range in Wild Hogs. Funny, funny movie. Probably not a good choice for kids. William Macy and Martin Lawrence and Ray Liotta are in it too. What's not to like?

And then last night we saw The Number 23. Let me say right up front, this is not the Jim Carey we all are used to! I'd go back and watch this one again to catch what I missed.

Labels: current events, movies

Dedication!

Constant knitting on size 11s. All day, all night. And what do I have to show?

Something that looks like a face-sucking alien beast.

Or Sideshow Bob's hairpiece.

Felting had better take care of this!


Movie Review: Little Children was nominated for awards. At least one of them should have been for extreme weirdness! Lots of plot twists. Lots of angst. In the end, redemption of sorts.

Labels: fair entry, movies

With less than 7 days to go, I had better be on it (home stretch, that is). Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on the toy rabbit parts and made a sizeable dent in the Santa parts. Then I hunkered down to watch a movie (review below) with the Other Half and put my heart and soul into making poinsettia parts.

With Franklin's little sheep cheering me on (not Dolores, lord, please, not Dolores!), I know that I can make it! With time to spare.




See! There's parts in them there baskets!

All I need to do is sew up a rabbit, finish knitting Mr. Claus and Mrs. Claus, sew them up, finish knitting a bazillion Christmassy parts, felt them, dry them, attach them to a beribboned wreath, block everything, tag everything, get it all to the fairgrounds by 7 6 ::eep:: p.m. Friday.

Piece of cake!


The Promised Movie Review: The Darwin Awards. Hilarious! Stars Joseph Fiennes (not to be mistaken for "that Fiennes guy you like so much"--i.e. Ralph) and Winona Ryder. It's exactly what you'd expect of a movie of that title. Mindless knitting movie, nothing complex. You don't want to miss anything! Seriously!

Labels: fair entry, movies

Prepare yourself for a wild ride!

This is the week I traditionally take off from work to get ready for the fair. Yes, Dear Reader, I have 9 days in a row to myself!

I will marathon knit until my hands are so sore I am taking ibuprofen by the handful and I will produce (let me check) five fair entries consisting of many knitted (and some felted) articles combined into wonderous decorations (I always save the Christmas stuff for last!)

And the little lady to the left? She's 1/2 of one entry: Mr. and Mrs. Snowman Other (again, as opposed to the vile media in which some people choose to work). I will cast on her Other Half in the morrow.

How I Clean House: Once every month, whether they need it or not, I deep clean the bathrooms. That's a joke! And once every six months or so, I take a few days off and really "deep clean" the whole place.

I even have a list on Word that I print out! How's that for efficiency?? Oh, and I will "clean house" over the next nine days! This time around, I bought me a couple boxes of garbage bags and I'm about to be ruthless (Who the heck is "Ruth," anyway? She doesn't live here!) and toss and toss.

The Other Half and I talked last week about our bedroom (no, not that! Get your mind Out Of the Gutter!)

We are now alone in a three bedroom ranch. The guest quarters are in the basement, so we have 2 unoccupied bedrooms that have served as "offices" (okay, mine's a "studio") since the boys abandoned them. I took over the closet in here about 5 years ago. (Why mash 2 peoples' stuff ito 5' of closet pole when there's a perfectly good empty closet 6' away?)

The new revelation came when Himself discovered that the armoires that we have owned for 35 years are honkin' big pieces of furniture. (well, duh! The shipping weight on those puppies was 400 pounds each). So we'll be doing some shifting and as I called it at work, "reclaiming some prime real estate."

The futon in my studio is moving to his office and the armoires from our bedroom are coming in here. I will gain a couple of feet, he will lose a couple, and our bedroom will be a little "empty." (How empty can it be with the king-size bed still in there?)

Watch for progress reports.

Movie Review: The Contract is predictable. It's also acceptable mind candy that requires no deep concentration. I had no trouble completing the snowperson above while it was playing. Morgan Freeman. John Cusack. Do I need to say more?

Labels: current events, fair entry, movies

I finished up a couple of entries that have been languishing, waiting for the last (sewn) finishing touches. Like the eyes. And the pompom.




In the category Mr. or Mrs. Claus-other ("other" being loosely defined as not ceramic or plastic canvas):

Eyes left, please. Santa pouch from an old Knitter's (#49, I think--the first one I ever bought on the newsstand). I've made a lot of the projects from this issue.

::sigh:: It was a great one!

Particulars: Minor modifications to gauge, needle size, and materials. Pink and red yarn is Patons Cotton DK, fluffy stuff is a strand of Bernat Club Soft and a strand of LB Fun Fur (ivory). Only the LB is still produced (I think--I got it at the Tree for a buck, so I don't know for sure). Purchased eyes and button nose (both from my incredible stash of "stuff.")





Then there's this. "He" is what became of the EZ stars (from Knitter's Almanac).

Category: Christmas Tree Ornament-Santa

Particulars: More of the pink and red Patons DK, plus a bit of an unidentified novelty yarn from an Elann "skein subscription." Purchased pompom (see above for source).

The Other Half thinks the Star Guy needs boots and mittens. I, on the other hand, prefer a minimalist approach.

Note on the DK Cotton: This is nice stuff. It's easy to knit, has a subtle sheen, blocks well. I can see why it was discontinued! (NOT!)


Movie Review: Lonely Hearts (2006) just arrived in the video stores. It stars John Travolta (who has shed his Saturday Night Fever and "sweathog" image yet again) and James Gandolfini (who will be forever trying to shed his Tony Soprano image). Salma Hayek is wonderful in her role. Inspired by true events. No spoilers from me. It's an excellent film. Don't wait for it to hit the Dollar Shelf!

Zodiac: Like blood? Like scary shit? You'll like this one!

Clearly, the other video we rented last weekend wasn't memorable. Even with prompting, I can't remember what it was.

Have I written about The Astronaut Farmer? That one made me smile.

Labels: fair entry, movies

The Other Half informed me that he was up half the night with a toothache.

Seeing as I was up half the night with Can't Sleep Syndrome, we must have been perfectly in sync, or we'd have passed each other enroute to the bathroom a couple of times. Clearly, one of us (or both) got significantly more sleep than s/he thinks.

At some point, the moaning and the digging through the linen closet for the Tylenol 3 that was left over from a previous toothache finally got to me and I said, "For the sake of all that's holy, call the dentist." Yes, it's Sunday. But they have a service, and someone's bound to be on call who can call in a Rx. And so, 30 minutes later. . .and they'll see him first thing tomorrow!

Amazing thing is, he thanked me. Sometimes pain dulls our sensibility to the point that we suffer rather than get help. That's why there are 2 of us. So that someone can remember to say, "Call the dentist!"





I've been at work on stuff for the fair. That's Anouk having a warm soapy soak.

She's adorable, you'll see.


Just needs 6 buttons. And with my history, it might take longer to sew them on than it did to knit her!





And here's Jimmy Beans, ready to jump in the bathwater.

He needs 8 buttons.

Don't hold your breath!









Here's another hint on the secret project.

















And here are the two stars wet and pinned out.







Movie Reviews: We rented Shooter Friday night. It was good enough that the Other Half bought Blackwater on Saturday. What does that tell you?

Last night, we watched The Last Mimsey. Don't believe the package! It will never replace E.T. though it is charming and sweet.




If you don't see me for a couple of days, don't worry. I'm in good company.

Labels: baby things, books, fair entry, movies

Churned these out today in the car. (I was not driving!)

I believe they are pair #5, but I could be wrong. And yes, they need to be seamed. And no, I don't prefer 2 needle mittnz, but I wanted to make an effort to have this pair be identical, so I dragged out the needles and the Patons Classic Wool and cast on both mittnz at once. I'll be entering them in the fair, then sending them on to the reservation.




Here's where I got the pattern.

I think (based on the type of price sticker) that it came from Long-Ago-Patternworks (as opposed to new and improved Patternworks).

This booklet and the patterns (or at least the one I used--#5612) suck eggs or worse.

Case in point. #5612 calls for worsted weight yarn (so far, so good) and can be made in 3 sizes (8-10, 10-12, and 12-14 yaers). Again, so far, so good, except that to change sizes, you use bigger needles (7, 8, and 10! respectively).

Okay, I can see 7, and even (possibly) 8 with worsted weight, but 10!? Can you imagine how warn those mittnz would be? Here's the kicker: There's a pattern for women's mittens. In worsted weight. They call for size 4 and 5 for medium and large respectively.

For the love of Pasta, don't do it!

I don't think I'll be using this booklet very often.

Movie Review: The Good German is not Casablanca, though it tries really, really hard. There are redeeming features. Especially if you aren't a fan of the star. Disappointing.

Mild Rant Aimed At My Neighbors' Friends Who Brought The Kick-Ass Fireworks to Set Off In Our Cul-de-Sac: The 4th was Wednesday. It's illegal. You jerk!

Labels: Cheyenne River, fair entry, mittnz, movies

I've updated the sidebar Yarn Countdown to a disappointing 8 balls used since June 5.


The thing is, I have been knitting up a regular storm. This past month's car knitting has been facecloths for a "blitz" TBA soon at a blog many of you admire. Feel free to cast on.

I got a Jump Start, so to speak, since I am privy to the blogwriter's innermost early morning thoughts. (And let me tell you, sometimes, it's scary!) So, I know what's coming, and I'm prepared!


Sixteen completed facecloths!

(That's a lot of car-time!)

But the thing is, mostly I used two cones (one pink the other blue ) and an odd bit of natural that I found un-speadsheetable. (Is that a word? It is now!)

Why, you ask are these yarny bits not on the spreadsheet? This is one of those times that The Rules of Spreadsheeting TM come back to bite you in the butt! Broken balls=not on the spreadsheet. And yet, those 16 face cloths amount to about 1600 yards (nearly a mile) knit up.

And Balls Purchased For Specific Projects=not on the spreadsheet also. So the yarn I bought for Anouk (6 balls of Elann.com Sonata) didn't make it to the countdown (that's about 800 yards not counted), but also didn't inflate the total, so I guess it's a wash.

When I add the +/- 1000 yards from the spreadsheet to the 2400 yards I'm not counting there, I come up with (ta dah) 2 miles of knitting in June. Not so shabby, huh?

And Now For the Confession: I have bought a lot of yarn in the past couple months. Yeh, yeh, I know I showed it off. Do I feel guilty? No, not really. All (okay, most) of (okay, some) it is for planned projects. I have several cute baby things in mind, and, of course, more Mittnz.

But some days (yesterday, today so far) I look back over my shoulder at the stash and wonder what's going on. If anyone has seen my mojo, would you please send it back? I can't seem to settle on a project.

Anticipation: The Other Half pointed out last night that the fair is looming ever closer. I wonder if it's possible to finish even the basics in time and to hell with the fancy stuff.

Note: this need to enter 10+ is self-imposed. One need enter only 1 item in 1 category. I have 7 weeks left to complete everything I want to enter! Better get cracking.

Movie Review: We rented Freedom Writers last night. Based on a true story. Hillary Swank is excellent as a white bread teacher in an inner city school. The kids are really good as well. Sort of To Sir, With Love set in California. Patrick Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy) is in serious danger of becoming type-cast as a self-centered jerk! Yep, he plays one in this movie, too. Nope, I don't find him (or that type) appealing.

Labels: kfys 2007, movies, yarn diet

Here's my Keep Me Honest post.

There aren't a lot of projects currently on my needles (just 4 when I got up this morning) to start July and this evening I finished one of the four.

In the photo, left to right: 1) Anouk (from Knitty.com) in Elann Sonata (100% Mercerized cotton), 2) a facecloth in Peaches and Cream, and 3) Veronik Avery's Bear Claw Blanket (my variation) in sock yarn (doubled) from IK Spring 2005. You're seeing: 1) a nearly FO (just 2 more tabs to knit, then the sewing together and the blocking, 2) more than 1/2 finished, 3) about 30% done--I've completed one block, nearly completed the second. Two more blocks, then all the bands to go.


And here's what I've been doing in the car this month.

Facecloths. In cotton. Lots of them.

These were all knit from my stash, and none of the cotton yarn is spreadsheeted, because the pink and blue are the remnants of huge cones. The natural one peeking out in the middle was less than one ball that was already started. So no total reduction, but lots of stash knat up.

I haven't reported and reviewed in a couple of weeks, so there are 4 movies to discuss.

Breach is one of those psycho thrillers that make you say: not believable. Then you remember. It really happened. Good one!

Miss Potter is charming and sweet and sad and happy and it was one I'm glad we rented.

Deja Vu--Denzel Washington. Need I say more? Another scary psychodrama. Another good movie. It will make you think. And at the end, you'll say, "Oh. Yeh."

Then the was The Painted Veil which, like many of the movies based on Somerset Maugham's books, is hard to follow and very intense. The scenery made it more than worthwhile.

So, 4 movies, and not a rotten apple in the basket!

Labels: fair entry, kfys 2007, movies, yarn diet

This morning, while I was sitting at the computer, I heard a woman's voice outside instructing her companion "when you feel that burning in your legs, that's muscle growing." Not entirely sure about the truth to her statement, but I looked out to see that she was talking to a very little person (maybe 5 or younger).

Okay, I know we should encourage kids to be active, but that seemed just a tad over the top.

Besides, if your body is screaming at you, it's probably a hint to slow down (or even stop)!

Working in the garden, later this morning, I discovered that the gnats are out in force. Nothing much is in bloom as we are "between seasons" but I managed to yank 4 big cans full of weeds. Didn't even make a dent.


Overachievrz R Us: Mariella who blogs here gave permission to swipe these pix from her blog.

The blue and green Mittnz (lower left corner) are her own Sideways Mittens. Pattern link on the sidebar of her blog.




She's been a very busy knitter!

Mariella's claiming 10 pairs of mittnz and






a whole big bunch of wristers already finished.

Are you inspired?

I know I am!



Movie Reviews: We rented two again this weekend.

Because I Said So is just so much fluff. The quintesential (did I spell that right?) "chick flick." Of course Diane Keaton makes it worth watching, but the plot and the acting are just so-so.

On the other hand, Casino Royale was/is terrific! I've not been a big fan of Bond since Sean Connery became was considered "too old" to play this man of action. (Who makes these rules anyway?)

I figure that the Roger Moore/Timothy Dalton/Pierce Brosnan (no one mentions the Sellers' version) incarnations were meant to attract a female following to what is essentially a "guy flick" genre.

Well this "chick" wasn't buying any of it.

Daniel Craig picks up where Connery left off. He's hard. He's tough. And he's not a "pretty boy" (though he certainly is eye candy)! Good movie!

Labels: mittnz, movies

Houston, we have a Mittn! First Lopi Mittn is finished. Second one is (barely) cast on

That means that I have completed 21.428571% of my personal Mittnz Challenge. I'm on a roll!

The next pairs (after I finish this one) will be from Alafoss Lopi No. 12, first a child pair, then an adult pair. These will be for the fair, first, then for the Reservation.

If I'm going to torture myself making mittens, I'm going to make them warm.

And Speaking of Rolls: I completed another repeat on the Heart Blankie. That leaves 120 rows (41.66666666%) left to knit.

Movie Review: We rented Stranger than Fiction on Friday. If you've been avoiding it because it stars Will Ferrell, or because the trailer is so stupid, avoid it no more! (If you are like me and suspect that a movie trailer contains every single good line and funny joke, this one's the exception that proves the rule. Emma Thompson is terrific as the narator/author. Dustin Hoffman has a great role.

Labels: Cheyenne River, fair entry, mittnz, movies

After showing the tulips (and they are in their glory today!) earlier, I thought I'd give my Gentle Readers a glimpse at the beauty beast that reigns within the house.

Yes, I am a slob. Why?

I claim that old proverb about "clean desk, empty mind" and creative genius and such like.

But I really do need to clear off some of the stuff I'm not currently using.

On that desk, along with the yellow blankie and its pattern are a stack of patterns and magazines and catalogs (but it isn't a big stack) scissors, empty knitting needles, a hanger, and a bunch of other stuff including my kitchen timer. Ah ha! That's where it got to!



And speaking of the yellow blankie, it (actually its yarn) stayed on the timeout chair for less than 24 hours.

I picked it up and cast back on (this time on needles 2 sizes larger) and got past the point where I had frogged while watching movies (reviews below) this weekend.

I've completed one repeat (of 11) and feel "on track" for the fair. (Fifteen weekends away!)


And speaking of The Fair (we were, I know it), the EZ February sweater is complete except for the buttons (I had to order 2 more because 1) I made the sweater longer or 2) I put the button holes closer together than the pattern directs. You decide.) I'm planning booties to match and maybe a hat.

For those readers who know my dislike for wussy baby pink, I give you the actual real color of this wool. (It's showing up true to life on my monitor!) I told you it wasn't pink!

I'll post a final shot when the buttons are sewn on.

Knit From Your Stash Update: I think that the yarn diet may be officially over. I have ordered from my three favorite vendors very recently (actually only replenishing that which was knat, but still). (For those keeping track, they would be Smiley's, Webs, and Elann in no particular order. I buy what I want/need from whomever has it at the best price. )

Seeing that "Fifteen Weeks" until the fair in print (actually checking it off on my tiny calendar) is what prompted some of the buys. Having nothing (and I mean nothing) suitable for the Christmas knits got me on board for some plain white ack and some cherry red Cotton Ease. A lap robe pattern I want to knit got me to the sock yarn (navy and off white to combine with some yellow and red that I already have), some bright and cheerful washable stuff, that terry stuff that Elann had in full bags.

You know! I don't need to explain to any of you, do I?

I'm pleased with where I am (I updated the sidebar yesterday). I've gotten below 500 balls and 50 miles (my hoped-for benchmarks). I'll add in the newest acquisitions after the fair. WIPs do not count as stash. (My stash, my rules.)

Movie Reviews: Majesty abounds here at Casa Sheepie. We rented the two hot "royal" movies this weekend.

Helen Mirren rocks as The Queen! It is no wonder that this film won so many awards. No matter your feelings about the Princess of Wales, it's worth seeing. If you are a Diana-phile, you'll be outraged; if you are not, you'll understand, maybe. Mirren's acting is superb. If (and I have no doubt that it is so) there is a bit of fact in this telling of the story of Diana's death and burial, I can't help but wonder about many Americans' obsession with the whole British Royal system. Good freakin' grief!

And then, there was Forest Whitaker's perfomance in The Last King of Scotland! Oh, my, merciful, lord! Fantastic!

See them both!

Labels: baby things, fair entry, kfys 2007, movies, yarn diet

Look familiar?

You've seen it buried under snow.

Now you see it shrouded in fog.

This was the view from our front door this morning. Either it was very foggy, or the cloud cover was very low (I'm voting with the clouds--we live atop a "mountain.")




The Friends of the Library is having a sale. This is all I bought for me. The Other Half bought even less.

It's a classic, so I won't bother to review.

Fifty cents.

Progress Report(s): The yoke of the pink lacy baby sweater is finished and I have started the first sleeve.

Strawberry buttons are sewn onto the second little denim sweater. It's been manhandled through the washer and dryer so it's nice and soft and fully shrunk.



Movie Review: Blood Diamonds is thought provoking and very well done. See it!

Labels: movies

I'm thinking that there won't be a lot of progress shots on this one. I'm also thinking "fair entry."

Time is running, the clock is ticking, the wheels are turning and so far I have a shawl and a dishcloth.I need to get cracking.

At work, we are gearing up for the NALC (National Association of Letter Carriers') food drive. That's the day (May 12 this year) that your postal carrier will be looking to pick up ( a pack of food) when s/he delivers the mail. If you buy a couple cans each grocery trip between now and then, you can make a real difference in your neighbor's life.

Movie Review: (a couple days late). Notes on a Scandal stars Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench. That's why we rented it. Wish we hadn't.

Good entertainment is getting harder to find!

Labels: baby things, movies