Ketchup

Wow, I've been amiss in my blogging nonefforts lately. There's always so much to write about and so little motivation.

I start knitting projects then abandon them for others. I've actually finished three of kpixie’s Valentine Sequin Scarves, one in Tilli Thomas' Rock Star yarn in pinks and purples (silk and beads), one in her American Beauty colorway (a gorgeous deep red), and one in red Berroco cotton twist. I love this scarf. I've made it different widths and lengths; the cables on alternating sides cause the scarf to curl under and looks nicer than the plain scarves I usually knit. No photos for some reason. I take thousands of photos of other stuff; why not my knitting? (Answer: Because it has to be photographed in the right light at the right time of day in order to show the colors and stitches properly, and I rarely take the time to bother with it.)

A friend of mine is going to be a grandmother for the first time this summer. I wanted to knit something special for the baby, a girl, so after researching patterns and yarns, I bought some undyed bamboo yarn from lotusblossom on ebay. Eight ounces, 420 yards, in each hank of worsted weight yarn, a gorgeous creamy color, for $8. I bought four of them. Similar yarn that I bought several years ago in a slightly lighter weight cost $14.50 for only four ounces and about 242 yards. Of course that was Southwest yarn and I bought it at a yarn shop, but still.... The very first nice yarn that I bought when I started knitting came from lotusblossom; she has some gorgeous colorways. I paid for it on Friday and it arrived yesterday at noon.

I'm really ready to knit something that I'll actually finish, so last night I cast on for Blossom. (I hope the link works; it won't load for some reason.) So far so good. It's a silky yarn and a really cute little wrap dress. I plan to add a pair of booties and a hat to finish the ensemble.


I may even try my hand at dyeing some of the yarn. I have a kit I bought years ago (from lotusblossom, coincidentally enough) and if I get energetic, I may try that. I'd do it outside on the gas grill, though, so the house wouldn't get hot, steamy, and stinky. I bought the dye kit when Avery was very little with the idea that we could dye yarn together, but these dyes are poisonous and hard on tender skin, so I gave up on that. I could try dyeing with Wilton food color paste; I used to have lots of their little pots of coloring 30 years ago when I sold decorated cakes.

Yesterday I received a letter from the Virginia Retirement Service stating that my retirement request has been processed and I should receive my first check at the end of July. I'll still get my current pay until the end of August, so for two months I'll get two paychecks. Now I just need to find a job in the lower Keys.

Thirty-nine days and counting.........

Only in the Keys

So I'm browsing one of the Keys online newspapers and I see some stupid stuff. For your reading enjoyment, I give you:


This man was intoxicated. Ya think?

For some reason, this headline amuses me.

Since this is the only road into the Keys, I tend to worry a little when these things happen. Luckily it occured at a point where traffic could be diverted the long way into Key Largo.

At first I didn't understand the anxiety over a pretty little tropical fish, but then I read farther.

WTF?

Nowhere else would rats be deliberately set loose.

Can someone please explain to me just why I want to move here?

And in related news....

What on earth???

Knitty is one of my favorite knitting websites. They only publish four times a year, and they have some amazing patterns. I have to share one with you.

Am I the only person who thinks that this pattern is hideous? Do you know
anyone who would feel comfortable wearing these things? They're almost obscenely ugly.

Once in a while, Knitty messes up in a big way!

One of two patterns in this issue that I'm inclined to knit is this one.

It looks cool and comfortable and not too complicated. I might try it.

The other one is this cute baby pattern.

There are so many new babies/grandbabies being born here this school year and I get tired of knitting the same old socks.

My favorite from this is issue is this shawl.


When I first saw it, I thought it was hideous. But I kept going back to it; I might make it some day. Maybe.

I haven't been knitting much lately. I didn't bother on the planes. Two of them had DirecTv, which is pretty cool in a plane. AirTran was trying out wireless internet service free for a couple of weeks, but it was so hideously slow that I quickly gave up on that. When they're offering it for $10 a day, I won't be purchasing it.

When I ordered my copy of New Moon from Target, I didn't realize that they planned to have it arrive on March 19, the day before it was released in stores. I left for Florida on the 19th, so I left a pre-stamped Priority Mail box and asked a friend to send it to me in the Keys. It didn't arrive till the 26th, yet a first-class letter that I mailed got there in two days. Go figure.

So that night I watched New Moon on my laptop. Very small screen, very low sound. I couldn't understand a thing. I was wondering why on earth I'd thought that movie was so good when I saw it at the theater. And my laptop used to be much louder. I was a bit worried that maybe my hearing is worse than I'd thought.

I bought a pair of headphones, a cheap pair, that had a set of ear buds as well. Suddenly the movie was much more interesting. I watched it again and enjoyed it. I also watched the two extra discs that came with Twilight, since I hadn't seen them before. We don't have tv yet in our place in the Keys, but we will when I move down in June. Along with internet access.

On the flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando, my very large checked bag was seached by TSA. I could tell by the sticker they put on it, along with the discovery of broken brand-new-used-twice headphones that had been carefully packed. Also, my beads, teeny tiny beads packed in a tightly-closed Tupperware bowl were all over the place, with the bowl in one of the suitcase and the lid buried in the other. I have no problem with TSA checking my bags, but please be more considerate.

We went to Key West once during my stay. It was spring break time all over the place and the island had far too many people and cars on it. I went to my favorite bead store and Knit Wits of Key West right next door and discovered, to my sadness, that the bead shop is closing this month. There's a bead shop in Islamorada, considerably farther from Big Pine Key than Key West, but I've never been in it. I haven't been able to find good quality beads here and have mail-ordered from him before. Now that I'm addicted to beads, I'm going to miss the shop.

Remember Me?

HOW could I have forgotten this???????

My niece, Kara, and Michelle Two, my nephew's girlfriend, and I went to the theater on March 12 to celebrate the opening of Remember Me. Basically, we went because Robward is in it; we knew nothing about the story. I'm so glad we didn't.

I won't spoil the ending. Up to that point, it was a good chick flick. Rob is incredibly cute in it, and he can actually act. Edward is rigid and contained; Tyler is emotional, impulsive, passionate.

But that ending. My God. It's like suddenly and unexpectedly being pounded in the chest by a 2x4. Totally stunning. Out of nowhere. There are some extremely subtle clues along the way, but since I don't notice anything subtle, I didn't see it coming.

Kara, Michelle, and I just sat there, stunned. Tears ran down our faces. As we left the theater, we were sobbing as we gasped "Oh my God I cannot believe that happened!"

Kara and I texted each other throughout the evening. We were feeling intensely sad. I cried off and on all night. I sobbed trying to tell Mom about it the next morning.

It's that good.

How the media didn't blab that ending all over the place is a total mystery to me. If I'd known how it ended I wouldn't have felt the power of it.

I want to see it again. Only partly because Rob is pretty.






Message to Rob: Do you have to smoke? Really?

STFU, spammers.

(thanks to southerngirl for the acronym)

Take heed, spammers. Your nasty little comments are not appreciated. I do not click on any nasty little links that you leave. How can I tell that you're spammers? You're "anonymous" and don't leave a name in the comment.

So just STFU and leave me alone.