Kitten With a Whiplash

Sweet Home Days and Not At Home Days

2012-01-27T22:43:00.000-08:00

First a big Thank You to Rosemarie of Sweet Home Days where I won this collection of knitting pattern books. Isn't that dog puppet the cutest? I may be making several - I've got lots of fun fur yarn waiting to be used up! The bag looks like it could be wonderful for stash-busting - the shape lends itself to stripes beautifully. As for the hats... OK here's the thing. I've fallen behind on hats

Off To Mom's And More On Blogger Comments And More On Google Chrome

2012-01-21T21:47:00.000-08:00

I'll be off to Mom's Monday, and probably too busy getting ready tomorrow to post, so I'm getting this up here tonight. Blogger's new Threaded Comments feature is the cause of the recent problems, not just Embedded Comments. Threaded comments have a Reply feature. There's a lot of discussion going on at the Blogger Help site and other places. So OK, here's my two cents worth:In blogging terms

Email Fail

2012-01-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

I've just changed the email address in my profile from cyberdude (a mail.com domain) to Yahoo. Mail.com has blown up again, and I'm pretty damn sick of it. A while back they changed their login page. I couldn't login. I contacted their help desk and said "I can't login on your new login page." They wrote back and said "You can change the settings once you login." I wrote back and said "I can't

Blogging & E-Mail Should Bring Us Closer Together ... BUT

2012-01-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

Blogger is having a problem with embedded comments. That's where the comment box shows up under the blog post instead of on a separate page. What's happening is this: Folks come to the main page of your blog, find an interesting post and want to comment. There are three ways to get to where they can leave a comment - click the link for comments, the post title for those who have complete posts

Mom, Thanks Terrye, First Knits Of The New Year, And A Long-WInded Bit Of Whooey About Interchangeable Needles WIth A Bonus Link To Someone Cool!

2012-01-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

Mom is doing very well, in fact she's getting around so well you'd think her transfusion came from the Fountain of Youth, instead of anonymous donors to whom we will always be very, very grateful. Because they are worried about internal bleeding they've stopped her blood thinner, and between that and the transfusion, she feels warm for the first time in years. She'd often have on three sweaters

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T11:07:00.000-08:00

I'm up at Mom's to celebrate the New Year. She had a checkup mid-December, then spent the next ten days not answering her phone and ignoring her messages. When they finally got thru to her on Christmas Eve Eve, she was told to get right to the ER. I came over as quickly as possible, and Mom spent the night in the hosptital getting a transfusion of three units of blood. Seems she has acute anemia.

Thank You Jaala, Thrifting, Knitting and The Holiday Issue!

2011-12-21T20:46:00.000-08:00

Thank You Jaala of KnitCircus Magazine (blog) for The Stitch London book; Spud and Chloe project bag, tape measure and two fun hat patterns; two Rocky Mountain Dyeworks mini-skeins; set of six Velvet Hippo stitch markers and Green Mountain Spinnery needle inventory card! What a GREAT package, right? Fun, beautiful, luxurious and useful. My apologies to all the contributors that I can't get a

Cheers and Tears

2011-12-04T12:30:00.000-08:00

Hip Hip Hooray for Fran Baker, wonderful lady, wonderful author - check out her Regency series here, to share the adventures of Miss Rose, Miss Francie and Miss Pippa! (or her Amazon page to find even more of her exciting titles), and wonderful knitter, who sent me a skein of SuperSocke 100 yarn from her latest giveaway on Romancing The Yarn. It's colorway 1056, a cheery combo of red, yellow,

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T08:47:00.001-08:00

I'm off to Thanful Place #1 - Mom's house. Hope you all have a great holiday, or for my vast Non- U.S. audience, a great Thursday.

TTFN = Thrifting Thrice For November?

2011-11-15T15:25:00.000-08:00

2 Plymouth Outback Mohair - 70% Mohair/26% Wool/4% Nylon, 100gr, 220 yds, blue/green/lavender - $1.5015 Cleckheaton Riverina Pure Wool 5 Ply "FROM THE FAMOUS RIVERINA FALKINER STUD" - 100% Wool, 25gr, no ydg given, ecru - 75¢10 Soft Angora (No mfg name) - 20% Angora/80% Wool, 50gr, no ydg given, reddish magenta - $1.50Total $3.75

TTFN Could Mean Ta-Ta For Now Or Thrifting Twice For November, Or Both!

2011-11-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

You may be aware that I have not participated in NaBloPoMo. In fact I've been slowing down on blogging in general. Not that I've actually posted less, just less interestingly. In more and more instances the motivating factor in posting wasn't a desire to share some interesting tidbit, but rather a sense of guilt for having been silent too long. Much of the cause has been a lack of interesting

Thrift Shop 11-03-11

2011-11-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

1 Crystal Elite TopKnot hat kit: pattern + 77gr 100% cotton, Green/Blue/Lavender multi boucle yarn - price tag: $15.001 Trendsetter Voila Print 50gr, 208 yds, 100% nylon, Soft Brown/Tan multi fur - price tag: $12.001 Trendsetter Shake 50gr, 35 yds, 60% wool/18% acrylic/15% mohair/7% polyamide, Pumpkiny Orange thick/thin roving plied with a multi strand - price tag: $7.751 Crystal Palace Splash

Magic Monkey's First Words!

2011-10-29T12:52:00.001-07:00

"Super Soft! Yummie & Squishie!B C Garn Baby Alpaca Yarn from Suzy Hausfrau!!"Not to mention that glorious blue! This yarn is so luxuruious, you can't just hold it, you have to stroke and pet it, give it a little squeeze! Thanks so much for this wonderful treat.Be sure to visit her wonderful shop and her delightful blog, to keep up on the fiber news from Australia. Plus right now you can help

Wordless Wednesday Mission DIstrict Style

2011-10-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

A Quick 'N' Thrifty Post

2011-10-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

8 Creative Knitting, 1 BH&G Knit It5 Magazine Racks - 4 Plasitc/1 Metal1 Magic Monkey1 Haunted CastleThe magazines range from 2002 thru 2006 and were 29¢ each, the racks ranged from 69¢ to $2.99. I had to get the total over $10, so I could use a $5 off $10 coupon which came in an email today, so I got the monkey and castle. I'm glad I did, because I love them! Along with the coupon I used a $5

A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy Until The Scum Sucking Hellbound Festering-Wound-On-The-Backside-Of-A-Maggot Thieves Decide To Steal It.

2011-10-18T20:27:00.000-07:00

Back from Mom's where I learned that the beautiful Pelican statue from this post had been stolen just the prior weekend. It was placed there about 4 years ago, at a cost to the city of about $27,000. Authorities suspect it will be sold for the scrap value of the bronze. Makes me want to strip my pictures of the Cave Man, Urn and Penguins from my last post, lest some brainless sewage-swilling

(Mostly) Outside The de Young Museum

2011-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm still at Mom's, and yet somehow posting more often than when I'm home. How's that work? Well, I'll tell ya. That magic spell worked so well, but I didn't have another one handy. So I time traveled to next Monday (that would be your day after tomorrow), and made this post, which I backdated to the previous Saturday (aka: TODAY to you). Then I returned to Sunday 10/9 (the real TODAY, which you

California Academy Of Sciences, Redux

2011-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hey, did you really think I'd make you wait until I got back from Mom's? No way! I've cast a Delayed Instant Gratification spell so this will pop up just when you need it most! Ain't I grand?I'll start with some old friends. I got a picture of these guys on my last trip, back in June. Can you tell who's moved and who hasn't since then? At least the big guy is smiling this time.And I'm sure you

I've Won Yarn From Suzy Hausfrau!

2011-10-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Suzy Hausfrau, who has a wonderful yarn store in Australia, had a giveway on her blog, and I've been selected to receive a skein of glorious baby alpaca yarn . I've selected color 18, the bright, cheery blue! No surprise there, right? Well, kinda a little surprise. I've been unfaithful to blue for a while, trying to widen my color horizons. But I couldn't say no this time.Thanks Suzy, this is

DOUBLE FEATURE POST! Two Sticks, String & A Bunch Of Guys PLUS Japanese Tea Garden

2011-10-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I came across a crew replacing a telephone pole. Pretty fascinating stuff. I hung around for a quite a while, but they weren't picking up the new, taller pole, and I had get to get going. They had to attatch the crossbars first, and were debating the best way to position the pole to accomplish that.I came back the next day and found the poles with three staples holding them in this

Lace Bliss Overload Website!

2011-10-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Have you got a few hours to devote to being totally blissed out on gorgeous pictures of lace? Of course you do, who doesn't!L A C I S M U S E U M of L A C E & T E X T I L E SI've never heard of this museum until today, though it's been open for seven years, and was a textile shop for decades before that. It's right across the bay - I could be there in less than an hour. I even temped at an

Just A-Knittin' And A-Thriftin'

2011-09-28T01:01:00.000-07:00

These are based on the Climbing Leaves Cowl pattern set from Constantly Knitting at 200 Shawls Project. My first lace project! Ok, not a lot of lace, but that's what makes it a good first project. That and it's a wonderful pattern. The pattern set has several charts. Being a coward, I chose to use only 4 repeats of a wider chart instead of 5 of the narrower. I also staggered the lace repeats

Oxford, You Are One Lucky City!

2011-09-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'd mentioned a few posts back that I'd won a couple of Moving To Oxford, England And Can't Take All The Yarn Destash Giveaways from Kathleen at Knit Like You Mean It. Well, Kathleen made the move Thursday, and I'm really looking forward to reading about her adventures and triumphs in England. I hope you all will too. Meanwhile, here's the amazing mix of prizes and surprises that arrived today!4

Could It Be Splitsville For Blogger And The Kitten? And Thrifting. And A Tree.

2011-09-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Blogger - WTF are you doing to me? First you change the photo viewing default to a shadowbox without asking me. I got that taken care of. Then today I'm trying to post a centered picture and can't. I check out a previous post with centered pictures to grab the html. Some of the pics are still centered, others aren't. Ok, the centered ones have "auto" in the margin description, the others don't.

It's Time To Thank A Few Folks

2011-09-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

Thank You Betty of Binding Off, for this Fall 2011 issue of VK. It's full of wonderful patterns, here's the preview page. I really like the variegated yarn in the sleeveless shawl-collared sweater, but it just wouldn't look good on me. Betty and I both like the red cowl at the bottom of the page. Agreeing with me on this cowl is just one small example of Betty's excellent taste. Just look at

Thank you for your comments, I've got the info you requested!

2011-09-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

My beautiful birthday gift is a new version of the Serious Scarf, which is the name my talented friend Constantly Knitting came up with for her large, Man-Lace scarf patterns. Yep, you heard it here second, Man-Lace! Lemme tell ya right now, you ladies have lost your monopoly on wearing knitted lace.Even though it is technically summer, this is still The City, and for the first time in

GASP!

2011-09-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

Beautiful.Soft.Luxurious.Sensuous.Richly Blue.Subtly Green.Textural.Warm.Snuggly.Don't even ask, you know that I don't have the skill for this.A belated birthday gift arrived today.Thank you, my friend, so very much.

Let The Trumpets Blare

2011-09-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

DA-DA-DA-DA-DADA! The infection is cured, I am back among you. Let the trumpets blare:I know this will break at least one heart. Strangely enough my thin-skinned friend from a few weeks ago returned to check my blog right before I was hit, and again while I was posting about the malware infection. I know that she saw the kindness that Qiviut Queen showed me, and checked the comments left by

Hit by the Zentom Malware

2011-09-02T14:28:00.000-07:00

Posting from the library, looking up cures, limited to 1 hr per day. Hope to be back with you soon. ETA: Day two - no luck yet. SIGH. #&^?~~~~ <--- = Me Cockeyed and drooling with frustration. Later all! More ETA: Still day two. I've run a goodly number of anti-virus/malware products, and seem to have things under control. Many thanks to all the wonderful folks fighting against the bad guys,

Back from Mom's With A Killer Cold,..

2011-08-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

... complete with fever, runny nose, hamburger throat and everything! I'm so happy! Because now I'm not allowed to leave the house. I can just stay here with my lovely, soft, luxurious, fluffy Arctic Muskox blend yarn from Qiviut Queen's shop, Cottage Craft Angora. In case you've forgotten, this is a special blend of 30% Qiviut- 20% merino- 20% Silk- 30% Baby Alpaca. Yikes, all that luxury in

At Mom's

2011-08-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Back soon-ish (early next week?). This is about all the typing her old computer can handle.

The Subject Of The Day Is

2011-08-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

NOBLESSE OBLIGE From Wikipedia: Noblesse oblige is a French phrase literally meaning "nobility obliges". The Dictionnaire de l’Académie française defines it thus: 1. Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself nobly. 2. (Figuratively) One must act in a fashion that conforms to one's position, and with the reputation that one has earned. Having moved on from my rant of a week ago, I was a

Cuppas & 'Clairs!

2011-08-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

Do you remember these wonderful Afternoon Tea stitch markers by StephCuddles? And that I can't stop smiling whenever I think of StitchCuddles? And that Steph is as charming and generous as she is talented? And how she promised to send me some Eclairs? Well, they've arrived! I'm sorry, but these are the best pics my camera could manage without a macro setting. It helps to click and see

YOU MAY WANT TO SKIP THIS RANT

2011-08-10T23:45:00.000-07:00

Recently a well respected craft site teamed with an indie yarn seller to host a series of name-the-yarn contests. I entered and kept my eyes peeled for the results on the contest site. I happened to go to the yarn website to look at their yarns (which are lovely, exotic and reasonably priced, but don't ever expect me to plug this seller), and found that she'd chosen names from the suggestions

Magic, In And Out Of England

2011-08-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

Potter, Schmotter. The REAL magic of England resides in this talented and charming lady.Steph! of StephCuddles To celebrate her 23rd birthday - and as fate would have it, my birthday on the 23rd - Steph had a giveaway with these awesome prizes:The Schoppel Wolle Crazy Zauberball in the rich and mysterious My Sweet Side* colorway. This may not hold all the secrets of The Universe, but let's face

What I meant to say ....

2011-07-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Like I said yesterday, that wasn't the post I wanted to do. What I meant to say was THANK YOU! to:Knitters Brewing Company, who chose my suggestion, IndiGoGo, for this beautiful new colorway. Keep an eye on their Yarn On Tap blog for news about new yarns, colors and giveaways from this wonderful company.Delusional Knitter, of Revelations of a Delusional Knitter Yarns!, who sent me a Stormy Sky.

Budget Crisis Questions For Obama And Boehner

2011-07-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

This is not the post I wanted to write today - or ever, when you come right down to it. I prefer to share the things that make me happy. Instead, this is what you get, because I'm disgusted and angry!Hey Obama, Boehner:Although this message is for the whole gang, I'm addressing the question to you two. You've chosen to become the "faces" of this selfishly motivated, well orchestrated and highly

Leave Me Be, I'm Old!

2011-07-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

I had a feeling you would probably use up all the flowers I left you last time, so I arranged to have these delivered today. No reason, I mean today's just another day, you know. Nothing unusual going on, except maybe that it's the 55th anniversary of July 23, 1956. Not that that was a special day or anything.Just an ordinary day, like today, only it was 55 years ago.55 long, long Years Ago!

The Wounded Kitten Slinks Away

2011-07-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

"Time Heals All Wounds" - sure, if you consider being young a wound. I'm slinking off to Mom's, where I shall indignantly nurse the wound otherwise known as My Birthday, in the relative quiet of Momsville. Monday thru Friday Mom will make me feel young by making me do tons of yardwork, grocery shopping, and other assorted chores. The actual Evil Event will be Saturday, and I shall rebel against

Beware The Ides Of July... Unless You Are Me!

2011-07-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise (below, me looking surprised*)when The Universe called to me last night (below, The Universe calling to me) It seemed to be saying "Here, Kitty Kitty, I have some yarn for you!" Of course I had to investigate this, and when I did I told The Universe "Damn, Sam! Who you kidding, "some yarn"?It turns out it wasn't that credit-grabbin' The Universe, it was Delusional Knitter who

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and More

2011-07-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

THE GOOD:Debbi from Knit. Run. Reap. Eat. is moving from knitting to running with her new giveaway. Go over for a chance of winning Marathoning For Mortals. Then check out Revelations of a Delusional Knitter Yarns!, a brand new Etsy shop for Delusional Knitter. Go to the blog for a chance to win a skein from the shop! I've got my eye on a wise Deep Sea Mermaid from the Coral Reef, sitting by a

Lucky Kitten, Happy Kitten, Grateful Kitten

2011-07-11T12:19:00.001-07:00

Imagine a beautiful desert, with sands the colors of Raw Sugar, Crystallized Honey, Cinnamon and Paprika. Liberally sprinkled around are pebbles of Jade, Jasper, Smokey Quartz, Topaz, Amethyst and Turquoise. Here and there a coppery glint catches the light. What can you do with this image? If you are Robin Edmundson (website) of Rurification (blog) you spin it into yarn. This yarn:Even though

The Botanical Gardens, Thank You Robin, July 4 and Knitting

2011-07-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

After my visit to the Academy of Sciences I stopped by the Botanical Gardens at Strybing Arboretum. This was a place Mom had to drag me to as a kid, but now I can appreciate it, and am so glad I stopped by. I will be going again.One of the temptations of the Botanical Gardens is to snap a picture of every ornament, flower, bush or charming grouping.You quickly learn that with over 55 acres to

Hooray for the Red White and Blue!

2011-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Instead of flags and fireworks, please let these ladies from Clinton Park and Clarion Alley present the Red White and Blue. Happy Fourth of July!

Hot Town, Summer In The CIty!

2011-07-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

I want to wear the cool, cool ocean ...... because I love deep, rich shades of blue ...... with lots of swirly, colorful accents ...... and swirly, colorful friends ...... who take a moment to stop and say Howdy!There's some sea-lebrity types who don't get around much ...... they enjoy just hanging out, looking good ...... posing in their flamboyant finery ...... living for the adoration of the

It's raining in The City today...

2011-06-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

... so you get the Rainforest Exhibit!These beauties greet you as you enter a steamy jungle of exotic butterflies, birds, plants, fish, huge spiders (enclosed, thank goodness! Shiver!), and other rainforest denizens.The butterflies seem to love being photographed. Not so the shy little tree frogs. These guys were the only ones I spotted.I was lucky to get this one shot of a bird at rest! They

Some Day I Will Be A Fossil!

2011-06-23T23:02:00.001-07:00

And when I am, I hope I wind up at the one of the coolest places on the planet, like this big fella. The California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. It was one of the places I loved as a kid growing up in The City. Home to the Steinhart Aquarium, Morrison Planetarium and the Kimball Natural History Museum, the Academy has been completely rebuilt within the last several years. The most

Alignment Shift and More

2011-06-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Mom had a 12" flat cushion form, the perfect size for the mohair entrelac. We decided not to go with the buttons. Notice the orientation of the entrelac changed from a diagonal weave to more of a checkerboard pattern?This is because I aligned the cushion corners to the center of the edges then folded over the triangular flaps and seamed an X across the back. You can see it's not the best job of

Thrift and Tax.

2011-06-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

We were allowed about a day and half of spring here in The City, but right now it is cold, damp and completely socked in again. A condition we've lived with for nearly a month. Except when it was actually raining, of course.I took advantage of the break to go thrifting, and and this is my meager haul.8 Interweave Knits ranging from 2006 thru 2009Once everything was unraveled and frogged the yarn

The Zen Of Asymmetrical Design

2011-06-03T16:27:00.000-07:00

The "Blanket Of Unrelenting Non-Prettyism" is finished! Ends woven in and everything. I would like to thank the Sayelle folks of the 1970s, which is when I think this yarn was made, for allowing only three knots in 10 skeins of yarn. It makes the weaving easier.THE MANAGEMENT WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CRACKS IN COMPUTER MONITORS.No new pics, because it still looks much like it did the

Coming out of hiding, briefly

2011-05-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

I've been lurking a lot lately - see me hiding in there? I've fallen way behind in posting, commenting, emailing and generally just showing any sign of life, but I've come out of hiding just long enough to make a lot of lame excuses about why.My email provider recently upgraded their service from reliable, easy to use and configured just the way I like it to unpredictable with a poorly conceived

My New T-Shirt Reads

2011-05-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

"I WENT TO MOM'S FOR MOTHER'S DAY AND ALL I GOT WAS...Heat Stroke, Head Cold, Chest Cold, Stomach Bug, Back Ache, Unidentified Rash and some pics for you to enjoy. So enjoy!"

Shall We Play A Game ...

2011-04-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Of Ring-Around-A-Rosie?ETA: Forgot to say that I'll be at Mom's for a belated birthday bash. She was too busy to see me on her birthday last week! Back in a few days.

Happy Birthday Mom! and a little Springtime color for the rest of my friends.

2011-04-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

No flowers were harmed in making this bouquet, which is the way Mom prefers it.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished....

2011-04-25T20:34:00.001-07:00

Some areas of the country have suffered catastrophic floods due to massive rainfall. As spring finally arrives, or at least approaches, other areas prepare for more floods from the runoff of tons of melting snow. It would seem that the one thing this nation currently has is an abundance of H20 in one form or another. In fact we have so much water that the cost of water is now going to ...

When is the best time to visit The Kitten?

2011-04-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

When absolutely nothing else is happening in The City*! At least if a) you're driving and b) prefer spending money on yarn rather than parking. Here's a story from KTVU news on the experiment that could result in parking meter rates of as high as $18.00 an hour (!?!). Demand Based Parking Fees To Hit SF *This would, of course, require a complete reversal of the Universal Ebb and Flow, which

This Week

2011-04-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

I've managed to be spectacularly boring, in an amazingly dull fashion, for one dazzlingly uneventful week. If I had Twitter you would bave been treated to an endless stream of tweets in the vein of: Inhaled.Exhaled.Inhaled again. I think a hair just fell out.Exhaled again, planning to inhale again soon...Inhaled. Sorry to keep you waitingWish there was a fly here to watch.Exhaled - I wonder if

Good Fences Good Neighbors Make - also Cool Shadows!

2011-04-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

Tiptoe Through

2011-04-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Return Of Jane Richmond

2011-03-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

Last year I was lucky enough to win an extremely generous prize from Jane Richmond, whose great designs can be found on ravelry and her Etsy Shop. The prize was everything she had published! That was Jane's first blog contest, and the Random Number Generator was responsible for my lucky win. She recently held her second contest, and amazingly I was selected again, this time drawn out of the hat

Greens, Leaves were all my joy, Greens, Leaves were my delight

2011-03-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

Shapes...scalloped roundels, compass-like points,inviting cascades,threatening spears,fractal symmetry,arcing curves,fans,frills,harsh angles,soft ellipses,and savage sawteeth.

White Sale

2011-03-14T00:38:00.000-07:00

9 Maggi Knits Maggi Linen, 52% Cotton/48% Linen, 50gr., Price Tag $8.75ea. Interesting unplied-three strand yarn. Thrift Shop Price $3.49Off to Mom's for the week.

They Call Me Mellow

2011-03-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

In Bloom Again

2011-03-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

Sultry Saturday Seductress

2011-03-05T19:16:00.000-08:00

New Camera! NOT! & February Thrift Shop Report

2011-03-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Hey there, sorry to be away so long. I've noticed a big slowdown in posting at a lot of the blogs I read. I don't say this as an excuse for my own absence, but I think something is going on that is just getting people a little down. I know I have been lately. It's not just this endless, merciless winter that has covered so much of the country, because I, and some of the other missing blogger, are

A Singular Honor

2011-02-18T18:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I got an email from a new blogging friend. She had a couple skeins of yarn that held bittersweet memories for her. She had bought it to make something for a sick relative, who passed away shortly thereafter. Every time she thought about knitting it up since then, she just couldn't do it. Would I like to use the yarn for some of the hats that I pass out to the homeless? Of course I

The Return of ...

2011-02-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

Happy VALEN TIKI Day

Boarding and Boring

2011-02-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

Boarding at the top, boring at the bottom.A scarflette I knit while up at Mom's. The yarn is the R2 Paper nylon tape that I dyed. Stockinette with seed stitch edges.

CSN Product Review: Nesco 4 qt Steamer

2011-02-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Mom has never enjoyed the "standing at the stove keeping constant watch over a bunch of pots and pans" type of cooking. Her ideal recipes involve throwing a few things together, then adjourning to another room until they've become a delicious meal. If there's enough to last a few days, all the better. One of the most used items in her kitchen was her beloved electric steamer, which ran out of

January 2011 - A good start so far!

2011-01-25T14:47:00.001-08:00

I recieved three packages from three wonderful ladies in the last several days! I'm thrilled to post my appreciation and show you all the goodies. Gloria of Chronicles of the Lazy Knitter and GloriaPatre on etsy generously sent two yarns, point protectors and a great notecard:The GloriaPatre Icelandic/Wool blend thick/thin handspun is such a delicious shade of brown plied with a subtle beige. It

CURSE YOU, BLOGGER, AND YOUR DESCENDANTS UNTO TEN THOUSAND GENERATIONS!

2011-01-22T13:14:00.000-08:00

CURSE YOU, BLOGGER, AND YOUR DESCENDANTS UNTO TEN THOUSAND GENERATIONS!Occasionally Blogger will have a little hiccup which I've been able to forgive. This time I am furious. Enough so that I would change blog hosts, but I already know that Wordpress and I don't get along. At All. None of the other services are even contenders. And changing services would not resolve my dilema, so I will stay

It's TIme For Another CSN Review!

2011-01-17T12:56:00.000-08:00

I've been contacted by CSN again, and this time I've chosen to review something for MOM! I won't let you know what just yet, so I sure hope you have something as comfortable as this beautiful Round Chair to sit and wait in. No nail biting, now!

Look what I broght back from...

2011-01-16T22:06:00.000-08:00

Another trip to Mom's that was characterized by lots of bad weather. We got her pacemaker checkup (still in good order) taken care of and had lunch at our favorite restaurant, Chevy's, which is in the shopping center down the road from the hospital.We also went shopping a couple times. Mom loves these trips, and her attitude toward them is great. We'll sit there listening to the weather person

2011-01-07T12:24:00.001-08:00

I got this fabulous (imho) picture of a boarder in a perilous position the other day. I didn't crop the head, just bad framing, but it will figure into the analogy I'm gearing up to. It is also cool to me that the only thing in sharp focus on the dude is the one foot that's parallel to the ground. If it lands right, he has a chance of salvation. As it turned out, that's just what happened, and he

2011 First Yarn

2011-01-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

What is your favorite plot for a love story? I'm a sucker for plotline 107a:The Guy From The Wrong Side Of The Tracks Who Strays Into Millionaire Territory Winds Up Going Into The Ritzy Joint To See How The Other Half Lives And Falls In Love But Will He Turn Snobbish When He Finds Out The Object Of His Affection Has Been Cast Aside And Rejected By The Elite Or Will It Make His Love Even Stronger

Farewell 2010, It Seems We Hardly Knew Ye

2010-12-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Are you an organized person? I used to be (?), and sometimes still try to be (?). I used to be able to plan the whole year in advance, or so I told myself. I'd get everything all lined up - on paper - nice and neat like paving stones. I like that analogy, because I always looked forward to a smooth road for the year ahead. Please feel free to continue laughing hysterically at the folly of my

Why not? That's what I say!

2010-12-25T19:31:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd post a pic of my dinner tonight: Angel Hair Pasta and Garlic Sausage in Alfredo sauce with cracked red pepper and scallions. Fresh baked bread with dill and sesame seed, toasted and rubbed with fresh garlic. Avacodo. Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper.I hope your Christmas was sorta kinda like this meal - A liitle bit sweet, a little bit spicy. Very rich and satisfying, but still a bit fresh

Skies Full Of Promise

2010-12-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

I just stepped out to check the mail and these were the skies that greeted me.These ORIGINAL, PATENTED, ACCEPT-NO-IMITATIONS GENUINE CLOUDS WITH SILVER LININGS were to my leftand this Rainbow was to my right. No pot of gold, just an apartment building, at the end of it, and the middle disappeared behind a non-silver-lined cloud, but I like it!This is just a drive-by post to say Gee, I've missed

More Catching Up and Thrifting Again

2010-12-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

Mom is grateful for your thoughts and wishes, and is doing wonderfully. The tests she took midway thru the antibiotics had better results than the original set which triggered the concern, and were vastly improved over the second set, so the infection was probably the cause of most, if not all, of the dip. We'll be retesting in a couple weeks and expect to see even more improvement, as she's

The Long Overdue CSN Product Review!

2010-11-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

Some time ago I was contacted by CSN about doing another product review. I apologize to CSN and my blog friends that the review has been so long in coming. I received the product the day before I had to leave for Mom's.I was given a $45 gift code to put towards an item of my choosing. No direction was given as to the nature and content of my review. All opinions are strictly my own, unless

Catching up

2010-11-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

Mom is doing fine, up and about and doing for herself again. She had more tests on Friday, but we haven't had the results yet. which is probably a good thing. When the first test showed problems they called within 24 hours, and when they found the infection they called on a Sunday, so if there were bad news we probably would have heard by now. I just wish they'd be as conscientious about

More Delays, Belated Thanks and I Miss You!

2010-11-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

I'm still at Mom's, where not much has gone right. We went shopping and Mom injured her foot, which she's had in an immobilization boot that she (fortunately) had from a prior injury. Her 11/19 appointment with her doctor had been cancelled. When we signed in, the nurse informed us that he'd called in that morning, but we weren't on the list to be notified. In fact, it turned out that the

The Nay Has It

2010-11-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

Only one response to yesterday's question, which is still more than expected. So, the nay has it, and the CSN review item will remain a secret for a while longer. Meanwhile, I finally met a butterfly that would sit still long enough for my rather crappy camera to get a decent shot (out of about 10). Then he flew off to who knows where......but I hope it wasn't here! Each of the webs is about 1/2

Shall I keep you guessing?

2010-11-15T16:23:00.000-08:00

My CSN review item is now in the same state, and it should arrive here tomorrow, and then... well, I can either post a picture of the box before I dash out the door, or leave you in the dark a little longer. It's be a few days before I can start testing it out. Darn!I've got a rush trip up to Mom's scheduled for the next few days. Mom and I have the same HMO, and have been with them since I was

Rainy Sunday Before and After

2010-11-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

I dyed about 1/3 of this pile of yarns I've been stockpiling out of my thrift shop purchases. What I used this time was unlabeled (lower row, two coral shades approx 4oz ea) or Red Heart (lower row, rust approx 4oz) or Woolworth's Poppy (lower row, green/blue approx 4oz) white/natural worsted weight wool, but there was also an R2 Paper nylon tape yarn,top left corner, which would not rinse clean

CSN Review On The Way!

2010-11-04T13:06:00.001-07:00

I don't think I've ever mentioned that for a few years I was a bartender in a divey little neighborhood hangout. It was right at a major public transit junction, so we had our regulars, plus a steady stream of commuters. What we didn't have was great decor, and that's a shame. A few new bar tables and stools would have worked wonders on the joint, and CSN stores is the perfect place to find them,

Get Out The Vote!

2010-11-02T13:16:00.000-07:00

I voted first thing this morning.I am so happy this is over for a while. I won't miss the constant negative, misleading and just plain dishonest tv and radio ads, the biased news coverage (they're not as subtle as they like to think they are); or the over 125 pieces of political mail, which is just what made it into the mailbox, and does not include the over 40 door-hanger ads, nor over 25 just

What do you do when your house asks you "Can I go Trick Or Treating this year?"

2010-10-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well, here are a few suggestions for costumes:Skulls are the most popular by far, and there's plenty of variety this year. No longer restricted to plain white, these colorful yet menacing examples are lots of fun. White is still available for the purist, and you should feel free to choose the fright level you feel comfortable with.Could this be one of the Living(room) Dead? Zombie is another

What Does A Naked Kitty Read And Other Items Of Dubious Import

2010-10-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

If I'm not mistaken, this is Blip, one of the absolutely gorgeous "hairless" kittens currently running around Borderlands Books. You can see her current reading list: Naked Lunch, Hairy... ooops, Harry Potter, and Cat's Cradle. The weather was too foul for waterfowl pics during my visit to the pond. It was also to wet for the fishies.So I stayed in a lot and got this Fair Isle sampler hat made.

Thinking On Thursday: The Last Of The Pond Pics

2010-10-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

This growth of underwater plantlife caught my eye, and I had to have a few pics.I liked the colors, textures and patterns.The differences between sunlit and shaded patches. As I got closer I realized I was not alone.A little bit closer and my companions became easier to spot.As I had focused in on a tiny portion of my great big world....I learned that it was their entire world.LOOK CLOSELYThese

♫♫I FOUND MY♥IN SAN FRANCISCO♫♫

2010-10-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

It just arrived from New Jersey, and here it is, 2 oz of absolutely gorgeous roving in the experimental colorway Poseidon. This is my prize from the recent giveaway by Dale (blog) of Light Brown Hare (etsy). Experimental? Eurkea, Dale! This is it, perfection. Thank You so very much. I'm sure the other recipient must be just as thrilled with theirs.

10-10-10

2010-10-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

Inauspicious,? Revelatory? Momentous? All of the above? Thrifty?Starting from the top with Inauspicious:Green acrylic, eggshell, mustard and light plum cotton oddments, blue, pale yellow and pink/blue acrylic mohair, cream Red Heart. These were mixed in with the yarns I wanted. I'll keep the cotton and re-donate the rest.Next the Revelatory: 5 WoolEase. In the store I thought these were dark and

Pelicans

2010-10-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the silence, I've been fighting a bug and losing. I've managed to restore some functionality to my camera. I never throw anything away until I've taken it apart to see what makes it tick, or what made it stop ticking. In this case I made the mistake of attaching the camera to the computer before turning it on. I think this accomplished three things: Burnt out a battery, fracknified the

Heron Tuesday, draGON Tuesmorrow

2010-09-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics from Scottsdale Pond.If I've mistaken the species, let me express my rEGRETs.On a trip to the store with Mom, I found this beautiful dragonfly lying dead on the sidewalk. I didn't have my camera with me, so I brought it home for some pics.These two pictures show the vibrant colors and markings best, but the wings practically vanish.The picture below shows the wings, but

Monday Misanthropy

2010-09-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

"It is true that we are weak and sick and ugly and quarrelsome but if that is all we ever were, we would millenniums ago have disappeared from the face of the earth."John SteinbeckJohn, you left out hapless, helpless and hopeless. I have been informed by impeachable sources that although capable of conceiving, inventing, manufacturing, marketing and purchasing the following items, we are utterly

Sunday Sundries

2010-09-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

What's for Sunday dinner? A Zucchini shaped like a kitten. Well, shaped like The Kitten. Yes, I am roly-poly, but now I can say "I have a physique like a Zucchini" - go ahead and laugh. What veggie are you shaped like?A sunbathing butterfly. She's so pale, must be using SPF 3000Succculents in dappled sunshine.

Some Saturday Sightings

2010-09-25T09:35:00.001-07:00

Recently I've been torn between a new computer chair or a breadmaker with all the bells and whistles. Well, Kittenettes and Kittenettedudes, today my mind was made up for me - my camera fried itself, and I want this: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue) to replace it.ETA: AMAZON RAISED THE PRICE! NOT TO WORRY - THE CAMERA

Friday Flowers Etc.

2010-09-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

Thank You Thursday

2010-09-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Many Thanks to Phat Fiber and ColorBugYarns for this 4 oz braid of BFL Superwash Roving in the magnificent "Gladiolus" Colorway. This is pretty close for the red and orange tones, but the yellow is much more vibrant than I was able to capture. It's going to spin up so beautifully, I just need to thank you both again and again.Be sure to get over to Phat Fiber for this week's giveaways from these