Grand gestures

What is a grand gesture?

Is it a large bouquet of roses delivered in red ribbon-tied box? Or a horse drawn carriage ride? Is it the the wedding kiss?

Or is it simply the touch of a hand at the right moment? Or that look from across the room - the look you weren't supposed to see that you busted him on? Or or is it the acceptance and welcome of things or people in your life that change the direction you thought you were going? Or could it be sleeping on the couch so your significant other could have a decent nights sleep (even knowing you won't)?

Or is it something unexpected? Is it that surpise call in the middle of day just to say "Hi - How are you? - I love you more than my last and future breath - See you after work!"

Or is it seeing a possibly homeless person walking around town picking up pop cans in the cold, wind, and snow and deciding to do something? Knowing you can't do afford much to give as far as money is concerned but you figure out what you can do - knit - and knit a hat for the "walker guy" for the upcoming MI winter.

What constitutes a grand gesture? And does it really matter if the gesture is grand or is it more important that there is a gesture?

There are movies (Love Actually) and wine (Chianti) that make too many thoughts run through busy minds ---

Have a good night/morning....

Warning - - - Honesty ahead......

I read an inspiring post from Stoned Knitter this morning. Her birthday/blog-anniversary is tomorrow and she was waxing poetic a little about life and blogs.

I've had a difficult time getting and keeping this blog going. Sometimes I read everyone else's blog and feel like I don't have much to share. Sometimes I would rather knit than talk about it. Sometimes I forget to take any pictures of FO's or WIP's while the lighting is still there. Sometimes I finally take pictures and they end up sitting in the camera seemingly forever until they're downloaded to the computer. Sometimes I think it's been so long since a post - what's the point? There are times I wonder if anyone is even out there reading.

I've always been a private person and most times too introverted for my own good. I'm more than willing to talk to anyone and I will share just about anything. However, my problem comes in that I very rarely will volunteer much. I figure that if someone wants to know something about me - they'll ask. But I've learned that most people don't ask.

There's also the issue that people believe and somewhat expect different things about me. As an example: my parents, sad to say, I don't think know the real me. Part of me believes that if they did know me, they might not like me. So I keep them in the dark about things. (Yes, I know that I'm old enough that I don't need their approval. But I like being liked and I've kept them in the dark for many years so by now it's more of a habit.) Obviously, they certainly don't know about this blog!

Then there are the truths and feelings that I don't share in order to save other peoples feelings or their perceptions of me. There are people who know about this blog that I worry about what they might read and/or discover about me.

Here's the truth: I've lost my voice. Worse yet, I'm the one who took it from me. It's easier to keep quiet than it is to be woefully misunderstood. It's easier to just stop talking and avoid or stop a fight. It's easier to hide things than to disappoint people.

The other truth: Not having my voice anymore has really taken a good amount of fun out of life.

Fact: I cannot do what I've been doing anymore.

This blog will become something different than it has been. It will start to be my voice to the lurkers and to anyone who comes across it. It will also serve as a catalyst to find my voice more in the real world and to use it at any given (or stolen!) moment. I hope to find myself and my voice back.


There will be knitting content - if I ever get those damn pictures taken! : )

Pictures!!!!

Well how far behind am I??? Some knitting pics updates - - - -

Wine coaster
Mmmmmm........ yummy........
Grilled chicken breast, garlic & pepper roasted asparagus..... & knitted wine coaster!


Squares for Grandma Purl

Artistic......

notice the name on the wine bottle "A Few Good Men" - every chicky should have a couple of those! ]: )

square detail -

Wine glassWine bottle

There has been much more knitting - hats, fingerless gloves, a little work on the Ruana.... just no pics : (

I'll be better over the week and for sure he weekend (maybe even some pics with a male model - PB just doesn't know yet!)

tee hee : )

Finally!!

I finally got my squares for Gma Purl in the mail. They've been done for weeks but between being sick, PB being sick, 1st anniversary...... you get the point. I was just too busy.

But they're in the mail and Gma should get them in at least 3 days (or however long it takes the Post Office to delivery Priority mail to California)!

Yeah!!

Pictures tomorrow I promise!

One year ago, today....

October 8, 2005
2 pm

Mrs. & Mr.

Love wins.

What can be said?

I wasn't born when the world was at war for the second time.

I can't tell you where I was when Kennedy was shot because I wasn't born yet.

I didn't watch a man walk on the moon and plant the US flag.

I can say I was at work when planes landed in two buildings and another into the Pentagon and still another in a field 5 years ago. A guy I was dating, "the flower guy", sent me an email and said that a plane hit one of the world trade center towers. I didn't think too much of it - thinking it was just a sight seeing plane or something that wouldn't really do any damage.....

Then the reality of what happened came to life from the voice on the radio, and other radio voices from plant radios. Next thing I know I'm going to Menards to buy TV antennas for the TV's scattered around the building. However, when I got back we just sat around the radio listening to the voices bring the frightening news to life.

The world that we knew was changed.

In spite of the horror of that moment, life went on and continues to go on. The world hiccuped in its spin but continued on its path.
We continue to be who and what we are - Americans, United.

Here fishy, fishy, fishy....

You know, the pattern was right. The muff looks like a fish before it's stitched together. Case in point - it's even still attached to the fishing lure that caught it!

There you have it folks the muff pre-sewing. I used Red Heart Super Saver in Light Sage and Bernat Denim Style in Chino held together for the cuffs. The body was made out of Lion Brand Homespun Edwardian throughout the whole body and Romanesque, Mediterranean, and Harvest added in. Talk about a great stash buster! I had all this yarn in my stash I didn't know what to do with.

I wanted to use something that would be soft and washable without felting. If this muff is going to stand any kind of a chance with me and these Michigan winters it has to be washable.

I followed the pattern for the most part, kinda. I started on US 10 for the first little cuff and 3 rounds of the body. Began to think I was crazy for trying to work with 2 strands of Homespun on 10's - so I switched to 10 1/2's. In the interest of stitch pattern equality I then switched back to 10's for 3 rounds of the end of the body and the second, longer cuff.

I really didn't want the body color to be in any form of a pattern. So I knitted with Romanesque until I was sick of that color, and switched to Mediterranean and then to Harvest. Then it was back to Mediterranean and Romanesque.

Here it is in all it's finished muff-ly goodness. Also included in the picture is the "not invited to the photo shoot cat" Beau. One of the 2 furballs that call me mom.

I did it!

I finally took pictures and updated the sidebar with links to those pictures.

But after all that updating I'm too tired for a real post. So I'll leave you with some pictures of a Spidey hanging out on my garage roof.

Lacking substance (& knitting pics)

Really, truly I've been meaning to take pictures of my knitting projects or FO's - - - but I just haven't. I know..... bad blogger me.

So in the absence of knitting content - I bring you CORN! (yes, I know there are nights that I seem to have lost my mind; bear with me sanity will catch up with me sooner or later.)

When I say that my yard sometimes looks more like a cornfield than a yard I really mean it.

Notice the little tuft of silk on the ear of corn - right by my front porch door?!?

Oh and an update on the gutter corn.... It has an ear!!! (sometimes folks, it's the little things : )

Further proof that I'm not the wacko planting all this corn

- here's the spidey feeder (along with more corn growing underneath it). The box has a hinged lid to hold the squirrel chow that they usually lift up with their heads and dig around in for the good stuff. They love them some unsalted peanuts in the shell!! The shepherds hook is holding the spring-looking thing that holds an ear of corn.

Here's a cute little rodent caught red-handed! (red-pawed??).

I've never caught one sitting in my gutters before so I couldn't resist taking a couple pics. I ended up getting too close for his liking and he ran away up on the roof. Busted!!

Really, truly I plan (and will!) take knitting pics this weekend. I've even updated my list of on the needles and WIP's on the sidebar in an effort of good faith (or just to remind my fuzzy self of the pics I need to take! : )

p.s. I've finished my muff for the muff along I just need to finish seaming!

Is it just me?

I went on a mini-vacation last weekend (can little more than a long weekend to visit family. in-laws even, be considered a vacation??) and had wonderful thoughts of knitting there and back. From my lake side town in MI to Minnesota close to the Iowa line that would be about 9-10 hours in a car.

I could get tons done on my Ruana (that I haven't touched in weeks.....)! I could finish my Kool-Aid scarf (not touched in months.....)! I could start and finish a can cooler for PB for work!

Such great plans!! Such amazing visions of completion!! The oooo's and ahhh's from everyone marveling at my finished objects!! I am knitting Goddess turning WIP's into FO's!!

REALITY CHECK ----

Friday drive out to MN -
After 8 rows on the Kool-Aid scarf - I was bored.
I started a new knitted bracelet cuff (on 1's!! Had to buy them for this project - eeek)

Sunday drive back to MI -
Started a new bag out of cotton (side note - no real pattern and it got frogged on Tuesday and then cast on for a traveling laundry bag, again no real pattern)
Worked on the bracelet cuff
Started the can cooler for PB

Never touched the biggest project - the Ruana - other than to look at the bag in the trunk and go "Oh yeah...."

Score:
FO's - 0
New Projects Started - 3

Is it just me? Or is there a support group for those of us with too many WIP's??

"Hi. My name is Kat. I'm a habitual new project starter, very rarely finishing something before starting something new. I get really excited about something new and find myself very easily bored with something that needs finishing. Then I cannot possibly conceive of finishing anything without at least starting on the new project."

Say it with me in unison - - -

"Hi Kat - welcome! You are among friends - as we are the UFO Collector's Anonymous"

Reflections on a gated community - - - -

Conversation with a guy at work (who’s known to have a somewhat odd sense of humor)....

S: "You look just like someone who works in our department."
me: "Really? You should introduce us sometime!"
S: "I really don't know her that well."
me: "Well that's too bad."

As soon as I said that I realized that it’s true. It’s really too bad that there are people who don’t know me that well. People I see nearly every day, but truly without much interaction. Then I got to thinking that there are people who should know me so well but then they say something or do something and it makes you wonder if they ever really knew you at all.

There are people we let into our own little world and there are people we keep out. There are times we make mistakes on who we give the gate key too - bad relationships or selfish people - and we wish we could erase them or forget them but they’ve already left their initials carved in every tree, wet cement and park bench in our world.

I’m not saying we should lock the gate and throw away all the keys and keep everyone out for fear of a person wielding a mean pocket knife. Maybe we just need to walk through our world with the next person we want to invite in and help them understand us. Then maybe they will be more sensitive to things that we’re sensitive to. Or at least know why we feel the way we do, even if they don’t quite get it.

Blue sky & clouds

I'm currently at work covering for the receptionist as she takes her lunch break. The view from the front windows is much better than the lack of view from my office. Prison grey is just such and unattractive color!

I started my muff for the Muff along over the weekend. PB and I drove up to Big Rapids to bring some feed for the deer (PB hunts in the fall) and I figured a couple hours traveling would be the perfect time to start. I got the first smaller cuff and a little bit of the body completed before we got back home.

While we were in Big Rapids we stopped at A & W for dinner. This was one of the few remaining old drive ins. You know the kind where you pull up under a canopy to a little menu and speaker box, place your order and someone delivers it out to you on a tray that hooks over your window. I have to say the girl who brought our food didn't have roller skates, a cute little hat or a ponytail. But it was still very cool and nothing could beat the root beer float in the old fashioned thick glass mugs. You know, we had the camera with us but I was too caught up in the moment to take a single picture.

I ended up getting about 4-5" of the body done. It's a really quick going project and I like how it's turning out. Maybe tonight I'll get a chance to take a teaser picture since I don't want to show all of it until it's done.

Progress & updates

There has been knitting, albeit not much with the heat and running around and the desire to grab needles and wool has been low.

Can cooler (with the caffeine addiction - Diet Pepsi)

In process - bottle cooler (Smirnoff Ice - black cherry, yummy!)

I've mentioned my gutter trees and how should I dig them out an plant them.... Well folks when I said gutter trees - I really meant trees growing out of my gutters.

Some of these are at least 2 years old and they appear to be thriving! I have to laugh in the fall when their leaves change color and actually fall off as if they were growing anywhere else but in my garage gutters!

I have also been feeding the squirrels in the front of the house for the past couple years. We started with just corn in a spring looking holder and then added a box with a hinged lid for squirrel chow (yes there is squirrel chow, not just cat & dog chow but squirrel chow). This feeding of wildlife initially started as entertainment for the cats. But we quickly realized that these furry-tailed little tree rats were pretty cute and entertaining to us humans as well. I've seen them climb the side of my brick house in such a fashion that would make Spiderman jealous. So their new nickname was born - Spidey!

Because of our feeding of these Spidey's and the fact that we still give them ear corn and there's corn in the squirrel chow - they bury it all through out the yard. There are times that the yard looks more like a corn field then a yard. So ladies & gentleman.... I present to you......

Gutter corn!

Not only am I growing trees in my gutters - the squirrels thought I needed corn up there too! I don't think any of the corn they squirrels planted will produce ears this year (last year they did!) but the cute little rodents have been entertainment for us even if their farming skills aren't up to par this year.

Is there a circus in town?

Have you ever been so restless or bored or just un-entertained in your own life or your part of the world that you wanted to run away and join the circus?

Now I'm not talking about the little kid who thinks his mommy is the meanest person EVER that he runs away to the park until he gets bored and meanders back home.

I mean becoming a true circus person - a "carni" if you will. Hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy vendor. Or the chicky flying through the air on the trapeeze. Or the strong man who's married to the bearded lady.

Really just an escape from reality.....

Although to get past the fantasy of it all - I can picture the strong man and bearded lady fighting about the kids (lizard boy and lobster girl) doing their homework. Or the trapeeze chicky knocking back one more shot of Grandad whiskey before climbing that damn ladder again. And I remember my own summer jobs as a kid in the concession stands (showers never felt so good!).

I suppose that there's an escape in every part of the world no matter how mundane or uneventful it is. Even if its just the look on the other person's face as they realize that you just might be crazy after all.

For the most part I'm happy in my world - sure there's things I would change or fix, but it wouldn't be my world without those things (although some of them could go away.....). Time might fix those things or I might realize that they're just a part of the life I've created for myself.

Either way I'm not the hairy woman with the wet offspring that people pay to point and laugh at. I'm just me - whoever or whatever that is at any given moment. The magic of the circus will live on, if only in my wayward thoughts.

Hot dogs!! Carmel Corn!! Candy Apples!!
Step right up!! We have a winner!!

Heeeere's Jonny.....

Jonny Lang that is!

PB and I saw him Thursday night at an outdoor venue. This kid is awesome!! If you like the blues at all check him out!

He was 16 when his first (acutally 2nd) disc was out that made a decent splash in 1997. He plays like he's possesed by a long since gone blues legend and looks like it too. He has definately grown in style and heart since his early disc. However, he keeps his growl and rasp that made me love him in the first place.

Happy Birthday..... pt. 2

My mom calls me this morning and after the "hi"'s she asks - "Are you happy?"

A little puzzled I say "Yeah - why?"

"Well that's what dad and I wanted for you. So I thought I'd make my yearly question."

ok......

I suppose really though that it's not a bad thing if you think about it. The biggest thing my folks wanted for me was to be happy. Now that's not to say that grades, or a good job, or a family of my own wasn't on their wish list or weren't important to them. But above everything else they wanted me to be happy. If that meant a very prestigous career or a job that didn't pay much other than the bills. If that meant a husband and kids or single and traveling the world. If that meant living in the town I grew up in (where they still reside) or some far flung corner of the globe. They just wanted me to be happy.

I could say when I was younger and living at home - I thought my happiness was the farthest thing from there concern at times. But you grow up and look back and realize they were looking out for me, for what they believed was important. Many times they were right and often my views and beliefs ended up a bit different from theirs. But they still wanted me to be happy - whatever I figured that out to be.

Don't get me wrong they still drive me nuts - hey they are my parents... : ) but I know they love me and that they did what they felt was best.

And I don't think I turned out too bad.....

Happy Birthday.....

to me!

As of noon today - - - I will be one more year closer to 30.

Why do you knit....??

Really - it's a question that I've often thought and wondered about.

Why?? What possessed you to pick up these sharp pointy sticks and try to make something with yarn?

Why do you knit? To make something for someone? To become one of the crowd who have seemed to taken up knitting in the last few years? To find a craft? To take a class on an idle Monday night? To find yourself?

Myself - I started with an ad in the paper. My mom had seen an ad in the local newspaper for a LYS/sewing shop that was offering a class on how to knit, and wondered if I'd be interested. Sure - why not? It sounded like fun. (But come to think of it I remember mentioning something to my mom when I was a kid about learning how to knit. She - not knowing how - told me to ask my Aunt Mary about it. Aunt Mary was, and still is, a very nice woman and I love her dearly but as a kid under the age of 10 still slightly scary. I didn't feel comfortable or dared to say "Mom says you know how to knit. Could you teach me? I mean I only saw her on family get-togethers and as a kid most of your family is slightly intimidating anyway.)

So mom and I took a class. We both got the hang of it for the most part and finished the class. I learned something that could keep my hand occupied while talking or watching bad TV. Being of the internet/information age I searched online for patterns, and found a very easy triangle shawl pattern. Thus the obsession started.....

My mom has been stuck in a scarf rut since we took the class. I did get her to try the skull bag from Hello Yarns (minus the skull). Currently I've got her into the French Market bag from Knitty. She's not as hooked as I've become but if I keep finding ways to kick her out of her rut she could be..... : )

Yea!! It's here!!

I got a new DPN needle case! Ok so I never had one to begin with. I got the one of my dreams - custom made even - from Dave Daniels of Cabin Cove and his Cabin Cove Mercantile. I sent him an email asking if he could custom make one for me that would fit 2 sets of the smaller needles and up to size 15.

This is what I got:


The monster of all DPN cases! It's huge and it's perfect for what I wanted! All my DPN's in one place. No more looking through case #1 for this needle and case #2 for that needle. I have to do that with my straight needles and it can be a pain sometimes. Especially when you don't remember which needles are where.... I love the fabric - it's just too cool! There's one gingerbread man who got his arm bitten off.... I just love his eyes! Thanks again Dave!

On another interesting note - I taught my stepson how to knit last weekend. It was for a school assignment, he had to learn something new and then write out instructions how to do what he learned. I don't know if he'll knit much or ever again but I still think it's kind of cool. He even said that it was "kind of fun". I'll take that as a compliment from a 16 year old boy. He didn't make it much larger than what you see. He called it a 'toe sock'. Silly boy.

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th to all.

May you remember & know all that independence is.

Independence of yourself, your thoughts, your feelings.
Independence of our country and the fight for that independence.
Independence of others and their desire for it.

Happy birthday America!