Sunday, June 14, 2009

Three Truths and a Lie

(About Me, obviously)
1. I can cross my pinky toes. The way that most people cross their fingers.
2. I hate the way I look in photographs. That's why there are so few of me.
3. My middle name is Beulah. My father chose it.
4. I'm neurotic about my bedsheets, and will change them at 3 in the morning if need be.


No playing, Draco.

Wish List

Some ideas, to aid anyone wishing to gift me...

  • Dark Chocolate (no nuts, please)
  • Journals. I love to write, and am working on my first novel as well as an anthology of poetry.
  • I love wooden needles and hooks, and am slowly trying to convert all of my crochet hooks to wood. I love the Brittany hooks, but they're all I've tried. I've got a wooden "g" hook. More for my collection would be lovely.
  • Much like the journals, I love new pens. I like to try all kinds. I'm a tactile person, and write on paper, then transfer it to the computer- rather than just writing there straight away.
  • My favorite yarns are Cascade 220 and Malabrigo. I'd also enjoy checking out new laceweight yarns, or new cottons. I've pretty much only tried Sugar 'n' Cream and Peaches 'n' Cream. I like to make washcloths, dishcloths and market bags though, which all lend themselves to cotton.
  • Here's a link to my Amazon wishlist: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&id=2P4RXSQLQMML3
  • And Loopy Ewe... http://www.theloopyewe.com/wishlist/show/20135/?token=ea5fadf058eb
  • And finally, Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/favorite_listings_public.php?user_id=5330998
  • As for bags, I adore everything I've seen or bought at both Slipped Stitch Designs and Julip Bags. In my opinion, one can never have too many bags.
  • I love fun, kitchy designs, as well as geometric prints...
  • I also love to sew and adore fabric.

I have no allergies, but can't drink coffee or tea, and don't like nuts, except cashews. :) Thanks for looking, happy swapping!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Thankful for women.

I've been reminiscing the past few days, and am finding myself waxing nostalgic. I never had many female friends as a teen, or until recently, really. I tend to vascillate between surrounding myself with men, and being a self-proclaimed "loner". The longest friendship I've ever had is with my husband, and he and I have no similar hobbies or pastimes.

Recently, I've found myself with girlfriends for the first time. I met Lucy a little over a year ago, and we're now inseperable even though there is an entire continent between us. I think about her, how she's doing, what's going on in her day. I do this every day. Her being pervades my existance in the strangest ways. Ways that no friend has ever done before. It makes me realize that I've always been a solitary creature, even when surrounded by people. Lucy will say something in passing that seems insignifigant, and then weeks later, something will remind me of it, and I laugh for a while to myself. It's like I'm suddenly a part of something that I never understood, or particularly wanted to be a part of.

Then there's Heather. I find myself linked to her as well. On paper, we have many differences. And yet, we mesh so very well. I wonder if that's because of our commonalities, or the differences? If I'm having a particularly difficult day, I can take solace in the knowledge that if I were to call Heather, she'd be able to relate experiences so similar that she could be telling my story. And after many conversations with her, I know that it's the same for her. We've become a boon to each other in our difficult days. Again, something I never knew I needed. I've always felt that my problems are no one's but my own, and that I'd soldier through to the other side. No one wanted to hear about my problems, they had plenty of their own. I never knew how liberating those two little words could be... "Me too!"

Jessi is my local mom friend. It's so wonderful to be able to call someone and say "I'm about to lose my mind. Can you stop by and hang out for a few minutes so I can talk to an adult?" To have someone to make plans with so that the kids can play together, and stop making each other crazy. That's incredible. And she's so funny! And witty, and smart, and charming. And she looks at things differently than I do, which helps me look at things from a different point. And when I'm having a rough patch dealing with my husband, there are again those two little words that keep me from feeling like I'm on an island to myself.

My knitting group on Saturday mornings is filled with such diverse, incredible, intelligent women. I love spending time with them. I always come away with something that helps me get through the rest of the week. All of these women fill my heart with such joy, and I just don't know how I ever thought that life was easier without girlfriends.

I've come to a realization these past few days. Life isn't easier without girlfriends. I always said "Women are so catty. That's why I'm friends with guys." Maybe I just didn't know the right women. These women I've chosen to surround myself with have been nothing but a boon to me, and I hope I've been the same to them. It is so liberating to be able to speak my mind, and say things that I thought I must be the only one thinking, just to be answered with "Me too." How refreshing. Looking back, I can't understand how I ever survived the length of time I did without girlfriends. Or, more specifically...without THESE girlfriends.

If you're reading...I love you all.

Monday, June 8, 2009

15 in 15...

15 Books in 15 Minutes
Saw this question on another blog that I read and thought it would be great to answer.
“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”
1. The Great Gatsby- F Scott Fitzgerald
2. A Fine Balance- Rohinton Mistry
3. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down- Anne Fadiman
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- JK Rowling
5. Island of the Blue Dolphin- Scott O'Dell
6. The Hobbit- JRR Tolkein
7. The Book of Ruth- The Bible
8. The Five Love Languages- Dr Gary Chapman
9. New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder- Jan Fawcett, et al.
10. America's Women- Gail Collins
11. As I Lay Dying- William Faulkner
12. Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
13. Wicked- Gregory Maguire
14. To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
15. Merry Wives of Windsor- William Shakespeare

Thursday, May 21, 2009

It would seem that

To Do lists WORK!

The last three days, I've made to-do lists, and have been far more productive in the last three days than I've been in the last three weeks! Granted, a few of the things on my list are "gimme" tasks. Things that are there just for the sheer satisfaction of crossing them off. (Shower? Eat Dinner? Done, and Done!) Also included in my to-do list are knitting projects. Because of this, there will be things actually knitting their way OFF the needles, rather than being ripped out in six months, because even though I have seven pair of needles that size, they're all in use... Woohoo for being productive!!!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Went to see my grandmother

My friend Vanessa (a.k.a. sinknitty, a.k.a. Ophelia Ballycastle) and I are going to knit the Swallowtail Shawl together (search Ravelry for the link. It's very pretty! :) ). I wanted to do it in sock yarn, but the only thing I had enough of that would show the pattern well was Wollmeise. I am by no means a hoarder. By that I mean, I'm more than happy to USE my yarns. However, this is a bright, tomato-ey red, and if I put it that close to my face, I'd look HORRIBLE. So, it's destined for socks. Anyway... I didn't have any laceweight in a sufficient yardage that I thought would look good. So, off to Grandmother's house I went. Here's the thread I decided will become my Swallowtail:I was more than happy to leave with just that, but she started talking about steel crochet hooks (you know, the itty bitty ones? The ones where the higher the number, the smaller the hook? Yeah. Those.), and did I have any? No, I didn't. So she started looking through her things, and this is what she sent me home with. Everything pictured is vintage, some still in original packaging. But one thing in this picture is very dear, and nearly made me cry with pride.This. This right here. This is my Great-Great-Grandmother's bone crochet hook, size D. That makes this hook at LEAST 120 years old. At least. If not much older, because who knows if my Great-Great-Grandmother even got it brand new? I am very touched, and feel very proud to have been given this heirloom. It's kind of hard to put into words, actually. The shaping is gorgeous, and I keep just staring at it, and wondering what kinds of garments it made, and what it went through in it's 120+ years... The stories this hook could tell...

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Sick, AGAIN

This is ridiculous. I am sick, again. This time, it's bronchitis. I really wish that my immune system would reboot, because this is getting absurd.