Class Reunion

I am old, but I don't have to act it! I decided to add some of that purple dye to my hair for our 25th HS class reunion last weekend. Sorry it's taken me so long to post the pics!

I also had it all put up, and it was fun.

Between the fancy do, the purple, and the cool Batik blouse from Marketplace India (my favorite catalog!) , I looked pretty good!

The night after the reunion, Laura had our old gang over for a bit. It was nice to get together. These women have been my friends for a long, long time!

I did finally make a button out of Sculpey , sew it on the belt pouch and mail it up to Santa. I think he'll like it - I just hope the postal service gets it there quickly! SOME of us don't have elves to do our every bidding!

Thanksgiing

I finished and gifted the Santa Vest to my Dad. He loves it! It fits perfectly, and it looks great on him. He has requested a matching belt pouch for carrying mini candy canes for when he's visiting with children at the hospital, etc.

Here is the requested pouch, knit and felted and ready for a button. I should have it in the mail to him by Wednesday, if all goes well. I think I'll make a button with polymer clay - something that will look like a mint or something, don't you think?

I've also gotten lots of good "notes" and tips on what makes a good knit hat from "the boys". Dad, my brother, and my brother-in-law all coached me one morning while my brother made breakkies (wearing the hat I made for him last year). I even have a "perfect" hat, according to my brother, to use as a guide. I've now purchased appropriate yarn for his hat (he is the pickiest one because he needs things that are historically accurate for the 1840's), and will start his hat soon. I've gotten him some great reddish stuff that I'll knit to spec.s in a very tight gauge. Also, I've been overestimating his head size, so with this sample hat I'm more likely to get that correct.

In the meantime, I'm doing some mindless knitting. I've started a "more perfect" hat for my b-i-l. He's a rabid Buckeye Fan, hence the red and gray. I had already purchases this gray - baby alpaca grande - and have the red leftover from Santa clothes. My change is that I'm using smaller needles (9 instead of 10.5) so it'll be a denser gauge, and I'll knit it longer so he can roll it up more and be able to cover his ears with several layers if needed.

I've also decided to knit up some washcloths for quickie gifts for folks like my boss and hostesses of holiday parties, etc. They're easy, quick, and turn out lovely. I have a friend who makes soap that I might hit up for some bars to add to the gifts.

The long weekend at Mom and Dad's was really wonderful (despite having horrible intestinal problems as a result of my long-term dosing of heavy antibiotics), and despite hubby having a terrible toothache that has turned out to be a terrible infection requiring a root canal. Poor thing! Since we've got home, I've made 8 batches of jello and 2 kinds of soup, just to get him some nourishment until he can be worked on.

I'll be reporting on my fancy hair and my 25th HS reunion and meet-up with old friends in a subsequent post. I can only upload 5 pics a day, and I've already reached my quota.

I spent a great hour this evening at Starbucks. I used a gift card I happened to have, so it seemed like free, and it was enjoyable. I get a sick satisfaction out of ordering my coffee in the wrong order. Tonight I said "I want one of those peppermint mochas, but can you make it decaff? Oh, and I'd like it to be lowfat. I'll take a super large." LOL The Barristas had to repeat it in the correct order several times hoping, I'm sure, to teach the uninitiated what it should rightly be called. Blah to that! I will continue to call it Extra Large! I will continue to say it in whatever damn order I please! So there! Mike says I'm evil. (mwuahahaha).

Santa Vest

No fair showing this to Dad before he opens his gift, Mom!

If you can see, there is a cable running up the front. The yarn is Harrisville Heathered Bulky. I don't really see any heathering . . . but there were a lot of little bits of twig and grass in the yarn - some of it really pokey! It knits up quickly, though, on size 13 needles (thanks for letting me borrow, Gerald!)

I just hope it fits my dad!

See Spot Run

Well, the truth is finally here. My writing is for the masses . . . the little darlings . . .

Go figure.

My intelligent Sensei, Yarmando found the quiz. Sigh.

Various Topics

First, I was tagged by Yarmando in the Random Book Quote Meme! Yay! I love being picked, too!
Instructions: open the book you’re currently reading to page 161 and read the fifth sentence on the page, then think of 5 bloggers to tag.
I am reading 3 books at the moment:
I just started The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien. Don't have any idea how it will be. It is for one of my book groups. Page 161, sentence 5: The window jerked open, suddenly filling the kitchen with outside insect hum and the hell-deep boom of Pietros's voice, "Hello, Madam . . ."

I have renewed resolve to finish the last book group book (because now we're reading it for my other book group), Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Page 161, sentence 5: Richard calls it "The Geet". (Hey, I didn't make the rules! I know these don't make much sense, but isn't it fun anyway?)

Book 3 is a graphic novel I'm reading because it looked intriguing, was listed on many "greatest" lists, and then the first few pages of the story totally hooked me in (a hazard of my work). The Runaways: #1-18 by Brian Vaughan. Page 161, sentence 5: Heck, this book isn't numbered. I'll just pick a random "that looks like 161 pages" page: Topher, I cut myself because shedding my own blood is the only way to free the ancient magical weapon that my witch of a mom somehow trapped inside my body. (Now, who can resist that, I ask you!)

Tagging: Now, I get to name 5 other people to do this whacky book tag! Cycholibrarian, Cat (my Brit Twin), FightingLibrarian, Gotta Book , and Sock Princess, and just to keep things even, Aunt Gerry. If anyone else wants to post their sentence, that's great, too - those of you w/o blogs of your own (you know who you are!) can post them in my comments!

Second, Very Sad News - our pet snake, Jack, has passed away. Poor Jack. We loved him well. These pictures were taken this past Summer.

We've all cried, but I couldn't let it go without sharing the sad news. I know lots of folks don't like snakes at all, but he was really a good pet, and we loved him.

Now my uplifting news - what's on the needles!
First, a chemo cap for the collection at the Merc. I have to finish this and get it in! I already put one kid's sized one in the basket. We're competing with an LYS in Michigan. We'll win! Go Buckeyes! (omg, did I just say go buckeyes? Well, it's knitting, so it's ok).

And I've swatched (yes, sometimes I do swatches - don't get used to it!) the yarn for a sweater vest for Santa. I can post the particulars because Santa doesn't have time to read blogs this time of year!

Christmas Knitting Begun!

Well, I think I've figured out why I'm not posting as much. My son has been on the computer! Darn him! Anyway, he's at school now, and I've taken some time (rather than going immediately back to bed for a nippy-nap) to take some WIP pics so I can fill you in on my recent knitting escapades.



I've started a sweater vest for someone very special - and it's lovely wool, but I think it is sort of exacerbating my sinus problems, so I'm going to have to limit myself to just an hour or so a day on this.

I've finished another Baby Surprise Jacket. Love it! This pattern is so easy and so fun, it just flows off the needles. I also have to admit to some sick pleasure in seeing someone else trying to figure out how to make the glob of knitting turn into a smooth, cool sweater - my husband hates me for this teasing!

This is another update on the socks for my son. I'm just about out of yarn, and I'm waiting for some more yarn from my buddy, Don. He purchased the same yarn with me at the knitter's connection, and said he'd score me some more of it. You can kind of almost see the cabling going up the sides. I really hope these still fit the little (not so little!) monster at Christmas!

And finally, some slippers for another person very special to me. I like this pattern - it's exactly what Gramma used to use. Don't be surprised when you see more of these little ditties on the blog (and under the Xmas tree!).