Because one of these boxes will be opened today! (Or is it already?) Happy Birthday To ME!!!!!!
I’m thinking I know what you’re thinking
December 27, 2005 By
So yesterday we went down to Philly for some Chanukah festivities. Our first stop was at my Aunt’s where basically my mother’s family and some extras got together for a deli tray. (Do me a favor – don’t ask about the deli tray – if you don’t know, you don’t want to know.) In the olden days, we’d all get together at my grandmother’s for Chanukah and a deli tray, but Grandmom’s not into entertaining anymore and my aunt seems to be all into the family thing these days. One of the things she requested when she sent out the printed invitations was that all the adults bring a $5-10 gift for a pollyanna type exchange. Normally, I DO not like to participate in these things. First off, I can’t stay within a budget (as any of my secret pals might attest to) and also, what the hell can you buy for $5-10? Apparently a lot.
After eating and the kids opening their presents (I mean, c’mon, how much happier could my grandmother have been when my nephew jumped up and said “How did you know? It’s JUST what I wanted!!! My sister was pretty stoked too since she bought the gift for my grandmother. Good deeds all around. Warms my heart!) it was time for the adult gift exchange. Have you ever done this? Everyone gets a number and you go in backwards order – person #10, for instance, picks a gift. Then person #9 can either pick a new gift, or any other gift. So if you’re #1 you basically can choose from anything. These things can get kind of raucous. Especially when a NON-relative takes away your 85 yr old grandmother’s jet propulsion foot massager and said grandmother winds up with a flask. Fun, fun, fun! Anyway, to make a long story even longer, G’s gift ended up being one of those 20Q toys. Have you seen these?
You think of something, and then the artificial intelligence machine asks you 20+ questions until it guesses what you’re thinking of – the thing is freaking freaky! It pretty much always gets it right from Aardvark to Tampon. I shit you not. My sister was the one who contributed the gift and we had many hours of fun before the exchange. Anyway, so G is in line at Dalessandro’s Steaks (because one of our agreements when he comes to Philly is that he gets to try yet ANOTHER cheesesteak place. He fancies himself a connoisseur. If I’ve told him once I’ve told him a million times: no matter if he married a Philly girl, no born in Boston raised in Chicago and Jersey City boy is EVER going to be a cheesesteak connoisseur!) and he’s completely engrossed in his 20Q game when some guy, with his kid standing next to him, starts tapping G on the shoulder. He looks up and the guy pulls his own 20Q game out of his pocket and proceeds to say: “Last night I thought of the most vile disgusting things and it got them all right!”
If that’s not an endorsement for a toy, I don’t know what is.
Okey dokey. Because it NEVER gets old, The Hard Rock Jaywalker:
Socks That Rock – Hard Rock Colorway. ‘Nuff said.
And in the it’s getting REALLY old it’s multiplying category:
Yup! That’s right folks! We’ve ADDED gifts to the pile that can’t be opened until my birthday. I’ve blogged about this before, but my Dad gives us all a birthday book – a special book from him – since we were born. So when I saw him yesterday he gave me my book(s). With explicit instructions NOT to open them until Jan 1. He does this every year actually, so it’s a no brainer. And usually it’s the only present I open in the morning (G gives me his presents at midnight) so I don’t mind waiting. Now I’ll have a BONANZA! Yippee!
Off for a much needed haircut and lunch with my honey today! Have a great one!
Putting the Chan back in Chanukah!
December 26, 2005 By
Happy Chanukah everybody! Did you know that this is the first time since 1959 that Chanukah (yes, I prefer the CHAN spelling) has started so late – specifically on Christmas? Do you know what this means? This means that for the first time in my life, Chanukah and my birthday actually bisect. January 1st is actually the 8th night of Chanukah! WOOHOO! Double presents for me!
Yesterday was a nice day. We went to my in-laws and everyone was happy and nice and I even got to knit a little. The fact that I knit with fun fur and some other monstrosity type yarns is neither here nor there – I was helping out my sister in law. She’s making a fun fur scarf for her granddaughter and a fuzzy frilly scarf for herself and she has trouble casting on – I told her of course you have trouble casting on – look at the yarn you’re using! But I helped anyway. So nice to have someone to knit with on the holidays! I turned the heel on my TENTH sock and am ready to pick up the gusset. If we weren’t going down to Philly for Chanukah today, I’d probably have it finished – but maybe Wednesday. I’m thinking I’ll take a Jaywalker break after that. I’ll still keep a sock on the needles, but let me see if I can finish a plain old stockinette sock first. I don’t know. I’ll probably just cast on for another one anyway. Who says I can’t have one on the needles? Doesn’t mean I have to race through it.
In other knitting news, I’m trying to knit my second Warm Wendy mitten. The problem is I didn’t write down all the ways I changed the Ann Budd pattern so copying it is hard. I think I have it, but I knit a few rows and then go back to the sock. I’d like the mitten finished before the new year too. I WILL get it done.
Look what I got from my Better Pal!
Gotta love a Pal that pays attention! On the questionnaire we’re supposed to say what kind of yarn we’d like to try that we’ve never tried – I put down Fleece Artist sock yarn and guess what I got???? In the Storm colorway. (Another instance of great minds thinking alike.) It’s very muted and it’s very dark here today so I can’t photograph it so well – but it’s got grays and teals and caramel browns and reds running through it. Very beautiful. It will be interesting to compare it to my beloved STR. Speaking of caramels, my pal sent me the most luscious, thick, buttery caramel ever! G and I have really enjoyed it BP! But what is it? Where’s it from? Can we get more? It’s a real treat. Like so rich I can only eat one at a sitting – and that’s even letting G have a little bite. Thank you BP! Thank you!
Hey – don’t forget the SHOWCASE! I’m leaving it open until Friday for all of you holiday travelers to get a chance to win! Remember – you’ve got to be in it to win it!
Okay. Off to pick up a gusset and wrap a couple presents. Hag Sameach!
December 25, 2005 By
Showcase #4
December 24, 2005 By
Here we are again! I especially like this week’s give-a-way. I hope you do too. A little background first:
A few years ago I put on a solo photography show at my local library (where I am currently persona non grata – long story….) I called it Summer In Winter and it featured my botanical photography. You can see the set up here. It was a HUGE accomplishment – I put it all together my self – frames, postcards, picture hanging (well – G helped with that) – everything! It ran for a month through January and February. One of the pictures featured in the exhibit was this one:
Sunny Side Left
This photograph also appeared in the “Secret Garden” exhibit at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden last Summer. The question for this week is:
WAS THIS PHOTOGRAPH FEATURED
AND WHAT DID IT WIN?
Did I forget to tell you what you’ll win? I did, didn’t I. Here goes:
It’s SUMMER IN WINTER all over again! Flowers galore. In this prize package, you have enough Wool of the Andes yarn and the patterns to make the following flowers: Daffodil, Iris, Tulip and Calla Lily all from Pick-Up Sticks! The yarn included is as follows: Cherry Blossom (2), Violet (1), Tulip (1), Blue Bonnet (1), Daffodil (2), Cloud (1), and Grass (3). I’m also including a Lantern Moon project bag, and these super cute summery stitch markers:
Now I know a lot of you are out having fun with (or maybe just tolerating) friends and family – so I’m extending the deadline for this entry to next Friday! The winner will be announced on Dec. 31 – the same day I will be revealing the GRAND PRIZE in the BIRTHDAY CONTESTS. I am promising you – the finale contest will put the others to shame!
Here’s how to enter this week:
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE EMAILED TO s4 AT januaryone DOT com. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. ANY ANSWERS LEFT IN THE COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED AND DISQUALIFIED. CONTEST ENDS AT 8PM EST FRIDAY 12/30/05. ANY ANSWER RECEIVED AFTER THAT WILL BE DELETED. THE WINNER WILL BE PICKED AT RANDOM FROM CORRECT ENTRIES. WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SATURDAY, 12/31/05. GOOD LUCK!
Have a wonderful weekend whether you’re celebrating something or not!
L, C
Jaywalker Six!
December 23, 2005 By
I call this “Day 9: A Still Life with Jaywalker Sock Number Nine, Today’s Paper, and The Gift That I Will NEVER Freaking Open.” Enjoy!
~ What better way to calm the Xmas knitting panic than a little Knit and Tonic Vesper sock yarn with a Jaywalker twist? Anmiryam‘s got it all figured out!
~ BigLug‘s got Candy Cane Jaywalkers! And scrumptious looking Xmas cookies! And Peppermint Ice Cream! (Not so sure about that one.)
~ Carol‘s got a picture of her finished jaywalkers! Thanks Carol! But guess what? It’s TOO FREAKING HOT to wear socks. Sing with me: Carol comes from the land down under, where socks are warm and jaywalkers!
~ Ellie was making progress, before she broke a needle. But she managed to fill her sock down time pretty easily! Have a great time at home, Ellie, and I’ll expect a finished sock(s) when you get back!
~ Helen‘s had a rough time of it lately. I’m so sorry Helen. Go wish her some holiday cheer and tell her how great her jaywalkers are looking. Hope the New Year brings your family much peace, Helen.
~ Jasmin‘s cruising along with her Jaywalkers – one down one to go! They’re beautiful Jasmin – I love the Serengeti Cherry Tree Hill colorway. And check out those floral embellishments made from recycled sweaters! Very crafty grrl! (Oh and sorry I missed you last week!)
~ Jess‘s about to start the toe on her second sock – I’m a-waiting on a finished pair soon! YAY Jess!
~ Go check out Julia‘s sad, sad jaywalker. Apparently, I jinxed her. I said she was rolling along in last week’s update and she immediately snapped a needle. But Julia, look at it this way, if you hadn’t snapped the needle and had to wait for a new one, maybe you wouldn’t have finished that GORGEOUS sweater! It’s just beautiful!
~ Julie‘s DONE! And the socks are already off to their new home – check out her super cute label!
~ I suck. I missed Julie‘s updates two weeks in a row. Check them out, PLEASE! Oh and Julie – you’re a real knitter by the fact that you’re knitting! That alone can do it! 😉
~ Gratuitous Jaywalker Photos! (Thanks KathyB!)
~ Now see Kim? Didn’t I tell you not to be nervous? That’s one magnificent jaywalker. The pair will be to die for!
~ Another sock knitter is born! Laura has turned her first heel and a beauty it is! Congratulations! It’s all smooth sailing from now on.
~ Lcord‘s hit a bump in the road – but one step back in Jaywalkers is like ten steps back in any other sock – you’ll be done in no time!
~ Oh Lisa! I am SO SORRY! Folks, go over and give Lisa lots of love. Some prick (doesn’t do the asshole justice) broke into her home and robbed her family. Thank god no one was hurt, but her camera and computer was stolen. I’m sure your Jaywalker is beautiful, Lisa – and I hope knitting it gives you some comfort.
~ Let’s get the business out of the way first – go on over to Liz‘s and vote on which yarn she should use for her jaywalkers. And once you’re done with that – PLEASE check out her AMAZING fair isle stockings. Oh my!
~ May‘s finished! She’s got a picture to prove it – all Rowan like in the snow with her stunning STR Pebbles pair! Thanks for sharing May! They’re beautiful!
~ Mimsie‘s going the two at once route, but unfortunately, one sock ended up with more stitches than the other. Rip it! Rip it GOOD! They look really nice though. You’ll have a pair lickety split!
~ Feel better Renata! Jaywalking can be dizzying – they go so fast – so proceed with caution!
~ Robyn asks the age old question: “Can you eat cookies while you jaywalk?” I probably couldn’t. When I eat cookies – it’s sort of an extreme sport. But Robyn seems to be doing nicely.
~ Rock Chick‘s got jaywalkers on the needles. She hates the yarn, and I’m willing to bet she’s not too fond of the person she’s knitting the socks for, but really, all you need to know is that my blog is linked in the same post as this image: “Knitting with this crap makes knitting with Kroy seem like cashmere from a goat whose golden balls gently clink out Handel’s Messiah as he gambols about the meadow.” Genius. Absolutely genius. Thank you RC.
~ Rosemary‘s not sure what to blog about, but honestly, those jaywalkers speak for themselves! They look great! Have a good trip!
~ Sandra‘s got one pair down, Fire on The Mountain STR (Hey! They look familiar!) and one pair just started. Hey Sandra! Did you hear? The strikes off! 😉
~ We’ve got ourselves a regular Dorothy Hamill in our midst! Very impressive Sara! Back camels and sit spins and figure eights – I love the ice! (Now if only you could make jaywalking look so graceful! Sorry for the rocky start!)
~ Here are some hugs for you Sarah! Sarah’s under the weather – and on top of that she got fed up with an imperfect Jaywalker (is there such a thing?) and ripped it out. Get back on that horse! You were so happy with your first attempt! Get back to the love!
~ Stacey‘s got one finished! Wonderful! And I love how the sock kind of matches her blog, don’t you think?
~ Susan‘s got questions: 1) Anybody knitting the larger sized Jaywalkers? She’d like some input. 2) Anybody got stories of funny yet disasterous family holidays? Yeah. I thought so. Go on over and don’t hold back. 😉
~ You know why they’re called Petrified Vicki? Because they’re so FREAKING GORGEOUS that you like freeze in your tracks when you see them. I need to call Tina today – don’t have that STR in the stash and I MUST have it!
~ Wannietta‘s booking along on her lovely Jaywalker! Glad it’s working out this time! YAY!
This will be the last update before Chrismukkahkwanzaa. I leave the uninitiated with this: Jonathan Safran Foer’s “A Beginner’s Guide to Hanukkah.” Have a lovely day, whatever you celebrate!
Ten
December 22, 2005 By
Margene, my love, I’m sending you the bill for couples therapy.
We took the first one, but then I felt like you
couldn’t tell I was balancing the package on my head.
So we took eighty-seven million more in various locations.
He thinks he’s a photographer now.
Georgie’s home for the rest of the week. Besides photog, he’s added blogger to his resume, even though I had to give him the old “If you’re home during blogging hours, you’ve got to get with the program” lecture. He’s been on three conference calls and thrown me out of MY office twice, but hey, togetherness is bliss. Right?
I’m at the point in the work now that there’s only a couple more things to do and if I’m not careful I’ll forget about them. I also set a knitting goal for myself: one and a half jaywalkers down from FIVE COMPLETED PAIRS SINCE OCTOBER 19th. I’m challenging myself to finish off the last sock BEFORE Jan 1. I should have the ninth sock completed by the weekend – by Saturday – so then I have a week to go for the tenth. Piece of cake.
PS – Bloglines? Nice work. Thank you.
Give Me Five Good Reasons
December 21, 2005 By
why I SHOULDN’T call Toni right now and order this.
I’m not sure what my problem is – I’ve got the go ahead from G. My birthday is eleven days away. I saw some gorgeous barberpole yesterday and about plotzed. So why don’t you tell me the real reason I’m hesitating. Is it because I’ve never actually tried a Lendrum? But everyone I’ve talked to that has one absolutely LOVES it. No matter how many other wheels they have. I don’t care about aesthetics. Honestly I don’t. It’s affordable. Versatile. A workhorse. From all accounts it will grow with me in all directions.
Is it because I don’t know how to spin? I’m sure I can find someone to teach me, right? RIGHT? I’ve looked up guilds in my area and while there are lots it seems in New Jersey, they’re all just a bit out of reach. I’d totally be into hiring someone to give me private lessons. That’s always an option, right? Tina says Toni could teach me over the phone. I think she was serious.
Is it because I’m not sure I WANT to know how to spin? I know you can’t help me here – but whenever I see those gorgeous explosions of color in some of the best barberpole yarns I’ve seen – I can’t help myself. But other times, not so much.
[ETA because of Val’s comment] – If I want a wheel anytime soon, I’m going to have to buy it site unseen. I tried a couple at Rhinebeck, but I’m impatient and I don’t want to spend A LOT of money (read more than $500) and there really isn’t anywhere close by for me to try a wheel. And all the places that do have wheels? Well, they don’t sell Lendrums. So all of the test drive answers aside – give me OTHER reasons than I haven’t sat in front of one. I KNOW that’s the best way to do it, but it ain’t happening any time soon.
Thanks for the help. Let me know what you think.
Grumperina asked a question the other day regarding who knows about your knitting and your blog and why you’ve chosen to tell about it. First off, I’m an open book. Spend ten minutes with me and you’ll know my life history. There are plenty of people who can attest to this. I think a lot of this has to do with my anxiety. Sort of like, if I’m anxious, I almost feel the need to tell you I’m anxious, because somehow that takes away the anxiety. So you’ve got that aspect of my personality. Also, if I’m excited about something, I find it really hard to keep it to myself. I know you’re all thinking, NO, Really? But it’s true. So pretty much any stranger I meet knows about the knitting ten seconds into the conversation (of course, if I happen to be knitting when I meet them, well, then, it’s faster.) The blog? The blog I might not blurt out in ordinary conversation – but I don’t hide it either. My family and friends all know about it – but I don’t think they really pay attention. No one reads it on a regular basis that I know of – except for my brother-in-law’s friend Bill – hi Bill! And I’m not quite sure what he’s getting out of it, I don’t think he knits, but thanks for reading, Bill!
The blog is quite personal, I guess, but personal to ME. I don’t really give away anything personal about anyone else. I’m sure there’s some stuff G would rather I didn’t say, but then again, he thinks the same thing when we’re riding in an elevator. He’s gotten used to it. He even posed for the blog! (See picture below.)
T Minus 11 Days and Counting
Happy Solstice!
Tis Better To Give Than Receive
December 20, 2005 By
That big box of STR stash in the background – sorry – that’s MINE!
Do I owe you something? Chances are it’s going out today. And a few other goodies to some of you out there that you might not know about. I don’t send gifts to anyone in my family, but to KNITTERS? Gifts galore. This is THE FASTEST I will be getting out contest winnings! YAY! In fact today’s winner might just get a package before [insert whatever freaking winter holiday you want right here thank you very much] starts. Unless, of course, we’re celebrating Solstice, and well, then, I’m late. But Happy or Merry or [insert whatever jolly freaking word you want right here thank you very much] Solstice! And the winner is….
Sadly, Manise is blogless (maybe that should be in the package too?), but she wins nonetheless! Here are the possible winning answers, in case you’re curious:
“Dancing with Jesus in Grove City, Pennsylvania,” High Plains Literary Review, Fall/Winter 2001
“The BBC,” Fourteen Hills, Spring/Summer 2002 (also published in New Standards: The First Decade of Fiction at Fourteen Hills)
“The Summer My Mother Grew Up,” Other Voices, Fall/Winter 2002
“What You Wish For,” Green Hills Literary Lantern, 2003
There you have it. Oh and I published an interview with Charles Baxter about William Maxwell in Washington Square. You can read it here, if you’d like. That didn’t count though, because even though it’s about fiction, it’s not fiction.
A little bit harder, wasn’t it? I guess so because I got half the entries I received for the other two. Next week will be hard(er) as well, but I might make it easy again for the grand finale package on Dec 31. Let me tell you – as good as the others have been (and next week is really fine!), the last one is SPECTACULAR! And very special to me. Gotta admit though, this question was kind of depressing. Three years practically since my last story came out? Fuck. Not a good feeling. Resolution anyone?
T Minus 12 Days and Counting
I’ll have you know, that you can’t open this package from the bottom because it will destroy the box. It’s one of those open from the top tuck the sides in kind of boxes. I know this because it’s actually a box I sent to Margene! She turned it around right back to me. Good thinking M! But here’s proof anyway:
See the headline? The MTA is on strike in NYC. I’m very torn on this issue. All of my dealings with unions have been very bad. I worked in a union shop in college and the union rep for my department was borderline abusive to those of us who really didn’t want to get involved. I was eighteen and in college and honestly, because of that union, I was overpaid by A LOT. Which I guess was good, but I would’ve rather been paid a smaller wage and not been harassed. I really feel for all the workers out there – MTA workers and anyone else trying to get to work today. I cancelled a haircut appointment, but that’s inconsequential to the fact that my husband had to walk a good distance to work from the NJ train (which, yes, he’s lucky he could take) but it’s very cold and his hip is bad. He doesn’t need the aggravation. And I have to believe this isn’t what the MTA workers want. They’re losing money and they’re losing the good will of the people. I’m suprised the strike happened, but after seeing the mayor this morning on TV, I don’t think this will end quickly. Pissed doesn’t even begin to describe the anger I read on his face.
So if you’re in NYC, I hope you had an easy time of it today. The idea that the subways and buses are quiet is just too weird to comprehend.
I’m off to finish the packages. And there’s still more work stuff too. Have a great day!
