The kids and my sister are gone. HEJ‘s been home for a few days now. It’s just G and me. It’s GREAT having company, but it’s also nice to be alone. 😉
First of all, DAYUM that’s a lot of lurker love!!! Where the hell are all you people on the boring days, like when I’m not giving away free stuff? Right here and right now I’m declaring that each and every one of you lurkers must choose a day of the week to DELURK. Pick Monday. Or WTF Wednesday. I don’t care but ONCE a week you MUST make yourself known. Seriously. Don’t be a stranger. I want to know everything there is to know about you. In a good way.
Okay. Here’s the lowdown on the LIES. Honestly, I’m a terrible liar. I’ve got like Truth Disease or something because when I try to lie I get all fidgety and twitchy and start dancing around like a have to pee. It’s the truth. I swear.
1) Once upon a time, we were invited to spend July 4th weekend in London, England. The trip included flying there and back on the Concorde (DUDE I saw SPACE!) and seeing The Three Tenors at Wembley Stadium. We had crappy seats at Wembley (although they ended up being good when it started to pour half way through the show and we were under the tin roof) and the sound was totally off so the Tenors sang and we heard it a week later. On the way back to the hotel from the Stadium, we were sort of car jacked. A man walked up to the car and opened the back door (I was in the middle between G and a woman who worked for British Airways) and the man tried to take her purse. I screamed at G to get out of the car get out of the car but he couldn’t figure out how to open the door. Meanwhile the woman sitting next to me was totally fighting with the would be robber and managed to save her purse at the expense of her Rolex. Her husband, who was sitting in the front seat with the driver, ran after the theif. G ran after the husband. I stood in the middle of the road in a foreign country screaming, “Come back. Come back.”
ALL TRUE. First and only time I’ve been to London. The Concorde was COOL as SHIT but loud. Very loud. You do get a five course meal though so it kind of makes up for it. And they give you swag. Lots of swag with like a certificate signed by the pilot that says YO! I flew the CONCORDE. Otherwise the trip kind of sucked in a not so funny I freak out anytime anyone walks up to my car even ten years later kind of way. Scary shit. It’s always been my theory that the car service driver was totally in on the whole thing. He was a little too reluctant to take us to the bobby stand. (WHOA! First time I ever wanted a cop to have a gun. I so did NOT feel safe.)
2) G won an all expense paid trip to Maui, first class – super deluxe suite at the Four Seasons – by winning a tennis tournament for travel managers. I woke up the morning of our flight with a killer sore throat and ended up being sick pretty much the whole trip. Which was fine with me because hallucinating in paradise is kind of fun. The first two days I barely got out of bed, watching the birds chirp along the lanai trailing rainbows behind their feathered asses. The room, if you could call it that, had two separate entrances, two bathrooms, two kitchens and a wrap around balcony bigger than my apartment. When I finally ventured out of the hotel I ran into David Spade at the restaurant near the pool. It was all I could do to keep my breakfast down.
ALL TRUE. I was sick as a dog and the “room” was bigger than my own apartment, which is pretty big. And I didn’t hang out with David Spade who I think is kind of gross and squirrley and not really funny at all, but he did sit at the table next to us at breakfast and we did see him around the resort while we were there.
3) One of the first trips G and I ever took was to the Balearic Islands in Spain. We hit Mallorca and then Ibiza – land of house music – and had a fabulous European vacation. That was until I decided to go topless and ended up with a hideous ITCHFEST all across my chest. The hostel we were staying in had no air conditioning and I was in agony, begging to cut the vacation short.
ALL TRUE. I was so totally in Ibiza – one of the most beautiful, crazy, fascinating places I’ve ever been and I would go back in a heartbeat. And I totally layed out topless (I was 21 and had the bod for it) and would do it again in a heartbeat (only this time with A TON of 45 sunscreen.) And I got an awful rash and begged to go home. And that’s where the truth ends and the truthiness begins.
There was no well intentioned stranger in the pharmacy. We did head up to visit Hotel Hacienda and witness the GINORMOUS shrimp they had at the buffett, but alas we didn’t stay there. Although we’ve always said we’d go back. There was actual talk of getting married there. We went with Vermont instead.
So, all you smarty pants that picked number 3, you were in the pot to win this:
That’s a black sheep tape measure from Lantern Moon, an Orange Chibi with my beloved SMALL bent tip needles and a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Wild Rasberry. And the winner is:
Thank you all for playing!!!
I’ve got some extremely exciting stuff coming up for you this week. A new pair of KNEE HIGHS!!!! Now before you get all oh my god she’s crazy with the freaking knee highs – I swear to you this is the prettiest pair of knee highs you’ve ever seen. One word: Koigu. AND!!!! I can barely contain my excitement. MY FIRST STASH SALE!!! Coming in a couple of days. I promise to give fair warning when it comes. I’m putting up some really beautiful stuff that sadly I just know I will never ever knit. Something for everyone.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
And mostly what I need from you.
*lurklurklurk*
I can’t believe you kept us waiting so long for the truth! LOL And though you think you’re not good at telling lies, I think you do fine, at least over the internet. So lie away!
PS — I LOVE the knee socks! (And ALL the socks.)
*coming out of lurkdom for a few seconds…*
I can’t wait to see your new socks! I just love seeing your projects, socks especially. I appreciate the turkish cast-on post a few back. I’m gonna try that soon!
I enjoyed your 3 stories – hey, I picked the right one, yay! 🙂
Thanks for the contest, Cara. They are always fun, even though I never win!! I would not think you’d care to hear from all of your readers about the mundanery (I know,not a real word, but it works)of everyday life, but consider me de-lurked. Maybe not weekly, but I’ll try to pipe up more.
I love seeing your knee socks. Maybe I should knit some for Bean? Hmmm.
Coming out of lurkerdom once a week or so seems fair enough! I like visiting your site for the knitting, of course, the NY/NJ connection, your photos and your honesty…even before the truth/lies contest. Enjoy the holiday weekend.
Mallorca, a little piece of heaven on earth. Spent many summers there thanks to my dad working for the airlines.
Ok, since u insist – I’ll de-lurk every Monday (which will be Sunday in your part of the world).
Lurky McLurk Lurk here!
I havg out here all the time – I first fell in love when I saw you make log cabin knitting sexy (rather than the hideous acrylic based stash busting exercise it is in my house) but I stay for the giveaways…
Okay…I give…I lurk everytime you post a new post. I love your blog, I love your honesty, and because of you, I’m a socks that rock addict and STR club member. Sorry I don’t comment much, just not that witty, but I LOVE your blog. Take care.
ok then, delurking to tell you that I’m a regular lurker who loves your photos!
Bah! I so want an orange chibi. I had my lys order them (they didn’t even know they existed, or rather, didn’t know the needles were sock-sized) and am (im)patiently waiting for the phone call saying they’re in. I might call and harass them this week. Loved your stories. 😉
Lousy Karma. It must have seen the fiber I picked up yesterday. *shakes fist* Next time, Gadget!
OK I pick Sunday as my delurking day. 🙂
A regular reader from The Bronx, who loves your blog, and would love to learn how to knit socks (I pretty much knit lace shawls only. I think I have a shaping / short row phobia.)
So if you ever feel like doing a sock tutorial it would be very much appreciated.
I would post a comment but my day is Tuesday so it will have to wait. hee hee hee
Okay I’ll pick Sunday’s as a day of delurking. I’m from NC, have two Yorkies, a hubby and a blog. I love knitting.
Hey Cara,
Long time reader, first time commenting. Well actually not the first time, more like the 2nd but I haven’t commented in a while and I decided to also pick Sunday as my delurking day. You have me so inspired to knit knee highs and I’m just waiting to turn some WIP’s into FO’s before I start. I also wanted to let you know that the spin out you hosted totally released the spinning monster in me. I couldn’t even stop if I wanted to. Now I’m trying to convert all my knitting buddies who haven’t tried it yet. I’ve been known to carry small amounts of roving and mini spindles in my purse. You never know who you might bump into.
Sweet! I picked number three. As for the stash sale…WOOOOT! Bring it. 🙂
I laughed out loud when i read your description of what happens to you when you attempt to fudge the truth. the few times i’ve tried (honestly, so not worth it), i stammered furiously and my cheeks instantly took on a flaming red hue. not fun at all.
can’t wait to see the next pair of knee socks! did you have to use three skeins? or maybe even four???
I’m a lurker, so I’ll delurk now! I think I commented here once or twice, perhaps (I know I did at least once, to sign up for the Jaywalker knitalong…I failed to finish in time, but your knitalong helped me to knit my first pair of socks, and now I’m addicted!), but I figure I’ll re-delurk now that I have a knitting blog of my own to put in that “URL” field. I really enjoy all of your posts and your photos are beautiful (and I have to admit, I’m a big fan of eye-candy)!
Umm. I didn’t delurk for the contest. But I have been poking around about.
Since you called us lurkers out – guess I’ll pop my head up to say hi. HI!! Maybe it can be “Say ‘Hi’ Sunday”
You have way cool travel stories. I totally thought the second one was BS – who wins an all expenses paid trip to Maui??? Your honey ROCKS! Awesome stories – way beats my story about that time I went to San Fransico and got food poisoning…
duuude. yeah i never win either, so I guess that’s pretty damn cool that i can give you some $$ for that crazy stash of yours! just in time to get beefed up again by Rheinback 😉
Hello my name is Stacy, and I am a certified Lurker. This is acctually the first time I have ever left a note on anyone’s blog.
You called down the thunder, well now you’ve got it. DUN DUN DUN! (stressful music)
Okay, guilty as charged. Have been following you for about 6 months and have not commented. Your inspiring me to do something with my knitting and spinning and have called heifer international to volunteer as I was so lame as to not donate. Consider my time the donation 🙂 I love your blog and read it all the time. I hope mine will be half as interesting as yours. Thanks for all the inspiration.
You had me at “knee highs.”
🙂
*waves hello*
I KNEW it!!
Damn grrl, I sure have missed you.
You let me get away with that thing about you and David Spade as “simpatico” without nary a protest. Either you’ve been really busy, or you just cried silent tears. Or maybe you just said, “What the hell does she know, she’s never knit kneesocks.” I vote for #3.
I am an occasional poster….but you want to know something about me…so here goes….
Yesterday I worked as an artisan/demonstrator at ScanFest (a really GREAT Scandinavian festival). I took one of my Icelandic sheep, appropriate wheel and handspindle, wore period costume and spun and talked all day. Told stories, enabled spindling, heard great stories.
Best story of the day….A guy who appeared to be in his late 30’s related how, as a child in Eastonia, his Grandmother insisted that he prepare wool, handcard, and spin enough yarn to knit his own pair of mittens. He said he got as far as one and a half mittens and stopped because he did not like doing it. After watching me he decided to go back to working with wool, and get good enough to finish a pair of mittens, and teach his own children when they are old enough. Cool or what!!!
I spun straight thru from 9:45AM to 6:15PM with NO break…used a 1/2 lb, of roving, and at an average 18 wraps per inch spun an estimated 800 yds. of singles.
My idea of a fun way to spend my 59th birthday! Really, hey you asked.
I delurk every now and then, but I am a faithful reader. I check daily to see if you’ve written anything new. Can’t wait for the new knee highs.
I know I am a big lurker, but coming out of lurkdom once a week doesn’t seem hard. I enjoy your site with all the pretty pictures you take and the pretty knitting you do. I love you knee highs. I would love to make them but I don’t think I would look pretty in them. I do check in often to see if you have written anything new. Waiting in anticipation of these new knee highs.
CRAP! I knew I shoulda gone with 3. See, I was expecting a whole story that wasn’t true, and I knew you’d been to Ibiza — but I shoulda known that well-intentioned stranger was just too good to be true.
If you want honesty, though, I gotta tell ya… I love Billy Joel, mostly, but that song kinda creeps me out (to the point where I didn’t know it was Billy Joel until I looked it up just now). Reminds me of my first serious boyfriend, and when a song does that I change the station quick. He was a Charlie Manson nut who thought our child would be the second coming of Christ. I am not making this up, I swear. (I never had his kid, thank Goddess, and my having one now would be Biblical-miracle territory.)
Is the honesty too much? Yikes, yuck, another creepy song.
You should come visit, I’m giving away yarn too. You could win it and then sell it! Such a deal.
Slinking out of the shadows… I’m a dedicated lurker who visits daily but comments rarely. You usually only manage to get me to speak up when you go deep into Bruce territory, an obsession that we share. Oh, and that sock knitting thing? I’m a convert, so you can add another notch to your “I’m A Sock-Knitting Enabler” belt. BTW, my de-lurk day is Wednesday but I’m old and will have forgotten by then that I was supposed to post.
OK, I just love your blog! I often puruse while I am at the shop, wishing I was knitting! My interests include history, theology, music, literature, all things fiber and sewing related…especially home ec history! (I have a collection of home ec book from the late 1800’s through today)
http://www.gurlpurl.blogspot.com
or at work…
http://www.memoirpdx.typepad.com
XO,
brooke
Delurking to say I love your blog! So very beautiful on my Firefox and my Safari and my Internet Explorer! (just so ya know)