Sorority & Celebration(s)

March 20, 2006March 20, 2025 Vicki28 Comments

My sister made this pin for me to commemorate the one-year quit — she’s got a year in (plus a day), too.

Iota Delta Sigma — I Don’t Smoke. That was something that our brother-in-law said to us and it stuck with us both — that was the mindset. “I can’t go out for a cigarette because I don’t smoke.” There were days when that’s all that ran through our minds, “I don’t smoke. I don’t smoke. I don’t smoke.” Like writing it on the blackboard 500 times.

Can’t believe it’s been a year. I am still trying to decide what I’d like to do for myself to celebrate — I am juggling the idea of a make-over type thing or more of a spa-type thing (hot stone massage, a facial, reflexology). It’s the kind of thing that I can easily talk myself out of — that even though I’ve saved over $1000 by not smoking this past year, I won’t want to spend the money. I should, though…

The Olympic Quilter, having taken up the challenge, brought her finished block over the weekend! Isn’t it gorgeous? I awarded her a gold medal, of course. I hope I live long enough to see it as an actual, finished quilt.

March is a busy month — and this one has been like no other. Today, the first day of spring, is my 2nd blogiversary. Incredible. What a lot of fun — more than I ever imagined. The people I’ve met and challenges undertaken — both personally and as concerns knitting — kind of blow my mind. Thanks for reading and commenting and offering support and advice and just being there. It all kind of blows my mind sometimes. In a good way, a very good way.

FO

January 24, 2006 Vicki3 Comments

Finally, three weeks into the new year, I’m able to post a picture in the "Completed in 2006" photo album! It’s the Simply Garter Shapely Shawlette that I knit with the Lana Grossa Luna that my employer gave me for Christmas. It blocked beautifully and the extra four inches from neckline to point that I coaxed in the blocking remained after the unpinning. I’m wearing it today. It’s definitely short, but is perfectly fine for an ette. During some recent rearranging and organizing, I stashed the lovely shawl pin that Yvette sent me and I couldn’t come up with it last night — I think it might look great with this shawl! In the meantime, it’s held closed with the aid of an old belt buckle.

Green Ramen! These are from Sunday afternoon, during the ripping of Williamsro. The new swatches are still steeping in my knitting bag, and I haven’t started the new calculations yet, but soon. Maybe today.

Go say Happy Birthday to my favorite, be-pearled, Purling Swine.

ABC-Along 2006 · Knitting Olympics 2006/Williamsro

Snakebite

January 20, 2006February 8, 2019 Vicki12 Comments

What do you think might happen if you had a beverage called a "Snakebite" (a combo of lager and cider) — preceded by one or two Strongbows and followed by a Smirnoff and intermingled with a Chinese buffet and karaoke? There’s a young, international studies student in London who can tell you that she "…became for the first time actually DRUNK" and, a little later, kinda sick. My daughter tells me that the staff at the house where she’s staying "…loves when the Wisconsin groups come because ‘we know how to party’." Look what happens when they leave you!!!

Uscableteam_1 Eddiejumpingenjoy I’ve found my team — did you know there were teams? Jenifleur has provided some great buttons. She is on the Fair Isle Team and is making that gorgeous Fair Isle Bag from Summer ’04 Interweave Knits — I forgot how much I like that bag (thanks for the reminder!). I love these Olympics and all the fun and buzz it’s generated. Margene has her Tribute to Eddie The Eagle (I remember Eddie!). I wonder who’s going to adopt the Jamaican Bobsled Team. ; )

I’m kind of stalled in the middle of the street, dodging cars; progress has been
s-l-o-w on the Petrified Jaywalkers, though I have worked on them a little this week. The Red Scarf was completed last night, so the Jaywalkers ought to see more action over the weekend. And Shirley Shrugs… oh, I had pangs as I read Celia’s post about her failing the Olympics Trials (aka, Christmas knitting) and, combined with the echo of Mom’s recent query about my progress on her gift, they hurt — like a snakebite!! Am I worthy of participation in the Olympics? I will do what I must do, and train hard; my regimen shall include nothing but Jaywalkers, Shirley Shrugs, and Williamsro prep from now ’til Opening Ceremonies!

I’m not finished yet with the bowls. It was very interesting to gather one of my collections in one place for the sole purpose of photographing it – something I’d never have done if it weren’t for the ABC-Along. I viewed these things that I look at and use everyday in an entirely different way – I handled each and every one, I arranged them differently (dare I say even artfully?) and I’m tickled that there’s this unexpected, small sense of discovery in this endeavor. I enjoy thinking about the letters to come and how I will represent. To borrow a line from Cara that made me laugh out loud this week, "Let’s look a few more pictures, shall we?" (when would we ever say to no her pictures?).

Lastly, I read a blog called Rebecca’s Pocket. Wondering about blogging? She wrote the book. She’s doing a series of interviews called Bloggers on Blogging. I really enjoyed the most recent interview with David Weinburger. The questions and answers are very interesting; and I like the perspective of a non-knit-blogger. Blogging and blogging issues and blogging etiquette (among them reading, commenting, emailing, responding as Cara posted about today) seem to be a recurring theme across the blogosphere and they won’t be getting any easier.

Oh, and Happy 21st Anniversary to hubby & me!

Knitting Olympics 2006/Williamsro · Smokin' (or NOT)

Red are strawberries

January 18, 2006February 8, 2019 Vicki10 Comments

Redscarfbutton Redder than red roses
La la lalala
Redder than my scarf
Red are strawberries
Redder than red roses
Green the leaves are growing*

I found a skein of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky, plus the remainders of another, in a nice maroon and Norma said that I could definitely use it for my contribution to the Red Scarf Project. I tried to find a pattern on Monday night, but I was watching 24 and it was gripping, demanding my full attention, and I could not concentrate on anything! There are 20 more hours in the next few months, for sure, that I will not be knitting — you can take bets! Anyway, Norma mentioned, and I’d noticed, that there were a lot of lacy red scarves being knit and she was concerned about the boys, so I’m knitting a narrow "boy scarf" in mistake rib.

Hey, I got a QuitNet email with numbers today: 306+ days, 6126 cigarettes not smoked, 1-1/2+ months of lifetime (on life support — or not) saved, $1071 saved. Yeah, baby, I’m okay with being a turkey among turkeys.

As announced yesterday, my event for the Harlot Olympics — oooh, that might not be the best nickname, hm? — I mean The 2006 Knitting Olympics (eh, TKO just doesn’t have the oomph) is Williamsro. I started this sweater a LONG time ago — I bought the yarn shortly after my quit date, before the funds saved from smoking really equalled such a purchase (I rewarded myself early and often!), but the Cash Iroha was on sale and I just had to. This little splurge was to eventually become a symbol of my success — why wear it on my sleeve when I can simply wear it? I had a hell of a time finding the right color of Blossom — the search even took me to New York City — but I eventually scored on ebay. I completed the sleeve/swatches and thought I was on target, so cast on and knit most of the back. It became apparent that it was not going to be the comfortable, maybe even roomy sweater I was after — gauge was totally off! So I ripped the back and stuffed the doomed sleeves into a bag and there it’s been for quite a while now. My training over the next few weeks will be concentrated on the ripping, winding, and recalculating. An entire sweater in two weeks may seem daunting, but Mary Beth just knit this very same sweater in that timeframe, and she wasn’t even competing — she did it because it was FUN! It wasn’t ’til after I’d already thrown my hat into the burning ring of circular knitting needles that I realized I’d made plans to attend the WPT Garden Expo in Madison on opening weekend (my sister will be an exhibitor), also visiting with sisters and babies… but I’m good. I’ll just have to train hard and concentrate.

Lastly, please give a nice blogland welcome to Chelle. She’s no stranger among us, but we may not recognize her wearing that shiny, new blog! Now I’m off to shoot my Bs…

*The twins and I used to sing that to our little sister from our beds at night in a round. I don’t know where we learned it, or who wrote it, or whether it’s part of a more substantial song, but it’s awfully pretty and, apparently, very soothing. An even bigger favorite was Today — we can all sing it as if it were only last night. We all remember the words to our elementary school song, too; I don’t know what that says about us. ; )