A Break in the Action

I threw this apron together Christmas Day. I’ve wanted one for a long time and decided to give myself one. From a start of ironing the pattern to the end of hemming the finished apron, I had a break of about 1 1/2 hours from knitting. I love projects that can be done in just a few hours. I have a little bit of fabric left so I may make a small one for GrandDolly. She had a ball wearing this one, folded down to her size of course.

If you are interested in making this very simple apron, this is the pattern that I used — an Easy Stitch ‘n Save by McCall’s, pattern #M5505.

Boston’s Big Dig Tunnel Complete — $14.8 Billion Later

The original price tag was $2.6 billion — to build an underground maze of bridges, ramps, roads and a new tunnel under Boston Harbor. They went a bit over budget. But then again, what price do you pay for beauty? Or should I say to get rid of something totally ugly?

Below is a photo of the old elevated central artery in a photo from 1991. Purty, eh?

And here we have a photo from 2007, showing the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway that sits where the Central Artery once slashed through Boston. Definitely a much nicer view. One heck of a price tag, tho.

Another Finished Object — Bulky Mittens for Sweet Baboo

This picture didn’t turn out very well but I will use it for now and replace it later. These mittens are a very dark navy blue and I knitted them very tightly in GGH Aspen yarn. It is 50% Merino wool and 50% Acrylic, 57 meters in 50 grams. I used just over two balls of this yarn. They are extremely heavy and bulky, which is what he wanted. My only complaint with this yarn was that it turned my fingers blue — honest!! My wooden needles too!! I should probably set the color or his hands will looks like a Smurf’s if they get wet. He seems very happy with them and when Daddy’s happy, everybody’s happy.

This free pattern was very easy to follow even for a novice knitter like me. That’s probably why it’s called Easy Mittens Pattern — by Claudia Krisniski. If you would like a copy of the pattern, click here. This is another pattern that will be one that I use over and over. Don’t mess with a good thing, right?

Voila!! Sissy’s Socks Finished!!

And off to VT they go!!

They are in my mailbox to be picked up as I write this!!

Hand wash — dry flat — no dryer please!!

 

They look pretty cool on, don’t you think?

Next up — I’ve already casted on for Sweet Baboo’s mittens and will be

finishing my very soft scarf soon!!

Sissy’s Sock Update

I’m actually a little farther along than this picture shows. Yes, those are my feet. I’ve had such a good time trying these on as I make them. I should be done within a week (by this weekend would be great) and then off to VT they go. The pattern (Simple Sock in Three Sizes) is from Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi. It’s a wonderfully written book with a great sense of humor. Maybe after I finish these, I can make a pair for myself!!

Sweet Baboo has been gently reminding me that he’d like a pair of mittens before winter is over and DD is constantly reminding me that I promised to make a bag for her. Working is definitely cutting into my knitting time!!

Very Soft Yarn Scarf Update

I’ve had two balls of this yarn for at least 4 months and have been periodically looking for just the right stitch to make a scarf out of it. Not being able to find a stitch that jumped up and said “here I am!!”, I decided that a plain old K3 P3 rib with size 9 Addi circs would be just fine and now I really like the look of it. The yarn is Baby Alpaca Grande from Plymouth Yarn (100 grams, 110 yards) and I don’t think I’ve ever felt a more soft hand in any yarn. (The Baby Alpaca Grande Paint in all the different colorways is positively mouth watering!!) I’ve knitted about 9 inches and I’m about halfway through the first ball — I really luff long scarfies — so I trotted down to my LYS and picked up another ball to be on the safe side. (Any reason is a good reason to go down to Woolworks) And of course, the dye lot is not the same as the original, but I’ve looked at the three of them in all kinds of light and I really can’t see a huge (if any) difference. This is my “watch TV and knit” project for now. Once I get Sissy’s second sock done, I’ll spend more time on it.

Friday Fill-Ins #51

1. Snow is beautiful to look at when it’s falling and I’m warm and snug in my little house.
2. I’m looking forward to watching GrandDolly opening gifts on Christmas morning.
3. Country is the best music to listen to ever!
4. One of my favorite old tv shows is M*A*S*H
5. I’m done with Heroes.
6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is the beaming smiles on little kiddies.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to going to bed early, tomorrow my plans include buying the last of my stocking stuffers and Sunday, I want to wrap, knit and relax, not necessarily in that order!

Come try Friday Fill-Ins – CLICK HERE!!!

A Double Edged Sword

Our part of the state boasts is home for two very large Indian (Native American?) casinos. Sweet Baboo and I will every now and then take $20 each and play the 1¢ slots. You can do a lot of playing with 2000 pennies. When our $20 each is gone, we leave and the evening is over.

We like the slots in the Smoke Free section, but it’s about a ten minute trek through cigarette smoke that you can cut with a knife. Because the casino is on Indian land (known as a sovereign nation), state laws regarding smoking are not upheld there; smoking is allowed everywhere in the casinos except where they have designated a smoke free area. After all, smoking and gambling are both addictions, are they not? Smokers will gamble more if they are allowed to smoke freely.

I know that both casinos employ thousands of people. For that reason, it’s been very good for our part of the state. Many people who wouldn’t have jobs otherwise are employed by them.

Both casinos run advertisements on TV that present impeccably dressed, deliriously happy people with ecstatic smiles on their faces because they have obviously won lots and lots of money while gaming at the casinos. They are so happy that they have to smile with their mouths wide open. You can count their teeth if you have a large enough screen on your TV.

The reality is, we have never seen people like that at either casino. We see elderly men and women looking anything but happy pushing buttons on the slots like robots. I wonder how much of their social security checks they have dumped into those machines. I see women there with their babies (infants!!) in car seat carriers on the floor while they play the machines or table games. (I saw one woman sitting at the end of a row of slot machines with her child in a carrier 6 feet away from her in the corridor. You have to be 21 years old to be on the gaming floors and this woman apparently found a way around it.) I see men and women looking worried and despondent and hopeless, holding their heads in their hands, all the while digging through their wallets for their ATM cards.

Admittedly, every now and then you will hear somebody yell happily, but you know that any money they may have won is being put down and bet again because they are so sure they can double it, that their luck has changed.

No question, countless people have jobs because of the casinos– how many others have lost their jobs and homes and families because of a gambling addiction?

I don’t know where they are keeping the happy people.

A Christmas Meme

I wasn’t actually tagged for this, but Inland Empire Girl posted it on her blog so I’m doing the same. And of course, feel free to post it on your blog if you like.

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1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? With my hands becoming more and more stiff from arthritis (and just general old age), bags are much more convenient.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial — save a tree and all that, plus who can afford the prices of trees?

3. When do you put up the tree? It’s not up yet - but hopefully before Dec 25th!! It’s usually the first week in December but we’re afraid the GrandDolly will get it in her head to climb it so we’ve kind of put it off.

4. When do you take the tree down? Left to my own devices, it would come down the day after Christmas — but usually it’s New Year’s Day or so.

5. Do you like eggnog? I do like it, just not that much

6. Favorite gift received as a child? The one that sticks in my head the most was a red plaid jumper that my Aunt Joyce gave me when I was about 8 years old. I felt very Scottish when I wore it.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No — but I will put it on my to do list.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Sweet Baboo — he has everything he needs, including me. This year we decided not to buy for each other so that makes it much easier.

9.Easiest person to buy for? Sweet Son In Law

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Nothing really comes to mind.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail — I wish I could be organized enough to send them to that Post Office that will cancel them with the North Pole cancellation stamp.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually November

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, and I have some land in Florida that I’d like to talk to you about……..

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Ham — we always have turkey for Thanksgiving. And pumpkin and apple pie.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear lights.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy and anything by Manheim Steamroller

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? I can

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel that I made years ago

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The constant Christmas music.

23. What I love most about Christmas? I love all the usual stuff, but I really enjoy riding around Christmas Eve looking at everybody’s lights and displays.

Ten on Tuesday — 10 New Year’s Resolutions

 

 

1. I would like need to lose about 25 lbs
2. Program myself to think before I speak. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I need it to work more often.
3. I’d like to be a kinder person year round, not just for the first few days of the New Year.
4. Exercise more
5. Bitch less
6. Finish up all of my unfinished knitting objects that I have hanging around. At last count, I had 8.
7. Keep my car cleaner
8. Take a Tai Chi or Qi Gong class. I need some Zen in my life.
9. Walk more — even if the weather is yucky
10. Remind myself every day to be thankful that I have the life and family and job that I have.

 

Ten on Tuesday –come try, it’s fun!!