Wildlife

I know Christmas is just around the corner because I've had my first reindeer sighting.

Reindeer are usually pretty scarce in these parts, but over at the mall there's quite a congregation. That's where I was this morning.

I usually avoid the mall as much as possible, but I decided to look for a Christmas sweater...so I can be a real fashionista for the holidays.  Unfortunately, I came home empty-handed.  Nothing was quite my cup of tea, I mean eggnog.  But I did purchase 4 pairs of Christmas gift socks for nieces and sisters-in-law.

Mr. Gadget and I are leaving town for Christmas and Big City Girl won't be far behind. We'll be spending the holiday with Mr. Gadget's side of the family in northern California. It's all part of our changing-things-up project.  We don't usually give gifts, other than cash ones to the nieces and nephews, but this year, since we'll all be gathered around the Christmas tree, we think a little something for everyone is in order.  And whatever I purchase or create in Connecticut will, of course, have to fit in my 50-pounds-or-less suitcase.  

The knitting is finished on the fringie from whimsy and I'm now happily hooking.  It looks a little pathetic at this stage, but I'm hopeful it will blossom into something wonderful...or at least charming.

I've also re-started the Red Beast, although I know I told you it would be in the back closet till 2016.  I'm using smaller needles this time, and I'm going to keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't get rambunctious. Rambunctious. That sounds like an old-fashioned word. Maybe something my Grandma Ferna would have said.  Like maybe when she was babysitting a gaggle of grandchildren. 

So....while I'm driving around town I tend to notice things.  Like how most of the cars on the road now are neutral colors--black, white, gray, tan, etc.  Red and blue ones have almost become endangered species.  I sometimes wonder why the cops give tickets to people going too fast on the local highway on Sundays, but disregard the Monday to Friday speeding commuters.  And I'm puzzled by why a new frozen yogurt store is about to open down the street when we're approaching the coldest part of the year.  Snow, sleet and freezing rain never stopped me from eating frozen yogurt, but what about the rest of the population....you know, the ones who wind around Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts....in their neutral-colored cars....waiting ever-so-patiently for their steaming cuppa pricy joe. And what about my neighbor who parks in a handicapped spot at the senior center but recently managed quite well to get up on her stepladder in the garage to retrieve something.

Now I'm getting pretty steamed up.  Too bad there's no place nearby where I can get a single serving of frozen yogurt....

White stuff

We're getting some light snow here in Connecticut.  It's a great day to stay home and play in the Treehouse.  I had plans to do some much-needed clean-up, but as usually happens I've gotten sidetracked.  It's all my friend Wendy's fault.  She sent me an email and in it she asked if I had seen the new fringy scarves.  Apparently it's something that's trending in the fashion world.  Or not.  Fashion is a subject I'm not well-versed on.  But she's been making them and she mentioned it's a good project for using up fancy yarn scraps.  So I found myself on a two-hour computer tangent looking for fringies as she calls them.  And I found a cute pattern--strictly from whimsy--that I think I'll start.  It's actually a combo of knitting and hooking.  Believe it or not, I used to be a good hooker at one time.  Rugs.  RUGS! 

I made several throw rugs back in the day out of cheap worsted yarn, so they shed and shed and didn't hold up well at all.  But that was when I had concrete block and wood bookcases and paper lanterns and other things you could get on the cheap to furnish early apartments.  I even taught an old boyfriend how to hook a rug, and as soon as he learned the technique he left me for someone else---who, I'm sure, was not in the least bit creative.  But at least he has a cheap, shedding rug to remember me by.

So I ripped out the Red Beast last night while Mr. Gadget was watching a man-movie and I was in the Treehouse watching The Dead Files.  That Amy....she's good at getting evil stuff out of a house.

I'm not too bad at it either.  In no time at all I had him reduced to rubble.

And having all of these balls of yarn on hand motivated me to order myself a ball winder.  It will wind this rubble into neat little balls with flat bottoms so they'll sit nicely on a table instead of rolling all over the floor and me having to chase them.  And while I'm waiting for the winder to arrive, I'm going to start the fringie from whimsy. It's gonna be pretty boring for a day or two while I do the knitting part, but once I get to the hooking.....there's gonna be all kinds of excitement....

A vexing predicament

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Ours was good, all things considered.  Since this is our first holiday season without Tech Guy, we decided it would be wise to change things up a bit, so we went out for Thanksgiving dinner.  We found a nice restaurant with some New England charm.  It's possible the pilgrims may have eaten there....We asked Big City Girl to order the wine.  Seems like only yesterday we were putting her in a high chair.

So....big surprise.... I've decided I like going out for Thanksgiving dinner.  No frantic food shopping, no long hours of cooking, no annoying clean-up, no pressure to make soup afterwards, no nothing!  I sat in my recliner and knitted instead.  Which brings me to the vexing predicament. 

Back in 2008 I started knitting a red cardigan sweater that at some point in the process became known as The Red Pest.  It just wasn't cooperating.  When I began the blocking process I saw that it was too big.  Not only that but the left and right sides were not matching up. So I did the only thing a reasonable knitter would do.  I ripped the whole thing out.  And then I stood over a hot stove (remember how not fond of this I am?) and steamed all the pesky bumps out of the yarn.

Now it's 2012 and I decided to begin another red sweater with a pattern that seemed fool-proof.  It's knitted in the round from the neck down which is especially nice because there's no assembling required when the knitting is done.  Also, it can be tried on along the way.  So I began knitting and donning and knitting and donning and was quite pleased with how well it was coming together.  Then I started the first sleeve (also knitted in the round) and was making good progress when suddenly it started to taunt me.  It was as if it was speaking to me. "Let's see how she feels when she realizes one of us will fit around both of her arms?" it chortled.  

So now the 2008 Red Pest has morphed into the 2012 Red Beast.  Again I'm faced with that "What's a reasonable knitter to do?" question.  I guess I'll rip the damn thing out and throw the yarn in the back closet.  Then I'll buy me some expensive chocolate.  I don't think there's any point to revisiting this issue until at least 2016.

Sent packing

Here is a sampling of my recent cast of characters...who've been ousted from the Treehouse and sent off for a little vacation at the old hotel.  Maybe we'll call it an attitude adjustment opportunity, although I will admit this was a fairly well-behaved group this year.  Please forgive the poor quality of the photography.  Taking pictures is the last thing I do....and always hastily....before setting off up the road.

 

I've made several nun dolls in the past and I always enjoy hearing why they appealed to the buyer.  One lady purchased one because it looked just like her aunt.  Another....a very talented artist who sells her oil paintings at the hotel shows....said she just loves to collect quirky things.

 He's dressed in a print of frogs doing yoga.

Cat dolls always seem to sell.  That's because the world is full of cat people.

This is my favorite morning lady so far.  Her coffee cup....which say "Got donuts?"...is full of coffee--which I made from the cat fabric.

Sorry about the photo quality on this one.  Sun was coming in through the blinds.  Her outfit is dark blue with tiny black polka dots.

So now I'm tired of making dolls.  I don't think I could make another blessed one.  I have stuffing on the brain, arthritis in my fingers, and threads and bits of fabric stuck to me everywhere.  Just like the characters, I'm in need of an attitude-adjustment op.  I'm thinking a nice comfy deck chair would do it, but since there are no cruises on the immediate horizon, I guess I'll knit. 

Back from sea duty

Mr. Gadget and I are back from our cruise.  Everything was very nice...in spite of the two days and three ports that Hurricane Sandy deleted from our program.

We had an easy trip to the pier in Manhattan...with only a 15 minute wait in line at the Henry Hudson crossing into the city.  The police were only allowing cars with at least 3 passengers to pass and we had 4 cruisers and 1 driver so we were good to go.  As a result, traffic along the West Side highway was very light which allowed for a quick trip the rest of the way.

Here are a few pictures:

Sailing along the Hudson River, just after leaving the pier.

Lower Manhattan and the Freedom Tower...with a brightly lit building in front.  Buildings on the left were still without power.

Formal night. Ladies in little black dresses....except for the one who didn't get the memo.

The beach at Grand Turk...from our ship and over the bow of the Holland America Eurodam.  We figured that GT is where old cruise ship deck chairs go to retire.

The view from one of those retired deck chairs.  Our ship on the left (the Caribbean Princess) and on the right the Eurodam.

A colorful shopping area in Aruba.

Mr. Gadget and I with our winnings....a bottle of champagne from the frequent cruiser gathering....which we shared with our friends at dinner.

And just so you don't think we have too much fun, this morning I had a colonoscopy. Mr. Gadget's is later this week. I'll spare you those trip reports...