2006 FO

I have no idea why there is a gigantic space here, but there is. The pictures of my finished objects are below.

Warm Fuzzies

I love warm fuzzies. Warm fuzzies are those little things in life that make you smile and warm you all over. This weekend, I had three.

The first warm fuzzy happened Saturday morning. Little Clover had a basketball game. Little Clover plays in the "Lucy and Charlie Brown League"; a league for little people who are barely bigger than the equipment. I love this league. At this age, the kids have no concept of the sport and no concept of playing to win. If they lose, they usually don't care. If they win, they usually get extra ice cream from the parents. This is the best time to watch kids play a sport. For basketball, the ball is honestly larger than their heads. They play four quarters, but each quarter last 5 minutes instead of twenty. The ref usually has to physically guide the kids to the right places to stand.

For the duration of the game, we got to watch kids running down court, holding the basketball, then remembering they have to bounce it every now and then. The ref had to stop a couple of kids from shooting into the wrong goal. Occasionally, two kids will become totally absorbed in the conversation they were having that they forgot to run down court with the rest of their teams. The kids that did score beamed with pride and joy. They usually gave a wave or a thumbs up to their parents in the bleachers. The kids don't really know positions yet, so they just kinda run around the court trying to get the ball. It was the best way to begin a Saturday, and Little Clover had a blast. He asked if he could play basketball again some time. I think we'll take him to the rest of his games.

The second warm fuzzy happened yesterday. We were lounging before Church and I told Little Clover to get ready. As he ran down to his bedroom, I went into mine to finish getting ready myself. When I walked back into the living, Little Clover was playing a video game with Italian Clover. He was wearing grey winter pants and the green acrylic sweater that I knitted for him. I almost cried. He could have picked anything to wear and he picked the one and only thing I've made for him so far. Having a child is truly amazing (and p.s. Little Clover, I promise to make you more stuff).

Finally, the third warm fuzzy: I finished the surprise birthday present!!!! I'm already planning which two or three projects I'll get back to! Bye, bye monogamy, hello, yarn!

Mechanically Challenged

I'm at the grocery store and looking for some "healthy" snacks to take to work; snacks that do not involve fruit. The store has a section of wall with dispensers, the kind one would see in a cafeteria for cereal.



It's a snack food heaven! I grab a little plastic bag, find some wasabi fried peas and look for a knob to turn. There is no knob.

I think for a short bit (not long enough, though, which becomes evident later) and I put the bag on the nozzle and pull down. Then I pull again. This sucker is not budging. I decide then to push up on the nozzle. Nothing. I push up again. I'm starting to get really puzzled. I decide to pull down again, thinking that might work now that some time has lapsed. Still nothing.

I look at the dispenser and notice a hinge that moves forward and back inside the nozzle, so I pull the nozzle towards me. I'm pulling hard. I want these peas. The dispenser begins to move away from the wall, slowly pulling all the other dispenser next to it towards me. Shoot! I must be pulling the wrong way, so I push the dispenser back towards the wall. Still no movement from the hinges, but I do hear a soft "pop" as the dispenser snaps back into place. I'm exasperated and hungry. I find a 16 year old high school boy who works at the store and say, "Excuse me, I need some help with your nuts." Then I smile. He walks over, grabs a new plastic bag, puts bag on nozzle, and....

pulls the lever.

Anatomy and Monogamy

Anatomy
I got a chance to watch Sunday's episode of "Grey's Anatomy" yesterday (gotta love TiVo)and was very amused. I love Sandra Oh. I think she is a fantastic actress and of course, she's Korean! Plus, her character is a very strong ambitous woman who isn't afraid of taking risks and getting things done. The show opens with her character dancing while brushing her teeth and listening to her iPod. I started to smile because I sometimes dance around the house if I'm alone. Then I noticed her iPod. I looked at it, then looked at mine on the sofa next to me. After some rewinding and rewatching, I confirmed that it was definitely the same iPod.

Hmm, it had to be coincidence that the one Asian on the show owns an iPod in the color Wasabi. Now, a little backstory. When I looked at buying an iPod, I settled on Wasabi because it was the perfect Ying and Yang. The green fit my Irish Western background and the name of the of the color fit my Asian Eastern background. To see Sandra Oh with it, I had to giggle. Then, when the episode began the final scene, Italian Clover and I really began to giggle. Sandra Oh, was sitting in bed, with a carton of Chinese take-out, eating it with chopsticks. I loved it! This was a character who spoke to me!

Monogamy
Even though I pulled out of the Knitting Olympics, I've been following the activities of fellow knitters and cheering them on. Because I'm under the pressure of a deadline To keep the spirit alive I've decided to work solely on one Work in Progress, abandoning all the other yarn in my stash that is crying out to me. I don't like it. Being monogamous in my knitting just doesn't seem to be in my nature. I love my project. I love the La Lux silk yarn. I love the recepient of the said project and hope she will be thrilled. I do not love only working one project at a time. I have sock yarn languishing in my stash, feeling neglected and unloved. I have two tank tops that are seeking professional help for the depression they are experience because after a year, I still haven't finished them. To top it all off, I just bought Little Clover this book. Every night, he flips through the book and begs for me to knit him a rhinocerous, or a parrot, or a seal, only to hear his mom tell him "as soon as the present is finished."

I'll never be monogamous (with my knitting) again.

Snow and Tulips

It's sleeting now in Tennessee. After temperatures in the 60s during the week, we get to enjoy freezing rain and 30 degree weather on the weekends. Lovely isn't it? At least it's lovely in the sense that I have an entire weekend to stay at home and knit! The weather here has definitely been odd.
Last weekend, we had:



Then we got to make a



This weekend, we just have grey skies and frozen rain. Little Clover and Italian Clover are keeping themselves occupied with video games and sword fighting. I'm having a chance to catch up on a birthday present, which I'll post pics of after the it's been gifted. I will tell you that it's being knitted from La Luz Silk. I definitely recommend this yarn! The sheen is amazing and it feels heavenly sliding in my fingers.

I did get to finish the Yarn Harlot's Tiptoe socks.


I'm not sure if I would do intarsia again. The weaving in of ends is a bit of a downer, but the socks are going to be a blast to wear!

Unofficial Knitting Olympics

For the Knitting Olympics, I will be competing in two separate events. The qualifying rounds began last summer. I am competing in the speed tank top event and the distance tank top event. Good luck to all my fellow Knitting Olympic competitors. Three days until the flame is lit!

Hello World

Hello everyone! This is my first forray into the blogging world and I'm excited to be here. I would like to dedicate this blog to my mom who had the most amazing gift of find four leaf clovers anywhere. I love you, Momma.