Happy New Year!!

You just have to love Weather Pixie's fireworks for New Year's Eve!! I hope you all have a great new year!! I can't wait to make my resolutions - knitting and otherwise. I just love a new year so full of hope and promise.

Here's to a great 2006!

Mrs. B Update:

Congrats Julie on completing hers!! BEE-autiful!!

Kate is off to a FLYING start with hers. One finished and boy does it look divine with that beautiful ring!

*NEW - Alison finished hers. Great job! I know her daughter will love them!!

*NEW - Becky is having yarn issues and storm issues and - well, go read her blog...

ME? I still didn't even get to my lys. It's been a long (fun) weekend. I like to have old-fashioned parties where people show up and just stay for a few days. It is wonderful!!!!! I wish you all could join us for a nice game of ping pong and a fondue dip in my new chocolate fountain (thanks Mom!).

Posted by Whit at 18:48   | (pre-trackback) 1  

There is a season...

So, I've been thinking about how some things are so seasonal. I love gingerbread (for instance) and yet I only ever make it at Christmas time. I seriously love it. Why not make it for the 4th of July? Hmmm..

And then, today - I hear this noise coming from my backyard. A weird, semi-recognizable noise. What is it? I ask J. He has no idea. But it sounds like something we should KNOW. I realize it is the neighbors behind us and I finally peek out the window because it's driving me NUTS. My neighbor (an older gentleman) is mowing. Yes, I said mowing. It is one of those great gas-less handpush mowers and he's mowing the lawn.

There really is a time and a season for everything.

For instance, my Mom was once traveling to watch my Dad in a track meet (college days), was pregnant, let her friend drive the stick (and she didn't know how), got caught in a blizzard and was really queasy. The friend pulled off to the side of the road so that my Mom could be sick. Meanwhile, a hitchhiker was getting really excited that in all of this horrible weather someone would actually see him, take pity on him and pull over. Well, I think you can imagine the terrible consequences that followed. Being young and embarrassed, my Mom and her friend got right back on the road. Yep, a time for everything and when your timing's off... it can get ugly.

Well, tonight is the time for my second annual New Year's Eve party. Yes, I know it's not New Year's Eve and that fact could throw everything off. I'm not really sure what we're going to do at Midnight - shout "Happy Almost New Year"... Oh well. Maybe I should get a clue from that poor hitchhiker. But instead I'm going to clean and cook and get ready to party!

It's snowing now so I'm glad mower-man is finished. Weird.

Posted by Whit at 10:00   | (pre-trackback) 2  

K Day

Happy birthday to my sweet Christmas angel.

You are generous and loving and you stink at ping pong - but you'll learn!
You hate cheese, but you love pizza?!

I remember the day you were born. How thrilled I was to get the most beautiful baby girl ever born! You are the sunshine in our home. How grateful I am to be blessed with you!

Twelve years you've been in our home and what a beautiful
young woman you've turned out to be!

Posted by Whit at 10:47   | (pre-trackback) 6  

T is for Tychus and Tychus is for T

Well, T came to visit. We played Monopoly. A lot of Monopoly! I love Monopoly. The trouble is, I play like I play Risk (which we also played) - global domination!! I'm always the race car. You?

While he was here, he requested his tychus (like the one I made big brother T) and so I knit while we played. That is the reason he completely destroyed me. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. The child's only 7 after all...

PATTERN: Tychus, the short-row beanie from Knitty (adapted)
YARN: generic red heart type acrylic navy and white
NEEDLES: #5 straight aluminum needles
START: 12-27-05
COMPLETE: 12-28-05

LOVED: Still love this pattern. I adapted it for the head size (age 7) by using a single strand and only doing three patterns. I also do an adaptation at the end so the final row of MC matches the other stripes (I didn't like the one larger stripe) - so email me if you want the adaptation.

HATED: Don't love acrylic yarn - but still find it best for "little people" and I don't like that the top of this hat is cone-shaped (I'm sure more so because I only do three patterns) and so I end up stitching a line inside to flatten the top. Please advise if you have an adaptation for me. :O)

Mrs. B update:

Me, I still haven't even bought the yarn. I hope tomorrow to get to a store and actually do that. Sheesh.

Vanessa finished one of hers - BEE-autiful!!

Becky purchased her yarn - so she is ahead of me too!!!

Also, a big howdy to Kate who joined us today!

Posted by Whit at 16:36   | (pre-trackback) 6  

I'm baaaaack

Disneyland was FABULOUS!! I mean, seriously. We were in the park Sunday through Thursday and it was just amazing. It was my first time in DCA and I didn't think they were going to get me off the Tower of Terror - what a great ride!! I am getting too old for rides like Space Mountain, but I really liked that tower!! I also loved Screamin' and Grizzly River Run. I have to say, though, that Splash Mountain is still my favorite. Definitely my laughin' place! Tuesday was our 17th wedding anniversary so we ate at the Blue Bayou, of course. Wonderful ambiance and J even got a mint julep (ick) to go with our monte cristo sandwiches - delicious!

Highlights:

• Splash Mountain - everybody's got a laughin' place!
  
  
• Fireworks - yes, I cried (Tink's back!)
• Tower of Terror
  
  
• Aladdin (musical in DCA)
• Being one of the first ever to ride Monsters, inc. (cute dark ride, cool to get a "sneak peek")
  
  
• Sneaking in to the park (what?!)
• Billy Hill and the Hill Billies - I love the Golden Horseshoe!
• Watching K on Grizzly River Run (great ride!)
  
  
• Hearing R laugh at unexpected moments (Aladdin?!)
• Seeing J act like an excited three-year-old! He can outlast us all!!

There were crowds like crazy considering the time of year we went - 50th Anniversary and all that, I suppose.. but it was a fabulous trip. Sunday night in the park was the perfect night. We walked on to Tower of Terror (twice!), stumbled onto front row at the Electrical Parade, got perfect seating for the fireworks and Fantasmic, walked on to Splash, Indy & then topped it off with the Jungle Cruise (complete with new pirhana!). Great times were had by all and I'd still live in the park if they'd let me. I hear Walt's apartment above the fire station is still the way he left it... I'm sure he'd approve.

Posted by Whit at 09:16   | (pre-trackback) 1  

Disneyland & First PodCast

Well, I made my first PodCast. It's semi decent. It will be better in January cause I'm getting a new microphone & a mixer. Okay, a good friend is loaning them to me so I don't continue to sound like I'm inside a tin can. Do any of you remember tin cans?

Anyhow, it is 24 minutes and you can download it here or click on the link on the right. iTunes should approve it soon and then you can subscribe through them. I really had a lot of fun and I'll have even more fun in January when I have more time to play with it. I plan to do one per month. I will also get a site just for that.


But for now - I'm heading to California bright and early. It's an eleven-hour drive so wish me luck! We're packed with snacks and laptops (which can be used for movies or games or whatever) and Audible books and I think we're in pretty good shape. I KNOW it will be a good time. If any of you live around Disneyland email me (whit_larson AT yahoo DOT com) and maybe we can meet up! Can't wait for a bit of a weather change. I think I'll change my pixie to
Anaheim right now!! She may as well get a break too!

Posted by Whit at 21:59   | (pre-trackback) 3  

Knitting Gift Swap

This is the box that I got LAST WEEK:

This is who it was from:


Oh yes, she was super sneaky - but I figured it out through my amazing detective skills (plus also she was the only one from Pasadena to sign my map!!!!). THANK YOU SO MUCH NANCY (aka Sagetta)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today we were told that we could open our gifts. Now, in matters concerning gifts I do not need to be told twice. So, I opened my box and this is what I saw:

A FAB felted bag, three snowman wrapped gifties and some circs!! The circs remind me of crayons for some reason and I can't wait to use them! I LOVE circular needles. Okay, time to unwrap:

Hooray!!!! Two mystery books (two of Nancy's favorites!) that I've never read before. I LOVE BOOKS!!! I especially love a good mystery (that's where I GET my amazing detective skills)!! And yarn, well - duh, of course I love yarn!! I especially love the handspun/dyed with the purples. What a GREAT GIFT!!!!!

Thanks again, Nancy - what a thoughtful and generous soul you are!!!!

Posted by Whit at 12:06   | (pre-trackback) 1  

Update - Weasley

Well, Book Group last night gave me about 2.5-3 hours of knit time on the Weasley. It is the perfect pattern for mindless knitting. I now have one complete sleeve. I chose to do a roll sleeve instead of ribbing because I think it's better for this style of sweater.







Also, a quick pic of a recently completed crochet square (for exchange). Very cool pattern.

Posted by Whit at 12:21   | (pre-trackback) 7  

Internet Police

Well, I'm getting worried that somebody's going to show up to haul me off to rehab somewhere. I have been online WAY too much in the past 24 hours.

It all started with DISNEYLAND. I decided to go out and read all of the new info about the park - it's been a few years afterall. And, I've never even BEEN to DCA. So, I started going through the guide at Mouse Planet. I love that site. I went through the guide piece by piece. I called and made my anniversary (17 years!) reservations at the Blue Bayou (free dessert for us!). I found out that you can interactively play Buzz Lightyear. That was a bad thing to learn.

This morning it was the blogs that did me in. I went to Yarn-a-Go-Go where she showed this wonderful item (red phone) that I simply MUST HAVE. And I just couldn't stop shopping at that great store!

And I don't even remember on whose blog I found this link - but that's pretty much a waste of time (so I love it!). Who doesn't want to watch live action footage of the tree in Rockefeller Center?!

Anyhow, I MUST CLEAN MY HOUSE. Tonight is Book Group here and we are supposed to each bring a picture book. I'm not sure which one I'm going to read yet. Any suggestions? On top of that, I need to clean and finish up for christmas (we're not coming home until late the 23rd) and clean and pack and clean. Gee, I wonder why I'm in avoidance mode?

Posted by Whit at 11:01   | (pre-trackback) 3  

Geek Code & Mrs. Bs

Here is my geek code:

-----BEGIN KNITTER'S GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Version: 1.1

KCR+ Exp+ SPM++ Pl-- Steel Bam+ Addi+ Syn Nov Cot+ Wool++ Lux++ Hemp+ Stash Scale++ Fin FI+@ Int+@ Tex++ Lace+@ Felt+@ Circ++ DPN++ KIP++ Blog+++ FO++ WIP+ FSDKWB+++ ALTCr++

------END KNITTER'S GEEK CODE BLOCK------

Mrs. B Update:

Vanessa posted (beautiful!) pictures! Have a peek - and wish her a belated b-day while you're at it!

Ina has taken this yarn and FINISHED hers!! Take a look! Amazing - so soft and pretty!

Posted by Whit at 11:39   | (pre-trackback) 1  

Mrs. B update and blahblahblah

Well, just an update to remind you all to email me if you're interested in the Mrs. B KAL. Vanessa has already started hers! Way to go, Nessie!! Check her blog for details (but where are your pictures??).

Still haven't made it to my lys. Maybe tomorrow.

Ohmygosh - my weather pixie got a Christmas tree? How very cool is that?! I'm taking a snapshot in case it goes away - the image DOES change (which is one of the wonderful things about it!) and it's SO cute! You will notice that it had warmed up. We were actually in the double digits again yesterday! This morning we're back at 3! That's okay, you won't hear me complain about the cold until New Year's is over. Then you will hear it.

Speaking of Christmas - For J's company Christmas party they rented a theater for a viewing of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Loved it. Really. What a great Christmas movie.

I've added a new blog to my "read" list. I found it following a link on Becky's site and then another link. Don't you love that?! Knit blog surfing is the best. The one I added is called Yarn-a-go-go and even though she bashed the boot-making (or at least the wearing of said boots by knitters), she has a Lucy Maud Montgomery fan listing link on the side and since I JUST read Anne of Green Gables (my entroposcope is a spinnin') I decided to add her link.

Posted by Whit at 19:49   | (pre-trackback) 3  

Das Boot

Well, yesterday when I was going through my ritualistic blog-reading (I'm not a coffee drinker, so sue me), I noticed the interview over at Knit-and-Tonic with Vickie Howell. It was entertaining.

So, today I find Vickie over at the Blue Blog with Alison. Two of my favorite blogs in two days. Coincidence?

As I always do during my ritual, I followed the links and found Vickie's blog. I bonded with her immediately because of her reference to speaking of oneself in third person. I mean, what a COINCIDENCE!!!! I wish I could watch her show, Knitty Gritty, but alas - no DiY for me.

AND, to boot, there was a pattern for a knitted BOOT on a recent episode. Alison had the link on her site and I just have to make these boots. Wasn't I just saying that I needed pink boots?! This life is full of happy coincidences and I must have the boots.

The coincidence sort of breaks down with the color, though, because the boots on the show were actually orange (thank you, Photoshop) and I would never make orange boots. Well, probably never. This stems from having "TIGERS" as my childhood school mascot so every time I wear orange I feel like I should be doing a cheer or something.

Posted by Whit at 08:40   | (pre-trackback) 5  

Cats and Christmas

Well, the Christmas tree decorating fairy came. Good news, she scrubbed the bathroom. She also did quite a bit of laundry and made my bed. I think I should take her out and buy her shoes. There are some nice pink boots that I'm pretty sure she would like.

I hate it when people talk about themselves in the third person.

These are pictures of the top of my tree and the bottom of my tree. Every morning since decorating it, I wake up to find balls rolling around on the floor and this fat stupid cat curled up with the tree skirt. I think this cat may go to live on a nice farm somewhere soon.

I hope to get to my lys for yarn today. But I also hope to get many, many things accomplished so wish me luck. The list the length of my arm didn't get finished yesterday as I made a not-so-quick trip to visit my Mom & Dad - Dad just had a small surgery - and pick up a bigger-than-a-breadbox gift for the family. Pretty fun stuff.

K is home sick AGAIN today and with only eight days to go before we leave for DISNEYLAND she'd better get over it soon!!!!! It is STINKIN' cold here (see my poor weather pixie) and it's making everybody sick. Supposedly there's no connection between weather and illness. Whatever.

Posted by Whit at 11:31   | (pre-trackback) 0  

Mrs. Beeton Knit-Along

Well, I'm hosting my first knitalong. We will be doing the Mrs. Beeton pattern from the new issue of Knitty. It starts immediately and ends December 31st. This is to run in conjunction with the reading of Thomas Hardy's, Tess of the D'Urbervilles with my Knit & Crochet the Classics Group. Feel free to join in the reading as well as the knitting.

I LOVE this pattern and am looking forward to knitting something for ME. Please take a button or make a new one. If you make one, please email me a copy and I'll post it for download.

Coincidentally, this pattern was created by the host of Cast-On (Brenda Dayne), one of the knitting podcasts that I listened to this past week. I forgot to talk about the podcasts. I enjoyed them and feel there should be more of them. So... I am currently putting one together - watch for it soon!

Posted by Whit at 12:51   | (pre-trackback) 14  

Knives, Polar Express & Knitty

Well, I guess I'll start with the knives. J went from kidney stones straight into the flu. He said he had a weird dream that he was smuggling knives - by swallowing them. When he would reach his destination a man with a giant magnet would pull the knives out of his stomach. He thought, "well, that works - but I'm going to have a lot of holes in my stomach." Such is the way the mind of my beloved works.

Saturday we went to Polar Express 3-D at the Imax. I BELIEVE!!! It was a beautiful masterpiece. If you haven't had the opportunity to see this yet, run to your nearest Imax 3-D screen and see it today!!! Please take every child you know (who won't freak out over realistic 3-D) and watch them as they reach out to touch the snowflakes falling in the theatre. I've always loved the book, but I avoided seeing the movie until I could see it in 3-D. I'm glad I did. I imagine it was a little boring without the 3-D effects. But, WITH THEM? Well, magnificent. It reminded me again to enjoy the journey.

And then Saturday night, the knives paid a visit to moi.

But today... the new Knitty is out! Wow! I just love that ezine. Stefanie Japel has a new design available in this issue. Some of my other favorites are all of the cute critters (there's a beautiful cat by Jess Hutchison and some adorable "monsters" that double as hand-warmers!), Bobblicious - Wow! and I've simply got to make the beaded victorian gauntlets that are "Mrs. Beeton." I also really want the Nasmaste ("the divine in me salutes the divine in you") for my pilates mat and the elegant "Best Friend." Thanks, Knitty - for another great issue!

Posted by Whit at 09:43   | (pre-trackback) 3  

Let it... rain?

Well, sadly the rain came last night and washed away most of the snow. The good news is that it will make it easier to go out and do some Christmas Shopping today. The bad news is it's still raining. What season is this anyway?!

I was the domestic goddess yesterday, scrubbing and laundering and so forth.

I went to bed early and had myself a good knit. I began again on the previously frogged left sleeve of the Weasley. This sweater makes me tired. It will be so nice when it's finished, but it's all stockinette stitch and it's just so many stitches!! I did about 3,000 stitches last night and you can see that I'm not quite to a short-sleeve length. K, after pulling faces when I suggested a vest - also said "no" to the idea of short-sleeves. Brat.

No television last night. I become less and less inclined to watch the stuff. I am still addicted to Lost, but I even stopped watching Amazing Race once the Rugrats were eliminated - which is kind of sad, cause I hear they were pretty close to my house this week (well, not really this week - I'm not that stupid)... Speaking of maps (well, sort of) - take some time today and sign my map!

Instead, I listened to my new Audible book - Anne of Green Gables. Confession - I've never READ it. I also downloaded Thomas Hardy's, Tess of the D'Urbervilles for my "Knit the Classics" group. I've never read it either and I'm feeling not-so-well-read.

I got my tree up yesterday. Maybe decorations will appear on it today. Maybe the tree-decorating fairy will come. While she's here, I hope she scrubs my bathroom.

Posted by Whit at 08:30   | (pre-trackback) 2  

Snowing and Podcasts

What do these two things have in common? Well, in most instances - probably nothing. But, today at my house this is what's happening. It has been snowing since before I woke up. It is BEAUTIFUL. I love the first REAL snow of the year. I grew up in the desert of AZ and it's still like magic to wake up and see snow everywhere. Now, we had a little before - but this is the real deal. This view is out my back window - I was too cold to open a door or anything like that.

Okay. So, I got up and ran errands early (nobody likes to go to WalMart after 9 a.m.) and slipped (this is a literal term here) home. I have some goodies to finish making and so I decided to look up some knitting podcasts.

I had to download the newest version of iTunes and now I'm subscribing to a couple that I found. I'm getting "KnitCast" and "CastOn" - I'll let you know how I like them! It was pretty easy to subscribe. I just clicked "podcasts" and then did a search for knitting.

I've also been tooling around Teva Durham's site this morning. FAB designs. She is the designer of the lace leaf sweater that I made for K for school pics. I think I may have to make a couple of things for K soon... although I think she really wants me to finish her Weasley. Silly girl.

Posted by Whit at 10:22   | (pre-trackback) 4