Yo! Bloglines! WTF?!?!

So. Charity Knitting. Norma and I were discussing the other day how it used to be that when she talked about charity knitting the silence was so deafening all she could hear was crickets chirping. And I’ve been trying to figure out why that would be the case.

Basically, I think charity knitting is like any other charity donation and people react the same way as if you’re asking for money. And asking for money, well, that can evoke all kinds of emotions and responses in people. One theory I have is that thinking about charities and people in need can make those of us with so much feel a bit guilty. So we say nothing and pretend that people don’t really need our help. But another theory I have is that maybe people already have charities they support and they just don’t want to support another one. And they don’t feel like they want to tell you that because it will just sound like an excuse so they say nothing. I know I feel guilty when I see commercials on television for St. Jude’s or other charitable causes. I want to contribute to everyone! But, the truth is that I only have so much I can give away and I have a few key charities that I support. I’ve researched them and believe in their causes and that’s where my money goes.

And I’m thinking that maybe the same thing is true for charity knitting. I know there are some people who knit for charity all year long. And I know there are some who will never knit for charity but they’re generous in other ways. I guess the point of all of this (you knew I’d get to the point eventually, right?) is that it really doesn’t matter whether you do or don’t knit for charity. And it really doesn’t matter whether you give money away or not. What matters is how you find your way through the world. For me, I need to give back. See, I grew up in a family that struggled financially. I remember running out of oil for the furnace. I remember seeing our name in the paper for nonpayment of property taxes. I remember food stamps. And now I have much. I have a home with heat and plenty of food. I pay my bills and buy gifts for my children. I have yarn and fiber and multiple spinning wheels. I can afford to give some money away. And I can afford to spend some time knitting for people who will be comforted by my handknits.

I know that many of you feel the same way. I know for sure that Norma does. There are 3 days left for Knit Unto Others if you want to join us. Or not. Do what’s right for you. Find your place in the world. And, please, tell me what you think. I can’t abide the sound of crickets chirping.

So there’s this guy with a blog and he’s asking for help in the Name of Science. See, he’s presenting a paper at MLA about how meme’s circulate around the blogosphere. I saw this over at Cate’s and told her I’d play along. I also told her I’d get all you guys to play along to. All you have to do is write something about this on your blog, link to the project, and then ping over here and you’re done. Simple, right? I’m sure the whole thing is way more complex than this but, whatever, I’m no scientist or linguist or professional blogger. I’m just another knitter with a blog. And we’re a mighty force to be reckoned with, ya know.

And just so you don’t think you came over here for nothing, howzabout a meme? Anne wrote a fun post a while ago about the things she sees while driving to and from work. In a flash of brilliance (or desperation for something to blog about) I thought this would make a fun meme.

So, here they are, the 5 most amusing/unusual/weird things I have seen while going to work and the frequency with which I have seen them:
1. sheep – every day
2. deer – sometimes
3. turkeys – frequently
4. red tail hawk – almost every day
5. pheasant – rarely

Will you play along? Tell me what you see while driving to work. And don’t forget about the blog project up there at the top of the post! Thanks, guys.

Boy, coming up with a post for the letter X was tough! And I’m breaking one of my strict rules because I don’t ever refer to Christmas as Xmas. The things I’ll do for the blog, man oh man. So anyway, yeah, X is for Xmas Decorations. I have a few shitload.

This is the mantle in the living room. The print that hangs there is one that Dale and I bought together for our first married Christmas. It’s the first Christmas decoration that goes up, usually on Thanksgiving night.

A close up of the mantle shows the Nativity that I cross stitched on perforated paper about a million years ago. It was actually a really fun project and I’m so happy to pull this out every year.

Also from the living room, this is how I decorate over my windows. Of course the greens are artificial (remember W is for Woodstove) but I think they’re pretty with the red berries and pine cones.

I have four of these Swedish Dala horses. I think I started collecting them when I was in college. My mom used to buy me one every Christmas but as they got bigger they got more expensive so she stopped. I’d love to get more, though. (hi Dale! hint, hint)

Finally, there are the many, many snowmen. These guys hang out in the dining room on the hutch.

And these guys hang out in the kitchen. There are more snowmen on the piano and on the kitchen hutch, too.

Of all the snowmen, though, this guy is my absolute favorite. He has to be placed on top of the refrigerator, though, because Mason has a thing for his fur collar. I kid you not when I tell you that the cat will drag this snowman, and he’s pretty heavy, through the house and hide him from me if he’s not placed somewhere beyond reach. So, it’s the top of the fridge for this guy. I think he likes it up there, though, where he is Lord of All He Surveys.

Of course, this is just a sampling of my Xmas decorations. There are more greens and more lights. There are wreaths on the doors and lights on the bushes and a decorated sled by the back door. There’s no tree just yet (remember again W is for Woodstove) but things are quite festive at Chez Carole Knits.

I told you yesterday that it looked like Christmas had thrown up all over my house. Now you know I wasn’t kidding!

I’ve got random bits to tell you about so I’m borrowing a page from JessLu’s play book and doing a “What I Learned This Weekend” post.

*I learned that charity knitting, while great for the soul, isn’t so great for producing exciting blog posts. Do you really want to see yet another Red Scarf? I didn’t think so. But, just in case, here it is, one finished red scarf.

I’ve got yarn for another one but at the moment I’m knitting a hat for Christmas At Sea.

*I learned that I can get my house decorated for Christmas in less than 4 hours. It looks a bit like Christmas threw up all over the place. I’m happy.

*I learned that online shopping is much better than dealing with the crowds at the malls and big box stores. Of course, when the garland that goes over the kitchen window is missing (how does a garland of greens and lights go missing, anyway?) it means a trip to the big box craft store is in order despite the best of online shopping intentions.

*I learned that Bobby is a wonderful film. Emilio Estevez did a brilliant job with this picture. Go see it.

*I learned that spinning thick yarn is harder than spinning fine yarn. But I managed to successfully spin two Grafton Fiber batts into bulky yarn. See?

*I learned that I can spin sock yarn. Here’s my finished “Twist and Shout” Superwash Merino Roving from Crown Mountain Farms.

That’s 550 yards, plenty for socks!

*I learned that going back to the YMCA after a 4 month absence is a good thing. You know what’s not so good, though? Pushing yourself to do the same number of repetitions with the same amount of weight that you were doing 4 months ago. Perhaps I should have eased back into the routine a bit more slowly. Ahem.

Finally, I learned that hanging out at home with nothing special to do, is a really good thing.

One of the traditions of Remembrance Day is to put wreaths on the battlefield monuments. I took this picture at one of the New York memorials and I love how you can see just a little of the writing on the monument through the center of the wreath.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

This is another wall hanging that I made back when I was quilting more frequently. Tiny one-inch strips are used to make the corn and the bow and leaves are applique.

Happy Thanksgiving! Yesterday I made four pies: pumpkin, mincemeat, cranberry-pecan and chocolate cream. I saved the apple for today because it really is best on the day it’s made. In between pie baking I did some more Red Scarf knitting and some spinning, too. But again, not much worth showing the blog. So, I saw this meme over at Knit Think and decided it would make for an appropriate Thanksgiving post.

1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere? I have to say, I enjoy entertaining and would rather cook at my house. However, I don’t cook at home, we go to Lois’.

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird? I prefer fresh but I get a frozen turkey from work every year.

3. What kind of stuffing? Pepperidge Farm with lots of sage.

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Pumpkin pie. And apple pie and mincemeat pie and pecan pie and chocolate cream pie . . .

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing? I love me some leftovers. There’s nothing like hot turkey sandwiches for supper on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu? Homemade cranberry sauce.

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock? Yes, I save the carcass and make soup. Turkey soup is one of the best soups ever.

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier? My mom always wished she had two ovens so I’ll go with that. At Christmas I always wish for an extra fridge.

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour? I really like a candlelit Thanksgiving dinner so I prefer to eat in the late afternoon.

10. If you go to somebody else’s house, what’s your favorite dish to bring? I bring all the pies. And I love making pie so it’s definitely my favorite dish to bring. I also bring the homemade cranberry sauce.

11. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn’t bring to your house? I don’t have guests but if I did I wouldn’t complain about anything they brought because every little bit helps.

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you’re happy to see? There’s no drama with this group. Lois is the closest thing I have to a sister so it’s like being with family. I’m always happy to see everyone.

13. What’s your absolute favorite thing on the menu? Ooh, this is tough. I tend to fill my plate with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. I could live without the vegetables, honestly. I suppose my favorite part of the meal is the stuffing.

And I added this one:

14. What are you thankful for this year? I’m thankful that I have a terrific family. They put up with my quirks (yeah, that’s the nice word for it) and love me and support me in everything I want to do. I’m also thankful for the wonderful community I’ve built through this blog. I never expected it but it’s turned out to be an amazing thing.

Now it’s your turn. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Thank you all for the compliments on The ManLace. And the compliments on The Man, too. Let me just say, it doesn’t take any arm twisting to get him to pose in his uniform.

The knitting right now is all charity knitting and I don’t have much to show you just yet so I’ll throw you a meme. Hope you like it.

It’s only words
You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

No.
Explanations.

1. Yourself: content
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): funny
3. Your hair: perky
4. Your mother: missed
5. Your father: minister
6. Your favorite item: wheel
7. Your dream last night: forget
8. Your favorite drink: martini
9. Your dream car: Mercedes
10. The room you are in: cozy
11. Your ex: alcoholic
12. Your fear: death
13. What you want to be in 10 years? retired?
14. Who you hung out with last night? Dale
15. What you’re not? thin
16. Muffins: nah
17. One of Your Wish List Items: Golding
18. Time: evening
19. The last thing you did: spin
20. What you are wearing: flannel
21. Your favorite weather: sunny
22. Your favorite book: classic
23. The last thing you ate: chicken
24. Your life: good
25. Your mood: relaxed
26. Your best friend: constant
27. What are you thinking about right now? knitting
28. Your car: Jeep
29. What are you doing at the moment? typing
30. Your summer: fun
31. Your relationship status: married
32. What is on your TV? Chronicle
33. What is the weather like? cold
34. When is the last time you laughed? tonight

Now I’m off to bake pies. Mmmmmmm.

You may recall that last week, when I showed you the blocking photos of Hypotoneuse, I told you I had a special photo shoot planned for the weekend. Never one to disappoint my readers, I traveled all the way to Gettysburg, PA, to have Dale pose with the new ManLace. Okay, well, we may have been going anyway for Remembrance Day, but still, I didn’t let you down.

These photos were all taken in front of the Michael Jacobs house on Middle Street. We had a special purpose in finding this house because Michael Jacobs was the great-great-I don’t know how many great-grandfather of my good friend Judy. He was a Professor at Gettysburg College and actually published the first account on the Battle of Gettysburg. He was also a recorder of weather conditions. All the information we have about the weather and temperature during the battle of Gettysburg comes from Professor Jacobs. Pretty slick, I think.

Speaking of slick, check out these photos of Dale wearing his ManLace.

ManLace with a Union Army uniform. A Captain, no less. It doesn’t get more manly than that.

There is something incredibly soothing and spiritual about burning wood. It provides heat, of course, but it also provides entertainment as I never get tired of watching the flames. I grew up with a fireplace, the first house I purchased had a fireplace, and while I do sort of miss the open-ness of a fireplace, a woodstove is a pretty good consolation prize.

The woodstove we have is a very efficient, as well as aesthetically pleasing, model and we bought it 10 years ago when we got married. It seemed right for our first major purchase to be something that would be a source of heat and comfort for our family for many, many years. While heating with wood doesn’t necessarily save us much money, it provides a warmth that’s comforting and soothing and it pleases us.

Well, it pleases me. I’m not the one who stacks the wood and carries it into the house. I’m not the one who gathers kindling and starts a daily fire in the fall when it’s not cold enough to keep the fire burning all night but not warm enough to not have a fire at all. And I’m not the one who gets up in the night to check on the fire and add wood.

I’m just the one who sits by the stove and enjoys the comfort and warmth. Old fashioned, for sure. But we I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Eye Candy Friday is going to get a lot harder when all the pretty Fall stuff goes away. I’m just saying.

ETA: I’m sorry about the confusion on Friday. Apparently, I went over my bandwidth and had to get some more before I could post again. And, I spent all day Friday traveling to Gettysburg, PA, so I couldn’t fix this until late. But, all is well now and the blog is back.

Have a great weekend, everyone!