Mrs Hammer's House

Kel's Tam

2010-07-08T11:27:00.001-04:00

Kel's Tam
Originally uploaded by Mrs Hammer

I made this tam for one of my best friends, Kelli, since she lives in NC I thought I would use Karaoke, The mixture of wool and bamboo would make it nice and light.

My Review of Classic French-Cuff Shirt

2009-08-12T12:17:00.001-04:00

Chadwick's

A classic coordinate in some great new colors. Imported.

Crisp button front
Long French-cuff sleeves
A touch of stretch for all-day ease
Shaped with darts for a tailored fit
Cotton/spandex; Machine wash

Womens 26¾”

Greta Shirt !

Judy Boston 8/12/2009

Sizing: Feels true to size

Length: Feels true to length

Sleeve Length: Feels true to length

Pros: Great Color, Stylish, Flattering, Comfortable, Good Fit, Versatile

Best Uses: Wear To Work, Casual Wear

Describe Yourself: Bargain Shopper, Career, Classic

I like this shirt for work. It looks very neat and classy. The fit is great abd the fabric is lovely !

()

My Review of Denim Twist-Front Dress

2009-08-12T12:11:00.001-04:00

Chadwick's

Denim dressed up for work or weekend. Imported.

Ultra-flattering pencil shape
Sleeveless denim dress with collar
Twist front and hidden side zip
Cotton denim; Machine wash

Women’s 25” from natural waist

I love this dress

Judy Boston 8/12/2009

Fit: Feels true to size

Waist: Feels true to size

Length: Feels true to length

Pros: Comfortable, Attractive Design, Flattering, Versatile, Nice Fabric, Nice Color

Cons: Wrinkles Easily

Best Uses: Casual Wear, Wear To Work

Describe Yourself: Classic Dresser

Comfort vs Style: Comfort Driven

This is a nice dress for the summer. It is great for a casual occassion, or those casual Fridays at work with accesories and a matching linen big shirt ! and you can't beat the price

()

Me and Charity

2009-04-23T10:26:00.002-04:00

Me and Charity
Originally uploaded by Mrs Hammer

The Haul for China this year.

This was uploaded from Flickr, how easy !

Show Stoppa

2009-04-23T10:25:00.001-04:00

Show Stoppa
Originally uploaded by Mrs Hammer

This is the show stoppa. The back any way. I could not locate the camera at the time it was finished.

I love this !

2009-04-15T10:04:00.004-04:00

Just had to post about my girl. I know it is a little old news wise, but is so extraordinary I had to grab these Photos from The Boston Globe.

Hi There...Where the Hell is Spring ?

2009-04-15T09:39:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I have blogged.
A lot of my favorite blogs have gone quiet. I am not sure why. I jnow that I was spending some yime on Facebook and other things, I got my tweets going on as you can see ! Hee Hee ! But I have missed my little blog. Ya'll miss me ? All 5 of you ?

Well I have been knitting but not taking enough pictures. I have ended my carreer as a yarn snob and used Berocco Comfort for a baby project. it was great, I really enjoyed working with it. I made a layette featuring the Trellis pattern as a little mannish manly cardi! And I also made the Pimp My Longies Pattern for little pants, What a fun little pattern. I am going to incorporate this pattern into my Charity Knitting portfolio. What makes the pants cool is his adorable little gusset at the crotch. What could be warmer than little longies ? O I swoon... A lot of the patterns were just tubes, but this has flair.

The Charity Drive was an amzing success, We were blessed with gifties fom some very nice people, plus we recieved a delivery of five huge boxes packed chock full of knitted things.

I goota go. But I will be back soon. Sorry no pix. They are on Flickr I think...

Charity Knitting Time Again !!!!

2009-02-06T15:54:00.000-05:00

Once a year I collect for some orphanages in China. You can read about it in an older Blog post here:
http://jscothammerquist.blogspot.com/2007/07/appeal-for-warmth.html

This year my co-worker Paul is going t China with his family to show his beautiful daughters the land of their birth and has offered to deliver donations for us. I will be collecting any knitted items you may care to donate up to April 1 2009. You can send them to me:
Judith Scott-Hammerquist c/O MBTA
10 ParkPlaza Boston, MA 02116.
Please pm me if you have any addition questions !
Thanks for your help.

I can't believe it !!!

2009-02-06T15:07:00.001-05:00

Finished the sweater, lost the hat ...

Don't you hate projects like this ...

Baby sweater still not done.

2009-01-28T15:43:00.003-05:00

Arrrrgh !

I can't believe that I ran out of buttons. When I went to pick them out, I only had ten bucks on me. Baby buttons, I mean how much could they cost ? I am not complaining really, because the buttons are very sweet, but I only bought 6 when I needed 7.

Well, the hat is done any way.

OKC !!!

2009-01-23T15:50:00.006-05:00

This was an knitting blog , right ? I will report three FO's- Finished Objects.

A pair of "Sweeties" Fingerless mitts my own design. Knit in Karaoke, didn't they match up nicelt ? I am amused at my own cleverness !

...and a picture of The Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby cardigan blocking on wire hblockers. The front edges of this little cardigan can be a little wonky. This is the first time used these blockers picked up during my trip west ( as in slightly to the west of Boston, with reanie beanie last year. They worked rather well.

At last...

2009-01-22T16:07:00.002-05:00

...My love has come along...

I got goose bumps, I SWEAR.

(Photo attributed to the Boston Globe)

Change

2009-01-21T13:18:00.003-05:00

This amazing moment...

That's all I can say for now, my heart is too full.

Brilliant !

2008-12-10T16:20:00.005-05:00

( Image from Boston Globe)

and I mean it in two ways. I love it when people from the U.K. say to you " Oh that's Lovely" or just 'Brillant" and the other way as just plain ol' american BRILLANT !

I had thought that selecting Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State was masterful on so many levels. She deservers it, she will be great at iy, shores up Obama's lack of expertise in this area and it will keep Bill out of mischief.

But I didn't see this coming ! Obama appoints Hillary Clinton to the post of Secretary of State opening up a Senate seat. And here stands one of his most ardent supporters !

Caroline Kennedy as the Senator from New York ! Fabulous !

Of course there are those who will say she hasn't the chops and that there are those that are more deserved in New York politics. ( I can't what to see what bro in law thinks of this) But it will made for some interesting reading until the dusk settles.

A Lovely Read: We are Cool Again

2008-12-05T13:53:00.002-05:00

An articles from one of my favorite Sons of the Prairie

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/13/opinion/edkeillor.php

Sitting on Top of the World
Wednesday 12 November 2008
by: Garrison Keillor, The Chicago Tribune

The city of Chicago is celebrating the rise of one of their own to
the office of president of the United States.
Be happy, dear hearts, and allow yourselves a few more weeks of
quiet exultation. It isn't gloating, it's satisfaction at a job well done. He was a superb candidate, serious, professorial but with a flashing grin and a buoyancy that comes from working out in the gym every morning. He spoke in a genuine voice, not senatorial at all. He relished campaigning. He accepted adulation gracefully.
He brandished his sword against his opponents without mocking or
belittling them. He was elegant, unaffected, utterly American, and
now (Wow) suddenly America is cool. Chicago is cool. Chicago!!!
We threw the dice and we won the jackpot and elected a black
guy with a Harvard degree, the middle name Hussein and a sense of
humor - he said, "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and
I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher." The French
junior minister for human rights said, "On this morning, we all
want to be American so we can take a bite of this dream unfolding
before our eyes." When was the last time you heard someone from
France say they wanted to be American and take a bite of something
of ours? Ponder that for a moment.
The world expects us to elect pompous yahoos, and instead we
have us a 47-year-old prince from the prairie who cheerfully ran
the race, and when his opponents threw sand at him, he just smiled
back. He'll be the first president in history to look really good
making a jump shot. He loves his classy wife and his sweet little
daughters. At the same time, he knows pop music, American lit and
constitutional law. I just can't imagine anybody cooler.
It feels good to be cool, and all of us can share in that,
even sour old right-wingers and embittered blottoheads. Next time
you fly to Heathrow and hand your passport to the man with the
badge, he's going to see "United States of America" and look up and
grin. Even if you worship in the church of Fox, everyone you meet
overseas is going to ask you about Obama, and you may as well say
you voted for him because, my friends, he is your line of credit
over there. No need anymore to try to look Canadian.
And the coolest thing about him is the fact that back in the
early '90s, given a book contract after the hoo-ha about his
becoming the First Black Editor of The Harvard Law Review, instead
of writing the basic exploitation book he could've written, he put
his head down and worked hard for a few years and wrote a good
book, an honest one, which, since his rise in politics, has earned
the Obamas enough to buy a nice house and put money in the bank. A
successful American entrepreneur.
Our hero who galloped to victory has inherited a gigantic
mess. The country is sunk in debt. The Treasury announced it must
borrow $550 billion to get the government through the fourth
quarter, more than the entire deficit for 2008, so he will have to
raise taxes and not only on bankers and lumber barons. His promise
never to raise the retirement age is not a good idea. Whatever he
promised the Iowa farmers about subsidizing ethanol is best
forgotten at this point. We may not be getting our National Health
Service cards anytime soon. And so on and so on.
So enjoy the afterglow of the election awhile longer. We all
walk taller this fall. People in Copenhagen and Stockholm are
sending congratulatory e-mails - imagine! We are being admired by
Danes and Swedes! And Chicago becomes The First City. Step aside,
San Francisco. Shut up, New York. The Midwest is cool now. The mind
reels. Have a good day.
---------
Garrison Keillor is radio host and author. =

The Winter of My Discontent

2008-11-25T10:52:00.002-05:00

When we gathered last April to remand my dear one's ashes to a lovely spot in Truro, My sister in law and mother in law had beautiful readings . True to form I didn't have anything prepared, But I spoke my heart and I wrote down what I said, because I did not want to forget it, ever. So I came across my notes and I am going to put them here, inn this semi perament yet public place.

To Mark:

The first time I saw you, I knew that you were the person I wanted to spend my life with.
God did not grant that to us.
You were a faithful and loving husband and no one will ever love me as much as you.
We love you and miss you.
I hopre that you miss us and hope that you are at peace.
I will love you forever little poppi.

The grief goes on, I am often sad, but I am getting much better.
This is my life now. But I would much rather be with my husband.
I am so blessed with the love of family and friends.
Thank you all.

The 44th President

2008-11-05T13:53:00.003-05:00

.... is Barack Obama.

I am thrilled beyond words. I was sitting on the train this morning and I looked around and saw all the opened newspapers presenting to me that face. And my heart leaped as I thought to myself, That's my President.

Not the President, my President.

And as he stated , a few days ago, the phrase still winging through my head,

" The time for change has come, We have a righteous wind at our backs."

Onward.

Pledge Update

2008-09-23T11:16:00.003-04:00

I spoke with B, C and M about voting. One of the girls said that she had registered on line. However, it wasn't the city of Boston but some generic site. Another of the girls told me that she hasn't yet registered, but her mom has been speaking with her about it. Way to go MOM ! I told her that this may be one of the biggest historical events in her life and that she needs to be a part of it and that I would help her. I also told the girls to be on the look out for getting out the vote opportunities in their communities which may save them a trip to City Hall.

So I have to get over to the Boston Website and check out deadlines and provisions for absent ballots.. Next I have to reach out to my young friends on Face book. A lot of them are college freshman and I remember what that was like. Between studying and the rest of college life, voting could be lost in the mix.

Yeah Facebook. I'm down.

Maybe Shrek Maybe Not

2008-09-22T10:24:00.003-04:00

I got this photo today from KDay !

It's the socks, don't they look wonderful ! Kday is such a great knitter !

I've got to make a pair for myself. Thick cozy socks are sure to be very in this Winter.

Update

2008-09-20T14:32:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I spoke with Ty, Dietmar, Andrew and Cathy about voting. All but one are registered to vote and insured me that they will vote in November.
I asked my mom if my niece Nikki was registerd and she replied, "Well she couldn't live here if she wasn't !" My mom works the polls in my home town in New Jersey so everybody votes in her house !

44 to go !

Finished the Purple sweater in organic Pakucho cotton. It is soaking right now. Hopefully I;ll be able towear it and take a photo of it tommorrow. I know it won't dry over night by itself, though.

Above is pictured the Ginormous sock. I had started it when Afghans for Afganistan had requested knitted items for the workers of Roots for Peace, a group that plants
grape vines where land mines previously existed in Afghanistan. I wanted to be sure that the socks would be for a large person, but these were huge and my hands started to bother me because these were to be worsted weight socks. So I put them down. My good friend KDay volunteered to finish the knitting and I was so grateful. So I sent them to California and she is finishing them up as we speak. She mentioned if I wanted them shortened as it seems that they would fit a man's size 14 foot. Ha Ha! I told her to do what ever she could so that they would fit a normal size person.

My Pledge

2008-09-18T17:22:00.002-04:00

I pledge to approach 50 people under the age of 30 about their voting status.

I am going to remind them to vote, and if not registered I am going to give them the information to get it done.

I started yesterday during dinner with my friend Van who is 29 and she is registerd to vote and is thirilled to do so.

ONE DOWN 49 TO GO !

2008-09-13T12:17:00.002-04:00

I know I haven't blogged for a while, so I decided to restart by producing a long promised photo.

This is me and Gina of Mad Love Knits. She came to Boston for a conference last May and we were able to get together. It was so wonderful to see her. We had been internet friends for years and this was the first time we met in person. I after all I had been going through it was such a treat to have somrthing to look forward to, we had a great time.

The Election

2008-08-26T09:12:00.005-04:00

Just a quick post.

I am just sick that I have to work evenings almost the entire week of the Democratic convention. I love to watch that stuff. All the speeches, all the crazy costumes.

"The Great State of Missoura, Home of the badgerheads, cast its vote for..."

The Convention reminds me of something that I has been on my mind and I have been meaning to write about.

Over the past year I have been sitting with women, usually in a group of knitters and the talk has turned to the campaign. Many of us were excited about the rise in Barack Obama's fortunes and were thrilled to have him become the party's nominee. Despite having lost in Massachusetts, which a friend from Chicago could not believe. "I thought Massachusetts was a progressive place", she railed.

Well it is. And that brings me to my next point.

I had noticed while sitting in various groups that when the talk came to politics and Barack Obama that some of the women had remained silent. I thought that odd at the time. But then of course it dawned on me.

These women support Hillary Clinton. Of course they did. These women who I was fond of, respected and admired were looking forward to nominating the first woman candidate for the Presidency. It was so easy to assume that people who were so like minded as myself in so many ways would support the same candidate.

Well, these are heady times and the time has come to nominate the Democratic party's nominee for President of this country. I cannot state that I understand the residual hard feelings that are said to reside in the Clinton camp. I do not dismiss them. I just believe that it is time for us all to come together. If anyone believes that the John McCain can do a better job because of his experience, that is their right.

But how can the majority of Americans survive another four years of a Republican presidency ?

War, gas prices, the housing crisis ? Just to start.
The poor get poorer , the greedy rich get filthy richer and the rest of us are stuck in the middle. Stuck.

We need change. Now.

Thursday

2008-07-10T07:54:00.008-04:00

The Village Tree Yoga is having a summer break.
What's a girl to do on her Thursday nights ?

Well on July 17, 2008, I am going to Forest Hills Cementary for the Lantern Festival. ( Photo courtsy of the Forest Hills Web Site) I have always wanted to go and I really want to this year and light a light for my darling.

Often after yoga I ususally stroll around Roslindale Square and as I past by here the Birch Street Bistro lately, the joint is junping. In Roslindale Square on a Thursday night ! The last time I passed by the Bistro with my sweaty little yoga face looking in longingly, someone gestured to me inviting me in.

EEK !

Toni Lynn Washington is going to be there tonight. She is a Local legend and and I so want to go. It may seem strange but the cool and happening Mrs Hammer has a tensy bit of anxiety when it comes to going to new places by herself.

So wish me luck and love and give me a psychic push out the house tonight !

Josephine Baker Scott Hammerquist

2008-07-04T12:29:00.003-04:00

I hope Josephine is dancing somewhere in heaven

Book Meme

2008-07-02T16:25:00.003-04:00

This is a LJ Post but with it Judy and I tag all the book Lovers !
(Judy Pace is a starlette of the sixties and one of my heroines)

That Book Meme
The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed."
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who haven't read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time-Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Celtics !

2008-06-20T07:12:00.001-04:00

It was a great day for a parade.

MASW 2008

2008-06-08T09:35:00.003-04:00

The little girl who was holding these lambs was adorable, but her parents watching the crazy city woman with a camera, not so much.
Still a lovely day with good. friends.

History

2008-06-05T13:39:00.002-04:00

I really can't comment on how this makes me feel right now.

As a Black American my eyes well, my heart soars.

How you doin ?

2008-06-02T14:56:00.005-04:00

Congrats Manny ! 501 !
Keep the hits coming !

( Ok Ok , I got nuthin', but you know how I feel about MY Manny !)

Here is a quick post to apologise for not posting.
Many things have been happening, the little hats made it to the young lady who is going to carry them to Africa this Summer;

My niece of the Green Fetchings graduated and there was lovely lovely family time with folks coming in from NJ, NYC , Hot Lanta and Florida;

Me, Krista and Em went to New Hampshire Sheep and Wool and
I bought a book and a little wool;

Me, Jen and Suz and Peachpit went to Massachusetts Sheep and Wool and I bought soap, lotion, maple syrup, honey, and a littl wool;

And Gina Came to Town Gina Gina Gina !
can you tell I was happy to see Gina ?
Now don't get me wrong, the other occurences were very lovely, but meeting up with G was special to me. We have been internet friends for sooo long to be able to finally meet in person was very special.
And we met up with Dean for lunch as well.
Details to come !

Darfur Hats

2008-04-30T14:43:00.002-04:00

Darfur Hats 001
Originally uploaded by Mrs Hammer

Here is a group of hats that will hopefully make it to Africa tthis summer .
This is in response to a request for baby hats in the Darfur Ravelry group.
I knit eight hats in Royal, light blue and white. The rest were made by my co-worker Beth and some ladieswho had stopped by the office. they saw that Beth and I were doing some charity knitting and wanted to help. So I gave them some yarn and they knitted and crocheted a bunch of hats \.a

Flickr

2008-04-30T14:38:00.001-04:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Folk Art Friday

2008-04-11T14:33:00.002-04:00

Progress, but I am not as fascinated as i once was. Determined to press on.
But desires are otherwise, a charity blanket and some garments for myself, including but not limited to my forest canopy shawl, which I have been working on and could bind off at any time now. I just want it to be a great big, diva-dramatic thing and I want to use all of my Oak Grove to complete it.

Folk Art Friday

2008-03-28T13:00:00.003-04:00

Another experiment I started gosh, 3 years ago ?
I kept looking amd loving the little square that it was, now I am adding more strips to it.
Don't know where I will end up, but will post the progress.

Green Fetching

2008-03-27T17:23:00.001-04:00

Are done and gifted !

It was hard to catch my beloved sprite ! Isn't she darling !

I'll tell you what

2008-03-26T12:35:00.002-04:00

I was so proud of my self because I got up this morning and did a
couple of yoga postures and was practicing my downward dog and
somebody apparently did not approve...

This is what faced me as I was leaving this morning so I snapped
this picture with my phone.

Downward dog indeed.
I'll tell you what...

Aran go knit !

2008-03-17T14:14:00.004-04:00

This is the sweater I was working on for the Afghans for Afganistan school project, a drive done in the fall to produce articles of clothing that kids can wear to school. I had just finished it and then Mark died and it has been living in the trunk of my car ever since. I freed it yesterday, to air out.

Tis a grand sweater if I say so myself !

I was going to sent it off with an adult pair of socks, but they are worsted weight and my wrists are killing me. I did them toe up and while I have turned the heel on both socks, I don't have the steam to finish wih a decent length of leg.
I may need to take a little knitting break and send them off later.

Yoga starts up again this Thursday. Yippee. I would link to it, but the class is sold out.

Also went to Athans for the Brighton Knit brunch on Saturday in search of my beloved Suz and found her happy little face. Joy! Joy ! I also saw the Knutty Knitter to whom I dedicate this post ! Also was gifted a "Knitters for Obama" button from Black Tabi.

Pretty cool.

Ravelry: mrshammer's Red Fetching

2008-03-14T16:22:00.000-04:00

Ravelry: mrshammer's Red Fetching

Kelly Kelly Kelly kelly

2008-03-14T14:34:00.003-04:00

There once was a lovely girl named Kelly

Who had a lovely Kelly Green Aran...

But it had been on hard times...

Oh some very hard times...

NURSE SCISSORS AND A SET OF ADDIS ...STAT !

A 2 Post Day Ha!

2008-02-29T15:00:00.005-05:00

OKC. Obligatory Knitting Content !

Here is the little box of goodies that I sent off to afghans for Afghanistan.
I am particularly proud of the little socks I made - The Yankee sock pattern my friends A and J call it. It is a great and simple pattern.
You know I lovw looking at all the fancy socks but I don't know if I would enjoy making them. I may sell my Senstaional Knitted Socks. I don't think I would enjoy desgning them. Give me a plain straight forward sock recipe and I am good to go.

Oh and that's Marvin. He's "helping".

On with the new !

2008-02-29T14:38:00.004-05:00

2 weeks, well what can I say. I was reading a blog where the blogger posted every day since January 2008. Then I have checked a blog where the author hasn't posted since August 2007.
Please, no names. The guilty must be protected as well as the prolific. I obviously are some where in between.

But here is something I found exciting, one of my friends is a Mayor. E. Denise Simmons who was a member of the School Committee for many years in ambridge MA and recently has been a member city council was voted in as Mayor this January, Denise is the first woman in decades to be elected and the first Black woman evah !
She is also probably the first Black Lesbian Mayor in the World !
You go Girl !
Makes me miss living in Cambridge. Sniff !

Things that make you ..."hmmmm"

2008-02-14T11:06:00.003-05:00

Here is the former Campaign Manager for the Clinton Campaign.

Here is the new manager of the Clinton Campaign:

I was a little concerned by the overwhelming support of the Hispanic community for Hillary. I don't don't resent her for it, I didn't understand it's roots. I have learned thet Patti Solis Doyle worked hard to court the Hispanic vote and herein lies the tale.

News reports have mentioned that Maggie Williams, who was a Clinton staffer at the White House, left her private sectofr job to help out during the New Hampshire Primary. Hillary won that one, even though Obama was projected to win by some polls and credit may be due to Ms. Williams.

Fatigue and the need for a fresh eye have been cited for reason for Solis Doyle departure. However, I like the explaination that there couldn't be two campaign managers and that one had to go. After all, if you had the chance to be instrumental in electing the first woman as President of the United States would you go ?

In any case, these are two phenomenal women.

Whoossh !

2008-02-12T11:35:00.001-05:00

Well, I won't be photo swiping for a while because I found my camera. Yippee !
I have finished a pair of baby socks for A4A. a new hat for a neighbor, a new hat for me after the hat for the neighbor came out so well. Here is a photo of the hat I made for Linda taken for me by a co worker,

I hope she got it, I haven't seen her and I left it at her door.
And I finally finished my Cafe Bastilles Sweater. It was a great knit, although I am not so sure about the wearbility of the Lamb's Pride Bulky, it can be a littie fuzzy.

OTN- the piglet sweater is moving along, I really want to finish it this month along with a pair of matching mittens. I am also chugging along on additional pair of baby socks. AND my Share the Love swap gift for Black Purl.

There was also some personal knitting to be done, but it is on the back burner. I was thinking of making this Nora Gaughin vest, "Kaino" in Misti Alpaca Pima Silk Cotton, but when I wound it up, it seemed a little fuzzy, like the silk was separating. Here is the vest, it is a long lovey garment that I think is knee length. A lot of knitting though.

I really want to swatch it, wash it and beat it up a bit. I'm not sure about it for this garment I am concerned with the drape. I don't want it to drapey. Oh well.

Oh that's Obama plying ball. Hardball. Yea mon this is some horserace !

Vote

2008-02-05T11:51:00.000-05:00

It's Super Tuesday ! Who makes up these things ?
Politics are exciting again.

I voted for Obama.

I voted for him because I want to have hope, I want to have change in our society. I feel that his youth and energy will invigorate the country. I believe that his life experiences will show us a new path. Have you read his biography ? Do yourself a favor and read it immediately. This person knows want, knows pain, knows what it is to struggle.
And he knows people.

As I stated yesterday I haven't found my camera, so in honor of today I am going to post some photos that are wheeling their way around the internet.

The one of Barack and his grandmother is my new screen saver. (Sorry Manny !)

I would like to give what ever credit is possible to who ever took what appear to be family photos, but I can't. These are being mailed around I do not take any credit.
But I love looking at them.

Gosh !

2008-02-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

I can't believe i haven't posted in a month ! Sorry guys !
I have been knitting up a storm, but I can't find my camera. Hopefully it is around some where.

I made a hat for a neighbor in Lamb's Pride Superwash in Cornflower. It was awfully cute, so I am making one for my self in cream colored Cashmerino. It is almost done.
Plus, the Big Red Sweater has to be seamed. I have done the shoulders 3 times already, and I have decided on a "woven" type seam, but the cables on either side are off by a quarter of an inch. Sheesh ! Back to the drawing board.

Also stared are a pair of Toddler socks for A4A in the Yankee Knitter pattern gifted me by Bloggless Alice in Regia Crazy color and this is one bright and happy little sock ! I must admit this is a really nice pattern, very easy and painless.

I also started the Fleece Artist thrummed mitten kit given to me by blogless Irene for my birthday last year. And since it is Fleece Artist, the yarn is beautiful and will match my brown coat. Irene also gave me a pair of fabulous mittens 'Just because' in December. These are expert Komi, which I will never attempt. I borrowed this photo of them as I am camera-less and what is a Blog without pix ? Borrrrring !

Aren't they wonderful ? I am trying to walk more and I really need to keep my hands warm.

I have been spending the majority of my socal time with my knitters and it has been great, although I am getting too much yarn through swaps and shopping. So, today I bought some yarn in to my friend Beth who knit about 15 baby hats for me for China last year. This year we are knitting for Darfur and China and Afghans for Afghanistan - Beth will do hats and I intend to concerntrate on socks and mittens.

Ciao for now !

Mrs Hammer's House

2008-01-10T09:55:00.001-05:00

Crazy ain't it? i think Sparow is kinda cute.

Which Dyke to Watch Out For Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Sparrow

You are Sparrow! You've been distracted from your usual spiritual pursuits by work and family. Get your hubby to babysit one night a week while you study Buddhist meditation at the local sangha.

Sparrow

85%

Stuart

70%

Clarice

60%

Toni

55%

Lois

50%

Sydney

50%

40%

Snow

2008-01-08T11:07:00.000-05:00

I sent this video to my friend "OG" who has retired to the South. For some reason I could not get it to work once the blog published.
It showed a man coming out to a a line of snow covered cars after a long day at work. He is with out a shovel or brushes so he uses his hand, brief case etc. to remove the snow. Once he got most of the car cleared , he used his key chain to unlock it and the another car responded.

I asked OG him if he missed snow and this is what he had to say:

"Ya know what? I don't miss digging my car out, putting out a marker, praying my marker wouldn't be disturbed, finding a neighbor didn't give a damn about my marker when i got back,and wishing I could trash his car but knowing he's the big crazy dude who lives next door, and I'd seen him when it took five cops to handcuff him last sumnmer when he was drunk and stood butt-naked pissin' off his porch and yelling drunken epithets at everybody. Naw, I don't miss the snow at all." You can take a guy out of Beantown, but you can't take the Boston outta the guy.

EZ on Parade - 2007

2008-01-04T11:51:00.000-05:00

'Cause I got nothing and this blog needs pix !

January 3

2008-01-03T15:08:00.000-05:00

This yarn 2007 meme I borrowed from Bonne Marie Burns who I believe go it from Knit Lit.

1. Your best FO of the year:

A tie between my Hot Mama socks and all the little Baby surprise Jackets once I had mastered them. It is soooo cold I wear these socks all the time and the color is so crazy it makes me happy.

2. Best FO of the year made by a blog you link to:

Fabulous color sequences of the Double Helix as demonstrated in the Beautiful Circus Blanket II and the Saturn Shawl which happened to be made for my birthday!

3. Best yarn you tried:

Sheep Shop 3 luscious silk and merino, bright vivid color ways.

4. Best new book/mag/pattern of 2007: especially loved:

Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel. Nice stuff

5. Best new knitting technique or gadget you tried in 2007:

My portable fold up wooden swift.

6. Top 5 inspirations--what five things inspired you the most over the past year?

Knitting circles, knitting with friends.
Charity knitting- warming up little people
The beauty of sock yarn and the feel of hand knitted socks.
Raverly what fun!
O the yarn yarn yarn !

7. Designer who most amazed & inspired you throughout the year:

I would have to say Elizabeth Zimmerman. For years I eschewed her and pooh-poohed her, chasing after more sparkly patterns and the “slick and groovy”. But after looking through the Knitting Workshop, light dawned on Marblehead (a Boston Joke ya’ll) and I finally understood the simple elegance and ingenious construction of her knitting. This explains the 5 little sweaters I made from her patterns last year.

8. Knitting resolutions for 2008--what's next for you and your blog?
To continue Charity knitting with an emphasis on socks and mittens, and to finish more beautiful and wearable garments. My Maxwell Jacket needs a break !

On the home front, progress is making it's way on my big red sweater. I finally got some new glasses after losing my fab Burberrys. Grief makes you crazy. Knitting helps, but generally life is just unreal.

That is all.

2007 Goodby to all that

2007-12-31T14:28:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to Everyone

Baby it's cold outside.

2007-12-04T14:00:00.000-05:00

Experts will see a missed cable connection. However I don't know if I have the energy to fix it.
I don't feel like tinking back so I probably won't.
This is my feel good happy knock around sweater.
Plus it is sooo cold and it is time to have a new sweater. This would be great to have around.
Knitted Goodness is such a comfort.

Speaking of which I got 2 extraordinary gifts last weekend. I'll show you tomorrow.

2007-11-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

Still here. Still knitting. A Lot.
Thank you all again for your love and support. I thank you and my family thanks you.
I am getting better every day. But man is it hard. It is so very hard.
Love to all, will post soon

Goodnight my sweetheart

2007-11-06T14:59:00.000-05:00

Today I heard from a dear dear friend KDay that she was checking the blog and was thinking of me. After I had thought about it some and recieved some sage counsel from Suz I thought I should make mention in the blog.

My darling husband passed away October 12, 2007.
And there was just us two, us and the 4 kitties.
And I am berefit and am in more pain than you can imagine, unless of course you have been there yourself.

I want to thank you all for you for your love and support, Knitters are so fabulous so warm and loving. Outside my family with whom I grieve I have recieved such succor and warmth and healing from you,

Thank you Allison, Thank you Jen P,Thank KDay , Thank you Brother Dean B, Thank you Rebecca, Janet, Krista, Alice, Laura, Jen H. , Jen J, Bookish G, Suz, Gina G, Leeanne and a host of others.

I may not post for a bit.
But I will always be Mrs. Hammer.

Yea Mon !

2007-10-05T13:23:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to lnit a Rasta Tam. I couldn't find I pattern that I Liked so I think I have finally put one together my self

Miss Bitty Bitzel helped.

The kukka and the Kiddies

2007-10-04T14:58:00.000-04:00

Yes, the last picture of me w' wool on the hoof was taken in Conventry, Conn. at a little farmer's market with Blue and a couple of other friends. It was a lot of fum being in the open air and getting away. And of course it is always good to look at wool. Some ok stuff but nothing I had to have, especially since I have sooo much yarn. I did get some wonderful tomatoes. OMIGOD sweet as sugar and little new potatoes that I roasted w/ EVOO yum ! If you ever get a chance to have pototoes direct from the farmer, DO IT. They are so very good.
Knitting away as always, hopefully my next finihed project is this; Kukka by Nora Gaughin,

(Photo courtesy of Berrocco- actually snatched from Berrcco)
I think it is so cool and different and it will match up with several things I already have in my closet. Not to mention the six dresses I have on lawaway at Chez M. Six dresses ! ? Well yes, but those that know me KNOW I love nice dresses and these are actually functional and good for work. Besides I don't think that I have bought a winter work dress over 3 years so there !
One of them will be adorable with Kukka.

Here is a specail treat, direct from China, Lillian has sent some pictures of the children wearing some of the things we sent:

That is Lilliam holdng the little girl in the red and yellow hat. I am so thrilled that we were able to get picures tis year.

Well I am not likely to post for a bit, I am off to Jersey to tramp around and visit the Fam and to wear my Big Papi shirt in Damn Yankee country.
If I send up a flair, send wool would ya ?

What Have I been up to

2007-09-24T14:25:00.000-04:00

Taken by Alice S.

It's all about the wool.

Top 25

2007-09-12T12:55:00.000-04:00

I got this from >R
"Copy this list; leave in the bands you've seen perform live; delete the ones you haven't, and add new ones that you have seen until you reach 25. An asterisk means the previous person had it on their list. Two asterisks means the last two people who did this before you had that band on their list."

1. Dave Matthews Band *
2.. Sweet Honey in the Rock *
3. Ella Fitzgerald
4.Stevie Wonder
5. Miles Davis
6.Michael Franks
7.James Brown
8.David Sancious
9.Charles Mingus
10.The Boston Pops
11. Pat Metheny
12.Wilhelmena Higgins Fernandez
13.Prince
14.Bob Marley
15.Yellowman ( at Reggae Sun splash)
16. Dar Williams
17. Janis Ian
18. Gil Scott-Heron
19. Stephanie Mills
20. Mary J. Bilge
21. Mel Torme
22. Tina Turner
23.Al Jarreau
24. Patty Labelle
25. Melba Moore

This was fun, I am sure that there were others, I went to a lot of concerts when I was young, but can't seem to remember them all. I have seen some great and talented people over the years, but I haven't been to a concert in ages. I would like to recitfy that. But I don't really enjoy them because the rest of the audience ruins it for me. People go to a concert and seem to want it to be an excuse to party and dance and carry on. Now that's all good, but if I paid in excess of sixty bucks to see a performance I don't want my vision blocked, I don't want to be joslted and I don't want to hear any thing other than the talent I came to see. This is what happened when I saw Dave Matthews and Mary J. Bilge, the most recent ventures.

Total: 55

2007-09-11T15:28:00.000-04:00

I had a goal of gathering at least 50 items to send to China with Lillian this year. I am proud to day that I surpassed it thanks to all of you lovely and generous people. The count: 40 hat, a dozen pair of socks and booties, 1 vest and 2 sweaters. Paul and I had lunch with Lillian Z. I had wanted to get a picture of the 3 of us, perhaps another time. She is crazy with a million things to do and then on top of it is getting over a cold and has a 22 hour flight to Beijing tomorrow morining ! She is very grateful for the things we made and thanks all of us. Lillian says that it is not the monetary value, but the gift from the heart and that the children will know that someone cares about them.

Here are some items sent from Barbara and Patricia, who I met through the Dulaan Yahoo Group list. They sent some great hats:

Here is the BJS I made:

Another:

A big ol' pile of stuff, such wonderful color and nice nice wool. These items are bound to cheer and warm a bunch of children:

Love and Thanks to Janet, Kday, Jen, Laura, Jen J., Barbara, Patricia , and Bethie !

Off we go

2007-09-07T15:22:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick photo of the Baby Surprise Jakcet I am making to send to China, here's hoping it's done by Sunday because...
LILLIAN IS GOING TO CHINA ON WEDNESDAY !
sheesh, I can't keep up with her.
Thanks everybody who participated, Sunday is our newest and final deadline, so if you had any thing that you want to contribute, please get a hold of me.

Love ...

As Promised

2007-08-28T16:28:00.000-04:00

I have gotten some nice items to send over to China with Lillian this fall;. Here as promised are are few snaps:

From Janet B, this is a girl who when she hears "warmth needed, her hand shots up in the air and she says ooo ooo ! me me !

Here are some sweet little hats from Laura K. We used to knit together at the Thursday night Circle at Circles then one day, Laure announced she wouldn't be able to come in as much because she had to knit some wee things for a little one to be !Then kast spring she came into Circles with the must beautiful little toddler, walking to boot ! Time flies. I missed knitting with Laura and I was so thrilled when she contacted me. I didn't know she even knew I had a blog ! Laura also sent a huge bag of some sweet little cuddly toys as well.

What can I say aabout KDay , my partner in charity capers ? I love her so much ! She is one of my knitting inspirations. She sent a big ol' box full of goodies from California. This is just a sample:

What this little bit of lace ? Well, a girl's got to keep warm if she going to do all this knittin. Cool weather ahead, bless us !

Yes. Falling Leaves colorway ,hand dyed silk and merino by Oak Ridge. My favorite yarn of all time. Well most days.

More pix, more more tommorrow.

Alas...

2007-08-16T10:59:00.001-04:00

The batteries on my camera is Kapute, ya ?
So here is a BJS Replay.
Thanks !

Life in Boston

2007-08-08T12:02:00.000-04:00

I have been taken to task by the intrepid Janet B for not posting photos as promised. I have been busy, but I really want to do justice to the lovely items for the China Orphanages that I have received from Janet, Kday, Laura and Jen.
So here is a post with a quick sneak pix.
Surprise ! It is the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Cardigan, with a matching hat. ( I designed the hat !) I took this quick shot in the knitting corner of my bedroom this am.
Who am I kidding, the whole house is the knitting corner. We just live around the yarn. I love this sweater, I think it is the sweetest baby sweater ever designed. EVAH !

Not the pix I promised, but I will post the other pictures really soon.

The life in Boston segment is brought by Dom and his Pups.
If you are often along Boylston Street , you may have seen Dom and his little babies. They like to sit at the tables at Starbucks on sunny weekends and greet their many fans. I caught with them the other day while they were buying a new cell phone on Charles St, ext. Well,I guess Dom was.

What 's the OKC. Well there isn't an OKC here, but since you asked... I once knit them little weeny sweaters a long time ago.

Thwarted

2007-07-30T16:01:00.000-04:00

Not only was this ugly plastic thing surrounding the theater were Mr. Denzil Washington was filming, but yellow police tape as well.
O don't do a sista like this ! I exclaimed to the security guard.
Oh well. Back to knitting.

STAR STRUCK !

2007-07-19T15:19:00.000-04:00

Guess who is filming a movie across the street from MY OFFICE

Don't expect much in the way of kniiting or anything else getting done unless it can be accomplished while I am hanging outside my seventh floor by my ankles !

DENZEL !

The Play's the Thing

2007-07-18T16:48:00.000-04:00

Last year Kat retired with our needles to watch free Shakespeare in Boston on the Common. We had a great time. we are going again this Wednesday.
Info

If enough folks want to join us, I'll be sure to leave work early to get a decent stop. It was surpring crowded at 5;#0 pm. I plan on going over much earlier this time.

Hurray !

2007-07-18T11:04:00.000-04:00

I already recieved the first donation of knitted goodies from Janet B !
Pictures to follow.

I should add that I would like to recieve iteems by the first week of September. If you are planning to join in.

You can emal me at Hammer1121@yahoo(dot)com.

Another box is winging its way from Cali-for-nay- a
from my beloved KDay !
A poem !
I'm a poet ! I didn't know it !
Ok I will stop now.

An Appeal for Warmth

2007-07-17T10:42:00.000-04:00

Last year a few friends and I knit some items to be send to a Chinese Orphanage. The back story is that my co-worker and side kick Paul and his wife has adopted 2 little babies from China. I remember when each one visited the office and I got to hold them. So sweet, so tender. They are great big beautiful girls now. Paul as an attorney would help the agency with various issues, eventually joined its board of Directors and is now President of the Board.

One day last year, Paul and I was discussing my knitting for Charity and I said, well maybe some day I could knit for your orphanages. Next thing I know he was introducing me to Lillian Zhang, the director of the agency. She was so excited and grateful at the thought that some one would knit for the orphans halfway around the world ( Ha ! she doesn’t know knitters !) The facilities, while better than being left in the elements, lack central heating systems and can be quite cold, A knitted garment would help a lot to cheer a little face.

So this year I am putting out a direct appeal. I had planned to knit and send several items, but a couple of things have disrupted my plans; an explosion of babies to knit for in my personal life and the fact that Lillian is going over to China 2 moths earlier than I anticipated. So won’t you donate to the cause with a little hat or something.. Maybe you have a project languishing or a stitch pattern you like to try? Lillian is grateful for any and all types of donations as not all of the residents are infants and/or toddlers. In fact, those that are not adopted often remain residents until they become young adults.

I can arrange a pick up of any items or you can send them to me if you are out of state.
If you want to knit and are without stash, I can send you some!
Please let me know if you would are to help,

Thank you, Mrs. Hammer.

For the Cat Lovers

2007-07-12T15:52:00.000-04:00

On Monday I woke to it in my eyes, nose. In my hair.
I was actually looking forward to the day, that I would be free of cat hair.

Then I read This

I cried both times that I read it.

God Bless you, Roy

BJS Redux

2007-07-06T15:05:00.000-04:00

Yippee Just in time>>>
Baby B is due Tuesday !

I picked this color because it is a favorite of the parents. I just gave it to her a minute ago. She was over joyed.
There is a certain feeling you get went you make and bestow such a gift. The recipient is usually so grateful that you fell a little guilty. You know you want to say "aw shucks weren't nothin'". There is a pleasure in the giving that is sometimes a little too delicious.

Well one down, 3 to go. Baby sweaters that is. The pink EZ is done but for a little finishing. I intend to make another one in Lamb's pride superwash in the colorway Purplexed.
I am working on another BJS in kelly green and birght teal. Yowzer ! Plus I have a red sweater on the needles with a delightful bulky got out of the sale bin at Patternworks during my birthday trip. I am using the the Budd Book for that one. It is baby sweater central at Chez Hammer.

I am coming around the bend with my Black Bamboo T. I am just tingling about it.
Do you know that ridiculous feeling, I mean if you ever get it, where you are reluctant to finish an object, because you so enjoyed the knitting of it, that you linger , dawdle toward the end ? I am getting a little misty at the thought of finishing this project. But I will be wearing it at the end of the month.

I am working on some socks for myself as well. I forget the name of the yarn, a DK weight,but the colorway is called 'Hot Mama'.

But of Course.

Dulaan Dulaan

2007-06-21T16:51:00.000-04:00

It's so fine...
Dulaan Dulaan !
This Vest of mine...
Dulaan Dulaann !

I am really proud of this vest. I wanted to make an Adult size garment for the Dulann Project to warm Mongolia and I did.

The other offerings:

The vest was made of yarn fom my stash mostly Lopi and Lamb's prider. A lot of which was donated to me by a friend of my dear mother-in-law, Mary Ellen Laughlin.
Hi Mary Ellen ...Thanks for all the yarn !

That Baby surprise jacket is crazy , no ? Look at those buttons ! Again Lamb's Pride for the yellow and green. The navy I believe is Rowan. This BJS was to go to a domestic charity drive run by Circles, but the finished project was so warm and wooly, I thought it would be a better fit for Dulaan. I have another on the needles for Cradles to Crayons, Trust Me.

The Multi colored hat is one I finished for my self, I loved the yarn in the skein but when it was on, I dunno. Looks great here, but I can't change my mind now.

The trio of items and the maroon hat were things I made a while ago and were just waing for a home, off ya go !

That crazy scarf was another experiment. I was obsessed with Colinette Mohair for a while. A doomed affair of my youth. Que Sera Sera.

Gotta go... Gotta pack...

Ellison

2007-06-13T18:12:00.001-04:00

The other day we were sitting around Circles and the topic of Ralph Ellison came up.
Of course that age old question was brought up, what ever happened to him ? Why wasn't there a second novel, or at least one completed in his lifetime ?

Reading the New Yorker last night, I came across a review of this...

A new biography by Arnold Rampersad. Professor Rampersad is the Langston Hughes scholar and I marvel at the depths and detail that he provides in his writing. Imagine, to come up from utter poverty to write an award winning novel. One many believe is one of the great American novel. The review was fascinating. I can't wait to read this book.

Just because it's June, June, June...

2007-06-05T17:34:00.000-04:00

I can’t believe I haven’t posted in such a long time. I have been so busy and, I have to sneak a moment when I can.

To recap: I had a grand time on my birthday. I cannot believe that I am so blessed to have such great friends. I whole-heartedly recommend The Gunstock Inn, in New Hampshire this place for a quick get away. It is a rustic little place and the people are friendly and the view just wonderful.

I got some beautiful gifts, but the most precious gift of all was the great company, love and friendship.

And thanks to all of you for your online birthday greetings.

MWAH

Here is one of the best reasons to love this time of year:
Peonies. The Uber-flower. How fabulous they are, so showy and grand.
The heady scent is ripe in our room right above my head.

On the needles:
Surprise! I finally caught the bug. When I was a beginning knitter I wasn’t particularly enthused by them. But now… Origami with yarn, how cool is that ?
I am on my second one, a gift for a co-worker and more are planned. I believe I will send the one pictured as part of my Dulann 5. It is so thick and cozy. The green and yellow are Lamb's Pride and that verrrry dark navy I believe to be a chunky Rowan.

Here is a knit meme I swiped from Bonnie Marie.
The items in bold are knitterly things I have done and/or accomplished.

Afghan Does half done count ?
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn In the stash !
Mittens
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with bananafiber yarn
Domino knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with Bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/Doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental Knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with Alpaca
Fair isle Knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with somelse hand spun
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male to knit
Bobbles...I need them like a hole in the head
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured Knitting
Kitchener Bind Off
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and Purling Backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn
Stuffed Toys
Baby items
Knitting with Cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with Synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Knitting with Linen
Intarsia
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting Noo... but I got a kit, Thanks Irene
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/Bolero/PonchoKnitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Secret Post

2007-06-01T10:46:00.001-04:00

The Sun is shining just for you !

Happy Birthday to me

2007-04-26T16:24:00.000-04:00

After doing an errand at lunch, I walked over to the Brattle Street Bookstore, which is located on West Street in Boston not Brattle Street in Cambridge. I am sure there is a story there, but not mine to tell. There is an area next to the store where they sell books for $1, $3, and $5. Not so long ago, the price structure was $1 and $3, the majority of the books going for a buck. Anyway, there are a lot of nice books there and I was sorely tempted. There was a random collection of Penguin Classics, which I collect and like to get at a discount. They occupy an entire bookshelf at this point, so I need to start another shelf soon. I started collecting Penguins because as it is my habit to work a part time job in addition to full time work, I worked at the only Penguin Bookstore in the U.S. It was on Massachusetts Ave across from the Dolphin Restaurant before you get to Harvard Square, I loved working there. I loved my Cambridge years. Saturday in the summer I would walk from my apartment in Central Square to Harvard Square visiting the boo stores, Woolcot, and a certain store with real funky clothing, the name of which escapes me. But I digress. There were some nice books there and some lovely little books of no mare than 4 inches high, nicely bound and a set of art books of sketches by the masters of various genres – Impression, Japanese, American that I thought would nice to get for my father in law. But I stayed strong and didn’t buy anything. I hope to go back in a couple of weeks I hope that some of the nice things I saw will still be there.

But I didn’t want to spend any money because I am going away for the weekend. My birthday is Monday and I will be Fifty. Allison had asked what I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday and I said that I would like to go someplace… not to far… with a some nice scenery to chill and knit, Allison had said let’s ask Shelley, she knows everything. Shelley comes up with the Gunstock Inn in New Hampshire, which really fits the bill. Look who’s going – Allison , Irene, Jenn , Jen , Krista,
Rebecca
Shelley
And
Suzanne

We are going to chill and Knit.

Friday

2007-04-20T15:43:00.000-04:00

Thankfully, I know some lovely people, who have provided more thoughtful responses than my initial reaction to Imus and his insults. I am only revisiting this to say a heartfelt thank you yo each and everyone one who posted a comment. They were all so cherished !

But what was so important to me is that years ago, I would not have entered this dialog. I would have been hurt and angry, but silent. However, I was able to have a discourse with my family, which consists of Black and White people. And with you, my friends, who are Black and White people. And we are all the better for it.

Now let us light a an orange candle.

Ponder.
Knit.
Pray.

I hope they kick his...

2007-04-10T14:04:00.000-04:00

NO MRS HAMMER HAS NOT CALMED DOWN ! \
(But my mother in law reads this Blog )
As not all of you lovely knitters may be familiar with rabid horrible radio talk show hosts and/or the world of sports...

Therefore a primer.

Here is the link to the Boston Globe Story to date:

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/04/10/imus_calls_his_suspension_appropriate/

The Lady Knights of Rutgers University have agreed
to meet with Don Imus at an undisclosed location for a private meeting, sometime in the hear future.
I am sure, the young ladies will have a discourse wit Mr.Imus that is mutually beneficial for all parties.

If not...

OPEN UP A CAN OF WHUPASS !

Now back to knitting.............

Oh no he didn't !

2007-04-10T10:53:00.000-04:00

On no he didn't !
I will kick Don Imus ol' ugly a$$.

Mrs. Hammer apologies for just rough talk, but it is time to throw down !

This is not the first time that this so called pundit has disparaged Black women.
It is not he first time he has been culturally insensitive and if not shown to be a horrible bigot.

I used to listen to him years ago, during the Clinton Administration. Don Imus could be witty and informative. I used to laugh when he made fun of politicians. But several remarks made by his minion Bernard McQuirk about Black women upset me. They were heinous and ugly and I decided that I could not listen to The Imus any more. Especially when Imus moved to a Boston FM station populated by rabid racist conservative talk show hosts. DONE.

But this last comment, calling female college athletes 'hos' and nappy headed ho's at that. He has gone beyond the pale. Um, yeah.

(Above photo is of Coach Stringer of the Lady Knights, courtesy of Sports Illustrated)

Hey there, Part 2

2007-03-23T12:55:00.001-04:00

I almost forgot !

I really like my new glasses !

Hey There

2007-03-23T12:40:00.000-04:00

Just look at what I recieved in the mail yesterday ! A pair of beautiful hand knit socks from my friend Kathleen, affectionately known to us Varigators as KDAY !
Aren't they Fab, Just perfect for Friday. Thanks KDAY ! Love U ! MWAH !

On the needles... A cat bed ! Why you might ask....

Maybe if they had their own beds, I could get my bed and pillows back !

Fat chance, because as Dr. Laura, Feline Vet extraordinare says,

"Your cat owns your a$$ !"

Springs eternal

2007-03-14T16:34:00.000-04:00

Is this legal ? All credit to the beautiful genius who draws this comic strip.
I wonder if she knits ?
(If you click on the cartoon you will get a better image at the site, I think)

Much ado

2007-03-14T10:31:00.000-04:00

I really don't know what to post about. I started out this morning stiff and cranky. I really need a adjustment, some sort of routine that will get me into work earlier and have a calm and peaceful House. (Not that it isn't quiet, except for the occassional yowling of a spoiled cat and Mark's boots, it is pretty quiet) There is just so much stuff in it. Books, magazines, newspapers, yarn. Well I need to address it, so got rid of 2 boxes of stuff this am. The neighbors across the street had emptied what appeared to be the entire contents of a house on to the street. So I just added a box of stuff to the party. I had intented taking the box to Boomerangs, but in retrospect, the crappy ragged paperbacks probably would not make the cut there. So off they went.
I did go shopping for new glasses yesterday. Damn my eyes ! Despite my intention to try any be a little economical, I was seduced by Chanel and Burberry respectively. Oy they were fab ! But I think the Burberry will win out.
I will probably take a new picture for my profile.
Knitting, of course. I am about to finish, finally, my Oak Grove T. But once again the hand paint Goddess is having a snicker at my expense.

2007-03-09T15:43:00.000-05:00

Lyssa, me and dr. emmybeth rocking our Maxwell jackets at Rhinebeck 2006.

Beauty is twice Beauty

2007-03-07T16:25:00.000-05:00

I was having a little trouble posting originally so I decided to put the pictures up first then edit in the verbiage later, so here goes…

The little brown socks were for the afghans for Afghans group. There was a call out for socks as someone going to Afghanistan for related good works, offered to bring over some socks as part of her luggage. This was a great opportunity for A4A as it seems that with shipping logistics it can take many months for donated items to reach their destination. It was also an effort for them to get some socks donated because it is the least donated item. It was great fun to knit worsted weight socks as requested. They are as cozy as can be and should warm some little feet. I would like a pair for myself. The striped socks are for my Jen who is so good and lovely and talented and is so busy designing the coolest stuff, she can’t be slowed down by a set of 2’s ! Honestly though I was so pleased to give her a little present and she when tried them on they looked great.

The blue and white Fortissima socks were a Christmas gift for a co-worker … my best bud at work. She is a beginning knitter and appreciates a hand made gift. The hat (using Nashua Handknits Vignette) was actually knitted by my other work bud Beth, who has graced this blog by modeling a couple of shawls for me. The hat was for her fiancée. But as this was her first project and we wanted it to look really good, I did the finishing for her.

I love that poem!

Yeah, I know

2007-02-27T16:47:00.000-05:00

It has been a while, I have been just busy with the usual stuff, plus undergoing some changes which are all good.

I also have had to do some tinkering with this blog as a result of the Blogger changes, which are probably fine, except I don't have the time to be relearnig stuff. I mean I like the blog, but it isn't the end of the world. That last Template was tired. And I don't like the lack of creativity with this one but at least it is lighter.

Still, I have been knitting knitting, a 3 hats, a scarf, 2 pairs of socks as gifts. I am making a new hat for me just because, and a big honking red sweater also for me because it has been in my soul for 4 years now.

Charity wise I finished a green A 4A hat and 2/3 done with a pair of little brown socks so cozy I may make myself a pair, also for A4A. Also ,while alledgedly getting ready for work I went into another part of my stash and assembled the random skeins I intend to use for an adult sized sweater I intend to make for Dulaan.
Thats all.

January 15

2007-01-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.
But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.
In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."
But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.
There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. *We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only."* We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.
Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

(Speech obtained from www.americanrhetoric.com)

Just my 2 cents

2007-01-12T12:03:00.000-05:00

Like so many sheep, the knit bloggers go.
I am just not feeling it.

As someone who yarns in a yarn store I am not happy about the not buying yarn thing.
I understand trying to save a little money, I understand wanting to be able to close your drawers/closets/crawl spaces in order to contain the yarn. Really,I have the same issues.

But .... Jeez Louise.

For the love of God ... Just knit faster.

Another bloggy peeve, a ring surf group I belong to has started a knit along entitled "I have a Dream " It entails knitting a fab dream project for yourself.
That is a admirable plan. In fact the majority of the projects I have on the needles are for myself and I intend to complete them. However, I feel to use the title of Dr. King's most famous and compelling speech is wrong. It is stupid and terrible and wrong. Dr. King's memory deserves so much more.

I am writing form emotion here and my edit this post later. I also confess to not doing a lot of research on the above, but I am just reacting to post I have come across the last few days. So feel free to correct me if I am laboring under any misconceptions.

But it's my Blog and my 2 cents.

Caps to the Capitol

2007-01-03T17:19:00.000-05:00

Here are the little caps that I sent to Save the Children

These 2 caps came from a single skien of Karaoke by South West. The colors are wonderful.

I wanted to practice my Fair Isle. I am not likely to ever make a traditional Fair Isle garment, but I love that Estonian Braid !

This yarn was just in the stash, the multicolored trim was a little ball acquired at a swap.

Happy New Year

2007-01-02T14:50:00.000-05:00

That being said, I know I haven't blogged in a bit. But the holidays take up a lot time and energy. I have several imaginary posts in my pointy little head. But mostly I have be knitting preemie hats for Caps To the Capital

Those that know me know that Charity knitting is one of my joys. International charities most of all.

However the opportunities for providing knitted warmth to Africa was always somewhat limited and being of African descent, it is always something I longed to do. So imagine how my heart leaped when I learned of this endeavor. And the cool thing is with the postal service cancelled and mail delayed another day, you can probably pop off a preemie hat tonight and get it in the mail tomorrow !

Much love, Mrs Hammer.

Happy Holidays

2006-12-15T16:42:00.000-05:00

I can't seem to find those christmas decorations any where ?

Are they in that box underneath ?

Pitiful, a disgrace. But they are cute kitties !

Progress

2006-12-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

I have finished 2 hats and 1 scarf ! The other hat, one of a set for a husband and wife, I haven't photographed yet. The socks are also coming along nicely.

How about that hair !

Here is Marvin and gwpgwp central.

Here is my Bitty looking sweet sweet, But don't believe the hype.

Holly Jolly

2006-12-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

Thanks everyone for your warm thoughts regarding my last post. I like my wedding photo. I had especially wanted to show everyone how I looked prior to growing my dreads. I had had the idea of cutting them all off in honor of my next birthday. However, I am attached to them, so we will see. Our relationship to our hair can be very complex, especially for a Black woman who may view the way it is worn as a form of self-expression relating to politics, art or whatever belief that may manifest itself. At one point in my life I decided to wear my hair naturally and to see might develop. So far so good.

Well enough about that !

My Xmas Knitting list:(proposed) 5 hats, 4 scarves, 2 pairs of socks, and as many 'gwfgwfs'- or what ever Kat calls 'em - washcloths as I can turn out.

Ambitious ? Heck yeah, But I only have to make the socks and 3 hats and 1 scarf. 1 hat is finished and the other is 3/4's done. So we will see.

Gotta go, pic's soon !

November 21

2006-11-21T11:28:00.000-05:00

The verict is in !

2006-11-20T16:53:00.000-05:00

Mom loves her shawl ! She is thrilled with it.
So it was all worth it !
Look at Kat's

We had an unofficial Gossamer-A-Long.
But both shawls are in Jersey at the present but are destined for great things !

Ta- DAAAA !

2006-11-17T14:26:00.000-05:00

Here is Syl's Drape:

And here it is modeled by the lovely Beth !

I am beat. Now I am off to the Cape to rest, read, oysters and oh, I dunno ?

Knit ?

Things proceed apace

2006-11-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

Is apace or a pace. We'll get back to you on that one, dear readers.

I have 50 rows to go.

I was up at 5:40 am and knitting. I often awake at this time, but go back to sleep.
This morning I called for tea and grabbed my needles.

So for now, I will leave you with this little poem forwarded me to by my inlaws/ The Wellfleet Dems. I do not know who to attribute it to, but who ever it is, is a funny persom indded.

An Election Poem

The election is over,

the results are all known.

The will of the people

has clearly been shown.

So let's stop the quarreling,

let bitterness pass.

I'll hug your elephant,

You kiss my a$$.

Why do I do this or the TS

2006-11-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

Why do I do this to myself?
I get this crazy idea that I have to make something for some one, right this minute. Forget that I have other obligations, like going to work or bathing. (Only kidding about the second) And convince myself and others that I can complete the task in a ridiculously short period of time.

True conversation on the Orange line, Monday morning October 30:
Kat: "What are you doing?"
Me: “Casting on a Gossamer Shawl for my Mom, she going on a two week cruise the day after Thanksgiving”
Kat: “Well you better get crackin’”
Me: “Naw, I got plenty of time. I can knock this out in two weeks”

Famous Last words.

You walk around feverishly, crunching numbers. X numbers of rows per day are needed to accomplish….
Then you decided, feh, I will never get this done and I’ve got other things to knit and ignore the project for a day. But this is for your MOM, MA, MOMMY !
And you go back to it.
O but it is the major time suck. I don’t know why it seems to knit so slowly, then suddenly:
You are in the groove and this thing is beginning to look like something, yeah baby!
A few tweaks here and there and it actually is a pattern. Not bad, really. A nice use of this yarn, a variation of the usual rectangle.

Then the call:
Me: “Hey Ma”
Mom: “ Hi. Where’s my Capri’s ( She doesn’t know about the shawl, she is waiting for some Capri’s I picked up for her) you are going to have to fed ex ‘em. We’re flying to Florida to stay with Aunt Velda and Howard before the cruise”

Yikes.

This means that I have even less time to get this done. I thought I would have until this Saturday to mail the shawl. I assume she would be leaving form the ancestral home in Jersey Friday. But no.

Cross your needles and stay tuned.

Thanks

2006-11-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

...everyone for the kind words on the Cast Away sweater. It was lovely of all. I am not posting much today as this is the kind of day I am having.

I got up this am with a headache and itchy/throat which usually portends a major knock down flu thingie. Then after being unable to use Fix a Flat on the flat tire, I called Badou at Sky (my mechanic), who had me call a tow. Then after I got on the subway my phone begins to ring, first my husband, then Badou so I decided to keep my phone out of my purse so I can call when I get off the train. So when getting off the train I heard a noise, as my cell phone merrily skizzered through the gap on to the track below.

Luckily, I am one of the few that can call the Orange Line and say,

"Hello Dino, this is Judy.

I dropped my cell on the right of way at New England ! "

So don't call me ....

But do wish

Suzanne

A Happy Birthday !

Finally Up

2006-11-03T15:11:00.000-05:00

Here I am at Rhinebeck in the Castaway Sweater, completed in alternating strands of Andy's Merino and Lumpy Bumpy from Farmhouse Yarn. Carol Martin of Farmhouse came to Circles last Sunday for a Trunk Show with her fabulous yarns and really seemed to like it. She was going to go home and pull out her copy of Loop d'loop and cast on to make one herself.

hey there

2006-11-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

Hello all. Trying to upload a pix of the Castaway sweater,but no go.
Finished, worn petted and admired.

Went to Rhinebeck. Fun, but a little overwhelming. Nice to see all the other knitters. Saw only one of my bingo squares,( because she had pink hair).
Will post more in a day or two, promise.

If we all wish really hard

2006-10-18T14:33:00.000-04:00

Gee I don't know how the last post happened, I was having a hard time with a bunch of links I was trying to stick in the post, then everything crashed. Maybe I will get a chance to edit it at another time.

In the mean time I am tired of carrying this where ever I go. Send good wishes and hot knitting energy. I have about 3 inches to go and then sew on the cowl (a glimpse of which was provided a few posts ago) and seam the sleeves.

If ya looking for me this Saturday I will be hard to miss.