This Knitter's Karma

Caution: This is an analogy best suited for desperate knitters and those poorly versed in baseball lingo.

It's final inning, the bases are loaded, the visiting team is up by 74 stitches in the bind-off round, your only hitter is short 1 freaking foot of yarn and the stores won't be open on New Year's Day!!!!! DO YOU SEE IT?!? See it there...to your right? Yes right there, next to the four remaining inches of the second WHOLE skein of black Red Heart Luster Sheen.....a color I didn't even much care for.....AGGHH!!!!

I....I....I'm beat. The yarn beat me. Not by much, but it beat me. Easily six months of my life, devoted to this shawl and I can't even finish the last foot of bind off...tonight. In fact, probably not tomorrow either. It has to be karma. What I haven't decided is whether or not this is the karma I'm leaving behind in 2006 and this just the final reminder that I should be more patient in the New Year and that good things really do come to those who wait OR if this is my impending karmic state for the entire year of 07'. Am I going to be destined for a whole year of just getting ---this close--- and not succeeding when it really matters...to me?

Or, maybe, it could just mean that as I enter the year 2007, writing this very post, that this should be THE year I learn to calculate yardage properly, without fuss, and give myself over to the mercy of the yarn, for better or for worse. Viva la Red Heart and it's wicked, wicked ways!!

Happy New Year, Everybody!!!

May the next year bring you much happiness and well-being to all that you love!!!

 

Oh, No He Di'Ant!

Portrait of Good Husband

Oh, yes. Yes, he did. He modeled the very hat* I whipped up for my 16 year old niece, just so I could show it off to all you nice folks. Original plan was to pose for it myself, which would have been very appropriate at the time considering I was in my nightgown and had a mimosa in hand this particular Christmas Eve, but I was feeling too hurried and, well, this was too priceless an opportunity to pass up. So, everybody give him a hand for his nominating moment for the "Husband of the Year" award.

And, by the way, the sixteen year old niece of which I speak, loved her hat. How could she not, right? And my 12 year old niece went ga-ga for the authentic, vintage 1980's LP's that I pulled from the far corners of my closet. I guess this good news for The Culture Club. Oy!

* Most awesome hat pattern.....ever. Considering I made it on needles two sizes too big, it lost nothing in translation. I may have to make another for myself, in fact. Also, I added an extra casing on the inner rim to cover the elastic band that is very much needed to hold this baby on your head. I thought it just felt better that way and it neatened up the look some.

So Very Merry

So far behind, so little time, so I'm abandoning the blog till after Christmas. But I want to wish everybody a peaceful and joyous holiday. I painted this for our family Christmas card. It had to meet one criteria that all of the store-bought cards just weren't filling this year; it had to make me smile. And it does.

 

Mini-Winter Wonderland

This photo and the last are pics of our miniture holiday village that sits atop our television console. Thus far, the kids have not "lovingly" deconstructed it. Can't say the same for my Christmas tree.

Speeding To A Close

Working on that last rocket for the smunchkin nephews. Pre-felted and lookin' rough.

A Drink Or Two

The shindig is over, the dresses hung up, and the art's gone home with it's respesctive owners. It was an interesting evening, to say the least. I showed up fashionably late and was immediately directed to the farthest corner of the bitterly cold parking lot; no V.I.P. ticket to flash. I unfotunately didn't get any photographs of the psychedelic cave that I first walked through once inside. It was lovely.

Found my fabulously dressed friends and got a tour of all our spacey knick-knacks scattered about. The "Jetsons", as we kept refering to them (the tall space bamboo looking ones), found a great looking home at the corners of the bar, next to the large lava lamps. My friends did a fine job of finishing up the "lunar garden" areas, that were spaced all throughout.

The whole event looked fantastic. The dancers, in their morphy, living art outfits, were just plain fun. There were five or so of them and while they couldn't see a thing with their heads covered in these costumes, they did a fab job just writhing about as space flowers.

I don't think I got a great pic of the hyperactive painter who took to stage to paint enormous portraits in record time; four in under an hour as I recall. It was a nice diversion as we munched down on the yummy "art-inspired" grub. Lot's of seafood and cream sauce. Ironic, considering the number of starving artists running around the place. It really was delicious though.

Of course, when you have no intention of bidding an a single piece of art, art auctions can be dreadfully boring, go figure. So I took that time to take a couple of photos and help my freinds make off with their unused decorations through the back door. On our way out, I was just tickled to run into a lady asking if it'd be OK to take some of the props home. She'd already claimed one of my loopy, slinky concoctions for herself and was going back for more. I am so proud!

Anyway, it was fun. It'd have more fun if my husband had been able to accompany me and the room was filled with people I actually knew. But it wasn't and he wasn't and I had fun still.

Look, Ma!

www.mrbinglefans.com

It's Mr. Bingle!!

For those who don't know or have any reason to know, Mr. Bingle is THE most beloved symbol of the Christmas season in New Orleans. He took his place on the side of the, now defunct, Maison Blanche building every year at the start of the shopping season, smack dab in center of Canal Street. Like the dreamy windows of Macy's in New York City, he captured the love of children and the hearts of all who live there. I can't explain it, but he just embodies the warmth of the holiday and, as the daughter of an area native, I heard many a happy stories about him as a child. Years ago, I moved there to go school and got to experience his joyful presence in the city first hand and now that I'm no longer in the city, it just tickles me to no end to see him represented on the internet for all to see.

So many people have written more eloquently about our unique wintry icon, that I leave you all with a list of some the best references I could muster.

In Search of Mr. Bingle

Saving Mr. Bingle

Mr. Bingle Fans

The Story of Mr. Bingle (for kids)

See How The Garden Grows

Fruits of my labor


Others' hard volunteer work

This promises to be a good time, I hope.

Tree of Life