Goodbye

Nana

Charlotte R. Alger

Aka Charlie.
Better known to me as Nana.

How do you even begin to sum up the impact someone has had on your life? All the things you remember? The sound of her voice when she'd call up and say "Lori, dear, how are you?". Her laugh when she found something funny. She sat down and taught you to knit at the age of 6. She kept the dirty jokes in the Bible and snickered in church as she told them to God when she prayed. She made the best fudge this side of the Mississippi and lemonade to boot (it had about a cup of sugar in it). She called herself a self-centered egotistical bastard and sang "I love myself, I think I'm grand, I go to the movies just to hold my hand". She called "fish" "feesh" and the freezer was an icebox, and a rubberband is a gumband. She survived my Grandpa Bill's death when my dad was 13 - she became an alcoholic and then sobered up - she was going on 30 some-odd years of being sober. For years she'd buy herself a gift and then wrap it and put it under the tree - when she opened it she'd say "Oh Bill! It's just what I wanted!". She called pastel pink "titty pink" and made (and wore) horrific puffy paint and ribbon sweatshirts. She taught me dedication, value, and the idea that you patronize the people who patronize you. She taught me that you never wait for a man to buy you jewelry. I'm pretty sure she also taught me to swear.

I could go on. I could go on for hours. I could probably max out this blogger. But I won't.

Suffice it to say that my grandmother was an extraordinary woman who had a huge impact on my life. And I'm going to miss her something fierce.

One down...

Here's DD on Christmas morning - he and Boo both got alligator mittens, but without the teeth, so they instead were "snakes". The two of them went hissing around the living room. Funny kids.

Pattern: Later Gator Mitts from Stitch 'N Bitch Nation
Needle size: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Yarn: Cascade 220 in color 906, Knitpicks Swish Superwash in Hollyberry

These were ridiculously easy and quick, and the kids loved them. In fact, I think they only took them off to open more presents, and then put them right back on. That's always a good sign. :D

Next up! Stalking my sister and brother in law for pics of their mitts!

Wait - I did what?

So I just realized that I did all this mad crazy knitting for the holidays and I didn't take a single picture. Not one. I knit five pairs of beautiful gloves, and not one picture. I'm sure at some point I had a brain in my head, but it must've fallen out somehow. Think there's a lost and found for that?

Sometime over the next week I'll hunt down my family members and take photos of their gloves. I promise.

In the interim, I hope you all had a good holiday!!

Missing in Action...

Hello! I have not forgotten you! I have been working an unbelievable amount (think 16 hour days) which leaves me little time for anything but sleeping, working, and *ahem* getting the flu. Which is particularly nasty this year. I don't typically advocate flu shots, but if you haven't gotten one yet, I HIGHLY recommend it. I was down for three days with a fever and it took me two full weeks to get back on my feet. But wait! Lest you think I had sick days to knit! Oh no! I worked through all that -it was working from home, but working none-the-less. Ugh.

On the upshot, I am going on vacation soon, and should have plenty of plane time to knit. Yarn is ordered*, patterns picked out, and soon I will have FOs!!!

*I know, I know, I'm on a yarn diet. But I discussed this with my husband and we decided that ordering yarn to make gifts with is not really ordering yarn. It's ordering gifts that need assembly. :D

FO: Bass Gloves

Finally! An FO!

It took me ages to finish these - partially because I have no time and partially because they were originally meant for me... but my husband liked them so much that he wanted them for himself. So. Rip and reknit in a larger size.

The Bass Gloves

Pattern: Cigar from Knitty, Summer 05
Yarn: Daelgarn Falk in Green and Brown - Sport Weight
Needles: Size 3
Mods: Chopped the pinky and ring fingers to make knucks.

These are perfect for sitting around on the back patio playing bass. Or insulating against a cold beer whilst watching football. Or protecting the hands whilst raking leaves *ahem*. Actually, they're just great all-around gloves, and I'm going to have to make myself some post-haste. Although... I have a skein of black superwash leftover from my CPH - I'm thinking "Dashing" would be rather... well... dashing. Given that I should have more knitting time in the near future, perhaps I will cast on for Dashing instead...

Bountiful Harvest...

I have been unbelievably busy. To the point that today was the first full day I've spent with my husband in over a month. And it was wonderful. Weird how life kind of gets away from you... until you stop and realize what blessings you have.

We had coffee and pancakes, we watched the Broncos' appalling performance, we spent the day outside, picking tomatoes...

(that's a LOT of tomatoes. and we get as many about every other day...)




chopping the last of the broccoli...

and harvesting the lavender and sage for wreaths. Though that project might go out the window - I have just learned the hard way that I'm desperately allergic to sage. :(














We made dinner and while it was cooking I made floral arrange- ments with a bunch of the cuttings from the yard... but I'll post those tomorrow. Oh, and lest you think I've forgotten about knitting... I have managed an FO! I just have to get the man to model for me....

Such a wonderful day. Such unbelievable blessings!