There's No Knitting in NASCAR!...

...at least that's what my husband said to me on Sunday.  The whole family went to Texas Motor Speedway to see the AAA 500.  It was the best fun!  I had such a wonderful time but, of course, I did knit, right there, in the stands. I had planned to have many wonderful pictures but my camera batteries failed at the critical moment.  I was bummed.  This is all I got, the cars lined up in the pit area prior to the race start:

And today is the end of the Mitt Marathon.  I did knit with ferocity but alas, I have only completed four of the five mandatory (with two additions that didn't happen either). So I guess that's not too bad.  Really all I did was bite off more than I could chew and I made a the error of thinking that adding that fur was a good idea.  It wasn't so I had to pull out two mitts that were half done.  I think If I had not done that, I'd have the 5 mitts today.  So here they are, I love them, they are so comfortable and each one is a little different just like my nieces.

In the Gray Zone

I am in a strange place.  I call it the gray zone. This occurs when the various aspects of my life start to change and move without my permission. So I'm waiting for a final job interview next Tuesday where I have to fly to Chicago.  it involves leaving at 5:30 AM and arriving home around 10:30 PM.  I'll be on a plane, meeting 7 or more new people and then flying home.  I feel like I can't look at other job opportunities because I'm so thinking about this one. At least I don't have to change time zones. 

I'm also at odds with my housework.  When my house is out of order, I feel out of order.  I have been out of work for two months and have only cleaned out the "yarn room" closet which, granted, was a huge task.  I feel...uh...discombobulated (yes, that's a real word). When the Texas Rangers decided to mess up not just one, but two opportunities to clench the World Series of Baseball last night, I had to jump up and DUST for goodness sakes!!!!

I am even off in my knitting.  I made those mittens for no one in particular.  I spent the afternoon yesterday with my mother and ended up with another thing to make for her. And then for no reason whatsoever, I started a swatch of a pattern I saw online. I purchased some gray variegated wool to match her Sassy Scarf that I made her for her birthday in order to make some fingerless gloves that she would like to have.  I also purchased some hat wool for my niece and nephew.  He's in the army so I thought a soldier's black watch-cap would be good and then hers is a soft black and grayish white with some antique buttons to go with his hat. 

So here it is, the gray zone in yesterday's yarn purchase, visual proof. 

Yarn Harlot Sighting in Fairview Texas

It was a warm evening.  Around 82F, which is 30 degrees cooler than this summer if you think about it.  I left home at 4:30 so I would arrive in Fairview by 5:30.  My plan was to arrive, get a bite to eat, have a cup of coffee find a seat or space in line.  It all worked out great.  It went according to plan.  The sandwhich I had at A Real Bookstore was just great. Okay, not just great, I mean really great.  They even gave me two small bites of cookie and cake that were awesome.  I don't know what was in that cookie but I would drive another hour for another quarter of a cookie to be honest.

So in true Texas form the ladies arrived with about half in flipflops, about another 30% in tennis shoes and then the rest of us (and that is very few) in boots.  I had on my black boots, and sat by a nice lady who not only had on some pretty snazzy boots but periodically read me the Texas-Cardinals World Series of baseball score that her husband was texting to her.

I sat between two women who's husband's, like mine, were at home having an aneurysm over the baseball score.  As it turned out, the Texas Rangers won and all was well.  We were afraid of what our homes would look like when we got home if they lost.

Best of all, 90% of us were knitting, laughing, knitting, sharing, knitting.  Really fun.  We sat there for an hour and I won't say waiting because it's not like waiting when you have your knitting.  My Observations:  most knitters don't look directly at the knitting while knitting.  I was astounded.  I taught myself to knit and usually knit at home or, if away from home, I'm the only knitter.  So being in a situation where everyone was looking at each other whilst knitting was a new phenomenom. Holy Buckets, Batman!!!

The bookstore person introduced her as Stephanie Phee-McPearl.  Small snickering occured with this.  I think most of us were going "hmmm, that's not quite right, is it?"

So here we go:

First Sighting

Me and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

The New Book



The Signature

 So I could tell she was exhausted.  I was at the signing table about 30 seconds.  Our conversation consisted of how she couldn't get any decent vegitarian food and I explained that she was, in fact, in beef country.  We took pictures. I moved on. As I was leaving I couldn't help but feel that my 30 seconds of meeting someone I admire so much was an inconvenience for her and I was glad to be leaving her in peace.  I would do it over again but next time, I'll just opt out of the book signing part.  I'll enjoy the reading and then head for the farm to see the baseball game.

I can't remember when I've had such a fun, funny and interesting evening.  "Thanks for coming to Texas, YH.  When you come next time, I'm going to wave at you from across the room, Okay?"

Mist, the Mystique

So in one of my shopping trips to the local yarn store (only 1 of 3 times I've been there), I bought something call Queensland Collection Mist, made in Italy, 60% wool and 40% acrylic.  It is thick and thin which I didn't realize at the time. I have no clue what to do with it.  I'd like to make a knitted shawl but what pattern would work for it?  I have 4-50g balls (50m) of it and I'd love to do something with it....

Any Suggestions?

Added Note:  Queensland makes me think of Australia where lots of nice wool can be obtained...why then is this stuff made in Italy?  Just curious...

Fast and Furious

So we have a cat now.  Our daughter really worked her father over on this.  I said, "No!"  My Husband said, "No!" then he said, "yes..."  But being the softies we are, we already love the cat.  She's white with blue eyes and completely deaf, a trait that is 60% in white cats with blue eyes.  She's been into everything.  She's been in my basket of gauges and failed attempts.  She now has the double knitted sample and some strings of yarn tied into a "fly" and a pom-pom we are calling her mouse. I named her Sassy. We gave her a collar with a bell since she can't hear us, we need to be able to hear her.  No, we won't de-claw her. 

It is funny that when she starts biting on anyone in the house, they grab the yarn sample and say, "here, play with your knitting." So, like me, she loves yarn. She really is a blessing.