Two Black Sheep

Chelsea Dagger

This is a hodge-podge of a post: fair warning. There has been a lot of talk about creativity lately since Laura generated this meme, and since she references not wanting to fall into my trap (is that the trap of trying Sarah's uber-delicious recipe or trying to get out of cooking any time the family gives an inch?), I thought I would use it as my own. Interspersed throughout are photos of Sarah's said yummy pasta dish when it was made the first time at Lola's. We've made it since in our house where it was a huge hit. For a family full of food preferences, no one complained. Any way, the meme, you say? Fine, here it is with my justifications.

1.    I have no interest; complete lack of creativity in this area.

• Spinning (interesting for a knitter, no?)
• Cross-stitch (did it years ago – hated it)
• Needlepoint (ditto)
• Macramé (Hey, Lola, remember all those wreaths at Christmas)
• Shibori (had to look it up – ummm, no)
• Painting or Drawing (sucktacular attempts nonetheless)
• Cartooning (that’s all Flyer-boy)
• Candle Making (did it once with the girls through gritted teeth)
• Doll or Toy Making (made each of the girls one and one was enough)
• Flower Arranging (FTD for me)
• Graphic Design (that’s all SK-boy)

2.    Would love to try it.

• Dyeing (just a little chicken)
• Beading (not sure why)
• Gift Wrapping (Veronica often says my presents look like one’s no one would like to unwrap . . . and she says that of her sister, too)
• Decorating (I honestly enjoy trying)
• Paper Making (it’s just so messy)

3.    I do or have dabbled in it.

• Crochet (I’ll do it when I have to)
• Quilting (I have about three in the mind)
• Scrap Booking (ask Lola about her wedding scrapbook, ask her!)
• Jewelry Making (and was crappy at it)
• Cooking (I enjoy cooking, but I hate – HATE – my kitchen)
• Gardening (I just need to be reminded that it exists)
• Entertaining (don’t do it enough but should)
• Poetry (it’s all free-verse for me . . . unless it’s a limerick . . . and you know the kind of which I speak)
• Inventing (I’m sorry, does having children count?)   
• Story Telling, Acting, Stage work (tons of musical theater in my youth)
• Music (did I ever tell you the one time I roller skated to my guitar lesson?)
• Calligraphy (I can do it if I must)
• Other Crafts (probably would entertain the thoughts)

4.    Love it! This is my thing.

• Knitting (but you figured that out by now)
• Sewing (earned a best in category in 4H)
• Stamping (probably didn’t know this one)
• Writing (love it)
• Photography (and am getting better at it one frame at a time)
• Video / Film Making (I like the ones that I have made)
• Other fun stuff (this is kind of broad, but I’m game)

Sometimes creativity is a bitch, sometimes she is a goddess . . . sometimes a bit of both. Take knitting for example. Personally, I am good at following directions, but does that make me creative when I knit? I don't really think so which is probably why I am so crap at accepting compliments for my knits. My friend Jane is a fabulous stamper, and if you loan her something, she often makes you the most gorgeous hand-stamped cards. Hell, sometimes I find reasons to loan her something just for the card. Compared to hers, my cards look like a red-headed step-child, but that's just it. Creativity, like style, depends on the person . . . which is just how I like it.

Today was so much nicer weatherwise than yesterday. The weather was less humid, but I still don't know how any of you in the D.C. area do it year in, year out. I've been there in fairly nice weather and it was too sticky then. For some reason, I picked today to learn how to install a zipper. Granted, it was less humid, but still the sweat was pouring of my forehead. Back in the day, when I was queen of 4-H, I sewed non-stop . . . but I always ran to Mommy for the zippers. That ended today! Three zippers successfully installed. Three zippers set to be ripped out tomorrow. The lining is too stiff for the project . . . but the zippers look beautiful!

Ava

PS - Did I tell you yet? The owner of my LYS asked me to teach two sock classes over the next two weeks. Me? Teach a sock class? Sure . . . I just have to remember how to knit on DPNs again. Oh, and if I offended any ginger-maned-children-of-blended-families, it was not my intent - I just love that phrase. Now that is a color was a lovely yarn!

Tie a Yellow Ribbon Ole Oak Tree

I think Ava is planning a post for tomorrow, but I had to sneak one more in.  Today was one of those days that started off so well, & then it got worse.   It's the same sad story.  Car gets hit.  Repair is cheaper & faster than expected.  Girl orders yarn.  Girl gets package.  Girl takes a nap through entire episode of All my Children.  Girl starts car & is greeted by a flashing battery symbol.  Shop can't see car until Monday.  Girl has no car & first repair will now take longer.  Girl is sad because she needs car for job.  Boo-hoo.  As Ava said on the phone, "Sit down & knit something."  And that's just what I did. 

I was greeted by a green envelope in today's mailbox.  I knew it could on be one thing, socks! 

Lauren (I think blogless. Correct me if I'm wrong) sent me a lovely pair of Monkeys in Lorna's Lace!   I love me some Monkey!  How could you not in  the Daffodil color?  It's like spring is smacking me in the face & I'm asking for another good whack.  They fit perfectly which makes me hunger for the days when I can wear socks.  I'm pretty sure SK is hankering for those days too.  Let's just say my feet have never smelled like daffodils.  Thank you, Lauren, I love them!  I had a really good time with this swap & will probably sign up again next year.

Since I've got time on my hands, no car will do that to a gal.  I'm knitting on my Melon.  As Ava said in her last post, we're making the same shawl.  She bought her yarn during our trip to NYC.  I think it was the one thing she had to get.  While she was visiting last week, I just loved to look at her yarn.  It was the prettiest thing in the dressing room.  We've learned to take projects while we shop with the girls.  I think it makes us better shoppers.  We were good this time, right B & V?  I'm cheap & not the biggest fan of lace weight, so I opted for a heavier weight.  I also like a more substantial wrap.  I decided to give Knitpick's Elegance a whirl on the needles.  In ball form, I was disappointed with the color, but now I find it rather sexy.  Melon hit a couple snags in the very beginning.  The stitch pattern is incredible easy, but easy sometimes lures you into a false sense of confidence.  When Ava put the markers on, I knew it was time I did the same.  She's great at remembering a chart.  Usually, I always have markers whenever I use a chart.  I just thought I'd be able to skip 'em this time.  I also started using my Options needles, but yarn and metal is not a good combo. The melon stitch kept slipping off the needles, so out came my trusty Denise's.  Once the markers were on & needles were swapped, I was able to knock out rows & rows of the scarf.   I have 24 out of 62 melons completed and it is measuring about 22 inches not stretched.  I would love to get the body done before I begin Honeybee. 

-Lola

Clocks

I can't sleep.  I'm thinking that the pseudo-decaffeinated tea I drank, wasn't really decaffed all the way.  I read somewhere that if you seep the tea leaves in hot water for 20 seconds, drain, & seep hot water in the same tea leaves, you can get virtually decaffeinated tea.  Maybe I shouldn't trust the Internet anymore.  Can't sleep?  Most docs recommend that you get out of bed, something I never do.  Well, I sick of listening to SK & Pup snore.  Why not do a some surfing?  Thanks to No More Sweaters (thanks for the creepy cakes too), I've found my latest craving.  One click & the Honeybee stole has calmed my nerves.  Ever since Cara posted about Blue Moon's Oregon Red Clover Honey color, I've been lusting after the yarn.  No jokes, I dreamt of the photos she took.  I was in a bookstore today and I buzzed to the cafe.  "Do you still have that Honey Coffee drink you had in the spring?" I asked the clerk.  She looked at me like the nut I am & shook her head, "Nope."  No lie, I almost bought a honey stick and squeezed it down my throat.  I composed myself & hit the road.  I'm craving anything honey related.  Maybe that's this baby's craving.  Afterall, his name has to do with bees.

-Lola

Crank That

While Ava was visiting, I did very well sticking to the list!  There really was only one item from the list that I needed to accomplish.  When I say needed, I mean NEEDED like more sock yarn.  I needed to find out the sex of this kid I'm carrying.  I'm pretty sure that I'm going to piss off some people with the rest of this post, but I gave up caring about that action in high school.  There's 2 types of pregnant phrases that I hate hearing more than the sound of morning sickness hitting the toilet:
    1). We don't care what we're having, as long as the baby's healthy.
    2). We want to wait to find out the sex.  It's the last great mystery of life.

If you've ever uttered these phrases, don't try to explain yourself.  I don't get it, but I understand that everyone isn't like me & has the right to feel this way.  But let me explain why these phrases make me want to rip out a mohair shawl.

My loathing of Statement 1 starts at the end.  Do you really have to add "as long as it's healthy"?  I would never say, "I'd love to have a boy.  But if the baby is going to have 3 heads, I guess I'll take a girl."  No!  It's a given that people want a healthy a baby.  Now with the first part of the phrase, perhaps with your first baby that may be true.  I even have my doubts when first-timers say it.  I have heard friends utter this line in the beginning of the pregnancy.  As Molly grows, the phrase sort of remains the same.  She doesn't really care, but she'd love to dress a girl.  Or Frank would love to play football with a son, but doesn't really care.  But with a 2nd child?  Come on, people?  I think deep down people care what comes out of that vagina (or belly).  Same family is on baby #3.  Wife says, "Franks wants a boy or else we're going to keep trying to have one."  Like having a kid is similar to  a carnival game.  Instead of going home with a tacky purple lion, you take home a baby.  Maybe people are afraid of saying that they really want a boy & they end up with a girl.  Yes, I'd be sad if the doctor said "You're having a girl."  But I wouldn't keep her in a closet.  I'd get over it & love the kid just as much as if she were a boy.  Promise, Ava, I would.   

Statement 2, I will never understand.  If there's technology out there to make you life easier, why wouldn't you use it?  Do you really want to shop for yellow & greens for 9 months?  And I hate yellow on boys.  Hate it.  Do you want to spend months calling the little peanut Sally or Tommy?  And trust me, there are plenty of mysteries on that day.  Let's pretend we didn't know that we were having a boy with Gus.  On that day, he wouldn't have been the only mystery.  How my body could shit that much in front of strangers is a good mystery.  How could I have seen so much blood & not passed out has alluded me to this day.  The fact that I didn't utter one cuss word, is my mother's greatest mystery of that day.    Sure, people told me that I was going shit & there'd be lots of blood.  But those same people also would have told me that I was going to have either a boy or girl.

Ladies & gentleman that love those statements, I don't hate you or smirk at you when you walk away.  I just don't understand how you can be so patient.  I could never do it.  NEVER!  So when the doctor said that he might be able to tell the sex, I jumped.  Not real high because I had no bottoms on & he doesn't want to see my goods yet.  So with 75% of a guess, he thinks we're having another BOY!  I don't think you've ever seen a happy girl.  Take that back.  When the nurses told me I was 9 cm with Gus & I could still get the epidural, that was a happy girl.  Back to the present, SK & I are thrilled that we're 75% sure that we'll be adding another boy to our family.  We should know with more certainty at the 20 week visit.  If that doc says it's a girl, I guess we'll have to keep her... 

Shortly after the doctor's visit, I picked out yarn for Rambling Rows afghan.  I've got 5 colors of Dale of Norway Baby Ull.  I figure if the first doctor was just fucking with us (I made no joke that I wanted him to say "boy") the colors will suit a girl as well.  I'm knitting the afghan on US 3 which is considerably smaller than the recommend US 9s.  I decided to knit the middle size, the pattern is written for 3 sizes of afghans.  While Ava was here, we made some calculations & with a border it will be a nice size baby afghan.  I'm addicted to this project.  Since I'm the current Queen of Garter, it's satisfies me on many levels.  The ease of it allows me to knit & read to Gus.  I never do this with other books (we read a lot of books), but I've read the book in the pictures at least 100 times.  Knitting is the only thing that gets me through one more tour of Rabbit's house.  I love picking up the stitches.  Since you pick-up on the bumps, there's no counting or guessing, it just works out.  I've never knit with any yarn from Dale of Norway.  I especially love the colors of the yarn.  We looked at a lot of baby yarn, and these colors were far superior to the rest.

Please don't be mad at my statements.  There's lots of things I don't get!  For example, scrapbooking (sorry Ava), paying for a gallon of organic milk (how do people plunk down that much?), & Rachael Ray's enthusiasm (say EVOO one more time, bitch)?  Soon I'll post pictures of my Melon shawl.  I'm still coveting Ava's yarn choice, but I'll get over it.  It's amazing the difference in the shawls with a simple yarn swap.

-Lola

Murder By Numbers

This is really a hodge-podge of a post: fair warning. Last night, the Flyer and I attended the Police concert at Giants Stadium. For a band that I have wanted to see since they broke up, I can honestly say that I wasn't disappointed. Sting looked wonderful (yoga will do that for you), Andy Summers played like no other guitarist has, and Stewart Copeland appeared overjoyed that they made it through a whole tour without shedding blood. The only drawback was the event itself. First of all, if you attend a concert, it is your prerogative to drink beer if they sell it. However, it isn't a race. Getting drunk and then looking around to see who has the joint isn't really a game. Second, if you are eight months pregnant, you might want to check with your doctor about sound amplification and your unborn squirmer. I'm not a prude, but honestly, that can't be good. Neither is it good for the two-year-olds with pacifiers in their mouths. Last, dear folks who run security at Giants Stadium. Parking is a bitch on a good day. Could you pay a little extra and have people helping with traffic getting out of the parking lots? Really, it's not asking for much as it took me an hour to get out of the parking lot and onto the access road and then another hour to travel 75 miles! There, I am done with my rant.

Saturday was very momentous as I knocked the Flyer out of the way when I saw the Sock Pal tag on a big box with my name on it. I felt like the Jerk getting all excited about the new phone books. Thankfully, no one was shooting at my cans (insert all the jokes you want). Can I just say that Susan outdid herself on the lovely pink knee-highs? Seriously, I've never knit knee-highs for myself and here a perfect stranger knit them for me. They are super soft and silky - saw it ten times fast, people - and the most sublime shade of pink you could hope for. I happily paraded around for the Flyer in them until I realized that it was 90 degrees. Susan filled the basket with a lovely lavender vanilla candle and sachet, some Gummi tarantulas, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (which Mummy was too cheap to buy for B&V this year), and salt water taffy. The piece-de-resistance was the bright yellow tissue paper. Susan knows full well that I detest yellow (too cheerful, too cowardly, too sallow on me) and has been teasing me about knitting Tweety Bird yellow knee-highs . . . thankfully, no. On my Sock Pal front, Chris received hers on Saturday as well and appears happy with their snug fit. Given my, "Oh shit, pack these up so we can mail them out" mentality, I didn't take a photo of the box, so you can mosey on over to her site for a little looksie.

Currently, that leaves me with a few projects in the works. Lola and I are both taking a stab at the Melon Shawl in Victorian Lace Today. I am knitting it in Habu Textiles Cashmere 2/26 and Lola is using Knit Picks Elegance. The difference in the two yarns is quite interesting: lace vs. DK. After about three repeats for each of us, we admitted defeat and put in stitch markers. The YO combos were throwing us off so the stitch markers were a no brainer. In addition to the Melon, I also have the Trellis and Leaf Shawl from the same book; it was my plane project and still continues to be a favorite. However, even though the yarn is quite soft, after knitting with the cashmere, this feel like '70s acrylic. Yum, cashmere . . . drool, drool, drool.

Today is a cleaning day (if I can ever wake the girls up from their slumber). Sadly, the house is in need of a big "make-over" in the shape of a broom so there won't be much knitting going on. I think that if I can bribe myself to get the house done by 3 PM, I will cast on for one of the Rockin' Sock Club socks that I have lingering. Ideally, I would like to get one done before the next kit arrives. We might have to split next year's club, Lola.

Ava

Mr. Postman

My Dear Sockpal-
Oh how I wanted to write this letter about 3 days ago.  Life can't be planned with a 2 year-old & one on the way.  I'm still learning this.  I'm pretty sure it's something that you never quite get until everyone is out of the house.  I swear I feel like I'm in the midst of the first trimester exhaustion.  The past 3 days, I've been burnt out with an aching head (Mental note: ask midwife about migraine medicine).  Anyway here's the letter that you would have been greeted with after you opened your package.  No pictures either.  Sorry, just reread the first 2 sentences.

This is my first swap of any kind.  I'm not good at knitting for others.  I'm afraid of the fit.  I'm afraid that I've chosen to knit what I like & not what the recipient will like.  I'm afraid of the fake enthusiasm that will come once they've opened the package.  I'm afraid of missing a deadline.  All of these things have happened to me in the past which is why I knit for myself or little ones that can't fake their emotions.  I guess I decided to enter Sockapalooza because the idea of knitting for a complete stranger erases all of those fears.  All I hope for is a nice fit.  Plain & simple.

I really do wish that I could say your socks breezed by Ms. Jolie or were fondled by Suri's chubby little fingers.  What a beautiful story could have been told about the time your socks were with me in the South of France.  But no, your socks stayed with me in Ohio.  Your socks were with me when I was afraid that getting pregnant with TBA wasn't going to happen for much later than we expected.  Your socks were with me outside of every single mall in the state of Ohio and one in Kentucky.  For work, I visited every Pseudo-Punk retailer and knitting on the socks saved my sanity.  Your socks were with me when the test proved that yes you can get pregnant without a period (I wish I could see that Dr. again.  Who even believes that tale?).  Your socks were there when my mother repeatedly told me, "You've got to be having twins.  You're so big already."  She almost got a needle to the eye.  I would have made you another pair.  Who wants a pair of socks with eye goo?  Your socks were there the first time Gus said, "Mama, that's a bad word.  Don't say that."  I knew that day was coming.  Your socks were with Ava & I when we tried to understand President Clinton's commencement speech (how I wish I could have been drunk that day).  So mingling in with the purls & knits are my day-to-day stresses & joys.  I hope they make you smile when you pull them on your toes.

-Lola

Thorn In My Side

August is a big month in our family: 2.5 anniversaries and about seven birthdays if you count cousins and grandparents. I say 2.5 anniversaries because our other sister was married by a justice of the peace in April so that she and her then fiance could get matching orders to England, but they had a "wedding" in August. Lola and I celebrate the August wedding because that is the date we had to put on our bridesmaid gear . . . but I digress.

From the bottom right: Ava, the Flyer, the Bro, Steve, Bob, the other sister, the Flyer's sister, Prescott, and Lola (with really short hair)

Sixteen years ago today, I said, "I do" to my Frequent Flyer and everything changed. Someone else's books were mingling with my books on the shelves, someone enjoyed martial arts films which I just didn't get, and someone ate my really crappy attempts at healthy eating. Note to all you gourmands out there: grapefruit meringue is probably not a good idea, but using whole wheat flour is just plain stupid.

Russell Square tube shot self-portrait in July 2007

This weekend, we plan on doing all the things we love: eating out, seeing a movie, attending a concert, and just generally having a good time with each other. There probably won't be much knitting, but I think I can handle that. We will most likely be cleaning the house because life goes on even when you are saying, "I do," all over again. Have a wonderful weekend!

Ava

PS - Yes, that first photo was taken in a Taco Bell. Yes, I ate two soft tacos in my wedding dress. No, I didn't pay . . . the kind folks at the Derr Road Taco Bell paid for our meals. They had never seen a bridal party come in for a quick bite to eat. Oh, the song for this post is our favorite song and we had it played as the first song at our reception. Okay, I had it on the mix tape that we played at the reception, which is upstairs in my dresser.

 

I've Lost You

Oh how quiet our little house is...  Pup is sleeping in her chair; something she hasn't done in about a week.  She'll wake up just to pout because her buddy isn't here.  This will go on for about 3 days.  All night, Gus will ask about B, V & Ava.  And I'll be bored. 

Maybe I'll get out of my funk with a little Show & Tell.

Yep, that's TBA's BSJ!  I have about 7 more rows until I have to wrangle it into an actual sweater.  I ran out of yarn the first night that Ava came to visit, so it's been crumpled in a corner.  The BSJ is one of those knits that I'm unsure if I really love it, but I felt guilted into making one.   I felt like it was a knit that every knitter had to pull off their needles at least once.  I started knitting before Gus & I started getting into blogs during the pregnancy.  This is where I discovered EZ's methods.  After making the Totem for Gus, garter stitch got into my veins.  The BSJ was an obvious first sweater for TBA.  I bought the yarn prior to the big Sex Reveal (I'll post that later), & I love it!  After a rocky start, this project has been a home-run.  I'm hoping to finish up this weekend.

So let's talk about the contest.  Thank you for everyone's favorite childhood books.  They brought back so many memories.  Who doesn't love Beverly Clearly?  All the Frances' books, come on!?  Oh & Good Night Moon, I cry at the end of that book each time I read it to Gu!.   Drum-roll, please.

Mandy, email us your address & Ava will ship you a TwoBlackSheep gift!

I have a bunch of info & new projects to share in the next couple of days, but I've got to clean this house & do some actual work.
-Lola