COMPUTER, SHE BE DAID. DAID FOREVER

Yes, sadly, my terminal is terminal. Nyuk-nyuk. Terminal as in I'm on my s-i-l's computer and just wanted to let both of my readers know that I will have to abandon this for several more months.

ELECTION MISCELLANY

This is going to be the first time for me to vote since moving to New Mexico. I'll miss the old town hall in Lancaster, with Connie Cardinal signing me in and the little booths with their red white and blue curtains and handing my ballot to a beaming Jim Seppala as we both put it into the giant wooden ballot box. Small town life is so very special! Now that I'm in a "big" city (relax ~ I grew up in Chicago, I know a real big city when I see one) and carless, I made sure I applied for an absentee ballot. It's here! It's here! I can't remember being this excited to vote for a President since the very first time I did it. (John Andersen, if you're interested) So I'm going to sit down with a big cup of tea this weekend and fill it out (2 looooong pages) and send it in. If I can convince my brother or sister-in-law to take me, I may even be able to see Barack at UNM this weekend!

If I were a really good person, I would say "It doesn't matter who it's for, just VOTE !" Unfortunately, I have not as yet achieved enlightenment and am still shallow enough to hope that if you're planning to vote for Obama/Biden, please do so and take along someone else who feels as you do. If you're planning to vote for anyone else - stay home!

And now I bring you this little gem:

BONNE ANNIVERSAIRE, JEANNE!

C'est Francois. Il est mon cadeau pour Jeanne (Joan). Il peut seulement compter a trent-neuf. Joan chanceux!
I have been busy (and using my Mala beads with my ridiculously slow computer) to sell off some of the stash on eBay in order to begin to fund my car repairs. So far, so good. Lots more to go, which means I'll probably be blogging less. Unfortunately, when I list something on eBay, it takes more than 2 hours per item. Did I mention that after the car repairs the next thing is computer repairs?
Knitting continues for the holidays. CGB's Ragna is done, and I'm pleased with it. I have also almost finished my daughter's "stocking". I'm zooming along on SIL's wrap and have found the perfect pin for it. Check out the lovely jewelry here.

IF I HAD A BABY ELEPHANT.....

.....I would knit 3 more of these and call them a set. But as all my offspring are of the human flavor, I think I'll just felt this one and call it a Christmas stocking instead. You probably wouldn't understand this, but planning stockings is a giant leap of faith for someone who rarely has enough money to buy gifts for anyone. But this year I am being optimistic and hoping I will be able to follow through on my plans.

My eBay sales are plodding along. I have listed seven lots of wool and have bids and/or watchers on all of them, so I'm pleased. Poor U4EA! I had to watch the Balloon Fiesta mass ascension on tv this morning. Last year I had fun chasing different balloons all over the place. Next year, for sure! Only about another $1300, and she'll be as good as new.

Sadly, I'm hoping that my computer can last me through all this. It takes me almost 2 hours to do one listing, including posting photos, just because it takes so ridiculously long to wait for pages to load. Patience! That's the word for the day. Tomorrow's word is hypoxia. Can you say "hypoxia" boys and girls? We'll talk about it tomorrow.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS

First of all, let me confess to being wickedly weak. I dragged my heels for two days fretting and pacing and finding numerous ways to distract myself over the weekend and at the last minute......I totally caved! The EZ Aran lives......huzzah!!!!! I just couldn't bring myself to destroy her. This is the piece that taught me how to do cables without the cable needles and will teach me how to do steeks and using stitch markers to preserve one's sanity. It will be finished this year, having been started long ago, and far away (back when I lived in New Hampshire).

I am done with Ragna, done with Joan's gift, and almost done with my first (of 2) stockings. It will be finished tonight and I will soon felt it. Meanwhile, I am looking to earn some bucks toward U4EA's repairs and new shoes. I got my first deposit the other day from Half.com. That's been an easy, painless way to rid myself of some books. I still have about 10 others listed. I also am going to start selling some of my overstash (is that possible?! OVERstash?) on eBay. I'm maxquilts there and will be listing things over the next few days. I have Paton's Divine in quite a few colors, and will have many Koigu listings in amounts of 1,2, and 3 skein lots. I also have a few other sock yarns. Hopefully, there will be many more to come. I really believe that if I try, I can force myself to part with more soon. At least, I hope I can!

And the final word today comes from another of the cats who tolerate my presence here in their home. This is Aggie, short for Agate, who makes a truly unique statement when she sleeps:

A VERITABLE FROGGIN' OCEAN

This is the sad but true story of some very special wool and the dire predicament it faces.

The mother of someone very close to me purchased some gorgeous, snowy Aran yarn in Ireland many years ago, along with several pattern books. The large bag is labeled "Blarney Woollen Mill, County Cork" and a handwritten price tag is affixed which reads 9.5 pounds. This beautiful lady passed away before she could make the sweater which she intended to be for her daughter. And her daughter, who couldn't bear to look at the bag, passed it along to me knowing how I loved to knit and frolic in wool.

I knew when I received the bag, that ultimately I would make a sweater for this dear girl, knowing it was the only possible use for this particular wool. After sorting through the patterns in the bag and through every other Aran pattern on which I could place my hands, I finally decided that EZ's Aran from her Knitter's Almanac was the best choice. So with tons of markers and a huge gulp, I began.

Fast forward two years when I resurrected the project and resumed work on it. I had been very careful to achieve the correct gauge and was pleased with the results. I was almost to the top (it's knit and then steeked) when I began to realize that this sweater was going to consume the tiny woman for whom it is intended. She would literally be able to use it as a coat, and a not very flattering coat at that. So I once again set it aside. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth ensued.

It's ten days later and .................today is the day. This beautiful baby is going to be ripped. Completely, utterly ripped, reskeined, and wound back into center pull balls.

It will become a new Aran cardigan better suited to the petite pixie who will wear it. And while it's killing me to have to do this, I know it's the right thing. Somehow, that's going to help. Eventually.

THE HARDEST PART IS SHIPPING THE BOX

I can knit for hours and hours. I think knitting and reading are 2 of my favorite things. So I was pretty enthused about the most recent Afghans for Afghans campaign of knitting for 7-14 year olds. I made a sweater with some grey Peace Fleece I had in my stash. It will be very warm, and can be worn by either a boy or a girl. Then I found a very neat bottom-up pattern online that is for a bulky weight yarn and one skein of Noro Kureyon. I had those in the stash, as well. I used half of the Periwinkle colored Lopi I have and Noro Kureyon #87. This baby is also going to be wonderfully warm and cuddly. Then I looked at the multitude of Paton's Divine skeins lolling in a laundry basket and paired two of them, Floral and Orangina, with burgundy Classic Merino worsted weight. Crocheted with the two yarns held together, this, too, will warm some child this winter. Plus, I had the bonus of being able to crochet. I don't do enough of it.

So while I loved the knitting, the crocheting, and thinking about doing something for someone in need, I hafta admit that sending off the box was, well, a major league pain in my derriere!

When I venture out, I carry an 8 pound container of liquid oxygen that hisses, emits vapor, and, generally, frightens small children. The little tank is held by a thick, rigid handle. No backstrap, no belt, no shoulder bag, (although I have begun to remedy that). Anyway, add a 6 pound box of extraordinarily awkward size and proportion, and opening doors or getting in or out of the car becomes a serious challenge. Imagine how I felt when, after standing 5 minutes at the little Post Office counter in what is euphemistically called a "convenience store", I was informed by the cashier who had watched me wrestle my way into and through the store that "We ain't got any of them sticky labels, so we are only takin' stamped mail today."

Jesus wept. I almost did, too. But the sweaters and the blanket are on their way having been taken to the Post Office (the real one!) where gentlemen held doors, a young woman offered to carry the box for me and the clerk told me next time to feel free to come in first and either ask for assistance or borrow a dolly. Had it been later than 10:00 a.m., I might have asked if they loan out Jack Daniels, too.