non-Knitti-me

TMI

I pulled this meme off Plumkrazee’s site. After answering all the questions I seriously thought about just deleting the whole thing. Some of this really falls under the heading of Too Much Information. But if you’re up for some insight into knitti-me, read on.

I am really a very well adjusted person, that is, after many hours of therapy – ha!  Also I have a really wonderful husband who has been with me through thick and thin. And yes, I have “mom” issues…

So without further ado…

1. Who was your first prom date?

My gay friend Jim. He was in the class ahead of me and had already graduated. I didn’t really have any prospects, so I called Jim up and he was more than happy to escort me to the Senior Prom.

2. Who was your first roommate?

I worked at a summer camp/conference center during the summer between my Sophomore and Junior years in high school and I roomed with Karen.

3. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk the first time?

Beer – blech! It was a high school kegger party and up to this time, I had never really did any heavy partying – although my mom always accused me of wrong doing – so I decided to prove her right!

4. What was your first job? 

The summer job at the summer camp/conference center near Santa Cruz. I worked in the dinning room and in housekeeping.

5. First CD you bought?

It was Peter Gabriel’s “So” Album, which I recently downloaded into my iPod. I must say that CD has seen better days – the case is all cracked and the insert all dog-eared. The CD is a bit scratched too.  But it’s still one of my favorites.


6. When did you go to your first funeral, whos?

My friend Mark who died of AIDs in the early 80’s.

7. How old were you when you first moved away from your first hometown?

I was 18. As soon as I could, I was outta there!

8. Who was your first grade teacher?

Mrs. Quong. I went to a fundamentalist elementary school where corporal punishment was still practiced. One of Mrs. Quong’s specialties for punishment and humiliation of her pupils was to have the wrongdoer stand in the middle of the classroom with their arms held straight out from their body and they were required to hold that position for however long Mrs. Quong felt was necessary – sometimes up to 15 or 20 minutes!

9. Where did you go on your first airplane ride?

Europe in 1975.

10. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?

I never snuck out. No, really.....I never did. I did, however, have lots of people sneak in.

I particularly remember sneaking in Ronnie, a neighborhood bad boy. We lived up on a hill in San Francisco and I could hear the roar of my mother’s diesel truck groaning up the hill and I would send Ronnie out the front door as she was coming in the back door.

11. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them?

First of all, I will start off by saying that Graeme, my husband is my closest friend and confidant. However, that being said, I have never had a best girlfriend. My mother never encouraged or provided the atmosphere that would encourage healthy relationships with other girls (she would actually get jealous and vindictive if I ever started to become closed to another person – sick, I know).

Now, as an adult, I have lots of girlfriends, but none that I would call my BEST friend.

Anyway, it is always kind of alien to me when I hear (or read) about someone’s best friend from kindergarten, etc.

 
12. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents' house?

Hawaii!

13. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?

My best friend – HA! Really, if I’m having a bad day, I call Graeme. If I’m having a hard time with Graeme – I suffer in silence.


14. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid or a groomsmen?

Again, no girlfriends so no bridesmaid duty. That is one thing I would like to be before I die is be a bridesmaid – but who’s going to put a middle-aged matron in their line-up??!

I was a flower girl in my brother’s wedding – I was four.

15. What is the first thing you do in the morning?

press the “snooze” button.

16. What was the first concert you ever went to?

U2 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco – no, wait, The Police at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.

17. First tattoo or piercing?

Pierced ears at age 13. A second piercing in my left ear when I was 19. Tatoo someday…

18. First celebrity crush?

The Monkees! Davey, Mike, Peter and Mickey – I loved them all! I would eagerly anticipate watching reruns of their TV show each day after school .I also put my little tape recorder up to the TV and recorded their songs, which I listened to covertly (because you know, that’s the Devil’s music).

One day my mother and I were visiting an elderly neighbor and I mentioned to my mom that I wanted to get home to watch The Monkees. She followed me home to see what show had such a hold on her 10 year old daughter. She sat there watching the episode getting stormier and stormier and finally the storm broke, “That show is evil! All those girls wearing next to nothing chasing those boys around – and the music, it’s Devil music!” From that moment on, I was forbidden to ever watch The Monkees again. I was crushed. But I still had my little bootleg tape of their music that I quietly listened to on my tape player in my room.

I know, real “Flowers in the Attic” kind of stuff – and this isn’t even scratching the surface.

19. First crush?

Bill Ramirez - all through fourth, fifth, and sixth grades - (sigh). Of course he was all over Patty McGowan and didn't even know I existed.

20. First sexual experience?

Like I’m going to tell...

~~~

Next Post - Secret Pal Goodies and the Reveal!

Bracelets & Blue Angels

Here are a couple more bead knit bracelets - one in blues and one in greens. The green one is a gift, the blue one will probably end up on my Etsy site.

I also put together a pretty little bracelet for one of my team members at work in celebration of her birthday. She doesn't wear "costume" jewelry, her husband buys (and can afford) her the BLING, if you know what I mean, but in the six years we've worked together, I never made her any jewelry. For this bracelet I used a pretty cloisonne accent bead paired with crystals and (real) gold filigree spacers and clasp.

We live about a mile from what used to be Mather Air Force Base and we got a real treat last weekend. The Blue Angels performed at the air field and we enjoyed the show from our front driveway!

(I actually went home early last Friday and was snuggling down to take a nap when I was propelled out of bed due to a sonic boom; the Blue Angels decided to practice right over my house! Needless to say, I didn't get much of a nap...)

The show was wonderful - those flying men and their magnificent flying machines - just boggles the mind.

Have a great weekend Everybody!

There may be a reason why...

...the Marcella Jacket hasn't shown up on the White Lies'  website. It's being featured in the new Spring issue of Vogue Knits.

If this isn't it, it sure is an extremely close copy. Looking on Vogue Knit's website, I was unable to determine who the designer is.

It is interesting to see this sweater on a human model, albeit a skinny, human model; it wears differently than on the mannequin. Crocheting along, I was getting a little nervous that it wasn't turning out quite like the picture on the pattern, but this picture in the magazine more closely resembles what mine is turning out like. Very cute regardless.

I'm all jazzed again to get this finished.

Yeah - I'm Still Here

The Marcella Jacket didn't make it to the wedding, which was lovely by the way. But Klaralund was worn in Marcella's stead.

Work and life in general are getting in the way of any crafty endeavors. My shoulder and wrist began to object to all the crocheting I had been doing on the Marcella Jacket, so I had to put her down for awhile. And no, Bron, those sleeves are not finished...thanks for checking in on me though (smile).

In the interim, I've been knitting up a couple of quick beaded bracelets, which I will get pictures of soon - that is when Northern California decides to dry out and get some sun.

I've also been under the weather - not feeling my best in a kind of nebulous, non-specific kind of way. I drag myself to work, stick it out telling myself just one more application or claim or contract, and it's finally 6:30 pm and time to leave - drive home and fall into bed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's days like this that I wish my heritage wasn't so muddled. I'm a mutt with a lot of donors in my blood line and I'm told I have a bit of Scot-Irish, English, Native American, just to name a few, but not a lot of just one origin. How fun it would be to have a certain national pride of origin and celebrate, with gusto, holidays such as St. Patrick's Day, Cinco De Mayo, or the Jewish holidays.

And yes, I'm wearing GREEN today.

Marcella - she's a-growing

I finished up the back and both fronts of The Marcella Jacket, which is still not showing up on the White Lies Design website, and seamed the sides together. After a couple of false starts I was able to get rolling on the lacey crocheted edging. Other than my cell phone cozies and simple purses, I haven't done any fancy crochet in years, so I was a bit intimidated by the edging on the Marcella Jacket - but I worked it out - Yeah Baby!

When I bought kit at Stitches West, Joan, the designer, didn't have the accent yarn on hand, so she sent it to me the following week. When the yarn (Tartelette by K1C2) arrived, it turned out to be too red for my liking. So I went out and bought another ribbon yarn, Berroco Zen, in pretty muted pinks, purples, and greens. I love how the two yarns are working together.

I still need to knit up the sleeves, or I'll end up with a lacey vest.

Seven Sisters

A few weeks ago, I came across a blog, A Bit of This, A Bit of That, that I immediately added to my Bloglines. While I don't agree with some of what Dave blogs about, I do enjoy his writing style and his "diplomatic" way of approaching difficult, and possibly volatile, subjects.

He recently blogged about a walk he took in the Seven Sisters Country Park in Southeast England.

 

Looking at this natural rock formation and it's name immediately brought to mind an old family photograph of my Grandma and her sisters taken in approximately 1914.

My Grandma, Maudie, is second from the left.

This photo was taken in Meeteetse, Wyoming (population 351), where I still have family.

Nuptial Throw Revealed

We had our office Bridal Shower this afternoon where I presented to badcat Karin The Nuptial Throw.

I think she likes...

Quirks

Lisa tagged me a while back for this quirky meme.

quirk (kwûrk) n. A strange attitude or habit; A peculiarity of behavior, an idiosyncrasy.

List 5 quirks about yourself.

1. I must have my ice cream served in a coffee mug.

2. When I had gold-rimmed eye glasses, I never wore silver jewelry because I thought it somehow clashed.

3. Generally, I will not do a job unless I can do it right; hence my messy house. I find it hard to give something a "lick and a promise."

4. Everything used to have to be in even numbers. For example, when filling up my car, I could not stop at $28.07 I had to top off to $28.10. However, if I over shot to $28.11, it killed me and my poor car couldn't hold one more drop of gas. I have since worked beyond this. I think it has to do with the rise in gas prices - I just don't look anymore.

5. If a book or book series has touched or enthralled me, I will read it numerous time over the years. For example, every five years or so, I re-read Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. I've also read through the Wheel of Time books several times, usually when the next installment is about to be released. Currently, I am re-reading The Lord of Darkness by Robert Silverberg and have just finished another read through of Mika Walteri's The Egyptian.

I'm not going to tag anyone; if you want to play, go ahead.

~~~

Knitting - I'm still under the impression that I'm going to finish the Marcella Jacket in time for the wedding, which is just a week away. I've finished the back and the left front is about 1" from cast off. The front actually went pretty fast, so I am expecting the right front to be finished in one evening of TV knitting. I would suspect the sleeves will go just as quickly. So we'll see. I'm a little apprehensive about the crocheted lacey edging as I haven't done any serious crochet in years. Bron, I may be calling on you for moral support...

~~~

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