Knitterly nightmare...

It seems that my life is going in two different speed tracks at the same time. On one hand I keep thinking that I can do lots of things, make plans e.t.c. On another hand is reality - I move s-l-o-w-l-y, and get tired real fast. Even breathing seems like a lot of work sometimes. And my knitting has slowed down so much that I am getting frustrated with myself. Plus my little naps. I keep falling asleep in the middle of something, anything, sitting up. And my dreams are really realistic at this point.
So, here is a nightmare I had this morning:
I am at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Are you laughing? Please do not, for some nut cases, like me, getting there is VERY important. So, I get to the Sheep & Wool, only to realize - I am late, really late. Almost everybody has already left... I begin to panic, I want my yarn! I want to see my favorite people, and there is only 15 minutes left! And I do not run well. I find myself at Maggie's booth. She has some totally stunning white on white bed covers. They are amazing! But as I look closer I realize that they are woven, not knitted. I really want to look at them. But I also want to see another friend, who has sock yarn, and as I am trying to decide, if I have enough time to get to the main building my Mother shows up and tells me that it is time to go home. Go home! I definitely do not want to go home!
I woke up and realized that I was not late - at least not late for Sheep and Wool. Got a couple more months left. What a relief...

P.S. When I told DH about my "horrible" nightmare, he offered to put up a counter, so I can easily look at my blog and see how many days are left until Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

Security - Russian style...

I am slowly recovering from my bronchitis. I say slowly, because there is so much I would like to do, but I have to pace myself, since I get tired so easily. I have started to knit again! And making a frustratingly slow progress on my "Purple socks". I hope I will pick up my usual speed as I continue to knit.
I am also trying to catch up to the chat that was happening on the Ravelry groups and on the Yahoo groups. It is interesting to me how many security conscious threads are in progress at any time. Should the knitters be permitted to have the knitting needles when they fly, if yes what kind, and according to some people the only safe way to fly is naked. After all if you have a sufficient imagination anything can be your weapon. Up to and including underwear. I bet if one is really determined, one can strangle someone with a thong, and let us not forget the "lethal" under wires in the bra, and the stockings, especially the support hose! Should they be banned too? You can guess I have been reading a lot of mysteries if I can find so many possibilities for mayhem in simple undergarments.
I remember, that when I was about 10, we went on a class trip to Moscow. My mother was actually one of the teachers. Now, remember, we are talking 30 years ago. So the first and the main attraction was the Lenin's Mausoleum. So the first morning in Moscow we got into the line on the Red Square to wait our turn to pay respects to the "great leader of all time". The line to the mausoleum was legendary. It stretched on for hours on end. Now, this was the middle of the winter, and we were all bundled up in our coats and wrapped up in scarves. Finally, the end was in sight. And that is when "it" happened. A slight digression. My Mom is almost 5' tall, with a slight figure. She does not make a threatening figure even if she really wants to. She is not aggressive at all. That day she was wearing her suede coat with a beautiful fox collar, that dipped into a "V". So, as we were ready to finally go in, all of the sudden my Mom was unceremoniously pulled out of the line by two burly KGB agents. We - the kids started squawking, and there, right in front of us, the third agent inserted his hand in the front of my Mother's coat obviously trying to see if there was anything hidden in her cleavage. I really do not think my Mom was thinking about what was happening. I believe she just acted on pure instinct and outrage. She swung her purse and brained the agent over the head with it. Time stopped. Women standing in line yelled appreciatively. An officer showed up and checked our papers, apologised and explained that the agents have been concerned, that my Mother was trying to smuggle acid in her bra to disfigure the Lenin. Apparently she fit a certain profile. Amazingly enough I do not remember much about the inside of the Mausoleum. I actually have to thought about this in years. I have to ask my Mother, if she remembers this incident.
P.S. If you want to read more about visiting the Lenin's Mausoleum, here is a very good article. And here is the Lenin's Mausoleum history in photos.

Feeling Better...

I am feeling a lot better today. The temperature has gone down and I can actually contemplate some solid food. Not ready to eat it yet, but I can now think about it without feeling nauseous. I am still coughing a lot, but it is also not as bad as it was.
Yesterday, as I began my return to consciousness, my DH was entertaining and destructing me from feeling miserable by "promoting" a tour to hunt for more fabulous Czech beads. Now I will freely admit that I have become a "bead junkie". And the Czech pressed beads are my favorites! They are beautiful, come in wonderful shapes and colors, very lightweight and surprisingly durable. They resemble miniature gems.
The Czech people has been making these beads since the early 17Th century. Amazingly the techniques have changed little. Beadmaking is a cottage industry.
Here are some of my favorites:





And yes, these stitch markers were made by me. They are available for sale in my Etsy Shop and on my website.
So, about the tour. Please, keep in mind, it is the real thing. It is a 10 day bead buying marathon. With no days off at all. Here is some information from the promotional brochure.
The participants (limit 10) HAVE to be in "good physical shape, because they will be walking on many cobblestones, and run up and down stairs without elevators". The explanation is that the glass factories are historical buildings that have not been significantly changed in the past 150 years. The prospective tourists are also expected to be dressed in sensible walking shoes. There is nothing said at all about food or lodging, which I think is significant in itself. On the other hand nature lovers are warned not to expect pretty vistas "as it is a factory region". All this fun can be had for measly $3.000.
Don't you want to sign up right away? I know, I would love to, but the Maryland Sheep and Wool is at the same time, so if I am going anywhere it will be there!

P.S. I am running a sale on my website: From Feb. 4Th through Feb. 14Th 10% off on entire "Czech Pressed Glass" category of stitch markers.

And The Winners Are...

I would like to thank all who participated in my Anniversary Giveaway. It was a pleasure to hear from so many of you. I love writing this blog and I love reading your comments. Thank you very much for sharing the past year with me. It was wonderful. I hope this year will bring all of us much good.
And now, it is my pleasure to congratulate the winners.

The First Prize



goes to Darcy's Knotty Knitter.

The Second Prize



goes to Kris Kriechel - Kris' Crafts 'n Stuff .

Third Prize



goes to Ruth - Yarnarian.

The Special Prize for the Group



goes to Jersey Jessie.

I had a lot of fun with this contest and I hope to do it again next year.

Sick and knitting...

Update on the group contest.
Well, it finally happened...
I have a flu, or something... It has started Friday morning. But I have tried to ignore the symptoms and tell myself that I am just tiered. By Friday night my temperature was up and I had the "shakes". I truly hate being cold. By now I can barely get out of bed and only to make it "you know where". My wonderful DH has been taking care of me so nicely, making me tea and managing the kids all by himself. Now he is typing this post for me. I am feeling totally miserable, but thankfully the doctor is coming to see me in about an hour.
I tried knitting a little while ago, but I am too dizzy, even for big needles. So, I just have to lie there and try to sleep.
Since I can't get to my computer in person, I will be late replying to your comments on this blog and messages to the Group. But please, don't let it stop you from commenting and posting. Eli will read all of them to me.
I would like to remind my group members that to be eligible to participate in the group contest you have to be a group member AND post message to the group telling us about your favorite blog post in the past year. Do not worry if your message do not show up right away. If you have difficulty posting to the group, please send me an email to chickenstitches@gmail.com .

Mittens again!

There is nothing wrong with knitting mittens. If you look in on my posts from about a month ago you will see that I have actually managed to make five pairs in less than 2 weeks. I have even published a basic mitten pattern for kids. (Hint, hint...)
So why am I knitting mittens again?!
Because they get lost. I am sure that there is a parallel universe somewhere out there that is full of mittens, single socks, keys, favorite earrings and beloved stitch markers.
And my kids seem to be very efficient in feeding that universe. I know all kids will loose a mitten or a sock. My kids do it in pairs. So two pairs of mittens now on a casualty list. This means I have to make them before the kids have to go back to school. I have almost finished a pair for DD#2 , just the thumbs left.


And DS#2 is waiting for his. Well, this time I am going to put the mittens on a leash before I let my kids have them. I will not listen to the "I am too old for this" protestations.
You want mittens dear - well they come with the strings attached!

Anniversary

It is hard to believe, but a year has gone by since I started my blog.
A whole year! So many things has happened. I am very happy that DH has talked me into blogging. It has given me a lot. Your generous comments have build my confidence, I finally believed that there is someone out there, who wants to know what I think, someone, who is willing to read what I write.
Your kind support has started me on self-publishing my patterns and later selling my stitch markers. I have found new friends, some of whom I was lucky to meet in person. I rediscovered old friends and my world has become a lot wider. For this and much, much more I thank you.
So, to celebrate my first year as a blogger and to show my appreciation to my readers I would like to give away some prizes. There will be three prizes and three drawings for all the blog readers. Yes, you can participate in as many as you want. I will use random number generator to determine the winners. They will be announced on my blog Tuesday, Feb. 2ND.
All the stitch markers and row counters offered as prizes are One-Of-A-Kind. They were all made by me special for this contest. The markers will be finished as knit or crochet depending on what the winner wants.

FIRST PRIZE - To all who read this blog:
The first prize package is called "Deep Blue Sea". It includes 2 sets of stitch markers made with fresh water pearls and a knit/crochet row counter made with mother of pearl beads. The yarn included in the package is a wonderful blend of 50/50 wool-mohair, it's made in Russia.



All you need to do to participate is to leave a comment on this post, telling me what you like about this blog. And what would you like to see here in the coming year.

SECOND PRIZE -To my new friends:
The second prize package is called "Flower Power". It includes 2 sets of stitch markers, one made with ceramic beads, and the second one made with mother of pearl beads. It also includes a zipper pull and the same yarn as the package one in a different color.

To be eligible to win this package you have to: become a follower of this blog, post the contest info on your blog and let me know you did it by emailing me at chickenstitches@gmail.com.

THIRD PRIZE - To my old friends:
This package is called "From The Heart". It includes 2 beautiful extra-large stitch markers, that can also be used as pendants, a dual purpose row counter, made with Czech glass and amethyst beads. All beads in this package are handmade. The yarn is wonderful 100% camel, it is made in Russia.

This prize will go to one of those who left more than fifteen comments on my blog in the past year.

-----------------------------------------------------------
A special prize drawing for all members of my Chicken Stitches Google Group.

This package is called "Sparkle And Shine". It includes 3 sets of stitch markers and a zipper pull. All glass beads used in this package are handmade.

The conditions of this drawing will be posted later today directly to the group.
And yes, it is not too late to sign up. To join the group: enter your email in the box on the top of the left sidebar and click "Subscribe".

Again many thanks and lots of love to all, who read and were there for me in the past year.
All the best.

It's a... needle!

I am almost done with my "Purple Socks". I am using a cashmere blend colored by Yarnerian. The yarn is so wonderfully soft and the shades of purple put me in such a mellow mood. What lovely, lovely yarn Ruth cooks up. I wish I could buy a lot more of it.
Unfortunately I have discovered that my needle stash is infested by gremlins. They ate all of my size 0 bamboo needles. I am telling you, - it socks! I looked everywhere, my beloved bamboos are not too be found. And I know I have at least 6 sets of "0's". At this point I have actually gave up and will be ordering more of them tomorrow.
I have been knitting the "Purple Socks" with the wooden Knit Picks DPNs and I am not happy. At this point I have 3 needles left from the original 6. They snap like the matchsticks they are! I love the wooden Knit Picks needles, but next time, I am not buying any smaller that size 3. So I have substituted with 2 aluminium needles and the knitting goes on. But I still miss my bamboos.

Life Socks...

This sock is now headed for the frog pond. Can you hear me croak: "Rip It, Rip It.."
A few days before his birthday, DH has "innocently" asked me what was I knitting for his birthday. Instant knitting panic attack. Wait Eli, did not we said that I was getting you that photo thingy for your birthday?
Yes, told me my wonderful DH, but you are knitting me something? Am I knitting him something?! Well, no... But... OK, I was not going to admit THAT. So I frantically dived into my stash, found some "manly yarn", and off I went...
You know how they say: "Knit in haste, rip it out in leisure..."
Well... DH has a very slender foot and I was in a hurry, and size small does have less stitches per row than size medium, and...
The bottom line is that this sock almost fits. Almost! As in if I pull it on using both hands and telling DH to breathe in. I do not think this will work in the long term. I will rip it out tonight and start over. This time - with more stitches.

Morning reflections

I always love this special hour in the morning when my older kids go to school. DH sets off for shul. The house quiets down and it is just me and DD #3. Oh, and the cat. We all get comfy on my bed, I feed DD her breakfast and the cat looks at us indulgently, or sleeps. After all she is an old kitty, about 10 years old, she is also huge - over 20 pounds, so she needs all the nap time she can get.
We got our cat when we moved to Brooklyn and discovered that the mice problem in the building was chronic. There was nothing else to do, but get a cat. We tried adopting one from Humane Society in Brooklyn, but they would not even let us look at the cats, because... we had three kids. The person in charge has actually told us that she did not think we would not have a place for an animal in our heart, since we had too many kids. In another place I made a mistake of admitting that I wanted a mouser and was told that they only let people adapt pets, and would not contribute to the animal exploitation. Finally, we found our kitty in Cedarhurst, NY, just outside the Five Boroughs of New York City. What is it - the farther you get from city limits, the saner people get? We didn't realize it at that time, but she was an incredible bargain - buy one - get six free! So at some point we had 3 kids and seven cats in our tiny apartment. We were very lucky to be able to find homes for all the kittens.
I always love watching kids, watching the animals. The conclusions, the kids come to, can be amazing. Yesterday morning as we were sitting on my bed Kisa the cat all of a sudden decided to be playful. She does it very rarely. Kisa started twirling her tail, left and right, left and right. Doing the metronome thing cats are so good at. Then DD #3 started twirling her stick cheese in time to the twitching tail. It was so funny. Of course after the cheese made the contact with the cat's tail mean Mommy took away the cheese. Today as were were sitting companionably, I turn away for the moment. When I looked back I saw that DD was probing the cat with her stick cheese, she wanted to play. I had to take it away again.
I remember, that many years ago, when we moved to the dairy farm in upstate New York, my son (DS #1), who was two and a half at the time thought that cows were really big dogs. When we moved back to Brooklyn, and DD #1 was the same age, she thought that dogs were just very small cows. Funny how our world view can change.