Me and ANita Loos

Sometime in the early 1970's I read an article in McCall's magazine about Anita Loos, a playright and author, and her knitted washcloths. I had already read about Mary Martin and her needle point. The needlepoint article cost me money as needlepoint became and still is an obsession and is not cheap! When I read the Anita Loos aticle I thought I could do that for less money and started an obsession for my husband.
Ms. Loos used Knit-cro-sheen held double and I think it was size 5 needles. Since then I have moved to many different threads including organic yarn, and other knit/crochet threads. I knit at least one a year for my husband who loves to wash his face with them. While I spend a fortune on face cleansers he uses a handknit washcloth and his face is a soft as mine. The only problem with the article is Ms.Loos took about 3 hours while waiting back stage and I take a lot longer than that. Of course,  hers were mainly in garter stitch while I love patterns. This one has a twisted drop stitch and was a lot of fun to knit.

It is a great stocking stuffer!

Elizabeth Zimmerman

I had the best of intentions but they still did not prevent me from going astray. My idea of a picture a day is way way behind. 

But I do have a sweet and cute and satisfying knit to show you. Many of the knitters  in our Meet-up group decided to knit Elizabeth Zimmerman's baby surprise jacket.  I had yarn already left from a baby blanket that never was and I was off and knitting. To me it was challenging but rewarding.

 I chose to add the optional collar and I am very glad I did.   My daughter 

searched my stash and found the lime

green cotton.  I think the little collar

finishes the jacket.  She also searched for an E-bay purchase made last year of a stash of buttons 

and found these darling little bugs. The jacket has

button holes on both sides of the front. We are awaiting the birth of the baby still. SO the buttons have another button on the back so they can be removed and buttoned on either front is the Mommy choses.

Who is the Mommy?  The office manager for my chiropractor who haas been so pleasant, helpful, and just generally a great person . .  and she loved the jacket from the first day.

12th Night

The Three Kings came and left their presents, a coffee press for daughter, wine stoppers for husband and a lovely heart with cross for me. Now I need a gold chain for it. I hope I don't have to wait for my March birthday!!

 I promised photos of my favorite ornaments and here are two. This one  is handmade and was purchased at a church bazaar. I admire the maker so much. About 5-6 years ago I took a class in smocking. I fell in love with the look when we visited the China Fleet Club in Hong Kong.  I should have known I could NEVER achieve the look the chinese achieved on those dresses.  I have three of these ornaments but I just love the candy canes on this one.

John and I were married on December 29
1962 and for Christmas 1963 we were on the road
to California for US Navy orders to attend USC for Safety Officers. While living in Los Angeles for four months we visited former squadron mates in San Diego and even went to Tijuana. I did not get out the Mexican ornaments this year.We returned by way of San Francisco and the Rocky Mountains to Jacksonville,  FLorida to pick up our sailboat and tow it to Norfolk for the next duty station. 

The little cable car is a fond memory of cioppino, jumping on and off cable cars, the zig-zag street, Horchows and the great market place. 

Next to the cable car has to be one of my most favorites. The photo is not the best but try to see my aviator in his flight suit in the almost 50 years ago style. His goggles are adorable and I always give him a smooch as I hang him on the tree.

What are your favorites?  I am fascinated by what we put on our trees.

One good memory

I was photographing the tree for my favorite ornament photo for today when I got a tiny bit sentimental. I got down one of many photo boxes to look for past Christmas pictures. But I found this instead,This is my mother and I in spring 1943 on the front porch of 14 Lenox Place, Staten Island, New York. I know the address so well after all these years because I was taught it and I had it engraved on a locket I wore all of the time. My father was in the south pacific, and my mother and I lived with my grandparents during the war. Mother worked as a secretary in New York. My grandmother told me she knitted and sewed mother and daughter outfits for us, and argyle socks. I was very inquisitive and I think the look I was getting from her had to do with my hand on her knitting bag.  I do not ever remember her with a knitting needle in her hands. But she often remarked that she was glad I knew how to knit. She lived her last 35 years in Key West, Florida. It was too hot for knitted wear so I never knit for her.  My daughter thought the photo had a scratch but we determined it was the wool hanging from the needle. How thin it seems.

12 Days of Christmas

I am always amazed at the Christmas trees at the curbside on December 26.  My family felt December 25 was the Christ Mass and January 6 was the day of gifts, the day the Wise Men came. They bowed to  tradition and we had many gifts on December 25 but always had a special gift on January 6th. I've always enjoyed the tree more after the 25th when I could sit and remember the occasion for each precious ornament and laugh with the family over the silly ones. Since we traveled so much the tree has ornaments from all duty stations and travels around the world. 

For years I succumbed to collecting various versions of Father Christmas.  Friends and family gifted me with many selections. Soon they were too many and the real joy  got a little lost in the abudance. So I pared down by sharing the collection. This one is my favorite, a gift from my daughter. He is about 30 inches tall. I wish I had his coat but I would settle
for the gloves. They are so plush. The little lamb will be a remembrance of the yarn share I have purchased from the Martha's Vinyard Fiber Farm. Every time I looked at him I thought of the newborns growing their coats (my fiber) and dreamed of yarn to be.

Our Christmas was special for the friends who shared it with us. We made topiaries and kissing balls, wreaths and a gingerbread house. I could not help with the house as I was the recipient of the Christmas Cold. I am just getting around again, what a doozy it was. But the house, well the house was just perfect!

Tomorrow I will try to show you one or two of my favorite ornaments of 50 years of collecting. I'll be caught up on my photos and ready for the Three Kings. Would they bring us frankincense and myrrh or even a little gold to help the economy? But no, I'll settle for peace and well-being for you and your loved ones, and for all the peoples of our earth.

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

I can not remember being so excited to see a New Year. I read about Carly Simon taking a photo a day to track her days. So I hearby resolve to do so also.  I am so not ready to resolve to lose weight or any of the other not kept resolutions I have made in the past. 
Norfolk and Virginia Beach, 2 cities so tight together one ends at the same point the other begins, are very much into "Going green" and protecting the environment. The Chesapeake Bay is under a great environmental threat. This year Virginia is buying back licenses from crabbers to help protect the growth of the crab populace. It is just one of many attempts to Help The Bay! So when I saw this sign on top of the storm drain in downtown Norfolk I had to share it.  

Very little knitting this season. I am much more into the pattern and the yarn than giving a present. Instead we made topiaries and kissing balls for ourselves and others.  We stepped the season back a step or two and enjoyed the reason for the season. It all meant so much more, especially when son and friend came in at 6 PM Christmas Eve.  We have 2 children, one 42 and one 44. We have been together every Christmas except one. I consider us very lucky and very much loved.

Today was collards, black eye peas and hopping john. Did you have yours? I have never managed to eat one pea for every day of luck I want. 365 black eye peas is a lot! This year daughter made the meal. Her collards are heavenly and yes,  I did eat too much. 

Alphabet of me

this is for Vickie who always tells me, "It's time to post!" I found this and it was a lot of fun to do . . I think I learned a lot about ME!
 

Accent: I don't think I have one but I got a job as a radio disc jockey because I did not have the local accent.
Breakfast or no breakfast: Love it, eggs with spinach and salsa, oatmeal with fruit, french toast, eggs benedict, yum
Chore I don’t care for: Cleaning the toilet.
Dog or Cat: Dogs for me. we are on our second Rottweiler although I like other people’s cats
Essential Electronics: I use them all but often wonder what it wold be like to give them all up for a wk, esp the tv
Favorite Cologne: shalimar
Gold or Silver: Gold. but my daughter is a silver so I have the best of both
Handbag I carry most often: Vera Bradley in green, it was a gift but I want one in black
Insomnia: no, as long as I don’t drink caffene late or eat chocolate
Job: retired and happy
Kids: 2., one daughter and one son,  there were no other choices left so quit
Living Arrangements: Married. 2 bedrooms, 2 bath.
Most Admirable Trait: How can you judge yourself?
Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: my parents were very strict, so my worst was getting so engrossed in reading a book that I did not hear them
Overnight hospital stays: The birth of the kids, havng ankle bones pinned and set, 2 arthroscopic surgeries, knee relacement, rotator cuff surgery, eye operation and stay for rheumatic fever as a child, Whew
Phobias: heights even on the tv make my stomach turn over,
Quote: from Helen Keller, “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish snall tasks as if they were great ad noble.” Wow!
Reason to smile: My husband John can always make me laugh, he really enjoys life
Siblings: one brother who is deceased, I wish I had more
Time I wake up: 6AM every morning
Unusual Talent or Skill: I am so boring!
Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: I don't think there is one that I refuse to eat.
Worst Habit: leting the housework slide to knit, sew, read, needlepoint and on and on
X-rays: Back, Arm, Head. knee, mri of shoulder and knee
Yummy Stuff: Sushi, Chocolate, iced Coffee, creme brulee
Zoo Animal I Like Most: seals, ask John what they sound like. He does a super imitation