BIG Time Meme Answers

This week, Kathy's meme is a BIG one.  She in fact claims that it is the Biggest Monday Meme of 2016.  So there you go.  Though maybe she said that just so that she didn't have to think of any bigger ones for this year ...

1. What is the bulkiest yarn with which you have knitted or crocheted?
I think it must be The Fabulous Elf hat knitted for my great-nephew Zach a few years ago.  The yarn was Katia Fabula.

2. What is the biggest size needle you've worked?
Size 15US, for the aforementioned hat.

3. Tell me about the WHOLE enchilada!
I love cheese enchiladas, and though I think it's great when they have rice and/or beans, I'm really happy if guacamole is involved.

4. Would you rather wear a bulky bracelet, bulky earrings, or a bulky ring?
I guess a bulky bracelet, but to be honest I don't really like bulky jewelry that much.

5. Name something oversized that you own and love.

Dug - he thinks he is a lap dog ... (though I think of him as family rather than a possession)

6. Which is bigger, the number of projects on your Ravelry project pages or the patterns you have faved?
It's close - I have 102 projects listed, and 121 favorites.

7. What is the biggest vegetable you have grown?
Zucchini.  I've never lived anywhere that had a lot of room for big vegetables.

8. How large is your stash?
          a) reasonable, I have some new skeins and lots of leftovers
          b) Not fair, I just came from the Sheep and Wool Festival
          c) Let's just say we may have a knitting problem.
Really, not *quite* any of these.  I have a larger stash than I need, but it pales compared to most stashes I have seen and/or heard described.  I would say it's somewhere in between a and c, since I didn't buy any yarn at Maryland Sheep and Wool this year.

9. What's the longest vacation you have ever taken?
Ten days, when we went to Ireland.

10. What is the longest you have gone without talking to another human being?
I think four days.  In a previous life, The Tim used to go on a lot of business trips, and I would enjoy being on my own.  Though I did talk to the cats all of the time (we didn't have Dug then), which I do anyway.  And I pretty much constantly talk to myself ...

I think since I have to talk so much at work, I enjoy not talking to other people when I don't have to!

April Harry's Hundred Update

Before we get much more into the month, I wanted to do my monthly show and tell for what was included during April for Harry's Hundred.  I am dismayed to report that I did not finish a single thing during the month - for this project or anything else.  I got a few things started and then life intervened.  But hopefully I can add some things during May.

Again during April, GringaTurista (Ravelry ID) has been knitting up a storm.  She has been making mittens galore for Syrian refugees, and they are not just lovely, but they look so cozy and warm!  I think the persons who receive them will have warm enough hands that hopefully it will fill their hearts as well.

But wait - there's more!  Kathy B made a baby hat and a pair of socks to send to Pine Ridge Reservation.  I love the colors of the hat, so cheery and it will look so adorable on a baby.

The socks I love - I kinda wish I had a pair like that ...

So thankfully, these two knitters have provided a large increase in our overall tally.  I am so grateful for the contributions and for the way people have embraced this idea.  And I am having a blast seeing what everyone has made, and finding out where they are being sent/donated.

Goal:  100
Current tally:  30

A huge thank you to GringaTurista and Kathy B!  Let's see if we can keep things going for May. :-)

May Monday Meme Musings

Well, they are actually responses, but I was into the alliteration of the first three words ...

Today I'm going to share my answers to Kathy's latest meme.  I'm really enjoying these, as I love lists, questions and answers, etc.  So here you go because I'm sure you have been waiting, right? ;-)

Do you follow any blogs that are not knit or crochet blogs?
     Yep, I do.  I regularly follow some book blogs, food blogs, and some life/fashion/beauty blogs.  I don't necessarily always read the posts in a  lot of them, unless the topic is appealing, so it doesn't require as much of my time as you might think

Do you wind your yarn into cakes or balls?
     Usually into cakes.  This is largely because whenever I decide to wind yarn into balls, 99% of the time I end up with a knotted mess.  So I try to make myself pull out the swift and wind into cakes.  However, if yarn comes in a ball, it stays that way.  I'm not a glutton for punishment!

What is the longest stretch you can recall not knitting?
     About six years ago, I had surgery on my right hand, and was in a cast for about three weeks, followed by physical therapy for about a month after.  I stopped knitting until about a week before the physical therapy was finished, because prior to that, it was either too painful or not possible.

Do you bake or buy birthday cakes?
     Bake them.  I love to bake birthday cakes.  Granted, I make them from a box mix, but I enjoy the process, and like the feeling of doing something extra for someone's birthday.  Now, keep in mind that I only bake birthday cakes for those birthdays that are important to me.  If I was ever responsible, say, for a co-worker's birthday cake, it would be bought.

Do you drink water every day?
     Oh yeah.  So much that I usually slosh when I walk!

Have you given up on knitting a certain garment?
     Yep. There have been more than one thing that I got into and then decided it just wasn't gonna happen.  This used to bother me, but not anymore.

For the terrifying question there are several parts.  Have you even been:
     1. Stuck in an elevator?  Thank God NO. Though this is largely because whenever possible, I take the stairs, as I am claustrophobic.
     2.  Lost on a hike?  A few times I've thought I was, but then shortly after saw a landmark that re-oriented me.
     3.  Run out of gas?  Since I don't drive, no.  Growing up though, my father was one of those people who would drive for a while with the indicator on the Empty setting.  Drove my mother nuts, and even though we did run out of gas a few times, neither of them changed.
    4.  Needed to have an emergency landing?  Again, NO, thank God.  I'm not really a nervous flyer, but I think even one emergency landing could change that ...

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  My great-nephew Parker is four years old today, so I'm sure he'll have a good day with lots of extra attention and presents.  We're going to have a [pseudo-] Mexican dinner to celebrate, and even though it hasn't been that long since I ate my lunch, I'm really looking forward to it ...

Selective Yum

In honor of the upcoming day that is Mother's Day, Carole has asked us to list 10 Favorite Foods My Mom Used to Make.

My first response when seeing this topic can be summarized below.

You see, my mother loved to eat, but hated to cook.  I mean, really hated it.  And on the rare occasions when something was actually really yummy, my father warned us to not praise it too effusively, "Because then we'll have it every goddamn night."  Which was the truth.  My dad, on the other hand, loved to cook, but did a lot of traveling for work, so usually only did the cooking on weekends and holidays.  Of course, even though I like cooking, it can get really tedious when you have to think of *something* for more than yourself every single day!

One of the most famous family stories about my mother's cooking was the time she made a meatloaf from her dear friend's recipe.  The dear friend's meatloaf was AMAZING.  My mother followed the recipe exactly.  Even the dog wouldn't eat it ...

But upon further reflection, I was able to think of the following that are things that I always fondly associate with my mom.

1.  Coffee and toast.  We drank tea as kids, but when you were sick, you got a cup of coffee with milk in it, and a piece of buttered toast which you were supposed to dunk into said coffee.  It was the most perfect thing in the world, and I have never been able to replicate it.

2.  Lemon meringue pie.  Made once a year (summertime), from a mix, but with extra lemon juice.  Delicious.  I'm sure some of the deliciousness had to do with the once-a-year factor.

3.  Butterscotch pie.  Also once a year (fall), from a mix.  See last two comments above.

4.  Slaw for your hamburger from the grill in the summer.  I know that iceberg lettuce (was there any other kind?), onions, pepper, and mayonnaise were involved, but I'm not sure what else.  I always thought it was the way things were sliced that made it so good.

5.  Christmas Cheeseball.  Still made every year by me, and also now by a couple of my nieces.  It's not hard (we are talking about my mother) but it's yummy and a must-have in order for it to be truly Christmastime.

6.  Kraft Macaroni & Cheese in the blue box.  I seriously did not know you could make it any other way than from a box until I was an adult.  And the "fancy" Kraft box stuff (I think it was called Deluxe) was horrible.  I make killer mac and cheese now, but every once in a while when I'm on my own for dinner, I'll make myself a blue box dinner and I'm in heaven.

7.  Christmas Kielbasa.  She learned how to make this from my father's brother-in-law who was from Poland.  Being my mother, she had to somehow make it sweet, so she cooked it in brown sugar.  Only at Christmastime.  And it's the only thing I miss as a vegetarian.

8. Beefaroni.  Homemade, if you please, not from a can.  We did have some class, you know.

9.  Campbell's canned potato soup.  She would add milk, diced onions, a big glob of butter, and lots of pepper.  Again, not something I have been able to replicate to my satisfaction.

10.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I think this was just because she made them, as I'm sure they were simply white bread, strawberry preserves (most of the time) and Peter Pan peanut butter.  No fancy ingredients, just about as basic as possible.

It's funny, my mom has been dead for more than 30 years, and I still think of her every single day, talk to her, miss her, and wish she was here to make some of these things.  Mainly just so she would be here, you know?  I hope if your mother is still around to drive you insane, you'll give her an extra kiss from me this coming Sunday.

And I hope you eat well, whether it's from a box or otherwise.  ;-)

The Lovely Month of May

It's May! It's May!

The lovely month of May.

That jolly month when everyone goes

blissfully astray.

-- from "Camelot"

I always think of this song on May 1st.  Fortunately it's a fun song, and I know the words, so I don't drive myself crazy with it ...

Granted, May 1st here in Philadelphia is dreary and cold, not the kind of weather you might expect.  But I had no outdoor plans today, so it's fine with me.  The Tim had to work, and so I just worked on some things here at home, though they are not things that are really that visible, other than clean laundry!

Anyway, I thought I'd share my latest knitting projects with you.  These are both gifts.  The first is a pair of socks for my niece Amanda.  She adores Halloween, and this yarn colorway is called "Slutty Pumpkin."

Pretty wild, huh?  She doesn't wear socks to work, but always wears them when she is at home.  I can easily imagine her wearing these to give out candy to trick-or-treaters.  Isn't the project bag cute?  I got it at Loop a while back, and it cracks me up.  I posted a picture of the socks and bag on Instagram, and captioned it, "If only there was more color in this photo ... " 

The next project is a Christmas gift, and is actually for Amanda's husband Patrick.  He has admired the Turn A Square hats (free pattern by Jared Flood) I've knitted for The Tim, so this is for him.  The colors are actually navy blue and medium gray, but this was the best I could manage with my photographic skills.

I'm almost ready to start the decreases for the top, so there's not much left on this project.  I want to make two others for other nieces' husbands for Christmas, but I'll probably take a break so I don't get sick of it.  I'd forgotten how much fun this pattern is, and the color combo in person is really quite elegant. 

Earlier on Facebook, I saw a post from Stefanie Japel about this project:

Then I headed over to Instagram to look at the others who posted with this hashtag.  I found a whole 'nother set of ways to go down a wormhole, so unless you have nothing else planned for a while, I'd wait before taking a look.  I am not participating, since I am not likely to have a photo to post every single day according to the prompts, but I like the idea a lot, and may use some of the suggestions for blog posts.  Anyway, I thought I'd share it with you, so that if you wanted to check it out and/or participate, you could start.

And so that's all from our house for this very first day of May.  I hope you have had and are enjoying what is left of your weekend.  As for me, I think it just might be wine o'clock ... ;-)