Auntie Nettie's Merchandise 2017 - Taking Heart cont'd

Sometimes it is okay to take a unfinished project that was started for a loved one, made with love, to show your love, and then use it to spread some love.

After three years as a UFO, it was time to unravel it and let it go. 🏳 of defeat. I surrender!

(Sorry baby niece who is no longer a baby niece.)

💞
💕
💝

~ photo by iPhone, some filters

Vanquishing Age: One Pin at a Time

I actually have two Dammit Dolls, but this little lady is now my 'Dammit, how did I get so old?' Doll. Crafted by my 'outlaw' ma-in-law Cheryl, mom to sis-in-law Kelli , and she's been sitting around waiting for the right age/demographic to be appropriate for use. Can't wait for the time to come to pass her around the family. (Ahem... sisters and sisterfriends) That is, if I don't beat the sh*... stuffing out of her first.

Some Resolutions for 2016

Just a few ONGOING resolutions for 2016

🎉 Happy New Year! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/BKCUe2YlvS

— Lion Brand Yarn (@LionBrandYarn) January 1, 2016

Anyone else getting started on their reading resolutions today? Reading anything good? https://t.co/5OohL9cOZk pic.twitter.com/HvyMaifuXx

— Tor Books (@torbooks) January 1, 2016

Get in the spirit of giving! https://t.co/PFdpEsYJV7 pic.twitter.com/H6IgKlrYEs

— Mormon Channel (@mormonchannel) December 15, 2015

Happy new year. Our letter writing community is over 9,000 strong! pic.twitter.com/HrTP8oGhob

— Letter Writers Allc. (@_LWA) January 1, 2016

Is it impossible to shop for her? If she loves #littlefreelibrary, try this stationery: https://t.co/2DqTarKLtX pic.twitter.com/EaVJ8tsG5X

— Little Free Library® (@LtlFreeLibrary) December 11, 2015

How I'm Spending My Christmas Vacation

 Merry Christmas!

I hope you enjoyed all the time with family and presents under your tree.

I'm taking this holiday break off from travel, sleeping in, 

doing laundry on Christmas morning, chilling, 

taking a few days off from even working from home, 

and spending it binging on vintage movies, 

Doctor Who marathons, talking to people via technology,

working on back-logged UFO crafting projects,

enjoying a stigma free Christmas dinner of pizza and beer,

and FINALLY moving furniture and trunks that 

haven't been moved in 10 years to change out a tv for a new tv. 

A tv that's been sitting on my floor since it came back from DC in AUGUST.

(EWWWW. My carpet is gross. 

Good thing I'm putting the trunks back in the exact same spots to hide it.)

 Kids, when you open time capsules from the past, you find old technology.

This is a metronome and an answering machine.

I'm keeping one and recyling the other.

Can you guess?

Enjoy YOUR break. 

I'm also spring cleaning since it's humid enough to turn the air-conditioning on.

In New York

ON CHRISTMAS WEEKEND.

Spring cleaning. In capris.

In air conditioning.

In Late DECEMBER.

What is this? 

Seattle?

2015 Classic Christmas Movie Binge:

White Christmas with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Rosemary Clooney c. 1954
Thoughts:

• It's not Christmas until I watch this movie;
• I want Rosemary Clooney's dressmaker to come fit me;
• "What is Christmas with no snow?" As asked by Bing, Danny and Rosemary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH2KGboA35c&sns=tw … via YouTube;
• The mysteries of White Christmas: what happened to the General's kids that his granddaughter is living with him alone in VT w/a housekeeper?

The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant and David Niven c. 1947
Thoughts:

• One of my favorite things about this movie on VHS is the inclusion of the non-trailer. They try so hard not to spoil it.;
• "Nobody expects him to be normal. He's a bishop." Truer words were never spoken.  (Pastors' kids' humor!);
• "X sent in $15." "We had them down for $10,000." Honestly, this movie is REALLY a tale of frustrated fundraisers during a stymied capital campaign.;
• "Tell me about you." Classic relationship building technique. Though usually the solicitors are the ones crying in frustration.;
• "some horrid little brass plaque" Ha, this whole scene about naming rights, a wealthy donor, & a v. patient fundraiser ... strike a little too close to home;
• "Did you have a profitable afternoon?" "Not particularly. Did you?" Fundraisers' conversations everywhere, verbatim;
• Seriously. If Cary Grant was a solicitor for my capital campaign or other fundraising efforts, we would hit all our goals; 

Desk Set with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn c. 1957
Thoughts:

• "I have been forced to work in an atmosphere of hatred & suspicion." Ha! An angry rant of many public servants & frontline workers.; 
• The epic drunkenness and shenanigans of the company Christmas party is ... hic... Epic. Hic. Bon Voyage!  Wheee!!!;
• I love how this is basically about trained reference librarians vs IT engineers. Librarians for information literacy & authoritative sources for the win.;
• I have apartment envy for Ms. Watson's Upper East Side apartment just off 75th/Lex, esp. the built-ins for her books & her oven.;
• "Not Ms. Watson? "Well she runs it, but he's the boss." - library admin stereotypes that are hopefully changing; 
• "Maybe we're getting that air-conditioning finally." "Figures, it's November." - the librarian facility struggles endure;
• How many librarians (current, lapsed, future) watch this movie & get unrealistic impressions about office space, salaries for housing/clothes?;

Christmas in Connecticut with Barbara Stanwyck c. 1945
Thoughts:

• The "I'm tired" rant at the end of this is the best, esp Barbara Stanwyck's summation gestures. "In short... I'm tired!";
• "I am not in a flipping mood this morning." You tell them Elizabeth. You tell your boss to "flip" off.;
• Felix is probably my fav chef, with The Swedish Chef coming in a close second. Was Felix was the inspiration? Maybe;
• "Some people say yes. Some people say no." "What do you say?" "I am inclined to agree with them." I LOVE this conversational detour.; and
• MY Christmases in Connecticut certainly NEVER looked like this;

An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, c. 1957
Thoughts:

• What I really love the best about this movie, is that you don't even need to hear the dialogue, the non-verbal action is on point;
• "How do you get to Tomorrowland? (Tomorrowland). Close your eyes. Make a wish. And, you're there.";
• Oh no, Terry. Don't forget to look both ways before running across traffic. Something viewers shout every time we watch;
• "Everybody's doing it." "How nice for you. In your case, we'll make an exception." Quips. So many quips;
• Deborah Kerr's face when she flicks the champagne at the ladies at the bar is everything. I love the little gestures;
• and Cary Grant is just swooooony. So Swoooony;

Indiscreet with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, c. 1957
Thoughts:

• I have serious apartment envy;
• "I'm too old for this sort of evening. I always was."~ Alfred, the stick-in-the-mud brother-in-law;
• "Shall I see you to your elevator?" Past the doorman, lobbymen, the elevator operator, & live-ins = no privacy; 

Auntie Mame with Rosalind Russell, c. 1958

Thoughts:

• What is with these fake New York apartments, they set up such unrealistic expectations;
• "Nothing can ever really separate us." Mame to her nephew, Patrick. Yep. That's how we all feel;
• "I lived. I gotta find out what to do now!"  ~ Agnes Gooch;
• "idiotic, cockeyed nincompoopery" has to be brought back into conversation as an insult; and
• "Yes! Live! Life's a banquet..."

Twas the Night Before Christmas

And All Through the House

Not a Creature was Stirring,

Not Even a ....

~ photos by iPhone

Cutting it Close on a Christmas Commission

I cut it a LITTLE too close to Christmas on this commissioned stocking fit for a Duchess ... a Doggie Duchess.

To be honest, I was asked to do this for Christmas 2014 and I didn't have time. Tina asked me again MONTHS ago and I just never got to it. I was SUPPOSED to do it while on vacation over Thanksgiving, but it never happened because I was working on an enormous blanket for a baby shower present. I started this over the weekend, and finished the last stitch about 12:15 this morning. Christmas is in HOW many days? Whoops.

I was just told it had to fit a 3ft bone for a very spoiled German Shepherd. I THINK it's big enough. That's  yard-stick for scale. Again. That is a YARD STICK!. It's 30inches long. The blue stocking is mine.

Testing out placement of the appliques. 

This was the version I ended up with. 

Not the one some friends recommended.

 Starting the whip-stitching of the appliques.

 Please tell me that you can see that the holly is made out of dog bones.

 The main side

 In case someone with the initial D tries to take over this stocking. 

Paws OFF!

I don't believe in dinky Christmas stockings.

I am so looking forward to sleeping more than 6 hours a night here soon.

When is Christmas break?

It's RUFF to be doing this so late.

~ photos by iTouch

Edging too Close: Making the Mail

There is nothing like cutting it so close on finishing a crafting project that you are literally putting the last stitches in the edging and the label in the morning and then rushing to the Post Office in the afternoon so you can two-day Priority Mail it with prayers to make it to a baby shower on the 5th, less than 4 days from now ... in California. 

Yeah. So maybe that was me. I THOUGHT I had plenty of time. I literally started this present as I sat in my plane seat on the tarmac, en route West-bound on the 18th, had hours of driving up and down the length of Utah, rock-and-talk time with the aunties and cousins and kin, but I MAY have made a tactical error by working on my Christmas cards during the two week break.

I was so rushed packaging this (and my other two big boxes), that I didn't get the dimensions. It was pretty big though. It could be a crib cover, a toddler bed blanket, and/or keep someone(s) in a nursing rocker warm.

As it was for a pair of gems upon the birth of their first child, I went with a diamond pattern - one that was heavy enough to provide warmth if there were ever any cold California nights, but airy enough at the same time.

The poor hostess. I emailed her today and informed her the gift was en route- but oy! Too close. I only knew about the shower for months.

POSTSCRIPT: It got there on time (WHEW!) - and can apparently keep 2.5 people covered. Whoops.

Photo courtesy of Claire and Jenny

 

Go big or go home.

Also note: I finally got new labels explaining, once again, that this is NOT KNITTING.

 


~ photos by iTouch/iPhone

April is Stress Awareness Month?

April is National Stress Awareness Month! Spread the word & #StitchAwayStress! #WellnessWednesday @cycyarncouncil pic.twitter.com/0Ray51sEcA

— Lion Brand Yarn (@LionBrandYarn) April 1, 2015

Well, since I am always stressed - I am always aware of it. I'm also now stressed that I didn't have time to stitch my stress away.

ARGH!

What's worse?

March was a whole month to celebrate crochet - and I didn't do one stitch!

How are you celebrating crochet this month? http://t.co/GRXUoBctv5 pic.twitter.com/VHX3cNoOzk

— WEBS Yarn Store (@websyarn) March 8, 2015

I need one of these STAT!

Every crocheter needs one of these! Portable Crochet Emergency Kit by @RepeatCrafterMe http://t.co/G6GxnL0gEl pic.twitter.com/lFijzNnqBy

— Lion Brand Yarn (@LionBrandYarn) April 4, 2015

Layers of Snow

Temp=single, negative digit. Time to take #crochet blankets off rack & layer on for warmth. #snowflake #grannysquares pic.twitter.com/sgJ4VYxsyI
— AuntieNettie'sAttic (@NettiesAttic) February 20, 2015

I'm getting to the point where these are the only kinds of snowflakes I like.

At least they keep me warm.

Last night it was 0.

ZERO.

I am just grateful it's not in the negatives.

The wind is though.

BRRRR.

Remember that January three years ago when I was kayaking in Utah and it was in the 60s?

 

 I was wearing flipflops in the red sands and walking barefoot down the dock.

 Or hiking in shortsleeves in the sun?

 Even if the edge of the trail was too close for my comfort?

Actually, I'm beginning to forget. 

I think I need to plan a winter trip to southern Utah - for 2016 ...

Sigh. ARGH!

That's TOOOOOOO far away.

Is it spring yet?

Happy Valentine's Day!

These kids? They are my Valentines. So I sent them something from my heart.

 

Nevada:

Drew, Sarah, and Cannon

Don't wake them!

He slays me.

Double trouble

Eating healthier than the adults.

Idaho:

Amber, Elle, Nathan, and Jaime

Showing me they have my hearts.

Virtual Hugs from Nathan

Sure, they love each other ... RIGHT NOW.

Warm smiles from Jaime

Apparently, while the East Coast is frozen and snowy, Idaho is having a spring thaw. The crocuses are blooming and the ladybugs swarming.

Thanks to Grumpa for the photos, as well as my sisters-in-law for updates from the kiddos.

43 Ideas for Birthday 43: Crafting Cards

All I want for Christmas is a thousand dollar gift card to @MichaelsStores. That would make me pretty happy.
— Marisa (@prettypinksocks) December 22, 2014

Okay. $1,000 is pretty greedy. I'm not greedy -- nor is a Michael's anywhere near me, unless I rent a car and/or head back into the City. Though, with $1,000, I wouldn't be concerned about paying for shipping and handling.

Today was a weird day~ Grandmary

To quote Grandmary: Today was a weird day.

My vacation plans when I visit family are fairly loose because although it is my vacation, there are always external factors you can't account for. Since I travel in winter a lot, usually that is the biggest variable. Aside from that, and my hosts' often unspoken agendas, all I usually do is make a list of "it would be nice to" and hope it happens. Hope. Not plan.

Why?

Experience.

Given that Grandmary and Grumpa have an active social life down here, I anticipated/wondered if another list wouldn't be compiled too. Yesterday afternoon's plan for today was to involve a trip to Mount Vernon; not the one I live like 3 blocks from, but you know, the founding father one. The one I actually have never visited. So okay: plan it was.

Then we really looked at the weather   forecast: 1-2 inches of snow and mess in the morning and cold winds. Trip was off. Plan B or C involved area shopping and maybe a trip back into DC for some sights or Smithsonians.

What's the expression?

Best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.

This is why I don't PLAN.

My plans get banged up.

Like today.

This morning started with a bang. 

Literally. 

At 5:55am ... where somewhere in town the power failed, causing lights to flash, fans to stop, and white noise machines to fail. All of the stimuli woke up people enough to register when everything flicked back on about a minute later ... And then to stop with the sounds of exploding power transformers somewhere in the vicinity. No sirens, though, so we rolled over ... Thinking the power would be back on soon.

Please note: Exploding transformers do not usually mean SOON.

If I had been awake that might have registered faster.

Not soon.

The light of day revealed twice as much snow and ice as predicted, messy travel, pretty light, light that would prove important thanks to a western exposure window bank and eventual afternoon clearing and sun puddles.

But no power.

Thankfully water pressure, hot water, and flushing toilets, but no power, heat or for me, (gasp) NO internet wifi.

We eventually showered by candlelight, just to warm up, (light source moved when  shower in operation/extinguished when carbon monoxide detector started to go ballistic).

But there wasn't a lot of moving from sofas or loungers and layers of blankets, except to take down the Christmas cards since it was Three Kings Day and to eat, stretch, or check the slowly dropping thermometer and thermostat.

Mom was super tucked in. Up to her nose. Dad was in layers, as was I. I also had a lap full of yarn and or a book.

Got through a book and a half, and made headway on the blanket I started on Sunday night during Downtown Abbey. 

Mom slept. 

Dad read, paced, talked to the neighbors, went to check on the transformer repair, and probably prayed a bit. The sun was starting to go down around 4, which is when things were really going to get dicey with no light or heat.

Not that I am counting too much, but 10 hours and about 40 minutes later, power came back, and then for me, wifi, and then the boilers kicked on.

I would fail as a pioneer.

Just because of the internet.

Or frankly, shampoo, indoor plumbing, and my hairdryer.

But there is something to be said that (grumble grumble) extra pounds and 20+ years kept me warmer than the parents. Mom is still chilled to the bone enough, and the polar vortex forecast for tomorrow is windchill factor-y bad enough, that all activities will be car related, local, and probably box store/shopping mall related. 

And I am okay with that too. I still sound like a seal. I don't need to be outside.

Like Grandmary said: it was a weird day.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

~post and photos via iTouch