Fall Into Autumn Dishcloth Swap Questionnaire

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been doing it?
I've been knitting for 3 years. My friend Marsha taught me in the summer of 2004. It was always something that I wanted to do. My grandmother was a great knitter and an expert at crochet. I have a crochet tablecloth that she made. Incredible. Marsha's husband, Jan, taught me how to crochet. I just really like being creative and making usable things. I would consider my skill level in knitting to be almost intermediate. I'm still just a novice at crochet. I very slowly build up my knowledge of stitches and techniques. I'd like to be able to master a particular skill first before piling on something else.


2. Have you made dischloths before? Do you use them yourself, give them as gifts, or both?
Yes! And Yes! I think a dishcloth makes a really nice gift. And I love to make them.


3. What's your favorite cotton to make cloths from? What cotton would you like to try that you haven't before?
Well, I really like the good ol' Sugar & Cream cotton yarn. It's inexpensive and comes in a bajillion colors. I also like Bernat's CottonTots yarn. Its texture really makes a nice, absorbent cloth. I love the feel of mercerized cotton, Plymouth Fantasy Naturale is my favorite. I have yet to try that in a dishcloth because I don't know if the mercerization has any effect on the cotton's absorbency, thus rendering it useless as a dishcloth! I recently purchased some Araucania Pehuen cotton yarn, which has a really neat texture! I can't wait to try it. But I would like to try some Mission Falls Cotton, or Blue Sky Alpacas cotton, or Lion Brand Organic Cotton. And I'd love to try a cotton/bamboo blend.


4. If you knit, do you prefer circular or straight needles? For all, do you prefer wooden, metal, or plastic needles?
Hmmm...well, I have all kinds of needles (wood, plastic, metal, resin, etc.) and I think my favorite needles are made by Bryspun. They are sometimes hard to come by. But use them once, and you'll love them, especially the circulars. No tangling/twisting, which is my biggest complaint about circular needles. I recently purchased some gently-used Denise needles from a friend and they are SUPER! And Addi Turbo circulars ARE all that people rave about them and more. They are 'da bomb!


5. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you don't like much?
Well, I don't think it's really a question of me not liking colors, because I pretty much like ALL of them, except for teal. Teal should be obliterated from all human existence. Really, it's more like what colors don't like me! For instance, I love yellow and orange, but they look hideous on me. However, I will admit that I'm not a huge fan of pastels. I guess I like heathered, natural colors the best. I'm fond of plums, sagey greens, denim blues, gray, terracotta, coral, browns and mocha. I like red, too.


6. What do you like best about Autumn?
I like the crisp, clean air. It's very refreshing. In fact, I find that Autumn is more of a time of renewal for me than Spring. Maybe it's because I work in academia, and the start of the school year is in the fall....


7. Pies: Pumpkin? Apple? Pecan? All of em? or No Thanks!
Oh, hell yes! All of those and more! But honestly, pecan is my favorite.


8. When you were a kid, were you the one who couldn't wait to get started with school , or the one who overslept on the 1st day?
Could. Not. Wait. Like INSANE. Like couldn't sleep for a week before because I was so excited and nervous about it. But after about 3 weeks, my mom needed a bulldozer and the New York Philharmonic to get me out bed.


9. Do you celebrate Halloween? (The real key here guys is especially knowing if you have an aversion to the holiday or little goodies/decorations associated with it, given the timeframe of the swap)
Well, I'll be honest with you. I am not a big Halloween fan, never was. Even as a kid. However, I am not at all insulted by or opposed to Halloween-themed items. I usually do shell out candy to the kiddies, so I guess I actually do "celebrate" it. But I don't send cards or buy gifts for people. I refuse to succumb to Hallmark's diabolical scheme to make every freakin' day of the year a card-giving holiday. Didn't you know? Today is National Show-Your-Buttcrack Day! Spend $4.79 for a card! You know you want to!


10. If you had to choose just 3 edible 'goodies' to eat for a full year, what 3 would you choose?
Tim-Tams.
Fudge.
Icelandic Noi Sirius Konsum dark chocolate bars. Best. Chocolate. Ever. Not kidding.


11. Do you have any pets? Kids? Husbands who seem like kids? ;)
Heh. Very nicely phrased question! I have five furry children, all cats, all mostly evil, except for the oldest, Sophie. You can poke around my blog pretty easily and find pictures of them being bad. They are: Sophie, Hercules, Titus, Ophelia (we call her Fi-Fi for short), and Luna (who has now greatly surpassed Titus as the evilest one, which I did not think was even possible). So, yeah, FIVE cats. Hey, less time in purgatory.... And one big kid: Todd, my husband. :-)


12. If you were to describe a particular yarn that shares traits of your personality, what would it be and why?
Wow, interesting question! Um...let's see. I'd have to go with cotton, actually. Because I am dependable, easy going, and very what you see is what you get. And, to confirm that I really do know myself, I just took this quiz:

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Dishcloth Cotton.You are a very hard worker, most at home when you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain Jane, but you are too practical to notice.
Take this quiz!

So there you have it! I do like to be at home or with people who are very familiar to me. I am hardworking and thrifty, but I do buy a lot of STUFF! As for being born to clean, meh, not so much.


13. Do you use your cloths mostly for dishcloths, or as facecloths?
Well probably half and half!


14. Favorite Fall Holiday: Halloween or Thanksgiving and why? (Feel free to share another fall memory if you do not celebrate either of these holidays)
I gotta go with Thanksgiving. Mostly because of one thing: candied yams. Nuff' said.


15. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should know about?
No allergies that my pal would need to know, unless they planned on sending me some drugs. LOL (I am allergic to Sulfa drugs.) I have a STRONG aversion to Indian food, particularly curry and I hate gummy-type candy, particularly Twizzlers or any of its rubbery, stringy look-alikes. Yuck.

Here She Is: Aubrey

Here are a couple pictures of my new little niece, Aubrey. She's so tiny and cute!


Look how itty bitty she looks next to my nephew, Ethan! He turned 13 on August 19th; just 2 days before Aubrey was born.


Now, my sister claims that she thinks Aubrey looks like me when I was a tiny baby. She asked me for a copy of my hospital baby picture. By the time I get around to finding and using a scanner, Aubrey would be about 11 years old. So I just took a picture of the picture and sent it to her. I also took a picture of a picture of me when I was about 3-4 months old. My mom had a bunch of pictures taken by a photographer. I actually won a baby contest with this photo! First and only time EVER that I would win a beauty contest, I can promise you that.

Anyway, you be the judge. Does Aubrey look like me?


I don't think so. Yeah, I used to be cute. I don't know what the hell happened....

"Capers" Or How I Died In 99 Fires

I was screaming and flailing the whole time I watched this. LOOK AT ITS BABY OTTER FISTS!!!

Addendum: The Waters Lexicon

I must add the following items to the Waters Lexicon:

Walk it off. Either handed down from Todd's dad, or uttered by someone during Todd's high-school years while in mandatory athletics.
(v.) the action of self recovery from an injury. ANY injury. Even one where walking would not result in the slightest amelioration of the pain. Consider the following dialog:
Me: Ouch! Shit!
Todd: What did you do?
Me: Squirted lemon juice into my eye!
Todd: Just walk it off.

Knock the bark off your teeth. Directly from Todd's dad. It's probably obvious but...
(v.) To brush one's teeth. Make sure y'all knock the bark off your teeth before coming down to breakfast!

How come? Todd says this all the time, most often when asking in response to an answer that he a) doesn't like, b) wasn't expecting, or c) confuses him.
Replacement for the interrogative pronoun: Why. Example:
Todd: When are you going to go visit your sister?
Me: Well, I've decided not to go at all.
Todd: How come?


Appendix:

Also I would like to add the following items, which are more like self-explanatory phrases or just generally hilarious quotes from Todd:

"The best part of waking up, is going back to bed." To be sung to the Folger's coffee jingle.

"Once I get to sittin', I like to stay sat."

"Bacon makes everything better."

"Oh, that's a CLASSIC." Yeah, pretty much every movie that Todd's ever seen in the 1980s or 1990s that I haven't qualifies it as being "a classic." This also applies to music. Example:
Todd: What?! You've never seen The Goonies?
Me: Um...no.
Todd: Oh, come on! That's a CLASSIC!

"I'm about to shit sideways!" Uttered in extreme frustration, usually while trying to put together Ikea furniture.

"Gimme some good quotes." Todd always asks me this after I return from visiting with my family or with friends.

"Rockin' with Dokken." Basically means "cool" or "awesome."

Fast food code names:
The evil red-headed woman = Wendy's
The evil red-headed man = McDonald's
The colonel or the evil goateed man = KFC
Mexican roll up = Taco Bell

I'm An Aunt Again

I am happy to report that my sister gave birth to her baby girl yesterday afternoon at 12:08 pm. She weighs 6 pounds, 14 ounces. It was a very easy labor and baby and mommy are just perfect!

I might be able to get a photo on here soon, I hope!

Stay tuned....

The Waters Lexicon

I never fully realized how much I've learned since being with Todd until recently. And I'm not talking about learning in the "growing as a person" sense, either. I mean I pretty much have had to learn another damn language, or at least a whole new lexicon of phrases unique to Southerners, or maybe just to Watersesesses. Here are some of the phrases that I have now grown accustomed to saying or at least hearing and understanding on a regular basis.





First of all:

THE BIG THREE:

Roll up.

Lay up.

Fall out.

1. Roll up. Quite possibly the most common phrase uttered in my household. It has several definitions.
a. (n.) an event or occurrence usually involving indulging or over-indulging in some form of pleasure. After the kind of day I've had, I think I need to do a roll up at McDonald's.
b. (v.) the act of indulging or over-indulging in some form of pleasure. At my step-brother's wedding, I am SO going to roll up at the open bar. Past tense: Man, you should have seen all these old people rolled up at the Cracker Barrel.
Also used as an exclamation of encouragement or approval. Consider the following mini-conversation:
Gina: Hmmm, I've already hit the buffet 3 times, should I go back for more...oh wow, look, now they put out pie---PECAN PIE!
Todd: ROLL UP!

2. Lay up. Not as commonly used.
(v.) the act of relaxing, laying down, or pretty much not doing much of anything. I can't wait until I can just lay up by the pool. Past tense: I could have used your help carrying this heavy box while you were laid up in front of the television.
Is sometimes used interchangeably with roll up, especially if the indulgence is some form of relaxation: You would not believe all the people laid up/rolled up on that cruise ship.

3. Fall out. The second most commonly-used phrase in my household.
(n.) a nap or period of rest and re-cooperation. When I get home from work, I need to have a little fall out.
(v.1) the act of napping, sleeping, resting, passing-out as a result of being tired beyond all human reason. I can't take one more step, I am totally ready to fall out from exhaustion. Past tense: I did so much housework today that afterwards I just totally fell out for like 4 hours.
(v.2) to die, usually only in past tense. Again, consider the following mini conversation:
Todd: Guess what?
Me: What?
Todd: Jack Palance fell out.
Me: Oh no! Really? Was he sick or something? Well, he was like eleventy.

Todd and I have been known to accomplish all three of these in succession. You roll up, you lay up, and then you fall out. It's the new hedonism!

4. caught short. I have never found myself using this one, but Todd does regularly.
(n.) state of being in which one has a rather urgent need to use the bathroom (for..ahem... number 2), but for whatever reason, cannot. I can't sit through a 3-hour movie because I don't want to be caught short.

5. crack of ass. I've totally adopted this phrase as my own.
(n.) a very early time of day; dawn. Why did I make that appointment for 8:00am? This means I have to get up at the crack of ass in order to be there on time.

6. cut on. Only Todd.
(v.) to activate or turn on. Can you cut on the radio for me?

7. East Jesus. Where I come from, this was called "23rd and Jalopy" or "Jalopyville."
(n.) Someplace far away or hard to get to. God, why do we have to drive all the way to East Jesus to get to the DMV?

8. go around your ass to get to your elbow. I lately find myself saying this too. I grew up with "Go by way of Nelly's Barn"
(ph.) Process of making an easy task much more difficult. Because of the traffic jam on I-95, I had to go around my ass to get to my elbow.

9. mother pussmuffins. A term Todd derived from a movie he saw, but which one, I have no idea.
(n.) A replacement for the other explicative that begins with "mother." You know the one....

10. take a heater. Yeah, it's as bad as you think.
(v.) To make a bowel movement. Whoa, I ate way too much KFC...I need to go take a heater.

One Of Todd's Finest

So we're in the car on the way home from Vermont, which I KNOW I still need to blog about. There is much to be said....

Anyhoo, it's about 12:00 and we're getting hungry. Traffic has been kind to us, so we were well into New York state by this point. Todd has the ability to eat fast food and drive at the same time. I even think about eating in the car and I have to hurl. So running through a drive-through and munching on the road is usually not an option for me. Every one of those blue highway signs that announce which exits have the food places, gas stations, hotels, etc. seemed to indicate nothing but fast food. I just was not in the mood for it, you know? I am not a fast-food eater in general. It's just not good for me.

So 12:00 turns into nearly 1:00. Finally one of the blue signs presents: "Cracker Barrel." WOO! Todd goes, "Oh you like Cracker Barrel, right?" I'm like, "HELL YEAH!" Ok so we get off at the exit and it was a town called Halfmoon, NY. Well it should have been called "Fullmoon," because it was like the craziest scene ever in the shopping area we had just exited into, which happened to have the Cracker Barrel tucked away in a corner somewhere.

Let's just say that there must have been a TON of people who refuse to eat the likes of Burger King because that Cracker Barrel parking lot was INSANE. There were like 5487398796792 cars there. BUSES! PEOPLE CAME IN BUSES TO CRACKER BARREL!!! All those dumb, white rocking chairs that they have on the "front porch," were filled. Kids running everywhere. Old people with walkers and oxygen tanks were inching their way through the jam-packed lot, "Must...get...to...Cracker...Barrel!" It was like all of humanity descended onto that particular Cracker Barrel.

So Todd goes, "OH MY DOOOOOG! CRACKER BARREL IS MADE FROM PEOPLE!"

I just about broke 5 ribs from laughing. Sigh. That was excellent.

Random Things I've Learned Over The Last Year Of Blogging

Since I started the blog about a year ago, I've had a lot of random stuff happen and some planned stuff---like buying the new house. And I've made a few realizations about myself that I'd like to commit to paper, er screen, er whatever.

In no particular order:

• While I am actually fairly impressed with my increased knowledge and willingness to be adventurous with regard to the stuff of knitting, I realize now that I am a shitty cast-oner. No. Really. I don' t know why. I've tried several techniques and it never fails: my cast-on row looks more than a little bad. Decidedly un-good, in fact. Casting off? Not a problem in the least. Although I will admit, I finally got the hang of ribbing! About time, too! So take that you no-good purl stitch!
  

• I never thought I'd say this but, my house is too freakin' big. Given whatever unidentifiable "condition" I have that causes my joints ache and makes me feel weak and tired all the time, I just do not have the personal stamina to keep up with cleaning 3 bathrooms, tiding up 4 bedrooms and all the incessant vacuuming because...
  

• ...I have too many cats. I love them all to death. But, what the hell were we thinking, people? Seriously. Do you have any idea the amount of upper-body and upper-arm strength is required to successfully remove cat hair from draperies? You either have to vacuum it for 45 minutes or use about 4 refills of those sticky roller things.
  

• I hate my stove. I am going to pay a plumber to come in and install a gas line and I am going to get a nice gas stove. This will have to wait until early spring, though, which is when we'll have our income-tax refund.
  

• I am luckier than a pig in poop that I have Todd around. Seriously, I have no idea how I'd exist without him. In fact, I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be right now if I had never met him, except that I know it would be craptastic.
  

• Somehow---and I think this has to be Todd's fault---I have grown into a Simpsons fan.
  

• I want a Nintendo Wii.

• My gray hairs are getting noticeable. Actually, they are coming in solid white, which I guess isn't so bad. With all the stress that I am under all the time, it's a miracle that I don't look like Moses when he came down from Mount Ararat. And by "Moses" I mostly mean my Charlton Hestonesque vision of Moses.

• I really haven't seen a great movie since Return of the King. That's not to say that there haven't been movies that I liked, but still...

• I am sadly, madly addicted to buying things. All kinds of stuff.
  

DDOS Swap SUPER Pal!

I have returned from Vermont, which I will post about in a couple of days. I know you are all just waiting on baited breath....

I just have to say how fantastic my Dog Days of Summer Dishcloth Swap Pal has been. Thank you so much, Mary B, for being such a great spoiler. I received a package a goodies yesterday and I absolutely love everything! Just take a gander at all my delightful booty:

It just can't get any better than that! Not one, but TWO pretty crochet dishcloths AND a scrubbie! And a whole booklet of lovely dishcloth patterns. I think there are 15 in there! And look at all the yarn. I love that Sugar & Cream colorway and the coral and reddish Plymouth Jeannee yarns are so soft and fabulous. It's very hard to get Plymouth yarn over here. In fact, I've never even seen Plymouth Jeannee yarn ever. EVER! I can't wait to knit with it! The Paton's Grace yarn is one that I have been wanting to try! I literally had it in an online shopping cart a couple of weeks ago and thought "Ahhh...maybe later." So I am super stoked to finally have this to try! Mary is from Vegas, and it's hotter than Matthew Fox in a Speedo over here in Delaware, so she sent me an M&M's notepad instead of risking a nasty chocolate mess in the box because of the August heat. Very smart! I love the scents of the lotions too: Pineapple and Peach. Yum! I love fruit-scented items. And how cute are the kitty 2008-2009 personal planner and mini key-chain calendar?!? SQUEEEE!

Personally, my favorite thing has to be that green scrubbie. I like flipped my lid over that! Here it is in closeup!



Here's a close up of some of the patterns in the book and the Plymouth and Patons yarns. Oh and the scrubbie again. God I love that thing! :



Thanks again, Mary for being such an awesome pal and spoiling me rotten! You are the best. Hearts to you! :-)

Where's Gina?

So I will be MIA for about a week or so starting tomorrow, August 4. Todd and I will be in East Fairfield, Vermont, right on Metcalf Pond for a week's vacation. I can't believe it's here! I really need the time away, too. Work has been making me insane. Yeah, more so that usual. Scary, right?

Also, before I forget, Sophie had some blood work done to see how her thyroid meds were working and she came through with flying colors! So the meds are working (she's gained back 15 ounces) and there has been no negative effect on her kidneys or anything from taking the medicine, either. So, all good news.

AND, speaking of good news, Lorna finally reached level 67 today on World of Warcraft, the very same day Blizzard confirmed that there will be yet another expansion coming out, albeit not soon, called "Wrath of the Lich King." This expansion will bring another round of additions and improvements, most of which are pointless and gay. To wit: Um...a Shadow Night? This is Blizzard's cop-out way of giving us gamers a new class. It is, unfortunately, not good enough because it's not really a new class. This is rumored to actually be a "path" that either a Warlock or a Paladin might take upon reaching level 40. So...how is that a new class? Lucy! You got some 'splainin' to do! Most infuriating and worth noting that the level cap will be raised, yet AGAIN, to 80. Sigh...I always feel like I am playing catch-up! Hopefully, by the time this expansion comes out, I will have hit level 70. I think so. I had better! GRRR

My sister called me on Wednesday to let me know that she was at the doctor's on Monday and the baby (Aubrey) is weighing in just over 6 pounds. So...we think she's coming early! If she were to carry her until her due date (Aug 23), Aubrey would weigh over 10 pounds. I have a feeling I might get a call towards the end of my vacation.... :-)

So, that's it for now. I'm tired and I want to read some of that damnable Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which, by the way, is only...well...just...kinda...meh. You know? I'm like whatever. I'm a little over halfway through and it's...not great.

I leave you now with a picture of a cotton/linen bath mitt that I made for myself to use in Vermont:

Caption The Cat: #5

Caption The Cat #5

Um...mom? Please take these oven mitts off me! Oh, wait, those are my paws....