CarmelKnits, etc.

Mom and I circa 1985. I don't remember this picture and until I opened my mailbox the other day I never even knew it existed. Seeing it for the first time 25 years later makes me a little bit weepy knowing that there was this moment and I missed it.......but now I have it back, and even though I don't remember the exact photo, I remember the feeling, happiness, love, and the sheer joy that I was in the picture without my stinky brothers hording in (I thought they were stinky then, I don't anymore, well not always)........the best part is, 25 years later, mom and I are still having these moments. I cherish every single one of them and soak them up like a super sponge........ xoxo thanks mom, without you, that haircut would have never been okay :)

When you are eating grapes and they are sitting on a not so flat surface I recommend that when the rogue grape breaks away from the bunch making a bonzai run for the edge of the table, let him make the fall. Don't be a hero by trying to catch it with your knees......at least if it hits the floor you can still wash it off and eat it.....squished in the knees you're down a tasty treat and now you've soiled your pants............

I love it when I can marvel at something that I did. I've shown this to more people than I can count, not to brag about it, well maybe a little, but more to spout out how amazed I was that I, me, Carmel, could create something like this, especially when I look back at some of the crap that these hands have churned out.....I'm on a knitting high right now ready to take on anything....but I know better.....for now, this will hold me through October 16 when it will be debuted to the rest of the family.............now.....off to knit a few more gifts for the mothers of the happy couple and finish a wrap for myself, not to wear in the wedding, but I'll be wearing it before, after, and forever I am sure.....unless I follow my normal routine and pass it off to someone else.......Mom :) Many thanks to Marcy who helped me block this beauty by hauling in her blocking boards, pins, and wires, without her, this wouldn't look nearly as wonderful.......

D and I went kayaking yesterday on Camano Island where his mom lives. We have a lot to learn about tides and timiming. When we arrived the tied had peaked and was on it's way out...therefore our kayaking time was shortened by the fact that we did not want to trip the light fantastic across the mud flats....next time we'll know better. I have much to learn about correct sunblock application when it is a spray on sunblock. Clearly I did not achieve proper coverage. Don't worry though, it doesn't hurt, just looks stupid. D and I just finished breakfast at our favorite local greasy spoon. I love the fact that they serve your coffee on a paper doilie. I don't know why but it fancies up the crappy coffee and makes it worth drinking. and we are officially within spitting distance of binding this wrap off the needles......phew!

I basically follow the same routine: 3:55 a.m.: dogs think it's time to get up 4:00 a.m. alarm goes off/hit snooze/then snooze the dogs (when did they learn that the alarm was my signal to move? Pavlov disbelievers....spend a week at my house) 4:20: dogs make it impossible to hit snooze again/ Quintus grabs a toy, Gabby grabs a toy and the parade down the hall begins with a few choice words from me when I step on a toy that was left behind the night before or worse, Quintus is in a mood and instead of grabbing a toy nips a bit to hard on my fingers on the way down the hall..... 4:25 try to open the back door forgetting that our state of the art security system is in place thus jamming it/remove state of the art security/ open door and convince the dogs (gabby and quintus unless some of you thought Quintus is my husbands name and Gabby our love child) that they have to pee. 4:30 prepare what the dogs consider a delicious feast of compressed lamb and rice kibble, soak it a bit sinc...

It didn't occur to me all at once that this could be potentially bad. That the outcome could result in hopes and dreams crushed all because I wanted cranberry with my vodka.....yet here I am, every other night with a tumbler of cranberry juice, a shot of vodka and the " wedding shawl ". That being said, it is moving along, I had a rare moment of cursing when I read line 11 and it said 'yadda yadda yadda, SM, P1 C4B. WTF! C4B!! what the heck are they talking about! I read through the 'stuff needed' section, if not the whole pattern, which is a lesson leanred that I shall now and forever read through the whole pattern before begining the knitting endeavor, nowhere did it say, cable needle needed. Want to know why? Because the designer clearly had a few of her own vodka cranberries, threw caution to the wind and suggests that you also throw caution to the wind while making this lovely delicate wrap that's going to hold you forever in the heirloom vault of the...