Crisis!

I had a dental appointment yesterday. Just a cleaning. I say "just" for those of you who do not harbor a deep, ingrained fear of dentistry.

Unlike myself.

WARNING: scary dentistry story follows. Feel free to skip! I've had four root canals in six years to fix problems from prior bad dentistry. In the first, the anesthetic never took effect completely. *feel free to cringe here* Two others occurred simultaneously, about three weeks after Little Brewer #2 was born. Someday I will write a book entitled "The Root Canal Diet." I lost 50 pounds of combined baby and me weight. Perspective: I'm 5 feet 10 inches tall. My weight went down to 125 pounds. And it was not a good thing.

You have no idea how good food tastes when you've been unable to eat for a month.

My reward for getting through this particular appointment without crying was to stop by my favorite local thrift store for a look-see. Twenty-three dollars and one hour later, I came out with the following:
1 Hello Kitty down jacket, size 6
1 Old Navy soccer jersey
1 black purse
1 pair enameled cufflinks
3 long sleeve t-shirts
3 issues of Vogue Knitting magazine circa 1995
2 Bernat booklets
1 copy of animal knits by Zoe Mellor
1 copy of Vogue Knitting - the 1989 reference book

It is the Vogue reference book that has precipitated my crisis. I was taught to knit by my maternal Grandmother (twice, but that's a story for a different post). This is the woman who could eyeball a pattern and recreate it in her head. When she passed away I was lucky enough to inherit some of her stash, needles and her wooden swift. I still have the fair isle sweater she knit for me in junior high.

There, in the book, were the instructions for the knit stitch and the purl stitch. And I became aware, as I once knew, that I KNIT WRONG. At least, wrongly according to the gurus at Vogue. When I knit, I put the needle through the back of the stitch, rather than taking the front of the loop through the back. My purls seem to be ok.

Yet my finished work is, to me, indistinguishable from "correct" knitting. Why then the crisis?

Have I completely screwed up the others I have taught to knit? Probably not. Adding more knitters to the universe can't be a bad thing.

Is my work crap? Various opinions may be voiced, but I don't think so.

I think it is the fear that someone will tell me I am doing it wrong and this will destroy my love for the craft. This fear kept me from knitting or crocheting in public until fairly recently.

So now I'm mad at myself for falling back into the trap of "different=bad." I need to grow up.

Blogfodder

Happy New Year, Everyone! It's that time again, time for New Year's Knitting Resolutions!

1. I will tame (organize) the Stash of DOOOOM.



2. I will either finish or frog the half-started projects and return the yarn to the Stash of DOOOOM.



3. I will attempt socks.

Ok, I'm bored. Coming up with knitting resolutions seems so pedestrian. Let's just say I'll knit more and be done with it.

Lately I've been reading other blogs more than writing my own. I guess I'm not thrilled hearing myself talk. I mosey'd over to Samurai Knitter and saw she wanted to know where we all knit.

I like Samurai's take-no-prisoners approach to knitting. If we were all pirates, she would be the one teaching the new recruits how to drink rum and taking them all for their first pirate tattoo.

I don't usually do what other blogs tell me to do, but what the hell! Photos of my knitting corner.

Here is the corner of my knitting sofa: Note the comfy pillow to support my arm.

and the other corner showing one of my many knitting reference shelves:

(it's the packed one in the middle)

Congratulations Samurai, you've managed to make me blogfodder.

Christmas with Al

Alpaca, that is. Two weeks before Christmas I realized, much to my horror, that I did not have a big gift for my father. Big as in significant, not size. This is a tradition in my household. Everyone gets one "big" gift and one or two little gifts. With two weeks to go, I was sure I could knit him a scarf so off I went to the Stash of DOOOOOM. I picked out some lovely black Alpaca I bought last spring at Maryland Sheep and Wool and started a modified basketweave pattern.

I was into the second ball when tragedy struck- a hole. My own fault, as I had joined in the middle rather than at the end of the row. No problem, thought I, I'll just rip it and start over, this time using a simpler pattern (3x3 reversible rib). I still have a week to go (I'm not the fastest knitter).

On December 23 I snagged the scarf pulling it out of my purse. ARRGH!

Now I had a serious problem. I cannot knit a scarf in two days. I can, however, crochet a hat in that time if it does not have a major pattern.

I forgot that last bit.

I ran to my newly-purchased book on Charted Celtic Cross-Stitch, chose a twisted rope design and got to work. The design is done using tapestry crochet technique where the contrasting yarn is carried behind the main yarn and brought forward for the design. I used Alpaca and some other soft vintage yarn from the DOOM stash.

Here is the finished result:

Here's a shot of the hat being blocked on tupperware. Note my arm. I am wearing my bathrobe because it is CHRISTMAS MORNING and I have not finished weaving in the ends. I think the pattern turned out nicely. I would have enjoyed it more had I not been working so feverishly.

Note to self: start making Christmas presents in JANUARY.

No Casino for Gettysburg

The Pennsylvania Gaming Board has decided not to award a slot license to Crossroads. This means there will NOT be a casino in Gettysburg. You can find a link to the story on the New York Times site here.

*begin soapbox*

I am THRILLED there will not be a casino in Gettysburg. Yes, LeVan et al. said the casino would not have been visible from the battlefield (what, it's invisible?) and yes, there probably would have been a short-term increase in revenue/jobs for Adams County. IMHO, the resulting increase in crime, traffic and loss of ambiance would not have been worth the short term gain.

Honestly, I really could not have imagined a worse place to put a casino- except perhaps Salt Lake City (my apologies to Salt Lake City). A casino right next to Gettysburg, a major civil war battlefield. Imagine- Pickett's Charge Keno! Confederate 21! Union Penny Slots! 55,000 dead!

Ugh.

*end soapbox*

Happy Birthday to Me

December birthdays are a tricky business. They are often lost amid holiday preparations and bouts of the flu. Case in point: last year's birthday was a washout. This year, however, was glorious.

Mr. Brewguy took me to the Flag House Inn in Annapolis for a parents-only overnight adventure. My parents (who ROCK) babysat the little brewers overnight. Mr. Brewguy spends quite a bit of time photographing politicians at the State House in Annapolis so he was eager to show me around. Ireland seems to be in vogue these days - there are at least 5 Irish pubs (I can recommend both Sean Donlon's and The Galway Bay) and two stores carrying Irish goods.

The best part was my knitting book score. One of Samurai Knitter's book recommendations was Charted Celtic Designs. Finally! I have some old celtic design sourcebooks but have been incredibly frustrated trying to figure out how to make my own charts using celtic patterns (that twist goes where???) I was thrilled to find two celtic cross stitch books at one of the aforementioned irish gift store (should have written down the name!) on Main Street and promptly bought them.

Fear not!

This is the lesson I try to pass along to everyone I teach: do not be afraid of the knitting. I am not sure how this fear of knitting got started. I myself had this fear when I first started knitting: the fear that I would make a mistake and as a result, ruin the whole piece.

You cannot ruin the whole piece. You only need start again. Sure, it can be frustrating if you are twelve inches into a complicated lace pattern only to discover you've dropped a stitch at inch #four. This is why lifelines were invented. And yes, it helps if you use reasonably-priced yarn until you are comfortable. This is why Red Heart is $1.99 a skein.

In the beginning, however, you have to be free to experiment. Work out how to hold the needles in a way that is comfortable for you (continental, american).

Experimentation is how I stumbled across my current scarf pattern, a reversible rib. I was sitting in my car, killing time before my doctor's appointment. Having learned my lesson about not bringing a project, I had needles and a nice dk weight varigated merino in my purse. "Let's try a drop stitch pattern!" I thought to myself (I had just finished re-reading the Clapotis pattern after seeing the photos on Franklin's blog). Ok, that looks yucky (rip, rip, rip). Now what? Cables would not show very well on the stripes. I had already tried a straight stockinette. This yarn was recovered from another scarf I made in stockinette that rolled like a stack of quarters no matter how much I blocked it.

Then I tried a 3x2 rib pattern on an even-number of stitches. I have lately become enamored of even numbered patterns on odd-numbered stitches. I thought this would make a nice crumbly nap but it turned out to be much more interesting.

Brewgal's Reversible Rib Scarf
Cast on 34
Knit first row (I find starting with one knit row is easier than starting the pattern off the cast on row.)
Slip 1, knit 1 (edge stitch). *Knit 3, purl 2* repeat 6 times, knit last two stitches.
Repeat this row until scarf reaches desired length, knit last row, cast off.

Nothing fancy. I used #6 needles on dk weight yarn. This makes a cute little 2-stitch-wide rib on both sides.

XXOO Permalink

Stash Rambling

My yarn stash is filled with all sorts of unusual yarn. I have a habit of picking up stray skeins from many places: yard sales, thrift stores, my parents' basement. None of it is in sufficient quantities to make a sweater but I can always go stash diving for emergency scarf yarn.

I have yarn that has been around longer than I have. Yarn trucked back from my mother-in-law's house in Los Angeles. Yarn inherited from my grandmother and great-grandmother. Yarn in bright skeins, yarn in half-finished projects. Yarn that is on the verge of turning into yarn zombies. How appropriate for the Stash of DOOOM.

I don't know why I've been so hung up on zombies lately. I certainly wouldn't want to meet one. Maybe it's because I recently watched Shaun of the Dead. At least, I almost watched it. Stupid TiVO didn't record the last 10 minutes of the movie.

Then I came across this. Some clever person has recreated Dawn of the Dead using knitted characters. Wow.

Thanksgiving

In times of plenty, it is not the food we are most thankful for,
but the friendship and love of those who care for us,
and those we care for in return.

And the pie.

I need more bookshelves.

The problem- where to put them? The current bookshelf layout is thus:

• covering two walls in the family room. Brewguy won't let me cover the back door. Stupid fire codes.
• covering one wall in my study.
• lining two out of three hallways
• in the corner of the living room
• covering three walls of the basement.

And they're all FULL! Full of books on almost every subject: old Time-Life science books, children's books, fairy-tale books, knitting books (not nearly enough of those!), homebrewing manuals, psychology journals, textbooks on statistics and psychology, reference books, cookbooks, science fiction fantasy books, and the occasional trashy novel. For those of you who would suggest I simply get rid of some to make room, BITE YOUR TONGUE. How can I choose between the merits of Cognition: Theory and Application versus The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook? Ok, I'll admit I probably no longer need The Official X-Files Compendium, seeing that the show is off the air, but giving away one book will not make the space I need.

Why can't I give books away? I blame my parents (how convenient!) I come from a household where books filled every corner of the house, where my mother went to escape into a little "me" time. We had so many books my aunts and uncles used it as their own personal library. [Much to my mother's dismay. She started losing so many favorites she began putting her name and address on the books so that when she visited *them* she could take books back.]

Anyway... my current master plan involves moving all the clothes from the closet in my study and installing bookshelves there. That should give me enough room so that all the books have their own space, instead of having to sleep two-deep like workers in tenament housing during the early 1900's.

Next problem: what do I do with the clothes from the closet? I need more closet space.

My synapse in living color

I drew this cartoon of my synapse flying back from the math section. Note the flames.

Why advance planning is good

Sometimes events sneak up on you. A few days ago I had the following exchange at dinner.

Brewguy: Yeah, they did a sonogram and moved her due date up from November 10 to November 1.
Brewgal: November 1? Thats....

(pause while my synapses rush across town to the math section. Typically my synapses take a breather after work by relaxing at Cafe Homebrew, where they are seen sipping Belgian Ale with the nightie-clad pirates scheduled to appear in tonight's REM spectacular. The synapses are VERY annoyed at being asked to do MATH after 6pm).

... THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW!

Brewguy: Yeah.
Brewgal: But...but... I have to make a hat!
Brewguy: You'd better get on that then.
Brewgal: You couldn't have told me this last week?!? {Actually, I only thought that. What came out of my mouth was} Eeep! Grrrr.

Brewguy offered to do the dishes (he really is a sweetie) while I dashed down to the Stash of Doom. I grabbed a ball of Patons Look At Me in Jewel Tones and I got to work.

16 hours and an arm cramp later, I had these.





The mittens were an afterthought. I've never made mittens before so I just created a pattern in my head and went for it. As you can see, I ran out of the Patons and had to supplement with some other remnants.

Note to self: make more hats. In advance. The synapses will thank me later.

Little Victories

Ha! And again, Ha! The laughing Cable Pixie has laughed her last. I have tackled the cable beast and I am victorious.

I am making a scarf for Brewguy featuring teeny cables on a 4x4 rib. Put 2 sts on cable needle and hold to front, knit 2 from back needle, knit 2 from cable needle, purl 4. I pulled the yarn out of my stash, a lovely burgundy wool blend, probably Plymouth.

My stash... Let me rephrase that: my Neverending Stash of DOOM. (that's pronounced DOOOOOOOMMM, like a zombie who's drunk one-too-many bottles of Chateau Dura Mater)

This is scarf #9 since September. I am SO BORED with making scarves. My next holiday gifts will be wristwarmers.

Broken links

I've just discovered the links to my free patterns are broken. I'll work on fixing them. In the meantime, click on the following archives to find the patterns:

Seedy Border Town Scarf = November 2005
Grandma D's Heirloom Crochet Cape = June 2005
Olivia's Knitted Baby Bonnet = August 2005
Brewgal's Crochet Hat (an award winner!) = January 2005

Le poèt en dedans*

I am constantly stunned and humbled by the creativity of the little brewers. Yesterday, while Brewguy was cooking dinner (spaghetti accompanied by a lovely Spanish temperanillo), Little Brewer #1 sat down at the dinner table and wrote a poem. I will spare you the misspelled words (she is in 1st grade, after all).

The leaves blow
The trees whistle
The birds sing
The shoes tap
The shirts wiggle
The socks wobble
The hands touch
The wind blows
and you are the best


[*French translation provided by BabelFish]

Lessons learned

Wherever you go, there you are. And you better have your knitting with you. (after Buckaroo Banzai)

Little Brewer #2 is an airplane nut. At 3, he can spot the difference between a 747 and a 737 in flight. So Brewguy thought it would be a great idea to go out to the Montgomery County Airpark to see some WWII bombers, the B-24 "Witchcraft" and a B-17. These two old planes were in town for the Air Force Memorial dedication. It is not often that planes of this type show up in Gaithersburg and Brewguy wanted to shoot some video for the newspaper so we trundled off to the airpark. The B-17 was on the ground (tours for $10!) so we gazed at it for a while through the fence while waiting for the B-24 to show up.

And waited.
And waited some more. Finally, THREE HOURS LATER, the B-24 arrived.

The Little Brewers passed the time wrestling each other into submission. I stood there, watching the geezers ooh and aah over the aircraft, mentally cursing for not bringing my knitting. I have 12 scarves to make for holiday gifts- I could have knocked out at least one or two sitting there next to the tarmac.

Learn from my misery. Always take a project with you wherever you go.

End of Summer Haiku

Summer turns behind.
Her verdant smile fades slowly
Seeing Autumn come

Homebrew Day

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Brewguy is homebrewing today. He is making a Belgian-style ale entitled Little Belgian #3. This is the second round for this batch of yeast.

I love waking up in the morning to the smell of the mash tun. There's something wonderfully earthy about the smell of brewing beer. Later, the tangy aroma of hops will waft up. When you brew, you quickly discover who likes beer and who does not. Those who can't stand the smell of the brew typically do not like to drink beer. There also seems to be a correlation between dislike of beer and dislike of coffee. Perhaps the two flavors excite (or dismay) similar taste buds.

And the winner is... Me!

Feeling totally retro, I entered the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair in fabulous Gaithersburg Maryland. They had online registration this year (good) so I dutifully filled out all the paperwork in advance and brought it to entry day.

Long lines to register. I was handed number 61. No problem! I thought, I've already registered online and told the number distributer that fact. Number 61 taken away, number 8 handed to me. Ok, now we're getting somewhere!

Wrong. Number 61 came and went. Number 80 came and went and still I sat with my pitiful online 8. A fellow clutching online number 9 started to get angry and I pieced together the situation from the conversation. Apparently online registration is all and good, but there was only one person working the online registrations on entry day. And she was tied up with a scoutmaster who had registered online and was entering pieces for her ENTIRE GIRL SCOUT TROUP. So the entry judge was forced to look up each girl's name individually. Yay Girl Scouts and all that, but after 45 minutes of waiting I was starting to get pissed.

When I did finally get to enter the pieces it took about 30 seconds so online registration is worth it, if you get there when it isn't crowded.

I entered the knitted orange shrugigan and a crocheted blue child's hat. The cat design on the hat is done in tapestry crochet.



First prize! To be clear, first prize in the child's crochet hat category. The shrugigan won third. I received the premium check today, a grand total of $6.50. That almost covers the $7.00 fair entrance fee.

I am totally doing this again next year.

Thrift Store Score

Thrift stores are hit-and-miss. They can be a great source for yarn (if you don't mind partial skeins and balls that have lost their band) and needles, especially the old aluminum Susan Bates and Hero variety. Sometimes the store has a dry spell that lasts months.
Other times, JACKPOT!

Believe it or not, my most recent thrift store trip was prompted by a dream. In my dream I was trying to make my way through a sea of people to get to the yarn bin, which was filled with yarn and hooks of every variety.

You know those dreams, where no matter how hard you try you are moving so......sloooooowly......as if you are made of molasses, and you can't seem to get to your destination as you watch others paw through the booty. Muuussttt.....reach......yaaaaarrrrrnnnnn......

Then I woke up. I went to the store at lunchtime. Lo and behold, they had set up a brand new box for needlework tools and it was filled- FILLED with needles and rug hook tools. There were also some skeins of yarn on the shelves below.

I cleaned them out. Fourteen pairs of needles including two pair of Crystal Palace and one circular. I left only the rug tools and one pair of bent size 2's. No doubt that pair had been used to hold a project that never quite got done, it's neglected weight sagging lonely until the needles themselves bowed in sadness and shame.

Uh oh. Better check my UFOs.

Science for science sake

“I believe in scientific inquiry for its own sake. I think the history of science gives ample examples that pure investigation has enormous benefit. I can’t tell you what this might be good for, but learning about nature is important. And lovely things turn up.”

--James A. Van Allen (1914-2006), discoverer of the Van Allen radiation belts.

Beer Review: Zwaanendael

In celebration of Lewes Delaware's 375th anniversary (the first town in the first stateTM), Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has brewed Zwaanend'ale. This is a limited release beer available primarily in Delaware. DFH describes it as "old Dutch-style Rye Bokbier brewed with honey." I'd describe it as a slightly sweeter version of their belgian-style beer, Raison D'etre. It's wonderful! It has everything Brewgal looks for in a long-drinking beer: slightly sweet, malty, medium golden red in color, low on the hops. We consumed one bottle while on vacation and brought one home for later.

It's Wednesday, and Brewguy and I were out for a swifty. Swifty? It's a term for a quick drink. What were YOU thinking? Imagine my delight when I discovered the Gaithersburg DFH had the Zwaanend'ale on tap! I had previously only seen it in large 750ml bottles in Delaware. Yet there it was, top of the list on the draft brew board. When we inquired, the bartender said they had been sent 15 kegs. Brewguy and I exchanged puzzled glances. This was supposed to be a beer that was only available in Delaware, and then only in bottles. Where had the kegs come from? Had DFH decided to send out the last of the run to the franchise DFH?

It started off well. The color of the beer in the glass was the same golden red, slightly lighter than the Raison. Then the taste. The taste was way off. In contrast to the wonderful beer of my memory, the tap version at DFH had a distinct sour upfront taste, almost as though someone had poured lemon on top. This is a characteristic sign of bacterial infection. Brewguy noticed it as well. We soldiered on, hoping this was just a passing phase. Ugh. The sour taste continued, more pronounced as the beer warmed to room temperature. This is the first beer in a long while I have been unable to finish due to flavor. The bartender deserves kudos for offering us another beer as a replacement and not charging us for the Zwaanend'ale. Well done, sir!

The question is, why? DFH is usually pretty good with quality control. Had the kegs been mishandled in shipment? It has been very hot in DC these last few weeks. Had the beer turned in the barrel prior to kegging? Surely there would have been sampling prior to kegging. More sinister is the possibility that DFH knew the beer was substandard and chose, instead of bottling, to send it to their franchise in Gaithersburg.

My suggestion to DFH: get a bottle and taste the Zwaanend'ale then taste those kegs before you put them on!

The Orange FO

Finally, an FO to report! I've finished the orange mohair-blend sweater. That's jumper to those of you across the pond. More of a cardiagn, really, if cardigans were 3/4 length sleeved and didn't have buttons in the front. Come to think of it, it's actually more of a shrug. Cardishrug? Shrugigan? Shrugijump? Jump-and-shrug?

Here's a photo of the shrugigan on the bed.











And one of Little Brewer #2 modeling the finished product. Note the pouty model face. Watch out Zoolander!

For fun I'm going to enter it in the Home Arts division of the local county fair.

Restaurant Review: Fish On

I’m blogging from the beach in Lewes, Delaware!

Fish On opens at 5pm, which works fine for the early bird crowd and those with small children. They do not take reservations. Fish On has the distinction of having both a good chef and a welcoming attitude toward children. This is an absolute must when traveling with the Little Brewers. Not everyone with children wants to eat in McDonalds 24-7.

We were there on two nights, Tuesday 7/11 and Friday 7/14. Dinner starts with a serving of homemade bread. It’s a lovely white bread with a slightly sweet crust, the kind I could sit and eat for hours with a good red wine on the porch of my small summer cottage. Ahh….

Tuesday is half-price wine night, which brings the prices down into the reasonable range. Clearly the locals know this because the place was packed by 6. On the advice of WineGeek, we chose a Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel. It was very enjoyable.

My order:
Appetizer: Pan Roasted Sea Scallops
Main course: imperial stuffed lobster

Brewguy’s order:
Appetizer: Spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette
Main course: Pan Roasted Scallops with spinach, roasted mushrooms and ham

The sea scallop appetizer is still the highlight of the menu for me. Three scallops, seared round with sea salt and pepper, served skewered on a sprig of fresh rosemary. The balsamic reduction sauce is sprinkled with chives, and clearly made by someone who knows sauces- a chef after Brewgal’s own heart! The sauce was scraped artfully across the plate in lines. It’s exactly the right amount if you use it sparingly. I could have used a tad more.

For main course I ordered the broiled imperial stuffed lobster. It was a good sized lobster, larger than I expected, served with a small side of melted butter and potato salad. The potato salad was topped with about five whole green beans, which I believe had been blanched, but I’m not sure. Disconcertingly, they were cold, as if they had been just removed from the fridge. This may have been on purpose- it’s hard to tell. The potato salad had a gentle flavor of potatoes, with bits of fresh corn mixed in. Good job there. The lobster was cooked just right, not to the point of being mealy, which is often a problem in large-scale, serve ‘em quick restaurants (Phillips, are you listening?) The crab imperial was nothing special. In fact, I could barely taste it. Crab imperial at its best is a fluffy concoction of crab, flour, milk, and mayonnaise where the crab sits lightly inside its poufy mound, broiled to perfection. This was a light mixture, but did nothing to bring out the flavor of the crab. Perhaps they were trying not to interfere with the taste of the lobster, which can be easily overwhelmed. If so, why combine the two?

Here is where the service and the food fell flat. The lobster arrived without a claw cracker. The waiter failed to reappear to ask if I needed one so I was reduced to digging out what meat I could from the claw using the seafood fork. The spinach salad probably saw a bit of dressing in the kitchen but seemed to have lost it by the time it reached the table. It lacked flavor in that regard. Brewguy felt the scallop main course was oddly paired and overwhelmed by the Smithfield ham.

I found Friday’s dinner to be superior to Tuesday’s.

Friday we chose the Acacia Pinot Noir. Brewguy raved about it.

My order:
Main course: Crabcakes

Brewguy’s order:
Appetizer: Pan Roasted Sea Scallops
Salad: Mixed green salad with sherry vinaigrette and bleu cheese

The crabcakes were meaty and shell-free, served with green beans almondine. The tartar sauce was homemade, with a bit of tang and complemented the crabcakes quite well. Tartar sauce is usually nothing to write home about, at worst just mayonnaise-y. Here again you can see the skill of a chef that knows how to make a good sauce.

I compare all crabcakes to ones I had at Jakes in 1997. Those crabcakes will live forever in my memory. Not so much Jakes itself. I got food poisoning there in 2003 and have never returned.

Brewguy rated this salad much more highly than Tuesday night’s. The sherry vinaigrette was tangy, with a bit of sweetness evident on the back edge. The greens were fresh, with no limp hangers-on.

Highlight of the dinner for Brewguy were the corn dogs we ordered for the Little Brewers. The batter was light and slightly sweet around a plump beef hot dog. It arrived, like Tuesday’s chicken tenders, on a mound of French fries. Honestly, I don’t think so many fries are required, but I guess they’re trying to make sure you feel you get your money’s worth. The Little Brewers barely touched them.

Final notes: the Swedish Fish at the door are a cute touch. The Little Brewers just love them.

Score: 3 1/2 out of 5 for Tuesday, 4 out of 5 for Friday. Recommended? Yes

Address: Fish On
Village of Five Points
Lewes, DE
877-871-FISH

The Visitation

Ok, I'm a total loser. I just discovered I can change the font on my posts.

ANYWAY, the big news is my MIL is visiting. Two and a half weeks worth of visiting. For the uninitiated, she looks great on paper. She cooks, cleans, organizes, and has helped with major demolition projects. She's a wonder Mom, including taking care of Little Brewer #1 during the week when there is no camp.

But in reality....
I have learned to hide things so she won't organize them out of existence. I check the garbage cans to make sure she hasn't thrown away treasures under the guise of "It's just cluttering up the place. They'll never miss X,Y,or Z." I rescued two pieces of Little Brewer artwork this way.

She was a great help when we had to move suddenly from Gettysburg. But she packed by size, not type. Who knows what is in that box, lurking in my basement with the carefully hand-lettered sign that says, "Small box of small things." That describes nearly everything in the house!

The other problem is the breakage. Every visit brings a broken dish, plate or glass. I've lost a bakelite handled knife (she was using it to remove wallpaper), a unique retro serving dish (knocked it off the counter), an antique plate decorated in the pine cone style (banged into the dishwasher), and countless glasses. This visit it was my 9x9 square clear glass Pyrex baking dish. Hide the Roseville!

I realize I should be incredibly grateful I am not saddled with a MIL that is hateful, spiteful or a substance abuser. Every night I try my best to think of good things and be thankful for what I have.

I spend a lot of time "working on the computer" in the office.

Bye Bye, Bob

My high school drama teacher retired this week after 27 years in the school system.

Yes, Brewgal is that old. Stop snickering!

It was a warm and fuzzy affair, held in the high school theatre. There were speeches, jabs, and more than a few tears. I even took a few photos.

Here is ...well you can't really tell who that is.

Here's another photo.

Darn, too much flash.

Maybe if I hold it on my knee to steady it...

What the...? What the heck is that?

Alrighty, let's try the knee trick again.

No, he's moving too much.

Was he always running around like this in high school? Stand still, man! One more time: balance camera on knee, flash off, hold breath...wait for it....

^&(*^#$%*^!!

Ok, Brewgal is not a photographer. She'll leave that up to Brewguy.

It was fab to see everyone. Capt. Scott, Amy, Allyson, Jimmy K., Linda, and of course, Mr. M-- you all look great!

Yarn search, Galway

I did my homework. I researched yarn stores on woolworks before I left. I Googled. I read the helpful tips on Knitty.com. Being without a car, however, I was limited to what I could find within walking distance around Galway City.

I did find one shop, aptly named Yarn (in the Mill on O'Brien's Bridge Street). Here I had my first encounter with what Mr. Professor calls "the Irish way." The shop was closed, albeit temporarily, with a sign on the door saying "Back at 2:30." Ok, that's only an hour, I can find something to do. So I visited the second-hand shop nearby, walked to Sheridans Cheesemongers for a little window cheese shopping, and walked back to the store. 2:30, but no one around. So I walk back into town (it's raining at this point), check out the "Everything for 1 Euro" store, buy some trinkets for the Little Brewers and walk back to Yarn. 3:15. No one around. Well, at this point I was feeling rather annoyed, footsore and damp, so I gave up and walked back to the University.

I did finally find the shop open a few days later. It is quite small. Their main inventory is devoted to Debbie Bliss, with a selection of other knitting acoutrements such as handmade buttons. I picked up some interesting red tweed wool called "Killcarren." I don't know yet what it will be but it looked interesting.

There may be other shops within a drive of Galway but I did not have access to them. We took a drive out to Connemara one afternoon. On the way back we passed through Clifden. Around the bend of the road, rising like a lemon yellow mirage, was the Connemara Woolen Mills. Heaven! I thought. Alas, it was closed.

There are numerous shops in and around Galway City selling traditional Aran sweaters, some handmade, some of uncertain origin. I found the one in Clifden to have a more interesting selection and picked up a sweater in a lavendar wool/silk blend with overall simple cabling and a zipper up the front.

Pub Review: BXL

BXL is a belgian pub in New York City (on 43rd, near Times Square). I was there on May 10, 2006. Nice woody ambience, especially given its location. With the one-time tourist traffic, you never know if the restaurants near Times Square are going to be any good.

They had seven beers on draft: two Leffes (one was the blond, not sure about the other), Karmeleit, Stella Artois, Chimay, a Lindemans, and a Cuvee BXL (house beer). I can't resist a Karmeleit, so that's what I ordered ($7).

It was served cold. *sigh* This is the big disadvantage to ordering a beer in the US. They're all too darn cold. This is not a lager, people! As a result, the overwhelming flavor was a yeasty bite, when I know this particular beer has a nice sweetness to it. It was served in the proper Karmeleit glass.

I had the Hanger Steak with red shallot sauce ($19). Fastest hanger steak ever. I think it came out in 15 minutes, tops. Tender medallions of hanger steak, cooked properly to medium rare. Thicker fries than I'm accustomed to seeing as "frites." Nice herbed mayonaise.

For me, the highlight of a good bistro steak is the sauce. Brasserie Jo in Boston makes an amazing steak with Roquefort butter that is to die for. Mmm, roquefort... At BXL, the red shallot sauce could have been reduced a touch more to bring out its flavor. As it was, it was tasty but not spectacular. It edged on the bland, with vinegar the predominant flavor. I'm known as the Saucemeister in my house, so I demand perfection from sauces.

That being said, I basically inhaled my dinner, pausing only to make notes and test the Karmeleit to see if it had warmed up.

More Ireland Photos

Enough talk! Let's just look at some scenery.

National University of Ireland

Some boats in dry dock on the Corrib River.

Why drinking and driving don't mix.

The Ireland Report, part 2

I realized I had a lot of preconceptions about what Ireland would look like. I expected a lot of this:


but the reality was a lot different. The traffic was comparable to Washington DC. It took us 45 minutes at 6pm to get across town- we were only traveling 6 miles. The economic boom has brought with it a rise in the amount of auto ownership and accompanying traffic.

And tourists. LOTS of tourists. I can't really complain, since I was one of them. It's my own personal sport to try to spot the Americans in the crowd. After a while I got pretty good. The Gortex is a dead giveaway.

Yard Sale Spoils

It's Twin Oaks Community yard sale time again! This year was the most crowded I've ever seen. We had to go two blocks into the community to find a parking spot.

The spoils:
Miscellaneous costume jewelry for Brewgal
A light green Nike warmup jacket/windbreaker
A bag of baseballs for Little Brewer #2
A Furby for Little Brewer #1

When I asked the seller how much he wanted for the Furby, he laughed and said "I should pay YOU." That should have been my first clue.

This toy is creeping me out. When we put the batteries in, it woke up and said "Ooo, long sleep."

It hiccups, it purrs, it sleeps (a LOT), it says "Wheee!" and gets hungry. When Little Brewer #1 put her finger in its mouth, I had to look away. *shudder* It resembles a Gremlin much too closely for my taste.

The Ireland report, part 1

Due to scheduling issues, Mr. Brewguy dropped me off for my flight about 3 hours early. I took this photo of the Ethiopian plane for Little Brewer #2-- he loves planes. The International terminal at Dulles has a Samuel Adams bar, a Gordon Biersch and a wine bar. I chose not to sample any of them, as I expected to get wine on my flight. Next time I'll definitely check out both Gordon Biersch and the wine bar.

Fun incident #1: The Austrian Airlines flight to Frankfurt was held up for nearly half an hour while they searched for two passengers. After many calls on the PA system, it turns out they were drinking in the Sam Adams bar, located RIGHT NEXT TO THE GATE. I now realize how good gate attendants are at hiding that "I'm going to kill you" look.



Transferring planes at Heathrow. Apparently there are SO many flights you don't even get to arrive at a jetway. They offloaded us down a stairway to a shuttle, one group at a time. I snapped this waiting for the next shuttle. It's about 6:30AM, London time. I've been up since 4:30AM EST (previous day).

Heathrow is fairly quiet at that hour of the morning, aside from the crowds of jet-lagged passengers. After going through security and immigration, I had a cafe Americano and a croissant at an express counter, sat down at the window and stared at the traffic. When you're on vacation, even London airport traffic is interesting. It felt great to be back.

My Aer Lingus flight. Or maybe a different one. At this point I was feeling a little woozy from lack of sleep. Note to self: next time, fly direct to Shannon. Heathrow is ok by oneself but I wouldn't want to deal with the transfers towing small children.

On the flight my seatmate was a house painter from Ennis who was returning from 6 weeks in South America. We chatted for a while and he advised me to check out "Knockton's" pub in Galway. At least, that is how it sounded to me (more on this later).


We're home! I just love the Professors' car. It's a Fiat. Look at that color!

R.I.P.

We lost Melba Toast today. Best cat ever. Mr. Brewguy found her this morning, curled up under his car. No visible signs of trauma, so we are unsure whether she was hit by a car and crawled back home or simply died of old age. She was 15! We gently wrapped her in a towel and buried her out back, next to the pine tree. The Little Brewers made a sign for her that reads, "Please do not dig here. Melba."

You were a good cat, Melba Toast. See you in kitty heaven!

Galway

13 degrees celsius, raining and a wicked wind. But who the heck cares? I was in IRELAND! No kids, no husband. A solo holiday with my dear friends the Professors (they both teach at the National University of Ireland, NUI).

I'm Baaack!

A glass of Guiness at Sheridan's Pub. Just a teaser.

I'm headin' on a jet plane...

Yes, I'm leaving today for 9 days in sunny Ireland. What's that? You say it's not sunny in Ireland? Apparently I've been misinformed.

Nevertheless, gentle readers, I'll be gone for a while. To tide you over, a flying haiku.

Blackest black crow flies
In crowded skies wandering
Remarked from below

See you soon!

My Girly Girl

Ponchos. Ugh. No one who lived through the 70's should be forced to make a poncho. Somewhere in a thrift store there lurks the angry orange poncho my mother knit for me when I was 11. I loved that thing, save for the fact that there were no arm holes and every time I wanted to, say, use my arms the front would flap up over my face, blinding me, which sort of negated the whole "I'm cool because I'm wearing a poncho" effect.


But when your little brewer asks for one and looks at you with those big, big eyes and says her favorite color in the WHOLE WORLD is purple (at least today it is), how could I refuse?

The Unmaking

Visiting one's parents is great for many reasons, not the least of which is finding buried treasure.

When I learned to knit the second time, I made a sweater for El Jefe. Being in college at the time, and it being the '80's, I only had access to yarn from GC Murphy. I knew he liked blue so I paired it with a lovely shade of angry red. Did I pay attention to that little voice in my head saying "uhh, do these colors REALLY go together?" Nooo. Did I swatch? I hadn't even heard of swatching. I only knew I could knit in a straight line and that El Jefe was tall. So I made this monstrosity of a sweater. Note the giant stripe that accentuates the middle! See the long, long arms that dangle like unwanted bell pulls of terror! Observe the boatneck with fear!

But it was my first sweater and I had made it myself. No pattern, no help. And this is why I love El Jefe: when I presented this sweater to him, he tried it on, doubled the sleeves *up to his armpits* so they wouldn't drag on the floor, and promptly announced that he thought it was great. It was so clearly not a good sweater that even I realized he should take it off *immediately* so as not to interfere with his natural coolness.

I found it stuffed in a closet when I visited my parents at Christmas. So I took it home and promptly began to unmake it.

Maybe the little brewers need sweaters...

The Cable Pixy

I'm almost there, almost ready to try my first cable. My first project will be a simple cable up the length of a scarf. What could be easier?

Then I saw her.
The Cable Pixy.

Laughing. Joyous even. Taunting me with her needles and smug expression. Cables-HA! You think you can learn cables? Look at me, slim and fit with needles in my hands as I run the Boston Marathon! You cannot catch me, you non-cable-person you!

"Good science cannot long persist in an atmosphere of intimidation. Political figures ought to be reviewing their public statements to make sure they are consistent with the best available science; scientists should not be reviewing their statements to make sure they are consistent with the current political orthodoxy."

--Sherwood L. Boehlert (R- NY) in a letter to NASA administrator Michael D. Griffin, January 30, 2006.

Orange?

I have nothing against orange. I just feel it doesn't personally suit me. So why do I have five balls of this in my stash? Yard sale, of course. I can't pass up yarn.

To be fair, I have tried to use this yarn twice before, once as a sweater and once as a blanket. It *fought* me both times. Clearly it had something else in mind.



I am going to try again. I found a fabuous shrug pattern that looks to about my speed.

And here we go!
[Note to self: do not photograph orange on red background, even if it is the comfy sofa.]

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2006! Only 1,038 days until Election Day.

Time for some New Year's Resolutions. But first, let's revisit Brewgal's 2005 Resolutions.

1. Learn to cable. Yes, I’m intimidated by those hooky cable needle things but I desperately want to make a sweater with a celtic pattern braid. Oh, the torture! Uh oh. Didn't do this one.
Y. Spend more time knitting (well, duh!) Done!
Y. Use up my stash. Started this one.
Y. Replace old stash with new stash. Done!
5. Photograph all finished projects for my knitting archive. Mr. Brewguy takes pictures for a living but the cobbler’s children don’t have shoes. Working on it.
6. Teach everyone in my office to knit so they can accompany me on lunchtime stash building excursions. Heh heh heh. Working on it.

Not so bad. Let's look at this year's knitting resolutions.

1. Learn to use circular needles. Carrying 100+ stitches on straights is damn heavy.
2. Learn to cable. Get over the image of cable needles as tiny stockade devices for Barbies.
3. Start Christmas gifts BEFORE NOVEMBER.

Only three. Either my standards are getting lower or my attention span is ...um...
Hey look! A birdie!

Brewgal has a birthday...sort of...

Last week Brewgal turned 40. That’s 4-0. Many special events were planned in her honor. Alas, the week turned out to be quite a saga.

Erik Njofi, son of Frothgar, leaves his home to seek Hangar the EIder at the home of Thorvald Nlodvisson, the son of Gudleif, half brother of Thorgier, the priest of Ljosa water, who took to wife Thurunn, the mother of Thorkel Braggart, the slayer of Cudround the powerful, who knew Howal, son of Geernon, son of Erik from Valdalesc, son of Arval Gristlebeard, son of Harken…

Oops, wrong saga.

START AGAIN.

Sunday 12/11
11:00am. Brewgal gets a facial, manicure and makeup to look beautiful for dinner at the Four Seasons. Babysitting for the little brewers is arranged.
11:45am. Little Brewer #1 runs a fever of 102. Dinner plans are cancelled.
On the plus side, the little brewers sang a wonderful rendition of Happy Birthday in cherubic voices.

Monday 12/12
Brewgal’s birthday. She receives present of two lovely hanks of New Zealand wool, a subscription to Interweave Knits, and a pair of pajamas with pink dogs on them. Brewgal is more of a cat person, but Little Brewer #1 picked them out so, of course, I love them.

Wednesday 12/14
Consolation birthday celebration planned. Brewgal convinces Mr. Brewguy to accompany her on Thursday to lunch at Mon Ami Gabi and a showing of Pride and Prejudice. Costumes! Drama! Romance! Sweeping shots of the English countryside!
3:30pm. Little Brewer #2 runs a fever of 102. Lunch/movie plans for Thursday are cancelled.

Except for a rather bizarre tendency to refer to myself in the third person, Brewgal has had a pretty good 40 years. And so, a birthday Haiku for me.

Turn to face the wind,
Feeling the thrill of seeing
My life reach forward.

Bad blogger. No cookie.

Where the heck has the time gone? Clearly Brewgal needs to devote more energy to this incredibly useful and life-changing activity known as blogging. *kidding-- I'm kidding!*

Here are my dilemmas:
1. I need more photos
2. I can't post photos of my projects because they are gifts and the gift recipients read the blog
3. I can't take photos because my digital camera is dead from Mr. Brewguy constantly using it and not charging the battery
4. I spend all my blog time removing spam posts *you know who you are*

So in honor of the cold weather, a winter haiku.

Car lights show the trees
Stretching slender branches up
To catch fading sky

Seedy Border Town Scarf

It's holiday time so that means... last minute scarf mania! I was stash diving and came up with two balls of Jiffy in a lovely plum color. Well, after two days I've come to the conclusion that it looks nice but it is hard on your hands. After a while it feels scratchy. Oh well. One scarf down, six to go!

This is the pattern for the scarf. It's stockinette with a seed stitch border around all the edges. You will probably have to block when you're done. Mine rolled like a stack of quarters.

Seedy Border Town Scarf
Cast on 21
Row 1 Knit
Rows 2-4 Seed stitch (knit purl knit purl to end, end with knit stitch)
Row 5 Seed stitch first three stitches (knit purl knit), then knit across to last three stitches in row, seed stitch last three stitches.
Row 6 K P K, purl across to last three, K P K
Rows 7 --> continue w/rows 5/6 (stockinette with seed stitch border) until desired length
End with a repeat of rows 2-4
Last row K
Bind off

Knitting + Beer

I was just thinking I needed a beer-related post. Check out the following article about a knitting group that meets in a pub. What a great idea! Goodbye, cruel job. I'm getting on a plane right now. I'm sure this idea would have been a hit in the old Gettysburg Brewing Company. *sigh... mope mope mope*

On a related note, Dogfish Head Alehouse now has a restaurant in Gaithersburg Maryland. Yeah Baby! No more driving to Delaware for fresh Raison D'Etre!

Nerd, Geek or Dork?

Another fun little online test.

Modern, Cool Nerd 86 % Nerd, 65% Geek, 21% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd. Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)! Congratulations! Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST Apparently I scored higher than 96% of test takers on nerdiness, higher than 89% on geekosity (is that really a word?), and higher than 28% on dorkiness. I wonder if I get points just for taking the test. Am I another victim of the Hawthorne effect?

Dancing Sharks

That's what I think the design on this hat looks like, but that name is a little scary for a baby hat. I love the addition of the crab stitch border on the bottom. I made this one for a friend at work. You know the best thing about a baby shower? No, not the silly games. It's the way everyone goes "oooo!" when the baby clothes are opened. There's a collective mind that takes hold, forcing all within viewing distance to coo over teeny onesies.

*must...not....drool....*
"Oh look! It has bunnies!"
*damn!*

Resistance is futile.

Before and After

Photo 1: September 9, 2001. LittleBrewer #1 and Brewgal watching planes at Gravelly Point Park in Washington DC.



Photo 2: September 11, 2001. Our plane (US Airways Flight 29, on the left in back) and others grounded at Garden City Airport, Garden City Kansas.



What a difference 48 hours can make. Many, many thanks to the kind folks in Dodge City KS who took care of us during that time.

Another Heirloom Pattern- Baby Bonnet

More fun stuff from the family archives! This is a pattern for a knitted baby bonnet, mailed to my great-grandmother in 1940 by a Mrs. Olivia Weker. I have transcribed it below just as written.

Standard pattern use rules apply. Credit the mysterious Olivia!
------------------------------------------------------------

Cast on 96 stitches.
Work ribbing K2P2 for 1/2 inch.
Work stockinette stitch for 5 inches.
Bind off 32 stitches at each end.
Work on 32 stitches in center for 3 1/2 inches (stockinette stitch).
Pick up 30 stitches on each side, and work in ribbing K2P2 for 2 rows (on bottom of cap).
Next make beading - K2* yarn over, K2 stiches together.
Repeat from * to within 2 stitches of end of row K last two stitches.
Work 4 rows of K2, P2, and bind off, knitting the knit stitches and purling the purled.
Join seams.

And a little note at the bottom of the letter,
"Hope your mother can follow this. I certainly do think she is a remarkable old lady- you must get your energy from her!"

Enjoy!

Wish it ran in the family...

Check it out! My cousin is going to release a record. Doesn't she look FABulous? And she can sing, too! :-)
http://www.josiwails.com
She's the sister of the Engineering Goddess. Gosh that family is talented.

Heirloom Cape Pattern

Brewgal has inherited a box full of her Grandmother’s crochet and knitting patterns. There are some very cool patterns from the 1960’s and 1970’s (I see some of Smarty McYarnpants’ relatives in there). I’ve just come across a crochet pattern for a cape.

The handwritten date on the envelope is 12/26/79, but I believe the pattern is older than that. In the notes on the outside she has written Brewgal’s waistline measurement (27”- geez!) and IBM, EXXON and Coca-Cola. Grandma was a stock market guru in her spare time.

Grandma D’s Heirloom Cape Crochet Pattern

Starting at the neck, chain 72 loose stitches. Make 1 double crochet in 3 stitches from hook, *3 DC in next st, 1 DC in next 4 stitches; repeat from * across row, ending with 3 DC in next stitch.
1 DC in last 2 stitches. Note: hereafter when working do pick up the back loop of the stitches, and when increasing use both loops of the st. on the row below.
Chain 3, turn.
Row 2: Skip 2 stitches, 1 DC in next st., 5 DC in next st., 1 Dc in next 2 st, *skip 2 sts, 1 DC in next 2 sts., 5 DC in next st., 1 DC in next 2 sts,* repeat from * 12 times. Chain 3, turn. You now have 14 sections or pattern.
Row 3: Skip 2 st., 1 DC in next 2 st., 3 DC in next st., 1 DC in next 3 sts., *skip 2 st, 1 DC in next 3 sts, 3 DC in next st., 1 DC in next 3 st, Repeat from the star 12 times. Chain 3, * turn. [Brewgal’s note- I believe the star in this sentence should go after the 1 DC in next 3 sts, not after the Chain 3]
This just repeats itself, as you can see on the sample. Your chain 3 counts as a DC.
Row 4 would be 3 DC in 3 DC, 5 DC in next DC, 3 DC in next 3 DC. Skip 2 in next DC; 3 DC in next 3 DC. Skip 2 DC and repeat.
Then it’s 4 Dc in next 4 DC. Skip 2 DC and repeat.
Do this until you make 11 DC in 11 DC, 3 in next DC, 11 in next 11 DC. Make as many rows as you like, with no increase till you have cape as long as you want it.
To make arm holes, start about 20th row.

Use hook 5 or F- or 8.
Takes about 5 skeins 4oz 4-ply yarn.

Then on the next page there was a very interesting transcription of this pattern done in my Grandmother’s crochet shorthand:

Row 2 2-5-2 skip 2
Row 3 3-3-3 “
Row 4 3-5-3 “
Row 5 4-3-4 “
Row 6 4-5-4 “
Row 7 5-3-5 “
Row 8 5-5-5 “
Row 9 6-3-6 “
Row 10 6-5-6 “
Row 11 7-3-7 “
Row 12 7-5-7 “
Row 13 8-3-8 “
Row 14 8-5-8 “
Row 15 9-3-9 “
Row 16 9-5-9 “
Row 17 10-3-10 “
Row 18 10-5-10 “
Row 19 11-3-11 “
Use 11-3-11 until desired cape length.
-----------------
Standard pattern use rules apply (see Brewgal’s hat pattern). Grandma would have been happy for other people to use the pattern provided she got appropriate credit for it. I haven’t tried to make this cape pattern yet. If any of you do try it, post me a comment and let me know how it turns out.

Field vs. Asphalt

There was a story in yesterday's Washington Post about development encroachment on the corridor between Gettysburg PA and Monticello VA.

Read the whole story at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/02/AR2005060201761.html?sub=AR

Development has become sort of a fact of life here in Maryland, but I still cling to the hope that something of the historical character of the area can be saved for my children.

Then I read quotes like this...

Joe Paciulli, whose land surveying and engineering firm, Paciulli, Simmons & Associates Ltd., is involved with many projects in Loudoun County, had the following to say: "I understand historic sites, and I understand natural beauty and all those things, but when you are dealing basically just with endless fields and endless terrain, it's hard for me to relate to a statement like that. It sounds rather extreme," he said.

Endless fields and endless terrian-- that's the POINT! UNDEVELOPED! When you put a shopping mall or a road or a housing development on a battlefield, you can't get it back.

Sometimes I think I live on a different planet.

Photos of DW

For your enjoyment, some photos of Disney World.



While we were there, we were visited by some of the seven dwarves. Here we see Sleepy...



Bashful...



and Doc.



And of course, some royalty.

Have a Magical Day!

Ah, Walt Disney World. Brewgal and family have just returned from a week in Orlando. This was the first trip for Mr. Brewguy and the Little Brewers. Brewgal hasn't been since Epcot was new.

Parks visited = 3
We went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Disney is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of DisneyLand, so they had set up some new attractions. The Little Brewers are still a bit young for MGM so we skipped that park.

We started in the Magic Kingdom. Cindarella's castle has been spruced up for the occasion, with golden wrappings and character statuary in flight above the turrets. There is now a stage set up in front of the castle for the production of the Cindarellabration, a show about the coronation of Cindarella attended by all the Princesses in the land (Jasmine, Belle, Snow White, and Aurora). When we saw this, Little Brewer #1 was entranced. What better way to start the day than a calvalclade of princesses!

Mr. Brewguy loved Epcot, especially the fact that it had good food. We ate lunch in France (with wine- I had a Vouvray) and had a swifty in Germany (Mr. Brewguy had a weissbier).

Animal Kingdom is a bit like having an amusement park inside the National Zoo. The Kali River ride will get you wet. Disney does a big business in dry towels and t-shirts. A word of advice to those who plan to ride Dinosaur: bring earplugs. The warning about loud noises is seriously underplayed. I am still a little deaf in my right ear.

Miles walked = 42
Average temperature = 82 degrees F
Average humidity = 90%
I love Florida!

High speed chases and police shootings = 1
Police gave chase to a speeding car which led to a "controlled crash" on Central Florida Parkway. We passed by just at the moment they were leading one person to a patrol car in handcuffs. A man lay on the ground, half-out of the driver's side of the car. The wheels of the car were still spinning in the air. I found out the next day that the man on the ground died of gunshot wounds.

Disney dollars received = 2
You get a Disney dollar back when you return your rented stroller. This is not publicized in the Magic Kingdom, nor is it practical given the mass rush for the exit at closing time. At the Animal Kingdom they tried to guilt me into giving up my dollar in exchange for a contribution to the animal fund, but I prefer to contribute to causes separately.

Merchandise purchased = $150
I admit it, I'm a sucker. How could I take the Little Brewers to Disney World and not buy them stuff? Because Little Brewers 1 and 2 have to have everything the same, we came home with two battery powered magic wands, two light-up princess crowns, two dinosaur grabber thingys, two t-shirts, and a package of Chip - n - Dale cookies. Personally, I like the light up crowns. I wear one when I'm blogging at night. It lights my words like a deep coal miner.

Parades = 2
The SpectraVision parade in the Magic Kingdom is amazing! The gender-ambiguous characters at the beginning are a little creepy, though. If you don't mind sitting on the ground, a good viewing spot is just to the side of the Liberty Bell in Liberty Bell Square (across from the Haunted Mansion). There you can see the floats as the turn the corner.

The parade through Africa in the Animal Kingdom was lower tech but just as creative. It featured actors on stilts and others walking inside contraptions designed to represent large animal shapes. A good viewing spot is in the cafe across from the marketplace. Once the parade passes by, stay put. It will come back through going the other way about 10 minutes- you'll be able to see it twice.

SPF = 45
Brewgal is a fair-skinned lass.

Photos to follow!

Help! I'm Sinking!

Toooo many projects! What is it that makes me start a new project before the last one is done? I am currently working on the following:

1. Shawl for myself (99% finished). This project has taken up permanent residence in my office. "finish me.... finish meeeeeee"
2. Sweater for myself (50% finished). This project hides behind the TV chair.
3. Baby sweater for friend (2% finished). Baby is due in July.
4. Scarf for friend (50% finished). This project travels with me everywhere but can't seem to get my attention. Friend's birthday was last February.
5. Baby blanket (2% finished). Baby is due in June. I started this one last week and have already frogged it once. If I can't get this one done I'll switch to a hat.

I was hoping that completing all these projects would reduce my stash but Maryland Sheep and Wool is coming!

Temporary Singularity

I've been alone with the Little Brewers for the last four days. Mr. Brewguy is off in Arizona with friends from graduate school. This is only the second time he's been away from the LB's since they were born.

I was envisioning all sorts of disasters. I'm great at multitasking but I wasn't sure how well I'd handle work/laundry/dishes/meals/preschool/baths/play all by myself. Granted, I did let them have chocolate granola bars for breakfast, they've been staying up WAY past their bedtimes and I haven't had a shower in two days. Bad Mother. On the other hand, letting them stay up late means they're still asleep, giving me time to blog.

My respect for single parents has increased ten-fold.

The Pink Sweater

My mother-in-law is neither a knitter nor a crocheter. Her talent lies in "fixing" things. She can repair, resurrect, and/or reinvent almost anything. For the last 20 years she has made her living selling items she has repaired or refinished. Pretty darn good for a woman of 86.

I do not have this talent. If I can't fix it with duct tape, glue or a swift hammer strike it goes into the Goodwill pile.

In my infinite wisdom and the conceit of youth, I thought I had her completely figured out. She's the fixer; I'm the creator. She has to keep moving; I'm happy sitting with my knitting in front of a good movie. Then the sweater appeared, dug out from some hidden box. It was a peachy-pink cardigan done in 4 x 4 rib with a row of mother-of-pearl buttons.

"Wow, what a neat sweater!" I said. "Where did you get it?"
"I made this when I was first married." she answered. "My mother-in-law Louisa showed me how."
Here was a topic I could sink my teeth into: family history! "Really? How long did it take you?"
"Two weeks."
I was stunned. "Did you have a pattern?"
"No, I just kept knitting. Louisa would guide me at points and I just did what she told me to do and then it was done."

Then the stories started coming out. Louisa was a prolific knitter and crocheter. She was never without a small piece of tatting to work on. When MIL and her husband were first married in 1943, she and Louisa sat in the house in Vancouver and did nothing but knit. Apparently this gave them something in common.

So far as I can tell, this is the only thing my MIL has ever knit. Louisa died around 1948. I have no idea what happened to Louisa's knitting and crocheting supplies. They probably went into one of MIL's yearly yard sales.

But she saved the sweater.

I'm a meme, you're a meme...

I love these cute little “Take a survey!” sites. I find the notion that my entire life's experience can be captured in 20 questions amusing and somewhat disconcerting. Here’s one I took recently.

You Know You're From Maryland When...

• You know more than 10 people who own boats and they all park them at the same marina in Annapolis • You can pronounce and spell "Pocomoke," "Mattaponi," "Accokeek," and "Havre de Grace" [and Chincoteaque and Monocacy too!] • You prononce "Bowie" BOO-ie not BOW-ie or BAUW-ie • 1 hour is an easy commute to work • You have more than three recipies for crabcakes • French fries just don't taste right without Old Bay [or an ocean view] • There are more than two crab places in your town • Even your high school cafeteria made good crabcakes • You got your first lacrosse stick before you were six years old • You call all turtles "terrapins" • You refer to your state as "Merlind" • Your mother shops at Hecht's • You still call Six Flags America "Adventure World", or even "Wild World" • You still remember the Wild World commercial (Wild World's the cure for the summertime blues!) • You can tell the difference between the smells of septic and marsh. • You not only know how to eat hard crabs but you also know how to catch them, cook them and tell the males from the females. • You don't think that Assawoman Bay is a strange name for a body of water. • You know perfectly well why Rehoboth is called "Little San Francisco" • M R Ducks makes perfect sense. • So does C M Wangs. • You think Salisbury is a big city. • You think of dumplings as wet slippery squares of boiled dough. • You think of "Dairy Queen" as a pageant title and not a place to get an ice cream. • You still root for the Orioles even when they suck • You'll never understand why tourists come to DC. • When in Florida, you can only laugh when you see signs saying "Real Maryland Blue Crab Cakes!" • Your whole family lives within a 200 mile radius of your town. • You plan for "The Festival" a year in advance. • During the summer, you spend more time in Ocean City than at home. • Margret Heater, Hedspace, Jepetto, Outside Joke and Mary Prankster are people you think are "Famous" • Your radio dial is stuck on 99.1 [alas,not anymore] You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Maryland.

Get Your Own "You Know You're From" Meme Here

More cool things for your blog at
Blogthings

Separated at birth?

I’ve discovered that Smarty McYarnpants and I have something in common.

Our cats were separated at birth.

This is Kiah (pronounced "kee-yah"). We took him home in a moment of weakness back in 1998. He was so small and so cute back then! Now he is 13 pounds of cranky. His hobbies are eating, sleeping, and nuzzling knitted blankets.

He also puts up with the attention of Little Brewers 1 and 2.

Camera Cozy

I think my digital camera needs a cozy. It looks so lonely, sitting there in its silvery nakedness without a coat. I want to create a felted bag for it, but I can’t decide if I should knit one or just felt an old wool sweater and sew one.

Sweater Method Pros:
Immediate felting gratification. Mmm. Felting.

Sweater Method Cons:
I would have to dig out the sewing machine
No knitting required

I just realized I've managed to use the words nakedness and felt in the same paragraph without being lewd. Hey! I used them again! My blog hit count is going up even as we speak. :-)

The Gates

I saw The Gates two weeks ago, just before they dismantled them. I thought it was very interesting, but I expected to feel more of an emotional punch. It was nice, it was pleasant, it made for a neat walk through Central Park. I would have loved to see it from above. I wonder what the view is from the apartments surrounding the park?

The impermanence of Christo’s work has generated a lot of discussion about the purpose and value of Christo’s works. I suspect its value is in getting people to discuss the nature of art – does art have to have a purpose or can it just “be?” How do you assess the meaning of transient art? Should we equate Cristo’s dismantlement of the work to works lost through time or war? Discuss amongst yourselves.

For many gazing
in orange there is no rhyme
and reason eludes.

Baby Sweater Set

At long last, photos of the sweater and hat set I made for Engineering Goddess' baby-to-be. This is a photo of the entire set. Photo size fixed, thanks to El Jefe!

This is a photo of the hat, showing the cute little curlicue topper.
The sweater is knit in straight stitches with a seed stitch bottom border and cuffs. The hat is crochet using Brewgal's hat pattern. The topper is one piece of macaroni fringe from the book Illustrated Patchwork Crochet by Bella Scharf.