Tuesday, August 8, 2006

Beware of Falling Objects

Things I never Thought I'd See, part 786,048:


Yes, I'm wildly proud of her. No, I don't have the camera back. That picture was taken by another fencer's parent. The camera shop guy told me to call "tomorrow" when I called him last week. Then when my spouse called him the next day, he apparently got a little shirty and suggested that we were harassing him -- the part was on order, and they would call us when it was ready. Spouse said that we probably needed an auxillary backup camera. [Ed. note: I am well aware of the horrible misuse of the word "need" in this context. We have food, shelter, health, overly-active children. We are blessed in embarassing ways. However, I can't take pictures of my knitting. That's what he means by "need."]

Free of the silly distractions of documentation, I've been knitting. Perhaps it's in the air, thanks to the Mason-Dixon crew, but I tried a slip-stitch color pattern from Barbara Walker's first treasury for a little cell phone bag. Besides proving to myself that I can make mistakes on the easiest patterns in the world, I also discovered that I'm madly in love with that little tweed check and now want to make a snappy cotton jacket (with attached i-cord trim and a zipper) out of the same teeny cotton on size 3 needles for Thing 2 or 4. I also want to knit fast enough to complete the 20+ projects I jotted down during a less-than-riveting homily on Sunday.

The endless seduction of knitting is like a basso profundo behind the daily stuff I do. Read a book (think about knitting). Vacuum the house (think about knitting). Write a menu, grocery shop (think about knitting). Anyhow, knitting is just one more of those blessings that crowd in on me. It could be playing the bazouki or researching Civil-War era diaries, but for me it's the stranding and scooping, the hunting for the missing notions, the tug of war between acquiring more yarn than I technically need and using up what I have, making mistakes and swearing at them, frogging and reknitting. No wonder my project list keeps growing by leaps and bounds. During swim lessons today, one of the anniversary socks got four more rows on the heel flap and the ultimate watermelon hat gained an inch or so -- I may be up to the decreases. I have to capture Thing 4 and pop it on her head.

That's going to be a little harder now. She's pretty adept at stairs (the other day's fall down the last three or four outside notwithstanding) and so she can get upstairs. She's snuffling her nose. She's being funny on purpose. She's busy. A great favorite lately is finding small objects and putting them through an open window in the dining room. We have a fan which sits across the window, so she cannot become the small object going through it, but there's a two inch gap at the side. Retrieved items include credit cards, the DVD remote, felt-tip markers, the grinder wheel from the CD repairer, silverware, a plastic cup, and three tubes of lipstick and a pencil.

It's a good thing she's really cute.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember taking the VCR to the repair shop when Grey was one or two and getting it back with a fair size bag of toys taped to the top and a chuckle from the repair guy. So many toys that I'm suprised the thing worked as long as it did! Facinating stuff-push it through and bye-bye!

I talked to my sister today and she told me that my mom taught her one year old to rub his tummy when he eats something he likes. They are SO CUTE at this age.

Anonymous said...

Eeek! It isn't ME!

K

amy said...

you've been spamolized!

S, your fencer child is awesome! How cool is that?!

Are you a regular mass-attender or was this a homily of some other variety?

Carol said...

Glad you're feeling better. Hope you get your camera back soon.

sewingsuzee said...

I'm so excited about your post, I'll ignore the spam - and I'm even extra extra excited about a certain A Nonny Mouse finally delurking!

But - YES - that constant drone in the background is how I am about quilting when I'm in the zone. In fact, last night I was reading an awfully good book and the buzz in my head got too loud and I had to put it down and just THINK ABOUT SEWING for a while.

Doesn't that sound like something a 7yo would say (not sewing, probably...maybe mud or sticks or Legos)?

I think that, yes, you need a new camera. Then if the old one ever gers fixed, it can be a Thing camera.

This comment has turned into a post...sorry!

Rain said...

It sounds like Thing 4 is a real character.

Isn't it funny how a little hobby like knitting can become all consuming. I'm cursing designers for coming up with too many patterns I have to knit.

allisonmariecat said...

Never a dull moment with the Things :)

I haven't been knitting for all that long...about 4 years, but I can't really remember not knitting. It's so...delightfully obsessing. I think about yarn and colors and patterns all the time, and I can't watch tv without knitting. It's definitely more intense than most hobbies.

Stefaneener said...

Word verification is right back on, folks. Although if any of you make money in your spare time from this spam, I expect a cut. Amy, I go to our Episcopal church pretty much all the time (all the pomp; no Pope). It works for me, recovering Southern Baptist as I am. And yes, the fencing is the coolest thing in the whole world. Next to knitting.

bfmomma said...

I was so excited to see a picture and thought the camera was back. ugh! I agree that a backup is a good plan. C. has our "old" camera, but it needs a battery that holds a charge and I just haven't gotten around to ordering one.

I'd love details on the watermelon hat!

and the fencing is REALLY cool! I've actually never fenced, but G. did it in college and loved it. :)

jen said...

So nice to see a picture on here, and must be nice to have one to post!

I'm with you on the knitting obsession, but I still bow down to your productiveness. Four kids (home schooled, no less) chickens, bees, a garden... still you knit far more objects than I can comprehend, and all I've got is a husbeast and a part time job.