Terms of Endearment

It occurred to me last night that we all have some rather different terms of endearment we use for those we love or care about. You see, I talk baby talk to my Lexi. I also talked baby talk to my son when he was a baby and my nieces and nephew. Humans grow out of the baby talk era but my pet never does. So needless to say, I have a quite a list of terms of endearment that I use with Lexi. She is: sweetie pea, sugar plum, cute toot (don't ask lol), honey bunny, love bug, pretty kitty, good kitty, my striped girl, loosey goosey, cuddle buddy, snuggle girl, silly goose, and my sugar puddin'.

So this got me to thinking of the terms of endearment I've been called by my family members. And those are: snickle fritz, hon, Lady Astor, Kallee (my sister couldn't say my first and middle names when she was little), sweetie, K-K, Katrina, and sugar puddin (my grandmother gave me that one). Funny, when looking at that list my mother only had two: snickle fritz and Lady Astor which she called either myself or my sister so they were interchangable.

My son had a few special terms of endearment: Mr. Peepers and Snookums to be precise. My mother warned me very early (like when he was 1 week old) that some of those nicknames hung on for life so to be very careful what nickname I used. She also hated nicknames. I can understand that considering her grandfather dubbed her Runt when she was just a few hours old. lol She was called Runt for years and of course, after she shared the story with us we used it when appropriate. Such as when playing Monopoly: Rent! Runt!! the Rent!! lol She had one other nickname that she still is called to this day and that is Nunna. Her brother couldn't pronounce her name and while he can today, at 60 something years old he still calls her Nunna.

My dad was a freckled redhead. Those of you who are or have a family member who is a redhead know what teasing goes along with those ruby locks. His name was Charles so his list of nicknames were: Charlie, Red, Carlos (his daughters gave him that one), and Popsicle Louie. NO ONE ever called him Chuck. He didn't like that one for some reason.

My grandfather's name was Elvest. Not Elvis but Elvest. He had no middle name. People called him Pete. Go figure. He named his second son Elvest Junior but for some odd reason my uncle had a middle initial and signed his name E.D. But we all call him Uncle June. The youngest sister of the sibling group is my Aunt Duane. I bet I'm the only one in the world with an Uncle June and an Aunt Duane. :-)

Ok, I could go on and on about family nicknames, terms of endearment and just regular ole odd names but I won't. But I would love to hear your terms of endearment.

Startitis

Ok, Terri says I have startitis and I know I do. I knit and knit and knit and never have any finished projects to show. Well, not very often. I remember when I was in Bluebirds when I was a kid, one of our oaths was to finish what we start. I fail that miserably. It applies to sewing, knitting and any other craft project I start. So with that in mind, I started digging in the finished object pictures I have taken in the past year. And guess what? I do have a few finished objects.


Next Saturday will be July's Knit-In at Gourmet Yarn. It's going to be a cookout and should be a lot of fun. And speaking of July, that will be the month The Yarn
Harlot comes to OKC. We have the locations and time set. We're waiting for
posters and postcards. The marketing committee and reception committee has
met once. This is the first time the Guild has attempted something like this. I'm
sure we'll make some mistakes. I hope I don't step on any toes. There is so
much to cover that I believe anything is possible. lol I hope the end result is
that we have a great time with Stephanie and that her talk and the reception will
be everything we hope for.

Goodbye Vanessa!

This is Vanessa and I know her most from our Sit n Stitch group here in Norman. Thursday was her last night with us. She's moving out of state for new adventures!!

This is a picture of her latest pair of socks she is knitting. Vanessa is just amazing in that if she sees a project she wants to knit she doesn't let it intimidate her. Correct me if I have this wrong but Vanessa wanted to knit a sweater with intarsia and went to Guthrie and got a pattern for some elaborate gorgeous sweater with a TON of intarsia. She brought it one night to our group and it is gorgeous. She did a fantastic job.

Vanessa picked up another skill and hobby in the short time we've known her, spinning. This is a skein of merino/silk that she spun herself. If she had not told us she'd spun it I would have thought she bought it at the store. Anyway, we are going to miss her so much. But hopefully she'll stay in touch with email and her blog.







And just in case you've missed my little Lexi girl, here she is hiding under the towel from the fan breeze.

Ramblings

I put Tracksy on my blog several months ago. And I just realized one of the features of that program just the other day. I always look to see who (no names just locations, that's what it shows) reads my blog. I've had a reader from Singapore, London, Japan, a few from Canada and I guess I have a "regular" from Manasass, VA (whew I hope I spelled that right!!) and various other spots in the US. I get regular hits from readers of other blogs because then it shows knitterswonderland or hazelnutreflections or susinok. And almost daily I get hits from msn.com or yahoo.com. I just found out that when I click those links it will tell me what the person used in their search that brought them to my blog. Cool, huh? I was very pleasantly surprised when I found a couple of people who searched for hollyhock dolls and found my blog. I bet they were disappointed as it was only a mention in my blog and no pictures of the dolls. But I thought that was so cool.

Lots of interest going on about Stephanie aka The Yarn Harlot. We're gearing up and trying to get all the details taken care of so we have a great crowd for her. I'll tell you something very honestly, I didn't know I'd get this excited about it. lol The marketing committee is meeting for the first time tomorrow. We have lots of stuff to cover. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to put them in comments.

I've been so busy I feel like a top with my string pulled. I haven't picked up the needles much. I manage to knit a row or a partial row and that is about it. I had a nice response to a post I put on Knitter's Review yesterday. A knitter from Amarillo said she came to OKC to shop and discovered Gourmet Yarn. Bless her heart, they only have a very small knitting shop in Amarillo in addition to the regular chain retail spots. She said she loved Gourmet and the people there were very nice. I told her to schedule a shopping trip around the first Saturday of the month and to join us for a Knit-In. And that reminds me!!! A lady visited us at Guild Sunday from the Austin area. She comes up about once a month to visit her parents here in OKC and discovered Gourmet Yarn on an internet search. She said she loved the shop! (Yes, I pass this all on to Margaret...she needs to beam with pride when she hears these comments.)

Not much else to report. I swear I wish it would cool down. Here we are having August weather in June. I am scared to death to think of how the August weather will be. Stephanie, if you by chance read this, be prepared for a heat wave when you arrive!!

Have you heard??

I thought I'd post this just in case you had not already heard. You'll never guess who is coming to Oklahoma!!! THE YARN HARLOT!!!!! Ok, I'll calm down now. (sorta) Your OKC Metro Knitting Guild is bringing Stephanie (aka The Harlot) to Oklahoma City. She will grace us on Tuesday, July 25th at the Village Library. She will speak at the library and then afterwards Margaret at Gourmet Yarn will host a reception and book signing at her shop. I understand Margaret is offering something special in conjunction with this so be sure and check her website/blog to see more about it. It is going to be one special evening that is for sure. If I have a reader or two within a decent car trip, come on up! or come on down! lol This surely warrants a road trip if any reason does. The Harlot is coming! The Harlot is coming!

I have Bette Davis........yarn

I HAD to go by Gourmet Yarn today. Margaret got the Schaefer in this week!!! As you can see I had to buy Bette Davis. I love the red and purple color combo. There is some pink and orange in the mix but the red and purple are the dominant colors.










It's a lace weight yarn so I'm trying to find the perfect pattern. I am pretty sure I'll knit a wrap or stole from it. But I am fairly picky. I don't like frilly, foo-foo stuff. No hearts or floral motifs for me. I think I'll use the same pattern Karen was using on her buffalo wrap. It is nice, a lace pattern, no foo-foo frilly stuff.






Speaking of Karen.......She came in while I was there. Excuse my picture taking, she was NOT asleep.....I caught her mid blink. But as you can tell, how content can a woman get....pizza in one hand and YARN in the other!! My kinda Gal!!!

There is an exciting announcement that will be made at the OKC Metro Knitter's Guild tomorrow. I know some know the WHO but not the WHERE. Belle Isle Library, North Entrance, 3-5!!! Bring your current project and/or show-n-tell.

Petting Yarn

I've been contemplating this yarn for a few months now. As you can see, I am weak. I went to Dallas for a couple of days and I just couldn't resist the urge to go to the Woolie Ewe. I didn't see a whole lot I couldn't live without. But I did pick up a pair of Crystal Palace circulars. Their selection was very limited so I'm guessing they are no longer going to carry those needles. Darn! My sources are drying up! lol

I was reading someone's blog the other day. And as I'm sure you must do I start clicking on other blog links and on and on until I don't recall how I find some of the ones I read. But I'm telling you this to give credit to the "unknown" blog. I read a blog where a woman talked about being a yarn collector. Eureka!!! That's me! I'm coming clean right here and right now. I don't have to pretend that I'm going to knit every skein of yarn that I own. And I don't have to have a project in mind for every skein I buy. So there! I've said it, I'm posting it and proudly admitting it. Whew!! That is such a relief and such a powerful free feeling. I was talking to my Yarn Priest on the phone when on the way back today. I gave my "confession" of my purchase. lol And I told her I might wear it out before I got back to Oklahoma. I was fondling and petting the yarn while I was driving up I-35! But as you can see in the pictures, the fondling yarn came home intact.

Stash building

This is the clapotis. I haven't made much headway on it as I have not picked it up too much in the last month. But as you can see I'm to the section where I get to drop a stitch and let the yarn ladder. This is a fun pattern for me. Reminds me of the compulsion to pop the bubbles on bubble wrap. lol







This is a piece of fabric I picked up at Hobby Lobby this week. They had all spring fabric on sale for half price last week. I fell in love with the red poppies. My intent is to make a skirt from this. But reality and honesty pushes me to say it might just become another piece of a newer stash I've slowly worked on in the past two years. When I left Tulsa 6 years ago and moved to OKC, I gave away huge garbage bags of fabric. I was moving to a place where I had no room to sew or to store fabric. Somehow that little bug or worm that is inside me and causes me to look, feel and rub fabric also made me start buying fabric again. It wasn't until I'd gotten a good start on the yarn stash that I realize it's ok to have fabric just to fondle also. And to be even more honest, it is freeing in a way to admit that I do and can buy fabric or yarn just for the enjoyment of having it. If I manage to make an article of clothing or knit whatever then great, if not, I'm just stash building. And it feels good.


And another "area" I tend to build is buying books. These are some I found at Overstock.com. I surround myself with books just as I do yarn and fabric. I wonder is there a name for people like me who lust, drool and buy these items??? lol

My name is Kay and I'm a ........................

A scorcher of a day

Ok, it's only June and not even mid-June and we're having August temps. I swear the heat and humidity in this state make me want to move!

I wanted to get some Bemberg Rayon sometimes known as Ambiance today. I thought if any store had it it would be Helen Enox Fabrics. Well, they don't carry it. Grrrrrrrrr J. Boyer Fabrics in Tulsa carried it but they are no longer in business. I guess I'll be ordering it online. While I was there I ran into Susan F. We looked at fabric for awhile and I didn't see anything I couldn't live without, today. lol

I later went to Gourmet Yarn and sat and visited with Sandy and Liz while they wound some feathery yarn by hand. I managed to not buy any yarn either!! Then I ran up to Barnes and Noble to visit with Emily for a bit. Then we went to get Susan B. and the three of us had dinner at Abuelo's to celebrate her birthday.

So after all the shopping I did today you'll never guess what I did buy.......a cotton thermal blanket!!! lol In this heat.....lol

Not much else to write about. No pictures. Hope everyone is staying cool.

Contagious blogging

There is a person around here who has been spewing all this sewing talk. She tells all the tips she knows about alterations, fitting, fabric finds, etc. Then she pushes it even further by posting pictures!!! Doesn't she know that stuff is contagious!! It permeates your sleep and haunts your waking hours. And especially those "tween" times when you aren't quite asleep but not truly awake either, that's when I have all these color combinations floating in my mind. I promise I give her total blame for posting that contagious blog. As you can see to the left I purchased some sheer floral print for the overskirt of the as-yet-unpurchased underskirt and the solid will be an unstructured jacket. Thank God her desire for tailored items hasn't taken hold of me yet. Pray for me.



I realized at the Knit-In at Gourmet Yarn (when I forgot to bring my teacup) that I should share some pictures of my old dishes that I started collecting a few years ago. When I was a child my mother had two pieces of this pattern. She had a tea pitcher and a pie plate. Both were used in the kitchen early on and then both were put to use watering plants or acting as the saucer for outdoor plants. Needless to say, both were in poor condition. Shortly after I moved from Tulsa to OKC I went to Affair of the Heart. While browsing there I spied some dessert plates from this pattern. Wow! did it bring back some memories! I always wanted to stir the Koolaid or tea that was served from the pitcher. (We rarely used the pie plate.) But the reason I wanted to stir was because I loved the sweet pattern of festoons, pink roses and the gold trim. So when I spotted those dessert plates I had to have them. That is when the collection started. I then asked my mother about the two pieces she had and luckily she still had them. When my grandmother had to be moved closer to family, another serving bowl joined my collection. And then I started searching on eBay and in antique stores and lo and behold I think I have 45 pieces. These dishes are made by Universal Potteries. The book I have on Universal Potteries states no one seems to know the name of this pattern. Some call it Heritage. UP made many patterns and some are flat ugly. lol But this one makes me think of my youth. I don't use any of these. The quality is such I don't think they could withstand much use and especially no dishwasher! I traded emails with one lady who seemed to be one of my constant competitors on eBay. She lived in Pennsylvania and told me she never had any luck finding any pieces up east. She had a friend who she visited in Missouri once a year and that was when she collected many of her pieces.



My mother told me she thought this pattern used to be sold in the Sears and Roebuck catalog.

She also told me that back when my grandmother married many people didn't have the money to buy wedding presents. So it was common custom to take a piece or two from your set to give to the new bride and groom. That is how she obtained the pitcher and pie plate, from her mother.




You can see parts of custard cups on each side of the sugar and creamer set. They are in very poor condition. But I found them in an antique store for a very good price. So I had to have them. lol















I still haven't unpacked all the boxes marked China. So these are the only pieces I've put in the china cabinet. One of these days I'll get them all out. Probably two months before I move again!!!

June Knit-In

We had the June Knit-In at Gourmet Yarn tonight. It was a tea-party theme although some of us forgot our tea cups!! lol This first picture is of Margeret, owner and gracious host. Doesn't she look gorgeous in that outfit? I really liked it and think she looks so pretty.















We had several new faces (to me) and I don't begin to know everyones name. But there are several shots of various people who were knitting with us tonight. And naturally there were so many projects that made me want to have 12 sets of hands so I could start knitting all of them! lol

















This lovely lady is Karen. She is modeling her latest project. Actually it's a felted bag but we were laughing that it could be a hat and I believe Jan said like Mushmouth from some cartoon. It does sorta remind me of that character! lol









































And last but certainly not least, Terri won the prize for best costume...er tea hat. She wore a pretty vintage hat and I wished I would have gotten a better picture. And Jan is pointing out her newest acquisition, her Harley Davidson shirt. I think it goes along with a bike her husband may have bought.

Next month's theme is a July Cookout. Mmmm mmmm it makes my mouth water already. Margaret and David are cooking burgers and we will bring side dishes and condiments. I think it sounds like a lot of fun. If you can make it we'd sure love for you to join us. We always have a great time with lots of laughs and good conversation.