I was tagged today by fellow sheep collector Jean, who lives in Hotlanta and loves yarn and fiber.

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themself. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 or 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago??

Ten years ago I had just moved to Jacksonville from Boston via a brief layover in Atlanta.  Jacksonville was at that time expanding I-95 and even with all the construction it was still an improvement over the commute in Beantown that included a car, a ferry boat, a train, a trolley, and an elevator.

2. What are five things on my to do list for today?  Since it’s so late today this list is going to run over into tomorrow…

• finish this tagging business
• take the trash out
• get soap for store
• recommend Indiana Jones to everyone (it was great to see Indy again!)
• paperwork

Jean, it’s not glamorous or exciting either!

3. What are snacks I enjoy?  I’m not a snacker except when it comes to knitting projects, lol!

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

• Free-standing yarn shop with every skein imaginable, enuff said
• Same financial stuff anyone would likely do
• Travel the world

5. Places I have lived:  (It counts if you got mail there, right?)

• North Carolina – Charlotte and Winston-Salem
• Massachusetts – Boston
• Missouri – St. Louis
• Florida – North Lauderdale, Clearwater, Jacksonville
• London, UK
• Innsbruck, Austria

6. Jobs I have had:  Oh for real, I cannot answer this….

• Babysitter
• Sales clerk at ski/fitness shop
• Sales clerk at shoe/clothing store
• Office assistant for study abroad program at my school
• CIA agent
• Ice skating instructor
• Various and sundry other positions in years following school and currently related to Other Life and Other Other Life (see how they learned me to be evasive at the CIA?)
• Yarn shop chief cook and bottlewasher
• Trash taker outer

7. Peeps I’d like to know more about:

• Pretty much most everyone I meet
• Hat designers who evidently have shallow heads
• Found out Tony Stewart is single today… curious about learning more about him

Here it is! Proof positive that it does indeed get cold in northeast Florida. Woohoo!  The sprinklers got a teensy workout to keep the pipes fom freezing, and this was the happy result – icicles in January! So what have we learned, grasshoppers? Yes, that’s right… all the knitting last summer gets to come out today and be shown off – congratulations to you happy Malabrigo’ers!  What’s next, I wonder.  Central Park Hoody, anyone?

Did everyone have a peaceful weekend? I did – amazingly – but it was cold in North Carolina. To go from high 70-80s to mid 50s is shocking.  Nevermind the temperature drop into the low 30s at night.  But it was definitely more Christmas-y!  This photo is the morning after Christmas, through the car window. The tree is a huge old walnut in my grandmother’s front yard. I’m so happy it came out like this, because the wipers swept away the sleet just a split second after the shutter fired.

Here’s a poem I wrote.  Okay, as poems go it’s a mite bit irreverent.  Not much rhymes with “you.” Anyone who’s ever knit for someone else knows it’s ultimately more satisfying to knit for the one person who always, without fail, appreciates it – yourself.  To this I’d also add that perhaps another knitter would appreciate your work as much. Because knitters know just what went into that hat, or scarf, or – gulp – sweater.  Of course, most of us still love to knit for non-knitters.  Sharing what comes off the needles is a “welcome to my world!” invitation sort of thing.  It’s more than a hat, scarft, or – egads – sweater.  We get it, but sometimes others don’t.  So for the non-knitting gift recipients of the world,

The Knitter’s Gift, by KL

You may not think it very much,
But know that it has known the touch
Of my two hands, my mind, my heart
And hours of my time.
                    The art
I’ve knit you may not see
The same as I and, if so, please
Never show your discontent.
I’d not know my time was spent
On anything but love for you.
So, suck it up and smile, dude.

Holiday Recipe: Candy Cane Hat

Worsted weight wool in red and white, size 8 16″ circular needles, an extra size 8 needle (for the 3-needle bind off), pompom maker of your choice. Cast on 96 stitches, join to work in round. Knit 10 rounds of red. Join white, knit 2 rounds of white. Knit 2 rounds of red. Continue in this manner until there are 12 white stripes, finish with 10 rounds of red. Turn hat inside out and arrange half of the stitcheson each needle. Using spare size 8 needle, loosely work 3 needle bind-off. Attach 2″ pompom to each corner of the hat.

Embraer Leg RoomOriginally uploaded by kathe001.

As a footnote to the TNNA market posting, would you look at the legroom on this plane? The aisle was 6′7″! After all the worrying over space issues, this was kind of ironic to have this much room on the way back home to Jacksonville. This was the Columbus to Atlanta route, by the way. The jet was an Embraer 170 operated by one of Delta’s partners, and was just about a year old – it was so pretty. Still had that “new plane smell”!

MagnoliaOriginally uploaded by kathe001.

I spent Sunday at Walt Disney World’s Epcot b.l.k. and enjoying all the lovely flares with a few friends.  I got some knitting done, too.  It was a small linen/ cotton washcloth.  The weather wasn’t as bad as predicted – it was Georgia-smoky all the way to Orlando, but that cleared away just after lunch.  This was the most “see everything” visit I’ve had to Epcot in a while, so thanks to Steph and Lynne for leading the way! This shot of a creamy Magnolia was taken in Tink’s Flower Garden, home to mini-houses and comfy walking trails…