Jacquie's Journal

A Week of Dishcloths

This week I intend to do a small bit for the environment and knit one dishcloth each day for the next week.  It will reduce my reliance on paper towels and keep me busy while I work out what my next big project will be.  Here is the first one:

The pattern is originally from the Peaches N Creme ball band, but I got it from Mason-Dixon Knitting.  It is actually made from Sugar n Creme worsted weight cotton.  All my dishcloths will be made from this yarn as I happen to have quite a bit of it.  Being cotton and not stretchy it isn't the easiest stuff to knit, but never mind.  I haven't decided whether they will all be the same pattern, you will have to wait and see, but that is just the sort of suspense that will keep you all coming back isn't it.

We have had quite a fun weekend.  It was our friends' annual Oktoberfest party last night where much bier and Riesling was drunk and wurst of various kinds were eaten.  It was fun to catch up with people we generally only see at this event.

Today we went out to play.  Lucy and Gary went roller skating and Edward and I played Laser Tag.  We had two games.  In the first we were the only two playing and we spent most of the time trying to find each other.  It was also good for orientation as we had never played at this particular place before.  Edward won.  There was another family of about six playing in the second game so it was more fun.  I was second, but Edward would have done better if his pack had registered his shots.  He got a free game for next time.

With the cold weather we have been having I bought ingredients for a nice beef stew earlier in the week.  Of course today has been lovely and sunny again, but I have had to cook the meat anyway.  I can smell it cooking right now and I am getting hungry.  I don't often cook stews as I don't often plan ahead that many hours.  It would be better if I did, then I could make them earlier and have them be ready when we are instead of rushing about getting something at the last minute.

The new season of Desperate Housewives begins tonight.  I hope it perks up again, it was getting a bit dull last series.  Greys Anatomy sterted last Thursday and everyone (who cares!) is wondering who she will choose - McDreamy or McVet.  I don't know who she should pick but I do know I am looking forward to Lost starting again soon.

It's Our Wedding Anniversary

Today is our 26th wedding anniversary.  Gary sluffed off work this afternoon and we went to the movies to see "Little Miss Sunshine".  Loved the movie, very funny in places, but a weird ending, I thought.  No hankies needed, even though there is a sad bit.  I thought Bryan Cranston's role would have been bigger.  I thought he was going to be the Dad, but he wasn't.  Maybe he didn't want to get stereotyped after being the Dad in "Malcolm in the Middle".

Lucy brought home some good stuff from England and Menorca that I haven't got round to writing about.  The first thing was a Hanjie puzzle book.  These puzzles are hot in the UK at the moment and will be the next big thing here in the USA after Su Doku I predict. 

She also brought me sheepskin slippers from Menorca.  I used to buy a pair every year when we went regularly and they would last just long enough so I would never be without them.  They are so cosy and warm.  She bought herself some Avarques - very comfortable hardwearing sandals with rubber soles originally made with recycled tyres. 

There was chocolate, but that was for her brothers.  And there were lots of books from my sister and some British magazines that I am looking forward to reading.  At the moment I am reading Marley and Me from the library and I want to finish that before it is due back and I forget to renew it.  This is what I have to look forward to from Carolinne: The Number Devil  by Hans Magnus Enzensberger, How Language Works by David Crystal, and a Sudoku book that has the fancy kind of puzzle with double overlapping grids and non square grids and stuff.  Thank you, Carolinne. 

Finally there was a special book,The Art of the Possible by Dawna Markova.  This belonged to our friend who died and his wife sent it to me as a memento of him.  Thanks so much!

Mornington Crescent

This is a game of Mornington Crescent.  Please join in at any time, and check back regularly to see if it's your turn again, and to see if anyone has won.

Play your turn by adding a comment naming your station and explaining your strategy for choosing it.  That way beginners will get to learn the rules and can join in when they feel comfortable.  For an explanation of the game do a Google search - there is plenty of information out there about it that I needn't repeat here.

We will play to this edition of the London Underground Map 

I suggest keeping it simple to start with.  I will therefore start the game off with Paddington - leaving things nice and open for a main line shuffle or a knid near Marble Arch.  Remember this is only effective until May when Queendway reopens.

Saturday again already

Time does fly when you are getting old!

Yesterday I put up some photos, so I hope you enjoy them.

I started on the ballet cardie for Mia yesterday afternoon.  I adapted the pattern to work with the yarn I bought (5 st/in instead of 3 st/in) and I think the eyelet pattern looks better in the finer gauge.  I did the whole back, but it doesn't have any armhole shaping so I may well rip it out back to where the shaping should be and then use my Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Anne Budd to do the shaping and the set in sleeves and use the oiginal pattern to get the surplice shape.

This morning I went to step and stomp class and we had the new instructor Jen.  She is great.  Step and Stomp is regular step but with sticks (actually 1" PVC piping from Home Depot) that we bang together and on the step.  It's great fun (if you like that sort of thing!) and really gets your heart rate up. 

Charlie is completely back to normal.  I'll have to take some more pictures of her, as she has grown quite a bit since the ones in the album were taken.  She quite likes the snow, and likes crunching ice.

The whole family except me are heavily into "World of Warcraft", so there are lots of discussions about how many golds and silvers they have, what they have bought and sold in the auctions,  places they have visited, and quests completed, that I feel quite left out of.  I daren't join in because I once got completely embroiled in Rollercoaster Tycoon to the extent that I was sitting down to play "just for a few minutes while I have my breakfast" and then suddenly finding it was two o'clock in the afternoon, I wasn't even dressed and the children were due back from school imminently.  And besides I am addicted to Su Doku puzzles (see link to USA Today Su Doku in the list of regularly visited sites, if you haven't come across these yet).  My sister, on a visit from the UK, introduced them to me (and America) in the summer, and I have done at least one every day since.

Must go now - Christmas shopping to do and puddings to make.