Hats off

You guys! I'm knitting a hat! My first one ever!

The thing is, I've been knitting scarves for about two years now, and to be honest, I'm getting a little tired of them. They're pretty much falling out of my coat closet whenever I open it. I've made scarves for everyone I can think of who might want one (except you, Brian, and once I finish this hat, I'm totally gonna start that).

Not only that, but my Grammie Bly, who used to knit these amazing things, (somehow, she even made three gorgeous, teensy little Barbie wedding dresses! How did she DO that? Seriously) recently gave me all her old knitting needles. There must be about 50 of the things, all wrapped up in a needle holder. How could I let those fun little sticks go to waste? So I found a project I thought I might possibly be able to do.

And, even though it's close to being done. and it looks really good, I'm pretty sure I've messed it up royally. Because, um, apparently you're supposed to use the size yarn that the book tells you to use, and since I don't like to read directions (my one guy-ish trait), I didn't exactly notice that part. So while I think my hat will be prefectly knit, I'm guessing that it's not going to actually fit me. Or Emilee. Or Gavin.

So here's what I'm thinking: I'm gonna have to get me a baby somewhere. Because I am SO not going to let me first hat just sit around doing nothing. No sirrrrrreee. That hat is being put to good use. And I think (after Brian's scarf, of course) I'm going to make a sweater. Maybe. Or maybe not. It depends on whether or not I feel like reading directions.

Anyway. If you just read this entire blog about knitting, and you don't care one little bit about needles and yarn, you are a really good sport. And I love you.

The end.

Open letter

Dear Members of the Male Gender,

Please, please, please stop being so darn confusing.

Thanks a bunch,
Me (and lots of other girls, I'm sure)

Great, just great.

On the way into work this morning, I was listening to one of the local classic rock stations (which, for the record, I tune into for the talk, not the music), and the jockeys made the assertation that 70-80% of people don't know any of their great-grandparents' first or last names.

This strikes me as a little bit sad. I actually grew up knowing two of my great-grandparents (my mom's maternal grandparents) fairly well. And I spent some time with both of my dad's grandmothers.

Mom's grandparents- Florris and Hagel Robinson Johnston. Nannie passed away in 1998, Grampa in 2004 (I think). Before she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Nannie used to serve grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade applesauce whenever we came for a visit. Grampa went by "Rob" because, well, if YOUR name was Hagel, wouldn't you pick a different nickname too?

Dad's grandmothers- Rhoda Potter and Emily Siegel. I don't actually remember a lot about these two (Gram Siegel passed away when I was 8, Gram Potter when I was 12 or so) but Gram Potter gave me my first Annalee doll (an old granny mouse making a quilt).

I guess I hadn't realized how rare it is to have known one's great-grandparents... and the cool thing is that my kids are getting to know theirs too. (They have 5 great-grandmothers and 2 great-grandfathers).

See? I knew there was a good argument for having kids young. ;o)