W, X, Y & Z are for

Wool
Wroth
Weak
Wait
Wounded
Wondrous
Worthwhile
Whistle - I can't but I wish that I could.
Waffles

Xray
Xerox
Xanthum gum
xXx

Yarn
YoYo
Young (at heart)
Y2K - tempest in a teapot
Yak - verb & noun
Yin Yang - I need to find my Yang and find my balance again.
Yeast - mmm ... now I crave fresh bread.
Yearn
Yawn

Zoo
Zamboni
Zebra
Zen
Zest
Zydeco

Zabaglione

T, U & V are for

Titanic
Teaching - It's Frolic time again!! I'll be enjoying the market, teaching and then more enjoying the market. Will you be there?
Tantrum
Tortellini
TV - I do love watching TV; it's the perfect partner to my knitting. I'm easily entertained and there are so many great shows on!

Umbrella
Ubiquitous
Ungrateful
Unappreciated
Used
Understanding

Very
Verified
Vicuna
Velour
Vow
Villified
Volatile
Vulnerable

S is for

Sock - I finished a pair of socks today! They've been way too long in the making but done is done & I'm not going to berate myself. Sorry ... Top Secret so no pics. I'm looking forward to knitting them again in the Noro Taiyo.
Survivor
Scarves - I'm still working on those fun mitred triangle scarves. Relay for Life is coming up so I'm trying to get a push on to have a good contribution to decorating our tent!
Sister - I love both of my sisters. They are both strong, determined and making a difference.
Success
Smirnoff Ice - I love this stuff!!
Smile
Summer - I'm so looking forward to summer, it's my favourite season!

R is for

Re is such a lovely prefix!

Renewal
Rebirth
Rediscover
Reevaluate
Reflect
Ravelry
Radiation
Ramie
Reflexology
Reprobate
Reprehensible
Rhathymia
Riddikulus
Read

Q is for

Quilt - This is the quilt that Roxie made for Amanda. I've got another picture of it but it's on the other drive. Amanda does love blankies and this is just a perfect snuggle-hug and the colours are springy & cheery. Mischief loves it too. She's sending one for Kyle too ... I know!!! MWAH!!!
Quitter
Quintessential
Quiver (the verb, not the noun)

P is for

Percussion
Pie
Pretender
Pack rat

O is for

Oligarchy
Optimistic

N is for

New
Normal
Neanderthal
Namaste

M is for

Mother
Marriage
Mischief
Poor Mischief - my sister visited yesterday and brought her new puppy Doodle. Mischief had no idea what to make of the tiny little thing and was truly scared off by the tiny ball of fluff!! Mischief had to climb up on a chair or run down the stairs to feel safe! Mischief got brave when Doodle went to sleep though and took the opportunity to smack her a few times ... until Doodle woke up and Mischief ran away again. It was very entertaining!!!
Mayhem
Melifluous

L is for

Lace

Daniella sent me a set of their circular needles to knit Fiddlesticks Flirty Ruffles Shawl. I knit this for a client a number of years ago and have been wanting one for myself. I have had the most gorgeous Sundara Silk Lace maturing in my stash just for this project and now that I have all of the components for a perfect project ... I did this in 16 days as an Olympic project so that will be my goal again. Knitting TV will be Heroes & The Tudors I think. I love TV on DVD!!!

Cut My Losses
Love
Laughter

K is for

Knitting

I've lost a bit of my knitting mo-jo lately.
I swatched the pink Kid Classic but just wasn't feeling like knitting Marsha so that went back in the room.
Still have a scarf on the needles.
I'm onto the leg of the socks for Elise and am getting excited to be close to done & starting another pair. Noro's Kureyon sock has been discontinued so I'll be doing another pair in the Taiyo sock. Hmmmmm ... what colourway?

Kill Bill

My favourite movie(s) when I've had a bitch of a day. Line up the drinks and hit play & in a few hours I'm feeling much less rageful.

J is for

Justification
Jilted
Jackass
Jaded



Japanese Maple
Jasmine

Jell-O
Joy

I is for

it·er·a·tion

noun \ˌi-tə-ˈrā-shən\

Definition of ITERATION

1: the action or a process of iterating or repeating: as a : a procedure in which repetition of a sequence of operations yields results successively closer to a desired result b : the repetition of a sequence of computer instructions a specified number of times or until a condition is met — compare recursion

2: one execution of a sequence of operations or instructions in an iteration

3: version, incarnation iteration of the operating system>

Examples of ITERATION

1. iteration of the same piddling complaints is wearing thin>

First Known Use of ITERATION

15th century

icon·o·clast

noun \-ˌklast\

Definition of ICONOCLAST

1: a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration

2: a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions

— icon·o·clas·tic \(ˌ)ī-ˌkä-nə-ˈklas-tik\ adjective

— icon·o·clas·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See iconoclast defined for English-language learners »

Examples of ICONOCLAST

1. iconoclast, that music critic isn't afraid to go after sacred cows>

Origin of ICONOCLAST

Medieval Latin iconoclastes, from Middle Greek eikonoklastēs, literally, image destroyer, from Greek eikono- + klan to break — more at clast

First Known Use: 1641

These words just sort of roll off the tongue and there is nothing like a good iteration for the imagination!!

H is for

Hallelujah

hal·le·lu·jah (hl-ly)

interj.

Used to express praise or joy.

n.

1. An exclamation of "hallelujah."

2. Music A composition expressing praise and based on the word "hallelujah."

Wiki link.



Thanks to Judy for suggesting this H word. It totally trumps happy for expressing my thankfulness & joy at coming through the other side of cancer & treatment as well as I have!!

I know I missed a day but April has more than 26 days so I figure that allows for some grace.

G is for

Grumbling - Stop it!!! Grumbling is just counter-productive. It's whiny and self-pitying and generally unhelpful. If you must, then complain to someone who can do something about your issue(s) or offer a resolution. Better yet, be proactive and find a solution or move on to:

Gratitude Seriously a little goes a long way!! I really think that as a society we have become so accustomed to coveting more - keeping up with the Jones' - that we forget that maybe we are the Jones'!! New & better come so fast & furious that it's impossible to keep up ... wait a minute ... do we really need to keep up? I remind my kids that instead of looking at their friends who have what they perceive to be more and/or better than they do & feeling hard done by, perhaps they should look at their friends who don't have what they do & feel lucky that we've been able to provide them such things.
I admit that I love a new gadget probably more than the next girl and I do love my Bluray player & wouldn't trade my iPhone 4 for anything, but I waited a long time to trade up to that tech and will make it last as long as I can before moving on. Maybe it's because I was raised with very little such things, or because I hate learning how to use new tech or I'd like to believe that I really have enough sometimes and grateful to have what I do.

I'm not against buying new things or having a passion for something(s). Lord knows that would be the pot calling the kettle black!! It's about slowing down sometimes and asking why. Are we looking for the things to fill a hole that things can't fill or expecting happiness from something meant to entertain? Sometimes it's not about the "what" but the "why" and taking the time to find out.

Also, Gertrude, green grass, garnet

F is for

Friends - tried & true, far & near, virtual & in RL.

Fabulous - I got my nails done again (9 of them anyway) and it's amazing how much it lifted my spirits and made me feel fabulous again!!

Freezing - I was always the cold one in the house but since the chemo I've nudged the thermostat from 68 to 69 to 70 and I am still freezing. I have a hot water bottle under my feet, hot drink in my hands, afghans around my legs & an extra sweater on. And I still feel deep down cold. I sometimes wonder if I'll ever really be warm again?

And then there's my favourite F-word (and it's many variations). I try to use it less but sometimes it's just the most perfect way to express the moment.

Simplicity

So I am back to knitting on socks - my thumb is sufficiently de-sensitized and mostly just numbish (still swollen & unsightly) to return to regularly scheduled knitting. I finished the first sock and am onto the second one. The 2nd sock always goes faster for me ...

While I couldn't knit on such fine needles (and when I say fine I mean 2.75mm tiny & Damn Fine Signatures!!) and even now to give my thumb a rest, I have been knitting on scarves. I really do love the simple beauty and ease of garter stitch and I love the way Iris Schreier's mitered scarf turns stripes on their sides! I'm going to be saving them up to donate to the DKC Relay for Life team. I've gotten some masculine colours ... can't wait to bang more out!!
Sometimes though, a miter can take a wrong turn. I can't believe that I finished the whole triangle before I realized what I had done!! LOL Back on track though with a healing laugh for good measure.

E is for

Effervescence

intransitive verb

1

: to bubble, hiss, and foam as gas escapes

2

: to show liveliness or exhilaration

— ef·fer·ves·cence \-ˈve-s^ən(t)s\ noun

— ef·fer·ves·cent \-s^ənt\ adjective

— ef·fer·ves·cent·ly adverb

Origin of EFFERVESCE

Latin effervescere, from ex- + fervescere to begin to boil, inchoative of fervēre to boil — more at brew

First Known Use: 1784

I think that it's such a fun word that sounds just like what it means - light & bubbly! It makes me think of the Canada Dry slogan - "champagne of ginger ales". My dad was always a die-hard Canada Dry guy & I have to say that it's my favourite ginger ale too. Here's an interesting history of Canada Dry.

A-D

Thanks Rox - I'm nothing if not a highly suggestible lemming!!
I have decided to join the A-Z Blogging Challenge to get me back into the habit of Daily Blogging. There might not always be pictures but we'll see what I can do. There may even be days where I blog twice if I can't work my knitting/life into the letter of the day.
I don't think that there will be a theme - the word that I chose may be a quality that I have, wish to cultivate, admire in others, a word that makes me happy or one of those words that makes no sense at all. There may even be words that are names.

A is for Acquisitions
With a move in my future I have been taking stock of just how much I've acquired. Whether it's been purchased, traded or gifted I'm trying to make decisions on what it means to me. I'm a sentimental person and I love the memories that a lot of my things evoke but being an avid Hoarders watcher I am mentally planning a lot of culling. The yarn & books will be quite safe, but even there I have room to pass on love.

B is for Blame
I loved reading the Berenstain Bears and the Blame Game when the kids were little. It probably wouldn't hurt to keep reading it for them. So much time & energy - whether it's at work or home - is spent wasted trying to not take the blame, finding ways of making "whatever" someone else's fault instead of working out how to fix the problem or compromise towards moving forward. Sometimes there just is no blame, shit happens and it's time to get to the resolution of the issue and stop trying to find more faults.
It's similar to what Dr. Phil calls it "right fighting". I don't mean not fighting for your rights, or not advocating for yourself just to be agreeable, but right-fighting just to be the "winner" of an argument. It's the mentality behind it that is exhausting & self-defeating; arguing for arguments sake with no value added.
Lesson: Is it worth it? Pick your battles.

C is for Children

How could it not be? My children make me so proud. They push my buttons, drive me crazy and totally act their ages but they are amazing. They balk & butt heads but they are they for each other (and me) when the chips are down. They are both so smart and beautiful, I can see the potential that they have and I know that they'll get anywhere that they want to go. I just love them.

D is for Dexterity

As knitters (and crafters in general) we need a fair amount of fine-motor dexterity; more than the average person. We don't think about it, we just do it. I've thought a lot more about it since the surgery on my thumb and losing a significant amount of that dexterity.
An opposable thumb separates us from lower forms of life. It provides both power & precision to our hands and everything has been a challenge - knitting, zippers, buttons (buttoning buttons & pushing buttons on remotes), holding a cup, handling money, turning keys, learning to push the space bar on the keyboard with my left thumb, holding a pen ... it goes on & on.
But I'm determined (bonus D word!!!) and adaptable and even though it's been about a month I'm still missing & looking forward to the return of full dexterity!