There are no words ...

I'm Going International!!!

I've been invited to attend the 2008 Knit-Out & Crochet to represent Canada in a fastest knitter competition. What are you doing that weekend Cynthia? I am so totally excited!
I really hope that Miriam Tegels can come - I would LOVE to meet her!!

in·vite (n-vt)tr.v. in·vit·ed, in·vit·ing, in·vites

1. To ask for the presence or participation of: invite friends to dinner; invite writers to a conference.

Incredibly enough the CYCA isn't subsidizing any portion of my travel or accommodations so, who wants to be a part of Team Wannietta? I'm totally cool with wearing your badges (like a race car driver). I'm going to check with Kerwyn - he should have loads of air miles that he would love to let me use, but I'm open to all offers and contributions.

ETA: Does that make me Miss Canada? I wonder if I can have a sash?

Watching TAR with Wannietta - part 12.4

B-I-N-G-O ...

Azaria maybe hasn't heard this little saying - Confident, cocky, careless, dead.
Keep the chicken with you - does it have to arrive alive? Is this like the "baby egg" in high school?
Good idea TK - psych yourselves out. I mean, there's nothing on the line, no pressure. You'll forget all about the million and race for fun so that there's no pressure.
Good thing that Christina is going to continue to be patient 'cause I think that we'd all die holding our breath waiting for Ronald to change.
Hey - don't laugh!! Flapping chicken wings can hurt.
Donald you gotta be careful man! You can fling a turkey around by the neck, chickens are a bit more fragile.
Let's not name what could potentially be dinner.
When you gotta go, you gotta go.
I think that I'd have to shake the pan - I'm extremely white where rhythm is required.
That's one crazy-assed chicken dance.
Nate is just stompin' - he wasn't dancing at all!!
That's awesome - WTG sibs!!!
Don't beat up on yourself Jen - Nate is holding you back a bit.
Does rump shakin' get you a thumbs up?
Way to rush the old guy Nick & then not even be sure that you're rushing in the right direction!
OMG - Kynt & Vyxsin are like nothing that Africa has seen before! But they rocked (or would it be gothed?) it out!!
Woulda, coulda, shoulda TK but you didn't want to get your feet all wet & dirty I guess.
Sexy & blonde - use it if you've got it.
Who are you 2 trying to convince? You're doing it because you want to not because "It's a game, they'll understand. They'd do it to us."

Oops. You made a mistake - I'm sure that Jason & Lorena will totally understand!
Karma is a bitch with a very long memory!
Awwww - poor baby goats!
American Idol ... in Africa - you're hilarious Jason!!!
Aw c'mon Jen - work that blondeness a bit.
Again with the "MAY be eliminated"!! is up with that?!?
And again with Ronald knowing how to do the task that he chose not to do.
You're a team Jennifer; you couldn't talk Shana out of u-turning Jason & Lorena so .
I am so hoping that Jennifer totally screws up this roadblock and Jason & Lorena beat them!!

I like how Lorena has pulled herself together after the last (disastrous) leg.
Hey Vyxsin - what like African child could not love your pink hair?
YES!!! I don't care how many times the sibs have won 1st I am thrilled to see them beat Jen & Nate!
AWWWW!! Poor Jen - it's not fair! Everyone should have a turn to come in 1st. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF RACE?!?!
Funny how that is - other countries speaking other languages that you don't understand. And that makes it hard for you!!!

Crap - maybe Jen & Shana will get lost on the way back to the pit stop.
Poor Rachel - at least she didn't totally panic.
Kynt & Vyxsin are really growing on me as a team.
I really hate to see Jason & Lorena go out like this - I hope that there is a saving twist. They would have been right in the thick of it without that u-turn!
So why does Phil keep saying "MAY" be eliminated? It was stated at the beginning of the race that there would be no non-elimination legs. Am I the only one confounded/irritated by this?
People stay married because they want to too - otherwise they get one of those new-fangled divorces Jason!

That was one of the best legs yet - I really enjoyed it! I can't wait to see the blondes get theirs. And Nate & Jen will be hot on the heels of the sibs.
And while I'm sure that I don't want Ronald to actually be hurt, it's kind of satisfying to see him not know how to do something.
Okay - when I said "get theirs" I really didn't mean "get hit by a bus".

But who am I to question the will of God?

Interesting, According to Starbucks

According to Starbucks, I should be a whole lot of interesting! But really, if knitting is my comfort zone, am I still interesting by doing it more? I guess I could always add boxing to my schedule.

The Machine is Us/ing Us

I saw this on Krista's blog and it made me go "Hmmmmm".

Yes, Virginia ...

Well, actually it's more like, "Yes, Wannietta, there is a deity listening to you endless entreaties. You've been granted a !"

Unfortunately, that means that there is a driveway to shovel.
Fortunately, Amanda is an eager and cooperative minion!
Unfortunately, Kyle is less so.
Fortunately, Prescod woman are resolute, able-bodied and independent and don't need a man-child's sullen and unwilling assistance to get the job done!

I've also been trying to make a (noticeable) dent in the laundry piles. The washing machine has lately decided to stop just before the rinse cycle. I can either just tap the dial or give it an enthusiastic sidekick to start it up. This of course, requires a fairly high degree of diligence (which, since it's not yarn/knitting related has a hard time getting that). So laundry turns into quite a protracted chore.
Then of course, I need to help download music and upload the same music to an mp3 player.
And feed the progeny (I've explained countless times that they will not actually starve if food does not pass their lips every hour!).

So it is only now that I am able to get to the job of making sure that the chesterfield doesn't just float away and get some knitting done. Ah well, this is when speed comes in handy - making up for lost time!

Progress Report

Even when the rest of my life is in shambles, knitting provides a comforting, stabilizing continuity. Thanks for your encouragement - I'm sure that I'm not the first mom/parent to go through this kind of -altering torture difficult phase, and I probably won't be the last.
I love The Boy so much & I feel like every decision is the wrong one and he mostly hates my ideas & consequences and rebels to the -nth degree. I must be doing something right! LOL Mostly I can shrug it off but once in awhile I just have to let it out.
The Boy does drive me to eat - what with the bus driving morning & night I'd make either a very lame alcoholic or a very dangerous bus driver and the perfectionist in me doesn't like either of those alternatives.

Patrick & I have been busy making stitches - and we've done good!! The rest should go faster - I find that the back is (or at least I perceive it to be - it could be some sort of food-induced altered state of being) the slowest piece. I'm always measuring, re-measuring, oops - frogging, and measuring. Once it's done then I just have to knock of the front to match and then re-calculate the sleeve increases according to my row gauge.
I know, it looks especially large but keep in mind that this is Rowan Denim and it will shrink about 20% in length with the first washing. But yes, it is a lot of knitting!!

I've also knit up the back & fronts of a cardigan for Chicknits. I'm well into the 1st sleeve, so it won't be long now Bonne!

And finally 1st sleeve for a side-to-side sweater for Elise. I'm using Koigu Kersti & while I really loved it before I'm in extra-deep, hard core lust now!

The Apple

It fell from the highest branch and off of the farthest tip of that branch. It then proceeded to roll down the hill, splash into the river and float until the tree from which it fell was less than a wisp of a memory.

Kerwyn & I are both hard working people with a work ethic that involves generous measures of diligence, conscientiousness and delivery.
There is no doubt that Kyle (The Apple) is our child but it's becoming less and less immediately apparent.
I just got a call from his counselor at school (whose counsel is suspect and may be a contributing to the problem - but that's another whole session) who gave me his mid-term marks. Bad. Bad. Worse. And fucking humiliating!
No, I don't know what he really wants to do. He doesn't really know what he wants to do. I don't know what lies he told the computer in careers at school, but it told him that he'd make a great money manager.
Now, Kyle is smart and certainly has the potential to be a money manager (of other people's money that is), but right now he lacks the immediate motivation to do what it would take to be a money manager in the future. A 26% in math will keep him well out of any reputable financial institution and will probably keep him in the kitchen and away from the cash registers at McDonalds!!! Deep cleansing breaths!
I'm sure I really fucking hope that he finds his métier soon and starts pursuing whatever it is with something that resembles zeal.
I think that I've made his last 3 days miserable enough - no TV, gaming platform(s) or DVD's and compelled him into coming with me morning & night on my bus run and sundry, boring errands - that he won't get suspended again. I know, you all know me as a fun-loving happy-go-lucky kinda gal; I've pushed her down and brought out my inner hard-assed bitch. It's for his own good.

Carol & Sandra did this, and I'm just a humble sheep and will do it to. If you're reading this Kyle you might want to have a dictionary handy!

No Longer a Wollmeise Virgin

Now I know what all the fuss is about!!!
I'm sure that you've heard the name Wollmeise in your blog reading and Ravelry wanderings. I did and after much thought and consideration I caved ordered.

I was actually surprised when I picked this up at the post office - the order was shipped the day after I ordered it and 8 days (actual days not business days) from Germany to Angus!! Their customer service is top-notch.
I ordered a set of their sample skeins - because they offer light, medium and dark tones for all of their colours I thought that it would be excellent to have this "shade card". The sample skeins are all in the medium tone. Aren't they wonderful?!? Since I was ordering, I added in a skein of Dark Dani & Dark am kalten Polar. You may want to prepare yourself for the depth of the Dark - it might just take your breath away. Here they are beside the medium sample skein for comparison.

Dark Dani


Dark am kalten Polar

I warned you - the colours are so deep and rich that the rest of the world starts looking pale if I look at them too long. I can't wait to start a pair of socks with them!

Watching TAR with Wannietta - 12.3

WagaDooGoo? OoGooDooGoo? A WagaDogo? Ooo - whatever this place is? Awagodohgo? O Go Da Ga Doo Go Doh? OoGodaGoDa? OWoDaGoDoo? OWaGoDoh?

Ah Ha!! Ouagadougou!!

Of course you'll be set Nathan - everyone knows that getting on the first flight out is the key! Whatever dude.
Well, hopefully this new revelation/realization will change your future actions Ronald.
1/2 an hour is lots of time to check in - gotta lose the negativity Ron.
Good plan Ron - roll with the pain thing. Get a wheelchair and get to the front of the line. (or are you just getting your loser excuse ready?)

Jen should stop lying - poor baby Jesus is crying hard!!
That's right, a cabbie wouldn't take advantage of two blondes in a foreign country!
LMAO - did you see him giggle? He had their money - what did they think would happen?
Horny old man - yeah, I bet you could learn to live with it real easy!
Lucky to be there Nathan, but even luckier to be able to go back to your cushy home.
Does Ronald have a hernia? I'll have
I could totally milk a camel! It looks a bit more challenging than milking a cow, but I'm down with raw milk.
Poor Lorena - the squealing wasn't helping her much.
Roll with it Azaria - a camel's breasts - love them & stroke them gentle!
Nice long draw Christina - good technique.
Sweet warm milk - mmmm!
A little late to not be stressing.
Yeah - the blind leading the blind. I wouldn't have a good feeling either.
Christina's got it going on Ronald. I hope that you mean it when you say you'll listen to her more.

Poor Lorena - still with the freaking out!
The camels have probably gotten fed up with the amateur fondling and are deliberately drying up.
I'd totally learn it. Not that the kids aren't smart, but I'd rather rely on my own abilities.
Okay - Jen didn't complain about the milk, she just quietly gagged on it.
Azaria & Hendekea totally rocked that!
Someone - please put Lorena out of her misery!
Honestly - if she's that scared of animals to start with why wouldn't Jason have taken this roadblock?

I think that this lends new meaning to "crying over spilt milk".
The Zen Art of Milking - Be One with the Camel.
Listen to Ron being all multilingual!
We know that you're not a spring chicken Ronald - you're an old whiner!!
I think that this was one of the closest legs ever!! 5 teams almost all at once.
Nice wet t-shirt, off-the-shoulder shot.
C'mon my Latina sisters!!! You've totally got this!
RUN!!!!
Shit - I know that Lorena worked extra hard for this one but I really like Julia &
Marianna.


That was an emotional hour! I could use a beverage - can I bring you one?

Sounds like a was used - that oughta be good!!