Forgive me followers, for I have not been entirely truthful.
*breathes deeply*
Okay. You know the hat? The lovely blue Nova Scotia tartan knitted hat? Well, it was a decoy. The real hat doesn't look anything like that. Yes, my friends, you've been duped. The good news is that you don't have to wear it.
As you know, I popped the hat, so lovingly knitted par moi, in the mail last week. It arrived in beautiful Nova Scotia on Monday. Poor SCUMbaagg. *snickers* He sent me a note detailing the arrival. I'll share it with you now...
Absolutely thrilled at the ceremonial arrival of the much awaited hat today.The mailman heralded its delivery with car horn blasting and escorted by a troop of mounted policemen....who once seeing the wonderful product upon my head threatened to take me away. It has not left my head since I opened the package and no doubt Margaret will have to tear it off my head before retiring tonight or it may become the ultimate form of birth control. Now regarding colour and composition..either the pixelation of our 'puter is a bit off as it does not quite match the pictures that you posted or you simply threw caution to the wind and did your own thing.What the heck, I got my Barbie pink and pom pom so I cannot ask for more. Either way I am delighted with the end result and simply cannot wait for the next snow storm at which point I will gleefully run out to the tractor and plow away to my hearts content knowing that my head will be totally protected from the elements and any further bouts of cancer as I think the hat would scare away the heartiest of malignant cells. -A very happy scumbagg
Wow. You can't beat that with a stick. It almost sounds like he's, I dunno, happy with it. Dare I go so far as to say, thrilled. Ecstatic even. (Am I getting carried away here, Mark? Alright.) So, before I share a picture or two of the stylish chapeau, let me update you on SCUMbaagg's treatment.
He had one dose of chemo back in January. The doctor decided to stop the chemo after one treatment as it was affecting his hearing and, being the best darn piano-tuning, musical instrument repairing Brit this side of the Cabot Trail, she felt the risk to his livelihood was greater than the chemo merited. He has been going for radiation since January. Apparently, this has a tiring effect on a patient as was witnessed when he was doing some work under his car and fell asleep. Oh, those cancer patients. Anyway, Mark seems to be doing well. His sense of humour hasn't left him and, God love him, you know darn well he's really gonna wear that hat. Outside. Here's my dear brother-in-law SCUMbaagg and the real McCoy**. Yep, it's even embroidered...
* Note: orders may be placed between 9 and 10, Monday thru' Thursday. Cash only (small bills please). Orders placed in March could ship in 2009.
** SCUMbaagg and the Real McCoy. That'd be a good name for a country band. Wonder if they could use a fiddler?
The hat is done. Complete. Finished. Wahoo! No horns. No braids. What? No Barbie pink? It's still rather stylish. Might even be able to wear it off the property. I'll pop it in the mail this week and it'll be on its way to lovely Nova Scotia and into SCUM-baagg's hands. The anticipation! Betcha can't wait.
I love that I can use a rather non-descriptive title like that and have no doubt in my mind that you know exactly what this is going to be about. I've been working diligently on SCUM's hat and it's coming along quite nicely, if I do say so myself. The needles don't move very quickly - never was very coordinated (just ask my highschool basketball coach) - but I work on it pretty much nightly after things are cleaned up, lunches are made and the kids are tucked into bed. Here's a sneak peak...
There's been a lot going on the last couple of weeks so I've kinda ignored y'all but I'm back now and ready to write. Let's start with today. It was a beautiful day...about -10 and snowy. Just after 10 this morning, Riley and I met up with Dorito, and Cookie and her brood, and another friend and her gang at the local ski hill. We had the kids fitted with skis, pointed them in the direction of the bunny hill (for a couple of runs anyway) and then settled into the chalet with some steaming hot chocolate.
We had some catching up to do. Cookie and I hadn't seen each other since the summer and it's been over a year since I last saw Val. And Riley was thrilled to be there for a couple of reasons - this was her first ski outing of the winter and she got to hang out with Cookie's daughter, little E. The two of them, along with little E's brothers, took lessons at the Elbow last year and Dorito and I decided we'd get them together at least a couple of times this year. The timing was perfect, too, as Ri spends her first of three ski-days with the school here on Monday. Yep. Three ski days spread over three weeks. Lucky kid, eh? I don't remember doing that kind of thing when I went to school. But then again, we had to walk 10 miles, uphill both ways...
I brought my knitting too. Ya. I'm a loser. But let me explain. I had reached a point in SCUMbaagg's hat where I couldn't go any further so I needed to consult Dorito, my knitting guru. Her advice, as always, was insightful and reassuring. To sum it up, she told me, "Keep going. We'll rig something up later." You can't buy that kind of advice. And with that, I was able to continue working on it tonight. It's going to be beautiful. Okay, 'beautiful' might not be quite the word I'm looking for. Let's go with special. Yes. Special. Just like Mark.
...and sadly for SCUMbaagg, you voted Nova Scotia Tartan*. Well done, my friends! I, myself, am quite pleased with the results. I think he'll be quite a sight outside plowing the driveway, all decked out in his snazzy new knitted chapeau whilst wearing his kilt (don't put it past him people). As long as I don't drop too many stitches, his head will be toasty warm. Sure hope his...knees don't freeze.
I should mention that this isn't the only colour that will be used. Of course, Barbie Pink will be thrown into the mix as well as just a hint of tonsil pink. It's going to be a work of art when it's done. Perhaps from the impressionist period. Or...not. And I sense that Mark is waiting with bated breath. I mean, really, how could he not.
* This may not be an exact sample of the colour chosen.
Today was a day of great anticipation. Today the maslin pan went home. In celebration, Dorito and I went to Smitty's. Then, after a good breakfast and lots of coffee, we went to the craft store to get some yarn for SCUM-baagg's stylish new hat. She's gonna be a beaut! Just have to get the hang of using tulle and I'll be on my way.
A month or so ago, we received news that a certain east coast brother-in-law had cancer. I was at work when I received a quick email and mulled it over in my mind how I should respond. I went with a joke. Yes, it was risky, and I worried for a bit but, let's face it, if you know these east coast nuts, you'd do the same. (I should mention that I say this with the utmost respect.) I wished them the best, tried to pass along positive thoughts and let them know that I had learned to knit and would be happy to make him a stylish hat. And I somewhat nervously asked if I was allowed to make such a comment.
Later, I was relieved to see the reply. They were facing this, as they do anything that life throws their way - with humour. Like this, for example: Mark has cancer of the tonsil. Yes, that's right. Tonsil. He figures that if he's gonna have cancer, it could at least be something manly. How wussy is it telling people you have cancer of the tonsil? Quite honestly, I can see his point. Mark also wrote that he'd love a hat in any colour but 'barbie pink'; he's in touch with his feminine side but that's a bit too much even for him. (I suggested 'tonsil pink'.) And he signed his note, and I quote - 'thanks for your note and sincerity, Silly Cancerous Uncle Mark (S.C.U.M. for short).
So, why am I writing about this now? Well, we figured it wasn't our place to put all this out there in the blogosphere but since Mark has done just that in the comments here, I'm gonna run with it.
A lesson in hat-making had been booked with Dorito. Unfortunately, she had to go in to work so we'll have to rebook. (Breakfast?) We'll have to pick up the materials. I just can't decide on a colour though. Hmmm. Hey, how about a poll? Yes, let's leave it up to my faithful followers (and I use that term loosely) to decide.
Now, think carefully about this, my backward friends. It's very important that we pick just the right hue for this special hat for S.C.U.M.-b.a.a.g.g. (Silly Cancerous Uncle Mark - but all around great guy). So, vote if you know Mark. Vote if you don't know Mark. Hell, vote if you know Mark and don't particularly like him. What's that? You were googling 'Leonard Nimoy' and tragically ended up here? Vote! All suggestions will be considered.
Awhile back, Dorito showed me how to purl. And then to knit. Well, I thought I'd share a picture of the finished product. The red scarf was my first project (the one Riley asked for when I die) and the green and pink scarf was Riley's Christmas present. Guess that means she won't need the red one ;-). I also started one for Cameron - green, of course - but, I have to admit, it's not going so well. Dorito showed this new stitch to me. It'scalled a cable stitch, I think; it's purl one, knit one, etc. I don't like it...which would probably explain why it hasn't progressed much in the last month. The good news is that I have a whole year now to finish it. But check out the snazzy red bag that Dorito made me to store my knitting in! Nice, eh? Hey, BFF Boink, talk nice to me and maybe I can score you a nifty black and gold one to keep your cable cutters in.
Next project is a stylish hat for a certain east coast brother-in-law who's known for wearing goofy hats when he plows the snow. And what does that tell you about how he views my knitting skills?
Woo-hoo! I learned to knit. That's two stitches I can do now. Two, people. Are there any more? Doesn't matter. I'm a knitter. That's so much cooler than being a purler. Still can't read a pattern, though. Oh, Dorito....
Before I walked out the door this morning, I advised the kids against kissing any fence posts. The thermometer said it was up to a balmy -9. Last night it was to go down to -16. It's November.
I like winter. Especially with kids. Now I'll be the first to admit, by mid-February and into March fatigue starts to set in, but for the most part I enjoy the season. The kids have their skating parties on the frozen bog out in the back forty, nightly tobogganing runs, snowball fights and snowfort building, hot chocolate with "smushmallows" - all the wonderful things that bring back memories of my own childhood. But it's November...guess I better find my mitts.
Speaking of scarves, I finished knitting my first one. Well, not really knitting; more like purling. (Dorito - you've got to show me another stitch. Trade you a pan for a stitch.) This lovely red scarf may be simple but I guarantee it'd knock your knitted socks off. Riley has asked if she can have it after I die. I think that's a good thing?
