Happy New Year Chicks!

Happy New Year to my very Special friends. Here is to a wonderful, healthy year of knitting, drinking cheap wine and eating good chocolate. Love, Susan

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Chicks with Sticks! I hope you are all enjoying your day. I am certainly enjoying some time to relax and enjoy my family. I look forward to a wonderful 2008 full of knitting and laughing. Thank you my important friends! Love, Susan

Who's glasses are they?

The other day, I get a phone call from Susan, who wanted to know the name of a game we played with her kids. She inadvertantly told me that she was meeting part of the Babes with Balls for Tea! Yes tea, in Cornelius. She never bothered to invite me or to tell me why I wasnt invited! Hmmmm, is it because I DO remember things? haha! Dont worry Babes who dont include everyone: I will remember this! Good thing I didnt get angry or upset about not getting an invitation(even though I couldnt make it)

So this must be a picture taken that day. The picture is Jane with someone's glasses. I know they arent mine, they probably arent Carolyn's mother either. So I am supposing they might be someone who she was standing on line next to and who put them down for a split second and Jane grabbed them. Or could they possibly be Jane's real glasses.

From Suzanne

Wow Susan! It's almost as good as my story with my bag. Amazing the time spent on these project. It is really addictive. But so much better than drinking or smoking or....And the end products are so pretty and useful.

This is Suzanne's beautiful bag! Well worth those many trips all over town, Suzanne! I love the black trim. What is next?

Decide what you are doing before purchasing yarn!

So, you would think that I would have learned this lesson by now.... having spent our last get together tearing out one project, I confidently moved onto my next great idea. I found last night that I was not going to have enough yarn to really do the bag right, so I was looking through my stash, hopeful to find something that would coordinate with what I just spent a lot of money on. Well, I started this morning to try to make it work and....you guessed it, it just wasn't cutting it. Instead of going forward with something that I didn't love, with expensive yarn, no less, I decided to tear it out AGAIN!!! Well, I didn't tear it all the way out, just 3/4's of the way. I needed to pick one kid up at the pool by 11:30- it was now 10:30 and I had not yet showered. I was determined to get more yarn. I did not want to think about going through the weekend when I finally had some time to relax, and not have the yarn I wanted!! I made it up to Davidson by 11:08 (I did shower, by the way). I willed an open parking spot right in front of the shop, and as I was waiting at the stop light, my parking spot opened up (actually two spots opened up at once, so I felt secure knowing I could fit easily!). I willed the yarn and color be available, and it was- I only needed one more skein, but there were two left. I made it to the pool at 11:35. I now am happy and free to carry on with my day. Love, Susan P.S. The Noro is beautiful yarn, but it is not variegated like you might think- the colors are very in and out, no rhyme or reason to it, but it really is beautiful.

Merry Christmas, Monica

Merry Christmas from North Carolina!

Here is what you should expect when Eric gets back from podunk! When I was knitting the bag, I kept thinking its like a bad movie, the pattern just wasnt getting any better. Then I felted it, and it turned out really really nice. Hope you like it!

Doggie Sweaters

Debbie- you might want to consider some shorter term projects to have going at the same time you continue to pick up your afghan. How about one of those cute little doggie sweaters like Diesel is wearing in the pics you emailed? I can see Fenway wearing one of these, perhaps in Red Sox colors? I know I usually have at least 2 projects going at once, just to ward off boredom and to give me that feeling of accomplishment when I finish something smaller. So, I will get over my issues with Doggie wear, and not be so judgmental about it. But, understand, I have a 90 pound lab- she would just as soon eat a sweater than wear it! Susan

Cute Little Scissors

Jane--do you know where those cute little scissors of yours are? Ask Carolyn's mother first and see if she can find them now that she has her glasses back!


Scissors



Today I found some scissors
by my Mommy's sewing chair.
I learned scissors can cut paper
... and scissors can cut hair.


I learned scissors can cut many things
...lots of things you shouldn't oughta'.
But the best thing that I learned today?
Scissors can't cut water.

Next Christmas

So, I spent a great deal of my time today on line with a mega store which sells electronics, then on the phone, then the "helpful customer service representative" whose call may be monitored for quality assurance, she hung up on me before I had the chance to call her what she really is, then more phone calls....I have decided that I will begin knitting my gifts in January for Christmas '08. I strongly feel it is better for my overall health and sense of well being. I am also thinking that we should go as a family to a nice warm island for Christmas, rather than be concerned over reading directions, inserting batteries, keeping the dog from eating ornaments, etc...

Debbie- MLB has "Stitch and Pitch" at ballparks throughout the season. You can spend enormous amounts of money for tickets to a game, and then sit in the stands and knit! I was thinking we could all go to Zach's games (only $5 per day), and sit and knit! Can you imagine the damage that would be inflicted upon his young adolescent sense of self!!! Who are these ladies knitting at my ball game!!! How embarrassing! I may use this plan as a threat for molding desired behaviors... Best wishes to a peaceful evening... Susan

And so, the mystery has been solved

This came in an email from Debbie, the missing link of the Babes with Balls, and Jane's sister and she helped solve the mystery of the glasses.


Good Morning New Best Friends.....
First, I love baseball more then knitting so am very excited there is another fan in Sticks!! Keep us posted on Zach!
Jane and I went to visit Carolyn's mother last evening. It was a visit that was more fun then usual. We got there and Carolyn's Mom promptly announced that she was blind.
We politely asked what the problem was and................................she lost her glasses. Jane and I looked under the couch, under the bed, in drawers, in baskets, under cushions, in the bathroom, everywhere Mom had spent looking for the past 4 days. Could not find them. A few minutes later Jane quietly asked Mom what her glasses looked like. Mom didn't know how to describe them and when Jane described them............you guessed it!!! My sister stole Carolyn's mother's glasses when she went to visit her on Sunday!!!!! So, the mystery of the glasses has been solved but the problem of how to keep Jane from walking off with other people's ability to see remains a problem! I sure am glad she didn't mail them to anyone!
We also managed to have another small adventure last evening. We had dropped Kevin off and were trying to slowly come out of this little side street. The view was blocked by big brick pillar so Jane had to edge out. THis young blond woman in a car, driving way too fast for a parking lot, thought we were going to hit her and yelled something about "Grandma's" to us. I immediately, without thinking and with windows opened, yelled "Eff off" ( I used the real word ) and laughed pretty hard at the expression on the young ladie's face. Jane hadn't heard her but,once I told her what was said,she said if she had heard , the profanity would have been in stereo. Then Jane wanted to chase her down and perhaps dent her car because her car was bigger and she had more insurance! It was too funny! THat is one of my favorite all time movie lines!
Well, have to get ready for work. Everyone can now relax somewhat knowing that the glasses they are wearing are theirs. However, after our next get-together we will need to strip search Jane and go through all her bags to make sure she isn't trying to steal anyone's glasses.Hope you all have a wonderful Friday.
Deb

Lucky Alvina!

Ellen- I love the bag! Love the color! Yes, I do think that more expensive yarns felt better. They also feel better to work with- excuse the dangling preposition- can ya tell Zach is struggling with grammar, along with other things?! And I am also loving those beautiful hook rugs- another activity to get addicted to (another dangling preposition). I am sad to say that after tearing out what I had going at our meeting, I have yet to begin my real project. The yarn remains in the bag. I did some needle felting today though, to get my fix.

I am getting a real kick out of you ladies and the mystery glasses. Jane, sometimes I think they are yours, especially since the perscription is good for you. Ellen, sometimes I think they are yours, because you are who you are....of course this is all said with lots of love. Good night!

Basic Everyday Purse

Tonight I finished the Basic Everyday Purse. I am going to be sending this one to France for the FES, Alvina. Its her Christmas gift, so Alvi if you are reading this: Merry Christmas. I am very pleased with how this bag turned out although I bought this yarn to try to make her a snowboarding hat. I didnt feel confident to do the hat without help close by, like the Babes with Balls or Melanie. But I am starting to believe the better the yarn (and by better, I guess I mean more expensive) the better the felting. This time the Babes will be glad to hear, that I didn't let the bag run through the whole cycle of the washing machine. I kept checking it! And here it is:




I hope you like it Alvina!

The Great Glasses Mystery or Which one of us really has the beginnings of Alzheimer's

On Sunday, we had our monthly Babes with Balls meet and greet at my house all the way up in the boonies (aka podunk). We had a great meeting and it is always good for me to see those guys because I moved away from them and they have the ability of seeing each other every day (they would get sick of me!!! ) Anyway, later that night I get a really important email from Jane saying that she took my glasses back to her house and that she feels really bad and will bring them up to me the next day.

Well, I thought to myself hmmmmm...what the heck have I been wearing all day, well, well, it turns out I have been wearing my glasses all day.

Jane got Susan involved and the Sherlock in Susan is determined to find out who's glasses they are. I truely think that Susan is getting sadistic pleasure (remember, Susan is the youngest) out of Jane and I losing our memories. Any way, the great glass mystery is still on Jane swearing they are mine, me swearing I am already wearing my own glasses. So I took a picture of mine and posted it here in hopes of solving the Great glasses mystery, or at least to give Susan a look into the future!!! So my challenge is for Jane to take a picture of the glasses she swears is mine and post them to the blog, so that we all can have a look at them and figure out who the hell's they are!

figured it out

went back to original posting and it just stared back at me..New Post. Maybe it helped when i signed in..

Hello my name is Emily Roberts,use to be Shaughnessy,before that Garcia. I really think i made a mistake taking husbands name when i married, but i am so lazy when it comes to legal things. I am a demon when it comes doing what i love best which right now is Hooking. If i get down there and you have a meeting i can show anyone interested in about 5 min.

the dragon rug is 4'x3' this one is about 4x4

this was the first one i did.

I like all kinds of rag work..especially if i can use it somehow. wear it, walk on it...i guess i just like looking at it too.

Figuring this out

I am working on the intricacies of this blogging and now think I know how to create a new post. I enjoyed today so much. Although I spent our time tearing out my project that I stayed up past 1 am last night working on, it is really the being with awesome babes with balls of yarn that I most enjoy. And the food and wine. Get well quick, Debbie. Next meeting will be our weekend retreat, with a possible road trip to a yarn store. Susan

Some of our work

Everyone's bags


























Susan's yoga mat bag. Oh my God, it is gorgeous!!!




Our jobs are interfering with our knitting, what to do! What to do!

susan

I am Susan, the youngest of the group. I also seem to have the best memory. Enjoyed spending our meeting today ripping out my self designed bag. Think I will go back to following a pattern. Love the cheese with my whine, I mean wine...

Jane

Hi, This is Jane speaking. Here we are at our monthly meeting of the needles, eating bread and cheese and drinking a little wine with our whines. Exchange of patterns, thoughts, and much merriment also feeds our bodies. Good day!

Suzanne

Hi, I'm Suzanne. I'm the french one. I'm suppose to know how to knit and I do. But felting is new to me and I'm hooked to it especially since I finally finished my first bag after many sets back. I think it's very cute and I'm addicted to the metamorphose that happens after felting.
I'm lucky to have the have 3 masters of felting to teach me. Thank you Susan, Jane, and Ellen.

Suzanne

hi this Suzanne. I'm french...still.

Look at me now!

I started knitting when I was very young. My mother could look at anything and make it. This is how I describe my daughter too! She can look at things in the store and come home and make and improve it for her needs. I do NOT have that talent! It does make me proud of her, though! So I had a major gap in knitting (like 35 years), although I taught Melanie how to knit when she was young, I never really made anything UNTIL these Babes with Balls got it into my blood and now I am addicted. It is probably the timing in my life. My son is living in Japan, my daughter just went away to college. So now is my time! Oh I made a few hats here and there a few years back and usually that is what everyone gets for Christmas! haha from the Jew!

Here is a pic of my very first dishrag. Dont look too close because I made a mistake and didnt correct it! I figured that when I am wiping my countertops with it, it really wont matter. The other reason is if I tore it out, I dont know how to pick up the stitches again (this was my main reason!) So I am asking you guru knitters, how the hell do I do that! So next time, if I am making dishrags for gifts, they wont have flaws!

Babes with Balls and Chicks with Sticks

This is the blog of 4 women in their 50's and one babe in her late 40's. She is a wannabe 50. We call her Susan. The babes in their 50's are Suzanne, who is originally from France, Jane, who is originally from Massachusetts, Ellen, originally a Long Island girl, Debbie, Jane's older sister, and young Susan, originally from upstate NY. We all met at a Montessori school in the mid south about 12 years ago give and take a few. Most of us just met Debbie about a month ago except for Jane. Jane and Debbie share care of Carolyn's mom (Carolyn, by the way, is their baby sister). We got together for a few "girls" weekends and finally decided to join together as a knit group. We all have a bit of creativity on varying levels with Jane on the top of the list. So this blog is going to be a journey for all of us, exploring knitting, friendship, aging (sorry Susan, you too!!!), men, and whatever else life throws us. Yet we all hold it together, by knitting. Chicks with Sticks alias is Babes with Balls---of yarn.