What I am doing: Writing about knitting this scarf.
This is still undulating waves, and it is lying on my beautiful blooming chive plants which were smashed absolutely flat by a huge thunderstorm that passed through here last night.
What I wish I was doing: Actually knitting the undulating waves scarf. It has a deadline and it’s fun to knit and although it’s slightly slow going messing with all the beads, I sort of like messing with the beads and anyway, it’s sparkly. I can’t believe what a pain in the arse I will let beads get away with being on account of the sparkliness.
What I am doing: Writing a blog entry really quickly because there is going to be an invasion. Saturday is my 40th Birthday, and WWKIP day, and the day that Franklin comes to Toronto/ Lettuce Knit for the 1000 knitters shoot. (Read about it here if you’re just finding out.) That means that there was definitely going to be some company. Add to that the fact that tomorrow is my brother Ian’s birthday and Friday is my mother’s 65th birthday, and I can promise you that there is going to be major company. Major company I am related to. This means I totally have to clean up the mess that has accumulated in the house since I was last home for long enough to clean, which was quite some time ago. (Also, I hate it.)
All hope has been lost of approaching real tidiness, and now am I am simply trying to get things done like washing the backyard furniture so we can sit outside, washing linens so beds are clean and fresh, moving kids around to free up beds, sorting stash to come up with door prizes for Saturday, grocery shopping/beer shopping so as to feed and water guests…. all of this before I leave at 4 to head to the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters Guild to present the results of the adjudicated show. (Who will I see there? All are welcome. Only guild members could enter, but everyone can come to tonight, and it’s actually really interesting to see all of the entries. There are some crazy good knitters at that guild, I tell you that for free.)
What I wish I was doing: Sitting here knitting reflecting on how well planning ahead has paid off for me.
You’re lucky you just got rain, here in Montana, it’s snowing! Lovely scarf, by the way 🙂
Add talented photographer to your list of accomplishments. The chive pictures are lovely and make me feel cooler just looking at them.
Good luck with the clean-up!
Good luck with all the cleaning! And happy birthday – mine is on Friday (think I am getting spinning lessons!)
Oh the things that we let shiny things get away with!
Where did you get the pattern for the scarf? I rather like it and I think I want it to be my first beading project. I need more scarves for my coming winter (6 months), and it would be a cute addition I think.
I love your scarf! The colors are beautiful and the beads are a great touch, like the foam on waves when it catches the sunlight. 🙂
Good luck with the cleaning and such!
Well, we had three such storms so my chives now look like they’ve been through a goat. I take solace in your sparkle-y knitting and wish you an early Happy Birthday (and note that I missed sharing the day by 1, but hey, I love Friday the 13th!).
It doesn’t seem to matter what we are doing, we wish we were doing something else (already having finished all the things we were doing). Somehow I don’t think you need to sweat the clean-up too much, most of us would not have the energy to do that after the kind of schedule you’ve had. TNNA sounds like it was wonderful, and now we can all hardly wait till WWKIP on Saturday. I got on the list for the morning photo shoot, I’m looking forward to some fun! Deep breath and just keep doing something – it will be fine and there will be lots of cupcakes on Saturday.
Oh, but what fun would planning ahead be? Either everyone would do it, in which case so what, or only you, in which case you’d be annoying lots of people armed with pointy sticks. Not ideal either way.
Knitters are like crows for the sparkly. Love the scarf!
Before I forget, Happy Birthday Steph! The scarf is lovely and worth the pain of the beads.
On the 14th I’ll be knitting in public, at my local agility trial 😀 And once home I’ll drink a toast to you birthday and WWKIPD! No alcohol allowed at the facility we will be at 🙁
My Advice: Hire someone to clean so that you have more time to knit!!! It’s your birthday for pete’s sake!
Wait a minute – it’s YOUR 40th birthday – everybody ELSE should be doing the cleaning (except Joe, who has a broken leg). Hire someone, pay the daughters if you need to, throw yourself on your family’s mercy – let them clean.
Or (heh, I have an evil thought, oh, joy) … My Dear Ms. Pearl-McPhee, I cannot be at your birthday party, I cannot come clean your house, I cannot finish the [lovely knitted item I just this minute thought about making for you], but I will give you this gift on your 40th birthday, from atop my lofty perch staring down my friggin’ 55th birthday in two weeks: You may stop feeling guilty about the state of your household. As my mother once said (she had five kids in nine years, she’s a saint), there is always something more worth doing than housework.
So stop that guilt-ifying, you hear me, young missy, and knit that scarf. The world does not need another clean house, it needs more beauty and more happy knitters. Not to mention happy Harlots.
You might hire someone to clean and do laundry for you. Many professional people do this. It frees up time for your mission and gives work to someone else who can use the money for good and necessary projects who might not be able to work otherwise.
Just remember…people are coming to see you, not your house. As long as it isn’t gross (you know the kind of toilet I’m referring to), you’ll be fine. Have a great birthday with all your friends and family!
What I’m doing: goofing off by reading your blog, and Cassie/Lene’s “Fine Stitches.”
What I will be doing as soon as I finish this comment: working on an article that must be in the mail on Monday.
What I wish I were to be doing, instead: spinning some of the yummalicious roving I bought from Friends Folly Farm at the Maine Fiber Frolic on Sunday.
What I will be doing on Saturday: celebrating MY fortieth birthday (but you knew that), but in a much quieter way than you! It will be fun to have most of the city of Toronto celebrating with you, and I know at least one other June 14 birthday girl (not 1968, though) who is planning to make the drive from Rochester to join the fun. I’ll raise a glass in “our” honor on Saturday!
Happy birthday in advance….I’m typing fast because we are expecting huge storms today – breaking our first of the season heat wave in Maine so we are conflicted. Do we look forward to the temps being below the 90’s and less humidity? Sure! Do we like the radar image of pumpkin orange colors wriggling toward us with hail and winds of steel? Not so much.
Happy early Birthday Steph! Great scarf….now go find some time to knit, have a good beer and reflect on how much you are loved!
The scarf is looking lovely! Good luck with the cleaning and guest preparations. Happy Birthday to Ian, your mum, and especially, you!!
“I can’t believe what a pain in the arse I will let beads get away with being on account of the sparkliness.”
LOVE. THAT.
Ok I will make a confession! I tend to speed read. Unfortunately this also works for viewing pictures. So the first picture of the scarf? (really really gorgeous scarf by the by) I thought the pink things were pom poms. I know, I know. Silly silly me. I honestly did not know chives had flowers! Thats my story and I’m sticking to it!
Ha, well All the Best for everything. You seem to have a lot going on. I have been there. I can relate.
Take Care
1. Sparkliness is next to Godliness.
2. Your 40s are the best. Really, trust me on this–I’m almost finished with them, and they beat the previous decades all to hell, wrinkes notwithstanding. Besides, if your scarf is sparkly enough no one will notice the wrinkles. (Strategic delusions are one of the best benefits of one’s 40s).
3. The Harlot’s birthay on WWKIP day? An auspicious juxtaposition. I expect yarn to fall from the sky. I shall purchase a reallllly big basket to catch it all.
4. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1. The scarf is lovely.
2. Happy birthday to all parties involved! 😉
Hey! Happy birthday!
I’m slowly being seduced by the sparkliness of beads. Not enough to actually knit with them yet, but still… keep posting pictures like that and I will succumb most assuredly!
I’d say happy cleaning, but… well… I know better. 😛
Happy Early Birthday!!! It sounds like it’s going to be a blast. If only I could celebrate it with you. I’ll have to remember to get out and knit in public – likely with a coffee. Or maybe I’ll find a nice pub and have a beer in your honour!
Hi…
I am a huge fan, avid knitter, but this is the first time commenting. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday! I recently turned 40…welcome to the club!
michele 😉
The beaded scarf is so sparkely wonderful! Is your hubby’s leg better? Maybe he could do the cleaning while you finish the scarf? 😉
I’ll see you tonight in Kitchener.:-))
Could you please bring your beaded scarf? I’d love to see it in real life.
Oh, there´s nothing sweeter than the taste of good old procrastination with several impending deadlines on the horizon! (for me, I mean!) 🙂
Happy Birthday! Mine’s next Wednesday (but only #39 – next year will be the big one!)I wish KIP was on MY birthday.
Yes, but isn’t this the time you get to knit both ways in the car while Rachel H drives? (After making her wait in the drive while you wind more sock yarn in case the scarf runs out, of course.)
See you tonite, on *my* birthday 😀
I’d happily take over the knitting of the sparkly scarf – I love the bead knitting. Except that you would probably want the finished scarf, and I wouldn’t want to give it to you, but you know where I live, so then I’d have to move, which would annoy the husband and son, and well… I guess you won’t give em the scarf to knit.
But I will see you on Saturday – I think I can overcome my fear of the urban drive…
Happy Birthday!! I wish I lived closer to Canada so I could participate in the festivities. Sounds like a lot of fun. Good Luck with cleaning up.
Love the scarf, I have the pattern, but have not started it yet. I told myself I would do some serious finishing up before starting a new project. besides I need to buy beads. Have fun with all the upcoming events and good luck with the housecleaning. Happy birthday to you and the other family members!
I think we all need to kick in and hire you a house keeper! Then you could spend more time knitting on pretty things to share with us. 🙂
Stephanie, did you happen to see the CBS special on messy people? Apparently we are the normal ones. It’s a sign of our creativity and intelligence.
And I’m sticking with that.
Happy Birthday week! I’m going to hit that milestone at the end of the year, and I’m hoping to hear plenty of stories about how painless it really is. =)
As for beads, I find that their general sparkliness grants them a boatload of license, even when knitting isn’t involved. The scarf is gorgeous, btw.
Happy,Happy Birthday on Saturday!! I know you will have lots of fun at your party.
I’m visiting my sister in Reno – and there are NO WWKIP events anywhere near. Guess I’ll have to do it by myself! Which really isn’t hard, since I knit in public anyway.
Blessings always, Sarah Z 😉
40’s awesome.
ooo–my chives are blooming too. I just took some pictures of them this morning–along with my one lovely blooming poppy, and the sweet william are just starting to pop open. I hope to get those pics posted today–since I have no good knitting to post–but work is getting in the way (darn that need for food and shelter).
Happy Happy Birthday to all. I wish I could be there to meet Franklin (just heard him interviewed by David Reidy on my way into work this morning) and to knit with all the cool Torontonian knitters.
Wow, that’s a lot of birthdays together. I thought my poor mom had it bad that my dad, my brother and my birthdays all fall exactly two weeks apart. The scarf is lovely, I’ve thought about beading because I love shiny objects. I forgot about WWKIP day! I’ll have to do that saturday somewhere here in St. Louis!
Happy nearly 40th birthday! Trust me: the decade you’re entering is excellent, and I know. I’ve been on the other side for 6 years, and while the 50s are good so far, what I learned even in my 40s is that you can hurt in places you didn’t even know you HAD places! Everything else is wonderful, or at the very least much better than the teens and twenties, and certainly better than the 30s. Love that sparkle scarf. . . makes me want to do beads!
Your chives are making me want to make clover-flower chains from my childhood again. I wish I could offer to come do the housework and let you sit back and relax as an early-birthday present.
The scarf is beautiful! I hope you get some time to work on it during your busy schedule. I must say, though, cleaning is not how you should be spending your last few days in your thirties. 🙂
If I lived in your neck of the woods I’d be pleased and happy to help out… cleaning or running errands… oh, hang on, found my magic wand…
Happy birthday! When cleaning up, do not try to speed clean by hiding things, like the toaster, in the oven. Someone will surely (it’s got to be Murphy’s Law)come along and turn that oven up to volcano heat. Of course, when I hid the toaster, it was me that turned on the oven. Nothing twigged until I smelled melting plastic. The ruined toaster looked like something Salvador Dali might have created. Now, go succumb to the charm of that scarf. The girls can clean the house.
Hey Stephanie! See you tonight. Apparently I’m modeling in the show.
I have no idea how that happened. I was just told to show up and wear black.
Happy birthday Ian, and Mom, and Stephanie! Hope you have many wonderful gifts, lots of sweet cake and okay, good beer. And forget the clutter — if the house was perfect, we’d all suspect something was wrong and you’d moved to Stepford!
And wait — did Ann say it was SNOWING in Montana?
Happy Birthday to All!
Flowering Chive, lovely, I must plant some!
The scarf is gorgeous – love the beads!
Happy Birthday ahead of time. Mine’s today. I’m going to reflect on how grateful I am that my life’s not nearly as crazy as yours (though some parts of yours are definitely enviable)!
My sister and I have this method of cleaning, in emergencies. It’s called basket cleaning. Everything gets picked up and put into a basket and if there’s time the basket is emptied by putting things away, in their “real” homes.
Otherwise the basket is shoved into a closet, hopefully one that doesn’t have other baskets in it or is the place where the guests coats are going to go.
AS for beads, well I love beads with knitting. Not only is a sparkly thing, but it also a texture thing, the softness of the yarn, and the solidness of the beads worked in. Together, they boggle the mind!
“Sitting here knitting reflecting on how well planning ahead has paid off for me” — Not to burst your bubble or anything, but since you are a woman who presently gets excited about spending three consecutive nights in the same bed, I don’t think any amount of planning ahead could have given you that kind of time. We are all amazed that you are still alive and functioning at all after the craziness of the past few months. I hope you have a lovely birthday, and I hope your daughters pitch in to help with the housework for at least ten minutes each. (I’d wish for more, but I’m not sure my wishes are that strong.)
Happy soon to be birthday and I feel for you, cleaning sucks. I agree with Meg…basket cleaning is the way to go 🙂
I’m sitting here hoping the flooding doesn’t get too bad here and Iowa and now coming to the fact that it may cancel the sheep and wool show this weekend. Good luck with your preparations and have a lovely birthday!
Oh My. That scarf is absolutely gorgeous. After all of the festivities, you might have to take time for a lye down!
The scarf is lovely. The chives will survive.
Scarf, pretty-pretty…
As the old Haley’s MO commercial said “You’re as young as you feel”
Happy-Happy B-day to come!!! Your 40s are starting out in an awsome way!
Party on Steph!
OK, I’m not sure if this is cool or just weird, but a local yarn store out in Tracy, California is having a birthday party for you. (I make no accusations about ‘any excuse for the eating of cake and drinking of coffee’. None.)
We the Local Knitters are planning to infiltrate the farmer’s market. The yarn store has given us coupons to hand out to curious muggles for free lessons and discounts on supplies. She motivated me by saying that if she gets four coupons from folks bearing my name, I get 20% off a shopping trip.
I plan to mention your birthday party (cake!) when I force coupons on people Saturday. Hope you don’t mind.
(Seriously – happy birthday. You have made the world a better place in a lot of ways. Happy, happy birthday and many more!)
Oh, boy – snow in Montana. Don’t send it this way!!
I have a birthday tomorrow – # 71. What in blue sockyarn happened to the other 32??!! DH is taking me to a casino for a few days. Good food, free spending money (from him and the casino), flashing needles on the road, and a nice relaxing getaway.
Wish my b-day was KIP day, too, but I’ll try to find somewhere to sit outside Saturday. Summer isn’t here yet, 60 miles south of Canada – it’s unusually cold, in the fifties. All of our plants – herbs and flowers and veggies – are probably scratching their heads – “Wha?” But sure as anything next week it will be 90! My lilacs are toughing it out – planted them (5 small bushes) 4 years ago when we finished building, and finally they have jumped up to wave to me this year. DGS wants to go fishing in our little lake, down the steps, but if things don’t improve he might need to rent an ice-breaker!
Happy birthday upcoming, Steph – I had to clean for a big party of my own last year. Bummer!! When will you return to the Twin Cities? Absolutely loved that ice-storm night at St. Thomas in April. You never fail to inspire every one of your Harloteers.
And happy birthday to all June babies. We are the greatest! Geminis always have at least two charming and exciting personalities!
Planning ahead doesn’t pay off. You either realize you’re well organized and slack off, or something intervenes and the plan is shot. OK, could be that just happens to me. Now, instead of moving those teenagers around, why aren’t they cleaning off the patio furniture and whatnot? Still coveting scarf.
well- crap- You ARE the YarnHarlot- after all- leave the house a mess- knit on the pretty,pretty-and tell the company you had to WORK LATE. 😉
Good luck making it to Waterloo-Kitchener. Although last year’s post about getting lost there was hilarious.
Shouldn’t you be sitting there SPINNING and contemplating how well organized you are? Welcome to your 40’s. I hope you have a wonderful family/knitting week full of fun.
The beads on that scarf look like morning dew on a garden…imagine being able to wear that!
Happy b-day to all, and to all a great WWKIP day 🙂
Happy birthdays! Planning ahead and housecleaning are both overrated. They also cut heavily into knitting time, unless you’re planning for said knitting time and cleaning out the stash…
Happy Early Birthday!!!
Today is my 30th Birthday 😀 Yay for birthdays
“What I wish I was doing: Sitting here knitting reflecting on how well planning ahead has paid off for me.” I hear you there! Happy Birthday
Happy! Happy! Birthday!!!! I, too, will be knitting, in public, in Canada on Saturday on vacation. I’ll send you good knitterly vibes from British Columbia.
Happy Impending Birthday! I’m buying another of your books as a present!
We’re going to celebrate your birthday with the first ever Knit in Public in downtown Chilliwack!Have a great time.
Happy Birthday…. I did 40 in March and it was great and still is.
Can i recommend the flylady website… her emergency clean up routine is very useful… not so much the everyday stuff…. too many emails for my liking.
How long will you get to stay in England in Sept? Am really looking forward to being able to listen to one of these famous talks.. no pressure evil grin.
Happy Early Birthday! May it be all good things and more you can’t imagine!
Curious, what do YOU do with a blooming chive plant. Other than garnish plates I am rather clueless of what to do with mine. I suppose you could knit with them laid end to end and have built in bobbles but that could make one just look like there were ice cold nipples involved. That just went in a direction I wasn’t prepared for! 🙂
Okay, when we’re having company? I spend 1/2 an hour looking blankly at the wall having a complete meltdown because there’s no way in hell we’re going to completely rearrange our copious amounts of crap in such a way that the house doesn’t look totalled. And then the short people dump out the toybox, and I giggle hysterically until my husband stomps around the house, yells at everybody, slams some doors, kicks something, and cleans the kitchen.
Happy early birthday, Ms. Harlot. You don’t look 40 and you certainly don’t seem to have lived long enough to have cultivated three excellent daughter and a heckuva talent for knit-writing.
May you have many, many more years before you, surrounded by family, full of health and joy and much, much yarn.
<3
Planning is overrated. Think of this as an opportunity to see just how creative you can be under pressure 🙂
Happy early birthday, btw!
Happy birthday to you and many happy returns. My 30th is this August and I’m rather looking forward to it. I’ll be having a Logan’s Run birthday – time to renew!
I shall celebrate your birthday this Saturday by knitting where others might see and perhaps drinking beer. Wait, it’s D&D night, I’ll *probably* be drinking beer, knitting, and pretending to be a French-speaking elf.
Oh, my. Beads. Sparkles. Pretty.
Hippo Birdies two Ewes,
Hippo Birdies two Ewes,
Hippo Birdies Deer Yarn Harlot,
Hippo Birdies two Ewes.
And many lambs. : )
I think for your 40th birthday that you, a hard-working and much-traveling sort, should treat yourself to a house cleaning team. It doesn’t matter if it’s an agency or three charming girls who share your last name, it just shouldn’t be you.
And I will be thinking of you on Saturday! (And probably drinking beer.)
Happy Birthday!! I’m sorry I won’t be able to come to the big shindig on Saturday and join in the fun with Franklin. Have a great celebration!
Happy Birthday! Mine is the same day (6/14/67), and although I won’t be knitting in public, I just may be knitting anyway – I’ll be in Northampton MA visiting friends, stopping in at Webs. Many happy returns.
Wow. It’s like you’re in my life, but with way prettier knitting. Good luck with it all, and have a smash (not literally…don’t get smashed, there will be photos) of a 40th birthday.
Who will be blogging for you on the big day? I hope one of the kids, I love their entries 🙂
Happy Birthday!
Are you sure Saturday isn’t really your 39th birthday? : ) !
The scarf is beautiful btw.
The chive blossoms look lovely. They’ll live forever on your blog, even though the storm flattenend them before their time.
Happy multiple birthdays to all you and yours. Forty’s not half as much fun as fifty, but you’ll find that out in due course.
(I’m off to finish my first pair of socks. They’re not perfect, but they’re mine.)
Happy Birthday! Mine was on the 4th, and I spent it knitting away on a Sweet Dreams Throw with Fibonacci numbers for the color changes.(I have to be different!)
The scarf is gorgeous! I hope I get that good someday.
Mary
Just think how much knitting time you saved by NOT planning ahead. This way you are giving the cleaning exactly as much time as it deserves, and maybe even more, if you are washing the patio furniture.
I *love* that scarf! I *must* knit with beads! Beautiful!
And best of luck on the houseguests and the cleaning. I know how it feels to have impending guests and feel compelled to clean…
Good luck, and Happy Birthday to Ian, your mom and to you too.
40 is a ball, I’m loving it. I’ve decided I don’t care about the mess in my house
Happy Birthday to you, Ian, and your Mom. That’s a sign of some fairly careful planning if you ask me.
My Dearest Harlotta –
I cannot believe the milestones involved date wise you have tied with my own!! The day you turned 18 was the day I got married. My husband will be a little older than you four days from that…50. (in between we have Father’s Day with him and both of the fathers…which we are very blessed to still have around)
And remember, June 14 is Flag Day in America.
Happy Birthday and never mind the flippin’ messy house…are they coming to see you and knit, or do a white glove check?
I learned a long time ago that house cleaning before guests come was futile. Clean after they leave. In the meantime, KNIT.
your mom and i share a birth date, though she’s a year ahead of me. and i just realized that you were born about 2 weeks after i started the “summer job” i still hold.
happy birthday to you and yours!
So… is Kitchener where the kitchener stitch was invented?
I’m glad you wrote about such a beauty and it looks right at home with the chives and the colours. We should all take our ques from nature when trying to pick out colours it seems. thanks for taking the time for us and GOOD luck with the invasion. Enjoy!
Wow, your scarf is so beautiful! And your artful photography, as always, shows it off perfectly. I would also get lost with the sparkly beads! Happy Birthday to everyone!
Happy Birthday to you, and I’m jealous of all the people who will get to Knit in Public with you. I appreciate that you’re honest and share your cleaning difficulties with us, instead of saying that your house is perfect and your knitting is also (which you could say and we’d probably believe you.) You inspire me, and make me feel less alone in my chaos. 🙂
I love the cartoons on Franklin’s blog showing all he did at TNNA. He gave you really great hair!
Honey, 40 is the best…I tell everyone, “I’m over 40, and that’s too old to put up with any crap.” Mostly it works too. Of course you never have put up with any, have you Harlot dear? Keep it up!
Abby at 10:12 – nobody so far has found _evidence_ of where the Kitchener stitch was invented, but it seems to have come from Canada and I think your guess is right: I bet a nickel it was invented or at least popularized in Kitchener, Canada.
I turned 40 last year… it was fairly painless, but it’s still a shock to realize that statistically my knitting days are half over.
Aren’t there 4 other able bodies in your house to clean and prep for your upcoming visitors… just sayin’. Afterall, it’s your birthday.
Love the beaded scarf and hope you all enjoy a major multi-birthday celebration. Cheers!
P.S. I mean, I think calling it “Kitchener stitch” was after the town. I believe “grafting” was being written about earlier than the K name.
Happy Birthday to all, great scarf, makes me want to crochet with beads to, hmmm, let me think of pattern and choose from my many yarns. Have a great week and weekend. 🙂
cya Monika 🙂 🙂 :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):) 😉
Well, holy smokes! Happy Birthday!
Step one: tell everyone that what you want for your birthday is for *them* to clean everything up and make ready for the festivities.
My mom turned 70 last Saturday, and told she wanted nothing in the world more than a bunch of yardwork, so we her kids, and our spouses and children, all went over and cleared saplings and hung grapevines and trimmed trees and so forth for a day. Got the big things on her list done, and will follow up in a couple weeks to get the rest.
So make a list and tell them all to heave to! Achievement of a nice round number warrants it!
=====
Kristine enjoyed meeting you again at TNNA; I couldn’t go this time. The next one, in January, is here in San Diego, and we’re having a studio open house as well, so if there was any chance of you making it out for that, we’d be glad to have you.
PhilB
I hope you – Stick on some great music, loud to cover the screams which of necessity accompany long term mess.
Don’t vow never to get here again it never works.
Look forward to the Birthday celebrations.
Happy Birthday for Saturday.
I am reading your new book “Things I Learned from Knitting” while at work at 0300 am. I am a nurse who was just given two 1/3 shifts off due to low census. I work the night shift and make a hefty differential for such acts of insanity..My point is. I am laughing as I read your book because as I agreed to the much needed nights off I was calculating how much less I would have to spend on yarn and snacks at the yarn store with out my night shift diff. I went throguh all my WIP and stash and came to the conclution that I would be fine and would not find the family homeless and my daughters tuition unpaid. Aren’t we crazed?
I wouldn’t have it any other way.
by the way…beautiful scarf. Not bad looking chives either.
Happy birthday to you! And all of your family.
I hope that the 1000 Knitters thing is a blast. I wanted to go, but I am way too far away for that.
That piece of crap thunderstorm trashed my favorite enormous old maple and left it lying on my roof. We won’t even mention my flower gardens. Stupid weather.
The scarf is looking absolutely beautiful, and is making me want to knit one myself. the beads just look amazing in it.
Don’t you dare lift a finger because of ME. I’m a casual sort, honey. I’m just jazzed beyond belief at getting to hang out with you two weeks in a row, and finally getting to meet Rachel H and the rest of the Toronto crew. Packing has begun here – see you soon!
Happy Birthday girl! My 40 was the 6th. Don’t sweat it.
What a whirlwind life you lead. I something of this sort of life, in that I travel and teach, print my own books (which also have deadlines)and very often other things, like visiting relatives or friends/gatherings seem to coincide with these other activities. However, it is what we seem to thrive on. When did that happen? A little deadline pressure to get things done? I am not certain.
happy birthday to you! and to ian and me- yay june 12th!
Hold onto your handknit socks, Franklin — RachelH is beyond awesome. You won’t want to leave.
Ask me how I know.
Even though I KNOW that those beads would be a huge pain in the arse, I get mesmorized by the sparkly. Dangerous stuff, that sparkly.
oh you give me hope! bless you! whenever i am awash in a sea of guilt due to my inferior housekeeping skills (and complete lack of desire to CARE about housekeeping) a voice, nay a kindred spirit is heard in the wilderness. calling out: you are not alone in your struggles! AND IT’S OK!!! can’t wait for saturday! see everyone there! 🙂
I agree with whoever said to tell your family that all you want for your birthday is a clean house. You have three healthy daughters – what are they doing if not cleaning? Tell them to pitch in and keep pitching in! As long as the bathroom(s) is clean, and the floors swept/vacuumed, and you have clean sheets on the beds, and the outdoor furniture is clean, you’ll be fine. Do any of your daughters drive? Give them a list and have them do the shopping. Or you shop while they clean. You’re not Martha Stewart, you’re the Yarn Harlot! And that beaded scarf is GORGEOUS! Who wouldn’t rather knit that than do housework!
I’ll be 46 in July and so far, my 40s beat my 30s. Nobody believes me when I tell them my age, and nobody will believe you, either, ’cause you sure look young! I believe that curls make us look younger. Happy Birthday to all celebrants!
Stephanie, I wish I could come and help you clean up for your busy weekend – you’ve been doing so much lately. My tidying up skills are legendary (it’s genetic)and it would mean I’d actually be there for WWKIP day on Sat with you and Franklin and all the Lettuce Knitters. Have fun, and the happiest of birthdays. To Ian and your Mom too!
Happy Birthday! The scarf is lovely. As far as tidying up, could you just offer a little liquid refreshment to your guests BEFORE they enter your house –maybe that way they wouldn’t care what condition things were in. After all, you HAVE been very busy. Do you ever sleep?
I find that no matter how much I want a clean house for myself, I can’t be motivated to really CLEAN clean it until I’ve got company coming. Just one of those psychological things. Sucks, but what can you do?
Happy Birthday on Saturday! As crazy as your schedule sounds, it is all good stuff so enjoy!
Ian- Happy Birthday to you and many more.Stephanie’s Mom – Happy Birthday to you and may they all be haealthy and happy ones ahead. Stephanie- Happy Birthday to you and may you enjoy every minute of every day ahead of you too. Family birthdays are such fun Enjoy!!
Exquisite scarf. Extraordinary colors. Beautiful beads. My want.
Dude, I spent my 40th on a beach in Mexico, but your way sounds fun too! I suspect both have cocktails in common…
Happy birthday dear girl!
Hand the first company in the door a pair of scissors and send them out to cut the blossoms off the chives. Wash, spin dry, put in big jug and cover with rice vinegar. Put where you will remember it and let it sit for about 3 weeks. Strain away blossoms. Decant into smaller bottles and refrigerate. Lovely color, lovely chive vinegar.
Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie,
Happy Birthday and get someone to clean for you. Or, as the famous Erma Bombeck suggested, clean the toilet and polish the chrome and enjoy the company.
And thank you for entertaining me.
Ann
The thistle flowers of the blooming chives are sooooo pretty. Yes, the sparkles are lovely and hypnotizing, but I can’t take my eyes off of those thistles …
Happy 40th, good luck with all the other stuff that company and major company entails.
Best,
firefly
Happy birthday, Stephanie. It’s my birthday too, and I’ll be working at the lys while the KIPpers are outside enjoying each others’ company! I do hope to get out to join them. I did put Franklin up on my desktop and the hubb said nothing. I was surprised! But it likely is the sock in his teeth thing, you know? He probably just figured it’s another weird knitter thing. :O)
Early birthday wishes to you! I’m celebrating my 30th tomorrow – for some reason changing the number of decades I’ve been around is delighting me beyond measure. I hope you had fun in K-W and find some time to knit. 😉
Happy birthday and of course stunning scarf! I just had my (shudder) 60th birthday and I can so identify with your cleaning crisis. My husband and I agree – good thing we get company once in a while or we never would get the house half decent looking! For me it is always my issue – I know my company doesn’t really care and they are coming to see me but I feel bad about myself if I don’t have the space looking at least like a house and not storage/piles/neglect. So good luck with that! One thing age has given me is great skills at stashing away all the piles and junk when I inevitably run out of time to really deal with all the accumulated stuff. Try and save enough energy to have fun! (Again, sadly personal experience!)
I love the scarf, I am myself struggling with a blanket which I started nearly 8 years ago and keep pulling out every year, knitting a few rows and then keeping it again.
Love
Scarlet aka Knitter Scarlet
http://knitterscarlet.blog.co.uk
For one I do agree with there are better things to do than clean. but family looks at that stuff. we also got that storm. I thought for sure we were going to have a tornado come through. It was scary. I have never seen how trees can bend parallel to the road and not break. I also lost power here at 11am Tues and got it back 12:30pm Wed. did alot of knitting. Couldn’t do much else. I couldn’t even make a dinner. Oh darn. Your chives look great. Love them in cottage cheese. and in the squeaky cheese also. nice knitting with the sparklies. my color. Happy Birthday. I will be 51 on the 24th. There are alot of June babies.
Have fun this weekend.
Ah your mother chose her birthday well. We June 13 babies are a fine breed…Wish her a happy one from me.
Hi Steph, Have fun on your 40th birthday! Don’t worry about the other stuff (housecleaning, etc). It will always be there. This time in your life will pass quickly, so enjoy. Love your beautiful knitting and books… such an inspiration!
Happy Birthday!
Love, Carol
Happy Birthday to you, Steph! Hoist a pint for me will you, because by reading this post I just found out that you are only 6 months older than my oldest child. I am not old enough to have a child almost 40! – I just turned 40 yesterday, didn’t I? How could I have four kids in their 30’s – I’m just a babe! I am having trouble adjusting to this fact especially since I haven’t hit 60 yet, and won’t for a while. But to find out that I am old enough to be your mother, well, I think I will take my knitting to the rocking chair now. Pity party anyone?
LOVE the scarf! Beautiful colors! Happy 40th! Enjoy it
All TRUE – being 40 is the FIRST day of the really-o truly-o Best Years of Life! And may I reveal: they’re preparation for the ’50s, which are better yet – and allow me to say, THE 60S ROCK!! (Both senses of the word – I took full advantage of the merry 1960s, and this my 60th decade, which I’m half-through, is absolutely CRACKER JACKS!) I made a 65th Birthday Resolution on my last birthday, that this will be the year a PUBLISH. Startin’ to maybe look good…….besides, I’m old enough now to get away with ALL OF IT, and I’m coming along nicely in my plan to be a Feisty Old Fart / Crazy Old Cat Lady. Happy BIRTHDAY in a future sort of way – I’m going to make sure there’s a mini-celebration of your birth’s anniversary at our WWKIP Day fete at The Sow’s Ear. hip hip HOORAY!! hip hip HOORAY!! hip hip HOORAY!!
I have contractors in the house, I have knitting deadlines, I have major company coming (no birthdays here, but graduations!). What am I doing? reading your blog, and commmenting. And, hollering the Happy Birthday song at you! (I won’t have time on Saturday, so here goes:)
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you!!
Happy Birthday, dear Stephanie,
Happy Birthday to youuuu!!!
I just ordered the undulating scarf kit. Did you pre-thread your beads or did you use the crochet hook method?
Thanks, Ridgely
Hey Steph – wanted to let you know about my favorite baby sweater. I knit the Baby Owl sweater from Penny Straker (http://www.pennystraker.com/babyowl.html) and EVERYONE who sees it thinks it is SO cool. Little cables that look like owls? It’s crazy cute. It’s knit at a ridiclously small gauge… and don’t use cotten yarn. Pain in the ass to cable.
Happy Birthday! Try the Yarni Cardigan on Ravelry by Mary Lou Egan. It’s just beautiful. I am halfway through my first sweater and I can’t stop knitting it. You can use sock yarn with crazy colors or baby yarn, every one is beautiful. Have fun tomorrow, looking forward to the pictures!
I’m “borrowing ” your pics of the yarn with the bleeding hearts for my very own Knit in Public Day- I hope it’s OK. Let me know if it’s not.
I’m going at a arts sale in Newburgh On.,selling my lamp worked glass beads and my hubby’s fused and slumped glass but knitting is my first passion so of course am taking socks to knit between the millions of customers lined up to buy. (last year was extremely busy)
So here’s to all the knitters- young and like me!
If anyone is in the Kingston- Belleville area- come to Art Among the Ruins in Newburgh.
Keep knitting.
Hi Steph Only 1 more hour to go to the BIG day
I wish you the very
Bestest H A P P Y BIG 4 0 B I R T H D A Y
for tomorrow. I think you are going to party all day, I hope you manage to knit a bit at KIP, but beer and knitting just don’t go.
It was my BIG 5 0 7 June I was partying all day CD’s on and knitting all day, its was a real blast. My 40’s were cool, I lloked far too young. Even now I still look real young. The other day I was chatting with a bloke who owns a Chicken joint
place and I showed him my BIG 50 badges, he said, “50, you don’t look 50, you only look 35”.
You don’t look 40 you’re such a real groovy chick, and hey if you wanna cleaner get a Uki pensioner mine’s a godsend, she came yesterday and the house is sparkling, not a crumb or stuff lying about anywhere. Have a reallyexciting day.
My Kip is at our Starbucks in the Pizza, just hope it don’t rain.
I love the beaded scarf! I broke my foot, am off it for 8 weeks (4 more) and am starting the scarf tonight. Thanks tons for the inspiration. Stephanie, I want to learn how to knit your way. Is there someone out ‘THERE’ who has a teaching video. I have watched the one from Kentucky but it is hard to see how you hold your yarn.
Thanks.
i love that scarf… knitting scarves is a vice. i have about 10 and 3 on the making. 😛
Happy Birthday! And happy WWKIP day!