This will be the last installment for NYRs and similar things for the 2011 season.
Remember this post? The one about how I don't make NYRs because they inevitably turn to crap by February...yeah, that one. Let's revisit it and see how I did with my List of Things I'd Like to Accomplish in 2011...
1. Stashbusting. I have a lot of yarn. I still have a lot of yarn. I bought even more yarn at events like the 2011 Madison Knitters' Guild Knit-In, Wisconsin Sheep & Wool 2011, and Stitches Midwest 2011...as well as some other places along the way. I also added to my stash by buying roving, which will eventually become yarn. *sigh* I was supposed to be getting rid of yarn. And while I did use yarn in my stash for some of my projects, I didn't use nearly enough of my stashed yarn for projects. So, this didn't go as well as I had hoped...oops.
2. Cleaning the House. For most people, this isn't a huge issue but as I stated in the original post, I have a lot of things that I inherited. Seriously, at one point I had two and a half households worth of stuff...plus the stuff that I purchased and the stuff that Husband purchased...and then you throw in Little Man's stuff. We just had a lot of stuff to deal with. While we've made some progress, there's still a lot left to do...and where we take giant leaps forward in some areas, we take just as giant leaps backwards in other areas. For example, our master bedroom was in pretty good shape. Then we decided that we were going to make the office into the guest room. Now the bedroom looks like a somewhat organized tornado hit it (again). The kitchen is in pretty good shape...but a new countertop will do that. It forced us to take everything off the counters and really decide if it needed to go back on there or not. Most things were put away into cupboards and some things were thrown out (or, rather, will be) and other things are going to be reorganized and put in different places. It looks pretty good in there. It still needs some work but it's pretty good. Other parts of the house haven't even been touched...the basement is atrocious, the upstairs is pretty good (but not finished), Little Man's room needs a lot of work (which will include selling bedroom furniture, buying new furniture for him, and going through all my "teacher stuff," among other things), the office/guest room is nowhere near finished...I could go on and on. So, although gains have been made, some setbacks have occurred as well.
3. Get Organized. This trips up a lot of people. We have these ideas in our head of what we *should* be doing, when we should be doing them, and how we should be doing them. And then life gets in the way, as it has a habit of doing. I've been getting better. I'm trying to reduce paperwork so the plan is to scan paperwork that we need to keep, but not for anything but reference. Things we need to keep for taxes will, unfortunately, have to remain in paper form but all the other extra paperwork can be scanned, shredded, and thrown away (or burned, whatever works). That right there will take out a lot of problems. Husband and I have constant battles about the mail and the paperwork and Puppy getting at it and all of that. I also plan to go through my books and get rid of any that I haven't read, won't read, and don't have an attachment to. I have a lot of books and I don't need to keep all of them. This is a work in progress because books are scattered all over the house. I also need to be a bit more........harsh, I guess, on what I do and don't keep as far as knickknacks and other sentimental things. As Husband says: you can't keep everything. He's right but it's really hard to get rid of things that have sentimental value. He doesn't understand sentimental value because he's just not that way and no matter how hard I try to explain it to him, he just doesn't get it. So, getting organized is always going to be something I have to work on...
4. Spend Quality Time with Little Man (daily). This really isn't difficult and I think I've done pretty well with this. Now that he's toddling around and getting into everything, this is much easier because we can actually play with things. He's also learning how to point and get the things I ask him to bring to me. He's learning which rooms are which (he knows that when I say, "go find daddy, he's in the kitchen" that daddy is in the room where I feed him in the high chair) and will usually go to an indicated room. He's still a little rusty on "bathroom" (unless he's naked) and "living room" but we're working on it. We also get out of the house quite a bit, even if it's just to run to Wal*Mart or the mall. He loves people and he's such a damn little flirt...
5. Spend Time Knitting (daily). Yeah, not so much. The idea was that I would feel better if I could get in even one row...but that's just not the case. I don't want to knit unless I can actually sit and knit for a little while. While I strive to knit every day, it doesn't always happen. Other things have taken away my knitting time, too. I've learned how to spin on my wheel. I've signed up for a full Ancestry account (which is a total time suck!). I've been reading knitting books...which I guess I could still count as knitting but it's not the actual process. And I'm constantly trying to get the daily houselife stuff done like dishes and laundry...and that just cuts into my knitting time. But, I do try...
6. Organize my Yarn Stash. I've done pretty well with this...but I lost my steam. I've got quite a bit of it posted on Ravelry but I have quite a bit left to post. I'm also not really "organizing" it...just making sure I know where to find it. I have all the bins labeled with a number so on my stash page, if you click on a yarn, it will probably say that it's stored in "bin #2" or "drawer #1" or something like that. Not everything has been re-checked since I started putting my stash on Ravelry...but, if it has a photo attached to it, chances are that I've attached it to a bin or drawer, too. I'm going to be working on this forever.
7. Organize my Needles. Yep. Didn't work on this one too well. I have, at least, collected my DPNs into DPN tubes that I ordered from Knit Picks, except for any that are US #10.5 or larger or have their own case (like my Signature DPNs). I have not, however, put them all on Ravelry. I'm thinking about selling some of my straights because I have several pairs of certain sizes that I seem to always need (US #6, US #8, and US #9, mostly)...but I can't do that until I know what I have. Same thing with my fixed circular needles. *sigh* It just never ends...
So, that's 2011 revisited...........I didn't do very well. Oops.
About Me
- Renee Anne
- Mama, wife, knitter, blogger, spinner, wannabe something or other. That's enough, right?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
'Twas the night before X-mas Eve....
'Twas the night before X-mas Eve
And all through my house
Every creature was stirring,
Especially the Dog
The stockings were hung, wait what stockings?
We have no stockings here...
Anyway, enough of that. It's the day before Christmas Eve and it's supposed to be FO Friday and I'm supposed to be showing you Little Man's blanket.
Tough.
It's not done.
I know, I know...I had these grand plans to knit at least five rows every day and I'd be finished by today. I worked on it, I really did! I just didn't do the required five rows every day...and now I'm still about a full repeat (24 rows), plus the extra rows (14 or 16 or something like that), plus the border rows (20 rows, I think). It just didn't happen. I got the hats finished and then I became enamored with Ancestry and doing that and I kind of forgot that I could knit.
Oops.
So, the blanket isn't finished. It'll get finished...hopefully soon. We'll see.
Sorry.
And all through my house
Every creature was stirring,
Especially the Dog
The stockings were hung, wait what stockings?
We have no stockings here...
Anyway, enough of that. It's the day before Christmas Eve and it's supposed to be FO Friday and I'm supposed to be showing you Little Man's blanket.
Tough.
It's not done.
I know, I know...I had these grand plans to knit at least five rows every day and I'd be finished by today. I worked on it, I really did! I just didn't do the required five rows every day...and now I'm still about a full repeat (24 rows), plus the extra rows (14 or 16 or something like that), plus the border rows (20 rows, I think). It just didn't happen. I got the hats finished and then I became enamored with Ancestry and doing that and I kind of forgot that I could knit.
Oops.
So, the blanket isn't finished. It'll get finished...hopefully soon. We'll see.
Sorry.
Friday, December 16, 2011
FO Fri....wait, nope...
Normally, Fridays would be all about FOs and while I do have an FO, I haven't uploaded photos and you've kind of already seen it (I added the earflaps and i-cord ties to the hat for Sweet Girl)...so that's no fun.
I have something completely different today. Today, it's all about genealogy in my house (note: if you don't want to read about genealogy, then you can stop right **now**).
A couple of months ago, I was perusing a lovely site called Find A Grave and updating information (specifically, my mother's information and her parents' information). I decided to do a search on my grandma's parents, James Edward Johnston and Martha Louise (Fagerlind) Johnston. I was connected to their sites and gained a host of information, including information about their parents, grandparents, some siblings, etc. I also contacted the person that supplied the information, Joe Johnston, asking if he knew more about the families because, well, I was interested.
Turns out that one set of his great-great grandparents are a set of my great-great-great grandparents: Rachael (Smith) Johnston and Joseph A. Johnston.
So, did he have information? Oh yes...tons. We've been e-mailing back and forth now for a couple of weeks with information and pictures and websites and all of that. Yesterday, when I picked up the mail, there was an envelope from Joseph Johnston from Libby, MT. The envelope contained two copies from newspapers in the Eau Claire, WI area, the Dunn County News (which is still in existence, actually).
The first one is an obituary for my great-great grandfather, John Abner Johnston, from the Dunn County News on March 3, 1941. It reads:
There are a few "funny" things with this. The obituary says he was born in 1858 but the headstone says 1857. Based on the fact that he was 83 when he passed in March 1941 and the fact that he was born in December, it would appear that the headstone is correct. However, I know record keeping wasn't anyone's strong point in the mid-1800s so it's possible that he really was born in 1858 and the newspaper got his age incorrect. It's not like I can go back and ask anyone because, let's be honest, anyone that would know absolutely 100% for sure has long since passed away.
Anyway, moving on...
The second thing was a copy about my great-great-great grandmother, Rachael (Smith) Johnston's accident and subsequent death from the Dunn County News, October 10, 1890. It reads:
Because this is such an old article, I'll translate it into the very short version: Rachael (Smith) Johnston, approximately seventy years old, went to visit her daughter, Mary Emma (Johnston) Schuette in Eau Claire. She hooked up the horse team to the wagon and off she went. While she was out and about, something spooked the horses who decided to run off. In her attempt to jump from the wagon to avoid (further) injury, the wagon rolled over her and she died as a result of her injuries.
Old articles like this are kind of amusing to read, if only because they're so full of flowery language. I guess people wanted to know the extra details back then (like my great-great-great aunt Mary Emma also being thrown by the same horse team). *sigh* Whatever, it makes for interesting stories for me.
Let me tell you more about Rachael (Smith) Johnston and her husband, Joseph A. Johnston...because I can :)
Joseph A. Johnston was born in either 1823 or 1824 somewhere in either Elk or Cameron County, Pennsylvania. I've heard from other distant family members (in the Johnston line) that he was born in Gibson Township, PA which is actually a township in Cameron County (which is the county directly east of Elk County). Of course, counties changed borders, just like states did and it's quite possible that at the time of his birth, Gibson Township was in Elk County because Cameron County may not have existed. I'll have to dig into that. Anyway...he was born, probably at home, the nearest large city being either Harrisburg or Allentown, both a good distance away, especially if you were traveling by horse and buggy, as they would have been at that time. There is a possibility that his parents were named William and Sarah (Clark) Johnston and were living in Buffalo Township, Washington County, PA in 1850 with their son, Joseph (aged 25 years), daughters Sarah A. (aged 26) and Mary (aged 23). At that time, William was 72 years old (which would have put his birth around 1778) and Sarah was 61 years old (which would have put her birth around 1789). However, at this time, more research is needed to determine if this is, in fact, the correct family. It may not be.
In 1860, Joseph A. Johnston is living in Gibson Township, Elk County (Cameron County), PA with his wife, Rachael (Smith) Johnston. Joseph is listed as being 31 years old at that time but that cannot be correct. He would have to be 36 years old, at least, based on his birthday...or his birthday is wrong and he was actually born in 1829 or 1830. I'm going to have to look into that a little more closely. My guess is that someone doing the transcription did not hear correctly or the year of Joseph's birth is incorrect or whoever transcribed the age had difficulty reading the numbers on the census page (this comes from census information). Rachael is listed as being 25 years old in 1860 and having four children living at home: sons William (8 years), Joseph C. (6 years), and John A. (4 years - the one in the obituary from above), and daughter, Gillette J. (2 years). The children are listed under the surname of Barker, which may have been William's middle name. In 1860, Joseph is a farmer and his land is worth approximately $200.
Rachael (Smith) Johnston, on the other hand, was supposedly born in approximately 1820 to George Washington Smith and Elizabeth (Overturf) Smith (based on the obituary article from 1890). Whether that is the actual year or not I am unsure about at this time. If the information from the 1860 census is correct, then Rachael was actually born in 1835...but I cannot imagine that she is a full decade (or more) younger or older than her husband, especially if the obituary article is correct and she was approximately seventy in 1890. I imagine that she was actually 25 1860 considering that their oldest child, William, was 8 years old in 1860...so Rachael would have been 17 years old when he was born which, while somewhat improbable, is more likely than her having been 32 years old, having her oldest child.
Anyway, sometime between 1860 and 1870, the Johnstons moved to Dunn County, Wisconsin, specifically to Dunn Township. Joseph is listed as being 40 years old, Rachael 36 years (I'm just going to go with these numbers as being "correct," for my own sanity). From an obituary from Rachael's family, it sounds like the Johnstons moved to Wisconsin soon after the Civil War, in 1866. Living with them are their children: William (18 years old), Joseph C. (16), John A. (15), Gillette (listed as "Jane," which was her middle name, 12 years old), Emma (Mary Emma, 9 years), Elizabeth (6), and Jeremiah (2 years). They're still farming; the farm being worth approximately $600.
By the next census, 1880, their oldest son, William, and, apparently, John have moved out of the house but the rest of the children are still living at home. Joseph is listed as being 55 (seriously, he aged 15 years in the span of 10? I don't think so; he was more likely 50 years old), and Rachael is listed as 47 (which would be correct). The children living in the house are: Joseph C. (26), Jane (Gillette Jane, 22 years), Emma (Mary Emma, 18 years), Elizabeth (15), Jeremiah (12), Thomas (9), Jacob (7), and James (4). Rachael's younger brother, Alonzo Smith, is also living with them (29 years).
Joseph supposedly dies in 1885 but more research is needed to find out for sure. Rachael dies in 1890 and although the newspaper article says she's close to 70 years old, I suspect that she's closer to 57 years old.
I'm going to have to get a subscription to Ancestry and do a bit more research about this. It's a lot of information and it makes me think more and more about my family. I'm rather disconnected from most of my family, actually. I mean, my mom's immediate family are all gone so I have to rely on great-aunts and great-uncles and second (and fourth and sixth and third and gazillionth) cousins for information. It's disheartening. I do not want Little Man to go through not knowing his family...but it's going to happen anyway. *sigh*
The next time I discuss my family roots, I'll discuss John Abner Johnston and his wife, Lydia (White) Johnston.
I have something completely different today. Today, it's all about genealogy in my house (note: if you don't want to read about genealogy, then you can stop right **now**).
A couple of months ago, I was perusing a lovely site called Find A Grave and updating information (specifically, my mother's information and her parents' information). I decided to do a search on my grandma's parents, James Edward Johnston and Martha Louise (Fagerlind) Johnston. I was connected to their sites and gained a host of information, including information about their parents, grandparents, some siblings, etc. I also contacted the person that supplied the information, Joe Johnston, asking if he knew more about the families because, well, I was interested.
Turns out that one set of his great-great grandparents are a set of my great-great-great grandparents: Rachael (Smith) Johnston and Joseph A. Johnston.
So, did he have information? Oh yes...tons. We've been e-mailing back and forth now for a couple of weeks with information and pictures and websites and all of that. Yesterday, when I picked up the mail, there was an envelope from Joseph Johnston from Libby, MT. The envelope contained two copies from newspapers in the Eau Claire, WI area, the Dunn County News (which is still in existence, actually).
The first one is an obituary for my great-great grandfather, John Abner Johnston, from the Dunn County News on March 3, 1941. It reads:
John A. Johnston, son of Joe and Rachel Johnston, was born at Dry Wood, Penn., in 1858 and died at the age of 83 years. He was united in marriage to Lydia White in 1883 who proceeded him in death four years ago. Nine children were born to this union, Lafe [Lafayette, maybe Lafyette], Eau Claire; John, Banks, ND; Cole, Leve [unknown city, can't read the copy very well]; Pearl, Mrs. Nels [Nelson] Taylor, Eau Claire; James, Eau Claire, Hazel, Mrs. Joe Reidinger, Eau Claire; Bernie [Burney], Durand; Margaret, Mrs. Ray Myres [Meyers], Eau Claire; Charlie, Hammond, Ind; one sister, Ann Hoig, White Fish, Mont., 29 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends also survive.
Funeral services were held Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. at the Downsville M. E. church. Burial made in the Downsville cemetery. Rev. Chas. H. Butcher, pastor of Wesleyan Methodist church of Eau Claire, officiated.
There are a few "funny" things with this. The obituary says he was born in 1858 but the headstone says 1857. Based on the fact that he was 83 when he passed in March 1941 and the fact that he was born in December, it would appear that the headstone is correct. However, I know record keeping wasn't anyone's strong point in the mid-1800s so it's possible that he really was born in 1858 and the newspaper got his age incorrect. It's not like I can go back and ask anyone because, let's be honest, anyone that would know absolutely 100% for sure has long since passed away.
Anyway, moving on...
The second thing was a copy about my great-great-great grandmother, Rachael (Smith) Johnston's accident and subsequent death from the Dunn County News, October 10, 1890. It reads:
Fatal Accident
Last Saturday, Oct. 4, Mrs. Joseph Johnson [Johnston], whose home is a couple of miles south of Downsville, met a violent death in Eau Claire. She had gone to that city by team to visit a married daughter, Mrs. Schutte [Mary Emma (Johnston) Schuette]. While passing along the street the horses became frightened and ran away. Mrs. Johnson [Johnston], in attempting to jump from the wagon, fell beneath the wheels and sustained injuries from which she died in a few hours. The remains were brought to Downsville and interred on Wednesday of this week. The deceased was about seventy years old.
Mrs. Schuette accompanied the remains to Downsville and on Tuesday was the victim of another accident caused by the runaway of the same team that wrought her mother's death. She was thrown from the wagon, a collar bone and a rib broken. Dr. Reed was called and reduced the fractures and the lady is no rapidly progressing toward recovery.
Because this is such an old article, I'll translate it into the very short version: Rachael (Smith) Johnston, approximately seventy years old, went to visit her daughter, Mary Emma (Johnston) Schuette in Eau Claire. She hooked up the horse team to the wagon and off she went. While she was out and about, something spooked the horses who decided to run off. In her attempt to jump from the wagon to avoid (further) injury, the wagon rolled over her and she died as a result of her injuries.
Old articles like this are kind of amusing to read, if only because they're so full of flowery language. I guess people wanted to know the extra details back then (like my great-great-great aunt Mary Emma also being thrown by the same horse team). *sigh* Whatever, it makes for interesting stories for me.
Let me tell you more about Rachael (Smith) Johnston and her husband, Joseph A. Johnston...because I can :)
Joseph A. Johnston was born in either 1823 or 1824 somewhere in either Elk or Cameron County, Pennsylvania. I've heard from other distant family members (in the Johnston line) that he was born in Gibson Township, PA which is actually a township in Cameron County (which is the county directly east of Elk County). Of course, counties changed borders, just like states did and it's quite possible that at the time of his birth, Gibson Township was in Elk County because Cameron County may not have existed. I'll have to dig into that. Anyway...he was born, probably at home, the nearest large city being either Harrisburg or Allentown, both a good distance away, especially if you were traveling by horse and buggy, as they would have been at that time. There is a possibility that his parents were named William and Sarah (Clark) Johnston and were living in Buffalo Township, Washington County, PA in 1850 with their son, Joseph (aged 25 years), daughters Sarah A. (aged 26) and Mary (aged 23). At that time, William was 72 years old (which would have put his birth around 1778) and Sarah was 61 years old (which would have put her birth around 1789). However, at this time, more research is needed to determine if this is, in fact, the correct family. It may not be.
In 1860, Joseph A. Johnston is living in Gibson Township, Elk County (Cameron County), PA with his wife, Rachael (Smith) Johnston. Joseph is listed as being 31 years old at that time but that cannot be correct. He would have to be 36 years old, at least, based on his birthday...or his birthday is wrong and he was actually born in 1829 or 1830. I'm going to have to look into that a little more closely. My guess is that someone doing the transcription did not hear correctly or the year of Joseph's birth is incorrect or whoever transcribed the age had difficulty reading the numbers on the census page (this comes from census information). Rachael is listed as being 25 years old in 1860 and having four children living at home: sons William (8 years), Joseph C. (6 years), and John A. (4 years - the one in the obituary from above), and daughter, Gillette J. (2 years). The children are listed under the surname of Barker, which may have been William's middle name. In 1860, Joseph is a farmer and his land is worth approximately $200.
Rachael (Smith) Johnston, on the other hand, was supposedly born in approximately 1820 to George Washington Smith and Elizabeth (Overturf) Smith (based on the obituary article from 1890). Whether that is the actual year or not I am unsure about at this time. If the information from the 1860 census is correct, then Rachael was actually born in 1835...but I cannot imagine that she is a full decade (or more) younger or older than her husband, especially if the obituary article is correct and she was approximately seventy in 1890. I imagine that she was actually 25 1860 considering that their oldest child, William, was 8 years old in 1860...so Rachael would have been 17 years old when he was born which, while somewhat improbable, is more likely than her having been 32 years old, having her oldest child.
Anyway, sometime between 1860 and 1870, the Johnstons moved to Dunn County, Wisconsin, specifically to Dunn Township. Joseph is listed as being 40 years old, Rachael 36 years (I'm just going to go with these numbers as being "correct," for my own sanity). From an obituary from Rachael's family, it sounds like the Johnstons moved to Wisconsin soon after the Civil War, in 1866. Living with them are their children: William (18 years old), Joseph C. (16), John A. (15), Gillette (listed as "Jane," which was her middle name, 12 years old), Emma (Mary Emma, 9 years), Elizabeth (6), and Jeremiah (2 years). They're still farming; the farm being worth approximately $600.
By the next census, 1880, their oldest son, William, and, apparently, John have moved out of the house but the rest of the children are still living at home. Joseph is listed as being 55 (seriously, he aged 15 years in the span of 10? I don't think so; he was more likely 50 years old), and Rachael is listed as 47 (which would be correct). The children living in the house are: Joseph C. (26), Jane (Gillette Jane, 22 years), Emma (Mary Emma, 18 years), Elizabeth (15), Jeremiah (12), Thomas (9), Jacob (7), and James (4). Rachael's younger brother, Alonzo Smith, is also living with them (29 years).
Joseph supposedly dies in 1885 but more research is needed to find out for sure. Rachael dies in 1890 and although the newspaper article says she's close to 70 years old, I suspect that she's closer to 57 years old.
I'm going to have to get a subscription to Ancestry and do a bit more research about this. It's a lot of information and it makes me think more and more about my family. I'm rather disconnected from most of my family, actually. I mean, my mom's immediate family are all gone so I have to rely on great-aunts and great-uncles and second (and fourth and sixth and third and gazillionth) cousins for information. It's disheartening. I do not want Little Man to go through not knowing his family...but it's going to happen anyway. *sigh*
The next time I discuss my family roots, I'll discuss John Abner Johnston and his wife, Lydia (White) Johnston.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
FO Friday........
Sometimes, I just amaze myself. I have TWO Finished Objects to show off this week...I'm so proud of myself :)
The specifics:
Pattern: None...based the stitch count and decreases on the Madison hat
Yarn: Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash in Navy
Needles: US #8 DPNs
Size: Well, since there wasn't really a pattern, I can say whatever I want...but it's made for my BIL so I'm going to say "Adult" for size
Modifications: Again, since there really isn't a pattern, there aren't really any modifications...right?
This is my BIL's Christmas present. I made it in less two days. I started it on Saturday and finished it on Monday night. I'm rather amazed with myself. The color, however, is not represented properly in this photo. I took it with my iPhone and it was only lamp lighting...not the best. It turned out brighter in the photograph than it actually is. Also, this isn't blocked...I just wanted to get the photo done. Oh well...
But, FO Friday gets even better...
The specifics...
Pattern: Basic Sock Pattern (Universal Top-Down Sock) from Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Sock Book
Yarn: Sami Merino by Creatively Dyed Yarns in Dark
Needles: US #2 DPNs (Blackthorn)
Size: Um......I can't find the book so I'm going to go with Women's Medium because that sounds right
Modifications: I went up to a US #2 instead of using the US #1 that the pattern called for...if I were going to make these again, I'd use #1s because they turned out a little too large. I even did a gauge swatch. ::sigh::
When I purchased this yarn at Knit-In 2010, I knew it would become socks. I didn't anticipate that they would take me almost a year to make. I started the socks in January of 2011 and I finished on Monday night. Seriously, eleven months to make socks? That's just silly...I think I'm getting better. I screwed up the kitchener stitch on the second sock because I, apparently, don't read directions. It's not horrible and it got the job done but, basically, the kitchner is inside out. Also, these look weird because they're not washed or blocked. I'll take a better picture once I get them washed and put on the sock blockers.
Anyway, that's FO Friday for you :) For more FO Friday fun, go visit Tami's blog...
The specifics:
Pattern: None...based the stitch count and decreases on the Madison hat
Yarn: Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash in Navy
Needles: US #8 DPNs
Size: Well, since there wasn't really a pattern, I can say whatever I want...but it's made for my BIL so I'm going to say "Adult" for size
Modifications: Again, since there really isn't a pattern, there aren't really any modifications...right?
This is my BIL's Christmas present. I made it in less two days. I started it on Saturday and finished it on Monday night. I'm rather amazed with myself. The color, however, is not represented properly in this photo. I took it with my iPhone and it was only lamp lighting...not the best. It turned out brighter in the photograph than it actually is. Also, this isn't blocked...I just wanted to get the photo done. Oh well...
But, FO Friday gets even better...
The specifics...
Pattern: Basic Sock Pattern (Universal Top-Down Sock) from Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Sock Book
Yarn: Sami Merino by Creatively Dyed Yarns in Dark
Needles: US #2 DPNs (Blackthorn)
Size: Um......I can't find the book so I'm going to go with Women's Medium because that sounds right
Modifications: I went up to a US #2 instead of using the US #1 that the pattern called for...if I were going to make these again, I'd use #1s because they turned out a little too large. I even did a gauge swatch. ::sigh::
When I purchased this yarn at Knit-In 2010, I knew it would become socks. I didn't anticipate that they would take me almost a year to make. I started the socks in January of 2011 and I finished on Monday night. Seriously, eleven months to make socks? That's just silly...I think I'm getting better. I screwed up the kitchener stitch on the second sock because I, apparently, don't read directions. It's not horrible and it got the job done but, basically, the kitchner is inside out. Also, these look weird because they're not washed or blocked. I'll take a better picture once I get them washed and put on the sock blockers.
Anyway, that's FO Friday for you :) For more FO Friday fun, go visit Tami's blog...
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Pearl Harbor: 70 Years Later
Seventy years ago on this date, Pearl Harbor was bombed.
Seventy years ago on this date, my grandfather, Roland Arthur Zerbel, was in the navy on a ship out in the Pacific Ocean. He was about twenty-one or twenty-two years old.
Twenty years ago on this date, I was eleven years old and it was the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My mother said that I should call my grandpa and ask him about it because he was there. So, not knowing what I was getting into and wishing to God now that I had paid a bit more attention then, I called my grandpa and asked him about Pearl Harbor.
For those of you that are not familiar with WWII history from the US standpoint, Pearl Harbor is located on the southern coast of island of O'ahu in the state of Hawai'i. It is the best place to anchor huge battleships in not only the Hawai'ian Islands, but the whole of the Pacific Ocean. And it was ours. Granted, Hawai'i was still just a US Territory at the time, but it had an US Air Force base and, obviously, naval ships. It is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the city of Honolulu, now the capital of Hawai'i. Pearl Harbor is the reason the US got involved in WWII and we were fighting against the Japanese. The whole deal about the US troops liberating concentration camps in Europe and storming the beach at Normandy, France were secondary to the Japanese. In fact, the US Government had no idea about the concentration camps until they ran into them while storming across Europe and wondered, "WTF is this?!"
I could get into the logistics for why the Japanese felt it necessary to bomb the hell out of us at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 but let's just say our sanctions against Japan caused it and we pretty much deserved it. You cannot choke someone and not expect them to fight back.
But, back to twenty years ago and an eleven year old me asking my grandfather, then in his early 70s, about his experience of Pearl Harbor. My grandfather was in the navy and had been stationed at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. I wish I had paid more attention to my grandfather's story but what I remember him clearly telling me this: his ship left Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941 because they realized the planes on the radar were coming from the wrong direction to be the supply ships that were supposed to be coming from California. They tried to warn the other ships in the area, telling them to look at the radar: there was no way that planes flying in from the west could be the planes from California because California is not to the west of Hawai'i.
His ship was one day out of Pearl Harbor when the Japanese bombed it on December 7, 1941. He survived because of that.
Whether his ship left under orders or without orders, I do not know. Whether any other ship listened and left with them, I do not know.
My grandfather died in August 2002. He was in his early 80s. We never spoke of Pearl Harbor again after the discussion we had in 1991. Now that I've been doing my family research, I wish I had asked him more about Pearl Harbor and his time in the navy. I hope to ask my step-grandmother more about it, she knew him much better than I ever did.
And, as a side note, she was only eleven or so when the bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred...about the same age I was when I asked him about it.
Seventy years ago on this date, my grandfather, Roland Arthur Zerbel, was in the navy on a ship out in the Pacific Ocean. He was about twenty-one or twenty-two years old.
Twenty years ago on this date, I was eleven years old and it was the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My mother said that I should call my grandpa and ask him about it because he was there. So, not knowing what I was getting into and wishing to God now that I had paid a bit more attention then, I called my grandpa and asked him about Pearl Harbor.
For those of you that are not familiar with WWII history from the US standpoint, Pearl Harbor is located on the southern coast of island of O'ahu in the state of Hawai'i. It is the best place to anchor huge battleships in not only the Hawai'ian Islands, but the whole of the Pacific Ocean. And it was ours. Granted, Hawai'i was still just a US Territory at the time, but it had an US Air Force base and, obviously, naval ships. It is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the city of Honolulu, now the capital of Hawai'i. Pearl Harbor is the reason the US got involved in WWII and we were fighting against the Japanese. The whole deal about the US troops liberating concentration camps in Europe and storming the beach at Normandy, France were secondary to the Japanese. In fact, the US Government had no idea about the concentration camps until they ran into them while storming across Europe and wondered, "WTF is this?!"
I could get into the logistics for why the Japanese felt it necessary to bomb the hell out of us at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 but let's just say our sanctions against Japan caused it and we pretty much deserved it. You cannot choke someone and not expect them to fight back.
But, back to twenty years ago and an eleven year old me asking my grandfather, then in his early 70s, about his experience of Pearl Harbor. My grandfather was in the navy and had been stationed at Pearl Harbor in December 1941. I wish I had paid more attention to my grandfather's story but what I remember him clearly telling me this: his ship left Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941 because they realized the planes on the radar were coming from the wrong direction to be the supply ships that were supposed to be coming from California. They tried to warn the other ships in the area, telling them to look at the radar: there was no way that planes flying in from the west could be the planes from California because California is not to the west of Hawai'i.
His ship was one day out of Pearl Harbor when the Japanese bombed it on December 7, 1941. He survived because of that.
Whether his ship left under orders or without orders, I do not know. Whether any other ship listened and left with them, I do not know.
My grandfather died in August 2002. He was in his early 80s. We never spoke of Pearl Harbor again after the discussion we had in 1991. Now that I've been doing my family research, I wish I had asked him more about Pearl Harbor and his time in the navy. I hope to ask my step-grandmother more about it, she knew him much better than I ever did.
And, as a side note, she was only eleven or so when the bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred...about the same age I was when I asked him about it.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
WIP Wednesday
It's Wednesday and that means that it's time for another installment of WIP Wednesday. Last week, we briefly touched on the fact that my collection of WIPs hadn't changed, except, perhaps, in length.
Little Man's blanket still isn't finished. I did the math on it and I figure I have somewhere between 80-85 rows left before it's finished. That translates to maybe 10-15 hours worth of work, not including washing and blocking...I'm a slow knitter, sue me. Maybe not that long. I don't know...
My Icarus Shawl hasn't been touched. It used to sit on a side table in my living room. When we did some cleaning when Little Man became mobile, it was shoved into a bag and kind of disappeared for awhile. I found it on Monday afternoon. That doesn't mean I pulled it out...but I'm aware of where it's hiding.
Little Man's Giraffe is still in hiding. I know where it is but I haven't bothered to pull it out. I think it's going to hibernate in the closet for a couple of months...or weeks...whatever. I know where it is and that's important.
I started the second sock of my Skyp Socks...I'm only on the twelfth row so there's nothing interesting to photograph. Sorry.
The Traveling Vines Socks are still somewhere in the house...haven't found them. I'm pretty sure they're in a project bag of some sort which gives me a general idea but I haven't dug them out.
Also........the startitis got to me. I started another sock yesterday. It's not based on a pattern of any sort...I just know how many I need to cast on and I went from there. Oops.
But, I did finish some things.......you're going to have to wait until Friday to see those, though :)
For more WIP Wednesdays, visit Tami's blog.
I must apologize for being boring and without photos...my iPhoto hasn't been uploading properly so I can't even show you new photos of Little Man. *sigh*
Little Man's blanket still isn't finished. I did the math on it and I figure I have somewhere between 80-85 rows left before it's finished. That translates to maybe 10-15 hours worth of work, not including washing and blocking...I'm a slow knitter, sue me. Maybe not that long. I don't know...
My Icarus Shawl hasn't been touched. It used to sit on a side table in my living room. When we did some cleaning when Little Man became mobile, it was shoved into a bag and kind of disappeared for awhile. I found it on Monday afternoon. That doesn't mean I pulled it out...but I'm aware of where it's hiding.
Little Man's Giraffe is still in hiding. I know where it is but I haven't bothered to pull it out. I think it's going to hibernate in the closet for a couple of months...or weeks...whatever. I know where it is and that's important.
I started the second sock of my Skyp Socks...I'm only on the twelfth row so there's nothing interesting to photograph. Sorry.
The Traveling Vines Socks are still somewhere in the house...haven't found them. I'm pretty sure they're in a project bag of some sort which gives me a general idea but I haven't dug them out.
Also........the startitis got to me. I started another sock yesterday. It's not based on a pattern of any sort...I just know how many I need to cast on and I went from there. Oops.
But, I did finish some things.......you're going to have to wait until Friday to see those, though :)
For more WIP Wednesdays, visit Tami's blog.
I must apologize for being boring and without photos...my iPhoto hasn't been uploading properly so I can't even show you new photos of Little Man. *sigh*
Monday, December 5, 2011
Manic Monday (Maniac Monday?)
It's just another Manic Monday (whoa-a-whoa...I wish it were a........wait, no I don't wish it were Sunday).
Anyway, it's Monday and you know what that means! Oh, you don't? Oops. I guess I don't either. So, it's Monday and let's recap what's been going on in my world, just because I can.
If you remember this post, you'll realize that I've not been doing enough knitting. The WIP Wednesday post hasn't changed in a couple of weeks, except that I've finished Sweet Girl's hat and Husband's SIL's hat (Sweet Girl's mom). I'm still in the midst of my BIL's hat (which is just a plain beanie, using the same stitch count and decrease as the aforementioned hats) and Little Man's blanket. I'm hoping that I'll have the blanket finished before Christmas but that might not happen. We'll see. The hat will probably be finished in time for another FO Friday post...this week.
If you remember this post or this post, you'll realize I have been doing some cleaning. It's not going as well as I had hoped but it's a start. I had planned to clean in the office some more yesterday but a migraine that wouldn't quit basically put me in bed all day (Husband played with Little Man so I could get some more sleep). By the time I had started feeling better, it was a little too late to be digging around in the office and Little Man would have been really upset with me if I left him to go clean. So, I played with Little Man, instead...and it was totally worth it. Perhaps I'll get around to some more cleaning in the office while Little Man naps today. Or I'll work on putting things up on Freecycle or Craigslist...or both.
In other random events, I've been having startitis with knitting. I have things to finish but all I can do is dream about my next project(s). I've gotten a couple of things I've ordered (Knit Picks, The Plucky Knitter) and a few things I purchased from members on Ravelry (more yarn)...and having gone through some of my fiber and yarn, I keep thinking of what I want to do next. I haven't started anything (yet) because I'd like to have more of a "game plan" for my knitting, so to speak. Bob knows I don't need any more yarn so I'd like to start planning what to do with the yarn I have in my stash. I have plenty of things in my Ravelry queue and plenty of the yarn to do it...plus I'm planning to start the Master's Knitting courses through The Knitting Guild Association. I'm going to have to have a little sit-down with my queue and yarn and plan some things out. The idea originally comes from the Yarn Harlot and her self-imposed sock-of-the-month project but I'm not going to limit it to just socks and I'm allowing myself more than a month to complete a project. I just don't have the time to knit like I want and I think I would add undue stress into my life by trying to force myself to finish a project every month.
Speaking of undue stress, my tenant (and knitting friend) called about the washer at my condo. It decided to take a shit. Sorry, but that's what it did. The technical term is "stopped spinning." I guess I shouldn't complain as it's almost 20 years old and is the product that put Maytag into bankruptcy years ago...but it means we have to get a new washer for the condo. Husband ordered one from Home Depot. It's nothing fancy...but they can't deliver it until January 3rd. Seriously, a month?! I feel bad about it but there's nothing I can do short of renting a trailer and driving to the warehouse (which is Bob only knows where) to pick it up myself. But, it gets better...not only did her washer crap out, but so did ours! I was doing Little Man's laundry the other day (Friday, probably) and went to switch it over only to find the door locked, the washer off, and when I finally got the door unlocked and open (which took some finagling with starting and stopping the machine a couple of times), I found that all his stuff was sopping wet. There was also quite a bit of water in the machine. So, I tried to get it to spin out by putting it on a spin cycle and it wouldn't spin. I could hear it trying to spin but it wouldn't go. So, I had to haul out Little Man's sopping wet clothes, take them into the utility bathroom and wring them out, then throw them back in the washer. I was finally able to get it to start spinning after I had pre-wrung over half the load. I was not happy. This isn't the first time I've found laundry like this but I was able to get the machine to spin out, at least. This time, I had to fight it. I don't know if it's because it wasn't as full as it usually is or if it's just being a pile. We're having someone come look at it tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that it's nothing huge and that we don't have to replace it already (though, if we do have to replace it, we're getting a top-loader; I hate this front-load business). So, two washers that aren't working.
*sigh*
Anyway, I think that's all that's going on in my world. Perhaps I'll have a WIP Wednesday project (or two) to show...or not. We'll see.
Anyway, it's Monday and you know what that means! Oh, you don't? Oops. I guess I don't either. So, it's Monday and let's recap what's been going on in my world, just because I can.
If you remember this post, you'll realize that I've not been doing enough knitting. The WIP Wednesday post hasn't changed in a couple of weeks, except that I've finished Sweet Girl's hat and Husband's SIL's hat (Sweet Girl's mom). I'm still in the midst of my BIL's hat (which is just a plain beanie, using the same stitch count and decrease as the aforementioned hats) and Little Man's blanket. I'm hoping that I'll have the blanket finished before Christmas but that might not happen. We'll see. The hat will probably be finished in time for another FO Friday post...this week.
If you remember this post or this post, you'll realize I have been doing some cleaning. It's not going as well as I had hoped but it's a start. I had planned to clean in the office some more yesterday but a migraine that wouldn't quit basically put me in bed all day (Husband played with Little Man so I could get some more sleep). By the time I had started feeling better, it was a little too late to be digging around in the office and Little Man would have been really upset with me if I left him to go clean. So, I played with Little Man, instead...and it was totally worth it. Perhaps I'll get around to some more cleaning in the office while Little Man naps today. Or I'll work on putting things up on Freecycle or Craigslist...or both.
In other random events, I've been having startitis with knitting. I have things to finish but all I can do is dream about my next project(s). I've gotten a couple of things I've ordered (Knit Picks, The Plucky Knitter) and a few things I purchased from members on Ravelry (more yarn)...and having gone through some of my fiber and yarn, I keep thinking of what I want to do next. I haven't started anything (yet) because I'd like to have more of a "game plan" for my knitting, so to speak. Bob knows I don't need any more yarn so I'd like to start planning what to do with the yarn I have in my stash. I have plenty of things in my Ravelry queue and plenty of the yarn to do it...plus I'm planning to start the Master's Knitting courses through The Knitting Guild Association. I'm going to have to have a little sit-down with my queue and yarn and plan some things out. The idea originally comes from the Yarn Harlot and her self-imposed sock-of-the-month project but I'm not going to limit it to just socks and I'm allowing myself more than a month to complete a project. I just don't have the time to knit like I want and I think I would add undue stress into my life by trying to force myself to finish a project every month.
Speaking of undue stress, my tenant (and knitting friend) called about the washer at my condo. It decided to take a shit. Sorry, but that's what it did. The technical term is "stopped spinning." I guess I shouldn't complain as it's almost 20 years old and is the product that put Maytag into bankruptcy years ago...but it means we have to get a new washer for the condo. Husband ordered one from Home Depot. It's nothing fancy...but they can't deliver it until January 3rd. Seriously, a month?! I feel bad about it but there's nothing I can do short of renting a trailer and driving to the warehouse (which is Bob only knows where) to pick it up myself. But, it gets better...not only did her washer crap out, but so did ours! I was doing Little Man's laundry the other day (Friday, probably) and went to switch it over only to find the door locked, the washer off, and when I finally got the door unlocked and open (which took some finagling with starting and stopping the machine a couple of times), I found that all his stuff was sopping wet. There was also quite a bit of water in the machine. So, I tried to get it to spin out by putting it on a spin cycle and it wouldn't spin. I could hear it trying to spin but it wouldn't go. So, I had to haul out Little Man's sopping wet clothes, take them into the utility bathroom and wring them out, then throw them back in the washer. I was finally able to get it to start spinning after I had pre-wrung over half the load. I was not happy. This isn't the first time I've found laundry like this but I was able to get the machine to spin out, at least. This time, I had to fight it. I don't know if it's because it wasn't as full as it usually is or if it's just being a pile. We're having someone come look at it tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that it's nothing huge and that we don't have to replace it already (though, if we do have to replace it, we're getting a top-loader; I hate this front-load business). So, two washers that aren't working.
*sigh*
Anyway, I think that's all that's going on in my world. Perhaps I'll have a WIP Wednesday project (or two) to show...or not. We'll see.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
From the depths of the office....
Husband got a bug in his pants a few days ago: we should clean out the office...and I mean totally empty. Little Man's room is too cold in the winter (southeast side of the house) and the office is warmer and right next to our room and...you get the idea.
For normal people, this probably isn't a big deal. I mean, there's probably a desk, chair, maybe a table with craft supplies, a bookshelf (or two or three, complete with books), and other officey-type things. It might have a couple piles of paperwork or some crafting supplies out but is otherwise neat and orderly.
Yeah, not my office.
My office is the pit. It's been a dumping ground since we moved in here almost 3 years ago. And prior to that, it was a pit because my grandparents didn't use it for much of anything except a dumping ground...but when Little Man was born, it got really bad. Prior to his birth, I had actually gotten it into something of a slightly useable space. I could, at least, get to the desk and do things on it and get to the bookshelf. I had a pile of boxes of things I was willing to get rid of. Once he was born, it turned into the room where we threw everything when we didn't know where to put it or we needed to get it out of the way immediately.
Most recent additions to the office include a couple of bags of yarnyfiber things, my spinning wheel, and the coffee table from the living room (which is octagonal and has an approximate diameter of four feet). Let's keep in mind that there were other things added to the room before those, like all my purchases from Stitches Midwest (which can be found in this post) and Wisconsin Sheep & Wool, boxes of collectibles, things that were already there, a sewing machine, a bookshelf, the desk with my desktop computer (which hasn't been used in quite some time), a huge laser printer, and a bunch of random officey things. It was a very full room and it's not a big room so it looks even more full because the room is so small. *sigh*
Anyway, Husband has this grand idea to clean out the office and move Little Man's bedroom. He doesn't know how to help me, though, because it's all my crap...he'll help me move the desk and the big stuff but going through everything is kind of my deal.
So, what did I do today? I plunged into the office and started going through boxes, throwing things out, deciding what to donate, deciding what to put on Freecycle, deciding what to sell on Craigslist, deciding what I needed to keep (or should keep or wanted to keep)...I actually got a fair amount done. Sadly, the room doesn't look any better...it just looks like more of a mess. I hauled out two full bins of yarn and a full bin of fiber (and another bag)...I have a couple of boxes of stuff to put on Freecycle and a box to take to St. Vinny's and a couple of boxes of things to sell.........it's just a mess.
I feel better, though. It needs to get done and if this is the push I need, then so be it.
But, let's keep it real: I hate cleaning. It sucks.
For normal people, this probably isn't a big deal. I mean, there's probably a desk, chair, maybe a table with craft supplies, a bookshelf (or two or three, complete with books), and other officey-type things. It might have a couple piles of paperwork or some crafting supplies out but is otherwise neat and orderly.
Yeah, not my office.
My office is the pit. It's been a dumping ground since we moved in here almost 3 years ago. And prior to that, it was a pit because my grandparents didn't use it for much of anything except a dumping ground...but when Little Man was born, it got really bad. Prior to his birth, I had actually gotten it into something of a slightly useable space. I could, at least, get to the desk and do things on it and get to the bookshelf. I had a pile of boxes of things I was willing to get rid of. Once he was born, it turned into the room where we threw everything when we didn't know where to put it or we needed to get it out of the way immediately.
Most recent additions to the office include a couple of bags of yarnyfiber things, my spinning wheel, and the coffee table from the living room (which is octagonal and has an approximate diameter of four feet). Let's keep in mind that there were other things added to the room before those, like all my purchases from Stitches Midwest (which can be found in this post) and Wisconsin Sheep & Wool, boxes of collectibles, things that were already there, a sewing machine, a bookshelf, the desk with my desktop computer (which hasn't been used in quite some time), a huge laser printer, and a bunch of random officey things. It was a very full room and it's not a big room so it looks even more full because the room is so small. *sigh*
Anyway, Husband has this grand idea to clean out the office and move Little Man's bedroom. He doesn't know how to help me, though, because it's all my crap...he'll help me move the desk and the big stuff but going through everything is kind of my deal.
So, what did I do today? I plunged into the office and started going through boxes, throwing things out, deciding what to donate, deciding what to put on Freecycle, deciding what to sell on Craigslist, deciding what I needed to keep (or should keep or wanted to keep)...I actually got a fair amount done. Sadly, the room doesn't look any better...it just looks like more of a mess. I hauled out two full bins of yarn and a full bin of fiber (and another bag)...I have a couple of boxes of stuff to put on Freecycle and a box to take to St. Vinny's and a couple of boxes of things to sell.........it's just a mess.
I feel better, though. It needs to get done and if this is the push I need, then so be it.
But, let's keep it real: I hate cleaning. It sucks.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
FO Friday....and there's something to show!
Happy Friday :)
In the world of Knitting, Fridays are known as Finished Object Fridays or FO Fridays. I don't know what's been going on but for the second week in a row, I actually have something to show for a FO Friday.
Sometimes, I just amaze myself.
Pattern: Madison by Becca Sheffler
Yarn: Nashua Handknits: Creative Focus Superwash in Sky Blue
Needles: US #8 DPNs and my little cable needle
Size: Child (even though it's for an adult)
Modifications: I made the child size but made it longer to fit an adult...the child size is just that big...or maybe it's because I didn't do a gauge (again).
So, this hat is the second in a series of three, the first one being this one. The third one is going to be the same pattern in the Navy Blue that you see in the stripes of the first one.
But, about this one...this one is for Carol, Husband's SIL. She has no idea that she's getting it and I highly doubt that she's going to find this blog. So, she's getting a hat. My BIL is getting a hat (the aforementioned one in Navy Blue that I haven't made yet). Sweet Girl is getting a hat (the first one). I think it's a good deal...especially since no one knows they're getting a hat, though Carol knows that Sweet Girl is getting something handknit.
For more FO Fridays, go visit Tami's Amis and Other Creations.
In the world of Knitting, Fridays are known as Finished Object Fridays or FO Fridays. I don't know what's been going on but for the second week in a row, I actually have something to show for a FO Friday.
Sometimes, I just amaze myself.
Pattern: Madison by Becca Sheffler
Yarn: Nashua Handknits: Creative Focus Superwash in Sky Blue
Needles: US #8 DPNs and my little cable needle
Size: Child (even though it's for an adult)
Modifications: I made the child size but made it longer to fit an adult...the child size is just that big...or maybe it's because I didn't do a gauge (again).
So, this hat is the second in a series of three, the first one being this one. The third one is going to be the same pattern in the Navy Blue that you see in the stripes of the first one.
But, about this one...this one is for Carol, Husband's SIL. She has no idea that she's getting it and I highly doubt that she's going to find this blog. So, she's getting a hat. My BIL is getting a hat (the aforementioned one in Navy Blue that I haven't made yet). Sweet Girl is getting a hat (the first one). I think it's a good deal...especially since no one knows they're getting a hat, though Carol knows that Sweet Girl is getting something handknit.
For more FO Fridays, go visit Tami's Amis and Other Creations.
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