a simple yarn

‘Nearly all the best things that came to me in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me.’ —Carl Sandburg

I have a new header.

No, you did not miss an opportunity to vote on photos. Funny how things happen. Was reading some comments left on the blog. You know how it goes…one link leads to another and I found myself at Lisa’s blog. She did a post on Mosaic Maker.

Janey Mack!

Warning: Culturally Accented Diversion Ahead
Right, I would not normally say ‘Janey Mack’ but it’s a great expression especially if you have an Irish accent, so please read it with one, okay?

Anyway, it’s exactly what I was looking for! A great way to highlight archival favourites. No more dithering. And it’s so simple that additional favourites will certainly crop up in future. Hope you like it…I do!

But the contest is still on with 200grams of Irish Kilcarra tweed yarn to be posted anywhere on the globe. Colours available are Red, Dark Berry, Tobacco or Dark Green.

Comments will be open until Friday morning…oh let’s say until noon EST to avoid confusion…and then I’ll use the handy-dandy random number generator to pick a winner. Thanks for your input!

Post Postscript:
See, I’m already fiddling with it after only a day! Taking on board your input, I’ve taken out a photo that Elisa thought was muddy (how true) and included the felted snake that Pia liked (good choice!). Hope to stick with this for a bit, but who knows? There’s lots of power out there with Mosaic Maker!

Post Postcript 2:
Great suggestions from ye! (Yes, they do say ‘ye’ in Ireland, so throwin’ some in for good measure.) Been dithering about the felted snake, so when I received a couple of suggestions about including a Dublin-inspired pic, the snake is out and the shamrocks are in. How appropriate to the legends of Éire—the snake-free isle! As I hunt up other archives of Ireland, we’ll add those in as well in future.

…when most aspects of life need immediate attention?

You change your blog format, of course.

Can’t find a thing.
Piles of laundry.
Weeds as tall as my children.
Abject chaos.
A perfect time to sample and dabble in theme changes.
A new look for life in a new-again country.
And here’s where you can help.

I’m in a bit of a dither about the new header photo. During the next week or so…when I should be organising our household…I’ll take some sample photos for a new banner, the felted snake being a temporary measure.

I’d like your input for which photo to choose. Random number generator for comments made will choose the winner of 200grams of straight-from-Ireland-Kilcarra-tweed yarn. Simple enough…and very helpful to me as I’m finding it difficult to make the smallest decisions.

Next task, find the camera.

Or in other words, trying to break the gravitational pull of this island.

Honestly, we tried to leave.
Mechanical difficulty.
Now the Kiddies and I are in a Dublin hotel for the evening.
Feels rather anti-climactic now.
Re-scheduled flight tomorrow takes us via Heathrow.
Isn’t that the wrong direction?
Wondering if we’ll ever make it to the US.
Glad I’m not superstitious or I’d be worried right about now.

Nothing like a bit of last minute shopping to steady the nerves, eh?

I do not have a fetish about shoes.
Not much of the Imelda Marcos in me.
Or so I thought.
Maybe I do.

An impulse buy.
No doubt about it.
Rationalised by thoughts of mere hours until departure.
What if I can’t get them in America?

Clarks.
Lots of unattractively British granny shoes.
But some styles are just so…cool.
Had to have these.

First the wellies and now a second post about shoes.
Guess it is a fetish.
Stormin’ good pic of my feet.
A parting postcard for The Other Four.

…sans photos, I’m afraid.

So, where are we at the moment?  In the US, at least for the next week.  Kiddies and I need to return to Dublin to pack up, finish school, say our farewells, which is the crappity part of this whole transition.  Final departure from Ireland happens mid-June.

Right then, during the next month or so, posts might be here, there or anywhere, as time and energy allow.

Because of dodgy internet connections, I can’t respond individually to the very lovely comments that have been left.  But thanks so much for a warm and hearty welcome back to the US.  Have to confess that culture shock (of the reverse kind) is creeping in.  But, all will be well as soon as I get into a knitting group and crank up the needles again.  Ahhh!

Okay, just one picture to remind me of the Dublin mountains before we left for our quick US trip…local free range sheep in the back garden.

Today is the day we do all the final signing of papers for the new house in the US. But it was yesterday when I found my ‘new home.’

It took no more than 14 hours after the Kiddies and I landed on US soil before the family walked by this shop in Old Town Alexandria.

Knit Happens

As you can imagine, the gravitational pull was overwhelming, and shamelessly leaving the others to find their own amusement, I dashed in. Okay, I say ‘dash,’ but it was more like a leisurely stroll, for who could zip in and out of this fine establishment without taking time to appreciate its ambiance, right?

Doing a poor job of controlling saliva glands, I tried to look like the Well-Traveled-Just-Arrived-From-Europe-and-Other-World-Destinations knitter, but I think they saw through that façade. In mere moments, though, I learned of their knitting night, community outreaches, drop-in-and-knit opportunities and (gasp) the Maryland Sheep and Wool Show going on this weekend with the Ravelry gang in attendance! Hey, don’t I live near Maryland now?

Well, it probably won’t happen for me this weekend (sigh), but there’s always next year…plenty of time for my Irish friends to plan a fibre field trip, eh?

…off to Cork for a brief Easter holiday with family and friends, a few archive photos from one of my favourite spots in Ireland.

The Rock of Cashel, in Co. Tipperary, served as the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster. The majority of buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion to Christianity of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century A.D.

Right, I realise I’ve been sounding like the Irish Tourism Board of late, but the Kiddies are out of school which minimises craft time. Sigh. Hope to finish a knitting project while on our mini break!

Hard to capture but yes, there is a second rainbow in the sky.

Wishing you and your family a very joyous Resurrection Sunday!

I confess that this photo is from last year’s salutations on this national holiday.  I  love the shamrocky nature of it nonetheless…with so many shades of green!  But my own well wishes to you are fresh and new this St. Patrick’s Day!

*english = ‘book and film’

It just so happens I’ve been engrossed…which would be different than just ‘gross’, mind you…in a book series of Celtic mysteries set in ancient Ireland. I began collecting and reading them about 6 or 7 years ago, before moving to Dublin. Have gone on a spree to purchase the last half-dozen unread books…I’m compulsive that way. But before delving into the last ones, I’ve started the series from the beginning again. That’s what happens when ya don’t have a TV.

Peter Tremayne, pen name for Peter Beresford Ellis, is a noted authority on ancient Celts, or so says the flyleaf of his books, so I guess it’s true. Besides solving mysteries in seventh century Ireland, the reader is inundated with the culture from whence the Irish came. Quite fascinating, really. Living in what is now a predominantly Roman Catholic culture, I find his description of the struggle between the Roman Catholic faith and the early Celtic Christian church especially interesting.

Okay, that sounds a little heavy. Lighter entertainment comes from a couple of inexpensive DVDs picked up at the supermarket.

Blog-Reader-And-Commenter-Tanya mentioned ‘The Matchmaker’ and never having seen it, I couldn’t resist it for a few euro. Love Janeane Garofolororodoeoe… Once again, slick Irish humor. Have to confess that some things strike me funnier now, having lived here awhile.

Spoiler Warning:
Well, Not Really, More Like It Won’t Make Sense Unless You’ve Seen The Film
Pattin’ myself on the back for understanding what yer man had to say in Irish when being pelted by rocks by the old coot on the Aran Islands. It truly is the universal question learned by school children at an early age. ‘An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí an leithreas.’ There, that’s my Irish phrase for the day, translation…‘Can I go to the toilet?’ Trying my hand at the phonetics, hang on now…Ahn will kee-AHD a-GUM dull ga dee an LEH-heh-ress.

And also have been eyeing this Classic-But-Don’t-Mention-It-To-The-Locals-Who-Want-To-Shed-That-Image film, ‘The Quiet Man.’ Saw it once ages ago, I think, but certainly worth watching again. Saving it for the weekend, though.

Right so, media’s covered then. Great options for those occasional knitting breaks!

Wow.

What I thought would take a month or so to complete is finished in 5 days. Crikey.
The speed with which the knitting community shares news would put any telecommunications company to shame!
Wow. (again)

And so the 1500th commenter is Tanya of turtleslakeknitting.blogspot.com. Many heartfelt congratulations for being a part of my milestone-for-no-reason in an ‘un’ sort of way! I’ll contact you via email to secure a postal address so I can get out the goodies straight away. I truly hope you enjoy this very Irish yarn! Yippee!

But hey, I’m not finished…

I have to confess that the spirit of this winter-blah-prevention went ever-so-slightly-wee-bit awry. My intention was not the mass accumulation of comments. Please don’t misunderstand…all are welcome! I guess, for me, it was more about community less about contest.

Right then, so to satisfy my own expectations, I decided to choose an additional pre-Tudora-pre-contest number…not so round, but meaningful nonetheless…

And will Commenter-Number-1127 (so chosen for my son’s birthdate), please step forward? Jackie of jikiknits.blogspot.com will be receiving this—

Crimson Kilcarra and Craftspun’s own brand of Homespun yarn…undyed creamy Blue Faced Leister.
Very happy knitting to you both!

Cuz I need something to zizz up the dreariness of winter, that’s why…

I love the idea of winning things. Alas, I never do. The next best thing is giving things. Especially when the recipient isn’t expecting it.

So, a little while ago, I thought, ‘Hey, I’d like to give away some lovely Irish Kilcarra yarn.’

But, hmm…..how to do it?

Then the obsessive-compulsive side of me kicked in and I decided that when I hit the good ol’ round number of 1500 comments posted, that 1500th commenter will receive 200 grams of the wool you see pictured.

How easy is that? No signing up. No names in a hat. No long-shot odds. Just business as usual until my milestone-for-no-particular-reason is reached!

So, where are we now? The odometer is at about 1400, so I’m thinking that in the next month or so we’ll be havin’ a winner!

New year, new choices, new directions, new projects…hmm….I wonder what else will be ‘new’ in these next twelve months?

Have you ever had that subconscious feeling that something is about to happen…you know, catching a glimpse of what might be and that what is ‘now’ is perhaps the proverbial calm before the storm? Who knows? I suppose if I were to have a pictorial representation of what my new year might look like, it would include this view of our road…

Happy new year to all and to the new opportunities this year will afford!