Monday, January 10, 2005

Switching Over

I am going to be switching this fledging blog over to Typepad over the next week. So check out Knit & Play with Fire at it's new home.

Saturday, January 08, 2005


Truck Woos! This is a small photo of what anti-freeze looks like when it is inside your car.... Yes, I am going to insist that it be fixed for free since this is the result of something done by the garage. Posted by Hello

Photos Tomorrow

Okay, the sun is out so that means I can get some decent photos today. I will be posting photos tomorrow. I am currently without a vehicle since the local garage has managed to screw up a minor repair to my truck. I know have to wait until tomorrow night to take my truck back down there so they can figure out what they did that resulted in my defrost not working and my having a nice size anti-freeze puddle in the floor on the passenger side. Actually since I don't have any knitting pictures handy, I will post a photo of the puddle. I am a female not stupid when it comes to engines!!

Okay if this works out okay, there should be a photo below. I am going to go and finish the second of the wrist warmers that I am currently knitting plus finish up a hat and a scarf and who knows what else since cleaning is definitely in my plans for the rest of the afternoon.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Geography Lessons

This one is especially for Bron.....

Yes the church steeple and such look like classic New England architecture but it is not New England architecture. That church steeple , and the many like it in this area, are pure German. I am south of the Mason-Dixon line. Maryland is a border state and I live in the western section which is the German area. Well, it was settled by the Germans and their presence is still strongly felt here. Although it is not at all unusual these days to hear Spanish spoken in the market and in the malls. We Hispanics are out to reclaim this country that we let the English and others settle.

Yes, I am a proud Cuban-American who was born in Republic of China on the Navy base. I have lived in a number of places courtesy of the US Navy.

For those who are geography impaired, locate Washington, DC, on a map and you will find Maryland right above it. It is a tiny state but a funplace to live when you learn to ignore politics. But it is small enough that you do get to know your state and local politicians on a personal basis. I know that I can go up to the head of the county comissioners and tell him to his face that I think his stand on certain issues make absolutely no sense and that he should on occasion get his head out into the sunshine. I have told a local state politican the same thing. And on the plus side, I have had a personal tour of the off-limits areas of the state governor's mansion

But enough about politics. It is time to knit.

Wednesday, January 05, 2005


The skies for the past 3 days! And it has been all rain no snow! No wonder I haven't been able to get a decent photo to share... Posted by Hello

New Chapeaux for the Harlot

Does anyone remember when the Harlot was going on about all it seemed that she was knitting was mittens? Well, I volunteered to knit her a hat or two. I knocked off 2 hats really fast. I than used the hats to cushion some really good chocolate that would help to calm her while she knits. She posted photos of the hats in today's blog but sadly she did not post a photo of her wearing at least one of them. The chocolate apparently suffered some evil fate at the hands of the Harlot so no photos of it will appear.

I am in the finishing stages of a third and final hat for Stephanie. I should be able to finish it up hopefully tonight and will post a photo of it before I mail it. I decided on 3 chapeaux for Stephanie because I figured that her lovely daughters might shall we say "borrow" them.

And the photo posted below is of the church steeple right down the street from my office. I stood out in the rain to take the picture. The sky has looked like that for the past 3 days.

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

A Masterpiece!!!!

Go and check out la Brainy's masterpiece!

I sent her some yarn in trade for some magazines and I included in the yarn the Peace Fleece everyday cardigan pattern and enough yarn to make it. I had purchased it a few years ago at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I kept thinking the yarn was a little too scratchy for me. Plus I figured that Alison would make better use of the yarn living in a much colder climate. After tinkering with the pattern for the everyday cardi, she ended up using the yarn for her own design. She is an inspiration!

Monday, January 03, 2005

Sockapalooza!!!

Yeah! I am in Alison's sockapalooza tour for winter 2005! This is going to make me actually have to make more socks. And something other than my normal safe ankle length toe-up pattern. Although I just promised my chief that I would be working on the year end paperwork for him this evening, I think I am going to be going through my old Interweave Knits issues. I need to have some sock patterns lined up before the matches are made.

For a look at what color I think fire engines should be check out the Walkersville Volunteer Fire Company. Yes, we really do think that all fire trucks should be blue. Red fire trucks are just so common. Actually so long as they can make it to the scene and put out the fire and have some really funky loud sirens, I guess engines that are other colors are okay.

Time to go knit and watch the rest of Tigerland. This is a great movie with plenty of political statements about the Vietnam war that correlate to today's military actions.

Waiting for Daylight

The pink Clapotis only took 3 soaks before the water stopped being pink. If the sun ever came out around here, I will take a picture of it.

I am also trying to finish off a hat to send to another blogger. I will wait until she receives the first 2 I have already sent her to be received. So I will be posting a photo of that soon. And a matching scarf that happened by chance.

I picked up Pledged: the Secret Life of Sororities by Alexandra Robbins on Saturday for something to read. Since I pledged a sorority in college and ended up in a fraternity, I figured that this might be an interesting read. I am almost finished with the book and it is a great insight into female group dynamics. And I will explain how a female can end up in a fraternity in the next week or so.

If my posts are a little sketchy this week, it is because I am trying to finish up year-end paperwork for the fire company. Once dreaded paperwork is done, I will be trying to post at least every other day.