Left handed knitting - sporadic lesson #1

The internet is such a wonderful place to explore....I am a member on a website called Ravelry.  For those of you not in the know, this is an excellent website, lovingly hosted and cared for by a group of people who decided having a place on the internet where people who craft with yarn can have a place to go and explore.
Among the many things you can do on this website, are look for knitting and crochet patterns, find a certain type of yarn in which to make these patterns, stash that yarn in your own personal notebook, and discuss any issues you may have involving knitting or crocheting in their plethora of forums (over 1800 pages as of this blog posting).
This is just the basics ma'am, and the best part?  IT'S ALL FREE!  Yep, they do not charge a penny for all this crafting resource yummy-ness.  Now, that isn't to say there are not things on there to which one can spend their hard earned dollar - no no.  If you want to buy (or sell) some special yarn, whether it be store bought or home spun, you have many choices.  If you want to buy a pattern that is special to you (there are both free and non-free on this site) you can do so.
There is so much to explore on this website, and from mainly all the users, with the help of the hosts.  It's addicting.
So, saying all the above, there is still something that is frustrating to me, and that is the lack of lessons to be learned for the left handed knitter/crocheter.  Don't get me wrong, there's stuff out there, but you will find that our right handed friends have an assumption that if us lefties would just "mirror" what someone else is doing, or look at a pattern and "switch it" in your head or in calculating what is necessary to accomplish knitting/crocheting a certain item geared ONLY toward our righty friends, family, neighbors (non of which are not necessarily mutually exclusive or inclusive).
Sometimes, one wants to learn a new skill, be able to have an ease in which to learn that skill, and not have to rip our brains into mushy shreds, trying to figure out what is put before them, but only with the opposite hand.
I have decided, as I can, to research the waters of righthandedville, skim the cream of the crop, and translate what I can into a left-handed explanation.  All to serve us who are southpaws, who like to craft with yarn, who like to keep our brains from exploding.
With the help of my first search resource, Grumperina, who has an excellent knitting blog, full of resourceful tips, patterns, and the like (who is also a new mom- congratulations go out to her!), and with her written  permission, I am going to show you my first translation to leftyness:  The cable stitch, using no cable stitch holder.
Why this one first?  Because it is what I was looking for, and if I waited to do things in any learning curve order, you'd never have this as a resource.  Us lefties are not known for our logic, just our "artistic" values.


Please note, all pictures and captions are courtesy of Grumperina, and should not be copied or reposted in any way without her express, written permission.  Thank you.

Now, on to the lesson:

When you reach the cable stitches, move the yarn to the front.

With yarn in front, slip the first three stitches purlwise onto the left-hand needle.

Move the yarn across the three slipped stitches to the back.

Knit the next three stitches.

Bring the right needle to the back of the fabric, aiming at the three slipped stitches.

From the back, pick up the three slipped stitches onto the right needle.

Get ready for cable acrobatics by pinching the base of the cable stitches with your right thumb and forefinger. Start to move the left needle out of the stitches.

Pull the left needle out of the six cable stitches: the three slipped ones will remain on the right needle, and the three already-knit ones will be hanging in midair in the front.

From the front, pick up the three stitches hanging in midair with your left needle. These three stitches have already been knit.

Straighten out your knitting. The three knit stitches are on the left needle, and the three previously-slipped stitches are on the right.

Move the yarn to the back, and knit three stitches on the right needle (previously slipped).

Left-twist cable complete!

Next lesson, (when I get around to it!) the Right Twisted cable without a cable stitch holder, lefty style - ooooowwwww.

I love you Dr. G!

Today in the trial of State of Florida Vs. Casey Anthony, there was, as Nancy Grace loves to blurb, a "bombshell tonight".
Who'da thought this case would turn on its heels in just one day of testimony from just one witness.
Before today, the prosecution was plugging along, doing its job, and fairly well.  The defense was getting in some digs, and casting a small amount of doubt, perhaps, but clearly the prosecution had plenty of ammunition.  But, the prosecution still had NO SMOKING GUN.

Enter Dr Jan C. Garavaglia, M.D, aka "Dr. G".  For those unfamiliar, the fine doctor has a show on Discovery Health channel, that focuses on her diagnosing cause of death for bodies that come into the morgue in Orange County, Florida.
She also just happens to be the chief Coroner for Orange County, and was responsible for diagnosing the cause of death of little Caylee Anthony, Casey's now deceased daughter.
When she was on the stand today, a simple question turned into a huge breakthrough for the prosecution, and it came when the defense was asking the questions!
Chaney Mason was trying to ask Dr. G. whether she thought Caylee's death could be ruled an accident.  Her response?  "NO".  Why?  Chaney wanted to know.  Because, as Dr G. went on to say, no one who accidentally killed their child would wait any time at all (let alone 31 days) to admit the accident happened, no accident would involve hiding the body, and no accident would involve duct tape being placed anywhere on the face of a baby.
When Chaney pressed on, asking "Are you 100 percent sure?" "Yes, I'm 100% sure" - you go Dr. G!  This is the slam dunk the prosecution needed, the "aha" moment so often spoken about in terms of whether it could be proven that Casey Anthony was involved with this poor girl's death.

Taking all that has preceded this testimony and adding this revelation that clearly the defense was unprepared to hear, and you have one helluva case.

I just can't believe it.....

I'm finally getting my act together to blog about my thoughts, and what do I start with?  Blogging about this beast called Casey Anthony and her murder trial in Florida.  I would give a background, but who in the US (and other places no doubt) does not know about this case?  Even my mother has told me she has been swept up watching this case, hearing what this woman has supposedly done to that poor baby she was blessed with.

I only say supposedly because we are all "supposed" to be innocent until proven guilty.

Every day I have watched this trial.  Every day I have stared at the camera's target in the court room; this young woman who just had no idea how lucky she was, this Casey Anthony.  Every day I have wondered what it is about this woman so many of us are compelled to know about.  Like a car wreck - glad you're not involved; cannot help but look to see what happened.

Today, the State of Florida vs. Casey Anthony testimony involved finding the skeletal remains of a little girl, named Caylee.  She's cute as a button in both the pictures and videos I've seen, and just what brutal events led to that poor baby found dead in those woods is so hard to fathom.

Today, it looks like the reality of what Casey has done is hitting her, hard.  She isn't looking at the screen that is showing the photos of her dead little girl.  She is wiping away tear after tear, shaking and sobbing quietly.  Court finally had to be stopped for the day, based on her inability to keep to her dead-like stare and scowl she has had so many days prior during this trial.

Caylee's skeletal remains were found in a forested area not even a mile down the road from her home.  A place where, in the past, when growing up, Casey buried her pets when they died.  She would put heart stickers on them to send them off with her love.  

Caylee's skull was found with duct tape on her mouth, accented with a HEART STICKER on it.  The same heart stickers that were found at the Anthony house.  The duct tape is the same brand as what was found at the Anthony house.  The garbage bags surrounding the skull (which poor Caylee's body was undoubtedly put into), were the same as what was found at the Anthony house.  There were blades of grass growing through the holes in the skull.  Left there, to languish amongst the elements, not protected in any way.

What would cause a woman to do this to her own flesh and blood?  Is she really guilty of her daughter's death?  There are so many questions we all want answered.  There are so many clues leading towards her guilt and away from her innocence.  There is so much wild activity by Casey that is to be unbelieved unless witnessing it firsthand.  We all have to rely on what is said from those who know her, and they have been lied to by Casey.  Some of which is just incredibly outlandish lies.

How do we know they are lies?  Because the proof is in the pudding, as the old saying goes.  Casey has been called out in her lying so many times, is seems she has some emotional disorder.  After her daughter went missing, Casey decided that she could continue the lying and no one would be the wiser.  She didn't count on her mother's tenacity and her strong wish to know where her granddaughter was, the child whom her mom loved and took care of, so Casey could go out and party.

Caylee lived with her mom at her grandma and grandpa's house.  She certainly was cute in both looks and personality, by seeing all the photos and videos of her on the net.  Why would anyone want her gone?  I have a theory about this, and I think I'm pretty close to reality.

Casey had Caylee when she was 19 years old.  She was afraid to tell her parents, for whatever reason, and finally had to tell her mom when she was 7 1/2 months along.  Casey's parents were excited to be welcoming in a grandchild, even if the circumstances were not optimal.  The baby and Casey could stay at their house, and all would be dealt with as best as possible.

Well, Casey was still too young to be a mom, as her partying ways will attest, and Casey's mom was constantly watching her daughter for her.  The grandma, Cindy Anthony, at first didn't mind; her granddaughter being such a blessing to her.  But after Cindy saw how Casey's motherly instincts were absent, along with her non-presence at home, she more than once told Casey she was a bad mother.  Apparently she made threats of taking Caylee away from Casey, and having Cindy adopt Caylee legally.  Surely this made Casey's blood boil.  Sometimes there is a tension between mother and daughter, especially if one feels threatened about their ability to be a good mother.

Casey probably then thought it would be better if she took off on her own, bringing Caylee with her.  But, she was ill-prepared, and thoughtless about planning where to stay and how to keep the money rolling in.  Her instincts took hold, and she began sleeping with friends at their houses, wanting to go out and party.  What to do with Caylee?  Well, it seems a boyfriend of hers gave her a great idea.  She could give her little Caylee something to make her sleep, then leave Caylee in the trunk of her car until she was done partying and everything would work out great!  Problem?  She overdid it, and one time, she left her daughter in the trunk and came back with Caylee deceased.  Now what?  She could cover this up, telling people someone else had the child, and depending on who she was speaking to, the story changed slightly.  Telling her mother would be rough, but, she could do it, until time came to where she could be moving away, and never letting her mother see her or her granddaughter again.

The lies ruled her life, and came back to bite her.  Now she's on trial for her life.  Her daughter is no longer of this earth.  She made her parents think her daughter was missing, forcing them to spend thousands of dollars and hours, trying to look for their precious granddaughter.  Why didn't Casey just tell them?  Because that would admit defeat, and that her mom was right, she was irresponsible.  God forbid that happen.

More later, my dear reader.  I'm not done, just yet.....