Have a Cup of Tea

Just when I thought I had my life back...

2005-09-25T07:26:00.000-04:00

The kid goes back to school, and I dive headlong into a new position at work! Courtesy of a huge reorganization that the company just went through. And it's not done yet, but the part affecting me is pretty well over. I think. Sometimes I think it's just being made up as they go along.*Shrugs* But, hey, it's all good for me. Except for the fact that I keep finding myself oddly obsessed with work.

I've almost got my life back!

2005-08-30T17:56:00.000-04:00

School starts tomorrow, and I am so darn ready for it! It's been a decent summer, but the kid and I are really starting to grate on each other's nerves. Tomorrow I stick her on the bus and (after I drive down to make sure that she gets where she needs to go, etc.) the rest of the day is mine! Glory! Glory! Glory!I thought I'd take a quick moment to show you a blog that *I* am considering to be of

Ze Apple Blossom Fairy, She is Finished!

2005-07-22T17:16:00.000-04:00

It's not washed yet. I've been too lazy to do it properly.I'm already planning the next one, and have a list of things I'm going to do differently. Like the skin; I used a marker to color the skin because I just couldn't wrap my head around how doing it in thread would look. Next time I'm going to use crayon and melt it onto the fabric with an iron. (I've been experimenting! It's fun! And

There's a cozy spot in Heaven...

2005-07-18T10:11:00.000-04:00

For whoever came up with the idea of day camp! It's only three hours in the morning, but (gasp!) I have some time to myself! I don't have someone hanging over my shoulder going: "MomMomMomMomMomMomMoooommmmmmm!" I love my kid, but sheesh I am so tempted to say that I don't answer to that name anymore!I did get to read the new Harry Potter book this weekend! Holy Smokes!!! I'm not going to say

Hellooooooo

2005-07-15T08:47:00.000-04:00

Anyone remember me?Yes, I guess I took a bit of a break. I dunno. I think I just needed to step away for a while. I'd say deal with some stuff, but I don't know that there was anything that I actually dealt with. Just the usual ups and downs of life.Lets see, the 'different' things would include a new position at my job. One with a lot more responsibility, which also means working more hours. Of

Insert Witty Title Here

2005-03-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

It is really easy to get out of the habit of posting! My first excuse is that it was my Mom's birthday last week and we were too busy partying for me to even consider posting! (Mom, stop snickering or I'll tell everyone how old you are!)Then there was work, lots and lots of work. Spring is definitely on it's way! No, really, it is.I also ended up having to take the kid clothes shopping. It would

Funny Kid

2005-03-11T07:54:00.000-05:00

(As the small one was walking down the hall to the bus stop)"I Love you!""I Love you too, bunny!""I love you more than dragons!""I love you more than knitting!""And camera's?""More than knitting and camera's combined.""...Whoa...That's a lot!"The vest is finished! And I am much happier with it than I thought I would be. I do see one thing that I feel like I need to 'fix' on it, but it's nothing

Completion Issues

2005-03-07T18:19:00.000-05:00

*sigh*I am "thisclose" to finishing the vest that I've been working on. Just four more knit squares and I can sew it together, put on the edging, give it a quick wash, and it'll be good to go.But I am having a really, really hard time with it for some reason. I mean, I feel dumb to be experiencing such angst over a vest. It is different from anything I've done before, but that shouldn't bother me

1, 2, 3

2005-03-01T12:36:00.000-05:00

The yarn a-soakin'The tools(I used the handles of the ice tea spoons for mixing the dyes)The resultsThe two on the left are OK. The bluish/redish skein was done with purple. Once again I'm surprised by how well it took in some spots, but not in others.The two on the right...I'm less that happy with. The red was just 'red', but the color didn't take well at all! It's just so blah. I tried putting

Pretty Yarn!

2005-02-27T13:05:00.000-05:00

These are two of the skeins that I dyed last weekend:All together now: "Ooooooooo!"The bright one on the right is my favorite, that orange is just incredible. I'm about 1/3 of the way through a vest using the other bright skein and some black from my stash. Maybe 1/4 of the way. It depends on just how long I decide to make it. I'm going to dye one more skein in the same colors and see how far

Wow!

2005-02-22T22:08:00.000-05:00

I am so freakin' in love with the Wilton Dyes! Why?(sorry about the glare from the tinfoil! I didn't want to 'dye' the cabinets, and I had run out of wax paper to use)This was so cool to do, and so much fun! I started by soaking the yarn in a lobster pot of water and white vinegar for about an hour. I used a Pyrex pie plate to hold the yarn under, and no, I'm not sure how much vinegar I used! I

CrazyBusy

2005-02-18T19:07:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have just been a little busy.We've just switched over to a new computerized POS (register) system at work, and it's like we jumped from the Dark Ages straight into the 23rd Century. The transition hasn't really been all that difficult for me, but it's been a huge change. And since I work in receiving, the stress really has been on accuracy. What's the point of having a high

Isn't it gloverly?

2005-01-27T08:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it will be once I'm done with it! I've taken the pattern from Knitting Fair Isle Mittens and Gloves and, while I'm enjoying it, it's been an experience. The book gives a basic glove pattern, and then instructs to "Change the number of stitches to fit the motif" that you decide upon. Now normally that wouldn't bother me. It's just a little math, right? But last night, for some reason, I

Hello Dolly!

2005-01-24T10:23:00.000-05:00

I said that I wanted a quick, easy knit, and this fit perfectly! I found the pattern over at Canadian Living (followed a link from a link from a link, you know how that goes), and just fell in love with the doll pattern. I used Nature Spun Sport, I seem to have a ton of it in my stash for some reason, and size 2 needles. There are some really nice patterns there! Check out the Lace Shawl! I'm

A little bit of snow

2005-01-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

That's the view out of the livingroom window, and it's not going to change any time soon! Hooray! The perfect excuse to hang out all day watching the tube and knitting! I managed to finish the heart hat a couple of nights ago (not a moment too soon), and now I'm fishing around for a new project. Something quick, something easy, and most important of all, fun.

Heart Hat

2005-01-17T10:38:00.000-05:00

While watching my beloved Patriots take care of the Colts yesterday I managed to finish the major work on my heart hat! All it needs now is the lining, which would go quickly if I could only find my 16" size 3 circs, and a tassel. Then I'll have a loverly hat to keep my ears toasty-toasty warm! I've been trying to convince myself that I need to be more organized (HA!), and purchased three

It's about Gosh Darn Time!

2005-01-06T13:40:00.000-05:00

I've only been trying to publish the post below since yesterday! I even sent an email to Blogger support to ask WTF was up? As publishing is happening now, I'm going to guess that either: someone was on the ball, or things just spontaneously decided to work. Do you think that my nasty vibes could be felt through the internet? That they knew I was researching ways to go it alone? I know HTML, and

I Gave In

2005-01-05T13:58:00.000-05:00

To startitis, I mean! I've got X number of partially finished projects staring me in the face, but I'm sure that you know what the need to start something new is like! Last night I began a Nordic Sweetheart Hat. (There's a picture of it here) It's giving me double gratification, as it's a new project, and I've been wanting to do some colorwork. It's a start: Fortunately, the weather is suppose

A New Year

2005-01-01T19:20:00.000-05:00

And a happy one to all! I don't do New Year's resolutions because, well, since when does anyone manage to "keep" a resolution? I prefer setting goals and making promises to myself. So this year I promise to eat better, get more exercise, and generally treat myself better. After all, I'm the only me I've got, right? It's going to be a year of small, but personal, changes. Well...that's the plan.

Breathing Space

2004-12-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

Hooray! The holiday is over! I don't know why, but this one seemed to be oddly stressful to me. It really wasn't all that much different from any other year. I even went out of my way to make sure that I didn't put extra stress on myself. Oh well, watcha gonna do? I did manage to finish one project in time! The stocking for my girlfriend Judy's granddaughter! I can't wait to hear how it went!

Three weeks later...

2004-12-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

And the bionic woman returns home! Mom was sprung from the hospital this morning, much to her delight. Of course, now she and Dad need to adjust to being home together again, as well as dealing with what she can and can not do at this point. One of the things that completely boggles me is the fact that she's almost completely off of pain medication! I mean...She had her leg cut open and her

Gadzooks!

2004-12-05T17:32:00.000-05:00

Actual knitting content! Who'da thunk it? (clickie for bigger) My girlie and her purple'n'green hat and mittens! Of course, all I can think about now is the Llama Song. I've started rebuilding my finished project page. I'm retaking as many pictures as I can manage. I'd have taken more, but it wasn't until I started taking pictures that I realized how badly some of the sweaters need to be

I'm Bored

2004-12-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

Which is a good thing! I feel like I've been going flat out lately, what with Thanksgiving and the start of the Christmas shopping season and life and all that. I've been on the computer but have been mostly playing games, which is all my brain seems to be able to handle right now. I haven't been blogging, and I haven't been reading blogs either. Both just seem to require too much effort. So

Oh, it's been a long couple of days...

2004-11-19T21:39:00.000-05:00

Not bad. Just long. I was there when they got Mom out of bed, and STANDING!, for the first time on Wednesday, and damn was it hard to watch! But she did it! She did it! And considering she had major surgery to replace her knees 48 hours before, it was a pretty major accomplishment! Then Thursday morning she did it again. And in comparison it seemed so much easier. She actually stood, supported

Checkin' in

2004-11-15T21:41:00.000-05:00

Mom's surgery went really, really well. I haven't seen her yet, but I did talk to her this afternoon and she sounded much better than I had expected her to. Of course, she was still all drugged up and not feeling any pain! I don't envy what she's going to feel like when they start taking her off the drugs! I've made a hat and most of a pair of mittens for the small one, but pictures are going to

A Four Letter Word Beginning With "S"

2004-11-13T07:59:00.000-05:00

Ends with "W". Has "NO" in the middle. Yup. It's here. I'm having a hard time reminding myself that it had actually snowed in October last year, so it really isn't all that early this year. But, still... I love snow. I'm just not sure that I'm ready for fall to be over yet. *** If you could spare just a minute of your time...could you think some happy thoughts for my Mom? You see, she's

I Can't Think of a Title

2004-11-09T09:12:00.000-05:00

I'm just feeling a little brain-dead today is all. Yes, I am feeling *significantly* better than I was the last time I posted! (Thank you for your "feel betters"!) Everybody, and I do mean everybody, at work has managed to come down with this cold! We've had a minimum of three people call in sick each day, and those were just the phone calls that I fielded. It's a vile illness. It hit hard, but

WaaWaaWaa

2004-11-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's here. My first cold of the season. I'd be much happier now if I'd managed to get any sleep last night, but not being able to breath through my nose kind of nixed that idea. I've got no knitting to talk about, I haven't the energy to knit. I just needed to moan and complain about being miserable. And now my tea and I are going back to bed.

He's a weirdo

2004-11-04T08:31:00.000-05:00

Most cats seem to prefer cuddling up to something soft. Mine? And I had been planning on using that camera too!

Harrumph

2004-11-03T18:50:00.000-05:00

To say that I'm disappointed in the election results would be a huge understatement! Is it too early to start campaigning for Hillary in '08? So, anyone for a mini "picturepalooza"? First up is my bathroom rug. No, it's still not finished. I find that I keep getting distracted. Next in line is the filet crochet piece that I've been working on. I had a superstitious "need" to work on it while

Today's The Day!

2004-11-02T08:08:00.000-05:00

Finally! I am so sick of the political ads and annoying pre-recorded phone calls. Git yer butts out there and vote! (And take your knitting, because it looks like we'll be standing in line for a loooooong time!) I could go into a long tirade about voting here...but I'm not going to. Suffice to say that I think it's an important thing to do. For a knitting blog I've been awfully short on

Oh.My.Goodness.They.Won.

2004-10-28T08:11:00.000-04:00

I've slept on it, and I'm still in shock!

Lazy, lazy, lazy

2004-10-27T08:39:00.000-04:00

This is so weird. I have a day when I don't actually have to "do" anything! I can just kick back and play with yarn all day if I want. (At least, until the bus shows up at three.) My morning is spoken for tomorrow, so I think I'd better enjoy today! Mitten number two for the girlie was finally finished the night before last, however do you think we can find the first one? No-o-o-o-o! It's got to

Repeat the Mantra

2004-10-24T10:54:00.000-04:00

"I will finish what I am doing before I start anything new. I will finish what I am doing before I start anything new." Really. Honestly. After all, I only have half of a mitten and seven squares of the rug to complete. Oh, and a cardigan that needs a sleeve and buttons, even though I need to figure out what I did with the yarn I was using. And the lace shawl, I really should consider getting

Yawn

2004-10-21T16:07:00.000-04:00

Well, we ended up having a wickedly late night last night, and it had nothing to do with the Red Sox win (as awesome as it was). No, it had everything to do with the kid developing a really bad case of the croup and us having to drag her to the hospital in the middle of the night when nothing we did here helped! Ah, the joys of having kids! Fortunately this was the first time we had to go to

They're trying to kill me!

2004-10-20T08:47:00.000-04:00

The Red Sox, I mean! How I'm going to get through game 7 is completely beyond me! And Curt, Curt,CURT! The man just rocks! I've gotten *no* knitting done the past few nights...It's hard to knit when your hands are covering your eyes!

Busy, busy, busy

2004-10-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

It's been a fun and not-so-fun couple of days. Friday was the not-so-fun day as I ended up with what was possibly the worst migraine I've ever had. I went to work, but ended up leaving at noon in tears because my head was hurting so badly. It's time to seriously talk to the doctor about what I can do to battle the migraines. It's equally frustrating because I went so long without having one, and

A Mitten for my Kitten

2004-10-13T09:19:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I'll buy sock yarn with all the best intentions, but once I've begun the overriding feeling about it is "meh. As a sock it does not rock". So I'll rip the needles out and toss it in a drawer to germinate for a while. I think this skein sat for two (?three?) years before the girlie latched onto it and asked me to knit a pair of mittens for her. Now that I can do! One down, one to go.

Smacks Forehead

2004-10-10T13:05:00.000-04:00

Annie! Thank You for your ROAK of the audio books! What to download? Decisions...decisions...

Smooth Move, Grace!

2004-10-10T11:38:00.000-04:00

So my baby brother (who's only just 13 months younger than me, and we're both closer to 40 than 30) was doing a favor for a friend. And in the process he managed to cut one of his fingers in half (!!!) with a table saw!!! Good Grief Brother! The good news, if there can be such thing, is that he did not cut the finger off! No, he cut the long way, from the fingernail down. (Picture pushing a

Random bits

2004-10-07T14:05:00.000-04:00

I am blessed (cursed?) with a very keen sense of smell. Tony says that I have the "weirdest nose" he's ever met. I am also, unfortunately, very prone to 'scent migraines', which can make things difficult at times. Well, I had one last night that I think was triggered by the wool that I am knitting my shawl out of. Except for the dye this is really very minimally processed. I've been picking

Brrrr!

2004-10-06T09:53:00.000-04:00

It was downright chilly here this morning, and I think it's kicked the knitting gene into high gear. I want to make socks, gloves, mittens, and "oh, yeah" {yikes?} it's only 11 weeks until Christmas and I have a couple of people that I want to make gifts for! Maybe if I start now I won't be weaving in ends at 11pm on Christmas eve... Yeah, riiiiiight! So, I've got my archives back up. No

I'ma gonna smooch the mailman!

2004-10-05T09:52:00.000-04:00

Well, no, maybe not. I mean, it's not like he's the UPS guy or anything! However he did manage to make me a happy lady yesterday by delivering not one, but two packages! Yes, that is the sideways striped cardigan pattern! I found three places online that carried it. The first didn't have it in stock, the second had a $25. order minimum (but I don't wanna spend $25.00), and the third was the

For today's matchup

2004-10-03T13:48:00.000-04:00

Bound to be a good game! I've done 10 repeats of the shawl pattern. I'd have done more, but I ended up being sucked into the book "Plain Truth" by Jodi Picoult. A very good read. Now I've begun I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. I read She's Come Undone a few years ago. And, while I did finish it, the main character ticked me off for some reason. We'll see what this book dose to me. But,

My New Knitting Obsession

2004-09-30T20:20:00.000-04:00

Is the Sideways Knit Striped Cardigan from Vermont Fiber Designs. Must Find Pattern!!!

Ooooh

2004-09-29T20:11:00.000-04:00

This short was linked to over on the Worth 1000 message board. Enjoy. More

"So, like, I'm on this major cleaning spree..."

2004-09-29T13:56:00.000-04:00

It's a phrase that would promptly induce fits of laughter in anyone who knows me well (< exasperated teenager voice >Mother!< /voice >), but I am. And my latest bit of cleaning delight was borrowing a sister-in-law's steam cleaner and doing the carpets! And having seen how they turned out I shall now raise my right hand, place my left on the Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches (volumes 1 & 2), and

Wha?

2004-09-27T20:48:00.000-04:00

Don't you hate the feeling when you've got something deep and profound to say...but can't remember what the heck it was? That would be my "long term loss of short term memory" kicking in. So, I did start a poncho for the girlie, and I'm hating it. I know that the only reasonable course of action is going to be to rippit-rippit and start again. I'm thinking that maybe I need to go fondle fiber

It's bye week

2004-09-26T14:34:00.000-04:00

Not that I'm going bye-bye again any time soon, it just means that my boys aren't playing this week. "Poor Mommy", said Irina. "What are you going to watch if football isn't on?" She needn't have worried, considering the Red Sox are going up against the Yankees for the third game in their series as I sit here typing. When did I become a sports fan? Scary. So here's a crummy picture of the

I have the sneaking suspicion...

2004-09-23T18:11:00.000-04:00

That I'd have gotten a lot more knitting done this afternoon if I hadn't managed to lock myself out of the apartment. I can be such a twit sometimes.

I think I need to make a poncho

2004-09-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes, yes! I know I'm working on the shawl, but I'm thinking that the girlie needs a poncho. Really. She does. Yup. *nods* But I don't need another project. Really I don't. I don't. ...and I really don't need to go buy more yarn! Any wagers on how long it'll be before I give in?

So Totally Not Fair

2004-09-21T20:44:00.000-04:00

I've only had a few migraines in the past few months. I've been enjoying life without them more than I can possibly say! And then I go and have two, two!, major one's in three days. Nausea, incredible pain...not fair! I am going to be *so* ticked off if they return on a regular basis again. I was able to beat today's back well enough so I wouldn't have to leave work, but I can still feel it

Way too cute

2004-09-19T09:51:00.000-04:00

We had another visit from the tooth fairy last night! Now my kid has a gaping hole in her mouth, which I just find way too impossibly cute.

I caved

2004-09-18T19:42:00.000-04:00

I've started a shawl. I'm using the free pattern from Elann.com, and wool that I picked up in Vermont last summer. The wool, of course, is a wonderful heathery dark blue that is impossible to photograph well! I've only done a few pattern repeats, but am liking the way that it's turning out so far. But there will be prime knitting time tomorrow! I just seem to get more knitting done during

Well, like Baa, man

2004-09-16T16:01:00.000-04:00

Which flock do you follow? this quiz was made by alanna

I wonder what it means...

2004-09-15T22:35:00.000-04:00

Lace. Lately I've been having the crazed urge to knit lace. And not just some diddly little bookmark something. I'm thinking a shawl. Now, I'm not a "shawl" person, nor have I been that into knitting lace, so I'm not sure where this weird urge is coming from. I think I should just go and lie down until the feeling passes.

Bonus, Baybee!

2004-09-15T09:55:00.000-04:00

A coworker of mine is in the process of cleaning out her house (it's actually one of those 'on going' events, but I'm not going to get into that...), so she asked me if I would like her aunts old knitting needles. Would I? Silly question. So now I am the proud owner of these: More circular needles than I will most likely ever need in my life. Some really nice old ones too, that are Susan

Yikes!

2004-09-13T15:54:00.000-04:00

There are close to 500 sites in the knitting blog web ring!?!?! Wow, have I got some catching up to do! And, maybe, someday I'll be able to join again. Would any yarn addict be at all surprised to hear that I did the math and have 24,938 yards of yarn? And that's just in the boxes in my closet, who knows what's hiding in my dresser drawers...

Hellooo? Anyone Home???

2004-09-12T16:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's me. Sticking my head up to see if anyone's around.I think that I just needed a great big, honkin' huge, break from blogging. And from, well, a lot of things. I'm not going to go into the icky, yucky details, but the past several months have been kind of hard for me personally. I did some things (or rather, didn't) that could have cost me a job that I love and a huge amount of my self

It's not the big Goodbye

2004-07-29T16:50:00.000-04:00

That is, if there's anyone coming around anymore to see if I post anymore. I just seemed to have lost my blogging mojo. It's from a combination of things, I think. Personal and emotional and I don't know what all. *shrugs* That, and with summer here, I've been hanging around with the kiddo and not knitting all that much. (I did make some dishcloths for the kitchen lately, does that count?) {

Summer Vacation

2004-06-21T08:40:00.000-04:00

So, here it is. The first full day of the first full week of summer vacation. It's not even 8:45a.m., and the kid has already told me that she's "bored". My reply? "So go clean your room"! I'm almost done with the tank top! Yaah! I may even get it finished today, provided I actually sit down and work on it. Pic coming soon!

Proof

2004-06-01T11:48:00.000-04:00

I have too been knitting!

Hey there!

2004-05-30T15:31:00.000-04:00

O.K., so it's turning out that I'm not around as often as I thought I would be. My poor, sadly neglected blog! It's been so long that they went and completely redesigned the Blogger interface when I wasn't looking, so I've had to go and re-learn my way around. Jeepers Crow! Let's see, what's going on for those who may stop by to see if I'm actually still alive... Getting my hours cut at work

Well, hey...

2004-05-03T10:36:00.000-04:00

I *think* I'm back :) Things are definately better now, frame of mind-wise. I still haven't done any knitting in a while, but the coat on the front of the KnitPicks catalog might just be enough to kick me into going again! It is just way too adorable! If you're wondering just what I have been doing...I've been hanging around over at Worth1000, working on honing my photography skills. Some of

Yeah, I'm around

2004-04-13T10:17:00.000-04:00

More then a little down and depressed, but around. The slump continues, I haven't knit in ~weeks~. Poor pitiful me. I've nothing else to say right now.

Umm, huh?

2004-04-01T11:48:00.000-05:00

So, I had Irina wear her rainhat down to the bus stop, even though she complained that it was too small. At the stop I relented and told her that her head would get wet, but she didn't have to wear the hat if she didn't want to. She gave me the hat and was happy. The bus came, she got on it, and away she went. Now for the weird part. While I was talking to the kids I was winding the hat up into

Well, patootie (for want of a really strong word)

2004-03-24T11:16:00.000-05:00

I just had my hours cut in half at work. All part of a 'restructuring' of the department. And while I can (sorta) understand the reasonings (Ok, no, not really, dammit), it still really stinks. I don't know if I should be depressed or angry at this point, but I've got a huge dose of both and it's really wearing me out. I hereby give myself a week two days to stew on this, and then I need to

Slump

2004-03-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

Great big honkin' huge knitting slump. I haven't knit anything in days and days. *sigh*

Life continues

2004-03-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

And so does Inishmaan: I really am enjoying the pattern. Also, be warned, anyone who's seen me lately has seen this (crazy hair and all): Say "Cheese!" Oh yeah, I forgot! The tooth fairy came Monday night and left a very happy girl four shiny new quarters!

Anyone miss me?

2004-03-07T12:13:00.000-05:00

Between having yet another cold (and if I figure out who gave it to me they're toast), and having one of those times when I'm asking myself all sorts of deep, life altering questions (Who am I? What am I doing here? What is my greater purpose in life? What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?) that posting has fallen by the wayside. That, and the fact that I haven't bought batteries

2004-02-25T09:34:00.000-05:00

I think I've recovered From school vacation week, that it is! One of the best parts of vacation was escaping to my in-laws for the weekend and discovering a new yarn store in Sturbridge! The Mt. Laurel Yarn Boutique is a cute little gem of a store. I spent some time looking around and talking to the owner's daughter (who admitted that she wasn't a knitter, but had an index card file full of

2004-02-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

Well, Pbththththththththth! There I was yesterday morning, knitting away, trying to avert any more disasters and appease the Knitting Goddess, when I realized that I had made a mistake. See the cable at 'a'? It's suppose to look like the cable at 'b', but I twisted in the wrong direction. Fortunately it was only four rows back, so I just dropped the stitches down there and reknit the cable. (I

2004-02-17T09:01:00.000-05:00

So far today... Coffee grounds have been spilled on the kitchen floor. Used coffee grounds. I knocked over my cereal onto the floor. I whacked my coffee cup with my elbow and created a lake on the table. The cat ate something that diagreed with him, and I had to clean up the results. I firmly believe that this run of bad luck is connected to the fact that I've only knit four rows of anything in

2004-02-15T10:47:00.000-05:00

Yaah! I get to do Inishmaan in red! It's a happy thing. :)

2004-02-10T08:14:00.000-05:00

Swatches done So today I get to take these to work for Katie to look at and figure out which one she wants. Personally, I'm voting for inishmaan in red. click for bigger

2004-02-09T08:26:00.000-05:00

Closer still One more sleeve, a few buttons, a couple of ends to weave in... I'm so close I can almost taste it! And, ya know, it wasn't untill Marg pointed it out that I noticed the colors in the sweater and the flower pictures are almost the same! Intentional, it wasn't. I have my next project lined up. A friend at work has hired me to make a sweater for her (I could get another job just

2004-02-05T13:01:00.000-05:00

Is it soup yet? No, not quite I'm getting anxious to wear my sweater! It's going to be incredibly warm, which sounds good after having the coldest January in over 100 years. But I'm becoming afraid that we're going to have the warmest February to balance it, which means that a heavy wool sweater won't be an option. (For me, at any rate, because I generally don't wear sweaters. I'll put a mock

2004-02-02T08:16:00.000-05:00

YEEEHAAA Now *that* was a game! Not the runaway for the Patriots that people had been predicting, a real nail biter! I literally had my eyes covered when Adam Vinatieri kicked that last field goal. OK, I was peeking through my fingers. Great, great, great, great,great, great game! I heard that work productivity goes down 25% the day after the Super Bowl. I know that mine is going to be majorly

2004-02-01T10:36:00.000-05:00

Kids... Just when you think that they've driven you so crazy that running in front of a speeding bus looks like a really good option... Have a fun Super Bowl Sunday! GO PATS!!!

2004-01-30T09:52:00.000-05:00

Flashbacks A while ago my Mom gave me some hardbound copies of Vogue Knitting from the late 80's-early 90's that had been discarded from the library, and I've been having fun flipping through them lately. Some of the patterns hold up pretty well, like this one that I do plan on doing at some point: And if I could ever find the pattern to the coat in this ad, I'd be a happy woman: Not that I'd

2004-01-29T08:44:00.000-05:00

I was thwarted In my attempt to make it to the Knitsmiths this weekend, that is. It was a combination of factors, including in-laws calling and saying: "Are you going to be home this afternoon?" What are ya gonna do? I've been ignoring my scarf the past few days, but in the process I've made my little girl happy: That makes two sweaters finished in 2004! I'm on a roll. And I've started a

2004-01-24T14:59:00.000-05:00

Still Scarfing I'm thinking three full green & purple triangles and it might be long enough. Might. But I also know that it takes me three hours to knit each triangle, so that might be the point where I just run around yelling "That's it! I can't take it anymore!!! Aaaaaaaaa!!!" And, yes, that is my hand. Of course I could have put all of me in the picture, but that would run my reputation as

2004-01-22T14:06:00.000-05:00

Can you get any more relaxed looking? Poor boy had two teeth extracted yesterday (bad parent guilt!), and is still recovering. He has let us know that he's fine though. At three o'clock this morning he decided to sit in our bedroom door and meow his head off. The door was open, mind you. He just wanted to let us know he was there. Then he jumped up and groomed Tony's beard until he had to hide

2004-01-22T08:31:00.000-05:00

Button band, take twenty million and six! I just can't seem to get this right for some really bizarre, unknown reason. I know that I've picked up the right number of stitches, but it just ain't working, grumblegrumblegrumble. I should be finished with this sweater by now! I know that the short one is ready for it. And, since I took this picture yesterday morning, I knit the button hole band,

2004-01-18T18:33:00.000-05:00

WAAAAHOOOOOO!!!!!!!! We're going to the Superbowl!!!

2004-01-16T09:04:00.000-05:00

Too freakin' cold! Brrrrr!!!!!!!! As I've got another day home because school was canceled today, and a girl can never have too many scarfs, I've decided to join in on Sandy's Scarfalong. I dug into the stash and pulled out some Cascade 220 that I had bought with another project in mind (which completely blipped out of my head the minute I walked back in the door at home), and gave into my

2004-01-14T12:53:00.000-05:00

Yarn Diet Yup, I'm going on a stash-reducing yarn diet. Or, at least, I'm going to attempt to! I can't promise that it's going to last too long; but if I manage to keep myself away from temptation, I should make it a few days weeks. (Eep. That makes it sound like I'm buying yarn on a daily basis! I'm not. Really. It can just seem like it at times!) I've realized that I have enough sock yarn to

2004-01-12T16:05:00.000-05:00

The next project, which is already more than half way done thanks to an awesome football game saturday night! (Even if it did throw my gauge all to heck at some points) For some reason my kid requested that I do the sweater in black! I'd have done it for her in fuchsia, myself. (Hey! I like fuchsia!) But when I mentioned to a friend that I couldn't fathom a five-year-old wanting a black sweater

2004-01-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

Well, that was quick! Just 10 days ago I decided to focus on finishing one of Tony's sweaters, and yesterday I completed one of them! It's a nice, plain, basic sweater, and it is impossible to take a good picture of it! This is the closest I can get to show the incredible color of the yarn: Just a wonderful, heathery blue with tinges of purple. It looks perfect with my guy's blue, blue eyes!

2004-01-08T08:43:00.000-05:00

On the mend Man-o-man, it's been a long couple of weeks! Even Tony (he of the amazing immune system) became a victim of the 'flu. He was even miserable enough to call into work sick a couple of times, which is something that never, ever happens. But, (finally!) we all are slowly getting better. Now we just have to get through the rest of the winter with our health intact! I've been doing

2004-01-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

As the saying goes: Uuuuggghhhh! OK, this flu officially s*cks! Irina has been miserable for almost a week now, and I hate to think about how much weight she's lost from not eating. Poor kid's eyes are just huge holes in her head at this point. Where's that Mommy Magic Wand that makes things all better when you need it? I've also spent the past few days being wickedly unhappy. Any illness I get

2003-12-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

Mama scarf, Daddy scarf and Baby scarf! Mine is from Noro Kureyon, and is using that multidirectional diagonal stitch pattern that I've seen several people using lately. Tony's is made from some of the wool that I picked up in Vermont this summer. (I cast on 250 stitches on size 10.5, 40 inch long circs and just knit until I deemed it wide enough-which I highly recommend! It's the first

2003-12-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

Plague House At least, that's what it's feeling like around here. The small one has the 'flu, after direct exposure to it from a couple of cousins ant Christmas, and she's miserable, the poor thing. I'm trying to convince myself that I'm not getting sick, and I'm hoping that Tony's immune system holds out through this illness. (Knock wood) I'm using the quiet time, as she's been mostly sleeping

2003-12-25T18:52:00.000-05:00

She liked it! Yes, the sweater was for my Mom. At least I hope that she liked it. There was so much going on at that point that I'm not sure. As Tony would tell me:"Kim, stop being paranoid!" I have to admit that I really am quite pleased with the work I did on the finishing of that sweater. I took my time with it, and it really did turn out nicely. But you will notice that there are no

2003-12-25T10:14:00.000-05:00

2003-12-23T21:33:00.000-05:00

Yikes! and Gadzooks! I actually finished it. The Christmas giftie is done and ready to go onto it's intended recipient. You will, of course, understand and forgive me if I don't post a picture of it until it has gone on to it's new home. Today was slightly on the bonkers side. I did have enforced down time this morning, two and one half hours sitting at the dealership having the water pump

2003-12-20T18:39:00.000-05:00

Whoever You are, if You are reading this, You have no idea what your kindness means to us. Thank You so much! And, yes, I am being deliberately vague about this! I don't know if the person I'm talking to reads my blog; but as we received an *anonymous* gift, I have no other way of reaching them!

2003-12-19T10:59:00.000-05:00

I solemnly swear with my right hand in the air, and my left on my Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches (volumes I and II), that next year I will decide to start any holiday knitting in JULY!!! I did this last year too. I managed to get sucked into thinking that I have to make something for this person and that person, and "Ooh! That yarn would make the perfect {fill in the blank} for so-and-so."

2003-12-18T11:47:00.000-05:00

Yes, I lied. I said that I wasn't turning the computer on again today, but Blogger is giving me a hard time! It says that publishing is successful, but I'm seeing no changes in Netscape or Internet Explorer. So I'm trying this to see if I can kick it into actually working.

2003-12-18T08:39:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! I got internet! It has been a gosh-darn-golly-gee-willikers of a time getting the DSL connection sorted out, but it's finally up and running. I'm so excited, teeheehee. So, I have to admit, I'm suffering from "completion issues". I just can't seem to finish anything! I've got one and one half gloves, one and two-thirds socks, two scarves (one two-thirds done, one one-third), and someone