Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Breathing Space
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!
Next year it's stockings for the guys in the family! (And I'm considering being sneaky and making some for Judy and her husband as a gift.)
Oh, and I discovered on Christmas Eve (actually, we all did), that I'm going to have a "new" nephew! Or will he be a nephew-in-law? No, no one's preggers, but one of my nieces, who's only 11 years younger than me, is engaged! Woot! We haven't had a good wedding in the familyin a long time!
Anyhoo, things seem to have mellowed out around here, which is nice. Now I just need to get back to doing some knitting (I got a ton of new knitting books as gifts), taking some pictures (I got film, surprise, surprise!) and trying to relax.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Three weeks later...
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 knees completely replaces three weeks ago, and while she's sore, she's not "in pain". The ability of the human body to bounce back from trauma is truly amazing.
After hanging out at my parent's house for a while I finally went and started my Christmas shopping. Hand knit gifts just aren't happening this year. There were just too many other things going on. Besides, I still have to finish the stockings for my friend Judy. I plan on having them completely finished and ready to hand over by next saturday.
But right now I need chocolate. Lots and lots (and lots) of chocolate! And my husband had better stop hovering over my shoulder, or he is *so* not going to make it through this week alive.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Gadzooks!
(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 washed! The curse of knitting wool, hand wash only sweaters plus the curse of being wickedly lazy equals things not getting done as often as they should!
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
I'm Bored
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 today is a lazy day. I had planned on going out and doing things, but sleeping through my snooze alarm three times (I barely got up in time to send the kid off to the bus) and it being a miserable, rainy day outside changed my mind about that. Nope, it was decreed the perfect day to stay at home and do absolutely nuthin'.
And it's been bliss.
***
Oh! A heartfelt plea from he who is my husband! (Who works part time in the local mondo-big bookstore):
Please, please, please! After dragging all of the knitting books off of the shelves to look at them, put 'em back? Please?
Thus endeth my PSA for local bookstore employees everywhere. Thank You.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Oh, it's been a long couple of days...
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 by a walker of course, for about 10 minutes. It was pretty frickin' amazing.
Now she's at rehab, and the work really begins. They're going to be pushing her hard, and it's not going to be easy for me to watch. It's a helpless feeling, not being able to do it for her. Knowing that she's in a lot of pain, but that she *has* to do it.
I just wish that I could wave a magic wand and have it be all over for her.
And, since I've been doing a lot of sitting while keeping Mom company, I've also been doing a fair amount of knitting too.
I've finished a pair of purple and green mittens for Irina, pulling the color pattern from Knitting Fair Isle Mittens and Gloves and the sizing from the Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I've also started a pair of fingerless gloves/mittens loosely based on this pattern for Tony. Glove number 1 is almost finished, and I want to do glove 2 before I do the mitten part so I can make sure that I do them sort of the same. After all, what I read in a pattern is rarely what ends up happening on my needles!
Pictures are coming! I just need to dig up some new batteries for the camera!
Monday, November 15, 2004
Checkin' in
I've made a hat and most of a pair of mittens for the small one, but pictures are going to have to wait until I have time to take them in daylight. I guess that I should also put the thumbs on the mittens before taking pics.
And then I get to make the tall one's mittens! I'm finding a particular pleasure in doing small, quick to finish projects right now. They appeal to my suddenly very short attention span.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
A Four Letter Word Beginning With "S"
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 having both of her knees replaced Monday morning. Great, big, huge, major surgery. I know I'm kind of weirded out by that fact, so I can't imagine how she's feeling right now.
Love Ya, Mom!
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
I Can't Think of a Title
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 fortunately didn't last very long. (At least it didn't for those of us who were willing to give in and be sick.)
There really isn't all that much going on around here. I've got two squares left to knit on the rug (Hooray!), and will likely have it done sometime today. Then all I will need to do is find a yellow shower curtain and bathroom will be done!
Next up will be the kitchen. It's a teeny-tiny apartment kitchen with almost no counter space. I have a small butcher block table in it that I thought would be used for cooking prep; but it turned into just another horizontal surface to collect junk. So it, and an old microwave stand that no longer holds the microwave, are going to go. Once I have the funds to buy the shelving units that I want to replace them with, that it.
Other than that, I'm just seriously fighting startitis! I want to make this hat for the girlie, in shades of green and purple to match her new winter coat. And I think that this afghan is just really quite cool. It would also be a really great way to use up the single skeins of yarn that were left over from other projects. And did I mention that I went ahead and ordered the Peacock Shawl pattern and yarn?
Oh, and Tony mentioned something about needing new mittens, a scarf, and a hat to go with *his* new winter coat...
Friday, November 05, 2004
WaaWaaWaa
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.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
He's a weirdo
And I had been planning on using that camera too!
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Harrumph
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 the Red Sox were going through the playoffs and World Series. (Didn't work last night, though. Maybe things would have gone differently. Harrumph.)
I wasn't too sure how much I was going to like it, but once I saw it on a dark background I was much happier with it. It's about one fourth of the way through the pattern I'm using.
And last is a Christmas stocking that will be one of a pair that a friend commissioned for her grandchildren. I'm loving it! It's reminding me just how much I enjoy doing color work. And it's going up really quickly too!
The only thing is, there are two problems with the stocking.
One-The reindeer's body (yes, it'll be a reindeer) is two stitches too narrow. Not a big deal, I can just frog back a couple of rows and fix it.
The second problem is a little bigger. I bought two shades of red for the two different stockings, and grabbed the wrong red when I started this stocking; but that's OK because I've decided I really liked the color. However, I only have one skein of it, it's almost gone...
And the yarn store is out of the dye lot!
So it's decision time: Do I just pick up another skein and hope the color isn't too far off? (A thought that makes my skin crawl. No, no one else would notice it, but I would!)
My other option is to just pick up two more skeins in the same dye lot, frog back to the white band, and continue on from there. It would mean yanking out two nights work, but I'd probably be happier with it.
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Today's The Day!
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 pictures lately. Well, it's been a busy week since I last posted, and I don't see it getting too much better right away. But pictures will come later, once I finally get off my rump and take some!
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Lazy, lazy, lazy
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 be in this apartment somewhere, but I fond it funny to think that the mitten's been lost before it's really been cold enough to wear it!
(It might be cold enough soon though! Is it possible that the Red Sox might actually win? Is this the year that Hell freezes over??? I, personally, won't believe it until we're ahead by six runs, it's the bottom of the ninth with two runners out, and the player at bat has two strikes! Then, and only then, will I stop holding my breath!)
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Repeat the Mantra
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 back to that.
And those are just the projects that I can see from where I'm sitting.
But I want to make the hubby a pair of mittens. And I have a friend that I want to make a pair of gloves for, but she's allergic to wool so I'm thinking maybe alpaca. The kid has also asked for socks to match her mittens. And I have the stockings that a friend has asked me to do (I suppose those should take precedence).
And then there's also this moebius scarf that I want to make (I have some chocolate brown lace weight alpaca that has been screaming at me to use it, and this might be the project). There's also the Fiddlesticks knit along that I'd love to join (I'm really jonesing over the Peacock shawl) And...And...And...
AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! *Kim's head explodes*
Thursday, October 21, 2004
*Yawn*
Ah, the joys of having kids! Fortunately this was the first time we had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night! We're keeping our fingers crossed that it's another six years before we have to do it again.
As a result of our nocturnal trip, we're all dragging our butts around here today. (Yes, we all stayed home today. We weren't going to try to get the small one up at 8a.m. when she had been up until 3! And Tony knew he wasn't going to be able to function on less then three hours sleep.) Irina's the only one who hasn't taken a nap today, but I'm expecting a really early bed time for her tonight.
I'm sure that I have something crafty that I could post about, but I'm a little brain dead right now. So I'll just send you over to admire the filet crochet panel that Kim Brody Salazar has done over at String or Nothing. It's inspired me to start one of my own using a pattern from a cross stitch silhouette book that I own. I'll put up a picture when it actually looks like something.
Oh, and I finally finished painting my bathroom yesterday. How on earth did it manage to take me three weeks to paint an ity-bity room?
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
They're trying to kill me!
I've gotten *no* knitting done the past few nights...It's hard to knit when your hands are covering your eyes!
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Busy, busy, busy
The fun part was hanging out at my brother's last night! (His finger is doing quite nicely, Thank You. :)) How it came about is a long story about Tony locking himself and the kid out of the apartment, and ended with pizza, subs, and Chris mixing really strong drinks. It wasn't what we had planned for the evening (like we even *had* plans), but was "way wicked" better!
On the knitting front: I'm slowly working my way through the second mitten. I'd have finished the cuff yesterday during lunch at work, but I forgot to stick it in my bag. Knitless at lunch...a tragic experience!
As I'm redoing the bathroom in yellow and blue, to match a very cool sun/stars mirror that I picked up at work, I decided that I'd need a rug to match. What's a knitter to do? Snag a free rug pattern off the 'net (PDF file), find yarn, and get to work!
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
A Mitten for my Kitten
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.
After these I should see about making a pair of the thrummed mittens for Tony. It might be remotely possible that they would keep his hands warm, but knowing him I'm not going to get my hopes up too high.
I've also been commissioned by my friend Judy (I made a sweater for her granddaughter last Christmas, but I'll be darned if I can find a picture of it!) to make stockings for both of her grandkids. She'd also like stockings for all three of her sons-in-law! Those might be next year's project.
And, because I'm a lemming (See Sandy's October 6th entry), here's the view out my window today.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
*Smacks Forehead*
Smooth Move, Grace!
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 piece of wood, with your hand on top guiding it, towards a rapidly moving blade. YEWOOCH!!!) He also somehow managed to miss the bones. So he's going to have plastic surgery on Wednesday to "put it back together", and who knows what his recovery time is going to be.
Sheesh, Chris! Wood good/flesh bad! It's waaaaay more than just a good idea!
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Random bits
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 bits and pieces of vegetable matter out of it and it does smell sort of 'sheepy' (or, as the small one said the first time she saw sheep: "Mom! They smell just like a sweater!") I'm just hoping that wool isn't going to be added to the long list of things that aren't allowed near my nasal passages!
***
Oh, my bathroom is being painted the same boring off white that the rest of the apartment is painted. I doubt that anybody else would be able to tell a difference, but it's making me feel good.
***
I went out with the girlie yesterday to check out one of those instant "just add holiday" stores that popped up in the mall. As we're walking around, checking out the masks and costumes, we run into a display of women's breasts. Very large ones. As the small one is standing there starting at them I'm thinking: 'OK Kim, how are you going to explain this one?'
kid: "Mom?"
me: "Yes?"
kid: "Those are boobs! Naked ones!"
me: "Yes. Yes, they are."
kid (shaking head): "That is sooooo silly!"
And she heads off on her merry way...
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Brrrr!
Yeah, riiiiiight!
So, I've got my archives back up. No pictures before this September though. I have a couple of pages that I want to set up, finished projects and the like. I have some of my project pictures saved on my hard drive but, since many of them are in this apartment, I'll probably just take new pictures and really go from a fresh start.
Now, I really should go do something constructive. I've got my paint for the bathroom sitting in the hall staring at me. I need to take a trip to the pharmacy. I should do laundry.
I think I'll go knit while I decide what to do first.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
I'ma gonna smooch the mailman!
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 charm!
The winner was The Mannings, who I will most certainly be doing business with again! For starters, I ordered it at I-don't-know-what-time on Friday night. I received an email on Saturday morning telling me it had shipped, and it was here Monday morning. On top of that, they adjusted the shipping amount and saved me some money. For that they get "three snaps in a Z formation"!
Now the scarf book I picked up from Overstock.com. Most of it is "eh", but I do really like a couple of the patterns.
And...I've been bitten by a bug. Not an "I'm sick" bug, tho' if the way my daughter's nose has been running lately is any indication, that might also happen soon. No, I'm referring to the crochet bug.
Nope, can't start with a simple granny square, can I? I can't doggy paddle craft-wise. Only jumping off the high dive will do! I will admit that this is hours worth of work, and my pinky was very cramped from holding the thread by the time I packed it in for the night!
Speaking of time to pack it in...are you still reading this?
{edited because I like repeat repeating myself}
Sunday, October 03, 2004
For today's matchup
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, HEY! Game time!
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
"So, like, I'm on this major cleaning spree..."
Now, if I could only get the landlord to bring me the paint she said she would! The bathroom really needs a fresh coat. Heck, it's been eight years! If we owned this place I'd probably have completely redone the bathroom three times by now, just because I'm like that.
I've been trying to figure out what's triggered this need to clean. It probably has something to do with that winter is coming, get ready to nest/hibernate thing.
The sad thing is, the carpet will only really be clean for about the next 20 minutes. *sigh* The joys of having a six year old!
{edit: ask and you shall receive! i came back up from meeting the bus, and one of the buildings maintenance men was standing at my door with a monster container of paint! now i have my project for *next* week :)}
Monday, September 27, 2004
Wha?
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 for inspiration. (What? Go to a yarn store and *gasp* stroke wool? The thought is so exciting it almost makes me feel dirrrrty. WooHoo!)
One of the nice thing about going back to work more hours is that I feel like I can go into a yarn store. The specter of not having enough money to cover the rent and buy groceries isn't hanging over my head this month, and it is such a relief! No, I'm not going to go crazy buying yarn (after all, I have a camera that needs to be repaired, which is going to cost me a bit), but I don't have to deny myself the pleasure of just going to look! It's a good thing.
Another good thing about going back to work more hours? My supervisor. She just rocks! And I will, and do, tell her that to her face.
M'kay. I'm going to go watch the Red Sox and knit a few more rows on the shawl.
Sunday, September 26, 2004
It's bye week
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 shawl thus far:
It really is looking much better in the real world. Like I've said before, it's a tough color to take a decent picture of. I'm liking it, but it's reaching the point when it's stating to take many repeats to get through a row. It's good mindless knitting, but I can't be too mindless about it or I miss YO's. Or make them where they aren't needed.
So, instead of looking at a boring picture, do something much more interesting and go visit my nephew Nate, a fantastic musician, and just generally nice kid. Really.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
I have the sneaking suspicion...
I can be such a twit sometimes.
I think I need to make a poncho
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?
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
So Totally Not Fair
I made it through another few repeats of the shawl pattern while (quietly) rooting on the Pats on Sunday. I'm finding that I'm liking it, but I'm glad that it's a 'simple' lace pattern. I look at some of the patterns out there for shawls and, while they are lovely, I think trying to keep track of what I was doing would drive me absolutely nuts! I'll try to get a decent picture of it once I've done a few more inches of work.
But chances are that I won't be knitting much over the next two days! A co-worker is getting married on October 1st, and we've done a quilt for her. I made a square (do you think I could find my camera to take a picture of it? No-o-o-o!), and I'm going to be doing a counted cross stitch legend for the back of it. Or, at least I will once I get the email I'm expecting with the list in it!
Now, I wonder if there's anything on t.v. tonight worth knitting to...
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Way too cute
Saturday, September 18, 2004
I caved
But there will be prime knitting time tomorrow!
I just seem to get more knitting done during football season. When I'm not yelling at the t.v., that is!
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
I wonder what it means...
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!
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 Bates, but remind me of Addi Turbo's in the way that they're made.
She also put this in the bag:
It's a small loom of some sort, but I have no idea what it's used for! I've googled, but no dice. Any ideas?
Monday, September 13, 2004
Yikes!
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...
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Hellooo? Anyone Home???
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 respect.
But...that didn't happen. And, as with most difficulties, I think that I've emerged from it a stronger and happier person.
I'm also finding that I want to blog again! For a while there it was feeling like a chore, like I was hanging around the edges of a clique that didn't want me to be a part of it. But, eh? *shrugs* Who am I doing this for? Me, of course! (and, ok, my Mom likes keeping tabs on me too!)
So now I need to take the sheets off of the furniture, fluff the cushions, dust, and get some fresh flowers to brighten up the place.
Tea and knitting anyone?
Thursday, July 29, 2004
It's not the big Goodbye
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?) {edit: where else would i make dishcloths for? d'oh!)
And, does it sound funny?, I almost feel guilty about not blogging. I'll get back to it at some point, I'm sure.
So this isn't a "Goodbye", it's more of a "See ya later, alligator". Drop me a line, if you have the time (k1yop2-at-msn.com -you know to fix that, right?), and have a great rest of the summer!
~Kim
Monday, June 21, 2004
Summer Vacation
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!
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Sunday, May 30, 2004
Hey there!
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 really did turn out to be such a blessing. We are so completely flat broke it isn't funny, but Tony isn't pushing me to go and look for something else. He knows that I'm actually ~doing~ things (photography), and not just sitting around on my butt eating bon-bons. And he knows that if things get really bad, I will look for something part-time.
The really humerous part of the whole thing is that my friends tell me that I am the happiest they've ever seen me! Yeah, I have my down days. But who doesn't? That whole human condition thing.
And, who'd of thunk it, but my baby girl's frist year of school is over in two weeks! Damn, that happened pretty fast! (I'm now understanding the frenzied look my Mom would get in her eyes at this time of year) I'm so proud of my kid! Nine months ago she couldn't read, now she's reading chapter books, at an easy second grade level. Completely boggles the mind, it does!
And, more amazing: I have been knitting! (You: "No!" Me: "Yes!") I've been working on a shell for myself with a lovely varigated cotton that I bought at last years New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival. I *will* get a picture of it up later this week. Yes I will *nods*
So I'm off again. It's what looks like is going to be the only decent day this week, so I'm going to go enjoy some of it!
Monday, May 03, 2004
Well, hey...
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 the favorite contest enteries I've made are Silk Roses, Miss You, and Lotion. It's very cool discovering another new creative outlet!
So, I won't be as much of a stranger as I have been lately!
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Yeah, I'm around
I've nothing else to say right now.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Umm, huh?
Now for the weird part. While I was talking to the kids I was winding the hat up into a tube, just a playing with it in my hands sort of thing. The bus came, the kids got on, and away they went. As I walked back inside I suddenly realized...
I didn't have the hat anymore!
It wasn't on the floor, outside on the ground, I didn't stuff it in my pocket. It.Was.Gone. And I have no idea what happened to it!
The only thing I can think of is that I reflexively stuck it on the kiddo's head as she went out the door, but I don't remember doing it.
I'm too young for a senior moment, so it must just be long term loss of short term memory.
***
So, I've been putting together a portfolio of some of my photography, and making some card samples to take around to some of the local gift type shops to see if anyone might be interested in selling them. It's an itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny, small start.
Now if only the sun would come out so I could stop yawning!
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Well, patootie (for want of a really strong word)
I hereby give myself
/self-indulgent, tmi, stream of conciousness ramble off
And, yes, Mom, I am OK. A little stunned, but OK. :s
Monday, March 22, 2004
Thursday, March 11, 2004
Life continues
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!
Sunday, March 07, 2004
Anyone miss me?
That, and the fact that I haven't bought batteries for my camera yet, so Inishmaan update pictures aren't possible at the moment. But both sleeves are done, and I've made good progress on the front.
The other big news around here is that the Tooth Fairy is going to be making her first visit to our home some night soon! I think Tony and I are more excited by this than the squirt is! Does anybody know what the going rate for a tooth is now-a-days?
and ever since I asked tony the exact qoute about the swallow he's been sitting behind me quoting monty python with great abandon. i've created a monster.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
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 cheat sheets!). The store is only about three months old, and looked like it was doing great business. There was a lot of fun novelty yarns, mixed in with what looked like every single color of Lamb's Pride worsted weight wool, some absolutely gorgeous Manos Del Uruguay.
I did break my yarn fast, but it was worth it. I picked up a few skeins of Chester Farms cestari, which is wonderfully soft, and several of Silky Wool in the moss color. And I have been told that the owner is very amenable to order requests.
So next time you're out Sturbridge way (and if you haven't made a trip to Old Sturbridge Village in a while, isn't it time?), stop by and check the Mt. Laurel Yarn boutique out! It's right on Main St, the main drag, AKA Route 20, right next to Basketville. What are you waiting for? Go! Go!
{edit:one of these days i will learn to use spellcheck before i post something!}
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
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 took pictures as I did it, but they turned out really yucky looking, so I'm not going to force them on you)
I ended up not getting that much knitting done yesterday (school vacation, trying to amuse a five-year-old, and all that); but my tall guy has taken today off so we can have some family fun. So I started my day by knitting several rows before I even crawled out of bed. Ah, glorious!
Chelee asked yesterday for suggestions about doing cables, because they look kind of scary. They're not, really! I find them to be a lot of fun.
Knitting is, from my perspective, all about manipulating the stitches. Working cables is just another way of manipulating them, saying "No, I'm not going to knit you yet. You go wait over here until I'm ready for you" I think that it helps that my first sweater ever was kind of cabled, so I just dove into doing them without even really thinking about it.
So my suggestion would be to grab a book of knitting stitches, sit down, and just do some test swatches. It doesn't take long to figure out that it's really a lot easier than it looks! If I'm working with a chart I tend to take the time to write it out row by row. Writing it out also gives the option of easily checking off the rows so I can figure out where I left off once I've put it down.
Does anyone else have any suggestions for doing cables?
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
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 the past three days. Now, should I push my luck and go and take a shower, or should I sit and knit a half dozen rows first in hopes of breaking the cycle?
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Monday, February 09, 2004
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 making sweaters for co-workers at this rate. Now if only I could actually make a living at it!) She didn't even blink when I told her how much I would charge her for it. Ahhh, to be 21 and have a disposible income again!
Right now she's trying to decide between Inishmaan and another cable pattern from a Paton's booklet. We picked out a few color possibilities yesterday, and I'm working up some pattern swatches to see which one she likes better. I'm personally hoping she chooses Inishmaan. It looks like the more interesting, and challenging, of the two patterns.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
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 turtleneck on if it's really cold)
One more button band, and then the sleeves. And as I only have one more skein of black left, I'm sensing knitting stripes in my future...
Since the groundhog has predicted six more weeks of winter, I thought a blast of color might come in handy. It really does help, being able to go to work and see things like this when I get there.
Monday, February 02, 2004
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 lacking!
Sunday, February 01, 2004
Friday, January 30, 2004
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 ever actually do it! Maybe if I was independently wealthy and being kept in the style I would like to become accustomed to I would; but it would remain a pipe dream until then.
But when it comes to the sweater in this ad from the late 80's, all I can say is: "What the hell were they thinking!?!"
Thursday, January 29, 2004
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 stash busting, neck down raglan cardigan for, well, me! (Am I the only one who feels slightly guilty when I knit something for myself? I mean, this is the first sweater I've knit for myself in a long, long time) I'd love to show you a picture of it, but the minute I put it down on the ground I lost custody of it:
Of course, if I made him a cat bed do you think he'd use it? Not likely!
Saturday, January 24, 2004
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 ze internationaaal voman ov mystery.
Hmmm, no football this Sunday. Do I dare take a ride into Brookline for the Knitsmiths? More to the point, do I have the nerve to walk into a group of people I don't know?!?
Thursday, January 22, 2004
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 his head under a pillow to escape.
I'm actually very happy to see him crashed out on the couch. I missed my buddy terribly when he was at the vet's yesterday. (And, yes, he will ignore that yarn. If it were alpaca though, it wouldn't stand a chance!)
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, and ripped it out again! The button holes didn't come down far enough on the sweater when I did them yesterday. Guess who's going to stop following the directions and wing it?
And I broke my "no buying yarn" edict yesterday, but it was for a good reason. Starting this afternoon I'm giving knitting lessons to a pair of sisters who live upstairs, ages 6 and 8, who are at the bus stop with us.
The oldest informed me thay she wanted me to make her a sweater. Explicit directions of what it should look like and all. I told her that I wouldn't make her a sweater, but I would very happily teach her how to knit so she could have the skills to make one of her own someday. She seems to think that she's going to just take off and make a wildly fantastic sweater. And who knows, she just might! But I have to keep reminding her that she needs to learn how to knit first.
I am still scarfing along...
Friday, January 16, 2004
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 current obsession with multidirectional knitting.
A thinner scarf is fine, but give me a big, long, wide one that I can wrap around my head a half dozen times!
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
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
I sent an email to Tony telling him that I was having a hard time resisting the urge to go to the LYS and fondle fiber. His response: 'And you know you just can't "fondle" yarn. They coat it with something to make it irresistable once it makes contact with flesh.' If only he knew!
I'm down to the sleeves on Irina's new sweater, which should take no time at all! I wish that the pattern came in adult sizes, because I'd love one too! And this yarn just feels really nice. It is acrylic (that kids/washability thing), but it's wonderfully soft and looks good. Unlike the first sweater I ever made. That thing will still be around with Twinkies and cockroaches when we're all gone! I'm curious to see how badly this one pills once it's washed.
Monday, January 12, 2004
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 she gave me a funny look and said: "Your kid? Doesn't surprise me in the least."
I'm still trying to figure out what she ment by that.
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!
And, remember those 21 inch long sleeves?
I could have made then an inch or two longer! (All I can hear in my head is John Ratzenberger's voice in my head, as Hamm from Toy Story, saying :"Impressive wingspan"!)