Musings from a Knucklehead...

While I'm away....

2009-07-07T15:24:00.000-04:00

In the 'hood

2009-04-13T20:49:00.004-04:00

A whole month away from blogging so I'm not sure if I really deserve this as a blog award but since (not so) Cynical Knitter was so thoughtful to think of me when handing out her awards and we do seem to share that 'Burgh sisterly thing, I figured it's only fair to go ahead and play along.

The rules of this award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

And so I pass along the 'jeans' to my fellow sisters who have played a role in my sisterhood circle:

Ruth, A.K.A. Scoop Murphy and fellow 'Burgh sister in crime

Jaz, my knitting sen say and sister that I really should find more time to spend with

Chan the sister from afar who knows just what my heart needs to keep moving forward

Stacey my sister from the south who keeps me looking on the brighter side of life

Katie the sister I swear I was separated at birth from and reunited through SP12, where would we be without knitting swaps?!?!?

Irishgirlknits, my enabling sister

Holly Jo who I would gladly be her sister just so I could be the aunt who spoils those adorable boys of hers

Ashley my household sister

and a shout out to my S.H.E (Sisterhood of the Epicurious) group of gals that meets each week for dinner and sisterhood support

And to all knitting sisters out there, grab yourself a button, a nice bottle of wine, a chick flick and a few close galpals and settle in for some enjoyable sisterhood time.

On another note, a little ways back I entered into a blog contest that required knitting a pair of fingerless mitts and posting about them. Since I was in the midst of knitting a pair at the time I quickly finished and entered. Low and behold I won. Jessi from Alabama Fiber Dreams was in charge of sending along my prize. I had totally forgot all about it and when I came home from visiting sick family members all week, there it was waiting for me. I never realized Jessi's yarn was so wonderful!!! I can't even begin to explain how squishy and soft and bouncy like this yarn is. I don't think I've ever felt anything like it! It's a merino/bamboo blend and I'm in love! Jessi, are you still dying these up and selling them??? Why hadn't I discovered these before??? How could I have been in the dark about this yarn??? Look at it there just begging to be squeezed and cuddled again.

And as if that wasn't enough, included were these lovely stitch markers! They out rank all other markers in my collection to date. That gal is one talented lady, I tell you. Here I was excited about completing another pair of fingerless mitts and getting to see what others were producing, I never thought I would end up with treasures such as these! What a lucky gal am I!

Look Mom!

2009-03-14T10:39:00.006-04:00

Look what I can do!

Years ago, long before the thought of knitting even entered my mind, my mom stumbled upon some crocheting supplies and sent them off to me at college thinking that I could teach myself a little crafty skill. We were always quite the crafty duo growing up and I think mom was missing her side kick. But try as I might, I just couldn't get the hang of it.

Fast forward ten years or so later and knitting comes into my life. Somehow it came much easier and I've loved every minute, every stitch that it's given me. But it's always kind of bugged me that I wasn't able to get the hang of crocheting.

Not long ago I invested in some Susan Bates bright colored plastic hooks in a little pouchy type thing on sale. I figured, why not give it a go again. How bad could it really be? Surely if I can master 5 dpns for a pair of socks I can master 1 hook, right?

Several attempts later, I was devastated that giving this a go on my own was not going to work. Luckily I found a lovely co-worker who was willing to give me a little lesson in proper hooking techniques. While I'm still getting the hang of holding tension in my left hand (I'm a right handed thrower when knitting) I'm proud of my first accomplishments. These beauties will be sent off to mom with all my love from a crafting daughter miles away.

Woolgirl happiness

2009-03-07T15:12:00.006-05:00

Nasty stomach virus germs, run for your life! The doors and windows are open. A can of lysol and a warm breeze are clearing out the house today. Your miserable life here is soon to come to an end. Mah-mah-mah-cough (evil laugh).

And what better way to celebrate the death of this virus that nearly was the death of me? Yarn goodness of course! And Woolgirl was just the ticket! I was lucky enough to get in on the Woolgirl 2009 sock club and boy am I excited!!! The first package arrived the other day and I couldn't be happier with the surprises that were inside!

The theme for this package was Cleopatra - being the Queen of your knitting. Everything included fit the Eqyptian feel of the Pharaoh herself. Let's start with the yarn treats.That, my friends, is the intriguing and 'oh my pharaoh's stars above I can't believe I'm touching something this soft and yummy' Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Sock yarn in Gold Dynasty. The coloring is a little washed out in the photo and is more like the desert sun reflecting off of the queen's jewlery. It's 450 yards of 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere and 10% Nylon. That's right, is said 450 yards. Do you think I have enough here to mummify myself in?

Two patterns were included - one sock and one scarf - both specially designed specifically for this particular yarn and the Cleo theme. Thank you both Elizabeth Warner and Lisa Dykstra for beautiful creations!

There was also this great Lantern Moon silk project bag, a Mama Llama stitch marker, a Queen of knitting pen, calendar magnet, sample SOAK, and hand lotion hand made from Rachel Rene. And check out this cute pyramid box and what I found inside from Gayle's Chocolates!

Since this queen has got some knitting to get to, I leave you with a shot of the hand made card from Willa Landino and wish all my fellow queens of knitting a happy, healthy, and beautiful weekend.

Napping Nedly

2009-03-04T16:53:00.004-05:00

How could you not fall in love with Snoozing Ned? I mean come on. The minute my eyes gazed upon him I knew I needed to have one of my own. I found a soft and sweet cotton and some brown and tan felt hanging around here that would fit the bill perfectly and got to work. The pieces knit up quickly. I cheated a little and used some stitch witchery - that iron on no sew stuff to attach the felt pieces to the knit pieces. And then the project sat. The seaming of all those parts and pieces was a bit intimidating and unattractive. But after about a month of sitting there staring at me, I finally gave in and began the process putting him all together. I had another little surprise idea. Just inside his belly, I added a pouch of lavender. So if you squish him he smells fresh and relaxing, ready for a delightful nap.

Ex-ten-d-ed we-ek-end

2009-03-03T19:11:00.002-05:00

I headed up north this past weekend looking forward to a little time with the family. Some special time set aside to spend with the little man doing whatever his little precious heart desired, hanging out with the females of the clan in the evening at a bridal celebration, and a nice breakfast with mom and dad at my favorite Eat-nParK. The weather forecast was looking good. I even put in to get out of work a little early to get on the road to beat the traffic. What I didn't count on was running behind the flu bug. Before I left there was a runny nose and a slight cough to contend with. No biggie I thought. But as the trip wore on, the amount of time driving with my elbows with Kleenex in hand became exponential. Add to that the achy back and all I wanted to do was to get there quick and take a nap. That would solve it all and all would be right with the world. Wrong. As Friday evening wore on it became more apparent that I wasn't getting out of this one, and by Saturday morning there was no escaping the entitlement of having caught the flu. The next 3 1/2 days were spent in bed. So mom and dad got me for a little longer than they had expected, and I casually left them with a parting gift (they both caught the bug from me) when I was finally well enough to drive my sorry butt home. I'm still sniffling and coughing and the littlest bit of activity exhausts me, but I'm much better now. I have some progress to share along the knitting front, but that will have to wait for another day... typing is taking the energy out of me. Stay well.

Turning stitches

2009-02-21T21:45:00.004-05:00

This past year has brought many changes to my life..... so many thoughts that I'd rather not enter into right now are tempting to flash through my mind. But here I want to focus on something knitting related. Something to show that I'm Kreative for Chan. I was fortunate enough to get involved with Secret Pal 12 this past year and magically was paired up with a lovely gal from PA who just may be my wouldabeen-couldabeen-shouldabeen long-lost twin sis. Ever since, she's been there for me and I for her through some emotional ups and downs. She's inspired me to get myself some crochet hooks (although some actual lessons will be needed to get them to function properly) and I've gotten her back into the swing of loving working with her yarns. Just after the holidays she introduced me to another wonderful gal with whom she'd been in close contact with and suggested that the three of us do a mini KAL together. It would appear that we three Muskateetes were experiencing some somewhat similar emotional challenges/life changes and the KAL was meant to be a sort of symbolic bonding of the friendships we've made and maybe provide us with a reminder of the strength we've given each other. My SP12 pal, Katie, was in the process of going through all of her yarn and deciding what to destash in hopes of an up coming move. She found several skeins of a lovely Lornas Laces and decided to send two skeins to each of us to use for our KAL. Now each of us would have the same yarn to tie our friendships together. We knew we were going to settle on a scarf pattern, but which to choose. Many Ravelry searches later, and Shifting Sands seemed to be the ideal pattern. The name itself appeared to suggest the changes or shifting happening in each of our lives. The color changes would dance and play and twist and turn as it traveled along. How much more symbolic can you get??? And as I began to slowly allow the yarn to slide through my fingers and wrap around and off the needles, an amazing sense of calm came over me.... a wonderful feeling of zen.

I actually did this portion during a school board meeting regarding the budget and stayed calm and relaxed through the whole thing! Even when they announced that they are cutting my position! Don't worry, I still have a job. I just won't be doing the same thing next year that I am this year. I wasn't worried about finishing quickly. I figured that change takes time and since this scarf is representing the friendships I've made through my changes, it could take some time too. But progress it did.

One repeat here, two there, relaxed, calmed, and clearheaded, it didn't take long before I had something wonderful. Something that I've worn everyday this week to remind me of the shifting happening in my life and of the friendships I have to give me strength. Many changes still lay ahead. But now I have this beauty to arm myself with to remind me of the strength and faith my friends give me. Thank you, Katie. For everything.

Feng Shui Horoscope

2009-02-20T21:39:00.003-05:00

I got this in an email and thought it was interesting enough to share it here.

Watch your 'Thoughts,'

they become words.
Watch your 'Words,'

they become actions.
Watch your 'Actions,'

they become habits.
Watch your 'Habits,'

they become character.
Watch your 'Character,'

for it becomes your

Destiny.

Take just a couple of minutes to take this test & see what happens!
If you are honest this tells the truth -- it'spretty good.
Write your answers on a piece of paper, NO cheating!! The answers are at the bottom.

1. Which is your favorite color: red, black, blue, green, or yellow?
2. Your first initial?
3. Your month of birth?
4. Which color do you like more, black or white?
5 . Name of a person of the same sex as yours.
6.Your favorite number?
7. Do you like California or Florida more?
8. Do you like a lake or the ocean more?
9. Write down a wish (a realistic one).

When you're done, scroll down. Don't cheat.

my responses:

1 green

2 w

3 Oct.

4 black

5 Jen

6 7

7 California

8 lake

9 to find someone to share inner happiness with

Answers:

1. If you choose:
Red - You are alert and your life is full of love.
Black - You are conservative and aggressive.
Green -Your soul is relaxed and you are laid back.
Blue - You are spontaneous and love kisses and affection from the ones you love.
Yellow -You are a very happy person and give good advice to those who are down.

2. If your initial is:
A-K - You have a lot of love and friendships in your life.
L-R - You try to enjoy your life to the maximum and your love life is soon to blossom.
S-Z - You like to help others and your future love life looks very good.

3. If you were born in:
JAN- MAR: The year will go very well for you and you will discover that you fall in love with someone totally unexpected.
APR-JUN: You will have a strong love relationship that will last forever.
JUL- SEP: You will have a great year and will experience a major life-changing experience for the good.
OCT- DEC : Your love life will be great, you will find your soulmate.

4. If you chose...
Black: Your life will take on a different direction, it will be the best thing for you, and you will be glad for the change.
White: You have a friend who completely confides in you and would do anything for you, but you may not realize it.

5.This person should be your best friend.

6. This is how many close friends you will have in your lifetime.

7. If you chose:
California: You like adventure.
Florida : You are a laid back person.

8. If you chose:
Lake : You are loyal to your friends and your lover and are very reserved.
Ocean: You are spontaneous and l ike to please people.

9.This wish will come true if you send this to 1 person in one hour. Send it to ten people, and it will come true before your next Birthday.

Wonder what will happen depending on how many people read it here?!?!?!?

Living up to expectations

2009-02-16T00:17:00.003-05:00

If Chan thinks I deserve a Kreative award, I should probably live up to that standard of expectation here. I promise you that there has been some knitting being done over here, just no photos tonight. I'm almost finished with a KAL friendship scarf that I'm working on and I'm hoping to be able to block it tomorrow. There should be a photo shoot in the near future. There's also a Snoozing Ned that just needs to be stitched up and then there should be some cute photos to be taken then too. So since I have nothing to show for my creative efforts at the moment, I give you a change in the look of the blog. Oh orange, how I do love thee, but you were beginning to depress me. Maybe with a new look I'll be more likely to stop by here and update more often.

On another much brighter note, this year V-Day was much less depressing than last year. My parents came down for a little visit and surprised me by bringing My Little Man with them! Oh do I love that little boy!!! We spent the day riding the metro, his new most favorite thing about visiting Aunt Wendy, and checking out the trains at the American History Museum. That and two days filled with giggles, hugs, and lots of snuggle time really made my weekend! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend as much as I did.

Coming back into view...

2009-02-08T17:36:00.005-05:00

This past week has been pure black and gold bliss.... but I promised I would only celebrate for only a week and then I would move on to the rest of my life again. That sort of includes getting back into a regular blogging habit again. Especially since during this past week, two very awesome blogging friends have nominated me for two blogging awards. And in fear that their wonderful words of wisdom and countless readers might find their way over to here, I figured I might just need to get my butt in gear and report out what's been going on over here at Chez Wendae.

First up keeps me in the mind of my true black and gold heart, a special award from Miss Gracie donning her black and gold like a steel queen. (Not-so) Cynical Knitting Gal has given out these awards as a support to blogging and friendship. Check out her site for a big list of fellow bloggers who also received this thoughtful award. You can also get information as to where you can get your hands on the pattern for your very own Go Steelers! Lace Scarf designed by Cynical Knitter herself.

The other award I received this week came from my buddy Chan. I'm a little behind on this one, so if you're checking out her blog for it, you'll have to scroll down a little.

The official rules include:

1. Copy the award to your site - 2. Link to the person from whom you received the award - 3. Nominate 7 other bloggers - 4. Link to those on your blog - 5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

I'm so honored that Chan thought of me when she nominated her bloggers. But I guess this means that I'll have to actually shout out about what I've been working on lately!

For the moment, here are my 7 nominations (btw, many of the blogs I read have already received this award or are in process of posting about it, but hopefully I can not only pay homage to a few of the greats that I read, but all call attention to some talent that you may not have been introduced to yet.

)

1. Let's first pay homage back to Chan herself for being an inspiration in several knitting projects. Her warm personality comes out in her blog just as much as it does in person. I'm so glad that we've had the chance to meet and share ideas as well as a warm shoulder to cry on.

2. Cynical Knitter should really be included in this listing. If not for being yet another member of the Steeler Nation, she's very creative in her design.

3. Artsy Math Teacher is a delightful woman I met in a swap a little whiles back. I've enjoyed watching her young crew grow up to be not so young anymore. I'm always amazed at what that woman can do living all the way out there in what appears (to a DC Metro girl) the middle of nowhere!

4. Java Gibber is another talented knitter that I enjoy popping in on. Click on over and scroll down to check out the sweet tooth her knitting has gotten her into! Talk about having your cake and knitting it too!

5. Anne. What can I say? How can I not pay tribute to a wonderful woman, talented knitter, excellent swap partner and author of Sunday Bloglines, introducing us to fabulously crafty knitters all over.

6. Little Loe's Knits & Nags has a mister over there that knits! Yes, ladies, you heard me right. Her man is now knitting along side her. Oh, the day dreaming and heart pitter-pattering... one day, one day.

7. Miss T's Mystery House Of Yarn & Horrors is great inspiration for both knitting and cooking. Check out how she and her knitting friends gathered for their 'SuperBowl'.

8. Reckless Glue knows that I adore her. She's completely charming in her retro throwback style and her knitting is always quite stellar.

9. Res Ipsa Knit With Her is another fabulous blogging creative gal that I had the pleasure of meeting through the SP12 I think. When I visit her blog I am always amazed by the creativity of her knits and the photos she takes. You can tell she really puts a lot of love into her projects!

10. One More Row. How often do you hear yourself saying that? If only my one more rows resulted in such beautiful pieces. And who wouldn't love knitting for those lovely little faces?

Well, that's 10 (even though some may be repeats from other nominations out there) and I know there are SO many more out there that I adore, but I hope that anyone who stops by here will take a few extra minutes to click on over and give all little wave and hello to these wonderfully talented and Kreativ bloggers!

I promise to post something soon to prove that I really am somewhat creative and have been knitting.

Where else do you get family like this???

2009-02-04T13:16:00.001-05:00

I can't say it any better than this.....
http://angermanagementgirls.blogspot.com/

I'm still feeling the excitement! Everywhere I go, I'm wearing a Steeler fleece scarf that a blogless friend of mine brought over for me for the game. And everywhere I go people are congratulating me on my team's win. I just wish I could be there to feel the pulse and excitement first hand. I guess this is as close as I'm going to get.

I'm part of the Steeler Nation. Are you?

Where else do you get family like this???

2009-02-04T13:16:00.000-05:00

Steelers

2009-02-01T23:13:00.000-05:00

Streaking in the snowy streets

2009-01-28T08:43:00.003-05:00

It's a snow day! Can you hear the cheers and cries of students across the DC Metro area? They sent us home early yesterday when the snow appeared to not be letting up. Funny thing was, the decision to go home early had to be made by 10:00 and by the time the buses came to pick up all the kiddos and we cleared the school at 1:00 the snow had stopped. I left around 1:30 and had absolutely no problem with the roads coming home. So I took the 'found' time to run a few errands before coming home. Although the roads were good to go, I can't say the same for the parking lots I visited. Any who, this morning we awoke to that three letter word that puts fear in every one's heart around here... ice. And while I know that ice is a dangerous thing, I also have to say the people around here just don't know how to drive in weather. Even if it just rains just a bit, people freak out. It's no wonder they're reporting so many accidents on the news this morning. Just look at the cars they caught on tape going down the streets. These people didn't even bother to clean off their car of the snow the fell yesterday. They can only see out 1/3 of their windows. Hello people! There's a reason why your windshield is as big as it is! Don't even get me started about those people who drive with their wipers on and don't turn on their headlights. I've heard people say, well I don't need my headlights on, I can see perfectly fine. But that's not the point. The point is, if the weather is such that drivers need to put on their wipers then other drivers need you to put on your headlights so that they can see you!

OK, enough of my ranting. The real purpose of posting today, on this beautiful found day off of work, is to steal an idea I saw this morning on Stacey's blog. She stole it from another blog and so on and so forth. You all know how that goes. So ignore the date listed and come on out and play with me today. Keep me company as I catch up on the laundry and knit a little on this snow day at home. Leave me a comment to let me know who's out there.

Winter knits for me

2009-01-26T13:09:00.004-05:00

During a field trip visit to a LYS that isn't quite as local as I'd like it to be (must cross DC to get there) Ruth came across a great hat that was prefect for those cold mornings trucking to work. The hat allows you to actually keep your hair styled from your morning routine and not arrive at work with either mushed down hat head hair or freaky spiked out static head hair. One itty bitty problem. The yarn used in the model pattern is no longer available. Simple solution. Know the owner of the LYS and ask her to sell you the actual hat and give you the write up for the pattern. (I don't know all the details here, but it sounded as if it was a free pattern but I couldn't really tell you where it originated from). All the gals loved the hat so we took on making several of them and now almost all of us have them in various colors. We look kind of like those hat women who meet for lunch in a strange sort of way. We all have the same hat in various yarns and colors. But we're happy so who cares. In a feeble attempt to take my own photo of myself wearing my hat, I give you this pathetic photo. You'll just have to trust me that it looks a lot better than that in real life. I'm in love with the colorway. It's Cascade 220 color 9451. I must get my hands on some more and knit up some fingerless mitts and/or a cowl to go with the hat.

Speaking of fingerless mitts, I was thinking of doing a pair for a friend of mine and couldn't decide on a pattern for the yarn I wanted to use for her. But in my Rav search, I came across a pattern I had queued and decided I could throw together a quick pair for myself in the meantime. I adore the way they came out!

I had some left over Wool Bamboo, just enough for these little beauties. The pattern is called Cafe Au Late, but I'm calling mine Hot Choc-o-late for the darker brown colorway I used. I love the feel of the bamboo blended with the wool.

Here We Go (some more)

2009-01-21T21:17:00.003-05:00

just a little more for all yunz Stiller fans aught dhere....

Here We Go...

2009-01-18T23:43:00.003-05:00

Steelers....
Here we go....

Pittsburgh's goin' to the Superbowl!!!!

Weekend Update

2009-01-11T21:18:00.004-05:00

While I was home for the holidays Mom requested a scarf. Nothing too fancy. Actually Mom isn't normally one to wear a scarf. But for a little while now she's had a little issue with a nerve thing in the side of her face that seems to act up with the cold weather. It causes her some pain and since Mom isn't one to stay inside where it's warm (she's always on the go) she's taken to wearing a scarf my aunt made for her when she first learned how to knit. Can we all say novelty yarn? Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about. It's a combination between fur and bally things. Strangest yarn I've ever seen. So while we were out and about making our shopping rounds we visited a new LYS in her area. Mom is taking a liking to visiting 'real' yarn shops and will gladly sit for however long it takes for me to fondle skein after skein and weigh my buying options. This particular shop, Knit Wits, had a whole wall of Cascade 220 in which Mom planted herself in a chair in front of. Without having a particular project in mind when I walked in, I figured it wouldn't do any harm to stalk up on some good solid Cascade wool. The stitch definition is clean, neat, and makes for quite a nice piece of work. Mom casually mentioned that the grey two-toned one would match her winter coat nicely. I took that as a hint that she wanted a new scarf. Could I blame her? Upon returning home we looked for hours on Ravelry for a great pattern for her. Something simple, but wide and long enough for what she needed. We found a few options that she liked but I wasn't completely satisfied. When I got home (back to VA) I looked again and came across the Scrunchable Scarf pattern, noticing that several people had knit it up in Cascade and it looked fab. To give it a little more heft and hopefully add to the length I combined the one skein of Cascade I had with a skein of Patons in solid grey that I had laying around. This way I could use size 11 needles as well. The weather yesterday turned out to be pretty crappy and my plans got canceled so I figured that was cue to cast on. I was surprised at how quickly it knit up. I was done around dinner (and that was with a pretty long nap at mid day - rainy days will do that to ya). I'm loving the clean look of the stitches.
And I think Mom will enjoy how soft and squishy it is. Tomorrow I'll put this puppy in the mail and off to PA it will go to great it's new owner where I'm sure it will be loved and appreciated and wore often. Another FO was finished today but it's wet and not ready for photos. Another day then...

Drowning

2009-01-10T18:47:00.008-05:00

That what I said.... drowning.

Before the holidays I was drowning in the love and hugs and giggles of the Little Man. He and My SIL came down for a few days before we headed north together. And what a fun few days it was! I just can't get enough of that Little Man! I could just drown myself in his exploration of words and imagination.

Then there was the heading north for the holidays and all the drowning in family togetherness. So good for the soul... at least this one. I spent almost two weeks up there and soaked up every minute I could. Several gifts were given that made sure that I would be drowning in good reading material for the holidays and then some.

Since returning home, I've been drowned in finishing up some knits that didn't exactly make the Christmas deadline. There are still two to go, but hey, I never claimed to be perfect. Here's some quick shots of FOs that have successfully been gifted.

Another pair of one of my new favorite 'put it on your feet' patterns. This pair was gifted to the new roommate.

This pair was finished a while ago minus the snowflakes. I had planned on adding the one from the original pattern where you stitch over the knit to make it look like it was knit into the pattern. That wasn't working out so well for me. So Mom suggested this version. These went to my auntalong with this pair as well. I wasn't really happy with the way these came out at first. I was a bit frustrated (probably more due to trying to work too quickly to get them finished under the wire rather than difficulty with the actual pattern). So I included the snowflake slippers just in case. She seemed to like them just fine.

Then, a little late, but hey at least not never, these two beauties were finished. They're both done in a fabulous alpaca from a local VA farm. I really need to get my hands on some more of that stuff! They were the most heavenly pieces I've ever worked on. I could have drowned in a bathtub of this stuff. Oh my the ecstasy that would be!!! And these are heading off in the mail to Mom's dear friend who I ran out of time to knit for. They were a special request. Good thing I'm in love with this cloth pattern. So easy and quick and the texture should make for some good cloth usage. That leaves me with drowning in trying to catch up with reading blog posts, getting Christmas decorations put away, and actually working on a three more gift knits that are just a tad late.

That's not to mention drowning in all the rain we've been having around here lately. Luckily I have my knit blanket and a good cup of tea to keep me warm.

Special Delivery

2008-12-19T21:56:00.004-05:00

The Little Man is coming to visit tomorrow!!!! Can you believe it??? He's actually coming to see and stay with his Aunt Wendy for a few days!!!! And then we'll head up north together for the holidays. Forgive me if you continue to not hear much from me around here during the holidays. I'll be a little occupied. hee hee!

However, if you are the type for prayer or even just meaningful thoughts, I would appreciate any and all that you can send in the direction of Bethlehem, PA. My old college roomie just had her second child a week ago. Problem is, he's 2 months early and only 2 lbs 13 oz. He's got a hole in his heart and things have been quite scary all week. This is going to be a trying time for their family through the holidays.

Picoult, Picoult

2008-12-14T14:44:00.006-05:00

What can I say? I can't help myself! I love this woman's writing!

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Wow! A VERY powerful story line! Step inside the minds of those involved in the unbelievable. What it takes to turn the most unexpected victim into the town's biggest nightmare. This book will have you thinking twice about how we interact with others and how they might perceive our words and actions. It takes a look into what makes each of us tick and reasons for why we do what we do. You'll definitely think twice about some one's motive, history, and position before judging another one's actions after reading this.

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

How far are you willing to go for love? Or shall I say, how much are you willing to take to be loved? Step inside the life of a woman caught in a often too common situation of woman across the world... sad but true. Just too bad that most of them aren't married to a hunk of a movie star! I got a kick out of the snippets of Sioux legends strategically sprinkled throughout the story. I was just working in a 2nd grade classroom working on learning about the Sioux so it made for a nice connection.

Historic Photos of Arlington County

2008-12-12T15:46:00.002-05:00

After living in Arlington for 3 years, and finally beginning to really understand my way around its disjointed streets and dead end neighborhoods, I felt it was time to learn a little more about the rich history of the area. Actually the book Historic Photos of Arlington County came across my path and peaked my interest. Leafing through the pages I sometimes had a hard time imagining the once less compacted version of my community in it's much simpler form. But was it really a simpler life? Arlington is full of rich and exciting history. A native Arlingtonian neighbor visiting one evening spotted the book on my coffee table and began to leaf through it reflecting aloud the memories it brought back of his own personal life and family history. Once forgotten photos of the past brought to mind stories of "I remember when...", "This used to be...", and other personal accounts inspired by the book. My neighbor friend and I spend many an hour sitting over a pot of tea and poured over the memories and history the book generated. A special gift that I'll cherish this year. If you have a history lover in your life, I would encourage you to check out other books in the series from Turner Publishing. As with every year, I am

Last days

2008-11-30T18:00:00.006-05:00

I've been a bad girl in the blogging world. I haven't kept to my promise to blog each and every day during the month of November. These things happen. I'll get over it if you do.

Lots is happening in my world. Work is going topsy-turvy. Just when they are really 'getting' what my position does and can make an impact, they are talking about changing things up again. All the uncertainty with the economy has gotten every ones' panties in a bunch and I'm sure that stock in pepto bismol has gone up. Who knows what I'll be doing this time next year. All I know is that I WILL have a job in the school system. But what I'll be doing is any one's guess. I've decided that I can't worry about that at the moment. I'll enjoy my position while I can and grow as much as I can this year. No matter what comes my way next year, it'll be OK.

The new roommate moved in this weekend. So more changes are on the horizon in the home front area. I've got a good feeling that this will be a good change and good things are on there way.

Got to spend some much needed time with the kinfolk for the holiday. The Little Man was a delight to spend time with. I'm amazed at how much he's growing each time I see him. They are now planning for a short jaunt down to here just before Christmas so I have something wonderful to look forward to! You know I'll be counting down the days!

Almost all of my Christmas shopping is complete. Mom and I went out while I was home to finish up the last few purchasing details. Now all that's left are some knitted items. Speaking of knitted items, knitting has taken place around here. For one, I've worked on some Tootsie Toasters for the mentors in my life. I'm sure they'll enjoy these as the weather turns colder. There was another pair done that Mom quickly claimed as her own while I was home. The pattern is Snowflake Slippers from the book Knit Handmade Style. It's a great pattern that I highly recommend. More of these will be popping up around here to have on hand for house guests.

There was also this deliciously warm cowl that went to Aunt Suz for her birthday. It's the Stacked Eyelet Cowl in the Malabrigo that Lolly sent me. It's perfect for her when she leaves the pool at the gym throughout the winter. It was hard to give up, but I know know it will be well loved so that makes it a little easier.

I finally tackled the BSJ and finished it just in time to welcome the newest member of the family. It's all done up in Ty-Dy cotton. I adored working with this yarn so it'll be added to the stash for other future projects.

Well, there's lots of blogs to catch up reading on. Not to mention still holiday knitting to do. Tomorrow starts the official holiday count down!

No Scrooges here

2008-11-22T01:07:00.007-05:00

I got a message in my email from Gypsyknits with this tag-along and thought it might be fun to post it along here so that anyone who would like to play along can.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends, here’s what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!Just copy (not forward) this entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person tha t sent it to you......Tips the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? both
2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? When I get back from visiting the family from Turkey Day, usually that Sunday.
4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year's. And you better believe that the lights go on whenever I'm anywhere near it - gotta get your bang for your buck for all that work.
5. Do you like eggnog? you betcha
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Cabbage Patch Doll
7. Hardest people to buy for? generally the men in my life
8. Easiest person to buy for? mom is usually the first person on my list completed
9. Do you have a nativity scene? I'm not all that religious any more, but my nativity was given to me by my grandmother before she past away so I put it up every year in honor and memory of her.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? a cd of old Christmas carols that I've never heard of, infact no one that I asked had ever heard of, and it was terribly produced
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown's Christmas
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? It can be a whole year process but I try to get the bulk of it done before Turkey Day so that I can take a lot home with me then rather than during the hectic drive home for Christmas.
14 Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Who hasn't on occasion?
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? rice pudding
16. Lights on the tree? How ever many I can get to actually get lit that year and usually we go with white these days.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Tough one.... hmmmm.... I'll be home for Christmas strikes a chord with me.... but the Charlie Brown sound track just can't be beat.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel home to mom and dad's.
19. Can you name all20of Santa's reindeer's? Sure can!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? star with a cascading ribbon
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I have a big family so we end up having several Christmases. Eve is for mom's side of the family. Morning is for at the house with whoever is living there at the time. Day afternoon is for dad's side of the family. And we get together with my brother, sil, and little man whenever during the week that fits their schedule since they have many places to be as well.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? traffic
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? mittens
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? our traditional foods that I don't get any other time of year
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? health and happiness
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? whoever is looking for blog fodder
27. Who is least likely to respond to this? whoever is too busy knitting on Christmas gifts to respond or post on their blog

Girly distractions

2008-11-15T07:59:00.003-05:00

I fell through on the posting every day in November thing. But I'm ok with that. It was worth it. Thursday night I had two good friends over for dinner - an old roommate and a soon to be roommate. It was nice to sit back and relax with some good food, good wine, and some good girl talk. Then last night, another friend who's been looking out for me through all of my 'life changes' asked me to spend a little girly time with her as well. She reminded me how important it is to take a little time to take care of me again. I've been trying to get back in the saddle so much but not quite getting everything checked off my check list each day. It's tough keeping up with it all. We took a little time to treat ourselves. I got my eyebrows waxed (sorely needed) and picked up another Jodi book. Today is back to a checklist of things I want/need to get done.

day 13: busted
day 14: busted
day 15: check

T.T.T.T.P.

2008-11-12T21:09:00.003-05:00

Too Tired Tonight To Post.....

Spent the afternoon yesterday at a lovely Alpaca farm. Would love to share some animaly and fibery photos with y'all, but I'm too tired to hook up the camera and get into all those details... maybe tomorrow.

This still counts as a post, right?

day 12: check

Another knit down X 3

2008-11-11T21:44:00.003-05:00

A whiles back I received a skein of Lornas Laces Shepards Worsted in Childsplay in the mail. At the time, while I thought the colors were pretty, they weren't really me. Too pastel. I wasn't sure what would ever come of it. Inspiration hit this past weekend. While stash diving looking for the perfect yarn for a hat for the 'ole college roomie's little one, I found it peaking out at me, whispering little pick me, pick mes in a sing-song voice. How could I resist? So off to Ravelry to find the pattern that would make it happiest and I came across Boy's Gone Loopy and cast on. Being that the little one is 2, I originally cast on for the toddler size and was hoping that maybe there would be enough yarn left over to knit a matching pair of mittens. But when the hat was complete, I was a little worried that it might be a little small for a toddler. I've got gauge, and I'm not really all that great at judging little one's heads but I figured I didn't want to risk it. But the hat was too cute to turn back. A change in plans was in order. My neighbor (the one spying on the the thief) is having twins in February and how cute would a matching set of these be? So a second hat emerged. I was shocked and delighted to see that the skein just didn't seem to end. It would appear that I could get yet another hat out of it. For the third one, I cast on for the pre-school age size to be sure that it would be big enough for the original intended recipient. I am thrilled with how they turned out! And what a bargain!!! Three hats for the price of one skein! And that skein was a gift to boot! These little girls are going to be so adorable this winter. day 11: check

Historic Photos of Alexandria

2008-11-09T20:31:00.007-05:00

Historic Photos of Alexandria and a second grade classroom

Students sit and work diligently from a workbook as part of their unit study of their hometown. And while the workbook is full of facts and activities, it's lacking the ability to really get twenty-four 7-year olds excited about learning their town's history. Enter the observant and responsive teacher who is disheartened by the lack of enthusiasm her pupils are showing for learning. She knows she has to do something to grab their attention and help make their history come alive for them. Growing up with a father who showed quite an interest himself in the revolutionary war and who took great pride in his collection of authentic artifacts and reading material from the time period, this teacher knew that there had to be another way to ignite that same sort of excitement and energy for historic learning as her father had taught her.

That night she sat in her father's favorite chair, the one that had been passed down to her after his death three years ago. She reached for the newest book in her ever growing historical collection, Historic Photos of Alexandria, and began thumbing the pages. Images of her ancestry flashed before her. So much of her family's history resided in the streets and soil of this city. Ghosts of past still lingered on street corners and around the cornerstones of buildings she passed by every day. How could she get her students to see what it was once like to walk in their same footsteps a hundred years ago?

And then it dawned on her. Why couldn't she share this book with her students? The photographs were unique and depicted life from the Civil War up to the 1950's with an erie sense of familiarity. The collection included significant landmarks as well as illustrated the commonality of every day life. An idea started to form. She could take her students on a walking field trip to identify some of the locations photographed and take current pictures to take back to the classroom to compare and contrast with those from the book. Her students could see how life has changed and how reflections of the past still existed today. This book was going to be the key to reaching her students. This was a real winner!

If you are interested in checking out this and other books published in the series from the Turner Publishing Company, check out their website to see if your town is in their collection.

day 9: check

Still Socktober????

2008-11-08T21:57:00.004-05:00

So blame me for being a little behind the times here. I'm going to blame it on the time change, but I know it ain't so. The other day I came to realize that with age sometimes comes falling behind the 8 ball. I was given a camcorder for work purposes and couldn't figure out how to use it. Like a pathetic puppy, I had to turn to one of our young whipper snapper techno savvy newbie teachers to teach me how to work it. Proof that I'm not keeping up. So it's no surprise that even though Socktober is over, I'm a little late in finishing my Socktober Mystery Sock KAL from Through The Loops.

Or I could just say that I waited until this whole blogging every day in November thingy for interesting topics to go on and on about.... yeah, that's it.

So here I present to you a finished pair of Socktober Mystery Socks.

Stats:

Pattern from Through The Loops - basic pattern

Yarn: KP Gloss in Porcini colorway

Size: 9

Verdict: LOVE THEM!!!

Now, back to figuring out those Christmas knits!

day 8: check

thievery in the neighborhood

2008-11-07T21:28:00.006-05:00

I received this message in my inbox the other day. Just one more reason why I need to invest in a bb gun. Have I mentioned how much I hate these things???

Wendy,

Thank God you have neighbors like Tom and me, who are always on alert for other people’s business. Your front yard seasonal display was robbed today, and I got pictures of the thief. (So cute!)

Just thought you ought to know. I’ll be on alert just in case other crimes transpire.

Love, Kay

Attached to the email were these photos:

That little *%^#!@ stole one of the corn cobs from the corn stalks that daddy dearest put in the front yard during their last visit here!

day 7: check

Pimp my needles

2008-11-06T18:22:00.006-05:00

Thought I would take a moment today to pimp out one of my new favorite etsy people. Katie over at Blue Kitty Designs has made two lovely needle holders for me. A whiles back I had ordered an interchangeable needle roll and was impressed by the quality of her work. I loved the fabric and the design was perfect for my KP Options set. During the month of Socktober, I realized that my sock dpn needles really did deserve a special home of their own. I checked out Katie's newest designs and loved the idea of the dpn wallet. At the time she didn't have one made in my fabric of choice, but with a quick email and a friendly howdy girl, Katie was so kind and willing to whip me up one specifically for moi. She even checked to see how long my dpns are (I didn't realize until then that they actually came in various lengths) so that they would fit snug as a bug. I'm very happy with my purchase and my sock dpns will now rest in beautiful, elegant bliss when not in action. If you're lookin' to dazzle the home of your needles, give Blue Kitty Designs a peak. You might just find a little something to delight your collection.

Day 6: check

Breathe....

2008-11-05T19:28:00.002-05:00

Taking a step outside this morning, the crisp autumn air cleansing my lungs, the vibrant landscapes painting my vision and heart with happiness, there is no doubt that there is change on the breath of the wind. A toast to a new leader, a new nation, and just maybe another step towards change within me.

day 5: check

Whach you talkin bout Willis?

2008-11-04T17:04:00.003-05:00

All across the metro area the news is reporting long lines of people waiting up to three hours to vote today. I was in and out in under 10 minutes. Talk about a successful voting experience. And to boot, the Steelers beat the Redskins last night! It's been said that when the Redskins play at home before the election and lose, the dominating party in office is looking at an overturn in the election. So I'm looking forward to even more good news as the results start pouring in.

day 4: check

Christmas knits update

2008-11-03T18:15:00.006-05:00

With the failing economy this year there will be several friends and family members receiving knitted gifts this year for Christmas. Today, you get a peak at what I'm sending up to PA to the ole' college roomie and her family.

Jenny (note: only I am allow to call her that) adores the color red. It's a great color for her. Daring and wild. Vibrant and energetic. Warm and inviting. So she needed something that says just that about her. So these babies will be neatly wrapped and flying north to meet their rightful owner next month.I figured with a 2 year old and another one on the way, having those finger tips readily available for seat belt buckleing, Cheerio dispensing, and nose wiping would be so much easier. I'm thinking of knitting up a scarf to go along with these, but haven't gotten around to that just yet.

Pattern: adjusted Fetchings Yarn: Berroco Comfort, Red

But as for her hubby, he's getting a similar pair.

Again, I'm thinking having direct access to those fingertips will come in handy this winter for him as well.

Pattern: Dashing Yarn: Berroco Comfort, Blue

And as for their little one, I'm thinking that I do a little hat and pair of matching mittens but I don't know if I have anything in my stash that would work for her. I'll have to take a peak and see if I can find something fitting. It would be nice to get the whole family checked off the list. How cruel would it be to mail it a month early just to get it out of the house and off of my to do list?

Day 3: check

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here

2008-11-02T02:12:00.003-05:00

As in:

calmly, cheerfully, dreamily, elegantly, enthusiastically,
fondly, fortunately, generously, gladly, gratefully, happily,
joyously, majestically, merrily, potentially, promptly,
rapidly, repeatedly, sheepishly, softly, tenderly,
warmly, wholeheartedly

All of these adverbs either describe the action going into the hand crafted making of the yarn and needles, the generosity of Lolly to a fellow knitter, or myself as I opened the box on my doorstep. Thanks Lolly for some great adverbs!

day 2: check

National Blog Posting Month or NaBloPoMo

2008-11-01T18:50:00.002-04:00

Being that I seem to have fallen from the knitting and blogging graces... we'll make an attempt around here for NaBloPoMo and we'll see how far we get. By no means am I making any promises as promises around here are bound to be broken. That's just the way the cookies are crumbling. But why not give it a shot anyway.

Day 1: check

What's happinin' hot stuff?

2008-10-28T21:34:00.004-04:00

While I have nothing to share with you here tonight, I assure you that there has been reading, lots of reading, during this past week of silence and some actual knitting happening tonight. I have several great books that I want to share with all of you out there but quite frankly at the moment I'm too tired to do poetic justice to them. Hopefully sometime this week I'll have a moment or two to share some of those with you.

Work has been invigorating but busy. I haven't been getting home until late and I've been too tired to pick up a set of needles. How sad is that?! Even with a book in hand, there were many a night a page was lost due to falling asleep.

The effects of the whooping cough is finally going away. A burning fiery sensation still remains in my lungs and an annoying occasional cough. But otherwise I'm on my way back to healing and breathing again. I tribute most of that to the fact that I spent many an hour this past weekend sleeping. A nice warm blankie and a running humidifier in a dark dark room does wonders for an ailing body. If only there were a few extra days in the weekend.

And a little shout out to my fellow House lovers out there... OH MY GAWD!!! TINGLES!!! GASP!!! I can't wait for two more weeks!!!

Today is the day....

2008-10-17T11:47:00.002-04:00

that I turn 32. Yep. I've reached middle age. My expanding mid-line proves it. I'm no longer a teeny-bopper or in my roaring 20's or even just barely into my 30's. I think 32 marks that you're in your 30's to stay. You're no longer just over that mark. It somehow now feels more permanent. How is it that just four years ago 28 seemed to be so young and free and now 32 feels so heavy and old?

This week has been a busy work week and I haven't had much time for knitting so I don't have progress pictures of my mystery socks KAL to share with you, nor did I remember to take a picture this morning of the socks that I'm wearing to work today. But rest assured that I'm wearing the Claywalkers that I entered into the county fair. Seemed appropriate being that the colorway is very fall like.

After work today I'm heading to the grocery store to pick up some special items needed for the weekend and then heading home to get things ready for my parents coming to visit. Tomorrow we're hosting an Iron Chef competition, Battle Pumpkin (gotta love that!) and there are still a few things left to do to get ready. Hopefully I'll be able to make quick work of it all so that there will be time for some sock knitting before my parents arrive.

mail call - AHEDE

2008-10-14T20:19:00.005-04:00

You just gotta love the friends that you make through swaps! I was first introduced to Anne in a swap a while back, maybe a year ago or so, and I've been following her blog ever since. And now, this round of the dishcloth exchange I was lucky enough to be her downstream pal. Not only do I enjoy reading her blog, but now I can say that I've truly enjoyed being spoiled by her as well. And boy was I spoiled! First up is this luscious yarn. It's Cotton Twist from Berroco and has such a lovely sheen to it. I've never knit with it before so I'll have to find something really special for these three skeins.

And there there were goodies to eat! And boy were were they goodies! Those peeps barely made it through all the unpacking and photo shooting. And that Reeses is at the moment being savored to the fullest extent. You don't even know how long it's been since I've had one of those! OMG!!!
Anne didn't stop at treating just my needles and my tastebuds, she also threw in a few items to treat my feet (go Socktober Fest!!!) and my nose (good thing too since it looks like it's going to be a long sickly season for me).
These fun items will be dancing in the kitchen soon enough. And a good thing too. Anne, how did you know that I don't really own any pot holders and with the new dinning room table I'm afraid to put hot items on it so I've been wanting to get some?
And for more pampering lovelies, Anne included these. But what's in the knitted wrapped package you ask?
Ta-da!
This pumpkin dish will be out this weekend when we host Iron Chef Arlington, Battle Pumpkin. And again, a cotton yarn I have yet to try. If only these computer thingies came with feel-o-vision then you could feel how soft and lovely it is. I'm already thinking I'm going to save this little lovely for when I'm really stressed. I'm sure it will do wonders for me. Once again, Anne, you're the best! Thanks for everything!

Nancy Drew and the Mystery of the Knitted Sock

2008-10-13T18:21:00.004-04:00

I, along with so many of you out there celebrating SocktoberFest, am participating in the Mystery Sock KAL with Through the Loops on Ravelry. I was off to a little bit of a late start last week and I totally didn't get a chance to post here about due to all those issues mentioned from the previous post. So tonight I give you a double dosing of mystery madness.

The pre-KAL note call for using a solid or semi-solid colorway and I'd been wanting to try out the Knit Picks Gloss that I picked up a little while ago. Since it appeared to fit the bill better than most of the colorways in my stash, the decision was easy.

DSC01971 src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3095/2727512968_2a86ce87c6_m.jpg" width=240>

The night of the debate I was frantically trying to catch up with getting the cuff finished so I wouldn't be too behind everyone else. Lucky me that the steps are short and easy. I'm using dpns size 2 and I've got both socks going at one time so that by the time we get to the last clue I'll have a complete pair all ready to wear.

DSC02192 src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/2931583719_54834f8b74_m.jpg" width=240>

When the second clue came out I was all ready to join my fellow mystery knitters. But then I forgot to print out the pattern at work two days in a row. Damn busy school people. Now, I'm fully recovered again and back in the black ready for clue #3.

DSC02210 src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/2932761283_a12f2254f2_m.jpg" width=240>

So where this sock is going is still any one's guess, but I'm enjoying it so far. I like the simple chain-like pattern along the leg. Match it with the colorway and I've got a very classy looking sock so far with a touch of elegant detail. If you're not participating in the group, you should check out the others on Ravelry and see the progress being made in various yarns and colorways. It's amazing how the same pattern can give quite a different look with a different yarn. It's kind of like a decide your own mystery book.

eta: Can anyone tell me what I did wrong here? I deleted the photo of the yarn from my hard drive but it was on my Flickr account so I attempted to use that photo and used the same method of posting a photo as you do in a forum post on Ravelry. The photo was there in my draft posting, but now that it's published, it's just a code link. What did I do wrong?

Misbehaving

2008-10-11T17:20:00.010-04:00

No, not me. Never. It's this computer. It doesn't say charged unless it's plugged in and even then it's like working with those ancient bunny ears where you had to stand on your head and spit nickles while wearing some sort of homemade tin foil contraption around your ankles to make it work. I think some micro troll has moved in to reek havoc with shutting down programs with no warning and making funny noises at me periodically. It's all made work this week pretty interesting to say the least. But has made it impossible to share anything here with y'all. Downloading pics from last weekend and sock progress was also a no go... that is until this morning. I don't know how long this nicey-nice streak will last, so keep your fingers crossed that we can at least make it through this post.
First off to report is the Fall Fiber Festival in Orange VA last weekend. I was a little nervous about attending seeing that it's held just blocks down the road from the ex-in laws but meeting up with Sarah, Chan, and getting to meet Ann and (oh my, my mind is blank right now and I can't remember her name, sorry) made it worth it. It was good to get out and among the woolly fiberness. Although I was a little disappointed that not as many vendors came out to play as did last year. But that didn't stop me from finding a few beauties to take home with me.

From My Local Yarn Shop is this beautiful fall inspired Baby Alpaca yarn. There should be enough here to do a shawl of some sort but I don't have anything specific in mind just yet. But something tells me that I'm going to LOVE working with this yarn! I'm already in love with just holding it!

These two beauties are from Knitting Notions and are 100% superwash merino wool supersock. The colorways are deep and delicious. I'm sure they will be amazing knit up into an interesting sock pattern.

Then over at the Creatively Dyed Yarns booth I picked up this lovely skein with all it's fall glory. What a way to celebrate this glorious month!Here's a closer look at all the wonders included within this skein. What an amazing pair of socks these will be!!!

And speaking of socks.... what would Socktober be without socks on Friday...

if only...

2008-10-03T22:03:00.002-04:00

Now if only I could actually read a pattern correctly, I just might be able to make some progress. :(

Isn't it clear?

2008-10-03T20:51:00.005-04:00

Today being Friday, I wore my clear Sketchers and a bright pair of hand knitted socks. Several co-workers stopped to ask about what kind of shoes I had on. They were quite confused. The thought the green was the shoe itself. I had to explain the whole hand knit sock thing. I got a few strange looks, but the knitted word was spread. I even had one person tell me that she thought that the idea of 'Socktober' was such a cool idea and she wished she could knit or had time to learn. Unfortunately right now, work is a bit hectic and although we share an 'office' there really is no spare time in our lives. But I promised her that one day when things settle down a little, I'll give her a lesson or two. I somehow think that 'Socktober' somehow put an extra step into her day! :)

And speaking of Socktober festivities, tonight I'm working on my Silk Stasia socks and I'm hoping to get a good leg up on the second foot. I'm holding off on doing the cuff on the first one until I do the second one so that I can get the most bang for my buck and use up the most amount of yarn that I can.

And once I get a good handle on the foot, I'm planning on casting on for the TTL Mystery Sock KAL with some Knit Picks Gloss in Porcini.
Now I must go get my knit on if I plan on getting anything done tonight.

October is for Pumpkins too!

2008-10-02T19:15:00.004-04:00

I am such a fall baby and now that fall has arrived, I'm in heaven!!! Fall colors are totally all me! The rich chocolates, rusty reds and oranges. mmmmm! Nothing says me more. As for pumpkins, I adore the way they look, the way they feel, the idea of trucking out into a patch in the cool fall air to pick just the perfect one to take home. And I love the fact that everywhere I look things are pumpkin flavored! I limit my love of pumpkin to the 31 days of October to keep it special and honored during the month. But during those 31 sacred days, I'm all about the pumpkin!

Yesterday a group of friends went out to an Afghanistan place for dinner. They serve some of the best sauteed pumpkin, or kadu. Yummy! There was so much food that I had some for lunch today. What a treat!

But how might I relate pumpkins to knitting, you might ask. Well, I knit up a scarf for my SP12 pal that I called Rusted Pumpkin. I loved it so much that I knit a second one for myself. How was an October baby supposed to live without one of these?

Yarn: Malabrigo worsted, colorway Rhodesian

Pattern: June is for Jag

Needles: size 9 Options

Verdict: Both recipients are in love!!!! (although I may be a little biased towards my own project, but what the hay)

OK... so now off to do a little laundry and then work on some Socktober Socks. Be on the lookout for some book reviews... I've got several waiting in the wings around here!

Just the beginning....

2008-10-01T12:18:00.004-04:00

Happy Socktober 1st and the beginning of my birthday month!!!
To celebrate I got myself a robe from Targeet with a sock monkey on the pocket and inner lining. I'm so excited! When I get home tonight I'm going to lounge around in it and work on some knitted socks!

Whooping Cough and other fun stuff

2008-09-29T17:16:00.005-04:00

Are you aware that adults can get Whooping Cough? I sure wasn't. But apparently, that's what I have. So I guess that means that I'll either be staying home from work for the next few days or holing up in a closet somewhere at work where I can't infect the little kidos while the antibiotics go to work. Although I'm pretty good at coughing into my elbow, you may want to cover your mouth while you're here and wash with antibacterial soap when you leave.

In the meantime, Allison, my upstream SP12 pal, nominated me for a little blog award, a highlight of my day. But then again, anything that doesn't involve gasping for a breath, clutching for my overworked lungs, or making the windows rattle in their panes from the coughing, would make my day.
Here are the instructions:
1. Please put the award on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you
3. You must nominate at least 4 fellow bloggers for this award.
4. Add links to the recipients.
5. Leave a comment so the recipients know they have received an award.
So let's see here. There are so many blogs that I enjoy. Hopefully I'll pick a few here that haven't received this award yet.

Deb's Going Green has great ideas for those who are looking for living a little greener. She's very creative and has lots of ideas to share.

Good-Natured Ribbing has some must see knits over there! That knitter really has some talent! I always enjoy seeing what she's working on over there.

Knits with Balls gives me hope in the other sex yet. He's creative, good with his hands, and sounds like an all around good catch... now if only I could find myself one like that.

We Do Not Have a Knitting Problem = 100 uses for sock yarn, what's more to love? You'll love her flawless stitches and vibrant taste in colorways.

Reckless Glue will not only give you inspiration for knitting and retro dynamic photography, but she'll also entertain the pants off of you.

Check out any or all of these fine bloggers. I'm sure they would love it if you stopped by. Just don't cough on them and spread this dreadful thing.

on the couch

2008-09-28T17:29:00.002-04:00

cough... hack... cough... augh... hack... hack.... gurgle... hack... cough...cough...cough...hack...weeze...couh...hack...coug...gurgle....hack...hack...cough...hack...cough...hack...cough...hack..cough...cough...

cough... hack... cough... augh... hack... hack.... gurgle... hack... cough...cough...cough...hack...weeze...couh...hack...coug...gurgle....hack...hack...cough...hack...cough...hack...cough...hack..cough...cough...

promises, promises

2008-09-27T19:59:00.005-04:00

OK. So I blew one of my promises. Get over it. I did. I don't really want to talk politics, but those of you who know me would be proud to know that I actually went to a debate party and didn't get home until really late. And today has been a day filled with yarn shopping and coughing up lung parts. I guess instead of leaving those bread crumbs along the blog path... OK, I won't go there. But I do have some good stuff to share.

My SP12 pal was good to me. She revealed herself to me with her final package that arrived on Thursday. Everything was wrapped so pretty but I couldn't find my camera before opening it all. I just wasn't patient enough for that. But I did take the time to look for it afterwards so that I could share my spoils with all of you.

There was a beautiful card with a lovely message inside from Allison and after visiting her blog, I have to wonder if she took this picture herself. It's so pretty that I might just frame it. The other photos on her blog are just as beautiful so if you have a moment to drop on over and check them out and leave her a little hello, I'm sure that would make her happy.

One of my favorite items in the package was this bag. Chan, it's got all the right pockets in all the right places. I've already decided that it has become my current go everywhere knitting bag.

These three cuties were also included and the first two have made their way into my desk at work to help bring a smile if a grooling day should cross my path. The pink kitty thing is a stapler of sorts. Two kids were in my room the other day and were fascinated with it! And I adore the monkey tape measure! I recently purchased a robe from Targeet with a sock monkey on the pocket (a photo saved for a future post through Socktober Fest) so I giggled like an 8 year old when I saw it. I keep showing all my knitting friends this weekend and now they want one too

And of course there was yarn. You can't forget the yarn.

Allison knew that I wanted to try my hand at some lace so she sent along some Silky Alpaca Lace by Classic Elite in a warm fall purple. She even made a few suggestions on patterns and I'm thinking of trying my hand at this one - Lacy Scarf Sampler. So maybe in the middle of all my started Christmas knitting I'll be crossing my fingers to actually work on this. But then again crossed fingers might prove to get in the way. But Allison was really a swapper after my own heart when she included some Dream in Color Smooshie in Chinatown Apple. This photo washes out the colorway a bit (damn crappy weather is effecting more than just my lungs). These will make lovely autumn socks.

And speaking of socks, I will leave you with a beginning of one of the other promises that I made, to show of my Sketchers. I'm planning to wear the every Friday during Socktober Fest to celebrate the hand knitted sock.

Postponement and Promises

2008-09-25T21:12:00.003-04:00

OK, so I took my camera to school today to take some photos of some great stuff going on in classrooms and I forgot the camera in my desk. So I don't have the photos to download to the computer from the fab-u package my SP12 pal sent me yesterday. Have I mentioned that I love my SP12 pal? Well, I do. And when you see the photos you'll love her too.

So instead of photos of received packages I'll post some promises.

I promise to post tomorrow night regarding the SP12 package. For tonight I'll just enjoy it!
I promise work on finishing up my AHEDE pal's package this weekend so that it'll be ready to send out sometime next week so that she'll have plenty of time to enjoy all the fun stuff included as she prepares for Halloween.
I promise to get back to knitting socks. Even joined Socktober Fest. I'm hoping to finish the Anastasia socks, knit me some Steelers socks, and start on Aunt Carol's Christmas socks. I may be shooting high, but at least I'm shooting.
I promise to take photos of my clear Sketchers that I purchased over the summer to show off my knitted socks to add to the excitement of Socktober Fest. I even plan to wear them once a week during Socktober Fest.
I plan to somehow catch up on my blog reading and maybe even leave a few comments like bread crumbs along the trail.

Unlucky Question #13

2008-09-24T15:35:00.002-04:00

Unlucky Question #13

If you were told you could never again buy yarn, would would your last yarn purchase be? If you were told you could never knit again, what would be the last thing you’d knit?? In a given year, how many times do you buy yarn? And what is your favorite place to buy yarn from? A festival? A shop? Online? Dish your favorite places!! Lastly, with Fall in full swing in many areas, what is the one thing you look forward to most?

Malabrigo, the size of the World's Largest Ball of Twine

socks, that would make a world record for how many clown feet could fit into them

is someone stalking me on this one? who's keeping track?

when you're a junkie, you get it wherever you can in fear of the shakes coming on

pumpkin

AHEDE week #2 question

2008-09-23T21:36:00.006-04:00

(Anne, I hope you don't mind me 'borrowing' the photos you're posting along with each week's question. I noticed that we don't have a button yet and I love this picture... well, really most pictures of fall.)

Here in Atlanta, it's finally cooling down, and beginning to truly seem like fall. I sit now with windows open, and the air is cooler than usual, and trees are beginning to change. For me, cool mornings, crisp evenings, and trees in red, gold and orange glory are the very best parts of Fall - What are your favorite parts of fall? How do you know it's truly arrived where you are?

What's not to love about fall!?!?!? It's only my fav-or-ite season of the year! I love the colors of fall. That getting crisper almost damp easier to breath smell of fall. (my allergies have more to do with losing my voice and this year ear troubles rather than breathing issues like most) It's time to bust out a pretty scarf to throw over a long sleeve t-shirt or a unpack those sweaters that were hibernating all summer long. Jeans become a standard in the wardrobe that's perfectly acceptable. Pumpkins can be found just about everywhere you look. Earth tones and rusts are a favorite of mine. Oh, and then there's that thing about my b-day being in October and all. :)

In other news, Dobarah has lured me into the claws of Plurk. If you'd like to check it out and join the growing crowd there, click on the update Plurk widget on the sidebar.

On the knitting front, there has been some secret knitting and some Christmas knitting decisions made and planned for. I'm hoping to get an early start on it all because already looking at my calendar for the rest of the year makes my head spin. There's nothing that I would want to leave out, but there's a lot in there. I want to make sure I have enough time to fit it all in and maybe knit a few little somethin-somethins for meself intermixed in there as well.

For those of you following my run of doctor's appointments, we're almost complete with the latest transition into the newest combination of drugs and so far I think I like them. The migraines appear to be less and the side affects to be few. But the body still has some adjusting to do none the less. Now if I could just kick these allergies in the butt...

AHEDE blogstalking

2008-09-15T11:25:00.002-04:00

Anne is asking all those participating in the All Hallows Eve Dishcloth Exchange to do a little blostalking and find someone in the group that you have something in common with and post about them with a link to their blog. Well, there are so many similarities out there, I couldn't share just one! There are lots of great new (to me) knitters in this group. If I've left anyone out of any of these groups I'm truely sorry. There was a LOT of blog reading going on here! And so much to keep track of! For those of you not participating, you might want to stop on over to any of these lovely knitters and say hello.

First up, fellow sock knitters:
Alaina P
Alissa O
Brenda W
Carrie O
Felicia R
Georgi W
Jessi S
Jill L
Rhea W

Fellow teachers:
Alaina P
Cindy V

Fellow book lovers:
Alissa O
Amber F
Darcy W
Georgi W
Maria M
Michelle F

Playing catch up once again...

2008-09-08T12:08:00.007-04:00

First and foremost I must send a huge shout out and thank you to Jane over at GrammieKnits. A while back she hosted a little contest and she sent me this great market bag. I love it and have put it to use many times since it's arrival. And then there's the issue of posting the weekly questions for SP12.

I'm sure most of us have a proudest moment when it comes to knitting. A project or technique that you've tackled and completed beautifully. What is your proudest knitting moment??

I'm not sure what my proudest knitting moment is. Any time a project turns out well, I'm proud of it. I don't know that I've really tackled anything too demanding. But then again it all can be intimidating until you actually give it a go.
And on the flip side? What is the one thing that you can't get right? What is that one project that you've never been able to complete? Or that you did complete but then hid away instantly because it was too embarrassing?

I don't know if I have any of these either... oh wait... there was that recycled silk wrap that I attempted. I never did like any of the patterns and how they were working up so I never got anywhere with it.

And for those of you who are interested in seeing some of the FOs I've gathered lately, take a peak. But I'm sorry that I don't have time at the moment for details. If there is something that you are interested in, leave a comment and I'll be happy to respond.

Dream in Color Shrug in Go Go Grassy

June is for Jag in Malabrigo Rust

Market Shaw in Zitron Trekking Hand Art

Garter Lace Facecloth

And for a pretty WIP:

Anastasia Socks in Noro Silk Garden Sock

And now I must get back to work, lunch is over.

All Hallows Eve Dishcloth Exchange

2008-09-07T20:30:00.006-04:00

Knotting Yarn

1. Do you knit or crochet? For how long?

I've been knitting for about 5 years or so, but I can't really count backwards in years at the moment.

2. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using the most? Are there some you've been dying to try out and haven't?

I love working with my Options needles. And I have one set of Addi Turbos size 7s that I love. I need to build upon my collection of those. For socks I use Susan Bates dpns. Mostly because they are cheap and I've bent and broken my bamboo ones.

3. What kind of projects do you most enjoy? Small things you can take with you, or big complex ones that are just gorgeous when they're done?

I usually always have a pair of socks somewhere ready to work on because they travel so easily. Recently I've gotten into doing cloths and I'm finding they are great for that immediate satisfaction that I sometimes need. I'm also a fan of the fingerless mitts thang. I'd love to really give lace a try and I thought I would over this past summer, but that never happened. I've completed one tank that I'm pretty proud of and I mostly finished a Mr. Greenjeans sweater. I loved working on it, wonder why I didn't finish? Maybe I should dig that back out again.

4. List one pattern for a dishcloth that you love to make, or just tell us about one you've made or received that you loved.

One of my new favorites is the Garter Stitch Lace Facecloth. But I'm also a fan of the basic Granny Cloth.

5. What are your 'must have' notions? Are there any notions you need or can never have enough of? Any that might make you cry if you owned more?

It would seem that I couldn't get enough of mini sized pens or pencils, highlighter tape, or stitch markers. I'm either using or losing them up.

Petting Yarn

6. What are your favorite yarns to work with? Any you hate or are allergic to?

I'm I being too like everyone else out there by saying that I love Malabrigo??? I also am finding that I'm drawn to Dream in Color and Jitterbug. But really I'm up for trying all sorts of new yarns out there. If you're on Ravelry, check me out and see what I have and don't have in my stash. If you can find something you think I'd like, I'm game!

7. What colors do you like to use in projects? Any we'd never catch on your needles?

My needles find all sorts of colors on them. Those who know me will tell you that I'm in love with fall colors. They are totally me. but for some reason, after looking through my stash I seem to have been attracted to blues more than anything, at least when buying yarn. But I really do love fall colors and I'm working on changing that in my stash line up.

8. Any cottons you'd like to try you can't find by you, or just haven't gotten around to getting?

I've seen other knitters do pretty cloths in Peaches and Cream but we don't have that around here. Other than that, I don't really know. I haven't shopped for cotton much.

Halloween, Fall, and General Stuff

9. Do you like to use bar soap or shower gel more? What kinds of scents do you love? What kind do you hate?

In the shower I mostly use a moisturizing body wash of some sort. I love the ones that smell like honey, coco butter, or patchouli. But I also like the exfoliating stuff too. At the sink we go back and forth from bars to liquids. I'm just not a fan of the really flowery stuff.

10. What's more 'Halloweeny' - Ghosts, Pumpkins, or Witches?

Being a fall baby and a lover of all things fall, pumpkins immediately come to mind. But if we're talking strictly 'Halloweeny' then I might say ghosts. I prefer them over the jack-o-lantern.

11. What's your favorite Treat to get? Sweet or Salty? Anything you're allergic to or just hate?

I'm usually a sweet kind of gal. I'm all over the baked goods scene and might be found o.d.ing on licorice or Midnight Milkyway. Unlucky for my waistline, I'm not allergic to any snack foods not have a found one that I really don't care for.

12. What was your favorite Halloween Costume as a kid? As an adult??

There was one year as a kid that my mom made me a butterfly costume because we knew it was going to be really cold that year and my winter coat was this bright shiny fuchsia color. We spent an afternoon coloring wings for me to wear. A few years ago I dressed up as Cleopatra (I also taught ancient civs and covered Ancient Egypt so there was no question on that one) and I dyed my hair black and painted great big black eyebrows on. It took forever for that stuff to come out, but the costume was great!

13. Are you on Ravelry? What's your ID?

Of course! Find me as Knitknucklehead.

14. Anything else you'd like to be sure your pal knows?

If there's anything that you wanna know, just ask. Who knows, I might just tell you.

Playing catch up

2008-08-23T22:38:00.005-04:00

Being back to work these past two weeks has me behind in SO many things around here. We'll start the catching up by responding to the past two weeks of SP12 questions.
Week #10: Which Olympic event would best describe your knitting/knitting style?
I'm a bad Olympian. I didn't make it past the tryouts. Every so often I try out for the quick dashes in track and field and only sometimes to I actually finish. Usually a little birdy or something distracts me and my eyes follow it over the the poll volting and I think I'll try my hand at that. But before I really get my groove going another birdy comes along. Who knows where else on the field I might end up to try my hand at.
Week #11: What is the best thing you've ever received in the mail?
In my book, all mail not a bill or a flyer of some sort is good mail. But the best mail is unexpected mail from a friend. Next to that it would have to be any sort of package. It thrills me to no end to come home to a box on my doorstep!

And now to catch up on laundry....

TGIF

2008-08-15T16:54:00.003-04:00

My first week back to work has been exhausting!!! No really. I've come home each day this week ready to go to bed at 5:00. And getting up so early in the morning doesn't really have all it's perks either. But seriously, it's good to be back. And I mean 'back'. Being back at work and starting a fresh new year seems to be helping me get back to who I was. I'm lucky enough to work with a great group of woman who allow my strengths to shine and aren't afraid to ask for help. It's so good to feel needed, appreciated, and most importantly capable.

I do have several knitting related things to post about but that will have to wait. Tonight I'm off to spend the weekend with family to get a dose of that good family love to complete the week. Hopefully the weather will hold up and I'll get to come home smelling like campfire.

Funny you should ask that

2008-08-08T00:57:00.008-04:00

Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair? Would you ever consider it?

Funny you should ask that because this weekend is the Arlington County Fair. I've never entered anything into a fair or any other competition before, but this year a friend practically hounded me into entering something. She really wanted me to enter a pair of socks. She printed out the list of categories for knitting and kept asking, "Do you have this? Do you have that? Can you make something quickly that fits this category?" So I finally gave in and put up some finished projects that were lying around the house. And low and behold, each one of them earned a ribbon! How cool is that?!

For the scarf/hat category I submitted Branching Out in Wool Bam Boo (Ravelry link).Not the best of pictures, but you can see that red second place ribbon attached to it. Then I decided to submit Jen's Fire engine Fingerless Fetchings (Ravelry link) and now she'll have an award winning knit for a Christmas gift. Does it get any cooler than that?

Then there was the issue of choosing a pair of socks to enter. Mmmmmmmm.... several to choose from. Which was my favorite? I just couldn't decide. So I went with the pair that I get the most comments on, Claywalkers (Ravelry link). And what do you know - they won FIRST PRIZE!!!

I'm so stoked!!! And then after mulling over the list of categories at the last minute I decided to finish off my Isa (Ravelry link) and submit it too. What an incentive to finally finish it! I mean I only started it in April of '07 and it's only needed the picot edging on the sleeves for about a year now. But now I can proudly say it's finished and it got second place to boot!

So I guess you could call me a happy camper this weekend. I'm now already planning what I want to knit for next year's fair. Good luck to all of my knitting friends out there who are entering their craft into their local fairs.

Somebody loves me

2008-08-07T16:58:00.008-04:00

Well, maybe 'love' is a strong word seeing how my swap pal is a stranger to me. But that's how I felt when I opened my latest package from my SP12 secret pal. She must have been reading along or telepathically knows that life has been quite sh!tty this year but that I'm ready to begin turning things around. Actually, I've been wanting to be ready for quite some time now, but it just wasn't happening just yet. But now I'm ready to make my move. And this package is a clear reminder of that. That yarn you see there is as soft as melted butter only not as greasy. It's Classic Elite's Inca Marl in a oh so me rusty red. I'm going to have to knit something special just for me out of this. That is if I can stop rubbing it all over my body long enough to knit with it!

This photo doesn't do the yarn justice and looks too purply. But wait till you see what else was included with it! My darling secret pal made me these knifty row counters. They are so crafty and what a great idea. I'm going to have to figure out how she made these because I'm sure that a few of my knitting friends are going to want some.

Also included was a pen, a dpn holder, and a box of Swedish Fish. The pen has already made it into the bag I carry daily, the dpn holder is already in use with a pair of socks that I hope to be carrying around to finish (how did she know that I had these on my LoopyEwe wish list?) and the Swedish Fish are already gone. I haven't had a snack in two days (back on WW again) and was jonesing for something sweet. I haven't had Swedish Fish in SO long! They were always a favorite of mine. But I think the best part of the package (other than the yarn of course!) and most significant for me was the other two items. The message on the nail file is one that I need to remind myself of daily so it's going in my daily bag as well. There are lots of little good things going on in my life and I want to focus on them so that the sum of all the little things will make the bigger picture look brighter and happier. And I'm learning that day by day, life is going by. If we don't enjoy it now, when will we?

And this item is totally the way I feel right now. I'm ready to start over. Last Saturday I re-registered with WeightWatchers, work begins on Monday, I actually bought make up the other day (if I'm going to land another man I'm gonna have to look good right?), I've been buying new clothes.... so many things to mark a beginning. So what better way to start each day than a big mug of reminders?
My SP12 pal my not 'love' me but I can feel the loving thoughts she has sent my way. I certainly am in love with each item she included and can't wait to find out who she is so that I can tell her myself how much I appreciate her 'love', support, and friendship so far.

Beachy knits - What a surprise!

2008-08-04T16:46:00.006-04:00

Jennifer over at Coffee, Puppies, and Knitting had a little contest to help celebrate her 4th anniversary with her husband. Jennifer and I have bonded over our issues with migraines, not the best thing to want to have in common with someone, but at least someone understands what I go through. Anyway, I won! She sent along a great prize package. A see through take along knitting bag, some color coordinated yarns, and a folding ruler. I love the combination of colors, so beachy. What a way to end a summer. Now, just to figure out what to knit with them!
Any beach appropriate ideas would be appreciated!

Ravelry Yarn Stash

2008-08-03T01:57:00.002-04:00

I did it. I stashed my sock yarn drawer on Ravelry. Now I'll have to wait until next month when I have more memory or whatever on Flickr to stash some more yarns.

Regaining the Mind Through Knitting

2008-08-02T22:25:00.005-04:00

In a meek effort to reset my mindset and focus my attention on regaining 'me', I thought I'd take a little path down the Buddha knitting trail. The book, Mindful Knitting speaks of paralleling Buddhism with knitting. Although I'm not a follower I do believe the religion has some good qualities.

Before I go on to offend everyone and anyone who might be reading this, I should make a few clarifying statements. I was born and raised a Catholic. I fell from the graces of the Catholic church during my whole tumor ordeal. I still claim to be a Catholic, just an nonpracticing Catholic. I'm not interested in having people tell me about what I should and/or should not believe in. I don't try to tell others where their religious beliefs should lye, so don't tell me about mine. What I do believe is that people should be the best that they know how to be, and celebrate life however it is that makes them happy and that they believe they should celebrate it.

I was drawn to read this book because of it's mentioning of meditation. Knitting can be such a meditative state. A place and time to contemplate whatever it is that is ailing you. I've heard that the powers of meditation can do wonders for stress. But I have found that I've never been quite good a the whole 'uuummmm' sort of meditation. I've heard other knitters talk about their knitting as meditative, but I don't always find that. For me it's been something to do with my hands. A beautiful hobby and an outlet for my creativity. When my mind is troubled, knitting doesn't help me to think clearer.

This book talks about how to get to that place with your knitting. How to find a meditative state within the practice of knitting. It compares knitting to the teachings the author grew up with.

And even offers 10 projects to practice your meditation exercises through knitting. Most of the patterns are simple and truly mindless, allowing you to focus on what's going on inside your own head. There was one pattern in there that spoke to me. And hopefully will help my mind to speak to itself as well. With some bamboo I recently acquired, it is making for a very enjoyable project. And lusciously soft to boot. What a project for a wounded soul.

Recalculating Destination

2008-07-31T14:40:00.003-04:00

Yesterday after the photo shoot of "Arlington Sunrise" and "Arlington at Dusk" I immediately cast on for the Slip Stitch Delight socks. The pattern originally calls for a medium weight yarn and size 2 needles. Sounds like a dream to me. I like knitting my socks with size 2 because they go faster and I'm usually a tighter knitter anyway. Although lately I'm finding that not so much the case. The pattern also has a CO of 60 sts and claims to have a cuff diameter of 8". Being that I have high arches and need a wider cuff to get over my heal, I resorted to adding 12 stitches to the cast on hoping that would give me the extra room I needed. However, after knitting the first 8 rows of the cuff ribbing, I was saddened to realize the fabric created was a little too loosy-goosy for long wearing socks. So a-frogging I went and re-cast on with size 1 dpns. The X motif was exciting to see emerge but that excitement was quickly squashed as I realized the limited diameter of the cuff. I went on a little further to check out the body of the leg pattern and to see what the give of it was. Again disappointment and then evil flashes of the possibility of 100 stitches on size 1 dpns with a two row repeat pattern that is kind of tight to knit began to make my head spin. My stomach did somersaults. I wiped my brow of the sweat beading up there. Would my beautiful yarn and the perfect pattern for it be tossed aside to never see the light of a knitter's hand for a decade or more?

And then by some miracle of the knitting gods, as I was fondling the piece staring in disbelief, my fingers slid through the completed fabric and the world began to shine again as the yarn and pattern called out it's new destination. "Arlington Sunrise" doesn't want to be a pair of socks to be hidden away beneath a pair of slacks or jeans and stuffed into some sweaty shoes. No, no my friends. "Arlington Sunrise" wants to be adored by all as they are flashed around. They want to be as energetic as a simple pair of socks would be but with more flare, more finesse, more exuberance. And who am I to not give in to the yarn's deepest desires?

And so Slip Stitch Delight fingerless mitts they will be!!!

Sugar is Sweet

2008-07-30T14:58:00.005-04:00

The house is filled with the sweet smell of flavored sugar. How could knitting get any happier! The reds and oranges were difficult to capture, but we'll give it a shot.

"Arlington Sunrise"

ready for Slip Stitch Delight (Ravelry link)

"Arlington at Dusk"

ready for Wollmeise Socks (Ravelry link)

SP weekly post

2008-07-30T11:32:00.004-04:00

What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening?

Summer veggies are a favorite of mine. I usually can't get enough of summer squash and zucchini. For a fast and easy dinner I'll saute them and add some seasoning from those 4-way season jars that you're supposed to use for dipping oils. Then I'll cook up some healthy pasta and drizzle it with olive oil and the same seasoning and some Parmesan cheese. When it's time to toss it all together I'll add in some cut up sun dried tomatoes. If the grill is on, I'll grill up some chicken Italian sausage and cut them up and toss them in as well.

Look What's Cookin' in Wendy's Knitchen

2008-07-29T19:12:00.011-04:00

One of my goals for this summer was to experiment with dying yarn. Ages ago I ordered some KnitPicks Bare yarn in two different weights. Today I was moved to play with the sock yarn. I've been reading several blogs who have been knookin' in the knitchens and it was about time I joined the party. Armed with this web site for guidance I set forth to create a culinary masterpiece.

First I 'blanched' the Bare yarn in a large 'pot'. My goodness does wet wool smell bad! While all that yardage (2 skeins) moisturized itself, I took off to the store to make a few purchases. I came home baring distilled white vinegar and LOTS of kool aid.

I set to prepping the 'sauces' - grape marsala, black cherry wine, cherry marinara, and orange alfredo. Ingredients = 1/2 cup vinegar and 4 packets of each flavor.

Next it was time to 'marinate' the yarn. I carefully drizzled the concentrated 'sauces' over portions of the yarn. In one 'pot' the grape marsala and black cherry wine and in the other the cherry marinara and orange alfredo. I know that these don't sound like complementary flavors, but trust me on this one. Adding in a thinning agent (water) and they were set to 'simmer' on medium heat for a few hours.

Checking in with today's 'dishes' it was apparent that they were missing some 'seasonings' so it was back to the pantry for additional 'spices'.

A little while longer on 'simmer' and it was time to move them on over to the convention oven for several hours.

What's knookin' in your knitchen this summer?

Lazy Hazy Dayz of Zummer

2008-07-26T23:17:00.003-04:00

Right after my last posting I was able to finish the Dream in Color Shrug. But I'm a little dissapointed. I haven't blocked it yet, but it appears to be too small for the mass of my shoulders. And it doesn't cover as much of my back as I had hoped it would. I'm not sure how much it will blossom with a soaking. I still have more than 1/2 of the second skein left. Maybe I should have gone up a needle size. Maybe I should frog it and have a seond go at it. Maybe I should gift it to my sister-in-law for Christmas as she has a smaller body structure than I do. That would give me a one up on knitted gifts. Maybe that's what I'll do and then maybe at some point down the line make another one for myself. Not that I tend to look good in a shrug anyway. They tend to accent my smallish breasts and over grown mid section. That's a lot of maybes. Any direction out there?

My mind is still a little hazy and has been since Thursday afternoon. A headache snuck up on me while I was out getting my nails and toes all prettied up. I came home and decided to tough it out instead of taking further medication. I'm already taking a LOT as a maintenance drug for the headaches. It wasn't all that bad so I thought I could just sleep it off. Boy was I WRONG. I woke up Friday with a full blown migraine that lasted all day and night even after taking 3 of the emergency migraine pills. All they did was knock me out. But the migraine lived on. Today I woke up with the remnant of the migraine still hanging around, although it's back to just a headache status. We're now going on about 60 hours of headache. So the past two days have been nothing but a bunch of laying around for me.

But back to the knitting, while I was sitting here doing a bunch of nothing, I glanced over at the shrug and I started thinking about Christmas knitting. I'm mean it's only, what, like 6 months away. Something like that can totally sneak up on a gal. I wanted to knit a little something for the gals at the office so I played around with some organic cotton and some bath patterns. I played with the Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth and this Small Lace Bag as a soap bag. But still want to play around with the Leafy Vines cloth and the Petal Dishcloth. Maybe I can put together a little 'treat yourself to a relaxing bath' type of gift. But since I have at least 7 to put together, it will have to be quick and easy and still pretty. I then got tired of working with the cotton and started on another Christmas gift, another pair of fetchings. This time in a bright fire engine red to send to the ol' college roomie. I'm using Berroco Comfort since it's oh so soft and washable.

What am I doing?!?!?!? All this casting on and I should be finishing something already started and just sitting there waiting for me to pick it back up again. But maybe I can get a few knitted gifts done and out of the way so that I can concentrate on finishing some WIP without all the stress. That makes no sense but that's what I'm telling myself for now.

Lunch with Loopy

2008-07-24T15:52:00.008-04:00

I must be making up for lost blogging time with multiple posts per day. Or maybe I'm just bored and need to get out. This morning I worked on finishing the body of the DiC shrug and now I'm ready to seam up the sleeves and then pick up for the border. So I decided it was a good time to break for lunch. (At 3:00 in the afternoon lunch is a little late, I know. But that's what you get when you didn't get up for breakfast until 10:30.) So I'm sitting here eating a bowl of blueberries and Cool Whip when the mailman arrives. Which is good because he didn't come at all yesterday and I was beginning to worry that maybe our house had become invisible to outsiders or something. I mean, why else wouldn't the mailman stop here?! He or she normally slides the mail through the slot in the door and leaves. But today I heard a thump just outside the door. I know what that means!!!! That means a PACKAGE!!!!! Immediately I put down my bowl of blueberries and Cool Whip and ran to open the door and dive into the package. And you gotta love what was inside! It was from TLE so you know it was good!I'm now set for going back to work and taking my tea or coffee with me. Well, maybe I'm not ready for the going back to work part, but who said I can't have the tea or coffee on the side porch in the morning? Then feast your eyes on these beauties!!!

Those of you who know me know that I'm such a fall baby and how much I love fall colors. How could I possibly resist Jitterbug's new colorway "October Afternoon"??? It's like it was screaming out to me! It's a blend of pumpkins, dark greens, and brick reds. You know I'm in love!

And I've been wanting to try some Chewy Spaghetti and colorway Simpatico seemed to fit the bill for me. It will make lovely fall socks with it's peach, brown, tan, cream, light blue, and dark pumpkin.

I'm already dreaming of those cooler nights of autumn. mmmmmmm..... pumpkin......

I've also been interested in the possibility of attempting a colorwork project and the ShiBui Transition Gloves were very appealing. So I picked up the pattern and some lovely yarns for it as well.

And TLE must have known that I was having lunch because now I have some yummy Loopy kisses to crunch on to finish off the lunch. What a great day! Now maybe I should get back to finishing some of those WIP so I can cast on one of these lovelies!

A Daughter's Loving Arms

2008-07-24T14:34:00.011-04:00

These past few weeks have been a little slow on the blogging front. Mainly because my aunt was in town visiting for a while and then we both headed home to PA together. My mom's being going through some medical stuff and I thought it would be fun to surprise her by coming home. In preparing for the trip I wondered what I might be able to knit for my mom so that I could leave it behind when it was time to leave. I've never knit anything for her before, just didn't know what she would actually use/wear. But with everything she was going through medically I thought it might be nice to have something she can wrap her shoulders in or snuggle up with when I'm not there and she needed a little daughterly love. It would need to be washable and while I was in a therapy session (of the on-line yarn story variety) I came across a variegated Comfort that I thought was blue. Although Mom's favorite color is yellow she's really attracted to wearing blue. Most of her wardrobe is some sort of blue. So I purchased four skeins of this lovely, soft, washable yarn from Yarn Market (where I also got this picture of the yarn. Click on it to find out how to get some of your own.) But when it arrived it was apparent that "Sachet Mix" was definitely purple not blue. So what to do??? One of my doctors is having a baby and so I thought maybe I could find a quick knit to make her a blankie to wrap her little one in. I found one on Ravelry that I kind of liked but didn't think it would be big enough so I made some adjustments and cast on. There was still the issue of finding a great yarn for Mom's project. I didn't get a chance to visit any of the LYS before we headed up north so I imagined taking Mom out and having her pick her own yarn. The started blankie came along since it was an easy pattern to work on while chatting with family. Much to my surprise, when I mentioned to Mom that the yarn was almost a project for her, her eyes lit up and she raved at how much she loved it. And she was really digging the pattern so far as well. Luckily for Mom, the pattern was working out to be much narrower than I thought it would so the plan changed again to continue on with the pattern but turn it into a wrap/stole/shrug of some sort for Mom. I was kind of hoping to finish it before I left but that Little Man kept stealing my attention. Can you really blame me? But as it grew, Mom continued to rave about how much she loved it. So it traveled back with me to finish, which was probably a good thing anyway since I didn't have any Soak or Eucalan to soak it in and I was worried about how long it would take to block and dry before I could add the final touches. Would I really have time to finish and leave it with Mom? No. So back home it came with me and into the sink with a bit of Lavender Eucalan. Perfect for the color way doing you think? And then out to the yard to dry in the hot sun. Now it was time for the real fun - seaming up the edges a little to give a little bit of a sleeve so that Mom could use it while quilting and it not fall off. I'm in love with the way it turned out! And I'm sure Mom's going to love it too! It's a bit big on me, but Mom is a bit bigger than me too. And she doesn't like things to be tight on her anyway so this should work well for her. Now all that's left is to wrap it up nicely with a sweet little note that is sure to make Mom cry. Call me cruel, but I love it when I'm able to do that, happy tears of course. I'll be heading back up that way in mid-August and maybe I'll get a few modeled shots with the actual recipient. But for now you've only got me. I'm calling this project "A Daughter's Loving Arms."

SP12 week 7

2008-07-23T17:33:00.006-04:00

What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit?

What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?

I generally knit from the couch. Such a couch potato I am! But when the weather is nice I like to sit out on the side porch or in the new chairs some friends dropped off for the back yard. But if it's Tuesday afternoon, I'm all about the knit at St. Elmo's Coffee Shop. No matter where I'm knitting, my laptop is always close at hand for checking emails and reading blogs in between pattern repeats and there's usually some sort of snack and either tea, coffee, or Diet Coke close at hand.

In fact, that's a pretty good picture of my day today. It's too humid to sit outside so I'm on the couch watching tv. The laptop is close at hand (hence this posting). I've got a delightful cuppa tea in a decadent caramel truffle flavor sitting beside me. I've caked up some squishable Smooshie yarn in colorway GoGo Grassy. I routed through the pattern books and found an easy, quick, and stylish pattern. All of this put together gets me something like this: I'm now four pattern repeats into the body of the Dream In Color Shrug. I love the look of the kettle dyed yarn and this is going to be such a fantastic piece to add to my back to school wardrobe. Aurgh....I'm not ready to go back, but I'll have to start my school shopping soon. But that will wait for another day. Back to my knitting.

Another read

2008-07-23T15:21:00.007-04:00

The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle

Another wonderfully written story, but not for one with a faint stomach. Kittle brings her readers into the lives of a family of three who feel as if they've been falling apart ever since the father passed away two years ago. But then the stomach turning truth about a classmate and friend brings them into a reality they never expected and will potentially bring them together if they are able to put aside their own problems, insecurities, and issues and bring this tormented child into their home. The well written lines bring the reader into the hearts and minds of each of the characters and will bring them closer to an unimaginably horrible situation.

I thought I would also share with you my 'stash' of to-read books. And there are still a few more on the way. I had a little bit of an on-line shopping therapy session yesterday. Don't worry, it wasn't all for books. There were knitting books and yarn involved as well. Speaking of knitting books, here are some of my recent additions to my knitting library. I guess I'm going to have to find some motivation and time to get reading. It would appear that my book queue is growing just as fast as my knitting project queue!

Green Springing up a Little Late

2008-07-22T12:03:00.007-04:00

Spring may have come and gone but these beauties will live on and provide spring like warmth all throughout the coming winter.

Like so many other knitters out there, I have fallen head over heals for the newest free on-line sock pattern, Spring Forward from Knitty.com.

This was my first time using Classic Elite Alpaca Sox yarn and I must say it's a dream to work with. A little fuzzy with the alpaca and all, but that just makes the socks the more yummier! The colorway reminded me of the brilliance of spring greens and yellows springing up once the last frost had hit so I thought they would be perfect for this pattern. The pictures show them as a much brighter, almost hard to look at, green. But I just can't seem to get the lighting I guess. the picture taken without the flash outside is probably the closest but still not right on.

I really enjoyed this pattern as I'm finding that I really like knitting sock patterns with 12 to 16 rows in the repeat pattern. It seems to help in knitting them up faster. These only took me 2 1/2 days to knit up! You'd think I was some sort of speed knitter or something! It took longer to block and completely dry from the soaking!

SP12 - another week goes by

2008-07-17T17:29:00.004-04:00

Right now I'm up at my parent's place, away from my own computer and access to my photos. It's great being able to spend time with the family clan and The Little Man. But it's been hard to be away from the computer. What's wrong with me??? Never mind, don't answer that! I have several things to report on, including the Spring Forward socks being competed and blocked, Aunt Suz's socks fit (yeah!), and the wrap that I'm working up for mom for daughterly hugs once I head back south again. But all of those will have to wait until I regain access to my own computer and photos. For now, let's just report on the SP12 question of the week again.

What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?If you'd like to share a story…Tell us about a time that you packed too much knitting or were stranded without knitting.

Well, since technically I'm on vacation now I guess I should admit to what's in the bag at the moment. Well, there's mom's wrap - something simple to knit without paying too much attention. It's a four row repeat with only one of those rows where I actually have to pay attention to my count. That way I can visit and chat and be social with others and still have something to knit on. It's easy enough to take along in the car while running errands or going with mom to the doctor's office and it's mindless in the evening while winding down. I also have that pair of aqua whatever socks in the bag to be worked on. But sadly they haven't come out to play yet on this trip. I'm really hoping to get mom's wrap finished so that I can leave it here with her when I head back home. And there's only so much knitting time in my day today seeing as I got to have The Little Man all day and didn't want to miss a minute of that!!!

I generally pack too much knitting, or at least more knitting than I would ever get done on a trip. Kind of like how I pack my clothing too. I like to have options. What if the item that I pack I just didn't feel like working with at the moment? Then I'm stuck with nothing, and we wouldn't want that now would we? Having a few projects to choose from with hopefully feed into my mood at any given particular time.

post without posting

2008-07-13T20:54:00.004-04:00

There are several things that I need to blog about but I just don't have the time nor interest at the current moment. Maybe in a day or two. Right now I'm washing clothes so that I can pack and head north tomorrow to spend some time with the clan. But I figured I've put off posting week 5 for the secret pal question long enough.

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?

2) Where is one place you'd like to go?

Usually when I get a vacation from work I spend it going home to spend time with my family. Every year we get a big house at the beach and spend a week or so. Although I love the warm weather and the beach in general, I'm not a big ocean goer. It takes a lot to get me into the salty water above my ankles. I took my first real trip last year when Honey (ex-Honey) took me to Cape Town South Africa. I LOVED IT!!! There are tons of places that I would love to visit but haven't yet. I taught about the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and Mali and I would love to visit all of them to see for my own eyes. I've also wanted to visit Peru, and Ireland. Maybe one of these days I'll find a man who will want to take me. Or at least a friend crazy enough to spend that much time in an airplane with me. ha!

Going through the bookshelves

2008-07-10T10:18:00.010-04:00

A few current reads and reviews.

Mercy by Jodi Picoult
Those of you who know me, know that I'm a HUGE Jodi fan. I convince everyone I speak to about books to read her. I'm usually a fairly slow reader but I find myself not being able to put down her books and living fully each moment and turned page. I had the same expectations for Mercy. I was disappointed. Looking at the story line from a non-Jodi perspective, it's a good book. But it's totally not Jodi-esq. It's a story of a woman who is confronted with analyzing her own marriage and what's important in life when a distant cousin of her husband and police chef arrives in town announcing that he has killed is own wife out of mercy. An interesting book but doesn't have the same gripping power as Plain Truth or My Sister's Keeper.

Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl McPhee
After such a tragic story line of Mercy, I thought I should lighten it up a little and give in to my knitting heart and make an effort to reinstate my knitting mojo. The Yarn Harlot did the trick. I know that I'm late in reading this must have for all knitters. So sue me. Here McPhee gives the short and humorous enlightenings of her experiences with knitting. It was a nice, light-hearted summer read. Especially when it's too hot to actually knit.

The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Sticking with the knitting fiction idea, I took a lead from a secret swap partner and read The Friday Night Knitting Club. I must admit that I was a bit hesitant because the previous knitting related fiction that I've read were total disappointments. Obviously written by someone in love with knitting and yarn and who yearned to share their love through the written word, but who obviously took their creative writing class at a community college and probably missed a few sessions. But I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed this knitting novel. The story line follows a single woman as she develops a yarn store in NYC and lets down her guard to develop close relationships with the ladies that gather there on Friday nights. It's a touching story of friendship, internal conflicts, and personal strength.

Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair by Laurie Perry
I ventured over to B&N the other night and stumbled upon a small knitting group. It was encouraging for me to get out and meet new people. They were lovely ladies and I intend to go back again to sit a spell and knit. But when it was time for the group to expire, I wasn't quite ready to go home. This was my first venture out to meet new people since Honey left and I wasn't my happy bubbly self and felt really lonely as the night threatened to come to an end. Of course being in a bookstore led me to dreaming about all the wonderful books out there that I've been wanting to read. But the loneliness was kicking in and I felt that keeping my mind on anything written might just take more energy than I had at the moment. That is until I stumbled upon Crazy Aunt Purl. The title jumped out at me screaming for me to dive into the pages of what really seemed to be my life, minus all the cats. Each page had me wondering, "How in the world did Laurie get into my mind and read my thoughts and feelings so well?" And "How wonderful is it that she's able to put a hilarious spin to all of it!" Grant it I already knew how to knit prior to Honey leaving but this is a fantastically wonderfully written book for all knitters going through crap in their life.

For a sneak peak of other books patiently waiting on the bookshelf to take their place on the bedstand, see the GoodReads icon on the side bar. To see a listing of wish list books, click on the Amazon Wish List link on the side bar.

Waiting for Sarah

2008-07-07T15:28:00.009-04:00

While I'm waiting for Sarah to finish up her Spring Forward socks so that I can soak them both together for blocking, I thought I'd cast on for another pair of socks. I wound up a colorful skein of hand painted yarn that I received from a blog content and began casting on for Aquaphobia socks. Part way through the leg I was alarmed at how much yarn I was using and decided to check both the yardage of the yarn as well as the pattern. In the pattern notes, the author mentions using a skein of 395 yards and had plenty left over, however she only has a size 7 foot. I was immediately concerned since I have a size 9 foot. Upon rechecking the yardage of the yarn my concern really grew as it only contained 350 yards. My brain began spinning, thinking of ways that I could continue on with what was working out to be a cool pattern with this yarn without running out on the second foot. I decided to skip out on 5 repeats to make the leg a little shorter. But after completing the leg and the heal flap, I was still concerned. I started to wonder where I might be able to find some black sock yarn to do contrasting heals and toes to save on the colorful yarn. And then I remembered that I had some choral KnitPicks yarn that fell through from another project but should correspond nicely. KnitPicks to the rescue!!! So far, I'm diggin' the way it's coming out. I can't wait to get to the toe to see how it all turns out. I was hesitant at how the yarn was originally working out in the pattern because I didn't think the colors were me. But now I'm sold! I love it! I kind of wish I would have thought about it earlier and have done the cuff with the contrasting color too.

Music of my Heart

2008-07-07T00:50:00.004-04:00

If your sound is on, you'll notice there's now music playing while you enjoy this blubber that I write. Maybe it'll help entertain visitors a little more. While cruisin' some new blogs, I found this free playlist thing that you can post on your blog. I was really excited about creating my very own personalized playlist. However, when put on the spot I just couldn't come up with my favorite titles and artists. My mind went blank! Although I was able to come up with a few favorites, what you're hearing now is a reflection of how I was feeling at the moment and it will probably change over time. If anyone has any suggestions for some must listen to songs let me know. I'm open to some ideas since I can't seem to think for myself at the moment. If you scroll down you'll see a big purple box over to the right and if you're not digging the song currently playing, you can play something else. I've got it set on random. You can also use that box to link to creating your very own playlist to post for free. Enjoy. And maybe sway a little as you knit along.

KCiSDE packages

2008-07-06T19:27:00.011-04:00

Yesterday I received a wonderful package from my Keepin' Cool in Summer Dishcloth Exchange pal, Darcy! She was very thorough to include so many things that I would like. When I opened the package, this is what I saw:

Everything was wrapped up in these summery bags (which I've saved for future use!). I had to wait a few moments to open everything because Sarah is so excited about her new camera that she insisted on taking several pictures of everything. (Please go to her blog and rave about what wonderful photos she's now taking. Maybe it'll urge her to blog more often. ha!)

First up is the yarn goodies! I don't think kitchen cotton has ever looked so beautiful than in this picture. Do you? And the multiples of cloths that Darcy knit were perfect! At the moment I'm not using knitted cloths in the kitchen but I said that I would love some for the bath. Darcy made two washcloth sized ones for in the shower and three coordinating smaller face scrubs for the sink. They are adorable!!! And the exfoliating soap smells divine. I wish the blogs came with smell-o-vision!

Then there were other goodies. Tons of stuff for relaxing in the bath. There's Awake body wash from B&B Works and some Coconut lotion from there too. A very Feng Shui candle that is already sitting on the stand next to my bed. Another scrubby for the shower and some bath cubes and a tea that I haven't tried yet. Planning on a little of that tomorrow morning with breakfast! And then there was this adorable bee bag that I'm just SO in love with! Inside was packed with more yummies for the tubby. But I think the bag is my favorite item! I'm totally diggin' it!

There was also three great patterns for more bath items and three recipes for summer refreshments. Thanks Darcy for such an awesome package!

My downstream partner, Alana, also received her package and you can check out her goodies here. While you're there, send Alana some good vibes, I'm sure she'd appreciate them.

On my own knitting front, I've finished the Spring Forward socks but they need some blocking to really bring out the beauty of the pattern so you'll all have to wait for photos and details on them. and tonight I've cast on for the Aquaphobia socks in a wild colorway that I received in a contest package. I'll post progress pics of those too, once there's enough to really see the pattern.

Did you guess correctly?

2008-07-04T20:56:00.008-04:00

These beauties are drying nicely and will be ready for Aunt Suz's arrival next week.

Yarn: Socketta, in a light pink, light blue, and purple colorway. (Sorry, can't find the yarn band right now.

Pattern: Twilight from the 2-at a time Socks book

Size: 9 shoe

Modifications: I did them on 5 dpns, one at a time.

Verdict: I think I like the pattern and maybe I'll do it again someday. But really this yarn is just not me. It's too pastel. Although I think it worked out nicely with the pattern. The yarn was a bit abrasive at first with the cotton content, but I got used to that and then it went much better. I just hope that Aunt Suz likes them. That's what really matters.

And this is what grew from that balled yarn:It was AMAZING at how quickly these babies knit up!!! In less than 24 hours an entire sock was done!!! I probably could have finished it in less time if things like sleep, eating, and chatting with good friends didn't get in the way!I'm rockin' baby!!! I love the stitch pattern with this color way. I feel like a preschooler took some finger paint and went like this all over my feet. Oh wait, you can't see what I'm doing with my hands. Just move your hands in opposite circles going inward.

Hopefully the second one will knit up just as fast!

Guessing game???????

2008-07-03T16:51:00.007-04:00

Bet you can't guess what's lurking beneath the bubbles?

Hint: They should be blocked and dry before Aunt Suz gets here next week.

Or mabye you can guess what this is dreaming of becoming? It's Classic Elite Yarns Alpaca Sox in color way 1835.

Hint: Something everyone's been springing head over heals over. Ha ha ha ha!

Stash Yarns

2008-07-03T12:41:00.002-04:00

The "perfect sized" stash was a tough question for many of you toanswer. Maybe these stash related questions will be easier:
1) What yarn (that you don't have/haven't used) would make your stash"complete"?
2) What yarn do you never want to be without?

What yarn don't I have that I would love to have in my stash? Well ones that I can think of right now are Noro Silk Garden sock yarn, Wick, Duet Sock yarn, enough Cornucopia for a summer shell, .... ahhh, but there are so many yarns out there that I haven't tried and would love to.

What yarns would I never want to be without? Well, let me think. I'm sure I'll leave something out here. But for starters Malibrigo, Classic Elite Wool Bam Boo, Jitterbug, Dream in Color, and Ty-Dy.

Conquer or Defeat

2008-06-30T22:58:00.001-04:00

Today there were several items on my to do list.

wash dishes - ants are attacking when we leave them more than a few minutes
clean living room - looks like a tornado went through here
call MD retirement system - wondering if I still have money somewhere there from those 3 torturous years I worked there
call to make a massage appointment - desperately need this
make dinner - promised Sarah that dinner would be ready when she got home because she was leaving for a 'going for drinks date' and wanted to quickly eat before she left
grocery shop for dinner - all the meat in the house was frozen and I did feel like defrosting
cut grass - tackle the fear of the lawn mower
go through mail and send out bills - rent is due and the mail was getting high
knit on Aunt Suz's socks - she's coming soon and I want to have them finished to give them to her when she gets here

Well, let's see how I did.

wash dishes - nope
clean living room - where is the living room again? shouldn't it look lived in anyway?
call MD retirement system - has anyone seen my phone?
call to schedule a massage - having 'woman issues' today and the thought of anyone touching my body makes my eyes spin to the back of my head
grocery shop and make dinner - Ora came over to help solve the lawn mower problem so there was no time to go grocery shopping or cook dinner before Sarah came home. Ended up picking up Chinese.
cut grass - well half of it got done. It took like forever to figure out how to get the d*mn thing started. And then half way through it just stopped and I couldn't get it started again. Had to call in reinforcements. By the time Ora came, it was raining and there would be no cutting the rest of the grass today.
go through the bill and mail them - well, went through the bills and wrote them all out but didn't actually take them to a post box, just left them for the mailman to pick up.
work on Aunt Suz's socks - actually did that! Have one finished now and the other one is ready for the heal turn. I should have it finished tomorrow... or maybe the next day if I'm just as lazy tomorrow as I was today.

So I guess that I was sort of defeated today. But really I don't feel bad about it at all. I got to add to the list helping a friend with her first sock and some dropped stitches. Hopefully the knitting karma will make up for my short comings today.

Inspiration....

2008-06-28T13:38:00.006-04:00

I came across this notebook the other day and realized that it makes a statement that my heart has been trying for. Some of my friends have told me in the past that I'm just too nice to people. That I'm too giving without getting much or anything in return. Isn't that what most women do? I guess that I'm just hoping that if I put out enough kindness that someone will find that they can love me. I was wrong with Honey. And now my skin is a little thicker and my heart still a little scared. But I still have hope for love. Right now I'm working on getting back to scattering that kindness because it makes me happy. And what better way to get back on the wagon than to make yourself happy. But this time I'm going to make sure that I include myself in the group of that I scatter that kindness to. I want to be nicer to myself as I'm reinventing who I am without Honey.

In an act to scatter kindness I sent out three packages last week. One to Ann's subliminal healing project (with hats that Sarah mostly knit but whatever). One to my KCiSDE pal. And one to my SP12 pal. I hope that they all enjoy the kindness (and love) that went into each package. It certainly felt good to put them together. I felt like a piece of me was rejuvenated with each item I chose to include.

Already some kindness and love has come back my way. The other day I received a package from my SP12 pal. She sent a great little package with some very cheerful items. Tofutsies in a bright cheery limited edition colorway. A fabulous book about strength, friendship, and knitting that I've already started reading. Some Soak to make the Tofutsies smell fresher. And a spring notepad that symbolizes for me the growth and new beginnings I'm going through. Thank you secret pal! Your package hit the spot!

Swapping Questions Post week 3

2008-06-24T17:56:00.005-04:00

Well now that Summer has OFFICIALLY begun.. what do you do to beat the heat? A nice tall glass of lemonade? Frozen Coffee? A dip in the pool? What's your favorite way to keep cool this summer as things heat up?

There are lots of good ways to beat the heat in the summer around here. Lots of fluids always helps, whether it be ice cold water, lemonade, iced tea, or an iced coffee. On the hottest days I find that I have a hard time wanting to leave the house and will often spend the day lounging on the couch watching movies or TNT Primetime in the Daytime. A nice walk to the local ice cream shop might also be in order in the evening.

What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?

I'm not really sure what the perfect amount of stash is. While I like having yarn on hand for a spur of the moment cast on, I enjoy the hunt for yarn for a new project too. And while I enjoy splurging on yarn I also feel a little guilty about the current unused yarn that I do have. None of this will of course keep me from continuing to build upon my stash when I see yarns that I love. But I think mostly my stash consists of sock yarns because I don't really have to have a particular pattern in mind when I purchase it. I just know that about 400 yard of beautifully spun colors will one day make a pair of toasty socks for my tootsies. I have a hard time stashing up on other yarns when I don't know what I'll want to do with it and how much I'll need.

SITMT pal meet up

2008-06-23T20:42:00.008-04:00

On Saturday I had the opportunity to meet up with my downstream SITMT secret pal. She happen to be driving up to the area so we met for lunch at Panara's. She had commented on the sock blockers that I made and I promised that I would help her make her own pair. Here she is donning a pair of her very own.

After chatter for hours and getting very little knitting done, we decided to head over to World Market to pick up a few goodies for current swap pals. Iva had her Loopey Ewe with her so we did a sort of 'round the world photo shoot - Africa, India, China.

Thanks Iva for a wonderfully fun afternoon! I hope that we get to do it again sometime

Today Sarah and I were out and about picking up great deals. Got some great yarns for secret pals so I can't show them here... sorry.

The stitch that never ends...

2008-06-20T22:26:00.009-04:00

"This is the knit that never ends...
yes it goes on and on my friend.
Some knitter started knitting it not knowing what it was...
and she'll continuing knitting it forever just because.... "(repeat)

After 35 rows of seed stitch to make up the bottom side walls of the BYOB bag I have to wonder what I was ever thinking taking on that my seed stitch. Who in their right mind would ever do that much seed stitch?! It's just insane!! But the good news is, I'm ready to change the pace a little with the stretchy middle part. Thank goodness, a break from seed stitch!

Tomorrow I'm off to meet up with Iva a.k.a. ScrappyHappy, my secret pal from the SITMT swap. I'm so excited to get the chance to meet her face to face. It's always nice to be able to thank your spoiler in person. I promise to take a few photos and post them.

I also still need to post about the events from last weekend. opps.

I went to DE for my cousin's wedding and then some of the family stayed at the beach for a few days. I got to spend lots of time with the little man!!! YUM!!! How adorable is he getting to be? I could just eat him up like candy! He really enjoyed it when the bridal party came in and everyone was clapping along with the music. Then at the beach house, mom made a little boo-boo and caught the kitchen on fire. Luckily little brother and I caught it pretty quickly and the damage was minimal. New roomie Sarah joined in on all the family fun and had a blast. I think she's become an official member of the family now since she rolled up her sleeves and pitched in to clean up the mess. Over all it was a fun weekend and one that was much needed. If the double fully arched rainbow we saw over the ocean is any indicator to the future, I'd be a happy woman!

7 MEME

2008-06-19T14:22:00.004-04:00

James over at Subdue it with a Sweater, an amazing knitter and blogger that I've recently discovered, tagged me for the 7 things meme. And since I'm putting off blogging about my weekend away and I have two secret swap pals out there that might be looking for more information about me, I thought I would appease.

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

finishing college
preparing to move out of state and away from my family
in the beginning stages of the first real love affair of my life (the same one that recently ended by the way)

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

grocery shop and actually cook dinner
organize my calendar(s)
make some progress on either the BSJ or the BOGO bag
finish putting away my things from this past weekend's trip (cousin's wedding + beach time with family)
catch up on reading blogs

3) Snacks I enjoy:

# 1 - any kind of baked goods if they are soft and moist. We're talking muffins, cookies, cakes, soft pretzels, pies, breads, you name it.
popcorn
jello
popsicles / ice cream
fruit
licorice and/or gummy products
granola bars

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

buy a house, maybe two
set my nephew up for college (he's not quite 2 years old yet so who knows how expensive college will be when he finally gets there)
travel to several exotic places
share it with my parents and brothers so that they could do something that they would really enjoy
???????

5) Places I have lived:

SouthWesternPA
SouthCentralPA
NorthernVA

6) Jobs I have had:

farm market hand
camp counselor
medical office extra set of hands to file paperwork and other odd things
hostess / waitress
teacher

7) Friends I want to know more about (if you've done the meme, please disregard)

Blanche Knits in DC
The Brownberry
Reckless Glue
ScrappyHappy
Scoop Murphy Writes Again
and anyone else that wants to join in on the fun... I'm out of time and need to go home.

Week 2 swap questions

2008-06-18T22:46:00.002-04:00

In many parts of the US and abroad, school's out. Take a walk down memory lane for Week Two's question: As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?
Most people might say that being off of school would be the best childhood memory of the beginning of summer. Well, being a school teacher, I still have that feeling. Summer is for pursuing new things that are just for me. Exploring new areas and neighborhoods around me that I normally don't have time for, taking an interesting class, working around the house, having lunch with a friend at an outdoor cafe, and spending more time with family. As a child, we didn't travel very much but we camped a lot. My middle school summers were spent at the campground where my grandparents had a permanent site for their camping trailer. My high school summers were filled with working at a Girl Scout camp. I loved being outdoors and not having to shower every day. (I know, gross right? But nothing says freedom like not having to shower or at least not having to shower first thing in the morning.)

Living in Atlanta, I know Summer has truly 'arrived' when it begins to get humid. Blech. When I was a kid, I knew Summer was starting the easy way - School was out!! Share with us how you know that summer has truly 'arrived', or something that signifies the start of Summer in your world.

The start of summer is when the flip flops and sandals come out. My feet love to be out and about during the summer months (which explains why I have such difficulty keeping them clean during warmer weather). Even though I'm still working at school and the official summer break hasn't begun, I start getting that summer bug when I can flip off my shoes and work barefoot in my classroom while the kids are at their specials or after school. Another sure sign is when the classroom begins to smell like a locker room. The kids get so excited to be able to be outside in the nice weather again that they really go at it during recess. The smell of 24 sweaty children in one room in the afternoon is enough to knock your socks off if you haven't already given in to airing out the tootsies.

Groupie Castoupie

2008-06-13T16:39:00.007-04:00

I am an official Loopy Groupie!There you have some squishy Smooshie, Alpaca Peds, Classic, and Chewy Spaghetti yumminess. Along with the other wonderful treats that go along with being a groupie. If you're not a Groupie I would suggest you join the band wagon.

I also appear to be casting on a lot without finishing much of anything. My Ravelry projects are starting to get to be a bit ridiculous with so many cast on projects.
My newest two...Baby Surprise Jacket in Ty-Dy.... LOVE this yarn.... must get more!!!! I only get a few rows done and then I have to stop and squish the yarn and love it all up before knitting on. Sarah thinks I'm crazy while I'm working on this. I think she's beyond rolling her eyes at me and ready for the stern, "just knit it already!" look.

The BYOB from the new Knitty done up in a lovely Sugar N Cream Confectionery. This is going to be another great bag for summer shopping.

I've also got several socks started but not much done one them... still deciding if I'm really digging the patterns or not.

Now I'm off to finish packing. We're heading east for the weekend for a wedding and a few days at the beach. A little R&R would be good about right now.

Secret Pal 12 question of the week #1

2008-06-12T14:56:00.003-04:00

What's your favorite summertime drink?

I have several favorite summertime drinks... to list a few...

Iced Vanilla Chai, Smoothies, Mojitos, and Margaritas .... depending on my mood.

For those of you looking for a great Mojito recipe:

1.5 oz BACARDI Rum

12 fresh spearmint leaves

1/2 lime

7 oz club soda

2 tbsp. simple syrup(or 4 tsp. sugar)

Gently crush mint leaves and lightly squeeze lime in a cool tall glass. Pour sweet syrup to cover and fill glass with ice. Add Bacardi Rum, club soda, and stir your emerging mojito well. Garnish with a lime wedge and a few sprigs of mint.

ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-06-11T13:48:00.004-04:00

Being that several months ago my life turned completely upside down and it's been like trying to climb a mountain by your fingernails ever since, I decided that my life was in need of some changes. The look of this blog is just the tip of the iceberg. Sarah over at Blanche Knits in DC has taken on the adventure of moving in and being my new roommate (since the old bastard one left, sorry) and we're starting to get things going around the house. It's so wonderful to have life, energy and happiness in the house again. I've even spent the past few nights knitting! And Sarah started knitting again too. I can't even begin to tell you how good that feels! I also decided the other day to change my looks a little and went to my favorite Hair Cuttery and told her I didn't care what she did, just do something. Wow, what a something! She took off about 6 or 7 inches and I already feel lighter and less weighted down by my problems. I haven't taken any pictures yet but I'm sure one will be coming soon. Today I'm going to get my nails and tootsies done in preparation for my cousin's wedding this weekend. Speaking of the wedding, I'll be without my 'pooter from like Friday till Tuesday or Wednesday so don't be alarmed if you are trying to get a hold of me and I appear to be ignoring you. I promise to report back here when I return. Another change I'm hoping to make is loosing this weight again. I don't like that I've put on all the weight that I originally lost before having to go through all this crap. The meds are now all starting to come into alignment with each other and I'm beginning to feel myself again so it's time to start looking the way I want to look. I've lost 2 lbs this past week and I'm hoping to keep going. Only like 20 more to go. Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. Check back here on the progress of these changes and see what the next round of changes will be. Oh, and wish me luck!

Keepin' Cool Weekly Topic #1 - Favorite Pattern

2008-06-08T18:57:00.004-04:00

So for this week's topic, make a post on your own blog sharing YOUR favorite pattern(s) with us! Don't have a favorite site? That's fine! Show us a photo of one of the cloths you have made and really loved, even if it was just a made up pattern!

I don't know if I have a favorite dishcloth pattern. I've only made a few and I've enjoyed them all. Although I'm not a fan of the ones that are REALLY hole-y as my fingers and nails get caught in them. The ones I have made came from Knitting Pattern Central or from one of those small pamphlet pattern books with a baby theme and a garden theme.

Fresh New Look

2008-06-06T19:19:00.004-04:00

I'm thinking about another school year coming to an end, a new roommate moving in, and being an official blogger for 1 whole year. With all the cleaning out going on around here, I felt it was time to give the old blog a fresher look for another year of fun. Let me know what you think. Is it readable and blog stalker friendly? Any suggestions? Are some of the links that have buttons on the side bar coming up as X for you? They are for me and I don't know why, or what to do about that. I think I may have to get rid of those links.

Secret Pal 12 Questionaire

2008-05-29T17:10:00.008-04:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I'm in love with Jitterbug but there are so many other great yarns out there and so many that I haven't tried and that I would love to try. I'm game for anything but the froo-froo fluffy acrylic stuff.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a cute corky vase that I keep my bamboo straights in and I recently purchased fabric fold-over thingies for my dpns and my Option Interchangables.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting for about 4 or 5 years. I would say that I'm an intermediate knitter. I haven't really gotten into doing anything too challenging and advanced like. At least I don't think so. I'm not really into designing or anything and I haven't done very many garment items but I'm pretty confident that I can follow most patterns.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? My Amazon wish list

5. What's your favorite scent? At the moment it's honey or coconut. They feel like home to me and remind me of summertimes with my family as I was growing up.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I do have a sweet tooth... try 32 of them! I love my sweets a little too much, especially of the baked goods variety.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I make a meager attempt to garden with herbs and greenery in the yard. I also like to read in bed and on the side porch on summer mornings. I don't spin but I'm hoping to try my hand at dyeing this summer.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I listen to a lot of county but have a mix of stations programed into my car stereo. My new phone (Sony Ericksonn Walkman) has the ability to play MP3s but I haven't figured it out yet.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I love fall earthy colors - pumpkins, rusts, bronzes. In the summertime I'm also attracted to clear blues that remind me of the ocean and soft breezes.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I've been recently singled. My friend Sarah is moving in. We're not allowed to have pets here.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves, not just for warmth but also as an accessory to my outfit. Hats don't usually do well with me - I have an oddly shaped head. Not so much of a mitten gal but fingerless mittens or gloves are pretty cool. Only have one poncho type item and I love it. This past winter I got into the stole idea, love that too.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Not really sure. But looking at my projects posted on Ravelry it would appear that I enjoy socks and bags.

13. What are you knitting right now? A pair of socks, a pair of felted slippers (because it would appear that everyone in my family now wants a pair), and hopefully finishing Wisp before my cousin's wedding.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes! Especially those that have been well made and have my interests in mind.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I usually use my Option Interchangables for most projects and metal dpns for socks. But I also have a collection of bamboo straights too.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes, I have both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? Only about a year and a half old. I started a Lizzard Ridge blanket and got all the squares finished but never seamed it together. Maybe this summer.

18. What is your favorite holiday? How about a favorite season? I'm totally a fall baby. I'm in love with fall earthy colors. Every day of all feels like it's a special holiday especially for me. But favorite holiday to spend with family? No brainer, Christmas. Traditions, family, cold weather outside hot chocolate and goodies inside, sweaters and wool socks. Favorite time to have friends over? Summer BBQ. Nothing says summer fun like meat cooked over flames outside.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Books and tea

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Check out my wish list on Amazon. There are tons of great knit books there that I'm interested in. Most of the books that I already have are posted in my library on Ravelry but there are a few that aren't there to load up yet.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? This summer I would like to work on some lace projects.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I love having a sock on the needles... or sometimes two. I wear a size 9 shoe. Foot measurements include (and please let me know if I’m missing any pertinent information here): Ankle circumference – 9 inches, foot circumference – 9 inches, Foot length – 10 inches. I don’t know if this matters or not, but I have very high arches.

23. When is your birthday? October 17th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Yes! knitknucklehead

Secret Pal 12

2008-05-28T15:44:00.004-04:00

Those of you looking for another great summer swap, check out Secret Pal 12. There are two levels of involvement to choose from. I've chosen the larger of the two swaps and am looking forward to some summer swap fun!

Keepin' Cool in Summer Dishcloth Swap

2008-05-28T10:03:00.006-04:00

I'm jumping on the bandwagon for this fun summer swap. Wanna join us?

1. Do you Knit or Crochet? For how long? I've been knitting for about 4 or 5 years now.

2. Do you enjoy using metal, wooden, or some other kind of needle\hook? I love my Options needles for most projects. And I use the metal dpns that I find in my local cheap-o craft store for socks. I also have a small collection of Clover wood needles. I've seen some really beautiful needles out there but I haven't tried them yet.

3. What are your favorite types of yarn? Any you just can't stand? I'm really into sock yarns right now and am hoping to experiment with some lace this summer. There are so many great yarns out there that I don't know if I can choose just one or even a few right now.

4. When it comes to cotton, are there any brands you'd love to try and haven't? Don't know. I've only used Sugar N Cream for cloths. But I do have some Lambs Pride cotton in my stash that I'd like to play with this summer. I don't really know a whole lot about the cottons out there. But I'm eager to try something new.

5. When you make Dishcloths, do you use them yourself, or tend to give them as gifts? I haven't done many dishcloths. The cloths that I've done have been baby washcloths or trivit-like cloths for gifts.

6. Do you have a favorite color? Any that you dislike? I like very earthy colors. The majority of my house is earthy looking with browns, beighes, blues, and reds. Although my eyes in a yarn store are drawn to the bright colors (I mean, who's isn't?) but the bright stuff just isn't really me in the house. Although I love the bright pinks and purples in my garden.

7. What color(s) (if any!) are your kitchen and bath decorated in? My kitchen walls are yellow and my dishes are very earthy green, yellow, and red pottery. My bathroom is dark blue and retro blue (the toliet was put in in the 40'2 and is retro blue).

8. What are your favorite scents around the house? Clean fresh smells for summer.

9. What is your very favorite thing about summer? No school!!! I have the freedom to do the things I really want to do suring the summer months. Sometimes I take a class or get a part time job that is completely different from my actual job. It would be nice to take some art like class this summer.

10. What is your least favorite thing about summer? Those days that it gets blistering hot and you can't even stand to be in your own skin and your electric bill goes sky high from the AC going full blast 24/7.

11. Do you use soap or body wash in the shower? I generally use body wah in the shower. At the sink I go back and forth between liquids and natural hand made bars.

12. What scents do you enjoy in the bath? Just about anything but particularly honey, coconut, and lavender.

13. What is your favorite dishcloth pattern? I don't know that I really have one. But I do know that I don't perfer ones that are really lacy or holey. Tecture is good but I get my fingers stuck in holes. Besides I think I would rather have a bathcloth if my swap pal is ok with that. I really enjoy exfoliating in the shower. I find it really relaxing. Washing dishes are not so relaxing if you know what I mean.

14. What sort of treats do you enjoy? Sweet or Salty? I enjoy all sorts of treats. I'm trying to be good this summer and loose some weight from all those treats. I plan on following the Weight Watchers plan and doing lots of walking this summer. But those yummy treats will find their way into my life every now and then.

15. Imagine today is one of the hottest days of the year - what do you do to keep cool? Or are you one of those folks who loves the hot weather? I love the warmer weather. A perfect summer afternoon includes sitting out on the porch with a great glass of iced tea or lemonaid, reading a book or knitting small projects like socks, and admiring the plants around me. Occasionally going over to rub the rosemary or lavender for a little aroma therapy. But if the weather gets too hot, I'm all about hitting the local indoor ice rink for an hour or two of ice skating. What a treat in the summer heat!

16. What sorts of hobbies do you enjoy besides knitting or crocheting? reading, gardening with herbs and greenery, shopping, drinking tea

17. Do you collect anything (besides yarn!) Books. All kinds. I love Jodi Picoult and kids poetry books. I have an Amason wish list with my current book wants. My Amazon wish list

18. Are you on Ravelry? If so, share your ID! knitknucklehead

19. Do you have any allergies? Mushrooms and all foods that live underwater.

20. Do you have any pets? Not allowed to have pets here.

AMERICAN IDOL

2008-05-21T22:01:00.002-04:00

I LOVE DAVID COOK!!!

CONGRATULATIONS, DAVID!
I LOVE YOU!

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE ALBUM!!!

Another pair down

2008-05-17T19:15:00.008-04:00

All this goofy weather lately has got my head spinning... headache, no headache, headache, no headache. Sometimes I want to do stuff and sometimes I don't. Motivation has not been constant around here. But I'm finding that working on both socks at once on two different sets of dpns is helping move things along faster. I now have another fun pair of socks to wrap my tootsies in hand knitted loveliness. This are Claudia Handpainted in colorway Purple Earth and I love the colors! Although they totally didn't turn out the way that I thought they would. Using the Charade pattern had the yarn striping in a strange way.I did end up with a little hole in the first row of the gusset, but really with shoes on you can't even tell. (too bad you can tell in this picture.) I must have started at two different ends with the two skeins cuz the colors pulled in a slightly different pattern and places but honestly I love it. I think these will be my artsy-fartsy socks. And last night I broke down and made myself yet another pair of fun sock blockers. Who couldn't use a little flower power right about now?

They are already being put to good use!

Good Reads

2008-05-12T10:22:00.007-04:00

Ruth turned me on to GoodReads a little while ago and I'm hoping to keep things updated there. I was great about logging in all my books currently on my shelf but haven't been so good about updating what I've read recently. As a down fall of this whole depression issue, I've fallen from the grace of doing things that I normally enjoy. You've seen my knitting suffer drastic reduction in production and my enjoyment of taking a good book to bed has suffered just the same. Through the worst of it I just couldn't keep my mind on the swimming words in front of me. But over the course of the past few months I have successfully completed a few good books worth mentioning here, if for no other reason than to pat myself on the back for having the perseverance to truck through the crap that I've felt and have successfully accomplished something.

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
This is an interesting book set in the past in rural eastern Montana where education still revolves around the one room school house and within the parental trades of family life. The Milliron family, who lost their wife/mother several years past, enlist the service of a woman from the east to help bring a sense of female responsibility and knowledge to their male saturated home. Although the father and head of this household holds education in the highest degree and has taught his three sons to value the gift of the word, this new addition to their 'family' brings a new light on education and experiences that lead the Marias Coulee school house in a direction they've never seen before.

Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton

When Kelly Flynn is called back to her Aunt's hometown to settle her estate after her death, Kelly finds the facts around her Aunt's death to be very unsettling. Along with members of her Aunt's knitting community who befriend Kelly, she sets out to find the real reason for the murder in her family. Along the way she finds a connection to her beloved Aunt through learning to knit. There is a distinct style difference when this author is pursuing the murder plot and when she is describing the scenes in the knit shop. It is clear this author is a knitter at heart and not an engrossing mystery author.

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult does it again for me. There are not enough words in the English dictionary to describe how much I love this author. Her writing explores the deepest and most personal aspects of each character involved in their every day tragedies. Her storylines are specific and tragic but could happen in Anytown, U.S.A. and in any family situation. She engrosses her readers into the lives, view point, and intimate feelings of each character. In Perfect Match an attorney who prosecutes child molesters suddenly finds her family struck with the pain and complications of her own five year old son being sexually abused. The story is heart wrenching and highly emotional but one not to be missed. Thanks again Stacey for this little masterpiece! I promised I would get around to reading it eventually.

Sock updates

2008-05-08T18:23:00.012-04:00

Although knitting has been slow lately with everything else that's going on around here, there has been some progress in the sock area. Feast your eyes on the beauties I'm calling 'Claywalkers".....And how beautiful do they look on my new sock blockers? It's like they were made for each other. :) I couldn't be happier with the way these came out. The yarn is Knit Picks Felici sock yarn in colorway Clay. They are TOTALLY me! I decided that I really wanted the stripes to match up so I did two at a time... not on two circs though... have yet to master that one. I just started one sock on one set of size 1 dpns and the other sock on another set of size 1 dpns. I would do five pattern repeats on one and the switch to the other. That seemed to make them go a little faster I think. And look at how great they fit... I had to go up one size in the pattern for them to fit over my high arches, but it was well worth it and I couldn't be happier about the way they turned out. I mean, just look at how beautiful the heals are... Spectacular aren't they?! Best ones yet! I'm so jonesing about how these came out that I've cast on for two more pairs of socks (different patterns though). Here we have the beginnings of Charade socks in Purple Earth by Claudia Handpainted. And here's a pair of Swirly Girl Socks in Tofutsies.

Musings from a Knucklehead...

While I'm away....

In the 'hood

Look Mom!

Woolgirl happiness

Napping Nedly

Ex-ten-d-ed we-ek-end

Turning stitches

Feng Shui Horoscope

Living up to expectations

Coming back into view...

Where else do you get family like this???

Where else do you get family like this???

Steelers

Streaking in the snowy streets

Winter knits for me

Here We Go (some more)

Here We Go...

Weekend Update

Drowning

Special Delivery

Picoult, Picoult

Historic Photos of Arlington County

Last days

No Scrooges here

Girly distractions

T.T.T.T.P.

Another knit down X 3

More good reads from the knitting world

Historic Photos of Alexandria

Still Socktober????

thievery in the neighborhood

Pimp my needles

Breathe....

Whach you talkin bout Willis?

Christmas knits update

Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here

National Blog Posting Month or NaBloPoMo

What's happinin' hot stuff?

Today is the day....

mail call - AHEDE

Nancy Drew and the Mystery of the Knitted Sock

Misbehaving

if only...

Isn't it clear?

October is for Pumpkins too!

Just the beginning....

Whooping Cough and other fun stuff

on the couch

promises, promises

Postponement and Promises

Unlucky Question #13

AHEDE week #2 question

AHEDE blogstalking

Playing catch up once again...

All Hallows Eve Dishcloth Exchange

Playing catch up

TGIF

Funny you should ask that

Somebody loves me

Beachy knits - What a surprise!

Ravelry Yarn Stash

Regaining the Mind Through Knitting

Recalculating Destination

Sugar is Sweet

SP weekly post

Look What's Cookin' in Wendy's Knitchen

Lazy Hazy Dayz of Zummer

Lunch with Loopy

A Daughter's Loving Arms

SP12 week 7

Another read

Green Springing up a Little Late

SP12 - another week goes by

post without posting

Going through the bookshelves

Waiting for Sarah

Music of my Heart

KCiSDE packages

Did you guess correctly?