my little lambz

Medium-well read?

2009-02-24T21:47:00.002-06:00

I stole this from Susan's blog....

Key
1) Bold the books you have already read
2) Italicize the books you intend to read
3) Notes in parentheses next to note-worthy titles.

1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (started it)
2) The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
3) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
4) Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
5)To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6)The Bible
7) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
8 ) Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell
9) His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
10) Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
11) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
12) Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
13) Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
14) Complete Works of Shakespeare (I've read some, not all)
15) Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
16) The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
17) Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
18 ) Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
19) The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
20) Middlemarch by George Eliot
21) Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
22) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
23) Bleak House by Charles Dickens
24) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
25) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
26) Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
27) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 ) Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
29) Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
30) The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
31) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
32) David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
33) Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
34) Emma by Jane Austen
35) Persuasion by Jane Austen
36) The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis
37) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (started it)
38 ) Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
39) Memories of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
40) Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne
41) Animal Farm by George Orwell
42) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (I liked Angels and Demons more...)
43) One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44) A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving
45) The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
46) Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
47) Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
48 ) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
49) Lord of the Flies by William Golding
50) Atonement by Ian McEwan
51) Life of Pi by Yann Martel
52) Dune by Frank Herbert
53) Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
54) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
55) A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
56) The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57) A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
58 ) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
59) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
60) Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
62) Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
63) The Secret History by Donna Tartt
64) The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
65) Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
66) On The Road by Jack Kerouac (Couldn't un-italicize this one)
67) Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
68 ) Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
69) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
70) Moby Dick by Herman Melville
71) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
72) Dracula by Bram Stoker
73) The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
74) Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson
75) Ulysses by James Joyce
76) The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
77) Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
78 ) Germinal by Emile Zola
79) Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
80) Possession by AS Byatt
81) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
82) Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
83) The Color Purple by Alice Walker
84) The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
85) Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
86) A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
87) Charlotte's Web by EB White
88 ) The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
89) Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90) The Faraway Tree Collection by Enid Blyton
91) Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
92) The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93) The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
94) Watership Down by Richard Adams
95) A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
96) A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
97) The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 ) Hamlet by William Shakespeare
99) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
100) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Who Knew?!?

2008-12-03T22:22:00.000-06:00

Twilight Test from Dumb Spot!

Dumb Quizzes | MySpace Quizzes & Quotes | Make a Quiz

Bella Swan

You are Bella Swan, the apple of Edward's eye. You are very private, clumsy, sweet, and funny. You have a wonderful ability to accept people (or mythical creatures) for what they are. You have an amazing capacity to love, even though you can be too hard on yourself.

Updates

2008-11-30T21:52:00.002-06:00

Pics coming soon...but Thanksgiving was great - food was amazing and company was fabulous!

I am having no end of fun here...

Stream videos at Ustream

and I love this....

more later -

oh - yeah - I have been a knitting fiend most of the weekend....

finished Turn A Square and almost done with my first foliage...

As I said, pics coming later this week.....

M

Got Gaiman??

2008-11-26T21:08:00.003-06:00

No?

Well, we know I love Mr G...and one can never have too much G - so in anticipation of his new flick.....here you go....(I found this b/c of my friend craftygrrl)

First, turn up your volume...

Next, go here....

Then, try these:

- sweaterxxs : in honor of my hobby...you will love this one!

- stopmotion : the biggest smallest movie ever made, Coraline

- buttoneyes : let's meet the cast of Coraline

- moustachio : art of stop motion applied to a man's mustache in a short film

- armpithair : hair style is nothing random in Coraline

- puppetlove : Director henry Selick speaks about his love for puppets!

p.s.....here is a cool blog...

PRICELESS

2008-11-20T08:07:00.004-06:00

MARCH 5, 2009 Good Date

A&TT CENTER Good Location

7:30PM Good Time

INTERNET PRESALE Good Karma

FINALLY SEEING JEFF DUNHAM IN PERSON!!!!!!!!!! PRICELESS

squee!!!

(This makes me want to dance on my little casted leg!)

Anticipation

2008-11-19T22:20:00.000-06:00

I

CAN'T

WAIT!!!!!

Where the hell was my camera???

2008-11-17T20:50:00.002-06:00

On the way to work this am, I saw two trucks that had me scratching my head....

The first one was a fish taco truck.

Not so bad. I have seen them before...I have eaten fish tacos. I like fish tacos.

The thing is, this truck had pictures on it. yes. fish.

To be expected...right?

OK - maybe I am just too sensitive - but it wasn't just any fish.

It was Ariel and Flounder. From The Little Mermaid.

It's just wrong.

The second truck was for a company called Sanitary Tortillas.

I don't think I need to elaborate.

mmmmmm

2008-11-16T18:35:00.002-06:00

You Are a Pumpkin Latte

You are always up for a celebration. You are a very festive person.

You look forward to every holiday, and you are nostalgic for good times after they're over.

You appreciate the small things that make life special. You love little treats.

You often look at the world with childlike wonder. There's so much to enjoy!

What Flavor Latte Are You?

New math

2008-11-12T23:51:00.002-06:00

Can you tell me the result for this word problem....

What do you get when 1 US size 7.5 right foot acts as a speedbump for a 2006 Toy0ta Pr1us driver's side rear tire?

hmmm...? Can you?

lol...I can...

......sigh

Remember - it's in the eye of the beholder....

2008-11-10T23:06:00.002-06:00

I just stumbled across this website....made me smile.

warning: it may not sit well with everyone..... Si se puede...

'nuff said.

2008-11-10T00:24:00.000-06:00

Copy/forward/repost this sentence into your blog/email/whathaveyou if you're in a heterosexual marriage/relationship (or if you think you might be someday), and you don't want it "protected" by fools who think that gay marriage hurts it somehow.

A GOOD day!

2008-11-05T23:48:00.006-06:00

I knew it was going to be a good day when I woke up today.

Really.

I did.

For a couple of reasons...

1 - I knew I didn't have to talk my boss into letting me transfer.

2 - I knew I didn't have to pack up all my worldly possessions for the move...to Canada, that is.

But little did I know how good a day it really was going to be....

The icing on the cake.....

this.....

2008 Gingersnap Lattes are IN!!! Extra-hot, venti version, to be precise!

Yes - a little different from the Gingerbread lattes.... uses the same syrup - just with candied ginger on top, so by the time you finish the latte, there are nice little chunks of ginger in the bottom of the cup. YUMMY.

Just goes to prove - there really are many wonderful benefits of living here.... in addition to the other one today.

Glad to be back in blog-land.

Missed it.

A Long Time Ago....

2008-02-27T00:24:00.002-06:00

In a galaxy far, far away [queue music]...

There was a man and a woman. They had one beautiful little girl they loved very, very much, and they wanted another child so the family would have even more love and happiness.

They tried. And tried....and tried.

Finally, while living in a place worlds away from home....they found out that there was a little bundle of joy on the way.

A little skirmish/minor war broke out. For safety reasons, the woman and their little girl and bundle of joy were put on a plane and sent back to the US for safety reasons. No worries...Daddy will be home in plenty of time for the new delivery. Home by early March. Baby due in April.

All will be good....

February 27 rolls around. The woman feels sorta funny. Husband is still thousands of miles away. She is worried. Could this be it? It is really early...crap.

Sure enough. The bundle of joy has had enough and is ready to join the game! So at 1130 EST on February 27, nineteen sixty - ..um...something.... Their new little daughter arrives.

Very tiny. About 4 1/2 pounds. Lungs not developed. Prognosis very bad.

Telegram sent to the dh. Baby early. Send name so we can baptize just in case.

Dh sends telegram back - sending love and my name. (I got the telegrams when I turned 21- talk about cool)

Needless to say - it all worked out - baby girl grew up happy and healthy and surrounded by great family and super friends!

Thanks for being so strong mom. You did a great job holding down the fort way back then...till dad got back; a gal could not have asked for better parents - I don't know what I did in a previous life to have two such amazing parents this time around - but damm1t - thanks a million. (and thanks for putting up with me for all these years. Sorry about all the gray hairs I gave ya....)

Happy Birth-Anniversary to me! (my first portrait - dig the couch)

And this year's celebration got off to a special start on Tuesday night - met some friends for SnB night and was pleasantly surprised with some nifty prezzies and these gorgeous flowers from a dear friend!! Thanks buddy!

I will blog later this week about my recent trip.....with some very special travel companions.

Whip it...Whip it good

2008-02-06T22:10:00.000-06:00

Hopefully you got my nod to Devo.... (now that song is in my head...crap)

OK - it has not been the best week for me - just generally bleh.

But I have had a few rays of sunshine getting me through - Enid and Michelle! Thanks gang.

So...I have been trying to figure out what to get myself...My little ole 4GB ipod is just not big enough. I really want one of these....80 gigs of utilitarian music storage....they even have 160 gb...hmmmmm and video can be stored here too.....

but these are really tempting me.....32 gigs of yummy fun.....ooh...shiny.....pretty colors....

crap. I just don't know. - granted, the fact that the ipod classic is 1/2 the price is leaning me in a certain direction...ugh.............. if you have either - I would love your input. The goddess of all things ipod has given her input already. and yes...my partial music collection on the laptop is already 20gig...so I am guessing I have about 35 GB of music....not to mention all the movies I have....

Yeah - I know I am supposed to be posting something re food...right. ok - here it is. Because the week has been bleh...so has the kitchen.... but I still have something yummy for you to try...

Here is the tip to spice up your dips....

Add one of these

with this (the middle size)

and this (one envelope)

(sorry any vegans out there....)
mix well - and let it sit in fridge overnight.

The ham makes a nice addition to your run of the mill onion dip!! I made some for superbowl - yummmy.

(it was gone before pics could be taken)

Waxing Nostalgic...or should it be Knitting Nostalgic

2008-02-02T22:07:00.000-06:00

This is a very special day for me.

Back on this day in 1906, a very special person came into this world. She was here for 98 years. I lost the joy of having her around back in 2004 and have been missing her oh so much ever since.

She was Caroline....and she was my grandmother.

I learned many important things from her...

Be fearless - don't worry about getting hurt or scraping your knees. Despite what my mom wanted, the tomboy in me always came out - I wonder where I got it....? (hint - she is the one on top!)

Embrace who you really are; dance to the beat of your own drum - don't worry about what others think the 'norm' is. I wonder how much of a scandal this was when she brought it home....and boy was she a hottie!!!

Love fiercely and with all your heart - this was her lifelong sweetheart. I can only hope I will be as lucky....

Embrace all that life throws at you - you can handle anything that comes your way.

And the most important thing she taught me (and my father when he was a little boy).... the joy of playing with sticks and string!

Back when I was 11 or 12, I was smitten with a certain Brit - Tom Baker to be exact. Every Saturday, I would work in my dad's office as a receptionist and after we closed the office each week, we would go get Jack in the Box taco's and go home to watch Space 1999 and Dr Who. Well, I developed a crush on Dr Who and decided I needed a Dr Who-esque scarf....like this one....

So Caroline taught me to knit. And this was my first fo!

Pretty basic. 4 different yarns, 6.5 feet of stockinette stitch and ribbed edges. Damn good job weaving in the ends. Looking at it now, I actually did a damn good job. Even if it is acrylic.

Caroline was even better....here are some of her fo's:

A vest

A dress

A wrap

A cardigan

Are you getting the idea she liked cables?

No matter what I am making, every time I pick up the needles, I feel just a little closer to her and it makes me feel like she is here with me while I work on my wip.

Caroline - I cherish all the time I had with you .... and I still miss you every day.

Eye Candy Friday..and Ear Candy too!!!

2008-02-01T19:00:00.000-06:00

These are one of my fave listens from AZ. Before these guys hit the big time, I spent every Sunday night from 10p-130am with them at a little dive bar. Ahhh....Enjoy!

Contest - o - rama!!! And what it means to be me...

2008-01-31T20:08:00.000-06:00

First, stop over at A Few Stitches Short and My House of Wool for some wicked contests/giveaways! Mention I sent you - Please!!!

- late note - here are a few more -

La Verna needs thoughts of spring, The Spirit Trail is giving away cashmere (ugh...this dilutes my chances of winning - but for you, reader...sigh...it is worth it!), and put on your thinking caps for this one!!!

Second, I got this from Kent last night - sorta scary how close to the truth this hits....

What Mary S****** Means

You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated.
You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want.
You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way!

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.
You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive.
You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.
You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.
You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.
You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.
You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.
You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.
You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.
You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.
Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone.
You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together.
At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.
You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.
People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people.
You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts.
You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Whip it up Wednesday!!!

2008-01-30T20:41:00.001-06:00

This is a new feature for the blog...I hope you like it!!

Each Weds, I am going to highlight something yummy that I have 'whipped up' in the kitchen. And in most cases it will be pretty frugal in cost and time for prep.

Last week it was PIE, cherry PIE! This week it is a different kind of pie.

QUICHE! (pronounced kwichie- then it is not so frou-frou).

OK - so here is the recipe....(I cannot always promise a recipe)

1 box Pills#ury ready to make pie crust, thawed
1 pkg chorizo or sage breakfast sausage
1 1/2 c sharp cheddar cheese
1 c chopped onions (I used green onions today)
mushrooms (if you want - I was not in the mood today)
garlic powder (to taste)
paprika
4 eggs
1 c whole milk

Preheat oven to 450

Unroll one pie crust and put in pan. Tuck the extra crust under and smoosh the rim of the crust. Prick sides and bottom. Bake 10 min. Let pie crust cool.

While crust is baking, cook sausage. Drain. Let cool. Once cool, mix with the onions, cheese, garlic powder.

Spoon sausage mixture into pie crust. (if you have alot of meat - you can increase cheese and onions and make two quiches... and you will need to make another batch of egg/milk. I did that tonight...well, tried to - the 2nd crust sorta shrank during the pre-baking process - so it was a really small quiche - it still cooked for 50 min.)

Whip eggs and milk together (I use my La Machine - whipping for 45 seconds). Pour over mixture in crust. Lightly sprinkle paprika over egg/sausage mixture in crust (helps it to get nice and brown - did you know that is how to get your turkey really browned - use paprika all over it - sorry, I digress).

Bake for 50 min at 325. Let cool 10 min. Serve. Enjoy.

Here is the pretty quiche.... I was worried it would not turn out since the crust cracked and alot of the egg mixture seeped below the crust - but it worked out fine!!

Here is the side view - see the egg against the pie pan...

Here is the sad little one I made for my dinner.

Total cost - approx $9.00 for two quiches...
Chorizo $2.00, 6 eggs 1.09, 1 bunch green onions .63, crusts 2.29, milk 1.00, cheese 2.00.
Prep time was about 45 min for cooking sausage and mixing etc. 50 min baking time.

ENJOY - I hope you like the new feature!!!

I IS SMART?

2008-01-27T23:24:00.000-06:00

Thanks Janna - nice to know that diploma from Trinity is still good... :) I don't want to think how long it has been since high school...ugh - hint - 20 yr college reunion is this year....EEK!!

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

You paid attention during 91% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

On the film front - saw two good musicals this weekend - Dreamgirls and Hairspray. One of my buds could not believe I still had not seen Dreamgirls - knowing how I love music. He tied me down in front of the screen and forced me to spend some quality time with music..I have to say I really liked the music!!!! ...and the ipod has been updated with the film and broadway soundtracks for Dreamgirls - thanks for the loan buddy!

How Freaky Is THIS?!?

2008-01-24T22:19:00.000-06:00

SO - I get the comment from Bezzie on yesterday's blog, mentioning that she thought this week was National Pie Week.

Not only is it this week....National Pie Day - was YESTERDAY.

Freaky, huh?

Guess that is why I was moved to make a pie....and I am especially pleased since I invited a friend over for some late night pie and sent some home for their other half...AND I sent 1/2 a pie home to the 'rents today as well.....

for your perusal.....text in purple is how I participated..!

Perform Random Acts of Pieness

and Celebrate National Pie Day on January 23

Share pie. Whether you make or buy pie, share it. By its very nature, pie is meant to be eaten with others.

Pay it forward. Hand out pie slices to strangers and encourage them to do the same for others. It could spread the peace on earth and goodwill to mankind that we all hope for.

Be a good Samaritan. Buy an extra pie at your local grocery store and give it to the person behind you in line. You may just change their life!

Reach out to new neighbors you haven’t met and bring them some pecan pie – it says your thoughtful. Stay awhile to get to know each other over pie and fill them in on the neighborhood.

Indulge your co-workers. Bring some pie to work – you’ll create a lot of good rapport and maybe even get a raise.

Surprise your significant other at work and bring him or her a pie to share with their coworkers.

Say thank you. Know a special someone who deserves some thanks? Maybe it’s a friend who did you a favor, your child’s teacher or your postal worker. What better way to say thanks than with a warm hug wrapped in a delicious crust?

Got a crush? Invite the “apple pie of your eye” for some pie and get to know each other better. But make it chocolate – most Americans believe it’s the most romantic pie. Before long, you may be calling each other “sweetie pie.”

Delight your family. Share the love and share your favorite memories together over a warm, fresh pie. Have older family members talk about the history behind the family favorites. Start a new tradition and publish pie memories and recipes, then send them to family members.

Spend time with your kids and make a pie together. Let them pick their favorite pie and show them how it’s done. They’ll be proud of their creation and have fond memories of you as the best parent ever for years to come!

Get caught up with friends and invite them over for some afternoon pumpkin pie. You can dish on all their latest news.

Throw a pie potluck get-together. Have everyone bring their favorite pie and exchange recipes. We’ve heard of events where more than 100 folks come with 100 pies. Have a contest to see who can come up with the most pie songs. The winning prize? A pie!

Hold a charity pie-throwing or pie-eating contest or a pie auction. You can donate the proceeds to your local community food bank.

Hold a pie-making contest. Invite the best pie makers in town to compete for prizes in various categories. Ask cooking teachers, pastry chefs and pie lovers to be judges. Be sure the kids are involved – you can include pie poetry and pie art contests for them.

Register for the 2008 American Pie Council (APC)/Crisco National Pie Championships

Eat pie. Whether you make it yourself, buy it at a supermarket or bakery or order it at a restaurant, perform a random act of pieness on yourself and enjoy some pie on National Pie Day – it’s great with lunch, dinner or as a late-night snack.

sniff...

2008-01-23T22:42:00.000-06:00

I was shocked last night when my friends mentioned that Heath Ledger died yesterday. I kept waiting to have someone say - 'Kidding!' nope.

I knit many rows on the Candlelight last night over several pints of New Belgium's 2 below Winter Ale (to Heath's memory)...and enjoyed some great company (and got a mini shoulder rub too!!!)

I keep thinking of when I first saw him - 10 Things I Hate About You...yum. Then there was A Knight's Tale.

Sigh.

I am looking forward to The Dark Knight and seeing how he is as The Joker.

So what does a gal do....

SHE BAKES PIE !!!!!!

I made the following masterpiece and a friend came over to have some with me - hot out of the oven...YUMMY....

WE WON!!

2008-01-20T21:34:00.000-06:00

No...not talkin' football here. Nope. Since my 'boy's lost last weekend, I sorta lost interest.

I am referring to regaining some of my childhood. I won on Ebay.

Yup.

Ebay.

I won this:

And this...

Which both go really well with the two copies of this that I got last week.

I also saw this today - who knew my special secret crush could sing so well... I think the border's gift card in my wallet has found it's purpose in life. I see new music in my future!

Where oh where have I been...?

2008-01-16T21:57:00.001-06:00

Writing up annual reviews for my team....

But I have been knitting too!

First, here are some photos of the crapotis cap calamity ...

Here you can see how nice it looks with the dropped ladders

Here you can see how nicely I seamed it up - notice how the ladders meet at the seam! I am very proud how it turned out.

Now you can see why it was a calamity vs. a completion. It is now in hibernation.

'Nuff said.

Now that I have fessed up to the first fo that was f'd up, on to the next project. Yup. I got right back up on that horse! Sorta fitting since the rodeo is coming to town in two weeks.

Anyhoo - I decided to cast on Sunday night the Candleflame shawl by Dean.... It is a nice, easy knit - once you get past the set-up rows (1-20), it is a nice 10 row repeat which is VERY intuitive! For me to not need the pattern, it has to be easy. I am using Malabrigo Worsted in Color 117 Verde Adriana (kettle dyed solid) that I picked up in Austin at the Knitting Nest

Here is what I have done since Sunday....keep in mind - no knitting last night or tonight...so it is really what I have done Sunday - Tues...

You may be thinking what the heck is that little thing on the right - one of Tigger's friends decided that they wanted to help....especially since I am using my new KP Harmony needles that I got for Christmas!!!

Here is a closeup....aren't they both beautiful? (the knitting and the needles, that is?)

I will not be discouraged

2008-01-12T21:04:00.000-06:00

That is one thing I will focus on this year....

I was giddy that I almost finished a new project in one week already this year - I cast on for the Crapotis Hat...and I think I jinxed it with the nickname... I quickly tore through the body of the cap - quite a quick knit when I put my mind to it.....especially after knitting the Crapotis itself.

Anyhoo - I got the body finished yesterday, dropped the stitches and stitched up the two ends together. I even got the ladders to match!! (all this while on the plane home yesterday from business trip to Maryland...no snow...only cool temps and rain...)

Then the moment of truth - I pulled it on my head...and it slunk over the forehead.

hmmm...not sure what the fate will be of this wip. All I know is that it has gone into hibernation for now and I am thinking about casting on my candleflame shawl.

Waiting for a friend to arrive - moving from Kansas City MO and is driving in as I type this....Last update was from outside Oklahoma City.

More later -

Knit on~

Where did the time go?

2008-01-05T23:41:00.000-06:00

Wow. The last time I was here, I was not here.

Odd I know. But true....

The last time I was blogging, I was in Santa Fe, NM.

One of my favorite places to go and visit. I know the city really well (which helped when driving through some massive snow sessions while I was there this time), have an amazing spa to visit and am pretty good friends with the manager of the place I stay (you know it is bad when he is sitting at the front waiting for you to check in ...and greets you with a hug.)

Anyhoo - I got loads of rest - drank lots of coffee - knitted a lot of yarn and thoroughly LOVED the snow! Here are a few of my favorite shots....

This is from the Lensic Performing Arts Center - a very picturesque old theater just outside the main Plaza area in downtown SF... I have a pic of these guys in the summer on my wall - thought a snowy version would be good.

Next up - I was walking around downtown and saw this - if you look closely, you can see the snow flurries! God, I love snow.

Mom was SUCH a trooper, she joined me in tromping around the plaza after dinner at the Plaza Cafe one night - I got these two shots.... the lights were amazing! And I loved the couple walking arm in arm in the sepia one....

And last, but not least - while driving back to our diggs that night, the guy driving us back to the resort stopped in the middle of the road and told me to jump out to get this photo - he rocked!

More soon on the end of year festivities and my fiber-related resolution for 2008.

Toto...We're not in Texas anymore.....

2007-12-11T23:11:00.000-06:00

I must have been really, REALLY good this year in Santa's eyes.... I got my Christmas wish extra early!!!

SNOW!!!!

People told me yesterday afternoon it would not happen...hmmmm

Here is what I had at 5pm....

And here is what I had when I got up this morning - I woke at 720am to the sound of snowplows - I forgot to close the window last night...it was chilly in the room! But I got over the crankiness of being awoken so horribly by the plows when I saw the white fluffy goodness -

You cannot see the waves and waves of snow pouring down....but they are there!

And remember my new hat I knit.....left it on the balcony railing for 15 seconds... and got this!!!

Needless to say - I am not in Texas - I am on vacation!!!

Gotta go play more in the snow - more tomorrow - maybe - loading these photos took freakin forever on the wireless connection in the lobby of my timeshare...no promises.....

Forecast is for 4-6 more inches of snow tonight. Snow. Glorious snow.

Think Santa is gonna get me a tripod tomorrow too!!!! Whoo Hoo!

Have a good week if I cannot get loaded - I will post this weekend!

Still queasy....

2007-12-04T22:33:00.000-06:00

Yeah - I know - it should be better - working and fighting this thing is not as easy as I had hoped - had solid food tonight - lets see how it goes...

Sunday, one of Santa's elves has already let me know that one of the items I wanted for Christmas is coming my way...the KP Harmony Options tips set!~! WOW!!! (Thanks again Santa's helper - you shouldn't but I love them already!!!!!)

Anyhoo - I was surfing Ebay again - and YES!! I won the holiday gift(s) I was hoping for - SQUEEEEEEE~~~ And I hope the recipients are happily surprised..I even scored one item in a previously unknown/unseen color! Yeah - being cryptic, I know...but they may read this - so hmmm....who could it be......

So I was surfing....back to the story - I lost all my childhood memories in a car accident - (long story for another time) and I saw something that I remembered my dad reading to me - Welcome to Upsy Downsy Land.... Do you remember this?

I remember my dad reading me this - a story about dandelion seeds that go flying to earth - the ones that go through a rainbow end up landing right-side-up - the upsy's; those going through a storm cloud end up landing upside-down. And in the story book, the writing for the 'downsy's' is published upside-down! So when dad would come across that part of the book, he would talk in gobbledy-gook! (yes, I rhymed). And when he did - I would CRACK UP! My dad, the doctor...mr serious - being silly ....for me.... it still makes me smile.

Do you remember this? They even had games and figurines!!!

Ahh - a walk down memory lane!

Anyhoo - I am going to see if I can find this - and WIN it.....maybe Santa can find one for me - or some of the figurines....

Eye candy on Sunday.... off to see the wizard

2007-12-02T22:55:00.000-06:00

Despite a mild case of food poisoning - I had a quiet evening tonight - knitted objects to be shared later this week - started a quick giftie for a friend moving to Oregon...sniff...

Anyhoo - check out the eye candy I watched from the sickbed....

Tin Man, based on L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a sci-fi channel mini series launched tonight at 9pm EST/8pm CST. All the parts and pieces from the original story that you know by heart are here, but everything has been ‘updated’ in a way. You’ve still got the Wizard, played by Richard Dreyfus, who appears to be outcast or captured in some manner. The scarecrow (Glitch) is back, played by Alan Cumming, but as a man looking for the other half of his brain which was removed. You also have the Tin Man (hence the title - named Cain)- played by Neil Mc Donough. Dorothy, played by Zooey Deschanel, now goes by DG as she looks for the ‘brick route’. And 90210 fans will be happy to see Kathleen Robertson in the role of the Wicked Witch - Azkedellia. Okay, you get the point. Watch it! Two more installments Monday and Tues night!

Check out the trailer below and some mini-infomercials - then tune in for the replay of part one tomorrow night at 7pmEST/6pm CST on the Sci Fi Channel (Part Two follows immediately after). Have fun!

FO FOr Me!

2007-12-02T16:35:00.000-06:00

Squee....

I finished my first hat for myself!!

It matches my short row scarf and fetchings....mmmmm

Details -
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden just shy of 1 skein
Needles: KnitPicks Options US8, 16" cord & Bryspun Bry-Flex dpn's US8
Pattern: Kim's Hats from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Notes: Started 11/24. Finished 12/1. Quick and easy knit - it really took me only 4 sittings...I could have done it in 2 days if I had kept to it!

Fits like a dream! Love the rolled brim - can be worn low or high....

TGIF

2007-11-30T22:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks when you think WOW - at the end.

Not mentioning details - but this was one week I started at one end of the emotional spectrum - and ended it at the other end.

It was a crazy-busy week - 12 - 14 hour days at the office - man was it worth it!

This weekend will be my reward for a week well spent. Have my eye on two things on Eb*y - one for me, one for a holiday gift - wish me luck - I love the hunt!!! 3hr 38 min left for my item....15hr 55min left on the gift....ooh - I cannot stand it -

Gotta run - House calls!

Thursday eye candy

2007-11-29T22:11:00.000-06:00

HOLD THE PRESSES~!!!

2007-11-28T22:11:00.000-06:00

NEW AND FAB movie added to the Holiday list -

I literally just got home from seeing what is a great holiday movie - some chuckles and some 'aww's' and some sniffles -

...

wait for it.....

wanna know?

Fred Claus. It was funny, endearing, cute, sarcastic and all around a good holiday movie! Go see it. I think I want to see it again!

Holiday faves

2007-11-27T22:48:00.000-06:00

Amy asked on her post today - what are some of our fave holiday ads and movies - here goes:

All time fave movie - The Bishop's Wife. Cary Grant, David Niven, Loretta Young, Monty Wooley and James Gleason. Cary Grant plays an angel sent to help David Niven's character find guidance he needs - and it isn't necessarily the guidance he is hoping for.... bad angel...all I have to say. You may have seen the remake - The Preacher's Wife - with Denzel and Whitney - a good flick - just not better than the original....

Another good holiday movie is A Charlie Brown Christmas - the music and characters always make me smile - I even have the soundtrack!

Another one on my list...The Muppet Christmas Carol - CLASSIC!

And one my friend Bob (vacation buddy earlier this year) helped me add to the list - Die Hard. It IS a Christmas time movie, after all!!!

There you have some of my faves - yeah - White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Miracle on 34th, Nightmare Before Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas are all on the list....just not the top 4.

Well- there is one more series to add to the list - The Lord of the Rings trilogy!! Every Christmas morning - Bob and I would get up early and be there when the theaters opened...while others were at services, Bob and I (and a few other regulars) would be at the theater celebrating the holiday together - then going home to start the preparations of our roast beast. To this day - I never get tired of watching any of these movies... I miss the anticipation and excitement of getting a new installment of the series each Christmas. ...and I miss Bob.

Sense of impending....

2007-11-25T23:08:00.000-06:00

...something...

The last day of vacation. Ugh. On the bright side, I only have two weeks before I go on vacation again.

Still.

It was hard to get up this morning. And I know I was not the only one. Amy had the same issues too! But the sweet smell of Dunkin Donuts cinnamon coffee perking got me moving in the right direction.

Luckily, I am still making positive progress on the downward trending on the scale. Whoo hoo!

Spent the afternoon with Michelle and family! Her mom made a FANTASTIC dinner and we watched some TV and got some knitting done! Plus I got to play with 2pac - the cutest kitten! And he has a gorgeous black and white big bro as well!

And just like Amy - I am cranking my new, super secret wip out of Noro Silk Garden. I am even using Color 37!! Amy - I have been in love with this yarn in this color for the last year. I thought 37 was discontinued - where did you get yours? Luckily, I still have about 5 skeins left...so far I have done a pair of non-matching fetching for myself and a short-row curvy scarf. Plus the super secret project - I am about 1/3 of the way done already.

And thanks go out to Michelle and her mom (again!) - I found a 16"cord when I got home and switched to Knit Picks Options circ's. MUCH easier than the dpns I was fighting with earlier today~!~

Santa - please put these on my list this year!

OK - gotta go hit the hay to get ready for re-entry tomorrow am!

Nice mindless day...

2007-11-25T01:33:00.000-06:00

Today was a good day -

Spent time with the 'rents ...shopping with mom - yarn, bread, pastries, more yarn...followed by brunner (combo of brunch and dinner) of french toast (made with fresh sourdough bread bought earlier in the day....from Panera, of course)....then some quality time with Michelle - more shopping...catching up on tv and other stuff...and knitting!!

Cannot wait to finish my new project - yes I cast on something new - but with the really cold weather - I discovered that the attire I own for my head is lacking.....and the sweater I was working on may not fit pretty soon - so it will most likely get frogged later this week..then re-cast on (is that a word?).

Anyhoo - nice relaxing day - looking forward to tomorrow....who knows what will happen...hmmm

Monopoly!

2007-11-24T01:11:00.000-06:00

I had a total BLAST playing monopoly tonight ... When was the last time you played a board game with friends???

I dare you.

I double dog dare you!

It was way too much fun!

p.s. Enid is a total Monopoly SHARK!!! The gauntlet has been thrown - I know I can take her at UNO.....hmmmm heh heh heh

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T23:43:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for so much in my life - my friends, family, job, puppy....and so much more. I am so lucky to have such great friends who understand me and the things I am addicted to..I mean.... like to do.

I had a fab day with the clan today....The home made stuffing & bourbon mashed sweet potatoes with pecans and marshmallows were great; the turkey was amazingly moist; the punkin pie was FAB.....and I got a wild hair this a.m. and decided I needed to make these rosemary cheddar proscuitto biscuits - they were definitely the hit of the morning with some streudel coffee that Rachel sent me for the coffee swap - YUM!!

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

The Magic of Creating

2007-11-21T22:54:00.000-06:00

I love knitting b/c it is almost magical - taking sticks and string and coming up with something warm to use or wear.

Cooking is the same thing for me - you can start with items like this:

And end up with this!

YUMMMM

Then I made a sausauge, onion & cheese quiche for dinner - FAB!

Baking season has begun!

Amazing Coffee Swap Batman!!

2007-11-19T23:13:00.000-06:00

Wow!

My secret pal Rachel TOTALLY spoiled me!! I cannot believe how amazing the box of goodies I got tonight were - I have enjoyed talking with her and getting to know her through emails and her blog - well - she REALLY got to know me....

I opened my box and the first thing I see.... This amazing little sheep! ITS A BUTTON - his legs move too!!! Too cute!

Then the warning not to read further if I like surprises - so the card gets placed to the side for now...

The top package is carefully unwrapped to uncover a hand-crocheted mini wall hanging - of a sheep!! And it is softer than you can imagine! I thought it looked familiar - it is from the new Knit Simple magazine - one of the panels of this amazing afghan (which I did covet from afar... who knew I would get my own little lamb?) I adore her! And she is perfect...
(I have the issue of KS Rachel...thanks for thinking of me! )

The box is still chock-full-o-goodies as you can see -

And the little gauze bag catches my attention next - WOW - stitchmarkers

...and HOMEMADE Ginger Snaps!!!!!!!! (with the little sheep button lurking...) I cannot wait to try the cookies - probably Weds am to celebrate the start of my vacation!! They smell delish!

A candle....it matches the sage color in my den!!

Yummy coffee comes next! (The little button sheep is hanging out with all the goodies)

Then - magnets for my fridge - not just any magnets -- but magnets of MY ARTWORK!(and the Coffee Swap 3 Logos!)! Are you kidding me? How cool is that? I LOVE IT!!! - and nifty stripey magnet/memo pad for the fridge too!

MORE handmade goodies - coasters that match the sage of my den PERFECTLY!! and a scrapbook to log some memories and a little Tinker Bell bag (how the heck did she know)!

And in the Tink bag....CHOCOLATE~~~ need I say more?

And last, but most certainly not least by any stretch of the mind...some gorgeous alpaca silk blend in a solid and a variegated (Rachel noticed almost everything I have done is variegated) and an equally gorgeous skein of wool - with a pattern for felted coffee cozies....hmmmmm

Rachel - I cannot thank you enough - I can only hope that you will enjoy the goodies I got for you even half as much as I like my goodies! I can honestly share that I am thankful for my new friend who spent alot of time and thought on this!

Friday Eye Candy

2007-11-16T22:48:00.000-06:00

Dinner tonight at PF Changs - great dinner - with my 'rents and the sister! It was great seeing her - cannot wait till vaca with her in Feb!

Any hoo - here is your Friday Eye Candy - no pics of dinner....but a pic from dinner...look at it small - sorta fuzzy big - will have to go and try to get another one....

Fiber, Fest & Flavor! Pt 3 of 3!!

2007-11-15T20:26:00.000-06:00

As promised - more pics from this weekend.

When I last saw you, dear reader, I was telling you about all the fab people who were at the Kid N Ewe event. You have seen the spoils of my plundering....what is left?

Ahh...fret not - there is still more - the weekend was filled with fun...

Sunday I went to Wurstfest in New Braunfels. There was singing, dancing, music and food!

The singing was by the New Braunfels Kinderchor - (you thought it was me?)

Dancing was done by the Kinder Tanzer (again - not me!)

Music was by The New Braunfels Village Brass Band (they were amazing!!)...

and what would a German Wurstfest be without accordion music??? And lots of oma's and opa's singing and drinking beer?

And some spectacular curly spinny things....

And the food was great - no pics - sorry - but the funnel cake, wurst and beer rocked! I had a blast! The company was not bad either!

More pics tomorrow of some of the more artistic views from Kid N Ewe.

And my box for my coffee swap partner goes out in the post in the am!

This is only a test

2007-11-14T23:15:00.000-06:00

I know I promised part 3 for tonight - but this posting has been pre-empted by a dinner with my CEO - he came to visit our site and I was hijacked to attend a fabulous dinner at Antler's at Hyatt Hill Country Resort.

The meal was amazing - I had the Sea Bass...with succotash - I ate lima's and they were good!! Jalapeno bacon wrapped scallops and a fresh salsa for appetizers and a house salad. With some of the house merlot.

This foodie was in heaven.

And the discussion was fabulous! A wonderful time was had by all. I am looking forward to our meeting tomorrow.

More on last weekend's events tomorrow.

TTFN

Fiber, Fest & Flavor! Pt 2 of 3!!

2007-11-13T18:49:00.000-06:00

As promised - pics of all the people at Kid N Ewe!

Chris petting yarn at Amanda's shop - boy is she happy!

Amanda, me, David and Chris!

Brenda as she is arriving to bldg 2!

Jodi and Linda (Janna's Sis) with Starbucks in Hand!!

Amanda and Kim - all smiles!

Juanita as she shops Amanda's booth.

Amy and David - Amy was taking a brief retail therapy break and David was secretly celebrating his birth-anniversary!

Nhel was spotted on Friday and Saturday!

Fiber, Fest & Flavor! Pt 1 of 3!!

2007-11-12T19:34:00.000-06:00

So - lots of activity in the last few days -

First and foremost - Kid N Ewe. Wow. Fiber everywhere...and alot of it made it home with me... still don't know if that is a good thing or not. Here are some of my pretties.... BROOKS FARM!!!!

From left to right. Mas Acero - for cardigan for me. Primero - dunno what it will be yet. Fourplay - for a Crapotis. Fourplay - crapotis. Acero - sox.

Next up.....

Plain & Fancy Sheep and Wool Co. From Henderson, TX - FAB yarn! Reasonable prices. I even bought some solid colors - someone recently pointed out I do mostly variegated work..hmmm I guess I do.

The solid colors will end up being fingerless glove/mitten combo for moi...to match My So
Called Scarf...

And last, but not least - my new drop spindle - isn't she pretty - Texas Ebony..

Tomorrow - pics of the people at the Fiber fest - then pics of Wurstfest on Weds!

Wurst day of the week.

2007-11-11T12:20:00.000-06:00

OK - so I fell asleep whild doing my post last night...oops.

More pics later tonight and tomorrow from Kid N Ewe. Lots of fibery goodness - and I have taken the first step to becoming a spinner...eek! I now own a drop spindle from Wyatt's wheels!

Heading out for some Bratwurst and german music today -

More later!

FIBERRRRRR!

2007-11-09T22:19:00.000-06:00

Today kicked off the 3 day event - Kid N Ewe in Boerne.

Amanda's booth is rockin' with fabulous fiber-goodness.

Here is my score from her booth!

First - Roving - Burning Autumn is the color - 100% wool.

Second - a project bag - both the interior and exterior fabric rocks!!

Stop by and check out her stuff! Before someone else gets it.....

More pics tomorrow of the event and my stash enhancement!

More to be Thankful for....

2007-11-08T22:52:00.000-06:00

My friend Michelle - she keeps me sane. Listens to all my stuff...never judges...always cares...

My friend Amy....she shared that GINGERBREAD LATTES are HERE NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend Enid is fine and recovering!!!!

My work week is officially OVER!

I am spending the weekend surrounded by fiber.

Brownie goodness is still a skill for me - here they are in all their glory. They are going to be going to Kid N Ewe with me!

To quote one of my favorite singers - Jamie Cullum - in his song Photograph....

It's just another story caught up in another photograph I found.
and it seems like another person lived that life a great many years ago from now,
When I look back on my ordinary, ordinary life,
I see so much magic, though I missed it at the time.

I am taking the time to make sure I am not missing it now.

Here - you can hear him sing it for yourself!!! (Embedding was disabled - so you have to click on the link - trust me - worth it - this is the best version!!!!!!!!)

It's beginning to look alot like...

2007-11-07T23:05:00.000-06:00

Nope.

I can't say it.

I WON'T say it.

Remember the good ole days?

Tonight I have seen no less than 5 commercials for that holiday with a jolly old elf. [see - I still cannot bring myself to say the holiday yet.]

I was taught that the 'C' season did not begin before the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ended and that guy dressed in fur from his head to his foot, his clothes all tarnished with ashes and soot- shows up.

Thats THE RULE!

But NOW - you walk into stores before Halloween, and there is all the stuff...the trees, the lights the candy???? Who wants candy that is over 2 months old? Methinks that it is all getting more and more commercial.

Where is the good old days?

There you have my rant for the day. What do you think?

Should there be rules or no?

TGFB

2007-11-06T22:37:00.000-06:00

Thank God for BEER. After a day like today - I am thankful there is a wonderful blend of hops and water that just makes the day seem better. That and good friends to enjoy it with.

Tomorrow will be better.

It will.

Make new friends, but keep the old...

2007-11-05T22:03:00.001-06:00

One is silver and the other's gold. So goes the song that I learned when I was in Girl Scouts.... It was sorta corny at the time (as we sang it in rounds).

Just before I went to AZ, I decided to see if I could find one of my friends that I used to hang out with - we were virtually inseparable. We did pottery together for eight years, worked for competing financial institutions and went to movies and plays and museums all the time. When I moved to TX, we lost touch. And I always missed her.

Well.

I was lucky enough to be able to find her brother, who forwarded all my info to her and we connected! We talked several times during the week I was there for an offsite meeting. Friday we met (at Joes - yummmm see below) for dinner and we stayed up almost all night! 4am we fell asleep watching a movie and then up at 630 to go to the BEST little dive for breakfast - Carolina's - and then to the airport so I could fly home.

I wish I had more time to spend with my friend - I cannot wait to see her again! We had so much fun..Here we are after dinner getting some FABULOUS gelato at a little mom-n-pop store...

November

2007-11-04T23:11:00.000-06:00

Is a time for thankfulness...or so my manager says.

I am thankful for my friends - they are the best group of people - supportive when I need, challenge me to do things I don't think I can (but I always seem to be able to when I try it) and get me out of my shell. - thanks guys...

I am also thankful for my family and my Tigger - she has been velcro puppy all day today - she truly seems happy that I am home....

Dorothy was right.

Call Me Dorothy

2007-11-03T22:42:00.000-05:00

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I am HOME!! I am not the only one who is glad that I am finally home!

Can you guess who else is?

Friday Eye Candy - & - "It's a Dry Heat"...yeah right.

2007-11-03T01:23:00.000-05:00

Lets start with the Eye Candy....before and after versions!

OMG....

The locale is Joe's Real BBQ in Gilbert, AZ. They make HOMEMADE rootbeer! 3 glasses were consumed by yours truly. Brisket with mac and cheese. The potatoes were sacrificed to the hunger of my pottery buddy Cindy who I had not seen in at least 5 years. And the food at Joe's was FABULOUS! Snaps out to my cousin Lee and family - they treated us to dinner!

The evening was cool because it was like Cindy and I had seen each other just yesterday. We were up alll night talking - only after she took me for some evil gelato - pics to follow once I get home.

And what is this crap about it being a dry heat? My skin cannot take it - I had my hand split open this morning and started bleeding. FOR NO GOOD REASON!!!! I have been drinking water faster than I can...well, you know...(sorry tmi) and slathering on lotion - but noooo. I still have my skin split on me. Time for me to split this dry town and get back to some humidity!! It's November for $#$*# sake - and it is over 90 degrees. And these weirdos are puttin on sweaters - what is up with that? There is something wrong with the water if you ask me. They are giddy with this 'fall' weather. BAH. BYE. I am taking my yarn and going home.

Talk to y'all tomorrow. From TX!!!

The Mojo is Baa baa... Baaack!

2007-11-01T22:14:00.000-05:00

Yes - I had lost it - my little lambz weren't the only thing lost. There was no knitting mojo. I don't know if it was work stress (significant at times), home stress (no big stress I can think of), 'lack of pie' stress (keep reading) or ... knitting stress.

I know - hard to believe it - but there was definitely some knitting stress lately.

really.

no - seriously.

See - I was trying to crank through my first sweater - and was doing pretty well... until... I had a bad pie experience (the kind where you dream of pie - then think you are getting primo pie, then end up not getting it) - but I was dealing - I was gonna sit and knit on my sweater while the others ate - it would be fine.... So I pull it out - and start to knit......things are going swimmingly - and then..... it happened.

I am using Brooks Farm Riata for the sweater. Not cheap. You would not expect to see a KNOT in the yarn - and not even in the middle - but 2/3 of the way through. You gotta be kidding me. AND it would be in the front of the sweater.

I decided to just fold up the sweater and put it back in the baggie. Haven't touched it since.

That was not the end of the knitting stress...nope. I picked up my crapotis - thinking I could finish it for my trip to AZ - NOOOO. wrong.

I took it with me to a local pub for SNB night...to crank some out. Took an additional set of US8 needles since I pulled them off the crapotis to get the sweater going. I should have known...bad ju ju on the sweater....bad ju ju on the crapotis....

So I sit down and try to unscrew the little cap things off the Knit Pick Options cable to then add the needles - nope. Can't get it off. Several others try, to no avail. [editors note: for those of you who are faint of heart - it doesn't get much better].

So enter David. If anyone can get the caps off - he can.... So he tries to twist them off - thinking I was just being a girl. hmmm. twist. Twist... TWIST.

NADA.

Then he gets a coaster and a rubber band to get more grip....twist... Twist TWI..uh oh.

The metal flange pulls off the cable...and won't go back on. ARRRGGGHHHH.

So - no knitting on the crapotis. Good thing I had a Young's Double Chocolate Stout in front of me. And the ability to get more delivered to me with little/no effort. (I won't even go into the fact that when I tried to change to the 40" cable, the join was not a good one - so that cable has to be replaced too....ugh)...nor will I mention how many stouts were sacrificed to the knitting deities that night.

The good news in all this is that I called Knit Picks and they are sending me replacement cables - should be in the mailbox by Saturday. More to follow on the crapotis saga.

The good news is that I picked up a stalled project and it is ALMOST 1/2 done already!! I still got it!

More to follow - tomorrow! It is NaBloPoMo! Daily updates - no promise re daily pics...gotta run!

Fake Rhinebeck

2007-10-29T22:40:00.000-05:00

So - I have fallen in love with this Manos Del Uruguay - Color 113 - Wildflowers - Knitting it up into My So Called Scarf.

Next in my 'haul' is some Mountain Colors Bearfoot yarn - in colors Elderberry (left) and Purple Mountain (right) - it will end up being a chevron scarf!

Finally we have some Mountain Colors Mountain Goat - Painted Rocks color - discontinued, but I absconded with 3 skeins!! It is well on it's way to becoming an entrelac scarf!

Not a bad haul - huh??

Coffee, Fiber, Music - all addictions...

2007-10-12T19:32:00.001-05:00

Hi - My name is Mary. I am an addict. (I can hear you all saying "Hi Mary!") I know the first step is admitting I have a problem - but I don't know if I can call it a problem...but I do know they are addictions....Anyhoo - this post will share some of my favorite and most recent addictions...

Coffee. Java. Joe. Mud. Love it morning, afternoon and night. So much so that when I heard about something that combines Coffee and one of my other additions (yarn) I had to join! I am a member of the Knitters' Coffee Swap 3!! I wanted to get my answers onto the blog asap for my new pal Rachel. So without further ado - here we go!

1. Whole bean or ground? Whole bean – I grind my beans as I brew them – it’s the whole experience – the sound of the beans, the feel of the grinder in my hand, to the smell of the freshly ground coffee – unless I am taking it to the office – but I am gonna hoard my goodies from my partner for myself!
2. Fully-loaded or decaf? Fully Loaded, of course.
3. Regular or flavored? Either.
4. How do you drink your coffee? Creamer and splenda
5. Favorite coffee ever? Gingerbread flavored (a new seasonal special at Candlelight - great news since S***bucks doesn't have the G-B Lattes till November...) and Mochas. One of my two favorite local coffee house has this concoction – chocolate orange sunrise – omg is it great.
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? Not too fussy..but it has to be good…
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? Rice krispy treats, snickerdoodle or dark chocolate chip cookies, dark chocolate all by itself. Lately I have been jonesin for a good slice of pie..hmmmm
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? Only that if it is supposed to be hot - I want it HOT. Steaming Hot. If you have other questions - just ask.
9. Yarn/fiber you love? Mountain Colors’ Mountain Goat, Brooks’ Farm Fourplay, Wool/silk blend, merino wool (they are all natural fibers, soft & non scratchy)
10. Yarn/fiber you hate? Novelty yarn – I got a bit out of control when starting into knitting and my stash is overflowing with lots of novelty yarns
11. What's on your needles? My first sweater – Bombshell from Big Girl Knits, Clapotis from Knitty, Entrelac scarf, Market Squares Entrelac bag, My So Called Scarf,
12. Favorite colors? Jewel tones – Purple, Green, Teal, Orange, Pink
13. Allergies? Cloves!
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? No – this is one to leave alone – no need to get me on a soapbox….

That is enough about the Coffee - and a good start on the YARN....Here are some pics of my wips!

First - My entrelac scarf - Mountain Colors Painted Rocks Colorway (I am totally bummed that the color is discontinued - but I have stocked up!!)

Next - my Crapotis....LL's Lion and Lamb - Watercolor colorway, Knitpicks Options size 8 - I am about 1/2 way - 7 repeats of the straight rows here - and almost 2 skeins used. I am loving these colors!

Finally!!! Bombshell, from Big Girl Knits - Brooks' Farm Riata on Knitpicks Options size 8....(next time I will use Fourplay - no mohair)

And for my final obsession of the night...MUSIC!! - I found Girls and Boys! The Ingrid Michaelson album. I love all the songs - My faves are The Hat (see below for a free listen - I knew I liked her - she KNITS!!), Overboard and The Way I Am. Check it out - It's available at Borders!!! Support indie musicians!

More later this weekend. I am going to go catch Elizabeth: The Golden Years...mmm movies the other obsession!

Tag - You're It!

2007-10-01T21:30:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by Michelle ....so here goes - I get share with you a relevant fact starting with each letter of my name...then I will tag 4 of you for this!!! Here goes nothing!

M - This one has to be Music/Movies. For as long as I can remember** I have been madly obsessed with both... anyway, I have music on almost all the time - anything from Mozart to Tori Amos to The Refreshments to Del Amitri to my new fave - Ingrid Michaelson - check it out below... and Movies...I own an obscene amount of movies too -classics, modern classics, musicals (duh), romances, horror, suspense..I can't get enough and I love em all! (and I'm almost always game to go catch a new one at the theater...!! No butter on the popcorn please!)

(**which isn't as long as you may think - that is a story for another day...)

A - I love me my lil' animals. No, not bugs - my pets! I love my Tigger! I just cannot imagine coming home and not hearing the pitter patter of four little feet coming to greet me. That's it. Plain and simple! (and yes - I love all other animals too!)

R - Romantic. As in hopeless... Don't get me wrong - I am all over women's lib, emancipation, chivalry that works both ways etc....but I am a sucker for romance. And it really isn't the broad sweeping gestures - it's the little things - a dozen daisies b/c I failed a test (it really happened!), a song dedicated to you on your favorite radio station or even doing someone else's chores because they had a bad day.... I think it's the concept that love can conquer all - and seeing my folks' success over the last 50 years...I know it can...

Y - do I really need to say it?
.
.
.
.
.
ok - Yarn. You knew it was coming - right?

It symbolizes my love of all things crafty. Be it drawing, welding sculpture, pottery, playing music, singing, crochet, or scrapbooking...I have done them all...and something artistic at every point in my life...and the yarn is a tie to my grandmother who taught me many, many, many...many moons ago. And for that, I will always remember her and the love she shared with me. When I pick up my sticks, I can kinda remember her teaching me....her patience and how much giggling and fun ensued during the lessons. I also feel closer to her. (and my dad - who she taught when he was a kid).

There you go. That's all f-f-f-folks!

I tag Amy, David, Bezzie and Courtney.... Have fun guys!

BTW - pics later this week of wips (one is BRAND NEW!!! and is all for ME!!!!). AND if you haven't checked out Bezzie's stuff at her ETSY store - check it out! She was quick as can be with shipping - and when there was a damaged item, she resent the part AND a little something else! SHE ROCKS! GO! SHOP!

OH - here is a taste of Ingrid Michaelson! I love her voice!!!! A cross of Suzanne Vega, Lisa Loeb and a hint of Tori in the lyrics... Think Old Navy...sweaters...SHE IS GOING TO BE IN AUSTIN verrry soon!! I feel a road trip in my future.

"Oh - you do more than knit?"

2007-09-22T08:13:00.000-05:00

Ok - I gotta tell you how many times I heard that over the last few weeks. I have started to wonder - is that a good thing or not...

Here's the story...

We had Employee Appreciation Week at work two weeks ago and I am on the planning/implementation team. We came up with a 'Star' theme and the team let me run with the creative stuff....go figure... Anyhoo - We had an AMAZING week!...Actually it was more like two weeks - the week prior, we created a 'Den of Appreciation', where the supervisors and managers could go and make their 'press kit'. The press kit contained all the peripheral materials they would need for the week..e.g. the note cards to write a letter of appreciation for their team members (Monday), the tickets they had to cut out for their team to turn in for the sundae (served by their mgr on Tues), the curling ribbon with note tag to tie on their mug (Weds) and the 'ticket' to staple their movie pass on (Thurs). On all of these there were goofy quotes etc that um...I... created - like - 'You serve our customers in every possible way, so we'd like to serve you this sweet and tasty sundae' .....or this one - The stars in the sky, they twinkle and blink, a big THANK YOU to you...and this for your drink! (for the mug)...

Anyway - it was a huge hit! So in the Den of Appreciation, there were Appreciation Stations (yeah the rhyming got a bit out of hand at some point, I just can't remember when we crossed the line....) which had posters with instructions how to do each of the 5 tasks. The fifth one was the one that really got people going and the laughter starting. My team and I cut out approx 100 squares of brown kraft paper (24" sq). Each manager and supervisor needed to trace their handprints and footprints and add their signature to it - sorta like Grauman's Chinese Theater. I did a quick sample for people to get the idea and I drew in the stitching on my shoes as a joke.... well.... it took off. People started decorating theirs - putting manicures on the hands, decorating the shoes, one person drew a twister board and did the hands/feed in funny positions. Two of my colleagues went crazy and threw down the gauntlet, adding in all the things that are important in their lives. So of course, I had to rise to the challenge.

Yup - that Saturday, I brought my square home and spent a little time and created the following:

Yeah - it was fun - it has my yarn, of course...(wouldn't this be a cool tat?...without the hand of course...)

And it would not be complete without my puppy Tigger....

And it still looked empty - so I added this for my blog....

And last, but not least...this... for my love of music, movies and all things Disney.

We took all of the squares and taped them up in the lobbies where the employees could see if their hands fit...it was a GREAT week...and I am hearing no end of "..you do more than knit, huh?"

FO at last!!!

2007-09-19T21:09:00.000-05:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but for some reason, the heat of summer put my knitting in a stall - I started a few projects, but could not get anything finished - maybe I was suffering from 'kdd' (Knitting Deficit Disorder)...

Well - the slump is over!!!!

I finished a holiday gift (and there aren't going to be that many knitted ones this year - )

Anyhoo - here are the details....

Pattern: Coronet from Knitty
Size: Medium
Yarn: Zara, by Feza, Color 121 70% acrylic, 30%wool
Needles: US 8/5 mm (used my first pair of Bryspun dpns - loved them!)
Gauge: according to pattern
Time to knit: don't ask - it was supposed to be done for last December...ugh
Alterations to pattern: I did not do the # of repeats the pattern called for on the cable - I cabled until I had 22" approx. Gauge on cables just didn't work out on this one. This was my first item that truly needed sizing - and YEA! it worked! I picked up the # of stitches the pattern called for.
Thoughts: all in all, this was a great pattern. The cabling was easy and fun. I will be making more of these....

And keep your eyes out for the next post - it will have another fo - fiber is involved... sorta...hmmmmm can you guess what it is??

and now for the pictures!!

These are not my lambz

2007-08-15T23:39:00.000-05:00

Here is the link... http://www.cualquiera.com.ar/notas/arte.html

LOL Cecil

2007-08-09T23:08:00.000-05:00

This is for my friend Susan's contest!
Meez luvz me my Cecil and Boogie!!!!

the Good, the Better and the Downright Ugly

2007-08-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

ok - so I promised some pics of pretty knitting - here we go - please refer to these two photos as needed during the reading of this blog - you may need them......

The good.
Here is the status of my little bear Buffy - she is stuffed, but not sewn together - and no clothes yet - something has been occupying my time ...or should I say some things....??? keep reading.......

The Better - hah - take that you fearful clapotis people - it is soooo easy - I am loving it - and the lion and lamb yarn.....thanks Michelle for harassing me to cast it on!

The Ugly - let me set the stage.....I have been living out of a suitcase for the last 3 weeks. Housesitting. Friends in need. Rescuer of what would be lonely animals.....
One week sitting the parents of my precious yorkie - all went well - no issues with the little ones.

Next - my friend mentions that she needs someone to sit with her 2 dogs (black lab and yorkie (my dog's little sis - from next litter) and cat.) No problem. So..I stop by and see the house - HUGE house, beautiful interior - walk in closet that is as big as my guest room AND craft room - no joke...Michelle can back me up here.... Anyhoo - interior of the house fab, the backyard is comprised of huge deck, pool, huge wooded area - feels like I am at a spa. Oh, did I mention that the owners of the house suggested I have people over - AND they have stocked several fridge's with beverages of alll kinds...wow!

So I hear you all now - why is this in the ugly section of the post. Wait - read on ...

So...I go over to their house on Saturday - no problems - the yorkie is a little nervous - she is a momma's girl - but she quickly warms up to me. Walking around the house, I find a yellow jacket or wasp on the stairs. Ok - I think I am allergic - vaguely recall something about that from childhood....so I quickly dash to the kitchen find a glass and trap the evil guy and throw him away outside. Way far down the driveway....faaarrrr away. Thus ends Saturday.

Whew. I return to the house and all goes well.

For a while.

Tuesday am, I get up and run the dogs downstairs to go out for the am....

Let me stop here to describe the scene - me in my tinker bell pajama pants - yes...tinker bell -get over it... a cami top and bare feet.

Back to the story - I let the dogs out and as I close the door, something catches my eye...... scurrying under the rug I am standing on. Yes. Scurrying. Hmmm... eight legs... could it be a spider...no it has a segmented body and tail that curves up.

Yep. You got it. A scorpion. Phylum Arthropoda, class Arachnida....order Scorpiones.

And me BAREFOOT!!!!!

So out comes the same glass that caught the wasp...I catch it. Then I have to figure out how the heck to get rid of it. Throw it outside? Nah...It will either land on me, my car, or one of the dogs. Nope - has to be fool-proof.

Wait - flush it. Right?

So I have to find something to slip under the glass. Paper? Nope. Too flimsy.

Nothing to be found...so I decide - Sacrifice the cereal box. As I get close to the glass, I hear 'tink tink tink' . No - nothing related to 'Tink'er Bell....no it is one ANGRY little arthropod. Hitting the side of the glass with his tail. Sorry guys - I am assuming it is a guy - get over it.

So - I grab the camera - I need proof. Proof of life...right?

I put it near the toilet. Go out to the hall - where the offender is - still 'tink-ing' away...

Pick up the glass and walk carefully to the toilet and drop the little sucker into the bowl.

Here is the proof.

Next - I flush 5 or 6 times, then fill the bowl with bleach. That sucker is not comin' back!

So I go to work, and I am telling some of my peeps about the fun - and what do you think I hear from them - support? Compassion?

NO.

One wiseacre - "you know they travel in two's" . Smarty pants #2 - "don't they travel up pipes?" "He can get up to the other bathroom"

Droll....very droll. I was not amused.

Weds, the cat, thinking I am starving - brings me a salamander - no legs or tail. yummy. I find 2 more scorpions outside....

[score for those not keeping count - 3 scorpions, 1 wasp/yellow jacket, 1 semi-salamander] Oh - and I almost forgot about the little cardinal that keeps trying to fly through the kitchen window!

Skip to Thursday - the day I am going home....

I am all packed - ready to go home. I pop open a beer to drink while watching BB8 - pick up the suitcase on end to put in my ziploc baggie with my alcohol for my nose ring....slide it into the front pocket (for those of you weak of heart - hang on)....

And what is on the floor next to my foot - where the suitcase was - yeppers.

ANOTHER SCORPION. All I can think of is - my purse was on the floor, so were my two bags of knitting projects.....CRAP.

Yeah - beer goes down the sink, a pyrex bowl goes over the 2nd culprit - let the homeowner handle it (she will be home in 2 hours).....plus she called just then - and said to leave it....

I drive home with my two bags of knitting in garbage bags and my dad and I go through EVERY bag and my suitcase on the driveway. I am wearing my thick canvas gloves, bat and broom nearby to beat the crap out of anything I may find.

I have to admit - I was sorta creeped out - and shaking out all my intimate apparel for the neighborhood to see was not my proudest moment - but I was not letting one of those things in my home...ugh...

needless to say, I am a bit jumpy - earlier tonight, my power cord rubbed my leg - I jumped about 10 feet .....

hopefully all will settle soon..... all I can say is that my friend told me that in 1 week, I saw more critters than she had in two years - how lucky can a girl be?

p.s. I still will house sit for her - I just insisted on having the bug guy's # and will wear shoes all the time!

p.p.s - and yes - I am still looking into all toilets before sitting down - don't know when I will be able to stop that.....

New Post for a New Look

2007-07-29T21:32:00.000-05:00

Well..Here we are again...with a brand-spankin' new look. Courtesy of Blogger and my amazing buddy Enid. She created the new header for my blog - is she a ROCKIN' GIRL BLOGGER/ PROGRAMMER or what?? I don't know about you - but she just won that title in my book. She also created another header - bet ya can't wait to see it...but you're gonna have to! hah!

Fiberlicious pics later this week - PROMISE!

These boots are made for Rockin!

2007-07-28T20:16:00.000-05:00

WOW! I am pretty close to speechless! Amy bestowed the Rockin Girl Blogger award upon little ole' me!

She showered kudos on me not only for my un-bear-ably cute critters I am knittin now-adays (and no, Buffy is not totally finished yet) but also for my cool demolition / remodeling work and my world famous marriage proposal brownies! [and yes, I am still accepting applications - a proposal from 'Mr Right' has not come my way.... and a lady does not talk about propositions from 'Mr Right-now' or 'Mr Wrong'...but I digress...]. Amy - thanks for the honor....I know the recipe for the meatballs and sauce didn't hurt either!

Now on to my naming 5 gals who are rockin' my socks off with their blogs...

Janna has a great combo of knitting and kitties - and who is a recent transplant from SA to Iowa City - and we miss her terribly! She was here a few weeks ago and it was great to see her in person - but her blog makes it seem like we are sitting at Candlelight talking over coffee and knittin'.

Michelle has a combo of knittin' and non-knittin topics! ..and it is always interesting and fun!

Melanie's blog is always a treat - a mix of sox, spinnin and great causes! I discovered the info on mystery stole 3 a bit too late, but next time..I'm IN! In the meantime, I'm saving my pennies to get her pattern for the beauuuutifu Hanami Stole.... (yes - I am coveting and ready to knit lace again!!!!)

Cara's blog - January One - is always a feast for my eyes..full of color, texture and images. Whether it is looking at the nifty sox she is working on, the gorgeous pictures of yarn or pictures of flowers and nature - it is always one of my favorite stops on the laptop! I am still deciding if I like the countdown of days till 1/1 or not - nice to know how long, but the year is slipping by so quickly - it makes me stop and think....not necessarily a bad thing.

Last, but most certainly not least....Courtney's Yarn Tootin' is a melange of some of my favorite things - Music, yarn, muppets, knitting....travel, yarn, knitting...grey's anatomy, more music and still more yarn.

I would be most remiss if I did not mention that Amy and Susan are in my top blogs...and since they are already rockin' girl bloggers, I decided to tip my hat in their direction and concur with those who already bestowed the honor on them!

Those of you whom I have listed - please go forth and list 5 who are rocking your bloggy world! I look forward to seeing who you pick!

knit on! (pics coming soon of Stitches and his new mom...and progress on clapotis!)

It's Not Easy Being Green....I'm most like Kermit the Frog!

2007-07-27T22:36:00.000-05:00

You scored 45% Organization, 61% abstract, and 76% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables.

First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean.

Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.

Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself.

You are mostly organized, both concrete and abstract, and more extroverted.

Here is why are you Kermit the Frog.

You are both somewhat organized. You have a good idea where you put things and you probably keep your place reasonably clean. You aren't totally obsessed with neatness though. Kermit is also reasonably tidy. He'll even dress up for interviews.

You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Kermit spends a lot of his time as a reporter collecting facts, but he is also the author of the dreamy song "The Rainbow Connection." You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course.

You are both extroverts. Kermit gets along with everyone. Sure a few folks annoy him, but that's just because they are annoying. Kermit likes to meet new people when he does his job as a street reporter. You definitely enjoy the company of others, and you don't have problems meeting new people... in fact you probably look forward to it. You are willing to take charge when necessary or work as part of a team.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Kermit starred on Sesame Street years before The Muppet Show.

The other possible characters are
Oscar the Grouch
Big Bird
Snuffleupagus
Ernie
Elmo
Cookie Monster
Grover
The Count
Guy Smiley
Bert

Click this link to determine your Sesame Street Persona. Go for it. It's fun!

Thanks to Courtney! Great quiz - and her blog ain't bad either!!

In Honor of Harry

2007-07-19T23:39:00.000-05:00

The sorting hat says that I belong in Hufflepuff!

Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot, and treat them just the same."

Hufflepuff students are friendly, fair-minded, modest, and hard-working. A well-known member was Cedric Digory, who represented Hogwarts in the most recent Triwizard Tournament.

Take the most scientific Harry Potter
Quiz ever created.

Get Sorted Now!

Thanks Enid!

Road Trip and Ravelry

2007-07-15T20:10:00.001-05:00

Today a bunch of us decided that it was time to have a knit and bitch gathering outside of town. Two of our group's members live quite a distance away - Betsy and Enid...so if they couldn't come to us, we went to them....and a great time had by all! For those who were there with us in spirit, here is the group pic!

A shout out of thanks to Wendy, who drove all of us (Michelle, Chris, Amy, Claudine and me) up in her van! We all were wowed by how spacious and comfy it was!

Once we got to their town, we stopped at Betsy's coffee shop - where everyone had yummy drinks, snacks and pannini's! We took over the back room and sat, chatted and knitted (of course!). Many thanks to Betsy for staying open for the group! Everyone loved the cafe!!

We had a special guest - Janna!!!

She recently moved to Iowa City (boo hoo) but was in town visiting this weekend (Yea!!). See that pink think in the lower right corner? That is my knitting needle cord. I was using my old camera and Michelle's KnitPick's options - and well, they were not cooperating.

We all wished that Susan, Kim and Eileen could have been sitting next to us knitting, but they were there with us in spirit! (And Eileen - we were bummed to hear you were waiting for us at Candlelight - I wish you had called - we would have gone by to see you!!)

Every single one of us was either working on circulars or on a project that was circular....Michelle had her sumptuous cashmere long gloves; Wendy was working on her moebius; Amy was working on a blanket; Enid, Janna, Claude and Chris were working on socks. Me?

Well.

I decided to take a short break from knitting bears to do something I have been dreading for a year...well, not dreading. I was really nervous to try the clapotis from Knitty. And after some badgering, teasing and double dog dares from Michelle, I decided to cast on and do it. Yeah, I know it is not much yet - but it is on the needles!!!

Needles - Michelle's Knitpics convertibles US8
Yarn - Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb, Color: Watercolors
(yeah - pricey yarn, I bought it over a year ago when I did not know too much about
substituting yarns and ignoring what yarns a pattern calls for....hey - I was a new
knitter, not savvy to the world of yarn... but boy is it yummy yarn!)

I also did a bit of work on the market bag too.

Needless to say, a great time was had by all... and not too many coughs were had by me!

OH!... I almost forgot. Here is where I am on Ravelry....

You signed up on July 8, 2007
You are #14975 on the list.
9156 people are ahead of you in line.
1756 people are behind you in line.
33% of the list has been invited so far

Photo by squirrel cottage

Have a super week!

Just get your mind out of the gutter - is yours any better?

2007-07-14T01:52:00.000-05:00

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Her Royal Highness Mary the Undamaged of Old Throcking in the Hole
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Bear Nekkid....

2007-07-13T00:47:00.000-05:00

No - no nudie pics...but there are pics of a nekkid (that is how we say naked in the south...nekkid) bear.

That's right - while I have been trying to stave off Whooping Cough...or asthma, or whatever it is...I have been knittin' away..when not napping.

So here is where my second bear is....all the pieces are done...and I blocked - my first time blocking ANYTHING. But I had to since all the pieces were curling uncontrollably. I was surprised that acrylic curled.....

so here are parts...(dig my cool ironing board cover)

I hope to stitch her up tomorrow....

I started her overalls....this will end up being one of the legs....

And through all the coughs, inhalation treatments etc...there was my little own real-live teddy bear - Tigger - playing the role of a 'velcro puppy'. No matter what I am doing, she could be totally asleep in her bed, and if I get up from the couch to go get some juice - she is right behind me - nails clicking on the floor...she is sooo sweet!!

Who Knew?!?

2007-07-08T01:45:00.000-05:00

I had no idea I am such a bada**. Guess it comes either from my ex-military expert marksman dad - or all the Buffy episodes....hmmmmm wonder which.

72%

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Thanks Susan!

BTW - I SCORED 4 seasons of Buffy episodes today at HPBs for under $40! Rockin!

Bear-ly Alive

2007-07-06T23:46:00.000-05:00

Well, you would think I would know better than to mow my own lawn...what with all the mold and fungiii.....as I was mowing, I noticed how many mushrooms were growing under the knee high grass as I plowed it down (ok - it was only shin-high in some places...but being only 5'1", on a good day, it is plausible).

Well, needless to say, Sunday night I was starting to get stuffy. Monday I was having a hard time breathing. By Tues, I had to call my dr and see if they could send drugs. Weds - Fri - passed in a drug-enduced stupor. (Granted, I did watch a few fireworks on TV from NY...then spent a few hours in the office today...) but most of the time, I was fighting whooping-cough-like spasms. So bad that I could not knit. Kept dropping stitches.

Speaking of stitches, I had these five pieces of stitched material mocking me every time I crawled into the den. They kept saying, please...put me together.

Well tonight I succumbed to the call of the wild. I put my first bear together. While I was not feeling up to grabbing the camera, my new little guy convinced me to leverage my photo booth.

Ain't he the cutest? I am thinking he needs some clothes...

Tigger, my little one, decided she wanted to get in on the action too.

Your Weekly Dose of Florida

2007-07-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

So I am still finishing up my first little bear - hopefully pics later today...

Thought I would give ya some more pics from the land of Disney!

So after we finished at the Magic Kingdom, Bob and I buzzed over to Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure (IOA) . It was a day FILLED with lots and lots of some of the best rollercoasters I have been on in a long time. And I have been on many!!!! (hence the nickname - coaster girl)

We started off at the Hulk...launches you over 150 ft in the air and reaches speeds over 67 mph. Quite the ride. They don't even let you carry anything with you - there are lockers outside the ride you have to use for even a fanny pack.

After a disappointing trip on Dr Dooms Freefall - we headed over to Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls. Yeah - a water flume ride. This is the first one that sends you UNDER the water ....

yup. UNDER. No one warns you of that.

See the log - yeah - it is going under the water - Bob and I were SOAKED when we got off the ride. Good thing it was so hot and sunny that day.

Here we are as we enter the Jurassic Park section of IOA. (we were dripping wet at this point) We jumped onto the River Adventure...yeah - another water ride - we figured - well - might as well get really wet.....

We then buzzed over to ride the Dueling Dragons - Fire and Ice. They are a pair of dragons (rollercoasters) who are in the midst of a fight. During the aerial "combat" between dragons (the suspended coasters) there are three times that you come within 18 inches of the lunatics ..I mean people riding the other rollercoaster. EIGHTEEN INCHES! you can hear them breathing (or not....) Each dragon's 2-minute and 25-second flight includes several inversions, including a zero-g roll, a Cobra roll, two corkscrews, and two vertical loops. I highly recommend that you ride Fire first. A much better ride. They even built in a short cut so after finishing one coaster you can get right back on .... better than drugs or alcohol. Even Bob was a bit woozy after that trip.

Seuss Landing was very cool. Sam I Am gave me a hug, there was a Mary,Thing 1 & Thing 2 sandwich was created at one point - I hope Thing 1 was a boy - he kinda pinched my hiney while we took the picture... - this will most likely be my holiday card picture, and I got to ride the.......

We went ‘round and ‘round and up and down with a menagerie of colorful Seussian creatures, including Dog-alopes, Aqua-Mop Tops, Cowfish, and more. We could even interact with our mounts, causing the heads to turn, ears to waggle, or eyes to blink.

But boy was I worn out at the end of the day.....the last picture of the day said it all.........

The bear is almost done - just sewing up the parts and putting him together.....don't know his name just yet - stay tuned .....

Who knew my Birth-Anniversary knew my heart so well....

2007-06-29T22:21:00.000-05:00

Your Birthdate: February 27

For you, love is a feeling that lingers for really long time - even after a relationship is totally over.
In fact, you still make have strong feelings for the first person you fell in love with.
You usually are reluctant to end relationships. And sometimes you're the last to know that things are ending!

Number of True Loves You'll Have: 5

Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 5

You are most compatible with people born on the 9th, 18th, and 27th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

and DANG - my dad's Birth Anniversary is the 9th! Coolio.

And yes - I call it a Birth Anniversary (BA). Why?

Think about it. There is only one day of your birth. Right?

Want to disagree with me? Ask your mom. My bet is that she will tell you that she definitely remembers only one day when you ... um.... were delivered into this world (I don't want to go into the gory details).

So - then you hit 12 months of life. Is it another day of your birth?

Nope.

It is the anniversary of the day you were born. Your first BA.

Seeee how logical it is?

and my friend who is 29 really hated hearing how they were already in their 30th year. I thought it would make her feel better - knowing that it is going swimmingly -

but I digress...

Started knitting a little bear tonight from The Knitted Teddy Bear. Pics to follow when done. but I did get the book spiral bound - took 10 minutes and only $3.00!!!!

ttfn

Another thing I did....

2007-06-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

ok - so before I continue about what happened Sunday at Candlelight or what I did on vacation in the land of Disney....

I got pierced again!

Get your mind out of the gutter.

I went with two of my dear friends - Susan and Michelle - and had my nose pierced.

...yup.

You heard me right.

Nose.

Gotta tell ya - we all had interesting reasons why we wanted to do it - and very different reasons...... But I gotta tell ya - there is something about how I think of them when I wash my face or get a little gleam from the opal on my nose. And that they do too!

It's like the three of us are similar to The Wonder Twins.

Do you guys remember Zan and Jayna? They would put their matching rings together and say - "Wonder Twin powers, ACTIVATE!" Then Zan would say - "Form of a...." and fill the blank in with any form of water. Jayna would say "Shape of a...." and fill in the blank with any type of animal. They helped the Super Friends battle evil and injustice on Saturday mornings on ABC from 1973 - 86. YES...I watched them during first runs - I am that old. Move on.

I cannot think of two people I would have rather done this with.

More about my blogger vacation - and a little wool...and silk

2007-06-23T12:08:00.001-05:00

So after successfully demolishing walls, installing french doors and yummy warm wooden floors - what does a girl do?

She packs up her yarn and heads to DISNEY WORLD!! This is the first of several posts about the Orlando trip!

Yup - you got it - my friend Bob, who I used to do murals with and work with, moved from San Antonio to Kansas City Missouri a few years ago called and said it was time for vacation!!!!

So we each packed up and met at the Orlando airport one early Saturday morning for 5 days of fun and festivities!

We started with Cirque Du Soleil's La Nouba Bob had never been to a live Cirque show - Which I decided had to change - so his belated birthday present was FAB seats 1st row center of the middle section ( I find they are better than the orchestra seats b/c you are not looking up the whole time). HE LOVED IT!

The next day we buzzed over to none other than the magic kingdom itself!! WOW - it was fabulous!! Bob and I are truly big kids and 200% Disney-philes, and this visit to all things Disney ROCKED!

Here is Bob and yours truly as we started the day.....I cannot tell you how many times people asked where our kids were..and we had to snicker and say - we ARE the kids on this trip. Heh... you are only as old as you act.

So we hit every ride there - well - except the teacup ride (don't ask - it would be ugly if I tried it) - but we did it all - WHEEE! I even got Bob to ride the carousel - he was not happy about it..but we did have fun!

This was the first time that my traveling companion was as eager as I was to see the fireworks. So Bob knew the best spot to hang in for the fireworks - and they rocked. I have to say - that besides seeing Tinker Bell fly from the castle over us during the fireworks, there was one really cool thing....Sleeping Beauty's castle changes colors while you are waiting - check this out...it rocked!!

I did pack some of my knitting with me - no pics of it on vaca - but here is where the wips are now....

First we have the entrelac market bag from Bags: a Knitter's Dozen by XRX. This is the first time I have tried entrelac and I am really enjoying working on refining them as a Lady Eleanor is in my future....I am finding that entrelac is very relaxing now that I have the pattern down. MUCH easier than I had originally thought it would be. So needless to say, I am savoring this wip and taking my time. Enough said.

Next - working on Coronet from Knitty. Just have to pick up and knit the cap.

Finally - I have discovered that at the Bexar County Courthouse - you CAN bring knitting - provided it is only on PLASTIC needles - so, of course - I buzzed over to my local craft store and picked up some plastic circs. I got one for the clapotis I am planning on starting this weekend...and then I got one to try out Knit and Tonic's Dream Swatch - the link to her free pattern is on the left - try it - it is fun - but not easy...I will do more later on this - but have to do more housework - which I hate...ugh

More later on the other days in the land of Disney... knit on!

2007-06-21T21:36:00.001-05:00

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world
So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time
You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all...
But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult

You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you.
Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses.
Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others.
Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life.

Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Civic Duty

2007-06-18T23:07:00.000-05:00

Ok - so I am odd. I have always enjoyed Jury Duty.

There.

I said it.

A day to do my civic duty. To play my part in dispensing justice. My own little role in local 'Law and Order'.

I cannot be alone in this...can I...?

So imagine my joy as I go through my pile of snail mail and find a beautiful envelope from the Central Jury Bailiff... (names omitted to protect the innocent..and myself) and I am almost giddy - I have lived in my town for almost 7 years and have not gotten any notices. Granted in AZ, I was chosen almost every year.

So I open the envelope and think - YIPEE!!! A day to do my part!

I told my boss about it - mentioned I would bring in the summons and fax it to her in DE, (she is so cool - she emailed me back - hey - I believe you..who else would love this thing) ...(did I ever mention she is a knitter - she knows what you and I are already thinking I will be doing all day)

So I am looking over it tonight to send the info to the office so I won't forget..and I am reading about the hours...the general qualifications, exemptions, the form I have to fill out...where to park, where to show up...

...and there it was.

IN BLACK AND WHITE.

and I quote...

"For security purposes, all persons entering the Courthouse or Justice Center must pass through metal detectors and may be subject to a personal search..."

my heart starts to pound...loyal readers - you know what is coming next...don't you? You know why I love my civic duty so much, don't you? Yep...here it comes...

"...no pocket knives.." yeah, those can be really dangerous. someone could get stabbed...vicious fights could start...right?

here it comes...in the same sentence...sit down if you are feint of heart...

"..[no]..knitting needles, embroidery needles etc., will be permitted in the Courthouse. You may bring reading and writing materials."

How could my little itty bitty harmless sock knitting needles be dangerous? I could even use my addi turbos - we all know how dull they are..... So maybe a poorly spun wool might get split once in a while.... but no one has ever gotten hurt by knitting needles.... maybe offended by profanities when I am trying out a new pattern - but a plain ole scarf? an itty bitty bit of entrelac never hurt anyone....right?

Are you kidding me? Yes - it was a day where I would be PAID to sit and knit. It even rhymes!!

So...do you think that if the needles are wood I might be ok? I will be calling the Courthouse tomorrow...keep your fingers crossed .....

What will I DO?!?

If I can take knitting needles on a plane...why not into court?

what do y'all think?

As promised

2007-06-12T23:07:00.000-05:00

So.

What did I do for those 7 months I was not blogging - well - I would love to say I knitted up a whole house full of fo's - using up my...oh shall we say, well-endowed stash?

Alas, that is not the case.

Firstly and foremostly (I know it is not really a word...anyhoo) I remodeled a significant part of a house. My house.

Now some of you may be thinking, hmmm...so you went shopping and got new curtains and dishes, maybe painted a wall or two. NOPE. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Remember those powertools I mentioned in the 'redux' post?

Circular saw. Nail gun. Sledgehammer. Sledge-axe. Crowbar. In my little knittin' hands....Verrry coool!

All demolition was done by yours truly. I LOVE DEMOLITION. I don't care what others may say - forget anti-depressants, forget alcohol or recreational drugs - a bit of demolition helps with anger management, stress reduction or whatever ails you.

DISCLAIMER - I don't recommend anyone start tearing out walls without proper supervision and architectural guidance. I have done this before and know what I am doing. Electricity can be mean - and there are all sorts of stuff in walls - so please don't attempt this on your own. Thus, I absolve myself of any and all liability.

It all started with ripping out the carpet and tackbars.

Then the wall came down. No, it was not a full wall, but a dividing wall - about 1/3 the height of the room. Ripping off the wooden top shelf, pulling the sheetrock off the studs, removing the studs from the foundation ...yummy fun. Leaving only a hole in the main wall and some spare 2x4's and old electrical wiring.

Then came the installation of new flooring. I LOVE WOOD FLOORS. yummy golden-red warm woody goodness underfoot now. yummm.

And no more carpet, one less wall, a trashed sliding door with new wood flooring and french doors being all that remains.

This kept me busy for about 1/2 of my blogger vacation.

More soon!

Forget the Lambs ....redux....

2007-06-12T22:17:00.000-05:00

Sound like Dejavu?...I know....I know....sounds like October again! Well... first it was the surgery, then battles with my previous ISP - not mentioning names, but their name consists of 3 letters (one is repeated) and an ampersand (&).

But now we are up and running with gas - new internet connection - WIRELESS no less!

So over the next few days, I will share the wildly exciting topic "What I Did On My Blogger Vacation". Wool, travel, powertools - you name it - I did it!!

Oh - and maybe I will mention what is on the needles too!

In the meantime - thought I would share what kind of flower I am -

I am a
Canna

What Flower
Are You?

You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that.

Forget the Lambz - Where is Mary???

2006-10-20T09:01:00.001-05:00

Hola gang - I have been on a surgery induced hiatus - but I am back now - look for more updates this weekend - I am in HOT-lanta ready to return home .....

Thanks to Knitty Mc Purlypants for this great quiz - try it - it is a hoot. Talk to y'all later...gotta go knit at the airport - my fave - you know from the last post!!

You are pink aluminum.
Retro, straightforward and fun, you love classic things. If they're 99 cents at Goodwill all the better! You are moved by striking colors and tasty morsels, and you like a stitch-n-bitch session in the sun. Just remember, while you're being kitschy cool, don't get too cold. Ice cubes are best kept in your cocktails, baby!

Love is in the air.... or is it?

2006-08-12T23:13:00.000-05:00

I mean come on. We all have been watching CNN and network news. Lines all over the airports. People waiting hours to get on the planes.

wow.

Don't get me wrong. I am ALL for safety and security. I don't really mind. I usually thank our friends running the checkpoint for keeping the air safe.

So here I am, knitting. Watching CNN. Thinking 'Hey - I have a work trip coming up - I better take note.'

As I was watching, I was thinking - not too bad. Even if I have to get to the airport a few hours early.

REALLY. I don't mind.

Nope.

Actually, it's not that bad. It really gives me a few hours where I can sit and uh... oh no.

Admit it my sisters and brother (or two) in knitterdom. You just went there. Admit it. Yep. Just like I did. I actually dropped a few stitches on the WIP in my hands. Holy Sheep Shearing Scary Scenario! Hours at the airport. With NO KNITTING.

This is not the time to panic.

Pick up those dropped stitches. Secure the WIP so the feline cannot nest in it. Get the pc logged on. Why does it seem it is takin friggen forever. (pardon my language - I am on a mission here people!)

OK - I get google up and find the security website. Find the section on the updated list. Click the link.

tap. tap. come on....

The list comes up. The first section is Makeup and Personal Items. What is more personal than knitting? I start to scan the list.

Body Cream. Ok - I can pack my L'Occitaine lavender lotion in my checked bag. sigh. (see the 5 by 5 meme a few posts ago.)

Not to be deterred - I keep reading. A few items catch my eye. Mosquito repellent. Bubble bath. uh...ok. no problems here.

Hand sanitizer - sure I like keeping my hands germ free...but I can deal.

Mascara. Lip Gloss. Foundation. Hair spray. Gel Deodorant. Nail polish, mouthwash, hairspray, hair gels, perfumes, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner. Still ok. ...Hey wait. All of a sudden, I get this weird feeling of deja vu. Remember the first Tim Burton Batman film (1989)? Where the Joker puts different chemicals into grooming products, that when used together in different combinations people laugh to death. Next thing you know, the inhabitants of Gotham city stop using their personal hygeine products - with the expected results - less pretty people...and some really funny movie moments. Hmmm...could this be the new terrorist plot?

Focus. ok - I don't see anything about knitting here. Scroll down through food and others - nothing.

There has to be something somewhere. Finally I spy something that says - full list of prohibited items

Paydirt.

And there it is. In black and white. Lo and behold. You can all breathe a little easier.

Bottom left corner of page two. Knitting and Crochet needles. Carryon - Yes. Checked - Yes.

I can almost hear the sigh of relief. Echoing my own.

Yes - get past the 'crochet needles' reference. Hooks.

At least for now, the air is safe. Possibly a little less fresh and pretty maybe... but safe. AND so is our airport knitting time.

The Best Little 'Harlot-House' in Texas?

2006-08-05T00:39:00.000-05:00

Yep - you guessed it - I finally got my post together and decided to finally share about the AMAZING time had by all last Saturday in Austin, TX.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka the Yarn Harlot) was in Austin - a mere hour or so drive from San Antonio. The event was hosted (and hosted well - more later on that) by Hill Country Weavers (HCW) - at the Baptist church across the parking lot from the store. (Here she is taking a pic of us with her sock - check out her blog)

That's right - you heard me right. The Harlot. Speaking in a Church. Ya gotta just shake your head at the irony of the Harlot speaking in a house of worship. yup. You got it.
True - you are saying to yourself (and to me - and I can hear you...) 'But isn't knitting a form of prayer, meditation, worship even?' Yes dear friends it is.

Even better....I discovered - yet again - WE ARE NOT ALONE. I feel like Fox Mulder - with his 'The truth is out there' poster - When reading the essay 'Archeology' in The Secret Life of Knitters, I was saying to myself - FINALLY - I know I am not alone - well it happened again at the church that Saturday morning - look at all these KNITTERS!!!! dang!

Stephanie talked about so many things - she is just as well-spoken as she is an amazingly funny writer. She talked about knitting as a sport - the Knitting Olympics were initiated by her. Stephanie also talked about how non-knitters just would not get it - people sitting in a church listening to someone who writes about knitting (she calls them muggles [think Harry Potter] - funny huh? it made me laugh out loud); about how she tries to explain what she does to people at parties - man - she was FUNNY! If you ever get a chance - GO! Drop what you are doing and GO - you gotta learn about 'Make Your Own Fun Mondays' and 'Find Your Own Food Friday'.

I won't spoil any more of the details - but as promised earlier - lemme tell ya - HCW were the hosts with the most. They organized the book signing so people could attend in shifts - making it easier for you to buzz into the front of the store and shop. BUT WAIT. There were pecan pralines, brownies....AND BEER! Yep. That's right. BEER. Yarn shopping WITH beer. Harder to fondle the yarn, yet so much easier to pull out the plastic to pay. - pictures of the results of my afternoon's fiscal irresponsibility later.

First - a little about my NONI KAL progress. The flowers are felted and awaiting their creator to get a needle that will fit through the stinkin beads I wanna use on them. Here is the body of the bag, pre-felting - with the only money I had left after the trip to Austin as a size gauge. I love the ruffle - I am wishing now that I had made it wider - buy the extra yarn and a 2nd circular needle and do the extra rows mentioned in the pattern.
and here it is after felting. Again - with that same, lone sawbuck as a reference point. Some of you are wondering - 'how the heck is that darn bag floating upside down? And how did she manage to get it so perfectly shaped? Crumpled paper and bags don't work that well for me?'

OK. I confess. The little lambz donated some of their favorite movie time treats to the cause. Here is my secret weapon. Pupcorn. The container is PERFECT for drying your bag - the right size and height..well almost the right height. Add one of the wells from a McDonald's coffee carrier under the pupcorn and you got it. (note - it is behind the pupcorn in the picture - lt gray. Anyhoo- I still have to find some fun material for the innerds, and something to keep the sides upright after adding the flowers and the handle. Oh yeah - the handle I got seems too small, so I gotta find a bigger handle. So I still have some work to do - AND I wanna start some socks or my Picovoli that I got some BEAUTIFUL silky wool for at HCW. Some of our local SA knitters are doing our own KAL for the picovoli - so I will have to gather up my courage to have one of my buds help me ...ugh...get my measurements.

more later - more pics of Austin and the stash to follow - plus pics of the pin for my friend Janna's birthday...

until then - ttfn - and lets all - Keep Austin Weird

Here's a story...'bout a gnome named Grimmy...

2006-08-03T12:58:00.000-05:00

My friend Josie gave me a cute little gnome earlier this year - b/c she knows how much I LOVE gnomes! Well - Grimmy was sitting on my desk, keeping me company each day - helping me with my managerial decisions. Well - one day, one of the trainers on my team decided to STEAL Grimmy! The NOIVE. Anyhoo - my manager was visiting and saw the 'wanted' posters and shared with me that the stealing of gnomes is what they are all about - next thing I know - Grimmy has gone 'a-wandering' and I started receiving photos of him roaming across the country as he visited all the different call centers my company has. Anyway - the first picture here is from his first wanderings - Unfortunately, Grimmy fell in with a bad crowd who influenced him to start smoking....eek! (The title of this picture when it was anonymously sent to me was 'Gnome gone bad'

next, we have Grimmy recreating with some new friends, playing air hockey...

Most recently - Grimmy had come home and was back to helping make some pretty hefty corporate decisions - it was GREAT having him back helping me each day - well - we hosted a group of facilitators from across the North American Continent (people from as far away as Surrey, BC- near Vancouver) and someone asked about the gnome - so Grimmy decided to come down and visit the group. Later that day - Grimmy had decided to indulge his wanderlust again - and today I received a few pics!! He is definitely feeling very pretty in the first pic. He is so secure in his masculinity - I would not be surprised to see him in a utilikilt soon!!!

And this last picture is the most disconcerting - the title was simply 'LUNCH'. I hope to see some new pictures soon that indicate he has escaped from this perilous situation!

Takin time to smell the...flowers?

2006-07-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

So here is the third of my little lambz - Stefen. He was so thoroughly intruiged by my newly-felted flowers for my garden party bag, he had to stop his roaming of the house to check them out!

n.b. - I have found that after a good felting and swirling through the spin cycle - these gorgeous flowers love an evening sitting in a double-walled tumbler or roll of painter's/packing tape (depending on whether they are 10-petalled or 5 petalled flowers respectively) to assist in their ability to hold their curvy-ness.

After the first 30-40 minutes of reminders that it is fine to smell the flowers - not chew or roll on them, Stefen finally settled down for a short summer's nap.
once he settled down for his nap and the pups were tucked away, I was able to plow into my first box from KnitPicks - some lovely Wool of the Andes - to work on a holiday gift - blueberry color - and wool for my entrelac bag I wanna work on...

Oh- it is time for my first TAG!!!

Thanks Janna!

5 Things always in my purse:

- L'Occitane Lavender Hand cream
- Bare Escentuals' Escentual Cinnamon Quickstick (lipstick and liner in one)
- magnetic clip on sunglasses
- Santa Fe Hemp mint lip balm
- my cell

5 things always in my wallet:
* driver's license
* Debit Card
* Borders Rewards Card
* Starbucks rechargable card
* miscellaneous receipts

5 things always in my fridge:
- Simply Limeaid
- bottle of wine - current flavors (white merlot and a malbec)
- various cheeses
- little cups of sugar-free jello and fruit
- cans of La Croix water (usually lime flavored)

5 things always in my closet:
* piles of shoes
* a dress I want to fit into (again...someday - turquoise raw silk)
* some sari silk my mom gave me from when she was in India
* various tees and blouses for work
* knits my grandma made me - cable sweater, lacy scarf, and the Dr Who-esque scarf that was the first thing I knit when she taught me

5 things always in my car:
- St Christopher medallion my folks gave me with my first car
- lots-o-change
- my Lone Star Espresso frequent drinker card (only two more and I get a free coffee buzz)
- a Canada charm my friend Bob gave me
- navajo beads and elephant bell hanging on the rear view mirror

5 things on my desk (at home)

* sharpie marker for labeling cd's
* pens and pencils
* advance screening card I got when I saw Wallace and Gromit - The Curse of the Wererabbit
* html cliffnotes Kim printed for me
* millions of cd's - the 5 in front of me now - Josh Groban 'Closer', Paul Mc Cartney's 'Chaos and Creation in the Backyard', Del Amitri 'Change Everything', 'Big Band Favorites' and Tori Amos' 'Tales of a Librarian'

What color are YOU? I am....

2006-07-20T00:35:00.000-05:00

Hmmm....funny thing - same color as my fave - Tigger..... (thanks enid!)

Your Aura is Orange

You're a bit of a loner, but you're never lonely. You know how to entertain yourself.
Whether you're trying an extreme sport or a new weird food, you always live on the edge.

The purpose of your life: testing limits - both physical and mental... and then telling people about it.

Famous oranges include: Timothy Leary, David Blaine, Tony Hawk, Carey Hart

Careers for you to try: Snowboarder, Circus Performer, Undercover Agent

What Color Is Your Aura?

Knitters A-NONI-mous

2006-07-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

Bwah-hah hah - Ok - so it is only funny to me.
That's what happens after 5hrs, 45 min at the drs office in one day.
No fun...but lots-o-knitting goin on!

Here are the pics of my NONI bag in progress.

Here is the body of the bag - almost done - 14 stripes and working on the bottom of the bag with my new rosewood dpns.

Voila!! The bottom of the bag is done! I love the effect of tying off the last stitches in the center! The rows look really even - not too shabby.

The first petal of many - done!

The first flower done! I increased the center bobble by two rows - I think I will inrease the # of stitches across from 6 to 8 and increase the # of rows by 2 for the pink flower.

Started this at 1pm today sitting in my two dr's office waiting rooms - cranked through all the petals on the needle by 4:30. At least all the waiting time was useful!

More to come as the bag progresses - next - finish the pink flower and quickly knit up a swatch of the cascade 220 with Crystal Palace squiggle worked in to test feltability.

Feltability - is that a real word?

Yawnnnnnn

2006-07-12T23:39:00.000-05:00

Too tired for pictures tonight - but I am jazzed to note that I have completed 10 of the 14 stripes on the Garden Party bag since I started it on Sunday. The stripes are a little off where the round begins - by about 1 or 1.25 stitches - I am thinking I may have to use that point to be where I attach the flowers....maybe have one that goes almost to the bottom point of the front of the bag. Check out the link on my sidebar and tell me what you think. I should be done with stripes by this time tomorrow and will then start on the flowers. I will wait till the weekend to start the ruffle since I need to test the felting power of Squiggle yarn (see the belt from earlier post this week.- btw - people at work were looking for its appearance today..hmmm stylin...I knew it.) I am thinking of doing less of a ruffle at the top and adding in the squiggle for a fun effect. Must. test. feltability.

Hmmmm...maybe I could felt my booga bag that is FINISHED and sitting next to the door to the garage yelling - felt me! every time I walk out to the washer.

Anyhoo - gotta hit the sheets - ttfn

A few of my non-knit creations

2006-07-10T23:44:00.000-05:00

A picture book necklace on homemade copper wire wrapped chain and black and white pearls

pins made with microscope slides and copper tape. Top one has wire and bead decoration on one end. The other has stamped sentiment with different coffee mugs layered on top

two family charms. one on left is different photos of my grandmother - who taught me to knit - and pressed flower. the one on the right is of my 'rents on their honeymoon on one side, my sis holding me as a infant on the other (might have been last time we got along so well)

More pendants - frida, art deco, another picture book and pressed flower with silverleaf

two bracelets. one made with blue glass and silver stamped images on both sides. Other one (my personal fave) is handmade paper on one side and one of my favorite neil gaiman images on the other

Hot off the needles...and have you seen my little lambz?

2006-07-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

Hot off the needles - it is the new scarf/belt/wall decor item! Made with less than one skein of my nifty Squiggle yarn by Crystal Palace. Color used was Firecracker, needles US15, CO 12, knit till ya can't knit no more, BO.

Here it is artistically arranged in a cool spiral pattern - wouldn't it be cool on a wall? (really...it is a belt and scarf. gonna go wash a blouse so I can wear it tomorrow!)

Here is the close-up. You can see that it is really a warped version of stringy dental floss with fuzzy bits added into it at different points to make life interesting and knitting it just lovely (read sarcasm here).

And here are my little lambz - ok two of the three. Amber is the one on the right. She is the smallest of the crew - 4lbs dripping wet - and the oldest. She is the shepherd of the flock - keeping us all in line. Tigger - aka ratdog - is on the left, and is also the victim of a kind-hearted haircut gone awry. She gets sooo hot in the summer, I decided to shave her down. I do all their grooming myself - who knew that under all that hair was a little rat! Anyhoo - they are great with not touching yarn. or FO's. I love them little lambz!!

How I spent my 4th of july week!

2006-07-09T23:32:00.000-05:00

Well - to prove that I do more than just knit... I did some bowling with my team - lemme tell ya - it was a blast - here I am launching ten pounds of some really hard substance down a slippery wooden lane...and some of the team went sliding down the lane too - my best score? you ask - I think the best score was just shy of the century mark - at 99. Not too bad! And note how good the form is...

And not to confuse anyone, there was some knitting going on too - I am eagerly awaiting the Noni KAL....so I got a 2nd project to work on while I wait for it to begin - I picked up the Garden Party Bag with luscious ruffle...I started it tonight at the Candlelight stitch n b**** gathering and already have 8 of 56 rows done on the body of the bag!!

This is what it should look like when I am done - just swap the colors...my lys did not have enough of the pink, so I swapped colors. And I have to admit, I am toying with the idea of using some of my squiggle yarn on the ruffle...or instead of the ruffle....not sure yet - more to follow...

ok. Mea culpa - So we all know I finished the moebius - here is the final pic of it!

A sense of loss? FO - what does it really mean?

2006-07-06T23:24:00.000-05:00

ok guys - I don't know about anyone else, but here goes.

As I sit here with my unblocked but FINISHED moebius around my shoulders - I am feeling like I lost my best friend...what about you guys. I have been working on this sucker for so long that now it is done, I don't know what to do!

Part of me is saying QUICK - start another project - sigh.... - the other part of me is saying - GO TO BED.

Clapotis is calling my name, or a felted moebius bag....socks...human sized ones...so many options....I will post a pic tomorrow once I have this puppy blocked - it is not as huge as I feared, but a little big for a shrug....hmmm

FO - what does it really mean? finished object? Final obit (for the project)? Fond oh-revoir (ok - so I spelled it wrong...on purpose) - but anyhoo - it is done! and the search for my next mission is ON!!!

Its realllllly late

2006-07-03T02:12:00.000-05:00

ok - so everyone was right - this blogging thing sucked me in and it is now 2am, but the blog is completed!!

What's on the needles tonight?

The infamous moebius is almost off the needles at this point! The applied i-cord is 1/2 done as you can see here! I really hope to have this completed by tomorrow night.