Hoping for a white Chirstmas, if only in my dreams

A happy, peaceful merry Christmas to you and yours.

Christmas FO

I finished my mother-in-law's scarf. I cast on 16 stitches and did a rib stitch, cast off and added fringe. I used malabrigo in a pinky orangy burgundy with a tiny bit of green color. I also used an orangy kid mohair. I think I am allergic to mohair--every time I knit with it I would get a weird headache. So, I was going to knit the same scarf for my mom, but I decided to drop the mohair. I started my mom's scarf last night and will be giving it tomorrow. No pressure! :) I didn't take a picture of my mother-in-law's scarf before wrapping it. I'll try to be better about my mom's scarf. :)

Off to bake a chocolate cake for Christmas Eve dessert!

I'm Weird!

I was tagged by Lisa from Saratoga Knitting. This is my first meme and I am ridiculously excited to have been tagged! :)

THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly.In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I write with my pen resting on my ring finger, instead of my middle finger.

2. I don't like my food to "touch". When I was a kid I would eat all of one thing before eating anything else. For example, all the meat, then all the potatoes, then all the veggies.

3. I don't like cheesecake. Odd, I know.

4. I have to have everything in my car just right before I turn off the ignition. Heat turned all the way to the hottest setting, defroster on, second to highest setting for forcefulness of heat, and everything else turned off.

5. I work with people, and sometimes I go extended periods of time without talking to my friends because I get tired of talking and listening to people. Email is ok though.

6. I know all of the words to the ob tampon commercial from the 80's.

OK, 6 people to tag OneMoreRow, Christina's Attic, Dysfunktional Knitter, Continue In Kind, sheep in the city, and Poor Miss Finch.

Thanks for the well wishes. I had a massage and acupuncture today and I am feeling better.

Timing

I have not been posting much because I have been feeling under the weather. I have a chronic health issue that usually appears about every three years for about a month. Basically I'm in pain, need to sleep a lot and take ibuprofen. Not a big deal, but puts a crimp in my style. Of course, the timing is annoying. Right in the middle of Christmas. So, I took today off from work and I don't go back until Tuesday. Actually, I told my supervisor and another person above me that I was considering taking today off depending on how I felt this morning. My supervisor told me to take it regardless and the other woman crossed my name off of the schedule. It is wonderful to feel supported! I slept nearly 14 hours last night, PURE BLISS!

Totally Freaked Out!

Please, please, please tell me there is a very rational explanation.

I went to Amazon.com to look up a book for myself. I understand why they are showing books about Paris, knitting, babies, contemporary fiction and gluten-free eating on my "home page". But, I am COMPLETELY freaked out that they specifically recommended books for my "history-buff father-in-law"! How do they know who I am giving what books to?

Seriously FREAKY!!!!

Finished Object

Last night I kitchenered for the first time and finished my first pair of 2 socks on 2 circs. Not too happy with my kitchener skills. I love finishing a project and being able to wear them right away! They are a little big. Next time I will shorten the foot and maybe cast on a few less stitches. I used Cherry Tree Hill yarn in the colrway Earth. It 100% merino wool and autumn colors. Lovely! My camera batteries are dead so I will have to take a pic another time.

December WIP Update

So, here is my monthly WIP update . . .

Finished Objects:
My mom's Saratoga Shrug . . . FINALLY! I started this Christmas 2005 and gave it to her Thanksgiving 2006.
Easy Peasy Baby Hat . . . started and finished and given.

Actively Working On:
2 Socks on 2 Circs with Cherry Tree Hill Yarn . . .I'm on the toe decreases and should have them finished this week.
Toe Up Socks with Rock Candy . . . still on the foot of the first sock.
Malabrigo & Kid Mohair Ribbed Scarf . . .I cast this on Saturday 12/2 it is either for my mother or mother-in-law for Christmas. When I finish this one I will cast on a second one.

Haven't Touched (since last update):
baby sweater
cabled purse
illusion knitting tote bag
crocheted market bag
Lara sweater
2 hand 2 colored headband
cabled mittens
At some point I will finish Lara, the cabled purse, the mittens, and the baby sweater. The others, I'm not in love with so it will take FOREVER for me to finish them.

As I mentioned before, I am dieing to start that great big felted bag. It is a great stash buster! I haven't gotten the pattern yet, which is just as well because I have other priorities right now. I am also waiting for the next class list from my LYS. I heard that there will be a class for the Fiber Trends felted clogs. I have everything I need and I want to make them, so I will probably sign up for the class. I also want to cast on my Socks that Rock on 2 circs as soon as I finish this pair of socks. It is my goal to always have 2 socks on 2 circs going. I have a ton of sock yarn, and the only way I will ever knit it up is if I always have a pair on the needles. :)

I have been listening to Lime N Violet podcast rather obsessively. I had a bunch of mindless paperwork to do at work yesterday and I listened to 5 or 6 episodes in a row. Anyhoo, they have done this great holiday wish list to help the loved ones of the fiber obsessed. It is fab! Check it out!

Oh, and have you caught that Knitty Gritty is now on the Home & Garden network at 11am weekdays? Today is a holiday special. I DVRed it about half way through--ah well, at least I caught a little of it.

Off to decrease some toes . . .

Easy Peasy

Here is my Easy Peasy baby hat. The pattern is from Cherry Tree Hill Yarns and the pattern is for booties and the hat. I used left over Mountain Colors yarn from my first pair of socks. Once again, the lighting is poor because it was taken at night, but directly under a bright lamp. I cast on Monday and cast off Wednesday. My kind of knitting!! :)

This hat is for my former boss/friend. She is due on Monday. It is a quick and easy knit that always gets lots of "oohs" and "ahhs" from the muggles (non-knitters). Her mother-in-law examined it carefully and went on and on about how much talent I have. Teeheehee . . . if she only knew!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Today is my grandfather's birthday. He was born on December 1, 1911. He was VERY proud of his Irish heritage and made sure his children and grandchildren were as well. He taught me how to put the "Irish Curse" on a local traffic light to change it to green whenever it stopped us. He also danced through his living room to entertain me and loved his "cream". Anyone in our family would understand this to mean ice cream. I am the youngest grandchild, so whenever he called me I would wait through all of my aunts', mother's, sister's, and female cousins' names before he would finally come up with my name. It would irritate and frustrate him to no end that he couldn't come up with my name first, but I always found it charming. I would also kid him and say, "Well at least you didn't call me the dog's name."

My grandfather died in January 1997. Almost 10 years ago. He is missed terribly. I don't remember exactly what the date was that he died. But, ya know, it doesn't really matter. I want to remember his life, and celebrate his life, rather than mourn his death.

Happy Birthday Grandpa! Please know that you are loved, missed, talked about often, and thought of all the time! Enjoy your birthday cream!

Knitting Right Along . . .

Any ideas on the musical reference in the title? "Moving right along in search of good times and good news with good friends you can't loose, hitch hike, bus or yellow cab it . . . moving right along" If my memory serves me I quoted it right! :)

Anyhoo, I am working on my 2 socks on 2 circs for class. I have both heels done and need to knit 7 3/4" by class on Saturday in preparation for the toe decreases. I am between 3 and 4 inches.

Last night I started a baby hat from some left over sock yarn. I was soooo annoyed because it took me FOUR tries to join my knitting into a circle without twisting. It was really ridiculous! After the third time I literally screamed. The whole thing has bad karma/vibes/whatever. It is for my co-worker who is due next week. I had been asking for months if and when we were doing a baby shower at work and anyone I ever asked didn't know. Well, one day I asked and my supervisor said "Oh that was last Wednesday." I saw RED. I wasn't invited. I was supervised by this woman for over a year, I'm still under her and in her division, a group of us (including her and I) go out to dinner every month for two years, she has been to my home, etc, etc, etc. I was absolutely fuming and felt like such a jerk for not being there or at least sending a gift. Also, it was a surprise shower so it isn't like they consulted the guest of honor on who to invite. So, anyways I am having dinner with her on Thursday night and will explain to her then that I am sorry I wasn't there, but it couldn't have been helped. In the meantime I need to think really positive thoughts while knitting her gift because it is has had a REALLY rough start. :)

Oh, and my dogs . . . some days they are cuter than other days. Today they are very cute. :)

Turkey Stupor

Portia and Bentley are recovering from the festivities.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Other Craft

Last month I took a class and learned how to crochet with wire and beads. I made a necklace. Then, this month I learned to make earrings. My mother and I went to Bumble Beads in Ballston Spa and picked up a bunch of cool beads and stones. I matched the larger beads and stones to some little cheaper ones I had picked up at AC Moore and made a bunch of earrings.

Here are some really poorly lit pictures of my new craft. They look much better in person. It is a gloomy day and our house isn't very well lit to begin with. I really should re-take these pics with better light.



Some of the earrings I will keep and some I will give as Christmas presents. Decisions, decisions, decisions!

MoJo

My knitting mojo is back!

Last night I watched the movie Shop Girl and finished my mother's Saratoga Shrug. It was meant to be a late Christmas present last year. My mother chose her gift and the yarn and I intentionally started it after Christmas. I hated working with one of the yarns so it was put on the very back burner. Well, now it is DONE and my mom will get it on Thanksgiving! :) Yea! I'll ask her to pose for pictures, too!

Then, I picked up my toe-up, Sock Candy sock and knit some more while finishing the movie.

This morning I completed the second heel on my 2 socks on 2 needles Cherry Tree Hill socks from my sock class. Now I need to knit about 7-8 inches and have them ready for the toe decreases for the next class in two weeks.

It feels good to be a productive knitter again!! :)

Destruction!

First of all--with much encouragement I finished my homework and learned short row heels in class today. They are great! Waaaaay better than flap heels!

Anyhoo . . . on to the crime scene discovered in our living room . . .

Notice--every toy is out and strewn about in addition to the shredded newspaper. Must have been quite a day!

The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime!

After a lengthy interrogation, Bentley plead the 5th and left. I'll let you be the judge!

Thank you!

Thank you for your encouragement! After a very long 12 hour work day, it was so nice to come home to your three comments and positive thoughts! My weekend starts Friday and I will get some pics of the jewelry posted and I am going to go knit on my sick before bed! Thanks ladies!!

Knitting Slump

Little knitting slump around here. I've been focusing on making beaded jewelery and doing some early Chirstmas shopping. I made 11 pairs of earrings and bought 7 presents! Anywhoo, I'm focusing on my sock for my class. Seven inches by Saturday and I have between 2 and 3. So much for my schedule! :)

Two More Days of Annoying Phone Calls

Yes, I am a registered voter. Yes, I am planning on voting on Tuesday. Yes, I am SICK, SICK, SICK of these phone calls urging me to vote for a particular candidate!

First of all, both my husband and I are registered voters for the same party. Then why do they only call me? They ask for me by name, but never him. I don't understand.

Saturday I received 7 phone calls from 11am-6pm for the same candidate! Ridiculous! I interrupted the 7th caller and . . .

I said "Excuse me. This is the 7th phone call I have received for this candidate since 11am!"

Him "Oh my gawd!"

Me "That's one call an hour!"

Him "Oh my gawd!"

Me "Yes, and I am a registered *** and I am planning on voting for ***. But, I am getting fed up!"

Him "I'm really sorry."

Me "mmhmm"

Him in a quiet whisper "I'll take you off the list."

Me "Thank you!"

Sunday the calls didn't start until 1pm and I think we only got 2.

ENOUGH!

WIP update

I want to get myself in the habit of, about once a month, listing my WIPs. OK, so here goes . . .


I am actively working on my 2 socks on 2 circular needles for my class. I am using Cherry Tree Hill yarn (from my stash!) for the first time. I like it! I want to do one inch per day. I have knit one inch and I need 7 inches before my next class on November 18th.



I am also actively working on my Wendy Knits toe up Sock Candy socks. I also want to knit an inch a day on these. I am learning short row heels in my sock class on the 14th and I want to be ready to do the heels on these when I come home from that class.

I am semi-actively working on my Debbie Bliss "Lara" sweater in purple Cashmerino Aran. Very yummy! This is my first sweater. I started this in a class last fall and put it down until about a month ago. It would be nice to be able to wear it this year.

The following projects I have not worked on at all for quite awhile:

• shrug for my mom
• baby sweater
• cabled purse (with only one handle and finishing left!)
• illusion knitting tote bag
• 2 hand 2 color headband
• cabled mittens
• crocheted market bag (although I did work on this 2 weeks ago)

I think that is everything.

My game plan . . . after I finish these two pairs of socks I want to finish the shrug and purse. They are both pretty close to be doing done and I need to commit to them and finish! Of course, I want to keep Lara going, too.

I want to start some scarves for Christmas presents. I also want to knit a pair of Fiber Trends felted clogs for my husband for Christmas.

Yesterday, I saw an awesome felted bag at my LYS. One of the women that work there combined three patterns and she is in the process of writing it up. When she does, I want to use my stash to make it. It is like one of those oversized, weekend-type bags that have been in magazines a lot lately.

LYS Class

I'm very excited! I'm all signed up for the 2 socks on 2 circular needles class at my LYS. It starts Saturday morning. I got my needles and now I'm going to go sort through my stash to figure out what yarn to use. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Toe Up Socks

After one false start, I think I am getting the hang of the toe up socks. I am not completely confident in my wrapping and turning, but I think I am improving. And the Sock Candy Thistle is WONDERFUL. I love it!

My LYS is offering a 2 socks on 2 circulars class. Wish me luck in getting into it! I was on a waiting list for the last one they offered. I'm still trying to figure out how they opened up a new class and didn't first offer it to the people on the waiting list. Ah well!

Rhinebeck: Part Three

Yes, more Rhinebeck purchases.

This is Lorna's Laces in Goldhill and Black Purl. I love them! Black Purl caught my eye first, but I almost didn't find the second skein.

It is a rainy, windy, yucky day. I just battled our two greyhounds to get them outside to quickly pee.



Anyhoo, I neatened up my craft room and now I am going to attempt my very first toe up sock pattern using Wendy's tips from Knitty and Wendy's pattern from her blog. I wound up my Thistle Sock Candy. It is beautiful! Wish me luck! :)

Rhinebeck: Part Two

Blogger has been having lots of brain farts lately. I tried to get in to approve comments and post again on Tuesday and Wednesday with no luck. Not really sure what was going on, but here we are.

This is my beautiful cashmere. Two whole onces! Isn't it gorgeous? It is labeled as taupe and the woman said that it is not dyed, but the natural color of the goat. The farm is in Maine. I'ld love to go visit. The pattern came free with purchase. I have not yet decided if I am going to use that pattern or find another, but either way I am making a scarf for myself.

On Wednesday night my mother and I took a class with Charlotte at AC Moore. My mom has been wanting to learn how to crochet jewelery. Two years ago she bought all sorts of supplies and a book and had great difficulty trying to teach herself. I asked at my local yarn shop if anyone could teach her and no one ever heard of it before. My mother tried several local bead shops with no luck. About a month ago she was at a craft fair and a woman was selling crocheted jewelery and she teaches classes! My mother called me and asked if I would go with her. I don't particularly enjoy crocheting and haven't tried in over a year. So, of course I agreed. *wink*

The class was great. You actually crochet wire into a chain and add beads with each stitch. Then you braid three chains together, add the clasp and you have a necklace. It is easier then I expected. I really struggled at first, but with our patient teacher I soon caught on. On our way out, we bought more supplies and are planning on scheduling time to make necklaces together. I am already starting to figure out who is getting them for Christmas. It is an excellent instant gratification project. We took a two hour class and left with a finished project. Amazing!

I have been listening to Brenda Dane's Cast On. I recently got an i-pod and discovered the wonderful world of knitting podcasts. Anyhoo, Brenda said in one of her podcasts that she only wears hand knit socks. All of her socks are hand knit. What a concept! I love that idea. So, with this in mind, I bought enough sock yarn at Rhinebeck to make ten pairs. I also have some sock yarn stashed. I understand that this is a rather lofty goal and it will take me forever to knit all these socks. I mean, like years. Given all that, I simply love the idea of a handknit wardrobe for my feet and someday I will have it! So Holly Jo, all that sock yarn is for socks. Exact patterns: yet to be determined. I have been staring at Wendy's toe up patterns. I want to use the toe up pattern with Sock Candy: Thistle. But, I am thinking about using some cheaper sock yarn for my first attempt. Decisions, decisions.

As Stacey and Holly Jo pointed out, my husband is both sweet and very, very understanding. He is really good about being supportive of my obsession, I mean hobby. The *only* thing that gets to him is when all of my yarn is around the house. I'll take out a project and start working on it, then another project, and another project . . . I'm sure you know the drill. So he has reason to complain. But, now we have worked out a solution. He doesn't even complain anymore! We have a designated place for all of my knitting things. So if my husband is getting annoyed, one day I'll come hiome from work and all of my knitting will be in its designated place behind a closed door and everyone is happy. That happened to all of my Rhinebeck yarn on Monday night. :)

Socktoberfest at Rhinebeck: Socks that Rock

Since I had such a hard time getting my pictures to upload, I have decided to break this into several segments. Here we go . . .

Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day. The colors of the leaves were gorgeous and the sun was shining through the leaves. It was cool enough to wear hand knits, but not so cold that we were freezing.

We made a b-line to building A: the infamous home of "The Fold". My husband was shocked at the incredibly long lines of women with their sock yarn. We decided to divide and conquer. My husband got in line and I politely excused myself through to the sock yarn. Several women commented about how brilliant I was to bring my own personal line holder. :)

I scored a beautiful skein of "Lucy" from Wendy Knits. I can already envision them in my brown birk-knockoffs. I just love the splash of blue with the earthy browns. It caught my eye before I realized the model of the great color combo.


"Dreidel" was my first selection. I like the yellows and the blues,which I think will be great in my butter crocs.


"X-mas Rocks" I am less sure of. I like the pinky orange that goes into the yellow. But, I am unsure how that is going to then blend into the green and red. I guess we will see how it knits up.



Apparently I had the holidays on my mind, because I bought 2 skiens of holiday yarn. Anyhoo.

I just love the combination of lime and purple. This is "Thistle" and it is "Sock Candy" which is a cotton sock yarn.

"Saratoga" was a HUGE score for me. I live a town over from Saratoga, which is a fabulous place. I have very fond memories of my grandparents, mother and I taking our breakfast to the track early in the morning during the month of August to watch the horses exercise. These colors are just perfect. Perfectly captured. They are the colors of the horses and the sunrise that I so fondly remember. It is amazing to me how this yarn transports me to that time of my life.

So, I initially found Dreidel, Xmas Rocks, and Thistle before finding my husband in line. He had befriended the woman in front of me and was shocked that I only brought back enough yarn for three pairs of socks. He encouraged me to go back and look again. I'm so glad he did because that was when I found Lucy and Saratoga.

He then suggested that I look around the rest of building A while he was in line. As I looped around again, he was waving his arms. He was all excited because he had heard from the women behind him in line that the "yarn bus" had been damaged in a tornado. For those of you who don't know, Flying Fingers in Irvington, NY would bus people up from NYC to shop in the yarn store. They have a bus with balls of yarn and knitting needles on the top of it. I'm telling you, it was unbelievable to see that thing flying up the Saw Mill! Anyhow, come to find out, my husband had been chatting up an employee of Flying Fingers. Too funny!

Waaahhhh!!!!

I took pictures of all of my loot, but I can't get Blogger to upload it!!

Stay tuned . . .

Oh My Gawd!!!

OK. My husband (a.k.a. the enabler) was very concerned about Rhinebeck. Not for all of the typical reasons that the husband of a fiber obsessed woman might be concerned. But, for a very, very sweet reason. After like the millionth time I said "I'm sooo excited" while beaming and after the primer he received while driving to Rhinebeck about what is important and what we simply MUST find at Rhinebeck: he looks at me and says "I really hope it lives up to your expectations." Sweet. Seriously sweet.

It did. It truly, truly did live up to all of my extremely lofty expectations. I will blog more and have some yarn porn for you over the next couple days. I must now break out of my yarn hang-over and go get ready for work.

Thank you Rhinebeck!

Rhinebeck Here I Come!!

Off to Rhinebeck! I'm soooo excited!!!!! :)

My New Addiction

My husband and I had a little windfall and we each bought a new toy. My new toy is the video i-pod. I am loving it!

I commute at least 30 minutes each way and now Brenda Dane is accompanying me. As you may already know, she hosts the Cast-On podcast. It is WONDERFUL! My commute just flies, and I am actually driving slower, so I can spend more time commuting. Can you believe it? Spending more time commuting?

So, I started listening to them backwards, and now I am listening to some of the earlier ones fairly randomly. I am listening to the first episode of season two right now. The idea of muses and knitting is a great one, and I am glad Brenda is giving it some attention.

I love this time of year. It is just a little chilly. I have candles lit. There are fresh baked chocolate chip cookies on the table and a lasagna in the oven. My husband and father are finishing up their work days and should be here soon for dinner. It is nice to be Suzy Homemaker every once in awhile. :)

SOCKS!!!

This is my first ever pair of socks. Socktoberfest definitely inspired me to finish them! I took a class back in the spring and finally finished them this week. They are nice and warn and I wore them around the house all day today. Some more info about them are in the post a couple days ago talking all about our first pair of socks. The foot and heel are a little big, but other than that they are wonderful! They are a little oversized (size 6 needles) so I probably only wear them around the house or maybe in my crocs. Oh, and it was a flap heel, not short row. What do I know? I'ld love to learn the toe up method. I printed up Wendy's pattern and I might try it on my next pair if I am feeling especially adventurous. I would love to take a class on using magic loop or doing socks at once on a circular. Socks will be in my future!

A New Button

A new button! Now, remembering how to get it on the sidebar is the fun part! :)

Entrelac Bag: Pre-Felting

OK, so I promised pics of my felted entrelac bag. But, I couldn't find the camera cord. Then I found the camera cord. But, life got in the way. So, here it is pre-felting. It is four skeins of Cascade 220, plus a sparkling novelty yarn thrown in randomly. I didn't have enough of any one color left to do the handles, so I decided to mix it up. I'm not sure if you can see it, but there is a pen in the handles as a reference to size. Post-felting pic to follow . . .

My Sock History

Lolly, our Socktober KAL host, asked about our sock history. I hope you enjoy reading mine.

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
I took a sock class last spring at my LYS.

What was your first pair?
We used the Knitting Pure & Simple pattern and I chose Mountain Colors yarn. It is a rather large sock and was knit on size 6 needles because it is a beginner pattern and yarn. I'm not sure if they will actually fit in shoes, or if they are just around the house type socks. I highly recommend this pattern and yarn for beginners.

How have they "held up" over time?
They have held up BEAUTIFULLY. Well, ya see, I completed one and just finished the heel on the second. I guess that should be goal number one for this month! :)

What would you have done differently?
Nothing! Everything is a learning experience. I think they are coming out pretty good. I can see one minor mistake on my first sock and, so far, I think my second sock is OK.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
Well, I have only used one yarn. I have been adding to my sock stash though! I have more Mountain Colors. I have some cool pink and purple stuff, but I don't remember what kind it is. I also have some Wool in the Woods. I recently bought Opal on sale and some Lorna's Laces. As you can tell, I have big plans! I'ld LOVE to get my hands on some Koigu! I've never fondled it and I am dieing to! Do you think it will be at Rhinebeck? Ohhhh, I hope!

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
I've never really crocheted anything. I've knit on DPNs and a little 12" circular needle on the leg and foot. I REALLY want to learn the 2 circulars and Magic Loop methods. My LYS had a Magic Loop class, but I was on vacation for part of it. They had a waiting list and did two more classes, and I couldn't do those either.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
I've only done short-row.

How many pairs have you made?
I would have to say I have made three quarters of a pair. :)

A Trip to the LYS

My LYS is Saratoga Needle Arts in Saratoga, NY. Most of the staff is very friendly and they know me by name. I talked to them about the Lizard Ridge blanket and tried to talk them into having a class and maybe a knitalong type of event. They'll be talking to the owner about it. I hope they do! :)

Anyhow, I am all stocked up to knit three hats for the triplets as well as lots of socks for Socktberfest. I also decided to branch out from socks a bit to make Fiber Trends felted clogs. I have REALLY wanted to try these. I have colors for myself and for 2 gender neutral pairs.

I am rushing off to work, so this will be it for now.

Oh, and a teaser . . . I purchased a much lusted for techie toy yesterday for myself. Still trying to get the hang of it, though!

New Buttons

Here are some buttons I am trying to get into my sidebar. Wish me luck!!

Autumn is here!

I love fall. It is my most favorite time of year. It gets my knitting juices flowing! :)

The last time I posted, oh so long ago, I talked about my entrelac bag. Well, guess what? It is finished!! Yes, folks, it only took me one whole year. That's not long at all when you consider that my mom is still waiting for last year's knitted Christmas present. I want to show you pictures, but I don't know where the camera cord is and my husband isn't here to ask. So, let's see what else I can show to satisfy your need for knitting porn, erh . . . I mean, pictures.

This is a scarf I made about four months after I learned to knit in April 2005. It is Lion Brand's Incredible (back in the day before I discovered my LYS). If you aren't familiar, it is like a ribbon and is interesting to knit with. I like how it came out. My former boss actually bought it at a fund raiser for two of my favorite charities.

I am catching up on Grey's Anatomy. I DVRed all of the repeats from the summer and now I am trying to watch them in order. Of course, I am missing some of the episodes, but it will be enough so that I can fill in the gaps. I am REALLY enjoying this show. While watching today, I ripped out a lace shawl for the second time. It is a zigzag pattern with Noro Silk Garden Lite (or something like that) and I just can't get it right. So, I am taking a break and am going to go pull out something else to start or finish while I continue my Grey-a-thon.

I would like to add some buttons and more links on my sidebar. This will be fun to figure out! :)

Entrelac Felted Tote Bag

Last summer I took a class at my LYS to make a felted entrelac tote bag. Initially I enjoyed doing it, but then got bored of it and interested in other projects. So, I finally picked it up again last week to finish it. I have the bag done and am progressing on the handles. I'll keep you posted.

We are "fostering with intent to adopt" a greyhound. His last race was June 14th, so he is newly off of the track. He is too funny. He is VERY laid back and quickly got the hang of the whole idea of retirement. My husband and I literally had to slide him across the floor today because we were moving furniture and he wouldn't get out of the way. He is very afraid of thunderstorms and retreats to the bathrom at the sound of thunder. This morning he was up bright and early at 4:30am to go potty. I'm hoping his bladder can at least accomodate 8 hours of sleep!

I wanted a space to call my own and house all of creative gear. Yarn, sewing machine, books, laptop, keyboard, arts & crafts supplies, etc. So, today I started working on sorting through my crap and getting rid of some stuff so one of our spare bedrooms can be "my studio". I started emptying out the closet and the dresser so I can start filling them with my supplies. I am very excited! :) My husband said that tomorrow he will put together his old desk for me. It's coming along! :)

By the way, that picture was taken last October in a rose garden behind Notre Dame in Paris. Purple roses are my favorite.

Welcome!

This is our much loved greyhound in her "Diva" pose. She has earned the title of Princess Portia!

Well, after getting my feet wet in the blogging world, I have decided to follow some advice and go to a better hosting website. Wish me luck as I figure it out! :)