WoundTooTight

Somehow it's the end of September…

2011-09-29T09:34:00.007-04:00

Wow. It's been a while. Quick recap.

June brought us to St. Maarten!! What a great trip!! It truly was paradise!

July brought a family vacation to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. And Moka learned to swim!

August brought Hurricane Irene and a washed out friend vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We went, instead, back to Deep Creek Lake. All dogs had a great time. So did their humans.

September brought a very quiet house. DD went off to college after a year at Northern VA Community College last year. She is now a sophomore at VCU in Richmond, a Sorority girl and loving every minute. Her brother is a "Super Senior" also at VCU. We are hoping he will graduate in May. (5 years is our max for tuition payments!)

SO it's just us and the dog… and cats.

September 24th, I went with 7 friends to ride the Rappahanock River Ride yet again. In the rain, yet again! It was a blast! We rode in a double paceline for the entire 63 miles and finished in just over 4 hours. Fastest Metric Century I have ever done! Lots of great food, great laughs and great views!

O.M.G.

2011-06-29T14:29:00.005-04:00

I am just back from my mountain climbing expedition!

No, really! I rode my bike in the hills/mountains around Blacksburg, VA for the first two days of Bike Virginia. It was epic. I have ridden in a LOT of organized rides. From the really flat - Seagull Century - to Lake Tahoe and Solvang, California. But this was unlike anything I have done before! All I could think of while climbing those hills was "builds character, right?"

The gorgeous views almost made up for the pain of the climbs!

Here I am at the lunch stop, after almost 40 miles on day one.

To paraphrase Mary, "This is the New River. The name of the Bike Va ride this year was The New River - Roll Through Time. It really should have been The New River - CLIMB Through Time, and don't die while you are trying."

Or from Suzanne, "Dicky named it the "5/30" ride; you're either riding 5mph up a hill or 30 mph down the hill!" Very appropriate too.

W5R3

2011-06-21T14:28:00.001-04:00

OMG!! A twenty minute run this morning! It was good, and now I'm on to week 6. With a two day Bike Virginia Ride in between. I hope the hills are manageable. :)

Where Did Week 4 Go?

2011-06-02T18:00:00.003-04:00

I'm almost through week 4 - with a 42 mile bike ride to Bethesda thrown in on Sunday. Week 4 has two reps of run 3 min, walk 90 sec, run 5 min, walk 2.5 min. No shin pain and no IT band pain. I'm feeling good about this program! The ride was great! Even though I had not been on my bike in well over a month! And it is a 7 mile climb to Bethesda. Week 5 will get a little more challenging, and my schedule will be off, so I'm thinking I might stay with week 4 a little longer.

I have acquired 3 more balls of Noro Silk Garden for the Blanket. This makes for great travel knitting, and I needed more colorways anyway…

W4R1 and it Didn't Kill Me!

2011-05-27T21:38:00.004-04:00

I was really a teeny bit apprehensive about the 5 minute runs, but it turns out, they weren't that bad! I wish I had gotten out a little earlier in the day, though. I went out at noon and the temp was over 80. So much for Spring.

There was rhubarb in my box from the Green Grocer. So I made a Rhubarb Raspberry Crostata. It's in the oven and smells yummy!

3 Down

2011-05-25T22:26:00.002-04:00

Finished week three! The three minute runs were ok! I think I may have a little bit of shin splints in my left shin. Ice tonight.

Back on the horse…

2011-05-20T17:22:00.002-04:00

Okay, yesterday I ran week-2-run-3 over again. I felt good. Not strained. No soreness to speak of. I had anticipated a bit, since I had taken 10 days off with the everlasting migraine. And I ran in the new shoes! Tomorrow I will start week 3.

Sidelined

2011-05-10T12:05:00.002-04:00

The weekend was great! Drove to Richmond for a day with Chris. He fit me for running shoes, and gave them to me for Mother's Day. We then saw the Picasso Exhibit at the VMFA, had dinner at Legends Brewery and spent the night at the Linden Row Inn and had a great brunch at Belly Timber Tavern on Sunday.

Then we drove back to DC via 301, stopped in at my parents, visited for a while, got back in the car and went to his parents for a while, then home. Looong day.

No wonder I migrained on Monday… it's Tuesday, and it's still lingering… no running yet.
Don't think I should attempt anything strenuous on percocet.

Maybe tomorrow? I want to try my new shoes!!!

That Pesky Old IT Band

2011-05-05T11:35:00.001-04:00

Is doing it's thing again. At least this time I recognize it's pain and have hit the foam roller!

I LOVE ZAPPOS!

2011-05-03T13:29:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I ordered a cute new running skirt from Zappos. It came today before noon.
It's a SkirtSports Marathon Girl Ultra. And it is so comfortable to run in, Not too short, no bunching, no riding up.
And I just finished W2R1!

W1R3

2011-05-03T10:20:00.004-04:00

Finished Week 1! The third run was a little harder for me, but I suspect it may have had more to do with the lack of sleep and the over consumption of various rum drinks the night before! I was at a lovely little beach house on the Delaware Bay with many good friends! But I did run! Woot!

I have also cast on for Square 6. The Blanket is coming along nicely.

Couch to 2.26 miles…

2011-04-27T18:15:00.002-04:00

Today marks the beginning of Couch to 5K. Day 1 - not too sore. there were 8 segments of running for 60 seconds followed by brisk walking for 90 seconds. Sandwiched between two 5 minute warm up and cool down walks. Success.

4 square

2011-04-26T17:08:00.002-04:00

Started the fourth square. And I made a big mistake. I picked up the stitches from the wrong side of the first miter. Didn't notice until I was finished with it. I don't know what made me not cut the yarn this time, but I didn't, and only had to rip back. So, Now I am on to the log cabin part of square 4.

Pulled Pork in the oven… yum. Using one of my Corolla Light BBQ sauces. There's a reason I buy a dozen or so of those every time we go down there…

Ride like the Wind…

2011-04-22T18:13:00.002-04:00

Or, rather, into it! 18 miles yesterday. Hoped to ride to Bethesda, but the wind was just too much!

And I'm making progress on the Mitered Squares. Almost finished with number 3.

Counting Steps…

2011-04-20T12:38:00.001-04:00

Pedometer came yesterday. Goal is 10,000 steps a day. Now to get the clock set right…

On the Road Again…

2011-04-18T13:57:00.000-04:00

17 miles today. And it's only Monday.

Yum

2011-04-14T13:16:00.002-04:00

Spinach Artichoke Cheese Strata tonight. I know I filed the recipe somewhere online. Now to find where.
Found it!
Food & Wine's Artichoke-heart, spinach, mozzarella bread pudding.

More Squares

2011-04-07T10:09:00.004-04:00

The squares are multiplying! I have at least one in each color and will eventually have at least three. There are three basketweave sizes, so I'll alternate them in the finished blanket.

And I have a new Square project. The Mitered Crosses for Japan Blanket.

This is a really fun square to knit. And It's Noro Silk Garden which is lovely to knit with! There will eventually be 12 squares, each with a different colorway in the center, but all with purples, greens and rust.

Square One

2011-03-02T16:25:00.003-05:00

The first square for our New Zealand wool blanket. I have lots of thrift shop worsted wools to use for this.

March on

2011-03-01T18:06:00.001-05:00

Into the third month of 2011. Ordered new tires for the bike. Trying to revive my RSX STI shifters on my old bike to use in the trainer. New batteries in the cycle computers. No more excuses.

Time Flies

2011-02-27T18:09:00.002-05:00

My to-do list is slowly getting shorter, but I swear I don't know where the time goes. I don't feel like I have wasted any this weekend, but on the other hand, I don't feel like I got much accomplished.

The dog did get a trip to the dog park… at least.

Groundhog Day (a week later…)

2011-02-08T20:17:00.005-05:00

I have knit and re-knit these same two rows three times now. And with 267 stitches, I can tell you, It is getting old. Fast. I think I found the problem this evening, waiting for the oversized down comforter to dry in the laundromat. I hate the laundromat.

Oh, and I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight. Called Creamy Potato Lasagna. Actually, it's au gratin or scalloped potatoes with Alfredo sauce (Florentine sauce), ham and cheese. Smells good.

I have been busy…

2010-02-17T18:06:00.009-05:00

Little Aliens, and Monsters and Zipper Pulls and Berries…
Several new items in my Etsy Shop.

And while it HAS been quite a snowy winter, just like they said back in early December, The WIP piles continue to grow. I have, however, done a bit of Ravelympic work… ripped a scarf and started a new one from the yarn. Researched dyeing with Wilton's, in the hopes that I might dye some of the great yarns I've picked up at thrift shops.

The thrift shops have been flush with great yarn finds this winter! I can hardly keep up with cataloging it. I found almost all of the yarns from a Colinette AbFab Afghan Kit - retail $180 - in the Nightshade colorway. I just added a couple more and now I am psyched to start the afghan! (The yarns cost me maybe $6) In the same haul, I got several skeins of super soft hand painted merino wools - no ball bands or skein tags, but I'm guessing at least one of them is a Mountain Colors Wool Quarters. And at least two of them are full skeins of Noro - Big Kureyon and Iro - All burn tested as wool. There were also several off white skeins that I hope to experiment with with the Wilton's dyes.

There is something about reskeining all these yarns that has been really satisfying. They are really nice to handle!

Camille is Complete!

2009-12-16T15:35:00.001-05:00

All knitting is done and she is blocking.
Now I need to seam and find five buttons.
Photos soon.

I am still here!

2009-12-09T12:25:00.002-05:00

It is now December 9, 2009. I'm afraid Ravelry has taken me away from the blog. I should get back to it.

Now.

I still have a plethora of UFOs! However, I am 6 inches from finishing the last sleeve on Camille

Purple Pea has been hibernating. But it, too, is 60% complete.

Lady of the Lake needs to be "deconstructed" to fix what I think is a too tight bind off at the armhole edge.

They say it will be a snowy winter here. Maybe I'll get some of these completed!

April 18

2009-04-18T22:54:00.002-04:00

Ten days. It's been ten days since I last posted. I am exhausted. The past week was nuts.
My sister and I made the cakes from hell for our mother's birthday yesterday. The process involved two chiffon jelly rolls, filled with raspberry preserve, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds and lining two 6 cup round bowls. Said bowls were then filled with a vanilla bavarian cream (home made custard with whipping cream). These were left to set overnight. Unmold onto cake plates, then glazed with an apricot glaze. (apricot preserves, strained and thickened with gelatin. Happy birthday, Mom!

We made this thing 20 years ago for her birthday, and she'd been "remembering that cake" so my sister decided that this would be the year to repeat. She WAS surprised. And it WAS good. But it may be another 20 years before THAT process is repeated!

Wednesday was birthday gift shopping day. My sister and I spent the day at Tyson's Corner, collecting "things for the birthday basket". Thursday night was cake making night, Friday night was birthday dinner night. Mom was very happy.

I had to miss my son's Conference Championship Track and Field Meet. DH went to represent us. DS did very well, PR'ing, which is making a "personal record". And beating his old teammate from high school, who now runs for UNC Wilmington. DS was very happy.

Today I pulled all the weeds from the front bed, completely cleaned out the fridge - amazing what a burned out light bulb that breaks when you try to get it out will do. At least I got rid of a ton of really icky old stuff, and it's squeaky clean now!

I also had to clean the floor with a sponge - broken light bulb glass, you know.

We went out for dinner.

WIP Wednesday…

2009-04-08T19:21:00.003-04:00

It's taking every ounce of willpower I have to not swatch something with that Pink Peace Fleece.

So in the full WIP Wednesday fashion, I have almost finished the left front of Camille. I have almost finished the second front of Sweet Pea, and I have finished 6 inches of sleeve on February Lady.

I think Sweet Pea needs a wet blocking. It's fitting Mini-Me a little snuggly.

I HAVE TO STOP!…

2009-04-03T14:04:00.002-04:00

I have to step away from the Destash boards!
I think I need a 12-step program! This really is yarn pr0n! This is what I have amassed in the last month alone.

Plymouth Outback Mohair - 1090 yds.

Cherry Tree Hill Froth in Champlain Sunset, 1288 yds

Mountain Colors Mountain Goat, one skein in Wild Raspberry

Peace Fleece Worsted in Georgia Rose, 1600 yds

Berocco Optik, 3 skeins

Lorna's Laces Glory in Tahoe, 1080 yds

And another gratuitous Kitty face shot. Isn't he adorable? I can't help it.

At least I will have a long stretch of car knitting this weekend. We are going to Philly to tour the University of the Arts with DD. It was Philadelphia College of Art when I went there, way back in the 80's. I have not been back since I graduated. This should be interesting!

Happy weekend!

YPF or FO Friday…

2009-03-13T15:24:00.002-04:00

Hmmmm… a little of both.

I finished the back of Camille, does that count?

And I have this:

A thrift shop find. I have no idea what is, except that it is a huge hank. 274 grams of what looks like a handspun. Dark, dark brown with flecks of bright green, maroon, gold, red, and dark blue. I need to count strands in the hank and figure out what the yardage is.

And here's a random kitty photo, taken by DD:

WIP Wednesday…

2009-03-04T16:54:00.002-05:00

February Lady in March:

Ok, so I didn't finish this thing in February… I'm still enjoying knitting it. A few more inches, I think on the body. And then I can move on to the sleeves.

And now there are two more:

Camille, from Debbie Bliss Winter Essentials in Donegal Tweed Chunky and…

Sweet Pea by Kate Gilbert from the Winter Twist Collective. This is in Kraemer Yarns Mauch Chunky.

I really had an urge to knit with chunky yarns. Maybe it was all the cold and snow from last weekend. It is because of all this snow that I have had to photograph these lovelies on top of the dryer. The skylights in my attic office are still all covered up!

And this weekend promises to be spectacularly spring-like. I am really hoping to get a bike ride in. I have now had 12 physical therapy sessions for my hip bursitis from October's fateful 100 mile ride. I have not ridden since then, so I am really itching to get back on the bike.

It's Cute! It's Pink!

2009-02-20T12:33:00.001-05:00

And it's Yarn!

KPPPM. Acquired through a destash. I can't resist pink yarn.

How 'bout a Monday FO…

2009-02-16T10:41:00.002-05:00

Even though I did finish this a few weeks ago…

The One Row Scarf, in Cosmicpluto's wonderful merino handspun.

LOVE the colors!

Somehow, It's Friday again

2009-02-06T11:46:00.003-05:00

Time for Yarn.

This is a long - and long overdue - post.

I have been busy both stash enhancing and knitting. I had the head cold from hell last week, and started physical therapy for a hip bursitis and IT band issues caused by "overdoing it" in October. That was the Seagull Century bike ride. I guess I didn't stretch adequately before, during and after the ride. Resulting in PAIN. The temperature is supposed to be in the high 50's this weekend. I think I'm going to give the old hip a workout - not a long ride, but I have not been on my bike since October. It's time.

Stash enhancing has been done both by thrift shopping, helping others destash, and a couple of visits to Knit Happens and The Tangled Skein. I picked up a couple of skeins of Claudia Handpaint Chunky at the Tangled Skein. Ocean Depth and Walk in the Woods. Both beautiful colors.

Oh, and "My Favorite Yarn Shop" in Warrenton! That was bonus yarn shopping! DH and I spent a night at the Inn at Little Washington! Dinner and a night. O.M.G. That is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was my Christmas gift, our 27th anniversary gift to ourselves and his birthday gift. When you factor all those into the equation, it wasn't so bad, fiscally speaking. But it was the first time I had eaten or stayed at a five star establishment. And it was fabulous! (The yarn shop was in Warrenton, on the way home. A wonderful, friendly shop!)

This was my breakfast. Eggs Benedict. With these.

It was tough coming home - or down to earth.

This was what I found at "My Favorite Yarn Shop"

Two skeins of Tilli Tomas Cleopatra beaded silk ribbon, and some Ironstone Yarns mohair. Couldn't resist. Plus, the Tilli Tomas was 75% off!

I have acquired 11 skeins of Queensland Kathmandu DK that will become Katarina from Cocoknits and a few more skeins of Manos in Henna bringing my total to 7 skeins. I figured I could do much more with 7, right?

And Thrift shopping has resulted in 48 little balls of Brown Angora/wool, worsted weight. These are 26 yards each, probably from the 1960s.

But a lot of yardage! Why did they have such small balls then? That makes for a whole lot of ends to weave in.

Here's the red lambswool from the American Eagle hoodie. It's really a nice deep red wool.

I haven't skeined and washed it yet. And there's one more to unravel:

Another Merino/Angora blend. I think I need to stop this for a while.

And finally, progress on February Lady. I WILL finish this before the end of February.

Finally, Some FOs

2009-01-30T16:48:00.002-05:00

Here's Donna's Hat:

Alpaca Silk Aran in the Maple Seed Hat. This combination of pattern and yarn makes a wonderful chemo cap.

And a Foliage for me:

Fibre Company Organik

I love this hat! I've never knit a hat top down before. Casting on is a little tricky, but then it's an easy pattern to knit.

I also finished my "One Row Scarf" and my Noro Stripe scarf, but I'll save those for another post. I haven't photographed them yet.

And I seem to have succumbed to the dreaded head cold everybody's been getting. I've been living on benadryl and mucinex - lovely - and sleep. In fact… it's nap time.

No Words…

2009-01-21T22:17:00.002-05:00

…

Delurking Day!

2009-01-12T20:08:00.002-05:00

So, I delurked.

Oh, and I am still knitting Donna's Hat.

The Maple Seed Hat in Alpaca Silk,

And the One Row Handspun Scarf

Pattern by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Yarn by Laura Chau. Yum

Monday, Monday…

2009-01-05T12:39:00.003-05:00

Sort of feels like that song…
It's gray and cold. Makes me want to sit by a fire and knit. Hmmm…

Let's see, what did I do over Winter Break?
Some knitting. Striped scarf is into its second set of Silk Garden balls, I finished DH's hat and one that had been meant for a friend about to undergo chemo, but I think I'll make her one out of something softer. This one is Lamb's Pride, and that could be a little itchy against bare skin.

I finished the Amherst knitting and it is ready to be seamed.

I decided to undo the bind off armhole on the Lady of the Lake and redo it using a stretchy bind off. This is what has been holding up production on that one.

I also went Yarn Hunting at thrift shops and found two American Eagle Outfitter sweaters to frog. One is a blue and white variegated version of the yellow one, and one is a deep red variegated wool.

All in all, a good time! And now, it's back to the grind so to speak. Although DS is still home for another week.

And We Begin Again…

2008-12-31T11:56:00.003-05:00

I think we all need a new year. A new beginning.

2008 was a tough one.

But there was also much to be thankful for:

A roof over our heads
Food on the table
Work
Our good health
Perseverance
BIL is recovering, albeit slowly
A close and caring extended family
and many, many good friends.

I'm not making resolutions, at least not specifically. I'll just look back at the past 12 months and determine what I may have done differently. Maybe a lot, maybe a little. I mean, it's not like I'm going to wake up on January 1 a new and different person. I'll still be lazy, I still won't like to get up in the morning - I am so NOT a morning person! I will still have to nag myself about exercising, and to cut back on the wine consumption.

Well, maybe not the wine consumption. :)

But I will still welcome the New Year with open arms. And Hope for brighter days ahead!

Here's the last WIP for 2008.

Yes, a Noro Striped Scarf. Colors 292 and 269.

Happy New Year! Be safe everyone!

YPF

2008-12-12T17:52:00.002-05:00

Reclaimed YP for YPF:

This was an Express turtleneck sweater, size L. It is now 905 yds of really soft 40% merino, 30% viscose, 20% angora, 10% cashmere yarn. I'm hoping to make Ingenue with this!

Yum.

Tag!

2008-12-04T12:50:00.002-05:00

Things I've Done (In Bold)
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon - well, rode a century (100 miles on a bike)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - Richard Dryfuss at a luncheon - cool!
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Stitches!!!

2008-11-09T18:37:00.002-05:00

Since it is to be somewhere else next year… I went out with a bang!

Brenda and I went up on Friday and took one of the Market Session classes on socks. We almost missed it as we both got caught up in the frenzy that is Woolstock Yarn Shop - the place with the bins of full bags of yarn at mostly 50% off. I bought a full bag of Lana Grossa Royal Tweed in a pretty strawberry color.

We literally dropped and ran to the front and slid in 15 minutes late. We caught up and the little session on heel turning was very informative. Maybe DH will finally get his socks.

Here's the "haul":

Rick Rack from Interlacements. I have regretted NOT buying it the last two years. I really want a shawl or throw out of this.

Louet Gems in a gorgeous colorway - Gypsy Rose. I walked past this twice… and ended up purchasing it in the final 10 minutes - what they called "roadrunner shopping".

Kauni 8/2 EQ. I have wanted this forever! Something about the rainbow effect. It will be the Swallowtail Shawl. Just like the sample at The Yarn and Fiber Company's booth.

MMMMMMalabrigo. I was a Malabrigo virgin. No longer.

This is the Royal Tweed and the Greenwich patern from Dolce Handknits. Kim was wonderful to talk to. And I am almost finished knitting her Amherst pattern. Very easy to follow patterns.

And a button from Annie's Sweet Handspun. She had beautiful yarns and sweaters - but the buttons caught my eye.

Couldn't resist these at WEBS. 50% off, they will become little shoulder shawls for the holidays. Nice little sparkle.

This was another "Quick, before they shut off the lights!" purchase. 3 balls of Jojoland Melody Superwash. I've seen the Swirl Shawl many times at many booths. I bought this from Knitting Software - nice yarn, even if they don't yet have a sweater version for Mac.

And, of course, who could resist the beautiful baskets from Maendeleo. They were everywhere on the market floor. This one had to come home with me.

It was a good day! I will sorely miss it next year.

Tarot of the Cat People:

2008-10-27T21:35:00.000-04:00

You are Strength

Courage, strength, fortitude. Power not arrested in the act of judgement, but passing on to further action, sometimes obstinacy.

This is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. With strength you can control not only the situation, but yourself. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one's personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Limmony

2008-10-22T17:28:00.003-04:00

The first tomato of the season

This is an old photo, I just wanted to remember these. They are sooooo good! And we ate probably the last of them last night in a tomato/mozzarella salad.

I knitting news: I have finished the knitting portion of Suzy and now need to seam her up. This is yarn I purchased at last year's Stitches East - and I want to wear it to this year's event. It's Araucania Limari, a squishy soft merino, alpaca, silk blend. No photos yet.

I've also finished the back of Amherst. I am really liking the Katia Twist. It IS splitty, but makes a bouncey soft fabric. Now to decide if I want to put the ginormous buttons on it, or use a clasp type of fastener. I have found an interesting button, the trick will be to find it in a store.

And a sweet kitty face:

Doesn't he look content?

Things are getting done…

2008-10-06T15:42:00.002-04:00

28Thirty is finished. It blocked nicely and now needs it's buttons sewn on. Maybe I'll do that during tomorrow night's debate.

VCU Hat is finished, and another has been started… and almost finished… in reverse colors. I really like this Ribbed Hat pattern. It's fast and fits well for a wide variety of head sizes.

And I finished yet another Seagull Century ride. This time the weather was spectacular! There must have been a bajillion riders! I felt great! These were taken at the finish. Don'tcha just love the do-rag? I had serious "helmet hair".

September 17

2008-09-17T20:25:00.002-04:00

I feel like I've been away forever! I've been busy… DS going back to college the first week in August, my birthday was August 8 - and I treated myself to an Offhand Designs Zelda Grand in Pansy. Love it!

My sister is hanging on, with her husband home. I think they've now realized how long this recovery process is going to be. Basically it's a lifestyle change. Things will never be the way they were. They did get to the Redskins game though, - twice! They are season ticket holders and die-hard 'Skins fans, so this was a milestone of sorts - getting back to tailgating and the game. And some of his colleagues have been picking him up and taking him to a few board meetings in the evenings. All of these things show what remarkable progress he has made, but he still needs the wheelchair, and his eyes still won't open. So we hang on.

I've been sewing - making tote bags to add to my etsy shop.

This one I'm keeping for myself.

I've also made progress on three of the projects I had hoped to finish during the Olympics. Flirty Tank ran into some pattern issues - my pattern was missing 6 rows of instruction. I was set back a couple of weeks as I attempted to get in touch with Y2Knit. That got resolved finally with my calling them on the phone. Pattern fixed.

28Thirty now has sleeves. I'm knitting them using the two circular method. I may even finish that one and be able to wear it soon. What a concept!

And the little Everlasting Bagstopper is maybe 3/4 finished. That one resides in my Emergency Knitting Bag by Illiane. It's a good "sit at the field hockey game" project.

DD finished her driving "Behind the Wheel" course in mid August. Which means she now has her license to drive. We managed to put her off til now to add her to our policy, which meant we didn't let her drive by herself until two nights ago. I think we may allow her to drive to field hockey practices (two miles away at the school) a few times a week. She's a good, careful driver, but people here in the DC area are crazy behind the wheel. I'm in no hurry to have her on any kind or highway.

We did buy a little black used VW Bug so she won't be driving my car. DH bought a used silver one a year and a half ago to commute in (attempt to save gas). We now have a fleet of two. They're cute!

And on the cycling front - I have two rides coming up real soon - the Rappahannock River Ride in Tidewater Virginia on the 26th and the Seagull Century in Salisbury MD on the 4th of October. Both are long ones - although I think I'll opt for the 65 mile route in Tidewater. As opposed to the 124 mile option. Just don't think I want to do two hundred milers on back-to-back weekends. I am looking forward to the "girl's weekend" aspect of both, though. We always have a great time.

The Fall craft show season in here again, and I think I may get back in to it. I sell my beaded jewelry at them. I didn't go to any last year. We were going to see DS run in his cross-country races and they inevitably fell on the dates of the shows. So I didn't sell many earrings last year. I kind of missed it.

I really don't know where August and September have gone… maybe it had to do with the fact that DD started Field Hockey with two-a-day practices on August 5. That was pretty much like going back to school already. And we didn't go to the beach this year. We spent a good amount putting in the new windows, but it was primarily a schedule issue. DD could not be away from the field hockey thing. Ahhh - high school sports…

Anyway, I am now looking forward to the fall, and knitting, and riding in cooler weather, and routine.

I'm Up for WIP Wednesday!

2008-07-23T18:53:00.003-04:00

Should be done real soon… Riiiiigghhht.

But maybe it'll go faster now that it has a friend…

Isn't it cool?! It's a Yarn Bowl from the Knit Witch. I've been stalking her site, waiting for one in pinks to appear, and one did last week! It's Bowl # 201. I love it! It's so cool to knit from! The little ball just spins, and spins…

Oh, it's the the Flirty Tank from Y2K in Gedifra Topas.

Who's Been Eating My Porridge?…

2008-07-20T13:23:00.002-04:00

MMMM… not too hot, not too cold… said goldipillar…

Actually, it was eating my parsley. C said to kill it, but I had to find it on the internet first. Glad I did.

This Anise Swallowtail Caterpillar will metamorphose into a beautiful large black butterfly with tails and yellow spots.

I looked it up on whatsthatbug.com. It may have my parsley for now.

More Garden shots. The tomatoes have taken off, as have the cukes. Zucchini are taking their sweet time, but I'm pretty sure they will soon be abundant. I transplanted the two bell pepper plants. They were being crowded out by the crazy cucumbers.

"Red Pear" tomatoes

Bees in the cucumbers. I've never seen so many honeybees!

"Black Like Tula" tomatoes.

"Hillbilly" tomato.

Can't wait til they ripen! There is nothing better than summer tomatoes!

Reverse Yarn Pr0n

2008-07-11T11:36:00.002-04:00

This is what I'm doing today:

This is why:

This is one of my early knits. A few years ago, I splurged on one skein of Colinette Mohair in the Dusk color, and set out to knit a feather and fan scarf. I did notice a knot in the middle of the skein, but kept going. It has bothered me ever since.

I had a "Two-faced" scarf.

Well, I've finally mustered the courage to frog it. It being mohair and all…

It's going not so bad.

Maybe I'll try it again, this time alternating the two different colors. I have half a mind to send the whole thing to Colinette. But I suppose I have lived and learned. It is hand dyed/painted after all.

And it is beautiful yarn.

A Mystery

2008-07-06T00:16:00.003-04:00

I have no clue…

This was one of many balls of yarn in a bag at the thrift store. I was intrigued, you can't open the bag to touch the yarn, but I could see that it was chain stitched, and looked to be a painted or dyed yarn. I haven't done a burn test yet, but I don't think acrylics would color like this. I unwound the tight ball and wound it on my niddy noddy. Looks like there are 46 yards/80 grams. It's bright primary colors. Now I'm on a mission - to find out what it is.

Friday…

2008-06-27T10:44:00.002-04:00

How does this happen?!

Friday just sneaks up on me. EVERY week!

And I ask myself… what DID you do all week?

Well…

This week I was at my sister's twice, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Tuesday I wound up staying and takling with her when she got home at 9:30. I stayed til 12:15 am. We just talked and drank wine… well - she drank wine. I had one glass - had to drive home. It was so nice to just sit and talk to her.

Her husband is making more progress. He had another surgical procedure two weeks ago to repair a tear in the dura - membrane surrounding the brain - which he ruptured when he fell. They put his bone flap back in at this time as well. Hopefully to prevent another injury of this type, should he fall again. He was readmitted to Nat. Rehab Hospital and is being reassessed all over again. We had hoped he could be discharged to home this week, but it looks like a few more weeks now.

Wednesday, I took the morning off and did a long ride. My riding buddy and I rode to Georgetown, had coffee and stopped in to Stitch DC, looking for the Petal Tank pattern. No luck. I'll have to order it from WEBS, I guess. Then we rode around Hain's Point and stopped in Old Town Alexandria for lunch at Chipotle. Had to check Knit Happens for the pattern. Nope. It was a gorgeous day. A little hot, but a good 30 mile ride.

I started an Everlasting Bagstopper in pink Fibranatura Flax. I love how this stuff knits up. It's a little rough, and I'll wait and see if it softens up, but for the bag, it's perfect.

I'm heading to the mountains this weekend. A Mom's weekend away at a friend's house at Bryce Resort in VA. 6 ladies in a cabin in the woods. I plan to knit, read by the pool and drink wine and watch movies.

Oh, the windows came in. We are replacing all 20 windows in our 37 yr old house. BY OURSELVES. I think it's a good thing I am leaving DH home this weekend to do the first few windows without me "hovering". Wish him luck.

Can't wait!

Happy Knitting!

YPF

2008-06-20T17:21:00.000-04:00

KPPPM

MMMMMM

GardenAlong 1.0

2008-06-19T14:36:00.006-04:00

Well, with thanks to Norma, here it is:

The raised beds are begining to look like a real garden. The tomatoes are beginning to blossom and so are the zucchini. These are all Heirloom tomatoes, grown from seed by my youngest brother. We can always count on him for the best tomatoes every summer.

Notice my attempt at an irrigation system - a coiled soaker hose. Hey, whatever works!

"Limmony", "Red Pear", "Hillbilly" and "Brandywine"

The fifth tomato is "Black Like Tula" and the peppers are Red Bell and Big Bertha - a great pepper for stuffing.

Then there are the lavender and basil plants, a summer staple around here.

Mosaic of Me

2008-06-15T21:44:00.004-04:00

Stolen from Wildpeculiarjoy

1. Andi Peek-a-Boo, 2. Prosciutto Mint Wrapped Figs With Goat Cheese Dipping Sauce, 3. Happy Girls Under a Rainbow, 4. Pawnee Pink Sherbert Sunset, 5. Cary Grant 1934, 6. Manna, 7. VIRGIN GORDA, B.V.I, CARIBBEAN, 8. Castles on the Beach, 9. Cadaqués, 10. "Norouz" is coming!..., 11. 050717081948 A, 12. hi5

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Ocean

2008-06-13T13:46:00.002-04:00

How I wish I were there now.

This is a ball of the Suri Dream in Ocean that I acquired as a destash. 5 balls. Should make a nice little cardigan.

I've been on a sort of a quest to replace a mohair cardigan I had a long time ago - and DH accidentally shrunk to minuscule proportions. This was a cute little 50's style "cropped" cardigan I picked up in a thrift shop. Lord knows how old it was, but it was really cute! Maybe I should be looking through vintage patterns…

I have found that I can knit with the splint on my thumb, and with #2s and beads. So I guess all will be good with the world. Typing is a little rough. I'm back to hunt and peck, because my fingers won't go where I want them. Can't figure that one out, it's not like I type with my thumb…

Well, this is a fine mess

2008-06-11T13:03:00.004-04:00

I've gotten myself into…

Now, you should know, I did this sometime in mid-March, and I did have it looked at. But I had it looked at by my chiropractor, who told me he didn't think it was broken.

Well… it was.

Is.

It remained sore with limited range of motion so I saw an orthopedist this morning and an Xray confirmed it. I Haven't tried to knit yet. And it is my left hand. I'm right handed. We'll see.

COMING SOON!

2008-06-06T22:34:00.002-04:00

Example number one…

Handmade Knitting Bags - Designer fabrics, 12 x 17 x 5, 11" drop handles to fit comfortably over the shoulder or in the hand, fully lined with lots of interior pockets, magnetic snap closure and feet.

Stay tuned! Coming soon to a new etsy shop!

Yarn and needles not included. :)

Mountain Goat

2008-05-31T12:23:00.002-04:00

Don't ya just want to roll around in it? It's soooo soft and squishy…

Weekly Update

2008-05-30T22:05:00.002-04:00

Or, It must be Friday again!

I've almost finished Lorelei - I'm on the upper front and it's looking good!

Here's a flat view of the back:

I also decided that the double circular method is best for the sleeves of 28Thirty. I'm halfway down the first sleeve. And I found buttons! 9 little round deep blue buttons. They'll be perfect for this sweater. I went to Uniquities' Memorial Day sale last weekend and found the buttons, replaced my Brittany dpns (size 2) which DD had sat upon and broken - they now come in sets of 6! - and I bought 4 skeins of Mountain Colors Mountain Goat in Ladyslipper. Can't. Resist. Sale. Yarn. Photos tomorrow.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy…

2008-05-23T23:31:00.002-04:00

I wish!

Not too bad, though. BIL is now at a respected rehab hospital and making progress. He still has not opened his eyes, and at 7 weeks post-op, they're beginning to get a little concerned. He is still on target for a late June release to outpatient rehab. He really wants to get home! And we all really want for him to be at home, even though it will mean a whole new set of obstacles. They live in a 1932 brick Tudor with beautiful, but narrow doorways. He'll most likely be living in the living room for some time. But it will be so good to have him out of hospitals!

DS is home from college and he actually found a job! Or rather, the job found him. A neighbor asked if he was back and looking for work on morning last week. He more or less stumbled into this job where he is "babysitting" drywall contractors as they repair walls damaged in the flooding we had around here a couple of weeks ago. $15 an hour AND they're providing him a security clearance. After the crew is finished, he'll move into a "role playing" position as this company trains interrogators, and he will pretend to be an interrogatee. Cool, huh?

DD turned 16 on Tuesday. We took her and 10 of her girlfriends to dinner at Chadwick's in Old Town Alexandria on Friday last week to celebrate. This instead of the "over the top" sweet sixteen party thing that seems to be "the thing" We (DS, DH and I) sat downstairs, of course, and everyone had a really nice time. And their dinner bill was under $200. Not bad for dinner for 11. The challenge was in ferrying all of them from our home to the restaurant and back. DS, DH and I all drove separately - as chauffeurs. It worked out beautifully! And she was very happy, which of course was the object.

And I won yarn!

Fanciepants celebrated her 100th blog post and I commented and won this…

Actually, 9 balls of this. Gedifra Topas, cotton, poly and acrylic. It will become either a "Something Blushy" or a Flirty Tank

.

I also helped Cosmicpluto destash a little…

Snow White, isn't it beautiful?! Merino and silk. 490 yards or it.

I have finished the bottom tube portion of Lorelei, and will begin the contrast stripe and top portion tomorrow.

28Thirty has a bit of a right sleeve… I can't seem to find a comfortable method for knitting the sleeves. They're done in the round, and one circular is too tight, the large loop method doesn't feel right. I think I'll try the two-circ method next.

And I have added two, that's right, TWO new bags to my collection. I ordered a Namaste Everyday in Black and a Namaste Jetsetter in Dusty Rose. I love them both! I'm beginning to understand the need for attractive knitting bags, as I am away from home so much more now. Rather than carry a purse and a knitting bag, these do double duty rather nicely! Although, I am still selling the Namaste Executive in Raspberry that I bought last year. It' a little large and unwieldy for me, as I'm only 5' tall.

I am so looking forward to this long weekend. We are staying put. Hoping to enjoy the projected beautiful weather right here at home. Maybe get a long bike ride in, some knitting, some cooking… I wish everyone a memorable Memorial Day holiday.

Happy Knitting

Friday FO

2008-05-02T16:41:00.002-04:00

Isn't it cute!?

The little Exploring Stripes bag. It's little, but will hold a cell phone and small wallet.

And there has been progress on 28Thirty

I'm ready to attack the sleeves. Actually, it'll be nice to have something other than straight stockinette to knit, as the sleeves have the purl row every 6 rows.

Next up will be this:

I know, but I have so many UFOs! But I really have an urge to knit with Noro…

On other fronts, BIL is medically stable and we are looking into post-acute care facilities that will take patients with a tracheostomy. His recovery is slow, but he was sidelined by two bouts of double pneumonia and hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). We are now 5.5 weeks post surgery, and I think the stress is finally getting to my sister. I suppose you really never know how much you can take til you're in the thick of things. We've all adapted to new schedules of picking kids up and making sure there's dinner on the table, but summer's coming, and things will be a lot different when the kids are out of school.

My biking buddies and I rode the "Wild Goose Chase" with the Terry Bike folks on Sunday the 27th in Cambridge MD. OMG. I don't think the weather could have been much worse! AND there were no potties on the route. That's right ladies – 400 people, 64 miles and NO POTTIES. So we had merciless headwinds, rain, cold and no potties. I know, I sound obsessed with this little detail, but seriously, we're talking swamp, marsh, snakes, ticks, other "wildlifes". Would you want to "find a bush"?

DS comes home at the end of next week. One year down. I can't believe he's finished his freshman year already! And I'm sure the next 4 months will fly by as well. His housing for next year starts on August 1.

And DD turns 16 in 18 days. I'd like to make it special without going over the top. So many of her friends have had "Sweet Sixteen" mini galas. I'm sorry, I just don't get into that. Maybe a nice pendant from Tiffany's – she had a couple on her Christmas list that Santa did not find, or the Longchamp bag she's been drooling over?

How have my kids grown up so fast?

It's 5 O'clock Somewhere…

2008-04-24T18:02:00.003-04:00

Yarntini Time!

I snagged some this week from Woolgirl. It's a luscious Zinfandel, and I think it may become Hearts for Heidi.

Mmmmm.

Grab it while you can…

2008-04-16T19:47:00.002-04:00

Time, that is.

DH is sailing tonight and DD is at a track meet, so I'm on my own. Free time, wow.
And I actually got out for a ride this morning. It's been another week since I've been out on my bike and today was gorgeous!

I thought I'd take the time now to document… My First Yarn Reclamation Project!

I picked up an American Eagle Outfitter turtleneck sweater, size M, at Goodwill for 5 bucks. It's a really soft and pretty yellow knit. It was nicely constructed, so I figured I would take a stab at frogging - a whole sweater!

69% wool, 19% angora rabbit hair, 12% nylon. Doesn't it look soft? I started with the collar, then the side and sleeve seams. It was well put together.

And about an hour and a half later…

300 grams of YARN! I've actually ordered myself a Lendrum niddy noddy and will skein the yarn, soak it and then try and figure out how much yardage I have. I've already done that with a two yard section and it wraps at 10-11 wraps per inch.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to knit. :)

Just How Did it Get to be April?

2008-04-11T11:12:00.002-04:00

I swear, I've even forgotten what day it is. It's Friday. Right?

My Brother in law had been making fairly good progress following his brain surgery, but contracted double pneumonia last weekend and that has unfortunately derailed the progress. He has in fact regressed a bit. He is still intubated and in a coma like state. The doctors plan to do a tracheotomy to get him off the ventilator and administer meds to aid in waking him. We have hope.

Last weekend we drove down to Williamsburg to see DS run in a track meet at William & Mary University. What a beautiful campus! And we wound up spending the night in the very same hotel that we spent our so very pleasant "Evacuation from Hurricane - Bonnie" time. Unfortunately, it hasn't changed much in ten years. Still a dive - but walking distance to Colonial Williamsburg's center. And we had dinner, just the two of us, at the Kings Arms Tavern. The most amazing meal I have had in quite some time! We both had the "Cook’s Mixed Grill", "The Cook’s Selection of Meats, Game, and Seafood Venison, Rabbit, Duck, Vegetables, and Bacon Lardoons served with the appropriate good Sauce, Potatoes, and seasonal Vegetables". We added a bottle of a Prince Michel Cabernet, a Virginia wine and had a fabulous meal in the colonial tradition.

On Saturday we headed back north, stopping in Richmond to take DS and his girlfriend out for lunch. We walked around Carytown, along Cary street in Richmond. It's a wonderful stretch of funky shops and restaurants and of course, I ducked in to the Yarn Lounge! I bought a skein of this:

Pagewood Farm Hand Dyed Sock Yarn - Denali in Really Red. The beads came from Bangles and Beads. They, and the yarn are for this:

Exploring Stripes by Holly Webb

And two skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted - in VCU colors gold and black - for a hat for DS.

There is so much going on, I need to compartmentalize my thinking. While we were away last weekend, DD, who was supposed to be staying with a friend, decided to have a little "gathering" at our house. Needless to say, she left a few too many "clues" and is grounded for a month. Just what I need now. I guess I was an idiot to trust a 15 yr old. This was the first time we've left any of the kids home for an overnight - and not with a grandparent.

Oh, and on the way home from my sister's house last night, my car was acting strangely - it's a 2000 Ford Taurus wagon, which I LOVE! I immediately changed course and headed to the dealer for service - and long story short - I now have to look for a new car. :(

It needs a new transmission. (among several other things totaling over $5000)

It's not worth what the new transmission would cost.

I am so bummed.

And there has been knitting

2008-03-28T15:46:00.002-04:00

I cast on for the 28thirty on March 20. Finished the collar section over the weekend and much of the upper body on the 25th - the day of the surgery. I have separated the sleeves and am now heading down the body.

The Rowanspun Tweed is nice to knit with, and I hope it will get a little softer after wetblocking.

I decided to go for the small and it was a good thing I double checked the pattern. The smallest is an XS. I almost went down that road. It would definitely been too small. As it is, I think it will grow a little.

Anyone care to guess who might have been here?

Maybe one of these?

They've never bothered with yarn before, much less yarn inside sealed ziploc bags.

Must have been the cashmere/silk blend. Those were balls of Laines du Nord Cashsilk, and they didn't snag the yarn - amazing.

They (the yarn) have now been put in a safer spot.

Behind Bars.

Breathe

2008-03-28T15:36:00.002-04:00

Easter had special meaning for us this year. We all got together to celebrate with my sister and her family on the eve of the surgery.

He went in Monday for placement of a shunt to relieve pressure on the brain.

The surgery was Tuesday and was successful. Now begins the long road to recovery. The surgery itself was 14 hours long, and included a "cardiac stand-still". He was responding appropriately to painful stimuli and will be weaned slowly from the anesthesia over a period of several days.

So far, so good. We feel that every day without incident is a giant step toward a good recovery. Brain aneurysms are very tricky things.

Curly Mo is Done!

2008-03-20T13:34:00.002-04:00

I actually finished something!

Well, I do still have to sew in all the ends… but it's finished! And it fits! Yay!

Now I have to resist the urge to cast on for something new. I have so many other WIPs, I can't possibly be thinking of something new?! Can I?!

HA.

I woke up with a headache this morning. One of those, "my vision isn't quite right" headaches. I feel almost guilty for even having a headache, with all that my sister and her husband are going through. He is at home, waiting for his surgery, which will be done on the 25th. Perhaps I should cast on for something new. Mindless knitting will be done at length next week. We are expecting a 7-10 day period following the procedure where he will be heavily sedated and intubated while they monitor his brain for something called vasospasms. Spasms in the vascular system inside the brain. These can resemble stroke. Scary.

More later. Tomorrow is YPF. I have more yarn.

Wow.

2008-03-16T23:53:00.002-04:00

I have been a little distracted lately. My last post was March 5.

That night my sister's husband went to the ER with a bad headache. They did a CT scan and gave him meds and sent him home. The next morning, they called him to come back in. They did MRIs and MRAs and admitted him to ICU.

He has a basilar tip aneurysm and will have to undergo brain surgery on the 25th of this month. The delay is to assemble the surgical team, a difficult one because they also plan to do a heart bypass to relieve pressure in the brain during the procedure. It has not burst, which is one good thing, but it has to be clipped with a titanium clamp by way of a craniotomy.

Unbelievable. Scary as hell. Sobering. I could go on…

My sister and her husband are both 45 years old, with three kids, house in the DC suburbs, a business, and a large extended local family, thank God. It will be a long road ahead even if the surgery goes without complications. I have done a LOT of research on Brain Aneurysms and Surgical Procedures in the last several days.

And I have done a LOT of knitting while sitting with my sister in various waiting rooms.

And in the car. Our son was home for Spring Break last week. Not great timing, but it was really good to spend time with him. We drove down to Richmond on Friday to see him run in an invitational track meet. He ran the 5000K. No records broken, but it was a decent run for him. Then we took him out for dinner. We went to Comfort. Incredible food, funky old city building. I highly recommend it if you're ever in Richmond, VA.

Did some thrift shopping in the past couple of weeks as well. I scored a huge bag of yarn for $4 at the Village Thrift that included 8 balls of red Lion Microspun, two balls of purple and one of lime. There were also 4 large skeins of red acrylic without labels. I need to find a home for those. And there were two skeins of a bulky spun wool yarn, varigated blues. I have no idea what they are. Both 45 gram skeins. Any ideas?

Then yesterday I found a really cool box-o-yarn. Circa 1979. Softball.

The idea was to turn the ball on its side inside the box and knit from the box, thus keeping your yarn "clean". Cool. Plus it's a pretty pink. Looks a lot like the unidentified cotton I got last year at the same Goodwill. But this stuff is a teeny bit heavier in weight and darker pink.

Prayers for J & J…

Happy knitting

My Space

2008-03-05T21:11:00.002-05:00

Well, it IS his space. After all, I left a large soft thing on the floor…

I was re-blocking Juliette. The sleeve areas were a little on the tight side.
We'll see tomorrow.

I am well into the body section of Curly Mo. I'm at 12" and I need to go to 16" before I do any more decreases. At 17" I will add the 3 rows of ribbing and then it's collar and seams, baby!

I just couldn't resist posting the pic of Diesel. Couldn't make him move, either. He's such a sweetie!

Ok, So I missed YPFriday…

2008-03-01T12:29:00.007-05:00

But I have a really really good excuse! I was buying yarn!!! Knit Happens is having a LEAP YEAR SALE!!! And boy, I did some damage! But if you look at what I SAVED…

I got sweater quantities of Debbie Bliss Astrakhan, Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk, Laines du Nord Cashsilk, Patagonia Nature Cotton and Angora Cotton. Then there are the skeins of Artyarns Ultramerino, Koigu Kersti, Manos, Alchemy Lone Star, Claudia Handpaint Fingering, Artyarns Regal Silk and a single skein of DB Soho. And 9 pattern books.

I saved $672.42!

I can't buy ANY MORE YARN! EVER!

Hah!

Aside from the yarn buying, we had a rather stressful week. Diesel was not acting himself over the weekend last weekend. Through Monday. He wouldn't move from his position in the chair in my office, where he lay upside down and scraggley looking. When we realized that he hadn't asked to go outside - or used the litterbox in two days, we got a little worried. We called the vet Monday evening and tried to get him in. They said they were backed up and could we bring him in Tuesday morning. Agreed. Then I get a call from the vet, who told me I should really get him to the emergency vet if he had not peed in two days. Again I agreed. Went to collect him and he was coming out of the litterbox! He peed! Another call to the vet, now closed, so I had to page the vet on call. She called back and agreed with me - to bring him in Tuesday morning again.

$385 later - his white cell count is slightly elevated, his bladder was large, but not blocked and liver enzymes a little high. All pointing to maybe a urinary tract infection - maybe. We all think he was injured Saturday night either being "rolled" by a car, or something that beat him up a little with no visible wounds and he was really sore for a few days.

He seems to be back to his old self now. Climbing in laps and beating up his stuffed toys at night.

Oh, and Curly Mo Light has a sleeve! And is growing a second one!

Friday Progress on Curly Mo Light

2008-02-22T12:19:00.003-05:00

As promised, here's a progress shot of my Curly Mo Light jacket:

This is the one using Berroco Optik and the mystery mohair from Amsterdam. I really like the combination. And I'm at the "dreaded sleeve" point. Seems I abandon projects when I get to this point. Okay, not this time! Hah, beware, jacket, I may finish you yet!

I received my Loopy Ewe Swap package this week! All kinds of goodies, including a Branching Out scarf in LL Shepherd Sock Tahoe colorway. I LOVE the color!

I haven't heard yet from my Swap partner, but I'll show my project anyway - I made Odessa out of Misty Mountain Farm Jubilee. The pooling was interesting!

I call it "Worldly Odessa"

We are under a "winter weather warning" here today. Ice threatens. DH went in to work late and promises to watch the weather. Snow I can handle, ice - not so much. But it is kind of nice to take a "snow day" Sleep a little later, work in my PJs and not feel bad about it. I'm letting DD sleep in as well. She went to a Spice Girls concert last night. She's almost 16 and yeah, I know the Spice Girls are "so 80s" but she said it was awesome, and was home by 11:30, but I'm sure she still welcomed the opportunity to sleep in.

I plan to make myself a latte and knit in front of the fireplace and pretend there is a foot of snow outside!

Friday Yarn

2008-02-08T17:26:00.000-05:00

Things are looking pretty good here with my resolution (I really DON"T make resolutions!) to try and knit a little every day. I've been busy adding to the stash by thrift shopping for yarn. I even found a group on Ravelry for thrifty yarnies. My latest acquisition - a destash via ravelry - is 7 skeins of gorgeous Colinette Mohair! My dream yarn - all the way from France!

Rose Garden

And then there are the finds:

The unidentified nubby boucle - 276 grams

The unidentified cottony boucle - 85 grams

I really am trying to knit from stash! I finally decided what to do with the loopy mohair boucle from Amsterdam (Yard sale find). I have cast on for the Curly Mo Jacket by Margy Mills. It's a top down raglan jacket with a little collar.

I decided to combine this with the Berocco Optik in my stash, alternating every two rows of garter stitch as in the garter stitch jacket in Simply Beautiful Sweaters. So far I am really liking the fabric, but it's a little difficult to knit as both yarns are loopy. The colors together are gorgeous!

And I am just about finished with my knitted project for the Loopy Ewe Swap. I have to mail it next week, so I'll post photos then. Happy knitting!

The Bunny Thumper Challenge… and a little yarn

2008-01-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

Here's my entry to the Bunny Thumper Challenge as outlined on KitKatKnit's s blog.

He wouldn't cooperate fully - as it was bathtime -

- and he's a big guy! All black Maine Coon - difficult to photograph. But he's a sweetie when he wants to be, trying to stuff all of himself into my lap.
His bunny thumper measures 5". Okay, that sounds funny…

And since tomorrow is YPF - maybe I can find a little yarn…

I've been adding to the stash lately, buying online - I had to get the Rowan Soft Tweed, in two colors yet, from Webs: Bramble and Thistle. It's so soft and squishy! I'm thinking a top down weekend jacket from Knitting Pure & Simple

Thrift shopping - this cone of rayon cotton is gorgeous!

And this was a huge ball of off white wool fingering. I rewound it into cakes and it came to be 4 - 50 gram cakes. Maybe around 950 yards. Not sure what I'll do with it, but it's pretty and soft.

And of course I had to help others destash - this is a lovely hank of Curlylocks from Fleece Artist.

Then I traded my Blue Sky Alpaca silk for these.

Six balls of Tahki Ghost Print. Pretty pinks and oranges. I want to make an Urchin Hat with a scarf.

While I don't really make resolutions, I am HOPING to either finish or rip the projects in the WIP pile. I've ripped two already. The Ms. Marigold - the yarn was all wrong for it. And my Ribbon X-back. I will never wear a teeny tank without a bra and the seed stitch is not all that flattering on a teeny tank anyway. I've found someone on Ravelry who has two balls of the Tahki Capri I used, so with the additional yarn I'll have enough to make a more flattering shell.

I love Ravelry!

Time Warp

2008-01-07T13:17:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's now January 7. It's been a month! But lots got done!

I finished my MIL's Booga Bag, finished my Manos Cowl. Added more yarn to the stash (natch). Buying new, hitting thrift stores and "helping others" destash.

The Manos Cowl was an impulsive cast on on January 2. I had to start something! The year was young! It's a quick knit and the Manos is so soft.

I also added Knitting Vintage Socks and The Knitters Book of Yarn to my library. The Book of Yarn is a great informative read! So much information on Yarn - who knew?

We stayed in the area for the holidays, both sides of the family are close by and there was much eating and drinking (both families love their wines!) Our son has been home from school, and is eating us out of house and home again. It's good to have him in the house again. It's different - he's a bit more "independent", shall we say?

I managed to pick up a bronchial thingie the week before Christmas, and it was mostly gone by the big day, but it has lingered for way too long. Seems to be a morning and nighttime thing now. I think I'll give it a few more days. Actually, I'd been waiting til after the first of the year, because we got kind of screwed by our family doctor this year. As of November 20, he went to a MDVIP practice. I've been with this doctor for 25 years, so this is traumatic!

This means we would have to pay him a fee of $1500 per person, per year for the privilege of being in his practice. Now, this would also guarantee "one on one, for as long as it takes" type visits. But still. I'm afraid with tuition looming for at least 7 more years, this won't work for us.

We also had United Healthcare as our insurance. His practice dropped United. As have many other doctors in our area. And while I can still see the Physician's Assistants in his practice, I could not claim the visits.

So I chose to wait til Jan. 1, when we switched to another carrier. This system we have in this country is so screwed up. I am grateful to have health insurance. I wouldn't want to have to navigate the system without it.

Sorry for the rant. This just took up a lot of my December.

Oh, and I decided to try bifocal contact lenses. Woohoo. I had almost given up on contacts with my close vision getting so bad. I've been wearing my glasses almost exclusively since I got them a year and a half ago. (Tri-focal progressives - ouch) But I need my contacts when I ride my bike. I just have to take them out right away after a ride, and make sure I have reading glasses in my bag - in case I needed to fix something on the bike).
That was getting old.

And getting old sucks!

But consider the alternative…

Happy Knitting

It is still Friday…

2007-12-07T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is a little of the latest thrift shop aquisitions. 7 skeins of Lopi - from some time in the 70's or 80's - judging by the label.

Still definitely worth knitting with! It's a pretty shade of light navy blue.

And I have finished the body portion of my Lady of the Lake. She is blocking now, before I begin the sleeves. Maybe this week?

Lots of Pretty Pictures!

2007-11-30T10:49:00.000-05:00

Since I was without the computer for so long, I have a backlog! Here's the most recent addition to the stash, Noro Silk Garden, 10 skeins for either a Mavis or a Klaralund. I know you're supposed to KNIT with Noro in November, But I'm a little behind. I will just BUY Noro in November this year.

And this is the little "Camera Sock that Consumed Two Needles". The very nice person at Brittany told me "They are delicate in the small sizes, also affected by patterning (k2tog for example) and by yarn type (cotton which doesn’t give versus wool that does)." Really!!??? I think this was a pretty simple knit and shouldn't have broken two needles, but they do have a 5 year replacement guarantee, so they are sending more. I'm not sure I'll knit with them again, though.

A bit of the very brief Autumn that we here in the DC area have enjoyed. This is the Japanese Lace Leaf Maple in front of the house. It was gorgeous this year!

And Pie! 5 of the many pies we had at Thanksgiving. It's what happens when everyone says, "I'll just bake an extra pie in case we don't have enough."

We had enough!

Happy Friday!

Knitting with Toothpicks… and Other Stories

2007-11-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

Oh, what a week it has been!

On Thursday, the 15th, the network connector inside my mac fried. Snap, crackle, pop, fireworks kind of fried. Complete with smoke. So I was without my computer for 10 days. TEN agonizingly long days. I had to limp by using the back up drive (thank God for back ups!) and my G4 laptop, so I went without frivolous things like posting.

I did manage to finish my Rickenbacker scarf, and I love it!

I then thought I'd try my hand at sock knitting. I purchased three sets of Brittany dpn's on Friday of last week and promptly cast on with the 2mm set. Mind you, I have never knit socks before. This is like knitting with toothpicks! On Saturday, the first needle snapped. I moved stitches around and continued knitting. On Sunday, the second needle snapped. This time, I filed the end to a point and continued knitting.

I am now at the decreases. And by the way, this is a "Camera Sock"

See that needle in front. That is one of the two I had to file down and continue using. I'm going to finish this thing If I have to break ALL of the needles.

And I missed TWO YPF's. I'll have to make up for it this Friday. I did hit another thrift store. I scored 7 skeins of Reynolds Lopi, circa 1970 or before, in light navy.

The Great Yarn Haul

2007-11-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

I had a great time thrift shopping this weekend! This is the result of 4 stores, 8 baggies and under $10! Of course none of these were packaged together, so I had the thrill of the hunt. One ball of that and one of this in each bag, it was fun!

I got 2 skeins of "vintage" worsted wool from Woolworths, two balls of Gedifra Barocco, 3 skeins of Pinguin Sport, a huge ball of white mohair, 2 balls of Moda Dea Dream in blue and 2 in brown, 3 skeins of Jaeger Celtic Spun Shetland, 2 skeins of Columbia Minerva fingering weight wool, a ball of Crystal Palace Fling in white, a skein of Moda Dea Tutu, 3 balls of Sugar & Cream cotton, a skein of unidentified Moda Dea, a huge cone of Denys Brunton Magicolour knitting machine yarn, a small ball of dark soft mohair, a skein of navy blue merino, a small skein of red wool and small ball of Lamb's Pride maroon, a ball of Stacy Charles Cancun and assorted skeins of acrylic.

Wooo. Isn't this pretty?

Oh, and this is a new project…

I spent the other part of my weekend making bunches of these. They're in my Etsy store.

I Shared…

2007-11-09T13:45:00.000-05:00

My husband read my blog.

Another reference to the "getting a real job" was made.

Although I did point out that I only post once a week, on average.

This was after one of my items on Etsy sold, (Thank you CPurl!) and he was helping me with the shipping. I made the mistake of showing Ravelry to him. Gaaahhhhh! What was I thinking!

He's just grumpy that I haven't made him socks yet.

So on with the Yarn Pr0n.

Some of my haul from Stitches, Araucania Limari, a wonderfully soft and squishy merino, alpaca, silk blend. And it's bulky, which will mean a fast knit! I have 10 skeins to make a sweater with. Maybe I'll try a simple cable with this.

Oh, and Rickenbacker is almost to the ruffle stage. I have needed TWO skeins of the Supermerino, by the way. Tha pattern called for one, but I was skeptical and ordered two. Glad I did. Only one would have made a 2 and a half foot scarf.

Then there are these two. For Chevron Scarf #2. After I finish Chevron Scarf #1.
I couldn't resis the colors! Pixie Park and Cobalt Bloom.

Or maybe socks…

NEWS FLASH!!!

2007-11-07T17:49:00.000-05:00

I finally opened my Etsy shop!

Http://www.aderose.etsy.com

Right now there are a few sets of stitchmarkers but I soon will have a multitude of earrings up for sale. Stop by and take a look!

It's Friday!

2007-11-02T13:27:00.000-04:00

Must be time for Yarn Pr0n!

A lonesome skein of Ply in the Sky handspun. Acquired through the destashe group on Ravelry. What can I say… I'm a sucker for handspun.

But isn't it pretty?

Juliet is finished!

2007-11-01T13:20:00.000-04:00

Well… she still needs buttons, but:

That red and white thing is my homemade blocking board. I made it a couple of years ago following instructions I found on Knitty.com. Fabric covered homosote. The checked fabric helps keep things straight. I made 4 from 1 4' x 8' sheet, 2 large and 2 small.

And I just HAD to start the Rickenbacker scarf! It was calling to me from my Ravelry queue. I have loved this since the first time I saw it. It's a fast knit, relatively simple pattern and looks good from both sides.

After the lace pattern work with Juliet, since I enjoyed that so much, I needed something other than knit/purl. Keeps my mind occupied. So Lady of the Lake is still a WIP. I am getting close to the sleeve section, however. I think that will spur me on to finish it!

Juliet…soon!

2007-10-22T13:35:00.000-04:00

I have actually been busy… knitting!
I am three rows into the lace pattern. I think I'll do 6 or 7 total. I made the garter stitch section a little longer than the pattern called for - 12 rows longer. I am loving the yarn - Lamb's Pride - and the pattern!

I cannot believe another week has gone by. Although it was a migraine avoidance week. It came on like a freight train at midnight last Saturday and I fought it with meds til Wednesday and saw my chiropracter for a "cranial adjustment". I was a little loopy on Thursday, but avoided the full blown ER visit, so I call that a success!

My son came home for a "Fall Break" It was so good to have him home again! He's really loving life in Richmond at VCU, running cross country on a D1 team, small, but still D1 which means really cool places for meets. And his mid term grades were all As and Bs! A really great start for him!

But here's my Stitches haul… a week late. OMG what a day!
I went on Friday and had a great time! I got two skeins of STR mediumweight, in Cobalt Bloom and Pixie Park for another chevron scarf, A bag of Araucania Limari, 10 hanks! in a pretty semi solid pink, 3 gorgeous dichroic glass buttons from Copeland Glass for Juliet, 10 balls of Trendsetter Coconut in Africa, to add to the two in my stash (who knows what I'll do with them), another glass button from Cheryl Kumiski, two more skeins of Liza Souza El Dorado in the Mardi Gras colorway, now I have enough for a short sleeved sweater or shrug, 3 balls of Noro Kureyon 165 from WEBS for a booga bag for my MIL, and a pair of earrings, also dichroic glass from The Glass Action. Oh, and some Knit Klips and a black sheep tape measure. Whew!

I Have No Yarn Pr0n…

2007-10-08T13:30:00.000-04:00

But I had a busy weekend! I completed my tenth century ride!! And it didn't RAIN! Well, it misted very heavily for the first 40 miles or so, but then cleared up to be a beautiful day!

It was the Seagull Century out of Salisbury University on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

I have no idea whose shoe that is, but here I am at the finish!

A terrific sand sculpture!

My trusty steed…

Total ride time, 6 hours 41 minutes. Average 15 mph.

And in knitting news… I ripped Juliet back about 3 " to fix a wrong. I had done an increase row twice in a row and it looked wonky, although I was the only one who could see it. But I knew it was there and could not live with it. So I ripped.

Back in the Swing

2007-09-28T17:14:00.000-04:00

Here we are, another Friday.

I am making progress on Juliet and loving the Lamb's Pride!

And after polling a few people on Ravelry, I have decided how to bind off the first front of the Lady of the Lake. The pattern is a little… vague, maybe?
But progress is progress!

And I have been busy buying everybody's destash! I can't resist Fleece Artist yarns! Here's Mo for today's Yarn Pr0n:

Isn't it just gorgeous. Softer than any of the mohair in the stash!

OMG, A FO

2007-09-21T22:58:00.000-04:00

I finally finished Tivoli!

And I have Yarn Pr0n!

Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky… for this to be knitted on my new Harmony needles…

Which I started after this…

Yeah, it's been quite a day!

Candy

2007-09-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

Here's this Friday's Yarn Pr0n!
Rainbow Mills Candy in the Jordan Almond colorway.
It's wool, mohair and a little nylon.
Maybe part of a Loopy and Luscious scarf?

Added to the stash this summer through destash. You know the old saying… One woman's trash, or stash, is another woman's treasure!

Oh, and I'm 12 rows from finally finishing my Tivoli T. Maybe even tonight!!!

Lots of Stuff…

2007-09-08T23:38:00.000-04:00

A little YPF, I know, it's Saturday…

Fleece Artist Kiss Curls and Baby Kid in a gorgeous violet color.

A little progress…

On my Fleece Artist Lady of the Lake Jacket, gifted to me by my MIL for my fiftieth, YES FIFTIETH birthday in August.

Oh, and I let my 1st Blogiversary go by. It was August 30th last year when I began this.
I cannot believe that a year has gone by. And my son is away at college now. It is a strange feeling, having your child move out. Even temporarily. I guess I'll just have to knit more.

Oh, and has anyone seen those new Harmony wood needles from KnitPicks? I just ordered a set. They look really nice, and I love the options needles, we'll see how they feel to knit with.

I Found the Channel!

2007-07-15T23:12:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking I didn't get the channel on my cable for the Tour, but I found it tonight! Yippee! Now I CAN knitalong. And I have actually made progress on the mountain of UFOs! I am ready to begin the neck decreases on both sides of my Kimono Jacket (the back is finished), and to begin the armhole decreases on my Sage.

Of course, tomorrow is a rest day, so I guess I can use it to rest up, too. I'll take photos.

Where Has the Time Gone?

2007-07-14T12:43:00.000-04:00

I'll start with a little bit of Yarn Pr0n, even though it is Saturday. This is some Furrari in gorgeous colors. A really soft Mohair with a little polyester and nylon. Who knows what I'll do with it! And I'll show it really big.

Now, where have I been?

After my sons'graduation, a good friend of mine returned home from a three week trip to Indonesia and Singapore with a case of Dengue fever. We learned quite a lot in the weeks following her return. She was hospitalized on painkillers for almost a week, and then suffered a kind of withdrawal from the painkillers. Her doctor's office was awful, from not wanting to report the case, which he would be required to do, to completely ignoring her pain, which is severe with Dengue, AND recommending ibuprofen, which you DO NOT want to take with this because it can cause severe hemorrhaging. What a nightmare!

Once she was feeling a little better, we went off on a little adventure to a mutual friend's cabin at Bryce Mountain resort. It is SO beautiful and quiet there! Not a sign of commercialism - read 7-11- for 20 miles!

That same week, my son took his first road trip - by himself - all the way to Michigan. He had a great time! I was only a wreck on the days he had to drive the 8 hour trip.

Then we spent the week of the 4th on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, visiting my extended family. We had a wonderful time, weather was spectacular! But I was glad to get home. There was also actual knitting on this trip! I finished the first side of my Orangina! And halfway up the second front of my Kimono Jacket! Woo hooo!

This week, on Wednesday I took my daughter down to the University of Virginia for a field hockey camp. I took a friend with me and we spent the afternoon and night in Charlottesville. We went to The Needle Lady and bought yarn! And earrings from my favorite vendor at the Downtown Mall, a bricked pedestrian mall in the heart of the city. We had a fabulous dinner, and a visit with yet another mutual friend, staying at her wonderful 1925 brick center-hall colonial just blocks from the center of town. We walked everywhere!

We drove home on Thursday, and on Friday morning we went on a 42 mile bike ride to Bethesda, MD and back. It's a great ride, one I haven't done in a long time. And the weather was warm and sunny, not humid! Great ride! I've been frustrated because I now can't get the channel I have watched the Tour de France on in past years. So I haven't seen any of it! Just the short videos on the web. So no tour knitting - yet. I'm still trying!

My wonderful husband has been incredibly understanding with all my disappearing this summer! But I think I'm home for a while now. My daughter has her first job, at a pastry shop, this summer. My son and husband are working on the "Jeep Project", a 1990 Jeep Wrangler they're "refurbishing". I'm still on the UFO challenge, and updating my Ravelry stuff. Hopefully, I won't fall off the posting wagon again for so long!

Happy Bastille Day!

Really Mixed Emotions

2007-06-20T21:48:00.001-04:00

It began last week with a high school graduation. Wonderful speakers, watching all those kids walk across the stage, many whom I've known since preschool. A wonderful lunch with grandparents, then on to an awards dinner for my husband. Great evening!

The next morning we learn of the horrific accident that took the lives of 4 teen aged girls, two of whom had just graduated with my son. The fifth young lady who survived, also had just graduated with the class. They had chosen not to attend the all night grad party sponsored by the PTSA and had been headed to a night club in DC. They were softball players, sisters and cousins of boys in my son's scout troop, They were 18. The driver had changed lanes at the last minute, and wound up in the path of a tractor trailer truck. They had no chance. The whole community is devastated. The services and burials begin tomorrow.

There were graduation parties Friday night, tempered with the past night's events. The accident was all anyone could talk about.

Saturday, we held my son's graduation party at home. It was actually a wonderful event. We had barbequed pork and chicken and salads and sodas for the kids and my son built a huge bonfire in his firepit. There must have been 40 people at one point. He had a great time.
The next morning was Father's day.

We found that one of my daughter's friends had crept in to our house around 2 am. And had told her father she was here all evening. That started WWIII when my husband and I told her either she tell her dad where she really was, or we would. So much for a peaceful, happy Father's day.
We had to show up for a brunch - at a restaurant by 11:30 am, then to family 2's house by 4. It's times like these that I wish we were living on the other side of the country, away from all family.

The past few days have seemed like an emotional roller coaster.

My son leaves tomorrow for his two day college orientation.

I guess things really are changing.

A New Addiction!

2007-06-12T22:52:00.001-04:00

Ravelry!

I have been sucked in! I've always been a sucker for organizing things, and this one takes first prize! I've been organizing stash, projects, planned projects, and I can see dozens of knitters projects before I cast on. Different yarns, different colors… it's amazing!
And I have spent hours!
And it's been fun!
If you haven't gotten in yet, put your name on the list! And if you are already in, please donate to Jess and Casey. This is a monumental project that they have taken on in their spare time!
You go girls!

Friday Yarn Pr0n on a Monday

2007-06-11T14:52:00.001-04:00

This is an unidentified mohair boucle, picked up for me at a yard sale by a dear friend. She says the lady told her she got it in Amsterdam. I assume it is all mohair. It's a little scratchy, so I'm looking for something to knit with it to soften it up.

Happy Monday! It's Graduation Week, Yay!

I'm Catching Up!

2007-06-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

At least I have Yarn Pr0n Fridays to help me keep track of the weeks. I got the announcements and invitations finished. They will be in the mail this weekend. Two things crossed off.

Here's my latest purchase. Two skeins, my FIRST two skeins of Socks that Rock. They are scrumptious! So soft and squishy! These will be the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I still need to get the book. Colors are "Grandma's Flower Garden" and "Fire on the Mountain"

And I said I'd take photos of the finished clapotis. Here she is:

Now that it's 90 degrees outside…

30 days later…

2007-05-24T15:35:00.000-04:00

Some Yarn Pron!

I finally used my Christmas Gift certificate to Springwater Fiber Workshop! A "Sweater Hank" of Lamb's Pride worsted. Hand dyed in gorgeous pinks, corals, khaki, purples, etc. 1140 yards! Oh, what to knit?! It's happy in the stash right now, but I'm thinking cardigan something. Longish, with a big collar.

It's been a busy month. My son is graduating high school in three weeks, and I'm behind getting the announcements out and behind with the plans for a family celebration for him.

April and May are notoriously crazy here but this year, My Beloved MIL turned 75. That could not go un- or under celebrated. My dear SIL was diagnosed with breast cancer, albeit a very early and treatable variety, breast cancer non-the-less.
So ALL of the April/May family get-togethers were at our house. This included Mother's Day, the MIL birthday and the rest of the "May" birthdays on that side of the family.

And I had my quarterly "trip to the ER migraine" on the 15th. Right in the middle of everything. Oh, and Prom was May 19. And we only had a LITTLE bit of pre-prom angst, with my son's date's mother calling in the middle of the migraine attack to talk about whether he "really" wanted to take her daughter. Not nearly as bad as it sounds, rather amusing really, but another thing that had to be dealt with.

I am so looking forward to July. That'll be after the June 14 graduation and the June 16 graduation party.

I don't mean to sound as though I'm complaining. I just want a little sanity around here. I love having both of our families nearby. I don't know what I'd do without them!

I did manage to FINISH my Clapotis! I will take photos shortly. I also finished my Zimmerman sweater, which is nice because it is cotton and will be great for summer. (Really, all I had left was sewing in ends)

I am determined to finish my WIP tanks, beginning with Sizzle. And Tivoli. And Orangina …

I am also walking in the Race for the Cure on the National Mall on June 2. I'll be walking for my SIL and for my friend Linda, who will be there as well. I am so excited to see her. She is flying in from Colorado to walk with us! You GO Girl!

Have a great weekend!

Lost

2007-04-24T18:09:00.000-04:00

I'm still here. I'm still reeling a bit from last Monday's events at Virginia Tech. I still can't get my head around it. With a high school senior heading off to college (Virginia Commonwealth) in the Fall, and this being part of my extended community (many kids of my friends are at Tech), I've just been mentally wandering, so to speak. I haven't even been knitting.

The one bright spot last week was the wedding of one of my husband's oldest friends. He was our best man 25 years ago and my husband was just his. First marriage at age 52. He was as nervous as a schoolboy… and very happy!

I've been taking little quizzes. So I'll share those.

You Are 35% Left Brained, 65% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.
Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.
If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic.
Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet.

The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.
Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way.
If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art.
Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Your Brain is 73% Female, 27% Male

Your brain leans female
You think with your heart, not your head
Sweet and considerate, you are a giver
But you're tough enough not to let anyone take advantage of you!

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Which famous feline are you?

You're Tigger. Playful and fun-loving, you enjoy hanging out with friends even though you don't always have to be the center of attention. You're never pessimistic or sluggish. Your enthusiasm is at once endearing and over-the-top. You're the quintessential extrovert.
Take this quiz!

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Join

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A Little Yarn Pr0n, A Little Eye Candy…

2007-04-06T14:16:00.000-04:00

Artful Yarns Cartoon, aquired on DeStash, Like I need more yarn…

and the cherry blossoms! Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

Hey Crazy Aunt Pearl, Victor has a Cousin!

2007-04-03T17:34:00.000-04:00

And he's trying to escape!
I swear, I have never had an onion do this. Potatoes, garlic, and shallots. But not a sweet onion. I guess I cook them too quickly. This guy thought he'd get away.
Bwahahahahaha

Maybe I've been knitting too much? Not

I did swatch for my Wicked in Noro Lily, and it looks like I'll be doing the mohair/laceweight version. I'm getting 24 st per 4 in on 5s. I could not get 18 st on 9s even. And any bigger would have been way too open a knit.

Oh, and my order from KnitHappens.net came today! I'll save it for YPF. OMG I need another storage "facility"

More Noro Yarn Pr0n

2007-03-29T17:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, here it is: The choice for my Wicked! Finally! Noro Lily in color 36 for a 3/4 sleeve Wicked. I kind of missed the boat this year for doing one in wool. So this is a silk/cotton blend. And I hope to do a mini KAL to guarantee It gets finished!

Hey, It's Not Pink! But it's Yarn Pr0n!

2007-03-22T16:03:00.000-04:00

I finally found something to purchase with my
knithappens.net gift certificate.

Noro Silver Thaw, 4 skeins in color 2.
Wool, angora and nylon. And it's 70 degrees out.

But I had to use it in the online store, not the "brick and mortar" store, so my selection was severely limited. I have to admit, I was rather frustrated. I've been looking since August. So I snatched these. And they are very soft and gorgeous. Love that Noro!

Ah well, it's time to get back on the Project UFO wagon and finish my Sizzle and my Tivolini. Those are good 70 degree day knitting projects.

A Hat for Linda

2007-03-13T22:39:00.000-04:00

This is the Zephyr Style Delite Hat, free on their site !

Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2006, had a double mastectomy in February and began her chemo treatments on Friday. This is the first one of my friends to go through this and it really hits hard.

Linda was my kids' counselor in elementary school, and became a close biking buddy. We did many charity bike rides together. She moved to the other side of the country 6 years ago. I can't believe it's been that long.

Linda finally met the man of her dreams and was to be married on June 2, 2007. Now she's planning to be back here in DC on that day to walk the Komen Race for the Cure with us, god willing. The wedding is still on, mind you. She just wants to have hair. (she used to have to buy an extra big helmet for all her hair!) And her honey is being just great through all this.

All three of us, the Starbikers, have knit her hats. We're hoping that her wearing them will bring her closer to us, and that they keep her poor naked head warm.