Whatever knitting I was going to do for Christmas has been done. I made two gifts for two friends and they were done in October. That was till my sweet little nephew asked me AGAIN (poor kid) when I thought I’d have the Viking costumes for him and his brother done. Since I started them last February, this is not an unreasonable question.
Burdened with a major case of the guilts, I’ve been knitting on them non-stop, as mentioned in my last post. This weekend, I should have them to the part I’ve been dreading the most… the fun fur shoulders. I bought the fun fur on sale back in March or so and I have no idea where it is. If I can’t find it and have to buy more I’m going to scream.
I was telling my Mom about how I was guilted into working on the Viking costumes again and that I’ve been working on them non-stop and she started to laugh. She is knitting for my nephews too.
First, a little background: When I was visiting with my parents over the summer, I showed Mom the Knitty site and we ended up making a boatload of Nauties for my nephews and two for my brother. Anyway, she has a friend who had a knuckle replacement operation and so Mom decided to knit her some Knucks. She made her two pair and they are much loved and appreciated.
A few days ago she was in Wal-Mart and right there on the end of the aisle was a display of that Caron Camouflage yarn. Well, Mom thought it was a hoot and then even more so because the free display pattern was for a pair of knitted cammo pants. But when she got home she started thinking. So the next time she was back there she picked up a skein and she is working on making the boys a pair of cammo knucks. LOL! She absolutely cracks me up. The boys are gonna be out of their minds with glee when they see them.
At least Mom's knitted gift is washable.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Knitting News
I finished the Anne Socks.
Look at that face! It looks like she's saying... "Why are you taking photos of your feet? People are crazy!"
I've also finished one sock from the STR I scored at Rhinebeck. I had to rip it out 4 times before I could get gauge. The sock kept coming out HUGE and then I decided to measure before I ripped and that's when I discovered the problem. My gauge swatch was 7 per inch and my sock was 6 per inch. No wonder the sock was too big. Crazy!!! Now that is all sorted out, one sock is done and the other was started at lunch today. Pictures when they're a pair.
I've also been working non stop in the evenings on the Viking costumes for the nephews. The problem I'm having with the pattern is that I follow it and then don't like the way it comes out. So I rip a pratically finished piece and do it my own way. I'm happy with the result but I'm not so happy with the knitting & ripping & re-knitting I've been doing. I should have known that the jerkins weren't going to be much better than the helmets. I'll get photos of my progress on them tonight.
Look at that face! It looks like she's saying... "Why are you taking photos of your feet? People are crazy!"
I've also finished one sock from the STR I scored at Rhinebeck. I had to rip it out 4 times before I could get gauge. The sock kept coming out HUGE and then I decided to measure before I ripped and that's when I discovered the problem. My gauge swatch was 7 per inch and my sock was 6 per inch. No wonder the sock was too big. Crazy!!! Now that is all sorted out, one sock is done and the other was started at lunch today. Pictures when they're a pair.I've also been working non stop in the evenings on the Viking costumes for the nephews. The problem I'm having with the pattern is that I follow it and then don't like the way it comes out. So I rip a pratically finished piece and do it my own way. I'm happy with the result but I'm not so happy with the knitting & ripping & re-knitting I've been doing. I should have known that the jerkins weren't going to be much better than the helmets. I'll get photos of my progress on them tonight.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Look who was blocking last night... MAUDE!
I will have pics of me modeling it tomorrow. I'm off to celebrate with apple martini's, lots of Turkey, green bean cassarole, potatoes (sweet and mashed), stuffing and PIE!
But only after the doctor (me) fixes "Haps". Again.
I will have pics of me modeling it tomorrow. I'm off to celebrate with apple martini's, lots of Turkey, green bean cassarole, potatoes (sweet and mashed), stuffing and PIE!But only after the doctor (me) fixes "Haps". Again.
Friday, November 10, 2006
My mind has been all over the place today...
I stayed up to watch Rutgers win last night. I was so wound up by the time the game ended that I couldn’t sleep. So I’m tired but still really excited about the win. I guess I can say I’m really lucky that I was able to get to one game this year before tickets started selling for $500 on eBay.
R! U!!!
I got a text message from Mr. Big yesterday. I didn’t answer it. It was nonsensical and meant to make me laugh and all it did was annoy me.
I keep thinking I need to buy more yarn this weekend. There is something seriously wrong with me. So I’m going to buy a knitting book or two and then go to the mall and buy some new clothes because I desperately need some alternate outfits for work. It won’t solve the yarn craving but I was just at Rhinebeck for craps sake and there is NO reason to buy more yarn!!
Except for that I started knitting Viveka and I LOVE the way it’s coming out, but the yarn I’m using is making it so damn heavy. I honestly think that if I continue using this yarn I won’t need a down coat when the snow flies. Just this sweater. So I need something that’s a little more lofty. Not quite as dense as the wool I’m using now. So I may go get some yarn. Maybe I can find some Cashmerino on sale somewhere…
I sat up in bed this morning, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, said good morning to Katie who was laying at the foot of the bed and then watched as she leapt, from a lying position, into this acrobatic crazy flippy chasing her tail in a full twisting somersault thing and raced out of the bedroom. She cracked me the hell up.
I've been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving. What I'd really like to do is go to NC, but I don't have the time to take off. Which means driving down there (11 hours) on Wednesday night and then having to come back on Saturday or Sunday. I haven't discussed the holiday with my brother and SIL at all, so I don't know if they're having Thanksgiving at their house or not. So I don't know what to do about the whole thing. I suppose I should get the smallest turkey I can find, just in case.
See - told ya.
R! U!!!
I got a text message from Mr. Big yesterday. I didn’t answer it. It was nonsensical and meant to make me laugh and all it did was annoy me.
I keep thinking I need to buy more yarn this weekend. There is something seriously wrong with me. So I’m going to buy a knitting book or two and then go to the mall and buy some new clothes because I desperately need some alternate outfits for work. It won’t solve the yarn craving but I was just at Rhinebeck for craps sake and there is NO reason to buy more yarn!!
Except for that I started knitting Viveka and I LOVE the way it’s coming out, but the yarn I’m using is making it so damn heavy. I honestly think that if I continue using this yarn I won’t need a down coat when the snow flies. Just this sweater. So I need something that’s a little more lofty. Not quite as dense as the wool I’m using now. So I may go get some yarn. Maybe I can find some Cashmerino on sale somewhere…
I sat up in bed this morning, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, said good morning to Katie who was laying at the foot of the bed and then watched as she leapt, from a lying position, into this acrobatic crazy flippy chasing her tail in a full twisting somersault thing and raced out of the bedroom. She cracked me the hell up.
I've been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving. What I'd really like to do is go to NC, but I don't have the time to take off. Which means driving down there (11 hours) on Wednesday night and then having to come back on Saturday or Sunday. I haven't discussed the holiday with my brother and SIL at all, so I don't know if they're having Thanksgiving at their house or not. So I don't know what to do about the whole thing. I suppose I should get the smallest turkey I can find, just in case.
See - told ya.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Out of the knitting closet and into a conference room…
I knit in public. Some times I draw attention and I politely answer any questions from the muggles. I have a project that is perfect for on the go (socks or Maude lately) that I knit during lunch or in very bad, full stop traffic.
When I worked at the Ad agency I didn’t have a problem knitting at my desk or in a conference room during lunch. I was lucky that I didn’t have to knit alone some days. Although I did have muggle company on occasion, when schedules afforded it, Jen and I would have a knitting lunch. It was a nice break in the day. I could even sit at my desk and knit if I wanted to listen to a podcast or music. As long as I had an “I’m on lunch” sign stuck to the outside of my cube, no one bothered me.
When I left there and started working at the butt-crack of hell, my co-workers had so little interest in me as a person that no one knew anything about my knitting. I didn’t even take my knitting bag out of the car. At lunch I’d go find a shady parking lot and sit in the car and knit. Most days it was necessary “de-stressing” time for me.
The new job came along and I’d bring my knitting into the office instead of leaving it in my car. I wouldn’t knit in the building, but would take my knitting outside and sit in the car or the courtyard and knit. I’d talk about my knitting when asked and showed off hand knit socks I was wearing to those co-workers. It was just normal muggle interest.
Now that I’m a full time employee, when the days are crummy I’d like to sit inside and knit. So I tried it out a couple of times. The first time I knit here I sat in my office but I closed the door (I KNOW! I have an office with a door and a window and everything!), turned on the radio and started to knit, with my back to the door. I was interrupted every 10 minutes. The next week I tried knitting in the little kitchen we have. One of the guys I support interrupted me every 10 minutes asking me when I’d be able to put some documents together for him and then checking to see if I was still knitting. Sheesh!
So yesterday, I ate my lunch in the kitchen and then washed up and headed to a conference room off the beaten path. I sat in the back corner and positioned myself so that passers-by wouldn’t see me in there. And I knit.
Not only did I knit but I sort of remembered a pattern that I wanted to try out and I started to incorporate it into the leg of my sock. It’s not the most intricate pattern and I’m sure it’s not exactly what I had read, but the thing is – I was able to do it. No interruptions or noise or mental ramblings of my own to distract me from counting and thinking the pattern through. Then when I came back to my desk I wrote down what I’d done so when I get home (or tomorrow) I won’t forget what I thought out.
So now I have my secret hiding place for lunchtime in office knitting. I even have a second place to check out one day (an empty office way in the back). This way if I’m discovered, I have a fall back location.
When I worked at the Ad agency I didn’t have a problem knitting at my desk or in a conference room during lunch. I was lucky that I didn’t have to knit alone some days. Although I did have muggle company on occasion, when schedules afforded it, Jen and I would have a knitting lunch. It was a nice break in the day. I could even sit at my desk and knit if I wanted to listen to a podcast or music. As long as I had an “I’m on lunch” sign stuck to the outside of my cube, no one bothered me.
When I left there and started working at the butt-crack of hell, my co-workers had so little interest in me as a person that no one knew anything about my knitting. I didn’t even take my knitting bag out of the car. At lunch I’d go find a shady parking lot and sit in the car and knit. Most days it was necessary “de-stressing” time for me.
The new job came along and I’d bring my knitting into the office instead of leaving it in my car. I wouldn’t knit in the building, but would take my knitting outside and sit in the car or the courtyard and knit. I’d talk about my knitting when asked and showed off hand knit socks I was wearing to those co-workers. It was just normal muggle interest.
Now that I’m a full time employee, when the days are crummy I’d like to sit inside and knit. So I tried it out a couple of times. The first time I knit here I sat in my office but I closed the door (I KNOW! I have an office with a door and a window and everything!), turned on the radio and started to knit, with my back to the door. I was interrupted every 10 minutes. The next week I tried knitting in the little kitchen we have. One of the guys I support interrupted me every 10 minutes asking me when I’d be able to put some documents together for him and then checking to see if I was still knitting. Sheesh!
So yesterday, I ate my lunch in the kitchen and then washed up and headed to a conference room off the beaten path. I sat in the back corner and positioned myself so that passers-by wouldn’t see me in there. And I knit.
Not only did I knit but I sort of remembered a pattern that I wanted to try out and I started to incorporate it into the leg of my sock. It’s not the most intricate pattern and I’m sure it’s not exactly what I had read, but the thing is – I was able to do it. No interruptions or noise or mental ramblings of my own to distract me from counting and thinking the pattern through. Then when I came back to my desk I wrote down what I’d done so when I get home (or tomorrow) I won’t forget what I thought out.
So now I have my secret hiding place for lunchtime in office knitting. I even have a second place to check out one day (an empty office way in the back). This way if I’m discovered, I have a fall back location.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
While I’m ranting…
I’m spitting mad! So freaking mad!
Why does my Mr. Big feel that he can still call me? Like we’re FRIENDS or something?
Ok – that’s the first thing… secondly – why am I nice to him? Why can’t I just be a bitch and tell him to piss off?
Why does my Mr. Big feel that he can still call me? Like we’re FRIENDS or something?
Ok – that’s the first thing… secondly – why am I nice to him? Why can’t I just be a bitch and tell him to piss off?
Election Day
I hate Election Day. I hate that they interrupt every tv show with return results. I hate that last night every other commercial was an ad about how the other guy is an unqualified crook. Is it that bad in the other states? I can only speak for the NJ/NY/CT area and it’s no wonder the whole country thinks we’re nothing but a bunch of Tony Soprano wanna-be’s.
But that's not really why I hate election day.
NJ has always leaned toward electing Democrats. When I first registered to vote (in my high school auditorium) I registered as a Democrat. Why? Mostly to piss off my Dad. My entire family always voted straight ticket Republican. Except my Granny who was my only ally for many years. It was kind of funny that my Dad thought I was a straight Dem ticket voter. He used to say “Well, we canceled our votes out”.
It was 10 or 15 years before my Dad found out that I am an issue voter. I look how the candidates stand on the issues that are important to me. To his horror I still mostly align with the Dems.
This election isn’t so much about the issues as it is about control of Congress. I really don’t want to vote for the Dem crook. His opponent’s ads run the tapes of an undercover sting operation where his right hand man is saying that the candidate will “be very grateful” and “will take care of you”. They guy calls him by name. It’s bad. But would I rather send him to Washington than let the Republicans have control of Congress? The Rep candidate has been touted as nothing more than Dub’ya’s yes man.
No. I don’t like the president. I respect that he is the leader of our country, a figure head, but I think he is a pompous dumbass and has no right running the USA. For a minute let’s put the War in Iraq to the side and look at a couple other bonehead things he’s tried to do and thankfully failed at:
The whole gay marriage thing.
I’ll be brief on this… I don’t think that ANYONE has the right to take one of our most revered American documents and change it to exclude a group of people. This is what Dub’ya wanted to do. He wanted to pass an amendment to the US Constitution saying that marriage was only between a man and a woman. I know gay couples that have been together much longer than most of the straight couples I know and it makes me sick to think they have no rights as each other's spouse.
The right to do what I want with my body.
This isn’t just about abortion. It’s more about keeping your rotten government hands out of my life. Let’s go back a couple years to Terry Schiavo. What right did the President have to stick his nose in their business? The whole thing was about the president’s religious beliefs vs that of the legal guardian of an American citizen. How DARE the president (and his brother the governor of FL) ignore what every medical expert reported? Do they have medical degrees?
What really bugged me (thanks to Tina & David for planting this seed) is what the government really did behind the smokescreen of the Terry Schiavo legal maneuverings. What did the left hand do when we were all looking at the right hand?
This year I have to choose someone who is bad for my state or someone who will make it easier for Dub'ya's to get things like the above through Congress.
So see – that’s why I hate Election Day. No matter what I do, no matter who I vote for, I lose. I’m so tired of voting for the person who is “less of a crook” or for the crook because I can’t in good conscience live with the alternative.
Edited to add:
I think I made my decision - but as always - that is subject to change.
But that's not really why I hate election day.
NJ has always leaned toward electing Democrats. When I first registered to vote (in my high school auditorium) I registered as a Democrat. Why? Mostly to piss off my Dad. My entire family always voted straight ticket Republican. Except my Granny who was my only ally for many years. It was kind of funny that my Dad thought I was a straight Dem ticket voter. He used to say “Well, we canceled our votes out”.
It was 10 or 15 years before my Dad found out that I am an issue voter. I look how the candidates stand on the issues that are important to me. To his horror I still mostly align with the Dems.
This election isn’t so much about the issues as it is about control of Congress. I really don’t want to vote for the Dem crook. His opponent’s ads run the tapes of an undercover sting operation where his right hand man is saying that the candidate will “be very grateful” and “will take care of you”. They guy calls him by name. It’s bad. But would I rather send him to Washington than let the Republicans have control of Congress? The Rep candidate has been touted as nothing more than Dub’ya’s yes man.
No. I don’t like the president. I respect that he is the leader of our country, a figure head, but I think he is a pompous dumbass and has no right running the USA. For a minute let’s put the War in Iraq to the side and look at a couple other bonehead things he’s tried to do and thankfully failed at:
The whole gay marriage thing.
I’ll be brief on this… I don’t think that ANYONE has the right to take one of our most revered American documents and change it to exclude a group of people. This is what Dub’ya wanted to do. He wanted to pass an amendment to the US Constitution saying that marriage was only between a man and a woman. I know gay couples that have been together much longer than most of the straight couples I know and it makes me sick to think they have no rights as each other's spouse.
The right to do what I want with my body.
This isn’t just about abortion. It’s more about keeping your rotten government hands out of my life. Let’s go back a couple years to Terry Schiavo. What right did the President have to stick his nose in their business? The whole thing was about the president’s religious beliefs vs that of the legal guardian of an American citizen. How DARE the president (and his brother the governor of FL) ignore what every medical expert reported? Do they have medical degrees?
What really bugged me (thanks to Tina & David for planting this seed) is what the government really did behind the smokescreen of the Terry Schiavo legal maneuverings. What did the left hand do when we were all looking at the right hand?
This year I have to choose someone who is bad for my state or someone who will make it easier for Dub'ya's to get things like the above through Congress.
So see – that’s why I hate Election Day. No matter what I do, no matter who I vote for, I lose. I’m so tired of voting for the person who is “less of a crook” or for the crook because I can’t in good conscience live with the alternative.
Edited to add:
I think I made my decision - but as always - that is subject to change.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Cranky
I'm out of sorts. I feel like I haven't got a good nights sleep since before Rhinebeck.
Having a new-ish kitty in the house hasn't contributed to the lack of rest at all. Katie is kind enough to wait till the alarm goes off before she has her morning kitty-fits, attacking the tiny flowers on the area rugs in my bedroom. At least I've been waking up with a smile on my face because she's so funny.
But my body aches and I'm lethargic. By the time I get home I don't want to move. There are even nights I sit and WATCH tv, no knitting in my hands, waiting for a decent hour to go to sleep. 7PM is just to early.
Weird isn't it?
So - this weekend will be the weekend of sloth. My nephews flag football season is over so I don't have to get up for that Saturday morning (which was like waking up for work). I'd be at the ball field by 8AM... not tomorrow. I'm sleeping in!
Then - nothing. Absolutley nothing. I'm going to lounge, laze, catch up on podcasts, surf the net, nap and knit (order subject to change). Sunday I'm sleeping in again, maybe going to church and then watching football and knitting all day.
I ran 4 errands at lunch today so I wouldn't have to leave the house if I didn't want to this weekend.
I'm looking forward to the sloth. Maybe I should call it the "recharging my batteries weekend". It sounds so much better than being named after a sin.
Having a new-ish kitty in the house hasn't contributed to the lack of rest at all. Katie is kind enough to wait till the alarm goes off before she has her morning kitty-fits, attacking the tiny flowers on the area rugs in my bedroom. At least I've been waking up with a smile on my face because she's so funny.
But my body aches and I'm lethargic. By the time I get home I don't want to move. There are even nights I sit and WATCH tv, no knitting in my hands, waiting for a decent hour to go to sleep. 7PM is just to early.
Weird isn't it?
So - this weekend will be the weekend of sloth. My nephews flag football season is over so I don't have to get up for that Saturday morning (which was like waking up for work). I'd be at the ball field by 8AM... not tomorrow. I'm sleeping in!
Then - nothing. Absolutley nothing. I'm going to lounge, laze, catch up on podcasts, surf the net, nap and knit (order subject to change). Sunday I'm sleeping in again, maybe going to church and then watching football and knitting all day.
I ran 4 errands at lunch today so I wouldn't have to leave the house if I didn't want to this weekend.
I'm looking forward to the sloth. Maybe I should call it the "recharging my batteries weekend". It sounds so much better than being named after a sin.
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