New words

Go here and read all the new words made up today. I can't pick a favorite. It's between Jellojerky, starvacious, and lolegag.

I'd like to thank the academy.

But mostly I'd like to thank Penny Karma for having her annual Online Oscar Party and Contest, which I actually won (in a 3 way tie with Pam and Nell).

Stay tuned for photo of me with my "statuette" (a.k.a. whatever semi-fabu prize PK decided on).

Monday, Monday…

Lately the only motivation I have to get up and get into the office is the prospect of yarn being delivered. That was the only reason I came to work last Friday. I wanted to get my Dream-In-Color Classy for my KAL sweater. That ended up being a bit of a problem and I was able to get the package from the P.O. on Saturday.

I started the sweater on Saturday after I ran my errands and picked it up again on Sunday. I brought it with me earlier in the day because I was getting new tires on the car. I thought that may take longer than shopping. It didn’t. By the time I got home, I was ready to knit, but I ended up doing the slow “I need to lie down” nod and took a nap. Insomnia sucks.

Since I got a nice long nap in, I stayed up later than I planned, watching all of the Oscars because I was too into knitting my sweater. 6 more rows and I can split for the fronts, back and sleeves.

Frankly, I could have turned it off after Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton won. What is it about Javier Bardem that makes me go weak in the knees? Maybe it’s because he has that “guy’s guy” look about him that I’m always attracted to. I kept re-winding the DVR when they showed him to get a second look.

Tilda Swinton is an actress that I’ve loved ever since I saw Orlando. I’ll see any movie she’s in because I think she’s amazing. I wanted her to win and didn’t think she had a chance. When they called her name I jumped up and yelled and scared the cats. I am SOOOO happy for her. Now we need to get her a better stylist. Her dress was awful.

I should be getting another box from The Loopy Ewe today. I caved and bought a Nameste Bag during the last sneak up. Their new line of bags is really beautiful and I had to have one. The price is right too.

I’m sick of carrying 2-3 bags every day. I need something that can consolidate my stuff. I’m hoping this bag is the one that will work best. Worst case scenario, I can have my knitting and daily purse type items in the Nameste bag and still carry my tote for things like my planner and other work type stuff. At least when I go out and about during my day, I’ll have one bag for two things. That’s the goal anyway.

It took me all day to post this and now I have a raging headache. Oh well, not too much longer till I leave work. This day can't be over fast enough.

Smmmmmmoooooooosssssssshhhhhhyyyyyyy!

This YPF is brought to you by Dream in Color Smoochy. Color is Dusky Aurora. It's so gorgeous! So yummy. So want to knit it right now. What am I doing at work when there's 6" of snow on the ground and it won't stop till tomorrow?

Oh yeah, that's right. I'm getting my Loopy Ewe order for the Dream in Color Classy I got for my DIC KAL. You know I'm a KAL-ho don't you? Well, I figured it was the only way I was going to get a sweater for ME knit this year. So I joined and I'll show you that yarn next week, probably as a WIP.

Here... Look at more pictures of Smooooooshy.And another one which really shows how pretty the colors are and how gray my hair is. Or is it blonde?
Because you never need a reason for Kit-tay pictures...

I know I haven't used this in a while. Ok never used it before. But something in this house has to still be mine! I can't share everything with that little nut job.

Is dandrubs falin' on me's houz? Weel stop eet wif myz mynd!

Youz heelp me sista?

Happy Snowy Friday everyone!

Wednesday! Wednesday! Wednesday!

Today is all about socks, because that's all I've been knitting this week. Technically, these are still WIP's even tho I have one sock done so the pics look a little better than they would if they were partially knit.

First up is my Momma Monkey Memorial sock. I am so sad and well, sick about Gigi's passing. What a loss to the knitting community. She will be greatly missed.

This is her Heart Anklet pattern, knit will the closest purple/lilac yarn I could get my hands on quickly in my stash, which is Lion Brand Micro Spun. I'm going to love wearing these around the house. Sock 1 was done in 2 days and the second is cast on and I should have it done by next WIP Wed.

Here is the first Noro sock completed. I had said I wanted to wash the first one and then decide if I would carry on with knitting the second. Well - I did wash it and it doesn't feel any softer than when it was knit up. But what am I going to do with one sock? So I'll cast on the second sock and get a pair out of them and either gift them to someone with big feet like me or put them in my sock drawer and never wear them. I have a second skein in a different color that will be mailed off to a certain someone to try herself or put in the kitty as a prize for her contest. Yes, THIS contest.

I'm still working on the Sox Appeal socks. I'm really happy with the yarn and how the sock is knitting up. I should have this one done in a couple of days and then I can cast on for sock #2.


And since they went into the mail today - here are my three hats for Hats for Alex, February edition. Last month the colors were very boy oriented, so this month I went for girly. Who knows what I'll end up knitting in March!

The afghans and the Cherry Bomb tank haven't been touched this week. Although, I do need to get new tires on the car so there is a goodly chunk of time to work on something while I sit and wait this weekend.

I did finish 2 of the 4 squares for The Hope Lodge afghan. I've been thinking about patterns for the other two squares and would like to have them done no later that the first week of March so I can get everything sent out in the mail with plenty of time to spare. I hear there is a picture of one of the squares on the site, so check it out! Link in the side-bar.

WIP'n it for Charity!

This WIP Wednesday is a little different. I mentioned a secret project I was involved in and now that everything is up and running, I can talk about it.

I've been asked to design some squares to be made into an afghan which will be the prize in a drawing for all those who donate to The Hope Lodge.

I'm very excited about this project. It fits in with my wanting to do more charity knitting, and I get to design something on a small scale. I also get to use more Briar Rose Fiber and that's always a good thing!

The process hasn't been easy. The yarn is beautiful and the colors so unique that I want to make sure what I knit shows off the yarn. Ever since it arrived, I've been sitting with all my stitch dictionaries around me and a pad of graph paper and I've been doodling with pencil and yarn (left over Sonoma from Mom's Retro Cardi).

Go here to read about the drawing and see the yarn, and to keep up on our progress. Here's the link to The Hope Lodge again, and you can donate here.

There is nothing more appropriate for YPF than...

SOXX APPEAL!

I twisted my co-worker's arm yesterday and made her come to the LYS with me at lunch time. While I was scoring some yarn which will be shown on a future addition of YPF (on SALE no less), the owner was putting these little beauties out in her stock. Well, I HAD to buy some to try didn't I? And I thought it would be a cool idea to make another pair of ankle socks for Mom for Mother's day, so I picked up the purples.

I couldn't help but cast on last night. Look at the purty little picot edge! Look at the appalling lack of activities in my planner!

The yarn is stretchier than Fixation, and a little thinner too, but really really soft. I was using a US 3 with the Fixation and this called for a US 2. I think it will knit up interestingly. It's a little, aaahhh, ruffly (if you've seen it than you know what I mean) and doesn't make for good stitch definition, but they're ankle socks, so who cares?

I also bought 2 balls for a pair of socks for my Dad. He needs another pair of socks from me cause Mom says when she washes the pair I made him, he practically waits by the washer & dryer for them to come out. Like a kid waiting for their blanket to be washed. heh!

Mulling it over and over and over

I had my annual review at work last week and on the whole it was positive. I got glowing marks for my admin work, but not so glowing on the office manager part. That’s OK. This is the first time I’ve ever been an office manager so I’m learning.

One thing that was in my review was that I was to take a trip to NY State and be trained in my office manager duties. They got the OK from the office manager at the NY location and it took me 2 months to firm up the dates I was going to go. It was a four hour drive one way and an overnight stay in a city I’d never been to. The comment on my review was “The training was helpful but we had to remind her on several occasions to go, and she didn’t make the training trip until 2 months later”.

When they asked me to go, I was in the beginning of my therapy and starting to get the anxiety and agoraphobia under control. I didn’t think it was any of their business what I was going through and I told them I wanted to wait till the weather was a little better before I drove to upstate NY (by the Great Lakes). There was no way I could have made that trip at that time. I went when I had my disorder under control.

It didn’t really surprise me that it showed up on my review, but what really bugs me is that I had a valid reason for not immediately hoping in my car and making the 4 hour trip and still it was a mark against me. I'd been looking at it as a personal victory all this time.

What I want to do is go into my boss’s office, close the door and tell them why I took me 2 months to make the trip. It still isn’t any of their business, but I want them to know that I had a reason, a medical reason, why I didn’t go immediately.

But it’s water under the bridge now. The review is signed and filed with HR.

And yet I’m still annoyed.

Wednesdays are for:

WIPs! And since it’s Ash Wednesday, a confession.

Noro socks: work on these socks continues slowly. The yarn is just not as soft to work with than a lot of other sock yarns in my stash. I hope it softens up when I wash and block them.

But I really love the colors; except for the cat puke color that’s in every Noro colorway. (the cat puke color is at the top of the cuff in case you needed to know)

I’ve finished two hats for the Hats for Alex charity for February. Some days it’s easier to pick up some extra yarn and dpns, cast on and knit knit knit knit. Actually, what I’ve been doing is working on one thing (say, my afghan) getting bored but wanting to keep knitting or crocheting so I pick up a hat. I can get a hat done in a couple nights this way and I don’t have to think too hard about what I’m doing, so my hands are working but my brain can wander where it wants to go.
I have been working on my afghan, and have a bunch of hexagons done. I’ve been trying to devote a couple of nights a week to crocheting a couple of hexagons for this. It’s going to be a HUGE blanket. But I still love it and I can’t wait for the finished product.

Lastly, I was a horribly bad girl and started ANOTHER afghan. I was looking through the Lion Brand catalogue and I saw the Circles to Squares afghan and it struck me as perfect for my brother. I crocheted 2 squares for it, but I was having trouble counting to 24 (sad aren’t I) and two was all I could manage before I flipped out. So I put that away and finished baby hat #2.

The yarn colors perfectly match his décor, especially his couch. I’ve modified the pattern to make it longer. He is 6’5” and blankets are never long enough for him so I wanted to make sure that if he naps out on the couch, he can be covered sufficiently.

I thought I’d update my WIP/UFO list from end of year. I may do this every month or so to keep these projects here so I won’t “forget” about them. I don’t want them hanging around another year.

WIPs/UFOs
Cherry Bomb Tank
Lady Eleanor Shawl
Viveka - Frogged. Yarn reclaimed for some other project which has yet to call to me.
Tomato
Simple Shrug – will be frogged. Yarn reclaimed and will be used for my afghan
Afghan of my own design
Babette's Blanket
Handsome Shawl
Argosy Baby Blanket - Finished
Charlotte's Web V2
Embossed Leaves Socks - Finished
Salt Peanuts
Noro Socks of my own design

I’m excited to see some of these items come off the list, after only a few weeks. I’d like to get to the Cherry Bomb tank this month. It will give me something else to wear right when all I want is some spring weather and brighter clothes. Tomato will come after that.

There is also a super secret project I'll be working on starting this week, so stay tuned for details.

What kind of wool am I???

I saw this on Bezzie's and Kahlo's blogs and so I went to check it out. I don't knit with much mohair, but when I read the description, it sure sounds like me.

Go check it out here. It's only 5 questions and takes like 2 seconds to do. Have fun fellow fiber friends!

WOO FREEKING HOOOOO!!!!!

Fee Fi FO Friday

I know it’s really YPF, and I have some yarn to show you, but I’m more excited to show you my latest FO. I finished the Argosy Baby Blanket on Tuesday night because the Dad-to-be was going to be in the office on Wednesday. But his wife went into labor and his son made a command appearance so he doesn’t have his blanket yet.

The decreases went much faster than the increases and I finished it (all but blocking and end weaving in) over the weekend. I used 3 ½ skeins of Lion Brand Wool Ease. Since I had that ½ skein I made a little hat to. Sorry, no picture of that since it was an afterthought.

I’m really happy with the blanket. I hope little toes and fingers don’t get caught in the yo sections.

As promised, here is some fairly boring yarn I snapped photos of because I reclaimed it (aka ripped out the back of a UFO sweater). The yarn is really nice and I’ll need to make something else out of it. But for now, it can sit in my stash while I think on what project best suits it. Plus it freed up a pair of size 7 circs which I seem to need a lot lately.

Before:
After:
Happy Weekend!!!