Reality is the Only Obstacle
to Happiness! :)
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
I am a slow knitter. There, I've said it. And no, I don't feel better. And it doesn't help when I see wonderful knitted things on friend's blogs. I've always been a "bull in a china shop," a little light in the coordination department and I guess that shows in my knitting. I can get the job done, but I am not comfortable enough to gain any speed. Go look at what Dani can accomplish in a week, or even one night!! And Mary can knit without even looking at her needles!! I am jealous.
LOL - OK enough whining!!! Truth is, I don't knit enough to get past the difficult stages, and I know it. A couple of rows a night and I'm happy. Currently I am knitting this lovely lime green 50% mohair blend lace-weight yarn on size 17 needles! Talk about uncoordinated! The yarn is SO thin and the needles are SO big I am constantly fighting with something. And don't get me started on the MOHAIR! I cast on too tightly and wanted to switch to a bigger needle - imagine my shock when I tried to frog it!! OK, stop laughing. I forgot about mohair and it's self-felting properties.
It does knit up fast though. I get a half-inch of fabric for every row. I've been knitting since Sunday and I only have about 2 feet done so far. That would be about 48 rows at 65 stitches a row. I should be embarrassed. I'm not though, but I should be. It will be a shawl when it's done (probably sometime in October when it's too cool to wear it) for the office during the summer months with the AC.
Yarn day
Friday, May 26, 2006
Today I took a trip to a LYS in Greenvale, which is on the North Shore of Long Island. A cute little store, I had been there once or twice before, but out of nowhere I had a notion to take a field trip there today with some friends. (Actually, a thinly veiled ruse to get Mary out with some of the girls!)
I had a great time - but I always do when I'm with these girls. We met at my house and then I drove to the store. We were there about half hour or so and everyone got a little something. Karen bought sock yarn! Koigu, I think, in a Passion Fruit color. She's a new sock knitting convert, a group I have not yet joined. Joyce (blog, Joyce?) bought a multi-color black with pink and blue yarn for knitting a bag and Mary bought, well, perhaps I shouldn't be so detailed here since she bought gifties for a pal... My goodies are below:
The yarn is Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Oatmeal. Mary told me that I could knit Branching Out from Knitty with a skein of this and at $9.00 it was a steal so I scooped it up. I haven't done lace before and I was looking to make something mildly sophisticated to wear at the office and this fit the bill. The bag was also her idea (THANKS!) and it is the perfect summer accessory. It's lightweight and has a loop inside to thread the yarn through, a drawstring to keep things safe, and a loop on the outside so you can wear it on your wrist. Too cute!
When I got home and checked the mail, the goodies above were waiting for me!! Dani turned the girls on to a sale at Trash and Treasure with discounted Possum yarn. My Fiber Godmother, Alicia sent me the red skein above and I bought the natural and the pattern so I could make my first pair of mittens! I think this may also be the first time I will have used the exact yarn called for in the pattern - LOL.
If you'll excuse me, I have to go set up my swift and wind, baby, wind!
63.4 Million
Thursday, May 25, 2006
That's how many people voted last night to elect Taylor Hicks the newest American Idol. I don't watch the show, and I may be the only one, but you can't escape it. It's everywhere. I don't have anything against it either, it's one of the better reality shows. Of course, that's not saying much.
So last night 63.4 MILLION people voted. Sixty-three point four million! Apparently, that is more people than ever voted for an American president.
Today, I am just a bit embarrassed for the United States.
Summer Reading List
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Saw this on Kim's blog and I thought it would be a fun thing to do, so I pulled together a bunch of unread books from around the house, took a picture, and I am declaring a "Summer Reading List!"1) Alligators, Old Mink, & New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing by Alison & Melissa Houtte (In Progress)
2) The Taking by Dean Koontz
3) Quant by Quant by Mary Quant (1960s fashion designer)
4) Ready, Steady, Go!: The Smashing Rise and Giddy Fall of Swinging London by Shawn Levy
5)Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
6) Are Men Necessary? When Sexes Collide by Maureen Dowd
I am not a heavy reader by nature (hence the piles of unread books just laying around the house) but I am looking forward to a pampering summer and reading is a great way to take some "ME" time. Of course, so is knitting, so I will have to carefully divide the free hours!
Will I get through each of the books? Will I read even more? Will I forget about this whole idea as soon as I add more luscious yarn to my stash? Only time will tell!
Ouch!
Monday, May 22, 2006
First let me say, I consider myself very lucky. I must have a Guardian Angel watching over me. And I think when I tell you what I did to myself last Friday, you will agree. Now I can laugh about it because it is all over and I am fine, but seriously, what I did was the HEIGHT of STUPIDITY. And when you hear it, please refrain from saying "What were you thinking?!" because, obviously, I wasn't thinking at all.
Dead Center.
Yes, you read that right. For most of the day I was so embarrased that I couldn't admit to anyone what I had actually done avoiding the issue by saying only I had stuck something in my eye. Well, hiding the truth never helped anyone so here I am admitting my stupidity to the world.
Yes, I went to the doctor. Yes, he gave me medicine. Yes, it is imporving. Yes, I am an idiot.
However, I did get to look very cool this weekend wearing sunglasses all day, even indoors. Hey - you've got to find the silver lining where you can! ;)
Belated Thank You!!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
I'm belated in just about everythingI do these days, so this should come as no surprise. My darling Felted SP sent me the wonderful gifties shown below and I am only NOW getting around to thanking her for them. And when you take a close look at what I was gifted with you will all attack with cries of "1000 lashes" because the wool is so beautiful it surely must be a crime not posting about it sooner!!
Before I rattle on about the treasures, let me say a BIG belated THANK YOU to my Felted SP Julie. She has gifted me well for the whole exchange and this time was no exception.
!! "MALABRIGO" !!
Usually, I save the best for last when posting about gifts my SPs have sent, but this was just so wonderful - I didn't want to delay the excitment! The 2 skeins (which could possibly be the softest wool ever) are in a blue/green colorway called "Curacao." I am really in love with this wool - it was an EXCELLENT choice!! There is also a row counter, point protectors, a fun water bottle filled with Peach-Mango scented body mist, body cream, shower gel, and pouf!; and finally, there are two lovely balls of Berroco Duo in "Sky"!
Julie - you did a GREAT job!! I apologize if you thought it didn't arrive timely enough. Everything was just wonderful - I am so pleased!!! (I will have to find something special for the Malabrigo :)
And as of this writing, I am officially out of the SP game! For now anyway. I was treated like a QUEEN by all my SPs and I still couldn't get my gifts out on time (which I still feel bad about even though all the recipients seem to be OK with it) nor could I manage to post about receiving a gift promptly, so I am voluntarily removing myself until I can get my sh.., excuse me, act together!
I have to go prepare for this evening's events...
or should I say "continue preparing!"
More on that tomorrow!!!
Alphabet Meme
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
The wonderful Karen tagged anyone who was reading, so here it is!
Accent: Lon-Guyland. Although, I don't hear it as much as others say they do
Booze: Um, no. Not at all.
Chore I Hate: Paying bills
Dog or Cat: Doggie, doggie, doggie, doggie!
Essential Electronics: Scanner, cd player, cable modem
Favorite Cologne: Hypnotic Poison, by Dior
Gold or Silver: White gold and Silver
Hometown: Plainview, NY
Insomnia: Almost never
Job Title: Project Coordinator I (also known as Scape Goat and/or Whipping Girl)
Kids: None, thank you.
Living arrangements: On my own in a cute little orange apartment
Most admirable traits: Perky, organized, optimistic (usually), um...?
Number of sexual partners: Low single digits
Overnight hospital stays: Tonsills at age 4, only
Phobias: Being stalked
Quote: "Life's a Journey, Not a Destination," "Reality is the only obstacle to happiness," "Sometimes doing our best is not enough, sometimes we must do what is required" --I love quotes, I could do this all day long!
Religion: Pseudo-Catholic; Raised with 11 years of Catholic school, now... I tend to think all religions have something to offer
Siblings: None. That's too bad really.
Time I wake up: 6:00am
Unusual talent or skill: I can always spot a guy in drag, even if he's good at it!
Vegetable I love: Ick.
Worst habit: I can be crazy-lazy
X-rays: 1 finger, a couple a kidneys, and a whole bunch of teeth! I'm surprised my mouth doesn't set off metal detectors!
Yummy foods I make: Dom DeLouise Death by Chocolate cake/pudding thing
Zodiac sign: Pisces - 100%
Wonderful Weekend!!
Monday, May 08, 2006
Geez - I was so busy this weekend and all in such a good way - I can't tell you how much fun I had!!! First, you should know that I bought a new cell phone and I am very captivated by it :) It is my first new cell phone in FIVE YEARS! (Yes, you read that right) So I felt I could splurge on a new gadget and I got the light pink RAZR. It is so much fun. I still haven't figured out how to work everything but I show it to everybody as if no one had ever seen a cell phone before! LOL!
Anyway, just as I'm buying the phone, I get a call from Beney. She and Joyce were heading to Tanger Outlets to help Beney find a suit to defend her Master's Thesis (GOOD LUCK BENEY!!!). So I finished with Verizon and drove out to meet them. Beney had pretty much found the suit by the time I arrived, but it took the rest of the day to find a shell for underneath! We had a great time going in all the stores. Joyce and I bought the same iPod cover in Coach. Hot pink leather for less than $10.00! In Coach!! That will never happen again!
I was also "talked into" purchasing the grooviest of groovy overnight bags by both of them - but I probably couldn't have resisted anyway.... I put all the Manos I purchased for my blanket inside of it, which is like 12-14 skeins, so it's pretty big. And, of course, it's SOOOOOO me! 
On Sunday, I was honored to spend the day with Missy and her beautiful baby. It was a wonderful experience. I have never really spent time with a little one like that before. Pushing her stroller, playing with her toys, holding her hands while she walked - it was all very different and special to me. We went to see Viktoria and Nancy at a street fair in Islip and we had the perfect day for it. Vik sold a bunch of books and her DH Yan stopped by and brought her brand new little love Ethan! What a doll!! So little, but he has big blue eyes! Missy has a pic of the momentous occasion of the first meeting of Ethan and Chloe! Hope she posts it soon!Thanks to Joyce and Beney for a fun shopping day and double thanks to Missy for the privledge of spending the day with her and the Empress.
I've gone Mondrian!!!
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
CAUTION: You may need sunglasses to view this blog from now on.....I've felt for a while that the old blog skin needed to go. I LOVE flowers, but the baby pink was most assuredly NOT my style, sooooo..... I've found some thoroughly MOD inspiration in the work of famous modern artist Piet Mondrian. In 1965, Yves Saint Laurent created a dress inspired by Mondrian's paintings and it quickly became an instantly recognizable symbol of the Sixties mod movement. (Pic of the original dress at right)
I think the background became a bit more Mondrian than Mondrian ever was, but it doesn't really matter, I had a bunch of fun creating it and I love how STRONG the colors are. I've never really been about pastels - bright colors are more of who I am.
This is also a bit of a turning point in blog focus. It was never really an exclusive "knitting blog" - but now it's going to have more stuff about me so y'all can get a better look into the insanity that is Valerie :)
In the coming months I will be looking for a new job, enhancing and cataloging my collection of 1960s memorabilia (you have no idea what I have), finishing up a long languishing website of mine, and blogging about whatever other silliness that happens to enter my mind. Heck, I might even start dating again.... (ugh.) We shall see. And who knows - I may actually KNIT SOMETHING!
I hope you all will come along for the ride - LOL!
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