Girl Gone Mod!

Warrensburg Weekend

2006-10-03T09:13:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back from my weekend upstate and I did manage to score a few nice things!
I do wish the pictures were better though.... I took them inside (at night), so the color is way off, but I'm sure you will get the idea anyway.

The very first booth I came too had some really nice stuff! I didn't buy anything right away in hopes that a few other goodies would turn up, but... well, not so much. However, I did come across this very nice lady who made her own lampwork beads. She was selling bracelets and necklaces in a multitude of colors. I spoke with her a while then turned my attention to her jewelry and immediately imprinted on the bracelet below:

It has some really nice beads arranged in the R-O-Y-G-B-I-V spectrum. It is, unfortunately, too large for my wrist. Or anyone's wrist really. But I could not be talked out of it and I plunked down my money with full intention of re-stringing it to a smaller bracelet and perhaps using a focal bead or two for a matching necklace.

I finished the rest of the fair and found a few wonderful vintage metal flower pins that I collect, and then went back to the very first booth and picked up the wonderful goodies below:

The vendor was very nice, he only charged me $8 for the large bead and threw in the two smaller ones. I'm not 100% sure what I will do with them yet, but I sure as heck can't make stitch markers out of them!!

I think... that perhaps... I will consider... starting... to make... JEWELRY (sigh)
I LOVE JEWELRY - but I didn't want to get into making it myself. However, all signs seem to be pointing in that direction - oh dear... (in a good way, of course!)

There was some yarn there too, but only cheap stuff - I realize all yarn is good in its own way, but I just couldn't plunk down my cash for old acrylic.

It was great fun and just PERFECT Fall weather - on Saturday at least!!!

Can't wait for next year!!

Baby Watch!

2006-09-08T11:43:00.000-04:00

No, not me! My dearest friend Rebecca!

New bundle of joy set to arrive today... (like any minute now)

Boy or Girl - nobody knows yet - I'm so excited!!!!

ETA: It's a GIRL!!!! Grace Dorina :)

Welcome to the world Miss Grace....!

Maybe this is why I say good morning to the birds...

2006-08-31T08:58:00.000-04:00

Did you know that the Universe speaks to me on a daily basis? Yes, I get emails from it everyday and it tells me constantly how happy it is that it created me. No I am not kidding. Try it for yourself - Tut.
Although I seriously wish it would stop using my name. I know this makes it very personal, but I always feel like I am getting yelled at :)

My daily note from the Universe:

Did you know, Valerie, that if you can see a cloud, it can see you?

Same for trees.

And beauty.

Tallyho,
The Universe

...and yes, I really do say good morning to the birds and the squirrels, etc. Must be an old Snow White complex (LOL) but it is a really nice way to start the day, communing with nature and all that.

Etsy Shop is OPEN!

2006-08-29T08:54:00.000-04:00

Well, I'll be darned! I sold another one! If nothing else it sure makes me feel good that someone was interested in my designs. Wait, it gets better, it was the same person! She bought the set of two to give as a gift and when they arrived at her home, she liked them so much she is keeping them for herself and bought a second one to give as a gift!!!!

("Milk & Honey - SOLD!)

("Gemini" - SOLD!)
So here is a link to the shop: Ewe Hoo! There are only a few items up there right now, but I have tons more ready to go - I just need the rain to clear up for a little bit so I can take some nice pictures. There are many different styles and colors and I am experimenting with new techniques so you never know what you will find!

I also have a button for bloggers if you like what you see...

So - go shopping already!!!

OK, OK - I'm back!

2006-08-28T09:42:00.000-04:00

Yawn...... Well, it appears that I am back from a long summer's nap. I know mostly people take their "naps" in the winter, but I don't really like the summer and that garrish heat! So with the first cool weather of the season and a crop of brand new fall clothes in the stores, I feel RENEWED!! Yes, folks, I actually cleaned my apartment, and it was sorely in need of it too, and that was only due to the cool, rainy weather of the weekend. I know it's still August and the hot weather will be back, but if it's not sweltering and humid - I should be OK!

In between my last post and now a few things have happened including my Blogiversary and a new business (no, not the dog sitting thing), knitting stuff - stitch markers and needles. Well, for the time being, just the stitch markers since the needles are still in progress.... I have even actually already sold something on my Etsy shop! Very cool.

As for the Blogiversary, rather than an arribtrary date of celebration since I missed the real date, I will probably wait for the same date next month and celebrate then. I will have to think about some form of celebratory goodness... hmmmm....

What else? Well, the job front is stable right now. I realized it is only one person that really upsets me to the point of leaving. As long as I can avoid him, everything else is fine. Although, seriously, I really need a change of pace. My current company can provide that if they are willing to listen to my goals. In the mean time, I am considering signing up for a three day course of "Train the Trainer" where I will learn how to effectively train other people (corporate training, not working out). It's fairly costly, but I consider it an investment in ME. It seems to be the direction I am moving in, but I notice I am afraid to make my move since I only have limited experience in training. This course might give me the confidence I need.

OK - time to get back to work... I been typing here killing time waiting for my meeting to start. We meet for this project we are working on almost everyday. This chick hasn't shown up on time, ever...

AND, I was gonna toss a pic up here just for color and BLOGGER won't let me do it. I tried more than a half dozen times and I just don't care anymore. Hopefully, Blogger will have this crankiness out of its system by tomorrow! Harumph!

New Business?

2006-07-17T11:26:00.000-04:00

OK, not really, but stranger things have happened...

I had the BEST day Saturday! I'm sure it's no secret to people who know me that I LOVE DOGS!! I am dog-happy. This past Saturday a friend at work asked me to help dog sit for a few hours in the afternoon/evening since they would be out until late and there would be nobody to feed the dog or let him out.
So Valerie to the rescue! The dog is a pure bred Golden Retriever about 3 years old named Dylan. I have no pics :( But we had the BEST time together!
He's a wonderful dog and was very happy to play ball, munch on cookies, and take me for a walk (no mistake there, he's a big dog!)
As a reward, I got to hug him, kiss his furry face, and pet him for 2 hours. I don't know who had the better time - me or Dylan!

I would do it again anytime (and probably for any dog)!

I am only Italian every 4 years or so...

2006-07-10T09:01:00.000-04:00

Italy Wins World Cup!!

I am third generation US Born (me, both parents and all 4 grandparents born on US soil), so I really don't consider myself Italian or any nationality other than American.

But my ancestors were from Italy on all sides -
so here's one for them!!

Woo Hoo!!

Holy Moly - I Won!

2006-07-02T17:34:00.000-04:00

A few posts down I mentioned the contest Dani was running to entice people to donate to The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I mentioned that I donated and urged others to donate as well. (Did you? I hope so!)

Well.... The contest is over, the prizes have been awarded, and I WON! First place too! So awesome!!!

What did I win?

Photo stolen from Dani's blog!
Isn't it just so beautiful?!?!?!? It was hand dyed and donated by Scout. She is apparently VERY talented and has a great eye for color. Go here to see some other beauties she's created [buy some!] I really had my eye on it wishing and wishing and whammo(!) it's mine! YeeHaa! LOL

I'll post an "in person" pic of it when I get my clammy little hands on it which should be this Thursday!

Dani is truly the best-est person for even running this contest and donating some yarn from her own stash as one of the prizes. She is very cool - go say HI!

Thank you, Dani!! I can't wait to see it in person {giggle!}

More Alpaca...

2006-06-28T17:51:00.000-04:00

...With all this yarn I should do some knitting!

A week or two ago I did some yarning on eBay, which I generally don't do, it's too accessible - too easy to hit SABLE status before I've even realized what happened. But since this was so nice and not too expensive, I said what the heck!

It's organic alpaca, undyed, superfine, in a sport/DK weight - camel color. Each little skein is about 100 yards and there are 10 skeins.

Without me saying it, you know this is sooooo soft! It has "shawl" written all over it - LOL!

Horses and Alpacas

2006-06-27T14:59:00.000-04:00

So this past weekend I went to Lancaster, PA. Such a quiet little town with lots of farms, cows, and horses. I've taken to going about once a year for a few days. It's very relaxing and entirely strange to not be plugged into a computer or phone.
These horsies below were only a few feet away behind a fence, but look at all the land around them!! How nice! :)

I was there about the same time last year, but it has been quite an eventful year and the knitting bug has firmly taken hold. So this year, I looked up a couple of PA LYS - yea! The first one (Kitnit Needlecrafts) was just OK, ordinary yarn but I got a couple of patterns I had wanted so it wasn't so bad. The OTHER (Labadie Looms) was great! They had a number of yarns from their own brand, so I managed to force myself (yea, right) to get two skeins of some awesome yarn I probably couldn't get anywhere else!
Check out the ALPACA in a gray & black twist!! Yum!!

This stuff is so freakin' soft, I may just leave it as is and make a pillow out of it! It's amazing!

And this I just couldn't resist! It's sock yarn - and I don't knit socks - but I was totally taken with the hand-dyed colorway. It's so unusual and will probably pool a great deal, but I don't care - I love it!

It's half RED and half a blue-purple-lavender mix. Too cool! I wish the pics were better. I will have to start trying to take them outside. But trust me - the colors are beautiful!

Now I have to go and dig out some patterns that call for sock yarn that aren't socks!! LOL :)

Couple 'a things....

2006-06-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

First - let me draw your attention to the blog of my wonderful friend Dani! She is helping to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. If you have a few extra dollars - and if you have your health, aren't there people who need the dollars a bit more than you? - please donate something to the cause. And if good health isn't enough of a motivator, then how about a CONTEST?! Dani is giving away a lovely skein of handpainted yarn to the winner which was made especially for this contest. Second prize is a piece of woolly greatness right from her own personal stash!
You can find more details here where the contest has its' own personal page!!
And yes, I practice what I preach, I HAVE DONATED!

Second, I have joined Flat Scout! (also from Dani's blog - she has the coolest stuff there!) Ms. Scout is going to travel all over the world with pictures to prove it. I can't wait to show her around when she come to vist me! I think sign-ups may be closed by now, but go take a look anyway! I'll post pics when she arrives.

And last, for those of you who graced my home with your presence last month, take note that the wine situation has been improved!! I have since purchased actual wine glasses (no more plastic!) and even better, I have obtained a really nice corkscrew with the wingy things on the sides. Woo Hoo! The end of cork-in-the-bottle wine! Hey, I don't drink any alcoholic beverages so I ask for a little mercy in your judgement - LOL! But I do always want to be a good hostess so I upgraded my vino-related accoutrements. Next time (and there will be a "next time") sharing of the wine will be much easier!

TTFN!
GO DONATE!!

So Called Self-Help books

2006-06-20T13:20:00.000-04:00

I love 'em!! Not the kind of book that tells you 'how to lose weight' or 'how to apply make-up', but the kind that gives you inspiration to do wonderful little things for yourself, your family, and your friends.

One of my favorites has always been "Wear More Cashmere" by Jennifer Sanders. It has 151 ways to pamper yourself. Now, nobody I know has the time to do all of them, but even adding a few of these suggestions into your daily routine is fun and makes you feel special. Some of the ideas cost a little (like actually wearing more cashmere or buying high thread count bed sheets), but many don't (like turning off the phone for a night and enjoying some down time). In any case, they are all designed to enrich your life in some small way. I highly recommend it!

And while we're on the subject, I just picked up a new book called "The Joy of Doing Things Badly" by Veronica Chambers. What a great title! And check out the picture on the cover:

She's KNITTING!! OK, the sweater has three arms, but who here hasn't been down the "OOPS" road while knitting?! And that's just the point - it's OK to not be perfect, the idea is to try different things and embrace the challenge. How cool. I haven't started to read this one yet, but I couldn't resist posting about it when I saw the knitting on the cover!

Now pretend I'm your own personal "Daily Om" and go do something nice for yourself today! :) You DESERVE IT!

Surprise!

2006-06-16T07:35:00.000-04:00

Last night was another crazy knitting night - had a blast as always. I'll tell ya, I don't think I've ever left a knitting night not feeling better than when I went. Pretty cool. Well last night was even better than usual because my dear friend Dani SURPRISE gifted me with some treasures she knitted for ME!

See this pretty bag (which matches the gifites by the way)
See the incredible knitting found here and here

Well it is now HERE (see below) as in "at my house"!!

I was so taken back by her thoughtfulness I was almost at a loss for words - and that is pretty unusual for me!! I was coveting the towel and dishcloths as I saw them evolve on her blog (and the cuuuute little green flower button), but never could have dreamed they were actually for me!! Blown away. Grateful. Flattered. I know Dani will say it was just a little something for no reason - but it means a heck of a lot more to me than that. I promised that I would use them - and so I shall - but it won't be easy. You can just feel the love in each stitch. Especially because she didn't have to, she just wanted to. I just don't know what I did to deserve a friend like that.
(All of my knittin' chicks, really.... Priceless.)

Dani, I could never say Thank You enough!!

Joyce's 80s Party - Part 3

2006-06-12T06:46:00.000-04:00

Pics are here!! I have to start bringing my Digital Cam with me 'cause regular pics are great for albums, but they don't scan too well - at least these didn't. But you can sure see how much FUN we had!
We pretended to be teenagers again, so after the party - we went to The Diner! No pics exist of that, too bad though. We exhibited enough drunken rowdiness when we walked in that they sat us in the corner away from the other customers!!

And NO, I do not dress like that normally (but it was so cool, I may consider it!!) It was a reasonable facsimile of what I did look like in 1988/1989, only change the jeans for leggings, the tank top for an oversized shirt, and the cool "I don't give a f@@k" attitude to "Please like me". Ugh. Being a teenager is MUCH BETTER the second time around!!

Mary has some really, really good pics posted here

Me, Mary, Joyce, Viktoria
Check out Joyce's hot pink tights (too bad you can't see her matching hot pink pumps!)

Nancy, Mary, Me, Joyce, Viktoria
Mary gave up the Wham! persona for this pic and is flashing the devil's horns with me! Of course, she does share her birthday with the apocolypse (6/6/06) and Joyce!

Me, Mary, Nancy, Joyce, Viktoria
Look at those legs! They stretch past three people!

Mary & Me (4.5 in a series!)
Notice the phoney bottle of Jim Beam I'm drinking
- filled with diet soda - I couldn't resist! It went so well with the Rocker Chick outfit.

Joyce's 80s Party - Part 2

2006-06-11T09:11:00.000-04:00

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

The Eighties came alive last night and I am dead tired today! LOL! I am way too old to be pretending I am 18!

More to come with pics and stuff.

ROCK ON!!

Joyce's 80s Party - Part 1

2006-06-05T08:23:00.000-04:00

My friend Joyce is having a birthday this week - Tuesday 6/6 to be exact. (And while we're on the subject, so is Mary! Yes, same day!!) So Joyce is having a Themed Birthday Party the Saturday. The theme? The 80s!

Once I made it past the concept that my youth was now a theme party (am I the only one feeling old here?) I settled in and started to choose a costume - I can NEVER resist playing dress up! Was I going to dress early 80s, late 80s, Madonna 80s..... what???? I was trying to avoid the obvious, which was to duplicate how I actually dressed as a teenager. ROCKER CHICK. Yes, that was me. Heavy metal, black leather, short skirts, chains, the whole deal. I had left that long behind and it seemed more fun to create a whole different look this time.

Well, I worked at it, but it didn't hold. Stupid VH1 was having a "Metal Month" and they showed a documentary about the music, etc., and my interest was peaked. So I dug out my old denim jacket, the back painted with a poor representation of Steve Vai's "Passion and Warfare" album cover, almost every available inch crammed with a metal stud of some sort. And unfortunately, it still fit. It is so atrocious, it's downright embarassing. I can't believe I ever wore it and wore it proudly (it's autographed by Steve, by the way). But it is so perfectly, horribly 80s (even early 90s) that I was hooked. Someday, when I'm old and grey and dead, Goodwill will come and clean out my house and get beaucoup bucks for it because it is such a perfect representation of that era.

Funny thing is, I am starting to enjoy all this 80s stuff. I pulled all the 80s metal CDs from the shelf and loaded them onto my iPod. Now I spend all available time rocking out to Skid Row, Warrant, Poison, LA Guns, Lita Ford, Whitesnake, et al. I also dug out about 6 video tapes with dozens of heavy metal videos dating from about 1988 to 1991. One more awful than the other: the posing, the leather, the tight pants, the HAIR, THE EXCESS! OH MY GOD - I LOVE IT!!!!! The whole thing was a gigantic male fantasy and I loved watching it and playing along, or at least pretending to. Man, I am having so much fun and I haven't even gotten to the party yet!

Thank you Joyce! What a GREAT idea for a party!! I can't wait!

This will have to stop of course, once the party is over. It's getting quite silly, especially with all the silver jewelry I've pulled from the bottom of the box. And the hat, wait till you see that. But for now, it's a hellava lot of fun!

Pictures? No way! Not until after the party!!...

I'm dealing with it

2006-05-31T11:46:00.000-04:00

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.

Here's hoping I actually FINISH it!!

Yarn day

2006-05-26T20:32:00.000-04:00

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

2006-05-25T10:32:00.000-04:00

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

2006-05-24T20:20:00.000-04:00

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!

2006-05-22T09:16:00.000-04:00

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.

Last Friday, at about 7:30a before I left for work, I stuck a safety pin in my eye.
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!!

2006-05-18T06:39:00.000-04:00

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.
OK, Let's start with one word
!! "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!

Have fun my darling knitters!!
I have to go prepare for this evening's events...
or should I say "continue preparing!"
More on that tomorrow!!!

Alphabet Meme

2006-05-09T15:22:00.000-04:00

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!!

2006-05-08T11:05:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2006-05-03T21:15:00.000-04:00

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!

SP7 Reveal & Long over due thank you!

2006-04-04T19:04:00.000-04:00

Well, Secret Agent Janey Bond, your mission was a success!! I have enjoyed eveything you sent to me and this final package is no exception :)

First the reveal - my SP7 is Andi - she is an incredible pal and I can't wait to get to know her better!

In this final package was another HAUL of wonderful goodies! Let's see.... A copy of Knit Simple; the cutest little stuffed lamb (he is so squishy!); two groovy tea light holders in the shape of mod flowers - great gift, matches my living room perfectly!; a BIG skein of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Natural and five different colors of Kool Aid for dying, I can't wait to make the most awesome tie-dyed wool with that!!!; A little wooden flower clip thingy that you can use to hold photos or notes ; there was also a great tea cup set in pretty, bright stripes and 9 (count 'em, NINE) tea bags in a myriad of flavors - I had to hold off drinking them till I could take this picture - wasn't easy!; cute little notebook and pen set; a very cool book on how to knit with dog hair - it even includes instructions on how to spin it - hey you never know!!; the COOLEST bag for carrying knitting stuff - it's ROUND, with pockets for needles and all kinds of other goodies!; last and most certainly never least...... a pair of slippers that my crocheting SP knitted for me you did a FAB-U-LOUS job!!!!!! I am so flattered - these are my first pair of knitted footwear - they will always be special to me!

I can't tell you how spoiled I feel from all your gifties! But I can & DID nominate you for the Best SP contest! I don't know how they choose the winners, but you deserve to be among them!!!

THANK YOU!

Beatles & Book Signings (!?)

2006-03-30T13:35:00.000-05:00

Well, this week was supposed to be a "catch up" week, but for the most part, that has had to wait.
I had one thing to do this comming weekend and I crazily decided to add another and I have been preparing for both since Monday night.

1) Beatlefest! Otherwise known as "The Fest for Beatle Fans". Yes, I am a geek! I am not a crazed Beatle fan however. I like the Beatles, but just as much as the next person, no more. But this Fest is so much fun! It's a bizarre little microcosm of society, with people laughing and singing songs all over the place. The first time I went, I said I would never go back... I have been back almost every year since! Often, they have "celebrities" (and I use the term loosely) who have known the Beatles over the years. I find this is a good way to get autographs! I have met.... Well, you probably won't know most of them anyway, but this year I get to meet Peter & Gordon who sang "World Without Love" - which is very cool to me!! So that's Friday & Saturday. On Sunday April 2nd....

2) Book Signing! At the The Long Island Book & Ephemera Fair in Garden City, 11:00a to 4:00p. Well, this may not turn out to be what I thought it was going to be, but as I say a lot lately, I think the experience is worth the trouble. I heard there was going to be an antique show and book fair together, with authors signing their books. Soooooo, I thought I'd jump on that bandwagon. It was last minute, since I only found out about the show last Friday, but what the heck! I ordered some extra books and dug out a nice tablecloth and I'm ready to go. I just hope I get some nibbles :) I'm afraid the crowd might be a bit too into older things than what is represented in my book to be interested in it. Nothing is sadder than a person offering an autograph and not having any takers - it's pathetic, I know, I've seen it before :):):) This will be a real test of my self confidence... LOL!!!!
If I get any kind of positive response at all, I may get the guts to approach BORDERS, now THAT would be cool!

Felted SP2 Strikes Again!!

2006-03-29T06:05:00.000-05:00

Awesome, awesome, awsome!!!! My felted SP did a very good job with this box of gifties!
Included were two skeins of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Avocado [side note: I received 2 skeins of the same color from my Fiber Godmother - I sense a felted bag in my future!]; two skeins of Lambs Pride Bulky Superwash in Blaze, which is ORANGE!!; One HUGE skein of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Natural along with 3 packages each of Kool Aid in orange, green & blue, for what else - Dying! I have never tried this before, but I have been really wanting to. I have even printed out the directions from Knitty already (very cool choice SP!); totally wonderful smelling body scrub and cream in Mandarin - I am posting and then getting in the shower with this scrub!!! It smells SO GOOD!; and last - but BEST is, not one, but two VINTAGE McCalls knitting magazines from the 1960s!!!!!!!!! I collect (among many other things, it seems...) Vintage Knitting Mags - I really have to start knitting vintage! These could not have been too easy to acquire and they are SO appreciated :)

Thank you my Felted SP! Awesome ...Did I say that already? ;) AWESOME gifts!

Weekend in NYC

2006-03-28T11:07:00.000-05:00

Had a blast in the greatest city in the world this past weekend - Manhattan!!! There is such an amazing enegy there, I couldn't describe it. Not to mention all the unusual things that happen and are considered commonplace. It's wild - and I love it! This weekend was actually a Christmas present that I had given my Mother. I gave her tickets to a Broadway show and sprang for two nights in a hotel. All in all a fun weekend.

We went to the best antiques show which is now in Hell's Kitchen. You can get some good bargains there - it's always good for some bit of junk. We also went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. We spent most of our time with the 20th Century artists and wore ourselves out very quickly.

Also, we saw a musical called "Avenue Q" - Soooo bloody funny! I thought it was great!!!! It may have puppets in it, but is is NOT for kids! The button above is a song from the show. (It was a donation to fighting AIDS, and with a slogan like that - how could I resist?!) I have it up at work - helps to get me through the day.

On the last day, we stopped at the site of the World Trade Center attacks. Still very poignant. I was moved by it yet again.... I will have to post about that seperately.

On a brighter note, I scored what is, to me, the handbag of handbags. I had wanted one forever and maybe the "let's live in the moment" feeling you get visiting the WTC site got to me - I'm not sure, but I finally did it. Yes, ladies & gents, I now own a Pucci handbag. If that doesn't mean anything to you - there is no way I could totally explain it. Let's just say Emilio Pucci was a designer central to the 1960s, very popular, and very expensive. Although this bag was fairly reasonable for a designer bag since I got it at Century 21. It started out at $465!!!!!! (I did NOT pay anywhere near that!) I see Pucci and I covet it. Big time. But no more. It is mine now. Feast your eyes.................

Dah-ling, Is this bag not totally ME?!

OK - You can stop laughing now! ;{ I REALLY ~~like~~ LOVE this bag!!

She's Baaaaaaaak!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-03-27T17:08:00.000-05:00

Oh, yes, fellow bloggers - she's back and just bursting with news and wonderful things!!!!

There is no way I could tell everything at once, but in the upcoming days there will be posts including things such as:

Wonderful package from my Felted SP (long overdue post)
Loot from TWO antique shows
Report from my first "Speaking Engagement" (here's a hint - I Rocked!)
Weekend trip to NYC (Bdwy Show: "Avenue Q")
Visit to the remains of the World Trade Center
Before and after of my next weekend trip: Beatlefest 2006! (can anyone say "GEEK"?)
My first book signing at an antique/ephemera show this weekend

Notice that there is no knitting content here. I haven't knit in weeks! What the HECK?! And it doesn't look too good for this week either... ...sigh... The past couple of weeks of inactivity has really put me behind. Oh well. At least I'm back in the game!

And now, a public apology to my friends who I have neglected a bit these past few weeks. I am sorry for being such a doofus. I hope I will be able to make it up to all of you very soon!!

Whole lotta nothing going on.

2006-03-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

No knitting. No creating. No nothing.

I did zip around the apartment with my new rechargable carpet sweeper for a while on Sunday, but that falls under the concept of "get it done or the health department is going to come after you" rather than an actual accomplishment.

I think the problem is that I have my first "speaking engagement" this Thursday which is related to my book. A co-worker of mine also happens to be a professor at a local University and he teaches, what else, writing. So he has enlisted me as a guest speaker for his class. I agreed to his request right away and was happy to do so, but I have regretted it ever since. I have no trouble speaking in front of people, but I just have no idea what to say that will be of interest to these kids. I really should practice - out loud - what I am going to say, but I so don't want to do this (*pout*) that I am putting that off in a grand display of passive-agressive behavior. Which, of course, means putting off everything else as well.

Is it Friday yet?

FiberGodmother - Reveal!

2006-03-06T07:12:00.000-05:00

BEFORE!

....AND AFTER!

On Saturday I received my final package from my Fiber Godmother Alicia! She has been quite the awesome Godmother and has far outdone herself with her gifting! Go visit her blog and say HI!

This package included not one, but two boxes of Russel Stover Sugar Free candy!!! That is the way right to my heart - both have already been broken into! There is also a great scented candle in "Orange Lily"; two packages of beads, one in green and one in blue for making stitch markers!! (at least that is what I am going to do with them); cute sock shaped point protectors; a set of needles for weaving in; two pairs of Bamboo needles (#11 and #17) Bamboo is my stick of choice :) and the best is a fabulous book called "The Cool Girl's Guide to Knitting" - you're right Alicia, there ARE some very good patterns in here (although I might skip the knitted bikini - LOL!!)

Thank you SO MUCH!! I LOVE everything you have sent me - I know we will remain in touch! :):):)

Project Spectrum!

2006-03-03T06:51:00.000-05:00

With all the talk of Knitting Olympics (GOLD by the way, check the medal on the sidebar) and Birthdays (no, I haven't written him yet!) I almost forgot about the fact that I signed up for PROJECT SPECTRUM!

This is a "no pressure project" as Lolly so eloquently puts it in her blog - and thank goodness, I'm done with pressure for awhile!

Each month is assigned a different color (or colors) and you are supposed to create something with that color. The best part is that the project can be in any medium you like: knitting, sewing, beading, drawing, cooking (why not!?) - I think the idea is GREAT!

March is the first month and the colors are Red/Pink. I haven't given too much thought to what I will create, but I am going to enjoy the process, whatever the final result ends up being!

I love color - it's so very much a part of me - I can't wait to get started!

Fiber Godmother - you ROCK!

2006-03-02T06:29:00.000-05:00

I just received another package from my Fiber Godmother!

All I can say is AWESOME! I must admit, when I first opened the package, I was momentarily confused by the seemingly different skeins, two of one kind and one of another - but then I looked at them more closely...

The darker one, in a reddish-brown color is..... YAK! Woo hoo! A yak and merino blend from Karabella yarns. I wish everyone reading now could feel this yarn, it's incredible, thick and soft - I am in LOVE!

The other two, one in red and one in teal are... wait for it..... POSSUM!! I can't stand it! A superwash merino and possum blend from Cherry Tree Hill!! I am beside myself with glee!

My FG did her homework and found that I was desiring to knit with unusual yarns like buffalo, camel, etc. (Buffalo is VERY expensive, by the way. I didn't know that when I mentioned it) So she comes up with Yak & Possum!

FG, You have outdone yourself!
Kudos!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

PS: I'm not sure I will be able to knit the Yak - I am having too much fun squeezing it!! Maybe I will knit the possum into a tote to carry the yak! LOL!

Birthday Surprises!

2006-02-27T07:45:00.000-05:00

*Warning* long post with pictures! :) But I think the end might be worth it!

Well, it's been a fun few days, let me tell you! The surprises started on Thursday with a generous gift from my Dad, and exceptional gifts from Dani (who also baked) and Mary and wonderful brithday wishes from all my friends!
On Friday, the actual B-Day, I was taken to lunch by the guys at work, I received a card from my cousin in France, a card and the cutest birthday bear from my SP7 (sorry, forgot to take a pic, but trust me - he's cute!), TWO e-cards from my Fiber Godmother - I especially liked the one sung to the tune of B-I-N-G-O! and piles of gifts from my Mom who simply doesn't know how to stop! The haul included a cift certificate from Flying Fingers (great minds think alike, right Mary?!) And the Lantern Moon gifties below - a rubber needle vase and a pair of Palm wood needles! Man, are these things smooth! You have to feel them to believe them!

On Saturday, I went with my Mom to the City (that's Manhattan to anyone reading this from out of New York) because I just HAD TO GO to the new Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square - it was well worth it! They don't sing there when it's your birthday - they SCREAM!!!! As in "HEY EVERYBODY! IT'S MY FRIEND VALERIE'S BIRTHDAY TODAY AND I WANT EVERY ONE TO SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER ON THE COUNT OF THREE!!" All this while I'm standing there with a dish of ice cream with a candle in it and yea, everybody screamed back - LOL! It was fun, I love that stuff!

Then, the biggest surprise of all... Out of nowhere, this doll comes up to me and says "Hi, How are you....?" Um, huh? You mean me?
No, I'm not kidding - Geez, isn't he a cutie pie?
And no, he wasn't coming on to me either!
This is what he looked like in third grade (short kid, red shirt) at 8 years old, I was in fifth at age 10 - we played Jack and Jill in the school play and he remembered me!

Seriously, I can hardly remember what I had for dinner last night and he remembers me 26 years later - He was 8! We talked for a few minutes, he just moved back to NY from LA, and was on his way to an audition - he's an actor now... he gave me his
website address ...funny where life brings us!
Do you I suppose I should write to him?

GOLD!!!

2006-02-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

YES! I did it! 60"!!! Feast your eyes below!

There were definite days I thought I wouldn't get it done. Not so much because of the cables but because I set a pace for myself and some days I didn't reach it - one day, I didn't even knit!! And still, I managed to make up the time and bind off, weave, and block BEFORE the flame goes out tonight!

It isn't perfect, but that isn't the point.
The point is - it's done, and it's done well.
Yea me!

They say it's your birthday!!!

2006-02-24T09:45:00.000-05:00

It's my birthday too, yea! Yes it is!! I am 36 years old today and proud of it!

Last night I was treated to homemade sugar-free chocolate birthday pie complete with candles and song! Not to mention fabulous gifties!! Thank you Dani & Mary! I was so surprised and pleased - I almost wasn't going to mention the day at all, but I'm glad I did. When I blew out the candles, I didn't make a wish, because at that moment, I had everything I needed. (Although, should the opportunity present itself again tonight, I might wish for an easy/quick/successful job search! LOL!)

On the auspicious occasion of the 7th anniversary of my 29th Birthday, I thought I would share a few pics of me as a little girl. I always find it fun to see what my friends looked like before I met them - hope you enjoy it too!

....And if any of my friends are thinking of following along with pics of their own - I encourage it!

This is one of my family's favorite pics.
There have been numerous attempts to recreate it through the years, to no avail.

Here's one for the crocheters. Yes, the outfit is handmade.
Whose idea was it to stick that bow square on top of my head..?

And one for the knitters!
This was made by my mother - she swears to this day that she followed the pattern. I was 2 then, it would probably still fit me now! Anyone thinking "Gauge Swatch"?

Couldn't decide which was cuter, the smiley pic or the serious one,
so I went with both!

Olympic Update! ....4.5 Days Left!!

2006-02-22T07:44:00.000-05:00

Well, we have finally made it to 45"..... YEA! Hey, I might finally make it to 60" and finish this scarf after all! I wasn't so sure for a while :)

Of course, there are a number of mistakes throughout. Well, at this point, less than five. I would have liked "0", but considering I am rushing this, and I am no expert to begin with, I'll live with errors in the single digits. In one place I reversed the Knits and Purls causing my seed stitch to look strangely like ribbing for a row or two... And there is one spot that looks like a miscrossed cable, or maybe an uncrossed cable, I'm not really sure, but I am leaving it as is. Why?

Two reasons:
1) It is sooooo far back now that frogging would put me out of medal contention. Hey - if the ice skaters can fall on their butts and still win a medal, I can have a miscrossed cable!
2) It happened because I was hanging out with my good friends who happen to be knitters. I should know better than to knit anything more complicated than straight stockinette when I am with them since we are such an animated bunch that I can't concentrate! When I look at this funny cable, I think of them, and that's cool.
Cue Warm & Fuzzy Feeling....! :)

Crap!

2006-02-20T10:13:00.000-05:00

Crappity, Crap-Crap!

Last night, after a really great day hanging with my friends at a baby shower for Viktoria, I decided to stop at the food store. Well, the spot I pulled into was a bit tight, so I backed up to straighten out. Naturally, I was looking behind me as that is the direction the car was moving, and I hear crrrrrruuunnncccchhhhh!!!!!

I stopped immediately to see what happened, and there, hanging off my car, is my side view mirror! BROKEN. OFF. Hanging by a wire. Plllffffttt. There was a wooden stake in the ground to mark the end of the row so the snow plow would know where to plow and not hit a curb. And... I hit the stake. Oh well. At least I am OK and no people where harmed and no other cars were involved. It goes to the dealer on Tuesday to be repaired. Just another chapter in "The Adventures of Valerie"

Crap happens... :)

Fiber Godmother - You are AWESOME!

2006-02-15T20:43:00.000-05:00

Hey there y'all - check out the cool package I received yesterday from my Fiber Godmother and be jealous!!! LOL!

Lessee, we start with a SUDOKU book! I have been meaning to try this out - my buds at work are very into it!; A bottle of Kookaburra Woolwash - yea! - I so need this!; there is some gum and candy which I will happily share with some very willing to oblige friends; and..... I usually like to save the best for last, but I can't decide which is better - the book or the yarn!! Yes! Yarn! Six (count'em SIX!) skeins of KnitPicks Wool of The Andes with two skeins each of Stream, Grass, & Avocado - I can't wait to felt something with this, I think I will make a stripey bag (I love felted bags!) and now the book which my clever FG knew I wanted from my Amazon list.... "Knit One, Felt Too"! I can't wait 'till the Knit Olympics are over and I can use this great stuff! (I may use the woolwash for blocking!)

Great job Fiber Godmother! Very cool yarn colors too, I like your taste! Way to go!!!!! Thank you!!

Valentines SP7 Package

2006-02-14T19:41:00.000-05:00

Remember that unopened box from the last post....?

Well, it turned into this!

Which promptly turned into this......!

And wait! There's more!

Ready for the list of items...? (You had better have a comfortable seat)

Here we go: Cute little Valentine's pen that has maraboo, a spring loaded heart, and bubbles (to blow!); a magnetic note pad for shopping lists (and not FOOD store shopping, CLOTHING store shopping!); Valentine's socks; the most adorable stuffed pink poodle, which just about matches the Olympic scarf I am knitting so he will be my mascott; two simmering melty things and a votive in 'chocolate souffle' and 'white chocolate mint cookie'!; sugar-free peppermint mints in a sassy little tin; little sweater needle holders from Clover; "winter Candy Apple" body lotion from Bath & Body (already in use by me - yum!); a very special little stiffened crochet box (did you make this, Jane?) which had inside a SUPER necklace for holding glasses or a badge at work (I'll use it for my badge); AND, two skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted in Wild Violet!!!!!!!! and - oh heck - I almost forgot - the Burt's Bees set with Lip Shimmer, Hand Cream & Cuticle Cream - how did you know I wanted to try Burt's Bees?; and last (did you ever think I would get here?) but not least, a squishy pillow in the shape of a heart that has "Hug Me" embroidered on the front! And I DID FORGET the basket!! The Basket was part of the gift too!!

Jane Bond - you have completely outdone yourself! Well, worth the torture of holding that closed box in my apartment for a few days!!

I now know I am totally not treating my own Pals well enough!
I SO have to go shopping!!!

PS - to Janey Bond

2006-02-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

I have received the package and it is still UNOPENED.
I am largely ignoring it so I can keep it unopened until tomorrow,
but it is hard to do since it is SO HUGE!!!

Here's proof - 13" of olympic scarf with closed package!

I'm Cable-ing!!!! (Olympic Update)

2006-02-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

Yea! I've done it - and it's pretty easy too! (and here's a secret - I'm actually really liking it! Egads!) I think it's quite nice and I'm really proud of it.

This is a much better depiction of the true color.
Right now I am trying to decide how many repeats it will take per night to get it to the length I would like it to be. And then I have to make the really BIG decision - to fringe, or not to fringe...? That is the question! LOL! I usually prefer fringe, but I don't know if this scarf calls for it. I have a few days to decide, or at least until I start the next ball. I really should cut the fringe first, just in case.

The hand dyed Malabrigo is making a nice unexpected colorway with the natural sections peeking through. It's about 13" now, more or less - but there is still a long way to go....

Go For The Gold!

2006-02-10T18:56:00.000-05:00

Well, the Knitting Olympics have started - but I haven't... I was at work when the "Official" flame was lit (2:00p NY Eastern Standard) so I had to wait until after work to even think about it and then I needed food, and then I needed a gift for a friend, and so here I am now finally ready to start. OK, well, not start knitting, but start winding the hanks into balls (does anyone think I could have planned this better?) LOL!

In any case, I will start, and I will finish. And in time too. I will figure a way to do it and WITHOUT buying special yarn for the challenge (which is a challenge in itself)! I have beautiful Malabrigo wool that I bought months ago at Stitches East and never found a suitable project for - until now :)

The wool is actually a pretty bubblegum-rose pink (stupid camera!)

Pattern is ready, needles are ready (both straight & cable), stitch markers, scissors, tapestry needle, pins for blocking - all ready. I guess I am ready too!

Here's to the Knitting Olympics with knitters all over the WORLD - 4000 strong - Team USA, Team Cable, and the many, many teams that have formed in solidarity across the blogging universe - Good Luck!

And ESPECIALLY to Team NEW YORK - we started late, but we will finish strong! Visit each other's Blogs and show your support! If you don't have a blog and want to email me about your progress, please do :) I will be happy to post about it so others can share in your accomplishments!

....and as famed Olympics gymnastics coach Bela Karoli might say... "YOU CAN DO IT!"

Felted SP - is That You?

2006-02-10T06:57:00.000-05:00

Countdown to the Knitting Olympics has started! If you're interested in joining Team NEW YORK there's still time! Actually, you've got plenty of time - until the flame goes out! Go down a couple of posts for details!

Well, I didn't hear from the sender of the package, but I did hear from my SP7 who advised me it wasn't from her - so it is OK to open now! Which I promptly did! I belive it is from my Felted SP, she told me something was in the mail. It's such nice package - I hope someone owns up to sending it soon!
So here are the details...! First - wrapped really nicely with an orange & pink tassel - was a set of knitting notecards and a cool looooong notebook for keeping knitting notes in! Great colors too! Then there is the really awesome Sugar Free candy!!! YEA!!! It's called "Almond Rocca" it's butterscotch toffee with chocolate and almonds. I am loving this - it's such a treat for me!! In one wrapped package were two skeins of RED Araucania Wool from Chile! I have never seen this wool in this color before - it's beautiful!
And in the last package was another skein of yarn - in BLUE - from Classic Elite called "Star". It is cotton with just a touch of lycra in it for movement! The blue yarn was wrapped in this awesome scarf in a groovy MOD geometric pattern of blues and greens! When I took this out of the package, I spent 5 minutes twirling around the room with it. (And if you think that statement is a stretch, then you don't know me very well! LOL!) It's about four feet long. Here's a pic of me wearing it as a cape - I mean, what else would a mod super-chick use? When the weather warms up, I will use it more appropriately as a scarf or wrap. I really love it - it's very "ME"!

Thank you Felted SP - You did a great job!

PS - A public thank you to Dani for the giftie she gave me last night. I won't post a pic for certain reasons, but I wanted people to know about her extreme thoughfulness! Good luck in the UFOlympics!

Secret Pal Confusion....???

2006-02-09T07:17:00.000-05:00

-- Knit Olympics Team NEW YORK?? See post from Feb 5th! --

Look what came in the mail for me yesterday!!! Problem is - I don't know who it is from!! Now, I know it is from one of my Secret Pals, however - I have THREE this time - and I can't seem to tell which darling Pal sent this box of goodies!!
I began to open it and looked for some type of card or note but I couldn't seem to find any and then I noticed a card that came in the regular mail from my SP7 Janey Bond!! So I opened the card (before I finished opening the box) and her card says she will be sending a giftie but NOT to open it before Feb 14th!!
Ack! So now I have a half opened gift and I don't know if I should continue!! Here is a pic of the semi-opened package. There are some beautifully wrapped gifts that I am DYING to look at (not to mention some sugar free candy, which, I must admit, I already tried - YUM!) Who sent it? Can I continue to open...? PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Team NEW YORK - Finally!!!

2006-02-05T17:49:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you all know by now about the Harlot's Knit Olympics - and if you don't, where the heck have you been...?!

Well, I just stopped by her site for an update ((WE ARE NOW 2500 STRONG!!)) and was led to this site owned by a Librarian who is keeping track of all the "Teams" and buttons that go along with them. I myself already belong to Team USA, The Cable Team, Team Cheese (well, I can't eat chocolate and I don't drink wine...) and was looking to join another (Team Junkie? Who, Me?) maybe Team NY - and then I find out - much to my Horror - that there IS NO TEAM NEW YORK! I mean, how could that be, it's NEW YORK people, the capital of the WORLD! Something had to be done - and so here it is...

Rules to join? Oh well, if I must: (you should meet 1 or all criteria)

1. You must live in New York
2. You must have lived in New York at some time in your life
3. You must have visited New York
4. You must have dreamed of living in or visiting New York
5. You must love New York

If you are interested in joining, steal the button
(no "borrowing" and bandwidth issues, OK ?), and display proudly on your blog!
We New Yorkers are a proud bunch!
If you'd like, leave a comment here - include your blog address - and I'll post a list of Team Members on the side bar so we can visit the blogs and cheer each other on!

GO TEAM NEW YORK!!

UPDATE: I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to get comments to appear on the individual post link thing - !$%$@^#&! sigh....
So, if you're coming here from another blog and want to comment, you can go here:
Girl Gone Mod and scroll down to the post or you can send me an email at: gidgetgirl66 @ yahoo . com ...SORRY!

Project Linus Blanket

2006-02-05T14:32:00.000-05:00

My first Project Linus blanket!

For those of you who don't know, Project Linus is a non-profit organization that gives handmade (only!) blankets to children in need. The children can be ill, or have experienced abuse, the loss of a parent, or any type of trauma. The blankets are a way of sending LOVE to these children in need. Here is the link to their organization: Project Linus
PS - No wool or wool blends allowed, man-made fibers and cotton only.

A good friend, the beautiful (inside and out) Rebecca is the Suffolk County, NY chapter coordinator. I am so happy to be able to help her in this special endeavor.

This blanket is beyond easy since it is all in garter, but it's still fun since every 7 rows you switch needles from #13 to #5. This creates a gentle ruffle effect. It's a quick knit, but it will probaly take me a couple of weeks since I like to do other crafty things in between knitting.

This week "other crafty things" includes making my own personalized needles & stitch markers with polymer clay - hey, everyone else is doing it, why not me?! LOL! I will post my creations a little later....

Off to get ready for the Superbowl - go Steelers!
Here's the plan:
I will knit during the game and watch the commercials, you know they are the best all year!!!
At half time, I will watch the Stones - They still rock better than most groups half their age!
In between, I will switch to Animal Planet's "Puppy Bowl" - beyond cute and strangely captivating - go puppies!!

You Guys are the Best-est

2006-02-01T19:32:00.000-05:00

A big heart-felt thank you to my friends for the kind words! And to my SP as well for the cute little vintage pink poodle eCard!

They all really did help brighten my day! That, and taking the day off from work today - that helped a lot too! LOL

See you at the PL meeting on Thurs....

Missy - I don't do chocolate (sigh) but I will take you up on the hug - and Dani too! Hugs are THE BEST medicine!

Yuck, Bleh, Ick

2006-01-31T11:27:00.000-05:00

I feel like C - R - A - P

Y?

Beacuse of P - M - S

If I don't open a vein at lunch, I hope to have a more uplifting post this afternoon or tonight - but don't count on it. It's been a week and a half already. Sigh.

South Park!

2006-01-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

Me - In South Park!!
Something else I can cross off my list of "things to do"! LOL!

Thanks Karen!

Secret Agent Janey Bond 007

2006-01-26T06:53:00.001-05:00

Stage 1 of your mission successfully completed! (My SP7 has an ALIAS!!)

My first SP7 package has arrived! Woo Hoo! Check out this loot! I am being treated very well here!
First - and I didn't get the best picture of it - the envelope the gifties came in was covered in Teddy Bears - too cute! How nice to see that bright package waiting for me! And, and, and... the card that came with the gifties has a DOGGIE on it! Double yea! She also sent, now pay attention, a cute little note pad and pen set in the grooviest flower pattern, a little tin of mints that says "Crafty Girl" (I think - they are not in front of me as I write this), a plastic card with knitting abbriviations on it (very WISE! I am always needing help with deciphering patterns!), there's a book on how to knit cables & a set of INOX cable needles!! I see you were paying attention Ms. Bond! Look out Knit Olympics - I can't miss with these goodies in my corner!

And also -no, I'm not done yet- a darling little purse/clutch that I will use to carry my treasured knitting tools ((OK - how did my Fiber Goldmother AND my SP7 know I was a Bag Ho? - LOL))

And one last thing that I just *love* is a little stich marker/zipper pull thingy on the bag. I tried about 5 times to take a close-up pic of it without much luck - but it's just so pretty! It has beautiful little glass and pearl-like beads on it and hanging from the bottom is a silver ball of yarn with needles! I will keep it with the bag so I will have it with me whenever I knit!

This was a wonderful package 007!! Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!!!!!

http://freetostitchfreetobitch.org/

2006-01-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

Just found this place today! I am 100% behind them!

SFSE is losing customers & potential customers because of this insanity. And I am one of them - I live in NY. It would be easy for me to make a trip to their shop - but I guess a strong business and good customer relations are secondary to them.

BOYCOTT SEW FAST, SEW EASY!!

Updated Book List

2006-01-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

My Fiber Godmother asked me to update book lists and stuff. I was supposed to have that done by the weekend, but alas, I am starting to raise procrastination to an ART FORM!!!

Here is the list of books I have acquired between Christmas gifts and redirected yarn buying tendencies: (in no particular order)

Knitting On The Edge
Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits
Simply Felt
Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Nicky Epstein's Knitted Embellishments
Dyeing to Knit
Knitter's Book of Finishing Techniques
Textured Knits
Stitch n Bitch Nation
The Gift Knitter (for babies & dogs)
Scarves: A Knitters Dozen
Knitting Stitch Bible
Yarn Harlot
And 2 knitting calendars (bringing my total to 4 if you count the perpetual one!)

Ugh - what an obnoxious list!

Hot Plate

2006-01-23T07:41:00.000-05:00

I went antiquing this weekend! Yea me! This was not the greatest show, I've been to better (and worse!) But I did manage to buy something - I always do or I consider it a waste - what a terrible way of thinking!
Anyway, this is what I bought. It's a hot plate that plugs in and keeps your food or drink warm. The picture is of a hot air balloon and it was designed by George Briard who had his name on a bunch of home decor type items. (I own a set of glasses by him as well). It matches the vintage blue/green styling of my kitchen quite nicely. Things are getting a bit crowded in there, but that's another story!

I got some knitting done on Embrace as well. Train rides are good for knitting. And thank goodness for that as I completely passed out when I got home. No knitting, no nothing, just flopped on the couch for some tube and early to bed. I love living on my own!

Post #2 For Saturday! - Wow

2006-01-21T08:47:00.000-05:00

I also wanted to take a minute to update about my current UFO - Embrace. I am really enjoying knitting this little scarf. I think it must the yarn. I am using the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Astrakhan (see a couple of posts down) and I really like it! I was a bit concerned about the boucle - I thought it would get hung up on itself, which is exactly what happened when I used a cheap acrylic boucle. But it seems when you buy good yarn, it REALLY DOES make a difference!

The long part with the needle attached to it needs to be about 18" long (8" more to go) and then the other side with the stitch holder is knitted the same so it becomes a "U". You make two "U" shapes and seam them together on the long side so it resembles an "H" - and that's it! I think this will be more of a 'dress' scarf when it is done. Nice for a lovely evening out on the town - lol! :)

Post #1 - Fiber Godmother Strikes!

2006-01-21T08:16:00.000-05:00

My very first Secret Pal type giftie has arrived! This is from my awesome Fiber Godmother! Check out the card she sent - she was obviously drinking coffee at the time of writting it as evidenced by the tiny coffee stains on the envelope, which she Outlined!!! I laughed so hard when I saw that!

And the gifties themselves are so awesome, I am very pleased! She sent me 2 balls of beautiful Wedgwood blue DK yarn in a merino, alpaca, and silk blend! Yea! New scrumptous yarn that I didn't have to buy (Stashalong... no buying!) She also sent the clicky row counter gadget I had been wanting. It killed me to leave it in the package long enough to take the pic - I wanted to play with it right away :) There were also some beautiful blue beads that, as it turns out, I had been eyeing at the store (same color, no joke) and this great new knitting bag too! It was even chosen for it's retro-esque pattern, which is way cool! I am going to use it today to carry the project I am currently working on.

Thank you Fiber Godmother! I already feel VERY SPOILED!

PS - I updated my Amazon list and removed two books which I had gifted to myself! (If I can't buy yarn, I might as well buy books!) I also keep a list of books I currently own on the sidebar of my blog - this has not yet been updated. I will take care of that this weekend.

Meme by 4's

2006-01-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by KIM for this MEME! I love these things - anybody can tag me at anytime! I'm such a goof!

4 Jobs You Have Had in Your Life
- Cashier
- Maker of handmade invitations
- AP clerk
- Admin (read as: Secretary)

4 Movies You Could Watch Over and Over
- Jaws
- The Red Violin
- Undercover Brother...!?
- Most slasher flicks

4 Places You Have Lived
(each of these are in Nassau County, NY - I just bounce around like a pinball)
- Plainview
- Roslyn
- Greenvale
- Farmingdale

4 TV Shows You Love to Watch
- Law & Order (all)
- CSI (just Vegas)
- Family Guy
- South Park

4 Places You Have Been on Vacation
- Puerto Rico
- Bahamas
- Disney (both)
- Cleveland (RnR HoF!!)

4 Websites You Visit Daily
- eBay
- You Knit What?!
- Schiffer Books ('cause my book is up there now!)
- The STITCH N BITCH Yahoo group where my knitting buds hang.... Yo!

4 of Your Favorite Foods
- Cookies
- French Fries
- Pizza
- Beef & Broccoli

4 Places You Would Rather Be Right Now
- Home (I'm at work right now)
- On vacation just about anywhere
- In a LYS with a big, fat gift certificate!
- At SnB with my friends

4 Bloggers You Are Tagging
- Oh no, not this time, LOL! If you want to steal it - go ahead!

Card from my FG!

2006-01-20T07:23:00.000-05:00

Isn't this cute!! It's an ecard that came from my Fiber Godmother! (By the way, I just got it today even though it looks like it was sent on the 16th!) I just LOVE the doggie - I'm crazy about dogs!!
Although, it does look like the poor pup is being held prisoner by those dpns!! LOL

Thank you Fiber Godmother!

Knitting Olympics

2006-01-19T16:36:00.000-05:00

Shall I join..........?

Knitting Olympics by The Yarn Harlot

I think I shall...!!

Now, to decide on a pattern (without buying new yarn!)

I am thinking about doing something cabled... Of course, I don't know how to do cables yet, but, why worry about such trivial things!

PS - What's with all the "shall" crap? LOL

LISnB - where art thou?

2006-01-18T14:07:00.000-05:00

Um. Hello. What happened to the Long Island Stitch N Bitch website?? It's gone!

Used to be HERE

Now, nothing.

I know there was talk of changing the group name, did that happen? Was an email sent that I didn't get? You know the same thing happened to the Felted Bag SP site and an email was sent and I never got it. I think I am signed up to receive group notifications, but frankly, I don't know any more :(

So, somebody, help me out here......

Yum!

2006-01-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

Check out this delicious bit of lovelyness... Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Astrakhan in off-white (my digicam is so crappy). I think I had this down for a different pattern but I just came accross this - Embrace - on Knitty and destiny was changed!

Casting on to commence as soon as this post is finished!

Special shout out to my SP7 who has made me feel spoiled already with just few emails and comments. You are already succeding quite well in your "mission"!

Booties done - whew!

2006-01-15T21:21:00.000-05:00

Glad they're totally done - I've been working on them too long. These were started in mid-Dec but I couldn't finish them then because "Christmas knitting" got in the way. (Somebody smack me if I do that again next year, OK?) Add the holiday delay to my naturally slow knit pace and here we are 1 month later with a completed weekend project. Actually, for a fast knitter, I could see these easily being completed in an evening.

On another note, I received the name of my Felted SP (or whatever it's called) today. Yea - another person to spoil!! I spent the remainder of the weekend hanging out and shopping for my other pals of the secret type. Got some good stuff so far, and more is coming in the mail. I hope they will all be pleased :) I would *love* to spill about some of the goodies, but, alas, if I don't keep my mouth shut - I'll give EVERYTHING away!!

Bootie Progress

2006-01-13T07:31:00.000-05:00

Hey - A bootie and 3/4 of another one! This must be a REALLY easy pattern since I was able to knit the whole second bootie at SnB with all the hullaballo that goes on there. I could have woven in the ends too, but I just didn't feel like it. (A lot of ends to weave in on this little knit cutie-bootie.) Then all I have to do is make an I-Cord for each and I'm done! (Now that I know the I-Cord secret - thanks Dani!)
I think I will secure the cords to the booties so they don't slip out - just to protect the baby.

All of this and the Mom these are intended for (I work with her) - who by the way isn't due until Feb 24th (my B-Day!!!!) - left work on Wednesday with early contractions and I don't think she will be back! sigh.... Maybe I will mail them to her (?)

Progress Bar

2006-01-12T13:47:00.000-05:00

Hey knitting friends - check out the cool percent-complete-knitting-progress-bars I've just installed on the side of the blog!! I've seen a few other blogs with similar percentages and I've always thought it was cool. So last night I decided to flip a few blogs to see if I could figure out the code - and voila! - not only did I find the perfect code, but it is free and used with permission!

I've put a link in the "Credits" section at the bottom, but here it is in case you're interested: Unlikely Words. You can modify the colors and length, etc.

There are only three UFOs listed there, and one isn't even started, but they are all being knit with yarn from the CURRENT STASH! Yea me!

I'm gonna cast on the felted tote this weekend after I move my Stationary Bike (yes, you heard me - I'm going to start a workout!) into my apartment (easier said than done). I figure with such large, loose stitches and I'm gonna felt it anyway, that tote would be the perfect project to knit while I'm bicycling!!

Wish me luck - with the knitting and the bicycle!! LOL :)

Have You Ever? ...Meme

2006-01-10T10:10:00.000-05:00

I found this MEME while out on a blogging adventure - don't remember whose blog is came from but she tagged all various and sundry people, so I'm playing along!

Have you ever...?

Smoked a cigar: No
Crashed a friend's car: No
Stolen a car: No
Been in love: Er, no
Been dumped: Yes
Dumped someone: Yes (way too often)
Taken shots of alcohol: No
Been fired: yes
Been in a fist fight: No
Snuck out of a/your house: No
Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back: Yes, ugh
Been arrested: No
Made out with a stranger: Yes
Gone on a blind date: No
Lied to a friend: Um, Yes, more like an aquaintance who I didn't want to hang with
Had a crush on a teacher: not really
Seen someone die: No
Been on a plane: Yes
Thrown up in a bar: No (never even been drunk!)
Miss someone right now: Of course
Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by: Yup
Made a snow angel: Yes, but not in a while, I should do that again this year
Played dress up: YES - Still do!
Cheated while playing a game: no
Been lonely: yes
Fallen asleep at work/school: Almost!
Used a fake id: no
Felt an earthquake: Yes - 5.2
Touched a snake: no
Run a red light: Yes, accidentally, officer
Had detention: Yes
Been in a car accident: Fender bender
Hated the way you look: Yes, but not recently
Been lost: Momentarily
Been to the opposite side of the country: yes
Felt like dying: eh, not really
Cried yourself to sleep: yes
Played cops and robbers: no
Karaoke: I would never!
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't: Yes
Laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose: No
Caught a snowflake on your tongue: Yes, frequently
Kissed in the rain: No, not yet anyway
Sang in the shower: Yes, all the time
Made love in a park: No
Had a dream that you married someone: More like a nightmare, just kidding - no
Glued your hand to something: No
Got your tongue stuck to a flag pole: No
Worn the opposite sex's clothes: No, I like being a girl
Been a cheerleader: No
Sat on a roof top: yes
Talked on the phone all night: no
Ever too scared to watch scary movies alone: Never - I love it!
Played chicken fight: No
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on: Not pushed, but I've done it
Been told you're hot by a complete stranger: yes
Broken a bone: Not really, just cracked a bit
Dipped snuff: no
Lived overseas: no
Ever passed out/fainted: For heaven's sake, no

On the other hand, I'm specifically tagging Charisse, Mary & Rebecca (who seriously needs to update her blog!)

SP7 Questionnaire

2006-01-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Yes, I'm quite quickly becoming a yarn snob. (and I said it would NEVER happen to me!)

2. Do you spin? Crochet? Neither, But I have all the trappings (hooks, instructions) to learn crochet once I put my mind to it.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I use a clear, plastic envelope, which works OK. I should get a proper needle holder, but most of them are too long since I mostly use the 10" needles.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I guess I am probably only "intermediate beginner". There are MANY skills I need to learn: cables, intarsia, fair isle....

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes: Amazon Wish List

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Orange or citrus. Fruity or food-like scents - NOTHING FLORAL

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I sure do have a sweet tooth - but I can only eat Sugar Free!

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I like painting, I'm working on some painted knitting needles now. It's not going too well though - lol! I also make my own stitch markers.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Mostly oldies and 80s metal - yes, all MP3 compatible.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? Blues/Greens and Pinks/Oranges are faves, also red. I'm not too big on neutrals.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live alone and still like it quite a bit! No pets :(

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes, yes, yes, and NO (to the poncho!!)

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I don't have a favorite, as long as it's natural.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Acrylic (most of them anyway) I find I don't like anything with bits and pieces hanging hanging off or sticking out.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Don't really have a specific obsession

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I like felted bags since I'm a real "Bag Lady" LOL (I change my handbag everyday!)

17. What are you knitting right now? Baby Booties

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Of course!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Both really

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Bamboo

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes! And I LOVE them!

22. How did you learn to knit? Paid-for lessons, can you believe it?!

23. How old is your oldest UFO? More than 6 months...

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? I am a HUGE dog lover! All breeds.

25. What is your favorite holiday? Halloween

26. Is there anything that you collect? Memorabilia & vintage knitting magazines from the 1960s

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None yet!

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? I like handmade needles for the workmanship. I have a small collection.

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Yes! Cables, Intarsia, & Fair Isle - in no particular order.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Not a sock knitter. I think the measurement is 10" heel to toe...

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) Feb 24th

SP7 is HERE!

2006-01-09T20:52:00.000-05:00

Wow - I can't believe I already have the name of my SP7! And I am so happy about where she lives - no hints for now.

Here we go SP7 - YOU shall be spoiled!

And so will my Fiber Goddaughter (who I already have the first package picked out for) and my Felted SP II, but I don't know who she is yet... That's THREE SPs this time around... :) I must be crazy! :)

The questionnaire is on it's way very soon - I will post a link on the sidebar in the "About Me" section.

Hi Fiber Godmother!

2006-01-04T20:20:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much for the Cards!!! They are really cute! Answers to your questions are on their way. You already seem to be a great Godmother - you must have ACED your training!

This is going to be a fun swap!

Stashalong begins

2006-01-04T13:34:00.000-05:00

In order to comfort myself over not being able to buy any new yarn for the next three months (what was I thinking?!) I decided to put together a list of all the projects I've been meaning to start and which I already have yarn for. That way, when I whine that I need more wool, I can remember this list and get started on something that's already in my stash. Don't know if it will stop the craving to buy more yarn, but at least it will keep my hands busy.... LOL

Poni Tail Hat/Scarf set
Felted Sheep - pattern from Fiber Trends
Felted tote - from Pursenalities
Do Be Do Scarf - from Scarves, A Knitter's Dozen
Waterfall Scarf - from Scarves, A Knitter's Dozen
Purl Scarf - from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Headband with leftover Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (what a nice yarn this is!)
Teeny Weeny Cashmere scarf (unless I can think of something else to do with this)
Cigar gloves - from Knitty
Baby Booties (2 pair) - 1 already in progress

(is it me or are there WAY too many scarves in this list??)

And there is a bunch more yarn that is not accounted for here. So I certainly have enough to do, but I will always want more. I just hope the Fiber Goddesses will be kind and not lead me to any more patterns that I don't already have yarn for!!

Belated Christmas Haul & More

2006-01-03T18:53:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! Oh, wait - we did that already.... Well, I'm finally ready to post about it. Christmas knitting (which was well received, by the way) had me so backed up with chores, etc. that blogging was barely a possibility and it took me two whole days to clean and straighten my apartment - which is really only 4 rooms! But it's all done and here I am, back on a semi-regular basis I hope.

Christmas, in terms of knitting, was beyond my expectations! Yarn, books, AND a swift/ball winder combo - finally a hobby people can keep up with! Some recived as gifts on Christmas day and others purchased with gift certificates.

See the pics:
The 2 pinkish balls in front are 100% cashmere! That's why they are so tiny. From top left - 2 skeins Manos (multi); 3 Loft merino (vari-gray); 3 Classic Elite Miracle, 50% Alpaca/50%Tencel (black); 3 Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk dk; 3 Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Astrakhan; and 3 Debbie Bliss Maya direct from the UK (OK, that was my gift to me, prior to 1/1/06) in lovely muted greens and tans.

And now the books:
Yarn Harlot; The Knitting Stitch Bible; Scarves, A Knitter's Dozen; The Yarn Girl's Guide to Simple Knits; Last-Minute Knitted Gifts; Nicky Epstein's Knitted Embellishments; Dyeing to Knit. Whew...

After re-doing my apartment, I managed to create a little knitting corner for myself!! It isn't much, but it's a nice little spot with good lighting, a comfortable chair, and places to hold the stash as I'm knitting it up. If I ever get back to knitting, that is. I have so much yarn (new and old) and patterns that I want to knit - I don't know where to start.... Anyway, on the table is a little three-tier box that holds scissors, tape measure, stitch markers, etc. and the vase is holding my new collection of hand made knitting needles! More about that in another post.

Well, back to work tomorrow - not really looking forward to it, but I miss my co-workers. Thank goodness for them! Talk to y'all later!

Words of Wisdom for a New Year

2006-01-01T08:03:00.000-05:00

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." [Emerson]

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." [Unknown]

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." [Kahlil Gibran]

"For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination." [Souza]

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens: but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us." [Helen Keller]

"There is no such thing as a self-made man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the makeup of our character and our thoughts, as well as our success." [George Matthew Adams]

"If you're going through hell, keep going..." [Winston Churchill]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! [-Valerie]

A Note to End The Year On

2005-12-31T18:19:00.000-05:00

IN MY LIFE
(The Beatles)

There are places I'll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

Fiber Godmother Questionnaire

2005-12-30T16:48:00.000-05:00

This Secret Pal/Giftie type exchange is courtesy of Dani! Girl - you've got the coolest stuff on your blog!!

General Fiber Questions:
1) What are your fiber-related hobbies? (Knit, Crochet, Spinning, Needlepoint, etc.) Knit - Knit - Knit - Knit - Knit - Knit - Knit - Knit - Knit....
2) How long? Less than a year
3) Which are you *most* into? See question #1
4) How would you classify yourself in this craft - beginner, intermediate, advanced? Let's say "advanced beginner". There is so much I need to know and try, but I seem to be a quick study!

5) What is your current fiber-related obsession? Animal fibers
6) What are your favorite items to make? Felted bags but I am trying to move beyond that & make stuff for my home
7) What are you making right now? Baby booties

8) What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Painting mostly; I make stitch markers, too

About the fiber:
9) Your favorite yarn(s) (brand or type)? Malabrigo, Manos and natural stuff
10) What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Acrylics, and things that are too bumpy, fuzzy or have pieces sticking out of them
11) Is there a yarn you've been dying to try? I want to try Buffalo, Yak, I think I've seen Camel.... I'd like to try yarn made from bamboo, too
12) Are you a fiber snob? It appears so, LOL

About the tools:
13) Hardwood, Bamboo, Aluminum, Plastic? Bamboo
14) For knitters: Straight, DPN or Circular needles? Straight & Circs
15) Favorite gadget? My sheep tape measure
16) Anything you've been wanting to try? One of the click type row counters; the ones that sit on your needles and turn don't seem to work for me.

About you:
17) Do you pamper yourself? Or do you generally come last? Oh my, I'm HIGHLY pampered, lol
18) What does an ideal day off/free hour consist of for you? eBay, knitting, TV & a nap, maybe a trip to a bookstore
19) Are you allergic to anything? Dust!
20) What is your family situation? (Partner, spouse, kids, etc.) I live alone (and I'm liking it!)
21) Are you owned by any pets? Unfortunately, no.

22) Your favorite color(s)? Blues/Greens; Reds
23) Any colors you just can't stand? Not a big fan of brown....
24) What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Orange or citrus
25) Least favorite? (Maybe you're not "allergic," but it makes you want to die) Rose and most floral scents
26) How do you feel about candy? -sigh- I can't eat it unless it's SUGAR FREE
27) Any dietary restrictions? Yes, but as long as it is sugar free, it should be OK.

28) Is there anything that you collect? Vintage 1960s clothing, jewelry, music, memorabilia & vintage 1960s knitting magazines
29) What is your favorite holiday? Halloween

30) Do you have an online wish list (e.g. Amazon, Things I Want)? If so, share the link. If nothing else, it will give your Godmother more ideas about your likes/dislikes
Amazon List

31) Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? Yes
32) What kind of music do you like? 1960s pop & 80s metal
33) Any special requests in case your Godmother wants to make a CD for you? Have fun!

34) Favorite movie(s)? Jaws!; The Red Violin; Saw; Most horror movies and comedies - no romance stuff
35) Any "fan" stuff? (e.g. Firefly, Wonder Woman, etc.) Not really

Anything we missed? Tell, Tell!
You didn't miss much! If I think of anything - I'll add it!

Stashalong

2005-12-28T10:34:00.000-05:00

I've just joined a a new KAL called "Stashalong" - it is designed to decrease the ever-growing stash we all have. You PROMISE for the next three months, to only knit with yarn you already have - no buying. The self control will be a real challenge - but, let's face it, my apartment is -thisbig- and I could use the legwarmers, gloves, tote bag, etc, more than the balls of wool....

Linkie: Stashalong

I also copped this bunny from that site - he's TOO CUTE and he's hopping from blog to blog, so steal him if you want to. (Just the pic, please, not the bandwith!)

Last Post Before The Holidays....

2005-12-24T13:41:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

to all my friends out there in knitting land!

I hope you get all the YARN (and everything else) you've been wishing for!

Much PEACE, JOY, and LOVE

Absent Annie

2005-12-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

OK - my name is not Annie, but you get the point. I have left this poor site without an update for quite a long time. It's not that I have been lazy (OK, maybe a little of that) but I have been knitting! The sweater is almost done! I just have to seam it all together (oh, and about 5% is left of the weaving in)! Tonight I will bring it to SnB and hopefully someone can show me the proper stitch. Otherwise I will have to fake it! I promise to post a pic when it is done.
It was quite a bit of work for me - and my very first sweater - I really hope Mom likes it. But even if she doesn't (I think she will though) I am proud of the accomplishment. And it just makes me want to go out and tackle another project!

So much has happened since my last post, I don't know where to start!

- The Stash Bash at Missy's was too cool for words! Let me just put it this way, usually at parties, I have a 2 to 3 hour time limit before I am done with socializing and excuse myself to leave. I spent about 17 hours at her house that day/night/day. Enough said!

- I took a quick class on how to knit a pair a baby booties! They are too cute! I am making them for someone I work with who is having a GIRL - she is due on my Birthday too! I won't be able to continue them until after C-mas but they are starting out very nicely.

- Speaking of Christmas, I am NOT anywhere near finished with the tote I am making for my Aunt. Hardly even started... Luckily, I won't see her until the weekend after. ~~Should~~ Better be done by then.

- I am SO BEHIND on my blog reading - many apologies to my blog buddies. This season really gets in my way sometimes. I expect to be back to (somewhat) normal after this "under the gun" knitting is complete.

- In case I don't get back here too soon - Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah! (early!)

Unexpected Gift!

2005-12-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

Guess what I just got from Kim - the person I was spoiling in SP6...

How totally cool. She sent it as a thank you for the gifties I sent to her. But she really did not have to do that - it was so very unexpected (and appreciated.) Please stop by her blog and say hi. She is a very nice person and a talented knitter, too!
7:20 Update: I failed to mention how happy I am with this book! I have been wanting it for months and I'm twice as happy I didn't have to wait for Christmas to get it! Hooray!

PS - I've added Kim's blog to my list of "Groovy People" - she certainly qualifies!

Thank you!

2005-12-12T16:24:00.000-05:00

Just have to stop and say thank you to all who wished me well with the book! I am really so happy about it and to be able to share the good news with friends makes the whole thing that much more exciting.

You guys are the best!

It's here! It's here! It's here!

2005-12-08T09:07:00.000-05:00

It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here!
What could it be, you ask? What could it be that makes me so excited? The book, the book is here - MY BOOK! Done. Finished. Published. BOUND! In my hands. All the work and research and pictures and review and editing and time and worry and work and joy and pride - is finally together in one 8.5" x 11", 176 page, $29.95, soft cover BOOK! Official title: Collecting Rock 'n' Roll Sheet Music of the 1960s Eh. Well, it IS a reference book :)
It arrived very quietly last night in an unassuming brown box along with a lovely letter from the publisher and a bottle of wine for celebrating! (That was so sweet of them!) Only one advance copy for now, the rest should arrive in about 30 days or so - they are, quite literally, on a slow boat from China - and then the fun really starts! Distribution! I think I will fall over dead on the floor when I see it on a book store shelf. Or on Amazon. Whee!!!!

Me - hamming it up with the new "edition" to the family

1 Gift Down - 2 to Go!

2005-12-05T19:49:00.000-05:00

One Christmas gift finished! Woo Hoo!! This is for my Uncle and it was knit with Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk. Soooo nice to work with, really soft. But the finished product is quite heavy - I wonder how much it weighs?

The pattern was ridiculously easy, just a basket weave with an extra knit and purl row done in between. It was a quick knit too - double stranded on 10.5 needles. I wish all projects were this easy.

And I think I have enough yarn left over to knit a headband/ear warmer thingy for me - yea!

Mini V

2005-12-03T22:46:00.000-05:00

OK - This kinda looks like me, doesn't it? With the poni-tail, the flares, the knitted scarf and felted handbag.... I think I'm gonna keep her as a little mascot on the blog somewhere.

I made her at this really fun site called storTroopers. You can make all kinds of wee folk there, and make 'em look like just about anything you want!

It's a good 10 minute time killer, if nothing else, but I thought it was fun!

ME-ME ...Countdown

2005-12-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Since Dani tagged "everyone on the planet", I think I qualify to play along... :)

This was very tough, it took me two days to finish! I still think some of these statements may need to be qualified. If it sounds too wierd to be true, for heaven's sake - ask me about it!

TEN random things you might not know about me.
1: I love Oldies music
2: I have a huge collection of sheet music (~750) from the 1960s
3: I was commissioned to paint a picture on a fire truck
4: I still have the same teddy bear I was given when I was two years old
5: I used to work as an usher at The Nassau Coliseum
6: I had mono when I was 19 (it's still unknown how I got it ;)
7: My apartment is decorated in mid-century MOD
8: I used to love learning foreign languages
9: I don't eat sugar of any kind
10: I'm a huge pack rat!

NINE places I've visited
1: Las Vegas
2: Atlantic City
3: Cleveland
4: Miami
5: Orlando
6: Puerto Rico
7: Los Angeles
8: San Diego
9: San Francisco

EIGHT ways to win my heart
1: Honesty
2: Know your own mind/heart
3: Understand that I know mine too
4: Be willing to learn
5: Be willing to teach
6: Have a great sense of humor
7: Don't put other people down
8. Be confident

SEVEN things I want to do before I die
1: Drive in NYC (me behind the wheel)
2: Visit London
3: Wear a size 5 dress
4: Live clutter-free
5: Be good at driving a stick shift
6: Learn how to handle my finances like a pro
7: Fall in love

SIX things I'm afraid of
1: Being stalked
2: Spiders, bugs, insects - any and all
3: Daredevil stuff (no jumping out of airplanes for me!)
4: Losing my health
5: Rollercoasters
6: Getting divorced again

FIVE things I don't like
1: Weddings (or rather, big, overdone parties)
2: Gossips
3: Angry, controlling people
4: Women who can't do anything for themselves
5: Mustard

FOUR ways to turn me off
1: Tell me what to do
2: Pressure me
3: Be vulgar
4: Be needy

THREE things I do everyday
1: Watch TV Land
2: Search eBay for whatever
3: I don't know... eat, shower - ugh, how boring!

TWO things that make me happy
1: DOGS!
2: My bed

ONE thing on my mind right now
1: Sleep

December 1st

2005-12-01T07:40:00.000-05:00

Today is "World AIDS Day" - a good time to stop and remember all the people suffering and that it is preventable if you USE YOUR HEAD and
PROTECT YOURSELF. Enough said.
Thanks to Dani for turning me on to this.

Today, by the way, is also Dani's BIRTHDAY! Stop by her blog and say Hi!

Today is also the "anniversary" of the day I got engaged to my ex. He took me to see Santa and then we went to see this big Christmas tree by an ice skating rink where he proposed. It's a nice memory.

Today my rent is due and I totally forgot about it!
I hope my landlord doesn't come to collect until tomorrow!

Oh, wait, today is also SnB night! How could I forget that?
(Same way I forgot my rent, I suppose.)

Today also means that there are only 25 (24?) days left until Christmas...
and I had better get knitting!

Hello groovy people!

2005-11-30T11:15:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your kind words and good wishes about the loss of COLA. The fact that you took the time to post or email about her means a lot. {{{Hugs}}} to you all!

On a brighter note, I am up to the decreases on the front of THE SWEATER! Yea! In a day or two that will be done (depending on how much time I have) and then on to the sleeves! I'd post a pic, but it looks exactly like the back so if you're curious, scroll down a bit! I've never knit a sweater before so each task is a milestone. I am enjoying the process which I think is just as important as the finished product!

I currently have 4 UFOs on my needles: THE SWEATER (gift/Mom), a scarf (gift/Uncle), a totebag for felting (gift/Aunt) and a candy cane scarf for me. Guess which one stands the least chance of getting done...! lol

By the way, I am feeling NO LOVE for the tote bag. The colors I chose (in order to keep it neutral) ugh - are so boring! Just dark grey with a little burst of color here and there. I think I may change the neutral idea to, I don't know, maybe RED! (Hmmm, I may even have some yarn for that already...) If I knit something I don't like, not only is it more work, but it becomes harder to give as a gift. I had better make a decision one way or the other by this weekend or I won't have time to finish it!!

Cola Bear

2005-11-27T21:37:00.000-05:00

Her name was actually "Cola", but I couldn't help adding the Bear on the end because she was the sweetest, most gentle dog - kinda like a Teddy Bear. She belonged to my ex-husband, or rather my ex-husband's father for 18 years and she had to be put down last Friday. My ex just gave me a call to let me know. (We are still friends although we don't talk too much, but that is another post)
I loved her as if she was my own and she lived with us for a time while we were married. She outlived my own dog, (Sam, the German Shepard) who passed away in 2000 at the age of 11, and it was good to have her around during that time. Hard to believe I'm eulogizing a dog, but she was part of my life since 1992 and I miss her very much. This has been a tough couple of days (again, another post) and talking with my ex is always emotional, this is just the topper. I think I really need a good cry, which I seem to be doing quite nicely, and then go to bed. Things will be better in the morning - they always are. Except my eyes will be puffy, they always get puffy in the am after I cry at night. LOL You watch, they will be, I'd take a picture and post it if I had the guts - hahahahaha. OK, a good laugh in the middle of it all, that's important.

Miss you Cola. Say 'Hi' to Sam for me. Play nice.

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving!

2005-11-23T11:10:00.000-05:00

Boy, have I been totally lazy about posting! And I don't think I will get the chance tomorrow, so Happy Turkey Day!! (early) My office is closed Thursday & Friday and I am taking Monday off - Lots of shopping ahead! I need to get gifts for all five cousins (3 girls ages 19 to 23, and 2 boys ages 2 & 4). Shouldn't be too hard. Then stuff for my Mom. Lots of gifts for her. Although, I'm not quite sure what they will be after THE SWEATER, of course.

Aunt and Uncle are also getting knitted gifts 'cause I NEVER know what to buy for them, it's always a problem. This year, he is getting a really nice handmade scarf (Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk) and she is getting a felted tote bag (Noro Silk Garden & Galway) since she is always complimenting my felted bags. This is win-win for me. Their gifts are all picked out without too much fretting (except for the scarf, but that's another post) and I get the pleasure of knitting them!

Will probably get quite a bit of work done on them between Thursday & Friday. I will be spending Thanksgiving with my Mom and I can't knit for her while she is around, so I will knit for my Aunt & Uncle instead. Also helping her put up the tree on Thurs. I get to lug the boxes up the stairs and help assemble the tree. Then she can decorate while I knit! (yea) Also no extraneous relatives this year (double yea!)

And in honor of Thanksgiving, I will say, that while life is not ever quite what I think it should be - I am VERY LUCKY and I have MUCH to be thankful for. My health, first and foremost. The health of my family and friends. A reasonably good job, a little money in the bank, my own place where I am supporting myself, and some wonderful new knitting friends (or should I say, "friends that knit") that have really added a dimension to my life that I did not have before. All in all, not bad, huh? And getting better all the time!! WOO HOO!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!

Why do I have to be so darn popular? LOL

2005-11-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

LOL - Boy, is THAT something I never thought I would be saying! Even if it is A JOKE!
Can someone please explain this to me? Don't the people I work with know I have knitting to do? *-big grin-* Everytime I think I am going to devote my lunch hour to important Christmas knitting, someone asks me to join them. Are they subversive? Can they read my mind? And, yes, I know I can politely turn them down, and on occasion, I have. But it is always to long faces and fake disappointment "See if I ever ask you to lunch again". Ugh.

I do find the stupidest things to complain about - last night it was that the comfy chair at Panera was interfering with my knitting since the long needles were hitting the poofy chair arms. Maybe I'm just super-sensitive about my knitting! Now I am making myself laugh - I am such a geek!

And you KNOW, that if no one was asking then I would be complaining about THAT! I really need a good talking to! HAHAHAHAHA... I wouldn't listen anyway...

*UPDATE* - 2 minutes after I posted this, someone ELSE asked me to lunch! I think it is a conspiracy! Really, there could be no other reason.

Me? A Knitting Teacher?!?

2005-11-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

Last night I had the opportunity to help out Rebecca teach her students to knit. The whole evening was a lot of fun! Missy & Jeannette were also there and Dani offered to drive me out to the Church which was very cool 'cause not only did I get to spend some extra time with her, but I got to meet one of the most wonderful doggies - Trinity! She's HUGE, but the most lovable pup you could ever meet.

As for the teaching, I started out a little rough (just because you know a subject, does NOT automatically make you a good TEACHER). But I got better as the night went on and I do think both girls actually learned how to knit! They were doing pretty good when I left. If I ever have the opportunity to teach again, I will be a little better at it - Hey, I guess I learned something too! Yea!

First Sweater Pics

2005-11-16T07:26:00.000-05:00

Doesn't look much like a sweater does it...? :) Well, it's getting there. Hopefully tonight I can put a couple of hours work into it. That is, if I don't fall asleep first! Ha! Too much to do - no sleeping! We'll see.....

Sweater - 11" and Counting!

2005-11-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

The sweater is coming along nicely. I'm at about 11+ inches on the back - I have to get to 14 before I can begin the armhole & neck shaping. It's not going as fast as I'm used to since it is being knit on 9's and I am used to MUCH larger needles! LOL...
I knit whenever I can, a few rows at a time. Problem is, it's for my Mom and she is beginning to wonder why I haven't started the gifts I plan to knit for my Aunt & Uncle.... Um... Lazy? Can't tell HER I'm busy knitting HER Christmas present. I will just have to do them all at once - so what's wrong with 3 UFOs at one time... (4 if you count the C-Mas scarf I am making for myself, but let's not count that)

Christmas is so NOT my favorite holiday. Last year, I really didn't decorate, just put up the Nativity and my stocking and I think that was it. Too much money spent on too much stuff. I like the idea of a handmade gift, but I wish I had started a little earlier, like March! I have given myself from Thanksgiving to the first weekend in December to get the rest of my shopping done. That way, maybe I can ENJOY the season for once!

Cranky Today...

2005-11-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

Cranky, cranky, cranky..... Headache, backache, PMS, ugh - stay away from me!
Grumble...

On a somewhat lighter note, I started knitting a sweater as a Christmas present for my Mom last night. I bought the yarn in the beginning of October so I would have three months to make it. And what day is it today...? This leaves me what, six weeks? Maybe I can do it. If not, then maybe I'll give it to her for MY birthday which is in February. I mean, she did have something to do with the fact that I am here - LOL
64 stitches cast on and one row knit. I'll let you know how it goes....

Hey SP - I am using the stitch markers you gave me to help with the sweater. They fit perfectly on my size 9 needles! Thanks!

Secret Pal Strikes Again!

2005-11-08T10:20:00.000-05:00

LOOK what I got in the mail yesterday!!

And YES, it came all the way from South Africa again! Too cool! The picture has a funny color to it, but I tried to capture the gifties as well as the stamps. Prettiest little birds on them and they're not even cancelled - too bad I'm not a philatelist, LOL!
This package had the cutest little cow card, tea bags in two different flavors (which I'm dying to try) AND the most darling little stitch markers I have ever seen. So different, I never would have thought of making anything like that! I really LOVE them. No, really. I can't wait to use them!

Thank you so much SP and thanks too, to your SP helper so far away!

Hey Nancy!

2005-11-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

Yes - Of course I will bring the pattern this Thursday. (I posted here because I wasn't sure how to respond to you - do you have a blog?)

In any case, that little bear is knit in "Reverse Stockinette" - can someone please explain the purpose of Reverse Stockinette - why I couldn't simply knit in stockinette and turn it around....?

Hmmmmm? Inquiring minds want to know. LOL

Zoidberg! Knitting!!

2005-11-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

Ha! Isn't this the COOLEST!? Couldn't resist posting it. I also love the annoyed expression on his face. I looked just like that this Saturday on the way back from NYC with no place to sit on the train. So I stood. And knitted. Yes, knitting standing up. Good thing knitting is a lightweight, portable hobby. I held my bag of yarn between my knees so I didn't have to rest it on the dirty train floor. Must have been quite a sight - LOL. But I was undeterred.

I was in the City for the greatest antique show on the planet. The Triple Pier Antiques Show! The prices aren't too good (in fact, most of the time, they're terrible) but you can see some rare, beautiful, unusual items that are normally only seen in books. You will be coveting what you see there for long after you leave. I always am.

Here's a bad pic of the flower pins I bought. I've got over 200+ but I keep forgetting to keep track when I get new ones. Maybe there's another book in here somewhere. Well, not for a while yet anyway....

Tag! I'm It!

2005-11-04T19:34:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by Rebecca ! This is my very first offical "tagging" - LOL Thanks Rebecca!

What is your favorite yarn to knit with?
I really don't have a favorite. As long as it's not total c-r-a-p then I think each yarn has it's merrits. How come you don't ask me what's my LEAST favorite yarn to knit with..? :) On that I have an opinion...

Your favorite needles?
Takumis! Even though I might have the size I need in another brand, I always seem to want to knit with those.

The Worst thing you've ever knit?
A bizarre little "rose" - you had to keep increasing and increasing and increasing - it became impossible to work with. And when it was all done, it didn't look like anything anyway...

Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it, but it was the most fun to knit)
This simple little yarn over scarf pattern. The yarn over made it work up fast and look a bit more complicated than it is.

Most valuable knitting technique?
I don't know if it's a "technique" but I now use straight needles to pick up and knit stitches as I'm joining an object in the round. MUCH better than fighting with the circular needles as they twist and loop.

Best book or magazine?
I enjoy Interweave Knits, but there really is no favorite right now. I find that I usually enjoy a little bit of something from each magazine and book.

Your favorite knitblogs?
You Knit What?? and Knit Retro! OK, OK - a little blatent self-promotion there... lol

Your favorite knit-along?
I've never actually done a KAL - but I very much want to!

Your favorite knit wear desinger?
I don't have a favorite yet.

The item you wear/use the most?
A very colorful scarf I made with some Gedifra Tagliato. Very long (over 6 feet) and very colorful. I've gotten a bunch of compliments on it.

Missy's Shower!

2005-11-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, our SnB group gave Missy a baby shower last night, which is why I kinda couldn't say too much yesterday. I don't know if Missy even reads this blog, but I didn't want to take that chance.

OK - How much fun was that!? What a GREAT night! I really think she was surprised too. Although when she walked in an hour early, we though everything was ruined. Nancy and I jumped up to distract her and everyone else somehow hid the basket, goodies, gift bags, etc. Then I think Mary took a walk with her to Pier 1 to kill time and when they got back she really was surprised!
The clothes line idea was great Jen ! I can't wait to see the pics!
Lots of love and tears - Just an all around wonderful night :)

Here's a before and after of the little teddy bear I knitted as a gift for Chloe (missy's litte girl)

AND...(!) The SnB bunch is planning a holiday party, too! I just can't begin to imagine how much fun that is going to be! Details to follow....

New Socks!

2005-11-04T07:16:00.000-05:00

First post of the day - I just found a pair of new socks in the back of my drawer with the tags still on them. Yea! They're not handmade, just store bought. But nothing compares to the experience of squishing around in a never-before-worn pair of socks! I swaer they have a little "bounce" to them - so nice and soft. In just a very short time the squish will be gone, so I just had to share the moment.

Thursday Again! Yea!

2005-11-03T13:51:00.000-05:00

I wait my whole week for Thursdays now. Used to be I was like everyone else and would wait anxiously for Friday and the Weekend, but now my weekend starts early with Stitch N Bitch! Woo Hoo!

And this week we've got some fun stuff going on too - more than the normal fun stuff. There's no point in going into to it now (more tomorrow) but I know there will be much fun and love going around.

Oh, and I did start a special project for tonight's SnB as well. I have taken pics, but can't post them now since I am at work and the pics are at home. They will come tomorrow as well.

Hey - whats all this secrecy about...? LOL

I think I may begin another felted bag tonight. I expect to make them for C-Mas gifts so I have much knitting to do. And whatever happened to that sweater I was going to make as a gift?? I bought the yarn and gave myself 3 months to make it and now I'm down to 2 with only a very nice swatch to show for the time. Knit, girl, KNIT!

South Africa?!

2005-11-01T13:13:00.000-05:00

Now this is very cool - a post card directly from South Africa, with warm and sunny greetings!

When I first received it, I just thought it was a groovy little post card, but then for some reason, I looked at the stamp - ...South Africa! So I re-read the whole thing and started wondering... "Is my SP from S. Africa? I though the other post marks said Arizona..." and "Well, maybe she went there on vacation.."

BUT, then I noticed the date - it was written Day/Month/Year and Americans don't write their dates like that, even on vacation! So it had to come from someone who lives there...! Unless, of course, the AZ gifties were the ruse.... ??

Very clever SP, you have "connections"....