Dec 30, 2005

Happy New Year!

Has been a while since I've posted much.. and I haven't gotten to knit much either.
Holidays and related festivities been keeping me pretty busy. And it feels like I've been too tired to do much of anything.

As I mentioned in my last post, I think, I broke my thumbnail down to a point of bleeding sometime during the strike and my hands just haven't been up to the task.
I cast on for two or three diffreent things that needed frogging , and haven't resumed them yet.

I finally picked up the needles again a few days ago and was truly stunned by how instantaneously relaxed I felt. Knitting is too good for my mental health to let it go that long.

I need to finish some belated Christmas gifts and then I want to start shopping around for a pattern and yarn for my first sweater. I'm intimidated by the scope of such a project, but i really really want to sink my teeth into somenthing big.

Not much else to report. Had some nice times with the boyfriend's family for the holidays, went to Rocky Sullivan's last night for pub quiz (we came in second due to tanking on the last round), and I'm off to spend a quiet New Years at home with the boyfriend.!

A few resolutions upcoming for 2006.

1. I'm going to get out of debt. Period.
2. I'm going to be better at returning calls to a few of my friends, particularly RW who I've neglected far more than is acceptable in the last year.
3. I wil deal with my digital camera issues and post some long promised pictures of my last SP gift, and my wips.

Happy New Year all!!

Dec 23, 2005

Whew.

So um. been a fun couple of days around here.
My strike saga is a little less eventful than most - Ok a lot less.

I left the house tuesday morning at the crack of dawn (ok .. I had to get up at 7.. not a big deal for many people but earlier than I usually get up and I had been up wathicng the news until 2:30), to catch my ride, and haven't been home since.
Until now.

I really don't have that much to complain about..
I had a ride in on Tuesday.
I had a place to stay in Manhattan until today (could have stayed longer if i needed to)
and I had a ride home today (it took over 3 hours but it was a comfy warm space).

Still I'm very glad the strike is over. Its good to be home, my kitty missed me and
I'm tired of thinking about transportation.

I was well stocked with knitting for my tenure in manhattan but ended up ripping a thumbnail down to the point where it bled and I'm just not that comfortable using my hands, so i'm taking a few-day hiatus. Nice timing - I have gifts to finish - but they'll wait.

On My to-do list.

1. still have to finish that scarf.
2. A few pair of fuzzy feet still on the to-do list.
3. my bath mitts from my wonderful sp5
4. A few projects out of Knit wit. Notably, I want to make an ice-cream cozy for a coworker, and the Girlie Boxers for me!
5. photograph my last SP gift. I finally got a camera borrowed but I hadn't been home to do it. So tomorro wnight, I have some quality me time scheduled and plan to get right on that.
I did post a thank you and description on the knittyboard -
which I will reprint here for those who don't read there. And I will finally post the pics tomorrow.

_______________________________________
First we had a lovely six ball assortment of Knitpicks Wool of hte Andes - in red and blue.

Then a whole introduction to kool aid dying = including - directions to instructions, samples of dyed yarn, two packets of kool aid and Knitpicks dyable yarn!

Some .. er.. creative jellybeans Wink

A big whopping pile of yarn catalogs! So much fun!

A couple of cool patterns, including the Fiber Trends Clogs!(Which I've been itching to try)

Some yummy fluffy unspun wool to help make a bed liner for my kitty.. along with a hand made red fleecy felt pillowcase to put around it if i choose!

The most amusing part of this came at the bottom of the box.
I noticed a little ball of something wrapped in aluminum foil.
when i start opening it, I see that its leafy and greenish brown. Crumbled.
At this point I'm becoming increasaingly nervous that my SP sent me drugs through the mail.
Turned out to be catnip Wink


Thank you muchly ma'am for spoiling me so well! You have made the whole experience wonderful for me! And I look forward to being able to properly thank you! Both with pictures, and return gifts!
:)

Dec 17, 2005

UPDATE

Found first gray hair today.
ARGH.

Um.. who am I supposed to be shopping for.?

It has generally been the case that I don't exchange too much in the way of holiday gifts with my friends and family. This year is slightly different as I'm knitting fuzzy feet for a few people and a scarf or two for a few others, but mostly we don't do much exchanging.

I'm not made of stone, however, and it's hard to avoid getting caught up in the shopping frenzy, what with all the advertising and such. But who to shop for.... hmmm.. who .. who...

That's right... ME!

And you know, it is hard not to feel completely decadent when you are laying around in a big squishy chair at Barnes & Noble, relaxing and reading, the weekend before Christmas, while everyone else rushes around trying to get their shopping done. And the kicker is getting up and buying 30 dollars worth of knitting books for myself when I leave :)



But wait.. there's more!

Today some friends had a jewelry open house
and my bf bought me this.... (plus I picked up a matching necklace!)

They make lots of very cool jewelry, some of which can be found on their website
at www.mossmade.com
They only have some of their stuff displayed at any given time but its all really nice, and so are they! check em out!

Oh.. and if THAT wasn't enough - a trip to Marhsalls yeilded a pair of Born loafers, a sweater and three bras!

On the knitting front, I have 2 coordinated pair of Fuzzy feet for a couple (both will be same colors in different patterns) in the works. My brickwork, lengthwise scarf is about half done, and I've just gotten moving on mitten #2!

Tonight is dinner with the bf's parents for his birthday.
Hopefully I can get through THAT without doing any more shopping ;)

Dec 13, 2005

I'm how old?


Well as old as this guy...

Thats right... 39.
Very weird. I don't feel 39.

Thanks to everyone for their birthday greetings yesterday! I really appreciate it.
And special thanks to Dani for directing birthday traffic my way.

The birthday festivities thusfar have been great!
Lots of nice gifts, lots of attention, and I still have 3 or 4 more plans for the " birthday week +"
remaining.
I have good friends :)

The temps here in NYC today are brutal... High of 27, low of 16.
I'm really growing to appreciate the fact that I"ve become a knitter in a new way ;)
My stuff is SO MUCH WARMER than everyone I work with :)

Well back to work.. but before I go, I'll leave you with this question...
When did we, as a people, develop a need for 6 different magazines about shopping?

Dec 8, 2005

So that explains it..

Thank you to you well-wishers from yesterdays complainy post :)
I appreciate the pep talk and moral support!

The inexplicable crabitude yesterday? Explained! Woke up with a migraine today.
I should have realized. It seems that whenever i'm in THAT bad a mood, and it's not pms, a migraine is on the way.

As for my complete lack of patience, well, I got a little life lesson in that last night.

I'm knitting a beyootiful Malabrigo scarf that is being knit lengthwise. I cast on my 189 stitches and made it all the way thru the first row of k2p2 (which is what the ends are done in, when I realized that i'd misnumbered someplace.
Where? at stitch 90. So after meticilously tinking my way back, i caused some other foulup that required i start over.
I hate casting on.
and i got to cast on 189 stitches TWICE yesterday.
:) A lesson in complaining that I feel impatient, I suspect.

The Malabrigo is unbelievable to work with. So delicious.
It tends to cling to itself (which leads to knotting if I'm not paying attention) but other than that I'm crazy about it.

I need to schedule a photo session with myself, the secret pal gift and my finished objects. Maybe tonight if i don't fall asleep early.

Dec 7, 2005

You don't wanna know me today.

Hi, I am the crankiest woman alive today.
I've been snapping at everyone
I have no patience whatsoever.
Every one, every thing, every sight, sound, color, smell is annoying the holy living shit out of me.

I've been walking around the office all day hissing.
Literally.

Just got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
Got caught in a long-ass train delay and my mood just has not improved since then.

I need to do something about this. I'm unbearable.
I'm amazed any of my coworkers are still speaking to me.

Snarl.

Dec 6, 2005

Who knew I was this fickle?

I'm detecting a new trend.
Whatever I knit with at the moment is the best yarn in the world.

First it was Koigu. I was sure I'd never want to knit anything else again.

Then I picked up some Cashmerino Chunky for my hat - SO SOFT I thought "I should make everything in this"

Then it was the 127 print - so rich and squishy. And the colors - OMG.. the colors.


Today's love affair? Malabrigo
Oh.. My... So Soft but yet so sturdy
Feels like alpaca but holds shape like lambs wool
I could eat this stuff, I really could.

I picked up two balls of Malabrigo -
one in cypress (a delicious teal color- see it here)
and
one in black forest (a smokey taupe, see it here)

I tried to photograph them but they just wouldn't photograph so the links above give some idea of the beautiful colors.
I'm using it to make a brick lengthwise scarf that looks sort of woven (a house pattern from Knit NY that I've been ogling for months)

I leave you with the first of two mittens I'm making from the delicious and yummy 127 Print
I can't wait to finish the second.
Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Dec 5, 2005

You load 16 tons...

Well first and foremost I owe my upstream Secret pal an apology.
I wanted to bring my last SP package home and photograph it today. (full nof wonderful stuff like Blue and Red Wool of the Andes, koolaid and dyeing yarn, catnip and the stuffing for a kitty cushion, lots and lots of yarn catalogs etc..
Really great stuff!!

But alas.. I had to bring home 12 pounds of rock salt because its supposed to snow tomorrow.
Yes, I brought 12 pounds of rock salt on my 45 minute subway ride. (Actually its calcium chloride, but who's counting). I don't know whats scarier, my bringing 12 pounds of rock salt on the subway, or the fact that it doesn't actually feel that much heavier (even with my other stuff) than what I normally carry.
I'm amazed I walk upright, I really am.

Saturday I went to a lovely knitting afternoon at the home of a Knittyboard friend. I met a bunch of great people and had a really nice time. Thank you very much to our host for a great time.!!

In knitting news - i finished my black cashmerino (with red lana d'oro accents) hat to go with the IHS.

I also picked up some 127 Print from Filatura De Crosa in an unbelievable series of colors.
This blue - well nothing does it justice.. but this is a pic -
It is becoming mittens.
Yummy squishy mittens.
I have one finished already!

Which is good -because as i mentioned, its going to snow.
Every year I have tremendous anxiety over the snow, and over the fact that I have to find people to shovel it when I'm not home (homeowner crap).
Thankfully my friend Richard shovels for me most times in the winter. Helps me keep my sanity.

Here's hoping for a dry winter.

Dec 1, 2005

It is time to rename customer service

"All customer service representatives are still assisting other callers.. we thank you for your patience"

WHAT PATIENCE?!?!

Do you mean the patience you exhausted 25 minutes ago the first time I heard this message?
The patience that ran out after hearing your 2 pieces of hold music for merely the 10th time, roughtly 20 minutes ago?
Or the patience that expired when for the 3rd time of trying your Sales support number, I was misdirected to technical support.
Or the patience that was tested when I tried the number for rebates, and you told me to call sales support, who gave me tech support who told me to call rebates.

I never want to hear either of these songs again, and this woman's voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me now.

I have many things, chief among them a headache, a crick in my neck, a frustration level that my doctor would be concerned about, and a sincere desire to break my phone.

What I do not have is patience.
And I need a headset.

You're welcome.

Nov 30, 2005

A Tag and a Scarf

I got tagged and the results are below (and If i tagged you, your assignment ;) is below the pic.
But first..

Here, without furthur ado, is a giant, overexposed picture of my unblocked Irish Hiking Scarf.
I had to weigh the merits of blocking it vs. having it available to wear when it was 24 degrees out and I'd just finished it. Warmth won. I might well yet block it. The matching hat (which is a simple roll brim hat in black Cashmerino chunky with a 1 1/2 inch stripe of the scarf yarn) is almost done, but on hold until I get a second ball of the black, since I lost one of the balls on Metro North.



Meanwhile, I got tagged by That Farm Girl a few days back, so here are the results of that :)
I feel the need to share the love so i'm tagging.. hmmm Robin!

A is for Age - 38 going on 39 (right on top of 39, really, Dec 12 in fact)
B is for Booze - Not so much of a drinker - Coffee is my booze.
C is for Career - IT nerd
D is for Dad's Name - William
E is for Essential items to bring to a party - Whatever I’m asked.
F is for Favorite song at the moment - "Mama Tried, The good old Merle Haggard Version"
G is for Goof off thing to do - Hang around online
H is for Hometown - Brooklyn, NY
I is for Instrument you play - er.. is persistent talking anything like singing? None really
J is for Jam or Jelly you like - Apricot
K is for Kids - One kitty
L is for Living arrangement - I live alone, with my cat, and some uninvited waterbugs.
M is for Mom's name - Joann
N is for Names of best friends - I have many good friends and won’t single them out for fear of offending someone.
O is for Overnight hospital stays - nope
P is for Phobias - waterbugs, lightening, standing water
Q is for Quote you like : Original thought is like original sin: both happened before you were born to people you could not have possibly met. (Fran Liebowitz)
R is for Relationship that lasted the longest - Non Romantic: My friend Val who I’ve known since 8th grade (which is 23 years ago maybe?) And Joy who i’ve know for 21 years. Romantic: I was with my ex-husband for 12 years.
S is for Siblings - A brother and sister, both older
T is for Texas, ever been? - Ran thru the airport once or twice for connecting flights, that’s it.
U is for Unique trait - I can get up to 6 songs stuck in my head simultaneously
Vegetable you love - Cauliflower
W is for Worst traits - Obsessive worrying
X is for Xrays you've had - Teeth, feet, hands, abdomen
Y is for Yummy food you make - I make decent chicken soup
Z is for Zodiac sign - Saggitarius





Nov 26, 2005

Mmmmmmmmmm Stuffing

Well happy day-after-thanksgiving all :)

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday.

Mine was good- went to my sister's as I do every year and had a nice time. Tis a long day out there, so I got some knitting done while there.

Today I went to the boyfriend's parent's house for leftovers (Yummy - MORE stuffing!), and then went to see "Walk the Line". I thought it was VERY good - much better than I'd been prepped for.

Knitting News:
I finished the Irish Hiking Scarf !! I should have a pic up in a day or so if i can ever bring myself to take it off long enough to photograph it in final :) I LOVE it! and I finished it not a moment too soon - It got so damned cold out Thanksgiving night that I was grateful to be able to wear it home. (Those outdoor train platforms are murder!)

I wanted a matching hat, and it's nearly impossible to exactly match reds so I saved a little of the yarn and bought some Black Cashmerino Chunky for the hat - i'll use the leftover scarf yarn to make a stripe or something.

I'm up to my toe decreases on Fuzzy Feet two (in Lamb's pride bulky) and hope to felt em in a day or so.

So i'm nearly all set to use that 400 yards or so of Misti Alpaca that followed me home not long ago... what to make what to make..;)

Oh.. and my new laptop? SO COOL! I love having my own computer everywhere I go!

I got tagged a few days ago by Thatfarmgirl and plan on rising to the challenge tomorrow :)
Until then..

Nov 21, 2005

A small update

Hi there.
Nice weekend - good Tofurky™ (really, the meal was surprisingly good!)
Saw the walmart movie (good documentary but horrifying)
Took other friends to lunch for their respective birthdays
and had a nice little book shopping spree in which my wonderful boyfriend got me two magazines, two books and the cutest stuffed bear ever. We named him Polka.

Just a few progress pics on the IHS
I"m nearly done. I love love love how this baby is coming out, so squishy and so yummy and I must finish it by thanksgiving when it will be cold and yucky out so that I can wear it.


Lastly just another happy little request for you to put yourself on my map :)

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Yay! Its a short week!
:)

Nov 18, 2005

A blatant plea for attention

Everyone else was doing it so I couldn't resist (peer pressure you know)
So could you please click on the cool frappr button and add yourself to my map.
Pretty Please!
(cool Frappr button courtesy of Amy of Knitty.com fame)

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Spent the afternoon with my friend J. Went to Knit New York, had coffee and worked on the IHS for a while. Very relaxing. Bought a few last touches for my last SP package which is just waiting for me to finish what I'm knitting for it. J. Crochets so she was purusing some afghan books while I worked. Bought myself a few skeins of Misti Alpaca and a row counter. We had a really nice time.

Also got a down jacket at Filenes for FIFTY DOLLARS! (so warm and such a bargain) and a cool bag for my most excellent new laptop. I'll be not spending much else for the rest of this pay period but I'm happy about my purchases.

And it's Friday..
I love Friday

Tomorrow the BF and I are entertaining at his place - we're having a Tofurky™ dinner for a few non meat-eating friends. I'm not a vegetarian of any sort but I do eat plenty of non-meat meals. Never had the Tofurky™ before.. I'm keeping an open mind :)

The little headache that could.

I have had a headache for going on two weeks now..
think thats a problem?

I'm sure i'm allergic to something but I haven't tracked it down yet. Part of it was some new hair product a woman at work was using (thankfully she discontinued doing so without too much of a fight).. the rest has yet to be determined.

Haven't had too too much time to knit this week - been working too much, and I got a new toy this week that is making me very very happy!

Its so cute.. so tiny and so fast!

Gotta leave work now.. more later!

Nov 14, 2005

I'm it!

This time by PuppyMomma to post 20 things about myself.

Here goes..

1. I've lived in NYC my entire 38 year life.
2. I am almost never asleep before 1 am (usually later) and rarely awake before 9am.
3. I would rather drink coffee than alcohol.
4. I am somewhat mistrustful of people who don't like animals.
5. I've been at the same job for 10 years.
6. I've never driven a car
7. Or shot pool
8. Or gone skiing.
9. I lost my virginity the week before my 16th birthday. I never felt it was too young and I never regretted it.
10. I got married at 26 and do feel that was too young.
11. I'm divorced from the man I married at 26
12. I can't sing, at all and have always been jealous of people who can.
13. I have never felt that something being the norm was a good reason for me to do it.
14. I respond very unfavorably to guilt and/or manipulation - it is probably the best way to get me NOT to do whatever it is you want.
15. I am not even slightly religous. Not even on holidays.
16. I am not great about suspension of disbelief - therefore my favorite fiction is usually very realistic.
17. Other than knitting I'm not particularly good at making things (whether i'm good at knitting is a topic for another day ;)
18. I keep my friends forever
19. I'm also friends with many of my ex boyfriends
20. I take myself much less seriously than the tone of this list would suggest.

Nov 11, 2005

So..

Could you please convince my friend R. that when I say
"I'm going to felt my bag now" that it doesn't mean anything dirty?

Sophie - in the wash...

Nov 9, 2005

Ugh, me so cranky

Its been "a few of those days".

Everything I cast on for, ultimately got frogged due to one stupid mistake or another
Fuzzy feet in aubergine/orange ended up looking like stirrup pants and i hated how it was going so those got ripped..

Then I decided that I wanted to give them a shot in bulky for a gift, but spaced out at some point and have no idea how I got the number of stitches I got and didn't want to try and replicate them for the second one so ripped they went.

ThenI decided after doing Sophie, two fuzzy feet and kittypi in a row, that I was tired of doing large knit-stitch only jobs on big needles and wanted a change, so I cast on no fewer than 16 times for Branching out, each time having some problem with it that caused it to be frogged.
I blame the yarn - all of them, and think i need to go buy some ;)

I blame the Irish Hiking Scarf - I think it's feeling like it needs to be finished and will sabatoge all other efforts until I show it the respect it deserves.
So tongiht is IHS night.. I will slip into something more comfortable and spend a warm, fuzzy, cozy evening with take-out and the Irish Hiking scarf.

Everyone around me is cranky.
Work is being ,well, worklike.

Grumble Grumble Grumble -

Nov 5, 2005

Mohair Mohair everywhere...

So the fuzzy feet were a huge hit. Everyone at work loved them, my friends loved them..and I'm really enjoying wearing them. I'll probably make a few as holiday gifts as they are quick and cost effective. This pair will stay at my boyfriends for when I'm here and I'm already knitting a second pair for home.

Been a busy couple of knitting days -

I completed the Sophie bag's knitting portion this afternoon and plan on felting it sometime between now and tuesday. I might wait until Fuzzyfeet2 are done. I have a lot of projects upcoming now that need to happen in a short time, including two things for my last secret pal package so I'm trying to economize on effort.

I progressed to 1/2way through the last ball of yarn on the Irish Hiking Scarf. Despite my high level of distractability these days (which has gotten me to knit a few quickie short term projects), I am really loving this pattern. It knits up beautifully and I will definitely knit this one again.

My second fuzzy feet pair are being done in Lambs Pride Worsted, a combo of "orange you glad" and "aubergine". I'd have never expected these two colors to go together but I'm kind of digging the combination. The yarn, however, I feel mixed about. It feels nice and soft, and knits up pretty but the mohair content, while only 15 percent, is kind of driving me nuts. Its like cat hair or fiberglass insulation in its ability to get EVERYWHERE. I've been plucking mohair out of my eyes, ears, nose, lipstick and coffee. My hope is that I get used to it because I otherwise really like the yarn.

Nov 4, 2005

In the midnight hour, she cried felt, felt felt

So as not to dissapoint the reader who was checking back (and because I couldn't wait any more).. I braved the basement at midnight and felted my fuzzy feet

As usual I have had some trouble getting photo color right.

The Cascade Quatro felted very well though I had to stop before complete loss of stitch definition because they were getting too small. They are a tad snug but I don't care, I'm wearing em anyway. The stitch def. is mostly not visible to the naked eye, though the yarn's pattern sort of gives the illusion of it in places and i can see a little still where the stitches were picked up for the gusset, but I am overall very happy with the result

Please be advised that any nearly all the decor in these rooms was not chosen by me. (the books are mine tho)
(witness the white plastic brick in first shot, for an example ;)
One day i'll fill you all in on the great wallpaper nightmare that is my home. (Blame the prior owner)
I'd redecorate but I plan on moving.
ANYWAY...






Tomorrows post will be an ode to Lambs Pride, from whence the next pair of fuzzy feet shall spring ;)

Nov 3, 2005

Ok so I'm a coward.

And I haven't felted my fuzzy feet yet.

Why? because I keep getting home late, and I can't stand going into my basement (Home of the Washer) after dark. Or at the very latest after 8-9pm.

And why is that?
Because everything bad that happens in a house shows up first in the basement.
Waterbugs
Leaks from higher floors
Sewer backups
Gas odors
etc.

And you don't want to discover any of those things when you should be preparing to go to bed. Since that means
a. waiting for said bug to find its way upstairs
b. ignoring a problem that could ruin your house
c. callin an after- hours repair person which is evil and expensive.

And so.. I don't go down there during the night.
Which means no felting yet.
Funny - I'd have thought the knitting part of the process would have taken longer than the felting part. Life is funny that way.

So in the interest of finding a less insane sounding reason why I haven't felted them yet, I've decided on "I"m now knitting a Sophie bag link here a. because its fun and b. so i can say "I'm holding off til i can felt everything at once ;)

Seriously -felting, tomorrow, no matter what

Nov 2, 2005

Nov 1, 2005

One Unfelted Fuzzy Foot He Felt Smart

Just a quick edit of this earlier post to add.. that I'm finally using the wordpress.com blog that Dani of YeaIknit so graciously invited me to. I decided to use it solely for my diet and exercise tracking (to keep me focused on my health), which I can't imagine anyone wants to read about, but in case you do, it can be found here and on the right. I


The above is my first foot, pre-felting, finished as of last night. The second is about 1/2 done.
The bottle of soda is included for scale, which vaguely reminds me of someone holding up today's paper to prove what date it is.

The picture was taken with my cellphone, which should explain the sickly hue, and terrible resolution. I'd have used the office digital camera, but that vamoosed about a year ago and has yet to be replaced. (If anyone want's to donate a digial camera to a nice non-profit organization, I promise it will be used to take work-related pictures instead of not-yet-fuzzy feet most of the time ;)

I hope to get these babies felted tonight.
They are a fast fun knit and I plan on doing a second pair shortly.. perhaps in something orangey.

Oct 30, 2005

Fuzzy Feet! and I got tagged :)

I'm participating in my first ever Knit-a-long!
A fuzzy feet along!
Pattern Here
Knitalong Here
Original impetus here

My first pair (if i like knitting em I'm making a few gifts out of them)
will be in Cascade 220 (9432 quatro) which is an alluring combo of blues and greens.
This picture.. like the project is fuzzy.


I might cast on for them tonight, or I may get lost in "what my tivo recorded this weekend" depending on how i feel.

This brings my "active projects that I can remember offhand" to...

Fuzzy feet
my Irish Hiking scarf (which I will finish in the next few days!)
A long forgotten but soon to be revived silk garden Clapotis
a Ribbed hat in a rust colored "Extra"
a pair of delicious Koigu socks.
And an Ipod cozy for a coworker (which i really should have finished by now)
Bath mitts! Delicious wonderful Bath mitts .

My Secret pal gave me the Irish hiking scarf pattern and yarn, and the bath mitts patten and yarn and I must say again how much I enjoy her intiution on what I will enjoy knitting.
She's awesome!.

Oh yeah, one more thing
Saw Jon Stewart on Friday night in Stamfort CT.
He was GREAT! Very funny.
I can't help but be amused though, at the fact that I used to see him in comedy clubs in the late 80s for a 2 drink minimum, and now pay exorbitant sums to see him in a theater.
But he did put on a good show, and a long one at that, he gave us roughly 90-120 min :)

I got tagged by Pepperknit
so here goes

  1. What is your all-time favorite yarn to knit with?
    Whichever I knit with last ;) Seriously these days its Koigu KPPPM. Though I still love Karabella Aurora 8



2. Favorite needles?
Addi Turbos for everything but socks.


3. What's the worst thing you ever knit?
I have a few truly hideous scarves that I have hidden someplace


4. Favorite knit pattern?
Oy.. I’m still too new to answer this I think – but I’d probably be lost without a good sock pattern.

5. Most valuable knitting technique?

I’ll second Pepperknit’s vote for the felted join.

6. Best knit book or magazine?

I love Interweave Knits, and I learned a whole lot from the first Stitch ‘N Bitch book


7. Favorite knitalong?

My first real one - Fuzzy Feet! (I did a clapotis one but flaked on it


8. Favorite knitblogs?
So many! Yea I Knit
Domestic Overlord
Crazy Aunt Purl
The Crochet Dude
Me, Myself and I
Darbyrose
and everyone in my sidebar. Plus some more. Don't be offended if i forgot you, I just dashed off the first six (my lucky number) that I could think of.
A special mention for "The music of what happens". Not a knitblog per se but she taught me to knit
9. Favorite knitwear designer?

No idea really - I like a lot of things.

10. The knit item that you wear the most?

My black and pink Crystal Palace Iceland hat that I made over the weekend. It may be brand new but it’s kept me from having to turn my heat on yet!

Oct 28, 2005

A few pics

First is another picture of my hat model (and hat) :) Isn't she cute?!


Next up is a pic of the delicious Koigu proto-sock - which is coming along nicely and just feels
delicious. Maybe I'll actually finish this one ;)

Last but certainly not least is is a pic of the stitch markers my wonderful hosts gave me when the bf and I were up visiting.

Oct 27, 2005

Back at work

My vacation is over.
WAAAAAAAAAAAH.
Why is it that no matter how long you are off, it never seems like enough?

So for those of you who asked what I got yarn shopping - the answer is.. I can't say because it was for my Secret Pal and there is a minimal chance they might read it. Sorry. The store was very cool selection wise and I could have spent a lot of money there. Plus they had a great kitty!

Meanwhile, back in knit-land...

So I decided to knit this hat because I had some appropriate yarn laying around and wanted to do something simple, patternless and easy to finish. It took like no time at all and made me feel like a super hero. Thank you Crazy Aunt Purl for her easy roll-brim hat recipe!

While I was feeling all superheroific I decided to make another one for my friend's daughter, so I knocked this one out with some remaining yarn, changing the base color to purple and removing the second stripe to make it slightly shorter. Personally .. I think its cuter on her. :)


Koigu Koigu Koigu!
Its back to socks.. and the present project is on KPPPM in a beautiful multi
of browns, oranges, rusts etc.. I will try and get a proper picture of it when I am home and near my camera. There are no words for how much i enjoy knitting with this yarn, it's DREAMY.

Back to work.
feh

Oct 24, 2005

Home again, home again

Went on a happy mini-vacation to visit friends of mine.
They have a lovely circa 1880 house, a beautiful 2 1/2 year old daughter, and 5 (count em 5) dogs at the moment.

The boyfriend and I had our own suite!
bedroom, living room, laptop, digital cable, wireless internet and very very comfy beds - all provided by our terrific hosts! Hell there was even free "on demand" stuff. Was a better deal than any hotel and I got to spend some time with friends.

I went to visit this yarn shop
which has quite a selection

Knitted a bunch (a few hats, some work on a scarf, a little sock work - pictures when i've had a chance to take em.)
Ate a bit
slept a lot
and generally had a very nice time.

And they gave me a gift!
a bunch of wonderful toys for my kitty and some beautiful handmade stitchmarkers from someone she knows locally who makes them!

Now its time for laundry.

Oct 18, 2005

Some web driven silliness

Stolen from myriad other blogs.. but most recently Dani of YeaIKnit

Do a Google search for “[Your first name] needs” (with the quotes, without the [ ] )

Amy needs to either wake up or start getting some extra will-power (hell yeah)
Amy needs a new pair of shoes (sure why not!)

Amy needs to mend her ways and be more of a team player.
Amy needs a drug-dealer's testimony to free a teenager wrongfully accused of murder. (ARHGHGHG)
Amy needs a new pair of shoes. (Ok.. so two pair)
Amy needs a good topic for her film
Amy needs a flu shot (thanks for reminding me actually )
Amy Needs Help!!! (this came up so many times one has to wonder if its true)

Spent an excellent weekend with the my boyfriend (an extra day!!) who brought me home with all sorts of yummy Costco things so I think breakfast will come from that haul.

No time for much of anything today..
running errands and such.
Began a diet today and could use all the good will on that I can get.
I leave you with a picture of Desdemona test driving Bunny's kitty pi. (i think it needs a second felting round)
She looks awful cute in it but she knows its not for her. (its Bunny's and I want her to have it! :)
I'll make des one next in her colors.



Oct 16, 2005

A request for info...

(special note to my Secret Pal! The felted soap looks like fun to make! thanks for the link!)
So.. figured I'd put this out there in case anyone had any ideas..

I will be in the area of Danbury CT for one day in the next week or so.. followed by a few days in Lakeville, CT (which is near the NY/CT/MA border...) and I'm looking for a yarn store or two to visit. I've read through the boards on a few forums, but I don't know CT well enough to tell whats near what.

If anyone has any suggestions for LYS excursions in those areas.. I'd greatly appreciate em.

Thanks!

Oct 14, 2005

Picture fest

At long last... some pictures!!!

First of the secret pal box!
the pictures aren't great(as usual.. my hands move)..
But the gift was first rate! I couldn't be happier!

Group Shot one - .. many of the things but pic cuts off at the bottom


Group Shot 2 - a little blurry ..but still tons of visible goodness


Close up of the bath mitt.. So pretty!! and see those two yarnages above!!.. soon-to-be bath mitts just like this one!


My New Friends!!!



Close-ups of their faces!


Even Desdemona got a gift out of this!!!





Finally.. a pic of Kitty Pi Blocking. Not a secret pal gift per se but I used the wool-wash she gave me when I felted it!

Oct 13, 2005

A teaser

Will run out and get batteries soon.. but..

in the meantime...

I felted Kitty Pi!!!!
one load thru the washer thats it.. its 16 inches dia. and has no stitch definition and i LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE it :)
Its presently blocking on some old clothes and a buckwheat pillow.

Thank you all for all the suggestions! :)
pics soon.

Ack Ack Ack!

A post - in two parts....

First.. and most importantly - My apologies to my wonderful upstream Secret Pal.
I forgot to bring batteries home for my camera (I really need to get rechargables).
I dont want to wait any longer to post this tho, so I'll post the descriptions now.. and I"ll post pictures tomorrow.
In the meantime I'll try to make up for the lack of visuals with links
  • First up we have the March/April Issue of Piecework magazine -- A lovely magazine chosen for a "Simple French Bath Mitts to Knit" project :)
  • An All-knitted-up and pretty version of said Bath Mitts.. It is Gorgeous! Beautiful! Seriously they are such a pretty idea for gifts, bathing etc.. I can think of a million uses for them. I can't wait to try the one she gave me! And the women in my office LOVED it and now all want me to make them some! so its a good thing she sent me....
  • Yarn to make bath mitts! Plymouth Fantasy Naturale in Pale Sage and a contrasting Tahki Linguine n a darker green for accents. I am very much looking forward to making this project.. which I just might do using....
  • FiberTrends Magic Loop Booklet!! I've been wanting to learn Magic Loop and its as if she read my mind!
  • Now once I have my bath mitts.. I'll need to bathe (no worries, I"ll bathe before that as well).. and I may just use the Aromatherapy Soap she sent me! Samish Bay aromatherapy soap - in 3 Trees.. a fragrant blend of fir needle, eucalyptus, cedarwood and lavender. My whole house smells like this delicious soap and It came stored in the bath mitt like a sachet :) I suspect this provides a clue to my SPs identity... because.. it appears locally made...
  • And speaking of locally made... A lovely booklet of recipes from Merritt Apple Farm (which shares the same locale).. may have been a clue as to location.. or it could be a Happy Jewish New Year gesture.. (apples being a big deal around now) but either way I can't wait to try the Curry Apple Rice!
  • Its a three-fer on the location confirmation.. She sent a ruler/ needle gauge (a good one.. sturdy lucite from Hellen's Needlework - also in the same county. I needed a decent one !
  • to keep me calm and to keep my palate comforted.. She sent Stress Mints (relax in a new york minute).. Homeopathic Stress losenges.. and some tasty sour apple bonbons.
  • While i'm bathing and being calm.. I can read the Batya Gur Mystery (Good call.. I've never read her!) she sent.
  • I can use the liquid gloves to mosturize my hands, and the wool and fiber washes to clean my handmade goods :)
  • She also sent me a couple of "friends" that can only be done justice by pictures :) So those I'll save til tomorrow.
  • Lastly.. another beautiful card.. :)
Thank you VERY much for such a special and thoughtful package. It made my week. Truly.
To open a box full of pretty things, put together with so much care and creativity made me feel very special! I sat there and went through all the thingsover.. and over and over..


Post - part 2..

It is monsoon season here in NY. Defined as, 1200 different varieties of rain throughout a two week period. Today it was spitting, misting, pulsing, pouring, drizzling and coming down in buckets, at varying intervals. In the 5 minutes or so where it wasn't actually raining. . the air seemed to be oozing moisture. Add that to the haunting "its not really cold yet but you can feel it could get there awful quick" sensation and it was a truly miserable day to be outside.

I made my small trip into the office ot deal with whatever needed to be dealt with and then went wandering around in the mess. Stopped into the LYS closest to work (I like them well enough but they seem unusually pricey even for NYC, and can be a little distant to deal with, plus it's crowded as hell)... then followed it with some knitting in public in Starbucks. I got one of the two good cushy chairs .. right by the window and got to sit, knit and watch wet people trudge thru rush hour traffic - It was bliss :) People have mixed feelings about Knitting in public but I like it (and I don't count the subway, the subway is public in a very private way). Maybe one day I'll actually get up the nerve to go to one of the many knitting groups that meet around the city :) I'm not shy in most social situations, but for some reason that one intimidates me a bit.

Anyway.. time to sleep.
Forgive this post for its lack of coherence, I'm probably too exhausted to make much sense.


Oct 12, 2005

Vacation.. what vacation..

I have a WONDERFUL Secret pal, who sent me a fantastic package today!!! And I need to throw batteries in my camera and take pics of the fabulous loot :) And she will get her own post, probably first thing tomorrow morning when my brain returns. She was wonderful, thoughtful and sent me a gift that brightened my day immeasurably. I'm just too cranky tonight to do this amazing package justice and I want to show the proper appreciation. So tomorrow it shall be.

Todays post, however, begins with whining -

So ostensibly my vacation starts tomorrow (Wednesday)
One would think this means that I wouldn't have to go to work wouldn't it?
But nooooooooooooooooooo

In addition to the traditional "night before a vacation work till midnight to get everything done" festival - I have to go in tomorrow because we're having electrical work done and I have to make sure all the equipment doesnt' fry out and such when the power is downed and upped.
Feh.
Maybe i'll turn this into a reason to visit a yarn store tomorrow.
And the gym
because if I keep gaining weight like this I'm going to set some sort of record.
To be fair, noone said I HAD to go in.
But trust me, its easier if I do.
I feel protective of my machines.

Ahem.
and now for the good news.
Im off till the 27th after i finally get started on vacation.
And thats real good news.

Kitty pi will probably be felted during that time ;)
but here is a lovely unfelted pic



And I put it on the floor to take a pic of it unfelted , turned around to pick up the camera and turned back and ....



Thats the BFs kitty.. (for whom I made the bed) and somehow she knew it was hers!! I'm very happy and hope to give her the finished, felted, blocked version this coming weekend :)

My kitty not to be outdone, is asleep in my bra. I'll spare you the picture.

Tune in tomorrow for pictures of my Secret Pal package (it is AWESOME!)

Oct 11, 2005

And the winner is

Bradyphrenia!

1. I had Frank McCourt (of Angela's Ashes fame) as an English Teacher.
True - and evidently very plausible
2. I was excused from gymnastics in gym by presenting a note from a psychiatrist.
True - the note said I had a pathological fear of being upside down. I still have no idea how I made that work
3. I attended my graduation in my pajamas.
True - Under my cap and gown I wore a lovely nightgown
4. I fell down twice, on stage, during a school play.
Lie! I was never in the school play.
5. I am still extremely close with my best friend from high school.
True true true! :)

Oct 10, 2005

I can't believe it..

I guessed Cpurls Lie...
AGAIN
and so I'm it again.

Here we go.. This time I'll do a theme -
this one is all about ... High School

1. I had Frank McCourt (of Angela's Ashes fame) as an English Teacher.
2. I was excused from gymnastics in gym by presenting a note from a psychiatrist.
3. I attended my graduation in my pajamas.
4. I fell down twice, on stage, during a school play.
5. I am still extremely close with my best friend from high school.

Oct 9, 2005

Meow

So Kitty Pi is off the needles.
I haven't felted it yet because I can't figure out what to block it on. :/
Any suggestions? It seems I have nothing rounded thats larger than 12 inches in diameter.

I should have pictures once the camera batteries are thru charging of the unfelted version.
So far so good, kitty did lay down in it last night twice, and she brought her toy into it once too!

Oct 7, 2005

Progress

























on the Kitty Pi :)
Coming along nicely and I think i'm getting the idea of how felting and blocking will give it the right shape. First thing I will felt so i'm kind of excited about that.
Hope to have the knitting part done tonight or tomorrow so i can finish it this weekend.

The Irish Hiking Scarf is still going nicely - I just rushed the bed in between so I could knock it off before the weekend. Hopefully the scarf should be done next week.

Oct 6, 2005

Four more truths and one more lie

Oy vey its me again. :)
I guessed that cpurl17 did not have 300 Hummels
which is sort of relieving I guess.
Hummels scare me. Actually any little figurine scares me.
I think it was because of that Trilogy of Terror movie I saw as a child.

Hmm.. here we go - which one is a lie?

1. I have worked for an organization that teaches people to read Hebrew for 10 years and can't read a word of Hebrew
This.. unbelievably enough is true. Its sort of my way of asserting my independence in an organization where I'm the only non religious person. Stupid? Maybe, but true

2. I broke my wrist playing softball two weeks before my wedding and had to be in all my wedding pictures wearing a cast
Lie: I didn't have a wedding (wen't to city hall) and have never played softball. My best friend broke her wrist rollerblading the week before her wedding so I stole that from her ;)

3. My mother once had phone service to the entire house shut off because I wouldn't clean my room.

True: and it didn't get me to clean my room either. We are (were in her case) two of the most stubborn people ever

4. I dropped out of nursery school

True: The boys told me I couldn't play on the windmill, because I was a girl. (i was 2 1/2- 3 maybe), and they kept trying to make me write because I could read already. (and I couldn't write because I was too young and they pushed). I came home crying every day and then one day "announced" i wasn't going back. My mother, acknowledging I was probably too young to start school, took me out.

5. I once had my boss arrange for a shelf to be hung in my office, and then filled it with stuffed animals

True - and if I can find a workng camera in the office I'll post a picture. They have a high tolerance for eccentricity around here.)

Domestic Overlord - you're up

Oct 5, 2005

Four Truths and Lie

Domestic Overlord started this game on the Knittyboard
and since I guessed Cpurl's lie it's my turn.

And the winner is Cpurl17!!

1. It's taken 20 years and three majors and I'm still not out of college.
True True - I wonder if I'll ever graduate
2. I've never driven a car
Also true- I've never been behind the wheel even - its a NY thing- I never had a car growing up.
3. I had a breast reduction in my early twenties and within three years they'd grown back to the same size I was before the surgery.
Lie - My breasts have never been reduced. I do know someone this happened to tho
4. I've been knocked over on the street by two celebrities- Rod Stewart and Bryant Gumbel
True - Bryant Gumbel helped me up - Rod Stewart didn't
5. When I was 10 years old I played pinball for money against local men twice my age and older.
True - there was a pinball machine in the record store around the corner. I'd play local guys for quarters and often win


Cpurl17- You're up!

And boy are my arms tired..

Cast on tonight for Kitty Pi -(edited to include the link which i forgot at 4am)
got thru all the increases and i'm now up to 144 stitches and beginning the straightaway.
Here is a poorly retouched picture (edited to get rid of the background)

As is usual for my pictures, the color is an approximation.

The yarn is Naturelle Chunky 14 ply wool in Navy with accents.

Size 11 DPNs make my hands hurt after a while, and I'm glad i'm on the circular needle portion of this.

Did a couple of repeats on the Irish Hiking Scarf, and would say I'm about 1/2 done. It's about 2 feet long now. :)

Oct 4, 2005

Cat beds..

I have a couple of days off (in a row!!) so i'll have some time to play with yarn.

So I think i'm going to make a Kitty Pi Bed for my bf's kitty .
Tis the least I can do after the harmonica incident.
Need to get some larger sized dpns tomorrow - and will use some of the bulkier wool from my stash.

I figure I'll work it as soon as I finish the Irish Hiking Scarf (which is coming along very nicely I might add) or maybe alternate between the two.

oh..btw.. for anyone who was wondering - i'm sticking with blogger for the moment.
Typepad is cool for many many reasons but I'm too cheap presently;)

Oct 3, 2005

Kitty Harmonics

So I went to my friend's child's first birthday party on saturday.
One of his gifts was a harmonica.
Sometime that day the child's father, D was playing the harmonica and their cat went completely nuts and started whacking at his face with his front paw.
This happened every time D picked up and began to play the harmonica.

So the BF and I went home from the party and decided to perform the harmonica/cat dynamic test on his kitty (who is named "Bunny", or sometimes "Killer", or occasionally "Gristle") to see what she did.

It seemed to scramble her brain too, and she ran around for a bit then went up to bf's head and bit it (gently). We were able to make her repeat this several times, simply by playing the harmonica.

So whats the deal here? Anyone know? is it all cats? If anyone feels like trying this, please let me know the results..

in the meantime.. meet Bunny/Killer/Gristle


Update: Apparantly this is a documented phenomenon - Here

And there is even a company which has tried to capitalize on this as a way to keep kitties off the keys Here

Oct 1, 2005

Irish Hiking Scarf Update


Heere is the latest progress on the scarf..
More later
(btw.. this is the actual right color)

Sep 28, 2005

Not that this is relevant to anything

But I really hate it when I can hear people chewing gum.
I particularly hate it when I can hear someone who is on the opposite end of the subway car cracking gum.

Moving right along..

I watched the second half of the The Scorcese/Dylan piece on PBS tonight and loved it.
I'm definitely buying the DVD at some point.

Made some small progress today on the Irish Hiking Scarf.
I'm really enjoying knitting this so much! It is so relaxing and it makes me look good! People at work ooohed and ahhed over it, and were very impressed with the cables. I couldn't believe how easy they are to do but there was no telling my coworkers that.
I made sure to credit my SP with the project and they were all suitably jealous.

It is one of these two colors ;) I have no idea how to take pictures.. seroiusly.. I guess the color is kinda closer to the second shot -- but maybe even a little redder than that.




Desdemona is giving it a once over




Ok.. maybe twice..

Sep 27, 2005

Sleep is for the Weak.

And tomorrow morning .. I'll wake up weak.. and need sleep..

Anyway..

Cast on tonight for the Irish Hiking Scarf.
My SP sent me the pattern, along with cable needles and some pretty raspberry colored Lana D'oro. Everything I need to get started.

I can't believe what a joy this entire project is. The yarn is so easy to work with that the scarf practically knits itself. My first cables! woohoo!!!

Here's a pic of my progress thusfar.
Lets hope my knitting is better than my photography

Sep 24, 2005

I Love Lewis Black!

and we're (me and the bf) going to see him tongiht! At carnegie Hall no less!

I'm very excited -- I find him hilarious!

On the knitting front -

The purple Manos is becoming the above scarf which can be found here -- the yarn is so delicious !

Speaking of socks. Someone please tell me its ok to sew up the dropped stitch i found .. oh.. at the point i was picking up stitches, which wasn't discovered until halfway thru the foot and I don't have to frog the damned thing?

I promised an ipod cozy to a friend of mine, I have a worsted- variegated in yellow, orange and pink.. cheapie yarn (not something i'd use for anything wearable, but it works for the subject matter and can't seem to find a pattern thats working for me. Any ideas?

Sep 21, 2005

Gee why can't I function.

Update: Im mysteriously still awake, and plus one blog banner and button.
must.. sleep... soon..

Slept all of 2 hours last night. Non consecutively. Not sure why, just couldn't sleep.

I'm playing on the colors on typepad to get em closer to what they are here, just to see if it balances better.

Pros to blogger:
Free.
Ridiculously easy to use
Free
I'm already here
Free.

Pros to typepad
Ease of three column layout (which i prefer
I find the canned layouts easier to modify.
I like the categories
The sidebars are way easier to deal with.
Seem to be far fewer outages

I'm still undecided. Part of me really thinks i just shouldn't spend the money on typepad and that blogger will grow its feature set eventually.

Decisions, Decisions

So I'm messing around over on typepad to see how that feels to me.
Not making the jump just yet.. but playing around to see how I like the design features.

If you have some time, take a look over there >>Typepadtestblog
and let me know what you think
I'ts fledgling and the colors aren't right.. and I don't have my rings n stuff up.. but I'm tryng to decide if I like their layout flexibility better.

Sep 20, 2005

Whining

Its monday
I worked a 12 hour day
I missed going to the gym. Again.

This guy was in the office today
or some approximation of him anyway.

I don't mind meeces at all but they make my officemates nuts.

I discovered a drop stitch about 20 rows back in my sock (grrr I'm going ot sew it i think)
and a mistake in the very simple scarf I'm making with the purple Manos.

Snarl.
I'm going to bed.

Sep 16, 2005

Manos Desdemona (Desdemanos?)


Desdemona and the Manos pillow

Something fell on my head today.
Don't worry I wasn't hurt.. just horrified.
And I don't know what it was.

It was too big to be a raindrop, too small to be a bird...
and given the humidity in NY today, I fear it may have been a waterbug. (note: this is what we in NYC call the American Cockroach (don't look if bug phobic).

Now I can't say for certain thats what it was, since I just felt something fall on me and shook my head violently to make sure whatever it was didn't stay. But given my phobia, and my luck.. I'm convinced (perhaps irrationally) that it was.
And after something like that, one needs to go shopping.

I hit Knit NY which was just a block away from the falling bug zone. I'd heard negative things about it, but I didn't find them to be true. People were perfectly friendly and accomodating. I consoled myself with two hanks of Manos (which i wound in-store)

one in canyon multi



and one in aster:


plus two hanks of cascade 220 in burgundy heather -or something like that:


Desdemona approves:


Now what to do with the yummy yarn......