Have a Great Labor Day Weekend!

Hubby and I are going on a little trip for the weekend. So, I will be off the air until next week. The puppers have to go a doggie hotel and I already feel terribly guilty. You'll think I am crazy - but they are our children. And it's only for three nights... But still...

So where are we going? We'll drive up to Tennessee to stay in the middle of nowhere, Tullahoma, and watch some horse shows. The man I work for owns a breeding farm for Tennessee Walking Horses, Waterfall Farms. It's a beautiful place - you can eat off the floor in the stables - I always call it the Ritz-Carlton for horses. Which is especially funny because my boss also owned the Ritz-Carlton hotels before they were sold to Marriott in the late 90's.

Besides going to the horse shows at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration, we have the opportunity to watch a very famous horse whisperer, Monty Roberts, work. He will be at Waterfall Farms to hold a "horse clinic" for troubled horses.

And man, I can't wait to watch him work on Friday. I hope I can take a lot of pictures. So, I think we'll have a blast - this is very exciting. I am not a rider, but I love horses. I think they are wonderful creatures.

Besides the horse business, there is not much going on in Tullahoma. Our hotel is across the street from the main attraction in town, a Wal-Mart Supercenter - woo-hoo! One of my co-workers is staying at the same hotel as hubby and me, and she and I already planned to go check out the local attraction. Hopefully we'll meet a lot of interesting people there, hahaha - like this one:


I wonder what clothes I need to bring to dress up for that occassion. ;-)

So, I am off now - I have to think about what knitting projects to bring. Hubby offered to do all the driving so I can knit - he is such a dear!

See ya next week with hopefully a ton of great stories and pictures!

Let's Intarsia

It is Sunday morning, 5:44 am, and I am wide awake - the sun is not even out and I am so ready to do something. (Hubby calls that my perky-pill state.) So, I get up very quietly and manage to take the dogs with me out of the bedroom and let hubby sleep a little longer. We have very different internal clocks - hubby is a night owl and I am a morning person.

So, I went to my crafts room and thought - hmmm... I think I am ready for intarsia. What do I need? A copy of the chart, a marking pen, bobbins... And here is what I got done Sunday morning - before the first cup of coffee:



Looks a bit messy - doesn't it? But after a while I got into the groove of untangling the bobbins while knitting with them. I have to say tho' it takes a long time because you gotta read the chart, count your stitches, double-check (remember, I am a math dyslexic...), etc. So, I got 14 of the 61 rows of intarsia done and then I needed a break. This is how much I got done on Sunday:


So, to get a quick knitting fix (and I promise I really didn't know it would go so fast), I started one of the Tipless Gloves with Cable from Holiday Knits. It took me about 4 hours to knit one of them. Even more fascinating is how much yarn I had left over from the ball. Can you see the tail coming off the thumb? That what I call calculated knitting. ;-)


Yarn: Knitpicks Andean Treasure (100% Baby Alpaca)
Color: Lilac
Needles: US #2

Here is the glove on my hand:


I have to say the Baby Alpaca feels super yummy. Since I ordered 4 balls for the one pair I planned for a Christmas gift, I guess I have enough yarn left over for a pair for yours truly.

Let's see - what does the Xmas list look like? Here is the latest update:
11 done
4 more in the works
13 more to start and finish

Not bad, huh?

And I knitted a cozy case with a chunky cable for my cell phone with the handspun yarn from Pixie. Lookie here:


I added a fun cow button that I found a while back at KNITCH.

And while I was knitting on Sunday on our porch, the puppers hung out with mommy. They had a good time because I played ball with them. Of course, Hermione would not give Noah the ball - all the toys are her toys. She actually dropped it in the water bowl while she drank so he wouldn't get it. Little bitch! In her world Noah does not exist unless it serves her purposes. ;-) Poor little fella... I am making up for her lack of attention...Which she hates - payback is bad baby! ;-)

Do You Have a Knitting Addiction?

I found this on my pal's blog from the International Tote Exchange II .

1. Do you lose time from work due to knitting?
Well... Does reading about knitting, posting on my knitting blog, translating knitting patterns and chatting on IM and AIM with knitting friends count?

2. Is knitting making your home life unhappy?
NO WAY JOSE – just the opposite. Knitting makes me a very happy camper and if I am a happy camper, hubby is a happy camper. No one wants a bitchy wife, right?

3. Is knitting affecting your reputation?
Yup – when I don’t knit people ask me what’s wrong.

4. Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of knitting?
Not yet. I try to be good. I have a big stash and tons of needles and books, etc. If you are clever and buy things over the course of years, it’s OK, right? ;-)

5. Does your knitting make you careless of your family's welfare?
No, I still feed hubby and the dogs. I might like a cleaning service tho’.

6. Has your ambition decreased since knitting?
Actually, I have never knitted as much as I do now. And I am learning new things every day. So, no. ;-) Eventually I will learn how to spin, but not yet – you know why... ;-)

7. Do you crave knitting at a definite time daily?
Of course, that’s why I knit during lunch. And in the evenings.

8. Do you want to knit the next morning?
What do you mean? I want to knit all the time. Well, maybe not all the time. But most of the time...

9. Does knitting cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
No. I haven’t figured out tho’ how to knit while I am sleeping.

10. Has your efficiency decreased since knitting?
No again. I am planning my time more carefully. How can I get more knitting done, you know...

11. Do you knit to escape from worries or trouble?
YES – knitting keeps me sane and happy.

12. Do you knit alone?
Yes and no. I love my knitting groups and knitting in public. But sometimes I need to concentrate and then I need my quiet room at home – the one with the padded walls...

13. Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of knitting?
Why am I sitting here and typing instead of knitting?

14. Has your physician ever treated you for knitting?
Actually – yes. When I had my little knee accident in April while sorting through my stash, I had to see a doctor and a PT. So there, yes, knitting is a health hazard – beware!

15. Do you knit to build up your self-confidence?
It helps. I like it when people tell me how great my knitting projects look.

16. Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of knitting?
Nope – but last weekend hubby told me that he would come visit me at the mental institution. I acted pretty insane while winding yarn when the yarn was very, very, very uncooperative...

So – how about you? Got a knitting addiction – were you nodding while you read this?

Here is what I made for niece on the fly yesterday. My mom told me over the weekend that she is teething real bad and drooling like a dog. So, to ruin all her outfits, good ol’ auntie made her a Petal Bib from One Skein:


Yarn: Patons Bumble Bee Baby Cotton
Color: Apple Blossom
Needles: US #3

I like Friday - Friday is a Good Day!

This week is over - I had a ton of things going on. Not all nice – blecch...

No big plans for this weekend, thankfully. I feel the weeks are zooming by at the moment, and I come up for air on Sundays, take a deep breath and plunge into the next week - like a swimmer in a race... Well, Labor Day weekend is coming up and my boss decided to be very very very nice and close the office Friday and Monday - WOO-HOO! And hubby and I have travel plans - WOO-HOO to that, too. We usually stay home, enjoy our house and hang out with the dogs, since I am such a busy bee most of the times. So, the upcoming trip is very exciting. More about it in a little bit.

I think I am going to visit Pixie more often – hehehe... We hung out last night - went to dinner (yummy sushi), knitted, watched a movie - Signs - and I went home with lovely goodies:


Pixie spun this - SHE IS SO GOOD. This is Merino/Silk/Angora - Navajo Ply 50 yards. I can't believe she gave this to me. She said she does not want to knit it - so I am the happy receiver. I'll have to think of something cute - a little purse maybe?

And that's not all - she also gave me this:


That was 2 ounces of hand-dyed 100% wool from LHF Designs. Pixie bought it at The Plying the Arts 2006 Festival. A very cool variegation of greens - maybe for a cell phone case? Pixie said I could felt it. But I would never do that - that would ruin the nice look of the handspun yarn.

I also got another FO - finally both of the kid's socks are done:


Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Socketta and Fun Fur (for the cuff)
Color: No. 30 - blue, yellow, pink, lime
Needles: US #1

And I started the Harry Potter sweater - another one of the Xmas gifts. I am using the same yarn as for the HP scarf - gee - I guess it's for the same person. ;-) I started with the back this week, actually on Tuesday. OK, go ahead - give me some more grief because I sometimes knit fast... It is plain Stockinette stitch (perfect for mindless knitting sessions) and I need approx. 3 more inches.


Yarn: Knitpicks Crayon
Color: Red and Yellow
Needles: US #4

Once I got the back done, I have an idea where to center the Gryffindor on the front. And I was thinking about knitting the sleeves together on one needle to get them done at the same time. I am looking forward to the intarsia on the front - I haven't done an intarsia project in a really long time.

Alrighty - that's it for now. Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

Life's To Do List

This is neat - I found it at Katey's blog.
My completed items are in bold.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen an eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces or all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake Dead River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in aisles at Rocky Horror
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Already Ready for Halloween ;-)

I was a good girl and finished the Hallowig this weekend - it took me about 6 hours. I figured since I started a KAL for the wig, I should also post that I made one. ;-)

So, there...


And I finished the Ruffle Scarf from Holiday Knits:


It turned out real pretty and the Knitpicks Shine makes it very soft.

And during lunch today I finished the second sock of the kid's socks. No pic yet - sorry, don't have the camera at work.

So, here is another update on the Xmas list statistics (total of 28 - counted each sock and glove):
9 done
2 more in the works
17 more to start and finish

Hubby had to tell me I'm 1/3 done. I am so terrible at math. That's why I have a calculator with my knitting tools...

WHEW - so, I am getting there. I got the new issue of VERENA (German knitting magazine) and I am drooling over a bunch of nice tops and sweaters... Mom already told me that I need to pick one for my Christmas gift. YAY!

Y'all have a great week - more later!

More Adventures!

OK - because I don't already enough knitting on my plate, I started a Hallowig Knit-A-Long this morning. Go check it out!!!

Pixie had this great idea yesterday for the two of us to knit a fun wig for Halloween and I thought why not try a Knit-A-Long for this. So, if you feel like knitting something for Halloween, come join us. Maybe I'll make a bunch of different colors for bad hair days... Oh boy, I can already see hubby rolling his eyes... Such a crazy knitter he is married to. Well, better than roaming the streets and getting into trouble, right?

Ah - and while I am speaking of my knitting buddy Pixie... I spent last evening at her house. We had dinner, knitted a bunch and listen to a fun podcast. I have never listened to Lime & Violet before. These girls are funny. They talk about their knitting adventures with a focus on socks and their lives in general. And - hey - they mentioned Pixie's Knit-A-Long for the Stitch Diva Simple Knitted Bodice. It is a great pattern. Maybe I'll have time for it after my Xmas knitting. Do I sound like a broken record to you??? SORRY...

And then I left Pixie's house with this:


She got the roving at Knitch - and spun yarn for me!!! The first time ever I got handspun yarn from a friend. SHE IS A SWEETIE!!! This is some awesome yarn. 4 oz of Luxe Handpainted Superwash Merino and she tied it with silky wool. YUMMY - I will knit a wonderful hat for myself!!! THANK YOU PIXIE!!!

Got Another Package!

Well, August sure has been a great month so far. If you completely overlook the heat in Georgia. But staying inside with the a/c running helps a bunch with that problem.

I got a package yesterday from Coarine. She sent me a lovely dishcloth and some candles with a fridge magnet. Very cool - l@@kie here:


And she included the pattern for Seamore the seahorse as well. Thank you Coarine!

On another note - besides the three pairs of socks I am working on currently, I also started another one of the Xmas gifts, the Ruffle Scarf from Holiday Knits:


Yarn: Knitpicks Shine
Color: Blush
Needles: US #5 and 6 (I am actually using my new Knitpicks needles - very nice pointy metal circulars)

Oh, in case you are wondering what that browinsh edge is... I had to make a provisionial cast-on because I have to pick up 250 stitches on this edge for the ruffle. And then, get this - I knit 6 rows and every other row I add stitches. I end with 997 stitches to bind off. UGH!!!

So, here is the update on the Xmas list statistics (total of 28 - counted each sock and glove):
7 done
4 more in the works
17 more to start and finish

And here are the poochies watching a movie with Mommy - one on each end of the sofa. Too cute!


And speaking of poochies, here is a fun quiz I found:

You Are a Dalmatian Puppy

Kind, bright, and very energetic. Firemen love to pat your little head.

Who's What Breed of Puppy Are You?

And of course I had to do this one, too:

Your Inner European Is Italian

Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is.

Who's Your Inner European?

So, I am an Italian Dalmatian??? Mamma Mia - not a German Shepherd?

I Am Dyeing Over Here ;-)

Well - it happened this weekend. I embarked on my first dyeing adventure on Sunday. It was a lot of fun - I felt very creative.

It was especially fun because - since I had never dyed yarn before - I went on the internet and got tons of information, which sometimes was a bit contradictory. So I picked the tips and tricks that made the most sense to me and plunged right in.

First, I made a batch of Indigo and dyed two hanks of yarn:

Knitpicks Bare - Superwash/Nylon/Donegal Fingering Weight
(with bits of tweed)
Content: 65% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon, 10% Donegal
Amount: 462 yards/100 gram hank
Gauge: 7-8 sts=1" on #1-3 needles

and

Knitpicks Bare - Peruvian Wool Bulky Weight
Content: 100% Peruvian Wool
Amount: 137 yards/100 gram hank
Gauge: 3-3.75 sts=1" on #10-11 needles

I made a so-called one-day-use of the Indigo dye. You mix a gallon of cold tap water with 2 Tbsp of the pre-reduced Indigo. And that's it - you're ready to dye. You have to wet the wool first and then enter it into the dye pot. I had to be very careful because I experimented with the Indigo in our kitchen. Hubby had somewhat raised eyebrows... but he is a good sport. OK - so, I left the first hank in the Indigo dye for about 2-3 minutes.


After that I removed it quickly and squeezed out the excess dye. I put the hank into the adjacent sink to rinse it with cold water. You are not supposed to drip into the Indigo dye because the drips introduce oxygen and I guess that is bad for your dye. Sorry, I have no clue about chemisty and am not shy to admit it. I just followed the instructions and they don't tell you why either. I did the same thing with the second hank, and hung them both outside to dry. After they dried I washed them in hot soapy water and hung them up again. UGH - and of course I had to scrub the sink and the counters, but luckily we don't have a blue kitchen now. ;-)

After the Indigo dye, I experimented with some Kool Aid. Actually I used the Wal-Mart store brand, Great Value. Worked just as well. Hubby got me a very nice selection to start with: Lemonade, Cherry and Grape (and some other color, I can't remember now, I think it's Strawberry or Rasberry but, anyway, I did not use it yesterday).

So, I made two pots - one with a mix of Plum and Grape and the other one with Lemonade.


I used 3/4 gallons of water and 1/4 gallon of vinegar. You could not smell the vinegar at all over the Kool Aid smell - too funny. And you have to match the weight of your yarn with the weight of the Kool Aid. I used four packages of Kool Aid for one hank of 100 grams of wool. I had put the yarn in a pot with hot water to soak for about 20 minutes.


Nice spaghetti, huh? High fiber content... In the meantime I heated the dye solution to just below boiling. Here is my little dye workshop on our back porch. Hubby bought all the equipment for me - 3 hot plates and 3 huge pots and cooking spoons and and and... Such a great guy! ;-) And a great shopper, when he's in the mood.


For these two dyes I used the following yarns:

Knitpicks Bare - Peruvian Wool Bulky Weight
Content: 100% Peruvian Wool
Amount: 137 yards/100 gram hank
Gauge: 3-3.75 sts=1" on #10-11 needles

and

Knitpicks Bare - Superwash/Nylon Fingering Weight
Content: 75% Superwash Wool, 25% Nylon
Amount: 462 yards/100 gram hank
Gauge: 7-8 sts=1" on #1-3 needles

So, I put two hanks of the Bare Bulky Wool in the Cherry/Grape dye and one hank of the Bare Superwash/Nylon in the Lemonade dye. And something very intersting happened. The portion of the yarn that hit the Lemonade dye first absorbed almost all of the color immediately. So, very unintentional I got varigated yarn. Which I didn't really want this time. But, oh well.


So, while the yarn absorbed the colors, I sat on the porch and finished the Four Corner Hat.

And then I remembered that I read somewhere that you can use a turkey baster to apply colors to your yarn to create some color patterns. So, I mixed one more package of Cherry with water and vinegar and got to work with the tool on the boring yellowish yarn. HAH - and it turned into something funky. I have to come up with a name for that color.


And these are the results of my first dyeing adventures. I am pretty pleased:


I'll probably make something felted with the thicker yarn and some socks with the fingering weight. I can't wait to see how the funky red/yellow/natural colored sock yarn knits up.

And of course I had to get some knitting done, too. As mentioned earlier, I finished the Four Corner Hat. It is a little big but I think it'll fit the recipient just fine:


And I also finished the first sock of the Stitch 'N Pitch sock. No. 2 is already on the needles. Need to be on a roll here. Time is a little pressing...


I was worried that the plain Stockinette Stitch would bore me out of my mind but it is actually quite relaxing - very pleasant, nothing to screw up while knitting with a group.

And here is best picture ever of the poopers - hubby and I were quite shocked that we got such a good picture with the both of them. Hermione usually has no tolerance for photos and she does not want to get caught dead with Noah. She is so funny. Not that she is mean to him, she just ignores him. Hubby and I always think they are like a married couple. He is a good fella, very patient and loving and she is just the little bitchy busy-bee. Not that this is an reflection of me and hubby. ;-) OK, I can be bitchy if I want to and you exceed your tolerance level with me... But usually I am pretty good-natured.


Off ya go - enjoy your week!

Lalalalalalala... I can't hear you!

If you click on the cartoon, you get to a bigger picture for better reading. The cartoon is from Lion Brand Yarn Company, and they, of course, have the copyrights.

BUT - I gotta make me some earplugs! These spinners at my SNB meetings keep tempting me. They are all so sweet and want to teach me how to spin but I am not ready yet. So far I have been strong and resisted because I want to get through with my insane Xmas list. Next year I might just switch to gift certificates. But this year I started and I'll finish! No matter what. ;-)

Have a great week! I am off to find that earplug pattern now. ;-)

YOU JUST MIGHT BE A YANKEE IF...

1. You think barbecue is a verb meaning "to cook outside."
2. You think Heinz Ketchup is really SPICY!
3. You don't have any problems pronouncing "Worcestershire sauce" correctly.
4. For breakfast, you would prefer potatoes au gratin to grits.
5. You don't know what a moon pie is.
6. You've never had an RC cola.
7. You've never, ever, eaten okra, fried or boiled.
8. You eat fried chicken with a knife and fork.
9. You've never seen a live chicken, and the only cows you've seen are on road trips.
10. You have no idea what a polecat is.
11. You don't see anything wrong with putting a sweater on a poodle.
12. You don't have bangs.
13. You would rather vacation at Martha's Vineyard than Six Flags.
14. More than two generations of your family have been kicked out of the same prep school in Connecticut.
15. You would rather have your son become a lawyer than grow up to get his own TV fishing show.
16. Instead of referring to two or more people as "y'all," you call them "you guys," even if both of them are women.
17. You don't think Ted Kennedy has an accent.
18. You have never planned your summer vacation around a gun-n-knife show.
19. You think more money should go to important scientific research at your university than to pay the salary of the head football coach.
20. You don't have at least one can of WD-40 somewhere around the house.
21. The last time you smiled was when you prevented someone from getting on an on-ramp to the highway.
22. You don't have any hats in your closet that advertise feed stores.
23. The farthest south you've ever been is the perfume counter at Neiman Marcus.
24. You call binoculars opera glasses.
25. You can't spit out the car window without pulling over to the side of the road and stopping.
26. You would never wear pink or an applique sweatshirt.
27. You don't know what applique is.
28. You don't know anyone with at least two first names (i.e., Joe Bob, Faye Ellen, Billy Ray, Mary Jo, Bubba Dean, Joe Dan, Mary Alice, et al).
29. You don't have doilies, and you certainly don't know how to make one.
30. You've never been to a craft show.
31. You get freaked out when people on the subway talk to you.
32. You can do your laundry without quarters.
33. None of your fur coats are homemade.

This is dedicated to hubby, who is a Yankee but could tell me what a polecat is.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND - I'll be knitting a bunch ;-)

Never Say Never

I never won anything until yesterday. I am still in shock! ;-) In the past, I've played the lottery, bought tickets for raffles, etc., but never ever won anything. So at some point I stopped because it's a waste of money and energy. On the other hand, I get picked for stupid things on stage - you know, you go to some show and they need a volunteer for some silly trick. I ALWAYS get picked for that. Like I have a flashing sign over my head that says "Pick me, pick me..."

So what happened yesterday? At the Plying the Arts Festival last weekend, everyone got a raffle ticket with their package when they signed up for a class. That package also had some other goodies from several vendors at the show and a bunch of catalogs. And it came in a nice nylon sack you could carry around like a little backpack.

Anyway, there were two tables with all kinds of really cool stuff being raffled off. So, before we went to class, Pixie and I entered our raffle tickets for one of the door prizes. I, of course, was thinking that I'll never get it anyway. WELL - GUESS AGAIN!!!

Yesterday I got a package from the a festival person - hubby called and jokingly asked if I forgot anything at the festival. (I have a tendency to forget or lose things...) I said no, not that I could think of. He opened the package and it was the door prize. I WON!!!


I got a cute little bag, gorgeous yarn and a pattern for a hat and mittens. I love the yarn - it is one skein of Mountain Colors Mogul and one skein of Mountain Colors 4/8's Wool. It is handpainted and the name of the color is "Crazy Woman". What a perfect fit for me! It is a combination of blues, reds and purples. I love it!

Well - I am a happy crazy woman now! ;-)

My Dogs Have a Weird Mommy

Why? Because I tried to use our Border Collie as a sock model for a kid's sock. Poor Hermione. You can't see her face but she was utterly disgusted with me. ;-) How dare I...


Here is the sock again and No. 2 in progress. Don't want... second... sock... syndrome.


I also finished another B-day gift, my to-do list is getting shorter. Woo-hoo! Here is a picture of the English Felted Carpet Bag. I am really pleased with the way it turned out. I made a few changes in the design. The recipient is not a very frou-frou woman. ;-)


Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes
Color: Maple Syrup, Black Cherry Heather, Amber Heather and Forest Heather
Needles: US #15

I like the way the added I-Cord around the edges gives the bag a sturdy outline. Very neat. If I ever have time again, I'll make one for myself - probably in 2007. ;-)

I also started the Four Corner Hat. This pattern is very interesting - keeps me on my toes:


Yarn: Julia from Nashua Handknits (25% alpaca, 25% mohair, 50% wool)
Color: Midnight Blue, Spring Green and Natural
Needles: US #6

The yarn is super-soft. I will do a matching scarf after I finish the hat. I also started sock no. 2 for the Log Cabin socks. Again, don't let me drop into SSS...


And I started another B-day gift. I just realized this must be the year of THE SOCK. (Is there such a thing in Chinese astrology for knitters?)... This one is for a baseball lover - of course, I gotta knit the Stitch 'N Pitch socks.


Can you figure out what baseball team it is by looking at the color on the cuff? If so, you are good, really good...

And here are some things I recently bought. Just say the "S" word and I am there. VISA loves me. ;-) Here is a goody bag I got from the latest sale on WEBS:


Got some Noro Kureyon (Color No. 148), Rowan Chunky Print in Rhapsody, Knit One Crochet Too Angora Soft in Turquoise and Debbie Bliss Merino DK in Mulberry.

And while I stocked my stash at Knitpicks (as if I don't have enough yarn already) for the gift list, I just couldn't say NO to their Andean Silk Sampler. I will use some of it on the knitted gifts and probably knit a fairisle vest with the rest.


And then at Jo-Ann last night, I found these shelves for some of my knitting stuff. Can you see the pile of paperwork in the top shelf? That is just knitting patterns and other crap that need filing. I need an assistant. I wonder if I could train Hermione? (Probably, but she'd still want to play ball!)


And I got more knitted gifts done - here are the current statistics (total of 28 - I counted each sock and glove):
5 done
4 more in the works
23 to start and finish

WHEW - I need a drink and a shrink appointment to get my sanity checked... I guess it's a good thing that I'll be knitting with the "Stitching for Sanity" group tonight. :-)

Oh - before I forget again. Knitting is EVERYWHERE - you probably knew that already, right?... But I am haunted by knitting on TV. Hubby and I don't have cable or a dish, or even broadcast reception. When we turn the TV on, it's to watch DVDs from Netflix. So, when I am away from home, I give myself a dose of TV to remember how annoying it is. When Pixie and I spent the night at the hotel last weekend, I flipped through the channels and stumbled across an Addams Family episode. And guess what Morticia did? She knitted a sweater for some cousin. It was an interesting pattern - the sweater had three sleeves... Only with the Addams family...

And then... For my birthday, a colleague gave me Season 1 of Lost on DVD. Here is what happens in Episode 20:
The only doctor on the show works to save one of the main characters when the patient's lung collapses. The doctor acts fast, pours some alcohol on the guy's chest and uses a knitting needle to puncture the lung and temporarily remedy the situation.

So, I am sitting there flabbergasted. One knitting needle - where is the other one? Who is the knitter? Where is the yarn? All these unanswered questions, so typical on Lost. Then, I was trying to figure out what size needle it is by going through that scene frame by frame. There is your proof that I AM OBSESSED...

Too Cute ;-) ... Not Knitting Related!

Just a note before I show you some of the cutest animal pictures I've seen lately. I have no copyright on them and I don't claim I took them. I got them in an email from a friend. So, what the heck, if somebody doesn't like it, I'm sure they'll let me know. But for the time being, here they are. Hope you can stand it. ;-)

I'M SO GLAD IM NOT AN ONLY CHILD!

PLEASE DON'T TELL THE GUYS...

THEY'LL NEVER FIND ME IN HERE!

THIS GIVES A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO LABOR PAINS!
I especially like the last picture because I've made two of the Fiber Trends hedgehogs and was toying with the idea, if I ever again have time to play around with patterns, to make some hedgehog babies. I already have the Mom and Dad. ;-)

Happy Tuesday!