jeneration-x knit blog

Tampa Revisited

2010-03-29T21:28:00.010-05:00

Joe and I just got back from another great weekend in Tampa. Just like last year, we went to a couple Yankees spring training games and did some sight seeing on Saturday. The games were fun. We got to see all the starters play since it's so close to the start of the season:

And I got to get a GIGANTIC turkey leg:

Don't worry; Joe helped me eat it. And we went running at this gorgeous park on Saturday and Sunday to help offset the massive calorie consumption:

Sorry for the scary no-makeup, post-run pic, but I had to show you guys this beautiful park! It was exactly 1 mile from our hotel and was a perfect spot to run together. That's right, I said run TOGETHER! I can keep up with Joe now! Yes, he still has tendonitis. But that's irrelevant. ;)
Saturday we went to a place called Canoe Escape to rent a canoe for the day in hopes of seeing a gator. Well, JOE had hopes of seeing a gator. I'm not chicken or anything, I just like all my limbs right where they are and I try to partake in activities that insure they are safe from harm. Well, about 30 seconds into our trip, we spotted this bad boy:

Let me be clear; there was no tour guide. Only this guy:

There were no fences, no safety glass. We were on a real river armed with a camera and a paddle. That's it. Luckily we know enough about gators to know that if you leave them alone, they leave you alone. Most instances of people getting harmed by alligators are when people are acting stupid and provoking them. So we made sure not to do that! When we took a break for lunch (sandwiches from Fresh Market! Oh, how I miss Fresh Market.), we made a little friend.

He came right up to me and made that little "can I please have some of your noms?" gesture, and I was ready to give him my whole lunch. So cute! Every time I gave him a crust of bread, he would take it and run up a tree and eat it, then come back down to ask for more. Adorable!
The Hillsborough River was beautiful:

I don't remember ever seeing such a perfect Bob Ross-esque mirror image on the water!
I even started getting used to this sight, eventually:

The only part I didn't like was when we would startle a gator & he would go under the water. Where did he go? What's he doing now? If I put my paddle in the water to get the F&*% out of here, will I hit him in the head?

Oh, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the Vulture Sanctuary either (or whatever the hell they called it):

There were HUNDREDS of them! The canoe place told us to make sure we "look alive" during this part of the river so the vultures don't mistake us for road kill. So, I recited the 'Dancing Queen' number from Mamma Mia. Why memorize the number if you're never going to use it, right?
After all that paddling, we were ravenous! What a workout! We decided to go back to Skipper's for dinner. Last year we went there to try their gator nuggets, but this year it seemed wrong somehow, after making "friends" with them on the river. They had stone crab claws on the specials menu & we HAD to get them (along with some wahoo nuggets and mahi sliders)!

And the cool part is that no crabbies had to die for our dinner! What they do is catch the crabs, lob off a claw, then release them back into the water. The claw grows back, and they repeat the process with the new claw. Cool stuff!
Sunday's game only lasted 4 innings before it started pouring, so they canceled the rest of the game & we had no choice but to go to Hancock Fabrics. I found some really cute fabric, but we only had one very stuffed duffel bag for our clothes, so I didn't get it. Maybe when I go see my parents next month!
Then we went to J Alexander's for dinner and O.M.G. One of the best meals ever! I just felt like veggies for some reason, so I got the grilled artichoke appetizer:

And the vegetable platter for my dinner:

I'm not going vegetarian or anything (Hello? Giant turkey leg!); I was just craving veggies like mad (maybe from all the exercise?), so I didn't fight my cravings. Everything was so good, but those artichokes stole the show. They had a real smoky flavor from the wood grill and the seasonings were perfect. I could have eaten a whole huge plate of just those.
It was such a great weekend, but I'm back to reality today! Waaaaaaaaahhhhh!

5K Baby!

2010-03-14T18:17:00.009-05:00

I've been keeping a little secret from the blog. On my birthday back in November, I decided to start running on the treadmill at the gym. It was NOT easy at first. I followed the training schedule from this book, which has you start running one minute intervals and eventually getting up to running 30 minutes straight. Well, today I ran 42 minutes straight! I ran in the O'Hartford 5K! This was my first time ever running on a surface other than the treadmill or the high school track (not counting running after the ice cream truck, of course ;) I never intended to run in races, but one of my girlfriends from work convinced me to enter this one with her so she didn't have to be in scary downtown Hartford by herself. Here we are freezing at the start line:

Check it out; the guy right behind me in this picture is dressed as the Jolly Green Giant! He ran the race in that getup! Crazy!

Not to be outdone, Joe had to get in on it:

He finished in 36 minutes even though he has tendonitis and hasn't run in weeks. Whatever. ;) I AM glad he was there to cheer me on!

I don't have any pictures of after the race, but I do have one of my awesome finisher award!

They even filled them with BEER for us! An appropriate award for the St. Patrick's day race, IMO!

Butterick 5078

2010-02-28T17:33:00.012-05:00

In true procrastinator fashion, I finished my garment-a-month project TODAY at 5 O'Clock. In my defense, I had INTENDED to work on this all week, but my sinuses had other plans. When I got to work on Monday there were wicked strong paint fumes coming from the tenant next to us. I tried to defend my poor sinuses with some Flonase and breathing through my sleeve or turtleneck all day, but I was useless by noon. I spent Monday night, Tuesday night, and all day Wednesday on the couch with the kindle. The property manager and my boss really worked hard to get the smell out so I could come back to work Thursday, and I felt semi-human by Friday after I returned from Planet Sudafed. So that means I whipped this sucker up in a few hours this weekend! Joe is at a conference, so I was on my own for a photographer. I used the timer on my camera, and got a lot of shots like this:

But, I did manage to get one decent shot before the snow started coming down:

I use the word decent liberally here. It's all I could do with what I had. :) My pattern review is here if you're into that sort of thing, but my thoughts are that it makes me look heavier than I am because the ruching hits right below the bust & camouflages my sorta small waist. So, lesson learned. No more ruched waist dresses. It was fun to make though and SO easy. I rocked those set-in sleeves too (I think it's all the experience I got making snuggies), so at least it was good practice!

Valentine's Day and a FO!

2010-02-17T16:16:00.003-05:00

Did everyone have a nice Valentine's/President's Day/Daytona 500/Olympics weekend? I sure did! Joe had off for 2 of the 3 days, so we had lots of bonding time. Sunday was the Daytona 500, so we did our shopping on Saturday as well as exchange our Valentine's gifts. We usually keep it small and low key. For instance, I made him this neckwarmer:

And I made him and Olivia these conversation sugar cookies in words they both understand:

He evidently didn't get the low key memo because he got me this:

My mouth DROPPED when I opened it! I never mentioned I wanted one, never even hinted it, but he somehow knew! The downside is that I got absolutely nothing done on my day off on Monday because I just wanted to read, read, read!

In other news, I have a couple of dresses in mind for the February garment-a-month club, so hopefully I'll get one sewn up next weekend. If I can tear my attention away from ebooks, that is. :)

January Garment of the Month

2010-01-31T19:44:00.005-05:00

I don't think I mentioned it, but I joined a sew-along on Patternreview called One Garment a Month (drinking Kool Aid with Robin gets me in trouble every time. hee hee). Anyway, as the name suggests, you pledge to make one garment for yourself or someone else every month. Easy, right? Well, naturally I waited until the last minute, but I finished this afternoon! I made one of those knock off DKNY cozy wrap thingies in some wool jersey fabric. I finished today at 4:30 (just as the sun was setting), so the dark gray fabric is nice and dark and impossible to see. And to make matters worse, my camera battery was dead and we had to use Joe's cell phone. But here it is anyway in various uh, variations:

Not drunk, just mid-blink:

Goofing off with my photographer:

And here's the copied and pasted pattern review:
Pattern Description:
Misses knit top and cardi-wrap with front variations
Pattern Sizing:
XXS-XL, I made the small
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, I think so!
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Definitely. It was so easy.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
No matter how I placed the pattern pieces, I couldn't get them to fit on my cutting table. I had to let some of the fabric/pattern piece lay on a bar stool while I cut the other end on my table.
Fabric Used:
Wool jersey from a fabric co-op
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I didn't finish the edges (which felt so weird, but looks great). I also didn't do the last step of the sleeve cuff because I liked the length as-is.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
If I can get my hands on some more of this awesome wool jersey, definitely!
Conclusion:
I love this cardi. I have wanted a DKNY cozy for a while, but am not willing to spend $200 on something like that, and knitting one would take FOREVER. I was excited to find some wool jersey on sale in one of my fabric co-ops, so I went for it and couldn't be happier!

Recent Projects

2010-01-29T13:16:00.003-05:00

Well, after Christmas I mentioned that I had a little pain in my wrist for all the gift knitting I did. Turns out I have a BIG pain in my wrist. Any night I decide to try a tiny bit of knitting, I can't sleep because my arm is throbbing with pain from carpal tunnel. I really thought that knitting Continental would solve my C.T. problems, but that just wasn't the case. I have to go to a hand specialist next week. Hopefully I can get that quick surgery and be back in business soon though!

One beneficiary of the non knitting time is my sewing time! I made a friend at work some reusable zippy bags because she is trying to go plastic-container-free. She also free-cycled her old heart rate monitor to me when I mentioned I wanted one and I've been wanting to make her a thank you present. The gallon bags took one fat quarter each, and I got 3 sandwich bags out of one fat quarter.

I have no clue why that picture won't rotate right. Oh well.

I also made another Snuggie! It's becoming my signature piece. Joe's daughter moved into her dorm this week and she asked me to make her one in case the dorm was freezing. I don't think that will be a problem since it was like 100 degrees in there the day we moved her in, but she's ready if the heat ever goes out:

Joe loves modeling snuggies for me.

Also for the dorm, I did some more free-cycling at work and convinced my cube neighbor to let us borrow his old dorm fridge that he wasn't using anymore. Unfortunately, I didn't know it looked like this:

But a roll of contact paper later, and we have cool retro perfectly girlie fridge:

That roll of contact paper covered the fridge, lined her drawers, made the letters spelling her name on her door, and the letters spelling her name on her wall inside her room. And we still have some left!! I had completely forgotten how awesome contact paper is.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T08:22:00.005-05:00

I can't believe this, but I actually finished every Christmas project I wanted to this year. I started early-everything I bought on Black Friday got WRAPPED on Black Friday, I made cookies every night for a week instead of all at once the day before Christmas eve, and finished every knitting and sewing project before the day they were to be gifted! I must make a note to do this every year. It was so nice to not be completely stressed to get everything done on the 23rd. Now, on to the parade of gifts!
Baby (now toddler) Hewen got a new hat & mittens:

They are made from Socks that Rock in Strange Brew. A close up of the mittens:

I made his Mommy a sweet OWLS sweater out of Cascade Eco Wool. LOVED the Eco wool!!:

I knit our bowling league organizer a bowling pin from Vickie Howell's book:

I made Joe's Godson a couple tie dye Yankees shirts with homemade iron-ons:

I also made a few snuggies-for-hire for a guy at work (who happens to know how to fix furnaces, in case ours ever dies in the middle of the night in February again). I have no pictures of them, but you guys know what snuggies look like, I'm sure.
Rocco took his usual spot under the tree for the last 33 days:

That's his carrot I made him a few years ago. He still attacks it regularly!
I'm currently back to working on Joe's belated anniversary sweater, but am taking it easy because I'm a little sore from all that knitting in such a short time. Which reminds me, did you guys see this?:

Unfortunately, I learned to knit AFTER I chose my mate. Oh, well. :)
I made a few goals for 2010. I never keep my resolutions, so I'm calling them goals now. Ha, ha.
1. I want to knit more and sew more than last year. Shouldn't be hard since I hardly made anything last year!
2. Work out at least 4 times a week. This one has been almost enjoyable lately, so hopefully it stays that way.
3. Learn to ride a motorcycle, or at least a scooter. I have this dream almost weekly that we are out somewhere and for whatever reason, I have to drive the motorcycle home. I would like to stop having this dream.
Happy New Year, Everyone!

Updates! Get your updates here!

2009-11-24T11:55:00.009-05:00

Boy, do I have lots to show! That's what happens when you don't blog for nearly 2 months, I guess! Anyway, I believe we left off just before Stitches East came to Hartford for the first time. I like the Stitches Market, personally, because it is easy to find the good stuff. In a festival like Rhinebeck, I am so lost among all that nice yarn that I have no clue what to buy. At Stitches, there's so much frou-frou yarn that the nice yarn sticks out easily! I didn't buy much because I still have so much yarn that needs to be knitted, but here's my haul:
Some Cascade Eco Wool to make Aimee's Christmas present:

Some Socks that Rock in Strange Brew:

And, some Socks that Rock in Backstabber (LOVE their colorway names!):

After Stitches, my work had a Halloween party at the bowling alley and I won third place for my mermaid costume:

Then after that, we went to Aruba. Aaaaaahhh, Aruba. I already can't wait to go back. Here's Joe with his arm floaties on (in case he falls off his stool at the pool bar, of course):

We did a lot of drinking that week:

Don't worry; we don't drink much the rest of the year, so it's OK. Joe has his 2 beers a day to keep his 'good' cholesterol up and that's about it. His good cholesterol should have been through the roof during Aruba week. lol!

This past weekend, we went to VA to attend and make cake for Baby Hewen's first birthday party. I think I have another happy customer:

AND, while I was there, Aimee gave me my birthday present a little early, a Pandora bracelet:

Love, love, love it! Joe got the blue & green bead for me in Aruba; it's the 'official' Caribbean bead. The rest of them are (left to right): a kitty cat, purple Murano glass bead, the letter J, a ball of yarn, the Caribbean bead, Sebastian from the little Mermaid, and a purple & green Murano glass bead.

This weekend we have Thanksgiving at Joe's parents, Black Friday shopping on my birthday, and sewing and knitting on Saturday and Sunday. Should be fun! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Cake Class

2009-10-02T09:10:00.005-05:00

I learned a big lesson about promising certain posts to be "next" last month. I had a bunch of stuff to show & tell, but kept putting it off because I promised the CPH post to be next, so while I tried to get pics of CPH, you missed a bunch of stuff! Soooo, here's what I've been up to: Joe & I went to West Virginia to see my bff Aimee & her husband and baby at their cabin. How cute is this kid, seriously?

We went to the Pickin' in the Panhandle festival while we were there & wowza, there was some good people watching. I didn't want to get shot, so I have no pics, but trust me. There were some sights. Fun times!

Then, one day at work, we found a baby snapping turtle by our back door, which is miles away from wildlife thanks to all our chemically treated grass, so we figured he had been snatched by a bird and then dropped. We gave him a bath and some spinach, and then took him to the park we think he came from. We named him George, of course:

Don't you name all orphaned animals George? I thought about bringing him home so Rocco could have a little brother, but he seems content being an only child, don't you think?

So, anyway, on to the meaning of the post in the first place: Cake Class. Aimee asked me if I would help make the baby's 1st birthday cake next month. I have been dying to take the Wilton Cake Decorating class they have at Michaels and Joann's, so I was thrilled to have an excuse, finally! She picked out the docile dragon cake from their website, and I made a practice one for my final exam last night:

His tummy is a football cake and his other parts are sugar cookies. Ingenious, right? I love him & I can't wait to make the real thing next month at Baby H's party. It's going to be SO cute watching him destroy this thing.

Knitting wise, I started Joe's annual anniversary sweater. I'm making the Hacky Sack Hoodie from Son of SnB, minus the stripe. I'm only on the hood (it's top down), so no pics yet. The reason it's minus the stripe is that Joe was DYING to get out of the yarn shop and go watch some stupid game, so he didn't want to pick out yarn for the stripe. So, no stripe for Joe!

FO: Central Park Hoodie

2009-09-27T14:08:00.006-05:00

Well, I finished this about a month ago, but my photographer, my made-up face, and the sun have rarely been in the same place lately. Even today the sun wasn't around, but we found a break in the downpours to get a couple shots in. Here's CPH, mostly done:

I say mostly because I need to put a zipper in it. I bought some cute toggle buttons from Joann's, but as you can see, it's a pretty "fitted" sweater. It is the exact size I intended it to be, but I somehow forgot that a cardigan needs to be a little bigger than your measurements to fit properly. Oh well. Once I find a good zipper, it will be a great wardrobe addition. I have my eye on some rust colored cords from Old Navy that will go PERFECTLY with it.
Stats are:
Pattern: Central Park Hoodie from Knitscene
Yarn: Needful Yarns London Tweed, Twilight Blue
Time to knit: forever!
Mods: added waist shaping
Likes/dislikes: I wish I had thought about sizing more carefully.

Meanwhile, as I languished over weaving in all the ends of CPH, Ishbel caught my eye. I had some Socks that Rock in the stash that I thought would work, and boy did it ever!

I love the color, and how it looks all webby and spooky, just in time for Halloween.
Stats:
Pattern: Ishbel
Yarn: Socks that Rock Medium, Lenore colorway
Time to knit: one week
Mods: none

I have also been SEWING for the first time in forever. Now before you judge what I made, please know that I keep our thermostat at 68 in the winter and that is just too cold for TV watching. So I made us snuggies!
Joe's is a Yankees Snuggie:

Mine is purple tye-dye clouds:

We LOVE them. They are so warm and comfy, and knitting is the perfect thing to do in one. My whole body, including arms, stays nice and toasty, and I don't have to sit on my hands to warm up anymore. I used this McCalls pattern that I got during a 99c sale, used coupons on all the fabric, bought the thread on sale, and the damn things still cost more than buying one. BUT, they don't make Yankees ones or purple tye-dye clouds ones, now do they?

Summer, Finally

2009-08-17T11:27:00.006-05:00

I feel like I am somehow responsible for the recent heat wave we’ve been having. Every time Joe and I plan a trip on the motorcycle, there is either a heat wave, a blizzard, or some biblical strength thunderstorm. This year was no different, although the destination was! I had never been to the Adirondacks, and it’s a favorite vacation spot for loads of people we know up here. Joe had been before when his kids were little, and there were some things he wanted to see again, and some things he didn’t get to see last time. Friday was his birthday, so we went out for all the foods he has been banned from eating because of his cholesterol. We split some hot wings, ribs, and a killer cheeseburger at the Adirondack Pub. Then we went out for ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s to complete the artery clogging. Fun stuff! On Saturday we took the Harley through the mountains to Fort Ticonderoga for some learning about stuff like war and history and really interesting blah blah blah blah. I was BORED out of my MIND until we got to this room:

OMG, YARN!

Well, sort of. There were all these spinning wheels, swifts, a giant weaving loom (and other stuff that I have no idea what it is) in this random room in the fort. I swear crafts get no respect, even back then. Every arrow head, bullet, and razor blade in the entire fort had a little placard explaining what it was and who it belonged to, but you get to the GOOD stuff, and there’s no placard, no explanation, nothing. Just a room filled with awesome and no description of what any of it is. Bitches.

Anyway, we went to a really posh dinner that night at The Inn at Erlowest. It was included in our hotel package, or we probably would have eaten somewhere else. It was fantastic though, and Joe got a kick of them bringing him a new fork or knife on a silver tray every time he used one. I guess licking the old one & putting it back is not proper etiquette. Who knew?! ;) Then we took a moonlight cruise on the Minne Ha Ha (also included with the hotel package), which was really fun. They had a band that played 80s rock, so I was in heaven. Here we are just after dinner (I am wearing 4" platform heels, plus craning my neck to get in the picture, lol):

Oh, I forgot to tell you; Saturday morning we went to the Yarn Angel in Glens Falls, and I picked up some souvenir sock yarn. It’s Mirasol Hacho, and I just love the colors! The shop was super cute & well stocked, and everyone was really friendly.

Sunday we headed home and stopped at the outlet mall on the way. We stuffed the saddle bags with Under Armour shirts for Joe because the deals were just TOO good to pass up. I was glad to break my weekend ‘routine’ for a change, and even though I’m dreading the credit card statement, it was really fun to get away for a couple days! My next post will be “FO: Central Park Hoodie,” so stay tuned!

How My Garden Grows

2009-07-16T11:53:00.005-05:00

I feel I should preface this post with the fact that I have a black thumb. I kill every plant that comes into our house within a week, and sometimes kill other people's plants that ask me to water them while they're away. So while my little container garden might not look like much, it is a HUGE improvement over my past attempts. First, though, let's have a little funeral for Mr. Tomato. He just couldn't survive the 27 straight days of rain we had, a.k.a. "June".

But his best buddy Basil is a rock star on my deck! I can't believe this is my plant. Basil must like to be forgotten and ignored:

My jalapeno is hanging in there. I have a few little flower buds that just might turn into peppers! Crossed fingers!

Then there's my herb garden. We have around a 50% success rate here. The sage & tarragon are doing great, but the cilantro looks like a random weed, and the rosemary is the same size it was a month ago. I don't use that much rosemary anyway. But the cilantro is a let down:

As for knitting, I finished something!! It's just socks, but they're the best things to knit in the summer, IMO. Look how much bigger my left foot is. Crazy!

The yarn is Malabrigo sock and the pattern is Knitty's Universal toe-up. I'm going to have to weigh the yarn to be sure, but I think I can make another complete pair of these with the leftover yarn. What a bargain!
Did everyone see the latest Harry Potter movie yet? We went last night (I wore my Hermione sweater! In July! Luckily it was only 70 degrees out, and the theater was freezing of course.) I have a BIG issue with a certain scene, but otherwise loved it. Don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I won't say what, but you'll know when you watch it.
Lastly, someone named Jen asked me a question on my last post, and I have to answer it here because blogger doesn't give me email addresses, so I couldn't write back to her. The question was:

So, why do you think gen x has brought knitting back into style?

I think that the women of the baby boomer generation had to prove that women are equal to men in ability, intelligence, etc, so crafts like knitting got set aside for a while. Now that a path is paved for us gen-x-ers in the equality arena, we have the luxury of exploring what our grandmothers' hobbies were rather than our grandfathers. Obviously this isn't an all-encompassing statement. I know plenty of baby boomers that knit, sew, cross stitch, and never stopped doing those things when they were "out of style," but in general is all I mean. The thing I love the most about the new generation of knitters is that there is no stereotype for the new knitter. Some of us are career women, some are stay at home moms, some are yuppies, some are hippies. There's no way to spot us in a crowd unless we're wearing our awesome hand knits!

Farmer's Market

2009-06-29T09:35:00.008-05:00

Well, the surgery went fine, my recovery went fine, my scar seems to be healing nicely, and Joe & I have finally resumed our nightly walks, so I'm in a much better mood than I was a week ago. I was pretty gloomy last week because I couldn't walk or stand for very long, plus the freakin weather around here was like the dementors were looming or something. Friday was great though; the sun came out, I got to take off work and go to the GHO (as we call it around here), and I got to do lots of walking around the golf course. We had terrible storms Friday night though, and lost power for 8 hours. I taped the refrigerator door shut as soon as the power went, so all the food was totally fine, and we didn't have any other damage in our neighborhood, unlike the town next to us! Saturday was errand day, but Sunday was the Farmer's Market! This was the best one I've been to yet. I finished my market bag last week during the doom & gloom and filled that sucker up yesterday:
That giant green thing coming out of the top is a head of garlic with the tops attached! I had never seen this before, so I totally fell for that one. I also got the first corn of the season, bread from the baker dude, goat cheese from the goat people, and some sugar snap peas.
I got Rocco a little catnip fishy at the pet stand:

He likes it, but it's not nearly as exciting as watching the little black kitty that wanders around our neighborhood:

I wonder what he would have thought of this little one:

She (he?) was only 4 days old and SO cute! I had a feeling I might see Kris there, and I did! I am officially hooked and I have now convinced Joe to take me there on the motorcycle next weekend. It didn't take much convincing; It's Brew Fest next week! Free beer samples!

It's Back!

2009-06-10T09:49:00.003-05:00

The knitting mojo that is! It came back just in time too. I have to have surgery today to have some skin cancer removed from my leg, so I'll be off my feet for a while. Hopefully knitting will keep me sane through my down time! I'm particularly bummed about the surgery this time (I had the same procedure done around Thanksgiving last year) because I've recently become obsessed with Jillian Michaels workout Dvd's. I LOVE them. They are pure torture, but very effective. I also read her weight loss books, and while I'm not doing everything she suggests, I have removed a few things from my diet that I didn't even realize were bad, and I've learned what kinds of food combinations work best for me. So, to do all this work only to find out that I won't be able to continue doing it is really pissing me off. Plus, if I keep needing to have these melanomas removed, I'm going to look like Edward Scissorhands' abused girlfriend. Public service announcement for the day: MAKE your kids wear sunscreen!

So anyway, back to the knitting. I started crocheting a market bag last week out of some CotLin I got from WEBS last year, and it's done except for the straps:

I dug Central Park Hoodie out from under the couch last night and knit about 4" on the back, realized I made too much ribbing, frogged & then reknit the 4" of work. Not bad for one night!

One last thing I have to tell you guys about is my new blender:

It's the Bella Cucina Rocket Blender, and it is amazing. I make these awesome smoothies every morning, it grinds coffee, parmesan cheese, spices, pretty much anything! And I made Joe a margarita last night with it when he had a rough day at work. Perked him right up! Have a great week everybody!

Updates

2009-05-19T12:47:00.005-05:00

Hi there! Let's catch up, shall we? When Joe & I were in Tampa, we walked just about everywhere. When we got home, we started walking after dinner every night & gradually started walking into the center of town every night (4 miles round trip!). Then we turned it into walking to run our errands (library, CVS, jug of milk, etc.). While this is great exercise & all, it completely drains my ambition for anything else besides TV or reading afterward, so there has been no (and I mean NO) knitting since then. Not even mindless sock knitting or anything. Meanwhile, we've been on a couple adventures. We went on our usual spring ride for the Children's Hospital:

Isn't he cute? This year had around 2500 bikes & was a great time. And, bonus, they reached the fund raising goal! Sewing Hog Wild was there as always:

The following weekend, we went to Maryland Sheep & Wool and a NASCAR race!

Our guys didn't win, but we still had fun! Oh, yeah, the haul from MDSW; Some Brooks Farm Four Play:

And some Aussi Soxxi:

I made my Hermione sweater out of Aussi worsted, so I figured I'd give their sock yarn a shot. And when I bought that Four Play, it was teal. Why it's navy blue in Connecticut and teal in Maryland, I have no idea. Good thing I like navy, I guess! I actually tried to buy some Tess yarn, but they only had one skein of the color I had my eye on. Oh well, their loss. I have been petting the Four Play a lot, so hopefully it will inspire me to dust off the needles soon!

Tampa!

2009-03-31T13:23:00.004-05:00

I had pretty much had it with the cruel joke that is Spring in Connecticut, so I had to convince Joe to take me somewhere warm. We just finished paying a HUGE, annoying debt, so we decided to take that first payment off and go away for a long weekend. The Yankees training camp is held in Tampa, FL, so I knew I could lure Joe down there for sure. We went down Friday morning and had a fantastic lunch at J. Alexander's, and went to Whiskey Joe's for fish tacos and cheap beer for dinner (SO GOOD!). And we caught a game that night:

Richard Gere threw out the first pitch (that's him in the dark jacket near the mound) & it was hilarious to listen to all the swoons and giggles coming from the crowd! Then Saturday we went to Busch Gardens for the day and went to a place called Skipper's for dinner. I had my first gator nuggets (tastes like chicken!), and some awesome Florida stone crabs. We also had their key lime pie and damn near licked the plate, it was so good.
Sunday morning, it was raining, so we slept in and had granola bars from the vending machine for breakfast & headed out for the stadium around 11:30 after it stopped raining. It was only 2 miles from our hotel, so we walked to & from there. Half way there, we got a little residual rain cloud overhead, so we ducked into Subway to escape it. They had such a good deal on their subs (some of their footlongs were only $4 instead of $5), that we decided to just eat there & save ourselves a cool $50 on ballpark food. We had GREAT seats that day:

Seats that close at Yankee Stadium would have been at least $300 apiece, and ours were around $30 each. So, IMO, definitely worth it to go to Tampa to Yankee games! We went to Oystercatchers that night for dinner & had such an amazing meal & even more amazing view:

Everything we had there was simply grilled, perfectly seasoned, and really healthy and light. I was so impressed with the all restaurants we ate at, Oystercatchers especially, because of all the healthy options for Joe (and me), and how MOST of the menu was that way.

All in all, it was a really fun trip and we are ready to go back NOW!

Darn Pretty

2009-03-13T16:05:00.004-05:00

Well, Joe LOVED the kitchen. He took a minute trying to figure out what the heck happened, but he finally caught on. He even surprised me with a dozen roses the next day! Little did he know, I had already rewarded myself for a job well done. Somebody's got to stimulate the economy; might as well be me, right? I decided I would finally let myself get some of those Darn Pretty Needles by Grafton Fibers. They are sooooo expensive normally but they were having a great sale on their Bubblegum Stripe sets, so I got a couple to try them out. It took me about 5 seconds to decide that I wanted more. I instantly got inspired to finish my socks made with Lorna's Laces in Black Purl:

And I had a gift certificate to Creative Fibers that I needed to use, so I got some of their newly-in-stock Malabrigo Sock yarn. Between the Malabrigo and the DPNs, I am in sock heaven!

I did end up getting more sets of the Darn Pretty's, especially since they came out with size 2.5. If you you use wood dpns at all, I would highly recommend trying these out. They are so smooth and velvety, they don't hurt my wrists when I work with them, and since they're only 5 inches long, they don't snag at the sleeve of whatever I'm wearing while I'm knitting. And they're on sale! How can you resist? ;)

Home Alone

2009-02-25T11:29:00.004-05:00

Joe's annual conference in Vegas was this week, so Rocco & I were left to our own devices for the last few days. Typically I have a sewing marathon or a knitting marathon or just plain girly time, but this year I am on a home improvement kick. Just before he left, I saw a commercial for Lowes Creative Ideas magazine, so I went to their website to subscribe (it's free, so why not). One of the ideas on the site was to update your kitchen cabinet hardware & paint your cabinets for an updated look. My cabinets are already painted, but the hardware was definitely questionable (I didn't remember to take a before shot until I was a little bit into the project, but you get the idea):

So, $100 later, I came home to install my new hardware. OF COURSE the holes from the new hardware didn't line up with the holes from the old hardware, so I had to drill new holes, spackle & paint the old holes, and while I was at it, touch up paint the nicks & scrapes that suddenly became painfully obvious. But since I had nothing else to do all weekend, I didn't mind too much. I think it looks WAY better this way:

These pics were taken with my cell phone at night, so sorry if they're blurry. A shot of my prized jade-ite chicken:

Rocco was pretty pissed that my lap wasn't as available as usual, and my knitting productivity was nil this week, but I think it's worth it. I can't wait to see Joe's reaction when he comes home tonight!

Holy Crap, I Finished Something

2009-02-17T09:57:00.002-05:00

So after I finished the lace edged hat, my knitting mojo completely left me. I had no desire to finish CPH and even less desire to start something else. My sewing mojo left around the same time as well. The only thing I've been doing really is reading cholesterol books. Fun! So, this weekend I got the cleaning bug & I've been wanting to get the serger off the dining room table for a while because it really bothers me when it's there & I'm not using it. Before I could do that, I had to finish Joe's robe. All I had left were the stupid pockets, so I went for it.

I was even distracted enough to embroider his monogram like he wanted:

I figure it's close enough to Valentine's day to count as a present, and since he sent me this very yummy, very expensive fruit arrangement, I figured I owed him:

After I finished the robe, the cleaning bug totally left & I actually felt like knitting again! I started the back of CPH & got about an inch or so done last night. I'm so glad the mojo's back!

Progress Report

2009-01-23T10:33:00.007-05:00

It's been a rough few weeks, but i am ALMOST caught up on blogs. I had them down to 18 unread, but then I worked on the house all weekend last week, and it went back up to over 100. Sigh.

On the weight loss front, I lost 4lbs! I was doing OK on the diet part, but not so great on the exercise part. But all that changed this past Monday. Joe got a bad report card from his Dr. on his cholesterol. It's 282, which isn't horrible, but his good cholesterol is way too low, and his bad cholesterol is way too high. So major changes are going on in our house. He & I re-joined the gym & have been going every night, I am cooking or preparing everything that goes into his mouth, and eating out is back to every two weeks. The restaurants we like cook pretty healthy food, but I just don't want to chance it. I have him on 300mg or less of cholesterol per day and 16-20g of saturated fat. So one tablespoon of accidental butter could throw off his whole day. He's also having to take his coffee black now and he is NOT happy about it.

But it's not all doom and gloom at our house; we got a new TV!

It's a samsung 52" 650 something. Obviously, we haven't upgraded our sound system yet (I guess it says a lot about Sony sound systems though, as that's my old stereo from 1990 & it still works), but we're working on picking one out.

In knitting news, I'm done with CPH's sleeves & fronts & plan to start the back this weekend. I also made a chemo cap for a friend's MIL:

It's Lace Edged Women's Hat (free Ravelry download!). I used one ball of Zara that I had in the stash & I think it came out pretty cute!

In sewing news, I made a new cover for the ottoman at the foot of our bed, but the fabric was really floppy & slippery, so it didn't come out so perfect. I'm done with Joe's robe except for his monogram, but I need to whip out the manual for that. After that's done, I'll tackle the mending pile, and I don't really have any solid plans after that. Well, that's all for now!

Christmas Vacation

2009-01-04T16:44:00.011-05:00

I took a little internet break this holiday season in addition to my work vacation. I still get email and facebook updates on the Blackberry, but I have been blog and ravelry free since the 23rd or so. As punishment, I have 432 unread blog posts, but I'll tackle them during this afternoon's playoff game and tomorrow's down time at work. I have a LOT to show and tell you guys though! I got Joe to model his Anniversary sweater (Don't feel sorry for him; It only snowed 12 inches that day!):

I made some Christmas presents:

I got some Christmas presents:

And I started a couple new projects:
Central Park Hoodie for me:

McCall's 4244 for Joe:

I'm still working on my pirate themed socks, but my size 2's got splinters, so I'm contemplating which needles to try next. The finalists are Darn Pretty Needles and Knitpicks harmony's. I got a gift card to Creative Fibers in the office Secret Santa, so I might see if they can get the Darn Pretty's as a special order. My criteria for dpn's are flexible, slippery, and short (under 6"). My absolute favorites are Bryspuns, but I've yet to find the size 2's in the short length.

One project that is a priority this year is my increasing ass size. I gained TEN pounds since our Aruba trip in November (I currently think it's funny; we'll see how long that lasts), so I'm on grilled chicken salad for lunch and one hour of exercise every day until it's gone. In my defense, I was on light duty/no workouts for 2 weeks due to surgery on my legs, but that's really no excuse. I just fell off the wagon big time.

Our annual trip to VA on Christmas day went well as usual. We were able to stop in Arlington this year since Aimee is a new mom & stayed home this year, which suited us perfectly. This allowed us to avoid the family for a good 3 hours! And with all the in fighting going on this year, that was a GOOD thing. My mom was crazy as usual & I forgot to photograph it, but I did manage to finish her annual knitted giftie (Socks made with Spunky Eclectic yarn). As some of you know, if she had it her way, I would knit exclusively for her 24/7. But, sadly, I have a JOB so I am unable to do so, and she "only" gets a couple things a year. She actually said she had been cursing Aimee's baby thinking that he was getting all the knitted goodness this year. Who the eff would curse a little baby? My mother, that's who. Although, Hewen DID get the best gift this year:

So cute. Hee hee.

Back In NYC

2008-12-15T11:07:00.002-05:00

Joe & I took our annual trip to NYC last week, but work's been so crazy, I haven't had time to tell you guys about it! We always stalk the Waldorf Astoria in hopes of spotting Nascar drivers walking around before their annual ceremony, but this year we only saw some executives and the Sprint Cup trophy:

Then we headed over to Bloomingdale's and Serendipity 3. This is the first year ever we have been able to get a table at Serendipity (yes, I know it's probably because of the bad health department scores). We had the famous frrrrozen hot chocolate & Joe had some seriously rich apple pie. His pie was only $7 or something, and they have a $8.50 minimum per person, so he had to get some over the top coffee thing to bump up his bill. Conclusion: Probably never going back. While pretty, it was way overpriced & so sweet we couldn't eat/drink hardly any of it.

Next stop, ToysRUs. I love all the Lego sculptures. Here's King Kong attacking the Empire State building in Lego:

Then, we were off to the garment district! I was tempted to do a "stupefy" pose with this guy, but there was too much foot traffic near him & I didn't have my wand handy. hee hee.

I got some purple corduroy from Mood, and a couple zippers from one of the trimming stores (not MJ).

I was hoping to find some awesome knit prints at either Mood or Spandex World, but everything seemed to be neon pink or green. WTF? Is Broadway putting on some 80s play that I don't know about?

Houston, we have a baby!

2008-11-26T19:43:00.006-05:00

Aimee had her baby! It's a beautiful little boy named Hewen Joseph, and he is so cute! He's not really named after my Joe, but he's telling everyone that he is. lol. Check him out:

Recognize a certain monkey in that picture? Don't they look like best buds already? Too cute! I must admit, I got a little weepy when I saw the picture of the monkey with the baby. It's a huge honor to make it into the hospital bag!

So, tomorrow's my birthday, and being the spoiled brat that I am, I already know what I'm getting. My parents always send money, so I bought some yarn for a Central Park Hoodie from Elann with their check:

I have recently been accused of buying yarn based on the color name, and this time it's absolutely true. It's Twilight Blue. Yes, my name is Jenny and I'm a Twilight-aholic. Or a Twi-hard if you prefer that term. hee hee.

Joe got me one of those new Blackberry's from Verizon, but they apparently don't care that it's my birthday tomorrow because it didn't get here yet. :( Oh well, looking at the picture of it is ALMOST as good:

NOT.

Back from Aruba!

2008-11-19T19:05:00.006-05:00

We got back Sunday from our annual Aruba trip. What a huge bummer it was to come back to 35 degree weather! The 50 degree climate change has done my sinuses no good, I tell you. Before we left, we exchanged our anniversary gifts. Since this is our second, or 'cotton' anniversary, we gave each other cotton gifts. He got the sweater & he got me all this:

The Sew U knits book! Also, this awesome apron pattern from Sew liberated:

And, the (cotton) fabric to make the apron with:

That is one side, this will be the other, the plain brown will be the straps:

I love that it's reversible! That way, I can switch it around to match what I'm wearing.

Aruba was so great. We mostly relaxed at the beach and went shopping, except for one day of atv-ing in the desert and one early morning fishing trip. The week went by too fast, as usual. Now it's back to reality, Blah.

I think the mojo's back

2008-11-05T11:53:00.006-05:00

Hi there! Sorry for the radio silence, but I haven't finished anything in a while, so I didn't feel like I had anything "blogworthy." But I do now! I finished Joe's anniversary sweater! And our anniversary isn't until next week!

And by finished, I mean finished knitting. It still needs blocking & some of the ends woven in, but I'm counting it as done. What a beast this thing was. All those cables! Joe's commute has been particulary brutal the last few days because of daylight savings (people forgetting how to drive in the dark), so I've actually had a bit of sewing time for a change! Last night I got started on a bikini bottom (FYI, that's the waistband and the bottoms that need to be sewn together, not the top & bottom of the suit):

And the night before that, I got the better part of the top to match these done:

Our annual Aruba trip is coming up, so these will definitely come in handy if I can get them done in time. In other news, I finished my first pair of Socks that Rock a few weeks ago:

These are the ones I started on the flight down to Aruba last year, then lost for a while, then pretty much forgot about. To celebrate their completion (and to give myself a little head start on my airplane knitting), I started two more socks:

The left ones are STR Silkie in Pirate's Booty, and the ones on the right are Lorna's Laces Black Purl. I guess I'm feeling piratey lately!

Rhinebeck 08

2008-10-20T12:00:00.010-05:00

I'm sure there's a zillion blog posts titled that, or some variation of that, today. Joe & I had planned on going to the festival on the Harley, but after doing a last minute weather check, voted against it. What a good call that was because it was COLD on Saturday! We were chilly just walking around the fairgrounds! It would have been a beautiful ride on the bike, but it was just as beautiful from my heated seat. ;) Case in point:

Is that not gorgeous? The yarn was just as awesome, but I stuck to an old favorite, Socks that Rock:
That one is the new Lenore colorway. It's really a deep purpley black, but it's impossible to photograph inside & get those good purple bits. The next one is Puck's Mischief. Love the name; love the colors; there was no way I wasn't getting this one:

I saw this little sock monkey hanging around the yarn and got the pattern to make him:

Joe turned out to be especially handy at the Fold. There was a longer line to pay than to peek at the time I hit the booth, so he got in line to pay while I peeked.
Then I got some Addi sock needles & some ebony sock needles (only $16! what a deal!) and a shawl pin in the barns:

I have no clue where I got the needles, but the shawl pin is from Moving Mud. It's holding my Clapotis on my shoulders as I type. It was such a great day, and the chilly weather finally gave me a chance to wear my Hermione sweater among 'my people'. And, since I have no where else to wear it this fall, I was happy to get it out of the house for a while.

Baby Shower Time Already?

2008-10-06T10:48:00.005-05:00

I had a nice pace going for Aimee's shower gifts. I worked on them a few at a time over the last few months, and had most of them done by last week. I finished her little monkey:

More pics here, here, and here.
Then I made the mistake of peeking around on Ravelry at baby sacks. I saw this adorable one from Boho Baby Knits and HAD to make it. I only had 4 days left, so I had to hustle. Of course, time got away from me & I was still weaving in ends on the plane ride down to DC, but I got it done:

I love the insides:

Her MIL is a knitter and sewer too & we had a little friendly competition going on over who would make the most things. I conceded when she whipped out this quilt:

The fabric is mostly monkey themed & it is really nice. She also made everything knitting related out of her own handspun, hand dyed yarn, so I was toast. I think I did pretty good anyway! The nursing aprons went over really well for sure.

Nom Fest!

2008-09-25T09:28:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love this time of year. There is a fair or festival every weekend straight through to Halloween up here in charming New England. The kickoff for us is the Big E. It's basically a state fair, but all of the New England states participate, so it is HUGE. Joe and I love to go & look at all the crazy gadgets, wonder mops, window washer tool kits, and this year's biggest gimmick, the Sham Wow:

We didn't get one, in case you're wondering. I was hoping to meet the guy with the wonky eye that's in the commercial, but he wasn't around. Oh, well. Then we headed to what we call "Nom Row." We pigged OUT on corn dogs, london broil sandwich, sausage sandwich, boneless chicken wings, apple fritters, and my favorite thing there, the millenium chips:

We had turkey leg and fried pickle envy, but were too stuffed to get any. Hopefully the Apple Harvest Festival will have some this weekend. As we were just licking the powdered sugar off our fingers from the apple fritters, we heard a guy on a loud speaker saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for TIFFANY!!"

OMG, I freaked out. I LOVED her when I was in middle school and would always stick up for her in a Debbie Gibson/Tiffany argument among my friends. Us redheads have to stick together, you know. I only made Joe stay for a couple songs, but we could hear her from the street while we were stuck in traffic on the way home. So awesome.

In Which I Blatantly Copy Karen

2008-09-20T17:15:00.010-05:00

I saw some yummy looking home made salsa on Karen's blog the other day & figured I'd give it a try. The company I work for leases some of our undeveloped land to farmers each year and we employees have been tomato "poaching" all summer. (We don't really steal them, we ask the farmers nicely if we can have some and they always say yes.) So Friday I went out for the last chance tomatoes of the season & found a whole section of romas that I swear hadn't been there before. Maybe they just weren't ripe yet. Anyway! I turned this:

Into this:

And this:

I did extensive research on the subject of canning tomatoes on the internet & boy, it is serious business. You have to follow strict guidelines & safety precautions or you could get very sick or even DIE from eating bad canning. I was nervous to try it, but I sucked it up & went for it. Turns out, it is really easy and the 'precautions' are basically to add lemon juice to each jar of tomatoes. So for the tomatoes I just did tomatoes, a little water, one tablespoon of lemon juice and a half teaspoon of salt and boiled the jars for 40 minutes. For the salsa, I followed the same recipe Karen did, but I made a couple mods. Now, making mods of canning recipes is strictly forbidden unless you follow a few simple rules (see page 3 of this pdf), which I did. I used 1.5 cups of jalapenos and 1 cup of green pepper to make it a little hotter, omitted the sugar, and added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each jar. I also added 1/2 cup of cilantro near the end of the cooking. I wasn't sure what kind of vinegar to use since it doesn't specify, so I used white. Next time I'll use cider vinegar though because I like the flavor of it better in general. It was a lot of work, but when you hear those jar lids seal one by one, there is no greater feeling of satisfaction.

In other Karen-like news, I too saw a turtle on my daily walk (she saw hers on her run, but I don't go that speed). I have to say my turtle sighting was a little scarier than hers because this thing is A. huge, B. covered in pond scum, and C. I think it's a snapping turtle. I thought it was a dinosaur or something at first. It scared the CRAP out of me because I see it every night swimming in the pond at the park, but it suddenly decided to cross the street to get to the creek right when I was walking that way. I don't know if you can tell from the picture but this thing is almost the size of a car tire!

OK, I'm done ripping off Karen's blog fodder. I'll try to be original next time! ;)

Monkey Parts

2008-09-11T14:46:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure if I mentioned that Aimee's nursery theme is monkeys. Ever since I saw her registry, I have been obsessed with all things monkey. I saw the crocheted one on Pam's website, and knew it must be made. The website that the pattern is on has all kinds of copywright warnings, and I'm not sure if I am even allowed to link to it, so here is the Ravelry link.
My progress:

So, most of the easy part is done. Now comes the stuffing. Ugh.

New Toy!

2008-09-07T20:04:00.006-05:00

I know I have said before that I won the mother-in-law lottery, but I have to say it again. Look what she gave me this weekend!!

It's a Husqvarna Viking embroidery machine that does pretty much everything except for the dishes. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, she just wanted the new fancy pants model that's out now, so she went for the upgrade. I am not all that into embroidery, but the thing sews a straight line of stitches, which is way more than my old machine does. ;) I'm going to play with it a little more, but I'm pretty sure my old machine is getting donated to the girl at work that desperately wants a machine but can't afford one. I of course got right to work making more baby gifts for Aimee. This time I made a baby sling from this pattern:

If you look in the next picture, you can sort-of see my model is a giant tub of pretzels:

Joe had a light bulb moment here & decided he wants me to make him a baby sling FOR his giant tub of pretzels. In camo fabric. Help me.

More Baby Stuff

2008-09-03T10:29:00.006-05:00

OK, nobody panic. I realize this is post #2 in as many days. Joe is out of town. I'm bored, OK? I finished two more pressies for Aimee last night. These are nursing covers or nursing aprons, whatever you want to call them.
In a Michael Miller print:

And an Amy Butler print (love this one):

They have boning in the top hem of them so you can see the baby when you're nursing, but no one else can. Here's that view; you can just see Scarlet's black bra here:

ETA: The pattern for these can be found here and they are a knockoff of these, if you just want to buy a finished one.
I thought about having the monkey demonstrate how they're used, but that might have been a little weird. Speaking of a little weird, this is how I found Rocco when I got out of the shower this morning:

He's a special boy, for sure.

Baby (gift) Making

2008-09-02T14:39:00.002-05:00

I had planned to make my friend Aimee some baby stuff this weekend, but I didn't get anywhere near done what I wanted to. Joe has some unidentified elbow pain that he is trying to self heal (God forbid we see a doctor; they might say to stop weight lifting). Anyway, he's trying the Advil and heating pad method for now, and he was commenting that it would be nice if I could make a cover for the heating pad since ours went missing. I had the burp cloth fabric all washed and everything, so I cut Joe a couple rectangles along with the burp cloths & made him a little cover:

I had to hand sew the heat resistant snaps in place, so I better be getting a prize or something for this. ;)
And, I even had the energy to whip up the burp cloths:

I have a couple other things that I made that should be true FO's by the end of the night that I can show tomorrow. Joe is in Charlotte for District Manager assessment interviews, so when he comes back, we might be moving to San Diego! We'll know more soon, so I'll keep you posted!

Secret Projects

2008-08-27T12:08:00.004-05:00

I never post about secret projects until I can show them because I HATE when people say, "I have a secret project I'm working on, but I can't show you for 3 months." Why do people do that to me? Don't they know I hate suspense? I'm the person that refused to read any Harry Potter books until the last one was published long enough to be readily available at the library. I was not willing to wait even a week to find out what happens next, forget about years.

Anyway, back to the secret knitting. After many years of practicing (wink, wink), Paula from my SnB is having a baby! Yay!! A few of us got together last night to shower her with all kinds of yummy handmade goodies. Here's my contribution to the loot:

It's a Jasper's Pucksack, aka Baby Kicking Bag. I, of course, didn't know about the "aka" part until last night when Paula opened Audrey's gift and it was the same exact pattern. Heh, heh. I'm a little slow.
Obligatory monkey shots:

At least I was original with one thing--I was the only one who made her Nine Inch Nails onesies!

The yarn on the baby sack is Happy Feet by Plymouth (I love the crazy zig zags it made!), and the onesies are just Gerber Organics with a homemade iron-on made from a Googled image. I'm sure there's some copywright violation involved somehow, but I didn't earn any money from them, just big smiles from Paula. :)

On another note, I got Custom Knits in the mail the other day, and am having the hardest time picking out what to make first. I like all of the patterns, and LOVE most of them. Any suggestions?

FO: Twilight Mitts

2008-08-25T09:34:00.003-05:00

Check it out! I'm a gold medalist in Colorwork Cross-country!

My Ravelympics project was the Winter Twilight Mitts from Knitting Daily. I had some yummy purple Koigu in the stash for the purple parts, but had to track down some good solid black sock yarn for the "trees" parts. I found some Jawoll at Creative Fibers on my lunch hour one day and decided to give it a try. I'm officially a fan. It has this little spool of matching reinforcement thread inside the skein for heels & toes. Too cool! I didn't need it for this project, but it's good to know for the future. Oh, right, you want to see the FO:

The pose is a copy of the Twilight book cover, in case you don't get the reference.
The front view:

You can kind of see that one is slightly longer than the other. I didn't knit any extra rows, just kind of knit a little more loosely on the second mitt, so now I have one that's slightly bigger than the other. I don't mind. I'll use that one on my right hand so I have more dexterity on that side.

By the way, I have a cute story for you guys. A few months ago, the weather was changing, which made my sinuses go crazy. I was out fabric shopping, and I stopped to get some Sudafed so my brain wouldn't implode. I just threw the Sudafed in a bag with my fabric purchases and didn't think about it again -- until last week. I woke up with a pounding headache and could not get out of bed to get myself anything to help it. I asked Joe to get up & get it for me & had to try to explain where I thought the Sudafed might be. After the 7th (!!) bag, he finally found it, but it was too late; my fabric stash was totally exposed. I have a feeling some sort of motorcycle parts purchase is in my future now so he can get even with me. ;)

Playing Catch Up

2008-08-18T09:32:00.007-05:00

Hi there! I was going to wait to make a new post when I had a new FO to show, but since there are none, I figured I'd post what I've been up to in the meantime. I entered the Ravelympics on Team Twilight with the Twilight Mitts from Knitting Daily. Here's how much I have so far:

I have also been working on the ever-exciting stockinette in the round Salina, when I can stand it:

That's about it in knitting news. My sewing mojo has taken a hiatus for some reason, so nothing at all to show there.

In other news, Joe & I went to Virginia last weekend for my mom's 60th birthday *surprise* party. She was surprised to see everyone she knew, as she thought she was just going to a casual cookout at a friend's house. HOWEVER, when she saw Joe and me, she SCREEEEEAAAAAAAMMMED bloody murder! She screamed for like 15 seconds solid. This gave her a migrane & she had to go lay down. So, no more surprise visits from Joe & Jenny. Next time, we'll warn her. Here we are when it was still funny:

For her gift, I made her a little hat that she saw at MD S&W that she had a fit over:
We stayed a couple days more in VA and then came home for Joe's birthday on Thursday. I got him Kid Rock/Lynyrd Skynyrd concert tickets, so he was a happy boy! Then on Friday we went to Cape Cod & Martha's Vineyard for the weekend. We had the motorcycle trip from HELL on Friday getting there (thanks a LOT, weatherman! "isolated" thunderstorms? for 4 hours straight? HA!) But once we were there, we had a really nice time. I loved the little gingerbread house village on MV:

So cute! And, we both LOVED Nancy's clam shack in Oak Bluffs:

I took this picture so we could remember where to go next time we're there. So, I am sufficiently tired and sore from riding the Harley for 3 days straight and just might take a nap under my desk if no one is looking. ;)
Other than the Kid Rock concert, I have no plans for the next 3 weekends, so I should have some sewing time coming up. I'm dying to finish my purple swimsuit top, as I have it all cut out & ready, but have had zero time to do anything with it. Stay tuned!

FO: Lacy Little Top

2008-07-30T09:55:00.003-05:00

So, how cute is this?

I LOVE this top & am so grateful that Robin got sick of knitting it! I was thinking about knitting this one for a long time, and am so glad I did. Plus, I didn't have to do the lace part, so bonus!
The details:
Pattern: Lacy Little Top
Yarn: Elann Canapone
Needles: KP Harmony 4's
Size: 32
Mods: I despise I-cord, so I did my crochet chain method for the tie. (chain the length of the desired cord + 10%. Then slip stitch into the 'butt' of each chain)
Thoughts: I was sooooo nervous the hemp wouldn't block out at first, but it was all for naught. I pulled and tugged and pinned it into submission & It fits great!

80s Meme

2008-07-27T11:43:00.006-05:00

Before we get to the fun part, Lacy Little Top is blocking! Can't wait to try it on!

OK, I saw the coolest meme ever on Robin's blog Friday, and I had to steal it & join the fun. It's a show your 80's hair photos and answer some 80's questions meme. Awesome!! Warning: High Hair Ahead!!

Peg your Z.Cavarricis, clutch that industrial size can of Aqua Net, and raise that lighter to the tune of a power ballad. Gnarley! We are going 80s today, people! Show us your 80s hair!

Here are the rules:
1.Expand on the questions as much as you can. It makes it more fun for the rest of us.
2.Show us your hair, whether it be preppy or skyscraper bangs. Post some photos and make it fun. We promise not to laugh, we have them too!
3. If you get the meme from a blog, leave a comment on that person's blog so they can see your responses.
4. Post links to any videos from www.youtube.com to your blog that help you and your readers to relive the 80s.
5. Party like it's 1999.

We are so stoked to see your responses.
Post your 80s hair here!

OK, here's the pictures:
This one is of me & my dad & oldest brother. The point of showing it is the outfit. Bon Jour shirt from Lerner NY and Jordache jeans. I wore this outfit at least once a week for 3 years straight:

This one is of my surprise 16th birthday party. I never had a steady boyfriend until 12th grade, so this is just the 'flavor of the month' as my friends called him. Check out those pants! And, I was dating a guy with a mustache at 16? WTF?

This is my sophomore year prom date (he was a Junior; we just went as friends). What is WITH the hair?

The next two are my senior pictures. You could take one or two poses with your friends, and one with those awesome velvet drapes and pearls. I can't find the one with my friends, but here's the one my high school sweetie took with me:

He was my longest HS relationship. We dated my senior year, and the following year which was his senior year. Then he went off to college and that was that. We're the same age, but I was an early kindergartener at 4 and he went when he was 5.
Now for the drapes pose:

So serious!
Then, I committed the biggest big hair sin ever... Glamour Shots!! I have no clue what got on my picture here & I clearly need to dust my scanner glass:

After this picture was taken, I grew out the bangs and stopped getting the semi-annual perms. I've been straight ever since. Thank GOD!!

Here are the questions:

1. Preppy or Rocker
Rocker all the way. I have NEVER owned penny loafers and don't ever plan to.

2. Z Cavarricis or Guess Jeans and Espirit or Benetton?
Wha????? We wore Jordache acid washed jeans with the zips at the bottom or we didn't bother going to school.

2. Favorite Pop song of the 80s
Probably 'Livin on a Prayer' by Bon Jovi

3. Most Annoying Pop song of the 80s
'Mickey' by Toni Basil. Annoying but damn, it's catchy!

4. Hair Metal or Heavy Metal- Who was your favorite performer and favorite song?
Hair metal. Did you SEE those pictures??? I liked Jon Bon Jovi & Kip Winger the most.

5. What posters were on your bedroom wall or college dorm room?
I had every single surface of my room plastered with hair metal band posters and pictures. I had a Bon Jovi wall, a Poison wall, an Aerosmith Wall, a misc. wall, and Kip Winger on the ceiling above my bed. Sick, right?

6. What concerts do you remember most from the 80s?
My first was Stryper with my very religious brother, but I went to a Poison/Cinderella concert a few weeks later. I still go see those guys whenever they come through my city. They rock!!

7. Favorite 80s movies
Dirty Dancing. I was one of those people that saw it like 19 times in the theater.

8. Favorite 80s movie quotes
Oh, jeez. There are too many great ones.

9. Top 3 most memorable pop culture moments of the 80s for you.
Hands Across America
Challenger explosion
Berlin Wall

10. Favorite 80s cartoon
He-Man, Smurfs, and Strawberry Shortcake

11. Favorite 80s commercials
I have to go with the classic "Where's the beef?" Wendy's commercial

12. Boy George or Wham?
Wham, definitely.

13. Favorite one-hit wonder
Not sure this counts since they didn't have THAT big of a hit, but I'll say Steelheart with 'Never Let You Go.' Youtube says it's copywright 1990, but I was still in the 80's until 1993 at least.

14. INXS or Depeche Mode
INXS. Michael Hutchence was sooooo hot.

15. Poison or Warrant
Poison. No, Warrant. No, Poison. OK, both.

16. Did you ever meet a rocker or 80's pop icon? Where were you?
I met Alice Cooper when I was working in a movie theater when I was in college. He didn't have any makeup on, so I had to blink a few times for it to register who he was. I said, "Are you....?" and he said, "Yes." I said, "$5.50, please."

17. Snap bracelets or Jelly bracelets?
Jellies. Hundreds of them.

18. Fess up. Who had the garden weasel bangs? Did you ever measure your wall o' Aqua Net love?
We all did. The bigger the better.

19. Favorite 80s sitcom
Growing Pains. Kirk Cameron had a spot on the miscellaneous wall.

20. Is Jon Bon Jovi still hot or what?
OMG, YES!!!

21. "Double Dare" or "You Can't Do That on Television"
Double Dare. Good stuff.

22. Who was your favorite Brat Packer?
Molly Ringwald. I could totally relate to her in so many ways.

23. Jellies or Reebok Pumps
Neither, really. I did have a pair of electric purple Reebok high tops, though. Does that count?

24. Favorite pizza parlor arcade game
Miss Pac Man. But I never was that good. Kiss pinball was pretty cool too.

25. Deep South "Good 'ol Boys" or "L.A. underground vigilantes wanted for a crime they didn't commit"
Dukes all the way, baby! I never missed a single episode.

Yay! Presents!

2008-07-22T13:06:00.006-05:00

The other day Robin, of Yarn Crawl fame, asked me if I would like a sweater she was half-done knitting because she couldn't take the hemp yarn anymore. I completely understand her frustration with the stuff; it can really be rough to work with. But I LOVE the sweater she was working on and I also don't mind the hemp so much, so I was happy to release her from her UFO prison. Here's what she sent me; she totally did the hard part for me:

And a little BONUS hemp!

Love the green! I have no idea which of their tops I am going to make with it.... There are so many patterns to pick from & I can't decide! But anyway, back to Lacy Little Top, I haven't been able to keep my hands off it since it arrived, and am just about done:

It looks like it should fit a 12 year old, but I know that hemp will block to whatever I tell it to block to, so I'm not too worried. Thanks again, Robin! Can you tell I like it? ;)

p.s. Have you guys read Twilight? I'm reading it now & WOW. It's billed as teen lit, but like Harry Potter, adults get just as sucked in. Can't wait for the movie this Christmas!

Sewing FO: Mccall's 3566

2008-07-14T10:04:00.004-05:00

Well, I took the plunge and cut and sewed ACTUAL swimsuit fabric this weekend! I like the boy short bottoms of the McCall's pattern I showed last time:

And, here's my version of them:

They fit really well. I'm so glad I made the muslin! Here's my favorite RTW pair on top of the new ones:

So, as you can see, they're pretty close in size! I don't really like any of the tops in the pattern, so I'm going to wait for my Jalie pattern to come in (which should be soon!) before I make the top for it. I am loving having the freedom to make my own swimsuits, because I HATE HATE HATE shopping for them!

O, Hai!

2008-07-07T11:31:00.004-05:00

I can’t believe the last thing I blogged was that faux pregnant picture of myself. I have been up to a lot since then. Progress is happening on Joe’s sweater:

I also made him a swiffer cover (he loves to vacuum and swiffer the house):

The pattern is loopy dust mop sleeve by MK Carrol. I changed the pattern a bit to accommodate my swiffer Max (which just means it’s bigger). And, I also liked the bobbles on this swiffer cover for holding it on, so I improvised some bobbles for mine. I love how the yarn made those stripes!
Then, I made a baby feet washcloth (with improvised bobbles again for the toes) for the bff:

After my all cotton, all the time stint, my hands and wrists were begging for some wool. So, who am I to refuse them? I started Salina from Vintage Knits with some JoSharp Silkroad DK from the stash:

I have been wanting to make this one for a while, and am glad I finally got off my butt and started it. In sewing news, I made a muslin of the shorts on this pattern:

Sorry, no modeled shot of that one! I’m glad I made the muslin, because I need to go down 2 sizes from what I thought I was and I didn’t waste any good fabric finding that out. Also, the crotch of this pattern is kind of weird, so I may try to figure out how to improve their design a little. Or maybe not. We’ll see. Rocco helped the whole time, of course:

What is it about pattern tissue and freshly washed fabric that is irresistible to kitties?? Oh, speaking of fabric, I just realized I never blogged about our trip to Osgood’s. We couldn’t take the bike because it was rainy that day, but it’s only 40 minutes away, so we went in the car anyway. I got a few knits to make some tops (just solid colors, nothing exciting), and MORE swimsuit material:

I really hope all these swimsuits come out OK. I’ll have plenty of practice if not! How was Osgood's, you're wondering? It was……… overwhelming. There was fabric everywhere and it wasn’t the best organizational skills I’ve ever seen. The knits and spandex blends were together for the most part, but I found some random sections of it mixed in with the cotton and with the satins. I can’t complain though, it was more fabric than I’ve seen in a really long time. I'll be back, but I'm going to need a shot of whiskey or something first. LOL

Pure Silliness

2008-06-16T09:42:00.006-05:00

OK, before I get a zillion emails that say 'congratulations,' let me just say I AM NOT PREGNANT! But, my best friend is! I have so much knitting and sewing mojo going on right now, I thought I would attempt to make her some maternity clothes as well as a few baby things. So, first up are the maternity clothes. I found this nice pink jersey at Affordable Fabrics ($3 total!), so I whipped up Butterick 5196 on Sunday. I had to take the pic before I finished the hems, because we had to leave to go to dinner, but you get the point:

(My favorite salad bowl is substituting as a baby bump). I could not stop giggling when Joe was taking the picture; you should have seen the look of horror on his face! I really hope she likes this because I think it's ADORABLE. The knot part drove me a little batty, but I think I have the hang of it now. She and I are basically the same size, but she is nearly a foot taller than I am, so hopefully the length will work for her.
In knitting news, I finished sleeve #1 on Anniversary, and am on to knit the back now. I fear running out of yarn on this one, so I figure if I knit the back + one sleeve, I will have knit exactly half of the sweater and will know if I need to order more yarn.
I can't wait for next weekend because Joe & I have a Harley trip planned to go to this fabric store in Massachusetts. Yay! So, how was your weekend?

FO: Labyrinth

2008-06-09T10:07:00.005-05:00

Well, we can thank the Yankees and the basketball playoffs for another FO! Actually two FO's! Friday night, as Labyrinth finished blocking, I cut out the fabric for another cute skirt, and Saturday afternoon, I HAD another cute skirt!

I searched high and low for the identical fabric from the pattern sleeve (Amy Butler something-or-other):

But, since I couldn't find it, the Michael Miller water lily print had to substitute. I think I actually like it better than the Amy Butler fabric!
And then, Labyrinth was done blocking:

(I was squinting in the picture, so I cropped my head out). I need to get a different bra to wear with it though; If you look closely, you can see my current "everyday" bra peeking out of the corner of the neckline. The neckline is very low, but since it's square, it's not what I'd consider even remotely trashy.
The details:
Pattern: Labyrinth
Yarn: Ella Rae Bamboo Silk 7 Skeins of Velvet, One skein of Baby Mauve
Size: 36
Needles: Knitpicks 7's for everything except the neckline, which were Knitpicks 6's
Mods: Only did 4 rounds of ribbing on the neckline, then bound off.

In other news, I found the match to my sock in progress, so they are finally together again! (I don't know if I mentioned this on the blog, but I lost one of them for a few months. It turned up in my pool bag over the weekend. Yay, and also, DUH!)
Then, I couldn't possibly sit still for 5 whole seconds, so I wound the yarn for Joe's anniversary sweater, which happens to be Knitty's Anniversary Sweater. I figured with all those cables, I better start early, even though our actual anniversary isn't until November.

The yarn is Blue Sky cotton in black, and there will be an orange stripe on the chest only (he doesn't like the arm stripes for some reason).

Road Trip!

2008-06-03T10:11:00.002-05:00

Joe & I made our annual road trip to Dover this year for the NASCAR race this past weekend. Last year, we got there way early on Saturday (the race is Sunday), and we were so bored that we went to the movies. This year, I went with a list of fabric shops that were less than 3 miles off the highway so that wouldn't happen again! Our first stop was in Norwalk, CT at Banksville Designer Fabrics. I REALLY liked this shop, as they have a great selection and are super friendly. Plus, they're an easy motorcycle trip from our house, so I will definitely be visiting again soon. My haul from there are two lycra/cotton blends; the first one is to make a bathing suit bottom to go with a bathing suit top I already have and LOVE (but the bottoms, not so much):

And the second is to make the new Jalie Empire Crossover Top:

Then, we stopped in NY at Hartsdale Fabrics. This place was crazy busy. Anyone that thinks sewing is dead needs to go here. They had a lot of apparel fabrics, and to my surprise, a LOT of swimsuit fabric. Since I'm on the crazy swimsuit kick, I bought this to make another bikini, Jalie's Choice of Bikini's Pattern, view A:
Since it was $22 a yard, that's all I got there. Our last stop was at J&O Fabrics in Pennsauken, NJ. I was completely overwhelmed in this one. I even got a little lightheaded the way I do at Rhinebeck. They had a zillion cotton prints to choose from, but I finally narrowed it down to this Michael Miller one to make another Cute Skirt:

More swimsuit fabric; I maybe have little spandex obsession now (all purchases must be sniffed by Rocco for his approval):
And some more lycra for another Empire top perhaps:

Now, don't go feeling bad for Joe for all this fabric shopping. There was a Harley Dealership (they also sell t-shirts & other various crap), as well as a leather shop along the way for him. Then we were off to the races!

Our guy came in 7th, so we were pretty happy!

Sewing Extravaganza

2008-05-27T12:49:00.003-05:00

Thank God Joe had to work all weekend because the sewing bug hit me HARD on Sunday! It all started on Friday night; work released us early, so I went home and finished the body and neckline of Labyrinth. The whole point of this was to find out if I had enough/too much of the Ella Rae Bamboo Silk because I knew I was going to WEBS the next day & could get more or return the excess. I found out when I got to WEBS that you can't return sale items, so it was a moot point. Oh, well, no biggie. I got a lot done anyway:

The whole purpose of the trip on Saturday was to go with Karen, Kris, Paula, Peggy, Audrey, and Amy to the Mass Sheep & Wool festival. It was so much fun! The festival's great and all, but I really look forward to going to the little fabric store & WEBS afterwards. I bought a skirt pattern and some fabric from Valley fabrics:

And some CotLin from WEBS to make some of those grocery bag thingies (like an everlasting bagstopper, for instance). I cut the skirt pattern out Sunday morning and it really motivated me to sew some UFO's that were hanging around in my sewing bag.
Like Simplicity 4189, view F:

View C:

And, of course the one that started the whole works, Favorite Things "Cute Skirts" pattern:

I really like this pattern, and am already in the hunt for more fabric to make another one. FYI, it does run closer to RTW sizes, not typical pattern sizes. I didn't realize this until it was too late, so mine is super roomy. But, it's elastic in the back, so it's not going to fall off or anything. ;)

Action Packed Weekend

2008-05-19T13:25:00.003-05:00

What a crazy weekend! The craziest part is that I'm NOT tired today. We started Friday night with dinner with Joe's parents, then his mom & I hit the going out of business sale at the local sewing center. Six hundred dollars later, we went home and caught up on our Tivo'd shows. Oh, right, you want to see the haul:

(I obviously borrowed the photo) It's a Janome 1110DX serger, snagged for 1/2 price since I'm on the mailing list! I also got a ton of accessories and notions, but they're still in my trunk, and they're not that exciting anyway. Saturday morning, Rocco and I went to the vet for his shots (he was SO good! The vet asked him if she could see his belly and he rolled over on his back with his legs out so she could rub his tummy. She looked at me a little shocked that he did what she said, but I just shrugged since it happens all the time). Saturday evening I went to Laser Tag with some work people and then watched the Nascar race with Joe. Sunday morning, we got up super early and went to the local Harley Dealer for a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital. Motorcycles everywhere!! This is our third year riding in this, and it was by far the best organized it has ever been. The local and state police did a fantastic job keeping us together and safe. This is my favorite part, riding by the children's hospital and waving to the kids:

After that, we took a power nap and then headed to NYC for the Yankees/Mets game. They got beat (badly), but we still had fun!

That is a LOT for one weekend for me. I can't believe I'm not tired. How is this possible?

MD Sheep & Wool 2008

2008-05-07T12:40:00.006-05:00

I am just now finally recovering from the Maryland trip. It's not like we had to fly far, do very much, or exert any energy to speak of, but I was TIRED when we got home. I guess any weekend not spent on the couch watching Food Network counts as "activity" to my body & therefore wears me out. Anyway!
First off, my mom is a little, um, nuts (it's ok if she happens to find the blog; she knows I think she's crazy). We got a suite for the weekend, and within 5 minutes, she had the place fully stocked for a month-long stay:

I took the liberty of stocking the fridge:

Aren't the little beers adorable? I couldn't resist them! The festival was of course amazing. I got to meet Jess from Ravelry:

I tried to get a Stew Leonard's bag picture with a sheep, but in true animal form, she turned her head at the last second:

And, the yarn! My God, the yarn! I love to just go for the "experience" and not necessarily to buy anything, so I ended up buying stuff I could have easily picked up on my lunch break at Creative Fibers. Whatevs, I had fun!
I got some SWTC Bamboo for the CrochetMe Babydoll Top:

Some Lorna's Laces sock yarn (Black Purl to match the Clapotis):

I also got my WEBS sale purchases a week or so ago:

It's Ella Rae Bamboo Silk to make Labyrinth by Wendy Bernard/StitchDiva:
(Stitch Diva Photo)
I started this last night, and Joe commented that everything I am making lately has been purple (28Thirty, Clapotis, the babydoll top, the sock yarn, and now Labyrinth). I didn't even realize it! What can I say, purple makes me happy.

FO: Clapotis!!

2008-05-01T12:24:00.004-05:00

I can't express how excited I am about finishing this! I have wanted to make one ever since I learned how to knit, and I even asked for the yarn for a Valentine's Day gift last year for this specific purpose. So, it took me over a year to get motivated to make it; big deal. Do I even need to post details? I will anyway:
Pattern: Clapotis
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb, color Black Purl, almost 4 skeins
Needles: Knitpicks Harmony size US 9
Mod's: 3 extra repeats of the straight section
Here is is as a scarf:

As a shawl:

In a sexy pose:

And, as a wrap (my favorite):

In other news, I finally had to just go over to my friend's house to take a picture of her doggie in the sweater I made him because she doesn't "get" the instant gratification knit blog readers require:

Is Oy not the cutest dog ever? I'm not really a dog person, but this one makes me melt like buttah. :)

Answers & Updates

2008-04-17T09:59:00.003-05:00

You guys did pretty good on the movie quote game! The ones no one got were 1. Muriel's Wedding and 4. Party Girl.
I don't have the promised sewing FO's to show because my last class was unexpectedly cancelled. And by unexpectedly I mean I went to a restaurant, ate dinner, knitted in my booth for 30 minutes, then went to the sewing center and saw the sign on the door that class was cancelled. NOT cool!! They did give me a refund for the session, but I would much rather have 4 finished skirts right now. Sigh.
I have been religiously working on my Clapotis, however, and am LOVING it!
I'm a little over half way in a little over a week. Not bad! My goal is to drop one stitch per day, and I think that will put me way ahead of my MD S&W deadline.

Movie Quote Game

2008-04-08T14:47:00.008-05:00

I saw this on Stephanie's blog the other day & had to steal it. My best friend and I sometimes have entire conversations in movie quote, so this is our kind of game. The rules:
• Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
• Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
• Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
• Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
• Looking them up is cheating. Please don’t.

1. Stick your drink up your arse, Tania. I'd rather swallow razor blades than have a drink with you.

2. Dear Lord baby Jesus, lyin' there in your ghost manger, just lookin' at your Baby Einstein developmental videos, learnin' 'bout shapes and colors. I would like to thank you for bringin' me and my mama together, and also that my kids no longer sound like retarded gang-bangers.
Jen got it--Talladega Nights

3. ~~You expect me to believe that scantily clad, in the arms of another man, in the middle of the night, inside an elephant you were rehearsing?~~
Jen again! Moulin Rouge

4. I'll have a falafel with hot sauce, a side order of baba ghannouj and a seltzer, please.

5. ~~Somebody beat him to death and stole a bunch of files. Must've dug up garbage on the wrong guy. We’ve got it narrowed down to a thousand suspects.~~
Courtney got it.... LA Confidential

6. Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time.
Jennifer (jsins) got it! Old School

7. ~~Little wimp. He wouldn't know a new idea if it hit him in the pachenga...~~
Jen rocks the pachenga...... Dirty Dancing

8. If you hold back anything, I'll kill ya. If you bend the truth or I think your bending the truth, I'll kill ya. If you forget anything I'll kill ya. In fact, you're gonna have to work very hard to stay alive, Nick. Now do you understand everything I've said? Because if you don't, I'll kill ya.
Jennifer got this one too...... Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels

9. ~~Teenagers. They think they know everything. You give them an inch, they swim all over you.~~
Nicole got it! The Little Mermaid

10. ~~I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And I plan on finding out what that is.~~
Courtney got this one too! Zoolander

Life after Hermione

2008-04-07T10:15:00.005-05:00

First off, thank you guys so much for all the compliments on Hermione! I absolutely love it and have worn it tons. As for life after Hermione, I have been pretty scattered. I started 28Thirty, got the body done, started one sleeve, purchased some cool purple buttons, and then nothing. I just have no desire to finish it.

So, I started a dog sweater for a friend at work. Word to the wise: never trust measurements taken by a non-knitter. Just sayin’. After a few frustrating attempts at the sweater (pattern and bad-measurement related), I got an email from Knitting Daily with a free pattern for garter mug cozies. I had to make one. HAD TO!!

Then, I got back on track with the doggie sweater. It started out life as Howie’s Knit-to-fit Sweater, but after the neck ribbing section, the pattern made absolutely NO sense, so I scrapped it and designed my own. Here it is sans-doggie, but I only finished it yesterday, so the recipient is yet to get a chance to model it.

In the awesomest of awesomeness category, a co-worker of Joe’s grandmother died (not awesome), and she had this huge yarn stash that the family had no idea what to do with. She happens to know I’m a knitter, so she asked if I would like to have it. Um, YES!! Duh!!

OK, a lot of it is acrylic, but not all of it. There is some pretty nice wool in there, as well as 3 projects that are very close to being done. One is a men’s vest, one is a ladies’ tee, and one is an afghan that happens to be in the EXACT colors of Joe’s daughter’s bedroom. Hello, graduation gift! This is just half of it; she couldn’t fit any more in her car, so she’ll give me the rest later. Yay!

In other news, I FINALLY started my Clapotis. My mom asked me if I wanted to meet her in Baltimore so we can go to the MD Sheep & Wool this year, and I just couldn’t think of a reason not to. ;) So, Clapotis will be my must-finish-before-MD trip project so I’ll have something hot off the needles to wear to the festival.

My last sewing class is tonight, so I hope to have some FOs to show from that next time.
p.s. There's a Ravelraiser going on in blogland. Show some love (and maybe win awesome prizes)!

FO: Hermione's Gryffindor Striped Hoodie

2008-03-17T08:57:00.008-05:00

Hooray! I finished! I think it came out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.
Joe & I went to Lancaster, PA for the weekend to try to catch a little glimpse of Spring (because Lord knows we won't be seeing it in CT for a while). We found this alley near a little fabric shop I wanted to go to.

I thought it just screamed 'Diagon Alley,' and we both agreed this was the perfect backdrop for the FO shoot.

I haven't written up the pattern yet, but I do have it in chicken scratch form, ready to go as soon as I get a little pocket of time to type it up. I had lots of fun designing it. I'm not sure I'm going to design all the time now, but at least i know if I find a sweater I MUST have, I can whip it up whenever I want.
STUPEFY!!!

I'm such a dork.

And, We're Back!

2008-03-06T10:29:00.004-05:00

Joe had to go to Vegas on Friday for a conference, and at the last minute, he asked if he could take the laptop and my camera. I said, "SURE!!" before I realized that OMG, those are my main blogging tools! Whoops! Not very much goes on when he's away anyway, as I make sure to watch girl TV/movies the ENTIRE time he's gone. But one thing did happen that I felt awful that I couldn't blog about. I got my package from Maryanne! I won the kit to make the Lana Knits fingerless gloves (with hemp and cashmere yarn-yum!), but it came with lots of bonus goodies!

I got a little magnet, a handmade soap, lots of Dove chocolate hearts, a really sweet card, and a set of those interweave wordy magnet sheets. Thanks so much, Maryanne! I love all of it!

I forgot to take pictures of my WIPs, but Hermione is so close to being done that I think I'll just do a FO shoot in a couple days instead.

Look who else wanted a do-over!

2008-02-27T10:38:00.001-05:00

Thanks inept cookie place! You redeemed yourselves! :)

Valentine's Day Do-Over

2008-02-19T10:43:00.005-05:00

Despite the awesome start to Valentine's Day, the rest of the day did not go so well. I got home to find a very cranky Joe screaming at a very inept cookie bouquet delivery establishment on the phone. Apparently, I was supposed to get a cookie bouquet by 4PM, and they just couldn't handle that request. He also had a little bug or something, so he had no appetite for the surf & turf I made for us. He felt REALLY bad, and requested a do-over on Saturday. I reluctantly (HA!) obliged. ;) He was dying to go on a road trip because he just got his car back after a month of being without it (car accident; he's fine). I suggested WEBS, and HE suggested WEBS and Yankee Candle village. Woo-hoo!! I ordered some Blue Sky Cotton for a sweater for him, and got some of WEBS' Deerfield yarn. It's something like 80/20 alpaca/silk, and it is sooooo soft (and on sale, btw). Yankee candle was awesome (winter clearance; yeah, buddy!), dinner was awesome, and renting the Heartbreak Kid was a little disturbing, a little pornographic, but still funny. I'd say Joe's do-over was a big success!

I bought the Deerfield yarn to make some fingerless gloves, and before I knew it, I had fingerless gloves!!

They're Maine Morning Mitts from Clara Parkes' Book of Yarn, but the pattern is also available here for free.
I worked on Hermione yesterday, but I have to rip all of my progress on the sleeve. It's just way too big. No big deal. It's just one day's worth of knitting. I can handle it. :)

In other news, I won another contest!!! Am I the luckiest blog contest winner or what?! I asked Maryanne of Knittymuggins a question for her Un-blogiverssary, and her hubby drew my name out of the Ikea pot of awesomeness! I won this pattern and yarn to make them with! Yay!
Wow, that was a really big post for me! Thanks for listening to me ramble if you made it this far!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2008-02-14T10:04:00.004-05:00

Rockin' Weekend

2008-02-11T10:17:00.000-05:00

I had such high hopes for getting a lot done this weekend. Joe did all the "chores" on his day off (Thursday) so I just KNEW I would kick butt on the sewing and knitting front. I saw a cute skirt I wanted to make on Robin's blog on Friday, so the plan was to make the skirt Friday night & Saturday day (after my haircut), then work on 'Hermione' Sunday. Well, I managed to get the haircut:

But, then I went to a friend's house down the street from the hair place that had invited me and another friend over for brunch. These are her kitties watching squirrel TV:

After many, many mimosas, her boyfriend convinced us to play Rock Band with him, as we had gotten curious what all the "jamming" coming out of the living room was all about. That's where I made my mistake. FIVE HOURS later, we were still playing, and Joe was calling me wondering if I was coming home for dinner. OOPS!!! I often complain that my brain only remembers useless things like song lyrics and produce codes (from my days as a grocery store cashier). But, I have finally found a good use for all those song lyrics! I almost ran right out to buy an X-Box, but then I remembered I like to be productive now and then, so it was probably a bad idea. I did make a little progress on Hermione, but not as much as I had hoped.
But, hey, rock stars can finish their sweaters any damn time they want, right?!

FO: Cobblestone

2008-02-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

The verdict is: He likes it!

Details
Pattern: Cobblestone from Fall 07 Interweave Knits Magazine
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted, color 521, Charcoal
Needles: Size 9 Knitpicks metal options
Size: XL (56 inch chest on FO)
Mods: None
After I finished, I immediately started looking for the next thing to knit him, but quickly gave up on that idea when I remembered how long it had been since I knit MYSELF something. I whipped out my calculator and Barbara Walker book, and worked the numbers for my "Hermione" sweater, and cast on quickly before I changed my mind. I didn't get too far, but here's the progress:

And, to refresh your memory, here's what it's supposed to look like:

Her's has set in sleeves, and I'm doing raglan, but that's the only difference I plan on having. I can't wait to get home and work on it!

Look who's blocking!!

2008-02-01T09:48:00.000-05:00

Cobblestone is done! Hooray! Woo-hoo! Hallelujah! (Can you tell how freakin happy I am to have this beast off my needles and onto my beach towel?)
The last week or so of knitting this nearly 2 pound monster has required some reinforcements:

These things work great, but they are only for one time use, then you toss them. But my wrist was soooo thankful for a little releif, that I didn't care.

Hopefully this weekend it will be sunny for at least 5 minutes so I can get a decent picture of him in it!

Well, It's Been a Week...

2008-01-24T10:47:00.000-05:00

And I have no real progress on Cobblestone, so, why not do a meme? This one is supposed to be one of those email ones, so a couple of the questions don't apply. But, I saw it on Robin's blog & thought it would be fun to play too.

What time is it? 10:49 am

What's your full name? Jennifer Russell Sterlein

What is the most recent movie that you have seen in a theater? Walk Hard

What are you most afraid of? Joe dying (I don't know why, but I am SO paranoid about this)

Place of birth? Virginia

Favorite food? Steak & grilled veggies

What's your natural hair color? Red

Ever been to Alaska ? No

Ever been toilet paper rolling? Oh, yeah

Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes

Been in a car accident? Yes

Croutons or bacon bits? Mmmmm. Bacon.

Favorite day of the week? Saturday

Favorite restaurant? Madame Jeanette's in Aruba

Favorite Flower? Dahlias

Favorite sport to watch? Football & Nascar (what? those guys are HOT!)

Favorite drink? Diet Dr. Pepper

Favorite ice cream? Pistachio and/or Heath Bar Crunch

Disney or Warner Brothers? Disney

Ever been on a ship? do battleship museums count?

What color is your bedroom carpet? Light gray

How many times did you fail your driver's test? None

Before this one, from whom did you get an e-mail? Robin

What do you do when you are bored? Read blogs, surf Ravelry, Zappos.com, eat

Who will respond to this e-mail the quickest? n/a

Who is the person you sent this to that is least likely to respond? n/a

Who is the person that you are most curious to see their responses? n/a

Favorite TV show? Survivor

Last person you went to dinner with? Joe & Joe's Parents

What time do you get up? 8:00 am

What are your favorite colors? Purple, black, blue

How many tattoos do you have? 0

How many pets do you have? 1 cat and one fish (used to have 5 fish, but the other 4 'mysteriously' died, all on the same day)

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? chicken

What do you want to do before you die? go to Europe

Have you ever been to Hawaii? No

Have you been to countries outside the U.S. ? Yes

How many people are you sending this e-mail to? just posting to blog

Time this survey ended? 11:12 am; my boss kept making me do WORK during it

Feel free to copy and paste and play along!

WIP Thursday?

2008-01-17T10:07:00.001-05:00

After seeing Karen faithfully do her WIP Wednesday posts, I totally intended to start doing them too. But, the only thing I was working on last week was my secret project. Then, this week, I forgot to take pictures of my WIP, so that didn't work either. So, I said screw it. I'm back to working on Joe's Cobblestone sweater monogamously, and it. is. taking. forever. Last night I got 2 rows done. TWO! But, he's excited to wear it, so I hope to start chugging a little faster this weekend.

In other news, I won a contest on Marjorie's blogiversary! Check out the loot:

It's Lino-Fino in a great shade of purple. I'm thinking of using it for a cute little crochet tank top or maybe a tee if I have enough yarn. Thanks again, Marjorie! I love it!

Secret Knitting Revealed

2008-01-12T15:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, that's a little incorrect; it's actually secret crocheting. I know the blog's been pretty quiet lately, but I couldn't show or tell what I was up to! What torture! Especially when you see what I have been working on:

I'm not trying to brag, but those are the cutest damn things I have ever made. Here's the close-up of each:

FYI, they're from Pepika, and the patterns were so well written. I highly recommend.
Why the heck would I make a Mamma and Baby owl set? For (blogless) Audrey's baby shower, of course! She seemed to likey:

My favorite gift she got was the little sheepy play mat:

So cute! I think I might get one for Rocco!

How many can you handle?

2008-01-10T16:04:00.001-05:00

Best of 2007

2007-12-31T19:31:00.000-05:00

I saw this new meme going around on Lolly's blog (It's from Knitlit originally), and I wasn't going to do it until I found myself coming up with answers without having to think too hard. It's just a questionnaire; no rules; no muss; no fuss.

Jenny's Best of 2007 awards:

1. your best FO of the year
Hands down, my Two Toned Shrug from Fitted Knits. I wear it so much, as it goes with everything. The yarn is great, the fit is great, and it was super easy to make.

2. best FO of the year made by a blog you link to
I would have to say Jessica's Tree Jacket. I know dozens of bloggers were inspired to make this after seeing hers, including me. I didn't even like it before I saw hers. Now it's a major player in my wardrobe rotation!

3. best yarn you tried
I have two that I really liked that I had never tried before; one sweater yarn and one sock yarn. The sweater yarn is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. Pilly? Yes. But, get a little fabric shaver, and it will stay looking nice day after day.
The other yarn that I LOVED was the Painted Sock by the Painted Sheep. I'm not just saying that because I know the owner of the company, either. It was great to work with and didn't pool or make weird stripes like say, Lorna's Laces. The big thing for me with sock yarn is that it not be too grabby on the needles. I'm a tight knitter, so it sucks to have to force my stitches to the end of the needle. I didn't have this problem AT ALL with the Painted Sock. It was smooth knitting the whole way, and it made for very speedy socks.

4. best new book/mag/pattern of 2007
Book: Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel. Magazine: Interweave Knits. I know Interweave isn't new, but I think the editor change made it a much improved product.

5. best new knitting technique or gadget you tried in 2007
Technique: Fair Isle knitting. Gadget: Knit Picks Inter-changeables. They qualify as a gadget, yes?

6. top 5 inspirations--what five things inspired you the most over the past year?
In no particular order:
-Sexy Knitters Club. Being part of this KAL has really gotten in the way of my queue getting done, but also has gotten me to make some pretty darn cute sweaters.
- Fitted knits KAL. Same reasons as SKC
- Robin! Whenever I need a good kick in the pants, I go check out all the stuff she's up to, and am instantly inspired. I have never seen someone get so much done! What can I say, girl? You rock!
- Ravelry. I am eternally grateful for this site. Whenever I'm bored to tears at work, I just click around on Ravelry for a while, and I get so inspired to make just about anything. Honestly, what did we ever do without it?
- Finally, I have to give Joe credit for this one too. If he didn't watch such crap on TV, I wouldn't get half the stuff done that I do. Thanks for never giving up the remote, babe! ;)

7. designer who most amazed & inspired you throughout the year
I have to go with Stefanie Japel. I had no idea I would like her book as much as I did. I was especially amazed that she sent it to me for free as a thank you present!

8. knitting resolutions for 2008--what's next for you and your blog?

My goal for this year is to knit at least half of my Ravelry queue. I especially want to get Clapotis and Salina done. I also NEED to destash in a big way, so that's a little goal as well. I'm not making any pledges or promises, but I have enough yarn to keep me busy for quite some time, so I'd like to see how far it can take me. Also, I can't find a pattern I like for the Hermione sweater, so I'm going to attempt to design it myself. Wish me luck!

Santa Came! Santa Came!

2007-12-30T11:01:00.000-05:00

OK, so I know everyone else already posted their Christmas pics, but I've been on Virginia time, so everything was going a little slower than usual (especially my parent's internet connection. Yikes!). Now I'm back in CT, and ready to show all my gifties. First, I'll show what Santa Joe brought, pinking shears and the Harmony Needle set (YESSSSSS!!):

I got other stuff too, but that's all the blog worthy stuff. Next, my Secret Santa from work got me all these goodies:

Lantern Moon bag, Brittany crochet hook, Happy Feet sock yarn, and the Secret Language of Knitters book. She also got me a Creative Fibers gift card too. I don't think she got the memo that said the SS limit was $10, even though she was the one that sent the memo. Moving on, this was from my BFF:

It's a sock kit from Solitude Wool in Virginia. Her MIL is a knitter, so I think she had a little helper pick it out. Whatevs, I scored! This is what I gave her (No, I didn't finish the blanket):

(the teapot from her china pattern plus the matching cozy.) Per Blogless Audrey's suggestion, I needle felted the little swirlies on the already felted cozy--which I had never done before. What a great idea that was! So easy and WAAAAAY better than duplicate stitch. Thanks, Audrey! :)
I finished mom's socks in the car on the way down to Virgina:

They are knitty's toe ups made with Painted Sock by the Painted Sheep. They were a big hit. Too big of a hit, in fact. She asked for more for Mother's day. I politely told her to not hold her breath. ;)
This is the scarf I knit for Joe's daughter.

It was not as big a hit as the socks. It's still sitting on the steps with the crap her grandmother bought her. Oh, well. 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

What's one more tiny project?

2007-12-17T09:28:00.000-05:00

I was almost done with my Christmas knitting. I only needed to needle felt a little embellishment onto my friend's tea cozy; I'm through one of Mom's socks, I can probably finish the other one in the car on the way to Virginia; Olivia's scarf is done, wrapped, and ready to go. Then, I remembered this 'little' giftie:

I was supposed to give this to my friend as a housewarming gift 2 summers ago. Then, it became a possible wedding gift for her that fall. Then, I vowed to have it finished for Christmas. That didn't happen. So, here we are, a year and a half later, and I am vowing yet again to get rid of this thing. I completed the squares and the horizontal seams this weekend. Hopefully I can get the rest done this week. It's only 100 or so ends to weave in. Simple, right? ;)

7 Random Christmas Facts

2007-12-11T16:54:00.000-05:00

I was once again tagged for 7 Random things, and since the knitting blog fodder around here is pretty non-existent these days, I figured I'd play along. I decided to do a theme list like my tagger, Robin, did. This now makes 22 random things you guys know about me...

1. I L.O.V.E. Christmas. I love the decorations, the baking, the shopping, the songs, the craziness and everything about it. I hate to hear people complain about the commercialism, the money strain, blah, blah, blah. I only celebrate as much as my Christmas savings account will allow, and encourage others to do the same.

2. I found out about Santa at a pretty young age. It was the big Cabbage Patch doll year, and I overheard my brothers ask my mom if Santa was bringing me one, and she said say yes. Whatevs, I got my Cabbage Patch baby. I was happy.

3. Joe has asked me like 20 times if I want the “Journey diamond” necklace for Christmas this year. NO! A hundred times, NO!! I know he means well, but if I don’t get those GD Harmony needles, I’m going to poke him in the eye. ;)

4. My brothers’ wives get in a little spat every year about who brought more stuff to Christmas dinner. I find this immensely entertaining. They always try to drag me into the fight, but I never take the bait. If they only knew how much that shrimp cost me every year, they would shut the F up.

5. When we were little, my brothers & I would go downstairs at like 4 AM and get our stockings and bring them back up to my bedroom and open them and get all high on chocolate. We weren’t allowed to wake my parents until the sun was up, so we would take turns opening one thing each to make it last longer. This is honestly one of my favorite memories as a kid, as it was one of the few times we all got along whilst unsupervised.

6. I secretly like it when people ask for hard to find gifts that I have to go 10 places to find. It’s like a little project. I’m not kidding.

7. The thing I look most forward to at Christmastime is Joe's family's celebration on Christmas Eve. We stuff ourselves silly, do secret Santa, have a Yankee swap, have way too much dessert, and Joe's mom even fills a stocking for every single person there. It's so much fun. I hate to be a traitor to my family and all, but we just don't know how to party compared to these Italians!

I don't want to tag anyone--the holidays can be stressful enough without an extra meme to do, but it was pretty fun; give it a try if you have time!

Christmas Knitting

2007-12-10T16:01:00.000-05:00

After declaring (rather loudly) that I would not be making any knitted Christmas gifts this year, a couple people hinted that they can't wait to see what I'm making them, so I have caved. Nothing major, just a few small items, but caving nonetheless. I almost finished a scarf for Joe's daughter, finished the knitting part of a felted tea cozy for my BFF (I only call her that b/c she hates that I call her that. LOL).
I haven't started my mom's socks, though. I can't figure it out; why don't I want to knit for her? Is it because she never wears what I make her? Is it because she knows how to knit, but refuses to apply herself and learn new techniques beyond knitting and purling? I know she'll like whatever I make her, and there's never been a more appreciative recipient of a hand knitted gift, but the fact that she won't wear/use what I make her because "it's too pretty" drives me absolutely insane!!

On a lighter note, here's what's been making me all giggly lately:
He practically LIVES under there lately. So cute!

New York City!!

2007-11-30T12:59:00.001-05:00

Part 2 of my birthday present every year is a trip to NYC to go shopping and sight seeing. After reading a very positive blog entry by Stephanie (and just about everyone else that's ever been there), I had to check out Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn. Let's just say that I will be back many, many times (OMG, the square pie!! I'm still purring about it). Mr. DeMarco was not the cranky old man I was expecting from other blogger's testimony. He was cheery, sweet, and almost chatty with me. Joe thinks he must have a thing for redheads. MMMM. Maybe he's onto something. ;)
Then, we went to Purl. I forgot to take pictures of the yarn I bought, but it's just cascade 220 & some more Jitterbug. I think we can officially confirm I have a Jitterbug problem.
Then, we stalked the Waldorf Astoria for a while to see if any NASCAR drivers were hanging out there since their awards ceremony is tonight. We saw Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, and Dale Jarret. If you're not a NASCAR fan, I'll just say these are pretty big names. We were stoked. We swung by M&J trimmings at some point. I didn't get anything, but that place is just amazing:

We went to top of the rock next:

It's the roof of Rockefeller center and it has AWESOME views of the city & beyond. It's 17.50 per person and way less crowded than the Empire State Building. I highly recommend it. And, no trip to NYC is complete without a cheezy self poitrait in front of the tree at Rockefeller center!

Thanksgiving & birthday recap

2007-11-27T20:27:00.000-05:00

We always fry a turkey on Thanksgiving. This year was no different:

The finished product:

Mmmmm. Deep fried goodness. Yes, it's worth all the work. Yes, it will be the best thing you ever tasted. Feel free to ask any more questions you have. I am now an expert at this.

Then, today was my birthday:

Joe totally surprised me with a new dress form:

I named her Scarlet. What else could I possibly name her, right? I thought he was a good boy and got this sucker on the black Friday special at Joann's. Um, I would be wrong. My little honey bunny paid FULL PRICE for this. No coupon. No special. I wanted to kill him. He promises he will go to Joann's tomorrow with the coupon and convince them to refund the difference. It really was a great surprise, though. And I thought I was getting the Harmony needles from Knitpicks. Ha!

When was the last time you went wahoo?

2007-11-19T12:02:00.000-05:00

Alternate title: Holy Mackerel!!
We're back from Aruba. SO. MUCH. FUN. We told Joe's parents to just go ahead and section off the timeshare in their will to go to us. We have found our second home. So, here's what the post title is all about:

Joe is so proud of it! It is a wahoo, which we are told is some kind of mackerel, but it tasted way better than mackerel. I caught a few small tuna, so we had the wahoo one night and the tuna the next. We only took a small chunk of the wahoo, but cracked up when we saw that the special that day at a local restaurant was fried wahoo salad. Here's the tuna at Chez Jenny:

I never realized how much of a difference fresh caught fish makes. It tastes a zillion times better than anything I ever got from a fish market.

Anyway! We sat by the pool a lot, shopped a lot, ate a LOT, drank a lot, and had the best time ever. We both agreed it was better than our honeymoon, which is really saying something. As promised, here is my dress, modeled:

I thought my plane knitting was pretty funny, so I thought I would share...
This is how much plane knitting you can do when you are all jazzed up about your impending vacation:

And, this is how much plane knitting you can do when you are so tired from said vacation that you could pass out at any second:

Well, I better go get started on my 354 unread blogs on bloglines. Forgive me if I don't comment! I'm tired!

FO: Simplicity 4224

2007-11-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

So, did I MENTION that I'm going to Aruba on Saturday?! (I know I have, but I just like saying it). I took sundress inventory on Friday and determined that I was one short. I hit the fabric store Saturday morning, and by Sunday night I was spinning around in this little baby:

Sorry for the lame hanger photo, but dudes, I am WHITE right now. I'll model it after my spray tan on Friday.
It's Simplicity 4224 (scroll down to 4224, then click the link), view B (the green one).
Closeup of the fabric:

Stats:
Pattern: Simplicity 4224
Fabric: Henry Glass Plain & Fancy cotton
Mods: none
Rocco:

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

2007-11-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

So, I didn't carve our pumpkin this year. We usually have a pumpkin carving contest at work, and after that got nixed this year, I just wasn't in the mood. Apparently, someone was though:

We couldn't figure out what could have possibly done this, but when Rocco started barking at the window yesterday, I saw the culprit:

It was hard to get a picture without Rock's big head in it, but I managed one:

I guess there's slim pickings out there for food this year, so we bought a new bag of bird seed for the poor little critters. They supply such great entertainment for my boy; I have to keep them happy!

FO: Tree Jacket

2007-10-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm done!

That face isn't my feeling for the sweater; it was really sunny and windy out. I wasn't sure at first about this pattern, but I like it! The sleeves are really roomy, but that will be good if I want to wear a long sleeve tee with it. I wore a black cami for the picture, but I don't know what I should wear under it in real life.

The stats:
Pattern: Tree Jacket by Zephyr Gals
Yarn: TLC Cotton Plus, 6 balls
Needles: Size 8 Knit Picks
Mods: I was a 'tweener size, so I added enough increases to do 20 lace repeats around the body instead of the recommended 19.

Rhinebeck

2007-10-22T13:01:00.000-05:00

Rhinebeck was not the major stash expansion expedition my wallet was expecting. We mostly walked around and chatted and window shopped. Although, if Briar Rose Fibers had the right colorway for this, I might have been swayed to purchase it. Audrey, Peggy, Amy, and I went the scenic route (which was only 20 minutes longer--totally worth it) to get there. Peggy & Audrey got their new books signed by the one and only Clara Parkes:

Peggy was very impressed with her penmanship:

We saw some "famous" bloggers, some friends, and a lot of yarn. It was a really relaxed atmosphere this time; even the Fold didn't have super long lines. I bought a couple knitted toys for Rocco, but they are already under the entertainment center, so no pics of those today!

Confession time: I actually kind of missed taking those back roads on the Harley.

8 MORE Random Things

2007-10-18T10:05:00.000-05:00

Robin tagged me for a "8 random things" meme like two weeks ago, and so I thought I'd finally play along. I did the 7 random things meme earlier this year, so it took me a while to think of 8 more!
Rules:
Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself.

1. I’m completely addicted to the Food Network. I even Tivo it when I’m not going to be home. So sad.

2. On a related note, cooking was definitely my first love. My mom just stopped cooking after my brothers moved out, so my dad and I had to fend for ourselves. I was pissed at the time, but it really forced me to learn how to cook & I love to do it now.

3. Keeping with the food theme, I love grocery stores. I could grocery shop for hours, checking out new ingredients & imported products. I’m a weirdo; I know.

4. Even though I’m a natural red-head, I am not Irish. People don’t believe me when I say this, so I have just started lying and saying that I am. It’s easier.

5. I think my cat can understand me. He does whatever I ask him to do. It really freaks Joe out.

6. I have ridiculously sensitive skin, but am not allergic to poison ivy, oak, or sumac. I am, however, allergic to everything made by Bath and Body Works, so please don’t buy me any of their crap for Christmas anymore, K?

7. My mom is allergic to shellfish and I am terrified that I am going to be allergic one day. She grew up eating it with no problems & one day she almost died from eating clams & had to get rushed to the hospital for that epi shot thing.

8. Speaking of almost dying, after my brothers were born, my dad went to get a vasectomy. He actually *did* die from the anesthesia, and they had to resuscitate him. He saw it as a sign that he should not get the vasectomy. Five years later, I was born. Spooky, huh?

As usual, if you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged. And since I think picture-less posts are no fun at all, here’s Rocco sleeping in my lap the other night:

Yarn hangover

2007-10-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

I am sooooo tired today. Joe and I went to Baltimore for Stitches East over the weekend. We went down Saturday morning, shopped for a while, then went to Robin's blogger meetup across the street from the convention center. It was Robin, her husband, Marjorie, Heather, Joe, and myself. Several beers later, Marjorie and Heather needed to head home so I convinced Robin & her husband to walk with us to the waterfront (because it is just WRONG to go to Baltimore & not visit Inner Harbor). We had more beers, some crabs, and lots of fun. OMG, I don't think I've laughed that much in a long time. My throat still hurts from laughing! I didn't manage to take my camera out of my purse the entire weekend, but I did get some pics of my haul this morning:
Knitting Pure & Simple hoodie pattern from WEBS,
Socks that Rock, even though I SWORE I would not buy any,
Some really nice Aussie wool from a vendor I can't remember right this second,

And some of the new grapefruit scented Eucalan, also from WEBS. The Aussie wool is to make the sweater Hermione is wearing here:

I've been pretty obsessed with making it since I saw the movie, so it was such a relief to find the right color wool for it finally.
I took a Steeks class Sunday morning, but I don't think it's worth recapping here. My mommy taught me to keep my mouth shut if I don't have anything nice to say, so that's what I'm doing.

Weekend Recap

2007-10-08T12:29:00.001-05:00

It was a pretty quiet weekend. Joe had to work, so we didn't do anything too crazy. We did go to the local fair Saturday night. I was a little put off by the $12 admission, but I wanted a pulled pork sandwich in the worst way so I was not turning back. They have a baking, quilting, sewing, knitting & crochet competition every year (which I always seem to forget about until it's too late). I was looking at this pair of blue ribbon winning socks and admiring them when I noticed the name on them said Karen C! OMG OMG OMG! Yay Karen! I actually saw more of her stuff (all with ribbons!), but I don't want to steal her blog fodder. Plus, all the items were displayed in huge chicken cages & my camera kept focusing on the chicken wire & not the knits. Ugh!
I had started my Mirepoix bodice on Monday, but the ribbing was starting to make my left eye twitch, so I decided to take a break & start on Tree Jacket. I never really liked this pattern until I saw it on Green Apples blog a few weeks ago. Hers came out so cute; I just had to make it. I ordered yarn for it, but it didn't arrive on Friday, so I just bought some Cotton Plus from AC Moore's on Saturday. The Zephyr Gals suggest Cotton Ease as a good sub, so Cotton Plus should work too.
I'm loving it so far. I needed some instant gratification BADLY after hours and hours of never-ending, never-growing ribbing & this was just the ticket.

Knitting in Advertising

2007-10-02T11:16:00.000-05:00

Joe got home late last night. Another too dark picture:

But, we went to the mall & this huge store-blocking wall piqued my interest:

It's for a store called Martin & OSA. It looks like another version of Banana Republic. Like a grown-up American Eagle. Anyway, that chick is totally knitting in that picture! What's up with that?

Making up for last weekend

2007-10-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

Last weekend sucked. This weekend ROCKED! I got so much done & we went to Jersey for the day on Saturday too! Joe's godmother/great aunt turned 85 last week, so we all threw her a surprise party Saturday. She is in very good shape (works out every day for 2 hours), so we weren't too concerned about her having a heart attack or anything. She is always complimenting my knitting, so I had to make her something:

I used the waffle stitch that I used in the Back to School Vest, and what I'm calling the "dunkin donuts" colorway of Sugar n Cream. We also gave her some DnD coffee & a mug to stay with the theme. She was ecstatic. She is such a great lady.

On Sunday, I did all the laundry, cleaned our bedroom, made a pie, made stuffed peppers for supper, and finished my shrug from the Fitted Knits book. All without Red Bull!

(Sorry for the crummy pic-it was getting dark). I am really loving this book. I want to make the Cozy V-neck sweater next, but I have too many other things I need to make first.

Shrug details:
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (7 balls) purchased from Needleworks during their going out of business sale. I actually bought it specifically to make a shrug like this & could never find a pattern worthy of such great yarn.
Needles: Knit Picks Options size 9
Started: Sept 16
Finished: Sept 30
Mods: Sleeve length; that's it. It's a great design. Just don't kid yourself with your measurement. Mine was 17, which was the 5th size up. I'm usually the 2nd or 3rd size in patterns, but I went with my measurement & am so glad I did.

What a great weekend. I got tons done, had fun, and even cranked out a FO!

Ridiculously Unproductive Weekend

2007-09-24T11:05:00.000-05:00

So, I made the mistake of surfing the internet on Saturday morning. I clicked on some ad for Old Navy so I could peek at their fall knitwear. That's where I started my downward spiral. They have this scarf that I figured I could make for Joe's daughter for Christmas. All I have to do is figure out the lace pattern & I'll be all set. Yeah, right. I spent all of Saturday and most of Sunday trying to figure out that damn lace pattern, perusing stitch pattern books, making charts, testing swatches. I finally ended up going to Old Navy so I could get a close up look at it. Good thing I did. There is a knit SEVEN together in the middle of it, then those 7 stitches magically re-appear on the next row, and there's no holes there either. Luckily, I'm pretty sure I have it figured out now. Sometimes I love my obsessive nature. Sometimes I want to take it out back and beat the shit out of it. This weekend was the latter.

Sunday afternoon I took a break from the insanity & went to the Coventry farmer's market so I could see my SnB buddy Kris at her first fiber festival (well, first one as a vendor, anyway).
It was a really nice little festival, and from what I could tell, it went really well for Kris. Another SnB buddy, Paula, was there helping out with the booth & she made the most awesomest banner for the shop:

P, I know I keep going on and on about it, but I am constantly impressed with your talent & creativity. You rock!

A few FO's

2007-09-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

I went to a baby shower this weekend for Joe's cousin (his Dad's sister's daughter, if you're curious), and I made her one of those Zodiac sleeping sacks. It might just be my standard baby gift for a while. It takes about 3 days to make, plus one day to make the chart at the bottom, screw up the duplicate stitch, rip it all out, start over at least 2 times, then finally get it right. But, if you know how to count, you can skip that last part. ;)
The new mom & dad both went to the University of Notre Dame. They loved it! The only problem I had was figuring out WTF to do with the remaining 5000 yards of this:
I also got around to blocking & getting a pic of my Back to School U-Neck Vest from Fitted Knits. Before I blocked it, I tried it on and absolutely hated it. It sat in a pile in the floor for WEEKS until yesterday. Of course, after blocking, it looks fine. Why I haven't learned this yet, I can't tell you.

And, ---AND--- Joe finally modeled his Cheezy Puffs sweater for me:

You say tomato.....

2007-09-09T13:09:00.000-05:00

I finished this one so quick, it made MY head spin. I finshed most of it in about a week, then spent the next week trying to figure out what to do with the sleeves. I decided to go with 3/4 sleeves, but chickened out when I got to the elbow because I was terrified of running out of yarn (this yarn has been in the stash forever, so I knew I wouldn't be able to find more in the same dye lot). I ended up having enough anyway, but am too lazy to rip back & fix them, plus I really like them the way they are.

I only knitted this to get practice with fair isle, but I totally love it. Wendy Bernard is just an amazing designer. Her patterns are so simple, yet so detailed, and so basic, but always have that little special touch that make them LOOK complicated. What can I say? I'm a fan.

If anyone wants to know, I lengthened the sleeves like this: I picked up 6 stitches in the underarm, knit one plain round, decreased 2 stitches in the underarm the next round and every 5th round thereafter. When I got to 1.25 inches before my desired length, I decreased my stitches to get to a number divisible by 4, then did 8 rounds of ribbing & bound off.

Latest me-me

2007-08-28T12:33:00.000-05:00

Stolen from Robin's blog, this one mimics the "Are You Experienced?" game I'm sure we all played as teenagers. I always won at that one; let's see how I do now. hehehehee.

Here’s what the formatting stands for:

Bold = have already tried this
Italicized = Plan to try this
Unemphasized = Have no desire to try this

• Afghan (haven't tried Afghan knitting; but have knitted an afghan)
• I-cord
• Garter stitch
• Knitting with metal wire
• Shawl (made one for my niece before I knew I had to take pictures of my knitting)
• Stockinette stitch
• Socks: top-down
• Socks: toe-up
• Knitting with camel yarn
• Mittens: Cuff-up
• Mittens: Tip-down
• Hat
• Knitting with silk
• Moebius band knitting (didn't mean to, though)
• Participating in a KAL (oh,yeah)
• Sweater
• Drop stitch patterns
• Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
• Slip stitch patterns
• Knitting with banana fiber yarn
• Domino knitting (had to google this-it means modular knitting)
• Twisted stitch patterns
• Knitting with bamboo yarn (love!)
• Two end knitting
• Charity knitting
• Knitting with soy yarn
• Cardigan (I made my mom a vest that buttoned up the front, so I'm counting that as a yes.)
• Toy/doll clothing (I made a scarf for a gingerbread man decorating contest at work. I won.)
• Knitting with circular needles
• Baby items
• Knitting with your own handspun (Quit pressuring me! I don't want to spin!)
• Slippers
• Graffiti knitting (I don't knit clothes for trees. Just gingerbread men.)
• Continental knitting (Thank GOD!)
• Designing knitted garments
• Cable stitch patterns
• Lace patterns
• Publishing a knitting book
• Scarf
• Teaching a child to knit (I helped teach my mom how to knit, so I'm counting this one. We're pretty much at that stage where I become the parent and she becomes the child, so I think I'm justified.)
• American/English knitting
• Knitting to make money(I made scarves for a craft fair and all the money went to Alex's Lemonade Stand)
• Buttonholes
• Knitting with alpaca (I love it, but it's just too warm for me)
• Fair Isle knitting (finally!)
• Norwegian knitting
• Dyeing with plant colors
• Knitting items for a wedding (don't get me started)
• Household items
• Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars (I no likey)
• Olympic knitting
• Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
• Knitting with dpns
• Holiday-related knitting
• Teaching a male how to knit
• Bobbles
• Knitting for a living
• Knitting with cotton
• Knitting smocking
• Dyeing yarn
• Steeks (so nervous about this!)
• Knitting art
• Fulling/felting
• Knitting with wool
• Textured knitting
• Kitchener BO
• Purses/bags
• Knitting with beads
• Swatching
• Long Tail CO
• Entrelac
• Knitting and purling backwards
• Machine knitting (meh. I returned it.)
• Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
• Stuffed toys
• Knitting with cashmere
• Darning
• Jewelry
• Knitting with synthetic yarn
• Writing a pattern
• Gloves
• Intarsia
• Knitting with linen
• Knitting for preemies
• Tubular CO
• Freeform knitting (it was crochet, to be honest)
• Short rows
• Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
• Pillows
• Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine (Knitty.com)
• Rug
• Knitting on a loom
• Thrummed knitting
• Knitting a gift
• Knitting for pets
• Shrug/bolero/poncho
• Knitting with dog/cat hair (I don't know if Rocco would like this or pee on whatever I made him)
• Hair accessories
• Knitting in public (probably too much, actually)

Well, that was a fun way to spend an afternoon. Better than working, right?

Tomato Season

2007-08-27T10:16:00.000-05:00

I got started on my Tomato over the weekend & made a LOT of progress!
Since this is now a free pattern, and I'm a free pattern ho, I just had to make it. I wanted to get practice with the scary fair-aisle, so this was a perfect way to start. I love that since I learned to knit "throwing" and then switched to continental, I can do that two-hand method easily. The only hard part is the tension, which is really hard as a tight knitter.
I also finished my vest from Fitted Knits over the weekend, but the pictures of it are just a green blob, so I'll have to get Joe to take some of me in it.

Mitred Square Source

2007-08-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

Since I got a couple requests for the pattern for my little blankie, I figured I'd go dig up the magazine I got it out of. It was a Knit It magazine that I bought from Joann's. I have no idea where you can get this now that it's out of print, but here it is anyway:

I'm sure this is absolutely no help at all. Again, sorry.

FO: Mitred Square Blankie

2007-08-20T09:16:00.000-05:00

Our company picnic was this weekend, so I dragged out the blanket (that has been languishing in my cedar chest for MONTHS) to give to our VP's newly adopted daughter. They were accepted as her parents before the adoption ban went into effect for Russian children, but it took FOREVER to get her. I made the blanket back in February right after I heard they got accepted, and just never wove in the ends or put the border on it. They picked her up from Russia and brought her home in June, but this would be the first time I met her, so I had to get that blanket ready. I whipped out the fray check and my darning needle and finished it just in time.
Another satisfied customer:
She loved it! She also seems to have good taste in friends, because she hung out with me all day. The VP came in this morning and said she didn't stop talking about me all weekend. [AWWWWWWW!]
When we got home, this was on my doorstep: It's for the Mirepoix bodice from the new interweave. I guess I needed a challenge? Or maybe Robin is just a bad influence! Either way, I love the colors & I think it's going to be soooooo pretty.
Sunday we went to another Yankee game where we listened to this guy scream his head off the entire time.
He has to be related to Sam Kinison. They could be brothers. Seriously. I made some progress on my other WIP's, but I think they might be disasters, so I'm not showing them until I know for sure. Whoever wrote that Teva Durham's new crochet book was a good coffee table book is starting to look really smart right now.

Birthday Boy

2007-08-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Joe!
I know I promised I wouldn't post this picture, but it is SO cute; I couldn't resist!

Jenny Simpson

2007-08-09T12:18:00.000-05:00

No, that's not my real name, but I've been Simpsonized.
I just checked my Ravelry status & I only have 22 people in front of me today. 'Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow!' I am SO EXCITED!

Weekend Shenanigans

2007-08-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

We went to Virginia over the weekend to see my parents & stopped off for a quick visit and to deliver Sahara to my friend Aimee. I forgot to take her picture in it, but it looked so great on her and she really loves it! Then, we went to my parents' house where I found this on their stove: I love love love home grown tomatoes. I tried to eat all of them, but I only managed 4 (Yes, that is a little pot of bacon grease behind the tomatoes. -I used to have one on my own stove because I thought everyone did- until I realized just how WRONG that is). On Sunday, we went to G Street Fabrics in Falls Church where I found these little treasures:
The green print is Marc Jacobs cotton with some sort of stretchy content (I forget what), and the white was a remnant I couldn't resist. Both are destined to be skirts.

Sahara Returns

2007-08-03T11:12:00.000-05:00

So, I was stupid enough to show off my Sahara to my best friend a few months ago and she said she would like one too. I said, "great, what color?" She said, "same as yours. Same yarn, same everything. Just a little smaller and shorter sleeves." Um, WHAT? Knit the same exact sweater again? Well, she is my best friend.......
I think it came out better than mine! Bitch!

I'm leaving in 15 minutes to go personally deliver it to her in Virginia. Have a good weekend!

Pictures, Finally

2007-07-22T19:43:00.000-05:00

So remember that little dress I crocheted last year that was going to be my wedding dress, but then I chickened out and bought a different one, then took a lame picture on a hanger and then never mentioned it again? Well, lookie what I wore today:

Ha! Just kidding! Here it is:

And a close up:

We also went to WEBS this weekend where I got yarn for my Back to School Vest from Fitted Knits. I also got yarn for my crocheted skirt from Teva Durham's new crochet book, Loop-d-loop Crochet. Wanna play? Join the KCAL!

(Cascade 220 Superwash, Classic Elite Star & some fun stuff)

Joe fits right in with the ladies.

No Knitting, Just a Shameless Advertisement

2007-07-19T13:56:00.000-05:00

I have got to stop reading knit and tonic. Every time I go there, I swear it costs me 50 bucks. This week's wallet sucker was the Furminator.
It's some fancy pants pet brush that supposedly gets all your pet's 'dead fur' off of them and makes them shed less and get less furballs. I was skeptical. But, now I'm a believer! This thing is really (REALLY) awesome. But really (REALLY) expensive. Rocco actually gave me thank you kisses after I brushed him with the thing. We got at least 4 kittens' worth of fur off of him. He had us cracking up--he was turning around and around so I didn't accidentally miss any spots. He likes!

I love that they call it the antsy page

2007-07-17T11:31:00.000-05:00

Because I am so antsy right now!

I have most of my pictures done & ready to upload. Just need that key little piece of the puzzle a.k.a. my invite. I'm being patient, though. Other than checking my email 90 times a day, that is. If you're antsy too, here's the link.

Lovely Leaf Lace Skirt

2007-07-15T19:06:00.000-05:00

Yay! It's done! This was definitely one of those "Are we there yet?" type of projects. I would swear I had done all of the repeats, and then I would count to be sure and I would have 2 left (this happened twice! Clearly I can not count. Please don't tell my boss--I'm an accountant.). Then, I when I actually was done, I tried it on and realized I wanted it to be longer. Anyway, on to the pictures!

The neighbor's cat walked up just as Joe was taking this picture. Rocco was in the window seething at him to get away from me. It was too funny.

Notes:
Pattern: Lovely Leaf Lace Skirt by Lana Knits
Yarn: Allhemp6 in Cinnamon, 4.5 skeins
Needles: Knitpicks 4's & 5's
Size: Well, my hips measure 39", so I took Wendy's advice & made the small. It was a wee bit snug until I wore it for a few minutes and then it fit fine. Weird fiber, that hemp.
Mods: I did two extra repeats of the stockinette section because I wanted it a bit longer than it was when the pattern said I was done. Because of this, I needed an extra skein of yarn. I would have JUST barely made it with the 4 skeins if I hadn't made that mod. I would have had to rip my swatch out to make the i-cord. I also changed the drawstring-I crocheted a chain, then did one slip stitch in the butt of each chain. I think this is much less painless than I-cord and looks almost just like it.
Thoughts: Although the hemp is "different," I actually liked working with it. Out of 5 skeins, only one had a knot in it, but all of them had several knots in one ply every now and then. You can't see them unless you look really really closely, so it was no biggie. As for the skirt-Love it! Love it! Love it!

New Email

2007-07-13T15:34:00.000-05:00

I decided to jump on the gmail bandwaggon since they blocked aol at work & I have to wait til I get home to respond to pretty much anything anyone sends me during the day. My new address is jenerationx74 at gmail dot com. I hate to add yet another email to the stable (we're now up to 6!), but I just had to because of stupid work. I'll put it on the sidebar too as soon as I figure out that little trick.

I was 2 rows away from being done with the Lovely Lace Leaf Skirt & I RAN OUT OF YARN. I'm kind of happy though; I wanted it to be longer than it was, so I really needed that 5th skein anyway. I swung by the LYS on my lunch hour, so hopefully I'll have a FO by Sunday!

Have a great weekend!!

ETA: I just set up gmail to check my other emails for me, so whatever one you have in your address book will work. Woo hoo!!

What I'm Up To

2007-07-03T11:08:00.000-05:00

I'm officially obsessed. I can't wait to finish it.

Losing Focus

2007-06-25T12:25:00.000-05:00

I don't know if it's something to do with the weather or what, but I have crazy focus issues lately. I start something, abandon it, start something else, feel guilty about the first thing & then the cycle starts over at the beginning. Maybe it's not the weather; maybe I just found some really cute new things to knit. Case in point: Zodiac. Don't get your hopes up; it's for a guy at work.

Yes, another Knitty pattern. But, look, I actually BOUGHT a pattern too. Do I get any credit for that?

Zodiac stats:
Yarn: Bernat Satin from Joann's (2 balls for the 3-6 months size)
Pattern: Zodiac from Knitty
Needles: I tried to get gauge on 9s & 10s, but ended up using 10.5s to get 4.5 sts per inch (and the pattern called for 4 sts per inch). I just made the larger size to compensate for my wrong gauge. It worked out fine.
Model: Olivia's Build a Bear Monkey (so cute!)
Mods: Um, obviously I didn't go with the whole 'zodiac' theme & decided to make my own NY Yankees symbol chart. I don't know if it was necessarily BECAUSE of the Yankee logo (Audrey), but it took me 3 tries to get the damn thing right. But it is done and it is so cute and I just pray it fits over that baby's head (cause me & monkey had a little struggle with it). Oh, and I put in a strip of snap tape instead of a zipper.

Now, must resist knitting skirt............
Must finish other things first.............
Yeah, right!

Summer of Sequels

2007-06-10T19:49:00.000-05:00

I hate to blog when I don't have much to say. And, just like at the theaters, there's just repeats of the same ol stuff going on here. I'm making my friend Aimee a Sahara. In the same exact color I made mine in. BO-RING!

And, we went to another Yankee game just like last year. They won again. Yawn.

I guess there is one important thing to say to the moms out there; please remember to tell your kids to say no to crack.

Ewwwwww!

A pretty happy Memorial Day

2007-05-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day weekend is typically a long, boring, lonely affair for me. Filled with movies and knitting and wanting to go to a party really bad, but being supportive of the Lowe's employee I married and not going to such parties. (Poor Joe; he had to work 5 AM-5 PM all three days this weekend-and it's not like he had a day off in the last week either!). I have learned to deal with the days, but the zombie that comes home in the evenings is the hardest part. I want to go to a barbeque, and he wants to sleep on the couch. :( Oh well.

So, this is how I 'dealt' with my days this year:

Saturday, I went to the Mass Sheep & Wool Festival with Amy, Audrey, & Karen. This is me & Amy from Spunky Eclectic. She's so awesome. She was definitely the biggest hit at the festival.

That's a skein of her Purple Haze sock yarn in my hand. After the festival, we went to a little fabric store in Northampton (thanks for stopping, Audrey!) and I picked up the Cabo Halter pattern I've been wanting to make.

Then, we went to Webs (!) and used up whatever energy we had remaining.

Sunday, I had my spa day that Rocco got me for mother's day. He's such a good little kitty. Here's my pedicure & finished socklets:

Then, Monday I made the halter top & took totally silly pictures of myself in it. The neighbors must think I'm insane.

This was my first Amy Butler patern, but it will not be my last. It was painful to pay $13 for a pattern, but all the details & little hints in the pattern were worth it. I can't get over how well written it was. I even got the zipper right on the first try. That NEVER happens!