Wow, so Christmas was great! I had to make a trip to the grocery store on Christmas Eve, but other than that, 2 whole days of rest.
We had a neighbor over for Christmas Dinner and my mom's friend Mary came to stay for a few days. My brother also came over and gave me the most awesome present. A FULL SIZED keyboard. It is beyond awesome. I haven't played since using Daniel's piano at his house when he was alive. :) It felt sooo good to run my fingers across keys again.

I also got a ball winder, so I spent Christmas night gleefully winding yarn. My arm wore out before the novelty wore off so I'll be getting out my totes of yarn and winding them on New Years eve. I also received More Sensational Knitted Socks and the Pattern a Day 2008 calendar.

I also received new clothes, shoes and other good stuff. It was nice to just relax and not have to go anywhere or do anything.

Sydney also got sick on Wednesday before Christmas. I came home and he was running a fever. I got him to the vets Fri afternoon and its just a fever from some sort of infection. He has always gotten them and his tests have always come back perfect except for high white blood count indicating an infection. We never have any answers. This vet at least seemed to be willing to look further. Thats a start. He goes back on Saturday so we'll se what they say then. But for now he is behaving like his normal self, thank goodness. :)

My good friend Janet gave me 15 crocheted squares done in Christmas colors. They were so pretty. I seamed them into a 36" x 60" throw for the back of the couch. It came out GORGEOUS!!!! My mom absolutely LOVED it!


I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!!!

Okay. Lots going on. Much crazy-ness.

:) Can't wait for knit night tomorrow.

I'm never ever ever ordering Chinese food for lunch again.

Ha! I always say I want to be a better Blogger but back to back posts? No way!

Its getting close to Christmas tree time. Some people make New Years resolutions. Not me. I reflect under the Christmas tree. Yup. Under it.

It began when I was a kid and we had this very round 6'tall tree. Mom used to put the stand on cinderblocks to make it look more proportional and also so she would have room to put the packages under the tree. My favorite thing was to decorate the tree and that night, when everyone was in bed I would sneak back out, turn the tree lights on and lay with my head under the tree watching the lights twinkle and shine on the ceiling. I would lay under there for hours and eventually it bacme a ritual for me to contemplate my life as a gift. I would reflect on the year gone past and consider how I had valued others and myself. Who were the gifts in my life? Did I recognize them as such? Who inspired me to be a better person? Did I inspire others? Then I would consider the upcoming year. What did I want to change? What could I do better? When I am under the next tree, what would I like to look back on and be proud of accomplishing? After getting a mental list of things for the upcoming year, I would put pen to paper and make a list. That list gets wrapped and put under the tree and I open it on Christmas morning.

I have only skipped this ritual once, the year Daniel died. I kinda forced myself to do it last year, since knowing him was one of the greatest gifts I ever received but I still had a hard time with it. I suppose these things are supposed to get easier with time, so I'll be patient.

I had already decided lace knitting was on my list for next year. I have started and frogged several projects. I always miscount, drop a stitch, or make some other silly mistake that I can't quite figure out how to recover from. It is also hard to concentrate on lace projects because I can't think straight when its loud and my house is rarely quiet. I also have never been able to read charts. Just. So. Confusing.

Anyway, I thought I would be quite proud of myself next year if I could complete a "real" lace project. Lo and behold, my good friend Mara from knitting group shows up with a gift of Brown Sheep Nature Spun in Limestone, a dark limey green which I love and tells me I should start the Qiviuk Webs Scarf. (confusing instructions and charts, OH MY!) "Quick! Cast on before Jeanne comes in and (lovingly) smacks your hand!!! I started right then and 2 hours, and 1 complete frog later I had triangles!!! I was quite proud. Last night I have ignored the impending-sense-of-doom-Christmas-knitting and worked on this scarf. (Shame on me!!!)

So I am beginning to tackle next years goals this year! Thanks and much love to Mara aka (Professor, Chart Reading 101) for the yarn, encouragement and copious amounts of blind faith.

Wow. Its freakin December 6th. This year has gone by SOOOOOOOO fast.

I haven't really even started the Christmas shopping, although I have a bit of a jump on the Christmas knitting.

Currently on the needles:
Scarf for Gift (1/3 done)
Scarf for Gift set (1/2 done)
Bed jacket for Mom (meh, don't know if she would use it) (1/100th done)
Socks (1/3 done on each)
Jaywalker # 2 which glares at me reproachfully every time I walk by. Jaywalker # 1 has long since been done. ::sigh::

Still to cast on:
Fingerless gloves for Gift set
3 Berets
1 Hat
1 scarf

Finished:
2 Berets
1 Calorimetry

So yeah, I have some knitting to do. :) I can get it done though and I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't know they knits were going to great homes where they would be cherished.

The winter Knitty is up and I think its the best issue ever. There are several patterns I want to make including Jeanie, Halcyon, Azure and Chevrolace. They are going to have to wait...

By the way, what does it mean when your Ravelry queue is LONGER than your list of FO's? What? Covet? Me? Noooo....

YAY!!! We have a new LYS!!!!

Crazy for Ewe opened a shop in LaPlata!!!

There are some nice brands, including Pagewood Farm sock yarn. I got a hank of Golden which is lovely. I want it to be socks but it keeps whispering "shawl". We'll see who wins this argument. Maybe I just want it to be socks because knowing I am an 80's fanatic, Becky said I would be "Walking on Sunshine". How awesome is that!

Currently, the lighting in the LaPlata store isn't too bright so they are bringing in track lighting in the next week or 2. Until then, they are closing at dusk. Although purchasing yarn by touch alone sounds tempting, its not something my budget will allow at the moment. (100% silk, cashmere, angora and royal alpaca anyone?)

Martha, who is working the shop is very nice and has a great knowledge of product and some great ideas. Stop by and say hello! Stock is increasing daily-and I hear Malabrigo has been ordered!!! Imagine. A Malabrigo sourse 15 minutes from home. *faints* My wallet is soooo gonna hurt.

My birthday was wonderful this year. Thank you to all of you who helped me celebrate, from KH, Ravelry, the local Knitting group, my family, friends and coworkers. It was a smooshy, warm and fuzzy birthday complete with yarn and pattern, 2 birthday cakes, tinkertoys (to build a collapsible swift don’t ya know), a dragonfly, books and completely wonderful amazing people. And thats not the half of it!!! So again, thank you guys. It was wonderful.


A pair of lovely socks off the needles as well as 2 adorable berets. Busy busy!







I am going to pick up some new sock needles this weekend because I have a couple pair I want to cast on. I love doing socks on size 0’s but there are some lovely patterns that require 1’s and 2’s. IMO that’s a reason to shop if I ever heard one!


**SPOILER WARNING**
I have discovered that I love to knit in the theater.

Recently I took myself to see “Dan in Real Life” which was not as good as I expected. The family was so… I had a real problem with him going after his brothers girl behind his back. Yes, Dan and Marie had fallen for each other, but that didn’t stop her from being “in love” with his brother, too. Marie came off flirtatious and yet callous in regards to Dan. They were both dishonest with themselves, each other and their families and… and ugh, that bothered me on so many levels. I really expected better of this movie given the ratings.

I also saw Martian Child.
LOVED this one. John Cusak is funny and endearing. Dennis’s portrayl of an abandoned child is heartbreaking. I love films like these. The ones that make you leave the theater contemplating your life and what can you do to affect others in a more positive way. Totally recommend this movie. It was heartwarming.
**END OF SPOILERS**

The day I saw Dan in Real Life, it was raining and a ceiling tile and a few gallons of water literally fell on a couple sitting in the front center section. The local theater is in REALLY bad shape. There were 3 ceiling tiles missing where they had fallen in and the first 10 or so rows were cordoned off with loops of trash bags (really people, TRASH BAGS?!?!?!) because of water steadily dripping in. Still, they allowed people to sit in that theater, showed movies there and even had the nerve to raise the rates on tickets and refreshments by $.50 each. Loews used to own the theater but they were bought out by AMC. I was excited about this as I was promised lots of improvements when AMC took over (by Loew’s upper level management). So far (2 YEARS LATER), the only changes have been replacing a couple (not all, just a couple) black curtains in each green theater with totally non matching red curtains, putting out serve-yourself butter machines and making salt shakers accessable without having to ask for them. Seriously. Conditions are becoming deplorable, but in true capitalistic fashion, I still forked over my $9.50. Ugh. I feel dirty.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Happy knitting!!!

GAH! I scheduled 2, thats T-W-O weekends OFF. I had forgotten what a great thing it was to have a whole weekend. I came in to work this morning chipper and upbeat-and well rested. :) Its great!

When I went to get in the car to come to work this morning, I noticed bird droppings on my windshield. I was a little miffed as I had just painstakingly washed my car Saturday morning. I hopped in and scowled at the offending mark and then had to burst out laughing. Yup... a big pile of poo. In the shape of a dragon smiling. Or something smiling. I kid you not. Happy poo. Totally disgusting, but funny none the less. I am taking it as a reminder to smile, even when things are shitty. After all, it could always be worse.


So... what did I do with my weekend? STITCHES EAST, people!

I got to see the wonderful Carole from The Celtic Knot Yarn Shop. This happens to be one of my favorite shops evar. To me it is a happy thing when I feel I can walk into a yarn shop and literally, cuddle up on the couch and knit until my hearts content. Thats what Carole has. A shop that is so comforting and homey, filled with great yarn and great people, where you can relax and shop and just be full of happiness among needles, yarn and people. And now BEADS!!! As of this weekend, they have incorporated a bead shop! YAY!!!! *happy dance*

In addition, Lindsay from TCK was there with her new venture
Storm Moon Knits.
Her stuff is so yummy. I can't wait to stash some of her yarn. It was squishy and soft and so wonderful. One of my favorite things about her yarn is the fact that her colorways aren't take-your-ritalin happy. Know what I mean? I am talking stormy dark purple with bright sky blue and black with pink... You know? Grown up-y yarn. Not a pastel in the bunch! Its great to see an indy dyer who thinks outside the box. Mad props to Lindsay!

I have been wanting to knit this sweater for myself since the dawn of time. It is a Vermont Fiber Designs pattern by Sue McCain. So I dropped by The Mannings booth and picked it up.

From there, my only must haves were SOCK YARN *quiver* and Malabrigo *drool*.

I stopped by Lisa Souza's booth where I carried around a hank of Blimey for about 20 minutes. God I LOVE Lisa's stuff. It's just eye candy. So many colors... I just couldn't decide. And Lisa herself is so nice. :) There was plenty of it left, so I decided to wait and see if something else caught my fancy.

I wandered to Blue Moon Fiber Arts and checked out their Socks That Rock. Pretty stuff, but nothing that moved me.

I hit quite a few other booths, looking for inspiration and then happened upon Dancing Leaf Farm run by Dalis Davidson. I made my GF socks from her Salsa yarn so I am familiar with her product. I spied a hank of her Sock Hop yarn and decided to purchase it. Then I saw 4 more colorways I just fell in love with. I got a hank of Briar Patch, Pansy, Purple Passion and one other colorway that is similar to Carnival, but lighter.

I kept searching for the Malabrigo, but quite frankly, I was tired, and had a long jaunt back to the scary dark parking garage, so I gave up.

On the way out of the city, a friend called and she and I decided to see a movie.
We went to Muvico and saw Elizabeth, the Golden Age. Okay, forget the fact that

Clive Owen
is in this movie. He alone makes it worth watching. Sexy, intense, oh just such. a. hot. man. *fans self* But aside from that. The movie was stunning. Cate Blanchett is riveting as Elizabeth. I don't think anyone else could do that role justice as well as she does.
The costuming was magnificent, the story well written. It was definitely worth seeing. Oh, and did I mention, Clive Owen happens to be in it.

Hm. I almost didn't notice. *rolls eyes*

Sunday, I just did random stuff around the house and knit a bit. I resisted the urge to cast on with the new yarn since I still have Shari's socks to finish. Ohhhh but it was tempting. :)

100 Random Things about Me

1. I began writing this on May 22, 2007 and finished September 24, 2007. I didn't work on it in between those dates.

2. I am 32 years old at this time.

3. I love most colors, but prefer cool shades in ranges of blue to green.

4. I often stream 80's radio while I am at work and currently Kyrie is playing.

5. I was 11 when Mr. Mister released this song.

6. Not knowing what Kyrie Eleison meant, I researched it until I found the answer. (It is Greek for "Lord have mercy.")

7. I have lots of pointless facts stuck in my brain because I feel compelled to find answers about things that have no use in day to day living.

8. My best friend, Daniel used to ask me the most obscure questions he could think of knowing it would drive me mad until I could research the answer.

9. If I already knew the answer he would pat my head and say, "Wow! You're smart!" :-Þ It became a running joke between us.

10. I am NOT a morning person.

11. One morning he asked me a question while I was only half awake. When I merely grunted in response he exclaimed, "Wow. You're stupid in the morning!" I never let him live that down.

12. He died on September 26, 2005 at the age of 33. My life fell apart that day.

13. In January 2006, I learned to knit. It began as something to occupy my mind. It quickly became an obsession. I'm really thankful for that because I have met some of the coolest people because of knitting.

14. My favorite thing to knit is socks because they are portable, a quick knit and immensely gratifying.

15. I love gardening. The act of amending the soil and planting are very soothing to me. Weeding is a great de-stressor and the finished product is so beautiful.

16. I am still friends with someone I met in kindergarten. Our friendship has stood the test of time despite the fact that he moved nearly 1000 miles away in the 7th grade.

17. I got an e-mail from him today-05/22/07.

18. We made up code names for each other when we were 9 or 10. They were words made up from our phone numbers.

19. He dedicated a song to me over the radio when we were 12. To this day hearing that song makes me smile.

20. I love dragonflies and collect anything with dragonflies on it.

21. One of my favorite memories ever happened at Daniel's house in late spring 2005. I had loaned him a book, "The Bridges of Madison County" (convinced he would love it) and it had taken me a year to goad him into reading it. He was sitting on the bench swing in the garden finishing the last couple of chapters and I was lying on the ground at the edge of the pool. He hadn't cleaned it out yet and the water was pond green. Dragonflies were zooming around the pool area. I just laid there looking down into the pool and dragonflies started landing on me. The moment felt magical. (On a side note-he enjoyed the book immensely)

22. As a teenager I had a HUGE crush on Sebastian Bach from Skid Row.

23. I got to meet him in person in 2000 and am quite pleased to say that I didn't make a total ass of myself.

24. I absolutely hate pickles on sandwiches-unless it is in tuna or chicken salad.

25. When I was a kid I wanted to be a singer. Eventually I figured out that I can't sing.

26. My favorite sport is hockey and I LOVE the Washington Capitals

27. I hate football. Even the sound of football on TV will put me in a bad mood.

28. I make excellent crepes. Really. Stuffed with mascarpone and fresh strawberries.

29. I have dark brown eyes.

30. I still love Bon Jovi, even after all these years.

31. The majority of all the cars I have owned have been blue.

32. I make my own lip balm because I am allergic to Chapstick.

33. I have a cat named Sydney Sebastian

34. ...and one named Sadie Sophia

35. ...and one named Darby Olivia Gray

36. I give my cats dignified names because I would feel mortified to wake up one day named Frou Frou Muffin Butt, so try to afford them the same consideration.

37. When I was a kid I had a recurring dream about being chased down a dead end road and attacked. In the dream I always woke up right before they killed me. Late one night I was out cruising with a friend and she and I started being chased by another vehicle. I was about to turn onto that same dead end road but at the last moment remembered the dream and turned in the opposite direction. The car continued to chase us for several miles but we got away. I still wonder what would have happened if we had taken that dead end road.

38. I play piano, but can't read sheet music.

39. When I originally entered # 39 I accidentally typed "sheep music". I told you knitting is an obsession!

40. I hate Mountain Dew. Just ew.

41. I have a fascination with Malta and its history.

42. I love foreign language. I want to be fluent in Maltese, Italian, Gaelic and Spanish-for starters.

43. When I was a baby I fell down 6 cement steps in my walker and all I got was a black eye.

44. My first car was a 1974 Chevy Imapala named George

45. I have always named my cars. The current one is Pixie.

46. When I was little I was very close to my cousin Sue. She was 11 years older than me and I thought she was the greatest because she let me get in and out of her car through the window like they did on The Dukes of Hazzard.

47. I had a crush on Bo Duke

48. I like chocolate candy, but not chocolate ice cream

49. I love Pre-Raphaelite and Neoclassic art by Artists such as Leighton and Waterhouse

50. When I was a kid I had pictures of the presidents taped to my wall and I tried to memorize them. In order.

51. When I was 12 I replaced the pictures of the U.S. presidents with those of rock bands. Within a 6 months I had covered all 4 walls as well as the ceiling of my room

52. I still have all those pictures saved in a box.

53. I can say the alphabet backwards in under 5 seconds.

54. When I was in the Middle School we had a talent show. I wanted to twirl baton to Starship's "We Built This City". I was too chicken to try out, which in retrospect was probably a good thing, even though I was very good.

55. My first pet was Pedro, a Chihuahua my parents had before I was born.

56. I taught myself to read before I was 5 because I wanted to read the pet section of my Mom's True Story magazines.

57. My last vacation was to Ohio to attend my friend Dawn's wedding in 2006.

58. I met Dawn the same year I met Daniel-1988.

59. I get angry when people are offended by the way others celebrate holidays. You are an adult. If you don't agree, don't participate. Even more so, it makes me REALLY angry when people use their children as tools to breed ignorance and intolerance. So, you don't think your kid should be subjected to the Christmas play because you aren't Christian. I agree. Children should not be educated on the history and culture of others. We can't have them growing up to be educated and tolerant of others, now can we?

60. I think mangos are gross.

61. I like to watch public television. My favorite shows there are Globetrekker, America's Test Kitchen, Are You Being Served and Keeping Up Appearances. "Richard! Mind the pedestrian!"

62. The only "mainstream" TV shows I watch regularly are LOST, Criminal Minds and Supernatural.

63. My favorite painting is The Danaides by John William Waterhouse. Unfortunately it is in a private collection and I will never get to lay eyes on it.

64. My 2nd favorite painting is by Lord Leighton and is titled Flaming June. The models name was either Dorothy or Mary (experts can not agree on this point), but certainly not June.

65. I believe in ghosts.

66. I love long car trips. I have driven to Florida and back with a friend as well as driving to western Ohio and back alone.

67. I have never had cable TV.

68. I am scared of spiders. I mean petrified.

69. In the winter of 1978 there was a HUGE snowstorm and my brother talked me into going outside in red shorts. (which I got in trouble for)

70. My brother is seven years older than me and could make me believe anything.

71. Obviously I was quite naive back then. These days I think I am jaded.

72. He was the BEST sledding partner ever because he could run REALLY fast. We didn't have any hills so he would put me in my red toboggan with the yellow handles and pull me behind him really fast. Occasionally he would turn a sharp corner and I would fly off the toboggan and literally roll down the street. It wasn't funny at the time, but those memories are some of my favorites now.

73. I went on a trip to the beach this summer because my fortune cookie told me to. Seriously. It said, "You are going to take a trip to the seaside." I keep it taped to my computer monitor.

74. I am almost always hot. In the winter I wear short sleeves usually,long sleeves occasionally and never a coat.

75. I recently went to the local county fair, which I hadn't attended in years.

76. I'd forgotten how much I loved the smells... Fresh hay, popcorn, mown grass, and the barns. Seriously, I even like the smell in the barns. It smells like the earth to me, natural and homey.

77. I have a real desire to go back to basics. Books instead of TV, growing food instead of buying it, canning, baking, long dresses, going barefoot in the grass, spinning and dying my own yarn...

78. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong generation.

79. I tend to have a few favorite books and movies and read/watch them repeatedly.

80. I love the look of plaid fabric paired wth floral prints in interior design.

81. From my mothers side of the family I and Scottish and German.

82. From my fathers side I am Russian and Polish.

83. I love the smells of the Autumn season. Falling leaves, pumpkin pie, hay and mums.

84. I love to organize, but rarely stay that way.

85. I am a very tactile person. When I shop for yarn I touch pertty much everything in the store.

86. I am happy that 80's fashions are coming back into style.

87. I miss big hair, but not all the time, toil and Aqua net that went into styling it.

88. I always keep my fingernails short.

89. I currently have a huge crush on Clive Owen.

90. I hate brussels sprouts.

91. My favorite poem is Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe.

92. I also love many poems by Robert Frost, but am partial to Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening.

93. One of my biggest dreams is to go skydiving-but I am terrified of heights.

94. I am a tree hugger.

95. I don't like fruit juice. Not orange, not apple, not cranberry. Ick. >:-Þ

96. I am scared of deep water even though I can swim.

97. I collect crystal balls. My favorite is made of Obsidian and is nearly 6" in diameter

98. My favorite book is "The Bone Woman" by Clea Koff.

99. When I was in Elementary school, I got in trouble for spelling things the British way. Colour, honour, cheque, favourite... Even though I was constantly told it was wrong, it seemed correct to me. (It still does!!!)

100. I never realized it was actually difficult to come up with 100 things about yourself. It was interesting though and I am glad I did it.

Life has certainly been a rollercoaster lately.

Oddly enough I feel like an observer rather than a participant. I have been reading over the old blog, the one before this and found that I miss the passion in that person. Sure, she wasn't always happy.. okay... she wasn't always sane. But I miss her all the same. It really brought the point home when I mentioned feeling disconnected to a friend and she nodded knowingly and said that I have been that way since Daniel died. She said I seem more somber. Somber. Well that can't be good.

Its not like losing the most important person in your life shouldn't change you. It should. But I think his life should make more of an impact on me than his death. At least thats how I want it to be. I need to make some changes. If only I can muster the strength and find a starting point. Sept. 26th, 2007, 2 days from now will mark the 2 year anniversary of his death. 2 years. And I still feel frozen.

Again, I find it curious that I probably never would have learned to knit had he not died. We would have been off doing other things. He would be so amazed by the things I have created. I actually have a list of patterns that he would have *loved* me to make him. Leo, Avast, Anniversary, The new knitty has a scarf that would have been perfect. Traditional, handsome, classic. Just like Daniel.


I really wish that I could change things. But thats the weird thing about death. No matter how much you want it to change, it won't. It still doesn't make it any easier to pick up the pieces and move on.

I got my Ravelry invite and have been busy, busy, busy setting up all my info. I admit, the hardest part is inventory. I don't want to look at how much yarn I have amassed. I have *no* idea what I am going to do with it all and that makes inventory a daunting task.

Ohhh but how I love my Ravelry. I started a group on there for us 80's freaks and it has taken off nicely. I love looking at everyones projects and seeing what others are knitting. Its a great resource.

I haven't had much spare time, since I have been working during the week at the 2nd job as well as the 1st. Moms been in and out of the hospital, too, so the stress factor is pretty high. I am getting to the point where I could definitely use a vacation. :) I better start planning.

Well, I cast on for Coachella for the 3rd time. Attempts 1 & 2 were frogged. I don't normally knit large items and I have been having problems with my gauge going WAY off as the piece gets heavier. THe last attempt had my gauge going from 20 st over 4" to 28 st over 4". I think this is partly due to me allowing the weight of the piece to pull as I knit. I also think it has to do with the fact that I am using yarn that has *much* more give than the yarn the pattern calls for so I am ending up with less structure in the finished product. Anyway, so much for using stash yarn. I got some lovely Katia Idea which is a product I love anyway and have begun her yet again. Hopefully Dij will get it for her birthday although I wish I had been about to get it to her while it was still hot, icky and sticky outside.

Other than that, I have been working on Jaywalkers which turned out to be the perfect pattern for my lovely green sock yarn. They are soooo pretty! I am trying to finish the pair (I have 3/4 of one sock done) so I mentioned to Becky on her blog that if she wasn't finished with hers then I wanted to have a race. I know she had ONE Jaywalker complete, but I'm not sure about the pair. I wanted to see who could finish the pair by next Tuesdays meeting. Winner gets a cookie or something from the cafe. What do you say Becky?

Most likely Becky says she has already finished her pair and I should suck it up and do mine. :-P

Oh and gross... we for some strange reason are attracting grass spiders in our house. So far we have killed 4 in the last month. These things are HUGE. Of course it doesn't help that I am petrified of spiders. Personally I think we should just move. *shudder*

Saturday Shari and I went to A Tangled Skein. What a nice shop! Its roomy, wth a very nice selection of yarns, books, patterns and supplies. They had Malabrigo. I got 2 hanks in Vetiver which is a dusty green. Soooo smooshy.

Other than that I am in search of the *perfect* sock pattern for self striping sock yarn. I have yet to find any that can do this yarn justice. I have started and frogged no less than 6 times and am in danger of wearing the yarn out before i ever get to wear a pair of socks made from it.

You think I like green, no? Here is another attempt. I thought it looked too plain. But any pattern I try hides the beautiful colors. I *really* need to ask Cindy from Cherry Blossom Fibers it if she can do me a 2nd hank. Then maybe the pressure would be off.

I'm filling in a bit at job # 2 which means working nights in addition to Saturdays. It runs me down pretty quickly and cuts into the knitting time but the extra $$$ is GREAT. Especially since I have a few events coming up.

First of all, The Maryland Reniassance Festival begins on August 25th. This is a long standing tradition, I go every year. Daniel and I used to go together and spent the last hour dancing at the Dragon Inn to the awesome band, The Rogues. Last year, Nelson from The Rogues did a wonderful thing. He yelled out over the crowd that we had lost one of our own and asked everyone in the audience to raise there glasses and toast Daniels memory. Then they played Amazing Grace and the last note trailed into the first note of a jig. That was so perfect. Just absolutely perfect. So RennFest is bitter sweet for me but I feel so close to Daniel there that I wouldn't consider NOT going.

Second, a knitterly thing, Stitches East is coming!!! I am taking a couple vacation days and staying up there. Shari from the knitting group is going to attend with me. :) LOTS Of yummy stuff!!! I plan on heading right for the Malabrigo and Lisa Souza yarns. Its good to have a plan, especially since when i went to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival I was pretty much in awe of all the lovely stuff.

I am still waiting for Malabrigo to introduce their SOCK yarn! Its still in the develpoment phase but I have been promised a pre-release hank so I can review it. Ohhh I can't wait.

Since I don't have any pics to post, I think I will refresh my THINGS TO KNIT list.

Socks: Antique Rose, Mirabella, Beatrix, Widdershins, and Cable Net
Garments: Cable Panel Pullover, Pasticcio Circular Vest, Chunky Highland Wool Wrap
Baby Stuffs for other people: Devan

Okay.. thats enough to overwhelm me for a little while. I have yet to even begin thinking about CHRISTMAS KNITS! ::faints::

This weekend I hit the beach for some much needed R&R. I drove out to Ocean City, spread out a towel and plopped my big butt in the sand. I had forgotten how beautiful the ocean is and how much sunburn can hurt. I now am vividly reminded of both.

SAVE FERRIS!!!

Late at night in my hotel room I worked on Coachella a bit, my fingers easily finding the rhythm in the stitches while I watched the last half of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I have always been a bit jealous of Mia Sara's ultra shiny hair, and ability to pull off knee high boots, and shorts with a long sleeved jacket. Just HOW does one make that look work? By not trying I suppose.

So now I'm home, back in the grind... but now I see why people take vacations. I may have only been one and a half days but it was one and a half days of being accountable to no one, for nothing. No time to be home, no one to answer to, no deadline, no phones ringing, just peace and the rhythm of the waves and the freedom of being able to make the decision of what to do next-or choosing not to make a decision at all! It was lovely.

Oh, since this IS a knitting blog...

I stopped by Salty Yarns. They are a needle point/cross stitch shop on the boardwalk at 8th st. They have a small amount of yarn (Berrocco mostly) but I have never seen so much stitchery. :) After a pleasant chat with the stores employee and winding some yarn I was off to see the sites.

Well, theres good news and bad news these days.

The bad news is that despite following the pattern Coachella is DEFINITELY too big for Dawn. Well... I fear no frog so its ready to be cast on again-but this time, in 2 sizes smaller. Sorry Dij. So much for getting it to you by Aug 1.

The good news is I needed something to take my mind off Coachella so I cast on for Kiri. I have not had much luck with lace, mostly I think because I am working with real laceweight yarn.

I mean micro tiny yarn. I love the effect, I love the weight of it, light as air.

Oh but its hard to work with.

Somehow I survived to line 29 of the pattern, using a lifeline after every 2 rows. Pics will be up tonight. :)

Oh, and for all the other 80's fans out there... I have been streaming this station at work for the last month and loving every minute of it. Okay, so for some reason they took my favorite 80's song, Electric Blue by Icehouse, off the playlist... but they still have Who's Johnny by El Debarge. (NUMBER 5 IS ALIVE!!!) So...that, in my eyes, is total redemption.

Heh. I wonder if anyone will get that reference. Yay for 80's pop culture .

I have about 10 1/2 inches of Coachella done and so far I am loving the simplicity of the pattern. I'm using stash yarn, and its machine washable so Dij won't have any special care instructions. :) I think she will really like it once its done.

Okay, so I tried knitting lace Friday night. How did that go? Well... not good. I never even made it through the first pattern repeat in any of the 5 times I tried. *sigh* Maybe the pattern was too complicated for a first time lace project.

I was a bit disheartened at no longer having the excuse to buy laceweight. I mean, how can I if I KNOW I will never use it? So I decided to cheer myself up by going by Springwater Fiber Workshop to find some inspiration for a new project. Who did I bump into but Mara! After crying on her shoulder a bit about my lace (or lack there of) woes she directed me to Kiri a pattern she thought might be a bit easier for a beginner to try. I left having not bought anything new, but with a renewed sense of hope that yes, I too can knit lace. Ha! Be warned tiny yarn and giant needles...I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!!!

I decided to wait until I receive my stash transfer before attempting lace again. I am encouraged by the fact that I am still excited about knitting lace despite my less than successful "practice sessions". So I cast on for Coachella for my friend Dawn in Ohio. Its a pretty "mindless" knit as I don't have to count continuously. Just row upon row of lovely stockinette.
I think it will be a great escape from the complexity of knitting lace. (or rather trying to)

Sunday was a blast as I met with Shari, another knitter from the group. She is a trip and over lunch, Borders, Michaels and 2 (yes two) trips to A.C. Moore, much laughter ensued. You wouldn't believe the things we learned to say in Italian!!!

Oh and I got the neatest bag from A. C. Moore-perfect for knitting. Pockets EVERYWHERE! Bought one in pink and one in black. May go back and get the yellow one tonight. Must. Be. Color. Coordinated.

Wow. I have nothing on the needles. Not a thing. How unusual for someone who normally has 2-3 things going at once. I feel really disorganized and would like to wind everything in my stash and inventory it all. I've been on a yarn diet and being a very good girl about it. I'll probably break that this weekend. Actually I already have. One of the members of KH was de-stashing and I fell in love with some laceweight she had.

Isn't it LOVELY? Its 80% wool, 20% Japanese toraylon lace weight, 1900 yards total. It is a nice muted brown with flecks of green.

And besides... it can't count as new stash yarn if it was someones old stash right? I figure that technically, its stash transferance which is completely legal. *nods*

Why, oh WHY, do I have such a penchant for laceweight yarns and sock yarns? At least I KNIT SOCKS! But lace? I admit, I want to. I reeeeeally want to. I just find that I have a very hard time with keeping my place and I frog and frog and finally give up. Mara has been wonderful, encouraging me to try, try again. Maybe thats it. Maybe thats WHY I don't have anything on the needles. Ohhhh, I'm off to look at lace patterns!

After nearly a month of not having enough time to knit, the GF socks are finished!

They fit wonderfully and are a dream to wear. I love the colors and they are really think and comfy.

Gentlemans Fancy Socks- Coffs are almost done. I did modify the pattern a bit, changing from 10 rows per pattern repeat down to 7 rows. I prefer ankle socks and keeping the pattern repeat at 10 rows would have made the pattern look disproportionate. As is, I think they are coming along nicely.

It may be sunny... but the Rainy Day Socks are done!!!

I used Louisa Harding Kashmir DK in color 02-Skye. The yarn is a cashmere/wool/microfiber blend and these socks are soooo soft!

Since you all know I always have a pair of sock OTN, I am doing these from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. (Thanks to Joy for letting me link to her pic to show how beautiful the pattern is) The yarn I am using for these is Salsa in the Desert Tapestry colorway from Dancing Leaf Farm.

Clapotis : Le commencement

La regarder, elle est belle. Je ne peux pas attendre de la voir fini !

Wait. What the.... I DON"T EVEN SPEAK FRENCH!!! I am knitting Clapotis from Knitty anyway, even if she will never know the joy of a liesurly breakfast at an outdoor cafe in Paris.

I am working both my full time job as well as a part time position. While its only temporary, it is definitely eating into my knit time.

I am also on a self imposed stash busting yarn diet until Stitches East in October. I hardly think this will make a difference as I have enough stash to outfit a small nation in style.

I got the yarn from the Swap on KH. It was a lot of fun. I LOVE the yarn I received. I got 3 hanks of hand dyed sock yarn from Lieke! Woooo Hoo! It was even more special because she is allergic to wool! She went through all that for ME!!! I love it all, but I admit my favorite is the green one. Sooooo pretty!!!

Of course I immediately wanted to cast on for a new pair however I am forcing myself to finish my Rainy Day socks first!

I did however start a Clapotis as I was in need of a stay-at-home knitting project. My socks go with me pretty much everywhere. :)