The Big Orange Splot

Pattern Help!

2007-12-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

This is for all you knitties helping me with this sweater pattern.....

Happy Holidays

2007-12-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Chrismahannakwanzica Everyone! (how in the hell do you spell that anyway?) Just popping in to share some holiday pictures. Alaird, my fellow knitty and Sno'Flake Swap pal sent me a wonderful package that arrived all the way from BC.
Everything came wrapped in a fun little plaid box (which I'll definitely reuse). She sent me some luxurious purple alpaca, some superwash DK, one of those chocolate oranges you smack on the wall (a personal favorite!), more chocolates, and two precious ornaments that are already on my tree. O and she even found a sweet snowflake card to top it all off. Thank you Alaird! You Rock!!!

I've been missing for awhile because I've been pretty busy studying for the GRE, working my soul-sucking job, looking for a new job, thrifting, knitting and crafting. But now the GRE is over (until I take it again anyway) so I should have a bit more time. Except for my job, life is pretty sweet at the moment. I've found a knitting group! Thursday nights are now my favorite night of the week. I've met some great (and very talented) gals and I've really been inspired to get back to into my knitting groove. I can't talk about all my recent FO's here because they are mostly gifts but I'll be sure to post some later. I've finally started my etsy shop (www.tangledblues.etsy.com) and stock is very slim at the moment but stay tuned for updates. I've been ebaying my thrifty finds for extra cash too, but I think in the future I'm only going to sell out of etsy.

It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! I'm trying really hard to stay in the spirit but work has really taken the wind out my sales lately. I now leave you with some pics of the house all decorated.

He did this all by himself!

We went and cut down our own tree this year. You can buy a permit here for five bucks and go out into the national forest and cut your own. It's very Charlie Brown but I love it anyway.

You can't see it too well here but I made Martha's ribbon garland from this year's holiday issue. I scored some pretty green velvet, red wool and polka dot ribbon on sale and it looks great in the front window.

My candelabra all decked out for the season...

I like to put a tree of in each room. This is my kitchen tree, isn't it precious!

Note the beginnings of my putz on the coffee table. Does anyone else know what that is? When I was a kid that's what all the little old ladies called there miniature holiday villages, maybe it's a PA dutch thing...

My new teapot!

High Altitude Sock Knitting

2007-11-06T14:21:00.000-08:00

Jealous? This was taken earlier this fall on a weekend trip to Yellowstone. I opted out of the peak so I could have some good barefooted wilderness yarn time. As I waited for DMB to climb back down to meet me at my perch I basked in the breeze and sun, worked on my sock, and tried in vain to get rid of some pesky tan lines ;) This is a great hiking compromise for DMB and I, I hike in as far as I feel comfortable (I REALLY don't like loose rock and heights), and then I play with my knitting till he comes back to where we parted. I get to do my thing, and so does he - and he doesn't have to feel bad leaving me behind as long as I have bear spray and yarn...

And while I'm on the subject, another great thing about hiking with DMB is not having to ford rivers. Now I know it might seriously detract from my feminist street cred, but there is something to be said for a big strong man hefting you through moving water on his back so that you don't get swept away (or wet and cold ;). Remember awhile back when I mentioned that DMB is a full foot taller than me? Well this comes in super handy in deep water scenarios.

The sock has since been abandoned, not only due to sss (second sock syndrome) but due to the fact that I royally screwed it up and have since moved on to other things, like the very pressing xmas knitting. But we sure did have some good times, me and that sock, it was with me from PA to MT as we made our way cross country for the move in August.

I did some more back country knitting this weekend, this time there was more snow than sun, but I bundled up in a warm spot and waited for DMB to bag some trout and CO for a sweater. I have to say that knitting al fresco is the way to go. No distractions and plenty of fresh air, throw a little Zeppelin on the ipod and man can I crank it out! I'll have to update with more pics from this weekend later. DMB and I bought a new computer last night (squeeeeee!) and I'll have to play with it later when I get home, if I can pry it out of his grubby lil' paws.

Trick or Treat Kitty

2007-10-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm just curious, honestly, how many of my fellow cat (young) ladies out there actually make their furballs part of the Halloween festivities? Interestingly, I never went through the doll/ baby phase as a kid and I have little to no maternal inclinations but I become completely disarmed by miniature Halloween outfits for our furry companions. Call me crazy but the idea of a little tuxdo kitten dressed up in a miniature witch hat and cape or a chubby tabby in a pumpkin suit is just too much! (BTW yes I actually made both of those costumes for my cats when I was a kid).

So anyway, when I asked Howard what he wanted to be for Halloween this year some of his suggestions were a tad ridiculous. A mouse trap! A bird feeder! I really need to cut back on all the violent cartoons he's been watching! We finally compromised on something nice and safe. I give you....

Rabbi Howard

Shalom!

My lunchbreak.

2007-10-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is the view from my dining room. It's a nice sunny spot to enjoy a quick bite on my lunchbreak, decorated with a touch a fall foliage. Howard, despite all my efforts, uses this as one of his many birdwatching spots. I love how cozy this room is with the old wooden table and sled in the corner. The candelabra is handmade straight outta Lancaster, and the ironwork reminds me of home. The artwork on the wall is all original, DMB's artsy outlet is outdoor photography - he is really talented. Believe it or not I scrounged up almost everything for my new place at yard sales or thrift stores. I am a yardsaler of monumental prowess.

I'm Baaaack!!!

2007-10-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

Happy HalloweenEveryone! I am in fact alive and have relocated sucessfully to the mountain time zone. I've got lots to update (but sadly not too much knitting - yet) in the coming weeks. I'm so excited about blogging again! To start myself back up here's a little festive Halloween Meme:

1. Do you believe in ghosts?

O Yes. But not the bed sheet shrieking variety, I guess I just believe that we all have a soul or spirit of some kind that can hang around for various reasons.

2. Have you ever seen a ghost?

No, but I sort of want to. Only sort of, though.

3. Have you ever experienced something that is best described by the word “paranormal”?

Yes. Once I man's voiced yelled to me and my brother and sister out of a battery operated radio, sans batteries. I am so not even kidding.

4. Do you watch any ghost or haunting themed shows?

Yes! They are totally addicting, I love this time of year because of all the ghost-ish stuff on TV.

5. If so, do you sometimes sleep with the lights on or wake up your partner because the show scared you a whole lot and you can’t sleep and don’t want to be awake alone?

No not in a long time. One summer when I was a kid I refused to sleep in my own room because some kids told me about Bloody Mary at school. I still don't like looking into mirrors in the dark.

6. Have you ever been to a supposedly haunted place? If so, did you experience anything spooky?

I went to school in a small civil war town in VA where they say just about everything is haunted, including the former funeral home where I lived. Nothing too freaky happened though.

7. How much do you love Halloween?

SO MUCH. Those who know me know I'm a holiday junkie and if there's an excuse to decorate and down large quantities of candy I'm there!

Yarn Spill !

2007-07-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ok to some this might look like a tragic accident, but when I saw this photo was on the front page of the paper yesterday a huge grin spread across my face and I instantly started rummaging through my purse for spare change. You can read the article for yourself here. Luckily no one was hurt but it did cause quite the traffic jam. That's right folks, a tractor trailer full of yarn spilled its contents about 10 minutes from my apartment and I'm resisting the urge to go "investigate" the situation. Granted I'm not sure what exactly I'd do with one of the skeins-on-steroids, but hey, it'd be quite the souvenir...

In other, more patriotic news, dmb and I are going to watch the fireworks tonight at the park. I'm especially looking forward to this as we missed the 4th celebrations last year because we were living in Jasper, Alberta. O sure we got to experience Canada Day, but it's not quite the same thing. Especially when the town almost burns down. I'm not even kidding, arm a bunch of meth addicts with sparklers and there's going to be a lot of smoke. Now, like any good steel worker's daughter, I enjoy a big bang. My explosive-smuggling kinfolk will no doubt be putting on show of their own tonight back home and I regret that I'm going to miss it!

A Knitting Milestone

2007-06-28T09:28:00.001-07:00

Have no fear I am still alive. However my camera is on the fritz and my computer is dead a.k.a no blogging for me. In knitting news I am happy to report a. that I churned out another ballband dishcloth and b. I taught someone to knit last night! My friend Kristin took to the needles like I wish I could have in the beginning. I think I might just have a natural on my hands, she was knitting and purling within half an hour! Not to mention I got to destash a bit which is in great time for my upcoming move....

(note: Secret Pal, consider the rest of this post a big hint for you)

Yes folks this gal's gettin' mobile, again. DMB and I are heading to the wild wild west for good. We're scheduled to move to Montana around August 1st. Currently my excitement about this latest adventure is being squelched by my increasing anxiety about the fact that we can't find a place to live. I just don't get it. We're moving to one of those towns where you see everyone and their mother on the sidewalk walking a dog. But nobody, I mean nobody, wants to rent to someone with pets! Leaving our Howard behind is clearly not an option, but I don't want to risk keeping him on the dL and then getting the boot when the landlord finds him. I can understand realtors being wary of big dogs, they can do a lot of damage, but a litter-trained cat? Howard is more house friendly than dmb sometimes....grrr....

But enough ranting. I'm just trying to stay positive and focus on the fact that I'm going to get to live in a place where most people only vacation. Spending weekends in Yellowstone or the Tetons seems will be amazing. So, anyone out there with an apartment to rent in Bozeman Mt, let me know!

Feelin' the Luv

2007-06-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

YAY!! My second SP10 package came and let me tell you.... it was well worth the wait. I got 5 skeins of yummy yarn in delicious colors, crochet supplies (including the happy hooker book!), a candle that smells divine, and last but not least: chocolate. So far I've already burned the candle and am halfway through the orange spice dark chocolate bar (organic to boot). Thank you Pal!!!! You are too good!

Tag I'm it

2007-06-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

So Emmms tagged me to play the 7 random things game. Finally! I'll admit I'm glad she did mostly because everyone seems to have been tagged but me, but also to give me something to write about. So, in no particular order, here are my 7 random things about me:

1. I am bona fide ghetto fabolous. You wouldn't know it to look at me but I grew up in really rough neighborhood, I'm talking drug deals and shootings right outside my door. Most white girls don't get the opportunity to grow up as a minority in the u.s. so my upbringing gives me sort of an unexpected perspective on things like crime, poverty, race, class, etc.

2. I'm a survivor of Catholic school (barely). If you went to public school you will never understand this, but for those of you out there (ahem sassy) who've ever been taught "sex ed" by a priest, you know what I'm talking about.

3. I get the urge for goin' if I've been at the same zip code for more than a year. Luckily my recent college grad status has allowed for lots of mobility in the past few years.
(gets sidetracked: Hmmm.... did you know you can get a round the world plane ticket for only a thousand bucks..... Hmmm.... Tanzania anyone?)

4. I'm a loud and rowdy feminist at heart but I love domestic things (hello this is a knitting blog). I love cooking and baking and nothing compares to the joy of a sparkling clean kitchen floor. I guess I just like the idea of taking care of others (family or otherwise) by making home a warm and inviting space.

5. I currently live with all boys and I like it. I guess this shouldn't surprise me because I grew up with a large mostly male family, so I can handle ample amounts of testosterone. I like that instead of the cattiness that comes with living with girls, things are mostly simple and straightforward, albeit a bit more messy. For the most part I am respected and even protected by my roommates, which beats out being able to swap shoes and clothes any day of the week for me. We have our moments, but overall let's just say their mammas did a darn good job.

6. I'm a daddy's girl. Although we don't always see eye to eye on things (mostly religious and political) my dad is my rock and I miss him very much. To this day most of my joys and passions are things my dad and I have in common. He fostered my free spirit and taught me about selflessness. He's also got rockin' taste in music :)

7. I like music played, as Garth Algar said, at the "appropriate level." I think this might be due to the fact that my dad's hearing has always been bad (he worked at a steel mill). The (public) radio never went off at our house, and since dad can't hear, needless to say it was always cranked way up. This drives DMB up the wall because he claims he has "sensitive ears" and likes to listed to his music quietly on his headphones. I can't tell you how many times he's borrowed my car and when he turned the key WHAM the CD player turned on and the was nearly sent into outerspace. What can I say? I like to rock out.

Where is my mojo?

2007-05-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Well I have no knitting news to report. I have absolutely no motivation for anything crafty these days. I suspect that the heat and my lack of funds are the main culprit. My new schedule has allowed me a lot more free time (yay!) so I've been soaking up the sun at every chance I get. After spending the last 9 months cooped up all day in an office with no windows I have vowed never to do that again. Being an outdoorsy-ish gal I've always enjoyed fun in the sun, but I've come to realize how much sunlight and fresh air really do affect my mood. I'm not making as much money as I would like right now, but I'm getting by and know that I made the right choice in quitting my old job. I should have done it a long time ago.

Did I ever mention that one of my roommates is the lead singer in an emo band? I'm not even kidding. This kid, who thinks he's an individual - ha, brings home random people off the street to sleep on our couch, leaves a huge mess wherever he goes, and in general is an ass. He is so dogmatic about his "scene" it makes me sick. He won't even talk to you if you're musical taste is not refined (read: shitty) enough for his liking. So anyway, Mr. Emo is having a birthday party for himself tonight. I cannot even imagine what sort of motley crew will be here. Last time he had a gathering of this kind there were holes in the wall, missing doors, and one of his friends missed the toilet - big time. That being said, DMB and I are taking Howard and heading for higher ground. Luckily a friend of ours is out of town and is letting us crash at her place to save our cat, our valuables, and our sanity.

Happy Summer Everyone!

2007-05-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well I am in fact alive. After quitting my last job I have a lot less time to sit in front of a computer all day, hence the lack of blogging. I won't be full time at this next gig till next week so I've been working on and off and enjoying some hard earned down time by the pool with raspberry martinis. I'm trying real hard not to feel too guilty....

In my further efforts to KIP, I've been knitting poolside. Most of the other people at the pool are college kids taking a break before summer session starts, or those chosen few who will never actually have to work due to daddy's "generosity." Surprisingly, many of the pool crew, with their ever present Keystone Light in hand, where quite intrigued with me and my knitting.

I've managed to churn out a few of these, as promised. My main challenge was trying to keep the yarn dry during cannonball contests.

Introducing The Green Gable

2007-05-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

Alright I'll spare you the countless Anne of Green Gables puns. I'll even bite my tongue and leave out the architectural wordplay (come on people I have a degree in historic preservation) and simply present to you... my Green Gable.

I am very proud of this because it's my first garment...eva. That, and I think it's pretty groovy that you can't see all the mistakes I made (hint hint: don't look too closely at the armpits weirdo). For those stragglers out there (ahem, sassy, ahem) who are still working on this I STRONGLY recommend going down a size smaller than you'd usually knit. This is an xs and although I was a bit worried about the length towards the end, rest assured it grows a lot during blocking. The style might be a bit frumpy for me, but it's good for work and really comfortable. Not to mention, it only cost me ten bucks to make.

Now for the glamour shots of the lace neckline....

I highly recommend this pattern for anyone looking for a basic summer knit. The stitches and techniques involved are simple, so it allows you to concentrate more on the process of the top down goodness of understanding how a garment takes form.

This shot with the icky icky flash isn't as true to color as the above shot. The color is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Wolverine, which I think may be an old color. At first I was less than thrilled with how the yarn kept splitting, and I had one gross knot in the second skein, but I ended up liking the yarn once I got my flow on.

Would I use it again? Yepper.

Would I spend upwards of $9/skein for it (as I've seen advertised)? Hell Nah.

True to form, I thought I would take a knitting breather and read a book or something. I lied again. But I'm taking it easy on my brain and knitting up some tropical themed dishtowels. I stocked up on some neon Peaches 'n Cream awhile back andlast night I CO for these. Most of you will recognize them as the Ball Band dish cloths from Mason Dixon Knitting. But I found a similar pattern here. The weather is warm and I'm working up some smokin' hot dish towels. Go me.

Secret Pal Goodies!

2007-04-23T05:26:00.000-07:00

My first secret pal package came this past Saturday! My pal is the greatest, she included 3 skeins of laceweight yarn for a fibertrends lace shawl pattern, a circular, stitch markers (always needed) and a really sweet card. She even made notes on the pattern to help me along, what a gal. THANK YOU SECRET PAL!!!

In knitting news.... I am finished with the shaping for green gable - I have LOTS of stockinette ahead of me. I tried it on last night and I definitely made the right choice in going with the xs but I think I will add a few increases when I get to my hips . I really like this pattern and the yarn has grown on me but I think I will change it up and do something else before heading straight on to rusted root.

O, and I quit my job. Yikes.

After careful consideration I have sucked it up and realized that I can't afford to work this job anymore. I can make more money waiting tables and won't be here for very much longer so I'm taking the plunge and soon I'll be working at the restaurant where a few of the guys (DMB included) work. They make really good money and it will be nice to be in an environment that is slightly less soul sucking for a little while and stash away some cash for the move. I was really nervous about telling my boss but she took it quite well. I've never actually quit a job before (I've never been fired either) but it wasn't as bad as I imagined it as I lay awake all last night. I will be so glad to be rid of all the pettiness and negativity that I've had to put up with since I started here.

I've been having trouble sleeping lately and I think that is partly due to stress so I'm hoping this new job will be a change for the better. Another reason I can't sleep is that our bed is too friggen small! Someone has been hogging a lot of room and I'm not talking about my overgrown boyfriend!

Take This Job And....

2007-04-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh what a weekend. How could I have slept so much in the past few days and still be so tired! Our little cabin was too precious and although we didn't get out to the gardens the last day due to weather, we had a great time.

DMB fished and built us a big fire each night, I knit and baked, what could be better! Without the distraction of tv/phones/etc. we had some much needed quality time together.

True to our nerdy form we played scrabble and card games whilst sipping PBR. I got through the entire lace section of green gable on Saturday night after we got back from the "Little White House" where FDR stayed after he was diagnosed with polio. The warm springs located nearby were thought to have health benefits and it was interesting to see the house and artifacts from the late president. What struck me most was how "little" the house really is. It's hard to imagine the president of the u.s. staying in such a simple place when we live in a day and age where the megalomaniac in office commands a sick level opulence.

But the best part about the whole exhibit was this picture. FDR was a knitter!!!! As soon as he found out his wife was pregnant he started knitting for the baby. What a guy! I wonder if he had the needles in hand while having those fireside chats...

Also of interest was this hand knit sweater that was a gift to Eleanor. I love that now I can look at something like this and understand the pattern even though it was knit decades ago.

Now folks you know that a weekend update such as this would not be complete without a report on all things scarysouthern. On our trek into the mountains we had to stop at the grocery store for supplies. DMB thought he had checked into the location of a Kroger in a town on our way and we planned to stop there to buy what we needed for the weekend. For those of you who don't know the Kroger is the dixie version of the large chain grocery store. Most of the time it is not too frightening if you can get over the country music and you don't go too late at night. This is no Wegman's people. I cannot tell you how many wonderful recipes I have not been able to make because the Kroger carries a wider selection of grits than they do spices and vegetables. So anyway we get off the highway and pull into town and there is no Kroger to be found. In fact we are in a town that this ghetto fab chica would not want to get out of the car in alone. But we're stuck because we need to get food and this is the last town before we reach our destination. ENTER (insert horror movie music here)....

MY FIRST TRIP TO THE PIGGLY WIGGLY. This picture pretty much sums up my experience....

But in case you need more information to understand this expression let me elaborate for you. There was mold hanging from the ceiling and a man chopping raw meat out in front of the butcher case on a dirty plastic cart! I heard a man refer to someone as "Willie Boy" and the smell in there was beyond foul. I still can't believe I ate food from that place. I just closed my eyes and tried to picture my grocery store at home....a sushi bar...the smell of organic coffee beans being freshly ground for my latte... local organic vegetables....personal hygiene..... Just a few of the things I miss.

I know what you're thinking

2007-04-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

Alright I know what you're thinking. Yesterday I posted a video of a cat playing the piano. It's not as bad as it seems, I haven't given up knitting all together, and no, I haven't lost my mind (exactly). I've had a few things to smile about recently. Recent highlights include:
- playing hookie last week and spending the day with my dad because he had a long layover, we hadn't seen each other since xmas
- dmb and daddy getting along on said day
- a free italian dinner that I got to dress up for
- a sale at the LYS - They're moving and they had a few deals that I could actually afford for once. I bought some lovely brown sheep cotton fleece and some odds and ends for my SP.
- seeing citizen cope tomorrow night and not going to work on friday - I WILL be shakin' my groove thang and consuming large amounts of blue moon :)
- DMB doing the grocery shopping, washing my car, and getting me flowers just because - let's all hope he didn't doing anything bad and is just being nice....

In knitland sassy and I are about to start our first long distance knit-a-long. We're starting with
green gable and then moving onto rusted root.
Yay for having a best friend that knits! I like to think of her as yarn support rather than fiber enabler :) I'm hoping to have a bunch of quality knitting time this weekend. DMB and I are taking a mini vacay because for christmas his mom got us a weekend cabin rental in a state park a few hours from here. Now some of you might be questioning my willingness to venture back into the woods with this boy after the last chilling episode. But rest assured - this cute little WP era cabin has 2 fireplaces, so I'll definitely be warm. It looks like it will rain all day Saturday so it will just be me, dmb, the scrabble board and my yarn in front of the fire. If only we could bring Howard. If the weather is better on Sunday we're going to rent bikes and check out some historic stuff (for me - DMB will only tolerate so much of this) and then go to a butterfly exhibit at some nearby gardens. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures.

Nora, The Piano-Playing Cat (www.ravenswingstudio.com)

2007-04-10T10:32:00.001-07:00

The cuteness!

A Contest!

2007-04-02T05:35:00.000-07:00

Well since I'm in Robin's SP group I thought I'd post a response for our first contest...

Please post (on your blog) about your favorite yarn and your least favorite yarn (if you have one!) What have you made with it? Tell us about your experiences!

I would have to say that (in my limited experience) I really enjoyed knitting the scarf I made myself in blue sky bulky (alpaca). I used the "brown bear" color in a simple seed stitch (pics on the archive). I loved how the seed stitch really popped with the bulky weight of the yarn, it literally looks like seeds. I love how the organic elements of the pattern and the neutral color of the yarn blend together. Not to mention it was a quick knit and very soft!

Least favorite... I used some red heart acrylic when I first started. Bad idea. I just didn't like the plastic-y (is that a word?) feel of it.

Knitting...and thoughts on the meaning of true love...

2007-03-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

Well I FINALLY finished branching out. I had to block it twice because the first time I did it I guess I didn't pin it out far enough so you couldn't see the pattern. In the end I didn't have enough pins to block it properly so the edges are a little wonky but I just hope my mom appreciates it.

Did I mention my mom is turning 50 next week? This past fall she threw a huge surprise party for my dad's 50th and I flew home for the occasion. Suffice it to say that my dad is no party planner and I feel bad that there won't be any festivities for her. I guess you could say that after being married to my dad for all these years she should know better than to be disappointed about things like this - it's just not how he is. Or, you could also say that after all these years of NOT doing things like this, my dad owes her one. I don't know what the right answer is. I think there is a fine line between accepting someone for who they are and not selling yourself short. If a person is there for you when things are really rough, but can't deliver when it comes to your birthday, do you have a right to begrudge them? It is easy to show love in the way in which we want to be loved. It's harder to push your boundaries and respond to people in the way they want to be loved. If someone is not willing to do that for you, is it worth it?

The lameness continues...

2007-03-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Ok I admit it. I'm in a blogging rut. In my effort to post something I've filled out one of those long surveys that no one ever reads. But at least it's something, take a gander...

1. Where were you when the ball dropped for 2007? Asleep…I had to be on a plane o dark early that morning. I am lame.
3. What are you listening to right now? Dumb people.
4. Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry? Not yet, but the day Bob Dylan goes I will probably really lose it.
5. What color underwear are you wearing? Red
6. Do you live in a zoo? Yes—3 boys with two legs and 1 boy with four legs. Only one is litter trained.
7. What did you do this morning? Went to work – very tired.
8. What does your mom do for a living? She is a unit secretary on the birth wing at a hospital AND the secretary at her church. She has no life.
9. Where do you work? For a conference center at a University.
10. What are your favorite smells? Anything warm, like pumpkin spice. I also like lavender.
11. What are the last two digits of your phone number? 83
12. What was the last concert you attended? Citizen cope baby!
13. Who was with you? My loving DMB and (squeal!) one of my Yellowstone friends from when I worked in the park summer of ’05 who made the trip to see the show and hooked up with us.
14. What was the last movie you watched? The Sweetest Thing.
15. What do you dislike at the moment? My job and my town.
16. What do you crave right now? Energy.
17. Did you dream last night? No I couldn’t sleep, my cat was driving my crazy and DMB was hogging the bed!
18. What was the last TV show you watched? Sex and the City (on dvd)
19. What is your favorite piece of jewelry? I have an apetite pendant that I bought in the little town of Enis Montana. It’s a pretty aqua color and it reminds me of that summer I spent out west.
21. Who is your best friend of the opposite sex? The one and only Morris.
22. Who last IM’d you? I can’t remember, I haven’t IMed in forever.
23. Are you on any medication? Yep. Working on not getting knocked up.
24. What side of the bed do you sleep on? Whatever side puts DMB between the door and me.
25. What color shirt are you wearing? Sage green.
26. What color is your razor? PINK :)
27. What is your favorite frozen treat? Peanut Butter Oreo Blizzards. I also love sorbet.
28. How many tattoos/piercings do you have? I have three holes in each ear and I had to take my nose ring out recently due to my new proximity to “the man” I really want a tattoo at some point.
29. What are your favorite stores? There is a great bookstore in West Yellowstone (MT) that sells books, antiques and good coffee. Really, there was no point in ever leaving. I'm a sucker for a cute gift or craft shop. Local yarn stores are the death of me. I'm cheap (ok broke) so I also dig nice "pre-owned" clothing establishments.
30. Are you thirsty right now? I always feel dehydrated! Maybe I should switch this coffee out for some water…
31. Can you imagine yourself ever getting married? Scary but Yes! EEP!
32. Who’s someone you haven’t seen in awhile and miss? All my Yellowstone peeps, my Dad, and Sassy.
33. What did you do last night? I knit some lace, made dinner, did some laundry and watched tv.
34. Do you care what people think about you? I could count on one hand the number of people whose opinion matters to me.
35. Have you ever done something to instigate trouble? Who me? I went to catholic school!
36. Do you like your nose? Indifferent.
37. What color is your room?In my mind it’s a fab shade of red. For real it’s a hideous matte white in peeling stucco.
38. When was the last time you worked out? Last week. (must…not….be…a fat ass….)
39. Do you like pedicures? I’ve only ever had one and I was unimpressed. I was so excited about it but after it was done I thought it was a waste of money. Maybe it would have been more fun if I had someone next to me to chat with.
40. Where do you live? Dixie
41. Are you an aggressive driver? I’m from the NORTH BIATCH. Put your teeth back in and drive!
42. Who is your cell phone carrier? Sprint
43. Do you like the person who posted this last? Sure (I found this randomly)
44. Do you know their birthday? nope
45. What is the thing you’d most want to change about yourself?
I’d like to lose a few pounds and figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
46. What color is your car? Silver
47. What do you smell like right now? Honey Mustard
48. What is your favorite color? Red
49. Do you like mustard? Yes.
50. What do you tell yourself when times get hard? Um, have another beer?
51. Would you ever sky dive? Maybe
52. What do you sleep on? My bed, it hurts my back though.
53. Have you ever bid for something on eBay? Oy yes.
54. What do you think of Angelina Jolie being pregnant? Well since she bought the other ones this is a nice change.
55. Do you enjoy giving hugs? Only real ones.
56. Would you consider yourself to be fashionable? In my own way. Lately I’ve been boring.
57. Do you own a digital camera? Yes, I do.
58. What celebrities have you been compared to? Neve Campbell and Daria.
59. What does your 19th test message say? Probably something about my roommate going to jail…
60. How ’bout your 30th? Not a clue.
61. Who did you hang out with last night? DMB and Howard the cat.
62. What are you doing this Saturday? Sleeping in! Maybe washing the car and grilling out.

Boo Hiss

2007-03-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it's Monday. This weekend was ridiculously unproductive! Aside from the corned beef and cabbage I cooked (without help) I did nothing worth reporting. I did manage to loose my wallet heading downtown Sat. night which caused me to miss out on a night of St. Patty's Day debauchery (no ID = no bars for me), but luckily I found the wallet on the train tracks Sunday morning. I made maybe one or two rows of progress on branching out while the corned beef was cooking but it seems like for every one row I complete of that thing, I have to rip two back. Grrrr.

This weekend I came to the realization that I am going to have to (and want to) make some major changes in my life. I guess I can sum it up by saying that if my life were a book and I was the author, the tone would be ALL wrong. Most of the characters in the story serve no supportive purpose, and the plot line really isn't going anywhere. What little plot twists do exist are predictable, and it's hard to be on the heroine's side as she continues to struggle but does nothing to change her fate. Yes folks, if I were an author and life were a book, my editor would have pulled the plug a loooong time ago. That being said, I'm going to start being more upfront with myself and with others about what I want. I've been looking for direction to fall from the sky, and since it's not, I'm going to start making choices and taking chances that reflect my desire to break out of this stagnant state I'm in. I'm not going to apologize. I'm not going to censor myself. Yes, thank you, I do realize that I'm an over-caffeinated ball of contradiction. And no, I don't owe you anything, let alone an explanation. It's so strange, people say that you're expected to be selfish in your twenties, why is that so hard for some to do?

On a lighter note, I've decided that popping out a few young ins' might not be such a bad idea after I saw this.....

Throw Me A Life Line...and a beer

2007-03-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago I CO for Branching Out from knitty. This is my first experiment in lace so I ordered the silky wool pattern yarn in lava, a royal purple color. I'm finally getting the pattern rhythm down (after frogging SEVERAL times) but I'm still concerned that the pattern won't show up well because the yarn is slightly heathered (couldn't see that on my monitor...go fig). I'm considering doing a dip dye into some kool-aid when I'm finished, but that might be risky. I just keep telling myself that blocking will make a big difference. The only other things that I've technically blocked were the felted buttonhole bag and the needle roll, I've yet to do an actual pinned down block. I've discovered the importance of life lines (thank you knitty gals!) so I'm hoping future frogging will be less traumatic.

In other knitty news I got my SP10 assigment yesterday and I'm SO excited, I've already ordered some things for my pal and even heard from upstream as well (I think that's the right terminology). YAY! I'm definitely one of those people that starts thinking about buying Christmas gifts months in advance because I really love the challenge of finding/crafting:) a great gift that someone will really enjoy. And now I get to do this with a knitting flair, what could be better!?!

The other day I totally broke down and bought a set of rubber stamps I'd been eyeing from Adorn magazine that just happened to present themselves in my favorite little gift shop downtown. I've never been into paper crafts before but I for some reason these stamps just spoke to me. They're somewhat vintage looking with a bird theme and I justified the purchase since I'll be needing fun stationary for my sp and it will be cheaper in the long run (and more fun :) if I make my own. Then, in another fit of monetary indescretion, I visited Hobby Lobby after happy hour last Friday iso more paper products. Purchasing stationary supplies after a few rounds of Belgian Blonde at the brewery downtown might not have been the best idea. I convinced DMB, my dd, that we just had to go before they closed...because I had a coupon!! Yes folks in the last month I've knit in a bar (twice) and now have taken to hitting up the hobby lobby under the influence. Yowza.

Adventures in Kool-Aid and Coca-Cola

2007-03-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

Well where do I begin? M arrived from the Great White North Monday after I got home from work. This being her first trip south, she needed some time to recover from the "BBQ Incident" that occured earlier that day at lunch involving a bbq sandwhich containing animal parts you're not supposed to eat, a diner full of 400lb people, a heck of a lot of cammo and very few teeth. I told her if she thought that was bad....she should see the local Wal-Mart on a Saturday night. Poor thing...there was nothing I could do to prepare her for this place.

In case you were wondering, I did manage to finish her needle roll (I still can't believe I knit cables!). All in all I was not overly thrilled with the finished product. But, I did learn a few valuable knitting lessons including:

(1.) don't spend money on alpaca if you're going to felt it (2.) even if you baste stitch the sides, large rectangles will ruffle around the edges when felted (this is SO frustrating) and (3.) you won't love everything you knit and sometimes you'll just be happy to get it off the needles.

Genius that I am, I forgot to take a bleeping picture!! I'll have to get M to take one and send it to me so I can post it. In other news, M liked the rest of her gifts, especially the buttonhole bag and the miniature glass vegetable stitch markers I got off etsy.

On Tuesday we took a field trip to the ATL and the World of Coke. (I drove and we managed to make it out alive, this is no small accomplishment - trust me.) Not being a soda drinker I wasn't sure how interested I would be but it was actually really interesting from a historic / pop culture standpoint. Turns out coke is a big friggen deal. My favorite parts were all old advertisements and bottles. My pictures aren't that great (low light and glass) but take a gander...

Aren't we cute :)

Ok so remember when I said I didn't drink soda? Well I made a HUGE exception in the tasting room. We got to taste soda from all over the world (talk about a belly ache). Highlights include the apricot fanta (Israel I think) and the South African ginger beer.

OOOOOOOO and now for the really fun stuff. Yesterday I played hooky again (cough cough).

We spent the afternoon with a little of this:

and a little of this...

Yes folks we dyed our first yarn!!! It came out pretty well, just a few white spots. We used the microwave and a miniature turkey baster worked really well for controlling the dye. I ended up with a few white spots where I tied off my sections, but I think that was just because I tied it too tight. I don't mind the somewhat "tropical" effect of the Kool-Aid, it's getting warmer and now I've got some fun tropical flavored yarn to play with Yay!!!

M's first creation...

Tequila Sunrise - my favorite!

Strawberry-Kiwi

Tequila Sunrise and Plum-tini

We had SO much fun! It was like finger painting for (sort of) grownups. Of course now we are both totally addicted (Howard had fun too - yarn everywhere!). We were semi-successful in attaining the richer colors we were going for. But FYI if you want to over-saturate the yarn with dye your water will NOT run clear after you zap it... so there will be more bleeding. Basically we added some grape to almost every color and just used 3-4 times more dye than most tutes will call for. This toned downed the toxic neons that you sometimes get with Kool-Aid and we were both really surprised at how well our first attempt went.

So now M and I have decided that all this career/school stuff is BS and what we really need to do is acquire some sheep, a few alpacas and a nice little cabin with a big hearth and a wrap-around front porch, some rocking chairs and fully stocked wine cellar and start living the fabulous life of the full time fiber artist. I'm so glad that M and I share the same unconditional love of the yarn. I was finally able to tell her about this blog (I wanted to wait until after I had given her her bday gifts because they encompassed most of the pics since I started). I'd love to be able to start one of those joint blogs with her a la Mason Dixon. (No doubt she'd get all this silly photo formatting stuff figured out for me). It was just so great to be around someone who gets as excited about fiber as I do, you knitters out there know what I'm talking about. As much as DMB tries to appear excited for me when I finally get the hang of some new stitch, or when I'm unpacking a box from LittleKnits, M is much more understanding of the knitting induced euphoria that I've become susceptible to. I miss her already!

Is it Friday Yet?

2007-03-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

Blech. It's rainy and I'm tired. I'm in sort of a blogging rut these days, the needle roll is taking every spare second to get done and I'm worried I won't have it finished in time for when M gets here. In other news I have a very exciting day of yarn dyeing planned for part of M's bday present. I ordered a bag of plain white wool from LittleKnits and (after shelling out my first born in shipping) it will be here Monday. I've stocked up on Kool-Aid and I can't wait to die (haha couldn't resist a lil' Waco humor:)! I'm just hoping I can manage to keep most of the cherry off the carpet...

In my effort to do as little work as possible today I took a few GRE practice tests online. It turns out I'm royally screwed. Even my blatant word-snobbery won't save me this time, I got a 50% on the analogies! Mother of purl!!! And don't even get me started on the math...

I've never really considered it but I'm starting to think these standardized tests really are racist/classist. I mean they had some analogy comparing basketball to croquet. What the hell do I know about croquet! Trust me when I say that this game was not an integral part of my upbringing and I'm pretty sure that in this day and age you have to be supremely british/white/rich to have any idea what the whole thing is about.

Why can't they ask questions like: YO is to hole as your mom is to.... stoopid. Ahhhh!

Weekend Goodies

2007-02-27T10:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend as I anxiously waited for my alpaca I knit up a few little things.

This lil' soap saver is done in linen and gathered stitch, it took about 1/2 skein of peaches and cream. I did some shopping on etsy.com and bought some yummy looking chocolate/coffee soap that I'll give to M with this and the rest of her gifts.

MOM YOU ARE GETTING MAIL SOON SO DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED!!!

I knit another calorimetry (this is the last one I swear). This one is done in that Lion Landscapes County Sunsets. I'm not gonna lie this one is going to be hard to part with! I made it much bigger than the others since Mom has a big head and it's colder where she is.

My model! He loves it I swear!

And finally...I have succumbed to the dark side... I bought Sock Yarn! It's trekking and the color is warmer than it shows up here but socks will have to wait till I get the needle roll done!

I Can Quit Whenever I Want

2007-02-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a shocker: I bought yarn, 2 days in a row. In my defense I spent very little because I had a coupon for Joanns. I've been eyeing Lion Landscapes for some time, I bought a skein of rose garden (for ME) and then went back again for another hit, er, skein of country sunset which will soon be a calorimetry for someone. Yes I'm knitting another one. It's quick and easy and that's what I need right now to pacify me until my long lost alpaca arrives (sob!). I also got to indulge in one of my new favorite pastimes - button shopping!!! I got some very pretty art nouveau-esque ones for M's calorimetry (underneath) and who could pass up teeny silver teapots!

Last night was an interesting first for me, I knit in a bar. It's not as pathetic as it sounds, this place actually serves food and I was there with other people. The "tavern" across the street hosts team trivia each week and some of DMB's crew goes and I've been tagging along. Despite the raunchy team names and blatant sexist humor I didn't gore anyone with a dpn. (*Example team name: "Why don't women need umbrellas? Because it doesn't rain in between the bedroom and the kitchen?" - I think you get my point*). Yes, I'm attempting to be more social, but it is so hard. I feel like I have to scratch my armpits and grunt like an orangutang to communicate with these people. I know that sounds mean, in reality it's just that we have nothing in common and nothing to talk about; our life experiences are like night and day. I'm the outsider, the alien, and I don't speak the language here.

An Ode to M

2007-02-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

My sister,"M", is a daily inspiration to me. She's the one who got me tangled up in this knitting business to begin with because she's one of those self-taught people who can can craft anything beautifully. She is a total whiz at everything from advanced math to making pancakes. She's a mad scientist who I believe will one day find a cure for cellulite and maybe even world hunger. One day she is going to have a farm and a big family and I already have squatting rights on her lawn, as I will most likely be a penniless gypsy by that point. M is by far the raddest chick I know and I love her to bits! True to her awesomeness she recently gave me some VD love from afar and I just want to show everyone!!!

I got some organic fruit leather (yum!), a lovely card, some Wawa coffee (let my yankee soul rejoice!!!) and even a toy for Howard!!!

She whipped this little prototype up without a pattern (of course) and even personalized it for him. I had to take a picture right away because he loves it so much (he only had shoe laces before) that he's likely to tear it apart soon!

And while I'm at it.... I mentioned somewhere that M had made me a knitting bag and needle roll for Christmas (sans pattern again!) that I simply must show off. She used a vintage looking upholstery fabric and it's so nice and sturdy and I carry the bag everyday.
She got me this button too! Gotta love cafepress!

(knitting blurb for today)

2007-02-20T09:18:00.000-08:00

In an update for all things knitty I finished a second calorimetry last night. I used the same yarn as the first so I won't post another pic at the risk of being redundant. This time I paid better attention to what I was doing and (amazingly) had much better results. I made it a bit larger than the first by doing a few more short rows (row 5) because I think my sister's head is bigger than mine. Why is it that I'm so hasty when I knit things for me! O well, mine is still well loved, especially after what we went through together this past weekend.

Another tragedy has struck in yarndom and somehow my much anticipated alpaca has been mailed to the wrong address! Somehow paypal (or I) did something screwy and my package was apparently sent to my old home address. Hopefully my mother will intercept it and get it to me as soon as possible, she is not know for her timeliness to say the least.

I'm Here For The Fried Dough

2007-02-20T05:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Fastnacht Day everyone! For those of you not blessed enough to be dyed in the wool of Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, let me take this opportunity to extend my sympathy for those who know not the bliss that can be found wherever potato dough is frying. Our people do not partake in the hedonistic debauchery of Mardis Gras. No, the Pennsylvania Dutch are a simpler, more modest people. With each Fastnacht Day aka Shrove Tuesday, the local Roman Catholic and Pennsylvania Dutch traditions come together to teach us all a valuable lesson on the apparent tenets of Godly existence: fried dough and guilt. For on this particular day we have carte blanch to consume copious amounts of sugar and grease in preparation for the 40 days of fasting and fish sticks to come. Parents! Cast aside all notions of pediatric health and let your children be baptized in the lard that holds this holiday together. I just love any excuse to do as Jesus did and use nutritionally barren foods as cause for celebration! Woo Hoo!!!

Ice Ice Baby

2007-02-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

(not an actual photo from this weekend, I just like posts with pictures)

Update:
For all of you out there wondering how my weekend romp in the woods went I will sum it up for you by saying that it's Monday afternoon, 60 degrees outside and I've yet to thaw out. I wish I could post a picture, but you guessed it, the camera was frozen. The hike in was fine, no difficult elevation gain, and although it was cold we were warm once we were moving. We got to the shelter about 2:30pm (where we had planned to spend the night) but since it was early and we had energy and daylight to spare we decided to push a little further to make the trek out a bit easier the following day. Big mistake. We hiked to the next likely spot to camp, a gap with a fire ring and a flat-ish place to pitch our tent. It was cold while we were setting up but we made a big fire to keep us warm. We ate dinner and enjoyed the fire and it started to sleet a bit. Soon the wind picked up and it began to snow. Hard. We then realized that we had pitched our tent in such a way that two large trees were obstructing the fly so that the now billowing snow was blowing into our 3 season tent. As we hastily tried to put all of our things under our vestibule I (geniously) burned a hole in the tent fly with the red hot camp stove we had just cooked dinner on. The wind was now blowing so hard snow was inside the tent and we were wet and cold. Needless to say it was a very long night. At first we decided not to compromise the insulating properties of our bags by zipping them together. DMB has a brand new 0 degree down bag (his Christmas present from me) and a self-inflating sleeping pad. I on the other had only have a foam pad and a twenty degree synthetic bag. We were both shaking badly and I couldn't fall asleep and started to go numb. We finally decided to try zipping the bags together which helped me but made DMB colder. I got very little sleep even though we were were in the tent for about 14 hours. We waited it out in the morning, hoping for some thaw before we began the hike out. The wind was still howling incredibly when we finally got out of the tent. Cold and tired as I was, the scenery was unbelievably beautiful. As we were were packing up (no breakfast, too windy to light the stove) I noticed something amazing. Throughout the night I had heard a slow creaking noise, much like the sound of a heavy wooden door swinging shut. One of the huge trees we had been camped in between had a narrow ice filled crevice that ran lengthwise down its trunk. As the wind blew the the crevice opened and closed. The combination of the ice expanding and the wind blowing made the tree look and sound like it was talking. It was so strange. I would have taken a video of it had the camera not been frozen. Anyway, we decided to hike out the way we came in rather than take the longer, steeper route we had intended to take. I did not have waterproof boots (and I had just gotten a surprise visit from Aunt Flo - go figure) so I wanted out of there as quickly as possible. DMB's mother was visiting friends (thankfully) in the nearby town and said she would meet us and take us back to where our car was parked (I still can't believe we found cell service). DMB's mother called frantic to say that the road we were hiking to is closed! Now keep in mind at this point we can see down into the valley below and there is no snow. We can see the road we are hiking to in the distance and even from far away we can see that it is clear. Why then, you may ask, would this road be closed? Well dear reader, suffice it to say that we were hiking the Appalachian trail outside a rural southern town, meaning that yes, significant snowfall will elicit a paralyzing fear due to the low tooth/person ratio of the general populous. We were finally able to get ahold of the Sheriff (I'm not even kidding) and he granted DMB's mom and co. access to the snow-free closed road. The hike out wasn't so bad except for the wind and the fact that all of our water was frozen. By the time we got down the cold+dehydration+tunafishinhalation= puking in a gas station rest room for me. We then drove to our car and back to DMB's mother's friends' house where I was met with a plethora of camera flashes. Keep in mind I had hiked 13 miles, was dirty, windburned, dehydrated and had JUST tossed my cookies and all these people were just so excited to FINALLY meet me that they had to take my picture (so they could show the rest of the family). I about died. Those who know me know that I have a strict no picture taking policy even on my best day; these crazed baby boomers were lucky I had so little strength to resists. To top it all off one of the ladies had one of those 2lb toy terriers with the beady little eyes that I absolutely abhor. You know the ones, the little canine Paris Hiltons. They look up at you just begging to be stomped on as they dance around your ankles making the high pitched little yip that would make even St. Francis want to bust out the fly swatter. So there I am cold, wet, muddy, and smelling like tuna the sequel being photographed with a toy terrier. I told DMB that this weekend deserves jewelry. After all, ice for ice, baby.

SP10 Here I come!

2007-02-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

I am so excited! I've signed up for secret pal 10 and can't wait to start the spoiling. This is just one more thing to add to the long list of wonderful things I've stumbled onto since I started knitting. Here's my answers to the questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Well since I'm a newbie I haven't had the chance to experiment with too many different yarns, but I have really enjoyed knitting with the alpaca and worsted wool that I've used. I want to learn lace and sock knitting so lace and sock weight yarns interest me. I also love handspun/handpainted/dyed yarns.

What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I'm sure this is an obvious answer but I hate that 100% acrylic cheapo craftstore stuff (ie. red heart sport), boy did I learn my lesson there...

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a WONDERFUL knitting bag my sister ever so kindly made for me this Christmas along with a matching needle roll...she's so darn crafty! I don't have a way to store my circs though....

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I've been knitting constantly since October of this year, when I took my first class. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Beginner for sure.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes! Here

5. What's your favorite scent? I love warm pumpkiny-spicy smells, right now I'm wearing CK euphoria which has some yummy creamy chocolate notes to it.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Oy. I have deeply committed relationship with dark chocolate, that and sweet tarts :)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? Knitting is my main focus right now. I love photo collages and creative re-use (for example right now I carry a purse that has handles made of antique silver forks). Honestly I could move into my local craftstore and enjoy something in every aisle. But if I had to narrow it down in some way I guess I'm more interested in diys that are useful AND decorative at the same time. O and I'm all about stationary, especially the rubber stamp diy kind so I'm always looking for little blank cards and envelopes, new stamps and ink.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I'm an npr addicted folkster at heart. My main squeeze is Bob Dylan but I'm always interested in finding something new.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I love red (especially) and green anything. I like pink things but don't wear pink (odd I know). I'm not into pastels.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm happily committed but not married with one four legged child (see the blog:)

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I do but it's not cold enough here to use them for very long so I often shy away from these.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Hmmm, lately I've done a blanket and a felted ipod cozy that I am SO happy with.

13. What are you knitting right now? Calorimetry the 2nd a felted needle roll.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes! I love anything handmade with love.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I like bamboo best.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? no

17. How old is your oldest UFO? I don't have any old ufo's! I am way too compulsive for that.

18. What is your favorite holiday? I am the biggest Christmas nerd you'll find south of the north pole.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Random old things. I don't collect fine antiques, I'm more drawn to old everyday items that were once much used/loved by someone else.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I don't have any magazine subscriptions but I really like the things in knit1 magazine. I'm always interested in patterns with a more updated appeal. I've seen some copycat patterns of things from anthropologie and free people that were amazing. Also I'm a petite small/xs so I'd love to get my hands on patterns more tailored to petites!

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I would LOVE to learn more about cables, socks, lace, and crochet - especially granny squares.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Nope, not a sock knitter (maybe one day). I wear a size 8 shoe though.

23. When is your birthday? August 19th.

Calorimeowtry Kittyometry

2007-02-16T05:49:00.000-08:00

Yay! A caloriMEtry for ME! I finished it last night and although it has some serious flaws I love it. Due to the fact that it was my first foray into short rows and the fact that those silly boys I live with kept interrupting me, there is some unevenness in the shape, o well.

Howard was kind enough to model it...

What a total ham...

And speaking of silly boys and interruptions...(warning small rant coming)...If someone is knitting on the couch, minding her own business, obviously concentrating, why o why would it seem like an appropriate course of action to start throwing magnetic darts from across the room at a (tacky) tin sign DIRECTLY above her head?!?! When said knitter questioned said course of action she was met with such comments as "how am I supposed to know you were counting?" and "this is a common area." "Gosh," the knitter thought, "if launching projectile objects in a common area was now considered acceptable behavior for adults than she would have to join in the fun!" And it just so happened she had a big bag chock full of metal, wood and plastic projectile objects...with points!! Ooo what lovely little holes those would make in the o-so-tasteful portrait of the natty light girl displayed in the den! Grrrr.

I Got A Flower I Got A Flower I Got A Flower Hey Hey Hey Hey!

2007-02-15T08:05:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't you know it DMB came through. He picked me up from work with a rose and a bottle of wine, the same wine we had the first time we went backpacking together. Underneath all that scruff there's a big softie, I'd like to think so anyway.

Instead of going out we stayed in and made dinner. We made our signature shrimp and artichoke heart pizza and spinach salad. It was soooo good. He even let me listen to NPR while I, ahem, I mean "we," cooked.

Then for the grand finale we made a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting.
It's good to be bad.

Calorimetry and Sludge

2007-02-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Well my yarn still isn't here! Apparently there is some kind of back order situation, I suppose that's what I get for ordering yarn off of ebay. Sigh. I keep having these horrible visions of my poor innocent alpaca friends being held hostage by some evil yarn lord just looking for a quick feel.

In this desperate state I have resorted to pillaging through my meager stash and I'm going to co for knitty's calorimetry. I fell in love with it when I saw it but I've been putting it off due to the tremendous controversy in the realm of knitdom surrounding this pattern. I have one skein of Moda Dea Tweedle Dee in Sagebrush that my sister gave me for Christmas that I'm going to work with. It's soft but it's lack of elasticity and bulky weight make me wonder if it will not want to be friends with calorimetry. We'll see. I'd really like to have it done for this weekend. DMB will be taking me for our first romp of the season. We're going backpacking in a wilderness area so that we can try out all our new "toys" that we got for christmas. (Did I mention that we're both ridiculous gearhounds?) Anyway, it is supposed to be very cold in the mountains, possibly snow, so calorimetry would suit me quite well since it will allow my head to breathe while I'm hiking but still keep my ears warm. And obviously, looking cute on the trail makes you a way better hiker.

Arg. Although I'm looking forward to getting out of dodge, the pain and suffering that will be my first long (14ish miles) hike of the season in the cold without waterproof boots is making me cringe. I'll be OK after the first stretch when I will have to push through the initial layer of wintertime sludge. I've been known to howl and throw rocks for those first few miles (literally). Another disheartening factor is the ever present disparity between DMB and myself when it comes to endurance and speed. That, and the fact that he's a full foot taller than me. The bottom line is he's in way better condition than I am and I hate being the slow, soft one. I know we're beyond the point of trying to impress one another and he is happy to have the company but I can't shake the lingering suspicion that he wishes I were faster and stronger so that we could do more of this kind of thing together. I hate when my body gets in my way.

Winter and Home

2007-02-13T08:47:00.000-08:00

I just checked the weather forecast for my hometown. It looks like they're about to get clobbered with snow. Since my unfortunate migration I've been seriously lacking in the winter department. It's days like these when I let myself wax nostalgic about the Pennsylvania of my youth. Now keep in mind that I've spent the last 5 or so years doing my best to put hundreds if not thousands of miles between me and my old stomping grounds. That being said, this 750 mile buffer I now have between here and home allows me to mellow out sometimes and think about the good things I remember and now occasionally miss. I remember snow days and homemade sleds. As Dad pulled us through deserted side streets the grime was concealed temporarily by a heavy cover of white. The snow allowed us to forget what was underneath, for a little while anyway.

Ghost Kitty

2007-02-12T13:50:00.001-08:00

Faster than a speeding bullet!

There's someone I'd like you to meet...

2007-02-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

We recently adopted a new member of the family and after a very rocky start, Howard is really coming around.

I enjoy long walks to China via my litterbox, gourmet dinners from the baby food aisle, and staying up all night just to "talk." I'm a confident guy who isn't afraid to voice my opinion. And don't let the fur fool you, I'm just big boned.

I love dancing...

I've got great fashion sense...

And I'm a great kisser XOXOX.

Button Hole Bag

2007-02-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

Here's felted FO #2. It's the Button Hole Bag unpattern from Mason Dixon knitting. I used Lamb's Pride Bulky and some Noro throughout. As you can see the shape is a bit odd. The lamb's pride got QUITE shagadelic in the washer, much more so than the Paton's (I didn't put it in a pillowcase though, this could be why). I even had to use DMB's electric beard trimmer to shear it up, and yes I asked :)

Ipod Cozy

2007-02-12T10:32:00.000-08:00

My first felted FO!!!

Recently my my Dearest Mountain Bum (DMB henceforth) received a video ipod for his birthday. I braved the world of DPN's for a second time and experimented with some felting (Paton's). I didn't have a pattern but I was really satisfied with the results.

My ipod, aka Quinn the Mighty Eskimo, is currently sporting a cast off st beer cozy, and is quite jealous.

Glorious Colors Blanket

2007-02-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

This is the Glorious Colors Blanket from Lion. It knit up pretty quickly for a blanket of this size (it covers my double bed). I absolutely love the colors.

This is what I hired him for...

Here you can see the colors close up.

Seed Stitch Close-Up

2007-02-12T09:56:00.001-08:00

You can really see the texture of the seed stitch here. Like Buttah!

DSCN1375
Originally uploaded by liztalago.

Blue Sky Alpaca Scarf

2007-02-12T09:54:00.001-08:00

I made this scarf out of 4 skeins of blue sky alpaca in seed stitch. It is long and wide enough that I can use it as a head scarf / wrap. I started this before I had the confidence to frog so when it initially turned out wider than I wanted it I just bought more yarn and kept knitting (imagine, an excuse to buy more yarn). So luscious!

DSCN1442
Originally uploaded by liztalago.

FO's to come

2007-02-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

Since I'm still chained to my desk I thought I'd maximize production and rattle off a few FO's to come (that I can post when they release me at 5).

Da List (in no particular order):
1. Blue Sky Alpaca Bulky SuperDuper Scarf - this thing is serious
2. Glorious Colors blanket - the hugeness!
3. Felted ipod cozy- the video variety
4. Felted buttonhole bag - must...not...keep...must...give...as...birthday...present...
5. Life size Elvis doll - ok just kidding :)

I'm having the the-yarn-I-ordered-hasn't-come-in-the-mail-yet-crisis (hence the second post of the day). Yeah I've got the nervous nothing-to-knit twitch. But since you asked, and I know you did, what do I have in the works? Well! Let me tell you! Check it out. I should mention here that I've never done cables before and I'm a felting novice but hey, I went to Catholic school, this is nothing.

Greetings from the Jungle

2007-02-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

I'm riding along on the subway, needles flying, whilst balancing my triple-skinny-mocha-to-go. I pause. To my right Gwenyth Paltrow is eyeing my fishtail lace enviously. "You wish," I say, as I begin to carefully place my work inside my vintage channel bag.

(If only.)

In reality I live in a town where:

a.) the locals think that a subway is a fine dining experience

b.) there is no place to get a decent latte within a 60 mile radius, and

c). most folks are more familiar with the works of the Great Kenny Chesney than the accomplishments Elizabeth Zimmerman.

In short, as you may have already guessed, I'm a novice knitter and a displaced yankee that has

been abducted into the dixieland that my mother warned me about.

O, and it turns out you can't hold a latte and knit at the same time either.

But back to the knitting, the reason I created this blog in the first place.

I took my first class back in October and I'm now dealing with a full blown addiction.

I'm just tickled with the idea of having a place where I can flash my FOs, whine about WIPs, and lust shamelessly over yarn. That, and I have a new-ish job that I'm frightfully overqualified for but allows me hours upon hours of time online. So. Here goes nothing.