FAFSA... Let The Nightmare Begin

I can't believe it's happening again. It IS happening again.
There's not enough wine.

Gonna have to face it, you're addicted to .... knitting

I think it's time for some kind of help or intervention. I got NO housework done over the weekend and, really, it's the only time I have to do it. Instead, I did this:



This is the back of SIZZLE. As you can see, the M1's left holes which I am not happy about. After doing some research, I figured out how to correct that problem but it's certainly too late now. The only good news is that this is the back and I won't do it on the front. I can't say enough good things about this Kertzer Butterfly yarn. (100% mercerized cotton) The drape is perfect. It just LOOKS good. Try it!

I also finished these:



Colin's highland socks. I wish I had time to make another pair of these. There are a few things I would do differently. But they are cute. This kid is going to look adorable in his little kilt and tux top. As I said previously, this outfit is supposed to be a surprise for the bride and last week, she mentioned to my daughter that it would be cute to find a highland outfit for him, too, for the wedding. My daughter told her that they already bought him an outfit to wear. She'll be surprised.

My sister really has the knitting bug. It's great because now I won't struggle with what to get her for birthdays and Christmas. When you have a knitter, there is no end to what you can get for gifts. We're going to plan a trip to Knit One soon and check that out.

Work will be interesting today. We are announcing a change at our sales meeting. Change always has an interesting effect on people. Some people embrace it and others condemn it. I already know who will be doing the embracing and who will be doing the condemning. I, for one, am going to embrace this change and see it as challenge to improve myself. Who knows, maybe I'll get so successful that I won't have to worry about doing the housework on the weekends and I can sit on my butt and knit away.... guilt free. I aspire to that. :-)

Oh Wow! Check This Out....

I've had my eye on this book FOREVER. I've had it in my hands at Barnes and Noble and to tell you the truth, I've just been too frugal (cheap?) to purchase it. It came in the mail yesterday from my "other" secret pal! I couldn't believe it! This book is full of timeless, classic patterns that will NEVER go out of style. That's why I love it. Thank you so much to my "other" secret pal.
LOVE this one:
















Picked up my "sizzle" yarn yesterday:

I really hope this works. But what's more than that, I hope I find time to make the thing. I'd like to have this done for Georgia in October. It seems that Kiawah SC, would not have us back so we're going to Sea Isle City, GA instead. How could the place be booked for October??? Weird.

While I was at the yarn shop I got some DMC floss for the stitching on the little brown sweater. I couldn't find yarn the right color so I thought the floss would work just as well. I finished the back last night. I tried to post a photo but blogger won't load it. Is there a three photo limit in a blog post or something????

I've realized lately that I've gotten a little over-extended in my involvement in charitable organizations and causes. This is weird too because I really HATE asking people for money. They are all good causes that I feel strongly about but there are only so many hours in a day and my work schedule is nuts to begin with. My husband said yesterday that he'd like to go to Seven Springs this weekend to a concert and I had to tell him I couldn't because I volunteered to sit at a table for one of my causes at a heritage festival at PSU Altoona campus. So. I feel bad because he doesn't usually want to go anywhere and when he finally does, I have to say no. I'd talk someone else into taking my place but they were scrambling for people to begin with.

Oh well, it's off to the world of real estate for me now. Happy Weekend and Happy Knitting.

YAY!! It's Thursday... that means tomorrow's Friday!

Most boring knit EVER. But it will be cute in the end. I still have to find the contrasting yarn for the trim and the buttons. I'll take a look for that stuff today at the LYS when I go to pick up my yarn for Sizzle.

This has been the most boring week. I'll be glad when it's over. It's been full of meetings, obligations, and nothing much fun at all. I'm really missing the beach. Every year around this time I just want to go to the beach. In my next life, I swear, it's going to be all beach, all the time.

I'm thinking of taking a little road trip to Ligonier on August 5th. I almost have DH talked into making a day of it.. visiting the Shanksville 911 memorial, Somerset outlets, Fort Ligonier... (then yarn shop... should I tell him????) then ending up at the Ligonier Valley Country Inn (if they have a room) Has anyone ever been there??? It looks so cute.

My back is killing me since I finished PT. Have I been doing my exercises as prescribed? Noooo. I really need to get on that. I'm SO bad about it. I'll sit and knit for hours but I can't talk myself into doing a few exercises for 20 minutes that will free me from excruciating pain. Go figure.

I made just about the best and easiest cake in the world last weekend. It was AWESOME. Need an easy dessert? Try this:

Bake a devil's food cake (mix) - poke holes in it immediately after removing from oven and then pour a can of sweetened condensed milk on top. Let cool completely.

After completely cool, spread with Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip. On top of that, spread cool whip. Sprinkle with Heath Bar or Skor candy bar pieces. (These actually come in a bag in the cake mix/baking section of the supermarket) Very Yummy for sure.

No Knitting... but beautiful flower photos

Think my sister might have a little bit of a green thumb? I'm not sure how she is going to maintain a knitting addiction AND take care of all of this, but I'm sure she'll figure it out.

I got my yarn to make Sizzle. (a pattern by Wendy at Knit and Tonic) I bought Kertzer Butterfly 100% mercerized cotton. It's shiny and drapey and I hope it works. I left it at the yarn shop to be wound. It's sort of a steel blue. Wendy posted lots of substitute yarns but she never mentioned that one. I don't know. I guess we'll find out. I love working with that yarn.

The brown sweater for Colin is very easy but going very slowly. DK yarn and small needles makes for a slow project. I didn't get to knit last night because of the ballgame. The Curve won in extra innings. It was a good game. I ate way too much, but we had a good time and I got to know the other Habitat For Humanity board members a little better which is good. Bonding socially makes for much better teamwork.

I'm really looking forward to Stitch n Pitch at PNC. My sister is all bummed out now that she can't go because she is going to be out of town. I think I've created a monster.

Project Runway tonight... woo hoo! Love it. And since we're on the subject of television, wasn't it great of Ken Jennings to rip on Jeopardy on his blog after winning 2.5 million on there? That's gratitude for ya. What a jerk.

Man... I Love Vogue

Vogue Knitting Magazine :: Issue Preview

Knitting, Baseball, and Laundry Dreams

Here is the photo that blogger would not allow me to load yesterday. I'm anxious to sew this up.
These colors are SO not true. They are not nearly this bright. They are much softer and prettier. (like I said... girlier)

I got about 4 inches of the back worked on the little brown sweater. It feels so thin after working with Shelly's yarn.

I got my sister started on a little Erin Bag on Sunday. She hadn't knit since college. It's like riding a bike. She did great.... even with the cables. Look out. She'll be knitting up a storm now. She's going to London next week and she's all excited that she'll have something to do on the plane now. She could probably have a second one started by then. (knitting an Erin on the way to see Erin...ha ha) sorry.

Tonight is Habitat for Humanity night at the Curve Game. I have to work the table so I guess it's ballpark food for me tonight. Always nutritional and fat free. Right.

I had a dream last night that I was doing laundry in our church basement. It was like a laundromat. I'm figuring that was God's way of telling me that I better stop doing so darn much knitting and get the laundry done.

Ok... gotta go fight with FAFSA now. God... I promise to do the laundry if you'll just get me through this FAFSA thing.

Things That Make You Go Insane

It's that time of year again. FAFSA time. Last year, dealing with FAFSA almost caused me to have a nervous breakdown... and while I may be exaggerating just a tad, dealing with it did have me in tears more than once. For those of you who do not know what FAFSA is, if you have kids who will eventually go to college, you will. (unless you're independently wealthy and don't need to obtain student loans) Mentally prepare yourselves now. You see, applying for these loans was always done on paper. (The way God intended it to be.) Then, in an effort to make things easier on people, they decided to allow you to apply online. There is where the nightmare begins. Everything that could go wrong did. I won't go into the details, because, truly, it would take a month to explain how really bad it went and why I nearly ended up on prozac over it. Let's just suffice it to say that if you have an apostrophy in your last name... DO PAPER FORMS. Oh, and another thing, because of the privacy laws, YOU can't talk to all these people when things go bad. The student has to do all this themselves. The student has to call and pretend that they filled the forms out, that they understand enough about the process to speak intelligently on the matter ...when, in reality, they don't have a clue. This year, I was going to beat this thing. Back to paper forms. Yeah. I'll show them. No more computer glitches for me. So I send everything in on paper. And I get a letter telling me now that I STILL have to go online to finish it up. God help me. (and, I'm really good at the computer! I can't imagine how people do this who are not)

Ok.. there is knitting news. I finished the little sweater except to sew it up. Blogger will not load the photo.... so later. It is girlie. When I looked at the yarn I didn't think it was girlie but it is. The colors a more pastel than primary and I definitely wouldn't put it on Colin. So I guess I will keep it for a grandaughter to be named later! I'd give it as a gift but the yarn is too special for just anyone to have it. I like to think of this sweater as a work of art.

T.G.I.F.

Here is the front of the baby raglan. That really knit up fast! I'll have this finished in no time. Then I actually CAN start the brown sweater. Hopefully I can get Cate started on some mittens this weekend too. Need to make a trip to the LYS for some Cascade 220 and dpn's for her.

I've been thinking about knitting blogs lately. Thinking in the sense that they are all so different and interesting. People are interesting. Take for instance the one I read all the time that I have recently decided to stop reading. This knitter is obviously a genius. A true genius. For a long time I found her blog interesting but lately I've decided that reading it is like being in school. She is "technical" about her knitting. There are charts and graphs and explanations. She obviously isn't happy unless her knitting is challenging her to a degree that I could only dream of. If I had even a hint of her intelligence I'd be happy. But I have to say goodbye to her. (um... not that she cares or even knows I read it) I wish her well. Bye. Mix in a headband every once in a while and rest your brain!

Then there is this other one. (and none of these are anywhere near local... out west for the most part) This girl is constantly lamenting her life's situation. Very sad family/relationship situation. Very sad financial situation. Very sad living conditions. And yet, every week, there are photos of new books and yarn stash that she has purchased. I don't understand it. I'm glued to it every day just to see what she buys next.

And, of course, there is the poser. Whom I love. She is most entertaining. She needs to update.

There is another one I really like. The girl designs. Her blog is a hoot. She's a fabulous knitter and a good writer. And she must have an awesome husband because someone is taking those funny photos of her. When I think about her, I think that she must feel like she needs to think and "prepare" for her blog posts a lot. Like a story deadline. It would be like pressure to me.

We're an interesting group of people. I like us.

Work is nuts today... gotta go. Oh, and yesterday I remembered why I hate to show office space. It sits empty for so long that cobwebs form everywhere and you walk through them and are constantly wiping at your face to get them off of you. Terrible.

Happy Weekend. Happy knitting.

These socks rock!

All "pooling" around aside, these socks really do rock. The medium weight STR yarn has such a great feel to it. These babies are going to be WARM. And isn't it interesting that they sort of match. The green pooling that you see on the sock on the left is also on the sock on the right but it's underneath so you can't see it. Thanks to Laurie G. for the yarn. These are keepers. Sorry Cate. After I teach you to knit on dp's, you can make your own.

When I finished these last night I got ready to dig into the brown sweater for Colin. I tried. I really did. But there in my yarn basket, staring up at me, was the "crayon" yarn. I just had to see how it knit up so I cast on for a different baby sweater. It's a simple stockinette raglan from a Debbie Bliss book that I have. The yarn needs to do the talking do I picked the simplest pattern I could find. It's not going to do anything to improve my skills but it's sure going to be fun.
















I was thinking how awesome this yarn would be knit up into one of those pinwheel blankies.

So notice the fake tan on my hand. I tried to go white for a while. Couldn't do it. I feel so self conscious without a tan. And my baking days are over. I've learned that lesson the hard way. Are you listening CATE?

Ok, on to more important stuff. Like Project Runway. While I did think the appropriate person got knocked out, I wish it would have been Vincent. I can't stand his attitude and personality. (and what was with those wonky sleeve cap things on that dress???) I thought Angela really got the shaft. She got this big lecture about not being a team player but HE WOULDN'T LET HER HELP HIM. What was she supposed to do? I thought the whole "team leader" thing was unfair.
I thought the best dress was definitely Laura Bennet's. Gorgeous, sleek, and classy. But, didn't the girl (Miss U.S.A.) specifically say she didn't want white?? That dress would have been equally as beautiful in another color. Laura Bennet could design for me any day. I love her style.

I have to show office space all morning. How I hate that. Why? I don't know. I just do.

Stolen from a knitting blog.... things I've done in bold

Life's to do list - I've bolded those I've gotten around to:
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive 0
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow

56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach 1
33. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

Knitting Night

Once again I sat there all evening with my camera within 2 feet of me in my purse and forgot to take a photo. We met for the second time at a beautiful new assisted living facility in Altoona. It was the first time for me though because I had to work the last time. Lovely place. And what gracious hosts. There was a whole tray of homemade cookies and fudge waiting for us along with pitchers of lemonade. We met some lovely residents. Shelly entertained them (and me) with her spinning and we enjoyed each other's company. Oh, and while we were there, an old friend from high school, who happens to live in Arizona now, came in to visit with her mother who lives there. So that was nice to get to see her again.

Here is the yarn I purchased from Shelly. I can't wait to knit something cute with it. The colors are beautiful. It will make a great child's sweater. I'm picturing a cardigan with different bright colored buttons. I hope I can find a pattern. It seems to be somewhere in between a worsted and bulky weight. It will knit up fast.

































Doesn't it just remind you of a box of crayons??? Remember how much fun it was to get a new box of crayons? That's how I feel with this yarn. Yeah, I'm crazy.

I made good progress on Colin's other knee sock and when I got home I put some length on the second STR sock. It won't be long until I can start Colin's brown sweater. I'm definitely on the home stretch.

In non-knitting news I read online yesterday that Angelina Jolie is estranged from her father, Jon Voight, because she still holds some animosity toward him for cheating on her mother when Angelina was a toddler. How funny is that? I'm sure Jennifer Anniston is still rolling on the floor.

Oh, and yes, the sleep problem is under control. Thank you Tylenol PM.

Tuesday Stuff

Another night of no sleep. I don't know exactly why. I should be sleeping better. We put a new air conditioner in the bedroom window and ever since I haven't been able to sleep. I think I'm just one of those people who likes to be warm and now it's too cold in there for me. My husband will tell you I'm never happy with the temperature. Last night I came home so exhausted that I didn't knit a stitch. Now THAT'S exhausted. I thought I'd sleep like a baby. Nope.

Tonight is knitting night. I guess I'll work on Colin's other highland knee sock. I'm finally, hopefully, going to buy the yarn that I've been wanting from Shelly if she still has it...photos tomorrow. She spins and dyes some awesome yarn.


This is my only subscription. They caught me at a week moment.
I have to say there are some good tutorials in this magazine but the patterns are less than stellar. There is one little girl's sweater in this issue that is sort of cute though.















I watched Super Nanny last night for the third time. It is fascinating. I'm fascinated that there are people who agree to have their dysfunction (in MAJOR proportions) televised on national tv.
Man, these kids are out of control and the only reason that happens is because the parents let them get that way. But, on the other hand, they are doing something about it which is good. That nanny is pretty sharp for as young as she is. I just have to wonder though how long the good behavior lasts after she's gone. It would be very difficult not to lapse back into the old routine after she's long gone. That mother from the show last night could use some counseling herself. Totally OCD. But I thought she was trying (at least for the time being) to change.

Off to a sales meeting... have a great knitting day.

Weekend FO's

The Misty Garden scarf is finally finished. I'm happy with how it turned out. I think my sister will like it. I don't know why blogger is loading some of my photos vertically instead of horizontally. It did this last week too???




















Again, another wonky photo but this is just the cutest hat, scarf and mittens set from the new "Knit Simple" magazine. There was one other child's cable sweater in that magazine I liked but that was about it. I bought it for the pattern above. I doubt that I'd make the scarf, but I love the hat and mittens. They would be adorable for Meghan.















So here is the finished Highland knee sock. I thought of something after it was finished that would have made it better, but I don't feel like starting over so it's going to stay this way. One down, one to go. And, after I get this pair finished, someday I may make the improvement and actually write the pattern since there doesn't seem to be anything else like it out there. It's really cute. I didn't know I had it in me. :-)

And, lastly in knitting news today, here is Meghan's little mini-Erin Bag. I should have put it next to Catie's regular sized one for scale so you could see that it's much smaller. I think she'll like it for all her little treasures. Meghan is three. I can't believe it. Time flies.
















Cate is home from Vegas. We are definitely going to Stitch n Pitch on August 13th at PNC Park.
Our knitting guild may take a bus. We're working on rounding up interest to get the bus filled.
C'mon Blair County knitters... you know you wanna.

ZYX Photo Friday... Featuring the Letter "A"

I can NOT believe we are finished already. Where did the 26 weeks go??? Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

I've decided that "A" is for Anguilla

For years, I was all about going to tropical islands. Truth is, I never made it. Over time my travel yearnings have changed from beach to city. (maybe because my body has changed from bikini to jeans and a sweatshirt!) Anyhow, I'd rather do Europe. But, having said that, there is still one place I'd like to visit and it's Anguilla.














Anguilla is a coral island in teh Caribbean Sea. It is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It covers an area of 37 square miles... small!

A few years ago, I read this book:





















The authors visited my sister's kitchen store in State College and signed books there. My sister got me the book and one of their cookbooks as a gift. Ever since then, I've wanted to go there and have dinner in their restaurant. It's a great book. But it does make you long for a stay in the tropics.

So, geesh, Europe.... what was I thinking???? I freaking love the beach.

Holly's Highland Infant Knee Sock... so far

This is what I came up with. I will make little tassels to hang down over the sides. I think it's going to be super cute. I wish I could write the pattern but I'm not good at things like that. I know what to do, I just don't know how to explain it. Or, here's the thing, maybe I just don't have the patience it takes to explain it. That's probably more like it.

The deal with the kilt thing is this... my son-in-law's sister is getting married next month and the whole wedding theme is a Scottish thing. The groomsmen will be in kilts and there will be bagpipes (the groom plays the bagpipes) etc. I am trying to picture my 6'4", former college football player, son-in-law in a kilt. I'm not seeing it. But I guess I will see it. Kelly thought it would be fun to dress Colin the same. Hence the socks. It's going to be a surprise for the family so I hope they don't read my blog! I don't think they even know I have one. If anyone reading this has any blackwatch plaid fabric laying around anywhere, I might be able to use a little tiny piece of it. I'm going to play around with a little fabric tab under the tassel on the sock. I'm undecided about that but I'd like to see what it looked like.

I'm looking at my schedule and I don't have one appointment this weekend. No appointments. Nothing I have to do. Nowhere I have to go. I can't believe that I might be able to get some housework accomplished. And laundry done. And gardening. This can't be true. Oh well, it's early yet. Something will come up to put a wrench in it.

Can you say.... GORGEOUS??

I stopped at the LYS at lunch time.... always dangerous. And today was no exception. I missed the "meet the dyer" open house she had last Sunday but I did want to see the new superwash wool colorways from Gypsy Knits. They are TO DIE FOR (or to dye for.. ha ha) Anyhow, check it out.

I had to have that skein of pumpkin on the bottom. You can't see the colorways very well in this photo but they are insanely beautiful. I have truly never had such a tough time making a decision about yarn.

If your LYS doesn't carry this yarn, and they probably don't because this is a brand new little start up company in Maryland, take a road trip and check them out here:

Victoria's House of Needleart

What else am I excited about???

This

Gotta go. August 13th. PNC Park. I can taste the hot dogs and IC Light right now.

100 New Things About Me... Lost in Cyberspace

So yesterday after things calmed down in here (office), and I realized I had to stay late with a new agent taking the late shift for the first time, I re-read my "100 Things About Me" and realized that after just a few short months, it was way out of date. I concluded that it would be the perfect time to do a new one. I spent and hour and a half on it. And when I pushed "publish", I realized that my blogger connection had timed out. I lost the whole thing. Gone. What a waste of time. I was FURIOUS. So I won't be doing that again for a while. Just suffice it to say that I HAVE been on a train recently, I am no longer a "Law and Order" junkie, I have a grandson, I knit a little more for myself, I no longer have a 27 year old Minolta camera that I love, and I've discovered that I CAN sleep without socks in the summer. Ok.

The new Project Runway was on last night. I am totally addicted. I never agree with what they do but I still love it. While I did agree that the top of the dress that got the girl tossed last night did not fit the model, I still really liked the dress and I thought that a few of the others were totally hideous. You can't tell me that those judges don't do what they do just to get people fired up and talking about it. You know... like... Yeah, I know that jeffrey's dress is a joke but if we keep him people will be totally in shock and everyone will be talking about it at the water cooler in the morning. That kind of stuff. Whatever. It's just TV. I need a life.

New Obsession... try it... you'll like it. Especially if you enjoyed pop rocks as a kid.

















And there is knitting news... I bet you thought I'd never get to it.
I've decided to go into uncharted territory and design the Infant knee socks to be worn with a kilt myself. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Yep, that's my philosophy.
Thanks to my "other" Secret Pal for enabling me with the size 1 Crystal Palace bamboo dp's. I'm using them for this endeavor. The cuff will be a moss stitch, there will be a cable down the side, and I will attach a tassle. And please don't think that I came up with this all by myself. I had a nice email from a knitlist reader who suggested the cable and tassle. But, hey, the moss stitch cuff WAS my idea! So if any of you ever decide to put your two month old baby in a kilt for a special occasion, I'll have your sock pattern. Um. Yeah.

Why won't blogger load the photo???? Oh Blogger. How you disappoint me at times.

I wonder how the small town girl is doing in vegas. I miss her. Her soap opera life is our entertainment.

Hump Day

Lots of work in the real world to do today and all I can think about is knitting. In an effort to get back to work, this will remain short and sweet. (I think)

I met my sister, Kelly (older daughter), Christina, and some friends for dinner and a play last night so no knitting was accomplished. Christina loved her little Erin Bag. My sister informed me that she wants me to re-teach her to knit so she can make a bag for her business partner. She'll catch on quickly, I know, because she knit a lot in high school. I remember the two of us making a bunch of knit halter tops that I can't believe my mother allowed us to wear in public. Ah, the 70's. Actually, I wish I still had that pattern because they would be adorable re-sized for kids. We put duplicate stitch designs on them and they were cute.

So, I'm off to concentrate more on work, and less on yarn.















Colin thinks that's funny. He knows me better already.

Infant Socks To Wear With A Kilt

I'm looking for a pattern for these little knee socks if anyone knows of one. I know what you're thinking... why??

Oh, don't even ask.

Christina's Erin Bag and Erin Bag Construction

Laurie G. asked about construction of the Erin Bag and how I put the lining in.
I read on several blogs that sewing doesn't work so well with these so I glue mine in with fabric glue. The bag below is the one I just completed for my nephew's wife. These little bags are all the rage with the female population of my family. They're all keeping track of who got what and how many and in what colors. Phew! The pressure!
















The photo below is Meghan's little bag. What I do with the lining is cut a piece of fabric the exact size of the blocked piece of knitting. Then I take both the lining, and the knitted piece to the ironing board. I then iron a little hem the whole way around so that the lining fits just inside the piece, leaving enough room to sew the side seams. Obviously, I glue the wrong side of the lining to the wrong side of the knitted piece. Then, after the glue dries, I fold the purse in half, right sides together, and sew the side seams up, leaving one inch open at the top of both sides so you have a little big of an opening and can get you hands down in the purse.

The fabric glue can be purchased at JoAnn Fabrics. It's almost $5.00 a bottle which sort of amazes me, but it lasts a long time. I've probably gotten about 7 purses out of this bottle.

The glue really sticks the fabric to the purse. I have learned that it works best on light color knitting. When you use black or navy, unfortunately, you can see the glue. If I had any of those food service plastic gloves to do this, I would. It gets on your fingers and it's hard to get off. Do it on newspaper or something disposable. That stuff is for real!

The inside of Christina's bag. This is one I'd really like to keep for myself!!

Weekend Knitting

In between laundry, babysitting, and errand running I did manage to get some knitting accomplished. I put lots more inches on the Misty Garden scarf. It looks much brighter here than it actually is. This is a quick and easy pattern for that last minute gift.

I also got the lining glued into the two Erin bags but I didn't get them completed as planned. Hopefully this evening.





















It was all I could do not to cast on for Colin's sweater. I know I talked myself out of it 30 times. Must get other projects finished first!!!!

Knitting progress.... or lack thereof

I spun a few more little skeinettes for Colin's hat. That wasn't going well so I stopped. I think you have to be in patient mode for that and last night I wasn't. So I put a few inches on the Misty Garden scarf. I'm itching to start that baby sweater but I'm not going to until the scarf is finished. It's my sister's birthday gift. I got that yarn at MS&W specifically for her. Those are her colors.

Work is crazy. It's either crazy or dead..... there's no in-between..... and we're heading into crazy. But crazy is what pays the bills so it's a good thing. Bad for knitting, good for Slippery Rock... and Penn State.... and West Chester parent plus loans.... still.... ugh. These guys better take good care of us in our old age. :-)

Happy Weekend.
Knit on.

ZYX Photo Friday - Featuring the Letter "B"

B is for barns..... and Barnes
















I love barns. (crappy photo but it's the only one blogger would load)
This particular barn is in Sinking Valley in Blair County. I took this photo
for our website. I love to look at the different architectural styles of barns when we travel. They don't build them like they used to and what a shame. Pennsylvania has great barns... Chester County has really neat stone barns. OK! Enough about barns.... but you can see some cool barns here: Photogenic Barns

And, about Barnes... It's my maiden name. Scotch decent. My mother is the Irish one. But any way you slice it... I've definitely got the celtic thing going!

Major Commitment Issues

I read lots of knitting blogs and I'm glad to say that I'm not the only one with this problem. Most people have a lot of things going at once. I wish I could be a finisher. One thing at a time. I've tried. But as hard as I try, sometimes I look down at the knitting basket and those new skeins of yarn are just taunting me. It's hard to resist. Now I believe that socks are permissible even if you are a finisher. Socks are that one portable project to take with you when you know you have to wait somewhere. So it's always ok to have a pair of socks going even with another larger project. I was sure I'd finish the Misty Garden scarf before starting another project but last night the little skeinettes I spun were hanging to dry and when I realized they WERE dry, I had to knit with them.
















I did consider dying this yarn before knitting with it but then I decided on the natural look. As you can see, I have lots more yarn to spin before completing this. But if it ever gets finished, it may be the most satisfying object I ever made. This will be one warm hat for Colin.





















I'm not sure why this photo came out vertical instead of horizontal but I can't seem to fix it.
These little Erin Bags are almost dry and ready to complete. Although I'd like to have one for myself, I think this is enough of these for a while.

In baby sweater news, I've decided to do this sweater with the brown tweed yarn I originally purchased for Pea Pod.
















It will be quick and easy and then hopefully I will have worked up the nerve to start Pea Pod again in a lighter color yarn. This is from one of my Debbie Bliss books.

I chipped a tooth last night chewing on an unpopped popcorn kernal. I have a really rough edge on one of my bottom front teeth that is driving me crazy. I guess I'll have to call the dentist. It's always something.

The New Knitty

Good LORD what a disappointment!!!

Knitting, Needles, and Waterford Yarn Balls

Sometimes you just have to be patient and let the yarn speak to you. I usually cannot do this. Remember the ribbed scarf I was making from the MS&W hand painted yarn? Well I didn't like it at all so I ripped it out a few weeks ago and on Monday evening a light bulb went off in my brain. It IS the perfect yarn for the Misty Garden scarf from Scarf Style. That scarf was designed to show off hand painted yarns. Glad I thought of it......



I'm using the Denise needles for the first time with this project. I really like them a lot. I wasn't sure I was going to but they are great. They are very pointy and I just love that. I still have to buy the longer extensions yet. Maybe next week.



I was going through my yarn and I noticed that the little left-over balls of Koigu looked so cute. I thought... what can I do with them? Then I remembered the little waterford bowl my mother got me that never gets used. So I put a bunch of little yarn balls in it and it makes a cute decoration. Good thing I don't have cats!



Cate had a good day yesterday. She scored a computer desk and a kitchen table and chairs for FREE for her new apartment. And, as you can see, she really, really needed them!

)(*&%)#&)(#*&

ok... so....this morning I arrive at work early because it is our sales meeting day and I run the sales meetings at the office. i notice it is strangely quiet in the office for a monday morning. usually everyone is there. so, where is everyone ? imagine my surprise to find out a decision was made to cancel the sales meeting (due to the holiday) at our secretary's baby shower on friday evening. so, everyone who was not at the shower, or left early, was not informed. we had 4 people show up for the sales meeting and i end up looking like an idiot because i am the one in charge. not happy. not. happy. at. all. and the real clincher is that if i had done this to the people who did it, i'd never hear the end of it.

then, i spend 40 minutes on a post to this blog, only to find out that i'm in my family's blog instead of the knitting blog and i have to delete the whole thing.

so look for an update with actual knitting content on wednesday. when i'm in a better mood.

oy.