Monday, April 30, 2007

Weekend Knitting

It was bad karma for knitting this weekend. I only got it out last night because I had Colin all day Saturday and Sunday morning. But I should have never gotten it out at all. However, the lace shawl disaster did teach me a lesson. Keep a few of your lifelines in. Not just the last one. Thank GOODNESS I had more than one in because I screwed up, ripped down to the lifeline, and it still wasn't right. When I ripped down to the second lifeline, it turned out ok. I'm not sure what I did wrong. Nothing was working. I ended up ripping out two repeats. I think I was too tired to knit. Lesson learned.

I was fooling around on the computer last week and took this test:

Online test based on Jung - Myers-Briggs typology

The results are so scary accurate that I still can't believe it. Reading the profile made me see myself as others see me and it has really made me think. It is not how I see myself, but I can see that it would be how I am perceived by others. I'm an ISTJ in case anyone is interested!

And on a totally unrelated topic, I'm declaring this the summer of the sunflower. Plant sunflowers. You just have to smile when you see a gigantic sunflower. Right?

Friday, April 27, 2007

Knitty Spring Surprises

Totally adorable. I'd knit this.

Knitty: Spring 2007

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Corky People


These were fun to knit, and quick! The one on the right was knit on size 2 DP's. As you can see, he has a little too much "skin" showing. The one on the left is better, done on size 3's. Now that I have it figured out, all I need is a new black sharpie to do the eyes and nose with. All I had was a big magic marker and that didn't work out so great. These will be cute to add to Christmas packages. I think I had both of these done in less than an hour.
I think my next project is going to be a felted purse using yarn from the stash, and then back to the lace wrap.
Dentist today.... I'd rather take a beating.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Little Projects


This is Wendy Bernard's Dream Swatch pattern.

http://www.knitandtonic.typepad.com/dreamswatchwrap.pdf

I don't ever wear stuff in my hair but I thought this looked like a fun
pattern. I wanted to use this left over yarn and it's too girlie for socks
for Colin. I don't know what I'll do with it, but it's cute.





I think I'll do a few other little projects like this before

digging back into the lace wrap. I want to try the

se little

guys out:

Elliphantom Knits: Finished: Korknisse Ornaments

So now Blooger has reverted to double spacing out of

the blue and I don't know how to fix it. Why?? Why??

I've never seen a program with such a mind of it's own like

this one has.

I visited with my stash last night to see what I could sell on Ebay. The answer is nothing. I love everything I bought. I think the answer is to STOP buying new yarn and use the old yarn. I have enough sock yarn for 7 pairs of adult socks and enough other yarn to knit at least 5 or 6 sweaters. (Notice how Blogger has now decided to single space..... ugh) The bottom line is.. I'm keeping all of it!

My Noro from Kathy's Kreations came on Friday. Thank you to my sister for that. My birthday gift cert. Now I can make another Lady Eleanor for MOI. It is shades of blacks, grays and tan. It will look great with my camel dress coat. I loved that pattern. I just wish I could start it now but I know if I do, the lace wrap will be history. Oh, and let's not forget Meghan's half finished sweater. I have a bad, bad feeling about that one. Unless I die and come back with a head for math, that one probably isn't happening.

Note to Carol: I lost your email and link... as for MS&W, we're not staying. We are going on Sunday and coming home the same day. Colin's 1st birthday party is Saturday! Maybe I SHOULD wear the Dream Swatch in my hair for indentification purposes! Say hello if you see me! Anyone else out there I should be looking for????

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Virginia Tech

I usually don't editorialize on my blog. For the most part, I know no one really gives a rat's patoot about my opinion. But, Virginia Tech... really.... how sad. I remember vividly that I wrote an editorial in the newspaper shortly after Columbine about bullying and how, as a society, we don't take what goes on on the playground seriously enough. I'm not saying that bullying was the problem here. But I think it was at Columbine. We allow our children to taunt and torment those who are different until finally, one day, they just can't cope anymore and finally snap. Then, the next problem is that we ignore the warning signs that are obvious in these individuals because we just can't get involved. From the sound of it, there were plenty of warning signs about Mr. Cho. And it sounds like someone did try to intervene. Who dropped the ball? Where were his parents?? How do you ignore the erratic behavior of your own son?

I guess what I'm really saying is that the world we live in now scares me. Strangers are raising our kids because we can't afford to stay home and raise them ourselves. Parents aren't parenting because they are too stressed out trying to make a living and pay bills and put food on the table. The emotional wellbeing of many of our children is largely ignored. That is where problems start. And teachers aren't addressing issues with problem children because all they get in return for their effort when they try is trouble. Parents defend the child's bad behavior instead of getting on board with the teachers to try to fix the problem. Because, let's face it, at the end of the day, they just don't have the time or the patience to deal with it.

Unfortunately, I think that until parents wake up and realize that they need to get more involved with the lives of their children, we're going to be seeing a lot more of this type of thing. I mean, this really never happened in the generation before, did it? I think this country is full of very confused young people, deplete of emotion, who feel that they have no place to turn. And it's scary.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Yay! Socks!

Amazingly, I finally finished something.
The colors look much better in person.
These will go in the Christmas box and end up
in someone's stocking I'm sure. Or not.
I kinda like them. A lot. I need to keep telling
myself..... it's okay to knit for yourself...it's okay
to knit for yourself. But then, on the other hand,
I think... that's one Christmas gift completed already.












These little socks will be for the birthday boy.
I'm not crazy about the pattern. It would
be perfect for the baby with fat feet.

















I'm still putting a row or two on the lace wrap here
and there. The problem with that is that I need
peace and quiet to do it. And there's not much
of that in my life these days.

Oh, and your thought for the day is this.
Greed... it's not worth it. Don't go there.
I love my job.
I love my job.
I love my job......

Saturday, April 14, 2007

I don't care....


I don't care that I don't have time to knit anymore.
I don't care that my house is a train wreck.
I don't care that I've had to give up some extracurricular things for more important things.
I know that eventually everything will fall back into place.
To everything there is a season.
I'm enjoying this one.
With or without knitting.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

MS&W

Who's going? I am going to Maryland Sheep and Wool and I have talked my sister into going with me. I'm not sure what day we are going due to Colin's birthday. I know the big 1 year bash will take place that weekend but I'm not sure what day. I'm excited to go, but I don't need yarn. I REALLY don't need yarn. In fact I'm considering de-stashing on E-bay. Too much yarn = too much guilt. I have yarn for long forgotten projects.... projects that I know will never be. You wonder how you go from such anticipation for a certain project to absolutely no intention of ever doing it. The problem is that other projects butt in. Babies get born and any thoughts of the felted purse are long forgotten. There are booties and hats to knit. Then you eye that summer cotton top that you HAVE to make and the big easy chunky wool sweater that was next on the list takes a back seat.

Then, to make matters worse, you have your sale yarn. Yarn that was purchased with absolutely no project in mind but, of course, you had to buy it because you couldn't pass it up at that price, and you really liked the last project you made out of that yarn. So it sits in the box...for years. It's gotta go. Maybe I should have a yarn sale on my blog. I've seen people do that. I don't know. Maybe I should keep it. What's a knitter to do???

Friday, April 06, 2007

Happy Easter!


Mr. Colin and friends wish everyone a Happy Easter!
(by the way, you can find these little friends at
K-Mart for only $14.95 each which I think is a
steal)
No knitting to show. I do have a sock finished and I started
the heel on the second one. I was at knitting night on
Tuesday and we were talking about knitting socks and I
found out that most of the group knits two socks at one time
on two sets of needles. They do one cuff, then the other, one
heel, then the other, one foot, then the other, etc. When
they are finished, they have two socks at the same time.
Why didn't I think of that??? It makes perfect sense.
I always liked the idea of knitting two socks at the same
time on two circular needles, but I don't like that process.
Knitting both socks at the same time on two sets of dp's
really appeals to me. So I'm off to buy another set of
# 2 dp's.
Happy Easter!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Fun in New York

It was beautiful in New York this weekend. Mild temperatures

except for last night when it got cold and we weren't prepared.


Had to shop to get warm:















Gap had these and we both liked them so we both

ended up with one. She put her coat over hers so we

didn't look ridiculous. We had theatre tickets so we

didn't want to go the whole way back to the Village

to get our coats and then go back to mid-town.













Kelly and Catie at Chelsea Market













Our big purchase at Purl... six skeins of Manos del Uruguay






























Here we are at Purl. I got to use my gift certificate

that Erin got me for my birthday. Finally! I could

have used it online, but I was really hoping to get there

in person.
And, finally, here's Cate trying to look all New York. (at FAO Schwartz)
She cracks me up.