Captive Knitting

Tomorrow I'm going to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort for three days. I will have meetings. I will also have free time. I will not be with close friends which translates into lots of "me" time. And, of course, we all know that "me" time is "knitting" time.

It just makes sense that I should take the project that NEEDS to get finished ASAP. Like either of the two pairs of Christmas socks or the scarf for Kelly made from Shelly's yarn. If you take only what needs to be done, you have no choice but to work on it. Right?

But right now, oddly, I'm all about the lace. It's summery. It's light. It's so June/July/August.
I just want to knit the lace. I'm finally enjoying the process. At the end of every row, I have the correct amount of stitches. It's a freaking miracle. I want to take the lace.

What will Holly do?

Finally! A sock!

I've been working on this sock forever. It's the Socks That Rock medium weight in the County Clare colorway. It's knit with two balls to prevent pooling which didn't happen. It still pooled. And I hated working with two balls of yarn so it's going to kill me to cast on for the second sock. Such is life.

We have Colin this weekend. My husband took the day off to watch him today and I'm sure he's counting the minutes until I get home from work. Babysitting is tiring work at this age!

Oh, the little orange poncho from Ladie's Home Journal.... It was from Gymboree. The nice people at LHJ did answer my email about it. So, no pattern. :-(

Happy Halloween everyone... from me and the Caterpillar.

Blogger is totally whacked out today. It won't print the font correctly no matter what I do. Makes me crazy.

Knitting Stuff

Ok... enough real estate for one day. Let's talk about knitting.
















This is Scarf Style's Misty Garden pattern done with Shelley's yarn. Very pretty and about half finished. It has very subtle sparkly stuff spun in but you really can't see it in these photos.


















Are you sitting down? Check out my lace! I'm stunned that I've gotten this far. There IS hope for me yet.

Next week, I get to spend a few days at Nemacolin Woodland Resort. It's for work. I'll have lots of time to knit... I think. I'm hoping to put a big dent in the Christmas knitting while I'm there.

Nemacolin AND knitting. Does life get any better?

They Know Not What They Did

In this issue of Ladies' Home Journal.....















They had this
















along with a little inspirational message on the last page.
It had nothing to do with knitting or children's fashion.
No mention of the clothing.
How many inquiries do you think they'll get about that pattern?
Other than mine, of course. I'd make that in a heartbeat and then
hope to find someone to give it to. Adorable.

I'm half way finished with the scarf from Shelley's yarn. It is turning out very nicely.
I'm stalled on the lace but only because I have too many other projects on needles. I may not get around to picking that back up until after the holidays. It's hard to get too serious about lace when it's 35 degrees out.

I still have the gift certificate to Kathy's Kreations in Ligonier. I'm wondering when I will find the time to go over there. It is taunting me every time I walk by my china cabinet and look at it. I think I know what I want though. Some noro for another Lady Eleanor shawl. Entrelac is on my mind again.

Vogue Knitting - Holiday Issue

I've never been a fan of bell sleeves. But there is something about this jacket sweater that I just love. I'd knit this. And if it didn't have bell sleeves, I'd probably be starting it tonight. The only thing about it that concerns me is the fact that it only closes with the belt. I'd really like it more if it buttoned. But isn't it gorgeous?




















This, too, is awesome (below). I wouldn't knit it though. I'd get in the middle of it and quit because it took so long. I know myself too well. Anyone want to make it for me? Probably not. Just a thought.

Lastly, I'm also crazy about this one. I'd attempt this. It's very similar to one they had in their holiday issue about two or three years ago. I bet if I did some research, I'd find it's by the same designer. I came close to starting that one but never actually got around to it. I think it was a turtleneck.

I think I'm seeing a pattern here. A cable -y pattern. What is it with me and cables???

project runway

JEFFREY????????????

Nooooooooooooooo..............

ugh.

Happy Birthday to my Dad

Here is great grandpap and great grandma and Colin at dinner to celebrate my Dad's 79th birthday. The two of them look pretty darn good for what they are going through.

I have been knitting... but nothing is worthy of photography. The lace is coming along, believe it or not. I'm stalled on the socks because I had to start a scarf with Shelley's yarn so the socks went on the back burner.

The new Vogue Knitting is out. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the scarf on the cover. I don't want to make it, but I'd love to have it. Talk about tedious knitting. You also have to wonder how that scarf would wear. I think before too long it would stretch into a thin strand. Something tells me that braid wouldn't stay all fluffy. There is also a cabled jacket in there with a belt that I'd love to have. I'd make that. Actually there are a few nice things in that issue. Check it out.

Off now to real estate hell. Yesterday wasn't good. I have a feeling today won't be much better.
When it's good it's really good. When it's bad, it's terrible.

Lacey Setback

Lifelines really are great. I had to rip back to the lifeline and I was so thankful I put one in. The only thing is, it's difficult to pick those stitches back up off of the lifeline. First of all, the dental floss is the perfect thing but I had trouble seeing the yarn on the floss. I think they do make green dental floss and I'll have to get some. Secondly, the yarn is so fine that it's just difficult to pick it up from the floss. Hopefully I won't have to do it too often.

Yesterday was the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival. Shelley was selling her yarn and of course I had to take advantage of that situation. I'll make another Misty Garden scarf with this. (yeah, I really needed to start another project) I love green! Check out Shelley's yarns.
Rose Garden Fibers
















I have two open houses today so plenty of time to knit. My only decision will be what to work on. Lace? Either of the two pairs of socks? Scarf? Colin's hat? There was a time not long ago I was down to one project. And I vowed not to do this again. Oh well. Good thing my commitment issues only apply to knitting.

Got Lace??

I do!!































Third time's a charm. That's how many times I started this. I finally got it. It's Estonia Garden... I think by Fiber Trends. I don't have it with me but I think it's a F.T. pattern. I love the look of it but I have to tell you the truth. I'm not really enjoying the process. It's slow knitting for me. Requires a LOT of concentration because I'm always forgetting the yarn overs. And the yarn is so thin it doesn't "hold" the needles like I'm used to. So you really have to concentrate on holding the needles tightly so you don't drop stitches. I don't know. Maybe it will grow on me and maybe I'll eventually enjoy it. But for now, I don't see a passion or future for lace knitting. I did learn through the process though that dental floss makes a great life line. I tried yarn and that wasn't so great. The pattern is an eight row repeat so I'm putting in the life line every 8th row. In reality, I shouldn't have started this now. I have too much Christmas knitting to do. But I'm afraid to stop since I'm on a roll.

Work is crazy. Crazy good. The Howard Hanna thing has already had an impact. I got two nice listings yesterday. I may get these kids through college yet.

Photos - Sea Island, Georgia

Trellis and Vine

If you click on the photos, you can see the detail.






























Trellis and Vine
Pattern by: Sauniell Connally for Magknits (www.magknits.com)
Yarn: 6 balls - Jaeger Matchmaker 100% merino wool DK (washable!)
note: Although 6 balls had the yardage that the pattern called for, it was not enough. I stopped at what seemed to be an appropriate place in the chart and added the last 8 border rows. The finished wrap is three inches shorter than it should be.
Needles: Denise circulars - size 5
Time to complete: 7 weeks
Comments: Easy pattern but I biffed up the lace insert about 3 times. This wrap really was the perfect traveling accessory for the air conditioning in the airports and the airplane. I love it. It will be great with jeans.

On to socks!

Trellis and Vine is finally finished! In true Holly fashion, I ran out of yarn to complete it as written. So it's 3 inches shorter than it should be. And I bought more yarn than the pattern called for. What is it about shawl patterns? The amount of yarn called for in the Clapotis pattern is not enough either. It is blocking on Cate's bedroom floor... so don't come home for a few days Cate! I went in there this morning and the dog followed me in and plopped right down on the middle of it. So, yes, the door will remain closed for a few days. I used the blocking wires for the first time. They are nice, but I noticed that they are difficult to pin in place. First of all, my pins are not the sturdy pins that you should use, and secondly, pinning things into carpeting isn't really the ideal situation either. And to complicate it even more, I think I stretched it a little more than it should have been stretched. But after I had half of it finished, I didn't want to start over. I hope it turns out ok.

I have two pairs of socks on needles so I will complete them, do a small pair for Colin, and then settle into some lace knitting which I have been itching to do for a long time. Must. Knit. Lace.

No Knitting... STILL!

No knitting... how about a cute baby photo?

On to TV commentary. Project Runway this week... I thought Jeffrey was finally going to go. Imagine my disappointment. For the first time I thought Michael really blew it too. I was worried for him. I liked Uli's dress for the first time. Loved Laura's. (as usual) Wouldn't wear it of course, but loved it. So they all get to go to Fashion Week or whatever it is. Of the four of them, I would only be upset if Jeffrey ended up winning the whole thing. I just abhor his personality.

Grey's Anatomy. So addicted. LOVE IT. Just keeps getting better all the time. After that, I watched Six Degrees. Now I don't know whether it was the gin and tonic I drank (and deserved) on an empty stomach after a 13 hour work day or if I'm just slow, but I could not follow it. I really do want to give it another chance next week without the mind altering fluid rushing through my veins. We'll see. Truly, I just sat there completely mind boggled.

Have a great weekend!

Stop the world. I want to get off.

No, not really. It's just been a little crazier than I'm used to. Thanks to everyone who sent email about my parents. They are hanging in there. Mom is doing better and and Dad is still doing ok with his chemo. Everything is a day at a time.

Son got rear ended at a red light and the van (from hell) is no longer road worthy. Thus I'm driving a borrowed car so my husband can drive mine and son can drive his. Craziness.

We have finally transitioned at work. We are now officially a Howard Hanna office. So that is a load off. Still a lot of work to be done with that but the big things are accomplished.

Knitting content?? Nope. Unless you want to consider the fact that I can't find my Clapotis knitting content. I tore the place apart this morning looking for it. I wanted to wrap up in that today and it's nowhere to be found. I'll find it eventually. I'd like to make another one of those. Something in blacks and greys. If anyone has any good suggestions for yarn, I'm all ears. I LOVE that pattern. If you haven't gone there yet, try it. It's so much fun.

Weekend Update

In between real work appointments, I worked furiously on this all weekend. I thought I was almost finished with it but I was wrong. I misread the pattern. I actually had two more repeats of the 59 row chart to do than I thought. Right now, I have about 100 more rows to do to finish it by Saturday and have it blocked and dry by next Thursday. It really is the perfect wrap for this chilly morning weather as well as for on the airplane. If you have the opportunity to buy this Jaeger Matchmaker yarn, do it. It's so soft you just want to wrap yourself up in it. There is an orange cable-y sweater in the Fall issue of Interweave Knits that would be awesome done in this yarn. Add that to my list.


Knitting fever has hit the family. I went to my sister's to visit my niece, home from London, and when I walked in, everyone went to get their knitting! My sister is making a cute sweater for Giorgi and Erin is making a baby scarf with pockets. (Debbie Bliss pattern... strange directions. I couldn't figure it out)

So what is the scoop with knitting needles on airplanes these days? Does each airline have their own rules? Surely I'd be ok with Erin plastic circulars? Right? I just don't want to have it taken from me at the last minute. But I also don't want to pack it in the big suitcase if I could be knitting on the plane. Right now, my other projects include two pair of socks, one pair on metal dp's and the other pair on bamboo dp's. I'm guessing the metal needles would be a no no, but i'm not sure about the bamboos. I'd have to start something new to work with the Erin circs and I really don't want to do that. That's just what I need. Another UFO.

Crazy Life

Work: Complete and Total Insanity

Home: A mess (I keep waiting for the Department of Health to show up at the door)

Kids:
daughter 1... enjoying motherhood.

daughter 2... home to see grandma and grandpa.

son: haven't crossed paths lately but judging from the clothes on the bathroom floor I'd have to guess he's still living here.

Knitting: What's that???

Mom: Home from hospital today (turns out dialysis is responsible yet again. they are bound and determined to kill her while trying to keep her alive)

Dad: tolerating Chemo well

Niece: visiting from London with hubby and Giorgi

Husband: wondering if I still live here

Me: exhausted and also wondering if I still live here

Please. Don't Let This Happen To Your Husband

Believe me, it looks worse enlarged. Day Off Pullover? How about Pull Down The Shades And Hide In The Closet Pullover??















Like I said before, this is the only knitting magazine I subscribed to. (in a moment of weakness...online...) I saw this issue in the supermarket yesterday and almost grabbed it and put it in the cart. Then I started thinking... don't I get this in the mail?? Once again, a magazine out on the news stand before a subscriber gets it in the mail. If it had been Vogue or Interweave Knits I'd have been perturbed. It was in my mail when I got home. I didn't see anything in it I would knit. There have been a few cute things in past issues though.

No knitting last night. Had dinner with a friend then got called to the hospital upon hearing that my mother was taken to the ER. She is now in ICU. Dad starts chemo next week. So, yeah, life is not so much fun at 50 something. However there are moments when you just have to crack up or you will crack up. Take this morning for instance. I go to the hospital at 6:45am to check out the overnight situation. Can't get into the ICU because something major is going on in there and no visitors are allowed in. I talked to a nurse. She gave me the scoop and I left. As I was exiting the parking garage, I notice that there is a new little toll booth thingy and new money machine to pay to get out. I'm thinking... THANK YOU GOD. The old one sucked so bad that you just almost had a nervous breakdown every time you tried to use it. So I have my 4 quarters in hand (being all smart about it because the dollar thing is always way too finicky) and I try to put the quarters in and they won't go. The quarter slot is not wide enough to accept the quarters. So I'm frustrated and there are cars behind me and I'm routing through my purse for a dollar bill that doesnt' look like it's been handled by 10,000 people in 48 states, and I finally find one and put it in upside down and the machine starts talking to me. OK. So I pretty much let the machine have it. I told the machine that this was just really great because I wasn't stressed out enough to begin with today and I really needed this right now, etc. etc. I'm pretty much just yelling at the machine at this point. And that's when I see it. The camera. Oy.

Tonight's TV 10 lead in: "Crazy real estate agent has mental collapse in hospital parking garage." FILM at 11:00.

Petrified Almonds

In an effort to lose weight and eat healthier (before the beach) I bought these yesterday along with a fruit salad and yogurt for lunch. Of course I was trying to re-create the McDonalds fruit salad that I love, only make it better with strawberries and other fruit besides just apples and grapes. I almost succeeded. I was really enjoying it until I bit into one of these almonds. It was like biting into a stone. The pain just shot up my face. Now I have a tingling and numbness around the affected tooth. I'm sure I'll end up at the dentist unless it's something like a nerve injury or something that will eventually go away. I don't know too much about dental problems. But the moral of the story is... dont' buy these things. The walnuts are ok but the almonds are deadly. (of course I had to try other ones just to see if they were all that way and they were)

I continue to work on Trellis and Vine. Although I am close to the end, it seems to be taking forever and now I am concerned that I won't have it finished before the beach. I know I could do it without the drying and blocking time. It's going to be tight. And I'm so tired at night anymore that I do a few rows and go to bed. Maybe I should consider taking the synthroid that I'm supposed to be taking to alleviate this problem. Yep. Add the pharmacy to my list of things to do. I'm such a bad patient.

Wow! Look what I got!

I got a late birthday gift last night from my sister. This thing is monstrous. It takes up my whole table. Now I just want to block something and I don't have anything to block! When I'm finished with Vine and Trellis (which should be soon), it's going to have to go on the floor. It's too big even for this board and I bought those blocking wires to do it with. They haven't come yet but I'm expecting them this week. The good news is that I will have that finished for the beach which was the plan.

I went shopping yesterday. Most of you know I hate to shop and I go only out of desperation in times of trouble. Our upcoming beach trip to Sea Island in Georgia requires some new attire so I had to bite the bullet. (try buying summer clothes now... ugh.) Waiting until the last minute always comes back to bite you but that's not what this particular rant is about. (you've been warned)... Our Kaufmanns store is now Macy's. You Pittsburgh people will already know that. I worked at Kaufmanns in between jobs once and for some reason, department store psychology is that they think their sales people need to use people's first names and be overly friendly with them. In theory, this sounds like a good idea. But in reality, when I go shopping, I expect the salesperson to be friendly, but I don't feel the need to have them act like we're long lost cousins. What I don't want, and what drives me crazy, is having a stranger act like she's known me all my life and call me by my first name (or any name for that matter) and then go into a canned routine about how much money I could have saved if I had used my credit card (I said I didn't want to use the card and then she said, well, you could use the card and then make a payment right away to get the savings.) What didn't she understand? And then, after that whole conversation she pointed out a website listed on the receipt that I could go to if I had any questions or if I wanted to comment on the service I received that day. What should have been a one minute transaction turned into a 4 minute transaction. Granted, 4 minutes isn't very long. But I didn't want to have that conversation. I just wanted to pay and smile and say thank you and go. I like people. I like talking to people. What I dont' like is forced conversation that you know is only happening because someone told them they had to do it. I wonder if I'm weird. Or anti-social. Is it wrong not to want to be BFF's with department store salespeople?

Crazy Yard Sale People

I had a yard sale this morning. Well, actually, my daughter and I had a yard sale at her house. I dragged about 3 car loads of stuff to her house and nearly broke my already broken back and when all was said and done, I made $27.00. Hmmn. Somehow I don't think it was worth the effort.

So I had 20 years worth of stuffed animals arranged on a plastic drop cloth, each 25 cents. None of them were cheesy. They were all good ones but as you know, a stuffed animal is a stuffed animal. Half of them sold. Only half! At 25 cents! I thought they'd go in a heart beat and I was giving them away just to get rid of them. And one lady, get this, brought one to me and asked if I'd take 20 cents for it. At this point I'm speechless. Yeah, let's negotiate over a nickel. Well I don't know... how's 23 cents sound to you??? Geez!!! Don't get me wrong. I'm used to negotiating. I do it for a living. But a nickel??? $$$ Thousands I get. A nickel I don't get. I wanted to say... let's do this... I'll pay YOU 20 cents to get it out of here. How's that? Would she have felt bad? or embarrassed? Probably not. People crack me up.