Keeping busy

I upgraded my Internet Explorer 7 to IE8. I love it. The best feature I like is when I open a new tab you can set and see your bookmarked pages. I can now just click on a thumbnail of pages I frequent. Like the Panda at the National Zoo, I just saw her snuggling with a ball. I have my Facebook page, Google Reader, my YouTube account, Race for the Cure Team Ratner. I sent emails to my family, Friends and Knitters and have received my first donation from a special knitting friend!! I love this community. All who read, follow or comment on my blog have become friends. We have found out that we have so much more in common than knitting. I love traveling around the country as well as the world.

I know there might be issues about using our knitting blog for causes but that is all part of what we are. We share our ups and downs. Our dogs and cats. The gifts we make, knitted or not. The prizes we win from contests. The goodies we receive from swaps. If we do it, care about it, make it, we share. That is why we keep up with one another.

When my friend made a donation and all the people in my office saw it and I told them how I reached out they was surprised. I was so proud to say it was from a knitting friend. To them it was a 'hobby' thing. Then they thought about it and figured out that they too would reach out. So another race is on! To encourage the "home office" to join they are offering two lunches. I forget what we need to do but it will be Pizza and Super Chicken. I think I am the only person in the office who does not like their food or I am the only one who openly admits it! OK, I'm getting carried away!

Here are a few things that I have purchased since the beginning of the year. I will spread them out over several posts because seeing it all in once place overwhelms me. I know that when I buy online that they are my treats to myself as I believe one day at a time. I know that I can spend too much but...

This is a book I swapped at the 2009 Knitters Retreat. I have had it in a stack of things to take pictures of! Check it out at Knit Picks.

More from the retreat. You can read about Mary's art at Robin's post here mid way down the page. The wine ring was made by Robin but I am using it as jewelry.
All this highlight tape came in the mail yesterday. Run don't walk and get these. It only took one day to receive them!

I mentioned in a previous post that I spent March and April on Ancestry.com. I have so many records of my Great Grandfather, Abraham Isherwood and family who immigrated from England between 1905 and 1916. So far, I've only printed out a few pages at work as they need to be 11 x 17. (Work or print out, what a choice!!) I did save all the jpeg as pdf's at work. I have Adobe Pro at work. I will use these tapes to highlight the family members for my Mother & Aunt to read. I also hooked up with a relative in California who is the grand-daughter of Abraham's son Abraham. That's correct, Abraham my GGF, father was also Abraham! Talk about confusing trying to make sure I attach the correct record to the right Abe.

Panda check. Mei Xiang does move slowly but she has been moving around. There are two cams Cam 1 is Mei Xiang, Cam II are the boys. You have to watch her. Panda fever here in DC.

I started this post about 2 hours ago, yikes! Not all in one sitting but you can tell I'm on a role. Which for me is a good sign because it means I am busy around the house.

Later, enjoy the weekend. I'll have pictures soon of my roses & peonies. It is cloudy and misting rain so I plan on cutting all the peonies. Jeez Louise, I sure am on a roll. Could it be the 4 cups of coffee? lol

Knitting on the Lake 2009 Part 3

Stash enhancement and door prizes. Oh my. In addition to seeing knitters new and from last year one of the fun things that Robin spends a lot of time on is getting door prizes donated and vendors to come on Saturday. So I am going to post a lot of pictures~

This is the Needle Holder I won that was donated from the Knitting Sisters. It is made with Kaffe Fassett fabric.

But I do not knit with straight needles so when I saw this circular needle holder by lexie barnes I could not to myself from buying it. It was only $35 so... it is the only that gets you. No shipping etc.

Mary Jane was the vendor from KOTL 08 has closed her business and on Sunday she brought in box after box of yarn and a few notions. I have no idea what the buttons are going to be used for but for $1.50 I could not pass them up.

The Lion Suede was on the table that people brought in for the For Sale table. I thought it would be good for another Dolores Park Cowl. Like the one I made here.

Left: Andes Color 08, 5 skeins, 825 yds. I plan on knitting the February Lady Sweater. Read a tip somewhere to alternate a skein every two or 4 rows to help (eliminate) pooling. When I get these on the needles I will actually make swatch. On the left is a pretty Cestari Lilac Heather 2 ply I have no idea what to do with yet but the price was right.

The pink/purple is Blue Heron Beaded Cotton/Rayon that was also on the For Sale table as well as this Cestari Tye Dye. Of course I'm still thing cowls but I will be going through some of the books I have.

Next is Diane's yarn from Creatively Dye Yarns I took a close up but if you go to her site you will see how she dyes her yarn.

9:07, 3/21/09: I started this post on 3/2/09. I signed up for a month of Anstry.c0m. I already has a program and had 4 generations. I have so much I want to share am will try to be a better bl00ger.

Knitting on the Lake 2009 Part 2

I have had trouble uploading this video so I am going to make it a post by itself. Robin let the gals try out her new swift. I have tried uploading from flIkr but what is on there is not the full video. Please visit by Y0uTube to watch the video

Knitting on the Lake 2009 Part 1

Carol picked me up around 9:30 on Friday 1/16/09, I was on a role and was still putting together what I was taking with me. We loaded up, Carol said she would hate to see what we would take if we were going some where longer than 2 1/2 days. We arrived around 2pm. Unloaded the car unpacked and then went to the conference room. Here are some of the pictures I took on Saturday.Through out Friday & Saturday Robin would stop the action and call out numbers for the door prizes
Becky (above) won a book and Cat won something that may have been as exciting as she was. Love this shot.
There were times when we did take a break, have to eat, ya know. Plus, we did get some sleep.
Here is Becky and her table mates in total concentration.
I was sitting across from Dorothy & Phyllis and Julie for most of the weekend. Everyone bopped around so you would never know who stopped by to see what we were all doing.

Mary Jane & Katie. You can see there was no shortage of snacks!

Robin set aside this table for eating and it usually had someone there.

This is my view to the other end of my table.
I still have to upload more pictures and a video so look for Part 2. I promise I won't wait to post a month late!