Long weekend, time to catch up

On my list of things to do

• Thursday- do nothing, watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade & knit; go to dinner at my BFF at 5:00 p.m. !! We have been trying for years to get dinner earlier, no luck


• take a nap


• Friday, Saturday- learn how to use my new Brother sewing machine before I make the linings then

line and finish up my felted bags

set up the dreaded ironing board I HATE IRONING

go through my clothes for Lupus Foundation pick up next week

they need knick knacks--so I am going to give up some (I have too much)

nap

finish up the colorimetry and see if I can get another one or two completed

nap

Sunday- is my day of usual cleaning

I love it when I can take a nap so when I have days where I can I do. I am up at 5 am regardless of the day. The kitties still have not gotten used to the time change! Sissy gets up on me just around 4:30.

We get off at 2 today and I have some 50% off coupons for AC Moore, Joannes & Michael's so I will be figuring out a plan to get some knitting books.

Here are a few pictures of Pia, Sissy & Zorro. I fell & hurt my right knee so I was on the couch with a heating pad. I kid you not--each and every time I got up I would come back and 1, two or all would be on the pad. Look how Sissy got herself under it! You know how it is living with cats, you live with them and sometime they are like spirits, you know they are around but no sure where. Well, these three are like that.

Knitting on one leg in red vinyl

Well, I'm running on empty. I have a bad hard drive but I have been getting in once a day. Had to restore again. 2nd time in two weeks. I'm still working on colorimetry. So I'll leave you with this while I can. Notice one needle is a cigarette holder (I think)

Time Fly's--Part 2

Computer----it keep crashing. I did the restore without loosing my doc & pics. Reinstalled most programs. Explorer keeps going down. Yesterday I came home to find,while was at work, the computer was fixing one of the drives. It took hours but I'm back in. Then spent the rest of the evening uploading family pictures to flickr. I don't have one blank CD in the house. So tonight I will buy some & back up everything. Even my keyboard is acting up. My speakers in my monitor are not working. So in the meantime, I leave you with some kitty pictures. On 10/18 I was outside and Stanley came and was yelling at me. Very unlike him. He only meows when I come home late. Well, it was not Stanley, it was his father! I had not seen him since January. Zorro and Stanley were adopted by me when their father Big Boy brought them to me in the fall of 2006. Ally Cat Allies trapped them, neutered and returned them to my yard. Big Boy has been in my community for years. By his behavior he was once a pet who was either abandoned or left behind in a move. He stayed around for two days and must have gone back to whomever is his main place of food.

Dad is on the left.

On the knitting front I have started and ripped out many projects. Just scarfs or anything small for gifts. I have now started Calorimetry. Trying to use up these one and two skeins. Will post pictures if I finish it.

How time fly's-- Part 1

when you work, your computer crashes, try to sleep, go to doctors to help you sleep and join Raverly. So I'll catch you up in reverse order.
Raverly...got my finished projects entered. Looks like the only thing I knit all year are socks! But not so, I have 15 bags felted and waiting for linings and final details. That is the part I hate. Then onto the stash. Got some up and took pictures of others. That is when I realized that so many were only 1 or two skeins. Most of these I purchased with the intent to add into my felted bags. You see, because I love the process of knitting I decided that all I would ever make were bags. That was before I knit a pair of socks. That was before...you get the idea.
So now I'm looking at all these toofers and realize that the holidays are approaching way too fast. Hanukkah starts early this year 12/5!!

So I searched through all my knitting books to find quick projects that would only need one skein. The first one started out as the the convertible mittens using the "Knit this" kit I picked up for $15.00 at Tuesday Morning. Finished one "under mitten". OK so far. Only one way I can say this but the yarn they supply while pretty in color is real crap. I tossed all the yarn. I have never done this before but it was the only place for it. But the pattern was easy. So I started another pair using a skein of Uruguay DK in color 09, Maroon. Thanks to finding a this correction I was able to make the pair in one night.I purchased both skeins in a grab bag from In Stitches, my LYS. I paid $12.50 for 5 skeins of yarn. I could never pay $24.00 for 110 yds. That just couldn't be correct. All I need to do now is add some decorations to both pair. I am setting aside the 4 day Thanksgiving weekend to finish up projects.
Next I did some scarfs using a skein of LB Thick & Quick in moss stitch and two skeins of Araucania Nature Wool one in basketweave and the other using crisscross stitch. All are great for idiot proof knitting. All took 1 or two evenings to knit. See a pattern here. I have 5 gifts almost completed.
OK, part 1 done. Now to clean the house for a few hours.

Another sock done...moving on and catching up

It has been awhile since I posted. On 9/18 driving on the Beltway going 45 mph,just before approaching Rt 66 overpass, a guy in a Prius is flagging me down. I roll the window down and at 45mph he tells me I have a flat tire. Well, I get to the office about 3 miles into Tyson's Corner and yup, two tires on the drivers side are low. I have Nitro Fill for my 'air' now. (Note: I am getting over 50 miles more per gallon since I got nitro fill. I trip meter each tank and would know at 220 I needed gas, now I get 275 +) In the office I get online to look for someone near me to have these checked out. Right across the street there is a Lexus/Landrover dealer. I call them and am told that they only work on Lexus! I told the gal I only need the tires checked, thinking they may just need air what with the kids in my court at home. She puts me on hold again and come back with the same answer. Me "you are a dealer for Nitro Fill and I can get air from ANY dealer in the USA and you are required to service me." On hold again...I say to my co-worker "they are going to put a man on the line" and they did. I go through the whole thing again and he said to bring it on over and he gave me his name to use. Why did this have to take 10 minutes of aggravation! So I take my 2001 PT Cruiser in. Do I have to tell you that I'm feeling out of place! I told the gal that I had an appointment, so asked how long this would take? (to meet my sister in town from NY for her work). They take the car and come back and tell me that I have two nails in the front tire and one in the back. It will cost $110. I tell them that is out of the question and to please put air in the tires and I will go to my dealer. This took 1hr. So I call Sis to tell her she can come and spend the evening with me while I go to Costo (they have Nitrofill) and get the tires fixed. She asked if I would be upset if she went to Roslyn to a restaurant with others in town. LOL, hell, if I was in another town and was being treated to a night out at a nice place, what would I do! Of course, I would not be upset! So I drove to Springfield Costco and it cost me $16 to have the two tires plugged. I got out of there at 8:45pm. They not only fixed the tires they filled all 4 and balanced them. While I waited I worked on my sock. I was at the heel turn. From 6:30 to 8:30 I tried three times. Knit and rip. While I'm sitting on a very narrow bench outside the sun sets and it is getting chilly. Luckily I had the socks I knit to give to Sis. I have washed and dried them in the machine and they came out perfect! So she will still get them as she is a size 6 shoe to my 9.

Here are the new socks

and this is all I have left overMust include a kitty picture. Zorro hiding out. This is the 8ft fence with a two inch ledge. This plant I call Audrey. I purchased three 2" little plants at a Peeples drug store in 1975. Each year I would repot. She has given me two others that I needed to split out. One has lived with my neighbor since 1994 and the other is in the lobby of a sheltered workshop in Crystal City (previous job). This is my only plant! My place is too dark to substain plant life. I will bring Audrey in when they call for the first frost. She will sit on a table and live and die. There have been years when she lost every leaf. Put her back on the patio and she takes off. Now you know why she is an Audrey.

Lots of @($&% Top Redux

As soon as I finished my Mock Cable socks I went right back to my Lots of Choices Top, no OTN projects for me! I figured whatever I did wrong on the pink side would/could be found out on the purple side. First, the crochet cast on. I could not remember if I counted the cast on as the first row. So I did count it as row 1 for the purple side, looks right but the chain stitch is facing the wrong side. But I had decided that I would finish off the front edges with crochet so I would just have to do the bottom as well. I keep knitting, this side I am using row counts to measure, not the inches as in the pink side. As the purple is a reverse image of the pink side I am doing the V neck 1st. It came out beautifully.

So why did it not come out as well on the pink side? Well, the designer wrote the pattern to decrease for what she called Front as (RS) k1, k2tog, knit to end. This is how she starts out the pattern "For Clarity, I had to designate one side as the Front and one as the Back, even though you may wear it otherwise. So, for no particular reason, I called the round neck the Front." For me that is the pink side. The V neck on the purple is knit to last three stitches SKP (slip 1 knit 1, pass slip stitch over), k1. As you can see from the picture I decreased the pink side at the beginning of the row while the purple is decreased at the end of the row. As you still with me? Have I started to babble yet?

Here are both sides together. Starting to see a top here. One that I could really wear. The body of the pink side shows off the stitch detail to perfection. The darker purple is perfect too but because it is darker you do not see the detail as well. Then I notice that the purple is off gauge. Now I paid attention to keeping my stitches tight and even, or so I thought. Remember I love the process of knitting and would like to have finished projects to show for it. So this is where my top is now. I still have the shoulder of the pink top on a holder, so I could rib that out and try to make the V Neck look like the purple, then I would not have to crochet around the necks and front edges. Or I rip out the whole of the purple side and start over. Or I can do this

and start these

These are on size two needles. After knitting socks on size 1 I feel like I'm knitting with huge needles. The pattern called for size 3. Thought I would keep it simple after my Mock Cables. But I'm going to rip these out to the ribbing and add ribbing down to toe. The rib fits a bit loose but the SS stitch just billows. I cast on 56 stitches. I added 4 extra stitches from the 1st basic pattern I was taught in class. When I created my 1st pair the 1st needle ended with a knit stitch then to start the 1st stitch on needle 2 as a purl. Well that created a very bad ladder because no matter how tight I made this stitch it still gaped. When I made my next pair I measured for a larger ankle and without knowing it I ended with a pearl and started with a knit. no ladders, well, not the loose ones as before. Every time I knit something new I have learned something more.
It's has been awhile since I posted a picture of my kitties so I leave you with these. Zorro and Stanley posing. Then Pia and Sissy gazing out.

So you think you can knit!

Megan was given a copy of this cartoon and I just had to have it. The folks in my office will love it!! Right up there with my birthday card.

That Darn Sock

Well, my mock cable socks are now a FO. Thank God. I love the pattern. I love the yarn. The color way rocks. These socks have confirmed that I am a process knitter. I love the feel of the yarn. It is great to see the progress. I zone out. ADD kicks in when I’m knitting. This pattern was a simple one where I was stretching myself away from the k2p2. The pattern repeats every 4 rows. If it had not been for the beaded row counter I could never have finished. As an example when I got to the toe, Wahoo, I’m almost done. Instead of starting the toe decreases I knit along. I was 4 rows gone when I realized that I should have been decreasing! So ribbit I go. 4th pair down! I could never do Summer of Socks, have you seen what Wendy knits and designs! This gal is remarkable.
OK, another FO, so I go back to my Lots of Choices top. I picked up to complete the V neck side (right in the picture).I think I'm ready to bind off. But before I do I fold it in half. See the problem. Look closely. The V neck side is longer than the round neck side. What is a girl to do? I have no idea if I screwed up this side or the other, I don't think I did. The V neck looks right. I'll check my measurement per the pattern. Then I am going to start the other half and see what happens. Now that I have socks out of my system I can finish this part this week. Then I will know what to do to fix the pink side. I'll keep you posted.

Highlights of my virtual vacation

I'm not sure how Chris & I managed to go to so many places but here are some highlights. We were in Guthrie, OK and braked at S.W.A.K. Almost caused an accident! Nah, but I can hear the two of us...

"It's over on the right, hurry"

"No, it's up on the left"

"Turn, already! I see it in the middle of the block"

"Oh, I'm so excited"

This is what we saw. The most beautiful site to behold. Where to start. I've been known to be in a LYS for quite awhile. Never have I been in one this large. You see this is my strategy, I go around once, slowly, then I go the other way around. Sort of like grazing. I touch, squeeze, caress, sometimes a very lite feel at my chin/neck. I know when I do this that there is a good chance it is coming home with me. This is the commitment stage. Are we right for each other. Now, I sort of know the lay of the land. Chris was a very good host. She knows the place. She knew where the deals were. As this is a virtual vacation and I have unlimited funds, yeah right, well it is my vacation. This is what I got 3 skeins of Noro Sumile Multi-pink, enough of O-Wool Balance in Peridot to make a top. OK, there was more (sock yarn) but won't bore you. Love gadgets so I got this Placefinder, never saw it before. They had these Suede Purse Bottoms - Tote. Never saw these before either. No budget so I picked up quite a few in different colors. Check out that purple. In addition to yarn I've been keeping my eye out for totes. What is it with us knitters, yarn, totes and cats. Since I could not make up my mind I got the Monkey Tote & Another Yarn Bag, the sweater key chain. Oh, hell, I went nuts and got just about one of everything except the shirts and calendars. I forgot to mention buttons. Look at the selection they have. Just love the name and the prices of their classes. Did I say I had fun!

Then lunch at Eskimo Joes you can go on a virtual tour. I could not make up my mind Joe's Famous Fowl Thing or Joe's Chili Cheese Dog or Joe's Sauteed Mushroom & Swiss Special. This is what they say about subsitutations: The famous Joe's Special is traditionally served with fresh-cut Idaho French fries or substitute baked beans or cottage cheese. Come on I have the fries. We had to come back so I could get my fill. I'll leave you now. You must be as exhusted as I am just going to one yarn shop.

Happiness is a ball of yarn and new friends

We all do it. We join lists about our interests. So when I started back up with knitting I join the knitlist. We learn and share and lurk. We visit others blogs. We lurk. Then I came across a blog that led me to the KVVS. I joined not really having a clue about swaps. This one was all about have a virtual vacation. Hey, I'm not going anywhere this year. It was limited to 150 +1 people from all corners of the world. I will visit people, admire their knitting, enjoy their actual vacation pictures. They will talk about their family, joys and sorrows. Anne, Jessi and Sharon joined forces and made this happen. All the people I have listed as my Favorites I met on this vacation either by way of visiting or learning about them from their blogs. When I received my first message from my pal I learned that her daughter was moving to Washington DC. Our world got smaller. On July 8th, Chris had big water problems from the Oklahoma's rains. She was bailing out and trying to keep dry. Then July 18th she wrote "I've been at a church retreat....imagine 500 Presbyterian Women staying in a very sparse dormitory. Then imagine that they are all in their 60s, 70s, and 80s." She was the youngest by a good 10 years. No, I did not tell her I could not imagine it I couldn't even fathom it!

Here are pictures of all my gifts from my "vacation". Since I received this at work, thank you Chris for doing that, I left all the edible goodies at the office. Chocolate stuff! All good things to drink which I have never seen or heard of before. Isn't that what vacations are all about. At the top of 1st picture is a t-shirt from Eskimo Joe's celebrating their 32nd Anniversary. Check out all the yarn.

The yellow/pink did not have a tag but it is gorgeous. She even sent a button.

This maroon yarn is from Springfield MO, Molehouse Yarns, 300 yards of 99% Merino 1% nylon plus Chris provided me with patterns.

The items above are from her LYS. Yup, that sticker is going on the back window of my PT Cruiser. A little booklet I can carry with with with my needle inventory plus a tape measure. The book is one I have never seen before and has some baby patterns that I can make for a new baby coming in a few months.

Back of the t-shirt

There is a Knit Simple with one of the patterns plus others that she sent me. 4 skeins of LB Watercolors. I just love the green with all the little shots of color.

Then the July/August issue of Oklahoma Today, Centennial Collectors Series. There are ads galore of places I didn't know existed and a special section with fabulous black & white photos starting with Cherokee Strip Land Run in 1893, pictures from the 1938 Dust Storm, too many to mention. But I got a kick from the two above. I was born in 1949. I grew up watching b/w movies from the 30's, 40's & 50's. Look at how much older the Teenagers looked in '47. How stern & proper the All-American family was at church! Thank you Chris for such a great time.

Happiness Abounds!

I got into work this morning to find Chris's package on my chair. The mailroom was late delivering the mail to our department so it arrived after 4:30pm. She was my KVVS pal. I left my camera at home so first thought was to not open it until I got home. That lasted about 30 seconds! I love everything! The yarn, what can I say, love the colors and patterns she selected. I do know that I will be fondling it all through out the day. All the items are new to me. I will update this evening with pics. This was my first swap. I have met many lovely and talented people on this swap. Have to get to work so more this evening.
I am working on the final stages for my pal and plan on getting that out by weeks end. Just think, it could be for you!

Screw it.

I just had to share two birthday cards I received from my friend and supervisor, she had all the people in our marketing department sign the card. Can you believe this one! The inside says: "Take some time to unwind. Happy Birthday" My friend could not believe her eyes when she saw 4 cats! knitting!. At World Market of all places. Then she took me to Fuddruckers, we walked across the parking lot (We were going to go to Legal Seafood or Maggianos but just the thought of traffic and parking at Tysons Galleria changed our mind). We both had the kids meal cheeseburger. You get a cookie when you go that way. It was good to get away from our desks for an hour. Then at 3:00 we had a LARGE sheet cake from Costco. Pat always goes all out. We like to celebrate in our departments. There are some that cook (I don't) who make a cake because we need it! OR ice cream. We have been know to take an afternoon break and 2-3 of us will go to Baskins Robbins and bring back ice cream.

This card came from another friend and she also had her whole department sign the inside:

"That way I can put a hook in it to hold up my bra" Have an uplifting birthday!

I did not knit on my sock too much this weekend but I am at the heel. Here is the scarf I blocked (I've had that cutting board for over 30 years) and am donating for an Auction on September 10th. This is what my friend, Judith, had to say when she asked for donations.

"The Golf Tournament raises money for melanoma research and is given to Dr.Wen Jen Hwu who treated my daughter at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Dr. Hwu develops trial protocols to specifically treat melanoma. She is one of (if not the top) clinical research physician in the country specializing in advanced stage melanoma. Her research lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, is currently breaking new ground with tumor attacking vaccines. I've seen some of the works of art you create and would be proud to have them in our auction. In 2006, the tournament and auction raised $36,000 for Dr. Hwu's research. It's bittersweet. My daughter didn't get the miracle, but we hope to be a part of providing miracles for future patients. Ashley's goal as a kindergarten teacher was to "touch a life"... she still is." Judith is a very special person and I love helping and working with her.

This yarn is from Ironstone Yarns "Pizzazz" it's three yarns: Felicia, Eyelash & Paris Nights, Colorway #6. It was a bear to knit. It was a basic knit with yo. If you get in closer to the blocked pic you can see that it actually has some detail.

I also have set up my bead board and gathered up all my supplies so I can make a gift for my KVVS pal.

Sissy and friends at play

Mock Twisted Cable--one down

I sure hope this next one goes better. Maybe my frame of mind will be in a better place. Lots of changes at work, don't we all just hate change, and I'm tired ALL the time. I have just cast on for the second sock. so between cleaning up around the house and catching up on shows recorded I'll be knitting on.

Zorro on the chase

This boy sure keeps me on my toes. What a beautiful day it is today. Step outside and see that Zorro is at the tree condo. Oh, what can it be. It is a inexperienced squirrel! 1st he makes it to the roof, then jumps back into the tree. So I'm ready to see what happens next. Thank goodness the squirel was just fast enough. I could not stand to see it caught or Zorro hurt.

Zorro with new quarry

This is not the first time he came home with something in his mouth but for the life of me I could not figure out what it was. I was watching him from the patio door knowing I could not go out as he would run in. Something is fluttering in his mouth. So I stood there for what seemed like forever. After a while I thought I would have to go to the rescue and pry his mouth open. Then low and behold he opened up. Grabbed the camera and this is his new find

Pay it forward

I found about this from Megan. Here is how it works! I'll send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don't know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week...LOL... but you will receive it within 365 days, that's a promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog...
So for those of you who want to join this good yarn karma exchange, leave me a comment.

My first love..

well, that was actually Donny when I was 12.

She-Knits asked where my first love were!! Truth is the damn socks have taken me over. But this last pair where I tried a simple, I really mean simple, and are driving me nuts & I have spent as much time with the first one ripping it out as I have in knitting it up. I will not give up! I have a commitment to provide one for a charity auction on Sept 10! I thought I've be finished with this pair of socks!!
My bags are all in 2 huge Ziploc bag waiting on me to finish up with the linings etc. All the others were made as gifts and I did not take pictures. Well, I took them all out and here they are for all to see. When I finish them up I will take better shots. Two are patterns from Pursonality Plus 1 or 2. Her instructions are so basic that after a few I just started casting on what I figured would be a good size and mixed yarns at least have some wool in them.

So what's up with this?

the milk on the left is from Costco. The other from Giant Food. Both are 1 gallon. They both fit in/on the shelf in the door. But what genius at the milk company felt it necessary to change the shape of the gallon! It uses more plastic and the one from Costco always drips, always, I have tried it multiple ways. I've even tried holding my mouth the right way! So, today when I go & buy cat food, TP, tissues & coffee will I buy their milk? Probably, as I need it, have been out all weekend and hate making multiple stops. Yes, I thought of washing out a used container but I can see how much milk I would loose pouring it from one to the other. OK, I'm done with this rant.

It is not true that life is one damn thing after another...

it's one damn thing over and over. Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1952)

So, I ripped out my other sock and have set it aside. I have been working on this all week. This is using Knit Picks "Felici" Hummingbird. I love this yarn. I'm using the basic sock pattern that I learned in class but measured my ankle higher up as I really like them longer. Cast on 64 sts. Did about 1.5" in k2p2, them looked all through every sock pattern I could find looking for a simple stitch pattern to give them interest. I zone out when knitting and if I do not say the stitches as I knit I just keep going along and them more times then not I have to stitch back and fix it. So, I could go on forever makeing basic k2p2 socks but really wanted to but something into the mix. This is a pattern from Schaefer Yarn Company #193 Anne Mock Cable Twist. the pattern is free. The only part I used was the pattern:
Mock Cable pattern: (Worked over 4 stitches)
Row 1: * K 2, p 2. Repeat from *
Row 2: * K 2 tog, do not remove from left needle. K the first st again. Remove both sts from left needle. P 2. Repeat from *
Row 3: * K 2, p 2. Repeat from *
Row 4: * K 2, p 2. Repeat from *

I don't think my heal will not look like this one. I used size 1. See that niffty row counter. I got that at Knit Picks also, but they do not have it listed at this time. I love gadgets. For any reason. Electronic, kitchen (I don't cook!) etc. When I was active in Stained Glasss, I tried them all. Now that I am into knitting I keep my eye out for them. After the scarfs and felted bag stage, I realized that I would need to keep track. So I invested in one of these. Then I got hi-tech and went with one of these at my LYS. I also have a couple of these. Problem with all of them I kept forgetting if I added the row. Did I click at the start or the end. Too much to think about. Then I saw these and they are perfect. The pattern in 4 row repeat. I keep in just after the 1st two stitches which are always knit. Since, I could not find the exact item I got at Knit Picks I did a search and came acrosss this site. Turtlegirls blog! and she has instructions on how we can make our own.

I was out the other morning, yes, having that damn smoke, and came across Zorro. He was at the base of a cedar tree, which is really a bird condo. He reminds me of a kid who thinks you can't see them when we play peek-a-boo.