OCD....Knitting

Breaking the Silence

2008-09-26T14:30:00.002-04:00

It's been too long. I've enjoyed my summer, I've started and finished quite a few projects, and I guess now it's time to start talking about them again.

This will be brief, I don't need to dive into this with some huge post. I was told pictures and captions are acceptable, so that sounds like a great way to get back into the groove. Thanks Kelli!

I had to check my Ravelry page to see exactly how many projects I did over the summer, so here's the list: (hmm, after checking it seems that I haven't registered all the projects, so I'll post the ones most notable)

The most recently completed was the Lotus Blossom Tank from Best of Interweave Knits. All of the details are listed on Rav so I won't take the time to duplicate that info here.

Prior to that I completed the Lillian Tank. This came out really well and I incorporated some newly learnt (yes, that's on purpose) mad crochet skills. I still need a model shot of that one, but I've been wearing it quite a bit, so that shouldn't be difficult. We all know self portraits ALWAYS come out super flattering so hang in there for this one!

I need to check my journal because I made a cabled tank too and that isn't in Ravelry. I've also made a hooded baby blanket but that also isn't posted since I haven't gifted it to the recipient yet. Those details will follow.

Knitterpalooza was a few weeks back, and I still need to put a complete list of all attendees (swimmers) up on Rav and I'll post it here as well. I was sick last week and while I managed to do some spinning and crafting in that time, I avoided the computer.

I will also take pics of some contract spinning I did for a friend, and will post those here to brag of my newly acquired skill: Navajo plying. The yarn is absolutely gorgeous (straining to pat myself on the back), the colors are to die for, and it's super soft and smooshy. I have two more bobbins to finish up and hope to deliver that work next week.

I'm off to the lake this weekend, it's that time again to clean and put away the boat and we'll be celebrating my FIL's 70th birthday. Enjoy your weekend, and thanks for checking in on me!

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-27T11:15:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. Mine consisted of this:
this:

and this:

Who could ask for anything more?

More knitting updates to follow soon!

Totally obvious!

2008-05-11T02:54:00.001-04:00

For those that are, for those that want to be, and for those that involuntarily mother others, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Hug a mom today!

I love Michigan!

2008-04-30T00:28:00.005-04:00

Ok, so that had to be the shortest spring/summer possible. We're back down to the 20's and 30's and frost advisories so the open-toed shoes have been set aside (again) for the warmer closed- toe varieties. I refuse to bust out the long johns again, so needless to say I've been kinda cold recently. I did yardwork on Sunday, just in time for the freezing cold temps. Oh well, go with the flow, that's all you can do in the mitten state.

I've been pretty stressed these last few days since I'm traveling to New York this weekend with my daughter's drama club. I'm so excited but nervous at the same time. The trip promises to be very exciting with 2 Broadway shows and great opportunities for the kids to get some up close and personal contact with a real Broadway cast for an improv workshop. But I'm nervous because I don't travel a lot, other than up north all the time, so I always get nervous in unfamiliar territory. What do I pack for clothes? The weather has been so goofy lately that's a tough call. How much is too much? I'm a chronic overpacker so I have to be careful not to bring everything I own. What to wear for the all day walking and schlepping that will still look presentable at the theater each of the first 2 nights? Sheesh. So what have I done? Not much. Suitcases are still in the basement and the only packing I've done is in my head. Oh well, I work better under pressure, so Thursday will be the night to get it all together.

I whipped out a beaded mohair wrap on the knitting machine for my daughter to wear while in New York. I have the Diamond Fantasy Shawl and I borrowed one from my good friend Lynne, so I'm prepared for the theater and it's unpredictable temps. But my daughter needed something too. So the trusty knitting machine was put into action. It took about 5 hours total for 200 rows with 15 beads every 5th row and 2 skeins of Kid Seta. Not too bad if I say so myself. I'm just finishing the last edge with garter stitch and will block it tomorrow night so it will be packable by Thursday night.

Check it:

Me likey. It has nice drape and the beads give it some stability. I got really good at threading beads on with a copper wire hook I made, since my smallest crochet hook was still too big to use.

I'm off to sleep, cuz tomorrow is another busy day.

Take care and I'll post when I get back from the Big Apple!

Spring Fever!

2008-04-17T14:25:00.003-04:00

It's that time of year. It's getting warmer so the urge to roll down the car window or leave the back door open is here. The dogs can stay out for longer than 2.4 minutes without freezing their paws off.

I have this huge need to clean, everything. I've been cleaning stuff at work. I think about cleaning stuff at home, but unfortunately by the time I get there at night I can only concentrate on the firmness of my couch cushions. They need to be cleaned by the way. I got a postcard for a charity looking to pick up clothes. I got it 2 weeks ago. The pick up was today. Oops. I meant to gather stuff and leave it by the curb. Maybe this weekend, and I can call to find out their next pickup.

I have this huge need to clean myself too, and while checking other blogs today I see I'm not alone on this. I've recently purchased what I consider to be better quality makeup (not the $2 cheap drugstore stuff), I'm looking into a line of skin care that will hopefully do for my skin what the celebrity claims it has done for hers (she's older than me, swears she's had no surgical enhancements AND looks awesome, so I'm kinda buying into the whole thing). I've been trying to exercise more seriously, because as I said to a trainer recently, I feel like I've just been dabbling in this whole exercise thing for the last 4 or 5 years.

My 40th birthday came and went, without any fanfare or any real feeling about it on my part. But this next one is coming up, pretty fast and I'm not sure that I'm ready to be ok with that one. This one seems like it may hurt a little more.

I know this is supposed to be about knitting, but all of these things affect my leisurely knitting/spinning/crafting as well. When I'm so exhausted just from a day of work and come home and become comatose in front of the tube, to avoid phones and people and demanding bosses, it's somehow too much to pick up a project and work thru a tricky chart or major stitch counting. I'm bummed when I get up for work the next day, knowing that nothing, creatively, was accomplished the night before. I'm hoping by getting my exercise routine established it will help with my stamina, creativity, and overall productivity.

Let me know what works for you. Walking the dog? Riding bikes? Rollerblading (kinda out of the question for me since I live on a dirt road)? What gets your motor running and gives you the adrenaline to alphabetize your spice cupboard or finally admit that "those" clothes will never fit again and box them up for charity? Let me hear what works, for you.

I'm hoping that one or all of these types of cleaning will help cure my case of Spring Fever. That seemingly endless frustration that changes are needed, drawers should be cleaned, clutter should be lessened. Wish me luck!

Oh, and just a side note, I got a call from my friend that received the Felted Clogs. They fit, perfectly. She said it was like I had her foot with me the whole time I was making them. Phew!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2008-04-11T00:23:00.002-04:00

It stays light longer these days but it still feels like there isn't enough time to accomplish anything. I spend more time during the day wishing I was knitting, crafting and spinning and then by the time I get home to do it, I'm tired, have to do laundry or just plain wanna veg on the couch. It is very frustrating!

I have managed to finish a few things lately though. I finished the felted clogs I was making for a friend and popped them in the mail today. Hopefully they fit! Also I made another hat for the SO, the fair isle one that he loved so much. I made some mods to the pattern including making it smaller and making the hem longer inside to cover the stranding. Of course it's probably too warm for him to fully test it but if we get the weather they're calling for this weekend he may get a few wears out of it yet. Also the toddler sundress I was test knitting has been done, I just need to get it ON my niece to take some pics.

I played around with making a mohair wrap on my knitting machine, but frogged it (gotta love frogging mohair) to make it longer and somewhat narrower. I think I have it mapped out in my head how I want/need to do it this time, including incorporating a type of ribbing along the longer edges to prevent rolling and I will throw in some beads for added interest. I just need to sit down in front of the dang thing and crank it out again.

I'm also working on a wrap from my Autumn Colors handspun. It's the Frida poncho pattern and like others have done on Ravelry I am bypassing the poncho portion of the pattern and knitting the main panel longer in order to have a wrap. I'm going to New York in a few weeks and I want to have a couple of different wraps to tuck in my bag as we will be attending the theater twice while we're there. This should be a very exciting trip and can't wait to share pics of all the great sights we saw!

My lovely daughter recently proclaimed "I have nothing to knit" so I promptly fished in my stash, found her some sock yarn and a pattern and she is merrily knitting along on a pair of socks, for me, that I have not taken the time to make myself. How lucky am I?

On the work front, lately it has seemed that my company is caught up in some kind of Bermuda Triangle of the utility companies. Between having water issues, and being grossly overcharged for gas AND water, and having intermittent phone and internet services, it's amazing that anything can be accomplished with my regular duties. In the last several months, for our phone and internet service we have lost service TWICE because idiots have dug up the buried cables and cut them to sell for the copper. I did learn recently that they caught ONE idiot, because he had a fire pit in his back yard and was melting the plastic off the wires and a neighbor called in to report a fire/smoke. TWO times our phones got knocked out because delivery trucks ripped our wires off the pole when they were making deliveries to our neighboring party store. And now another problem is some sign was partly demolished by another truck making a delivery and pieces of the broken sign were rubbing against the wires causing sporadic service. Will this ever end? At what point does this become ridiculous and we say enough is enough. In light of all the wonderful things going on in THE CITY as it is, it's no wonder that all public services are in the shitter! Had less time been spent on say, text messages and more on actually improving the city, we wouldn't be where we are today.

I don't mean to complain, this is not what I like to use this blog for, but sometimes I just have to vent.

Also, in the name of venting, isn't it a shame that MagKnits just shut down? I am really sad to see this free publication just GONE. The pattern archives simply vanished and there is nothing left of that site. Was this because of uncontrolled slamming of the magazine on Ravelry? Who knows. It's just a shame that someone can't post about a legitimate problem without countless people jumping on the bitchin bandwagon and tearing someone to shreds. The original complaint seemed valid, Kerrie even attempted to resolve the problem by addressing the writer's complaint, but it was too late. She, personally, got attacked and accused of stealing people's designs and there was no coming back from it. A small can of worms got opened and turned into a giant frenzy of bashing by people that were looking for someone to bash. Are we that frustrated in our own lives that it's pure entertainment to look for an opportunity that may not even apply to us and use it to gain some form of relief or reprieve from our own real problems? While it seems Kerrie and others involved with MK will carry on with new ventures and get thru this relatively unscathed, is it fair to the rest of us, who enjoyed this magazine, submitted designs AND properly got paid for them, to completely lose this as a resource for current, stylish and more importantly FREE patterns? It just so happens the Frida wrap I'm working on is a MagKnits pattern, and fortunately for me, I have several printed copies of this, so I'll be able to finish this project without any trouble. I don't have any hard feelings for the people of MK for pulling the plug on the archives, it seems that couldn't be helped. But do the bitchers realize how much they may have inconvenienced those knitters that were counting on those archives for future projects? Was it worth it to them? Do they even care, or have they moved on in search of their next bitchin bandwagon to hop a ride on? This got longer than I intended, but it really saddens me when people can't find the good in something and have to amplify the negative, even if it doesn't directly impact their lives. To bitch just for the sake of bitching. Very sad.

Well, I need to find something positive to think about now, so I'm going to fondle my stash and dream of future projects and hope I already have the patterns printed for the stuff in my queue.

Take care, enjoy the weekend!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-21T13:31:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter to all who celebrate! I'll be hiding in the woods, coloring eggs, lounging in front of the fireplace, and knitting too!

Don't eat too many peeps!

Is it soup yet?

2008-03-12T14:01:00.003-04:00

I have been somewhat persuaded to enjoy the snow season in Michigan by my SO. I used to strongly protest all things snowy, icy and cold. But over the last several years I have adjusted and decided if I couldn't beat em join em. So I have been skiing and more recently snowmobiling. It's great fun, once I get over the initial terror of things like ski lifts, and tree crashing. With that said, enough already. I've had my fill of snow, ice and freezing cold temps. I'm ready for spring. Is anyone listening??!!

I think because of the weather, and because I've been gone so much lately, I've gotten into a little bit of a funk. I'm tired, unfocused and because of that when I sit down to knit or spin, I just kinda stare at it and then crash in front of my tv. Not cool. I'm planning to stay in town this weekend, although I'll be out and about, so I'm hoping I'll recharge my battery a little by allowing myself to sleep in, in my own bed and not feel like I'm constantly late for something.

I'm still working on the test knitting I'm doing and it seems to be taking me forever, especially since I haven't been working on it very much. I started another pair of Shaq slippers for my up north neighbor, and I have one knit and am starting the second. I picked up some plasti-dip from the hardware store and have about 3 coats on the bottom of MY slippers and will check it out tonight and see if that makes them non-skid. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

I have several projects lined up for the knitting machine, but again that requires me to actually sit in front of it, to accomplish anything. I'm hoping this will be the weekend for some of that.

If anyone is still out there, thanks for checking in and I hope to have some real knitting progress soon!

Happy Monday!

2008-02-25T11:04:00.002-05:00

It seems that when I don't post very regularly I get nagged. Nagged here. Nagged there. Ok, ok I get the hint already. I'm posting. I just don't know that I have anything much to say.

I've been spending a lot of time up north in the woods. We've had a fair amount of snow up north lately, and now that our sleds are running (knocking on wood as I type) we've been trying to enjoy them before it's all gone. I actually got to ride for about 3 hours on Saturday, and with the sun out and milder temps it was very pleasant.

I didn't get to knit much this past weekend, since we had friends up and altogether there were 7 kids ranging from 9 months to 13 years. Holy crap, the noise was incredible. I escaped the commotion for a bit of a nap on Saturday, but didn't get one Sunday and ended up driving home pretty tired last night. I use that time away to catch up on sleep from the week and I feel I lost out this time. Oh well. It was nice to see these friends we had sort of lost touch with, and I guess I'll sleep some other time.

Currently I'm working on a test knit project of a toddler sundress by someone I "met" on Ravelry. It's kind of slow going since it's stockinette for about 10 inches and it's NOT in the round. I may have to suggest she offer that option since I personally HATE purling, especially 100 stitches at a crack. Luckily it's only about 10", so I should have the BACK done fairly soon, but then I get to do the front. I shouldn't complain, it's a very cute style, but my natural instinct is to see a pattern, and immediately change what I don't like to indulge my own selfish needs, and when testing a pattern, this is not an option. Oh well, enough of that, it's going to be adorable when it's finished and I can't wait to go find the perfect buttons!!

I also recently completed one mitten of the fabulous pom mittens by a very talented knitter! It's in Cascade 220, and I really like the feel of these mittens. I'm making myself finish the test project before I let myself (see, I boss ME around as much as I boss others around) cast on for the second mitten. Hopefully I can have these finished before the end of winter.

I finished my Shaq slippers, affectionately named by my SO, and felted them to just my size. I need some puffy paint for the soles, since I can already tell my minimally carpeted house will be too dangerous without. I can't wait to start wearing these and test their durability so I can make a pair for one of our up north neighbors. She bakes constantly for the kids, and it's the least I could do for her kindness.

I have 2 more hats up next to knit, one a Star Wars hat for my nephew who's a huge fan, and another fair isle for the SO, since he raved so much about the last one.

Sadly, I haven't been home much at all, so I've done very little spinning and I need to resolve that soon, since I'm working on something in trade for some sewing services and I hate having that hanging over my head. Darn job!! It really keeps getting in the way of my life.

I'm sorry for not posting pictures, but all of them are on my home computer and I'm squeezing this post in from work today. For those of you on Ravelry, go check them all out there!!

Have a wonderful week, and pray for more snow! hehehe Sorry Miranda!

New hats!

2008-02-05T13:40:00.000-05:00

More FO's. Go check it out~http://www.ocdknittingfo.blogspot.com/

I love Michigan!

2008-01-31T12:48:00.000-05:00

I keep saying this over and over. What's not to love? 7 degrees one day, 40 the next. I can't figure out why everyone keeps getting sick!! I {knocking on wood} keep a full bottle of Zicam at the ready for whenever I encounter someone with sniffles, sneezing, coughing or if they just look germ-y. I even discovered that Meijer is cheaper than the drug store or Kroger, so I'm in Zicam heaven. Faced with the potential of 6-10 inches overnight, I'm partly excited and partly bummed, since I may still have to make the trek to the West side in the a.m. to get DD to school. Please pray that we get all 6-10 before 6:30 a.m.. Kay?

I am the proud owner of an Ashford Traditional wheel. Oh, does this sound like deja vu? Let me correct that. I am the proud owner of TWO Ashford Traditional wheels! Whoo hoo!! I love craigslist, and my pal Miranda, she's the bestest enabler I've ever known. She found the listing but couldn't swing it, so I snapped it up in a New York minute (that means super fast!). And let me tell you, the seller, Mary is totally awesome. She was great on the phone, super nice in person and I got an excellent deal. Turns out she travels up north quite a bit (sounds familiar) and needed a portable wheel, so her hubby bought her a Schacht Ladybug. Very cute in person I may add (the wheel, didn't see the hubby). And so she was faced with the dilemma of having to divide her time between two wheels, shun one as it sits lifeless and fiberless in the corner, or sell it for a great price to ME!! Guess which one she chose? She also spoke very highly of Beth at the Spinning Loft in Howell so this is yet another reason I need to make the trip out to her store.

Of course it would be selfish of me to claim BOTH wheels for my own, since my daughter does spin and knit, so I'm selflessly giving the second one over to her, so she'll quit trying to kick me off MINE!!

In spite of the deep freeze I have managed to get a few things done. I finished another thicker hat for SO, since he's lucky enough to work outdoors in these frigid temps. Of course the day I gave it to him, we warmed up to 30's and 40's. Go figure. I need to ask him if he's worn it yet. He HAS been wearing the cowboy style safety hat I got him for Christmas. He loves being a spectacle and he's been getting lots of comments and attention for his safety gear. Hey, whatever gets him to protect that noggin I say. Kinda like it to stay in one piece. Better for pictures and hat wearin and all.

I bought some yummy new yarn from Artisan's in Grosse Pointe recently and promptly casted on for another pair of socks for me. Of course I bought 2 skeins, one for me and one for SO. As long as there is constantly something being made for him, he gives me less grief about my obsession. I need to cast his on but have to decide on a pattern first. Any faves for your men?

I'm also stash diving to test out a simple (I hope) fair isle hat pattern by a guy on Ravelry. I've wanted to try fair isle and this hat spoke to me, especially when I remembered I might have the perfect yarn in my stash. I hope to cast on for this hat this weekend, while we're again up north attempting to play in the snow. We've had a terrible spot of luck with our snowmobiles and poor SO deserves a tiny break. As in, maybe the sleds could STOP breaking for a couple of days so he can actually play with the snow that's up there. Before we know it, it will be mud season, and not good for snowmobiles. We'll see.

Anyway, that's about it for now. Get your shovels ready, drive carefully and remember, winter is very short but some of us still like to play in it!

A new FO!

2008-01-14T08:55:00.000-05:00

Go check it out www.ocdknittingfo.blogspot.com

Are we sure it's January?

2008-01-13T02:25:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how much I've been slacking off. Ravelry has been consuming most of my free computer time. I have been knitting, and actually finishing stuff too. I've been spinning, both on Ms. Ashley and my trusty travel-ready drop spindle. I just haven't taken the time to post about it here.

I just finished the fabulous Twinners socks by my friend Lynne Wardrop. They are made from Lorna's Shepherd Worsted. If you haven't seen/felt this yarn yet, you're truly missing out. It's squooshy, soft and the colors are PRETTY! Check it out.

I have finished pictures on the camera, coming soon.

I finished my SO's boot socks in Cascade 220 Superwash. It's not the softest yarn, but I suspect it will get softer after a wash or 2.

Next up for him, same sock pattern out of Knit Picks Swish. Now that's some soft yarn!

I finished spinning the Autumn Colors singles and have 2-plyed it into 566 yards. I will take pictures after it dries. pretty pretty pretty pretty Just looking for the right pattern for this colorway - Lynne!

I can't believe it's January. With all this mild weather I have to keep checking the calendar to be sure. Most likely it's my fault. We have 2 snowmobiles ready to ride AND I got new skis for Christmas, so we will probably have very little snow this year. Sorry to those that actually like winter sports.

Have a great rest of the weekend.

Ahh Wednesday!

2007-12-27T01:16:00.000-05:00

I made it! I kept telling myself, hold on for Wednesday, it will be here before you know it. It's here and I'm thoroughly exhausted, but alive!!

Christmas is always very hectic, not necessarily a fun kinda hectic. With the shared custody, for both me and my SO, it's a bittersweet time of the ultimate rule we learned as kids. SHARING. And like any 5 year old will tell you, sharing sucks! Especially when it's your coolest toy or your favoritist (only) child. But we survived, with no bloodshed, so all is well in our world again.

I'm looking forward to the weekend, cuz as per usual, we'll be spending New Years up north. I got new skis for Christmas so I'll be testing those out, and we also got a new (for us) snowmobile, so I might actually get to ride this year! Not sure if there's snow up there, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. If not, I always have sewing/knitting projects to keep me busy, and since our kids have the coolest parents ever! we'll be taking our new Wii up there too, along with all the games including Guitar Hero III, which I can honestly say is super addictive. I can't wait for a week of down-time to ring in the new year with all my favorite peeps!

I finished the Touch Me gloves in the nick of time and sent them off for Christmas Eve delivery. I haven't heard yet, but I hope they made it and I hope they fit the recipient. I'll know this weekend. I must say, they came out WAY nicer than mine did, much more fitted and seemingly softer too! I'd be happy to get them, I hope she is too!

I'm still working on SO's boot socks, into the home stretch now since I'm on the foot. It's been slow, but when you only get to do a row or two at a time, they take forever to finish. I've found a balaclava pattern that will suit my step-son for snowboarding, so I'll be starting that soon, maybe in time for our snow adventures up north.

I have no pictures of anything right now, cuz stupidly I packaged up the gloves for the waiting UPS man and didn't make him wait longer by taking pictures. I hope to get one or two when I see her, so I'll update my FO's then.

Happy New Year to all! May 2008 bring endless stash, tireless knitting, and some cool new patterns too!

Is it summer yet?

2007-12-07T00:09:00.000-05:00

I think we got spoiled by the really mild temps for so long, and my body seems completely unwilling to adjust to the colder temperatures. I'm the type of person that starts wearing long johns and dressing in layers about October, that way by the time December rolls around I've acclimated. It isn't working this time. I constantly find myself cold and I HATE to be cold. We either better get a heckuva lotta snow soon to justify these cold temps or we better just zip forward to spring, toot sweet!

I've been MIA for a little while. I haven't updated my blog or Ravelry. I've been knitting, some, but life has been a little hectic these past few weeks. DD is in a play at school, which is this weekend and we're getting down to the final hour. I'm very excited to see the production, an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream. It sounds like it will be very entertaining, not to mention really funny. I had to give DD a lesson in makeup, since she takes after me at that age (12) and she's not really a girly girl. In fact she's a little bummed about one aspect of the show and that is she has to wear some hideous DRESS! Totally uncool by her standards. I've already been instructed that there are to be no pictures of her in said hideous dress. We'll see.

Anyway. I've been knitting. I've got 2 pairs of socks going and still plugging along on the Touch Me gloves, although not as diligently as I should. Winter is here, and I'm sure my friend would love to give them to her daughter, while the weather is relevant. They probably won't be that well received in say, May. I need to kick myself in the butt and get moving on them. Also I've been doing some knitting on my Ultimate Sweater Machine. I made a felted laptop bag, and have decided it needs a flap. No problem, I can whip out 40 or so rows in almost no time. I just made a baby blanket out of some Joann's Rainbow Boucle, and have only to finish the edges off. I'm thinking of an i-cord edging, to keep the edges from rolling. It's 4 feet long and it really only took me 2 evenings to do 48" of stockinette. I promise to take pictures of all my WIP's very soon. I'm sure after the final show on Sunday, life will return to somewhat normal. Whatever that means.

That's all for now. It's after midnight and we have to get up early since DD is supposed to arrive at school by 7 a.m. in full makeup for a final dress rehearsal to be performed in front of the entire student body. Of course it's supposed to snow like mad, so wish me luck that we actually make it there in one piece.

Take care, and stay tuned for real knitting content!

I'm still here..

2007-11-26T01:36:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how fast this month is flying by! I'm still around, just slammed from every direction it seems. I have my new laptop working, I just haven't had much time to play with it. I've been knitting, but haven't taken any new pictures recently. I'll try to be better, I promise. I'm currently working on another pair of Boot Socks, for my SO, the Touch Me gloves for a friend (but the notes from my first pair are up north, so I'll have to wing it-yikes!) and I just cast on for a pair of socks for ME in the Lorna's Shepherd sock yarn, which I absolutely love. I'll post details for that pattern and some pics very soon!

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day and I also hope you got some shopping done, if that's what you're into.

Take care!

Phew!

2007-11-11T11:12:00.000-05:00

Okey dokey kids, I'm on Ravelry (OCD Knitting) AND I'm now online at home!! I picked up my new notebook, and I'm working thru all the set up of everything, so look out, I'm on my way!

More to follow, this is just the beginning!

I HAVE MADE IT!!!

2007-11-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not a millionaire. No, I'm not going to be on reality tv any time soon, thank goodness for that.

I am FINALLY on Ravelry. I'm OCD Knitting, shocker, but don't get your hopes up, there's not much there yet. I have to get busy!!

Whoo hoo!! {happy dancing all over the place}

See you soon!

Guilt free snapping!

2007-10-30T13:07:00.000-04:00

First of all, thanks for the well wishes and all. The dizzyness is subsiding and I'm starting to feel like myself more and more with each passing day. I took it super-easy this past weekend and have been trying to catch up on sleep and that seems to be making a world of difference with my head. I never mentioned that I actually hit my head, pretty hard, and that's what caused this BPPV, so slow down, don't be in such a rush, cuz that's how I went about banging my head. Hurrying to get from here to there! And look where it got me. I still have a follow-up test next week, so hopefully I'll get thru that with flying colors!

Anyway, on the knitting front, I'm happy to say I can now hog the digital camera ALL I WANT since I wisely bought the SO his own, newer snazzier camera to-call-his-own for his recent birthday. So, now I can snap snap snap to my heart's content and won't have to hear one word from him about how HE never gets to use the camera (for what I have no idea) cuz now his is actually nicer, newer, etc. and will probably sit on his dresser and collect dust! A small price to pay to have nag-free photo documentation! Of course I have nothing to show you, since I haven't actually documented anything recently except his birthday, but that will come with time.

I have been knitting, some. I am working on the Touch Me gloves for my friend's daughter. I'm doing both at once and taking very careful notes this time, since I so carelessly winged it the first time thru for myself. That's how I am any time I make stuff for me, sewing, cooking, etc. Just throw it all together and see what happens. But I am making myself slow down, write exact notes, so when all is said and done I may actually have a real pattern at the end of this. And, if I can repeat this pattern successfully then I'll happily post it on my blog. Probably for free, since I don't think it's one I need to sell. I'll sell what I spin, but this pattern will probably stay a freebie. So look for that in the future.

I'm also spinning a little. I'm still working on the batt that Miranda carded up for me. I'm about 2/3's thru that and hope to ply that up, maybe this weekend. This weekend is the last riding weekend up north before hunting season so we'll be packing the kids and heading up for one last time before it's time to put the dirt bikes away until spring. I'm sure all the colors have peaked but the weather has been so crazy I'm anxious to see how it looks up there.

That's all I have for now. Take it easy, watch your head, and have a great Halloween!! BOO!!

I always knew I had a screw loose...

2007-10-24T11:55:00.000-04:00

So, this will be a non-knitting post. Sorry about that. I went to the ENT yesterday, and finally figured out what the heck is wrong with my head. I have BPPV, and there is no medicine to treat it. Simply a repositioning done by the doctor, crazy sleeping positions for me for 48 hours and a few exercises, and then a follow up test in 2 weeks, and hopefully I'm all better. Sometimes the repositioning needs to be done again, in severe cases, but we'll see in a few days. So for now, I'm on the down low. No aerobics, no crazy head movements, but at least knitting and spinning are not banned from my activities. Phew!! There would have been HELL to pay for that I tell ya!

I always knew I had a screw loose, but displaced crystals? Who'd a thunk it?!! Take care not to hit your head, that's what caused mine.

Have a great, non-dizzy day! I'll try to do the same.

You woke me up for this?

2007-10-22T11:29:00.000-04:00

I think, if I ever believed in reincarnation I'd like to come back as a dog. They have such a pampered life. Sleep all day, no real requirements of them, and do something little like sit or lay down and you get a pat on the head. How rough could that be? This is Marvin's life, most of the time.

We got to spend another beautiful weekend up north. I'm not really feeling better but the SO had promised to take the kids riding and I didn't want to stay home by myself so I went along and slept till 12:30 on Saturday and basically lazed around all day. I spun, I knitted, and did very little else.

This is the view out our front door.
Horrible isn't it?

This is the driveway off to the right.

And I looked up until it made me too dizzy

Couldn't help myself though, Crayola doesn't make a blue that pretty!!

I started spinning some fiber that Miranda gifted me, it's really pretty with a little bit of sparkle in it. It's some kind of eclectic mix of who.knows.what, but who cares, it's really pretty to look at don't you think?

Oh, and for those that are interested the boot socks fit my mechanic friend "like they were made for me", umm yeah duh!, so I just need to finish the toes, wash 'em and send them on their merry way. I love when I guess right!

Hey Marvin, can you say hello? He's not amused. I interrupted nap time.

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Talk to you again soon.

"Jane, Get Me Off This Crazy Thing!!"

2007-10-18T10:34:00.000-04:00

Remember back in the day when your mom or dad would take you to the park and you'd get on the merry-go-round and they would push it and you would spin and laugh and yell "MORE, MORE, Love.To.Spin!" then you'd get off and your parents would laugh cuz you'd be walking around like a drunken sailor just off the bar stool. Well, this has been my life for the last 2 weeks. But without the merry-go-round and without the alcohol. Apparently I have some kind of middle ear infection or some crap, that causes me to be dizzy and stumble and fall over, for no apparent reason. Even laying in bed causes the room to spin uncontrollably. And not in a fun way. I even went and got a brain scan last week, and shocker of all things, I actually have one up there, but nothing else was wrong so they're still considering it to be a middle ear infection. Today I finished my 10 days of antibiotics and I still feel like crap. They switched my motion sickness medicine from Antivert to Valium which means I can't take them during the day unless my boss doesn't mind me napping at my desk, which I can't see him accepting, so no remedies for me during the day. And all the Valium really does is make me sleep, which I did ALL weekend, last weekend except for a few hours here and there, so other than feeling well rested the symptoms are not gone and we're going on two weeks here. Total DRAG!!

I did manage to get some knitting and some spinning done, and I actually have some pictures to document the fruits of my labor.

Way back, for some holiday (I suck at remembering stuff) Amby got me silk hankies. And no, these aren't the dainty kind you blow your nose with and then pray they come clean in the laundry. These are the awesome hand dyed silk cocoon kind that you have to delicately peel apart (after exfoliating the hell out of your hands cuz even air causes it to snag) and then pre-draft and then spin. I started spinning this on my drop spindle but because the staple length of silk is so incredibly long and because this fiber is so intensely strong it was really taking its toll on my wrist. So this past weekend I peeled every single layer apart, pre-drafted each one and then spun it all up on Ms. Ashley. Then I plied it, steamed it and voila!! Gorgeous, 125 yards worth of spun silk! Whaddya think?

I also finished the boot socks for my mechanic friend, I just need him to try them on before I kitchener the toe. These were a pretty quick knit, considering that I didn't work on them every day, but doing both at the same time was really nice as to avoid SSS. The yarn is Knit Picks Swish Superwash, and I really really like this yarn. I'm anxious to wash these and see how they look after a good washing.

I had posted previously about my silk dyeing class I took at Mt. Bruce a few weeks back and teased you with this photo. Well, I unwrapped it and took a few pictures and this is what I got:

It was Rit dye so the colors aren't super vibrant, and I'm kinda on the fence about the fold lines, but the pleats are super cool for sure. I need to order some blanks and try some different dye and some kool-aid too, for some super bright colors!! I think these would make cool gifts, so I need to get my booty in gear if I'm going to get any done for Christmas.

I also finally started the Touch Me gloves for a friend of mine, and since I was in the 2 socks.at.the.same.time mode, I thought hey, genius (this is how I refer to myself of course) why not do two gloves at once, at least until you get to the tricky part. Great idea!!
One small problem though. Since I am not really following a true pattern, and I winged it on the first pair, I was guessing on a few things, like needle size, since I failed to make note of that on my "pattern". I only just checked back thru my blog archives TODAY and discovered I had used size 2 Addi's, and these gloves were cast on to size 4 Addi's. CRAP! Oh well, it was a good practice run, but I thought they felt kinda loose. This frees up my 4's for some socks for me, and now I just have to find my 2's. I must get thru these gloves first though, before I start socks for me! Crap, I hate these kinds of obligations. But cold weather is coming, and I promised these gloves quite some time ago.

That's all I have for now. I'll leave you with these great pictures from 2 weekends ago up north. The colors are changing and it's really hard to come home with such beautiful surroundings. (click any to make them bigger)

The riding gang!

I love rainbows!

It's October, and they're swimming!

Friday!

2007-10-05T09:54:00.000-04:00

Yep, I'm famous for stating the obvious. It's been a draggy week. I've had a cold, thanks to Chunky Monkey at work (the boss' nephew) who appears to be opposed to personal hygiene and spreads germs at every opportunity. 3 nights this week I've gone home and gone straight to bed. That's so not me. Plus I taught my exercise class, and per usual, I kicked my own booty. That's cool though, if I feel it, they feel it. As long as they keep coming back.

I have some show and tell. I went to Mt. Bruce last weekend. What a gorgeous day! It was sunny but somewhat cool, so it made for a very comfortable fiber shopping day. I bought, I fondled, I smelled (soaps not fiber) and took a fab class on Shibori silk scarf dyeing. Mary was a great instructor and Miranda and I had a great time, once we got invited to the big people's table (long story).

Here's the before shot:

Oh, were you hoping for an after shot? Yeah well, I haven't taken it yet. I unwrapped the scarf and didn't like the fold lines so I pinned it out and lightly steamed it, so you'll have to wait for it to dry. Sorry! This was a super cool class, and other than trying to constantly bonk Miranda with my pole (oops!) I had a great time, learned a LOT and can't wait to do this again. I'm going to order some silk blanks and try my hand at some more silk dyeing.

Here's some fiber-y goodness that spoke to me as I was wandering around thru the different vendors.

Can you see the glitter? It's called Strawberry Sundae, and it's Mohair, Alpaca, Wool and Silk. So luscious!!

Here, let me give you a better look.
Of course I started spinning it!

I bought a whole pound, I just couldn't help myself. I'm picturing some kind of open weave type sweater, to wear over long sleeve shirts. Any pattern suggestions? Throw them in my comments. If I use your idea? It may win you a skein of sock yarn. I'm not big on contests, but if something truly catches my eye, I'll reward you properly!

Also, a big shout out to Marj for some fab looking earrings. Go check out her Etsy store she does great work!!

I bought some angora/merino from Mt. Bruce, but it's for my daughter. She liked what I bought last year so much, that she requested some for herself, since she couldn't go with me. Check it!
She hasn't seen it yet, it's waiting on her bed for her, hope she likes it!!

I'm on the heel flaps for the hunter socks (KnitPicks pattern) for my mechanic friend. I'm loving the KP Swish Superwash, and doing both socks at the same time means no SSS, whoo hoo!! I'm going to have to get some Swish for me in girly colors, but not till I whip out a pair for the SO first.

Well, that's about all I have for now. We're taking the kids up north, I thought to enjoy some fall goodness, but they're calling for 80's so who knows what we'll get up there. Either way, away is good!! Have a great weekend!

Amateur photo shoot

2007-09-25T11:39:00.000-04:00

I always have ideas about how I WANT the photos to look, but pulling them off (alone) isn't always possible. So, picture this, I dropped my daughter off at school this morning and I start driving around the neighborhood looking for a scenic spot to photograph my FO and so I pull into an apartment complex that overlooks a swamp, I mean pond, and pull over. Imagine the look on the landscaper's faces as I get out, position my shawl on the park bench near the pond, and start snapping pictures. Sure, I do this all the time, this is a perfectly normal day. Anyway, I still need some better shots but you'll get the idea of how it came out.

Here's some pre-blocked pictures first:

I need to re-calculate, but I think I only have about 5 yards left of the malabrigio, which is not too bad. I was worried I'd have a lot more left over.

Now for the tah-dah!! I blocked this sucker within centimeters of it's life and at any moment was expecting it to rip right down the center. I even worried when I unpinned it that it would sproing back and loudly proclaim "HAH, sucker! I'm staying small!" But fortunately, it stayed exactly as I pinned it. I re-pinned the bottom point and spread out the tail section to show off the stitch definition a little better, so I'm really pleased with the way that came out.

Ok, I'll stop blabbing and get to the good stuff.

I absolutely love the pattern, would make it again, in the larger size though, just for the drapey goodness of it all. I'm so happy happy happy this is finally in my FO list.

On that happy note, I'll leave you with this. My daughter and I were greeted with this beauty as we pulled into school.

How could anyone have a bad day after seeing that?

DIAMOND FANTASY IS FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!

2007-09-24T09:14:00.000-04:00

It's blocking, as we speak. I blocked the crap out of it, and will unpin it tonight and take pictures post-blocking.

I will post pictures, hopefully tomorrow, of before and after. Stay tuned!!

Oh, and Sonya tagged me so here goes:

So, here are the rules.
1. Link to your tagger and post rules
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog

I'm pretty random AND weird but I'm not sure what's left to tell. I'll give it a shot.

1. I'm very shy around new people. I will literally have hot flashes if I am going to meet crowds of people I've never met (eg. Sweetwaters, Yarn Harlot in AA (not HER-you guys), Knitterpalooza Lansing).

2. It's not as bad now, but when I was younger I wouldn't go into a store by myself if I'd never been in there before (drug store, party store) because I would get nervous that I wouldn't be able to find what I was looking for and I would never have the nerve to ask for help.

3. I like flamingos. I used to have one on the balcony of my apartment so my friends knew where I lived.

4. I don't drink coffee. I've been a Pepsi drinker since high school. I only drink coffee if I'm trying to stay awake driving home from up north, since we always wait until the last possible second to leave, since we like it up there better.

5. I get migraines. Sometimes they last a day, sometimes they'd last for several days. The drugs are better now, so usually they're gone within the hour.

6. The older I get, the more impatient I get. When I want something, I want it now! Not later, not in a minute. NOW!! Doesn't matter what IT is.

7. I'm still amazed that people actually care to read what I write. So thanks for humoring me.

I'll tag 7 people

Kristyn
Janette
Kelli
Amanda
Miranda
Tina
Susie
Karen in Toledo

Okey dokey, off to comment them and I'll be posting pictures tomorrow!!