GiantsKnitter

Sunday, June 10, 2007

2007-06-10T19:41:00.000-05:00

It was a nice day today. I heard from my daughter who is studying in Italy (loves Florence, Rome - not so much). She and her classmates were at the Colluseum and had a birdeye view of the rioters down in the street who were protesting the arrival of the current US president. There was teargas and carabinieri (sp?) everywhere. Thankfully, they were safe but it gave me pause...

Also, I had dinner with my friend Laurel who is slowly recovering from a broken ankle. Plus, she just started a new job. A little stressful, no?

Now I am awaiting my "baby" sister's arrival tonight for a quick visit while she's here in the DC area on business. I always have fun whenever either of my sisters visit...the fun usually consists of too much wine, too much food, more wine, shopping and then more wine...and food...and did I mention the wine?

And, I casted on for my next big project, the Katharine Hepburn Cardigan from Lace Style. I really love this book; there are so many really pretty patterns in it. But the main reason I bought is was this sweater...I sure hope I can actually finish it for the Fall (this Fall, y'all!!!)

KH ready for her close-up:

The yarn I'm using is sooo yummy...super soft and easy to work with. It feels absolutely fantastic. It's Knitting Notions Classic Merino Sport in the Dark Rose colorway. It's kettle-dyes and contains gentle variations in color that my camera just can't pick up and each skein has 390 yards!!. My one concern is that the wonderful Catherine Harrison of KN only had four skiens in each dyelot so I have 4 +1. I think it will be okay - I'll just blend two lots into the back where there should be plenty of room to "stretch" the colors together. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS YARN!!!

And what was my dog, Fred, doing today? Mostly this:

The elder statesman (13 1/2) up close and personal:

Eileen has arrived! June 7, 2007

2007-06-07T19:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it's taken a whle and other projects have come through, but I finally finished my "Eileen" tank from No Sheep for You edited by Amy Singer. The "Eileen" pattern was great for a newbie lace knitter. It was designed by Jillian Moreno whose directions were clear, the chart super easy to follow. After a couple of false starts with different yarns, I settled on one of my new favorites Knitting Fever's King Tut cotton in color #1130 (orange) that I found on eBay. Gotta' love eBay! I made a few tiny changes to the design. #1 - I made it a bit longer, #2 - I did not add the edging to the armholes, and #3 I shortened the armholes (the full 8" for my size would have been way too long). My upper arms are basically like big hams and they do not require enhancement of tight tank armholes...I think the scoopy armholes are much more flattering.

So here she is: Eileen

But wait, there's more!!!

And more...

And still more... And this, my friends is the money shot!!

I would like to give a big shoutout to my Thursday knitting pal NittanyKnits for the excellent lakeside photography! Many thanks!

Now, when the lace shrugs from Lace Style get back from their trip to Italy, I will post pictures of them as well.

I have been a finishing fool of late! My Mom would have been so proud!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

2007-05-30T09:28:00.000-05:00

Because I have some pix of new FO's BUT they're still sitting in my camera instead of here...

You Are the Index Finger

You are ambitious, driven, and capable.
You aren't afraid to take responsibility for your actions - or place the blame on whoever deserves it.
You are honest, free thinking, and objective. You see things in your own way - and you aren't afraid to let everyone know about it.

You get along well with: The Thumb

Stay away from: The Ring Finger

What Finger Are You?

I'm Back! Wednesday, May 16, 2007

2007-05-16T19:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, here I am; alive and well. Went to Sheep and Wool - yes, of course I bought more yarn. How silly of you to even ask!

On a sad, very sad note, my favorite TV show of all time, Gilmore Girls, ended yesterday. I sobbed like a fool during the last fifteen minutes! It was like losing multiple members of your family all at once. I'm still sad...Thank goodness for DVR!!

And now, the moment I'm sure you've all been waiting for. At long (LONG) last, the Doctor's Bag from "Knit 2 Together" is done! Done!! DONE!! Woo-hoo! I still have the blister on my finger from sewing the lining in! The bag is done in Manos del Uruguay in Cherry held double. I went down a needle size from the 11US the pattern called for to a 10.5 US to get gauge. I hope you can tell from the photo of me that this bag is freaking huge! It's meant to be a sort of carpetbag - a weekender if you will. It may, in fact, be a weeker if your clothes aren't too big!

A special shoutout to my pal, Javejem, for her picture-taking expertise! The background is the courtyard at the USDA in Beltsville where we work. It's really quite lovely. Here goes:

The stitch detail displayed hanging from a tree...

Lovely among the azaleas...

Wildlife and wild lining...

Okay, so I may only be 5'3" tall, but this bag is big...

Freaking Huge!!!!!!

Et tu, HBO? March 28, 2007

2007-03-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

"The die is cast." and I am in mourning. Deep, deep mourning.

No, it's not because the half completed back of my Elaine Shell ("No Sheep for You") died a horrible death by frogging last night. It is because of the demise of "Rome" on HBO. I know what the TV-people are saying...it was only supposed to be a one season mini-series and getting that extra season was a bonus. I know all that. But I still feel cheated!

For those of you who didn't watch it (and yes, some of you may not have been very much into the violence and nudity - but hey, come on people - it was Rome in the days of the Caesars for gods sake!!), this version starts with the first one who named himself Emperor...Julius to the common person and ended with his successor, Octavian. The story followed their lives as well as those around them: relatives, senators, friends, and enemies alike. And parallel to life at court was the tale of two friends - Pullo and Vorenas - who served together as soldiers. This was, perhaps, the more compelling story...to see these two men take such different paths after their service ended and then to end up, together as brothers always.

It is so very hard to describe just how good this series was. There aren't enough superlatives to explain the skill with which each actor portrayed their character... Not household names, at least in the US, Polly Walker as the lusciously scheming Atia (mother of Octavian), Ray Stevenson as the brute with a heart Pullo, Kevin McKidd as a haunted Vorenus. The list goes on and on with not a mis-step in the casting at all as each performer painted their role with so much color and depth that I believe I will actually miss them! And, of course, the characters themselves besides the ones, above, there was Servillia, Livia, Octavia, Agrippa, Marc Antony, Cleopatra....and on and on...

If only the show would go on like "I, Claudius" did back in the day. Then we were treated to the full retinue of Caesars from Julius to Nero who fiddled while Rome burned in the last episode; we passed through the very bad, bad boy Caligula and his Uncle Claudius....ah, me.

If you have digital cable go fetch this progam from OnDemand. It is well worth your time. And see "I, Claudius", too.

At least I can look forward to Battlestar Galactica starting another season...in fracking 2008!!!!

To paraphrase: HBO, you came, you saw, you conquered. Me, at least.

Salve', Citizens.

Happy Birthday to Me!!, Thursday, March 22, 2007

2007-03-21T19:03:00.001-05:00

Look at all my pretty, pretty presents from my dear sisters!!

From the chef-sister a whole pile of goodies from Williams-Sonoma! My fave! The French Bundt pan is just beautiful - almost too pretty to use. So really, come on now, surely I can't use those gorgeous towels to wipe anything up! No way! And I sure hope she doesn't expect me eat those cakes with those teensy-weensy spoons!

I love everything!!!

And from the doctor-sister a whole pile of books. She's been listening to this author, David Rosenfelt, on books on tape - uh, actually books on download and thought they were a hoot. They are set in the homeland, New Jersey, and although none of us lives there anymore we read the mystery series set there; you know, like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum.

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I can't wait to start the first book. As for the cakes, which should the first one be? Chocolate? Lemon? Vanilla? I do love the lemony things! It probably doesn't matter since each mix starts out with the baker creaming 2 sticks (1/2 pound) of butter!!! That cannot possibly be bad! Yummmmmmmm......

Thank you, thank you, thank you, my loves! I heart you both!!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Javajem says to me... Friday, March 9, 2007

2007-03-09T21:43:00.000-05:00

There I was, minding my own business, when my pal at work, Javajem, shows me a Humor Survey being conducted by a fellow knitter. How could I say no? And how can you??? It's not short but rather insightful...after careful analysis of my responses I am.....well, you can read for yourself.

You filled out a questionnaire to assess your learning style along four scales: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global.

Your learning styles are: balanced active-reflective, balanced sensing-intuitive, verbal, balanced sequential-global.

active: you learn by trying things out, and enjoy working in groups.
reflective: you learn by thinking things through, and prefer working alone or with one or two familiar partners.
sensing: you are concrete, practical, and oriented toward facts and procedures.
intuitive: you are conceptual, innovative, and oriented toward theories and underlying meanings.
visual: you prefer visual representations of presented material, such as pictures, diagrams, and flow charts.
verbal: you prefer written and spoken explanations.
sequential: you have a linear thinking process, and learn in incremental steps.
global: you have a holistic thinking process, and learn in large leaps.

Rebecca's sense of humour is most similar to:

People in their 30's
People from: United States of America
Of gender: Male
Who speak: English
Your sense of humour is similar to those with a balanced active-reflective, intuitive, visual, and global learning style.

If you'd like to take this survey, contact Eve Forster at Queen's University.

I'm Back, February, 28, 2007

2007-02-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, here I am. I bet you thought I had forgotten all about you! Nope. Just didn't have a thing to say. Actually, I still don't but, I thought I'd share some pictures with you.

First, what the heck was up with that snow last Sunday? I don't know a single person who expected us to be blanketed in white (including the TV weather-people - uh, weather-persons, whatever!) I have to say that it was one of the prettiest snowfalls in recent memory made even better for me by two enterprising young "men" who came by to shovel my driveway for a very nominal fee. I gave them more than they asked for - my drive was nothing but cement when they left!

Fred (my dog for those of you not in the loop) and I went for a walk when it was all over. This was our view of world from the bike path behind my house at 4PM last Sunday:

And, lest you think I've been doing nothing but walking in the snow with my dog, I have been knitting. I made a brown, tweedy, floppy hat out of Tahki Shetland, that looked terrible on my, ripped it out and made another. No picture - it's just a plain old turned up 2x2 ribbed edge on a plain old stockinette hat but it is mighty warm!

My latest is a tank that I saw on the Knit and Tonic site. I bought the yarn (South West Trading Company's Bamboo in #521, Turquoise Green) along with the (free with yarn) pattern called Bamboo Ballerina from the KnitPixie website. I love the feel of this yarn BUT I'm still on the first ball (good yardage - 220) and have already run into three (that's right, THREE) knots! I don't mind a knot here or there but come on people!! Three in the first ball! I can't wait to see what lies ahead! Here she is folks, BB:

Valentine's Day, February 14, 2007

2007-02-14T19:45:00.001-05:00

Knitted Pillow Stack
Originally uploaded by rzconna.

I started these pillows for Doug (the BF) last Christmas (not the one we just had....the one we had in 2005!!!) and here they are, finished at last, for his birthday this month! The top one is actually a very pretty buttery yellow. Apparently my camera doesn't do that color.:-)

Denim Blue Broken Rib Pattern
Originally uploaded by rzconna.

Yellow Alternate Garter Pattern
Originally uploaded by rzconna.

Thank you, Secret Pal!!!!

2007-02-13T17:32:00.001-05:00

SP9 - 2
Originally uploaded by rzconna.

Once again my fabulous Secret Pal Angel has sent me a lovely batch from Ruby Sapphire Yarns!!!!! The photo does not do these beautiful skeins justice...the browns are rich and I'm looking forward to getting a project going with them...both of them...to add to my numerous projects already on the needles!

Thanks again, SP9!!

A little something new on the sidebar... Friday, February 9, 2007

2007-02-09T13:58:00.000-05:00

And counting...

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

2007-02-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

Thanks, Large Marge for the cool idea (see above)!!!!

Hey Ya'll, Wednesday, January 31, 2007

2007-01-31T18:19:00.000-05:00

Well, Katie's left for school...again. It's hard to believe she's entering the back end of her second year.

It seems that I've started many, many projects of late so now I have to buckle down and finish...something at least.

First on the list is the Doctor's Bag from "Knit 2 Together" for Katie. If you haven't seen this book you really should. There are several things on my to-do list (and several more on my daughter's!) Here's one side and part of the back; I also have the bottom done. The texture of the herringbone pattern is beautiful done in the Manos. We're using color #66, Cherry:

Now I know I've posted these little felted bags before but this time they're finished with their pretty gold buttons and living with their recipients. They're Lamb's Pride worsted weight:

And, at last, my first pair of mittens. I LOVE THEM in thier Big Mexiko Superwash, color 7956:

As far as the rest of the lot goes, there's a lace scarf being worked in sock-weight, hand painted wool I picked up on eBay, a cable sampler Aran afghan (as seen on Knitty Gritty) and the beginning of a sweater waiting to be frogged.

My friends (Nancy and Lore) and I drove to Barnegat, NJ on Saturday to visit our other friend (Judy) who has retired back to the homeland. It was a long but wonderful day! We drove up in style since the BF loaned me his Cadillac (my radio is broken and I couldn't face dragging my pals 500 miles without the background noise.) The development Judy and her Mom, Mary, moved to is just great. The house is beautiful and only 20 minutes to the beach!! We even got to visit the Barnegat Lighthouse! And then, we got to do our Christmas!! Christmas in January...nothing like making the season last!!

Cheers!

Much Ado About Something, January 18, 2007

2007-01-18T10:26:00.000-05:00

Woo-hoo!!! I received a lovely package from my Secret Pal yesterday!!

The goodies are from Ruby Sapphire Yarns. This is their "Painted by Sam" 100% merino wool in the Harmony colorway. Here's a closer picture (although the photography is somewhat lacking):

Isn't it pretty! PLUS - my package had Skittles in it! I love Skittles!!

Thank you, Secret Pal!

Last but not least, here is a picture of the lovely cuff Katie made. I can't recall the yarn right now but it's very pretty with a shiny thread running through it. Since it's white I sure hope it's washable!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Baby, it's Cold Out There!

2007-01-10T09:31:00.000-05:00

After so many days of above average temperatures this 30 degree day feels like a deep freeze.

A little amusement for you all:

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Oh, BTW, Katie's cabling!! Can entrelac be far behind?!?!

Allow me to backtrack a bit... December 25, 2006 - January 5, 2007...Happy New Year!

2007-01-05T21:52:00.000-05:00

Once again it's been a while since I've written. I have no excuses so I won't bother trying to make any up.

Katie and I had a very nice Christmas. We were joined by my little sister, Susan, who lives with her husband Michel outside of Dallas. He couldn't come because he's already used up all of his vacation visiting his family in France. :-( My sister Ellen and her family spent the day entertaining 14 adults and many children in thier Durham, NC home. Better them than me.

K, S, and I spent the day taking a lovely walk, opening gifts, cooking, and drinking wine! We made a really great Italian dish that I hadn't had since S was in high school. It's called Arancini...balls of risotto rice and parmesan cheese stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, peas and tomato sauce. The balls are then rolled in bread crumbs and deep fried. Serve with more of the tomato sauce and you are in heaven! It really took me back. I don't have any Arancini pictures but I did take one of our desserts!

What you see are my lemon-cranberry cookies, Katie and my snowfall coconut cupcakes and Susan and Katie's Croquembouche! GORGEOUS!!

Also on Christmas Day, Katie decided it was time for her to learn how to knit!! Yippee!! She did a very nice swatch of garter/stockinette stitch. The chick knits as evenly as a machine. And unlike many newbies, it's not too tight! her next efforts were a hot pink ribbed skiband and a cover for her new (video) iPod! See below:

Her current project is a wristband made in the herringbone stitch from Alterknits by Leigh Radford!! I am SOOOO proud. Can you tell? :-)

I finished up the shrug K picked out last month. The ribbon yarn is the very pretty Shimmer by Crystal Palace in "Straw Into Gold" (black with a gold fleck).

On the 27th I planned to put the dog in the car and drive up to NJ to visit Dad and Auntie Anna for a couple of days. What do they say about the best laid plans? My poor old dog couldn't get into the car - even when I made him a little ramp. Instead of the drive I jumped on the train and just stayed for the day. We had dinner from a small Italian restaurant in town (take out, of course) and I fixed my Dad's Internet. It was broken! LOL! I still haven't received an email from him. I sure do hope he didn't break the Internet again!!!

That's about it...back at work...back to Sit and Knit...back to life after a super 1 1/2 weeks off!

It's the day before I'm off for a week!!! December 22, 2006

2006-12-22T13:05:00.000-05:00

It's been a while and I don't have any more pictures of my holiday FO's (yeah, yeah, I'm still working on two for the daughter) because I need batteries for my camera and have forgotten to pick them up every one of the thousand times I've been to the grocery store this week!

Enough ranting! I'm actually very happy because - see the title, above, (and except for my Giants who I thought would be at the top of the NFC East) AND one of my sisters will be in town for the holiday - without her wonderful husband :-( - but I'll take just her AND my baby daughter is home from college AND maybe (MAYBE, MAYBE) Dad will take the train down from NJ to join us. If you hear that the grand state of New Jersey has broken loose from the US mainland and drifted away into the Atlantic Ocean you will know that Joe has left and come to Maryland. I think he thinks he's what's holding the whole thing together!

So, the holidays! I get to cook this year - another thing that makes me happy. Susan gets in tomorrow night so we'll be having a late supper of crabcake sanwiches (yum). Christmas Eve is all about the pasta (baked...rigatoni...lots of cheese!!). And in our familiy Christmas is always roast beef (rib roast this year). The entire meat concept surrounding our holidays was always very exact: Thanksgiving (turkey - what else??), Christmakuh (beef), New Years Day (ham), Eastover (ham and noodle kugel). The summer holidays - burgers and dogs! Oh, and on the Eves - no meat, only fish and pasta. The combination of Italian Catholic and Eastern European Jewish made for some mighty good meals!

So , here's to a joyous holiday season no matter your persuasion or lack thereof!

And here's to finding peace in this troubled world of ours so that all of our brothers and sisters can be home for the holidays next year.

Love, R

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

2006-12-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...I haven't been on in a while. That's because I've been frantically (well, that might be a slight exageration) trying to complete all my Christmas projects. The problem is that I keep adding things to the list!

This weekend I finished a second pair of pedicure socks, two small accessory bags (I need three), a large buttonhole bag, and something else that I can't remember just now. (Pictures will follow when I'm at home.) I've started the Novella Socks (actually legwarmers) from "Knit Two Together" and they're coming along nicely. Still to go are a third set of washclothes, the third accessory bag and a throw pillow (that goes with one I completed last January!), and (possibly) a pair of those wrist-warmer thingies with a matching headband. I guess if I don't do anything else when I'm home I can get it all done... Maybe I should just quit my job... No, that's no good...I couldn't afford more yarn then and that would force me to knit out of my lovely stash. Nope, guess I'll just have to keep my day job!

As for my Giants, let me just go on record as saying that I hate the Cowboys and always have however, they did not win that game on Sunday. My Giants LOST it. I mean come on, where the hell was the defense? I don't think I've seen more missed tackles in a game since high school. AND, how many freaking personal fouls and offsides calls could the offense get?! AT HOME!!! But, at least my Eli is back! I've never seen him so animated - high-fiving on the sidelines, yelling at the line! I LOVE IT! I'ts what they need - now if only the rest could get their acts together... There's still time but not much! Let's go BIG BLUE!!! Hell, even the Steelers won! :-), SST.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

2006-11-29T13:42:00.000-05:00

Well, it's a week since Thanksgiving AND it's trash night! You know what that means...time to relieve the fridge of the last of the leftovers. Sad? Yes. But necessary...believe me!

We all know that knitting is cool. Now the concept of its coolness has been brought to the masses in an episode of the "Gilmore Girls" entitled "Knit, People, Knit". Last night the residents of Stars Hollow got together for a Knit-A-Thon to raise money to repair a dilapidated town bridge. A Knit-A-Thon, folks!! Everyone was slinging yarn from Lorelei to Sukie, to Miss Patty and Babette! Even Gypsy, the car mechanic lady! Plus, for those of you who follow "Grey's Anatomy" (that would not be me) I recently read that all of the women stars on that show rock the needles! If only my Mom were still alive to see how ultra-cool knitting has become. But, we always knew, didn't we?

Notice how I didn't mention my poor boys in blue. That's okay...we're only one game down (from two freaking games up!!!) and the Cowboys are coming to town. Let's get Romo!!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

2006-11-25T23:58:00.000-05:00

It's two days after Turkey Day and I finally have a minute to catch up. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving...my younger daughter was home from college, my youngest sister was in town from "Big D" and my dear friend, Nancy, joined us for our celebration! We had Fresh Whiskey Sours cocktails (thanks to the Barefoot Contessa) in honor of my family tradition. (I think it was the only drink my Uncle Leo knew how to make - but Barefoot makes it soooooooooooo good!) And then it was on to lots of food and wine. And more food and more wine! (And there was even more!!)

Monday is Katie's birthday but she'll be back at school by then entering the home stretch to winter break and being inducted as Vice President of her sorority (yea, Phi Mu!) I am always and ever proud of her!

Amanda, my oldest and living in Virginia, cooked her own Thanksgiving for herself and friends. Quite an accomplishment!

My sister spotted by Buttonhole Bag while she was perusing my stash (she's not a knitter and was mesmerized) and immediately coveted it! I took her to buy yarn that she likes so that I can make her one (only bigger than mine, of course!) She can pick it up when she comes back for Christmas.

I'm tired and need a week off from work but, you know what they say... no rest for the wicked! Hehehe!!

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

2006-11-22T00:38:00.000-05:00

And so it's two days to my favorite holiday! Why is it my fave? I don't know... maybe because there's no pressure to find the exactly perfect gift AND you get to eat a lot of great food! Now, that's my kind of holiday!!

Before my poor Giants went down in dismal defeat again (on Monday night for all the world to see)...WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ELI?!?! I think he needs a nice older woman to calm him down a bit! LOL! Anyway, before that, I was busy channeling my inner Martha Stewart and came up with this for my T-Day centerpiece:

Well, I think it's pretty!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

2006-11-14T15:48:00.000-05:00

"Stole" this from Large Marge - Here goes...

1.Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?

"They gathered on the veranda, as was their usual habit, watching the soft glow of paling color on the eastern cliffs."

2. If you stretch out your left arm - as far as possible, what are you touching?

My water bottle.

3. What's the last program you watched on tv?

Heroes

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.

3:45 PM (close 3:43 - When I'm at work I always know what time it is!)

5. Except the computer, what can you hear right now?

HVAC system blowing away.

6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?

Walked my dog (if you don't count walking from the parking lot to my office)

7. What are you wearing?

Ooh - that sounds dirty! :-) Black wrap dress and boots.

8. What did you dream last night.

It had something to do with Eli Manning - if only I were younger...

9. When was the last time you laughed?

Earlier today with a friend.

10. What's on the walls, in the room you're in right now?

Work junk and a map of New Orleans.

11. Have you seen anything bizarre lately?

Besides the Beltway drivers? No, that's enough for me!

13. What's the last film you saw?

Star Wars - the original one...you know the 4th one that came out first?!

14. If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money?

Set up trusts for my two daughters to be accessed at the age of 25. Tear down my Dad's house and rebuild it if he insists on staying where he his otherwise a new one near me (or one of my sisters). New homes for me and the rest of the fam. Do good with the rest...mostly for women and mostly local, although some might go to the Gates Foundation or Bono to fight AIDS in Africa.

15. Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know.

I a pretty big blabber-mouth...There's not much left to tell!

16. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt - what would it be?

Religion - gone!

17. Do you like dancing?

Yup.

18. George Bush?

We only have to put up with him for 2 more years, but his legacy will, unfortunately, live on.

19. What do you want your children's names to be, girl/boy?

Well, since I have two girls, I guess I wanted their names to be Amanda and Katherine (Katie). If I had a boy he was supposed to be called Max after my maternal grandfather.

20. Would you ever consider living abroad?

Absolutely!

21. What do you want God to tell you, when you come to heaven?

You done good, Kid!

22. Who should do this meme?

Everyone and anyone.

Veteran's Day, Friday, November 10, 2006

2006-11-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

First - Thank you to all the women and men who have served and continue to serve our country so valiantly. This, of course, includes Dad who at the ripe-old age of seventeen enlisted in the US Marine Corps during the height of WWII!

Okay, dears, are you happy?? I'm posting!! Yeah, yeah it's been a while - stop nagging! :-)

I'm am despondent; I am depressed; I am inconsolable! My poor Giants are dropping like flies...Michael is out 2-4 weeks, Arrington is gone, and Osi will probably not play Sunday night! There goes the defense! AND, Plaxico's back has been acting up and Amani - out for the season! Who the hell is Eli going to throw to? Or rather, to whom is Eli going to throw? Better! T iki, for sure and Shockey! But, Jeremy's only had one good game so far (last week). And we've got The Bears in a flex game on Sunday night for all the world to see! Oh well, no worries - Big Blue will come through. Bye-bye Rex Grossman! :-)

On a lighter note, went to Stitches East on Saturday afternoon. I got lots of pretty things from Brooks Farm (Texas), A Good Yarn (Baltimore), Tess (Maine - with a free mini-jar of jam that was fantastic!) and more. Here's a picture of some of my goodies. Please note the absence of the beautiful ribbon I bought from Tess. When they say DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WIND THIS AROUND A CHAIR...YOU MUST USE ANOTHER PERSON TO HOLD THE YARN - you should really believe them!

And, on another happy note, Javajem and I both finished our Clapotis! I really like mine even though it sheds a bit. It's made from Paton's SWS (Soy Wool Stripes). And I am now faced with that age-old question - To block or not to block? The jury is still out on this one.

So that's that for today. Holiday from work so if I can manage to ignore the housework I should be catching up on (no worries there), I'll be knitting away today...although I should probably go food shopping!

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T21:43:00.000-05:00

My daughter and her BF carved a great pumpkin for me this year...and I got ALL the seeds!

And here's a little something I've been working on (between other projects and handing out candy.) Javajem inspired me to do a Clapotis...can't wait to start dropping stitches!!

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

2006-10-24T08:01:00.000-05:00

Woo-hoo!!! We don't care if you come with Bledsoe or Romo and TO was so-so!!! It's nice to be at the top of the NFC East all by ourselves!! GO GIANTS!!

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

2006-10-17T20:56:00.000-05:00

Here's a little something for my friend Tia's tiny baby, Joy (3lbs. 8 oz.):

I hope Joy likes it!!

Monday, October 16, 2006

2006-10-16T18:44:00.000-05:00

We had a great day at the Knit-A-Thon last Saturday. Lots of scarves, preemie hats, chemo caps collected and worked on while we sat around the Lakeside Cafe.

I've finally finished the multi-directional scarf I started weeks ago and made a cabled headband to match. The yarn is the super yummy Tapestry by Rowan...beautiful colorways, beautiful hand:

I also went to a Stampin' Up workshop given by my friend, Diane. We had a great time and made three projects:

Friday, October 13, 2006

2006-10-13T07:26:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, here he is. The one you've been waiting for! The one and only Fred, the Wonder Dog!!

Isn't he handsome!! Quite the elder statesman at almost 12.

So here's some knitting. (Can you tell I got my new digital camera?) Now I just have to figure out how to make the pictures smaller. Uh, Jody, little help here!

I made up this cable sock pattern yesterday. Very simple, I agree, but I like the way things are progressing. I'm working with Austermann Step on size 2 dpns.

More to come...

See you at the Knit-A-Thon tomorrow!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

2006-10-10T09:41:00.000-05:00

We beat the Redskins!! We beat the Redskins!! Woo-hoo the defense FINALLY showed up on Sunday!

Okay - I'm better now.

It was a great weekend (we beat the Redskins and are 2-0 in the division...maybe I'm not really better, yet). On Saturday we drove up to Towson U. for Family Weekend. My daughter wanted us to taligate before the football game with her boyfriend, his family and his fraternity brothers. That was a great plan, except for the rain! We had fun anyway and then went into the game. Unfortunately, the Towson Tigers 4-0 record did not stand up to the Black Bears of Maine. At least we didn't get any wetter - we couldn't! After that it was back to K.'s apartment for a bit of crafting and then on to the Crab Feast. She loves those bugs!

On Sunday I finished the second sock in my red pair (while the Giants were beating the Redskins - have I mentioned that?) Well, they're not quite a pair anymore. I did the first one on fives and didn't really like the way it came out, so I made the second one on fours - much better. Now sock #1 is back to being a ball, but I'll get to that tonight. I also ripped back about five inches of a sweater I'm doing. Why is it that even if you make a swatch and your gauge is dead on, sometimes the thing is just too darned big. Oh well, that'll get back on the needles this week, too.

Yesterday was spent on chores and shopping. Need to start collecting things for my Secret Pal afterall!

Anyway, now I'm back at work wishing I was home casting on that second (third?) red sock...

...and yes, I know, my Yankees did not win. :-(

Friday, October 6, 2006

2006-10-06T11:44:00.000-05:00

Went to my Sit and Knit last night. I have to say that the women there have really made me feel like a part of the group after only two weeks. Ain't knitters grand!?

A special thanks to Margaret for confirming that my Rib-of-Doom sock is messed up! I'm starting the second one today and hoping for the best. Maybe I'll just have to rip out the first one...but my grafting was so GOOD! :-)

We're off to Towson University tomorrow for Family Weekend...tailgating, football game, Crab and Bull Roast. It should be lots of fun as long as the weather holds - it's pouring here in central Maryland today. But no matter what, it's still nice to see my lovely daughter of whom I am extremely jealous! She's taking an Art History class in Florence, Italy in June!! Three weeks in Florence, Sienna, Luca, Rome, Venice, the list goes on! I keep threatening to lock her away in a closet, steal her passport and take her place. I'll just tell the customs people, when they wonder about the picture and age on said passport, that I've been ill for a while! That'll work, don't you think?

Okay, Holly, I'll add to your list of charties with a couple of worthy causes I saw in the newspaper today (Life Magazine, actually): 1) For soldiers - www.theshipsproject.com/Home.htm (slippers, hats that can fit under helmets), 2) For the homeless - www.warmupamerica.org (7" X 9" rectangles to be used for afghans), 3) For premature babies - www.carewear.org, and 4) For troubled teens - www.binkypatrol.org. I haven't checked out all of these websites yet, but for folks who are interested, here you are.

So have a great weekend all! Holiday on Monday - woohoo!!!

Thursday, October 5, 2006

2006-10-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

There goes that Javajem again, dragging my sorry butt to yest another knitting related event. I am such a sheep! Get sheep...wool...knitting... Yeah, well, I'm tired, okay!! That's the best I can do!

Some more SP9 ?????
1. Where is your favorite knitting spot? My couch - the left end.

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead? Read, read, and read some more.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why? Paris - don't need a why for Paris!!

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it? I wanted to be an astronaut. I was obsessed by the space program and devoted an entire wall in my room to pictures, moon maps and newspaper clippings. I am not currently in the astronaut business.

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Mocha Chip

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

2006-10-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

As you can see, I'm still trying to find myself titlewise. I'll need to seek inspiration from the great Dali Blogga.

So now Javajem has dragged (hehehe) me into another knitting adventure...Secret Pal 9. I'm actually pretty excited about it and herein are my answers to life's buring questions:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Right now I'm using a 50-50 blend of Merino and silk and I am absolutely in love!! Otherwise 100% wools, cashmere, alpaca - you know, the cheap stuff! :-) What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Some of the cottons and other fibers that cut your fingers to ribbons.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Uh, store? What means store? I sort of scatter.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I learned as a kid - probably around 10 or so. My Mom, who was a WONDERFUL knitter, taught me. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? Probably intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? What I have is a watch list on eBay and I've been doing pretty well so far!

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) Candles - it depends on the season. It's getting to be spicy season but in the summer I like clean, fresh scents. As for bath products, I'm addicted to anything by Philosphy... can you say Cinnamon Buns Body Wash?

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? I'm more of a salty girl. Favorite candy? Godiva's chocolate covered strawberries.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I do rubber stamping (I make all my own cards) and I do most of my own home repairs, painting and the like. Do you spin? Nope - I'd like to give it a try, though.

8. What kind of music do you like? I like just about anything except rap and really heavy metal. My iPod has a pretty varied mix from country to show tunes and everything in between. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Yes, my computer can do anything!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Well, if you looked in my closet, you would say black, but I also love soft, fallish colors (browns, rusty oranges, golds, sagey greens). Any colors you just can't stand? Super bright yellow and muddy greenish-browns.

10. What is your family situation? I am a single parent of two daughters. Amanda is 22 and Katie is almost 19. Do you have any pets? Yes, Fred the Wonder Dog! He's almost 12.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes, yes, yes, never had one, but would wear one.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I've done lots of different things - I really don't have a particular favorite, although I'm really into instant (or as instant as knitting can be) gratification.

13. What are you knitting right now? Multi-directional scarf (NO. I'M NOT DONE YET!!), socks, preemie hat for a friend who just has a baby.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? LOVE THEM!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? That depends now, doesn't it? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Bamboo.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No and I really need a winder.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? 8 years.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Yarn, rubber stamps, purses.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? No, because I just buy what I want. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Interweave Knits, Knit, some online newsletters.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Entrelac, Fair Isle.

22. Are you a sock knitter? I'd like to think so although I'm really only on my first pair. My first two attempts are what I like to call "prototypes". What are your foot measurements? I'm a woman's size 8.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 03/22.

So that's me!

Later!

It's October - Yea!!!

2006-10-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

I really love October. It's my favorite month, except for the ones in which I receive gifts! :-)

Special thanks goes out to Javajem for the pretty button you made for me... Now, if I only knew what to do with it...

Well, so last time I was talking about my many started projects. I'm happy to report that the beaded bag (Best Friend Bag from Knitty.com) has been (mostly) completed. That means I still have to put to together, but that's just a minor detail.

As for the felted rug, well now, that's a different story. I know that many knitters have various philosphies about the sport, but here is mine: READ THE FREAKING YARN LABEL!! Yeah, that's it. Read the label - BEFORE you start the project. What I thought was a 56% wool yarn (which I know would felt because I made a bag out of something similar) turned out to be - are you ready? here is comes!! - 10% wool!! Guess what? There is no way that would felt - no way! I don't know where my head was when I bought the stuff! I know I was trying to cheap out because, afterall, I was going to walk on the stupid thing and couldn't really bring myself to make much of an investment, but I can read! Oh well, at least I only had 16 rows done and hadn't started my stripe pattern yet so I've got lots of full balls to return. So much for my grand philosophy of knitting.

I stopped by the Celtic Knot yarn shop in Ellicott City, MD on Sunday. It's a very nice shop with extremely helpful staff. They didn't have what I needed for the sweater I'm contemplating - it's in a freaky gauge - but that's okay - I'll be back anyway.

My Giants had a bye this weekend (for the uninitiated, that means they didn't play), but the other two teams in their division that had games won (Philly plays tonight). That means they have to win next week when they play the yucky Washington Redskins (a division game) who, as much as I hate to admit it, looked pretty good yesterday.

Okay, so now that the bag is done-ish and the rug is kaput, it think I'll make a PAIR of socks! He-he-he. Not for him, though!! The dirty sock-basher! :-)

Cheers!

September 29, 2006

2006-09-29T08:19:00.000-05:00

So I went to my first Sit & Knit last night! It was fun to sit around and chat, knit, share projects, etc. The women in the group are very funny and smart - I wonder why I was there?! :-) Of course by the time we had to leave we were in the middle of a huge downpour...Fall is here!!

I've been working on a small beaded bag that I started at last weeks Sunday in the Salon at Woolwinders. It's in its fifth iteration! Yes, I string beads and knit and rip, knit and rip. Then I lose those beads and string some new ones and knit and rip, knit and rip. This time I am not ripping! No matter what, I will finish it as it is! Actually, it's looking pretty good.

I'm also working on, what will be, a felted throw rug and I've still got my multi-directional scarf going. I'm easily bored, as you can see!

Plus - I got the "What about the other sock?" routine again last night! AGH!! He just doesn't get it, does he? So few on them do...

Day Two

2006-09-27T10:51:00.000-05:00

I guess I'd better come up with some catchier titles.!

I dug out a bunch of completed (I can't believe it because I never finish anything!) projects. Now, if only my daughter hadn't broken my digital camera when she DIDN'T drop it at college last year you could see them, too.

There's really nothing special in the stack - a felted button bag, a cabled purse and a super-simple ribbed scarf - but the thing is, they're DONE!! My boyfriend still bugs me about the one sock I've made - that's right, ONE! Not a pair...ONE!! I keep telling him it's just a proto-type, but he doesn't seem to be buying it.

Anyway, I've been knitting away in my depression over the Giants (NY football to those of you who don't know) loss to Seattle this past Sunday. It's very theraputic!

I'm going to my first Sit and Knit this Thursday, again thanks to the prodding of Ms. Jody! She's even gotten me to take a couple of informal classes at the wonderful Sundays in the Salon at Woowinders in lovely Rockville, Maryland. My mother would be so proud!! :-)

First Day

2006-09-26T15:02:00.000-05:00

Well, my dear new friend, Jody, talked me into doing this. I hope I end up having something to say!