I am definitely losing my grip on this page, despite still being active at TMWA, so I tell you what- I think I am going to incorporate the two sites.
So, if you want to stop by and take a gander at the goings on at TMWA, I will be posting all the knit-related goodness over there from now on.
Happy Holidays!
Jenna
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Crap.
Sweater Grrrl
OK, something has happened to the SNB website, so I need to look into THAT.
In other news, Magknits has come out with a new issue: check it out!
And- I am working on my first episode of second sock syndrome. Unfortunately, I think it's a battle I am destined to lose.
OK, something has happened to the SNB website, so I need to look into THAT.
In other news, Magknits has come out with a new issue: check it out!
And- I am working on my first episode of second sock syndrome. Unfortunately, I think it's a battle I am destined to lose.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
DONE!!!! Bhahahahahaaaaaaaaa!
Allright kids.
I finished it. (Despite reading most of the Outlander series in the intervening time as well.) It's shorter than it was supposed to be, and I refused to do the decreases on the sleeves. Oh, and I messed with the button placement. But the Einstein coat is done. Done, done DONE! Hallelujah! Pictures will be forthcoming. I always say that, don't I?
Oddly enough, I think it's more flattering on me than the existing pattern. It hits me right below the hips, instead of going down to my knees. Go figure. This is what happens when you don't swatch! (I know, I know.)
I also broke every single one of my vows and made a fluffy white beret. It's sooooo cute- I used a pattern from mag.knits, and just left off the snowflake chart. While I also thing think that the accompanying mittens are cute, I have no need of mittens in the winter in Fresno- thank heaven. I am all about the gloves.
Next on the list? I am gonna make some SOCKS, people. Well.......sort of.
Also, for those of you who don't get the knittyreader alert- knitty's fall surprises are up. Check 'em out!
I finished it. (Despite reading most of the Outlander series in the intervening time as well.) It's shorter than it was supposed to be, and I refused to do the decreases on the sleeves. Oh, and I messed with the button placement. But the Einstein coat is done. Done, done DONE! Hallelujah! Pictures will be forthcoming. I always say that, don't I?
Oddly enough, I think it's more flattering on me than the existing pattern. It hits me right below the hips, instead of going down to my knees. Go figure. This is what happens when you don't swatch! (I know, I know.)
I also broke every single one of my vows and made a fluffy white beret. It's sooooo cute- I used a pattern from mag.knits, and just left off the snowflake chart. While I also thing think that the accompanying mittens are cute, I have no need of mittens in the winter in Fresno- thank heaven. I am all about the gloves.
Next on the list? I am gonna make some SOCKS, people. Well.......sort of.
Also, for those of you who don't get the knittyreader alert- knitty's fall surprises are up. Check 'em out!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Makin' Stuff
Yea! I made something!!!!(Something that is not a coat.) Go figure!
In other news, the ladies want new Fresno-specific SN'B shirts. I am workig on a logo to bring with me to the meeting tonight- we'll see how it pans out.
In other news, the ladies want new Fresno-specific SN'B shirts. I am workig on a logo to bring with me to the meeting tonight- we'll see how it pans out.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Progress...
So, I have finished the entire body of the Einstein coat, and I am now working on my first sleeve. Oh god- I am so bored with garter stitch, I could scream.
In the meantime, stuff keeps coming up to keep me from knitting- like, oh, cleaning, and setting up my dandy new laptop....
Oh, and we have a new member of the family, as of today. She is yet to be named- any suggestions? This will give you a vague idea of what our behemoth looks like- except ours is turquoise and white, instead of red and white. It needs a lot of work and TLC...but I suspect I am gonna love cruising around when it's finally restored.
I am voting for this color scheme. I mean, dang! Wouldn't anyone?! My spoilsport husband wants to keep it original, but...after seeing that picture, I am not going to quite nagging about it anytime soon. (Turquoise and Black! Turquoise and Black!)
Anyway, the thing is a boat. You could fit about 4 bodies in the trunk. Not that I plan to, but uh, I'm just sayin'....we could baaaaarely squeak it into the garage. However, the thing needs extensive restoration, and I suspect voles are nesting in the upholstery, so this is going to be a long and exhaustive process. I will say that the chrome is still beautiful.
I got my Born To Knit T-shirt today! It is ah.....a trifle snug, but I am going to wear it tomorrow regardless.
In the meantime, stuff keeps coming up to keep me from knitting- like, oh, cleaning, and setting up my dandy new laptop....
Oh, and we have a new member of the family, as of today. She is yet to be named- any suggestions? This will give you a vague idea of what our behemoth looks like- except ours is turquoise and white, instead of red and white. It needs a lot of work and TLC...but I suspect I am gonna love cruising around when it's finally restored.
I am voting for this color scheme. I mean, dang! Wouldn't anyone?! My spoilsport husband wants to keep it original, but...after seeing that picture, I am not going to quite nagging about it anytime soon. (Turquoise and Black! Turquoise and Black!)
Anyway, the thing is a boat. You could fit about 4 bodies in the trunk. Not that I plan to, but uh, I'm just sayin'....we could baaaaarely squeak it into the garage. However, the thing needs extensive restoration, and I suspect voles are nesting in the upholstery, so this is going to be a long and exhaustive process. I will say that the chrome is still beautiful.
I got my Born To Knit T-shirt today! It is ah.....a trifle snug, but I am going to wear it tomorrow regardless.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
I have no excuse....
Damn you, amazon.com!
Once again, been setting the old credit card on fire. I was inspired when I saw Virginia's healthy book collection, and I had to make some new additions to the knitting library (and I also got that Outlander book she kept raving about!):
Knitting On the Edge and Knitting Over the Edge, by Nicky Epstien
Weekend Knitting, by Melanie Falick
The Gift Knitter- Knitting Chunky for Babies with Four Legs & Two, by Tara Jon Manning
The Knitted Teddy Bear, by Sandra Polley
World of Knitted Toys, by Kath Dalmeny
So, if you're wondering where I am, I am probably knitting....or reading about knitting. You just never know! I plan on bringing some of these to Stitch N' Bitch tomorrow night. The "World of Knitted Toys" book is especially cute.
Oh....and I broke down and bought THIS. Sadly, it will not be here by tomorrow, but I look forward to wearing it next week!
I'd post pics of the UFO's, but since they are both coats and therefore huge and it's impossible to see progress, it would be rather pointless. But I can say that I have finished the back of my Einstein Coat, and I have a few inches on the Pierrot Coat from the most recent issue of Vogue Knitting. Woohoo!
Once again, been setting the old credit card on fire. I was inspired when I saw Virginia's healthy book collection, and I had to make some new additions to the knitting library (and I also got that Outlander book she kept raving about!):
Knitting On the Edge and Knitting Over the Edge, by Nicky Epstien
Weekend Knitting, by Melanie Falick
The Gift Knitter- Knitting Chunky for Babies with Four Legs & Two, by Tara Jon Manning
The Knitted Teddy Bear, by Sandra Polley
World of Knitted Toys, by Kath Dalmeny
So, if you're wondering where I am, I am probably knitting....or reading about knitting. You just never know! I plan on bringing some of these to Stitch N' Bitch tomorrow night. The "World of Knitted Toys" book is especially cute.
Oh....and I broke down and bought THIS. Sadly, it will not be here by tomorrow, but I look forward to wearing it next week!
I'd post pics of the UFO's, but since they are both coats and therefore huge and it's impossible to see progress, it would be rather pointless. But I can say that I have finished the back of my Einstein Coat, and I have a few inches on the Pierrot Coat from the most recent issue of Vogue Knitting. Woohoo!
Friday, August 12, 2005
Wooly bully!
If you're wondering what the hell I have been up to....
This should give you some good idea: check out some yarn pornography (Recent additions to my stash.
As you can see, I have been busy! God Bless Flickr.
You can also check out the works in progress and stuff I have recently completed.
I think I need to get one of those "Yarn ho" t-shirts. I'm just sayin'.
This should give you some good idea: check out some yarn pornography (Recent additions to my stash.
As you can see, I have been busy! God Bless Flickr.
You can also check out the works in progress and stuff I have recently completed.
I think I need to get one of those "Yarn ho" t-shirts. I'm just sayin'.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Stash? What stash?
Sweater Grrrl
So, yeah, I went to Fiber Arts in Oakland.
Needless to say, I went back to hit the ATM- twice. I definitely went a little psychotic. I'll update this post with pictures as soon as I get around to it, but here's a brief rundown of what I bought.
Spun Banana Fiber: Man, this stuff is cool- it looks a lot like recycled silk, and I got three BAGS of solid colors: deep red, eggplant, and electric blue. Incredibly affordable, and really soft.
2 hanks of luscious snow-white mohair. I am thinking about dyeing it down the line, we'll see how I feel later on. I have this sweater I really want to make out of it, but the idea of looking like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man: not appealing.
Gorgeous variegated nylon ribbon: it's magenta, silvery gray, charcoal, and a deep purple. All at the same time! *swoon* One drawback- this stuff tangles like there's no tomorrow. It came in hanks, and I made the fatal error of attempting to make it into a center-pull ball. Yeah. I don't recommend it. I was still untangling 24 hours later. What a nightmare!
Recycled silk- of course. I bought from two different vendors, and I have to say- one was a better deal, and the other was better quality. Either way, I luuurves me some recycled silk.
Funky zebra novelty yarn: we're talking, black mohair, variegated black and white fun fur, and some silver spangles, all spun into one glorious milti-strand yarn. I know this sounds like a nightmare to you novelty yarn haters out there, and all I have to say is: if RuPaul were a yarn, this would be it. And yes, to me, that is a compliment!
Black polyamide blend fuzzy stuff: so soft. So shiny. Two hanks worth. Yum.
A Ball winder! FINALLY. I have been winding like a fiend. Once again, please read the disclaimer about the nylon ribbon. That stuff is way too slippery. Everything else, works like a charm.
Vintage buttons: for all the baby stuff I seem to be making.
Yeah- that's it- we won't go into what I bought at the yearly sale at Ancient Pathways. Or the TWO purchases I made at WEBS recently. Eek!
Um, yeah, so I am knitting!
One sage green baby sweater is ready to assemble. I have a panel started on the wine colored Einstein coat I am making. I have finished the back of the cabled baby sweater- and I need to go buy another ball of Trendsetter Yarns: Dune from Meg. The wrap needs to be longer- I guess this is what happens when you decide to wing it! I also just completed my first ever felting project, and the purse in question turned out to be soooooo cute.
So, yeah- busy, busy, busy.
So, yeah, I went to Fiber Arts in Oakland.
Needless to say, I went back to hit the ATM- twice. I definitely went a little psychotic. I'll update this post with pictures as soon as I get around to it, but here's a brief rundown of what I bought.
Spun Banana Fiber: Man, this stuff is cool- it looks a lot like recycled silk, and I got three BAGS of solid colors: deep red, eggplant, and electric blue. Incredibly affordable, and really soft.
2 hanks of luscious snow-white mohair. I am thinking about dyeing it down the line, we'll see how I feel later on. I have this sweater I really want to make out of it, but the idea of looking like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man: not appealing.
Gorgeous variegated nylon ribbon: it's magenta, silvery gray, charcoal, and a deep purple. All at the same time! *swoon* One drawback- this stuff tangles like there's no tomorrow. It came in hanks, and I made the fatal error of attempting to make it into a center-pull ball. Yeah. I don't recommend it. I was still untangling 24 hours later. What a nightmare!
Recycled silk- of course. I bought from two different vendors, and I have to say- one was a better deal, and the other was better quality. Either way, I luuurves me some recycled silk.
Funky zebra novelty yarn: we're talking, black mohair, variegated black and white fun fur, and some silver spangles, all spun into one glorious milti-strand yarn. I know this sounds like a nightmare to you novelty yarn haters out there, and all I have to say is: if RuPaul were a yarn, this would be it. And yes, to me, that is a compliment!
Black polyamide blend fuzzy stuff: so soft. So shiny. Two hanks worth. Yum.
A Ball winder! FINALLY. I have been winding like a fiend. Once again, please read the disclaimer about the nylon ribbon. That stuff is way too slippery. Everything else, works like a charm.
Vintage buttons: for all the baby stuff I seem to be making.
Yeah- that's it- we won't go into what I bought at the yearly sale at Ancient Pathways. Or the TWO purchases I made at WEBS recently. Eek!
Um, yeah, so I am knitting!
One sage green baby sweater is ready to assemble. I have a panel started on the wine colored Einstein coat I am making. I have finished the back of the cabled baby sweater- and I need to go buy another ball of Trendsetter Yarns: Dune from Meg. The wrap needs to be longer- I guess this is what happens when you decide to wing it! I also just completed my first ever felting project, and the purse in question turned out to be soooooo cute.
So, yeah- busy, busy, busy.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Knitting article in the Clovis Independent!
Sweater Grrrl
For anyone whose interested, this came out on July 1st- considering that I think the interview was more that two months ago (!)
But I am quoted kind of extensively, and so is Jeanette from Stitch N' Bitch. I think they mis-attributed the thing about football to me, however. I actually found a man who doesn't watch the stuff. (No, you can't have him, he's mine!) Unless it sounded like "football" when I said, "The History Channel."
Also- Stitch N' Bitch is referred to....but not by name. I think they were afraid that the good citizens of Clovis might be a little scandalized by our freedom with "the B word".
Anyway, here's the link. Enjoy!
For anyone whose interested, this came out on July 1st- considering that I think the interview was more that two months ago (!)
But I am quoted kind of extensively, and so is Jeanette from Stitch N' Bitch. I think they mis-attributed the thing about football to me, however. I actually found a man who doesn't watch the stuff. (No, you can't have him, he's mine!) Unless it sounded like "football" when I said, "The History Channel."
Also- Stitch N' Bitch is referred to....but not by name. I think they were afraid that the good citizens of Clovis might be a little scandalized by our freedom with "the B word".
Anyway, here's the link. Enjoy!
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Back from the dead- and other minor miracles
Sweater Grrrl
Holy Toledo- it's been two months. TWO MONTHS. No wonder I am getting freaked-out e-mails...although, I would definitely feel the love if I ever got any comments. I know people read this, dammit!
Ahem. OK, temper tantrums aside- I read some of my "I am so frustrated with work" posts, and I just want to hurl. I cannot believe how much things have changed. How much better I feel, and how much more positive my outlook seems to be.
Indeed, I think the buddies who used to depend on me for mordant wit are a little disappointed with the "kinder, gentler" me.
Soooo much is going on!
Knitwise: (kwise?)
Wow, I have been knitting a lot. I need to open up a flickr acct so I can share the love. Uh...I have made 10,000 iPod cozys, a recycled silk purse, a black Fun Fur stole for wintertime, a ribbon and mohair wrap (actually, two- one in brights, and one in black and white), and am in the process of making a yummy beret out of Berocco Furz.
Yes, I abandoned the red cape again. It is just way to damn hot in this town.
I also have an experimental "penguin project" in progress- however, he is my first encounter with short row shaping, and uh...he sort of looks like he has, "special needs".
He is definitely kind of lopsided and lump-esque, but I still love him. I am not sure if I am brave enough to submit him for inspection, as my husband likes to mock his appearance. Hmph.
I start teaching classes to make the fun fur techno-cozies at Michael's next month. I am sort of excited, yet terrified. And I am going to Fiber Arts next month as well!
Gawd, looking at my July calendar- There's stuff going on every weekend. Fiber Arts, co-throwing a baby shower for a friend in Woodland, Fiber Arts, teaching two knitting classes, and then takiing a few days to go to the coast with hubby for Anniversary number three.
Ok, it's late, and I am getting tired just thinking about all this!
Holy Toledo- it's been two months. TWO MONTHS. No wonder I am getting freaked-out e-mails...although, I would definitely feel the love if I ever got any comments. I know people read this, dammit!
Ahem. OK, temper tantrums aside- I read some of my "I am so frustrated with work" posts, and I just want to hurl. I cannot believe how much things have changed. How much better I feel, and how much more positive my outlook seems to be.
Indeed, I think the buddies who used to depend on me for mordant wit are a little disappointed with the "kinder, gentler" me.
Soooo much is going on!
Knitwise: (kwise?)
Wow, I have been knitting a lot. I need to open up a flickr acct so I can share the love. Uh...I have made 10,000 iPod cozys, a recycled silk purse, a black Fun Fur stole for wintertime, a ribbon and mohair wrap (actually, two- one in brights, and one in black and white), and am in the process of making a yummy beret out of Berocco Furz.
Yes, I abandoned the red cape again. It is just way to damn hot in this town.
I also have an experimental "penguin project" in progress- however, he is my first encounter with short row shaping, and uh...he sort of looks like he has, "special needs".
He is definitely kind of lopsided and lump-esque, but I still love him. I am not sure if I am brave enough to submit him for inspection, as my husband likes to mock his appearance. Hmph.
I start teaching classes to make the fun fur techno-cozies at Michael's next month. I am sort of excited, yet terrified. And I am going to Fiber Arts next month as well!
Gawd, looking at my July calendar- There's stuff going on every weekend. Fiber Arts, co-throwing a baby shower for a friend in Woodland, Fiber Arts, teaching two knitting classes, and then takiing a few days to go to the coast with hubby for Anniversary number three.
Ok, it's late, and I am getting tired just thinking about all this!
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Vacation, all I ever wanted!
Sweater Grrrl
So, I a. Quit my job. And b. regained my sanity. Amazing how that works! My last day of hel*cough* work was April first. April Fool! No, seriously. And thank heaven, because I swear, if I stayed there any longer, I was going to either eat my own head or commit a felony.
So, what the hell have I been doing? Namely, getting the house in order. It's taken two years to get this scary. I am following the tenets of Flylady - and my sink is now shiny. Which for me, is a major achievement. Sometimes, that's all I can manage, but it's enough.
And I am *gasp* writing and generally trying to live life to the fullest. I have also rediscovered how much I genuinely love my husband. It's amazing how much better we get along when I am not a stressed-out maniac. He seems to think it's worth the 50% cut in income to have a wife who is actually nice to him and cooks occasionally. Even if I am occasionally snarky with him for putting peanut-butter-encrusted utensils in my shiny sink.
So- Stitch & Bitch is now meeting weekly. Hooray! We had a small meeting tonight, and I am putting out feelers to some other local groups, so I can post info under "knitting events" on the SNB webpage. It's also time to go on a pilgrimage to the local yarn shoppe and say hi to Meg. I miss her!
I am making the time to knit- after dinner, I have my ME time scheduled. I am enjoying knitting while watching HGTV and have actually caught a few episides of Knitty Gritty on the DIY network as well. Good schtuff.
I actually revived the "Rose Red" cape project. I hate telling people I am making a cape. It just slips out, and if they are a non-knitter, they look at me like I am going to wear it with my Wonder Woman Underoos. Note to self- think cape, SAY shawl. Anyway, after I foiled my dog's attempt to unravel the whole thing, my needles have a few teethmarks in 'em, but it's going pretty smoothly, considering.
So, I a. Quit my job. And b. regained my sanity. Amazing how that works! My last day of hel*cough* work was April first. April Fool! No, seriously. And thank heaven, because I swear, if I stayed there any longer, I was going to either eat my own head or commit a felony.
So, what the hell have I been doing? Namely, getting the house in order. It's taken two years to get this scary. I am following the tenets of Flylady - and my sink is now shiny. Which for me, is a major achievement. Sometimes, that's all I can manage, but it's enough.
And I am *gasp* writing and generally trying to live life to the fullest. I have also rediscovered how much I genuinely love my husband. It's amazing how much better we get along when I am not a stressed-out maniac. He seems to think it's worth the 50% cut in income to have a wife who is actually nice to him and cooks occasionally. Even if I am occasionally snarky with him for putting peanut-butter-encrusted utensils in my shiny sink.
So- Stitch & Bitch is now meeting weekly. Hooray! We had a small meeting tonight, and I am putting out feelers to some other local groups, so I can post info under "knitting events" on the SNB webpage. It's also time to go on a pilgrimage to the local yarn shoppe and say hi to Meg. I miss her!
I am making the time to knit- after dinner, I have my ME time scheduled. I am enjoying knitting while watching HGTV and have actually caught a few episides of Knitty Gritty on the DIY network as well. Good schtuff.
I actually revived the "Rose Red" cape project. I hate telling people I am making a cape. It just slips out, and if they are a non-knitter, they look at me like I am going to wear it with my Wonder Woman Underoos. Note to self- think cape, SAY shawl. Anyway, after I foiled my dog's attempt to unravel the whole thing, my needles have a few teethmarks in 'em, but it's going pretty smoothly, considering.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Take Back the Knit!
Ooooooh, knit knit knit……
I finally sat down and knitted more on my next iteration of the Switcharoo bucket hat. This one is Black Thick & Quick Wool-ease- 2 strands held together. It’s a little thick, and I am in the putely experimental stages, but I am really liking the way that the texture looks. I am also going to get it together and drag out the red shawl for another go tonight, since it is time for knitting Meetup, boys and girls!
I totally flaked on S N’B this month. I haven’t updated the site since uh, February? And a lot of people have been e-mailing to reassure themselves that I am not dead.
I am just working on a lot right now. I am coming up with a knitting events calendar for the Fresno area, that lists what everyone is doing- so there will be a link to that on my website, where people can e-mail their events to me, so I can update it as I go. I also want to make a downloadable pdf of the SNB flyers, so if anyone wants to invite a friend, they can.
In the meantime, I am preparing for a trek to San Francisco! So I should be teaching my little sis (& possibly her roommate) how to get their knit on. Wish me luck!
I finally sat down and knitted more on my next iteration of the Switcharoo bucket hat. This one is Black Thick & Quick Wool-ease- 2 strands held together. It’s a little thick, and I am in the putely experimental stages, but I am really liking the way that the texture looks. I am also going to get it together and drag out the red shawl for another go tonight, since it is time for knitting Meetup, boys and girls!
I totally flaked on S N’B this month. I haven’t updated the site since uh, February? And a lot of people have been e-mailing to reassure themselves that I am not dead.
I am just working on a lot right now. I am coming up with a knitting events calendar for the Fresno area, that lists what everyone is doing- so there will be a link to that on my website, where people can e-mail their events to me, so I can update it as I go. I also want to make a downloadable pdf of the SNB flyers, so if anyone wants to invite a friend, they can.
In the meantime, I am preparing for a trek to San Francisco! So I should be teaching my little sis (& possibly her roommate) how to get their knit on. Wish me luck!
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Sweater Grrrl
Sweater Grrrl
Jeez. I haven’t had any time to get on here (or indeed, to update my site, or check my e-mail.)
Hubby has bronchitis. Cough cough wheeze wheeze! Doggie has been going to the vet almost every day to get his stitches checked and the bandage changed.
Knitting got molested by aforesaid doggie, and I ended up having to rip out a few rows of my cape (not to mention, try to unsnarl the yarn, which I eventually had to declare a complete loss.) Yeah, I was pissed OFF. I am hoping to get into it more later on tonight.
I just have a ton going on that seems to be building up on a weekly basis. I just wanted to reassure you all that I am not dead! I am just trying to focus on getting healthier and getting my life back together.
There have been a few requests for the hat pattern- I just realized that I didn’t include a gauge for it. Whoops.
Jeez. I haven’t had any time to get on here (or indeed, to update my site, or check my e-mail.)
Hubby has bronchitis. Cough cough wheeze wheeze! Doggie has been going to the vet almost every day to get his stitches checked and the bandage changed.
Knitting got molested by aforesaid doggie, and I ended up having to rip out a few rows of my cape (not to mention, try to unsnarl the yarn, which I eventually had to declare a complete loss.) Yeah, I was pissed OFF. I am hoping to get into it more later on tonight.
I just have a ton going on that seems to be building up on a weekly basis. I just wanted to reassure you all that I am not dead! I am just trying to focus on getting healthier and getting my life back together.
There have been a few requests for the hat pattern- I just realized that I didn’t include a gauge for it. Whoops.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Um...I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeVille....
Sweater Grrrl
Man, that is a huge-ass photo of my enormous noggin. Oh well. I refuse to be hard on myself, it's way past my bedtime.
Knitting Meetup went well, more on that tomorrow. *YAWN*
Man, that is a huge-ass photo of my enormous noggin. Oh well. I refuse to be hard on myself, it's way past my bedtime.
Knitting Meetup went well, more on that tomorrow. *YAWN*
The Incredible Switcharoo Bucket Hat Debut
Sweater Grrrl
I am so freaking excited.
I have been crazy busy- it’s like my need for knitting had gone dormant or something. I just haven’t had the time to sit and do it- even on my lunch breaks, I have been running home to check on my poor wounded doggie (to make sure he’s not ripping his stitches out or eating the weed whacker while he’s cooped up in the garage). I was planning on knitting on the trip to D-Land, but it was pitch black in the car both ways. Evenings, exercise or social stuff has kept me away from the house, so I just haven’t had an opportunity to knit much.
Anyway- on one of those social outings, Angela and I randomly went to Fashion Fair Mall. I hate the mall, and I haven’t been there since it was redecorated (I think that happened about two years ago). However, I needed to go to the Disney store to get my D-land ticket. (Wasted trip-evidently, they don’t have 1-day park hopper tickets at the Disney store. Word to your mother.) So since we were IN the mall anyway, we decided to check out one store, and there I saw...a hat.
I am not a hat person. Hats do not like me. I have a round face, a short neck, and completely out of control hair that frizzes out beneath any restraining headgear in a skanky metal chick kind of a way. Not attractive.
“Try a beret”, you say?
I’m sorry, but Ms. Monica Lewinsky screwed that one up for me royally. As another zaftig blue-eyed brunette, I get enough freaky weird comments from guys. I don’t want to enhance any kind of resemblance to the woman. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a compliment- she’s an attractive person.
However, the people who comment on the resemblance inevitably start off with, “Now don’t take this the wrong way…but has anyone ever told you that you look like Monica Lewinsky?” Then they leer at me like I just might have a fully stocked humidor and some kneepads in my purse. One guy actually pulled a picture of Monica out of his WALLET to double check. What the hell is that?! Can anyone here say ICK- what kind of freak-ass weirdo carries a pic of Monica Lewinsky around with him?!
So yeah. Berets are out. And I look great in cowboy hats, but- I am just not country. No, not even a little bit. Don’t even try to talk me into it.
So anyway, I finally found a non-cowboy hat that actually looked good on me. It was a black faux-fur deal- a nice “bucket” shape with a flare around the face. It was on clearance. There were also turquoise and pink hats that were similar, but were just a bit too small for my big huge head. I figured I would just go ahead and knit something myself that would work.
When I got home, I started looking for bucket hat patterns. Hello, gi-normous snag! Evidently, there aren’t any good bucket hat patterns online. I found a few that might work with major tweaking, but there was a charge for them. Oy. If I am going to pay $ for a pattern, it better be dead-on what I want to make.
After some deliberation, I arrived at the conclusion that I would just have to make my own pattern. I pulled out the new hat that I bought, and just went to town using it as a guide.
As serendipity would have it, I was trying to make a hat with 6 panels, and I didn’t knit a swatch. (I know, I know- shame on me). 4 panels ended up working better for those of us who are not the Jolly Green Giant. So I have two panels left over- but the finished hat is so very PERFECT. I can’t even believe it.
I did it all in garter stitch, using Jiffy Thick & Quick on size 15 needles. The hat holds its shape beautifully, due to the weight of the yarn and the creative seaming, and it needs only minimal blocking. You can cheat the angle of the brim to flatter your face, or even roll the brim back in a jaunty manner. You can also flip the hat inside out and wear it with the seams showing if you want to look a little bit rock n’ roll. I think I am also going to knit some flowers to pin on there, so I can sass it up when I am in the mood.
So, suddenly, my interest in knitting has been magically revived. It’s all I want to do right now- unfortunately, I have to actually do work. But I am going to Knitting Meetup tonight- hopefully, there will be a good showing! And I will be wearing the new hat. (Pics to be posted tonight…)
I am so freaking excited.
I have been crazy busy- it’s like my need for knitting had gone dormant or something. I just haven’t had the time to sit and do it- even on my lunch breaks, I have been running home to check on my poor wounded doggie (to make sure he’s not ripping his stitches out or eating the weed whacker while he’s cooped up in the garage). I was planning on knitting on the trip to D-Land, but it was pitch black in the car both ways. Evenings, exercise or social stuff has kept me away from the house, so I just haven’t had an opportunity to knit much.
Anyway- on one of those social outings, Angela and I randomly went to Fashion Fair Mall. I hate the mall, and I haven’t been there since it was redecorated (I think that happened about two years ago). However, I needed to go to the Disney store to get my D-land ticket. (Wasted trip-evidently, they don’t have 1-day park hopper tickets at the Disney store. Word to your mother.) So since we were IN the mall anyway, we decided to check out one store, and there I saw...a hat.
I am not a hat person. Hats do not like me. I have a round face, a short neck, and completely out of control hair that frizzes out beneath any restraining headgear in a skanky metal chick kind of a way. Not attractive.
“Try a beret”, you say?
I’m sorry, but Ms. Monica Lewinsky screwed that one up for me royally. As another zaftig blue-eyed brunette, I get enough freaky weird comments from guys. I don’t want to enhance any kind of resemblance to the woman. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a compliment- she’s an attractive person.
However, the people who comment on the resemblance inevitably start off with, “Now don’t take this the wrong way…but has anyone ever told you that you look like Monica Lewinsky?” Then they leer at me like I just might have a fully stocked humidor and some kneepads in my purse. One guy actually pulled a picture of Monica out of his WALLET to double check. What the hell is that?! Can anyone here say ICK- what kind of freak-ass weirdo carries a pic of Monica Lewinsky around with him?!
So yeah. Berets are out. And I look great in cowboy hats, but- I am just not country. No, not even a little bit. Don’t even try to talk me into it.
So anyway, I finally found a non-cowboy hat that actually looked good on me. It was a black faux-fur deal- a nice “bucket” shape with a flare around the face. It was on clearance. There were also turquoise and pink hats that were similar, but were just a bit too small for my big huge head. I figured I would just go ahead and knit something myself that would work.
When I got home, I started looking for bucket hat patterns. Hello, gi-normous snag! Evidently, there aren’t any good bucket hat patterns online. I found a few that might work with major tweaking, but there was a charge for them. Oy. If I am going to pay $ for a pattern, it better be dead-on what I want to make.
After some deliberation, I arrived at the conclusion that I would just have to make my own pattern. I pulled out the new hat that I bought, and just went to town using it as a guide.
As serendipity would have it, I was trying to make a hat with 6 panels, and I didn’t knit a swatch. (I know, I know- shame on me). 4 panels ended up working better for those of us who are not the Jolly Green Giant. So I have two panels left over- but the finished hat is so very PERFECT. I can’t even believe it.
I did it all in garter stitch, using Jiffy Thick & Quick on size 15 needles. The hat holds its shape beautifully, due to the weight of the yarn and the creative seaming, and it needs only minimal blocking. You can cheat the angle of the brim to flatter your face, or even roll the brim back in a jaunty manner. You can also flip the hat inside out and wear it with the seams showing if you want to look a little bit rock n’ roll. I think I am also going to knit some flowers to pin on there, so I can sass it up when I am in the mood.
So, suddenly, my interest in knitting has been magically revived. It’s all I want to do right now- unfortunately, I have to actually do work. But I am going to Knitting Meetup tonight- hopefully, there will be a good showing! And I will be wearing the new hat. (Pics to be posted tonight…)
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Revenge of the Creeping Crud
Sweater Grrrl
You guys can tell I've been busy, right?
I am sick. Again. I have been taking vitamins, supplements, Airborne,
etc. for the last two months. Then I guess I got cocky. The creeping
crud strikes again.
On the upside, the day at home allowed me to get back into knitting my
cape. It's definitely progressing (pix to come soon.)
Well, it looks like the Get Out! Calendar came out- there have been
about 125 hits on the site in the past two days, and that's the only
explanation I can come up with. S N'B is on the calendar of stuff to
do.
However, I don't see any article on the newfound popularity of
knitting.
Perhaps I should call Meg and see what's shakin'.
Ok- so I am just sitting here, eating my pomelo sections. This day
cannot end soon enough!
You guys can tell I've been busy, right?
I am sick. Again. I have been taking vitamins, supplements, Airborne,
etc. for the last two months. Then I guess I got cocky. The creeping
crud strikes again.
On the upside, the day at home allowed me to get back into knitting my
cape. It's definitely progressing (pix to come soon.)
Well, it looks like the Get Out! Calendar came out- there have been
about 125 hits on the site in the past two days, and that's the only
explanation I can come up with. S N'B is on the calendar of stuff to
do.
However, I don't see any article on the newfound popularity of
knitting.
Perhaps I should call Meg and see what's shakin'.
Ok- so I am just sitting here, eating my pomelo sections. This day
cannot end soon enough!
Friday, January 28, 2005
If it's Friday, it Must Be Thai Food...
Sweater Grrrl
Ok, doing slightly better…going to my ritual Thai food lunch today. Methinks I hear Garlic Chicken calling me....
Not doing knitting, however. I haven’t had a chance to sit down in ages. And when I do, I am going to have to figure out where I left off, and rip out two rows that I knitted into my cape backwards. Bloody hell.
I am suddenly realizing how far-flung knitting is becoming! My roomie from college got in touch with me (it’s been 5 years!) and there was a line in her last letter re: “knitting wobbly scarves.”
You guys know, this means that we are taking over the world!
I just had a semi-knitting lesson at Starbucks- poor Bobbi. I think I may have confused her more than she was already. But hopefully she’ll be able to put my instructions together with the illustrations that came in her knitting kit and figure out the process. We at least got her to cast on and to knit one row, so we are getting somewhere. I am due to visit my sis in San Francisco in a few weeks, and I am planning on teaching her then, too.
I got bored with the main front-page of this, so I just switched it. Hallelujah! It was definitely time for a change.
Meetup group is humming along, and it seems like the word has gotten out about the 10th for SN’B. However, I still need to get new flyers to Meg (perhaps tomorrow- if I can haul my lazy butt out of bed.) I have a lot to do over the weekend, and there are a ton of movies I desperately want to see before the Oscars. Hmmm….knit, clean, or see a movie. That’s a hard choice, actually.
Ok, doing slightly better…going to my ritual Thai food lunch today. Methinks I hear Garlic Chicken calling me....
Not doing knitting, however. I haven’t had a chance to sit down in ages. And when I do, I am going to have to figure out where I left off, and rip out two rows that I knitted into my cape backwards. Bloody hell.
I am suddenly realizing how far-flung knitting is becoming! My roomie from college got in touch with me (it’s been 5 years!) and there was a line in her last letter re: “knitting wobbly scarves.”
You guys know, this means that we are taking over the world!
I just had a semi-knitting lesson at Starbucks- poor Bobbi. I think I may have confused her more than she was already. But hopefully she’ll be able to put my instructions together with the illustrations that came in her knitting kit and figure out the process. We at least got her to cast on and to knit one row, so we are getting somewhere. I am due to visit my sis in San Francisco in a few weeks, and I am planning on teaching her then, too.
I got bored with the main front-page of this, so I just switched it. Hallelujah! It was definitely time for a change.
Meetup group is humming along, and it seems like the word has gotten out about the 10th for SN’B. However, I still need to get new flyers to Meg (perhaps tomorrow- if I can haul my lazy butt out of bed.) I have a lot to do over the weekend, and there are a ton of movies I desperately want to see before the Oscars. Hmmm….knit, clean, or see a movie. That’s a hard choice, actually.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
More SN'B Venue Nightmares
Sweater Grrrl
Welll….where do I begin?
I am so stressed out right now. For those SN’B-ers who follow this thing, I got a call on Sunday from Sequoia Brewing. Evidently Feb. 8th, when S N’B was originally scheduled, is also Mardi Gras. Which means, nobody is going to want to even go near the Tower District- it’ll be insane over there.
I am seriously beginning to think that this is not meant to happen! I just don’t want people to think I am a flake- but WHY on earth didn’t Sequoia tell me that the 8th was Mardi Gras when I booked the room?
So, it’s looking like I will need to move it back to Thursday. I thought about just moving it up a week, but that means it’s a week away- and I need more time than that to get the word out.
So, therefore- the new date is February 10th! Same place, same time. I am going to need to get new flyers together and send e-mails out to everyone on my list. Hopefully, this will make things a little easier.
I am also going to advise everyone to check the site or e-mail me a week before any scheduled S N’B event. Just to hedge my bets. If this happens again, I am going to start wondering if someone has hexed us! I also need to call the Bee and make sure that the date for SN’B is corrected on their events calendar.
Other than that- busy, busy, busy. I am getting in lots of exercise, and trying to work on a multitude of projects and keep my social life humming along. I have three projects that I am carrying around with me right now- the cover project, a cape, from the latest issue of Vogue Knitting. I am using a beautiful wine red yarn to make that. I am still stalled on the mohair sweater, and of course, I am planning on making another scarf.
I am also getting ready to give 2 or 3 “quickie” knitting lessons- my friends Bobbi, Desi, and Melissa (who is also my little sis) all want to learn. And since my friend Angela is working on a project with cables- well, I was inspired to get some cable needles of my very own. So I am going to need to find a project with cables in it.
Welll….where do I begin?
I am so stressed out right now. For those SN’B-ers who follow this thing, I got a call on Sunday from Sequoia Brewing. Evidently Feb. 8th, when S N’B was originally scheduled, is also Mardi Gras. Which means, nobody is going to want to even go near the Tower District- it’ll be insane over there.
I am seriously beginning to think that this is not meant to happen! I just don’t want people to think I am a flake- but WHY on earth didn’t Sequoia tell me that the 8th was Mardi Gras when I booked the room?
So, it’s looking like I will need to move it back to Thursday. I thought about just moving it up a week, but that means it’s a week away- and I need more time than that to get the word out.
So, therefore- the new date is February 10th! Same place, same time. I am going to need to get new flyers together and send e-mails out to everyone on my list. Hopefully, this will make things a little easier.
I am also going to advise everyone to check the site or e-mail me a week before any scheduled S N’B event. Just to hedge my bets. If this happens again, I am going to start wondering if someone has hexed us! I also need to call the Bee and make sure that the date for SN’B is corrected on their events calendar.
Other than that- busy, busy, busy. I am getting in lots of exercise, and trying to work on a multitude of projects and keep my social life humming along. I have three projects that I am carrying around with me right now- the cover project, a cape, from the latest issue of Vogue Knitting. I am using a beautiful wine red yarn to make that. I am still stalled on the mohair sweater, and of course, I am planning on making another scarf.
I am also getting ready to give 2 or 3 “quickie” knitting lessons- my friends Bobbi, Desi, and Melissa (who is also my little sis) all want to learn. And since my friend Angela is working on a project with cables- well, I was inspired to get some cable needles of my very own. So I am going to need to find a project with cables in it.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Where am I?
Sweater Grrrl
Well, I have been slacking. The reason being, of course, that I have not had time to knit much. But I do have some interesting news!
First of all, there is going to be an article in Get Out! which is a separate magazine-style section of the Fresno Bee. Evidently, it’s targeted at the 15-25 age group (although my interviewer kindly widened it slightly to 30, presumably for my benefit.) So that’s coming out- I think in February. There should be snippets of an interview with me, and I know he took some photographs of Meg’s shop. They are also including Stitch N’ Bitch on the calendar within the publication.
So, I am pretty excited! I wish I had more info about when the article will be coming out. I plan to scan it and post it on the website when it does come out, so you might want to keep an eye out.
I am all finished with the dog sweater and the fringey pink scarf- Photographs should be forthcoming. I am hoping to get one of the dog actually wearing my creation. I am actually wearing Fringey, the Pink Scarf today- and I am relatively satisfied with her, despite some issues with static cling.
New project- Sister-In-Law Scarf, Baby Hats, and a sweater for me! I found the sweater in knitty magazine- it’s inspired by an Edwardian tea gown, and it is beautiful. I am using a really beautiful mohair, which hopefully not end up making me look like a hairy beast.
So far, I have learned Crocus stitch and am getting more adept with my stitch markers. There are some weird ribbon roses on the original pattern that look (to my admittedly warped mind) like really ugly pasties. So those will not be making the transition to my sweater.
The Sister-in-Law scarf is in progress- I love having those projects I can just go on auto-pilot for- and the baby hats will be done on my knitting machine.
Why have I been so busy? I finally bit the bullet, and have decided to go back to WW and get back into shape with a combo of dog walking, exercise videos, and hitting the gym 3 days a week.
So between shopping for healthy food, trying to find a sports bra that actually works, exercising every day, and cooking the healthy food- well, my blogging time has been severely curtailed, and I am literally falling asleep over my knitting. Hopefully my body will adjust soon, because this sweater is just not going to knit itself.
Well, I have been slacking. The reason being, of course, that I have not had time to knit much. But I do have some interesting news!
First of all, there is going to be an article in Get Out! which is a separate magazine-style section of the Fresno Bee. Evidently, it’s targeted at the 15-25 age group (although my interviewer kindly widened it slightly to 30, presumably for my benefit.) So that’s coming out- I think in February. There should be snippets of an interview with me, and I know he took some photographs of Meg’s shop. They are also including Stitch N’ Bitch on the calendar within the publication.
So, I am pretty excited! I wish I had more info about when the article will be coming out. I plan to scan it and post it on the website when it does come out, so you might want to keep an eye out.
I am all finished with the dog sweater and the fringey pink scarf- Photographs should be forthcoming. I am hoping to get one of the dog actually wearing my creation. I am actually wearing Fringey, the Pink Scarf today- and I am relatively satisfied with her, despite some issues with static cling.
New project- Sister-In-Law Scarf, Baby Hats, and a sweater for me! I found the sweater in knitty magazine- it’s inspired by an Edwardian tea gown, and it is beautiful. I am using a really beautiful mohair, which hopefully not end up making me look like a hairy beast.
So far, I have learned Crocus stitch and am getting more adept with my stitch markers. There are some weird ribbon roses on the original pattern that look (to my admittedly warped mind) like really ugly pasties. So those will not be making the transition to my sweater.
The Sister-in-Law scarf is in progress- I love having those projects I can just go on auto-pilot for- and the baby hats will be done on my knitting machine.
Why have I been so busy? I finally bit the bullet, and have decided to go back to WW and get back into shape with a combo of dog walking, exercise videos, and hitting the gym 3 days a week.
So between shopping for healthy food, trying to find a sports bra that actually works, exercising every day, and cooking the healthy food- well, my blogging time has been severely curtailed, and I am literally falling asleep over my knitting. Hopefully my body will adjust soon, because this sweater is just not going to knit itself.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
New SN'B Info, and some random babbling...
Sweater Grrrl
I love, love, love, this new yarn- It’s ggh (I think) Esprit, in a beautiful soft pink. It’s made from nylon, and it is the softest thing ever, as well as being very light. So, a good choice for a scarf. It’s knitting up pretty fast on my size 13’s, and I suspect I will be done by this weekend, when I will be focusing on learning more with my knitting machine, making some more baby hats, and doing some long-overdue sewing. Yea!
I still need to sew the buttons on the dog sweater. Yes, I have been procrastinating, but I am just exhausted when I get home. The last two days at work have just been hectic- lots of running around and general freaking out. I fell asleep at 7:00 last night. I still need to take a picture of the damn thing before I give it away!
Hey- Jessica, or anyone else who is reading this and knows- is the baby here yet? Let me know!
Other than that- I got called in for another interview yesterday at work, and I think it went really well. This time it was for the H/R department, where I think I would be a really good fit. The pay scale is the same, it would be a lateral move for me, but I suspect I would be happier there and not constantly wondering if I need to be on anti-depressants! Anyway- you know the interview is good when your interviewer asks where you got your glasses. At least, that’s my theory. However, I am supposed to hear late today or early tomorrow, and the work day today is almost over. So I am getting a little antsy.
And, I just got off the phone with Sequoia Brewing- The next Stitch N’ Bitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM, Tuesday, February 8th. They remembered me when I called, which I think is hilarious. But we’re going to be in the back room this time, which should be quieter and have enough room for whoever is going to be showing up! So that’s exciting.
Other than that…I will probably post some pictures tonight and work on the website a little bit. The only thing on my agenda is getting a prescription filled. Maybe I’ll talk Alan into going to see the Aviator. What I really want to see is Sideways, but I don’t think it’s even made it to Fresno yet!
I love, love, love, this new yarn- It’s ggh (I think) Esprit, in a beautiful soft pink. It’s made from nylon, and it is the softest thing ever, as well as being very light. So, a good choice for a scarf. It’s knitting up pretty fast on my size 13’s, and I suspect I will be done by this weekend, when I will be focusing on learning more with my knitting machine, making some more baby hats, and doing some long-overdue sewing. Yea!
I still need to sew the buttons on the dog sweater. Yes, I have been procrastinating, but I am just exhausted when I get home. The last two days at work have just been hectic- lots of running around and general freaking out. I fell asleep at 7:00 last night. I still need to take a picture of the damn thing before I give it away!
Hey- Jessica, or anyone else who is reading this and knows- is the baby here yet? Let me know!
Other than that- I got called in for another interview yesterday at work, and I think it went really well. This time it was for the H/R department, where I think I would be a really good fit. The pay scale is the same, it would be a lateral move for me, but I suspect I would be happier there and not constantly wondering if I need to be on anti-depressants! Anyway- you know the interview is good when your interviewer asks where you got your glasses. At least, that’s my theory. However, I am supposed to hear late today or early tomorrow, and the work day today is almost over. So I am getting a little antsy.
And, I just got off the phone with Sequoia Brewing- The next Stitch N’ Bitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM, Tuesday, February 8th. They remembered me when I called, which I think is hilarious. But we’re going to be in the back room this time, which should be quieter and have enough room for whoever is going to be showing up! So that’s exciting.
Other than that…I will probably post some pictures tonight and work on the website a little bit. The only thing on my agenda is getting a prescription filled. Maybe I’ll talk Alan into going to see the Aviator. What I really want to see is Sideways, but I don’t think it’s even made it to Fresno yet!
Monday, January 10, 2005
*&^%$##@!!!!!!!!! LINKS & Laundry. (I'll be OK---really.)
Sweater Grrrl
Why aren’t my links working? Why? Why??!!!
I guess I am going to be tinkering around with them more tonight. For those of you who keep looking at the SNB page, please don’t despair. I need to go through my code and figure out where I goofed.
Ahem. If you do want to see the pictures, go to http://www.snbfresno.freewebpage.org/pictures.html . See, it’s uploaded, it’s ON the server, and so is the links page. But for some reason, the link on the main page doesn’t work. Can you tell it’s making me CRAZY?
OK, I will stop obsessing now.
I tried out a new café- Piazza Del Pane. It’s at Cedar and Nees. I wanted to see how it would be for Stitch N’ Bitch, or for the Meetup group, for that matter. It would definitely work for a smaller crowd than we’ve got- but right now it’s new, and therefore busy.
Lo and behold, when we sat down at our table, there were 4 women sitting in the comfy chairs by the fireplace, knitting and chatting and eating and just generally having a good time. And of course, one of them was Virginia from SN’B! And here I thought I was the first one to scope the new place out…! We had a nice chat and both kind of agreed that a smaller group would work there, but not the initial crowd we got at the first meeting.
Dog sweater is finito, happily. I just need to see the doggie before I sew the buttons on, in case the fit is off. I am a little paranoid: the area that his legs need to go through looks a little skimpy, and I hate sewing on buttons. So I am determined to get it right the first time.
I actually have quite a few projects going on right now- Not strictly knitting related, but as they will hopefully give me more free time in which to knit or increase my chances to be creative, I think they count.
Organizing my laundry space in the garage is one of them. I am taking the laundry equation out of my bedroom completely: since the floor turns (almost immediately) into a sea of clothing. See, it’s like this- I pull something out of the closet, decide that I am not feelin’ that outfit today, and lay it out on the bed. Hubby wants to sleep in the bed, throws the clean, unworn outfit on the floor. Dogs come inside, sleep on formerly clean laundry. Argh!
Repeat cycle about a million times, and you’ve got one hell of a mess, not to mention going through an unholy amount of Tide, electricity, frustration, and wasted time that I could have spent knitting. Or sleeping.
So there are now multiple dirty laundry bins in the garage, for ease of sorting. There’s also one “restocking” bin for clean clothing in the bedroom closet. Hooray! Now I just need to start sorting through clothing, weeding out the stuff that doesn’t fit (me) or is falling apart (Alan).
I am also determined to make my garage laundry space more functional by adding a drying rack, additional shelving, and a fold-away ironing board. I wish I could think of some way to make it less- well, like a garage in there! Short of finishing the whole thing, (which will happen eventually, but not in the near future), I am at a loss. Somehow, I don’t think that scented candles or café curtains are going to do it. Particularly since there are no windows in there…
I went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought a bunch of sewing patterns on impulse- there was a 99 cent sale. Yes, I know that I'm a sucker, but I miss sewing considerably- and I figured that both dogs and the cats need beds, so I am going to whip a few of those out. I also found a great retro apron pattern, and a pattern for a fantastic knitting bag. And I am going to make a new needle case for my Lantern Moons.
Other than that- operation pink and black scarf is underway as of today. I think I am going to do solid pink, with the yummy yarn I got from Meg’s shop, with black edging and fringies all the way around. Very glam. I plan to make a matching head band if I have enough yarn left over. And uh….I bought different yarn for my sister-in-law’s scarf. I know, I know- it was just time to make something for myself!
Why aren’t my links working? Why? Why??!!!
I guess I am going to be tinkering around with them more tonight. For those of you who keep looking at the SNB page, please don’t despair. I need to go through my code and figure out where I goofed.
Ahem. If you do want to see the pictures, go to http://www.snbfresno.freewebpage.org/pictures.html . See, it’s uploaded, it’s ON the server, and so is the links page. But for some reason, the link on the main page doesn’t work. Can you tell it’s making me CRAZY?
OK, I will stop obsessing now.
I tried out a new café- Piazza Del Pane. It’s at Cedar and Nees. I wanted to see how it would be for Stitch N’ Bitch, or for the Meetup group, for that matter. It would definitely work for a smaller crowd than we’ve got- but right now it’s new, and therefore busy.
Lo and behold, when we sat down at our table, there were 4 women sitting in the comfy chairs by the fireplace, knitting and chatting and eating and just generally having a good time. And of course, one of them was Virginia from SN’B! And here I thought I was the first one to scope the new place out…! We had a nice chat and both kind of agreed that a smaller group would work there, but not the initial crowd we got at the first meeting.
Dog sweater is finito, happily. I just need to see the doggie before I sew the buttons on, in case the fit is off. I am a little paranoid: the area that his legs need to go through looks a little skimpy, and I hate sewing on buttons. So I am determined to get it right the first time.
I actually have quite a few projects going on right now- Not strictly knitting related, but as they will hopefully give me more free time in which to knit or increase my chances to be creative, I think they count.
Organizing my laundry space in the garage is one of them. I am taking the laundry equation out of my bedroom completely: since the floor turns (almost immediately) into a sea of clothing. See, it’s like this- I pull something out of the closet, decide that I am not feelin’ that outfit today, and lay it out on the bed. Hubby wants to sleep in the bed, throws the clean, unworn outfit on the floor. Dogs come inside, sleep on formerly clean laundry. Argh!
Repeat cycle about a million times, and you’ve got one hell of a mess, not to mention going through an unholy amount of Tide, electricity, frustration, and wasted time that I could have spent knitting. Or sleeping.
So there are now multiple dirty laundry bins in the garage, for ease of sorting. There’s also one “restocking” bin for clean clothing in the bedroom closet. Hooray! Now I just need to start sorting through clothing, weeding out the stuff that doesn’t fit (me) or is falling apart (Alan).
I am also determined to make my garage laundry space more functional by adding a drying rack, additional shelving, and a fold-away ironing board. I wish I could think of some way to make it less- well, like a garage in there! Short of finishing the whole thing, (which will happen eventually, but not in the near future), I am at a loss. Somehow, I don’t think that scented candles or café curtains are going to do it. Particularly since there are no windows in there…
I went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought a bunch of sewing patterns on impulse- there was a 99 cent sale. Yes, I know that I'm a sucker, but I miss sewing considerably- and I figured that both dogs and the cats need beds, so I am going to whip a few of those out. I also found a great retro apron pattern, and a pattern for a fantastic knitting bag. And I am going to make a new needle case for my Lantern Moons.
Other than that- operation pink and black scarf is underway as of today. I think I am going to do solid pink, with the yummy yarn I got from Meg’s shop, with black edging and fringies all the way around. Very glam. I plan to make a matching head band if I have enough yarn left over. And uh….I bought different yarn for my sister-in-law’s scarf. I know, I know- it was just time to make something for myself!
Friday, January 07, 2005
S'N B Rundown
Sweater Grrrl
All right, I am excited.
We had about 20 people show up at Sequoia Brewing Co. last night. Great turnout, we actually had to abandon our original room and move out to a bigger table in the main dining room (much to the interest of the people at the bar.) The staff was really accommodating, and cool with a bunch of crazy women (and Dave) waving knitting needles (and one crochet hook!) around. We even had a waiter who said he’d accept mittens or a beanie in lieu of a tip. (We tipped him in the usual manner, however.)
I had a blast. Met a whole bunch of new people, and realized that we had some friends and acquaintances in common. We made pacts (What’s said at Stitch N’ Bitch….stays at Stitch N’ Bitch!) My only regret was that there were so many people I didn’t get to talk to in depth- I tried to make it a point to talk to everyone, but it’s difficult to knit and circulate at the same time!
We discussed a potential change in time- I was leaning towards Wednesdays, but since that is a busy night at Sequoia (all-you-can-eat ribs and Jazz) it’s probably a better idea to stick to a Tuesday or Thursday. It seemed like Tuesdays were better for almost everyone, so I think that’s what I am going to try for the next time. I think the next meeting will be Tuesday, February 8th. I just want to check with a couple of people first, but that’s what I’m shooting for.
I did take some pictures, and I am going to try to get those onto the web page this afternoon. I actually got up early this morning to work on it, but for some reason my FTP software was on the fritz, so I will have to upload everything tonight. I want to update the site as well, to make sure to emphasize that ALL stitchers are welcome- knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, crewelwork- you name it. As long as it’s portable, bring it on!
It was hilarious when I got home. You’d think I had been gone for weeks. The dogs were rampaging and snuffling all over my knees, the parrot was hanging upside down and saying “Hellooooo” and whistling, and the cat was twining all around my ankles. The husband, on the other hand, was at the computer and didn’t bother to get up. But I forgive him, since he was writing a history paper that was due at midnight last night. Plus, he’s taking me out to Thai House for lunch today (Hooray for Thai Food!) I guess this means I can be bribed.
YAWN. I had to be at work at 6AM today, along with Dave and all the graphic artists. I am soo tired- I got up even earlier than usual to update the website and get ready to come in here. However, I do get to go home early. So I won’t complain too much! Hopefully FTP will be working again by the time I get home. Hmmm…..perhaps I will swing past Ancient Pathways this afternoon! (seeing as I will have a little extra time on my hands….)
Two more rows, and the dog sweater will be ready for buttons and the appliqué to be sewn on. I think I am definitely ready to move on to a new project!
All right, I am excited.
We had about 20 people show up at Sequoia Brewing Co. last night. Great turnout, we actually had to abandon our original room and move out to a bigger table in the main dining room (much to the interest of the people at the bar.) The staff was really accommodating, and cool with a bunch of crazy women (and Dave) waving knitting needles (and one crochet hook!) around. We even had a waiter who said he’d accept mittens or a beanie in lieu of a tip. (We tipped him in the usual manner, however.)
I had a blast. Met a whole bunch of new people, and realized that we had some friends and acquaintances in common. We made pacts (What’s said at Stitch N’ Bitch….stays at Stitch N’ Bitch!) My only regret was that there were so many people I didn’t get to talk to in depth- I tried to make it a point to talk to everyone, but it’s difficult to knit and circulate at the same time!
We discussed a potential change in time- I was leaning towards Wednesdays, but since that is a busy night at Sequoia (all-you-can-eat ribs and Jazz) it’s probably a better idea to stick to a Tuesday or Thursday. It seemed like Tuesdays were better for almost everyone, so I think that’s what I am going to try for the next time. I think the next meeting will be Tuesday, February 8th. I just want to check with a couple of people first, but that’s what I’m shooting for.
I did take some pictures, and I am going to try to get those onto the web page this afternoon. I actually got up early this morning to work on it, but for some reason my FTP software was on the fritz, so I will have to upload everything tonight. I want to update the site as well, to make sure to emphasize that ALL stitchers are welcome- knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, crewelwork- you name it. As long as it’s portable, bring it on!
It was hilarious when I got home. You’d think I had been gone for weeks. The dogs were rampaging and snuffling all over my knees, the parrot was hanging upside down and saying “Hellooooo” and whistling, and the cat was twining all around my ankles. The husband, on the other hand, was at the computer and didn’t bother to get up. But I forgive him, since he was writing a history paper that was due at midnight last night. Plus, he’s taking me out to Thai House for lunch today (Hooray for Thai Food!) I guess this means I can be bribed.
YAWN. I had to be at work at 6AM today, along with Dave and all the graphic artists. I am soo tired- I got up even earlier than usual to update the website and get ready to come in here. However, I do get to go home early. So I won’t complain too much! Hopefully FTP will be working again by the time I get home. Hmmm…..perhaps I will swing past Ancient Pathways this afternoon! (seeing as I will have a little extra time on my hands….)
Two more rows, and the dog sweater will be ready for buttons and the appliqué to be sewn on. I think I am definitely ready to move on to a new project!
Thursday, January 06, 2005
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...
Sweater Grrrl
OK, today is the big SN”B day!
I got another RSVP last night- and I gave my first official knitting lesson.
Poor Dave- he was very patient with me! We went over knit and purl stitches, and the difference between stockingette, rib, and garter stitch. He was a great student, and I loaned him my size 15 needles on the proviso that he go pick up some Thick N’ Quick and keep on practicing.
I also got an e-mail back from the company that sells the Lantern Moon Needles- they asked me to send the broken needle back for a replacement. So I taped it back together and stuck it in an envelope. It looks- well, pathetic, actually! But I am glad they were cool about it.
In the meantime, I got another facial (yay!) and colored my hair. I am not sure how I feel about it, it turned out kinda burgundy (who knew that “Coffee” could be burgundy?) but everyone else seems to like it. And I finally figured out that the max time for dye on the ends of my hair is 5 minutes. Otherwise, they get fried and end up darker than the rest of my hair. Hey, it’s taken me 15 years to figure this out! Now I just need a new trim and perhaps a style update.
The doggie sweater is almost finished and the intended owner tried it on last night. It went pretty smoothly, despite him being extremely suspicious of the (still attached) circular needles. It looks really cute, although I am beginning to wonder how well it’s going to fit once I get the buttons on. I may add a few extra rows of ribbing along the sides to ensure a little extra wiggle room. Because trust me, this thing is snug around the rib cage. I am hoping to finish it by this weekend.
Next project- Sister-In-Law scarf. And one of my buddies at work wants me to make a baby hat for his new nephew. So I am going to be keeping busy! (Which is always the most important thing, after all)
This weekend, I am hoping to get all the Christmas stuff put away, in addition to everything that I bought on clearance after-the fact (God bless Target.) I found a beautiful set of great retro-looking holiday plates along with matching serving plates, etc. They are wonderful because they’re in shades of blue (rare in festive Christmas dishes, which seem to always be red), so they match all my glasses and the decorations in my kitchen. Hooray! I also found a small outdoor pre-lit tree and some fantastic ornaments, all at 75% off. Then I had to hide it all in the trunk of my car so my husband wouldn’t see all my loot and lecture me about compulsive spending. Muuahaha!
OK- I am going to need to run home tonight, get cleaned up, grab my digital camera, go to the (now defunct) City Café, put up the sign, and head over to Sierra Brewing Co. It’s definitely going to be a tight time frame. Ack!!!
OK, today is the big SN”B day!
I got another RSVP last night- and I gave my first official knitting lesson.
Poor Dave- he was very patient with me! We went over knit and purl stitches, and the difference between stockingette, rib, and garter stitch. He was a great student, and I loaned him my size 15 needles on the proviso that he go pick up some Thick N’ Quick and keep on practicing.
I also got an e-mail back from the company that sells the Lantern Moon Needles- they asked me to send the broken needle back for a replacement. So I taped it back together and stuck it in an envelope. It looks- well, pathetic, actually! But I am glad they were cool about it.
In the meantime, I got another facial (yay!) and colored my hair. I am not sure how I feel about it, it turned out kinda burgundy (who knew that “Coffee” could be burgundy?) but everyone else seems to like it. And I finally figured out that the max time for dye on the ends of my hair is 5 minutes. Otherwise, they get fried and end up darker than the rest of my hair. Hey, it’s taken me 15 years to figure this out! Now I just need a new trim and perhaps a style update.
The doggie sweater is almost finished and the intended owner tried it on last night. It went pretty smoothly, despite him being extremely suspicious of the (still attached) circular needles. It looks really cute, although I am beginning to wonder how well it’s going to fit once I get the buttons on. I may add a few extra rows of ribbing along the sides to ensure a little extra wiggle room. Because trust me, this thing is snug around the rib cage. I am hoping to finish it by this weekend.
Next project- Sister-In-Law scarf. And one of my buddies at work wants me to make a baby hat for his new nephew. So I am going to be keeping busy! (Which is always the most important thing, after all)
This weekend, I am hoping to get all the Christmas stuff put away, in addition to everything that I bought on clearance after-the fact (God bless Target.) I found a beautiful set of great retro-looking holiday plates along with matching serving plates, etc. They are wonderful because they’re in shades of blue (rare in festive Christmas dishes, which seem to always be red), so they match all my glasses and the decorations in my kitchen. Hooray! I also found a small outdoor pre-lit tree and some fantastic ornaments, all at 75% off. Then I had to hide it all in the trunk of my car so my husband wouldn’t see all my loot and lecture me about compulsive spending. Muuahaha!
OK- I am going to need to run home tonight, get cleaned up, grab my digital camera, go to the (now defunct) City Café, put up the sign, and head over to Sierra Brewing Co. It’s definitely going to be a tight time frame. Ack!!!
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Wacky Wednesday
Sweater Grrrl
Happy Wednesday!
Still working on the dog sweater. I was so tired when I got home last night- I grabbed a snack, curled up in my bed, started to read a book- and woke up at 9PM. Argh!
My size 5 Lantern Moon needles tragically didn’t even make it through the first 24 hours. One of them snapped on the diagonal while I was knitting at lunch, about 3 inches from the tip. There must have been a flaw- I wasn’t being rough with them at all- but I was heartbroken! I had to call my giftie benefactor and get all the order info so I could call the company. Hopefully, they’ll be good about this and send a replacement. I can’t see how they would be able to rationalize not sending a replacement, for heaven’s sake. The needles only survived about 15 minutes! Now, of course, I am worrying about the rest of the shipment. I really want to use it, but if it happens again, I may actually cry. This is making me cling more to my trusty old aluminums- those suckers don’t break!
Another thing to worry about- Stitch N’ Bitch is tomorrow. Angela, my partner in crime isn’t going to be able to make it- and while I have ample time to put up a sign at the original location, and then to jet on over to the second location, I am stressing out about it a bit. I also need to send out e-mail reminders today, for all those who have asked for them. I am having that hostess-nightmare “nobody is coming to my party!” freak out syndrome. I shouldn’t worry, because I know that Meg will be there, and some of the people that e-mailed me- I just hope that the news of the change in venue reached everyone in time.
Other than that, work is work, and home is home. The dog sweater is about ¾ of the way done. The next project is the sister-in-law scarf, and a few more baby hats (On the sweater machine, although details will be hand-knitted) I want to make some more cute baby hats in Homespun. Plain ones with pompoms for little boys, and then Knit.1 had some great patterns for knitted roses that I want to try on the little girl hats. There are also knitted details like butterflies and little flowers in SN’B Nation that would be adorable on these. Fabulous! I also want to seek out a few new hat patterns. I love making these, they are so fun, and I get a chance to be creative. I might try to make furry ones with fun fur next…possibly with matching fun fur booties. Which I think would be hilarious.
In the meantime, slogging along on the dog sweater. I’m hoping to finish it tomorrow night- but I need to find four cute yet sturdy buttons for the sides. I think I am just going to use plain buttons to make it a more “manly” sweater. It looks adorable on- I tried it on one of my dogs, who is a trifle bigger than the intended owner. WARNING: if you are trying a sweater on a dog who has never worn one before, have an accomplice hold onto the dog! Poor Bosco freaked out and took off running through the house, with the attached yarn ball bouncing and unraveling behind him. I have it on good authority that the dog that the sweater is for is cool with wearing clothing, but I can tell that both my wild animals prefer to be buck nekkid at all times. I won’t even waste the yarn on them!
Happy Wednesday!
Still working on the dog sweater. I was so tired when I got home last night- I grabbed a snack, curled up in my bed, started to read a book- and woke up at 9PM. Argh!
My size 5 Lantern Moon needles tragically didn’t even make it through the first 24 hours. One of them snapped on the diagonal while I was knitting at lunch, about 3 inches from the tip. There must have been a flaw- I wasn’t being rough with them at all- but I was heartbroken! I had to call my giftie benefactor and get all the order info so I could call the company. Hopefully, they’ll be good about this and send a replacement. I can’t see how they would be able to rationalize not sending a replacement, for heaven’s sake. The needles only survived about 15 minutes! Now, of course, I am worrying about the rest of the shipment. I really want to use it, but if it happens again, I may actually cry. This is making me cling more to my trusty old aluminums- those suckers don’t break!
Another thing to worry about- Stitch N’ Bitch is tomorrow. Angela, my partner in crime isn’t going to be able to make it- and while I have ample time to put up a sign at the original location, and then to jet on over to the second location, I am stressing out about it a bit. I also need to send out e-mail reminders today, for all those who have asked for them. I am having that hostess-nightmare “nobody is coming to my party!” freak out syndrome. I shouldn’t worry, because I know that Meg will be there, and some of the people that e-mailed me- I just hope that the news of the change in venue reached everyone in time.
Other than that, work is work, and home is home. The dog sweater is about ¾ of the way done. The next project is the sister-in-law scarf, and a few more baby hats (On the sweater machine, although details will be hand-knitted) I want to make some more cute baby hats in Homespun. Plain ones with pompoms for little boys, and then Knit.1 had some great patterns for knitted roses that I want to try on the little girl hats. There are also knitted details like butterflies and little flowers in SN’B Nation that would be adorable on these. Fabulous! I also want to seek out a few new hat patterns. I love making these, they are so fun, and I get a chance to be creative. I might try to make furry ones with fun fur next…possibly with matching fun fur booties. Which I think would be hilarious.
In the meantime, slogging along on the dog sweater. I’m hoping to finish it tomorrow night- but I need to find four cute yet sturdy buttons for the sides. I think I am just going to use plain buttons to make it a more “manly” sweater. It looks adorable on- I tried it on one of my dogs, who is a trifle bigger than the intended owner. WARNING: if you are trying a sweater on a dog who has never worn one before, have an accomplice hold onto the dog! Poor Bosco freaked out and took off running through the house, with the attached yarn ball bouncing and unraveling behind him. I have it on good authority that the dog that the sweater is for is cool with wearing clothing, but I can tell that both my wild animals prefer to be buck nekkid at all times. I won’t even waste the yarn on them!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Mmmm...Lantern Moon needles...
Sweater Grrrl
Eeeeeeh-
Back at work today. Feeling somewhat better. Evidently, all of Fresno is hacking up a lung- they were out of Airborne at Target, Trader Joe’s, and Walgreens! So I got some “Emer’gen-C” packets, which are supposedly about the same. I cannot help noticing that they are more fiscally responsible- Airborne is around 6 bucks for 10 tablets, and this stuff is about 9 bucks for 36 packets. Let’s hope they work! I do feel more energetic since downing the first packet in a cup of water.
On a side note- they have a “lite” version of Emer’gen-C. Considering that each packet only has 20 calories apiece…Why on earth do they need to make a “lite” version?! Granted, evidently Lindsay Lohan lives on the stuff. Which sort of makes me not want to drink it anymore.
Our culture is just weird.
Anyway, I just got the first part of my last Christmas gift sent to me! A whole ton of Lantern Moon Ebony needles. They are even the long ones, which I was not expecting. Somebody out there must love me.J The delivery totally made my day- these needles are gorgeous, I have been fiending for them ever since I first glimpsed them in Meg’s shop. And there’s evidently more to come! I am fighting to keep doing work- I want to keep taking them out of their box and gazing at them lovingly.
In other knitting related news- the baby hat has now been promised, and it’s looking like I am going to need to make a few more. I’m considering making a few more that look like fruit- for instance, a red hat with little yellow beads or sequins and a “strawberry stem” top. Oh, and I am going to the doctor today, so Pearl will get her shawl. Stitch N’ Bitch is coming up on Thursday, and I’m so nervous! But I think we’ll have a good turnout. I just need to remember to swing by the City Café and stick a sign on the door to “forward” people to the right place.
I have been knitting nonstop since I got sick. My one outing was to Barnes and Noble to pick up some knitting mags, and I managed to find knit.1, the new magazine from Vogue and Lion Yarns, among some others. I think I am going to review it for the website. There were definitely some patterns in there that I liked but…all they use is Lion Brand yarn. So if you are a fiber snob, it probably won’t be for you- then again, they do have a sort of “conversion” chart in the back that would come in handy if you wanted to use natural fibers. I am trying out a cute dog sweater pattern that was in there- except I am going to try to make the dog’s name in chain stitch rather than “dog”, which was pictured. I figured the dog and owner wouldn’t mind the washability of acrylic yarn! I have to admit, it’s harder to do than I expected- However, I am learning a lot as I go.
I also went on a jaunt to Michael’s to pick up some Lion Homespun for the dog sweater and a row counter for the Ultimate Sweater Machine and while I was there, I saw something that looked exactly like Berroco Furz. Except- cheaper?! I picked it up and squooshed it around, even, and it looked great, and the colors were good. I guess this is a sort of “trickle-down” effect. I was amazed.
Eeeeeeh-
Back at work today. Feeling somewhat better. Evidently, all of Fresno is hacking up a lung- they were out of Airborne at Target, Trader Joe’s, and Walgreens! So I got some “Emer’gen-C” packets, which are supposedly about the same. I cannot help noticing that they are more fiscally responsible- Airborne is around 6 bucks for 10 tablets, and this stuff is about 9 bucks for 36 packets. Let’s hope they work! I do feel more energetic since downing the first packet in a cup of water.
On a side note- they have a “lite” version of Emer’gen-C. Considering that each packet only has 20 calories apiece…Why on earth do they need to make a “lite” version?! Granted, evidently Lindsay Lohan lives on the stuff. Which sort of makes me not want to drink it anymore.
Our culture is just weird.
Anyway, I just got the first part of my last Christmas gift sent to me! A whole ton of Lantern Moon Ebony needles. They are even the long ones, which I was not expecting. Somebody out there must love me.J The delivery totally made my day- these needles are gorgeous, I have been fiending for them ever since I first glimpsed them in Meg’s shop. And there’s evidently more to come! I am fighting to keep doing work- I want to keep taking them out of their box and gazing at them lovingly.
In other knitting related news- the baby hat has now been promised, and it’s looking like I am going to need to make a few more. I’m considering making a few more that look like fruit- for instance, a red hat with little yellow beads or sequins and a “strawberry stem” top. Oh, and I am going to the doctor today, so Pearl will get her shawl. Stitch N’ Bitch is coming up on Thursday, and I’m so nervous! But I think we’ll have a good turnout. I just need to remember to swing by the City Café and stick a sign on the door to “forward” people to the right place.
I have been knitting nonstop since I got sick. My one outing was to Barnes and Noble to pick up some knitting mags, and I managed to find knit.1, the new magazine from Vogue and Lion Yarns, among some others. I think I am going to review it for the website. There were definitely some patterns in there that I liked but…all they use is Lion Brand yarn. So if you are a fiber snob, it probably won’t be for you- then again, they do have a sort of “conversion” chart in the back that would come in handy if you wanted to use natural fibers. I am trying out a cute dog sweater pattern that was in there- except I am going to try to make the dog’s name in chain stitch rather than “dog”, which was pictured. I figured the dog and owner wouldn’t mind the washability of acrylic yarn! I have to admit, it’s harder to do than I expected- However, I am learning a lot as I go.
I also went on a jaunt to Michael’s to pick up some Lion Homespun for the dog sweater and a row counter for the Ultimate Sweater Machine and while I was there, I saw something that looked exactly like Berroco Furz. Except- cheaper?! I picked it up and squooshed it around, even, and it looked great, and the colors were good. I guess this is a sort of “trickle-down” effect. I was amazed.
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