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.
Friday, January 28, 2005
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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