Sunday, January 30, 2005

making it last

blah- i hate sunday nights because i know i just have to go to work in the morning. however it was indeed a lovely weekend here in la. the sun was shining (even though it was actually kind of chilly) and no rainclouds were to be seen. i finally finished watching my dvd of maria full of grace. it was excellent and i am glad that it is getting some recognition from the oscars. i also got to go to two screenings for the ifp awards. kinsey was very good, with liam neeson and laura linney. my roommate told me that there was a lot of graphic sex in it, but really i didn't notice it too much. and just love liam neeson and laura linney together. but i saw the sea inside today and man, it just floored me. javier bardem plays a man who is paralyzed and wants to end his life legally. i just thought the story was so well put together. i didn't reall feel like they were taking sides one way or the other, either. i teared up several times and let me just say that i do not cry at movies. i just don't. i don't cry during extreme makeover home edition either. so call me a cold heartless bitch if you want but bardem at least got my eyes wet.

and did you see the new rowan stuff is coming soon? love love rowan. i should just get a subscription one of these days. the jaeger books look nice, too. that reminds me that i need to start my luxury tweed sweater soon. but i was good this weekend and worked on only stuff already in progress. who knows, i might actually finish something one of these days!

Saturday, January 29, 2005

secret pal 4 questionnaire

well i've joined secret pals 4. i couldn't help myself. it's just so much fun to get surprises and to give them, too. but here's my questionnaire to help out my sp.

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high- a nd/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
not a huge fan of novelty yarn but acrylics are good for baby stuffs and as long as it's still super soft and squishy, i say "bring it on!"

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
bought myself a learn to spin kit awhile back but still haven't had the time to really learn it. crochet skills are less than stellar.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
smoke, pollen, cats, dogs and dust mostly. even though i am allergic i still hug and play with dogs until i am too sneezy or watery to continue.

4. How long have you been knitting?
about a year

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
uh yeah, it's large.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
jasmine, apple, pear. basically fresh stuff that isn't too strong. i hate super smelly stuff.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
i think all of my teeth are sweet. i buy halloween candy just for myself (those kids have enough!)

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
photography (not really a craft but oh well)

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
i like indie/alternative stuff, popular, and folk stuff. faves at the moment- iron & wine, postal service, rachael yamagata, damien rice, garbage, aimee mann, elliott smith, the killers, etc. i can play mp3s on my computer.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
i really like all colors. brights are good and i seem to be drawn to green and purple lately. yellow's not my favorite but i still have love for it.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
i live in an apt with my roomate and her fish, kai

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
to be independently wealthy and to be creative everyday

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
rowan: felted tweed, big wool, all seasons cotton, manos del uruguay(gorgeous), brown sheep lamb's pride worsted, blue sky alpacas, noro silk garden

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
scratchy acrylic, anything called "eyelash"

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
mittens, arm warmers, scarves, sweaters, and cables

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
right now i'd have to say mittens and hats. so fast!

17. What are you knitting right now?
thrummed mittens, ribbed hat, cabled scarf, arm warmers

18. What do you think about ponchos?
they make me look short and wide. not a good thing.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
both

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
bamboo or addis

21. Are you a sock knitter?
not yet but i have some sock yarn that i need to bust out

22. How did you learn to knit?
friend taught me to knit, mom taught me to purl, and the rest was from stitch n bitch

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
um 8 months? a bikini i am making for a friend. she just moved to ny so i don't think she needs it yet

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
dogs (esp pugs), cows, sheep, frogs

25. What is your favorite holiday?
christmas and halloween

26. Is there anything that you collect?
comics, knitting stuff, photo books, yoshitomo nara stuff

Thursday, January 27, 2005

something to show

monica was right. my teaser was for my so called scarf made with lion brand landscapes. the landscapes is quite squooshy and soft and was fun to work with. i went up to a 13 needles to get a nicer drape and only cast on 20 stitches. it ended up about 5 inches wide and 5 feet long after a good blocking. you can get the pattern here, and i suggest that you go make one right now! this one is going to be winging its way to scotland as a late christmas gift.

and what's this? why it's another fo. they're the hurry up spring armwarmers from stitch n bitch nation. i started these over christmas but stalled after coming to the thumb gusset on the first one. i finished up that one last week and was able to churn out the second one in only a couple of hours of tv watching last weekend. just remember that you have to reverse (meaning mirror image) the chart on the left armwarmer. it's somewhat confusing that they didn't just print the chart in the book, forcing you to go out and make your own copy of it. oh well. other than that they were fun and fast. oh i used noro kureyon in #88, the same as the book shows.

hurryupdone

i am currently making a matching beanie with the leftovers from this project. yay for finishing stuff. i am going to try and be good and not start any new projects until i finish some old ones. so far i have:
bikini from stitch n bitch- bottom needs to be made and straps need to be put on the top
good ol' cabled scarf- i am over halfway finished with it
mom's squishy shawl- 3 more balls of yarn to go
brother's hat- i need to start and finish this but it should go fast

i am sure there's more that i am forgetting but hopefully i can actually finish some of these soon and then start some more projects. like socks. i need to make some socks.

tonight my roommate is making me and some friends a traditional german dinner (she grew up there) so i am looking forward to some schnitzel and strudel. ha that's fun to say.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

chill, dude

ok so i lied. no pictures of any fo's today. i was actually just too late this morning and didn't have time to get any good pics. but i should have TWO things to show you tomorrow if all goes well tonight. instead i thought i would post a pictures of the shoes i bought this weekend while in redlands. first let me show you what my current footwear looks like.

pumas

they are are their last leg, but i love them. the colors are so great! now look at the new shoes i bought:


yes, it's the fast times classic. i love that movie and i have been eyeing these shoes for while now. we ran into a vans store at the mall so i had to try them on. i was actually able to buy the boy's size 5, which is only $30! they didn't have my size in stock so they're ordering it from the wherehouse and are shipping it to me for free. i heart free shipping.

ahhh the a/c in my office is bonkers today and my fingers are numbing up just trying to type this. funny that it's probably 70 degrees outside. last note- just a teaser as to what i am gonna show you tomorrow.

cross

see you then!

Monday, January 24, 2005

mental

this is turning out to be a terrible morning. my boss reprimanded me again. i have been screwing up these past few weeks a lot and it's starting to annoy him, with due cause. however i think i might be sloppier just because i don't care as much about this job as i might have at one point. it's definitely time to move on. sigh.

i had a really nice weekend otherwise, though. i went to redlands to visit my friend who goes to school out there. went to a yarn shop in her area called the enchanted unicorn, where they were very nice. it was really funny though because my friend was really interested in a shop sample scarf and the yarn that it was made out of. the woman who helped us told us it was two yarns held together but she couldn't find them in the right colors. later we mentioned to another person that we liked that scarf and that it was a shame they didn't have it and she said that they did. turns out it was just one yarn and it wasn't out on the floor at all. we thought it was hilarious that the other (older) lady totally gave us the wrong info. but no harm no foul. didn't buy anything, but my friend bought yarn for two scarves. she finished half of one last night (it's sorta long and skinny) and it looks great. i should have an fo for you tomorrow so stay tuned for that. i also started a new scarf (all those dpns were killing me so i decided i needed something a little easier on the fingers) out of lion brand landscapes. i gotta test a couple of needle sizes before i really get into it but i'll try and post a picture later.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

man hands

i got up early just for you so i could take decent pictures of my thrummed mittens in progress. i started the thrumming part last night and just got addicted to it and the next thing you know, i'm up to the thumb placement. don't they make my hands look huge? and i have pretty small hands. i am sort of working off of yarn harlot's pattern but adapted it to my smaller hands. i think i may have made the thrums too big, though, as it's very hairy inside. take a look:

insidethrum

and next up is my mom's scarf. it looks pretty much the same as last time, only a bit longer. i still have three more balls to go on that sucker. woohoo.

momshawl2

and don't forget that today is not one damn dime day. protest the bush administration by not spending any money. do it! do it! (like in starsky & hutch)

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

attack of the thrums

i never new that wednesday was called hump day until recently because i have a friend who calls it that and i finally figured it out. i had monday off and it was HEAVEN, let me tell you. i don't even know when the last time was when I just had a day off. usually i am driving up to see my parents or doing some other exhausting thing when a holiday pops up. i thought about going up to see them last weekend but just didn't think i could take the drive again so soon. instead i hung out with my roommate and we went back to our old neighborhood to get a haircut at rudy's barbershop and caught a showing of the aviator at the vista, my favorite movie theater in los angeles. the movie was very good and didn't seem like 3 hours long at all. cate blanchette was divine as katherine hepburn. i didn't get much knitting done but i did start something new.

thrums

here are the thrums i made from my fleece artist thrum mitt kit obtained in a trade awhile ago. i had a bit of trouble at first tearing off the roving but i got the hang of it after a few tries.

twoballs

and that's the beginning of the cuff i started while at work. the ball of yarn was really big but not as big as my rubber band ball. i get rubber bands everyday from the mail person so i started a rubber band ball and it's huge. bigger than a softball and really heavy. i figure i can use it as a weapon against any really annoying solicitors. :)

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

peanut breath

just a wee update as i added something to the swap page. take a look and let me know if you are interested. it stopped raining today and the sun is out. traffic was still a punk but it's nice to see a bit of sunshine. everything looks so clean after the rain.

Monday, January 10, 2005

macguyver saves the day again!

what do you do when you forgot your stitch markers at home? why you pull a macguyver and make something up. i made a nifty little marker from a bit of koigu kersti at the bottom of my knitting bag. if only they could all be made out of kersti. that's the start of a beanie from noro silk garden for the boyfriend of my scottish friend. his birthday just passed and i thought i would send him something in my christmas package to her. i began this morning and work and now it's blocking on my floor.

coolbluedone
i am calling it the cool blue beanie.
details: noro silk garden beanie from this pattern
yarn: noro silk garden color 72 lot a
gauge: 5 stitches/in and about 5 rows/in
needle: clover bamboo 16'' circulars us 7
notes: i thought that the beanie came out a tad too loose, as i like a fitted beanie. but i am blccking it a bit smaller hopefully and my friend has a big noggin so it should be ok. all in all a great pattern and silk garden is lovely. it's got all the great colors of kureyon but a much softer feel. more desert island yarn!

also check out the stash page for updates on some goodies i received!

well that's it for tonight. it i so nice to have a working computer at home and a sweet new digital camera. i am off to watch connie and carla on dvd and then off to bed i go. night!

sheepy monday

my friend from scotland just sent me this picture of her famiy sheep at home in the snow. this totally made my day and will hopefully make monday more bearable. it's been raining cats and dogs here this weekend and the traffic to get to work today was terrible. why don't people know how to drive in the rain?

other than getting a little wet i had a really great weekend. one of my good friends linda was here for the weekend and we helped my friend celebrate her birthday. also did a bit of shopping, eating, and desperate housewives watching. she also finished a scarf she started way back in march. more pics to come hopefully later in the day!

Wednesday, January 05, 2005

the longest day of my life

i am dying here at work. it's so mind numbingly lame. however i did add a bit in the stash
page of the site. take a look. also want to give a shout out to my sp3 sarah who spoiled me rotten. sarah i got your package over the break but want to take a picture of it before i go on about how cool everything was. thanks for making me feel like a rock star! just thinking about it makes my day better. :)

Tuesday, January 04, 2005

only 3

yes another post and another picture! i love how my camera hooks up to the computar and is read as an external drive with no software needed. it's great. well my trip to joann was a bust. they only had 1 pack of size 9 dpns left and guess what? it only had 3 needles in it. um- i guess it would make a whole set with the 3 i have left but i didn't wanna go for that. and the store was just wiped out of yarn from all the holiday knitting. i heard one woman mutter, "why are they gonna have a sale if there's nothing in stock?" while another said,"michaels is sooo much better." ladies- take a chill pill and let the people restock after the holidays ok? but i did find these susan bates bamboo 7 straights on clearance. i got them for an extra 25% off so it came to $3.25. true it's not as good as finding a collection of needles at the thrift store for 99 cents but i'll take it.


g1
and here is a gratuitous picture of my dog gonzo. isn't he adorable? he used to be all black and now he's turning white. puppy love!

stripey goodness

you like how i am trying out my new camera? it's quite lovely and i have been taking random pictures all over the place. you don't even want to know how many pics of my dog i took at home. poor thing must be blind from the flash by now.

but this is a picture of something i started last night. they're the valentine's day convertible mitts from stitch n bitch nation. i am using lamb's pride bulky (loooooooove lamb's pride esp the worsted) in m145 spice and some leftover m04 charcoal grey i had. i've actually gotten further today and bound off the top portion of the mitten. now i need to make the flap and thumb- exciting.


momshawlcu

and this is a close-up of a shawl/scarf type thing i am making my mom from some really squishy lana gross yarn. i don't normally like boucle stuff but this yarn is delish! it's just plain 3 x 3 rib that is twice as wide as a normal scarf so that she can wear it as a shawl or fold it into a thick scarf.

that's all the bloggy goodness you get today. i am off to lunch and joann's to use my 40% off coupon on some new clover 9 dpns. i lost two needles at home mysteriously and i need to get more.

ps- i love macro and good lighting.

Monday, January 03, 2005

oh the joy

it's now 2005 (remember when it was turning 2000 and everyone thought the world was going to end?) and a fresh new year. i drove back to la last night in the rain, but it didn't take me too long and traffic was surprisingly reasonable. not like on thanksgiving when i wanted to poke out my eye with a wishbone. i had tons of stuff to carry up from my car last night. most of it was food that my mom packed for me , along with my newly fixed computer, my old stereo system, and YARN.

the christmas break was a really good time. i liked just having two weeks to hang out with friends and family. my family is pretty small (just me, parents, brothers and dog) so i don't have to deal with large family drama. however there was some sadness as my parents are selling our house. yes the house that we have lived in for more than 20 years is being sold. my parents simply can't afford the mortgage anymore and my brother and i don't even live at home. this news was very very sad and my parents don't know where they are moving yet. they want to move into a mobile home (one of those ones that almost looks like a real house and doesn't move) so that they will be free to travel and do other things. i might get to see the house again if i can come back for president's day but this might have been my last time in our house.

but i will try to be optimistic for 2005 and good things to come. it's raining here in la, which is a nice change. hope you all had a happy and safe holiday season.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

making it last

blah- i hate sunday nights because i know i just have to go to work in the morning. however it was indeed a lovely weekend here in la. the sun was shining (even though it was actually kind of chilly) and no rainclouds were to be seen. i finally finished watching my dvd of maria full of grace. it was excellent and i am glad that it is getting some recognition from the oscars. i also got to go to two screenings for the ifp awards. kinsey was very good, with liam neeson and laura linney. my roommate told me that there was a lot of graphic sex in it, but really i didn't notice it too much. and just love liam neeson and laura linney together. but i saw the sea inside today and man, it just floored me. javier bardem plays a man who is paralyzed and wants to end his life legally. i just thought the story was so well put together. i didn't reall feel like they were taking sides one way or the other, either. i teared up several times and let me just say that i do not cry at movies. i just don't. i don't cry during extreme makeover home edition either. so call me a cold heartless bitch if you want but bardem at least got my eyes wet.

and did you see the new rowan stuff is coming soon? love love rowan. i should just get a subscription one of these days. the jaeger books look nice, too. that reminds me that i need to start my luxury tweed sweater soon. but i was good this weekend and worked on only stuff already in progress. who knows, i might actually finish something one of these days!
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Saturday, January 29, 2005

secret pal 4 questionnaire

well i've joined secret pals 4. i couldn't help myself. it's just so much fun to get surprises and to give them, too. but here's my questionnaire to help out my sp.

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high- a nd/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
not a huge fan of novelty yarn but acrylics are good for baby stuffs and as long as it's still super soft and squishy, i say "bring it on!"

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
bought myself a learn to spin kit awhile back but still haven't had the time to really learn it. crochet skills are less than stellar.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
smoke, pollen, cats, dogs and dust mostly. even though i am allergic i still hug and play with dogs until i am too sneezy or watery to continue.

4. How long have you been knitting?
about a year

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
uh yeah, it's large.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
jasmine, apple, pear. basically fresh stuff that isn't too strong. i hate super smelly stuff.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
i think all of my teeth are sweet. i buy halloween candy just for myself (those kids have enough!)

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
photography (not really a craft but oh well)

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
i like indie/alternative stuff, popular, and folk stuff. faves at the moment- iron & wine, postal service, rachael yamagata, damien rice, garbage, aimee mann, elliott smith, the killers, etc. i can play mp3s on my computer.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
i really like all colors. brights are good and i seem to be drawn to green and purple lately. yellow's not my favorite but i still have love for it.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
i live in an apt with my roomate and her fish, kai

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
to be independently wealthy and to be creative everyday

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
rowan: felted tweed, big wool, all seasons cotton, manos del uruguay(gorgeous), brown sheep lamb's pride worsted, blue sky alpacas, noro silk garden

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
scratchy acrylic, anything called "eyelash"

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
mittens, arm warmers, scarves, sweaters, and cables

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
right now i'd have to say mittens and hats. so fast!

17. What are you knitting right now?
thrummed mittens, ribbed hat, cabled scarf, arm warmers

18. What do you think about ponchos?
they make me look short and wide. not a good thing.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
both

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
bamboo or addis

21. Are you a sock knitter?
not yet but i have some sock yarn that i need to bust out

22. How did you learn to knit?
friend taught me to knit, mom taught me to purl, and the rest was from stitch n bitch

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
um 8 months? a bikini i am making for a friend. she just moved to ny so i don't think she needs it yet

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
dogs (esp pugs), cows, sheep, frogs

25. What is your favorite holiday?
christmas and halloween

26. Is there anything that you collect?
comics, knitting stuff, photo books, yoshitomo nara stuff
Read More


Thursday, January 27, 2005

something to show

monica was right. my teaser was for my so called scarf made with lion brand landscapes. the landscapes is quite squooshy and soft and was fun to work with. i went up to a 13 needles to get a nicer drape and only cast on 20 stitches. it ended up about 5 inches wide and 5 feet long after a good blocking. you can get the pattern here, and i suggest that you go make one right now! this one is going to be winging its way to scotland as a late christmas gift.

and what's this? why it's another fo. they're the hurry up spring armwarmers from stitch n bitch nation. i started these over christmas but stalled after coming to the thumb gusset on the first one. i finished up that one last week and was able to churn out the second one in only a couple of hours of tv watching last weekend. just remember that you have to reverse (meaning mirror image) the chart on the left armwarmer. it's somewhat confusing that they didn't just print the chart in the book, forcing you to go out and make your own copy of it. oh well. other than that they were fun and fast. oh i used noro kureyon in #88, the same as the book shows.

hurryupdone

i am currently making a matching beanie with the leftovers from this project. yay for finishing stuff. i am going to try and be good and not start any new projects until i finish some old ones. so far i have:
bikini from stitch n bitch- bottom needs to be made and straps need to be put on the top
good ol' cabled scarf- i am over halfway finished with it
mom's squishy shawl- 3 more balls of yarn to go
brother's hat- i need to start and finish this but it should go fast

i am sure there's more that i am forgetting but hopefully i can actually finish some of these soon and then start some more projects. like socks. i need to make some socks.

tonight my roommate is making me and some friends a traditional german dinner (she grew up there) so i am looking forward to some schnitzel and strudel. ha that's fun to say.

Read More


Tuesday, January 25, 2005

chill, dude

ok so i lied. no pictures of any fo's today. i was actually just too late this morning and didn't have time to get any good pics. but i should have TWO things to show you tomorrow if all goes well tonight. instead i thought i would post a pictures of the shoes i bought this weekend while in redlands. first let me show you what my current footwear looks like.

pumas

they are are their last leg, but i love them. the colors are so great! now look at the new shoes i bought:


yes, it's the fast times classic. i love that movie and i have been eyeing these shoes for while now. we ran into a vans store at the mall so i had to try them on. i was actually able to buy the boy's size 5, which is only $30! they didn't have my size in stock so they're ordering it from the wherehouse and are shipping it to me for free. i heart free shipping.

ahhh the a/c in my office is bonkers today and my fingers are numbing up just trying to type this. funny that it's probably 70 degrees outside. last note- just a teaser as to what i am gonna show you tomorrow.

cross

see you then!
Read More


Monday, January 24, 2005

mental

this is turning out to be a terrible morning. my boss reprimanded me again. i have been screwing up these past few weeks a lot and it's starting to annoy him, with due cause. however i think i might be sloppier just because i don't care as much about this job as i might have at one point. it's definitely time to move on. sigh.

i had a really nice weekend otherwise, though. i went to redlands to visit my friend who goes to school out there. went to a yarn shop in her area called the enchanted unicorn, where they were very nice. it was really funny though because my friend was really interested in a shop sample scarf and the yarn that it was made out of. the woman who helped us told us it was two yarns held together but she couldn't find them in the right colors. later we mentioned to another person that we liked that scarf and that it was a shame they didn't have it and she said that they did. turns out it was just one yarn and it wasn't out on the floor at all. we thought it was hilarious that the other (older) lady totally gave us the wrong info. but no harm no foul. didn't buy anything, but my friend bought yarn for two scarves. she finished half of one last night (it's sorta long and skinny) and it looks great. i should have an fo for you tomorrow so stay tuned for that. i also started a new scarf (all those dpns were killing me so i decided i needed something a little easier on the fingers) out of lion brand landscapes. i gotta test a couple of needle sizes before i really get into it but i'll try and post a picture later.
Read More


Thursday, January 20, 2005

man hands

i got up early just for you so i could take decent pictures of my thrummed mittens in progress. i started the thrumming part last night and just got addicted to it and the next thing you know, i'm up to the thumb placement. don't they make my hands look huge? and i have pretty small hands. i am sort of working off of yarn harlot's pattern but adapted it to my smaller hands. i think i may have made the thrums too big, though, as it's very hairy inside. take a look:

insidethrum

and next up is my mom's scarf. it looks pretty much the same as last time, only a bit longer. i still have three more balls to go on that sucker. woohoo.

momshawl2

and don't forget that today is not one damn dime day. protest the bush administration by not spending any money. do it! do it! (like in starsky & hutch)
Read More


Wednesday, January 19, 2005

attack of the thrums

i never new that wednesday was called hump day until recently because i have a friend who calls it that and i finally figured it out. i had monday off and it was HEAVEN, let me tell you. i don't even know when the last time was when I just had a day off. usually i am driving up to see my parents or doing some other exhausting thing when a holiday pops up. i thought about going up to see them last weekend but just didn't think i could take the drive again so soon. instead i hung out with my roommate and we went back to our old neighborhood to get a haircut at rudy's barbershop and caught a showing of the aviator at the vista, my favorite movie theater in los angeles. the movie was very good and didn't seem like 3 hours long at all. cate blanchette was divine as katherine hepburn. i didn't get much knitting done but i did start something new.

thrums

here are the thrums i made from my fleece artist thrum mitt kit obtained in a trade awhile ago. i had a bit of trouble at first tearing off the roving but i got the hang of it after a few tries.

twoballs

and that's the beginning of the cuff i started while at work. the ball of yarn was really big but not as big as my rubber band ball. i get rubber bands everyday from the mail person so i started a rubber band ball and it's huge. bigger than a softball and really heavy. i figure i can use it as a weapon against any really annoying solicitors. :)
Read More


Tuesday, January 11, 2005

peanut breath

just a wee update as i added something to the swap page. take a look and let me know if you are interested. it stopped raining today and the sun is out. traffic was still a punk but it's nice to see a bit of sunshine. everything looks so clean after the rain.
Read More


Monday, January 10, 2005

macguyver saves the day again!

what do you do when you forgot your stitch markers at home? why you pull a macguyver and make something up. i made a nifty little marker from a bit of koigu kersti at the bottom of my knitting bag. if only they could all be made out of kersti. that's the start of a beanie from noro silk garden for the boyfriend of my scottish friend. his birthday just passed and i thought i would send him something in my christmas package to her. i began this morning and work and now it's blocking on my floor.

coolbluedone
i am calling it the cool blue beanie.
details: noro silk garden beanie from this pattern
yarn: noro silk garden color 72 lot a
gauge: 5 stitches/in and about 5 rows/in
needle: clover bamboo 16'' circulars us 7
notes: i thought that the beanie came out a tad too loose, as i like a fitted beanie. but i am blccking it a bit smaller hopefully and my friend has a big noggin so it should be ok. all in all a great pattern and silk garden is lovely. it's got all the great colors of kureyon but a much softer feel. more desert island yarn!

also check out the stash page for updates on some goodies i received!

well that's it for tonight. it i so nice to have a working computer at home and a sweet new digital camera. i am off to watch connie and carla on dvd and then off to bed i go. night!
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sheepy monday

my friend from scotland just sent me this picture of her famiy sheep at home in the snow. this totally made my day and will hopefully make monday more bearable. it's been raining cats and dogs here this weekend and the traffic to get to work today was terrible. why don't people know how to drive in the rain?

other than getting a little wet i had a really great weekend. one of my good friends linda was here for the weekend and we helped my friend celebrate her birthday. also did a bit of shopping, eating, and desperate housewives watching. she also finished a scarf she started way back in march. more pics to come hopefully later in the day!

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Wednesday, January 05, 2005

the longest day of my life

i am dying here at work. it's so mind numbingly lame. however i did add a bit in the stash
page of the site. take a look. also want to give a shout out to my sp3 sarah who spoiled me rotten. sarah i got your package over the break but want to take a picture of it before i go on about how cool everything was. thanks for making me feel like a rock star! just thinking about it makes my day better. :)
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Tuesday, January 04, 2005

only 3

yes another post and another picture! i love how my camera hooks up to the computar and is read as an external drive with no software needed. it's great. well my trip to joann was a bust. they only had 1 pack of size 9 dpns left and guess what? it only had 3 needles in it. um- i guess it would make a whole set with the 3 i have left but i didn't wanna go for that. and the store was just wiped out of yarn from all the holiday knitting. i heard one woman mutter, "why are they gonna have a sale if there's nothing in stock?" while another said,"michaels is sooo much better." ladies- take a chill pill and let the people restock after the holidays ok? but i did find these susan bates bamboo 7 straights on clearance. i got them for an extra 25% off so it came to $3.25. true it's not as good as finding a collection of needles at the thrift store for 99 cents but i'll take it.


g1
and here is a gratuitous picture of my dog gonzo. isn't he adorable? he used to be all black and now he's turning white. puppy love!
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stripey goodness

you like how i am trying out my new camera? it's quite lovely and i have been taking random pictures all over the place. you don't even want to know how many pics of my dog i took at home. poor thing must be blind from the flash by now.

but this is a picture of something i started last night. they're the valentine's day convertible mitts from stitch n bitch nation. i am using lamb's pride bulky (loooooooove lamb's pride esp the worsted) in m145 spice and some leftover m04 charcoal grey i had. i've actually gotten further today and bound off the top portion of the mitten. now i need to make the flap and thumb- exciting.


momshawlcu

and this is a close-up of a shawl/scarf type thing i am making my mom from some really squishy lana gross yarn. i don't normally like boucle stuff but this yarn is delish! it's just plain 3 x 3 rib that is twice as wide as a normal scarf so that she can wear it as a shawl or fold it into a thick scarf.

that's all the bloggy goodness you get today. i am off to lunch and joann's to use my 40% off coupon on some new clover 9 dpns. i lost two needles at home mysteriously and i need to get more.

ps- i love macro and good lighting.
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Monday, January 03, 2005

oh the joy

it's now 2005 (remember when it was turning 2000 and everyone thought the world was going to end?) and a fresh new year. i drove back to la last night in the rain, but it didn't take me too long and traffic was surprisingly reasonable. not like on thanksgiving when i wanted to poke out my eye with a wishbone. i had tons of stuff to carry up from my car last night. most of it was food that my mom packed for me , along with my newly fixed computer, my old stereo system, and YARN.

the christmas break was a really good time. i liked just having two weeks to hang out with friends and family. my family is pretty small (just me, parents, brothers and dog) so i don't have to deal with large family drama. however there was some sadness as my parents are selling our house. yes the house that we have lived in for more than 20 years is being sold. my parents simply can't afford the mortgage anymore and my brother and i don't even live at home. this news was very very sad and my parents don't know where they are moving yet. they want to move into a mobile home (one of those ones that almost looks like a real house and doesn't move) so that they will be free to travel and do other things. i might get to see the house again if i can come back for president's day but this might have been my last time in our house.

but i will try to be optimistic for 2005 and good things to come. it's raining here in la, which is a nice change. hope you all had a happy and safe holiday season.
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