The Needled Bear

A Little Halloween Art Journaling

2011-10-18T09:55:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a little Halloween art journal that I started putting together last Halloween, but didn't finish. I'm working on adding some new pages. I may need to re-do the order I put some of the original pages in. Here are a couple from last year:

I work at my art journaling very slowly, so it may be another few years before I can say this Halloween journal is complete. But I do enjoy working with it very much.

Adventures

2011-10-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about October is the chance to get away on the weekends. James' job keeps him tied to the office through just about all of September, so we like to really use these lovely weekends to do day trips. And we couldn't have asked for better weather than this weekend. It didn't quite get to 80 degrees, as they were forecasting, but it was lovely and warm and we drove through the Connecticut countryside with our windows rolled down, and the breeze rolling in off the mellowing fields. I actually took the above photo from the car, while James was driving, so I'm quite pleased that it turned out as well as it did. You can see its too early for color yet, but its coming.

This morning I'm having my coffee in my other Halloween cup. This is a very special morning, because East Cambridge Business Association is having Rib Fest, right here on Cambridge Street. And we live literally right in the middle of it! The whole house smells like barbeque. I have my tickets, and when the festivities begin at noon, I'm going down and nom, nom, nom. I could hear them starting to set up when I woke up this morning, with the police setting up traffic barriers, and the restaurants preparing their booths.

And for those who have been wondering, there was indeed pie in my kitchen, the night I posted last. It was perfection. (Photo taken with Hipstamatic. I love that app! Just wish I could afford more cool features.)

Pumpkins Everywhere

2011-10-02T14:56:00.000-05:00

Another one of my favorite things about fall is the pumpkins! I love pumpkin everything, and fall is a great time to find pumpkin flavors added to every treat you can think of. This is my morning cup of coffee, in one of my two special Halloween mugs. Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice is one of my favorite pumpkin flavored coffees. And of course, my current sock in progress. This one is a gift, but the recipient doesn't know about it yet. (Sorry, Pete, it's not for you!)

Pumpkin and other spice-filled scented candles are a lot of fun, and really get me in the mood to enjoy the overcast days and cool breezes. Maybe in a day or two, I can share my stash of candles with you.

I've noticed that the florists, farm stands and craft stores have started putting out pumpkin displays -- though the latter are usually made of of fake pumpkins. I still don't have a front porch to put a Jack-o-lantern on, so I will have to continue the tradition of admiring the displays at the Pumpkin Festival in Keene. We've gone so many years now, only missing occasionally. We even go in the rain, though I don't think we stay as long.

Buying a condo that doesn't have a yard was probably the best decision for us, but it does make me a little sad that I don't have an excuse to buy mums. I love how bright they stay, long into the season.

From the sounds coming from my kitchen, I think a pumpkin pie may be in my future!

Fall is Here!

2011-10-01T16:29:00.004-05:00

To me, the beginning of October is what I always think of as the beginning of fall Which just so happens to be my favorite time of year! Break out the warm, cozy sweaters, the thick wool socks, light some candles -- I'd gather around a fireplace if I had one! I love the apples, the cider and the doughnuts. I love the leaves turning, falling, crunching.

Another great thing about fall is that it is the perfect time to break out the Halloween cross-stitching. I have three finished projects to show off. That sounds like a lot, until I confess that I finished these, one a year, for the past three years.

The first one is the oldest one, "Trick or Treat," from Just Cross Stitch October 2008, designed by Lori Markovic of La-D-Da. Last year, I stitched "Ouch" by Angel Stichin. And finally, this year, in fact, just finished a few days ago, I stitched "Halloween Delusion" by Holly Gordon and Judy VonStein of Imaginating, Inc.

Of course, I can never just leave something alone, so I made color alterations to all three projects. I really like the green legs on "Trick or Treat." That large, solid block of purple in "Ouch" was made a lot more interesting by using Weeks Dye thread, although I ran out in the middle and had a terrible time trying to get more from the same store that I purchased the first batch from. It wasn't really anyone's fault; the shop owner was just ill and it took way more time than I had patience for.

And of course, I had to completely change every color of pumpkin in "Halloween Delusion." I also had to shorten the tail a tiny bit, to allow for how closely I cut the fabric. But it was a really fun stitch, and I'm thinking of making it up as a pillow, perhaps.

I have started another Halloween cross-stitch, but that is news for another day.

Milo Bailey

2010-03-01T22:01:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of my cat. Just cause I feel like it.

Coughing and Pain

2010-01-11T19:15:00.003-05:00

This is a digital art journal page I did today about yet another trip to the doctor for the coughing and pain. My last diagnosis was "cough." Today I get "chronic cough." Medicine is swell. I would never have guessed I have a cough. Neither would all of my neighbors.

I haven't written much about it yet, but I am part of the Art Journal Caravan over at Scrapbookgraphics.com.

I really like doing digital art pages. I am not physically able to do some of my favorite crafts right now; knitting is far too painful, and I need to heal. But at least I can spend my time doing something creative.

Credits: Elfie Designs and Fiddlette Designs.

My First Digital ATC

2010-01-08T12:09:00.002-05:00

Credits: Tangie Baxter, scrapbookgraphics.com

Absolutely Everything!

2009-08-30T08:29:00.003-05:00

I went with a good friend of mine to Absolutely Everything in Topsfield, MA yesterday. It was a grand adventure, even if by the end it was sort of raining buckets. I was STUNNED by the store. It was like a candy store. No, better, it was like some paper crafter's Disneyland. It was so much fun, I almost couldn't stand myself.

Within moments of walking into the store, I was just shellshocked by the sheer number of wonderfulness. I honestly wanted every single thing in the store, and let me tell you there was a lot. I ended up over my budget by about thirty dollars.

So, I didn't take any pictures of the store, which I totally should have. (I'm not affiliated with the store, in case you were wondering; I just really loved it.) And I broke into most of my toys before it even occurred to me that I should have taken a picture of my loot. I suppose it doesn't matter that much anyway, since its so overcast today, and yesterday was no better.

I was able to get my paws on the Sept/ Oct issue of Somerset Studio, which I have been craving very hard for many weeks.

I'm working on my first art journal/ scrapbook/ altered book. I've got a theme, and I've got lots of nice toys to use for it, and I'm very excited about the whole thing. When I've got a little progress made, I'll try to get some pictures of it up. Part of the problem is having no idea what I am doing, and trying to figure it out along the way.

Fender Bender

2009-08-24T13:53:00.003-05:00

Somebody had a little oopsie this weekend. No one was hurt, and it was the other guy's fault. He was good about it, concerned, not angry or trying to blame someone else. He passed a car turning left on the shoulder, not seeing that we were also making a left. It was more frightening than anything, and the damage could have been a lot worse.

So how about the cards I was going to post this weekend?

My sweetie and I went to the library on Saturday, and we both left with a nice big stack of books. I finally got my hands on a copy of Artist Trading Card Workshop. There's some really good techniques in there. I don't quite have all the necessary supplies for most of them, but its good to think about new things.

Artist Trading Cards -- and some yarn

2009-08-21T11:02:00.007-05:00

I've got three of my growing collection of ATC's to show you today. These are a few of my favorite ones, so I'm afraid that they are not for trade, at least not at this time.

I've been a bit reluctant to trade my ATC's. I have had bad experiences with swaps in the past. Some have been just fine, but I feel like I've been shorted on some others.

But I mailed out my very first swap today, and the lady I'm trading with seems nice. So I have hope it will go well. I've also signed up to do a swap in September, through a group. I'm hoping that the power of the group will help ensure that things go smoothly, and I'm only doing a one to one trade. This particular group allows you to choose how many you want to make/ receive.

I'm thinking that I may need to make a small album to hold the ATC's I receive in trades. I'm still giving it some thought; I need some more inspiration and research.

My favorite one is, of course, the one with the bear. He's a sticker I got with one of my cross-stitch magazine; I think its Popcorn Bear.

The only rule for ATC's is that they have to be 3 1/2" by 2 1/2". As you can see, I do collage images, because I can't really draw. I did one halloween themed one that I drew, but it didn't turn out very well.

And finally, here is the yarn I was talking about yesterday. One ply of solid pink merino, two of multi-pink merino/ tencel. My wheel plying is something I need more practice on: this batch has places of over and under plied. I think in the sock it will be fine.

I've got a stack of gift knitting to get through before I have a chance to knit for myself, however. That seems to be the story more and more lately. They are all very knit-worthy, however, so I shall keep on! I got some great yarn for myself when I was up in Portland a couple of weekends ago.

I Found My Joy

2009-08-20T13:43:00.002-05:00

Back in July, my sweetie bought me my spinning wheel while I was visiting family in the midwest. I'm very excited. Its taken me a little while to get this here blog going again, but I've got lots of new toys to play with, so maybe I can get going!

This is my Ashford Joy, a traveling wheel. So far I have spun up two very large skeins of sock yarn. One of them was 4.9 oz of sockweight! That is a LOT of spinning.

Stay tuned for another new interest I've picked up: making artist trading cards.

Sleeve Blues

2008-05-29T08:56:00.003-05:00

Approximately 100 years ago, my sister gave me some lovely blue, pima cotton yarn, more than enough to make a sweater. Back in November, I started to make a sweater with the pattern she was so kind to send along with the yarn. Its a nice, simple pattern, mostly stockinette with just a bit of basketweave stitch at the hem, cuff and neckline.

I had delusions of finishing it for NanoSwaMo -- I have no idea why I thought I could make my second ever sweater in a month, on size 4 needles, when I waited until week two to begin. It didn't happen. But in February or so, I knit the front. The neckline gave me a bit of trouble, but I think it will be okay when I go and pick up the stitches for the basketweave border. I'm hoping, anyway.

So now all that's left is the sleeves. I've been telling myself very firmly that there is nothing to sleeves, its just more of the same. Its not working for me, though. I've already knit and ripped out five or six times, and I've only managed a few inches of sleeve at the most.

I had trouble casting on the correct number of stitches (repeatedly.) I finally got the right number, and then forgot to do all six rows of the basketweave pattern. I tried to convince myself it wouldn't matter if I only have four, but it really does make a difference. The sleeves roll up without those extra two rows, and I know it would drive me crazy forever. So I ripped them out.

As I was ripping out my sleeves again last night, I told James about the Yarn Harlot searching all through her stash for the yarn she wanted to make a scarf. (Trying to make myself feel better that I am not the only knitter who does stupid things like that.) He is of the opinion that she must be a bear. I don't know if Stephanie would be flattered by this observation, but it did make me feel better.

First Sock Casualty

2008-05-12T09:43:00.002-05:00

I am mourning the loss of one sock. He didn't make it back from laundry day. I've searched all over for him, but I think I just have to accept the truth: he's not coming home. Poor sockie. He will be so missed. His mate is in seclusion. Not in the sock drawer; that would be cruel, with all the other couples there, trying to be comforting, but really just making lone sock feel worse. No, the lone sock is hiding out in the underwear drawer, still desperately hoping that, against all odds, they might one day be reunited.

So sad. Every handknit sock is my favorite pair, but I really did wear these all the time, they had lots of life left in them, since it was Opal yarn, and, and sniffle. I just want my sock back.

Too Many Baskets

2008-03-20T14:02:00.002-05:00

I'm not really very good with numbers. People who know me well take that into account, particularly if I'm telling a story and throw a number into it. I think statistics are interesting, but I tend to forget the actual numbers involved. It makes the point of my stories a little less pertinent.

The other day, I was going to check the P.O. box for work. I've been here nearly two years, I'm the only one who ever gets the mail, and I do so on a regular basis. As I was walking toward the boxes, down the hall and around the corner, I was shifting baskets of numbers in my mind.

I'd pull one up, realize it was an old telephone number from a high school friend. A number I hadn't dialed in, oh, probably at least 10 years. Not helpful.

I pulled up another number, and realized that's my social security. hmmm.

I shuffled around, brought up a few more random, unhelpuful numbers. Do you know, I have my 10 digit library card number memorized? However, it is also tacked to the walll (right next to the numbers of the P.O. boxes, heh) because when I need it, I can't find that basket.

I resorted to poking the key into various locks in the general vicinity of our box. I was fortunate that no one was around to notice. I also was lucky on the third try.

Today's number foiling comes in the form of socks for my husband. I'm relatively close to having finished his second sock. The first sock was left at home because my knitting bag is too full. I am either ready to start the toe now, or need to knit another inch and start the toe. I could've sworn that I looked it up a week ago, and told myself I needed to knit 9 and one quarter inches and start the toe. But I also swore that I had less than an inch to knit, and when I picked up my needles this morning, I was right at about seven inches. One of my convictions is clearly wrong, but the book is at home and I am not, so its impossible for me to tell. Knit 8 and a quarter, or 9 and a quarter?

I googled around for foot measurements, but didn't find anything as helpful as the chart on the book I left at home. I even thought about calling poor James at work and asking him to measure his foot. But that probably wouldn't get me very far, since he probably doesn't have the right kind of tape measure, and a badly taken measurement is worse than just waiting until tonight to look it up after I get home. Frustrating, though, because I tell myself if I could just remember the number, I could probably have finished his socks today.

A Christmas Meme

2007-12-06T12:53:00.000-05:00

Snitched from Knit Think:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags seem like cheatin. I only use them if I just can't manage to wrap it in paper. Once, I bought James an office chair, and the box was so big, paper wasn't going to work at all, and I used a spare blanket. It was orange, and not very Christmasy, but he had so much fun trying to figure out what it was!

2. Real or artificial tree? Real! We always had fake when I was a kid, and it was meh.

3. When do you put up the tree? First or second weekend of December

4. When do you take the tree down? Right after its become good and dried out, so that as many needles fall off as possible during the removal process. Its too depressing to take a tree down before New Years, so it usually goes another week, at least.

5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, but I only want a glass or two. I'm much more excited about the peppermint ice cream, which my Dad always snuck in every year.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? The My Little Pony playhouse. Loved it so much.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? No, but I want to get one. I'd also like to set up a Christmas Village, if I had room to put one up. As it is, I have to disassmeble my dining table to put up the tree.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My mother. She's almost impossible. Even if you buy her exactly what she requests, its a good bet she's gonna take it back.

9. Easiest person to buy for? ME! I always know just what I want! hahahah!

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Hmm. Hard one. I've never had really bad gifts, and only a few that were, shall we say, odd. One year James got me a yoga mat, and I use it all the time, but it was a bit odd for Christmas, I thought. (Sorry, sweetie!)

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Neither? I am so bad at sending them out. Several years, I've bought cards, and left them sitting around until . . . February? Is it too late to mail them then?

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Cartoon: "T'was the Night Before Christmas" with Alfred Mouse. It creeps James out a little. Also, how come they never show the Claymations Christmas anymore? With the California Raisins? I love the "Carol of the Bells" in that, and the waffle joke.

Movie: Changes every year. Might be "Christmas in Conneticut," because I love when they sit in the sleigh and the horse decides its time to leave.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Major Procrastinator; I send out knitted gifts all year, as I complete them, so I never have a stash saved up at Christmastime, and I usually put it off to the last minute.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Never! (Wrappings/ boxes don't count.)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies! Gingerbread and molasses cookies are my favorite. Mom goes crazy making cookies -- she did it again this year, according to Dad. She'll make 18 different cookies, dozens and dozens of them. I remember one year, she made little chocolate santas. She froze them, and we had chocolate santas for months. Into July, I think.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored lights. And I don't want them to blink.

17. Favorite Christmas song? All of them? Hmm. I guess "I Wonder as I Wander" or "Little Drummer Boy" or "God Rest Ye Merry Gentelmen" or "Hark the Harald Angels Sing" or . . . .

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I prefer to stay home, but you gotta make the parents/ in-laws happy. We compromise by travelling every other year, to alternating family homes. Boston one year, Michigan the next, Boston the next year, Wisconsin the next.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Not only that, but I know the words to at least the first verse of nearly every popular Christmas Carol.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? For now, a star, because I have not yet found the perfect angel topper. When I find her, the tree will be perfect. No inferior angels accepted. When I was a kid, we had a perfectly hideous angel (her hands were made out of colored lights -- two different colors!) Honestly, she was dreadful.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? We were never allowed to open them until Christmas morning. And then, we usually had to wait for my aunt to drive an hour and a half down from her house. And then we had to have breakfast. And then the children started throwing temper tantrums, and things would get ugly, until finally the adults would give in. Oh, agony.

Now? I've usually opened my presents before Christmas Eve even gets here! I'm so bad!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Hearing one Christmas song over and over, everywhere you go. This year it seems to be "Baby Its Cold Outside." I've heard it at least five times already and I haven't even done any Christmas shopping yet!

Actually, the thing I really, really hate, is when Christmas is NOT at this time of year. I saw Christmas stuff sitting next to Halloween stuff in October. I love Christmas, but I want it in one good dose.

23. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color? Um, no. I can't limit myself to one palette. My tree is, uh, eclectic. And heavy laden.

24. What do/did you leave for Santa? The only time I recall doing this, I left a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. I'd figured out Dad left all the presents out, and that's his favorite. I must've left cookies and milk when I was small, but I just don't remember it.

Yarn Harlot

2007-08-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

I went last night to see the Yarn Harlot in Burlington, MA.

She gave a great talk, but I didn't get any pictures. I was lucky I made it all, because my co-worker, who agreed beforehand to cover my leaving work a half hour early, skipped out on me. I didn't get a snack before hand, I almost didn't have time to get there at all, and it threw all my plans askew for the evening. I'm still pretty steamed about it, so I'm not going to go on any further.

Anyway, I went, and I got my book, and the talk was lovely, and everyone had fun. The End.

Hooray for Summer Anklets

2007-08-01T10:36:00.000-05:00

July has been . . . not very fun. Nothing serious, but not much fun, overall. Here's hoping August goes better.

First up, I finished my Sockapalooza socks! Never fear, I finished these up a week ago, plenty of time before the deadline. I even took the picture a few days ago. What picture? Well, its still on the camera. And the camera seems to have dead batteries. But I'll get there -- maybe.

I have been recovering from my bout of startitis, with only a couple relapses. Much of it was gift knitting, which got shipped off without pictures, and summer anklets for me, which aren't very exciting (and I seem to take them directly out of the laundry and on to my feet, making it nearly impossible to get a picture of them while clean. And really, if one is going to be photographing socks, they should at least be clean, right?)

The summer anklet thing does seem to be getting slightly out of control. They are like chips, I can't seem to just knit one (pair.) And the more I knit, the more I want. I get to the end of the week, and look in my sock drawer, and all my light, summery knit anklets are gone! Clearly, I need to knit more. Which shouldn't be a problem; in fact, I have another pair on my needles right now.

I've been using almost exclusively Sockotta and Toofutsies to knit up the summer anklets. They each have their seperate advantages, and disadvantages. The Toofutsies is soooo soft. I mean, they are softer than my cat. But its very fine yarn, and while that makes them very cool and comfortable, it means I've got to knit them on US1. That's tough on my writs and hands, and very slow going. Very slow.

Now, the Sockotta is a bit rougher. Quite a bit, I think. They seem to wear well, and I knit them on a larger size needle. So not only are they easier on my hands, but they whip up in no time. The other day I had an anklet knit just past the gusset decreases, and spent a Saturday running errands around town (such painful errands like, going out to lunch, and going to the movies) and by the time I got home, I was ready to start the toe. That is fast knitting, and I am not a fast knitter! Because I don't knit at the movies. No rewind button, so I can't see again what I missed when I looked down to make sure I haven't dropped a stitch, and totally missed the key scene.

What I really need is a yarn that combines the best aspects of the Sockotta and the Toofusies. And comes in the same kind of beautiful colors. Because I think the thing I love best is the wonderful colors.

Out of Control.

2007-06-18T12:29:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning I woke up in the pre-dawn hours from a terrible nightmare. I dreamed that all my unfinished knitting projects had turned into a monster and was devouring me. I woke up to the cat sitting on my leg, nibbling on my toes. In his defense, I think he was using me as a teething ring because he had to have a tooth pulled the previous Wednesday, and the stitches they put in his mouth were probably itching him.

Really, its my own fault for letting my knitting get out of control. I was complaining about how I've got five different socks started, and if I didn't watch it, I was going to be drafted into the Single Sock liberation movement. Then James started tallying them up, and I realized that I don't in fact have five different socks started. I have six!

That's absurd. How could I possibly have started six different socks without finishing any of them? No wonder I don't have any FOs to post!

I've always felt a bit smug for never having suffered Second Sock Syndrome before. I don't think I can say that now. Especially since I've discovered I've still got another set of DPN's, which means . . .

I could cast on another sock, if I wanted to.

P.S. Milo is fine. He's getting antibiotics for another couple of days, and they make him very drowsy, but the vet says he's not likely in any more pain from having the tooth pulled as he was suffering from having it loose in his mouth. Poor baby.

The Frogs Are Here

2007-06-07T09:48:00.000-05:00

Well. Its been a bit quite lately, hmm? My weekends have been a bit hectic, which is bad, because that's when I usually try to get my pictures up.

But, there really isn't much knitting to take pictures of. I have been knitting, yes. But, most everything I've been knitting lately has gotten rippppped out. Sigh. I started a tank in a nice, summery linen blend. I did a swatch, and cast on. But after knitting the ribbing and about an inch after that, I realized that I was, in fact, not getting gauge. Not by about four inches. I don't need a summer top that baggy! Maybe this weekend I will cast on again; I've wrestled with my math (okay, I lie: James wrestled the math for me, while I confused him with random numbers) so I should be closer to my measurements now.

I have offered to knit a pair of socks for a co-worker of mine, and she said she would really like some with fish on them, because she's into fly fishing. So, I designed the fish on knitting graph paper, and jumped right in. However, this was my first attempt at stranded knitting. I twisted the carried yarn, so I didn't end up with gaps.

What I did end up with was a sock no adult could possibly pull over their foot. I am apparently pulling my twists too tightly. I tried ripping back, got hopelessly tangled, and took the scissors to it. That'll teach that knitting a lesson.

Never fear, I am trying again. I've already cast on for the new cuff. I think I may go and pick up a small skein of something solid colored to use for the background of the fish, because what I used on draft number one wasn't really thrilling me. Any excuse to get to the LYS and get some yarn that will behave. (Cause all these problems are the fault of the yarn, not me!)

Patterns on the brain

2007-05-03T11:13:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the comment, sock pal! You made my morning.

The really nice thing about the beginning of the month is all my magazines come in. I've received all three of the cross-stitch magazines I subscribe to. I don't subscribe to knitting magazines, because I feel like most patterns are too difficult for me, and I start to feel overwhelmed. Besides, I'm kind of happy in my sock rut.

But something about seeing all the potential stitchy projects out there just makes my creative juices flow. I'm working on just one large cross-stitch project right now, though I've been toying with the idea of starting something small and portable.

I've been giving a lot of thought to the pattern I should use for my own sock pal. I'm not exactly a beginning sock knitter; I've completed nearly thirty pair of socks, at a guess. But I've never tried anything very challenging. Basically, if I encounter a YO in the instructions, I scurry away.

Many of those socks have been plain stockinette (its absurd how happy plain stockinette makes guys who know nothing about knitting.) Many more have been a simple 2x2 ribbing. That's sort of my standard when I'm unsure I have enough detail about foot size/ circumference to make a really good fit. 2x2 ribbing all down the sock, every other row a knit, makes a sock that can accomodate most feet, as long as your in the ballpark about foot length.

But for my pal, I want something nicer, a little more special. I found the pattern for Charades. And I like the look. But is it special enough? This weekend, I hope to sit down with my sock books, particularly MSKS, and see if anything strikes my fancy more.

Trouble Sleeping

2007-05-02T09:16:00.000-05:00

My grandmother is out of the hospital now, and they've told me she is doing better. I am very happy about this!

But, I still had an almost impossible time getting to sleep. I knew that was going to be the case, so I tried to wear myself out with exercise right after I got home from work. Apparently, not a success.

I bought some yarn yesterday for my Sockapalooza pal. Fingers crossed, but I think this should be the perfect yarn for her! Hey, any excuse to buy some more yarn, right? I went to Mama Llama

Last night, as I was tossing and turning, it occured to me that she could sell motorcyles. Then she could answer the phone, "Mama Llama Yamaha." I woke James up laughing, and made him try to say it with me. He wasn't very amused.

Family Illness

2007-05-01T16:03:00.000-05:00

My dad called me yesterday to let me know that my grandmother is in the hospital with heart trouble. On top of that, my mom has shingles. I don't really know anything about it, except what I've googled today. I'm too far away to do anything but worry. I suppose there isn't really much that I could do if I were right there, either, but I feel like it would be different, somehow.

I went to snuggle with Milo yesterday evening, because cat fur is supposed to make everything better. I don't know why or how I startled him, but just as I bent down to scoop him up, he jerked up and backwards, bashing the back of his head right into my nose. It still smarts today. He probably still has a headache.

2007-04-18T17:10:00.000-05:00

As I have been promising to several different people, here is the material for the summer dress I hope to beginning sewing. I'm going to get started on it, any day now.

Though this sock is in progress in the photo, there hasn't really been any sun since I took this shot for an update. The pair is completed now, trust me. I think I'll wear them tomorrow. They turned out just a tad big. Mad Cow socks, modified by my complete and utter lack to understand how to do a short row heel. That's right, those stripes are my own, not self striping!

Here we have some cross-stitch. I started Little Greenie almost a year ago. I did all the stitching, including the dreaded fractionals. But the backstitching was just too much, so he languished. For almost an entire year. He's done now, but I've only got the front flaps sewn for the tuck pillow I intend for him to become. Will it be another year before he is finished? I very much hope not.

Yeah, some more cross-stitch. (Remember, this blog was started as a cross-stitcher's blog! I just got side-tracked with all this sock knitting.) The fabric on the side is the fabric I want to use for the back, to turn him into a tiny pillow, of the sort you might hang on a doorknob. Yeah, I haven't sewn that yet, either. The details of the stitching are a bit clearer in person. I also changed around the colors of the flames around the dragon's head.

This is a freebie from Dragon Dreams. Has anyone noticed I love that designer?

Lastly here is a blue sock. Cherry Tree Hill in River Run, using the Blueberry Waffle pattern. Sock A is now finished, and I've just begun Sock B.

Oatmeal

2007-03-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

I had oatmeal for breakfast this morning for the first time since, oh, probably jr. high. James was going to be sweet and make it for me. He brought me a bowl filled with about a cup and a half of water. I was a bit freaked out; aparently he's never made oatmeal before. I just couldn't beleive that. I remember eating tons and tons of oatmeal when I was a little kid. He said he couldn't remember ever having oatmeal. Weird.

I also remember it being more filling. Sort of like having a stomach full of concrete.

But its only ten, and I'm starving. I'm never going to be able to hold out until lunch. Especially since I've got a salad for lunch today. I think I'm going to go get a bacon and egg breakfast sandwich. Mmmm, healthy.

Happy Feet

2007-03-23T09:13:00.000-05:00

I got some happy feet, because I got the new "More Sensational Knitted Socks" Book! I went yesterday to a fancy LYS near where I work. I always feel like kind of an outsider when I go in there. I try and tell myself it is just me. So I went up to where a rather intimidting group sat knitting around the table, and asked for "More."

I was told it hasn't been released yet, and they tried to persuade me I should buy Favorite Socks from Interweave. Yes, I agree that is a lovely sock book, one I wouldn't mind owning if 1) The price weren't quite so high 2) I had more experience to knit those tricky patterns and 3) if I were, in fact, shopping for "Favorite Socks" instead of "More."

I know "More" had been released, because I've read other blogs of people who have purchased it. So I called around, and Windsdor Button had it in stock. I only saw the one book on the shelves, so I'd call ahead if you want to scoop it up, too. Some sock yarn snuck into my bag, too. Shocking!

My book is over at Kinkos right now, waiting to be spiral bound. I should be able to pick it up in an hour. So excited!

2007 Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading

2007-02-02T15:35:00.000-05:00

My offering:

The Emperor of Ice-Cream

Call the roller of big cigars,
The muscular one, and bid him whip
In kitchen cups concupiscent curds.
Let the wenches dawdle in such dress
As they are used to wear, and let the boys
Bring flowers in last month's newspapers.
Let be be finale of seem.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

Take from the dresser of deal,
Lacking the three glass knobs, that sheet
On which she embroidered fantails once
And spread it so as to cover her face.
If her horny feet protrude, they come
To show how cold she is, and dumb.
Let the lamp affix its beam.
The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.

by Wallace Stevens

First Sweater Completed!

2007-01-31T16:50:00.000-05:00

Here is my first sweater, complete! The pattern is from knitty (Three Times Knit Chic) and the yarn is Bernet Harmony. I increased the needle size for gauge. I also changed the neck, mostly because I didn't follow the directions. heh. I never follow directions. For example, another big change I made was to add a crochet edge to the bottom hem. Otherwise, the stockinette rolled more than I wanted it to. When I cast on, I thought I was okay with that, but as it turns out, not so much. So I used some contrasting yarn, and I think it looks good: exactly the effect I was aiming for.

I love this sweater! It fits just like I wanted it to: a little big, but not sloppy. It feels just like a warm hug. I did the finishing on Thursday, and wore it to work on Friday. I've wanted to wear it every day since, too, since its warm, and soft, and the sleeves hit just the perfect length.

Bad Post Man

2007-01-12T15:02:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm somewhat relieved to know that I am not the only one having issues with the USPS who works the neighborhood around my office. Only somewhat, because the service is still appalingly bad.

The mailman likes to leave little "love notes" for me down at the box. Semi-threatening notes about picking up our mail. The thing is, I go and check the mailbox several times a week, because I've caught on to the fact that the box is somewhat small, and we tend to get a lot of mail -- most of it junk. However, if I go down three times in a week, twice I'm almost guaranteed to find an empty mailbox. Completely empty, without one sigle flyer or envelope inside. I am convinced that he does not bring it every single day. I think he waits till he gets a good pile, and then gripes about how it doesn't all fit in the box. Well, duh.

Today, I heard a rumble in the street, and looked out to see a mail truck double parked outside the building. I see the mailman carry a medium size brown box out of the truck. (Note that this isn't a terribly huge and heavy box. It look like it couldn't have weighed more than ten pounds at the most, and was only slightly longer than the long, narrow Priority Mail boxes.)

I hear the buzzer ring for the second floor (directly below mine.) Since someone left the outer door to the office open when they went through last, I can hear a woman open her door downstairs, and call down the stairs, "Yes?"

To which the postman gave a muffled reply.

"Well, bring it on up."

"I'm not a delivery boy, ma'am." This was delivered in a hostile sneer, loud enough for me to hear all the way up on the third floor. Which is sort of funny, because I think the definition of the USPS includes delivery. What, neither rain nor snow nor dark of night will keep us from making our appointed rounds . . . in your general vicinity? Close enough for you to come out and meet me halfway?

There were a few more angry exchanges, and then the woman said, "I'm going to call your supervisor if you don't bring it up here right now!"

"Go ahead!" Then the woman slammed her door, and a few minutes later, I saw the mailman go back to his truck. With the package in his hands.

I don't know if it was something she had to sign for, or what, but it all seemed kind of rediculous. What do you bet that package gets "lost"? Sure, he should have brought it up, but I can't imagine ordering something (and it must've been somewhat important, because it was covered with Priority stickers, I could see that much from my window) and then refusing to go down two flights of stairs to get it.

I think of the poor UPS guy, a much older man, who sometimes has to lug our orders from Staples up. And I order a lot of copy paper for our office. All the way up to the third floor, with no elevator.

RPM Socks

2007-01-02T09:19:00.000-05:00

At long last, I have finished the RPM socks. I started these for Octoberfest, and finished them this weekend. I've read a lot of other knitting blogs that raved about how quick these were to finish. I found they took a long time, obviously. I was able to get a few other pair knit in between, some for myself, and most for gifts.

But these are extremely comfortable, and they just might be my favorite socks of all time. Isn't it funny how the most difficult patterns are sometimes the most rewarding when they are finished?

I just love these socks. The stripes, the swirls. This is the first pair I've knit on US 1. It may also be the last! That's just a bit too tiny for the comfort of my hands. One of the things that really slowed me down is I found I could not knit on the 1's for very long at one stretch, because my hands would cramp up. I'm not really a tight knitter, either. I just felt like the needles would snap in my hands if I knit quickly. And I dislike knitting socks on metal needles. (I'm not a big fan of knitting anything on metal needles, if I can avoid it.)

The pattern was easy once I did a few rows. I was able to work from memory most of the time, though I disregarded the instructions for the heel and toes, as they didn't make much sense to me, and substituted my standard methods. I may have lost a stitch on the instep of the second sock, but that's a small sacrifice to pay for getting the swirls to rotate the other way.

I also waited a long time between finishing sock A and starting sock B, because I had to figure out how to rotate the swirls the other way. Its one thing I wish the pattern had included instructions for. I googled it, but only found two other people who included instructions. One used Magic loop, which I don't do, and didn't find helpful. The other talked about knitting the sock inside out, which sounded way too complecated, and I'm not sure the results would be exactly what I wanted, either. I don't even know how you begin to knit inside out.

What I did (for those who want simple instructions for reversing the swirl) was instead of advancing one stitch every row, I retreated one stitch every row. It takes away your visual cue that a change is coming, but if you keep your focus on the pattern, you'll be okay.

First pattern row: knit six, purl three, repeat to end.
Second pattern row: knit five, *purl three, knit six* repeat to end.+
Third pattern row: knit four, *purl three, knit six* repeat to end.+
Continue retreating in this fashion, according to original pattern.

+Your last knit six will not work out evenly, because your "lost" stitches from the first knit section show up at the end of the row. Its one of those things that make sense once you see it. Maybe. The same thing happens in reverse in the orignal pattern.

Christmas Pictures

2006-12-26T20:24:00.000-05:00

These pictures were all taken in Somerville, MA. I think I just barely made the deadline for a contest blogging about homes that really go all out for Christmas decorations.

And last but not least, my own little Christmas tree. We picked a really large one this year, but I think he's maybe the most beautiful we've ever had.

Oopsie Achoo

2006-12-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

I was down to decreasing the toes of my latest pair of socks when I encountered a problem. Two dropped stitches, just hanging there, slowly working their way farther and farther down. Well, once you realize you've dropped stitches, you just stop and pick them up, right?

Perhaps I could've done it if I had noticed as soon as I had dropped them. My excuse is that I've been fighting off a cold (yeah, I've been wrestling pretty constantly with colds since Thanksgiving. It never seems to end.) In decreasing my toes, I've pulled the corners where the DPN's meet nice and tight, to avoid ladders. And of course, that's where the two stitches were dropped. Could I have dropped a SSK? Or two? It must've happened that way. And though I tried, there was no way to bring them back up without a weird bump.

So I pulled it out, back to just before the toe decreases. I guess that's what you get for knitting in a hurry. See, I wanted to finish these socks, and then take a little nap. So I ripped, got the stitches back on the needles in approximately the correct way, and then took my nap. For about 11 and a half hours. See, I told you I was fighting something!

I saw a knitter on the subway this morning. In fact, she sat in the seat right next to me, with her pink knitting. I almost asked her if it was Christmas knitting, to sort of see if she wanted to talk knitting. But I chickened out. I imagined telling her my woes of dropped stitches and ripping out when almost done with the toes of a top-down sock, but . . . my stop was the next stop, and my knitting was shoved deep in my canvas bag, and I worried a little she'd think I was nuts. (Probably true.)

I'm sure she'd have been very nice. But I am a Fraidy Bear.

A Knitting Quiz

2006-12-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer. You are through those knitting growing pains and feeling more adventurous. You can follow a standard pattern if it's not too complicated and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've started to experiment with different fibers and you might be eyeing a book with a cool technique you've never tried. Perhaps you prefer to stick to other people's patterns but you are trying to challenge yourself more. Regardless of your preference, you are continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as well you should since your non-knitting friends are probably dropping some serious hints, these days.http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!

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Ornaments and a Hat

2006-12-07T19:44:00.000-05:00

I've stitched two Christmas ornaments so far this year. I've started a third, but haven't made enough progress for an interesting picture. I'm knitting socks like mad, but a lot of them are for gifts (okay, I gave one pair away already without taking a picture. I forgot!)

I have started a very simple hat.

Results Not Surprising

2006-11-30T11:54:00.000-05:00

You scored as Babylon 5 (Babylon 5). The universe is erupting into war and your government picks the wrong side. How much worse could things get? It doesn't matter, because no matter what you have your friends and you'll do the right thing. In the end that will be all that matters. Now if only the Psi Cops would leave you alone.

Babylon 5 (Babylon 5)

94%

Moya (Farscape)

81%

Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica)

75%

Millennium Falcon (Star Wars)

75%

Serenity (Firefly)

63%

Deep Space Nine (Star Trek)

63%

Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix)

63%

SG-1 (Stargate)

50%

Enterprise D (Star Trek)

50%

Bebop (Cowboy Bebop)

38%

FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files)

38%

Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda)

25%

Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics)
created with QuizFarm.com

For Peate's Sake

2006-11-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

Just for my sister, I have at long last an update. The picture is not quite as clear as I would like, but I did try.

Socktoberfest Questions

2006-10-04T09:27:00.000-05:00

A sock-theme meme:

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

I am a fairly new sock knitter. I made my first sock early spring of this year (February? March? It may have been as late as April, but I seem to think it was more like March.) I went to A.C. Moore and picked up a booklet on how to make socks, got my Susan Bates dpn's, a skein of Lion Brand Magic Stripes and taught myself. Oh, was I ever so impressed with that self-striping yarn! That's when I fell in love.

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

It hasn't actually been that long, so they've held up pretty well! I made a very generic sock, rib cuff, stockinette foot. I didn't know that I prefer them to come up a little higher.

What would you have done differently?

Well, I didn't know how to SSK. I eventually went online and learned from a tutorial (I don't remember which one, but someone refered me to it.) It had excellent video demonstrations, and in no time at all, I was SSK-ing myself. It really makes a vast improvement. So, those first socks it, but a little strangely. Also, I realize I far prefer a lighter yarn, fingerweight instead of DK like Magic Stripes.

Also, with those Susan Bates, I kept dropping stitches. I now have quite a collection of wood needles. My absolute favorite is Brittany Birch.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

I've been in an Opal rut for a while. I just love that you can get so many different colors, and I've found a great supplier on Ebay, selling from Canada. On the needles right now is my first pair of Regia Silk, and I'm in love all over again. Its awfully pricy, but it might be worth it.

I'm itching to try some Lorna's Laces, but the price has put me off. If I think of it as socks, I just can't bring myself to spend that kind of money. I've had my finger on the button a couple times, but always chickened out.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I love my DPN's. I've toyed with the idea of trying Magic Loop method, but the instructions look so confusing to me. Same with 2 circulars.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

I learned on doing a top down heel flap, and I've always liked it. I would eventually like to try toe-up, just so I can say I've done it. I even have some yarn that I think would be ideal. I just get daunted by the cast on instructions.

How many pairs have you made? About a dozen pair, I think, with 2 more on the needles.

A Square for CAP's Grandmother

2006-09-26T18:46:00.000-05:00

Here's the square I knit for Crazy Aunt Purl's Grandmother

Wool-Ease in Color Wood 232, done in Moss stitch on US #7 needles. I liked working with this yarn so much, I've been kicking around the idea of making something like the handwarmers in Knitty out of it. Needs a little more thought. Plus, I'm already committed to making 8 million pairs of socks, more or less.

See the V in the varigated colors? I didn't plan that.

The book is a mystery I'm currently reading, just for scale. Plus, the dark wool on my dark couch wasn't a very interesting picture, quite honestly. I think I'll need to pick up something else by Marion Babson before I can make a verdict. This mystery was atypical of most mysteries I've read. I was halfway through the book before there was a murder! Now they are dropping like flies, which is almost as strange. I do like the cats in the story, however.

Milo says, its just too hard, being a cat.

Gilette Castle

2006-09-24T19:21:00.000-05:00

Its only taken me a week, but here are a couple of pictures from our trip of last weekend. This weekend, I had an apartment warming (no photos) a special dinner out with my husband, and . . . Boston Knit Out 2006. More on the Knit Out later.

William Gillette (no relation to the razor people at all, aparently) was a famous actor of the 20's and 30's who brought Sherlock Holmes to the stage. His wife died tragically young, and the couple had no children. He built an elaborate castle not far from Essex, Conneticut, overlooking the river. He owned 15 cats. Apparently, one of his favorite parlor games was to invite a bunch of guests over to his castle, tell them to help themselves to the liquor cabnet, then go upstairs. From a strategically placed mirror in the main hall, he would then watch the frustrated guests struggle to open the trick door to the liquor cabinet.

Lazy

2006-09-18T09:36:00.000-05:00

That's me. I haven't been working on my crafts very much, and I haven't been taking pics at all. Bad Blogger.

I have started a Kitty Pi. I"ve a few rounds to go before it is finished, but I can't say I exactly followed the instructions, so I'm a little nervous how its all going to turn out.

I haven't hardly touched Dragon's Tea in days. And shock of all shocks, I do not have a pair of socks on the needles. I started noodling around with a couple of patterns, couldn't get gauge, and sort of let it slide to the back burner. It may, in fact, have fallen completely off the oven. These are supposed to be socks for me, so what's wrong with me?

We went on a little trip this past weekend, and if I can scroung up the energy, I'll try to post at least a couple of them tonight.

Laundry Day

2006-08-27T12:13:00.000-05:00

Finally, a bit of picture update. The socks on the left are socks that I knit for myself, Sockotta. They are summer anklets, so though I didn't quite get all of the cuff, there isn't much else there. The foot stripes did that all on their own. It doesn't exactly match, but I think its kind of cool. I have enough for another pair of ankletts, and have actually started the second pair, of a certian someone ever tells me what size shoe she wears.

Oddly enough, the socks on the right are also socks that I knit for myself. I finished them quite some time ago, and forgot to post about them. They are made from Opal. I've been trying to find some more orange-y Opal on sale on E-bay, but I keep getting outbid. I know someone who would like some knit socks in orange, and I'd like to get them done before the Pumpkin Festival in Keene. Its not until the end of October, so I still have some time.

Milo is helping us out with the laundry, so that's all I have time for right now. (And yes, he did walk in there himself. Getting him out again is another story.)

Willpower

2006-08-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

Who was that bear who came in here growling last time? My goodness, I must've been in a bad mood without realizing it! I'm more calm now, I promise!

I am down to the toe of my sister's funky sock; I hope to finish it today.

The weather has been wonderfully fall-like. I just love fall; I think it might be my favorite season. Crisp weather just gets me in the mood to cross-stitch. I've been going through my patterns, and I'm itching to start a nice Halloween design. However, I've been making some really good progress on Dragon's Tea, and I'd like to finish it before I start something new.

Will my good intentions hold out? We shall see . . .

I am contemplating the Vermont fiber festival. Its further away than I realized at first. My sister said that if I go, she wants a drop spindle. I'm not sure if she was kidding or not. If I do go, I will price them for her. She does have a birthday coming up!

I put in a good hour of stitching on Dragon's Tea after work last night. I've worked on it more this week than I have in a long time. I'm not really good at estimating how long it will take to finish a cross-stitch project (mostly because my available stitching time is so hard to predict) but I feel like I might be at about the half-way point. I've probably said that before.

Growls of Ungratefulness

2006-08-22T09:06:00.000-05:00

I've picked up my cross stitch again. This past Sunday a craft friend of mine came over, and we spent most of the day working on our projects. I'd stayed up late Saturday picking out the last of my previous mistake on Dragon's Tea, so I was all ready for a big day of stitching!

Looking back over what I accomplished, I realized I must have spent way too much time talking! But it was a lot of fun.

For the first time since I've started knitting socks, I've got two different socks on the needles. This is "against the rules" for me, because I'm the kind of person who could easily start half a dozen different projects, so many that I could never get them all finished. This would irritate me to no end, so I try not to have more than one of the same kind of project at one time. For example, one cross stitch project, one knitting project, one sewing project . . .

(I've stretched the rules a bit this on a knitting surprise . . . for another time!)

But I started a sock for my friend. I made her a pair of socks before, but I neglected to write down what size shoe she wears. I don't want to guess from my memory, because socks that don't fit are a bummer. And I know I would guess wrong. So I sent her an e-mail. I kept knitting along, until I got down past the heel, until I was afraid to go any further without knowing for sure. I hate ripping out, so i waited. . .

Its been almost a week, and I haven't heard back from her. I started a pair of funky socks for my sister. I've almost finished her first sock, and still no word back from my friend. I must admit, I'm a little hurt. Perhaps she wasn't as keen on her first pair of socks as I thought . . . maybe she doesn't actually want another pair of my lovely, time-consuming, love in each stitch handmade socks. grrrrrrrr.

My sister vows that she will love the funky socks no matter how bright and colorful they are. At least someone loves me . . . .growl.

People's reactions to hand-knit socks are very strange. They seem to take it for granted. I've given away about half the socks I've made, and I have recieved a grand total of one thank you note. I don't expect jumping up and down and squeels of glee (okay, yeah, I do -- ) and I can accept that non-knitters have maybe less of an understanding of exactly what kind of commitment it takes to churn out not just one, but a pair of handmade socks: casting on and joining without twisting, the magic of the heel turning, the anxiety of a hole-free guesset, the careful toe decreases. But a little gratitude doesn't seem like asking too much, does it?

"Meow"

2006-08-17T13:33:00.000-05:00

This morning as I was getting ready for work, Milo started doing that cat thing where he stares maniaclly at my head. This time, there really was something behind me; a spider scuttled up the wall and on to the ceiling. shudder. I hate spiders. Milo jumped up on the chair, and then the couch, and then the chair . . .

The spider stayed up on the ceiling. I told him, "Maybe if you meow at it, the spider will come down where you can catch it." Usually Milo ignores me when I talk to him, but today he took this suggestions seriously. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, etc. and he stayed in the livingroom the whole time, meowing pathetically. It was like he was demanding the spider to come down from the ceiling. I checked back later, but there was no sign of the spider anywhere, and Milo was still hopping up and down from furniture.

Cats are so weird.

Recently, Milo has discovered that water actually comes out of the faucets in the bathroom. He's lived with us for four years now, and was a year old when we adopted him, but this is a new revelation for him. For the past week, any time I've been in the bathroom, he hops up on the sink and waits for me to turn the water on. For him, not for myself; he prefers a thin dribble of water.

Hot, Too Hot for Shoes

2006-08-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

Its been hot, and I've been tired. It seems like I haven't been kntting very much. I'm still knitting the giant sock. Haven't made much progress yet. It seems like I should be starting the toes soon; I measured, and still had over 2 inches of foot to go. How did that happen?

Just for amusement, I'd like to mention that I've ordered a pair of shoes from Zappos.com. To my dismay, their free shipping is by way of UPS. And UPS does not deliver to my area.

No, not because I live in a remote, rural location. I actually live about 4 miles from downtown Boston. Yet of the last, say, six pacakges I've had the misfortune to be sent via UPS, I haven't actually had any of them delivered.

Had a couple stolen -- and though I have no proof, I am convinced it was stolen by the driver, not someone in the building -- had to go pick up a couple in person, had one get sent back to the shipper and then go through the hassel of trying to have it re-sent, preferably by USPS. (Now, USPS, I never have any problems with delivery. Works like a charm.)

The first notice that the package of shoes was in my area came on 7/28. Here it is, 8/2, still no shoes. (Okay, I wore shoes to work today, its too hot not to, plus I don't want to think about walking through the T without shoes because it grosses me out. But not the shoes I wanted to wear.)

Having exhausted all efforts with UPS, (my husband, life-saver that he is, called and was on the phone with them almost all evening yesterday, and even talked to 2 supervisors) the only thing I could think was a nasty note to Zappos. I'm guessing they aren't going to reply to it, but who knows. All I can say is, I won't use them again.

2006-07-18T11:36:00.000-05:00

I am a
Lily

What Flower
Are You?

I took lots of pictures this weekend to update my blog. Unfortunately, I haven't got them up yet.

I was terribly sick Sunday evening, and on into Monday, when I didn't go to work. Which is a mixed blessing, because Monday our server went down, and the office fell into chaos. On the one hand, I didn't have to deal with it. On the other hand, my supervisor did, knowing I was home sick. Well, when you're sick, that's it. What can you do? Trust me, I wouldn't have been much help if I had been in. Stomach virus.

My latest project: socks that I'm knitting for my husband. He's been teasing me for a while that I've knit socks for everyone but him. He wears a 12 and half wide. That's quite the knitting investment.

I may run out of yarn after the first sock, but I have cast on. In fact, I am decreasing the gusset now. I'll have him try it on soon, just to see how things are going.

And hopefully, there will be pictures soon!

The E-Bay Wait

2006-07-12T12:14:00.001-05:00

I've been waiting on some Opal yarn I bought on E-bay to arrive. I'm starting to get a bit anxious, because supposedly the woman mailed it out exactly one week ago today. It was nice of her to send me an e-mail to tell me its in the mail -- not everyone does that -- but how long does it take to get through the mail?

It also seems like I haven't gotten a cross stitch magazine in a long time. But that's probably just my lack of patience. No matter how many I get, I always seem to want more.

I've promised my sister that I will go through and look at patterns for her. She wants to do a gift for a friend. I have so many I could give her, I've got to narrow it down to what I think she's most likely to want to stitch.

I've also got two pairs of socks finished that I haven't photographed yet, and sock A on a third pair done! I have been knitting crazy lately. Not really as much cross-stitch progress.

Not having my Opal in hand makes me want to go out and buy yarn, but as the Opal wasn't cheap (and as I went shopping this weekend, buying wonderful tub bubble stuff) I can't really afford it. The craving would be satified (for a minute) if only my e-Bay yarn would arrive! Whine!

Too Cute!

2006-06-29T15:51:00.000-05:00

Knitting keeps me sane

2006-06-28T09:22:00.000-05:00

Last night, the new a/c James had his heart set on was installed. Thankfully, without any real help on my part. We coerced a friend to come over and help. I made dinner for her, and afterwards we took her out for ice cream. It took MUCH longer than expected to install.

I think James was also glad not to have to rely on me for help. I tend to get all panicky when installing things goes awry. I want to be done ten minutes ago, and I hate trying to figure out diagrams.

Not only was I glad that I didn't have to help carry the excruciatingly heavy unit, but I was spared all the worry of having to deal with James losing the screwdriver/ instructions/ screws/ foamy insullation bits over and over and over. A drill bit broke off in the wood. I kept knitting. A screw was lost (possibly out the window -- that was my theory.) I kept knitting.

I know for a fact that they broke something when they popped the face on. I just kept knitting. I offered no opinions except to make screw jokes. (He he he.) I also fetched water, and helped to look for the missing foamy insullation bits. (It was under the instructions. Go figure.)

I did about a good two inches of knitting -- stress makes the needles fly! And I'm happy to report that I am very pleased with the new a/c. I was not in favor of buying it, but it is actually quieter than the old one. I don't know how that's possible, since its so much bigger, but I like it. It also cools very well. The room dropped several degrees in what seemed like minutes!

More Dragon Mistaks!

2006-06-27T10:43:00.000-05:00

Augh! I have found another stitching mistake in my Dragon's Tea. I've put even more work into it than the first mistake. I think I'm going to knit socks for a little while. I'm hoping I can come up with a way to fudge the mistake. I think I would really cry if I had to rip it all out again. I seem to be one row off, not all the way across, but in one particular spot. Switching from page one to page two has been far more difficult than I imagined it would be. This is the first time I've ever tried a multiple page pattern, and its not going smoothly at all. I've even tried to be very careful, but it hasn't seemed to help.

Yesterday was a quiet day, and I got a lot of stitching done. I had a terrible headache, though, by the end of the day. I don't usually get headaches from stitching, so I don't know if the two were related. I think I just got overheated. As much as I hate to put it down, I think I need a little break from it.

Today has NOT been a quiet day at work. My boss decided that I am too soft-spoken on the phone. So he insisted I put a note on the phone that says to speak louder. I know he will at some point pop into my office to see if I actually did this. So I put a note that says VOLUME. He can't argue with that, and I refuse to be demeaned any further. Bad enough as it is.

I am soft spoken, but those who read often (ie, James) know that I have been getting over a sore throat the last week or more. I'm better now, but I think he purposely calls with a bad cell phone connection to try to prove his point I am not loud enough on the phone! Grrrrrr.

One of my many and varied temp jobs was to work at a call center, for a place similar to AAA, but with a bent for ripping off customers, and charging them twice for services. It was a horrible job, and I hated being on the phone all day. But no one ever complained they couldn't hear me. No matter how bad the cell phone connection, and how much I had to shout, I got service to everyone, every time. (Unless they refused to pay twice, of course.)

I talked to Grandma D. on the phone last night, and mentioned my new craze for knitting socks. She laughed and said she's not heard of anyone knitting socks since WWII. I told her that I use the Kitchner stitch for closing the toe, and its supposed to be from WWI. She said they knit socks for WWII, and sent them to the men, but it was a bit of a joke, because the socks never fit well. I'm sure she's imagining me with one sock too small and the other too big! And yucky, plain wool - or worse, acrylic! - in boring colors. (She asked me something about acrylic, but I couldn't figure out what she meant, exactly. Did they have acrylic in WWII?)

Dragon Mistakes

2006-06-26T09:36:00.000-05:00

I did end up going over to craft with my friends on Saturday. This whole weekend was a bit of errand-running and work around the house, so I feel like I didn't get enough of lying around in a heap.

We went to Wrentham to the outlet mall. I found a wonderful rain jacket at London Fog for a very nice discount. I need a nice rain jacket, as it seems it is never going to stop raining. Now all I need are a pair of rainboots!

After the outlet mall, I went crafting with my friends. They worked on scrapbooking, and I worked on my cross-stitch. I discovered a mistake in Dragon's Tea. I'm at the part where I've started the second page, or the right hand side of the project. I just started at the dragon's back, and I was off one stitch.

I realized my mistake after I put in three or four rows. I thought, its just one stitch. I can fudge it and it will be all right. So I continued working on the dragon's spine. Then, when it came to working down, I realized there would be no way to keep fudging it without throwing everything below off. So . . . out came about a week's worth of work. Mostly just because it had been a slow stitching week, with only a couple hours time invested. But still! It represents a whole week.

I ripped it all out, and almost got it all put in again, correctly. I do hope, anyway.

Sunday I started painting the sewing table James gave me for my birthday. The store we got it from took the legs of, cut it down to 34 inches, and put the legs back on. They did neglect to sand down the cut edge, however. So I think I'll have to do that before I can declare it to be done. It is far from done, actually. I only got the first coat of red paint on. (I was going to do before and after pictures, but I was so excited to start, I forgot to actually take the before!) I haven't even done the drawer fronts or legs yet. It will likely take me a couple weeks, since I'm too tired to work on something this strenuous when I get home from work.

SBQ: Magnifying Glass

2006-06-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

This week's Stitching Blogger's Question is, have you ever used a magnifying glass? Nope.

I don't really need to use a magnifying glass, because I have really only worked on 14 - 18 ct. Aida. I still haven't gotten up the nerve to try a project on linen or evenweave.

Well, not entirely true. I did buy some linen with the thought that I might stitch my Dragon's Tea on it. But after a few stressful minutes of trying to figure out where to start, and why everything looked funny, and how many holes am I supposed to move over, I gave up. Not forever, just not for my beloved dragon. I think it would be better to start with something very smal. Like perhaps a needlebook. I've been meaning to make myself a needlebook for quite a while. I have the felt for the insert, but I haven't settled on a degisn yet.

Stitching on Dragon's Tea makes me very happy, even when I'm kind of bummed out about work (yesterday was quieter, and I'm desperatly hoping I can hide in plain sight and make it through without any catastrophes today.) And I just love it on the purple Aida.

I don't really enjoy working on 16 and 18 count. I grant that for certain projects, such as ornaments, it is necessary, but I don't have to like it.

I make go to a crafting afternoon at a friend's house tomorrow. Have to wait and see. I have some errands to run, and this has been such a hellish week, I figure I may just want to lie around in a heap. But then after I'm done with that, I'll probably want to craft. And if you're going to craft, you may as well do it with friends.

Bad Week for Long Tail

2006-06-22T08:54:00.000-05:00

I'm having a really bad week at work. I've reached the stage of training where I'm pretty much left to fend for myself. This means a few more mistakes than usual, since I don't have everything down routine and pat. Perhaps this would not be so bad, or even unexpected, but those around me completely and totally freak out over the smallest mistake.

I'll not bore you with too many details (hopefully) but I switched two numbers around. This was a mistake, and yes, I screwed up. But I quietly and without fuss fixed them as soon as it was brought to my attention. Who hasn't inverted numbers accidently from time to time? Particularly if you are working with numbers all day long. But this woman? Flipped. Out. Completely. You'd have thought I tried stealing a million dollars rather than transposing two very large sums.

This also would probably not be that big a deal, except that I am very stressed by a large, overwhelming project I was assigned to. I am not qualified for it, and the person who has the info on how best to go about it wants to hoard it to himself for reasons probably best not looked at too closely. So I am all worked up about it, and things are not going well. Not at all.

Just to make things more interesting, the boss is coming back from vacatin next week. Then the fun will REALLY start.

When I started this job, I thought it would be good. Perhaps not fun, that would be expecting a bit much for one's paycheck, but well within the range of tolerable. I'm starting to think I was seriously wrong about that.

As I used to say to an old friend of mine, I feel like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

I haven't been sleeping well at night, and this has made a lot of progress on my dragon. Stress keeps me stitching long after I get home. This has been very bad for such things like housecleaning and cooking. Last night I ate questionable leftovers from the fridge, and the husband had to fend for himself (which isn't as bad as it sounds, since he was at the Red Sox game.)

SBQ: How Many Cross-Stitch Books?

2006-06-15T10:17:00.000-05:00

This week's Stitching Bloggers Questions is: How many cross-stitch books do you own and do you use them?

I have tons of cross-stitch books. Probably more pattern books than any other kind of crafting book. I do not stitch from them very often, I must admit. What I do find myself doing, particularly when I lack inspiration, or get tired of a project, is page through them. I love being inspired by the books, finding pretty things I'd like to stitch "someday," and it usually gets my enthusiasm started when I am down.

I also usually pick my books up fairly cheaply used. I've only bought one or two at full price. The only flaw to this plan is storing lots of pattern books! I can't imagine parting with a single one, though I suppose some day I will have to cull the herd.

I don't have much else to add today. I've got a terrible sore throat, and I'm seriously thinking of going home sick. Fortunately, today has been pretty quiet. If the phone stays silent, I might make it. Talking is terrible. I can't even finish my coffee because it hurts to swallow, and I really need it because I feel so tired. Must be coming down with something.

Which always stinks, but my birthday is Saturday, and being sick on your birthday is Not Fair!

The bib is gone

2006-06-14T14:25:00.000-05:00

And I think it was a big hit. I finished the green backstitch on it last night, stopped at CVS on my way to work for some gift wrap, and dropped it off this afternoon. The pastel just doesn't photograph that well, and it didn't look much different with the green than without. So, no picture update.

She found out just a couple days ago that she's having a girl. She said she was glad it wasn't pink, but when I started a month ago, I had no idea what it would be. Hence the green and yellow pastels.

While I was visiting, another woman I used to work with told me her adoption of a little 2 mo. old boy just went through. She's been in the process since I started working there, back in August of last year. I wanted to tell her I would make something for her, too, but she's already got him home, and there's no way I can whip something up that quickly.

The kit from the first bib has a second, but I'm convinced that there's not enough thread for the second bib. The pattern for the second bib is far more complicated, too, which is why I didn't choose it in the first place. I could put a different pattern on the second bib, but . . . it seems like a lot of effort right now. Not that I'm not just as fond of the second woman as the one dropped the bib off to. But there has to be some kind of limit with baby stuff, right?

I thought about knitting a little hat, like the Yarn Harlot or Subway Knitter, but its summertime. Does a 2 mo. old need a hat in July? 'Cause I doubt I could get it done before then.

Augh! I have craft guilt. How crazy is that. I don't even work there anymore!

Sock Miscalculation

2006-06-11T19:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not entirely sure how it happened. But I badly miscalculated on my SIL's sock. I did a swatch, checked my gage, and yet when I tested out the sock, it was child-size. Nothing for it but to rip it out. I was a few rows from starting the toe decrease. My own fault for being so optimistic, and not testing it out sooner, I guess.

So, frustrated with the pink Sockotta, I started on a sock for myself. (I am actually next in my little rotation, but the Sockotta told me it was for my SIL, and I'm not one to argue when yarn starts whispering to me.)

The black and orange looks kind of cool. I think of them as my Halloween socks. They look really toasty and warm, and I keep pausing to rub my fingers in it and twitch my toes with anticipation.

I have made considerable progress with the obligation stitching on the baby bib. There is some more backstitch in dark green called for on the legs and around the pink flowers, but I'm seriously considering skipping it. There should be a little bee on the elephant's left, and I've decided to leave that off, too. In fact, if I ironed it, I could give it to her as is. Very tempting to get it out the door.

The leftover threads are a snarl nightmare. I'm usually much more careful with leftover thread. I blame the cat. Hey, he can't say he didn't do it. I saw those guilty little paws.

Stitching on the bib

2006-06-09T08:19:00.000-05:00

I e-mailed some of my co-workers at the old job a day or two ago, just to say hi. It reminded me that I still haven't fnished the bib I started for one of them who told me she was expecting just before I left for my new job. Mostly, I haven't finished it because I haven't even picked it up in about three weeks.

This seemed kind of shoddy to me, so last night I stitched until I was sick of it. I'm not sure why, but I have noticed a strange trend in myself as regards working on baby items. I start them with so much enthusiasm, but at about the halfway point, I'm sick of them, and wish very much never to see them again. Is it just the pastel colors? Or is it the thought that this particular pattern has more backstitch than I have ever seen on a single project that's got me down?

I have very nearly finished the cross-stitch portion, but the backstitch is going to kill me. I thought about trying to make myself finish it up this weekend so I could get it to her on Monday, but I don't really want to ruin a perfectly good weekend with that much guilt and craziness. I will make myself work on it some, but not the whole weekend.

The last update picture I took of the bib didn't turn out well at all, so maybe I'll wait until I've actually got some backstitch done to take another picture.

The socks for my SIL are coming along quite nicely. I can easily finish sock A this weekend. I'm using Sockotta on #2 needles, and I'm just a little concerned about the tightness of the ankles. I know Sockotta has cotton blended with the wool, but it isn't quite as stretchy as I had thought. I think it will be okay, but I'm going to have to test it out. My SIL is much thinner than myself, so for my own socks I may need to go up to #3 , or cast on more stitches.

Moving to a new web home

2006-06-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm tired of fighting with MSN spaces. I use a Mac at work, and formatting was a nightmare. I usually tried to edit it again when I got home. Which resulted in basically having to blog twice. Anyone who keeps a blog knows how difficult it is to blog even once!

So, no more. The Cross Stitch Bear has become The Needled Bear, which I find not only more accurate, but slightly more amusing.

I'll have to think about what I want to do with my old site.