This Space is Available

One day I will have something to say.

Promise.

1 down....a lifetime more to go!

It was a year ago today that I married my absolute favorite person in the world!
Sure, we drive each other crazy on a regular basis, but there's no one I'd rather spend my lifetime with.

I heart AA!!!
foreves!




(Romantic song for the day: Tugboat - Galaxie 500)

Daydreaming

I'm getting ridiculous amounts of knitting done as of late, but I'd be much happier employed.

I am hoping for large amounts of snow on Wednesday. Knitting, crazy snowfall, and my year anniversary, AND Valentine's Day. I would be very happy to lock myself at home with my husband, eat chocolate or something as sinful, watch Planet of the Apes, and knit all day long. Hopefully it will snow early and he will be trapped at home with me.
And I really do like exploring the city in the snow....no pesky cars to get in the way.

I've been daydreaming a lot lately. I'm practically obsessed with Craft's blog. Its update very often, which is great for someone with large amounts of time on their hands, and its filled will all sorts of crafty stories. I may be known for my knitting, but my love of crafts in general is where my heart lies. I like glass, and embroidery, and beading, and sewing, and stamper collecting. I get just as giggly buying felt tipped markers as I do buying yarn. I've been reading the crafster message boards since they began. I even used to post to the long defunct glitter boards (which popped up on another server, but its just not the same). I'm waiting patiently, well, more like impatiently for my new issues of Craft and Adorn to show up in the mail. (I subscribed late so it will take forever)
I'm thinking of embroidery ideas and things I'd like to embroider but I just seem to be missing bits and pieces. Maybe this week I'll drag myself to my local art store and pick up the few items I still need.

Nothing else to report. I'm still waiting for good news, especially after spending the past week horribly cold ridden. I had no idea the nose could even get that stuffed, let alone stay that way over a week. The human body is amazing and gross.

The family camera has taken a turn for the worse, so I probably won't have pictures available until I'm happily employed. Lets all hope that is soon.

New year, new you.

I feel so out of the blogging loop. I have nothing but time on my hands, but zero interest in writing anything. Quite a pickle to be in.

It seems the more obsessively I work on a knitting project, the longer it takes to complete. I've been hard at work on the most mind-numbingly boring shawl, but it never seems to be finished. I'm always about 50 rows away. How can this be? I must be knitting into a black hole or something. All the work I put into it somehow manifests itself somewhere else, maybe in a parallel dimension of some kind.

And, to drive me absolutely insane, I snapped my second pair of 3 32" circs. I was heartbroken the first time. So in my grief I not only ordered a second bamboo set, but also smooth, unbreakable steel, just in case. And of course, the just in case happened sooner then I had hoped. In the middle of a dark movie theater no less. (Thankfully I had a back up project with me.) I love bamboo, but seriously...two expensive circular needles snapping in a row will make a girl change her knitting preferences.

Lessons learned:
- Only use metal needles for anything below a 5.
- Always bring a back up project to a movie.

My knitting front is a bit stalled. So, other things:
- I have my second cold of the season. Thank you general population for screwing up my week
- Children of Men is an amazing movie. I can't even use adjectives to describe it because nothing I could say would do it justice. It made me feel like I got kicked in the gut repeatedly, and I'm fine with that feeling. Go see it, go see it now.
- Rome will be premiering next week. This season is chock full of sex, violence, and death. I love ancient history.
- I think my knitter's elbow may be binging to ache. I'm not at all happy about this.
- If I'm as awesome as every temp agency in the world has told me I am, why am I not working yet?
- I have a new found obsession with football. I have watched the last 5 Eagles games voluntarily. I have found myself so into the games Aaron has begun telling me to calm down repeatedly. I nearly threw a water bottle at the television......but come on...the Eagles so should have gotten their 65 yard touchdown! They were robbed.

I'm sure there's more, but I have a feeling that my stuffed nose has pushed past my nasal cavity and into my brain. Everything seems very jumbled. Damn you cold virus!

Is it 2008 yet?

Happy Yarnful Holidays!!!

How cool is this?!! Google is not only in the spirit of the holidays, but its chock-full of knitting goodness as well!!!! Quite an adorable surprise to wake up to this morning.

There have been a few things that have gotten me into the seasonal mindset recently. Knitting kangaroos on Google. Getting to see an unexpected by kind of cool menorah procession driving down Market Street last Saturday night. (Seriously...5 blocks of cars with giant menorahs on top of them. After the initial "what the hell is that" wore off I happily yelled happy Hanukkah to as many of the cars as I could. Sure, I'm a gentile, but I'm a sucker for any and all happy celebrations and holidays!)

I've seen specials about Christmas lights from across the country, I've had people be downright polite waiting in line at the post office, I've seen smiling shoppers everywhere. I can't help but get caught up in it all. Sure...not everyone seems to be filled with holiday cheer, but its nice to have a small period of time where most of the population is actually aware of people around them.

I hope you all have a yarnfully festive holiday season and a great new year!

Christmas knitting is for suckers!

Ok...ok...I admit I am making one Christmas present. A hat out of Manos for my favorite bartender. He's kept me in cheap beer all year long...its the least I can do.

Everything else I have gotten for people has been store bought. And I'm damn proud!

In past years I insanely tried to make presents. Sure, they got done by Christmas morning, but they were normally rushed, damp, and hated by me by the time I gave them. They were all loved and cherished, but honestly...I like myself more then I like smiling faces. And they seem to be just as happy with a DVD or gift certificate. Sure, I didn't pour 20 hours into that DVD, but I did have to either search Amazon.com or actually go through the hassle of driving somewhere, parking, fighting my way through the electronics section, and waiting in line for that item! And since I have a serious hatred of crowds and stores, that DVD seems about ten times more impressive!

I'd like to be proud of all of the knitting feats I've accomplished this year. All the daydreams about wearing my warm shawls all winter long. Unfortunately, its about 64 degrees outside, so even contemplating wearing something made of alpaca makes my temples moisten.

I'm happy that Christmas is a week away. Because, damn, do I need sometime away from holiday crap. I look forward to a trip to the super market that doesn't involve Christmas carols. Then I can focus on important things.....like drinking my self silly to ring in the New Year.

And....as I've said a million times over....pictures to come soon!

When exactly is the point of no return..

Before I get into my tale of woe....quick positive update!

My Anne fall leaf lace shawl is done and blocked. Its is lovely and just the right size. I would put in a snazzy photo, if I had one. (If you had not guessed...I'm relatively lazy about taking pictures of my knitting. Maybe its because I don't own the camera I normally use) I plan on wearing it over the weekend, since the temperature may actually be closer to holiday weather then it has been (not that I'm complaining...no heater in use means no heating bill)

But..everything is not blocking and finished and happy. Oh no. I have a current project that will soon be a flaming car wreck on needles.
I have had two skeins of Anne waiting to be a Baltic sea stole for years. Its been on my "to-do" que for ages. So I finally buckle down and begin. The pattern calls for sport weight yarn, 900 yards, size 8 needle. I tried this equation with my lovely deep blue Anne. It was nice, but much too open for my liking, especially since I plan on using this for warmth. So I drop the needle size down two sizes and add 4 extra repeats to make up for the small width this change in size would cause. I have 1095 yards at my disposal. I thought, in a complete fit of insanity, that this would be enough. Hell, I'm 100 yards over what they call for and they never actually use the totals they quote....what could go wrong?

I'm only about three inches in and my first skein is a quarter gone. In the back of my head I know I do not have anywhere near enough yarn to do this. So when exactly do I give up and claim defeat? I'm delusional....I continue to knit thinking that yarn will magically appear and everything will be fine. Because that is what happens, right?

The ironic thing...I'm normally the most conservative knitter. If I feel that my yarn will not meet requirements, especially when yardage is concerned I rip out early. I have a good feeling for when things are going badly and normally do not have a problem with scraping an entire project for something else. But this time.....this time its different. I just refuse to admit this will not work. After casting on a dozen times, trying three different size of needles, carrying around the pattern and the yarn in my knitting bag for ages.....I just can't let it go without a fight!

....If someone would like to sneak into my house and hide this project from me before the swearing starts I will forever be grateful....

I'm an omen

...Total creepy kind of omen..

If you see me employed at a company run the other way. It means something bad will happen.

I was laid off an hour ago. The company I was working for had to lay off both of their employees. It seems the ship was sinking way faster then anyone had expected. So...I'm now unemployed, more then a bit freaked out about my bills, and hoping to god that something shows up soon. Christmas may have to be canceled this year.

And because I have impeccable timing, I still have presents being delivered to my old place of business. I can pick them up, but unfortunately they will be closed most of next week. Thank goodness I needed everything being shipped right away. This situation is making me especially tense. I also am having a problem with one of my orders...it seems they may have not shipped everything I had requested....again....tension. I'm going to obsess about it until tomorrow morning.

The only ray of light shining through all of this gloom?
I have all this time for knitting now!
...and knitted items will be nice...since paying my gas bill will need a miracle from god.


Hopefully something more cheerful later. I'm just so bummed right now.

RIP Jack Palance

This is the second most sad death of the year. I nearly cried when I heard it.
I love...well...loved this man! Being the nerdy person I am I grew up enamoured with Ripley's Believe it or Not. (and I cannot speak to you if you are too young to remember this amazing show!)
And his stint as Dracula....freakin awesome!
I always had a major crush on him!

Although...of his recent performances...my favorite was definately the horny artist in Bagdad Cafe.

He will be sadly missed.
I feel like some part of my childhood is now gone.

You left me in Stitches!

Heaven is obscene amounts of yarn.
Yarn from floor to ceiling.

I either seemed to be underwhelmed or overwhelmed at big knitting events. This years Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival left me wanting more. I didn't see enough to really make my head spin.

I went to Stitches East in Baltimore this past weekend. Even though it didn't leave me with the feeling of amazement it left me with the first time I attended one, I was impressed overall. I think the highlight for me was finally getting my hands on a Lexie Barnes bag. I have been in desperate need of something in the Hermosa pattern for ages and ages. (black and white skull motif. It kind of looks like a cross between Day of the Dead sugar skulls and a doilie) I didn't just get a giant knitting bag (it was discounted because the pattern was printed upside down, it doesn't even look that odd even with the mistake!) But I also purchased three discounted project bags. I bought one for actual projects, one for paperback books (I hate ruining books in the bottom of my bag) and the third as a small makeup bag. I look like a walking advertisement for her company, and I love it! There is no one nicer who I would like to support with my purchases. I was able to speak to Lexie at length and look forward to one day going to see her showroom.

For the past year I've definately been burned out on the whole knitting scene. Besides knitting with those girls I'm close to (and you know who you are) I could have just cared less about everything else having to do with knitting. Even yarn didn't have the same appeal for me. But a magical thing happened at Stitches. I actually met like-minded people. I met company and store owners who were actually.....gasp....NICE! They liked talking to me, not because I spent $100's of dollars on their merchandise, but because we had similar ideals and they were actually NICE! (I need to say it twice because i'm so shocked) It gave me a new enthusiasm about knitting that I had not had in awhile. Not everywhere is Philly. New England, Upstate NY, Oregon, places chock full of nice laid back people. and lordy lordy....do they know their fiber!

And since i'm sure everyone wants to see what I actually got, pictures will come soon. I PROMISE! you can beat me with a stick if I forget again!

(well....i don't do it mainly because of laziness....not really because of memory)

i really need to get rid of this need for work so I can use as much time as possbile on my projects! up with knitting, down with work!

Fake Meat is better then knitting!

Wait....did I get your attention?

I know...i speak blasphemous things. Fake meat, although very good indeed, is not better then knitting. It does, however, make me unspeakablely happy. And one item in particular is making my taste buds sing!

Fake roast beef. Fake freakin roast beef!!! With mayo and cheese on a sandwich is heavenly. It is produced by our new favorite company of vegetarian delights Yves! And supposedly the roast beef is only available in Canada. But magically, like an act of god, it appears weekly in our local Shop Rite. If it ever does disappear I will move to Canada immediately to live as close as possible to this heavenly food.

Other then obsessing over my sandwich for lunch, everything has been non-knitting. October sucks up an obscene amount of time, but oddly enough at the end I never feel like I accomplished anything. I did all the festive Halloween things I wanted to do, but it never seems like enough. I immediately start planning for next years lunacy. And Halloween always seems like a quiet little gasp at the end. I usually stay in, watch the same movies and specials I watch every year, and fall asleep at a reasonable time.
I think trick or treating should be available for adults. Especially those of us who don't want to wake up with a hang over the next day. A slight sugar headache sounds like a much easier way of dealing with past festivites.

The future: Stitches East is this weekend. I'll be attending on Friday, since every booth seems to be sold out before Saturday. I have a pitiful amount of money I can spend, so I will have to be on my best behavior. Thankfully i feel very blase about yarn and knitting right now. I mean, I like working on my current projects, but i'm not in that frenzied state of mind that could get me into trouble at such an event. I think its because I'm not yet fully aware that Novemeber is here. I can see it on my calendar on my watch, but my brain is still in some sort of weird denail over the whole thing.

Oh...and I haven't finished CRAP in weeks. My projects seem to be moving along like iceburgs, and I'm lucky if i get two gigantic rows in a night.
Tiny knitting seemed to go a lot faster when I actually had time to devote to it!

If you see me at Stitches please say hi. I have chin length reddish hair, a bag that says "will knit for tattoos", and a surly expression on most of the time. I'm a kitten though...no that much surliness. Although, my friends could tell you, please do not get between me and Schaefer yarns Anne.....it could get ugly!



...god that was a good sandwich...

Happy Freakin Birthday.

I'm officially 30.

3-freakin-0.

I'm old.

Happy one-day-closer-to-my-demise to me!

My best gift?
.....not a wrinkle in sight!

....can't say the same for the gray hairs though....


I think i'm going to go live in a cave until I'm 40....and I'm still not sure if i'll even come out then!

Anniversary

It was a year ago today that my mom died.

I got the call at 10pm. My dad had called me earlier in the day to tell me she had been hospitalized, a normal occurrence by then. She was stable and sleeping, so I was holding off going home until the next day, when I was more awake and less hysterical. Then I got the call. A medication she was on, I believe it was to raise her very low blood pressure, caused her heart to stop. They resuscitated her, but it was too late, she already had massive brain damage. They let her pass away.

I didn't get to speak or see her the day she died.
(when I had called that morning she was sleeping)

She was my favorite person in the world. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about her.

My boss is very understanding. She gave me the day off. I had every intention of being a productive citizen today, but half way through the morning I started crying and couldn't stop. Its like waves of pain. Whenever a crying fit subsides another one starts.

I just can't believe its been a year. I can't believe I haven't hugged or spoken to my mom in a year. Its just overwhelming.

I hope she's happy wherever she is. And I hope I can make her proud one day.

I just really miss her.

Holy moley!

Wait, how is it already the middle of October?!
I swear, this month has flown by.

I know, I know, I keep promising completed projects, and pictures of those completed projects. But honestly, my knitting has trickled down to a steady stream of droplets. I only have time for 2 hours of knitting a night if I'm lucky. (I'm sure to some of you that may sound like a lot, but I assure you its not) Who knew having a social life would cut into so much damned knitting time!

I did get some new and lovely Black Bunny Yarn! A beautiful laceweight in yellows/browns/ and shades of honey. I'm trying to break out of my obsession with orange. I have too much orange on the backburner. I needed something more mellow. And it reminded me of wheat fields and corn mazes and the color of trees and leaves at the end of autumn. When everything is quiet and brown and the light seems to always be barely over the horizon.

And it will blend so nicely with my musical choices as of late. I listen to cds all day long at work, so I've been tearing through them much faster then I normally do. On heavy rotation right now is: Nina Nastasia, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Mono, Bonnie Prince Billy, and Low. I must come off as this insanely mellow person because everything I listen to seems slower and quiet.
(anyone who's ever met me knows this is SO not the case!)

I have grand plans to finish my Feather and Fan shawl that was recently restarted. Finish my Half-Pi shawl that was also recently restarted. Finish my Koigu cardigan. Finish my leaf lace shawl. And perhaps finally start my Baltic sea stole, and maybe, if it looks as nice in the magazine as it does in the online picture, start the square stole in the upcoming Interweave.
My work is very chilly most days, so having lost of warm shawls will actually come in handy.

Fancy that....actually using the knitted items I make!
Wonders will never cease!

I'm a horrible blogger...

...completely terrible.
I keep promising pictures and knitting stories and I'm just too lazy and/or tired to deliver.
But this time I do have a good excuse. I did drive 5 hours home from Virginia last night, and this was after I was already tired and exhausted.

I have never been so excited to have work canceled in my life!

But. I did finish my scarf. And I did see sheep on my trip. So that's fiberly, right? Although, for as many sheep the historical settlement had they had zero yarn. Isn't that a total let down?
The nerve of those people...using sheep as cute little ornaments. Hrm!

I didn't get any knitting done. I was far too preoccupied with glaring at the rain. We had a three day trip planned, it rained for two of the three days. Wouldn't you glare out your window too?

I'm just rambling. Very tired. Something more substantial soon.
With pictures!!!!

...watch this space....

Just a quick note. I've been trying to be a good blogger, really I am. I have grand ideas for blogs in my head, I just never seem to have the energy to sit down and move it from my head to my computer.

And...well...I just haven't been up for talking lately. I've had a lot on my mind. Between my upcoming 30th birthday, my lack of any self-confidence, and the sadness over the year anniversary of my mom's death, I've just felt like saying very little. I'll probably go into everything more indepth later.

Today I just feel like saying nothing about everything.

I'm almost done a scarf, so knitting talk will come soon as well.

It can't be all doom and gloom you know.

Well....at least its finally October 1st. Its my favorite month, but its also become my saddest month all at once. Kind of weird how everything works out.

Another reason to hate Philadelphia

Philadelphia has followed other cities like NY and LA and passed a smoking ban.

In a city with an escalating crime rate, a ridiculous wage tax, and non-existent funding of major services....this is of course highest priority to the powers that be.

I do admit, I enjoy smoking while drinking. It is what the dive bar is designed for. So I will miss having the freedom to do so. But I'm more angry at the fact that so many problems that need addressing have been pushed to the back burner for something so frivilous! Why aren't more people outraged?!!??!!

This city is so backwards. I honestly do not understand how people voluntarily stay here. We are sticking around long enough to get a big chunk of debt paid, then we are out of here. I could never be happy in such a corrupt, hostile, and dirty city. And the thought of raising a child here seems ridiculous.

I don't know...this has nothing to do with knitting. But its whats buzzing around my head today. I'm just so bothered by the whole thing. There's not enough ambulances....but god forbid someone smoke in a bar. Bah. And I'm going to punch the next person who says its great......its not great. Its sad.....its sad that an owner of a drinking establishment can't decide whether they will let smoking be allowed in their establishment. I hate the thought of the government baby sitting its citizens.

....Because you know it won't just stop at smoking....

Something Wicked This Way Comes..

I am a magazine whore.

I subscribe to 4 knitting magazines...I think...I can't remember.
I subscribe to 3 lady dominated magazines of the punk-ass variety.
I subscribe to 1 political/punk music magazine.
I subscribe to 1 Regional Urban legend filled mag.

....and this was after I cut back.

And what lovely magazines did I trek all the way to Border's to purchase? Why...Martha Stewart living and Better Homes and Gardens of course! But these are not your average issues mind you...they are CHOCK FULL OF HALLOWEEN! Its like crafters porn. I breathe heavy at the mere thought of jack o' lanterns and squash filled foods. Heck, even the picture perfect atumn shots make my head spin.

And please...I will not even get started on my constant and obsessive fondling of Halloween goods in local retailors.....this is a family friendly holiday.

October 1st is two weeks a way....two long agonizing weeks. But when its here it seems to flicker out so quickly.

But back to my purchases. I was highly impressed with the Better Homes and Gardens issue. Great article on antique Halloween collecting. And the Halloween items that are featured in the issue are well done. Martha on the other hand was medicore. Still lovely and oh so New England, but overall crammed with too much other information. I wish they would go back to producing two issues for October. One issue dedicated only to Halloween, the other to basic autumness. If anyone ever comes across her greatness on the street please tell her we want Halloween back damnit!

Mmm....Martha.....I love your hanging spiders....ooohhh...

Busy Little Bee

Why do I seem to forget what font I used to type previous journal entries everytime I type a new one?

I'm a wee bit obsessive about fonts...I get crazed if two items on the same page don't match. I'm a little bit weird that way.

Man, work is just sucking up my time. Who knew having a full time job could be so time consuming! I'm hoping to have some quality time with my knitting this weekend. In a complete crazed moment I ripped out the first shawl I ever did. Mind you, it was completely finished, all ends were long since woven in, it has been previously blocked and worn quite a few times. Why did I succomb to the insanity? My bind off was way too tight, so it was making the entire shawl too small. I liked the color so much that I couldn't bare not to wear it. So...the whole thing is scrapped. As soon as I'm done my oak leaf scarf it will be worked on.
(it would be started already but I'm out of row counters...I mean...I ONLY have 6 of them)

I think my next post will be a bit more jazzy....some photos...some action shots. Its going to be super awesome terrific!

And on a completely unrelated note. I have recently purchased cosmetics. I went completely insane....if it was a fall limited edition kind of thing I now own it! Two Stila fall eye shadow palettes, 4 limited edition fall scented/colored lip balms....Cargo limited edition eye shadow and lip gloss palette. I'm just insane. If it was nearly bronze/gold/khaki/orange/spice I have it in my greedy little hands. I stare at them everyday.....my precious....if only it was cool enough outside to wear you.

I may post again soon. Since I'm so much more productive about things like this on the weekend then I am during the week.

Should I even start a new sweater if I already have two on needles? They are tiny needles, and something quicker would sure be swell. (although I have quite enough yarn...unfortunately not in the gauge I need for this specific sweater)

Decisions...decisions...please tell me I don't need more yarn....no matter how cheap it is!



Free Dog!

I'm so upset about the whole Duane "Dog" Chapman thing! I won't even go into it because I find the whole thing infuriating! How can a man who has helped so many get arrested for something so stupid! Bah! There's many many more people more deserving of a jail sentence then Dog, Leeland and Tim!

Free Dog!!!

cough cough

I'm ill and it's all my husbands fault.

Please kick him in the shin if you see him walking down the street.

Wait...I'm supposed to be talking about knitting. Hmm...I started an oak leaf scarf from Fibertrends in a very autumnal skein of Anne. I have many autumn outings planned to wear it to, plus it will match my newly purchased brown hoodie and sneakers.

Because everyone knows that brown is the new black....or it could be that brown is the new brown. I don't really care either way, because I'm going to look chocolate fantastic all fall!

I really don't have anything impressive or mind-altering to say. I'm in my first week of a new job. Its weird to go from sitting at home watching the Travel channel and knitting all day to sitting in an office, listening to cds and typing all day. I'm still trying to fit all 8 million things I'd like to get accomplished every day in to my little 8 hours at home before I sleep. I was so happy to actually be getting my knitting projects done, or at least big impressive chunks done. Now I'm back to dribbles. Its sad. My dreams of an all knitted October are not going to come true.