Monday, July 31, 2006

Two posts in one day...

... means an FO in my book!


Please keep your applause to a minimum; it only took half the summer to get these little babies done. :-) Now, I can't wait for Christmas to give them to my mom.

In-law visit = no knitting content

That's my new equation. :-) And while it was wonderful (especially for my husband) to have them visiting, it also means that I haven't finished my mitts yet or started anything new. And (most horrific of all) it also meant that I couldn't go to the Yarn Harlot's reading yesterday, even though I really, really, really wanted to. Sigh.

If my husband ever has any doubts as to the depth of my love, this should prove it!

But. I did do a little escapist reading... I bought and finished Scandal in Spring, the final book in the Wallflower quartet. I enjoyed it, but thought it was the weakest of the four. The 'scandal' really wasn't that scandalous and the other characters acceptance of the 'scandal' was ludicrous. Didn't really fit with the times. Oh well... it was a pleasant diversion. And I admit to wanting to read the upcoming book with Rohan in it (briefly mentioned in Devil in Winter, my fave of the bunch). Talk about summer reading!

Monday, July 24, 2006

Career change is in order!

My mom and I spent the day on Friday roaming around Ann Arbor’s Art Fairs. I hadn’t been in several years, and really enjoyed myself this year. There was less “kitsch on a stick” and more art/photography that was truly impressive and beautiful.

Except. We saw three booths that were selling knit products. And this is why I apparently need to get out of the Medical Editor business and into the Art Fair circuit.... because one of the booths? Selling knit, felted bags? For $150 EACH. Another booth? Selling shrugs for $90? And still another artist? Selling plain ol’ stockinette stitch sweaters out of plain ol’ wool? For a cool $110.

Mind you, I have no idea if people were actually crazy enough to purchase these works of art that any knitter can make... or is they were like me and shrieked and ran towards my LYS... so I’ll be ready for next year’s Art Fair! :-)

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Sweet, sweet lack of clutter



... isn't it perfect? This is the "Yarn Station" I mentioned in my last post. Also known as a way of organizing all my hooks and needles and junk! It makes me feel great to walk into my bedroom and see this, instead of grocery bags and stacks of books on the floor. What can I say, I am a bit anal about cleanliness ("Ha!" says my husband. "A bit?").

Another reason I am loving this is because the desk is a family heirloom of sorts. My great-grandfather made it years and years ago. It was just sitting in our basement gathering dust, so I feel it is being put to a much better, more respectful use now.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Update

As feared, I have hit SSS with my fingerless mitts. I have made almost zero progress in the last week. And because I am trying to be a “one project at a time” type of crafter, I have not started anything else, either. So, nothing to update you all on. Except that I have been watching my hubby play Kingdom Hearts on our PS2, which is a great way to waste time without getting anything done... :-)

But. I DID reorganize my stash and I now have a space that is completely dedicated to all things yarny, so I’ll take a pic of that soon. I feel much more at peace with my patterns/books/magazines/needles/hooks/yarn now that it is all contained in one space and not laying about in bags.

I have also been looking ahead to my next project (How typical is that? I can’t motivate myself to finish my current one, but am already planning for the next! LOL). I want to use Lamb’s Pride, but my LYS has about 4 colors, which is a disgrace. I am trying to talk myself into buying online, but am soooo worried about color quality on my PC. I have switched my color scheme about ten times now, trying to find a ‘sure fire’ one that can’t be screwed up if the colors look wildly different in person. I don’t think you can go too wrong with light gray, dark gray, and red.... can you?

Also, awhile ago I mentioned that I had started bicycling with my hubby. Well, we have been going nearly every day since the beginning of June. My progress has been slow but steady. I can now ride at about 13 mph for around 8-9 miles. Not stellar, but so much better than when I started and just a couple of miles was a struggle! So, despite the lack of knitting progress, I have been making improvements in SOME areas of my life!

Friday, July 14, 2006

Friday meme

The List

I have seen this on several blogs, so I thought I would join the crowd... :-) Like Tara, I am going to answer as well as bold the ones I have done...

HAVE YOU EVER:

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink (No, I am a girl... I am supposed to have drinks bought for me!)

02. Swam with wild dolphins (Sigh. I wish.)

03. Climbed a mountain (Lived in Denver for a few years, so yeah.)

04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive (No desire to.)

05. Been inside the Great Pyramid (On the list of things I want to do before I die.)

06. Held a tarantula (See number 4)

07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (I actually can’t stand baths, and wouldn’t find this romantic at all.)

08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it (To my husband every day)

09. Hugged a tree (No????)

10. Bungee jumped (See number 4)

11. Visited Paris (Yup. Only for a weekend, though.)

12. Watched a lightning storm at sea

13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise (Ah, flashback to college...)

14. Seen the Northern Lights (Another thing on my list to do before I die.)

15. Gone to a huge sports game (Michigan stadium holds over 100,000 people, so I think that is pretty huge! Also, of course, Tigers, Pistons, and Rockies games)

16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (See 14)

17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables (I would love to have a salsa garden someday)

18. Touched an iceberg (I have walked on a glacier, so I am saying yes to this! Close enough.)

19. Slept under the stars (In a tent, of course...)

20. Changed a baby’s diaper (Back in the bad old baby-sitting days of my youth.)

21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon (See 14)

22. Watched a meteor shower

23. Gotten drunk on champagne (Can’t stand the stuff. We didn’t even use it to toast at our wedding. I had a whiskey and my husband a beer!)

24. Given more than you can afford to charity (No)

25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope (Took an astronomy class in college)

26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (I don’t think so...?)

27. Had a food fight (With marshmallows around a bonfire at my dad’s. He was not happy the next day when he had to pick up half-melted, ant-covered marshmallows from the lawn!)

28. Bet on a winning horse (Not a betting type.)

29. Asked out a stranger (Too shy.)

30. Had a snowball fight (Of course, this is Michigan.)

31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can

32. Held a lamb (No.)

33. Seen a total eclipse (No.)

34. Ridden a roller coaster (Can you Cedar Point? Love that place!)

35. Hit a home run (I’m sure I must have back in my t-ball days... but it obviously didn’t leave much of an impression on me.)

36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (I always look like a fool when dancing.)

37. Adopted an accent for an entire day

38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment (I have felt consistently happy about my life since 2004. It’s a good thing.)

39. Had two hard drives for your computer

40. Visited all 50 states (I think I am at about 27 right now?)

41. Taken care of someone who was drunk (Ex-boyfriend... husband... myself... the list goes on and on... )

42. Had amazing friends (I am lucky to have some very close, wonderful people in my life.)

43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country (A disco in Dublin....)

44. Watched wild whales (See 14)

45. Stolen a sign

46. Backpacked in Europe (See 14)

47. Taken a road-trip (Too many to count)

48. Gone rock climbing (Not really interested, I am too klutzy. Plus, Michigan isn’t really known for its mountains!)

49. Midnight walk on the beach

50. Gone sky diving (No, but my mom has!)

51. Visited Ireland (Four times at this point...)

52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love (Sadly, yes. I think being dumped vs. doing the dumping is the big culprit on this.)

53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them

54. Visited Japan

55. Milked a cow

56. Alphabetized your cds (No. Our books, on the other hand, are alphabetized and sorted into categories.)

57. Pretended to be a superhero (After watching the X-Men movies. What can I say, I love me some Hugh Jackman!)

58. Sung karaoke (Heavens no!)

59. Lounged around in bed all day (Only when sick.)

60. Posed nude in front of strangers (Shriek of terror!)

61. Gone scuba diving (No, but have gone snorkeling.)

62. Kissed in the rain

63. Played in the mud

64. Played in the rain

65. Gone to a drive-in theater (Dated a bit of a stoner once. His idea of a big night out was to the drive-in to see Jackass: The Movie. We didn’t last long.)

66. Visited the Great Wall of China (See 14)

67. Started a business

68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken (I am married, after all.)

69. Toured ancient sites (Visited Mesa Verde, that’s pretty ancient.)

70. Taken a martial arts class

71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight (Shudder, no way!)

72. Gotten married (Hurray, yes!)

73. Been in a movie (Do cheesy home videos count?)

74. Crashed a party

75. Gotten divorced (Thankfully no)

76. Gone without food for 5 days (No, but I have gone without meat for much longer)

77. Made cookies from scratch (My peanut butter cookies are pretty awesome)

78. Won first prize in a costume contest (When I was a Rubik’s Cube for Halloween in first grade. It involved wearing a box, which meant I couldn’t sit or use my arms. )

79. Ridden a gondola in Venice (Do I even need to say it? See 14)

80. Gotten a tattoo (No. When your entire family has tattoos, they seem far less cool.)

81. Rafted the Snake River (No, but I have rafted the Yellowstone. If by raft, you mean, gently paddled down!)

82. Been on television news programs as an “expert” (My expertise would be... ? )

83. Got flowers for no reason (My hubby’s an awfully sweet guy.)

84. Performed on stage (Elementary and middle school talent shows and band concerts. Since then, nada.)

85. Been to Las Vegas (But only for a lame trade show for work.)

86. Recorded music

87. Eaten shark (Alligator is pretty close, right? Both are ferocious predators. Tastes like chicken.)

88. Had a one-night stand

89. Gone to Thailand (Actually don’t look at 14. I could skip this one.)

90. Bought a house (Sadly, not yet.)

91. Been in a combat zone (The first time I went to Ireland was before all the current cease-fires and general peace. It was weird having the military search my luggage and actually really quiz me on who I was and where I was going and see their guns as they did it. It wasn’t truly a combat zone, but close enough for me.)

92. Buried one of your parents (Thankfully, no)

93. Been on a cruise ship (Twice now!)

94. Spoken more than one language fluently (If you count Latin, a dead language, that you don’t actually speak... sure.)

95. Performed in Rocky Horror. (Gasp! I haven’t even seen it!)

96. Raised children. (Does my husband, the over-grown child, count? :-))

97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour

98. Created and named your own constellation of stars

99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country

100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over (After college, just up and moved to Denver.)

101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (Actually, I have not. But I have walked the Mackinac Bridge which is just as lovely.)

102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking

103. Had plastic surgery (Hee hee! When I was 6! I smashed my nose on the side of truck -- don’t ask-- and they did a bit o’ surgery on it to keep it from being hideously scarred and ugly. That’s why I have such a cute nose. :-))

104. Survived an illness that you shouldn’t have survived

105. Wrote articles for a large publication (Well, for a small trade journal. They even had my picture on them!)

106. Lost over 100 pounds

107. Held someone while they were having a flashback

108. Piloted an airplane

109. Petted a stingray (Sounds fun, though.)

110. Broken someone’s heart (We are not going into details on this one.)

111. Helped an animal give birth

112. Won money on a T.V. game show

113. Broken a bone (Weird that I haven’t... I am always covered in bruises.)

114. Gone on an African photo safari (Let’s say it together... “See 14!”)

115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced (er... no)

116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (Do water guns count?)

117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild (I don’t eat fungus)

118. Ridden a horse (Took horse-back riding lessons for years.)

119. Had major surgery

120. Had a snake as a pet (Though I love snakes as part of nature’s plan, no.)

121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours (No, I am one of those people who get up at 8 on the weekends.)

123. Visited more foreign countries than Canada (Besides the lovely Canada, I have been to Mexico, England, Ireland, France, and various Caribbean islands.)

124. Visited all 7 continents (Who can honestly say yes to this one? Antarctica is awfully hard to get to.)

125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (Sounds like too much work to me.)

126. Eaten kangaroo meat (No, and I don’t want to. They are too cute to eat!)

127. Eaten sushi (Yes, I tried it. And hated it. )

128. Had your picture in the newspaper (For graduating valedictorian in HS)

129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about

130. Gone back to school (Naw, I did the whole straight from HS to college thing.)

131. Parasailed

132. Petted a cockroach (Why would you want to?)

133. Eaten fried green tomatoes

134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey

135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read (Even though I was an English major, I never had to read much Dickens. So I read Bleak House and Great Expectations after I graduated. So soap opera-y!)

136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (NO. And I never would.)

137. Skipped all your school reunions (I proudly skipped my 11-year reunion last month.)

138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

139. Been elected to public office

140. Written your own computer language

141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (My answer is too corny for ya’all)

142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

143. Built your own PC from parts (My hubby has.)

144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you

145. Had a booth at a street fair

146: Dyed your hair (Well, highlights.)

147: Been a DJ (With my mom at a friend’s wedding.)

148: Shaved your head

149: Caused a car accident

150: Saved someone’s life

Quite a list! Kudos to you if you made it to the end! My total of bolds is 54/150. Not bad, but the number of things I still want to do is pretty daunting!

Sunday, July 09, 2006

One down...

... one to go!



(Note: If you are right-handed, it is pretty darn hard to get a pic of your own right hand... especially if the camera's button is all the way to the top right! So, only one not so great photo.)

This is the first Rib-and-cable mitt from IK (see last post for link). It came out slightly longer than I wanted, but I think my mom's hands are bigger than mine, so hopefully I will be all good. Obviously, I am not following the pattern exactly. I decided to use a variagated yarn and to skip the contrasting colors. It is also not a DK weight yarn so I have been modifying a little for size, too. Once I finish Number 2, I'll write up all the changes I made.

I adore these colors and love the single cable down the back of the hand. I may have a hard time giving these away at Christmas! :-)

(And let's all hope I don't fall prey to Second Sock Syndrome and finish the left one soon!)

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Bits and bobs

I have returned from the Moose Capital of Michigan... we didn't see any moose, but did see a very territorial pheasant that kept charging us as we walked out the front doot. Fun! :-) It actually was very fun, despite being a good 6-hour drive from Ann Arbor. We swam, we sauna-ed (which is a very Yooper thing to do), we had a bonfire, we grilled, and we drank! LOL. Good times.

I have also been slowly working on the Rib and Cable Mitts (scroll down). I say slowly because dpns+cabling=not very fast for me! The yarn I chose is beautiful, though. It is an alpaca/merino blend in green, blue, and purple. If all goes well, I hope these will be a Christmas gift for my mother. Keep your fingers crossed!

I finished reading The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler. I enjoyed it, but it took my FOREVER because it is NOT a beach read; i.e., it has all this character development and plot! ;-) It was one of the library book sale purchases and I would say it was worth the $.25!

And finally, just for fun...




QuizGalaxy!
'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com


Which is fitting, considering Kid Rock is a native Michigander!