Take a look at what my awesome secret pal sent! The box arrived on Saturday but it wasn't until today that I had a chance to upload pictures. I got some lovely sock yarn, yummy peppermint drops, and best of all a beautiful Ashford spindle and some roving (I think it's roving) to play with. I have ordered the book Teach Yourself Visually Spinning from the library and as soon as it comes in I'll get started. I have always wanted to learn how to spin! And I am so excited by this gift.



DS has been in town since the 24th. So far it's been a good visit. He's gotten somewhat addicted to YouTube watching old classic cartoons and listening to music videos. Age appropriate behavior for the most part. The best thing was that he was home for most of Hanukkah. Last year he had his break after the holiday was over which was a bit upsetting for him and us.

DD and DS enjoyed the gifts we got them. DD spent the money she got from us and from her uncle (plus some that she'd saved up) on an 8gig Ipod Touch. She's been having a lot of fun playing with it. Makes me jealous I have an Ipod but it's not as cool as hers :).

Not much knitting going on these days. Frankly with the long hours at work I just didn't have the energy. Our late nights are over with now and life can get back to normal. Although next Friday I have to work inventory. That runs from 6PM to 2AM or there abouts. It's brutal but it has to be done. I don't know what department they have us assigned to yet I am hoping its Housewares and not Domestics or Kids. Last year I did Housewares and it wasn't too bad. Kids is supposed to be the worst one on our floor to do, tons of little garments to scan (we use a special scanning "gun" to count the merchandise by scanning the UPC's on their tags) and lots of them without the proper tags. It was supposed to be especially bad last year. So much so that they ended up doing the whole kids department over again. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

DD is asking for the computer back so I'll end this here. Happy New Year to one and all especially my totally awsome secrect pal!

Hello all. Work has been insane of late. Since I work in retail that's not a surprise. The store has been very busy which is good because the time goes faster and bad because it is exhausting. Last night I got home at around 12:30 and was falling off my feet. The kids that they have in Domestics (think towels and sheets) and Housewares are pretty new and I was, as a result, running between both departments all night helping them out and trying to keep order in all the chaos. I put things away, folded towels and generally tired to keep up the cleaning effort so we didn't have to stay any later than necessary. (the last time I worked before this I got out nearly a half an hour late). People are amazingly sloppy when they shop. They toss things all over the place, unfold stuff and take it out of packages that weren't meant to be opened until you get them home. In short they make my life difficult. So if you are still shopping this holiday season be kind to the retail clerks that take care of you. Don't make a big mess, put things back where you got them from, and don't show up 15 minutes before the store closes and act as if you have hours to spare. You will have my eternal gratitude and that of any sales associate you come across.

Spoke to DS a couple hours ago and was sorry to find out that he'd been sick today. Stomach virus it seems. I hate when DS gets sick because he isn't right here and I can't help him feel better. The nurse at school is taking good care of him, though. They kept him off solid food most of the day and gave him some jello at dinner to see if he could hold it down. He said he was feeling better than he had earlier in the day, so I guess that's good.

I have been working on my crochet squares this past week. My plan is to make as many different patterns as is possible and then put them together at random. So far this is working as the colors have been harmonious (pinks and purples for the most part). What is left doesn't clash too badly so my grand plan may work out. So far I have 16 squares done out of 49 that are needed for the afghan I want to produce.

DD will be home for a two week break starting on Monday, and DS comes home on the 24th (possibly the 23rd there is some confusion over the dates which I am trying to get resolved quickly) and stays until the 2nd. DD has a couple of projects to do over the break and DS is full of ideas on what he wants to do while he is home. Prominent on his list is some baking he wants to get done. Cookies, muffins and brownies are on the list so far. Brownies are usually something I don't do from scratch because we can get this really amazing mix at Costco. But the other day I made a batch from stratch for the holiday party of DD's girl scout troop. It was easy and they came out great so we will do it again while DS is home.

I am so excited I actually won something! Alison had a contest over at her blog . She was giving away a copy of her book Charmed Knits and a hat of your choice. (the book has Harry Potter inspired knits in it I chose Gryffindor, my personal favorite) Thanks Alison! I am sure that the hat will be awesome and I can't wait to get my hands on the book. DD has already requested I make her something from it.

The dinner for my MIL was a real success even if her sister bowed out pleading tiredness. The food was great and we all enjoyed being together. A wonderful old restaurant and a place I'd love to go back to one of these days. I had the Mushroom Risotto, very good an very rich. Not exactly on my diet but I lost weight last week anyway. (only a half a pound but I'll take it)

Yesterday DH and I were at Costco and saw a boxed set of Alien Nation DVD's. We bought it and I spent the morning watching one of the DVD's in the set. It was a blast to see the movie the series was based on as I'd never seen it before.

The Christmas hours at work have started with everyone getting impossibly long shifts. Everyone is complaining about it. They expect people to work 12 and 13 hour shifts, well the full timers anyway. I only have one extra long shift and the rest of the time I am in for 6 hour shifts (my usual is 4 hours). Even though I have to work till 12:00am a few days it's really not that bad and I can use the money. Yes believe it or not we do have people in the store till closing( and sometimes after it) they get despirite when it gets close to Christmas. Last year we had this one woman who did it habitually. She'd show up at like 11:30 or even 11:45 and shop like mad and expect us to act as if she had all the time in the world. I haven't seen a sign of her yet and hope I don't have to get stuck with her again this year.

Secret Pal Question Numero Uno

What are you most thankful for this year?

I think that would have to be my family. Through all the troubles and joys of life we support and love each other. I don't know what I would do without them.

The Shawl At Last

I look horrible here but the shawl looks good. The color is more a deep cranberry than what you see here.

Thanksgiving was good. We had DD, DS, DH and my brother-in-law and mother-in-law and of course me the chef. On the menu were Matzo ball soup, two kinds of cranberry sauce, corn relish, my Asian Cole slaw, Matzo kugel (think stuffing made with matzo instead of bread and lots of mushrooms), DS's specialty, mashed potatoes, and two desserts provided by my brother-in-law. A good time was had by all especially the adults who drank too much wine.

I finished my first Knit for Kids sweater, and have been working on crochet squares made from the stash of acrylic I keep complaining about. I've not crocheted in years and it was fun to get back to it again. The other day, while crocheting the hook broke in two. DH attempted to glue it back together but it didn't work and now I have to get a new J hook. The aran sweater did not get worked on much, but I did pick it up this morning and began the raglan decreases.

Today we go into Brooklyn for my mother-in-laws 80th birthday party. She's still going strong although she has slowed down a bit in recent years. There will be 9 of us and we're eating dinner at a restaurant that has been around for like a hundred years. Not sure how good the place is, we've never been there, but it has a good reputation and we're all looking forward to it.

A Sunday Post

Went to see DS today. He had a rough week so we thought it a good idea to spend some time with him. He seems to be fine now which is a relief. (DS has Autism and goes to a special needs boarding school because they couldn't find a school near us that met his needs) I did not bring any knitting with me and regretted that I could have gotten a lot done in the car while DH was driving and while he and DS went bowling. From now on I won't make that mistake. Better to bring it and not use it than not to have it along at all.

The Candleflame shawl is done. I am pleased with how it turned out. I elected not to block it as I thought it looked fine just as it was. DD and I spent a long time trying to get a decent picture of it and concluded it would have to wait till morning so that we could use natural light. So you will all have to wait till tomorrow to see it, sorry. I have also been working on the Aran Sweater and will be done with the front sometime this week if all goes well. My latest project is a sweater for Guideposts' Knit for Kids Project. I chose this project for charity knitting as they don't require wool yarn to be used and I have a ton of acrylic laying around. This week I hope to get to the LYS and pick up yarn for the Berry Bobble Hat from the Interweave Knits Holiday issue. I am not going to use the suggested yarn, but don't have anything in the stash that looks like it wants to be the hat. So off to the yarn store with me minus my credit card so I am not temped to get the cashmere yarn called for in the pattern.

Secret Pal Questions

I signed up for Secret Pal 13. It's been a while since I did a Secrect Pal swap and I thought it would be fun. Here's the answers to the questions posted on the Secret Pal Blog.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I don't have a real favorite but if you stay away from plasticlike acrylic and mohair you'll do fine.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a needle roll and a box for them.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting for over 40 years and I consider myself to be an advanced knitter

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes I have an Amazon wish list.

5. What's your favorite scent?

Spicy woodsy type fragrances nothing too sweet smelling

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I sure do! Love sour stuff, but I'm on a diet so please keep candy to a minimum

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I do counted cross stitch but not very often. I don't spin but desperately would love to learn to do it at least on a spindle.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like rock and roll as well as jazz and classical. I can play MP3's

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

My favorite colors are green, brown and orange, any earth tones really. Stay away from pastels.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I'm married with two teenagers, we have a guinea pig.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Scarves, hats, and mittens no ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I don't have a preference. I knit all sorts of things.

13. What are you knitting right now?

An Aran sweater, a shawl, and some socks

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Circular, I love bamboo but have recently begun to use Addi turbos so aluminum is fine too just not plastic

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I have both

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

About three years and I don't think it's ever going to be finished.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?

Thanksgiving and Passover are my favorite holidays. I observe Hanukkah.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Yes, penguins

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I'd love to try the knitpicks harmony needles because they look so nice, I don't subscribe to any of the magazines I prefer to pick them up when I see that they have something I like in them.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I'd like to master making socks on two circulars, I've been working on a sock that uses the method without much success.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I am a sock knitter but have a ton of sock yarn right now, my foot is 7 1/2 inches long not including the toe, and 8 1/2 around the ball of my foot.

23. When is your birthday?

August 20th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Yes I am my ID is Fizbin.

One more Political Post

Saw this on Lizzie's Loose Ends. She posted it because she wanted easy access to the speech and I am doing it for the same reason.


PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

Its the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

Its been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and hes fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nations promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nations next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while shes no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done. But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generations apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctors bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, its that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if Americas beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

And here's another sentiment that I recently saw and is worth repeating:

Rosa sat so Martin could walk so Barack could run.

Lord, I am so proud of this country

Political Junkie

Got up early and went out to vote. I had to wait about 20 minutes but lines for other election districts were much longer. I was the 207 person to vote in our election district, DH who went earlier than I did said he was 95. We figured out that that meant that there was about 100 people an hour coming through. A big turnout, very exciting! If you are reading this and haven't voted yet what are you waiting for?

I didn't take any knitting with me the day I volunteered for Obama, in the end I realized I'd be too busy and I was. We called people in Florida and asked them to vote for the Senator during early voting if possible or today (election day) if not. I got a lot of answering machines and left messages, had a few nasty people too but that's par for the course. It was fun and they even provided snacks and food for us.

Today after voting I went off to Barnes and Noble and got the holiday edition of Interweave Knits. A very nice collection of patterns and I am already planning on making a few things. Spent the rest of the day glued to MSNBC and working on my shawl. Which is pretty much how I plan on speding the rest of the day as well.

Saw this on KmKat's blog and couldn't resist stealing it.

Ya'll know who I'm voting for, but if you're for McCain I'm willing to listen so post in the comments.

Sock troubles

So I thought that DD's socks were coming along well until I realized that there was something not right about the gusset on one side. I am not sure where I went wrong as I followed the book's instructions. I think I go over to Knitting on the Lamb where I bought the yarn and needles and ask for help fixing it. But in any case I have to say I prefer the two needle method to the 4 needle one I'd been using. But I'd like to see how it works with some bamboo or other wood needles. I love my Addis but I think they may be too slippery to make socks comfortably.

Major disaster was averted this morning. DD is wearing her costume to school today but when she put it on the zipper broke and the only thing we could do was to take out a bunch of safety pins and pin the thing together. So DD has a line of safety pins runnign up her back. She declared the repair a success professing to like the look. That's my girl she rolls with the punches.

Socks Finally

Last night I pulled out DD's socks and got started on them again. I am now on the heel flap of sock #1 we'll see how I do when I get to the gusset which was what I had trouble understanding from the Cat Bordhi book. Sensational Socks has a more step by step explanation so I think I'll have more success with it. When I bought the yarn for these socks I got two skeins but now DD says that she wants anklets and I don't really need both skeins. I will either make another pair of anklets or use the yarn for something else. Unfortunately I had the LYS wind both skeins up into balls for me so I can't return the excess. This was before I had my swift and could easily wind the yarn myself. I've got to say I love my swift. It's made my knitting life so much easier, DD especially likes it, as I used to kidnap her to hold skeins while I wound then onto my ball winder. Why I ever got the winder without the swift is beyond me. While working on the heel flap I came to a break in the yarn. I don't remember that happening when they wound it up. Tried to do a Russian join with the yarn but couldn't manage it with the thin sock yarn and my Chibi needle so I just tied a knot. I don't think it will be a problem, it's pretty much swallowed up in the knitting and can't be felt.

This weekend I am doing something I haven't done in ages. I am volunteering on a political campaign. A volunteer from the Obama campaign called yesterday and asked if I'd be willing to volunteer to call people in Ohio and Pennsylvania this weekend. I thought about it and decided why not? So I'm giving a couple of hours on Saturday to make calls. I guess I'll bring some knitting with me in case there is any down time which I doubt. But I think it's best to be prepared don't you? What I need is a small bag to carry socks in, I've seen a few cute ones on the net and really should buy one for myself.

Speaking of bags to hold projects, are you like me and find that you collect tote bags? When I see one I like I always want to buy it. Question is do they count as stash? :)

Weekend Whine

I totally forgot that I was going to put some work in on DD's socks, and just never picked them up. They still sit alone and forlorn in their little bag, perhaps tonight, I've the house to myself and can really concentrate.

I was at work all weekend. Saturday 1:30-10:00 and Sunday 10:45-7:15. (the store closes at 9:30, or 7 opn Sunday, but we spend time cleaning up after that or at least they do on the floors that sell clothes. On the third floor we just stand around talking till it's time to punch out :>) This means that I am at the store for either lunch or dinner. Since I don't spend the entire hour eating I brought the candle flame shawl along to work on. Waste of time. On Saturday I spent the time fixing a mistake that I'd made on an earlier row. Today I saw that one of the Russian joins I'd made had become undone and that resulted in frogging a few rows with no time left to do any knitting. Arrgggh! It was, however, a decent weekend at the store because Captain Nice (my new name for my "wonderful" boss) wasn't in all weekend. I have a better than even chance of having to see him tomorrow but I am determined not to let him get to me this time. I also have to ask him to put in a personal day for me on Election Day. I have to work that night but I have plans to sit up watching election news all day on MSNBC (my favorite addiction besides knitting) so I am not going to go in. If he doens't give me the day I'm taking it unpaid. This is a historic election and I am not going to miss a thing if I can help it. (While I am on the subject I want to urge you all to vote. Vote for the candidate of your choice but vote. This is an important election and every vote counts. If you don't believe me ask Al Gore)

The crappish thing about this weekend was that my working kept me from a visit to see DS today. I miss him even though I talk to him almost every day, he's 18 but he's still my baby and it's not easy to have him away. Now I won't see him till Thanksgiving. At least they had good weather. They also made a great discovery. For years we have been fans of the fast food chain Sonic, which doens't exisit in this neck of the woods. Now Sonic is about the best fast food you can get if you have to eat fast food. Well today, DH called me at work to let me know that they had seen one in a town near where DS goes to school! This means regular visits to Sonic for us, we all couldn't be happier. Especially DD who has been known to shout "Why do you taunt me?" at Sonic commercials. :>

I'm still playing at dishcloths. I get unreasonably picky with them, always frogging and starting over. For the one I am doing now, I'm working on the Chinese Waves pattern. It's easy and makes a nice fabric. I have definitely decided that the washcloths are going to be part of a Christmas gift to my Meals on Wheels partner. I don't want to make this a big gift, she'd be uncomfortable with it, but I do want to give her something, and handmade feels right.

Bad couple of days here. My boss and I kept butting heads on Monday and it just depressed me. I can't stand the guy and to make it worse the store is putting a lot of pressure on us to keep sales up. We keep saying that no one is coming in and they will just have to accept that the economy is doing lousy. But they keep harassing us. Some of the managers are sympathetic and let us know that they are just doing their job and it's not personal; but the situation is not good and I wish I could look for another job. I can't really do that now because this time of the year retail jobs tend to be only for the Christmas season and I need a job that's permanent not temporary. Another side of me says I shouldn't have to leave. I like the people I work with and I like my hours (6-10 on nights when I work and occasionally longer hours on weekends) It fits with my lifestyle very nicely. It's only my manager, who I don't always see, that's the problem. But in any case I am stuck here for the time being.

DD had a great time last weekend at a Girl Scouts encampment (she and her friends insist on referring to it as a secret cult they feel a little funny telling the rest of the kids they are in Girl Scouts) She's going for her Gold Award (think Eagle Scout only for Girls) and they got a whole mess of leadership hours towards that. I had a great time with Girl Scouts as a kid and am glad that DD has joined up again after a few years hiatus. This troop are a nice bunch of girls and their Moms are easy to get along with too.

On the knitting front I'm once again starting washcloths only to frog them. I am way to picky about how they look. One thing I've realized working them is that I have to learn how to make cables without using a cable needle. I have a booklet called Cable Needle Freedom that should be a help and I know of some sites on the net with good instructions for how to do the technique. Has anyone out there successfully ditched the cable needle? For someone like me who really likes doing them it would probably be good to learn. I am going to spend some time tomorrow trying to learn how to do socks on two circular needles. As I've said before I am not happy with the results I am getting from using double points and think that this will work out better.

Had a comment from Megan of Knitting Like it's My Job about the knitting groups she is a member of. It's a bit of a drive for me but once in a while, when I am not working on a Saturday, it might be nice to go. I'd love to go to the group that meets here in my town but it's at night and I can't usually make it on days they meet because of work.

Got to go and start dinner, "talk" to ya'll soon.

And a Good Time Was Had by All

So as you can see from the pictures I did indeed go to see the Yarn Harlot at the Brooklyn stop on her current tour. I had a great time, even enjoyed the ride in as the woman next to me complimented my knitting. (always nice to be noticed!)

I got to Brooklyn early enough to snag dinner first and then get to the store in what I thought was plenty of time. Little did I know that several Brooklyn Knitters had got there even earlier but I was lucky and got a seat though there were few left and general agreement that the store didn't know what they were in for and should have given us more chairs. Everyone had knitting with them and I spotted a very nice Clapotis in the crowd right in front of me. Now that I've seen it in person I may just have to make it and get over my unnatural fear of dropping stitches on purpose. Everyone there, or so it seemed, was talking about going to Rhinebeck for the NY Sheep and Wool Festival. I wish I could have gone but the drive is just too long for me(I tend to get very sleepy behind the wheel and can't drive very long distances. Rhinebeck is about 3 hours away from me. Although when I said this to DH this morning he looked at me funny and said I should have told him I wanted to go as he would have been happy to spend a day in the country and would have driven there and back. Bless his heart, next year for sure).

Stephanie was funny, warm, and a joy to listen to. She spoke for a bit about being on tour and the experience of writing a book. Then she read an excerpt and signed books. I brought a washcloth to give to her and here I am on her blog holding it (scroll down for my picture you can also catch me looking down at my knitting in one of the crowd shots) grinning like an idiot. She said that she was doing something with all the washcloths she was getting but wouldn't tell me what it was I guess we all have to stay tuned to her blog to find out. I could have gotten a picture with her on my camera but I got a little flustered when she took my picture for her blog and I didn't ask.

It was a great day and I'm glad I went.

I finally fixed the dropped stitch on the sweater and got that going again. Now all I have to do is get moving on both pairs of socks I am making. I have said I am disappointed in the pair I am making for myself because one of the socks has a noticeable ladder on it that I cannot seem to correct no matter how I try. I've knitted this sock over so many times (it's the one I had been calling the cursed sock) that I just don't want to rip it out and do it again. I will just have to live with the ladder. I have given up on trying to figure out Cat Bordhi's directions for doing a sock on two circular needles and will try learning it from the Charlene Schurch's book so DD's are in limbo too. But I swear I am going to get to them this week. I have also been making dishcloths, not sure why or what I will do with them all, I'm thinking Christmas gifts paired with some home made melt and pour soap.

The Harlot signing books

A picture of Steph taking a crowd picture with the famous traveling sock.

Picture of Stephanie just after she walked in. Sorry it's not better but I was using DD's camera and didn't know how to zoom.

More crowd pictures.

Here's a picture of the crowd waiting for Stephanie to walk in. It was like being at a guild or SnB meeting. Nearly everyone knitted while we waited.

Well I finally got the washcloth done plus another one that depicts the map of the state of New York that I made for the Yarn Harlot. As I said people tend to bring washcloths to her appearances so I thought that this one would be a good choice. Hopefully I will actually be able to give it to her.

This afternoon DD and I went to the mall (not the one I work at but another one nearby. I try to avoid going to the mall I work at on a day when I am scheduled to work. I feel that one trip there a day is enough! :->) and I bought a sweater at Coldwater Creek. It was really soft and I got DD laughing when I insisted that we find the content label to see what it's made out of (to shock it was acrylic.) I was not going to buy it unless I knew what it's content was. I've become a fiber geek, it's official.

Tomorrow is my trip to see the Yarn Harlot, to which I will try to bring a camera. My plan is to arrive at the store about 1 1/2 hours early so as to get a decent seat. I have to be on the 3:11 train leaving my town so I have enough time to navigate the NY City subway system down to the store where she is appearing. I'll just bring a current WIP to work on while I wait I doubt very much that I will be the only one doing that. :)

Slowly Driving Myself Insane

The last two days I have been playing with dishcloth cotton. Notice that I didn't say knitting with it. That would be because every time I may some progress I decide I don't like the design or I make a mistake, or the thing is turning out too big or too small. I'm looking for a simple uncomplicated pattern that will work up into decent wash cloth. Ah well, at least I finally got a crochet hook to use in fixing the sweater.

Rambling Along

I have realized that the shawl I am working on will require more yarn than I have on hand. That's what I get for jumping into this without considering the yardage needed. So I will have to place an order to Knitpicks this week. (twist my arm why don't you :>) Not sure how much I need but I'll over order just in case. Of course the dye lots aren't going to match but that's OK I don't really mind.

But in the truly exciting news the Yarn Harlot is coming to New York to Brooklyn specifically. It's on a day when I don't have to work so I am going to go and see her! Up on Ravelry I was told to show up at least an hour early if I expect to get a seat. So I'm going to get on an early train, eat something in Brooklyn and hightail it over to the bookstore with my knitting. I am considering starting a couple of washcloths so that will most likely be what I bring with me as it's small and lots of people seem to bring washcloths to Yarn Harlot appearances. I could bring a pair of socks but I am not happy with the ones I am working on for myself and have yet to get the hang of the ones on two circulars that I am making for DD.

Tomorrow is Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement when Jews are supposed to fast and consider their actions over the past year, repent of sins, and ask forgivness of others (as well as give forgiveness. In fact if you don't forgive you will not be forgiven) I have long since stopped following the exact rules of the day. I can't fast due to having to take meds that cannot be taken on an empty stomach, and I am not so sure I believe in the sort of God that asks that of us anyway. Buddhism is much more my thing. But we do at the least have a dinner the night it starts. I am supposed to go to work tomorrow but I've already told my manager that I am not coming in and just have to tell my co-worker that as well. Technically I shouldn't work on Thursday either but since I'm not religious I don't really care and have not real problem going in. I have tons to do tomorrow, I am still doing my Meals on Wheels run, and I have to cook dinner (there's a traditional dinner the night the Holiday starts before you fast) for DD, DH and I as well as bake a Challah. I had a lot of success with a recipie that I got off of the King Arthur Flour site. It's a Challah that is stuffed with apples and it's just delicious. Seems funny to focus on food for a holday that involves fasting.

Big news about the sweater that had the mistake in one of the cables. I found the dropped stitch! So if I am careful with a crochet hook I may be able to repair it without frogging. I haven't got a crochet hook that's an appropriate size in the house so I will have to go out to the store and get one. Or maybe I'll just add it to my Knitpicks order. I should have one around for just this sort of repair anyway.

Lately I've been spending time up on Ravelry. Lord, what a time sink that place can be! Last night I sat down at the computer to check on a few threads I'd been following there and before I knew it an hour had gone by. It's like eating peanuts or potato chips once you start it's hard to stop. One thing I haven't done is enter my stash. Frankly I'm embarassed by the amount of crappy acrylic that I have. A while back I asked people where I could get rid of it. You know, a charity or something. Unfortunately, the people I contacted at the charity never responded to my email so I am still stuck with the stuff. I should knit it up into things for donation but a lot of charities ask for wool now because it's so much warmer. I'd almost be willing to just dump the lot of it but that seems extreme (My fiber obsessions must have rubbed off on DH and DD over the years because they were both horrified when I suggested doing that). So I ask you all once again any ideas for getting rid of or using up my stash of junky acrylic?

Food and knitting

Rosh Hashanna begins tonight which means that today I am busy cooking and baking. The house smells wonderful right now with the combined scents of chicken soup and brisket. Soon enough I'll be adding my home made challah to the mix. I love the smell of baking bread. DS will not be with us for the holiday, but we will call him tonight and speak with him. Tomorrow we go to a friends' house for dinnner (the holiday is two days long with a major dinner each night).

Knitting wise I am being lazy and haven't corrected the error I made on my sweater. I am avoiding it because I don't relish the idea of frogging several rows of carefully made cables. There isn't an obvious hole in the thing so I am not sure where the error was, that has me a little nervous. But I am reasonably sure that the error is not that far down. I suppose I could just unravel the cable part but doubt my ability to do that correctly. I've never done it with cables and have no idea how to rework it so the error is fixed and the section cabled correctly. So it will sit for a couple more days till I get the courage to tackle this. The shawl is coming along nicely. Not sure how big I am going to make it. I'll just keep trying it on till it feels right. Working on it has gotten me to think again about a fingering/laceweight shawl. Let me finish and blok this one first.

Well I have to go off and play with some bread dough. L'shanna Tova to you all.

Knitting in Public

After being in pain for a few weeks I finally went to the podiatrist this morining to have my right foot looked at. After some examining and a few x-rays he told me that I needed a soft cast on it for two weeks and mucho ibuprophen to clear up the inflamation. I'll have to go out and get a pair of black sneakers to wear to work in the meantime because regular shoes will not fit over the cast. (We have to dress in black at work and my sneakers are not only tan but so beat up I will not wear them to work. I need new ones anyway) I'm also going to have to wrap it up in plastic to take showers always a joy to do.

I got some knitting done in the waiting room and even got a compliment from another patient who was waiting for x-rays. She commented that she tries to knit every few years and never manages to get the hang of it. We chatted for a bit and I suggested that she try continental style which I think is easier.

The candle flame shawl is coming along nicely after a few too many false starts while I learned the pattern. At first I had to keep one eye on the instructions and one on my knitting then I got the hang of it and don't need the instructions anymore.

Open house at the high school tonight. I get to walk around the school and meet DD's teachers, she can't come along as she did last year because she has marching band rehersal at the same time. She's giving me a map, which I am not optomistic about being able to follow. I am severely directionally challenged and don't do well with maps. So if I don't show up here in a few days send out a search party I may still be wandering the halls of the high school looking for where to go.

Arrrgh!

I was working on my sweater this afternoon when I realized that one of the cables that was supposed to have 12 stitches in it had only 11. Now I have to go and frog back to find the error. What a pain.

To pacify myself I started a new project. I'm making the candle flame shawl out of red Wool of the Andes.

DH is going to see DS tomorrow. I can't go because I have to work. Life stinks like that sometimes.

Thrummed Knitting

Lupie wanted to know what Thrummed Knitting is. As I understand it, it's the process of putting tufts of material into your knitting to make it warmer. Usually done on mittens. It just never appealed to me.

A Knitting Meme

Saw this on the blog Knitting the Blues and thought it would be fun to do.

The rules:

1. Bold the things you've done.
2. Green the things you are currently doing.
3. Red out the things you've abandoned or will never attempt.
4. Italicize the things you want to try.

Afghan
American/English Knitting (vs. Continental knitting)
Baby Items
Bobbles
Buttonholes
Cable stitch patterns (including Aran)
Cardigan
Charity knitting
Continental knitting
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Darning
Designing knitted garments
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Drop stitch patterns
Dyeing with plant dyes
Dyeing yarn
Entrelac
Fair Isle knitting
Freeform knitting
Fullling/felting
Gloves
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Hair accessories
Hat
Holiday related knitting
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies.....)
I-cord
Intarsia
Jewelry
Kitchener Bind Off
Knitting a gift
Knitting and purling backwards
Knitting for a living
Knitting for pets
Knitting for preemies
Knitting in public
Knitting items for a wedding
Knitting socks
Knitting to make money
Lace patterns
Longtail Cast On
Machine knitting
Mittens: Cuff up
Mittens: Top down
Moebius band knitting
Norwegian knitting
Olympic knitting
Participating in a Knit-a-long
Pillows
Publishing a knitting book
Purses/bags
Rug
Scarf
Shawl
Short rows
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Slip stitch patterns
Slippers
Socks: toe up
Socks: top down
Steeks
Stockinette stitch
Stuffed toys
Swatching
Sweater
Teaching a child to knit
Teaching a male to knit
Textured knitting
Thrummed knitting
Toy or doll knitting
Tubular Cast On
Twisted stitch patterns
Two ended knitting
Writing a pattern

Well there you have it. If you decide to do the meme let me know I'd love to read your list!

Whoops

My friend Lupie rightly points out that she has done this meme already so I am now tagging The Grimm Witch of Jersey Enjoy and sorry Lupe I should have just looked down one more entry! I just didn't remember that you answered this one already.

A Challenge

Pepper of Geek of all Trades tagged me with this meme. So here goes:

What are the last 3 things you purchased?
A book, a shirt and some food

What are the last three songs you downloaded?
Haven't done that in a while and don't remember

What are the three best places you visited?
Vermont, Cape Cod and Israel

What are your three favorite movies?
Mr. Roberts, A Lion in Winter and Beckett

What thee things can you not live without?
Books, my knitting, and a decent box of cereal (I eat it every morning)

What would be your three wishes?
I wish that DS would be safe and happy when he grows up
I wish DD would get into the college of her choice and not have to worry about paying for it
I wish I could lose the 50 pounds I have to take off (ok it's really 49 but I like round numbers)

What are three things you haven't done yet?
Learn to swim decently (I can get by in the water enough not to drown but I can't really swim well)
Run or walked a marathon
Fold the clothes we washed yesterday(grin)

What three Celebrities do you want to hang out with the most?
Sandy Koufax -(one of the all time great pitchers)
Temple Grandin- (an adult with autism that has had a successful life.)
Death Cab for Cutie - (my favorite band)

Name three things that freak you out
Roller coasters
Mice
driving out of town always afraid I'll get lost in a strange place. DH OTOH is a human GPS and never gets lost.

What are your three favorite dishes?
Sushi
Chicken Mole (a mexican dish that is very yummy)
mashed potatoes

Name Three Things you are good at.
Knitting
Baking Bread
Counted cross stitch

What are three things you are currently coveting?
The Yarn Harlot's new book
A decent collection of men's sweater patterns
a Tivo

These are three bloggers I will send this challenge to:
Knitnana
Knitting with my Mother's Hands
Vixenpath

An Update and Random Thoughts

I finally had my stress test at the doctor and fortunately everything is fine. He told me to continue taking the medication he'd prescribed (a beta blocker to help my heart work better and a cholesterol lowering medication) and come back in a year. He also told me in no uncertain terms that I had to exercise daily and lose weight. Well the exercise thing is not so hard to do. I can walk the neighborhood or use my Wii Fit. The Wii Fit is a lot of fun it's a "game" for the Nintendo Wii that has aerobics, balance games, yoga and strength games on it. You can get quite a workout on this thing. I highly recomend it to anyone who has a Wii system. (If you can find it that is. the Wii Fit is in high demand and it took weeks for us to nail one) Losing weight is another story. This has never been easy for me but I have no choice and have to take it off. I figure I need to lose 49 pounds. (Yikes!) So I hauled myself back to Weight Watchers and have been following it the last two days. It does work when you work at it but my problem is that I start resenting the program after a few months. This time resentment or no I have to stick with it. My health is involved not just my looks.

I am making good progress on my aran sweater; finished the back the other day and started the front. I should put in more time on the thing but I've also gotten into this wonderful book called The Street of a Thousand Blossoms. I highly recommend it especially if you're like me and love anything to do with Japan. I know I keep promising pictures and I do plan to post some over due ones this weekend. I haven't been working on the socks all that much, I should pick them up and try to finish them. I am disappointed in the socks. I have a ladder that I cannot seem to eliminate no matter how hard I try. But they do look good othewise and the ladder isn't too noticible but I know it's there and it bothers me. Tell me all does working on two circular needles make for a lack of ladders or am I going to have the same problem with DD's socks (which you may remember are my first attempt at socks on two circulars) ?

Had issues in my kitchen this week. We've had trouble with pantry moths in the past. They are annoying little buggers and hard to get rid of. This time we are getting real serious with our latest plague of flying annoyances bent on eating my food. I spent time yesterday cleaning out our pantry closet, throwing things out that looked like the bugs had gotten to them and wiping out the interior throughly. Now we are having the exterminator in to do a treatment. That will hopefully take care of the problem once and for all. Being a Buddhist I have a hard time with killing bugs. I'm one of those people who takes them outside and sets them free. But for pantry moths I make an exception. They are that bad.

We had DS in for 2 1/2 weeks at the end of August. One week was spent at Cape Cod which we all enjoyed and would like to go back to one of these days. The second week was spent at home seeing his friends and watching too much TV. By far this was the best visit ever with DS. This new progam at his school really seems to be making a difference with him. He loves having the vocational training and talks constantly about getting a job. It's hard having him away at boarding school but he's doing so well I cannot complain.

DH had a look at my blogroll and asked me if I actually read them all. For the most part I do. I have them all on bloglines and check them once or twice a day. I skim some blogs and some like, the Yarn Harlot, I read word for word. Not all of them update on a daily basis so it's not as hard as you might think to keep up. However, the list is getting a little ridiculous and I should pare it down a bit. I just hate to miss a good blog and it's hard not to add them to the list. How many blogs do you all read on a daily or somewhat daily basis?

Thanks again to those who commented and wrote about my recent scare with my health. It really helped to know I had friends in cyberspace.

Various Things

Hello all. Not much of a knitting nature to report. DH's sweater was blocked and sewed up and he was happy with it. The sweater I was making for myself is coming along nicely and the socks for myself (formally known as the cursed socks) are nearly done.

Got a bit of a scare healthwise. I went to the doctor because I had been complaining of a post nasal drip to DH and he wanted me to see the doctor as I also felt a tightness in my throat and a heaviness on my chest and thought it might be my asthma rearing it's head again. Well I got to the doctor and told him my symptoms. He checked me over and then said he wanted to do an EKG. I was kind of surprised but had no problem with it so consented. When he had read it he told me that there were subtle changes in my EKG and he had arranged for the cardilogist to see me after I took a chest x-ray. (it's a multi-specialty medical group so they are all in one building). Well I was a little worried but went along with it and saw the cardiologist who also took an EKG and found subtle changes in it. I had had a cholestrol test a few weeks back and they pulled it out. My cholesterol was way elevated, (231 to be exact) and he immediatly wrote out a perscription for a cholesterol lowering drug as well as something to "help my heart" I also had to make appointments for an echocardiogram and a stress test. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I was surprised to say the least because I'd never had trouble with my heart before. Was I scared? Not really, just pissed off in the extreme that I'd let this happen to me.

Well I've taken this to be wakeup call. The medication for my heart has gotten rid of the tightness in my throat as well as the feeling of heaviness in my chest which I now know are symptoms of angina. I've started walking again and have been closely watching my diet. Got a great book called the New 8-Week Cholesteral Cure. It's got all kinds of info on how to cut down cholesterol and strenghten your heart. I've never been really sick, always a healthy person but I've kind of taken it for granted in the last few years. I've put on way too much weight and haven't been at all careful over what I ate, hardly exercised. That has to change now I no longer have the luxury of sitting back and doing nothing. I've been distinctly told by the doctors that I have to take this into my hands and do something about it. Wish me luck.

Time to Finish

DH's sweater is done but for the sewing and blocking. I would have blocked it this weekend but DS was in and the best place in the house to block out the pieces is the floor of his room.(nobody is in it most of the time after all) Pictures will follow when it's all done.

I stared the sweater that I wrote about in my last post. It's fun if a little difficult to work because the yarn doesn't have any elasticity. But it's going to look gorgeous and I am happy with it. The sock yarn I bought that day is in the process of becoming my first socks on circular needles. I'm having a little trouble with the directions and will go back to Knitting on the Lamb for some help tomorrow.

I have a question for anyone that's reading this. I have a stash of old acrylic yarn bought when I was young and foolish and not a fiber snob. ( I use acrylic but not the old plastic type of yarn which a lot of this stuff is). Can anyone suggest a place that might take the yarn from me. A charity or a school or something? I'd hate to just throw it out. DH bless his hear was horrified when I suggested doing that, but knitting it all into preemie hats just isn't practical and a lot of other charities only take items made with wool yarns.

Another Sweater

Checked out a new (well new to me) LYS yesterday. Knitting on the Lamb is a nice store good stock of yarn and a very friendly owner. I chose to make an oversized Aran sweater made from raw silk yarn. Yes silk. Surprisingly it's not overly expensive at about $7.50 a skein. I don't do too many sweaters and this one will be for me. I'd like to have it done by the time we go on vacation this summer so I can take it along. The yarn is being ordered for me as they didn't have enough at the store. DD will come along when i pick it up so she can pick out some yarn for a pair of socks I plan to make for her. These socks will be done on two circular needles, a technique I've been wanting to learn.

But back to the sweater. I took one skein home, along with an Addi Turbo needle #7 to swatch it with. Unfortunately I didn't hit gauge with this combo and think I have to go down a size to make it. Gauge is 18 stitches to the inch and I'm at 16 to the inch. So I'll try a size six needle next time. The suggested gauge on the ball band was 16 to the inch on number 7 needles so at least I know my tension is reasonable.

The socks formally known as cursed are coming along. I have done the gusset on one and am on the heel flap of the other (had to do some ripping back to fix a counting error). The sweater for DH is up to the armholes on the back. So that's had some good progress too.

The Sweater Revisited

Well after thinking about it quite a bit I decided to totally bag DH's sweater and use the yarn to make him a simple pullover. Boring I know but the yarn is sort of marbled and the simplicity of stockinette stitch will show it off to good advantage. I'm doing a drop shoulder, with the possibility of a rolled collar, DH hasn't decided if that's what he wants yet. The gauge swatch is in process and I will use the pattern in The Knitters Handy Guide to Sweater Patterns.

The now formally cursed socks are coming along very nicely. I have one done down to the heel flap and the other almost to the heel flap. (I always work the two at the same time so I don't get second sock syndrome) I have Cat Bordhi's book Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles on order from the library and plan to make the next pair using that method, perhaps doing two socks on the two circulars. I don't mind using double points, I rather like them in fact, but I want to add the other technique to my skills.

I promise pictures as soon as I find the blasted camera. :)

Thought You Got Rid of Me Didn't You?

Well after entirely too long a lay off I am back in the saddle again with this blog. The cursed socks stayed cursed and were relegated to UFO status until I picked them up again this past week and have been working on them steadily. The sweater for DH got relegated to UFO status as well but I plan to do something with it this coming week. The sweater was/is an aran knit that did not come with a chart so it's a little hard to figure out how it's supposed to look. Row two of the instructions made no sense but I think I can figure it out. My LYS closed but the owner still sells from her house so I think I may contact her via email and ask if she'd be willing to go over the pattern with me and I'd pay her for her time. What do you all think of that?

In new projects I am going to try to teach myself how to do socks on two circular needles, Sensational Knitted Socks, which I have a copy of, has directions and I am going to try it with a pair of socks that I plan to make for DD.

To update you on the family and myself, I've changed jobs since last I was here. I work now at a local department store a few nights a week and then some weekend time. DD is in High School now and DS continues to do well at his boarding school. (you may remember that DS has autism and goes to a school for kids with special needs) DH is doing well at his job and keeps wondering about his sweater :) The kitchen project I mentioned in the blog is long done and came out great!

I've made some changes to the sidebar, eliminated the podcast list as many of them had given up the ghost I will produce a new list soon. If anyone knows of a good blog that I don't list let me know about it. I'm always on the lookout for a new blog. It can be knitting related or not.