Sew E-Z Board

Ok, so I know I just put this on my wish list, but I was just seaching around on the internet and found this site, Guardian Custom Products, and they came up as selling the Sew E Z Board ( the large size 51 x 33) for 50 Bucks!!!!!!!!!!! This is apparently a table pad company and I don’t know why they are selling this, but they are. I compared it to the Spaceboard and they seem very close. I ordered it and the shipping wasn’t cheap – 17 dollars, but I know it’s an oversized item from other web sites. Either way, that’s a 29 dollar savings for me and for whomever else wants to try it out! If any of you knitters have this board and want to let me know what a great board it is, etc – that will make me feel like I just scored a real bargin!!!!!

Looking For Yarn Shops Near Hunter Mt.

Anybody have any suggestions on yarn shops in or near Hunter Mt. New York? I am going with DH and sons and while they ski I’m supposed to go shopping – so I would really like to plan this out. Any advice, directions, links, names etc. would be appreciated. Thanks!

Clapotis & Me

Ok, Poo, I don’t post pic’s of myself for just anybody. I did however, stategically use clapotis to cover some of my double chin – artistic license. I have no right to ask the amount of money I do for modelling !

*&^%%@@$$!!!! Knitting Needles!

And I mean that. Truely. I have the Sisters Bamboo circular needles set and I have had it! Each and every cable has now, after today, come undone from it’s metal housing, the one that connects it to the bamboo needles. When this first happened, I actually emailed Plymouth and asked to get a new cable – they told me to return it to the shop I bought it from – which is 8 hours away from me, since I bought them on vacation. They finally, finally sent me a new cable and a week later, another cable broke. Now, I’m not wanting to deal with them anymore on a weekly basis, so I got out my good trusty Gorilla Glue and just glued the end in. Worked like a dream. Now I will do the same today. But it just pisses me off that you spend 100 bucks for something that keeps breaking until YOU fix it yourself! I’m so mad I could spit. Well, maybe I just did spit, tuhhh!

I’m soo, so, glad it is Friday. I plan on doing lots of Laundry – not cause I like it, just cause there is LOTS to do. And another trip to the LYS for a few more skeins to finish the Big Bad Baby Blanket, and maybe some food shopping because I hear we may get one hell of a nor’easter on Monday – this way if I prepare, we won’t get anything – maybe just the spit I just spit.

I watched my oldest drive a car for the first time today, by himself – it was like an out of body experience. I will be praying for his safe return every time he goes out that door now. I don’t like that feeling – do you get used to it? It’s a very out of control feeling and tho I don’t think I am a control freak, I don’t like not being in control of this!

Dinner out tonight to celebrate good things at work happening for DH and to dull the pain in my left boob after having it clawed at work yesterday – killing two boobs with one stone, I say! Boys are going skiing tomorrow so quiet time for me – to do laundry!

Los Lonely Sock

Well, now that Clapotis is done (no, I didn’t post a pic yet, my model is not cooperating, she wants more money) I think I will make the mate to this poor Regia sock, who has been finished for over a week, just sitting on top of a pile of knitting books in my living room. I did put 2 skeins of Koigu and 2 Skeins of Lorna’s Laces next to it to keep it company, but you can really tell that it would stand out from those yarns. This was a weird yarn to knit with – very stretchy after it’s knit up but not so much while I was knitting it? Weird. And I thought the Cascade Fixation was weird. I’m not really happy with the colors in this sock and you really can’t tell too much from the awful washed out brightness – what the hell is going on with my camera – the colors actually looked better still on the skein. This is my favorite construction pattern by Ann Norling – she has excellent directions and it is always a pattern I wander back to.

Clapotis – Poo – now that you know what it is, I bet you want a pic. Well, when I get home from work today – after NOT having a snow day and only a delayed opening, I shall beat my model into submission – me – suck it up and take a pic. I really love it, I already want to make another in a solid color, but boy did it wreak havoc on my elbows and wrists – I don’t know what it is about this pattern, but it kinda is hard on your hands.

I am having a hard time not ordering some of that beautiful Baby Silk on Elann – I just don’t have a project in mind. Or I kind of do – If I double it, I could use it to make the Blue Jacket I want to make. But I just received my first order from Elann, so I thought I would let the smoke clear, so to speak, before I placed another – I think I have a problem. I read in Blogdom about all these yarn diets – I am just doing a food diet and if I went on a yarn diet then the food diet would suffer, because I wouldn’t be able to occupy my hands and would therefore be knitting with food. Oh, alright, I would be EATING the food. So therefore, no yarn diet. One diet at a time, I say.

If my DH said – here, you’ve been a very good girl, go on a shopping spree – here is my shopping list:

1 – spaceboard for blocking – now that I actually BLOCK things.

2 – Yarn and Pattern for Charlotte’s Web Shawl

3 – Ab Fab Throw kit

4 – All the books on my amazon wish list – cha – ching!

5 – some kind of knitting software for my laptop – preferably the kind that keeps track of stash, needles etc.

6 – A moderate shopping spree at Elann and Knit Picks

7. Digital Stitch counter – I’m such a gadget girl!

What’s your shopping list???

Pic’s to follow of beautiful Clapotis (Poo,(beloved Aunty) that’s Clap – o – tee, I think ) the shawl……later!

From Both Ends

You know that expression. Today, I got to see it. Yup. Poor thing. Sick at both ends. I don’t think I’ve ever personally experienced that. But now, I can say I have witnessed another human being experiencing that. And I can also say, without a doubt, that I could have lived a long and happy life without seeing that. That was how my day at work went. ’nuff said.

Clapotis is now in the decreasing stages! I cannot believe I have not made a dipstick mistake yet. But there is always tomorrow. I’ve made a little progress on the baby blanket, but you don’t get really far at lunch half hour. What seems to happen with my take a long projects is, I get so fustrated at how slow they go, that they move on over to the regularly knitted schedule. And this is ok. This is what works for me. I cannot believe how much I have finished knit wise since September – I seem to be on a real knitting tear. I just have to get the courage up to swatch Rogue. I feel a little intimidated. I’ve heard the troubles with gauge – I think this has me overly worried that I’m going to be gauge-challenged. Ah, I should just suck it up and swatch it, I know and I will probably this weekend.

Wore Klaralund to work and had a ton of compliments on it – feels good! Thanks for all the kind words and compliments on the blog and thanks for reading!

Look Who’s Blocking Now….

Yup, I’ve followed the procedure for assembling a sweater and I have tried the before sewing method of blocking, drum roll please……..

Klara-Done

And now, I have a beautifully assembled Klaralund! I might give it one more light steam blocking just to give myself a little more ease in the midsection. But I really like it. I did sew up the back of the V and maybe an inch on the front – don’t want to show too much at work. But it really did help blocking it before I sewed it together. I’m glad I finally did it this way and I may be cured. I’m sure I might fall off the wagon from time to time, in a bout of misjudgement, saying something may not “need” blocking now and then, but I’m convinced this does make the finished piece look better.

I did start a baby blanket from Stitch N Bitch – a belated gift for a teacher at work – I missed her shower but I am sure it’s never too late to gift a blanket. I may have to buy a skein or two more of the yarn, but I’m liking it so far. I had to start this because I don’t have another take along project, now the Klara is done. And I need something with fairly straight knitting as people tend to talk to you when you’re out in public and really, that messes me up if I have to follow any sort of stitch pattern. I need to think about the next sweater – will it be Rogue? I did see a sweater in the new Knitters – The Blue Ridge Jacket – really the only thing I liked in the magazine for myself. It’s made with Reynolds Mandalay – which seems a little hard to get ahold of. I did order the pattern for the Angelina Jacket and the yarn from Elann over the weekend – I just love that and it will be a nice spring project. So many projects, so little time.

On a health note – I had my final check with the surgeon after my gallbladder surgery and all is well, I’m discharged! Yay!

Beer Muscles

I told my friend Chris, I would be putting this post up with a catch phrase from Her DH, Roger – I just love it. Beer Muscles, are apparently something you get when you drink Beer AND try to play shuffleboard – those slippery suckers fly right off the table! Had a lot of fun, despite the Treadmill episode – never back up into a treadmill, ladies (guys, too) because you WILL fall. Oh yes. Most definitely. But if you find yourself in that situation, just go with it. Yes, you may yell out S#$$%####! before you fall, and you can think about breaking your fall, but, if you just lean into the fall, you won’t get hurt. That and an application of mineral ice and 2 advil will have you fixed up and ready to knit in no time.

That party scene aside, I did get a little creative this weekend – made up a little something to submit a pattern that hopefully will get some interest. And I did an awful lot on Klaralund’s sleeve – sleeve island is a slow, lazy moving place. Life is laid back on the island, and I’m not sure how it got that way, but I don’t think I can make it speed up any. I hope to finish the sleeve and for an experiment, Block all the pieces before I sew it up. Yup, you heard me, I am an – afterblocker! The first step is recognizing you have a problem. Now that I’ve done that, I can get the help I need. I just didn’t realize how bad things had gotten. I didn’t know that life could be easier-sewing, if I blocked before. Oh, alright, I did know it, but I just wanted to sew the darn things together, see what I had and maybe get outta blocking at all! There, I said it. Tough crowd. I guess I need Blockers Anonymous!

OMG, I’ve Been Linked!

Just a Holla out to Kim, to say thanks for mentioning my comment on her blog!!! What a kick! I was commenting on our mail problems way back when we first moved here (it still happens from time to time now, but not as often ) referring to one of our favorite movies, Funny Farm, and letting her know that we used to have a mailperson just like the movie’s – pretty well liquored up and pissed off by the time they made it up to our mailbox! We’ve gotten packages ripped open, empty, but delivered nontheless, magazines that were mangled and apparently used as dog chew toys, then delivered to us, and if I want something to get anywhere say, within normal postal delivery times, I do not place it in my mailbox, noooooo, I drive to the post office and place it into the postal workers hands myself. Have you ever seen a mail truck going backwards down your road, taking the mail OUT of the mailboxes and then going back up and redelivering it? I have and on more than one occassion. I’ve had packages left on the road and surprizingly not get run over – good neighbors, that’s what we have! We’ve accepted it to a point, but I can remember quite a few phone calls to our Post Master. It doesn’t help that we have a post office in our town, but since they don’t deliver the mail, we have the next town over deliver it to us. I could go on and on, but I better stop now, before I stop getting mail delivery all together! Thanks again Kim, I appreciate the mention!

Interweave Knits, Spring 2004

I’m trying without much luck to locate a back issue of this magazine. If anyone out there is interested in a trade – say two balls of nice sock yarn, for this magazine in good shape, leave me a comment and we’ll work something out – this must have been some popular issue, because even Interweave is out! As Bartles & James said, Thanks for your support !

It’s Baaack!

Clapotis Sorry for the brightness – darn dismal day! But this is the clapper that is a keeper. So far, so good. I do about 1 repeat a night – taking it slow so I don’t pull any moronic moves. I am determined to make this and wear it. I’m even having visions of shawl pins dancing in my head.

Cool

Red Cross Knit Kit This is very cool. I decided to go ahead and order it – it’s one of those things that I felt good about buying. Well, what yarn related thing wouldn’t I feel good about buying??? Can’t think of one.

This is the inside of the Red Cross Knit Kit. The yarn is quite nice and it’s very soft and velvety feeling. I don’t know whether to make the socks or leave it as is for collectors sake – any thoughts?

Last Catalog???

Koigu Well, I fall for it everytime – Patternworks said it was my last catalog unless I ordered something this very minute – well, scaredy cat that I am, I ordered two skeins of Koigu and the Patches of Berries Scarf Pattern and received the Neck cozy pattern just for ordering the two skeins. I also snuck in Rowan # 36 – I had to check it out because I fell in love with Fern and really want to make it after I become waiflike and skinny – ha! Funny thing is, I received the order yesterday and today in my mailbox was the new Patternworks Catalog and right on the front it says “Don’t let this be your LAST CATALOG, place an order now, blah blah blah……hey, is this a trick????? What am I supposed to do?