Hats and Scarves and Stuff

Thinking about Mariah:
1. Could use Wool of Andes and combine order with SP gift
2. Want to put long ribbed collar on it instead of hood
3. Really ought to make more progress on other knits in progress first
4. Love doing those closed-loop cables
5. Should I wait? Should I order? I can't decide!

Beth was charged $111.96 for an $11.96 order at Taco Bell this weekend. The manager of the store assured her that nobody ripped her off, that it can't be done. Even *I* can see how that can be done.

Thought I was getting a cold, but today I feel good. Maybe the sore throat was a side effect of Advair. I watched Without A Trace last night (like) and CSI (don't really like) and worked on Irish Hiking Scarf (which has become an endless project somehow although it is really quick to knit) and did about five rows of sleeves on SdJ, which took an hour. I'm knitting two at once on a circ. The INOX just feels so, so heavy compared to bamboo or Denise. Funny huh.

Might go to a Titans game Sunday. I wore my Manos hat to work today!

Going to look at Knit Picks.

Happy Fall!

On account of it being Fall suddenly (as in 46 degrees tonight), I have updated my website. That, and the realization that I had no archives on my previous template drove me to do it.

It's minimalist, I know, but I needed a break from the green and the other templates are ugly.

So Happy Fall.

Ok, inspired by someone at the Knitty board, I am going to order 20 balls of Elann Peruvian Highland Wool in Mocha Cream (or Chocolate Truffle) and knit Mariah. Must decide on color by tomorrow.

I may do it with a long ribbed collar instead of a hood, but either way...off I go. :)

Bubby Conquers Pez!

THIS is why I love Nephew so much. I give him a knitted bear and a bunch of guns and he comes up with THIS.

It's the Bear Arsenal, complete with Scooby Doo and car racing. You can't beat that if you're a 9-year old boy!.

So tonight decided to tackle Opera scarf, a WIP/UFO that I had pledged to do something with by October 1.

Is pretty interesting stitch pattern to sit there with, but I think maybe I didn't like the yarn *for this project.* Anyway, knitted a few rows then decided it was ugly and frogged whole thing. Wound yarn.

Happened to find two skeins of Classic Elite Beatrice and thought "Oh! Scarf!" and decided to knit a brioche scarf. Cast on 21 sts on #11s and started knitting. Realized was nearly halfway through the ball with about 7" of scarf to show for it. Frogged. Cast on 15 stitches and plowed through a skein of yarn in lovely, yummy, cushy, happy brioche.

15" long. 30-inch scarf not an option.

Frogged. Decided to knit wristwarmers with Beatrice. But then decided that would rather have wristwarmers that match Manos hat, which means must use forest green worsted Wool of Andes from Secret Pal. Wound Beatrice and set aside.

Dug out Voodoo pattern and two #5 circs. Cast on, knitted, knitted. Decided that I dislike using two circs - prefer more efficient magic loop. Set aside until tomorrow.

Put on Manos hat and checked the time - 11pm. Four hours of knitting and I've got three rows of 2x2 rib to show for it. Doesn't really bother me, but think it's funny.

Think Beatrice will also become a hat. Yarn is too pretty not to wear on head.

So ok, LOST started last night.

Good episode. I am a little tired of them being all about Jack, but it was still good.

So we have Desmond meeting Jack and predicting a miracle with Sarah. Mr Rutherford (Shannon's last name) hit Sarah in the SUV. The computer. (Execute?) The painting with 108 (the sum of the numbers) written in it. Sick. I noticed that too.

Some links:
Lost FAQ
Lost Links
Go to this link and look for the bar code. Click it and type theislandiswaiting in the box. Click submit. See what you see.

That's all for now. Finishing up the Irish Hiking Scarf knitwise.

Why do I knit? Idle hands are the devil's workshop.

(honestly, I really just like it.)

Finished Bubby!





He's got a short leg, I think, or maybe I didn't stuff it enough, but I love him anyway.

So I am on a self-imposed yarn diet, thinking I really can get through two weeks without buying any yarn and just work on finishing projects, but you know that will last like three days.

I want to order some stuff from Knit Picks, namely either some Merino Style because it's DK and merino is nice and soft and I can make the Sesame sweater from it or some Shimmer and those Elizabethan scarf patterns because for some reason I just feel I must must must knit one of them. Which is really dumb...but then it's not much, one hank of yarn and one pattern and I do want to order some of something from there for a secret pal o' mine -

so you see what happens? No yarn diet. Just Isn't Going To Work.

However I will attempt to put off ordering yarn until next Tuesday. I may be able to do that if it's a Yarn Hiatus instead of full-on Diet.

I have asthma.

That's right...asthma. I've been whiny and sick and run down and generally irritating for the last week, and it turns out my bronchii are not fully cooperating.

So now I have medicine. I mean, I had 2 years of allergy shots as a kid. I've had an inhaler for years (that I rarely use). But now I have 1. Flonase (been taking it a year) 2. Advair (steroid and long-term bronchodilator for lungs) 3. Singulair (blocks leukotrenes or something) and 4. normal Maxair inhaler (which I have learned is called a 'rescue' inhaler).

So apparently my doctor's deal is to pump me full of drugs so that I either breathe right or don't notice I am breathing wrong anymore.

Either seems fine with me.

Ok, I wrote out a pattern! Namely, the boys' beanie hat that I made The Nephew. I made it into a pdf and everything...just not sure where to put that pdf on the web so i can link to it here. So...I'll figure that out. In the meantime, on the off-off-off chance you want my free pattern, email me at meangirlATcomcastDOTnet and I'll send it to you!

:)

Last night was the Horror Hootenany - good live show for the Codenames and lots of fun otherwise. Today Kim and I went bargain hunting at several antique places and TJ Maxx. I bought a shrug...that is so unlike me! I was just sure it would look horrible but it's CUTE. I have really no idea what to wear it with other than the shell top I got for it...it's rough to try to look arty and 30ish and stylish all in the same deal. Tonight is a fund-raiser for one of my clients and I wanted a dressy jeans look.

So I have these fun boot cut jeans and black top with shrug (the shrug is like a matelaisse texture, v cool) and a yellow and black Jerry Garcia neck tie to wear as a belt. Will probably give to He Who Loves Pre-Amps (hereafter known as HWLP) after.

He wore a priest collar and Elvis Costello army glasses last night though, looked pretty durn cool.

I am too tired to blog! But I am really excited about the new season of LOST.

Any other Losties out there?

Finished objects and a silly picture of my cat.

So, yesterday we did a shoot and it was my job to keep him entertained. For one shot we were on a golf course and he was having trouble smiling so...I started telling stories. The one that came out:

Twelve years ago I worked at Outback Steakhouse as a server. They encourage you to sit AT the table with the guests (something that I as a guest don't like). I had a four-top that was part of a party of 12 seated at two tables. I sat down and crossed my feet. One man said, "You have K-Swiss shoes on, we like those shoes. Where did you get them? Stein-Mart?"

Well, I should have known to be careful. Instead, I said, "No, but I love Stein-Mart. I used to work at a place with a guy named Ross, and we used to go to Stein-Mart on breaks. He called it the Jewish Wal-Mart."

Dead silence. They all looked at each other, and then finally someone said, "You see that man over there? He's the CEO of Stein-Mart and we are the national shoe buyers."

Ok, so, I was chewing on that K-Swiss shoe. They left an awesome tip, laughed their heads off at me, and thankfully nothing else went wrong that night.

It was a good shoot.

Tagged by Lizzi!

Ten Years Ago I was 25, working in a local chain bookstore's marketing department, was not a knitter, was probably listening to Matthew Sweet and wearing clothes that were wayyy too big for me. Five Years Ago At 30 I was already working for the mag, not Dating Anyone, wearing dressier clothes that were way too big for me, learning how to do makeup and serious photo shoots, probably listening to Oasis and kind of getting tired of the christian music industry. One year ago I was getting ready to go to my cousin Thom's wedding in Onekama, wearing clothes that fit me and listening to Loretta Lynn. Five Snacks 1. Popcorn 2. Trefoils Girl Scout Cookies 3. Pretzels 4. Snickers Bars 5. Edamame Five songs I know all the words to 1. Great is Thy Faithfulness 2. The Woman Who's Burning Down Our Family Tree, Loretta Lynn 3. I Envy the Wind, Lucinda Williams 4. Keep On The Sunny Side, The Carter Family 5. The Green River Monster, The Codenames Five things I would do with $100 million 1. Give 2. Buy a Honda Pilot 3. Buy a house 4. Go to Europe 5. Buy some clothes that fit Five places to run away to 1. NYC 2. Malibu 3. Rome 4. London 5. Mom's back yard Five things I would never wear 1. Tank tops 2. high-waisted jeans 3. Thong swimsuit 4. Fur coat 5. Old-lady sunglasses Five favorite TV shows 1. LOST 2. House 3. Without a Trace 4. Any Law & Order 5. Planet's Funniest Animals (with sound off) Five biggest joys 1. My nieces and nephews / family 2. DB 3. Stargazing 4. Laying on the beach 5. Knitting

GO TITANS! (oh boy, sorry about that 34-7 loss guys)

Am making a hat for the nephew in Patons classic wool on #3 needles. about 1.5" of ribbing, then an inch of stockinette (all in deep olive), a 4-row stripe of off-white, 2-row stripe of green, 4-row stripe of off-white. I'm going to knit this one straight up, no decreases, and gather it at the top.

Hope he likes it. Then must switch over to knitting for OTHER nephew.

Update: have decided to do raglan-style decreases up to top, we'll see how it works when I finish it after supper.

The hat is finished and blocking. I made a gauge error when I knit my swatch. I forgot I knit a bit differently in the round. So instead of 4.5 stitches per inch that my swatch was, my hat was 5 sts per inch. I started out with 104 stitches thinking I wanted a multiple of 8 because of the decreases, then when I found the gauge error decided that to have a proper 20" hat I would need to drop it to 100 and therefore decrease in multiples of ten, so before I started the k2tog decreases I did one k2tog decrease four times at 12, 3, 6 and 9. The result is that the decreases look sort of decorative - it's only one stitch, but it does obviously come down one more, and looks pretty darn cool.

My friend told me the color is perfect with my hair.

I also spent an ungodly amount of time today making a tiny bear from Summer IK. When I talked to my nephew today we decided it would be funny if his Bubby Bear had a Tiny Bear. So I thought, no big deal. Much cussing and stomping later, I finished it - I knit it with worsted yarn on size 0 double-pointed needles and it does look really neat but I HATE THOSE NEEDLES so I am offering them up for swap on Knitty. I really hope someone wants them! I also tried to make a pair of the "Better than Booties baby socks" from summer IK but those damn needles...so I need a size 0 or 1 circ with a 40" cord, I'll stick to magic loop because otherwise I will soon need my first Botox injection.

happy saturday!

Photos of New Orleans you must see

They are painting on my floor today and my head HURTS. I am trying to look for stock.

Kim and I have been dollar-store hunting and bought enough toiletries for about 40 ziploc bags of personal items to go to a local shelter for evacuees.

My Manos hat is LOVELY! I am cleaning the apartment tonight, doing laundry, eating popcorn for dinner and knitting the hat.

Thanks again, Secret Pal! I really love those chippy chips too! :)

Things to read:

Why Rebuild New Orleans?
Who is Responsible?

Things I want to knit

New Magknits and Knitty are out. there is so much I want to knit I don't know where to start! Here's a short list of things I must must must do.

- Sesame cardi from Magknits but as a solid, in Knit Picks Merino Style, fog, vanilla or coal (will have to decide)
- Samus - no idea on yarn
- About 10 Bubby Bears - looking at the moment for some washable sport weight in stash

Oh, and that lovely red cabled vneck in Vogue Knitting Fall with the orange bell cuffs.

Sigh. I am working on a LOVELY hat with my SP yarn! And soon a pair of gloves, maybe fingerless but maybe not.

The Manos is going to become a hat, and I think the green is asking to be some matching gloves. WOO!

YAY!

I got my first SP5 package today! It's SO BEAUTIFUL!

- one lovely lovely lovely skein of Manos in color 109 (woodland)
- three soft soft lovely skeins of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Evergreen
- Yummy soy/flaxseed tortilla chips from Trader Joe's
- Fall Interweave Knits

!!!!THANK YOU SECRET PAL!!!!

SO PRETTY!

I will have to take some pictures, but for now, Florida wore me out! I'm taking a nap.
Mmmmm, yarn!

IImagine this. Everything you own is gone, and you are in danger of dying of thirst or starvation or e. coli or maybe a putrid wound. Maybe you didn't have time to put your shoes on before the water hit the second floor of your house, and you made it out, but you're barefoot. Imagine the emotional devastation you feel, and add to that the opportunistic humiliation of having to steal in order to stay alive. Maybe, yeah, you took some Nikes - but it's because the shoes you actually own are under 10 feet of water. Or because some jerk at the Superdome peed on them and you threw them out. You took water. You took food. Maybe a bottle of sunscreen to keep your eight-month-old from getting sun poisoning. You did this knowing that you didn't have much choice, and knowing that the company you stole from has insurance that covers the contents of its building regardless of what's actually left intact.

Then, you're looking for hope amidst the nightmare of crap and sweat and water and e coli that has become your life, and your president all but calls you a criminal. And FEMA turns away people bringing in free stuff for you to eat, drink and wear. How inspiring.

Ok, I know it's legal to loot food and water, but come ON.

I voted twice for Bush, and I am a conservative at heart. Government should be involved in very little in the lives of citizens, but disaster relief is one of the big ones. Disaster relief does not include that kind of condemnation. It's just stuff, for crying out loud.

Michael Brown, director of FEMA, should be fired. Immediately, if not sooner.

I am not, understand, talking about those who stole jewelry and big-screen tvs. That is looting. Stealing food, water and clothing isn't looting. If you don't agree, go read somebody else's blog.

Hello from rainy Daytona Beach. My new niece is a keeper! She's so cute. It rained cats and dogs yesterday. I think I saw a poodle go by.

I wonder if my SP package is there yet! Am dying to see it.

Have finished Dream Sock and working on another pair in LL's camouflage.

Happy Labor Day!