Saying Goodbye, Halloween Costume and Broken Trees

My best friend is moving to Tokyo on Sunday. I'm petrified and excited for her. It's not expected to be for longer than a year, but I'm still going to miss her like mad. I just hope she sends home good stuff (read:yarn). We said goodbye in our typical ways- eating chocolate, steak, cupcakes and getting drunk. We also saw Annie Leibovitz's exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. Funny, disturbing, sad and lovely. All wrapped into one.

We had a nasty storm with high winds this weekend. Here's what I woke up to on Saturday:




And The Boy can now tell everyone that his mommy rocks in regards to costume making:





I didn't have a pattern and I did not use a single pin. Mom, be proud. Be very proud.



I'll take a photo of him in it and maybe post it with the face blurred. My kid is going to be the best damn blonde hair, blue eyed indian ever.

Hubs keeps asking where he's going to wear it (it's not like I can drag my 1 year old out trick or treating). Does that really matter? Obviously he's so not a crafter. I forgive him.

Rhinebeck- The Whole Story

I went with a blogger, Eklectika.

I met bloggers. Zarzuela Knits. Please go and adore her, I do.

No photos, but I also met January One, Tina of Phoenix Fiberworks, Mrs. Alpaca (and new bunny owner) Addict, and Blitheringknitiot.

I also saw Hello Yarn, but she was occupied on her cell phone and as much as I wanted to run up and hug her and thank her for her awesome Cherry Garcia pattern, I contained myself and moved on.

I met Margene and she's lovely. Are all Utah-ians are as nice as her?

If I forgot you in my list of bloggers I met, leave me a comment and remind me, please.

Ok, moving on.

Here's photos of my catch-

Beautiful white Ramie. I have no idea what this stuff is, people. I felt it, it feels like clouds, I'm a sucker for clouds, I bought it.




Hand dyed merino. It begged me for a home.





100% silk. First purchase of the day. I had no idea what a good price for silk was, but I knew that if I left it someone would snag it from me. Gorgeous.




Pretty, soft, pink. What more could a girl want?




This is a surprise. We have no idea what it is, really. It's a wool and acryllic franken-roving. It's soft and light.





The last purchase of the day. She gave me a good deal. ;) Corridale wool. Whatever that is. It's almost a pound that I got for under 20 bucks. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's hand dyed too.




Yarn Harlot, the sock (I got my photo taken with the sock! EKK!) Me, and the Elf- who I'll introduce soon, I promise.

Why the hell do I always look so awful in every photo? I'm really not that nasty looking in person, I swear.


And what I came home to.



Hmm.

November 13, 2006

The wheel should be here.

EEEKK!


*Also, I've started (and stopped, and started) a post about Rhinebeck, including photos. Bear with me, I had to study and take my first mid-term exam in a million years. I'm waiting for more photos and then I'll publish the post.

**Anyone else want to crawl under a rock with embarrassment that I made a comment about someone who I could have sworn knew nothing about me, only to have them comment in the blog. Yeah. Nice. Hey, atleast I didn't say anything mean, right?

In The Presence Of Greatness

Rhinebeck was amazing. And too short. I've checked around the blogging world for what others had to say and from what I can tell Saturday was really crowded, there weren't as many wheels for sale as other years (I know that firsthand and no, I still don't have one) and that it had a sense of a carnival this year, instead of a wool festival.

So, funny story for you- the friend I was with knew alot of people there. One person warned us that the Yarn Harlot was around the corner and to go and meet her. Ekk! We went up to her and her entourage. You know, I read alot of blogs. I see alot of photos. Her friends looked very familiar, but I didn't want to say anything for fear of sounding like a complete idiot (or should I say more of an idiot).

Yeah, Juno, Moth Heaven and one of my absolute favorite bloggers, Too Much Wool. I was in the presence of greatness and I didn't even know it.

Are you kidding me???

More later.

15 Plus Years In The Making.

Whenever someone asks me how I learned to knit, I always say that my Grandma Jan was a knitter and although she never sat me down and showed me what she was doing, I'm certain that I picked it up from her.

Knitting is something that I was born to do.

Grandma Jan was an awesome woman. She was my father's mother. Although she was bedridden for many years of my life she was very influential. She taught me manners, how to save money, and how to act like a lady. She taught me how to buy great gifts too. Her generosity was huge. She knit a hat and booties for every baby born in our local hospital. She would make hats and mittens for the homeless.

She passed away when I was 15 or so. I wish I could remember more about her passing but honestly I can't.

I miss her immensely on a daily basis.

Last year I was pregnant. I had my shower a year ago this weekend, actually. I loved seeing all of my friends one last time before the craziness of new motherhood set in. My mother, sister, aunts and other grandmother made it so special. They worked hard for me, the baby and Hubs. I'm blessed.

As I was opening gifts my mother handed me a box. I opened the card and it read, "This is from Grandma Jan".

I immediately started bawling. Not the pretty, dab the corner of the eyes bawling either. Friends who have known me for years have never seen me like this. I could hear them ask each other what was going on. I couldn't talk. I couldn't breathe.

My mom came over and hugged me. She apologized for having me open the gift in front of everyone. She had no idea that I was going to lose it that badly.

I opened the box.

This was in it.





Grandma Jan made my unborn child this sweater. She knew that she would never live long enough to see me married and start a family. It's yellow- she had no idea what I'd have. The buttons are big milky buttons, the same ones she'd have me sort and count to keep me busy when I slept over.

My mom saved the sweater all these years. It survived move after move that my family made through the years. I washed it when I got home and looks like new.

Today I tried it on the Boy and it fits.

I cried.

I miss my Grandma Jan.

I'm going to sit and knit.

Rhinebeck.

Bloggers are going nuts trying to describe what they look like and what they will be wearing this weekend.

I'm going Sunday.

The boy may or may not be with me. If he is, I'll be the one screaming, "No, JACK, NO! Mommy said no!"

(He's less than a year old and I swear he's going through the terrible twos already.)

I'll be the 30 something girl with mid-length straight brown hair with the green shirt on. Green with gold embroidery around the v-neckline. I may or may not have on the Forest Canopy Shawl(weather is sketchy this time of year.) Blue eyes. Freckles. (I'll be the one with that look of utter terror and glee 'cause I may just put my family into debt in one short daytrip.)

Aw, hell- this is silly. Does anyone really want to meet me?? I'm pretty sure I'll be the only 30ish brown hair, blue eyed girl there. I mean, really, how many people actually like wool that much?? Hmm?

Many Works In Progress

People keep asking me to knit stuff for them. I typically have no problem with this. I don't expect payment, as long as they buy the yarn and as long as they understand that I'm in the middle of holiday knitting and it might be awhile until they get their stuff.

So, I'm knitting my butt off. I just don't have anything finished. Here's what I'm in the midst of doing...


Update on Hub's sweater- front and back done, sleeves casted on and almost to the point of the cables.




Scarf for aunt 1. Lionbrand homespun. Taking me forever.




Scarf for aunt 2. Someone asked me if I could knit it the "long way" so I got out the circular needles and away I'm going. It's trucking right along.



Finished- washcloth for Gram's birthday. More to come.

(yes, it needs a good blocking, I know.)


And thanks to Mrs. Rabies, I have more fiber. Yipee! And a beautiful skein of Cascade 220. I love this stuff. Thank you.



I need to update my sidebar and add her in. She cracks me up. There's a few more blogs I've discovered and I need to add them too.

I wish I could get more fiber somewhere. Anyone want to send me your leftover roving to practice on? Is there such thing as leftover roving?? lol

I'm A Playah!

Stitchy McYarnpants. What a creative woman she is.

I'll be attending Rhinebeck on Sunday.

I got my bingo card. I have no idea who most of the people are, but I do "know" one. She's a past local SNBer and I'm excited to meet her.

It's going to be FUN! I love meeting new people.

And I love getting new yarn and fiber.

Oh, which reminds me. I got a package. More on that later.

Filler

I swear I've been knitting.

I'm making a scarf for my aunt. Someday I'm going to teach my family the benefits of wool or cotton. Instead they buy this god-awful Lion Brand crap that I hate. So, no photos. No photos, because I'm embarrassed to be seen with this crap.

Hubs' gift is coming along. The back is done and the front is up to the armpits. We're going to be in a holding pattern for a few days, but I'm happy with the way it's coming out. I'd take a photo, but it looks like a big brownish blob.

His birthday is also coming up quick, like in 10 days. No, I don't have a gift for him. Yes, I'm crapping myself. I'll figure something out.

Last night we met family from Scotland. Anne is my mother in law's cousin. She's 81. It was her first time on a plane and the first time she's been to the states. It was 58 degrees yesterday afternoon and she said it was hot. (What?!Hot??!) Hubs said that she has a twinkle in her eye. I called it a bit of "fairy mischief". And she was a knitter, before her hands gave out on her. Lovely, lovely woman.

No spinning wheel to speak of. Damn it. I'm waiting for Rhinebeck. I asked Hubs to consider it my Christmas gift. And if I could spend more money. I really wanted Rhinebeck to be a roving mission only, but it seems like it's turning into a much more expensive trip.

Oh, my husband's poor wallet.

You got a commission check this month, right honey??

I'm Swooning Over Here.

A few days (weeks? I dunno) ago a certain blogger and crafter extraordinaire offered to have me come over and play.

Eeekkk!

Joyce said that she had a wheel and wanted to get her grubby hands on my llama roving.

Oh man.

First of all, if she lived near me I would have packed a bag and been knocking on her door that afternoon.

You see, Joyce doesn't just craft. She CRAFTS. Check out her site. Seriously.

Yeah, I'd give up some llama for time at her house. And I'd be walking away the winner.

And she's a giver too. 10% of her playsilks sales go to charity.

I'm not worthy.

Next.

My next husband is going to be a smaller man. Like, midget size. Seriously. I'm knitting his holiday gift. I'm trying to surprise him. That means I can only knit when he's not home. Ok, I'm home alot. It shouldn't be a problem, right? No. The Boy "helps" mommy knit, which means I'm constantly pulling yarn or needles out of his fingers, mouth, and nose. So I wait for him to nap. That means I have about 2 hours daily to handknit a sweater for a man who is 6 plus feet tall.

Tellin' ya, my next husband is going to be a gold fish.

And just like many, many other knitbloggers, I've been bitten by the spinning bug.



Thank god for the library.

Now if I could just find a wheel, we'd be all set.

And all you who read my blog- I know who you are! I wanna see your quirks! Post them in your own blog and pass it along, will ya?

Just When You Think...

I had a rough day today. It was the kind of day that I'd normally end with a cold pino grigo or a nice Magners. I think today I'm going to take a tylenol pm and call it a day.

As I was driving to school I felt like *something* was going to happen and it wasn't going to be good. It's the kind of feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach. I dunno, I don't get it alot, but when I do it's never wrong. And it's never good news.

I had Earth Science today. The professor has cancer and is actively going through chemo. He's been a trooper. I guess he finished a round last week. Today when I walked in I bumped the screen that he shows slides on with my backpack as I walked by and it flung up, making a loud crack. I said, "My day can't get much worse. Sorry I interrupted." Boy was I wrong.

The professor said maybe 2 sentences more then stopped in the middle of one. He looked white as a sheet. He said that he wasn't feeling well and that class was cancelled. He sat down on a stool with a table in front of him.

We picked up our things and some started to leave. Something made me hang back. I got up, went to the professor and asked if I could call someone to pick him up. He said his wife was downstairs in the parking lot. I asked what her name was and that I'd find her and bring her up.

Then he passed out. Luckily he fell forward onto the table. I had my hand on him before his head hit the table and I yelled for 2 of the guys still hanging around to come help me get him onto the floor or to hold him upright. I told someone to call 911. I kept talking to him, "Dr. stay with us, hang in there. We're getting help. Hang in there. Dr. can you hear me??" over and over. He came to and said he didn't need help, he just felt...then passed out again.

One student went to get the night admin and the admin sent me down to tell security about the ambulance. I guess the professor woke again and vomited (ew. so glad I missed that). By the time I got back from security someone got his wife and she was talking to him, although he had no idea where he was or what happened.

The ambulance came and took him to the hospital.

I was shaking as I walked to my car. I'm still shaky and it happened 4 hours ago. I'll never forget the look in his eyes when he came to the first time. There was nothing there. Scary....

People, listen to me. Most of the people in the class had no idea what to do and they were in awe by the fact that I did. If I didn't yell for the guys to come help me they would have just stood there in shock. If I didn't yell for someone to call 911 they never would have.

Take cpr classes, take first aid classes. Educate yourself on what to do in an emergency. You never know when one will happen.

Tired.

I'm sick to death over what's going on in the world today.

I'm tired of hearing about school shootings.

I'm tired of hearing about grown men (and women)luring children over the internet.

Or worse, men of "high social standing in our government" allegedly instant messaging sexually explicit content to boys. And then hearing about a coverup.

I'm tired of hearing about violence around the world. The kidnappings, rapes, mass slaughterings, executions, car bombs, terrorists, etc, etc...etc.

I'm tired of strangers knocking on my door asking for money for charities I've never heard of. And I'm tired of being afraid to open the door to those men.

I'm sick of all of it.

What the hell is our world coming to?

What's the answer???

I don't know.

Live in peace, people. Live in peace.

Six Quirks...

Quirk-

–noun 1. a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality; mannerism

(from dictionary.com)



Here's mine:

1. I love the smell of wet wool. It's what I imagine Scotland and Ireland to smell like.

2. The last place I look every night is the ceiling. Yes, I'm checking for spiders.

3. I always look in my backseat before getting into the car.

4. As I've said before, I love going to the doctors.

5. I've watched every episode of Little House on the Prairie. Repeatedly.

6. Although I'm often on the shy side when it comes to introducing myself, I'll ask anyone anything. Yes, anything.


Tag, you're it. 6 quirks, and they don't have to be about knitting.