Dear Anxieties,

You can leave me alone now.

I know I've had to deal with school starting, professors that can't talk loud enough for me to hear, The Boy being away, a slight hangover, a disturbing phone call, PMS, worries of family members, and yet another serial rapist in the area (no, not kidding).

I understand where you come from. I understand it's my body's way of dealing with issues. I get all of it.

I want you to leave now.

Thanks.

Meme.

From Lilith.

What is your all-time favorite yarn to knit with? I have a couple, it depends on what I'm doing. I love Paton's True North. It's discontinued, but if I ever find more I'm buying it all. I love working with soft wool. Color Me Yarns is pretty yummy, but expensive.

Your favorite needles? I love metal, but they kill my wrist. Lately I've been hooked on clover bamboo circs.

The worst thing you've ever knit? Anything in fun fur. Ugh.

Your most favorite knit pattern? Rogue. Hands down. I love Forest Canopy Shawl and The Greenery hat too. I could do those 3 things over and over and be happy as a peach.

Most valuable knitting technique(s)? Good blocking and finishing.

Best knit book(s) or magazine(s)? I love Interweave Knits (and their spinning mag too). Um, books are another subject. I have an embarrassingly large number of knitting books, with more added all the time. For laughs- I love Yarn Harlot's Meditation book. For the drool factor- I love Inspired Cabled Knits. The pattern book I use most is Ann Budd's pattern book.

Your favorite knitblogs? Yeah, see that side bar?? Peruse those at your leisure. (I'm adding more, when I get two seconds with nothing to do and the patience to do it.)

Your favorite knitwear designer(s)? Jodi Green (wholly crap, I just found out she has a blog!), Girl From Auntie, Joan McGowan-Michael.

The knit item you wear the most? Rogue.

Who's next? Tag, you're it.

It Doesn't Fit.

Way, way too large. Like, 2 sizes too large. With the drapey yarn, it looks like smelly butt on me. Not the close fitted look I wanted.

On a happier note, I think I have my first Christmas, 2007 present 90% done. It looks like it will fit my friend Beth perfectly, color and all.

I'm going to crawl into bed now.

Blocking Does A Body Good.

This is the back of Regine unblocked. The tension is crap. It looks like a monkey knit it.

These are the sleeves after blocking. Trust me when I say these sleeves looked similar, if not worse than the back photo above.

Blocking is a miracle. It takes time and practice- just like knitting. But it is a skill that enhances the end product like none other. So many things can be fixed by blocking. If you don't do it- start. Spend the 25 bucks on blocking wires and go at it.

And this product that Sachi pointed out looks like heaven. Let's just say that it's added to the list. The very long list.

Tomorrow, more spinning and possible a kiss up post to the lovely ladies of the New Haven Snb.

Notice Something Missing?

This is the sweater blocking. You can see the cranberry color alot better today.

What's missing, you ask?

How about the back to the sweater??

Yeah, I had to tear that apart after vague, incomplete instructions made me do it wrong. Well, not wrong, per se, but let's just say that it was not even with the front. Or sleeves.

And those things are important for a sweater.

I have the back finished. Tomorrow I'm going to reblock the front and block the back. This yarn has an amazing drape when it's wet. I'm not sure how that makes me feel about the shaping of the sweater.

(And that patch of rug is the only bit in our house that I can block on. The rest is in the Boy's room. Pins + knitting + boy = disaster. Since he's not going to Grammie's house until Sunday, I thought I'd block it there. At the end of my bed. Where Hubs has to walk to get to his side. Guess I should have that cleaned up before he gets home, eh?)

See, I'm Knitting.

(And spinning. But we'll get to that in a bit.)

I began working on a sweater for me. (Regine is the sweater name. Free pattern on the side of her blog. Yeah, baby. Love them free patterns.) I started on one size, frogged the whole thing and started over. Like I said before, I'm knitting about 130 yards or so per day on this thing. The front and back are complete and the sleeves are getting there. I'm happy with it.

The color of the yarn is a cranberry/wine color. These photos do not do the yarn justice, but seeing as today was the only remotely-somewhat sunny day, it's all I could get. It's a Lana Grossa wool yarn. And size 9 needles.

I'm having a bit of difficulty with consistant tension. It's irritating. The yarn is, um, sprongy, if you know what I mean. No, that's not right. Um, how about springy? I knit tight. This yarn has alot of give to it. That leads to tension issues. We'll see what the miracle of blocking really does.

Now on to spinning. I bought a half pound of Bluefaced Leicester the other day and it's really a joy to pet and spin. First photo is with flash for color, second is without flash to show detail. (Yes Beth, they are the same photo).

Lilith Parker Rocks My World.

I went to SnB on Sunday. I missed last week because of spinning. Another knitblogger drove 1 hour to see me that Sunday, and I wasn't even there!

This Sunday she came back. She was there, all smiles and big hugs.

Lilith Parker rocks. She's a woman of many trades- knitting, designing, welding, loving, laughing...this list goes on. She radiates a quiet calm but there's also large bunch of silliness. Her voice is soft and soothing, deep and pure.

I was really upset with myself that I was unable to find her at Rhinebeck even though she was under my nose the whole day! I am looking forward to meeting her man in a couple of weeks.

It was wonderful to finally meet.

Thanks for being you.

Days And Nights

Hubs has been on a business trip for a few days now and I'm staying at my loving in-laws home. In some sense, I love it here. My mother in law is good company, helps with The Boy, waits on my every need, most times before I even know that I need it, if you know what I mean. In another sense, I feel really...trapped? No, that's not the right word. It's not my home. I don't feel free to do things as I would normally do in my house. I feel like I have to keep everything orderly (which is not a natural behavior for me) and that I have to mind my P's and Q's, (again not natural). I want to help with housekeeping, but I have no idea what needs to be done, where anything goes or how to work anything. It's not my home. Anyhow, I have done a TON of knitting, driving through about 130 yards of yarn a day. I am without a camera, so I can't really show photos. I moved on to another sweater, this one for me. Hubs' sweater is still in the works, but I'm discouraged so I put it down. It's finally winter here. We got about 4 inches of fluffy good stuff. I want to bring The Boy down to play in it, but I didn't bring winter gear for him. Bummer. I'll be at SnB on Sunday. Boy, do I need it. School is cooking up again. I have 2 classes in school and one online. Should be interesting....

Wait...Did You Hear That??

No? You are right, it's QUIET!

The Boy is at Grammie's, probably learning to be spoiled or how to make a mean meat loaf.

Hubs is on a train, heading to the Ranger's game at Madison Square Garden this afternoon.

I slept until 10 am this morning. I made tea and ate a bowl of cereal in the peace and quiet of my empty house.

I didn't have to pee with the door open, yelling at someone (wonder who) to stop unrolling the toilet paper or to stop touching the faucet, only to drag him out while kicking and whining that he didn't get to "play" more. (Trust me, 14 month olds who don't talk still manage to get their point across loud and clear.)

I didn't have to watch Elmo and crew. I didn't have to wipe poop off a wiggling, giggling butt. I didn't have to get down on my hands and knees to search for a pacifier that someone threw overboard, behind his crib. I didn't have to mommy anyone!

I'm sitting down at the computer without a little blond head poking in and looking for attention.

I have nothing planned. Not a thing.

But it's quiet here.

Maybe too quiet.

Hmmm, I miss my boys.

Someone Please Laugh.

The sweater I've been working very hard on for my dear, loving husband doesn't &#^%@ fit.

The arm length/width is perfect. The body is fine, maybe a bit short, but can be fixed.

However, the shoulders fit me.

I think my shoulders are the only petite place left on my body.

Not good. He's 6 feet tall with wide shoulders. How could this happen? Do I start over with a different sweater pattern?? I've ripped back the arms repeatedly. I really, really want this project d.o.n.e.

I've never had trouble like this on arms before. Ok, maybe I have, but I've been able to fudge it better, I guess. It's depressing.

Loot

I know I mentioned in passing about some of the great holiday gifts I got. Here's photos:




My mom bought me a ton of pattern books- adult and kid's sweaters, socks, and 2 dishcloth books. She also picked up a pair of funky clear acryllic needles with white swirls running through them. And I got $50.00 worth of gift certificates to a lys. I haven't had a chance to go blow...I mean, spend it, yet.

My friend Jeannine bought me a calendar (which has some beautiful patterns in it and some not-so-beautiful ones too) and 2 pattern books from Debbie Macomber.

But the best gift I gave to myself-

I sat down and organized all of my pattern that I've downloaded and printed off the internet throughout the years. Whenever I see a pattern I print it out immediately. I saw a pattern on the web a few of years ago. I was too new to knitting to do it and figured I'd come back another time and print it out. When I went back to print it out, the author stopped knitting and blogging. I lost the opportunity to make the sweater. Lesson learned- I now print out patterns when I see them.

And now they go into my shiny new blue binder.

Dear Sapphire and Diamond Earring,

Come out, come out, wherever you are!

Ugh.

Please wish that my earring comes out of hiding soon. I swear I'm meant to never have "good things" and it stinks.

I once lost a pair of diamond earrings.

And a sapphire necklace.

But the crap jewelery that costs 10 bucks at Kmart?

Got all that.

But, on a high note. I'm an auntie. My brother's girlfriend had the baby this afternoon. All is well with mom and baby. Yipee!

Ever Hear The One About...

I was not what you'd call a model student in high school. The first two years I was so wrapped up in my head that I couldn't (or wouldn't) do school work. I got C's and D's, except for English which I got A's in. My junior and senior years I worked harder and the grades rose drastically. I wanted to go to a photography school. I remember going to my guidance councelor and asking him his opinion. He looked straight at me and said that I wasn't smart enough to get into college and even if I did, I couldn't afford it.

Why is it, when someone says something to you like that, that it sticks in your brain for a long, long time?

When I got my grades I was shocked to see that F. All of the sudden I could hear that man in my head laughing.

I KNEW that I got an A in that class.

Last night the Dean of Students, the assistant to the Dean of Students, the records department, the head of the science department, and the instructor all called to apologize for the mistake.

Yeah, once the craziness died down I sat down and celebrated with a cold Magners Hard Cider.

I got straight A's this semester.


*As a side note, the guidance couselor was half right- I got into the school, but I couldn't pay for it. So I never went. But I did get the satisfaction of marching into his office, slapping the acceptance letter on his desk and seeing the look of shock on his face while I did it.

I Failed.

I'm about 99.9% sure that it's an administrative mistake, but I checked my grades and it says that I failed Earth Science. This sucks. I have nightmares of this stuff, I swear.

I know I passed- I got the highest grade on my midterm and with the curve it's considered an A+. I stuck it out when the first professor bailed, went to every class, asked questions, handed in every single thing the instructor asked for....and I failed. No warning, no explanation.

I have to contact the school tomorrow, I emailed the Dean of Students this afternoon and she said that I have to make a few calls, but no one would be in their office at this time and to call tomorrow. She also said "that time was of the essence" *gulp* and not to delay.

Sigh.

Maybe I'm not cut out for this school stuff after all.

"Like We Never Left."

Hubs said that, just as we rounded the corner to pull into our driveway last night.

We've spent the last week in Florida, outside of Daytona, playing on the beach, shopping in dinky gift shops, touring Daytona Speedway, seeing crazy (but much adored) uncle-in-laws and eating everything in sight. It was a family trip, with Hubs' parents and brother. Sometimes relaxing, sometimes stressful, sometimes fun, sometimes sad....I think I need a vacation from my vacation.

My house is trashed. We left 2 days after Christmas so we didn't really put anything away from the holidays. I have a ton of cleaning to do.

I knit a bit while away. Not much to show, it's the sleeves to the sweater I promised Hubs. Boring. I got $50.00 worth of lys gift certs burning a hole in my pocket. I can't wait to spend the money!! Wooohooo! I need a niddy noddy desperately. And ALPACA!!

So, how was everyone's holidays??? What did I miss?

Happy New Year! Hope all is well.