Knitty Kitty

yeah yeah...

I know. I suck. I'm a slacker.

But I just wrote this to my friend and thought it worthy to put here: 

(forgive the bad spelling and grammar.... I've just worked a 50 hour work week and it's Friday afternoon!)  (and hey - in just under a week I see the harlot in NYC!!)

so, i have a wedding in MD on may 7. a friend from college. i decided to carpool with mutual friends (in PA) and share a hotel to keep costs down.

you know i've barely been knitting. well i mean, i tried my first lace project, and restarted it about 6 times in the past two months. i suck at lace.  i started a scarf for winter when it was still warm, and it's still not done.  i bring knitting when i'm going to be REALLY bored but that's it.  and i have enough yarn stash to last me - at this rate - several years. (i have an afghan kit. and sock yarn, while i have yet to learn socks)

and you know i'm broker than broke. i have weddings and vacations. i'm so screwed with money right now.

so why the hell is it that when i see that the maryland sheep and wool festival (4 times bigger than rhinebeck NY, i went last fall, spent many hours and dollars and loved it!) is happening the same weekend as the wedding, in the same state, i am tempted to throw all reason aside and go?

i am insane. i really am.

(part of me would love to learn spinning and buy a wheel. but they are a few hundred at least. and i don't know if i would stick with it.  i also want to dye my own yarn or wool. and learn socks. then why the hell aren't i actually doing any of this already????? besides the spinning, because with a drop spindle it takes forever.)

argh.

(ya know. i want to blame this on the harlot. and the knitter. even when not knitting, i read their sites daily, because they are funny as hell. then it keeps my subconscious glued on knitting and yarn.  yeah. it's all their fault!)

Tori goodness!

for the tori fans out there!

controls are over to the right.

Yes I am alive....

sorry for not letting you know sooner!

i just wrote a paragraph and lost it. argh!

i survived the holidays (barely). and rather than hibernating like i did last january, i'm coasting along on the social scene with many plans for the new year. but it's cool, a manageable amount, with down time, and things i want to do!

i haven't been doing much knitting except a scarf/belt out of silver lion brand festive fur. yup - two hours, and i have long skinny thing that looks EXACTLY like tinsel. why????? (i didn't even end up wearing it. i started it NYE day for that evening, and finished it, but it didn't work with the outfit.) at least the knitting won't break like tinsel would!

monica has the knitting bug! (and in my defense. she called me and woke me up from a nap, and i had a hard time explaining over the phone how to do a slip knot. if i had been full conscious, i would have tried much harder. really! and in the end, she probably still would have had to go to the net or the knitting store.)

in addition, a coworker wants to learn how to knit!  (i don't knit at work, but she knows that i do it at home!)

i haven't finished my multi directional scarf, although i got pretty far. (1/3 to 1/2, depending on how long i want it. i like them very long. next time i'll make it a little narrower though, to go faster!)

that's it for the knitting.

oh, so what social events am i planning you ask? (come on. pretend you did!)

i have some lunches with old and new friends from the veggie board. (i still feel like a nerd when i talk about friends i met online. but they are the most un-nerdy people you'll ever meet!!! and we all love food, veggie food especially of course!  even though we met through the weight watcher site, i have never eaten as much food as i do with them!)  so we have a NJ lunch and a NYC lunch coming up.

i'm going to some concert with a friend to see a musician i have never heard of.  i'll try to make some more of megg's shows (caught her in december in NYC, she's a great girl, and plays great music!)  i'd also like to catch magdalen hsu-li, another new artist (to me) if she gets up this way.

i'm not as huge into the music scene as some of my friends, but i enjoy the bands they have introduced me to so far (charlotte martin and those mentioned above!) so it's fun. charlotte may be touring this year, and of course i'll try to get to her shows!

and speaking of music, tori amos will be touring this year! wahoo! new book and album NEXT MONTH! yay!  unfortunately i don't think i can afford as many shows as i went to last tour. but, i will see her at any NYC/NJ/Philly shows, possibly one random show in driving distance, and hopefully one show in florida, with my friend Jerzgrll (her screen name, not sure if she wants me putting her real name up here!) who just moved to florida (yes we still call her Jerz!). that sounds like a lot. if i go to FL, i won't go to philly or other places that are a little too far. it depends on the day of the week as well.

as for vacations, well, i have the veggie board retreat (a 5 day weekend) in july  - i helped plan it with Jerz, so that will be fun!

and then.... i am considering going to burning man. yes i am crazy. yes i may be miserable with the weather. yes it will be a f-in amazing time of my life.  and i'm in the mood where i need to do something wild and crazy before i'm thirty. i can still do that afterwards. but i just NEED to. ya know what i mean!  (i was going to get a tattoo this year. but i'm frickin broke and will be broker if i go to Bman. so that will have to be before i'm 35. hehe)  i know someone from the veggie board going, so that will help immensely!!!

wow. i meant to just pop in and say sorry i haven't been here, and looky.  a huge entry. well, since i haven't been knitting much, i wouldn't expect frequent updates here. but then things did quiet down, maybe i have time. but then i'm starting a new project at work with an insane deadline, so maybe i don't.

eh. bottom line, i'll post when i can. but don't expect too much of me! ;)

It's official

the harlot announced it. it's panic time. 11 days left. only one weekend.

i posted a comment on her entry, but in the light of multitasking, i'm copying it here.

i'm reaching the end of denial and about to head into panic mode.

gifts: i am on a tight budget this year. simple home made gifts. but not knitting because that would take too long and i'm not as insane fast as the yarn harlot. ;o) that's ok i'll do other homemade budget gifts.

what are they? i'm waiting for lene (the harlot's personal organizer. oh just go read her entry first!) to tell me. meanwhile i'm starting to order stuff online, er well, waiting until payday thursday to order stuff online, hopefully avoiding those $60 shipping fees mentioned....

somehow the handmade AND budget part of the plan got lost....

and then there's time. i thought i had all free weekends this month, don't know where they went. and i work full time (hence the online shopping). and get guilt trips from my personal trainer that i don't get to the gym enough (2 times a week i was going - now it's none until after new years. but still twice is a LOT! and better than none.)

why am i here? i should be productive..... (hmmm - sculpt christmas trees from paper clips. that's homemade and budget! ;o)

and if for some reason you have time on your hands (or you are insane like me and LIKE to create extra pressure by procrastinating) enjoy these* links. (can you BLAME him?? that's the whole reason for the 'round the world in one night myth. it's the only thing to save our sanity, knowing, "well, it COULD be worse!")

happy holidays!

*Use the arrows on the keyboard to get Santa to his next drink, but keep him inside the railroad tracks or he get electrocuted. Also, to sober him up some, grab one of those cupcakes when the appear.

The olden days

Last night half of my apartment complex lost power due to a transformer blowing up.  so, i knit by candle light! (ok, it was by a battery operated lantern. but still.)

AND... I taught myself to knit (more specifically purl) backwards! i am working on the multidirectional scarf and hate turning the work around for short rows of 2, 3, 4 stitches...  since it's garter, i taught myself to purl backwards! unlike Wendy, it was slower and tighter, but i started getting the hang of it!

and i am really disappointed in my shawl from the brooks farm yarn. (looks like this one).  i LOVE the colors. but the fuzz it generates is worse than any living animal i ever met.  i've worn it twice, and wore it today to work. i took it off at lunch because it was in my food, mouth, eyes, coffee.... in the bathroom i used my wet hands to rub it off of my t-shirt and had a full handfull of mohairball.  argh.  what should i do with this shawl???  i'd give it to the cats but i'd fear they'd eat the fuzz and have more hairballs.....

wah. i have the yarn to make another one as a gift but i'm thinking of skipping it.  since it's two yarns together, i'm not sure if one is worse than the other, but i THINK they both have mohair in them.  wonder what else i could make - maybe try a felted bag?? (making sure i put it in a zippered case in the washer or i'd kill the washing machine!!)

any suggestions would be appreciated!

Still alive!

I just haven't had the heart to keep this blog running lately. Now that wedding season is over, we're ankle deep in holiday season! I'll still be around but not regularly!

I don't think I ever told you I finished two items - a shawl with the brooks farm yarn for me, and a capelet that I didn't even end up wearing at the wedding! I don't have photos of either yet but I will eventually.  The brooks farm shawl was easy (self fringing) and REALLY fast (size 15 needles). I need to make a second for my mom for either christmas or her birthday. 

I also started a multi-directional scarf in my noro silk garden for me, I also need to do a hat for myself.  It's starting to get cold so I need to hurry!! And I may make something for my brother's fiance, whose birthday is coming up. I'm not sure what I'll make for her yet...  and I have the yarn to do a vegan fox (from knitty.com) but I'm not sure if I'll do one, or who wil get it.... hmm.... (and I was going to avoid any holiday knitting! oh well.)

Speaking of the new knitty for winter - I'm not thrilled... I don't know why.  Maybe because I'm not making a sweater anytime soon, and although I like some of them they wouldn't be flattering on me even if I did make one.  For winter I would have hoped to see a few more simple quick knits for gift ideas. (oh yeah. I'm not knitting gifts. Keep reminding me of that, please?)

although I like the wine bottle holder, I'd rather do a felted one (which I have seen elsewhere online, can't recall at the moment...)

Later.

Happy Thanksgiving!

You Are the Cranberry Sauce

A little sweet, a little sour - you've got the flava! Though, you do tend to squish in people's mouths...

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

Yarn for sale

Scroll down the page. You see the AbFab throw kit by Colinette? In the snazzy new (2004) colorway "Nightfall"?

Want to buy it??

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE this. I really do. But I'm in a pinch with money right now, and need to go christmas shopping.... Plus, I know it will take me a year or so to knit this. I won't even start until Jan/Feb.  And I may end up with a different colorway.

I'll sell it for $190 including shipping. (I bought it in a store for $190, shipping may be $10 or so, no idea. If you live locally, $175) I know that you can get it cheaper online, but I really need some extra cash. Shoot me a line if you are interested!! Thanks!

Political Blog

I started a second blog for my political interests.  Please stop by!!

I'll do my best not to bring up political stuff over here anymore.

On knitting news, nothing new but old photos I owe you!

My first skein of handspun yarn:  (I know now that I overtwisted it! I did a two ply but it's still too "energized"! I also never washed it to set the twist)

getting back to normal!

well it seems people started to emerge from their depression and drunken stupor that was a result of the election last week! now more bloggers are talking about it - for a rundown of some best posts in the knit world visit crazydaisy. although i have to admit i think i like this sentiment the best!

I was able to knit more on my capelet, and just need to find a LOOSE bind off method.

and i brought another one to the dark side! taught my friend how to cast on and knit, and she's caught on! (without a book, mind you!) i need to find her some links until we get her a book. we went into a LYS in montclair, and the woman was not very helpful.... so we only got the yarn and needles. i just need to give her her christmas present early...

that's it for now - more later!