Knitting & Me

Booties for Baby Boy B.

2005-11-29T19:09:00.000-05:00

Here are baby booties for my friend's baby due in January. Her shower is this weekend. The left bootie looks misshapen in the picture, but it's really not the case. This is a pattern from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies. They were easy to make and knit up really quick too. I am going to give them to her along with a matching umbilical cord hat. I hope that she likes them.

On the needles right now are Christmas gifts, i-cord handles for a booga bag and a branching out scarf for my MIL.

Wow!

2005-11-10T05:33:00.000-05:00

I have an awesome Secret Pal. Look what greeted me when I came home yesterday - Yarn from Knit Picks and Vanilla Scented Bath Gel from the Body Shop. I really needed this yesterday after sitting in traffic for an hour on the way home from work. Secret Pal, you are wonderful. I love vanilla, and I've never knit with Knit Picks so I am excited to try out that yarn. Thank you so so much!!

Things have been quiet here at my blog - life has been really hectic with not much time to knit, unfortunately. I am hoping things slow down soon so I can make progress with some holiday gifts. I did finish a pair of baby booties for my friend's shower in December though. Pictures to come.

I learned to chain today!

2005-10-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

One of my co-workers crochets so she showed me how to chain during lunch. It definitely felt a little awkward, but I am excited to be learning how to crochet now.

Right now, I am in kind of in a knitting rut, after having finished 2 scarves last week. I'm still working on my weekend warrior sweater. The back is done, and I am working my way through the front. At the rate I am going, it's more like a month long warrior. Yesterday I started on a washcloth for my mom with Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille, which is so so soft. The Washington, D.C. Capital Knit-Out & Crochet is this Sunday, and I hope to attend. Maybe that will inspire me.

Maryland Madness

2005-10-15T07:10:00.000-04:00

Are there any college basketball fans out there? Last night we were in College Park for the annual Midnight Madness festivities, although the NCAA changed the times this year. So, it became Maryland Madness instead. It's the first time that the college basketball teams can officially start practice. In years past, they could begin practice at midnight - this year it was 10 pm. It's always fun going to the Comcast Center. I love Maryland basketball and the whole ACC conference. Let the season begin. Hopefully, it will have a better ending than last season. Let's go, Terps!

Branching Out is Finished

2005-10-11T18:08:00.000-04:00

It's done! I am really pleased with my Branching Out. This really stretched out A LOT when it was blocking. I was surprised by how it grew and grew. The leaf pattern detail shows much better now too. What a great pattern. I have more yarn to make another Branching Out for my MIL.

Simon's Football Hoodie

2005-10-11T18:05:00.000-04:00

J's co-worker was ordering stuff from Pet Edge for her Boston Terrier so of course J. had to order something for Simon too. This is Simon's Football Hoodie, perfect for Sunday afternoons spent watching the NFL Sunday Ticket with J.

Reading and TV Roundup

2005-10-06T20:17:00.000-04:00

Not a lot of knitting going on here right now. I've been doing some catching up on reading and watching the new tv shows on TIVO. Here's a report.

I've been reading:

Cooking For Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser: This was a good read that written while Hesser was dating her now husband. It includes recipes, some original, some family favorites, and some borrowed from other cookbooks, that they ate during their "courtship". I must buy this, if only to get my hands on some of the recipes.

Something Blue by Emily Giffin: This is the sequel to Something Borrowed, which I loved and read in one day last summer. I did the same with this one too. In Something Borrowed, Rachel falls in love with her best friend Darcy's fiance. Something Blue picks up after the fallout and tells Darcy's story. Good chick lit.

Next up on the reading list, Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle and Jennifer Weiner's Goodnight, Nobody. I am keeping the reading light these days. Speaking of Weiner, I cannot wait to see In Her Shoes. The reviews of it have been good. I wonder how it will compare to the book, which was great.

Here's what I've been watching:

Lost (J. and I are both hooked.)
Grey's Anatomy (love love this show)
The Office (It's painful watching this, but funny at the same time.)
My Name is Earl (So far pretty funny.)
Joey (I think it is somewhat improved this year. Definitely not Friends, but watchable)

What are you reading and watching?

Back from the West Coast

2005-10-03T17:58:00.000-04:00

I'm home again! San Jose is beautiful although I didn't get to see much of it except for my hotel, the downtown area near the hotel, and the airport. All in all, it was a good trip, beautiful weather, and a great conference, where I learned a lot of new things. I never fully adjusted to sleeping on Pacific Coast Time though so I found myself waking up every night at about 3:30 am.
Romance novels are not my usual reading, but I enjoy a good romance every now and then. On my way to San Jose, I listened to Debbie Macomber's A Good Yarn, which actually centers around a group of women who are taking a sock knitting class at a LYS. It's a cute little story that moves quickly. Today on Amazon, I discovered that there is also an accompanying book with patterns. The author must be a knitter. I finished another Booga Bag on my plane ride and made significant progress on Branching Out, which I hope to block next weekend. And, my blog was added to Knitting Blogs while I was away. How cool is that?! I am very excited about that.

Thank You, Secret Pal

2005-09-27T17:09:00.000-04:00

Look what was waiting for me when I arrived home today. At Knit's End by the Yarn Harlot! Cool. Thank you, Secret Pal. You made my day. This will be great reading for my plane ride to San Jose.

What City Do You Belong In?

2005-09-27T06:07:00.000-04:00

I've seen this quiz traveling around the blog world. These quizzes are always fun. Actually, I will be doing some travel later this week as I am heading to San Jose, CA for a conference.

You belong in Paris. You are a real romantic, you
live to be loved. Paris will sure give you
love!

In What City Do You Belong?
brought to you by Quizilla

Weekend Warrior Progress

2005-09-25T11:35:00.000-04:00

I've completed the back of my first ever garment, the Weekend Warrior from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Simple Knits. The yarn is Lion Brand Homespun double stranded, part of the stash that P. gave me last month. I am using size 17 needles, which feel kind of awkward to me. It's all stockinette, but I haven't had a lot of time to sit and knit lately so it's been growing a row or two here at a time. On to the front of the sweater, and then the sleeves.

Simon went for his "day at the spa" on Friday. I joke that when he goes to the groomer that it's his day of beauty - after all, he gets a bath, his hair cut and blow dried, a pedicure, etc. Here he is looking all glamorous. What a sweetheart. When I went to pick him up, he was hanging out with a standard poodle, Henry, while the groomer was working with a small bichon frise. They were sitting right beside the groomer's table. Seeing little Simon with Henry, the standard poodle was a funny sight, but they seem to have become friends. He doesn't usually do so well with bigger dogs so this was really nice sight.

Branching Out Progress

2005-09-20T19:35:00.000-04:00

WIP Report: Eleven repeats done so far on Branching Out! How I love this pattern - the picture does not do the leaf pattern justice though. I started out with some scraps of Rowan Felted Tweed in Herb that I had left over from my poncho to see if I could do the pattern. I liked how it looked so I kept on going. Yesterday I picked up another skein from Royal Yarns during my lunch hour so now I can finish this. This was on hold for a while since the yarn had to be special ordered. I learned about "lifelines" on the Knitty boards, and that will be a help with this lace pattern

Today I visited the Knit Picks site for the first time. This is a brand new discovery for me. My Secret Pal mentioned that she liked their yarn so I had to check it out. What great prices!! I ordered a catalog. I think The Wool of Andes might work well for more Booga Bags! Has anyone felted with it before? I brought my Booga Bag to work, and several co-workers either want me to make them one or to show them how to do it! One brought in her yarn and needles today, ready to go.

Something clicked at the gym

2005-09-18T10:15:00.000-04:00

I have been keeping to my goal of making it to the gym the past couple of weeks, and to be honest, I have not been loving it. This morning, though, was really different in a good way. It actually felt great to be jogging again, and not such a chore, and I had a lot more energy to keep going. I've been doing my own modified version of The Couch to 5K Running Plan. Hoping this is a new trend, and not just a one time moment.

Not much knitting this weekend at all because I've been really busy with work stuff yesterday and again today. Last week I did start my first sweater, the Weekend Warrior from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Simple Knits, with some Lion Brand Homespun yarn that P. gave me. I am double stranding it and using size 17 needles, which feel a little awkward to me. I am about halfway done with the back. My Rowan Felted Tweed in Herb has finally arrived so I can pick it up tomorrow and can continue with my Branching Out scarf. That has been on hold for quite some time - it will be like looking at the pattern for the first time.

Beaded Stitch Markers and Yarn

2005-09-16T16:44:00.000-04:00

I got batteries for the camera! My first set of beaded stitch markers. I love the colors, and they were easy to make. I also made myself a pair of earrings with the same beads. These beads are from Michael's. This weekend I hope to make a visit to Bead Attitudes in the Kentlands to pick up some more beads; they have an interesting mix. This could get addicting. I really like making earrings.

And here is the yarn from yesterday's "road trip" to Columbia. The yellow is for my mom's washcloth, and blue is for me. We're painting my bathroom a very pale blue tomorrow; tonight it's off to Home Depot to get the paint. I have been looking at swatches all week, light blues and greens, but I think I am going with the blue.

Thank you, Secret Pal for the eCard. It brightened my day. =)

Dinner Vegan Style and 2 Yarn Shops

2005-09-16T06:05:00.000-04:00

Last night I went out for dinner with friends in Columbia. We went to a vegetarian restaurant called Great Sage, which was actually pretty good. To be honest, I wasn't so sure about this place when K. first suggested it., but I was willing to try it. I had mango iced tea, pasta with portabello mushrooms, and shared a chocolate lava cake with one of my friends. All of us live spread out in the metro area - Baltimore, Northern VA, Columbia, DC, and Montgomery County. We plan on trying to get together once a month rotating locations.

Since I was going to be in Columbia, I headed there a little bit early to check out 2 yarn shops in the area. I went to Fiberworks in Ashton and All About Yarn in Columbia. Neither is very close to where I live so I doubt I will be able to get to them very frequently, but it was fun to check them out. One of the women in All About Yarn said she would just be happy to touch and feel all of the yarn. I agreed. LOL. All About Yarn was great - the people working the store were so friendly, and it was very nicely laid out. I bought some Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille to make some washcloths for myself and my mom (probably the flower washcloth from Weekend Knitting) and some Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool to make Branching Out for my MIL (as a table runner).

I think I'm in love

2005-09-12T18:37:00.000-04:00

Here is the Booga Bag, ready to be felted. I was nervous about felting it since it was my first time doing it. It went beautifully although I did have one snafu in the washing machine. Instead of jeans, I tossed in my bathroom rugs, thinking, gee, they are kind of heavy. Don't try it - the rugs shredded, but my bag felted really well after just two runs through the washing machine. Cascade 220 is some great yarn.
And here is the Booga Bag after felting and blocking. I love it, love it, love it! It did turn out a bit smaller than I thought it would, but isn't it cute? Next one will have longer handles so I can put it on my shoulder. I had the hardest time making the holes for the handles, and I finally got out my big 'ole size 13 needles and then used a pair of tweezers that I use for beading to pull the i-cord through. I wish I knew how to sew, and then I would make a liner for it. Maybe that's next ...

Secret Pal 6 Questionnaire

2005-09-11T08:18:00.000-04:00

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

I definitely have the potential to be a yarn snob, but at the same time, I am also somewhat budget conscious, thank's to DH's attempts to keep me in check. I have used Lion Brand, and it's okay, but it would definitely not be my first choice.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

No

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

Cats, pollen

4. How long have you been knitting?

5 months - I began in March 2005.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Not yet, but I am working on putting one together.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Vanilla, Citrus, Pumpkin Spice, Apple.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

Yes, I love chocolate, gummy bears, and licorice.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

I like beading - making earrings.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like anything and everything, with the exception of heavy metal. Usually, I like top 40 kind of stuff. Yes, I can play MP3s. Right now, I have been listening to Coldplay a lot.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

Favorite color is blue. I do also love autumn colors. I don't really care for bright orange or fluorescents.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I am married, and live with DH and our cocker spaniel Simon.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

To live a happy and healthy life surrounded by friends and family.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

I like Rowan, Cascade 220, Berroco. I am a newbie so I am willing to try anything!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Don't know yet.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Purses.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

So far, I've been hooked on baby hats for my friends' new arrivals.

17. What are you knitting right now?

A lacy loop scarf, Branching Out scarf, and a Booga Bag.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

I haven't decided yet. I made one this spring, and I haven't decided yet if I will wear it.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

Circular

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Bamboo

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Not yet, but I want to learn.

22. How did you learn to knit?

Took a class at a LYS, and then read lots of books.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

1 month.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

I love dogs!

25. What is your favorite holiday?

Thanksgiving - love the food and fall weather!

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Books, pottery.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

None yet, but I do want to check out Vogue, Knit.1, Rebecca, and Rowan.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?

Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter, At Knit's End, Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner,

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??

I've been looking at Chic Knits' Chickami and Eyelet Cardi, Orangina, and My Constant Companion.

30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?

I wear a size 7.5, and I like all socks!

Booga Bag In Progress

2005-09-10T09:18:00.000-04:00

Here's the Booga Bag in progress. So far, I've knit in the round for 23 times - 31 more rows to go. I love knitting with circular needles; it goes so fast, and I can sit mindlessly in front of the tv as I go. And this Cascade 220 yarn - I love it, love it! I bought 2 skeins of it, one is in a very pale pink. Maybe a Sophie bag is in my future?

In other news, can I tell you how impressed I was with the customer service at Sear's yesterday? J. went by to talk about the car problems. We were expecting that they would only reimburse us for the oil change, but they were so nice and cooperative. J. was ready to use his negotiating and persuasion skills, but he didn't need to at all. They reimbursed us for the expense of having to get the car repaired this week! Now I don't know if I will bring my car back there for an oil change since they messed up so awfully, but they gave great customer service yesterday. We were very satisfied with that. =)

I've been tagged

2005-09-10T08:46:00.000-04:00

A Knitter in Queens has tagged me! I'll play the game. =)

Ten years ago: I was starting my senior year of college at Catholic U in Washington, DC, not sure if I was going to get a job or go to grad school, but enjoying being back to school and hanging out with my friends.

Five years ago: I was applying for new jobs, hoping to find one to combine web design with my library background.

One year ago: DH and I were looking to move into a bigger house, spending lots of weekends going to open houses.

Five Snacks:

Sour Creme and Onion Potato Chips
Cool Ranch Doritos
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cheez It's
Tostito's

Five songs I know all the words to:

You've Got a Friend by James Taylor
Only The Good Die Young by Billy Joel
Hold My Hand by Hootie and the Blowfish
Closer To Fine by the Indigo Girls
These Are The Days by 10,000 Maniacs

Five things I would do with $100 million:

Pay off my student loans
Pay off DH's student loans
Buy a house at the beach
Retire early
Make sure our families are comfortable

Five places to run away to:

A Royal Carribbean cruise
Any bookstore or library
My hometown in PA
The beach
The Mall

Five things I would never wear:

Fur
A bikini (unless I was 40 lbs lighter)
Leopard print
Any Duke University Basketball clothing
See through pants

Five favorite TV shows:

Lost
Sex in the City
Friends
Grey's Anatomy
Felicity

*3 of which are no longer on the air! How sad!

Five biggest joys:

My dog Simon
My garden
Vacations
The change of colors in fall
My family and friends

Five favorite toys:

My new camera (nikon coolpix)
Tivo
My food processor
My computer (Dell)
Circular needles (a new favorite)

Five people to pass this on to:

2005-09-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

My car overheated on the way home from work yesterday. The check engine light came on, and there was steam coming out from the hood. When I opened the hood, there was no coolant and the radiator cap was just lying on top of the radiator. Very bizarre because we had just taken it to Sears over the weekend for an oil change. I never thought you would have to inspect your car after an oil change to make sure that they had actually completed the job! Today we took it to another shop to check it out, and I got to take the metro and bus home from work (and I actually knit the whole ride home). All is okay with the car, but I am pretty peeved with Sears because if they had done the job correctly then none of this would have happened. J. talked with the manager today to see if they will compensate us for the extra expense, which is still to be determined.

On the knitting front, I've started the Booga Bag and learned how to pick up stitches. When I finally figured it out, it was pretty easy to do. I tried it last night, which I shouldn't have done since I was in a grumpy mood about the car, and I got the needles all twisted. I picked up stitches, but it was definitely not "in the round". It went much better this afternoon although instead of 100 stitches, I have 101. I figure it's better to have one extra then try to undo it again, or at least I hope so. I am kind of surprised about how small the bag's size is, but maybe it will stretch after felting. I don't know. I do love the Cascade 220 though - it's wonderful to knit with.

Blocking (the) Big Bad Baby Blanket

2005-09-05T18:41:00.000-04:00

Isn't that nice alliteration? Try saying that five times fast. It's turned out bigger than the dimensions in Stitch n Bitch (I still have a lot to learn about gauge.) and there is some evidence of rowing out (a newly learned term to add to my knitting vocabulary), but I still like it. I just can't believe it is finally done. Woohoo. I love the seed stitch border, and how the squares all meet in the middle of the blanket.

The weather has been been nearly perfect here in the DC area - we've been able to turn off the a/c and just leave the windows open. I love this time of year, especially as fall gets closer. We had a bbq last night with some friends, and J's friend from Seattle was visiting - good company, food, and conversation.

I am completely out of shape

2005-09-04T10:09:00.000-04:00

This morning I decided to go the gym after not visiting it for nearly the entire summer. I wish I could say that I am one of those people that enjoy exercise for the sheer enjoyment of it, but sadly, no, I am one of those people who would much rather prefer to sit at home and be a couch potato and eat all of the wrong things. My clothes have started feeling tighter (definitely not a good feeling), and I weighed myself yesterday (The number is just shocking.) so I have decided it is time to do something about it (how many times have I done this before? a lot).

About 5 years ago, I lost a lot of weight, 40 lbs doing weight watchers and jogging 2 miles a day. I was doing okay maintaining for a while, and then I started to get lazy. Since then, the exercise habit has become a non habit, and the weight has gradually risen and risen. I am not back to where I was before, but close enough that it's catching my attention. Today, I could barely jog for 3 minutes at a time. How could I go from being in decent shape to becoming a non exerciser? It's so easy to slide and never get back on track, but it is entirely my own fault. So, today I've decided I am going to make an effort to start getting to the gym 3 times a week a minimum and eating better. I've said it before, but I am hoping that this time it sticks.

In knitting news, the Big Bad Baby Blanket is completed! It's all ready to be blocked which I am going to start tomorrow after J's friend from Seattle heads home. I'll spread it out in the guest bedroom. I started the bottom panel of the Booga Bag too. I've also been looking more and more through the beginner sweater patterns in The Yarn Girls' Guide to Simple Knits. Three of them look good to start with - Even Danielle Did It, Weekend Warrior, and Don't Be a Football Widow I love the title of this last one because football is the THE EVENT in this household come fall. It's not my sport of choice, but there's little escape from it on Sunday's around here, especially with the NFL Sunday Ticket. AAUGH!

Deco Ribbon Bag

2005-09-02T16:52:00.000-04:00

It's done! Here is the Deco Ribbon Cell Phone Bag from Crystal Palace. I really need to take one of those digital photography classes from "Ritz University", which we got for free when we got the new camera.

This is a very quick and easy knit with size 9 straight needles, almost all in stockinette with the exception of the loop stitches on the top, and i-cord handle. I finished it in just a few hours over two nights while watching tv. The i-cord took me the longest time. It's a very girly little bag, which will be just perfect for my two nieces.

Next up is my first booga bag. I just wound the yarn into a ball this morning. I will finish the Big Bad Baby Blanket this weekend - just have to sit down and finish the seed stitch border. I've been too lazy to do it this week, but definitely over the weekend.

In the news

2005-09-02T16:37:00.000-04:00

It's been heartbreaking to follow the news out of New Orleans this week, but I can't seem to stop checking the news on tv or on the web for updates. I cannot even begin to comprehend what the people there are going through. I pray that things are starting to improve with more aid arriving there today and that those there have the strength to get through these difficult times. J.'s parents live in S. Florida, and they have been through several hurricanes, including Andrew, but nothing like Katrina. His father's aunt lives in New Orleans, and thankfully, she and her two daughters were able to get to Houston over the weekend.

On one of my bulletins boards, there's a thread about everyone needing to hear some good news, no matter how big or small, in light of all of the stuff happening in the news this week. It was nice reading people's good news stories. Here's a bit of what I posted:

My very best friend is moving back to the DC area in two weeks after living in California for 5 years.
I was just accepted into a manager development program at work.

And I have also finished the Deco Ribbon Cell Phone Bag!

Colorstrology: What is your birthday color?

2005-08-31T19:10:00.000-04:00

I found this interesting site today that tells you what your birthday color is. Mine is Chinese Red, Perceptive, Kind, Magnetic. Here's what it said:

People find you attractive and magnetic. There is much that you can see and understand in regard to human nature. Although you have an uncanny ability to know people, you keep most of your observations to yourself. Adventurous and secretive, you need to be on the move. Resist the urge to hold onto hurt feelings. Your personal color connects you to your strength and kindles your urge for the new and untried. Wearing or meditating or surrounding yourself with Chinese Red encourages initiative, flexibility and persistence.

Feeling Loopy

2005-08-30T19:42:00.000-04:00

I learned how to do a loop stitch today. It took me several tries to get the loop made with my thumb, but after awhile I was able to get a little bit of a rhythm going. I am making a Deco Ribbon Cell Phone Bag, compliments of P.'s generous gifts last week. This is my first time knitting with ribbon - I like it, but it definitely has a different feel from yarn. This should knit up pretty quickly since after the loop stitch border, it's just stockinette stitch and i-cord for the handles. I think that I will make a couple of these as gifts for my nieces, ages 7 and 10; they will be cute little purses for them. I want to get some Fizz for the loops on those bags.

Well, things have certainly been loopy in our household the past few days. We had quite scare over the weekend with our little guy Simon. He has never had very good vision, but late Friday afternoon, it appeared that he had gone completely blind instantly. It was very scary to see this because he was completely disoriented and scared. So we rushed him over to the vet, who said he had acute glaucoma and prescribed eye drops. His vision seemed to return a bit over the weekend. Evidently, if you catch glaucoma quickly, you can prevent complete blindness. Yesterday I took him back to the vet, and she said the pressure in his eyes had dropped back to normal ranges, and she gave me a referral to the dog opthamalogist. Did you know that there was that kind of doctor? I didn't, but I suppose that there is a specialist for everything. We took Simon to see the opthamalogist yesterday afternoon. According to the opthamologist, there are no signs of glaucoma based on looking at his eyes or the pressure readings. He did some tests to see how well Simon could see in the light and dark. In the dark, he was not able to manuever well at all, but in the light, he did do better so he does have some vision still. The opthamologist said Simon has retinal degeneration, which is an inherited condition, and his vision will continue to get progressively worse until he goes blind, maybe in about 6-9 months. There is not any surgery or medication that will improve this condition. Based on the reading we've have done online and talking to some people in the rescue group, we've learned that blind dogs can do quite well with their hearing and sense of smell. All of this has made me really sad, but I am hopeful that he can adjust ok. Simon is a tough little guy.

Nats and Cardinals Game

2005-08-28T19:39:00.000-04:00

This afternoon we went down to RFK Stadium to see the Washington Nationals play the St. Louis Cardinals. RFK is so easy to get to, and parking is real close by. I guess everything is set up smoothly there from the Redskins days. This was not an exciting game at all with the Cardinals winning 6-0. The most excitement came in the first inning. The Cardinals' Albert Pujols was called out at 2nd base after trying to steal and then continued to argue with the umpire after the Nats went up to bat. He got ejected from the game in the bottom of the 1st inning! Our seats were right along first base line so we were able to see it all pretty clearly.

The end is in sight

2005-08-28T19:36:00.000-04:00

I am just about done with the Big Bad Baby Blanket!! This morning I completed the last rows of stockinette stitch. I just have to finish the seed stitch border - 19 more rows to go. Then it's time to block it. I have never really blocked anything before so this will be an experiment. I'll get to it later this week. Tonight I am tired, and I think I will just crash in front of the tv.

The Knitting Fairy Visited Me

2005-08-26T15:40:00.000-04:00

I feel like it's Christmas. J.'s friend P. (well, I suppose I can say she's now my friend too) called me earlier this week to ask if I wanted some extra yarn she had. I said sure, expecting a couple of skeins. Boy, was I surprised! My stash multiplied, multiplied, and multiplied this morning, complete with yarn, patterns, and kits. So cool!! I am really excited. It was great fun to see all of her stash and the wonderful things she has created - I felt like a kid in a toy store. P. is one very talented fiber artist. This picture is of just a few of my favorites so far:

Crystal Palace Deco Ribbon Cell Phone Bag Kit
Mohair Shawl Kit with Leaf Farm's Mohair Boucle Yarn
Trendsetter's Eyelash Scarf Kit
Lacy Loops Mohair Scarf Kit from Kiparoo Farms
Zig Zag Scarf and Cap Pattern from Simple Knits with Lion's Branch Fisherman's Wool

Not only did I get knitting supplies, but P.'s husband also gave us free tickets to Sunday's Nationals game against the St. Louis Cardinals. They are great seats - we used the tickets on the Fourth of July too for the Nationals-Mets game.

And last but not least, a big congratulations to J. who just completed another Microsoft certification test and passed. He is now a Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator in Windows (I forget which version, sorry). Woohoo.

Baking Time

2005-08-25T06:45:00.000-04:00

I spent most of last night in the kitchen baking away, banana bread for J's office and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies for Saturday's bake sale to raise funds for the OBG Rescue Group at the Rockville Petsmart. This is my second loaf of banana bread this week as I made a loaf on Sunday for my office. Why do bananas start going bad so quickly? The oatmeal raisin cookies are new favorites of ours; a co-worker brought them to a potluck lunch and shared the recipe. They are wonderful. Both of these receipes are real easy to make. I am not a huge fan of making cookies since you have to keep watching the timer, but it's for a good cause so I'm not complaining.

In other foodie news, I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday, and I got 3 red peppers and 3 zucchini for 2 bucks! What a steal. I will be making stuffed red peppers and chococolate chip zucchini bread over the weekend. Yum. Whoever thought that zucchini could taste so good, but anything with chocolate tastes amazing, right?

This and That

2005-08-23T19:00:00.000-04:00

My first ebay yarn purchase arrived yesterday. This is what I will be using for my Booga Bag. It's Cascade 220 in Savona Rose and Soft Pink. I love the colors. My short attention span is fully coming out as I do more knitting. I definitely like variety and get bored pretty quickly. Right now I am still working on the Big Bad Baby Blanket, one skein to go on that, and Branching Out, which is waiting for more yarn to arrive. I also just finished another Umbilical Cord Hat.
Here's the umbilical cord hat. This is my third one this summer. I've been on a roll with these. They are fun little projects, and they will go nicely with baby shower gifts. On Sunday, I have another shower to go to for a co-worker's daughter. This hat is done in Berroco Softwist in 7431. I love love this yarn; it feels so soft and just glides so easily off the needles. I originally bought this yarn to make my first scarf, which I did make, but I did it in stockinette so it completely rolled up on the sides. Last week, I frogged the whole thing, made the hat, and I think I will use the rest for matching booties from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies.
And this is Simon. He was wandering around this morning as I was taking the pictures of the hat and the yarn so I can't leave him out. What a stylish guy, huh? He knows he's handsome too (we tell him all of the time, of course).

The Magic of Machu Picchu (and PS Elements)

2005-08-20T15:33:00.000-04:00

In Feburary 2004, J's very good friend was getting married in Lima, Peru and asked him to be in the wedding. I was completely unsure if we should go because of the amount of time off we would have take off of work, boarding Simon, and the sheer expense of the trip, but J. talked me into taking the trip. Undoubtedly, Peru is one of the most amazing places we visited, and I still can't believe that we were really there! We traveled throughout Peru with the groom's family, and we all got to know each other very well after ten days touring a foreign country together. J. speaks Spanish so he was our unofficial tour guide. These are shots from our visit to Machu Picchu. Wow, is all I can say. I remember climbing to the top and thinking, I don't think I am going to make it, but I did, and when we got to the top, we were all speechless. Words cannot describe how incredible Machu Picchu is.

J. played with our digital camera during our trip there and decided it would be great to have the date imprinted in the right hand corner of all of our pictures. I didn't like this at all, and I didn't know he had done this until we got home to MD and loaded the pictures on the computer. Picky of me, I know. You'll notice that these pictures have no dates. I have been playing some more with my trial version of Photoshop Elements, and it has this cool feature called the healing brush, which will wipe away any parts of the picture that you don't want there, and blend the colors of the photo into those areas. It hides the dates pretty well. Amazing what a little bit of photo editing software will do.

Stitch'n & Bitch'n

2005-08-19T17:16:00.000-04:00

I finally made it to the NoMoCo Stitch and Bitch at Panera in Gaithersburg last night. I've been meaning to get there for a while, but last night was my first night attending. I was nervous about going, but I had a good time. It was nice spending time with others who are in the knit. Read the comments from BabblingB , who didn't realize who I was last night, in my previous post. LOL! =)

In other knitting news, P. told me about a local online yarn site that I just checked out. Nice new discovery! I just put in an order for more Rowan Felted Tweed in Herb for my Branching Out Scarf. I can't wait for it to get here as Branching Out is on hold for now until it arrives. I originally started it with some leftovers from my poncho to see if I could do the pattern, but I like the way it's looking with that yarn so I might as well keep going. J. had lunch with P. and another former co-worker this week. He told her that he thought she had been a very bad influence on me with all of the knitting and yarn resources she keeps telling me about so that I can keep shopping and indulging. Haha!

I've also signed up for my first Secret Pal, Secret Pal 6. I am excited to be participating in it. Since I started reading knitting blogs, I've heard so much about it that I wanted to join in. It should be fun.

It's Raining Books

2005-08-18T16:38:00.000-04:00

Four knitting books arrived for me today through Marina, our statewide Interlibrary Loan system. We didn't have the books in my library system so I was able to get them from a neighboring county library system. If you live in MD, Marina is a wonderful option to borrow materials. Ah, the beauty of Interlibrary Loan! I sound like such a librarian, right? Well, I am a librarian so I guess that is okay. I got them super quick - in less than a week. Now, will I have enough time to read them all? I hope so - I can't wait to start browsing through them.

This is what I got:

Knitty Gritty

2005-08-17T05:31:00.000-04:00

I found out about Knitty Gritty on DIYTV, and I have been Tivo'ing (is that a word?) it. This is a new discovery for me. One of J's former co-workers is really into all things crafty, and she told me about it, among so many other knitting resources, like LYS, other books, online sites, etc. She's been fab! It's been a fun show for me to watch to learn more about different types of knitting styles and techniques. Gosh, those gals are so quick with their knitting. I really liked the episode I watched over the weekend. It was on teen knitting, and it had the author of Teen Knitting Club on the show. Coincidentally, this was one of the very first books I checked out of the library on knitting!! Don't laugh. I found this book, along with Kids Knitting, to be really helpful. I got the idea from a co-worker who was also learning to knit with her eleven year old daughter at the same time I took up knitting; the pictures and instructions are easy to follow for newbies. I made the stockinette scarf with seed stitch border on it for my mom. It was cool to hear the author, Jennifer Wenger, speak about the book and her designs. I also liked watching them demonstrate different techniques. I will be sure to watch some more episodes on Tivo. I love my Tivo!

Hairspray at the Kennedy Center

2005-08-15T06:43:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I went to see the wonderful Hairspray at the Kennedy Center with my bf from college who is in town from San Fran. What a great show - the music, the dancing, the bright colors, the storyline. I loved everything about it. I saw the John Waters movie with Ricki Lake years ago and thought it was great. We had awesome seats on the orchestra level. I must get this soundtrack. Tracy's mother stole the show, of course.

It is so great to see my bf and her family! I haven't seen her in two years, back when she was pregnant so this was the first time I got to meet her little son in person. What a cutie. I have seen like a million pictures of him, but it was so surreal meeting him in real life! We email and talk on the phone a lot. We went to college together (this month is turning into College Reunion - next weekend too), and we were freshman roommates. I remember us crying together as our parents drove away after leaving us at college. Back in the day, right?

Lots of shared history and good memories. I miss her a lot, and I wish she still loved around here. Old friendships are great - so easy to be together and really talk about things that matter. We were talking about how tough it can be sometimes to make new friends. We've been out of college for a long time, and we were reflecting on the friendships we have made since then. We have all definitely made new friends wherever we all live, but it's not easy to meet new people and get to know them as well and become really close. Know what I mean? I wonder why that is. I don't know - maybe I don't try hard enough to get out there and meet new people and bond. Gosh, it almost sounds like getting out there in the dating market, doesn't it? Sometimes though I really long for good 'ole girl time.

Back on track (I hope)

2005-08-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

One repeat done. Whew. I think I am back on track with Branching Out, or at least I hope so. I love how this pattern turns out - so pretty.

Time to put this down for a little while, and do something a little less mindless for a bit. So, it's off to Safeway for our weekly shopping. I've trying to get better organized with grocery shopping with a list for the week and even a menu so I stick to my list and get in and out of the store more quickly. Sometimes by midweek, the list falls by the wayside, but we are trying to eat more meals at home. With just the two of us, it's so easy to say, "OK, let's go out for dinner." I like to try a couple of new recipes out a week too; I've gotten such great ideas from the Cooking Light Message Boards. Variety is always good.

Photo of Branching Out

2005-08-12T21:26:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick photo of Branching Out, taken with our new and cool Nikon Coolpix 5600. I love how it shows the flecks of the different colors in the yarn. J. got the camera today at Ritz Camera, and we actually get to take a digital photography class at "Ritz University". It should be fun to learn how to take better pictures.

With Branching Out, I had 4 repeats done, and they were looking really good, but then I got distracted while working on my 5th repeat, and somehow was working on the WS!! I tried undoing back to where I was last correct in the pattern, but gave up. So, I frogged, and I will start anew tomorrow morning. AAUGH!

Vanishing Acts

2005-08-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

I finished listening to Jodi Picoult's Vanishing Acts this morning on my way to work. It was 14 cd's and 15 plus hours long. This was a first for me; I am not usually a book on cd person because my commute to Rockville is pretty short, but I had several drives around MD this month to attend meetings so I was able to get in some listening time then. I have a confession - I am the kind of reader who usually skips to the end of a book because I get impatient. The sheer number of cd's kept me from skipping to find out how this story ended, which did help to keep my attention.

I have read several other of Picoult's books, and I have enjoyed them all. They are all really unique and touch upon a lot of different issues. Vanishing Acts was about a woman who had been kidnapped by her father as a child, but she didn't find this out until 28 years later. It was told in the voice of all the main characters, which I liked a lot, and in the audio version, there were different narrators for each character. The book raised a lot of questions about memory and identity. I would definitely recommend it although it did get a little bit long toward the end.

On my way home from work at the library, I checked to see what else was on the shelf in cd. Sure enough, another Picoult book I hadn't read was in so I checked it out. This one is called Second Glance. It too has 14 cd's!

I Am Branching Out

2005-08-11T17:19:00.000-04:00

Today I joined the Branching Out Knitalong. I got my invitation within an hour. Thank you, April! I started last night, and I have two repeats done so far. I will post pictures later. I am using Rowan Felted Tweed in Herb 146 that I had left over from my poncho. I ended up having to frog and start over a few times because I was not ending up with the right number of stitches. I found myself doing K2TOG sometimes when it said K2! I need to pay more attention and concentrate with this pattern until I learn it. I was reading aloud as I knit to pace myself. It seems to be working so far. The pictures on the Knitalong page are just beautiful. I can't wait to get more time to work on mine.

Farmer's Market

2005-08-10T17:04:00.000-04:00

Wednesday is Farmer's Market day in Rockville. I love going to the Farmer's Market to check out all of the fresh produce, baked goods, and flowers. I didn't have any cash on me this morning, which is usually the case. If I am lucky, I might have fifty cents in my wallet. Since we use our debit/check card for almost everything, and almost all stores/restaurants accept them, I tend to go this route almost 100% of the time. I know, it's a bad habit, and I should carry some cash for emergencies. I can almost hear my mom telling me this. Anyhow, J. actually had some cash this morning and gave me five bucks for the Market. Woohoo. I bought locally grown corn on the cob, a basket of red new potatoes, and these wonderful zinnia. Don't the colors just pop? It's a nice bit of color for our dining room with its plain white lacy tablecloth. They are in the lovely vase that my friend gave us this weekend as a housewarming gift.

Beading and Knitting Together

2005-08-09T20:04:00.000-04:00

This summer I took 2 beading classes with my pal C., who I met when I was going to grad school at UMD. We took a drop-in class at a cute little store near my house, and I learned to make a bracelet. We liked it so much that we went back and took a class again the following week. The second time I learned to make earrings. This is a terrible terrible picture, but this is one of the pairs that I made for myself. I love these earrings, particularly the clear beads and the detail on the silver beads, which you can't really see in this picture. The teacher said that once you learn to make earrings, you will never buy another pair again. I think she may be right.

Today I was browsing around some blogs and came across some awesome stitch makers on Something From Nothing and Sheep in the City. How cool - knitting and beading together, my two obsessions right now. They are so pretty, so much better than the plastic safety pin like markers I bought earlier this summer. I want to make some beaded stitch markers! I have my pliers and my head pins ready. I need to visit the bead store to pick up some pretty beads. I am excited.

Ribbed Sampler Scarf

2005-08-08T18:58:00.000-04:00

This pink scarf is the ribbed sampler scarf from Claire Crompton's The Knitter's Bible. There are 6 different types of ribs repeated throughout the scarf. It was good practice for counting my purl and knit stitches and for learning how to tell the difference between the two stitches on the needle. I love how different each ribbed pattern looks, and it hs a really nice texture. Pink is one of my favorite colors. This was my first scarf made post garter and stockinette stitch scarves. This yarn is Araucania Nature Wool Chunky. Next to the sampler scarf is a charcoal gray garter stitch scarf that I made for J in a bulky yarn.

I found The Knitter's Bible to be pretty useful, particularly the clear photos of the different types of stitch patterns. It's a good reference book for learning new stitches. This was one of the first books I borrowed from work (I work at the library) to read more about learning to knit, and the sampler scarf was actually the first real pattern that I followed on my own.

Weekend Happenings

2005-08-07T17:00:00.000-04:00

This has been a busy weekend for us. Thursday night, I met J. in Arlington for Happy Hour with some of his co-workers. It took me forever and a day to get there because of traffic on 495 over the American Legion Bridge. I thought traffic was supposed to be lighter in the summertime; I know, I know - it's the construction issues with the Wilson Bridge. Thank God for audiobooks. We went to a restaurant in Clarendon called SoBe Seafood; Clarendon has really become a happenin' place with lots of restaurants, cafes, and bars. We'll definitely have to go back, but maybe this time on a weekend without rush hour traffic.

On Friday night, we had a sort of mini CUA reunion at Mon Ami Gabi, a French restaurant, in Bethesda. My college roommate and several other friends are in town this weekend. So fun, to laugh and remember old times. Everyone lives in such different places now, but it's always good times together with old friends. I cannot believe that J. and I graduated from CUA 9 years ago!

Now on to madness. We were on the tennis courts at 6:45 am on Saturday!!! We decided to play doubles with some people from our class. They had played the previous weekend that early and said how energizing it was to get out there before it got too hot and then have the day ahead of you. I wasn't so sure about that, but I figured what the heck, let's try it once. Sure enough, they were right. We got so much done yesterday (and early too). One of the gals has been playing longer than J. and me (we only started this spring) so playing with her, IMO, has been helping us improve our game. We later went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought our very own tennis ball hopper. Easier to collect all of those stray balls.

Sunday it was back together with the CUA pals. We met at Caribou Coffee and then drove B. to Dulles to catch her flight home. Downtown Silver Spring has truly been "revitalized," like all of the ads say. I can't believe that we used to live there (this was pre-revitalization, of course).

Feather and Fan

2005-08-06T10:52:00.000-04:00

Here's a current work in progress. It's a feather and fan dishcloth, but I am going to use it as a plantholder. I love this stitch, very easy to do, and it looks kind of elegant. I want to learn more lace knitting stitches. I have done one other lace object, a poncho with Rowan felt tweed double stranded. I will have to get J. to take a picture of me wearing it to post. I cane nvision the possibilities of using this feather and fan stitch for other projects already.

See the colors of this yarn (Sugar and Creme) - not bad for a buck at Michael's, right? I downloaded Photoshop Elements 3.0 as a trial; it really helps with editing your pictures. I quickly fixed the color in this shot, and it brightens it up so much so that you can really see the flecks of color in the yarn. I am very impressed with it - may be a purchase down the road. I have so many pictures that I have taken and never done anything with except store them on the computer or upload to Snapfish to share with friends and family. I really need to start touching them up and printing them out to put in an album.

Thinking Ahead to Future Projects

2005-08-04T21:24:00.000-04:00

I've been visiting websites and blogs and finding all sorts of projects that I want to embark upon. All in good time, right? My list so far:

Booga Bag
Sophie Bag
Branching Out Scarf
Potato Chip Scarf
Feather and Fan Table Runner
Socks (no particular pattern yet - I just want to learn how to make them on dpn's)

I really like reading the Knitter's Review forums and seeing all of the recommendations for yarn. It's been awesome for helping me to get started. The Booga Bag is at the top of my list, and I think I am going to go with Cascade 2000 in red with some pink trim. I am looking forward to learning how to pick up stitches and to felt. For some odd reason, I have always wanted a red purse (and red shoes), but I've never indulged (until now, that is). =)

Catching up with the garden

2005-08-04T05:47:00.000-04:00

Daylilies are some of my favorite flowers; I love their bright yellow color, recurring bloom, not to mention very low maintenance. I was pleasantly surprised this spring when I discovered we had some daylilies growing at the end of our driveway.

We spent quite a bit of time this weekend working out in the garden, repotting plants, weeding (which is endless - why do weeds seem to grow so much faster than everything else?), and removing pine bark chips in favor of mulch. Things are looking pretty good for the moment.

My little potted annual flowers have fared a whole lot better than the rose bushes, which were higher maintenance than I realized. We only moved into this house in November so this is our first spring/summer here; it's been to discover what plants are in the garden. In our last house, we only had some deckspace for pots. Not only have I been pruning the rose bushes and weeding frequently, but we've also had to deal with some Japanese beetles that decided to make their home in our rose bushes. They seem to have moved on for the most part now, but at some points in July, it was like "Bug Attack" in our backyard.

Petal Dishcloth

2005-08-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

I like making dishcloths since I am so new to knitting - I have found them to be quick and fun ways to practice different stitches and patterns. I have not actually used any as a dishcloth yet; I am still not totally convinced I would prefer this over a sponge, but they look pretty. For those of you who use them, do you like them better than sponges? I may have to give it a try yet.

I like this petal one I made from The Dishcloth Boutique the best so far. I used Berroco yarn for it. I have been using a few dishcloths to put my houseplants on so our furniture doesn't get wet when I water them (which usually happens) and so that no potting soil spills out either. Last night I started a feather and fan dishcloth from the same website with Sugar and Cream cotton yarn . I love that pattern, and I am thinking I would like to make a scarf with that same type of pattern. I love the lacy look, and it's a pretty easy pattern for a newbie like myself.

In other news, I can't believe that this morning I will be driving to Baltimore for the second time this week. This time for a meeting, not for fun like Sunday's trip to Camden Yards..

Camden Yards

2005-08-01T15:20:00.000-04:00

We went to see the Baltimore Orioles play the Chicago White Sox last night with my parents. We had great seats near right field. Although my dad is a Yankees' fan, he was real excited to be there because he hadn't been to a MLB game in years and years. It was a lot of fun, perfect clear night, and despite the huge Sox scoring fest from the first inning on, we enjoyed it and got to see a few O's homeruns hit into right field right by our seats. If you've never been, Camden Yards is a fabulous place to take in a ball game. Let's Go O's!

This is Cyndi

2005-08-01T07:37:00.000-04:00

Cyndi is my parents' dog. She is about 4 years old, and they adopted her from a rescue group around the same time as we got Simon. Cyndi, short for Cinderella, is a lovebug, who likes nothing better than snuggling with my mom. This gal has energy - she loves to run and jump. Very different personality than our Simon, who is content to just lie at our feet. They get along pretty well together, or maybe they just tolerate each other because they know that it's just a short visit. HA!

Two skeins down, two to go!

2005-07-31T15:27:00.000-04:00

Here is what I have knitted so far of the Big Bad Baby Blanket; it's getting big. I am using Plymouth Encore Worsted in Yellow. I didn't want to spend the money on the Koigu since I am still so new to knitting and unsure of my skills, and I wanted something that would be easy for my friend to throw in the washing machine. It's a nice yarn and knits pretty well. And best of all, affordable for my budget. I like this pattern from Stitch N Bitch a lot, particularly the seed stitch border. I am looking forward to seeing what the middle will look like when all of the different stitches meet in the middle. Onward, I go to skein 3.

Annapolis

2005-07-30T15:56:00.000-04:00

We spent the morning in Annapolis and took a boat ride on the Severn River along the US Naval Academy. My parents had never been there before. I like it there a lot, very quaint shops and historic buildings. We had lunch at a cafe right along the water. Very nice day with great weather, warm and sunny but not too humid.

I did try the knitting in the car, and it worked fine. I think that easy mindless pieces will work best - I was just doing garter stitch. If I had a pattern that I had to really concentrate on, I don't think it would work for me. I would probably wind up with a headache (I can't read in the car either without getting sick). Sigh!

Family Visit

2005-07-30T08:02:00.000-04:00

My parents and their dog Cyndi (short for Cinderella) are visiting from PA this weekend. Last night we went to Dutch's Daughter for dinner, and we had the best dinner. They really have a lot of seafood on the menu, and everything tasted so fresh. I got their crabcakes, and I brought one home for lunch. Yum. These were wonderful, almost all crab, very little filler.

Today we are off to Annapolis to do some siteseeing. I am going to try to bring my knitting in the car and see if I can knit while we drive. I've never done that before so we'll see how it goes. I am at the very end of my second skein of yarn for the BBBB (Big Bad Baby Blanket). Yay!

Time for a new digital camera?

2005-07-28T07:10:00.000-04:00

Well, J. sent an email to Kodak Tech Support about the problem with our digital camera. Every picture we take now shows a red line horizontally across the photo. Really annoying. Tech Support replied, but the person just wrote back that it sounded like it was in need of repair. Okay, we figured that. Not knowing if it's a major or minor repair, we have no idea how much it will cost to repair (anwhere from $125 and up!). If they can't repair it, they offer an option to exchange your camera for a factory refurbished model.

We may try to find a local place around here to better diagnose the problem and estimate the repair cost, but we were in Best Buy this weekend, and the cameras seem to have come down in price a lot. To be honest, I am lusting after a new camera. Time to do some research. We were pretty happy with this camera - it's very easy to use, and it did take decent pictures. We are starting to take more pictures recently as I have gotten into digital scrapbooking. I love the idea of digital scrapbooking; I work as a webmaster so it feels a lot like doing graphic design and layout, and it's a lot less expensive for me than paper scrapping.

Anyone have suggestions for a digital camera?

Faux Lace Summer Scarf

2005-07-27T17:12:00.000-04:00

This is the Faux Lace Summer Scarf from the Knit Happens store website. It's Artyarns Royal Silk #104 knit with size 7 needles. Now this is some yummy yarn - feels so good to touch and the colors are just so pretty with some green, blue, and yellow. This was another knitting break from the Big Bad Baby Blanket, and a very quick knit. It was good practice for me to do some increasing and decreasing. I really enjoyed it.

Ssshh! This is a birthday gift for a dear friend. I hope she likes it. She lives in a climate where it's really too warm for a heavy winter scarf so I thought that a pretty scarf like this would be nice to wear. I want to knit one for myself in another color, maybe in this nice pink.

Meet Simon

2005-07-27T06:06:00.000-04:00

This is our cocker spaniel Simon. My blog wouldn't be complete without a picture of him. We adopted him 2 summers ago from a rescue group. He has been a great addition to our family.

Simon is a senior dog, approximately 10 years old, a very mellow guy who loves eating, playing with his red ball or blue bone, and lying around on one of his big pillow beds. He is such a cutie. I love this picture of him with the sunlight on his face.

Let's Play Some Tennis

2005-07-26T17:02:00.000-04:00

I won't have much time tonight or tomorrow night to knit. My hubby and I will be on the tennis courts, tonight with a make up class and tomorrow night with our regular class.

Since we moved to our new house this fall, we decided that we should take advantage of having courts right behind our house. So, we signed up to take classes through our community recreation department and have been taking classes since March. It's been a lot of fun. I love playing against the ball machine. Wouldn't it be nice to own one of those to hit against? We've also made some new friends playing and get together to practice regularly. I enjoy it quite a bit. The weather here is really really HOT so I don't know how good it will be tonight or tomorrow though.

Knitting in the Round - An Umbilical Cord Hat

2005-07-25T19:14:00.000-04:00

I attempted my first knitting in the round project this past week with the Umbilical Cord hat from Stitch N Bitch modeled on the left by Mr. Bear. Yahoo! I used Plymouth Encore Worsted for it, and I really like how it turned out with the different colors; it made for a really interesting pattern with the variegated yarn.

Can I tell you how scared I was to be knitting in the round? And then to move all of the stitches to the double pointed needles and to start decreasing? And then to learn how to do I-Cord? A lot of new skills for me in this little hat. It was a lot of fun, and it was a really quick knit! I still have a whole bunch of yarn left so I am going to make a few more hats. I like seeing results, and this hat was done in a flash.

This hat was a good break from my current project, the Big Bad Baby Blanket, also from Stitch N Bitch. I am only on skein 2, and I have two more skeins to go. It's taking me forever! I do like how it is turning out though. It's a very nice yellow - good for either gender. Three friends are pregnant and due in the fall-winter! At first, I was feeling real ambitious, thinking, I will knit blankets for everyone, but I am back-pedaling now. I think I will give them all umbilical cord hats.

First completed project

2005-07-24T16:46:00.000-04:00

This is my very first knitting project from the class that I mentioned in my first post. It's not perfect, but not bad for a first go around. The front was supposed to be all stockinette stitch; but somehow, I got confused with keeping track of my rows and couldn't tell the difference yet between knit and purl stitches. It's a design element, right?

I am having problems with my digital camera - I noticed that in all of the pictures I took today a thin red line is appearing the in photo. I looked online, but I haven't figured out what's going on. My husband emailed Kodak tech support, so hopefully, there will be an easy fix ... or maybe it's time for a newer camera?? I wouldn't be opposed to that.

I am joining the Blogosphere

2005-07-24T10:14:00.000-04:00

I've spent time reading a lot of blogs, so I figured why not? I've decided to join everyone in the blogosphere. This blog will be mostly about my attempts at knitting with bits of life thrown in.

I took my first knitting class this spring, and I was hooked. My first project was a small purse. I loved it from the beginning although I definitely had my doubts that I would ever master how to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. Somehow, it came together, and I am really enjoying continuing to learn new skills. I really delight in making things because I have never thought of myself as "crafty", by any means. It's still a complete marvel to me that I can make anything! Such fun.