May I please present to you.....

Crablouie!

I received this wonderful square in the mail to day from my afghan swap buddy, Angela - Isn't he just the coolest? I am going to frame him and hang him in my office so that when the assbeagles (thanks Rabbitch) get on my last nerve, I can look at him and feel better. I especially love his eyes - so understanding. I love this square.

Yarnerd - Your questions are coming tmrw - blogger has not let me post all day - I am hoping I can sneak this in through photobucket.

Interview and such

In a moment of insanity I asked itgirl to interview me (I know, I have issues) You should know how this works by now, but if not here are the rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones below.
3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

And here are my questions:

1. A question in three parts:
a. Wendy, the Good Little Witch, or Sabrina, the Teenage Witch?
Neither - I prefer Endora
b. Why did Wendy wear Red? Was she really a prostitute? Was she channelling Little Red Riding Hood?
What's wrong with red? You got a problem with red?
Actually she was warding off the evil eye - probably that Sabrina chick - she's such a jealous chit!
c. Were Wendy and Casper having a secret fling on the side?
Why? What have you heard?! They're just friends - good friends, thats all. Really

2. Would you recommend Swedish, deep tissue, both, or neither to someone suffering from respiratory ailments for over a year? I stopped seeing my massage therapist a year ago when I started having my lung problems, and I know sometimes the lymph nodes can be tricky with deep tissue.

I would suggest an Asian style massage focusing on unblocking your channels and harmonizing your qi. This is a lighter style of massage - not deep tissue - that works along the same channels as acupuncture. If you know of a good acupuncture, they should be able to refer you to a MT with expertise in this type of massage. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can also be helpful for treating lung conditions. There are also western medical massage techniques that are used to clear phlegm from the lungs and clear breathing passages. I can't really tell you too much without seeing you and getting your med history, but I would encourage you to find a good LMT in your area.

3. So I occasionally have a yen to crochet, and then I find myself holding the yarn in my left hand in odd and weird angles, and then my left pinky is crooked up as if I were at high tea with Her Majesty. What's up with that? Why have I been able to knit since I was 7 years old but while I have the ability to crochet, I seemingly lack the grace to do so?
Your pinky isn't supposed to be in the air!!!????!!!
You are asking the wrong girl here - grace is something I have always been lacking. I look like I am holding a knife instead of a crochet hook.

4. How did you manage to lose your Siouxsie shirt? What would you do to get it back?
I think my friend Stephen took it when he was helping me pack - he always coveted it & come to think of it - I haven't seen him in a while, I think he moved back to LA - I could hunt him down - I am planning on going to CA later this year. Hmmmm have to think about that one.

5. How can I learn to start knitting things for myself and not for other people all the time? It's not that I am against knitting for others (mind you, I am really taking my time with knitting the cashmere scarf for Trixie, who, by the way, has a blog of her very own now, everyone go see and say hi to her! Tell her how much you appreciate her letting me stay in her house in DC so I can blog away to my heart's content while I steal her neighbors' bandwidth!), it's just that I have exactly five items I have knit for myself, and one item I have crocheted for myself. What's your secret to equilibrium?

Selfishness.

So if anyone wants to be interviewed - leave me a note.

There's nothing wrong w/me - this is how I'm supposed ta be

I couldn't post yesterday, blogger/my computer wouldn't let me. I am hoping this will go through now. Last night I had lots of goodies waiting for me. First, a RAOK from Deb :
I see another shawl in my future.

I was part of the February Flower Exchange , but never received my flower, so Dyann (who also never received a flower) and I agreed to swap. I received this: Can I tell you how much I love this! I pinned it on to my new spring coat and now I can't wait to wear it out and show it off!

In knitting news - here is my progress on A Good Bias: I am actually working on the back portion of the first sleeve - I should have it finished by this weekend - I would like to cast on for the second sleeve this weekend too.

Oooh Baby!

Isn't she purty?

I need more coffee

I am just out of it this morning - I don't know why - the sun is shining - it is warm - the phones have been quite - I am just not quite awake today.

I finally got to the Park Slope SnB last night - it was great, only 4 of us but it was a pleasure sitting around with other knitters for a change. Now that the weather is finally changing, I am going to try to make more Mondays. I need something to look forward to on a Monday.

I haven't taken any pictures, but I received my order of baby cashmere from Elann (the mulled grape color) - wow this stuff is so soft and wonderful against the skin- I bought it to make this

Monday, not my fun day!

Another wet damp day here in the big city - bleh! Not how I would have liked the first few days of Spring to turn out. Oh well.

Did very little knitting or crochet this weekend - just finished some flowers to send out. I bought this amazing orangey yarn from Wendy - it is DK wt and variegated - I love the color! I also picked up a bright yellow skein of Plymouth Encore DK to go with it - I made these big yellow and orange flowers - really looked like Summer. I wanted to do somemore work on my shrug, I am loving the Saucy Cotton - I thought it would be stiff but it is not, but I was just really lazy.

I have been very busy at work - since the reps I work for found out that I took the new position, everyone wants to make sure I finish their stuff before the end of the month. I also found out today that I will be in Albany the first week of April for sure - I think I will take Amtrak up so I can relax and knit on the train. I want to take my car in for an oil change and get a complete diagnostic - I have a history of bad road trips that I don't want to repeat - unfortunately I won't be able to take it in till next weekend and, if it needs any work, I won't be able to drive it to Albany.

Later...........

We Have a Winner!

AprilBrokenA has won the yarn. Congratulations!

Hope everyone has a great weekend - I have lots to do today so more postage later.

Friday update and RAOK

The wonderful RAOK I received today from Allena at Starknits - 2 stitch markers, CHOCOLATE!!! this wonderful hand cream - it smells really clean and it's not greasy - plus a lovely card. This really made my Friday!

Quick reminder - today is the last day to enter my yarn give-a-way contest. I will be picking the winner tomorrow. The prize is one ~400 yard ball + what I had left over of the yarn I used for the Flower Basket Shawl. There is plenty to make another shawl or a larger pattern. It is a hand dyed lace wt wool blend I picked up from Red Barn Farms.

March is a GOOD month

This is the color of my A Good Bias - pretty!

I got the job - they called this afternoon to offer me the position - of course I accepted - so I will be working in New Hyde Park now I/o Maspeth (and I will have an office and a new desk and a laptop and oh lots of stuff) I am excited. Of course I won't have much knitting/crochet time - I have to go through some training and will be spending some time in our Albany office - but it is great and I am very happy!

Wednesday Update

Thanks to everyone for the kind words on my FBS. So far 14 people have left me patterns and entered my contest. I will have one of the boys pick a name out of a hat on Saturday and the lucky winner will get the yarn. If you crochet you can leave me a comment with your favorite shawl pattern.

I had a great weekend with Marilyn on Sunday, we had a lovely Italian meal and spent the afternoon talking and laughing! We stopped at Michaels because she needed pinking shears and wanted to pick up some flowers to make a door spray. I picked up some more beads to make a few more summer necklaces - I will post pics when they are available. I also made a lovely purple door spray while at her house. See: Here is a pic of me in my FBS:

Unfortunately, when I left I felt a headache coming on and by the time I got home it was a full blown migraine. I was sick all night and have had residual headache since.

I added a few inches and started the increases on Mariah - I really like the way the cable looks - I just hate thinking about a winter sweater while longing for warmer weather and sunshine, so I cast on A Good Bias from IK in Reynold's Saucy in this color (the light green at the top left).
I really like this pattern and the Saucy was right on gauge and reasonably priced and the color looks like spring!

More later........

Odd and ends and a Contest.

David and the boys went to MA with the boyscouts this weekend, yesterday I dropped them off at the school (they are taking a bus there) and had the rest of the day to myself. I came home made a large cup of Adagio tea and read my email and bloglines. At 12:00 I had an appointment with the eye doctor - I picked out these (I think) very cool new glasses (David with think they are dorky) went to my favorite Mexican place for lunch, drove to Smiley's to pick up a circular needle - they are now carrying woolease sport - bought 1 in blue mist to make another shawl and stopped for coffee at the Colombian bakery down the street - best coffee around! Spent the rest of the afternoon organizing stash. Last night I finally started on Mariah again: I am almost to the first increase row - I really love the color of this yarn!

I am still trying to visualize how this: will end up looking like this:

This is a really pretty bag I picked up cheap at a store that was closing: It is my current favorite knitting bag.

Finally the contest. This is the yarn I used for my FBS: the smaller ball is what I had left from the ball I used - the larger is the 2nd skein that I did not need. I want to hold a contest to give this yarn away. The larger ball is a little over 400 yards. It is lovely lace wt yarn I picked up on ebay, 85% wool 15% nylon hand dyed. If you would like to win - leave me a comment with your favorite lace or cable pattern. I will put all the names in a hat and have one of the boys pick one next weekend. The lucky winner will get both balls of yarn.

Now I am off to get ready for brunch with my best friend - manicures, gossip and food - a perfect day!

Poncho's and shawls and hats, oh my!

As I said FBS is finished, and here are the pictures to prove it:

Off the needles -


Blocking -
There is a slight wonkiness on one side - I knit and unknit about 100 times - fortunately the variegated yarn camoflauges it pretty well. I am a little disapointed that I didn't fix it, but by the time I realized that I hadn't fixed it - I couldn't bring myself to frog the whole thing and start over. It is for me and I will love it and I will definitely make this pattern again - this time without the wonkiness,

From my Crochetville swap buddy Andrea, I received this gorgeous poncho and hat:
Isn't it lovely? I am wearing it to brunch tomorrow so I will try to get a picture of it on.

Here is a picture of a really large flower pin I made from Bernat Galaxy: .

Oh and check out the side bar - I joined a really cool exchange - Operation Haremail!

Friday Fun

First I would like to thank everyone for there warm wishes and congratulations! Thanks guys!

Next - My FBS is fini - I will block it tonight and post pictures later. I really love this pattern.

This I stole from 24 knits

List 3 things you've done that I probably haven't:

1. I was thrown out of the brownies as a child - the leaders said I wasn't girlscout material.
2. I was once chased by a cow in Puerto Rico - damn thing ran me off the side of a (low) cliff
3. I was rescued by Park Rangers in the Grand Canyon when we hiked down in August 135 F - low ~100 F. This was accompanied by my step sons Mantra of "We gonna die" chanted over and over and over. It was also before David got stung by the scorpion.\=

Tell me 3 things in your life that make you happy:

1. David and the boys (most of the time)
2. Passing the boards
3. My friends, and of course knitting and fibery stuff

Tell me the last 3 things you did to treat yourself:

1. Bought yarn for clapotis
2. colored my hair
3. will be spending Sunday with my best friend doing girlie stuff.

On another note - WTF is up with Blogger? - I can't leave comments on anyones blogs.

Happy Friday!

I Passed! I Passed! I Passed!!!

Excuse me - I am feeling ridiculously pleased with my self right now. Why you ask? Well look here. I passed! I am now official - licensed even. Yes - I am happy now.

I HATE snow

This is a picture of the lovely yarn I received in trade - I am posting this picture first because looking at pretty yarn soothes my frazzled nerves - you see I left work at 4:30 tonight - I caught the 4:00 bus ( yes the 4:00 bus ) at 5:08 pm it then took over an hour to go from 50th and 3rd ave to 57th and third ave.  I got off that bus at 7:40 - yes a 3 hour bus ride - hell I could have been to Maine in less time!  I am tired and cranky and hungry and need to go to bed soon so I can start all over again tomorrow.

Bleh!

This is one icky day, the rain is changing to snow, the temperature is dropping and the ick factor just keeps going up - Feels like a Monday.

For a change, my Monday was good - very good! I had that job interview yesterday so I got to sleep a little later. The weather was gorgeous, the was no traffic on the LIE (a minor miracle), I wore heels and didn't break an ankle - a good day. The interview went very well too, I think they are interested and I know I am - so we will see.

On the fiber front - I finished the last pattern repeat on the FBS last night - to night we start the edging and by the weekend it will be blocking happily on the bed.

I received a wonderful package from Deneen at crochetville - I traded her some Fiesta yarn for this beautiful green/brown/rust yarn and she also through a rich dark red chenille. I am thinking I would really like a shrug out of this. I liked Laura's a lot and want one of my own, just with closer fitting sleeves - I have short arms and look stunted with those wide sleeves. I found a couple of patterns I like here and here and here - I have to swatch and see what works. I will post a picture of the yarn later.

It looks very white out there - yuck!

Sunday Sunday

I love Sundays - David goes back to work, the boys are back at their mother's and I have the apartment (and the computer) to myself. I am sitting here now with a cup of adagio oriental spice tea peacefully perusing bloglines and relaxing happily.

I have lots to post today - first Thank You's to Poor Miss Finch and Dalai Mama for the wonderful packages I received this weekend: from Miss Finch and from Liz at Dalai Mama. Both packages came with chocolate which is now long gone! Thank ladies - I love both gifts.

My phone interview went really well and I now have an inperson interview tomorrow with one of the district sales managers I would be working for. I ordered a pair of black slacks from Pennies to wear on the interview. Mine is a business casual company, so a suit would be to formal, and my usual jeans and company shirt a little to casual, so I picked out a nice pair of classic black slacks and a burgandy strip blouse. I sent for it express mail - according to the tracking info - I am supposed to get it on Monday - that is tomorrow! I am hoping the package comes early, my interview isn't until 1pm and I am not going into my office tomorrow at all so I will be home till it's time to leave. My office is in Manhattan and the district office is in Long Island - I would have had to leave work by 10:30 to get back to my car in time to drive to the interview, so my boss told me not to bother coming - just go to the interview. He is a great guy!.

You may be wondering why I ordered pants instead of going to the store and buying them right then and there. I love to shop, but I hate shopping for clothes - I have gained a lot of weight recently and just get too depressed trying things on in stores. I know what clothes fit me now and I stick with those - Penney's pants fit well, so I know I don't need to try them on - saves me from having to face crowds and fitting rooms.

In fiber related stuff, here is a picture of the shawl I made for the Crochetville swap:
and a close-up of the stitch: It is made with Lionbrand Thick & Quick Chenille in Basil - I bought extra so I had enough left to make this for me: It is from a free pattern in the current lionbrand catalog.

Here is a slightly old picture of my FBS - I think I will have this finished by next weekend (fingers crossed):

I am still working on the homespun cape - it is my commuting project - should have pics soon. Right now it just looks like a lot of garter and stockinette stitch, you can't tell what it is going to be.

Friday foolery

Why am I not surprised?

I tashte like Alcohol. Heh. Heh. I taste like beer. I like beer. Buy me a beer. I'm not drunk, I can drink plenty without... What was I saying? Beer. What Flavour Are You?

I am NOT a violent person

So yesterday my boss comes in to give me my review. He has been teasing me all week about what to write in the section that askes about areas for growth or enhancement. He kept saying that he was going to put down that there really weren't any except for my tendency to fly into fits of uncontrollable rage (he was kidding,....no really, he was kidding...really). I threw a ketchup package at him and we moved on to the next section. Forward to latter that night..........

I got a phone call yesterday from someone in the district office about a job opening - I had spoken to her last year about wanting to move into this area of my company. Anyway she askes me to email her my resume - I say no problem I have a copy on my computer at home - yeah right. Remember last month or so - the computer virus that killed my system - well I know I saved my resume and it's versions and cover letters and thank you notes I had written. Could I find any of this? No - Was it on my computer? No Was it on any of the disks we copied stuff on to? No Was it anywhere in my freakin apartment? NO it wasn't. I ripped my whole apartment apart, cursing and screaming and throwing all kinds of invective around. David chose the safe path of staying out of my way and not offering any sage advice - like asking "where was the last place" I had seen it? If I knew the last place it was I wouldn't be freakin' looking for it!!!!

He left me a voice mail this morning saying he hoped that I had resolved the problem and that there would not be any more problems tonight. He thinks he's cute. I retyped the resume today - emailed it off and have a phone interview tomorrow.

Needless to say, I did not get any knitting done yesterday. I had wanted to finish that last 10 row repeat on the FBS and start the edging - I am going to try again tonight.

NOT the storm of the century -

Not even the storm of the week. NYC was spared the worst of the weather, my commute was only about a 1/2 longer than usual, although the bus was packed, so no knitting.

Last night I finished my Crochetville Swap Shawl. It is currently hanging, pinned off the top bunk in the boys room, not really blocking just letting the stitches settle. I am pleased with the way it turned out, just a little bummed that I ran out of yarn for the one I was originally making. This one is done in bulky chenille so it worked up quick - it is very soft - David kept petting the yarn as I was making it. I feel a little like I cheated though, 'cause it was so quick and easy, so I am making some accessories to go with it. So far I have made a pair of beaded earrings and I think a pendant will be nice too - I also want to make a purse. I have to see if I can find a coordinating yarn for that!

The cape is coming along quickly too - I was able to knit some more on the bus this morning. Tonight I hope to finish the last repeat on the FBS and start the edging. I can't wait - I really love the yarn for this - I can't wait to see how it looks blocked.