Out with the old....

I am a very bad blogger, I know. I try to post often, but never do. I promise to make a better effort in '08 to post more, really, I do - honest.


Our National Sales Meeting was the first week of January this year, and again it was at Disney, but this time we had the whole Magic Kingdom for ourselves! It was almost surreal - no lines, no people - there were 4000 employees from my company and the park seemed deserted.

Of course I had flt issues coming home - my flight was delayed 3 1/2 hours in Orlando on Friday - 2 1/2 of which where spent sitting on the plane going nowhere. But I made it home in one piece and in time to attend Melissa's wedding on Saturday. Yes she finished the dress and yes she looked lovely! She looked like she stepped out of the pages of a Jane Austin novel, and she was so happy she glowed!!

I managed to finish all my holiday knitting, so now I am concentrating on finishing my marigold socks - I am trying to teach myself the tubular cast off - I will let you know how it goes.

however much I push it around - it's never enough, it's never enough

Kathleen C left me a comment asking about the pattern for my bosses scarf - it is my own based on the Double Basket Pattern from Barbara Walkers First Treasury of Knitting patterns pg 18.

I cast on 28 stitches on size 10 needles using the wool I bought in Rhinebeck - a natural handspun cushy yarn - worsted to heavy worsted wt.

Row 1 (right side) K11, P2, K2, P2, K11
Row 2 P1, K8, P2, (K2, P2)2x, K8, P1
Row 3 K1, P8, (K2,P2)2x, K2, P8, K1
Row 4 P11, K2, P2, K2, P11
Rows 5, 6, 7, 8 Repeat rows 1 - 4
Row 9 Knit all
Row 10 (P2, K2)2x, P12, (K2, P2)2x
Row 11 (k2, P2)2x, K2, P8, (K2, P2)2x, K2
Row 12 (P2, K2)2x, P2, K8, (P2, K2)2x P2
Row 13 (K2, P2)2x, K10, (K2, P2)2x, K2
Row 14, 15, 16, 17 Repeat rows 1 - 13
Row 18 Purl all

This will work for 28 stitches exactly - if you want to make the pattern wider you will need to see the stitch pattern in the book for the changes for repeats.

I picked this pattern because it looked masculine to me without being boring to knit.

I have been very productive this weekend - today I put up the new blinds in my living room that I had bought this summer and finally changed the curtains. I wanted to do this before we went out and got a tree this year. I like the way it looks:


I really wanted to paint before changing the curtains and getting the tree, but that is just not going to happen. I loved this color when I painted it, but now I really tired of the brightness, I want a neutral backround and a more soothing color scheme. I hope to get the painting done soon - just need to decide on the colors and pick a weekend when David is camping again with the boys so I can work in peace.

Well it rains and it pours When you're out on your own If I crash on the couch Can I sleep in my clothes?

This will be a rambling post - I am in that kind of mood


What I found in my mail today - my Ravelry Scarf Exchange package from koreancracker - Isn't that yarn the exact color of a NE autumn?

I love it

I had an idea a while ago to use some of those 4" bamboo DPN's I bought on ebay to make shawl pins - I went to AC Moore and picked up metallic paint and antique looking buttons and voila:

close ups:


I also bought a few items on ebay recently - one was a large silver pendent - I made this from it and some rubber tubing and silver beads:


I finished one of my Christmas gift scarves - this is for my boss #1 - I love working for this man - he is a pleasure to deal with and one of the reasons I love this job - I really hope he like this:



The wool is so soft and squooshy - it is comfortable around your neck


My birthday is the 19th of this month, it is genetically impossible for David not to give me my gifts when he buys them, so I have already gotten them - see that red lap top in the picture? Yup, mine - birthday gift (can I tell you how much I love this thing?)

I got another gift too, but this one requires a little back story.......

David and I started dating in October 1993, we went away together for the first time June 15th 1994 - yes the day after the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. I watched that last game in David's living room - he had gone to bed because we were leaving first thing the next morning and driving down to DC for a long weekend. I bought this latter that week:

I have worn this tshirt to bed at least once every week since, I also wear it when cleaning house and dying my hair and of course while watching hockey games on TV (NHL Center Ice Package - lots of hockey on tv)

Well after 13 years of wear:


So for my birthday David bought me this:

and the back:


He wants me to throw away the other one, but that is not going to happen! David is camping with the boys this weekend so I was able to sleep in it last night without having to listen to any rude comments.

I think that covers everything for now, have to work on the rest of my christmas scarves and my RME mittens - only 1 thumb to go and they are done.

Steady as she goes. so steady as she goes

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was on the quiet side just my brother, David and I. I did make a yummy turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry cornbread stuffing and a coconut custard pie for desert. I sent most of it home with my brother - David won't eat leftovers, calls it old food.

I am trying very hard to finish all the holiday scarves I am making for work - I am half done with Boss #1, 1/2 done with Princess, haven't started boss #2 and will make Boss Lady a headband - plus I still have to finish my RME Mittens. I finished mitten # 1 and am about 1/4 of the way thru mitten #2:



I really like this yarn, I want to buy myself 2 balls to make me mittens.

Speaking of the Ravelry Mitten Exchange, mine came today from Annaknits:


Aren't they pretty? I love this yarn.

I really need to get back to knitting and stop playing with the computor

He's a fine figure of a man, and handsome too....

Just a quick note to show off the wonderful goodies I received yesterday as part of the Ravelry Coffee exchange:


Isn't it great - look at that yarn, I love it and the mug and even Lavender chocolate - it smells heavenly! Thank you!

Progress on the mitten for the RME:

I am really enjoying these mittens - I mostly knit them during the Rangers games on TV - since I started them, the Rangers are undefeated! Someone on the Puck This group on Ravelry said knitting mittens was lucky, I plan on knitting a lot of mittens this season!

Discovering the Magic Loop has been awesome - I can finally knit mittens and (gasp!) socks without getting stabbed by those damn DPN's.

Later......

Rhinebeck - part 2

Here are the pictures I promised:


Cashmere Goat


Angora Bunny


Angora Goat


Maple Creek Angora yarn - 463 yards of yumminess!


Maple Creek Natural Wool - 300 yards becoming a Holiday gift for my boss.




Revolutionay War Era Cemetary in Old Rhineck

Rhinebeck was a lot fo fun this year, I drove up with Melissa, her fiance Brian and Gwen. We walked, we fondled, we shopped. It was good. I only brought a small amount of money with me, because really I don't need any more yarn!

Now on to some actual knitting - I finally finished the Wabenschal scarf for the Ravelry Scarf Exchange:


This is the unblocked version - I am very happy with how this turned out.


These are the mittens I am making for the Ravelry Mitten Exchange - the yarn is a wool, cashmere, silk, monofiber blend - very soft in a lovely tweedy blue color I bought from Elann.

The other project I am working on is the scarf shown above and some shawl KAL's that I am really behind on.

Rhinebeck

Yes, I was there and yes much much yarnage insued - pictures to follow.

Wake me up when September ends....

I am in a funk. Work has been crazy - the new VP is exhausting - I can't deal with the cyclone she creates around her. I am always tired and lethargic. I was sick from Thursday night through Sunday - had a killer migraine. I haven't had one in months and I think the stress of this past week brought it on.



I am really hoping that the changes that start this week at work will ease my stress level and I can get back to being my usual upbeat bitchy self.



I have put all my previous knitting projects on hiatus and started something new:


From Romantic Knits

I fell in love with this sweater the minute I saw it. I am using elann Pegasus in celery - I went down a few needles sizes because the sizing on this sweater is weird - it goes from a 44 to 54 I think - 44 is too small and 54 too big - I just hope it fits well when I am done.

There are a number of things in this book that I would really like to knit - I would recommend it to anyone who likes feminine knits.

I have also joined the Ravelry Scarf exchange, but I can't post about it in case by downstream pals looks here - I want it to be a surprise. I even joined the Hemlock Ring KAL - though I don't have the yarn yet. Not sure when I will get around to this, but I love the finished product.

Later.....

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today...

Stitch and Pitch Shea Stadium:














The goods in the bag!

It was a really fun night - I went with Dana from the LIC knit group - Melissa (who got her tickets a month before Dana did), was sitting in the row right below us with the Spiders - there was yarn and needles everywhere. The only thing that could have been better was the weather - it was SO FREAKIN' HOT. Seriously it was almost too hot to be outside. I hate the heat.

Yesterday's weather was amazing - the rain early was biblical - I went to drive Robert to the train station and there was a river flowing down my street - the water was up to the first step of my stoop. It finally stopped raining, we checked the Rail and Road Report on NY1 at 7am and the trains were clear, so I dropped Robert off at the M train. He got to Canal St when he had to turn around come home because there was no Q service. I felt really bad for him, by the time he got back it was 10:00 and he looked liked a wilted lettuce leaf!

Just 2 more days left to my vacation - I am so not missing work. If I can manage to stay off Ravelry I might actually get some knitting done.

Accidents will happen, it's only hit and run

Actually it wasn't hit and run, it was just a fender bender. Last week during the lousy rainy weather we were having, someone cut me off and I hit his rear bumper. So now I have to go to the police station today to get a copy of the accident report to send to my insurance company. Blah! Not what I want to do during my vacation.

Today is my errand day, I have to go the police station, bank, supermarket, drycleaners and drug store - If I get it all done this morning I can spend the rest of this week knitting!

Last week ended really well though - I had a meeting at the Saybrook Pt Inn in CT - I love that place! The weather was perfect - here is the view from my terrace:


Sunrise on the Connecticut River

The best part is 2 of my managers - it was a joint district meeting - gave me a gift certificate to the Spa! I plan to go back in the Fall with David, maybe for out anniversary in October.

In knitting news, Clue 5 of the Mystery Stole was released Friday and the theme revealed - Swan Lake. The stole will actually end in a wing. I don't think I will make the stole as it is designed - I don't think I want a deep purple swan, but I do love the design and plan to knit it as Melanie designed it at a later date - I am thinking I will knit clues 1 - 4 again and knit a center panel in the feather pattern that is used for the wing then graft the 2 ends to the middle.

Here is an update photo of clue 3: