things to do in Dallas when it rains

Day 1. Get sick - it's 50 degrees, windy, wet and freezing here.
find the nearest drug store, but Clariton D - got to bed and pray for sunshine

Day 2. 81 degrees, windy, wet and warm - drugs worked drive around see the sites

Day 3. Wake up - pouring rain - windy and cold again. Decide to drive around and hope it clears
12 noon - the sun is shining - still windy, but warm!

We have been in Dallas 3 days now and the weather has been most uncooperative, though today it finally cleared up and we were able to walk around and see some sights. We went to the Sixth Floor Museum in the old Dallas Book Depository - and took pictures of Dealey Plaza, went to the Fairgrounds, but the Train Museum was closed. Found a bead shop and bought pale green beads for the mohair shetland triangle and are planning to go to the Galleria later.

Some pictures of Dallas:

the view from our hotel window


David in Dealy Plaza

Tomorrow we head to Austin, which is what I am looking forward to. There are a number of yarn shops, stores, restaurants and bars I want to visit while we are there!

Then ray took his glasses off

And I could look inside his head
Flashing like a thunderstorm
I saw a shining spider web

Ok, I know I haven't written in forever, sorry - I've been busy having a breakdown, but I am good now, and I want to talk about lace.

Last night at my LIC SnB, I brought the Shetland Triangle Shawl I am working on - this is the 4th time I am knitting this - the first 3 were/are gifts - this one is for me.



I was saying how much I loved this pattern, how much fun it was to knit and how easy it was, that now I didn't really need the pattern I had the stitches memorized.



Today I was reading Ravelry and saw a message on one of the forums regarding knitting a shawl in a heavier yarn than lace wt. I am knitting this one in DK wt Zephyr on size 9 bamboo needles. This pattern works really well in any yarn wt. I am calling the my Ode to Brooklyntweed because of this . I fell in love and have coveted one ever since.

But, this pattern is also beautiful in lace wt.

This is the 3rd one I am knitting - it is for a Ravelry swap I am in. This one is in Karabella Lace Mohair in a very soft green. I bought this yarn in Odgen, Utah when David and I were there a few years ago - I have been saving it for just the right project


Here is a close up of the yarn and stitch pattern.

If you put them side to side you can see how the different yarns give the pattern a unique look, but how both are really gorgeous.


This is one of the reasons I love knitting lace shawls, you are only limited by you imagination and taste. It is much easier to change out a yarn in a shawl pattern then a sweater - and no seaming, I HATE seaming.

I also need to start a new shawl, I am thinking more of a stole for another swap I am in, but I need to finish these 2 first.

spider web in ray charles head
spider web

And I thought, be still my heart ..This could be a brand new start

Last week there was a final notice from the post office that I had a package to pick up - mind you this was also the first notice I received, but whatever. I finally got to the PO yesterday and picked up this:



My Ravelry Caffeine Exchange package - it was post marked Sept. 13, 2007.

I started the heel on my Rangers socks - though with the way the are playing lately I feel like like ripping them out and picking a new sport and team to root for ( I won't though )


This is what it looked like last night before I got to the heel.

Now that my computer is finally working right I am trying to upload all my CD's into itunes, cause I like to put it on shuffle while I type and surf the net, but it seems to be taking forever to import them. I would like to get it done this weekend if I can - the boys will be camping and David is working so after I visit my mother in the hospital I will be free to veg all weekend!

Don't say a word, Don't say anything Don't say a word I'm not even listening .....

I am feeling much cheerier today - still tired but better. One thing that cheered me up no end is this. I am not saying it was named for me, but it is cool nonetheless! I will be picking this up this weekend and I need to check colourmart to see if I can find the DK weight cashmere at a reasonable price.

For those of you who, like me, enjoy supernatural suspense novels, a friend of one of my SnB buddies, Carolyn, has written a novel A Genie in the House of Saud: Zubis Rises - it is available as an ebook at the above link. I haven't read it yet - I am still finishing Iron Kissed, by Patricia Briggs, but it is next on my list.

My Rangers socks are really moving along - I have about another inch or so before I start the heel. Once that is done I can start on the #16 and NYR logo on the side. I am having fun knitting these and can't wait to finish them.

It's never enough Part II

Sorry it has been so long - this year has not started off well. Rushing around for the FLA meeting, work crap, kid stuff and then last week the nursing home called to tell me my mother has pneumonia and that they were sending her to the hospital. I have spend this past week driving back and forth to visit and feed her because she won't eat for the nurses. I am feeling worn out and miserable - I had a nasty stomach flu last week which completely wiped me out, on top of all the family stuff - argh.



In an effort to cheer myself up, I decided to knit myself a pair of NY Rangers socks, so I bought a bunch of sock yarn from elann.com - made sure I got Red, White and Blue. Then I went and googles Ranger jersey's and what did I find - a Sean Avery jersey!!! so I had my pattern - I printed out some Knitters Graph paper, drew my design and cast on:






My friend Mike's wife made these for Brian Leetch night - we hung out at his house and watched the raising of the #2 Jersey on Mike's 60 HDTV.

Right now the Rangers just scored the go ahead goal against the Canandiens, at least some things are going right this year.

Road trip!

David decided to get the kids and head north. He wouldn't tell us where we were going, just to dress warm and bring a bathing suit.

First stop was Battleship Cove in Falls River - the boys had been there on a boyscout trip a few years ago and really liked it, so we stoped there on the way to Boston. I haven't been here in almost 20 years so it was really interesting for me to see how much had changed! I even got to listen to the Ranger game on the radio as the Rangers have a home and home with Boston this weekend - we lost in the SO, but there is still today's game!

This morning we are going to do some sight-seeing and I am going on a yarn hunt - went on line and found the addresses of some LYS and plugged them into the GPS - then it is back home and work tomorrow - damn ( sighing sadly).........

ETA Pictures!!!










Red Sox Yarn from Boston

Rock on with your bad self

Took the What's your 70's Personna Quiz on BBC America:


Thanks for taking the quiz man, groovy far out, rock on with your bad self!

Rocker

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now. If this makes sense to you, we mean, if you can truly dig it, then you are either cleaning out grannies attic, or you worship at the altar of the Gods of Rock. You thrive on Plant, Daltrey, and Sabbath and you frown upon those who don't think that the greatest song ever recorded was Stairway to Heaven. If you've heard of Mad Dog 20/20, cloves, Boy Howdy!, and wore your hair down to there, then we raise our goblet of rock to you. We're not worthy. It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock 'n roll.

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.