Still No Photo

Grrr.. this week has been so....so... busy. I feel like I am running in place all the time. I'm knitting Steggy from Knitty (almost done-- 3 more inches on the hood, put in zipper and make spikes for hood): it is 'due' tomorrow at a birthday party. I don't want to be putting the zipper in, in the car, if you know what I mean.

On top of this, I started a new quilt class and we are working on Yellow Brick Road. A great pattern, I chose great fabrics, but I am running around so much, I have not had time to sit and quilt. And, I really want to quilt.

My mom requested a cowl a few weeks back. I should whip that up this weekend. And line her bag from Mother's Day. Yup. Mother's Day 2009. Gah- what a crappy daughter I am, right?

And finally, we have PC... who's had a cold this week. A bad cold. And when one of us is sick, the house just falls to pieces. I have to clean tomorrow or Sunday before I leave for San Francisco next week... coming home to a dirty house might just kill me.

Did I mention I am going to San Francisco? Yup-- Tuesday to Friday (red eye home Friday night). If you are there (at the conference), look for me...I'll be one of the ones with a walkie-talkie. I love my new job and I am excited to travel, but I am just so damn tired this week, I am not ready to go just yet. And, yes, I've already called Imagiknit to see if they'll be open Friday night. :)

Weekend round-up

I just spent 3 days and 2 nights with the most wonderful, insightful, creative and impassioned women I know: my guild :)  We had our annual retreat to Whispering Pines (at URI) and we laughed, knit, laughed, knit, sang, ate (and ate, and ate, and ate), walked, talked, shared, commiserated, swapped, cajoled and entertained each other. I saw old friends (hi Danielle! hi Lynn!) and new friends (hi Jen K!)... it was superb.

For those who don't know... I coordinate the MetroWest Knitters' Guild, which can be described as a blissful unpaid job that resembles herding cats on somedays and is complete perfection on others. The retreat went off without a hitch, although one camper didn't make it due to a death in the family. We were sad not to have her with us.

I worked on PC's curling socks... black and gray stockinette.... and then I cast on for Huron. I did my first ever turned hem with a contract color...

More photos tomorrow.. today's back to reality (work) and caring for a sniffly PC... who's getting the 'plague' and home today.

What did you do this weekend?

Attention Handbag/Knitting Bag Lovers

Okay, everyone who knows me knows that I rarely carry the same bag twice in a row. I am a bag whore. I am. I love them. The leather ones, the fabric ones, handmade, commercially produced, Coach, Gucci, Dooney & Bourke, Macy's 1 day sale specials, Marshalls clearance rack... doesn't matter. I love me a good bag. I have a zillion + 1 bags (ask PC... he asked me to cut my # by 1/2 before we moved... it still took 5 boxes (big ones) to pack them). I do not have a Jordana Paige bag. I'd love a knitters' satchel (in red, in case you are PC and you want to buy me a knitting bag... yes, I know... another one), but I am not in the place to buy one. Mostly b/c I bought a Lexie Barnes on super discount at Webs a few months back. ;) But, if you have some holiday cash and internet connection and want to feel good about how you spend... here you go:

 From Jordana:

I've been avoiding the news since last Tuesday. I absolutely hate the feeling of helplessness when disasters happen. But avoiding the news isn't going to erase the huge need in Haiti. I know I'm not alone in having a great desire to do something, but have to realize that for most of us, we can't fly over to Haiti to give comfort, hold children and hand out food.

Giving money just never seems like enough. I always want to give more and wish I had a product that I could donate to help with relief. Handbags just aren't going to save a life. I've been thinking a lot on this and have come up with a way, with your help, that handbags can make a difference.

I will be selling all the imperfect handbags in my warehouse for $50 and will donate 100% of each sale to Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief.

My warehouse holds a mix of discontinued bags, including The Knitter's Satchel in Deep Red and Rio in Red Garnet, as well as current styles and colors. The "imperfect" bags don't meet our quality standards. Some have scratches on the fabric, broken zippers, missing removable pouches or upside-down labels. Majority of the "imperfect" bags have very minor problems.

The sale will start next Wednesday, January 27th at 8am PST. Every hour, on the hour, a new color will be made available. All sales will be final. The inside of the bags will be stamped with "final sale" in a hidden location. Due to the high volume of sales that I am expecting, I will not be able to personally identify what is imperfect about each bag. All bags are functional. We wouldn't sell something with a missing handle or hole in the bottom.

Some other details; we will only be accepting orders with USA delivery addresses. I'm sorry, but I just don't have the man-power to ship a huge number of orders internationally. Lastly, I will be charging for shipping. The cost of shipping will not be going to Doctors Without Borders, but to cover the cost of shipping your bag to you. California residents will be charged sales tax.

Please, please, please, share this with friends, post it on your blog, tweet it, Facebook it, you know, the works. Snag the image, spread the word! Together we can make an impact.

Go Scott Go!

Well, history has been made in Massachusetts. Even if you were/are a Coakley supporter and staunch Democrat, you have to admit this was a special election for the record books. As a non-Democrat (I'm not comfortable with Republican and I am too conservative to say Independent), I was watching the election these past few weeks with increased interest.

No, I didn't like the attack ads. Yes, I think both sides are far from innocent when it comes to this... but watching the "shoe-in" candidate scramble at the last minute reminded me of the complacency of Massachusetts politicians. Of all American politicians. It made me think of Canada. Now, I am not a fan of their nationalized healthcare, but I do like the idea that they can boot out a politician if they decide mid-term that they aren't doing their jobs.

Today is a day of change. Real change. Like the very liberal President wants: Change. Perhaps this is a case of "be careful what you wish for, Mr. Obama?"

But, beyond politics... what unites me to you: knitting. I'm knitty Steggy from Julia Farwell-Clay... and I'm on the sleeves. Oh, the sleeves. I'll try to pop up a photo tomorrow, but I have to say: intarsia is not my friend, but once you get going... it's not so bad. Remind me of this later this week when I am on the hood. :)

Please: play nice in the comments.... I rarely discuss politics on here b/c I am a Yankee through and through: keep your religion, politics and hands to yourself. :)

Nursing....

Momma, I can help you knit if you ate too sick....

-- Sent from my Palm Prē

Today was going to start with a hey "how are ya?" kinda feel, but I got felled by a "raging" (dr.'s words, not mine) kidney & bladder infection. Yeah. I know. I found some no sugar added cranberry juice and have my heat-up sheep pad ready to go.

But first, some adorableness :)
Pattern: my own : "MC's heart"
Size: to fit a 2.5-3 year old
Yarn: Berroco Comfort, pink and navy (purchased at Knit Purl in Sudbury)
Needles: US 6 dpns and circs
Notes: this might be my new go-to kid yarn. Normally, I would say "encore" but I think this is good. And, the colors are great. I have enough for a puppy dog sweater for Remi. :)

Pattern: my own, with a borrowed dino motif : Carson's Pet Steggy
Size: 6 year old active boy
Yarn: Cascade 220 superwash (blue) and Cotton Ease (red): note, I have used this Cotton Ease for like 80 projects... it's the yarn that won't die.
Needles: US 6 dpns & circs
Notes: Next time, I will try to catch my floats better... and next year's mittens/hat combos will be started sooner!

I'm off to bed... battling bacteria is tiresome work.
Look back here all weekend for more fun projects.

:) Mini

PS_ and a big hip-hip-hooray for my boy, PC, who not only cooked dinner but brought home the LARGEST and PINKEST and YELLOWEST bouquet of flowers for his wounded Mini. You know how they say you know a good man when you found one? I knew 7.5 years ago and I am so glad I stuck around. ;)

gifts

There are two kinds of gifts; the 'gifts' that you have (talents, abilities, innate qualities) and the gifts you get. This post is about both.

Gift that I have.
Knitting is a gift. Not everyone can do it, despite what knitters think when they convince a friend to 'just try it'. No, it's a talent. An ability to look at string and sticks and say, hmm... that'd be a great sweater. Mitten. Sock. Quilters do the same thing with fabric. I can't say that I have the 'eye' of a quilter yet, but I am determined to try to get there.

After my quilt class in the fall, I decided to tackle a simple charm-square quilt. Easy, right? Mostly 5 inch charm squares, with a couple of 1/2 triangles thrown in for 'tree-ness'. The inspiration was two-fold. One, I had seen a wall hanging online for this, but it has the tree on a white background and it's 1 1/2 inch squares (read: tiny). Two, on rt 225 in Lincoln, MA... on the way to Westford, there is a tree. It in a field and it gets decorated for Christmas. All by it's lonesome, out there, proudly holding up it's fairy lights. I love that tree. That tree says Christmas to me. I think of that tree and think serenity and peace. And, now....it's in my living room.

Final quilt: 58" x 62"


Gifts you get.
PC, hands-down, wins the award for best non-knitting boyfriend ever. He googled "rare exotic yarn" and found quiviot. Yup. Quiviot. And then he bought it. On Christmas Eve, I opened up a small gift bag and found 218 yds of the most perfect fall of yarn on the planet. It's a golden yellow that reminds me of late autumn... and I have enough to make a delicate lace cowl. With beads. :)

A true gifts is a boyfriend who gets it. I mean, really gets it.
Another gift that I should mention is Pumpkin. She's quite the gift all right. It took 30 tries to get the quilt photo b/c she was on it, under it, trying to get under it, attacking the camera, trying to trip me, and finally....the quiviot shots? She tried to attack the camera strap while i was taking photos.


Not all gifts are well behaved. :)

Sliding Scale....

Look to the right. Yup, the ticker. Check it out: it moved!!! Yup, 5 days on and 7.6lbs down. Holy tamales. I have learned a few things about South-beaching that I will share with you (and Kim, b/c she's a partner-in-arms on this one... we'll be the thin sophisticated ones at SPA this Feb. :) hee hee)

Good things:

• Greek yogurt (non fat, plain) is awesome w/ 1/4 packet sugar free, fat free jello stirred in.
• milk is my friend *
• nobody makes salad like I make salad... 100% green veggies and lettuce.
• Homemade balsamic dressing kicks the store brands patootie
• I can watch PC eat couscous and not want to kill him
• I can't watch him eat chocolate. I nearly died last night.
• My doc gets right on the phone when I tell his nurse that I don't "feel right--- kinda pukey and light headed"

Bad things:

• ketosis (see the milk above; if you get shaky, light headed and pukey... drink milk per doc's orders)
• smelling bread. Srsly. I smell it everywhere
• Spending at least 20 minutes per day planning for my 1st apple in 2 weeks. 14 days X 20 = 280 minutes of dreaming about an apple.
• knit night sandwiches... need to pack snack!
• extreme thirst. Drinking the required water for 2 days means now, you need the required water.