And Darned Proud Of It…

Fa la la - la la -la la la la

The tree, it is up. And decorated.
It is a small tree this year. Didn't look too small in the lot, but… there were a lot of ornaments that were not used this year. Could have been laziness…

I also learned a bit about my camera and it's manual settings. Cool.

I hope everyone's holiday is peaceful and happy.

In the Holiday Spirit…

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog. Specifically, Cindy's Egg Nog. A tradition with the group I play Mah Jongg with at the gathering before Christmas. It's powerful stuff!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa always wraps presents! And he uses different paper and tags from the rest of the family's! Of course.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I grew up with the big colored lights on the tree, but we now have little colored lights. The kids always wanted them to blink when they were little, but I hate the blinking. I'm glad they outgrew that. Outside, we vary, this year it's big colored lights, but only around the front door… for now.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope, never have.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Hopefully, before Christmas. We have been as late as the week before, and as early as this year. Who knows. Depends on the weather and the kids' schedule these days.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Have to be my Mom and Dad's roast beef with the little roasted potatoes. Wouldn't be Christmas without them. And the orange cranberry relish.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Spending the day at Grandma's house with many of my 32 cousins and 14 aunts and uncles. It was blissful chaos!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Hmmm. I was the oldest of five. So it took me a while. I'm sure I was either eight or nine, but what I remember most, was hunting around before Christmas and finding everything and not having one single surprise on Christmas morning. I never did that again.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We actually celebrate Christmas Eve with my in-laws. And we open everything from/to them that evening. It's been the norm for 25 years, although it took me some getting used to in the beginning.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! Only if it snows enough to cancel school. Then I can justify not doing anything but knitting, reading and coffee!

12. Can you ice skate? Yes

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My husband bought me a new bike two years ago and surprised me with it in the front window of the bike shop. I was floored! But from childhood… would have to be that fringed, suede purse that I got the year I found everything ahead of time. I did love that purse and it was the 70's…

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Gathering with family and friends.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Oddly enough, I don't have one.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Sitting in a darkened room with the Christmas tree lit and soft Holiday tunes playing.

17. What tops your tree? Always an angel, or two.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Leona Boyd's Guitar Christmas, the whole cd. Traditional songs played beautifully on acoustic guitar.

20. Candy Canes... Yuck or Yum? I could live without them. They do make nice decorations, though.

Quiz Show

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can't imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.http://marniemaclean.com Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

The Lost Weekend…

That was a book, about substance abuse, I believe.
I have had the migraine from hell since Friday after Thanksgiving.
If only it had been a hangover! I wouldn't have missed Friday, Saturday, Sunday and now, some of Monday. So here is a little bit of Friday's Yarn Pr0n, On Monday.
Under the cloudy influence of painkillers.



This will be a lovely shawlette for my MIL for Christmas. The pattern, Judy Pascale's Shapely Shawlette, I bought from Koenig Farm Spinnery & Yarn Shop at Stitches East. Even in my migrainey stupor, I managed to knit some this weekend. And does this stuff ever turn your hands blue!!! Fiesta recommends rinsing the yarn before knitting. Maybe I should have. The pattern is really nice, a gently curving shawl in simple garter stitch. The narrow ends will tie in front.
Photo to come.

Now the leaves are gone…

Here's a little thing to remind you of the gorgeous color.



and I bought three more, because, you know, you can never have enough kid merino.



Now, this is no longer on the needles, because I was tinking back to correct a "hole" and I now know to never tink back with this yarn. I am desperately trying to put it back on the needles beyond the "hole". I think I need a few hours of uninterupted time and a lot of wine. For after. This yarn brings new meaning to the term "rat's nest" when trying to "un-knit" it. It cannot even be frogged. It is a one way yarn. Really pretty. But one way.

I'm the Pixies! Wooohoooo…

Omigawd! The Eighties! Almost as bad as the Seventies, although Seventies fashion was a tad worse.

What band from the 80s are you?

You rule. in 15 years, you won't be as known as you are now, but most of the people that will know you then will like you (or else I'll beat them with a stick). You're nice to listen to. Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

There's a theme here

I can't let Friday go by without posting some eye candy. Here is some more of the stuff I picked up at Stitches East… along with some progress on the clapotis.

Look, my La Luz found some Friends!

New stuff from Stitches East! (Fiesta La Boheme in test colors clearanced at WEBS) What fun THAT was! This was the first experience I've had with the "Yarn Expo" thing, and my husband thought I was nuts. He even said, "Were you the youngest ones there?" I'll leave you with that. More stuff to come. But I have to go VOTE!!!

Ooooohhhhhh…

What can I say that can add to this? I love the color this time of year!
We did our 22 mile Friday ride this morning. The sky was bright blue and all the trees seemed to have turned red and orange this week. This is a crape myrtle in my back yard. I look out on this from the kitchen window. Too bad it doesn't last longer!

This has been a rather busy week. Last week of the quarter, so the kids are trying to make up missed things; Cross country regional championships were Thursday afternoon; meetings with Eagle Scout project people; Finishing up all of the Boy Scout troop's holiday greens sale entries (The big annual fundraiser); Husband sailing in a four day regatta, but coming home at night. Which could be good, or bad, depending on how you look at it. I don't have to cook a big dinner, or I don't get to cook a big dinner. Hmmm…

It is First Thursday, moved to Friday for a variety of reasons, so we're going out tonight. First Thursday is a night where six or eight of us head out armed with The Entertainment Book, to sample new restaurants. Sometimes we stay within the "Book", sometimes not. It's always fun. There is much wine involved.

Oh, and here's the weekly Yarn Pr0n…



Kaalund Nimbus in Tropical Berries. Yum

I stole a meme

1. FIRST NAME? Andrea (Andria on my birth certificate)
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? The Andria Doria, I think. It sank the year before I was born, and neither of us can decide how to spell the name. Is it with an e or an i?. For me, for the last 25 years, it's with an e
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Memorably in 2001… December, I think. It was a bad year
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Roast beef with horseradish, although I do have a thing for Lebanon Bologna, but haven't had it in YEARS
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? This is it
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Not on my life, or yours
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Oddly enough, McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Coffee Heath Bar Crunch
14. SHOE SIZE? 5 1/2
15. RED OR PINK? Pink… or red, no, pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I am decidedly unsure of myself at the most inopportune times
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My Grandmothers
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? No
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans, a bright blue, green print 3/4 sleeve top and Clarks with no socks
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? Take-out Pizza from Faccia Luna and red wine
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The hum of my computer
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Fuschia
23. FAVORITE SMELL? freshly cut grass
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Mary
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their sense of humor and fun.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? I think so
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Hmmm, Mount Gay and tonic, A good pinot noir, A nice single-malt scotch
28. FAVORITE SPORT? To do: Cycle. To watch: Cycling
29. EYE COLOR? Brown
30. HAT SIZE? Small
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes, 50% of the time
32. FAVORITE FOOD? I am a real sucker for anything with beans and rice… Chipotle?
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings , I'm a sucker and I hate scary movies
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Chocolate Pots de Creme
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Probably no one
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Everyone
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Therapy, Jonathan Kellerman, started as a beach read and never finished
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? No mouse pad. When the stupid desk messes with my optical mouse I use a notepad or anything white within reach.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? News
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Birds on a Summer morning
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Cozumel, Mexico
46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Arts and Crafts… all kinds
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Pensacola, Florida
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I pinched it from Stephannie, of And She Knits, Too.

What am I?

A bird's nest? A lifesaver? A multicolored bale of hay?

A Lovely Lonesome Skein of La Luz. What shall I do with it?



I'm thinking a Dream Swatch ala Knit & Tonic… or a narrow seed stitch scarf. It's soooo soft and shiny. Almost luminous.

I have finished my Zimmerman sweater. Now I have to weave in the ends. I hate, hate, hate that part! And I need to take a photo of me in it. I do love the way it came out. The yoke is very nice, although I chose not to do the short rows for the back of the neck. So it is equal front and back. Next time I'll try the short rows.

And I've begun the clapotis in the Noro Sakura. I love it! The colors are wonderful. I'll take pictures when the sun comes out again. Sometime this weekend.

Two birds…

Noro Sakura: Rayon, polyester, nylon, silk and lamb's wool. Destined to become a small clapotis… someday
This is my Yarn Pr0n And my Eye Candy. Doesn't it look like candy?

Four Things

I keep trying to put the summer clothes away, just things get in the way. So the cats keep sleeping in the baskets and this requires another round of laundry to get rid of the cat fur. I keep thinking I have to knit her a kitty Pi. Got to finish the sweaters first. And do the laundry.
How can you say no to this face?



Four jobs I’ve had:
Waitress
Silk Screen Artist
Graphic Designer
Art Director

Four movies I can watch over and over:
An Affair to Remember
Spanglish
I know, that's only two, but I can't think of any others

Four places I have lived:
Naples, Italy
Southern Maryland
Philadelphia, PA
Alexandria, VA

Four television shows I love to watch:
ER
Everybody Loves Raymond
Seinfeld
NBC Nightly News

Four places I have been on vacation:
Sugarbush, Vermont
Nova Scotia
Cancun, Mexico
Central Coast, CA

Four of my favorite dishes:
A really good Spinach Lasagna
Crab Imperial
Lime/cilantro Rice and Black Beans
Chicken Vesuvio

Four websites I visit daily:
Google
Weather.com
Knit and Tonic
Crazy Aunt Pearl

Four places I would rather be right now:
The Outer Banks, NC
Key West
Pismo Beach, CA
The Isle of Capri

Four bloggers I am tagging: ala Crazy Aunt Pearl:
(since I don't really know anyone well enough to tag them)
1 You
2 You
3 You
4 and You

You're it

Blogstalking!

Okay folks, here it is… the blogstalking assignment for this week. The wierdest thing in the medicine cabinet. Any guesses?



I'm going with the, yes, folks, the Antique Person Polish!



I gave this to hon for his 50th, and it's actually kind of nice!

Maybe up next… Yarn Pr0n.

We Survived!

The ride was wet and windy, (40 mph headwinds!) but we did it anyway! Although we did the metric century instead of the full 100 miles. Can't go down there two years in a row and not ride! And besides, last year was MUCH worse. So between the riding and the drinking (after) not much knitting was done. But overall, a fun weekend. Unfortunately, I have no photos, as I was afraid to take the camera out in the monsoon.

Found these, there's evidence!



I do, however have photos of my kitty's eye view of her favorite place. My side of the bed. (Blogstalker's weekly assignment.) This is what she sees just before leaping up and sitting on my lap as I try to knit.



She's too big now to squeeze under the bed.

No Photo Wednedsday

Okay, so I had my bike tuned up, and now the cyclecomputer won't work. And now it's supposed to rain on Saturday. Some offshore coastal storm thingy. I abhor riding in the rain. But since there is ONLY a 30% chance, I'll ride anyway. And pack the rain gear.

And take my knitting. (For the hotel, not the bike)

I still have cinxia to finish. I am something like 4 rows short of finishing my Zimmerman sweater, but they are short rows. And this requires my reading instructions. carefully. I think I need mindless knitting for a weekend like this. So I will bring along Wendy's Kimono Jacket (my latest startitis result) and my Emily. Both will be pretty much stockinette for a while.

Wish me luck. On the ride, not the knitting.

News Flash: Yet Another Week Flies By!

How did that happen!?

I see we're now into October. My car should have been inspected in September, I haven't finished Sizzle, or Emily, or Sage. All little tank type tops.

And I'm supposed to ride a hundred miles on my bike next Saturday.

It's time again for the Seagull Century. I, and around 7000 other crazy folks, will ride from Salisbury, Maryland to Assateague Island and back. For Fun. It IS fun. If it doesn't rain. As it did last year, and I did not ride for the first time in 6 years. The wind and rain were hurricane-like, and I decided I am not 25 any more. It really was too dangerous. For a fun ride. Now if I had been riding for Team in Training, like the other half of my century rides, I might have given it a go.

Last year we went yarn shopping instead. Found a great little shop in someone's basement in Snow Hill, Md. That is where I bought the yarn (Katia Danubio) for my Cinxia. And see, a year later, I'm only half done. I should have called this blog Half Done.

Here is yet another picture of a half done project. The sampler vest which I have now decided will be the Sampler 3/4 sleeved sweater. I'm winging it here…



What do ya think? Straight 3/4 sleeves, tapered 3/4 sleeves? And what stitch pattern? Aaauuughhh.

Zimmermania!

Now I'll finally be forced to finish this!



I had seen a sample sweater at my LYS, fell in love with it and asked for the pattern. I was told it was being written up and tested, so I went ahead and bought yarn and waited. (It is Elizabeth Lavold Cotton Patine with Tahiki Pansy carried along.) I kept checking back for the pattern and was finally told I could use Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage method. I bought Knitting Without Tears and cast on.

I cast on the day my son got his learners permit, sitting in the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles, here in VA).

That was two years ago.

I have run out of Pansy twice, and now have to use a ball from a different dye lot. I bought what the sample sweater knitter had recommended and apparently it wasn't enough. I was also able to buy what they had left of the Cotton Patine in the same dye lot, 7 more balls, figuring I might knit a tank top out of whatever was left. I am almost at the yoke decreases, so hopefully the dye lot change in the carry along yarn won't be so noticeable. I love the drape of the fabric. I'm really hoping it fits. The sample I tried on fit perfectly. I'd love to someday compare patterns, and see where hers differed.

Now I have joined Zimmermania!
I'll put the button up as soon as I get more bandwidth from Flickr.

If I Show It, It Is Real.

This is my Cinxia . I WILL finish her this fall.



The yarn is wonderfully soft, and I can't wait to wear it. It's just all twisted stockinette and it's taking forever!

I received a set of KnitPicks options circulars for my birthday in August and moved her to those needles. Makes a big difference, having pointier tips. I love these needles. Others have said they're heavy. Maybe I haven't been knitting long enough to notice any problem with their weight. I just love their pointiness, and versatility.

A little progress has been made on Sizzle, although, as I told the sleeping husand, there's nothing worse that "un-knitting" (tinking back) than "un-knitting" back too far. I missed a set of increases and had to go back 5 rows and I went back 6. It's all in the process. It was telling me I needed to sleep.

Easy Come, Easy Go…

An hour ago, this was a shawl. A Simple yet effective shawl



It just wasn't big and loose enough. And I absolutely love the yarn. Berocco's Monet. So soft and drapey. It'll make a much nicer little top or vest. Now to find the right pattern. Any ideas? I'd love a short version of the top down raglan top down raglan without sleeves. Is that even possible?!

Sizzling Along!

Well. I have resurrected my Sizzle. The Sexy Knitters Club KAL was too much to ignore, and it is knitting quickly. I knit both front and back to the armhole decreases and go from there.



I would love to finish up some of these "Summer" projects… before the weather turns cold. But then again, I do have the Zimmerman sweater, going on 2 years… and my Cinxia from Knitty Fall05 in Danubio. I'll drag that out and photograph it soon. It's ALL Twisted Stockinette. I don't know WHAT possessed me to do this one. But It is lovely, and the Katia Danubio is soooo soft!

September Update

School is finally back in session. I had forgotten just how quiet the house could be with no phone ringing and no music coming from the kids' rooms. With band and cross-country practices, neither of them is home before 5 now. Oh, the possibilities! I need to grow my graphic design client base, now that they are now both in high school, and one off to college next year. Yikes! And I have contracted to do 4 holiday bazaars with the jewelry business. So the fall should be busy.
Ahhh, knitting. I have soooo many UFOs I don't know where to begin. The bulky cardigan is coming along. I had to rip out one too narrow sleeve but am now almost into cap shaping.



The bottom hem on Emily is done and now I can start the straight stockinette and waist decreases.



And I just got my Silky Tweed from WEBS to knit Marilyn's Not-so-shrunken Cardigan! I have been wanting to do this one since I first saw the patteren and when I heard that the yarn is being discontinued and is on sale! OMG!



And there's Sizzle, and the little cap sleeve t in a berroco linen/silk, and the red tivoli in CottonEase, almost done.

I need to get myself to a regular knitting group.

Now I can see!

I figured it out! Here is Emily. Cute, isn't it? I'm about 1 inch into the bottom feather and fan edging.

Ernesto!

Okay. It's really raining now. And the WIND! We left North Carolina on Tuesday to be home for Chris's cross country time trials and left Mara at the beach with her grandparents. Hmmm…
Chris made varsity, coming in THIRD (his first season… as a senior, no less) with a time of 16:42. I could no more run 3 miles in that time than fly to the moon. (I can ride a bike for a hundred miles, easy, but RUN? Please!) So good for him. Now if I could just get in touch with daughter and grandparents…

On the knitting front, sleeves for cardigan were coming out too narrow, so I've added 4 stitches- yes, starting over- I think that should do it. As soon as I figure out how to post photos, I'll show the progress.

I have joined the Sexy Knitters Club. All the wonderful people whose blogs I have been reading, nay, lurking in, for at least a year are members, and I just love following peoples' progress on patterns I want to knit! And again, once I figure out the photo thing, I'll put the button on the side bar.

The first rainy day in a long while

I would really rather be on the beach. It's sunny, and warm and I could be knitting in my beach chair… I figured out how. But I am home. And it is rainy. Which is good for the drought conditions. Just makes me want to sleep.

I have completed back and sides for the oversized cardigan from Vogue Knitting Fall 06.
Two sleeves to go. This will be forever known as my beach sweater. I knit the back in the car on the way down, side one on the beach and side two in the car on the way home… we were only down for three days this time. Thank goodness for bulky yarn. This is Gedifra Trendy Tweed for 60% off at KH's sale. Knit two sizes up to compensate for the slightly finer guage yarn. It's working! The measurements are exactly what the small size should be. Thank you Holly.