The only knitter in the NYC area...

...who DIDN'T go to Rhinebeck, evidently. Boo. Because I was feeling sorry for myself, I started a new sweater in some super-cool yarn:


Pattern: Tangled Yoke Cardigan by Eunny Jang (from Interweave Fall 2007)
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed in the "Watery" colorway
Needles: circs in US5, 4 and 0 (I think) and a set of US5 DPNs

Have a long way to go, but it made me feel better. Also bought a great pattern to start on some hats for brothers and husband for Christmas - now need to get some fiber to make them! If you went to Rhinebeck, hope you had a great time - but we had fun here in Hoboken, too!

Hoboken

No time for blogging since we've moved...had tons of travel both for work AND play (Florida, Colorado, Nebraska, back to Florida), and am finally settling in. Been doing a smidge of knitting, nothing picture-worthy yet (surprising, what with all the time on planes and stuff) but have tons of beautiful new yarn and lots of ideas to work with.

In the meantime, I'll leave you with the view along the running path from this side of the Hudson:

It's me who's crooked, not New York City, just in case you were wondering.

FO: Dream Swatch

Great, inventive stitch pattern and lovely yarn - makes for super-lightweight fabric:

Just call me Squinty McWrinkles...

Chevron and on and on...

The Chevron Scarf
Pattern in Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn: One skein Koigu (blues/browns), one skein of some other fun bronzey yarn (lost the label!)
Needles: straight US5

Loving this:

Too bad it's a gift, I want to keep it for myself! Oh well, will have to make another...

On a completely unrelated note, I have decided that I need to start running. Running is a good thing - it's free, it gets you outside, my husband does it. Only one problem: I hate running. But I've vowed to force myself at least until I can run five miles. In a row. Without stopping.

I started today. I did a bunch of research here and here to find the best way for a non-runner to start running and even ordered a book or two. Here's what I know so far: boy, am I not good at it. How can you be bad at running, you ask? Well, I can't really tell you, you'd have to come watch for yourself. I suck major wind and get all blotchy in the face, really, it's quite attractive. If you see a redheaded lump on the side of the road dry-heaving into the bushes, please, send water and an oxygen tank.

Today's "run" (and I use that term looooosely):

• 5 minutes of warm-up and stretching
• 20 minutes of intermittent running, walking and limping at certain points
• 5 minutes of sprinting for home at the end just to see if I could indeed sprint for 5 minutes. OK, so really it was about 2 minutes of sprinting, two of slowing down almost enough to be loping along and the last minute trying not to puke before I hit the front door.

All in all, a good day. Have to start somewhere, right?

Harry Potter people...

...are the best kind of people. And I am a Harry Potter people. Person. Sure, we wish the world was magical, full of scary and sometimes venomous creatures, but there's mischief and a natural curiosity there, too, which I personally think is rad. And they are super, SUPER nice. Because they send you gifts.

I've mentioned before the Harry Potter knitting swap I've been participating in. Today, just for blogging on my character blog, one of my "housemates" sent me this:

440 yds of superwash goodness in the "Crookshanks" colorway:



Out of the clear blue sky, yarn and Starbucks appear in my mailbox?? I mean, come on - sure, we're a little batty, but clearly after seeing this, you can't argue with the awesomeness of Harry Potter people.

Dream swatch, dream weekend?

This is Wendy Bernard's Dream Swatch pattern that I'm doing for a knitalong - very cool pattern with the long, sweeping stitches. I started it in this black Reynold's Soft Sea Wool, which has incredible stitch definition, but I'm not so sure it highlights the long stitches very well.


So, then I started a second one, because now I'm kinda obsessed with the pattern. I'll definitely finish the black one, but really, what could be better than GREEN!?



I'm fascinated. It's going to be a great knitting, listening to music, sitting in the sun with friends kinda weekend!

Like I need another fiber obsession...

I haven't blogged in forever...because I've been spending my weekends up in Frenchtown learning something new...

Spinning. Because I need another fiber obsession. It is So. Freakin'. FUN! I took a class that ran for 4 weeks up at The Spinnery in Frenchtown. Betty is the best teacher and the store is BEE-YOO-DE-FULL. Full of unbelievable things. And I met the nicest people in my class (Ginna, Jamie, Jody and Connie, here's a spinning shout-out to ya!) Seriously, if you're even remotely in the area and want to learn to spin, I can't recommend it highly enough.

Betty let us borrow all the spinning accoutrements one needs to go from straight-from-the-sheep stinky, dirty wool...

To the finished product!

Washed and clean, I can't believe I actually picked, carded, spun, plyed and prepped this stuff:

It might not look like much, but I love it!!

I have no idea what to make with it, but I'll figure that out. Just as soon as I convince Greg that I must add a spinning wheel to my list of prized possessions!

brothers and nephews...

...are excellent guinea pigs for testing out my new camera! I really don't know how to use it yet, but I luuuuurve it so.


N. giving H. the squooshy face:

Monkeys:

Sleepy H...

Takes great knitting shots, too!

Ravenclaw yarn... (it's actually Koigu, but I got it in the HSKS swap, so it's Ravenclaw yarn to me!):

It's her sweater now, evidently...

Close-up - shoulder of the Cropped Raglan:

You should play, too...

So I found this meme on one of my Ravelry friends' blogs - can't remember who, so sorry for not giving credit where it's due!

Here's da rules:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

Opening Credits: P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing), Michael Jackson. Perfect.
First Day At School: Purple Rain, Prince. Kinda heavy for the first day of school, but can't argue with the power of His Purpleness. Must have been a very meaningful school year.
Falling In Love: Waiting for My Real Life to Begin, Colin Hay. Hmm... not sure what DH would say, but...
Breaking Up: If I Should Fall Behind, Bruce Springsteen. Aww. That's a purty song. Shoulda switched "Falling in Love" with "Breaking Up" but that's the way the fates want it, I guess.
1st date: Faster, Sooner, Now - David Gray. Well, then...
Prom: Waiting Room, Fugazi. What? You didn't have a mosh pit at your prom?
Life's OK: The Unforgettable Fire, U2. Perfect again.
Driving: There's No Home for You Here, The White Stripes. Turn it all the way up and you have the makings of a most excellent driving song.
Flashback: Do the Standing Still, The Dismemberment Plan. Sigh. Does bring back some great memories of my friends before they all started having babies which seemingly zapped their will to live (and party).
Getting Back Together: Concerto: Moderato, Rachmaninoff. Must be the sweeping make-up sex music, I guess?
Wedding: Jesus Built My Hotrod, Ministry. HA! That's genius.
Final Battle: Cold Blows the Wind, Ween. Perfect three times.
Death Scene: I Can't See Nobody, Nina Simone. And a fourth.
Funeral Song: Uncloudy Day, Willie Nelson. Nice.
End Credits: Highway to Hell, Marilyn Manson. For a fifth and final perfect event/song pairing.

I love my iPod and my tunes - good to know I'm all prepared with musical accompaniments for any occasion.

Hope you all are having a fantabulous Memorial Day weekend - props to all our servicepeople, come home safe and soon.

New Sock Kit Swap about to begin!

Whew - whirlwind of travel finally winding down...

(Evidently, I'm very alliterative this morning!)

Signed up for the next round of the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap yesterday. It was very fun to do and I got a kick-ass package of knitting goodness from my spoiler. I was a Ravenclaw last term, this term I volunteered to join the Hufflepuff to win the house contests. There's still some spots available, so if you're interested click the link above.

Day of Silence.

Click here.

Blog slacker...

...like I need the guilt, right? But still, I feel guilty now that I've started this when I don't blog for awhile...

Anywhoo, here's a few new knitting pics - love the iPhone, takes better pics than my regular camera!

Here's a new sock:

Pattern: Conwy, from Nancy Bush's book, Knitting on the Road
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, colorway "Tuscany"
Needles - US3, bamboo

and this one is being modeled by the old TV remote:



and a little progress on the "Branching Out:"

and another:

I also finished my "That 70's Show Leftovers" vest, but it needs blocking. Will take pics whilst modeling in the near future.

So, work is nutty, and I have two straight weeks of travel coming up - Orlando, San Francisco and Vancouver. Then home a week. Then Halifax. Sheesh. So, blogging will probably be scarce, but I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, I'll be the girl in the window seat knitting and trying to avoid talking to the person next to her...

Vacation!

Heading out tomorrow for a little vacation - can't wait. Feel bad that the hubs can't make it, but my ma and I will have fun :)

Here's an work in progress:

It's Branching Out in some lovely Koigu I bought last year at MDS&W - purpley-browney loveliness...

And another one, this is Leftovers (sending much knitterly love to the Knitty.com!). The yarn is a mish-mosh of all different stuff, the brown is Knitpicks Merino in Cinnamon, the blue is Cascade 220 Heathers, the gray and white is cheapo Lion stuff I bought at Michael's to bulk up the stash, the yellow is leftover Cascade from a Harry Potter scarf and the orange is Heilo. I think. It's very 70's, but I like it - I keep calling it the "That 70's show" vest:

Where I'm going for the next few days, should be loads of time to knit and read and relax...so maybe these will be finished by the next post. Enjoy!

My six-word memoir...

Tagged by Lesleygirl...

Keep on knockin' until they answer...

Here are the rules:

1. Write your own six word memoir.

2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.

3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post.

4. Tag five more blogs with links.

5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

Consider yourself tagged...

I just love meaningless quizzes...

...this one, however, is spot on.

Your Element Is Air

You dislike conflict, and you've been able to rise above the angst of the world. And when things don't go your way, you know they'll blow over quickly. Easygoing, you tend to find joy from the simple things in life. You roll with the punches, and as a result, your life is light and cheerful. You find it easy to adapt to most situations, and you're an open person. With you, what you see is what you get... and people love that!

What's Your Element?

I love FOs!

Been knitting a lot - finished the cool bag I was making:

Pattern: French Market Bag by Polly Outhwaite (found on Ravelry, stored on Knitty)

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino in Rich Red (1 skein)

Lion Brand Lion Wool Solid in Goldenrod (1 skein)

Knit on size 7 needles in the round - DPNs are helpful for when the handles get skinny.

Sorry for the fuzzy iPhone pic - had had LOTS of coffee...here's another with a new project sticking out of it, Endpaper Mitts by Eunny Jang. I can't tell you how impressed I am with myself that I've gotten to a point where I can actually say I'm knitting a Eunny Jang pattern!

Cute, no? Perfect for my Gryffindor Swap Partner!

And one more gratuitious Endpaper shot:

Look, Ma! I'm doing it -- colorwork!!

Queen of the Slackers, I am.

So, let's recap my workday today:

1. Got up late. LATE. Didn't turn on computer til almost 8:30. I have a 14 second commute down the hall from my bedroom to my office. Laaaa-zy!

2. Called into a 9:30 conference call. Promptly turned on the mute button. Fired up the coffee pot. Began looking for tax forms for this year because I vaguely remember receiving them. Decide they must have been sucked into the black hole vortex that is my office.

3. 10:00: Office is really bad. Begin cleaning. Not one helpful comment or insight into the conversation that is still happening on the conference call. Who are these people and what do they want with me?

4. 10:30: Find tax forms. Dance with cat, who is not amused at all. Make piles of stuff to be shredded. Still half-listening and not participating at all in conference call. Yes, you know, the one I'm paid to be on.

5. Decide that the small victory of finding tax forms must mean it's time for lunch. 11:30? Who cares!! I know it's early. I can always have a snack later if I get hungry, and I will, oh yes, I will.

6. 11:45: Lunch made, I turn on the TV, and grab the bag I'm knitting:

Couch is really comfy. Decide to snooze for 10 minutes, which will certainly energize me for the afternoon.

7. Wake up. 12:45. Hmm. Must have been more tired than I thought. Dammit, have another call in 15 minutes.

8. 1:00: Dial into next call and immediately put on mute. Half-listen as I pull pictures off camera. Here's another knitting project I just finished:

Cute, no. Fetching, in awesome yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. When I die, mummify me in this stuff, and I will grant you wishes afterwards, I swear.

9. Some stuff must have happened between 1:00 and now (4:52) but I have no idea what it was. I think I had a snack, maybe?

It must be almost dinner time, right?

Can you still say you're in your "mid-thirties?"

...when you turn 37? Sigh...

Today's my birthday - I'm celebrating by hanging out with my friends Alyson and Ben down in Kentuckindiana. That's a new state I made up because they live in Indiana but right outside of Kentucky and all weekend long I've been asking, "now where are we? Kentucky? Indiana?" I think they're ready for me to go home now.

I thought I'd reflect on 36 and a few cool things that I did while I was there.

1. Paid off a lot of debt. 'Nuf said.

2. I went to Jazz Fest for the first (but definitely not the last) time. Fell in love with New Orleans and tried to convince husband to move there. No go. I'll keep working on him, though.

3. Went to some cool places for the first time:
Ireland
Indiana (Shut up, I can say that, I've been here since Thursday.)
Nashville!
Did I say Ireland?
Cincinnati (good chili, for reals)
Oh yeah, Ireland

4. Moved back to Jersey after almost 10 years. Home is home, y'all, whether other people think it's crazy or not.

5. Knit. A LOT. Made some really cool things for some good, good people.

It does seem like much, but it was a good year, I think. I'll be okay with 37 if it turns out as well.

Fridays don't come often enough.

What a week, y'all. Work is absolutely bananas. I think I need a drinkie (or four) to drown my sorrows.

You know what my issue is this week? That I really need to learn not to care so much. I feel like I've sold my soul for the unnamed major corporation, except that when you sell your soul, you should at least have some sort of short-term gratification or perk or something... but instead, I just keep getting shat on. And then I work harder. And still no one notices. Or cares. So why should I care? Hence my issue. And yes, I know I ended that sentence five sentences ago with a preposition, but since I am both soul-less and exhausted, I'm leaving it. That's how you know something is REALLY wrong with me.

A fun diversion, however, has been the Sock Kit Swap I'm doing - I'm in Ravenclaw house, we rock. I made awesome stitch markers for my spoilee, I hope she lurves them as much as I do. That was a really fun experience, I'll definitely make more - plus I have about a zillion leftover beads and stuff.

I have tons of knitting pics I should put up. Will do, just as soon as I open up this bottle...

Why I love Sundays...

Sitting around, pot of chili bubbling on the stove, watching football and knitting. The only thing that would be better is if my Eagles were playing in the playoffs right now. I'm trying not to think about the long, dark time that's coming soon where there's no more football and baseball hasn't started yet and all we have to look forward to is March Madness. Boo. Will post pics of my oh-so-cute Fetching mitts soon, about 80% done with the second one.

HSKS4

I'm in! Wahoo!

Too exciting! Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap 4!

So, it's happened. I'm coming over to the dark side...as if I needed something else to keep me on my arse in front of the computer! I've joined the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap 4 - at least, I hope I made the deadline, I think there was still spots. For this endeavor, you evidently need a blog. I learned a lot in the last 15 minutes while I jumped in head-first:

1. I have absolutely no impulse control. "Join a swap? Why, absolutely! Buy a bridge? Indubitably! Jump off it? Right on!"
2. Setting up a blog is so easy a trained monkey could do it. That's a little encouragement for all the trained monkeys out there.
3. I have been sorted into Ravenclaw - and I think that's spot on.
4. My Potter name is oh-so-much more elegant that my own. How rad is that?! I hope it gives me superpowers, just as soon as I find my wand.

Can't wait to get confirmation that I'm in!