One Crazy Fiber Lady

Another exciting Saturday is taking a brief pause whilst the twins nap.  The folks are off on the boat, where they will spend most weekends until September, and the house is quiet.  Perfect blogging time to hopefully be followed by some good knitting time.  I have a serious backlog of yarn to catch up on!  But we’ll get to that later.

This morning, my dad pulled a toy out of the shed for the twins to try out.  They’d been pestering him to play with this thing for weeks. He’d always reply when it got warmer.  While finally it is warmer and not currently raining (though it did start to sprinkle as I carried sleeping toddlers into the house) so dad finally consented.

It’s a battery operated ride on Cat.  It goes pretty fast and the age rate is probably way over their current age, but try telling that to my dad.  Anyway, Kat took to it very well and rode up and down the block in front of the house having a grand time.  Alex, on the other hand, made it this far past the driveway and decided he was done.  I think it moves too fast for him.  His daredevil sister thoroughly enjoyed it.

From the Cat ride, I packed them into the car for some fun in Montclair.  Deb and I had arranged to meet at Modern Yarn for Wendy’s book signing.  Deb is just back from her vacation in Martha’s Vineyard.  She brought me a lovely souvenier from Black Dog.  A cool mug! Thanks so much Deb!

Wendy is just as nice in person as she is on her blog.  She was busy working on a Flower Basket Shawl in her handspun as we chatted about yarns, spinning wheels and books.  It was very good meeting her.  She was kind enough to pose for pictures with the monkeys.

Kat wasn’t about to get into someone’s lap, though Alex barely hesitated.  As an aside, I’m continuously amazed by the differences between the two of them.  How of much of it is gender related, which does beg the question of nature versus nurture.  But I digress.  Wendy was so sweet as to come pose next to Kat, who had dragged the chair over to that spot so she could pose.  Deb, Wendy and I all posed for a photo holding our socks in progress.  Short term memory is failing me, but I think it was with Wendy’s camera, hopefully she’ll post it.

As I’m completely incapable of entering MY without buying anything, and well I had hit a milestone on my frequent buyer card, I got a 10% discount on purchase.  I’m a Cascade ‘ho and couldn’t resist it yet again.  This time I picked up enough in the superwash to make new fall sweaters for the twins.  They each picked their own color.  I’m thinking basic cardigan, but maybe a nice cable or stitch pattern to jazz up this years.  I also picked up a skein of Trekking XXL for the Trekking Along KAL.  This is color 130, a bit more pastel-ee than my normal purchase, but I wanted to change it up a bit.  It should make Kat some cute socks out of the remainder and the colors aren’t quite as jarring as the 100 that had fallen out of favor recently.  BTW, I finished turning the heel on the blue Aktiv Color socks during Friday’s commute home, accompanied by 11:00PM-12:00AM Day 2 of 24   I luuuuv the new iPod! 

Deb and I got the kids out of MY before they destroyed the place.  They had been busily moving the chairs from the back of the store all the way to the front and the cushy cube seats from the front to the back.  We put the place back in order and beat a hasty retreat. 
Deb suggested heading over to Stix-n-Stitches.  It’s a short walk and seriously, you can’t hit town and not visit both places (though I did do that last week).  I happily agreed and the two of us walked the twins down the block.  Much to my surprise, SnS was having a sale!  Sale + Yarn = Good Times!  Conveniently having Wendy’s book in my bag (as I had just had her sign it), I was able to pick up the yarn for another pattern in it that I really want to make as well.   I picked up this Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in color 36 at 30% off to make Lisa.  The gauge on the band is close to the Koigu Kersti so I’m going to swatch for this soon, erm, actually as soon as I post this! 

We slowly walked the two now hungry tired children back up Bloomfield Avenue to find them some lunch.  We found a place, Pops(?), an old 50′s soda shop style restaurant based on a suggestion by a couple we asked along the way.  The foot was good, the place was cool with old record covers, movie posters and games decorating the walls.  By the time we finished lunch and wandered back to the car, it was 1:30 and the kids were really beginning to crash.  Kat has a meltdown as I tried to drag her away from looking at the ducks (actually pigeons) that were eating bread in front of MY on Church Street.  She went so far as to throw herself to the ground forcing me to carry her the rest of the way.  We got them into the car, bade Deb goodbye and headed for home.  Not surprisingly, they were asleep before we hit the Garden State Parkway.

All in all, a very pleasant early Saturday.  Getting together with Deb is always a fun.  It was great to meet Wendy, whose blog is one of my regular reads and absolute favorites.  Her knitting is always inspiring and her book has added to my queue in an amazing way.  Tomorrow brings an SMC get together in Princeton.  Should be fun and as I hear it, there are two more sets of twins in the group, both are younger than mine.   

As a quick update on the job thing, the folks I’ve been freelancing for are pushing hard to create a permanent position for me. The gentleman who signs my timesheets, M, told me he’s all in favor of it and has been making a business case for hiring me full time.  I thanked him but impressed upon him that time was a bit of the essence.  I can’t leave the other company hanging too long.  We have a "deadline" of Wednesday.  I think that’s pretty reasonable.  Cross your fingers, wave dpns or please pray to your prefered diety on this for me.  I would prefer a job there as the intangibles and little things all add up to a very desirable place to work regardless of the salary level.  The other company will allow working remotely, but only on an emergency basis as it "interferes with team working".  Freelance place doesn’t seem to have a problem with it and has embraced AOL IM as a team communication method.  They’re flexible and understand the priorities of people with little children. 

Anyway.. off to swatch me some Silky Wool!

Craft on!

Progress is being made all over.  Its more than time for a WIP Wipeout update. 

First, an update from blogless Nancy in PA:

Am sending you this week’s WIP/FO — a
Cedar Creek sock in STR Rainforest Jasper. Size 1 bamboo dpn’s. It’s fraternal
twin is on the needle <G> Have gone hog-wild again and have 6 projects
going at once (after being down to 2) so there are lots more WIP’s to
wipeout!!!

Nicely done Nancy.  That is a nifty colorway and makes me all the more eager to play with my STR, but I’m getting ahead of myself there

I haven’t, understandably, received any updates from others for which I thank you ladies.  I think I’m ready to receive updates again and mayhap post them regularly.  We’re settling into a routine here which should get easier and easier as the unpacking tapers off.  We’re getting there.  Can you tell the cats are digging their new and much larger house?  I hope this makes up for a distinct lack of Sara goodness over the last month or two.  Has it really been that long? 

Okay, time for some good news.  I got the much waited for phone call this afternoon.  The company where I’ve had three interviews extended a job offer to me!  Woot.  The money is okay, not exactly where I asked for, but there may be some bargaining room.  I made the phone call that raises my situation status to a higher alert level at the company where I’ve been freelancing.  They’ve asked for notice and the opportunity to match.  I hope they can come close, or heck, even offer up something.  I would really like to stay there… but if not, I have something else.  I have until early next week to get back to the other company.  Fingers crossed.

I finished the Flower Basket shawl for my sister’s wedding, which btw is June 10th.  I cast it off last Thursday evening during ER.  Any bets on when I block it?  Yeah I’m pretty sure it will be blocked on the 9th.  Probably after the rehearsal dinner and I’ll have to shoot a fan at it to get it to dry before the wedding.  Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow!

Well after finishing the shawl, I started some requisite socks.  The Trekking that I was working with recently, I just wasn’t feeling the love.  I pulled the needles out and tossed it all in the yarn basket in the corner of my bedroom.  I’ve been reading Wendy’s book, which I couldn’t recommend more btw, and decided to really pay attention to my socks.  For the first time I actually did the math.  Normally I guestimate the number of stitches, somewhere around 60, and do the cuff down.  This
time, I pulled out Steinbach Wolle Aktiv Color 100 in color 8, began at the toe with the Turkish Cast on modified for dpns (seems my love of the magic loop soured).  I began with 16 stitches and after getting a decent representation, I measured the gauge (US1 bamboo I think) at 8st/in, measured the circumference of my foot:  7.25" and did the math. Instead of the 60 that I would have normally started with, I only needed 52.  Makes for a faster sock too!  I had the first heel turned by bedtime on Friday.  The first sock (after being ignored for a good part of the weekend) was finished during House on Tuesday.  I did the picot edge though I’m not totally in love with it.  Will probably be the last pair that I do that on. 

Anyway, they’ve been my commuting buds for the last week.  I’m halfway through the heel on the second sock.  I do like the yarn, it is easy to work with, doesn’t split like the Trekking did, and is perfect for commuting knitting as I don’t have to look at the needles, which is excellent for the new doodad sitting there amongst the socks.  A new 60gb Video iPod.  Sweet.  I bought myself a Mother’s Day present (oops need to get a picture of the lovely presents the monkeys made me at school – better than an iPod if you really ask me).  The 2gb nano really didn’t have enough space and well Nancy just got one.  I sat next to a fellow on the Path train who was watching videos and though it would be nifty. 
Oh is it.  I have oodles of tunes, 2 episodes of 24 (season 2), the season finale of Battlestar Galactica and a House episode on it.  I was soooo happy during my commute home, sock knitting in hand, iPod on leg, BG finale that I haven’t seen yet playing.  Oh boy I wished my commute was longer!  Being a real geek, everything but the BG was downloaded from my ReplayTV to my desktop computer, converted to iPod’s video format, and finally downloaded via iTunes to the pod.  Doesn’t get sweeter.  Right now the desktop is busy converting some Star Trek: Voyager for me.  We’re talking LARGE files (1.5gb for the 24 episode), an hour to download and another to convert.  The quickest piece is getting it on the iPod. 

Anyway.  I’m a happy geek.  Oh yeah, haven’t mentioned this before, but I got myself a laptop too. Unlike the bricks that I was getting from the old job, this is a tiny, fast machine.  Dude got herself a Dell.  An Inspiron 710m which weighs all of 4.5 lbs.  You can see how small it is as the iPod is resting on it.  I’m very pleased with it and use it to practice programming, as well as blog surfing   Toys good.

This past Sunday, Modern Yarn had a Mother’s Day sale.  I took my monkeys there and picked up some gorgeous Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk in a blue spruce color to knit the sweater in Wendy’s book.  The yarn was in the 40% off cubbies.  I’ll be going back there on Saturday with Deb for Wendy’s book signing.  Yay!  I’m also going to try to get to their weekly Stitch and Bitch on Thursday’s night.  I’d like to make one at least every other week.  Will be nice to get out of the house for something other than work (though having a work to go to is still a nice feeling!).

I’ll leave with a parting shot of the yarn I bought after reading other’s posts of MDSW, which I was okay not going to   I got two skeins of STR, some Cascade Fixation, Opal Petticoat and Fleece Artist Merino.  All but the STR are from Simply Socks Yarn Co,  a business I couldn’t recommend more.  Great products, excellent prices and super fast service.  I also joined Sundara’s Petal Collection – like I really need more yarn.  Oh and I got a Woolee Winder for the Majacraft Suzie, but I haven’t opened the box yet.  This weekend for sure!

That’s pretty much it for now. Hopefully the next post won’t be 2 weeks away.  I hope to squeeze more frequent updates in.

Craft on!

I’m not green with envy, but apparently my car is.  No, I haven’t been taking the thing off roading.  I could wash it every day and it would still look like this. In a sure fire sign of spring in these parts, we wake up to a green coating on the cars.  I affectionately call it the "scum coat".  Its just part of life every spring.  While tree pollen is still very high, I’m having a remarkably easy time of it allergy-wise for a change.  I am, however, taking Flonase this year.  I’ve not been this clear and misery free since before college.  Better living through chemistry!

In the green theme, yes this weekend is the MDS$W festival.  Yes I’m missing it.  But you know, I’m really okay with it.  I’m not green with jealousy of those who went either.  I would have liked to see old friends and maybe meet some new ones, but really, having just moved my stash, I don’t need anything.  Seriously I have no room to put anything, though there’s always room for some skeins of sock yarn.  But dude, that’s a long drive for sock yarn.  Especially when there’s the internet and I can buy online.  Oh yeah, just ordered some Opal Petticoat, Fleece Artist Merino and Cascade Fixation from SimplySockYarn.com

That’s not to say I didn’t see any blogging buddies today.  Au contraire.  Who’s this? You’re used to seeing this adorable boy over here on his mom’s blog.  That’s none other but the infamous Chappy!  He’s the sweetest, most well behaved dog that I’ve ever had the pleasure of being around.  Naturally we didn’t see Chappy all by himself. The twins and I met Deb and her delightful mother at a county park today where we walked, talked, ate and watched the twins play on the playground equipment.  Alex amazed me and walked the entire time, almost 2 hours worth of strolling, while Kat alternated between the stroller and her feet.  Joan took one for the team and suffered through holding the boy’s hand.  The contented look on her face with that small hand in hers belied the sacrifice   Other than the periodic fall on the walk (okay so I hit the boy with the stroller after he fell in front of it.. oh and clipped Kat in a similar fashion later on), it was a wonderful way to spend time.  The cloudy skies and spots of rain that we drove through to get to the park cleared when we arrived.  The weather became warm and sunny. 

The twins?  They had a blast.   See that stump in front of Deb in the above picture.  Here’s a better idea of its size.  The monkeys created their own tree fort!  They had me so totally amazed by their ability to climb all over the playground equipment, including a cargo net like ladder up to the second level.  When the hell did they learn to do that?  It was nice having another two sets of eyes with me to keep and eye on them.  There was a birthday party going on in the park picnic area right next to us and my kids kept wandering into it.  Kat especially.  Nosy little monster she is!  We got out of there just as they were filling up water balloons!  After almost 4 hours outside, they were asleep in the car before we hit the highway home and I transfered them to their beds when we got home.  They’re still napping. 

As always, I had a great time with Deb and her mom.  Just a shame my mom couldn’t join us to round it out.  Boating season has started so mom is out of play on sunny weekends until the fall when the boat comes out of the water.  They’ll be staying on the boat tonight.  Mom is looking forward to being able to sleep past 7am.  The monkeys are early risers, the boy especially.  Since the move  he has stopped climbing into my bed in the morning but has turned to his grandma instead.  Should be interesting to see what he does tomorrow morning.

Um, knitting blog right.  Well I have been working on the FBS.  I’m through 4 repeats and in the middle of the 5th now.  I found the difference between the pattern I have (Fiber Trends) and as originally published in IK.  The Fiber Trends provides for 3 different sizes (Shoulderette, Small Shawl, Large Shawl).  The IK version was the shoulderette.  I had planned on the small shawl version, but having seen the finished size of the IK version, I’m working towards that now.  I don’t need a huge shawl, just something to keep my shoulders and upper arms warm in case of aggressive air conditioning.  The shoulderette should really fit that bill.  I’m eager to see this finished and blocked.  The variegated yarn, while really pleasant, is hiding the "flower baskets".  Maybe it will look different blocked.  But as Deb and I discussed today, it isn’t such a bad thing.  It really is the colors that matter in this case and the FB’s are providing interesting texture, whether they are "recognizable" or not.  Regardless, it is a great pattern that I will be making again in a solid, maybe even the yarn I spun for it oh so many months ago!

Time to go relax with my knitting, wishing those in MD well.  Spend lots of green and get lots of good stuff!  Thanks again to Deb, Joan and Chappy for a wonderful outting.

Craft on!

There’s been a distinct lack of pictures around here recently, so I hope to make amends for that tonight.  I’ve done my requisite unpacking of a few boxes and am ready to relax for the evening.  It’s more than time to get onto a somewhat regular posting schedule.  So here goes.

The twins got to see nature up close and personal on Sunday.  Spring has definitely sprung in these parts and a pair of mallard ducks took up temporary residence on the pool cover.  They went to the far end to toss some bread to the ducks.  The monkeys are definitely enjoying living in a far larger place with more people to boss around.  We’re working into a bed time routine that some days works and others does not.  Sad too, as I had a beautiful routine before the move, it will just take some time to get them settled back down.

As I mentioned in my last post, the twins were down for a nap while I wrote.  My folks were out at a Power Squadron function and were gone all day.  The monkeys took a nice long 3 hour nap and were a bit slow to get up.  T
here were little bodies laying all about the place. 
Alex stumbled out of their room and plunked himself on the floor of my folks’ room.  While Kat never even made it out of their room.  She dropped on the floor about 3 feet from her bed.  Took them a good half hour to actually start moving about.  I think it was finally the promise of watching the DoodleBops that got them up.  Yup, settling in quite nicely.

It is also time for a picture of:  wait for it… KNITTING!  I’m making some nice progress on the Flower Basket Shawl.  I’ve done 4 repeats already and will probably go for the "small shawl" version and do 12 in total.  I have the Fiber Trends version of the pattern which gives directions for 3 different sizes in a variety of weights.  I do really like this pattern.  It is complicated enough to not be boring while not too complicated to make lousy commuting knitting.  Though I did put it away on the train tonight as I shared a Guinness with a travelling bud.  I didn’t think the two would mix very well.  As I wanted to get a picture of the budding shawl, I figured it was also time to see how the colors went with the actual dress.  Yes, I hadn’t checked it since the yarn was in the skein.  I’m thinking that they look quite well together.

I’ve added a couple of projects to the queue since the last regularly scheduled
post.  First and foremost is the new one from Bonne Marie, who is probably my favorite designer based on number of her patterns that I’ve actually knit and knit to completion!  Anyway, she’s got a new pattern out that would be perfect for Spring/Summer:  CeCe.  Isn’t it cute?  Best yet, I have all that Calmer in stash that I bought for NBaT (which never seems to perk its way to the top of the queu).  I’m thinking that color that I had to seriously search for way back in June 2005.

Also on the queue (which also means that the yarn has been purchased and is currently aging in stash) is a little sweater for my dear Kat.  It is Reid from the new Knitty.  I hate to admit it, but I honestly don’t remember what I ordered to knit this.  Though it is probably the Patons Grace in two shades of her favorite color:  pink.  Umm, the bag with the yarn is somewhere in a box in the garage.  I should find it soon.  Heck, I finally found my box of shoes two nights ago!  Anyway, the kid hates short sleeves and insists on wearing a sweater over one.  This little sweater should be perfect for her.

As a follow up on the job thing? Its still all good.  I got the email today that the VP was back in town and they’d like to see me again for a third interview.  I’m schedule for 10AM tomorrow morning.  I consulted with my friend who got me the temp gig and he walked away from that meeting last week with the same impression.  They are cobbling together a position for me.

That’s it for now.  Time to go get a few more things done and call it an early night.  Need my beauty sleep and all that

Craft on!