One Crazy Fiber Lady

Yesterday was just awesome.¬† My new Joy arrived!¬† YAY.¬† No pictures of her yet, but she’s a very very gently used baby that came with 7 bobbins and was promptly pressed into business last night.¬† More on that later.

I was treated to quite a sight while on the ferry heading for Hoboken last night.  We rounded the southern tip of Manhattan and I spotted a fireboat spouting water.  What was the show for?  This:

Sorry for the iPhone photo, but it was quicker than digging for my regular camera.¬† That’s the Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 hanging out in the upper harbor between the Statue of Liberty and Governor’s Island.¬† Cool.¬† BIG Boat.¬†

As we headed up the Hudson for Hoboken, I spotted another fireboat spouting more water.  Much to my surprise, there was another big boat about:

This is the Queen Elizabeth 2.¬† I watched her directed next to her sister ship.¬† I think this is only the second time since the launch of the QM2 that they have both been in NYC.¬† It was definitely quite a sight.¬† Checking out their bridge webcams, they’re apparently on a tandem transatlantic voyage.¬† How cool is that?

I finished the first sleeve for Kauni on the train last night and picked up the second.¬† However, after consulting with the knitbuds at MY last night, I’m going to be ripping out the corrugated rib cuff and putting in a simple folded band.¬† Oh well.¬† Almost there.

What am I knitting now though?  Kauni is too big to schlep to work and I needed a mental break from patterning and charts so out comes some extra sock yarn to make Kat another pair.

This is some leftover STR in Firebird I think is the color.¬† I made a pair for myself, haven’t actually worked in the ends of it yet, but I did finish those while on vacation.¬† In June!¬† Never did photograph them either.¬† Slacker.¬† This is the sock i started while apple picking on Monday.

FInally, the most awesome bit.¬† How bout them Sox?¬† I was at MY last night, keeping an eye on the game via my phone.¬† I had planned on coming home early to watch it, but when it hit 5-0, I decided to avoid the pain and stay with the knitbuds.¬† I got home to find it 7-0 in the middle of the 7th.¬† While a small crazy part of me thought they could still pull it out, I was beginning to lose hope.¬† It was then that I started unpacking the box that held the Joy.¬† As I got the first bobbin out, Pedroia drove in the first run.¬† Then Big Papi’s bat woke up.¬† Joy indeed.¬† I spent the rest of the game sitting in my spinning chair hopeful and with Joy.¬† Dudes.

I’m looking forward to Game 6 which I’ll be watching after the festival on Saturday.¬† With Joy.¬† She’s good luck

See all those who are going tomorrow and Sunday.

Craft on!

PS…I just discovered that this post was never published.

The knitting is definitely the softer side of me.  It is the Yin to my technology Yang.   There are those projects where both sides get to meet though and Kauni is definitely one of those.  Most of the work of Kauni (except the actual knitting of course) was done with my good friend, MS Excel!

Remember this?

I remember being completely obsessed with this sweater around Rhinebeck-time last year.  I made quick progress, until the sleeves hit and then she sat.  Part of the problem is that I think its is coming out a little small:

Taken last night while ignoring the annoying debate.

I’m hoping a vigorous blocking with rectify the problem.¬† Though in discussing the sweater-to-be with Mom last night, I think the real reason why she sat for so long is that this project is a break for me and it is pushing my comfort zone.¬† I’m a pattern knitter.¬† I don’t make up stuff.¬† Yes, I’ve been known to modify a pattern here and there, but not like this.¬†¬† I’ve been dreading the cuff/hem/collar/button band design issue that I’ve put off working the sleeve.¬†

Well, no more:

I’ve decided not to break the mold and went with the corrugated rib cuff of the original pattern.¬† I looked at quite a number of Kauni sweaters on Ravelry last night and decided I really did like how it looked.¬† I’ve also decided that I won’t be using buttons, but frogs instead.

So there.

On more exciting news, my Joy is Out for Delivery according to UPS.  Yay.

Craft on!

First off, thanks to everyone for their compliments on T&C. ¬†I’m looking forward to wearing it this weekend. ¬†I got to wear it to work this morning as it was a bit cooler. ¬†Also, thank you for the commiseration on the allergies (better now) and the ankle (also better). ¬†Neither should hamper me this weekend, but you might find me limping a bit with no voice

Now that T&C is finished, I needed something else to knit.  While I fought with myself to cast on something else shiney and new, I knew it was time to finish some WIPs that were hanging about.  Anyone remember this one?

(Sorry JessaLu, didn’t notice my toes in the picture until I just uploaded it. ¬†Doh! ) ¬†I also need to apologize for the craptastic colors in this picture. ¬†I switched the high-hat lightbulbs in my room from standard flood to the compact fluorescent. ¬†The light isn’t quite as bright in my night darkened room, but I’m saving electricity. ¬†Down side is less than stellar photos. ¬†Can’t win them all can ya?

Anyway, I dug this sucker out of its bag last night and settled down with it as the Rays trounced my Sox. ¬†:( ¬†I made some decent progress. ¬†That stitch marker in the sleeve is approximately where I started last night. ¬†I toyed with cutting the arms off and making this a vest once again, but Jess talked me off that cliff. ¬†Thanks Jess. ¬†I’d forgotten how sheepy this yarn smells.

That’s it for today. ¬†Got lots to do at work.

Craft on!

Town and Country is done!

 

Please to ignore my closed eyes. This was the best of the pictures, believe it or not.

I finished the sewing bits last night while watching TV.  

We took the kids apple picking today, loaded up a few bags of fresh Empires and Red Delicious. ¬†Unfortunately while walking between trees with my apple picking pole, I stepped in a hole and twisted my ankle. ¬†Yes, the bad one. ¬†Sigh. ¬†Its not awful, but I’ll probably need to wear my brace ¬†next weekend, if not over the next week too. ¬†Anyway, when we got home at 4pm, I turned on the pre-game show, put ice on my ankle and pulled out T&C. ¬†I sewed on the last button as the Sox hit their third out in the bottom of the 9th. ¬†Game over on both. ¬†I gave it a steam blocking. ¬†Not entirely happy with the button bands, but the sweater does close and it fits well. ¬†

As I was putting it in the closet, I noticed a bit of a trend.  I must like this color:

 

The Oranges

From left to right, Town and Country, Minimalist Cardigan and Shaped V-Neck.  I think my next sweater needs to be a totally different color  

Still dealing with the allergies and a total lack of voice so I’m going to call it an early night. ¬†Must find a good train project for tomorrow though I did start a pair of socks for Kat in the car on the way to the orchard.

And for those that laughed when I posted back in September about this being my Rhinebeck sweater:  nyah nyah nah nah nah

Craft on!

…is to admit you have a problem. ¬†Well I think I have a problem. ¬†Not sure, maybe you can confirm for me. ¬†I was looking for a skein of yarn. ¬†I got an email that references a cashmere cowl and remembered that I picked up a skein of the stuff somewhat recently at MY. ¬†So I went hunting for it in the recent purchases stash which lives in my bedroom. ¬†Let’s ignore for a moment that I haven’t found it yet. ¬†It’s here. ¬†Somewhere. ¬†I’m not overly concerned about not being able to find it yet as I got distracted by what I did find. ¬†6 skeins of Lorna’s Shepherd Worsted in a lovely dusky purple color that according to the bag and the receipt, I bought at MY on 3/27/08. Sounds good right? ¬†Here’s the problem, not only don’t I have a clue WHY I bought it (beyond it being nice), I don’t even remember buying it.¬†

Sigh. ¬†I’ve now checked my ravelry queue, my amazon purchase history and my blog for a clue as to why. ¬†Nuthin’. ¬†I can find good uses for it for sure, but I’m pretty sure I bought that much yarn with a particular sweater in mind. ¬†Oh well. ¬†

I apparently missed my blogiversary again this year ¬†Even with the ¬†countdown thing! ¬†It was yesterday. ¬†I never remember exactly, but I do remember starting right around the twin’s 1st birthday. ¬†Just never sure if it was before or after. ¬†It’s after. ¬†Makes it four years I’ve been at this because the twins are now FIVE! ¬†I don’t believe it either.

Unfortunately their birthday coincided with Yom Kippur this year. ¬†Probably won’t be the last time. ¬†My sister, who is late September, has had it happen too, either that or Rosh Hashanah. ¬†Didn’t stop the twins from having a good 5th birthday. ¬†

We had their birthday party with the little classmates at Little Scoops in Closter today.  Awesome place.  We went to a party this past March (hmm right around the time of the mystery yarn purchase) and I was mightily impressed with the place.  There are entertainment hosts who lead the kids through games, dances and other assorted activities.  Here the twins were put in the center of a parachute along with a couple of small beach balls.  The other kids then grabbed along the edges and flapped the chute bouncing the balls all around the twins.  It was really cute.

There’s pizza for lunch which is followed by ice cream sundaes that the kids make. ¬†

The birthday kids get to put their hand prints on the wall which are then name/dated.

Everyone had a good time. ¬†Including the mommies. ¬†Because of the entertainment directors, the mommies don’t really have to be involved in it and can socialize amongst each other. ¬†Gave me a chance to meet a new batch of mommies as just about all the kids they were in the class last year have moved onto kindergarten this year. ¬†

I got a big surprise a few weeks ago when I found out that I knew one of the mommies. ¬†She and I were roommates in the hospital during my long bed-rest stay there. ¬†I think I mentioned in the past (maybe i didn’t) but I spent 8.5 weeks on hospitalized bedrest from 26 – 34+ weeks. ¬†Well during that time A was newly pregnant and having awful¬†morning-sickness and wound up hospitalized for about a week. ¬†We hit it off really well. ¬†She came to the bris and baby-naming and unfortunately that was the last time we saw each other. ¬†We met again one day as we were dropping the kids off. ¬†It was cool. Her daughter and the twins will probably spend the next two years together in school. ¬†Small world eh?

Hmm, what else? ¬†Oh yeah, spinning. ¬†I’ve updated my wheel roundup page as there is a coming change in the herd of wheels. ¬†I’m selling the Majacraft Suzie Pro and buying an Ashford Joy. ¬†Nothing wrong with Suzie. ¬†She’s a very nice all purpose wheel, except I have a few all purpose wheels. ¬†What I really need is a good portable wheel that might just fold up small enough that I can tuck in the small closet in the forward cabin of the boat thereby letting me spin on the boat. ¬†I know there are others out there and I’ve owned the other choices ¬†I thought about another Journey Wheel, but just can justify the cash outlay that one calls for, especially since Deb doesn’t want to sell hers back to me ¬†I had the Victoria and just wasn’t impressed with it. ¬†Maybe it was because I had an early model, but my tension knob never stayed in. ¬†Made me nuts. ¬†And well the Gem and I never got along for more than a few minutes. ¬†Her treadling bothered my bum ankle. ¬†So, Joy it is. ¬†I bought a used ST off the spin-sales list the day after I sold the Suzie there. ¬†It should hopefully be here before Rhinebeck. ¬†Fingers crossed, if not Bug gets to go.

Speaking of Rhinebeck. ¬†Here’s a slightly out of date photo:

I took this on the 6th when I finished the knitting on T&C. ¬†On Monday, I started the awful process that I truly dislike of sewing the thing together. ¬†Well, a week later, I have half of it done. ¬†I really should get to work on it now. ¬†Ugh. ¬†Hates it. ¬†Love sweaters though. ¬†Hates sewing. Hates it. ¬†If I were to make this again, I’d revise it so it was in the round like FLAK or Celtic Dreams. ¬†No more sewing in dopey saddle shoulders. ¬†

Anyway, tired, feeling ucky thanks to some post nasal drip that is making a mess out of my throat and looking forward to a holiday off tomorrow.  We probably going to take the twins apple picking like we did last year.

Craft on!

…. so very close…

You can see the one on the left is just thiiiiis much shorter than the one on the right.  I made some astounding progress on it yesterday.  This sucker is going down today.  Which leaves, seaming, collar, button bands and picking n sewing on of buttons.  Almost indeed.  I seriously loves it.

Yesterday I had one of the rare days when I was able to go shopping by myself.  Let me repeat that.  BY. MYSELF.  Neither kid wanted to come along.  I know I mentioned on Saturday that the stores in my county are closed on Sunday, but the county over threw off their blue laws ages ago.  We all schlep over to shop there.  Not that terribly far as the southern end of my town borders the river, which is also the county border.  And for perspective, the town is only 4 sq miles or so.

So anyway, yesterday, both kids opted to stay home which left me footlose and fancy free.¬† I wanted to get over to Michaels to take advantage of a sale on Patons Classic Merino.¬† I’d decided that this year’s teacher gifts are slightly larger booga bags [ravelry link].¬†¬† I spotted the new Lion Brand Wool while I was there and picked up a mix of both the Patons and the Wool to use to make two bags.¬† They’re up in the queue soon after finishing T&C.¬† I still need to make the twins hats/mittens/scarves first though.

I also reallly realllly realllllly want to make this:

That’s Yank by one of my most favorite designers, Bonne Marie.¬† While I’d love to use the Pastaza that Bonne used in the original, I couldn’t justify laying out the bucks for that much of it.¬† I did find that I had some Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran in stash but the note in Ravelry says I bought it for Juno and I didn’t like the color for this project.¬† Good thing I put the note in it though as I couldn’t remember from looking at the picture the why.¬†¬†¬† I picked up the LB Wool in a dark navy blue at Michaels.¬† It is a 4st” on US8, just a smidge smaller than the 4st” on US9 that the Pastaza is but I think it will work.¬† I’ll have to swatch it.¬† It won’t go to waste as I could always do one of the other sweaters in Fine Fleece with it.

When I got home (after getting lost in Clifton having made a wrong turn on the back roads), we had a quick lunch and then took the kids over to the open house at the local fire company.  They got to see what the inside of a house is like when there is a fire.  They crawled around in theatrical smoke trying to get from the entrance door to the balcony where a fireman awaited at the bottom of a pullout ladder.  Then came the fresh made donuts and apple cider from a local farm (which is sadly going out of business).  Up next was a short film on fire safety which culminated in a ride around town on the fire engine with lights and sirens running!!  Dad was sitting up front in the cab while the twins, mom and I sat in the middle seats facing rear.  The back of the truck was filled with kids.  We even went down our block!  The kids loved it.  After we got back to the stationhouse, the kids got balloons and played on and around equipment with their friends, whose father is on the squad.

A good time was had by all and the weather was just lovely for it.

Craft on!

There are polls turning up everywhere. ¬†I just took one online at the last place I expected: ¬†Dominos. ¬†Yeah, I know they aren’t the best pizza place around, but they’re convenient, reliable and I can order online with my credit card. ¬†Yeah, the folks are out tonight so I’m fending for the kids. ¬†Yes I’m essentially lazy and I hate cooking. ¬†I can cook, witness that I did survive out of the house for 16 years (2 of em with the kids) and didn’t only subsist on takeout. ¬†Seeing as I only have to provide food for them once every couple of weeks, pizza just fits the bill. ¬†

Whatever.

So yeah, I placed the order and got the confirmation screen and saw a poll.  Here are the results.

Keep in mind that Jersey is generally a very blue state.  Looks good to me!!

Anyway.. I’m still knitting away on T&C, didn’t get much time today as Saturday is the only shopping day around here. ¬†Bergen County still has blue laws that close stores down entirely or limit what they can sell on a Sunday. ¬†Annoys me no end, but apparently the residents of Paramus want a day without traffic. ¬†They still suck and I makes Sat a very VERY crowded shopping day. ¬†We hit only two stores but that took up the whole day. ¬†Party City for the kids’ halloween costumes. ¬†Kat is going to be a Spanish Princess and Alex selected at Clone Trooper with blaster gun. ¬†Awesome. ¬†Next up was 2 hours spent at BJ’s where amongst other things, I got me this:

I got some strange looks as I wandered through my North Jersey BJ’s wearing this! Though I wasn’t alone, there was a feller in one of them Red Sox windbreakers and blue baseball hat. ¬†Awesome! ¬†I’m so wearing it for tomorrow night’s Game 3. ¬†

Go Sox!

I might just make it. ¬†What’s this part of T&C sitting on my leg this morning?

Is it that pesky sleeve I showed last post?

Nope!  Finished that sucker during the day/night double header on Sunday.

Is it the second sleeve?  

Nope! ¬†After casting that on immediately after finishing the first, I took it all around with me over the last couple of days, including a picnic with the kids while celebrating the new year (L’Shanah Tovah to you)

Oh and yeah, I finished it during the debate last night (we’ll get back to that in a minute). ¬†I took this shot on the ferry yesterday.

You can see how close I was to finishing it I was.  Sadly I got stuck at work pretty late yesterday trying to fix a major production problem and had to skip not only lunch with Kim but also SnB.

So what is it? ¬†The last remaining large piece to be knit. ¬†The other front!! ¬†I’m so getting this sweater done. ¬†Oh holy hell, I just tempted the knitting goddess. ¬†I forgot about the whole sewing it together, knitting the collar and button bands, and oh yeah, I don’t have any buttons yet to even think about sewing on. ¬†

Now, back to the debate. ¬†I rarely (if ever) go into politics here. ¬†However this election has me so engrossed to a level I’ve never been before. ¬†Maybe because this election is more important than ever before. ¬†I think McCain’s picking of Palin is a petulant and irresponsible act. ¬†Her performance during debate last night further strengthened my belief that they are just the wrong choice. ¬†And in her honor, I donoted to Planned Parenthood.

I won’t go into everything that pisses me off about the ticket and why I wanted to smack her. ¬†All I’ll say is that I fell in love with Biden last night when he finally called McCain-Palin on this maverick business and slammed her on the looking to the past. ¬†Obama has my vote.

I’ll leave you with a moment of zen:

Craft on!