Random Eastern Weekend

This weekend we made the agonizingly boring trek to the eastern side of the state for a wedding reception.  5 hours each way; drove over Saturday morning and were on our way back by Sunday afternoon.  Other than the company of my darling husband, this has to be the.most.mind.numbing.drive. on the planet.  Except for maybe Death Valley in the middle of July.  This was like that except maybe fifty degrees cooler and we didn’t see any of those white cow skulls laying around. But we did see cows.  Since pretty much all we did was drive this weekend, there’s not much to say about it, but here’s some random photos from the last few days…..

I’ve seen plenty of cows in trailers, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen them in an actual pickup.  It just seems strange for some reason…..

Sunset on the river where the reception was held.  It’s so strange to me to see boats and water in a place that, for all intensive purposes, is a desert.  We were treated to a lovely warm night and a gorgeous early afternoon on Sunday.  It was so nice to see the sun and feel the warmth on my neck!

“It’s a small world after all…..”  We went all the way to the east side, just to run into someone from the west side!  This little guy is our doggie’s daddy!  They look so much alike it’s crazy.  Quite the coincidence.  They were having a Jack Russell show right next to the hotel we were staying in……

This sweetie was just *so* cute I had to take a photo!  I wanted to take them all home with me, but I’m afraid that would have gotten old in about 5 minutes.  Jacks are definitely a handful!  We’ve only got one and he’s more than enough of a challenge for me…..

Despite driving a good portion of the way on our return trip, I managed to finish my first square for Hokie Healing.  Knit from the Bolero on size 6 bamboo needles in the honeycomb stitch.  I found the yarn a bit splitty and fussy for working with in the car, but I do love the color combination and think the square turned out pretty nicely.  Unfortunately, it’s not *exactly* 8″ x 8″ (a bit on the small side) but hopefully they can use it as it’s only a small bit off and maybe someone else’s will be a bit bigger than 8″ and they can combine the two. 

Hope everyone in blogworld had a great weekend too!

Hokie Colors?

Yarns pictured with the cute new paper box I got at the Daiso Japan (basically a Japanese Dollar Store) that they just opened in our mall

Inspired by the Mosaic Yarn Shop’s drive to collect knitted & crocheted squares to make blankets for the families of the Virginia Tech tragedy, I looked through my pretty much non-existent stash for some yarn to make some squares with and found pretty much zip, zero, nada. So, as this supplied the perfect excuse, I took myself down to my LYS and did a little browsing. I had the list that Phyl put on her site for suggestions and found the Noro Iro right away. It jumped in my hand and then I walked around the shop, squeezing, pawing, and fondling until I’d found a few more choices. I kind of stuck to the “burnt orange” colors as I wasn’t too clear on the “maroon” color (was this one too red, that one too purple? How could I tell if I wasn’t even a Hokie?). As requested by Robin, here’s photos of what I got and the brands and color numbers.

Noro “Iro” – color #9
This was recommended on Phyl’s site & I used it as a jumping off point for comparing colors

Heirloom “Bolero” – color #873
(it’s less red and more orange in real life)

Laines Vacques Fonty “Antique” – color #20
(I think. Hard to tell which is shade # and which is dyelot)

Manos del Uruguay – color M (as in: MMMMmmmmm…..)
This was the only one I chose in the “maroon” color. I don’t know if it’s the right color, but it *is* yummy!

Hope this helps any of you other knitters who are looking for yarn to knit with for this project. Have fun – I know I will! I’ve got a long road trip coming up this weekend and I think I may just pop a couple of these into my bags to keep me entertained on the way….

Photo Friday – April 27, 2007

Warning: The following content may be unsuitable for those readers who have an acute sense of style. Viewer discretion is advised…

Second time as a bridesmaid – July 10, 1999

As promised, here is the second installment of my bridesmaid-themed Photo Fridays. Granted, this is not the most hideous dress ever (we could leave that distinction for pretty much any bridesmaid dress out of the 80’s instead), but it’s the most hideous I’ve ever had to wear. Farty. That’s all I can say. As in: old fart-y. The only reason I can see for a dress like this, is that the bride most likely did not want to have any competition whatsoever for male attention on the day of the wedding. Not that I can blame her. But still, there was no way I was going to wear this dress again (do brides really think that they can trick you into thinking you will so you won’t quail when the dress shop charges you a whopping $220 for a crappy rayon and lace nightmare?). Well, the only thing that gives me pleasure about this one, is thinking that the local Pullman, WA transvestite perhaps picked this little number up from the Goodwill I dropped it off at and is wearing it around town to do his (her?) grocery shopping. Hee Hee.

Hokie Healing – Pass It On!

I got an e-mail today from my knitty friend over at YarnCrawl telling me about Mosaic Yarn Shop’s blanket square drive for the families of the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy and I knew I just had to pass the word on!  They are collecting 8″x 8″ knitted or crocheted squares that will be sewn together at the shop to create comforting blankets for those families in mourning.  You can find more specifics here and here.  What a fantastic idea!  I can’t wait to help!  I hope anyone reading will consider helping out and passing this information on to the other knitters and crocheters they know.  Thank you for paying it forward…..

Knitting in the Park With Creepy Wall Paintings

~ Friday April 20

Number of caloric specialty coffee drinks purchased and imbibed – 1 (v.g.), number of times wondered if men on benches nearby were gay – 5 (v. bad of me), number of dodgy men in nearby vicinity – 3 (scary!!), number of dodgy men who felt compelled to ask how my day was going – 1 (v. bad & v. scary!), number of times felt very good about knitting in sunshine – 12 (hurrah!), number of creepy wall paintings by bathroom mistaken for real people – 1 (v. bad as had to use potty!).

Can you tell have just finished reading Bridget Jones?

Friday was lovely. Spent the day in the square down in a historic portion of our city near the waterfront, knitting happily in the sunshine while R. Darling kayaked (can’t go because of bum knee – booooo!).

This was the view from my bench. The big white screen is used to show movies at night during the summertime. Have always wanted to go, but just never seem to get around to it.

Just sitting down to get started, with obligatory fatty yummy sugary coffee drink to keep me company. I’m making the pink flower top hat from Susan B. Anderson’s Itty Bitty Hats for a friend who’s having a baby girl soon. It was the perfect project to bring: small, simple (rounds and rounds of stockinette with no need to count rounds, only measure), and it was the only thing I brought to occupy myself so it was the perfect way to make progress on something that really needs to get done! Somewhere halfway through the few hours I sat there, hubby called from “our park” (the one we got married at, pictured in April 13th’s Photo Friday posting) to say he was there and was thinking of me. So sweet!!

After a while, the coffee started to work and I thought about walking over to the public bathrooms. But from where I was sitting, I could see a shady looking guy standing right outside of them, so being the hyper-paranoid girl that I am, I decided I’d better wait until he left. I knitted. I waited. Things were starting to get uncomfortable. I knitted. I waited some more. Man, why is that guy still standing there after all this time? After about an hour when he was still standing there, I realized, rather sheepishly, that I had been staring at a wall painting the whole time. What’s even more sad – he’s fooled me before.

Here he is – creepy wall painting man himself….. Trust me – he looks pretty real from 100 yds away!

Here’s a few more photos from our historic little portion of town, one depicting how the area looked around the 1920’s, and a plaque that I’ve never really noticed before commemorating a building that must have stood on this spot at one point in time. I so wish I could have seen it before it was demolished!

By the time R. Darling phoned that he was loaded up and ready to pick me up, this is what I’d accomplished……

Not too shabby for a beautiful afternoon in the park…..

Photo Friday – April 20, 2007

Me hamming it up as a bridesmaid in a friend’s wedding – February 2002

If you had to choose just one photo that you could use to describe yourself completely, this would be my photo.  I mean, when there’s heart shaped confetti all over the table, how can they expect me to resist sticking it to my face?

Now that it’s about the time when a lot of gals are just about to become new brides (we’re actually going to a wedding reception next weekend) I started thinking about how many times I’ve been a bridesmaid.  Three times!  And three years apart for each (kind of a creepy coincidence).  If popular idioms were actually correct, i.e. “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride”, I shouldn’t even be married right now.  I’ve never even caught the bouquet!  The fact that I fought my way to the back of every clamoring girl-crowd is besides the point.  Anyway, in the spirit of the marriage season, the next few photos of the week will consist of me in my three different bridesmaid’s getups.  Just for fun.  Because, actually, I’ve been pretty lucky in that department.  Only one hideous number and even that one wasn’t too bad.  Stay tuned – I’ll post it next week!

BTW: This one was a dark blue tea length dress that was actually very pretty.  A sort of floaty, chiffony number.  But I didn’t think I’d ever wear it again so I gave it to a young friend of my parent’s who used it as a prom dress.  She could never have afforded a fancy dress with what her family earns, and she was ecstatic to have it.  It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside to make someone else so happy :)

No Margaritas Involved

There were absolutely no margaritas involved in the frogging of this sweater. Yep – zip, zero, nada. Can you believe it? I’m saving a pitcher full, all frothy and salty, for when I actually have to re-knit this sucker! It took me a while to pluck up the courage, but I finally did it and ripped back to where the sleeves were separated.

The front of my Textured Tunic this morning

 

Textured Tunic as of 6:15 PM this evening – R.I.P. (ripped & resting in peace)
That’s also my Lexie Barnes Makiko bag that I’m ridiculously proud of…..

 

Everyone else over at the Fitted Knits Along seems to be ridiculously prolific, and have shamed me into finally taking this sweater out of the knitting bag graveyard it’s been stuffed in for the past couple weeks and having another go at it. But before it gets to that, I must be properly prepared. S fire up the blender – it’s margarita time!!

Love & Flowers

Flowers R. Darling brought home for me on Sunday

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear.” ~ Chinese Proverb

Gnome News Is Good News

Image courtesy of Travelocity

This weekend was just not a knitting weekend for me. I wasn’t in the mood. It was one of those weekends where I just felt like laying (lying?) around reading and drinking coffee. So that’s what I did. I’d like to say I didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty about it, but I did.

But even if I didn’t knit, I did find something cool on the 2007 Knitalongs Site that I’m pretty excited about. It’s the Knitting Gnome Swap. What a great idea! Why didn’t I think about that? I wonder if it’s against the rules to take Mr. Gnome out drinking? If there’s Gnome blackmail he could be in trouble when he gets back home…..

How’s this for a coincidence – my elementary school (yes, the one where R. Darling and I met in the first grade….) mascot was a gnome! Can’t wait for this to start….

Knitty Mag-ness

So I went a little nuts in Barnes & Noble yesterday afternoon. Here’s what I came home with:

Knit ‘N Style, Knit Today (UK), Knitting (UK), Simply Knitting (UK)

I should probably just bite the bullet and subscribe to the British ones, but it gives me an excuse to get out of the house once in a while when the new ones come out. Otherwise I’m in serious danger of forgetting what the outside world looks like.

So here’s what I want to knit (as if I had time to start more projects!):

This one’s from Knit ‘N Style – made from Patons Grace which I think should be pretty cheap if I can find it. I think I would add waist decreases though….. Haven’t looked at the pattern yet to see if this would be possible. Of course the boxy shape could have its advantages. Going on 7 weeks of not working out (waiting to get my knee fixed), and I could use a little camouflage on the old buddha belly.

OMG! Gorgeous or what? It’s Noni – need I say more? (from Knit Today I think….)

Sweater from Lisa Shobhana Mason’s book Yarnplay. This one came from Knitting (sorry for the glare – I was too lazy to use the scanner today). Love this design!

This is so cute! I want to make it even though it’s almost the wrong time of year for it. From Simply Knitting.

I guess I’d better go finish a few things so I can make room for some new projects!

Photo Friday – April 13, 2007

Our Wedding Day – September 2004

Rusted Root Reprise

Rusted Root “The Beginning”: 04-09-07

All that’s left of poor Rusted Root Part I……

Well, Monday was the Day of the Frog here at my house. And the main victim of the day was poor Rusted Root. You can read a detailed description of my knitting crimes related to this pattern here, but suffice it to say, Rusted Root Part I was a definite loser. Too big, the wrong color, all that junk that leaves you so uninspired you find it easy to stuff it into your knitting bag and forget about it. Now that I’ve got something else stuffed in the knitting bag that I’m choosing to ignore because of the monkeying around I’m going to have to do to get it to fit right, I figured it was about time to resurrect the Rusted Root. I’d originally planned to knit Sahara for the SKC knitalong, but after doing a pattern readthrough, I decided it was perhaps a bit complicated for my knitiot’s mind and I just wasn’t in the mood. So, having knit approximately 2/3 of Rusted Root once already and knowing it was a quick and easy knit, I went back for some comfort. As it is almost spring now though, the candy apple Cotton Fleece I’d originally chosen seemed too fall-ish. I wanted something spring-y. So I swiped the Angora Soft I received on Saturday and had earmarked for Sahara, and it’s knitting up pretty nicely so far. This is what I’ve managed to complete to date (and I haven’t even cursed once since starting! My hair’s mostly intact too….):

It’s not much to look at yet, but it does soothe my soul….