Got my new PC!!

My new pc was delivered today!!! Unfortunately it came around 3pm. Was hoping to have more time to play. I am glad I took the day off since it required a signature, I didn't know that when I placed the order, but do understand.

Its not even that high tech in terms of technology nowsdays. Actually it was released in 2010. But, its so much faster than the old one! I'm so excited!!

Trying to get used to the new keyboard. I actually put my old mouse back on right away because the one that came with it sucked. The mouse I had on my old pc was a logitech upgrade. May be going back to the old keyboard too or investing in a new one, we'll have to see how it goes :o)

Got my new pc!

My new pc was delivered today!!! Unfortunately it came around 3pm. Was hoping to have more time to play. I am glad I took the day off since it required a signature, I didn't know that when I placed the order, but do understand.

Its not even that high tech in terms of technology nowsdays. Actually it was released in 2010. But, its so much faster than the old one! I'm so excited!!

Trying to get used to the new keyboard. I actually put my old mouse back on right away because the one that came with it sucked. The mouse I had on my old pc was a logitech upgrade. May be going back to the old keyboard too or investing in a new one, we'll have to see how it goes :o)

Its snowing ... again

More snow today. Just when it was almost melted! I cannot wait for Spring to come! I am tired of being cold and it being dark out.

My sweater lives. Last night I seamed up the shoulders and picked up stitches for the neck. I told myself before I started to make sure I wasn't doing the neck backwards and lo and behond ... I promptly picked up the stitches inside out and backwards, as usual. So I ripped it out, tried again ... them realized, duh, I was doing what I usually do, so I reversed it and viola, it was right, LOL! There are certain things that I just will never get right. Once I picked up the stitches correctly and started several rounds for the neck I stepped back to view my work and it looks awesome! I can't wait to finish this project.

I did not block the final pieces ... because the pattern says block according to manufacturers instruction ... well there are none on the ball band, or on their website and since the yarn is a wool/acrylic blend and I am not an expert at blocking, I am not doing it. The pieces are ribbed and flat, I had no problem seaming the shoulders so we'll see how the rest of the seaming works out.

No Sleep = Different Perspective

I worked my part-time job this weekend, third shift, and realized that lack of sleep and being stuck in a room for hours by yourself gives you a much different perspective in life. Luckily I am able to watch TV (otherwise I am sure I would fall asleep since I can't leave the room unattended unless security or maintenance come) and I was watching Law & Order - a show I never watched before. I was cracking up because there are two cops and in each episode its always the same way, while they are interviewing witnesses or perpetrators or victims, one cop has some form of an expression of incredulity, while the other has a blank, almost lobotomized appearance. I don’t think I would have found this half as funny or even noticed the hilarity of it had I been fully alert.

I got my shipment from The Unique Sheep a week or two ago and started winding the yarn the other day. I do not own a swift and ball winder, and why I thought this would go well, I don't know. I started winding on the couch with the hank draped over my lap and it was going ok. Then it started tangling up, so I put it on the back of a chair and kept winding. Towards the end there was a tangled mess, but most was already wound in the ball, so I put it aside because I was getting frustrated and nothing is worse then being irritated and trying to untangle yarn. I took it to work with me figuring I have nothing better to do for eight hours and I was able to untangle it rather quickly and patiently while I was there. So here's the ball of yarn, lovely colors, can't wait to start my socks.



I was thinking of quitting this part-time job since I got it to buy a house, which we've done and that took care of the downpayment and other associated expenses ... until I got the utility bill this month. Looks like we need to seriously investigate our usage of gas or I have to keep this job, LOL! I also realized that I really need to commit to refraining from buying yarn for a while. I think I can do this since I pulled my stash out of storage and can see it now ... I can go shopping in my stash when I get the urge, plus I've got serveral projects lined up that will take me months to complete anyway. It also helps that I signed up for the sock yarn club, so I can get something new in the mail every other month too.

Finishing up old projects to make way for new

I am happy to say that I finally found a skein of the yarn I needed to complete my Quidditch Sweater. I started this sweater during a Harry Potter knits class, using the book Charmed Knits. The class went for a month I think, it was back in October of 2007. I started the sweater there ... and then it sat in a bag for several months. The sweater is done in 2x2 ribbing and it is oh so boring at the beginning! Its worsted weight yarn, so it does go pretty quickly, but at the beginning I was seeing no real progress, so it was put aside. I picked it back up at some point ... I really don't even remember when and was then starting to see real progress. So I knit, and knit and knit and then ... ran out of yarn for the contrasting color! So I went to the yarn shop I usually frequent and they were all out. I went to another yarn shop after we moved that's near where we live now and they didn't carry much. So I called another one that is close to where I work and alas, she told me on the phone she had one skein, I said that's all I need, please hold it aside. And so my sweater knitting started again the other day and its almost complete! I will be so happy once its all seamed up because I will probably get to wear it before winter is over. I am half way through the decreases for the sleeve cap, so it shouldn't be long now.

Also, in the bag that this sweater was in, I found the gloves I was making for a friend. So I can finish those up now. When we moved I lost track of a lot of works in progress.

Of course I have plenty of yarn and ideas for my stash to start all kinds of new projects, but I am going to try and finish up a few things before I start anything new (excluding socks of course).

After the sweater and gloves, I also have a cabled scarf, a hooded scarf and what I like to refer to as the Faux Dr. Who scarf. In addition is a Christmas stocking, baby blanket and drawstring bag on the needles. So, once I get all of those done, I can start working on some new projects ... and hopefully only start one or two at a time so that I don't end up with so many unfinished projects on the needles at the same time again!

We are enjoying our new house immensely! Now its time to try and figure out what colors and decorating style I want to go with. I picked up a few magazines today to get some ideas rolling around in my head. I of course know what colors I like ... doesn't mean they belong on walls, hahaha!!

Funny, I was feeling a little out of sorts and creeped out ... like something was missing. Once I took 1/4 of my stash out of tubs and bags and displayed it in a bookcase and got my UFOs out where I can see and get to them ... aaahhh ... relief washed over me, LOL!

One month down ... 11 more to go ...

I can't believe that its February already! I would ask where January went ... but I know where it went!! We moved into our new house with a few days left in December and then a week or two after found a buyer for my mom's mobile home that we were renting for the last few years. So we spent January cleaning it up and moving the rest of our stuff out frantically because there was a buyer and we had to get everything out (well we really should have had it out within a month anyway, but time disappears before you know it).


Now that that issue is finally behind us we can move (no pun intended) on with our lives in our new house and finish unpacking everything!!


I am planning on participating in the Year in a Blanket group on Ravelry, but have yet to complete my January square because of the moving. I think I have decided that I will knit the blanket in Berroco Comfort Worsted Weight because its machine washable, affordable and comes in a wide range of colors (its soft and squishy too). Now I just have to decide on the colors. I found a great dishcloth pattern of a house that I wanted to do for January to symbolize our purchasing our first home.


My Vinnland socks are coming along nicely and I figured out how to work with the two skeins of yarn and not get them tangled on the cables of the needles while I am doing two socks at a time on two circulars.

This is a picture of a scarf I have had on the needles for far too long and it has since at least tripled in length. I decided that I wanted a hat ... most likely for next winter since its now February, LOL! But wanted something to go with my winter coat and this scarf. The pattern calls for a different yarn and I substituted Ultra Alpaca from Berocco. The pattern suggests a length of 70" for this scarf ... I am only 5'2" so that's really not necessary for me. I am on the 2nd of 3 balls of yarn, at this point I am going to pause knitting the scarf (its been on the needles for over a year anyway, LOL!) and I am going to make a hat out of the 3rd ball of yarn, then finish the scarf and incorporate whatever is left over from the hat into the end of the scarf. This way I use up all the yarn and my hat and scarf will match.



I ordered some yarn from Knit Picks and The Loopy Ewe recently, will post photos soon ... didn't I say I wasn't buying any yarn since we bought the house?!?! Did I mention that I have no self discipline too?!?! Hey, at least I have a good excuse ... I work part-time (in addition to full time) and have for a year now so that we could buy the house, so I think I deserve little rewards now and then!

Back to Blogging

I recently started using my MP3 player for what it was actually intended for. The model that I got actually doubles as a flash drive, which is why I picked it. I used to have a flash drive, though it was a measly 128KB ... and it was so small that I lost it at some point and have no idea where it went. So I picked up this MP3 player that is also a 1GB flash drive. I downloaded some knitting podcasts the other day and I am SO ADDICTED! I love them. I listed to them at work, in the car and at home while doing housework. I tried a few different sites, some, which are no longer currently casting anyway, but found two that I really enjoy.

The first is The Knit Picks podcast with Kelly Petkun. Kelly is fabulous to listen to, she has a great speaking voice and is sure to vary her tone so its easy to listen to her. She mostly discusses knitting related things, but there are a few casts where she will discuss a trip she recently went on (with knitting too of course). Most of the places she goes to are places I would like to visit someday, so I love hearing about them and her reviews are worthy of being an excerpt from a novel, I feel like I am listening to a book on tape sometimes.

The other podcast that I enjoy is Sticks and String with David. He talks about knitting and some other things, one of the recent casts was about the "T" word and it was brilliant. You have to check out the cast to find out what the word is :o) David is from Australia so there's also that awesome accent to listen to as well! G'Day Mate.

One of my goals for 2009 is to blog more ... and about more interesting topics. I usually blog like I am making a grocery list, not like I am talking to a friend. I am going to try and brush up my writing skills ... I actually have quite a vocabulary when I speak, but it doesn't come out in my writing, LOL!

2009 will be a year of stash busting for me. We bought a house late in December and I said that I wouldn't buy any yarn until I had gone through my stash ... for obviously reasons ... like I'd like to keep the house! I went a little crazy in October and November hoarding yarn balls like a squirrel hoards nuts in preparation for winter. Because of this though, I feel confident that I can keep up with this commitment and not end up in a straightjacket and padded room involuntarily in a few weeks. There are some areas where I am allowed to buy yarn ... for the sake of my sanity. I do work a part time job in addition to my full time job, so I do deserve a thrill every now that then :o) I have one project that I can buy yarn for - A Year in a Blanket. I have been thinking about this and I think for my budget I will do this in Berocco Comfort, which is affordable, easy to care for and comes in a wide range of colors. My thought was to do each square in a different color, so I will have to buy a skein a month, but that’s OK. The point is to keep my yarn buying under control and reasonable … not necessarily to stop it completely.

I did have the foresight to see this stash busting – no yarn buying – as a potential mental health hazard for me and so last Fall I joined a sock yarn club that starts shipping in February and consists of a shipment every other month for the year. And to boot … its got a nerdy, sci-fi geek theme! The Lord of the Rings sock club from The Unique Sheep is now closed, but details are here.

It snowed quite a bit today here in New England and I found something out about anti-lock breaks … while the concept in theory is a good one, and I am sure they work very well in many situations, they do not, however, work so great in one particular situation. Here are the facts: very steep decline, snowy road, red light = sliding perilously while stomping on the break pedal hoping that the person who has the green arrow to turn in front of you sees that you are not stopping, though you are trying. Luckily this person did indeed see that I was not stopping and was not inclined to cross the nearly fatal path of death in front of my truck.

And now back to your regular scheduled knitting update. While I was working my part-time job this weekend, which consists mostly of having to stay awake overnight, I made a short list of things I learned in 2008, things I want to learn in 2009 and projects that I want to complete that could have been started in ’06, ’07 or ’08.

Things I learned in 2008
Fair Isle
2 socks at the same time
Continental Knitting (this could have been ’07)
Seaming and Finishing

Techniques I want to learn in 2009
Slip Stitch
Knitting with Beads
Lace Shawl

Projects to Finish
Hooded Scarf
Faux Dr. Who Scarf
Afghan
Tank Top
Mitered Mittens
Christmas Stocking

I finished my socks this weekend and just have to cast off the second sock and weave in all the ends. Once complete I will post photos and the pattern that I came up with to use up some left over sock yarn.

Thank you and goodnight!!

Home Sweet Home

I can't believe its 2009 already! We finally closed on our house the day after Christmas ... and because of that my knitting has not been a daily habit as of late. We actually appreciate the beauty of snow now that we have some land to enjoy it on. Before snow was just a serious pain because we had to remove it from our driveway and had nowhere to put it because there was no land between units where we used to live.



Nikoh is enjoying the new house and getting into all of his usual trouble!

I am now getting back into the groove and knitting is starting up again. I was trying to finish my Quidditch sweater before we moved, but I ran out of yarn! I was on the second sleeve, on the stripe and ran out with two rows to go. So I am waiting for my LYS to find that color for me ... its grey and they were all out ... weird.

Right now I am trying to finish up a pair of socks for my friend. Its my own pattern, so once its complete I will post it. Its great for using up some left over yarn, I am usually left with about 1/2 a skein when I make a pair of socks.

We got cable hooked up this week, but the technician forgot his drill so he could not install a new connection in my computer room ... so I am sitting on my living room floor where my desktop currently is! I have to call them and have them send someone out again ... not my fault he doesn't remember his tools!!

A new project for this year will be a year in a blanket. There is a group on Ravelry. Since we moved into our house the beginning of the year, the first block I do will be a house. I think I found a great dishcloth pattern that will work well for that.

A friend's boy will be two next month and I had a pattern and yarn to make him a sweater ... I think I got yarn to make size 4-6 though to make sure that he would get some use out of it!! Plus I didn't know when I would actually finish it!! Who knows ... might be for his third birthday, hahaha!

Well I should close for now, have more boxes to go through and put things away!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I finished the socks for my MIL way earlier than I anticipated so I gave them to her today instead of for Christmas. They came out really well.

I have bought about 6 sock yarns in the last few weeks, so tomorrow while its daylight out I will get pics and update my stash on Ravelry. I am waiting for 2 more from The Loopy Ewe that I ordered earlier this week, so maybe I'll get a surprise in the mail too, LOL!

I am working on some really cool socks "Jack Sparrow's Favorite Socks" when they are done I'll post photos. Its the coolest pattern for easy fair isle. I modified the sock pattern a bit and did the short row heel by Priscilla Wild, which is awesome, no wraps, no yarn overs. It can be found on youtube as a video or in written form in this pattern.

I am also working on some socks for my friend using up some leftover yarn and if it comes out succesful I will write the pattern and post it.

Its that time of year again

That time of year past the point of no return for all those gifts I planned on making for the holidays. Its already 1/2 way through October!! I do have some things that I MUST finish for this year.

1. Diane's Gloves - Preferably really soon since I need to ship them overseas. This is an old 1940s pattern that I am doing. The yarn is Knit Picks Essentials in Pumpkin. I actually have a bit more than this done, but haven't taken a new photo.

2. Marion's Socks - These should go fairly quickly, I am using self patterning yarn so I am just going to knit them in stockinette.

3. Mom's Scarf - Chunky yarn, so should go pretty quickly too.

I think that's all I am going to try and accomplish for this holiday season. Anything else that gets done will be a bonus!

Aside from those things I also have plenty of others on the needles that I would like to finish up this year.:

1. Tank Top - Started in summer of 07 ... so now two summers have gone by and I haven't finished it to wear yet.

2. Blanket - Started in Sept. 06. This was the first knitting project I started. Would like to actually be able to use it, haha.

3. Reversible Cable Scarf - I don't remember when I started this one. Its coming along, something I knit watching TV.

4. Art Yarns Socks - Worsted weight socks. I think I have to redo the heel, didn't like how it came out.

Ahhh so many projects and so little time!!

Learning new things

I'm learning a lot of new things ... some I would rather not know. Although it really hasn't been that much that's gone wrong with us trying to buy a house, but there are so many papers to collect and sign and checks to write and appointments and blah, blah, blah. This is a short sale, so at this point we've done all we can and now its up to the current mortgaging bank to approve of the sale.

Anyway, on to other learning, I am taking a class on fair isle knitting. And I'll have a new stocking to hang in my (hopefully) new house this year!!



While I was at the yarn store I picked up some of the new Harry Potter yarn, colorway "Tonks".

WIPs, WIPs and MORE WIPs

At what point does a WIP (work in progress) become a UFO (unfinished object)? I wonder this sometimes, I guess once you decide you are not going to finish it and use the yarn for something else its a UFO? I like to think of them all as WIPs because generall what I don't plan on finishing I rip out, LOL!

I am doing well on my 2 socks on 2 circulars, I am past the heel and am working on the gussett decreases at the moment, they are really coming along nicely. I do like this method and even took them with me today to a big family outing that was at a banquet center with softball, mini golf, etc. so it was a causal place I got to sit outside at a picnic table and knit for a while.

I pulled out my WIP bag which is a large plastic linen storage bag and saw some yarn I got for a scarf that I totally forgot about, LOL! I really need to make some sort of list or something of the projects that I want to do and where the patterns are. I do keep a 3-ring binder with working copies (or the original if it came alone) in there with things that I want to do in the future, but sometimes I see things in magazines and don't want to bother copying the pattern at this time since I won't be working on it right away anyway ...and buy the yarn and stash it and then forget about it, hahaha! How do you keep your patterns and future projects organized??

I have several things on the needles at the moment that I want to get finished up soon so that I can finish up some things for Christmas and gifts.

1. Yarn Smackdown socks - Hopefully I can get these finished before I get killed, LOL!
2. Diane's Gloves - Vintage 1940s pattern that had me guessing a few times. I have one glove almost done.
3. Derek's Scarf - started last winter, would be nice to finish before this winter!
4. Mom's Scarf - also started last winter.
5. Marion Socks - Socks for my MIL, want to complete for Christmas.
6. Quidditch Sweater - for myself, would like to finish so I can wear it this year.
7. Alpaca Scarf - something I wanted to try using two strands of yarn.
8. Drawstring bag - Just something to work on for fun with Meditation yarn.
9. Reversible Cable Scarf - in Ultra Alpaca for myself.
10. Panda Cotton Socks
11. Peppermint Twist Socks
12. Art Yarns Socks

And lets not mention the many skeins of yarn I have stashed for various other projects, hahahaha!!

I am going to try and finish whatever is on needles at the moment before starting anything new unless its for a class. Then I can start on the other projects that I have yarn set aside for!

Life and Knitting

I was at the yarn store today for my 2 socks on 2 circulars class and I got the new Hiya Hiya sock needles. I am LOVING THEM!!! There's no switching needles like in magic loop where you come to the end and need to pull the needle out to continue, its just one continuous loop!

My two socks are coming out great. I am done one heel flap on the first one and started the second one. I really do like the method, its great to know that the socks will be done at the same time.

We saw the most amazing rainbow the other day, the photos don't do it justice, but it was amazing!

Busy, busy, busy

I've been very busy working extra hours and doing other stuff to save up money to move. We met with the agent we work with to see houses to list out mobile home to get more exposure and hopefully sell it soon, selling it will make up the difference of what we need to move. My mom owns it, but hasn't lived here for years and doesn't want to, so she'll give us any money from the sale.

On the knitting front, I think I am going to rip out the Rivendell socks that I started, I do not like the yarn for this pattern, its obscuring it too much ... and what's the point of a lovely pattern if you cannot see it?!?! So I started another sock in the Eclectic Sole book with some other yarn and I think that's working out great.

The yarn is Ranco by Araucania in Multi. I originally got this because I liked the colors and had something else for the Hypnosis pattern, but while I was going through my stash, I though this would work very well for this pattern.

So far so good. Here's a close up of the leg, hard to see the pattern stitches without blocking, but its coming out good.

I think I am going to take a sock class at my local yarn store that starts tomorrow. I took two socks on one circular before and just never got the hang of it, they are doing that class again, but I am going to try two socks on two circulars this time and see if it works out better. I am not sure what pattern and yarn I am going to use so I am going to bring a few things with me and see what I feel like tomorrow.

I am woring on some gloves for my friend and had trouble with the thumb. The pattern stitch is a 2x2 offset so the stitches look like they are going diagonal. When I get to the thumb increases it throws the pattern stitches off on the thumb ... don't know how they got it to work and its an old pattern from the 40's so there is little in the way of instruction or notes. I am going to bring that with me tomorrow and see if I can get some help.

Not much news on the knitting front at the moment. Our echinacea is blooming nicely though. I got a few photos including some baby bees!





I am still working on my Firestarter socks and will finish those for July. I also started some gloves for my friend in England so that they'll be done by Winter. I started the ribbing but think I will cast on again, one stitch didn't cast on right and its noticable now. Will post photos of that once I get some done.

I am taking a class at my local yarn store this Tuesday on designing your own socks.

Ever think you're a Rock Star?

Sometimes I think I am a Rock Star and I hit the bottle - or bottles in this case a little too hard ... usually this is done on a week night, so I inevitably have to go to work the next day. I am also very friendly with by boss ... which means I called her last night half way through my Rock Stardom ... which means I REALLY have to go to work the next day or else try and come up with a better excuse than having a hangover.

Well I made it through half the day, albeit very painful and will have to make up a few hours this weekend.

I plan on going to the yarn store tomorrow morning to see the ladies from the knitting group there. I also hope to drum up some business for my Mary Kay business while I am there. Then in the evening I have a Skin Care Class scheduled.

That's about it for me, its been a long and painful day.

Its a Rainy, Sticky, Humid Day ...

And what better way to spend it than working on some socks! I haven't finished up my Firestarters yet, but will shortly ... and hopefully before the 30th so they can count towards my June socks for Sock A Month.


I don't have much in the way of knitting to share photographically with you, but I figured I would share one of my favorite knitting related items! My Go Knit Pouch. I really do love it. The strap inside does indeed keep the yarn from tangling. The materials is super soft and slick so the yarn doesn't stick to it. The material is also very strong, so needles don't poke through it! Sometimes I forget where I last left it because I carry it all over the house with me, LOL!

Our Lucky Day!

We went to see Iron Maiden in concert last night. Usually, no matter how hard we try, we are always later than we want to be, get stuck in traffic, miss the opening of the show, etc. Well for some reason we were early this time! While we were sitting on the lawn waiting for the show to start (lawn seats were the only ones I could get no matter how hard I tried) a man walked over and asked us if we wanted some free tickets. We were like, "yeah right!" and he said no really these people didn't show up, the seats are about 25FT from stage, here take them. So my boyfriend grabbed them and I looked at them and said, they're real tickets! After we found our NEW seats and sat down it was pouring rain on the lawn!! I think this was the best concert for me, I had so much fun adn I think its because we got these awesome seats that we weren't expecting!

I think we found THE house ... now we need to find a way to come up with the remainder of the money for the down payment. We saw it for the second time today and after I crunch numbers and speak to the bank about specifics - we are fist time home buyers so we can put down less than usual. I think we'll make an offer.

Not much on the knitting front, I am still working on my Firestarters, I think I will bring them to work tonight and get a lot done, I want to finish them up for my June socks.

Its already June?!?!

I finished one Firestarter sock last night, just need to weave in the ends. This was a really interesting pattern. I made a few modifications, Judy's Magic Cast On for the toe and then I increased to the correct number of stithces. I want to start the second sock today for two reasons - I don't foget the things that I changed and so I don't end up with the dreaded second sock syndrome!

I applied for another position at the company I work for, its very similar to what I do now, but its a step up and has more opportunity for growth and advancement, if I stay in the position I am in now there's little room for growth. I've been there two years now and I'm hitting the boredom point (doesn't take much for me) but I would like to stay with the company and keep my benefits and vacation time growing!

I watched True Romance the other day - the first movie written by Quinten Tarantino, it was excellent if you like those types of movies. I think today we are going to see the new Indiana Jones at the theater.

I can't believe its June already! I need to get working on my gift knits! I did not finish the baby blanket for the shower, so I think I will complete that for Christmas and give it to my friend instead (or any time really I don't need excuses to give baby knits, LOL).

I am going to focus on my gift knits now that only half the year is left!

1. Mom - Hodded Scarf
2. Diane - Gloves
3. Marion - Socks
4. Derek - Scarf

So if I finish one item per month I'll be done my October, LOL! - yeah right.



Gee - I wonder why my eyes were watering ... here's my yellow ... er I mean BLACK truck with pollen all over it ... it has since seen the care wash :o)

Super HOT Saturday

Well its over 90 degrees here in Massachusetts, after a week of rain and temperatures in the 50s and 60s. Quite a difference.

I found that Alan Dart has an official website where you can order patterns. I had a little difficulty - I ordered, but the page did not display properly so I will have to contact them to get my patterns, but I am so glad they are available online now! I most definitely ordered the dragon!

I was killed in Sock Wars, I recived some lovely socks from Debbie.


I went outside to photograph them in sunlight and was pleasanty surprised to see the peony had bloomed.