Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Fantasy Football Week 8: Devastating Loss

All I can say about this week's complete and total devastation on the grid iron (football lingo) is that I need to buy yarn to feel better. Lots and lots of yarn.

Monday, October 29, 2007

WIP Update*

(*I'd like to dedicate this blog entry to Jessica.)
It was a fabulous fiber and fabric weekend at my place!
First, I did my sewing homework and pinned my pants for my second class tomorrow night! I'm loving the class and looking forward to actually using the sewing machine this time. (We ran out of time last week.)
Second, I finished the back of my vest.
And cast on for the front.
Plus, Matt's sock is coming along nicely. I thought I was almost to the heel when I decided to check the length of some of his other ones. Not quite. Still have a way to go.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

8 Random Things

I've fallen victim to Sara and April's 8 Random Things list. They are interesting and entertaining (at least to me) to see how well I know my friends. Now they can see how well they know me. Here goes:

1. I don't like eating the skin of a bake potato. I believe because it's brown you can't tell if it's really clean or not.

2. I have slight O.C.D. tendencies when it comes to hand washing and Purell. (Are you really surprised after the first random thing?)

3. I love the t.v. show Friends! I've seen pretty much every episode more than once and still love to catch it when it's on t.v. in reruns.

4. I own all of Jane Austen's novels - all of were purchased at the Jane Austen Museum in Bath and I lugged them home in my bag. Very heavy.

5. When I eat chocolate cake, I put it in a bowl and pour milk on it. That's how my grandma ate it.

6. My sister and I owned the Barbie Ice Cream Parlor that made the real ice cream.

7. I used to want to be a foreign correspondent for CNN and be stationed in the Middle East.

8. I have a vast knowledge of useless 80's t.v. trivia. You'll want me on your trivia team. Trust me on this.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Fantasy Football Week 6: Freakin' Tom Brady

That's right....freakin' Tom Brady! Anyone who faced off in fantasy football this weekend opposing Tom Brady is saying that this week. The former Gap model (I hope his teammates make fun of him for that) is on track for a record season, but his record season is ruining my record season. I lost this week to the hubby who started freakin' Tom Brady (he's a Quarterback for those of you not following football). This loss puts me for a tie for the lead with the hubby who has come back from the bottom of the pack - one place I determined not to go! Next week is highly critical. Stay tuned.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

This could be trouble...

I bought my fabric for my sewing class this weekend! I'm very proud of myself for exhibiting huge restraint and only buying what I needed for my class. I really wanted to buy yards of such pretty and fun fabric and sewing books! But in the end I decided to make it through my class before I make any other sewing purchases, like say, um, I don't know...maybe a sewing machine. Minor detail really.Here's the fabric I bought for my pajama pants! I was drawn to it when I first walked into the shop - it just made me laugh! It's little baggies of gold fish with names like Helen, Swimmy, Splashy and Bjorn under them. How can you not love it?

The Nine Lives of Hailey the Dog


Hailey had a little episode the other day - congestive heart failure. My mom rushed her to the vet and they were able to calm her down and get her regulated again. But the next two weeks will be touch and go. The vet said Hailey needs to lay low - no barking, no running, no chasing anything. Now for anyone who knows Hailey - or any dog for that matter - that's going to be a difficult task. But Hailey has lived a long, happy life and hopefully she'll be around to raise trouble a little longer.


Thursday, October 18, 2007

My interview with the Yarn Harlot

The story I did with the Yarn Harlot and several Purly Girls is now online (actually, it was online last week and am sorry for the delay!) The Purly Girls were great for letting me drag our cameras to the group and chat with them on t.v. We are a fun group! Check out the show!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Crazy Aunt Purl & Crazy Cocktails

Tonight I met up with a few Purly Girls for happy hour before heading over to hear Crazy Aunt Purl's book reading. It's been a long few days (especially today) and I'll be honest, I was looking forward to happy hour since about 8:15 a.m. I got to the restaurant a bit early and proceeded to order, drink and eat until the rest of the girls showed up. Then we all ordered, drank and ate until it was time to go grab a seat.

Now, I'll admit, I may not have had a lot of food in my tummy and I may have sucked down those cocktails pretty quickly, and while some may say I was a little drunk, I'll just admit I was a wee bit tipsy. But it was Aunt Purl, so all was well.

We get there and the only seats left are right in front. Seriously, right in front. See:

I felt like a little kid sitting on the bench in front of all the grown ups. It was fitting. We were rather giggly.
She was really funny and I laughed and we all knitted (I had to put the knitting away b/c there is a reason I don't really drink at PG!). But sitting in the front (right in front) did have it's advantages. When it was time to line up for the book signing, we all just stood up and were already in line. I haven't read her book yet, but after tonight I'm looking forward to pouring a glass of wine and curling up with the knitting and the book for some good entertainment!


Amanda showed off her new hat! I'm in knitting envy. This is on my project to-do list. Not only is this a beautiful hat, it's Amanda's first dpn project, first lace project and first circular needles project (she's our resident crocheter - but we love her anyway!) Way to take things slow lady!









Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Fantasy Football: Week 6

After two really rough weeks on the sidelines, I'm thrilled to report the Knitting Football Stars are back on top! It was a tough victory this week, but a victory none the less! Plus, it put me back on top in the rankings! I'm looking forward to more domination on the gridiron!

Monday, October 15, 2007

Catching up

A busy week and another weekend of traveling lead to very little knitting (and pretty much very little nothing else too.) But lucky for me, this past weekend's travels found me heading out to Mara's rustic cabin on the Olympic Peninsula. It had no electricity, no phone, no water but breath taking views and much relaxation. While we invited the boys, they turned us down - probably out of a mixed fear of a football weekend out of touch with the games or the possibility of being trapped in a rustic cabin with two slightly-crazy-wine-drinking-knitting-Jane-Austen girls. It's a toss up really.

No worries for us. We packed our knitting, bottles of wine and hit the road. Not a lot of knitting was accomplished, but it was very fun and relaxed! The view from the cabin.

The view from the beach.

I finally cast on for Matt's socks! They'll either be a birthday present, Christmas present or Groundhog's day present - which ever comes first!

And the vest is coming along nicely! The back is just a few inches from being done!

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Home Sweet Home

It was a fun and relaxing trip to Les Bois. But I find it fitting that I came home to Seattle today, October 9 - the three year anniversary of moving to Seattle! Although, the trip started out a little rough. Basically it involved me, the Alaskan Airline ticket agent, my over-weight bag, too many liquids and I may, just may, have accidentally dropped the f-bomb (I was laughing at the time about all of this). Classy I know. What can I say, it was 6 a.m. Boise time and I had been up since 4:45 a.m. If you can't have a sense of humor at that time of day, then really, what's the point.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Airline and knitting woes

It's another weekend of traveling for me. This weekend's destination: Boise, Idaho. I opted to start my weekend early with a Thursday evening flight to Boise. With three knitting projects in my carry on, I was ready for anything. Well, I tried anyway. Here's how my weekend started:

The hubby drops me off at the airport and takes off - with my wallet still in the front seat of the car. Long story short on this one - I was driving when we pulled out of the parking garage downtown, paid the attendant, then tossed my wallet to him as I pulled out through 4 lanes of traffic to hop on the I-5. He was quick to return it and I whipped through security with an hour to kill before boarding.

I hit the bar for a little cocktail and knitting before boarding. Happily drinking my gin and tonic and knitting away when it's time to switch to the bigger needles. No bigger needles. Here's what the patrons (who, incidentally were all men watching Sports Center saw):
Me: Jumping out of my bar stool and proceed to empty the entire contents of my knitting bag onto the bar (while swearing under my breath and now downing the rest of my drink). No needles. They weren't in the two other little baggies of projects either. No problem. I gather my stuff, pay my bill and head to the gate to finish my wait and work on project number 2: my new vest. (Incidentally, I was hoping to finish a baby's hat for a gift for a friend I'm having lunch with on Friday. Not happening now).

I'm now sitting happily knitting with project number 2. I've got 6 1/2 beautiful inches of ribbing when it's time to switch to the bigger needles. New problem. I've started the project on the bigger needles. Deep breath. As I begin to rip out, they announce there is a "mechanical problem" with my plane and their looking into it. A 20 minute delay. OK, now I have time to cast on. Silver lining here. In the process of the ripping out and casting on (and one slight mistake and rip back) they announce 3 more times my flight is delayed. Finally, I'm only 3 rows into the ribbing when I've made another mistake. Only this time, I can't for the life of me figure out where the hell I've messed up. Another delay - for me and the knitting. The solution? Throw the crap into my bag and I stormed off to the book store where I bought 1 entertainment magazine, 1 fashion magazine, 1 bag of Chex mix and 2 things of chocolate. I came out of the store and got a text from the hubby. One of my star players on my fantasy football team tested positive for pot and was being pulled. Must drop him pronto. Fabulous.

Three hours later, I'm finally in Boise. Wide awake after my sugar-high-mindless-gossip-mag-very-bumpy-plane ride to Boise.

I'll be hitting my favorite Boise knitting shop first thing to get all the needles I thought I had and to start over. Here's to a new knitting day, tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Fantasy Football: week 3 - A shake up

The news from the sidelines is not so good this week. After a 3-week winning streak, the Knitting Football Stars lost this weekend. We are barely hanging onto the lead and are in a tie with The Good Cousin. It's time for a gut check. Time to make a few choices and cut a few players. Others will be warming the bench. Defeat is not an option.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Memory Lane and FO's

The road trip last weekend to Moscow, Idaho was a great nostalgic get-a-way - plus I had lots of time on the road to knit! As usual, the University of Idaho campus was fun and beautiful, even if the football game was a little painful to watch.


The arboretum in the early stages of fall.

Vandals trying to make a stand against Hawaii. One of these years....it'll be our year...again. Sigh...


And I was able to finish the mittens from Weekend Knitting for a b-day gift for a dear friend! I used Manos and they knit up so quickly! A great, fun, easy project!