Five....Five People

The first five (5) people to respond to this post will get something made by me.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations so please read carefully:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. Whatcha get is whatcha get.
2. What I create will be just for you, with love.
3. It'll be done this year (2009).
4. I will not give you any clue what it's going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. It might or might not be edible. I may even create something totally unbelievable and surprise you at work!! Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something strange or quirky, but I promise not to embarrass you in public ... well, no more so than usual. I also reserve the right to do something fairly predictable and boring, but with, you know, thought and love.
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text into a note of your own and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your note.

IMPORTANT: This offer is null and void if I do not see you post your own note to pay this forward. In other words, you gotta make something for other people, too. It's like a chain letter only better. Call it a pyramid scheme if you want. It's a pyramid of crafty goodness!

SP Thank You!

I am tardy in thanking my wonderful secret pal, kozykitty. She has been a great secret pal, and finished off with sending me one more wonderful package. The package included a recipe for crab cakes with an Old Bay Seasoning mix, some really yummy pb cups - they didn't last long at all, the One Skein book, some nice wood needles that are already in a project, a couple of Soak samples, and my favorite...
. . . kitty stitch markers.

Thank you so much!

Snow Day!

Yay! It actually snowed enough that school was canceled, even down the mountain where I work. Lovely to have a day off, but it would be even more lovely if I didn't have a horrid head cold. 

I have been knitting a bit - working on a vest for Randy. It zip

s up in the front like a cardigan, and is knit in one piece until you get to the armholes. I measured the length a couple of days ago and realized I was ready to begin the armholes. I was a bit surprised because I had thought I would have five pattern repeats and another skein of yarn used before I hit that point. I bet you can already see where this is going, huh. So I bound off for the armholes, and then decided to hold it up to Randy to see if the length was ok. The length was ok, but the width....so big it looked like he should have had a Santa belly in order for it to fit. My guage changed from the beginning of the project at 21st/4" to 18st/4". Just a slight difference there. I am using an aran sized yarn on size US 5 needles - should be a tight fabric...but some how...

Can it be fixed? Or must it be frogged? I am thinking that I will bind off more stitches for the armholes, knit the two fronts and backs with the fewer number of stitches, and then cut out the excess side panels and seam up the sides. I am thinking that while I would lose the side panel pattern, this would be the least disruptive to the fit. I could do four seams to keep each of the side panels in, just cutting out from each side of the back and the fronts. Any thoughts? Ideas? Brick walls?

Mondays

Why are Mondays Mondays? The days when you get to school, have two hours of class before someone tells you your zipper is down.

Burned Out

Maybe it's the weather, the long commute, the repetition of material, whatever...probably mostly just stress about money and everything....I think I have found the antidote....

Found this on KnitPurr's blog:

I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr Phil proclaimed, “The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished.
So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn’t finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now!

Pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner peace…

Secret Pal Thank You

I got home today to a wonderful package from my secret pal. She puts together really thoughtful packages; I can tell she has spent a lot of time getting to know my likes and dislikes. In this package she sent some Numi tea, a chocolate Art Bar, a bunch of patterns for mitts and mittens - the top one pictured is one I have as a favorite and that I already had in my mind to knit - and some ChiaoGoo double pointed needles. I really like the 5 inch length needles she selected for mittens and socks. If you haven't tried ChiaoGoo, they are a good bamboo option. I recently just got a set of circular ones, and was surprised and pleased with what a nice point they have on them. I know how everyone loves Addi's, but unless they are the lace Addi's, they are so blunt and difficult to work with. My favorite needles would probably have to be the KnitPicks for circulars (haven't tried any of the straights) and then Inox circulars. I have only ever seen Inox in one store, and I picked up a couple pair while I was there last time. For straight, I love hardwood needles, like the Lantern Moon ones, but since I don't knit a lot with straights, I don't invest in them. And as for dpns, I really like the Knitpicks (I've only tried the nickel-plated), and Brittany hard wood needles. The KnitPicks, however, don't come shorter than 6", and I prefer shorter needles. Also, I don't really like knitting with metal, so am pretty excited to try the ChiaoGoo dpn's - they look like they might have the qualities I like in needles - feel good to the touch and a point that lets you do all kinds of stitches with ease. That was a bit of a long-winded way to say thank you! I am really excited about the needles. (Seriously, I don't think I will ever have enough needles - it seems I always need a set that is in use, or hiding, or that I just don't have.)

When Randy and I were driving back from Utah, we stopped in a yarn shop in Salinas(?), Kansas. We were wandering around the shop (yes, Randy will go in with me), and Randy called me over to show me some yarn. He has most excellent taste, and had found some Frog Tree yarn. It was lovely, and I had actually been admiring some in one of the stores I visited in Utah. But, I was being good, and didn't buy any. But, I have still been thinking about how lovely it is...and then my secret pal sends me some. ☺ Thank you for some lovely, lovely soft yarn!

Animals