trikotajci

Why is it always like this??

2009-09-18T10:14:00.001-07:00

128977666734653278
Originally uploaded by peanutwoman711

This is how I feel sometimes when I can't get through to people (who shall remain anonymous lest I risk losing my job).

Maryland Sheep and Wool

2009-05-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

Some of The Loot

A Five THOUSAND Dollar Spinning Wheel by Golding. Beautiful, and it sold!!

Long-haired Sheepies

More Loot

Baa Baa Black Sheep...

So Cute! Think I could pass one off as a dog? Sheep Dog!

The Rav Creators (and me)

Lots of Yarny Goodness

Sheepies!

We had so much fun! I loved it, and will go back again next year. I decided to start spinning, so I got three spindles and some Jacob Sheep roving and some luscious Mohair/Silk blend. Also got enough yarn for a sweater, and yarn for a baby sweater!

An allergy question...

2009-04-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Why must ALL of the pollen from all the rooty things here in Virginia be solely in MY nose?

What's up with that??

2009-04-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

A question I've been pondering this week:

Why do we spend time scouring the parking lot to find the closest spot to the gym door, only to walk in and run five miles on the treadmill?

Seriously, yesterday afternoon I went to the gym to meet with my trainer (I've gone three times this week, BTW), and saw this guy driving up and down each damn row waiting for someone to pull out of a spot he deemed worthy of being close enough to the door. I parked by the grocery store, walked in, and started my workout. I finally saw closest-parking-spot guy walk in ten minutes later. What was going through his head? "I don't want to waste any energy getting to the gym because I need to save it for my workout"???? What the heck???

Also, when you're not using the exercise ball, and I walk over to get it, don't jump off your weight machine and scream at me, "I'm using that!" You are not, and you know it, Mrs. hoard-the-equipment.

I also just finished the best diet book ever. Okay, so it's not a diet book, but it's everything we think and want to say about weight loss and never do. If you love reading memoirs, read Jen Lancaster's "Such a Pretty Fat." It is hilarious. She has a pretty foul mouth, but honestly, the book just wouldn't be good without the bad language. All three of her books are great, but this last one was by far the best for me. I love this part (paraphrased because I don't have the book to cite directly from):

Jen is at the gym with her trainer, and they are lifting weights in the weight room. Jen notes how small and dark the room is, with a low ceiling and dark walls. She says to her trainer, "This must be what lifting weights in prison is like. We're doing the same exercises that prisoners do just before they get shanked. And you're smaller than I am, so if this were prison I guess that would make you my prison bitch!"

My trainer could be my prison bitch. Her legs together are as big as one of mine. I swear, if she's not careful I'll crush her someday.

Glad to finally have some answers.

2009-03-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone who reads my blog...
I know it's been almost two months since I've written, but a lot has happened since then that I've been dealing with. So here goes...
The Monday after Christmas I got a sinus infection. I was miserable, but was able to get over it, or so I thought. I started out the New Year pretty good, joined they gym, and kept taking my NyQuil.
The day after I wrote my last post, January 12, I developed some redness in my right eye. As a contact wearer, this has happened before, and when I take my contacts out, it clears up. However, this time, I also had a migraine-like headache that never went away. By Thursday I was at urgent care, where I was told I had Conjunctivitis caused by my contacts, and was prescribed some Erythromycin antibiotic ointment.
Over the weekend, the ointment seemed to work, but by Tuesday (inauguration day), my eye had completely swelled up and was more painful than ever. I wasn't able to get an appointment to see a doctor on Wednesday, and was to the point of wanting to go to the emergency room. I got into the doctor again on Thursday, and she said I was allergic to the ointment and made an appointment for me to see an opthamologist at the navy hospital in Bethesda.
Dr. Blice, the opthamologist, took one look at my eye and immediately told me I had what I heard was "eye-ritis." Um, yeah, totally sounds like I'm making that up just to get out of work (by this time I had missed a week). It's actually Iritis. He said it's an inflammation of the Iris, and that mine was so swollen it was actually stuck to the lens of my eye. The only way to treat it is to dilate it, so for the next couple days I walked around not being able to see out of one eye. Saw him again on Monday (around the first of February) where there was no improvement, so I had to put drops in to keep it dilated for the next week, as well as put in another drop every hour to keep the swelling down.
The following week, there wasn't much improvement, so Dr. Blice decided to do some "routine bloodwork" because he said that there must be something systemic causing the eye inflammation. He also asked if I had been experiencing any joint or muscle pain, which I thought was weird.
That night on tv, I saw a special on TLC about a woman who had eye inflammation and joint pain, so I "googled" it and got a laundry list of possible causes of Iritis, including Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus, leukemia, etc. Yeah, pretty scary.
On the fifth of February, the doctor called saying he wanted to talk to me about some of the lab results. Unfortunately I didn't get the message until Saturday night, so I had to agonize through Sunday thinking I had cancer or Lupus or something. My mom has RA, and her sister has Lupus, so it was quite scary.
It turns out that my lab results for RA and Lupus are negative, but I tested positive for HLA-B27, a gene mutation that is an indicator of auto-immune diseases. I was scheduled for a rheumatology appointment the following week.
I saw the rheumatologist this past Thursday (finally), and was given a complete physical. I was given a tentative (but pretty positive) diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis, a spinal arthritis that causes a lot of pain in the lower back, hips, knees, ankles, and the bottoms of the heels.
I have had pain in those joints since I was about 20, but had always attributed it to being out of shape, so I ignored it. The pain has been getting increasingly worse over time, but I never knew why. I never said anything to anyone because I'm so young, too young to have old bones and complain that it hurts when I walk. Going upstairs is very difficult, and even more so now that we've moved into a three-level townhouse. My hips and back hurt so much that I wake up at night.
Dr. Witter, the rheumatologist, prescribed an anti-inflammatory, but said that the best thing is exercise, like walking, bike riding, and swimming, and to lose some weight. Did you know that an extra ten pounds puts 50 extra pounds of pressure on your knees?
I'm just glad to have some answers for my chronic pain that I've been suffering from for over 8 years, and to know that I'm not crazy.
It's been a long couple of months, but I'm finally going to get better. I'm sure a lot of you have a lot of questions, and so do I. I can still live a normal lifestyle, I'm not feeble or sick. I've decided I'm not going to let AS "get" me. I've watched my mom live with her RA my whole life, and she is my inspiration.

movies

2009-01-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

Last night we say Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood played Walt, a recent widower. He has lived in the same neighborhood for a very long time, and has watched it change over the years. Now it is mostly populated by the Hmong, and having been in the Korean War, Walt has his own distorted prejudices about these people.
Thao is one of the young boys who lives next door to Walt. He is quiet and is a "good kid," but has a cousin who is involved in a gang. The gang wants to recruit Thao, so they tell him that in order to be initiated, he must steal Walt's vintage Gran Torino from his garage. Walt catches him in the act and chases the group away. Thao's family finds out about the break-in and in order to pay back the debt, Thao must work for Walt. Over time, Walt befriends Thao and his family, and becomes a positive influence in Thao's life. The ending was poignant. If you liked Crash, you will enjoy this one, as its themes are similar. It really forces you to think about the way we treat other people without getting to know them first.

In other news, I went to Yoga yesterday morning. My abs hurt today, but it's a good hurt, and over time I'm sure I'll tone up and it will get easier. I have step aerobics again Tuesday, and I am looking forward to it.

I got shafted at work on Friday as well. Earlier this year, around October, I spoke with my principal about developing curriculum for the ESOL department, as we didn't have one to speak of across the entire district. I had already written 10-12 pages of curriculum that I showed her at our meeting (and stupidly emailed her after the meeting). The response was good, and she told me that she had been talking to the associate superintendent about possibly having me do this as an ESOL Specialist instead of teaching, and asked me to come up with a vision (aka-job description). In early November I had the opportunity to travel to Richmond with this superintendent, and spoke with her about the job, and was told I still had to apply for the position once it was posted just for formality. The posting came up in early December so I applied right away and interviewed over my holiday break. I was basically told I was being considered for the Elementary ESOL Specialist position and to wait for a phone call in early January. This past Friday I got an urgent email asking to call the superintent "ASAP." I did so, only to find out THEY HIRED SOMEONE ELSE FOR THE POSITION!!!!!!!!! I was floored. The whole damn thng was my idea to begin with, and I'm positive that if I hadn't mentioned it, that the positon wouldn't even exist today. The person who got the position didn't even know it existed until it was posted, and slid right in without knowing a lick about it.
Lesson learned? Just write your own curriculum, shut up about it, and turn it in as your professional development plan. I swear, if they use the curriculum I've already written, I'm going after them with a big stick.

Oh, sloppy day

2009-01-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

My arms hurt. Why do my arms hurt? It was step aerobics, and God knows I didn't step with my arms! Maybe they're just jealous because my legs got a better workout than they did. Well, tomorrow is Pilates class, so get ready arms! You have to hold up all of this weight! Then you'll be hurting! Ha! Phhbbbbt!

It's been raining non-stop for two days. Yep. I'm used to rain lasting 15 minutes or so. I drove to work in the dark in the pouring rain everyday this week. If it doesn't stop soon, we're going to have to blow up the air mattress so I can float to work. I just keep thinking, if all this rain were snowflakes, we'd have the rest of the week off! They delay and close schools in every county around Prince William, but the storm always skirts us and we just end up with big sloppy puddles and extra curly hair.

Tim is out of town until Friday, so it's just Dad and me for a couple days.

SPLAT!

2009-01-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it. I made it through an entire hour at the gym today. I did a step class, which was fun, but I kept tripping over the damn thing, and once I actually fell. Good thing I have all this extra padding to break my fall. I felt like a dork but was able to laugh at myself and pick up again, but I eventually just got rid of the step and did the exercises without it But dammit, I was there! It was actually kind of fun, to be honest. I feel good too. Afterward I made a nice healthy dinner, had a huge salad and some fruit with it, and am now drinking tea with milk and honey. What a treat!
How does my bod feel? Ask me tomorrow when I can't lift my own legs.
Does my butt look smaller yet?

I'm rarin' to go!

2009-01-06T09:52:00.001-08:00

Tim rearranged our bedroom on Sunday night. He got a second wind around 10:00 (yes, when we should have been in bed), and moved the dressers around and put all of the junk away. It looks beautiful now, and finally feels like the sanctuary a bedroom should be. I was dying of a sinus infection on the couch, so I just stayed out of his way until about midnight when he decided it was time for bed. It looked like a completely different room! It's lovely, and now the only room that needs major work is the office. I am very happy, and am reminded all the time of why I love this man.

Joined the gym yesterday. Along with the monthly fee, all classes are included, so I've decided to start doing aerobics or spinning classes along with Curves for muscle building. I feel excited to get into a routine for my workouts, and hope I don't fizzle out before I really get going.

It's currently raining here in Virginia, and 33 degrees outside. Pray for it to drop just one degree so it will freeze and we'll have a day off tomorrow! Or a delay. A delay would even be nice.

Off to get rid of my butt.

Sick

2009-01-04T20:00:00.000-08:00

I feel like poo today.

Stoup??

2009-01-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

We saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button last night. Very neat movie. Go see it.

Today I took my butt to the grocery store to get food for the week. Put on my nice jeans and cute little boots, which made me feel better about myself. For some reason I felt a little thinner. Probably that half-hour walk I took yesterday.

Anyway, after planning my week's menu and making a list, and two hours later, our fridge was full again. My feet hurt though because cute boots does not always equal comfortable. Oh well, I'll take fashion over comfort any day. Please remind me that I said this when my feet are covered in bunions when I'm forty.

I decided to make Italian Sub "Stoup" for dinner. It's out of Rachael Ray's 365 No Repeats book, and I had seen her make it on her show. It's called stoup because "it's thinner than stew but thicker than soup!" I won't put the recipe here, but it has italian sausage, ham, pepperoni, green pepper, onion, and tomatoes. You're supposed to make garlic croutons and float them on top, but we're not big on soggy bread in soup in our house, so I just toasted some Italian garlic bread in the oven and we had it on the side. It smelled wonderful, and my dad said he could smell it cooking outside. The book said "it tastes like a giant Italian sub!" Our verdict?

Only if you think sandwiches taste like soup.

I did it!

2009-01-02T14:40:00.001-08:00

Today I walked for half an hour. Still trying to figure out a good route, but I feel great!

New Year's Meme!

2009-01-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

For today, it's the good ol' New Year's Quiz. Not that I couldn't have thought of my own creative thing to write. I just didn't want to.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Drove across the country with my mom. We laughed so hard so many times.
Bought a house. It's fantabulous!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I probably made some, but since I don't remember what they are now, I probably didn't keep them.
I've made some this year and wrote them down (see yesterday's post), and I'm going to try to keep them this time.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Katie (Mason)
Amy (Savannah)
Laura (Jenna)
Shannon (Sadie)

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thank God. 2006 was enough to last for a while.

5. What countries did you visit?

None this year. Several in 2007 though. That was fun.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

More time and better organization of my life. Oh, and more chocolate.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

January 19-Tim moved to Virginia
February 14-Flew to VA to spend Valentine's Day with Tim. Saw my new apt for the first time
March 26-Went to VA to spend Spring Break
April-I don't really remember April
May 23-moved to Virginia
July 12-10 year reunion
July 15-Bought a house
August 19-Anniversary
September 2-New job!
October 5-Went to tea with mom at an estate in VA
November 28-Moved into new townhouse!
December 25-Spent the holidays with Tim's family in San Diego

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Driving across the country and not getting lost.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not spending enough time with friends, either in person or on the phone

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Horrible tonsilitis I got from living in DC. I blame the handrails at the Metro.
Fell over a Smartboard and bruised the hell out of my leg. This was November, and there's still a big purple spot and my knee crackles when I go up stairs.
So, no. No big illness or injury, compared to what others go through.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

House!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Um...I don't know...

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The Democrats'. Seriously. Proposition 8? Abortion? You're voting for that??

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent and now mortgage

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

moving into my new house and having space for my stuff

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

I have no idea. Lots of them, probably.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter?c) richer or poorer?

a) happier
b) fatter (unfortunately)
c) poorer (but we have a house!)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Spent time with friends
Gone to the gym

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Frivously spending money on crap I didn't really need

20. How did you spend Christmas?

In San Diego with Tim's family

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

No. I stayed in love.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I don't think I had one. The Golden Girls will always rule though. And Friends.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

All of my stupid friends' husbands who have decided to go off the deep end with their marriages.

24. What was the best book you read?

Sundays at Tiffany's
The Christmas Swap

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

That I still can't sing

26. What did you want and get?

somewhere bigger to live
a great job

27. What did you want and not get?

Nothing

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Brideshead Revisited

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 28. Tim and I went to dinner at the Lebanese Taverna

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Nothing. I'm pretty satisfied. Except maybe not gaining weight.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

If it fits, wear it.

32. What kept you sane?

knitting

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I don't particularly like celebrities or public figures. Except Sarah Palin had geat hair.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Um, let's see...the Election perhaps?

35. Who did you miss?

Everyone in Albuquerque

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Paige at work.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

Life really is like a box of chocolates. You don't know what you're going to get! There have been so many changes this year, and there's always another one waiting around the corner.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"We live, we love, we forgive and never give up. 'Cause the days we are given are gifts from above, and today we remember to live and to love." "We Live" Superchick

Happy Go-Lucky 2009

2009-01-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

"Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It's been six months since my last entry."
My friends all think I've forgotten them, and have probably figured I fell off the face of the earth by now. That hasn't really happened, actually. Being this close to the Atlantic, sometimes I think it could happen though.

Since it's 2009, I've decided to resolve myself to a few things:

Read through the Bible this year. I always start at the beginning and lose it around oh, say, Numbers or Deuteronomy, so I've decided to start with the prophets first.
Write a blog entry everyday. Today is January 1st, 11:35 pm, so today still counts in my book. Hey, I haven't gone to bed yet. Still gotta read that Bible though.
LOSE SOME WEIGHT!! Yeah yeah, we all say that. I'm really going to try though.
Get moving and get some exercise, even if it is just a walk around the block. I'm tired of my fat ass getting fatter. And just thinking about eating healthy while scarfing oreos doesn't make them healthier.

We moved into our new house over Thanksgiving weekend, and so far, we love it. We're still partially in boxes, but everything we need right now is out. I figure if we get to this summer and we still have unpacked boxes, I'm going to get rid of them. Or use them as furniture.

Speaking of house, there's a new light outside. Our living room, dining room, and kitchen are on the second level. The dining room windows are on the side of the house where there's a new bus shelter. Apparently the city thinks bus shelters should be lit up like Times Square, hence the very large orb outside our window. Seriously. It looks like our Mothership has arrived to take us home. Kind of funny, but not so much as our bedroom is on the same side of the house.

Off to stick to day one of resolutions,

Melissa

I'm a blog meme thief.

2008-07-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

Meme
1) What was I doing 10 years ago?I had just finished HS and was getting ready to go to UNM. In the meantime, I was working at the Buckle in the mall trying to convince people to buy $80 jeans when I knew the identical pair was at Target for $20. I should have worked at Target.
2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today? Pack for my Albuquerque trip, sign new house paperwork, clean up the apartment a bit, eat dinner, knit socks
3) Snacks I enjoy: Oreos, Starbucks, ice cream
4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Invest the hell out of it
5) Places I have lived: Albuquerque, Arlington, VA, and soon Alexandria, VA

Update soon!

2008-07-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

Massive update coming soon! My camera cords and power strip were left in Albuquerque, and I haven't had a chance to get them back yet, but will update as soon as I have my technology back next week! Gosh! Whatever did we do before going digital?
Until then, happy knitting and blogging!

Small World

2008-06-22T23:57:00.000-07:00

Would you believe I bought some yarn from a girl in my Virginia knitting group, and when I looked closer at it, it was made by AdamKnits in Albuquerque?? Small, small, small world! I must find out where Melissa (not me, the girl from Knotty Knitters) got it!

Inspiration

2008-06-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

- The Dash - In July 2006, a short 3-minute movie was launched on the Internetcalled The Dash. Since then, over 40 million people from around theworld have watched it; and over 20,000 a day continue to watch it as aresult of people passing it along. The movie has been more successfulthan anyone could have ever imagined. More importantly, however, it hasinspired many, many people to reflect on their lives and ask that allimportant question, 'Are my priorities where they should be?' I hopeyou enjoy this movie and share it with those who are close to you. Click This Link to view!

Summer Knitting

2008-06-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

My knitting goals for this summer:

Finish Katie's baby blanket
Start Amy's baby blanket
Make anniversary afghan for Tim
Make mohair capelet
Make socks!!

You've been tagged!

2008-05-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

ABC's "getting to know you"
TAG ABC's of you. Each player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then go to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

A- Attached or single: Attached!
B- Best Friend: My Hubby!!
C-Cake or Pie: Yes
D-Day: Tuesday (knit night)
E- Essential Item: Yarn
F- Favorite Color: Blues and greens
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears
H-Home town: Albuquerque, NM
I- Indulgences: Chocolate
J- January or July?: January
K-Kids: None yet, but potential grandmas are waiting!
L-Life is incomplete without: Coffee
M- Marriage Date: August 19, 2006
N- Number of Siblings: 3-two sisters-in-law and a brother-in-law
O- Oranges or Apples: Apples
P- Phobias or Fears: Divorce
Q- Quote: "If you can't be a good example, then you'll have to be a horrible warning."
R- Reason To Smile: God
S- Season: Fall
T- Tag Three: Nichole, Nancy, and Paula
U- Unknown fact about me: I proofread the newspaper
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: God didn't put me at the top of the food chain to eat vegetables...
W- Worst Habit: procrastinating
Y-Your favorite food: Comfort food
Z: Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Maybe...

2008-05-13T08:08:00.003-07:00

This yarn does want to be socks. I cast on again last night, hoping that this time around will be better.

Frog Socks

2008-05-12T08:15:00.001-07:00

20080511_7
Originally uploaded by peanutwoman711

I frogged this pair last night after knitting an 8 inch cuff. I don't know what happened after I turned the heel, except that I think I forgot to knit that last row, which made me have to purl on the foot. Therefore, my stitches ended up being huge on the foot, and I couldn't figure out how to turn the sock around so I'd be knitting again. It was frustrating, to say the least, and now I have this ugly ball of curly yarn that used to be a sock. I'm so disillusioned by this pair, that I think I'll knit it into a baby hat or something besides socks. Too sad. It could have been a really cool pair of socks.

Harry!

2008-05-11T15:13:00.001-07:00

20080511_166
Originally uploaded by peanutwoman711

This is Harry Hedgehog. He ws finally finished last night, and now he has personality after having sat around unstuffed on the fireplace hearth. This was a totally fun felting project, and I will definitely be making more "Harry's!"

Second Pair...

2008-05-06T13:09:00.001-07:00

I finally finished my first pair of socks on Sunday, well, actually Monday morning at 12:30 before I went to bed. I just couldn't go to bed with just the toe decreases left.
Then, last night, I made a wee sock out of some leftover yarn and immediately cast on for another pair. Think I'm addicted to socks??
These are self-striping to look like Fair Isle, so I decided that with a busy enough yarn pattern, I'll just do stockinette stitch. Yes, I still have a baby blanket to work on, but it's so boring that I just can't bring myself to do it. Luckily I don't have a deadline.

A Found Treasure

2008-04-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

I found this blog today in my searching for cool stuff. It's in Turkish, but the knitting stuff is beautiful! Just like a smile, knitting says the same thing in any language.

I finished a sock!

2008-04-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

I am finally finished with one of the Winter Socks on Magic Loop. It was so easy, I can't believe I didn't start socks six months ago! I'm very happy with it, and it actually fits too!

The baby blanket is half done, and looks nice too. I'm just tired of knitting it. If I'd just work on it instead of putting it off, it wouldn't be that bad. I'm just bored with it.

Tonight is knitting night again. I love Tuesdays for that reason. Those gals are so wonderful, and have really become friends to me. I'll be sad to leave them behind.

2008-04-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a little meme that I stole from Nichole Let me know if you do this one, too!
1. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (Mother and Father's middle name): Ferne John
2. NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mother's dad, father's dad): Chester Philip
3. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name): Reyme
4. DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal!): Blue Bear
5. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born): Jean Albuquerque
6. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning): The Green Coca Cola
7. FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 3 letters of your last name): Melds
8. GANGSTA NAME: ( fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie): Vanilla Sugar
9. ROCK STAR NAME: (current pets name, current street name): Bailey Navarra
10. STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy): Midnight Chocolate Fantasy
11. PORN NAME: (1st pets name, street you grew up on): Chester Oro Real

zitron booby socks

2008-04-14T11:08:00.001-07:00

zitron booby socks
Originally uploaded by chappywoman

Another picture of the Booby Socks!

Skacel's THE BOOBY SOCKS

2008-04-14T11:00:00.001-07:00

Skacel's THE BOOBY SOCKS
Originally uploaded by chappywoman

These are the Booby Socks I posted about a few days ago. This photo is from the pattern designer's Flickr account. See how pretty the beads look? I can't wait to start my pair. I received the kit in the mail last Thursday. Anyone want to show me how to do cables?? I think I'll start knitting on them in October in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

Fiend or Friend?

2008-04-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

I have become a knitting fiend over the past couple of weeks. I have finished 3 projects in the last 7 days. They are hats, nonetheless, but they are projects. I just posted the pictures on Ravelry last night.
The "Waiting for Summer Scarf" I was making has decided it wants to be a chemo cap instead. I frogged it Saturday night, and am just finishing the decrease rows before it's done too. I also finished the Stash Bustin' Hat, and the Helmetliner for Stitch for Senate.
I really need to finish the baby blanket for Katie, but it's boring me, so I keep putting it off. Maybe that's why I keep starting small projects. The baby blanket seems so daunting, that it makes me feel good to finish a project in one weekend. The baby is due this week, and the blanket is only half-finished. I'm trying to knit up some of the yarn I have in my stash before I move so I'm taking finished objects home instead of balls of yarn. It's working out, but there's so much knitting to do, it almost feels like a job! Luckily it's a fun job.
I have the second half of the hedgehog class this week. I'm really excited to finish that one. I think he will be so cute, and a nice addition to my classroom next year. I'm going to knit one for Michelle Clapsaddle too. They'd make great gifts:
*An LSU purple and yellow one for Kelli
*A gray and blue Air Force one for everyone I know in the AF
*A pink one for mom to keep in the tea room
*One for dad to keep in the Jeep
*A blue and orange one for Eva
So many hedgehogs, so little time!!

A Peaceful Protest...

2008-04-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

I found a wonderful knitting project yesterday. It's called Stitch for Senate.

From the Stitch for Senate website:

"Stitch for Senate is an initiative of knit hobbyists making helmet liners for every United States Senator. Building on the tradition of wartime knitting, a practice as old as the American Revolution, Stitch for Senate revives this cultural trend by engaging with political officials about the war in Iraq. The Stitch for Senate website will compile testimonies from contributing knitters, that express everything from charity, allegiance, patriotism, resistance, and radicalism; using the tradition of political organizing within knitting circles as a space for storytelling, discussion, exchange and protest. Hobbyists knit in solidarity to persuade elected officials to support the troops by bringing them home. All the senators will receive their own helmet liner before the 2008 Senate race, after being displayed in the seating chart of the US Senate at a Washington DC venue. Once they are received, senators can opt to send helmets to a soldier."

What you do is, knit a helmet liner and send it to a senator via the address on the Stitch for Senate website. This is a form of peaceful protest that encourages senators to vote differently on war issues. The senator can either keep the helmet liner as a reminder, or send it off to a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan. Being a military wife who's been separated from her husband for almost 2 years total and who has friends overseas now, I feel I need to do this project. I'm not a raging-sign-holder-chanting-protester, but I feel like doing this project for the cause is more productive than holding a sign on a street corner anyway, since a soldier will receive the end product.
I would encourage anyone to sign up for this project and knit for a senator!
Go get 'em and bring our troops home!

Socks!!

2008-04-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

This whole week has been about nothing but socks! Here goes:

This first sock is my first sock ever, knitted for the Wee Tiny Sock Swap 2008. It's somewhat misshapen, but it's okay. It still resembles a sock. After I turned the heel and picked up the stitches on the side, it somehow twisted itself a bit, and I can't figure out why. Maybe I need help and more practice with Magic Loo. I just hope the pal I sent it to doesn't think I'm a dork for not knowing how to knit a sock, but signing up for a sock swap. Gotta start somewhere though, don't I? I'm happy with the way it turned out.

This is my first pair of real socks to be worn. I figured out how to do Magic Loop using the book, and it was pretty easy. I love this yarn (Fortissima Sock with Bamboo), and think it will make the socks nice and smooshy. I'm doing the Winter Sock pattern from the Magic Loop book for this pair.

I didn't make this next sock. It's the one I received from my Wee Tiny Sock Pal. Isn't it just adorable?? I love it! I'm either going to attach it to my classroom key lanyard so my students can see it too, or attach it to my knitting bag zipper. The other pics are the yarn information (so you can make your own pirate socks), and a picture of all the goodies that came with my sock. This was such a fun project, and I will definitely participate again.

I found a pattern for Booby Socks that you knit to honor breast cancer victims. Proceeds from the sale of the kits goes to support breast cancer research. They're only making a limited number of kits and yarn, so get yours quick!

How can anyone not love knitting socks??

Back from Spring Break

2008-03-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderfully relaxing week in Virginia last week. It makes me wish Spring Break was two weeks long instead of just one. I would be willing to have a longer school year if it meant we could have two weeks for Spring Break.
I spent most of my time getting my bearings over there. Last weekend, Tim and I were driving around trying to find a housing development, and I had to laugh because we were literally going around in circles from offramp to onramp to offramp again. It was funny, but had I been the one driving, I never would have gotten us home. I will definitely have to buy a GPS before I get out there, just so I can find my way back to the house!
There is a very large shopping center right across the street from our apartment building, so I spent last Monday "getting my bearings" over there. Had way too much fun and probably spent too much money, but I did get some nice things.
Here is the recipe for a salad I had at Nordstrom:

Apple, Chicken, and Goat Cheese Salad

green apple sliced thinly
red onion sliced thinly
grilled chicken strips
crispy apple chips (not the mushy, dehydrated apples)
goat cheese
candied almonds
salad greens
Nordstrom's Champagne Vinaigrette

It was so good, I ate it twice last week! Yum! Had to buy a bottle of their dressing so I can make it here for mom.
Spent a day at the National Holocaust Memorial Museum too. The permanent exhibit required a pass to get into, which of course I didn't have, so I plan on heading back there, but the rest of the museum was very intriguing. They had an exhibit on Darfur, which hit home for me more than the Jewish Holocaust because it's happening right now.

I also managed to find a yarn shop. Julie from the knitting group gave me directions, so I spent 45 minutes on the metro to find this tiny little shop in Bethesda called Knit + Stitch = Bliss. And Blissful it was! I found some lovely pink Rowan Organic Cotton that I'm using to make a summery scarf out of, and I could have bought out the entire stock of cashmere, but that doesn't exactly fit into our budget, so I had to control myself.

On the subject of knitting, I figured out how to knit socks using the Magic Loop! I can't believe I was afraid of knitting socks before now. I haven't gotten to the part where I start turning the heel yet, so then it may be a different story, but for now, knitting the cuff is going really well. I'm off to the yarn store after work today to buy more sock yarn and another needle so I can knit my wee tiny sock for my sock pal tonight.

I get to go a knittin' again tonight. I wasn't there last week, so I've missed out for the last two weeks at Flying Star, and am eager to get back. I sure am going to miss those gals once I'm in VA.

Blogs, Blogs, we love Blogs!

2008-03-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

I stole this idea from Nichole today (thanks, Nichole!). It's a questionnaire/reflection on blogging:

1) Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog after I started knitting so I could show others my finished and in-progress projects, and journal about my life a little bit.

2) How did you come up with your blog name?
I wanted a blog name about knitting, but every name I tried had already been taken unless I put a bunch of numbers after it. My husband had been in Turkey the first year we were married and it carried significance for us, so I tried "knitter" in Turkish, and viola! There you have "trikotajci." I think it's unique. Hardly anyone in America speaks Turkish.

3) Do your friends and family know about your blog? What do they think of it?
Some of my knitting friends know about my blog, but I don't think my family does. I haven't told them about it, so unless they google "trikotajci..." but who would just randomly google that? I don't know what my friends think about my blog, but frankly, it doesn't matter what they think. I'm going to write it like this anyway, and hopefully they like it!

4) How do you write posts?
How do I write posts? How does everyone else write posts? I don't really understand this question, but I write a lot at work when ideas come up.

5) Have you ever had a troll or had to delete unkind comments?
No, so far I haven't been spammed or had nasty comments. People who put nasty comments on blogs are just mean people.

6)Do you check your stats? Do you care how many people read your blog? If you do care, how do you increase traffic?
I don't check my stats. If people read my blog, great, but if not, oh well.

7)What kind of blogs/posts interest you?
I like to read my friends' blogs. I like witty, fun writing, and writing that looks effortless but is enjoyable to read.

8) What do you like and dislike about blogging?
I like blogging because it's generally quick. I enjoy reading other blogs and getting ideas for them. I don't think there's anything I don't like about blogging right now, except sometimes I forget to write, and then by the time I think to do it, the feelings I had are gone and the entry sounds vague.

Alanna

2008-03-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

Alanna went to be with the Lord yesterday morning just before 6:00. Her entire family was with her, and she spoke to them up until about the last 10 minutes or so. It's good that she's no longer in pain.
Being Irish through and through, I'm not surprised that she picked St. Patrick's Day as the day of her departing. I will never forget how much life she brought into a room. Even in death, her hospital room was a party.
On that note, I finished the prayer shawl I was making for her at 1:00 that morning before I went to bed. I had intended to take it to Alanna yesterday after work, but now her daughter Anni has it. She needs it more than anything right now. She loves it and I've heard from several people at church that they've seen her with it a lot.
When I was at the Hering's house yesterday, we sat around and listened to Jim tell a story about Alanna from when she worked as a clown: It was his first year of seminary, and he had class the evening of his birthday. During a lecture with a very hard and not very pleasant/forgiving professor, the door opened slightly and in popped a clown head. Jim knew it was Alanna as he watched her walk around the room with a huge bouquet of balloons and look each person very closely in the face until she "found" Jim, gave him the balloons, and left the room without saying a word. By the time he finished the story, we were all laughing hysterically with tears rolling from our eyes. This is the Alanna we all knew, one who could make us laugh.
There is an informal memorial service for her tomorrow evening at church, but I won't be here for her actual service on Saturday. I would have liked to have been there, but on the other hand, I feel like seeing Alanna before she passed gave me enough closure. She was so sick.
Now, Heaven is lucky to have her. I'll bet she's up there somewhere joking around and making everyone laugh like she did for us.

Another knitting joke

2008-03-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

What goes "Sis, Boom, Bah"?

An exploding sheep.

2008-03-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

I visited Alanna yesterday after work. There were about a dozen people in the room with her when I got there. It seemed like a party, but there wasn't much to celebrate.
She looked so frail and thin, I hardly recognized her. It certainly wasn't the same Alanna who was literally dancing around church a few months ago. All I could do was hold her hand.
Like I said, I think Alanna is coming to terms with her death, and is just waiting to see everyone before she goes home with the Lord, but my heart goes out to that family. Anni darted over and bear hugged me when she saw me, and the first words out of her mouth were, "You have to come over so we can knit together!" I certainly will do that. She needs comfort and love right now more than anything.
The prayer shawl will most likely not get done in time for Alanna to have it, but now, she's not the one who needs it, so Anni will be its new recipient.
Sean is the other one I'm worried about. He's already a quiet kid, but my fear is that now he'll pull even further away and become an angry child. I can only hope that he will continue to latch on to that youth group and use them as his support.

A knitting Limerick!

2008-03-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

There once was a man from Great Britain
Who interrupted two girls at their knittin'
Said he with a sigh,
"That park bench, well I
Just painted it right where you're sittin'."

2008-03-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Katie inspired me to do the Four Things Blog:

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Camp Counselor (the BEST)
2. server at the Black-eyed Pea
3. substitue teacher
4. English teacher

Four movies I've watched more than once:
1. Breakfast at Tiffany's
2. First Knight
3. Dances with Wolves
4. Finding Nemo (just keep swimming...)

Four places I have lived:
1. Oro Real Drive, Albuquerque
2. Navarra Way, Albuquerque
3. Indian School apartment, Albuquerque
4. Terra Bonita Way, Albuquerque
5. I'm putting a 5 here because all of my stuff is in VA, where I will live next.

Four T.V. shows that I watch:
1. CSI Miami
2. Friends
3. Reba
4. Still Standing

Four places that I have been:
1. Michigan
2. Turkey
3. Belgium
4. Paris

Four People who e-mail me:
1. Suzanne
2. Lynette
3. Helen
4. Janet

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Macaroni and Cheese
2. Chicken Pot Pie
3. Pasta
4. chocolate

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. at home knitting
2. shopping
3. Virginia
4. on vacation

Things I am looking forward to this year (2008):
1. Finally getting to live with Husband for longer than a month at a time
2. Moving to Virginia
3. Driving across the country
4. Getting pregnant (hopefully)

That's my list! I hope I have inspired someone else to blog about their four things.

Alanna Update

2008-03-13T08:26:00.001-07:00

After reading an update on Alanna online last night, I found out that the radiation, although it is preventing the tumors in her body from growing, it is not fast enough to prevent them from forming. The cancer has spread through bone, her lymph system, and soft tissue. She is unable to use chemotherapy as an option, because when she tried that last summer, she was in a coma for three days. Their next option is hospice.
After I read the update, I had to just sit at my computer and cry for a bit. While I'm sad for Alanna, I think she's actually come to terms with her imminent passing; my heart goes out to her family. Jim and those babies (13 and 15) are far too young to lose their wife and mother.
The prayer shawl is nearly done. I'm ready to start the third skein tonight. While I knit, I pray for Alanna's peace and comfort. I don't know what else to pray for because asking God to heal her sounds like "my will be done" instead of His. I don't know why God allows for people to get cancer, but that's not for me to know. My job is to trust that He knows what he is doing and has everything under control.

10:50 AM-The nurse manager on the floor indicated that Alanna is nearing the end.

Crumbling

2008-03-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

No, not cookies, but my world around me. There is so much going on right now, that I feel like I don't have time to breathe.

Here's what's happened in the last couple of days, good and bad:

1) My dad is sick, and we don't know what's wrong with him.

2) The new tenants are moving in Saturday, and I still have to move stuff out of the house.

3) Alanna is getting sicker by the day, and her prayer shawl is only 2/3 done.

4) I don't really want to finish the prayer shawl because I'm afraid Alanna will die if I do.

5) It takes every ounce of my efforts to go to work everyday.

On the other hand...

6) I get to see my husband in 9 days.

7) I learned how to knit in the round on two circulars.

8) I have wonderful friends and family.

9) I have some of the cutest students in the world, even though I want to strangle some of them.

Knit Night and Prayers

2008-03-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

yay! it's knit night again! tonight i'm working on susan's birthday cupcake, and alanna's prayer shawl. she's not doing well. here's an email i got from april today:

Dear church family,
I spent some time with Alanna yesterday afternoon and evening. It's really incredible how much her health has deteriorated since the party, even in just the two weeks since she was last at church. I asked Jim about using the CaringBridge website to keep us informed, and I think he'd really like to, but there's no wireless Internet where they are, so he'd have to leave to update the journal. (If you'd like to e-mail them a message, I'm happy to print it and take it over there on my way home or to work.)
Alanna is hard to understand at times (frustrating for her), and she's having some occasional confusion, hallucinations, and forgetfulness, which compound the communication problem. She has not lost her sense of humor and great patience. She had several other visitors yesterday, which perked her up.
Alanna has fluid building up in her abdomen. They should have results about the source of that today, but none of the possible explanations sound encouraging. She had a transfusion, some Benadryl, and she continues on IV antibiotics, in case her fever is due to infection. She can't stand up on her own, but does really well sitting up in a chair, in fact, I think she was more mentally sharp when she was sitting than laying down. She can't drink, but has been using swabs to get sips of tea with lemon and some broth. When you're in the hospital, if you're not really with it all the time, it's important to have an advocate who is paying attention. Right now, I think the greatest need is for visitors, especially people that can sit with her long enough to relieve Jim when he feels like he can leave to pick up the kids or have a meal (if that's you, call him on his cell to set up a good time). Sherry Redfield took Jim and the kids to dinner last night. I stayed until some other visitors from St. Paul came, and on my way out, Dana Sherill was coming in. Great!
Blessings,
April

please pray for alanna, as it seems her cancer is getting worse. i can only pray for god's will in this, because i don't know why it's happening, and i don't know how to fix it. all i know is that she is losing her strength very quickly. she has two children, one in high school and one in middle school, and they are far too young to lose their mother.

My mantra for today:

I will appreciate every day God gives me.

A Poem about Knitting!

2008-03-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

The kids are writing Alphapoems today. Here is mine about knitting:

As my fingers work diligently to create a masterpiece, I am reminded of how it all began...
Back in the summer of 2007, I decided I needed to do something besides watch tv all the time.
Choosing carefully the craft I wanted to pursue, I browsed the shelves of the Hobby Lobby.
Deciding finally on a book and some yarn, I sat down to work.
Examining the intricate patterns, I felt I was never going to get it.
Following instructions, I figured out how to cast on a few stitches.
Goodness only knows if I was doing it right!
Help came right away when another avid knitter stopped by.
I'm inspired by all the projects I see other people make, especially all the lace.
Just need to learn how to read all these charts.
Knit one, purl two, slip last stitch over.
Learning how to knit, once difficult, now comes easily.
Making pretty patterns now instead of just flat scarves.
Needles clicking softly as they slide through the stitches.
Once I'm done with this one, I'll start something new.
Projects are slowly taking over the house-living room, bedroom, even the kitchen!
Quiet time is best when trying to knit beccause I'm trying to count.
Really, I should make a career out of this, don't you think?
Stitch 'n' Bitch has become a favored pasttime.
Talking about life, knitting, and drinking good coffee-what could be better?
Under all this yarn, I know I have a husband somewhere!
Voraciously I browsed patterns online, and chose one I liked.
Wedding Ring Shawls are my new favorite thing.
X-citedly I add the picture to my blog.
Yarn is expensive, so I've found out.
Zoom! I head back to Village Wools to add to my growing stash.

My mantra for today:

I will not knit at work...I will not knit at work...I will not knit at work...

even though I want to.

Spring Feva!

2008-03-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

It snowed 2 inches again last night. Why? Why does it have to snow in the spring? I'm tired of sweaters and jackets and mittens and hats. I want to knit a lovely spring shawl and wear that instead.
Lynn wants to learn how to knit too. I'm so excited! She separated from her husband about a year ago, and I feel like knitting will help her "come to terms with it" if that's possible. She loves to meditate, and when I knit in a quiet room (not at SnB, for example), it can be somewhat meditative for me too. This is especially true when I'm working on a prayer shawl or other item for a dear friend. Anyway, I'm really eager to get her started.
Speaking of shawls, I bought A Gathering of Lace last night, and I love it. I'm so inspired to knit my first lace project. I don't have the yarn for one yet, so I was online last night looking at prices (does anyone know dollars to pounds conversion?). In my search, I found Wedding Ring Shawl patterns that are absolutely gorgeous! That is truly my inspiration now. I am dying to knit one of these wonderful, spiderwebby things. I found a blog that I've included on this site that I'm sure will keep me going through this ambition. www.missalicefaye.com. Her patterns and projects are beautiful! Someday I will knit like that, but for now, I'll just ogle at other things people have done and live vicariously through them. And then I'll knit one of my own. Or two. I do have some fugly lace-type yarn, so maybe I'll do a practice shawl with that to see if I can do it. That would be three projects on the needles.
I get to go to the yarn store again today. If you'll remember, I bought 12 balls of lovely mohair, but after looking at various lacy shawl patterns, I realized it may not be enough, so I put the other 8 balls they had in the store on hold. Now I have 20 balls of the stuff, and not a project in mind. Clearly I am catching on to this yarn stash concept, and I like it. I think going to the yarn store will get me through my day today.
Tonight I pack to go home for the weekend. I'm really excited to get going and be there. I'm looking forward to spending Tim's birthday with him too since I missed last year. I just have to figure out which knitting project to take with me. Probably all three!

Thursday's Mantra: I will not give in...I will not give in...I will not give in...

Not really sure why I picked this one. It just popped into my head, so it must be what I need to do.

Wednesday Mantra

2008-03-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

Lots of people do daily or weekly things on their blogs. Nichole has "Ten on Tuesday," others have daily quotes or Bible verses.
I have decided to do a daily Mantra. I oftentimes get on my soapbox about various issues, and need to find ways to not dwell on them.
Today's mantra focuses on the fact that while I think some people do stupid things, that does not make everyone stupid.

Today's Mantra:

Not everyone is stupid...not everyone is stupid...not everyone is stupid.

I get to go visit Tim on Friday. He's turning 39 on Saturday, and I was determined not to miss a second birthday in a row. Therefore, this week is creeping by more slowly than they usually do. I can't wait to finally move out there and be with him for good. Separation does not a marriage make.

As far as knitting goes, I'm still working on the baby blanket for Katie, which is a whopping 8 inches long now. I'm also plugging away at the prayer shawl for Alanna. We just found out they found more tumors on some lymph nodes, which means the family may have to cancel its trip to Ireland over Spring Break if she has to have surgery. I'm hoping that the prayer shawl will be done by then so she can take it with her.

Knitting!

2008-03-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

Yay! I get to go a-knittin' tomorrow! Everyday is a knit day, but tomorrow is special because I get to go somewhere solely for the purpose of drinking good coffee and knitting with good friends. Tuesdays are great. It's my new favorite day of the week.

I think I'll let them covet my new yarn purchase too.

I'm very excited to move to DC, but I'm really going to miss everything here. I wish I could pack everyone who's here up and take them with me. I'm not even gone yet, and already I'm homesick. I've connected with a couple of knitting groups, and I can only hope they are as fantastic as the ladies I've come to know in the past year here.

I got new yarn today!

2008-03-01T23:49:00.001-08:00

I finished that damn dossier for work Friday night, so I decided to treat myself to a little present to congratulate myself. What better way to treat myself than to indulge in some nice fluffy yarn. I went to VW, and lo and behold, there was the Mohair, all 20% off! I had no idea what I was going to do with Mohair because I had no projects in mind when I walked in, but sure enough, there I was with 12 balls of nice fluffy goodness. It's 1140 yards total, so it'll probably end up being a shawl someday. For now, I'll just cuddle with it.

That Damn Dossier is finally done. I can't believe New Mexico charges its teachers to write a portfolio in order to defend their jobs. What? A Master's degree isn't enough for ya? Furthermore, if they're going to make us do this, they should at least have enough money in the budget to pay the people reviewing me. Oh, wait, they don't because they keep giving the superintendents raises, which brings them to $260,000 per year while the rest of us struggle to pay bills on our meager $30,000 salary. I'm just being bitchy about this whole thing, but honestly, what other profession makes you defend your expertise every three years? They just don't have enough to do in that state office. Maybe I should go work for them, except I'd have to turn incompetent.

Best of luck to me,
Mrs. Reynolds

I love my knitting group

2008-02-27T12:20:00.000-08:00

I went to Flying Star again last night, as I always do to knit, eat, and talk with friends. I love that group. They are such nice gals, and I'm so glad to know them.

I love Nichole's stories and how they make us laugh hysterically.
I love Nancy's smile and her need to make everything perfect even if it means ripping out the heel of a sock, while the rest of us just knit through our mistakes.
I love to watch Morgen work two different colored strands at once while I sit and struggle with my one strand.
I love being in the "air force" with Katie, and trying to convince Paula that she really does want to be a teacher after I've told her a story about how awful the kids were today.
I love saying "what the corn" with Debbie, and hearing Margaret call it "Missoura" instead of "Missouri."
We truly are a "close-knit" group, and I love it.

See you next week, ladies!

Not So Bad

2008-02-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I started the Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket over for the fourth or fifth time this weekend, and after leaving the stitch markers in this time, I think I've actually got it. It's actually looking like the pattern, except my yarnovers aren't leaving as big of holes as the picture shows. Oh well. It's a soft, cuddly blanket, and I think it will be perfect for Katie's baby boy that's due in April. I worked on it most of yesterday and some this evening, and it's about 4 inches long so far. At that rate, only 22 days to go! We'll see. I promised Katie that he'd have it before he finished high school. If I like the way this one turns out, I'll knit one for Amy's baby girl, also due in April. If not, it's pattern shopping I go!

A picture of the blanket in all of its 7 inch blueness...

Elegantly Simple....

2008-02-19T22:45:00.000-08:00

...my foot!

This Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket is NOT fun! I started it for the third time tonight, and my aim is to have it done by March 1, or a week from now since I still have to mail it. I keep knitting away at it, hoping that the pattern will show up soon. I have A pattern, I just don't know if it's THE pattern. We'll see. It may be booties after all for these babies...

Goodnight! Early meeting tomorrow!

"Trikotajci"

2008-02-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

"Trikotajci" means "knitter" in Turkish.

Today I got back from visiting Husband in Washington, DC. We had a great long weekend and were able to look at some houses together too. I also go acquainted with the metro system in DC, which sounds intimidating until you realize there are only 5 rails, and the only thing you have to do is know how to read a map. It's nearly impossible to get lost on the rail system there. I'm sure I could use it to find a few yarns shops. Oh, and maybe a job too. And the apartment. But only after I've found some yarn shops.

I'm still working on Alanna's prayer shawl. I began a new skein of yarn today, and so far I'm happy with it. I also have ambitions of making two baby blankets before March 8. Katie's shower is on the 1st, and Amy McCollum's is on the 8th. I've yet to start either blanket, and I have my porfolio to finish for work too. They may end up getting a picture from the internet of the blanket in a card with the promise that the little tikes will have their blankets before they finish high school. It would just be nice if I could get them done in time. If only we didn't have to sleep, I could get so much more done.

Speaking of sleep, I suppose that would be a good thing. I just have to peel myself away from ravelry long enough...sleep...sleep...