Yarn and Friday Fill-Ins

I was just perusing the Elann Sneak Peak and I have to say there is some wonderful looking yarn. Don't you just love this and this-

Geee, I sure wish I was rich.



1. I'd really like to be sleeping on a sunny beach right now.

2. SMFPD (that is as close as I can get and still post it:-)) is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is 9/10ths of the law.

4. I heart Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like quilts and snow.

6. Life goes on and on.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cooking dinner and sleeping, tomorrow my plans include unpacking 5 boxes, cleaning my car, and knitting and Sunday, I want to sleep!

An Interview

No whining today, I have been lucky enough to be interviewed by Jane of Grammieknits-

Jane: When and how did you learn how to knit and what was your first project?

Georgi: The first time I picked up knitting needles I was four or five, and all I knit was a square, no project with my yaya. Then when I was 14, it was all the rage to knit a scarf, and I did a few rows of a garter stitch, but that was about it. Finally, in 1989, I took a knitting class and made a sweater for DD2 when she was three, it had cables and raglan sleeves and was the easiest sweater I have ever made, and it was darling. I stopped knitting again until about 6 years ago, this time I haven’t stopped, so I think it is a keeper this time. Now instead of taking classes, I learn things from the great knitting sites on the web, or just ask how to do something on the blog. In addition, it is amazing how much I learn from reading other people’s blogs and they make me want to try new things too.

Jane: I read in your Profile that you like to write - what other kinds of things do you write besides your blog?

Georgi: I love to write short stories, silly, serious, romantic, anything can cause my brain to create a story. I never let anyone read what I write, because for some reason it is more personal than a blog, how weird is that? I wonder if all bloggers have a writer’s soul.

Jane: I see that you also like to travel. What is your favorite place to visit? Where would you like to go if you could go anywhere in the world?

Georgi: I love Grand Cayman; it is wonderful. The snorkeling and diving is great, the beaches are warm, sunny and clean. How can you go wrong? The one place I would love to go is to Greece, I have always wanted to go there and plan to visit just before I retire. Of course, any place with a beach is good, Hawaii, Key West, Cozumel. . . I hope to go to Ireland in May, (after DD1 graduates from the master’s program she is currently in) depending on how Di is doing.

Jane: What kinds of dishes do you like to cook? What is your favorite recipe?

Georgi: I like to cook almost anything, Mexican food, Italian food, home style cooking, anything that someone will eat is what I like to cook. I have a problem with anything that contains yeast, I can’t seem to get it to rise unless I use the bread-making machine, but anything else is fair game. A few weeks ago, J (DD2’s boyfriend) and I made a spinach quiche; it was fun but most important of all- it tasted great.

Jane: I'm very jealous of your telecommute day where you get to work at home in your jammies! Do you enjoy your job?

Georgi: I love telecommuting, before I came to Denver I did it daily for 3 years, I think it is better to spread my time over both the office and home. My job has its moments; I am a contracting officer for the federal government and it can be very high stress, too much work, not enough time. However, I am actually doing acquisition software support running a helpdesk for the acquisition software and three other applications that interface. Nevertheless, I don’t get bored, which is a good thing, I would hate to have a job where I was bored all the time, or everything is the same day after day. Therefore, since I cannot be independently wealthy and I like to live in a house and not under a bridge, this is as good as it can be. :-)

For those of you who might want to be interviewed, here are the directions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions and I will need your e-mail.).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Whining

I am a little irritated today. Today is my telecommute day, which would have been great since it was so cold; however, I came into the office for a meeting in with a person from DC. Now it appears as though she is not going to show, though it may be due to the weather, who knows. I could be in my jammies at home taking a nap for lunch instead of sitting here snuffling. I hate it when things interrupt my telecommute day, almost as much as when they interrupt my lieu day. I am going to lunch. . . .

Later
I am still working on the black scarf with the lace diamond chain; the yarn is not as bad as I expected it to be, so that is a good thing. I have a feeling it will take me a while to finish, just because I am tired at night lately. It is probably the time of year, dark and gloomy night is going to make a person tired sooner I guess. I am also working on the Dr Who scarf, but it is sooooo boring. DD2 is so lucky that I love her. :-)

Remember here when I complained about the warm weather (not actual complaining, that is what today’s post is for) well I should have kept quiet because yesterday’s high was 16˚ and today’s is supposed to be 23˚, it was 3˚ when I left for work this morning. Those numbers just shouldn’t be on the thermometer because it is too cold to breath. I have had to close my bedroom window finally; it is just too cold to have it open even a little bit. This morning I had on snow boots, a coat, and gloves; and I needed long johns too (and a nose cover too, my nose is burning from breathing the cold air.) My poor car is very unhappy with the morning cold.

I am done whining and complaining for now. I am going to go home, plop my butt in the chair, and knit until I fall asleep.

Have a happy and productive day!

Manic Monday, Some Knitting and A Question

What gives you hope? Children usually give me hope, and reading the good things people do for others gives me hope. Knowing that a better future is right around the corner gives me hope.

How often do you get your haircut? Describe your worst haircut. I don’t have a set time for a haircut, I get one when I have a coupon or my hair is driving me nuts, whichever is sooner. My worst haircut was a combo haircut and perm, when I was done; I looked just like my grandmother, even though I was only 39. It was awful

What's your most treasured piece of jewelry? Why? I have some emerald earrings and a necklace that my daughter gave me (which is why they are my most treasured pieces.)

I found a stitch for the black scarf I am making for DD1, I was browsing in my “Field Guide to Knitting” and found the Diamond Lace chain and I think it will be perfect. It is simple, and perfect for running down the middle of the scarf, plus I don’t have to fuss with a chart on this one, which will make it quicker. I am using Caron’s Simply Soft so it can thrown in the washer and dryer, this will make the problem of dog and cat hair easier to deal with.

You know, I really love working with fine wool and blends, but with all the animals in my house, it is just too hard to take care of the yarn and then to use it afterwards. When I made J’s scarf it was so full of hair that I took it outside and shook it, but the yarn could not go in the washer and dryer, so the hair was pretty much knit into the scarf. However, T’s scarf was with washable wool and a wool blend, when it was done I threw the darn thing into the washer and dryer (gently and lightly) and it came out beautifully. How do others deal with that issue? Do you have a room where animals are not allowed to go for knitting? Alternatively, do you just ignore the hair and pretend like it is not there?

Have a wonderful day!

Another One Done & a Contest

I finished the one for DD1’s boyfriend, T, last night and it is laid out being blocked right now. I also started two more, one is a Dr. Who scarf (see the picture) but I refuse to use a garter stitch for the whole thing, that is just
toooooo much to expect from a person :-), so I am mixing garter, stockinette, and seed stitches along with the colors. We also picked out different colors, as DD2 does not like the colors used in this one. And since nothing has to match, I can do the stitches as I feel or when I get tired of them. I also started a black scarf with no special pattern requested. I am going back to the stitch dictionary again for this one, though the first few rows have been the seed stitch.

I thought I was just about done with scarves, but now I have had a request for a couple more. I guess as long as my hands are busy it is okay to knit them. I will have to dig out a stitch dictionary to find a different way to make them, I am sick of the ones I have made so far.

My alpaca scarf that I have not yet start is going to be in the December is for Stephanie scarf pattern (you can see it here) that was suggested by LilChickadee. I am bound and determined to learn how to use graphs and this scarf will require it. I bet it takes me all summer to finish it, lololol.

Vickie is having a contest, you can enter here. she has some wonderful items she is giving away and will put you in the mood for Valentine's Day, :-) Please tell her I sent you.

I hope you are having a great weekend.

A Contest and a Hawk

There is a contest at While Tangerine Dream for a Nacho Poncho and a Manos del Uruguay kettle dyed skein. The poncho is way cute. Go here to enter and please tell her I sent you.


As you know, we have a small, 7lb. Chihuahua we call Lola (and Loopy). When I put her outside I always stay out with her due to the possibility of hawks and foxes. The lady who sold us this place warned me that she had had both in her yard when she put her dog out. Because of this I stay out with her (or at least keep her within eye sight, after all it is a very tiny backyard) no matter how many rock she has to sniff. Well, evidently my lazy ass daughter (aka DD2) is not so diligent, even though she knew that predators were a possibility in our fenced yard. This morning
she put Lola outside and came into the house to take care of business. When she got back out, there was a hawk sitting in the tree eyeing the dog. This of course meant that she had to come screaming into the house to wake me up and tell me that she wanted a gun kept by the door. I told her she was crazy, all she had to do was stay out there with her, and that killing hawks was against the law. She is now going to get a BB gun (that she is paying for) to scare the hawks off with, but in my mind it is just as easy to stand there. Isn't it funny how adult (she is 23) children can sometimes be as crazy as when they were small children? At what age do they grow up enough to be able to say, "I'm done!" Do you think that will ever happen?

Friday Fillins

1. Oh, I am so tired of this darn sinus infection!

2. Sometimes it is fun to make changes, big and little.

3. During television shows, I either knit or read.

4. ??? (I was thinking WTF, but. . .); are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be in bed and asleep (or on a beach where the sun is baking me).

6. My IPod is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to baking a cake for J’s birthday and sleeping, tomorrow my plans include nothing but knitting and Sunday, I want to clean up around the house and do some work (from my office)!

Knitting and WOW

I gave J his scarf last night, aka The Darn scarf, and he put it on and wrapped it around his neck a zillion times. It was the perfect size for him and looks as though it will keep him warm. I am back to working on the scarf for DD1’s boyfriend. I dug out my Knitpicks number 11 needles and things are moving right along.

I am now tired of scarves and want to start a pair of fingerless gloves that have a sort of flip top for DD1, though who knows how long they will take me to finish. Nevertheless, I need to make a scarf for DD2 and me, as the cold weather here is not finished, even if it is supposed to be 63 today, so I am not yet through with scarves (but they sure can be boring). I cannot decide on a pattern for my alpaca (and no one has suggested one yet, hint, hint.)

My kitties are lying on my bed soaking up the sun (and filing my bed with cat hair) as I type. They always act so innocent during the day, however by night they are evil creatures, kind of like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I have a permanent Goodwill box in my loft that we add stuff to as we come across more stuff and it is currently half-full. Well, last night the “Evil Three” decided they needed to go through it to make sure I was not throwing anything of theirs out, so the little buggers tipped it over and spread the stuff all over the loft. There were sheets in the box and they have them all unfolded and nasty looking, so I will be washing them before they go to Goodwill. I wonder what makes cats so curious (nosy) that they want to go through a box like that, they have toys and things to play with, but they still have more fun tearing up things they are not supposed to get into. The “Evil Three” manage to get into something every single night.

I hope everyone is having a great and productive day.

DONE

The Darn Scarf is DONE. I ended up using 4 skeins of the Elann Highland Chunky Oatmeal Heather, 2 skeins of the Chocolate and 1 of the Chestnut. The picture to the right is how much yarn was left of the last skein when I decided enough was enough when it reached 98 inches long and both ends matched. It is now being blocked one half at a time, as the animals love to run wild and there is no place that is long enough to do the whole thing at one time and to keep the animals off of it.

I want to thank everyone who offered suggestions for adding to the other cast-on end of the scarf. I started by picking up the stitches on the cast on end, however it left a bump in the scarf which I didn’t like the feel of. So I put in a life line about 2 inches down from the cast on end, and cut the cast on row off. I then cleaned up the end, picking out all the junk and until there was one clean row and picked up my 30 stitches and kept on going until both ends of the scarf matched.


Now I can finish of the other scarf (the one for DD1’s boyfriend) once I gather up all the yarn and buy a new set of needles. My silly cats like to pick the yarn up in their mouths and carry it all over the house as you can see by these pictures. And then Lola (the Chihuahua) likes to help them out by chewing on the ends of the bamboo circulars. Of course, these are the circulars that are covered with the blue dye from the yarn, so I guess she did me a favor? Don’t ya love the 4 legged children in our lives?


NOTE-
It is warmer here than it is in GA, what is wrong with this picture?
Weather »


Today
HI 64°F | LO 29°F
Tomorrow
HI 69°F | LO 29°FLittleton, CO (change)10 day forecast »

HELP! and a Contest

I need help. Remember that Darn Scarf that was too short? I added the additional colors on the left side of the scarf. Unfortunately, the person I am knitting the scarf for is very symmetrical and sort of anal,(and it would drive him nuts if both ends don’t match) so I want to add the same stripes on the other end (the cast-on edge). How do I do that, there has to be a way and I know that someone must know how to do it. If you could even suggest where to go to find the information I would appreciate it. Thanks to everyone in advance!

Contest
There is a contest at Frugal and Fabulous and she is giving away a pair of KN Chenille lounge socks which are great. Go here to enter and please tell her I sent you.

Jane from JANE4Girls is also having a giveaway. She is giving away hotSACKS to a lucky reader. Go here to enter and please tell her I sent you.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fill Ins

1. Enough with the inauguration and balls, etc, (BTW, how much is all this hullaboo costing me?).

2. Sleeping too much causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving chocolate.

4. Sometimes everything (and sometimes nothing)makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to Key West next week.

6. Nothing has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to doing nothing but vegging, and of course some knitting, tomorrow my plans include washing my car, inside and out (it is supposed to be in the 50s) and running some errands and Sunday, I want to paint a chest that sits in my living room and does not match the furniture (it is currently orange and the furniture is burgundy and gray)!

Contest and yarn

There is a contest at Elevenses and it is about books, which is okay as all knitters read or listen to audiobooks (how's is that for a generalization?). Alll you have to do is tell Justine who your favorite literary character is (if you are lucky enough to be able to single out a single character, I wasn't.) Anyway, go here to enter and please tell her where you heard about the contest. :-)

I have fallen in love with one of the new colors for the darn scarf. It is a chocolate brown and looks so wonderful, it makes me think of a wonderful smooth chocolate. It looks great with the other colors in the darn scarf, I would take a picture, however I know that I cannot do it justice.

Have a wonderful day!

Whiskers on Wednesday and Blather

The kitties are napping because they are soooo tired from tearing up mama's left over Christmas paper all night.



Last night was a very bad night! Poor Di could not quit coughing (a side effect of the heart failure) and the hydrocodone was not working, even though I tripled her dose. I ended up sitting with her trying to calm her for hours, and she just kept looking at me begging me to make it stop. The oddest thing of the whole night was that she still had the energy to chase Onyx off the bed (though I had to lift her back up on the bed.) This is how I know that she is not ready to leave me yet. She still eats, goes outside, and chases the cats through the house. My eyes are hurting from crying with her all night, but her breathing is much easier today and she wants to play. This is very hard.

I received the yarn I ordered from
Elann today, but now I am too tired to use it, but that company is so fast, I love them. The additional colors are great and blend well with the existing yarn in the scarf. I think I am going to knit tonight, no matter how tired I am, simply because I am excited to see how it works out.

Have you noticed how many people are selecting words of the year instead of resolutions? Why is a word better than resolutions, isn’t it almost the same thing in a general way of thinking? I don’t usually make resolutions or “Words of the Year” because it just sets me up for failure, which is not a good thing. I can feel cruddy enough about what I have or have not done throughout the year. I normally spend this time of year depressed anyway because I am getting older, (March 15) I reflect on failures and aging and how short life is, I have given myself a panic attack a couple of times thinking about the shortness of life (isn’t that stupid). It is funny though, I am sad this year, which I am sure is partly related to our move, but getting older is not as depressing to me this year as it has been in the past. Now, its like, “Oh yeah, another birthday. Will I get good presents?” (My family starts asking what I want for my birthday on Boxing Day, lololol. So I hope I am getting the swift and ball winder I asked for this year.) Yes I know that sounds like a little kids way of thinking, but do any of us ever grow up all the way? And you have to admit that it is fun to open presents. :-)

I have to go give Di some more cough medicine, and make a cake. Toni has made me want chocolate and I ate it all over the weekend. I am sorry if this post is depressing, but that is not how it is meant.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and accomplishing what they want to accomplish.

DeLurking Day 09

Yes, today is Delurking Day! This means that everyone who reads a blog should comment on that blog, at least for today, not just popping in and out. Comment and let the blogger know you appreciate what he/she is writing, or if you don’t like it, let them know that also. I know that I appreciate any comments, constructive comments are especially helpful. And it does not matter if you are repeating what someone else has said, you are just verifying what the other commenter has stated, and that is a good thing. I know that I will be going back and commenting on blogs I have visited before I realized what day it was :-) Show your fellow bloggers your appreciation and comment on their blogs!

I want to make some improvements to my blog, so of course that means I have a few questions from all of the people who know more about it than I do.

First, how can I set up my blog so that I get an email everytime I receive a comment on my blog? I would love to respond to all the comments, but sometimes it is a little cumbersome if I have to generate all the info, especially when I know the system can do it for me.

How do I create a blog button? Is there someone who I can contact (and of course pay) to do it for me or is it something I have to learn how to do by myself?

I appreciate any help you can give me.

BTW, since when does a 40% chance of precipitation lead to a foot of snow? after reading the weather report, I went to bed figuring the weather would be like yesterday’s, cool and windy; however I woke up this morning and was stunned to see more snow (and it is still snowing).

I hope everyone is having a great (and warm) day!

The Darn Scarf and Contests

Thanks to everyone for the great ideas on how to fix the darn scarf that is too short, they were great; it is times like this when I realize how wonderful the blogging world and especially knitters are. I did call Elann, and just ordered some complementary colors of the same yarn, I will frog part of it and then work the stripes in. I am wondering how to do this to the beginning of the scarf though, the cast on edge, am I having a brain fart or what? I have never had to do this before, I am normally very certain I have enough yarn. And I will be again, for all future projects!

I have started another scarf, and I am trying a weird pattern that is coming to me as I knit and it is using the most awful yarn I don’t know why I am using it. But you know, I think the recipient will like it, don’t know why but. . .

Now, I have another question for everyone. I have the most wonderful alpaca that I purchased in Boulder Co from a woman who raises prize winning alpaca’s. I have 900 yards and the color is a blend of browns, grays, and cream that will go well with my new winter coat (a very impractical cream color, but very warm). So now I need a suggestion for a pattern for a scarf and /or hat. I am open to any and all suggestions, even if it takes me until next winter to complete it. I have a difficult time selecting patterns for specific yarn, so please provide any info on a scarf or hat that will be wonderful in the alpaca.

Contest
Major Knitter is having a contest for her new Ravelry Group, Finish It or Frog It in an attempt to complete or get rid of projects that we all have sitting around. Here is where you enter; she even has buttons for finishing or frogging, which are very cute.

Here is another contest at the $5 Dinner blog she has great meals, though we sometimes add a salad, just because salad is part of dinner in our house, but they taste great and save me money. She is having a contest for a Designer Lunch Tote Giveaway. They are very cute and you get to select your own tote. You can enter here.

Friday Fillins

Let me say in advance, I am a serious chocoholic in relapse :-)

1. It's January; blah.

2.Chocolate and sleep is what I crave most right now.

3. Cork and wine go together like chocolate and sleep.

4. Chocolate is so nourishing.

5. Let us dare to eat more chocolate.

6. I love my home, but it is out of chocolate.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping and knitting (not sure of the order), tomorrow my plans include running errands, getting my new dryer fixed and Sunday, I want to sleep, knit and eat chocolate!

Knitting Issues and DOT

I have been working on a scarf in Elann Highland Chunky off and on for a couple of months, using a knit 5 purl 5 to get a different texture. It is now 55 inches long without blocking, and I just ran out of yarn. I have used 3 balls of the yarn and cannot believe that it is not longer, it would be great if I was making it for me, cause I am short, but it is for a man who is 6’3”, so it is way tooooooo short for him. The only thing I can think of doing is calling Elann
in the morning and hoping that they have some more in the same dye lot (though I am not holding my breath). I guess I could frog the entire thing and make it narrower, 55 inches is a lot of knitting, but that is what I will be doing if Elann does not have more of the yarn available. So now my question to everyone is, what would you do in the same situation? I like the way it looks and it will keep J warm, but. . . . Please let me know what you think the ideal solution is. The color is not as boring as it looks in these pictures, but indoors at night is not the ideal situation for picture taking.
In my last post I asked how people got things completed so quickly and Darcy told me (and Aunt Kathy agreed with her), “The secret to knitting a hat in one night is to sit for 6 hours doing nothing but knitting while your 2 toddlers torture their father and trash the house and you lose all feeling in your bum and hands.” I laughed, but don’t think that would work in my case, first I don’t have any toddlers and second my bum would hurt if I sat still that long. lololol

The scarf for THE Boyfriend is going well, however the yarn is turning my bamboo needles blue. I kind of like the looks of the scarf, what do you think? BUT, how am I going to get the dye off the needles without it rubbing off onto other yarns?

And for Dogs on Thursday here is a picture of my Di all cuddled up in her blanket with her bunny rabbit, snoozing without a care in the world-
YES, I have a very spoiled dog!

I hope everything is going well for everyone!

What Painting are You

Click here to create your own painting.

Knitting and Manic Monday

I have decided that blog posts should not have to include a title. I have such a hard time putting a title on a post that there have been times when I just said to heck with it. Most of the time the title "Blather" pretty much covers the whole thing.

I did get my Knitting Journal started, as I have to re-knit the lost scarf for THE Boyfriend. (Yes, I decided to call him THE Boyfriend, some people were offended that I called him Numbnuts, even though he wasn’t.) I have also purchased a tub for all ’09 presents so I do not lose them. I have also started another scarf for DD1 and am working on a scarf for DD2. I wish I could knit as fast as other people do, I always feel so. . .mmmmmm? . . . slow when I read other peoples blogs and they have knit a hat in an evening or a sweater in 2 days. I wish someone would tell me what the secret is to knitting a hat in an evening. I have a project in the bedroom, one in the livening room, and I always have one in my purse (which I picked out because it was big enough for a small project). So why does it take me so long to finish a project?

Remember this post about the scarf for my friend? It turned out great, but of course, I forgot to get a picture. While I was knitting it I had my doubts, but once is was soaked and blocked it looked great, the yarn bloomed nicely so it was soft and scrunchy. She liked it and has worn it so I was pleased. I made an Irish Hiking scarf for someone last year, and I think it ended up in a bag destined for a thrift store. That’s okay though, because I know whomever it ends up with will use it because they want to, not because they feel like they have to.


Manic Monday
Do you have any idiosyncrasies or unusual quirks when it comes to food and/or eating? I want the food to be served at the correct temp, if the soup should be cold, I want it cold not room temp, however if it is supposed to be hot, I want it hot. And, if the tomatoes are overripe, do not put them in my salad, put them in a soup or stew :-).

Have you ever written love letters? If so, do you still have any of them? Nope, nada

How easy or difficult is it for you to say you're sorry? I don’t have a difficult time saying I am sorry, if I feel that I am wrong about something; however if I do not feel that I am wrong, I have a very difficult time with it.

Lucky

I have been very lucky this year, especially with contests (which I normally do not win.) I have won several and just won a couple more. Do you remember this post
when I discussed Survivor Gabon on Ravelry? I was very derogatory (shame on me, that will teach me to judge a book by its cover) about the contestants who were assigned to me, expecting Bob and/or Sugar to be the first contestants voted off. Guess what??! Bob won! Which means that I was the winner from group 7 on Ravelry. The rest of the group has been so generous I want to make sure and thank them all. But looky, I got my first two pair of Knitpicks Harmony needles. I have been dying to try them out, but could not justify it as I have every other needle I could possible want, but now I can try them without feeling guilty.
I also received some scrumptious yarn from Aunt Kathy that is very soft to touch and look at. Jane gave me a gift certificate to Amazon (just in time to buy some new books). I got note cards with cats on them; a yarn called Himalayas, that will make a great Urchin hat, and a Ravelry button. As I said, the people on my team were very generous..

I also won one of the tote bags that Darcy was giving away here. I am going to buy the book, Knit Two on my way home from work tomorrow night with a gift card I received for Christmas.

I am grateful to everyone who has allowed me to win their contests in the past year. Thank you!

Blather and a Contest

When DD1 was home, she was hoping for snow and wouldn’t you know it the weather was in the 40’s almost every day (except for a couple of really cold freakish days).
She was very disappointed, but I think she had a good time anyway. We went for a ride up to Breckinridge so she could see the snow and the Eisenhower Tunnel.
We also went to Red Rocks just to look around; however that is almost the extent of the sightseeing we did while she was home, since she worked me to death during the first week of her visit. Here are a few pictures from our touring



I have a question for all of you. . .DD1 has been living with her man for a couple of years now and they have purchased a home together and are quite happy. The problem is I don’t know how to refer to him when writing or talking about him. Do I just call him Numbnuts, her significant other, or what? Or I could just call him DD1’s SO. I need help here, everything is so cumbersome, he is not a boyfriend or a husband so what do I call him? I know others have to have this issue, how did you settle it? Any help is appreciated. I guess for today he is Numbnuts, just because I can.

Anyway, if you remember I started Christmas knitting back in July, when Jane scared me into it. I completed a scarf for Numbnuts as the very first thing for Christmas of 08. Then we moved. Of course, I started looking for it in December so I could wrap it and put it under the tree, but guess what. I have not been able to find it anywhere. I know that it is back with some Noro Silk Garden (20 skeins of it) that I also cannot find. This is driving me nuts and I do not know where to look now. It’s not as if I live in a 10 room house, I live in a tiny townhouse, where could I have hidden it? I am stumped and of course I am also reknitting a scarf for him. Grrrrr

DD2 received a Wii from her boyfriend for Christmas and it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. We have had a great time playing with it. There is an issue though, have you ever heard of Wii injuries? I have what is known as Wii elbow (or tennis elbow for those of us who are a little older than generation X). It is an old injury that I thought had disappeared forever with the last cortisone shot I received about 7 years ago, but evidently, it is back. I love the tennis game, and I figured since the controller was so small it would not be an issue, but I am now in a brace for the duration and am not supposed to play, knit or use the computer for extended periods of time to rest the area. Now how is that going to work since my job is computer based? And, if I can’t knit I will not have any excuse not to clean house, so where does that leave me? I hope the brace helps, because I do not see any of that happening.

Contest-
Jane at Grammiknits is having a contest on her blog called, The Things I did Right in 2008. All you have to do is tell her what you feel you did right in 2008, very simple and fun. Some of the comments are hilarious and great fun to read. Go enter here and tell Jane what you did right in 08.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone and thank you for the wonderful holiday wishes. I hope you all had a great time and were able to celebrate (or not) as you wanted to do. We had a wonderful Christmas season, both of my daughters were home and we played and worked and had a great time together. DD1 and her man left on New Year’s Eve, but it was wonderful to see them again. I have so much to say, since I have not been blogging, that this will be a long post so get comfy (but don’t worry, I will save some for tomorrow).

This year for the first time ever, I was not concerned with having enough presents for everyone, it was very weird. In years past I would actually go deep into debt to buy more and more presents so everyone would be happy, but for some reason I did not have that need this year and it was wonderful! I set my limit and actually came in under that. It is great to know that the holidays are over and I do not have to rob Peter to pay Paul. Another new learning experience for 2008.

I have been reading everyone’s blogs and seeing how everyone has kept track of their knitting and such for the year. Trek even lists what books she has read for 2008. I have never done that, but I purchased a journal yesterday at B&N with a gift card and plan to start tracking my knitting. It is amazing to me that people keep track of their projects and know exactly how much yarn went where. I don’t know if I am organized enough to do that, but I am going to try it and see if it helps me de-stash some of the miles of yarn I have sitting around here.


I did get the big ass wrap finished, here is a picture of it. I used a garter stitch on the ends to avoid the curling issue I was having and it looks okay, imho. I gave my daughter two different shawl pins, one was the little owl poorly pictured here, and the other one was a wooden stick pin that you can see in the picture of the wrap. I told her the story of the stick pin; I purchased it as a set of two at the Renaissance Festival in Atlanta a couple of years ago and used them to hold my hair in a French twist. One of the set was lost in the move and I loved the way the other one looked on the dark green of the wrap, so when she was trying it on I offered it to her also. She likes it like I did on the green so she took it and used it instead of the owl; I am now going to make her another scarf that she can use the with the owl.

Yeah, I did it, I made the deadline for getting rid of 50 things.
34. Face wash that I was allergic to but was too stupid to throw away.
35. A brown sweater that my daughter likes and I did not.
36. A mattress that was moved for no apparent reason.
37. 5 wreaths that I used to use outdoors (there is no place to put them here).
38. More yarn that was disgusting.
39. A set of King size sheets that I didn’t like
40. A dead orchid that I thought I could revive, but gave up on after a year and a half :-)
41. A new mixer that died after the second batch of cookies (it was a cheapo I bought because I have not yet unpacked the good one).
42. A group of coat hangers, we have way too many as we bought more while we were in the hotel and then received a box of them when our household goods arrived.
43. A bunch of cables that I found when unpacking.
44. A shower curtain.
45. Curtain rings.
46. 2 stuffed animals
47. A book, Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War (yes I have resorted to listing them separately, but I figure this is fair since I have already gotten rid of over hundreds of books because I was too lazy to list them separately, or maybe because I didn’t want anybody to see the kind of crap I will sometimes read).
48. A set of queen size sheets.
49. A wooden hair pin.
50. And finally- A few books on tape.

I am so glad I got rid of all that stuff that I think I am going to keep on with this little adventure. I have a hard time getting rid of stuff, I love stuff, but I discovered that I feel lighter when I get rid of some of it. Why keep stuff if I do not need it? I think I am going to try and get rid of 5 things ever month for the next year and see how it goes.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year’s Day.