Thursday, July 27, 2006

Hello there! I've taken over the blog, so that I could give you a little insight into my human's busy schedule and hence her absence from blogging.

Let me introduce myself... My name is Mandy. I'm a Basset Hound and I just celebrated my first birthday, in human years that it is. I've got a good nose, and I like to eat things, all kinds of things.
See, my human, eyeleen, had to replace some sort of burner thingy on the BBQ, you know the thing that makes fire and smoke, and really good smells, and yummy yummy human food. Well after they finished fixing it, there was this little crunchy bit left on the ground. It was small, it smelled good, and was kind of pointy. So I ate it. Later that afternoon, there was this fuzzy thing on the refrigerator. Well it kept looking at me, so I killed it. There was fuzz and fluff and apparently there was also a magnet. I ate that too.

Well to make a long story short, I had to have surgery. You see, that crunchy bit was a screw, and I guess it met up with the magnet in my large intestine. Since they were right next to each other in different loops, they didn't move through me.

Anyway, I'm all better now, I've stopped trying to eat my sutures, and my belly is all healed. My human is a bit disgruntled, she says I've dipped into her yarn fund. I'm not sure what that means, but yarn sounds yummy. I could eat that.

Goodnight y'all. Happy eating!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

a very strange July morning

On my way to work this morning I found myself singing along to the radio. After a few minutes and a couple verses later I finally realized that I was singing along to "Winter Wonderland", and then the Christmas song. At which point it finally dawned on me, Christmas is only 5 months away. Here I am in the midst of summer, and a muggy July day, thinking of school supplies and Christmas Shopping and ultimately Christmas Knitting. Where has all the time gone?

Well, wherever the time went, I certainly didn't use it for knitting or blogging, sorry for the long absence. In my knitting absence I've realized a couple of things. I'm not a sock knitter, my feet are not very tolerable to wool socks. I do like small objects knit in the round, so I guess I'll stick with gloves and mittens. I like lace, but I have an extreme aversion to ripping anything I've knit. I'd rather start over or simply rationalize the any mistake I've made can simply be called a design enhancement. Although I love math, Knitting math can often times boggle my mind. Logically it makes sense, I just can't come to terms with gauge. I can knit it, measure it, calculate the changes. But things always seem to change along the way.

Ah well, maybe I need to knit more. Or just come to terms with the way I knit. This is it, this is me. this is what I knit. (There will be pictures when I find my camera.)

So Happy Knitting y"all! I hope you're having a great summer. And don't fret, Christmas is 5 months away. That's a whole lot of knitting time.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

still here, sometimes

Real life is kicking me in the butt, and I haven't much time for knitting or blogging. I'll be back soon...

Happy Knitting y'all!

Sunday, April 02, 2006

the belated March FO


Pattern: adapted from several glove patterns
Yarn: Axelle's Lisa (100% Superwash Merino) in Briar Rose
Needles: US4 and US2 for the tips


The end of March has been a bit hectic for me, dealing with work issues, family and health issues (biopsies, hypertensive parents, emergency rooms, and a limping, blinded doggie). Somedays I don't know whether I'm coming or going. The gloves weren't my intended FO to show this month, I actually expected a to finish this...

Li's Herringbone Rib scarf excellent knitting for all those waiting rooms. As I started on the last skein of the yarn for the scarf, I realized that I really should finish off the set of gloves I started last year, (before I run out of yarn) The lone glove has been sitting around for quite a long time. Last Sunday I picked up my dpns, and I finished it up the 4 days!! If I had known I could finish glove in 4 days, I'd probably have a few more pairs lying around. Dealing with all those fingers was definitely easier this time around.

I love the orangey bits in the yarn, eh, it'll be perfect for my April Project Spectrum. Maybe.

Have a great week and Happy Knitting!

Friday, March 17, 2006

sophisticated snowflakes

At one time or another, we've all made paper snowflakes by folding paper and cutting. Here's a variation on the theme. Kirigami, which in translation means "cutting paper" and Origamic Architecture, 3D Pop-up cards and paper sculpture.

in RED and PINK for Lolly's Project Spectrum


**************

My project spectrum plans of natural dyeing has been slightly delayed. Apparently the tree bark I was planning to use needs a nice cool water soak of several days or weeks....Hopefully I'll get to it before the month ends. (and next time I'll remember to read ahead and plan accordingly...)

Have a great weekend!
Happy Knitting and Paper Cutting!

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

finally blocked...


Pattern: River from Rowan 38 by Sharon Miller
Yarn: Rowan Kid Silk Haze in Majestic
Needles: US 10.5

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

My February FO

River. Completed. Just in time for my February deadline (my New Year's resolution of at least 1 FO a month.) Yes, I know, I'm a slow knitter.

It's late and as it's past my bedtime. Em-Em won't even wake herself up to see it and you know how much she loves KSH. Details and better pictures after I block it.

G'night y'all. Have a great week and Happy Knitting!

Monday, February 13, 2006

driving with river

Don't you just love the snow! Yes, but only on the weekends... when I don't have to drive or worry about being essential personnel, and when the sun comes out and melts the 12" of snow to about 7" by sunset...

There has been knitting around here, it's just been quite slow. River survived the attack by Em-Em, a hound with a great sense of smell, finely tuned to mohair/silk blends.

My morning commute took only 10 mintues today. It's pretty amazing on day full of school closings and icy roads. Early morning knitting in the car ensued,,,

Thank you so much for all the comments on the Kristina Bag! Y'all made my day. Good luck to all you knitty olympians...Have a great week! Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Knitting!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

my January FO!!


finally felted...

Pattern: Kristina by Black Sheep Bags
Needles: US 10.5
Yarn: Patons Wool Black and Noro Kureyon #95

This was my first fair isle color work. And the best part... the felting hides my mistakes design enhancements...

Sunday, January 15, 2006

finding time to knit...

It's a bit hard getting back to normal after the holidays. There's always so much to put away and clean up, food to eat, weight to lose, miles to run. Finding time to knit always seems to be a problem. I love knitting, I love the way the fabric comes together while twisitng yarn on these poitny sticks. This weekend I finally found some time for it...

An almost FO! It just needs felting...

Kristina by Black Sheep Bags in Patons Wool and Noro

I've also found time to start

River from Rowan 37 in Kid Silk Haze Majestic

and from the bottom of the UFO basket, I've picked up

Interlocking Balloons from Scarf Style in Araucania Nature Wool

Thanks to everyone for the Birthday wishes, ecards, cards, and presents. Y'all are wonderful, thanks for brightening up my birthday! Have a great week and Happy Knitting!

Sunday, January 01, 2006

100 things

Happy New Year! I hope it's a good one!

This is my 100th post. Yay! I've had this blog for about a year and a half, and I'm surprised that I've kept it for so long. The Blog lacks many things. Knitting content for one. I'm not a particularly fast knitter, and I'm a (self diagnosed) ADD knitter. Therefore it is often takes a while before completed knitted objects appear on this blog. Forgive me and thank you for stopping by.

I've made one New Year's resolution this year. One knitted object per month. Wish me luck.

To celebrate My 100th post. I'm taking a page from Kim at Chef Messy. So here's a list of 100 things/people/places that I love, in no particular order...

1. My family
2. My furry family
3. The close friends I consider my family
4. My house
5. Godiva’s Belgian Lion
6. Chocolate
7. iPods
8. Burts bees lip balm
9. the Lawn and Rotunda
10. Harry Potter books
11. Knitting supplies and yarn
12. Air conditioning
13. Heaters
14. Fuzzy slippers
15. Birkenstocks
16. Prismacolor
17. Nikon
18. Macs
19. Fridays
20. Iced decaf soy white chocolate mochas
21. Green tea with honey
22. Dim sum on Sundays
23. Beaded Jewelry from my sister
24. Clementines
25. Mangoes
26. The Smithsonian
27. Photography
28. Knitting
29. Reading
30. Book sales
31. Finding vintage knitting patterns at book sales
32. Virginia
33. Coming Home
34. Kirigami
35. Macaroni and cheese
36. Lost
37. Xbox
38. Playstation 2
39. Gameboy
40. Yankee Candle Clean Cotton
41. Lobster Bisque
42. Korean Popped Rice cakes
43. Snow
44. Snow Days
45. Peppermint Altoids
46. Massages
47. Nags Head
48. Pretty Baby’s Hand Scrub in Citrus
49. DVR
50. DDR
51. Holiday traditions
52. Christmas
53. My Birthday (..in 2 days!!)
54. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting
55. My mother’s mocha chiffon cake
56. Fajitas
57. my chair form Ikea
58. Tea Pots
59. Cadbury Dairy Milk
60. Laughter
61. my Clie
62. the Explorer
63. Purple
64. Black
65. Blueberry scones
66. Clotted Cream
67. Old School Hip Hop
68. Rainy Days
69. Naps
70. Hugs
71. Kisses
72. Handmade cards
73. Yoga
74. Yoga pants
75. Long walks on cool mornings
76. Sleeping in
77. Vacations
78. Holidays
79. Prayer
80. Spirituality
81. Chicken Adobo
82. Drafting tables
83. Sunsets
84. Men in Uniform
85. Hot Steamed Rice
86. Farmers Markets
87. Libraries
88. Target
89. Basset Hounds
90. Modern Architecture
91. Romantic Comedies
92. Period Dramas
93. Action Films
94. Whole Foods
95. Parfaits
96. Mango Daquiris
97. Red Roosters (frozen Cranberry, OJ & Vodka)
98. Frozen Margaritas
99. Peace
100. Happiness