have I mentioned lately that I love yarn? (lots of photos)

Here it is, the winner of what yarn should I do Clapotis with:


Yes, I decided to go with the Bamboo yarn by SW Trading. Thank you everyone for your input, especially Jenanne who suggested the yarn..and they had it in my absolutely favorite color! Yes, I am an orange freak - burnt, pumpkin-y, fall leaf-ish... never ever dayglo! Here's a close up:


Does anyone see anything different in this picture?


If you guessed that there were funny looking sticks poking out.... you'd be right. Yes, I started my very first sock. I started with the color I liked the least so if I messed up, no harm-no foul.

Allena asked what I had in the bottom of my jar of needles, that would be sea shells that I've collected since I moved to California. Some from Venice Beach, some from Santa Monica, some from that beach at the end of Sunset (anyone from L.A. know the name of that place) and some from the Newport Beach area. I had them sitting around and now have a way to show them off.

Books for you

I'm following someone else's lead (I'm sorry I forgot which blog I saw it on) and giving away some books. You can go to my bookstore (haha) to see the titles. I'll update the list from time to time. You can email me at: solimar31 at gmaildotcom or leave a comment and I'll get in touch with you if you want any.

Edit: Colette from Knit Witch was the orginal giver awayer of free books! Thanks to Rebecca for the info!

And what did I do with my sock yarn?

I couldn't face starting a sock yet. I'm still intimidated. It sure does look pretty sitting there next to my knitting chair. I promised myself I would give it a shot tonight. After all, what's the worst that will happen? I'll have to frog... I've done that before.

Not much happening today, some cleaning and getting a lot of vintage jewelry together for Ebay. This is the end of it. YEAH!! or Wahhhhh. I'm not sure. It was nice to get the extra $$, but it was a little bit tedious doing all of those sales. I also sat outside reading today. It was beautiful again. I'll be posting a list of books soon that I want to get give away (all part of the cleaning mode I've been in)

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

This is what I decided to start with..the small bag from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts" 

Finally a pic of the finished shawl.. well except for a few more fringes 

It came...IT CAME!!!

YEAH!!! I got my order from Elann today!! YIPPEEEE!!!!! (pics in a second) The yarn will be for socks and if I like working with it, I have a top in mind for the amazon colorway. I also got circs and dpns.

It took everything I had to take pics before ripping into the bag to touch it. And touch it I did! My first yarn! (other than lion brand) It was down, it was dirty, it was obscene - I can't even imagine what it's going to be like when I get the clapotis yarn.

Now I have a problem... what do I do first? Cast on socks? Or use my new properly sized circs to make the gift bags in Last Minute Knitted Gifts? I wanted to knit the bags for Valentine's Day.

All I know is my mom's shawl and the dog sweater are going on the back burner!

Sharing my joy!! Sock yarn close up. 

My first Elann order!! 

Adagio, oh sweet Adagio...

It's raining in So.Cal... again. I hate rain - not as much as I hate snow - but I hate it just the same. It's dark, it's dreary and I usually get stuck on my street because of flooding - even with the smallest amount.

Of course, I had to go out into it. I had a lead on a job and spoke to the owner of the company who lives in Northern CA. He told me "Go ahead, stop by the office and meet my brother, see where the office is, it's open M-F from 10-6" (ohhh yeah I'd love those hours) Well, I show up at 11 (didn't want to rush the guy) and no one was there, so I waited - no one by 11:30 - so I drove around and came back - still no one there. Drove - almost floated - home and jumped back in my jams (depression wear of choice in chez Stacey) and realized my most favorite pair-the most broken in, softest cotton, faded perfectly, almost 7 year old ones - had ripped along the outside leg seam. And not just ripped, but that frayed tear that old comfy cotton things get. To fix, I'll either have to do a big honking patch or lose an inch leg circumference.

There is a bright ending to my day. The FedEx truck pulled up and before you could say tea, I was up and running. Through the pouring rain and the flooded (dirt) driveway, I returned with my new best friend. My shoes were soaked, heck my jams were too. I even tracked a little mud into the house. Tearing open the package, I found my inginutea cup (this thing ROCKS!!) and my four little tea tin sampler pack.. PLUS a sample of their "valentine tea". I had to brew a cup immediately. OH MY GOSH!!!! I am in heaven. I chose peppermint to start...it's smooth, it's velvety... I've banished celestial seasons from my house forever, I'm doing a jig, I'm making up Adagio love songs. Next up (brewing as I type) is chamomile.

In knitting news.. I've finished my shawl, well except for a little more fringe. I'm not a major fringe girl, but it just laid 100% better with the fringe. I've made progress on my mother's and *gasp* I'm turning the Irish hiking scarf into a dog sweater for the chihuahua. It's not that I'm bored with it or anything, I just really am not feeling scarfish - I crocheted enough at Christmas time. It was a nice lesson in cabling, but it would get much more use by Pokie.

And the winner is....

I've picked a yarn for Clapotis! Yeah! But, you'll all have to wait and see what it is until it arrives! It's definitely beautiful and in my favorite color.

I love Hancock fabrics!! Why you ask? Well I had to get some more pins for a sewing project so since I am absolutely disgusted with JoAnne and Michaels (the stores up here anyway) I decided to actually go in to Hancock. OOOOOHHH YEAH! They have a knitting section. The lady said it was recently upgraded. Now, they only have Lion Brand yarns, but they have dpns, bamboo needles, and they even have multiple lengths of circs. At least I have a place to get needles.

My mother told me she had a dream last night. She dreamt that I met a man at Barnes & Noble. This man was a sheep farmer. (oh yeah) He would dye sheep to any color I wanted and bring them to me. How cool is that?!?!

$$ = Clapotis

Oh yeah baybeeeee... I had an ebay item go off the charts and have some cold hard moola to get some wonderful yarn.

:::: jumping up and down clapping:::::

This will be my first fabalicious yarn purchase!!

I've been to see the Lorna's Laces website, and while beautiful, it appears to be hard to find... for some reason (gee, I can't imagine why) everyone's buying it right now. I'll throw this one out to the masses:


What fiber and colorway did you use to make Clapotis?




*disclaimer* I swear, I'm not being a comment whore, I really want to know!





**disclaimer 2** ok, so maybe I am a little bit of a comment whore

I can relax again

The interview went well - it lasted for 1 1/2 hours! I think the longest interview I've ever been on. I will have a telephone interview with the regional VP soon. YEAH!! Thank you for your well wishes. Now just keep praying I actually get the job! :) I was starting to get really discouraged because I kept sending out resumes and if I actually got a call back, I wasn't getting offers.

I got my confirmation from Adagio, so I'll be tasting the tea soon. I decided to go with the herbal sampler and the handy dandy little brewing cup. YUM! I'm still waiting for shipping confirmation from Elann and Amazon. Yes, this was a little bit of a be nice to myself weekend. It all started with sending a RAOK from Adagio... then I had to try it - it all looked so good and it's inexpensive! I had a gift certificate from Amazon so I finally used that - for what else, but knitting books.

I'm soooooo tired. The interview was down in Chatsworth, which is about 1 3/4 hours away in rush hour traffic. Coming back wasn't so bad because it was the middle of the day. I'm off to make some tea and sit and knit.

Hope everyone had a great Monday!

nervous? me?

Of course I am. I'm worried about the job interview tomorrow. This is the best sounding job I've applied for yet.

I've been out of work since the end of August and I need to go back to work. I could live for another 2 months (frugally) but I'm going stir crazy. I suppose if I was wealthy and could afford to entertain myself with trips and projects I could stay at home and not go so nutty. But not having the money to do anything is REALLY boring.

I'm too twitchy to do anything. I've checked my resume about 300 times, picked out 5 different outfits, paced, triple checked the driving directions, practiced interview questions. ARGH!!!! I've taken a hot bath, had some herbal tea, paced. Nothing's getting rid of the nervousness. I figure if I can wear myself out by midnight I should be ok sleep wise.

Fantasy Island time: What I really want is my old job back. I loved my co-workers, I loved my bosses. I loved being a boss. I loved going to work every day. I put in tons of hours because I wanted to do a good job.

Maybe I'm just kind of afraid of the whole "starting a new job- finding my place-getting to know the co-workers/corporate atmosphere" thing.

the tops I want to do... any yarn suggestions? 

Calling all California Knitters!

WHY WON'T BLOGGER POST MY WHOLE POST?!?!?!?!? Hopefully 3rd time is a charm!

First, a big thank you to Kae, Becca and Gina for the help with the circs question.

CA Knitters: I'm going to post pics of some things I want to knit. What I need help with is what yarn to use. I want to wear the 2 tops all year, I know I'll die in wool or alpaca, and I was thinking cotton. But what other options do I have to use so I won't sweat to death? I don't want to get something really pretty (and expensive) that I find out is WAY too heavy to wear out here.

I'm almost done with my shawl and my mom chose lion brand homespun for hers. (I love crocheting afghans with this stuff, warm and cozy!) I'm going to do a simple garter border with yo increases about 5 or six stitches in and do the center in st stitch. I may add another set of yo's and make a 3rd triangle in side.

I had a whole section here about the lovely weather in CA and I'm not going to re type it. Maybe I'm cursed from rubbing it in when I spoke to my father today. Nope, not going to tell you it was 72 and beautiful and I was in shorts all day!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

I forgot to ask...

I've been playing with circs and I think I'm doing something wrong. Do you do something special after you cast on and then join together. I'm just knitting into the first stitch but it leaves a little gap. Is it supposed to do that? Is there a "super-secret joining stitch" that I don't know about?

And this week's Unconscious Mutterings

1. Material world:: material girl
2. Satin sheets:: black
3. Blizzard:: HA HA NOT HERE!! Why do you think I moved to CA?
4. Real estate:: license
5. Dress up:: cross dress
6. Wesley:: Snipes
7. Robber:: bank
8. Saliva:: spit
9. Slave:: driver
10. Shift:: ctrl alt delete

Hello my name is Stacey, and I'm an Elann addict

Yes, I have placed my first order from Elann. I decided to get some sock yarn, but then I didn't like the colors, so I ended up getting the Endless Summer Collection Lara Print. Two skeins of crimson, neptune, AND sunbird. I also ordered larger (US4) dpns so I can make socks with it AND I ordered my size 6 16" circs that I needed.

WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!

I also bought the Little Box of Sweaters today at Michael's (because I had a coupon). I want to make the graceful shell from it, but I have to decide on a yarn.

Oh yeah, I'm going to be a stasher. I'm a "buy because it's pretty - not knowing what I'm going to do with it" kind of girl.

Oh and haha... I sent my first RAOK today and I have one almost ready to send out. I just have to box it and mail!

Shawl - a simple y.o increase each row 

Irish Hiking Scarf... about 3 rounds in 

Music Meme - a.k.a. - making up for lost posts

Thanks to Jess over at Figs and Plums for this:

Grab yer iPod, press shuffle, and what d'ya get? The meme of the moment! Inspired by Pinktalk, originated somewhere or other in the blogosphere.

The rules:
1. Open up the music player on your computer.
2. Set it to play your entire music collection.
3. Hit the "shuffle" command.
4. Tell us the title of the next ten songs that show up (with their musicians), no matter how embarrassing. That's right, no skipping that Carpenters tune that will totally destroy your hip credibility. It's time for total musical honesty. Write it up in your blog or journal and link back to at least a couple of the other sites where you saw this.
5. If you get the same artist twice, you may skip the second (or third, or etc.) occurances. You don't have to, but since randomness could mean you end up with a list of ten song with five artists, you can if you'd like.

Ok, here's mine:

1. Dreaming of You - Selena
2. I Like Boys - Missing Persons
3. Escape- Enrique Iglesias
4. Bring It On - Seal
5. Nobody Home - Pink Floyd
6. Scream Queen - Fem2Fem
7. Knocking on Heaven's Door - Eric Clapton
8. Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen
9. Always on Time - Ashanti & JaRule
10. Goodbye Earl - Dixie Chicks

Now I did skip some classical songs which popped up, but only because they didn't have a title. I have a little bit of an eclectic taste in music.

grrrrr.... I hate hello!

For some reason, my pictures aren't loading with Hello.

I actually took some today... and I put up 3 ebay auctions today (1 lot of rings and 2 lots of pins) If that link didn't work, you can always check under seller ID Solimar31.

As soon as I figure it out, I'll post my wips too!

Oh... and a reply to the comment on my last post: Yes, I'm trying to do the arm warmers in Last Minute Gifts.. and the bags and the leg warmers... they ALL require the 16" circs. ARGH!

I'm still here

I've been working in the back yard, trying to get some of the brush cleared. We've had wonderful weather here. Moving to SoCal was the best thing I've ever done.

Have you ever tried to find size 6 16" circs with no LYS? Impossible! The smallest I've seen in the stores (Michaels, JoAnn, Walmart) is 20". I started surfing the net for some, but I can't buy until Monday.

I have all of my vintage jewelry sorted into lots and will take the pics today and hopefully post them on ebay tomorrow. I stopped at a local antique shop and sold the owner 3 necklaces for $100. I decided to trade for items in the shop for my mother's birthday (It's Monday) I got a beautiful wall clock made with a vintage sign, some candleholders and some McCall's Country Canning candles. That's in addition to the body pillow, the toaster (she hated mine) and a whole bunch of things to paint on (she's a decorative painter). I also made her some gift certificates... one for the yarn of her choice and me knitting a shawl and one for a lap or wall quilt.. again, she gets to pick the pattern and the fabric.

I have been knitting, the shawl for me is almost done, I finished a hat and started on arm warmers for a friend who requested them, the irish hiking scarf hasn't received any recent attention, but I promised her I would work on her this weekend. Not knitting, but knitting related, I 've been working on a real RAOK to mail out. Now to choose the victims! :)

I will have pics up soon.

Unconscious mutterings

1. Yoda:: Star Wars
   
2. Mensa:: genius
   
3. Pink:: panther
   
4. Text message:: 831
   
5. Galactic:: battleship galactica
   
6. Chicks:: peeps
   
7. Quesadilla:: chicken cheddar
   
8. Backpack:: Appalachian Trail
   
9. Socket:: eye
   
10. Compromise:: for the better of both
    

I'll be back to the regular scheduled posting later. I have some pics to download of wips and have finally gotten a photo album set up to keep track of everything online.

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!!!

Yes, I have been knitting

A little here and there. Although the startitis has certainly set in. This is what I currently have on the needles

• prayer shawl... a big rectangle done in 3x3 ribbing.. quick and easy
• hat on circs... yes, my first project "in the round" I'm warming up to do a felted purse and just want to practice a little more before I break into the good yarn
• irish hiking scarf... oh yeah... I can cable
• pda holder... which I'm thinking of riping out because I want it to go a different direction

I have another purse in the wings. I've decided to do a larger purse in the same style as the one below. I'm using worsted weight yarn this time and I want to do a cable in the middle. I got a book a few days ago with different stitches and patterns in it and am going to pick a cable I like and hopefully figure out how to work it in.

I REALLY have to get pics taken for my ebay auctions... I want to get the rest of the vintage jewelry up before they up the prices. I hate trying to figure out how to break up the jewelry into lots.

With the job interviews and meeting with the Bishop and trying to get information from my old company... I've had a busy couple of days. I did find out we are getting our W2's in time, that they don't know when and if they will have the back pay. I'm not being greedy either... I just want the 4 weeks pay they owe me... they can keep the vacation pay... just pay me what I worked. I did find out I'm in the top 6 to get paid. I stayed until it was the owners, HR Manager and myself. I BETTER BE AT THE TOP TO GET PAID.

Enough ranting... off to read, clean up from dinner and hopefully some knitting.

Unconscious mutterings and stuff

1. Pistol:: Whipped
   
2. Rick:: Springfield
   
3. Full circle:: Family circle
   
4. I wish:: for a job
   
5. Frame:: freeze
   
6. Adult:: never
   
7. Photography:: black and white
   
8. Stew:: simmer
   
9. Cheat:: lie
   
10. Brad:: nail
    

The job thing went good today. I have 2 solid leads and have spoken to one today. I left a message for the other. I hope... no I'm praying ... on my knees begging that I get one of these. Or perhaps someone out there has the capital to help open a LYS. We have Michaels and JoAnn. That is it! I've had more conversations in the yarn and embroidery aisles about needing something more out here. I'm telling you, it's 60 miles to the closest shop. Any takers? Huh huh?

What I wouldn't do to go into a store and be able to see and feel these fibers. I'm tired of ordering my overdied floss and fabric for my cross stitch online. And I really would hate to pay $$ for a yarn and never have touched it or seen the actual colors. Something like Noro I would buy, because EVERYONE loves it, but some of the other ones, I'm afraid to just jump in.

On another note, does anyone have an easy sock pattern I can jump in with?

Job interview!

Yeah! Had one today... but it pays $6.75 an hour... that's less than $1000 a month (going with the standard 4.5 weeks and 20% taxes) And, no benefits.

Hey, but I could pay my rent. ... and buy a pack of gum. Water's free... so I could live.

And they expect a lot from the person they are going to hire. Uhhh, I could go to a temp agency and make $12 an hour. Which it looks like I'm going to end up doing soon.

I do have another interview tomorrow morning. I'm hoping against all hopes I get it. It's not what I was making before, but it's better than 6.75/hr... I'll be able to buy toilet paper too!

Back to knitting hats... :)

Meaty Spinach Manicotti

The recipe for the manicotti I described the other day:

2 packs manicotti shells
1/4 c flour
3/4 c grated parmesan
4 c diced cooked chicken
2 packs frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 c butter
2 1/2 c milk
1 lb bulk sausage
2 eggs beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 c minced fresh parsley
2 - 26oz cans spaghetti sauce

Cook manicotti according to package. Melt butter in saucepan, stirn in the flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted; set aside. In a skillet, cook the sausage until no longer pink; drain. Add the chicken, spinach, eggs, mozzarella and 3/4 cup of the white sauce made above. Stuff into manicotti shells. Spread 1/2 c spaghetti sauce into two ungreased 13x9 baking dishes. Top with manicotti. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over the top. Reheat the remaining white sauce, stirring constantly. Pour over spaghetti sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

There you go Violet! Hope you try it and enjoy!

Yes, it did take 5 years to do this.  

I was free!!!

Yep, it didn't rain today, the mountains kept the clouds at bay until just this moment. I got out of the house for a little while. YEAH!!!

I ended up at Barnes and Noble and spent the rest of my gift card on what else but a knitting book. It has different designs and the patterns for them.. like different cables and bobbles and such. There are so many books I want! I think the shadow knitting one will be next.

Although, I want to learn socks and actually make a sweater. Can anyone recomend a good book for either? EASY TO READ INSTRUCTIONS are a must!! I'll have to see what is left after the bills next week and hopefully pick up one or two. Of course, yarn would be a good thing too. Doesn't do me any good to have all these great things and no yarn to make them with.

I also SCORED big time on some clothes. This one store was having a 70% off already reduced prices and I got two skirts for church (originally a total of $120... got them for $28) and a nice warm winterish jacket for only $18.

I also picked up a study book to help me with what sunday school is going over this year. They should make those dummy books for the bible... you know... New Testament for Dummies... or how about some Cliff Notes. One of the elders said that's what the chapter headings are for. Hehehe... so I could just read those and get the just of it.

I'm going to post a pic of my first cross stitch fo for the year. YEAH!! I actually started it in 2000 and when you see it, you'll ask... "and it took you 5 years to finish?!?!?" I have startitis... always something new to start or finish or I get bored with it. I have a whole bunch of things near completion that I'm going to try to wrap up in 1Q2005!

OH! I almost forgot... one of the blogs I check out regularly caught on that a few knitters were checking him out and asked jokingly for a black knit hat to match his new Pastor Coat. I was going to quick knit a few for him and to pass on to his congregation and then I thought:

Self: Hey! Why not throw it out there to the blog and RAOK world to see if they might want to chip in.
Self2: Sounds like a good idea.
Self: Maybe someone was wondering what to do with some left over yarn
Self2: Or maybe someone made a slightly wonky hat (like you did last week) and didn't want to frog it.
Self: Hey! Don't make fun of my hat! But how do I organize it?
Self2: Why just ask them to leave a comment if they are interested and email them your address.
Self: Good thinking

So hey, if you want to send a hat, just leave a comment! And ummm please don't laugh, but that was probably the best conversation I've had in about 4 days.

Busy busy bee

Thank you for the comments on the stitching corner. I needed something comfortable in my room... away from my mother. I'm not sure if it's the "living with one's parent" syndrome (keep telling myself -she moved in with me) or just having someone around after living alone for so long.
I think it is just having someone around. You can chase visitors out when you want to be alone. You can't chase out someone who lives with you.

The flooding was really bad today. Many of the roads were closed, as were the schools. The "52nd St River" (see the pictures below) ran over it's banks and was up to people's front yards. And yet, people still tried to drive down it. I have a tiny car, so I didn't even attempt to go anywhere.

I did almost finish a cross stitch project today (should finish tonight), took pics for my next round of ebay auctions (vintage and costume jewelry), started the Irish hiking scarf - twice, and I cooked! Pancakes and sausage for breakfast, tuna melt sandwiches for lunch and steak and baked potato for dinner. Both of mine were with a WONDERFUL blue cheese sauce topping that I learned to make many years ago when I waitressed and my mother had sauteed onions and mushrooms on hers.

I'm thinking of making this manicotti dish tomorrow that has ricotta,and sauteed spinach, chicken and crumbled sausage in it. It's really good, but to really get the full effect, you need to make sauce from scratch and I don't have any tomatoes. We'll see if I can get off of my street.

Hope everyone is having better weather than I am. I'M TIRED OF THE RAIN!!!!!!!

My new knitting, stitching, reading corner in my bed room 

I'm not going anywhere! 

ARGH!!

Any one else having problems with blogger today? This is the first time I got the post page all day... and none of the pages are loading.

I stopped at the local thrift shop and got a chair for my bedroom to make a knitty/stitchy corner. It's comfy, but I need to get a better light and some fabric for a slip cover. I'm thinking of moving my desk into the dining room.. which is actually being used for doing crafts. I could have MORE room to spread out. I'll post pics as soon as I get a chance to download.

Thanks Lisa ( http://plath.blogspot.com/ ) for the option of a closure. I think I'm going to leave the purse as a flip close.

Also in other news... I'm going to try cabling. I saw Lisa's scarf at her blog - I think it's for the cable along and I decided I'm going to try it... tomorrow!

I had SO MUCH that I wanted to say this morning, and now I forgot because of stupid blogger.

It's kind of done

finished... kind of.

I still have to do the lining. I did use gussets and it's about 2 inches wide at the bottom. The sides taper towards the top. It's a flip over close and I was considering a button, but I used garter as a pattern at the end of the flip, so I think it might be too much. I want to get the lining done tomorrow and since it is a "winter" purse, I was thinking of using some of my quilters flannel in a dark sage green.

"I thought we moved away from this crap" 

Yes, it is snowing at Chez Stacey... first snow I've seen since I moved to CA 

front and back (still on needles) of purse... I promise, it will be a purse 

anyone else hate coming up with witty titles?

I finished the other glove thingy yesterday and ran to Michaels to get some more yarn. I got some to make a purse and for a pillow. Then, as I was flipping through SNB, I saw the striped pda cozy and am going to make that with some of the pillow yarn.

KNITTING REVELATION: after you've made a whole bunch of stitches... you essentially have: FABRIC ... DOH! I was looking at some of the sweaters and things as complete projects and getting intimidated. But they are pieces that just get put together. I CAN DO THIS!!

After having this revelation, I decided to throw something together myself. The purse (pictures will be posted in a second) is just going to be a front, longer back (for a fold over top) and some side and bottom pieces. I have the front done in stockinette and the back is the same until the flip over part, which I'm doing in garter. I'm thinking I'll do the sides and bottom in garter too. I'll just have to rob my quilting stash for some fabric for a lining.

I don't have a LYS - the closest one is about 50 miles away. So on Monday when I am down in the SFV for a JOB INTERVIEW (ha ha ha YES!!!!), I'm going to stop at one just to feel the fiber! I won't have the $$ to buy anything until my ebay auctions end, so I'll go and fondle and probably order something online. I want to make the felted bag in SNB using some spring madras type colors (think pale pinks, yellows, greens)... or maybe I'll see something that just cries to me to use it.

hehehehe... I can do this knitting thing!

YEAH! My favorite one too!

Congratulations! You are Susan Mayer, the divorcee
and single mom who will go to extraordinary
lengths for love.

Which Desperate Housewife are you?brought to you by

Shower Epiphany

hair in progress

::: to the Brady bunch theme::::
Here's the story
of a girl named Stacey
who had really really long hair
one day her heart got broken
and she chopped it off

Ok, so many, many years ago, I had long hair. A 5 year relationship went down the tubes and decided (in one of my spur of the moment "great ideas") that a change of hair style would be a good thing. So did I get a trim? HECK NO! I decided to go with a pixie cut. I have no pictures of the actual cut because I was so traumatized. All pictures of me with that hair cut were ordered burned by the grand and powerful wizard. But here is one in the growing out stage. After moving to CA, I decided I'm gonna let it grow out...

now pay attention... here is the grand part of this whole post.... today, while doing my hair .... I realized...

MY HAIR IS PAST MY SHOULDERS AGAIN!!!! The back is longer than the sides (please... don't think mullet... think growing out short hair) but the sides are touching my shoulders. So.. Woo Hoo! Bully for ME!

reply to comment 554 p.m.: Thanks Alyx. I'll have to get someone to take a pic sometime to post a current length. I've been pulling it back everyday because it was in that "in between" stage and didn't realize. Now I guess it's off to find a hair stylist to put some shape into it.

The Hermit Life Style

I actually crawled my butt out of bed this morning at 7:00... yes, you heard me right 7 A.M. I've gotten my schedule all twisted up... staying up until 4... sleeping until 11 or so. So instead of pulling the covers back over my head, I decided I'm going to get back to the world of the living.

I actually feel pretty good about it, it's not even 9 and I've done monster, hotjobs, caljobs and submitted 7 resumes that way; I've also hit the online classifieds and have faxed 3 out. (usually I don't even look at jobs until the afternoon) I've checked out my favorite blogs, surfed the RAOK a bit, I even got to see the morning news! And now I have the whole day ahead of me. It feels pretty darn good.

I hope this helps the funk. I did feel a little panicy... WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH ALL THESE HOURS!!! hahaha- just kidding! So yeah, I know I have a ton of things to do.. the cleaning that's been lacking, wips calling to me... HEY... maybe I'll even cook a real meal today.

Off to the shower and a whole day to do things!

Who's the knitter now - BAAAABEEEEEE

fingerless glove thing

Yeah.... I'm a knitter.... SEE MA!!! I have proof. After some frustration with the afghan, I decided to go ahead and do something else. Ok, so I still have to do the other one.... but I finished something I can really use! and it has some shape!

obligatory life posting

I found this blog a little while ago and THIS GUY IS HILARIOUS!!!! Check out his installments titled Pastor Chic where he is going to highlight the dress of different denominations.

Spent the afternoon at a kind of friends house. Let me set this up, I was office manager at a place where they hired a lot of families. I became friends with Meagan (payroll director) and her father Tom (Project Manager) and the mother Eileen. They live up here in the A.V. and were one of the reasons I chose this area to move to (among the other 9 people from 2 families that lived up here.. hey I said they liked to hire families- plus the carpool opportunitues!) Any way, Russ is Meagan's brother and Laurel is his wife.

I don't know them that well, except for when I was hanging out with Meagan and they happened to stop by. Turns out when I moved to this house in August, that they live right around the corner from me. AND they belong to the Church Ward that I should be going to (see my little crisis below).

It was really nice to get out of the house and visit, I didn't realize what a hermit I had become. It was also nice to talk to someone about the whole church/faith/who am I/what am I doing with my life - thing. I thought I had it ALL figured out years ago...hmmm the cockiness of youth. Besides, I was supposed to have a crisis at 30, not almost 2 years later.

Good thing about knitting, it's relaxing and I get to think.

I've been added!

WOOO HOOO! I'm officially a ROAK'er!

I ended up knocking a whole bunch of stitches off of my needles and am trying to reconstruct it.

However, since I got my car legal again, I ran to Barnes and Noble with some Christmas $$ (thanks DAD!!) and picked up this:


and had to give the "making a design with k and p" heart thing on pg 55 a try. COOL!

Can I say, I'm intimidated. I look at sweaters and socks and intarsia and cable and I think I'll never get there. (I know, I know, I just started... but I want to make everything NOW!!)

Anyway, after coming to tears over the stitches coming off my needles I did work on some cross stitch. I have to get an album somewhere to get my WIPS into. I'm almost FINALLY done with something.

Unconscious Muttering

1. Newspaper:: print
2. DVD:: netflix
3. Resolution:: none
4. Intimate:: moment
5. Song:: and dance
6. Essential:: element
7. Whistle:: stop
8. Glass:: beaker
9. Countdown:: the final
10. Child::like

my first frog

Yep, I had to rip the afghan out, to the second row. The holes were supposed to be there... just lined up. Thanks to the wonderful advice from the people over at knitty, I did a swatch and saw where I went wrong. I've only made it back through the dark purple and I can't wait to see the ripple form again.

I WANT TO MAKE A PURSE!!! I've seen so many great purses out there and I want to make one! Yes, I have that fatal disease... startitis. Although, I made myself do a few stitches last night in my "fly away home", I only have to finish a bit of the leaf and I have my first xstitch finish of 2005.

:::: keeping my fingers crossed :::::: I sent my resume off today to a pretty good sounding job. Please, please, please.... I need to find a job. I'm off to do some knitting and watch Cold Mountain.

good morning?

I was actually up at 7 this morning, but it was so yucky outside that I just kept pulling the covers over my head until about 10. It's pretty much been raining for over a week now. Well, except for New Year's day. Maybe that has something to do with the funk I'm in.

I'll post some pics of the flooding. They actually had the front end loaders out this morning scraping the mud off of the roads.

I posted the pics of the problem I'm having with my knitting. The stitch on the pattern row is:

k2, k2tog, k7, yo, k1, yo, k7, slip 1 and repeat from k2tog.

Can anyone tell me why I have holes insted of a nice line? Going to knitty to post my question.

What it is supposed to look like 

What mine looks like 

ARGH

Knit news: Well, I've got about 14 rows and two colors, but I think something is going wrong. There is supposed to be a pattern running up and down at the peaks and instead I have open spaces. I'll post some pics tomorrow and hopefully someone out there can help me. I'm going to go cruise some websites and see if I can figure it out .

Oh... and I hate 100% acrylic yarn. This is the first time I've ever used it. Yep, crocheting all those years and never used the good ole red heart.... and I hate it and will never use it again after I finish this lap afghan.

No knitting or x stitching yet

but I did make this nifty little needle holder. I had some left over fabric and thought "what the heck" The quality is a little bad because I took the pic with my pda.
The needle roll I made today.

The Reason I Hate Sundays

It's job hunt day. I search online M-F: Monster, Hotjobs, newspaper websites, etc. But Sundays, I get 3 Local Newspapers - L.A. Times, Daily News and the AV Press.... and I usually end up feeling quite depressed after my Sunday hunt. 3 papers.... and not many job opportunities.

I'm really not being picky either. I'd only have to make $32000/year to be able to drive down into L.A/SFV and only about $12/hour (24000/year) to work up here where I live. I was making quite a bit more in my last job, but I just need enough to live.

The answers I get back: I'm too qualified to be an admin because I was a manager or not enough experience to be an executive admin or office manager because I only did it for a year. Like it's my fault that my employer went bankrupt... I'd still be there getting experience. But hey... I do know how to handle a company going under!

Fiber News:

Did I end up knitting last night? NOPE! I got sucked into the black hole that is called the internet. Before I knew it, it was almost 11 and I was tired. Reading Blogs is a bad thing. I did however curl up with the latest Stoney Creek mag and dream of starting this year's xstitch afghan. I was planning on doing the one from last year, but the hummingbird trellis looks so darn pretty. I want to work on one of my x-stitch projects today to feel like I've accomplished something.

Back to making my list for resume's to fax tomorrow morning, then on to knitting or maybe that cross stitch project calling my from my stash.

a few things I've learned

1. Knitting is addictive
2. I HATE increasing! I would much rather work decrease stitches.
3. I HATE doing projects just to learn. I've been working on this scarf to learn yarn over... OK! I got it already! I ended up binding off and I think I can use it for something. Maybe a wrap for the poor freezing Pokie. Besides, I don't like wide scarves and I just crocheted some. I don't need another scarf right now.
4. Knitting is addictive.
5. I want to try all of those fabulous yarns I see on everyone else's blogs. They look scrumptious
6. I want to start the next project
7. Did I mention, knitting is addictive?

Next project in the book: Ripple Lap Wrap. Which yes, although it is 9:00 at night I am going to start tonight. Lessons to be learned: slipping a stitch and changing colors. Can you see why I was bored with the scarf? I ran out yesterday in the pouring rain to get the yarn - 6 different colors...WOO HOOO!

I'm going to throw on another pot of coffee and heat up some pork and sauerkraut for dinner (yes at 9:30 p.m. - lunch wasn't until 2 and I need my energy for a night of knitting) and get to work.

Happy New Year!!!

As 2004 comes to a close, I realized that this is a time of not only celebration, but also reflection. I look back at each experience for the good that has come of it and the knowledge that I have gained.

I have been incredibly blessed with new friendships, the continued love of my family, laughter and many great adventures. I want to thank each of you for being you and for being part of my life. May you have God’s love, peace, hope and joy for the year ahead.
Love,
Stacey

"A new year is unfolding—like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within.

Lord, let this year be filled with the things that are truly good—with the comfort of warmth in our relationships, with the strength to help those who need our help and the humility and openness to accept help from others.

As we make our resolutions for the year ahead, let us go forward with great hope that all things can be possible—with Your help and guidance."

~ Anonymous