Just because...

I don't have any knitting or crafting content (but I will have something fun to talk about tommorow!):

You Are Chinese Food

Exotic yet ordinary. People think they've had enough of you, but they're back for more in an hour.

What Kind of Food Are You?

How You Life Your Life

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside. You're laid back and chill, but sometimes you care too much about what others think. Your friends tend to be a as quirky as you are - which is saying a lot! You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch. Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes. You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

Pesto Pizza

Adventurous and hedonistic. You live for new experiences and tastes And you're not the type to have your pizza the same way twice If they can put it on pizza, you're up for trying it!

What's Your Pizza Personality?

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama. Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time... But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you. You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Knitting? What's that?

No knitting going on around here. I've been in an "instant gratification" kind of mood. Sooooo...


Heart in Hand
Little Pumpkin in the Patch
32 ct. linen
2 strands over 2 threads
Gentle Art and Weeks threads
Started: 13 SEP 05
Finished: 14 SEP 05
4.5 inches x 2.25 inches


and.......


I know it's a little fuzzy, but it's supposed to be the start of Bent Creek's Pumpkin Flower Sampler. I'm being a little crazy and doing on 32 ct. with one strand over 1 thread.

teeeeeny tiny little stitches

I spent my RDO hanging out with Meagan and doing my running around/laundry/ all the stuff I hate to waste the weekend with. Saturday and Sunday are mine... MINE I TELL YOU!!!

I'm looking forward to spinning tomorrow. I'm going to run through some of the practice stuff that came with my wheel and then... I want to start the merino that I dyed back in July... before it got hotter than Hades and I couldn't breathe without sweating.

I may feeling like I'm a zombie during the week, but having every other Friday off is kind of worth it. Bonus... for the airshow at the base... I hear I can sit on the flight line with my base i.d.

SP6 Questionnaire

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I don't particularly like most Red Heart, but I do use Lion Brand. I'm not usually one for funfur or it's derivatives. Homespun, microspun, wool ease, etc... the more basic yarns.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I spin and crochet. Well, I haven't done much crochet since I learned how to knit. My poor, poor afghan that I started last year and forgot about because of evil knitting.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) Nope.

4. How long have you been knitting? Almost a year now.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, they are on my side bar --> And I'll send a knitpicks one when I get your email!

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Bath products: citrus - orange, lime, honey, ocean scents. For candles: again with the citrus, ocean, cottony/linen, and I'm not sure what they fall under, but scents like Midsummer's Night and Home Sweet Home from Yankee Candles... I guess they might be described as spicy?

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Am I breathing? Yes, I do.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Cross stitch, embroidery, quilting, sewing.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I'm kind of schizophrenic with my music. I have everything from rap to classical, country to r&b, easy listening to top 40. I've been on a country kick the past couple of months, and yes, my computer plays mp3's.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I love the oranges/reds/yellows/browns of autumn and beachy colors like mixed blues/greens/whites. I don't have a color that I really hate. I've even begun to swing over to liking pinks.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Just my mom and I and 1 adorable 8 year old German Shepard and 3 wild cats.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) Run away to Tonga and live under a magical yarn tree. Win the lottery and open a yarn shop? Be a size 6 - oh heck, I'd be happy with a 10. Honestly, go back to school full time and either become a Legal Aid attorney or get a degree in forensics.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? I love knitpicks Alpaca cloud and Shimmer. Wool... any wool that felts!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Boucle (did I spell that right?)

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Felted purses.... well ok, felted anything! Although I don't have a washer and the laundromat won't let me felt there, so I do it by hand. I've also begun to investigate fair isle and other color work. I haven't done anything yet, but I want to.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Shawls, purses, scarves, one sock out of a pair - because I really hate the second sock.

17. What are you knitting right now? 2 second socks, 1 first sock, branching out, airy scarf from LMKG, a purse and I'm contemplating Eris (have the pattern, haven't picked the yarn - ambitious for a first sweater huh?)

18. What do you think about ponchos? I'm sure they are fine for some people, however I don't like them. I have flashbacks to growing up in the 70's and being forced to wear brown and green corduroy and ugly ponchos my grandmother made for me. I've made one for my step-mother.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars. I have a set of Denise's and some bamboo ones. I don't have any smaller than a 5.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? As long as they aren't Boye's, I'll use any type. I like the Susan Bates cheap ones, love my bamboo and plastic DPNS.

21. Are you a sock knitter? YES! As long as you remember it is singular. I don't like to knit pairs. :) I guess if I ever learned how to do the magic loop or 2 socks on a circ, I'd actually finish them.

22. How did you learn to knit? Taught myself.

23. How old is your oldest UFO? 7 months, my first second sock.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Eeyore

25. What is your favorite holiday? I like autumn and everything it encompasses - Halloween, Thanksgiving, leaves, pumpkins, ghosts, pumpkins, sunflowers, did I mention pumpkins?

26. Is there anything that you collect? Besides yarn? Not really. I have some chicken things I've collected for the dining room/kitchen... I love roosters! I love me some monkey too! I have monkey pants and a monkey bag ... I even swiped a monkey I bought to give as a RAOK and kept it. I don't have a shelves full of tchotchkes though.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Simply Knitting and Interweave Knits.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? Cat Bohrdi's Treasury of Magical Knitting... vol 1 and 2.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another? Elizabeth I - scarf patterns from Knitpicks, the felted birdhouses and alpacas from Fibertrends (oh and have you seen the flamingos?), FBS, Lace Leaf, Seaside, and Baltic Sea Stole also from Fibertrends.

I'm not a pattern/magazine snob either... I love hand-me-downs! If you've used it and it's wrinkled, marked, or coffee stained - as long as the pattern is readable... I don't mind! I mean really, have you ever tried to get your hands on some back issues of magazines or oop patterns? The only way is hand-me- downs or finding a great deal on ebay.

too tired to blog

Ok, so 9 hour days are a little rough. I leave at 545 a.m and get home at 530 p.m. I'm tired. I'm in bed by 8 and asleep soon after.

But, I did finish my booga bag on Sunday. Felted Monday and put together Tuesday. It's being used hard.

Here is a nighttime picture. I'll try and put up a daytime one. This doesn't show the colors as well.

Aye... more pictures

Some wild sunflowers, they grow like weeds out here. I drive past one of the State Prisons on my way to work and there is a huge field of these between the prison and the road. Bee-u-tee-ful

The pomegranite tree. YUMMY! They'll be ready soon

My honeysuckly vine that I thought would be so nice near the front door... until it climbed the wall and not only covered my house number and outside light. Although, it is beautiful.

My jasmine, on the other side of the front door. My mom painted the picket fence piece for it to grow on.

Front of house... all pretty. Back of house... different story. Can you say slumlord? I've been renting for a year with promises of this being fixed. Obviously, hasn't been. They did put in a new window and back door as you can see in the picture - never painted the wood around it, so it's now damaged - but it's a new window. The inside is in decent condition... as long as you don't have too many things on one circut and don't mind low water pressure. Now that I have a secure job, I'm house hunting.





I still haven't figured out what this is:

Air Parade

We have an annual, 3 day, hot air balloon festival out here and I finally got my butt in gear (on the last day of course) and was there at 5:45 a.m. today to take pics. Knitting content later?

this IS a knit blog!

So, for your viewing pleasure....

boogada, boogada, boogada, booga bag (sans handles)










A wonderful RAOK from Kimberli. This yarn traveled all the way from China with her! She then used it in a sweater and passed it on. It doesn't feel cheesy like fun fur does! Thanks Kimberli ( I didn't want to say Kim because I know some people don't like their name shortened)











A tiny weenie shopping trip at knitpicks

Alpaca Cloud in Tide Pool and Peppermint and Shimmer in Happy Dance. I love the alpaca.... it is beautiful. It is getting fondled. Heavily. No, really.... heavily






Oh secret pal o' mine, do you remember the purse pattern you sent me?


The one I was going to get the autumn colors for?
Here they are! Wool of the Andes.







I didn't get to send out the packages today. I'm waiting to hear back from Maureen as to which color she wants... since she was the "official" contest winner, I thought I'd give her first dibs. I won't be able to hit the post office until next weekend... but they're coming soon! I did make sure that the runner's up are getting something too and they were dropped off at the post office today!

I'm not uncaring or coldhearted

There are certain things that I will not talk about on the blog. While I feel for the people in the path of destruction and am praying for them, I will not get into any discussions about Katrina.

There are so many points of view that can be inflammatory to any number of people and I know I have personally been incensed about some posts on blogs. I don't want to be one of those blogs. (wow, it is hard to write a non-attacking post when you're riled up)

I also want a space that is disaster free.... for myself and for others that may need a break. It's on the t.v., web, co-workers and families are talking about it all the time. My mom has Fox news on ALL day.

I know I became overwhelmed when 9/11 happened. I had friends that worked at the towers and immersed myself in reports, phone calls, emails and worries. This time, I'm setting some boundaries....and this blog is one.

So, yes I care, but I need this space.

:::: back to your regularly scheduled posting :::

So here's the deal

Yes Maureen, I do have to wake up that early.

4:15 - alarm goes off and throw it across the room
4:16 - do morning thang
4:18 - let dog out, feed dog, feed cats, try not to step on any animals and step in water dish instead, get fresh water
4:30 - turn on computer, get something to drink, start to check email, remember dog is outside and let her in
4:45 - quick check email, bloglines, etc
5:00 - throw cat out of shower( unless it is a really bad morning), jump in and do... well, what you do in a shower - hopefully... I'm usually still not really awake yet.
5:20 - get dressed, do hair, search for makeup brush that the cat stole, resist the urge to kick said cat, do make up
5:44 - grab lunch, search for keys and leave
5:45 - become a low flying aircraft and boogie to work.

I think that covers it. If I want to stop at starbucks, I have to move everything up 15 minutes or so.

My first 9 hour day went well. I should say it went better. Since I'm a contractor, I have a boss at the company I actually work for and what they call a customer that I work for/with. My real boss and I had a talk, since this was my first time working in this industry, and it was quite helpful. I don't feel so frustrated with some things and I was told to lower my expectations of my customer... she's new in this position, has never managed anyone, and has no clue what's happening. In other words... fly by the seat of my pants, hold on, document-document-document, and if the customer falls flat on her face... I'll have proof it's not my fault.