Inspiration...

I went to IKEA with Erin and Jeremy this evening. They have a beautiful new duvet cover with matching pillow shams that I think would be perfect to into an afghan or throw. What do you think?



It should also be fairly simple. I'm thinking it would just be single and double crochet. There would just be quite a few ends to weave in.
Its hard to tell from the phot, but it was a nice chocolatey brown, gold, green, tuquoise, a deep plum, tan, etc.


What do you think?

YIPPEEEE!!!

A short while ago I was contemplating over which sweater from the new issue of Knitty.com to make.
I'll have you know that I reached my decision and am making...

Viveka

last week I purchased the yarn and it arrived in the mail yesterday. I'll post pictures of the yarn later, when I've had the chance to photograph it in natural light.
Also, the Top Secret Project.... just a little longer for photos of that. I still haven't sent it off to the intended recipient because I keep forgetting to take it in to work with me so that I can mail it off.

The sock is coming along well, I'm almost done with the foot and then will begin the decreases. I'm hoping to have it done by Saturday afternoon so that my cousin Erin can try it on before I start the second one. I'm hoping to start the second one by Sunday afternoon, when I will be sitting in my favorite knitting spot, the pub, enjoying a pint and fingering weight superwash wool sock yarn.

I want to get these socks done, for two reasons.
First, so that Erin can have some supercool hand knit socks.
Second, so that I can start on Viveka. In all of the years that I've been crocheting, and more recently, knitting, I have only made two items for myself. About 8 years ago I crocheted a queen size bedspread out of kitchen cotton. This may sound like an odd fiber choice for a bedspread, but I'd made a dishcloth with it and the texture vaguely reminded me of the cotton chenile bedspreads by great-grandmother used to have when I was a kid. I immediately had to have a throw or afghan made out of it, and of course I went over the top and made a queen sized bedspread. It took FOREVER, and MANY full sized cones of white kitchen cotton.
The second item I made was the very first felted hand bag that I made bacck in January.
Everything else I've ever made has always been for someone else - either as a gift, or for commission, or for charity. I don't regret making the majority for everyone else, but it is most definitely time that I make a pretty wool sweater for myself.

Screensaver

Theres a woman at my work who has the "Scrolling Marquee" as the screensaver on her computer. Any time shes away from her desk, on break, at lunch, etc., it comes rolling across her screen....

"MY SONS CUTTER THAN YOURS"

I haven't bothered to tell her that it's misspelled. Its been this way for MONTHS.

Suggestions???

It's been a fun weekend....
Started early Friday by leaving work at 11 am for a farewell lunch for my boss. After working with her for the past year, it was sad to see her go but I do wish her well in her new position within the company.
Afterwards I went home, it was nice to be sitting in a bubble bath at 3 pm thinking "I'm still getting paid for another 2 hours".
Friday evening was Rhythm & Ribs with friends. We met up at the pub first then migrated over to Raley Field. There was a decent cover band playing, but not noteworthy enough for me to remember the name of the group. I sampled some ribs from a bbq company from Portland, OR. The sauce was great, but the meat quality was only so-so. After R&R, it was back to the pub.
Saturday, it was a friends 30th birthday and to celebrate her Scottish Heritage we made way to Dixon for the Scottish Games. Its always a good day when you're surrounded by men in kilts throwing heavy objects. After the games was a bbq at a friends back here in town.
Sunday, I got up early and took care of some chores around the house and spent the rest of the day knitting at the pub. It was a great day.

Now, the part where I'm looking for some suggestions...
My Scottish friend mentioned above will be entering the holy bonds of matrimony next month and the celebratory bachelorette party will be a weekend in Tahoe for the girls. We'll all be responsible for a meal and I have Saturday morning breakfast.
I've been looking at Epicurious and have found some recipes that sound great! Such as:
French Toast Santa Fe
Banana Stuffed French Toast with Streusel Topping
Creme Brulee French Toast
Blueberry Croissant French Toast

Theres also a few omelette/scrambled egg/baked egg dishes I've found that sound good, but I'm fairly good at making those type of dishes already and looking through those recipes was really just to give me ideas for different ingredients to toss in there.

So, any opinions on the linked recipes above?
Any suggestions on any other recipes that are quick and easy to make but yummy and decadent and seem like they took a lot of effort and time but really don't because chances are that I will be hung over and barely able to drag my ass out of bed.

The Top Secret Project is finished. One or two of you have seen it in progress, but the rest of you will have to wait a week or so for pics of the finished item. Personally, I'm pleased with the outcome. It's blocking as we speak.

The purple & charcoal felted bag? That hasn't gone anywhere. It's still sitting in my knitting bag.
Instead of finishing that project I've started my next one. Socks. I've started the first sock and so far, it's fairly tedious. Teeny tiny yarn, teeny tiny needles, teeny tiny stitches. I'm hoping that as I become more adept at it, I enjoy the socks more. There certainly is one thing to say about sock knitting - it's very compact and portable. It's also going to give me arthritic hands.

I like the sock yarn I'm using. I ended up not going with either of the ones I showed the other day. I just wasn't 100% happy with them, so over the weekend I found a pretty pink, blue and purple yarn. So far, I'm liking how its working up BUT I am only about a 1/2" into the ribbed cuff.

Completely unrelated, I'm in the mood for a pedicure. I'm also in desperate need of one.

Here Knitty, Knitty, Knitty....

The new season of Knitty is up, and can I just say how much I love it???
I LOVE the Viveka and Lucie sweaters and really want to make both. For myself, of course.
I hardly ever knit anything for myself. I am one of those knitters who always make things for others, and I don't mind. I like giving my family and friends hand knit items. Especially when they appreciate the time and love that went in to it, and most of them do. But, I think I am going to have to take a break from knitting for others and work on one of these for myself. Any suggestions on which one I should do first? Either way, I'm sure I'll be seen working on these at the pub this fall.

The Ivy wrap sweater is pretty cool too.

I'm tempted to make Avast for my father for his birthday in January... well, considering my "to knit" list, Fathers Day 2018 would be more realistic.

I'm sure my little cousin would love to have an Ayla bag. Again, with my to knit list, I'm sure I could have it completed in time for her first borns 1st day of kindergarten.

I don't know about this one, Intolerable Cruelty. I do love the design, it's just the style that I like... romantic, and curvy. But, I think my "curves" are a bit much for a KNIT skirt. My ass would look infinitely larger than it actually is.

Now, the pattern I take issue with....
I think Lizard Ridge is one of the coolest afghans I've ever seen. Absolutely beautiful. HOWEVER... 21 skeins of Noro Kureyon??? Thats about $180! For an afghan! Who on earth has $180 to knit an afghan?? Seriously, it is beautiful. I love the color changes of Noro Kureyon. I also like how that multicolored afghan is so brilliantly colored. BUT, if I had an extra $180 lying around, I seriously doubt that I would use it to knit an afghan. I'd probably go to Sephora or L'Occitane
I can only assume that its one of those project that you spend a year or more making, buying a skein and knitting up a square here and there as a diversion from other projects, put the squares away in your closet and one day you realize that you have all 24 blocks knit up and eventually seam them together.

Before I can make anything for myself though, I have a couple of projects to work on. First, an update on my recent projects.

The crocheted crib blanket for a friends pending niece? Finished! See....

Friend was pleased. I like how it turned out also. I love this pattern... its one of the free patterns available on the Project Linus website. Its called the Sideways Shell Baby Afghan. It works up fairly quickly, the pattern is an easy repeat - not so much so that its boring and overly repetitive though. Many times I've thought of making this with a bulkier yarn in more of an afghan size.

I also finished the Super Skinny Sari Silk Scarf. Its entirely possible that I may have gotten carried away, not paid attention to how long it was getting, and ended up with a scarf thats approximately 9 feet long. Keep in mind that its only 3 inches wide.


The felted messenger bag experiment that I've been working on intermitently since April? Lets not talk about that. All I'm going to say is that I see a lot of ripping out in my future.

The purple and grey round bag that will ultimately be felted?? Very close to being done. I'm working on the last i-cord handle, then it will go in the washer.

New projects?

A Top Secret Project is in the works, I'm a little over half way done and have a deadline looming so I'd better get cracking. I'll be able to show a picture around the first of next month. All I will say is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the yarn I'm using.

After T.S.P. is completed and the purple & charcoal bag has been felted, I'm going to try my first pair of socks. These will be a gift for my lovely cousin Erin. I've bought 2 different yarns, the first was a very cheerful looking pink orange and yellow. Then I found a very pretty blue colorway that I think she'll like a lot. I'm just not certain which color I'll use first.


Once the socks are completed I'll be working on.... Viveka? Lucie? Bueller? Anyone?

Nuisances...

last week I had the pleasure of losing my wallet.
It had to have been some time Wednesday night. I remember having it that afternoon and I went straight home from work, then it was Thursday morning that I noticed it wasn't in my purse.
I figure it must have fallen out of my purse somewhere between lunchtime Wednesday night and after I got to work Thursday morning. I have a horrible habit of trying to cram too much stuff in too small of a purse. I've searched my car, the office I work in, my house. It is nowhere to be found.
I had about $40 cash, a token for a free beer at the pub, credit card, debit card, kaiser card, etc. I've canceled them all and requested replacements, so no worries there.
What I'm really frustrated about losing is all of my "frequent shopper" cards. My favorite LYS has a card where once you spend $200, you get $20 off your next purchase. I had about $150 on my card, thats gone. I talked to the owner and she was able to mark off the purchases I've made since they upgraded their computers about a month ago though, so that helps some.
There was also the card for the local drive through coffee shop, my next latte was going to be free =(
Then there was all of the gift cards I still had from my birthday - $25 for JoAnns, $40 for ULTA, $15 for Blockbuster and :::sniff::: $25 for Sephora. I think that one may hurt the worst.
But the most painful of this experience, my drivers license. So that I don't have to use any more of my personal time at work I'll be spending a good chunk of this coming Saturday morning at the DMV.

Ugh, I've been putting this off....

I've been having some problems with my car for a couple of months now.
Initially I'd put off taking it in to the shop because I was busy dealing with my moms angioplasty and then traveling up to Portland when my grandmother died.
Putting it off hasn't been too much of a hassle because my car still runs, its just that accelerating to above 50 mph can be tricky, the "overdrive off" light is constantly flashing and the "check engine" light comes on sporadically.
I'd been putting it off because when I initially called my car guy and talked to a couple of coworkers who are more mechanically adept than I am they all said it could be one of two things...

1 - The O2 sensor (whatever that is. its been explained to me but it left my brain as immediately as it was told to me) needs to be replaced - a quick, easy, and cheap fix. I like cheap. My mechanic estimates it could be as cheap as $50. I really like that initial price estimate.
2 - The whole transmission could need to be replaced. Again, my mechanic called around and the best price he could find on a rebuilt transmission for my car is $1,600. I do not like this initial price estimate. What makes it worse is that he said a rebuilt transmission comes with no guarantee. It could last for 5 years or 5 weeks. No guarantee. His suggestion in the event that I need a new transmission is to take that $1,500 and use it as the downpayment on a new car.

So, I've been putting it off and putting it off. Then I got my paperwork to renew my car this month. I have to smog my car this year and since my "check engine" light comes on, thats an automatic fail.
I'll be taking it in to the shop next week and as nice as a new(er) car would be, I'd like to put off buying one for a while longer. Ideally, I'd like to have a huge downpayment - about 1/2 of the sale price - and it will take a while longer for me to save that up. So (I use "So..." too much), please, everyone keep their fingers crossed that its just that pesky O2 sensor.

On a sidenote, I think I'm coming down with a cold. I'm stuffy, sore throat, tired, etc. I'd just like to crawl into bed and stay there for a couple of days. I have my dads birthday party this Saturday. Its his 50th, I'd like to be feeling like my normal self by then. I've told his girlfriend that I'll bring my Asian Noodle Salad, recipe below....

1 lb spaghetti (I've also used angel hair or vermicelli)
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (1 tsp if you don't want it as spicy)
1/4 cup corn oil (I've also used vegetable or canola)
1/2 cup sesame oil (be sure to use the dark sesame oil - it makes all the difference)
6 tbsp honey
5 tbsp soy sauce (if you're concerned about sodium, opt for the low sodium soy sauce from Trader Joes)
1 tsp salt (again, you can skip this if you're concerned about sodium)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I love cilantro so I always put extra in)
3/4 cup chopped peanuts, unsalted (I generally use cashews instead of peanuts, but only because of personal preference)
1/2 cup chopped green onion (again I put in extra because I like it)
2 tbsp sesame seeds (again, I put in extra because I like it)

Cook spaghetti al dente and drain.

In a saucepan stir in red pepper flakes and oils for 2 minutes. Add honey, soy sauce, salt and garlic powder.

Stir and mix well with cooked spaghetti. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I try to mix the pasta and sauce together the night before because the longer it sits the better).

When ready to serve, add cilantro, green onion and nuts to pasta, toss.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Also, when making for a party or pot luck of any type I'll double the recipe because it goes fast and if I'm taking it to a party the host usually doesn't allow me to take home any leftovers, ITS THAT GOOD.

On the quitting smoking... I've had a few hiccups. I went to a party Saturday night and smoked there and have had a few cigarettes each day since. Nowhere near the pack a day I was smoking before, but not smoke free like I'd like to be. I'm starting to wonder if I need to try that Welbutrin or whatever its called to help me wean myself off of smoking.

The Ultimate DIY

A while back I was taking a friend to IKEA to pick up a new futon. At the time I didnt know whether or not the futon would fit inside my SUV or if it would need to be put on the roof.
At this time I hadn’t washed my car in a while so on the way to my friends I decided to go through the self serve car wash to take off at least one layer of the grime.
As I pulled in to the bay a man came around telling me where the change machines were located, how much the wash cost and how much time you got. Initially I thought it was odd that there was a guy working at the self serve car wash, then he followed up by saying “I’ll wash it for you, for a small fee”. At that point I realized that he was a homeless person looking to pick up some cash.
I opted to wash my car myself since I wanted to put a little extra focus on the roof in the event that I would be putting a new futon on top, and generally with an SUV the roof is the least focused on part of the car when washing it since its never seen.
He was nice enough to chit chat with me as I was washing my car, asking if I liked to go camping a lot and if that was why I had an SUV.
Then he started with the personal questions.
Random Homeless Guy - So, do you have a boyfriend?
Me - No
RHG - Do you want one?

uhh... I think I see where this is going so I answer very matter of factly

Me - Nope.
RHG - really?
Me - really.
RHG - see, I graduated high school and I’ve got 8 years military and a couple years college under my belt...
Me - thats great!
RHG - I've been on the streest for 12 years now and I just need a good woman to take me in and clean me up, put my resume together, get me a nice suit and find me a job.
Me - uhhh, thats really one of those things you have to do for yourself and not have others do FOR you.
RHG - well, I’ve been praying on it here but nothings happening yet

at this point he pulls a bible out of his bag, one that looks brand new and the spine hasn’t even been broken yet.

Me - well, it won’t happen overnight. You can’t pray for it and have it fall in your lap, you have to put some effort in to it.

At this point I was done with washing the exterior of my car and decided to clean out all of the empty water bottles and soda cans that had accumulated in my back seat. Since RHG had been cordial enough, chit chatting with me while I washed my car I offered him 2 plastic grocery bags full of recycleables.

Me - here, you can have these. you can take them up and turn them in for cash
RHG - nah. but leave them there, theres guys that come around collecting cans.


I had so many mixed thoughts after this encounter.

First of all, I was incredibly dismayed that someone who served 8 years in the military is in the position to where they are homeless and have been living on the streets for 12 years. I notice that a lot of the people you see on street corners holding up signs are vets.
When you see the commercials for our armed forces they all say that they will help you to prepare for a career. Granted, the person has to be willing to put the effort in to continuing their career after their discharge. I just can’t help but notice how many homeless people are ex-military.

Second - I think this guy was in the position he was in because he was unwilling to put in any effort to be more.
While I wouldn’t give him cash, I did offer him recyleable cans and bottles that he could have taken in for cash and gotten something to eat from it. He just wasnt willing to take the bags of cans and bottles up to the store 2 blocks away where there was a recycling station.

Third - This guy is the ultimate DIY project. Take a man and try to mold him in to what you want. Not my idea of good boyfriend material. Also, this is a good example of why I’m single. I have no delusional idea that I’ll meet some guy and be able to mold him in to what I want. Men, and women, pretty much come “as is” and I’ve yet to meet anyone who I’d be willing to accept “as is”.
Some may say I’m picky, I think I’m just aware of what I’m willing to compromise on and what I’m not.

Day One

on the Nicorette.

Today wasn't too bad. I had one brief moment of anxiety this morning as I got in my car for my commute in to work and realized that I wouldn't be smoking in the car on my way to work this morning. I popped a piece of Nicorette in and worked my way through it.
After that, the day wasn't too hard. I made it through work okay, on my breaks rather than go outside with the other smokers, I sat at my desk and knit or surfed the internet.
I'm not using the Nicorette as much as I am other gums and mints. I've stocked my purse with the following:
Nicorette
Trident White Cinnamon Tingle Gum
Clorets Gum
Trident White Wintergreen Gum
Life Savers Orange Mints
Life Savers Sweet Mints
Ice Breakers dual pack Tangerine mints & gum (left at my desk)

I'm using the cinnamon gum more than anything else. The Nicorette bothers my stomach a little, so I've only had 4 pieces today even though the instructions say that for the first 6 weeks I should have a piece every 1-2 hours.

So for my commute home I was fine. No anxiety about not smoking during my commute, I did fine until I got home.

Having a cigarette and a cup of coffee with my grandma is something we do when I get home from work every day. This evening I did falter and had 2 cigarettes. I'm not going to let that be a sign of failure and lapse back in to my pack a day habit. 2 cigarettes in one day is much much better than 20.

Correction & a Birthday Resolution

I misspoke the other day when I said that my birthday started when my coworkers decorated my cubicle and brought in cake & ice cream. My birthday ACTUALLY started when our receptionist called my extension saying that there was something at the front desk for me... a bouquet of gerbera daisies from my friend Shauna.
I've known Shauna for a little over 6 years now, we met at work and between escaping the stress of the job by adjourning to various happy hour locales, and a shared love of beading and cosmetics, we formed a friendship. About a year and a half ago I was incredibly happy for her that she had found her love when she married Jesse. I was not so happy when she and jesse moved to Salt Lake City shortly thereafter.
Although we email frequently and phone occaisionally, I miss her dearly.

Amongst other things, for my birthday I received a gift card to Target.
One of the items I purchased with the gift card was this..

Thursday, August 31st will be my last day smoking. To get through the withdrawals i've got the Nicorette and have stocked up on some Life Savers mints and other gums.

THREE-OH

Saturday I turned 30.

All in all, it was a great birthday. Probably my best birthday yet.
The festivities began Friday when my coworkers decorated my cubicle and brought in cake and ice cream.

I decided to celebrate my thirtieth birthday by doing one of the most juvenille things I could think of. Scandia.
Scandia is a "family fun center" with miniature golf, bumper boats, indy race track, batting cages and an arcade.
Friday night I met about 14 friends there and we did a half assed attempt at a round of mini golf, followed by bumper boats. we had wanted to do at least one trip on the indy race cars but evidently Scandia does not prepare well for Friday night crowds by having only 3 cars running at a time and then shutting them down for 30+ minutes to refuel. We missed out on the bumper boats but spent some time in the arcade playing skeeball and shooting hoops. Afterwards, we adjourned to the pub.


I crawled into bed much much too late and was woken up much much too early by my adorable 6 year old cousin who wanted to bring me coffee in bed. After spending the early part of the morning visiting with her and my aunt, I took a yarn dyeing class at my favorite LYS, Babetta's Yarn and Gifts in Fair Oaks.
the blue and green yarns on the right are my creations.
The class was taught by Babetta's eldest daughter, Maya and she was a great instructor. It was Kool-Aid dyed and I made one full skein using Black Cherry (not pictured), a half skein using Limeade and Blue Raspberry Lemonade (pictured), and a hand painted skein using Cherry, Strawberry Kiwi, Lemonade and Blastin' Berry Cherry (not pictured). It was a great class, VERY interesting watch the yarns absorb the color from the Kool-Aid mixture, but leave the water behind. I can't wait to experiment with mixing different flavors to acheive different colors and different handpainted looks.
An interesting fact... after using Kool-Aid dye, even after rinsing the yarn, it smells GREAT. It smells like the flavor its been dyed.

That afternoon after the class, I joined some friends at the pub for lunch and cake then made a run to find an outfit to wear to a wedding on Sunday.

After shopping, I went to my lovely cousin Erins where the two of us got ready to go back to the pub. Once there, we were aboard a party bus as a going away party for a friend who is moving to Southern California. We bar hopped throughout the greater Sacramento area with plenty of carousing on the bus between different bars.
I made it back to Erins afterwards to grab not quite enough sleep before having to get up for a wedding in Isleton the next morning. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was a lot more fun once I'd had a couple glasses of wine to combat the hangover from the previous night.

2 weeks...

since I last posted.

Have I been up to some time consuming adventures? No. Its been the same day to day routine: work, commute, knit, socializing with friends, etc.
Has my life been so incredibly boring that theres been absolutely nothing to write about? No. I've got a few things to write about:
- the ultimate DIY project
- current roommates
- pending roommates
- upcoming fiber workshops
- new hair color
- completed knit items (or nearly completed)
- new position at work, and new coworkers
- birthday plans
- sewer problems, and my grandmother
- from the mouths of babes
- doctors appointments (nothing serious)


There will be plenty to read about over the next week or two. To begin with, the doctors appointment.
When I was about 11 or 12 years old I started complaining to my doctors that my knees hurt all the time. They all brushed me off saying that it was just growing pains. While I was a chubby child, I was still fairly active with soccer, swim team, dive team, gymnastics, and I rode my bike EVERYWHERE.
As I got older, and got my drivers license, I got lazier. And fatter.
I no longer rode my bike everywhere, I drove, and by the time I tried to pick back up some of the activities I used to enjoy, they would make my knees ache incredibly.
For a few years now I've known that I have patellofemoral syndrome in both of my knees.
About 5 years ago, the pain started getting really bad, I couldn't drive my stick shift car through rush hour traffic without crying from the pain. That was when I was finally diagnosed with the tracking disorder and I initally went through some physical therapy to try to strengthen the muscles around the knee cap. At that time, my orthopedist told me that I would most likely have arthritis by the time I turned 30. That orthopedist knew what he was talking about, even if he did have the WORST bedside manner I've ever encountered.
i went to my doctor about 3 weeks ago and was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. I was basically told that the only thing I can do is to take tylenol or ibuprofen, and to lose weight. So, i may give Weight Watchers another try, possibly South beach, or that Mediterranean Diet that WebMD keeps emailing me about. I'm not sure, but I need to do something.

Hi, I'm Crazy...

I finished the crib blanket that I was crocheting for a friend, In general, I think it turned out well. However, there is one error, I think I crocheted the base chain a little too tightly. The end result is slightly trapezoidal. I'm hoping that some serious blocking will correct this but I fear that it may be beyond that.

The one finished item doesnt mean that I don't have a project to work on. Thats the beauty of having craft ADD. I always have a minimum of two, if not three, items on the needles. Current projects are:

1. FELTED MESSENGER BAG - knit - I'd started this one back in April thinking that I would take it to Ireland with me. Obviously, that didnt happen. I've completed the body and the strap, all thats left to do now is knit up some little pockets for it, assemble all of the pieces and then throw it in the washer. I'd guess it to be about 85% complete
2. SUPER SKINNY SARI SILK SCARF - knit - say that three times fast. I started this one today and its coming along very quickly. I'd estimate that its about 1/2 way completed.
3. GRANNY SQUARE AFGHAN - crochet - my little 6 year old cousin has been asking me to make her a blanket recently so I picked up some Bernat Softee Chunky in very bright colors and am crocheting an afghan thats one ginormous granny square. Its maybe 1/3 of the way done. This one will be put away for a Christmas gift. Oh yes, it will. I will not cave sometime around mid October and say "oh honey, you look cold. here, take this blankie I made for you".
4. FELTED PURSE - knit - yet another felted bag, but this ones worked in the round and I'm designing it myself. We'll see how it comes out. Its only about 1/4 of the way done.
5. PONCHO - knit - again, for the younger cousin. I have no idea why I'm making her yet another poncho. I've already made 4 for her, this one is with a yarn I picked up last year that was super cheap because it was being discontinued and some scrap eyelash novelty yarn. Its a lot lighter weight so I'm thinking it will be good for when she goes back to school in the fall. I'm only about 25% through this one.
6. AFGHAN - crochet - I started this one this evening. Why? I have no clue. Maybe because 5 projects in the works was not enough, or maybe because of the failure of the crib blanket I did. I'm using the same pattern, just making it large enough for a throw. This time, I did make the base chain looser.

These are just the projects that are currently "in progress". These do not include the projects I have lined up in my head, and there are many of those. There are projects from recent issues of both Interweave Knits and Interweave Crochet that I want to make for gifts and for myself, projects from Knit and Tonic, and design ideas of my own that have been floating around in my mind and sketched out in my notebook.

Photos...

Just a bunch of randon photos that blogger wouldn't allow me to upload the past few days:
The Forum section of last Sundays Sacramento Bee that mine and Mayas blogs were included in.
Yes, my forehead really is as large as the paper.



















The idea of going to Chicago for BlogHer '07 next year had me thinking of traveling again, so here are some photos from my trip to Ireland in May that I hadn't posted.

The Guinness Brewery in Dublin - one of many cool parts of my trip.



















The "washing hole" in Adaire Village - originally this was where the women of the village would gather to do laundry, now its a beautiful little part of the park in the center of the village.

























Taken from the top of Blarney Castle



















Looking down into the center of Blarney Castle

























Me, in front of Blarney Castle.



















I think I took this one in Kilarney Village for my cousin Erin

Bloggedy Blog Blog Blog

I'm thinking of going to BlogHer '07 next year. It's in Chicago, a city I've always wanted to visit.
I'd considered going this year, but couldnt take Friday off from work and had plans for Saturday, but am thinking of going along with Maya next year.
I have a photo I'd like to upload, but Blogger STILL isnt letting me upload photos.
I must look into moving over to Wordpress or Moveable Type...

Surfing USA

Grrrrrrr.... Bloggers not letting me upload photos. Anyways....
Earlier today Tanya pointed out to me that a portion of my blog entry from last Monday was published in Sundays edition of The Sacramento Bee. The column I was included in isn't online, I guess its only in the print version.
The column, "Surfing USA, A selection from the week's blogosphere - Compiled by John Hughes", included my little blurb in which I whined about the heat last week. Nothing major, definitely not my best writing sample, but I may pay a bit more attention to my grammar from now on.
Now, if Mr. Hughes did a feature on knitting blogs......

Lamb Town, U.S.A.

Friends and I went to Lamb Town Saturday. Fun was had, garlic fries were consumed, and yarn was purchased. I'll have photos of the yarn up as soon as I have better lighting.
I don't know what kind of sheep this is, but he was so cute, and kept posing for me so I had to take a pic.

random thoughts

Its nearly 1 am and still 86 degrees outside, but with the 46% humidity it feels more like 90. We aren't supposed to get this kind of humidity in Sacramento. We're supposed to have that infamous "dry heat" and the humidity is worse. it makes the air weigh heavy upon you, coating your entire body with a layer of perspiration simply from stepping outside.
I'm in my bedroom and can hear the dogs getting in and out of their wading pool outside my window. I wish we still had a pool. I'd be floating in it right now if we did.
Mental note: next year, take an Alaskan cruise in July.

I'm thinking of going blonde. I'm not sure why. Maybe not completely blonde, just lots of highlights woven in.

I'm getting a toothache.
Must go to the dentist soon.

Lambtown is in Dixon next weekend and it's also one of my friends birthdays. She also happens to knit. We're looking forward to going and perusing the handspun yarns available.

I'm STILL considering getting a new, used, car. However, fuel efficiency is becoming more and more of a factor in my decision. I'm currently thinking of a Toyota Camry.

33 days until I turn 30. No festivities are planned. I'm not sure if I want a big celebration or just a quiet evening at the pub with my close friends.

Must clean my room. I have way too much crap. But, where do I start?

Need to organize my yarn. Should this be done by weight? Color? Fiber content?

My beading supplies are a mess as well.

I have some laceweight alpaca yarn. Its been sitting in my stash for several months and I have no idea of what to do with it. Perhaps a lacey scarf for this fall? Should I follow a pattern or try to design one myself? I do like the design process but don't have much experience with knitting lace.

I was at a friends housewarming party Saturday night and seeing the paintings she has done made me realize how much I miss painting. I'm thinking of taking it up again and possibly taking a class either at the local community college or at the Learning Exchange.

I wonder if grandma would let me turn the spare room into a studio, both for knitting and painting. Hell, crafts in general. A craft studio. I would love that. I'd definitely have to get some shelves from IKEA.

I want a new bed. I've had my eye on the Noresund at IKEA for a while now and while I was there Friday night I saw that they've marked the price down to $194. It's tempting. I could also use a new mattress.

Its past 1 am. i need to get up for work in 5 hours. Why do the weekends always have to go by so quickly?

Oschuns Bag

Here it is, my latest felted purse, modeled by my sister.
I called it "Oschuns Bag" because Oschun is a caribbean goddess of the sea that my mom is fond of.








I'm working on getting the pattern written up.