Working on a day off

My cold got worse last night so I opted to go in, get my laptop, and work from home for a half day (it would have been more but I'm having trouble logging in now....).

So, I've been busy taking pictures, writing descriptions, and uploading. That's right, I finished setting up my etsy shop. Feel free to take a look and let me know what you think! (and feel free to spread the work as well) This is my first foray into selling, so any suggestions and comments are welcome.


And here, the long-coveted Wollmeise! I got Poison Nr. 5 as well, but for some reason that picture didn't turn out well. When I get up some more energy I'll take some pictures of my Chevron Scarf. Until then :)

I'm baaack

My last day of vacation before going back to work :(

It was a fun week in Maryland. There was sailing, crab eating, beer drinking, and sight seeing. Oddly enough, I missed the rain on both coasts....
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Annapolis and the surrounding area. It's woodsy, but there are open areas around the farms and the water. M's parents have a place on the eastern shore where we spent a night and it was great. You have neighbors, but they're not so close you'd know. It's completely quiet at night, and you'd be best off having some sort of night light because there is no surrounding street lighting like there is in the city.

I've been sailing before in Santa Barbara, but it's nothing compared to sailing on a little two person boat. Speed is completely different, and balance is alot trickier. We were successful in staying upright, which was a huge relief to me :)

The trip to DC was fun - it's crazy to see all the well known buildings all in one place. We went by the Capitol, some museums, the botanic gardens, the Museum of Natural History, and of course the White House. My feet were exhausted by the end of the day, but I got some good pictures out of it.

There was some knitting done as well - I started the Chevron Scarf in a yellow/green Koigu and some blue Sundara yarn. I also managed to get a little work done on my Clapotis on the flight back. The woman sitting next to me turned out to be German as well - she noticed I was knitting "like the Europeans" and commented on it :)

I picked up my new gym bag and tent today at REI - now I'm motivated to start working out again (and go camping this upcoming weekend!). I've also been working hard on creating a stockpile of stitch markers before I open my etsy shop. I've gotten some good feedback from the testers that have been really helpful in deciding what type of design to go with. And for some reason making stitch markers is much easier on my wrists.....

Time to get back to 'watching' football :) Have a good Sunday everyone!

Wednesday WIP

Actually, due to the self-imposed and now doctor-approved knitting halt, I don't have much knitting to report (Ok, I cheated last night and started the Chevron scarf. But it's ok - I can do up to 15 minutes of knitting every other day for a week and work my way up from there!) I've developed tendinitis, which on one hand is good (meaning I don't have carpel tunnel). I've been told to rest, ice, and take Advil (or Aleve. Whichever I feel more brand loyalty towards). I also am being sent back to physical therapy again for my knee. As much as I dislike PT, it's really the only way I'll stick to a workout plan (at least right now. The new gym bag I'm getting from REI may motivate me....)

While waiting on my knitting injury to heal, I'm working on restructuring my life a little. I ran across this link at HipKnits and it really got me thinking. I have alot of baggage in my life (and only some of it emotional!) and it stresses me out. While I will probably not do all 72 things, working on some them has already made me feel better (like cleaning out my email accounts - so liberating!). I'm also taking a page from the book of Allison and making a more serious effort to reduce my debt. This ties in nicely with my efforts to be healthier in that I'll be cooking at home more than eating out.

Back to your regularly scheduled knitting soon....ish :)

Monday madness

Not much knitting to report - my wrists have been giving me problems. I noticed when I got a massage a couple of weeks ago that when my forearms were worked on my hands started tingling. So I gave in and have put down the needles for awhile. It's driving me crazy :) I'm starting to think it may be more related to how I type on my laptop at home or on my computer at work though, since my wrists still ache some.


So instead of knitting I've been hiking and watching TV (or, more accurately, football. And some TV on DVD). I happened to catch Murder She Wrote on the other week and realized how much I'd liked that show as a kid. I had no idea there were so many seasons of it! I also rented Heroes from Netflix and watched the first two episodes last night. I'm not sure if I would have gotten into it had I watched in season. I'll admit I want to know what happens, but the 2nd episode was a little gruesome (and somehow fake) for me. I am however getting sucked back into Top Chef (I even started a group on Ravelry for it) - it's not like the other seasons. For me there's no clear winner or favorite. There's also not as much animosity, which is great.


This weekend's hike was Solstice Canyon. In many ways it's like the rest of the hikes in the mountains - except for the ruins. Well, the remains of a rather large house that burned down in the 1980's. There's something eerie about hiking in the woods and finding the foundation and remaining walls of a house next to the trail. We had great fun wandering around the remains climbing up to the waterfall. I'm slowly but surely working my way through all the parks in the area, much to my knee's dismay. I'm not sure if it's a lingering problem from the surgery, but I seem to be having knee pain more than I used to. M thinks it's a cartilage problem - I'm hoping not!


Time to get back to work - happy Monday all!

FO, WIPs, and moving on

The manly socks are finally done and have been gifted to their owner. A few months late of his birthday, but he seems pleased with them. And decided not to take them on his latest camping trip, because he didn't want to "get them dirty." I wonder how much use they'll see with that philosophy!

I'm dividing my time now between some gloves and socks. With a little work on the Hourglass Sweater to give my hands/wrists a break. I've been noticing some tingling in my arms and some back pain, so I'm trying to take it easy. Of course, this rules out making stitch markers as well, so I really don't know what to do with myself! The testing is going well, as far as getting feedback on how the first set of markers work out. After some initial results, I'm thinking the method Teresa taught me may be more knitter-friendly and that the method I use is probably better suited to earrings and the like.

This past weekend was full of football and movies (and eating!) I watched way more college football than I intended, but really enjoyed the Cal game (I may have to organize a viewing at some sports bar for the next one!) M and I went to see the Bourne Ultimatum on Sunday, which I liked quite a bit. I wasn't as much of a fan of the second in the series, but the third was right up there with the first. If you like action and twists, I'd recommend checking it out while it's still in theater (unless you have a big screen TV and surround sound. In which case, invite me over some time)

My parents seem to be doing well after the letter was published. The Napa paper has a censoring policy on all comments submitted to their site (which the other papers don't seem to be as strict with, given some of the responses to my dad's letter earlier this year) and all the comments I've seen are positive and reaffirm the fact that not much is known about the possible side effects. I'm still trying to deal - feeling somewhat deserted, though I realize no one really knows what to say to me. I'm told this is the awkward point in the timeline - where it's been long enough that other people have moved on and you're just starting to deal with it. Or where people are still giving you distance when you're finally ready to talk. It's been frustrating to an extent - the times I do mention it, no one knows what to say and the atmosphere gets awkward. Society has a hard time acknowledging death and its aftermath in general, at least in a way that doesn't leave the survivors feeling like they should be keeping quiet about how they're feeling.

So I've removed the chip from my shoulder and have been harassing people to hang out with me until they feel comfortable enough to do it on their own :)

And in the interim, I'm getting caught up on my Netflix subscription....I'm still coming up to movies I queued back in grad school!

Letter to the Editor

It's been a little over 3 months since my brother died. As little as I talk about it here or elsewhere, it's always on my mind. My mom has posted a letter to the editor in the local paper, fully disclosing the details of his death. And while I know them all, it makes it hard to see. Not so much because I've been reliving his death this week, but because it makes me sad that this has become my parents' new crusade - a crusade against suicide.

Sigh.

Good thoughts

I've posted about Evan before - but keep him and his family in your thoughts today. Evan went in for surgery this morning - you can read more about him on Allison's blog.

Stitch markers?

I've been making alot of stitch makers lately - you can see pictures of them here. I've been toying around with the idea of opening an etsy store, but since I'm so new to making them I'd like to test them out some. Anyone interested in being a test knitter? You'd get a set to knit with and would only have to provide me feedback on what you think. Drop me an email if you're interested!

Looking for a doula?

For anyone in the Los Angeles area, my friend Peggy has recently started a doula business. I met Peggy when I first moved to LA, and while I can't speak to her doula techniques, she's an amazingly compassionate and supportive person with a great sense of humor. Peggy is passionate about what she does - go check out her website here to read more about why she decided to become a doula and what her philosophy is.

Oh, and in case you needed more convincing - in addition to being a doula, Peggy's also a great knitter. :)

Little League Baseball

Thanks for all of your comments - in the end my friend Teresa is taking 4 of the skeins in a partial trade and I managed to resell the other 2 on the Destash blog. There's some discussion on the Ravelry board about the subs - some people were emailed asking their preferences, some had their order cancelled, others knew ahead of time and included options in their order. I did email the owner asking to return them and she said that was fine, which I was glad to hear.

Not much to report on the knitting front. I'm out of town this weekend, taking a mini-break from work (always a good plan when they announce layoffs I'm sure) and going to a friend's engagement party. I've actually never gotten to meet him in person (we were introduced via a mutual friend), so it's a little weird to be going to his engagement party :)

Oh, and apparently there's a world series in little league baseball....who knew? It's been on since we got here and is totally holding M's attention. At least I have my sock to work on :)

:(

Last week I ordered 5 colorways of Lorna's Laces through an online clearance sale. It came today, but not what I'd expected.....

Turns out after I placed my order, the homepage of the store noted that yarn is going fast and subsitutions will be made if the ordered colorway is out of stock.

And that's what happened to 3 of the 5 colors I ordered. I wasn't notified, and when I emailed the owner she replied that there's a note on the website saying substitutions will be made. And suggested I see if any of my friends would be interested in trading.

I understand that she's one woman running a store - and a store in the middle of a huge sale. But I'm frustrated she didn't email me or just exclude the yarn I ordered that she doesn't have. Instead she's using a statement later posted on the storefront to explain why I'm holding on to 6 skeins of yarn I don't want. I'm considering either trying to trade them or emailing her again and asking her to take them and refund me the money.

/rant

Shout outs

Gradschoolknitter is having a contest for her 100th post - check it out!

Allison (of Supercrafty.com), who I've blogged about before, has some somewhat good news - Evan's surgery for his brain tumor has been bumped up to 2 weeks from now. This change is unfortunately because Evan is showing some decline - so please send some good thoughts their way. And maybe even buy some yarn :)

I'm relieved it's Thursday - it's been a week of minimal sleep so far. And even though I went to bed early, I was woken up by an earthquake this morning. Bringing my grand total of earthquakes felt to 3 :)

Final answer

In this world of amazing conveniences, somehow it takes longer to do things. I received a new credit card last week, and called the 1-800 number to activate it. It used to be, and still is for some cards, that all you had to do was call the number and enter some information. But now they try and sign you up for all sorts of programs. My call was no exception - payment protection, credit monitoring, the works. And they never ask you if you want to sign up, they just tell you they're mailing you the information packet and you can cancel later.

I had to tell the woman signing me up I didn't want it. I knew I was going to get a lecture on how great it was. "But I'm an American consumer, and making uniformed ill-advised decisions is my right," was what I wanted to say. Instead, I settled on some Millionaire lingo "...and that's my final decision."

Somehow, she knew not to argue.

On a more serious note, kmkat posted a link to this blog with images from the bridge collapse. Absolutely amazing to see the extent of damage - it's hard to even imagine.

Weekend update

I've been somewhat remiss in updating lately, so here's a stash enhancement, WIP, and misc. update :)

• Stash enhancement

A gift from Molly, Sundara Yarn. Spunky Eclectic yarn, a prize from Claudia's MS Ride Raffle. STR Lagoon, a purchase off the new Destash blog. Yarns from Handpaintedyarn.com for hats. Bought from Lotus Yarns, who has great names for colorways :) Bought from Paradise Fibers (who were really great to deal with)

• WIP

Manly sock, still going strong. Swallowtail shawl, intended to be worn at a wedding that's already occured (oops!). Generic ribbed hat, can never have too many. Lady Eleanor stole, a prayer shawl of sorts started in May.

• Misc.

My newfound interest in making stitch markers


A new mixer, with which to make more pies (and other things too I'm sure)


Anyone want a one person tea set?

Have a good weekend all!!

We have a winner!

Or 3 :) Congratulations to for gradschoolknitter winning the teapot! Ellen and Nonnahs are the lucky winners of yarny goodness. I'll email you all to get your addresses and get your prizes in the mail some time next week.

From it's humble beginnings as a mobile favorites bar, this blog has documented my knitting through all sorts of events. Going to my first SnB, learning to knit lace, the boyfriend sweater, the ensuing breakup and ACL surgery, learning to dye, the Knitting Olympics, nannying, leaving grad school, another breakup, a new relationship, moving, and most recently my brother's death.

More importantly than letting access my favorite links wherever I go, documenting my knitting, or recording the events of my life these last 3 years, this blog has served as a cheaper alternative to therapy.

No, just kidding! It's served as a place for me to meet people I may not otherwise have had the chance to meet (no matter how close they live to me) It's served as a place for me to share creativity and experiences and find support and ideas. Some of you I've known for years, some of you I've never met. Thanks for reading :)

A quick post

I'll be posting the contest winners in a few hours (go enter!), but this post from Kami made me laugh.

My favorite so far? "If we cannot fight two chickens to the death for entertainment purposes, the terrorists have already won?"

This one is pretty funny too: "I'm impressed by your bold stance in support of the gentleman sport of fetus fighting. If we are not permitted to strap knives onto the ankles of our unborn twins and fight them to the death, then what right will they take away from us next?"

Oh, this is my favorite: "Just a matter of time before they come for your dog and cat.These people have a agenda.This will be the start of the ending for animal lovers.Fight these nuts while you still can."

Happy Friday everyone :)

(There's a similar page here)

Pictures!

A finally finished gift for a friend
Yarny prizes for the contest
More yarny prizes
And a very tiring but very worthwhile hike.

Contests and knitting

Knittinggal is having a contest - go check it out! And don't forget the contest here! For those of you who don't want to be entered for the teapot but rather the yarny goodness let me know. I'm planning on uploading some pictures tonight, including pictures of the other prizes. In addition to whatever else may be lurking on my camera.....

I'm still slowly chugging away at the manly sock, in hopes of finishing it this summer. Seriously - what happened to my knitting? Looking at my everpresent stash is causing a slight panic. I went to SnB in Santa Monica for the first time in over 2 months last night. It feels strange to go back after so long - you worry that things will be awkward when you haven't been there, especially for the reasons I stopped going anywhere. But I needn't have worried. Though only a few of the people I know were there, the group was still the same :) Mirkins, birthing, and of course knitting conversation still abounds. Unfortunately I won't be able to go back until my class ends :(

Time to get to work so I can leave early and do laundry and read Harry Potter. I have my priorities :)

What a weekend

Life has been busy on the weekends these last few months! The weekend before, M and I flew out to Chicago for the wedding of a friend of his. We left Thursday evening, rushing to the airport as fast as you can through LA traffic and arrived in Chicago early Friday morning. We picked up the rental and headed out into the city to search for food. Your best bet for finding something open at 2 am is to find out where all the bars are, so we identified a promising location and parked. Only to find that the passenger side door was broken - attempting to open it from the inside resulted in the interior door coming away from the frame! Exchanging the car was added to the list of things to do before leaving for Wisconsin. Fed, we drove to M's cousin's place and crashed (with the help of some Sudafed and Tylenol PM for my flare of allergies on the flight in) Friday we got up, got brunch, and took a little tour of the Wrigleyville area before exchanging the car. My parents tell me I've been to Chicago, but I was too young to remember it.

This time I certainly will. Not half an hour after we exchanged the rental, a truck hit us as it tried to scrape past us in traffic. It took us an hour to sort that all out, but we finally made it on our way to Wisconsin to meet up with some of M's family at the lake. After living in CA for so long, I miss how much you can get in terms of real estate (or food!) in the Midwest. We continued on to Sheboygan (the locale of the wedding), where we had brats before the wedding (when in Rome....) and danced (drank) the night away. I had a great time meeting all of M's fraternity brothers (from MIT, nonetheless) - they're definitely a fun group of guys. Another whirlwind tour of the lake and Chicago and we headed back for CA.

This weekend was the camping/company picnic/hiking weekend. A night hike in Pt. Mugu State Park, company festival, and a day hike in Circle X Ranch area have made for one exhausting weekend. I used to be much more of a hiker in my college days, but I'm enjoying getting back into (when M isn't picking the routes. He seems to think an 8 mile roundtrip hike is totally feasible in 3 hours. Right.) In addition to running up mountains, I also finally got around to going to see Harry Potter and exploring the local restaurants.

What does this all have to do with knitting? It means I haven't gotten much done :) I'm still working on the 2nd manly sock and trying to be more project monogamous in order to start getting things done. It may be a good time to revise my summer knitting goals.....

Hope you all had a good weekend - don't forget to enter the contest by Friday!

Contest!

My 3 year blogiversary is the 27th of this month - and as promised I'm holding a contest. Submit a comment to this post answering 1 of the following (or all if you like!):

1. Favorite knitting tutorial/pattern, with link.
   
2. Favorite book - and for those Harry Potter fans, what are your plans when the final book comes out?
3. Favorite way to unwind after a stressful day.
4. Favorite vacation memory
   

What's the prize? As you may have read, my friend recently sent me the perfect teapot. So perfect, I'd already bought it for myself! So I'm offering up the duplicate:


I'll use a random number generator to choose 3 winners - one will receive this teapot and 2 others will receive yarn-related goodness. And because Blogger doesn't give me your email address (unless you've set it up to make it public), please either leave me your address or email it to me so I can get in touch with you! Contest ends July 27th, noon, PST.

Spread the word - if someone mentions they were referred by you you'll get another entry!