Planning without a plan

Back into my Grey's Anatomy marathon! Mom loved the shawl, and I've finished a pair of gloves and a dish towel in the past 2 days, along with turning a heel in my dad's sock and resurrecting Wicker. (And boy are my arms tired!). So far, my resolution to finished projects and not start anything new is going well.....

I should be packing for the trip to Tahoe, except I have no idea how long we're staying or what I'll be doing. The Type A side of me is freaking out a little, but the mellower part of me is ignoring it :) M and his friend want to go skiing, and the thought of getting back on skis after 4 years and 2 knee surgeries is a little terrifying. I've known for ages this decision would come up, and I still don't know if I'm going to get back on that horse. So, alot of knitting will be packed.

You think it'll drive them crazy if I map out all the yarn stores between here and Tahoe?

If I don't post before - Happy New Years to all of you!

Happy holidays

Happy holidays all!

And don't forget to relax :)

PS - don't forget about the contest - you've got until the 6th!

A contest!

It's been awhile since I've had a contest, so I figure it's about time. To enter, leave a comment on one of the following (or both if you feel like it!):

• I feel like I want to revamp my etsy shop a little - change the name, the banner, figure out a better way to advertise. Throw in a suggestion!
  
• I've been thinking alot about holiday traditions lately. Are you a fan of tradition, or do you like to change every year? What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Three winners will be chosen randomly, for either a pair of stitch markers from my shop (your choice) or 2 skeins Misti Lace:


I absolutely love the feel of this yarn - it's as soft as Malabrigo, though not as squishy.

So that's the contest - you've got until noon PST on the 27th to enter! Winners will be announced on the 28th, and prizes, once the winners decide will be mailed out in the new year. Oh, and you get an extra entry if you post on your blog and for each person saying they heard about it from you. If Blogger doesn't have your email, be sure to let me know how to contact your, or email me separately after you comment.

ETA: I'm going to be in and out of town until the 5th, so I'm extending the deadline until Jan 6th. Oh, and I'm adding a mystery prize :)

PS - the sale at my store is still going on for the rest of the month - buy one set and each additional set of stitch markers purchased is 50% off!

Happy Thursday all!

A random Wednesday

I have a thing for cute little gadgets, which made the timer Teresa got me for my birthday perfect! This collection of timers makes me grin.

This is old news, but I love that knitting is in the Wall Street Journal.

The review of this gadget had me cracking up. Technology is so wonderful.

Thanks everyone for your shawl comments. It's still sitting up on my blocking cushions because I like looking over at it every now and again :) Though I'll have to wrap it up soon for the trip to Napa.

I went to see my primary doctor again today after another review with my physical therapist yesterday. They're referring me to an orthopedic surgeon to determine if there's any additional damage the first 2 surgeries didn't fix. Which brings me to my question - does anyone have an orthopedic surgeon they'd recommend in the Santa Barbara - Ventura - Thousand Oaks - LA area? My PT gave me a few names, but having some sort of review from an actual patient would be preferred....

Back to watching movies and knitting!

Finally finished!

A relatively quick knit, though the monogomy of it was driving me crazy by the end. I opted to make the top border shorter and not do the picot edge, partially just to finish and partially because I was running out of yarn. I love the body of the shawl, though I think I prefer the method of the Flower Basket shawl than this one with it's knitted on border. The yarn, Misti Alpaca lace, is very soft and nice to work with. A little splitty, but the overall feel was worth it. And it's done in time for Christmas.....

Though I found out today, via MySpace of all places, that my mom doesn't want to celebrate Christmas this year. I know that the holidays are rough in many ways for everyone and even more so for my parents. Sigh.

I'm looking forward to being done with work for the year - I worked from home today because I've been feeling a bit sick this weekend. I got bronchitis, or so I thought, last year and have had a persistent cough ever since. Not a hacking up lungs cough, but just a hoarse voice that turns into a cough after of talking. Dr. 1 tried me on an inhaled medicine and then sent me to a lung doctor, who did a breathing test and ruled it as allergies. Dr. 3 tried me on a few allergy meds, none of which have made the cough go away. So back to Dr. 1 to come up with another diagnosis, of possible acid reflux. The meds for which have not been agreeing with me, or made the cough go away. There's always the chance that my cat allergies have gotten worse and the meds just can't make those go away, but who knows.....That and having to go back to the physical therapist to re-diagnose my knee make for alot of doctor visits!

Wow, that was quite a digression from knitting :) For the rest of the week, I'll be working on my dad's socks and some other gift knits. Most likely they won't be done by next Tues, but everyone's very forgiving about that :) In the new year - the resolution of no more gift knitting! Or at least, no more last minute gift knitting.....

I swear I'm still here

Work has been incredibly busy lately - whoever says things slow down at the end of the year was lying. I went to Yosemite last weekend - here's a shot coming down from one of our hikes.

Have a good weekend!

WIP update

It feels like I'm a little overdue for a picture post of all the WIPs that are currently getting some attention. So, here goes!
My dad's socks are coming along slowly, as to be expected for knitting two socks at once. The Regia's alright, though I think I'm developing a bias for softer sock yarns. These were supposed to be done in June, and I may be pushing it to get them and my mom's shawl done by the end of the month. But maybe with some focus....
My mom's shawl. I've got one more pattern repeat, 14 knit rows, and then come the border challenge. I've never done a knitted on border and I'm having trouble visualizing how it'll all go down. But, as I always do, I figure I'll just start and wing it. I don't know what it is about lace, but it seems to go so quickly!
This was started as a "Oh! I should make a hat for my trip to Yosemite this weekend!" project. Famous last words! It took me a couple of hours to modify the pattern I'd chosen to a) make it into an adult sized hat and b) make it work with the Malabrigo I wanted to use. At the end of it all, M's roommates were convinced that knitting required some kind of special degree....(eventually I will use my own stitch markers. Well, the ones you see above are mine, but I made them 3 years ago before I really learned what I was doing.)
The languishing Lady E I started in May - I'm on my 7th or 8th ball of Silk Garden, and only a couple more to go. I started this to distract me through the funeral preparations, so I sort of have mixed feelings about finishing it. But after seeing the one I made for my mom, I'm looking forward to having one of my own.
And finally, taking these.....
to these! My friend Michelle gave me Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and it couldn't have been a more perfect birthday present. These were a huge hit this weekend, and I'm excited to try more of the recipes!

Time to walk away from the TV and get some sleep - have a good night!

Radio silence

It's been ages since I've last posted, and alot has been going on. The trip to Puerto Rico was a whirlwind and crazy. Unfortunately I didn't get to see much of Puerto Rico outside of the hotel or site, but I've got a better idea of where I'd want to go if I go back. Work has been stressful lately, adjusting to having a new supervisor and projects that just won't go away. Thanksgiving itself was fine, my flight was delayed some but since we never celebrate with other people it didn't really impact much. The day after was my birthday, which was a bit disappointing since my mom forgot until she looked at her calendar (I know, I totally sound spoiled here. But I still get excited about my birthday!). Granted, she's been thinking about my brother a ton with the holidays around, but it was still hard to swallow.

This last weekend was the larger birthday celebration, which involved a trip up to wine tasting country with a large group of grad students, knitters, and wine lovers. It turned out really well, despite the large number of people, and I ended up joining a wine club (I blame the wine). We kept it low key and went out for pizza afterwards, which was really perfect.

Now I'm just trying to catch up on my gift knitting - a shawl for my mom and a pair of socks for my dad. I've got a couple of other projects I'd like to make, but I really need to stick with these before working on anything else! I've given in and ordered more yarn for socks and hats, which means I've been compulsively checking the mail stop at work every few hours :)

And, finally, I'm offering up another sale for the month of December at my etsy shop. Buy one set of stitch markers, all additional sets are 50% off! Just wait until I send you an invoice before you pay though.

Hope everyone's well - thanks for the well wishes!

...in which I whine a little

Friday I had a mini breakdown as I was driving down to LA to a slumber party with my knitting friends. I was on the phone with M, and about to cry because he had just told me to relax and not worry.

Something so simple (and so true) shouldn't drive me to tears. But last week, or more accurately last Friday, sucked.

• I passed the 6 month anniversary of my brother's death with nothing more than an empty feeling - which was quickly replaced with a guilty feeling. And communication with my parents has been falsely cheery (on both ends) at best lately.
  
• My new and improved allergy meds are not doing anything for the cough that brought me to the allergist in the first place (and my nose is running).
  
• I have had credit card fraud for the second time in 2 months - making me worried that my information is out there for the taking. It's strange - the first time someone charged alot of gas to my card, the second time they tried to buy alot of clothes with my other card. I'm not sure what to do at this point.
• Work. Oh work, how you stretch me. There have been structure changes in the last week that directly affected me. There's a trip to Puerto Rico (tonight, actually) to learn about the new process that's stressing me out because a) it's happening relatively quickly and b) the plan keeps changing. Originally one of the more senior group members was going to go, but that got nixed Friday and until about an hour ago it looked like I might be going by myself.
  

/whine.

It's been a rollercoaster weekend, trying to pack and repack and clean and run errands, but it's not all bad. The slumber party was fun, and the food was tasty. Knitting has been happening - I have made some good progress on the Hourglass Sweater, finishing up the lower part of the body and starting on one of the sleeves. Though I think the Claptois, Chevron Scarf, and my mom's shawl will be the projects coming along with me this week. And I've decided to treat myself with the overtime I'll be earning and get some STR - the only hard part is narrowing down my choices!

Etsy update and WIP Wednesday

1. IMG_0836.JPG, 2. IMG_0812.JPG, 3. IMG_0838.JPG, 4. IMG_0828.JPG, 5. IMG_0824.JPG, 6. IMG_0817.JPG, 7. IMG_0840.JPG, 8. IMG_0826.JPG, 9. IMG_0832.JPG

New stitch markers have been uploaded to the shop! And, in honor of Thanksgiving, shipping is free all of this month :) Enjoy!

Here's a shot of the shawl I'm working on, in an attempt to capture how close to Marie's eye color this yarn is. The picture came out reddish because I tried to block the flash, which makes for an interesting shot....


Here's a closeup of the shawl itself - I'm only on the 3rd repeat, and I can tell it's going to be fairly large when blocked!

PSA

Thanks to Ravelry, I found NaughtyCodes.com, which lists discount codes for all sorts of online stores. I haven't tried any that I've found on there, but it looks promising!

back to looking at clothes online at REI.....

I do believe there's been some knitting....

I gave in. I started a new project - but, to be fair, it's a gift for my mom and if I don't start it now it may never be done. And I wanted to start another lace project ;) The Misti Alpaca Lace is absolutely wonderful - so incredibly soft. And while it may be a bit thin to knit single stranded, I'm loving how delicate the shawl is turning out. Good thing I have some more yarn for myself!

I've been carefully resisting all the sales and blog contests lately - I really have more yarn than I can use up any time in the near future. Which may lead to some more destashing.....

It was a quiet weekend. Friday's party was a little disappointing - it ended up just being my boyfriend and a couple of our friends from SB. It seems as we get older everyone has a harder and harder time a) committing to plans and b) showing up. I would much rather people said no in advance than the day of (or via messenger the hour of), when I've already gone out and gotten food and drinks etc. I'm guilty of it myself - thinking I'll really want to go or might want to go and then deciding that I'm too tired. In reality, I'm always tired. But usually when I push myself to go, I end up having a good time and was glad I went.

Sorry, this wasn't supposed to turn into a rant :)

Saturday I did a little shopping - I got an award at work that I turned into a Banana Republic gift card. Which meant an immediate (if not sooner!) trip to the outlet. Saturdays aren't the best days for a trip to the outlet, but I managed to make it in and out with only minor damage (2 sweaters and another pair of work pants which I absolutely adore). M and I went to see American Gangster, which was good, but not as good as the previews had led me to believe. There were definitely some interesting previews before the movie - alot of scary movies coming out!

Sunday we drove up to SB to go sailing. We were short staffed that day, there being only 4 of us to crew, but somehow we pulled it off (and I managed not to get any new bruises!). It was a long race out to the platforms, and bitterly cold with the fog rolling in. However, it was all worth it when we found out we'd gotten 2nd place. A very rare feat for our boat!

In other news, I'll be updating my etsy shop this week with a few more sets of stitch markers. Additionally, it'll be free shipping for the entire month! So stop by and take a look!

Happy Monday - made better by the extra hour we got back this weekend ;)

A different kind of tourism

I intended to save this post for a few more days, waiting for the 6 month anniversary of my brother's death. But I saw this article today in the NY Times: Study Examines Suicide Tourism in New York City. The article examines the total number of suicides committed in NYC, and the percent of those committed by out-of-towners. It goes on to discuss the phenomena of "hot spots" for suicide as being well-documented, and lists the Eiffel Tower and Golden Gate Bridge as two other popular destinations. (The oh-so-slightly-crazy part of me giggles at travel guide feel of it.) They talk about how suicide is considered a "major, and preventable, public health problem." Barriers, awareness, surveillance, proximity of hotline phones.

Years ago, when I was dating a guy in San Diego, I thought it was strange they had the suicide hotline number posted all over the bridge. It makes so much more sense now. Do I know if my brother would have reconsidered killing himself if there was a barrier? A phone? If the tourist who saw him jump had said, "Beautiful day, isn't it?" I don't, and I try not to think about it.

I've learned alot in the last 6 months. I've learned what drugs can do to your body. I've learned how much my brother had changed before he died. I've learned just how much one person can cry over music or commercials on TV. I've learned about grief and anger and the loneliness that comes when someone you know dies. I've come a long way from this May - trying to be a better daughter, to ask for help when times are rough, to not bottle everything up, and to stop saying yes to everything. I've stopped forming expectations about the future of my family and how we'll all get through this, because I know we're all in different places now.

And somehow, that's given me peace. I've spent the last few weeks worrying about going north for Thanksgiving (and my birthday) and how we were going to deal with the fact my brother won't be there, back from his first few months at college. I can't draw up scenarios anymore, because whatever happens will happen. It's heartbreaking for sure, but you can't plan for heartbreak.

Thanksgiving, for me, was always about the turkey and pumpkin pie. This year, it's more about those left behind.

Wednesday WIPs....on a Sunday?

I'm making a valiant push for the final days of Socktoberfest. I've noticed a trend this year - of making plans for knitting and blatantly ignoring them (Summer knitting goals, summer of socks, etc) But no! I will knit socks in October (and move on to something else come November)


First up, socks for my dad. I'm really loving the yarn, and the pattern (from More Sensational Socks). They're for his birthday, which was in June. So much for timing (Teresa, your gloves WILL be refinished. Promise. Definitely by your next birthday....)


Next up, Red Sox. No, really. If I'm going to watch all this sports on TV, I am going to knit appropriately (until they're done - then I'll move back to my overflowing WIP basket). M didn't think I was serious when I said I was going to knit some Red Sox socks....well, that'll show him :) I've finished the toe, the foot, and the heel. Why did I ever think knitting socks on anything less than a US 6 was a good idea?

So, if you'll excuse me, there's all sorts of football on right now and perhaps a baseball game tonight....

I hear there's only one October....

How happy am I that it's Friday? Not that it's been a bad week, but I love weekends. Tonight I'm going to see Josh Ritter perform at the Natural History Museum (which, according to a coworker is a hip venue) (wow, I just felt older right there). Tomorrow, a quick trip to the outlets where I will resist the urge to spend any more money before heading up to Santa Barbara. I imagine with the World Series being on right now there will be some baseball to watch (while I follow the Cal game tomorrow night online). And of course, some knitting.

I'm not really a huge sports fan, despite how much sports I watch. I don't have many favorite teams (except for Cal - go Bears!), and the ones I do like are based on geography or not an awful combination of team colors more than anything else. And in spite of some of the Red Sox fans I've met (or sat near at an Angels game), I have to admit I like the Red Sox. Why? Because I can knit a pair of red socks while watching them and giggle to myself the whole time. It's the little things :)

I found this website of common errors in English via the Stitchin' Sheep. I have to say, I feel a little dumber....Not that anyone expects engineers to have good grammatical skills anyways :)

Next post - pictures! Knitting related pictures!

We didn't start the fire

It smells like campfire. It's been ashy and gritty and hazy all weekend - from Santa Barbara to Camarillo to LA to San Diego. Looking at the Google Map makes me realize just how widespread these fires are. I feel like this happens every year and we're sort of used to it, but driving over the mountain yesterday and seeing the red sky made me feel like I was an extra in a Lord of the Rings movie (sadly, no Viggo to be found). It's eerie and scary and my hair is responding to the lack of moisture in the air. Teresa and I went for a hike earlier this year in Solstice Canyon, hiking through the ruins of a house burned down in 1982. It was strange, mostly because the house had been so set into the landscape when it was built that it was easy for nature to reclaim it. It makes me wonder what will happen to the houses lost this time around.

In more cheery news, I got a new jacket for snow that has tons of pockets (I'm a fan of pockets). It's passed the approval of the skier - though he said it would be good for "sort of cold" days, which makes me wonder what I've gotten myself into....I also won free tickets to a closed performance on Friday with Josh Ritter. I'm not sure what to expect of a taped concert (or what to wear!), but I'm loving the price :)

Movies?

According to my imdb list, I've seen over 750 movies. Apparently not all of them good...

AFI's top 100 movies. Bold the ones you have seen. Strike out the ones you couldn't finish. * the ones you have seen more than once. (Found via kmkat)

1. Citizen Kane (1941)*

2. Godfather, The*

3. Casablanca (1942)

4. Raging Bull (1980)

5. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

6. Gone with the Wind (1939)

7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

8. Schindler’s List (1993)

9. Vertigo (1958)*

10. Wizard of Oz, The (1939)*

11. City Lights (1931)

12. Searchers, The (1956)

13. Star Wars (1977)*

14. Psycho (1960)*

15. Sunset Blvd. (1950)

16. 2001 : A Space Odyssey (1968)

17. Graduate, The (1967)*

18. General, The (1927)

19. On the Waterfront (1954)

20. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

21. Chinatown (1974)

22. Some Like It Hot (1959)

23. Grapes of Wrath, The (1940) For the longest time I hadn’t read the book either. People always assume if you’re from Oklahoma you’ve seen/read Grapes of Wrath and you love hearing them sing the theme song from the musical.

24. E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)

25. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

27. High Noon (1952)

28. All About Eve (1950)

29. Double Indemnity (1944)

30. Apocalypse Now (1979) “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” used to be my dad’s favorite quote.

31. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)

32. Godfather Part II, The (1974)

33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

35. Annie Hall (1977)

36. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)

37. Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946)

38. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)

39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)*

40. Sound of Music (1965)

41. King Kong (1933) I’ve seen the newer one….

42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)

44. Philadelphia Story, The (1940)

45. Shane (1953)

46. It Happened One Night (1934)

47. Streetcar Named Desire, A (1951)

48. Rear Window (1954)* I’ve always liked Hitchcock movies.

49. Intolerance (1916)

50. Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

51. West Side Story (1961)

52. Taxi Driver (1976)

53. Deer Hunter, The (1978)

54. M*A*S*H (1970)

55. North by Northwest (1959)*

56. Jaws (1975) Surprisingly, I’m not interested in seeing movies about a shark killing people. Strange, I know.

57. Rocky (1976) I refuse.

58. Gold Rush, The (1925)

59. Nashville (1975)

60. Duck Soup (1933)

61. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

62. American Graffiti (1973)

63. Cabaret (1972)

64. Network (1976)

65. African Queen, The (1951)

66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

68. Unforgiven (1992)

69. Tootsie (1982)

70. Clockwork Orange, A (1971)

71. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

72. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)

73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)*

74. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)

75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)

76. Forrest Gump (1994)*

77. All the President’s Men (1976)* One of my favorites

78. Modern Times (1936)

79. Wild Bunch, The (1969)

80. Apartment, The (1960)

81. Spartacus (1960)

82. Sunrise (1927)

83. Titanic (1997)*

84. Easy Rider (1969)

85. Night at the Opera, A (1935)

86. Platoon (1986)

87. 12 Angry Men (1957)

88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

89. Sixth Sense, The (1999)

90. Swing Time (1936)

91. Sophie’s Choice (1982)

92. Goodfellas (1990)

93. French Connection, The (1971)

94. Pulp Fiction (1994) I could never get into it. Or any of Tarantino’s films.

95. Last Picture Show, The (1971)

96. Do the Right Thing (1989)

97. Blade Runner (1982)

98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

99. Toy Story (1995)

100. Ben-Hur (1959)

This is what my mornings are like...

Fill up your glasses

Knitting blog drinking game, found via Feather and Fan.

You have to have a good sense of humor going into this - I found alot of things on the list that I do :)

Good thing I just bought all that wine....

Food on the brain

I brought some of my cookbooks in to work this morning to come up with something to make for dinner. Because I have food on the brain. Something happened this weekend to motivate me to cook (I blame the wine tasting) and since that motivation comes along so rarely I figured I should go with it.

The internet is against me - I'm finding alot about baking in my feed reader today:
Vodka Pie
No-knead bread followup
The original no-knead bread

The truth is, I miss the chocolate croissants at the farmer's market in Westwood....it may be time to dig out the Martha Stewart cookbook :)

After I posted yesterday, I found all sorts of eco-friendly posts popping up. Apparently it was Blog Action Day and I missed the memo :) It was interesting to see all the posts about the usual recycling, greener energy, and carbon footprints. Someone also blogged about how participating in swaps and destashing across the country adds to your footprint - definitely something knitters don't want to think about :)

Time to get back to planning dinner....