Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Must.....Narrow.....Focusssss....
Yeah, yeah, people talk about project monogamy (those people who actually believe (gasp!) in finishing a project before starting another!)...and maybe they are onto something.
As with most everything in my life, I tend to be pretty much in the middle....seeing both sides of an issue. I can see why people adopt the project monogamy rule.
Having ADD as I do, it's not an easy task. When I see pretty yarn, it's like a moth to the flame, yanno? And I personally need to have more than one project going at a time, just because I often do get bored working on just one thing.
However, working on seventy-billion-and-ten has got to stop. I need completion. My goal before I leave for TNNA next week is to finish one of two projects: Either the City Chic Sweater or the Sideways Curly Fries Vest (#2).
Hold me accountable, Blogosphere!
As with most everything in my life, I tend to be pretty much in the middle....seeing both sides of an issue. I can see why people adopt the project monogamy rule.
Having ADD as I do, it's not an easy task. When I see pretty yarn, it's like a moth to the flame, yanno? And I personally need to have more than one project going at a time, just because I often do get bored working on just one thing.
However, working on seventy-billion-and-ten has got to stop. I need completion. My goal before I leave for TNNA next week is to finish one of two projects: Either the City Chic Sweater or the Sideways Curly Fries Vest (#2).
Hold me accountable, Blogosphere!
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Random Thought....
Have you ever noticed that the guy on the new $20 (aka President Andrew Jackson!) looks suspiciously like Jeff Conaway?
Obligatory Knitting Content: About 1/3 done with the Heavy Mesh Scarf mentioned yesterday.....
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Game...
We are major "Idol-heads"...We love American Idol! But it got me to thinking, what famous singers, had Idol been around in their day, might not have made the cut?
I'll start off:
Bob Dylan
Judges?
Randy: Yo, Dawg, yanno, that was kinda pitchy. It didn't really do anything for me, man, sorry.
Paula: I'm gonna have to pass and say "No" too, but I want you to know that you are a star, an absolute star.
Simon: If I'm being completely honest, that was somewhat like a lacklustre karaoke performance. I don't think you will ever make it in the music buisness!
Obligatory Knitting Content (OKC): Making a Heavy Mesh Scarf using Alchemy's Haiku & Pagoda
I'll start off:
Bob Dylan
Judges?
Randy: Yo, Dawg, yanno, that was kinda pitchy. It didn't really do anything for me, man, sorry.
Paula: I'm gonna have to pass and say "No" too, but I want you to know that you are a star, an absolute star.
Simon: If I'm being completely honest, that was somewhat like a lacklustre karaoke performance. I don't think you will ever make it in the music buisness!
Obligatory Knitting Content (OKC): Making a Heavy Mesh Scarf using Alchemy's Haiku & Pagoda
Friday, May 19, 2006
Hubby's Man-Bag
I can say this here, because, as of yet, my dear hubby is not yet one of my legion of adoring daily readers ;)
I've been working on a "man-bag" (term borrowed from football great Tiki Barber, but really, think messenger bag), for months now. It was supposed to be an anniversary gift (our anniversary was almost 5 months ago), now it's being re-invented as a birthday gift (his birthday is tomorrow).
Why is it so hard? It's an easy pattern (ought to be, I made it up & Mama doesn't do a lot of math!). The yarn is great (aren't they all??). I guess it is just because it's the Endless Project That Would Not Stop. I'm felting it, so it's big enough, presently, to swim in. So, I guess I'm just over it....But at the same time dying to see how my own invention comes out!
One of my favorite features is that it is supposed to have leather cording as trim around the edges. I can't do that until I actually: A) Finish the thing!!! Arrgghhh!!! B) Felt the thing; and C) It dries...completely!
Guess what? If I were to knit from now 'til midnight, I'd prolly finish it, but I seriously doubt that it would dry & the cording is gonna be a bear to do because there's a lot to trim! And, I can't knit from now 'til mindnight, because I have to be a responsible Professional Yarn Fondler and go and professionally fondle some yarn at the shop today (amongst other important duties and classes!)
I'll keep you posted!
I've been working on a "man-bag" (term borrowed from football great Tiki Barber, but really, think messenger bag), for months now. It was supposed to be an anniversary gift (our anniversary was almost 5 months ago), now it's being re-invented as a birthday gift (his birthday is tomorrow).
Why is it so hard? It's an easy pattern (ought to be, I made it up & Mama doesn't do a lot of math!). The yarn is great (aren't they all??). I guess it is just because it's the Endless Project That Would Not Stop. I'm felting it, so it's big enough, presently, to swim in. So, I guess I'm just over it....But at the same time dying to see how my own invention comes out!
One of my favorite features is that it is supposed to have leather cording as trim around the edges. I can't do that until I actually: A) Finish the thing!!! Arrgghhh!!! B) Felt the thing; and C) It dries...completely!
Guess what? If I were to knit from now 'til midnight, I'd prolly finish it, but I seriously doubt that it would dry & the cording is gonna be a bear to do because there's a lot to trim! And, I can't knit from now 'til mindnight, because I have to be a responsible Professional Yarn Fondler and go and professionally fondle some yarn at the shop today (amongst other important duties and classes!)
I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Mama's (Other) New Toy! (aka Ode to a Handheld)
Okay...so I did love the Blackberry 8700...But, truly, we met too late...my heart already belonged to the Cingular 8125. Blackberry, I tried to forget my first love...and you helped with all your charms & endearing ways. They way you delivered my mail seamlessly without me having to "send/recieve" (as I do now) will probably be the thing I miss most about you. I loved how you easily installed, how I could get Google Maps in such clear pixeled detail. But then, just as I began to think maybe we had a future, the Cingular store finally got a new shipment of the 8125's, and mama has a brand new toy.....
8125, (may I call you 81 for short?), I almost threw you across the room in violent frustration when I first unpacked you after eagerly anticipating your arrival. You took two stinking, precious, non-knitting hours out of my life that I will never, ever get back again. But then, after you finally imported my contact list, I held out a glimmer of hope. Then, you got me locked out of my Gmail account, not once but twice in trying to configure my seamless e-mail push...and then made me switch firewalls that I also had to spend time away from knitting to reconfigure...I began to regret my hasty pushing away of Blackberry.
You must have sensed this, because then you seduced me with sites allowing free downloads of games like Mah Jongg, Dots, Tetris, Tic-Tac-Toe, Uno of all things...and so many others...I began to love you again and see the potential that drew me to you in the first place. When my family went out for a casual stroll and encountered a mama duck and her babies, there you were, with your camera ready, to capture such unexpected adventures.
After spending a morning with some tech guy at Cingular (see, you are already helping me make new friends!), I finally got your e-mail issues worked out. So much so, I was a bad Founding Mama, and read them during my TKGA Guild meeting last night.
I spent hours pouring over websites finding just the right games to download. I found handy things like Tip Calculators, prgrams to help monitor my son's Type 1 diabetes when we go out to eat, and all sorts of neat things.
But, I have found, that despite my love for you, a lot of people seem to have real issues with your grandpa, Bill Gates. Folks just don't seem to wannna make knitting software for Windows Mobile products (hint, hint, developers!!) However, I love you in all of your Microsoft Glory!
Sites with cool knitting software for handheld devices (or links to):
http://www.palmsource.com/interests/knitting/
http://www.keyboardbiologist.net/knitblog/archives/000431.html
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,118551,00.asp
http://www.handable.com/index.htm
http://www.knitlist.com/PDA.htm
http://franklincovey.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&PartnerREF=&siteid=104&catid=0&area=software.updatedproducts25&searchtitle=Last%2025%20Updated%20Software%20Titles&searchterm=&step=1&orderby=modificationdate&direction=asc&userid=0&prodid=52933
http://sarahwww.badcircle.com/
General:
http://www.pocketgear.com/index.asp
http://www.handango.com/
8125, (may I call you 81 for short?), I almost threw you across the room in violent frustration when I first unpacked you after eagerly anticipating your arrival. You took two stinking, precious, non-knitting hours out of my life that I will never, ever get back again. But then, after you finally imported my contact list, I held out a glimmer of hope. Then, you got me locked out of my Gmail account, not once but twice in trying to configure my seamless e-mail push...and then made me switch firewalls that I also had to spend time away from knitting to reconfigure...I began to regret my hasty pushing away of Blackberry.
You must have sensed this, because then you seduced me with sites allowing free downloads of games like Mah Jongg, Dots, Tetris, Tic-Tac-Toe, Uno of all things...and so many others...I began to love you again and see the potential that drew me to you in the first place. When my family went out for a casual stroll and encountered a mama duck and her babies, there you were, with your camera ready, to capture such unexpected adventures.
After spending a morning with some tech guy at Cingular (see, you are already helping me make new friends!), I finally got your e-mail issues worked out. So much so, I was a bad Founding Mama, and read them during my TKGA Guild meeting last night.
I spent hours pouring over websites finding just the right games to download. I found handy things like Tip Calculators, prgrams to help monitor my son's Type 1 diabetes when we go out to eat, and all sorts of neat things.
But, I have found, that despite my love for you, a lot of people seem to have real issues with your grandpa, Bill Gates. Folks just don't seem to wannna make knitting software for Windows Mobile products (hint, hint, developers!!) However, I love you in all of your Microsoft Glory!
Sites with cool knitting software for handheld devices (or links to):
http://www.palmsource.com/interests/knitting/
http://www.keyboardbiologist.net/knitblog/archives/000431.html
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,118551,00.asp
http://www.handable.com/index.htm
http://www.knitlist.com/PDA.htm
http://franklincovey.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&PartnerREF=&siteid=104&catid=0&area=software.updatedproducts25&searchtitle=Last%2025%20Updated%20Software%20Titles&searchterm=&step=1&orderby=modificationdate&direction=asc&userid=0&prodid=52933
http://sarahwww.badcircle.com/
General:
http://www.pocketgear.com/index.asp
http://www.handango.com/
Mother's Day....
My son brought me a perfectly cooked (no frozen center!) Toaster Strudel in bed, to start my day off right! After morning worship services, hubby & son took me to a swank lunch. After evening services, my son escorted me on a private "date" to Starbucks, where he got me a Non-fat Grande Decaf Mocha w/Light Whip out of his very own allowance!
Good times....good times...
Good times....good times...
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Old Dogs, New Tricks...
Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks! I deemed this year "The Year I Will Advance In My Knitting Knowldege" and how true that has been. So far this year I have:
* Taught myself Intarsia (but also took a class to reinforce it). I guess I did well, because I now teach Intarsia!
* Learned to Cable (teach that now, too)
* Learned a Moebius Cast-On
* And........drum roll, please.....Last night, I taught myself the Applied I-Cord Edge Bind-Off from the aforementioned Cat Bordhi's book
* Taught myself Intarsia (but also took a class to reinforce it). I guess I did well, because I now teach Intarsia!
* Learned to Cable (teach that now, too)
* Learned a Moebius Cast-On
* And........drum roll, please.....Last night, I taught myself the Applied I-Cord Edge Bind-Off from the aforementioned Cat Bordhi's book
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Tagged (uh..yeah...again..)!
Tagged by Emmie!
7 Things to do before I die:
1. Become fluent in Spanish
2. Finish my BA
3. Finish the Master Handknitting Program
4. See my son grown into the fantabulous man I know he will become
5. Work out a few of my “issues”
6. Be the weight I wanna be & stay there
7. Go to Italy, the UK & Greece
7 things I don't ever want to do (I can't say never because I'm human & only God is perfect!):
1. Lie or curse/swear
2. Cheat
3. Commit adultery
4. Eat bugs or snakes, drink urine even to survive (which brings me to):
5. Be on Survivor
6. Put my mom in a nursing home when she’s old
7. Say something hurtful to someone going through a depression or who has had a miscarriage.
7 things that attract me to my man:
1. His sense of humor
2. He is such a spiritual person
3. He’s a great dad
4. He is exceptionally caring
5. He is the most generous human I know – he’s a good tipper; he’d give a stranger the coat
off of his back – he’s just that way.
6. He’s good to his mom (and my mom).
7. Many, many private things that I could never publish in a blog!!!!
7 books that I love:
1. The Bible
2. Persuasion (Jane Austen)
3. Gone With the Wind
4. To Kill a Mockingbird
5. In college: The Sound & the Fury (William Faulkner…tho for the life of me, I can’t remember why now)
6. The Vogue Ultimate Knitting Book
7. Over in the Meadow (Olive Wadsworth)
7 Things I say:
1. Hey you!
2. Thingamajigger
3. Do-hickey
4. Thingamabob
5. Cool beans (taken from my friend Shaleen!)
6. Ooookayfine (taken from my friend Jay)
7. Tie: Get outta town & whatever
7 Movies I've loved:
1. Gone With the Wind
2. To Kill a Mockingbird
3. Beauty & the Beast
4. Persuasion (70’s BBC version)
5. Sense & Sensibility (Emma Thompson)
6. The Ghost & Mr. Chicken
7. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Tagging: L’Tanya
7 Things to do before I die:
1. Become fluent in Spanish
2. Finish my BA
3. Finish the Master Handknitting Program
4. See my son grown into the fantabulous man I know he will become
5. Work out a few of my “issues”
6. Be the weight I wanna be & stay there
7. Go to Italy, the UK & Greece
7 things I don't ever want to do (I can't say never because I'm human & only God is perfect!):
1. Lie or curse/swear
2. Cheat
3. Commit adultery
4. Eat bugs or snakes, drink urine even to survive (which brings me to):
5. Be on Survivor
6. Put my mom in a nursing home when she’s old
7. Say something hurtful to someone going through a depression or who has had a miscarriage.
7 things that attract me to my man:
1. His sense of humor
2. He is such a spiritual person
3. He’s a great dad
4. He is exceptionally caring
5. He is the most generous human I know – he’s a good tipper; he’d give a stranger the coat
off of his back – he’s just that way.
6. He’s good to his mom (and my mom).
7. Many, many private things that I could never publish in a blog!!!!
7 books that I love:
1. The Bible
2. Persuasion (Jane Austen)
3. Gone With the Wind
4. To Kill a Mockingbird
5. In college: The Sound & the Fury (William Faulkner…tho for the life of me, I can’t remember why now)
6. The Vogue Ultimate Knitting Book
7. Over in the Meadow (Olive Wadsworth)
7 Things I say:
1. Hey you!
2. Thingamajigger
3. Do-hickey
4. Thingamabob
5. Cool beans (taken from my friend Shaleen!)
6. Ooookayfine (taken from my friend Jay)
7. Tie: Get outta town & whatever
7 Movies I've loved:
1. Gone With the Wind
2. To Kill a Mockingbird
3. Beauty & the Beast
4. Persuasion (70’s BBC version)
5. Sense & Sensibility (Emma Thompson)
6. The Ghost & Mr. Chicken
7. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
Tagging: L’Tanya
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Moebious Cast-On
You already know that I am a knitting heretic because I eshew a flap heel for a turn heel. I now dare to overthrow the revered Moebius Cast On (MCO) created by the venerable Cat Bordhi, in favor of the Rita Buchanan method a friend taught me this weekend.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Clarification!
Whew! Read that last post wherein I said we "stopped and Lush (which was just that)" I realize how that must sound!!!! Lush is an amazing bath & body shop, you must go!
Friday, May 05, 2006
Update....
The lovely April came into the shop today, and (very nicely) told me to make with the updates, so here ya go:
The retreat was a blast! From all accounts (2 blogs (Spinnity's & the aforementioned Miss April's), several phone calls, and a few who stopped in this week), a good time was had by all...and I heartily concur.
My "boys" (hubby & son) came down on Friday night. With Carmel's world-reknowned culture oozing out of every possible street turn, where do the guys head first? Target!
Saturday I taught two classes during the day: Intarsia & Cables...both introductory. I had just a stellar group of ladies who really outdid themselves.
I was scheduled to teach a Ruffled Scarf class the following morning, but a few of us had schedule conflicts, so we held the class Saturday night. We had fun, some surprise guests (a marathon-running bride!), and learned some new skills.
Sunday morning we went to services in Marina, then back to pack up. After an obligatory stop at Lush (which is just that!!!!), it was back home.
Pix courtesy of my seven-year-old who actually did a great job even though he took these while walking & not stopping (an oxymoron for sure...I mean, do seven-year-olds ever stop???)
