So...

This is what it looks like around here.

well, actually Emmy always looks that pissy

boxes in the kitchen

what used to be our vintage living room

more boxes

I haven't blogged for a few reasons, all the boxes you see being the primary. Also, I've discovered (much to my surprise) how very intertwined my being has become with Jack's. She has been working in Memphis for several weeks and drives home each Friday to spend Saturday with me (it makes me want to cry) and every Sunday morning she gets back in the Jeep and drives back to Memphis to go to work on Monday. I function here...I mean, things are getting done and I'm knitting and spending time on my beloved beach but it's not "right" without her and when she's here and it is "right", time is too brief to waste it on typing out a post.

I've gotten in the habit of heading for Loopy on Sunday afternoons after Jack leaves and it's been so wonderful. I piddle at knitting this crazy cabled sock that has no business being knit with distractions at all and talk to the people there without haste or urgency (another thing that surprises me in that I never realized I've "always" been in a hurry while there). This means I spend alot of time with the ends of my dpn's either waving in the air or pressed into my lower lip depending on whether or not I'm running my mouth.

I also started The Great American Afghan (as in swatching) in the hopes that I could reduce the size of the WIP box that I currently guard against movers as "must go with Lisa in the Jeep". It seemed (in the moment) that squares out of a yarn that is readily available anywhere was a good idea for a transitional project.

The WIP box is freaking ridiculous in size, not as WIP's but as things I refuse to let out of my grubby little paws to be loaded into a moving van. I mean, why would I entrust nearly THREE THOUSAND yards of Emerald Laceweight from Sarah's Yarns to moving people? (never mind why I have that much of that color of 'that' yarn from there to begin with, if you needed that information you'd be Jack and you aren't)

I've been told it could be 3 days before they appear with our belongings. They can't have my Ott light.

Another Hat!

I'm happy to report that the Mirasol Sulka worked up just beautifully into a lovely hat. It is so yummy to work with that I've had to FORCE myself back to mom's birthday scarf that must be finished by the 29th. (Feh! I'm so mad at myself over the scarf, I'm continually miscounting and having to tink) I want to finish a nice gift for her though; she's bringing me back WOOL from Ireland and if I know my mother she'll say "Oh..that doesn't look like very much, I better get several!" My stash is drooling in anticipation of such esteemed foreign travellers!

As you may have noticed, I haven't 'quite' mastered the art of blog-buttons just yet but I'm working on it.

Slowly.

We're off to the casino tonight to celebrate our friend Debera's birthday. I could give a hoot for gambling but Jack gave me fun money..if I don't spend it all I can buy more Marisol on Tuesday at my spinning class......The spinning class was cool - Meg's a great teacher but I Am A Klutz. I can't get that whole drafting while spinning thing yet. I draft a bit then spin it (badly) then draft a bit and on and on. Still I persist. Heh.

IMG_1233, originally uploaded by yarnballer.

http://www.mirasolperu.com/mirasolx.swf

Knitters Virtual Vacation Swap

I had never joined a swap before although I swapped yarns with a lady overseas for a bit. I'd read the etiquette and made darn sure that I overnighted my tourist's package so it would arrive on Friday.

No Word.

Ok, maybe she went away for the weekend (while my evil inner voice is whispering "She HATED it, you're the worst swapper EVER")

So today I check and still No Word.

The evil whisper escalates to a mad cackle and I begin to lose all faith in my package (even though I thought it was pretty damn nice on Thursday). Finally, a light flickers and I call my shipping guy for a tracking number.

There was some glitcho with the address "Cannot deliver without a valid street number. We have sent the recipient a postcard requesting the correct information". HUH? I mean, if you can't deliver it how in the hell is the postcard going to arrive? Does a postcard stealthily slip through where a shoebox size package cannot?

I had one of the tour guides email my tourist and I left the info in comments on her blog since I didn't want to blow the surprise. She's on her way to pick it up now!

Oh me of little faith.

Knitting Helper

This is one of 3 furry helpers I have in my home - her name is Chloe. Her favorite thing in the WORLD is to chase the knob end of a long knitting needle and she does it whether or not I happen to be using the other end! I'll introduce the other 2 in a later post.

This is my boss on his birthday. Welcome to my world. He does, however tolerate the knitting on my desk.

ARGH!

ravelry > antsy
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WOW!

I swear, I didn't realize I'd totally abandoned this blog! No way has it been a month since I posted anything!

Actually it has - I was depressed over losing Louise (thanks for the kind thoughts, everyone!) and then we had a little vacation trip to D.C. and then the re-entry into the real world after vacation..bleh! Time just flies!

So, D.C. was cool, I'd never been there. We stayed in Baltimore and commuted each day to see different stuff. My sweetie mapped out a trail to several different yarn stores and very patiently spent an entire day driving me to them and waiting while I prowled around. I bought some souvenier yarn here and there but really didn't go crazy. I 'did' treat myself to a pair of Lantern Moon wooden needles that I loved!

I finished 3 dishcloths on the trip as well as forging ahead on the table runner I was making. BAG from hell. I knitted like crazy to finish this thing and was soooo excited about felting it and 70 dollars worth of yarn later um...it just doesn't work right for me. The straps won't stay over my shoulder and it now sits home hanging over a doorknob. Lovely decoration. Pffffffffffttttttttt.

Stitches Midwest was here last weekend! I began knitting after all the cool classes had sold out but I went to the market on Sunday. I ran across Franklin, this great guy who is doing a photo shoot of a thousand knitters. I was really, REALLY shy but worked up the nerve to sit for him. He was funny and very easy to talk to! The best part of the market was finding the ladies at the wool coop booth and getting a lesson on a drop spindle with some lovely green shetland. OH YEAH! I've been dying to learn to spin but know better than to bring home a wheel before I've exhibited the correct fortitude to Jack by learning the cheaper version first! I'm still struggling with tension and stuff but it is such an awesome process and I feel incredibly smart for trying! Ha! Modest too!

Ok, that's enough psycho babble for now. Here are a few pictures I happen to have downloaded to my work PC.

Really Sad

I'm very sad tonight. I woke up this morning sick with a fever and many icky symptoms and I just have to say that when I was smoking feeling sick was evidently just a way of life. Now that I don't smoke getting sick is a whole other awful world and I hate it.

I stayed home because I couldn't be vertical and functional even though I can't afford time away from my desk. During one of my lucid moments I went to the living room for more yarn and snagged the mouse's cage for feeding/attention/love.

Our mouse was dead. :( Her name was Louise and she'd gotten mega vet care recently after ripping her ear somehow in her habitat. We'd administered antibiotics and continued lots of hands on handling but she's gone and it makes me so sad and afraid that I should have done more. She was fine yesterday, ran into my hand and up my shirt and we talked in that she squeaked and I made appropriate noises back and we had mousie love.

I hate losing a pet. In fact I live in fear of my old cat dying, she's 11 and hugely overweight and the light of my life. When she dies I will be using vacation time because I know I won't be able to go to work and act as if just a cat has gone elsewhere. Honestly, I'll be postal and imagine my doctor will prescribe nerve thingees and recommend counseling. I look at her alive and sleepy here, imagine her moving on and it makes me cry. Ick.

Catching Up!

I kept avoiding posting because I have all these pictures I want to share but really NEED to set up a photo storage account to link to and I really just NEVER take the time to figure all of that out…I mean, I need knitting time here!

That said there’s been a lot going on here in our little world. Pride was the 29th and as usual it was a great day with great friends! Not so great was the mini van that had parked directly behind us blocking our exit…bleh!

Work is very hectic for us both and most evenings we’re exhausted but I still manage to knit. I finished the gargantuan entrelac market bag and took it to my LYS to felt it. I LOVE how it turned out! I’ll post pics later today, I swear! I also finished the purple socks pictured below and I cast on another sock in an absolutely gorgeous yarn by Lorna’s Laces called Hawaii. The pattern for it is here: http://www.knitlist.com/00gift/japanese-feather-socks.htm I’m hoping that the white will really make the pattern pop – the purples and blues are really short segments within the yarn.

I am also working on the Adara Rainbow Shawl but in 3 colors instead of 12. I can’t do all those pinks and stuff, I am a green kinda gal so I picked 3 in the green/blue spectrum. It’s my first (successful so far) attempt at lace techniques and I am finally getting to know the pattern well enough that I’m not constantly ripping out as much as I knit! I’m starting to worry already about the size – it doesn’t look big in the picture but I’ve used 1 ball (of 12) and it is already like 20 inches wide when I stretch it a little! And yes, my gauge swatch was right on even though it says the gauge isn’t critical. I may end up with a triangular blanket, who knows.

The sock monkey has been adventuring – he traveled to Lincoln Park via bicycle recently and stopped with us on the way for pizza. Soon there will be pics of him in his travels! I also was assigned my 'traveler' in the Virtual Knitter's Vacation Swap and have been shopping for her already!

Another week

The Knit in Public Day gathering was very fun. The day was beautiful and it seemed like around a 100 knitters working away or wandering about admiring everyone's work. I saw some beautiful sweaters, socks, bags, you name it! I took my camera but since I knew not one person there I was too shy to take photographs - I just parked my chair near a friendly looking group of knitters and took off on another round of the endless Market Bag. I really Really REALLY want to finish this x0!% bag after nearly 7 skeins of yarn. I miss my unfinished socks (I'm truly afraid I'll forget how to do the gussets) and I know I have to finish them so I can start something new as a vacation project. I'm trying to keep to a small project, suitable for keeping my hands busy for a week since Jack has already asked with a tone of fear "Honey..how MUCH yarn are you going to have to haul on vacation?" I have a gorgeous stash of Lorna's Laces superwash in the Hawaii color..mostly white with sections of striking purple and teal. I found this free pattern for a very lacy sock that I think will showcase the yarn beautifully.

Of course I am swatching up a cotton/linen blend for a before-mentioned shawl as well. Hmm. All the yarn for that might appear before the end of July, who knows?

Jack and I play on a beach volleyball league here in Chicago. It's a lot of fun but it basically means that neither of us can move on Saturday. Ugh. I was called into work today so I'll ride my bike and hope to stretch out the soreness.

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of CAT - Crochet-A-Thon (from Crochetlist of Yahoo Groups). CAT is an amazing thing to me, a charity is picked each month and crocheters (and knitters!) donate their time and stitching for the chosen charity and it's needs. They pick a 24 hour time frame and meet in an MIRC chatroom over that 24 hours to yak while they work..pretty amazing! I was to have hosted an hour tonight but work is going to interfere and that bums me out. Hopefully next month but I'm sorry to be missing an anniversary month. Bleh. Work.

Friday Monkey

Yanno, I'm starting to think of Monkey as Mon-key in the same way Shrek says "Don-key". Scary. Here is the relaxing Friday night Monkey doin his (my) thing.



Tomorrow is World Knit in Public Day and supposedly Chicago knitters have a big gig going on at Millenium Park. I have this vision of hundreds, no Thousands of knitters working away on projects together all afternoon. I'm going to toss my bike and knitting on the train and go check it out for the afternoon. God knows I need to spend 4 solid hours working on this bag in order to be caught up for my next class lesson on Tuesday evening. We're doing the Market Squares Bag from Bags-A Knitter's Dozen. It's an entrelac style so I'm getting huge experience picking up stitches and more stitches and yet MORE stitches.

I have finished the last increase row and have started the decreases with Tier 7. I'm convincing myself that I WILL get to Tier 15 by Tuesday. After all, they're getting smaller each row, right?? Right. (help) Here's a shot of the bag as is..a big knarly mess in a beautiful Noro Kureyon.

Journey

I taught myself to knit last October - I can't remember why but there was a big 'reason'. I used to crochet but that's history, let me tell you. I got tired of squares and rectangles pretty quickly but couldn't master things like picked up stitches and such on my own. I realized I had to do it.

I had to...

Find a LYS that didn't scare me and find a class. EGAD.

Chicagoland actually has a wealth of stores and I'm blessed in that. Visiting them and finding a comfort zone with the staff took a little more for me. Finally, Loopy Yarns seemed to fit the bill after a visit and I emailed the owner explaining exactly what I'd taught myself. She recommended a sock class which I LOVED!!