Gina Guessed!

Isn't it adorable? Sorry Ericka - you won't be getting this yarn. (She thought if I frogged the sock one more flipping time I would pitch the yarn to get rid of the bad juju...)

It isn't quite perfect, besides not being quite done. I have to have someone show me how to graft the toesies.

Also, on the decreases after picking up all the stitches, I only realized about halfway through the decreases that I should have been knitting a round plain between each decrease row. But, I pressed on. I'm framing this sucker anyway. It's going on my wall, so who cares if it wouldn't fit anyone!

The yarn is superwash merino, hand painted by the voluptuous Gina herself.

The pattern is from the Yarn Harlot, her plain vanilla sock recipe. You can get this pattern at the Knitty Gritty website.

You'll Never Guess

In a million bajillion years, you will NEVER guess what I finished. Well, to be honest, almost finished - I only have 8 stitches left to deal with. Will just need a few minutes instruction to learn how to wrap this project up.

Here's the deal. I will post a picture of this work of art when someone correctly guesses what it is. Type of project, and the yarn used. If you know me, you can figure this out.

Wanna guess?

Doncha?

Come on, I know you do.....

I Be Tagged

I've been tagged by Gina. Oh, goodie.

Here's the deal: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

Here's my 7 facts.

1. When I was a kid, I had an inch+ overbite. Spent two years in braces, nightgear, retainer, the whole works. Think little girl in Little Shop of Horrors.
2. My B.A. is from the American University, in Soviet Studies from the School of International Service, which gives me the unique education and perspective I need to be a technical writer and trainer for accounting software. Sigh.
3. My #1 not-so-secret-TV-vice is /was Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. OK, now you all know. And if you don't harass me about it you can borrow the entire DVD box sets.
4. I am a Mary Kay consultant, but not the kind that bleeds pink and gets in your face. I'm the kind that has a few loyal customers, and wants to take advantage of the discount. And ladies, my skin has been near FLAWLESS lately. Nuf' said.
5. I hate to talk on the telephone. Face to face is best, then email - but too many years of inbound call center sales and software technical support killed any urge in me to live on the phone. I don't leave my cell phone on. Leave a message and I'll get back to you.
6. All the cats I have had in my life have been my babies, and every single one has been special - Cleo, Daisy, Rosie, Boris, Puddy, and Abby. One of these days I will dig out pics of all of them and do a kitty blog.
7. I snore. A lot. Loudly. With enthusiasm and concern for a job well done.

Now, I am not sure if I know 7 more people to tag who haven't been already. I can tag Jess, but she's too busy right now to blog. No one in my family blogs. As far as I know. No one else at work blogs. As far as I know. And is it polite to tag strangers, just cuz you read their blog? Probably not. Let me think about it and add more names if / when I come up with them. If you are reading this and want to volunteer to be tagged, speak up!!!

Vacation 2007 - Weirs Beach PART FOUR

Eating and Shopping and Knitting - Oh My! (Or, What I Did on My Spring Vacation)

And yes, we went to many of our favorite places, and tried a few new ones.

George's Diner in Meredith is a favorite for breakfast. Big omelettes, nice waitresses, good coffee. And the regulars are funny to listen to as they harass the staff. There was a table of State Police in there when we went, but that didn't seem to slow down the bickering back and forth.

We drive by Christmas Island Steak House on the way to the condo, and for a few years have been meaning to try it out, and never did until this year. It's OK, but we probably won't go back. The prices are a little steep for the quality - it's like they are trying to be too gourmet for the area and their food doesn't quite make it, even though the prices do. And it's silly to put on airs when half your clientele wears leathers and straps on a Harley. Just my humble opinion.

Our absolutely favorite-est place is JT's Ribs (up the street from the condo, across from the Fun Spot), followed by Patrick's Pub (Gilford) in a close second. JT's BBQ is pretty good - worth the gastric distress caused by all the beans and sauce and garlic a few hours later. You HAVE to have the Texas Toast.

Patrick's knows how to pour a cold beer, and their food is really good, with a wide variety.

Almost forgot - we started our vacation with a fantastic meal at Fratello's in Laconia. EXCELLENT Italian food. Mark was in Alfredo heaven. We both had haddock specials - his with alfredo, mine with spinach and a fantastic light cheese sauce. My tumbly is rumbly just thinking about it. Even the cappucino was perfect.

Vacation 2007 - Weirs Beach PART THREE

Eating and Shopping and Knitting - Oh My! (Or, What I Did on My Spring Vacation)

What a freakin bargain! Donna, don't hate me! Went to Patternworks first thing last Monday, and they had KOIGU in the sale bin! HALF OFF!! I grabbed all of it. Starting my Koigu stash - will never hit Donna's 200+ stashyness, but I am on my way.

My favorite place to shop at while up at the Lake is the Long View Country Store on Rte. 3, Meredith. The place is full to the rafters with yummies, games, consignment antiques, retro repros and just plain fun stuff. They even have a sour pickle barrel. Every time we visit there is something new, and the owner is very sweet. Check it out - don't just drive by.

This time, I got some Stonewall Kitchen Blueberry Syrup and some blueberry pancake mix, a few pickles, a fighting froggie pen for Gina, some Kettle Korn, a surprise for Chet and Anita's campsite (can't tell you until we give it to them..), and a surprise for my sister (can't tell you that either).

Vacation 2007 - Weirs Beach PART TWO

Eating and Shopping and Knitting - Oh My! (Or, What I Did on My Spring Vacation)

Didn't have many ambitious plans - stocked up on magazines, brought a few almost done projects - this one is yet another Booga bag to go into the stack for a felting frenzy. I found this yarn on EBay - a gorgeous butterscotch with some dark green for the bottom and base.

Vacation 2007 - Weirs Beach PART ONE

We're back, back to the daily grind, after a week of doing nothing. Really, nothing. We slept, we made tough decisions like where to go out to eat, or whether to nap now or later. I made a feeble attempt of doing some work for the office, got a few hours in - but that was the most strenuous thing I did, at least mentally.






How can you exert yourself with a view like this?

Where I Knit

Monkey See, Monkey Do.
Lora
Jackie

Me - Pending.

Vacation!

For the next week I will be up at Lake Winnie-pee-sock-ee, soaking up the not-having-to-drive-two-hours-a-day-and doing-whatever-the-bloody-hell-I-wanna-do vibe.

We will be meeting ManchVegas knitters at the 2007 NH Sheep and Wool Festival on Saturday, the 12th.

Until then, or until I can find decent WiFi coverage up they-uh, have a lovely week and try not to miss me even a little bit!

Nothing that Takes a D Battery???

WARNING: This post may contain some material only suitable for adults with a sense of humor. If you are not an adult, or you are easily offended, move on, please.

The Lovely Gina invited us all over this past Saturday for an afternoon of knitting - but to kick off the day, she had a naughty toys party. I have to be careful about the pics I post here, but rest assured that there are more lascivious shots just waiting for any one of the guests or Gina to run for President. BOY could I rake in some blackmail green.

Between the drinkin',



















and the eatin'
















and the fondlin',





we actually did get some knittin' done.







But before that, we got to play with TOYS. This is probably the safest picture - but even this little bugger is well, let's say, really FRIENDLY. I'm looking forward to making friends with it myself - it's going to be here this week. You know, for my sore neck. I type all day. It's a thing.











What Happens in ManchVegas, Stays in ManchVegas.

To finish this one off, here is a great shot of our soon to be married knitbuds. Let's hope they never stop finding each other really amusing.

Bloggie, Bloggie!

Bloggie bloggie??? - I think this is Gina's way of saying that I haven't blogged for awhile. So G, this one's for you.

Memoranza
April 14, 2007

By the way, I had an excuse. Lost my camera. Found it tonight.

So a few posts back I mentioned I was going scrappadoodling. It was a very productive day.

Got to the First Cong. Church in Kingston about 8:30, and Melissa had everything under control. Gotta give her her props - she has this business down to an art. Settled right in with my large-caramel-latte-with-skim-milk and got to work. Well, grabbed a warm toffee/pecan/walnut brownie from the pan I baked to bring over. Brownies. For breakfast. Did I say this was a good day?

Lisa showed up a little later, only getting a little lost along the way.

Melissa demonstrated Creative Memories' Memory Manager software, and I liked the looks of it so much I actually unwrapped and installed it (the copy I got last October) when I got home. Very cool software for seeking out and organizing all the pictures on your hard drive. I had 23,000 pictures when I ran the search feature. Holy CRAP. But with the help of this program you can weed out the duplicates, get rid of the stinky shots, and organize the rest into folders to print for albums, or to create a StoryBook.

Just about finished Aunt Joyce's album. All it really needs is a once-over by cousin Sue, who just became a grandmother, by the way. Does that fact make me look old?!?!?!?

This is the cover page - traced the heart shaped CM Custom Cutting System pattern, and used ivy and flower and birthday stickers to fill it in.

At the cookout back in August I put out journaling boxes and had all the guests write birthday greetings to put in the album. The kids definitely got more into it than the adults, but everyone left a note to scrap.

Note to Husband

A sump pump works a WHOLE lot BETTER if the hose isn't crimped shut by the garage door.

Just thought I'd share.

Your Loving Wife.

Goin' Scrappin Tomorrow - Uh Huh.

Yup. Tomorrow is Memoranza 2007. <>

Tomorrow I pick up scrapping projects I haven't looked at since the last Memoranza. And take them to the First Congregational Church in Kingston, to join my buddy Lisa and about 25 other women in 10 HOURS of scrapping.

No mens wanting to be fed.
No catseses wanting to be fed.
No choreseses.

Life is sweet.

Sleep. I remember sleep.

12:45 am, Tuesday morning.

I remember when sleep was a given.
I remember when naps were an annoyance. Who could possibly think it was sane to sleep in broad daylight?
I remember when I could pull all nighters studying and / or partying, go to classes the next day and make it to the next evening before it became crucial to hit the pillow.

What is it about getting older that turns this free and easy relationship with sleep on its ass?

Gonna go back to bed now - see what's on cable.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

NO MAS!!!

That's it. I have had ENOUGH.

• No more fiber in my nose so much that I sneeze technicolor.
• No more yarn ends sticking to my cat's butt from the static.
• No more husband eyebrows going up at the thought of buying yarn for more than a buck a skein.
• No more taking time off from work to travel to the cold-as-heck mountains to knit.
• No more stash giving me the guilts everytime I walk into my so-called-craftroom-more-like-dumping-grounds-for-stuff-I-don't-know-what-else-to-do-with room.
• No more running to the LYS for yet another one-last-skein because I can never buy enough.
• No more Cheetos Sweater from Hell patterns to kick my butt.

I'm giving away all my yarn and supplies to Goodwill.










NOT! April Fools! Bwahahahahahahahah!!!

ManchVegas goes InterState!

Last Saturday, a large contingent of the ManchVegas Knitting group crossed over the line - we headed to York, ME to join the new owners of the Yarn Sellar for a day of knitting. If the world wasn't a really funny place, I wouldn't be able to say "We" here. I had absolutely no intention of meeting the girls anywhere - never mind Maine. But like I say, the world is a funny place.

Pretty much the first words out of my DH's mouth really pissed me off that morning. You know how it is. Sometimes it isn't their fault, sometimes it is, but that doesn't matter. He cheesed me off and then went out to do a few errands. I decided, in my abundant maturity, that I wasn't going to be home when he got back, so I hit the road.

It was already turning into a great day - the weather was fantastic, I had a full tank of gas, I just got paid - know what I mean? When anything feels possible?

So I took my butt out to breakfast at one of my favorite places - Betty's Kitchen on Route 1 in Hampton. Yum - O. If you leave this place hungry, it's because you are stupid. Plain and simple. Had the crepes with ham, asparagus and Hollandaise, some great coffee, and juice. Sat in a little corner at a tiny table, watched people (a favorite hobby), and knit.

Then had to do a little shopping, so went to WalMart in Portsmouth - see, moving north, stars falling into alignment - and in the lot on the way out, called my lovely sister in law, Anita. Told her I was annoyed with her brother in law, and asked if she wanted to come out and do girly things. We agreed to meet at Stonewall Kitchen for lunch.

See? York? It's kismet!

We spent way too much money at Stonewall and had a really nice light lunch in their cafe, and as we were leaving, she said the magic words.

"Hey - there's a new yarn store opened just up in the next plaza - want to check it out?"

"Uh, OK," I replied - like she had to twist my arm.

And there it was - the Yarn Sellar.

The place is gorgeous. Full of all the luxury yarns and tools you could need. But it was made Nirvana by the long wooden tables down the center of the store, and by the people sitting there.
My peeps! Gina was actually standing with her back to me near the door, so I snuck up and planted a wet one on her cheek. Can't help it. She's kissable.

This really was a coincidence. I knew the girls were traveling, but I knew I wasn't joining them, so I didn't pay attention to the emails full of plans about the trip. I thought they were heading further north, like to Halcyon or somewhere up there.

And even as we were walking into the store, I was telling Anita that this would be a nice day trip for the group. DUH.

Turns out some reporters had just left, after interviewing the new owners and our group, as well as a Chicks with Sticks group that meets there too.

Here's the article link.

I also missed lunch with them, but joined them to knit until about 5:30, then headed home. My DH sulked a bit, but cheered up when he saw the stuff I got for him. Boys. Chocolate covered Peeps will do it every time. Anita didn't hang around long, but I am hoping to be able to convince her to join me there soon for an afternoon of knitting.

Plus, like he always says, "Forgiveness is easier to get than permission."

So whatever happened to...

OK, I'll admit it. When something I am knitting goes horribly awry, one of a few things happens to it:

1. I frog it completely, usually in front of Gina so I can have the evil pleasure of watching her face split in half. It's a thing. (It's a funny thing, despite the fact that I am deliberately wasting hours of work. This happened more when I was starting to knit, since I could never repair booboos without making them worse. So - RIBIT.)
   
   In this group:
   
   the Mary Jane cachet (never even got close to starting the frigging sweater yet!)
   the first four attempts at a Jaywalker sock (more on that damned thing in a bit)
   several assorted first / second / third / nth attempts at projects that have since reached the light of day in their complete state
   


2. I put it aside to fester, mold, dissolve, or otherwise entertain itself until I work up the spit to go back to it and fix it.
   
   In this group:
   
   the Cheetos Bolero shrug, which gave me almost a year of agida until it was completed for Merry Thankmas (huh? didn't read that blog? go look for it. funny.)
   TWO attempts at a Jaywalker sock - one with some Opal sock yarn, and another with Gina's awesome watermelon yarn. Doesn't matter how awesome the yarn is though. I still screwed up, and it will take an act of great will to pick these up again.
   
   
   


3. I finish it anyway, but it never sees the light of day. It goes in a drawer, never to be spoken of again.
   
   In this group, and only discussed for the need of an example, is the mildly infamous Willie Warmer.
   
   I finished it, but the head?tip? can I call it anything without being obscene? just doesn't look right. I know why - I increased a bit at the top of the ribbed column, then started to gradually decrease. I was going for an (ahem) mushroom-like shape.
   
   The decreases and increases were all in the same places though - so the end result is that the head looks like a four pointed starfruit. And any willie that would fit that is one I want nothing to do with.
   
   So, haven't frogged it. I accepted the result humbly as a learning event. But soon, will start searching for a way to get the shape I am looking for. If anyone has ideas or can link me to a pattern, I would be eternally grateful.
   
   
   
   
   

Adopt a Soldier

I recently found an organization called Soldiers' Angels, which matches people stateside with military men and women all over the world. You "adopt" a soldier, and send messages and care packages to them so that they can feel some tie to home.

I adopted Olivia - I don't know much about her yet, and may never receive a response from her (after all, they have way more important things to do), but its kinda cool to think that maybe the goodies I am sending her brighten her days once in a while.

There's even another website (several, actually) on which you can order care packages to be delivered for you. They worry about the shipping, and customs, and security - all that stuff. How easy is that? I'm thinking Olivia could use some Easter nummies!

So thinking that you could do more? Check out this site. Adopt someone who could really appreciate hearing their name called at mail call!

Cuz Ericka Likes a Quickie

There. Nuff said.

You're welcome, Ericka.

Did You Know?

I was looking through my day timer this week and found one of those facts pages they throw in to jack up the price of the thing - and saw the Anniversaries and appropriate gifts list.

Did you know that the 7th anniversary is (among other things) the WOOL anniversary?

Hmmm.....very interesting.....

-LaLa (married 09.02.00)