Wednesday, October 29, 2008

I'm not talking to the gansey

Well, I really should be angry with myself not the sweater. I picked up the RIGHT amount of stitches for the sleeve. I knew it looked big but somehow I convinced my self that something was going to change so I kept on knitting until it looked like I was knitting another sweater out of the arm hole. What is this power of denial while knitting. I put a gazillion stitches and a zigzag pattern into something that was wrong from the first stitch!!!! SO it ALL needs to be RIPPEd out. I went to a meeting during my work day and my friend forgot to bring my knitting bag from school so it is resting in a cold dark school. I just hope it feels bad. I'll measure and frog probably on Friday. On Thursday after school I am supposed to go look at new floors for my almost finished upstairs bedroom.

By Friday maybe I can look at that miserable sleeve!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

A carless weekend

For a little over a year I owned two old junky cars which ran OK. Then one pooped out and I let it rest for a while before I donated it to a local kid to take apart and hopefully turn into a local -go-to-school-car. Well as soon as that happened my other junky car started having troubles. I suspect they were communicating and plotting against me!

I'll hopefully get the car back on Monday, even more hopefully without a huge bill! So this weekend I'm without a car. Friday, I took the commuter bus and subway to where I was going to a workshop. I have finally completed my certification from Schools Attuned. I really wish I could tune up my car in addition to kids!

Yesterday, my friend Laurie picked me up and I went to her house to hang out and knit until my car was ready. Kathy, another knitting friend was there also and we had a very relaxing day. I worked on the seeks for my gansey and now the body and yolk are done and I'm up to the sleeves. I tried it on and the sweater is beautiful, I just wish there was a little less of me in it!

Today we are having a birthday party for my grandmother who turned 97 on the 14th of October. She has been calling herself 97 for so long that I thought she was turning 98. She asked for gift certificates to eat out! Thats what she is getting and a bag of her favorite candies, Butterfingers. She especially likes the small ones put out at Holloween.

I don't know what it is about not having MY car in the driveway that makes me feel trapped. I have Katie's car to use if I need and usually I plot to find a time to stay in and just do inside stuff but today and yesterday, I just kept thinking about getting out but I didn't want to use Katie's car and I really didn't want to go anywhere!

Monday, October 13, 2008

October 12th

Where has this extra long weekend gone? Sat. turned out to be a very nice day. I did a workshop for a group I work with and my topic was revitalization. We had a very nice group and we worked on aspects of how to take care of our own energy. We did a few activities that worked out well. Made dream pillows, almond scrub and bath soaks. Everyone enjoyed it except one man who it seems to me has made a decision never to enjoy anything.

When I got home my friend's husband was working on the bathroom leak which was fixed without the maximum trouble. I still need a new ceiling and so far all they did to the car was reset the engine light . So I'll still have to see on that one. But I did get to spend the weekend with old friends and ALL my ironing is done.

I've been feeling overwhelmed by worry about finances and the political situation and I've made a decision that I'm going to limit my watching on CNN and news shows. I feel that they are just fanning these anxious feeling in me without really doing any thing positive. Right after 911 I did the same thing. So I'll watch the debate on Wed but I will not watch the endless picking apart of it!


I'm just about at the neckline of the gansey but I made a mistake in the pattern and had to redo three rows. My daughter got me hooked on Trueblood a vampire series on HBO. I never thought it would have interested me, parts of it really don't but somehow I messed up the THIRD repeat of the yolk pattern while I was watching it.
I hope to start the neckline decreases and shoulder part tonight.

Friday, October 10, 2008

What a Day!!!!!!

I did not feel well this morning so I stayed home. I should have escaped from this house when I had the chance! After I was feeling a bit better, I took a shower and used the bathroom sink then I went down to the laundry room to find all the water I had used draining down the ceiling!

Then I got in my car to do an errand and the check engine light came on less then a week after I had the car inspected and worked on.

So my husband's friend came over to work on the leak and we found that it was destroying the ceiling of the downstairs bathroom and that the leak is in the wall. So now I need to replace the ceiling in the downstairs bathroom, possibly open a wall in the upstairs kitchen SO I WOULD LIKE TO SCREAM!!!!!

I'm just waiting for the news about the car.

So as I see my Stitches money drainning away I think I'll do upstairs and knit! I'm nearing the neckline of my neverending gansey!

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Interesting Weekend

Not too much knitting this weekend but a good one anyway. Friday I stayed at work for the Hispanic Heritage Celebration at my school. We all had a good time, lots of great home cooked foods, salsa lessons and visiting with the children's families.

Sat. I went with a friend to her friend's 50th Birthday party. I've never met the women whose party it was but she seems to have raised three great kids and looks like someone I would enjoy getting to know. the party was in a great Italian restaurant in Bayonne, NJ. I ate so much I came home a just hung out in a food coma for the rest of the night.

Today, was a very quiet day. I slept in then went to the nursing home to visit my hospice ladies. It is so interesting visiting them. At first the two older women, )I visit each separately) are very quiet but soon they open up and just talk and talk about their families, what they liked to cook, their old homes and how they both liked to crochet. One women lived near to Bayonne and the restaurant I wnet to was a favorite of hers. So here I am --- a died in the wool knitter and I visit ladies who loved to crochet. One lady sits wrapped in a crochet afghan she made herself. She has a beautiful white shawl that someone knit for her on the back of her chair but she does not like it. I think she does not see well enough to appreciate the beautiful work in it and the white just seems boring. Next week I think I'll take some knitting with me. Even if I never work on it it might be a conversation starter.

I have a day off this week so I'll be able to get together with the day time knitting group. I'm working on the pattern part of the gansey. I really should take a picture soon but I'm so lazy with the camera!

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Autumn Coffee Swap

About Your Yarn Passion

1. Do you knit, crochet, or do both? When did you first learn?

I knit, can crochet --just hate it :).
I learned about 52 years ago!

2. Do you like using a particular type of needle or hook? (wood, metal, straight, circular) Is there something you've been wanting to try, or a particular size you always seem to be short on?

I knit on all sorts of needles. I usually switch them to suit the project I'm working on. I have just about anything I need or want.

3. What kind of projects do you enjoy making? Any types you just haven't ever gotten into as much as others?

I love sock knitting but I've been on a sweater and vest run.

4. What's on your needles\hook right now? What's your oldest UFO (unfinished object)?
Right now I have a gansey, the Lady Feb sweater, a mistaken stitch scarf and a generic sock going. Everything else is pretty much abandoned, I just may not have admitted it yet. My oldest UFO ? Who know what might turn up at some point.
5. If you were going on vacation tomorrow, what project(s) would travel with you?
I would grab my sock project and depending on how I'm going both of my current sweater projects. If I had to pack light I would go with totally socks.

6. What are your favorite types of yarns? Any you're allergic too, or just hate working with? Anything in particular you've been dying to try?
I love working with natural yarns especially wool. I hate working with yarns that feel slick or crunchy when I work with them. I have no new yarn wish list right now.

7. What sort of colors do you love in yarns? Brights? Pastels? More muted colors? Variegated? Are there any you can't stand?
I'm not a pastel person. I love greens, blues and reds. I enjoy working with the wonderful dyed yarns but I also love working with yarns in their natural colors.
Your Coffee Passion

1. Do you prefer caffeinated or not?
TO ME if isn't not caffeinated, I don't bother!

2. Whole bean or ground? For what type of pot or press?
I use whole beans. I use either an automated grind and brew pot or a french press.

3. What types of roasts do you enjoy? Are you more the light and lively or dark and robust type? I am a dark and robust coffee person. I'll drink french vanilla but flavored coffees are not my favorite.

4. How do you 'take' your coffee? Creamers? Sweetener? Other add ins? I take my coffee black and no sugar.
5. That first morning cup - is it about the taste, or the caffeine?It's both!!!!

6. Do you enjoy going out to coffee shops like Starbucks? What are some of your favorites? I go to Starbucks when ever I can and my budget groans!

7. You've just made the perfect cup of coffee - is it in a thick mug, or a thinner cup? Where would you sit to drink it? My coffee would be in a huge mug. In good weather, I want to be outside. For indoor weather my coffee follows me everywhere in the house!

8. You're enjoying that perfect cup, and have a magic cabinet in your kitchen - when you open it, magically, your favorite treats will appear to enjoy alongside the coffee - what are they? Are they sweet? Crunchy? Soft and flaky?
I LOVE cookies and anything sweet with my coffee and my huge size shows it!

All about YOU!

1. Do you have other hobbies like spinning or scrapbooking?
I am a quilter and I do redwork.

2. Do you collect anything?
I collect vintage linens especially lacy or doily like items and blue polish pottery.

3. What is your favorite part of Autumn? I love the season change, especially the color of the leaves. I enjoy apple picking and Autumn outings like Rhinbeck!

4. What sort of scents do you enjoy? Any difference in what you like for your house versus what you like for your body? I love patchouli blends, lavender and vanilla for my self. For the house I like fresh and clean-- nothing too floral and I don't like artificial food fragrances.

5. Are you allergic to anything? Iodine

6. Are you on Ravelry? What's your ID? Yes, franhaz

7. How would you spend an ideal fall afternoon/day? My ideal fall day would be outside. It could be walking around at the beach. My family has a house at the beach and the ocean and bay are great at this time of the year. I also enjoy taking a trip upstate NY to see the wonderful fall foliage and do something outside like apple or pumpkin picking.