Stick a fork in me because I'm done for the Summer

I am not going to do one more bit of work until I go back to work the last week of August!
We had a party yesterday to celebrate my daughter's 23rd birthday and GRADUATION from college. So from 4 in the afternoon until about 4 in the morning when I shooed the last stragglers upstairs to go to sleep or at least get out of my range of vision we had a house full of people!

This was the first time since Bob got sick and passed last summer that we have had a big party either outdoors or inside. The weather was just perfect, warm enough to be pleasent, dry but not so hot that everyone wanted to be inside. My kids and I are blessed with wonderful friends and family who helped set up, clean up and lent us whatever we needed! Everyone seemed to have a great time. Everyone ate and drank lots but today I have enough food to start another party! Next time I'm going to estimate what I need and then get half!

For the next two weeks before I go back to school I am going to knit, read the last Harry Potter book, have friends over for quiet little lunches, and go to the beach. I am not going to paint, scrap or sand anything! NOR am I going into Lowes, Home Depot or Costco!

I did finish my garterlac dish cloth and I made a little scrubbie out of the leftover yarn to go with it. I have two sweaters and a vest I want to finish by the time it is cool enough to wear them.

Called in too tired to do more!

On Thursday my friend and I were painting until about 12:00 midnight---just TOO much for me. So Friday I called in too tired to myself to do more work and I've given myself the weekend off! Friday morning I took my sewing machine and went to a knitting friend's house to quilt. I worked on machine quilting one of two baby blankets I'm making for a friend at work having twins. I did some quick shopping then in the afternoon I took a long nap then did some knitting spaced with some cleaning up.

Saturday, I went into Queens for the Baby shower of the mom having the twins, with the quilts NOT finished. I didn't have the fabric I wanted to bind them off and Rags a local craft store has closed so I went to JoAnns another fabric shop and if the sorry quilting fabrics they had available says anything they will be the next to go! I try to shop locally but right now if I don't take a nearly 45 minute to hour drive I can't get anything but the most dated tired looking fabrics. So I'm back to online shopping!

After the baby shower I visited with a few other women I used to work with. They are much younger then me and one is also pregnant with twins! I have so many baby gifts to get out and now they all seem to be doubling! Today is my birthday so there was a luscious cake and a nice barbecue.

Today I am going down to the shore with my kids to be with my family for my birthday. My sister who is currently living in California is visiting with her family so we will all be together. If all this eating and cake stuff continues, I'm afraid to get back to WW this week.

Every time I sit down I'm working on a sweater in Polare a bulky tube like yarn on size 17 needles. They feel like logs after all the socks I've been doing BUT it sure does move fast!



Sa

Finally got to knit on my patio after using the grill!

On May 23rd I bought a new Weber Grill to use on my new patio. Well there was one delay after another and what could go wrong did go wrong. After much hoopla,(gas line destroyed during patio construction) I had to convert the grill from Natural Gas to Liquid Gas. The store where I purchased the grill ( also the place where I got the wonderful fan/freezer!) told me that Weber grills do not convert BUT the Weber Grill hotline was so helpful. MY GRILL does convert and a very helpful women sold me the parts and convinced me that I could do it. Yesterday afternoon when I was crawling around under the grill in 90+ degrees screwing and unscrewing and soaping up joints to look for leaks I was not really sure. I almost called her back to invite her to visit me and do it herself "while she was here!" BUT I got it completed and we actually used the grill last night. Just a simple meal, barbecued chicken, corn on the cob and my version on my grandmother Italian style Rattatoui. While the chicken was cooking I actually sat down and worked on my new sweater from Polare from Plymouth.

Tonight is Caroline's last college class for her degree. She had to drop this speech class last winter when she had her hernia operation. It is hard to believe how much has changed since last year. Last year at this time Bob was on hospice in the nursing home and we were getting the house ready for him to come home . He would be so pleased to see Caroline and all the changes we did to the house. I still miss him.

My friend is coming over for another marathon painting day. After today I am throwing in the towel until the fall. I'll do little things but I just am not doing anymore "day labor" . After this most of what I need to do can be done in chunks during cold afternoons in the winter!

Went Yarn Shopping!

Yesterday while I was minding my own business doing errands, a knitting & quilting friend of told me that another friend was making a last minute run to a yarn shop that was closing after 32 years in business. Everything was on sale for 1/2 price SO how could I resist? We did a quick run in and I got yarn for at least three sweaters. I got some Polare by Plymouth which has to be years old but just what I need right now. I started a sweater last night with it. The yarn is huge and knits up on size 17 needles which is just what I need to rest my hand after my sock marathon. It's a nice olive color. AND I got a ton of red yarn to make a sweater or two and a few other odds and ends. Now I really need to STOP spending or I'll be living in my car soon.

Today I am continuing my painting marathon and really hoping to complete it. Just a few ceilings and about a million doors and miles of trim to go!

Went to Michigan and back!

I took a quick trip to Whitelake, Michigan to go to my nephew's graduation party and see where my brother and his family moved. They have a delightful home and seem to be in a lovely area. When I heard prices etc. all I could think was WHY am I still in NJ?
We went into Detroit Sat. morning and walked on the Riverview, while some of the guys went to a train show and on Sunday we went on a few pontoon boats on Whitmore Lake. I don't do lake swimming so I sat around and got a sun burn and ate junk food!
In all this traveling I did get my sockapalooza socks done. I use Tofutsies sock yarn. This is a blend of wool, soysilk, cotton and chitin actually made from shrimp and crab shells. It does feel nice BUT was one of the most miserable yarns I have ever worked with. It was splitty, and slippery and totally irritating. I was trapped in the car a total of TWENTY HOURS so I finished these socks but I'll never use this stuff again! It was such a pleasure to cast on with STR again!

Maytag Saga continues!

Last week I received a phone call from a delightful women from Whirlpool Customer Service scolding me for not responding to her call to me canceling the servicing on my "new refrigerator". When I said "What call, I never received a call, I have an appointment for Wed." I was briskly informed, "Don't tell me that, I called you, my boss is right here!" I'm still a bit baffled as to how that proves she made the call. I was informed that she "does not have service people in my area SO my service was being canceled!" This is from the same women who made the original appointment. NOW, even in this range of delightful service how is this my fault?
Well, I had to call Maytag back and after much switching and waiting and BS I got a coveted appointment for this morning. The service man was here and he very politely informed me that the freezer is not really working well because I have food on the shelf in front of the fan. I had to have him repeat this several times because I had a hard time understanding that the top shelf (which is the largest space) is designed as follows, the left third is taken up by the ice maker, the middle third is reserved for the FAN and I can actually use the space on the right side, the smaller bottom shelf and the two shelves on the door. Oh, I can actually place a few items, maybe like a small pack of peas on the shelf under this wonderful fan. So my freezer will work perfectly if I don't use most of it.
I pointed out to this man that I am not new to the planet and at 56 have owned other freezers. I was told that this is a new improved model and very energy efficient! His suggestion was to buy a small freezer chest. YEAH RIGHT I'm going to run right back and do that! I just hope I don't need to buy more IMPROVED models soon! The finale of this service call was being told that in the first three months they don't charge for "customer education" calls but after that if I need help determining how much of the freezer is not available for use they will charge me.

You can't make this stuff up!!!!!!!

Maytag Should Get A New Commercial!

I didn't buy my new refrigerator based on the commercial but that image of the lonely repair man certainly stuck in my mind. WELL, my NEW 5/23/07 refrigerator is not working. My ice cream melted and the ice maker is leaking. (Plumber says it is the unit not the connection!) so I called for service, WELL they are very busy and can't get to me for TWO WEEKS!!!, when I said I could not wait that long the first suggestion was to move my frozen items to my OTHER freezer, Gee poop, I only have one right now. The other brainstorm suggestion was to borrow a refrigerator for a few weeks. NOT TOO MUCH trouble. When I protested that I would just take the refrigerator and put it on the front steps of the store that sold it to me, I was given Whirlpool to contact. After much run around with them, where I was told they ARE VERY BUSY I was given a local service authorized by them with ONLY a five day wait for service! AND Gee Lucky Me, I can't have a time appointment, they will call me between 6:30 & 7:00 the morning of the service date and give me a two hour "window" then call me 1/2 hour before actually showing up just in case they are "early or late". HOW convenient! I guess I can get some knitting in! You can't make this stuff up!

Finally Got to Knit Today

Today I had a DR apt. I took my sock in homes of having some knitting time but the Dr was running exactly on time and I whizzed in and almost out. He noticed that I haven't had a bone density test so they asked me to wait a half an hour to get one. I was thrilled!!! I almost finished my sock before going back to day labor at my house! Nothing is finished but I keep starting new projects. On Sat. I am going to work on finishing up what I can and bringing back some order to this house. I was supposed to go to a Harry Potter event with friends at Barnes and Noble tonight but I had to drive the plumber home and there were already 750 people in the store by the time I got there so even though my friends had a bracelet for me I could not get in. Oh Well, I'll go to bed early and maybe have the place back in shape by Sunday night!

I HATE WALL PAPER

I have NEVER put up wall paper but I have had the opportunity to take down acres of the stuff. When we moved into our house (more years agon then I want to admit) almost everyroom was wall papered. Yesterday and the day before I removed THE LAST of it. I make a firm promise to NEVER put any up and I'll never buy a house with it again.

Today I should start the fun part. My friend is coming to help me again and we should be able to start painting the livingroom dining room area. We are using a brick red for an accent wall then a cavern (mossy)green and a creamy color called of all things pony tail! I got these colors by taking my favorite dish to Lowes and matching up the colors. I've never had these colors in my living room before but I must like them because I have TONS of fabrics in these colors and my dishes will look great with them.


My son is also coming to do some outside work and start the wainscotting in the kitchen. I'm working my way down my to do list.

I've finished another baby quilt and I NEED to get my Sockapaloza socks done soon. I have knitting friends coming over next week so hopefully I will get some time to knit!

Hey, Where did time go?

I can't believe that it is already July 15th! Time sure flies when I am on vacation. I spent last week taking a class in a school right on the river near where the Twin Towers used to be. A great location, boring class.
I'm continuing my home improvement marathon and this weekend between Caroline and I (mostly me) the yard is organized, all the unused pavers put in a neat spot, all the junk from the projects waiting to be picked up AND THE PATIO is finished. Caroline and I and her friend had the inaugural dinner out there today. Not a barbecue because that is still not hooked up!
Last weekend I painted the steps coming in the house from the back yard and painted the 1970's paneling. I hung all my quilted wall hangings that don't really fit in somewhere else in the house and hung some handmade Shaker peg hangers that I've been looking for a spot for in my house since we moved here. I draped my shawls on them. Right now this is my favorite spot in the house.
Next week I'm picking out colors to repaint the living room dining room area and then on the repainting the soap kitchen. THEN stick a fork in me I'll be done. (Except for all the ceilings and my real kitchen left to paint) I should just go back to work and take a rest!
Knitting wise I'm going slow, I'm finishing up STR Mustang SOmething or another socks and the silk garden sweater is haunting me BUT not very effectively.

July 3rd

I keep meaning to post on this blog but then I do other things and at the end of the day I still have not posted!!!! I received several GREAT swap boxes and took pictures of them but now the camera is missing so no photos.
I have not been knitting much BUT my garden is looking great. I've spent days yanking and pulling grass from my flower beds. a few years ago the people who take care of the lawn reseeded without covering the beds and I had better grass in my beds then the lawn. BUT now the beds look the way I want them. I lost lots of my perennials in neglecting the garden these last few years so I was able to add lots of plants and still have room for more. I also dragged and wheeled out so much brush from my yard that the entire street front of the house if bordered by a line of it waiting to be picked up by my town at their convenience!
The patio project seems to be nearing completion and I think I am going to love it. Next year I plan to have tons of fill brought into the yard and have real grass replanted. Right now I'm just out of time and money.
Yesterday I had to take my mother into NYC for a small medical procedure SO I had some knitting time. I have to complete the left front one sleeve and part of another sleeve and then the finishing of my silk garden sweater. I'm just loving how it is coming out. I need to stop working outside so long that I collapse at night and leave myself some knitting time.

Virtual Vacation Swap

. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be and why? I would like to visit Hawaii. My son lived there for a while but I was never able to get out to visit.
2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why? I would go to Australia because my sister lived there for a while and both my kids visited but I never got to go AND I've heard So much about it. (Is there a theme going in this?)
3. Have you ever driven across several states/providence/countries? I've driven to Fla from the NJ/NY area many times as a child and several times as an adult. I used to travel weekly to Vermont during ski season years ago from New York City.
4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? No, I've been to England, France, And Italy as well as several Caribbean islands but never to a really exotic place. I would like to go to Bali and India. I've read about both places and would love to experience their vastly different cultures.
5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? I loved visiting my father's family in Italy. It was wonderful connecting to to these relatives and living in Italy as an Italian for a brief time!
6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Explain. I currently live in NJ but I grew up in NYC. I've had friends and family (family from Italy, my sister's friends from Australia) come into NY and taken them to all the tourist attractions in NY.
7. Are you a museum visitor, beach comer or an amusement seeker? I love beaches and museums. I loved going to all the famous museums in London when I was there. I used to go to the museums in NYC regularly BC (before children). My family has a house at the beach and I've been able to walk to a beach almost all my life. So living with sand and surf boards does not seem like a vacation to me.
8. What's your favorite type of yarn? wool and wool and silk blends

9. What's your least favorite type of yarn? scratchy, crinkly yarns of any content

10. What items do you like to knit/crochet? I love to knit socks, and I'm getting back into sweaters but I've knit just about everything but a cat bed!

11. What do you pack, knit/crochet wise when you go on vacation? Socks
12. What other crafts do you do/would like to do other than Knit/Crochet? I quilt, do red work, wool applique.

13. Are you allergic to anything? (Yarn wise or treat wise) Iodine!

14. What is your favorite color? Least Favorite? I love blues, greens and red. I'm not a yellow or orange person.

15. Sweet or Savory (Treat not personality)? Sweet

16. Anything else we are forgetting to ask that you think your partner desperately needs to know?

I live in New Jersey

Getting Out from Under

I have not posted recently, I have not sent out boxes to my fellow swappers, I've barely knit. I get up in the morning, go to work , WORK all day , go home and jump into bed.
In the last few weeks, Bob would have had his 58th birthday, we would have celebrated out 25 Wedding Anniversary and I have so many memories of first dealing with his terminal illness at this time last year and one of my aunts died. The work at my house has hit a depressing snag and I've been feeling sad and over whelmed.
Yesterday, my son called me and asked if my daughter and I would come down to the beach to be there for Father's Day with him. I guess I had planned to say home and be sad. Well, I went swimming, got sunburned, had a nice dinner within my points(WW) and spent the day surronded by my family and my kids' friends. I need to get back to doing things which make me feel good. SO if I owe you a box or anything else I'll try to get it all done this week!!!!!!

Monday Memorial Day

I can't believe it's already Monday! I've been BUSY all weekend. Tuesday the patio project starts so the driveway has 5 tons of crushed stone dust and 5 pallets of pavers and edgers. It also appears that the one piece of plumbing that was not replaced during the huge bathroom redo has failed SO if you use my tub or shower you also water the back yard! Fortunately, the water is leaking exactly where the patio is being built. If the concrete was still there the leak might have gone undetected for a long time. My brother is arranging the work so I know he'll take care of it!

Because the plumbing might have to be reached from the crawl space OR the wall of the soap kitchen which backs up the bathroom I had to do a major clean out of the soap kitchen. I don't know what gene in me makes me save each and every scrap of junk that gets into my hands. It's a good thing I cleaned out this room before I died or my kids would have brought me back to life to do it!!

SO, today I am taking it easy, meeting friends for lunch then having a friend and her daughter come over. I plan to knit and relax.

Mommy Questions!

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? No
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? I was not married when I got pregnant but I was married when my son was born.
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Shocked, my husband had a condition which was supposed to keep him from having children!
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? OK for other people but not an option for me at that time.
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 31
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I was so sick in the morning that I went to a DR, thought I had a flu!
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My husband.
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Did not have the option then!
9. DUE DATE? Jan.15, 1983
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? YES YES and YES
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? nothing
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Nothing I was very happy.
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Male
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? Yes, I had always dreamed of having two daughters.
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? too many!
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? I had 2. One for my family and one at work.
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? They were both a surprise.
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Yes
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Beth Isreal Medical Center in NYC
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? about 36 hours
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? My husband
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? My husband
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? C-Section
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Not until the end, my son was transverse and face up. Some how he turned during my labor and needed to be delivered by section!
25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 7 lbs. and 12 oz.
26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? Jan.2,1983
27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Steven Alexander
28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? My son turned 24 this winter. It is so strange to realize that he is a man not a kid anymore.

Here's My Stash

I spent some time last weekend reorganizing my yarn collection. Doesn't calling this ever growing mass of wool a collection sound better then the S-- word? I collect other things without much hope or need of really using them. I have more cups, china and pottery pieces then I'll ever use and let's not ever go into the old pieces of lace, napkins, doileys, etc. or the books!

I used to store extra holiday dishes etc. in this closet but now my goal is to move all the yarn from it's hiding spots in the house to this closet. OR at least most of it. There are two other main storing(hiding) spots in this house, and one is on the floor that Caroline is converting into her living space. I need to empty that room before she does it for me! I wind up buying things that I already have just because I can't find them!

Thank you Secret Pal 10

I must have the bestest secret pal around. She send me another just wonderful box. TWO skeins of sock yarn from a company new to me, Online supersock 100. Great colors in greens and reds,I was just admiring yarn like this with two strands plied together and thinking that I have not knit with that type of yarn in a while, and more really useful little items like a memo pad shaped like my initial, a cute plastic container, point protectors, a book mark and a delightful pattern with a Hawaiian theme. I'll show that to my son today and see if he is familiar with the place it remembers. And I've already used the oven mitt and pretty yellow tea towel baking scones and muffins this morning.
SO thanks again and enjoy Mother's Day.

My bags are packed, I'm ready to go!

I'm leaving this evening to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I've been wanting to go for a few years but the last few years I've taught a Sat. Knitting Club in May and June and could not take the day off. This year I was talking about going with a few people but never really made plans and then realized last Tuesday that I only had a few days left to arrange something. No one was able to go at my Tuesday knitting group BUT then I got a phone call that someone had canceled from another group of friends and I could take her place!

I said yes immediately and I'm leaving today and I'll be back on Sunday. All I know is that we are staying with someone's friend and I'm not driving. My daughter is taking care of the animals and my house and I am off. Usually, I plan and anticipate everything so this is a nice change for me. Hopefully the weather is nice and I'll have a chance to find some spectacular things to send to my Secret Pal 10, my coffee swap pal and my sockapalooza pal who does not want a wool pair of socks!(too bad I have more wool sock yarns then I've live long enough to knit!)

Coffee Swap 2 Questions!

1. Whole bean or ground? I really prefer whole beans if possible.

2. Fully-loaded or decaf? ONLY fully-loaded!
3. Regular or flavored? I do sometimes drink French Vanilla or Hazelnut but I usually don't care for the more exotic flavors except the spicy ones in the winter.
4. How do you drink your coffee? Black with no sugar.
5. Favorite coffee ever? I don't really have a favorite, I have used A&P whole beans most of my life from convenience but I've enjoyed many other varieties.
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? When you drink coffee black there is no fooling around so I will drink it if there is no other option but I avoid no name cheapee coffee.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? Scones and muffins which is why I've joined Weight Watchers!
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? I'm easy to please and love to try new things.
9. Yarn/fiber you love? I love wool and any blend with silk in it.
10. Yarn/fiber you hate? I hate stiff rough yarn regardless of its content.
11. What's on your needles? STR socks, a noro entrelac vest, and a sweater from noro silk garden are active. I have others that are resting and waiting a turn!
12. Favorite colors? I love blues, greens and red.AND purples. I avoid neon colors and usually don't care for orange or brown.
13. Allergies? Iodine which I'm sure will not be an issue!
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?
I really enjoy receiving new items in swaps and trying out ethnic or local items.

Got My New Socks That Rock Club Package!

Right now I'm going through a part of the school year that I find boring, full of paperwork without the excitement of either planning for the new school year yet or the challenge of seeing how things really worked out. SO, I was plowing through yet another mound of paperwork and I thought that a new shipment of STR was due and there it was when I got home. It was a rainy, nasty day here in NJ but the priority pack was just the brightest spot in my day.

I really like this new shipment. It is a bit different from the other ones AND comes with a toe up pattern. Somehow I think that the silk in this sock will let it jump the line and get started next. AND I think I might even follow the pattern exactly! Or as exactly as I can.

A Blip in the Yarn Diet

Sometimes you can be minding your own business, knitting, reading or whatever and your friends will toss temptations, suggestions, opportunities at you! A few weeks ago I was just minding my own sock at our weekly stitch and knit when the subject of a local yarn store changing ownership or closing BUT selling yarn at a discount came up. So my friend innocently suggested a little visit. So we visited and I went on a Noro spree!!!! I love good yarns but I also love paying my mortgage etc. so as much as I love them I'm always looking for a bargain. I must be pretty good at this because I have enough fiber to keep me busy through my life time and several more reincarnations BUT I could just look and get new ideas---- Well, we all know the end of this story. I took my buying pass and went to town, I got enough silk garden to make a sweater (13), a ten pack of kureyon, four loose kureyons and TWENTY Big Bebe, and a Noro book. I have so many sweaters in the line up to work on that I feel guilty that the silk garden jumped line. I have the back and up to the arm opening of one front done already done. Getting this new influx of Noro into the house got me to work on my entrelac vest that has been hanging around since some time in the winter. I'm especially excited about the Big Bebe because I got a bunch of that on sale in Pa this winter for a $ 1 hank now I have to dig that from it's hiding spot and see what I can do after I finish the silk garden and vest. I'm not really sure who or what I'm hiding this yarn from! My husband never really caught on to how much money I spend on yarns and quilting stuff. He just had a Chico shopping bag radar that was incredible and if he knew how much I spent there he would has passed YEARS ago!!!
I'm really really not buying anything else until Stitches or Maryland Sheep & Wool if I can get other people to go to that with me!

coffee swap

A Great Box from my secret Pal 10

Last week end several boxes were left at the door. The top box was addressed to my daughter so I put them at the bottom of the stairs for her to open when she got home from college this weekend. WELL< I should have checked the name on the bottom box because my latest wonderful swap box was hiding under my daughter's stuff!
My partner out did herself. She sent two skeins of alpaca hand dyed yarn in dreamy blues,greens and browns. A great purse or bag knitted from red raspberry colored ribbon, a yarn needle and stitch holders ( I never have enough of these), a magnifying pen (what a clever little devise) and a Laura Ashley journal. AND a raspberry colored bag with a jar of red raspberry preserves! AND the cutest cat knitting card. I've never used alpaca before so I 'm going to look for a pattern for suitable for 100 grams of about worsted weight with a suggested gauge of 18 stitches to 4 inches on size 7. ANY suggestions?

Caroline Job Promotion

This is my post to brag about my daughter. Caroline is just the best daughter ever. She has been such a help to me and is turning into a wonderful, generous, beautiful young women. For the last few years Caroline has had a part-time job while she attended college full time. Today is her first full day as a permanant employee. She has been hired full time before she even graduates from college. Caroline will graduate this summer and move back home with me. Caroline has turned into a hard working, full of life and very loving daughter. I am always posting pictures of socks and other stuff but what really makes me feel the best is that both of my kids are doing well and have turned into kind and loving young adults. There were times in their teens that I wondered if it would happen!

Easter Bread

Every year I try to bake Easter bread. Some years I bake more then other years --this year I stopped at eight. These breads are made from a sweet dough and braided around uncooked eggs. Each braid has a filling of almond, orange peel and chocolate. Some years I add anise seeds also. I'll bring some with me on Easter day and give some out to friends sooner. If I get my energy back I'll drizzle a simple confectionery sugar icing on them. I'll probaby eat one myself with sweet butter for breakfast over the next few days. It's a good thing that we are starting Weight Watchers at my school on April 17th!

Apologies to my Secret Pal

My secret pal has been great. She sent me a beautiful card then a needle organizer and samples of different yars and a very cool tape measure which clips to a key chain. I goofed and failed to post or probably even say thanks! All I can do is say I'm sorry and plead brain blip! I thought about doing it so much I think I convinced myself that it was done!
So Secret Pal thanks for everything and please accept my apology for being so late to acknowledge these gifts!

Knitting nice and cozy

I spent most of today doing errands and running around. I did manage to have lunch with my daughter at her office. She showed me her new little cubicle, she is proud of landing a full time job before even graduating. While I was doing that--- new central AC and new heating units were being installed in my house. It has gotten cold again here so I'm still using the heater. I stopped at Whole Foods and got myself some brown rice sushi, and a few other treats so now I am going to curl up to just knit the night away!

A Three Strike Day

Today was the first day of my week off for Spring break. I did some laundry and some how in the cleaning out of Bob's stuff one of his FISH HOOKS, one with three hooks, must have fallen on the laundry room floor, and got snagged on a sock and GOT WASHED WITH A DOZEN on my hand knit socks. So far it seems that only a poor koigu sock was partially destroyed. Although when I saw the fish hook I came close to passing out and there must be many more gray hairs then I had before!

Next, a few days ago I bit on something and heard and felt a crack in a back molar. I was hoping for a filling but today I experienced an tooth extraction from a dentist who looked about 12! He was very gentle and very sweet but that tooth must have had roots down to my knees.

Finally, the guy who is installing my heating and AC called to tell me that his helper had a death in his family and they are postponing my installation until Wed. My perfectly planned week is drifting away!

Oh well, on the lighter side I did get lots of knitting done waiting at the dentist's office and I am going to take another pain pill and hopefully get a great night's sleep!

Still Busy just NOT with Knitting!

We put this door in years ago and never painted it because I wanted red and Bob wanted white. His huge compromise was black but black was not closer to red for me then white! Yesterday, I painted and now I have the reddest door in my town. It looks splotched in the picture but that is the camera ( little cheapee camera that it is!) but it real life it is pure true fire engine red. My daughter hates the hat and hid it when her date came to pick her up last night. Very mature for a 22 year old.
The floor is my other big accomplishment. I had tired stale old never can really get clean anymore carpet in my bedroom. I don't like wall to wall carpet but Bob never wanted bare floors in the bedroom. Yesterday when I was trying to vacuum it clean for the millionth time but really hoping to change the color and age of the carpet with a Dyson I decided to just pull it out. What could be so bad under that old disgusting carpet? Well, this floor does not look so great now but it will soon.
So between work, having to attend a funeral this week and these two projects my socks are resting quietly in their spots not even daring to call out. Today is a paper work day, Monday I'm getting a new AC and heating unit installed so I may have time to knit then or not!

Finally finished black socks

Well, I finally finished my black socks. I can't take a picture of them since I wore them to work yesterday. One of my co workers looked at them and said that they looked like professional real socks. I wonder, does that mean that my other socks look like unprofessional, phoney socks! I did these socks from Lisa Souza yarn in a color way called Oil Slick. They are mostly black with just a bit of green and blue drifting through. I wear black lots and sometimes I just want a black sock. Boring to knit but I will get lots of use from it. I already cast on a new pair from Socks That Rock in Rare Gems. I got this as a bonus from the sock club last year and it is looking great. I'm out of my house from 5:40AM to around 8:30PM both last week and this week working and commuting, so when I finally return to having a life next week I;ll post a picture!

A Lazy Day Here

Yesterday, I thought that I would curl up early and knit but I was obcessed with doing whatever and wound up working and knitting till late. Today I am making up for it. I felt lazy and sleepy all day. I did about 10 rows on the sock pattern I am trying out for my friends' online store, read, ate and napped! Now I'm getting ready to got to a friend's house to knit for a while.
I got a beautiful card from my secret pal yesterday. It is a beautiful peaceful scene, lovely enough to frame.

Bathroom completed!!!!!!! (Just about)

Well, the bathroom is just about finished. I'll get some better shots in a day or so when the camera battery cooperates. I thought I had a completed bathtub shot but I downloaded an old in progress one. What a pleasure to finally be able to use this tub again. We stopped using this bathroom due to the leaking roof and the other repairs that were supposed to get done in AUGUST. Then things just happened and here we are seven months later. I love the colors in this room and the wooden vanity. Now I have the bug to get everything else done in the house! I was supposed to work scoring test today in Brooklyn but the weather was too risky so I was able to stay here and seal the grout, and finish the painting, hang the shower curtains and take the first bath.
I'm getting very little knitting done, just too busy at work and too much running to help take care of my mother. She is doing better now that she is taking medication for the bronchitis which triggered the asthma attach that landed her in the hospital. I'm sure her MD just forgot to send her home with a script. Finally when my mother was not getting better and she went back to allergist/pulmenologist (spelling?), he gave her a script and she started improving right away. The "family or primary MD " is a sweet women but either careless or overworked. First, she said my mother was going to have to take antibiotics at home but after she was sent home without a script DR Forgetful said she didn't need to take more medication. I am positive she just forgot! My mother refused to ever complain or bother this doctor so it is a never ending battle.
As soon as I finish this post I am going to plant my tired aching self on the couch and watch old stuff saved on the DVR and try to work on my sock. I just hope I stay awake past one show.

Secret Pal 10 & 100th POST

I have been very quiet on this blog because my house has been a whirlwind of change and work. The bathroom is almost done and ALMOST ready for pictures. I also have a new roof, new facias(didn't even really know I had old ones!), new gutters, lots of new plumbing, a shed and old swing set gone and some many repairs. The laundry/ unility room is being remodeled to accept a new heating and air conditioner unit. The top floor is being worked on so that when my daughter finishes college she can live there in a semi self contained unit. I am also cleaning out years of old stuff and junk, AND painting anything that does not run away!

SO lots of work but very little knitting. BUT here is the Secret Pal 10 questionaire a bit late but here it is. I did get some knitting done yesterday because my mother is hospitalized due to asthma and I'll visit later with my knitting . I just hope I can stay awake.



1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love to knit with wools.
I don't like stiff harsh yarns whatever their content is!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Crocks, baskets, cups, a flat drawer and in many UFO's.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I'm 55 and I learned when I was about 5 so I'm knitting a long time! I know lots and still have lots to learn.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No

5. What's your favorite scent?
I love Patchouli blends.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
YES, and I love chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I quilt, do redwork and I have spun but currently I don't have a working wheel. I also made cold process soaps, natural lotions and creams.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I love classical music and classical rock -- Beatles, Dylan etc. I don't really know what a MP3 is!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love blues, red, greens, purples. I;m not partial to orange, and muddy shades.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
My husband passed away a last summer. I have two chldren. My son is 24 and my daughter is 22. I have two cats and a dog has me!

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
NO ponchos but everything else.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
SOCKS

13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm working on socks, and an entrelac vest.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, I do.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I like circulars with sharp points. Right now I'm knitting with Knitpick Options.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I have a winder not a swift.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
How old am I?

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas, Thanksgiving

19. Is there anything that you collect?
blue pottery from Poland, blue Wedgewood

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have most of what I want. I just need time to use it.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Norwegian Purl

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I LOVE TO KNIT SOCKS!!! I wear an eight in American Shoes and a 38 in Birks. My foot is about 9 1/2 inches wide and 9 1/2 inches long. It really does not look like a box!

23. When is your birthday?
August 5th

lots of work progress hard to find!

I used to inwardly roll my eyes when someone went on and on about having work done in their house. I used to think "How bad could it be?" Well, now I know! One the bright side everything that is being done is necessary and will add to the value and comfort of my house. On the side I see and am living with every day , there is more dust then I thought was possible. I'm not even doing the work and my hair is always dusty. everything has extra hidden STUFF .WRONG. Everything takes three times as long and is costing way more then I expected. BUT my brother is doing this for me at cost during a slowish time of the year for him. Or it was slowish until he started working for me and then he got quite a few emergency jobs.
The more I do around here the more I want to get done! Yesterday I changed out the curtains in the kitchen, painted the window sills and window frames, the bathroom door and in general decluttered the kitchen & this was after going to Home Depot, Lowes, Linen & Things, the Library and the A&P. This morning I hopped put of bed, drove over the my sister's house to get my grandmother and her twenty bags and boxes of stuff, get stuck on ice and had to chop out a ton to get out of their driveway. Since I've been home, I've been rubbing off the grout haze on the bathroom tiles, cooking for everyone, doing laundry, finishing work on the kitchen and taking care of my grandmother. My grandmother is 96 and really a pip. She said today that she will be no trouble to me at all and I should just go about my normal stuff. Yes, she is not trouble but she needs three cooked meals a day, help with showering and getting around, and always needs just a bit of help with her hearing aide, or walker or something. Monday, we start with the plumber, roofer and his helper and my brother and his helper, all over again! Tonight my son is coming for dinner and to drop off his laundry. I'm not complaining but another full week of this and I'll be too exhausted to go back to work! AND I HAVE GOTTEN NOT A STITCH OF KNITTING DONE OR EVEN GOTTEN TO OPEN MY LIBRARY BOOKS!!!!!

Correction to previous post!

The previous post has a mistake!!!!I don't know how that slightly naughty beach picture got into my bathroom and scone post but here are the photos that really go with it. I've tried to correct it and I think that blogger is off for the weekend!

not finished bit at least it's not pink

We've had a very mild, warm winter in NJ until recently. Now it's so cold that those warm day seem years away. As my brother continues to work on my bathroom I am finding out that the pinkness of it was the least of my troubles. Whoever installed it had a unique sense of plumbing. The overflow pipe just dumped onto the flooring under the tub, there was NO insulation in the bathroom and it was cold enough that the pipes were frozen. Well I could have told him that everything in that bathroom was frozen! AND assorted other odds and ends were discovered. I'm very lucky that my brother is doing this for me at a slow time for his business. I would be flipping if I was paying full price for all this work. Do now I own lots of new plumbing and none of it is pink and there are signs of progress ---a new white tub and insulation! See the pink shelves in the closet? It was covered with shelving paper while I've been in the house but at one time it was the color of the ENTIRE bathroom. What a treat that must have been.
I have not gotten much knitting done this week, just working on that never ending black sock. I've been baking for my brother and his workers every night so here is my favorite scone recipe.

Cream Scones

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
a good shake of salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 to 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
extra sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a food processor. Whirl a few times. Gradually pour in 1 cup of heavy cream while the machine is on. Add another 1/4 cup if needed to have a ball of dough form. Turn of processor as soon as a dough ball is formed.

Lightly flour a counter or board and gently flatten the ball into a disk . You can make one disk of full size scones or two for smaller ones. Cut each disk into eight pie shaped wedges. If you want soft edges bake keeping the pieces together. If you want the edges crispy separate them on the ungreased baking sheet.

I brush the scones with some of the reserved cream and sprinkle lightly with sugar and cinnamon. Bake around 15 minutes until barely brown. Check the bottoms and don't over bake.

Progress

When I moved into my house Steven was in 2nd grade and Caroline was in 1st grade. They are now 24 and 22. My bathroom on our main floor was every shade of pink known to man with a PINK and BLACK floor. It was seriously ugly. We were going to renovate it right away. One thing lead to another and we never did renovate the bathroom and all my weak decorating attempts were no match to the pinkness of that room. My kids grew up never encouraging guest visiting of the bathroom. We do have a normal bathroom done in restful shades of almond downstairs. I'm not even going to talk about the top floor bathroom's turquoise toilet! Well today that ugly pink tub is sticking out of a dumpster in my driveway and the pink toilet is finally out of sight forever! That ugly room was ripped out to the studs. It really looks better! In the next few day hopefully it will be transformed into the only room in the house where everything is new, matches and even works! When it is finished I am going to have a dinner party and serve only liquids and encourage bathroom visits!
On the knitting front, I am working on an endless black sock fron Lisa Souza yarn oil slick colorway. I really like it and I know I will wear ir often BUT it is really boring to knit. Just black with a tiny bit of green and some slipped stitches.

Got a swap box from Sweden!

What a generous box I got from Klara in Sweden. This is from the Townsend Knitalong Sock Bag Swap. In the top left corner is the bag with sewn on embellishments of patches and buttons. She send tea, chocolates, flower seeds, a scented soap, nail oil, note cards and a beautiful postcard. The knitting part was a really overkill! Sock yarn and an intersting pattern, mohair yarn for a scarf and an interesting pattern and a set of beautiful stitch markers. I've already enjoyed one of the chocolates and I'll be starting the yarns soon!
I'm in the process of doing some needed repair work around my house, fixing and repairing boring stuff like roofs, gutters and backyard gates and replacing a bathroom from top to bottom! The bathroom part is fun BUT the whole project is very stressful for me. I've never done anything like this on my own and of course it is costing way more then I planned. I also find that I am happy with what I have until I start going out and seeing what else is available! NOW I get greedy and want everything! SO to pay for all this stuff I'm probably going to stash knit for years. What is really sad is that I can do it!

Up date on Steven

Steven had his surgery on Thursday and he is at home already. The good news is that the doctor said that the repair was perfect and he is expected to make a complete recovery. The bad news is that he needs to be off his leg totally for 8 weeks and that he is in pain and as grouchy as can be. He will miss at least the first week of school but hopefully he can go back after that! I am exhausted and I'm going to bed early. I did get lots of knitting done but if I never knit in a waiting room again I'll be OK. I got so rattled speaking to the doctor after the operation that I forgot my current sock in the surgical waiting room. (I did find it later. TOTAL RELIEF)

What a day!!!!!!

I was sitting in my friend's car getting ready to go home after a purely annoying day at work when I foolishly said to her, "What could make this day worse?" THEN I found out. My son called me right at that moment to tell me he had an accident. He was skateboarding and fell and broke his leg in two places and ripped a ligament. I was in Brooklyn so by the time I got to the hospital in South Jersey he was already scheduled for surgery Thursday around noon. He's in pain and will be off his leg for at least 8 weeks!!!!! His girl friend's father is a doctor at the hospital he is in so he is having his ortho friend, who has a great reputation do the operation. The real kicker is my son has had good insurance from birth to 12/31/06 and his new insurance is scheduled to pick up 1/22/07 so this healthy kid who has had insurance ALL his life does this during the ONLY 22 UNINSURED days of his life. I know it could be much worse but I'd like to bang my head against a wall!!!! In the long run he will be OK but this seem over the top right now. So now, since May, my husband, daughter and now my son have all had operations! So I'll be knitting in a hospital waiting room again.

Another entrelac weekend

Last weekend I was zipping along on side one of an entrelac vest. I was using a sketchy brief pattern but mostly working from my head. ALL seemed well until I tried to recreate side two. I found out that if pattern that tells you to continue in pattern it is worth jack if you don't know the pattern well. I don't understand entrelac as well as I thought I did and my memory is useless and constantly holding the two peices togther leads to lots of wishfull thinking followed by fits of frogging. It's a good thing I like to knit because this simple vest could have been an afgan by now! AND a large afgan at that. I think I am finished with side two but I am going to let it rest a bit before I decide if I can live with it or not. Now on to the back which is pretty plain and just black . Seems rather welcoming now!

How Old Are YOU ?

You Are 31 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

A Vest Weekend

I had lots of plans for the weekend. I was going to finish getting ALL the Christmas stuff put away, do a really good grocery shopping and so on!!!! BUT now that I am released from scarf slavery I got to start on a new entrelac vest. I got the yarn for this when I was in Pennsylvania and it has been calling to me. I'm using a pattern which is like on of my grandmother's recipes. If you don't know how to do it already the pattern is very little help. I'm not doing regular entrelac but I doing "garterlac" . I can't remember when I downloaded it but I made a dishcloth from it last summer. I'm using those directions and pretty much making up the rest as I go. I love the way the colors are coming out. I wanted a random look and the squares are coming out in a similar but different way on the second side. I'm using Noro Kureyon, color 128 and I love the color sequence. It is much more subtle and not so garish as the picture! I really want to finish this and wear it! I have not been able to put it down all weekend.

Finished two scarves under close supervision

I hate making scarves but people in my family want them! I finished my mother's birthday scarf and Caroline's Christmas scarf today ANDI am scarved out for a while. I had the close supervision of Gizmo, my dog and Apache the usually invisible cat. I gave myself a watching Monk and sitting around in my nightgown day.

How Unique Are You? (There's only one of me!)

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HowManyOfMe.com

There is: 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Ending the Year

Well, here we are at the end of 2006. It was a difficult year for me but I also received an incredible amount of support from family and friends to help me get through it. I know some people list all the projects they did during the year. ME, I really don't have a clue! I did lots of socks, some shawls, lots of scarves, etc. I really enjoyed knitting lots of Sock That Rock this year, getting together with my knitting friends, going to Stitches East, Rhinbeck and a knitting show in King of Prussia during the summer. I've gone to some very interesting yarn shops and accumulated more yarn and fabric then is reasonable! I'm going to do a modified version of Wendy's Knitting From your Stash. I think I'll also try to quilt and redwork from my stash also not because I really am worried about accumulating so much but BECAUSE I have some great stuff that I really want to use and stuff that has been aged long enough! SO until Stitches or Rhinbeck or Maryland Sheep & Wool I'm going to try to concentrate on doing what I want from what I have!

And so Christmas came and went!

Hard to believe that after all the rush and preparation Christmas is already over! We did Christmas Eve here at my house and it went well. We had a small group,my mother, grandmother, my two kids and my semi-daughter Rachel. Things got wild for a while, with the new toilet bowl leaking (clean water Thank God), toilet box and parts all over, my son's girl friend on the cell with him every two minutes, my mother FOUR hours early for dinner AND my mother's dog trying to eat my dog! I took a deep breath, thought about it and decided that none of it was worth getting crazy about! We managed, the toilet is still broken, the dog uneaten, dinner finished and thank goodness all the company gone for a few moments! My nephew gets in today for a few day's visit. He is going to Iraq in early Jan so we will visit with him for the last time for at least a year. He is leaving Friday morning to see his family in New Hampshire. I have lots of outings planned for myself for the rest of the week. I do hope to get some knitting and relaxing in!

What kind of gift giver are you?

You Are a Creative Gift Giver

Your gifts are one of a kind, special, and well chosen. Whether you've made it yourself or searched all over town... There's really no one who has more of a personal touch than you.

What Kind of Gift Giver Are You?

Finally Friday!!!!

This was the VERY LONGEST week I ever spent in school. The week before vacation is never productive for me. I work with teachers helping them improve math instruction and that is the last thing on their agendas the week before Christmas! I do lots of running around, try to clear up paper work and change every plan and schedule endlessly! I even drove half way across Brooklyn for a meeting/training and the presenter did not show up! BUT it was all worth it for me to see the children's holiday show. I've been teaching since 1972 and in my present school for 18 years but I still get very teary to see the chorus just belting out songs and to see those shining happy faces. I work in a total inclusion school, about 25% of our kids have IEPs and most have parents or guardians who struggle with finances and in many other ways. Lots of kids I have worked with have been lost to the streets, drugs, gangs etc. There is something about watching the kids sing that makes me feel that they all have a chance and that there is no better place to work! Our current music teacher allows any child to join the upper or lower chorus with interest as a requirement not talent so sometimes the notes are off but they all look so happy and proud.
This is my first Christmas since Bob died and I'm very teary often and missing him often. He was a social Worker / Drug Counselor and he spent over 25 years working with mentally ill clients and addicts. He alway organized a holiday party for the staff and clients at the clinic where he worked and I would bake hundreds of cookies for him to take to work. I'm sure that I am not the only one missing him this year.

A Wonderful Gift

I came home one night this week feeling blue and full of thoughts that this is the first Christmas since Bob died this summer and I found a box on my front stoop. Great, I thought my Humbug Swap box from Soapnuts. I love the swap that Denise puts together each year but I was feeling not so festive. When I opened the box, I was floored to find a handspun, hand knit prayer shawl from Cheryl. I wrapped myself up in it and have had a hard time taking it off! I have the book Kniting into the Mystery by Jorgensen and Izard and I have thought of making one for someone else often but I never thought that someone would do this for me!
The shawl is a beautiful dark, cocoa brown with white highlights.It is warm and comforting and just the right size to wear outside as a shawl but also to snuggle up in at home.
My cheappo camera can't show how beautiful this really is nor can I ever thank Cheryl enough for putting so much time, love and energy into it for me.

Sock Drawer Almost Full!

I learned how to make socks years ago. I didn't get too excited about them at the time. In fact I don't remember the first socks I made! A few years ago, I caught sock fever. All I wanted to knit was socks!!! socks on double points, on two circs, on the magic loop toe up, cuff down, one heel after another, one toe after another.Then collecting as much sock yarn as possible. You get the picture! My goal then was to be able to wear handmade socks whenever I wanted, to get a full weeks worth, then to have a full color range. The more I make for myself the fewer I want to give away! My Queen Kahuna sock book is inscribed "may your sock drawer be overflowing" in a few more pairs I'll be there! This is my drawer now, it's always missing a few with the wear and then wash cycle! Pretty soon I'll need another drawer. Well, I guess I can do with less underwear! Now if I knitted up all the sock yarn I have, I could have an entire dresser FULLL!!!

P.S. Caroline is doing fine, still very puffy from the allergic reaction to medication and still in pain. I tried calling it discomfort and was certainly corrected!

Got lots of knitting done!

Caroline had her surgery done today and except for an allergic reaction to a medication she did fine. Right now she feels like she was hit by a truck but I guess that is normal. I did get lots of waiting room knitting done in the last few days. I really hope this is the end of it.
Caroline is normally the Christmas decorator in the house. She developed the hernia before she got a SINGLE Christmas thing out so we may have a minimally decorated holiday this year. We are still trying to figure out how a thin young girl who normally lifts nothing heavier then the remote control or cell phone developed a hernia!
Oh, and the socks are the last two Socks That Rock Club yarns and the lace scarf is an $5 ball of wool mohair lace from Stitches!

Update on Caroline

We got to sleep in late today before making the doctor and hospital rounds! Caroline is having hernia surgery on Friday. We found a surgeon she likes WHO TAKES OUR INSURANCE!!!. She is OK about having it done but a bit nervous. I am praying that I see MANY less doctors in 2007!
It is supposed to be very unusual for someone as young as her, an thin as she is and a female to have this type of hernia BUT she is young, strong and expected to heal well. I'm taking Friday and possibly Monday to take care of her and be with her.

Less Stress NEVER

While I was away this weekend, my daughter called and said that she thought she had developed a hernia. I really thought it was unlikely as Caroline is young, thin and not prone to heavy lifting. I gave her my usual advise about going to the DR. And she did and she does. So after a trip to the doctor and the emergency room she is being evaluated by a surgeon this morning. It's amazing how quickly my big deal project at work was canceled. The upside to this is that she does not have an infection and I did get about 5 inches of razor clam lace done yesterday in all our travels. Please wish her luck and keep her in your prayers.

Getting Away for the Weekend

Well after a pretty stressful week I went for a "girls out" weekend with a friend. We spent the weekend in Pennsylvania. Just staying in a hotel, eating out, no cooking (like I cook anymore!), no laundry, no dogs or cats OR kids!!!!! WHAT A TREAT We went to two yarn stores and I got more yarn then I did at Stitches (like I need more yarn!) I made a quick scarf to send off to my Secret Pal 9. We went to the Pennsylvania Christmas Gift show. It was fun to spend a day with my friend and her sister but the show itself was disappointing. LOTS of buy and sell and very little craft or original products. I did manage to purchase a few items. Got some nice soap, some interesting ornaments,& unique tin work.
When I got home I found two pencil sketches which my nephew's friend made of Bob.He made a special trip to drop them off. They are so good and beautifully framed and capture so much of Bob's spirit. I really was moved by this young man's generosity.
I'm hoping that the coming week will be less stressful but I doubt it. I have a project at school I find stressful and I have lots of work to do. Last week, I forgot the dog in the yard and had to call someone (THANKS DEBBIE) to let him in after I left for work. Once I really did let him in and forgot that I did but Friday I really had left him out!!

what Element Are You?

Your Element Is Water

A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious. That's because you're good at going with the flow - but you also are deep. Highly intuitive, you tune in to people's emotions and moods easily. You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others. You prefer a smooth, harmonious life - but you can navigate your way around waves. You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

What's Your Element?

November 26,2006

Here's the only Thanksgiving picture I have before my batteries died. The daughter has more but getting them from her will be a chore!
I can't believe that this four day weekend is almost over! I only hope that the next four days of work go as quickly! Even though I didn't work a craft fair this week end I did go to one. I went to a fair that people have told me to sigh up with this promoter for years but the fair was dead. I did get to visit with lots of crafter friends and did buy myself some treats but I saw too many empty hands walking down the aisles and heard the same story from every crafter! It was fun to walk around as a browser with my friend then end the day with cheesecake and knitting at her house instead of lugging everything home!
Today was a lotion making and packing up orders day. I will be going to dinner with my son and daughter later. Steven is going back to Honolulu, Monday morning. I didn't see him as much as I would have liked but what's new with that!

Secret Pal 9 Delivers

I came home on Wed. with a mission---to cook and get ready for Thanksgiving BUT there was a distraction in my driveway A BOX FROM MY SECRET PAL. I received a luscious prewound ball of Interlacements Worsted Weight yarn in Submarine which has all my favorite colors together and a great secret pal mug with a card and bookmark. The book mark is already in the new Tony Hillerman mystery! I placed this yarn near the pitcher containing my Thanksgiving flowers to show how much I love these colors! I have about 475 yards now to decide what to make from it! THANK YOU secret pal.

What kind of coffee are you?

You Are a Cappuccino

You're fun, outgoing, and you love to try anything new. However, you tend to have strong opinions on what you like. You are a total girly girly at heart - and prefer your coffee with good conversation. You're the type that seems complex to outsiders, but in reality, you are easy to please

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Enjoying the Weekend

This week end with my nephew and his friend is going very well. We had not been in contact with him for years due to my husband's family's hobby of inventing and nourishing grudges. It has been so good to see my daughter getting to know him again and for me to see the adult he had grown into. He is in the service and scheduled to head off to Iraq in Jan. with some training stops along the way. I sure hope those plans change and he is kept out of harm's way.
This is the first time since Bob passed in August that we have had over night guests and it does really feel good to have the house full again and to cook for more then one! Matthew's friend, Douglas is quite an artist and he took a picture of my husband and made a pencil sketch which so captures Bob's expression. He has offered to do another one for us so that Caroline and I can each have one. It feels strange visiting with Bob's family without him, and it feels strange to be happy but I know that life goes on and the last thing my husband would want for Caroline and I is to just prolong our grief. Caroline and I are going to a tree lighting ceremony to honor Hospice patients on Nov.28. I don't know how anyone can go through this kinds of times alone.
I did get some knitting on my sweater done. I have the back done and one front pocket and pocket detail done. It has a very simple four row eyelet design which I had to rip out about five time because I kept loosing the design. Finally I had to make tick off columns! As I was knitting in the group Matthew looked any my knitting and said,'that how I remember you Aunt Franny, always sewing!'Well at least he did not say crocheting!

Last Week's Craft Fair

I did my one and only craft fair of the season last week. It is always lots of work but I did it and I really enjoyed doing the show. I love making and wrapping the soaps, and doing all my other products. I love standing back and just looking at everything I've made. What I don't like is getting up predawn to cart ALL that heavy stuff somewhere set it up, then cart the REST home and have to put it away!

I've been tired all week but I am catching up. My nephew who is in the Navy is visiting for the weekend with a buddy and I am having Thanksgiving here so I have done very little knitting but as soon as the turkey is wrapped and put away I'm giving myself a sitting on the couch and knit day. So far I have the back of my new Cozy Cottage Sweater done.

Here's my latest pair of socks, knit from Lisa Souza's Mardi Gras Sock! I got the chance to meet Lisa Souza at Stitches East and see so many of her other great colorways. I'm doing a craft show myself this weekend. I'll be in Ocean City, NJ Music Pier Sat and Sun selling soaps, cream, lotions, scrubs etc. I hope I sell tons so that I have less to carry back. If the weather is good, this is a great show, if the weather stinks, I get to knit, shop myself and walk around and visit other crafters! Hopefully I will be so busy I just get to run to the Ladies a few times a day and NEVER step out of my booth.

Stitches East

I just spent the weekend in Baltimore at Stitches East. I either feel confident of reincarnation or plan to live forever because I am already at STABLE (Stash At Beyond Life Expectency) for sock yarn and this week end think I also hit it for lace! I'm also nearing it in sweaters lined up for knitting. There was so much beautiful yarn in one place how could I resist?!!!!! I went with two friends from my knitting group and we took two classes in addition to wandering around drooling over yarns, patterns and books.
We also spent some time at the Inner Harbor but certainly not enough! Here's a picture of my loot from Sat. It does not look like much but there are three skeins of STR, some Lisa Souza yarn , some lace weight kid merino, a sweater's worth of cozy cottage wool ,patterns etc.

Let's Try This Again

I've been trying to post forever this morning and keep getting error messages SO I'm hoping this works. I got my Secret Pal box on Friday and I LOVE it. My daughter finally brought my camera back so I even have a picture of it! Cute sock blockers, which I've always wanted, a cute sock shaped purse and sock shaped needle protectors. ALL in blue which I love. I've had a busy weekend, ate out both Friday and Sat. night , went to the movies Sat. to see Man of the Year with Robin Williams, very funny and makes a good point. Sat during the day I did a cream, scrub and lotion marathon to get ready for my November show. Today I'm baking for a Bridal Shower at work on Monday. I made scones and a braided prune filled coffee cake. Later my mother and grandmother are coming to visit SO I need to get off this computer and take a look at this house through their eyes!!!!

My Secret Pal 9 Box is here

I came home on Friday to a nice treat. My box was here from my Secret Pal. As you can see she really knows me. There was a set of sock blockers, something I've always wanted but been too lazy and cheap to make or buy! There was also the cutest little purse shaped like a sock and a set of sock needle protectors. I'm going to use the little purse to store stitch markers and the needle protectors.
I've had a busy and fun weekend. Out to dinner on both Friday and Sat. nights with friends. Sat. during the day I continued the marathon to get ready for my November Show. Made scrubs, creams and lotions. Sat. night I went to see the new Robin Williams movie, Man of the Year. VERY funny. Today I am baking for a Bridal Shower at my school Monday morning, made a big batch of scones and a braided prune filled coffee cake. My mother and grandmother will be over to visit later.
On Friday I get to go away to Stitches. Can't wait!!!!!!

A very quiet week

I had a super quiet week. I went to work on Monday and had a sliding door from a small storage unit slip off its hinge and wack me on the head. WOW, did it hurt but I put ice on the lump that formed right away and kept thinking that the headache would go away. Well, on Tuesday I woke up with a splitting headache, ready to barf and with shooting pain in my neck and in MY KNITTING ARM.
So I took myself to the Fast Track at the hospital and was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a neck sprain. SO in spite of having very nice new yarn around, lots to do for my upcoming shows I have spent the last few days doing nothing but sleeping. I'm going to work tomorrow. I have a meeting in the AM and it will be a nice place to sleep!

Rhinebeck WOW

What could motivate five women to be on the road by 7:30 on a Sat. morning! Rhinbeck This was my first time at Rhinebeck and all I can say is it will not be my last, actually I would still be there walking around if I had my preference! I didn't even buy as much as I thought I might but my mind is full of fibers, fleece and everything connected. The first thing on our agenda (after mandatory restroom visits) was the Fold booth. We got there shortly after 10:00 and the place was mobbed with a line down the aisle for addicts waiting to pay. It was dazzling to see ALLthose colorways right before the eyes. I restrained myself and just got two skeins lagoon and dreidle. The rest of the day was less pressured, relaxing fun. I found a cute needle felting kit to make pumpkins, I'm splitting some beautiful romney blend fleece with a friend and some silk merino lace weight yarn with her mother! I bought something for my Secret Pal 9 and a few skeins of an organic cotton & ecospun for scrubbies and wash cloths. BUT what was really great was just wandering around for hours looking and feeling the most delightful yarns and fibers, meeting people I know, spending time with my knitting friends, eating a delicious chicken pot pie for lunch, meeting the Yarn Harlot and seeing her wedding shawl, getting complements on the shawl I was wearing. I'll get to Rhinebeck next year if I have to crawl. And I also have Stitches to look forward to in two weeks!!!!!

My Knitter Tea Swap 2 Arrived

I must be the luckiest swapper in the swap! My swapping pal Amanda from PA was just wonderful spoiling me. First I got a great handmade card with three fragrant tea bags on it just to let me know that great things were coming. The box came yesterday and it was so great. I still don't have a camera so I'll just have to paint the picture of this jam packed box with words. First there was a Rooibos tea sampler from adagio, six tea varieties in charming green tins, then a Yankee candle in Tea & Honey fragrance. More tea related items were a metal mesh tea infuser, a really cute black and white tea bag holder and the sweetest ever handknit tea cozy, made from Noro Silk Garden. It fits just perfectly on a blue tea pot that I love to use. I also got great snacks, three varieties of New Tree Chocolates, Rejoice, Pleasure and Renew, AND some great Gardener peanutbutter melts and chocolate covered treats AND a crunchy biscotti AND a bunch of honey sticks. You would think that this is enough but there was also a delightful set of tea themed stitch markers, a tea pot, cup and tea caddy. AND tiny tea pot leash to hold stitch markers AND in the new Scaponia color a skein of SOCKS THAT ROCK yarn. I could not be more thrilled with this box. I certainly cheered me up on a cold rainy day. I brought it last night to my Monday knitting group and it is getting another outing to be shown off at my Tuesday group.
Thanks AGAIN Amanda

Secret Pal 9 Contest Questions

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
My favorite knitting spot is curled up on the couch with a hot cup of coffee, the cat near by, the dog out of the picture and some nice company, or it might be the comfortable chair at my weekly knitting group!
2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?
I would quilt, or read.
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
I would travel to England and see all the spots I read about in the English mystery novels and knit for a bit in each one.
4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
I wanted to be a doctor but I wound up being a teacher and I absolutely love what I do. I am not in a classroom anymore but work as a math staff developer. Who would have guessed as a kid, I didn't even know this type of work existed!
5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I still LOVE a good vanilla.

Soap fest continues!

I can't believe that I let another week pass without even one little post BUT with the week I had, I should be excused! I had a four day week at work but feel like I did six days of work there. Stayed late every night and I'm getting too old for a series of 14 hour days! Somehow while cleaning my laundry room last weekend I unplugged my freezer. So on Wed. I was faced with a whole freezer full of defrosted and rotten food. What a mess.
This weekend I had a workshop all day on Sat. then friends for dinner. On Sunday I wrapped and trimmed about half my soap for my November show (I'd take a picture but we all know when my camera is), and now I just need to squeeze in wrapping the rest. So now, I'm going to sit and knit on my sock for a while.

Soap's almost made! Now I can knit!

This weekend and the two previous I've had to spend about half of the weekend making soap for my Fall shows/season. Today after I run out to buy poppyseed for peppermint poppy and I make my last 4 batches I'm done making soap, now all I have to do is cut, trim, wrap, price then sell it! As soon as the witch brings back or sends back my camera I can post a picture of the mountain of soap waiting to be wrapped etc! Then I start lotion, cream, scrub and lip balm marathons.
I have to admit all I want to do for the rest of the weekend is sit on the couch and watch movies and knit. I'm working on a pair of socks in Lisa Sousa's Mardi Gras color way and I really love the way the colors are knitting up. I'm doing them as a modified KAL from the JustSocks group. The leg will have a simple lace pattern called Dublin Bay. Well, more later, I can't get too comfortable here, soap does not make itself.

Secret Pal 9 questions and answers

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?I love knitting with wool, silk, alpaca. I hate crunchy acrylic yarns.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? A pottery jug
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting since I was a child. My grandmother taught me.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? no
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)patchouli, karma, vanilla
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I have a serious sweet tooth. I love chocolate, the darker the better.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I love to quilt, and do redwork. I have done some spinning and I'd like to start again. I make cold process soap, lotions, creams and scrubs.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)I love classical music and still love Simon and Garfunkle.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I love blues, greens, purple. I can't stand neon colors.
10. What is your family situation? I have two college age children a son and a daughter. My husband of 24 years passed away this summer.
Do you have any pets? I have two cats and one dog, the ruler of the house!
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves, hats and mittens. I leave ponchos to the younger, thinner people!
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I am addicted to sock making.
13. What are you knitting right now? a pair of socks and a fir and cone wrap
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? I love receiving handmade gifts!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer circular needles. I have lots of addis and just got a set of Knitpicks Options.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I have an old winder, no swift.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? About 25 years old.
18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
19. Is there anything that you collect? Boleslawiec polish pottery, yarn, quilting fabric, books!
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I have most of what I want!
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? knitting and purling backwards, entralac.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I knit socks compulsively! 9 1/2 inches from toe to end of heel, and 9 1/2 around!
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) August 5th 1951