Another FO

Well, really, this was finished AGES ago, but no photos. I FINALLY go around to asking Jake to put it on for a photo because I was packaging it up to go to his parents, along with some lily bulbs I dug up :)

He looks thrilled, doesn't he?

(notice beagle trying to hide from the camera in the background!)

I really REALLY like this hat. The cables are great, and as I think I said before, the decreases to keep the cables going all the way to the tip are super clever. I'll be making the same hat for Jake in camel. The only difference will be is I won't have the ridge in the bottom. On this hat, after I finished, I needed more length to fully cover the ears, so I picked up the cast on and added 15 rows. I'll just to 25 to start on Jake's.

I finished the cowl, too, but no pictures yet. I look like death, and spent pretty much my entire weekend on the couch. I think I went through my weight in tissues, but I seem to be on the upswing now. I felt good enough to drive and run a few errands today.

Hope your weekend was better than my sick one!

Out of the Funk

So sorry I've been such a grouch recently! Too much travel and too many political ads on TV make for a cranky Carly :) I'm less cranky now, though I have some phantom illness that has made my throat feel like it's the size of a pea with a grapefruit in it. BUT, I'm looking on the bright side, it's almost the weekend!

So what is going on with me, you ask?
Well, we got our first official wedding/shower gift from my BFF Tricia (she has the adorable baby Addison who got Sheldon and my Summerlin!)

The gift is the dishes, not the dishwasher :) It's very exciting. The dishes we have had since I left home were hand me down Pfaltzgraff. They did their job, but it's nice to have something we picked!

I've been in a bit of a knitting funk, as well. I determined it was because everything I was working on was on Sz 3 or smaller. I didn't want to start anything else big, though, because yarn is en route for Jake's ribbed cardigan, which will be my easy/boring knitting project for a while. I had seen the Fabrage Cowl on the Mal Swap board and had PMd the designer several times asking when it would be available. I fully intended to purchase it. I must have pestered her enough, though, because last week she said she'd send me a test knit copy if I cast on right away. It took me a while to find some 5/0 beads, but I got them Wednesday and cast on Thursday! I'm half way done and I LOVE it! So pretty, right? It's a gift, but I think I'll have to make one for me, too!


With the storm that came through making yesterday a total washout, Jake spent some time in his woodshop and came back with a nostepinne for me! I put it right to work winding up some laceweight Malabrigo :)

R is for Root

Or should I say GINORMOUS root?


Jake digs a lot of holes in the backyard. He's dug up several tree stumps and what not. He was digging up our compost pile to move it to the 'to be' flower bed and uncovered this thing. Looking at it out of the upstairs window it reminded me of an alligator. We're not yet sure how it's coming out. . .

Is it over?

I hate election years. The incessant badgering by the media of all things political is hard to stomach, not to mention the ads. This year, of course, has been worse than normal, given it started like, what, at least a YEAR ago?! I really do not support either major candidate. I had planned to vote for Bob Barr or some other random 3rd party candidate, basically because the ballots don't have an 'abstain' option. However, the more I learn about Sarah Palin, the more scared (really petrified may be a better word) I am at the possibility of her having anything to do with the future path of the United States. For a successful woman, her lack of support for all things woman's rights related is really just bizarre to me. Maybe that's why she got picked, she's all for the 'barefoot and pregnant' way of life most stodgy old men support. Her extreme religious beliefs rank a close second (though I am judging based on the Church she attends, since as best I can tell she really hasn't told anyone anywhere what she herself ACTUALLY stands for on most topics). The most recent 'Are you serious?!' is the concessions for the VP debate (article here).

At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates.

McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive.

I am saddened to come to the realization that now I'll most likely end up casting a vote for Obama. Sad, because voting is not meant to be the lesser of two evils or voting AGAINST a candidate.

How is it that in 1992 Ross Perot could get 18% of the popular vote, but in the last 16 years no one has been able to put together enough $$ to make a decent go of a real 3rd party? Or perhaps more importantly, how have all the disenchanted voters (I know I'm not the only one!) been scared enough into believing you are essentially 'wasting' your vote by voting for anyone other than a Democrat or Republican?

I think I'd like to crawl under a rock and not come out until 2013. Somehow those 'crazy' people who build their own off the grid compounds are looking a lot more sane. . . .

Knitting is apparently not even a non-partisan hobby anymore, seeing the explosion of politics on Ravelry. While I can't hide until 2013, I'm really thinking about turning off the TV/computer/radio until December.

Meme!

I am sitting on the couch having bathed the dogs and trying to catch up on my Bloglines. I saw this over on Michelle's blog and thought it was fun and mindless enough to keep me up to my bedtime (going to sleep too early means waking up too early!)

A.) Go to musicoutfitters.com

B.) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year

C.) Bold the songs you like, strike through the ones you hate (uh, I don't know how to strikethrough, so deal with them being in VIOLET and underline or italicize your favorite. Do nothing to the ones you don’t remember (or don’t care about)

1. Candle In The Wind 1997, Elton John (ok, I really like the original, not anything to do with Princess Di)
2. Foolish Games/You Were Meant For Me, Jewel
3. I'll Be Missing You, Puff Daddy and Faith Evans
4. Un-Break My Heart, Toni Braxton
5. Can't Nobody Hold Me Down, Puff Daddy
6. I Believe I Can Fly, R. Kelly
7. Don't Let Go (Love), En Vogue
8. Return Of The Mack, Mark Morrison
9. How Do I Live, LeAnn Rimes
10. Wannabe, Spice Girls (you know you liked it too, no laughing!)
11. Quit Playing Games (With My Heart), Backstreet Boys
12. MMMBop, Hanson
13. For You I Will, Monica
14. You Make Me Wanna..., Usher
15. Bitch, Meredith Brooks
16. Nobody Keith Sweat
17. Semi-Charmed Life, Third Eye Blind (aside from the fact that the lead singer was totally plastered by the end of the concert, they are one of the best bands I've seen live!)
18. Barely Breathing, Duncan Sheik
19. Hard To Say I'm Sorry, Az Yet Featuring Peter Cetera
20. Mo Money Mo Problems, Notorious B.I.G.
21. The Freshmen, Verve Pipe
22. I Want You, Savage Garden
23. No Diggity, BLACKstreet Featuring Dr. Dre (can I love and hate the same song? I really did love it before Kara ruined it during Pom practice!)
24. I Belong To You (Every Time I See Your Face), Rome
25. Hypnotize, Notorious B.I.G.
26. Every Time I Close My Eyes, Babyface
27. In My Bed, Dru Hill
28. Say You'll Be There, Spice Girls
29. Do You Know (What It Takes), Robyn
30. 4 Seasons Of Loneliness, Boyz II Men
31. G.H.E.T.T.O.U.T., Changing Faces
32. Honey, Mariah Carey
33. I Believe In You And Me, Whitney Houston
34. Da' Dip, Freaknasty
35. 2 Become 1, Spice Girls
36. All For You, Sister Hazel
37. Cupid, 112
38. Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?, Paula Cole
39. Sunny Came Home, Shawn Colvin
40. It's Your Love, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
41. Ooh Aah... Just A Little Bit, Gina G
42. Mouth, Merril Bainbridge
43. All Cried Out, Allure Featuring 112
44. I'm Still In Love With You, New Edition
45. Invisible Man, 98 Degrees
46. Not Tonight, Lil' Kim
47. Look Into My Eyes, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
48. Get It Together, 702
49. All By Myself, Celine Dion
50. It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Celine Dion
51. My Love Is The Shhh!, Somethin' For The People
52. Where Do You Go, No Mercy
53. I Finally Found Someon, Barbra Streisand and Bryan Adams
54. I'll Be, Foxy Brown Featuring Jay-Z
55. If It Makes You Happy , Sheryl Crow
56. Never Make A Promise, Dru Hill
57. When You Love A Woman, Journey
58. Up Jumps Da Boogie, Magoo And Timbaland
59. I Don't Want To/I Love Me Some Him, Toni Braxton
60. Everyday Is A Winding Road, Sheryl Crow
61. Cold Rock A Party, Mc Lyte
62. Pony, Ginuwine
63. Building A Mystery, Sarah McLachlan
64. I Love You Always Forever, Donna Lewis
65. Your Woman, White Town
66. C U When U Get There, Coolio
67. Change The World, Eric Clapton
68. My Baby Daddy, B-Rock and The Bizz
69. Tubthumping, Chumbawamba
70. Gotham City, R. Kelly
71. Last Night, Az Yet
72. ESPN Presents The Jock Jam, Various Artists (can't even tell you how many Jock Jams songs we choreographed to!)
73. Big Daddy, Heavy D
74. What About Us, Total
75. Smile, Scarface
76. What's On Tonight, Montell Jordan
77. Secret Garden, Bruce Springsteen
78. The One I Gave My Heart, w Aaliyah
79. Fly Like An Eagle, Seal
80. No Time, Lil' Kim
81. Naked Eye, Luscious Jackson
82. Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los Del Rio
83. On and On, Erykah Badu
84. Don't Wanna Be A Player, Joe
85. I Shot The Sheriff, Warren G
86. You Should Be Mine (Don't Waste Your Time), Brian McKnight Featuring Mase
87. Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Madonna
88. Someone, SWV
89. Go The Distance, Michael Bolton
90. One More Time, Real McCoy
91. Butta Love, Next
92. Coco Jamboo, Mr. President
93. Twisted, Keith Sweat
94. Barbie Girl, Aqua (yikes! i hated watching my little cousin dance to this!)
95. When You're Gone/Free To Decide, Cranberries
96. Let Me Clear My Throat, DJ Kool
97. I Like It, Blackout Allstars
98. You're Makin' Me High/Let It Flow, Toni Braxton
99. You Must Love Me, Madonna
100. Let It Go, Ray J

Well that was kind of a fun stroll down memory lane! Weird how certain songs definitely connect you to events in the past! Also weird that like half this list I have never heard of. And where is 2Pac's California Love?! That was totally big and would win hands down favorite if it were on here. . . .

If you snag this for your blog, let me know so I can come check it out!

Like a Chicken Without a Head

I was out of town for work, home for a night, then up to NYC for a wedding. I have slept in 5 different hotel rooms since Sunday- only two nights in my own bed. I am home, but not for long before I head out of town again and have yet another hotel stay. Work continues to be out of control.

On the plus side, I'm going to see Flogging Molly again in concert Thursday night. I got an email with a delivery date for my wedding dress, too.

Some knitting is progressing, I'll share when things settle down. . . . which is hopefully soon!

To my PRGE spoiler - I got the contest email and I'll do my best to get to it by the deadline!

I need a Hug

Today officially qualifies as the most stressful and annoying and least productive days of my professional career - and this is saying a lot, considering some of the ridiculousness that has happened throughout my 7 years here. How is it possible that EVERY product I support has been damaged, delayed or otherwise fouled up in the course of one week. I cannot take any more of being yelled at by unhappy customers.

AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Partial FO Parade

Well, I only have some photos, but if I keep waiting I'll never get anything posted! So, some of the projects I finished while in New York. Like I said, it rained every day we were there, so I spent a lot of time on the couch knitting!

3 more squares for the Malabrigo Swap Blankets:



Caramel Cable hat for Jake's dad:


I really loved the construction of the hat - decreasing in the Cables was so clever! I didn't love that I had to pick up and knit further on the bottom to make it cover the ears fully, but I like it in the end. I'll try and get Jake to put it on for a modeled shot, but the blocking version will have to do for now!

My Baltimore socks are done, too! The proportion in the picture here looks odd, but they are, in fact, normal sized :)
I think the yarn and pattern worked together really nicely!
I am most proud of my made up decreases. The foot fit nicely on 80 stitches (gauge was 9.5 spi) but was too big up the leg, so I omitted two pattern repeats. I think it looks like it was supposed to flow in the pattern this way. If I were a teacher, I'd give myself a gold star for cleverness!
Not a FO, but my most recently cast on are the August Woolgirl Sock Club installment. The yarn is Madelinetosh Sock. The sock is knit flat after the toe, then is made into a tube by knitting a strip on the stitches held on waste and joining to the selvedge edge. Pretty nifty! It's going really quick since it's all stockinette. As seems to be the theme with the sock club thus far, the color isn't one I'd choose on my own, but it's nice so far! Knitting flat really breaks up any pooling that might otherwise happen (and I did see it in someone else's project who used the yarn for Thuja's rather than the club patterns.)

Of course, the most exciting thing finished is Maude, buttons on, blocked and everything! That has to wait for Jake's photo assistance though.

The reason Jake couldn't help me this weekend with pictures? Oh, I wish I had photos of the mini-Monster Truck Rally in the yard! We used to have a big bush between our driveway and the neighbor wanted it gone because it got too big. He had been chopping branches off here and there, but Jake decided to pull it out. . . using his truck. His exact words were 'I don't expect much resistance from the bush'. Boy was he wrong! It took him and his buddy HOURS to get it out and the bush beat the truck in most attempts to yank it with a chain. It greatly amused the elderly man across the street to see tires spinning and the truck pulling back after the chain tensed and the bush didn't budge! I'm pretty sure the whole thing will cost a new set of tires on the truck, but I guess sometimes you are supposed to use a truck like a truck! Now our neighbor is going to buy a new small bush to put in as a replacement since Jake did all the hard work of getting it out. I guess this makes us officially southern!

What did YOU do on your long weekend?