What to do with S. . . .

So, for my final song selection for PRGE Contest 2, Kat gave me "Rockin' the Suburbs", which leaves me with an immensely popular letter. What to choose, what to choose! I've kind of run Social D in the ground, but there is certainly "Story of my Life." Not so punk, but in my short list of favorite songs is "Sex Type Thing" by Stone Temple Pilots. There is "Swagger" by Flogging Molly and "St Jimmy" by Green Day (while not my favorite song on the album, definitely one of my top 5 albums EVER! Love American Idiot!) Old favorites "Superunknown" by Soundgarden and "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" by Crosby, Stills & Nash popped in my mind. BUT, since this IS the PUNK ROCK gift exchange, I'm going to close out the contest with some classic punk by none other than the Ramones.

Speaking of "S", I have sock progress. This is the Boyfriend Sock in Trekking. I really, REALLY like both the yarn and how the sock is coming out (apologies for the light quality but it's been raining since Saturday evening)!! I did NOT like the magic-8 cast on. I couldn't figure out how to 'tighten' the stitches after knitting a few rows (and they REALLY needed to be tightened!). I should rephrase that to say I couldn't figure out to do with the extra slack after I tightened the stitches. There was a LOT! Maybe I waited too long and you should be able to work it through into the working yarn, but I couldn't, so I just wove in a loop that was probably close to two inches! I think for sock 2 I'm going to do the magic 8 on smaller needles so that some of the slack will get taken up knitting onto the right size needles.

In other sock news, I got my first WoolGirl sock club shipment last week. It is AWESOME! The yarn is from Mama Llama and is inspired by a Georgia O'Keefe painting. The extras included notecards with photos of the yarn and the knitted sock, pattern for the yarn, project bag, copper wire and purple bead stitch marker and a woolgirl pen! I'm SO glad I joined the club! This yarn isn't something I'd ordinarly choose for myself (Purple will always lose to reds or browns or greens) but I'm excited to get it OTN. . . as soon as I get some other stuff OFF the needles!

Finally, I sort of dropped out of Project 365. . . I was taking pictures of the pups, but they really just weren't all that interesting after a few, and I didn't want to switch to random subjects. While I was blogging this, though, I noticed Zosia lounging and couldn't resist.
(It's been a rough couple days for puppies. ..lots of rain = no outside play!)

Meet Sheldon :)

Addi seems to like her new friend! (thanks for the photo, Tricia!) Even though I didn't take the photo, I think gratuitous baby pics are just as good as gratuitous puppy pics for my Project 365 :)

D is for Dance!

I'm getting my ABC-Along posted just in time! My D is quite easy, and it is for DANCE!

I started to take dance lessons when I was 3. I took tap dance first, and still today it is my favorite. This is me, at my first recital at age 4. The recital theme was the Circus, my class was Cotton Candy and we danced to "Ain't She Sweet". My mother would be happy to tell you I was the only one in the class who knew the entire dance (and song - we sang in part)! I was not like the kid you often see who knows it and tries to get the other kids to do it right, I totally didn't care no one else was doing it right and just went on so that everyone was looking at me :)
I danced until my junior year of High School. Mostly tap and jazz. I tried ballet but never had the patience for it. I was also in the studio company when I got old enough to audition. I quit dance then to join the Pom Pon Squad at school, which was MUCH cooler than dance. In college, I took a few random dance classes - modern and such - NOT my cup of tea, I'm much more traditional!

I really miss my dancing. I was never much for sports, so dance was my thing that I was really good at. When I lived in Vermont, I found a studio that was laid back enough to dance at as an adult. I really loved getting back into it, and I met some great friends. Since I've moved to Virginia, I haven't been able to find a studio that fits my skill level and my style. I still have all my shoes, though, hoping - I keep them in my very first knitted object (Fiber Trends Felted Bag).
You'll even notice my ballet slippers in the mix (the small pink blob!), I've tried it again recently with much more success than I had when a child!

When I was little my dream was to be a Radio City Rockette. Too bad there is no way to add 5+ inches to me so I could meet the minimum height requirement :( Did you know there is a max height too? It's pretty cool - they have only a 4 inch height range so that they can make up the difference in headpieces the girls wear so they all look the same height on stage.

OK, enough nostalgia :) I did mention I met some great friends from dance, Brittany is one of them. Go figure, she's a tapper too! (You'd be surprised how often this actually comes up!). She is amazing (but too modest to admit it) and she is part of the Boston Dance Company (website isn't up yet but I'll link anyway so you can check back!). She came down to visit for a few hours yesterday, which was awesome. Seriously, how many people would be in DC, rent a car and drive 6 hours round trip to come visit? I say not many! It was so awesome to see her, I wish she could have been here longer than 8 hours, but we had a great time catching up and had a nice dinner. She also brought me good luck in shopping. I mentioned a month or so ago that I found an awesome painting, but the store worker couldn't negotiate. We went back yesterday, and I am now the proud owner of the piece, at 10% off. Admittedly, this is not the best negotiation, but it's something and so I'm pleased with myself. And, I had my Federal tax return burning a hole in my pocket, so spending the money wasn't all that hard! It was hard to get someone to admit they COULD negotiate! Two workers both told me 'We aren't a discount store'. I don't even know what that means, but luckily I asked for the owner and she was there. She also told me 'We have two sales each year, but we don't do anything to our prices.' I told her 'Come on, everything is negotiable'. And she said 'Well, ordinarily I wouldn't BUT we have to clean out the store to have the floors redone so JUST TODAY maybe we could do it.' SUCCESS! I'll share a picture of it when it gets hung up!

My February is for Finishing goals did not go all that well. The final count was officially 3 FOs, no new projects cast on. Unofficially, I'm going to try to wrap up Sheldon (half the applied I-cord is done) and sew the lining in my bag this weekend before I cast on for something new. Not until I do my homework, though :) Here are the two socks I finished. Unfortunately I wasn't enamored with either yarn. The pink/brown is Lazy Perry Ranch BFL and it was a bit rough. The green/yellow is LotusYarns and, while I love the dye job, the base yarn had a loose twist that made it splitty. She has changed her base to Louet Gems since, though, so I don't think that would be an issue anymore.

I got some really yummy yarn from Etsy, I'll share on another day, though, as this post is getting really long!

I leave you with my Project 365 puppy shot - Zosia insists on belly rubs. . . when she sees you walk into a room, she immediately takes this position! Notice her head totally looks indifferent like "Oh, I just always lay like this, I'm not trying to make you rub my belly!" :)
(I missed last week, sorry!).

It's all downhill from here (almost!)

AAH! School is seriously impacting my knitting and I am going through minor withdrawal! I didn't expect one class to take so much time! I took two classes at a time when I did my MS and that didn't take this much time each week! I also didn't expect to be so decisive (as I am notoriously indecisive). Now, six weeks into the class, I am understanding that the class is less about HOW to design, more about how to PRESENT your design and starting to learn the techniques of drawings. I'm actually quite enjoying the drawing portion, even though I am deathly slow at it. But, my floor plan is now set. This week, I need to make final furniture selections so that I can draw my elevations, and then it should be downhill from here, doing material boards, finishes, etc. That stuff is all just compiling rather than deciding/creating, though, so shouldn't take as much weekly time. I love my design, though I can't take all the credit. . . I had a main idea, and then the teacher came to us all and 'tweaked' everyone who already had a rough sketch. By tweaked, I mean redid so that it makes a lot more sense! LOL!

The only knitting going on is the foot on Jake's sock (still!) and I also cast on and just finished the gusset decreases on my 2nd Jeezny Cricket sock. I think I will only be able to finish those socks and Sheldon (who just needs an applied I-cord now) in the February is for Finishing time frame. Then, come march, I am casting on for something with bigger needles -- All my current WIPs are on Sz 4s or smaller! I think I may re-attempt Lelah, and then really do some work on Sizzle.

I realized this morning why I had such an urge to work on my Jeezny Cricket socks. .. serious spring fever! Which was satisfied by some blooming daffodils!
(click for a clearer image. . . I still can't figure out why flickr links come out blurry!)

Finally, taken on time but not posted on time, my week 8 Project 365 picture. The puppies in their most comfortable spot, lounging on the couch with Jake!

Finishing!

OK, while not exactly in the spirit of 'February is for Finishing', I do have a FO. This is my 'something green' for my Scavenger Hunt partner - a reusable shopping bag. And, my friends, it is crochet! I started it Saturday afternoon and finished it up this morning. So darn quick! Love it! It is smaller than some, but for me, I always remember to take them shopping when I do my big trip, but if I have to run to the store on the way home from somewhere, I never have them. So, I hope she can keep this smaller one in the car or her bag to have for just such occasions! In deference to my 'February is for Finishing' goals, I did frog, the first bag I was making for her. It was knit, but I was using crappy old INOX needles doing magic loop and I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I despise magic loop, but coupled with duller than dull needles, I just didn't have the patience!

I've also been knitting on Jake's socks, which have come to be known as the socks that will not end. I FINALLY turned the heel and knit the gusset.
In case scale doesn't come across in that photo, let me tell you, that sock, from heel to top of leg is 15 inches! It is nearly an entire ball of Essential to do the leg. The only thing is the foot opening seems oddly small. I can't tell if it is just because the leg is SOOOOOOOOOO long the foot hole is dwarfed, or if it really is small. I need to have Jake try it on. I think the rest of the sock will go quickly now, I just hope I can overcome the memory of how long that leg took and actually cast on for the mate!

Last night, we went to The Generic Theater with some friends of ours to see Glengarry Glen Ross. I have to say how impressed I was! For community theater, and for a very tough play, the actors did an awesome job! Jake really enjoyed it, not knowing anything about it before going. My only complaint was the guy with the GINORMOUS head in front of me for the second act :) How he could possibly need to move his head every 3.8 seconds to constantly be in my way is beyond me!

I missed week 6 of Project-365 here by one day. No dog pictures this week, instead, an homage to the spring weather we've had all week.


Yes, it is early February, but my daffodils have budded and look like they will start opening soon!

B is for Beagle

As you know from prior posts, I have two doggies. Zosia is part beagle, and Jimmy Ray is pure beagle. So, because I love them, my B for A-B-C-Along is for Beagles!

In this photo, in particular, Beagles Basking in Sunlight! This pic does double duty as my week 5 project 365 photo this week. Can you believe I got Jimmy in a photo? It was no small feat! Excuse the light quality, but taking a photo directly into the light doesn't yield the best result, but this is where I wanted to show the pooches. They spend oodles of time here. When the sun isn't warming the carpet, they spend the rest of their time on our bed.

I have a big 'ol soft spot in my heart for beagles, or any hunting dog. I don't really know why, I grew up in the city, not out in the country in a family of hunters or anything. Don't get me wrong, I love any dog, but something about beagles and walkers and blood hounds and blue tick hounds. . . .the just get me!

Lack of Control Strikes Again

I went to a LYS today. It wasn't supposed to be for me. I had a $15 certificate to use that expires 1/31. Of course, I can't turn away free yarn! And, I need yarn for my Scavenger Hunt partner, so I thought for certain I'd find something. Unfortunately, nothing struck me as something she'd like. I was going to leave with just the Felted Clog pattern from Fiber Trends (Jake wants slippers), and then I spotted it. Araucania Nature Wool. It was hidden, under the Cascade 220 I was debating getting for the slippers (which I quickly decided would be cheaper and just as good using Patons Classic Merino). So, I came home with two skeins in an amazing deep blue. Now my dilemma. . . . two skeins is either not enough or too much yarn for any of the projects I've thought about doing. I really want to resist going back for a 3rd skein and casting on for a Clapoits. I just used some Amazon giftcards to buy Lace Style, so I'm going to scan through it when it arrives to see if maybe a cute shrug or something will pop at me, but if not, I may have to cave on the 3rd skein. Anyone else have suggestions what to do with 2 skeins?

And, just under the wire for week 4 of Project 365, another Zosia shot :)

It's amazing how much space a 20 pound dog can take up. . . she tends to sleep this sprawled out such that Jake and I are relegated to sharing half the bed. (And Jake will tell you he is relegated to the edge, as I hog as much space as I can - along with all the blankets!)

And, finally, I forgot to mention yesterday that Mr Puffy and his lovely owner gave me a You Make My Day award. I'm so flattered! I know I'm not the most prolific blogger, but I try to be mildly interesting and am so grateful for the fun people I've met because of my blog. As a result, I get to name my favorites. In no particular order, I bestow this award to:

Irishgirlieknits
KnittyCath
Tsuki
notscarlett
soltrcy
Becca
2paw
Sunne
and back to you Mr Puffy!

'A' is for Apple

Well, Apple-picking, really, except it is January and not really feasible to capture a current photo of that. Instead, I got odd looks at Kroger to take this photo :)


Apple picking is my favorite autumnal activity. Nothing is better than fresh cider and cider donuts!! Every year I look forward to going to an Orchard, buying way too many apples with grandiose plans to make pie, taking a hayride and petting farm animals. I suppose it just stuck with me after always taking Field Trips to Domino Farms in grade school. Moving down south has challenged this, though. We did visit an Orchard in Charlottesville this past September, but it was nearly 80 degrees, and so totally not the same!

It's also week 3 of Project 365. I'm working on getting Zosia to do something more interesting for these photos. . .maybe by week 52 we'll have something exciting. Meanwhile, "How Much is that Doggy in the Window?" This is Zosia's favorite spot when someone is coming or going from the house, because she can see the driveway and the path up to the front door. This peeking is accompanied by large amounts of barking, that are not as cute as just peeking. We're working on breaking that!

Ta Da (take two)!

As promised, pictures of mom's bag.



(Please ignore the slightly offset handles. . . .though I measured no less than 10 times, they still didn't come out matched up! ARGH!)

Also, for week 2 of Project 365, here is Zosia, pretending to be regal while enjoying the 70+ temps we are having this week!

OK, now, off to finish packing my suitcase for Michigan. Have a great weekend!

Project 365/52

So I joined this Blog ring from Ravelry. The idea is to take a photo every day (365) or week (52) and post to your blog. I can't commit to daily, so weekly seems good :) And besides, everyone LOVES puppy pictures, right? In the interest of keeping a theme to the pictures, I will ATTEMPT that they all be doggie related. So, without further adieu, picture #1:

"You woke me up for this?"

(note that Jimmy Ray WAS cutely nestled next to her, but promptly ran when he saw the camera!)

Keeping in the photo theme, I saw this on Tami's blog, and thought it was neat, and I'm currently in a meeting that I already pitched my charts, so this is a good distraction!

Photo Survey!!
- go to Google Images
- search for your answer
- pick one image from the first page
- post

Age at your next birthday

A place I'd like to travel

Favorite object

Favorite food
mmmmmm. .. . brownies

Favorite animal

Favorite color
Red has always been my favorite, but green is a VERY CLOSE second!

Town you are from

Wyandotte, MI
I still don't know if I grew up on the right or wrong side of the tracks :) But every time we saw a train, we played a game about what color the caboose would be, so this picture is appropriate to my memories of my town :)

Town you live in now
Portsmouth, VA.
We are living in a big Navy town :)

Name of a past pet
My first puppy is a basset hound/german shepard mix named Sadie

Name of a past love
My first REAL love was a boy named Dayne. (but he was not a football playing type!)
(for those of you who don't know, this picture is Ron Dayne!)

Your first name
I was named after Carly Simon

A bad habit

Your first job
My first non-babysitting job was hostessing at Big Boy!

Grandmother's name
My maternal grandmother is Anna, but she's nothing like Anna Nicole Smith :)

College Major
My BS is in Chemical Engineering (and yes, this diagram still makes sense to me!)