Busy Weekend...

It was a busy weekend this weekend. First up, we had another Party to Dye for at Mary Ann's house. Her new kitchen looks awesome.First up, we see Ann overdying a hat that she made from previously dyed harn.

Nancy was braver than the rest of us as evidenced by her beautiful hands. The color looked even better on her yarn. :-)






Next up we have Suzie coloring some thrift store Mohair. Light Blue and Light Green and could quite possible be a Misty Garden scarf one of these days.

Below are some of the finished yarns drying off the back of Mary Ann's porch.

And finally my yarn. I dyed it in the ball again. Pink Lemonade on half and grape on half. Here I was winding it back into the skein with Donna's Niddy Noddy for easier drying. I love the colors of it. It got a bit lighter with the drying, but I think it's going to make an awesome pair of socks anyway. Can't wait to get started on it.


Sunday, I turned to the kitchen. I put some beef on for a beef noodle soup. Made some awesome beer bread. Never made it before. How easy! and Mmm! Mmm! Mmm! It went very well with the soup. Then I made a double batch of pumpkin cupcakes for Halloween tomorrow. Mmm! I was a cooking fool.

Just so you don't think I ignored my knitting all weekend. I made it to the halfway point on a blanket ear-marked for Project Linus. I also worked some more on my Carusoe socks. I tried to get them on my feet and they wouldn't go over my ankle. I'm thinking the needles weren't working, so I'll wait til I start the heel and try it on again. More updates forthcoming on that.

So, I started a shawl yesterday. A lace shawl made out of the yarn I dyed in a ball. I knit 36 lines. Today I frogged it. A moment of supreme sorrow for the work that I tore out knowing that I had to reknit some of those lines three times before I had the right number of stitches. Being as I dyed the yarn in the ball and it was an adventure thing, the color is very brilliant on the outside and is only the two colors. The upper color I dyed and the lower color I dyed. Now comes Gwen's lesson on dying in a ball....the inside was still cream colored. It didn't adsorb the color. I should have injected the center of the ball with color I know now. So, what we have is each end of the ball is bright pink or green and the inside is light green, light pink and cream. Since I'm knitting the Flower Basket Shawl, which you start in the middle top and knit out to the edges, I thought "start with the dark and it will radiate out into every lighter repeats" and look cool. So I started knitting it that way. Well, I was at work and the novelty of working was wearing off and I was longing for my vacation back and I got to thinking it would look cooler the other way, starting with cream at the neck and getting darker towards the ends and ending with the dark points. So, I consulted the knitters and the consensus was it would look better with dark points so I ripped it out. No pictues, because this is a potential x-mas gift depending on how it turns out.

Although I didn't join Lolly's Socktoberfest (because I have KAL issues - i.e. join and lose interest), I finished a pair of socks Monday and I started a new pair of socks today. I was very tempted to break out the "Socks that Rock" that I got at Stitches Midwest since it seems to be all the rage after Reinbeck, but I resisted and went to the Tess' Supersock yarn I got at Stitches last year as was my plan. Needless to say, there will be no more sock yarn buying in my future until I use up some of my current stash. The good news is that I have been using stash yarn to make x-mas projects and it's going well. I used some mohair I bought last year for a misty garden scarf. Some Interlacements to make a shawl and now some of my hand dyed yarn for a shawl.

I'm still waiting for my order from Rams Wool. I ordered one of these Garnstudio pattern booklets and apparently it's "still at the translator" and they're waiting for it to come in. Why feature something in your catalogue if you don't have it in stock??? They even had sweaters knit out of it featured in their yarns. I ordered a month ago and am still waiting for it to come in. The did e-mail me right away to say it was on backorder and it would be two weeks. Two weeks passed though, so I e-mailed them to find out what the heck was up. I want my patterns...

For those who live in or have visited St. Louis, it's a very sad sight to see Busch Stadium without any seats. I can only imagine after they start to knock it down. There is a sea of red outside of the stadium that is the seats waiting to go to their new homes. I wonder how many homes in St. Louis will now feature 4 seats from the Old Arena and 4 seats from Busch stadium before the year is out. We're funny people here, but we love us some baseball.

Pink Fuzzy Slippers and Tea...An Ode to Fall

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love it when the days are crispy chilly and you cuddle under blankets to sleep at night. I love the "will it" or "won't it" weather. I love pumpkin cupcakes on Halloween with white and orange icing just like my grandmother used to make. I know I'm going to love sitting in my new knitting chair underneath a blanket sipping hot tea and knitting. There is nothing better than an afternoon spent watching movies, knitting and drinking peppermint tea. Before the winter is over, I will drink gallons of hot tea. At home relaxing for the evening or the weekend and at work to thaw out my fingers so I can type. But the best part of fall is bringing out the fuzzy pink slippers. You know the kind. Lots of fake pink fur. There's just something about walking around in fuzzy pink slippers. I think everyone should have some. I had some elephant slippers at one point. I had some Garfield slippers at another, but I keep coming back to the fuzzy pink slippers. In fact, I request them specifically on my christmas list. Need a new pair every few years. You can only wear them outside or spill diet coke on them so many times before you need replacements. Yep, it's fall alright. Hot tea, fuzzy pink slippers and all.

Presenting...The Knitting Chair

Yes, I bought a chair just to knit in...with an Ottoman. I love it! I immediately stopped all unpacking and frantically trying to store away my mounds of junk that I cannot live without to sit and knit. I must admit I did a good job picking it out and hope this is not just the euphoria that comes from living without furniture for 3 weeks. Just so everyone knows, that although this was the most important piece of furniture, I did buy a couch so that others could sit in my apartment as well as me.
Ta da! Standard black leather couch.

I actually knit. Yesterday I knit for 4 hours while waiting for the gas man to come and turn the gas off at my old apartment. 7:30am-11:30am my ass. The guy showed up at 11:15. The good news was I got the cuff of a sock knit. I turned the heel this morning while waiting for the furniture to arrive (10 - 2 window and it came at 10:30...pretty good) and finished the gussett and half the way down the foot this evening. I realize now why people do toe up socks as I'm frantically praying that there's enough yarn to finish the full length of the foot to match the other one...

Today we went to the Pumpkin farm with my neice. Despite the chill and the brief rain/sleet shower, she had a grand old time. We put here in a whole mess of medium sized pumpkins and she patted them up. We set her buy a bin of the tiny little pumpkin shaped gourds and she had a blast picking them. Licked them as well, but they sure didn't taste very good from the expression on her face. It was a lot of fun.

You'll notice from my full weekend, that not a lot of unpacking got done. I'm still sitting at 7 boxes, so the yarn is all still packed... I'll have to get on that tomorrow...

Still Unpacking...

I had all of these grand plans for my vacation. I was going to move on Monday and clean on Tuesday, cable installed on Thurday. Get everything put away, thrown away, or stored in storage and then I was going to relax and knit.

Well, here it is Friday and I still have 8 boxes left to unpack. I have a huge pile of stuff to haul down to the garbage. I have an even bigger pile of stuff that needs to go down to storage. I did have cable installed and get my other apartment cleaned, but I still have to haul all the cleaning supplies and other junk I left out of the old apartment. Worst of all, I haven't even knit a stitch and 4 of the boxes left to be opened is the yarn. Why are they last you might ask??? Unpacking the yarn is my reward for finishing everything else. God knows if I didn't offer myself some reward, it would never get done...

Am I ever going to finish unpacking.

I've gone over to the dark side... I got cable (gasp!) and highspeed internet access today. Love them both.

Didn't get to go to the knitting posse this evening. My car was finished too late to go. I fear it might have to go back because it's still making a noise. I'm going to drive it around for a day and see if it's not just because they dismantled half the car and put it back together. Otherwise it's going back because for as much money as I paid, it should be fixed.

Other than that, I'm down to 32 boxes left to unpack, down from 87. I think I'm done with the kitchen...finally. On the agenda for tomorrow, the family room boxes. No knitting, still need to find most the yarn.

How could one person have so much stuff...

I have so much crap. Even worse, I forgot a lot over at my other apartment and it's going to take several trips to get it back in my possession. UGHHH!!!!

Well, good news is I found the peanut butter and I have bread, so I can eat. I finally located a steak knife so I can apply said peanut butter.

Bad news is I have no car at the moment. Has been making a really bad creaking noise that was scaring my half to death. Sounded expensive and boy was I right. Very, Very expensive. UGHHH!!! So, since I have no food, and no method of securing more until car is fixed, you understand the critical importance of finding the peanut butter. Well, at least if I'm stuck here I'll get a lot of the unpacking done.

Well, that's it for now. Can't find camera, or I'd show pictures of the carnage here. Going to bed. Am exhausted from cleaning old place, unpacking and hauling boxes and trash around. Would have the building a mile from the garbage center.

Moving Day Approaches

So, I sign the lease on my new apartment tomorrow. Yippee!! The original plan was to finish packing and move some stuff in, but a friend invited me to the wineries, so I'm going to the wineries. She really had to twist my arm I tell you... So signing the lease tomorrow am, moving in my pictures and then heading out to go to the wineries. Pushed the moving of akward objects and buying entertainment center to Sunday. Monday is the big move and Tuesday, my car will probably be in the shop. It's making that terrible noise again and it's getting worse. UGHHHH!!!!

So this is probably my last update until I get into the new place next week.

And yes, I'm bringing socks to knit to the winery...

Two tragedies and new furniture...

You know the old saying "If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have luck at all?" It seems to be defining my life of late. I did learn several important lessons this weekend. That glass shelf that sits above your crisper. Yes, you know the one. Well, if a small jar of pickle relish should jump out of your hand and careen towards that shelf, you should commit bodily harm to save the jar. You see, if you don't, that glass shelf will shatter into a million little pieces. Thankfully it was tempered glass so it wasn't shards, but a million pieces all the same. Did I mention I'm moving in less than a week??? UGHHHH!!!! I did find out you could order the glass shelf over the internet, but I'm hoping I can find someone in St. Louis that would have them so I don't have to pay shipping and handling.

Lesson #2 - You should make sure that you close your trunk after you unpack it. This lesson was learned when I tried to start the car Sunday morning only to hear the clicking noise that said the battery was dead. In fact, the only thing working was the little indicator light on the dashboard telling me that the trunk was open. Yep. It was that kind of weekend.

The weekend wasn't all bad. I did find some furniture on Sunday. I bought a leather couch and chair/ottoman. It should be delivered sometime after the 24th. Yippee!! I also found a new shower curtain. It is embroidered with shoes and purses and dresses. I got the matching curtain holders that have the shoes, purses and dresses on them. I couldn't resist.

I have the greatest sock pal in the world!!!

So, I had a totally crappy day. People just don't think before they speak and then I came home to a package from my sock pal. A package all the way from my sock pal who is in China. Hurrah!!!

See all the wonderful stuff!! First off, the totally awesome socks that fit perfectly. Absolutely perfect. In the upper corner, there are two skeins of Chinese yarn made of Wool and Cashmere. Yes Cashmere. Yummy!!! I can't stop petting it. Too fun. Two cool postcards, and a cute letter.

Here are my wonderful socks on my feet. These socks have been to the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. How Cool!!! How many people can say that???

Last, but not least, this was included. Not sure it's exact purpose, but I'm going to hang it in my office at work.

Maybe it will ward off the weirdos who seek to drive me crazy (today was a close call...). Maybe it will scare people and give me some peace and quiet. Anyway, it's just darn cool!

Thank you Sock pal!!!

I'm pleased to present my chair. This would be the only chair besides my computer chair in the house, so this is a very important chair. Yes, the couch and the love seat were dragged off tonight by a couple of very young kids beginning their life together. This will force me to go and buy some furniture this weekend...

I didn't make it to join the knitting posse tonight. The young couple got stuck in traffic and were late, so I didn't make it tonight. Very sad. Did I pack instead you ask??? Silly question. Of course not. I watched Wednesday night TV. I got sucked into America's Next Top Model.

The world is truly ironic. I've lived in this apartment for 2 years. I've met one of my neighbors and that was only because he wanted to ask if I heard another neighbors tv. Tonight, met the new guy moving down the hall. New guy who is roughly my age and decent looking, with good looking friends who helped move him in. Friends, that could potentially hang out with him. I'm moving out in 11 days. Where is the justice in the world????

Now, a smart person wouldn't give away their couch until they had another one. A smart person wouldn't give away their loveseat at the same time as they gave away their couch. Yep, I'm that person. #1 on the moving "to do" list...BUY NEW FURNITURE!!!! Giving away my furniture and sitting on a lawn chair for a week and a half will force me to actually take the plunge and buy new furniture. It's always such a tricky thing buying new furniture. I've finally decided that I want a black leather couch and a chair/ottoman combo. The question now comes to what kind of fabric on chair-ottoman. Leather...solid color...stripes of some sort??? Hmmmm... What to do, what to do.

Packed away the last of yarn and needles and knitting paraphenalia yesterday. Still have a lot more junk to pack.

Going Buggy

I never knew there were so many bugs in my apartment. I don't know if they've been here all along or if they're coming in to escape the cold, but dang!

I keep packing and packing and packing and throwing stuff away and putting stuff in the donation pile and never seem to get anywhere. When did I accumulate this much crap??? UGHHH!!! I think I need to move every couple of years just to clear it out. My lord.

No knitting going on, just packing. My couch is leaving me on Wednesday evening, so I really need to find a new one for my new apartment or I'm going to be sitting on my lawn chairs in the new place...

Procrastination

I'm moving in two weeks and I have hardly anything packed. No dishes, no clothes, some books and the yarn. Why the yarn first, I'll never know. Ughhh!!