bag 'n' trash -- home of monster yarn

Meatheads, Meatheads, Roly Poly Meatheads

so i joined larissa's meathead knitalong, because it looked like fun.  knit a very cute hat and embellish it which ever way i want.  and if you're lucky, your hat will get included in a book.  these were parameters i could live with.

so i present to you my version(s) of the meathead.

naked, but with cat.

after considering a fibery embellishment or a crocheted flower, i decided to make some marble pins.  you know, where you take an image and glue it to a flattened glass marble type thingy.  (such a wordsmith, i am).

so here's what i came up with.

 

this one's my favorite though ...

i think you can guess why...

meatheads meatheads, eat 'em up, YUM!

 

Stitchy's Coming to Medfield!!!

it's official!!!

Stitchy McYarnpants is coming to Graceful Stitches!!!

Thursday, December 14th 2006 at 7pm.
505 Main St (Route 109) in Medfield, MA.

many of you have promised to come and visit on saturdays when i'm working there ... *cough* *cough* ... but now you've got no excuse.

if i can't guilt you into coming just to see me... then at least i can guilt you into coming to see stitchy.

i hear there will be snacks.  and possibly wine.  and of course lots of yarn.

W is for ....

Windows

i have a confession to make ...  i'm a bit of a peeping tom.  not in a gross, creepy sort of way, though.  really.  but more in a ... what kind of people live in that house? how have they decorated?  ooh i like the color of that wall  ... kind of way.    when i lived in boston, i used to enjoy walking through the backbay and the south end around dusk glancing through the windows to see what the interiors of these old brownstones were like.  it's a bit tougher to do out by me now since i'm usually driving by.   but i still take quick little peeks. 

i've always been interested in what's going on inside.  when i was a kid, i used to draw these elaborate house interiors on sheets of graph paper taped together so large that i needed to use a yardstick to make my measurements. 

i think that maybe that's why i like to read blogs.  in  a way, a blog is like looking into someone else's world, their stuff, their homes, their lives.  without the risk of being accused of being a little creepy.  usually. 

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i'm not exactly sure that i understand what's going on here -- but i'm going to do this because cate asked so nicely.  some guy has this project where he's trying to determine how fast a meme can get around the blogosphere.  i'm to beg you to link to his project page as well ... so i'm begging ... he's a poor graduate student FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!! and then ping technorati.  be sure to post plenty of cat pictures ... i think he likes them.

this is what evil looks like by the way ... really. 

Crochet Unto Others

i haven't done much knitting or crocheting for charity this fall.  my total for caps for kids .... goose egg (although i did donate some yarn). 

but i have been "working" most saturday mornings at graceful stitches.  and remember this? 

ta-daa!

my favorite part of this bag is the button.  5 skeins of mercerized cotton (i don't remember the name of the yarn, but we carry it at the store) with a size 5 crochet hook.  oh and it's for sale.

V is for ...

Vaux Sur Mer

when i go to France, Vaux sur Mer (Vaux on the Sea) is where i ultimately end up.  it's where i spent my summers as a teenager, and where my parents have retired.  In the winter, it's quiet and a little depressing.  half of the shops are closed, many of the houses are inoccupied, and the skies are gray. during the months of June, July and August, though, it's vacation-o-rama (ohh another "V" word) when tourists from all over europe come for the beaches.

the beaches ... right.  i don't have a picture of the beach. 

sorry.  alrighty ... that's "V." 

 

Giving Thanks

i hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving.  ours was great.  i'm very lucky to have awesome inlaws who have sucked me into their wild and crazy family.  crazy in a good way.  you know ... the kind of crazy with laughter ... not the kind of crazy with plates getting thrown across a room, slamming doors, and crying.

anyway .... remember when i half seriously threw out this challenge?   well elizabeth took me up on  it.  look what came in the mail on saturday (receiving gifts of fiber and yarn does not constitute  cheating on the diet by the way).

4 oz of shetland wool called "bittersweet skies."  isn't it pretty?

U is for ....

UP!

i spend a lot of my time looking down at my feet so i don't step in dog poop, or trip over my own big feet.  when i'm in france though, i spend a lot of my walking time with my eyes gazing upwards (ironic considering the risk of stepping in dog poop is considerably greater there then here, although not nearly as bad as when i was a kid).  you never know what you'll see.

the eiffel tower from the inside.

and up the side.

le sacre coeur.

the inner curve of the arc de triomphe

la sainte chappelle exteriors.

and interiors.  the stained glass in the upper chapel of la sainte chapelle is considered the best example of stained glass in the world. 

the ceiling of  bir hakim metro station (you get off here to go to the eiffel tower)

through a window at versailles.

of course, if you spend all of your time with your head in the clouds, you're bound to miss little gems like this small plancard that i spied on the back of a motor scooter. those french are so wacky sometimes.

Stop the Madness!

so it's official.  i need to go on a yarn diet.  starting right this very minute.  because i've lost control .... months ago.

just this past weekend, while working at graceful stitches saturday morning, i came home with a couple of skeins of really nasty novelty yarn to make my christmas trees.   then i drove over to franklin mills (what a fun place!) and bought two skeins of lamb's pride bulky.  i'm making a meathead. 

now the problem is that this has been a typical weekend for me lately.  too much yarn ... too little time.  this doesn't even take into account the fiber i've been hoarding ...  just ask adrian.

unfortunately, i'm not very good with diets.  yarn or otherwise.  yes, last year i lost a total of 13 lbs.  from the time my parents came to visit in september until now, i gained back 10.  pathetic i know (but hardly surprising that this weight regain began with my parents visit ...  I KNOW THAT I'M AN ADULT AND SHOULDN'T BE BLAMING MY PARENTS BUT HEY IT'S MY BLOG AND I CAN DO THAT IF I WANT TO,  SO THERE.)

so a yarn diet will be a challenge.

since going cold turkey might be setting myself up for failure as well as not practical, i have set up a few rules.

1.  cut out the junk food ... in yarn terms that means, no just buying yarn because it's pretty ... or it needs a home ... or you feel sorry for it.  novelty yarn that is 50% off is still too much money spent even if it is for charity.  and it'll only make me feel worse later on and bloated with the salt and the orange cheeto fingers which laugh at me for being weak.

2.  eat the healthy foods that i have in the pantry/freezer and not go out and order $30 worth of takeout just because i don't feel like cooking ... look in the stash, chances are i have something that i can use.  if not, use the yarn that i do have as inspiration.  for the love of god, make something from the One Skein book! 

but if i'm going to be successful, i'm going to need to give in a little ..

1.  it's ok to buy knitting tools such as needles, bags, accessories ... i mean, if i'm going to eat brown rice, i need a rice cooker, nice plates so i don't feel too deprived, a blender for the low cal smoothies.  and size 1 circular needles to try knitting socks on two circulars because kellee told me to...and a pretty bag to carry them in  ... and ...

2. buying yarn for projects for other people, ie. my future niece/nephew, friends, family.  it's my job as the only knitter in my real life non-knit blogging world.  because when i'm on a diet, i still bake brownies for J. and thanksgiving's just around the corner and i'm in charge of chocolate.  if i came over with oatmeal and egg whites instead of chocolate, oh and the kahlua, it wouldn't be nice. (someone else is bringing salad.)  i'm dependable.  and when i'm given a task, i complete it.  and if i need yarn for a project that i've committed to, i must buy it.   it's my job.

3.  buying knitting books and magazines.  again, just because i'm not supposed to be stuffing my face, doesn't mean i don't purchase a cook book.  i mean, pretty yummy pictures are what sustain me.  besides books are good.  reading is fundamental and all that.

ok.  i think i have this thing under control.  for now.  until further notice...

 

Double Secret Knitting

i've been doing a lot of knitting behind the scenes but unfortunately i've got nothing to show.  i have a new niece/nephew coming (you know the one i get to influence from day one -- *evil cackle*) but all attempts i've made at baby knitting have been abysmal failures.  maybe it's because i dared bring acrylic blend yarn to rhinebeck.  (the horror!!!!)  i think i've broken the curse, i'm working on a blanket that i actually like, but i'd like to reserve any enthusiasm until later for fear of sabotaging myself. 

i've also got some secret knitting going on.  helping out a friend...(and soon another) ... so you can't see it.  ha!

and i've done a little spinning ... 2 weeks ago.  you know if i spent more time spinning i probably would improve.  look what happened after only 2 hours with carole and blogless sharon?  not too bad.  no?

this wool was sent to me by maggi (along with wonderfully scented soaps that she makes ).

sorry, that's all i've got for now...

OK Winter ...

so although it's been unseasonably warm, with no sign of snow in the forecast (this is unusual since usually we normally would have had at least one snowfall by now) the trees tell a different story.

this is what my trees looked like on september 16.

september 25th.

october 16th

october 25th

november 4th

november 15th

......  Bring it ON!!!!

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UPDATE -- GAH!  i just ordered my birthday/christmas present since there was a sale going on...i can't tell you what it is, because well it's a present and it's a surprise.  i can hardly wait to see what it is!

Bored

i stole this outright from michelle and carolyn.

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

No.
Explanations.

1. Yourself: frustrated
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend (spouse): cute
3. Your hair: mess 
4. Your mother: certifiable
5. Your father: patient.
6. Your favorite item: yarn.
7. Your dream last night: forgotten
8. Your favorite drink: coffee.
9. Your dream car: mini
10. The room you are in: comfy
11. Your ex: wrong
12. Your fear: dependency
13. What you want to be in 10 years? exceptional
14. Who you hung out with last night? J
15. What You're Not? thin
16. Muffins: english
17. One of your wish list items: nikon
18. Time: fleeting
19. The last thing you did: ate
20. What you are wearing: pyjamas
21. Your favorite weather: crisp
22. Your favorite book: countless
23. The last thing you ate: dessert
24. Your life: secure
25. Your mood: tired
26. Your best friend: husband
27. What are you thinking about right now? words
28. Your car: dream 
29. What are you doing at the moment? blogging
30. Your summer: busy
31. Your relationship status: forever
32. What is on your TV? ER
33. What is the weather like? downpours
34. When is the last time you laughed? tonight

SockNovemberFest

since august, my internal clock has been off.  time has been going by too fast and i haven't been able to catch up.  rhinebeck happened a week before i was prepared for it.  THANKSGIVING IS FRIGGIN' NEXT WEEK!!!!  my socktoberfest socks weren't started until halloween (for which i was woefully unprepared as well.)  (in my defense, having my parents around for 2+ weeks means that i regressed about 30 years and so maybe that's why i feel things are off.  i'm still trying to catch up.)

so, you may have read a few weeks ago that i only use DPNs when making socks. and i was quite forceful about it. 

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method? dpns  baby.  5 of them.  i tried magic loop and wasn't all that convinced.  besides, why fix it if it ain't broke.

hmm ok.  in the above photo, you'll notice ... yeah ... magic loop.   see, one day last summer, wendy i think it was, tried to show me how magic loop worked and i was a bit dismissive because my brain had trouble getting around what she was showing me.  (i'm also a bit of a weirdo in that i don't like asking people for help. and have i  mentioned that i can be stubborn?)  anyway, after having to crawl on a commuter train floor to find a wayward dpn, i said fuck it.  i'm going to figure out this magic loop thingy or die trying (have i mentioned that i can be stubborn?)  and figure it out i did.

it's not perfect.  it can be awkward at times, and pulling the cord through has cut down on my speed a bit but at least it's neat and orderly, and stitches down't fall off the needles when the sock is crammed in my bag,  and i'm not on my hands and knees in public places. 

(yes the original sock had ribs.  i frogged, it was too big).

the yarn is plymouth sockotta, color 12, knit on size 2, 40 inch addi turbos. 

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on a totally unrelated topic.  anyone else think those charles schwab animated ads with the people who look real but aren't are a bit freaky?  brrr.  they give me the creeps.

A Yarn About Yarn ...

or How Yarn Is Born.

it starts innocently enough with the  purchase  of 8 oz of blue faced leicester roving off of ebay ...

in a colorway called "autumn."  aptly named i'm thinking.

 

(hmmm a good thing to keep in mind...i'm just fluffy...i'm just fluffy ... i'm just fluffy)

after some pre-drafting, we begin with the spinning of singles.

we do our best.  (ever since rhinebeck, j's been encouraging me to practice since he now realizes that i'm not so good a spinner.)

spin spin spin ... over the course of several days.  until we are left with two full bobbins of singles.

a decision is made to ply.  so we shall ply.  let the plying commence.

look at that bobbin go! 

singles are now plied. 

ta-daa!  about 200 yards of worsted/bulky/superbulky 2-plied yarn.   don't mock.  people pay good money for yarn like this.

the end.

 

I Wonder What She Sees...

sorry, i've got nothing today.  well i do, but i'm too tired and just not feeling it. 

Pahk the Cah

phew ... well that's a relief.  even though i've lived in boston for 17 years and in the burbs an additional three, i'm proud to announce that according to this quiz that i swiped from elizabeth, i do not have a boston accent.

and that's wicked good news.  no offense to my in laws, my husband, or you other boston area folks, of course.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent."  You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas.  You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The Inland North
The Northeast
The West
Philadelphia
The South
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Eye Candy Friday

i have off from work today.  yay!  which means that i'm actually home during daylight hours so i'll be able to take some pictures.  in the meantime, for eye candy friday, i'm going back into my trusty bag of pictures from france.  what am i going to do when i run out?

Calendar Girl

because she asked .. and it's her birthday month.  and also there's a contest.   i have two monthly calendars, both of which hang in my kitchen.  they hang in my kitchen because the kitchen is the only room in the house that hasn't been redone, so the walls are peppered with nails and screws, from which i can hang my two calendars.

one calendar, i got for free from our oil company.  it's kind of cute, with art by norman rockwell.
this is what we have for november. 

hmmm a couple of sailors, hanging out, talking about their girls back home, having a smoke.  one guy touching the other, the other giving him the hairy eyeball.  "dude, that's my knee."

and here's my other calendar, every month another sunflower picture.  by now you know how i love my sunflowers.

there you go deb -- happy birthday!

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and what's this?  a sock?  just  in time for sockoctoberfestwhatdoyoumeanit'snovember?

in my defense, i did cast on in october. 

The Witch Is Dead!

Ding-dong the witch is dead
Which old witch? The wicked witch
Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead
Wake up you sleepyhead
Rub your eyes, get out of bed
Wake up the wicked witch is dead
She's gone where the goblins go
Below - below - below
Yo-ho, let's open up and sing and ring the bells out
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low
Let them know the Wicked Witch is dead

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well she's almost dead....i'll be paying close attention to what's going on in montana and virginia

Update:  Montana's gone blue!  One more to go.....  And holy shit!!! This just in!!! Rumsfeld is stepping down!

Just Go Vote...

two years ago i was very very disappointed and that made me pissy for a good 3 or 4 months.  don't disappoint me again.

if you love your country, go vote.

if you support the troops, go vote.

if you love your kids, go vote.

if you love your gay friends, go vote.

and if you love puppies and kittens, go vote. 

and for the love of god and everything that is holy, vote for a democrat this time...

do not make me have to beat you with a stick ...

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click here for some information on who to contact should you experience or notice any voting *cough* irregularities.

Just Under The Wire ...

i give you sky on a saturday...

taken about a month ago at 5:28 am. 

Pretty Red Berries

i planned on posting these pictures this morning for eye candy friday, only to find out that carole beat me to it. (i did not copy carole!)  carole says they're called bittersweet and that they signal the coming of winter.  it's a good thing we've got carole to teach us stuff, because i was just going to call them "little red berries that are really pretty but are probably poisonous and will kill you dead or give you a bad tummy ache should you eat them."

wouldn't these colors (with the light blue of the sky) make a beautiful colorway?  hey you talented dyers out there....get to it!!!!

T is for ...

Talmont-sur-Gironde

Talmont is a tiny village (population 83 give or take) that juts out into the estuary of the Gironde.  it's about 10 miles from my parent's house and it's a place i insist on visiting everytime i go home.

i've already shown you the hollyhocks. 

my favorite thing to do is walk along these narrow alleyways and paths, wondering what life might have been like here centuries ago. 

for most visitors, though the highlight is this 11th century romanesque style church, Sainte Radegonde. 

and its tiny cemetery. 

both of which overlook the gironde and are protected from the tides by these centuries old fortifications.

i really love this place. 

 

What Have You Done For Me Lately

i've spent the past couple of weeks working on a baby blanket for my future niece or nephew (the doc says it looks like a girl, the mom says it's a boy -- tune in in January) and it has sucked.  baby yellow and white doesn't inspire me (although yellow is the favorite color of the mom) and the yarn i bought is too thin to knit up using one strand and too thick to double up.  so it's been a frustrating couple of weeks.  sunday, i decided to bag the whole idea and instead went shopping for the shower.  much better idea.

but i have been doing some knitting.

first some FOs

the sarah dallas blanket cardigan -- DONE

the plan was to finish by labor day -- it took a couple of more weeks.  i had to add a few inches to the sleeves, as they were too short and narrow, not fitting into the armsyche.  i love the gray detailing.  this sweater is comfy and warm, but not the most flattering.  but that's ok, because sometimes a person needs a hug of a sweater.  also the patons merino is already pilling (i think i used 5 skeins).

charlotte's web -- DONE

the web took me at the most 10 days to finish.  i left it crochetless and fringeless  -- not a big fan of fringe -- and i really like it this way.  my favorite part is the last color that i used, the one with this acid green, turquoise, and orange.  sorry, i don't know the color.  i bought this pattern as a kit ages ago.

and my version of fetching -- DONE

(yes, there are two of them) -- i used 1 skein and a yard or so of a 2nd skein of debbie bliss aran cashmerino.  i made one little modification.  for the right handed mitt, i inserted the thumb on the other side of the mitt by knitting/purling the insert thumb row until the last 7 stitches were i knit them with the waste yarn.   i like the fit better.

i've got some WIPs but i'll save those for another time.