bag 'n' trash -- home of monster yarn

Whatever I Want Wednesday

so if you post photos to flickr, you are probably already familiar with the Face Your Manga site.  manga faces have been popping up left and right.   if you aren't, what it allows you to do is create your own manga image.

or that of your husband. 

for example, here's j. 

and this is me...

you'll notice that i'm scowling.  because j is flipping me the bird.

and let's not forget ...

me with googlies!

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day 124 -- there is never a bad time for googlies.

Along 495

so as i said before, last friday J threw me out of the house.  he didn't want me underfoot while he worked on the house (or thought about working on the house).  i cramp his style it seems.  but who was i to argue, as it just meant that I DIDN'T HAVE TO HELP HIM.   (he's uncommunicative at best and gets made at me when i don't do what he asks me to.  funny how that works.  if i don't know what you want me to do, how can i be expected to do it.  right?)

so i went on my own little yarn crawl. 

first stop, Harvard MA and a great little shop called "The Fiber Loft."   i really liked this shop.  nothing fancy.  but i liked the friendly, yet discrete customer service and i thought the shop had a nice selection of a little bit of everything: various sock yarns, including some koigu, kureyon sock, and claudia handpaints (other stuff too, i just didn't take notes).  the shop also carries spinning and weaving equipment, cone yarns, fiber.  this shop isn't super close to my house, but it's easy to get to, and i'll definitely be back.

my next stop was Littleton, MA and The Woolpack.  Crochet friendly (yep, it said so in the window), this shop was considerably larger the The Fiber Loft and also carried some great yarns, like colinette jitterbug, and mission falls, etc..  and some wonderful bags, such as the latest line from Namaste and beautifully colorful bags from Atenti.  it's quite possible that i may have spent a lot of time petting an Atenti bag.  and what they didn't carry, i got the impression from eavesdropping on customer calls, that they are willing to order it. 

then i headed north on 495 to Lowell and to the Classic Elite Warehouse shop.  Finding it was a bit of a challenge, even with the garmin and once i got there i was a little surprised by how small it was.  but that didn't keep me from buying yarn.  *cough*.

finally, since i was missing the ocean, i drove east to Salem, MA.  my planned stop was Seed Stitch a very fancy "boutique" shop.  i couldn't tell you what yarns they sold here (by the time i got to Salem, i'd kind of had enough of yarn) but it's the kind of shop that when i imagine having a yarn shop that i would want to have.  you know, if i could also serve cocktails.  i didn't stay for long since i'd arrived just minutes before closing time, but if you live near there, i recommend that you stop in.

oh so you probably want to know what i bought.

first from the fiber loft:

 

a skein of araucania ranco sock yarn in a pretty purple, and two skeins of claudia handpaints in "lipstick." (i also picked up a copy of deb menz's oeuvre color in spinning.)

and from the classic elite warehouse store:

i picked up a few skeins of cotton classic (i'm hoarding skeins of cotton classic for a mitred square blanket); a skein of cherry tree hill sock yarn, a skein of noro silk garden sock yarn, and a skein of araucania ranco multi (not pictured).  i kind of went a little crazy at the classic elite store.

so that was my trip! 

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day 123 -- my timing was a bit off because i really didn't feel like buying anything at the fiber revival so soon after such a binge.

Monday Slacker

today's post was supposed to be about the shopping i did over the weekend.  you know, when j threw me out of the house.

but tonight was knit night and i didn't get a post out earlier.  so i'm going to have to postpone.

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day 122 -- just think what you have to look forward to!  oh ... i got carded today.  isn't that crazypants?!

I Need A Vacation

this summer is almost over and today while talking to my parents, it occurred to me that j and i haven't had a "real" vacation in over a year.  and i know, "boo-hoo fucking hoo," some of you are thinking.  "we haven't had a vacation in 5 years ..."  or whatever.

yeah, well, bite me.

i've gone without a vacation years at a time, but this summer, not going away for even a few days, is really weighing on my psyche.  i've taken a few days off here and there, but somehow staying at home, and cleaning the house, or thinking about cleaning the house, just hasn't cut it.  because i'm still me.  and i still live in a house half one-third covered in tyvek (yep!  j's made progress on the house!).  and i still have to think about what to make for dinner, etc.  and i still have to do the dishes, and clean the litter box, etc.

thing is, j can't get any time off this summer and going away by myself just doesn't sound like fun.  so i'm kind of at an impasse.  oh well.  *sigh* 

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day 121 -- and those concludes the whining portion of our program

Saturday Sky

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day 120 -- long day

"Candy" Friday

i got kicked out of my own house today.  several weeks ago i planned on taking today off.  both bosses would be away.  meetings were canceled.  seemed like a good idea.  but j also wanted to take today off to work on the house and he wanted me gone. 

who am i to argue.

so i went yarn shopping.  heh heh.  i might have brought some home.

tomorrow i'm going to the fiber revival.

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day 119 -- the photo has nothing to do with the post.  but i couldn't leave the post photo-less.

Thursdays are for Quizzes

Sure, why not?

Your Deadly Sins

Sloth: 80% Pride: 60% Wrath: 40% Envy: 20% Greed: 20% Lust: 20% Gluttony: 0% Chance You'll Go to Hell: 34% You will die with your hand down your underwear, watching Star Trek.

How Sinful Are You?

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day 118 -- really?  gluttony 0%?  really?  sloth on the other hand, is right on the money.

WIP Wednesday

this week's WIP wednesday won't be about anything i'm working on.  no, this week i'm going to tell you about the fabulous dress that stitchy mcyarnpants is working on.

it's a beer can dress or should i say "gown."

oh yes, you read that correctly.  and it's for an excellent cause. 

anyway, monday night stitchy brought the bodice to knit night so we could check out her masterpiece in person.  here's the designer herself modeling it for us.  gorgeous!  check out the bows at the shoulder.

and diana showing us where she thinks there should be tassels.

finally, check out the versatility of this awesome dress.  even our very pregnant newest member looks beautiful in it.

looks like even THE BIG GUY might approve.  (i swear i heard angels singing).

it's just a matter of time before we see Stitchy on Project Runway.  I can see it now.

Michael Kors:  "This is Classic American Sportswear."

Nina Garcia:  "I don't know what to say.  I'm speechless."

Heidi Klum:  "I love it!  Now I know what to wear to Octoberfest!"

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day 117 -- auf Wiedersehen!

Would You Hire This Woman?

this weekend i took some "professional"  head shots of a friend of mine. 

well i was trying to be professional at least.

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day 116 -- how am i supposed to work under these conditions?  seriously.

More Babies

this is my niece.  she is 18 months old.  i see her every few weeks or so, so it's not like she doesn't know me.  but for some reason, i'm not her favorite aunt quite yet.  she still hasn't figured out that as her only childless aunt -- you know, the one who doesn't have a college tuition or two to pay for down the line -- that it would be in her best interest to suck up to me.

she's young yet.

but she does love cupcakes.  and i don't think there's anything wrong with giving her cupcakes if it gets her to not scream her head off when i pick her up.

5 second rule!!

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day 115 -- i've also started carrying dumdums in my pockets now when i see her.  that wouldn't be wrong, would it?

Seeing Red

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day 114 -- i had a fun day today.  i just wish i didn't live so far from everyone.

Saturday Skyless

Today's sky was beautiful.  It was a brilliant blue and the clouds were big and puffy, with shadows and highlights.  But did i get a picture of this sky?  Of course not.  While I was home, I was too lazy to get the camera.  And when I finally left the house to run some errands, it didn't occur to me to bring the camera with me. 

I spent most of the day with the Olympics on  the TV.  But I can't tell you what I actually watched.  There was some weightlifting, I know.  And a lot of volleyball.  And soccer.  I love the Olympics and I'm a sucker for the "stories" of some of the athletes.  But I think I prefer watching the individual sports vs. the team sports.  Not that this has anything to do with anything.  One question though.  Do the beach volleyball suits for the women really need to be that miniscule?  I mean really.  What is up with that?  The men wear shirts for freak sake!

That's all for today.   I leave you with a gratuitous bunny shot.

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day 113 -- during the opening ceremonies last night, did anyone else want to poke bob costas in the eye?  because really the 13 year old boy snark was getting on my nerves. 

Eye Candy Friday ....

after almost a month of what felt like non-ending garter sttich, i am done.  oof!

after dyeing this yarn, i knew that whatever i ended up making with it, i didn't want it to be complicated or distracting.  for me, the fun of knitting this up was to watch the color combinations change over the length of the scarf. 

deep cherry red and purple, sage green and yellow, a little too much pink (oh well). 

but a 68 inch scarf knit in garter stitch in laceweight yarn on size 3 needles -- talk about an undertaking.  i'm glad to have this one off the needles if only because i want to knit something else but i really enjoyed the whole process, from the dyeing on.  don't be surprised if you see another one some day.

i knit this scarf for a friend who has been going through some crazy times.  i hope she likes it.  details are raveled.

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day 112 -- it's super soft too

Time for a Quiz!

i'm tired tonight so i'm copping out with a couple of quizzes

You Are 50% Boyish and 50% Girlish

You are pretty evenly split down the middle - a total eunuch. Okay, kidding about the eunuch part. But you do get along with both sexes. You reject traditional gender roles. However, you don't actively fight them. You're just you. You don't try to be what people expect you to be.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

well since it appears i'm half boy ...

Your Penis Name Is...

Pee Wee Herman

Penis Name Generator

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day 111 -- what's your penis name?

WIP Wednesday

last time i talked about my tomatoes, this is what was going on. 

that was two weeks ago, so it's time for an update.

the good news ...

this is what my tomato plants look like.  i didn't really think twice about how crazy the foliage was until i saw claudia's plants and ashley's.   

the bad news ....

they've got actual red tomatoes.  i do not.  maybe if my first couple hadn't contracted the rot, i'd have red tomatoes now.  who knows.

the good news ...

i have about 15 smaller green tomatoes (and a couple of bud fruits) growing ROT FREE!! 

it's been a little nerve wracking though.  see, norma told me that to prevent the rot and yellowing leaves, i needed to treat my tomatoes with epsom salts (for the magnesium) and bone meal for the calcium.  the thing is, although i had epsom salt at home, i didn't have bone meal and i didn't have time before my long weekend away to go pick any up.  and i didn't want to leave the plants untreated for 4 additional days.  so i got creative.  and planted a TUMS at the base of each plant.  i figured it couldn't hurt and TUMS are made up of calcium carbonate.

and so far it's working.

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day 110 -- i also had some of my basil on my pasta for dinner

Resigned

raise your hand if you've got a backhoe in your yard!

i do!  i do!  i bet you wished you had one.

want to know what happens to a 60 year old, non-working backhoe that's allowed to just sit for oh i don't know -- 3 years?

mother nature takes over.

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day 109 -- our neighbors love us

Lust

i have serious iphone lust.  at knitnight tonight i was surrounded by 4 iphone people.  i don't need an iphone.  i just want one. 

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day 108 -- if i had an iphone, i could have blogged at knitnight. 

Random Sunday

another weekend come and gone and i kind of feel as if it passed in a flash.  don't they all?

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day 107 -- eh, nothing.

Saturday Sky

today's sky is grumble-y and dark and ominous.  it's been pouring off and on for about an hour and a huge gust of wind came through earlier and knocked my tomatoes over. 

i spent a large chuck of today (i kid you not) putting some stamping items up on ebay.  a few years ago, i gave stamping a try but i didn't really take to to it.  so now i've got tons of rubber stamping stuff that i still need to get rid of.  you know, the stuff left over after giving some away to my nieces.  you can click here if you'd like to see what i have listed. i just can't bear to just throw it all away.

anyway, i have to go out and buy some stuff for a salad.  we're invited to friends tonight for dinner.  i leave you with this picture i took last weekend while driving home from my inlaws. 

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day 106 -- don't forget.  stamping crap listed on ebay.  get it now!

Eye Candy Friday

when air and water mix

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day 105 -- from wendy's yard.  no such loveliness in my yard.  but hey, just the other day i saw a ground hog come out of one of the dozens of sink holes we have in our yard.  and man was he huge.  big butted huge.  as soon as he saw me, he flew back into his hole.