bag 'n' trash -- home of monster yarn

Conference Calls Suck

at 5pm earlier today:  at this very moment ... right this second ... i'm sitting in my office "participating" in a bi-weekly conference call that more often than not makes me want to kill myself.  or someone else.

i say "participating" because in actuality i just sit and listen for my name to be mentioned should someone want to assign to me an asininely simple task that a monkey could do rather than ask their own staff to do it for them.  sometimes i, along with the other managers on this project, are insulted because you know, not having Ph.Ds or MDs we're clearly idiots. 

this conference call is probably one of the reasons why i hate mondays.

this monday is no different. right this second, one of the most annoying members of this group is droning on about his/her research.  s/he will no doubt monopolize the remainder of the call and oh there s/he goes ... mispronouncing my name again!  because it's not like we haven't been working together for ALMOST SEVEN YEARS!!!!  asshat.

at 8:35pm:  i'm home now.  i'm eating ice cream and i have new yarn to snorgle.

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day 12 -- yarn good.  mondays bad.

Yarn P*rn

every good girl has a bad boy in her past ... how can something so wrong feel so right?

Yes I'm Gloating

i try not to gloat too often.  first of all, it annoys the fuck out of me when others do it.  second of all, it's not a very nice thing to do. and finally, i have a pathetic need to be liked by practically everyone.  (it used to be EVERYONE and then i grew up a little.  so that's a sign of maturity.  i'm ok with having a few people not like me).

however, i can not be quiet about what greeted me when i got home from work yesterday.

i'm number 1 baby!!!

even the cat had to check it out.

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SQUARE UPDATE:   collectively, elisa and i have over 85 squares. i know that a few more should be coming in the mail in the next few days and that's great.  but if you planned on knitting a square but haven't done so already, please don't.  we have more than enough.  and elisa's going to have to sew them together and if you send us a hundred squares, elisa will sew 100 squares together, and that will break elisa.  and we don't want to break her.

thanks so much to all of you. 

by the way, i still haven't selected any contest winners.  and no, the fiddlehead mitten kit is not one of the prizes.  :P

 

B is for ....

of course, it's only B and i'm already behind.  *sigh*  oh well, i guess i've been too busy yarn shopping because ....

B is for Binge!

you know, because i didn't already have a large enough stash. 

so yeah, i've been a little out of control.  since christmas, i've done some damage and i'm afraid that i'm having a hard time stopping.

i'm going to blame this crazy shopping frenzy on the fact that i'm hungry most of the time with the weight loss plan and everything and the depression of being stuck on a weight loss plateau while the rest of you all eat yummy snacks that i can only dream about like a child and sugar plums.  see, i'm delirious with the hunger.

or i'm doing my part to help the US economy get back on it's feet.  yeah that's it. 

or maybe because all of this yarn is just so damn pretty. 

 

ooh pretty lorna's laces bullfrogs and butterflies for a clapotis (my third.  but this one is for me)

or some baby ull for adrian's snail  mittens in The Book of Yarn.

or ......   

some green alpaca for another gathered scarf . 

and then there's the sock yarn .  i kind of fell head first into a giant bowl of sock yarn.  but sock yarn is like vegetables .. NO POINTS!  so i can binge all i want on sock yarn, right?  RIGHT?!

A Contest for Squares

hey everyone!  the response to my call has been awesome.  i know elisa's been really touched and i'm confident that this blanket will be beautiful.

to thank you all for participating, i'm going to have a little contest.  for every square i receive from you, i'll put your name into a hat (or bowl or bag) and award some prizes.  how's that?  i might have more than one prize even.

so, we need a deadline for the contest...how about thursday, february 14th. yep, that's valentines day.  i bet you didn't know i could be a bit of a sentimental sap.

Just a Yarn Cake Minding His Own Business

this day started like any other day.  a yarn cake just minding his own business, whistling a happy tune even.

and then DANGER struck!!! " NO!!!!!!!  HELP!!!!!!"  he screamed.

but his cries were in vain.

did the beast eat our yarn friend?  did she pull his yarn end and make him dance across the floor before getting tangled within his strands with a satisfied sigh of contentment?  tune in tomorrow (or maybe the next day -- tomorrow being more of a general time in the foreseeable future rather than actually the day after today) to find out.

this play in three acts is my entry in hannah's bittersweet contest.   i just discovered her thanks to oiyi.

Snow!

today was a good day.  i didn't have to go to work and we had our first snow of the season. 

i did some spinning, and i dyed some yarn (it's drying and it kind of looks ugly, but whatever) and a little knitting and ran some errands.  i watched my soap.  went to the store.  made a good dinner.  and took pictures of yarn.

by the way, just so you know.  this is NOT me.  just in case you were wondering.

A List: Indecision and Other Crap

1.  so operation "ripping the house apart" continues.  yesterday morning, as i was getting ready to leave for work, j was already outside tearing down the shingles on the west side of the house.

2.  nothing crafty or yarny has been going on.  well not really.  i've been messing around with the larger than life bag, crocheting, frogging, and recrocheting the sides of the bag.  if i were knitting this bag and had to frog this much, i would have thrown everything in the trash.  but the best thing about crochet ... only one live stitch.  rip with confidence.  why am i having such trouble with the sides?  i made some adjustments to the pattern so at this point, i'm winging it. 

oh, there has been some spinning.  so that part about "nothing crafty or yarny" going on at my house was a lie.

3.  i'm having a major case of startitis.  i want to start some new socks but i can't decide on which yarn to use.  what do you think? 

from left to right we have:  knitpicks essential, aracaunia sock, and mirasol peru hacho. 

4.  my love for npr has reached a new high.  a few days ago carole and i were "discussing" how we both had noticed that the leaves were changing really early this year.   or at least it seemed like it.  and that we always thought the same thing every year, that the leaves were changing earlier than we remember.  and that it must be because we were getting old (well carole said that, i didn't).  i noticed the first leaves changing august 11th.  well i was listening to npr the other day.  and get this.  WE AREN'T GETTING OLD!!  THE LEAVES HAVE STARTED CHANGING EARLIER THAN NORMAL!  the northeast has had a particularly dry summer and a dry summer causes the leaves to start changing earlier.  ha!  i knew i wasn't getting old.

and finally... 5.  did you know there's another maryse out there?  i was reading some comments and came across one posted by "maryse" and i thought, "i didn't write that comment.  did i?  maybe i did.  no, that doesn't sound like me."  and then i did the sensible thing.  i followed the link.  duh. 

hi "other" maryse!

An Ode to Cummington

it's official.  the MA Sheep and Woolcraft Festival is my favorite fiber festival.

even though i didn't have my usual energy and social butterflyness due to the sickness which had afflicted me, i still had a very good time socializing and shopping and admiring sheep.   again, i didn't come home with a fleece and the reason for that is that i don't like touching them.  i think they're gross.  but i had no trouble assisting in the enabling.  what i did come home with though is 13.2oz of this beautifully colored roving.  i can't remember the name of the booth where i purchased it, but it's not amy boogie's. 

here's what i got at amy boogie's. 

corriedale in "rocky mountain high"

bfl in "mash"

skinny sock in "leaf peep."  yeah i stopped there, but could have easily kept going.  willpower i tell you.

half of the reasons why cummington's  my favorite though  have little to do with the festival itself, but rather it's location.

first of all, it was the first time since december that i got to listen to Stephanie Miller in my car.  see, the boston area no longer has a progressive radio station.  turn to 1430 AM in boston and you've got 24 hour rumba.  not that i have anything against rumba, but i think that one of the most "blue"  cities in the country should have it's own  progressive radio station.  i find it pretty hard to believe that "24 hora rumba" makes more money.  northampton on the other hand isn't all about the rumba and still has a progressive station, so i was able to listen to a little stephanie on my way to the festival, which  made me very happy.

but that's not all.   i missed "this" on my way to cummington, which is funny as i was stuck helplessly behind some NH asshat who was going a good 10 mph BELOW the speed limit (you would think that going at a crawl would allow me to actually do a little sightseeing)  but caught it on my way home.  i had to stop.

minis!!!  a whole bunch of them!  really old minis.  really teeny tiny minis! (and another car that i can't identify).

i love minis.

then there's webs of course.  i went with the intention of purchasing a new bag or two.  but elisa and kellee had already been there, so they didn't have any of the colors i was looking for.  but that didn't mean i came home empty handed.  i bought some cotton classic  and a couple of skeins of silk garden.  i also came home with a big ass blocking board.  yes, the big ass size.  (the new bag(s) will be for another time.)

that's all i've got for today.

My NHSW

last year, NHSW was my first fiber fest ever.  and the weather conditions were heinous with all of the rain and the wind and did i mention the rain?   since the forecast indicated that the sun would be shining and the temps would hover around the 65 degree mark, i was a little concerned that the festival would be packed and would be more reminiscent of the madness that is rhinebeck.  but thankfully, i was wrong.

this year like last i didn't come home with a trunk full of fiber or some crazy fleece or anything like that.  i had a list in my head that included the following items:  addi lace needles, roving for practicing my spinning, and a big ass sausage.  check, check, check.

within a half hour of arriving i had found my addi lace needles at The [Chuck] Woolery (heh heh) booth.  i was very excited that i found the needles and yes, that means i plan on knitting lace .... some day. 

i bought a little scrap roving from  darlene and norm ratte from newport center, VT.  yep, that's 100% sheep.  gotta love 100% sheep wool and such a bargain too.

          

and then at some point in the afternoon, i ran into the boston girls (i'm not linking to them.  you know who they are) right in front of the grafton fibers booth.   i think it was kellee who grabbed me and pointed out a batt that she said reminded them all of me. 

hmmm.  so i remind them of the circus and clowns.  "not scary clowns though," clarified debbie. hmmm.  thanks guys.  see up until this point i fancied myself to have a rather sophisticated sense of color.  clearly, i'm wrong.  because when i protested, i was asked to pull out the sock yarn that i had purchased earlier.

oops.

but then, i considered the batt in question carefully and quickly threw it into my bag.  one woman's "clown spore" is another woman's "rainbow flag," which i can totally stand behind.

of course, it was a great time, but at the end of the day, i was in complete agreement with this little girl.

And the Oscar Goes To ...

no oscar recap today because i didn't watch the awards.  but i do have some winner's to announce...

yes, for today's installment of "Things I Like Monday" i'm going to start with:

1.  Picking Winners.  I picked two winners for the sock rules contest.  One winner was selected using the random number generator.  and that person is vrkdorell.  if this is your entry ... please leave me a comment or email.

the second was hand selected by j.  i asked him to pick the one picture that caused him the most visual discomfort.  i'm surprised (this is not the most heinous combo in my opinion) and yet not, by his selecgtion (when i painted our bathroom a light yellow, he went and got the neighbor across the street to ask her if the color wasn't a bit too bright)   congratulations kat ... he picked you.  email me your address and i'll send you something knitterly ... or not. 

2.   I like finishing projects.  i have a couple to show.  tomorrow when i'm not so pooped.  (it's 10:30 -- way past my bedtime.  yes, i'm pathetic).

3. And I like getting excited about new projects.  I have a couple in mind.  Here's a hint for one of them.

(if you like the bag, you can get your very own right here.)

ok, i'm going to bed. 

It's Only Been a Year

over a year ago, i purchased 4 oz of merino in this yummy pink grapefruit color from michelle at fun with yarn. 

monday, while watching the devil wears prada (ok movie.  book was kind of just ok too.) i finally spun it up.  last night i plied.

yeah, my spinning still ain't all that great, mostly because i just don't have the patience.  and that's ok with me.  surprisingly enough, the skeins are pretty balanced so whatever i make with this shouldn't be all wonky, so that's a good thing.  this is my first time spinning merino too.  and it's very soft but i had some jerky moments drafting and spinning at the same time.  which is why i have some really fat parts and some super thin parts.

whatever.  it's not a competition.

 

MMMMM Cake...

Today's "Things I Like Monday" is easy  most notably because of reason number one.

1.  Today is a holiday so i didn't have to go to work.  I like not having to go to work.  Droopy cat had to go into the vet this morning because of bit of a health emergency over the weekend, but she's better and her feline leukemia test came back negative. 

2.  I like cake.  And my inlaws loved Crazy Aunt Purl's  Oma's Chocolate Cake recipe.  My inlaws like to celebrate birthdays (this weekend we celebrated J's) and i've been instructed to bring Oma's cake back again.  Thanks Laurie for sharing this wonderful recipe. 

3.  And i like cake ... yarn cakes of all of my handspun yarn.

here's the bittersweet skies shetland

some grey wool of unknown sheep origin (the wool was a very generous gift from maggie).

and some blue faced leicester.  who needs to go to SPA?

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my sock contest is now closed.  i'll be awarding two prizes.  one winner will be selected at random.  the other winner will be the one combo that causes J's eyes to burn the most.  his taste tends to be a little conservative so this should be fun, for me anyway.   i hope to announce the winners in the next couple of days. 

Things I Like Monday

J calls me a pessimist (i prefer to think of myself as a realist) and one of his pet names  for me is groucho farts.  at work, i get 10 minutes every friday at the start of our weekly data meeting to complain about some of the prima donnas and lazy ass fuckwits that i have to deal with on a daily basis.  it's not written on the agenda, but if i start complaining during the week, one of my bosses tells me to "save it for friday."  and like elisa, i hate mondays with every strand of DNA in my body.  (trust me, there's a lot of DNA).

all of this negativity isn't good for me, especially with this dark cloud of doom that's been following me around lately.

so stealing the idea from the mafia lady and putting my own spin on it,  every monday,  i'm going to try and find at least 3 things that i feel positive about. 

1.  i like the smell of christian dior lipstick and lip gloss.  well i like the smell they used to have.  they don't smell like that anymore.  revlon liptick used to have a good smell too.  um.. ok.  not so positive. this one doesn't count.

2.  i like listening to audio books in my car.  this weekend i went to  the local library and checked out a couple of audio books.  i don't know the name of the book i'm listening to right now but hope davis' voice is very soothing and my heart didn't even skip a beat when i noticed a state cop following me in my rear view mirror this morning.

3.  i like blue and orange together.

4.  i like bananas.  they're a fruit, so they're good for you with the potassium and the fiber and yet they taste and feel decadent to me.  plus they come in a cute little package.

5. i really like that the dixie chicks took every award that they were nominated for in the grammys last night.  take that you conservative, bush ass-kissing, country music establishment.  (was that kind of negative?)

so not bad.  i managed 5.  well three anyway, and two that are kind of not quite as positive  but not totally negative.

BIG ASS SALE!!!!!

BIG SEMI-ANNUAL SALE AT GRACEFUL STITCHES

THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, JANUARY 19-20, 2007

ALL YARN IS 25% OR MORE. 

REMEMBER THAT ALL PROCEEDS GO TOWARDS CANCER RESEARCH AND CARE CHARITIES.  

I'll be working on Saturday from 10-1 so come and say hi.  and buy stuff.
 

Computer Says No

adrian did it...julie did it ... i did not.  what didn't i do?  i didn't make the cut.  it was a sad 15 minutes here yesterday, when i scrolled slowly down the page, noting with a surprisingly sharp sense of dread that my meathead had not been chosen to be included in larissa's book.  *sigh*  it wasn't that i was surprised that i hadn't made it.  i was surprised by how disappointed i was that i hadn't made it. 

so i did what any person would do in a time of mini-crisis, when broken, sad, demoralized...i went shopping...

the yarn diet ... SO OUT OF THE WINDOW!!!

and to prove that there was no jealousy involved ... i shopped at hello yarn.  (and if fricknits sold yarn, i'd probably have shopped there too).  i'm supportive of the winners even if i am a great big loser.

so without further ado ... i know you're all dying to see what i bought ... let me show you ...

Well, Hello there Yarn!

First of all, some Reverb Sock Yarn.  it's got that mix of acidic and jewel tones that i love.  my taste is clearly very sophisticated *snort*.
Then a skein of Hollyhock.  Because you know how i feel about the hollyhocks.

I now regret not picking up a skein of Festivus ... for the rest of us ... you know .... losers.  of which there is no more.  that'll teach me to ignore the rule of 3.

I'm considering this package a birthday present (1 more week people!!!) which in a way is an appropriate diet breaker.  i mean even on a diet, you're allowed to eat a piece of your own birthday cake ... right?

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totally unrelated ... well maybe not because it could involve shopping ... anyone going to the Bizarre Bazaar on Saturday in Boston?  I am ...  Find me ... That is if you want to be seen with a big fat losah!!

***********************************************

and we have another december birthday ... colleen!!! come on down!!!  go check out her adorable baby pictures and if you can tell colleen and i the name of that doll (not ronald) that she's holding there, maybe there's a prize in it for you.  from me.  not from colleen.  so tell me the name of the doll either in the comments or by emailing me.  don't tell colleen.  well you can tell her, but if you don't tell me, you won't be eligible for the contest.  she's not the one having the contest.   you have until friday, december 15th, midnight to guess. 

 

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...

 

A Bear in Sheep's Clothing

so of course there was shopping.  i bet you i'm the only girl to come home from rhinebeck with one of these..

grrrrr.  now that's a bandsaw.

   

but that's not all i came home with.

my first purchase, a little sheepy ornament ...

from carolina homespun i picked up one of these tubes of fiber

and 4 oz of multicolor merino in Baltic (and some additional denise cords and needle points)

from cloverleaf farms i picked up 9.5 oz of blue faced leicester

(the colors are off here, i mucked around with the light balance and still couldn't get the colors right)

from "i don't know where" i got a big ball of "i don't know what" -- i think it's merino.  i was taken with the color.

and from two places that i also don't remember, i got this lovely ashford niddy noddy (thanks laurie for advice on what to look for) and two skeins of trekking sock yarn.

mmm watermelony...

on sunday morning, i finally made it to The Fold where things were pretty picked over (i too saw the line on saturday, and said "fuck it") but there was still this poor little lonely skein of STR left... poor little guy. 

i mean, think about it.  people stood in line for hours to get a hold of this stuff, and yet this little guy in olivite was left.  i couldn't just let that be!  i had to give him love.  it was a matter of his little sock yarn self-esteem!  so although he didn't come in a color i would normally choose, i took him home anyway.   you could tell he was happy to be loved. 

look how happy he looks with the skein of blue moon worsted wear in "flourite" that i also picked up!  it warms my heart.  me and madonna, we're really two peas in a pod.

hmmm.  that's about it, this time around.  oh and of course, the very awesome bandsaw.  i'm just dying to try that bad boy out. 

 

Inspiration

More Yarn Porn

so you didn't think that my WEBS trip was the only reason i was freaking about about the buying of the yarn, did you.

HAHAHAHAHAHA

oh no...there's more.

you see, Graceful Stitches had their annual fall sale.  and so, again, remember it's for charity, i had to buy.   to be fair, i've actually lost my head far worse than this.

Point 5 Colinette -- 50% OFF!!

Berroco Optik -- 50% OFF

Cherry Hill sock yarn -- 20%  OFF!!!!   i love this colorway so much that i'm posting another picture.

*drool*

Two Weeks To Rhinebeck...

and i'm going on a yarn diet.  i know, that is crazy insane.  but i have to.  my yarn stash has gotten FAT FAT FAT.  and you're probably thinking, "so what's the problem?"  the problem is this .... i have all of this beautiful yarn -- and i'm not making anything.  it's just wrong.  (and i'm not even counting the fiber i've amassed.  i have to stop ordering from adrian because although i'm sure she's happy with the business, she'll start thinking that i need to have some sort of intervention.) 

so, in the hopes of getting a handle on things, this weekend i think i may actually do inventory on my stash.  with the geeky excel spreadsheet.

in the meantime, i present to you my latest acquisitions.

from WEBS two weeks ago ...

19 skeins of the most glorious dark teal colored noro cash iroha.  (there were 20 skeins, but i lost one between the warehouse and the cash register.)  i'm ok with a prime number's worth of skeins.

3 lbs (yes 3 lbs) of rug wool yarn.  and yes, i know it's too scratchy to make a sweater, and yes i know it's rug yarn.  and yes i will probably make a rug with it or some other item that need not be worn.  that is if i live long enough to get to it.  i have plans for this.  i really do.

three more skeins of noro kureyon for the lizard ridge. 

and two skeins of noro iro because the blues got to me.  DO NOT JUDGE. 

well that's it for now.  i'll show you more tomorrow or over the weekend.

So This Is Webs?

i went to WEBS for the first time sunday.  and i bought yarn.  that's all you need to know.  i might even argue that you didn't need to even know that, but i feel repentent.  i feel the need to confess, just ever so slightly.  consider this a mini confession.  when adrian received my helloyarn order last week, she asked if i were just a little obsessed with orange these days.   

at WEBS it was teal and blues.  dark intense teal.  noro cash iroha dark teal blue.  way too many skeins.  and well, there was other stuff.

but that wasn't the highlight of my trip to northhampton, MA.  no... the highlight was stitchy's first book signing event. 

and she totally rocked.  but you knew she would.    she was clever as always.  poised.  and didn't appear nervous one bit. 

we were all very proud of her. 

(kristen and elisa agree!)

I'm a Scurvy Dog

it's talk like a pirate day today.  i did not know this.  so how funny is it that i made a reference to pirates just yesterday?  arrrgggh.  a french pirate reference.  even if it's in the form of a finger puppet.  the lovely young lady modeling the finger puppet is my niece.  she's wicked smaht.  which i know is not pirate speak but how we talk in new england.  really.  all of us.  and maybe a new england pirate said that once.   maybe.

i just got me some serious booty over at hello yarn.  my blood sugar was a little low i think when it happened.  i can't be held responsible when my blood sugar is low. 

Summer's Back

it's a little warm and humid but today's sky is definitely a september saturday sky.

some yarn that i scored today at the store for 50% off because all of the skeins were orphans.  sweet...

oregano flowers

 

Oh, Right ... The Haul

sorry, i got distracted by the ABC-Along.  i had some serious catching up to do.

so the haul.  i did bring stuff home.

i brought home some pottery

this cute little chicken ...

and this sponge-brillo pad "hut"  and matching butter dish.

 

oh.. right, you don't want to see this crap...

so the yarn -- like i said before, i found very little but i couldn't leave one store without buying these three little skeins of italian cotton.  i loved the colors.  they'll be good for MDK inspired warshrags.

i also bought some beads.  these from the crafty shop where the lady didn't mind me taking pictures.

and these from la droguerie.  yes, i had the NERVE to pick up the jar that these shell beads were housed. 

and finally, the books.  OOOHHHH BOOKS.

of course i had to get the current issue of marie claires idees (and the special edition of prima -- another crafty mag).

and then i went a little nuts...

i love the title of this series of books...

Shhhhh.. I'm creating. (or  SHUT UP, I'M MAKING SHIT)

i got two -- one that uses every day sewing notions for making jewelery and other decorative items.  and one that uses beads and buttons for jewelery.

 

i also got a book on red embroidery.  this one reminded me of some of the japanese craft books we've been seeing.

then there's this one on crochet trims, and another put out by the people of DMC.

 

and last but not least, a couple of knitting books/mags.

 

and of course, i've told you about  the chocolate.

Black Sheep Have You Any Wool?

so ... the yarn...

there was none. 

or not much. 

before leaving for france i did my research and had a list of yarn shops that i needed to visit.  granted i didn't visit all of the shops on my list.  but those i did, were a disappointment. 

there were several phildars listed in paris.  i wasn't unable to find one.  they were gone.  poof.  even the one that used to be close to my brother's place ... it's now a trendy boutique for women who wear no larger than a size 2.  (hey skinny bitch with fake dark red hair that looks fake and scary dark tan -- i will eat you -- so don't even look at me that way).  another little shop that i found was closed for friggin' lunch until 3pm (i dropped by at 1).

i did stop by la droguerie but after getting yelled at for not knowing the rules about purchasing beads ... DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TAKE THE JARS OF BEADS OFF OF THE SHELVES!!!! ... i wasn't about to start looking too closely at the yarn.  i did manage to get this photo before catching another earful about taking photos of the inside of the store.  (i was being watched and for some reason -- my rusty french language skills, not wanting to appear like the "ugly american tourist" -- i'm much more easily intimidated in france than in the US).

i did  come across a phildar in la rochelle.  but i was with j and the nieces and didn't feel as if i could properly linger.   (again, i had to be quick with the camera to not raise suspicions).

but all was not lost.  in royan i came across this cute little craft shop with a very limited selection of yarn and crochet thread (although knitting isn't popular, crochet and needlework is a little more so.  as is beading) and beads ... the shop lady was nice and if she did notice me taking pictures, she didn't say anything.   

and when back in paris, after sending j and the nieces to the louvre (been there done that) i came across this craft/art store.   again, not much in the yarn department but several knitting books, translated from english,

wonderful crochet thread (which i've seen ads for in american publications so i'm keeping my fingers crossed),

needle felting materials and tools, cute little knitting and crochet kits,

sheep embroidery kits, and paint by number kits. 

stay tuned for the haul.

Charity Begins at Home

a week ago saturday was "closing for the summer" day at graceful stitches, the shop where i volunteer.  the place was rocking and knitters came in in droves to stock up on yarn for the summer.  (the shop will open again in september).  so of course, i had to do my part to fight cancer.

you'll notice a theme here.

2 skeins of colinette point 5 in this wonderful berry color.  i kept petting it.  it had to come home with me.

5 skeins (i know there's only 3 shown here) of touch me.  if i ever make a scarf again, i'm making vintage velvet from scarf style.  this picture does nothing for the color of this yarn.  trust me, it's so rich.

1 skein of berroco suede.  i have an idea of what i want to make with this but i'm not telling right now. 

For A Good Cause....

this friday and saturday was graceful stitches' spring sale.   all yarns were 25% off.  during a lull in the store, i filled my basket like a woman possessed. i generously donated to the cause. 
 

Noro, Cash Iroha.  5 skeins.  i have no idea what i'll make with this.  hat?  gloves? scarf?  big crocheted dildo? 

Colinette, Point 5, 2 skeins. Dark Umber.  i've admired and stroked lovingly these skeins, in this colorway.  so pretty.  no idea what i'll do with this.

Montana yarn in Hawaiin Punch, 1 giant skein, 550yards.  an impulse buy.  also lovingly stroked and admired.  maybe i'll make another clap.  or shawl.

 

 

Cotton Classic, 27 skeins.  how the buying frenzy started.  i blame it on this.... i'll need more though and at least a few more colors.

does this count as a tax deduction?  does it?

 

FREE YARN!!!!!

Just wanted to let you all know about the big sale at Graceful Stitches .

Spring Clearance Sale:
On Friday, May 19th & Saturday, May 20th all in-stock yarn will be 25% off.

100% of all profits from the store are donated to help those suffering from cancer.

Store Location:
505 Main Street (Rt 109)
Medfield, MA
508-359-1505

Store Hours (During school year):
Monday - Friday  9:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday 10:00  AM to 4:00 PM

I'll be working Saturday morning, so if you're in the area, stop by, say hello, and buy yarn.

Scary Knitters

so it's march.  and i can't remember if it came in like a lion or not.  it's been pretty chilly around these parts   (hitching up of pants) these past few days -- probably colder than it's been all winter -- but it's been sunny, and snow has been minimal.  is that lamb?  or lion?  no idea.

a lot of bloggers think of march as the beginning of the end with the 21st being the official first day of spring.  but here in new england, that's a big fat lie.  because march can suck as much as february if not worse.  and there are more days of march.  the only advantage of march over february is that the days are longer. 

another advantage of march ... is that it's the start of Project Spectrum.....*angels singing* ...Lolly's brain child.  when she announced her project, i pounced.  i'm obsessed with color to the point of not being able to pick a favorite, wearing colors that look like ass on me, just because i can't say no, and laboring over every large decorating decision because i want to make sure that everything goes with everything.  it's quite stressful really.

case in point.  look at the projects i choose to work on...

and look at what i end up buying because i can't just pick one color ....

[that's malabrigo that i picked up during the semi-annual knitter's breakfast at the fabric place in framingham on saturday.  i ran into kathy and kerstin and had a wonderful time with them.  but can i just say that 90% of the knitters who come to those breakfasts are whacked?!!!  and not whacked in a good way either.  they'll wrestle you to the ground for a piece of cold quiche and will resort to crying should someone take their "saved" seats. i was a little embarrassed for them.  it was sad.]

anyway, i've got some ideas for projects.  i'll keep you posted.

Well Loved Yarn

in all of this pre-olympic fervor, beth's unloved sock yarn exchanged almost got forgotten.  almost.

look what suzanne at obsessknit sent me.  and to think i was going to pick up a couple of skanks (or would you call these balls -- hehe)  of this yarn just a couple of weeks ago.  a match made in sock yarn heaven. 

the package to my pal is going out tomorrow.

Winter's Back

so, on saturday it was 60 degrees.

this is what i woke up to this morning

4 hours later, it's still snowing.  the plows haven't come by.  the roads are a mess.  so i called in snow.  i kind of feel guilty for staying home, but the weather people didn't tell us about this snow, so j didn't drive me to the train station this morning. 

*****************************************************************************

yesterday was another one of claudia's fabulous fiber parties.  by the time i got there, there were 25 cars parked along her quiet suburban street.  it was mayhem (well kind of).  i got to reconnect with some wonderful knitters, spinners, fiber fanatics that i had met the last time i was there, and i got to finally meet in person some great women with whom i've been corresponding lately.  it was great being able to talk with them, and hear their laughs and voices.  (i'm purposefully not linking to any of you because i don't want to accidently forget someone.  because i will.  and then i'll feel like ass.  and guilty.  and i've already told you all that i have guilt issues.)   of course there was lots of food.  i totally went off plan.  eh, what are you going to do.  (other than feel guilty)

no pictures of this event by the way.   well from me anyway.  carole's got some though.   

in addition to the great company though, i also came home with stuff.

first, to feed my new found sock obsession, maggie brought me some pretty sock yarn from her stash in some of my favorite colors.  (these socks will coordinate nicely with the mini).

she also brought me some tea (even though i stared at her like a moron while she reminded me that we had talked about this tea at length via email just a few weeks ago.)  thanks maggie.  i'm drinking it now and it is very good.

and jackie brought me some .... yarn snobs, turn away ... red heart.  remember, i love all yarn, much like a mother  loves all of her children. 

finally, claudia did some serious de-stashing, throwing all that she didn't want on her fiber room floor.   i patiently waited my turn and came home with this.

and this ....

and this ...

it was like friggin' christmas!!!

 

One Woman's Trash

Happy New Year everyone ...

I hope everyone had a great time celebrating.  after getting dissed in the most wonderful way new year's eve by a "friend" who shall remain nameless (although why i'm protecting her identity i don't know since .. 1. she doesn't read this blog; 2.  no one *here* knows her and 3.  she's not a knitter  ...) j and i ended up ordering chinese food at the last minute and i was in bed by 9pm.  i even missed dick clark.  i hear he didn't look or sound so good.  so sad.  see, i'm old enough to remember american bandstand  (i was very small) but i do remember.

but anyway -- no biggie.  although it's the last time i turn down the invitation of a knitter for new years because of loyalty to a non-knitter who invited me first.  just saying -- call it a new years resolution.  there.

anyway, back to the original point of this post.  a couple of weeks ago, colleen blogged about some artyarns legend that she was using to make a hat ... or trying at least.  i mentioned that i thought it was rather nice (which now after re-reading her post means that she thinks that my taste in colors and yarn sucks ASS.  hmmm ok whatever, fine.  )  anyway, maybe because she knew i would give this poor unloved yarn a good home, she sent it to me!

and i knitted it up.

i see her point, with her cool coloring (she's got the prettiest fair skin and blue eyes) this "cacophony" wouldn't do her justice ...

but i think it works for me. 

thanks colleen!

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JenLa wanted to see our avatars ... there's my pat avatar (get it?!! pat avatar?!!!) in the sidebar.  isn't she pretty?

Loot!

ok, this is going to be a totally lame post.  i honestly have nothing profound to say and i just want to use this opportunity to 1.  close the door on christmas so that i can move on; and 2.  show you all what i got.  heh heh.

so here we go.

santa was very good to me.  first of all he brought me some very pretty ornaments (instead of chocolate -- such a good and understanding santa about the plan and all); and he got me a cute workout outfit (via the mother-in-law) and a box of yarn ordered sometime in november.

(that's just the first layer)

but the piece de resistance (hunh hunh hunh) is this little lovely ...

the apple powerbook 15in G4.  so pretty...so perfect.  j's been bugging me to plug her in and to rev her up but i've been unable to.  i know, pathetic.  he's practically worn out his toy (a flight simulator and radio command thingy that he's been playing with non-stop since sunday) but i haven't yet gotten the courage to turn her on.  i'm a freak.  clearly.

anyway, i hope everyone else had a lovely christmas.  here's to a wonderful 2006.

Birthday Week Wrap Up

i'm a great proponent of the "birthday week" as opposed to a birthDAY.  and my birthday week began with the boy friend and i meeting up last friday.  i was tired and intimated that i might not drag my sorry ass all of the way to quincy, but there was a promise of presents.  and well, i love presents. 

well they weren't lying. 

2 skeins of artyarns supermerino from melanie (who looks fabulous for a pregnant lady with 2 buns).  she was generous enough to gift us all with our own special colorway.  i got this color, that we called mexicali because well i'm hot and spicy.  cha cha cha.  and then the girls all pitched in and gifted me with a very generous gift certificate to a good yarn in honor of the birth day.  THANK YOU LADIES!  YOU ROCK AS MY BOYFRIEND!!!

next in the birthday celebration was cake with the inlaws on sunday.  i share a birthday week with a niece who turned the tender age of 17 and was ready to fight me to the death for all over control of the month of december.  considering that i've had 43 years of december being all about me (and the baby jesus) i figured in the name of world peace that i would let her think that it was all about her.  so young.  so trusting. 

then there was the actual birthday.  j forgot.  and didn't remember until he heard me humming the birthday song while making coffee.  "i swear i remembered last night!"  yeah whatever.  tell that to someone who cares.  since i'm getting a big ass christmas/birthday present, i didn't expect a gift.  but he surprised me with a table top tripod.  yes, i wanted one.  and a mushy birthday card.  he loves the mushy birthday cards.  no birthday dinner though as i was too tired.  yes, i'm officially old.  spent my birthday evening with my ass on the couch, knitting.

finally last night, a friend of mine took me out to dinner and then we shopped at home goods.  sometimes i leave that place empty handed, but not last night.  along with other things, i picked up this lovely.

.

my friend asked what i was planning on doing with that ... she doesn't know about the blog ... and i had to lie.  um... for decoration.  not  .... for hanging scarves on and stuff for taking pictures for my double secret blog ...

all in all, this birthday week was a great one.  and all of you who stopped by to wish me a happy birthday are a big reason for that.  thank you so much for your good wishes.

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saturday before last, elisa had a few of us area knitters over for some knitting and drinking and eating.  and yankee swapping.

i think i totally scored.

because in exchanged for a nose (poor keiko) ...

i got me some yarn.

yes, 2 skeins of claudia (not that claudia)  hand painted merino wool sock yarn and some dpns from the sock yarn hoarder, elisa.  i'm going to have to learn how to knit socks.

Christmas minus 3 Days Meltdown Free

so the last time i wrote other than proclaim to anyone who happened by chance to land here that it was my birthday, i was having a meltdown.  well i'm not having a meltdown anymore.  i haven't accomplished much either, however.  i have decided to live and let live.  how very zen of me.  so with 3 days until x-mas here is what i've accomplished:

1.  decorating -- not done.  no tree up yet.  if at all.  everything is out.  but the tree must be put together (we never got around to getting our own griswold family x-mas tree).  instead of a real tree though, i did make this.

inspired by the craftymodster and lolly, i too jumped the funfur x-mas tree/hat bandwagon. 

before stuffing. 

my hat/tree is 11.5 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall. i knit mine from the top down in the round with a strand of lionbrand homespun (1 skein) and funfur (2 skeins) until i ran out of funfur, leaving me just enough of the homespun to crochet a base in the round. 

now i need to decorate it.  hmmm.  or not... (not going to worry about it not going to worry about it not going to worry about it). 

2.  gift knits -- all done.  and not very interesting but i think the recipients will like them.  i hope anyway.

this is for j's aunt claire.  she's 80something and lives in an assisted living home type thing (it's like a college dorm for the elderly -- it's actually kind of cool.)  she's one of those people who is always appreciative of a handmade item, so i think she'll like it.  and it will keep her warm during her weekly trips shopping.

boa scarves out of bernat boa for three little girls.  little girls are all about the boa.

3. other christmas shopping also done.  the meat has been ordered.  the gift cards purchased.  i have a box to a niece and nephew in VA to go but i won't send it until tomorrow.  i'll write a little note saying that santa made a mistake and delivered the stuff to our house instead.   because that's the truth.

j went out a bought what he wanted and i'm going to wrap it.  i know not very fun, but at least he got what he wanted.  (although i did get him some "surprises.")  as for me, i have a box of knitpicks yarn that i ordered for myself last month, still unopened.  joe's going to wrap that for me.  x-mas cards still not written though but by having cards with the vague happy holidays greeting, i can conceivably send these out sometime in january and still be well within the window .... it's all about being within the window.

so other than some stocking stuffers, i'm done if i want to be.  yay.

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*no animals were harmed*

this is what j likes to do -- torture animals ....

dude, get that fucking cat off of me......