kat skratch crafting

PICTURE POST!

2007-01-23T17:26:00.000-06:00

OK, so I've been slacking. again. but this time it's totally legitimate, I swear! If you didn't know, I work for a weekly newspaper and this happens to be the month where we have two special sections back to back. Well, this week I get to prepare 75 ads and do photo editing which may not sound like a lot, but believe me it is! so I've been swamped and what has suffered? The knitting! and spinning, and the rest of my non-working life... oh well...February is sure to bring me plenty of R&R PLUS some time to actually use my spinning wheel :) And just in time...for a SUPERB secret pal package arrived a few weeks ago...

I actually thought to photograph the whole process :)

OOOOH! look at the brightly colored paper :)

Inside the first package was this...what is it?

A handmade magnetic chart keeper of course! This was put to use right away :)

What is this dreamy cloud-like stuff? It's silk to spin! Very luxe!

Next up some merino top fiber. YUM! It reminds me of a summer sunset :)

And of course the gratuitous close-up!

MMMMM...chocolatey :) A merino-mohair blend in delicious colors.

Can you see that shine? It's gorgeous!

And an overview shot including the cutest puppy kitten card yet! And I'm a tea lover to boot :) So THANK YOU secret pal :) You're doing a great job! I love being spoiled :)

And next time an actual knitting post! That is when I get a chance to breathe :)

>^.^<

I GOT MY SPINNING WHEEL!!!!!

2007-01-03T14:58:00.000-06:00

So for Christmas my parents gave me some cash for a spinning wheel from Babe's Fiber Garden. Their motto is "Function Before Form for Affordability" and I like it. Here it is!

Ahh...the double treadle production wheel...*sigh*

I realize now, hindsight being 20/20, that I could have taken pictures of the whole process of opening the box and assembly, but I was just too anxious to get going I forgot about pics! So I took a few after the fun was done for the night...

A close up of the flyer...

And the bottom of the wheel...

Here is what else I got:
Comes with 6 bobbins, four built in Lazy Kates (you can see the holes drilled on the sides of the bottom), 1/4 lb. of Brown Sheep wool roving, oil bottle, and two niddy noddys, a sample which is a one yard skein, and a standard which makes a 1 2/3 yard skein.

The frame is made of PVC pipe, and the wheel is originally for a wheelchair and weighs about 8 pounds. It only took me a few minutes to assemble with only 2 screws. The instruction were a bit wonky, but I tend to take things a little too literally sometimes. Although it is a bit wobbly during spinning, when I put it on the carpet that solves that. I think my treadling is just a bit too powerful :) Definitely a worthy investment for my first wheel, and much more affordable too. Now to save my pennies for a joy ashford!

i'm an ass...

2007-01-03T14:53:00.000-06:00

so after reviewing my blog today, I discovered I forgot to thank my Secret Pal! D'OH!

I received a small SP package right around Christmas...

A little graph paper book with a kitty knitting from a sheep!, Hand stamped mini note cards with the same sheep and a ewe hoo! underneath, Dark Chocolate peppermint bar YUM!, a mini turtle notebook, a kitty and puppy note, and minty chocolate balls! A wonderful mini package :)

A close up of the kitty knitting from a sheep :)

I've already put many items to good use, and my BF thanks you for the minty chocolate balls! I had to share with him since the are his favorites :)

Thanks again SP!!!

The day draws near...

2006-12-21T09:28:00.000-06:00

OK, so I don't know about you, but Christmas panic is settling in.

I just felted mom's fuzzy feet slippers last night, but they have to go another round in the wash as they are still too big. I still haven't decided what to do about the soles yet. I found a couple that cover the whole bottom and a bit of the sides, or I was thinking about cutting up some scrap leather I have and using that...I guess I'll have to figure that out soon!

I stayed late at work Tuesday night to use our big meeting table to cut out the material for my dad's night shirts. Well, I couldn't find my fabric scissors, so I ended up using ones that totally suck to cut material. It took me an hour just to cut out all the pieces! I also couldn't find the interfacing...After a hunt at home, I did manage to find enough interfacing to use on one nightshirt, but I have yet to cut it out. PLUS it's really hard to make a gift for someone you share a working space with. Mom says just to tell him it's for the boyfriend and maybe he won't notice...probably not :)

This is the reason I didn't get any sewing done on Tuesday...

The Dredlock Bag is finally done!

a top/side view...I actually sewed the zipper and strap with the machine :)

Here you can see how I squared of the bottom for a slightly more manly look...

And a little peek inside!

I used a heavy duty YKK zipper because the last one I got for my first bag kept splitting. It turned out to be way longer than needed, but the sturdiness is exceptional. When I hand sewed the side seams on top I sewed the rest of the zipper down the side of the bag. All in all, I think it turned out great. Now to present it to my customer!

And I finally got around to starting (and understanding) the vintage fan purse.

You can see it with the pattern. I don't know if I'm just used to knitting patterns, but sometime crochet patterns seem like they're in another language or something LOL.

A close up of the stitch detailing. Once I got the hang of reading the instructions with the help from my friend things went much more smoothly. While this isn't a Christmas gift, I did promise to make this purse for a September birthday (yeah, a little late!) I ordered handles from kpixie along with some magnetic snaps. I tried to go through the company in the book, but they didn't seem to have the same handles that were in the picture, so I just went with something similar.

OK, tonight I'm hoping to finish up some shopping and get some more progress done on the rest of the gifts! I hope everyone has a happy holiday!

>^.^<

Progress!

2006-12-13T12:39:00.000-06:00

OK, so I've been in a frantic kinda rush to get gifties ready for all...

First up, for momma...

Fuzzy Feet from Knitty. These felted slippers (obviously pre-feling at this stage) are a really fast knit. I completed one Sunday afternoon and finished the 2nd one over monday and tuesday. We live in an old house that's really cold, so hopefully these will keep my momma's feet toasty! I hope to felt them by the weekend and adding leather patches to the bottom for traction.

For Dad I'll be sewing some flannel night shirts. He loves these things so much and they're really hard to find in the stores, so I know he'll get a lot of use out of them...

For the boy's mom I'm making a small black purse from a pattern book she bought me called Crochet Bags!: 15 Hip Projects for Carrying Your Stuff out of black nylon. The book has some interesting ideas, and LOTS of ugly ones...I guess it wouldn't have been so bad if most of the samples weren't made in a pea soup green color...oh well...I'm swatching for that now.

And finally I'm making this for myself...

So far it's about 1/3 of an Eye Mask from Knit Picks. The shine worsted is fuzzier that I thought it would be but is knitting up nicely. I think I'll fill it with rice and lavender...something to soothe me after the hella stressful days I've been having.

And a note to Miss Scarlett...am I your secret pal? Not that I know of, but you never know...Yes, I have seen NIN 5 times live so far :)

Until we meet again...

>^.^<

whirlwind

2006-12-05T14:33:00.000-06:00

So last month to now has been a whirlwind...so many things happening, so much work do to, and not enough time to knit or blog! I promise I'll do better this month! I am really trying to get on track :) But now that I have a new 24" iMac @ work, things will go much more smoothly! I just wish I could take this baby home with me...

so on to the blogging!

After much red tape from the PO, I finally got my SP's package out last month. There are so many damn rules and regulations surrounding the PO and their services, I think I'll just use FedEx next time and avoid the hassle.

SOooooo about the dredlock bag (Kathy I know you're curious!)

I got the pattern from IndiKnits, but it is no longer available due to low demand. I actually had to drive about an hour just to pick up the pattern in the first place, but I hear Amy might be making it a free pattern, so keep an eye out!

Here are some pre-felting pics...

And after only one run through the wash cycle (I am pleasantly surprised) the Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks felted up beautifully!

here it is blocking...

an artsy closeup

And a close-up of the strap.

I took a few liberties with the pattern as this was my 2nd dredlock bag. I added a flap to the bottom to make a rectangular base. The strap was worked with two strands of wool to be more manly, as this bag was made for a boy. I also picked up stitches at the top and made another flap to square off the top. I'll have more photos once I pick up a zipper and get everything put together.

And on the knitting front, I've been S-L-O-W. The post-thanksgiving weekend I whipped up another pair of Sweet Mary Janes for a friend's x-mas gift. If only every project knit up as fast as these!

I'm going to add puff paint treads to finish these off.

And the Christmas knitting list get a little smaller. I have a pair of Fuzzy Feet to make for mom, and I haven't decided what else to make for others yet...man, I'm going to have to do more shopping thatn I wanted, but to save myself some post-work stress, it'll be worth it. Now let's just hope I get that Christmas Bonus!

until we meet again, hopefully sooner than later...
>^.^<

Oh my goodness! An UPDATE!!!

2006-11-07T19:53:00.000-06:00

hi there kids...

I've finally gotten around to updating :)

I recieved my first SP package last week!

when I got it, it was "Received in damaged condition" by the PO, but all is well

I received a super cute Halloween card, some SOAK wool wash, a googly eyes kitty pen, and the yummiest minty fudge ever!!!

A close-up of the fudge. MMMMM...My bf told me to hide the fugde until I can find out where to get more LOL Awesome!

Thanks SP! You're so thoughtful :)

And on the knitting front, here is the progess (or lack-there-of) on the Olympic Sweater. I've actually gotten about 9 more rows knit of the cable pattern since this photo was taken. I can't wait until it's done!

I've also been working on another dreadlock bag for a friend. No pics of that right now though. It's on hold cause I had to order more yarn and other goodies from knit picks, so more of an update on that later...

now for more House!!!

later kiddies...

>^.^<

more info and stuff...

2006-11-02T16:58:00.000-06:00

Hi ya'll!

So I've been slacking (again) on posting, but I'm about to get up to speed
:) I found some more fun questions on another participant's blog, so I
thought I would answer them too. enjoy!

Oh yeah, and pics soon to follow of my first SP Package!

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
I prefer to knit while "watching" something. Or perhaps at a reataurant with
a good cup of coffee. Or with my little group of knitting friends. Or... LOL

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do
instead?
Well, I'd probably be dead! IF I really couldn't knit, I'd probably take up
painting...one of the FEW arts I never really got into.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
My first stop would be to the Phlippines so I could actually meet my Mom's
side of the fam. Then it would be off to europe to visit a few friends and
some cool places and I would end the journey on a nice sunny beach with
knitting of course! :)

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are
you doing it?
Hmm...A hairdresser - I cut and styled all of my barbie's hair, A vet - but
I didn't like the yucky parts, an Artist - which technically I am :) Truly I
would love to work with metal or glass to build sculptures, but graphic
design will do for now :)

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Dear god...anything Ben & Jerry's makes for the most part :) But I would
have to say Cherry Garcia and Phish Food are the top two

List your favorite:
Actor - Jason Statham
Actress - Reese Witherspoon
Animal - turtles, cats
Band - NIN (nine inch nails)
Book - Different Seasons by Stephen King/Dragon Tears by Dean Koontz
Bubble Bath - This stuff that used to come in a purple kitty but I don't
remember what it's called...
Candy - Chocolate! heehee
Color - black/red/silver
Drink- water, tea, tanquaray and tonic, newcastle
Flower - stattice, stargazer lillies
Food - carbs! cheese, potatoes, bread, etc...
Lip Balm - Blistex mint
Lotion - Moist Hemp - one of the few that actually dosen't give me a rash!
Movie - Shaun of the Dead
Place - Nature when it's warm, by the fire when it's cold
Song - March of the Pigs - NIN
TV Show - 24 and Weeds
Yarn - hmm...anything NOT scratchy & natural is best
Vacation Spot - Bonnaroo!

Secret Pal 9 questions

2006-10-06T12:49:00.000-05:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like all fibers :) Well, except for scratchy acrylic :P

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
one of my past SPs actually made me a lovely set of rolled cases for all of my needles. I have a leather case for all my crochet hooks.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for about 3 1/2 years & learned from a friend. I would consider myself to be an intermediate knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I'm working on it. I'll post a link in the side bar...

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
LIGHT scents. I'm allergic to many commercial soaps and perfume scents. I use castile soap in almond and peppermint. I like raspberry, grapefruit, and cherry blossom too.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I do have a sweet tooth :) I love chocolate and peppermint.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I DO spin :) I just learned! I lOVE it! ANd I sew, make buttons, macreme, etc. Just about the only things I DON'T do are quilting and scrapbooking.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I'm a fan of most music except for what you would hear on a top 40 station. I'm an alternative/metal/rock/industrial girl mostly. I can listen to any type of media.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I like most colors. Pastels make me want to puke most of the time :) bold, vibrant colors are the best.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm living with the Ps. No pets for me.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Honestly, I have enough outerwear items to clothe a small army LOL. Shawls and shrugs is what I need...

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I'll knit anything. I'm all over the spectrum. Sweaters, purses, socks, you name it.

13. What are you knitting right now?
sweater, socks, purse LOL

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
LOVE them

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
circular pref, with bamboo or plastic

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I have a winder, need a swift...I have been thinking of possibly making my own...

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
a year and a 1/2...granny square skirt :p

18. What is your favorite holiday?
halloween!

19. Is there anything that you collect?
crafty things. i'm also a fan of turtles. And I love weird stuffed creatures too.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
hmm...I'm really into out-of-the ordinary things. Nothing in particular jumps right out in my head. No mag subs for me either.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
intarsia and how to write my own pattern (if I ever had the time)

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I am a sock knitter. In fact I'm a sock WARRIOR. I have US women's size 10 feet.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
08/01

I'm D-E-A-D

2006-10-06T12:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I was killed last Friday by a lovely pair of white and navy cotton socks from Kat in MI. Pics will be up soon as I have misplaced my camera cord. Dosen't that happen to everyone? LOL I was also informed that my socks of doom reached their target yesterday! At least I had the opportunity to kill someone :)

In spinning news...
I made my first 2-ply yarn last saturday! It's an awesome brown merino and alpaca blend. I've been pretty busy this past week, so I haven't had much time to spin, but I'll remedy that tonight. I have a joy ashford on loan from the local spinning shop that I need to return tomorrow. By the way, If you're looking for a compact, portable design that's great to work with, buy a joy ashford. It's amazing and I can't wait until I can buy one. I'm already saving my pennies!

ok, back to work...

>^.^<

yar!

2006-09-29T16:31:00.000-05:00

ok, so I know I've been MIA for a while, but that dosen't mean I haven't been productive!

My sock wars weapon is enroute to Hawaii to kill my target, Kel. I know a waepon is enroute to me as well...I am just counting the hours now... This has been a great deal of fun (despite the technical difficulties) and I think I'll join the next round too :)

I've picked up the olympic sweater again and I'm determined to finish it by Halloween!

I've also signed up for secret pal 9!

The emerald isle jaywalker socks are soon to be finished, but I'm going to have to frog the last 1/2 of the foot because I realize I forgot to keep decreasing. D'OH! that's OK though because I recognized my mistake and I'm going to fix it. Even thought I don't really want to :)

I've also started to spin!!! That's right folks, I've just ventured out into a new addiction. I've already spun on the wheel once, and I can't wait to do it again and again and again! This new addictino is going to be expensive! BUT Santa may just bring me a spinning wheel for Christmas, but I guess we'll have to wait and see :)

SO in short, things are running more smoothly and I really do plan on updating at least once a week, especially since I got a new digital camera :) look for more updates and pics soon!

>^.^<

i'm still here!

2006-08-24T19:23:00.000-05:00

Hey all...I'm still here, just not bloggin here much. I've almost finished with cleo. Just sew the pieces together and attach the elastic. I've come up with the idea (with the help from a friend) of attaching some basting/hemming tape to the inside and putting the elastic INSIDE that. On the first cleo I knit up, I sewed the elastic directly to the finished product, and I wasn't happy with the outcome. If you're not familiar with cleo, it's from knitty. Just look it up :) I'm too lazy to code right now LOL. I'm also going to try to complete my other Jaywalker in preperation for SOCK WARS. I fear that I will be eliminated quickly, but it will be fun nonetheless. The Dredlock bag needs about 3-4 more inches before I can start to attach the dreds. YAY!

OK, time to go home...

>^.^<

sock wars

2006-07-29T01:27:00.000-05:00

yo yo yo...

so i've decided to join the sock wars. You get a pattern and knit the socks as fast as you can. When complete, you mail your pair to your partner, there by "killing" them. They send you their UN-finished sock and you strike their target. This continues until there is one left...care to joing the insanity?

>^.^<

where has the time gone?

2006-07-24T07:31:00.000-05:00

I feel like the days are just whizzing by and I've barely blinked. Whay do the years seem to be going so fast these days?

SO...I finished my first jaywalker like 2 weeks ago! LOL I've been totally consumed with the newspaper, so I don't really feelilike touching my comp after work except to check myspace...I can't help it i'm a bit addicted LOL but It's really the only way I can actually stay in touch with all my friends...If you're actually interested, you cab check it out here .

the sock:

oooooh! perspective :) <---the artist in me comes out

all by its lonesome

pretty zig zags...

now when I started knitting this I chose the bigger size and shortened the leg, but It's a bit loose...will blocking help the fit? If someone with more sock knowledge than me give me some tips? I was considering frogging and knitting the smaller size, but I don't know...I still haven't started the other sock yet...

and I'm working on another all black cleo from knitty. I've got the triangles done and I'm working my way down to the band, and I really goofed the pattern up so I have to frog 2 rows...I really need to learn to READ my pattern when I'm knitting LOL it would also probably help if I wasn't 1/2 asleep knitting first thing in the morning...

now it's time for a quick shower before work! until next time...

>^.^<

Picture Pages, Picture Pages

2006-06-27T20:31:00.000-05:00

WOOT! check out my sweet pics...

First off, jaywalker progress

I'm turning the heel now (well not right now LOL) and progress is a bit slow. size 1s are taking their toll on me and I can't work very long before my tendonitis gets the better of me...

next up...SURPRISE!

Kelly was looking for a banner and I made her one and this is how she thanked me :) I really needed that after a L-O-N-G day at work (14 hours!) and the work is beautiful. Check out the artist, Cathy .

more closeups...

and I recieved another surprise yesterday...

A scarf from my friend Belinda through a crochet scarf swap! yay :)

and finally...pics of the dredlock bag...

front...

back...

inside with pocket and divider that I added...

until next time...
>^.^<

sock it to me

2006-06-14T23:01:00.000-05:00

so I've finished that little sock/hat thing for my dad's brake cylinder on his goldwing. I think I'll add some elastic to make it a bit more secure, but not too bad for not having a pattern :)

so I've have this skein of socks that rock in emerald isle and I haven't been able to decide what I want to do with it. I tried to write my own sock pattern based on another but I've never actually knit a complete pair of socks, so I scratched that idea. I think I've finally settled on the jaywalker pattern. I came accross this blog and they came out beautiful. I was also worried that I wouldn't have enough yarn, but I think I will. I'll just have to be really accurate with my cast on and I should just make it. So hopefully my first complete pair of socks won't be a complete distater :) and hopefully knitting on #1's won't kill me either! LOL

>^.^<

She's ALIVE!!!

2006-06-12T19:24:00.000-05:00

ok, so you all must have thought i fell off of the face of the earth since I haven't made a peep in over 3 months...the good news is I am still alive :) I've been very busy not really knitting or crocheting for the past three months...there was a momentary scarf blitz around Easter, but that's about it.

The dredlock bag is almost complete! It's only taken me *almost* a year to do it, but I'm nearly there. I've finished sewing in the zipper and now just a few snaps and I'll be sporting it around town :) Pics will be posted. promise!

WIPS
• some weird sock thing for my dad's morotcycle
• another cleo in all black
• that damn olympic sweater - it'll have to wait for a VERY patient day :)
and I think that's it...LOL

and on a personal note...
I've gotten a new job! I'm now the graphic designer for The Woodstock Independent newspaper. YAY! a job in my field! and I'm loving it :) :) :) i'm spending a LOT of time here in Woodstock (I'm actually writing form my office) and hope to be moving here soon...

SOOOOOOO I'm planning on updating more often and actually doing some knitting and or crocheting. Look for more in the future!

>^.^<

yarn...oh the wonderful yarn...

2006-02-27T15:29:00.000-06:00

ok, so to make up for the fact that I didn't finish my sweater and my LYS is
closing, I decided to go to the super exclusive 1st day sale and buy, buy,
buy!!! I came away with 10 skeins of yarn and under my budget by almost $10!
yay :) too bad there wasn't any of the wool hemp yarn I've had my eye on...I
was really hoping to pick some up, but oh well...somebody beat me to it! I
think I'll take a picture of everything I got...enough to make a pinwheel
baby blanket, and 7 more skeins to make lots of felted stuff! I definitely
want to start my felted laptop bag, the spring socks, and probably a felted
bowl for the boy after I'm done with the sweater. No discouragement here!
I'm just as fueled as ever :)

>^.^<

sigh

2006-02-27T09:41:00.000-06:00

well, I didn't make it... :( ...It seems as if the fates were against
me...but I'm also a slacker, but I tried!

On Saturday I packed all my stuff up in the morning while I was 1/2 asleep
and I forgot my notions bag...it had everything except my pattern and
knitting in it. I had no idea what row I was on and I was pretty lost. I
finally gave in and counted and dissected rows to figure out where I was and
made a bit of progress.

I was finally able to make it back to get my bag around 11:30pm or so. We
grabbed the essentials and went to the bowling alley where the boy bowled
and I knit. A short trip to the bar for a drink and I was knitting again at
the 24hour restaurant we go to occasionally. I made as much progress as I
could and by 3am I was beat. We packed it up and I slept until about 2pm
Sunday afternoon...when I woke up I knew I would possibly be able to finish,
but I did give effort.

I finished the 2nd sleeve and un-knitted the end of the first which I had
made too long. I've gotten everything joined and now I stuck on a counting
problem and too many stitches. The good news is that I'm starting the chart
on the next row, so I hope to be finished by the end of the week.

So yeah...I don't feel like a total loser, because I know I tried and if I
had actually buckled down and knit constantly throughout these two weeks, I
know I could have gotten it done. I would like to compete again if another
round is held, this time with much more pre-planning. I read about a chica
who calculated how many rows she would have to do per day in a spreadsheet!
I'll bet she was able to complete on time.

Well, Congrats to everyone who completed their projects and good effort for
those who didn't. I'm sure a good but stressful time was had be all :)

>^.^<

olympic update

2006-02-23T16:23:00.000-06:00

olympic update: ARGH!!!

OK, so it's not going as well as I had planned, but I'm not totally sunk...yet...

So far I have knitted up to the armpits and have almost one sleeve completed. I have to finish the other sleeve (hopefully by tomorrow night) before I can put everything back on the circular and start the yoke and cables. I really want to finish this up by Sunday, but It's going to be close.

here is the (never ending) list of things that have impeded my knitting progress:
concerts - now you might be saying, "Kat, why did you go to concerts when you should have been knitting?" and I would say I had these tickets months before and didn't even think i would be crazy enough to do something like this!
other knitting - I was bound and determined to finish the damn dredlock bag so I could use it...still haven't sewn in the zipper :( but I did get the pocket and divider sewn in...
sickness - although it was nice to stay home for a day I did much more napping then knitting.
birthdays - why do my friends have to celebrate their birthdays during the olympics? especially at a place like buffalo wild wings where people do not look kindly upon the knitter...that and wing sauce just doesn't mesh well with wool...
wake - one of my dear friend's brothers was killed in a car accident on Sunday. I had to forego almost all knitting on Wednesday to attend the wake after work.
stitch markers - yes, I did take a whole night (WHAT was I THINKING?!) to make stitch markers for my favorite people at my LYS because they are closing and I may not get to see them again any time soon. yes, you did hear me right, my LYS is closing...what else can go wrong?!
book club - oh yeah did I mention that my book club at the LYS is meeting today too? I had to finish the book before today and that didn't help either...
freelancing - I have a freelancing meeting tonight after the book club meeting...I don't think I can forego sleep for knitting, so probably no more progress tonight either...

ugh. I wish I could use my down time at work to knit instead of blog...oh well...I've been feverishly knitting on my lunch breaks so hopefully that will make up for some of my slacking, but not nearly enough...you may not see me for a while...

i told you so

2006-02-10T00:22:00.000-06:00

woot! i am actually posting pics!

first off, the dradlock bag...knitting finished, felting and assembly next!

Next up, the yarn and the last of my gift certificate to the yarn store...NatureWood yarn made in Chile. This will grow up to be another paur of felted mittens once the olympics are over...

and now, we proudly present

the pattern...

a close up of the cabled yoke...

the yarn...northern lights by mountain colors...

the swatch...more true to actual colors...

ok...time for bed!

>^.^<

I'm BAAAACK!

2006-02-09T11:29:00.000-06:00

ok, so I've been missing from blog land for a while now, and I decided I
needed to post, even if it's just text for now...I've been very busy with my
OTK (Other Than Knitting) life. Good news is that my mom's are OK. No breast
cancer for my momma (we had quite a scare there) and BF's momma won't have
to have heart surgery for at least another 5 years or so. *whew* a GIANT
sigh of relief...so I'm getting back on the knitting horse, so to speak.

I have decided to give myself a BIG challenge...I'm going to join the 2006
Knitting Olympics sponsored my Yarn Harlot. I just sent in my registration
email, with only a day to spare. Basically, you start cast on during the
opening ceremonies of the Olympics and finish by the closing ceremonies. I'm
super excited! If I hadn't heard about it on the radio, I never would have
known.

Now, you might be asking "Kat, what are you going to knit?" well, I'm going
to knit the famed sweater I've been gushing about...that I have yet to
start, so it's a perfect project! I've already done my swatching and pattern
adjustments (which I will finish typing up tonight) so I'll be all ready!
This will definitely be a big feat for me since I don't really have a lot of
free time, but it's something that I really want to do. Besides, What good
is a finished sweater if it's not cold enough to wear it?

AND I'm seriously almost done with the dredlock bag. I'm hoping to finish it
up tonight at the LYS gathering and have it felted by the end of the
weekend. So many exciting things happening!

I *plan* on posting the pics I took of the sweater pattern and yarn tonight,
so keep your eyes peeled!

>^.^<

updates?

2006-01-09T14:16:00.000-06:00

I haven't really had anything to post lately...well, I have, but I'm lazy ;)
I hope the new year has been good to everyone so far. I had a blast at our
party!

I picked out the sweater pattern for my first sweater! It's from the "the
knitter's handy book of sweater patterns". I chose a seamless yoke pattern
that has a cables around the neckline. It's basically knit in one solid
piece for the body with the sleeves joined, so there are no seams! I'm
excited about it. I spent a good part of last week measuring, calculating
and doing a little victory dance when I found out I do have enough yarn to
make it :) If I have time before bed, I'll post a pic of the pattern with
the yarn...

I've started another scarf for one of my mom's friends, and I have one more
to do after that. Hopefully after that I will be done with the scarves for
mom. I did join a scarf exchange with an online crochet group I belong to as
well. AND I just picked up some yummy tye-dye type yarn for myself, but I
don't think I want to make a scarf with it anymore...I'm sure I'll find a
use for it :) And did I mention I picked up the dredlock bag again? All I
have left is the dreds, but I'm only about 1/4 done with them and I have a
LOT more to do...It will be so cool when I'm done, but I don't think I'll
want to do anymore I-cords for a long time! I plan on turning it into a
camera bag for my new digital, but we'll see how it looks after felting.

And on one last fun-note, a meme from Jen @ piddleloop...

1. What time did you get up this morning? out of bed: 6:50am
2. Diamonds or pearls? pearls
3. What was the last film you saw at the movies? I honestly can't remember
4. What is your favorite TV show? 24
5. What did you have for breakfast? Chicken filled bun
6. What is your middle name? Rose
7. What is your favorite cuisine? my mom's
8. What foods do you dislike? I had a bad tai experience...
9. What is your favorite chip flavor? anything crunchy with cheese
10. What type of car do you drive? '97 honda civic
11. Favorite item of clothing? comfy jeans
12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Philippines or European Tour
13. What color is your bathroom? white
14. Favorite brand of clothing? ??? i don't own labels i'm poor *DITTO to
that*
15. Where would you like to retire to? I kinda like it here or Colorado
16. Favorite time of the day? evening/after work
17. What was your most memorable birthday? I had a great one last year
18. Where were you born? Woodstock, IL
19. Favorite sport to watch? football!
20. What fabric detergent do you use? ALL free and clear
21. Coke or Pepsi? coke
22. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I prefer night owl, but I work
customer service...
23. What is your shoe size? woman's 10 or 11 depending
24. Do you have any pets? nope
25. What did you want to be when you were little? a vet & hairdresser mainly
26. When is your birthday? August 1st

If you're one who does these things, consider yourself tagged :P

>^.^<

mini-picture post

2005-12-29T23:08:00.000-06:00

How was everyone's holiday? Mine was good :) I got a new digital camera!!! Here are a few pics I've been meaning to post...

The Angel Secret Pal Package...totally AWESOME! Thanks again Jennifer!

And the Official Kittyville Hat from Stitch and Bitch. i just finished it tonight at the LYS.

I also took some pics of the gifties I knitted up, but they're on Dad's digital, which of course I can't find right now...so those will come later.

And if I don't see ya, HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! and stay safe :)

>^.^<

bloggin by mail

2005-12-23T08:46:00.000-06:00

This is a special THANK YOU to Jennifer of knit, mama! KNIT!
(knitmamaknit.blogspot.com) who was my back-up secret pal :^D I haven't had
anytime to get the pics downloaded to my iBook yet, so I'll give you
something to visualize.

When I got home last night there was a sizable box waiting for me. What
could it be? A package from my back-up SP! As soon as I broke open the seal
on the box I was greeted with delicious scents. Three bars of wonderful soap
for my sensitive skin. I can't wait to try them out : ) and what's that in
the bag there? Organic cotton, and two skeins of hemp for knitting from
kpixie! I've been coveting these beautiful yarns for so long, I can't wait
to try them out! There were even two patterns specifically for the yarns
marked for me in the Cozy Crochet book (so CUTE!) and the Interweave crochet
magazine. I can't wait to try my hand at crocheting that beautiful necklace.
That's the one pattern that caught my eye when I flipped through at the
bookstore : ) And then there was a tin. As I struggled with the tape (good
sealing job!) I ripped off the lid and there was such a beautiful
sight...candy cane fudge!!! Oh my...easily my favorite EVER! Delicious fudge
with marshmallows and candy cane bits...very decadent, and so good I didn't
even eat dinner!

Jennifer, Thanks for reviving the SP goodness for me : ) All this with two
little ones at home AND you still find time to knit like crazy! I hope I'm
as good at juggling tasks when I have my own little ones : ) Thanks
again...YOU ROCK!!!

>^.^<

knitting insanity!

2005-12-19T12:33:00.000-06:00

so there has been MUCH knitting occurring in the land of Kat lately. No
pictures yet, but I plan on taking some tonight before everything gets
wrapped up.

I finished the wool ease/luscious scarf Friday night and knit a light and
lofty/party girl scarf in white Friday night/Saturday morning. It's soo
cute, I call it the snow bunny scarf. My mom asked me for another one (woo
hoo more xmas spending $$) so I did another light and lofty/party girl in
light blue. Equally as cute, I call this one fluffy cloud.

I also started hot head from Stitch and Bitch for my dad Saturday night and
finished it yesterday. I used lion brand chunky (cause he's allergic to wool
too) and it's super warm! The boy didn't want to give it back after modeling
it for size for me :) The colors are navy and grey to go with dad's two
winter jackets. He wanted a cable hat, but maybe I'll make him one of those
for his birthday.

I also stared the offical kittyville hat from SNB for myself last night.
Hopefully I can finish it in the down time at work this week. It's too cold
to go out for lunch, so I'll just stay inside and knit!

I'm going to ask my mom if she needs another scarf to try and get some more
spending $$ for Christmas since the car payment and student loan are all due
within this week and next :P damn bills! I wish they could take a Christmas
vacation too!

AND it's super cold here. -6 degrees this morning on my way to work.
Thankfully I'll be getting a new battery (thanks to the boy's parents) for
Christmas since my car almost didn't want to start this morning. And then I
heard it's supposed to be up to the 40s by Saturday, just in time to rain
and melt all the snow away. I was hoping for a White Christmas, but it looks
like Mother Nature has something else in store for us.

so stay warm and i'll be posting some pics tonight!

>^.^<

bliggity blah

2005-12-14T09:03:00.000-06:00

So, This week I found out that my Secret Pal bailed on me :( BUT Lee Anne
(the super SP6 hostess that she is) has found me an angel! I'm so happy
that there are others out there who just want to spread the joy. I wasn't
going to sign up for this round of secret pal, but I did on a whim. SO,
thanks to my angel, who ever you are, I'm very grateful for you :) I can't
really say that I'm craving anything in particular in the knitterly things
(altho my future mother-in-law told me I'm not allowed to buy any knitting
books till after xmas), but I do love me some peppermint chocolate! Exactly
why I love this time of year...hot chocolate stirred with one of those big
soft peppermint sticks is one of my favorite things :) OK, now I'm making
myself hungry! and SP angel, you can email me at katrosekrk.geo (at) yahoo
(dot) com, because I don't think I got your email unless it got lost in the
land of junk, but I promise to sift through to see if it's there. Thanks
again!

>^.^<

knittin' fool!

2005-12-13T11:31:00.000-06:00

So I have been a busy girl! I actually knitted a whole pair of the Sweet
Mary Janes on Sunday! Granted the boy had to massage my hands every few
hours, but It was worth it. I also felted my mittens last Wednesday just in
time for the Thursday Morning snow fall. They are so warm and nice :) I'm
really glad I knitted myself mittens instead of buying some.

Last night I went to the lobby of hobbies and picked up some yarn for those
scarves I need to knit for my mom. Did you know they have their own brand of
yarn now? It's called Yarn Bee. I bought some eyelash and silky eyelash
kinda stuff and it was very reasonable for the amount of yardage. I only had
to buy one skein of each for a whole scarf! Normally I use at least one and
a half. I can't wait to see how they turn out :)

That's all for now, just a short and sweet update. Have a good week!

>^.^<

knittin' up a storm...

2005-12-05T12:42:00.000-06:00

OK, so I've been knitting like crazy! Of course I have no pictures, cause I'm posting at work. I seriously plan on taking pics and posting them when I get home, but I never actually get motivated to find the camera, the memory card and adapter all at the same time. I think I'm actually getting a decent camera for Xmas, but I'll just have to wait and see :)

So I finished another pair of the Sweet Mary Janes on Friday night. I also started a pair of felted mittens for myself and I've got about 1/2 of the 2nd mitten left to do. Hopefully I'll finish it tonight and felt so I can have them later this week to wear. Those thin chenille stretch gloves aren't doing be a bit of good besides saving me from complete frost bite!

I'm also planning on knitting myself the official Kittyville hat from the first Stitch 'n Bitch book. I need a hat with earflaps, and I can't have too many kitty hats :) I already have 3 with ears on top :) It's like my signature. Plus I hate cold ears and the winter is definitely making it's presence known this year.

On the rest of the docket, momma asked me to knit 3 scarves for her friends at work, dad wants a basic cable hat, I need at least another pair of SMJ slippers (if not more), plus I want to make mom some Fuzzy Feet from Knitty, and a few more last minute gifties IF I have time. I figure at this point, my stash can accommodate a few more gifts if I can find the time to knit them. With my weekends taken up by parties, I'm going to be knitting in the corner!

I hope everyone else isn't having a super hectic season like me :) I suppose I should have started my holiday knitting a bit sooner. Damn that procrastination gene!

>^.^<

blogging by mail...

2005-11-29T12:37:00.000-06:00

OK, so I've been severely slacking in the blogging department. I just
haven't felt up to posting lately...

So here's the scoop on my momma...
At the hospital they did a million tests (stress test, angiogram, MRIs,
etc.) and found NOTHING. So basically they think it was severe acid reflux.
She still has the flu pretty bad, and last week I was home taking care of
her. She is on another week of no-work per the doc for this week. Hopefully
she will be all better soon :)

Turkey day...
Since my momma was sick, we decided to postpone T-day to Sunday. I am very
proud to say that I made the whole dinner! Chris was there to help me out a
bit at the end after he woke up from his nap :) The turkey turned out
great! My dad had a hard time carving it because the meat was just falling
apart. I'm so glad that everything turned out great. Now I know I can make a
full turkey dinner in about 6 hours. We had turkey, green bean casserole,
tangy potatoes, carmelized sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce (my own
recipie), and those yummy flaky rolls. I think my dad took some pics of me
in the kitchen, so I will have to post those later.

On the knitting front...

The alligator mittens are almost done! I have all the pieces knit and I
FINALLY found some sew on wiggly eyes (thank you Hobby Lobby). Now all I
have left is to add the teeth, block the pieces and sew them together. I
can't wait to finish cause it's getting might chilly around here :)

I finished one of the Hurry Up Spring arm warmers last night. I like how it
turned out, but the leaves are a bit hard to see on the dark yarn. The 2nd
one will have to wait since I've now been consumed with Christmas knitting!

I have started another pair of Sweet Mary Jane slippers in a pretty pink and
purple verigated yarn. I'm also going to be making another set in a
blue-green-yellow verigated yarn. I think I might try and squeeze in a pair
of fuzzy feet and another basic cable hat too. I'm not sure how I'm going to
do it all in time! I may have to pick up another set of #7 DPNs so I can
have a few projects going at the same time since most of them are on 7s. OI!

And on the Graphic Design end of things...
A friend of mine is starting a record label and he has asked me to do his
work! The label is called Alarm Clock Records. So I've been picking up the
stray job from him now that the iBook is back in the swing of things :)
I've also been comissioned by another band, Beyond the Red, to do some
stickers. And the boy's band finally has a name, Silence of the Fall, and
we're trying to come up with a logo for them. I'm not sure how I'm going to
squeeze everything in with the holiday parties on the weekends, but Sundays
will have to be a dedicated knitting with football day.

I hope everyone had a great holiday and I will post some pics when I get a
chance :)

>^.^<

burrrr!

2005-11-18T09:48:00.000-06:00

Man, it's been COLD this week! I realized that after hunting around the house I couldn't find a pair of gloves or mittens that wasn't missing one or falling apart. So I decided to knit myself some mittens :) I'm going to start on the Later Gator Mittens from Stitch 'n BItch Nation. I've already got 2/3 of one of the Hurry Up Spring arm warmers complete! I'm planning on wearing them at work where I'm always chilly. I might even crochet myself a little lap-ghan for work. I hate having a space heater on all the time. I'm always afraid I'll melt my shoes or pants or something. Pretty soon I'm going to have to wear my hat all the time to keep myself warm! It sucks that the cost of heating is so outrageous this year. I'm just glad I don't have to pay to heat the warehouse!

On a sad note, my momma is in the hospital. She's been sick ever since she
came back from Florida about a month ago. She's so stubborn that she didn't
want to stay home and get fully recovered. Unfortunately we haven't heard
any news yet. My dad called me this morning to tell me that he took her to
the hospital and that the doctors had been running tests, but still didn't
know what was going on. I hope everything is OK. She doesn't like to go to
the doctor as it is... So please send some positive thoughts and prayers our
way.

Me and Mom last Christmas

>^.^<

PICTURES!!!

2005-11-14T22:57:00.000-06:00

OK, first off, the snack swap photo

MMMM! We have spicy peas, chocolate almond biscotti, espresso chocolate bar, japanese cookies, a cute hazelnut hippo cookie from the UK and a pretty postcard :) THANKS SIMA!

On to the knitting!

My first Cable project! This is the Basic Cable hat from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation :)

And me looking a bit maniacal in my new hat...

Drum roll please..............................

The completed Mary Janes! I realize that this photo makes one foot look bigger than the other, but I assure you they are the same. At least i used the same sizing ;D

And a side view of the MJs. This pic dosen't do the button justice tho. They're actually a really pretty blue and black swirl button. A perfect fit!

I think I may need to make the next size down even tho I have size 10-11 feet. They fit a bit loosely, but they're definitely comfy and warm :)

And that's all folks, Time for bed!

>^.^<

Wahoo!

2005-11-14T15:29:00.000-06:00

I finished my Mary Janes this weekend! I would have pics, but my dad stole
my camera this past weekend to take to a wedding :P Oh well, I'm planning
on spending tonight catching up on all those photos I've been talking about
:) I just had to post that I actually finished a pair! I did one slipper
yesterday while watching football (GO BEARS!) and napping. I'm really happy
about how they turned out I'm definitely making more for xmas.

I also had a suggestion for some tread since we have wood floors. Use some
puff paint in a coordinating color and make little dots, swirls, whatever to
transform into slip-resistant slippers :) I hope y'all had a good weekend!

>^.^<

and the verdict is...

2005-11-11T11:27:00.000-06:00

So I finally have good news! I got my iBook back :) THey sent it out to
Apple Care on Monday night, and I looked at the info page that comes with
it. They received the package at around 6am Tuesday morning, and it was
shipped out again by 1pm! I can't believe how fast the turn around was. And
all of my information was still on the hard dive :) Even better! So now I
know that the Apple Store was feeding me a bunch of bull about the delay on
the backup being because of a problem with the hard drive. I can't wait to
include that in my letter. Did I mention that I am writing a letter to the
District Manager of the Apple Stores? It's already a page and a half :) I
can't wait to see what they say about the whole ordeal. I should have just
sent it in myself and it wouldn't even have been gone for a week! Oh well, I
know for next time. I don't think I'll ever patronize any Apple Store from
now on. Apparently dealing directly with Apple is the only way to get things
done.

On to the knitting!

As you may already know, I joined the Sweet Mary Janes knit-a-long that Jen
From Piddleloop is hosting. I finished my first slipper last night! I
decided to do the whole thing in the same yarn since it is verigated and I
must say that I'm impressed at how accurate the sizing is :) I have gihugic
feet (that's gigantic and huge) and I have trouble finding shoes that fit.
I'm so happy I won't even need to alter the pattern for my feet :) Great job
Erin! I just have to find some cute buttons now. I think I'll cast on for
the 2nd slipper tonight, and I plan on being finished by the end of the
weekend. I'm going to try and catch up on all the pics I've been promising
tonight, so everyone can see my progress :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll catch ya on the flip side...

>^.^<

apple store = evil

2005-11-07T14:58:00.000-06:00

OK, so those of you who read my blog know the plight of my iBook. Well, Saturday I decided to give apple a call to check on the status of my repair. The lady @ apple care said my iBook had not yet been sent in. WTF?!?!?!?!?! I was sooo pissed to say the least. I demanded to know what was happening since last week when I called they said they were shipping it in on Monday the 31st. She called the apple store in Woodfield Mall (Schaumburg, IL) where I had taken said iBook in for repair on October 22nd. She came back on the line and told me there was a problem with my hard drive and it was taking longer to back up my data. What a load of crap! I know for a fact that there is not a problem with my hard drive, only with the display which is attached to the motherboard. No hard drive issues AT ALL! So I told her that my business is suffering because I was told there would be a 5-7 business day turn around on this repair, which if it had been sent in right away would have been, at the most, November 1st. So she calls the apple store again and I talk to "Sam" who proceeds to feed me another bunch of bull crap as to why my iBook never got sent in. If I had known there would be this much trouble, I would have just sent it to apple care myself.

The apple store in Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL is run by a bunch of freakin' monkeys! So supposedly it was sent in today to apple care. I'm going to call there and get the tracking number of the shipment so I can track my status myself. My dad went and picked up the DVDs they backed up all of my info to yesterday, so at least I'll have that, but I'm still out a computer until I get it back. I am having it shipped directly to my house this time because I refuse to drive the 45minutes to Woodfield to pick it up. And knowing the "geniuses" at that store, they would probably forget about it until a month from now! I can't express how furious I was when all of this went down. I was screaming and crying at the same time. My dad even got on the phone and demanded to know what their issue was, and they fed him the same crapola. I have never before experienced such blatant uncaring with customer service of any kind. I am totally writing a letter to the store manager, the district manager, and customer service of apple care. Plus I have freelance jobs that have to be done this week, that I may have to give to someone else if I don't get my comp back. This sucks ass. I can't believe the incompetence of these people. They can't even offer any kind of solution, rental, or anything to hold me over. So if any of you are planning on spending $$ with apple, don't do it with the Woodfield Mall store.

OK, so enough ranting on that subject. On to the knitting!

I finished the basic cable hat on Saturday, and I love it!!! It knit up so fast that I may have to make a few more for Christmas. I'll have pics...eventually. I also FINALLY finished my first knitting with hemp project. It's just a basic basket weave washcloth, but I like how it turned out. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. It would be nice for the shower for its loofah-like qualities, but I just love the poofy things. So who knows. It may just go into the last-minute-gift pile. I also purchased the Sweet Mary Janes pattern from Erin of My Best Friend's A Dork for Jen of Piddleloop's KAL. I also picked up the double points I need today at lunch. Now I just have to figure out that funky cast on. I'll probably be hijaking my dad's s-l-o-w laptop to see if I can find a visual. I just work so much better from a visual, ya know? Especially with knitting. Sometimes the descriptions are just much easier to see that guess what they're supposed to look like. I've also caught the cable bug from that hat pattern, and I think I may start the hurry up spring arm warmers from SnB Nation. YAY! I (heart) cables :)

OK, back to work!

>^.^<

I'd rather be knitting

2005-11-04T15:37:00.000-06:00

So it's Friday, and we are slow as hell. One of the girls in the office
(there are three of us) was out for the past two days, so I actually had
stuff to do, hers. Well, she's back today and again, I am bored out of my
skull. It's soo tempting just to reach into my bag sitting on the floor next
to me and pick up my knitting. I've been out of the groove for a while now.
I just stated to knit the basic cable hat from Stitch N Bitch Nation. I'm
loving it!!! I'm not too sure about the sizing, but projects always look
smaller when they're crammed on 16" needles. Thankfully it's been really
nice (I mean upper 60s) this past week, so my slow progress on this hat is
OK for now. I want to have it done by the end of the weekend cause I can
feel the snow ready to attack. I just think this winter is going to be
hellish and I will be spending more nights at the boy's house than not. At
least I have a place to stay that's only 5 minutes from work. If I'm at home
when it snows, I'll have to allow at least 30 if not 45 minutes for my drive
to work. Back roads in the snow are not happy.

SO anyways about this hat I'm knitting. I'm using it as a warm up for the
sweater I'm planning on making myself. It's really cute. I'm using
wool-ease, for my allergic self, in Grey Heather. Once I finally get it done
I don't think I'll take it off unless I'm sweating :) I'm already getting
into the swing of using the cable needle, and I might actually pick a
different pattern with more cables cause those scared me off at first.
Cables aren't really that hard at all. I'm soo happy I can do them without
being scared. It truly is amazing what you can do with a few needles and
some yarn. I kinda wish I had started knitting way long ago.

And I'm joining my first KAL! Jen from piddleloop is hosting a knit-a-long
for Erin's Sweet Mary Janes pattern. Check out the link to Jen on the
sidebar. Sorry no direct links when I'm emailing my blog :) I still have to
decide what yarn I will use. I think they may replace the knitted animal
gift idea I originally had for my friends. There just isn't enough time for
me to crank out an individualized animal for each of my friends I want to
gift this year. I'm not too sure how the boys will like them, so maybe
something else will be in store for them. I have also been contemplating the
monster slippers from SNBN. They are sooo cool!

OK, enough for now. Time to feign some more work for an hour and a half and
then...the weekend!!! I hope you have a great one!

>^.^<

oi.

2005-11-01T16:52:00.000-06:00

so I had a good weekend. My costume was a hit. I was Cruella DeVille :) Pics
will be posted...eventually...

My iBook is still sick. those damn bastards at the apple store are going to
get an earful when I go to FINALLY pick it up at an undetermined time. I
called to get the status Saturday, and it HADN'T EVEN BEEN SENT IN!!! So
pretty much their excuse was "we had to open it up and retreive info
directly from the hard drive because there is a problem with the
motherboard" and it took them a friggin' week to do that?! I don't get it!
The last time this happened I spent 4 hours at that friggin' store with my
iBook connected to a G5 via Firewire and I transfered all the data that way.
I think they are just giving me the run around. I want my comp back!!!!!

And where, oh where is my Secret Pal?! Anon E. Muss, I haven't heard from
you in over a month :(

>^.^<

the weekend is almost here!

2005-10-27T12:53:00.000-05:00

Just a little note before I jet off to lunch. I can't wait for this week to
be over! It's been quite rough over here, and this quote put a smile on my
face:

Chris Rock's "Quote of the Year"

"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the
best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss
hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany
doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are
named Bush, Dick, and Colon.
Need I say more?"

Have a great weekend!

>^.^<

blah...I'm a slacker

2005-10-26T14:50:00.000-05:00

OK, so i've been a bit out of touch lately. My iBook is sick :( There is
something wrong with the video card, or whatever is inside a mac. I turned
it on last week and the monitor was split into four sections repeating all
over the place and the mouse was a big fuzzy square. It's currently at the
Apple Care Repair Center, hopefully to return by Saturday. I have so many
photos and posts to catch up on!

OK so A quick Thanks! to Sima, from whom I received my first Purple Pink And
Orange swap package! This month's swap featured snacks. In my package was a
bag of chocolate almond biscotti (I love biscotti with my coffee!!!), a
chocolate espresso bar (another fav of mine!), an adorable hazlenut and milk
hippo all the way from the UK, and a bag of spicy japanese peas! What an
awesome swap partner :) Sima, I apologize for not sending a personalized
note, but I misplaced the awesome postcard of redwoods with your email addy
on the back! I think my mom stole it :)

Other than that I've been busy helping my friends move into a house that we
will be sharing with them in the spring. Of course my knitting has fallen to
the wayside for now, but after this weekend (halloween craziness!) I'm
planning on starting the cabled hat from stitch and bitch nation to get
myself into the cable groove for my sweater. I'll be sure to take lots of
photos and post them when my lappy is all better!

>^.^<

weekend update

2005-10-17T12:23:00.000-05:00

So how was everyone's weekend? I had a pretty good time...

Friday night a few friends organized a girl's night with all different kinds
of snacky foods, manicures and pedicures. We even played Jeopardy on the PS2
and watched a few movies and the White Sox game. It was very relaxing and
fun. The boys didn't even get back till really late and I ended up crashing
on the couch waiting for them to get home. We also decided this was
something we need to do at least once a month. Amen to that!

Saturday we got an early start and got to Great America by 11:00 am. It's a
good thing we got there so early, because we had to wait an additional hour
and a half to actually get into the park. We ended up going on five rides
total and we were there for 12 hours! The lines are definitely a down fall.
We are thinking of getting season passes for next year and going during the
week a few times during the summer. They also have these speed passes that
get you on the ride right away, for an additional cost, of course! The speed
pass holders can enter through the exit of the rides and usually have at
least one row reserved for them. It's pretty cool if you have one, but if
you don't it sucks. I think the longest we waited for a ride was for the
American Eagle, which I didn't even really enjoy. If you don't know, the
American Eagle is the world's largest wooden roller coaster (at least it
used to be). The ride is REALLY rough and it screeches like crazy going
around turns. We waited almost two hours to get on, and I don't think I'll
ride it again. But my favorite by far was the Superman! You actually get
strapped in with a super comfortable over-the-shoulder harness that covers
your pelvis area and your feet are in a restraint as well. After you're
strapped in you get raised up into "flying" position. The ride was such a
rush, I would ride it all day if I could! We ended up leaving around 11:15pm
and boy were we exhausted! Of course I have no photos since we didn't bring
the digital or a disposable camera, but I did manage to get the boy into one
of those photo booths that takes 4 pics in a row. I'll have to scan them in
to post.

Sunday was filled with the Bears game, painting, and the White Sox game. It
was pretty cool that both Chicago teams won. I still can't believe the Sox
are playing in the world series! It's causing quite a stir out here since
the Cubs haven't even made it this far in sooo long. Things should
definitely be interesting if the Sox actually win. I'm happy they've made it
this far since I've always been a Sox fan, I just never really "get into"
sports that much. We'll see if the south-siders can bring home the big one
this year!

>^.^<

blogging by mail...

2005-10-13T09:29:00.000-05:00

SO, it's been a while since I posted. I've actually been occupied at work!
It's definitely a good thing, but I do find small periods of time when I
have to find something to do for a little while. I figure if I look like I'm
writing an email no one will bother me :)

So I've been battling a cold for a while now. It's never really been a full
on-I feel shitty-cold, except for a few days last week, but no temperature,
just runny/stuff noses mostly. I can't wait until I get health insurance
again so I can actually go to the doctor when stuff like this happens. Ah
well. I'll just hope my crazy mexican cold medicine works along with the
airborne I've been taking. If you've never heard of airborne, I suggest you
check it out. The website is www.airbornehealth.com I can't insert
hyperlinks when I blog by mail, so just copy and paste it in. Definitely a
great invention, I just haven't been taking it regularly. Mostly because
when I think I feel better, I stop taking it, which is of course the worst
thing to do. Maybe I'll learn eventually!

So we are going to Great America Saturday. For those of you who are
unfamiliar, Great America (located in Gurnee, IL) is a roller coaster theme
park. Tons of different kinds of rides for kids of all ages including me!
I'm really excited, 'cause I haven't been in quite a few years. The boy
isn't really into any ride that goes upside down (except for the little tame
one) but we are going with a bunch of friends that love roller coasters. I
can't wait to ride the Superman ride. You actually ride it from a flying
position! I think it will be a blast.

We are still working on painting the house. We don't plan on moving in until
spring, probably sometime in March or April. Our friends are moving in by
the end of the month. Every time we get something done, there's this little
rush if excitement. We have all these plans, I just hope everything work
out. Our room is actually bigger than I thought, although not by much. But
that's OK, because it's not like we're going to be spending all of our time
in our room. We'll have a whole house to roam freely in. I just can't wait
for the freedom. It'll be tons of responsibility as well, but totally worth
it. We are so ready to be on our own.

On the knitting front, I've made minor progress on the dredlock bag. I think
I have three rows of dreds attached now. It's taking a lot longer than I
expected, so I'm stalling. But I do have the strap completed. I-cords go
much faster when you can knit them continuously.

I have the yarn ordered for the animals I'm going to knit for the holidays.
I'm not sure how many I'll actually get done, but I'm hoping to complete at
least three. I think I'll be too consumed with my sweater. Last Saturday,
the boy, his mom, and I drove into the country to find this quaint little
place called The Fold. It's nestled in farm land and is attached to the
owners home. It is so freakin' cool! When you first walk in the door, all
you can see is everything related to spinning. Shelves are over flowing with
rainbows of roving. Spindles, combs, spinning wheels, everything everywhere.
It was very over whelming. There were two private lessons being taught. It
was fascinating, and I'm totally hooked! I'm definitely going to look into
learning to spin. In the adjoining room there was yarn floor to ceiling. So
many different kinds of yarn, brands I had never even heard of. I was in
total awe. I must have walked around tem times before the boy finally helped
me pick out yarn for my first sweater. It's on giant hank of Mountain Colors
in the Northern Lights colorway. I'll have to photograph it so you can see
the beautiful colors. It's just like what you would see when the Northern
Lights are visible. And I think I found a pattern I want to use as well!
I've been searching all week to find the perfect one. It's really agonizing
to find exactly what you're searching for. I'm definitely going to have to
try writing my own pattern sometime.

CD SWAP! So I have received a bunch of CDs. The ones I can remember I have
received are from 12punt3 - Marianne, Suzie, Jen, Lindsay, one from Brazil
(can't remember who from), and I think one more. I'll have to photo and
thank each one in the next post from home. So THANKS! and I've enjoyed
listening to them so far!

That's all from kittyland for now. Time to get some actual work done :)

>^.^<

holy photos batman!

2005-09-29T20:25:00.000-05:00

ok, first thing first this is a freakin' HUGE photo post...don't say I didn't warn you!

My reveal package from Julie my secret pal! Two hanks of greek mercerized cotton in a luscious red, and super soft black manos. Also see that little siver crane? I love oragami :)

And this is the thank you gift Suzie sent me. She was the lucky person I got to spoil in the last SP round :) Awesome rayon yarn in an african violet colorway and some cards she made at her letter press class.

The B-E-A-U-tiful pouch Jen and her sister collaborated on for me. The fabric is totally vintage from her Grandfather's quilting! I love it SOOOOOOO much! yay :)

My first set of Dual Disc Debacle discs from Jen.

my Dual Disc Debacle mix...for track listings, see here.

My haul of miscelaneous cards from the renegade craft fair

The make your own sock monkey kit I got from renegade

A little something I picked up on the 2nd half of my Chicago trip last weekend. I've been looking for a little standing bag like this for a while, and how could I pass up this cuite for only $5?

speaking of shopping, here are a few books I've picked up recently: a book on how to spin, two books on knitting animals, and one on sewing animals. I'll be very busy!

and some things I picked up from the dollar section at target: 3 different colors of super fluffy yarn, crappy needles that only need a little TLC (like sandpaper and wax paper), and a little book of patterns :)

And here is the famed dredlock bag that I've been gushing about for so long...

and finally a photo of myself in Cleo. I still haven't touched the black one since forever ago...

And I think that's enough for now :)

>^.^<

What a weekend!

2005-09-26T16:06:00.000-05:00

So how is everyone feeling today? Me? I'm feeling very lethargic. I had a pretty good weekend, and now I'm tuckered. I totally could have dealt with taking the day off to sleep/lounge/knit.

Saturday, I spent the morning designing. I've always got little side projects going on in the background. Nothing huge and Important. A little xtra cash on the side, ya know?
>interjection: I freakin' hate 3 days of the nickle-creed-hooba-park! All those damn bands sound the same to me. I guess it's all a little too whiny-country-like to me. anyways...<
So of course I was too distracted by my little project to get ready for the wedding shower. The shower started at one. I got into the shower at 11:50 pm. Now, I'm used to taking fast showers, because I frequently sleep too late in the morning. I was out of the shower by 12:05. I get to the getting dressed stage, and I realize I don't want to wear anything I have available. I try on the same pieces of clothing in all different combinations like 50 times. I finally manage to get out of the driveway shortly after 1:00pm. Oops!

So I get about 10 minutes into my drive (which I figure should take 30-45 minutes max) and I hit the wall of traffic. It takes me 15 minutes to drive through a town which you could easily blink past. I finally break into the country where the traffic is light and fast moving. I manage to take like 3 wrong turns before finally ending up at the church at 2:00pm. No worries though! I was just in time to munch on the standard mostaccoli/chicken buffet. I won prizes during the games; a strawberry scented candle, a how to cook with beer cookbook, chili cookbook and copper nail polish. Yay! I love beer :) It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Even the cake was pretty good.

That night Chris and I went to Chipotle and ColdStone. What a wonderful combination. If you have never been to a ColdStone, you're missing out! They mix the ingredients right into the base of an ice cream of your choice. I had cherry loves cheesecake and it was delicious. Chris's Peanut Butter Cup Perfection was awesome too. We just lounged with some friends that night and ended up crashing on their couch.

Sunday was Renegade Craft Fair Day!!! I had convinced two of my friends plus Chris to come along. The train was delayed an hour and a half before we even got on. It came just in time to save us from a downpour that lasted the whole ride. We got into the city about 12pm. We rode the el down to Wicker Park and started browsing. There were a bunch of different kinds of stuffed creatures, yarn related items, tshirts, buttons, jewelry, etc. All made by independent funky artists. I dug a lot of the creations I saw, but definitely couldn't afford all of them. I walked away with a Make your own sock monkey kit and I was very happy about it.

Shortly after it started sprinkling, I met up with Jen of Piddleloop! We exchanged our packages (pictures to come!) and I got a cute pouch Jen embelished with a felt kitty and her Dual Disc Debacle mix. See Jen's blog for what I made for her! We decided to grab some lunch and the weather gods decided to tinkle on us. Actually I can't say tinkle. It was quite a down pour. I was the only one with an umbrella and even I got drenched. Thankfully my backpack stayed pretty dry. For the most part. We took shelter at Potbelly's (super yummy sandwich shop) and chatted and ate and dried off. (See Jen's blog for the photos!) We parted ways shortly after lunch. My friends and I continued on our own little shopping spree in the Clark/Blemont area. We finished up in time to catch the 6:30 train back home.

Somewhere during our trip home, there was "an incident with a pedestrian" and there were lots of cops in the ink black night that was just beyond our train car. I still don't know what happened, I just know we were delayed 30 minutes while they dealt with the local authorities. We shared madlibs with a drunk lady on the train and I didn't knit anymore. By the time was finally got back to my house I was exhausted. I cleaned out my purse and backpack, got ready for bed and I was out by 10:30. I actually slept for more than 3 hours continuously! I needed it.

So I've been compiling this for the past few hours, and I think I've rambled enough. I'll let you go with the temptation of there being ACTUAL photos in the next post, I PROMISE!

>^.^<

fridays...

2005-09-23T12:32:00.000-05:00

So it's Friday. Thank god! I don't think I could bear to sit here for
another day, feigning work. It's like every time I have something to do I
just get it done too quickly. I know I've said this before, but it's true!
On the days I need an extra pick-me-up I've resorted to making hot chocolate
with coffee instead of hot water. It helps me keep my eyes open. Yesterday I
kept falling asleep at my desk. I even tried to take a nap on my lunch hour,
but to no avail. It seems like the only time I can sleep is when I'm not
supposed to or when I have to get up. I wish I could just sleep in till
10am some days like I used to. Even on the weekends I'm up no later than
8am. It sucks. Ah well, I guess I just need to adjust to this regular hours
thing. It's been so long since I have had "regular" hours, that' I'm still
not used to it after a month. Plus once I get health insurance again I can
get back on the thyroid meds and hopefully that will help with the
sleepiness too.

So I realize I don't talk about my LYS enough, so here it is! The LYS I go
to is Quietly Wild in Woodstock, IL.
The owners Maggie and Nancy are the best! I try to make it there every
Thursday after work for some much needed knitting time. It's great to sit
and knit a bit with all of the ladies that find their way in. There's always
a class going on in the back, and we're usually chatting it up in the front.
They have a great sitting area in front of a big picture window that is nice
a cozy. Plus they carry a lot of great yarn. If you visit the site, they
have pictures of the inside. It's really great to have a place like that to
go to. I probably wouldn't even knit as much as I do if I didn't go. They
have great classes (that's where I learned to crochet!) and are always
helpful. I love you Maggie and Nancy :)

Now something else I've been doing lately is reading. I haven't been reading
much for the past 8 years or so 'cause school has taken up so much of my
time. But I decided to get back on the wagon. Quietly Wild has a book club
that meets about once a month to discuss the current book. I've already
finished the book for the next meeting and it isn't even until November! The
book I read is called Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton. I would
definitely recommend this book to anyone, knitter or not. There are even two
really simple patterns and a recipe included! I was so drawn in, I was
reading in every spare moment I had (even at work!). So I just finished the
book last night and it was excellent! Now I have to find another one to
hold my interest. FOr the longest time I would only read fiction by Dean
Koontz of Stephen King, with a fe other thrown into the mix as well. But I
LOVE horror fiction. I started reading Stephen King when I was in 5th grade.
I'm trying to expand my horizons, so if anyone out there had any
suggestions, lay them on me!

And as for Sunday, I am planning on meeting up with Jen from
Piddleloop . We are doing a little
swapping as well :) We are exchanging the discs we made for the Dual Disc
Debacle and Jen is making me a little pouch! I'm so excited! If you haven't
seen her beautiful work, you should definitely check it out! She'll be
running a store soon, and they will be for sale. I think I might be putting
up some buttons to sell as well. I just have to finish up the stuff I'm
crafting for her, but shhhh! it's a secret :) I know we'll have a good time.
Plus I'm dragging now two friends and possibly the boy to the renegade craft
fair. I love riding the train into the city, I'm still praying for no rain,
at least while we're down there :)

OK, it's lunch time! And maybe another attempt at a nap ;)

>^.^<

GAAA! PUBLIC FLOSSING!

2005-09-22T11:52:00.000-05:00

HEE HEE! I just had to make a reference to my DILBERT® page a day calendar.
Today's comic is about how Dilbert and Wally are aggravating the new mutant
"Peeved Eve". She freaks out at everything LOL!

So I wanted to give a shout out to <a
href="http://www.purlygates.blogspot.com"> Suzie </a> who sent me an AWESOME
thank you package for being her SP! Since I am pretty much always blogging
from work these days where I run an ancient Power Mac 7500/100 I can't
upload photos, but I do have a digital now! I'll try to remember to upload
the pics tonight. Anyways, she gifted me two beautiful hanks of rayon yarn
in a beautiful purple/green colorway, I think it's called Orchid. And she
also included some note cards she made at her letterpress class! I've always
wanted to take a class like that, but they don't offer anything like that
around here, at least not that I've found. So, THANKS SUZIE :) your package
made my day.

As for the Dual Disc Debacle, I finished my packages and they were sent out
Tuesday afternoon. Nothing like slacking, especially in a swap you're
hosting! Well, they were supposed to go out Monday, but we had a bit of a
communication problem between myself and the boy. That's OK tho. I noticed
there are a lot of us slackers out there :) I'll be posting my artwork and
track listings in a few days. It was quite a chore trying to figure out how
I was going to work my packaging, but in the end, it all came together, and
I'm really happy with the way they turned out.

For the Knitting news, I have attached 7 dreds to the dredlock bag so far.
I'm kinda dragging my feet on this part. I would probably have a lot more
done, but I've been making the I-cord for the straps. The dreds are I-cord
too, but they're only 4" long, so there's a lot of color switching going on.
You'll see. Eventually!

I'm still planning on tackling the socks, but at this point, I'm already
feeling the holiday crunch. I did get to do a bit of unexpected early x-mas
shopping last Friday tho. Picked up a cool gift for the boy from Borders.
Even tho he will never read this, I'll omit the actual gift. It's pretty
cool and I know he'll love it. Now I just have to start compiling the stuff
for his "big" gift. Another super secret!

So for some reason I've really had this itch to knit or crochet animals for
gifties this year. I saw an awesome book at Michaels a while back, and when
I finally had the $$ to get it, their clearance section was gone for the
holidays. So I did a bunch of research on Amazon and found a few books to
satisfy my needs. Did you know it's practically impossible to find a crochet
book on making animals? They're all out of print! So I guess I'll just have
to knit my little heart out, and maybe get creative and transpose them into
crochet instructions. I also got a book on sewing stuffed animals. I'm not
sure If I'm quite up to the task, as my sewing skills have been thrown to
the wayside for knitting and crocheting. But I'm getting ready to brush up
on my skills again. I'll be sewing for a few friends and for my SP this
round. After having a Seamstress Extreme as my spoiler last round, I've been
inspired.

And this weekend I'm planning on attending <a
href="http://www.renegadecraftfair.com"> the Renegade Craft Fair </a> at
Wicker Park. The weatherman said it's going to be scattered showers all
weekend, and I'm just hoping they won't scatter over the fair. I checked
with the organizers, and they said the fair will go on rain or shine. I'm
just not too keen on walking from the train to the el in the rain, ya know?

So that's about it in my little world. I've been fighting my yawns all day,
even though I had more continuous sleep last night than I have had in a
while (thanks sominex). So back to the grind...

>^.^<

The Questionnaire

2005-09-14T15:58:00.000-05:00

OK SP6...are you out there? This is for you!

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
A: I'm not really a yarn snob. I prefer natural fibers (cotton, hemp) and I do work with acrylic for washable items. I really do love Cascade, Manos, and hemp based yarns the bestest :)

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
A: I don't currently spin, but I REALLY want to learn :) I think that's something I'll tackle this coming spring. I do also crochet like a madwoman and I love it!

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
A: I am allergic to wool (the blasphemy!) but only certain kinds make me itch, like Lopi and the more un-refined types (I adore using Cascade which is also wool). I am allergic to animal dander (most the kitty-cat kind), smoke, perfume (except for Fetish!), and most kinds of soap (damn these allergies! I mostly use castile liquid soap or organic/hemp based soaps. (If you dig these kinds of soaps, check out << raining rose )

4. How long have you been knitting?
A: For almost 2 years :) and I can't stop!

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
A: I do, see my blogger profile for the address.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
A: I prefer clean scents. It's kinda hard to describe. Especially since I am allergic to most of the common brands of great smelling bath products. (I really miss you bath and body works!) As for candles, I like anything not too overwhelming. Something that would make the house smell yummy without choking me, ya know?

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
A: oh my?yes. yes I do :) good chocolate is a great weakness of mine.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
A: umm?just about everything! I work with the sculpey clay, macreme (anything out of hemp!), sew a bit, potentially quilting, decoupage, generally anything crafty. I love ReadyMade!

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
A: I like everything from phish to nine inch nails. My tastes vary greatly. The only thing I really don't care for is country (although bluegrass is pretty cool in my book)

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
A: My favorite colors are black, red, and silver. I also love olive drab, blue, brown. The colors I can1t stand are far and few between, but I1m not really a fan of the pastels or bright pinks. I just really like all colors. I1m an artist, what can I say?

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
A: I currently live at home with the p's. No pets inhabit my home any longer.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
A: To open my own store of some kind. It would be really eclectic: hippies and metalheads unite! And you know, own my own home, start a family? I'm still pretty young :)

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? A: Well, currently I1m loving Cascade (did I mention that? LOL), I received a hank of Manos from my last SP and it's amazing! I'm really interested in organic cotton?I want a sweater!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
A: Scratchy stuff ie; Lopi, Jute, crappy acrylic, etc.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
A: I just want to make lots of cool stuff! I'm really interested in knitting up some animals.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
A: I1m getting into clothing?and felting.

17. What are you knitting right now?
A: currently working on the dredlock bag by indiknits, and socks

18. What do you think about ponchos?
A: Eh?I'm not too sure yet. I've had yarn to make one for myself for a while, but I'm not too sure if I actually want one. I may end up making it to gift. I do enjoy making them for all of my friend's kids.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
A: I'm addicted to circular needles. Clover are my faves, no squeaks!

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
A: Wood definitely, be it bamboo, oak, redwood (if I could afford them!), whatever. I do have plastic and aluminum needles, but I don't use them very often.

21. Are you a sock knitter?
A: I just learned! I'm not too sure if I like 'em too much, but I do enjoy working with double pointed needles. I'd definitely like to try the double circular technique!

22. How did you learn to knit?
A: heeheehee...well, a friend taught me how to knit in the "back loop style" Winter '04. Then just recently, the lovely ladies at my LYS taught me how to knit continental style after they discovered why all my stitches were twisted and funky :)

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
A: Only a few months old...I try and keep up with my projects. Usually if I let them sit for a while, I end up not liking them anymore and frog 'em for something else.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
A: SCOOBY DOO! He's my fav :) I am also a fan of Badatz Maru (Hello Kitty's penguin friend) and Emily the Strange. I also do love the kitties :)

25. What is your favorite holiday?
A: Halloween for sure!

26. Is there anything that you collect?
A: How about a whole lot of crap! LOL ...but no, not anything seriously. Just crafting supplies!

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
A: I don1t have any subscriptions, but I do love me some Interweave Knits! (Vogue knitting mostly make me want to yak!)

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
A: The new stitch and bitch that won't be out till Jan (or so I hear), and other than that, just a book on making animals, be it knitted, crocheted, sewing, whatever! I always see these cool Japanese animal books on blogs and wonder where to get them?

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??
A: Nope! I'm just searching for the perfect sweater pattern?I may just have to write my own!

>^.^<

boredom

2005-09-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been so bored you do anything and everything you can think of only to find that 5 minutes has passed by? That's where I am right now. I feel like this day is taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r. It's really hard for me to extend the time it takes for me to process an order. I swear, sometimes it's a curse to work efficiently. I look at the others in my office feigning work as well. It seems they can drag out the time it takes for them to process orders for the whole morning. I just sit at my desk staring blankly at my screen somehow hoping that I'll jump into warp speed and suddenly it will be one o'clock: lunch time! At my morning break I carefully divide up my pop tarts into little bite sized pieces, carefully chewing each bite, and listen to my coworkers chat. I make an extra trip to the lunchroom for tea, even if I don't want any. I come up with any excuse I can to walk around distracting myself from the utter boredom that exists at my desk. I write page long emails and letters only to find that I type too fast to take up a reasonable amount of time. I re-read my emails fifty times to make it look like I'm actually working when someone walks by. When I get an order, I'm just so damn excited to have something to do that it takes me two minutes to process it for the next stage and then I'm consumed with boredom once again. It's weird. I really miss the fast paced insanity that was once fedinkos, but I think I would die if I ever had to work there again. But this, this nothingness that has become my work day is killing me! If only I could break out my laptop and busy myself with my own designs. I actually came up with a sure fire plan to work on my laptop at work without actually doing any work. Is it wrong to think like that? Should I actually get paid to sit here hoping, praying that a customer will want to talk to me? We all dive for the phone when the main line rings, desperate for another form of human contact. I read magazines about the hospitality industry. I constantly review the supply catalog, searching for a description, ad, or article I haven't read yet. I blog pointlessly, just rambling to take up space and time. I think I'm going crazy...and I can't even knit!

blogging by mail...

2005-09-12T09:32:00.000-05:00

ok, so I'm trying this out. If this blogging by mail thing works out, I'll
probably blog a lot more often :)

So this weekend was pretty nice. Friday night we went out to dinner with my
parents for mom's b-day. Mom really wanted seafood, so we opted for the china buffet instead of driving 45 minutes to Red Lobster or Joe's Crab Shack. It was OK. I guess I'm just so spoiled by my mom's awesome Filipino cooking, that it's hard for me to eat shitty egg rolls and flavorless egg foo young. Ah well. I still got my bucchi (the sugar coated fluffy bits of
dough) and a few other good tasting things like chicken an a skewer and 4 different kinds of shrimp. Overall it wasn't too bad, but not someplace I would frequent often. I guess I would just prefer to cook it myself! Now to get my mom to actually write down her secret egg roll recipe!

Saturday was a great day to sleep in. We had a late breakfast and moseyed on down to volleyball. Our friends try to get together every other weekend to play. I've been out of commission this year since I broke my elbow in February. I'm trying not to do anything to aggravate it, as I still cannot completely straighten my arm. So instead, I was on babysitting duty. Let me just say that Sophie is one of the cutest and most well behaved of all the kids I know under 2. She only gets crabby when she's tired or hungry, like most kids. We watched little bear, played with the puppies, and went outside in between games. Her parents were so surprised that she behaved so well for me, especially since I haven't really spent a lot of one on one time with her. Then they asked me when we were having one! AHHH! We're not even engaged yet! I told them this is currently a baby-free-zone with no plans in the immediate future. I kinda like kids, but I'm not sure if I want to have any of my own. It would be nice to have a little cass or kat running around, but I'm just not sure about bringing a child into this unstable world. I'm kinda afraid of what the future may bring, ya know? But we'll see. Like I said, we're not even engaged, and we both still live at home! Kinda sad, considering we're both over 25, but hopefully within the next 8 months we'll be in a place of our own.

Speaking of which, we got to tour the house last week! Our friend Krista's parents own a house in Wonder Lake. They have been renting it out to her brother for the past couple of years. Well, he has moved to Colorado, and now Krista and her boy get to move in. And since we practically live at their apartment on the weekends, they asked us if we also wanted to move in
with them. YES!!! We're going to be helping them re-paint, clean, organize before we move in. That, and we would like to save up some $$ before we move in. I'm soo glad I got this new job. And it's the same distance as what I'm currently driving, so no big deal there either :) Neither of us can wait to get out of our respective houses. We love our parents dearly, but there comes a time when you just have to get out! Neither of us had ever lived anywhere but in the same room, in the same house, all our lives. Damn, it'll be great to be out on our own.

So now for the knitting news...there's not much :( I've completed the body of the dreadlock bag, again. I've only attached one dread so far, but I have been working on the strap. And that's it. I really wanted to start my socks again, but I just haven't gotten there. I haven't really been knitting much lately because of the Dual Disc Debacle. It really is a lot of work to host a swap. I now have a much greater appreciation for all those hosting swaps out there. Plus I have to complete MY mixes and artwork to be mailed by Saturday! oi! I worked a bit on the artwork yesterday morning and spend the rest of yesterday perfecting my mixes. I'm almost there :) Just a bit more tweaking to do to cram as much music as possible on to my two discs. And then I have to do artwork for Chris's discs too! Thankfully he's got a fairly simple design in mind. If only I could do all this work at work! heeheehee... ah well, I'll just be up into the wee hours finishing everything up.

so I've written a hella blog today! I'll leave it at that for now. And I hope to be getting a new digital camera soon. I've really been missing my pictures! until we meet again...

i love these damn things...

2005-09-11T17:05:00.000-05:00

Joe Normal

43 % Nerd, 47% Geek, 21% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal.

This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek
now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast.

I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal.

Congratulations!

If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback!

Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender
:

You scored higher than 17%
on nerdiness

You scored higher than 71%
on geekosity

You scored higher than 25%
on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on Ok Cupid

it's been a while...

2005-09-10T22:44:00.000-05:00

hey y'all...it's been a while sine I last blogged. I've been really pre-occupied by my hosting duties for the dual dics debacle. I'm still working on perfecting my mix, hopefully it'll be done by tomorrow. Then on to the artwork. I'm suck a freakin' perfectionist when it comes to my artwork. ah well, i'll get to it :)

I just wanted to put a little shout out to the secret pal I got to spoil, Suzie . I was so stoked to be matched with you :) I really enjoyed reading your blog and finding many things we had in common. Especially our heritage. What are the odds that two Filipinas would get matched? I'm glad you enjoyed your gifites! i certainly enjoyed crafting them and putting together fun stuff.

SP6 matches should be out tomorrow or monday. I'm excited! I've already started to put together some potential gifites and I don't even have my match yet!

The Swapmeet over at pink purple and orange is up and running. I've already signed up for the snack swap in October, and i'm looking into the craft swap and the thrift store swaps in the coming months. I really dig this swap stuff :) Getting new and exciting packages in the mail is so much fun!

well, that's all for now. I have to get back to my mixing!

>^.^<

thanks :)

2005-09-01T21:22:00.000-05:00

OK, a super special THANKS goes out to Julie my SUPER secret pal. For my reveal package I received a hank of lovely black manos, two hanks of red classic cotton mercerized greek cotton, and a cute silver origami crane. Julie was a great secret pal, and i'm going to post a conglomeration photo of all the great things she gifted me :)

A second thanks goes out to all of you for you kind and reassuring words about my knitting. I have since recovered, and actually managed to teach myself intercontinental style. The body of the dredlock bag is about 1/4 of the way completed. again. I think I'll start those socks again this weekend.

OK, another short post for my lack of internet. My friend is kindly allowing me to hog his comp for a while, and it's time to relinquish. Maybe I'll post again this weekend, if I find time in between landscaping, a possible museum trip, dual disc debacle matching, and BBQs.

>^.^<

i could die of embarassment...

2005-08-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

OK, this is so freakin' embarassing, so I figured I'd share it with tons of people I harly know! It turns out what I thought (and was taught) was the knit stitch, wasn't. I've been using the "back loop" knit stitch for over a year and a half. Damn I feel like an idiot. I suppose if I had actually taken the time to read my knitting books, instead of trusting someone I thought could knit to teach me, I would have figured this out a long time ago. It's not completely devastating, but it's still pretty bad. I completely frogged the dredlock bag and my first sock, which was completely finished :*( ....oi. SO yeah. That was my weekend. Plus now I have to go to all of my friends, whom I have taught to knit and explain to them that I taught them wrong. Ugh. nothing like a blow to the ego. Ah well...I will survive :) And maybe I can teach myself continental style knitting now! LOL

>^.^<

p.s. 9 days left to sign up for the dual disc debacle!

ummmm...yeah

2005-08-16T22:04:00.000-05:00

OK, so the new job is good. I really like it. The people are nice, the work is easy, and they want to hire me permanently. We'll see how it goes :)

I started knitting the dreds on the bag this weekend. It's going OK. There are just A LOT more to do! hopefully one I get a rhythm going it should go pretty quickly.

I finished the poncho for my friend's daughter, and it's super cute :) I'll have to get a photo of it, since the digi is STILL MIA.

This past weekend was filled with drunken debauchery (did you know I can flip over a 180 lb man without even blinking?), late night hand-stands (in the middle of the road in front of the bar! don't worry, it's a side street), and hangovers (at least I wasn't the one to pray to the porcelain god!). If only I could video tape my weekends and replay it so I could document everything. But who would want to watch that? Ah well...I'll try to update as much a possible, but I don't have internet access at the new place yet, so it may be sparse...

>^.^<

yeah, I got nothin'

2005-08-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

OK, so I start a new job on Monday. YAY! but i have no idea of their policies on internet usage and the such. Things may be a bit sparse, but I'll update as much as I can :)

I started to crochet a poncho for my friend's daughter last night. Not really something I wanted to do, but I'm really strapped for cash, and I figure something is better than nothing. We'll see how it goes!

and BTW, my little rant about people not responding about things they have received is not directed at anyone in particular, I'm just a bit annoyed cause i'm not sure if the Post Office has lost my precious packages or if they actually have been received. On most swaps I like to keep it a secret, cause 1/2 the fun is receiving unexpected packages :) So if you're one of those people who hasn't responded about receiving a package from me, so be it. I'll contact you one of these days...

>^.^<

to dye for

2005-08-11T12:45:00.000-05:00

ok, so i've been agonizing over yarn. since i am alergic to wool i'm constantly searching for other fiber that i'm not alergic to. so today I got am email from dharma trading company. A little background about this company and how I found out about them...a few years back my best friend and I really got into tie-dye and we were looking for a place we could get high-quality dyes and reasonable blanks to dye. Dharma trading was the place for it all. They have a HUGE selections of blanks (plain/white stuff to dye), awesome selection of dyes, and many more craft-related things. The products are high quality (no unraveling or shitty workmanship) and reasonable priced. This is THE source for do-it-yourself dyeing, silkscreening, batiking, etc.

ok, so the whole reason for this post is what i found in my newsletter. Dharma now carries YARN TO DYE!!! Click here to find out more about it. I am really thinking of investing in a few hanks to test. If you click on the images at the bottomw with the numbers, you get a closeup and specs for the yarn. I'll have to just get some to test :) ok...another thing for me to save for!

and on a personal note, things are much better for me today. Sometime on Tuesday a pipe burst in our basement that's somehow connected to the water heater. So that means no hot water for anything. ICE COLD showers suck. That coupled with not enough sleep and horrible PMS just made for a very cranky kitty. So when I arrived at my BFs house last night, his momma asked if we wanted to stay for dinner and I was like "I don't care..." and told her I just had a shitty day. So she treated us to a dinner out :) It was awesome. Totally terrible for me but awesome. What better comfort food than a spicy/cheesy italian beef on garlic bread and cheesy waffle fries? I love you Beef Village.

>^.^<

annoyed...

2005-08-10T14:04:00.000-05:00

ok, I just have to vent this. you know what's really annoying? when you join a swap, be it CDs, stitch markers, secret pal, or whatever, and the people you sent stuff to don't acknowledge that they got the stuff. I mean, at least drop me an email or comment on my blog, like some people have. I don't know. I guess I just have high expectations or something. I just think it's nice to show off your stuff that someone was kind enough to swap with you. In my case, i'm a dumbass and I lost my camera, but at least I can say thanks and link to their blog. it's just frustrating when you don't know is someone has received your thingy you sent to them, ya know?

>^.^<

ok, another spell check thing...why isn't BLOG in the spell check?! it's frickin' blogger for christ's sake!

knitting update

2005-08-10T12:31:00.000-05:00

OK, so the digital camera is still MIA. I think i'll have to get a new one. I have no idea what happened to it. My dad probably threw it away on one of his "I don't care what it is, I'm throwing it away" cleaning sprees. I hope not :(

ok so on to the knitting! You'll just have to use your imagination to picture everything :)

the dredlock bag is coming along nicely. I just finished the body of the bag last night and I will begin to attach the dreds tomorrow. or tonight if I can figure it out myself!

my sock is still going. you know, i used to really love using double pointed needles...oh well. I'm about 1/2 way done with the foot part, working towards the toe. I'm not too sure how I feel about socks. maybe it's just the first pair that takes FOREVER. my SP sent me a cool package a few weeks ago with sock making contents, so I'm definitely going to attempt those. I'll actually WEAR those socks. Do you know how hard it is to be a knitter when you're allergic to wool?! it sucks. There are soo many beautiful yarns out there, but the majority of them are wool. So yeah. I can't even wear my freakin' socks that are going to take me forever to finish. maybe i'll do just one and frame it. LOL That would be funny.

so yeah. I got a new job, my allergies are making me INSANE, and it's still hot and humid here in NW IL. I'm teaching a friend to knit, and last night the lady at JoAnn's asked me if I would be interested in teaching some classes. That would be a cool way to earn some xtra cash to feed my yarn addition :) we'll see...

>^.^<

LMAO...did you know that when blogger spell checks freakin' the suggestion is FORESKIN! how ridiculous is that?!

i've been tagged!

2005-08-09T15:01:00.000-05:00

ok, so I never do these things, but i've decided to start sharing my life goings-on here since I LOVE to read so many other blogs and get updated on what's going on in their lives :)

MEME

5 CDs in your Player:
1. Summer Jams 2K5 – mix CD from Jen
2. WITH TEETH – NIN
3. 2 disc - Farewell – Oingo Boingo (live from 1997)
4. Easy Listening - Pigface
5. Toxicity – System of a Down

5 Movies You've watched Recently:
butterfly effect
friday night lights
the incredibles
shawn of the dead
star wars episode 3

5 Nice Things That Happened To You Lately
1. my boyfriend took me to the melting pot for my birthday
2. boyfriend’s parents spoiled me to soo much yarn and knitting goodies for my birthday
3. I got a new (and good paying) job!
4. I’ve been able to spend oodles of time with my boyfriend and other friends (thank god school is over!)
5. A lot of my friends showed up for my birthday even though it was a last-minute thing :)

5 MP3s on your playlist
1. super bon bon – soul coughing
2. friend is a four letter word - cake
3. badfish - sublime
4. die MF die - dope
5. caress me down - sublime

5 Friends You're Passing This To:
1. Garrett cause I know he’ll probably respond
2. Gina cause I love her adventures in life
3. Katie to give her an excuse to update her frickin’ blog!
4. Heidi cause I read her blog constantly and would like to know more about her
5. Snow White Suicide cause I’ve been lurking on her blog for sometime now, adoring her from afar

something you should check out...

2005-08-04T12:46:00.000-05:00

i recieved this link today, and decided to check it out. wow. that's all I can say. check it out for yourself here.

>^.^<

arrivals and other things

2005-08-03T11:36:00.000-05:00

OK, so I have TONS to write about, and not a lot of time.

Fisrt off, I had a great B-day :) I got tons of $$ and gift cards/certificates for the LYS and Michaels! YAY! I bought the getting to know hemp kit from knit pixie, yarn and needles to make the dreadlock bag from indiknits, and I still have more to spend! My boyfriend took me to the melting pot for dinner, and it was a total foodgasm. Check out the menu and drool yourself! We had the fondu for 2: wisconsin cheese trio, I had a mushroom salad and BF had the Chef salad - the swiss cheese, for entree we had the pacific rim combo and for desert, the pure milk chocolate fondu with lots of yummy treats! THE best b-day dinner, i've ever had :)

Yesterday, I recieved another needle roll from my SP! it's made with the same fabric as the others, and it's now home to my crochet hooks! I love how I have all of this coordinating stuff :) She also sent me an origami cat (allergy free! LOL) and a paper crane. I love origami, I just haven't found time to do it lately. Thanks SP!

On the knitting front, I worked the heel flap and gussett for my sock , and i'm now onto the foot. just 6 more " and i'm on to the toe! very exciting :) the Black Cleo, is still on the back burner, cause I'm too excited about the dredlock bag! The yarn I picked out is all cascade. The main body is #9432 and for the dreds I picked out #7814 and I think #7818 (can't find that label of course!) so it should be a fun and funky project! I've never felted before, so I'm really excited about this!

I have made a new blog for my CD swap stuff and also for my BF and friend Ken. I'll be posting our CD artwork and stuff there everntually! The new Swap I'm hosting is growing fast, and I'm really excited bout that too!

ok, I have to get some work done now, so until we meet again...

>^.^<

Dual Disc Debacle!

2005-08-01T14:26:00.001-05:00

ok...so I'm hosting a CD swap with my friend Garrett! It's called the DualDiscDebacle. It was aptly named 'cause my friend Garrett and I were chatting about the CD Swap that Jen from piddleloop is hosting. (we used to make mix tapes for each other when we dated back in the day.) We were both having difficulties narrowing our play lists down to one disc, so we decided to host a dual disc swap, and what a debacle it will be! So, come on over and sign up so you too can find a dual disc debacle in your mailbox!

marker mania!

2005-07-28T11:20:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I stopped by my house to check my mail, and what did I see? Two marker maina packages waiting for me! Since I don't have a digicam this week, and the one @ work has a dead battery, I scanned in these images. They actually turnd out better than I expected!

I got this cute little set from Leah. Aren't they adorable? I <3 them :)

My 2nd package came all the way from Isreal! Moze sent me a really cool vareity of stitch markers! I love all the differnt beads she used :) I know i'm obsessed with matching my markers so much that i never thought to mix it up a bit. I <3 these too!

Moze also made me a book thong (hee hee hee) that already has a home in my pattern book :) Thanks Moze!

so last night, I enslaved the BF to burn and label CDs for me while I assebmled my packages for the CD Swap. I'll have pics once I get access to a digicam again. These packages will go out tomorrow! Wahoo! I also sent out my marker mania packages this morning. I'm working on another SP package too! Man, the postoffice must love me :)

So our new roof is complete and I'll be @ home again tonight. I really liked house sitting with my BF. It'll be hard to sleep without him to cuddle with! Ah well...we'll have a place of our own soon. hopefully.

>^.^<

CD Swapand other stuff...

2005-07-27T15:54:00.000-05:00

So I've been really busy this week! We got back from our trip to Cincinnati (actually Hebron, KY)for the BF's cousin's wedding. We had a blast! Man, i love his family! They're soo sweet to me, and they know how to party! LOL anyways, i'll have pics...maybe. I don't have a digital of my own (crazy, right?!) so i'll have to get them from the relatives. I finished the afghan just before the reception. It turned out soo nice! Everyone I showed it to loved it. I just hope the newly weds feel the same way!

on the knitting front, I received my package from knit pixie! I got the getting to know hemp kit. it's pretty cool, and i just love working with hemp, so I can't wait to try it out! I'm to the heel for my first sock, and just haven't gotten there yet. I've been too busy doing the CD Swap thing :)

CD Swap: I'm done with my design! I finished my design today, and now I just have to cut and make. I don't use the jewel cases, 'cause I'm a designer! I have to make my own stuff, cause i'm addicted to it! I'm also designing the insert for the BF's cover too. man, i have a lot to work on!

Dual disc swap: the logo is 1/2 way there...the Blog will debut on monday cause i'll need the weekend to work on the rules and everything, plus Garrett and I need to get together to finalize all the details. Monday, I promise!

and that's about it. I'll be partying it up this weekend for my b-day since it's on monday, and next weekend is ozzfest! so i'll officially be in my mid to late 20's. it seems weird. This year has flown by really quickly! so stay tuned for more crafty goodness!

>^.^<

it's OFFICIAL!!!

2005-07-20T12:55:00.000-05:00

Alright kiddies, Garrett and I will be hosting a double disc CD swap. Information should be up by the end of next week. Just and FYI, this will be a DOUBLE DISC swap, so you will have to make 2 CDs. Anyways, more info to come! Damn, I just keep finding more and more things to do! Wahoo!!!

>^.^<

I <3 gifties!

2005-07-19T13:43:00.000-05:00

Last night I received my frist b-day gift!

My boyfriend's parents are going on a road trip, and they weren't too sure if they would be home in time for my birthday (August 1st) so I got an early surprise last night! The blue tote is from Barnes and Noble. It's a flexible rubber with large handle, perfect for my pattern binders! The book with pretty flowers is a journal. The inside has lined pages with perforations, perfect for keeping notes on my knitting patterns :D And I got the most recent issues of Interweave Knits and Knitter's Magazine. All this plus some cold, hard cash to spend at the yarn store! I love my BF's parents :D

Another Crafty Thing...

This past weekend, I attended a class at Archivers. They are the photo memory store that carries everything you need to stamp, scrapbook, and create crafty things. They offer classes all month long, many of which are free!

These are the projects I made at the Water Misting class. A cute photo album and a gift tag were stamped during the two hour class. This was my first stamping class, and since they're free, i'm sure I'll be attending many more! The technique we learned, water misting, invloves applying color to stamps (i prefer using the water based markers over painting water colors), applying a fine mist (or two) to the stamp, and then stamping on watercolor paper. The results were pretty cool! This is a technique I could find many uses for and was fairly easy to master. Plus, if you don't like the way your stamping turned out, just wet a small paintbrush, and soften it up. I would definitely recommend taking classes at Archivers, if you have one near by.

Still plugging away at the afghan. I could have finished it over the weekend, but it was soooo HOT, that I just relaxed instead. Only 4 more days left before the wedding! EEEK! I had better get cracking tonight :D

>^.^<

CD Swap Update

2005-07-18T12:21:00.000-05:00

Well, this weekend Chris and I finalized our CD Swap 2 playlists. We also got our partners for the swap! I'm really excited :D I've got a few international partners, and Chris got all girl partners! LOL
This week, we'll be working on our inserts and labels. I think I'm going to create a seperate page to view our work at. So keep a look out, fun and funky music may be appearing in your mailbox very soon!

>^.^<

MEGA POST!

2005-07-16T16:32:00.000-05:00

OK, here's what you've all been waiting for! You know, the few people who actually read this thing :) *WARNING: PHOTO INTENSIVE POST!*

so on the secret pal front...

This is a lovely needle case that my SP made for me! It coordinates with the circular needle case she made for me too :) Notice my lovely photoshop layering skills. LOL I put in the few straight needles I could find for the photo. I have more, it's just been a while since I've used them, I forgot where they all went off to!

And this here is a lovely sock kit my SP put together for me :) Lovely brittany needles, some cascade fixation in black and white, a pattern leaflet with four different patterns, and a cute hand stamped card. Thanks SP! You're really spoiling me :D

And here is my first sock! I'm using the pattern off of the magic stripe yarn my mom got for me. It's about 1/3 done, and I haven't touched it in about a week. I've been too busy making the afghan...scroll down to see that!

And the first boob for the black cleo is complete! I finished this last saturday at a barbeque. I've decided to follow the basic pattern and just change the stitch patterns. I'm really happy with the way it's turning out so far.

This is the afghan I'm making for a wedding we are going to next weekend in Cincinatti. It's for my BF's cousin. I'm using homespun and a pattern from lionbrand. It's coming along nicely, and I plan on being finished by the end of the weekend.

STITCH MARKERS!!!

This is my first set of stitch markers I received from Jen at piddleloop. We weren't "official" partners, but she's just so awesome, she decided to send me a set too! I love the attention to detail in the packaging and postcard. Each set she made has one unique marker, and I love them all :D Thanks Jen!

And this is the first official set of markers I recieved Thursday. They're from Erin of Nebraska. I love frosted glass, the centerpiece of this set. She packaged them with a card in this nifty little velcro closure pouch. I would love to know where she got these, 'cause I could think of millions of uses! Thanks Erin!

So...that's all for now. I'm off to crochet my heart out to finish that afghan. Have a great weekend!

>^.^<

another little post

2005-07-15T10:54:00.000-05:00

a special THANKS to Jen of piddleloop for my great stitch markers! I also recieved my first set from the Marker Mania swap from Erin. Yesterday was soooo hectic being at McCormick Place all day, it was nice to find packages waiting for me when I got home :) Pictures will follow this weekend when I finally get a chance to breathe. Off to another meeting!

>^.^<

ok, so here's the scoop

2005-07-13T21:39:00.000-05:00

This week has been hectic to say the least. So this update is going to be short and sweet and i'll post a mega entry this weekebd. hopefully.

So have I told you how much I love Jen from piddleloop? Well, now I have. I'm anxiously awaiting a package from her as we speak. YAY! I <3 mail! And in case you didn't know, she's also hosting this awesome CD swap . You should check it out. NOW!

On the secret pal front, I recieved another package! It's a sock kit my SP put together for me. I <3 my secret pal! Pictures comming soon...

on the knitting front, one boob for the new black cleo is done. about 1/3 done with my sock. Starting the heel area soon. I hope it goes well!

On the crocheting front, I started an afghan on sunday for the BF's cousin's wedding gift. We're going down to cincinati next friday for the wedding. I should have the blanket done by this weekend. you can view the pattern here .

on the stitch marker swap, I've completed my markers! I also made some cute little gifties to add to my packages. I thknk I'll send them out next friday.

and i thnk that's it. ok, gotta go get some sleep. We're off to another day at the ASI Show tomorrow.

>^.^<

slacker...

2005-07-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

yep. that's me! I meant to photograph everything I needed to by the end of this week, and....nothing. I'm wearing the completed Cleo tomorrow, so I'll be sure someone snaps a pic of me IN it :)

I've been diligently working on my CD Swap playlist and packaging today. Thankfully there's nothing to do at work! I should have everything completed by the end of next week and we're getting our matches next week too! I'm so damn excited about this :^D My friend Garrett and I have been talking about hosting another CD Swap: The Double Disc. If we go through with it, i'll definitely post all about it here!

Well, it's almost time for me to go home. Have a great weekend all!

>^.^<

for the boy...

2005-07-07T12:23:00.000-05:00

ok...so I've convinced my boyfriend to join the CD Swap! whoo hoo! I'll post his progerss here until he gets his own blog :)

A photo of us this past december. Chris is clutching the scarf I made for him for christmas. I do believe he is currently laying in bed, playing grand theft auto:san andreas, nursing the worst sunburn he's ever had. I guess that's what rafting with no sunblock will do to you! Maybe next time he'll lister to me...yeah right! LOL

an on the lighter side of crazy blogthings...

The Completely Pointless Personality Quiz

hmmm...an expresso machine, eh? at least I'm not a foreman grill!

>^.^<

fly by the seat of your pants!

2005-07-06T17:03:00.000-05:00

All right...my head is still spinning from vacation! We got back late Monday night from our rafting/camping trip to northern Wisconsin. I've never been up that far before, and it was a blast, aside form the moths that covered EVERYTHING that was lit up and night. And this does include me holding a flash light! OI! but things are settling down, I just have laundry left to start and finish. I'll have more about this trip when I get a chance to think about stuff and I get some pics developed and gathered from everyone else that went with us!

On the knitting end...Cleo is completely complete! No pics of me donning my project, but those will come soon too...I promise! I have already started an all black version of Cleo :)
Next on the docket, I'm knitting socks! You heard me right, I've ventured into sock-land, hoping not to get in over my head. I bought a skein of magic stripe and some crappy plastic double points for my first try. I originally got the plastic DPNs cause I wanted bamboo, and they didn't have them, and I really didn't want to use aluminum cause it's so damn slippery. Little did I know that plastic DPNs are really crappy! Well, they'll do for now. At least I can figure out if I need to spend the $$ on getting a good set of DPNs if I really like knitting socks. My boyfriend was mezmerized and frightened by my 5 needles and part of a sock. He just asked me if everything was OK and then left me to my knitting. I think he's interested, but it's not for him. But he has already asked me to knit him a sweater, so we'll see what santaKLAWZ has in store for him. After browsing the newest installment of Knitty, I've got a few ideas!

Well, I know it's a short post, but I've got to get out of here (work) and attend to my huge pile of vacation laundry. A quick THANKS A WHOLE BUNCH! to my SP for another great package :) Pics will follow by the end of the week!

>^.^<

Marker Mania!

2005-06-29T15:37:00.000-05:00

So I have joined yet another swap! This is a stitch marker swap from now what niter? I'm really excited about this one too! I have made a few sets of stitch markers for myself and my secret pal. I have chosen not to post them, cause then my secret pal would know who I am! I will be making more sets for the swap, and I'll post those :)
until then...

>^.^<

CD SWAP!

2005-06-29T15:14:00.000-05:00

Allright, y'all know I love music, right? I'm sure you do too! So you should join the CD Swap 2!

Click on the monkey and he will take you there! Check out the June 18th post for details on how to sign up!

This is a fun way to share the music you like with others from all over. You make 5 mix CDs (all the same or all different), make packaging (inserts and labels) and send them off! In return you get 5 CDs with all sorts of cool new stuff to listen to!

I'm doin' it, so should you! And tell your friends to sign up. The more the merrier!

>^.^<

project: completed!

2005-06-28T13:39:00.000-05:00

There she is :) B-E-A-utiful! I finished Cleo last night after only about 2½ weeks of knitting. I am so proud of this project! I finally have something to wear that is actual clothing :) The only thing I have left to do is sew in the elastic. I am planning on wearing it later this week, so I'll post pics of myself in Cleo and the backing. I decided to go with the original open back for my first try so I can get a sense of how I need to adjust for next time. I think I'm going to knit up at least 2 more versions this summer. I really love this top! Thanks to indigirl for designing such a comfy and sexy pattern!

>^.^<

stuff and stuff

2005-06-20T16:20:00.000-05:00

So Friday was not a good day for the kitty. Too much stress isn't good for anyone, espicially on a friday! But that all changed when I came home to another package from my SP! I was jumping around the house like a little girl I was so darn excited :)

I received this b-e-a-utiful! needle case from my SP :) Needless to say I love it!

And here it is already filling up with my circular needles :) I have been wanting to find time to make myself a few of these, and my SP must have read my mind! I am totally inspired, and my momma wants to make some for her friends too!

After all the excitement, I had a job to do. I took over one of my momma's cake orders 'cause she's been soo busy in the garden.

Here is a close-up of the cake (sorry for the darkness, I didn't take these photos). It was a doll cake and the skirt is the yummy cake :) I came up with my own design on the fly, my favorite way to work!

And here I am holding my creation :)

And last but not least, there was a lot of knitting going on this past weekend too! We were invited to a graduation party for my BF's cousin, so I continued to knit cleo in the car, at the party and on the way home!

I finished the boobies on Cleo! YAY! Last night I cast on for the body, and I hope to have it finished within the next two weeks. As you can see, I changed it up a bit from the first photo. My gauge was a little wonky, so I actually used the right size needles, and two strands of Sugar and Cream in Sage and Ecru. I am so freakin' excited about this project :) I'll probably have to make 5 more just so I can wear them for the rest of the summer!

Aside from all that we had a pretty relaxing father's day. Mom and I prepped all the food, baked dad a cake, and grilled after finishing some yard work. I'll have to take some photos of our enormous garden. Right now it's over-run by strawberries! at least 1/2 of our planting area is filled with little strawberry plants, so much that we can't even mow the edges of the garden! Well, it's almost time to return to the heat of the outside world, so until next time...

>^.^<

A no $$ weekend...

2005-06-14T16:17:00.001-05:00

So we had a weekend of doing anything that involves no $$...at least as little as possible. We're saving up for our trip up north for 4th of July weekend. We are going rafting on the Wolf River with a bunch of frineds. I am really excited and I hope I like rafting! We had much fun frolfing (frisbee golfing) and hanging with friends while trying to save the $$.

My friend saw the BC holder I made, and wanted her own. I just taught her to knit and she dosen't know how to crochet yet, so I made one for her. She picked out this pretty verigated yarn by Cotton Tots. I really like the button. I think it looks almost hand covered in yarn :)

Here is my friend Krista in the Headscarf I made from the pattern on Crochet me. I used the left-over yarn from her BC holder to whip this up!

Another creation from Crochet me was this Kitty Weed Cat Toy! I almost fell over when I saw the pattern for this one! I knew I had to make this for my favorite kitty, Winston.

As you can see, Winston loves his new toy :)

Gift time!! Remember that cute cell phone cozy I made for my boyfriend's momma? Well, she bought me these great gifts!

A cool green clear tote with snapping lid and sturdy handles for my crafting goodies and a great book! I can't wait to learn some of the funky stitch patterns in here. I love learning new techniques :)

Cleo took a back seat, and I re-started...again! I decided to go with Sugar and Cream in natural and sage. Hopefully I'll have at done before the summer is gone!
That's it for now...until we meet again...

>^.^<

WHOO HOO!

2005-06-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday when I got home, it was hot and muggy. I hate not having air conditioning! I asked my dad if I had any mail and he produced a package! I got a cute gift from my Secret Pal! YAY!

A beautiful, brightly colored little hand bag :) It was hand-made just for my by my SP5. What a treat!

Here is a close up of the front in detail. I love the folded fabric with bright colors.

Here is a close up of the creamy, satiny lining. I love handmade things! If my SP would like to post a little info on this bag, techniques, of other fun info in the comments section, I would love to learn more about it! Thanks again SP5!

Last night I grabbed my craft bag and headed to a friend's house. While we did nothing but sweat and watch the boob tube, I decided to try my hand at freeform crochet.

I have been interested in this since I first saw a project on someone's blog. I had tons of different random bits of yarn left over so I just went to town. I think the neon color bit looks kinds like a ram on top of a hill! I don't know what it is going to be yet...maybe a funky bowl or stash bag (how appropiate!) or something else!

After I got home and couldn't sleep (again!) I decided to go ahead and cast on for cleo.

I didn't get too far, mostly because I started over 3 different times and it got to be 12:30am, but it's definitely a start! I'll be heading off to the LYS to so some stitchin' and bitchin' tonight, so hopefully I'll get more done.

So other than this being one of the worst days...in a while, that's about it. I'll get over it, but I think I need less friends, or better ones, or something...until later...

>^.^<

Weekend Projects

2005-06-08T12:24:00.000-05:00

Over the past weekend, I was very productive. I just finished photographing my projects last night in that I'm sleepy, I'm awake period just before bed.

My boyfriend's mom was telling me how she kept losing her black phone in her black purse, so I decided to knit a cute cell phone holder that she's sure not to miss! I used Lion Brand Chunky USA in yellow and Bernat Samba in the lime green. I didn't have a pattern, I just knit it on the fly. I ended up using DPNs to work around the screen, and I think it turned out pretty cute!

Next up, another super cute business card holder from the free patterns section on

I used a verigated acrylic that matches the color of my business cards a bit more. I also pulled out a pretty purple satin-like finish button from by button tube that matches perfectly. I love it :)

This one is a chemo cap knitted from the pattern on Lion Brand's website. You can find it here. Again, I used Bernat Samba in the lime green. I love this yarn with the little fleece flecks in green and yellow. A little early for my charity knitting, but I had it with me, so I figured why not? This is sure to brighten someone's day :)

That's all for now. I think I'm actually going to get around to picking out yarn for cleo from knitty. How long have I been talking about it anyways? :) I've really been wanting a cool halter top to wear since the weather has been unruly lately. The temps in the 80's and very humid with random storms popping up all over the place. I never know what to wear when I go out in the morning! Oi! But that's the midwest for ya. Until we meet again...

>^.^<

projects, projects, projects!

2005-06-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

So I have finally photographed my most recent projects that I have been working on and completed. I do plan on switching back to knitting in a bit once I conquer the crocheting bug!

The first project on display was created by

and can be found here.

I used a rainbow verigated yarn and altered the pattern a bit to make my bobbles stand out a bit more.

A lovely hand model (me!) with the rainbow wrist warmer. What a cute accessory for my Rainbow Brite hoodie on those cold days!

Next up, a super cute business card holder from the free patterns section on

I used the same verigated rainbow yarn for this as a test for the pattern. I'm going to crochet myself another one (or two) to match the colors on my business cards. I bought one of those huge tubes of buttons at the lobby of hobbies and found a cute nautilus design button for this project.

This next project I made at 11:30pm last night when I couldn't get to sleep. It was a fast and easy crochet and only took me 40 minutes to complete. I used a red heart chunky verigated camoflage yarn left over from a baby bib I knitted. You can find the pattern for this one here.

I think if I make this one again, I'll add one more row to the pattern cause my hair can get a bit unruly at times, and I just prefer a wider band. My mom said I should make some out of hemp with beads for belts...maybe someday :)

And last, but not least, a pile of granny squares for my granny square skirt from Hip to Crochet .

I chose some cute fall colors for this skirt, 'cause I probably won't be done with it until then! But this is sure to be a favorite when I finally get it done. Seven squares down...a little over 100 more to go! yikes! but this will be a great take-a-long project for those summer road trips.

And that's it for now! More crafting this weekend :) I can hardly wait! I am going to brave making my own point protectors and maybe knitting needles, but we'll just see how goes. until then...

>^.^<

SP5 among other things...

2005-05-24T15:56:00.000-05:00

I just got my SP5 match and my SP got mine! I'm really excited and I can't wait to go shopping :) below are my responses to the SP5 questionairre...

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)?Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

I am not a yarn snob, but I do prefer natural fibers. I am alergic to wool, so I can't wear anything I make with it, but I do enjoy creating with it!

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I would love to learn how to spin, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. I just recently learned to crochet and I love it!

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
I am alergic to animal dander, wool, and some fragrances. It's more of a trial by error kinda thing. Oh yeah, and I'm also alergic to soap! Weird, I know, but I only use hemp-based products, usually castile-soap.

4. How long have you been knitting?
I have been knitting for just over a year.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do have a froogle wish list, working on one for amazon.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I prefer something clean. As I mentioned before, I am alergic to some fragrances, but I'm not sure which ones! I like fetich products, but they are really hard to find now.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
I do love the sweets! "Abba Zabba, you're my only friend!"

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
umm....EVERYTHING! I love to tie-dye, macreme (only hemp necklaces so far), I am an artist, so anything art-related (sculpting, painting, photographing,etc.) and I'm willing to try something new all the time!

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like everything from Phish (Hippy-Jam band music) to Pantera (Heavy-Metal)and everything in-between. I can accept all forms of music CD, MP3s, whatever!

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
My top three colors are Black, Red, and Silver. I like pretty much all of the colors out there...I don't really like pink or pastels in general. Bold colors are me!

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am single, just graduated college, and living with my parents. I do have a boyfriend of 7-8 years who I love very dearly. No pets right now,but I do love cats and dogs (even if I am alergic to them) and fishes!

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
Well, I 've achieved my major life goal of becoming a graphics designer and I am also a partner with my firm. I would like to make anough $$ to live comfortably, travel across the country touring with a band for a year, and eventually won my own eclectic-type store or bar.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I like bamboo yarn, recycled silk, encore, organic cotton, and anything else with pretty, bold colors.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Rough wool. Besides the fact that I am alergic to it, I hate the way it feel when I am knitting with it!

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Something for summer! I really want to knit or crochet some cute summer tops since I have such a hard time finding ones I like that fit nicely. (Unfortunately for me, luckily for my boyfriend I have a large chest and store bought items are usually too big or small for me)

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Pretty much anything I can find a new/unique pattern for.

17. What are you knitting right now?
Nothing...but I am crocheting a pair of wrist warmers.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
I love them! Made one for my mom for Mother's Day. I am trying to find the right one for myself to knit.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I have been loving circulars over straight, 'cause they don't get caught in my yarn, and my friend's cat dosen't eat the ends!

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I love nature, so I'll have to go with bamboo or any type of wood really, as long as it's as smooth as a baby's butt!

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Not yet, but I do love working with double pointed needles, so I'll have to try one of these days!

22. How did you learn to knit?
My friend Milly taught me.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Less than 9 months.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Scooby Doo! He rocks :) and I love fishes...any kind.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween for sure.

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Well, just stuff in general. I like weird, quirky knick-knacks and handmade things. Something you're not going to find in everyone's house.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Actually, none! I don't really have a lot of time to research to find the best one for me, so I just stick to knitty on-line.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
The new stitch 'n bitch which isn't out yet. Other than that, not really

well, that's all for now. until we meet again...

>^.^<

Back on Track

2005-05-23T11:40:00.000-05:00

So as of late, I have been quite busy seeing old friends, seeing a lot of bands in concert, frisbee golfing, and slacking on my crafting...but as the end of May nears, I believe I have been bit by the knitting bug again! I am dying to knit cleo from knitty. I just have to actually buy the yarn, needles, and find the time! lol but I digress.

I am a proud participant of Secret Pal 5 and I will post my questionairre soon. I am very excited about this and I can't wait to find some cool new stuff for my secret pal!

And that's about it here. I have crocheted an arm/wrist warmer I found a pattern for online, so I'll try to get that posted here soon! Until then, keep crafting!

>^.^<

I regret to inform you...

2005-05-04T14:31:00.000-05:00

that my bonsai potato has passed on to the next life.

This morning I discovered an awful smell coming from the desk drawer I keep my bonsai potato in. It had turned evil and was producing a very foul smell. I disposed of it this morning in a brief ceremony over my garbage can.

goodbye my bonsai potato...I hope you are fruitful in your next life

Too funny not to share

2005-04-25T13:09:00.000-05:00

Kathryn Rose Katkus's Aliases

Your movie star name: Sweet Potato Chips Francis

Your fashion designer name is Kathryn Amsterdam

Your socialite name is Pagoon Chicago

Your fly girl / guy name is K Kat

Your detective name is Cat Crystal Lake Central

Your barfly name is Salt & Vinegar Kettle Chips Tangeray Gin & Tonic

Your soap opera name is Rose Terra Cotta

Your rock star name is Gummy Worms Grand National

Your star wars name is Katfri Katchr

Your punk rock band name is The Asi-asi Flugelhoffen

The Amazing Meganame Generator

Rainbow Edging!

2005-04-25T12:55:00.000-05:00

The edging on rainbow is complete! I added a crochet shell edging to rainbow this past weekend. I also purchased some super cute jersey material from JoAnn Fabrics this weekend to add a backing. I can't wait till it's completely finished!

Granny Squares!

2005-04-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

I learned how to crochet granny squares! In the class I am taking at Quietly Wild in Woodstock, we learned how to make granny squares, and we will be making a skirt. I have a few squares done for the skirt, and I will scan them in later this week. For now, just a little taste.

My first granny square!

BONSAI!

2005-04-18T14:04:00.000-05:00

This is a bit off the knitting/crocheting topic, but I couldn't help but share!

I recieved a most excellent xmas gift from my friend Kennilingus. It's a bonsai potato kit! Check it out for yourself here.

My BONSAI! red potato at home on my desk :)

Crochet Crazy!

2005-04-18T13:56:00.000-05:00

So my good friend Katie and I have decided to learn to crochet. We have a most fabulous teacher @ Quietly Wild, Rhonda :)

I finished my first project! It's a single-crochet blue! chenille scarf, with lavendar tickle fur. It only took me a few hours to complete, and I'm really happy to have learned to crochet! This week we're learning granny squares :) more to come!

the whole scarf complete!

a close-up of the detail with lavendar tickle fur

rainbow!

2005-04-18T13:49:00.000-05:00

Rainbow is semi-complete!

I have been knitting this baby blanket for about a month and a 1/2, taking a few breaks here and there...all I have left to do is a crochet edge, and to decide if I am going to attach a jersy backing. I also apologize for the yellow background. It was the only plain, solid color bkg i had @ the office!

the semi-finished product

a closeup...blanket measures 24" in diameter

a slight angle to view the yo spirals

The Knitting Machines

2005-03-25T11:36:00.001-06:00

My friend Katie and I started a knitting group at our LYS! We're aptly titled the Knitting Machines. We meet every Thursday from 5-7pm at
Quietly Wild Yarn Shoppe in Woodstock, IL. Check out our
site !

Hope to see you there!

>^.^<

Past Projects

2005-03-24T12:02:00.000-06:00

baby bibs I knitted for my friend's little sister who is having a baby...

my momma in her christmas gifts...a hat and scarf knitted with funfur and red heart light and lofty

dad in his christmas gift...a hat knitted with red heart light and lofty and bernat fur

my friend Garrett in a camo hat knitted out of red heart chunky

I have more comming...I just have to track everyone down and snap pics of them in their swanky handknit creations.

Mean while I am slaving away on a scarf for my dad and a circular baby blanket and makny other self-indulgent projects for moi. I am going to be re-writing the pattern for the baby blanket, since the pattern I originally found on-line is extremely vague. That's all for now!

>^.^<

a new start...

2005-03-22T14:46:00.000-06:00

Well, I realized that's its finally time for me to start my own knitting blog! I am preparing photos and patterns to share with you, so stay tuned!