Blogger, what up??

Is Blogger having problems? Some of my photos hosted by blogger are now too big and messing up my template. grrrr! And now my sidebar is centered. I don't see this anywhere in the template either.

To answer my previous question...

Thanks to Faythe and "anonymous" who posted on my blog...there's the answer answer to my previous question.

What is this??

I just took this photo. Unfortunately my batteries lost juice and I can't take anymore! Anyway, this thing is in the sky!! At first I thought it was Northern Lights but really I think it may have something to do with jet smoke. Sorry about that telephone pole there, this was the best angle I could get without buildings in the way. Isn't it weird? It was much more beautiful in person!

Elizabeth loops

I barely remembered to add the little i-cord loops to the top of the Elizabeth purse. Since I've documented everything else, I thought I might as well include this photo. The loops are centered on top of the purse on each side. Later I'll thread a silk kerchief through them partially as decoration, partially to keep the purse closed. Felting to commence tonight.

PetSmart

I went to PetSmart yesterday and looked through their Halloween costumes for the cats. They didn't have anything I was interested in (I saw some others at JoAnn's and got them instead) but I did see some cute outfits in the regular clothing section. Now I have to say, their animal clothes totally crack me up. I mean, how many dogs wear faux fur?? Anyway, one of their simple sweaters was basically a tube...like a leg warmer. It had a strap around the neck area with a pom pom on the back (I'd like to see the dog wearing this one, LOL). Then it dawned on me, I can make this! The leg holes are not complicated at all and this one is a simple rib pattern. I'm sure the ribbing helps with the over-all fit.

While I'm not sure how my cats will react to a turtleneck shirt, it would be fun to make them one. heh. I really am turning into a sad cat lady. Well, as long as I'm crazy too, I guess it'll be OK.

This is the view from the bottom of the shirt showing the neck strap and leg holes. It looks I like can make them by basically making a huge button hole. hmmmm. poor cats.

Ho Hum

35 minutes after I should have left, I'm still at work. I have a customer with issues. Earlier today I asked a customer, "Who is your Internet Service Provider?" He said, "My father."

*sigh* make it stop!!

Elizabeth, Pre Felting!

I was interrupted several times tonight by neighbors knocking on the door for various reasons, but I managed to finish knitting Elizabeth tonight. At one point when I left the purse unattended, Simba fell asleep next to it. It's a challenge to keep any knitting project hidden from him, because he will hunt it down and sleep on them.


Here she is pre-felted:


I'll probably felt her tomorrow.

KnitPicks Yarn

I got my yarn from KnitPicks yesterday. I already started knitting up a swatch for Faythe (that's why the needle is in the pic), since we're going to trade swatches. We couldn't believe the prices were so good, so we ordered several different skeins to test them out.

From the left is Shimmer in Deep Woods, Alpaca Cloud in Autumn, Elegance in Redwood, Shine in Green Apple and Baby Alpaca in Woods. The two on the bottom are Wool of the Andes in Fern and Ambrosia in Mulled Wine. I'll write a bit about each one of them later after I have a chance to knit up swatches. Honest and amateur reviews to be posted here later. :)

Last Night

We noticed lightning last night around 8:00PM and at 1:00AM its accompanying thunder was keeping us awake! (Thanks to Sean Wolfe for letting me borrow this pic.) It was absolutely beautiful ...we saw one long lightning strike over Hillcrest, it lit up the sky like you wouldn't believe and stretched from the heavens to seemingly the ground.

I thought the cats would be scared after one loud crack that woke me up at 1:00AM. But no, they were just fine. Simba was laying on his back in the livingroom and Zoe was stretched out on the arm of the couch. So why does a knock on the door make them jump?

Liz Strap

Other than playing around with a couple different blog templates (nope, not getting anything figured out), coughing a lot and work, I've been knitting a bit. Tonight I took apart a great deal of the double i-cord strap because I thought I was doing it wrong. That resulted in a series of slipped stitches and if you've ever worked with singe i-cord, you can probably imagine what kind of hell dropping a stitch in double i causes. It pretty much ate up most of my knitting time.

Anyway, this is what it looks like. It reminds me of a snakes rattle. Each side of cord is like a tube. It's pretty cool. And, I only need 30 inches of it!

Grammar?

How does this make sense? "Doing the Most Good?" Am I missing something here?

Almost Done with Liz!

Yep, I'm almost done! I need to finish...well who am I kidding. I need to start the strap, felt her, and she'll be done! I'm a little concerned with the tension created on the edges of the purse (the sides curve upward towards where the strap will connect) so I emailed the creator of the pattern and am awaiting a response. I don't mind doing this part over, but I have to do it before felting. I think I've done pretty well, considering I knit almost 350 yards since the fourteenth.

I'll be glad when I'm finished so I can get started on Christmas projects. Speaking of projects, I wonder when my KnitPicks packages is going to arrive??

Bamboo Yarn

Now that my SP knows who I am, I can safely post this yarn without giving myself away. I did everything I could to not give her any clues.

This is Bamboo yarn! Yep, made entirely of bamboo. I bought these to make a purse for myself but haven't gotten around to it yet. It feels much like cotton, but with a tiny bit more...I don't know...squeak? It also has a shine to it - it's really pretty. It's not rough or harsh - I can imagine this yarn draping very nicely when knit up. The only bad thing is it has 77 yards per skein and is not exactly the most cost efficient yarn out there. But still, very cool. I'll definitely buy more.

I'm trying to find sources online cause I'm really excited about this yarn. So far, this is what I've found:

Classic Elite Yarns
Royal Yarns International

Did You Know...

Disney produced an animated film called The Story of Menstruation:

"Educational film, made for International Cellucotton Co.; delivered on October 18, 1946. Through animation and diagrams, the film discusses the female reproductive organs and follows development from babyhood to motherhood. A popular Disney film for girls in school for several decades."

source: Snopes.com

Disney's Story of Menstruation

Update on Elizabeth

Trying to get back into the knit habit, I've been knitting away on Elizabeth. This is supposed to be a knitting blog, after all. Yeah yeah, my personal stories and pics take over, but isn't that what makes it interesting?

I've finished approximately 30% of the body of the bag. I know the handle is going to be quite an adventure - if I remember right, it's a double I-cord! Though the pattern is boring, I wanted to post a pic to compare to the original photo. Last time I took a picture with an oreo cookie for scale. Unfortunately, *cough cough* said cookie and its siblings are long gone. From now on, I'll use a soda can; I'm sure I'll always have one around. Now keep in mind the last pic I showed you was looking from the top down into the bottom of the bag. I'm not sure why I chose that angle so this time I layed the bag down flat.


I also realized if I took a photo of the black bag on a dark background, the stitches would pop out a bit more, rather than looking like a black blob like last time.

This bag is gonna be HUGE before I felt it. HUGE I say!!

Speaking of getting back into the habit (not the greatest segue), I'm contemplating taking an intellectual property class at UCSD. I love going to school and learning new things but I've never done it while working full time. Though it's just one night a week, I'm sure it will be a bit of a challenge to adjust to. While it should help in potential careers or promotions, it will also help with my CLA continuing education requirements. And there's a chance my employer will pay for tuition. Yay! Well, we'll see. :)

On the Bear Front...

Ummm....ok...


Thug Bear


Which Dysfunctional Care Bear Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Secret Pal 5

Well, Secret Pal 5 has officially come to an end. Actually, I think the official end was Sept 1. I sent a package at the end of the month (I'm such a slacker) and a second small package from Amazon due to arrive tomorrow, or has possible already arrived. Package Tracking isn't working at Amazon's site. Anyway, I hope this was a good experience for my pal K. Anne. Faythe and I have been eagerly awaiting our pals from Secret Pal 6. Yes, we're that nerdy.

Speaking of nerdy (not really) here's some pics from work. Paul (L) really enjoys discussing the intricasies of customer service with Chad.

Er, I don't know why he always looks stunned when someone takes his picture. Like a bear in headlights. GET IT, A BEAR!! HAHHAHAHAHA! (ok, only those in the know get it. sorry)

Paul has a hard time really telling us how he feels. Come on Paul, let's not be shy!

Unfortunately, Paul moved to San Francisco. Bye Paul, it was nice working with you! Of course, you'll be telecommuting and I'll "see you" online often, but it's just not the same without you.

While I'm sharing pictures of people I love that work far away, here's my good friend Joel (rhymes with Noel). I just love her to death!

My New Best Friend

Well, here it is. The Anti-Fat is set up. At this point it's in cramped quarters in the diningroom (I still need to rearrange some things) but I can definitely use it. There is some obnoxious squeaking, a metal on metal sound, but I'll either figure it out or just let it go. Cool thing is it's facing the TV. Do I sound tired? Guess it's because I just got off the A.F.

Lacey Cowl

I want to make this cowl with the alpaca lace yarn I bought from KnitPicks. This is the pattern I mentioned in my last post from the book Weekend Knitting. The camisole is also part of the pattern, but I don't think I'll make it this time around.


I tried to get a close up of the pattern, I'm not sure if it's really going to show well. I can't wait for my order to come in!! If I like the yarn, I'll order more for Christmas projects.

Finally!

After knitting a couple nights on the Elizabeth bag, I used up an entire skein (that's in Cascade 220) and managed to knit the bottom and about 14 rows up. I have two more skeins but I think I may need at least one more. It doesn't look like much but since this is supposed to be a knitting blog, I took this photo with an Oreo cookie for scale. (Not that an Oreo cookie really shows the size but...well I just so happened to have an Oreo cookie in my hand.)

Anyway, this looks like it's going to be a pretty good sized bag. Since it's supposed to be felted, I'm sure it'll be huge when I'm done knitting it. I'm looking forward to an end product though, I really want a good size shoulder bag that I can put books in.

Faythe and I decided to work together to test out some Knit Picks yarn. She and I both ordered several skeins this weekend with the intention of testing them out and rating them for real people i.e. amateurs. Keep your eye out for review on both of our blogs.

I ordered some lace yarn. I really want to try out this pattern for a cowl in Weekend Knitting that Faythe got me for my birthday. It's a really pretty lace pattern that looks the same front and back.

I got a postcard yesterday from a SecretPal 5 Angel - all the way from Belgium! While I've technically been in Brussels (train stopped there but I didn't get off), I don't know what it looks like. The card sure did remind me a lot of Brugge, though, where I stayed for three nights. It is SO pretty there! This is one country I would definitely visit again.


Kimberly sent me the card, thank you Kimberly!! But, I don't know who you are! Can you post your blog url? I'd love to see who you are!

Secret Pal Six Questionaire

My answers this time around may be a little bit different, so here goes! (will be updated frequently)

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?
Unfortunately, I've developed an expensive habit. While I don't mind some acrylic yarns, I really do prefer wool, alpaca, etc. I'd like to try silk (I'm ordering some silk, alpaca and cashmere blends from Knit Picks today, can't wait to try them) and other natural fibers. I do have to admit that I made a really cool purse out of some ribbon that wasn't a natural fiber, so I guess I like synthetic yarns after all. :)

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I can crochet basic stuff but I prefer knitting

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Strong perfumes and dust.

4. How long have you been knitting?
Officially, almost a year! I started knitting a couple years ago but stopped halfway through a scarf. I wasn't sure if I was doing it right and really, I wasn't quite addicted so I stopped. Thankfully, my friend Janet asked if I wanted to go to a knitting class. That was the beginning of the end!

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have wish lists with both Amazon and Knit Picks; you can do a search using my email address.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
A wide variety: lavendar, berry, clean "cotton" scents, tropical and more. I'm sure I could think of more, but you get the idea. :)

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Unfortunately, yes. There are some yummy sugar free sweets though.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, photography, some Fimo crafts, sewing.

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 a lot of different music. Blues, pop, country, R&B, classical, jazz. Yes, my computer plays MP3's.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I don't like summer colors, thank goodness fall colors are now in the stores! I also prefer Winter colors over spring, though I do like creams. Blues, pinks, jewel tones...

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Two cats who think they're people and a couple fish. No kids.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
To live somewhere I can afford a house, have a job I love and maybe even have a family. Oh yeah, and pay off my student loans.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
So far I love Cascade 220 and Lambs Pride.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
There's this yarn that feels dirty, it's popular in the baby section. It's fluffy but has this dirty feel. I can't stand it! I'm also not a big fan of eyelash yarns.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Felting and socks.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Hmm...I don't think I have a favorite. I like knitting things I've never knit before.

17. What are you knitting right now?
A purse, bookmark, two scarves. Yes, they've been a long time coming.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
They're ok. I think they're best for children and skinny people.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Both are fine. I use straight for socks.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo baby! Wood is cool too!

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Yep.

22. How did you learn to knit?
A book from WalMart, hehe, and a knitting class.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Er, from December 2004. I might as well come clean - Mom, I don't think I'm ever going to finish the poncho, sorry.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I don't have a favorite animated character.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Shelley China and other similarly aged china, tea accessories, yarn and knitting accessories.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Yeah!! Check out my Amazon list. :)

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??
Yes, they're in the books on Amazon.

No Knit Zone

I've really been slacking in the creativity department. I haven't knit or made anything in weeks! However, Christmas is looming (you need plenty of time when you make Christmas presents) in the not too distant future. I need to get started now!

I've decided to go ahead and finish the Elizabeth bag I started months ago since I need the 10 1/2 circulars for a potential Christmas project. I had originally intended on giving this bag to someone at work, but she quit unexpectedly. So far, the bag is going to be solid black, felted of course. If you see any good color combos or have any suggestions, let me know.

I'm also thinking of tackling some silk ribbon embroidery for Christmas. This will be the first time I've actually used silk, last time I used basic cotton ribbon. I'm not sure what to do it on though. Pillow cases are washed too much and I'm not sure how the silk dyes will hold up. Ideas?

OK, gotta go knit Elizabeth!

My Labor Day...

I worked this weekend...anything to get my car sooner without any car loans!! (side note, I just learned working on LDay was not a bonus at all. Instead, I work only four days this week. ARG!)

The cats had a luxurious time, as usual. Every day is Labor Day for them. Zoe didn't like me devoting all my time to the computer. She kept stretching in front of the screen and meowing like the diva she is. She was really insistant and eventually I had to push her off the desk.

Here they are looking sweet and cuddly in the bowl at the top of one of their cat tree's. Yes, they have two. They're so spoiled, they even have their own blanket. Zoe refuses to sit in it if her blanket isn't there. I didn't believe Apollo when he told me this but even Laura witnessed the diva behavior. She refused to sit on the top and slept on the second shelf for hours. What cat willingly sits on the second shelf?? As soon as I put her blanket back on the top, she immediately jumped in and went to sleep. Brat.

Oh, you can see some of my plants! This year I'm not doing anything special. Just a bunch of green plants that recover from the heat well. I'm thinking of going with a So Cal theme next. Or something a little more tropical.

Simba sprawled around on his back a lot. You can see the cute white heart on his belly. And his nipples! AWWWW! His tummy fur is so soft too. Note he too has a blanket. *sigh* All blankets mentioned in this post were originally mine. And there's a third blanket on the bed that is also theirs. But, I guess it keeps their fur a bit more localized. (yeah right!)

To Answer Your Question...

No, I do not have the elliptical up and running. Apparently , you really do need two people to put it together! And a rubber mallet. I'm waiting for the guys to get back from Texas so one of them can help me. *sigh* I was hoping I'd be able to use it while they were gone.

As you can see, the elliptical came in several, no, scratch that....MANY pieces. Including two boxes full of smaller parts and a pile of plastic wrapped pieces to the right. It's hard to see them but believe me, it's quite a mess.

I also haven't thrown away the box yet, just in case I need to take it back! The box is almost as long as my couch and is taking up so much space, I can't wait until I feel it's OK and I can throw it away! It's full of cardboard and plastic that used to protect the elliptical (though oddly enough some of the pieces had dried mud on them).

You can bet the cats have fun playing in the box night and day.



So, until Apollo and Tee come home, it's going to sit like this. Fortunately, they're due back tonight or early tomorrow morning.

Mom's New Sign

Mom bought two signs yesterday from the state fair. She showed them to me on chat this morning. I like this one best - she says she's going to put it on the barn. :)

Live List

I volunteered to surf for missing people in online data bases. I started with my first missing person tonight. Ellen Durhan or Elvira Durham (75) of Gautier Mississippi which is right on the coast. Her status is unknown. There's so many resources out there for Katrina victimas - it's overwhelming.

Pray for Elvira, please.

LOOK WHAT I BOUGHT, LOOK WHAT I BOUGHT!!

One of my first steps towards fat-anarchy:

Man Eater AKA ?

Man Eater has made it home safely, but not without some problems. See, I was going to get her a new tank i.e. condo - the vase is just too small for this diva fish. At first I was going to buy it and bring it to work. But then I realized I wouldn't have time to do it and really, does my boss want to pay me to do work on the aquarium? No.

So I decided to bring her home. However, before I made this decision, I had drained all but a couple inches of water from her container and taken out her large decorative rocks. My reasoning being I was going to slowly introduce nice clean water to her icky water, etc. So, when I decided to take her home I decided I needed to put her decorative rocks back in the vase so I could use them for her "condo." Well, um, I uh accidently dropped one of the rocks on her head!! It slipped out of my fingers and hit poor Man Eater! She flipped out and did a little bit of a permanent nose dive. It REALLY freaked me out! I added more water and put in the rest of the rocks and hoped she would be OK.

Then, on my way down the stairs to hop into Chad's car (yay, cheaper gas! yay carpool lanes here we come!!), the glass lid that covers her container (it's not attached) slid off and into her water! ARG!! I have no idea if it hit her or not, but again she started splashing about.

*sigh* I felt sooo bad!

With images of me tripping and Man Eater flying across the parking lot, I carefully walked to Chad's car. Thankfully, we made it home safely. I put her next to the boys (my two male betta) and she didn't react. This morning I noticed she had what appears to be a flake of skin peeling away from the top of her body.

oops.

But, she ate dinner and she's swimming around and seems to be happy. So, when I think it's safe, I'll get her condo and introduce her to the new digs.

Meanwhile, I think "Man Eater" deserves a new name. Isn't it just like a gay man to call a female "Man Eater?" I mean, JUST because she killed and ate part of the male he put in her tank? :) If you have any suggestions for her new name, let me know. I'm leaning towards "Shanaynay." LMAO!

Here she is propped up on a cat food can in front of the boys tanks. Don't worry, they can't get to each other!

Just When I'd Given Up...

Secret Pal Angels swooped in to make me feel better!! First, Barbara sent me a lovely package with yarn, school supplies and candy! Unfortunately, the candy did not make it to the photo shoot. They had a quick and ugly demise. We apologize for this but thank you...We? Why am I talking in plural about myself?? Freudian slip maybe???

I should start by saying I was extremely happy when I received the package. My Secret Pal wasn't able to participate so Rox quickly found a Angel to come to my rescue. Just the fact that I received a package was enough to make me feel loved! *sniff* Am I pitiful, or what??

So here's the stuff I pulled out first. EEEE! Presents! For me! It was all I could do not to rip them open before I took this photo.

I got YARN! OH YEAH BABY! I haven't bought yarn for probably a couple months because I'm saving up all my money for The Car. Like any addict, I was starting to go through withdrawals for my precious yarn...and LOOK, I got some!!

I'm thinking of making some Fuzzy Feet for _______ for Christmas and this "Orchid Thistle" is perfect! And I just LOVE Lambs Pride. It's so soft! Oh yes my precious yarn...I have needles and a pattern waiting for you! mu wa hah ah a haaaa

The yarn on the blue yarn bottom is a really soft cotton called "Hash, Classic Elite Yarns." At Barbara's suggestion, I'm going to make a washcloth with it. I've been waiting for the perfect yarn to make this flower washcloth from Weekend Knitting that Faythe got me.



Barbara also got me a lavendar candle (it smells nice and "clean"), candle holder and a water bottle! I've started using the water bottle at work - this gift had such good timing. I need to drink more water and with this baby holding 32oz's, it'll definitely help me meet my water goal each day! And the fact that it's insulated also helps to keep the water nice and cold. :)

As stated earlier, the candy didn't make it to the photo session. I also got some school/office supplies and a plastic container to hold them in. You can sorta see a corner of the container in the first photo. Too bad that I accidently deleted the picture. :( I was having some problems with the batteries and trying to manipulate them to get more juice and ended up doing more damage than good. Really, it's a long story. But I did take them to work where they are getting plenty of use!

Thank you so much, Barbara! You really made me feel special!

Imagine my surprise when I got a SECOND package a couple days later from Skylar! I definitely was not expecting this. Due to that whole problem with the batteries, I had to group everything into one shot. See that cute card on the top?? I just LOVE it!


I got a large magnetized note pad (on the fridge now), cards that I've already started using, and a Knitting Knobby! This thing is gonna be SO helpful! From what I understand, it makes I-CORD!! Yay!

*gasp!* Holy Cracker Jack!! I wonder if I can make small tubes of cord for small projects like baby booties and hats with this Knobby?? OK, I gotta go now so I can experiment with this new toy.

Thank you so much Skylar! You really helped restore my faith in the Secret Pal program. After I received your package I decided to go ahead and join SP6 and give it another try. :)

You guys are so cool.

More Crying - and It's Not Me This Time!

I haven't been knitting. I've either been tired or have other things to do. But Brianna suggested I take knitting to work for my breaks...excellent idea. I tend to sit at the computer on my breaks and do other stuff, which is fine, but then I don't really get a break from my work area or my computer! I think I'll take some knitting into work that will be my "work only" project. Maybe something secret for Apollo? Hmmmm....

Hunter came over to visit i.e. get babysat by me a few nights ago. The evening started out wonderfully.

But open closer inspection was destined to not end so well.

Sure enough, the evening errupted into an all-out Cry Fest. Seems it was bedtime AND he's teething.


Why did they bring him over at bedtime?? Where's the Orajell?


How sad is this? I am posting photos of someone else's kid!! Well, it's either this or more cat photos. Mr. Cranky wins