Lace yarn

Anyone here use lace yarn? I'm having a hard time with it. It's so tiny. Do you have any secrets? Do you use teeny needles or needles with teeny points? Help!

Speaking of Thanksgiving...

I'd like to give thanks to my Secret Pal for my latest package! It arrived Thanksgiving weekend, making the holiday even extra special! I wasn't expecting anything so this was definitely very cool.

The box was filled with shredded bright orange paper...that definitely got my attention.

Inside was a nice note from my SP! She (I'm assuming "she") obviously has been reading my blog and taking note of what I like.

Starting from the left, she sent a small photo album. It's the perfect size for the notecard with the scarf pattern she sent me. The scarf pattern is written on a notecard and was included with the note. The photo album will be PERFECT for the notecard. And then I realized how perfect it will be for other traveling patterns! Instead of carrying around a full size pattern and mangling it, like I always do, I'll either write it down or photo copy it and put it in the photo album. Plus, it won't take up that much space in my knitting bag.

Next, is a Tea Bag Wallet. You can see that has a black button with a loop that keeps it closed. Well, when you open it, it unfolds to show four compartments holding four different tea bags.

I'm sure I could fit more than 4 in it if I tried. Anyway, this will be perfect for traveling. I already used one of the tea's...I needed something with caffeine and since everything I have right now is caffeine free, the English Breakfast was perfect.

Speaking of tea, she also gave me some Chai tea, WHICH by the way, is my FAVORITE TEA! I LOVE CHAI TEA!! Especially at this time of year when it's a little bit cooler (we San Diegan's think 61 is cold). I love to make it with milk and sugar, no water! Perfect, THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

Another tastey treat she gave me was the sugar-free Baskin Robins SOUR Sherbet candies! I LOVE SOUR! OK I'm slobbering just thinking about how much I love sour. Am I sick? Probably. :) And they're sweetened with Splenda too. In my opinion, the Splenda sweetened candies are the way to go.

And lastly, Noro Kureyon yarn! This yarn is a popular favorite of knitters and crocheters alike due to its beautiful color combinations.

My SP gave me a scarf pattern to try out with this beautious yarn. I'll have to give it a try. It's SO beautiful, I really want to make something special with it! I know how hard it is to buy something you really like and then give it away...don't worry, I definitely appreciate it!

Look, LOOK at the beautiful colors!

*drooool*

I suppose I'll just stare at it for a while; after all I'm furiously knitting away at my Christmas presents right now so it will be at least a month before I can try out the Noro.

Thank you SP! I love everything you sent!

AARGHH!!

I've decided I need to frog Faythe's present. GAH!! It's just not working out. Since I'm going to frog it, I'm making some changes in color choice too.

*sigh* Damn those frogs!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

My day was uneventful. I cooked nothing! YAY! Instead I lounged around, talked to friends on the phone, took care of some business and knit my Christmas stocking. I haven't been able to spend any time on it this last week, so finally today I was able to finish the knitting portion. I still need to add a loop, block it, add the tree decorations and the lining. But that should take much time at all.

I added the star button to the top of the tree already, you can sort of see it in the picture. Being that it's my first stocking and my first intarsia project (aside from the Bad Kitty purse I made Faythe that thankfully was felted to hide all the mistakes), I'm satisfied with how this has turned out.

Anyway, I'll definitely post a pic of the finished project. Meanwhile, my needles are free to start my next project.

You should never have empty needles!

Christmas requests taken here!

I've received some interesting Christmas present requests lately. In case Santa reads my blog (I'm sure he does), please feel free to submit your requests. Here they are, in no particular order:

* Bazooka gun

* Silencer

* Easy Bake Oven - for a 29 year old

* 3 inch lift kit for Roger (Jeep) - Aimee

* paint job for Roger - Aimee

* hydraulic lifter - Aimee

* big lottery win!

* a good man


Some hopeful recipeint(s) will be kept anonymous. List to be updated throughout the season.

I DON'T THINK SO PUNK!!

I just caught someone trying to steal my car! Due to my paranoia from the LAST TIME it was stolen, I am always on edge when I hear weird noises outside. Well, tonight I heard some noises and thought it was my neighbor getting into his car but decided to look outside anyway. I turned off my bedroom light and long story short, there was this kid looking around, acting suspicious! I waited and even backed away from the window, I thought he totally saw me! But he didn't, evidenced by the fact that he walked over to my car and started sticking something down the window! By then I had alerted Apollo and he made it outside and asked the kid, "Whassup?" in his scary black man voice and face (that's what I call it...it's not a racist thing). At the same time I took a picture of him but unfortunately, the window was fogged and it turned out horribly. He didn't know that though. He got on his bike and wheeled away, turning to look at Apollo the entire time.

Here's the PUNK off to the left with his right hand on his bike, getting ready to take off because he just saw Apollo and my camera flash. The car on the left is an '05 Mustang, the car on the right with the Chococat antennae is mine. BASTARD!

Why would someone want my bucket?? It's almost 20 years old! It even has a steering wheel lock! It sits in a lot full of nice new shiny cars. Why mine?? Not that I wish this on anyone, but I always wonder, why??

Anyway, now we're on full alert and I don't know if I'm going to get my final done tonight or not. ARGH!

Lost 11/19

Well, I was going to write something profound about last weeks episode of Lost. But I'm so tired, I can't remember. I'll write tomorrow. I can't believe I'd forgotten!

Christmas stocking update

It's turned out to be a lot easier than I expected. I say this now because I've yet to tuck in all the ends on the backside. Imagine this knit rectangle folded in half and you can imagine what the leg is going to look like. When I'm done, I'm going to add some teeny ornaments to the tree. Believe me, it'll be cute. I saw something similar to what I'm planning on doing at a LYS.

The weird thing is that I was told to knit this rectangle, then knit the foot and later go back and stitch up the back side. The pattern doesn't mention this at all. In fact, it appears the author of the pattern assumes everyone knows to use circulars from the beginning. And you know what assuming does. Yes, I've made an ass out of myself. In my defense, I did inquire about the rectangle but nobody had an answer. everyone else was doing theirs like this too. Oh well, it's still going to look great.

I'm still not sure if I'm doing the intarsia correctly.

Chick Chat: 'Cause I'm starting to look my age

I've been really curious about the Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel System. Does it really work?

Yesterday I decided to check out the new Sears Essential's, formerly known as K-Mart and ended up buying some for scientific research. Oh yes, and the store was very nice and clean. I didn't spend much time there because I was in a hurry, but it seemed better than it's former self.

Anyway, due to my years of retouching photographs, I've become hyper-sensitive and aware of any fine lines, creases or variations in skin tone on my face. If I could retouch my face, I would. Hence, Olay has hopefully come to my rescue.

At $25, I spent more than I would normally spend on one package of skin products. But I just got paid and decided to go for it. Plus, I've been sick and there's nothing like buying something for yourself to make a girl feel better. According to the packaging, it's a "microdermabrasion and mini-peel treatment...gentle enough to use twice a week" and you bet I'll be trying it out again later this week.

I did use it last night and was pleasantly surprised at how my skin looked afterwards. My skin tone was a lot more even, bright, and soft. But it's possible that's just because I had just scrubbed my face clean. I remain skeptical. I'll let you know if there are any notable improvements after a month.

I know this isn't going to stop creases, wrinkles or freckles though; that's why I use Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15

I did a lot of research before I bought this moisturizer. I wanted something that wasn't heavy or oily and wouldn't clog my pores. I found everything I was looking for in this product. Olay Complete is very light (I don't even notice I'm wearing it) and non-comedogenic. I can say after a year or so of using it consistantly, I don't have any complaints. It also contains SP15 for UV defense. I use it on my neck, arms, and hands too.

Don't forget your hands and neck! Next time you see a photograph in a magazine of a young looking older lady, be sure to check out the tops of her hands and her neck. Retouchers usually forget those. That's where you'll be able to see natural sun damage in its finest. Plus, now with skin cancer on the rise, we can't afford to omit these areas.

I used to sneak a dab of Grandma Udora's Olay (back when it was called Oil of Olay) every once in a while but I think it's safe to say the new Olay isn't just for grandma's anymore. It has morphed over the years into a product even younger women can enjoy. Sure, they have a line of products especially for older ladies out there, but they also have some good stuff for us younguns. Olay also generously offers coupons and free samples on their site, of which I have enjoyed.

I wasn't intending for this post to be all about Olay but hey, I love it and I won't use just anything. Plus, after retouching photos of teenagers and older people alike for years and years, I can't stress enough the importance of using sun-screen, any sun-screen. I can't even tell you the amount of high school graduates I've seen who actually have crows feet. GAH! I shake my fist at you, crows feet! May you die a thousand deaths!

Christmas stocking

I went to a knitting class tonight at a local yarn shop. Sadly, Two Sisters and Ewe no longer has a website. I don't know how this is even possible considering we're now well into the 21st century.

I took this Christmas Stocking class with the hope of learning intarsia. I got to the part of the pattern where I needed to start using different colors all within a few stitches of each other and of course, the class came to an end. Carol, our instructor, did give me a few pointers before we all packed up. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure it out before we meet again in two weeks. Actually, I'm hoping to have this stocking done by the time we meet next so I can begin something a little more challenging. I saw a stocking with an antique looking Santa that was gorgeous but supposedly complicated.

I'm a few rows into the color, alternating green, red and tan and am a little disturbed. Should it look this messy on the back? I know I'll be cleaning it up later, but is this what it should look like? I don't think so.

I also learned about bobbins. That's what those round donut shaped things are. They flip open so you can wind the yarn, but close and easily dispense the yarn and help to keep it from getting tangled while you're knitting.

Any tips or websites that give more info on intarsia to the learning disabled (me)?

Frappr

I was surfing through Crazy Aunt Purl's site recently when I read about Frappr. Frappr, which means "friend mapper," is a nifty little online tool that allows your friends and family to "stick" a pushpin onto their location on a map. You can post "shout outs," create groups and more. I created a group linked to my blog, you'll have to check it out.

Upside down Christmas tree

Interesting. You can find this tree and others at ChristmasTreeForMe.com.

According to USA Today, people like this tree because it's a space saver.

I'm not a fan.

Oh my...

Thanks to Laura for bringing this to my attention. It's an episode from Trading Spouses...this lady is not very Christianlike at all. Be sure you watch it all the way to the end.

I needed this

The best laugh I've had in a while.

Lost!

Finally, a new episode tonight! And all I have to say is OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!

Chicken soup for the soul

Well, at least for my soul. While I've been down and out, I knit up these Mary Jane's from Fibertrends. They're a lot easier to make than you might think. The most complicated part was the strap and that's only because the instructions weren't really clear. Well, that and my thinking is a little fuzzy.

As you can see by the remaining Lamb's Pride skein in the photo, they're pretty big. Huge actually. I'm going to try to felt them tomorrow with the laundry.

This is what they're supposed to look like when felted. We'll see.

If they work out I'll try making some with something that doesn't have any mohair and possibly use a cute button, rather than the simple one called for in the pattern.

Oh yeah, I opted to make these in place of the Fuzzy Feet. They're cuter. I may make the FzF later.

My main squeeze - Hunter

Ten month old Hunter and his dad, Sean.

Flu or cold?

I am sick. I think I have the flu, but I'm not sure. Ah yes, an excuse to surf the net! (*snort* Like I need an excuse!)

While difficult to distinguish the two from one another, there are some differences.

From what I've learned, people who have a cold are likely to experience a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, a low grade fever lasting about one week. Symptoms generally stick to the nose area or at least to the neck and above.

Those with the flu are more likely to have a high fever, dry cough, an all over body ache, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue and general feeling of "I want to die" lasting around two weeks. Symptoms expend from the nose area to the rest of the body.

Well, I guess that's the basic difference. One attacks your head, the other attacks your entire body. Er, that's my generalization at least. I noticed there's no explanation for subsequent bitchiness. Hm.

Here's my response to being sick. Mouthwash, cough syrup for night and day, baby aspirin (it tastes good!), vitamins, water and tissues. You can see that I'm po' due to all the off-brand names. Well, I prefer to call it "sensibly price conscious so I can buy ridiculously priced knitting accessories with the money I save." But we all have our own interpretation.

While getting sick sucks, there are also some potential benefits. It helps your body build up immunities to other viruses or infections that may be looming out there. But don't forget, I am not a doctor. This is just my opinion.

Stories of glue gone bad

I didn't realize getting glued to a toilet seat could cause diabetes. A man was Super Glued to a toilet seat for 20 minutes at a Colorado Home Depot, an apparent prank of teenagers. Two years after the incident, he claims the gluing has caused post-traumatic stress, triggered diabetes and heart complications. He is now suing Home Depot.

Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, a judge has ordered a woman to pay her ex-boyfriend $46,200 for using glue to exact revenge. One morning, he woke to discover she had "used Super Glue to stick his genitals to his abdomen, glued his buttocks together and spelled out a profanity on his back in nail polish." She then kicked him out of her home without any clothes where he carefully walked for a mile before getting to a phone at a gas station. I imagine he was very careful on his walk. Very careful indeed.

But she wasn't the first person to think of this. A woman in Oklahoma used an entire bottle of glue on her ex-husband. Apparently she found a pubic hair on her vibrator that belonged to someone else, so she glued his left testicle to his left leg. An entire bottle!

Got something stuck to you with Super Glue? Use acetone based fingernail polish remover. Be sure to test it in a safe area first: acetone will eat varnish, some fabrics, etc. I know this from personal experience. Because of me, a coffee table once had to be resurfaced. Another time, I accidently dripped acetone based nail polish on mom's nighty (oops, did I ever tell you about that Mom?), melting a nice big hole in it. It's also not a good to expose your skin to it for a long period of time. However, it's better than having something (scrotum, etc.) permanently stuck to yourself. You can also try body lotion.

The Car

I haven't talked about it in a while. True. But you can bet your behind that I've been thinking about it. I'm this close > < to buying it. In fact, I've been stashing away the last couple paychecks so I won't spend anything, enabling me to save more $ for the big day.

Unfortunately, that means I'm running low on funds for frivolous stuff like groceries, the phone bill, gas, etc. Who needs it anyway?

Now I'm trying to decide if I should save a little more money to upgrade to a slightly better car. Of course this means delaying the purchase for a month at least. I don't know. I'm not sure if I can take it. ARRGH!

Good news, I checked the price of the car and it has gone down...so, that's pretty cool.

Bad things

I woke up with a bad attitude this morning. It all started with a cough, sore throat and raspy voice. Then I started work and that's when things went to hell. Let's just say, I'm pretty disappointed with my job right now.

So I've been working on my Fuzzy Foot for the Fuzzy FeetAlong. Yes you can see I've progressed quite far. The instructions call for circular needles. That's just not going to work for me. I'll switch over to dpn's tomorrow. I'm still loving the color though. It's called Orchid Thistle.

I've also been working on two socks using the Almost Argyle pattern from KnitPicks. Another bad thing. I'm not sure why it's not working out. I mean, you should be able to see the diamond argyle pattern, right? Unfortunately it's really hard to see. I'm not sure if it's because I knit too lose and the edges aren't defined or if it's the color. Maybe the gray isn't solid enough (it's a bit heathered) or is too dark?

This is one sock stretched out with the cuff on the right (I really love the way the Latvian twist turned out), diamond argyle in the middle and the heel flap on the left.

The heel flap is a pattern of K1, Sl1 that makes a pretty yet thick fabric, much better than the usual straight knit. And perfect for an area that experiences heavy wear.

Anyway, I'm going to finish these up and try again with either smaller needles (depending on how big these turn out) or a lighter color. Any suggestions as to why the pattern is hidden?

I guess the dark color was perfect for my mood today.

Disturbed

Lost was a rerun. Again.

Fortunately, you can watch a quick version of each episode here. I guess it's a compromise for the reruns. grr.

Fuzzy FeetAlong

In the spirit of joining the masses, I've joined the Fuzzy FeetAlong. When I first read about it at Laurie's blog, I wasn't going to join, I was just going to lurk. I already have enough projects on my plate, why add another one?

But after reading about it, I decided to go ahead. I mean, I've been wanting to make a pair for a while. And, it just so happens I have a couple skein of Lamb's Pride given to me by a very generous angel from Secret Pal 5. Interestingly, they're the same exact color, if not similar, as the feet in the picture at Knitty.com where the pattern was originally published. Coincidence? I think not.

Anyway, here's to Fuzzy Feet!

I didn't know...

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are fraternal, not identical twins.

Taboo Tuesday - *caution* tiny bit o blood

Through work, I managed to acquire some tickets for WWE's Taboo Tuesday last night. Now, normally I wouldn't go. But, I thought, why not? And since I'm suffering a pre-pre-pre-midlife crisis, this was a perfect opportunity to do something different. Plus I was hoping I could get some good photos and interesting tales for you guys.

The first interesting thing I saw was in the parking lot. Several guys were standing there next to their car (it was still daylight) taking hits from their bong. Nice. Speaking of blatant impropriety, I was surprised at how much of a family event this was! Children were everywhere! I even saw a commercial van full of kids driving by, as if they were on a field trip.

I met up with Brian, Bob, Samir, Apollo and three other guys whose names I have forgotten. Yeah, men! I love hanging out with men, they're so black and white! When we got there, the event had already started but we quickly found our seats. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. Our comp tickets ended up in the nosebleed section, not the pimp section. But we didn't complain because they were free. And free is always a good thing, right?


Not long after we settled into our correct seats (we mistakenly sat in the wrong section for about fifteen minutes), Beavis, Butthead and several of their closest friends came and sat behind us. They were SO loud and annoying! Here's some favorite lines from the Idiots:

--"Take his tie and strangle him with it until he's dead!"
--"KILL HIM KILL HIM"
--"Grab his gay hair and kill him!"
--"KILL HIM UNTIL HE'S DEAD"
--WOOOOOO, WOOOO, WOOOOOOOOOOOO " (Ric Flair Sound)
--"Kick his ass" *clap clap clap* "Kick his ass" *clap clap clap*
--"Dude, he acts like he wants to lose!"
--"Of course it's not fixed! They don't know who's going to win."
--*cough cough* *cough cough cough coooouugh* on the back of my head (Apollo giving Beavis his Scary Black Man Glare
--"I got $5 on that b*tch in the leather!"

And so on. I thought they were going to lose it during the diva's Women's Championship fight. It was...great. Just great.

I guess my favorite, as a newbie, was Rey Mysterio. That guy's so athletic, was throwing himself around the ring, jumping over people, doing flips...it was cool! One of his signature moves is The 619, you know, 'cause he's from San Diego and that's the area code south of the 8. The 619 move involves twisting and whipping himself through the ropes and laying the smackdown on his victim with his legs. Apparently he's really popular amongst the little kids and people like me, the newbies. Oh, and a lot of people were wearing variations of his mask too. Even the little kids. It was funny how grown adults were walking around during and after the event with their masks on like it was nothing. We saw several people walking to their cars and drive away with masks still on.

The other event that made an impression on me was the Steel Cage Match between Ric Flair and Triple H. Now, these guys got bloody! Really bloody! Even in the nose bleed section we could see how Ric Flair's bleached blond hair was solid red! And on the screen, we saw Triple H's face oozing blood! It was disgusting! But, I guess that's what The People pay for. After the fight was over and the steel cage was lifted back into the top of the arena, some people came in and rolled back the cover that was on the bottom of the ring. It was pretty bloody! After looking through Flair's old photos, it looks like he and H have fought a lot. Interestingly, their bloody photos are in black and white. I guess that's how they censor the violence.

Anyway, I don't have much to say (but I can blab on and on) nor did I get very many good shots. But I'll post what I have.

Lights, camera, action! The show was broadcast live online and on TV. See that square image on the other side of the darkened lights? That's what people saw on TV. Nice. Just below it is the area where the superstars would come out. Sometimes flames 'n such would shoot out from specially set up props on the stage. You can see some of them on the stage if you squint; they look like black cans lined up in rows.

I call this piece, "Steel Cage Match with Bald Head." I may have new wrinkles from squinting all night long. After this I took most photos zoomed in and without a flash, so they're blurry.

They got down and dirty! Here, Flair and H took turns throwing each other against the cage, bloodying up their faces and heads. There was quite a bit of blood on the floor too. (That dark spot is a chair.) Note how that guy has red hair...that's not dye nor is it natural, I couldn't believe how much Flair bled! Oh yeah, the yellow shirts were security watching out for fights. Frankly, I was disappointed in the lack of crowd interaction aka fights. I mean, this is WWE after all!!

"Let's go Ric Flair" *clap clap clap-clap-clap* "Wooo woooooo wooooo!" (inside Rayleen's head, "Shut UP F-Wads!") It was not a pretty moment for me. Apollo was trying to maintain composure but really wanted to reach around and pop someone in the head.


After the cage match, in which 57-year-old Ric Flair aka Nature Boy miraculously beat down 36-year-old Triple H aka The Game, those guys in red shirts ran out and whipped off the bloodied cover on the stage. They peeled it back like a dirty sheet and hid it somewhere in a matter of seconds. Chick in the black clothes introduced all the matches. Bob told me her name but she didn't get bloody so I don't remember.

Nice, sweet little angelic children yelling, "Kill 'em! Stomp on his head! Kurt Angle sucks!" Apollo wants to know how that came out of their mouth, "when they still have snot running out of their nose."

Eventually it was time to leave. Even before the last match was over, people were scrambling over each other to get out. A lot of people bought fake wrestling belts and wore them over their shoulder. These two guys kept coming and going for beer, food, bathroom, etc and holding their belts in the air as they ran up the stairs. Why? WHY?

I think Britney and K-Fed were there carrying their folding chairs, signs, and belts. (I just don't get Ugg boots with shorts. Ugg boots might be OK with other appropriate attire, but shorts?) Apparently, if you paid $150 for the floor seats, you got to take home your own special black folding chair with special red WWE photos and logos on them. Thankfully, they're padded so you can't hurt your loved ones too hard when you use them typical WWE fashion.


I'm not sure why I took this shot. I think I was going to say something inappropriate. Now I can't remember what it was. Hmm. Nevertheless, I have very few photos. It stays.


By the time we made it out to the parking lot (I was stalking someone trying to get a good photo for Faythe, it didn't work out though), we couldn't find our car! Because so many cars were gone, we were totally disoriented and couldn't figure out where we left it. DOH! Wandering around looking for it was totally worth it though because I found this lovely gem! This car had four signs total in the windows. They were warning us of the governments dangerous radars and lasers!

As far as I'm concerned, the best was saved for last. OH YEAH BABY!