Friday, November 30, 2007

Nothing to see here folks, just move along

Have you ever been at a point of desperation where you just wanted to knit something and GAH you only have 3 dpns and you need 4? Yesterday I brought my sock with me and at lunch time when I got ready to knit, I realized I was short a needle! Faythe was equally mortified at the prospect of my sitting there staring at a partially knitted sock and an hour of time on my hands with nothing to do. Together we brainstormed...ok not together, really. I sulked while Faythe gave me some ideas.

We tried three different items and none of them met my needs. I've considered creating an Emergency Knit kit for the office but that would take energy and I need to focus my energies on knitting socks and avoiding images of cat scratched testicles. At least I assume that was what caused the injury. After I scrolled down the page and saw the picture, I didn't bother reading any further. I am scarred for life. There's nothing like a pair of pasty, pink balls with veins and fur to permanently scar an unsuspecting innocent.

And for the record, the items and their gauge are:

jumbo paper clip - approx 1mm or less
ink pen capsule - 3.25mm
plastic coffee stir stick - 3.75mm (also serves as a 2.5mm needle cozy)

So I guess if you're desperate enough and they are the correct gauge, you could fake it until you get your hands on a real needle.

BTW, no balls were harmed in the making of THIS post!

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Holiday desserts anyone

I was thinking it'd be fun to make some desserts this holiday season that I don't normally make. BHAHAHAHAHA! Who am I kidding! Since I moved to Cali, I don't bake at all!

So I'm trying to think of something fun I could make for old times sake. I'm not really interested in pie. Maybe a rum cake? Or a custard?

While looking for interesting recipe's, I saw this advertisement.



HEHEHE! Watch out Faythe, Cool Whip is this season's secret ingredient. You'll never know if you're eating it! For the record, I don't really see anything wrong with Cool Whip. Sure, there's a difference in quality but it doesn't bother me. Now, if only I could sign Faythe up for Cool Whip recipe's via email.

Oh, I was going to ask if anyone has any holiday dessert recipe's they recommend - thanks!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Christmas shopping (don't forget the knitting)

I know it's not even December, but already have at least half my Christmas shopping done. I started out this summer picking up a few items here and there, storing them in The Christmas Drawer. People thought I was crazy but it's really helped! It's given me time to, you guessed it, knit! Oh, and experiment with yarn I wouldn't normally buy.

For example, I recently decided to try out some of the medium weight Socks that Rock. Well, I don't think I like it. It's just so dang thick! I bought it for a specific pattern but after I started working it, realized I could just as easily adjust my gauge and use the lightweight.


Though I suppose people that live in colder climates would like it, I think I'm going to stick with the lightweight, which is still thicker than most other sock yarns.

Speaking of shopping, I went to Michael's today and hit the mother load of all sales! OK well maybe not quite the mother load but nearly everything I bought was on sale. We used coupons on the only two items which weren't on sale.

I've also decided to do most of my holiday shopping online again this year. It was such a success last year and really helped to alleviate any stress. I also think it saves me money since I'm not picking up any extra items that might catch my eye in the stores.

One of my latest finds is the Apple store filled with refurbished iPods. They come with the warranty and look just like new. There's other refurbished Apple stuff if you're interested. If you're looking for other deals, try SlickDeals.net or FatWallet.com. Good luck!

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Junk in my trunk

I had a traumatic experience yesterday. No, I didn't join in on the early sales for Black Friday. I weight the pro's and con's of getting up early and joining the crazy early morning shoppers, then scurrying out the door just so I could start my shift at 9am. Because I knew exactly what I would get in the store (since most of my shopping is going to be done online), I did a little math and realized I would only save $20. Then I thought about how early I'd probably have to get up, around 3am, just to get that deal, and suddenly the $20 deal didn't seem like such a deal after all. So I slept in and worked my shift like normal.

That doesn't mean I held back on shopping all together. In fact, Friday evening I went to three different stores for a couple hours. I ended up trying on some clothes and...well this is where the trauma started. I was in the dressing room when something caught my eye in the mirror. It was my butt! IT'S HUGE! I mean, the dimensions shocked me! It's OUT THERE. It's like an appendage!!

Anyway, I'm still traumatized by it all. *sigh*

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Hazel Knits

For those of you who like to purchase yarn online, I highly suggest you check out one of my recent finds, Hazel Knits. Actually, if you don't purchase yarn online, you should give it a try! I've never had a bad experience and sellers are always very friendly.

The owner of Hazel Knits is really nice, so much that we have had a few email exchanges. I'm a little afraid I'll scare her off though. I keep thinking of that time I told my hair dresser, after I found him at his new salon, that I had "Internet stalked" him because I was so desperate to find him again. There was a long, uncomfortable silence - I hoped it was because he's partially deaf and didn't hear me. Kind of like the time he called me and I was so ecstatic to see his name on my caller ID that I answered my cell without thinking while in the bathroom and I couldn't hold back the tinkling that echoed throughout the room. *sigh* I don't know what I'd do if he cut me loose! Hopefully I haven't scared Wendee off yet!

I recently had a yarn seizure and bought more yarn in the same colors I've purchased in the past with a new addition to my Christmas stash: Chocolatier. Actually, it was more of a comfort purchase. There's nothing like some good quality yarn to make a person feel better! Not to mention there are no calories involved.


From left: Denim Blues, Chocolatier, and Sailors Delight. Not only are they gorgeous but I love knitting with them. If you're familiar with Socks that Rock or Lorna's Laces, I'd guess that the weight of this yarn lies somewhere between the two. I can never take a picture with the colors showing accurately so please be sure to check out the Hazel Knits site for better images.

Wendee also included some stitch markers in my orders as a thank you. I tried to take a picture but sadly, they didn't look as good in the photos as they do in real life. You'll probably see them in upcoming projects, though. :) You can never have too many stitch markers!

Meanwhile, I'm working on keeping The Crazy, which I have obviously inherited from my Mom, to a minimum.

We were due a shooting

Apollo called me tonight at work around 9PM and told me, "A man was shot and the 805 is closed down." I checked Sigalert before leaving work and while it showed some slowing traffic, there was nothing to indicate closure so I decided to risk it.

Well, was I surprised when I drove around a bend a couple miles from my place and saw the mass of red tail lights in front of me! Five lanes of traffic were merging into two where we were rerouted onto the 8, which goes east or west. We had been going south. I took the long way home, picked up Apollo and went for a drive to see if we could see what's going on.

We saw a ton of marked and unmarked police cars on El Cajon Boulevard, at least two entire blocks were taped off. We then drove down a side street that looks over the 805 and stopped to see what had caused the entire freeway to be closed down in both directions. There were about 30 police and other assorted cars there too. Some of the cars apparently had civilians in them, we assumed they were witnesses. This is where we saw the body lying on the ground in front of one of the cars.

We learned from a stoned guy who had recently been released from the penitentiary but called himself "Mr. Mom pushing a stroller down the ghetto" that a couple bodies were lying in an alley near his apartment. Because he was bleeding profusely from one of his fingers and was very animated about police and kept waving his arms around, etc, we left that area and went down the street to talk to one of the policemen who was guarding a taped off area.

We learned from the officer that the guy laying on the 805 in front of us shot at least two people near 34th, was pursued by police and then when he shot at police, they shot back and killed him. The details were sketchy but for whatever reasons he ended up on foot down by the side of the busy interstate. An officer was also injured during the incident and was taken to a local hospital.

Some of the police cars were pointed in odd directions and one of them had a window shot out. There was also a rumor over the police scanner (on the policeman) that the man had been run over by a police car. We stayed and talked to the policeman for quite a while, during which some stupid gangster kids walked by and insulted him, making that stupid "sssst ssssssssssst" to intimidate him. They were upset because the man's body wasn't covered but he said there was nothing that could be done about it. Apparently once the body is covered, evidence is destroyed. He said that the interstate would probably be closed until Sunday morning.

The policeman was a nice guy. We talked to him for at least an hour about everything from football to kids-these-days. I truly don't understand why so many people are cop haters. Oh, did you know that Cop is actually C.O.P. and stands for Constable On Patrol? Me either.

I made the picture small but if you're gruesome like me, click to see it bigger. Believe me, there's no real detail in it, but still some people might not like it.

Anyway, it's almost 3am. I need to go to bed.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Approx one month of actual knitting time left

As I realized we're almost half way through the month of November, a little bit of my knitterly soul went into over-drive, causing me to ransack my "yarn treasure chest" and several bags hidden deep within the depths of my bedroom. Yarn I forgot I owned (and wondered why I purchased) was discovered, along with some extra needles and WIP's.

In my hunt I found some Wool-Ease appropriate for a teen, meaning it should hold up to his Oregon ranch lifestyle and is manly enough for an ear flap hat for an almost-man, not quite kid.

BTW, I started this blue sock tonight. The look I'm going for is understated but colorful.

You know, since Mom, Tyler and Aimee will be visiting me mid-December, my knitting time is seriously depleted. Especially since Mom wants to window shop and do touristy stuff, Apollo wants to take Tyler out for "man stuff" and Aimee just wants to hang out. I have a feeling we're going to be busy.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Today's musings

1) There was a lot of grumbling today, done by me. Apollo agreed that I seem to be getting crankier and crankier the older I get. It doesn't take much to get me wound up. I sense this means I'll end up being one of those mean old ladies that lives down the street with ten+ cats. Meanwhile, I'm shocked that Apollo would agree that I'm cranky! He then went on to say that only he and Simba could put up with me! Zoe, he said, doesn't give a damn.

2) While filling out a form today at Lens Crafters, I was stumped at the "age" section. I filled out the age I assume I am and ignored the obvious mathematical error. Does it really matter anymore? Must figure out age!

3) No need to get all wound up at annoying people. It may cause blood pressure to go up resulting in lady at Lens Crafters getting big wide eyes, staring at blood pressure machine while having machine do the test a second time. Then again, her stumbling over what to say when asked "Is something wrong" and averting her eyes wasn't very comforting. Jokes in tense situation do not make everyone laugh. Back to cranky thoughts.

4) I've always wondered, why do scented tampons exist? I could understand if their function was outside the body...

5) I recently purchased the Interweave Knits 2007 Holiday Gifts magazine. I carefully peeled back each page and wondered if this is what it's all come down to. Me in my 30's, spoiled cats, knitting, wool, a laptop open in front of me. But at least I paid my DMV registration a month early today. I feel better already.

6) Reminder: Amazon.com = good, Fry's = bad. Most Christmas shopping will take place online this year. People, please update your Amazon wishlists!

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Monkey progress

I'm having a hard time getting a picture that accurately shows the colors but this is close. Just imagine it a little bit brighter.

I'm halfway through the second sock and will probably finish it tomorrow. I don't normally block socks, but I'll definitely block these, just for presentation sake when I give them away. The next time I try this pattern I'm going to see what it looks like without any purl stitches, only knit and YO's.

Oh, I also copied you, Faythe. I was thinking about Interweave Knits and everything you brought up. After some research, I decided to get it too. I'm looking forward to my first edition! After Christmas I plan on knitting something other than socks, maybe IK will inspire me!

Thursday, November 08, 2007

No reason

Ever have one of those days where you see your own reflection and you think, ew my boobs are so gross, they're so obvious and...nippley! (Damn that AC!!)

Oh.

So I bought more yarn. It was either that or eat something really bad. Or drink.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

It's funny, even while it's wrong

It seems credible. And hilarious! Maybe Shawn should get Boomer a Hello Kitty tattoo! That way if she comes up missing, she'll have a clear identifier!!


Part of what makes this so wrong, besides the whole tattooing your dog thing, is what appears to be a doggie nipple in this picture. Maybe it's a mole. Either way, yikes!

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Oooh, ahh


Today has been a long day. I was up at 4:40am so I could get to work by 6:00am. A live event and several cups of coffee kept me going all day long, even through the evening as I knit on my first Monkey sock. That's all I have to share today. That and this neato picture I'm currently using as my desktop. I left the shutter open on my camera for a couple seconds to get this shot of the Golden Gate bridge in Frisco.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Yet another Monkey

Well, I decided to give in and join the rest of the knitting community and make myself a pair of Monkeys. Yes, it's true that when I first saw them I thought, "Nice pattern but who would want to wear that on their feet?" Maybe they've just grown on me or maybe reading so many people's comments about their being addictive and fun, I threw in the hat. Or the needle. I had also recently purchased some hand dyed yarn from Hazel Knits on Etsy and decided this was an excellent opportunity to knit up Sailors Delight.


Though I've just barely started, I can see why so many people enjoy the pattern. I guess it's because you're knitting and purling with blind faith and suddenly this pattern appears before you like magic. And the colors look great too!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

The Perfect Recipe

Brianna recently asked me to join in on a recipe exchange. I thought about it and could only think of one good recipe I know, so I decided to share it with everyone.


The Perfect Recipe

Ingredients:
$20 - $50 cash
Car
Boyfriend/Husband
Grocery store

Begin by giving your boyfriend/husband some money. I recommend $20 to $50, depending on the quality of food you anticipate eating. Next, give him the keys to your car and ask him to go to the store and buy anything he wants. Bat eyelashes and/or feign a headache. Or, in my world, tell him you have a sock to knit and the latest DVD of Little House on the Prairie arrived from Blockbuster.com so you're too busy.

Wait 2.5 hours for boyfriend/husband to shop for meat products (because we all know that's what he's going to get) and to visit with all his friends. He'll probably go to three or four different stores to buy three different items, give a friend a ride somewhere or sit idling while talking to a long lost buddy, so you might want to make sure you have plenty of gas in the car. If you're bored, try calling him a few times on your cell phone but don't expect an answer. The car stereo will be too loud, especially since he probably turns up the base. But if you really want to freak him out, hit redial about fifteen times so when he checks his phone next, he'll see that you blew it up. hehe

Finally, he arrives. By no means, do not stop what you're doing. He'll probably be carrying several bags of food from several different stores. One of them will contain only one can of cat food. He knows what he's doing, just stay out of his way.

Wait another 30 minutes while he cooks up the food, usually adding some hot spices or barbeque sauce. If you're lucky he'll add some macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes or canned green beans. And dinner is served!

I'm telling you girls, this is the best recipe ever. You should try it out!