Saturday, October 25, 2008

VACATION

I just printed our boarding passes. My Cousin Deb is here to house sit. My Indy has gone to stay with my Sister and keep her solo doggie company. So we are ready to sail. I am so excited. I keep trying to remember my last vacation. I can't. This year my vacation time has been spent recovering from surgery. Last year my vacation was spent caring for my Mother after her surgery. The family reunion in Las Vegas was a ton of work, from the registration day through the end of the banquet. I always take as many classes and sessions as I can at the conferences I attend. So I have not had a vacation on which I did not have to do anything but enjoy myself in over two years. Sad sad sad.

Working my life away. I get up at 4:50 am in the morning and get home at 6:30 pm every night. I have a few short hours to enjoy my roomie's, television, podcasts, knitting, books and movies. I do have an excellent yarn collection however. And - if I ever get to thoroughly read all of my knitting and crochet books I will be the most prolific needlecrafter in my little world.

Next year I must make more time for me. I want to take at least two weeks of my vacation to stay home and read and knit and just do nothing.

Adios navego mañana a Suramérica.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Busy Busy

I had a busy weekend!! I did laundry, being sick for two weeks is not good for the chores. I had furniture to rearrange in the guest room and some yarn bins had to be relocated. I moved my chaise lounge back into the master bedroom. During all of this I managed to select the clothes for my trip, febreeze the new luggage smell from my bags, pack my knitting projects and supplies, and catch up on all of my podcasts. I am now loading a few audiobooks onto my laptop. I need to download a few games and my Rosetta Stone needs to be installed on the laptop I am taking with me. I am excited about having a webcam to record video in the cabin and at each port. I will have a vlog, since I won't be blogging. We tentatively have wifi onboard, but I will have to wait and see if it's convenient or if I will just vlog and then write up blog posts after I get home.

It is getting very cold here, 46 degrees in SF this morning. I am looking forward to the warm temperatures in Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and Colombia. Even Florida, for the brief time we will be there. I am sure the work week will go quickly, I have lots of meetings and writing to do. Yay!! It should fly by.

I finished my Koigu socks. I am happy to be off of the size 1 needles. Mystic ICE KAL will be starting soon after I get back from vacation. I want to actually knit along for a change. I have so many projects to work on, but I like knitting the hints with everyone else.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Still Here - Still Knitting

I turned the heel of the second Koigu sock and started on the foot. I had a bad headache though and went to bed quite early. I am excited about my Austermann Step yarn. I need to pamper my feet and I was able to try this yarn with my Loopy Groupie $25 gift bonus. I am saving the yarn for my cruise sock project. It only takes one skein for a pair of socks. I did my WIP review and I only frogged one project. I love my projects and the yarn I am using. I will keep going on all of them until they are done.

I finished my Smores socks and will finish the Koigu socks tonight. I need to get through a couple more pages of the Crochet Portrait pattern. My Hollerstaud'n Forest Canopy shawl is almost finished, I have completed 10 pattern repeats, and because of the size needle and sock yarn weight it is already large.

Since I was taking stock I sorted out my patterns too. I bought some inexpensive folders at Target during the back to school sale. I made sure I had printed copies of all of my Mystery Knit Along hints and clues. I archived the digital patterns off onto disks. What I discovered is that there are some designers I am a big fan of: Monika Eckert, Anna Davi, Renee Leverington, Susan Lawrence, Melanie Gibbons and Miriam Felton. I have several patterns written by each of them. My favorite KAL designer is the Nautical Knitter - I love the way she structures her hints, prizes, interactions. There is so much to learn in Knit Alongs and the patterns are wonderful. I have on occasion cast on more than I could knit, and been unable to finish a KAL because I have not achieved the level of skills needed to succeed. But each lace project I complete gets me closer to being able to knit those patterns. There still Be a Sharon Winsauer Dragone in my future!!

Then there are the designers I love that scare me to death. I have many many Cookie A socks in my future, when I get up the nerve to cable without a needle. My Alice & Jade Starmore Glenesk Sweater Kit when I feel confident enough to cut a steek in my knitting. And of course the previously mentioned Sharan Winsauer's Heere Be Dragone, Estonian Potpourri and Flight of Fantasy patterns in lace.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Oh My - It's MONDAY

Well what has the world come to? We had a mad bomber in our building today. Yes if you heard on the news about the office building in the SF Financial District being evacuated because of a bomb threat - that was us. Some man who wanted desperately to be on the Price Is Right decided to sue them for not letting him play. The firm he tried to hire would not take his case so he comes in today threatening to blow up the 30th floor of our building where said firm is located. NUTS.

Then at the same time there is a double shooting at the BART station in Hayward so the trains are bypassing the station. This is my Sister's BART station. So while I was being held captive in my office building by SWAT teams her car was being held captive in the BART Station because it is now a crime scene. BIZARRE.

Thank goodness my Mother is on a bus in Sonoma County somewhere and cannot see the news.

Our building has been cleared, and hopefully by the time my sister leaves work her car will also be free.

See why I like Fridays better!!!!

Friday, October 10, 2008

It's Friday

THANK GOODNESS!!!! One more good nights sleep and I should be able to pick up the needles again. I did work a few rows of the leg of my second Koigu sock and took pictures of the 100purewool yarns, but I have not wanted to turn on the laptop all week. Just barely making it through the days here at work.

My niece-dog Lexie had to be put to sleep Monday, very tough to let her go. She had cancer and was beginning to suffer. We could not allow her to be in pain so we said goodbye to her. My pup is acting very strange this week, he has made friends with a squirrel and spends a lot of time in the yard. But he has been more clingy than usual. He sits on my feet, and gets under my desk. Very odd behavior.

Counting down to our cruise, I have new luggage, locks and shoes. I am READY!!! Choosing a knitting project is going to be the only problem. With all of the new airline charges for luggage I am trying to travel light so I will have to choose a small project that does not require too many tools. I could start a new pair of socks, but socks don't take 2 weeks to knit. I need something a little bigger. I was thinking about designing a shawl and only taking Swatch amounts of yarn and my Harmony interchangeable needles. Then I could play around with stitch patterns and needle sizes and still feel like I am knitting. Yeah, that might be the way to go. I can chart the stitch patterns I want to try, then play around with placement and edgings. Maybe knit a miniature version as a swatch.

I am behind on my Podcasts and Ravelry Forums again. I think I will do a WIP review this weekend, while I listen to podcasts. Lay everything out on my blocking boards and see if there is anything that needs to be frogged and what can be finished within a reasonable amount of time. I have only one deadline project, the Crochet by Numbers portrait. That must be done by Christmas. Other than that everything else is pleasure knitting/crocheting, or for me. My scarves are moving up in priority because it is getting windy and cold in San Francisco. I need the warmth and protection. I also want a really big afghan for upstairs. I am probably going to make some crazy freeform afghan with the 100purewool since the colors won't work for my intended projects - more on that when I post the pictures. But it is lightweight and it will be lap sized. I will probably use it in the van or at work. Another incentive to finish the Crochet Portrait - the leftover yarns will make a beautiful afghan.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Befuddled and Bemused

I am befuddled at how bemused I am. I love words. I used to read the dictionary when I was a kid (but that's another Oprah-Dr. Phil episode ;}) I have a change of weather/dusty book and magazine/allergy head cold. I am on DRUGS. I started with Theraflu now I am taking Coricidin. As a devout card carrying member of Knitters Anonymous I am sworn to never knit while under the influence of alcohol or drugs - or just plain under the weather. So no progress on any projects. Just napping no knitting.