Ideas?
As I mentioned in my last post (2 in one day!! Don't you love me for posting again so you can avoid more work? Why do you think I'm posting in the first place? Duh...avoiding my OWN work. Friday, you know.) I'm knitting for my new niece or nephew. So far I have the following planned:
Log Cabin Blanket
Some kind of sweater, probably IK's kimono
bibs (both sewn and knitted)
washcloths
booties
newborn hats
crocheted doll if a girl/teddy if a boy
Lion Brand's bunny buddy blankie (so damn cute!)
Any other ideas?
I guess I better go work. You know, this work thing is really cutting into my knitting/blog reading/pattern surfing/slacking time. How can I both love my job (I do, I really do!) and not want to work at the same time?
Posted by Heather at 11:04 AM
Log cabin fever
As I mentioned, I'm going to be an aunt again. My sister should be due around March. I'm taking this as prime opportunity to knit all kinds of baby things. First thing on the needles.
A log cabin baby blanket in "jewel" colors. Her choices, not mine. The colors are a little off in the picture, though. Such a fun pattern! A little brainless, but with enough to do that it isn't boring. I can see how it is addictive. I stayed up until 1 am working on it. That bag under my desk? Nooo...that's not the afghan in progress. Look away!
I'm still slugging away at the shawl. I have 3 more repeats of the beaded section and then a few garter rows and I'm done! Still fun to knit, but the beaded rows take a long time and hurt the pads of my fingers. Knitting continental would be such a help here, but I just can't get it. Too many years of crocheting. My old left-hand fingers don't want to learn a new yarn holding trick.
A small victory on the teenager front. The Star isn't liking working at a fast food place so much anymore. It's hard work, he says. Really?!? Wow, wonder who tried to tell him that when he insisted he really wanted to work there instead of a clothes store. I've resisted saying "I told you so". Heh. When asked if he wanted to continue getting shitty grades so he could continue working that kind of job the rest of his life, his response was something along the lines of "hell no".
Summer punishment objective achieved. Heh.
Posted by Heather at 9:47 AM
Finally!
Finally, it was my turn. After months and months of reading blogs where they got to meet her, it was MY turn!
Yeppo! That is me (great pic, ugh) and the
Yarn Harlot! And let me tell you. If you think she is funny on her blog and in her books, you HAVE to see her in person. She is a riot. And so very nice, too. She stayed until every person in line had their book autographed. And didn't think I was a total dork that I ran out to my car for the 2 books I left there (I didn't want to be a total loser and bring all 3 books for her to sign) so she could sign them. The crowds that come to see her must be so surreal to her. Can you imagine? All of us standing in line, taking pictures. Wow.
And get this. Several of us Phoenix area chics had been warning her of the heat here in July. The night before she flew in we had a huge monsoon storm, bringing with it record daytime lows for July and lower temps for the rest of the week. Can you believe that? Let me tell you, if that is what having the
Yarn Harlot come in town during the summer does for our weather, she can come ANYTIME. We'd all pitch in for her airfare and hotel.
Thanks again, Stephanie, for a wonderful night!
Posted by Heather at 4:00 PM
Someone has a case of the Mondays
So, this morning I'm merrily driving along to work and I come to a stop light in Chandler. I needed to turn left at the particular light, however, there was a city truck blocking the lane. The happy city workers were packing up after apparently installing a new, no u-turn sign. Which looked...odd.
Ok, this isn't the actually sign. I couldn't humilitate the guy anymore and I googled instead of using my new camera phone.Being the polite citizen that I am, I pulled up the light and rolled (we really don’t roll down our windows anymore, do we? So I really just pushed the button. Only once, because apparently we are so lazy now that we can’t hold the button to put down the window all the way.) down the window to talk to the nice city employees.
“Umm, sir?” I asked. This gets me a funny look from City Worker #1 (apparently this difficult task was a 2 man job). “I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job, but I think your sign is upside down.” This gets me another funny look. So I sit there. And he walks over to the sign, turns his head to the side a bit and says, “Oh shit. Hey, City Worker #2, come look at this.” They both stand there, heads cocked to the side and sigh.
“Not a good way to start a Monday, huh?” I ask.
“Lady, you have no idea.” was the sad reply.
I laughed so hard driving to the gas station I nearly wrecked into the pumps.
Posted by Heather at 10:56 AM
A few of my favorite things
With the temperature hitting the 110 range, what's a girl to do? Stay inside all weekend, that's what she does. Yoga class early in the morning, hit the grocery and barracade yourself inside for the rest of the weekend. I'm not kidding you when I tell you how much I hate being hot. I'll do anything to avoid it.
2 of my favorite past times are reading and knitting (bet you couldn't figure that out). I'm frequently bummed that my knitting time cuts into my reading time, and vice versa. Sure, I can read a magazine or spiral book while I knit, but I want to read hardbacks. And unless I was could grow another arm, it wasn't going to happen. Until tonight.
Can I just tell you how smart this little clip made me feel? I've tried other clips, but they didn't work. I picked these up at the dollar store for closing food bags (I'm SUCH a freak about that. Comes from living in bug-infested Florida.). Forget the food, these babies are coming to live in my knitting toolbox. Brilliant. The book? "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. Love it.
I needed another, small, project to knit on since I'm in the last beading rows on the shawl. So I started a sock. One that I will need in less than a month.
Steelers socks!! I'll be going to the Pre-Season game against the
embarassment to footballCardinals on August 12th. Of course I need socks to match my new jersey!
The Star is now convinced his mother is nuts. It's the heat, you know.
Thanks so much for the sweet comments and emails about the Princess. She looked just like one the day of her party. I can't ever believe what a beautiful, sweet girl (ok, most of the time) she is growing up to be. Time is going by too fast. She will be home on Tuesday. Let the fun begin.
Does anyone want to start a betting pool on the first fight between the teenagers?
Posted by Heather at 7:54 PM
I'm baaaack...
Didn't ya miss me?
Well, I survived. Things with my family? Pretty much the way I expected. I'm thankful for the trips out there to remind me why I live 2,000 miles away from some of them. Jeesh. The quincenera was quite the event with the Princess having the time of her life. Well, if you don't count the fact that she was pretty sick. And her father (who organized the event) was 45 minutes late and she had to stand in the bathroom waiting until he decided to show up. Here is the Princess with a friend she has had since Elementary school. They were so cute. They hadn't seen each other in a long time and cried when they hugged.
I did get to spend time with my niece and nephew, who I miss so much. I'm trying to talk my sister into letting them fly out here someday alone. Vacation with them alone = wonderful. Vacation with them AND my sister = torture. I've never known anyone so miserable.
Much knitting was accomplished on the way out and at my 2 days of bliss at my parent's house. But knitting on a plane with beads is quite tricky, so I did 5 hours of Suduko puzzles on the way back home. Heh.
There is some good news. I'm going to be an aunt again (not by the cranky sister, thank God). Let the baby knitting and sewing begin!
Posted by Heather at 10:26 AM
Leavin' on a jet plane
I'm off today for Florida! I can't wait to see my Dad. The rest should be...interesting. I'll try and post while I'm gone!
Posted by Heather at 8:31 AM
