Woolarina
Thursday, December 30, 2004
heh.
I sound like I drink a lot from the posts below! I don't so much, really.. errrr...ummmm...
I did get martini glasses and a martini shaker for Christmas. (goes along with the vodka, I suppose?)
Also, I am the *ONLY* one who *EVER* gets a drink at my knitting group. (meeting in a coffee shop/bar). Just a beer, but still. I feel so out of place! ;) they have great martinis there, but I'm afraid I'd look even more out of place!! Really.. just a drink here and there!
other than that, for xmas, I got books and more books. A bunch of TC Boyle books (the author du jour), used and new. And (two!!) hammers (thanks, kate and dad!), a large set of screwdrivers, a long-needed coffee grinder, a glass ornament way better than the ones we made last year in a glassblowing "class", an amazon gift certificate, and some other stuff. woo hoo!
Anyhow, Happy New Year, everyone! We are heading off to Philly to spend some time partying anywhere-but-here. Should be good! I shall be knitting/spinning/dyeing again in the new year.
I did get martini glasses and a martini shaker for Christmas. (goes along with the vodka, I suppose?)
Also, I am the *ONLY* one who *EVER* gets a drink at my knitting group. (meeting in a coffee shop/bar). Just a beer, but still. I feel so out of place! ;) they have great martinis there, but I'm afraid I'd look even more out of place!! Really.. just a drink here and there!
other than that, for xmas, I got books and more books. A bunch of TC Boyle books (the author du jour), used and new. And (two!!) hammers (thanks, kate and dad!), a large set of screwdrivers, a long-needed coffee grinder, a glass ornament way better than the ones we made last year in a glassblowing "class", an amazon gift certificate, and some other stuff. woo hoo!
Anyhow, Happy New Year, everyone! We are heading off to Philly to spend some time partying anywhere-but-here. Should be good! I shall be knitting/spinning/dyeing again in the new year.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
sooper secret projects
We made these four paintings for the future nephew... I mean, he's here, just, he will eventually be a nephew. does that even make sense? Anyhow, I'm tante paula, so maybe he already is? now I'm confused.
sorry they are so dark and gloomy looking.. they look better in real life! Just, some else was taking the pictures. ahem. we own two tripods... why don't we ever get them out? ah well.
We made these four paintings for the future nephew... I mean, he's here, just, he will eventually be a nephew. does that even make sense? Anyhow, I'm tante paula, so maybe he already is? now I'm confused.
sorry they are so dark and gloomy looking.. they look better in real life! Just, some else was taking the pictures. ahem. we own two tripods... why don't we ever get them out? ah well.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
willst du mit mir gehen?
is the inscription on the ring
do you want to go with me?
from the bartlebees
do you want to go with me?
from the bartlebees
Monday, December 27, 2004
details...
I think before Thanksgiving, I brought up the whole engagement thing again, and was (finally?) met with no resistance. (It *has* been 5.5 years...) I'd been looking at titanium rings for a while, and found a couple of people that made some I liked. It just so happened that one lived outside Atlanta... and we were going to Atlanta for a wedding...
We went to this guy's house last weekend. He showed us a bunch of rings, and his shop... titanium can't be cast like gold or platinum- it has to be milled out of a solid rod of material- he had several humongous machines in his basement! We (as dorky engineers) were impressed.
The guy shipped it Tuesday afternoon with priority mail.. Usually fast, right? Marcel kept it secret though- Friday (Xmas Eve), the mailman came THREE separate times. No ring. I was starting to get sad! Marcel even seemed sorta sad about it. We went and had Xmas Eve dinner at his family's home- we got our two fortunes below, and others got fortunes suggesting another baby in the works (!) and new jobs- went to midnight mass in DC... he acted quite normal even! Only on the way home, he suggested that we wouldn't be drinking the vodka I'd ungraciously won/stole from the gift swap earlier that evening!
So we get home, come in... and there's a cockroach scurrying across the wall. (we've been developing problems lately! :( Ew!! We take care of that (think it got away), rush to the bathroom (you try waiting 90 minutes before mass-early birds get seats!- and then another 90 minutes mass and all, then the ride home...)... and come out to another gift under the tree- a big fuzzy stocking. I give him a gift first (a woodie guthrie cd), and then start in on the gifties in the stocking. Some kool aid, some gel food colorings (my wool will be happy), some coffee, cookies, about a pound of mini reeses cups... was so hard to avoid the little box! :)
I finally got to it and opened it, and he did the deed. on one knee, even!
We opened the bottle of Edgefield wine I got at Melissa's wedding outside Portland and was saving for a special occasion. Wierd how this all revolves around weddings, eh?
Anyhow, not super fussy, but just my style. The wedding might perhaps be spring 2006 or so. This year is for PhD-ing and buying a home. And travelling far distances for other weddings. However, the fight over indoors/outdoors, church/not, and the degree of catholicness involved has begun! ;) Should prove interesting!
We went to this guy's house last weekend. He showed us a bunch of rings, and his shop... titanium can't be cast like gold or platinum- it has to be milled out of a solid rod of material- he had several humongous machines in his basement! We (as dorky engineers) were impressed.
The guy shipped it Tuesday afternoon with priority mail.. Usually fast, right? Marcel kept it secret though- Friday (Xmas Eve), the mailman came THREE separate times. No ring. I was starting to get sad! Marcel even seemed sorta sad about it. We went and had Xmas Eve dinner at his family's home- we got our two fortunes below, and others got fortunes suggesting another baby in the works (!) and new jobs- went to midnight mass in DC... he acted quite normal even! Only on the way home, he suggested that we wouldn't be drinking the vodka I'd ungraciously won/stole from the gift swap earlier that evening!
So we get home, come in... and there's a cockroach scurrying across the wall. (we've been developing problems lately! :( Ew!! We take care of that (think it got away), rush to the bathroom (you try waiting 90 minutes before mass-early birds get seats!- and then another 90 minutes mass and all, then the ride home...)... and come out to another gift under the tree- a big fuzzy stocking. I give him a gift first (a woodie guthrie cd), and then start in on the gifties in the stocking. Some kool aid, some gel food colorings (my wool will be happy), some coffee, cookies, about a pound of mini reeses cups... was so hard to avoid the little box! :)
I finally got to it and opened it, and he did the deed. on one knee, even!
We opened the bottle of Edgefield wine I got at Melissa's wedding outside Portland and was saving for a special occasion. Wierd how this all revolves around weddings, eh?
Anyhow, not super fussy, but just my style. The wedding might perhaps be spring 2006 or so. This year is for PhD-ing and buying a home. And travelling far distances for other weddings. However, the fight over indoors/outdoors, church/not, and the degree of catholicness involved has begun! ;) Should prove interesting!
my fortune
A small gift can bring joy to the whole family.
his fortune:
A pleaseant experience is ahead: don't pass it by.
Accompanied by the "learn chinese" for Curry chicken. yum.
I didn't have the words for tasty food on mine, but I think the fortune was quite enough! :)
his fortune:
A pleaseant experience is ahead: don't pass it by.
Accompanied by the "learn chinese" for Curry chicken. yum.
I didn't have the words for tasty food on mine, but I think the fortune was quite enough! :)
Saturday, December 25, 2004
best Christmas *EVER*!
white sapphire and titanium.
(diamonds aren't my best friend! ;)
Really, it looks way better in person! (my hand isn't really so blurry!)
white sapphire and titanium.
(diamonds aren't my best friend! ;)
Really, it looks way better in person! (my hand isn't really so blurry!)
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
loooooong matching red scarf. check.
This scarf? It's as long as my bed. Longer, in fact. About 6.5 feet! Maybe I went overboard with the extra wrapping around my neck? I'll have pictures soon- when there's better light- the red yarn is super nice.
I'm to the decreases on the mitten-matching hat. Should be done tonight or tomorrow. What to wear for christmas? The red obviously fits better, but the mittens are just so cool. Maybe I'll have to wear the mittens anyhow? Maybe I can manage short wristwarmers out of the leftover yarn.. and if I had to rip out a few inches of the scarf, sure I'd survive.
what to knit now? I have a sweater going.. maybe I'll finish some gloves from last year? a certain someone also wants gloves to match his alpaca/wool hat. but I'm gloved/mittened out for the moment. Maybe I oughta start putting the hours in on the afghan?
I'm to the decreases on the mitten-matching hat. Should be done tonight or tomorrow. What to wear for christmas? The red obviously fits better, but the mittens are just so cool. Maybe I'll have to wear the mittens anyhow? Maybe I can manage short wristwarmers out of the leftover yarn.. and if I had to rip out a few inches of the scarf, sure I'd survive.
what to knit now? I have a sweater going.. maybe I'll finish some gloves from last year? a certain someone also wants gloves to match his alpaca/wool hat. but I'm gloved/mittened out for the moment. Maybe I oughta start putting the hours in on the afghan?
Monday, December 20, 2004
and some xmas tree loving.
So compared to the rest of the world (ahem) our tree is pretty dinky (and, um, so not alive!). But it fits neatly into a tupperware along with the strands and strands of lights we've accumulated since college. :)
The lights on this tree are actually dinky battery operated lights from ikea! The electrical man of the house spliced two together so we don't waste as many batteries when we forget to turn em off. We found itsy bitsy silver glass ball ornaments at ikea for this year. Also, the first sheepy ornament:
Hee hee!! (thanks, kate!!)
Also also, some knitting. (red hats go along with christmas, right?) I'm about done with a matching scarf. The actual color is soooo much better than this:
The lights on this tree are actually dinky battery operated lights from ikea! The electrical man of the house spliced two together so we don't waste as many batteries when we forget to turn em off. We found itsy bitsy silver glass ball ornaments at ikea for this year. Also, the first sheepy ornament:
Hee hee!! (thanks, kate!!)
Also also, some knitting. (red hats go along with christmas, right?) I'm about done with a matching scarf. The actual color is soooo much better than this:
midnight train from georgia
so. we went to Atlanta this weekend for a wedding. I'd only been through GA once before, driving to FL. maybe around 4 am or so. I was pretty unimpressed by their lack of rest stops and general suckiness.. This time was also underwhelming. The wedding was great.. Atlanta? sucked. Random traffic everywhere. Sucky signs. People? Well, they were friendlier than DC for sure. (though most people are!) I guess that's good?
one cool thing (we didn't quite see) was Stone Mountain. My friend's rehearsal dinner was held at a restaurant in the Stone Mountain Park. It's, well.. this big stone mountain. We spent a whole bunch of time driving around the park in the dark looking for the restaurant (and ending up at the edge of a very dark lake near an equally dark covered bridge) before we realized that there was an, um, stone mountain. right there. Hm.
that christmas tree? It's on top of stone mountain. just try to imagine, right?
they also had this "southern christmas" thing going on in the park- zillions and zillions of lights all over the place making pretty scenes to the side of the road. they also had a village of sorts, and a laser sort of show on the side of the mountain I think.
one cool thing (we didn't quite see) was Stone Mountain. My friend's rehearsal dinner was held at a restaurant in the Stone Mountain Park. It's, well.. this big stone mountain. We spent a whole bunch of time driving around the park in the dark looking for the restaurant (and ending up at the edge of a very dark lake near an equally dark covered bridge) before we realized that there was an, um, stone mountain. right there. Hm.
that christmas tree? It's on top of stone mountain. just try to imagine, right?
they also had this "southern christmas" thing going on in the park- zillions and zillions of lights all over the place making pretty scenes to the side of the road. they also had a village of sorts, and a laser sort of show on the side of the mountain I think.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
more handspun knitting
so them mittens? I ripped off the top of the shorter one at meetup last night, then realized I forgot my needles. Oops. Walked home not wearing my mittens! Maybe I will have time to fix them tonight.
I started a hat to match, and though I added up the numbers a zillion times (and finally came to a consensus- really, how hard is it to multiply? Why do I have such problems?) it seems small. Sure, I stretch it out, and it's 4 stitches per inch. So 88 stitches would give me 22 inches. Right? Right? 4 times 22 is 88, not 100. I hope! Anyhow, I'm now contemplating what to make of the rest of the yarn- I won't have enough left for a scarf (and no desire to knit another scarf, really)... maybe a neckwarmy thing? though I can't see me wearing a neckwarmy thing.
And haha.. the rest of the blog world is busy knitting stuff for others, and me? nope! Nothing. It's all me, all the time. I've even put aside the wedding afghan for the moment. I am spinning some more fuzz with a slight thought of stripey kiddie mittens, but no rush there.
In the meantime, we're off to Atlanta for a wedding this weekend. All the fiber shops I can find are over an hour away from any of our stops, or just look yarny. I for once don't need yarn. Boo.
I started a hat to match, and though I added up the numbers a zillion times (and finally came to a consensus- really, how hard is it to multiply? Why do I have such problems?) it seems small. Sure, I stretch it out, and it's 4 stitches per inch. So 88 stitches would give me 22 inches. Right? Right? 4 times 22 is 88, not 100. I hope! Anyhow, I'm now contemplating what to make of the rest of the yarn- I won't have enough left for a scarf (and no desire to knit another scarf, really)... maybe a neckwarmy thing? though I can't see me wearing a neckwarmy thing.
And haha.. the rest of the blog world is busy knitting stuff for others, and me? nope! Nothing. It's all me, all the time. I've even put aside the wedding afghan for the moment. I am spinning some more fuzz with a slight thought of stripey kiddie mittens, but no rush there.
In the meantime, we're off to Atlanta for a wedding this weekend. All the fiber shops I can find are over an hour away from any of our stops, or just look yarny. I for once don't need yarn. Boo.
Monday, December 13, 2004
mittens!!
my new thing is mittens. Even on smallish needles, they are quick! The pair on the right are from worsted weight peace fleece. They *are* huge- they need to be felted still! The left pair are from the handspun corriedale. Super soft and yummy! And yeah, they are different sizes- I made the right one first, but wasn't sure on the length- it fits my hand, but I want to slightly felt these, so am going to make it a little longer so it isn't so snug.
Also, a small bit of a sooper-seekrit christmas project. (It's a surprise, but we're sooper excited about it around here!)
Also, a small bit of a sooper-seekrit christmas project. (It's a surprise, but we're sooper excited about it around here!)
Thursday, December 09, 2004
why I should not knit
I lack focus.
I cannot for the life of me finish long-term projects.
Or even short-term projects that get boring.
Doesn't matter if it's for a gift or for me.
I now "owe" about 5 people random knitted things. I'm a year late on some of them!
And I just started mittens last night that I absolutely adore.. knit from my bluish corriedale handspun yarn... sooo soft and pretty that I want to marry them! Will I be able to give these mittens away as gifts? Or will I make the matching hat for me??
Also, posts without pictures are *boring*. Sorry.
I cannot for the life of me finish long-term projects.
Or even short-term projects that get boring.
Doesn't matter if it's for a gift or for me.
I now "owe" about 5 people random knitted things. I'm a year late on some of them!
And I just started mittens last night that I absolutely adore.. knit from my bluish corriedale handspun yarn... sooo soft and pretty that I want to marry them! Will I be able to give these mittens away as gifts? Or will I make the matching hat for me??
Also, posts without pictures are *boring*. Sorry.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
rip rip.
So. This is the third time I've started this sweater. The first time, I got through three or so inches of back before I decided it would be too big. The second time, I finished an entire sleeve before I decided that this sweater is just too frumpy for me. Well, not frumpy, but... not my style for a cardigan. I have another cardigan in a similar (yet more stylish, sorta) design, by the same people, and I never wear it.
So. I've started it again, in pullover form. I'm using a different skein of yarn than the first two attempts, hoping that this yarn will be happier. I'm really more a pullover sort, I think. Except that I'm a total banana cardigan whore. but they are knit in impossibly tiny yarn, and have zippers. both things I'm just not willing to deal with right now. well, zippers I could learn, but just not now!
I made more yarn. It is beautiful. Green and dark green and bluishness. Totally super soft singles. I wonder how the twistiness will act once knitted up- I only washed it and hung to dry to set the twist. Who knows? I want to knit myself something soft and fuzzy out of it. Yum.
So. I've started it again, in pullover form. I'm using a different skein of yarn than the first two attempts, hoping that this yarn will be happier. I'm really more a pullover sort, I think. Except that I'm a total banana cardigan whore. but they are knit in impossibly tiny yarn, and have zippers. both things I'm just not willing to deal with right now. well, zippers I could learn, but just not now!
I made more yarn. It is beautiful. Green and dark green and bluishness. Totally super soft singles. I wonder how the twistiness will act once knitted up- I only washed it and hung to dry to set the twist. Who knows? I want to knit myself something soft and fuzzy out of it. Yum.
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Friday, December 03, 2004
benno.
yesterday this showed up at my door.
He took about 5 minutes to put together, and was soon spinning this:
(which happens to be what we dyed last weekend!)
And yeah, it's a guy. So many people have girly wheels, I thought I'd even it up a little! :)
He took about 5 minutes to put together, and was soon spinning this:
(which happens to be what we dyed last weekend!)
And yeah, it's a guy. So many people have girly wheels, I thought I'd even it up a little! :)
Thursday, December 02, 2004
7 hours to wait
until I get her. Or him? Can't decide if I should be all goofy and name it. but 7 hours! I don't know if I can stand the excitement! Only, we were out til 1:30 last night, so mostly I'm exhausted. And my throat is scratchy. Most likely I'll go home and sleep.
I finished some mittens yesterday, but they are to be felted, and I have no washer access. Boo. I still wore them on the way to work though, in spite of them being like 2-3 inches to large in every direction. Not sure I'm a mitten person, but they're a hell of a lot easier/quicker/more interesting than gloves. I still have two sets of gloves from last year waiting for me to knit the last few fingers or something. Maybe I will finish them soon.
Maybe I should make a resolution or something.. actually finish projects? Or use up my yarn? I need to use up a few pounds (yes, POUNDS!) of lamb's pride. which I HATE! Why are the colors so tempting? And why must it be all itchy and so fuzzy? I want to like it, really, I do. Oh well.
Pictures and an introduction later. Any ideas for names?
I finished some mittens yesterday, but they are to be felted, and I have no washer access. Boo. I still wore them on the way to work though, in spite of them being like 2-3 inches to large in every direction. Not sure I'm a mitten person, but they're a hell of a lot easier/quicker/more interesting than gloves. I still have two sets of gloves from last year waiting for me to knit the last few fingers or something. Maybe I will finish them soon.
Maybe I should make a resolution or something.. actually finish projects? Or use up my yarn? I need to use up a few pounds (yes, POUNDS!) of lamb's pride. which I HATE! Why are the colors so tempting? And why must it be all itchy and so fuzzy? I want to like it, really, I do. Oh well.
Pictures and an introduction later. Any ideas for names?
