Aren't they just doll babies!?
Think one of them is Mooning me here.
Would have loved to rubbed their
noses and pet them but those Scottish Sheep were a bit shy when you
got to close.
This one would be perfect for our backyard!
Just happened to be on my way to Knitch when my cell phone began to ring. Lois from Knitch was calling me and wanted to let me know she'd "been going through things at the front and she had found something there for me." and wanted to know when I'd be coming by. My reply was "it all depends on how fast this traffic light turns green" for I was only a block away.
Dying of curiosity, I rushed in with large knitting bag and snacks wondering what was lurking behind the front counter. Lois slid over a tubular wrapped package in Knitch's tissue paper to me. I quickly unwrapped the package with a grinning face to reveal this gym of a yarn.
Isn't it just fabulous?
The yarn is "babyBOO" by numma numma in 80/20 Supersoft Merino Bamboo Blend and holy smokes it's 500 long yards. The cool thing about this yarn is it is hand dyed to celebrate Knitch turning two!
But even cooler is at the very bottom of the label, "Inspired by Haley, a darn good knitter" which made the yarn even more special.
So I called my local knitting cousin, Kathleen, who just had happened to have called me about this oh so special yarn a few days ago to thank her for her surprise gift. Kathleen replied to my excited thank you "I don't know what you are talking about". Hum, I've got my doubts on that one but if it wasn't she changing into the Yarn Fairy costume then there could only be one other Fairy like person lurking. That person is home under quarantine from Strep and I'm sure she enjoyed getting from her husband.
Whoever my Yarn Fairy is, thank you so much for the surprise. I adore the colors and the yarn!
Yes, yes I know this is a group shot with the Yarn Harlot but it isn't about the Harlot, the rest of the group. This post is all about the cutie pie Blondie second from the left.
The amazing Miss Haley turned a grand 13 years old yesterday a certain group of her older knitting pals celebrated in grand style. We were ordering up a storm of Mexican food, 3 pitchers and lots of tall Sprites for her. Of course, we had to sing Happy Birthday to a lovely elegant tall candle on top of some amazing marshmellows from Trader Joe's in which we all dove into sticky goodness. Turns out yesterday was also Bastille Day, which was announced when an older birthday lady came over to our table to give Haley good wishes.
We, along with Nell aka Haley's Mom, have decide next year we need to go to France for Haley's celebration!
Happy Birthday Haley, you are by far the coolest kid around our parts!
Been a bit busy around here with moving forward with the new job and all that entails. Just like ordinary jobs there is the reference check, job history of 3 years check, criminal background check, etc. But I also have to do the drug urine test which I’ve finally gotten used to peeing in a cup after 10 years, not flushing or washing hands until after I hand the cup over to a gloved individual who then checks the dye color change in the commode and the temperature tape on the cup. When that is all clear, I’m allowed to wash my hands. First time I ever had to do it I felt guilty even though the strongest thing I had taken was probably an Advil that month.
Then there are all the tests I have to take on Bloodborne Pathogens, hazard materials handling aka MSDS, bomb threats, kidnapping (never has happened where I’ve been), fire, weather, dealing with the media, procedures for calling a code (that’s happened twice and you can’t imagine the shakes you get when it is all over and you relax), Ethics & Patient Care, Hand washing, Universal Precautions, Radiation Safety, Physical Restraints, Back Safety, Workplace Violence, HIPPA, Cultural and Age Guidelines along with Advance Directives. When your done with all that then there is the tests to take to prove you know it. Can't even begin to tell you how many pots of coffee it takes to get through all that.
Now you see why my week off really isn’t off. Oh, there was also some very through fingerprinting thrown in too. We’re talking 4 finger pads pressed down, then lightly then hovering. Then all finger pads individually done in the same pattern then the whole finger only to be followed by the thumbs. I was quite surprised when the my palms were not printed at that point for I began to wonder if my feet were going to be next. Happy to report no ink is used anymore. It’s all digital and I was cracking up at the guy doing it for he kept telling me with different stressed words “George Bush really wants to know all about you”. Think the President owes me a cigarette.
Talking about cigarettes, have you ever seen the TV show Mad Men? Been catching it on our Comcast On Demand and it is a great series about ad men in Manhattan in the early 60's. I'm developing a mad crush on Don Draper! However, I'm getting smoker's cough just watching them smoke so much on the show. The new season starts soon on AMC.
Oh, I did manage to squeeze in some time to get a big ole pile of mulch delivered. If your local, the company I used was great and quick. Drop me a line if you want to know more. It's 8 cubic yards which equals half a small dump truck. Since it was delivered on Tuesday we've had heavy rainstorm each day so all of Atlanta can thank me for that. I've now taken a few full wheelbarrow amounts out of the pile and you can't even tell. I foresee a ton of shoveling in my future.
Then there was the surprise when I got out of the shower yesterday afternoon. Ignore the hair. The flat look is because it's wet.
The Man surprised me with a
huge bouquet of flowers for our 5th Anniversary. There must be at least 30 roses in it. It's huge.
Moving along slowly on my quick weekend knitting Tote bag project.
The pattern calls for the purl side to be the right side out but I rather an partial to the knitted side so that is what it's gonna be when it grows up and turns into a tote bag.
I'm knitting with 13 strands of yarns and size 19 circular needles.
Talk about fun.
Edit: Ok, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I had to get this program on CD for you know I'll be doing a sneak download on The Man's MacPro laptop. The CD has program for Mac and PC's so I'll be a happy knitting camper where ever I might be gauging along merrily.
The short version of a long ago post regarding a rather brutal ripping session of the entire bottom of the Einstein Coat is that no matter how OCD I am about measuring gauge, IT LIES TO ME.
No really, I am obsessive about measuring gauge. I measured my swatch for the Einstein coat at least three times but it wasn't until I was 95% done with the bottom part of the coat I decided I really had to face the fact it was not right. Imagine sitting in Knitch and ripping out 6 balls of Lopi yarn. Other customers were horrified at my actions and several tried to talk me out of it. It wasn't pretty, folks.
To this day, I occasionally open the drawer of Lopi yarn to visit it, ever so briefly think about giving it a go again and immediately break out in a nervous gauge sweat. Now I know the lovely ladies of Knitch would help me but I just can't bring myself to swatch territory again with that yarn.
Was flipping through Yarn Market News and right there on page 12 was my solution to gauge woes! The amazing Swatch Wizard, a downloadable affordable software program that even I could figure out the numbers to put in for a perfect gauge reading. This just might turn out to be my own personal Holy Grail of Knitting.
or They've Got Sand There!
Morning before July 4th we packed up the car and headed out of town to our friend's new place at Myrtle Beach.
Of course my packing of knitting was full of projects for the 5 days we'd be gone for we knitters all know how much faster we knit on vacation. Stunningly, I only brought 4 projects with me.
As for the flip index cards, on patterns such as the twisted rib scarf you see here on my lap, I write out line by line on individual cards so I always know where I am at. It helps a lot on car trips and knitting out with friends.
Check out how far I got with the fledgling sock! Was trying to figure it out this weekend but I think this wanna be sock is somewhere in the 4 years old catagory.
Once at Myrtle Beach, I insisted The Man and I had to go on the tacky beach shop crawl.
Course then he insisted on stopping at the Harley Davidson shop.
On the way back home to our friend's house, we had to stop to get some bait for the guys and some peanuts for me.
Then we spotted the PEACHES!
When we got back to our friend's house they rewarded us with White Sangria.
Did I mention Annie's boyfriend lives with them?
Even though the friends kept swearing "he's a small Great Dane" Enzio is a big boy!
Finally did make it to the beach.
There was a little bit of excitement when Mr. Friend caught a small shark. Don't freak! They are not "I'll tear your legs off while you swim" type of sharks there.
Actually, it was kinda cute as far as shark's ability to be cute goes. The hook was taken out and we watched the guy swim back out into the ocean.
Then suddenly it was time to get back in the car and head home again.
On the way home I decided it was high time I actually started a project (Suss Tote bag) that not only 2 years old but had been on three beach trips without any progress. I swear the ball of yarn(s) look like an Ostrich Egg.
See I really did start!
Happy July 4th!
If you happen to not be American, well then I suppose Happy Friday is in order.
I am a firm believer that if one does just one thing that this will help Earth be a better place to live. For us, I'm the light police running around the home turning off lights in rooms that are not in use. We do recycling at the curb for all paper, card board, cans, glass that we can. Keeping the house temperature at a different setting when we are not home and not getting shopping bags when I don't need them at stores.
Today I received a phone call from Nell informing me I'd won Knitch's Being Green monthly drawing for not using their shopping bags with a purchase and I even had Kim hooting in the background. Kim's prize for being a Greenie was a very generous gift certificate to the store. Perfect timing since I spent the night before hanging out with Nell and she had been telling me all about the new yarn shipment they'd gotten in that morning. I was itching to start a new project so perfect timing!
It's great being a Greenie!
While touring Scotland on the bus, I'd started a complicated 5 row scarf pattern that I decided I'd pick up again last night. I write out the row directions on single index cards so I just flip as I'm done with a row. Which has worked out quite nicely over the years except for the one rare occasion when I forgot to flip to the next card before putting it away. Several weeks ago, I was quite engrossed in whatever movie was on and knit up 5 more rows only to look down and discover beautiful stitch pattern had gone wonky.
Which at that point, I did what the only sane thing I could do. Project, cards and whatnot's were shoved back into the ziplock bag from whence they had come for me to stick my head into the sand and hope next time I pulled it out it wasn't as bad as it looked. I moved on to Mr. McHottie Carpenter's Baby Blanket at that point. Which I might add I finished it yesterday at a new City of Decatur wine bar, Tasting a Wine Experience while waiting for The Man to finish shopping at Decatur CD. Now just have to seam up two sides together and it is giftable.
Last night I decided to shake the sand out of my ears and be a brave girl. Being a brave girl entailed looking at the damage for about 10 minutes and hearing Nell in her mom voice "pull out the needle, rip it back and pick up the stitches" several times in progressing stern tones. Which I finally did and it was fine but think I got a gray hair from it all. Began to knit while watching Sherlock Holmes on PBS which is where The Man entered the picture. He kept commenting on the show and asking me questions.
Then there was the row with an extra stitch. Looked at the work from near & afar all seemed well so I thought "what the heck I'll just K2tog and all will be well." Yes, yes, yes, I know what you are all saying right now and that is exactly what my little voice said to but I chose to plunder on. Imagine my lack of surprise at the next row when I was one stitch short.
Began the unknitting process from there but finally gave up since I would need a jury of my knitting peers at my murder trial of The Man. He doesn't quite get unknitting complicated knitting equals not talking to me. In fact I was asked "why are you so grumpy all of sudden?".
On a completely different sane note, at dusk last night the light was this amazing golden orange hue so the three of us trooped out to enjoy the few minutes of it in the garden. Someone needed some Mom time.
Professionally moving along to a sorta contract agency for health care workers this July instead of being an Indie freelancer at some of the local medical haunts in Atlanta. Main motivation is keeping my hours steady thus making my paychecks a little more stable which is always nice when you are trying to stick to a budget. Tomorrow, I've got an interview through the agency at one of the big hospitals to see if they want me and I want them. Should go fine since I must have what they want skill-wise for they've already seen my resume and I know their reputation which leads me to hope for the best.
Problem being, as I pointed out to The Man this afternoon, it has been YEARS since I did an interview in anything but scrubs. Tomorrow, I have the day off and have absolutely no Corporate America clothes to wear. I've got a black skirt and snazzy shirt but one really can't wear sandals to an interview much less as a health care worker at an hospital interview. Thought about khakis but that is the unwritten uniform of physical therapists when they interview and I hate following the crowd. Do have a dress I could wear but seriously they'd think I was a freak if I showed up in that.
Think I'll be wearing my scrubs on my day off and popping into a telephone booth to do a quick-o change-o Superman routine into my other outfit before my next adventure of the day.
Was off to see the Indian Jones movie Friday with the neighbor friend who basically leaped at me when she heard I wasn't working this coming week. She owns a company and has tons of dead lines and needs an Administration Assistant so um, that'll be me for a few days this coming week. She asked what programs I know (Excel, etc) and I had to just look at her and mumble "I surf the 'net and do e-mails." Didn't think taking Blood Pressures, reading Radiologist reports from CT scans, MRI's, X-rays, deciphering M.D. progress notes, manual muscle testing, performing ultra sounds and TENS along with having a keen skill at making people walk when they really do not want to adds much to her business.
May the corporate force be with me.
