There's a break on the horizon

We finally booked a vacation. June 18th to the 24th we will be in San Fransisco and Northern Cali. We thought we'd stay the first two nights in San Fran and then head up North to wine country and do some camping then B&B then camping then back to San Fran for our last night. However, this is all we have planned so far. We've got tickets and I think a car. If any of you have any suggestions on where we could stay in San Fran, Napa/Sonoma and camping please throw them out there. I'm also looking for any yarn related suggestions. I'm allowed to go to a few yarn stores if I go to a baseball game or something equally Carl-like. So where do I go? Are there any fairs or fiber shows at that time? I think we're also looking for general tourist info and since I have a blog and you guys are so awesome I thought I'd press you guys for info while Carl reads the travel books (I'm also lazy) so let it rip people you have a few weeks to tell me what I should do on vacay...oooo the power!

Of course this means I can't spend money since we put the flights on my credit card (thank goodness AMEX raised my limit) and well my income hasn't increased so I think I'm going to be on a strict budget for a while. Luckily I have tons of knitting to do. Including all that sock wars knitting and the 8+ ozs of roving that arrived on my doorstep the other day that now needs to become yarn and the 11 balls of Bernat Cashmere I bought this weekend to make the Somewhat Cowl. All this should keep me busy but we all know I like to stray...we'll see how good I do.

I finished a sock from the Great Adirondack Yarn Co. Soxie in the black magic with pictures to come. I used one of sockpixies' patterns. I really want to cast on the second one but I noticed that I need those needles for sock wars and I won't be able to finish sock #2 before the 9th so the second sock will have to wait. Its really killing me not to cast on the second one though. I don't have Second Sock Syndrome because I'm compulsive about finishing a pair, its like the opposite of SSS. To not cast the second one on is just torture.

New contest over on Learnersperknit I never win these things but I thought I'd help spread the word and increase my chances of losing! Seriously though, who doesn't love a good contest?

Amazon and The Tales of Beedle the Bard

I don’t know how I feel about this. I would love to own a copy myself and it does seem a little odd that J.K Rowling would only market her book of Fairy Tales only to those who can afford to pay $1,000,000 for a copy (like amazon). I hope they publish copies of the stories soon, does anyone know if this is in the works or not? I have to say though the pictures of Amazon’s copy are amazing and the discussion boards are interesting.

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I will try to post more knitting and vacation photos after knitting group tonight but BGF is coming over and Carl and I have to take down the Christmas decorations (saddest thing we have to do all year) so I don't know if I will have time.

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I'm plugging along in Emma and having a wonderful time reading and knitting and discussing the book. I can't wait till the stockings are done. I will feel very regency-like when I can finally wear them. I promise I won't take my Jane Austen obsession too far. I promise I will not start dressing up like characters and going to fan conferences or anything...at least not till I'm a little older so people will think I'm eccentric and not just a kook!

Good Day

Despite the gut wrenching pain in my stomach for the last 4 days and wanting to puke all day I had a good day all in all. The nauseous feeling went away before I had to go out to dinner and:

The new yarn I found on Knitpicks.com for $1.99 came today. I picked it up to make my Sweater Shop Sampler while flying to Brazil in a few weeks.

AND



I'm almost done with my Anniversary Socks!



Now I just need the weekend to come, I'm exhausted.

Quite a weekend...

Friday we finally picked up our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree. Since we won't be at home for Christmas Carl wanted us to get a small tree. Now apparently we have different definitions of small. I grew up in a house where a new room was put on when I was about 7 so we could get a bigger tree. For most of my life the trees were approximately 11 feet tall. Carl...not so much. He was nice and let me get a slightly bigger tree than he had in mind (why I love him) and it made me much happier. We carried the tree up the street and started decorating. On a side note, it will always seem weird buying trees off the street in NYC. Anyway we had a great time decorating and I think its wonderful.

Carl and the tree after the lights went up. He's still a little sick and got dizzy and had to relax.

I had to do a bunch on my own but it was fun I love Christmas!

It's beautiful all lit up!

Carl really liked the juxtaposition of the angel and naked lady...whatever makes him happy

Saturday I found my old ipod mini and put all my audiobooks on it so I could list to them while I waited for the package to come from Mac so I could return the stupid thing and get a replacement. I finally found a number for Apple Care and they told me I had 8 days left on my warranty (woo hoo) so I got a new ipod. Anyway after that I snuggled into the couch and started working on my socks for the December Sock Down KAL which I am participating in on Ravelry. I knit all day. In the afternoon I had a wheat thin and chipped a tooth (incident 1) then in the evening on my way downstairs to bed I fell down our spiral staircase smashing my bad knee into the railing (incident 2). I have cuts and scraps and I'm limping. I hate our stairs. I knew I'd fall one of these days and Saturday was the day. I hate them.

Our stairs of death. House guests beware!

Sunday, with a functioning ipod and uploaded audiobooks I crawled my bruised and battered self onto the couch and resumed my work on Nancy Bush's Anniversary Socks from Interweaves 25 Favorite socks. I listened to "Ruddy Gore" by Kerry Greenwood while I worked. She writes this great detective series with this character Phryne Fisher. She's an awesome female protagonist. Anyway...I managed to turn the heel and complete the instep decreases by the time for BGF came over for dinner with Carl and I. (He just found out today that he doesn't have testicular cancer or a cyst and I"m sooooo soooo happy about the news. I've been worried sick). I decided to take a break at noon and check out Annie's Co. Knitting store on Madison and 93rd since I learned on Saturday that when I stay in all day I hurt myself. I really liked it. The people were very nice, they had a wonderful selection (I picked up the Blue Sky Alpace Cotten yarn I need to make the Flair Jacket in pickle but don't tell Carl I promised him I wouldn't buy anymore yarn for a bit) the whole store was just pleasant. I am going to have to go back there again.

I had a little problem with lace pattern in some areas by all in all they look great. I just wish I had used a different yarn. I think the stripes take away from the lace.

They're not perfect but I'm proud of them all the same.

All Done!

The ankle socks are done. The yarn I used was Opal Hundertwasser in Der Blaue Mond and I just used Ann Budd's basic sock pattern to make ankle socks.

I love them!



What should I cast on next??? Hmmmm...

FO Time!

All done!!

I'm so proud of them even if they are a little wonky. The next pair will be closer to perfect!

hmmm....what next???

SOCKS!

Firstly I have finished my first ever sock!! And cast-on its mate. I think its mate might look better than the first in the end but I don't care I DID IT!!

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The cuff isn't perfect and there are a few ladders but we all have to start somewhere

The toe also got a little funky. I don't think I totally understand Kitchener stitch for some reason. I just have to practice practice practice. To be a good girl I cast-on for the second sock. If I didn't I don't think I would ever make it.

I sat on the couch at Carl's mom's house and looked out at the view and knit. Slowly family members started to show up and some even knit with me. Its really weird but they all knit with these super long needles. They tuck one under their arm and knit with the other, it weird but whatever gets the job done right.

Its a great view

Carl teased me for bringing an umbrella. It was raining when we left the city but it turned out to be a beautiful day. He thought it would be cute to use my now useless umbrella as a parasol. He does have fair skin, we don't want to burn it. What a kook!

The table was set when we got there and the bird was already in the oven...and covered in bacon yum yum.

All the Nealon women started to cook. I tried to help but every time I asked them what I could do they said no no no. So I knit, enjoyed all the yummy cooking smells and took pictures. Here they all are together cooking away.

Of course while they were cooking Carl's nephew was running around and have a great time with his uncle. I was very happy when I saw he was wearing a Jeter shirt. He's uncle, the Mets fan, was a little upset. I think I know what Carl's getting Albert for Christmas.

He kept climbing into the chair and "transforming" into different evil characters. We don't know what his fascination with evil things was all about but he's a 5 year old boy so I guess no explanation is really needed. Needless to say no one could sit in that chair but him.

After a wonderful dinner we had a little too much fun with this odd modern lamp. Doesn't it look like Matt's at the hair dressers. Oh I think we had too much wine.

I was a great Faux-Thanksgiving. I can't wait for the real one. And maybe by then I'll have a new pair of socks!

Yack Yack Yack

I'm tired of talking about me. What do you guys have on the needles? Post links to picture if you'd like. let's be interactive, I can't talk about myself all day everyday...its tiring for me god only knows how you all feel hahaha. So whatcha working on? I've obviously got my socks and well a number of other projects...you?

The lighting is crap. I had to take this with my cell phone since I left my camera downstairs and well I was too lazy. But doesn't it look great? Its really coming along. A couple more inches and I think I can start the toe!! Then I just have to make another one, I hope I don't get secnd sock syndrome.

Sock News!

I'm super excited. I just turned my first heel!! This sock isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm so excited! I know its annoying when people post pictures of every little step of a project and I apologize I'm just so excited. Check it out!

We're not going to talk about how much was lost in Atlantic City. Luckily it was only play money from the boyfriend's boss and not ours. However, this weekend has shown me that he is never allowed to gamble without me or he loses a lot more. Silly boys and their poker. I'm not going to say it was my favorite thing however, I did have fun but I think this whole casino thing just isn't for me. Except there was a poor guy passed out at the slot machines at 12am so I have to admit there was some great people watching to be had.

Hopefully I can finish up the sock this week and show you all a finish project. I'm hoping I don't fall victim to the second sock syndrome. I wonder what the longest time between socks is? Let me know the longest its taken you to finish a pair. I've heard this can be quite a syndrome I wonder just how bad it can be...

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Getting ready for the 100th episode of Family Guy!! I'm so excited!

Autumn is Finally Here!

MSN had these great pumpkins in a slideshow for Halloween. It really is fall. The leaves are changing (if we had trees I could take pictures of them changing but we don’t), the air is finally getting cool and crisp and sweaters are finally being pulled out from their summer storage. It’s good to get the knitting weather back. After writing yesterday’s post I made some tea, curled up on the couch and got back to work on the sock. When I couldn’t see straight anymore I picked up my new copy of The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes and started to read. This didn’t last very long since I was exhausted from all the dancing and singing the night before at the wedding. I’m still a little hoarse today. I just want to apologize if last night’s post made no sense but everyone loves a good tired ramble so I hope you all enjoyed mine.

Sadly I’m not going to make much progress on the sock today. We’re having dinner with Carl’s mom and seeing Young Frankenstein so I won’t be home till late. I’m knit during the show but Carl will kill me. I just want to get to the heel already. I’m ready for the challenging part. SIGH…I guess it will have to wait till Thursday since we’re making pumpkins tomorrow. Which I can’t wait for!!!

Chicago!!

Friday morning we left for Chicago for Carl's cousin's wedding. I am an awful flyer so to get me through I of course brought my knitting! I worked on the sock on the plane and with the help of the little blue bottles of joy they sell I made it to Chicago without flipping out!

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Friday night we managed to see a little of Chicago. Mostly I saw the Loopy Yarns while Carl paced around the block for apparently 45 minutes. I think I lost track of time while I was in there oops! I picked up some Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in Vera so I can make the shrug below (which I am not starting till I finish a few more WIPs) and one skein of Silk Rhapsody in this gorgeous orange/pink/gold.

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I just loved this graffiti on the way to the store.

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Then we grabbed some margaritas at this place Lola's before having dinner with friends.

Then it was wedding wedding wedding all Saturday. Today we hopped on a plane so I made a little more progress on the sock which is great. I have about 2 inches to go on the cuff before I do the heel flap. I'm getting there. I'm starting to think that I should just frame this one when it is done and then start an actual real pair of socks that don't have all my little mistakes in them. Its just a thought.

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I just love my little black sheep stitch marker. So sweet.

I'm exhausted though so its going to be an early night. We definitely had a fun filled couple of days. I just got this fortune cookie, I think its trying to tell me something about my knitting ADD.

HP Shockers and Socks!

There was an article in the UK Observer yesterday which reports the Dumbledore is gay. In an interview JK revealed that this beloved character was gay. What a shocker but then again who cares…but it is some incredible news!

Last night I started my first sock. I’m just using the basic pattern in Ann Buud’s Getting Started Knitting Socks and its ok. There was a little bump in the first couple rows but I’m just going to keep going. This is my practice sock so mistakes are ok. The only big problem is that I’m using super fine yarn and size one rosewood needles. Oh and the yarn is sort of rosewood colored but that’s only because I couldn’t find my green sock yarn in my basket and the redish one came out first. I don’t think I was thinking when I bought all my supplies. This just means it’s a challenge and I accept said challenge. I have the entire plan ride to Chicago on Friday to devote to socks (and not flipping out). I’m hoping I can get to turning the heal by then so I can spend the flight working on the more labor intensive part.

Wish me luck!