Friday, April 27, 2007

The Tide is High in CT

The tide is high in CT because of all the nasty rain we have had since last night with floods everywhere but also because I received my April Sock Kit from BMFA yesterday! It is appropriately named WALKING ON THE WILD TIDE. Here it is:
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The colors are absolutely gorgeous and even more gorgeous after they were rolled on my ball winder. I am going to try and start them today if I feel better. I am much better than yesterday but still have a raging headache and fever.

This is the bag that I made my grandmother (crocheted) with Lion Brand Suede and some other Bernat sparkly novelty as trim.
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This is the bracelet I made her also. In the spirit of Project Spectrum's April/May colors this qualifies.
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The famous sock cake which was delicious!
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How cute was that!!

I finished my BMFA Feb Socks which were Inside Out Socks in the Monsoon colorway on Tuesday. Just in the nick of time before receiving the April shippment yesterday. Its really hard to take a picture of your own feet! LOL
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Here is my Chocolate Turtle (who is really a Giant Galapagos Tortoise that I bought at the Peabody Museum Gift shop) who is displaying what I have finished on my baby argyles which I am having issues with and will leave until I am well enough to deal with them.
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Remember the yellow lace sock that I posted a pic of a while back? I consistantly tried it on as I progressed with it and it fit perfectly. Then when I finished with it the dang sock would not go over my heel! I realized that not only would it not go around my heel because it was to tight but it seemed to be tight all over. How can that be? Anyway I had my DD try it on and it fits her pretty well except for an inch or two in the toe area. I think in a year or so it will fit her foot perfectly and even if she wants to wear it as a slipper sock to bed she can do so next winter. I am in no rush to finish this sock right now so I just wanted to let my loyal readers know that I didnt forget about the lovely yellow lace sock.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Sick as a Dog

I have so much to blog about and great pics to post but I awoke this morning with a very bad stomach virus and 103 fever. I wont even go into details of what I vomited but I havent thrown up like this since receiving chemo last year. All I have had today was Gatorade and I am going to attempt an ice pop in a few minutes. My stomach had been bothering me for a few days and I think it might be related to that. I went to sock class on Tuesday night not feeling well and subsequently not doing well with the sock. The pattern is what I am having issues with and I found an Argyle sock pattern by Eddie Eckman that does it a different way that avoids the seam up the bottom of the sock. It is supposed to be for an infant but you dont need the seam it you can avoid it and then toddlers can wear it to! I forgot to bring it in for Sally to see but I will. We are supposed to meet at Knitting Central on Tuesday evening to finish the sock up but I am not sure I can make it because of another class that will be going on with a teacher I am not fond of. I posted about it in February and she taught the Finishing Class.
Anyway back to what I wanted to post today. The pics I want to post are of the wonderful cake my DH got me for my birthday which was a sock shapped cake with pink and lavender buttercream icing. There were bananas with banana cream and chocolate cake inside. I am so glad I wasnt sick for that! Then I have a picture of the bag that I designed and crocheted for my grandmothers birthday present. I was up until the wee hours of the (Sunday) morning finishing that baby up. No one could believe that I actually designed it myself. I mean they did believe me but it came out so good that it even surprised me for a free form design. Maybe I should submit it to something for publishing?

On Sunday the 22nd, my actual birthday, my husband had to go to the emergency room. My cousin drove him at my urging because the surgical site where he had squamous cell carcinoma removed was so swollen and hot to the touch and it was streaking (red marks going up his arm indicating a bad infection). He wanted ME to lance it!! I mean I know how to do stuff like that because I am a nurse just like him but I didnt want to screw it up and its a good thing I didnt because the culture they took of the stuff they drained out (pus, gross I know) and it came back as MRSA positive which is not a good thing. It means that the infection is METHICILLIN RESISTANT STAPH AUREUS and highly contagious. I have had patients with this and before going into their rooms you have to gown and glove up not to spread it around and also that you dont get it yourself. He had to see the infection control Doc at the hospital and there is a list of things he has to do every day to eradicate it from his system. He has to scrub the wound and his body with Phisohex (Chlorhexadine antibacterial/viral soap), wrap it up (the wound) so no one comes into contact with it, use a antibacterial nasal swab because MRSA bacteria can harbor in the nasal passages, & take a FEW antibiotics to put it mildly! The Dr who did his surgery also has to go through the gamut and get his whole office staff screened to make sure he isnt spreading it to his patients (which is what I think is happening). There is a protocol that has to be followed so they can eradicate this infection otherwise he cant return to work especially since he works with immunocompromized patients. The Doc also said that the kids and I dont have to worry about anything as long as we wash our hands and that my DH and I should not have any 'contact' for at least a week. All I have to say is thank God I am sick because then its not an issue! LOL Now my darling husband has to be home until at least May 15th. He can return only when all the cultures and blood results no longer show MRSA. I like when he has days off but thats a long time to be home. I hope we dont strangle each other.

Some good news: I received my April Sock Kit from BMFA!! I dont have pictures (yet) but if you dont want to be spoiled stop reading my descrption of the kit here.
SPOILER ALERT~stop reading this paragraph (if you dare!)
The kit came with the Dyers notes, Footnotes, the pattern itself, and of course the yarn and the emergency sock yarn key chain. The yarn is SILKIE SOCKS THAT ROCK which the label states is 89% Superwash Merino and 19% Silk. Yes, the numbers dont add up to well but dont ask me! LOL It looks handspun and I am sure its going to feel like heaven on my foot. The color is called WALKING ON THE WILD TIDE which was not a secret due to the naming contest they had for the other yarns in the tide family. Its got teal, purple, tan, brown and blues in it from looking at it in the skein. I havent spun it up yet but I am sure it will look a lot different when in a yarn cake. The pattern name is called "Knee High to a Grasshopper" and it gives you the choice of making it a knee sock if so desired. I think that the BM ladies should have given us 2 skeins if they offered both patterns but thats just my opinion. Also this is a toe up pattern done on 2 circulars. I dont do 2 circs, I am a Magic Loop Lady so thats how I am going to do it. I do like toe ups and have gotten a bit addicted to that method of making socks lately.

Hopefully in my next post I will feel well enough to get these pictures on my blog. I almost forgot to add that I finished my BM socks from the Feb kit on Tuesday! Thay came out fabulous and I cant wait to show you all. I havent been able to knit all day because I was to dizzy to focus so I am going to make myself some broth with a tiny bit of noodles and see if that helps.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Spring Break

My kids have had off this past week for Spring Break. We didnt go away even though we certainly need a vacation but took them to some interesting places instead. First we went to the Peabody Museum in New Haven which is also known as the Museum of Natural History. My DD was anxious to see the dinosaur bones moreso then my son. The whole place is being redone so its very dark and dusty in various places but overall the kids enjoyed themselves.
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Tuesday night I had my Baby Argyle Sock Class.
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This is not my sock but the wonderful knitter, Donna, sitting next to me. She is a very fast knitter and really good. I was struggling for some reason getting holes in between where the colors changed. I seem to have a problem with intarsia which is strange because I didnt have issues when I did the Fair Isle Hat. Its perplexing but I am going to continue to complete the homework before the next class on Tues. Sally, the teacher, offered to help me but we were unable to meet up so I e-mailed her and told her that I am going to pull some tricks out of my knitting bag and get it done.

The following day we met my Dad and his friend at the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium and had a great time. My favorite was the Sea Turtles.
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Arent they cute? These guys are HUGE and its amazing to see them up close. They had a bunch of IMAX movies running but the only one we were able to see was the OCEAN WONDERS. Let me tell you, I have seen many IMAX movies and not one of them was bad. EVEREST was my all time favorite but this one was soooooo utterly boring I almost fell asleep. We all rode the Spongebob ride that they advertise on TV when they do ads for the aquarium. Thats one of those rides that stand still and the chair you are sitting in moves as you look at the screen in front of you. They have all these warnings for pregnant women and people who have back problems or heart issues and get motion sickness which made me very nervous. I decided to rise above my fear (sounds silly right?), pop an anti-anxiety pill under my tongue (haha!) and go on the ride with everyone else on line under the age of 7!! After all the hype it wasnt bad at all. I used to be able to ride all kinds of rides when I was in college but after my back surgery in 2003 I get very nervous when there are a ton of warnings posted outside a ride. My 4 year old son loved it the most. If a 4 year old can do it what the heck was I afraid of? LOL.

Yesterday I FINALLY mailed my DH's co-worker the baby kimono that I finished a few weeks ago. See, I do finish projects! It has some green in it because its BLUE SKY COTTON ORGANIC COTTON. That happens to be one of the colors for Project Spectrum for the months of Apr/May!
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Last night we went to a dinner party that a Dr friend of my DH's has every year. The couple that I had made the pink Kimono for in December sat at the same table with us and couldnt stop thanking me for the beautiful hand knitted kimono I made. They even called it a kimono when they thanked me. It was so kind of them and it made me feel so good about making things for other people. Its one of the main reasons why I like to knit so much. The Yarn Harlot describes it perfectly in her new book that I finally got my hands on yesterday at Borders. It was the only copy on the shelf and I think I did a jig when I found it! LOL. I wanted to be able to read it before I go see her in May.


Tomorrow is my 36th birthday and my DH decided to give me my gift early. I was so surprised when I opened it up and found a new lens for my camera and a camera case! Not only is is a camera case but a small backpack case that holds the camera and all the paraphernalia that you use with it. There is room for the lenses, wires, batteries, instruction booklets and everything else you can think of. The lens he bought is a macro lens that you can zoom in big time with. I cant remember the exact type it is but I think its 75-300mm. I got some awesome pictures with it today.

This purple flower belongs to my neighbor who is an excellent gardener. I am so happy that spring has actually arrived so I took a few pictures that symbolized Spring to me.
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These are Tibetan Prayer flags that are in my neighbors backyard. They are so pretty even though I dont know what they say!
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This little Quaker Parrot was playing hide and seek with me. I took so many of him and his friend but this one was the cutest of them all.
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Here is my Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in the most gorgeous colors I have ever seen. Not pictured is the Tube Sock Kit which is cotton yarn in 3 different colors. I'll make a regular sock out of it because I am not a tube sock fan. Its a great sock for summer knitting. Right after I placed my order on April 8th they came out with a bunch of new colors. I was so tempted to call them and ask them to add some to my order but the sock club shippment is going out between the 23rd-25th so thats going to be enough for me for a while.
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This is a picture of my DD. I took her by surprise and she didnt realize I was taking a picture of her. She was in the middle of eating lunch which explains the food in her mouth.
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Monday, April 16, 2007

In my own words

Blogs, thats the topic at the moment. I didnt think I would write about this but I must. Its the reason I started a blog so I can record my feelings and emotions and by doing so it makes me feel better. It started when I was in high school and a teacher told us that the best therapy one could do for oneself was to keep a journal to record whatever we wanted so that it would be our own private therapy session. You know what, it worked. I have kept a written journals for many years dating back to the eighties. They are all in order of year in the back of my closet so when I need to go back for reference I can. I dont fear anyone reading them because my family respects my privacy so I write anything and everything in them. I am missing one journal from 1998 that was lost when we moved into this house the in June of 2005.
During this time many were starting blogs. I had no idea what a blog was and I really didnt want one. In 2003 I became a member of an online community for growing long hair that allows its members to keep online private and public journals. This is when I started to "blog". When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in Feb. of 2006 I decided that the time was right for me to record my life on a public blog. My reason for doing so was more than doing it for me because I already had a private journal that only members of the long hair community had access to and I also kept a handwritten one that I keep next to my bed. I wanted to be able to help other young women like myself who find themselves in the position I was in. I was a 34 year young woman, with 2 small children, not married quite that long to my best friend and having a terminal illness. I thought that it would help these women and other readers who came to my blog and said, I know how she feels and I am not alone because there are others that feel the same way I do. I started blogging on March 8, 2006, a few days after my lumpectomy which was to be the 1st of my many surgeries to come. I received e-mails and comments from other women thanking me for saying things that they were afraid to say. It felt good to be doing something that benefited me and others. In the beginning I started out with the name CURLYBRUNETTE'S STORY OF SURVIVAL because thats what it was, my story of surviving cancer. Fifty or so posts ago I changed the name to KNIT HAPPENS because I didnt want to keep focusing all my time on my cancer. I am more than my cancer and I do have interests that I like to talk about, one of them being Knitting.

I received lots of feedback from family and friends saying what a great blog I had and that they loved the pictures and such. Many cancer survivors still came to read it even though I changed the title.

In the middle of my treatment I began to e-mail a friend that I made through an Online Mothers who Breastfeed Group back in 2000 when my daugher was born. We had the opportunity to meet up while on vacation in 2004 and after that vacation we e-mailed every month or so. Like I said I e-mailed her in the middle of my treatment and we began to talk again without any problems or issues. I sent her to my blog so she would be able to catch up with things and see what I was going through without me rehashing all of it. We were always honest with one another and told things like they were. It was difficult to hurt our feelings, we were pretty tough cookies. Out of the blue she asks if she can be honest with me and I say sure, not thinking what she is going to say is going to be so hurtful that it would start a huge arguement between us. She then starts to say that she is afraid to say things to me for fear she might unintentionally hurt my feelings and that she is thinking this way because of the 'numerous' times mentioned in my blog where I have been angry at people for reasons that she states in her eyes, "were not that bad". She also says that she doesnt want to be a friend that I oust out of my life because she says the wrong thing. OK, I have no idea where this is comming from because I have never said to her, "what you said really bothered me" because she never did and I didnt have to say anything like that. So at this moment I am confused. I am also confused because I have never ousted a friend of mine, they just havent called me thats all. I have had people call me after not hearing from them for a long time and I dont hold a grudge, I speak to them and I am kind and compassionate like they have been calling me on a regular basis. The statement that really angered me was the one where she said that there were numerous times where I was angry at things that she didnt think were that bad and that she wouldnt have been angry or upset at them. I ask her for examples of this and after e-mailing several times back and forth she produces 2 things I said in a post from back in June of 2006 called MAJOR COMPLAINTS. In the post I go into detail about CERTAIN people who say things when you are sick like, "If there is anything I can do" and "Things will get better". In the post I explain why these 2 statements upset me and its long so I hate to rehash it now but you can look it up and see that I said this while I was under duress. I was getting dose dense chemotherapy which is the most drug a person can take without killing them, and I was still recovering from surgery and developed lymphedema in my left arm where I had lymph nodes removed. No matter what I said she shouldnt have passed judgement on me by saying what she said. I told her that she is not me and she didnt go through what I did so how could she know how she would feel? Before I got cancer I would never be able to say something like that to someone. Its just not right and it makes no sense to me why she would say it. She then said that this is what she was afraid would happen that I would get mad and angry and that I was attacking her now after I told her that it was OK to tell me how she felt and to be honest with me. I dont think that I am the one thats wrong in this matter just because I expressed my feelings over what CERTAIN people were saying. I wasnt even referring to her when I stated these things because we werent even speaking at that time. I almost forgot the 3rd thing she said I was overly sensitive to. It was a post I made a couple of days ago when I got a haircut and the hairstylist said some screwed up stuff to me. In the post I also included the fact that the stylist said MANY things that I didnt record in the post. I made the point that she hurt my feelings by what she said and thats it. Out of the 125 posts in this blog there are not many negative ones. I always try and look at the positive in a situation. We are not referring to the posts about my sister and my family because thats my business and no one elses. I thought the other posts were also my business but apparently I was wrong and I have to hold my tongue because this 'friend' of mine is afraid of something that hasnt even happened yet. I have never flamed her before or said that something she said hurt me so I think she is paranoid. She keeps bringing up whats going on NOW WITH THIS SITUATION AS PROOF OF ME FLAMING HER and thats totally unfair because she started it. She didnt have to 'be honest' with me. How did this benefit us? It didnt and now I want nothing to do with her because of it. I dont need friends like that who are going to make me physically sick and make me throw up all night and lose sleep because of having an opinion about something that she thinks "isnt that bad". Like I said before, "HOW THE HELL CAN SHE KNOW THAT IT WOULDNT BOTHER HER IF SHE ISNT ME AND HASNT BEEN THROUGH WHAT I HAVE??" She as also worried about being a topic in my blog and I told her that it wouldnt happen and that I wouldnt do that to her. Guess what? She hurt me like no other friend has hurt me before so I must write it in my blog, she left me no choice. I wont post names or locations because I am not a jerk and I am not doing this to get her in any way. I am doing this to make myself feel better and to share what happened with someone who called themselves my friend when they were nothing but a passive-aggressive liar who can rot in hell with the rest of my so called 'friends' that have abandoned me.

I am a member of the Young Survival Coalition ( www.youngsurvival.org ) and I went to them to ask about this situation. They were extremely supportive and helpful. Many told me that they had been in similar situations and had to break friendships because of it. Others said that I have matured and grown out of the friendship and that she (my so called friend) was immature and not going to get it because she hadnt walked a mile in my shoes. I sent my 'friend' the link to the site and no e-mails have come to my inbox since. I cant say I am happy over losing a friend but it was her own doing and she refused to own up to what she said and apologize. I made a decision a long time ago not to allow toxic people in my life and thats exactly what I am doing. Good bye to bad rubbish.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

The New Blogger, UGGHH!!! The Yarn Harlot, Yay!!!

I cant tell you how hard it was for me to log into my blogger account just now. I have been trying to access it for 45 minutes to an hour without any results until 5 minutes ago. Since it is the new version of blogger you need a Google account and I didnt have that nor did I switch my blog over to beta. Call me lazy or resistant to change but I was happy with what I had so I didnt change it. THEY decided to change it for me so there lies the problema. I am happy that its fixed and I can now post because I have awesome news!!

I am going to see the YARN HARLOT when she comes to The WEBS Store in Massachussetts!!! You can see all about it if you go to the WEBS site: www.yarn.com I am so excited about it I cant wait! Right now I am trying to see if anyone will go with me but since its in the middle of the week its hard for most people who would have to get off work to go. I will have to wait to get her book unless I bring my own copy for her to sign with me. I am anxious to read it but the bookstores around here dont seem to have it at the moment. After the talk she is giving at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, WEBS is having the book signing in their store and all kinds of yarn sales! This is a great opportunity for me to get the yarn I need for the shawl class I am taking with Jane Elliot in June. Heck, you name it, WEBS has it. They are a MEGA yarn store so I am getting my list together. Do you think there will be some sock yarn on the list?? LOL

Next week I have my first class for the Baby Argyle Sock with Sally (Queen of Socks). I'm excited about it and hope I can adapt the pattern to an adults foot. I am almost ready to Kitchner one of the Dr's socks and I am finally on the leg of the Blue Moon Monsoon Socks. Right on time for the next shippment hopefully to arrive the end of the month. I am almost ready to turn the heel on the yellow socks.

Today is my Grandmothers birthday and I havent finished her gift yet. Since we are expecting a nor'Easter tomorrow we are not planning a party for her tomorrow. My Mom wants to do it next Sunday which happens to be my birthday. She wants to do it together. Well, maybe I am being selfish but I wanted a cake with just my name on it. I think I have earned it since the past birthdays have all sucked for reasons I dont have to go into. I think you all know what I am referring to. Back to my socks...

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Exactly One Year Ago

I thought I was prepared for my hair loss but I wasnt prepared for the shock that comes with it coming out. No one can prepare you for that. I know that my hair was just one of my physical features but it was one that I was very proud of and had for a very long time. It made me different from many other women my age because it was very curly and long by todays standards and past my waist. My goal was to grow it past my behind and it had been growing for about 5 years before I was diagnosed with cancer. It was 31" when I cut it to my shoulders. I then went shorter to my chin and then further up behind my ears. When I buzzed it last week I thought that would be the worse of it but this is. When I thought about the worse possible thing that could happen to me I thought about the people who would lose their hair to chemo and think that had to be the worst. I hoped that would never be me. Today, I feel like I am in a nightmare and cant wake up because it is me going through chemo and losing my hair. I guess there can be much worse things that can be happening but right now I cant think of any.

Exactly one year ago today I wrote this entry in my blog. Its funny because yesterday I went for a trim. Kind of ironic, dont you think? My hair has grown so much since losing it to chemo one year ago its hard to believe I lost it all just by looking at me. It didnt actually start to grow until August 2006 but it has grown a lot. If I didnt get so many trims I bet it would be touching my shoulders by now! I wasnt to happy with the way the girl cut my hair yesterday. She kept saying some annoying things to that got me a bit upset. One thing that pissed me off was a comment she made about how getting a terminal illness makes you look at your life and see how you have F-cked up in the past and are 'woken' up by having such a life altering disease and are given a second chance by getting through it. She gave the example of a family member of hers that was an A-hole and then was involved in a very serious car accident and then turned his life around. Well, let me tell you something you ignorant jerk. I wasnt an A-Hole before I got cancer, hell before all my illnesses started in 2000, so what you are saying doesnt apply to me. As a matter of fact I dont think that anyone gets cancer for a reason, there is no reason for getting such a messed up disease unless you were Hitler in a past life. Now I know in a past post I made about one year ago I say that cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me. I meant it in a different way then she was referring. It made me look at MY life and see what was really important like my kids and family and my health. She was giving examples of people who were living their life in the fast lane, doing drugs and crazy sh*t. I have never done anything like that or tempted fate or had a death wish like she said her relative had. Just to clear up some confusion. All kidding aside, I was so mad at her stupidity that I WILL NOT go back to get my hair cut there again. I dont even care if they have awesome stylists, I'm going somewhere else. See what happens when you open your mouth and spew ignorance. She said some other dumb ass things and everything I said she corrected me like my opinions and what I was saying was wrong. Hey, shut up and cut my hair. Your supposed to kiss my ass and agree with what I am saying not piss me off so I never come back again, When I left there my hair looked so bad that I had to put my head under the faucet, wet it down and do it over. When I say horrible, I mean terrible. I asked her to straighten it and she only halfway straightened it so it was sticking up everywhere. I regret that I didnt take a picture of it in that state. I probably looked better bald than I did when I left there yesterday. I vow right here and now not to get my hair cut for at least 3-4 months or until it looks totally sloppy and raggy and I cant do a thing with it. Maybe I can try and wait until the AVON WALK in October? I am going to try my best.

Easter 2007, Socks & Yarn

On Easter Sunday we went to my cousins house for dinner where I had the opportunity to take some great pictures. The eggs were dyed at my house by the kids, my DH and I. The tulips were on the dinner table at my cousins house and the scattered railway pieces were my sons doing! I thought it would make an interesting picture.
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These are salt and pepper shakers that a fellow blogger and doxie lover sent me. How sweet is that. To thank her I sent her a secret package in the mail today and of course I cant say what was in it otherwise it wouldnt be a surprise.
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These socks were started a couple of days ago because I just had to cast on something yellow in honor of Project Spectrums colors for April/May: Yellow, Green and Pink. They are toe up (short row) and I am using (what else), Artyarns Supermerino with a size 2 Addi Turbo. I first started it on size 2 DPN's which are a bit smaller than the Addi's (2.75mm compared to 3mm). This yarn is so versatile that I have used needles ranging in size from a 2 all the way up to a 6. My Dad's socks were made with a size 5 needle. This pattern was taken from the second book by Charlene Schurch, MORE SENSATIONAL KNITTED SOCKS. Its an awesome book and I highly recommend to any sock knitter.
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These are almost done! I finished one last week and am currently on the foot of the second. I am hoping that I will be done before the next BMFA Sock Club shippment arrives. I also have a few extra skeins of Socks that Rock in some gorgeous colorways on the way here before the next shippment comes. The 10% off coupon was just screaming to be used and I had to obey! LOL.
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Here is some Koigu Kersti in a mix of colors which include some Project Spectrum colors for Apr/May and Blue Sky Cotton in a citrus/cantaloupe color I couldnt resist. The Blue Sky Cotton is going to be a baby sweater for my cousins little girl who turns 1 this summer. I had purchased some Schaefer Elaine yarn in a beautiful green called KERMIE (yes, I need to get a picture) to make my other cousins baby boy a sweater. He is a couple of weeks older than her so of course I had to make them both something for their 1st birthday. I have plenty of time so I dont have to worry about these just yet.
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My Grandmothers bag that I am crocheting for her birthday is coming along nicely. I designed it myself and I am hoping it comes out like the picture in my head! LOL. I am starting work on the side panels tonight and then all I have to do is complete the strap, seam it up and maybe decorate the front triangular panel depending on my mood.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

I am such a Rebel

Today the kids had off from school and we promised them that we would take them to the movies. They wanted to see MEET THE ROBINSONS and so did I. I love DISNEY movies. I didnt think this one was going to be this good but it was awesome and I highly recommend it for kids and their parents.
Right before we went to the movies we had 45 minutes to waste so I decided to stop at our local wholesale place and buy a new digital camera that I have been eyeing forever (well, for the past 3 years). Every spring when my birthday rolls along my Mom asks me what I want and I always say, "I could use a new camera." Ours is almost 10 years old and one of the first digitals made. We bought it in 1996 or '97 right before we got married and it did its job well. It was a FUJI FinePix 2.1 megapixels. I have only great things to say about it because it really took wonderful pics for the type of camera it was. Back then all of the digitals were expensive and I believe I paid over $500 just for the camera and then an extra $100+ for the memory card. Recently, if you look really good at my pictures on the blog, my camera would crap out on me and I wasnt able to get any detail in the pics I was taking. It took a year and a day to turn the camera on and to warm up just to take a picture and then it took forever between pics and by the time it was ready the moment you wanted to capture was lost. So it was time for a new camera and I was not going to wait another day. We got our tax refund and we are refinancing our house with a new mortgage and getting some extra money to pay off CC bills so I though this would be the perfect time. I had my eye on the CANON EOS Rebel XTi forever. It was more money then the model below it which is the EOS Rebel XT. The only major difference between the two besides price was the amount of megapixels (there are 10 in the XTi and 8.2 in the XT). There are other small features to that you get with the more expensive model that I didnt really need. I decided to save some money and go with the XT. (The price for the XTi was $899 and the XT was $599 without the memory card which I bought seperately for $80). My logic was that 10 years ago I spent the same amount of money on a digital camera that lasted me 10 years so that averages out to $75 a year (with the price of the memory card). Thats pretty good and since I put all the pics on my computer and print them myself I dont pay for processing of my pics so I save there to. If it sounds like I am justifying this purchase I am and I know that I dont have to but I know my Mom reads my blog so there you have it. Now this camera was $599 + tax =$635 +$80 (memory card)=$715 total. If it lasts 10 years then its works out at $71.50 a year which is actually less than my other digital camera!!! Whohoooo!!! I love math! Not. Anyway, this camera came with so much stuff I am reading reading and reading some more. There is so much to learn about it but its not hard to operate at all. I have already taken some great pics which of course I am going to post. How could I talk about a new digital camera and not show you some of the great pics I took with it. The only thing it doesnt have is a preview on the LCD before the picture is taken. It comes up after the pic is taken. I guess they want you to work it like a professional and look through the eyepiece. I like it and dont find it to be a problem at all. I did take some pictures of my knitting to see how much detail would show and all I can say it WOW! I dont have any knitting pics to post today so you will all have to suffer with some pics of my babies.
First, here is me in a self portrait:
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Here are some of my cats and doggies:
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Please keep in mind that I am just beginning to learn on my new toy so cut me some slack if you are a professional looking at these going, "These pictures suck, what makes her think they are good?" Maybe I am just paranoid and sensitive about my craft. The picture of me qualifies as a PS picture because I am wearing a green shirt!! Hooray! The others dont really but when my daffodils start to bloom I am going to be right there with my camera.

After the movie my friend and her 2 kids came over and we ordered pizza for dinner. The kids played, got a little crazy as kids do but over all were good. They cant wait for the EASTER BUNNY to come tomorrow night. We are going to color some eggs tomorrow for the EASTER BUNNY to hide. My DD asked me today if the EASTER BUNNY was half human and half bunny. I told her that there is no such thing as a half human half bunny animal and that the EASTER BUNNY is a RABBIT who has helpers like Santa has elves. I know it sounds funny to the people reading this but I think its so cute that she is almost 7.5 and still believes in Santa and the Easter Bunny. I cant remember how old I was when some dumb kid at school ruined it for me and I was devestated. I was much older than she is now but I am to embarrassed to admit how old I was because there is no way a child that age today believes in Santa or the bunny. OK, I think I was 10 or 11. There I admitted it and you know what? I still believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny. Have a Happy Easter everyone and a Blessed Passover!

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Knitting Vintage Socks with Nancy Bush

This past weekend I had the pleasure of being a student in a class taught by the incomparable Nancy Bush at my LYS. It was fun and when it was all done I learned a Welsh heel, a star toe and French toe (we had the choice to make either) and a different way to SSK. We didnt make a sock but a mini (ugly looking) swatch. Of course I took some pictures. I have to get another camera and I mean ASAP because this one is 10 years old ( probably older) and is antiquated. I think its a 2.1 mega pixels and one of the 1st digitals ever made! LOL. Enough gabbing, here are the pics.
Nancy teaching the class: Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Our 'organized' workspaces, LOL:
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All of the socks she has made that have appeared in Vintage Socks, Knitting on the Road, Folk Socks, Folk Knitting in Estonia and various other places such as Interweave Knits magazine and the new Interweave Favorite Socks book. These were amazing to see in real life and to touch because they are flawless and beautiful:
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Here is one of her and me. I am so tired in this picture that was of course taken at the end of our 6 hour class. I had a migraine throughout the entire class but I wasnt missing it for the world!:
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She also showed us some gorgeous lace that has appeared in some publications such as Scarf Style and Interweave Knits. She is currently working on a book about Estonian Lace and I cant wait until that one comes out. She is such a sweet lady and graciously signed all of our books for us without a complaint. She also taught the entire class having a bad cold with a hoarse voice! Now that's dedication!

Here is a picture in honor pf Project Spectrum entering April & May with 2 new colors and saying goodbye to one of the February and March colors (blue).
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After I took this picture the wire on the blue bracelet broke. I think I need a bigger gauge wire so that doesnt happen again, Well, you live and learn.