A change in plans

Well, I started the Clapotis out of silk this weekend and it just wasn't what I wanted. Colors don't show up here and it IS beautiful in real life, but it was coming out too heavy. I wanted it to be a light piece. I had a change of plans and switched yarn. I am now using Cashmere and Yak. No joke. This is a BEAUTIFUL lace weight yarn (that I doubled) and I am doing it on size 2 needles. You still can't see the beautiful colors but take my word for it. It is almost exactly the same colors I was using with the silk.



Damn! I wish you could really see what a beatiful color it is...

Oops, I did it again

I went wine tasing in Sonoma with Tim and Annie yesterday. We had a great time and a great lunch. Once again I bought and bought wine. We went to Eric Ross (my favorite) and to VJB and also to the one that I can't spell or pronounce. I bought at all of them. I bought Zins and Chards and even stuff that I can't remember. I EVEN bought 1/2 a case of futures at VJB. It was some red table wine that tasted swell and was inexpensive.

Mr. Yarn, you shouldn't leave me alone up in the wine country. Annie and Tim would never stop me.

Dream

Ever had a dream that really wiped you out? Something that was so real that you just woke up feeling like someone had kicked you in the gut? It sucks.

Nothing to write about today. My gut hurts.

A Tribute

Mr. Yarn is leaving me to go to India again. Yeah, I am not happy about it. I hate when he goes. Nothing *I* can do about it so I decided to pay the trip a little tribute. What am I going to do you ask? No, I am not building a shrine. I am going to knit a project in 100% silk. I have been keeping myself from doing this because afterall, the yarn in my store is really for selling not for me using at my own whim. What? Not really. I refrained because the 100% silk is pretty pricey and 8 skeins of it makes a pretty pricey Clapotis. So, when Brigid came in and I talked HER into doing it, I figured that I would make it my tribute to "Mr. I am leaving you to go to India" Sooooo....

The silk is Curious Creek Fibers (LOVE this company). This is the silk but I am not using this color.



Here is the color I am using



and the pattern is once again Clapotis from Knitty. I think that this is a great combo. Yeah yeah, the clapotis is over done but I have two of them and they are beautiful. Of course one of mine is in Silk Garden and the other out of 100% cashmere. So, silk is perfect!

Bon Voyage Mr. Yarn. Better go somewhere less exotic next time. Canada would be good. Then I would only have to have to knit in Quivet.

Started another one

I did almost 10.5 inches of the back of this sweater. All stockinette on size 2 needles. Am I having fun? Of course I am. This sweater is in the new Vogue Knitting magazine and no, it isn't bobbles. When people come into the shop they ask "Is it for YOU?". I think they are scared that I might try to wear it without anything under it like the model. No, it isn't for me. It is a sample for the store.

No more slippers. . . EVER

I felted Tim's slippers. They aren't exactly the same size. As a matter of fact they are pretty off, but I am putting soles on them and calling them finished. I am so done making these things. Never again!



Then there is this. It feels like no matter how much I work on it the thing never grows. I worked on it most of yesterday and I might have gotten 1/2 an inch done. Big deal. I did block the red sweater but I am too lazy to go downstairs and take a picture. I will do so later.

The great ham caper

So, a friend emailed a month ago to find out if we wanted in on a Virgina Country ham. What a loaded question. So arrangements were made and it was decided that the ham would be shipped to my shop. It was. What I failed to remember is that we were going to be out of town when it got there. Luckily Auban (Hi Aubbie!) was there and gave us a call. The UPS person thought that the ham might have been floating around since Xmas and that we might want to refuse it!! NOOOOO. Give me that ham.

So, we soaked it for 2 days and then cooked the puppie (I mean pig) up



Wooo hooo was that one salty little morsel. Then again, what do *I* know from ham. Never tasted it until I was 18 years old.



Ok, so Mr. Yarn tried to divide the sucker up for the participants to take home. His saw failed him.



We had a great time. Thanks to all that were there (do you really read this blog? That still blows me away).

Ok on to knitting...

I am about to felt Tim's clog. I am scared. I can't do this again and I already see that one looks bigger than the other. Damn.



I also have to block my sweater today. Here it is unblocked



Oh yeah...



and dishes

I don't usually do these...

I was tagged. Since Annie has my digital camera for the day I will subject you to this for the first and last time. Here it goes:

Four Jobs I've Had

1. Rug Crafters - I got to show people how to make rugs. The rugs came in kits. You made them like paint by numbers. I lied about my age to get this job. The setting was beautiful. It was in Fisherman Village in Marina Del Rey. Right on the water.

2. Swensen's Ice Cream Parlor - This was a special one. Swiss orange chip was MY favorite.

3. California Animal Hospital. I loved this job. It was one of my favorite jobs.

4. RAND Corp. - This was a great job too. I worked here for 15 years and loved it. Crazy things went on here.

Four Movies to Watch Repeatedly

I don't really watch movies too much but...
1. Vertigo
2. Annie Hall
3. Wizard of Oz
4. Rear Window

Four Cities of Residence

1. Culver City - where I lived as a kid and then again to raise my kids
2. Santa Monica - loved it here
3. San Jose - didn't wanna be here
4. Alameda - I love Alameda!


Four Favorite TV Shows

1. Emergency
2. Seinfeld (yeah, I should let go)
3. ?
4. I dunno, can't think of any. The above is stretching it. Mr Yarn is the TV dictator.

Four Vacation Destinations

1. Oregon - My mom and dad droves us all up here from Los Angeles when we were kids. I still can't figure out how they didn't kill us.
2. Canada - I love it here.
3. France - I love it here even more and haven't been for a long time.
4. Nova Scotia - I want to go but haven't been yet.

Four Web Sites I Visit Daily'

1. She just walks around with it - Funny blog
2. Dooce - another blog
3. Google
4. Yahoo

Four Favorite Foods

1. Cheap candy - I love stuff like lemon heads. I know this isn't really FOOD but I love them.
2. Artichokes - What can I say other than they rock. Just don't eat them and drink milk.
3. Olives - A huge weakness
4. Oysters - raw and tasting just like the ocean

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now

1. Back in bed
2. other than back in bed I like where I am.

Four Bloggers Who Have to Answer These Same Questions, or Kittens Will Die. Or Something.

This is where I woosie out and don't name anyone. I just can't. It reminds me too much of a chain letter.

Queen Bee

Here is the shirt that I got at the bee shop. I think that it is cute. On the back is a drone. Yeah, so that is what I wanted to show you.

On another note guess what I knit last night? Uh, if you guessed Tims big ole slipper (for the second time I remind you) you are right.



Last but not least Lily was feeling a bit left out of the blog world so I told her that I would put her on here AGAIN. What a ham. Oh wait, more about the ham story later.

We are back!

Hi kiddies!
We are back from our trip to Bodega Bay. It was fun. Did I go to a yarn shop you ask? Of couse I did. We went to the Black Mountain Artisans in Point Reyes and I bought some handspun angora and some handspun cocker spaniel (YES, cocker spaniel. I couldn't help myself. You know I like different).



I am not so boring that I have no other interest other than yarn, so Mr Yarn surprised me and took me on a little adventure (he is the best). He took me to one of my favorite places. I have never told you this, but I have a fascination with carnivorous plants. Mr. Yarn took me to California Carnivores. I bought some plants and I swear I won't kill them this time.



We also went to a honey shop. It sold bee keeping stuff and all the honey products you can ever ask for. I wanted hives but Mr. Yarn is really allergic to bee stings. I didn't think it would be too good of an idea although he assured me that I could do it if I wanted. I don't think so. I did buy a shirt that I think is really cool (show you tomorrow).

Last but not least we went to the co-op that I love in Bodega. I bought this handdyed shawl. I loved it and I don't think I have ever bought a handmade textile.



So the trip was great and I got my fill of incredible oysters and lots of crab. Now it it time to go back to work. I did almost finish the sweater that I took on the road trip. I will show you when it is done.

New project

I needed to start something new. Mr Yarn and I will be taking a few days off. So, I will be away from the blog for a few days. In the meantime, this is what I am working on. I am doing it in Araucania yarn and the color is like a ruby color.

I had to start something new because I really did. I swear. I just finished most everything and I deserve it. So have a good time and I will update you soon.

Mr Yarn's vest

I just can't get a good picture of this vest without the flash. I refuse to use the flash. So if you want to see the cable double click on the picture for a bigger version. The vest isn't finished yet because I ran out of yarn. I will have to scrounge around for some more.

2 more days until I am in Bodega Bay! I will be eating oysters and drinking wine like there is no tomorrow. Until then I am stressing over what to work on. I have Peter's sweater to finish (ewwwww) or I could start something NEW!

It's not a poncho

I finished the "It's not a poncho it is a blanket that I wear" poncho. I really like it and it feels great to wear even though it may not be the most attractive on me. Who cares. I am now finishing Mr. Yarns vest and should be done with it by the end of today. Then I have to start Tim's felted slippers (AGAIN). After that I have to finish Peter's sweater (that you still haven't seen a picture of). Then I am FREE.

So my exciting day off will be filled with doing laundry and going for a routine doctors visit. Don't you wish you were ME?

I graduated!

Annie and Tim got me these really cool earrings for Xmas (we exchanged gifts last night because they were out of town). I got the earrings I wanted really badly. Yes, they do go all the way through your ear. I graduated from the small ones to the "Big Girl" earrings.

Lucky me!

Annie and Tim went to Chicago and brought me back Penzey's stuff. I am so lucky. If you have never tried Penzey's you should.

So, I got the Alice Starmore book that I bought on Amazon through an independent seller. "Sweaters for Men" It was a little worrisome that it had a Hennepin County Library stamp on the front of it. Good thing that "Offically Withdrawn from the Hennepin County Library was stamped inside.



I think that my online buying might be out of control again.

I'm too lucky for my sweater

Check this out. It is a thing of beauty. I keep opening the box just to peek in. It is the yarn for the Jade Starmore sweater. Mr Yarn bought me this for Xmas. So, no one ever told me that the "kit" didn't come with the pattern. Damn good thing that I spent WAY too much on ebay last year getting this book.

Don't tell anyone but I started a new project (ok, well Mr. Yarn's vest is more than half done) that will keep me warm. It is a poncho. Shut up. It is really warm and pretty. Instead of the "Martha Stewart Poncho" I am calling it "Ok, we will call it the crazy woman is wearing a blanket and this is NOT a poncho" poncho.

Don't laugh.

Is it over?

Well, I think that it was unfair that out of Xmas and New Years that I didn't get one extra day off. I got my normal days off off but nothing other than that. I did make the most of this Sunday and Monday though and made another vest for Mr Yarn. I have the back and one side done. Give me a little slug fest time and I will give you most of a vest!